EPISTLE:
Rom. 12, 6-16.
Brethren, Having different gifts,
according to the grace that is given us: either prophecy, to be used according
to the rule of faith; or ministry, in ministering; or he that teacheth, in
doctrine; he that exhorteth, in exhorting; he that giveth, with simplicity; he
that ruleth, with carefulness; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let
love be without dissimulation. Hating that which is evil, cleaving to that which
is good: loving one another with the charity of brotherhood: with honor
preventing one another: in carefulness not slothful; in spirit fervent: serving
the Lord: rejoicing in hope: patient in tribulation: instant in prayer:
communicating to the necessities of the Saints: pursuing hospitality. Bless
them that persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that rejoice,
weep with them that weep: being of one mind one towards another: not minding
high things, but consenting to the humble
EXPLANATION.
St. Paul in this epistle exhorts every Christian to make good use of the gifts
of God; if one receives an office, he must see well to it, so that he can give
an account to God of the faithful performance of his duties. He exhorts
especially to brotherly love which we should practice by charitable works; such
as, receiving strangers hospitably, giving alms to those who are in need, and
to those who by misfortune or injustice have lost their property; he commands
us, at the same time, to rejoice in the welfare of our neighbor, as we rejoice
at our own good fortune, and to grieve at his misfortunes as we would over
those which befall us.
How is brotherly love best
preserved?
By the virtue of humility which makes
us esteem our neighbor above ourselves, consider his good qualities only, bear
patiently his defects, and always meet him in a friendly, respectful, and
indulgent manner. Humility causes us to live always in peace with our
fellowmen, while among the proud, where each wishes to be the first, there is
continual strife and dissatisfaction (Prov. 13:10).
What
lesson does the Apostle give us in this epistle?
That we should hate that which is evil, and love that which is good; that we
should love one another, and practice works of mercy; that we should be
solicitous and fervent, as in the service of God. We should cooperate with the
grace of God, and pray instantly.
Aspiration
O God, give us Thy grace to
follow faithfully what St. Paul teaches us of humility and charity, that we may
have compassion on
all who are in need, and not
exalt ourselves above our neighbors, but, humbling ourselves with the humble,
may merit, with them, to be exalted. Amen.
GRADUAL:
Ps. 106. The Lord sent His Word, and
healed them: and delivered them out of
their destruction. Let the mercies of
the Lord give glory to Him: and His
wonderful works to the children of men.
Alleluia, alleluia. Ps. 148.
Praise ye the Lord, all His angels, praise ye Him all his
hosts. Alleluia.
GOSPEL: John 2, 1-11.
At that time there was a marriage
in Cana of Galilee: and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was
invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the Mother
of Jesus saith to Him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what
is that to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come. His Mother saith to the
waiters: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye. Now there were set there six
water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews,
containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: Fill the
water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus said to
them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they
carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew
not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief
steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth
forth good wine: and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but
thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in
Cana of Galilee; and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
Why
was Jesus present at the wedding with His Mother and disciples?
1. In order there to reveal His
majesty, and by that means to establish and confirm the belief in His divinity.
2. To show that marriage is
pleasing to God. 3. To let
us understand how pious the bridegroom and bride were. 4. To teach us that those pleasures are permitted
which are in accordance with reason and Christianity, and neither sinful nor
leading to sin.
Why
did Mary intercede for the bride and bridegroom when the wine was failing?
She was sorry for them, for she is the tenderhearted mediatrix of the afflicted
and destitute. Besides, the number of the guests had been considerably
increased by the presence of Jesus and His disciples, so that the wine was not
sufficient for all.
What
is the meaning of the words, "Woman, what is that to Me and to thee”?
According to the idiom of the Hebrew language, they mean as much as,
"Mother, be not anxious; I will provide the wine as soon as the hour
appointed by My Father is come." Jesus did not mean to rebuke His Mother,
but He thus gave her, and all who were present, to understand that He had not
received the power of working miracles as the son of woman, but that He
possessed it as the Son of God, and should use it according to the will of His Father.
What are we taught by the
words: “My hour is not yet come”?
These words teach us that we
should in all things await God's appointed time, and in things belonging to God
and His honor, act only by divine direction, without any human motives.
What
does the scarcity of wine signify?
In a spiritual sense the want of
wine may be understood to signify the lack of love between married people,
which is principally the case with those who enter this state through worldly
motives, for the sake of riches, beauty of person, or who have before marriage
kept up sinful intercourse. These should ask God for the forgiveness of their
sins, bear the hardships of married life in the spirit of penance, and change
the wrong motives they had before marriage; by doing so God will supply the
scarcity of wine, that is the lack of true love, and change the waters of
misery into the wine of patient affection.
Why did Christ command them
to take the wine to the steward?
That the steward, whose office
required him to be attentive to the conduct of the guests, and to know the
quality of the wine, should give his judgment in regard to the excellence of
this, and be able to testify to the miracle before all the guests.
ASPIRATION O my
most merciful Jesus! I would rather drink in this world the sour wine of misery
than the sweet wine of pleasure, that in heaven I may taste the perfect wine of
eternal joy.
Aspiration
I thank Thee, O Jesus, for the
grace of knowing Thy divinity; grant that I may persevere in this knowledge
till death, in order to enjoy the contemplation of Thy Godhead in eternity.
OFFERTORY:
Ps.
65. Shout with joy to God, all
the earth, sing you a psalm to His name; come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what great things He hath done for my soul. Alleluia.
SECRET:
Sanctify,
O Lord, the gifts which we offer, and cleanse us from the stains of our
sins. Through our Lord, etc.
By the
offered gifts, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou kindly enlighten Thy Church,
so that Thy flock may everywhere progress and prosper, and Thy shepherds, under
Thy guidance, may be pleasing to Thy name.
Through our Lord, etc.
By Thy
merciful forgiveness, O Lord, and the intercession of the blessed Mary ever
Virgin, may this oblation obtain for us peace and prosperity, now and
forever. Through our Lord, etc.
COMMUNION:
John
2. The Lord saith, Fill the
water-pots with water, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. When the chief steward had tasted the water
made wine, he saith to the bridegroom: Thou
hast kept the good wine until now. This
first miracle did Jesus before his disciples.
POSTCOMMUNION:
Be there
increases in us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the workings of Thy power, that
thriving on these divine sacraments, we may be prepared by Thy bounty to
receive what they promise. Through our
Lord, etc.
Being
appeased, O Lord, guide Thy Church, which has been nourished by holy
refreshment, that under Thy direction and powerful rule it may receive increase
of liberty and may continue in religious integrity. Through our Lord, etc.
May this
communion, O Lord, cleanse us from our sins, and through the intercession of
the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, make us partakers of this heavenly
remedy. Through our Lord, etc.
His Mother saith to the
waiters: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye.
Pope Marcellus I Martyred by Apostate Catholics
The work of the Pope Marcellus I was, however, quickly interrupted by the
controversies to which the question of the readmittance of the lapsi
(who had apostatized during the persecution of Diocletian) into the Church gave
rise. As to this, we gather some light from the poetic tribute composed by St.
Damasus in memory of his predecessor and placed over his grave (De Rossi,
"Inscr. christ. urbis Romæ", II, 62, 103, 138; cf. Idem, "Roma
sotterranea", II, 204-5). Damasus relates that the truth-loving leader of
the Roman Church was looked upon as a wicked enemy by all the lapsed, because
he insisted that they should perform the prescribed penance for their guilt. As
a result serious conflicts arose, some of which ended in bloodshed, and every
bond of peace was broken. At the head of this band of the unfaithful and
rebellious stood an apostate who had denied the Faith even before the outbreak
of persecution. The tyrannical Maxentius had the pope seized and sent into
exile. This took place at the end of 308 or the beginning of 309 according to
the passages cited above from the "Catalogus Liberianus", which gives
the length of the pontificate as no more than one year, six (or seven) months,
and twenty days. Marcellus died shortly after leaving Rome, and was venerated
as a saint. His feast-day was 16 January, according to the "Depositio
episcoporum" of the "Chronography" of 354 and every other Roman
authority. Nevertheless, it is not known whether this is the date of his death
or that of the burial of his remains, after these had been brought back from
the unknown quarter to which he had been exiled. He was buried in the catacomb
of St. Priscilla where his grave is mentioned by the itineraries to the graves
of the Roman martyrs as existing in the basilica of St. Silvester (De Rossi,
"Roma sotterranea", I, 176).
Catholic Encyclopedia
PROPER OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 16th:
|
16
|
Sun
|
2nd Sunday
after Epiphany
St. Marcellus, PM
|
sd
|
G
|
|
Mass 9:00 AM &
Noon; Confessions & Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM; Mass for the members of
Mission
|
|
17
|
|
St. Anthony, Ab
|
d
|
W
|
|
Mass 8:30 AM; Rosary
of Reparation before Mass
|
|
18
|
Mon
|
St. Peter’s Chair at
Rome
St. Paul, Ap
St. Prisca, VM
|
dm
|
W
|
|
Mass 8:30 AM; Rosary
of Reparation before Mass
|
|
19
|
Tue
|
St. Marius &
Comp., Mm
St. Canute, King, M
|
sp
|
R
|
|
Mass 8:30 AM; Rosary
of Reparation before Mass
|
|
20
|
Wed
|
Ss. Fabian, P &
Sebastian, Mm
|
d
|
R
|
|
Mass 8:30 AM; Rosary
of Reparation before Mass
|
|
21
|
Thu
|
St. Agnes, VM
|
d
|
R
|
A
|
Mass 8:30 AM; Rosary
of Reparation before Mass
|
|
22
|
Fri
|
Ss. Vincent &
Anastasius, Mm
|
sd
|
R
|
|
Mass 9:00 AM;
Confession & Rosary of Reparation 8:30
|
|
24
|
Sun
|
3rd Sunday
after Epiphany
St. Raymund of
Pennafort, C
St. Emerentiana, VM
Betrothal of St. Joseph and BVM
|
sd
|
G
|
|
Mass 9:00 AM &
Noon; Confessions & Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM; Mass for the members of
Mission
|
St. Anthony, in the
year 339, saw in a vision, under the figure of mules kicking down the altar,
the havoc which the Arian persecution made two years after in Alexandria, and
clearly foretold it, as St. Athanasius, St. Jerome, and St. Chrysostom assure
us. He would not speak to a heretic,
unless to exhort him to the true faith; and he drove all such from his
mountain, calling them venomous serpents. At the request of the bishops, about
the year 355, he took a journey to Alexandria to confound the Arians, preaching
aloud in that city that God the Son is not a creature, but of the same
substance with the Father; and that the impious Arians, who called him a
creature, did not differ from the heathens themselves, "who worshipped and
served the creature rather than the Creator." All the people ran to see
him, and rejoiced to hear him; even the pagans, struck with the dignity of his
character, flocked to him, saying, "We desire to see the man of God."
He converted many, and wrought several miracles: St. Athanasius conducted him
back as far as the gates of the city, where he cured a girl possessed by the
devil. Being desired by the duke or general of Egypt to make a longer stay in the
city than he had proposed, he answered: "As fish die if they leave the
water, so does a monk if he forsakes his solitude."
St. Athanasius, Life of
St. Anthony
Protestantism strove to
throw doubts on St. Peter’s having lived and died in Rome… It was in order to
nullify, by the authority of the Liturgy, this strange pretension of the
Protestants, that Pope Paul IV, in 1558, restored the ancient Feast of St.
Peter’s Chair at Rome, and fixed it on the 18th of January. For many centuries the Church had not solemnized
the mystery of the Pontificate of the Prince of the Apostles on any distinct
feast, but had made the single Feast of February 22nd serve for both
the Chair at Antioch and the Chair at Rome. From that time forward, the 22nd
of February has been kept for the Chair at Antioch, which was the first
occupied by the Apostle.
Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Feast of St.
Peter’s Chair at Rome
Novena to SS.
Peter and Paul
(begins January 16th)
O glorious SS. Peter and Paul, filled with compassion for those who
invoke you, with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my
troubles, I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under
your special protection (mention intention).
As disciples of Christ and the first pastors of the early Church you
both knew disappointment and suffering.
Lead me out of my troubles as you have so many to Christ our Lord. Cease not to intercede for me until my
request is granted. Above all, obtain
for me the grace to one day meet God face to face, and with you and Mary and
all the angels and saints praise Him through all eternity.
O most powerful SS. Peter and Paul, do not let me lose my soul, but
obtain for me the grace of winning my way to heaven.
O holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, I choose you this day and forever to
be my special patrons and advocates; thee, Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles,
because thou art the Rock, upon which Almighty God hath built His Church; thee,
Saint Paul, because thou wast fore-chosen by God as the Vessel of election and
the Preacher of truth in the whole world.
Obtain for me, I pray you, lively faith, firm hope and burning love;
unshakable confidence in the merciful providence of God, complete detachment
from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in
prosperity, attention in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my
works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my
resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of
God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious
merits, I may be able to overcome the temptations of the world, the flesh and
the devil, and may be made worthy to appear before the chief and eternal
Shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ, who with the
Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth for endless ages, to enjoy
His presence and love Him forever. AMEN
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be
§
V. Thou shalt make them princes over all the
earth,
§
R. They shall be mindful of Thy name, O Lord.
Let us pray
O God, whose right hand raised up blessed Peter, when he walked upon
the water and began to sink, and thrice delivered his fellow-Apostle Paul from
the depths of the sea, when he suffered shipwreck: graciously hear us and
grant, by the merits of them both, that we also may attain unto everlasting
glory: Who livest and reignest world without end.
AMEN
Octave Prayer from the Chair of St. Peter to the Conversion of St. Paul
(January 16th to January 24th inclusive for the conversion of heretics
and schismatic to the Catholic Church outside of which there is no salvation.)
That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee, that
they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.
V: I say to thee, that
thou art Peter
R: And upon this rock I
will build my Church
Let
Us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst say to Thine Apostles; peace I leave with
you, my peace I give unto you, look not upon my sins, but upon the faith of Thy
Church; and vouchsafe unto her that peace and unity which is agreeable to Thy
will; Who livest and reignest God forever and ever. AMEN (plenary indulgence under the usual
conditions)
We must picture to
ourselves a young soldier, who tears himself away from all the ties of his home
at Milan, because the persecution there was too tame, with anxiety at the
thought that perhaps some of the Christians in the Capital may be losing
courage. He has been told that at times
some of the Emperor’s soldiers, who were soldiers also of Christ, have gained
admission into the prisons, and have roused up the sinking courage of the
confessors. He is resolved to go on the
like mission, and hopes that he may also receive the blessing of
martyrdom. He reaches Rome, he is
admitted into the prisons, and encourages to martyrdom such as had been shaken
by the tears of those who were dear to them.
Some of the gaolers, converted by witnessing his faith and his miracles,
become martyrs themselves; and one of the Roman Magistrates asks to be
instructed in a religion which can produce such men as this Sebastian. He has won the esteem of the Emperors
Diocletian and Maximian Hercules for his fidelity and courage as a soldier;
they have loaded him with favours; and this gives him an influence in Rome
which he so zealously turns to the advantage of the Christian religion, that
the holy Pope Caius calls him, the Defender of the Church.
Dom Gueranger, The
Liturgical Year, Feast of St. Sebastian
The eleventh century
gave to the Church and various States of Europe a great number of saintly
Kings. Among them St. Canute IV of
Denmark stands pre-eminent by reason of the aureole of his martyrdom. He had every quality which forms a Christian
prince: he was a zealous propagator of the faith of Christ, he was a brave
warrior, he was pious, and he was charitable to the poor. His zeal for the Church (and in those days
her rights were counted as the rights of the people) was made the pretext for
putting him to death: he died in the midst of a sedition as a victim sacrificed
for his people’s sake. His offering to
the new-born King was that of his blood; and in exchange for the perishable
crown he lost, he received that which the Church gives to her Martyrs, and
which can never be taken away.
Dom Gueranger, The
Liturgical Year, St. Canute of Denmark
INSTRUCTION FOR SUPERIORS
Those
have to expect a severe sentence from God, who merely for temporal gain, seek
profitable offices, and thrust themselves therein whether capable or not, and
if capable care very little whether they fulfill the duties required, or
perhaps make the fulfillment of them depend upon bribes. Of such God makes
terrible complaint: Thy princes (judges) are faithless, companions of thieves:
they all love bribes, they run after rewards. They judge not for the
fatherless; and the widow's cause comes not into them (Is. 1:23). A most severe
judgment shall be for them that bear rule (Wisd. 6:6).
ASPIRATION
Grant us, O Lord, Thy grace, that according to Thy will, we may follow the
instructions of St. Paul in regard to humility and love, have compassion upon
all suffering and needy, think little of ourselves, and descend to the lowest,
that we may, one day, be elevated with them in heaven.
Having resolved to
write a book on virginity, I think myself happy in being able to begin it on
the feast we are keeping of the Virgin Agnes.
It is the feast of a virgin; let us walk in the path of purity. It is the feast of a martyr; let us offer up
our Sacrifice. It is the feast of St.
Agnes; let men admire and children not despair; let the married wonder, and the
unmarried imitate. But what can we speak
worthy of this Saint, whose very name is not void of praise? As her devotedness is beyond her years, and
her virtue superhuman so, as it seems to me, her name is not an appellation,
but a prophecy, presaging that she was to be a martyr.
St. Ambrose on St.
Agnes
O my soul, be humble and
forget not that the more thou art exalted in thy own esteem the more wilt thou
be shamed and confounded at the judgment day. For then, as says the prophet,
"Man shall be humbled" (Isa. 5, 15), and only the humble will be able
to glory "in his exultation" (Jas 1, 9). Remember that according to
the saying of Isaias, the day of judgment has been appointed especially to
humble the proud: "Because the day of the Lord of hosts shall be on every
one that is proud and high-minded, and he shall be humbled" (Isa. 2, 12),
and thou shouldest regard as though specially directed to thyself that
prophetic voice from God which says: "Behold I come against thee, O proud
one, saith the Lord, for thy day is come, the time of thy visitation. And the
proud one shall fall, he shall fall down, and there shall be none to lift him
up" (Isa. 1, 31).
Fr. Cajetan Mary da
Bergamo, Humility of Heart
“He that hath the Son hath
life. He that hath not the Son, hath not
life” (1 Jn. 5,12).
The grace which
sanctifies our souls is, in its essence, identically the same as that which
adorns the sacred soul of Jesus (St. Thomas, IIIa, q.8, a.5). Of course, they differ immensely in measure
and perfection, but the nature of the grace is the very same. Hence grace in us has the same sanctifying
power, the same tendencies as it has in the soul of Jesus. Thus it can sanctify us, making us live in
union with God and for His glory. By
giving us grace, Jesus has truly communicated His life to us; He has planted in
us the seed of His sanctity, so that we can live a life similar to His
own.
Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary
Magdalen, O.C.D., Divine Intimacy
INSTRUCTION ON THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF
MATRIMONY
What is Matrimony?
Matrimony is the perfect,
indissoluble union of two free persons of different sex, for the purpose of
propagating the human race, mutually to bear the burdens of life and to prevent
sin (I Cor. 7:2).
Who instituted Matrimony?
God Himself, the Creator of all
things (Gen. 1:27-28). He brought to man the helpmate, whom He formed from one of
the ribs of Adam, that she who came from his heart, might never depart
therefrom, but cling to him in the indissoluble bond of love (Gen. 2:18, 24).
To this original, divine institution Christ refers (Mt. 19:4-6), and the Church
declares the bond of marriage perpetual and indissoluble.
Is Matrimony a Sacrament?
Yes; according to the testimony of
the Fathers, the Church has held it such from the times of the apostles, which
she could not do, had Christ not raised it to the dignity of a Sacrament. St.
Paul even calls it a great Sacrament, because it is symbolical of the perpetual
union of Christ with His Church; and the Council of Trent declares: "If
any one says that Matrimony is not really and truly one of the seven Sacraments
of the Church instituted by Christ, but an invention of men that imparts no
grace, let him be anathema" (Conc. Trid., Sess. XXIV, can. 1).
What graces does this
Sacrament impart?
The grace of preserving
matrimonial fidelity inviolate: the grace of educating children as Christians;
of patiently enduring the unavoidable difficulties of married life, and of
living peaceably with each other. Married people are indeed greatly in need of
these graces, in order to fulfill their mutual obligations.
What is the external sign in
the Sacrament of Matrimony?
The union of two single persons in
Matrimony, which according to the regulations of the Council of Trent (Conc.
Trid., Sess. XXIV, can. 1), must be formed publicly in the presence of the
pastor, or with his permission before another priest, and two witnesses.
What preparations are to be
made to receive the grace of this Sacrament?
1. The first and best
preparation is a pure and pious life. 2. The light of the Holy Ghost
should be invoked to know whether one is called to this state of life. 3.
The parents and the father-confessor should be asked for advice. 4. The
choice should be made in regard to a Christian heart, and a gentle disposition
rather than to beauty and wealth. 5. The immediate preparation is, to
purify the conscience, if it has not already been done, by a good general
confession, and by the reception of the most holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Before their marriage the young couple should ask their parents' blessing,
should hear the nuptial Mass with devotion, with the intention of obtaining
God's grace to begin their new state of life well, and finally they should
commend themselves with confidence to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and her spouse St. Joseph.
Why are there so many
unhappy marriages?
Because so many people prepare the
way by sins and vices, and continue to sin without interruption, and without
true amendment until marriage, therefore always make sacrilegious confessions,
even perhaps immediately before marriage. Besides this many enter the married
life on account of carnal intentions, or other earthly motives; in many cases
they do not even ask God for His grace; without any proper preparation for such
an important, sacred act, on their marriage day they go to church with levity
and afterwards celebrate their wedding with but little modesty. Is it any
wonder that such married people receive no blessing, no grace, when they render
themselves so unworthy?
Why did God institute
married life?
That children might be brought up
honestly and as Christians, and that they should be instructed especially in
matters of faith; that married people should sustain each other in the
difficulties of life, and mutually exhort one another to a pious life; and
lastly, that the sin of impurity might be avoided. For they who in such manner
receive matrimony as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and
to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule which have not
understanding, over them the devil hath power (Tob. 6:17).
With what intentions should
the married state be entered?
With such intentions as the young
Tobias and his bride had, who before the marriage ceremony, ardently prayed God
for His grace, and took their wedding breakfast in the fear of the Lord (Tob.
14:15). Hence God's blessing was with them until death. If all young people
would enter the married state thus, it would certainly be holy, God-pleasing
and blessed, and the words of St. Paul, spoken to wives, would come true unto
them: Yet she shall be saved by bearing children, if she continue in faith, and
love, and sanctification with sobriety (I Tim. 2:15).
Why are the bans of marriage
published three times in Church?
That all impediments which would
render the marriage unlawful may be made known. Such impediments are: consanguinity,
clandestine marriages, etc. Therefore, any one who is aware of such impediments
is bound to make them known to the pastor.
Why is the marriage
performed in the presence of the parish priest?
Because the Catholic Church
expressly declares that those marriages which are not performed in presence of
the pastor, or with his permission before another priest, and two witnesses,
are null and void (Conc. Trid., Sess. XXIV can. 1); and because the blessing of
the priest, which he imparts in the name of the Church, gives the couple, if
they are in a state of grace, strength, fortitude and grace to be faithful to
each other, to endure all trials patiently, and to be safe from all the
influences of the evil enemy."
Why do they join hands
before the priest, and two witnesses?
By this they bind themselves
before God and His Church to remain true to each other, and to be ready to
assist each other in all adversities. The bridegroom puts a ring on the bride's
finger which should remind her of her duty of inviolable fidelity; to this end
the priest signs and seals this holy union with the unbloody Sacrifice of the
New Law.
Can the bond of marriage be
dissolved in the Catholic Church?
A valid marriage, contracted with
the free consent of each of the parties, can according to the plain doctrine of
the Scriptures, the constant teaching and practice of the Church, be dissolved
only by the death of one of the parties. If the pope or a bishop, for important
reasons, gives a divorce, this is only partial, and neither can marry again
while the other lives. Such a marriage would not be valid. How pure and holy
are the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church in this the most important
and sacred of all human relations, preserving its inviolability and sanctity;
while, on the contrary, by means of the wanton doctrine of the heretics, which
for trivial reasons entirely dissolves the marriage contract, this sacred union
is made the deepest ignominy of mankind, and the play-ball of human passions
and caprice!
What is thought of mixed
marriages, or marriages between Catholics and Protestants?
The Catholic Church has always
condemned such marriages, because of the great dangers to which the Catholic
party is unavoidably exposed as well as the offspring. Such marriages promote indifference
in matters of religion, by which the spiritual life of the soul is destroyed;
they are a hindrance to domestic peace, cause mutual aversion, quarrels, and
confusion; they give scandal to servants; they interfere with the Christian
education of the children, even render it impossible, and they frequently lead
to apostasy and despair. But the Catholic Church condemns especially those
mixed marriages, in which either all or a number of the children are brought up
in heresy, and she can never bless and look upon those as her children who do
not fear to withdraw themselves and their own children from the only saving
faith, and expose them to the danger of eternal ruin. Therefore, those
Catholics who enter the matrimonial union with Protestants, although the
marriage if lawfully contracted is valid, commit a mortal sin if they permit
their children to be brought up in heresy, and should it not be their full
intention to bring up their children in the Catholic faith at the time of their
marriage, they would commit a sacrilege.
What should the newly
married couple do immediately after the ceremony is performed?
They
should kneel and thank God for the graces received in this holy Sacrament, in
such or similar words: "Ratify, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that which by Thy
grace Thou hast wrought in us, that we may keep that which in Thy presence we
have promised unto the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." That they may keep
their promise made at the altar, they should always remember the duties laid
down to them by the priest at the time of their marriage, and the exhortations
which are taken from the epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians (Eph. 5: 29, 31),
wherein he instructs married people how they should comport themselves towards
each other, and recalls to them as an example the union of Christ with His
Church, and His love for her. To the husbands he says, they should love their
wives as Christ loved His Church, for which He even gave Himself up to death;
from this is seen, that men should assist their wives even unto death, in all
need, and not treat them as servants. To the wives St. Paul says, that they as
the weaker should be in all reasonable things obedient to their husbands, as
the Church is obedient to Christ; for as Christ is the head of the Church, so is
the husband the head of the wife. Experience proves there is no better way for
women to win the hearts of their husbands than by amiable obedience and ready
love, while, on the contrary, a querulous, imperative deportment robs them of
their husbands' affections, and even causes them to be regarded with aversion.
St. Paul says further; that husbands should love their wives (and consequently
wives their husbands) as their own bodies, because married people are, as it
were, one. They shall be two in one flesh; no man ever hated his own flesh, but
nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the Church (Eph. 5:29, 31).
How unjustly and barbarously do those act, who, instead of loving one another,
rather hate and outrage each other, and cause the loss of their property, and
by detraction steal their honor! These do not consider that he who hates and
disgraces his partner in life, hates and disgraces himself; while according to
the words of St. Paul he who loves her, loves himself. If married people would
remain in constant love and unity, it is most necessary that they should
patiently bear with each other's infirmities, wrongs, and defects, exhort one
another with mildness and affection, keep their adversities, trials, and
sufferings as much as possible to themselves, and complain in prayer only to
God, who alone can aid them. By impatience, quarrels, and complaints the cross
becomes only heavier and the evil worse. Finally, not only on their wedding
day, but often through life, they should earnestly consider that they have not
entered the married state that they may inordinately serve the pleasures of the
body, but to have children who will one day inhabit heaven according to the
will of God; as the angel said to Tobias: "For they who in such manner receive
matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves and from their mind, and to give
themselves to their lust as the horse and mule, which have not understanding,
over them the devil hath power" (Tob. 6:17).
PRAYER Most
merciful Jesus! who didst work Thy first miracle at the wedding in Cana by
changing water into wine, thereby revealing Thy divine power and majesty, and
honoring matrimony: grant we beseech Thee, that Thy faithful may ever keep
sacred and inviolate the holy sacrament of Matrimony, and that they may so live
in it truthfully, in the fear of the Lord, that they may not put an obstacle in
the way of obtaining heaven for themselves, and their children.
God wills only our
good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that
no one should lose his soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul: “Not
willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance."
"This is the will of God, your sanctification." God has made
the attainment of our happiness, His glory. Since He is by His nature infinite
goodness, and since as St. Leo says goodness is diffusive of itself, God has a
supreme desire to make us sharers of His goods and of His happiness. If then He
sends us suffering in this life, it is for our own good: "All things
work together unto good." Even chastisements come to us, not to crush
us, but to make us mend our ways and save our souls: "Let us believe
that these scourges of the Lord have happened for our amendment and not for our
destruction."
Saint Alphonsus de
Ligouri, Uniformity with God's Will
THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUS SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
PRESENCE
OF GOD ‑
O Jesus, transform my soul as You once transformed the water for the bride and bridegroom
at Cana.
MEDITATION:
I. Now that the cycle of Jesus'
childhood has ended, the liturgy begins to speak of His public life. During the
days following the Epiphany, it recalled Our Lord's baptism in the Jordan, the
event which marked the beginning of His apostolate. Today it tells us about His
first miracle, destined, like the Epiphany and His baptism, to manifest to the
world His glory as the Son of God.
"And the third day, there was a marriage in
Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited .
. . to the marriage" (Gosp: Jn 2, 1‑11). For the first time, we see the Blessed Virgin in
her maternal function as mediatrix of all graces. The Cana miracle, Jesus' first,
was worked precisely because of her intercession which was so powerful that it
made Jesus anticipate His hour. "My hour is not yet come," the Savior
had answered His Mother, and Mary was neither dismayed by this apparent refusal
nor did she insist on her request. Secure in the knowledge of her Son and full
of loving confidence in Him, she says to the servants, "Whatsoever He
shall say to you, do ye." Her humility, consideration for others, faith,
and trustful abandonment with Jesus, and to show us the greatness of her power
over His divine heart, He grants her wish; the miracle takes place.
Mary's
faith is admirable; and also worthy of admiration is the faith and prompt
obedience of the servants who, following Mary's advice, immediately carry out
the orders of Jesus; they fill the water pots with water and then pour from
them. Not a moment of doubt, not a protest‑ they simply obey. May we not
learn from them how to believe, how to obey? Shall we not have recourse to
Mary's powerful intercession?
2.
"The water was made wine." A miracle much more wonderful than the one
which Jesus performed at Cana is repeated daily on our altars; a little bread
and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, and given to us as the
Food of our souls. The Communion antiphon of today's Mass repeats the passage
in the Gospel which speaks of the water made wine. Yes, for us preeminently,
Jesus has "kept the good wine until now." It is the precious wine of
the Holy Eucharist, inebriating our souls with His Body and Blood.
There
is another wonderful transformation which Jesus accomplishes in our souls by
means of grace; the water of our poor human nature becomes a sharer in God's
divine nature; it is transformed into the sacred wine of the life of Christ
Himself. Man becomes a member of Christ, the adopted child of God, the temple
of the Holy Spirit. Today our Lady tells us how we can and should foster this
precious transformation; she says to us as she once did to the servants at the
Cana feast, "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye." In these words,
Mary invites us to that complete transformation in Christ which is effected by
the generous practice of all that He teaches and commands. Let us, then, with
humble, docile hearts, with lively faith and perfect abandonment, entrust
ourselves to Jesus through Mary's hands.
COLLOQUY:
How
encouraging it is, O Lord, for me to find Your sweet Mother beside You today!
Everything becomes simple and easy near Mary, beneath her maternal eye, under
the protection of her powerful intercession. How good You were, O Jesus, to
give us Your dear Mother to be the Mother of our spiritual life! I will follow
Mary's precious advice and do everything You tell me, everything You wish me to
do.
I
want to imitate the blind, prompt obedience of the servants at the wedding
feast: to obey You as they did, always and in everything, Your instructions,
counsels, and precepts‑ to obey You likewise in the person of my
superiors, even when I do not see the reason for their orders and arrangements,
even when they expect difficult things of me or something which seems to me
absurd. Furthermore, I want to imitate Your Mother's complete abandonment when,
in her great thoughtfulness, she confided to You her wish to help the bride and
bridegroom in their difficulty. Your apparent refusal did not trouble her; she
did not persist in her request, but she was sure, absolutely sure, that Your
infinitely good and tender heart would provide, and provide abundantly.
O
Lord, with a like confidence and trust, I lay my needs before You today. Do You
see them? My soul is like the water pots at the feast: full of water, the cold,
insipid water of my frailty and weakness, which I never seem to overcome
completely. I can say with the Psalmist: "The waters have come even unto
my soul" (Ps 60, 1), and they submerge me and I am as one drowned in
incompetence and weakness. O Lord, I believe that, if You will, You can change
all this water into the precious wine of Your love, Your grace, and Your life.
You are so powerful, so merciful, that my wretchedness, great as it is, does
not astonish You, because in comparison with You, who are infinite, it is
always very small. Just as in the Mass the few drops of water which are poured
into the chalice are changed with the wine into Your Blood, O Lord, take my
wretchedness, plunge it into Your heart, make it disappear in You.
The decadence which
exists in the world is without any doubt the consequence of the lack of the
spirit of prayer. Foreseeing this
disorientation, the Blessed Virgin recommended recitation of the Rosary with
such insistence, and since the Rosary is, after the Eucharistic liturgy, the
prayer most apt for preserving faith in souls, the devil has unchained his
struggle against it… The Rosary is the most powerful weapon for defending
ourselves on the field of battle.
Sr. Lucy of Fatima on
the Rosary
All mischief, every scandal, comes from the clergy. We black robes are to blame for
everything.... A priest without the spirit of penitence is Satan's toy.
St. Clement Mary Hofbauer
He who does not
contemplate My littleness upon earth will not behold My greatness in
heaven.
Our Lord to St.
Angela of Foligno
The Church of Ss. Vincent
& Anastasius:
First, “put off the light”
and, “then commit crimes.”
