Posted on 11/26/2014 8:24:33 PM PST by Salvation
November 27, 2014
Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Rv 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a
I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority,
and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
He cried out in a mighty voice:
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a haunt for demons.
She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird,
a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.”
A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone
and threw it into the sea and said:
“With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down,
and will never be found again.
No melodies of harpists and musicians,
flutists and trumpeters,
will ever be heard in you again.
No craftsmen in any trade
will ever be found in you again.
No sound of the millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
No light from a lamp
will ever be seen in you again.
No voices of bride and groom
will ever be heard in you again.
Because your merchants were the great ones of the world,
all nations were led astray by your magic potion.”
After this I heard what sounded like
the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
“Alleluia!
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
They said a second time:
“Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever.”
Then the angel said to me, “Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
R. (Rev. 19: 9a) Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Gospel Lk 21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
November 27, 2014
The following are a selection of the readings that may be used on this day.
Reading 1 Sir 50:22-24
And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you;
May his goodness toward us endure in Israel
to deliver us in our days.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
R. (see 1) 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.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his 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
Reading 2 1 Cor 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel Lk 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
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From: Luke 19:41-44
Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
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Commentary:
41-44. When the procession reaches a place where there is a good view of the
city, they are disconcerted by Jesus’ unexpected weeping. Our Lord explains
why He is weeping, by prophesying the destruction of the city which He loved
so much: not one stone will remain on another, and its inhabitants will be mas-
sacred—a prophecy which was fulfilled in the year 70, when Titus razed the city
and the temple was destroyed. These historical events will be a punishment
for Jerusalem failing to recognize the time of its visitation, that is, for closing its
gates to the salvific coming of the Redeemer. Jesus loved the Jews with a very
special love: they were the first to whom the Gospel was preached (cf. Matthew
10:5-6); to them He directed His ministry (cf. Matthew 15:24); He showed by His
word and by His miracles that He was the Son of God and the Messiah foretold
in the Scriptures. But the Jews for the most part failed to appreciate the grace
the Lord was offering them; their leaders led them to the extreme of calling for
Jesus to be crucified.
Jesus visits every one of us; He comes as our Savior; He teaches us through
the preaching of the Church; He gives us forgiveness and grace through the sa-
craments. We should not reject our Lord, we should not remain indifferent to
His visit.
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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.
From: Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a
The Fall of Babylon Proclaimed
[21] Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into
the sea, saying,
“So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and shall be found no more;
[22] and the sound of harpers and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters,
shall be heard in thee no more;
and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee no more;
and the sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee” more;
[23] and the light of a lamp shall shine in thee no more; and the voice of bride-
groom and bride shall be heard in thee no more;
for thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and all nations were
deceived by thy sorcery.
Songs of Victory in Heaven
[9a] And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to
the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
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Commentary:
1-3. These verses describing the downfall of Rome follow the prophetical style of
foretelling a future event by reporting it as something that has already happened.
First the fall of the city is proclaimed (vv. 1-3). Then the people of God are exhor-
ted to leave the city and escape the terrible punishment soon to befall it (vv. 4-8).
This is followed by the lament of the kings who were allied to Rome (vv. 9-10), of
the merchants who prospered by trading with her (v. 11-17a) and of the sailors
(17b-19). Finally we are shown the joy of those who suffered under her yoke and
now see justice done.
In words reminiscent of Old Testament passages foretelling the destruction of
hostile cities (cf. Is 13:21-22; 21:9; Jer 50:30; Ezek 43:3-5), St John describes
the fate of Rome in the last days before its desolation. Among the sins which
have brought about its ruin is unbridled sexual indulgence (cf. also vv. 7 and 12-
14). Such behavior leads to the degradation and self-destruction of society, as
witness the history of civilization and contemporary experience. Consumerism,
self-indulgence and greed for possessions, clearly feature of our time, were de-
nounced by Pius XI when he said that “the disease of the modern age, and the
main source of the evils we all deplore, is that lack of reflection, that continuous
and quite feverish pursuit of external things, that immoderate desire for wealth
and pleasure, which gradually causes the heart to lose sight of its nobler ideals,
drowning them in a sea of impermanent, earthly things, and preventing them
from contemplating higher, eternal things” (”Mens Nostra”, 6).
20-24. In sharp contrast with the previous lamentation is this invitation to rejoice
— the reply to which comes in 19:1-8, where we are told that the elect joyfully in-
tone songs in praise of God almighty. The throwing of the millstone into the sea
is an instance of “prophetic action”; it comes from Jeremiah 51:60-64, which
uses this device to prophesy the total downfall of Babylon. The millstone also
appears is Luke 17:2 and par, as a symbol of disgrace and shame.
The sepulchral silence and darkness of the city are described in detail. The rea-
son for this terrible punishment was its opulence, its idolatry and the fact that it
was where the Christian martyrs were tortured and put to death. Like Jerusalem
it is called “city of blood” (cf, Ezek 24:6). and just as the ancient capital of Israel
was accused by Jesus of murdering the prophets and messengers of God and
was told that all the blood it had spilt would come back upon it (cf. Mt 23:35), so
will Rome be punished for martyring the saints.
1-4. The righteous rejoice to see their enemy overwhelmed; the praises they sing
of God end in three loud “Hallelujahs”. In the following passage (vv. 64), they wel-
come the establishment of the Kingdom of God and the imminent marriage of the
Lamb.
This is the first and only time the word “Hallelujah” appears in the New Testament.
It is a Hebrew term (”hallelu-yah”) meaning “Praise Yahweh” used especially in
the psalms (cf., e.g., Ps 111; 114; 115). The Church uses it, unchanged, usually
to express to God its joy and praise at the resurrection of Christ. It is used parti-
cularly at Eastertide and also on many other days, both in the divine office and in
the celebration of the Eucharist.
These shouts of praise are motivated by the salvation which comes from God and
by the rightness of his judgments as evidenced by the punishment inflicted on the
great harlot who is turned into a fire which burns forever.
9. On the instructions of the angel who is explaining the vision to him (cf. 17:1), St
John tells Christians to count themselves blessed (v.9); God guarantees the truth
of this assurance. At Mass the priest makes a similar proclamation just before dis-
tributing Holy Communion: “Happy are those who are called to his (the Lord’s] sup-
per.” This shows that the Eucharist truly is “a pledge of future glory”.
*********************************************************************************************
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.
From: Luke 21:20-28
Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
[25] “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dis-
tress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, [26] men
fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of
the heavens will be shaken. [27] And then they will see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] Now when these things begin to take
place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
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Commentary:
20-24. Jesus gives quite a detailed prophecy of the destruction of the Holy City.
When the Christians living there saw the armies getting closer, they remembered
this prophecy and fled to Transjordan (cf. Eusebius, “Ecclesiastical History,” III,
5). Christ had advised them to flee as soon as possible because this is the time
when God would punish Jerusalem for its sins, as the Old Testament predicted
(Is 5:5-6).
Catholic tradition sees Israel as symbolizing the Church. In fact, in the Book of
Revelation the Church triumphant is called the heavenly Jerusalem (cf. Rev 21:2).
Therefore, by applying this passage to the Church, the sufferings the Holy City
experiences can symbolize the contradictions the pilgrim Church will experience
due to the sins of men, for “she herself takes her place among the creatures
which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the children of God” Vati-
can II, “Lumen Gentium”, 48).
24. “The times of the Gentiles” means the period in which the Gentiles, who do
not belong to the Jewish people, will become members of the new people of God,
the Church, until the Jews themselves are converted at the end of the world (cf.
Rom 11:11-32).
25-26. Jesus refers to the dramatic changes in natural elements when the world
is coming to an end. “The powers of the heavens will be shaken”; that is to say,
the whole universe will tremble at the Lord’s coming in power and glory.
27-28. Applying to himself the prophecy of Daniel (7:13-14), our Lord speaks of
his coming in glory at the end of time. Mankind will see the power and glory of
the Son of man, coming to judge the living and the dead. Christ will deliver this
judgment in his human capacity. Sacred Scripture describes the solemnity of
this event, when the sentence passed on each person in the particular judgment
will be confirmed, and God’s justice and mercy to men throughout history will
shine out for all to see. “It was necessary not only that rewards should await the
just and punishments the wicked, in the life to come, but that they should be
awarded by a public and general judgment. Thus they will become better known
and will be rendered more conspicuous to all, and a tribute of praise will be of-
fered by all to the justice and providence of God” (”St Pius V Catechism”, I, 8,
4).
This coming of the Lord is, then, a day of terror for evildoers and of joy for those
who have remained faithful. The disciples should hold their heads high because
their redemption is at hand. It is the day they will receive their reward. The victo-
ry won by Christ on the cross — victory over sin, over the devil and over death —
will now be seen clearly, with all its implications. Therefore St Paul recommends
that we be “awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
“He [Christ] ascended into heaven whence he will come again to judge the living
and the dead, each according to his merits. Those who have responded to the
love and compassion of God will go into eternal life. Those who have refused
them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never extinguished” (Paul VI,
“Creed of the People of God”, 12).
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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.
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First reading |
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Apocalypse 18:1-2,21-23,19:1-3,9 © |
I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth was lit up with his glory. At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird. Then a powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone, and as he hurled it into the sea, he said, ‘That is how the great city of Babylon is going to be hurled down, never to be seen again.
Never again in you, Babylon,
will be heard the song of harpists and minstrels,
the music of flute and trumpet;
never again will craftsmen of every skill be found
or the sound of the mill be heard;
never again will shine the light of the lamp,
never again will be heard
the voices of bridegroom and bride.
Your traders were the princes of the earth,
all the nations were under your spell.
After this I seemed to hear the great sound of a huge crowd in heaven, singing, ‘Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God! He judges fairly, he punishes justly, and he has condemned the famous prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornication; he has avenged his servants that she killed.’ They sang again, ‘Alleluia! The smoke of her will go up for ever and ever.’ The angel said, ‘Write this: Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb’, and he added, ‘All the things you have written are true messages from God.’
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Psalm |
Psalm 99:2-5 © |
Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb.
Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb.
Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb.
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.
Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb.
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Gospel Acclamation |
Mt24:42,44 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming.
Alleluia!
|
Or |
Lk21:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high,
because your liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
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Gospel |
Luke 21:20-28 © |
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over.
‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’
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.
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.
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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From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
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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
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
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 gracemay 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
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.
Thursday of the Thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day
The Imitation of Christ, spiritual treatise of the 15th century
Book II, §1 (trans. Robert Dudley)
Christ will come to you
« The kingdom of God is within you, » says the Lord. Turn to the Lord with all your heart; abandon this wretched world and your soul will find peace. Learn to despise the outward, submit to the inward; then you will see God's kingdom come within you. For the kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, a thing not given to the wicked.
Christ will come and you will see his consolation, if you prepare for him a worthy inner dwelling. All his beauty and splendour is inward, and there he delights to dwell. An inward man he will often visit, sweetly conversing, gratefully comforting, marvellous in homeliness, multiplying peace.
Up, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this bridegroom; that he may deign to come and dwell within you. For so he proclaimed: If any man loves me, he will keep my word; and we will come to him and take up our abode with him… The inward man is quickly recollected, for he never pours himself out. Outward work does him no damage, nor occasional necessary business; as things turn out, so he adapts himself to them. The man of inward harmony and wholeness is not perturbed at the miraculous perversity of men… If you refuse outward consolation, you will be capable of heavenly contemplation and repeated inward joy.
Your grace and mercy,
brought me through.
I’m living this moment,
Because of you.
I want to thank you,
And praise you too.
Your grace and mercy,
Brought me through!
On this feast of Thanksgiving (here in America) we do well to ponder how we ought to give thanks to God. Indeed, how can one adequately thank God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift? Is it really enough to simply kneel and say a prayer of thanks? Perhaps we should run to Church and light a candle, or visit some distant shrine. Maybe we should be doing the “Snoopy Dance” as we say over and over, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
But none of these acts of thanksgiving would prove adequate. God has been too good, has done too much, and is, after all, God.
Indeed, a great question went up in the Old Testament regarding this very problem of adequately thanking God. It occurs in Psalm 116, wherein the psalmist plaintively asks,
“What return can I ever make to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?” (Psalm 116:12)
To that point, the Jewish people had been accustomed to killing thousands of animals every day and burning them up in the Temple in order to give thanks and to atone for sin. But the blood of animals cannot atone for sin and neither can slaying even many thousands of them really give adequate thanks to God.
And thus the same psalm not only asks the question, but also provides the answer:
What return can I ever make to the Lord, for all the good he has done for me? The chalice of salvation I will take up, I will call on the name of the Lord! (Psalm 116:12-13)
And yet, in supplying this answer, the actual raising of the chalice of salvation could only be pointed to in the Old Testament; it could not actually be done. The lifting up of the chalice of salvation and the giving of adequate thanks could, and would, only be done by Jesus.
And this brings us to the first Thanksgiving meal. No, we are not in Plymouth Massachusetts in the 1620s. We are at the first, the true, the only Thanksgiving meal that can ever really render adequate thanks to the Father. That meal took place in the upper room, at the Last Supper that Jesus had with His disciples. We are told that He took the bread and, having given thanks, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take this all of you and eat of it, for this is my Body.” And likewise, after the meal, He took the chalice and gave thanks, and giving it to His disciples He said, “Take this all of you and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the New and eternal Covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.” He added, “Do this in memory of me.”
Yes, this is the true and the first Thanksgiving meal. Jesus alone is able to fulfill Psalm 116; taking the cup, the chalice, He lifts it up and gives thanks to God adequately for all the good He has done. Jesus fulfills the Scripture and gives adequate thanks.
You and I can never give adequate thanks to the Father, but we do have a member of our family who is so able: He is our Brother and He is our Lord; He is Jesus Christ.
At Thanksgiving, how can you and I give adequate thanks to the Lord? The answer is not on some far-off, distant mountaintop; it is as near as our parish church. We give adequate thanks to the Father by joining our meager thanksgiving to the perfect thanksgiving of Jesus in every Mass. We, as members of His Body (and He is the Head of His Body the Church at every Mass), fulfill Psalm 116 when we, through Jesus our head, take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Joining our meager thanks to that of Jesus, the Father is perfectly glorified and perfectly thanked. The Mass is the perfect thanksgiving; it was, is, and remains for us our perfect Thanksgiving meal and sacrifice.
Hidden Mass? It is interesting that in one of the Gospels chosen for the Mass on Thanksgiving, we have the gospel of the ten lepers. And you may have noticed (but perhaps not) that the whole gospel, which is about giving thanks, itself has the form of a Mass. For there are lepers who gather, just as we lepers gather at every Mass. And as they are gathered, Jesus is in their midst; Jesus is passing by. It is just as Jesus, acting through the person of the priest, walks the aisle of our church. And seeing Jesus, the lepers cry out, “Lord, have mercy!” just as we cry out in every Mass, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.” And Jesus, turning, gives them a word, quoting from Leviticus 13:2 “Go show yourselves to the priests.” We, too, are given a word from the Lord at every Mass. Jesus’ homily to the lepers was a brief one, saying in effect, “Go do what this reading says.” And at the end of the day, that is a pretty good summary of what every sermon should be, as Jesus speaking through our clergy says to us, “Go do what this reading says.” One of the lepers, realizing he has been healed by this word, falls to his knees to give thanks. And so do we fall to our knees to give thanks in the great Eucharistic prayer. And the word “Eucharist” is from the Greek meaning “to give thanks.” Jesus then bids the man leave, saying that his faith and his act of thanksgiving have saved him. Thus we are instructed by the priest or deacon at the end of the Mass to go and announce salvation to the world.
Yes, this gospel about giving thanks is in the very form of the Mass. And it is no mistake, for the Mass is the perfect act of thanksgiving, wherein we are joined to Jesus in the one perfect act of praise and thanksgiving.
Just a brief thought on Thanksgiving day: how shall we adequately thank God for all the good He has done? You know the answer: go to Mass and join with Jesus in the only adequate way of really thanking the Father.
Here’s a nice old prayer. But the Mass is even better.
-St. Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein)
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