7. The Act of Penitence…
At the beginning of the Mass, after making the Sign of the Cross, and greeting the people, the priest invites the people to call to mind their sins in preparation for the celebration of the Mass. Silence is then observed, so that everyone present may recollect themselves and call to mind the times when they have not fulfilled the commandments of the Lord. We humbly acknowledge that we are imperfect, and that we have sinned, before we approach the altar to celebrate the Mass. The priest prays that the Lord will have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. The Act of Penitence always ends in the Kyrie Eleison, Greek for “Lord, have mercy.” By this prayer, we implore the Lord to have mercy on us.
It is important to remember that the Act of Penitence is a prayer for mercy and forgiveness. It does not absolve sins in the same way as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If a person is conscious of grave sin, he must go to Confession before receiving Communion.
GIRM 51-52
8. The Structure of the Act of Penitence…
The rubrics of the Mass [rubric means “liturgical directive” and is derived from the Latin rubrico, which means “red,” because the rubrics are printed in red in the liturgical books] offer the Celebrant three options for the Act of Penitence.
A. The recitation of the Confiteor is the normative option. It is a prayer said by the whole assembly, in which we confess our sinfulness and beg God’s mercy.
B. The second option is a series of invocations, and responses by the people, which express our contrition and prayer for mercy.
C. The third option is the “Kyrie” with invocations preceding each verse. (“Lord, have mercy,” is from the Greek Kyrie, eleison.) For example: “You were sent to heal the contrite: Lord, have mercy.”
All three of these are preceded by the priest’s invitation and followed by the absolution prayer (“May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.”) Options A and B do not include the “Kyrie,” so it is recited after the absolution prayer when these options are used.
GIRM 51-52
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Homily Third Sunday of the Year 21 January 2007
In 1970, a woman named Norma McCorvey started down a path
no one had ever taken in life…
and found herself in the midst of a journey she never expected…
with an ending she never could have predicted.
Norma McCorvey was the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit,
which challenged the laws making abortion illegal in the State of Texas.
The case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court,
which handed down its controversial decision on January 22, 1973,
making abortion legal in all 50 of the United States.
This is the famous Roe vs. Wade case…
and Norma McCorvey is “Jane Roe,”
the pseudonym she assumed to remain anonymous.
As a result of this case…
abortion on demand is now available throughout the United States.
But the story does not end there.
When her involvement in the Supreme Court case went public,
she did some public speaking, becoming a bit if a celebrity.
In 1995, she was working in a so-called “women’s clinic” in Dallas…
and had a reputation as a “hard-core abortion rights advocate.”
Along the way, in chats on their smoke breaks…
she became friends with the director of Operation Rescue,
a pro-life organization,
which had opened an office next door to the “clinic.”
The man was also a minister, and he began to discuss Christianity with Norma.
After some time, she accepted an invitation to attend church with her new friends.
After experiencing the warm welcome of the community,
and hearing the teachings of Christ…
she was converted to Christianity.
Norma later renounced her ties to abortion rights activism.
She is now a national speaker in support of the pro-life cause,
and a sign of hope for all who work in defense of human life.
The grace of the Holy Spirit
transformed Norma from a persecutor of the unborn…
into a spirited defender of the sacredness of human life.
Her conversion is a sign to us all of what God can accomplish
through the life of one person.
God, in His goodness, works through the lives of men and women…
through the life of the Church…
to bring about the conversion of the world to Himself.
Through the Church…
and through the witness of people like Norma McCorvey…
God is continually calling people back to the truth
about the dignity and sacredness of each and every human life.
Every life is sacred in the eyes of God…without exception…
and this includes the poor…the soldiers at war…those in prison…
and especially the innocent unborn.
Since the earliest days of the Church…
in an ancient document from the second century called the Didache…
and until this very day…
the Church has continually taught that abortion…
because of the very action itself…
and regardless of the circumstances…
is always evil.
The forgotten truth about abortion…
is that the evil it causes is not limited to the death of a child.
Abortion affects us all.
Our Epistle today comes from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Paul himself was a vicious persecutor of Christians…
until the Lord touched his heart,
and transformed him into an instrument of His will.
He writes that if one member of the Church suffers, all the members suffer.
The loss of any member of the Church causes the whole body to suffer.
Indeed, the loss of any human life causes suffering throughout the world.
Abortion affects all those who come in contact with it.
The suffering and trauma which women experience after having an abortion…
the guilt and sorrow that the men in their lives feel…
the pain which tears apart families…
is immeasurable.
I once saw a t-shirt worn by a pro-life supporter…
black shirt that simply read in white letters:
“Abortion hurts women.”
That is the painful truth of abortion.
The good news is that vast networks of counselors and ministers are springing up…
whose charisms are to offer support to traumatized men and women…
to offer retreats and counseling…
to heal the wounds caused by abortion…
and to show women that there are other, much healthier and safer options.
Since abortion is sadly so common these days…
there is a good chance that some of you have experienced its effects…
in your families or among your friends.
If this is so…
know with absolute certainty…
that God loves you…and the Church loves you…
and that the Church cares for those who suffer.
Someone famous once said…
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Abortion is evil…and it is slowly triumphing…
so what are we going to do about it?
We can start by praying.
Pray the Rosary, and ask Mary to convert the hearts of all men and women…
to see and embrace the truth about the sanctity of human life…
just as the heart of Norma McCorvey was converted.
When you come to Mass…
come a little early and pray to Jesus present in the Tabernacle…
asking Him to comfort those who suffer.
Pray constantly that the world will once again respect the dignity of all human life.
Second, we can witness to the truth of our faith.
Each year on the anniversary Roe vs. Wade…
hundreds of thousands of people from across America…
travel to Washington, DC, for an even called the “March for Life.”
Perhaps some of you have participated.
If not, I strongly encourage you to consider doing so.
I will be leaving Sunday afternoon for Washington…
to participate in the evening Mass at the BNSIC…
and the March on Monday afternoon.
I ask you to join we me in spirit in these days,
as we together as God to protect the innocent unborn…
and inspire a love for life in the hearts of all people.
In our own Diocese, and in nearby cities…
there are opportunities to join with others for peaceful witness and prayer
outside abortion clinics.
Yesterday, people gathered, as they do every Saturday,
near the clinic on Market Street in Youngstown,
for prayer and witness.
Monsignor Siffrin celebrated the diocesan Mass for Life at Saint Dominic’s,
which was attended by people from throughout the diocese.
Thirdly, we can allow our faith in the sanctity of human life
to inform our consciences as we participate in our political process.
These are all ways in which each of us
can take a real stance in defense of human life.
Estimates suggest that…
in the 34 years since the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe vs. Wade…
over 40 million abortions have occurred in the United States.
In this country…
where the right to life…and liberty…and the pursuit of happiness…
are allegedly our foundation…
roughly 3,700 abortions now occur every day.
Imagine if the cure for cancer was meant to be found in the 1980s…
but the doctor was aborted.
Imagine if great symphonies were mean to be composed…
to rival the work of Beethoven and Mozart…
and great works of art comparable only to Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel…
but the artists and composers were taken through abortion.
Imagine how many priests and religious…perhaps even bishops…
we will never see ordained…
because abortion claimed their tiny lives.
We will never know the answers…
Difficult as this may be to hear…these are the facts.
This is part of the reality of our world that we have to face.
Last week we celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King.
His famous “I have a dream” speech included this line…
“I have a dream that one day…little black boys and little black girls
will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls
as sisters and brothers.”
Dr. King is celebrated as a man who recognized the dignity of the human person…
despite what they looked like.
I have confidence that if he were alive today…
he would tell us to respect the unborn little boys and girls too…
for they surely cannot hold hands as brothers and sisters…
if they cannot even have a chance to live.
Interestingly, Dr. King’s niece…Dr. Alveda King…
is a pastoral associate for the organization Priests for Life.
Dr. King loved life…
and he would want us to do all we can to witness to its sanctity.
With love in our hearts…
may we go forth strengthened by this Eucharist…
to pray constantly that the whole world may come to cherish life…
and to give witness to the dignity of each and every human person.
Saint Gianna Molla,
Pray for us!
Holy Mary, mother of the unborn…
Pray for us!
no one had ever taken in life…
and found herself in the midst of a journey she never expected…
with an ending she never could have predicted.
Norma McCorvey was the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit,
which challenged the laws making abortion illegal in the State of Texas.
The case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court,
which handed down its controversial decision on January 22, 1973,
making abortion legal in all 50 of the United States.
This is the famous Roe vs. Wade case…
and Norma McCorvey is “Jane Roe,”
the pseudonym she assumed to remain anonymous.
As a result of this case…
abortion on demand is now available throughout the United States.
But the story does not end there.
When her involvement in the Supreme Court case went public,
she did some public speaking, becoming a bit if a celebrity.
In 1995, she was working in a so-called “women’s clinic” in Dallas…
and had a reputation as a “hard-core abortion rights advocate.”
Along the way, in chats on their smoke breaks…
she became friends with the director of Operation Rescue,
a pro-life organization,
which had opened an office next door to the “clinic.”
The man was also a minister, and he began to discuss Christianity with Norma.
After some time, she accepted an invitation to attend church with her new friends.
After experiencing the warm welcome of the community,
and hearing the teachings of Christ…
she was converted to Christianity.
Norma later renounced her ties to abortion rights activism.
She is now a national speaker in support of the pro-life cause,
and a sign of hope for all who work in defense of human life.
The grace of the Holy Spirit
transformed Norma from a persecutor of the unborn…
into a spirited defender of the sacredness of human life.
Her conversion is a sign to us all of what God can accomplish
through the life of one person.
God, in His goodness, works through the lives of men and women…
through the life of the Church…
to bring about the conversion of the world to Himself.
Through the Church…
and through the witness of people like Norma McCorvey…
God is continually calling people back to the truth
about the dignity and sacredness of each and every human life.
Every life is sacred in the eyes of God…without exception…
and this includes the poor…the soldiers at war…those in prison…
and especially the innocent unborn.
Since the earliest days of the Church…
in an ancient document from the second century called the Didache…
and until this very day…
the Church has continually taught that abortion…
because of the very action itself…
and regardless of the circumstances…
is always evil.
The forgotten truth about abortion…
is that the evil it causes is not limited to the death of a child.
Abortion affects us all.
Our Epistle today comes from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Paul himself was a vicious persecutor of Christians…
until the Lord touched his heart,
and transformed him into an instrument of His will.
He writes that if one member of the Church suffers, all the members suffer.
The loss of any member of the Church causes the whole body to suffer.
Indeed, the loss of any human life causes suffering throughout the world.
Abortion affects all those who come in contact with it.
The suffering and trauma which women experience after having an abortion…
the guilt and sorrow that the men in their lives feel…
the pain which tears apart families…
is immeasurable.
I once saw a t-shirt worn by a pro-life supporter…
black shirt that simply read in white letters:
“Abortion hurts women.”
That is the painful truth of abortion.
The good news is that vast networks of counselors and ministers are springing up…
whose charisms are to offer support to traumatized men and women…
to offer retreats and counseling…
to heal the wounds caused by abortion…
and to show women that there are other, much healthier and safer options.
Since abortion is sadly so common these days…
there is a good chance that some of you have experienced its effects…
in your families or among your friends.
If this is so…
know with absolute certainty…
that God loves you…and the Church loves you…
and that the Church cares for those who suffer.
Someone famous once said…
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Abortion is evil…and it is slowly triumphing…
so what are we going to do about it?
We can start by praying.
Pray the Rosary, and ask Mary to convert the hearts of all men and women…
to see and embrace the truth about the sanctity of human life…
just as the heart of Norma McCorvey was converted.
When you come to Mass…
come a little early and pray to Jesus present in the Tabernacle…
asking Him to comfort those who suffer.
Pray constantly that the world will once again respect the dignity of all human life.
Second, we can witness to the truth of our faith.
Each year on the anniversary Roe vs. Wade…
hundreds of thousands of people from across America…
travel to Washington, DC, for an even called the “March for Life.”
Perhaps some of you have participated.
If not, I strongly encourage you to consider doing so.
I will be leaving Sunday afternoon for Washington…
to participate in the evening Mass at the BNSIC…
and the March on Monday afternoon.
I ask you to join we me in spirit in these days,
as we together as God to protect the innocent unborn…
and inspire a love for life in the hearts of all people.
In our own Diocese, and in nearby cities…
there are opportunities to join with others for peaceful witness and prayer
outside abortion clinics.
Yesterday, people gathered, as they do every Saturday,
near the clinic on Market Street in Youngstown,
for prayer and witness.
Monsignor Siffrin celebrated the diocesan Mass for Life at Saint Dominic’s,
which was attended by people from throughout the diocese.
Thirdly, we can allow our faith in the sanctity of human life
to inform our consciences as we participate in our political process.
These are all ways in which each of us
can take a real stance in defense of human life.
Estimates suggest that…
in the 34 years since the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe vs. Wade…
over 40 million abortions have occurred in the United States.
In this country…
where the right to life…and liberty…and the pursuit of happiness…
are allegedly our foundation…
roughly 3,700 abortions now occur every day.
Imagine if the cure for cancer was meant to be found in the 1980s…
but the doctor was aborted.
Imagine if great symphonies were mean to be composed…
to rival the work of Beethoven and Mozart…
and great works of art comparable only to Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel…
but the artists and composers were taken through abortion.
Imagine how many priests and religious…perhaps even bishops…
we will never see ordained…
because abortion claimed their tiny lives.
We will never know the answers…
Difficult as this may be to hear…these are the facts.
This is part of the reality of our world that we have to face.
Last week we celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King.
His famous “I have a dream” speech included this line…
“I have a dream that one day…little black boys and little black girls
will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls
as sisters and brothers.”
Dr. King is celebrated as a man who recognized the dignity of the human person…
despite what they looked like.
I have confidence that if he were alive today…
he would tell us to respect the unborn little boys and girls too…
for they surely cannot hold hands as brothers and sisters…
if they cannot even have a chance to live.
Interestingly, Dr. King’s niece…Dr. Alveda King…
is a pastoral associate for the organization Priests for Life.
Dr. King loved life…
and he would want us to do all we can to witness to its sanctity.
With love in our hearts…
may we go forth strengthened by this Eucharist…
to pray constantly that the whole world may come to cherish life…
and to give witness to the dignity of each and every human person.
Saint Gianna Molla,
Pray for us!
Holy Mary, mother of the unborn…
Pray for us!
Monday, January 15, 2007
The Sacred Liturgy Nos. 5 & 6
5. Silence is Golden!
The Roman statesman Cato wrote: “He is nearest to the gods who knows how to be silent.”
The Second Vatican Council undertook its renewal of the Liturgy in order to foster “full, conscious, and active participation.” At times, this means active listening and sacred silence, rather than physical activity. Silence is important in the Liturgy because it allows us to more easily hear the voice of the Lord.
Within the Mass, there are designated times of sacred silence. During the Act of Penitence at the beginning of Mass, we recollect ourselves and recall our sins. After the Readings, and the Homily, we pause to reflect on God’s Word to us. After Communion, we take time for personal prayer in thanksgiving for the gift of the Eucharist.
In and around the church, especially immediately before liturgies, we should maintain a spirit of reverence and silence, so that we may direct our attention to God and to holy things.
GIRM 45
6. The Regulation of the Liturgy…
The Liturgy is the work of the Lord through which He bestows grace on His people. Jesus Christ entrusted the sacraments and the celebration of the mysteries of the faith to His Church. Throughout history, the prayers of the Church have come to take on specific formulas and rituals, which have been renewed and adapted at times to better express God’s saving mysteries in a particular age.
The task of regulating the rituals of the Liturgy and of publishing liturgical books belongs to the authority of the Church, that is, the Apostolic See (the Pope) and, in some instances, the Diocesan Bishops. Priests and deacons are co-workers with the bishops in their task of celebrating the Liturgy according to the norms of the Church. Because the faithful have a right to experience the Liturgy as regulated by the Church, no one, not even a priest, may change the Liturgy on his own authority.
RS 14-35
The Roman statesman Cato wrote: “He is nearest to the gods who knows how to be silent.”
The Second Vatican Council undertook its renewal of the Liturgy in order to foster “full, conscious, and active participation.” At times, this means active listening and sacred silence, rather than physical activity. Silence is important in the Liturgy because it allows us to more easily hear the voice of the Lord.
Within the Mass, there are designated times of sacred silence. During the Act of Penitence at the beginning of Mass, we recollect ourselves and recall our sins. After the Readings, and the Homily, we pause to reflect on God’s Word to us. After Communion, we take time for personal prayer in thanksgiving for the gift of the Eucharist.
In and around the church, especially immediately before liturgies, we should maintain a spirit of reverence and silence, so that we may direct our attention to God and to holy things.
GIRM 45
6. The Regulation of the Liturgy…
The Liturgy is the work of the Lord through which He bestows grace on His people. Jesus Christ entrusted the sacraments and the celebration of the mysteries of the faith to His Church. Throughout history, the prayers of the Church have come to take on specific formulas and rituals, which have been renewed and adapted at times to better express God’s saving mysteries in a particular age.
The task of regulating the rituals of the Liturgy and of publishing liturgical books belongs to the authority of the Church, that is, the Apostolic See (the Pope) and, in some instances, the Diocesan Bishops. Priests and deacons are co-workers with the bishops in their task of celebrating the Liturgy according to the norms of the Church. Because the faithful have a right to experience the Liturgy as regulated by the Church, no one, not even a priest, may change the Liturgy on his own authority.
RS 14-35
Living Bread Radio...
The following seven reflections originally aired on Living Bread Radio AM 1060 during the week of January 7th.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Sunday, 7 January 2007
Epiphany
Matthew 2: 1-12
Today, as we celebrate the coming of the Magi to adore the infant Jesus, I have chosen to share with you a beautiful story. This is the story of a poor, young couple, in a humble apartment, on the day before Christmas. Della is sobbing on the couch, distraught that she only has one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy her beloved husband Jim a Christmas present. After a while, she bundles up in her old coat and hat, and rushes down the street to a local hair goods shop, where she sells her greatest treasure, her beautiful hair, for twenty dollars. Searching for hours, she finally finds a gift worthy of her Jim: a platinum fob chain for the watch that belonged to Jim’s father and grandfather, his prized possession.
Returning home, she quickly fixed her remaining hair into curls, afraid that Jim would no longer find her pretty without her hair. When he came home, he was stunned as he looked at her, and listened to her explain how she had sold her hair to buy his present. Jim embraced her and allayed her fears, saying that neither short hair nor anything else could make him love her any less.
Then he tossed a package on the table: his Christmas gift for Della. She screamed, for the package contained the jeweled tortoise shell combs that she had so desired every time she had passed the store window. The combs would have looked so lovely in her hair. She reassured Jim: “My hair grows so fast!”
She now turned to give Jim his present, the watch chain. As he unwrapped it, he sank to the couch with his head in his hands. He said to her with sadness: “I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs.”
This is the famous story by O. Henry titled “The Gift of the Magi.” He ends with these few lines of commentary. “The magi, as you know, were wise men…who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones… And here I have…related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”
This Epiphany let us give the greatest treasures of our homes and hearts, for one another, and for the Lord Jesus.
Matthew 2: 1-12
Today, as we celebrate the coming of the Magi to adore the infant Jesus, I have chosen to share with you a beautiful story. This is the story of a poor, young couple, in a humble apartment, on the day before Christmas. Della is sobbing on the couch, distraught that she only has one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy her beloved husband Jim a Christmas present. After a while, she bundles up in her old coat and hat, and rushes down the street to a local hair goods shop, where she sells her greatest treasure, her beautiful hair, for twenty dollars. Searching for hours, she finally finds a gift worthy of her Jim: a platinum fob chain for the watch that belonged to Jim’s father and grandfather, his prized possession.
Returning home, she quickly fixed her remaining hair into curls, afraid that Jim would no longer find her pretty without her hair. When he came home, he was stunned as he looked at her, and listened to her explain how she had sold her hair to buy his present. Jim embraced her and allayed her fears, saying that neither short hair nor anything else could make him love her any less.
Then he tossed a package on the table: his Christmas gift for Della. She screamed, for the package contained the jeweled tortoise shell combs that she had so desired every time she had passed the store window. The combs would have looked so lovely in her hair. She reassured Jim: “My hair grows so fast!”
She now turned to give Jim his present, the watch chain. As he unwrapped it, he sank to the couch with his head in his hands. He said to her with sadness: “I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs.”
This is the famous story by O. Henry titled “The Gift of the Magi.” He ends with these few lines of commentary. “The magi, as you know, were wise men…who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones… And here I have…related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”
This Epiphany let us give the greatest treasures of our homes and hearts, for one another, and for the Lord Jesus.
Monday, 8 January 2007
Baptism of the Lord
Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22
Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are given an opportunity by the Church’s liturgical observance to reflect on the meaning of our own Baptism. The Catechism of the Church tells us that, in Baptism, we experience an outpouring of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grace is a participation in the life of God. By Baptism, we participate in the grace of God and become “adopted sons and daughters of God.”
This sharing in the life and love of God as baptized persons and members of the Church is at once a great gift and an awesome responsibility. Since Baptism is the means of initiation into the Church, it is called the “Gateway to the Sacraments.” To baptized person is given the great joy of sharing in the life and love of God through the outward signs of the Sacraments, which Christ Himself has instituted. As Catholic Christians, the baptized are drawn ever closer to God through their participation in the life of the Church. The saving teachings of Christ are for the baptized the very rule of life.
With these tremendous gifts from the Lord comes the duty to live lives of constant gratitude. When we receive a gift, it is customary to send a thank you card, and to neglect this is socially unacceptable. So it is entirely unacceptable to take the gifts the Lord has given us without any sign of gratitude. We express our gratitude by immersing ourselves in the life of the Church, by taking every opportunity to celebrate the Sacraments…especially Reconciliation and Communion…to study the faith and delve deeply into the teaching of Christ, and to make the Church community a priority in our daily living.
We also show our gratitude by sharing what we have received with those around us, so that the world may know that we have been touched by God and changed for the better because of His presence in our lives. We are called to courageously stand up for what is good, true, and holy, no matter the cost. Baptism is not just a ceremony. It is a way of life.
As often as we take Holy Water in church and sign ourselves with the Cross of Christ, we are reminded of our Baptism, and our high calling as Christians to be witnesses of grace, calling others to the waters of Baptism, that they too may have life.
Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22
Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are given an opportunity by the Church’s liturgical observance to reflect on the meaning of our own Baptism. The Catechism of the Church tells us that, in Baptism, we experience an outpouring of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grace is a participation in the life of God. By Baptism, we participate in the grace of God and become “adopted sons and daughters of God.”
This sharing in the life and love of God as baptized persons and members of the Church is at once a great gift and an awesome responsibility. Since Baptism is the means of initiation into the Church, it is called the “Gateway to the Sacraments.” To baptized person is given the great joy of sharing in the life and love of God through the outward signs of the Sacraments, which Christ Himself has instituted. As Catholic Christians, the baptized are drawn ever closer to God through their participation in the life of the Church. The saving teachings of Christ are for the baptized the very rule of life.
With these tremendous gifts from the Lord comes the duty to live lives of constant gratitude. When we receive a gift, it is customary to send a thank you card, and to neglect this is socially unacceptable. So it is entirely unacceptable to take the gifts the Lord has given us without any sign of gratitude. We express our gratitude by immersing ourselves in the life of the Church, by taking every opportunity to celebrate the Sacraments…especially Reconciliation and Communion…to study the faith and delve deeply into the teaching of Christ, and to make the Church community a priority in our daily living.
We also show our gratitude by sharing what we have received with those around us, so that the world may know that we have been touched by God and changed for the better because of His presence in our lives. We are called to courageously stand up for what is good, true, and holy, no matter the cost. Baptism is not just a ceremony. It is a way of life.
As often as we take Holy Water in church and sign ourselves with the Cross of Christ, we are reminded of our Baptism, and our high calling as Christians to be witnesses of grace, calling others to the waters of Baptism, that they too may have life.
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
Tuesday of the First Week of the Year
Mark 1: 14-28
The Scriptures today illustrate a central truth of our holy Catholic faith. Jesus Christ was indeed both God and man. Jesus was a man like us in all things except sin. He was subject to the laws of human existence. He had to endure the pain and sorrow we endure in this life, and He endured it perfectly. He tasted death so that we might have life. At the same time, Jesus was the Son of God, and so, even in his human life, possessed authority over the world. He is at once our brother, and the King of kings.
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus exercising authority over sickness and death. He drives an unclean spirit out of a man who is possessed. When the people hear Jesus teaching, and see Him performing spectacular deeds of healing, they are amazed at Him. They are astonished because of something unique: Jesus teaches with authority, and commands even the demons. The people tell of Him throughout all of Galilee because they so impressed by Him. They are impressed that His teaching is different from anything they have heard: “he teaches as one having authority, and not like the scribes.”
Jesus’ teaching is not like any other. He is not simply a holy prophet, a good teacher, or the founder of a religious sect. He is the only begotten Son of God, Who became man for our salvation. It is through Jesus Christ that the world is saved and re-created. So, the Church is like not any other religious institution. In the Church, which Christ founded on the rock of the Apostle Peter, is found the fullness of the truth, and the means to salvation for all mankind.
Jesus teaches with authority, and so does His holy Church. We rejoice and are amazed in God’s love for us, revealed in the person of Christ, and in the life of the Church. In our joy and amazement, we, too, are called to spread the name of Jesus throughout the whole world. The Church depends on every baptized person to spread the love and truth of Jesus Christ to others. We can do so with confidence, for we are brothers and sisters of Christ, the very Son of God.
Mark 1: 14-28
The Scriptures today illustrate a central truth of our holy Catholic faith. Jesus Christ was indeed both God and man. Jesus was a man like us in all things except sin. He was subject to the laws of human existence. He had to endure the pain and sorrow we endure in this life, and He endured it perfectly. He tasted death so that we might have life. At the same time, Jesus was the Son of God, and so, even in his human life, possessed authority over the world. He is at once our brother, and the King of kings.
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus exercising authority over sickness and death. He drives an unclean spirit out of a man who is possessed. When the people hear Jesus teaching, and see Him performing spectacular deeds of healing, they are amazed at Him. They are astonished because of something unique: Jesus teaches with authority, and commands even the demons. The people tell of Him throughout all of Galilee because they so impressed by Him. They are impressed that His teaching is different from anything they have heard: “he teaches as one having authority, and not like the scribes.”
Jesus’ teaching is not like any other. He is not simply a holy prophet, a good teacher, or the founder of a religious sect. He is the only begotten Son of God, Who became man for our salvation. It is through Jesus Christ that the world is saved and re-created. So, the Church is like not any other religious institution. In the Church, which Christ founded on the rock of the Apostle Peter, is found the fullness of the truth, and the means to salvation for all mankind.
Jesus teaches with authority, and so does His holy Church. We rejoice and are amazed in God’s love for us, revealed in the person of Christ, and in the life of the Church. In our joy and amazement, we, too, are called to spread the name of Jesus throughout the whole world. The Church depends on every baptized person to spread the love and truth of Jesus Christ to others. We can do so with confidence, for we are brothers and sisters of Christ, the very Son of God.
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