Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-22-14, M, St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-22-14 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

November 22, 2014

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

 

Reading 1 Rv 11:4-12

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me:
Here are my two witnesses:
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
that stand before the Lord of the earth.
If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths
and devours their enemies.
In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain.
They have the power to close up the sky
so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying.
They also have power to turn water into blood
and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.

When they have finished their testimony,
the beast that comes up from the abyss
will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.
Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city,
which has the symbolic names “Sodom” and “Egypt,”
where indeed their Lord was crucified.
Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation
will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days,
and they will not allow their corpses to be buried.
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them
and be glad and exchange gifts
because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth.
But after the three and a half days,
a breath of life from God entered them.
When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.”
So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 144:1, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Gospel Lk 20:27-40

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called ‘Lord’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
Some of the scribes said in reply,
“Teacher, you have answered well.”
And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

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From: Revelation 11:4-12

The Death and Resurrection of the Two Witnesses (Continuation)

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[4] These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the
Lord of the earth. [5] And if any one would harm them, fire pours from their mouth
and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be
killed. [6] They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days
of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood,
and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. [7] And when
they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless
pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them, [8] and their dead
bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is allegorically called Sodom
and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

[9] For three days and a half men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and
nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,
[10] and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry
and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to
those who dwell on the earth. [11] But after the three and a half days a breath
of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell
on those who saw them. [12] Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying
to them, “Come up hither!” And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven
in a cloud.

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Commentary:

3-6. The period of tribulation coincides with the length of time the two witnesses
prophesy. They call people to penance (symbolized by their use of sackcloth).
God protects them in a very special way; and yet he does not spare them death
or suffering; in the end, however, they will be glorified in heaven. In the Apoca-
lypse the identity of the two witnesses is not given; they are referred to as “olive
trees” — the same language as used of Zerubbabel, a prince of the line of David,
and Joshua, the high priest (cf. Zech 3:3-14). But they are assigned features of
Elijah, who brought about a drought (cf. 1 Kings 17:1-3; 18:1), and Moses, who
turned the Nile to blood (cf. Ex 7:14-16). The enemies of Elijah and Moses were
also devoured by fire from heaven (cf. 2 Kings 1 :10; Num 16:35). However, be-
cause the two witnesses testify to Jesus Christ and die martyrs, tradition identi-
fies them with St Peter and St Paul, who suffered martyrdom in Rome, the city
which the Book of Revelation later mentions symbolically. Some early commen-
tators (e.g. Ticonius and St Bede) saw the two witnesses as standing for the Old
and New Testaments; but this interpretation has had little following. St Jerome
(”Epist.” 59) says that they are Elijah and Enoch, and St Gregory the Great and
others give that interpretation (”Moralia”, 9, 4).

What St John is doing is using a theme which occurs fairly frequently in apoca-
lyptic writings where Elijah and Enoch or other combinations of prominent figures
are portrayed as opponents of antichrist. His two witnesses do have features of
Elijah and Moses, both of whom bore witness to Christ at the Transfiguration
(cf. Mt 17:1-8 and par.). However, the duration of the trial they undergo, and the
entire context of the passage, point rather to them standing for the prophetic
witness of the Church, symbolized by certain more outstanding witnesses, who
were present at the death of Christ, which took place in Jerusalem, and who were
also witnesses of his glorious resurrection. However, it is the entire Church, right
through the course of its history, that has been given the prophetic role of calling
men to repentance in the midst of harassment and hostility: “The holy People of
God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office: it spreads a broad and living witness
to him, especially by a life of faith and love and by offering to God a sacrifice of
praise, the fruit of lips praising his name (cf. Heb 13: 15)” (Vatican II, “Lumen
Gentium”, 12). “The Church announces the good tidings of salvation [...] , so that
all men may believe the one true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent and
may be converted from their ways, doing penance (cf. Jn 17:3; Lk 24:27; Acts 2:
38)” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 9).

7-10. The prophet Daniel used four beasts to symbolize the empires of the world
as enemies of the people of Israel. In the Apocalypse the beast stands for the
enemy of the Church and the enemy of God. Further on it will develop this theme
and link the beasts to the dragon or Satan (cf. 13:2), and describe their defeat by
Christ, the Lamb of God (cf. 14:1; 19:19-21).

The symbol of the beast is brought forward in this passage to show that there will
be a point, or various points, before the End when the forces of evil will apparent-
ly win victory. Martyrdom silences the voices of the witnesses of Jesus Christ
who preach repentance; many will rejoice over this and even deride those whose
words or actions they find uncomfortable, despite the fact that when a Christian
bears witness to the salvation that comes from Jesus he is motivated purely by
love. “Since Jesus, the Son of God, showed his love by laying down his life for us,
no one has greater love than he who lays down his life for him and for his brothers
(cf. 1 Jn 3:16; Jn 15:13). Some Christians have been called from the beginning,
and will always be called, to give this greatest testimony of love to all, especially
to persecutors. Martyrdom makes the disciple like his Master, who willingly ac-
cepted death for the salvation of the world, and through it he is conformed to Him
by the shedding of blood. Therefore the Church considers it the highest gift and
supreme test of love. And while it is given to few, all, however, must be prepared
to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the cross amidst
the persecutions which the Church never lacks” (”Lumen Gentium”, 42).

“The great city”, whose name is not given, seems to be Jerusalem, which in Isai-
ah 1:10 is called Sodom because it has turned its back on God. However, when
the writer tells us that it is “allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their
Lord was crucified” (v. 8), we may take Jerusalem here to stand for any city or
even any nation where perversity holds sway (cf. Wis 19:14-17, which alludes to
Sodom and Egypt) and where Christians are persecuted and hunted down (cf.
Acts 9:5). Thus, St Jerome (”Epist.” 17) interpreted the names of Sodom and
Egypt as having a mystical or figurative meaning, referring to the entire world
seen as the city of the devil and of evildoers.

Further on, St John will identify the Rome of his time with this “great city” (cf.
17:9).

Evil will triumph for only a limited period. Its reign is fixed to last “three days and
a half”, to show its brevity and temporary character as compared with the one
thousand two hundred and sixty days (three years and a half) for which the pro-
phetic witness endures (cf. note on 11: 1-2).

11-13. Those who have given their lives to bear witness to Jesus will also,
through the power of the Holy Spirit, share in his resurrection and ascension into
heaven. The writer describes this by various references to the Old Testament, re-
ferences rich in meaning. The breath of life which causes the witnesses to stand
up, that is, to be resurrected, reveals the power of the Spirit of God, which is also
described by the prophet Ezekiel in his vision of the dry bones which become li-
ving warriors (cf. Ezek 37:1-14). The voice which calls them up to heaven reminds
us of what happened to Elijah at the end of his life (cf. 2 Kings 2:11), and to cer-
tain other Old Testament saints like Enoch (cf. Gen 5:24; Sir 44:16); according
to certain Jewish traditions (cf. Flavius Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities”, IV, 8, 48),
all of these men were carried up into heaven at the end of their days on earth.

The exaltation of the witnesses is in sharp contrast with the punishment meted
out to their enemies, a punishment designed to move men to conversion. The
earthquake indicates that the chastisement is sudden and unexpected; the num-
ber of those who die symbolizes a great crowd (thousands) embracing all types
(seven).

The prophecy of the two witnesses is a call to the Christian to bear witness to
Christ in the midst of persecution, even to the point of martyrdom. It makes it
quite clear that God does not abandon those who boldly take his side. If the pro-
phets of the Old Testament suffered martyrdom, the same will happen in the new,
only more so: the messianic times have begun, persecution will grow in strength,
but the end of the world is approaching.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

From: Luke 20:27-40

The Resurrection of the Dead

---

[27] There came to Him (Jesus) some Sadducees, those who say that there is
no resurrection, [28] and they asked Him a question saying, “Teacher, Moses
wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man
must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. [29] Now there were se-
ven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; [30] and the second
[31] and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32]
Afterward the woman also died. [33] In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife
will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

[34] And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in mar-
riage; [35] but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the
resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36] for they
cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God,
being sons of the resurrection. [37] But that the dead are raised, even Moses
showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of
Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38] Now He is not God
of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.” [39] And some of scribes ans-
wered, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” [40] For they no longer dared to ask
Him any question.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

27-40. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body or the im-
mortality of the soul. They came along to ask Jesus a question which is appa-
rently unanswerable. According to the Levirate law (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5ff), if
a man died without issue, his brother was duty bound to marry his widow to pro-
vide his brother with descendants. The consequences of this law would seem
to give rise to a ridiculous situation at the resurrection of the dead.

Our Lord replies by reaffirming that there will be a resurrection; and by explaining
the properties of those who have risen again, the Sadducees’ argument simply
evaporates. In this world people marry in order to continue the species: that is
the primary aim of marriage. After the resurrection there will be no more marriage
because people will not die anymore.

Quoting Sacred Scripture (Exodus 3:2, 6) our Lord shows the grave mistake the
Sadducees make, and He argues: God is not the God of the dead but of the li-
ving, that is to say, there exists a permanent relationship between God and Abra-
ham, Isaac and Jacob, who have been dead for years. Therefore, although these
just men have died as far as their bodies are concerned, they are alive, truly alive,
in God — their souls are immortal — and they are awaiting the resurrection of their
bodies.

See also the notes on Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27.

[The note on Matthew 22:23-33 states:

23-33. The Sadducees argue against belief in the resurrection of the dead on the
basis of the Levirate law, a Jewish law which laid down that when a married man
died without issue, one of his brothers, according to a fixed order, should marry
his widow and the first son of that union be given the dead man’s name. By out-
lining an extreme cases the Sadducees make the law and belief in resurrection
look ridiculous. In His reply, Jesus shows up the frivolity of their objections and
asserts the truth of the resurrection of the dead.]

[The note on Mark 12:18-27 states:

18-27. Before answering the difficulty proposed by the Sadducees, Jesus wants
to identify the source of the problem—man’s tendency to confine the greatness
of God inside a human framework through excessive reliance on reason, not gi-
ving due weight to divine Revelation and the power of God. A person can have dif-
ficulty with the truths of faith; this is not surprising, for these truths are above hu-
man reason. But it is ridiculous to try to find contradictions in the revealed word
of God; this only leads away from any solution of difficulty and may make it im-
possible to find one’s way back to God. We need to approach Sacred Scripture,
and, in general, the things of God, with the humility which faith demands. In the
passage about the burning bush, which Jesus quotes to the Sadducees, God
says this to Moses: “Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which
you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).]

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

---

First reading

Apocalypse 11:4-12 ©

I, John, heard a voice saying: ‘These, my two witnesses, are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the world. Fire can come from their mouths and consume their enemies if anyone tries to harm them; and if anybody does try to harm them he will certainly be killed in this way. They are able to lock up the sky so that it does not rain as long as they are prophesying; they are able to turn water into blood and strike the whole world with any plague as often as they like. When they have completed their witnessing, the beast that comes out of the Abyss is going to make war on them and overcome them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the Great City known by the symbolic names Sodom and Egypt, in which their Lord was crucified. Men out of every people, race, language and nation will stare at their corpses, for three-and-a-half days, not letting them be buried, and the people of the world will be glad about it and celebrate the event by giving presents to each other, because these two prophets have been a plague to the people of the world.’

  After the three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud.

---

Psalm

Psalm 143:1-2,9-10 ©

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

  who trains my arms for battle,

  who prepares my hands for war.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

He is my love, my fortress;

  he is my stronghold, my saviour

my shield, my place of refuge.

  He brings peoples under my rule.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

To you, O God, will I sing a new song;

  I will play on the ten-stringed lute

to you who give kings their victory,

  who set David your servant free.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

---

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are those who,

with a noble and generous heart,

take the word of God to themselves

and yield a harvest through their perseverance.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Luke 20:27-40 ©

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached him and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’

  Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’

  Some scribes then spoke up. ‘Well put, Master’ they said – because they would not dare to ask him any more questions.

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Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

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Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

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7 Powerful Ways to Pray for Christians Suffering in the Middle East

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Jesus, High Priest

 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem.  He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1.  Sign of the Cross:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

2.  The Apostles Creed:  I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3.  The Lord's Prayer:  OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary:  HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be:  GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer.  Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

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~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
 Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we  humbly pray,
 and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
 by the power of God,
 Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
 Amen
+

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A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

   

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?  

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.    Please forward this to your praying friends.

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(For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." II Maccabees 12

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

To Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

1. Have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered up for them.

2. Pray the Rosary and or the Chaplet of Divine Marcy for them, or both.

3. Pray the Stations of the Cross.

4. Offer up little sacrifices and fasting.

5. Spread devotion to them, so that others may pray for them.

6. Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them.

7. Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls

8. Visit to a Cemetery

 

Litany for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance; 

He shall not fear the evil hearing.

V. Absolve, O Lord, the souls of the faithful departed 

from every bond of sin, 

R. And by the help of Thy grace

may they be enabled to escape the avenging judgment, 

and to enjoy the happiness of eternal life. 

Because in Thy mercy are deposited the souls that departed 

in an inferior degree of grace,

Lord, have mercy.

Because their present suffering is greatest 

in the knowledge of the pain that their separation from Thee is causing Thee,

Lord, have mercy. 

Because of their present inability to add to Thy accidental glory, 

Lord, have mercy.

Not for our consolation, O Lord; 

not for their release from purgative pain, O God; 

but for Thy joy 

and the greater accidental honour of Thy throne, O Christ the King,

Lord, have mercy.

For the souls of our departed friends, relations and benefactors, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those of our family who have fallen asleep in Thy bosom, O Jesus, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who have gone to prepare our place,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

(For those who were our brothers [or sisters] in Religion,)

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For priests who were our spiritual directors,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For men or women who were our teachers in school,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who were our employers (or employees),

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who were our associates in daily toil,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For any soul whom we ever offended,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For our enemies now departed,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those souls who have none to pray for them,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those forgotten by their friends and kin,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those now suffering the most,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who have acquired the most merit,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For the souls next to be released from Purgatory,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those who, while on earth, 

were most devoted to God the Holy Ghost, 

to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, 

to the holy Mother of God,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all deceased popes and prelates,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all deceased priests, seminarians and religious, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all our brethren in the Faith everywhere, 

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For all our separated brethren who deeply loved Thee, 

and would have come into Thy household had they known the truth,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those souls who need, or in life asked, our prayers,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

For those, closer to Thee than we are, whose prayers we need,

grant light and peace, O Lord.  

That those may be happy with Thee forever, 

who on earth were true exemplars of the Catholic Faith, 

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.

That those may be admitted to Thine unveiled Presence, 

who as far as we know never committed mortal sin,     

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be housed in glory, 

who lived always in recollection and prayer,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be given the celestial joy of beholding Thee, 

who lived lives of mortification and self-denial and penance,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be flooded with Thy love, 

who denied themselves even Thy favours of indulgence 

and who made the heroic act 

for the souls who had gone before them,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

That those may be drawn up to the Beatific Vision, 

who never put obstacles in the way of sanctifying grace 

and who ever drew closer in mystical union with Thee,

grant them eternal rest, O Lord.  

V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, 

R. And let perpetual light shine upon them. 

Let Us Pray 

Be mindful, O Lord, 

of Thy servants and handmaids, 

N. and N., 

who are gone before us 

with the sign of faith 

and repose in the sleep of grace.  

To these, O Lord, 

and to all who rest in Christ, 

grant, we beseech Thee, 

a place of refreshment, 

light and peace, 

through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen

Halloween and All Saints Day
All Saints or All Souls? Differences should be black and white
All Souls' Day [Catholic Caucus]
Why I Am Catholic: For Purgatory, Thank Heavens (Ecumenical)
Q and A: Why Pray for the Dead? [Ecumenical]
“….and Death is Gain” – A Meditation on the Christian View of Death [Catholic Caucus]
99 & 1/2 Won’t Do – A Meditation on Purgatory
The Month of November: Thoughts on the "Last Things"
To Trace All Souls Day.........

November 2 -- All Souls Day
On November: All Souls and the "Permanent Things"
"From the Pastor" ALL SAINTS & ALL SOULS
Praying for the Dead [All Souls Day] (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
To Trace All Souls Day [Ecumenical]
All Souls Day [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Roots of All Souls Day
The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
During Month of Souls, Recall Mystic, St. Gertrude the Great
All Saints and All Souls

[Salvation]

November 2014 Year A

Pope's Intentions

Universal: That all who suffer loneliness may experience the closeness of God and the support of others.

For Evangelization: That young seminarians and religious may have wise and well-formed mentors.

[Salvation]

Guard your eyes that they may not look upon anything contrary to purity; your ears, that they may not listen to evil conversation; your mind, by banishing from it all suggestive thoughts; your heart, by stifling impure desires at their very birth.

-- Saint John Baptist de la Salle

[Salvation]

Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

[Salvation]

The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

[lightman]

It is not often that both the Orthodox and the Roman calendars commemorate a Martyr on the same day, but such is the blessed coincidence for St. Cecilia:

Reading:

Saint Cecilia was of an illustrious Roman family. On being betrothed to Valerian, she drew him to the Faith of Christ, and he in turn drew his own brother Tiburtius to the same. They contested in martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian, in the year 288.

Apolytikion of Martyrs Cecilia and Companions in the Fourth Tone

Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion of Martyrs Cecilia and Companions in the Fourth Tone

In godly wise let us, the hosts of the faithful, sing hymns to her wedded to Christ of her own will, Cecilia, whose pure heart with virtues was adorned; for she wholly put to shame the conceit of Almacius, and she shone bright as the sun amidst them that pursued her and then appeared to those upon the earth as a divine staff that strengthened the holy Faith.

[Salvation]

Thanks, lightman.

[Salvation]

Saint Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr

Saint Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr
Memorial
November 22nd

Carlo Saraceni
Saint Cecilia and the Angel
c. 1610 - Oil on canvas
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome

 

History
Virgin and martyr, patroness of church music, died at Rome. This saint, so often glorified in the fine arts and in poetry, is one of the most venerated martyrs of Christian antiquity. The oldest historical account of St. Cecilia is found in the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum"; from this it is evident that her feast was celebrated in the Roman Church in the fourth century.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )

---

Prayer
Dear Saint Cecilia, one thing we know for certain about you is that you became a heroic martyr in fidelity to your divine Bridegroom.

We do not know that you were a musician but we are told that you heard Angels sing.

Inspire musicians to gladden the hearts of people by filling the air with God's gift of music and reminding them of the divine Musician who created all beauty.

Amen.

---

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

First Reading: Hosea 2:16-17,21-22
"And in that day, says the Lord, you will call me, 'My husband,' and no longer will you call me, 'My Baal.' For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more. "And in that day, says the Lord, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth; and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel."

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:1-13
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.