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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-21-14, M, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-21-14 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 11/20/2014 9:39:02 PM PST by Salvation

 

November 21, 2014

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

 

Reading 1 Rv 10:8-11

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me.
Then the voice spoke to me and said:
“Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, “Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”
I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Gospel Lk 19:45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves
.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: blessedvirginmary; catholic; lk19; ordinarytime; prayer
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To: GreyFriar

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

St. Joseph solemnity is March 19th.


21 posted on 11/21/2014 7:01:27 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: cloudmountain

BTTT=Bump to the top!


22 posted on 11/21/2014 7:02:04 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
The Presentation of the Virgin Mary

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary
Memorial
November 21st


Domenico Ghirlandaio
Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple
1486-90 - Fresco
Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence

History
Mary, at the age of three, was brought by her parents to the Temple, in fulfillment of a vow, there to be educated. The corresponding feast originated in the Orient, probably in Syria, the home of the apocrypha. The feast is missing in the earlier Menology of Constantinople (eighth century); it is found, however, in the liturgical documents of the eleventh century. It appears in the constitution of Manuel Comnenos (1166) as a fully recognized festival during which the law courts did not sit. In the West it was introduced by a French nobleman, Philippe de Mazières, Chancellor of the King of Cyprus, who spent some time at Avignon during the pontificate of Gregory XI. It was celebrated in the presence of the cardinals (1372) with an office accommodated from the office chanted by the Greeks. In 1373 it was adopted in the royal chapel at Paris, 1418 at Metz, 1420 at Cologne. Pius II granted (1460) the feast with a vigil to the Duke of Saxony. It was taken up by many dioceses, but at the end of the Middle Ages, it was still missing in many calendars. At Toledo it was assigned (1500) by Cardinal Ximenes to September 30. Sixtus IV received it into the Roman Breviary, Pius V struck it from the calendar, but Sixtus V took it up a second time (September 1, 1585). It is now celebrated November 21.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition)

Collect:
As we venerate the glorious memory
of the most Virgin Mary,
grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession,
that we too, may merit to receive
from the fullness of your grace.
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: Zechariah 2:14-17 (2:10-13 RSV)
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be My people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem."

Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 12:46-50
While He was still speaking to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But He replied to the man who told Him, "Who is My mother, and who are My brethren?" And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Here are My mother and My brethren! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother."


23 posted on 11/21/2014 7:07:11 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Thank you. Details one forgets 45 years after graduation.


24 posted on 11/21/2014 7:12:18 AM PST by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: All
Information: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Feast Day: November 21

25 posted on 11/21/2014 7:19:20 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Presentation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic and Orthodox Caucus]
Feast of the Entrance into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos [Orthodox/Catholic Caucus]
The Protoevangelium of James
aThe Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary [November 21]
26 posted on 11/21/2014 7:21:04 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Interactive Saints for Kids

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary


Feast Day: November 21

When she was only three years old, her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, took Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem.

There she would be educated in the service and the law of God so that she would be protected against the sins of the world.

Mary's whole life was to belong to God as He had chosen her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus. And St. Joachim and St. Anne were pleased to offer their saintly little girl to God. They knew that God had sent her to them.

In the Temple, the high priest received the child Mary, where she was placed among the girls who were dedicated to prayer and Temple service. The high priest kissed and blessed the holy child. He realized that the Lord had great plans for her.

Mary was happy to begin serving God in the Temple. She did not weep or turn back to her parents but came so happily to the altar that everyone in the Temple loved her at once.

St. Joachim and St. Anne went back home. They praised God for their blessed daughter. And Mary remained in the Temple, where she grew in holiness.

She spent her days reading the Bible, praying and serving the Temple priests. She made beautiful linens and wonderful vestments (robes that the priests wear). All the other girls loved Mary because she was so kind.

Mary tried to do each of her duties well, to please God. She grew in grace and gave great glory to the Lord.

Note to Parents: "Parents, God does not simply want you to offer your children to Him in the temple, but requires you to take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been consecrated in Baptism."


27 posted on 11/21/2014 7:28:13 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Luke
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Luke 19
45 And entering into the temple, he began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought. Et ingressus in templum, cœpit ejicere vendentes in illo, et ementes, και εισελθων εις το ιερον ηρξατο εκβαλλειν τους πωλουντας εν αυτω και αγοραζοντας
46 Saying to them: It is written: My house is the house of prayer. But you have made it a den of thieves. dicens illis : Scriptum est : Quia domus mea domus orationis est : vos autem fecistis illam speluncam latronum. λεγων αυτοις γεγραπται ο οικος μου οικος προσευχης εστιν υμεις δε αυτον εποιησατε σπηλαιον ληστων
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. And the chief priests and the scribes and the rulers of the people sought to destroy him: Et erat docens quotidie in templo. Principes autem sacerdotum, et scribæ, et princeps plebis quærebant illum perdere : και ην διδασκων το καθ ημεραν εν τω ιερω οι δε αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις εζητουν αυτον απολεσαι και οι πρωτοι του λαου
48 And they found not what to do to him: for all the people were very attentive to hear him. et non inveniebant quid facerent illi. Omnis enim populus suspensus erat, audiens illum. και ουχ ευρισκον το τι ποιησωσιν ο λαος γαρ απας εξεκρεματο αυτου ακουων

28 posted on 11/21/2014 7:30:13 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
45. And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
46. Saying to them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves.
47. And he taught daily in the temple. But the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
48. And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

GREG. When He had related the evils that were to come upon the city, He straightway entered the temple, that He might cast out them that bought and sold in it. Showing that the destruction of the people arose chiefly from the guilt of the priests.

AMBROSE; For God wishes not His temple to be a house of traffic, but the dwelling-place of holiness, nor does He fix the priestly service in a salable performance of religion, but in a free and willing obedience

CYRIL; Now there were in the temple a number of sellers who sold animals, by the custom of the law, for the sacrificial victims, but the time was now come for the shadows to pass away, and the truth of Christ to shine forth. Therefore Christ, who together with the Father was worshipped in the temple, commanded the customs of the law to be reformed, but the temple to become a house of prayer; as it is added, My house, &c.

GREG. For they who sat in the temple to receive money would doubtless sometimes make exaction to the injury of those who gave them none.

THEOPHYL. The same thing our Lord did also at the beginning of His preaching, as John relates; and now He did it a second time, because the crime of the Jews was much increased by their not having been chastened by the former warning.

AUG. Now mystically, you must understand by the temple; Christ Himself, as man in His human nature, or with His body united to Him, that is, the Church. Put inasmuch as He is the Head of the Church, it was said, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days. Inasmuch as the Church is joined to Him, is the temple understood, of which He seems to have spoken in the same place, Take these away from hence; signifying that there would be those in the Church who would rather be pursuing their own interest, or find a shelter therein to conceal their wickedness, than follow after the love of Christ, and by confession of their sills receiving pardon be restored.

GREG. But our Redeemer does not withdraw His word of preaching even from the unworthy and ungrateful. Accordingly after having by the ejection of the corrupt maintained the strictness of discipline, He now pours forth the gifts of grace. For it follows, And he was teaching daily in the temple.

CYRIL; Now from what Christ had said and done it was meet that men should worship Him as God, but far from doing this, they sought to slay Him; as it follows, But the chief priests and scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him.

BEDE; Either because He daily taught in the temple, or because He had cast the thieves therefrom, or that coming thereto as King and Lord, He was greeted with the honor of a heavenly hymn of praise.

CYRIL; But the people held Christ in far higher estimation than the Scribes and Pharisees, and chiefs of the Jews, who not receiving the faith of Christ themselves, rebuked others. Hence it follows, And they could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

BEDE; This may be taken in two ways; either that fearing; a tumult of the people they knew not what they should do with Jesus, whom they had settled to destroy; or they sought to destroy Him because they perceived their own authority set aside, and multitudes flocking to hear Him.

GREG. Mystically, such as the temple of God is in a city, such is the life of the religious in a faithful people. And there are frequently some who take upon themselves the religious habit, and while they are receiving the privilege of Holy Orders, are sinking the sacred office of religion into a bargain of worldly traffic. For the sellers in the temple are those who give at a certain price that which is the rightful possession of others. For to sell justice is to observe it on condition of receiving a reward. But the buyers in the temple are those, who whilst unwilling to discharge what is just to their neighbor, and disdaining to do what they are in duty bound to, by paying a price to their patrons, purchase sin.

ORIGEN; If any then sells, let him be cast out, and especially if he sells doves. For of those things which have been revealed and committed to me by the Holy Spirit, I either sell for money to the people, or do not teach without hire, what else do I but sell a dove, that is, the Holy Spirit?

AMBROSE; Therefore our Lord teaches generally that all worldly bargains should be far removed from the temple of God; but spiritually He drove away the money-changers, who seek gain from the Lord's money, that is, the divine Scripture, lest they should discern good and evil.

GREG. And these make the house of God a den of thieves, because when corrupt men hold religious offices, they slay with the sword of their wickedness their neighbors, whom they ought to raise to life by the intercession of their prayers. The temple also is the soul of the faithful, which if it put forth corrupt thoughts to the injury of a neighbor, then is it become as it were a lurking place of thieves. But when the soul of the faithful is wisely instructed to shun evil, truth teaches daily in the temple.

Catena Aurea Luke 19
29 posted on 11/21/2014 7:30:47 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


The expulsion of the traders from the temple

Valentin de Boulogne (c. 1591–1632)

30 posted on 11/21/2014 7:31:13 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: Salvation

BTTT


31 posted on 11/21/2014 1:47:08 PM PST by cloudmountain
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To: cloudmountain
CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Friday, November 21

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of the Presentation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast day was
celebrated as early as 1166. In 1585, Pope
Sixtus V extended the Feast of the
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin to the
whole Church.

32 posted on 11/21/2014 8:06:34 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
We have a seminary not too far away and we had a priest this morning from that seminary who spoke with us. He said that this feast day is their VERY MOST IMPORTANT feast day of the year. He was an instructor there.

For those posters who would JUMP ALL OVER THIS I will say that Christmas and Easter are NOT included in that seminarian and seminary's "MOST IMPORTANT" list.

33 posted on 11/21/2014 8:12:40 PM PST by cloudmountain
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To: All
Catholic Culture

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/pictures/11_21_mary_presentation.jpg

 

Daily Readings for:November 21, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of your grace. 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    St. Mary's Mocha Surprise

o    Vuccidrato -- Mary's Palms

ACTIVITIES

o    Celebrating the Feasts of the Blessed Virgin

o    Feasts of Mary in the Family

o    Feasts of Our Lady in the Home

o    Marian Hymn: ’Tis Said of Our Dear Lady

o    Marian Hymn: Ave Maria Dear

o    Marian Hymn: Beautiful, Glorious

o    Marian Hymn: Salve Regina

o    Marian Hymn: Stella Matutina

o    Marian Hymn: Virgin Blessed, Thou Star the Fairest

o    Mary Garden

PRAYERS

o    November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

o    Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loretto)

o    Little Litany of the Holy Souls

o    Prayers for the Presentation

o    Prayer for a Happy Death

o    Daily Acceptance of Death

o    Table Blessing for the Feasts of the Mother of God

LIBRARY

o    Presentation Prefigures the Cross | Pope John Paul II

·         Ordinary Time: November 21st

·         Memorial of the Presentation of Mary

Old Calendar: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of the Presentation of Mary. The three feasts of the birthday of Our Lady, the holy Name of Mary and her Presentation in the Temple correspond in the Marian cycle with the first three feasts of the cycle of feasts of our Lord: namely, Christmas, the Holy Name of Jesus, and His Presentation in the Temple (February 2).


Presentation of Mary
"Sacred Scripture contains no text concerning the event commemorated in today's liturgy. For something of a historical background one may consult the apocryphal works, particularly the Protoevangel of St. James (ch. 4:1ff). After an angel had revealed her pregnancy, Anna is said to have vowed her future child Mary to the Lord. Soon after birth the infant was brought to the sacred precincts at which only the best of Israel's daughters were admitted. At the age of three she was transferred to the temple proper (7:2). According to legend, here she was reared like a dove and received her nourishment from the hand of an angel (8:1).

"In the East, where the feast, celebrated since the eighth century, is kept as a public holiday, it bears the name, 'The Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple'. It was introduced at Rome by a Cypriotic legate to the papal court of Avignon in 1371. In 1472, Sixtus IV extended its observance to the whole Church. Abolished by Pius V, it was reintroduced some years later (1585)."

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

Things to Do:


34 posted on 11/21/2014 8:14:02 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Your decrees are my delight. (Psalm 119:24)

Most people don’t like being told what to do. Especially as we grow up, rules seem less necessary and even a little stuffy. Try this simple test: what is your first reaction when you think of the Ten Commandments? Don’t they remind you of things you had to memorize when you were a child rather than a set of life-giving guidelines that you keep close to your heart every day?

So why is today’s psalmist so excited about rules? When it comes to God’s decrees, says the psalmist, nothing could be better. They are more precious than gold and silver, sweeter than honey. He goes so far as to yearn for God’s commands, as if to say, “More! Give me more!”

Here’s something to notice, however. The psalmist has a lot of different words for the law: decrees, promises, precepts, word. It’s not just a matter of commandments that we have to follow. It’s a way of life that brings fulfillment and peace.

This makes sense if we consider the books known as “the Law” in the Jewish Scriptures. These first five books of the Bible include a lot more than just rules; there are history, drama, spiritual lessons, and a host of colorful characters. Taken together, these books tell the story of God’s redemptive work among his chosen people. This story, this sweep of salvation history, is what the psalmist is so enthusiastic about!

Still, even if we do narrow our view to the Ten Commandments, we can find cause for rejoicing. Pick any commandment. What would be the long-term results of disregarding it? Pain, brokenness, separation from others and from God. Contrast this with the benefits of following that commandment. A healthy relationship with God, a stable family life, relationships of trust with friends and neighbors, a balanced life. God’s decrees really are sweeter than honey!

Take some time today to think about one of the commandments that you have been obeying pretty consistently. Maybe you are respectful toward your parents. Perhaps you set apart the Sabbath for rest and worship. Now think about all the good fruit that has been borne in your life because of your obedience to this one law. Doesn’t this thought fill you with delight?

“Father, thank you for showing me the way to life.”

Revelation 10:8-11; Luke 19:45-48


35 posted on 11/21/2014 8:29:37 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

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

Daily Marriage Tip for November 21, 2014:

“But of that day or hour, no one knows…” (Mk 13:32) Death is not something most people like to think about, but it is inevitable and indeed we don’t know “the day or hour.” Don’t avoid talking about your deaths – even if you’re young. Do you know each other’s final wishes?

36 posted on 11/21/2014 8:36:48 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Regnum Christi

God’s House Is Holy
U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
November 21, 2014. Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By Father John Doyle, LC

Luke 19:45-48

Then Jesus entered the Temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, "It is written, ´My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.´" And every day he was teaching in the Temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

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 God, teach me greater reverence for your house.

1. Zeal for the Father’s House: Jesus was not an enemy of commerce. In fact, many times the Gospel makes references to buying and selling without any negative connotations at all. However, in today’s Gospel passage we find Our Lord irate for two principal reasons. First, business activity was taking place within the Temple area. This was, in a sense, a “profanation” of God’s house. The Temple of Jerusalem contained, veiled behind a massive curtain, the Holy of Holies, where God’s mysterious presence dwelled. Yet, paradoxically, Temple worshipers had first to cross what had the appearance of a marketplace to be able to worship before the Lord. Second, Jesus was indignant due to the fact that the temple merchants were dishonest. Am I always honest in my business dealings? Do I always respect God’s name and the things of God?

2. Return to Reverence: Jesus was on fire with zeal for the house of his Father and determined that it be respected as a house of prayer. Silence, worship and prayer are elements that should be an essential part of every visit to a church, especially for Sunday Mass. In the tabernacle of every Catholic Church, Our Lord is present in the Eucharist as a prisoner of love waiting to enter into dialogue with us. We are never closer to heaven than when we are before Our Eucharistic Lord. Yet we can forget this truth. Our postures, chatter, and dress might contribute to a general “profanation” of God’s house. Do I try to remember every time I enter a church that I am standing before my Lord who made heaven and earth? Can others see that I believe Jesus is really present in the Eucharist? Is he the center of my attention? Can I put aside all distractions?

3. Hanging on Jesus’ Words: The crowds are described as “hanging” on Jesus’ every word. Jesus showed a reverence for his Father’s house far greater than any external piety the Pharisees demonstrated. He spoke the truth and was never afraid to stand up for it, even when it was less than convenient to do so. He was unafraid of those who “were seeking to put him to death.” Jesus’ uprightness was the key to his effectiveness and the attractive power of his words. As Christians we are called by vocation to imitate the uprightness of Our Lord in our words and actions.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, many times I have entered Church distractedly and forgotten that you were present. I beg your forgiveness. I ask to be a zealous witness of your love, and I promise to show you greater reverence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Resolution: I will live the Mass this Sunday with a special reverence.


37 posted on 11/22/2014 7:52:39 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Homily of the Day

Our church, God’s house, is indeed a house of prayer. One question we must ask ourselves today and sincerely try to answer is this: How do we regard the church? Do we pray and worship the Lord when we are inside the church? This reading challenges us to review the things we do in the church and how we respond to the things other people do in the church. Do we use our cell phone inside the church? Do we make noise or cause distractions while attending Mass or other liturgical celebrations like baptisms and weddings? Are we brave enough to correct the misbehavior of our family members, and other people inside the church? We must observe decency in our behavior and in the way we dress up when we go to church because we are going there to meet our Lord.

Our house can also be an expression of our faith. Is God present in our home? Or have we commercialized our domestic life? How shall we decorate our home this Advent and Christmas seasons? One suggestion is to set up an Advent wreath or a nativity scen. Put Christ in the center especially this Christmas. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if all Christians, one way or another show their faith with every season


38 posted on 11/22/2014 7:54:08 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 6

<< Friday, November 21, 2014 >> Presentation of Mary
 
Revelation 10:8-11
View Readings
Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131 Luke 19:45-48
Similar Reflections
 

PROPHECY

 
"You must prophesy again for many peoples and nations, languages and kings." —Revelation 10:11
 

A prophet is one who speaks out in God's name for his present generation. Prophecy is not about the future, but about the present. A prophet calls people to repent and to come back to Almighty God.

St. John is invested with his role as a prophet in our reading from Revelation. Up until this point he has been an observer, but following our passage he becomes active and measures the temple (Rv 11:1). The little scroll (Rv 10:9) is the open message of the New Testament. Anyone who speaks out in the Lord's name must digest that biblical scroll so that it becomes a part of him. The sweetness of the message leaves an aftertaste so that one can better deal with the bitterness that must necessarily come (Rv 10:10).

Anyone who thoroughly digests the message of Jesus Christ is bound to be misunderstood and persecuted. Jesus gave a fuller understanding to the Old Testament message (Lk 19:46). For His pains the leaders of the people were trying to put Him to death (Lk 19:47).

At Baptism, every Christian is called to be a prophet (Catechism, 1546), a champion of truth to his or her own generation. Are you a prophet? Are you willing to accept the bitterness that will necessarily come? Say "yes" by accepting your baptismal commitment seriously.

 
Prayer: Lord, let my response to Your call always be "yes, yes" so that I might better bring others to You.
Promise: "The law of Your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces." —Ps 119:72
Praise: Our Lady of Presentation was pure from her conception and was presented to God in the temple as a living sacrifice.

39 posted on 11/22/2014 7:57:20 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Miracle of Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4rJwgAQkSM&feature=youtu.be


40 posted on 11/22/2014 7:58:27 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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