Churches of the Day

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 2

Saint of the Day: July 16 ; Our Lady of Mount Carmel
C/f A short look at this feastday can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection.

FIRST READING

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah         26:7-9. 12. 16-19
Awake, exult, all you who lie in the dust.

The path of the upright man is straight, you smooth the way of the upright. Following the path of your judgements, we hoped in you, Lord, your name, your memory are all my soul desires.

At night my soul longs for you and my spirit in me seeks for you; when your judgements appear on earth the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity.
Lord, you are giving us peace, since you treat us as our deeds deserve.

Distressed, we search for you, Lord; the misery of oppression was your punishment for us.
As a woman with child near her time writhes and cries out in her pangs, So are we, O Lord, in your presence: we have conceived, we writhe as if we were giving birth; we have not given the spirit of salvation to the earth, no more inhabitants of the world are born.

Your dead will come to life, their corpses will rise; awake, exult, all you who lie in the dust,
for your dew is a radiant dew and the land of ghosts will give birth.

The Word of the Lord.        Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm      Ps 101: 13-21. R/ v20
Response                          The Lord looked down from heaven to the earth.

1. You, O Lord, will endure for ever and your name from age to age.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion: for this is the time to have mercy,
for your servants love her very stones, are moved with pity even for her dust.                  Response

2. The nations shall fear the name of the Lord and all the earth's kings your glory,
when the Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.
Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless; he will not despise their prayers.           Response

3. Let this be written for ages to come that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;
for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high. He looked down from heaven to the earth
that he might hear the groans of the prisoners and free those condemned to die.            Response

Gospel Acclamation             Ps 129: 5
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on his word.
Alleluia!

Or                                                Mt 11: 28-30
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you.          And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew   11:28-30        Glory to you, O Lord
I am gentle and humble in heart.

Jesus exclaimed:
'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'

The Gospel of the Lord.          Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reflection         Thursday           Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time          Matthew 11:28-30

The human longing for God is eloquently expressed in today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah, ‘At night my soul longs for you and my spirit in me seeks for you… Distressed, we search for you, Lord’.
It is often in times of distress that the deep longing in our hearts for God comes to the surface of our lives. In the gospel reading, Jesus responds to our longing for God, calling out to the distressed, to those who labour and are overburdened, to come to him, to learn from him. It is a very personal invitation, ‘Come to me’. Jesus speaks here as Emmanuel, God with us. He alone can begin to satisfy our deep longing for God.

In the setting of the ministry of Jesus, those who labour and are overburdened are the bulk of the people who have been burdened by the over rigorous interpretation of the Jewish Law of the religious experts, the theologians of the day, ‘They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them’ (Mt 23:9). The one who is ‘gentle and humble in heart’ is not in the business of burdening an already burdened people. Those who respond to his invitation to come to him will experience the ‘rest’ for which our restless hearts are longing.
Saint Augustine declared that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. We will only enter upon this rest to the full in the kingdom of heaven. However, here and now, in and through the Lord’s personal relationship with each of us as members of the community of disciples, we will begin to taste something of this ‘rest’, this fullness of life which alone can satisfy our human longing for God

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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/

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Saint of the Day: July 16 ; Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The cult of Mary under this title originated in the fourteenth century and came to be observed throughout the West during the eighteenth century. Commemorates the Virgin Mary as associated with Mount Carmel (Israel), site of the prophet Elijah's altar to the one true God and of the twelfth century heremitical forerunners of the Carmelites. Mary is celebrated on this day as a model of reflection, solitude, and prayer.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in honour of her having given the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to Saint Simon Stock (see image below). According to a pious tradition this took place at Cambridge in England in 1251.

Patrick Duffy tells the story of the Carmelites.

The  Scapular
A scapular was originally a form of clothing, which monks wore when they were working. With the passage of time, it got a symbolic meaning: the cross to be borne every day as disciples and followers of Christ. In some religious orders, like the Carmelites, the scapular became a symbol of their way of life. It also became a badge of association with a particular religious group in a lay third order. It signifies commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect model of a disciple of Jesus.

Origins
The spiritual focus of the Carmelite Order is on contemplative prayer. Tradition traces the origins of the order to a small group of hermits - some of them crusaders - who gathered near the well of Elijah on the slopes of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land at the end of the 12th century. They saw themselves as succeeding the schools of the prophets in ancient Israel.

Mendicants
Early in the 13th century (1206-14), these hermits asked Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, for a rule of life in conformity with their proposed lifestyle. He responded with what is now called the Primitive Rule of Carmel. However, in 1238 this group was expelled from the Holy Land by the Saracens and they emigrated to Europe, where they took on a wider ministry (preaching, teaching, administering the sacraments). They were accepted as one of the new mendicant (literally, "begging") orders, like the Franciscans and Dominicans. At first they settled in Cyprus and Sicily. By 1240 they were in Aylesford, Kent, England, and in 1245 they held their first general chapter at Aylesford where Simon Stock, then eighty years old was chosen as general.

Spiritual Roots
Unlike other religious families, the Carmelites have no founder as such. When asked about their spiritual roots, Carmelites could not cite a Francis or a Dominic, but recall the prophet Elijah, whose exploits are narrated in 1 Kings 17-22. He appears like a thunderbolt at a time of drought, warning King Ahab that the reason a drought has come on Israel is that he and his people have deserted Yahweh and gone after the Baals (1 Kings 18:18). Elijah warns: "How long do you mean to hobble first on one leg then on another? If Yahweh is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). In a dramatic contest of sacrifice, the prophets of Baal are defeated. The people returned to Yahweh.

Zeal for the Lord
Carmelite spirituality remembers this radical contest. It is like falling in love and the pearl of great price. If your love is real, it will be all-consuming. All lesser loves fall away. Hence the motto of the Carmelite order is the quotation from 1 Kings 19:10,14: "With zeal I have been zealous for the Lord God of hosts."

Reform: the Discalced Carmelites
A reform of the order took place in Spain, carried out by Teresa of Avila with the help of John of the Cross; this group separated and became the Discalced Carmelites. Teresa demanded the same single-mindedness. She compares the human heart to an "interior castle", surrounded by "snakes and vipers and poisonous creatures". These are the worldly attachments, the false gods, our inordinate desires. But only God really satisfies. Today there are still two great Carmelite families - the Order of Carmelites (OCarm) and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (ODC).

P.S. Another note on the Mount Carmel Scapular
A pious tradition tells how Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock at Cambridge, England, in 1251. In answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed order, she appeared to him with a scapular in her hand (see image) and said: "Take, beloved son, this scapular of thine order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; 'Whoever dies in this scapular, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant'. This promise is extended to all who out of devotion to the Mother of God wear her habit or badge; they are as if they were affiliated to the Carmelite Order.

Carmelites Today
At the end of the 19th century there were about 200 Carmelites in the world. By 2001, the membership had increased to approximately 2,100 men in 25 provinces, 700 enclosed nuns in 70 monasteries, and 13 affiliated Congregations and Institutes. In addition, the Lay Carmelites count 25-30,000 members throughout the world.

Among 20th century Carmelite figures are: St Thérèse of Lisieux, St Teresa of the Andes, Blessed Titus Brandsma, a Dutch scholar killed in Dachau because of his stance against Nazism, and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, (Edith Stein), a Jewish convert to Catholicism imprisoned and died at Auschwitz.

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Memorable Sayings for Today

Love (of God) does not consist in feeling great things
but in having great detachment and in suffering whatever in the name of your beloved God

~ St John of the Cross ~

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Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A

World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly

FIRST READING

A reading from the Book of Wisdom        12:13. 16-19
After sin you will grant repentance.

There is no god, other than you, who cares for every thing, to whom you might have to prove that you never judged unjustly; Your justice has its source in strength, your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all.

You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned and you expose the insolence of those who know it; but, disposing of such strength, you are mild in judgement, you govern us with great lenience,
for you have only to will, and your power is there.

By acting thus you have taught a lesson to your people
how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men,
and you have given your sons the good hope that after sin you will grant repentance.

The Word of the Lord.               Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm            Ps 85: 5-6. 9-10. 15-16. R/v 5
Response                                 O Lord, you are good and forgiving.

1. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my voice.          Response

2. All the nations shall come to adore you and glorify your name, O Lord:
for you are great and do marvellous deeds, you who alone are God.               Response

3. But you, God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger, O Lord,
abounding in love and truth, turn and take pity on me.                                     Response

SECOND READING

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Romans            8:26-27
The Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words.

The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

The Word of the Lord.              Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation            Eph 1:17. 18
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!

Or                                              Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you                          And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew    13:24-43          Glory to you, O Lord
Let them both grow till the harvest.


Jesus put a parable before the crowds, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner's servants went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?"

"Some enemy has done this" he answered. And the servants said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."'

He told them another parable, The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through'.

In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy: I will speak to you in parables and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said,
'Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us'.
He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel (tares) is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his Kingdom all the things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the burning furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears.

The Gospel of the Lord    Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Shorter form of the Gospel

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew Mt 13:24-30
Let them both grow till the harvest.



Jesus put a parable before the crowds,
'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel (tares) appeared as well. The owner's servants went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" "Some enemy has done this" he answered.
And the servants said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers:
First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."'

The Gospel of the Lord    Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/




Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.