Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 503
Lectionary: 503
I, John, looked and
there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand
who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
I heard a sound from heaven
like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder.
The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne,
before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been ransomed from the earth.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They have been ransomed as the first fruits
of the human race for God and the Lamb.
On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand
who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
I heard a sound from heaven
like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder.
The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne,
before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been ransomed from the earth.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They have been ransomed as the first fruits
of the human race for God and the Lamb.
On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished.
Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Gospel LK 21:1-4
When Jesus looked
up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
Meditation: "She put in all that she had"
Do you know the joy of selfless giving and love
for others? True love doesn't calculate - it spends lavishly! Jesus drove this
point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people
offering their tithes. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave the smallest of coins
in contrast with the rich who gave greater sums. How can someone in poverty
give more than someone who has ample means? Jesus' answer is very simple - love
is more precious than gold or wealth!
Jesus taught that real giving must come from the
heart. A gift that is given with a grudge or for display loses its value. But a
gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is precious.
The amount or size of the gift doesn't matter as much as the cost to the giver.
The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she recklessly
gave away all she had! Jesus praised someone who gave barely a penny - how
insignificant a sum - because it was everything she had, her whole living.
What we have to offer may look very small and not
worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how
insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond
our reckoning. Do you give out of love and gratitude for what God has already
given to you?
"Lord Jesus, your love knows no bounds and
you give without measure. All that I have comes from you. May I give freely and
generously in gratitude for all that you have given to me. Take my life and all
that I possess - my gifts, talents, time and resources - and use them as you
see fit for your glory."
 The Richest Gift |
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November 24,
2014. Memorial of Saint Andrew Dũng-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
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Luke 21:1-4
When Jesus looked up
he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he
noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you
truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have
all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has
offered her whole livelihood."
Introductory
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe
that you have blessed me with life and with a vibrant faith. Thank you. I
dedicate this time and prayer to you. I love you, and I offer you all that I
am and all that I have with the desire of becoming a joyful gift to you.
Petition: Lord, teach me to share joyfully all that I have
received!
1. Some Wealthy
People: Jesus sat before the
temple treasury. What did Jesus see as he looked on? He saw more than we do.
He saw the heart. Wealth tends to captivate us with desire and enslave us
with concerns and worries. Jesus saw many hearts squeeze out just a couple
drops of their abundant security, a gesture that was neither painful nor
difficult. The act of fulfilling, or thinking they were fulfilling a duty to
God, caused them to glow with self-satisfaction. Some even were bloated with
pride for having given so much, and yet their act was empty of real
self-giving. They gave with routine indifference. Their giving lacked love.
What does Jesus see in my daily or weekly gifts? Do I generously give God my
all when I see him on the altar? Do I generously give him my all when I am on
my knees in prayer? Do I give him my all on my feet at work?
2. A Poor Widow: Only Jesus could have seen that this widow was now
reduced to total dependence on family or friends. She gave more because she gave
herself with a heart full of surrender. Is there anything we can give God
that he has not already given us? We can give God our trustful surrender. The
poor widow gave to God with trust since she knew that he would continue to
care for her. She had no other real desire but to be with him and be enriched
by him. Her giving was serene and resigned, not despairing, but rather full
of hope. She had the hope of one who knows deep down how much God loves her.
How much do I trust and depend on him, particularly when other securities
begin to disappear?
3. Offering My
Whole Life: Jesus shows the great
importance of how we give—not only of what we give. What we have—our
possessions and those, which in some way we have made our own—are not for us.
We have them so that we might give them, and we should give them back to God,
for they are his. We give them as an expression of our love for God. I give
my life when I work diligently, practice charity, pray, or sacrifice for love
of Christ. All these acts of love, if not made explicit before, are made into
an intentional gift to Jesus, when I mentally place them upon the paten along
with the hosts to be consecrated during the Offertory at Mass. Do I give him
my whole life?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, awaken me to
all you are for me, and let me realize all that you have given me. May I
never cease to thank you through my own self-giving. You are my living and
constant invitation to be more generous, to give more often and with more
love. Open my heart, Lord, to your work!
Resolution: In prayer, I will make a list of all that I can do for
Jesus this week and offer this to him. Then, on Sunday during the Offertory,
I will mentally place before him on the paten all the sacrifices I have made
during the week—my real gift to him, given with faith and love.
By Father Edward
Hopkins, LC
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, LUKE 21:1-4
(Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time)
(Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5; Psalm 24)
(Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5; Psalm 24)
KEY VERSE: "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest" (v 3).
READING: As Jesus was teaching in the Women's Court of the Temple, he observed a poor widow putting two mites (lepta, the smallest coins in circulation) into the treasury box. The widow gave every penny she had to live on, and placed her hope and trust in God. The charity of this lowly woman stood in sharp contrast to the prideful religious leaders who loved to be honored and respected for their generosity, yet failed to carry out the law that required them to care for God's poor (Lk 20:45-47). Jesus said that the woman's gift was worth more than the larg offerings of those who gave from their surplus wealth. The woman represents the poor, the "anawim," who humbly depended upon God to supply their needs.
REFLECTING: How does my parish serve the widowed?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to be generous with my earthly goods.
Memorial of Andrew Dung-Lac, priest and
martyr, and his companions, martyrs
Christian missionaries first brought the Catholic faith to Vietnam during the sixteenth century. During the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, Vietnamese Christians were tortured and martyred for their beliefs. One hundred seventeen martyrs (96 Vietnamese; 11 Spanish and 10 French missionaries; 8 bishops; 50 priests and 59 lay people) are in the group that were proclaimed saints by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988. Andrew Dung-Lac, who represents this group of heroes, was a Vietnamese diocesan priest. The martyrs of Vietnam suffered to bring the people the greatest treasure that they possessed: their Catholic faith.
Monday 24 November
Ss Andrew Dung-Lac &
Cc.
Apocalypse
14:1-5. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face—Ps
23(24):1-6. Luke 21:1-4.
Our faith in the Communion
of Saints is reinforced by today’s celebration in honour of the
Vietnamese martyrs.
Andrew Dunlac and his
companions were among the 117 canonised martyrs who died in Vietnam between
1820 and 1862. In many countries today people are still dying for their faith.
This suggests that the cross is not peripheral to our faith. We may not be
called to martyrdom, but we experience trials that test our faith to
the limit.
The death of Jesus became
for him—and for us—a source of life. Let us pray today to the Father that we
will always be faithful to the cross of his Son.
We are called to stand firm
in faith when trials come just as Jesus maintained fidelity to his Father when
faced with the pain and injustice of his death on the cross.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Defeating Sin
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To replace our sins with virtues may seem like a daunting task,
but fortunately we can follow the example of the saints who have successfully
defeated these sins in their lifetimes. They provide us with a way forward so
that we, too, can live holy, virtuous lives.
November
24
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions
19th century
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions
19th century
Andrew Dung-Lac was one of 117 people martyred in Vietnam
between 1820 and 1862. Members of this group were beatified on four different
occasions between 1900 and 1951. All were canonized
by St. John Paul II.
Christianity
came to Vietnam (then three separate kingdoms) through the Portuguese. Jesuits
opened the first permanent mission at Da Nang in 1615. They ministered to
Japanese Catholics who had been driven from Japan.
The king
of one of the kingdoms banned all foreign missionaries and tried to make all
Vietnamese deny their faith by trampling on a crucifix. Like the priest-holes
in Ireland during English persecution, many hiding places were offered in homes
of the faithful.
Severe
persecutions were again launched three times in the 19th century. During the
six decades after 1820, between 100,000 and 300,000 Catholics were killed or
subjected to great hardship. Foreign missionaries martyred in the first wave
included priests of the Paris Mission Society, and Spanish Dominican priests
and tertiaries.
Persecution
broke out again in 1847 when the emperor suspected foreign missionaries and
Vietnamese Christians of sympathizing with a rebellion led by of one of
his sons.
The last
of the martyrs were 17 laypersons, one of them a 9-year-old, executed in 1862.
That year a treaty with France guaranteed religious freedom to Catholics, but
it did not stop all persecution.
By 1954
there were over a million and a half Catholics—about seven percent of the
population—in the north. Buddhists represented about 60 percent. Persistent
persecution forced some 670,000 Catholics to abandon lands, homes and
possessions and flee to the south. In 1964, there were still 833,000 Catholics
in the north, but many were in prison. In the south, Catholics were enjoying
the first decade of religious freedom in centuries, their numbers swelled by refugees.
During
the Vietnamese war, Catholics again suffered in the north, and again moved to
the south in great numbers. Now the whole country is under Communist rule.
Comment:
It may help a people who associate Vietnam only with a 20th-century war to realize that the cross has long been a part of the lives of the people of that country. Even as some people ask again the unanswered questions about United States involvement and disengagement, the faith rooted in Vietnam's soil proves hardier than the forces that willed to destroy it.
It may help a people who associate Vietnam only with a 20th-century war to realize that the cross has long been a part of the lives of the people of that country. Even as some people ask again the unanswered questions about United States involvement and disengagement, the faith rooted in Vietnam's soil proves hardier than the forces that willed to destroy it.
Quote:
“The Church in Vietnam is alive and vigorous, blessed with strong and faithful bishops, dedicated religious, and courageous and committed laypeople.... The Church in Vietnam is living out the gospel in a difficult and complex situation with remarkable persistence and strength” (statement of three U.S. archbishops returning from Vietnam in January 1989).
“The Church in Vietnam is alive and vigorous, blessed with strong and faithful bishops, dedicated religious, and courageous and committed laypeople.... The Church in Vietnam is living out the gospel in a difficult and complex situation with remarkable persistence and strength” (statement of three U.S. archbishops returning from Vietnam in January 1989).
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 21,1-4
Lectio:
Monday, November 24, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
increase our eagerness to do your will
and help us to know the saving power of your love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
increase our eagerness to do your will
and help us to know the saving power of your love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 21,1-4
Looking up, Jesus saw rich people putting their offerings into
the treasury; and he noticed a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small
coins, and he said, 'I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any
of them; for these have all put in money they could spare, but she in her
poverty has put in all she had to live on.'
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel Jesus weaves the praise of a poor widow who
knows how to share more than the rich. Many poor people today do the same.
People say: “The poor do not let the poor starve to death”. But, some times,
even this is not possible. A woman who went to live out in the country in the
periphery of a city in Brazil, in Paraiba, said: “In the country the people are
poor, but they always have something to share with the poor who knock at their
door. Now that I am here in the city, when I see a poor person who knocks on
the door, I hide because I feel ashamed, because I have nothing in the house to
share with him!” On one side, there are rich people who have everything but do
not know how to share; on the other side, there are poor people who have hardly
anything, but who want to share the little they have.
• At the beginning, in the Church, the great majority the first Christian communities, were formed by poor people. (1 Co 1, 26). After a short time, well- to-do people also entered these communities, and this caused several problems. The social tensions which were present in the Roman Empire began to appear also in the life of the communities. That manifested itself, for example, when they met together to celebrate the supper (1Co 11, 20-22), or when they held the meeting (Jm 2, 1-4). This is why, the teaching of the act of the widow was very actual, both for them as well as for us today.
• Luke 21, 1-2: The widow’s mite. Jesus was before the treasure in the Temple and observed people who put their offering into the treasury. The poor put in a few pennies, the rich offerings of great value. The Treasury of the Temple received much money. All gave something for the maintenance of the worship, to support the clergy and for the preservation of the building. Part of this money was used to help the poor, because at that time there was no social security. The poor lived at the mercy of public charity. The persons who had the greatest needs were the orphans and the widows. They depended for everything on the charity of others, but even in this way, they tried to share with others the little that they had. Thus, a very poor widow put her offering into the treasury of the Temple; just two pennies!
• Luke 21, 3-4: The comment of Jesus. Which is worth more: the few pennies of the widow or the great amount of the rich? According to the majority, the money of the rich was more useful for charity, than the few pennies of the widow. For example, the disciples thought that the problem of the people could be resolved only with much money. On the occasion of the multiplication of the loaves, they had suggested to buy bread to feed the people (Lk 9, 13; Mk 6, 37). Philip succeeded in saying: “Two-hundred denarii of bread are not sufficient even for everyone to have a piece of bread” (Jn 6, 7). In fact, for anyone who thinks like that, the two pennies of the widow do not serve for anything. But Jesus says: “I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them.” Jesus has diverse criteria. Calling the attention of the disciples on the act of the widow, he teaches them and us where we have to look for the manifestation of God’s will: in the poor and in sharing. This is a very important criterion: “In fact all these have put in money they could spare, but she in her poverty has put in all she had to live on”.
• Alms, sharing, riches. The practice of giving alms was very important for the Jews. It was considered to be a “good work”, because the law of the Old Testament said: “Of course, there will never cease to be poor people in the country, and that is why I am giving you this command: Always be open handed with your brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need and poor” (Dt 15, 11). The alms put into the treasury of the Temple, whether for the worship or for the needy, orphans or widows, were considered a pleasing act to God (Eccl 35, 2; cf. Eccl 17, 17; 29, 12; 40, 24). To give alms was a way to recognize that all goods of the earth belong to God and that we are only the administrators of these gifts. But the tendency to accumulate continues to exist and is very strong; it always arises anew in the human heart. Conversion is always necessary. This is why Jesus said to the rich young man: “Go, sell all you possess, give it to the poor!” (Mk 10, 21). In the other Gospels the same requirement is repeated: “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it” (Lk 12, 33-34; Mt 6, 9-20). The practice of sharing and of solidarity is one of the characteristics which the Spirit of Jesus wants to realize in the community. The result of the effusion of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was that: “None of the members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them, to present it to the apostles” (Ac 4,34-35ª; 2,44-45). This money deposited at the feet of the Apostles was not accumulated but “it was then distributed to any who might be in need” (Ac 4, 35 b; 2, 45). The entry of the rich into the Christian communities on the one side rendered possible the expansion of Christianity, providing better conditions for the missionary voyages. But on the other side, the tendency to accumulate blocked the movement of solidarity and of sharing. James helped people to become aware if they were following a mistaken path: “Well now you rich! Lament, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is rotting; your clothes are all moth-eaten.” (Jm 5,1-3). To undertake the way to the Kingdom, all need to become pupils of that poor widow, who shared with others that which was necessary for her living (Lk 21, 4).
• At the beginning, in the Church, the great majority the first Christian communities, were formed by poor people. (1 Co 1, 26). After a short time, well- to-do people also entered these communities, and this caused several problems. The social tensions which were present in the Roman Empire began to appear also in the life of the communities. That manifested itself, for example, when they met together to celebrate the supper (1Co 11, 20-22), or when they held the meeting (Jm 2, 1-4). This is why, the teaching of the act of the widow was very actual, both for them as well as for us today.
• Luke 21, 1-2: The widow’s mite. Jesus was before the treasure in the Temple and observed people who put their offering into the treasury. The poor put in a few pennies, the rich offerings of great value. The Treasury of the Temple received much money. All gave something for the maintenance of the worship, to support the clergy and for the preservation of the building. Part of this money was used to help the poor, because at that time there was no social security. The poor lived at the mercy of public charity. The persons who had the greatest needs were the orphans and the widows. They depended for everything on the charity of others, but even in this way, they tried to share with others the little that they had. Thus, a very poor widow put her offering into the treasury of the Temple; just two pennies!
• Luke 21, 3-4: The comment of Jesus. Which is worth more: the few pennies of the widow or the great amount of the rich? According to the majority, the money of the rich was more useful for charity, than the few pennies of the widow. For example, the disciples thought that the problem of the people could be resolved only with much money. On the occasion of the multiplication of the loaves, they had suggested to buy bread to feed the people (Lk 9, 13; Mk 6, 37). Philip succeeded in saying: “Two-hundred denarii of bread are not sufficient even for everyone to have a piece of bread” (Jn 6, 7). In fact, for anyone who thinks like that, the two pennies of the widow do not serve for anything. But Jesus says: “I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them.” Jesus has diverse criteria. Calling the attention of the disciples on the act of the widow, he teaches them and us where we have to look for the manifestation of God’s will: in the poor and in sharing. This is a very important criterion: “In fact all these have put in money they could spare, but she in her poverty has put in all she had to live on”.
• Alms, sharing, riches. The practice of giving alms was very important for the Jews. It was considered to be a “good work”, because the law of the Old Testament said: “Of course, there will never cease to be poor people in the country, and that is why I am giving you this command: Always be open handed with your brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need and poor” (Dt 15, 11). The alms put into the treasury of the Temple, whether for the worship or for the needy, orphans or widows, were considered a pleasing act to God (Eccl 35, 2; cf. Eccl 17, 17; 29, 12; 40, 24). To give alms was a way to recognize that all goods of the earth belong to God and that we are only the administrators of these gifts. But the tendency to accumulate continues to exist and is very strong; it always arises anew in the human heart. Conversion is always necessary. This is why Jesus said to the rich young man: “Go, sell all you possess, give it to the poor!” (Mk 10, 21). In the other Gospels the same requirement is repeated: “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it” (Lk 12, 33-34; Mt 6, 9-20). The practice of sharing and of solidarity is one of the characteristics which the Spirit of Jesus wants to realize in the community. The result of the effusion of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was that: “None of the members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them, to present it to the apostles” (Ac 4,34-35ª; 2,44-45). This money deposited at the feet of the Apostles was not accumulated but “it was then distributed to any who might be in need” (Ac 4, 35 b; 2, 45). The entry of the rich into the Christian communities on the one side rendered possible the expansion of Christianity, providing better conditions for the missionary voyages. But on the other side, the tendency to accumulate blocked the movement of solidarity and of sharing. James helped people to become aware if they were following a mistaken path: “Well now you rich! Lament, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is rotting; your clothes are all moth-eaten.” (Jm 5,1-3). To undertake the way to the Kingdom, all need to become pupils of that poor widow, who shared with others that which was necessary for her living (Lk 21, 4).
4) Personal questions
• Which are the difficulties and the joys that you find in your
life in practicing solidarity and sharing with others?
• How is it that the two pennies of the widow can be worth more than the large amounts of the rich? Which is the message of this text for us today?
• How is it that the two pennies of the widow can be worth more than the large amounts of the rich? Which is the message of this text for us today?
5) Concluding prayer
Be sure that Yahweh is God, he made us,
we belong to him, his people,
the flock of his sheepfold. (Ps 100,3)
we belong to him, his people,
the flock of his sheepfold. (Ps 100,3)
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