12th Week of Pentecost

Ephesians 3:1-13
Because of this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ (Jesus) for you Gentiles– if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power. To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light (for all) what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over my afflictions for you; this is your glory.

Matthew 15:21-28
Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The Prayer of the Faithful, vol. III.
NIGHT PRAYER – SEDRO
O God,
Creator of the universe,
we now present to you the aroma of this incense (our prayers).
O God, ever to be worshipped and adored,
please accept it from our feeble hands and through it pardon all our evil deeds.
In your mercy do not forget to forgive your people,
for we are truly sinners,
yet because you are merciful and compassionate accept our
petitions.
Through this incense (our prayers) grant forgiveness of the sins and faults of your servants;
heal all who are sick and suffering;
provide the hungry and the needy with their daily bread;
fill the earth with your blessings;
increase the yield of its fruits and crops;
keep us safe and grant us your mercy,
for your are rich in every goodness.
Give a place to those who have fulfilled their lives in this world in the heavenly Jerusalem where you wipe away all their sins.
Accept our petitions for them
along with the prayers of all those who have pleased you.
On their behalf and for them we offer thanksgiving to you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.

Meditation on the Twelfth Week of Pentecost

The Ancient Church understood itself by its “visible marks”, that being The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. This idea of “The Marks of the Church” are still referred to by all who claim to be extensions of the Ancient, Primitive, Bibilical Church and the Church of the Fathers. Indeed, the Catholic Communion of Churches in union with the Pope of Rome, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Ancient Oriental Orthodox Churches, and even the Anglican Communion, Lutheran, and other Protestant communities would claim to be members of the The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Of course it is not our intent here to argue which of these ecclesial communites may or may not have retained the “ancient faith”, rather it is our purpose here in relation to today’s readings to express the importance of the Catholic mark of the Church.
The “Catholic” evangelization of the ancient world took place in phases, first Our Lord and his disciples went to the “lost sheep” of the children of Israel, then to their long estranged cousins the Samaritans, and after Our Lord’s Resurrection and the Pentecost – to the Gentiles, or non-Jewish world.
The message of the Apostolic preaching was that salvation was open to all, through Jesus Christ, that there were no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, man or woman, as concerns salvation and favor from God, for all are one in Christ. This being so we must ask ourselves if we still reflect that message in our preaching today, in our evangelization, for the visibility of our “Catholic Mark” depends upon it. The Church is not Catholic because it is geographically universal, it is Catholic because it is in the hearts, minds, and souls of men and women around the universe, and that together we can proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ. This is why Christian division is a “scandal” to the faith, this is why “bigotry” is a scandal to the faith, this is “prejudice” is a scandal to the faith, this is why an “unforgiving spirit” is a scandal to the faith. The Church is a hospital, a Catholic hospital for the soul, where all are called to be healed, and loved – this was the mission of Paul, this was the mission of Peter, this was the mission of the Church yesterday, today, and until the Kingdom is poured out upon us in its fullness.