St. Jerome was responsible for providing the first full version of the Bible in Latin known as the Vulgate. The Church celebrates the feast of St. Jerome on September 30th.

The following is an excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI's November 7, 2007 Wednesday Audience in which he commented on St. Jerome. Click here for the full text (including references).

After the death of Pope Damasus, Jerome left Rome in 385 and went on pilgrimage, first to the Holy Land, a silent witness of Christ's earthly life, and then to Egypt, the favorite country of numerous monks.

In 386 he stopped in Bethlehem, where male and female monasteries were built through the generosity of the noblewoman, Paula, as well as a hospice for pilgrims bound for the Holy Land, "remembering Mary and Joseph who had found no room there".

He stayed in Bethlehem until he died, continuing to do a prodigious amount of work: he commented on the Word of God; he defended the faith, vigorously opposing various heresies; he urged the monks on to perfection; he taught classical and Christian culture to young students; he welcomed with a pastor's heart pilgrims who were visiting the Holy Land. He died in his cell close to the Grotto of the Nativity on 30 September 419-420.

Jerome's literary studies and vast erudition enabled him to revise and translate many biblical texts: an invaluable undertaking for the Latin Church and for Western culture. On the basis of the original Greek and Hebrew texts, and thanks to the comparison with previous versions, he revised the four Gospels in Latin, then the Psalter and a large part of the Old Testament.

Taking into account the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Septuagint, the classical Greek version of the Old Testament that dates back to pre-Christian times, as well as the earlier Latin versions, Jerome was able, with the assistance later of other collaborators, to produce a better translation: this constitutes the so-called "Vulgate", the "official" text of the Latin Church which was recognized as such by the Council of Trent and which, after the recent revision, continues to he the "official" Latin text of the Church.

It is interesting to point out the criteria which the great biblicist abided by in his work as a translator. He himself reveals them when he says that lie respects even the order of the words of the Sacred Scriptures, for in them, he says, "the order of the words is also a mystery", that is, a revelation.

Furthermore, he reaffirms the need to refer to the original texts: "Should an argument on the New Testament arise between Latins because of interpretations of the manuscripts that fail to agree, let us turn to the original, that is, to the Greek text in which the New Testament was written.

"Likewise, with regard to the Old Testament, if there are divergences between the Greek and Latin texts we should have recourse to the original Hebrew text; thus, we shall be able to find in the streams all that flows from the source".

Taken from L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 14 November 2007, page 11

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The bulletin for September 28, 2008 is available by clicking here to view it.

Listed below are a few of the items from this week's bulletin. See the bulletin for more details and to read all of the announcements.

NEWS FROM SALTADÈRE, HAITI:  We have received a wonderful donation of a treadle sewing machine for Saltadère! It may not sound exciting to you, but for women living without electricity, it is incredibly welcome. If you have the skills to help us prepare the machine for shipping or know where we can obtain extra needles and belts, please contact us at haitiministry@stauva.org.

PANTRY:  Miracles happen at Holy Comforter on a regular basis. Periodically, we run short of food, and it can be discouraging to realize that people depend on us and we might not be able to help them as we would like. But the people of Holy Comforter always come through, and the food appears. It almost seems as if we have brought the miracle of the loaves and fishes to Jefferson Street.

IMPACT:  On October 27, at 6:30 p.m., the twenty-eight congregations of IMPACT will assemble at St. Thomas Aquinas Church to choose a justice issue to address in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area. There will be several issues up for consideration, and each one will be worthy of pursuit. Please plan to attend the Fall Assembly to vote for the issue that you think should be addressed.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: A pot luck dinner will be held Monday, October 6, 2008. Our Council will provide the entree, and we will do the normal side dishes and dessert. This time last names from A-G will bring the dessert and last names of H-Z will do side dishes. We will have a guest speaker from Hospice (Hospice of the Piedmont) talking about what they do and do not do (they do not help people die). This is not a fund-raising speech. They will not be asking for money only sharing information about what they do. Will need a head count by Thursday, October 2nd. Call Kelton Flinn at 973-1557, Tom O'Rourke at 244-2852, or Bill Phillips at 973-6726 with your reservations.

THE LORD NEEDS YOU: How can you do this? Become a Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. As individuals have left this ministry, the need for new ministers at all masses has become urgent. Training will be provided. PLEASE contact Margaret McElroy at 973-6429 or mdm1909@embarqmail.com.

CHOIR REHEARSALS:  The Choir at Holy Comforter has resumed its fall rehearsal schedule on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the choir loft. Anyone interested in participating in the choir should contact Bill Polhill, the Minister of Music. We are especially looking for (1) additional cantors at the Saturday mass and (2) sopranos & tenors for the choir.

BLESSING OF OUR PRECIOUS PETS:  The Blessing of Our Precious Pets will be Saturday, October 4th at 10:00 a.m.

PHILOSOPHY CLUB:  The Philosophy Club is meeting on the second Sunday of each month. For more information, contact Matt Starnowski.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION:  For the month of October, parents of Third & Fourth Grade students are responsible for classroom setup/breakdown.

CATHOLIC BOOK CLUB:  If anyone is interested in participating in a Catholic Book Club, please contact Teresa Ritzert. Someone to serve as a facilitator is needed (as well as eager members!).

HOLY COMFORTER 'HELPING HANDS':  Thank you to all who signed up to help provide meals and rides for our parishioners in need. Your time and efforts are greatly appreciated. We can still use more drivers so people have a way to get to appointments and to Mass. Please consider giving your time to help others in our parish. The sign up sheet is on the table in the Commons. For questions/requests, please call the church office.

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Sunday's Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalm 25:4-9 Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-32 In this Sunday's Gospel from the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord tells the parable of the two sons. Both sons are asked by their father to work in the vineyard that day. The first son refuses. He later changes his mind and goes to work in the vineyard. The second son obediently replies to his father that he will go to work in the vineyard, but he does not actually go to work. Jesus makes it clear to his audience that the first son is similar to the tax collectors and sinners who repented in response to John the Baptist's preaching. They changed their minds, turned from sin, and turned God. They began to work in the vineyard. The religious leaders whom our Lord is addressing are ones who have only paid lip service to God's call to work in His Kingdom. They have said "Yes" with their mouths, but their hearts and hands have spoken a much louder, "No". However, in this parable, Jesus seems to be addressing all of us in order that we will be sure to have our actions back up our words. He makes it clear that it is not enough to promise to follow Him. We must actually follow through and follow Him in our life today.

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• Prostitutes Will Enter the Kingdom Before You - Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa


• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• The Humble Path (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• Talk is Cheap from The Crossroads Initiative

The Political Responsibility Center Web site was established by Priests for Life in order to assist voters in exercising their political responsibility to vote with an informed conscience especially regarding issues surrounding the sanctity of life. The information on the Web site includes Church statements regarding faithful citizenship and a nonpartisan voter guide which summarize the stances of the two major party presidential candidates on a variety of issues. There is also information about voter registration, state election information, and a video designed to highlight the importance of voting with an informed conscience.

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The Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul on September 27th. The following is a brief history of a society which was founded under his patronage in order to continue to serve the poor as he had done throughout his life.

"Enfold the world in a network of charity," such was the ambition of a handful of young men of the Romantic Period. It was the time when Victor Hugo dreamed of turning the page of classical theater, when Chateaubriand pursued his apologetics on Christianity and when the youth of France were in a seething frenzy with ideas and intellectual debates. For the young men of this time, who were rather well read and were arriving from their provinces, discovering the world as they discovered Paris, this hotbed of culture born from the uproar within the university as much as the frequenting of the elite, was obviously exhilarating.

Frederick Ozanam and his friends were no exception to the rule. They, no less than others, had a taste for romantic quarrels and rhetorical jousts, with the exception that they received a Christian education, which perhaps prepared them better than others to measure the vanity of endless struggles, the childishness of literary debates that were rich in ideas at the start, but ended too quickly in defending the idea for the idea, then, when all was said and done, defending the idea for its author. Ozanam was already permeated, from the first years of his adolescence, with questions of the higher realm pertaining to God. It was in this way, first of all, that this group of 19th-century young men contrasted sharply with their generation. Their battle would not be the Battle of Hernani but that of defending the faith. And, as action is better than a verbal argument, which can certainly convince but prove nothing, their theater would not be the Comédie Française, but would be the neighborhoods of the poor. "The blessing of the poor is that of God … Let us go to the poor!" cried Ozanam.

At the start of the turbulent 1830s they were seven young men and only one was older than 20. Distraught by a world that, little by little, renounced Christianity, they came together with the desire to support each other in their faith and to grow together in their faith. But how does one shine forth with only words taken from the gospel while living in a dechristianized society? They quickly saw the need to translate their faith into action.

It was thus that in April 1833, the first Conference of Charity was born. Its principle was simple: a group of young Christian men gathering to pray, reflect and work together to bring relief to the poor. Quickly the work grew with new members. Soon the group placed themselves under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul. What could be more natural than to place oneself under the protection of a saint who knew so well how to join prayer and action in fervent charity? St. Vincent de Paul united in his person all the characteristics that should pertain to a Conference: prayer, first of all, because he said, "I can do all things in him who supports and comforts me;" then action, which invites us, through his example and words, to "do more” unceasingly so as to bring relief to the poor, all the poor, without distinction, and in considering again that one must be forgiven for the good that one does for them; finally, by the intellectual concern, which animated Monsieur Vincent in many directions, but always with the desire that humanity grow in goodness. Thus he encouraged better formation for priests; he applied himself to the building of hospices and other works that humanized, after a fashion, the conditions of the poor; he turned his influence of being close to the "greats" of society to, slowly but surely, bring the government, and thus society, to be concerned with the fate of the poor and to provide more relief to them. Finally, Monsieur Vincent was not content to just pray and act alongside the poorest, he also reflected on the causes of the evils of poverty in order to eventually attempt to turn them around.

The Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul had no other ambition than to walk in the steps of their patron: to pray, reflect and act. That is why, throughout the world, groups of Christians come together guided by the founding desire to "serve Christ in the poor." Assembled together in lay communities, the Vincentians have no other ambition than to proclaim the Word of God by their actions and words. Nevertheless, these small communities do not lose sight of the fact that, in order to shine forth from without, joy must reign from within. Friendship towards all and caring for one another, therefore, constitute the foundations of the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul.

From the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

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In light of the Feast of the Archangels on September 29th and the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels on October 2nd, this section will contain excerpts from the Catechism on angels for this week and the next two weeks.

328   The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. the witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

329   St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'" With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".

330   As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels. Here are three novenas to the archangels St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.

Novena to St. Michael the Archangel
Novena Dates September 21 - 29, Feast Day September 29

St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His people, I turn to you with confidence and seek your powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who made you so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. You know the value on my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate your loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and your great love for God and people. And since you are God's messenger for the care of his people, I entrust to you this special request: (Mention your request).

St. Michael, since you are, by the Will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in your prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's holy Will, my petition will be granted.

Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through your powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach heaven where we may praise and love God with you forever. Amen.

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Novena to St. Gabriel the Archangel
Novena Dates September 21 - 29, Feast Day September 29

St. Gabriel the Archangel, I venerate you as the "Angel of the Incarnation," because God has specially appointed you to bear the messages concerning the God-Man to Daniel, Zechariah, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Give me a tender and devoted Mother, more like your own.

I venerate you also as the "strength from God," because you are the giver of God's strength, consoler and comforter chosen to strengthen God's faithful and to teach them important truths. I ask for the grace of a special power of the will to strive for holiness of life. Steady my resolutions, renew my courage, comfort and console me in the problems, trials, and sufferings of daily living, as you consoled our Savior in His agony and Mary in her sorrows and Joseph in his trials. I put my confidence in you.

St. Gabriel, I ask you especially for this favor: (Mention your request). Through your earnest love for the Son of God-Made-Man and for His blessed Mother, I beg of you, intercede for me that my request may be granted, if it be God's holy Will.

Pray for us, St. Gabriel the Archangel. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray. Almighty and ever-living God, since You chose the Archangel Gabriel from among all the Angels to announce the mystery of Your Son's Incarnation, mercifully grant that we who honor him on earth may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven. You live and reign for ever. Amen.

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Novena to St. Raphael the Archangel
Novena Dates September 21 - 29, Feast Day September 29

Holy Archangel Raphael, standing so close to the throne of God and offering Him our prayers, I venerate you as God's special Friend and Messenger. I choose you as my Patron and wish to love and obey you as young Tobiah did. I consecrate to you my body and soul,all my work, and my whole life. I want you to be my Guide and Counselor in all the dangerous and difficult problems and decisions of my life.

Remember, dearest, St. Raphael, that the grace of God preserved you with the good Angels in heaven when the proud ones were cast into hell. I entreat you, therefore, to help me in my struggle against the world, the spirit of impurity, and the devil. Defend me from all dangers and every occasion of sin. Direct me always in the way of peace, safety, and salvation. Offer my prayers to God as you offered those of Tobiah, so that through your intercession I may obtain the graces necessary for the salvation of my soul. I ask you to pray that God grant me this favor if it be His holy Will: (Mention your request).

St. Raphael, help me to love and serve my God faithfully, to die in His grace, and finally to merit to join you in seeing and praising God forever in heaven. Amen.

Sunday's Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9 Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 Philippians 1:20-24, 27 Matthew 20:1-16 This Sunday's Gospel reading ends with our Lord's words, "Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last." This is His conclusion to His parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Some laborers had worked the entire day and born the heat of the day. While other laborers had only worked one hour. Yet, the owner of the vineyard paid each the same wage. Each had agreed to receive that wage, but it seemed unfair to the ones who had worked longer than the others. The grumbling of the ones who had worked the entire day prompted the vineyard owner to declare to the complainers, "Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?" Our Lord's message in this parable touches upon His great mercy. Indeed, the Lord is very generous in His mercy to us. We who are late in accepting His mercy should simply respond with gratitude to such a kind master. We should simply continue to work in His vineyard sharing the message of His mercy to all in order that all may know Him and love Him. And we should never presume to receive His grace. It is a free gift that He generously bestows upon us. We should be content with His grace that He gives to us and not complain about what others have received from Him.

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Of Wheat and Weeds (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• The Generosity of God from The Crossroads Initiative

The Catholic Vote Web site is designed to remind Catholics of the importance of voting and to encourage them to vote their conscience. The site includes information on how to register to vote and compiles various articles specifically related to Catholics and the upcoming elections. The Web site also encourages Catholics to pray for the elections, and there is an inspirational video which stresses the need for Catholics to vote.

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Novena to St. Vincent de Paul
Novena Dates September 18 - 26, Feast Day September 27

St. Vincent de Paul is the patron of our diocese, the Diocese of Richmond.

O Glorious Saint Vincent de Paul,
the mention of your name suggests a litany of your virtues:
humility, zeal, mercy, self-sacrifice.
It also recalls your many foundations:
Works of Mercy, Congregations, Societies.

The Church gratefully remembers your promotion of the priesthood.
Inspire all Charitable Workers,
especially those who minister,
to both the spiritually and the materially poor.

O Lord, give us the grace that You bestowed upon,
your servant St. Vincent de Paul,
to relinquish the temptation of material things,
in our holy effort to minister to the poor.

Amen.

One Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be

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The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross is celebrated on September 14th. This week's excerpt from the Catechism describes the uniqueness of our Lord's sacrifice and how His obedience even unto death on the cross replaced our disobedience.

613   Christ's death is both the Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men, through "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world", and the sacrifice of the New Covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the "blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins".

614   This sacrifice of Christ is unique; it completes and surpasses all other sacrifices. First, it is a gift from God the Father himself, for the Father handed his Son over to sinners in order to reconcile us with himself. At the same time it is the offering of the Son of God made man, who in freedom and love offered his life to his Father through the Holy Spirit in reparation for our disobedience.

615   "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous." By his obedience unto death, Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering Servant, who "makes himself an offering for sin", when "he bore the sin of many", and who "shall make many to be accounted righteous", for "he shall bear their iniquities". Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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The Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14th.

The Feast of the Cross like so many other liturgical feasts, had its origin at Jerusalem, and is connected with the commemoration of the Finding of the Cross and the building, by Constantine, of churches upon the sites of the Holy Sepulchre and Calvary. In 335 the dedication of these churches was celebrated with great solemnity by the bishops who had assisted at the Council of Tyre, and a great number of other bishops. This dedication took place on the 13th and 14th of September. This feast of the dedication, which was known by the name of the Encnia, was most solemn; it was on an equal footing with those of the Epiphany and Easter. The description of it should be read in the "Peregrinatio", which is of great value upon this subject of liturgical origins. This solemnity attracted to Jerusalem a great number of monks, from Mesopotamia, from Syria, from Egypt, from the Thebaïd, and from other provinces, besides laity of both sexes. Not fewer than forty or fifty bishops would journey from their dioceses to be present at Jerusalem for the event. The feast was considered as of obligation, "and he thinks himself guilty of a grave sin who during this period does not attend the great solemnity". It lasted eight days. In Jerusalem, then, this feast bore an entirely local character. It passed, like so many other feasts, to Constantinople and thence to Rome. There was also an endeavor to give it a local feeling, and the church of "The Holy Cross in Jerusalem" as intended, as its name indicates, to recall the memory of the church at Jerusalem bearing the same dedication.

The feast of the Exaltation of the Cross sprang into existence at Rome at the end of the seventh century. Allusion is made to it during the pontificate of Sergius I (687-701) but, as Dom Bäumer observes, the very terms of the text (Lib. Pontif., I, 374, 378) show that the feast already existed. It is, then, inexact, as has often been pointed out, to attribute the introduction of it to this pope. The Gallican churches, which, at the period here referred to, do not yet know of this feast of the 14th September, have another on the 3rd of May of the same signification. It seems to have been introduced there in the seventh century, for ancient Gallican documents, such as the Lectionary of Luxeuil, do not mention it; Gregory of Tours also seems to ignore it. According to Mgr. Duchesne, the date seems to have been borrowed from the legend of the Finding of the Holy Cross (Lib. Pontif., I, p. cviii). Later, when the Gallican and Roman Liturgies were combined, a distinct character was given to each feast, so as to avoid sacrificing either. The 3rd of May was called the feast of the Invention of the Cross, and it commemorated in a special manner Saint Helena's discovery of the sacred wood of the Cross; the 14th of September, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, commemorated above all the circumstances in which Heraclius recovered from the Persians the True Cross, which they had carried off. Nevertheless, it appears from the history of the two feasts, which we have just examined, that that of the 13th and 14th of September is the older, and that the commemoration of the Finding of the Cross was at first combined with it.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia

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Sunday's Readings: Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38 Philippians 2:6-11 John 3:13-17 This Sunday's readings show how God's ways are certainly not our ways. The Lord has taken an instrument designed to humiliate and torture and turned it into a symbol of triumph. The cross on which our Lord died has become the throne from which He reigns because it is the means by which He poured out His love for us. The first reading tells how the Israelites sinned against God by their bitter complaining of their lot in the wilderness. In punishment, the people were visited by poisonous serpents who killed a number of the people. When the people repented of their sin, they cried out to Moses. God told Moses to have a bronze serpent raised on a pole. Whoever had been bitten and looked on the bronze serpent did not die. In the Gospel reading, Jesus makes reference to this account when He says to Nicodemus, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." The cross was Jesus' lifting up in the two senses of being lifted up on a cross to die and being exalted. Although designed to humiliate and torture, the cross became the triumph of our Lord. His death on the cross defeated sin, and He made the way possible for all of us suffering for our sins to be saved.

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Victory of the Cross from The Crossroads Initiative

The ePriest Web site is designed to assist priests in living out their vocation by providing online resources. The resources include information on practices that are working in parishes, homily packs, and access to an online community. The Web site is an outreach of Sacerdos Institute, an apostolate serving priests in union with the Church throughout the world.

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The Church celebrates the Feast of the Birth of Mary on September 8th.

The present Feast forms a link between the New and the Old Testament. It shows that Truth succeeds symbols and figures and that the New Covenant replaces the Old. Hence, all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day.... This is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which by a stupendous project a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator" (Saint Andrew of Crete).

"Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born the Sun of Justice.... Her birth constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world.... Her image is light for the whole Christian people" (From the Liturgy).

As these texts so clearly indicate, an atmosphere of joy and light pervades the Birth of the Virgin Mary.
The origin of this Feast is sought in Palestine. It goes back to the consecration of a church in Jerusalem, which tradition identifies as that of the present basilica of St. Ann.

At Rome the Feast began to be kept toward the end of the 7th century, brought there by Eastern monks. Gradually and in varied ways it spread to the other parts of the West in the centuries that followed. From the 13th century on, the celebration assumed notable importance, becoming a Solemnity with a major Octave and preceded by a Vigil calling for a fast. The Octave was reduced to a simple one during the reform of St. Pius X and was abolished altogether under the reform of Pius XII in 1955.

The present Calendar characterizes the Birth of Mary as a "Feast," placing it on the same plane as the Visitation.

For some centuries now, the Birth has been assigned to September 8 both in the East and in the West, but in ancient times it was celebrated on different dates from place to place. However, when the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (which has a later origin than that of the Birth) was extended to the whole Church, the Birth little by little became assigned everywhere to September 8: nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

Taken from:
Dictionary of Mary (NY: Catholic Book, 1985)
Catholic Book Publishing Company
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NY 10011
(212)243-4515

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On Sunday, September 14, 2008 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., there will be a Faithful Citizenship workshop at St. Thomas Aquinas. The workshop, which is entitled "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States", will be presented by the Virginia Catholic Conference. Attendance is free and open to all. For more information about the workshop on September 14th, contact Bridget Davis (434) 964-1127. And for more information about Faithful Citizenship, click here.

The month of September is devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. Amen.

-- Saint Bonaventure

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The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross is celebrated on September 14th. This week's excerpt from the Catechism describes how the completion of our Lord's sacrifice was made on the cross and how we are able to participate in that sacrifice of our Lord.

616   It is love "to the end" that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died." No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. the existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all.

617   The Council of Trent emphasizes the unique character of Christ's sacrifice as "the source of eternal salvation" and teaches that "his most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us." and the Church venerates his cross as she sings: "Hail, O Cross, our only hope."

618   The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men". But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, "the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" is offered to all men. He calls his disciples to "take up [their] cross and follow (him)", for "Christ also suffered for (us), leaving (us) an example so that (we) should follow in his steps." In fact Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries. This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering. Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Sunday's Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20 This Sunday's readings and Gospel teach us that we are called to love our neighbor even to the point of providing fraternal correction. Certainly, pointing out someone's faults is not an easy task, but if it is done out of love, it is done for the right reason as St. Paul writes in the second reading from Romans, "'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." In the first Reading from Ezekiel, the Lord tells Ezekiel that He will give him warnings to share with His people, and Ezekiel must warn his fellow Israelites. Ezekiel is not responsible for whether anyone repents at his warnings, but the Lord makes it clear that he is responsible for warning people who have gone astray. The Gospel Reading takes into account the background of the reading from Ezekiel. In the Gospel reading from St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus talks to his disciples, who are the first bishops, about dealing with a brother or sister who has caused offense. In His teaching, the Lord confers upon the disciples, the power of binding and loosing which is similar to the authority He entrusted to Peter. However, the power which Jesus gives to all of the disciples does not extend to the authority of the keys which Christ gave to Peter alone.

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• To Win Them Back (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• Looking for Trouble! (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from The Crossroads Initiative

July 25, 2008 marked the fortieth anniversary of the promulgation of the encyclical Humane Vitae which was written by Pope Paul VI. The encyclical addresses issues related to the sanctity of life, but it is best known for its clear enunciation of the Church's teaching against the use of any forms of artificial birth control. Pope John Paul II, then Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, was involved in the work that was done prior to the writing of Humane Vitae. The following is an excerpt from Chapter 6, Successor to St Stanislaw, which is found in George Weigel's biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope.

This week has the fifth and final excerpt. You can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 by clicking on the links.

The timing of Humanae Vitae could not have been worse; 1968, a year of revolutionary enthusiasms, was not the moment for calm, measured reflection on anything. It is doubtful whether any reiteration of the classic Catholic position on marital chastity, no matter how persuasively argued, could have been heard in such circumstances. On the other hand, one has to ask why a position that defended "natural" means of fertility regulation was deemed impossibly antiquarian at precisely the moment when "natural" was becoming one of the sacred words in the developed world, especially with regard to ecological consciousness. The answer is obviously complex, but it surely has something to do with whether Humanae Vitae provided an adequately personalistic framework in which to engage its teaching.

The Kraków memorandum also demonstrated that the marital ethic it proposed was not a matter of Catholic special pleading (still less Polish Catholic special pleading); its moral claims could be debated by reasonable people, irrespective of their religious convictions. Humanae Vitae did not demonstrate this adequately. The encyclical was a step beyond the "stupid conservatism" that had worried some participants in the Kraków Commission, but it was not enough of a step. Kraków had dealt with the fact that changing cultural conditions required articulating a new context for classic moral principles. Rome remained rather tone-deaf to the question of context. The result was that the principles were dismissed as pre-modern, or just irrational.

The failure to explicate a personalist context for the Catholic sexual ethic, compounded by the politicization of the post-Humanae Vitae debate in the Church, had serious ramifications for the Church's effort to articulate a compelling Christian humanism in the modern world. In its first major post-Vatican II confrontation with the sexual revolution—the most potent manifestation of the notion of freedom as personal autonomy—the Church had been put squarely on the defensive. Had the Kraków commission's memorandum shaped the argumentation of Humanae Vitae more decisively, a more intelligent and sensitive debate might have ensued.

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Novena for the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross
Novena Dates September 5 - 13, Feast Day September 14

Jesus, Who because of Your burning love for us willed to be crucified and to shed Your Most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for ...

(mention here)

We trust completely in Your Mercy.
Cleanse us from sin by Your Grace,
sanctify our work,
give us and all those who are dear to us our daily bread, lighten the burden of our sufferings,
bless our families,
and grant to the nations, so sorely afflicted,
Your Peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Your Commandments we may come at last to the glory of Heaven.

Amen.

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church eNewsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the eNewsletter, click here.-

The Feast of the Triumph of the Cross is celebrated on September 14th. This week's excerpt from the Catechism focuses on how Christ took on our sin on the cross in order that we might be freed from sin.

602   Consequently, St. Peter can formulate the apostolic faith in the divine plan of salvation in this way: "You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake." Man's sins, following on original sin, are punishable by death. By sending his own Son in the form of a slave, in the form of a fallen humanity, on account of sin, God "made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

603   Jesus did not experience reprobation as if he himself had sinned. But in the redeeming love that always united him to the Father, he assumed us in the state of our waywardness of sin, to the point that he could say in our name from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Having thus established him in solidarity with us sinners, God "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all", so that we might be "reconciled to God by the death of his Son".

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. - St. Thérèrse of Liseaux

The Holy Father's prayer intentions for September are:

General: That those who are forced to leave home and country because of war or oppressive regimes may be supported by Christians in the defense and protection of their rights.

Mission: That faithful to the sacrament of matrimony every Christian family may cultivate the values of love and communion in order to be a small evangelizing community, sensitive and open to the material and spiritual needs of others.

Pro-Life Prayer Intention

For the continued growth of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and Rachel's Vineyard.