Sunday, November 12, 2023

- November 06, 2023

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

SAINT JOSAPHAT-French Dip Day-Diwali

Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.

2 Maccabees, Chapter 8, Verse 12-13

When Judas learned of Nicanor’s advance and informed his companions about the approach of the army, ¹³ those who were FEARFUL and those who lacked faith in God’s justice deserted and got away.

Nicanor had plans to after the defeat of Judas to enslave the Jews as a tribute to be paid to the Romans. The slave traders follow Nicanor like vultures in waiting for a meal. Judas’ troops were outnumbered by 3 to 1 due to some of Judas’ army deserted in advance of the enemy selling whatever property that is left but the faithful prepared for battle.[1]

Battle Ready[2]

Before our Blessed Lord began his public work, He went into the desert to pray and fast for 40 days. Before He endured His passion and death on the cross, He was in the Garden of Gethsemane consumed in prayer. The example of Christ is clear. Repeatedly the scriptures point out that Jesus prayed constantly. If, He who is the Son of God took prayer so seriously and made it a necessity, then who are we to not see the importance of this powerful connection with God. Prayer is essential to be prepared for the battles we face in this world. It is essential for us to have the strength to stand up against the forces that seek to destroy the Catholic Church and/or anything that is ordered, true and holy. One of the most important forms of prayer for every warrior of Christ is the ROSARY. Repeatedly we hear from popes, saints and even the Blessed Mother herself (in Church approved apparitions), to make the ROSARY a disciplined part of our daily life.

"Get my weapon." - St. Padre Pio, speaking about the rosary

ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[3]

CHAPTER I

DIES DOMINI

The Celebration of the Creator's Work

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gn 1:1)

10. Coming as it does from the hand of God, the cosmos bears the imprint of his goodness. It is a beautiful world, rightly moving us to admiration and delight, but also calling for cultivation and development. At the "completion" of God's work, the world is ready for human activity. "On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done" (Gn 2:2). With this anthropomorphic image of God's "work", the Bible not only gives us a glimpse of the mysterious relationship between the Creator and the created world, but also casts light upon the task of human beings in relation to the cosmos. The "work" of God is in some ways an exemple for man, called not only to inhabit the cosmos, but also to "build" it and thus become God's "co-worker". As I wrote in my Encyclical Laborem Exercens, the first chapters of Genesis constitute in a sense the first "gospel of work".(10) This is a truth which the Second Vatican Council also stressed: "Created in God's image, man was commissioned to subdue the earth and all it contains, to rule the world in justice and holiness, and, recognizing God as the creator of all things, to refer himself and the totality of things to God so that with everything subject to God, the divine name would be glorified in all the earth".(11)

The exhilarating advance of science, technology and culture in their various forms — an ever more rapid and today even overwhelming development — is the historical consequence of the mission by which God entrusts to man and woman the task and responsibility of filling the earth and subduing it by means of their work, in the observance of God's Law.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost[4]

GOSPEL. Matt, xxiv. 15-35

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.

Saint Josaphat[5]

Josaphat Kuncewitcz was born about the year 1580 at Vladimir, Volhynia, [part of the Polish province of Lithuania at the time] and given the name John at baptism. While being instructed as a child on the sufferings of our Savior, his heart is said to have been wounded by an arrow from the sacred side of the Crucified. In 1604 he joined the Ukrainian Order of Saint Basil (Basilians), lived as a monk in a very mortified life, went barefoot even in winter, refrained from the use of wine and flesh-meat, and always wore a penitential garb. In 1614 he was appointed archimandrite of Vilna, Russia and four years later archbishop of Polotzk; in this position he worked untiringly for Church reunion. He was a great friend of the poor, once even pledged his archepiscopal omophorion (pallium) to support a poor widow. The foes of union decided to assassinate him. In a sermon, he himself spoke of his death as imminent. When he visited Vitebsk (now in Russia), his enemies attacked his lodging and murdered a number of his companions. Meekly the man of God hastened toward the mob and, full of love, cried, "My children, what are you doing? If you have something against me, see, here I am." With furious cries of "Kill the papist!", they rushed upon him with gun and sword. Josaphat's body was thrown into the river but emerged, surrounded by rays of light, and was recovered. His murderers, when sentenced to death, repented their crime and became Catholics.

Things to Do:[6]

· Pray to St. Josaphat for the reunion of the separated Eastern Churches.

· Read Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter on the Eastern Churches, Orientale Lumen.

· Read more about St. Josaphat from

o The Basilica of St. Josaphat

o Saints Alive

o Catholic Online

o Patron Saints Index

· Read Pius XI's Encyclical Ecclesiam Dei on St. Josaphat and Pius XII's encyclical Orientales Omnes Ecclesias (On The Reunion Of The Ruthenian Church With Rome) .

· Learn more about the different Eastern Rites which are in union with the Pope.

· Josaphat is the patron saint of Ukraine, but his life has Russian, Polish and Lithuanian influences.

French Dip Day[7]

The French Dip sandwich, though the name says otherwise, is an American invention. Since nothing of the sandwich is very close at all to any kind of French cuisine, it is assumed it was named after the style of bread that was used, which is, of course, French bread.

The sandwich is made of a long baguette, sliced in half, and piled high with tender roast beef or sometimes other meat options. The defining factor is the small bowl of au jus (bouillon-esque broth) that is served with it, into which the sandwich is meant to be dipped. Some people like to add a slice of Swiss cheese on top, just for some extra flavor and fun.

Diwali[8]

The Hindu’s in India celebrate its festival of lights today. Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival of lights, which represents the eternal triumph of light over darkness or the victory of good over evil. Diwali, which literally means row of lights in Hindi, is primarily celebrated in India. This celebration of light is India's most important holiday and marks the start of the New Year.

Seek the light of the adoration candle and visit Christ in the adoration chapel today and ask for the conversion of the world.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

CHAPTER THREE-THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION

ARTICLE 6-THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

IV. The Celebration of This Sacrament

1572 Given the importance that the ordination of a bishop, a priest, or a deacon has for the life of the particular Church, its celebration calls for as many of the faithful as possible to take part. It should take place preferably on Sunday, in the cathedral, with solemnity appropriate to the occasion. All three ordinations, of the bishop, of the Priest, and of the deacon, follow the same movement. Their proper place is within the Eucharistic liturgy.

1573 The essential rite of the sacrament of Holy Orders for all three degrees consists in the bishop's imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand and in the bishop's specific consecratory prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is being ordained.

1574 As in all the sacraments, additional rites surround the celebration. Varying greatly among the different liturgical traditions, these rites have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of sacramental grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the initial rites - presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints - attest that the choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites symbolically express and complete the mystery accomplished: for bishop and priest, an anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the Holy Spirit who makes their ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels, the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the Church, the bride of Christ, and his office as shepherd of the Lord's flock; presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, "the offering of the holy people" which he is called to present to God; giving the book of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

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: Holy Priests, Consecrated and Religious.

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

· Rosary