RELIGION AND ART

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come an my integrity be manifest.  Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants - all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. Isa. 56:1.6-8 Mass Readings Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them.  Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice

The Assumption The Sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it.  Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake, and a violent  hail.  Now a great sign appeared in  heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelves stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in pangs of childbirth.  Mass Readings Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah.  She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, "Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed

St.  Maximilian "You have become infatuated with your own beauty, you have used your fame to make yourself a prostitute; you have offered your services to all corner. But I will remember the covenant that I made with you when you were a girl, and I will conclude a covenant with you that shall last for ever. And so remember and be covered with shame, and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I have pardoned you for all that you have done - it is the Lord who speaks." Mass Readings     "For Jesus Christ I am prepared to still suffer more" St. Kolbe Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him said, 'Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?" He answered, "Have you not read that the creator from beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become on body?  The are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then

The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes but do not see, and ears but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. Mass Readings Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me,  how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven my be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.  When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that time, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'  Moved with compassion the master of the servant let him go and forgave him the loan.