Day 302 · Chronological

Scripture

Luke 17:11–18:14

Luke 17

Lessons of avoiding scandal and of the efficacy of faith. The ten lepers. The manner of the coming of Christ.

And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off.

And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean.

And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.

And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks. And this was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine?

There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.

And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.

And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.

Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

And he said to his disciples: The days will come when you shall desire to see one day of the Son of man. And you shall not see it.

And they will say to you: See here, and see there. Go ye not after, nor follow them.

For as the lightning that lighteneth from under heaven shineth unto the parts that are under heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his day.

But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

They did eat and drink, they married wives and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Likewise as it came to pass in the days of Lot. They did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.

And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.

In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.

Remember Lot’s wife.

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it shall preserve it.

I say to you: In that night there shall be two men in one bed. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left.

Two women shall be grinding together. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left. Two men shall be in the field. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left.

They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?

Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.

Luke 18

We must pray always. The Pharisee and the publican. The danger of riches. The blind man is restored to sight.

And he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray and not to faint,

Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God nor regarded man.

And there was a certain widow in that city; and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary.

And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God nor regard man,

Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me.

And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith.

And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and night? And will he have patience in their regard?

I say to you that he will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?

And to some who trusted in themselves as just and despised others, he spoke also this parable:

Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.

The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.

I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Catechism

Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 4, Introduction, Sections 34-41

The Dead

Prayers for the dead, that they may be liberated from the fire of purgatory, are derived from Apostolic teaching. But on this subject we have said enough when explaining the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Sinners

Those who are said to sin unto death derive little advantage from prayers and supplications. It is, however, the part of Christian charity to offer up our prayers and tears for them, in order, if possible, to obtain their reconciliation with God.

With regard to the execrations uttered by holy men against the wicked, it is certain, from the teaching of the Fathers, that they are either prophecies of the evils which are to befall sinners or denunciations of the crimes of which they are guilty, that the sinner may be saved, but sin destroyed.

The Prayer Of Thanksgiving Should Be Offered For All

In the second part of prayer we render most grateful thanks to God for the divine and immortal blessings which He has always bestowed, and still continues to bestow every day on the human race.

Our Thanksgiving Should Especially Be Offered: For The Saints

This duty we discharge especially when we give singular praises to God for the victory and triumph which all the Saints, aided by His goodness, have achieved over their domestic and external enemies.

For The Blessed Virgin Mary

To this sort of prayer belongs the first part of the Angelic Salutation, when used by us as a prayer: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. For in these words we render to God the highest praise and return Him most gracious thanks, because He has bestowed all His heavenly gifts on the most holy Virgin; and at the same time we congratulate the Virgin herself on her singular privileges.

To this form of thanksgiving the Church of God has wisely added prayers and an invocation addressed to the most holy Mother of God, by which we piously and humbly fly to her patronage, in order that, by her intercession, she may reconcile God to us sinners and may obtain for us those blessings which we stand in need of in this life and in the life to come. We, therefore, exiled children of Eve, who dwell in this vale of tears, should constantly beseech the Mother of mercy, the advocate of the faithful, to pray for us sinners. In this prayer we should earnestly implore her help and assistance; for that she possesses exalted merits with God, and that she is most desirous to assist us by her prayers, no one can doubt without impiety and wickedness.

To Whom We Should Pray

To God

That God is to be prayed to and His name invoked is the language of the law of nature, inscribed upon the human heart. It is also the doctrine of Holy Scripture, in which we hear God commanding: Call upon me in the day of trouble. By the word God, we mean the three Persons (of the adorable Trinity).

To The Saints

We must also have recourse to the intercession of the Saints who are in glory. That the Saints are to be prayed to is a truth so firmly established in the Church of God, that no pious person can experience a shadow of doubt on the subject. But as this point was explained in its proper place, under a separate head, we refer the pastor and others to that place.