Tuesday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Winifred,  St. Martin de Porres,  St. Hubert, Bishop (657-727)

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Baldwin of Ford : “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.”

Letter to the Romans 12:5-16.

so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.

Psalms 131:1.2.3.

A song of ascents. Of David. LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me.
Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.
Israel, hope in the LORD, now and forever.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14:15-24.

One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'”

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Baldwin of Ford (?-c.1190), Cistercian abbot
The Sacrament of the altar, II, 3 ; PL 204, 691

“Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.”

The psalmist says: «Bread fortifies the heart of man and wine rejoices his heart» (Ps 104[103],15). For those who believe in him Christ is food and drink, bread and wine. He is bread when he strengthens and establishes us according to Peter’s words: «After you have suffered a little, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will restore, strengthen and establish you» (1Pt 5,10). He is drink and wine when he makes us glad according to the words of the Psalmist: «Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul» (Ps 86[85],4).

Everything in us that is strong, steadfast, firm, happy and joyful to carry out God’s commands, bear with misfortune, act obediently, stand up for justice: all these things come from this bread’s strength, this wine’s gladness. Happy are they whose deeds are strong and joyful! And since no one can do it of themselves: happy are they who have an eager desire to cleave to what is just and right and to be strengthened in everything and rejoice through him who said: «Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness» (Mt 5,6). If Christ is food and drink even now for the strength and joy of the righteous, how much more so will he be in the life to come when he will give to the righteous without measure?

Monday, 02 November 2009

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

Today the Church celebrates : The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed

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Saint Irenaeus of Lyons : Like a grain of wheat

Book of Wisdom 3:1-9.

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect.

Psalms 27:1.4.7.8.9.13-14.

Of David The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom am I afraid?
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the LORD’S house all the days of my life, To gaze on the LORD’S beauty, to visit his temple.
I Hear my voice, LORD, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me.
“Come,” says my heart, “seek God’s face”; your face, LORD, do I seek!
Do not hide your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger. You are my help; do not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my savior!
But I believe I shall enjoy the LORD’S goodness in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!

Letter to the Romans 6:3-9.

Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25:31-46.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208), Bishop, theologian and martyr
Against the Heresies V, 2,3  (SC 153, p. 37s rev.)

Like a grain of wheat

The stem of the vine, originally planted in the earth, bears fruit when the time comes. So, too, the grain of wheat, after falling into the earth and decaying there (cf. Jn 12,24), rises up again more numerous through the Spirit of God who upholds all things. Then, thanks to those who have the skill, they are made ready for our use and finally, receiving the Word of God, become eucharist – that is to say, the Body and Blood of Christ.

In the same way, our bodies, nourished by this eucharist, having lain in the earth and corrupted, will rise again when the time comes, when God’s Word will repay them with resurrection «to the glory of God the Father» (Phil 2,11). For he will gain immortality for what is mortal and incorruptibility for what is corruptible (cf. 1Cor 15,53) since God’s power makes use of weakness (cf. 2Cor 12,9).

Under these conditions let us keep good watch over ourselves from becoming puffed up with pride as though it were from ourselves that life comes to us, and from vaunting ourselves against God by allowing thoughts of ingratitude. To the contrary, knowing from experience that it is from his greatness… that we have power to live for ever we shall never turn aside from right thinking about God and ourselves. We shall know what power God possessed and what blessings humanity has received from him. We shall make no mistake concerning the real idea we should have about God and man. Besides…, if God allows our dissolution in the earth, isn’t it precisely so that, being taught by these things, we might be watchful in everything from henceforward, misjudging neither God nor ourselves?… If the chalice and the bread become eucharist through the Word of God, how can we argue that our flesh is incapable of eternal life?

All Saints – Solemnity

Today the Church celebrates : Solemnity of All Saints

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Blessed Jan van Ruusbroec : With all the saints

Book of Revelation 7:2-4.9-14.

Then I saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, “Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the Israelites: After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: “Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Psalms 24(23):1-2.3-4.5-6.

A psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S and all it holds, the world and those who live there.
For God founded it on the seas, established it over the rivers.
Who may go up the mountain of the LORD? Who can stand in his holy place?
“The clean of hand and pure of heart, who are not devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely.
They will receive blessings from the LORD, and justice from their saving God.
Such are the people that love the LORD, that seek the face of the God of Jacob.” Selah

First Letter of John 3:1-3.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:1-12.

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Blessed Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381), Canon Regular
The seven steps of the ladder of spiritual love (trans. F. Sherwood Taylor)

With all the saints

But in the last day of the judgement of God, after we shall have risen again with our glorified bodies through the power of the Lord, these same shall be white and gleaming as snow shining clear in the sun, transparent as crystal… And Christ our cantor and precentor shall sing with His glorious sweet voice an endless canticle of the praise and honour of His heavenly Father; and we shall all sing the same With glad heart and clear voice, eternally and without end. The joy and glory of our souls shall flow into our senses and through all our members; and we shall look upon ourselves with eyes of glory, hearing and declaring and singing the praise of the Lord with unfailing voices.

Christ shall minister to us and show us His radiant Face and His glorious Body with all the marks of faithfulness and love therein impressed. And we shall see all the glorious bodies clothed with all the many tokens of love won in the service of God since the beginning of the world… And our living hearts shall flame with burning love for God and all His saints…

Christ in His human nature shall rule the right-hand choir, for He is the loftiest and noblest being of all that has been made by God; and to this choir belong all in whom He lives and who live in Him. The other choir is that of the angels: for although they are of a more excellent nature, we have a higher gift in Jesus Christ, with Whom we are one. And on that account Christ Jesus will be the High Priest between the choirs of angels and of men before the throne of the sovereign majesty of God. And before His heavenly Father, God Almighty, He will offer and renew all sacrifices which have ever been offered by angels and by men: and these same shall be ceaselessly renewed and remain established in the glory of God.