Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-27-14, Thanksgiving Day

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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.

Thanksgiving Day (USA)

Thanksgiving Day (USA)
Fourth Thursday in November

Jan Davidsz. de Heem
Eucharist in Fruit Wreath - 1648 - Oil on canvas, 138 x 125,5 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

History from the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia:
A civil holiday observed annually in the United States of America on the last Thursday in November. The president issues a proclamation, calling on the citizens, all Federal officials, and others subject to Federal authority to observe the day as one of national thanksgiving and prayer. The governors of states concur in the president's proclamation and also recommend the citizens to observe the holiday, and all public business is suspended.
The custom originated in 1621, when Governor Bradford of the Plymouth colony appointed a day for public praise and prayer after the first harvest, and the practice spread throughout the other New England colonies. The first national observance was when President Washington, at the request of Congress, recommended Thursday, November 26, 1789, to the people of the United States "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God". This proclamation exhorted the people to "beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best". It was the first observation of the day on the date that present custom holds it.
In 1817 Thanksgiving Day was first officially noticed in New York State, and by 1859 its observance had spread to twenty-eight states and two territories. In 1863 President Lincoln made his first proclamation, naming the last Thursday of November as a day of national observance, which President Johnson also selected in 1867 and President Grant in 1870. Since then there has been no change, the last Thursday in November being named in each year's proclamation.
Catholic recognition of the day by special religious features has only been of comparatively recent date and not as yet (1911) of official general custom. Historians of the day attempt to trace the origin of Governor Bradford's idea (1621) back to the old Hebrew Feast of the Tabernacles and through the ages to the ancient Greek Harvest Feast, Thesmophoria, the Roman Cerealia, and the English Harvest Home. In the Dominion of Canada the governor-general by proclamation sets aside the last Monday in October as a legal holiday for the purpose of acknowledging God's providence and expressing the nation's dependence on His bounty.

Collect:
Father all-powerful,
your gifts of love are countless
and your goodness infinite;
as we come before you on Thanksgiving Day
with gratitude for your kindness,
open our hearts to have concern
for every man, woman, and child,
so that we may share your gifts in loving service.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who livies and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings as in Mass for Various occasions and needs (In Thanksgiving to God)
Sirach 50:22-24
And now bless the God of all, who in every way does great things;
who exalts our days from birth, and deals with us according to His mercy.
May He give us gladness of heart, and grant that peace may be in our days in Israel, as in the days of old. May He entrust to us His mercy! And let Him deliver us in our days!
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him with all speech and all knowledge -- even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you --
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When He saw them He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
Prayers of Thankgiving after Mass

Prayer for the Nation
John Carroll (1735-1815) the first Catholic bishop in America (1790), and in 1808 he became the first archbishop of Baltimore, Bishop Carroll wrote a prayer asking God's blessing on the president, Congress, and government of the United States for the first American diocesan synod, November 10, 1791, "for all the ranks of society and for the welfare of the Republic".
We pray Thee, O Almighty and Eternal God! Who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy Mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of Thy Name.
We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, Pope [N.N.], the vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of His Church; our own bishop (or archbishop), [N.N.]; all other bishops, prelates, and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise amongst us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation.
We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through Whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.
We pray for his excellency, the Governor of this State, for the members of the Assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.
We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world can not give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.
Finally, we pray to Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace; the souls of our parents, relatives, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen
--Prayer for the Nation and the Civil Authorities
John Carroll of Baltimore, First Bishop of the United States
10 November 1791
[Documents of American Catholic History, Volume 1 (1493-1865), ed. John Tracy Ellis, # 57, pp. 174f.]

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Thanksgiving Day

Information: St. Virgilius

Feast Day: November 27

Born: 8th century Ireland

Died: 784 at Salzburg, Austria

Canonized: 10 June 1233 by Pope Gregory IX

Patron of: Salzburg, Austria; Slovenes

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. James Intercisus

Feast Day: November 27
Born: (around) 375 :: Died: 421

James was a Persian military officer and courtier to King Yezdigerd I. He was a great favorite of the king, so when this king began to harass Christians, James did not have the courage to confess his faith. He was afraid of losing the king's friendship.

Instead he gave up his faith or at least pretended to. James' wife and mother were broken-hearted. When the king died, they wrote a strong letter to him to change his ways.

This letter had its effect on James. He had been a coward, but at heart, he was still good. Now he began to stay away from court. He blamed himself openly for having given up his faith.

The new king Bahram sent for him, but this time, James did not hide anything. "I am a Christian," he said. The king accused him of being ungrateful for all the honors his father, King Yezdigerd, had given him.

"And where is your father now?" St. James calmly answered. The angry king threatened to put the saint to a terrible death. James replied, "May I die the death of the just."

The king and his council ordered for James to be tortured to death and be cut up into many pieces. But James was not afraid. He said, "This death which appears so dreadful is very little for the purchase of eternal life."

Then he told the executioners, "Begin your work." All the while, he kept declaring what he believed, that his body would one day rise in glory. St. James Intercisus died in 421. The word Intercisus means "cut into pieces".

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 21
20.	And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army; then know that the desolation thereof is at hand.	Cum autem videritis circumdari ab exercitu Jerusalem, tunc scitote quia appropinquavit desolatio ejus :	οταν δε ιδητε κυκλουμενην υπο στρατοπεδων την ιερουσαλημ τοτε γνωτε οτι ηγγικεν η ερημωσις αυτης
21.	Then let those who are in Judea, flee to the mountains; and those who are in the midst thereof, depart out: and those who are in the countries, not enter into it.	tunc qui in Judæa sunt, fugiant ad montes, et qui in medio ejus, discedant : et qui in regionibus, non intrent in eam,	τοτε οι εν τη ιουδαια φευγετωσαν εις τα ορη και οι εν μεσω αυτης εκχωρειτωσαν και οι εν ταις χωραις μη εισερχεσθωσαν εις αυτην
22.	For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written.	quia dies ultionis hi sunt, ut impleantur omnia quæ scripta sunt.	οτι ημεραι εκδικησεως αυται εισιν του πλησθηναι παντα τα γεγραμμενα
23.	But woe to them that are with child, and give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.	Væ autem prægnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus ! erit enim pressura magna super terram, et ira populo huic.	ουαι δε ταις εν γαστρι εχουσαις και ταις θηλαζουσαις εν εκειναις ταις ημεραις εσται γαρ αναγκη μεγαλη επι της γης και οργη εν τω λαω τουτω
24.	And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles; till the times of the nations be fulfilled.	Et cadent in ore gladii, et captivi ducentur in omnes gentes, et Jerusalem calcabitur a gentibus, donec impleantur tempora nationum.	και πεσουνται στοματι μαχαιρας και αιχμαλωτισθησονται εις παντα τα εθνη και ιερουσαλημ εσται πατουμενη υπο εθνων αχρι πληρωθωσιν καιροι εθνων
25.	And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves;	Et erunt signa in sole, et luna, et stellis, et in terris pressura gentium præ confusione sonitus maris, et fluctuum :	και εσται σημεια εν ηλιω και σεληνη και αστροις και επι της γης συνοχη εθνων εν απορια ηχουσης θαλασσης και σαλου
26.	Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved;	arescentibus hominibus præ timore, et exspectatione, quæ supervenient universo orbi : nam virtutes cælorum movebuntur :	αποψυχοντων ανθρωπων απο φοβου και προσδοκιας των επερχομενων τη οικουμενη αι γαρ δυναμεις των ουρανων σαλευθησονται
27.	And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty.	et tunc videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nube cum potestate magna et majestate.	και τοτε οψονται τον υιον του ανθρωπου ερχομενον εν νεφελη μετα δυναμεως και δοξης πολλης
28.	But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.	His autem fieri incipientibus, respicite, et levate capita vestra : quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra.	αρχομενων δε τουτων γινεσθαι ανακυψατε και επαρατε τας κεφαλας υμων διοτι εγγιζει η απολυτρωσις υμων

20. And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

BEDE, Hitherto our Lord had been speaking of those things which were to come to pass for forty years, the end not yet coming. He now describes the very end itself of the desolation, which was accomplished by the Roman army; as it is said, And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed, &c.

EUSEB. By the desolation of Jerusalem, He means that it was never again to be set up, or its legal rites to be reestablished, so that no one should expect, after the coming siege and desolation, any restoration to take place, as there was in the time of the Persian king, Antiochus the Great, and Pompey.

AUG. These words of our Lord, Luke has here related to show, that the abomination of desolation which was prophesied by Daniel, and of which Matthew and Mark had spoken, was fulfilled at the siege of Jerusalem.

AMBROSE; For the Jews thought that the abomination of desolation took place when the Romans, in mockery of a Jewish observance, cast a pig's head into the temple.

EUSEB. Now our Lord, foreseeing that there would be a famine in the city, warned His disciples in the siege that was coming, not to betake themselves to the city as a place of refuge, and under God's protection, but rather to depart from thence, and flee to the mountains.

BEDE; The ecclesiastical history relates, that all the Christians who were in Judea, when the destruction of Jerusalem was approaching, being warned of the Lord, departed from that place, and dwelt beyond the Jordan in a city called Pella, until the desolation of Judea was ended.

AUG And before this, Matthew and Mark said, And let him that is on the housetop not come down into his house; and Mark added, neither enter therein to take any thing out of his house; in place of which Luke subjoins, And let them which are in the midst of it depart out.

BEDE; But how, while the city was already compassed with an army, were they to depart out? except that the preceding word "then" is to be referred, not to the actual time of the siege, but the period just before, when first the armed soldiers began to disperse themselves through the parts of Galilee and Samaria.

AUG. But where Matthew and Mark have written, Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes, Luke adds more clearly, And let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto, for these be the days of vengeance, that all the things which are written may be fulfilled.

BEDE; And these are the days of vengeance, that is, the days exacting vengeance for our Lord's blood.

AUG. Then Luke follows in words similar to those of the other two; But woe to them that are with child, and them that give suck in those days; and thus has made plain what might otherwise have been doubtful, namely, that what was said of the abomination of desolation belonged not to the end of the world, but the taking of Jerusalem.

BEDE; He says then, Woe to them that nurse, or give suck, as some interpret it, whose womb or arms now heavy with the burden of children, cause no slight obstacle to the speed of flight.

THEOPHYL. But some say that the Lord hereby signified the devouring of children, which Josephus also relates.

CHRYS. He next assigns the cause of what he had just now said, For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. For the miseries that took hold of them were such as, in the words of Josephus, no calamity can henceforth compare to them.

EUSEB. For so in truth it was, that when the Romans came and were taking the city, many multitudes of the Jewish people perished in the mouth of the sword; as it follows, And they shall fall by the edge of the sword. But still more were cut off by famine. And these things happened at first indeed under Titus and Vespasian, but after them in the time of Hadrian the Roman general, when the land of their birth was forbidden to the Jews Hence it follows, And they shall be led away captive into all nations. For the Jews filled the whole land, reaching even to the ends of the earth, and when their land was inhabited by strangers, they alone could not enter it; as it follows, And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

BEDE; Which indeed the Apostle makes mention of when he says, Blindness in part is happened to Israel, and so all Israel shall be saved. Which when it shall have gained the promised salvation, hopes not rashly to return to the land of its fathers.

AMBROSE; Now mystically, the abomination of desolation is the coming of Antichrist, for with ill-omened sacrilege he pollutes the innermost recesses of the heart, sitting as it is literally in the temple, that he may claim to himself the throne of divine power. But according to the spiritual meaning, he is well brought in, because he desires to impress firmly on the affections the footstep of his unbelief, disputing from the Scriptures that he is Christ. Then shall come desolation, for very many falling away shall depart from the true religion. Then shall be the day of the Lord, since as His first coming was to redeem sin, so also His second shall be to subdue iniquity, lest more should be carried away by the error of unbelief. There is also another Antichrist, that is, the Devil, who is trying to besiege Jerusalem, i.e. the peaceful soul, with the hosts of his law. When then the Devil is in the midst of the temple, there is the desolation of abomination. But when upon any one in trouble the spiritual presence of Christ has shone, the unjust one is cast out, and righteousness begins her reign. There is also a third Antichrist, as Arius and Sabellius and all who with evil purpose lead us astray. But these are they who are with child, to whom woe is denounced, who enlarge the size of their flesh, and the step of whose inmost soul waxes slow, as those who are worn out in virtue, pregnant with vice. But neither do those with child escape condemnation, who though firm in the resolution of good acts, have not yet yielded any fruits of the work undertaken. These are those which conceive from fear of God, but do not all bring forth. For there are some which thrust forth the word abortive before their delivery. There are others too which have Christ in the womb, but have not yet formed Him. Therefore she who brings forth righteousness, brings forth Christ. Let us also hasten to nourish our children, lest the day of judgment or death find us as it were the parents of an imperfect offspring. And this you will do if you keep all the words of righteousness in your heart, and wait not the time of old age, but in your earliest years, without corruption of your body, quickly conceive wisdom, quickly nourish it. But at the end shall all Judea be made subject to the nations which shall believe, by the mouth of the spiritual sword, which is the two-edged word.

25. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26. Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

BEDE; The events which were to follow the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles He explains in regular order, saying, There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.

AMBROSE; All which signs are more clearly described in Matthew, Then shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.

EUSEB. For at that time when the end of this perishing life shall be accomplished, and, as the Apostle says, The fashion of this world passes away, then shall succeed a new world in which instead of sensible light, Christ Himself shall shine as a sunbeam, and as the King of the new world, and so mighty and glorious will be His light, that the sun which now dazzles so brightly, and the moon and all the stars, shall be hidden by the coming of a far greater light.

CHRYS For as in this world the moon and the stars are soon dimmed by the rising of the sun, so at the glorious appearance of Christ shall the sun become dark, and the moon not shed her ray, and the stars shall fall from heaven, stripped of their former attire, that they may put on the robe of a better light.

EUSEB. What things shall befall the world after the darkening of the orbs of light, and whence shall arise the straitening of nations, He next explains as follows, And of the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea. Wherein He seems to teach, that the beginning of the universal change will be owing to the failing of the watery substance. For this being first absorbed or congealed, so that no longer is heard the roaring of the sea, nor do the waves reach the shore because of the exceeding drought, the other parts of the world, ceasing to obtain the usual vapor which came forth from the watery matter, shall undergo a revolution. Accordingly since the appearance of Christ must put down the prodigies which resist God, namely, those of Antichrist, the beginnings of wrath shall take their rise from droughts, such as that neither storm nor roaring of the sea be any more heard.

And this event shall be succeeded by the distress of the men who survive; as it follows, Men's hearts being dried up for fear, and looking after those things which shall come upon the whole world. But the things that shall then come upon the world He proceeds to declare, adding, For the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

THEOPHYL. Or else, When the higher world shall be changed, then also the lower elements shall suffer loss; whence it follows, And on the earth distress of nations, &c. As if He said, the sea shall roar terribly, and its shores shall be shaken with the tempest, so that of the people and nations of the earth there shall be distress, that is, a universal misery, so that they shall pine away from fear and expectation of the evils which are coming upon the world.

AUG. But you will say, your punishment compels you to confess that the end is now approaching, seeing the fulfillment of that which was foretold. For it is certain there is no country, no place in our time, which is not affected or troubled. But if those evils which mankind now suffer are sure signs that our Lord is now about to come, what means that which the Apostle says, For when they shall say peace and safety. Let us see then if it be not perhaps better to understand the words of prophecy to be not so fulfilled, but rather that they will come to pass when the tribulation of the whole world shall be such that it shall belong to the Church, which shall be troubled by the whole world, not to those who shall trouble it. For they are those who shall say, Peace and safety. But now these evils which are counted the greatest and most immoderate, we see to be common to both the kingdoms of Christ and the Devil. For the good and the evil are alike afflicted with them, and among these great evils is the yet universal resort to licentious feasts. Is not this the being dried up from fear, or rather the being burnt up from lust?

THEOPHYL. But not only shall men be tossed about when the world shall be changed, but angels even shall stand amazed at the terrible revolutions of the universe. Hence it follows, And the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

GREG. For whom does He call the powers of heaven, but the angels, dominions, principalities, and powers? which at the coming of the strict Judge shall then appear visibly to our eyes, that they may strictly exact judgment of us, seeing that now our invisible Creator patiently bears with us.

EUSEB. When also the Son of God shall come in glory, and shall crush the proud empire of the son of sin, the angels of heaven attending Him, the doors of heaven which have been shut from the foundation of the world shall be opened, that the things that are on high may be witnessed.

CHRYS. Or the heavenly powers shall be shaken, although themselves know it not. For when they see the innumerable multitudes condemned, they shall not stand there without trembling.

BEDE; Thus it is said in Job, the pillars of heaven tremble and are afraid at his reproof. What then do the boards do, when the pillars tremble? what does the shrub of the desert suffer, when the cedar of Paradise is shaken?

EUSEB. Or the powers of heaven are those which preside over the sensible parts of the universe, which indeed shall then be shaken that they may attain to a better state. For they shall be discharged from the ministry with which they serve God toward the sensible bodies in their perishing condition.

AUG. But that the Lord may not seem to have foretold as extraordinary those things concerning His second coming, which were wont to happen to this world even before His first coming, and that we may not be laughed at by those who have read more and greater events than these in the history of nations, I think what has been said may be better understood to apply to the Church. For the Church is the sun, the moon, and the stars, to whom it was said, Fair as the moon, elect as the sun. And she will then not be seen for the unbounded rage of the persecutors.

AMBROSE; While many also fall away from religion, clear faith will be obscured by the cloud of unbelief, for to me that Sun of righteousness is either diminished or increased according to my faith; and as the moon in its monthly wanings, or when it is opposite the sun by the interposition of the earth, suffers eclipse, so also the holy Church when the sins of the flesh oppose the heavenly light, cannot borrow the brightness of divine light from Christ's rays. For in persecutions, the love of this world generally shuts out the light of the divine Sun; the stars also fall, that is, men who shine in glory fall when the bitterness of persecution waxes sharp and prevails. And this must be until the multitude of the Church be gathered in, for thus are the good tried and the weak made manifest.

AUG. But in the words, And upon the earth distress of nations, He would understand by nations, not those which shall be blessed in the seed of Abraham, but those which shall stand on the left hand.

AMBROSE; So severe then will be the manifold fires of our souls, that with consciences depraved through the multitude of crimes, by reason of our fear of the coming judgment, the dew of the sacred fountain will be dried upon us. But as the Lord's coming is looked for, in order that His presence may dwell in the whole circle of mankind or the world, which now dwells in each individual who has embraced Christ with his whole heart, so the powers of heaven shall at our Lord's coming obtain an increase of grace, and shall be moved by the fullness of the Divine nature more closely infusing itself. There are also heavenly powers which proclaim the glory of God, which shall be stirred by a fuller infusion of Christ, that they may see Christ.

AUG. Or the powers of heaven shall be stirred, because when the ungodly persecute, some of the most stout-hearted believers shall be troubled.

THEOPHYL. It follows, And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds. Both the believers and unbelievers shall see Him, for He Himself as well as His cross shall glisten brighter than the sun, and so shall be observed of all.

AUG. But the words, coming in the clouds, may be taken in two ways. Either coming in His Church as it were in a cloud, as He now ceases not to come. But then it shall be with great power and majesty, for far greater will His power and might appear to His saints, to whom He will give great virtue, that they may not be overcome in such a fearful persecution. Or in His body in which He sits at His Father's right hand He must rightly be supposed to come, and not only in His body, but also in a cloud, for He will come even as He went away, And a cloud received him out of their sight.

CHRYS. For God ever appears in a cloud, according to the Psalms, clouds and darkness are round about him. Therefore shall the Son of man come in the clouds as God, and the Lord, not secretly, but in glory worthy of God. Therefore He adds, with great power and majesty.

CYRIL; Great must be understood in like manner. For His first appearance He made in our weakness and lowliness, the second He shall celebrate in all His own power.

GREG. For in power and majesty will men see Him, whom in lowly stations they refused to hear, that so much the more acutely they may feel His power, as they are now the less willing to bow the necks of their hearts to His sufferings.

28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.

GREG. Having in what has gone before spoken against the reprobate, He now turns His words to the consolation of the elect; for it is added, When these things begin to be, look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws nigh; as if he says, When the buffetings of the world multiply, lift up your heads, that is, rejoice your hearts, for when the world closes whose friends you are not, the redemption is near which you seek. For in holy Scripture the head is often put for the mind, for as the members are ruled by the head, so are the thoughts regulated by the mind. To lift up our heads then, is to raise up our minds to the joys of the heavenly country.

EUSEB. Or else, To those that have passed through the body and bodily things, shall be present spiritual and heavenly bodies: that is, they will have no more to pass the kingdom of the world, and then to those that are worthy shall be given the promises of salvation. For having received the promises of God which we look for, we who before were crooked shall be made upright, and we shall lift up our heads who were before bent low; because the redemption which we hoped for is at hand; that namely for which the whole creation waits.

THEOPHYL. That is, perfect liberty of body and soul. For as the first coming of our Lord was for the restoration of our souls, so will the second be manifested to the restoration of our bodies.

EUSEB. He speaks these things to His disciples, not as to those who would continue in this life to the end of the world, but as if uniting in one body of believers in Christ both themselves and us and our posterity, even to the end of the world.

Catena Aurea Luke 21

The Sack of Jerusalem by the Romans

François-Joseph Heim

1824

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 17
11.	And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.	Et factum est, dum iret in Jerusalem, transibat per mediam Samariam et Galilæam.	και εγενετο εν τω πορευεσθαι αυτον εις ιερουσαλημ και αυτος διηρχετο δια μεσου σαμαρειας και γαλιλαιας
12.	And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off;	Et cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum, occurrerunt ei decem viri leprosi, qui steterunt a longe :	και εισερχομενου αυτου εις τινα κωμην απηντησαν αυτω δεκα λεπροι ανδρες οι εστησαν πορρωθεν
13.	And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, master, have mercy on us.	et levaverunt vocem, dicentes : Jesu præceptor, miserere nostri.	και αυτοι ηραν φωνην λεγοντες ιησου επιστατα ελεησον ημας
14.	Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean.	Quos ut vidit, dixit : Ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus. Et factum est, dum irent, mundati sunt.	και ιδων ειπεν αυτοις πορευθεντες επιδειξατε εαυτους τοις ιερευσιν και εγενετο εν τω υπαγειν αυτους εκαθαρισθησαν
15.	And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.	Unus autem ex illis, ut vidit quia mundatus est, regressus est, cum magna voce magnificans Deum,	εις δε εξ αυτων ιδων οτι ιαθη υπεστρεψεν μετα φωνης μεγαλης δοξαζων τον θεον
16.	And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan.	et cecidit in faciem ante pedes ejus, gratias agens : et hic erat Samaritanus.	και επεσεν επι προσωπον παρα τους ποδας αυτου ευχαριστων αυτω και αυτος ην σαμαρειτης
17.	And Jesus answering, said, Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine?	Respondens autem Jesus, dixit : Nonne decem mundati sunt ? et novem ubi sunt ?	αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν ουχι οι δεκα εκαθαρισθησαν οι δε εννεα που
18.	There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.	Non est inventus qui rediret, et daret gloriam Deo, nisi hic alienigena.	ουχ ευρεθησαν υποστρεψαντες δουναι δοξαν τω θεω ει μη ο αλλογενης ουτος
19.	And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.	Et ait illi : Surge, vade : quia fides tua te salvum fecit.	και ειπεν αυτω αναστας πορευου η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε

Catena Aurea does not a commentary to these verses.

Catena Aurea Luke 17

Christ healing the ten lepers

Decani, Serbia

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, November 27

Liturgical Color: Green

Today the Church honors St. Francesco
Antonio Fasani. Ordained a Franciscan
priest in 1705, he was a great advocate
of the poor. Pope John Paul II said
Francesco "made the love taught us by
Christ the fundamental characteristic
of his existence."

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:November 27, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Father all-powerful, your gifts of love are countless and your goodness infinite; as we come before you on Thanksgiving Day with gratitude for your kindness, open our hearts to have concern for every man, woman, and child, so that we may share your gifts in loving service. 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.

RECIPES

o Cranberry Ice

o Cranberry Sauce

o Creamed Onions

o Glazed Sweet Potatoes Florida

o Green Beans and Onions in Cream

o Indian Pudding

o Marlborough Pudding

o Oyster Stuffing

o Oysters Rockefeller

o Plum Pudding with Coffee-Brandy Ice Cream Sauce

o Quick Mushroom Stuffing for Roast Turkey

o Roast Goose with Fruit Stuffing

o Roast Turkey

o Thanksgiving Dinner Menus

o Tokay Grapes in Ginger Ale

o Wild Rice Stuffing

ACTIVITIES

o Hymn: Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

o Thanksgiving and Martinmas

o Thanksgiving Placemat

o Celebrating Thanksgiving

o Thanksgiving Day

PRAYERS

o Blessing of Food for Thanksgiving Day

o Novena to St. Isidore the Farmer

o Prayer of the Christian Farmer

o Prayer of a Rural Family

o Prayer for Rain

o Prayer Against Pests

o Prayer Against Storms and Floods

o Prayer of Thanksgiving

o Litany of St. Isidore

LIBRARY

o Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 | George Washington

o The Church's Thanksgiving Day | Fr. Joseph Minihan

o 'We Give Thanks to You!' | Pope John Paul II

· Ordinary Time: November 27th

· Thursday of the Thirty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time; Thanksgiving

Many people assume that the United States has celebrated Thanksgiving Day since the time of the pilgrims as a sign of thanksgiving for the harvest season. This is not exactly true. President Abraham Lincoln instituted the holiday in 1863 during the Civil War. However, he did not have the harvest in mind. He wanted Americans to celebrate the holiday as a sign of unity and thanksgiving to God.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens” (President Abraham Lincoln, Proclamation, October 3, 1863).

There is no American holiday that so closely resembles the symbolism and meaning of the sacrament of the Eucharist. We celebrate Thanksgiving as a sign of American unity and thanksgiving to God who has given us great gifts.

Excerpted from The Religion Teacher

Thanksgiving
The holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States with family gatherings and traditional foods. The Church also has a special liturgy for this day. The Entrance Antiphon sets the tone for our religious observance, "Sing and play music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 5:19-20). Eucharist means Thanksgiving and we should be especially grateful for this most sublime gift. We hope you will enjoy some of our recipes and suggestions for this day. Let's try to celebrate as Christians remembering to be temperate as we carve the turkey and eat the pies.

The following suggested petitions would make a nice addition to our meal prayers:

That the Church throughout the world will more vigorously thank the Lord for His kindness towards His children. Lord hear our prayer.

That the government of our beloved country will never forget to praise and thank the Almighty who is the generous Giver of each gift. Lord hear our prayer.

That those who suffer may recall that God still loves them and wants to lead them to unending peace in the next world. Lord hear our prayer.

That all Americans on Thanksgiving Day will be blessed with a fresh awareness of the loving Most Blessed Trinity from whom all good things come. Lord hear our prayer.

That those Americans who have no faith in God may be touched by grace this day and seek the Creator of the universe. Lord hear our prayer.

That the faithful departed will soon gather around God's altar in paradise where they will joyfully thank Him for ever. Lord hear our prayer.

Things to Do:

Invite someone to dinner who has no place to go for Thanksgiving.
If you have no other commitments volunteer to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at a place which is serving the poor.
See this excellent page for Catholic Thanksgiving Day Lesson Plans on the Eucharist as Thanksgiving

The following is taken from Taylor Marshall's website and would be a good story to relate to the children on Thanksgiving.

Do you remember Squanto, the Native American who assisted the Puritan Pilgrims at the “first Thanksgiving”?

Well, Squanto, our beloved hero of Thanksgiving, was Catholic!

His true name was Tisquantum, yet he is affectionately known to us as “Squanto.”

In 1614, Squanto was captured by a lieutenant of John Smith (remember? from Pocahontas). This shameful lieutenant attempted to sell Squanto and other Native Americans into slavery via Spain. However, some Franciscan friars discovered the plot and acquired the captured Native Americans, Squanto included. During this time, Squanto received instruction in the Catholic Faith and received holy baptism.

As a freeman, Squanto traveled to London where became a laborer in the shipyards. Here he became fluent in English. Eventually, Squanto was able to return to his Native Land, New England, in 1619 - five years after he had been kidnapped. He returned only to discover that his people were being decimated by the recently imported European diseases.

Since he was fluent in English, Squanto became well-known and valuable to the new English Pilgrims settled at Plymouth. As an English speaker, Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to fertilize the ground, grow corn, and the best places to catch fish.

Squanto eventually contracted one of the European diseases. Governor William Bradford described Squanto’s death like this:

Squanto fell ill of Indian fever, bleeding much at the nose, which the Indians take as a symptom of death, and within a few days he died. He begged the Governor to pray for him, that he might go to the Englishman’s God in heaven, and bequeathed several of his things to his English friends, as remembrances. His death was a great loss.

So remember Squanto today and perhaps share this bit of history during your Thanksgiving feast. Let us pray for Squanto, and may he pray for us.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 21:20-28

Thanksgiving Day (USA)

Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. (Luke 21:28)

Jesus chose to end a short discourse on the end of the world with the command to stand up straight. In essence, he tells us not to bow in fear over what might come: desolation, punishment, “terrible calamity,” or “wrathful judgment.” Don’t be afraid of these, he tells us, but stand erect, unbowed by anxiety, mistrust, alarm, or misgivings. Why? Because your redemption is at hand.

Yes, you can stand erect in the midst of calamity, if it visits you, because God is always near to you. You can stand because you are created in his image and likeness. You reflect the glory of the Lord, and no matter what you think about how you look or how well you follow Jesus, that reflection remains. He breathed his life into you in the beginning, and he has not withdrawn it! So you never have to stand alone. What’s more, you are more than just an ordinary person. You radiate the life of God in you!

When trouble strikes, remember that almighty God loves you and treasures you immensely. He loves you so deeply that he gave his only Son to save you from sin and bring you into his presence. Nothing pleases him more than to spend time with you and to speak to you. So stand erect, knowing that you are worth more to him than all the riches of the universe.

But don’t just stand. Move! You have a vital role to play in the unfolding of God’s plan. You are not an accident or a random occurrence. People depend on you. The Church needs you. The lost and unbelieving rely on you. Your witness, your words, your intercession, your service—it all makes a huge difference in this world. Even if you can’t see how, you matter!

So don’t let troubles or difficulties keep you down. You’re too important, too beloved, and too dignified to let them get the upper hand. Instead, stand up straight, look to your Father, and see what he is doing today. Then move forward, helping prepare for the day when the Son of Man comes “with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).

“Jesus, I believe in your love for me. I will stand erect and raise my head today, ready to advance your kingdom in this world.”

Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9; Psalm 100:1-5

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for November 27, 2014:

“Thanks be to God!” is a common expression not only of thanks but also of relief that a danger was averted. In this season of thanks, is there a bad fortune that you avoided? Thank God for invisible blessings – a cold not caught, a curt retort stifled…

Regnum Christi

Scary Times

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

November 27, 2014. Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 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."

Introductory Prayer: Jesus my Savior, thank you for another day and another chance to grow in holiness with your grace. I love you and wish to make you the true center of my thoughts, desires and actions.

Petition: Lord, give me a healthy but realistic Christian optimism.

1. Desolation at Hand: What a grim Gospel passage! Lots of talk of armies and calamity and roaring seas. Jesus is speaking of the coming destruction of Jerusalem (in A.D. 70) as well as images of the end times In our day we can think of wars, terrorism, floods and wonder why the world is such a nasty place sometimes. Why can´t life be easier? Why do so many innocent people suffer? Alas, Our Lord asked the same questions. All the evil we see springs from original sin, from the fall of Adam. It wasn´t God´s plan to have all this suffering--but he allows it. He allows it because he respects our freedom. He allows it too because he knows he can bring good out of it. How do I use my freedom? Do I have enough faith in Christ to be optimistic?

2. Trampled Underfoot: The fall of Jerusalem didn´t mean that God abandoned the world. True, the focus of religion would no longer be the Temple; rather, it would be a new focus: Christ, truly present in the Eucharist. The tabernacle would be the new center of attention. How few souls grasp that truth! After 2,000 years, Jesus is still humble, allowing himself to be kept in a tabernacle. Does that fact influence the way I act in a church? Does it affect the way I dress when going to church? Do I try to enter church with the proper state of heart and mind?

3. Redemption at Hand: Faithful following of Christ gives us the best assurance that our lives have meaning. Christ will make sense of everything at the end of our lives. All our struggles to live the Gospel will be worth it. On the last day we might regret many things, but we will never regret the things we did for Christ. Does that truth guide our lives each day? Do we live each day as if it were our last? What is there in my life that I would be ashamed of on the last day? Why not weed it out of my life now?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to judge the things of my daily life against eternity. Let me see things with your eyes. Let me see what is really valuable and what is fleeting. And help me to act accordingly.

Resolution: I will make a fresh effort to get rid of the biggest vice in my life

By Father Edward McIlmail, LC

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 6

<< Thursday, November 27, 2014 >>

Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9
View Readings

Psalm 100:1-5

Luke 21:20-28
Similar Reflections

THE FEAST OF FEASTS

"The angel then said to me: 'Write this down: Happy are they who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.' " —Revelation 19:9

In the USA, today is Thanksgiving Day. Many of us will be enjoying the traditional Thanksgiving feast with our families. We hope that this feast will prefigure the ultimate feast, "the wedding feast of the Lamb" in heaven.

To accept the Lord's invitation to His wedding feast, we must make a covenant of love with Him, completely give our lives to the Lord, and have a relationship with Him which transcends marriage.

This wedding feast is the feast of Jesus, called the Lamb. To come to the wedding feast, we need the weakness of the slain Lamb of God. We must have the weakness of the cross (see 2 Cor 13:4) by which God's power is brought to perfection (2 Cor 12:9).

Furthermore, all those at the heavenly wedding feast "have survived the great period of trial; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rv 7:14). At the everlasting, ultimate wedding feast, all present have a purified, crucified, covenant-love for the Lamb of God.

At Holy Communion, the priest proclaims: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb." Live a life of love and daily Communion. Accept the invitation to the heavenly wedding feast of the Lamb.

Prayer: Father, thank You for inviting me to celebrate with You forever in heaven. I accept Your invitation.

Promise: "When these things begin to happen, stand erect and hold your heads high, for your deliverance is near at hand." —Lk 21:28

Praise: Clara's home-based community gets together several times monthly for fellowship, thanksgiving, and faith-building.

"I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."

~Ronald Reagan, quoted in New York Times, 22 September 1980