St Elizabeth of Hungary, religious33rd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Wednesday 17th November 20212 Mac. 7:1,20-31; Ps. 16:1,5-6,8,15; Lk. 19:11-28 (Ps. Wk. I) Like the other Jews of their time, Jesus’ disciples expected a political Messiah, and this notion continued even after the Resurrection. Thus, they asked Jesus, just before his Ascension, “Will you…
“Today salvation has come to this house” (Lk. 19:9)33rd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Tuesday 16th November 20212 Mac. 6:18-31; Ps. 3:2-3,4-5,6-7; Lk. 19:1-10 (Ps. Wk. I) The story of Zacchaeus can serve as a parable of hope. His action of climbing the sycamore tree was, it seems, merely motivated by curiosity in wanting…
St Albert the Great, bishop & doctor33rd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Monday 15th November 20211 Mac. 1:10-15,41-4354-57,62-64; Ps. 118:53,61,134,150,155,158; Lk. 18:35-43 (Ps. Wk. I) To make an alliance with the Gentile nations surrounding Israel seemed to some people to be a politically desirable way of proceeding to enhance the nation’s prospects. But they…
Fifth World Day of the Poor 33rd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Sunday 14th November 2021Dan. 12:1-3; Ps. 15:5,8,9-10,11; Heb. 10:11-14,18; Mk. 13:24-32 (Ps. Wk. I) Many people lose heart in the face of so much evil, injustice and negativity. Their efforts to be faithful and to do good may seem useless, naïve, and…
Lord, help us to stay faithful to You32nd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Saturday 13th November 2021Wis. 18:14-16; 19:6-9; Ps. 104:2-3,36-37, 42-43; Lk. 18:1-8 (Ps. Wk. IV) The Wisdom of Solomon contrasted the evil of the Egyptians, who had killed the infants of the Israelites in the Nile River, with the miraculous rescue of…
St Josaphat, bishop & martyr32nd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Friday 12th November 2021Wis. 7:22—8:1; Ps. 118:89,90,91,130, 135,175; Lk. 17:20-25 (Ps. Wk. IV) The Book of Wisdom may seem a little unfair when it declares that “all men were foolish who were ignorant of God”. And St Paul, in Chapter 1 of Romans, says…
St Martin of Tours, Bishop32nd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Thursday 11th November 2021Wis. 7:22—8:1; Ps. 118:89,90,91,130, 135,175; Lk. 17:20-25 (Ps. Wk. IV) In the passage from the first reading, we see the author laying out the personified qualities of Wisdom. Like individual colours that make up a painting, the twenty-one qualities described give…
St Leo the Great, pope & doctor32nd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Wednesday 10th November 2021Wis. 6:1-11; Ps. 81:3-4,6-7; Lk. 17:11-19 (Ps. Wk. IV) More will be required from those to whom much has been entrusted. Wisdom is very blunt: the leaders of nations and societies will be called by God to account for…
“Today salvation has come to this house” (Lk. 19:9)33rd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Tuesday 16th November 20212 Mac. 6:18-31; Ps. 3:2-3,4-5,6-7; Lk. 19:1-10 (Ps. Wk. I) The story of Zacchaeus can serve as a parable of hope. His action of climbing the sycamore tree was, it seems, merely motivated by curiosity in wanting…
The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica32nd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Tuesday 9th November 2021Ex. 47:1-2,8-9,12 or 1 Cor. 8;9-11,16-17; Ps. 45:2-3,5-6,8-9; Jn. 2:13-22 (Ps. Wk. IV) We are God’s people. Our stronghold is God, who is our refuge and strength. Ezekiel imagined God’s Temple as the source of a life-giving river. The river…