|
|
| |
 |
| |
Fifth
Sunday of Lent |
|
|
|
Ezekiel, who in many ways
resembles the prophet Elijah and Elisha, had a
unique contribution to the history of
prophetism due to his interest in the temple and
the liturgy. It is for his influence on the Jewish
religion after the exile that he is called
"the
father of Judaism."
In today's first reading Ezekiel predicts the
restoration of Israel under the figure of a
resurrection from the dead.
Punctuating the message of restoration and
resurrection, in today's Gospel Jesus hears that
Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and
Martha, is ill. He goes back to Judea with his
disciples, despite the fact that the townspeople
stoned him when we went there last.
When they arrive at Bethany, Lazarus is already
dead and in the tomb for four days. Perturbed,
Jesus orders the stone covering the entrance to
the tomb removed, despite Martha's protest.
Jesus however reminds her that if she believes she
will see the glory of God.
Jesus then orders Lazarus to come out, and he
does, still tied hand and foot with burial bands,
and his face wrapped in a cloth.
The main message of today's Gospel is a
confirmation of John 3:16.
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will never
die."
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
References:
Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author)
Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves (Author)
Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the Journey) ,
2004, by Thomas McKenna (Author)
Seasons in Spirituality: Reflections on Vincentian Spirituality in Today's World ,
1997, by Robert P. Maloney
Deep Down Things: Selected Writing,
1995, by Richard McCullen
Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities, Year A, 2008 ,
by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A.
Greisen (Author), S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon
(Author), M.S. Thomas L. Leclerc (Author)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
GOD
IS THE ANSWER TO THE DISQUIET OF OUR HEARTS |
| |
|
| |
VATICAN CITY, 27
FEB 2008 (VIS)
- In his general audience, held this morning in
the Paul VI Hall, the Pope concluded his series of
catecheses on the figure of St. Augustine. Before
the audience, the Holy Father went to the Vatican
Basilica to greet pilgrims who had been unable to
find a place in the hall.
St. Augustine "is one of the great converts of
Christian history" said Benedict XVI. Reading the
"Confessions", he went on, "it is easy to see that
Augustine's conversion was neither sudden nor
fully achieved right from the start. Rather it may
be defined as a ... journey, and remains as a
model for each one of us".
"St. Augustine was, ever since the beginning, an
impassioned searcher after the truth. ... and the
first stage of his journey of conversion ...
consisted precisely in his gradual approach to
Christianity". He received a Christian education
from his mother Monica and, despite having lived a
wild youth, "always felt a profound attraction to
Christ".
The saint's "passion for mankind and for truth ...
made him seek God, great and inaccessible". But
"Faith in Christ, led him to understand that the
apparently distant God is not in fact distant. He
has come close to us, making Himself one of us. In
this context, faith in Christ was the culmination
of Augustine's long search along the path of
truth. ... This path must be followed with courage
and, at the same time, with humility, while
remaining open to the permanent purification of
which each one of us has need".
St. Augustine, the Pope recalled, "was reluctantly
ordained a priest in Hippo and assigned to the
service of the faithful", in which role "he
continued to live with Christ, but while serving
everyone. He found this very difficult at the
start, but he understood that only by living for
others, and not just for his own private
contemplation, could he truly live with Christ and
for Christ. Renouncing a life of pure meditation
he learned, often with difficulty, to place the
fruits of his intellect at the service of others,
to communicate his faith to the common people, ...
and thus to live for them in that city which he
had made his own. ... This was his second
conversion".
The Pope then went on to identify another stage in
Augustine's journey "which we could call his third
conversion and which brought him daily to ask
forgiveness of God. ... We have a perennial need
to be washed by Christ, ... to be renewed by Him".
We need "the humility to recognise that we are all
sinners, constantly journeying until God
definitively gives us His hand and introduces us
to eternal life". With such humility Augustine
lived and died.
"Having converted to Christ Who is truth and
love", the Pope continued, "Augustine followed Him
throughout his life and stands as a model for all
human beings who seek after God. ... Today too, as
in his time, humankind needs to know this
fundamental reality and, above all, to put it into
practice: God is love and meeting Him is the only
answer to the disquiet of our hearts".
Benedict XVI concluded his catechesis with a
prayer that "every day we may be able to follow
the example of this great convert, meeting in
every moment of our lives, as he did, the Lord
Jesus, the One Who saves us, purifies us and gives
us true joy, true life". AG/ST. AUGUSTINE/...
VIS 080227 (600) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Fifth
Sunday of Lent
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will
never die." |
|
March 9,
2008
|
First Reading From the Book of
Ezekiel: |
|
Ez 37:12-14 |
|
Thus
says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves and have you
rise from them, and bring you back to the land of
Israel.
Then
you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open
your graves and have you rise from them, O my
people!
I
will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I
will settle you upon your land; thus you shall
know that I am the LORD.
I
have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
|
|
Ps 130:1-2, 3-4,
5-6, 7-8 |
|
|
|
|
|
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of
redemption.
Out
of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of
redemption.
If
you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of
redemption.
I
trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of
redemption.
For
with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.
R. With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of
redemption.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Reading from the Letter to the
Romans |
|
Rom 8:8-11 |
| |
|
| |
Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But
you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are
in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in
you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does
not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead
because of sin, the spirit is alive because of
righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from
the dead will give life to your mortal bodies
also, through his Spirit dwelling in you. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reading From
the Gospel of John:
|
|
Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 |
| |
|
| |
|
Now
a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village
of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary
was the one who had anointed the Lord with
perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it
was her brother Lazarus who was ill.
So the sisters sent word to him saying,
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
hen Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, but is for
the glory of God, that the Son of God may be
glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for
two days in the place where he was. |
 |
|
| |
Then
after this he said to his disciples,
“Let us go back to Judea.”
The
disciples said to him,
“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you,
and you want to go back there?”
Jesus answered,
“Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks
during the day, he does not stumble, because he
sees the light of this world. But if one walks at
night, he stumbles, because the light is not in
him.”
He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to
awaken him.”
So the disciples said to him,
“Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.”
But Jesus was talking about his death, while they
thought that he meant ordinary sleep.
So then Jesus said to them clearly,
“Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I
was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to
him.”
So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow
disciples,
“Let us also go to die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had
already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two
miles away. And many of the Jews had come to
Martha and Mary to comfort them about their
brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went
to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died. But even now I know that whatever you
ask of God, God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the
last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to
believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
When she had said this, she went and called her
sister Mary secretly, saying,
“The teacher is here and is asking for you.”
As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and
went to him.
For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but
was still where Martha had met him.
So when the Jews who were with her in the house
comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out,
they followed her, presuming that she was going to
the tomb to weep there.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she
fell at his feet and said to him,
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had
come with her weeping, he became perturbed and
deeply troubled, and said,
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.”
But some of them said,
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the
blind man have done something so that this man
would not have died?”
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It
was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been
dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe you will
see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that
you always hear me; but because of the crowd here
I have said this, that they may believe that you
sent me.”
And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud
voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with
burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen
what he had done began to believe in him. |
| |
|
|
or |
|
| |
|
| |
The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying,
“Master, the one you love is ill.”
When
Jesus heard this he said,
“This illness is not to end in death, but is for
the glory of God, that the Son of God may be
glorified through it.”
Now
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So
when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two
days in the place where he was.
Then
after this he said to his disciples,
"Let us go back to Judea.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had
already been in the tomb for four days.
When
Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to
meet him; but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died. But even now I know that whatever you
ask of God, God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said,
“I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the
last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?”
She
said to him,
“Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ,
the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said,
“Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.”
And Jesus wept.
So the Jews said,
“See how he loved him.”
But some of them said,
“Could not the one who opened the eyes of the
blind man
have done something so that this man would not
have died?”
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said,
“Take away the stone.”
Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him,
“Lord, by now there will be a stench;
he has been dead for four days.”
Jesus said to her,
“Did I not tell you that if you believe
you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone.
And Jesus raised his eyes and said,
“Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me;
but because of the crowd here I have said this,
that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out,
tied hand and foot with burial bands,
and his face was wrapped in a cloth.
So Jesus said to them,
“Untie him and let him go.”
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
References |
|
 |
Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature
Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people. |
|
|
|
 |
Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
|
|
|
 |
Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
|
|
|
 |
Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the
Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
|
|
|
|
 |
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force ....
.... (Paperback)
by
Rodney Stark (Author)
From the Publisher
"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire |
|
is
already the subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who
has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read
the first page. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and
Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities, Year A, 2008 (Paperback) by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann
Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author),
S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S.
Thomas L. Leclerc (Author) |
|
"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Straight Answers, Answers to 100 Questions about
the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by:
Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response to the many questions concerning
the Catholic Church. It spells out profound
truths in very |
|
simple language for all who seek a better
understanding of their Faith. I highly recommend
it for Catholics, both young and old. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon:
After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and |
|
bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Read more about the Liturgical Year |
| |
|
 |
The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by Thomas J. Talley (Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides
those who not only fill the pulpits across
this country but also all interested in
the cultural world in which Jesus lived
with a lot of pertinent information that
sheds light on a lot of areas that have
been "muddled" in the past. Yes, I highly
recommend this book. - James Mauldin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
 |
Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
documents, the exegesis of Fathers
|
|
and Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
|
|
|
| |
| |
Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Our Engine |
| |
 |
This newsletter
and the website is powered by Site Build It!
It really is a "Genie In A Box."
Don't forget to check out the Quick Tour Slide Show!
|
|
| |
Want to try to win a free copy of the "Genie In A Box?"
Click right here!
|
|
|
|
This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English
Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the
commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
