Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
ALL
HOLLOWS EVE
Psalm 64, Verse 10
Every person FEARS and proclaims God’s actions, they ponder his deeds.
Those who follow the commandments of God will be glad for their
trust is in Him who is. Whoever is filled with God’s spirit will have an
upright heart and is joyful. Generosity is their watchword.
ON
KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The Sunday obligation
47. Even if in the earliest times it
was not judged necessary to be prescriptive, the Church has not ceased to
confirm this obligation of conscience, which rises from the inner need felt so
strongly by the Christians of the first centuries. It was only later, faced
with the half-heartedness or negligence of some, that the Church had to make
explicit the duty to attend Sunday Mass: more often than not, this was done in
the form of exhortation, but at times the Church had to resort to specific
canonical precepts. This was the case in a number of local Councils from the fourth
century onwards (as at the Council of Elvira of 300, which speaks not of an
obligation but of penalties after three absences) and most especially from the
sixth century onwards (as at the Council of Agde in 506). These decrees of
local Councils led to a universal practice, the obligatory character of which was
taken as something quite normal.
The Code of Canon Law of 1917 for the
first time gathered this tradition into a universal law. The present Code
reiterates this, saying that "on Sundays and other holy days of obligation
the faithful are bound to attend Mass". This legislation has normally been
understood as entailing a grave obligation: this is the teaching of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, and it is easy to understand why if we keep
in mind how vital Sunday is for the Christian life.
Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost[2]
The
focus of this Sunday is a reminder of the Book of Life and the resurrection of
the body.
THE Introit of the Mass consoles us, and encourages
us to confidence in God, who is so kind to us, and will not suffer us to be
always in tribulation. “The Lord saith, I think thoughts of peace, and not of
affliction. You shall call upon Me, and I will hear you, and I will bring back
your captivity from all places. Lord, thou hast blest Thy land, Thou hast
turned away the captivity of Jacob.”
Prayer.
Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the sins of Thy people, that we may
be delivered by Thy goodness from the bonds of sin which, by our frailty, we
have committed.
EPISTLE. Phil. iii.
17-21; iv. 1-3.
Be followers of me, brethren, and observe them who
walk so as you have our model. For many walk, of whom I have told you often
(and now tell you weeping) that they are enemies of the cross of Christ ; whose
end is destruction: whose God is their belly: and whose glory is in their
shame: who mind earthly things. But our conversation is in heaven: from whence
also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will reform the body of
our lowness, made like to the body of His glory, according to the operation
whereby also He is able to subdue all things unto Himself. Therefore, my dearly
beloved brethren, and most desired, my joy and my crown: so, stand fast in the
Lord, my dearly beloved. I beg of Evodia, and I beseech Syntyche to be of one
mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those
women that have labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement and the rest of my
fellow- laborers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
Explanation.
In these words, the Apostle gives warning against
the false teachers of his day, who, although outwardly receiving and preaching
Christianity, in heart hated the strict requirements of Christian morals, and
lived according to their sensual lusts. He therefore cautions the faithful not
to take them for patterns, for they are only hastening to eternal perdition,
but rather to be followers of him, and of those who imitate his life. These
warnings and admonitions apply also to us. For are there not among us enemies
of the cross of Christ, who are called Christians, but who will have nothing to
do with self-denial, mortification, chastity, and such like virtues? who indeed
despise them, and count those who practice them fools? Let us not be led astray
by them. For what will be the end of them? Everlasting destruction. For he who
does not crucify his flesh does not belong to Christ (Gal. v. 24); whoever does
not bear about his body the dying of Christ, in his body the life of Christ,
will never be made manifest (n. Cor. iv. 10). Whoever does not already walk in
heaven, that is, direct his thoughts and desires to heavenly goods, will not
find admission there after death.
Ejaculation.
O my God would that I might say, with St. Paul, the
world is crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. vi. 14).
GOSPEL. Matt, ix. 18-26[3]
At that time, as Jesus was speaking to the multitudes, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored Him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus rising up, followed him with His disciples. And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only His garment I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout, he said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn. And when the multitude was put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.
Explanation
The ruler and the woman here mentioned teach us that in diseases of body or of mind we should have recourse to Jesus with faith and confidence; and even when the malady continues, and seems to be incurable, we should not suffer our courage to sink.
ON MOCKERY AND RIDICULE
When Jesus entered the house of Jairus, and said, the
girl is not dead, but sleepeth, the multitude laughed Him to scorn, because
they understood neither the meaning of His words nor what He was about to do.
Similar treatment sensual-minded men of the world often give to those servants
of God who, by word and example, preach the contempt of honors, riches,
pleasures, and the love of poverty, humility, and mortification. Permit not
yourself to be led astray by those who ridicule your zeal for virtue; pay no heed
to them, according to the example of Jesus, and trust in Him Who was Himself
derided for your sake. Say to yourself: I know, O dearest Jesus, that the
servant is not greater than his master. When Thou wast so often mocked, why
should it appear strange to me to be jeered at and called senseless for
endeavoring to practice devotion and virtue? I would not fare differently from
Thee, my Lord and my God.
The Resurrection of the Dead[4]
Don't forget to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory from November 1 to the 8th.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus returns to earth, he
will physically raise all those who have died, giving them back the bodies they
lost at death. These will be the same bodies people had in earthly
life—but our resurrection bodies will not die and, for the righteous, they will
be transformed into a glorified state, freed from suffering and pain, and
enabled to do many of the amazing things Jesus could do with his glorified
body. The resurrection of the body is an essential Christian doctrine, as
the apostle Paul declares: "[I]f the dead are not raised, then Christ has
not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you
are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished". Because, as Paul tells us, the Christian faith cannot
exist without this doctrine, it has been infallibly defined by the Church. It
is included in the three infallible professions of faith—the Apostles’ Creed,
the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed—and has been solemnly, infallibly
taught by ecumenical councils. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215),
infallibly defined that at the second coming Jesus "will judge the living
and the dead, to render to every person according to his works, both to the
reprobate and to the elect. All of them will rise with their own bodies, which
they now wear, so as to receive according to their deserts, whether these be
good or bad" (constitution 1).
Most recently, the Catechism of the Catholic Church reiterated
this long-defined teaching, stating, "‘We believe in the true resurrection
of this flesh that we now possess’ (Council of Lyons II). We sow a corruptible
body in the tomb, but he raises up an incorruptible body, a ‘spiritual body’
(cf. 1 Cor 15:42–44)" (CCC 1017).
Halloween or All Hallows'
Eve is not a liturgical feast on the Catholic calendar, but the celebration has
deep ties to the Liturgical Year. The three consecutive days — Halloween, All
Saints Day and All Souls Day — illustrate the Communion of Saints. We, the
Church Militant (those on earth, striving to get to heaven) pray for the Church
Suffering (those souls in Purgatory) especially on All Souls Day and the month
of November. We rejoice and honor the Church Triumphant (the saints, canonized
and uncanonized) in heaven. We also ask the Saints' intercession for us. In
England, saints or holy people are called "hallowed," hence the name
"All Hallow's Day." The evening, or "e'en" before the feast
became popularly known as "All Hallows' Eve" or even shorter, "Hallowe'en."
Since it was the night before All Saints Day, "All Hallows Eve" (now
known as Hallowe'en), was the vigil and required fasting, many recipes and
traditions have come down for this evening, such as pancakes, boxty bread and
boxty pancakes, barmbrack (Irish fruit bread with hidden charms), colcannon (combination
of cabbage and boiled potatoes). This was also known as "Nutcrack
Night" in England, where the family gathered around the hearth to enjoy
cider and nuts and apples. Halloween is the preparation and combination of the
two upcoming feasts. Although the demonic and witchcraft have no place in a
Catholic celebration, some macabre can be incorporated into Halloween. It is
good to dwell on our certain death, the Poor Souls in Purgatory, and the Sacrament
of the Sick. And tied in with this theme is the saints, canonized and
non-canonized. What did they do in their lives that they were able to reach
heaven? How can we imitate them? How can we, like these saints, prepare our
souls for death at any moment?
For more information see
Catholic Culture's Halloween page.
Also read from Catholic
Culture's library:
·
Halloween:
Celebrate Like a Catholic
by Jennifer Gregory Miller
·
Halloween and
All Saints Day by
Father William Saunders
·
Holyween:
Reclaim The Celebration Of All Saints by
Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
·
Catholics Give
the Best Parties
by Jeffrey Tucker
The Black Mass: A Parody of the Eucharistic
Celebration[6]
The black mass is a
ceremony during which the consecration to Satan occurs. The black mass is a
parody of [the Catholic] Mass, in which one adores and exalts Satan. Usually it
is officiated at night, because the darkness permits greater secrecy and
usually the night before a great feast of the Holy Catholic Church. The most
important is Halloween, which falls on the night between October 31 and
November 1 of each year: it is considered the magic New Year. Therefore, it is
necessary to understand the extreme danger for our children and youth who
participate in the feast of Halloween on that date.
Black Magic: A Grave Sin against
the Faith
On this topic the
Catechism of the Catholic Church furnishes the best definition: “All practices
of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to
place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others — even if
this were for the sake of restoring their health — are gravely contrary to the
virtue of religion” (no. 2117). The definition of magic tells us two things.
Above all, it has ambition — through the utilization of evil spells, the evil
eye, charms, magic filters, rituals, invocations, cursed foods and drinks
ingested by the victims, crystal balls, et cetera — to modify and foretell the
course of human events, and to utilize the preternatural (demoniac) powers to
make a person fall in love, be cured of an illness, be dismissed from a job,
kill someone, provoke atmospheric events, et cetera. In other words, magic is a
practice used to do evil things and to influence people and the reality created
by the devil. This is also valid for the rites that are commonly called “white
magic” and that are done for the “good” —please do not be charmed. It is not
magically delicious.
Terror of Demons[7]
The Lord has countless secrets to reveal to us about
Joseph. God wants to instruct us in the ways of Joseph's faith, perseverance,
purity and loyalty. The "Litany of Saint Joseph" is an excellent
place to begin. The vivid titles convey so much meaning and truth. One of my
favorite appellations from the Litany is "Terror of Demons." Satan
and his cohort of fallen angels had no success in seducing Joseph. He checked
his temper, he refrained from idle speech and he was righteous in his dealings
with his neighbors. Because Joseph was close to the compassionate Almighty, he
was enabled to overcome the vicious onslaught of Lucifer and his vindictive
companions. Those who turn to Saint Joseph for his powerful intercession and
good example do much to keep Satan and the other wholly corrupt devils at bay.
In this sense, Joseph is the Terror of Demons because when the friends of Jesus
avail themselves of his salutary influence, Saint Joseph is for them a sure
protection against the oppressive wiles of the Prince of Darkness. There are
numerous prayers to Saint Joseph. What follows is the "Consecration to
Saint Joseph."
O
Blessed Saint Joseph!
I consecrate
myself to thy honor, and give myself to thee, that thou mayest be always my
father, my protector, and my guide to the way of salvation.
Obtain for me a
great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life.
After thy example,
may I perform all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the
Divine Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary!
And do thou, O
Blessed Joseph, pray for me, that I may experience the peace and joy of thy
holy death. Amen.
Sweet heart of
Mary be my salvation!
Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
I love you: save souls!
Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.
With Saint Joseph
as our help, we may confidently approach the Risen Lord Jesus Christ through
Blessed Mary and realize that our humble efforts--poor as they are--will please
our merciful God.
Saint Joseph,
Terror of Demons, pray for us!
Purgatory[8]
THE
word Purgatory is sometimes taken to mean a place, sometimes as an intermediate
state between Hell and Heaven. It is, properly speaking, the condition of souls
which, at the moment of death, are in the state of grace, but which have not completely
expiated their faults, nor attained the degree of purity necessary to enjoy the
vision of God. Purgatory is, then, a transitory state which terminates in a
life of everlasting happiness. It is not a trial by which merit may be gained
or lost, but a state of atonement and expiation. The soul has arrived at the
term of its earthly career; that life was a time of trial, a time of merit for
the soul, a time of mercy on the part of God. This time once expired, nothing
but justice is to be expected from God, whilst the soul can neither gain nor
lose merit. She remains in the state in which death found her; and since it
found her in the state of sanctifying grace, she is certain of never forfeiting that happy state, and
of arriving at the eternal possession of God. Nevertheless, since she is
burdened with certain debts of temporal punishment, she must satisfy Divine Justice by enduring this punishment in its
entire rigor. Such is the significance of the word Purgatory, and the condition
of the souls which are there. On this subject the Church proposes two truths
clearly defined as dogmas of faith:
first, that there is a Purgatory; second that the souls which are in Purgatory
may be assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, especially by the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass.
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the
Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no
shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
to Addictions.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 33
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Go to MASS
· Rosary
NOVEMBER
The Thanksgiving meal is a ritual. Whether we are from rural or urban backgrounds, we know the harvest time passes and the year draws to an end. Giving thanks to God is Eucharist, a heavenly banquet and the foretaste of things to come. We are not worthy receivers of this sacrament without the haunting knowledge of the poor nutrition for many in our country and famine in other countries. How can we respond to homelessness and hunger here in our own land and share our bounty with those who are poor in other countries (lands)?
Highlights of November[9]
The month of November is dedicated to the Souls
in Purgatory, whose feast is celebrated on
November 2. With the exception of the last two days, the entire month of
November falls during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time, which is represented by the liturgical color green. This
symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful
the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a
glorious resurrection. It is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time.
The last portion of the liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage
to heaven during which we hope for reward. The last Sunday, which marks the
beginning of Advent, the liturgical color
changes to purple, representing a time of penance.
The national holiday (USA) of Thanksgiving also falls on the last Thursday of November. The tradition of eating goose as part of the Martin's Day celebration was kept in Holland even after the Reformation. It was there that the Pilgrims who sailed to the New World in 1620 became familiar with this ancient harvest festival. When, after one year in America, they decided to celebrate a three days' thanksgiving in the autumn of 1621, they went in search of geese for their feast. We know that they also had deer (a present from the Indians), lobsters, oysters, and fish. But Edward Winslow, in his account of the feast, only mentions that "Governor Bradford sent four men on fowling that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labours." They actually did find some wild geese, and a number of wild turkeys and ducks as well. The Pilgrim Fathers, therefore, in serving wild turkeys with the geese, inaugurated one of the most cherished American traditions: the turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. They also drank, according to the ancient European tradition, the first wine of their wild-grape harvest. Pumpkin pie and cranberries were not part of the first Thanksgiving dinner in America but were introduced many years afterward. The second Thanksgiving Day in the New World was held by the Pilgrims two years later, on July 30, 1623. It was formally proclaimed by the governor as a day of prayer to thank God for their deliverance from drought and starvation, and for the safe arrival from Holland of the ship Anne. In 1665 Connecticut proclaimed a solemn day of thanksgiving to be kept annually on the last Wednesday in October. Other New England colonies held occasional and local Thanksgivings at various times. In 1789 the federal Congress authorized and requested President George Washington to proclaim a day of thanksgiving for the whole nation. Washington did this in a message setting aside November 26, 1789 as National Thanksgiving Day. After 1789 the celebration reverted to local and regional observance for almost a hundred years. There grew, however, a strong desire among the majority of the people for a national Thanksgiving Day that would unite all Americans in a festival of gratitude and public acknowledgment for all the blessings God had conferred upon the nation. It was not until October 3, 1863, that this was accomplished, when President Abraham Lincoln issued, in the midst of the Civil War, a Thanksgiving Proclamation. In it the last Thursday of November was set apart for that purpose and made a national holiday.
Since then, every president has followed Lincoln's example, and annually proclaims as a "Day of Thanksgiving" the fourth Thursday in November. Only President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date, in 1939, from the fourth to the third Thursday of November (to extend the time of Christmas sales). This caused so much consternation and protest that in 1941 the traditional date was restored."
calendar list
of events in November[10]:
· Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
· Breeders' Cup
· The Day of the Dead
· Black Friday
· NYC Marathon
· NASCAR Sprint for the Cup
· Native American Heritage Month
· San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival
· Fun Fun Fun Fest
· Deer Hunting Season
· Arlington National Cemetery
· Chicago’s The Food Film Festival
· Thanksgiving
· The Rockettes
[3]Goffines Devout Instructions, 1896
[6]Amorth, Fr. Gabriele. An Exorcist
Explains the Demonic: The Antics of Satan and His Army of Fallen Angels
[8] Schouppe S.J., Rev. Fr. F. X.. Purgatory Explained (with Supplemental Reading: What Will Hell Be Like?)
[9]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/11.cfm
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