Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for September
The General Intention
That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life.
The Mission Intention
That Christians, inspired by the Word of God, may serve the poor and suffering.
For more info: www.apostleshipofprayer.org
We Catholics hold in healthy tension the goods of the act of faith and sport. We know that Pope John Paul II loved the outdoors and sporting activity; we see now that Pope Francis appreciates and advocates healthy competition among people on the field. Yet, few know that for several years the Holy See has had an office dedicated to nature of sport viz. the faith.
The Pontiff said, “Sports in the community can be a great missionary tool, where the Church is close to every person to help them become better and to meet Jesus Christ. Put yourselves in the game, in the search for good, in the Church and in society, without fear, with courage, and enthusiasm. Don’t content yourselves with a mediocre ‘tie.’ Give the best of yourselves, spending your lives for that which is truly valuable and that which lasts forever.”
A recent colloquium worked on the theme of Sports at the Service of Humanity. How does sport facilitate dialogue and encounter and with Christ?
Vatican Radio interviewed Linda Del Rio, who is associated with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Varsity Catholic Mission in the United States. The link to the interview is here.
Saint Gregory the Great (540-604) is a Church father, founder of monasteries, and pastor of souls. The Church benefitted by Gregory’s vision of taking the Gospel to the margins. Gregory’s personal witness to the evangelical vows was demonstrated by his living as a simple monk who showed concern for those on the margins; he had a purity of heart in the midst of his new ministry’s numerous responsibilities as the Roman Pontiff. Pope Gregory set as his first priority the service of those who were considered the last in the diocese. Besides his significant contribution to the organization of sacred music Gregory is remembered for his writings, his commitment to the praying with Scripture in lectio divina and his love of Benedictine monasticism. What we know about Saint Benedict, for instance, comes from Saint Gregory.
Benedetto Calati has this reflection on Gregory who is great:
The community of faith is a hermeneutic criterion of the Word of God. “Often, many things in holy Scripture that I was not able to understand on my own,” Gregory said courageously to his brothers, “I understood when I found myself among my brothers. After I realized this, I also tried to understand by whose merit such knowledge had been given to me.” What is even more surprising is that, for Gregory, every member of God’s people who obeys the Word is “an organ of truth” for his or her brothers and sisters in the faith. “When we who are filled with faith try to make God resound for others, we are organs of truth, and truth has the power to reveal itself to other people through me, or to reach me through other people.” Gregory’s humble discretion with regard to the action of the Spirit, and the Word whom he obeys, generates a model of Church leadership that is expressed in the formula, “Gregory, servant of the servants of God.”
Pastors, DREs, catechists, parents, and others concerned for religious education and sacramental prep all have some pastoral questions regarding the sacramental life of our children. Clearly, the current practice of separating the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation) as much as 7 seven years from one another seem to be more problematic than helpful, and our theology for such a bit weak. News this week announced that the Archbishop of Denver and his theologians and catechists are hosting a conference to explore the status of the question and see what can be done to better be faithful to a truly Catholic sacramentality.
At last I knew the were 15 dioceses in the USA giving the sacrament of Confirmation at the time of First Communion. We need an evaluation on this practice.
Anthony Lilles, the academic dean of Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA, writes on his blog:
The Catechetical Congress draws its name from a passage in the Catechism, “Treasure of Divine Life.” These are notes from a presentation in which we will consider how the signs used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist have a certain order in the Bible, and this order reveals the splendor of what it means to be fully human and fully alive.
“Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life” (CCC 1210).
The Seven Sorrows of Mary is September’s Marian devotion.
The Marian side of the Catholic Church helps us to see the human aspect of the act of faith: do we comfort the sorrowing as they grieve the death of a loved one? Always a mother, the Church directs our attention to the seven sorrows suffered by Mary, who witnessed her Son’s death for us on the cross.
A short prayer that we can offer: Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians, pray for us!
The feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15 which follows feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is September 14. The Seven Sorrows unites us to Passion of the Lord on Calvary by having a Marian feast that uses the sorrows of to point to the salvific work of the Lord.
The famous Passionist Saint Gabriel of The Sorrowful Mother, said he was never denied any petition that he confided to the Mater Dolorosa (Mother of Sorrows).
In 1815, Pope Pius VII approved of the Seven Dolors of Mary but it was well used and promoted by the Servite Order since 1668 when a feast formally approved. The Servite Order dates back to 1239. The Seven Sorrows of Mary, taken from Scripture, are:
“Work is a duty, because our Creator demanded it and because it maintains and develops our humanity. We must work out of regard for others, especially our own families, but also because of the society we belong to and in fact because of the whole of humanity.” Laborem exercens, 16
AND
“The most profound motive for our work is this knowing that we share in creation. Learning the meaning of creation in our daily lives will help us to live holier lives. It will fill the world with the spirit of Christ, the spirit of justice, charity, and peace.” Laborem exercens, 25
St. John Paul II clearly orients our ideas to how we live and work, the sign of a great pastor of souls.
The Roman Martyrology offers us the commemoration of the holy Joshua (Jesus), son of Nun, servant of the Lord. It is he who, having had hands laid on him by Moses, became full of the spirit of wisdom. After the death of Moses, he led the people of Israel across the Jordan River, accompanied by many miracles, into the Promised Land.
Even though the Roman Martyrology has OT holy men and women noted for liturgical remembrance, the current liturgical calendar does not have them listed. Hence, I like to draw our attention to these types of commemorations.
Blessed feast!
A brief note on the recent silence regarding the blog. More than a week ago both my mom and aunt Gloria fell, hitting their heads. They were in the ER together requiring significant medical attention. My mom is fine, coming home with a bump on her head and pain in side. My aunt, however, suffered a traumatic brain injury. Following several medical procedures, including surgery, the Lord of Life called her home in the morning of the feast Saint Monica. My aunt’s Mass of Christian Burial was offered on August 30.
May I ask that you pray for God’s mercy and Gloria’s eternal memory.
Saint Bartholomew, known also as Nathanael, apostle and martyr, died in AD 71, is liturgically recalled today. However, his feast comes after the Sunday’s precedence. Nonetheless, we need to closely attend to the life and ministry of the 12, those who personally and dramatically lived with the Lord for three years. Why? Because we follow their experience and we continually ask ourselves the key question of the Christian life: “Who are you, Jesus?”
Saint Bartholomew, Bar-Tolmai or son of Tolmai, was one of the twelve Apostles called to the apostolate by our Blessed Lord Himself. His name is more adequately rendered by his given name, Nathanael. If one wonders why the synoptic Gospels always call him Bartholomew, it would be because the name Nathanael in Hebrew is equivalent to that of Matthew, since both in Hebrew signify gift of God; in this way the Evangelists avoided all confusion between the two Apostles. He was a native of Cana in Galilee, a doctor of the Jewish law, and a friend of Philip.
Philip, advised by Peter and Andrew, hastened to communicate to his friend the good news of his discovery of Christ: We have found Him whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, wrote! Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile. (Cf. John 1:45-49) His innocence and simplicity of heart deserved to be celebrated with this high praise in the divine mouth of Our Redeemer. And Nathanael, when Jesus told him He had already seen him in a certain place, confessed his faith at once: Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel!
Being eminently qualified by divine grace to discharge the functions of an Apostle, he carried the Gospel through the most barbarous countries of the East, penetrating into the remoter Indies, baptizing neophytes and casting out demons. A copy of the Gospel of Saint Matthew was found in India by Saint Pantænus in the third century, taken there, according to local tradition, by Saint Bartholomew. Saint John Chrysostom said the Apostle also preached in Asia Minor and, with Saint Philip, suffered there, though not mortally, for the faith. Saint Bartholomew’s last mission was in Greater Armenia, where, preaching in a place obstinately addicted to the worship of idols, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom. The modern Greek historians say that he was condemned by the governor of Albanopolis to be crucified. Others affirm that he was flayed alive, which treatment might well have accompanied his crucifixion, this double punishment being in use not only in Egypt, but also among the Persians.
Reflection: The characteristic virtue of the Holy Apostles was zeal for the divine glory. A soldier is always ready to defend the honor of his prince, and a son that of his father; can a Christian say he loves God if he is indifferent to His honor?
Dictionnaire de la Bible, Ed. F. Vigouroux (Letouzey et Ané: Paris, 1912), Vol. 5, Philippe, Apôtre; Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler’s Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894).
Our reflection for the 21st Sunday through the Year on Matthew 16:13-20 comes from St. Cyril of Alexandria:
“Peter did not say ‘you are a Christ’ or ‘a son of God’ but ‘the Christ, the Son of God.’ For there are many christs by grace, who have attained the rank of adopted sons, but only one who is by nature the Son of God. Thus, using the definite article, he said, ‘the Christ, the Son of God’. And in calling him the Son of the living God, Peter indicates that Christ himself is life and that death has no authority over him. And even if the flesh, for a short while, was weak and died, nevertheless it rose again, since the Word, who indwelled it, could not be held under the bonds of death.”