Churches of the Day

Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 1
God does not bring or delight in the death of the living. It was the devil's envy that brought death into the world.

Saint of the Day: November 11th; St Martin  of Tours, bishop,
c/f short history of today’s saint can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection

FIRST READING             

A reading from the book of Wisdom       2:23-3:9
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die but they are in peace.

God did make man imperishable, he made him in the image of his own nature;
it was the devil's envy that brought death into the world, as those who are his partners will discover.

But the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us, like annihilation; but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see it, their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.

God has put them to the test and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust.
When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
They shall judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king for ever.
They who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.

The Word of the Lord.          Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm       Ps  33: 2-3, 16-19,/ Rv:2
Response                            I will bless the Lord at all times.

1. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.                                                      Response

2. The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal.    Response

3. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save.                                          Response

Gospel  Acclamation          Mt 4: 4
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God .
Alleluia!

Or                                             Jn 14: 23
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you              And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke     17:7-10          Glory to you, O Lord

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke     17:7-10
We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.

Jesus said to his disciples
'Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, "Come and have your meal immediately"?
Would he not be more likely to say, "Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards"?
Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told?
So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say,
"We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty."'

The Gospel of the Lord        Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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Gospel Reflection            Tuesday,              Thirty Second Week in Ordinary Time           Luke 17:7-10

Jesus’ images and parables are always drawn from his own time, place and culture. In Jesus’ day, very wealthy people had many servants, and even reasonably well-off people had at least one servant. Jesus’ little parable simply reflects the reality that when such a servant had done his duty, he has no claim on his master’s gratitude and his master is under no obligation to thank him.
Jesus seems to be suggesting that even after we have lived in the way God calls us to live, that in itself does not give us any claim on God. No matter how well we live, God is never in our debt. However, elsewhere Jesus makes clear that God does not relate to us as a master to his servants. God is more like the father in the parable of the prodigal son who lavishes his love on his undeserving son. That son certainly had no claim on his father, but he didn’t need to have any claim on him. His father gave to his son out of the enormous generosity of his love.

Similarly, although we never have a claim on God, we don’t need to have such a claim. God will always be more generous towards us than we are towards God. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom declares that, in eternity, ‘grace and mercy await’ those who have been faithful to God. Jesus has shown us that God’s grace and mercy awaits us in this life too, indeed, every day of our lives. We may always be ‘unworthy servants’, in the language of the gospel reading, even after we have lived well, but God does not ask us to be worthy before showering his grace and mercy upon us.

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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers.  http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from Reflections on the Weekday Readings : Your word is a lamp for my feet and light for my path by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/_

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Saint of the day: 11November; St Martin of Tours, bishop, Patron of France

Martin was born in Pannonia (Hungary) about 316; he died in 397 and was buried on this day in Tours (France). He was a catechumen who in conscience was unable to continue with military service, was baptised at the age of eighteen, and for a time became a hermit,  worked to establish monasticism in the West and was made Bishop of Tours for twenty-five years.  Widely remembered for his legendary generosity to the poor, for arguing against the persecution of heretics, and especially for his active evangelisation and pastoral care of rural areas. Patron of France, soldiers, beggars and innkeepers

St Martin of Tours is the first non-martyr to be honoured as a saint and he is regarded as the patron saint of France. He is also honoured in Ireland in customs and in the dedications of holy wells and place names, such as Desertmartin in Co. Derry.

Patrick Duffy tells his story.

Introduction
Martin was born about 316 at Sabaria, Pannonia (modern Szombathely, Hungary), where his father was an officer in the Roman army. He was named after Mars, the god of war, which his biographer St Sulpicius Severus (360-425) interprets as meaning "the brave, the courageous". His father was transferred back to Ticinum (modern Pavia, near the Po river in Italy). At that time due to the conversion of Constantine, Christianity had come into favour in the military camps.  However, it was against the wishes of his parents that Martin became a catechumen or candidate for baptism at the age of ten.

Sharing his Cloak
In his late teens Martin joined the Roman army and was posted to Amiens in Gaul. It was here that the famous incident of his cutting his cloak in half took place.
One very cold day, Martin met a scantily clad beggar outside the gates of the city and moved with compassion, he cut his large cloak in two parts and gave one part to the poor man. That night in a dream he saw Jesus wearing the half-cloak he had given away and heard him say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised and he has clothed me" (Sulpicius, Life of Martin, 2)

Baptism
Soon after this Martin had himself freed from military service, which was then considered incompatible with being a Christian.  He was baptised and almost immediately went to Poitiers to become a disciple of St. Hilary (300-367), a wise and pious bishop.

Against the Arians
At that time Arianism, which held that Jesus (the Word) was created and therefore a lesser being that God the Father, was being promoted by the local Visigoth nobility and threatened the true Trinitarian doctrine. Hilary of Poitiers, because he opposed this doctrine, got the nickname “the hammer against Arianism” (malleus Arianorum).  Later some Arians got into power and Hilary was forced to go into exile to Phrygia in Asia Minor, where he allied himself with St Athanasius and other supporters of the true doctrine.

Martin meanwhile went to Italy, where the Arians put pressure on him too. Auxentius, the Arian archbishop of Milan, expelled him from the city.  He went to the island of Gallinara in the Mediterranean Sea (modern Isola d'Albenga, between San Remo and Genoa) where he lived the life of a hermit. When Hilary returned briefly to Poitiers 361, Martin joined him there and established a monastery nearby which later developed into the Benedictine Ligugé Abbey. From there he travelled through Western Gaul evangelising and many legends of his travels remain

Bishop of Tours
In 371, under the guise of a call to attend a dying woman, Martin was drawn back to the city and was elected bishop of Tours by popular acclaim.  Soon he began destroying temples of the Druidic religion, but when he began cutting down the “sacred” trees, the people opposed him. He crossed over to the opposite side of the Loire and founded a monastery that practised a strict regime and drew many disciples.

Interceding for Priscillian
Priscillian was a Christian ascetic and mystic from Spain who held that for a Christian to be in continuous communication with God he had to renounce marriage. He was condemned as a heretic by the Council of  Saragossa, he fled.  But a Spanish bishop named Ithacius rushed to denounce him to the Emperor Maximus at Trier.  Martin also hastened to Trier to ask for mercy and have the case removed from secular jurisdiction.  The Emperor at first agreed, but, when Martin had gone away, he gave in to the Spanish bishops and ordered Priscillian and his followers to be beheaded (385), the first Christians executed for heresy. Martin was deeply grieved by this and refused to communicate with Ithacius, until pressured by the Emperor.

Death and Influence
After a visit to Rome, Martin went to Candes, a religious centre he had founded in the diocese of Tours.  Here he died of natural causes. By his request, he was buried in the Cemetery of the Poor on 11th November (his feast day).  Later his relics were placed in the cathedral at Tours, which because of his reputation for sanctity became a focus of pilgrimages and reported miracles throughout the Middle Ages.

Patron Saint of France
Martin was different from most of his colleague bishops in Gaul at the time. They had moved to the episcopacy from being upper-class leaders in the civil sphere whereas Martin, who resigned from military service to become baptised, was a Christian by conviction. He also had an affinity with the poor and the country people, the 'pagani', whom he moved out to evangelise. He is a patron saint of France. Because of Martin's influence in establishing Christianity there (along with King Clovis a little later), France is often referred to as 'the eldest daughter of the Church'.

Customs
A number of customs take place in rural communities around the season called Martinmas that are associated with generosity to beggars, cooperation and neighbourliness. For example, a pig or a cow is killed and cooked at this time and shared in honour of Martin. It is also a time for making black puddings and haggis. Martin has  a place of honour in Ireland, especially in the dedications of holy wells and place names.  A season of mild weather in the middle of November is called a 'St Martin's summer.'

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Memorable Sayings for Today

“Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts.
The only real gift is to give a portion of thyself.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

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Thirty Third Sunday in  Ordinary Time, Cycle C
World Day of the Poor
Marking the end of the 'Jubilee Year of Mercy', the late Pope Francis wrote "the worthiest way to prepare for next Sunday's celebration of our Lord, King of the Universe would be to identify with His little ones, the poor and who judges us on our works of mercy to them." 

FIRST READING

A reading from the Book of Malachi        3:19-20
For you the sun of righteousness will shine out.

The day is coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble.  The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord, leaving them neither root nor stalk.

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.

The Word of the Lord          Thanks be to God.

 

Responsorial Psalm       Ps 95:5-9 R/v 9
Response                           The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.

1. Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp with the sound of music.
    With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord.      Response

2. Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples.
    Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy
    at the presence of the Lord.                                                                                 Response

3. For the Lord comes, he comes to rule the earth.
    He will rule the world with justice  and the peoples with fairness.             Response

SECOND READING    

A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians       3:7-12
Do not let anyone have any food if he refused to do any work.

You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you,
nor did we ever have our meals at anyone's table without paying for them;
no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you.
This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.

We gave you a rule when we were with you:' not to let anyone have any food if he refused to do any work'. Now we hear that there are some of you who are living in idleness, doing no work themselves but interfering with everyone else's.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat.

The Word of the Lord           Thanks be to God.

Gospel  Acclamation       Lk 21: 36
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!


Or                                          Lk 21: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand'.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

The Lord be with you                And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke    21:5-19         Glory to you O lord
Your endurance will win you your lives.

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said,
'All these things you are staring at now-the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed'.
And they put to him this question: 'Master,' they said 'when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?'

'Take care not to be deceived,' he said 'because many will come using my name and saying,
"I am he" and, "The time is near at hand". Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.'
Then he said to them,
'Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

'But before all this happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name - and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.

Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death.
You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost.'

Your endurance will win you your lives.'

The Gospel of the Lord          Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here:  https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/



Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.