Prayer: Teresa of Avila

I saw an angel close by me, on my left side, in bodily form. This I am not accustomed to see, unless very rarely. Though I have visions of angels frequently, yet I see them only by an intellectual vision, such as I have spoken of before. It was our Lord's will that in this vision I should see the angel in this wise. He was not large, but small of stature, and most beautiful -- his face burning, as if he were one of the highest angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call cherubim. Their names they never tell me; but I see very well that there is in heaven so great a difference between one angel and another, and between these and the others, that I cannot explain it.

Prayer: Patrick of Ireland

I bind to myself today the power in the love of the Seraphim, in the obedience of the Angels, in the ministration of the Archangels, in the hope of Resurrection unto reward, in the prayers of the Patriarchs, in the predictions of the Prophets, in the preaching of the Apostles, in the faith of the Confessors, in the purity of the holy Virgins, in the deeds of Righteous men.

Prayer: Meister Eckhart

The soul at its highest is found like God, but an angel gives a closer idea of Him. That is all an angel is: an idea of God.

Prayer: George Elliot

The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone.

The Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

predmore.blogspot.com

September 30, 2018

Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45-48

Our readings teach us to focus on the larger goals around us rather than being concerned with protecting our individual roles and positions. The point is that the Holy Spirit is bigger than our expectations and will do whatever serves God’s interests.

In the first reading, we see that seventy elders are chosen from the community to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but two of the men are not in the gathering when the Spirt was bestowed. According to the expectations of the community, they were not ordained, but the Holy Spirit does not obey humans, but God alone, and the Spirit ordained those two men regardless of where they were located. The Spirit gifted these men with the power to preach and Moses wisely encouraged the community to ask them as divinely chosen.

The same happens in the Gospel when the disciples report to Jesus that someone was driving out demons in his name. He surprises his friends by encouraging the work of that man because no one can perform a mighty deed in his name and also harm him. The point is that we have to look for those who are our allies, but we might find them in the unlikeliest of places. It is good to have support, even if it upsets our understanding of how that support should occur.

Let’s apply that to the church today because the Holy Spirit can act outside of church leadership and structures. It means that we have to train ourselves to look at matters differently. We are unaccustomed to doing that, but if we are going to free our minds to look for solutions, we have to be free to abandon some of our paradigms.

A church friend told me the other day that he wants every bishop to preach for a year of their failings as church leaders. I said that I don’t think I want that. Instead of having them preach, I would rather have the bishops listen to others preach for a year and it might be wise for them to listen to people outside the church. We learn when we listen, and listening is at the heart of discipleship.

  I’m even cautious to be preaching because I would rather have a dialogue with you and I want to be able to honor your experiences. I do not have the answers and I realize that asking questions are more helpful than having answers. Neither I nor anyone else should be given the privilege to preach you until you first experience my care for you and that you find it credible and authentic. Once you tell me I have effectively and accurately listened to your experiences, learned of your suffering, shared your joys, perhaps then I can speak. Together, we can strive, and seek, and search, and discover how God is working in our lives,

The Spirit has a wide berth and only honors the will of God. My best guess is that the Spirit is just at the beginning stages of bringing about the Spirit of Vatican II where the priest, prophet, and kingship of the laity is recognized, and their voices are honored. Many rich viewpoints are offered to us because they are people who care about the life of the church. Let us not resist the work of the Spirit but learn to cooperate with it. It is our time as church leaders to silence our tongues, to hone our listening skills, to discern the signs of the times, and to empower those hearts are in tune with the Lords because those who are working for the greater good of God’s kingdom are not against us but are with us for the long run. Let us give life to and honor the good work others are doing because it is for God’s greater glory. Whoever is not against us is on our side.

Scripture for Daily Mass

First Reading: 

Monday: (Job 1) LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?"
But Satan answered the LORD and said, "Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?

Tuesday: (Job 3) Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. Job spoke out and said: Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, "The child is a boy!"

Wednesday: (Job 9) Job answered his friends and said: I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God? Should one wish to contend with him, he could not answer him once in a thousand times. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

Thursday: (Job 19) Job said: Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has struck me! Why do you hound me as though you were divine, and insatiably prey upon me. But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,

Friday (Job 38) The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place for taking hold of the ends of the earth, till the wicked are shaken from its surface? The earth is changed as is clay by the seal, and dyed as though it were a garment; But from the wicked the light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered.

Saturday (Job 42) Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore, I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 9) John said in reply, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company." Jesus said to him, "Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."

Tuesday: (Matthew 18) "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

Wednesday (Luke 9) Someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.

Thursday (Luke 10) Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.

Friday (Luke 10) Jesus said to them, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Saturday (Luke 10) The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

Saints of the Week

September 30: Jerome, priest and doctor (342-420), studied Greek and Latin as a young man after his baptism by Pope Liberius. He learned Hebrew when he became a monk and after ordination he studied scripture with Gregory Nazianzen in Constantinople. He became secretary to the Pope when he was asked to translate the Bible into Latin.

October 1: These of Lisieux, doctor (1873-1897), entered the Carmelites at age 15 and died at age 24 from tuberculosis. During her illness, Pauline, her prioress, asked her to write about her life in the convent. These stories are captured in "The Story of a Soul." He focused on her "little way" of pursuing holiness in everyday life.

October 2: The Guardian Angels are messengers and intermediaries between God and humans. They help us in our struggle against evil and they serve as guardians, the feast we celebrate today. Raphael is one of the guardians written about in the Book of Tobit. A memorial was added to the Roman calendar In 1670 in thanksgiving for their assistance.

October 3: Francis Borgia, S.J. became a duke at age 33. When his wife died and his eight children were grown, he joined the Jesuits. His preaching brought many people to the church and when he served as Superior General, the Society increased dramatically in Spain and Portugal. He established many missions in the new territories.

October 4: Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was from the wealthy Bernardone family who sold silk cloths. After serving as soldier as a prisoner of war, Francis chose to serve God and the poor. He felt called to repair God's house, which he thought was a church. His father was angry that he used family money so he disinherited him. He began to preach repentance and recruited others to his way of life. His order is known for poverty, simplicity, humble service, and delighting in creation.

October 6: Bruno, priest (1030-1101), became a professor at Rheims and diocesan chancellor. He gave up his riches and began to live as a hermit with six other men. They had disdain for the rampant clerical corruption. The bishop of Grenoble gave them land in the Chartreuse mountains and they began the first Carthusian monastery. After serving in Rome for a few years, Bruno was given permission to found a second monastery in Calabria.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Sep 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.

·      Oct 1, 1546. Isabel Roser was released from her Jesuit vows by St Ignatius after eight months.

·      Oct 2, 1964. Fr. General Janssens suffered a stroke and died three days later. During his generalate, the Society grew from 53 to 85 provinces, and from 28,839 to 35,968 members.

·      Oct 3, 1901. In France, religious persecution broke out afresh with the passing of Waldeck Rousseau's "Loi d'Association."

·      Oct 4, 1820. In Rome, great troubles arose before and during the Twentieth General Congregation, caused by Fr. Petrucci's intrigues. He sought to wreck the Society and was deposed from his office as Vicar General, though supported by Cardinal della Genga (afterwards Leo XII).

·      Oct 5, 1981. In a letter to Father General Arrupe, Pope John Paul II appointed Paolo Dezza as his personal delegate to govern the Society of Jesus, with Fr. Pittau as coadjutor.

·      Oct 6, 1773. In London, Dr James Talbot, the Vicar Apostolic, promulgated the Brief of Suppression and sent copies to Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Vigésimo sexto domingo del tiempo ordinario

Vigésimo sexto domingo del tiempo ordinario

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30 de septiembre de 2018

Números 11: 25-29; Salmo 19; Santiago 5: 1-6; Marcos 9: 38-43, 45-48

Nuestras lecturas nos enseñan a enfocarnos en los objetivos más amplios que nos rodean en lugar de preocuparnos por proteger nuestros roles y posiciones individuales. El punto es que el Espíritu Santo es más grande que nuestras expectativas y hará lo que sea que sirva a los intereses de Dios.

En la primera lectura, vemos que setenta ancianos son elegidos de la comunidad para recibir los dones del Espíritu Santo, pero dos de los hombres no están en la reunión cuando se les otorgó el Espíritu. De acuerdo con las expectativas de la comunidad, no fueron ordenados, pero el Espíritu Santo no obedece a los humanos, sino solo a Dios, y el Espíritu ordenó a esos dos hombres independientemente de dónde estuvieran ubicados. El Espíritu les dio a estos hombres el poder de predicar, y Moisés alentó sabiamente a la comunidad a que los pidiera como elegidos divinamente.

Lo mismo sucede en el Evangelio cuando los discípulos le informan a Jesús que alguien estaba expulsando demonios en su nombre. Él sorprende a sus amigos al alentar el trabajo de ese hombre porque nadie puede realizar una obra poderosa en su nombre y también dañarlo. El punto es que tenemos que buscar a aquellos que son nuestros aliados, pero podemos encontrarlos en el lugar más improbable. Es bueno contar con apoyo, incluso si altera nuestra comprensión de cómo debe darse ese apoyo.

Vamos a aplicar eso a la iglesia hoy porque el Espíritu Santo puede actuar fuera del liderazgo y las estructuras de la iglesia. Significa que tenemos que entrenarnos para ver las cosas de manera diferente. No estamos acostumbrados a hacerlo, pero si vamos a liberar nuestras mentes para buscar soluciones, tenemos que ser libres de abandonar algunos de nuestros paradigmas.

Un amigo de la iglesia me dijo el otro día que quiere que cada obispo predique durante un año sus fallas como líderes de la iglesia. Dije que no creo que quiera eso. En lugar de tenerlos a predicar, preferiría que los obispos escuchen a los demás predicar durante un año y que sería prudente escuchar a las personas fuera de la iglesia. Aprendemos cuando escuchamos, y escuchar es el corazón del discipulado.

  Incluso soy cauteloso para predicar porque preferiría tener un diálogo contigo y quiero ser capaz de honrar tus experiencias. No tengo las respuestas y me doy cuenta de que hacer preguntas es más útil que tener respuestas. Ni a mí ni a nadie más se le debe dar el privilegio de predicarlo hasta que experimente por primera vez mi cuidado por usted y que lo encuentre creíble y auténtico. Una vez que me diga que he escuchado con efectividad y precisión sus experiencias, aprendido de su sufrimiento, compartido sus alegrías, quizás entonces pueda hablar. Juntos, podemos esforzarnos, buscar, buscar y descubrir cómo Dios está obrando en nuestras vidas,

El Espíritu tiene un amplio espacio y solo honra la voluntad de Dios. Mi mejor suposición es que el Espíritu está apenas en las etapas iniciales de la creación del Espíritu del Vaticano II donde se reconoce al sacerdote, profeta y reinado de los laicos, y se honran sus voces. Se nos ofrecen muchos puntos de vista ricos porque son personas que se preocupan por la vida de la iglesia. No nos opongamos al trabajo del Espíritu, sino que aprendamos a cooperar con él. Es nuestro tiempo como líderes de la iglesia para silenciar nuestras lenguas, perfeccionar nuestras habilidades para escuchar, para discernir los signos de los tiempos, y para fortalecer esos corazones están en sintonía con los Señores porque aquellos que están trabajando por el mayor bien del Reino de Dios son no contra nosotros, pero están con nosotros a largo plazo. Démonos vida y honremos el buen trabajo que otros hacen porque es para la mayor gloria de Dios. Quien no está en contra de nosotros está de nuestro lado.

Escritura para la misa diaria

Primera lectura:
Lunes: (Job 1) Jehová le dijo a Satanás: "¿Has notado a mi siervo Job, y no hay nadie como él en la tierra, irreprensible y recto, que teme a Dios y evita el mal?"
Pero Satanás respondió al SEÑOR y dijo: "¿No es por nada que Job teme a Dios?

Martes: (Job 3) Job abrió su boca y maldijo su día. Job habló y dijo: Perecer el día en que nací, la noche en que dijeron: "¡El niño es un niño!"

Miércoles: (Job 9) Job respondió a sus amigos y dijo: sé muy bien que es así;
pero, ¿cómo puede un hombre ser justificado ante Dios? Si uno quisiera contender con él, no podría responderle una vez, mil veces. Dios es sabio de corazón y poderoso en fuerza; ¿Quién lo ha resistido y permaneció indemne?

Jueves: (Job 19) Job dijo: ¡Señor, ten piedad de mí, oh amigos míos, porque la mano de Dios me ha golpeado! ¿Por qué me persigues como si fueras divina e insaciablemente eres una presa de mí? Pero en cuanto a mí, sé que mi Vindicador vive,

Viernes (Job 38) El SEÑOR se dirigió a Job desde la tormenta y le dijo: ¿Alguna vez en tu vida ordenaste la mañana y mostraste el amanecer en su lugar para apoderarse de los confines de la tierra, hasta que los malvados sean sacudidos de su superficie? La tierra es cambiada como la arcilla por el sello, y teñida como si fuera una prenda de vestir; Pero del malvado se oculta la luz, y el brazo del orgullo se hace añicos.

Sábado (Job 42) Job respondió al SEÑOR y dijo: Sé que puedes hacer todas las cosas, y que ningún propósito tuyo puede ser obstaculizado. He tratado con grandes cosas que no entiendo; cosas demasiado maravillosas para mí, que no puedo saber. Había oído hablar de ti de boca en boca, pero ahora mi ojo te ha visto. Por lo tanto, rechazo lo que he dicho, y me arrepiento en polvo y cenizas.

Evangelio:
Lunes: (Lucas 9) Juan dijo en respuesta: "Maestro, vimos a alguien expulsando demonios en su nombre y tratamos de prevenirlo porque él no lo sigue en nuestra compañía". Jesús le dijo: "No lo evites, porque quien no está contra ti es por ti".

Martes: (Mateo 18) "Mira que no desprecies a uno de estos pequeños, porque te digo que sus ángeles en el cielo siempre miran el rostro de mi Padre celestial".

Miércoles (Lucas 9) Alguien le dijo: "Te seguiré a donde sea que vayas".
Jesús le respondió: "Las zorras tienen guaridas y las aves del cielo nidos, pero el Hijo del Hombre no tiene dónde descansar la cabeza". Y a otro dijo: "Sígueme". Pero él respondió: "Señor, déjame ir primero y sepultar a mi padre". Pero él le respondió: "Deja que los muertos entierren a sus muertos".

Jueves (Lucas 10) Jesús nombró a otros setenta y dos discípulos a quienes envió por delante de él de dos en dos a cada pueblo y lugar que tenía la intención de visitar. Él les dijo:
"La cosecha es abundante pero los trabajadores son pocos, así que pregúntale al dueño de la cosecha
enviar obreros para su cosecha.

Viernes (Lucas 10) Jesús les dijo: "¡Ay de vosotros, Corazín! ¡Ay de vosotros, Betsaida !, porque si en Tiro y en Sidón se hubieran hecho las maravillas en medio de vosotros,
hace mucho que se habrían arrepentido, sentados en cilicio y cenizas.

Sábado (Lucas 10) Los setenta y dos discípulos regresaron regocijados y le dijeron a Jesús:
"Señor, incluso los demonios están sujetos a nosotros por tu nombre". Jesús dijo: "He observado a Satanás caer como un rayo del cielo.

Santos de la semana

30 de septiembre: Jerónimo, sacerdote y médico (342-420), estudió griego y latín cuando era joven después de su bautismo por el Papa Liberio. Aprendió hebreo cuando se hizo monje y después de la ordenación estudió las escrituras con Gregory Nazianzen en Constantinopla. Se convirtió en secretario del Papa cuando le pidieron que tradujera la Biblia al latín.

1 de octubre: Los de Lisieux, médico (1873-1897), ingresaron a las Carmelitas a los 15 años y murieron a los 24 años por tuberculosis. Durante su enfermedad, Pauline, su priora, le pidió que escribiera sobre su vida en el convento. Estas historias se capturan en "La historia de un alma". Se centró en su "pequeña forma" de buscar la santidad en la vida cotidiana.

2 de octubre: Los Ángeles Guardianes son mensajeros e intermediarios entre Dios y los humanos. Nos ayudan en nuestra lucha contra el mal y sirven como guardianes, la fiesta que celebramos hoy. Raphael es uno de los guardianes escritos en el Libro de Tobías. Se agregó un monumento conmemorativo al calendario romano en 1670 en acción de gracias por su ayuda.

3 de octubre: Francis Borgia, S.J. se convirtió en duque a los 33 años. Cuando su esposa murió y sus ocho hijos crecieron, se unió a los jesuitas. Su predicación trajo a muchas personas a la iglesia y cuando se desempeñó como Superior General, la Sociedad aumentó drásticamente en España y Portugal. Él estableció muchas misiones en los nuevos territorios.

4 de octubre: Francisco de Asís (1181-1226) era de la acaudalada familia Bernardone, que vendía telas de seda. Después de servir como soldado como prisionero de guerra, Francisco eligió servir a Dios y a los pobres. Se sintió llamado a reparar la casa de Dios, que pensó que era una iglesia. Su padre estaba enojado porque usó el dinero de su familia y lo desheredó. Comenzó a predicar el arrepentimiento y reclutó a otros a su forma de vida. Su orden es conocida por la pobreza, la simplicidad, el servicio humilde y deleitarse con la creación.

6 de octubre: Bruno, sacerdote (1030-1101), se convirtió en profesor en Reims y canciller diocesano. Renunció a sus riquezas y comenzó a vivir como un ermitaño con otros seis hombres. Tenían desdén por la corrupción clerical desenfrenada. El obispo de Grenoble les dio tierras en las montañas de Chartreuse y comenzaron el primer monasterio cartujo. Después de servir en Roma durante unos años, a Bruno se le dio permiso para fundar un segundo monasterio en Calabria.

Esta semana en la historia de los jesuitas

• 30 de septiembre de 1911. El presidente William Howard Taft visitó la Universidad de Saint Louis y declaró abierta la temporada de fútbol.
• 1 de octubre de 1546. Isabel Roser fue liberada de sus votos jesuitas por San Ignacio después de ocho meses.
• 2 de octubre de 1964. El p. El general Janssens sufrió un derrame cerebral y murió tres días después. Durante su generalato, la Sociedad creció de 53 a 85 provincias, y de 28,839 a 35,968 miembros.
• 3 de octubre de 1901. En Francia, la persecución religiosa estalló de nuevo con la aprobación del "Loi d'Association" de Waldeck Rousseau.
• 4 de octubre de 1820. En Roma, surgieron grandes problemas antes y durante la Vigésima Congregación General, causados por el Padre. Las intrigas de Petrucci. Buscó destruir la Sociedad y fue depuesto de su cargo como Vicario general, aunque apoyado por el Cardenal della Genga (después León XII).
• 5 de octubre de 1981. En una carta al Padre General Arrupe, el Papa Juan Pablo II nombró a Paolo Dezza como su delegado personal para gobernar la Compañía de Jesús, con el Padre. Pittau como coadjutor.
• 6 de octubre de 1773. En Londres, el Dr. James Talbot, el Vicario Apostólico, promulgó el Escrito de Supresión y envió copias a Maryland y Pensilvania.

Prayer: William Blake

It is not because angels are holier than men or devils that makes them angels, but because they do not expect holiness from one another, but from God alone. 

Literature: Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

[Saint Anthony] said, in his solitude, he sometimes encountered devils who looked like angels, and other times he found angels who looked like devils. When asked how he could tell the difference, the saint said that you can only tell which is which by the way you feel after the creature has left your company.

Literature: Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Therefore, dear Sir, love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you. For those who are near you are far away... and this shows that the space around you is beginning to grow vast.... be happy about your growth, in which of course you can't take anyone with you, and be gentle with those who stay behind; be confident and calm in front of them and don't torment them with your doubts and don't frighten them with your faith or joy, which they wouldn't be able to comprehend. Seek out some simple and true feeling of what you have in common with them, which doesn't necessarily have to alter when you yourself change again and again; when you see them, love life in a form that is not your own and be indulgent toward those who are growing old, who are afraid of the aloneness that you trust.... and don't expect any understanding; but believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.

Spirituality: Margaret Mead

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Spirituality: Albert Einstein

The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.

Prayer: Rob Siltanen

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

The Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

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September 23, 2018

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalm 54; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37

After predicting his suffering and death, Jesus asked the disciples why they were arguing about their own positions of status and honor. It seemed like a disconnect for him because he just told his closest friends that he was going to die, and frankly no one likes to talk directly about death. Jesus sits them down to instruct them. If they are to have any place as leaders of the church, they will have to be people who directly serve the needs of others by making sure they disregard no one, especially the lives of little children who are our most vulnerable gifts. He wants to make certain the leaders of his church will be servants who put their lives at risk in order to represent those who are in the greatest danger.

Sadly, sometimes history repeats itself. In a time when many lives have been hurt within our church by our own members, many of our leaders have been busy discussing their own pursuit of honor and authority instead of taking care of those who have been harmed. Today, Jesus continues to correct and instruct our leaders. Bishops and cardinals have been called to Rome to discuss how to respond to this crisis and to set a path for internal reform of the church’s structures. A large-scale meeting of Bishop’s Conference heads will address these same issues at a world-wide level. The goal? To bury the pursuit of clericalism and elitism and to respond authentically to the hurt caused by the church.

A few weeks ago, Pope Francis met privately with the Jesuit community in Ireland when he was there to lead the World Meeting of Families. He responded to a question: What should we do about sexual abuse in light of the poor way the church dealt with children and survivors? He replied, “Help the church to put an end to this. I don’t mean simply turn the page, but seek out a cure, reparation, all that is necessary to heal the wounds and give life back to so many people.”

The Pope continued, “this drama of abuse has behind it a Church that is elitist and clericalist, an inability to be near to the people of God. Elitism, clericalism fosters every form of abuse and the first abuse is of power and conscience. Help me with this. Be courageous. This is a special mission for you: clean this up, change consciences, do not be afraid to call things by their proper name.”

The Pope never speaks of gloom and doom, but you will always hear him speak about the joy of the Gospel because Jesus has been raised from the dead and is still with us. He asks us to reflect the merciful Jesus who loves sinners. At this time in the church we need the tenderness of Jesus to touch our pain and to set us free and to renew our hopes. Jesus came to bring joy, not moral casuistry. He brought openness and mercy. Jesus loved sinners. He loved them, and he had a strong dislike of the corrupt, and he always stretched out his hand for them to return to right relationships.

This is a time of challenge in the church but let us watch how Jesus is instructing us to care for each other better. His care of you will never cease. He loves you. He finds you very lovable and he will never give up on you. He is going to heal those who were harmed, and he will raise up leaders who will take better care of his beloved people. You deserve to know the merciful touch of Jesus. You deserve to feel the embrace he gave the little children in the Gospel passage.

It is dark now and it may get darker. It is confusing now, and the path forward may seem too unimaginable, while some groups of voices may assault the church. Christ is here, for you. Many forces of good are at work, and Christ has won the ultimate victory over sin and death. We have to do the hard work of committing to a renewed future that mirrors the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus preached. I believe in you, I believe that your gifts will be used more fully to the service of the kingdom, I believe in Christ’s actions, and I believe in the world his Spirit is bringing about, and we will one day be able to trust our leaders because they represent the authentic love of the People of God, a love of undeniable credibility.

Scripture for Daily Mass

First Reading: 

Monday: (Proverbs 3) The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness.

Tuesday: (Proverbs 21) Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD; wherever it pleases him, he directs it. All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Wednesday: (Proverbs 30) Two things I ask of you, deny them not to me before I die:
Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need.

Thursday: (Ecclesiastes 1) What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun. Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!" has already existed in the ages that preceded us.

Friday (Ecclesiastes 3) There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.

Saturday (Daniels 7) Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire.

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 8) No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.

Tuesday: (Luke 8) The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you."

Wednesday (Luke 9) Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Thursday (Luke 9) But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him.

Friday Luke 9) Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"

Saturday (John 1) Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."

Saints of the Week

September 23: Pio of Pietrelcina, priest (1887-1968) was affectionately named Padre Pio and was a Capuchin priest who received the stigmata (wounds of Christ) just as Francis of Assisi did. He founded a hospital and became the spiritual advisor to many at a monastery at San Giovanni Rotondo.

September 26: Cosmas and Damian, martyrs (d. 287), were twins who became doctors. They were noted because they never charged anyone a medical fee. They died in the Diocletian persecution. Great miracles have been attributed to them and the Emperor Justinian is claimed to be healed through their intercession.

September 27: Vincent de Paul, priest (1581-1660), was a French peasant who selected to be chaplain at the Queen's household after his ordination. He provided food and clothing to the poor, including prostitutes, the sick, disabled, and homeless. He founded the Congregation of Missions (Vincentians) to preach and train clergy and he co-founded the Daughters of Charity with Louise de Marillac.

September 28: Wenceslaus, martyr (907-929), was raised a Christian by his grandmother while his mother and brother were opposed to Christianity. His brother opposed him when he became ruler of Bohemia in 922. He introduced strict reforms that caused great dissatisfaction among nobles and political adversaries. His brother invited him to a religious ceremony where he was killed in a surprise attack.

September 28: Lawrence Ruiz and 15 companion martyrs (seventeenth century), were killed in Nagasaki, Japan during 1633 and 1637. Most of these Christians were friends of the Dominicans. Lawrence, a Filipino, was a husband and father. He and these other missionaries served the Philippines, Formosa, and Japan.

September 29: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels are long a part of Christian and Jewish scripture. Michael is the angel who fights against evil as the head of all the angels; Gabriel announces the messiah's arrival and the births of Jesus and John the Baptist; and Raphael is a guardian angel who protects Tobias on his journey. Together, they are venerated to represent all the angels during a three-day period.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Sep 23, 1869. Woodstock College of the Sacred Heart opened. With 17 priests, 44 scholastics, and 16 brothers it was the largest Jesuit community in the United States at the time.

·      Sep 24, 1566. The first Jesuits entered the continental United States at Florida. Pedro Martinez and others, while attempting to land, were driven back by the natives, and forced to make for the island of Tatacuran. He was killed there three weeks later.

·      Sep 25, 1617. The death of Francisco Suarez. He wrote 24 volumes on philosophy and theology. As a novice he was found to be very dull, but one of his directors suggested that he ask our Lady's help. He subsequently became a person of prodigious talent.

·      Sep 26, 1605. At Rome, Pope Paul V orally declared St Aloysius to be one of the "Blessed." The official brief appeared on October 19.

·      Sep 27, 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the Society of Jesus.

·      Sep 28, 1572. Fifteen Jesuits arrived in Mexico to establish the Mexican Province. They soon opened a college.

·      Sep 29, 1558. In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere, the Jesuits began to keep Choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This practice lasted less than a year, until the pope's death in August 1559.