Sunday, November 19, 2017

24^th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOSTE (33^rd S. Ord. Time)

Wisdom, Chapter 12, Verse 9-11

⁹ Not that you were without power to have the wicked vanquished in battle by the righteous, or wiped out at once by terrible beasts or by one decisive word; ¹⁰But condemning them by degrees, you gave them space for repentance. You were not unaware that their origins were wicked and their malice ingrained, and that their dispositions would never change; ¹¹ for they were a people accursed from the beginning. Neither out of fear for anyone did you grant release from their sins.

The combination of divine mercy and power is an unusual paradox, the main emphasis is on creating in man a life that is motivated by love; the divine “imperishable spirit” the breath of life in everything. God’s mercy desires the conversion of all hearts. God gives space for repentance and opportunity for sinners to make reparation for a multitude of evils.

"Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

33st Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL. Matthew 25:14-21

Jesus told his disciples this parable:"A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

GOSPEL. Matt, xxiv. 15-35[1]

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: When you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth, let him understand. Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains. And he that is on the house-top, let him not come down to take anything out of his house: and he that is in the field let him not go back to take his coat. And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the Sabbath. For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you beforehand. If therefore they shall say to you: Behold, He is in the desert, go ye not out; behold, He is in the closets, believe it not. For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be moved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. And He shall send His angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. And from the fig-tree learn a parable: when the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors. Amen, I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Explanation: “The abomination of desolation,” of which Christ makes mention, is the desecration of the temple, at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, when it was profaned in the most frightful manner, by robbery, murder, conflagration, and the setting up of idols about forty years after the death of Christ. While the Jewish population were perishing, the Christians, following the warning of Christ, fled over the mountains to the city of Pella. Thereby Jesus would indicate how great the danger would be should they be obliged to fly in winter, or on the Sabbath-day, on which they were forbidden to make a journey of more than five hundred paces.

World Toilet Day[2]

World Toilet Day aims to raise awareness of sanitation and hygiene issues around the world. Poor sanitation and hygiene refers to lack of access to clean drinking water, toilets and showers. Poor sanitation drastically increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and children. Today, 2.6 billion people, about one-third of the population on the planet, do not have access to proper sanitation, a problem that kills nearly 1 million young children every year. World Toilet Day was designated by the United Nations in July 2013. It is celebrated annually on November 19 as people all over the world take action and support the basic human right of access to clean water and sanitation.

World Toilet Day Facts & Quotes

· The theme for World Toilet Day in 2016 was Toilets and jobs. (Plumbers Rule)

· 1 in 8 people in the world practices open defecation, meaning that the person must relieve him/herself without cover or shelter from other people. (Pray for the homeless/druggies in our cities San Francisco)

· The average person spends one hour and 42 minutes a week on the toilet, or nearly 92 days over his/her lifetime.

· Diarrhea is the second leading cause of deaths in children under age 5 in developing countries. Diarrhea is primarily due to poor hygiene and sanitation

· The 2030 Agenda calls on us to renew our efforts in providing access to adequate sanitation worldwide. We must continue to educate and protect communities at risk, and to change cultural perceptions and long-standing practices that hinder the quest for dignity. – Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

World Toilet Day Top Events and Things to Do

· Watch a movie about toilets and the importance of sanitation. Some suggestions are: Guts For Change (2015), A New Culture of Water (2004) and A Thirsty World (2012).

· Spread awareness by using the hashtag #WorldToiletDay, #WeCantWait and #ToiletAccessIsARight.

· Tour a local sanitation plant. Sanitation plants throughout the US exist to recycle and clean water while properly disposing of human excrement and other waste.

· Donate to the World Toilet Organization. All proceeds are used by the organization to help break the taboo around the toilet and sanitation crisis. They help lobby governments, public and private sector stakeholders to prioritize sanitation on the agenda.

· Read a book about toilets and the importance of sanitation. Some suggestions are: Sanitation & Water Supply in Low-Income Countries, Sitting Pretty An Uninhibited History of the Toilet and The Big Necessity.

· Check out Earthship technology.