UNITE your voice with the Church in the Introit of the Mass, and pray for assistance against her enemies. “ Have regard, O Lord, to Thy covenant, and forsake not, unto the end, the souls of Thy poor : Arise, O Lord, and judge Thy cause, and forget not the voices of them that seek Thee. O God, why hast Thou cut us off unto the end? Why is Thy wrath enkindled against the sheep of Thy pasture?” Glory be to the Father, etc.
Prayer.
O almighty and eternal God, grant to us an increase of faith, hope, and charity ; and that we may deserve to obtain what Thou promisest, make us love what Thou commandest. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
EPISTLE. Gal. iii. 16-22.
Brethren : To Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. He saith not : And to his seeds, as of many : but as of one: And to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God : the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, doth not annul, to make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise. Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom He made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not of one : but God is one. Was the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been by the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Explanation.
St. Paul shows the Galatians that they could not be justified by the Mosaic law, but only by active faith. The promise, he says, which God gave to Abraham, that all nations should be saved through faith in one of his seed, pointed to Christ. Even the Scriptures tell us that, notwithstanding the law and its sacrifices, the Jews remained sinners; it could not, therefore, by itself, justify man. It follows, therefore, that salvation was to be gained only through Jesus, Who delivered men from the Jewish law. Let us, then, by active faith in Him, make use of this grace for eternity.
GOSPEL. Luke xvii. 11-19.
At that time, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria in Galilee. And as lie entered into a certain town, there met Him ten men that were lepers who stood afar oft : and lifted up their voice, saying : Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. Whom when He saw, He said : Go, show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God, and he fell on his face, before His feet, giving thanks ; and this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said : Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger. And He said to him : Arise, go thy way : for thy faith hath made thee whole.
What, in a spiritual sense, does leprosy mean?
In a spiritual sense leprosy means sin, especially the sin of impurity. The Jewish law divided leprosy into three kinds, namely, that of the flesh, that of garments, and that of houses. The leprosy of the flesh may be likened to the impure, who easily corrupt others; the leprosy of garments, to luxury of dress and scandalous fashions, by which not only souls are seduced into sin, but many families and communities are brought to poverty and plunged into eternal ruin ; the leprosy of houses, to places where wicked and immoral servants are kept ; where immodest dances and plays occur, where licentious acts are committed, where meetings are allowed and encouraged to the injury of virtue and of our neighbor’s honor, where assistance or advice is given in wicked undertakings of any sort.
Why did the lepers stand afar off ?
Because it was thus commanded by the Jewish law, so that no one might catch contagion from them. From this we learn that we must as carefully shun scandalous persons, companies, and houses, as we would the plague. “ He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it, and he that hath fellowship with the proud shall put on pride.” (Ecclus. xiii. 1).
Why did Jesus ask for the nine others who also were made clean ?
To show how greatly ingratitude displeases Him. Injuries to Himself He generally submitted to in silence ; but this ingratitude He would not suffer to pass uncondemned. So great a sin is ingratitude. On this account St. Bernard says, “Ingratitude is an enemy of the soul that destroys merit, corrupts virtue, and prevents grace. It is a scorching wind that dries up the fountain of the goodness and the mercy of God.”
Why does God require us to be grateful?
This question St. Chrysostom answers very beautifully by saying : “God requires gratitude of us only that He may confer on us new graces.” Then let us not forget to thank Him morning and evening; before and after meals; as often as you recognize His blessing in your house, in your children, in your property, your cattle, your fields, your fruits. St. Augustine says: “We cannot think, speak, or write anything better or more acceptable than, ‘Thanks be to God!”
Aspiration.
O Jesus Christ, Who, while upon earth, didst for our example and encouragement give thanks to Thy Heavenly Father for all things, by Thy thankfulness I beseech of Thee grace to give thanks through Thee to our Father in heaven, at all times, for all things.
INSTRUCTION ON THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS.
“ Go, show yourselves to the priests”-- Luke xvii. 14.
What are Holy Orders?
A sacrament in which the priestly power is conferred on the candidate, together with a special grace to discharge its sacred functions.
What is the outward sign of this sacrament?
The laying on of hands and the prayer of the bishop, and the presentation of the chalice with bread and wine, together with the verbal communication of authority to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, and to remit and retain sins.
When did Christ institute this sacrament?
At the Last Supper, when, after changing the bread into His true body, and the wine into His true blood, He said to His apostles, “Do this for a commemoration of Me” (Luke xxii. 19).
Are Holy Orders reckoned a sacrament by the apostles?
Yes; for St. Paul admonishes His disciple Timothy to stir up the grace of God received by the imposition of his hands. Hereby St. Paul teaches expressly that by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, or of the bishops, who are their successors, the grace of God is imparted to priests, in which consists the substance of the sacrament. Pray, then, for the priests; asking fervently of God, particularly on ember- days, to give His Church faithful pastors. Jesus Himself commands it, saying, “The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few : pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He send laborers into His harvest” (Luke x. 2).
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Next: Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, September 14
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