November 27
Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intention
9:00 AM - For the crushing of pornography / Joyce Kotch
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
Daniel 7:15-27
I, Daniel, found my spirit anguished within its covering of flesh, and I was terrified by the visions of my mind. I approached one of those present and asked him what all this meant in truth; in answer, he made known to me the meaning of the things: “These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms which shall arise on the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever.”
But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast, so very terrible and different from the others, devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws, and trampling with its feet what was left; about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up, before which three horns fell; about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly, which appeared greater than its fellows. For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones and was victorious until the Ancient One arrived; judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom. He answered me thus:
“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth different from all the others; It shall devour the whole earth, beat it down, and crush it. The ten horns shall be ten kings rising out of that kingdom; another shall rise up after them, Different from those before him, who shall lay low three kings. He shall speak against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High, thinking to change the feast days and the law. They shall be handed over to him for a year, two years, and a half-year. But when the court is convened, and his power is taken away by final and absolute destruction, Then the kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the holy people of the Most High, Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting: all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Responsorial Psalm
Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“You sons of men, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“O Israel, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
“Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.”
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
Gospel Acclamation
Luke 21:36
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
That you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
“Give glory and eternal praise to him!”
Reflection
Our readings today are a continuance of the apocalyptic theme that has characterized the week’s tone. From the book of Daniel we hear an explanation of the vision of the beasts and heavenly events. Daniel approached “one of those present” who explains that the four beasts are the kingdoms which arose on the earth. When we think about this, we can recognize that human history remembers four great nations; The Roman Empire, The Greeks, the Babylonians and the Persian Empire. These are countries that dominated the earth for a time, but were replaced by other nations when their time was done. It is interesting also, that you could replace these nations with other countries as time has gone on. The British Empire, the Russian nation of the USSR, the Nazi party of Germany which sought to dominate the world in the 1940’s and even the United States of today, which seeks to maintain its role as a dominant cultural and economic power have all been at one time or another, an entity that could be compared to the beasts in Daniel’s vision.
In the Gospel for this morning, Jesus calls us to awareness of the coming of the day of the Lord. He warns us not to become drowsy, but to maintain an attitude of sober attention to the things that are going on around us. The return of Jesus to the earth will be an enormously important event, one which we should keep in mind in each and every day of our lives.
God does not want us to suffer undue anxiety, but he wants us to live our lives in a balanced way, being aware of both the gifts that God has blessed us with, and also of the future coming of Jesus. If we live our lives in joyful hope of his coming, we will be blessed in two ways; by being thankful for God’s gifts and by being ready for the coming of the Lord.
Peace,
Deacon Dare
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