Posted on 11/16/2014 7:58:59 PM PST by Salvation
November 17, 2014
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Reading 1 Rv 1:1-4; 2:1-5
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,
to show his servants what must happen soon.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who gives witness to the word of God
and to the testimony of Jesus Christ by reporting what he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud
and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message
and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.
John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace
from him who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits before his throne.
I heard the Lord saying to me:
“To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write this:
“‘The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand
and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this:
“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,
and that you cannot tolerate the wicked;
you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not,
and discovered that they are impostors.
Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name,
and you have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you:
you have lost the love you had at first.
Realize how far you have fallen.
Repent, and do the works you did at first.
Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”’”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. (Rev. 2:17) Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Gospel Lk 18:35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
One of my very favorite cities in the world is Budapest, or as they say it, Budapesht. I can never remember WHICH side of the Danube has Buda and which side has Pesht. I'm sure you loved the city as much as I did.
WHODDA thunk?
I went there on a tour from the KSA in the early 1980's and was SHOCKED that they had that Commie-held city so beautiful. Naturally I went on a dinner cruise on the Danube. It was summer and the evenings were so mild and light.
I DID ask many of our guides: How can the folks in Budapest have such a MARVELOUS city when they are stuck with the USSR?
The guides always smiled. I personally think it because their tourist trade brought in SO many American $$ that even the Soviets decided not to kill the golden goose.
I went there once again. The city HAD improved on it. They added 250,000 LIGHTS so at night the city was spectacular! Their churches were something else...especially the one dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
If I ever get to go there again, I'm sure that the Hungarians will have the entire city LIFTED up into the air, floating in the clouds. :o) I wouldn't be surprised.
This was some years ago, but you can ask your travel/tour guys about it. It's where Mary died. There was no body of hers, of course, since she was assumed into Heaven.
I shed TEARS there. I don't know why. It's not the most beautiful place on the planet, but it's her last place on earth. "Mary's house" is there too, where John took her those days of his missionary travels to spread The Word. It's a very simple, one-room stone house.
It was most moving. I hope you get to see it one day. Turkey has many things to see. You can also see the huge mosque that was once a huge Catholic cathedral. It's all mosque-like now but they keep a small corner of the place just for us tourists to see how MAGNIFICENTLY those early, early (6th century) Christians built their churches...Orthodox Catholic Churches: Hagia Sophia
From Wikipedia From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
Have seen pictures of that shrine in Turkey, Mary’s home. It is beautiful.
There are those who believed she assumed from there, and there are others who believed she went back to Jerusalem to both die and be assumed into Heaven from there. I believe more in the Jerusalem location, since more likely she wanted to be back where Her son did so much in that one week that brought about salvation.
I went on an evening cruise up the Danube. It was so beautiful.
Luke | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Luke 18 |
|||
35. | Now it came to pass, when he drew nigh to Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the way side, begging. | Factum est autem, cum appropinquaret Jericho, cæcus quidam sedebat secus viam, mendicans. | εγενετο δε εν τω εγγιζειν αυτον εις ιεριχω τυφλος τις εκαθητο παρα την οδον προσαιτων |
36. | And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this meant. | Et cum audiret turbam prætereuntem, interrogabat quid hoc esset. | ακουσας δε οχλου διαπορευομενου επυνθανετο τι ειη τουτο |
37. | And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. | Dixerunt autem ei quod Jesus Nazarenus transiret. | απηγγειλαν δε αυτω οτι ιησους ο ναζωραιος παρερχεται |
38. | And he cried out, saying: Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. | Et clamavit, dicens : Jesu, fili David, miserere mei. | και εβοησεν λεγων ιησου υιε δαυιδ ελεησον με |
39. | And they that went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me. | Et qui præibant, increpabant eum ut taceret. Ipse vero multo magis clamabat : Fili David, miserere mei. | και οι προαγοντες επετιμων αυτω ινα σιωπηση αυτος δε πολλω μαλλον εκραζεν υιε δαυιδ ελεησον με |
40. | And Jesus standing, commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, | Stans autem Jesus jussit illum adduci ad se. Et cum appropinquasset, interrogavit illum, | σταθεις δε ο ιησους εκελευσεν αυτον αχθηναι προς αυτον εγγισαντος δε αυτου επηρωτησεν αυτον |
41. | Saying: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I may see. | dicens : Quid tibi vis faciam ? At ille dixit : Domine, ut videam. | λεγων τι σοι θελεις ποιησω ο δε ειπεν κυριε ινα αναβλεψω |
42. | And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole. | Et Jesus dixit illi : Respice, fides tua te salvum fecit. | και ο ιησους ειπεν αυτω αναβλεψον η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε |
43. | And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. | Et confestim vidit, et sequebatur illum magnificans Deum. Et omnis plebs ut vidit, dedit laudem Deo. | και παραχρημα ανεβλεψεν και ηκολουθει αυτω δοξαζων τον θεον και πας ο λαος ιδων εδωκεν αινον τω θεω |
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
Memorial
November 17th
Sándor Liezen-Mayer
Saint Elisabeth of Hungary
1882 -- Oil on canvas, 262 x 186 cm
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
(1207-1231) She was the daughter of the King of Hungary and in 1221 married Ludwig, the Landgrave of Thuringia. With Ludwig she had four children. After her husband's death in 1227, she became a Franciscan tertiary, devoting herself to caring for the poor, the sick, and the aged. She died in exceptional poverty and was canonized in 1235.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
recognized and revered Christ in the poor,
grant, through her intercession,
that we may serve with unfailing charity
the needy and those afflicted.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: 1 John 3:14-18
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
Gospel Reading: Luke 6:27-38
"But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our catechesis today I wish to speak about Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia. She was born in the early thirteenth century. Her father was the King of Hungary, and Elizabeth was known from an early age for her fidelity to prayer and her attention to the poor. Though she was married to Ludwig, a nobleman, for political reasons, she and her husband developed a sincere love for each other, one deepened by faith and the desire to do the Lord’s will.
In her married life, Elizabeth did not compromise her faith in spite of the requirements of life at court. She preferred to feed the poor than to dine at banquets, and to clothe the naked than to dress in costly garments. Because of their deep faith in God, Elizabeth and Ludwig supported each other in their religious duties. After his early death, she dedicated herself to the service of the poor, always performing the humblest and most difficult works. She founded a religious community, and lived her vows until her death at an early age. She was canonized four years later, and is a patroness of the Third Order of Saint Francis. May her dedication to the poor and needy inspire in us the same love for Christ in our neighbour.
© Copyright 2010 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
YESSS. Those places are beautiful for a reason. The Danube isn't blue but most water sights reflect the sky anyway. Gray sky = gray sea/river/lake. The BLUE Danube must have been really blue on a sunny, summer afternoon.
Wikipedia: The name of the river originates from the a mythological source, from a Latin Roman river god, known as Danubius, or Danuvius. Additionally, the meaning can actually be derived from the ancient indigenous Slavonic tribes who called it the Great Water.
Further down the course, where it meets the Black Sea it is known as Istros, which is also based on a mythological river god, as he was known in Ancient Greece.
"The largest of the rivers of Europe, the Istros, rises from only a few springs and moves in a direction facing the first assaults of the sun. Later, many Rivers rise with one accord as though they were escorting him--for he is the King of the Rivers of that country--and flow perpetually, and those who live on their banks know each one by name. But as soon as they discharge into the Istros, the name which they had at their birth ceases to be used, they surrender it in his favour, all are called after him, and together pour their waters into the Euxeinos". - Aelian, Greek natural history C2nd to 3rd A.D.
Feast Day: November 17
Born: 1207 at Presburg, Hungary
Died: 17 November 1231, Marburg, Germany
Canonized: 1235, Perugia, Italy
Major Shrine: Elisabeth Church (Marburg)
Patron of: hospitals, nurses, bakers, brides, countesses, dying children, exiles, homeless people, lacemakers, tertiaries and widows
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast Day: November 17
Born: 1207 :: Died: 1231
Elizabeth, the daughter of King Andrew of Hungary was born in Presburg. When she was only thirteen years old, she married Louis, the ruler of Thuringia. Elizabeth was a beautiful bride who dearly loved her handsome husband. Louis returned her affection with all his heart. God gave them three children and they were very happy for six years.
She build a hospital at the foot of the mountain where the castle stood and looked after the sick herself. Once when she was taking food to the poor and sick in secret, Prince Louis stopped her and looked under her cloak. The food she was carrying miraculously changed to roses.
Then St. Elizabeth's sorrows began. Louis died of the plague. She was so heart-broken that she cried: "The world is dead to me and all that is joyous in the world." Louis' relatives had never liked Elizabeth because she had given so much food to the poor.
While Louis was alive, they had not been able to do anything but now they began to trouble her. Within a short time, this beautiful, gentle princess and her three children were sent away from the castle. They suffered hunger and cold.
Yet Elizabeth did not complain about her terrible sufferings. Instead she blessed God and prayed with great fervor. She accepted the sorrows just as she had accepted the joys.
Elizabeth's relatives came to her rescue. She and her children had a home once more. Her uncle wanted her to marry again, for she was still very young and attractive. But the saint had decided to give herself to God.
She wanted to imitate the poverty of St. Francis. She went to live in a poor cottage and spent the last few years of her life serving the sick and the poor. She even went fishing to try to earn more money for her beloved poor.
St. Elizabeth was only twenty-four when she died in 1231. On her death bed, she was heard to sing softly. She had great confidence that Jesus would take her to himself.
Monday, November 17
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of
Hungary, religious. Against the advice of her
family, she built a hospital near her home
where she tended the sick. She said she could
only follow the teaching of Christ, not the
opinion of her family.
Daily Readings for:November 17, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and revered Christ in the poor, grant, through her intercession, that we may serve with unfailing charity the needy and those afflicted. 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 Heilige Kapfe (Saint's Plaits)
ACTIVITIES
o Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Anointing of the Sick)
o Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November
o Religion in the Home for Elementary School: November
o Religion in the Home for Preschool: November
o Teaching Children About Sickness and Death
o Namedays
o Nameday Ideas for the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
PRAYERS
o November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory
o Little Litany of the Holy Souls
o Litany of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
LIBRARY
o Gregory the Great, a Model for Civil and Religious Leaders | Pope Benedict XVI
o Painting Angels, Saints and Their Symbols | Maria Stella Ceplecha
o Saint Gregory the Great (1) | Pope Benedict XVI
o Saint Gregory the Great (2) | Pope Benedict XVI
o The Golden Legend: When Saints Were Saints | Sandra Miesel
o Three Co-Patronesses of Europe | Pope John Paul II
· Ordinary Time: November 17th
· Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
Old Calendar: St. Gregory the Wonderworker, bishop and confessor ; Other Titles: Elizabeth of Thuringia; Elisabeth of Thuringia; Elisabeth of Hungary
Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious. She was the daughter of Andrew II, King of Hungary, and wife of Duke Louis IV of Thuringia. She is famous for her great kindness and inexhaustible charity towards the poor and the sick. November 19 is the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in the Extraordinary Form.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, bishop and confessor. According to the Ordinary Form, St. Gregory's memorial is celebrated on September 3.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth was the daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II. At the age of four (b. 1207), she was brought to the court of her future husband, Ludwig, landgrave of Thuringia. After her marriage in 1221, she very conscientiously fulfilled her duties both toward her husband and as a servant of God. During the night she would rise from bed and spend long periods in prayer. Zealously she performed all types of charitable acts; she put herself at the service of widows, orphans, the sick, the needy. During a famine she generously distributed all the grain from her stocks, cared for lepers in one of the hospitals she established, kissed their hands and feet. For the benefit of the indigent she provided suitable lodging.
After the early death of her husband (in 1227 while on a crusade led by Emperor Frederick II), Elizabeth laid aside all royal dignities in order to serve God more freely. She put on simple clothing, became a tertiary of St. Francis, and showed great patience and humility. Nor was she spared intense suffering - the goods belonging to her as a widow were withheld, she was forced to leave Wartburg. In Eisenach no one dared receive her out of fear of her enemies. Upon much pleading a shepherd of the landgrave permitted her to use an abandoned pig sty. No one was allowed to visit or aid her; with her three children, of whom the youngest was not more than a few months old, she was forced to wander about in the winter's cold.
In 1228 she took the veil of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis at Marburg and there built a hospital with some property still belonging to her. She retained for herself only a small mud house. All her strength and care were now devoted to the poor and the sick, while she obtained the few things she needed by spinning. Young in years but rich in good works, she slept in the Lord in 1231, only twenty-four years old.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Bakers; beggars; brides; Catholic charities; charitable societies; charitable workers; charities; countesses; death of children; exiles; falsely accused people; Franciscan Third Order; hoboes; homeless people; hospitals; in-law problems; lacemakers; lace workers; nursing homes; nursing services; people in exile; people ridiculed for their piety; Sisters of Mercy; tertiaries; Teutonic Knights; toothache; tramps; widows.
Symbols: Three crowns (virgin, wife, widow); triple crown; roses; basket of bread and flask of wine; roses in a robe; infant in a cradle; model of a hospital or of Warburg castle; distaff.
Often Portrayed As: Queen distributing alms; Woman wearing a crown and tending to beggars; Woman wearing a crown, carrying a load of roses in her apron or mantle.
Things to Do:
St. Gregory Thaumaturgus
Theodore, afterwards called Gregory, and from his miracles surnamed Thaumaturgus or Worker of Wonders, was of Neocaesarea in Pontus, born of parents eminent in rank and pagan in religion. At fourteen years of age he lost his father, but continued his education, which was directed towards a career in the law. His sister going to join her husband, an official at Caesarea in Palestine, Gregory accompanied her with his brother Athenodorus, who was afterwards a bishop and suffered much for the faith of Jesus Christ. Origen had arrived at Caesarea a little before and opened a school there, and at the first meeting with Gregory and his brother discerned in them capacity for learning and dispositions to virtue which encouraged him to inspire them with a love of truth and an eager desire of attaining the sovereign good of man. Fascinated with his discourse, they entered his school and laid aside all thoughts of going to the law-school of Bairut, as they had originally intended. Gregory does justice to Origen by assuring us that he excited them to virtue no less by his example than by his words; and tells us that he inculcated that in all things the most valuable knowledge is that of the first cause, and thus he led them on to theology. He opened to their view all that the philosophers and poets had written concerning God, showing what was true and what was erroneous in the doctrines of each and demonstrating the incompetence of human reason alone for attaining to certain knowledge in the most important of all points, that of religion. The conversion of the brothers to Christianity was complete and they continued their studies under their master for some years, going back home about the year 238. Before he took leave of Origen, Gregory thanked him publicly in an oration before a large audience, in which he extols the method and wisdom by which his great master conducted him through his studies, and gives interesting particulars of the way in which Origen taught. A letter also is extant from the master to the disciple: he calls Gregory his respected son and exhorts him to employ for the service of religion all the talents which he had received from God and to borrow from the heathen philosophy what might serve that purpose, as the Jews converted the spoils of the Egyptians to the building of the tabernacle of the true God.
On his return to Neocaesarea St Gregory intended to practice law, but within a short time, although there were only seventeen Christians in the town, he was appointed to be its bishop; but of his long episcopate few certain particulars have come down to us. St Gregory of Nyssa gives a good deal of information in his panegyric of the saint with regard to the deeds which earned him the title of Wonderworker, but there is little doubt that a good deal of it is legendary. However, it is known that Neocaesarea was rich and populous, deeply buried in vice and idolatry, that St Gregory, animated with zeal and charity, applied himself vigorously to the charge committed to him, and that God was pleased to confer upon him an extraordinary power of working miracles. St Basil tells us that "through the cooperation of the Spirit, Gregory had a formidable power over evil spirits; he altered the course of rivers in the name of Christ; he dried up a lake that was a cause of dissension between two brothers; and his foretelling of the future made him equal with the other prophets. Such were his signs and wonders that both friends and enemies of the truth looked on him as another Moses."*
When he first took possession of his see Gregory accepted the invitation of Musonius, a person of importance in the city, and lodged with him. That very day he began to preach and before night had converted a number sufficient to form a little church. Early next morning the doors were crowded with sick persons, whom he cured at the same time that he wrought the conversion of their souls. Christians soon became so numerous that the saint was enabled to build a church for their use, to which all contributed either money or labor. The circumstances in which St Gregory caused Alexander the Charcoal-burner to be chosen bishop of Comana have been narrated in the notice of that saint on August 1; and his wisdom and tact caused him to be referred to in civil as well as religious causes, and then his interrupted legal studies came in useful. Gregory of Nyssa and his brother Basil learned much of what was currently said about the Wonderworker from their grandmother, St Macrina, who was born in Neocaesarea about the time of his death. St Basil says that the whole tenor of his life expressed the height of evangelical fervor. In his devotion he showed the greatest reverence and recollection and never covered his head at prayer, and he loved simplicity and modesty of speech: " yea" and "nay" were the measure of his ordinary conversation. He abhorred lies and falsehood; no anger or bitterness ever appeared in his words or behavior.
The persecution of Decius breaking out in 250, St Gregory advised his flock rather to hide than to expose themselves to the danger of losing their faith; he himself withdrew into the desert, accompanied only by a pagan priest whom he had converted and who was then his deacon. The persecutors were informed that he was concealed upon a certain mountain and sent soldiers to apprehend him. They returned, saying they had seen nothing but two trees; upon which the informer went to the place and, finding the bishop and his deacon at their prayers, whom the soldiers had mistaken for two trees, judged their escape to have been miraculous and became a Christian. The persecution was followed by a plague, and the plague by an irruption of Goths into Asia Minor, so that it is not surprising to find that, with these added to the ordinary cares and duties of the episcopate, St Gregory was not a voluminous writer. What these cares and duties were he sets out in his " Canonical Letter ", occasioned by problems arising from the barbarian raids. It is stated that St Gregory organized secular amusements in connection with the annual commemorations of the martyrs, which attracted pagans as well as popularizing the religious gatherings among Christians : doubtless, too, he had it in mind that the martyrs were honored by happy recreation in addition to formally religious observances. But he " is the sole missionary we know of, during these first three centuries, who employed such methods; and he was a highly-educated Greek
A little before his death St Gregory Thaumaturgus inquired how many infidels yet remained in the city, and being told there were seventeen he thankfully acknowledged as a great mercy that, having found but seventeen Christians at his coming thither, he left but seventeen idolaters. Having then prayed for their conversion, and the confirmation and sanctification of those that believed in the true God, he enjoined his friends not to procure him any special place of burial but that, as he lived as a pilgrim in the world claiming nothing for himself, so after death he might enjoy the common lot. His body is said to have been ultimately transferred to a Byzantine monastery in Calabria, and there is considerable local cultus of St Gregory in southern Italy and Sicily, where he is invoked in times of earthquake and, on account of his miracle of stopping the flooding of the River Lycus, against inundations.
*Alban Butler narrates the famous miraculous removal of a great stone, which in the Dialogues of St Gregory the Great becomes a mountain. When the feast of St Gertrude was to be added to the Western calendar in 1738 it was found that her dies natalis coincided with that of St Gregory. Clement XII thought that a saint who moved mountains should not himself be moved, even by a pope, and St Gertrude's feast was assigned to the 15th.
Apart from what Gregory himself tells us about his relations with Origen, and sundry casual allusions which we find in the writings of St Basil, St Jerome and Eusebius, the information which we possess concerning this saint is of a very unsatisfactory character. The panegyric by St Gregory of Nyssa recounts many marvels, but says little of his history, and even less confidence can be placed in the Syriac life (the best text is in 'Bedjan, Acta Martyrum, vol. vi, 1896, pp. 83-106). Besides this there is an Armenian life and one in Latin both of little value. See also Ryssel, Gregorius Thaumaturgus, rein Leben und seine Schriften (1880) Funk in the Theologirche Quartalschrift for 1898, pp. 81 seq. Journal of Theological Studies for 1930, pp. 142. A valuable article by M. Jugie on the sermons attributed to St Gregory is in the Analecta Bollandiana, vol. xliii (1925), pp. 86-95. Here it is clearly shown that most of these attributions are unreliable, but Fr Jugie inclines to accept the authenticity of one of those preserved in Armenian, though he rejects that which F. C. Conybeare translated into English in the Expositor for 1896, pt s, pp. 161-173. Critics, however, seem generally agreed in admitting the genuineness of the panegyric of Origen, the treatise on the Creed, the canonical epistle, and the dissertation addressed to Theopompus this last only exists in Syriac. The greater part of the writings printed under the name of St Gregory Thaumaturgus in Migne, PG., vol. x, are either gravely suspect or certainly spurious. See Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, vol. ii, pp. 315-332."
Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints
Patron: Against earthquakes; against floods; desperate causes; forgotten causes; impossible causes; lost causes
Symbols: Bishop driving demons out of a temple; presenting a bishop's mitre to Saint Alexander the Charcoal Burner
Things to Do:
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
The appointed time is near. (Revelation 1:3)
It’s probably no surprise that many people shy away from the Book of Revelation. It’s full of graphic language about cosmic events that we find hard to identify, let alone identify with! We are dimly aware that some religious leaders have identified certain world leaders and institutions (including the Soviet Union, the United Nations, and even the Roman Catholic Church) with the evil forces portrayed in Revelation. Others have used this book to make specific predictions about what will happen in the future. And when these predictions fail to materialize (at least in the anticipated way), new theories are born. So how could ordinary believers like ourselves hope to make sense of this puzzling book?
Actually, Revelation wasn’t so puzzling to John’s first readers. Most of them were familiar with imagery like the moon turning to blood and stars falling from the sky. Earlier writers had used word pictures like these to talk about God’s action in bringing down power-hungry empires and upending a status quo in which the rich continued to exploit the poor.
Because they themselves were being persecuted for proclaiming Jesus as Lord rather than Caesar, John’s readers knew that he was using language that could both veil and reveal. A pagan reader might have dismissed Revelation as little more than an imaginative story. But a faithful Christian would have found assurance in it that God had not abandoned his people. He was very much at work, moving history forward to its climax when Jesus would return in glory. This vision of a world totally renewed in the love of its Creator gave them hope in their darkest hours.
As we turn again to the Book of Revelation at the end of the Church year, let’s catch the spirit of those early followers. Let’s look up to see the Lamb enthroned, eager to transform us and our world in the light of his glory. He is coming soon! Let’s be sure our preparations for his return are motivated by that “first love,” the love that Jesus had for us before we even began to respond to him.
“Come, Lord Jesus! Make me ready and eager to welcome you, both in my day today and when you return to bring me to your heavenly home.”
Psalm 1:1-4, 6; Luke 18:35-43
Daily Marriage Tip for November 17, 2014:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a married saint, became a young widow when her husband died of the plague after only six years of marriage. Pray today for those who have lost a spouse, and look for ways to support them.
Seeing with Faith | ||
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November 17, 2014. Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
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By Father John Doyle, LC Luke 18:35-43 Now as Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!" Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the Omega. You have given me life and offer me eternal life with you. You deserve my honor, gratitude and love, and yet you never impose yourself upon me. Thank you for respecting my freedom so that I can offer myself to you. All that I have is yours; I return it to you. Petition: Lord, grant me greater faith in your constant and continual presence in my life. 1. Begging by the Roadside: How many times in life have we felt like this blind beggar sitting by the roadside, down-and-out and hard on luck – physically, spiritually or emotionally? Witnessing our distress, some people simply walked by without a care. Maybe they tossed us a coin, though they didn’t really help us out of our discouragement or difficulty. Others might have jeered at us or not dared to look at us. Some may even have scolded us, like the people in the Gospel telling the beggar “to be silent.” Just as the blind beggar of today’s Gospel could not give himself what he most desired – sight, we are unable to give ourselves what we most need – faith. Do I regularly ask for an increase of faith? Am I aware of how much I need a strong faith? 2. Jesus Is Passing By: The book of Job tells us that “human beings have a hard service on earth” (Job 7:1). It shouldn’t be surprising, then, when in our lives as Christians we take some real blows and even some falls. God doesn’t want us to become discouraged. He wants us to see these as opportunities to turn to him, the source of the strength and help we need. Other voices will tell us to be quiet and not bother the Master: “After all, you just need to work things out”, “With so much going on, how can you find time to pray?” Jesus constantly passes by. He is the only one who can bring me the peace my heart desires and longs for. “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” 3. Lord, Please Let Me See: Jesus promises us that he will listen to our request, just as he did to the blind man. But what should our request be? To have a more comfortable stool so as to sit by the road and beg with ease? To have a beautiful silver cup to collect coins in? Or to see? Often what we really need is not what we ask for in prayer. We need the vision that only the supernatural virtue of faith can give. We need the ability to see everything from God’s vantage point and to see how the difficulties and trials we experience are part of a bigger picture. We need to have the firm assurance of the final victory of the Lamb, Jesus, and the strength to persevere in fidelity. Lord, please let me see…. Please increase my faith. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, allow me to praise and glorify you for your constant companionship and for never leaving me alone in my struggles and trials. Increase my faith so that I will be able to experience your love even amidst difficulty and trials. Resolution: I will pray three “Our Fathers” for an increase of faith among my family members. |
November 17, 2014
Here is a man who is blind, but nevertheless must have heard about Jesus and the wonderful things he has done for people in town. He must have been wishing to come near him, and he must have been praying for a cure. He is also described as sitting by the road, begging – he must have been abandoned by his family. He hears the crowd passing by and inquired what it is all about. “Jesus of Nazareth is going by” they say. He knows the Lord because spontaneously he cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
We too have our own blindness. We are blind many times to our faults and sins, to our weaknesses and limitations. Blind because we cannot accept them, we keep denying or covering them up many times. Let us imitate this blind man in our gospel today. The Lord is passing by. Let’s cry out loud to him and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” In the depths of our hearts let us hear the Lord say ” Your faith has saved you, I love you and I forgive you!”
Yes, the Lord is passing by, but we have to do our part. Often we are beggars, yet we do not consider what we are asking for. We have received many blessings yet these we take for granted as if the Lord ought to give us these, as if we deserve them.
Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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The answer to anyone who talks about the surplus population is to ask him, whether he is part of the surplus population; or if not, how he knows he is not. [1925]
~~G. K. Chesterton
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