Saints and the Liturgical Year

[grateful_child]

November 10, 2013 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty and merciful God,
graciously keep from us all adversity,
so that, unhindered in mind and body alike,
we may pursue in freedom of heart
the things that are yours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-10

November 10 - St. Leo the Great, Pope & Doctor of the Church (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who never allow the gates of hell
to prevail against your Church,
firmly founded on the apostolic rock,
grant her , we pray,
that through the intercession of Pope Saint Leo,
she may stand firm in your truth
and know the protection of lasting peace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“During the pontificate of St. Leo I (d.461), the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon defined Jesus Christ as one divine Person having two natures: divine and human. St. Leo had written Epistola Dogmatica (the ‘Tome’ of Leo) to Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople, which was read and assented to by the Council Fathers.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Leo the Great, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/L/stleothegreat.asp

 

[grateful_child]

November 11 - Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who are glorified in the Bishop Saint Martin
both by his life and death,
make new, we pray,
the wonders of your grace in our hearts,
that neither death nor life
may separate us from your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Born to pagan parents in modern-day Hungary, St. Martin (316-397) was a soldier before his Baptism. He was consecrated Bishop of Tours, whence he sent missionaries to evangelize Gaul and to educate the clergy. He was noted for his opposition to the practice of executing heretics. His feast is popularly called 'Martinmas.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Mennas, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmartinoftours.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-11

 

[grateful_child]

November 11 - Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who are glorified in the Bishop Saint Martin
both by his life and death,
make new, we pray,
the wonders of your grace in our hearts,
that neither death nor life
may separate us from your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Born to pagan parents in modern-day Hungary, St. Martin (316-397) was a soldier before his Baptism. He was consecrated Bishop of Tours, whence he sent missionaries to evangelize Gaul and to educate the clergy. He was noted for his opposition to the practice of executing heretics. His feast is popularly called 'Martinmas.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Mennas, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmartinoftours.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-11

Today’s Scripture Readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

 

[grateful_child]

November 12 - Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Stir up in your Church, we pray, O Lord,
the Spirit that filled Saint Josaphat
as he laid down his life for the sheep,
so that through his intercession
we, too, may be strengthened by the same Spirit
and not abe afraid to lay down our life for others.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“Born in Poland to Orthodox parents, he became a Catholic of the Byzantine Rite and a monk. As bishop he worked faithfully for the unity of the Church until he was martyred at the hands of an angry mob.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Josaphat and St. Martin I, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjosaphat.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-12

 

[Amiciel]

November 10, 2013 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty and merciful God,
graciously keep from us all adversity,
so that, unhindered in mind and body alike,
we may pursue in freedom of heart
the things that are yours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-10

Sharing this reflection on today’s Scripture Readings, from today’s Euchalette, p. 4:

WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

"The Sadducees who approached Jesus thought that they could easily trip him up by presenting the case of the woman who had married seven brothers, one after another. Their intention was to prove that they were right in holding that there can be no such thing as ‘resurrection of the dead.’

What they achieved, however, was only to show how wrong their concept of ‘resurrection’ and of the ‘afterlife’ was. Jesus said this to their faces, to the delight of the scribes who heard his answer. (See Mk 12:24 and Lk 20:39.)

The human mind, left to itself, either does not reach any certitude about the fact of the resurrection of the dead, or conceives life after death as something gloomy and depressing, as we gather from the Greek and Latin mythologies. It is only divine revelation which assures us *that there is life beyond death *and that the dead will rise again.

But the life of the ‘resurrected’ will not be a sort of ‘life on earth, part II.’ As Jesus tells us, ‘Those deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection …, no longer die, for they are like angels’ (Lk 20:35-36). St Paul reminds the Corinthians and us that ‘What is sown on earth is subject to decay. What rises is incorruptible … A natural body is put down and a spiritual body comes up.’ (1Cor 15:42-44. See also Phil 3:21.)

The life of the ‘children of the resurrection,’ then, will be essentially *different * from our present life. Yet, it will also be related to it because it will be conditioned by the way we behave during our earthly life. Hence, there is 'newness’ but also 'relatedness’.

Such ‘relatedness’ answers the difficulty of the ‘Sadducees’ of our times who reject belief in an ‘afterlife’ and in the resurrection of the dead, on the grounds that it prevents us from valuing this life and this world." (P. 4.)
(Read on for continuation of thought.)

 

[Amiciel]

Sharing this reflection on today’s Scripture Readings, from today’s Euchalette, p. 4:

WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD - continued:

"As a matter of fact, it is those who reject belief in the afterlife, who make this life valueless and any commitment meaningless. For, if death were to mark the end of what a person has done and has been, then how could earthly life or human history have a meaning and a value? It would be like a train inevitably heading for a bottomless cliff - a horrible prospect which would nullify all that has preceded it, and cast on it a dark shadow of sadness and hopelessness.

The criticism leveled by the unbelievers against those who believe in the resurrection of the dead is baseless. A person who really believes in an afterlife that will depend on how we behave in this life has to take this life and this world very seriously, for they are the only opportunity and situation in which one can acquire the ‘credits’ that will determine the quality of the endless life to come.

In the ‘faith-vision’ of the believers, the whole life of each individual, as well as the vicissitudes of all mankind, have a ‘direction’ and a meaning. Even when one dies, one has still something to look forward to. Such a ‘faith-vision’ has the power to confer a value even to the defeats and losses of this life. It has given the martyrs of all ages the strength to endure tortures and even death with a serenity and hope unknown to those who do not believe in the ‘afterlife’. (See today’s First Reading.)

Yet, we have also to say - and without apologizing - that, while we take this life seriously, we do not absolutize it. We simply view it realistically for what it is: a temporry gift from God, meant to prepare us for an even greater gift: the eternal life which will reach its fullness when our souls will be reunited with our transformed bodies. (See 2 Mc 7:9 and 1Cor 15.)

Such is the inspiring vision which our Christian faith offers - a vision which is not a human invention. Rather, it is based on the Word of God, especially the preaching of Jesus Christ, and is guranteed by his Resurrection. (See 1Cor 15:12-23.)" (p.4.)

 

[grateful_child]

November 13, 2013 - Wednesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty and merciful God,
graciously keep from us all adversity,
so that, unhindered in mind and body alike,
we may pursue in freedom of heart
the things that are yours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

November 13 - Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin (Memorial in the Dioceses of the United States):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“God our Father,
who called Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini from Italy
to serve the immigrants of America,
by her example,
teach us to have concern for the stranger,
the sick, and all those in need,
and by her prayers help us to see Christ
in all the men and women we meet.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“St. Frances (1850-1917) was born in Lombardy, Italy, as one of thirteen children. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for poor children in schools and hospitals. She came to the United States of America to work among Italian immigrants.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Stanislaus Kostka, & St. Didacus, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-13
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/F/stfrancisxaviercabrini.asp

 

[grateful_child]

November 14, 2013 - Thursday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty and merciful God,
graciously keep from us all adversity,
so that, unhindered in mind and body alike,
we may pursue in freedom of heart
the things that are yours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

For a commentary on Purgatory, see link:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-14

 

[grateful_child]

November 15, 2013 - Friday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty and merciful God,
graciously keep from us all adversity,
so that, unhindered in mind and body alike,
we may pursue in freedom of heart
the things that are yours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

November 15 - Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who made the Bishop Saint Albert great
by his joining of human wisdom to divine faith,
grant, we pray, that we may so adhere to the truths he taught,
that through progress in learning
we may come to a deeper knowledge and love of you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“St. Albert (1206-1280) was born in Germany and studied in Padua and Paris as a doctor of theology before joining the Dominicans. St. Thomas Aquinas was one of his pupils. A man of learning and a generous mind, St. Albert was instrumental to the reception of Aristotle. As bishop he worked to establish peace among peoples.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Albert the Great and St. Leopold of Austria, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-15
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/stalbertthegreat.asp

 

[grateful_child]

November 16, 2013 - Saturday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty and merciful God,
graciously keep from us all adversity,
so that, unhindered in mind and body alike,
we may pursue in freedom of heart
the things that are yours.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

November 16 - Saint Margaret of Scotland (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who made Saint Margaret of Scotland wonderful
in her outstanding charity towards the poor,
grant that through her intercession and example
we may reflect among all humanity
the image of your divine goodness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Born in Hungary, St. Margaret (1046-1093) married King Malcolm III of Scotland and became the mother of eight. A woman of sincere piety, she was known for her concern for the poor, patronage of the arts and sciences, and support of reform.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Margaret of Scotland, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmargaretofscotland.asp

November 16 - Saint Gertrude, Virgin (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who prepared a delightful dwelling for yourself
in the heart of the Virgin Saint Gertrude,
graciously bring light, through her intercession,
to the darkness of our hearts,
that we may joyfully experience you present and at work within us.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“Born in Eisleben, Germany, St. Gertrude (1256-1301) joined the Cistercians. She studied literature and philosophy and devoted herself to prayer and contemplation. In cooperation with her close friend and fellow mystic St. Mechtildis, St. Gertrude wrote a popular compilation of prayers. She introduced the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus which has spread throughout the Church.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Gertrude (the Great) and other saints of the day, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-16
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/G/stgertrudethegreat.asp

 

[grateful_child]

November 17, 2013 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-17

November 17- St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
recognized and revered Christ in the poor,
grant, through her intercession,
that we may serve with unfailing charity
the needy and those afflicted.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“St. Elizabeth (1207-1231) was the daughter of the King of Hungary and became the mother of four. After her husband’s death, she became a Franciscan tertiary, devoting herself to caring for the poor, sick and aged. She died in exceptional poverty.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Elizabeth of Hungary, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/E/stelizabethofhungary.asp

 

[grateful_child]

November 18, 2013 - Monday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflection:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

November 18 - The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Defend your Church, O Lord,
by the protection of the holy Apostles,
that, as she received from them
the beginnings of her knowledge of things divine,
so through them she may receive,
even to the end of the world,
an increase in heavenly grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“These basilicas were completed in the fourth century. St. Peter’s Basilica was built over his own tomb and rebuilt in the seventeenth century. St. Paul’s Basilica, on the Ostian Way, was likewise built over his own tomb and rebuilt in the nineteenth century.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/D/dedicationofthebasilicasofstspeter&paul.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-18

November 18 - Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin (Optional Memorial in the Dioceses of the United States):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty God, who filled the heart of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
with charity and missionary zeal,
and gave her the desire
to make you known among all peoples,
grant us to follow her way
and fill us with that same love and zeal
to extend your kingdom to the ends of the earth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“St. Rose (1769-1852) founded a boarding school for daughters of pioneers near St. Louis and opened the first free school west of the Mississippi River. At seventy-one she began a school for Native Americans. She showed courage in frontier conditions and single-mindedness in pursuing her dream of serving native Americans.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/R/strosephilippineduchesne.asp
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-18

 

[grateful_child]

November 19, 2013 - Tuesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

For other helpful thoughts today, see link:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-19

 

[Amiciel]

November 17, 2013 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-17

Sharing this reflection on today’s Scripture Readings, from today’s Euchalette, p. 4:

THE DAY OF RETRIBUTION AND HOPE

"Jerusalem was particularly dear to all the members of the Chosen People. And in the whole city, the dearest part of all was the Temple. This was the pride of every generation … the most sacred place where every pious Jew could experience God’s special presence and favor…

For a time, the people of Judah learned to put their trust in the living and all-holy God, rather than in buildings, no matter how majestic and sacred. They learned that what matters most in the eyes of God is the ‘heart’ of man - what he chooses and what he rejects, what he treasures and what he despises.

But soon they forgot it again. Their pride blinded them. As a consequence, they were not able to recognize the time of the Lord’s visitation. They rejected the Messiah of God - the terrible crime, in punishment for which the reconstructed Temple and the whole of Jerusalem would be reduced to rubble and ashes. Jesus foresaw it with tearful sadness. He wept over the Holy City. (See Lk 19:41.) He wept over all those who fail to set their hearts on the values of God’s Kingdom.

Only those who choose and treasure God and His will can count on His protection. They become His living Temple. No lasting harm will touch them, for they belong to Him and He to them.

Even when their earthly Jerusalem - what they hold most dear and sacred on earth - is torn down, they are able to find consolation in the thought that the enduring and more splendid Jerusalem is the one that awaits them in heaven. That is where they belong."
(Read on for continuation of thought.)

 

[Amiciel]

THE DAY OF RETRIBUTION AND HOPE - continued:

"Persecutors of many kinds may strike fiercely those who have vowed their hearts to Christ. As long as they do their best to live up to their commitment, the Lord will never forsake them. Nothing of what they ARE will be lost, even when they lose their life. The world may end (and the world does come to an end for millions of humans, every day!), but for those who have set their hearts on loving God and neighbor, and do what is right, the world of God’s eternal love will never come to an end.

Such are the truths and fundamental attitudes that should be paramount in us when we reflect on the passing splendor of this earth, and the inevitable end that will come for everything that is temporal, and for everybody.

Reckoning time need not be a time of terror. It can be - it should be! - a time of trust, hope, and fulfillment. The time of that wonderful face-to-face encounter with the One that in our earthly days we have perceived only in a vague manner from behind the veil of our limitations and suffering. **It is up to us to transform an inevitable end into the beginning of an endless fulfillment." **(p.4; emphasis added.)

 

[grateful_child]

November 20, 2013 - Wednesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

For St. Felix of Valois and St. Bernward of Hildesheim, see link:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-20

 

[grateful_child]

November 21 - The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“As we venerate the glorious memory
of the most holy Virgin Mary,
grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession,
that we, too, may merit to receive
from the fullness of your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“According to an early tradition, as a small child, the Blessed Virgin Mary was presented by her parents to the Lord in the Temple. This celebration reveals her total dedication to God’s service and obedience to God’s will.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

“Today’s memorial finds its origin in a 22nd c. apocryphal source, the Protoevangelion or Book of James, and the dedication on 21 Nov. 543 of the basilica of St. Mary the New in Jerusalem.” (Ordo.)

For more on the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-21
www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/PRESENT.htm

 

[grateful_child]

November 22 - Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who gladden us each year
with the feast day of your handmaid Saint Cecilia,
grant, we pray,
that what has been devoutly handed down concerning her
may offer us examples to imitate
and proclaim the wonders worked in his servants
by Christ, your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“St. Cecilia (d. ca. 117) is one of seven martyred women mentioned in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I). A noble Roman virgin, she was martyred for her unwillingness to sacrifice to the pagan gods.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on St. Cecilia, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-22
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/C/stcecilia.asp

 

[grateful_child]

November 23, 2013 - Saturday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time:

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

November 23 - Saint Clement I, Pope and Martyr (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Almighty ever-living God,
who are wonderful in the virtue of all your Saints,
grant us joy in the yearly commemoration of Saint Clement,
who, as a Martyr and High Priest of your Son,
bore out by his witness what he celebrated in mystery
and confirmed by example what he preached with his lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“St. Clement I (d.99) was the third pope after St. Peter. He wrote an Epistle to the Corinthians, directing them to seek peace and unity. According to tradition he was exiled to the Crimea and condemned to death for evangelizing his fellow prisoners.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

November 23 -Saint Columban, Abbot (Optional Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who in Saint Columban
wonderfully joined the work of evangelization
to zeal for the monastic life,
grant, we pray,
that through his intercession and example
we may strive to seek you above all things
and to bring increase to your faithful people.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“An Irish monk, St. Columban (545-615) went to France and founded many monasteries, which he guided with strict discipline. His followers founded monasteries in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Exiled, he went to Italy and founded the monastery at Bobbio, which was a center of culture and learning as well as spirituality.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

For more on **Saint Clement I, Saint Columban, Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro **, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-23
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/C/stclementi.asp
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/C/stcolumban.asp

November 23 - Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, Priest and Martyr (Optional Memorial in the Dioceses of the United States):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Our God and Father,
who conferred upon your servant Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro
the grace of ardently seeking your greater glory and the salvation of others,
grant, through his intercession and example,
that by faithfully and joyfully performing our daily duties
and effectively assisting those around us,
we may serve you with zeal
and ever seek your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

“The Jesuit Bl. Miguel (1891-1927), one of eleven children, was born in Guadalupe, Mexico. He was ordained in Belgium, having been forced to flee Mexico because of persecution; he returned to minister to his native people. He had a great love for the Mass, devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and apostolic zeal for ordinary workers. Despite fierce persecution by Mexican government officials as well as his own debilitating illnesses, he continued his ministry to the faithful until he was martyred.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

 

[grateful_child]

November 21 - The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial):

Collect (Opening Prayer):
“As we venerate the glorious memory
of the most holy Virgin Mary,
grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession,
that we, too, may merit to receive
from the fullness of your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”

Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php

“According to an early tradition, as a small child, the Blessed Virgin Mary was presented by her parents to the Lord in the Temple. This celebration reveals her total dedication to God’s service and obedience to God’s will.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)

“Today’s memorial finds its origin in a 22nd c. apocryphal source, the Protoevangelion or Book of James, and the dedication on 21 Nov. 543 of the basilica of St. Mary the New in Jerusalem.” (Ordo.)

For more on the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, see links:
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-21
www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/PRESENT.htm

Correcting a typo error in my post above: “22nd c.” highlighted in red above should read “2nd c.” My apologies!