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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-10-12, M, St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor/Church
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-10-12 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 11/09/2012 8:35:18 PM PST by Salvation

November 10, 2012

 

Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church

 

Reading 1 Phil 4:10-19

Brothers and sisters:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me.
You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.
Not that I say this because of need,
for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,
to be self-sufficient.
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.

You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
not a single church shared with me
in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.
For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.
It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.
I have received full payment and I abound.
I am very well supplied because of what I received from you
through Epaphroditus,
"a fragrant aroma," an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1b-2, 5-6, 8a and 9

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Lk 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."


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; ordinarytime; prayer; saints
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To: annalex
9. And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12. And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13. No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

GREG. In order then that after death they may find something in their own hand, let men before death place their riches in the hands of the poor. Hence it follows, And I say to you, d/lake to yourselves friends of the man of unrighteousness, &c.

AUG. That which the Hebrews call mammon, in Latin is "riches." As if He said, "Make to yourselves friends of the riches of unrighteousness." Now some misunderstanding this, seize upon the things of others, and so give something to the poor, and think that they are doing what is commanded. That interpretation must be corrected into, Give alms of your righteous labors. For you will not corrupt Christ your Judge. If from the plunder of a poor man, you were to give any thing to the judge that he might decide for you, and that judge should decide for you, such is the force of justice, that you would be ill pleased in yourself. Do not then make to yourself such a God. God is the fountain of Justice, give not your alms then from interest and usury. I speak to the faithful, to whom we dispense the body of Christ. But if you have such money, it is of evil that you have it. Be no longer doers of evil. Zaccheus said, Half my goods I give to the poor. See how he runs who runs to make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; and not to be held guilty from any quarter, he says, If have taken any thing from any one, I restore fourfold. According to another interpretation, the mammon of unrighteousness are all the riches of the world, whenever they come. For if you seek the true riches, there are some in which Job when naked abounded, when he had his hears full towards God. The others are called riches from unrighteousness; because they are not true riches, for they are full of poverty, and ever liable to chances. For if they were true riches, they would give you security.

AUG. Or the riches of unrighteousness are so called, because they are not riches except to the unrighteous, and such as rest in their hopes and the fullness of their happiness. But when these things are possessed by the righteous, they have indeed so much money, but no riches are theirs but heavenly and spiritual.

AMBROSE. Or he spoke of the unrighteous Mammon, because by the various enticements of riches covetousness corrupts our hearts, that we may be willing to obey riches.

BASIL; Or if you have succeeded to a patrimony, you receive what has been amassed by the unrighteous; for in a number of predecessors some one must needs be found who has unjustly usurped the property of others. But suppose that your father has not been guilty of exaction, whence have you your money? If indeed you answer, "From myself;" you are ignorant of God, not having the knowledge of your Creator; but if, "From God," tell me the reason for which you receive it. Is not the earth and the fullness thereof the Lord's? If then whatever is ours belongs to our common Lord, so will it also belong to our fellow-servant.

THEOPHYL. Those then are called the riches of unrighteousness which the Lord has given for the necessities of our brethren and fellow-servants, but we spend upon ourselves. It became us then, from the beginning, to give all things to the poor, but because we have become the stewards of unrighteousness, wickedly retaining what was appointed for the aid of others, we must not surely remain in this cruelty, but distribute to the poor, that we may be received by them into everlasting habitations. For it follows, That, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

GREG. But if through their friendship we obtain everlasting habitations, we ought to calculate that when we give we rather offer presents to patrons, than bestow benefits upon he needy.

AUG. For who are they that shall have everlasting habitations but the saints of God? and who are they that are to be received by them into everlasting habitations but they who administer to their want, and whatsoever they have need of, gladly supply. They are those little ones of Christ, who have forsaken all that belonged to them and followed Him; and whatsoever they had have given to the poor, that they might serve God without earthly shackles, and freeing their shoulders from the burdens of the world, might raise them aloft as with wings.

AUG. We must not then understand those by whom we wish to be received into everlasting habitations to be as it were debtors of God; seeing that the just and holy are signified in this place, who cause those to enter in, who administered to their necessity of their own worldly goods.

AMBROSE; Or else, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that by giving to the poor we may purchase the favor of angels and all the saints.

CHRYS. Mark also that He said not, "that they may receive you into their own habitations." For it is not they who receive you. Therefore when He said, Make to yourselves friends, he added, of the mammon of unrighteousness, to show, that their friendship will not alone protect us unless good works accompany us, unless we righteously cast away all riches unrighteously amassed. The most skillful then of all arts is that of almsgiving. For it builds not for us houses of mud, but lays up in store an everlasting life. Now in each of the arts one needs the support of another; but when we ought to show mercy, we need nothing else but the will alone.

CYRIL; Thus then Christ taught those who abound in riches, earnestly to love the friendship of the poor, and to have treasure in heaven. But He knew the sloth of the human mind, how that they who court riches bestow no work of charity upon the needy. That to such men there results no profit of spiritual gifts, He shows by obvious examples, adding, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Now our Lord opens to us the eye of the heart, explaining what He had said, adding, If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteousness mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? That which is least then is the mammon of unrighteousness, that is, earthly riches, which seem nothing to those that are heavenly wise. I think then that a man is faithful in a little, when he imparts aid to those who are bowed down with sorrow. If then we have been unfaithful in a little thing, how shall we obtain from hence the true riches, that is, the fruitful gift of Divine grace, impressing the image of God on the human soul?

But that our Lord's words incline to this meaning is plain from the following; for He says, And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's who shall give you that which is your own?

AMBROSE; Riches are foreign to us, because they are something beyond nature, they are not born with us, and they do not pass away with us. But Christ is ours, because He is the life of man. Lastly, He came to His own.

THEOPHYL. Thus then hitherto He has taught us how faithfully we ought to dispose of our wealth. But because the management of our wealth according to God is no otherwise obtained than by the indifference of a mind unaffected towards riches, He adds, No man can serve two masters.

AMBROSE; Not because the Lord is two, but one. For although there are who serve mammon, yet he knows no rights of lordship; but has himself placed upon himself a yoke of servitude. There is one Lord, because there is one God. Hence it is evident, that the power of the Father and the Son is one and He assigns a reason, thus saying, For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.

AUG. But these things were not spoken indifferently or at random. For no one when asked whether he loves the devil, answers that he loves him, but rather that he hates him; but all generally proclaim that they love God. Therefore either he will hate the one, (that is, the devil,) and love the other, (that is, God;) or will hold to the one, (that is, the devil, when he pursues as it were temporal wants,) and will despise the other, (that is, God,) as when men frequently neglect His threats for their desires, who because of His goodness flatter themselves that they will have impunity.

CYRIL; But the conclusion of the whole discourse is what follows, You cannot serve God and man. Let us then transfer all our devotions to the one, forsaking riches.

BEDE; Let then the covetous hear this, that we can not at the same time serve Christ and riches; and yet He said not, "Who has riches," but, who serves riches; for he who is the servant of riches, watches them as a servant; but he who has shaken off the yoke of servitude, dispenses them as a master; but he who serves mammon, verily serves him who is set over those earthly things as the reward of his iniquity, and is called the prince of this world.

14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15. And he said to them, you are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

BEDE; Christ had told the Pharisees not to boast of their own righteousness, but to receive penitent sinners, and to redeem their sins by almsgiving. But they derided the Preacher of mercy, humility, and frugality; as it is said, And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard these things; and derided him: it may be for two reasons, either because He commanded what was not sufficiently profitable, or cast blame upon their past superfluous actions.

THEOPHYL. But the Lord detecting in them a hidden malice, proves that they make a presence of righteousness. Therefore it is added, And he said to them, you are they which justify yourselves before men.

BEDE; They justify themselves before men who despise sinners as in a weak and hopeless condition, but fancy themselves to be perfect and not to need the remedy of almsgiving; but how justly the depth of deadly pride is to be condemned, He sees who will enlighten the hidden places of darkness. Hence it follows, But God knows your hearts.

THEOPHYL. And therefore you are an abomination to Him because of your arrogance, and love of seeking after the praise of men; as He adds, For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Catena Aurea Luke 16
21 posted on 11/10/2012 7:33:30 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


Baptism of Christ

Domenico Ghirlandaio

c. 1473
Fresco
Sant'Andrea a Brozzi, San Donnino

22 posted on 11/10/2012 7:34:33 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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Saint Leo the Great, Pope & Doctor of the Church

Saint Leo the Great,
Pope & Doctor of the Church
Memorial
November 10th


Alessandro Algardi
The Meeting of Leo I and Attila
1646-53
Marble, height: 750 cm
Basilica di San Pietro, Vatican

 

(+461) During his pontificate, the Council of Chalcedon (451) defined that Christ is one divine person with two natures, divine and human, thus confirming Leo's Epistola Dogmatica (Tomus) which was written to the Patriarch Flavin of Constantinople. He defended the unity of the Church and famously delayed the onslaught of Attila.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
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. +Amen.

First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 39:8-14 [39:6-10 in RSV]
If the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth words of wisdom and give thanks to the Lord in prayer. He will direct his counsel and knowledge aright, and meditate on his secrets. He will reveal instruction in his teaching, and will glory in the law of the Lord's covenant. Many will praise his understanding, and it will never be blotted out; his memory will not disappear, and his name will live through all generations. Nations will declare his wisdom, and the congregation will proclaim his praise.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."


Christ lives in his Church
From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope (Sermo 12 de Passione, 3, 6-7: PL 54, 355-357) 

"My dear brethren, there is no doubt that the Son of God took our human nature into so close a union with himself that one and the same Christ is present, not only in the firstborn of all creation, but in all his saints as well. The head cannot be separated from the members, nor the members from the head. 

Not in this life, it is true, but only in eternity will God be all in all, yet even  now he dwells, whole and undivided, in his temple the Church. Such was his promise to us when he said: See, I am  with you always, even to the end of the world. And so all that the Son of God did and taught for the world's reconciliation is not for us simply a matter of past history. Here and now we experience his power at work among us. 

Born of a virgin mother by the action of the Holy Spirit, Christ keeps his Church spotless and makes her fruitful by the inspiration of the same Spirit. In baptismal regeneration she brings forth children for God beyond all numbering. These are the sons of whom it is written: They are born not of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. In Christ Abraham's posterity is blessed, because in him the whole world receives the adoption of sons, and in him the patriarch becomes the father of all nations through the birth, not from human stock but by faith, of the descendants that were promised to him. From, every nation on earth, without exception, Christ forms a single flock of those he has sanctified, daily fulfilling the promise he once made: I have other sheep, not of this fold, whom it is also ordained that I shall lead; and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 

Although it was primarily to Peter that he said: Feed my sheep, yet the one Lord guides all pastors in the discharge of their office and leads to rich and fertile pastures all those who come to the rock. There is no counting the sheep who are nourished with his abundant love, and who are prepared to lay down their lives for the sake of the good shepherd who died for them. 

But it is not only the martyrs who share in his passion by their glorious courage; the same is true, by faith, of all who are born again in baptism. That is why we are to celebrate the Lord's paschal sacrifice with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The leaven of our former malice is thrown out, and a new creature is filled and inebriated with the Lord himself. For the effect of our sharing in the body and blood of Christ is to change us into what we receive. As we have died with him, and had been buried and raised to life with him, so we bear him within us, both in body and in spirit in everything we do." 

Source: Vatican Website


Related link on the Vatican Website:

AETERNA DEI SAPIENTIA, ENCYCLICAL OF POPE JOHN XXIII  ON COMMEMORATING THE FIFTEENTH CENTENNIAL  OF THE DEATH OF POPE ST. LEO I: THE SEE OF PETER AS THE CENTER OF CHRISTIAN UNITY, NOVEMBER 11, 1961

Benedict XVI, General Audience, Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, March 5, 2008, Saint Leo the Great

Related link on the New Advent Website:

St. Leo the Great writings:

- Sermons
- Letters


23 posted on 11/10/2012 12:11:06 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Tome of St. Leo the Great on the Two Natures of Christ
Praise for and prose from St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor (Long) [Catholic Caucus]
The Reason Why Leo Was Great
Christ Lives in His Church by St. Leo the Great [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

The Days between the Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord by St. Leo the Great [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Leo the Great
Pope St. Leo the Great - Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church
Pope St. Leo the Great and the Petrine Primacy
St. Leo the Great Pope of Rome February 18th
St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Saint Leo the Great - Defender of Rome and Codifier of Orthodoxy
THE CHRISTMAS HOMILY OF SAINT LEO THE GREAT ON THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY - I
St. Leo the Great on Authority
St. Leo the Great on the Papacy"

24 posted on 11/10/2012 12:14:00 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Information:
St. Leo the Great
Feast Day: November 10
Born: 400 at Tuscany, Italy
Died: 11 April 461 at Rome, Italy



25 posted on 11/10/2012 12:19:50 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Leo the Great

St. Leo the Great
Feast Day: November 10
Born: (around) 400 :: Died: 461

St. Leo was born at Tuscany in Italy. He came from a noble Roman family and was a very good student especially in scripture and theology (religious studies). When he grew up, he became a priest and was a powerful writer and preacher.

When Pope Sixtus died in 440, St. Leo became pope. Those were difficult times for the Church. Barbarian armies of Attila the Hun were attacking Christians in many places.

Within the Church, some people were spreading heresies (false teachings about the faith), too. But St. Leo was one of the greatest popes there ever was. He was absolutely unafraid of anything or anyone. He had great trust in the help of the first pope, St. Peter the apostle and prayed to St. Peter often.

To stop the spread of false teachings, St. Leo explained the true faith with his famous writings. He called a Council to condemn the wrong teachings. Those who would not give up their mistaken beliefs were put out of the Church. And Pope Leo received back into the Church those who were sorry. He asked people to pray for them.

When Attila the Hun came to attack Rome, all the people were filled with fear. They knew that the Huns had already burned many cities. To save Rome, St. Leo rode out to meet the fierce leader, Attila.

The only weapon he had was his great trust in God. When they met, something wonderful happened. Attila, the cruel pagan leader, showed the pope great honor. He made a treaty of peace with him.

Attila said afterward that he had seen two mighty figures standing by the pope while he spoke. It is believed that they were the great apostles, Peter and Paul. They had been sent by God to protect Pope Leo and the Christians.

Because of his humility and charity, Pope Leo was loved by all. He was pope for twenty-one years. He died on November 10, 461.


26 posted on 11/10/2012 12:24:20 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Catholic
Almanac:
Saturday, November 10
Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church. He reigned as pope from 440 to 461 A.D. Many of his writings still exist, including 96 sermons and 143 letters, providing insight into early church history.

27 posted on 11/10/2012 7:45:37 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: November 10, 2012
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: 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.

Ordinary Time: November 10th

Memorial of St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor

Old Calendar: St. Andrew Avellino, priest; Sts.Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha, virgins and martyrs

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor, during whose pontificate the Council of Chalcedon (451) defined that Christ is one divine person with two natures, divine and human. It was a confirmation of his Epistola Dogmatica (Tomus) to the Patriarch Flavian of Constantinople. He vigorously defended the unity of the Church. He detained the onrush of the barbarians under Attila. His feastday in the Extraordinary Rite is April 11.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Andrew Avellino who was born in Sicily and died at Naples. As a cleric he went to Naples to study law, and was meanwhile raised to the priestly dignity. Today is also the commemoration of Sts. Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha. Tryphon, a Phrygian, was martyred with his companion Respicius at Nicaea (c.250). Nympha was a virgin of Palermo, martyred in the fourth century.


St. Leo the Great
Leo I, Pope and Doctor of the Church, ruled from 440 to 461. He is surnamed "the Great" and ranks among the most illustrious sovereigns that ever sat on the throne of St. Peter. Of his life, we know little; with him the man seems to disappear before the Pope. He saw most clearly that one of his greatest tasks was to vindicate the primacy of the Roman bishop, St. Peter's successor, and to raise the prestige of the Holy See before the entire world. Hardly any Pope in history has occupied a like position in the ecclesiastical and political world.

As a writer, too, his name is famous. His sermons, which occur frequently in the Divine Office, belong to the finest and most profound in patristic literature. The Council of Chalcedon was held under his direction (451). The Breviary tells us: Leo I, an Etruscan, ruled the Church at the time when Attila, King of the Huns, who was called the Scourge of God, invaded Italy. After a siege of three years, he took, sacked and burned Aquileia, and then hurried on toward Rome. Inflamed with anger, his troops were already preparing to cross the Po, at the point where it is joined by the Mincio.

Here Attila was stopped by Leo (452). With God-given eloquence, the Pope persuaded him to turn back, and when the Hun was asked by his servants why, contrary to custom, he had so meekly yielded to the entreaties of a Roman bishop, he answered that he had been alarmed by a figure dressed like a priest that stood at Leo's side; this individual was holding a drawn sword and acted as if he would kill him if he advanced farther. As a result Attila retreated to Pannonia.

Meanwhile, Leo returned to Rome, and was received with universal rejoicing. Some time later, the Vandal Genseric entered the city, and again Leo, by the power of his eloquence and the authority of his holy life, persuaded him to desist from atrocity and slaughter (455). Leo was also active in matters liturgical. The so-called Leonine sacramentary, a compendium of Missal prayers, contains

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Symbols: Image of the Virgin; pick-axe; model of St. Maria Maggiore; horse; Attila kneeling.

Things to Do:

  • Learn more about the Nestorian heresy and the Council of Chalcedon;

  • Just as St. Leo triumphed over the pagan invaders, pray for the civilized barbarians who would persuade us that religion should be eliminated from education and that the State, in its laws and institutions should simply ignore our Lord Jesus Christ;

  • Read Pope John XXIII's Encyclical on St. Leo;

  • The name Leo means "lion," so a cake in the shape of a lion would be an appropriate name-day dessert.


St. Andrew Avellino
As a young priest Andrew served at an ecclesiastical court. While making a defense, a small lie slipped by his lips; soon afterward he accidentally read the words, "A lying mouth kills the soul" (Wis. 1:11). Deeply moved, he resigned his position and dedicated himself solely to the service of God and the welfare of souls. In 1566 he entered the Order of Theatines and chose the name Andrew out of love for the Cross of Christ. He labored most zealously as a shepherd of souls. With fatherly love and prudence he spent countless hours hearing confessions. He frequently visited the towns and villages in the neighborhood of Naples to preach the saving message of the Gospel.

By means of miracles God Himself often glorified the love of neighbor burning in the heart of His holy priest. Once as he was returning home from a round of duties, the rain and wind extinguished the lantern he was carrying. He and his companion, however, were not soaked by the downpour. In fact, rays of light proceeded from his body and guided them through the dense darkness. Many came to him to settle cases of conscience, his letters number thousands. Worn out by work and enfeebled by age, he suffered a stroke at the foot of the altar just as he was beginning holy Mass and died as he repeated for the third time, "I will go unto the altar of God." He is venerated as patron against sudden death.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against sudden death; apoplexics; apoplexy; for a holy death; Naples, Sicily; stroke victims; strokes.

Things to Do: What is our attitude on speaking the truth? Think about the seriousness of lying and examine your conscience about your attitude toward the truth. The words, "A lying mouth kills the soul," might well resound in our ears all through the day. And in what condition is my love toward Christ and His Cross? Would I choose the name Andrew out of love for the Cross? What a beautiful death — to die at the altar! Pray for an equally happy death, well prepared, and with the mercy of the last sacraments.


Sts. Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha
St. Tryphon, whose relics were preserved at Cattaro, in Dalmatia, had an oratory at Rome in which the Greeks celebrated his feast on February 1. For unknown reasons hagiographers have joined his commemoration with that of St. Respicius, who appears to have been a Roman martyr. St. Nympha was venerated at Porto in Sicily; her body, translated to Rome, was buried in the church of SS. Tryphon and Respicius. Due to lack of evidence this feast was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.

Patron: St. Trypon is the patron of gardeners.


28 posted on 11/10/2012 7:51:31 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Doctors of the Catholic Church




Saint Leo the Great is the first born pope doctor. His greatness is evident from his roles as peacemaker amidst terror, unifier amidst controversy, and pastoral concern amidst war, diseases, and famine. For two decades during his pontificate the powers of terrorists and Hell attacked and plundered Rome and its citizens.

Leo believed and trusted in God through the intercession of St Peter, the Rock of the Church, and Jesus Christ. It was he who gave Peter and his successors that power over all mortals who would challenges his church on earth.

In addition to writing, leading, and exemplying a unified doctrine for the church, Leo acted in the role of peacemaker which was rare in his day. He met, nearly single-handedly, Attila the Hun, "The Terror of the World" and showed him God's own enormous and terrible power.

Leo is called the Doctor of the Unity of the Church for many reasons, and, they are listed below


St Leo, 391-461. Doctor of Doctrine, Feast Nov 10th


29 posted on 11/10/2012 7:55:51 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 16:9-15

Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

“The person who is trust­worthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones.” (Luke 16:10)

As a carpenter, Jesus was familiar with woodworking tools: what they were good for, how to use and care for them. In this reading, he speaks about another kind of tool: money. It’s not the only tool, nor even the most important tool. It’s just a tool, like a hammer or a saw. And just as Jesus learned how to use each tool in the carpentry shop, we too have to learn how to use this tool, money.

Most of us can count money, make simple change, and tender it to buy necessities. But Jesus says it’s for more than that. Learn to use it to make friends or build the Church. Learn to be trustworthy with how­ever little or much you have. If you have no income, if you’ve lost your house, if you can barely afford gro­ceries, God knows that. God is reasonable. If you don’t have a tool, he doesn’t expect you to use it! He also knows that many of us do have this tool, and he wants us to use it wisely.

Think about a hammer. You use it for specific purposes at specific times, and then you put it away until the next time. In between, if you’re like most people, you don’t think about it at all. Similarly, money is meant to be a tool to help us. Beyond the necessary use and main­tenance of it, can you put it in your “tool chest” and not think about it?

It is an issue of the heart. Using money should not make you fear­ful. Thinking habitually that you don’t have enough for yourself, and worrying about what will happen if you were to give some away have no place in the heart of a child of God. That’s how orphans think.

You are not an orphan. You have a very rich Father in heaven! Let that truth penetrate deep into your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how best to use your money. And as you use it as the tool God intends, watch for “the profit that accrues to your account” (Philippians 4:17)—the spiritual grace, wisdom, and blessing that flow from the throne of God.

“Holy Spirit, clean up my thinking about money. Help me to see it as the tool it is and to use it in the ways that you intend.”

Philippians 4:10-19; Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 8-9


30 posted on 11/10/2012 8:01:18 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
 
Marriage = One Man and One Woman
Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for November 10, 2012:

Yearning for a baby? For some couples pregnancy comes easily but for those eagerly waiting, it can be emotionally draining. Natural Family Planning can help couples identify their most fertile days. Pray for pregnant couples and for those who wait.


31 posted on 11/10/2012 8:08:33 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Regnum Christi

The Choice Between God and Mammon
| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church



Father Steven Reilly, LC

Luke 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."

Introductory Prayer: Father in heaven, I come to you today to praise and worship you. In my faith, I reach out to you, knowing that you love me and are leading me to heaven. I trust in your mercy and boundless love.

Petition: Lord, help me to break the disordered attachments in my life.

1. Earning Trust: Parents know well what this means! Discovering that your teenage child’s story about being at a friend’s house studying was just that — a story — makes for a very unpleasant realization. Trust has been broken. After the “grounding” takes effect, the speech is then delivered: “Here’s what you do if you want to earn back our trust…” Certainly the family car won’t be lent out again until progress in the small things has been seen. That’s the message Jesus has for us today. Our sins are like the trust-breakers of the teenage kid. They show we aren’t ready for God’s greatest gifts, so we have to start with the small things. Each grace we respond to opens the door to receiving another grace. If we are trustworthy in very small matters, we can be trusted with the greater. Following through on the everyday graces will someday lead to the grace of graces: the Beatific Vision.

2. God and/or Mammon: Part of earning trust with God is getting our priorities straight. Taking a God-AND-mammon approach to life is similar to trying to say the rosary while watching television. The Hail Mary’s may come out, but they do so with as much reflection as is put into breathing. We simply can’t have our cake and eat it too. Foolishly entertaining any bad habits (our personal version of mammon) that erode our commitment shows God that we are not spiritually mature enough to be fully trusted. On the other hand, when we take a determined step to break these attachments, we make a big step forward. God must come first!

3. Human Eyes See Only Part of the Story: Naturally, this effort to live a God-centered life is going to generate mixed reactions. The Pharisees scorn Jesus for this: To them, he seems totally naïve about money. Like them, if we see things only from a merely human perspective, big chunks of reality elude us. Jesus is the one who has the complete picture. We can trust him completely to lead us in the right direction. We won’t need to hedge our bets with human props for our sense of security.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for helping me to realize that your grace is more important than anything I could ever have in this world. Break the hold of mammon in my life so that I might serve you with greater purity of intention.

Resolution: I will make that sacrificial donation to charity that I have been putting off.


32 posted on 11/10/2012 8:16:14 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

The Place of Money

 

by Food For Thought on November 10, 2012 · 

Reading 1 Phil 4:10-19

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1b-2, 5-6, 8a And 9

Gospel Lk 16:9-15

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us how he views money. For Jesus, money is a little thing. What is important for Jesus is eternal life: divine goods, spiritual riches. Jesus advises us to be good managers, responsible stewards of money, so that we may be worthy of managing more important affairs of a spiritual order.

For Jesus, money is often a symbol of dishonesty. Jesus simply agrees with popular common sense. Money, which is difficult to acquire and the consequence of work, may have perhaps been the fruit of oppression, and miserliness. Dishonesty is, in this matter, especially serious, for it deprives others of what is theirs by right.

For Jesus, he prefers that money be used to serve others and thus become a symbol of love. This ultimately is the deepest meaning of the parable of the cunning manager. Jesus seems to be telling us: so much the better if your treasure chest is getting filled, provided it gets empty in the service of God and people.

Jesus does not want a little, He wants All


33 posted on 11/10/2012 8:20:46 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Saturday, November 10, 2012 >> Pope St. Leo the Great
 
Philippians 4:10-19
View Readings
Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 8-9 Luke 16:9-15
 

RETURN TO SENDER

 
"Not a single congregation except yourselves shared with me by giving me something for what it had received." —Philippians 4:15
 

When we receive something from the Lord and from His people, we open an account (Phil 4:17). We need to give something for what we have received. We are responsible to respond. For example, Jesus expected the ten lepers, whom He healed, to respond by returning to Him and thanking Him (Lk 17:17-18). He expects us to do something with what He has given us (see Mt 25:14ff). The Christian life is a matter of loving the Lord "because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19).

The Christian life is not so much getting something done, but responding in love and thanksgiving to the One Who has done all that is good. Thus, Christianity is centered on the Lord. Each day, our goal is to please Him. We are living for an audience of one, that is, the Lord. We do not need to achieve anything by the standards of the world. We do not need to please others (see Gal 1:10). Our lives are for the purpose of responding to the Lord. Each of us must constantly ask the question: "How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?" (Ps 116:12) Make a return to the Lord.

 
Prayer: Father, may I love You back.
Promise: "Make friends for yourselves through your use of this world's goods, so that when they fail you, a lasting reception will be yours." —Lk 16:9
Praise: Pope St. Leo had a profound supernatural gift of administration, which was a hallmark of his papacy. "The first requirement of an administrator is that he prove trustworthy" (1 Cor 4:2). He defended the faith for two decades as a faithful administrator of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1).

34 posted on 11/10/2012 8:23:29 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
18" x 24' Full Color Signs

35 posted on 11/10/2012 8:24:25 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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