Reflections on the Daily Readings 8th November 2021
Monday 8th November
Mary, all the way
Nuestra Señora de los Treinta y Tres, or Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, also known as the Liberator of Uruguay, is the patron of that country. The image of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was venerated by a group of 33 revolutionaries whose actions led to the founding of modern Uruguay, and there are still pilgrimages every November to the cathedral where this image is enshrined. Mary helps all of us along the way, on the pilgrimage of life, to the liberation of her son. Honor her on her feast day today by offering prayers of praise to the one who set us free from sin.
Today's readings: Wisdom 1:1-7; Luke 17:1-6 .
“If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
Tuesday 9th November
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
We gather together
Saint Paul says we’re each a temple of the Holy Spirit. Saint Peter calls us the “living stones” of the church. But having a physical place to gather and worship is of practical importance, too; it’s where we forge the bonds of Christian community and celebrate Christ’s Incarnation. And so, after Emperor Constantine’s edict in 313—allowing persecuted Christians to come out of hiding and be public in their practice—it’s significant that he gifted a young church with the Lateran properties. How can you help your own parish maintain Christian community, knowing COVID has kept many from physically gathering?
Today's readings: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22
“No one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.”
Wednesday 10th November
St. Leo the Great ,
Follow the good doctor’s advice
The Latin word “doctor” means teacher, and so we have a number of them within the church to whom we look for inspiration and guidance on matters of significance of faith and belief. Leo the Great, whose feast we celebrate today, is one of those “doctors” whose teachings have helped form the foundation upon which we stand today as Catholic Christians. In Saint Leo’s case, it was his defense of the doctrine of Christ’s Incarnation—that Jesus is fully human and fully divine—that won him fame as a stalwart of the faith. Honour Leo by living fully the divine love showered upon you.
Today's readings: Wisdom 6:1-11; Luke 17:11-19
“Authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels.”
Thursday 11th November
St. Martin of Tours
Give us wisdom to confront and ease poverty
Saint Martin of Tours, today’s saint, is famous for tearing his cloak in two to give half to a beggar. With poverty entrenched in our world, knowing how to overcome it ourselves or how to help those who are afflicted is a constant. Perhaps the Wisdom of God, uplifted in the first reading for today, can give guidance. In the footsteps of Saint Martin, we Christians turn to “ Wisdom a spirit intelligent, holy, unique” to respond to the many kinds of pain inflicted by poverty.
Today's readings: Wisdom 7:22b—8:1; Luke 17:20-25
“For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
Friday 12th November
St. Josaphat
Dont let passion trump compassion
Saint Josaphat, Basilian monk and church reformer, born around 1580, worked to consolidate the Eastern and Western Christian Churches and was part of the “uniat” camp in Lithuania that supported union with Rome. Try as he might, Josaphat couldn’t persuade all of his compatriots of the value of a unified Catholic Church, and his detractors claimed he had “gone Latin.” Those against the union eventually stormed the bishop’s residence and murdered him. Passions run deep when it comes to religion and politics, but, like Josaphat, never lose sight of the ultimate commandment for Christians: to love neighbor, friend, and enemy alike.
Today's readings: Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37
“If they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord?”
Saturday 13th November
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Celebrate a saint for immigrants
As we wrap up National Vocation Awareness Week, we celebrate one of the truly great American vocations of the 20th century, Frances Xavier Cabrini. Mother Cabrini was the first U.S. citizen to be made a saint. She came to the United States from Italy in 1889 to help the flood of immigrants coming to America. Starting with nothing, she founded schools, orphanages, and hospitals to provide support for her fellow immigrants. In her spirit, reach out to immigrants in need—documented or otherwise—they are everywhere to be found these days.
Today's readings: Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9; Luke 18:1-8
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?
