Fragmenda

Scripture

Luke 12–13

Luke 12

Christ warns us against hypocrisy, the fear of the world and covetousness. He admonishes all to watch.

1 

And when great multitudes stood about him, so that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples: Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 

For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: nor hidden that shall not be known.

3 

For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers shall be preached on the housetops.

4 

And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.

5 

But I will shew you whom you shall fear: Fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you: Fear him.

6 

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 

Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.

8 

And I say to you: Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.

9 

But he that shall deny me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10 

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but to him that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.

11 

And when they shall bring you into the synagogues and to magistrates and powers, be not solicitous how or what you shall answer, or what you shall say.

12 

For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you must say.

13 

And one of the multitude said to him: Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.

14 

But he said to him: Man, who hath appointed me judge or divider over you?

15 

And he said to them: Take heed and beware of all covetousness: for a man’s life doth not consist in the abundance of things which he possesseth.

16 

And he spoke a similitude to them, saying: The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits.

17 

And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 

And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns and will build greater: and into them will I gather all things that are grown to me and my goods.

19 

And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thy rest: eat, drink, make good cheer.

20 

But God said to him: Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee. And whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

21 

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.

22 

And he said to his disciples: Therefore I say to you: Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on.

23 

The life is more than the meat: and the body is more than the raiment.

24 

Consider the ravens, for they sow not, neither do they reap, neither have they storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much are you more valuable than they?

25 

And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26 

If then ye be not able to do so much as the least thing, why are you solicitous for the rest?

27 

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these.

28 

Now, if God clothe in this manner the grass that is to-day in the field and to-morrow is cast into the oven: how much more you, O ye of little faith?

29 

And seek not what you shall eat or what you shall drink: and be not lifted up on high.

30 

For all these things do the nations of the world seek. But your Father knoweth that you have need of these things.

31 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 

Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.

33 

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.

34 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35 

Let your loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands.

36 

And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.

37 

Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit down to meat and passing will minister unto them.

38 

And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 

But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.

40 

Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come.

41 

And Peter said to him: Lord, dost thou speak this parable to us, or likewise to all?

42 

And the Lord said: Who thinkest thou is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord setteth over his family, to give them their measure of wheat in due season?

43 

Blessed is that servant whom, when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing.

44 

Verily I say to you, he will set him over all that he possesseth.

45 

But if that servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming; and shall begin to strike the men-servants and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk:

46 

The lord of that servant will come in the day that he hopeth not, and at the hour that he knoweth not: and shall separate him and shall appoint him his portion with unbelievers.

47 

And that servant, who knew the will of his lord and prepared not himself and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 

But he that knew not and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more.

49 

I am come to cast fire on the earth. And what will I, but that it be kindled?

50 

And I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized. And how am I straitened until it be accomplished?

51 

Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.

52 

For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three.

53 

The father shall be divided against the son and the son against his father: the mother against the daughter and the daughter against her mother: the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

54 

And he said also to the multitudes: When you see a cloud rising from the west, presently you say: A shower is coming. And so it happeneth.

55 

And when ye see the south wind blow, you say: There will be heat. And it cometh to pass.

56 

You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the heaven and of the earth: but how is it that you do not discern this time?

57 

And why, even of yourselves, do you not judge that which is just?

58 

And when thou goest with thy adversary to the prince, whilst thou art in the way, endeavour to be delivered from him: lest perhaps he draw thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the exacter, and the exacter cast thee into prison.

59 

I say to thee, thou shalt not go out thence until thou pay the very last mite.


Luke 13

The necessity of penance. The barren fig tree. The cure of the infirm woman. The journey to Jerusalem.

1 

And there were present, at that very time, some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 

And he answering, said to them: Think you that these Galileans were sinners above all the men of Galilee, because they suffered such things?

3 

No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.

4 

Or those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe and slew them: think you that they also were debtors above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 

No, I say to you: but except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish.

6 

He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

7 

And he said to the dresser of the vineyard: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down therefore. Why cumbereth it the ground?

8 

But he answering, said to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it and dung it.

9 

And if happily it bear fruit: but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

10 

And he was teaching in their synagogue on their sabbath.

11 

And behold there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years. And she was bowed together: neither could she look upwards at all.

12 

Whom when Jesus saw, he called her unto him and said to her: Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity.

13 

And he laid his hands upon her: and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.

14 

And the ruler of the synagogue being angry that Jesus had healed on the sabbath answering, said to the multitude: Six days there are wherein you ought to work. In them therefore come and be healed: and not on the sabbath day.

15 

And the Lord answering him, said: Ye hypocrites, doth not every one of you, on the sabbath day, loose his ox or his ass from the manger and lead them to water?

16 

And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17 

And when he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the things that were gloriously done by him.

18 

He said therefore: To what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it?

19 

It is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden: and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in the branches thereof.

20 

And again he said: Whereunto shall I esteem the kingdom of God to be like?

21 

It is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

22 

And he went through the cities and towns teaching and making his journey to Jerusalem.

23 

And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them:

24 

Strive to enter by the narrow gate: for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter and shall not be able.

25 

But when the master of the house shall be gone in and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without; and knock at the door, saying: Lord, open to us. And he answering, shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are.

26 

Then you shall begin to say: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence: and thou hast taught in our streets.

27 

And he shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

28 

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God: and you yourselves thrust out.

29 

And there shall come from the east and the west and the north and the south: and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

30 

And behold, they are last that shall be first: and they are first that shall be last.

31 

The same day, there came some of the Pharisees, saying to him: Depart, and get thee hence, for Herod hath a mind to kill thee.

32 

And he said to them: Go and tell that fox: Behold, I cast out devils and do cures, to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am consummated.

33 

Nevertheless, I must walk to-day and to-morrow and the day following, because it cannot be that a prophet perish, out of Jerusalem.

34 

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets; and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children as the bird doth her brood under her wings, and thou wouldest not?

35 

Behold your house shall be left to you desolate. And I say to you that you shall not see me till the time come when you shall say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Catechism

Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 4, Introduction, Sections 18-20

The Two Chief Parts Of Prayer Petition And Thanksgiving

There are two principal parts of prayer, petition and thanksgiving, and since these are the sources, as it were, from which all the others spring, they appear to us to be of too much importance to be omitted. For we approach God and offer Him the tribute of our worship, either to obtain some favour, or to return Him thanks for those with which His bounty every day enriches and adorns us. God Himself indicated both these most necessary parts of prayer when He declared by the mouth of David: Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Who does not perceive how much we stand in need of the goodness and beneficence of God, if he but consider the extreme destitution and misery of man?

On the other hand, all that have eyes and understanding know God's loving kindness toward man and the liberal bounty He exercises in our behalf. Wherever we cast our eyes, wherever we turn our thoughts, the admirable light of the divine goodness and beneficence beams upon us. What have we that is not the gift of His bounty? If, then, all things are the gifts and favours bestowed on us by His goodness, why should not everyone, as much as possible, celebrate the praises of God, and thank Him for His boundless beneficence.

Degrees Of Petition And Thanksgiving

Of these duties of petition and thanksgiving each contains many subordinate degrees. In order, therefore, that the faithful may not only pray, but also pray in the best manner, the pastor should propose to them the most perfect mode of praying, and should exhort them to use it to the best of their ability.

The Highest Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer Of The Just

What, then, is the best manner and the most exalted degree of prayer? It is that which is made use of by the pious and the just. Resting on the solid foundation of the true faith, they rise successively from one degree of prayer and virtue to another, until, at length, they reach that height of perfection, whence they can contemplate the infinite power, goodness, and wisdom of God; where, too, they are animated with the assured hope of obtaining not only those blessings which they desire in this life, but also those unutterable rewards which God has pledged Himself to grant to him who piously and religiously implores His assistance.

Soaring, as it were, to heaven, on these two wings, the soul approaches, in fervent desire, the Divinity; adores with supreme praise and thanksgiving Him from whom she has received such inestimable blessings; and, like an only child, animated with singular piety and profound veneration, trustfully tells her most beloved Father all her wants.

This sort of prayer the Sacred Scriptures express by the words pouring out. In his sight, says the Prophet, I pour out my proyer, but before him I declare my trouble. This means that he who comes to pray should conceal or omit nothing, but pour out all, flying with confidence into the bosom of God, his most loving Father. To this the Sacred Scriptures exhort us in these words: Pour out thy heart before him, cast thy care upon the Lord. This is that degree of prayer to which St. Augustine alludes when he says in that book entitled Enchiridion: What faith believes, that hope and charity implore.