Tuesday - July 26, 2022

"He who receives Communion is made holy and Divinized in soul and body in the same way that water, set over a fire, becomes boiling... Communion works like yeast that has been mixed into dough so that it leavens the whole mass; ...Just as by melting two candles together you get one piece of wax, so, I think, one who receives the Flesh and Blood of Jesus is fused together with Him by this Communion, and the soul finds that he is in Christ and Christ is in him,"
- St. Cyril of Alexandria

July 26, 2022

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Lectionary: 402

Reading I

JER 14:17-22

Let my eyes stream with tears

day and night, without rest,

Over the great destruction which overwhelms

the virgin daughter of my people,

over her incurable wound.

If I walk out into the field,

look! those slain by the sword;

If I enter the city,

look! those consumed by hunger.

Even the prophet and the priest

forage in a land they know not.

Have you cast Judah off completely?

Is Zion loathsome to you?

Why have you struck us a blow

that cannot be healed?

We wait for peace, to no avail;

for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.

We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,

the guilt of our fathers;

that we have sinned against you.

For your name’s sake spurn us not,

disgrace not the throne of your glory;

remember your covenant with us, and break it not.

Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain?

Or can the mere heavens send showers?

Is it not you alone, O LORD,

our God, to whom we look?

You alone have done all these things.

Responsorial Psalm PS 79:8, 9, 11 AND 13

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;

may your compassion quickly come to us,

for we are brought very low.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Help us, O God our savior,

because of the glory of your name;

Deliver us and pardon our sins

for your name’s sake.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;

with your great power free those doomed to death.

Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,

will give thanks to you forever;

through all generations we will declare your praise.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Alleluia Phil 2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia

Gospel MT 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.

His disciples approached him and said,

“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,

the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

The weeds are the children of the Evil One,

and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,

so will it be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send his angels,

and they will collect out of his Kingdom

all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.

They will throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun

in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

**********************************

HOW CAN WE SHINE LIKE THE SUN?

Do you know if you're going to reach heaven? Many Catholics tell me that while they hope so, they're not sure. They're afraid they might ruin their salvation between now and the day they die.

Jesus says in today's Gospel passage, "The righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom." So let's change the question to: Are you righteous?

God isn't yet removing from the earth all the weeds that strangle our righteousness, but he certainly can remove their influence on us. This is why he has given us his own Holy Spirit. We can lean on Jesus when we fall short of righteousness.

Plus, we can ask Jesus to give us holy angels who will help us sort right from wrong, truth from deception, good seed from bad seed. We don't have to be aware of their presence to be guided by them. They are quite capable of protecting us from the infections of evildoers as long as we remain humbly correctable.

Here's a wonderful prayer that can help with this:

The Litany of Humility

(written by Cardinal Merry del Val)

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,

hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being maliciously or falsely accused,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected,

Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,