Reading 1 Rv 4:1-11

I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpetlike voice
that had spoken to me before, saying,
"Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards."
At once I was caught up in spirit.
A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders sat,
dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the throne was something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal.

In the center and around the throne,
there were four living creatures
covered with eyes in front and in back.
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside and out.
Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come."
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down
before the one who sits on the throne
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:

"Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created."

Gospel Lk 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'"

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

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.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: November 21st

Memorial of the Presentation of Mary

MASS READINGS

November 21, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

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.

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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: Revelation 4:1-11

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)

. . . an open door to heaven. (Revelation 4:1)

Late in his life, the apostle John found himself on Patmos, a desert island on the Aegean Sea that served as a Roman penal colony. The emperor Domitian had exiled him there as punishment for his continued preaching about Jesus. It may have been a dismal setting, but John made the most of it. He took the opportunity of this time of quiet to compose the Book of Revelation.

Today’s reading contains one of the most fascinating and encouraging images in Revelation: an open door to heaven. Take a moment to think about that: heaven is not locked up anymore. No, it’s open to everyone who welcomes the Lord into their hearts.

By telling us about heaven’s open door, John is inviting us to look in and gaze upon its beauty. He’s telling us that God loves to share his wisdom and insights with us. He’s assuring us that God won’t slam the door in our faces if we try to peer in. Quite the opposite: God wants to reveal himself to us.

Now, it could have been enough for God just to give us a glimpse of heaven, but he went far beyond that. By sending his Son to us and by raising him from the dead, God brought heaven down to earth. That opened door is right in front of you—all the time!

You might be asking yourself, “How can I possibly look into heaven?” Well, think about John in his solitary exile. If anyone could have felt far from God’s reach, it was probably him. But look at what happened. God opened heaven for him.

That same door is open for you. Maybe when you are at Mass, you are struck by how great and majestic and powerful God is. Or maybe gratitude for Jesus’ love wells up in you as you picture the angels and saints praising God. Or maybe an unexpected kind word from a friend gives you comfort and reassures you of God’s provision. Each of these, and so many more, is a glimpse into heaven!

So don’t be afraid to approach that open door. Go ahead and look in. God has so much he wants to show you!

“Father, thank you for the open door to heaven. Open the eyes of my heart to see you!”

Psalm 150:1-6
Luke 19:11-28

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint John-Paul II
Pope from 1978 to 2005
Encyclical 'Laborem exercens' (©Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"Engage in trade with these"

Sweat and toil, which work necessarily involves in the present condition of the human race, present the Christian and everyone who is called to follow Christ with the possibility of sharing lovingly in the work that Christ came to do. This work of salvation came about through suffering and death on a Cross. By enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity. He shows himself a true disciple of Christ by carrying the cross in his turn every day in the activity that he is called upon to perform.

Christ, "undergoing death itself for all of us sinners, taught us by example that we too must shoulder that cross which the world and the flesh inflict upon those who pursue peace and justice"; but also, at the same time, "appointed Lord by his Resurrection and given all authority in heaven and on earth, Christ is now at work in people's hearts through the power of his Spirit... He animates, purifies, and strengthens those noble longings too, by which the human family strives to make its life more human and to render the whole earth submissive to this goal" (Vatican II, GS 38).

The Christian finds in human work a small part of the Cross of Christ and accepts it in the same spirit of redemption in which Christ accepted his Cross for us. In work, thanks to the light that penetrates us from the Resurrection of Christ, we always find a glimmer of new life, of the new good, as if it were an announcement of "the new heavens and the new earth" (Rev 21:1) in which man and the world participate precisely through the toil that goes with work.

Regnum Christi

November 21, 2018 – Kings and Gold Coins

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Father John Doyle, LC

Luke 19:11-28

While they were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.'” After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

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 Jesus, teach me to be patient and persevering in using my talents to serve you and my neighbor.

Jesus, the King of Kings: Nowadays there is renewed interest in the imminence of the Lord’s return in glory. Every Sunday when we recite the Creed, we attest to our faith that Christ “will come again to judge the living and the dead.” But we also know that we do not know when it will be, as Our Lord clearly states: “But about that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). So, what should we do in the meantime? The answer is very simple: Live faithful to the values of Christ’s Kingdom and show that he is our King right now. Are there any areas in my life where Christ is not ruler? Am I faithful to my Christian commitments? Do I use my time well?

Earning One Gold Coin at a Time: In today’s parable each servant receives only one gold coin, but some invest it better than others. There are some gifts that God has given all of us in equal measure and some that we each receive in varying degrees. At baptism we receive the gifts of faith, hope and love in seed form, so to speak, and it is up to us to make sure they are cultivated, irrigated and exposed to enough light so that they will grow and bear fruit. These gifts of faith, hope and love are not given to us just for rainy days or moments of trial, but rather to keep us focused on who we are as children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven. Exercising these virtues is like earning gold, one coin at a time. How often have I thanked God for his gifts of faith, hope and love? Do I strive to grow in these virtues by keeping my heart set on the things of heaven and through charity towards my neighbor?

God’s Generosity: St. John reminds us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God’s essence is self-giving. The man who hid his coin could not discover or fathom this reality, but the man who “spent” his gold coin found this out as he was able to earn many more. Jesus tells us that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain” (John 12:24). Later however a metamorphosis occurs which brings many new grains of wheat into being. Jesus’ death on the cross is the perfect example of the transformation of sacrifice and self-giving into fruitfulness. We can’t have Jesus as our king unless we are willing to follow him on his journey to Jerusalem and impending death. We have much to give up, but we have so much more to gain by using our talents for the Kingdom.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am sometimes afraid of what it means to die to myself. Help me to use all of my talents for your kingdom. Help me to realize that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain and to take steps courageously to love you.

Resolution: As a way of showing my love for Jesus, today I will practice patience with someone who annoys me.

Homily of the Day

November 21, 2018

In the first reading we see God in glory in heaven.

According to tradition, at the age of three, Mary was brought by her parents Joachim and Anne to the Temple at Jerusalem to present and consecrate her to the service of the Lord. She remained there in prayer and service until she was betrothed to Joseph. As we celebrate the presentation of the young child Mary, we recall the key role of parents in the proper rearing of their children.

In the Gospel reading Jesus seems to be undermining his family connections by putting more importance on his mission than on his family. His words are not meant to minimize the importance of family: he sought to strengthen the family by saying that whoever does the will of the Father is “for him [me] brother, sister or mother.”

We have not chosen our own family: we were born in our family. In today’s reading Jesus declares as his family “whoever does the will of the Father.” Because we who strive to be his followers and strive to do his Father’s will are indeed privileged to be his “brother, sister or mother.” Do we appreciate his graciousness and making us his family?

One Bread, One Body

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<< Wednesday, November 21, 2018 >>

Presentation of Mary

Revelation 4:1-11
View Readings

Psalm 150:1-6

Luke 19:11-28
Similar Reflections

OUR PATRONAL FEAST

"A man of noble birth went to a faraway country to become its king, and then return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them sums of ten units each." �Luke 19:12-13

Jesus has revealed to us the following principles of stewardship:

Stewardship is about meeting God's standards and not about comparing ourselves to others. "More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted" (Lk 12:48).
Faithful stewards will be given greater responsibilities (Lk 19:17, 19).
Faithful stewards will receive the resources originally given to unfaithful stewards (Lk 19:24).
Thus, unfaithful stewards lose what they had (Lk 19:26). The old saying is true: "If you don't use it, you lose it."
Bad stewardship is often a matter of rebellion (see Lk 19:14, 27).
Bad stewardship will be punished (Lk 19:27).

Today is the patronal feast day of Our Lady of Presentation Ministries, who publishes One Bread, One Body. We have tried to be faithful stewards of our gifts, our time, and your money. Please pray that we will remain faithful. Thanks to all those who have worked hard for many years without pay in order to proclaim God's Word and invite all of us to live the Eucharist. We thank God for you and thank Him for the privilege of being His stewards.

Prayer: Father, may all members of Presentation Ministries be sanctified.

Promise: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Alleluia." —Ps 150:6

Praise: Praise You, Jesus, for giving us Mary as our mother and model discipler. We glorify You in prayer and worship.

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November 21, 2018

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading 1 Rv 4:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

Alleluia See Jn 15:16

Gospel Lk 19:11-28

Ordinary Time: November 21st

Memorial of the Presentation of Mary

MASS READINGS

COLLECT PRAYER

Recipes (2)

Activities (10)

Prayers (7)

Library (1)

Meditation: Revelation 4:1-11

November 21, 2018 – Kings and Gold Coins

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Father John Doyle, LC

One Bread, One Body

OUR PATRONAL FEAST

Are all babies in heaven?