32nd Sunday of the Year (c)
This Week’s Liturgy Calendar.
Ordinary Season of the Year. (c)
Weekdays – Year 1
Sunday 10th November: 32nd Sunday of the Year. (c)
The first reading is from the 2nd Book of Maccabees. The seven brothers who are to be martyred are examples of the faith that has been passed on to them by their mother and their ancestors. They show courage in the face of suffering and remain loyal to God’s law and belief in the Resurrection.
St. Paul, writing in his 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians, urges the people to have faith and find comfort in the love that has been shown to them.
The Gospel passage, from St. Luke, tells of the Sadducees trying again to trap Jesus. Again Jesus faces opposition to his work and his teaching, as happens all through his public life. The efferts of the Sadducees result in Jesus preaching about the resurrection.
Monday 11th November: Memorial of St. Francis of Tours.
He was born around 316 in Northern Italy and was conscripted into the army at an early age. He gave up a military career, was baptised and became a priest, founding a monastery in France. In 371, he was elected Bishop of Tours, living a very simple and austere life and making a point of visiting all the parishes in his diocese. He did much to spread the Gospel in fourth century Europe. He died in 397.
Tuesday 12th November: Memorial of St. Josaphat.
Josaphat was born in the Ukraine in 1580 and belonged to the Orthodox Church. He became a catholic, was ordained and became Bishop of Polock where he worked tirelessly to strengthen the union of his province of Kiev with the Holy See. He was met both with success and with suspicion, some of it coming from Catholics. He was murdered by his enemies in 1623, a martyr to Christian unity.
Wednesday 13th November: Wednesday of 32nd week of the year.
Today’s reading comes from the end of the first section of the Book of Wisdom. The author reminds those with power where they get that power from. It is God who gives them any power they have. They will have to answer to him for how they have used that power.
Jesus talks about the need to include a prayer of thanksgiving when we pray, something that is easily overlooked.
Thursday 14th November: Thursday of the 32nd week of the year.
The second section of the Book is really a hymn of praise in terms of wisdom. Wisdom almost becomes a person and today there is a long list of her attributes.
The Gospel passage has Jesus reminding his followers that he will suffer in time to come and be rejected and humiliated.
Friday 15th November: Friday of 32nd Sunday of the year.
The third section of the Book of Wisdom deals with beauty of God’s creation. He warns against turning all this beauty into a god and stresses the need to worship the author of all this beauty, God himself.
The Gospel presents us with a reference to the last day and the last judgement a theme which will increase as we move through these last days of the Church’s year. We are reminded of the need to be constantly ready.
Saturday 16th November: Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland.
Margaret was born in Hungary in 1046. She was a relative of Edward the Confessor. When she was 24, she married Malcolm Canmore, the King of Scotland and bore him eight children. She was a good wife and promoted family values as well as promoting education and faith in her adopted country. She tried to ensure that priests came to all parts of Scotland and lived a life of prayer and austerity. She died in 1093 and is the secondary patron of Scotland, after St. Andrew.
Remembrance Sunday.
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Eternal Rest
Grant unto them
O Lord
And
Let perpetual light
shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
