FEBRUARY 8 SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA, VIRGIN

"St. Josephine Bakhita"
Photographer and Date are UNKNOWN

February 8

Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin

BiographicalInformation about St. Josephine Bakhita [1]

Readings for the Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita

Readings and Commentary: [2]

Reading 1

1 Corinthians 7:25-35

In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,

but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
So this is what I think best because of the present distress:
that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.
Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
If you marry, however, you do not sin,
nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries;
but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life,
and I would like to spare you that.

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.

From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

I should like you to be free of anxieties.

An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord,
how he may please the Lord.
But a married man is anxious about the things of the world,
how he may please his wife, and he is divided.
An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord,
so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.
A married woman, on the other hand,
is anxious about the things of the world,
how she may please her husband.
I am telling you this for your own benefit,
not to impose a restraint upon you,
but for the sake of propriety
and adherence to the Lord without distraction.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 7:25-35

St. Paul gives his opinion (“Now in regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord”) as opposed to a definitive requirement. It is his feeling that the Christians are already living in the “end times” and that the Parousia, Christ’s second coming, is imminent. The language he uses is quite similar to “the time of distress” mentioned in Zephaniah 1:15 and Luke 21:23. His comments about “virgins” refer to both male and female and scholars question whether St. Paul is aware of what Jesus said in Matthew 19:12 concerning the gift of the marital vocation. The apostle therefore tells the Corinthians that they should moderate their behavior (not deny the vocation), anticipating the final resurrection.

 
CCC: 1 Cor 7:26 672; 1 Cor 7:31 1619; 1 Cor 7:32 1579, 1618; 1 Cor 7:34-36 922; 1 Cor 7:34-35 506
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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17

R. (11) Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,

forget your people and your father’s house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, and you must worship him.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters;

her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;
behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

They are borne in with gladness and joy;

they enter the palace of the king.
The place of your fathers your sons shall have;
you shall make them princes through all the land.
R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.
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Commentary on Ps 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17
 
Psalm 45 is a royal psalm originally sung in honor of the king’s marriage to a queen (of foreign extraction). It is likely that it influenced St. Paul’s instructions on virgins and marriage; it emphasizes the beauty of the sacramental relationship (see 1 Corinthians 7:25-35).

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GOSPEL         
Luke 9:23-26

Jesus said to all,

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory
and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
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Commentary on Lk 9:23-26

The Gospel takes up the theme of life and death as Jesus first informed his disciples that he will undergo his Passion at the hands of the Jewish hierarchy (v.22) and be raised. He then provides this invitation to life by contrasting, as Moses did in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, the (spiritual) salvation brought about through faith and the (eternal) death that awaits the faithless.

CCC:  Lk 9:23 1435
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Reflection:

St. Bakhita (1869-1947) or "Mother Moretta" (our “Black Mother") as she was called by those to whom she ministered, endured much suffering in her life.  First, as a slave in the Sudan in her childhood she suffered physical and moral cruelty by her owners.  Later in her life, after serving the Sisters of Charity for many years in the Canossian convent in Schio, Italy, she suffered agonizing health issues; always with a sprit of acceptance for what “the Master” willed.

Here unwavering and innocent faith makes her an example of heroic virtue worthy of her beatified state.  She stand as a shining symbol for those who suffer and are persecuted, a symbol of faith and courage in the face of pain and suffering.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that he will undergo suffering for our sake and reminds us that all who follow him faithfully should expect to suffer as well.  St. Josephine shows us how to take up our cross and follow the Lord.

On her feast day we ask for St. Josephine’s intercession.  May we always accept the cross of Jesus, taking it up daily that we might find the path to salvation.

Pax

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[1] The picture is “St. Josephine Bakhita.” Photographer and Date are UNKNOWN.

[2] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions

July 10


“St. Augustine Zhao Rong”
Artist and Date are UNKNOWN

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Chinese Martyrs

Additional Information about St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions [1]

Readings for the Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions

FIRST READING [2]
1 John 5:1-5

Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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Commentary on 1 Jn 5:1-5

The beginning of this chapter from St. John’s first letter provides us with an understanding of Christ and God being of the same essence. “Children of God are identified not only by their love for others (1 John 4:7-9) and for God (1 John 5:1-2) but by their belief in the divine sonship of Jesus Christ. Faith, the acceptance of Jesus in his true character and the obedience in love to God's commands (1 John 5:3), is the source of the Christian's power in the world and conquers the world of evil (1 John 5:4-5), even as Christ overcame the world (John 16:33).”[3]

 

CCC: 1 Jn 5:1 2780, 2790
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM         
Psalm 126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3a) The Lord has done marvels for us.

 When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
 we were like men dreaming.
 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
 and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

 Then they said among the nations,
 "The LORD has done great things for them."
 The LORD has done great things for us;
 we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
 like the torrents in the southern desert.
 Those that sow in tears
 shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

 Although they go forth weeping,
 carrying the seed to be sown,
 They shall come back rejoicing,
 carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done marvels for us.
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Commentary on Ps 126:1bc-2ab. 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

Psalm 126 is a lament. In this short psalm the singer rejoices at the return of Israel following the Diaspora, the conquering of Israel and its enslavement. In this hymn, the people remember the greatness of God as he restores their nation and brings the people back to their own land ("Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves."). The sense is one of being overflowing with thanksgiving.

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GOSPEL     
John 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me."
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Commentary on John 12:24-26

Jesus has made his final entry into Jerusalem.  His hour is at hand and, in the presence of Gentiles as well as his disciples, he reflects on his salvific mission.  St. John’s passage, given here, is foundational to our understanding of the paschal mystery. Using the analogy of the grain of wheat, the Lord invites us to his own sacrifice.

"Beautifully, Christ begins to elucidate the mystery of his atoning death.  If it be thought strange that he must die in order to bring life, let it be remembered that this paradox already exists in nature.  The grain of wheat left to itself produces nothing; only when it appears to have died and has been buried does it bring forth fruit - in far greater abundance than itself (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:36)." [4]

Out of the Lord's analogy, wheat that comes from the seemingly dead and buried seed becomes the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Into the body's death to sin in baptism, we are invited to share the salvation that comes from following Christ from death to life.

CCC: Jn 12:24 2731
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Reflection:

From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry he told those with whom he was closest that following him and proclaiming the kingdom of God was going to be countercultural.  He noted that it would divide families and create animosity with many.  He explained that they would not be understood and in many cases feared.  This would become especially true in China where the powerful leaders ruled in a totalitarian monarchy.  We saw the same intolerance and fear under some of the Roman caesars and local monarchs (like Herod Antipas).  

The Chinese culture for its roots had a strong belief in spiritual beings.  It is no surprise that when missionaries of the Christian faith came into that region in the fifth century, the faith gained a foothold in that country and gradually gained followers.  It was not until the 1600’s that Christians were suddenly seen as threats, by the Emperor first because of the adoption in baptism, and then by the invading tartars who found Christianity anathema. 

For the next two hundred years various pogroms erupted martyring many Chinese Christians.  The saints we remember today found their heavenly home in the early 1800’s.  Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions  were martyred in 1815.  St. Augustine was particularly selected because of the particularly cruel nature of his torture and death as well as his piety.  He converted to Christianity and went through formation to the priesthood knowing of the likelihood of his arrest and torture.  Still he was courageous in his faith.  Sacred Scripture had forewarned him. 

We pray for his intercession on this his feast day and ask all of the Chinese saints who joined him washing their robes clean in the blood of the lamb to pray for us, that our faith may be strong when it comes to be our turn to face bigotry, persecution, and even worse because of our faith in the only begotten Son of God. 

Pax

[1] The icon is “St. Augustine Zhao Rong” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN.
[2] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[3] See NAB footnote on 1 John 5:1ff.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 63:131, 449.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ A

"The Institution of the Eucharist"
by Joos van Wassenhove, 1473-75

 

Additional Information about the Solemnity of Corpus Christi [1]

Readings for Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ [2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary: [3]

Reading 1: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a

Moses said to the people:

"Remember how for forty years now the Lord, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,
and then fed you with manna,
a food unknown to you and your fathers,
in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord.

 

"Do not forget the Lord, your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."
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Commentary on Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a

This reading is taken from the second address of Moses to the Hebrews. This section of the address can be called “an appeal to remembrance” since Moses is recounting all that God had done for them since they were lead out of Egypt. The focus of these verses is on the feeding of the people with manna (see Exodus 16; 4-16). Jesus also quoted this passage “…not by bread alone does one live” (see Matthew 4:4). Beyond manna, Moses also recalls the saraph staff (see Numbers 21; 5-9), and water drawn from the rock at Horeb (see Exodus 17; 2-6).

 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R. Alleluia.

 

Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem;

praise your God, O Zion.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;

he has blessed your children within you.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R. Alleluia.

He has granted peace in your borders;

with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R. Alleluia.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,

his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

or:

R. Alleluia.

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Commentary on Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise. In these strophes the singer celebrates God’s gifts to his people; the gift of faith to the patriarch Jacob and the gift of his presence in the holy city Jerusalem. These strophes are from the third section (each section offering praise for a different gift from God to his special people). This section focuses of the gift of the Promised Land with Jerusalem as it’s spiritual center. We see the call to praise Jerusalem, the Holy city because in it was revealed the Word of God and a call to holiness. The Lord is praised for sending food that sustains the people. The final strophe also rejoices that the Law was handed on to them through Jacob.

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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Brothers and sisters:

The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,

is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because the loaf of bread is one,

we, though many, are one body,

for we all partake of the one loaf.

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Commentary on 1 Cor 10:16-17

Although this is part of a comparison being brought between Christ’s sacrifice and idolatry, what is given here expresses the unity forged through the Eucharist, the only true sacrifice.  The Blood of Christ and the Body of Christ shared in communion unites us spiritually and physically and we become that living Body of Christ on earth, the Church, through Jesus.

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Gospel: John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give

is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,

"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

has eternal life,

and I will raise him on the last day.

For my flesh is true food,

and my blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him.

Just as the living Father sent me

and I have life because of the Father,

so also the one who feeds on me

will have life because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven.

Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,

whoever eats this bread will live forever."

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Commentary on Jn 6:51-58

The “Bread of Life” discourse continues and the Lord escalates his language. The people who had come to him because they had been fed with the five barley loaves just cannot make the leap from bread made from wheat or barley to the Bread of Life offered as true food and drink for the spirit. Even when he uses Manna as an example of real food they still do not see that the Son of God offers them his resurrected body as their meal and they are repulsed – especially because of the language he uses (Jesus uses the word gnaw not just eat in the original texts.)

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Reflection:

“1323 At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.[4]”

This definition from the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the “why” of our celebration of the Eucharist.  St. John’s Gospel describes what that meal truly was.  Rather than trying to express this in our own words we once again rely on the Catechism to do that;

1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."²⁰¹ In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."²⁰² "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."²⁰³ [5]

All of this understanding comes from millennia of prayer, reflection, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.  Faith-filled people throughout our history have gazed in awe at the Most Holy Sacrament and have been transformed by it as it was transubstantiated for us.  It started as simple bread and wine and through Christ’s promise becomes the bread from heaven and the blood of our Savior, poured out for us.

There are those who do not believe in the miracle that occurs.  There are many, even those who say they take what is written in the Holy Bible literally, who cannot accept that Jesus, who tells the people “For my flesh is true food”, left us his remarkable essence to unite us with God. 

Today we celebrate the gift once more.  We pray for those who struggle with their faith and are unable to accept the wondrous gift.  Today we find ourselves in awe of the love of Christ which is beyond all understanding.  And today we once more we approach the Lord’s Table in abject humility; amazed that one so perfect could embrace us in such a way.

Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “The Institution of the Eucharist” by Joos van Wassenhove, 1473-75

[2] ALTRE

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

[4] Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1323

[5] Footnotes within the text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church refer to the following:

201 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,73,3c.
202 Council of Trent (1551): DS 1651.
203 Paul VI, MF 39.

Sunday of the Seventh Week of Easter A

“St Peter in Penitence” by El Greco, 1580s

Catechism Links

CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 312, 434, 648, 664: the Father glorifies Christ
CCC 2614, 2741: Jesus prays for us
CCC 726, 2617-2619, 2673-2679: at prayer with Mary

Readings for the Seventh Week of Easter [1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary: [3]

Reading 1: Acts 1:12-14

After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles

returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
a sabbath day’s journey away.

When they entered the city

they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
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Commentary on Acts 1:12-14

This passage provides part of the introductory comments of St. Luke as he begins the Acts of the Apostles. Like any well written story, he connects the events that have just taken place in his first volume- The Gospel of Luke, with what will follow. In the first verses Jesus ascended and told them to expect the gift of the Holy Spirit – in this selection the disciples with Mary the Mother of Jesus and his extended family return to Jerusalem and enter the locked room. Important to recognize is the presence not just of the apostles but of Mary, ever faithful to her son.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-8

R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

or:
R. Alleluia.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.

One thing I ask of the Lord;

this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;

have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 7-8

Psalm 27 is a hymn of praise with two distinct parts. This passage focuses on the singers hope in the mercy of God and his salvation.  Pleading for God’s salvation the psalmist seeks his saving hand.
 

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Reading II: 1 Peter 4:13-16

Beloved:

Rejoice to the extent that you share in the
sufferings of Christ,
so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
But let no one among you be made to suffer
as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer.
But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed
but glorify God because of the name.
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Commentary on 1 Pt 4:13-16

The Apostle speaks clearly of persecution experienced in the infant church.  Many scholars believe he is referring to actual events rather than making a prophetic statement.  He asks the faithful to rejoice in being so blessed as to share in Christ’s sufferings since they are shouldering the mission of Christ by doing so and in that work they give glory to the Father.
 

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Gospel: John 17:1-11a

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,

“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.

They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.
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Commentary on Jn 17:1-11a

Raising his eyes to heaven, Jesus begins what is known as the “High Priestly Prayer.”  In this first section, the Lord begins a petition for the disciples (those he has now and those to come) speaking directly to the Father (not to the disciples, they are just overhearing this prayer). The emphasis is clearly that the disciples have become what the Lord wanted, faithful believers, and he asks the Father to support them. He intercedes for those who were given to him by the Father (“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.” the Apostles and their followers). The Lord singles out the faithful for the Father’s special care, asking that they be glorified with him as he departs the world.

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Reflection:

The Easter season draws to a close and the Church begins to look forward to its mission.  The Lord leaves us both his Holy Spirit and his blessing in the High Priestly Prayer initiated in the Gospel from St. John.  We hear in his passionate words how much he loves us, asking his Heavenly Father to care for those whom he has called and who remain faithful to his word and work.

St. Peter was there hearing these words and it was because of this that in his later ministry we hear him enjoining the early Christians to, not only accept the persecution they received because of their identity as followers of Christ, but to rejoice because in their suffering the Lord’s work still goes on to the Father’s Glory.  Their suffering should be a source of consolation.  Indeed the mission the Lord leaves us is not one loved by the world.  It was not loved when Jesus walked the earth, it was not loved when the early Church struggled to spread the Gospel message, and it is not loved today.

The Lord’s death and resurrection were the starting point not the conclusion of Christ’s life with his people.  He did not leave the Holy Spirit as a caretaker, he left it as a goad, as an encouragement and strength so that God’s revelation might be continued through those God had given him and those the Triune God continues to give.

As our season of joy comes to a close in the last week of Easter, we leave you with a wise saying that should be a great solace to all who suffer for the mission of Chirst – “You cannot wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time.”

Pax

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*Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.

[1] S.S. Commemoratio

[2] The picture is “St Peter in Penitence” by El Greco, 1580s

[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.