Sunday

1 Peter 5 : The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but [a]willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being [b]lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Navarre Catholic Commentary this Week…   In many New Testament texts, the Greek terms presbyteros and episcopos mean the same, being used indiscriminately to designate pastors of local communities. From the second century on, the terminology became fixed: episcopoi (bishops) have the fulness of the sacrament of Order and are responsible for local churches; presbyteroi (elders, later designated priests) carry out the priestly ministry as co-workers of the bishops. The Acts of the Apostles tell us that Paul and Barnabas ordained priests in the various churches of Asia Minor (cf. Acts 14:23), to which St Peter is now writing.

Gladly constituting themselves models of the flock (cf. 1 Pet 5:3), they should preside over and serve their local community in such a way that it may deserve to be called by the name which is given to the unique People of God in its entirety, that is to say, the Church of God (cf. Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:21; and passim). They should be mindful that by their daily conduct and solicitude they display the reality of a truly priestly and pastoral ministry both to believers and unbelievers alike…

 

Prayer:  Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

Monday
2 Peter 5: Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be [ sober, be [ vigilant; [ because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But [f]may the God of all grace, who called [g]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, [h]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

Prayer:   I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
From St. Patrick’s ‘Breastplate’ Tuesday
Wednesday
Navarre Commentary….

The Apostle concludes his exhortation with a call to humility, which should express itself in complete docility in the face of the trials God permits (vv. 6-7). This last piece of advice is often found in Sacred Scripture: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you” (Ps 55:22); Jesus also teaches that we should trust in God’s fatherly providence (cf. Mt 6:19-34). “You have such care for each one of us”, St Augustine exclaims, “as if you had no offers to care for” (Confessions, 3, 11).

However, abandonment in God does not mean irresponsibility, so St Peter reminds them there is always need to be watchful against the assaults of the devil, who will pounce on us if we lower our guard (v. 8).

The description of the devil (etymologically the word means liar, detractor: cf. Rev 12:9-10) as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour has often been taken up by the saints. “He moves round each one of us”, St Cyprian says, “like an enemy who has us surrounded and is checking the walls to see if there is some weak, unsecured part, where he can get in.”

Prayer:  With the Saints, give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Thy servants, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting.
*Kontakion of the Departed

 

Thursday
Navarre Commentary..

“Humility is the source and foundation of every kind of virtue,” the Cure of Ars teaches; “it is the door by which all God-given graces enter; it is what seasons all our actions, making them so valuable and so pleasing to God. Finally, it makes us masters of God’s heart, to the point, so to speak, of making him our servant; for God has never been able to resist a humble heart” (Selected Sermons, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost).

For the third time, St Peter exhorts the faithful to be sober; earlier he referred to the importance of sobriety so as to put one’s hope in heavenly things (1:13) and to help one to pray (4:7). Now he stresses that it puts us on guard against the devil.

Man should use the goods of this world in a balanced, temperate way, so as to avoid being ensnared by them, thereby forgetting his eternal destiny: “Detach yourself from the goods of the world. Love and practise poverty of spirit: be content with what enables you to live a simple and sober life. Otherwise, you will never be an apostle” (J. Escrivá, The Way, 631).

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death.

Friday
1 Peter 5: By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Prayer:
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great  glory.

Saturday
Navarre Commentary…

“Babylon”: this is a symbolic way of referring to Rome, the prototype of the idolatrous and worldly city of the era. Some centuries earlier Babylon had been the subject of severe reproaches and threats by the prophets (cf., e.g., Is 13:47; Jer 50-51). In the Book of Revelation Rome is also referred to by this name (cf. e.g., Rev 17-18).

The Mark referred to is the author of the Second Gospel. Tradition says that he acted as St Peter’s interpreter in Rome. The Apostle calls him “son”, meaning that he was spiritually his son, and implying that they had been close to each other for a long time

The final words, “Peace to all of you that are in Christ”, are similar to the way St Paul ends many of his letters; since the first age of the Church it has been used in liturgical celebrations.

Prayer:  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit,  grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord,  Amen.