And it came to pass, as Jesus spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee suck.
But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
What are you, then ? Rich or poor ? Many people tell me: “I’m poor” – and they are speaking the truth. I see some poor people who possess a little and I see some who are completely destitute. But here now is someone who is weighed down with gold and silver – oh! if only that person knew how poor he is! He’ll find it out if he looks at the poor person standing beside him. In any case, whatever opulence you may boast, you who are rich, you’re only a beggar at God’s door. Here, then, is the hour of prayer… You make your requests and isn’t your request a proof of your poverty ? Indeed, you say: “Give us this day our daily bread”! Well then, you who are asking for your daily bread, are you rich or poor? And nevertheless Christ is not afraid to say to you: “Give to me what I have given to you. In fact, what have you brought with you in coming into this world? Everything you’ve found in creation was created by me. You have brought nothing with you and you will carry nothing away. Why are you not giving me what is my own? You are in plenty and the poor man is in need, yet go back to the beginning of your existence: both of you were completely naked! Yes, even you yourself were born naked. Afterwards you found great wealth here below but could you by any chance have brought something along with you? Therefore I am asking for what I have given; give and I will repay. You had me as your benefactor; make me your debtor at a higher tariff… You give a little to me; I will repay you richly. You give to me the good things of this world, I will repay you with the treasures of heaven. You give me temporal wealth, I will set you over eternal possessions. I will repay you when I have taken possession of you.”
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.
Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
In the Gospel we read : « Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains but a single grain ; but if it dies it bears much fruit » (Jn 12,24). Our Lord Jesus is the grain of wheat but he is also the yeast… When he came, a man and alone, into the world, the Lord Jesus gave everyone the opportunity to become what he is himself. Anyone who is united to the yeast that is Christ also becomes yeast, useful to the self and of value to all. That person will be saved and will save others. Before it is mixed into a bowl of flour, the yeast is beaten, crushed, and crumbed; it is completely dissolved. But it is then that, in one and the same fermentation, it take on the same appearance as the numerous dispersed grains of flour. It brings together into a solid lump a substance that, of itself, used to be as inconsistent as dust. In fact it creates a serviceable dough out of what seemed to be nothing but a scattering of dust. Thus the Lord Jesus Christ, yeast of the whole world, has been crushed by much suffering, pierced and destroyed. And his sap – that is to say, his precious blood – was poured out for us so as to solidify all humankind that was scattered by becoming mingled with them,. We who used to be like a people of flour, see how we are now brought together as by yeast. We who were miserably lying all over the earth, scattered and crushed: see how we are reunited with Christ’s body thanks to the power of his Passion.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
Another parable Jesus proposed unto his disciples, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.
Which is the least indeed of all seeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the branches thereof.
Another parable he spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.
All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables he did not speak to them.
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
I’m writing with the desire to see you, a bold and good shepherd, pasturing and guiding the sheep entrusted to you with perfect zeal, and thus imitating the sweet Master of truth who gave his life for us who are his sheep, who have strayed away from the path of grace. True…, we can’t do this without God and we can’t possess God while remaining on earth. But here is a sweet remedy: when our hearts are reduced to nothing and feeling small, we must do as Zacchaeus, did. He was not tall and he climbed a tree to see God. This zeal of his allowed him to hear these sweet words: “Zacchaeus, go home, for I must dine with you today.” We must do this too when we are feeling low, when our hearts are constricted and lacking in charity. We must climb the tree of the most holy Cross and there we shall see, we shall touch God. There we shall find the fire of his inexpressible charity, the love that propelled him even to the humiliation of the Cross that raised him up and made him desire his Father’s honor and our salvation with the craving of a hunger and thirst… If this is what we want, if our carelessness doesn’t get in the way, we can, in mounting the tree of the Cross, fulfill in ourselves this word issuing from the mouth of Truth: “When I am lifted up from the earth I shall draw all things to myself” (Jn 12,32 Vg). Indeed, when the soul is thus raised up, it sees the blessings of the Father’s goodness and power…, it sees the mercy and lavishness of the Holy Spirit, that is to say the inexpressible love holding Jesus bound to the wood of the Cross. Nails and bonds cannot hold him there; only charity… O climb this most holy tree where hang the ripe fruits of all the virtues that the body of the Son of God bears; ardently hasten. Dwell within the holy and sweet love of God. O sweet Jesus, Jesus love.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
And entering Jesus walked through Jericho.
And behold, there was a man named Zacheus, who was the chief of the publicans: and he was rich.
And he sought to see Jesus who he was: and he could not for the crowd, because he was low of stature.
And running before, he climbed up into a sycamore tree, that he might see him: for he was to pass that way.
And when Jesus was come to the place, looking up, he saw him and said to him: Zacheus, make haste and come down: for this day I must abide in thy house.
And he made haste and came down and received him with joy.
And when all saw it, they murmured, saying, that he was gone to be a guest with a man that was a sinner.
But Zacheus standing, said to the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I restore him fourfold.
Jesus said to him: This day is salvation come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
Cast off doubt from yourself and do not hesitate at all to ask God for anything, or say in yourself, “How can I ask anything from the Lord and receive it, when I have sinned so much against him?” Do not reason thus, but turn to the Lord with your whole heart, and ask of him undoubtingly, and you will come to know his great mercy, that he will not desert you but will fulfill the request of your soul. For God is not like us, who hold grudges, but he is forgiving, and feels pity for what he has made. So cleanse your heart of all the vanities of this world, of evil and sin, and ask the Lord, and you will receive everything (…) if you ask the Lord without doubting. But if you doubt in your heart, you will receive none of your requests. For those who doubt in their relation to God are the waverers and do not get any of their requests at all. (…) For anyone who wavers, if they do not repent, can be saved only with difficulty. So cleanse your heart of wavering and clothe yourself in faith, for it is strong, and trust God that you will receive all that you ask for, and if ever, when you have asked the Lord for something, you are somewhat slow in receiving it, do not doubt, because you did not receive your soul’s request quickly, for surely it is on account of some temptation or some transgression of which you are unaware, that you are slow in getting what you asked for. So do not stop making your soul’s request (…) Beware of such wavering, for it is wicked and foolish and uproots many from the faith, even those who are very faithful and strong (…) Clothe yourself in strong and powerful faith, for faith promises all things and accomplishes all things, but doubt distrusts itself and fails in everything it undertakes.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God.
Amen I say to you that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger in his heart, but be believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done; it shall be done unto him.
Therefore I say unto you, all things, whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive: and they shall come unto you.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
“The five foolish ones took no oil with them, but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps.” The brightness of glory is signified by the oil, and the small containers are our hearts, in which we carry all that we think. The wise virgins have oil in their flasks, because they keep the brightness of glory within their consciences. So Paul testified when he said: “Our glory is this, the witness of our conscience” (2Cor 1,12). But the five foolish virgins take no oil with them, because when they seek glory from the mouths of their neighbors they do not have it within their consciences… “At midnight a cry arose: ‘See, the bridegroom is coming; go forth to meet him’”… Then all the virgins arise… The lamps of the foolish virgins go out, because their works, which appeared outwardly evident to people at the judge’s coming, are hidden within; and they find no recompense from God, because they have received from men the praises which they loved.
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
