Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 508
Lectionary: 508
John said:
An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found anymore.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him.
They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.
An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found anymore.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him.
They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true,
and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7AB
R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
AlleluiaLK 21:36
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Meditation: "Lest your hearts be weighed
down"
Is there anything holding you back from the joy and
freedom of the Lord? God wants our hearts for him and for his kingdom of peace,
joy, and righteousness (Romans 14:17). But our hearts can be weighed down by
many different things. Jesus, our Lord and Master, offers us true freedom -
freedom from the power of sin and wasted life, and freedom from our unruly
desires and disordered passions - such as making food, drink or anything else
our master rather than our servant. Jesus wants our hearts to be ruled by one
thing only - his love and truth which enables us to choose whatever is good and
to reject whatever is evil and harmful for us.
Be ready to meet the Lord today
Jesus also warns us of the temptation to slacken off - to become spiritually idle, lazy, indifferent, or inattentive to God's presence and his word and guidance for our lives. We can fall asleep spiritually if we allow other things to distract us from the reality of God and his kingdom. It is very easy to get caught up in the things of the present moment or to be weighed down with anxious cares and concerns. The Lord wants us to be ready at all times to meet him - whether it be in our rising, eating, working, or taking our rest. He comes to draw us to himself - are you alert and attentive to his voice?
Jesus also warns us of the temptation to slacken off - to become spiritually idle, lazy, indifferent, or inattentive to God's presence and his word and guidance for our lives. We can fall asleep spiritually if we allow other things to distract us from the reality of God and his kingdom. It is very easy to get caught up in the things of the present moment or to be weighed down with anxious cares and concerns. The Lord wants us to be ready at all times to meet him - whether it be in our rising, eating, working, or taking our rest. He comes to draw us to himself - are you alert and attentive to his voice?
Speak your troubles to the Lord - he is listening
The Lord knows our struggles, weaknesses, and shortcomings. And he assures us that we do not need to carry our burdens alone nor struggle without his help. He is always very present and ready to give us whatever strength, guidance, and help we need to fight temptation and to stay the course which he has set for us. But there is one thing he doesn't tolerate: indifference, an attitude of not caring, and doing nothing! The Lord wants us to cast our anxieties on him and to ask for his guidance and help. Do you pray for God's strength and wisdom?
The Lord knows our struggles, weaknesses, and shortcomings. And he assures us that we do not need to carry our burdens alone nor struggle without his help. He is always very present and ready to give us whatever strength, guidance, and help we need to fight temptation and to stay the course which he has set for us. But there is one thing he doesn't tolerate: indifference, an attitude of not caring, and doing nothing! The Lord wants us to cast our anxieties on him and to ask for his guidance and help. Do you pray for God's strength and wisdom?
Until the Lord comes again we can expect troubles,
trials, and temptations. Our adversary the devil does not rest in his attempt
to lure us away from God's will for our lives. If he cannot succeed in getting
us to renounce our faith in Christ, he will try, little by little, to distract
us from pursuing God, especially in prayer and listening to his word. Ask the
Lord Jesus to rekindle the fire of his love in you so that you will be ready
and eager to meet him when he comes again.
"Lord Jesus, rouse my spirit to the truth that
this world is passing away. Give me a lively faith, a joyful hope, and a
fervent love to see you face to face when you return in glory."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Drunkenness weakens both soul and body,
by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"'But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be
weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that
day come upon you suddenly like a snare.' You heard the proclamation of the
eternal King. You learned the deplorable end of 'drunkenness' or 'intoxication'
Imagine a skilled and wise physician who would say, 'Beware, no one should
drink too much from this or that herb. If he does, he will suddenly be
destroyed.' I do not doubt that everyone would keep the prescriptions of the
physician's warning concerning his own health. Now the Lord, who is both the
physician of souls and bodies, orders them to avoid as a deadly drink the herb
'of drunkenness' and the vice 'of intoxication' and also the care of worldly
matters. I do not know if any one can say that he is not wounded, because these
things consume him.
"Drunkenness is therefore destructive in all
things. It is the only thing that weakens the soul together with the body.
According to the apostle, it can happen that when the body 'is weak,' then the
spirit is 'much stronger' (2 Corinthians 12:10), and when 'the exterior person
is destroyed, the interior person is renewed' (2 Corinthians 4:16). In the
illness of drunkenness, the body and the soul are destroyed at the same time.
The spirit is corrupted equally with the flesh. All the members are weakened:
the feet and the hands. The tongue is loosened. Darkness covers the eyes.
Forgetfulness covers the mind so that one does not know himself nor does he perceive
he is a person. Drunkenness of the body has that shamefulness." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON LEVITICUS 7.5–6)
SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 26, LUKE 21:34-36
(Revelation 22:1-7; Psalm 95)
(Revelation 22:1-7; Psalm 95)
KEY VERSE: "For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth" (v 35).
TO KNOW: Jesus often used the title "Son of Man" to describe his role as the humble servant of God who would be exalted through his death and resurrection. This was a reference to the Book of Daniel in which the "Son of Man" ascended to the throne of God to receive everlasting "dominion, glory, and kingship" (Dn 7:13-14). Jesus told his disciples not to be fearful of the cosmic events that would precede his arrival, but to be ever watchful for his return. He warned them not to indulge in carnal cravings and worldly anxieties that would dull their longing for that great day. He exhorted them to pray for the strength to endure the coming trials, and to be vigilant for his arrival (Greek, parousia).
TO LOVE: In what ways am I preparing myself for Christ's coming in Advent?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to live in faith as I await your glorious return.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED
VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, in the Liturgy, and reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary.
Saturday 26 November 2016
Sat 26th.
Apocalypse 22:1-7. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!—Ps 94(95):1-7. Luke 21:34-36.
'Guard your heart'
This short Gospel gives a warning to stay
alert for the second coming but also reminds us of the comfort and support of
connecting to God, particularly through prayer, can bring. When we focus too
much on the busyness of our lives or become slaves to our work, our passions,
or any form of addiction, we can lose sight of the support God can give us. In
the next verse of the Gospel, not in today's reading, Jesus leads by example
and goes off to spend time with God on the Mount of Olives. He put his relationship
with his Father at the centre of his mission. We are challenged to do the same.
Sharing our worries and concerns about our daily lives in prayer can lighten
our load and keeping in touch with God can indeed prepare us for his coming.
BLESSED SANTIAGO
ALBERIONE
Santiago Alberione was
born on April 4, 1884, the fourth of six children in a devout working class
family in San Lorenzo di Fossano, Cuneo, Italy. From a young age, he felt God
calling him, and on his first school when the teacher asked him what he wanted
to be when he grew up, he responded, “I want to be a priest.”
This desire of his came true when he entered the seminary in Alba. During the night of December 31 1900 to January 1 1901 while still in the seminary, he prayed for four hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He saw a light shine forth from the Host, and from that moment he had an unusually powerful certainty that God was calling him to do something for the people of the new century.
He was ordained on June 29, 1907 and was assigned to a parish in Narzole. He served as spiritual director for youth and altar servers in the Alba seminary beginning October 1, 1908 and in September of 1913 he became director of the weekly publication Gazzetta d'Alba.
He founded the Society of Saint Paul on August 20, 1914, the Daughters of Saint Paul on June 15, 1915, the Sisters Disciples of the Divine Master on February 10, 1924 and the Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd in Rome in August 1936. These congregations, under his leadership and still today, publish books and other materials for spreading of the word of God, thus fulfilling his intense conviction at the turn of the century of helping the people of the 20th century of Christianity.
During the course of his priestly and parochial ministry, he grew in the certainty that his call was to reach out to as many people as possible using new technology and media. To this end, he founded the Pauline family. The family grew as there was an increase in both mens and womens vocations, and the apostolate began to take shape rapidly. He founded various women's orders whose charisms were the publication and dissemination of books, and ministry to Pastors, among other things.
Alberione's work can best be summed up in the words of Pope Paul VI, who never held back his admiration for the Pauline ministry. “Father Alberione has given the Church new instruments with which to express herself, new means with which to invigorate herself and to amplify her apostolate, new capacity, and a new consciousness of the validity and the possibility of her mission in the modern world with modern means.
He died on November 26, 1971 in Rome, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 27, 2003.
This desire of his came true when he entered the seminary in Alba. During the night of December 31 1900 to January 1 1901 while still in the seminary, he prayed for four hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He saw a light shine forth from the Host, and from that moment he had an unusually powerful certainty that God was calling him to do something for the people of the new century.
He was ordained on June 29, 1907 and was assigned to a parish in Narzole. He served as spiritual director for youth and altar servers in the Alba seminary beginning October 1, 1908 and in September of 1913 he became director of the weekly publication Gazzetta d'Alba.
He founded the Society of Saint Paul on August 20, 1914, the Daughters of Saint Paul on June 15, 1915, the Sisters Disciples of the Divine Master on February 10, 1924 and the Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd in Rome in August 1936. These congregations, under his leadership and still today, publish books and other materials for spreading of the word of God, thus fulfilling his intense conviction at the turn of the century of helping the people of the 20th century of Christianity.
During the course of his priestly and parochial ministry, he grew in the certainty that his call was to reach out to as many people as possible using new technology and media. To this end, he founded the Pauline family. The family grew as there was an increase in both mens and womens vocations, and the apostolate began to take shape rapidly. He founded various women's orders whose charisms were the publication and dissemination of books, and ministry to Pastors, among other things.
Alberione's work can best be summed up in the words of Pope Paul VI, who never held back his admiration for the Pauline ministry. “Father Alberione has given the Church new instruments with which to express herself, new means with which to invigorate herself and to amplify her apostolate, new capacity, and a new consciousness of the validity and the possibility of her mission in the modern world with modern means.
He died on November 26, 1971 in Rome, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 27, 2003.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 21,34-36
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, November 26, 2016
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 21,34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: 'Watch
yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and
the cares of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap.
For it will come down on all those living on the face of the earth.
Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to hold your ground before the Son of man.'
Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to hold your ground before the Son of man.'
3) Reflection
• We are reaching the end of the long
Apocalyptic Discourse and also getting to the end of the ecclesiastical year.
Jesus gives a last piece of advice, inviting us to watch (Lk 21, 34-35) and to
pray (Lk 21, 36).
• Luke 21, 34-35: Attention not to lose the critical conscience. “Watch yourselves or your hearts will be coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap; for it will come down on all those living on the face of the earth”. Jesus had already given a similar advice when they asked him about the coming of the Kingdom (Lk 17, 20-21). He answers that the coming of the Kingdom will arrive like lightening; unexpectedly, without previous warning. Persons must be attentive and prepared always (Lk 17, 22-27). When the wait is very long, there is the risk of not being attentive and of not paying attention to the events of life “the hearts become coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life”. Today there are many distractions which render us insensitive and the propaganda can even pervert in us the sense of life. Being far away from the suffering of so many people in the world, we are not aware of the injustices which are committed.
• Luke 21, 36: Prayer, the source of a critical conscience and of hope. “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to hold your ground before the Son of Man”. Constant prayer is quite an important means so as not to lose the presence of spirit. We must deepen in our hearts the knowledge, the awareness of God’s presence among us and, in this way, he gives us the strength and the light to bear the bad days and to increase our hope.
• Summary of the Apocalyptic Discourse (Lk 21, 5-36). We have spent five days, from Tuesday to Saturday, meditating on and deepening the sense of the Apocalyptic Discourse for our life. All the three Synoptic Gospels have this Discourse of Jesus, each one in his own way. Let us try to see closely the version which the Gospel of Luke offers us. Here we give a brief summary of what we have been able to meditate during these five days.
The whole of the Apocalyptic Discourse is an attempt to help the persecuted communities to place themselves in the general overall plan of God and in this way have hope and courage to continue on the way. In the case of the Apocalyptic Discourse of the Gospel of Luke, the persecuted communities were living in the year 85. Jesus speaks in the year 33. His discourse describes the stages or the signs of the realization of God’s plan. In all, there are eight signs and periods of time of Jesus up to our time. Reading and interpreting his life in the light of the signs given by Jesus, the communities discovered at what level the execution of the plan was found. The first seven signs had taken place already. They all belonged to the past. And especially in the 6th and 7th signs (persecution and destruction of Jerusalem) the communities found the image or the mirror of that which was happening in their present time. The following are the seven signs:
Introduction to the discourse (Lk 21, 5-7)
1st sign: the false Messiahs (Lk 21, 8);
2nd sign: war and revolutions (Lk 21, 9);
3rd sign: nations which fight against other nations, a kingdom against another kingdom (Lk 21, 10);
4th sign: earthquakes in different places (Lk 21, 11);
5th sign: hunger, plagues and signs in the sky (Lk 21, 11);
6th sign: persecution of Christians and mission that they have to carry out (Lk 21, 12-19) + Mission
7th sign: destruction of Jerusalem (Lk 21, 20-24)
Arriving at this 7th sign the communities conclude: “We are in the 6th and 7th signs. And this is the more important question: “How much is lacking for the end?” Anyone who is persecuted does not want to know or hear about a distant future. But he wants to know if he will be alive the following day or if he will have the strength to bear the persecution up to the following day. The response to this disturbing question comes in the eighth sign.
8th sign: changes in the sun and the moon (Lk 21, 25-26) they announce the coming of the Son of Man (Lk 21, 27-28).
Conclusion: little is lacking, all is according to God’s plan, and all is like birth pangs. God is with us. It is possible to bear all this. Let us try to give witness of our faith in the Good News of Jesus
At the end, Jesus confirms everything with his authority (Lk 21, 29-33).
• Luke 21, 34-35: Attention not to lose the critical conscience. “Watch yourselves or your hearts will be coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will come upon you unexpectedly, like a trap; for it will come down on all those living on the face of the earth”. Jesus had already given a similar advice when they asked him about the coming of the Kingdom (Lk 17, 20-21). He answers that the coming of the Kingdom will arrive like lightening; unexpectedly, without previous warning. Persons must be attentive and prepared always (Lk 17, 22-27). When the wait is very long, there is the risk of not being attentive and of not paying attention to the events of life “the hearts become coarsened by debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life”. Today there are many distractions which render us insensitive and the propaganda can even pervert in us the sense of life. Being far away from the suffering of so many people in the world, we are not aware of the injustices which are committed.
• Luke 21, 36: Prayer, the source of a critical conscience and of hope. “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to hold your ground before the Son of Man”. Constant prayer is quite an important means so as not to lose the presence of spirit. We must deepen in our hearts the knowledge, the awareness of God’s presence among us and, in this way, he gives us the strength and the light to bear the bad days and to increase our hope.
• Summary of the Apocalyptic Discourse (Lk 21, 5-36). We have spent five days, from Tuesday to Saturday, meditating on and deepening the sense of the Apocalyptic Discourse for our life. All the three Synoptic Gospels have this Discourse of Jesus, each one in his own way. Let us try to see closely the version which the Gospel of Luke offers us. Here we give a brief summary of what we have been able to meditate during these five days.
The whole of the Apocalyptic Discourse is an attempt to help the persecuted communities to place themselves in the general overall plan of God and in this way have hope and courage to continue on the way. In the case of the Apocalyptic Discourse of the Gospel of Luke, the persecuted communities were living in the year 85. Jesus speaks in the year 33. His discourse describes the stages or the signs of the realization of God’s plan. In all, there are eight signs and periods of time of Jesus up to our time. Reading and interpreting his life in the light of the signs given by Jesus, the communities discovered at what level the execution of the plan was found. The first seven signs had taken place already. They all belonged to the past. And especially in the 6th and 7th signs (persecution and destruction of Jerusalem) the communities found the image or the mirror of that which was happening in their present time. The following are the seven signs:
Introduction to the discourse (Lk 21, 5-7)
1st sign: the false Messiahs (Lk 21, 8);
2nd sign: war and revolutions (Lk 21, 9);
3rd sign: nations which fight against other nations, a kingdom against another kingdom (Lk 21, 10);
4th sign: earthquakes in different places (Lk 21, 11);
5th sign: hunger, plagues and signs in the sky (Lk 21, 11);
6th sign: persecution of Christians and mission that they have to carry out (Lk 21, 12-19) + Mission
7th sign: destruction of Jerusalem (Lk 21, 20-24)
Arriving at this 7th sign the communities conclude: “We are in the 6th and 7th signs. And this is the more important question: “How much is lacking for the end?” Anyone who is persecuted does not want to know or hear about a distant future. But he wants to know if he will be alive the following day or if he will have the strength to bear the persecution up to the following day. The response to this disturbing question comes in the eighth sign.
8th sign: changes in the sun and the moon (Lk 21, 25-26) they announce the coming of the Son of Man (Lk 21, 27-28).
Conclusion: little is lacking, all is according to God’s plan, and all is like birth pangs. God is with us. It is possible to bear all this. Let us try to give witness of our faith in the Good News of Jesus
At the end, Jesus confirms everything with his authority (Lk 21, 29-33).
4) Personal questions
• Jesus asks that we watch so as not to
allow ourselves to be surprised by facts or events. How do I live this advice
of Jesus?
•The last warning of Jesus, at the end of the ecclesiastical year is this one: Watch and pray at all times. How do I put into practice in my life this advice of Jesus?
•The last warning of Jesus, at the end of the ecclesiastical year is this one: Watch and pray at all times. How do I put into practice in my life this advice of Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
For Yahweh is a great God,
a king greater than all the gods.
In his power are the depths of the earth,
the peaks of the mountains are his;
the sea belongs to him, for he made it,
and the dry land, moulded by his hands. (Ps 95,3-5)
a king greater than all the gods.
In his power are the depths of the earth,
the peaks of the mountains are his;
the sea belongs to him, for he made it,
and the dry land, moulded by his hands. (Ps 95,3-5)
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