September 12, 2014

Mary's holy name

September 12, 2014:  Friday, 23rd week, Ordinary Time
Holy Name of Mary


  • 'Wood block' tie pin:  plank/beam/log... (gospel)
  • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  ...in my eye (vs. speck/splinter in my brother's) (gospel)
  • 'Runner' tie pin [or is he holding a shot or bowling ball?]:  All the runners run, but only one wins (1st reading)
  • 'Car' tie pin:  "I 'drive' my body and train it" (1st reading) (would have used locomotive for 'train' if I had one :-)
  • 'Birds' tie:  Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest (psalm)
  • Blue and green in shirt and suspenders:  blue for the Blessed Virgin Mary, green for Ordinary Time
Music
Pope Francis
Homily:  Don't reprimand without love and charity.  You can't do surgery without anesthesia; charity is like an anesthetic.  Speak of another's defects privately with gentleness and love.  We must also speak truth.  Gossip hurts; it's a slap in the face, an attack on the heart.  Truth may not be nice to hear, but when spoken with charity, it's easier to accept.  We must also reprimand with humility:  remember you have more and bigger flaws!
Fraternal reprimand heals the Church, mends a tear in its fabric.  If you can't do it with love, charity, truth, and humility, you'll offend, destroy hearts, add to gossip, and be a hypocrite.  When you feel delight when you see something wrong, be careful because that's not from the Lord; the Cross, the difficulty of doing a good thing, love, and meekness are.  A Christian who doesn't do things—even reprimand—in love, truth, and humility, is disqualified from the race, having failed to mature.  May God help us do this painful but beautiful service with love, truth, and humility, to help others.
Read
  • 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27  Woe to me if I don't preach the Gospel!  I 've made myself a slave to win people over.  I've become all things to all, to save at least some.  All runners race, but only one wins.  Run to win.  Athletes exercise discipline to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
    Wordle: Readings 9-12-14
  • Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12  "How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!"  I yearn for your courts.  I cry out for God.  Blessed they who dwell in your house!  Blessed those whose strength you are!  You bestow grace and glory and withhold no good thing from those who walk in sincerity.
  • Lk 6:39-42  “Can the blind guide the blind?  Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but not the beam in yours?  How can you tell him, ‘Let me remove that splinter’ when you don't notice your beam?  Hypocrite!  Remove the beam first; then you'll see clearly to remove the splinter.”
Holy Name of Mary
  • Holy people on Mary's holy name (paraphrased)
    • Alphonsus:  After Jesus' name, Mary's is so rich in good things, that from no other flow so much grace and hope.  Her name will cure all evil; every disorder yields to her name's power.
    • Richard of St. Laurence:  From no name after Jesus flows more power and salvation.  Invoking it leads to grace in this life and glory in the next.
    • Raymond Jordano:  Pronouncing the Virgin's name softens the hardest heart and gives strength to overcome temptation.
    • Methodius:  Your name is filled with grace and blessing.
    • Bonaventure:  If you pronounce her name devoutly, you'll receive grace.  Blessed those who love her name.
    • Thomas à Kempis:  Jesus' and Mary's names go together; keep them in your heart.  They're a short, sweet, easy, and powerful prayer.  When devils hear her name, they fly as from fire.
    • Bridget:  If you invoke her name and repent, the devil flies and angels approach.
    • Ephrem:  Mary's name is the key to heaven's gates.
    • Bernard:  Call on Mary in danger, perplexity, and doubt.
    • Germanus:  May my last word be Mary's name; sweet and safe the death so accompanied and protected.
    • Camillus de Lellis:  Remind the dying to utter the holy names.
    Reflect
      • Creighton:  How quick we are to note others' failings!  Insecurity may drive us to compare ourselves to others.  Pope Francis:  “Those who judge or speak ill of others are hypocrites because they lack courage to look to their own shortcomings.”  Rather than gossip, pray and do penance.
      • One Bread One Body:  We're all partially blind spiritually.  Because Jesus has saved us from spiritual blindness:  thank Him, accept his grace to overcome temptation, preach the gospel, become slave of all to win people over, do everything for the sake of the gospel, and discipline yourself so as to persevere.
      • Passionist:  Today:  "Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary."  We're begotten by the same Spirit that conceived her.  Allow her to speak to you.  And in that name, "I write your name on every common object, on the top flame of the fire / On my friend's forehead, on each body I love / On every outstretched hand, on absence without loving / On loneliness behind bars, on the stairway to heaven / On health won back, on danger passed, on baseless hope / I write your name/ And by the weight of one word I start my love all over again / I was born to know you and call you by name / Peace..." (Peace; see music section).  "Be it done according to Your will."
      • DailyScripture.net:   Bad eyes and blind guides lead to misery and disaster!  We need a physician to help us overcome our blindness.  Luke, a physician himself, portrays Jesus as the good physician and shepherd who seeks out those who desire healing and pardon.  Like a skillful doctor, the Lord exposes our sin so we can be freed and restored.  To be healed, submit to the healer.  The Lord wants us to be his instruments of healing.  It's easy to find fault in others, but a critical spirit crushes, oppresses, and repels.  Think the best of others.  What you give others will return to you.  Like a gentle father and a skillful doctor he patiently draws us to his seat of mercy and removes the cancer of sin which inhabits our hearts. Do you trust in God's mercy and grace?  Flood me with Your love so I may show charity, forbearance, and kindness.
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