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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:

Meditate on the mystery of Mary's temporary dwelling in the sanctuary of the Old Covenant as a preparation for the approaching season of Advent.
Locate the order of contemplative nuns closest to you and visit their monastery (you may want to request their prayers and you might consider supporting them financially), they are the privileged souls who, by the grace of their vocation, are even here below dwellers in the house of the Lord.
Spend 30 minutes reading the Bible.
Learn more about Mary in the Byzantine Liturgy and say one of the beautiful prayers of the Eastern liturgy in honor of Mary.

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