Cornelius and Cyprian

September 16, 2013:  SS. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Readings

• 1 Tm 2:1-8  Pray for everyone, all in authority, without anger, that we lead a tranquil life.  God wants everyone saved, knowing truth.  There is one God.  Christ is the one mediator.  I was appointed preacher, Apostle, teacher.

• Ps 28:2, 7-9  "Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer."  I plead to, trust, thank Lord, our strength, shield, help, refuge.  Save, feed, carry, bless your people!

• Lk 7:1-10  Capernaum centurion with dying slave asked Jesus to come save slave's life; Jesus went.  En route:  "I'm not worthy to have you enter under my roof, but say the word and let my servant be healed; I understand authority."  Jesus, amazed:  “Such faith!”  Messengers returned, found slave healed.

Music

An "oldie" I remember from boyhood at St. James (Redondo Beach), linking today's gospel to the Eucharist and the recent update to a Communion Rite response in the Roman Missal:

O Lord, I am not worthy/ Irvin (recent recording)  (I looked for the 1777 Landshuter Gesangbuch to link to the original German but couldn't find it, though one site offered to PDF it for 36¢ a page :-)

Dress

• "Kneeling person" tie bar:  praying (1st reading); God heard my prayer (psalm)

• "My Town" tie:   roof of centurion's house (gospel)

• Green shirt:  Ordinary Time (season)

Bonus

On August 14, I commented on the "whatever you bind/loose" gospel some find problematic. Friday my co-worker Louis Shapiro pointed out that the day's Office of Readings patristic reading (Liturgy of the Hours, Friday, 23rd week, Ordinary Time, quoting a sermon by Blessed Isaac of Stella, Sermo 11: PL 194, 1728-1729) relates:  God alone can receive confession, forgive sin, but God shared everything with his bride, the Church.  The Church is incapable of forgiving any sin without Christ, and Christ is unwilling to forgive any sin without the Church.  The Church cannot forgive the sin of one who has not been touched by Christ.  Christ is not complete without the Church, nor is the Church complete without Christ.  Thanks, Louie!