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Today's Readings
Reading I
Jer 26:1-9
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim,
son of Josiah, king of Judah,
this message came from the LORD:
Thus says the LORD:
Stand in the court of the house of the LORD
and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah
who come to worship in the house of the LORD;
whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.
Perhaps they will listen and turn back,
each from his evil way,
so that I may repent of the evil I have planned to inflict upon them
for their evil deeds.
Say to them: Thus says the LORD:
If you disobey me,
not living according to the law I placed before you
and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets,
whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them,
I will treat this house like Shiloh,
and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth
shall refer when cursing another.
Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people
heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.
When Jeremiah finished speaking
all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people,
the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,
“You must be put to death!
Why do you prophesy in the name of the LORD:
‘This house shall be like Shiloh,’ and
‘This city shall be desolate and deserted’?”
And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Those outnumber the hairs of my head
who hate me without cause.
Too many for my strength
are they who wrongfully are my enemies.
Must I restore what I did not steal?
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Since for your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
But I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Gospel
Mt 13:54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their
synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith. |
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Saint Alphonsus Maria De
Liguori
1696 - 1787
August 01
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Nobility. A child prodigy, he
was extremely well-educated, received his doctorate in law from the
University of Naples at age 16. He had his own practice by age 21, and was
soon one of the leading lawyers in Naples, though he never attended court
without having attended Mass first. He loved music, could play the
harpsichord, and often attended the opera, though he frequently listened
without bothering to watch the over-done staging. As he matured and
learned more and more of the world, he liked it less and less, and finally
felt a call to religious life. He declined an arranged marriage, studied
theology, and was ordained at age 29.
Preacher and home missioner around Naples. Noted for his simple, clear,
direct style of preaching, and his gentle, understanding way in the
confessional. Writer on asceticism, theology, and history; master
theologian. He was often opposed by Church officials for a perceived
laxity toward sinners, and by government officials who opposed anything
religious. Founded the Redemptoristines women's order in Scala in 1730.
Founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Liguorians or
Redemptorists).
Appointed bishop of Saint Agata dei Gotti by Pope Clement XIII in 1762.
Worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful in a diocese with
a bad reputation. He was afflicted with severe rheumatism, he often could
barely move nor raise his chin from his chest. In 1775 he resigned his see
due to his health, and went into what he thought was a prayerful
retirement.
In 1777 the royal government threatened to disband his Redemptorists,
claiming that they were covertly carrying on the work of the Jesuits, who
had been suppressed in 1773. Calling on his knowledge of the Congregation,
his background in theology, and his skills as a lawyer, Alphonsus defended
the Redemptorists so will that they obtained the king's approval. However,
by this point Alphonsus was nearly blind, and was tricked into giving his
approval to a revised Rule for the Congregation, one that suited the king
and the anti-clerical government. When Pope Pius VI saw the changes, he
condemned it, and removed Alphonsus from his position as leader of the
Order. This caused Alphonsus a crisis in confidence and faith that took
years to overcome. However, by his death he came returned to faith and
peace.
Alphonsus vowed early to never to waste a moment of his life, and lived
that way for over 90 years. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius
IX in 1871.
When he was bishop, one of Alphonsus's priests led a worldly life, and
resisted all attempts to change. He was summoned to Alphonsus, and at the
entrance to the bishop's study he found a large crucifix laid on the
threshold. When the priest hesitated to step in, Alphonsus quietly said,
"Come along, and be sure to trample it underfoot. It would not be the
first time you have placed Our Lord beneath your feet."
source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta09.htm |
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