Devotion

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Is 49:3,5-6

The LORD said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8,8-9,10

Response– Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will

I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R– Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will

Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R– Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R– Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R– Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will

Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:1-3

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia:

 Alleluia, alleluia. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him, he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel: Jn 1: 29-34

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.'
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel."
John testified further, saying,
"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

The Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

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Our Lady of Sorrows

Following August’s devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. It is centered on the exceptional and poignant suffering that Blessed Mother Mary went through during Christ’s Passion.

 

These sorrows of Blessed Mother Mary were the theme of a famous altarpiece by Albrecht Dürer, The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin. The altarpiece had a central panel surrounded by seven panels depicting seven scenes from Christ’s life which make up the seven sorrows that Mary experienced as a mother– The Circumcision and Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight to Egypt, the Loss of Jesus for Three Days, Carrying of the Cross, Crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus being taken down from the Cross, and Jesus being laid in the tomb.

 

Our dedication to Our Lady of Sorrows calls us to the spiritual martyrdom that Blessed Mother Mary experienced during the martyrdom of her son, Jesus Christ. It draws us to reflect that we are all sinners but we can conquer them through intense suffering. Mother Mary’s tears of grief and anguish symbolize our sins being washed away by God. This September, we are called to unite ourselves with the Blessed Mother in her sorrows.

Prayer for Our Lady of Sorrows

Our mother of sorrows, with strength from above you stood by the cross, sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, and with tender care you bore Him in your arms, mourning and weeping.

 

We praise you for your faith, which accepted the life God planned for you. We praise you for your hope, which trusted that God would do great things in you. We praise you for your love in bearing with Jesus the sorrows of His passion.

 

Holy Mary, may we follow your example, and stand by all your children who need comfort and love.

 

Mother of God, stand by us in our trials and care for us in our many needs. Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
Amen!

Sources:

https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=2456

https://blog.aquinasandmore.com/september-is-the-month-of-our-lady-of-sorrows/

https://www.learnreligions.com/prayers-for-september-542771

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Devotion: Immaculate Heart of Mary

Dating back to the 16th century, special devotions have been assigned for each month by the Catholic piety. For the month of August, we dedicate it to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

Looking at history, we can see this devotion to the Immaculate Heart emphasized in the visions given to the oldest visionaries of Fatima, Lucy Dos Santos. In her visions (1925 and 1926), Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart through the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. This practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

World War II brought turmoil to the world in the 1940s. As response to the requests of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Pius XII performed a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 31, 1942. 

There is no better example of the Christian life than what Mary has offered. Her Immaculate Heart is a representation of the desire of the Mother of God to bring the people to her Son. It is venerated, often together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, because it is united in her person and is the seat of her love, virtue, and inner life.

This devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is emphasized during August but it is something that we must remember all-year round. May we deepen our devotion to her Immaculate Heart through praying, so we may be drawn closer to Christ through Mary. 

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