NOVEMBER 11, 2017 : MEMORIAL OF SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS, BISHOP

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Lectionary: 490

Reading 1ROM 16:3-9, 16, 22-27

Brothers and sisters:
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus,
who risked their necks for my life,
to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
greet also the Church at their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus,
who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ.
Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia,
my relatives and my fellow prisoners;
they are prominent among the Apostles
and they were in Christ before me.
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,
and my beloved Stachys.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ greet you.

I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.
Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole Church, greets you.
Erastus, the city treasurer,
and our brother Quartus greet you.

Now to him who can strengthen you, 
according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Responsorial PsalmPS 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11

R. (1b) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Alleluia2 COR 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon."

The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
"You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God."

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Meditation: "Who will entrust to you the true riches?"

What does "tainted money" (or "unrighteous mammon") have to do with heavenly treasure and eternal life? Jesus exhorts his disciples to be like the shrewd steward who used money generously to make friends and win for himself a secure and happy future (see the parable of the dishonest steward in Luke 16:1-9). Generous giving is connected with alms-giving - the sharing of our financial and material resources with those in need (Luke 12:33). Those who receive alms become your friends because you are merciful to them in their time of need, just as God is merciful to you in your need for his forgiveness and help. 

The rabbis had a saying, "The rich help the poor in this world, but the poor help the rich in the world to come." Ambrose, a 4th century bishop commenting on the parable of the rich fool who tore down his barns to build bigger ones to store his goods. said: The bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever. The true treasure which lasts is the treasure stored up for us in heaven. God richly rewards those who give generously from the heart to help those in need.

True generosity does not impoverish - but enriches the giver
What is the enemy of generosity? It's greed, the excessive desire for personal gain and security. However, we do not need to be afraid for true generosity does not impoverish the giver, but enriches that person a hundredfold! Generosity expands the soul - but greed contracts it. God is generous and superabundant in lavishing his gifts upon us. We can never outmatch God in generosity. He has given us the best of gifts in sending us his only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered up his life for us on the cross. The Father also offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills us with the fruit of peace, joy, patience, kindness, love, and self-control (Galatians 5:22) - and many other blessings as well. Everything we have is an outright gift of God. Do you know the joy and freedom of blessing others with the gifts and resources God has given to you?

What controls or rules your life?
Jesus concludes his parable with a lesson on what controls or rules our lives. Who is the master (or ruler) in charge of your life? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, and controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by. We can be ruled by many different things - the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the glamour of wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires." 

When a number of the religious leaders heard Jesus' parable they reacted with scorn (Luke 16:14). Jesus spoke to the condition of their hearts - they were lovers of money (Luke 16:14). Love of money and wealth crowd out love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus makes clear that our heart must either be possessed by God's love or our heart will be possessed by the love of something else.

The Lord alone can satisfy our desires and give us generous hearts
There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from greed and possessiveness. That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ who died to set us free and who rose to give us new abundant life. The Lord Jesus invites us to make him the Master and Lord of our lives. He alone can satisfy the desires of our heart and transform us in his love through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our money, time, and possessions are precious resources and gifts from God. We can guard them jealously for ourselves alone or allow the love of the Lord to guide us in making good use of them for the benefit of others - especially those in need - and for the work of the Lord in advancing his kingdom. Ask the Lord to fill your heart with a spirit of generosity and joy in sharing what you have with others.

"Lord Jesus, may the fire of your love burn in my heart that I may be wholly devoted to you above all else. Free me from greed and attachment to material things that I may be generous in using the gifts and resources you give me for your glory and for the good of my neighbor."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mammon is the Hebrew word for 'riches,' just as in Punic the word for 'profit' is mammon. What are we to do? What did the Lord command? 'Make yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity, so that they too, when you begin to fail, may receive you into eternal shelters.' It is easy, of course, to understand that we must give alms and a helping hand to the needy, because Christ receives it in them... We can understand that we have to give alms and that we must not really pick and choose to whom we give them, because we are unable to sift through people's hearts. When you give alms to all different types of people, then you will reach a few who deserve them. You are hospitable, and you keep your house ready for strangers. Let in the unworthy, in case the worthy might be excluded. You cannot be a judge and sifter of hearts." (excerpt from Sermon 359A.11-12)

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, LUKE 16:9-15
(Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27; Psalm 145)

KEY VERSE: "You cannot serve God and mammon" (v 13).
TO KNOW: Jesus taught his disciples that material goods should be used to build up the kingdom of God on earth. The phrase to make friends with "mammon" (dishonest wealth) roughly means to do good works with material possessions. Jesus told his disciples to be faithful and honest in all their dealings, whether large or small. If they could not be trusted with material goods, how could they be trusted in the greater matters of spiritual wealth? Jesus rebuked those whose values were turned upside down. He warned them that worldly goods could possibly lead to dishonesty and greed. Then a person could end up being possessed by their possessions. One cannot be a servant of God and a slave to material goods at the same time.
TO LOVE: Which master do I serve, God or mammon?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to have a balanced attitude toward my earthly goods

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, bishop

When Martin was in his early teens, he discovered Christianity and became a catechumen. He joined the Roman imperial army at age 15. Once, while on horseback in Gaul (modern France), he encountered a half-naked beggar and gave half of his officer's cloak to him. Later Martin had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak. Martin was released from military service, and became a student of Saint Hilary at Poitiers. Learning that the Arians had gained the upper hand in Gaul and had exiled Hilary, Martin fled to the island of Gallinaria. Later, the Emperor authorized Hilary's return. Martin became a hermit for ten years and had a reputation for holiness which attracted other monks. They formed what would become the Benedictine Abbey of Ligugé. When the bishop of Tours died in 371, Martin was the choice to replace him. Martin declined, citing his unworthiness, yet when he arrived in the city, he was declared bishop by popular acclamation, and consecrated on 4 July 372.
NOTE: Arianism taught that Christ was a creation of the Father, a creature, and not part of God. Athanasius formulated the doctrine of homoousianism which said that Christ was "consubstantial with the Father,” as we pray in the Nicene Creed. ​

VETERAN'S DAY (USA) 

Veterans Day is the American name for the international day of remembrance called Armistice Day. It falls on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War 1. All major hostilities of World War 1 were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Armistice Day was first commemorated in the United States by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and many states made it a legal holiday. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all Americans to observe the day, and made it a legal holiday nationwide in 1938. Today, Veterans Day is a celebration to honor all of America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. 

Remembrance Day (Canada)

Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve their country during times of war, conflict and peace. More than 1,500,000 Canadians have served their country in this way, and more than 100,000 have died. They gave their lives and their futures so that all may live in peace.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Saturday 11 November 2017

St Martin Of Tours.

Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27. Psalm 144(145):2-5, 10-11. Luke 16:9-15.

I will praise your name for ever, Lord — Psalm 144(145):2-5, 10-11.

‘We have left everything and followed you.’

The disciples feel very vulnerable at this point, but Jesus wants to comfort and encourage them of the decisions they have made and would continue to need to make. Jesus doesn’t promise his disciples material wealth but the blessing and joy of knowing God and the peace and unity he grants. It is a hundred times more, even in this life, as well as unending life in the age to come.

Following the Lord may cause you to leave what is familiar but it always involves his care and his blessings and an encouragement to continue trusting him in spite of the difficulties.

No earthly good or possession can match the joy of knowing God. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the joy and knowledge of God’s personal love.

www.pray.com.au

ST. MARTIN OF TOURS

On Nov. 11, the Catholic Church honors St. Martin of Tours, who left his post in the Roman army to become a “soldier of Christ” as a monk and later bishop.

Martin was born around the year 316 in modern-day Hungary. His family left that region for Italy when his father, a military official of the Roman Empire, had to transfer there. Martin's parents were pagans, but he felt an attraction to the Catholic faith which had become legal throughout the empire in 313. He received religious instruction at age 10, and even considered becoming a hermit in the desert.

Circumstances, however, forced him to join the Roman army at age 15, when he had not even received baptism. Martin strove to live a humble and upright life in the military, giving away much of his pay to the poor. His generosity led to a life-changing incident, when he encountered a man freezing without warm clothing near a gate at the city of Amiens in Gaul.

As his fellow soldiers passed by the man, Martin stopped and cut his own cloak into two halves with his sword, giving one half to the freezing beggar. That night, the unbaptized soldier saw Christ in a dream, wearing the half-cloak he had given to the poor man. Jesus declared: “Martin, a catechumen, has clothed me with this garment.”

Martin knew that the time for him to join the Church had arrived. He remained in the army for two years after his baptism, but desired to give his life to God more fully that the profession would allow. But when he finally asked for permission to leave the Roman army, during an invasion by the Germans, Martin was accused of cowardice.

He responded by offering to stand before the enemy forces unarmed. “In the name of the Lord Jesus, and protected not by a helmet and buckler, but by the sign of the cross, I will thrust myself into the thickest squadrons of the enemy without fear.” But this display of faith became unnecessary when the Germans sought peace instead, and Martin received his discharge.

After living as a Catholic for some time, Martin traveled to meet Bishop Hilary of Poitiers, a skilled theologian and later canonized saint. Martin's dedication to the faith impressed the bishop, who asked the former soldier to return to his diocese after he had undertaken a journey back to Hungary to visit his parents. While there, Martin persuaded his mother, though not his father, to join the Church.

In the meantime, however, Hilary had provoked the anger of the Arians, a group that denied Jesus was God. This resulted in the bishop's banishment, so that Martin could not return to his diocese as intended. Instead Martin spent some time living a life of severe asceticism, which almost resulted in his death. The two met up again in 360, when Hilary's banishment from Poitiers ended.

After their reunion Hilary granted Martin a piece of land to build what may have been the first monastery in the region of Gaul. During the resulting decade as a monk, Martin became renowned for raising two people from the dead through his prayers. This evidence of his holiness led to his appointment as the third Bishop of Tours in the middle of present-day France.

Martin had not wanted to become a bishop, and had actually been tricked into leaving his monastery in the first place by those who wanted him the lead the local church. Once appointed, he continued to live as a monk, dressing plainly and owning no personal possessions. In this same spirit of sacrifice, he traveled throughout his diocese, from which he is said to have driven out pagan practices.

Both the Church and the Roman Empire passed through a time of upheaval during Martin's time as bishop. Priscillianism, a heresy involving salvation through a system of secret knowledge, caused such serious problems in Spain and Gaul that civil authorities sentenced the heretics to death. But Martin, along with the Pope and St. Ambrose of Milan, opposed this death sentence for the Priscillianists.

Even in old age, Martin continued to live an austere life focused on the care of souls. His disciple and biographer, St. Sulpicius Severus, noted that the bishop helped all people with their moral, intellectual and spiritual problems. He also helped many laypersons discover their calling to the consecrated life of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Martin foresaw his own death and told his disciples of it. But when his last illness came upon him during a pastoral journey, the bishop felt uncertain about leaving his people.

“Lord, if I am still necessary to thy people, I refuse no labour. Thy holy will be done,” he prayed. He developed a fever, but did not sleep, passing his last several nights in the presence of God in prayer.

“Allow me, my brethren, to look rather towards heaven than upon the earth, that my soul may be directed to take its flight to the Lord to whom it is going,” he told his followers, shortly before he died in November of 397.

St. Martin of Tours has historically been among the most beloved saints in the history of Europe. In a 2007 Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his hope “that all Christians may be like St Martin, generous witnesses of the Gospel of love and tireless builders of jointly responsible sharing.”

www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=50

LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 16,9-15

Lectio Divina: 

 Saturday, November 11, 2017

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel reading - Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to His disciples: "And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great; anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great.
If then you are not trustworthy with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches?
And if you are not trustworthy with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?”
"No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money."

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him. He said to them, "You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God.”

3) Reflection

• The Gospel today presents some words of Jesus concerning goods. They are words and loose phrases, and we do not know in which context they were said. Luke puts them here to form a small unity around the correct use of the goods of this life and to help us to better understand the sense of the parable of the dishonest steward (Lk 16, 1-8).
• Luke 16, 9: Use well the unjust money. "Use money, tainted as it is, to win friends, and then make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.” Luke seeks    to show it is better to use money to win “friends” here, by using it towards the poor and God’s Kingdom, so that you will be welcomed into the Kingdom later. He generally viewed money as a corrupting influence both for the person and for the community as the communities grew beyond just the poor. In the Old Testament, the ancient word to indicate the poor (ani) means impoverished. It comes from the verb ana, to oppress, to lower. This affirmation recalls the parable of the dishonest steward whose riches were unjust. . Here we have the context of the communities at the time of Luke in the years of the 80’s after Christ. At the beginning, the Christian communities arose among the poor (cf. 1 Co 1, 26; Ga 2, 10). Little by little persons who were richer joined the communities. The entrance of the rich caused some problems which appear in the advice given in the Letter of James (Jm 2, 1-6;5, 1-6), in the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1Cor 11, 20-21) and in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 6, 24). These problems became worse toward the end of the first century, as it is said in the Apocalypse in its letter to the community of Laodicea (Rev 3, 17-18). The phrases of Jesus kept by Luke are a help to clarify and solve this problem.
• Luke 16, 10-12: To be faithful in small as well as in great things. “Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great, and anyone who is dishonest in little things is dishonest in great. If then you are not trustworthy with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you are not trustworthy with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?” This phrase clarifies the parable of the dishonest steward. He was not faithful. That is why he was taken away from the administration. This word of Jesus also suggests how to give life and to put into practice the advice regarding makin[1] g friends with unjust money. The advice moves from eschatological times to the present. One can “make friends” with unjust money by putting it to good use to help the poor. In this case, “unjust money” is not money gotten improperly, but riches that create an unjust “attachment” to it and corrupts. “Genuine riches” in this passage are grace and gifts from God. So this suggests that charity to the poor precedes being trusted with greater “genuine” riches. Sharing and giving to the poor is the beginning, and the opening up of self to be able to receive even greater gifts.

• Luke 16, 13: You cannot serve God and money. Jesus is very clear in His affirmation. No servant can be the slave of two masters. He will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be a slave to both God and money”. Both the Pharisees and the Saducees loved their wealth and positions, and Luke’s point is that money corrupts. Each one of us should make a choice, and ask himself/herself: “Whom do I put in the first place in my life, God or money?” In the place of the word money each one can put other words: automobile, employment, prestige, goods, house, image, etc. This choice will depend on understanding  Divine Providence  (Mt 6, 25-34). It is a matter of priority in life and trust. To build up these riches for their own sake, or as a form of protection, is to trust in them more than God’s providence. It can also lead to excesses, beyond what is sufficient. These are choices that show, by how one lives, where love and trust in God are placed.

• Luke 16, 14-15: Criticism of the Pharisees who like money. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him. He said to them, “You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God”. On another occasion Jesus mentions the love of some Pharisees toward money: “You devour the property of widows, rob their houses and in appearance you make long prayers” (Mt 23, 14: Lk 20, 47; Mk 12, 40). They allowed themselves to be dragged by the wisdom of the world, of which Paul says: “Consider, brothers, how you were called; not many of you are wise by human standards, not many influential, not many from noble families. But God chose those who by human standards are fools to shame the wise. He chose those who by human standards are weak to shame the strong, those who by common standards are common and contemptible, indeed those who count for nothing - to reduce to nothing all those who do count for something” (1 Cor 1, 26-28). Some Pharisees liked money, just like today some priests like money. The advice of Jesus and of Paul is valid for them.

4) Personal questions

• You and money: what choice do you make?

• Faithful in small things. How do you speak of the Gospel and how do you live the Gospel?

5) Concluding prayer

How blessed is anyone who fears Yahweh,
who delights in His commandments!
His descendants shall be powerful on earth,
the race of the honest shall receive blessings. (Ps 112,1-2)

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