THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Daily Mass Readings

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Antiphon

Cf. Ps 31 (30): 3-4

 

Be my protector, O God,

a mighty stronghold to save me.

For you are my rock, my stronghold!

Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.

Collect

 

O God, who teach us that you abide

in hearts that are just and true,

grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace

as to become a dwelling pleasing to you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Reading

Jas 1:12-18

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,

for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life 

that he promised to those who love him.

No one experiencing temptation should say,

“I am being tempted by God”;

for God is not subject to temptation to evil,

and he himself tempts no one.

Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.

Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,

and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:

all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.

He willed to give us birth by the word of truth

that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Responsorial Psalm

94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,

            whom by your law you teach,

Giving him rest from evil days. 

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

For the LORD will not cast off his people,

            nor abandon his inheritance;

But judgment shall again be with justice,

            and all the upright of heart shall follow it.

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

When I say, “My foot is slipping,

            your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;

When cares abound within me,

            your comfort gladdens my soul. 

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;

and my Father will love him

and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,

and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

Jesus enjoined them, 

“Watch out,

guard against the leaven of the Pharisees

and the leaven of Herod.” 

They concluded among themselves that

it was because they had no bread.

When he became aware of this he said to them,

“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?

Do you not yet understand or comprehend?

Are your hearts hardened?

Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?

And do you not remember,

when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,

how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”

They answered him, 

“Twelve.”

“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,

how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”

They answered him, 

“Seven.”

He said to them, 

“Do you still not understand?”

SAINT OF THE DAY

February 15

Saint Claude de la Colombière

(1641 - 1682)

This is a special day for the Jesuits, who claim today’s saint as one of their own. It’s also a special day for people who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion Claude de la Colombière promoted along with his friend and spiritual companion, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote to the rigorous moralism of the Jansenists, who were popular at the time.

Claude showed remarkable preaching skills long before his ordination in 1675. 

Two months later, he was made superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy. 

It was there he first encountered Margaret Mary Alacoque. 

For many years after he served as her confessor.

He was next sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess of York. He preached by both words and by the example of his holy life, converting a number of Protestants. Tensions arose against Catholics and Claude, rumored to be part of a plot against the king, was imprisoned. He was ultimately banished, 

but by then his health had been ruined.

He died in 1682. 

Pope John Paul II canonized Claude de la Colombière in 1992.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Daily Mass Readings

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Antiphon

Cf. Ps 31 (30): 3-4

 

Be my protector, O God,

a mighty stronghold to save me.

For you are my rock, my stronghold!

Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.

Collect

 

O God, who teach us that you abide

in hearts that are just and true,

grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace

as to become a dwelling pleasing to you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Reading

Jas 1:12-18

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,

for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life 

that he promised to those who love him.

No one experiencing temptation should say,

“I am being tempted by God”;

for God is not subject to temptation to evil,

and he himself tempts no one.

Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.

Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,

and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:

all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.

He willed to give us birth by the word of truth

that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Responsorial Psalm

94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,

            whom by your law you teach,

Giving him rest from evil days. 

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

For the LORD will not cast off his people,

            nor abandon his inheritance;

But judgment shall again be with justice,

            and all the upright of heart shall follow it.

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

When I say, “My foot is slipping,

            your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;

When cares abound within me,

            your comfort gladdens my soul. 

R.        Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;

and my Father will love him

and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mk 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,

and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

Jesus enjoined them, 

“Watch out,

guard against the leaven of the Pharisees

and the leaven of Herod.” 

They concluded among themselves that

it was because they had no bread.

When he became aware of this he said to them,

“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?

Do you not yet understand or comprehend?

Are your hearts hardened?

Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?

And do you not remember,

when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,

how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”

They answered him, 

“Twelve.”

“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,

how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”

They answered him, 

“Seven.”

He said to them, 

“Do you still not understand?”

SAINT OF THE DAY

February 15

Saint Claude de la Colombière

(1641 - 1682)

This is a special day for the Jesuits, who claim today’s saint as one of their own. It’s also a special day for people who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion Claude de la Colombière promoted along with his friend and spiritual companion, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote to the rigorous moralism of the Jansenists, who were popular at the time.

Claude showed remarkable preaching skills long before his ordination in 1675. Two months later, he was made superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy. It was there he first encountered Margaret Mary Alacoque. For many years after he served as her confessor.

He was next sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess of York. He preached by both words and by the example of his holy life, converting a number of Protestants. Tensions arose against Catholics and Claude, rumored to be part of a plot against the king, was imprisoned. He was ultimately banished, but by then his health had been ruined.

He died in 1682. 

Pope John Paul II canonized Claude de la Colombière in 1992.

THE LITURGY OF HOURS

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God
(Opus Dei), is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer.  The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer.  At times the dialogue is between the Church or individual soul and God; at times it is a dialogue among the members of the Church; and at times it is even between the Church and the world.  The Divine Office "is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father." (SC 84)  The dialogue is always held, however, in the presence of God and using the words and wisdom of God.  Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation.  The two most important or hinge Hours are Morning and Evening Prayer. These each include a Gospel canticle:  the Canticle of Zechariah from Luke 1:68-79 for Morning Prayer (known as the Benedictus), and the Canticle of Mary from Luke 1:46-55 for Evening Prayer (known as the Magnificat). The Gospel canticle acts as a kind of meditative extension of the scriptural proclamation in light of the Christ event.  Morning and Evening Prayer also include intercessions that flow from the scriptural proclamation just as the Psalms prepare for it.

In the Hours, the royal priesthood of the baptized is exercised, and this sacrifice of praise is thus connected to the sacrifice of the Eucharist, 

both preparing for and flowing from the Mass.

"The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the subsequent responses or troparia) and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal more deeply the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer." (CCC 1177)

OFFICE OF READINGS

"The office of readings seeks to provide God's people, and in particular those consecrated to God in a special way, with a wider selection of passages from sacred Scripture for meditation, together with the finest excerpts from spiritual writers. Even though the cycle of scriptural readings at daily Mass is now richer, the treasures of revelation and tradition to be found in the office of readings will also contribute greatly to the spiritual life" (General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours [GILH], no. 55).

https://www.universalis.com/0/readings.htm

LAUDS - Morning Prayer

"As is clear from many of the elements that make it up, morning prayer is intended and arranged to sanctify the morning. St. Basil the Great gives an excellent description of this character in these words: "It is said in the morning in order that the first stirrings of our mind and will may be consecrated to God and that we may take nothing in hand until we have been gladdened by the thought of God, as it is written: 'I was mindful of God and was glad' (Ps 77:4 [Jerome's translation from Hebrew]), or set our bodies to any task before we do what has been said: 'I will pray to you, Lord, you will hear my voice in the morning; I will stand before you in the morning and gaze on you' 

(Ps 5:4-5)."

"Celebrated as it is as the light of a new day is dawning, this hour also recalls the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the true light enlightening all people (see Jn 1:9) and "the sun of justice" (Mal 4:2), "rising from on high" (Lk 1:78). Hence, we can well understand the advice of St. Cyprian: "There should be prayer in the morning so that the resurrection of the Lord may thus be celebrated" (GILH, no. 38).

https://www.universalis.com/0/lauds.htm

TERCE - Mid-Morning Prayer

"Following a very ancient tradition Christians have made a practice of praying out of private devotion at various times of the day, even in the course of their work, in imitation of the Church in apostolic times. In different ways with the passage of time this tradition has taken the form of a liturgical celebration.

"Liturgical custom in both East and West has retained midmorning, midday, and midafternoon prayer, mainly because these hours were linked to a commemoration of the events of the Lord's passion and of the first preaching of the Gospel" 

(GILH, no. 74-75).

https://www.universalis.com/0/terce.htm

SEXT - Mid-Day Prayer

 https://www.universalis.com/0/sext.htm

NONE - Afternoon Prayer

 https://www.universalis.com/0/none.htm

VESPERS - Evening Prayer

"When evening approaches and the day is already far spent, evening prayer is celebrated in order that 'we may give thanks for what has been given us, or what we have done well, during the day.' We also recall the redemption through the prayer we send up 'like incense in the Lord's sight,' and in which 'the raising up of our hands' becomes 'an evening sacrifice' (see Ps 141:2). This sacrifice 'may also be interpreted more spiritually as the true evening sacrifice that our Savior the Lord entrusted to the apostles at supper on the evening when he instituted the sacred mysteries of the Church or of the evening sacrifice of the next day, the sacrifice, that is, which, raising his hands, he offered to the Father at the end of the ages for the salvation of the whole world.' Again, in order to fix our hope on the light that knows no setting, 'we pray and make petition for the light to come down on us anew; we implore the coming of Christ who will bring the grace of eternal light.' Finally, at this hour we join with the Churches of the East in calling upon the 'joy-giving light of that holy glory, born of the immortal, heavenly Father, the holy and blessed Jesus Christ; now that we have come to the setting of the sun and have seen the evening star, we sing in praise of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…'" 

(GILH, no. 39).

https://www.universalis.com/0/vespers.htm

COMPLINE - Night Prayer

"Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight" (GILH, no. 84).The Psalms that are chosen for Night Prayer are full of confidence in the Lord.

https://www.universalis.com/0/compline.htm

ABOUT TODAY

https://www.universalis.com/0/today.htm