Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - Litany Lane Blog:
Consecrate, Revelation 4:1-11, Psalms 150:1-6, Luke 19:11-28, St. Bl. Franciszka Siedliska, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift knowledge and free will as well,
make the most of it. Life on earth is a stepping to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Purgatory and/or Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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November 02, 2012 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
"Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God’s truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God’s love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you."
October 25, 2012 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
"Dear children! Today I call you to pray for my intentions. Renew fasting and prayer because Satan is cunning and attracts many hearts to sin and perdition. I call you, little children, to holiness and to live in grace. Adore my Son so that He may fill you with His peace and love for which you yearn. Thank you for having responded to my call." ~ Blessed Virgin Mary
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Today's Word: consecrate con·se·crate [kon-si-kreyt]
Origin: 1325–75; Middle English consecraten < Latin consecrātus (past participle of consecrāre ), equivalent to con- con- + -secr- (variant, in non-initial syllables, of sacer ) sacred, holy + -ātus -ate1
verb (used with object)
1. to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity: to consecrate a new church building.
2. to make (something) an object of honor or veneration; hallow: a custom consecrated by time.
3. to devote or dedicate to some purpose: a life consecrated to science.
4. to admit or ordain to a sacred office, especially to the episcopate.
5. to change (bread and wine) into the Eucharist.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 150:1-6
1 Alleluia! Praise God in his holy place, praise him in the heavenly vault of his power,2 praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for all his greatness.
3 Praise him with fanfare of trumpet, praise him with harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourines and dancing, praise him with strings and pipes,
5 praise him with the clamour of cymbals, praise him with triumphant cymbals,
6 Let everything that breathes praise Yahweh. Alleluia!
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Today's Epistle - Revelation 4:1-11
1 Then, in my vision, I saw a door open in heaven and heard the same voice speaking to me, the voice like a trumpet, saying, 'Come up here: I will show you what is to take place in the future.'2 With that, I fell into ecstasy and I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne,
3 and the One sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald.
4 Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads.
5 Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God.
6 In front of the throne was a sea as transparent as crystal. In the middle of the throne and around it, were four living creatures all studded with eyes, in front and behind.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a bull, the third living creature had a human face, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was studded with eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; who was, and is and is to come.'
9 Every time the living creatures glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before him to worship the One who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying:
11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you made the whole universe; by your will, when it did not exist, it was created.
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Today's Gospel Reading - Gospel reading - Luke 19,11-28
Jesus said the following parable,
because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God
was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said, 'A man
of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then
return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds,
telling them, "Trade with these, until I get back."
But his
compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this
message, "We do not want this man to be our king." 'Now it happened that
on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for
those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit
each had made by trading. The first came in, "Sir," he said, "your
one pound has brought in ten." He replied, "Well done, my good servant!
Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you
shall have the government of ten cities." Then came the second,
"Sir," he said, "your one pound has made five." To this one also he
said, "And you shall be in charge of five cities." Next came the
other, "Sir," he said, "here is your pound. I put it away safely wrapped
up in a cloth because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man:
you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not
sown."
He said to him, "You wicked servant! Out of your own mouth I
condemn you. So you knew that I was an exacting man, gathering in what I
have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you
not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out
with interest." And he said to those standing by, "Take the pound
from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds." And they said to
him, "But, sir, he has ten pounds . . ."
"I tell you, to everyone who
has will be given more; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of
what he has. "As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence." ' When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Reflection
• The Gospel today presents the
parable of the talents, in which Jesus speaks of the gifts that persons
receive from God. All persons have some qualities; they receive some
gift or know something which they can teach to others. Nobody is only a
pupil, nobody is only a professor. We all learn from one another.
• Luke 19, 11: The key to understand the story of the parable. To introduce the parable Luke says the following: “At that time Jesus went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and the disciples thought that the Kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there”. In this initial information, Luke presents three reasons which led Jesus to tell this parable: (a) The acceptance which is to be given to the excluded, referring to the episode of Zacchaeus, the excluded one whom Jesus accepts. (b) The getting closer to the Passion, Death and Resurrection, because he said that Jesus was near Jerusalem where shortly he would be condemned to death (c) The imminent coming of the Kingdom of God, because the persons who accompanied Jesus thought that the Kingdom of God would come later.
• Luke 19, 12-14: The beginning of the parable. “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds telling them, ‘Trade with these, until I get back’”. Some scholars think that in this Parable Jesus is referring to Herod who seventy years before (40 AD), went to Rome to receive the title and power of King of Palestine. People did not like Herod and did not want him to become king, because the experience that they had of him was one of commander to repress the rebellions in Galilee against Rome and it was tragic and painful. This is why they said: “We do not want this man to be our king!” To this same Herod they would apply the last phrase of the Parable: “As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence”. In fact, Herod killed many people.
• Luke 19, 15-19: The account given by the first employees who received one hundred silver coins. The story also informs that Herod, after having obtained the title of king, returned to Palestine to take over the power. In the Parable, the king called his servants to whom he had given one hundred silver coins to know how much they had gained. The first one came in and said: Sir, your talent has produced ten other talents. He replied, “Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities. Then came the second one, and said, ‘Sir, your talent has brought five other talents. To this one also he said, ‘And you shall be in charge of five cities’.
According to the story, Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas, both knew how to deal with money and to promote the persons who helped them. In the parable, the king gave ten cities to the servant who multiplied by ten the talent he had received and five cities to the one who multiplied it by five.
• Luke 19, 20-23: The rendering of account by the servant who gained nothing. The third servant arrived and said: ‘Sir, here is your talent I put it away safely wrapped up in a cloth, because I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting man, you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not sown. In this phrase we have a mistaken idea of God which is criticized by Jesus. The servant considers God a severe master. Before such a God, the human being is afraid and hides himself behind the exact and poor observance of the law. He thinks that acting in this way, he will not be punished by the severity of the legislator. In reality, such a person does not believe in God, but believes only in self, in his observance of the law. He closes himself up in self; he draws away from God and is not able to be concerned about others. He becomes incapable to grow as a free person. This false image of God isolates the human being, kills the community, extinguishes the joy and impoverishes life. The king answers: Out of your own mouth I condemn you, wicked servant!” You knew that I was an exacting man, gathering what I have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest. The servant is not coherent with the image he had of God. If he imagined God so severe, at least he should have put the money in the bank. He is not condemned by God, but by the mistaken idea that he had conceived of God and which renders him more immature and more fearful than what he should have been. One of the things which has more influences in the life of the people is the idea that we have of God. Among the Jews of the line of the Pharisees, some imagined God as a severe judge who treated them according to the merit gained by the observance. That caused fear and prevented persons from growing. And above all, it prevented them from opening a space within themselves to accept the new experience of God which Jesus communicated.
• Luke 19, 24-27: Conclusion for all. “And he said to those standing by: Take the talent from him and give it to the man who has ten talents. And they answered: But, Sir, he already has ten!” I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more, but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence”. The man orders to take way the one hundred coins and to give them to the one who has one thousand, because “ To everyone who has will be given more, but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has“. In this last phrase is found the key which clarifies the Parable. In the symbolism of the parable, the silver coin of the king are the goods of the Kingdom of God, that is, all that which makes the person grow and which reveals God’s presence: love, service, sharing. Anyone who closes self in self out of fear to lose what he has, he will lose even the little that he has. Therefore, the person who does not think only of self, but gives himself/herself to others, will grow and will receive super abundantly, all that he/she has given and much more: “one hundred times more, a hundred fold” (Mk 10, 30). “Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, anyone who has the courage to lose it, will save it” (Lk 9, 24; 17, 33; Mt 10, 39; 16, 25; Mk 8, 35). The third servant is afraid and does nothing. He does not want to lose anything and because of this he gains nothing. He loses even the little he had. The Kingdom is a risk. Anyone who does not run, runs a risks, he loses the Kingdom!
• Luke 19, 28: Return to the triple initial key. At the end, Luke closes this theme with the following information: “Having said these things Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem”. This final information recalls the triple key given at the beginning: the acceptance to be given to the excluded, the closeness of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem and the idea of the imminent coming of the Kingdom. To those who thought that the Kingdom of God was about to arrive, the parable orders to change the way of looking, the vision. The Kingdom of God arrives, yes but through the death and the Resurrection of Jesus which will take place within a short time in Jerusalem. And the reason for the death and resurrection is the acceptance which Jesus gives to the excluded, for example to Zacchaeus and to so many others. He disturbs the great and they eliminated him condemning him to death, and death on the cross.
Personal questions
• In our community, do we try to know
and to value and appreciate the gifts of every person? Sometimes, the
gifts of others cause jealousy and competitiveness in others. How do we
react?
• In our community, is there a space where persons can show or manifest their gifts?
• In our community, is there a space where persons can show or manifest their gifts?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Blessed Franciszka Siedliska
Feast Day: November 21
Patron Saint:
In 1842, Franciszka Siedliska was born to a Polish noble family in Roszkowa Wola, Congress Poland. Franciszka was educated privately by governesses, remaining indifferent to religion until she met a zealous Capuchin priest, who prepared her for her first Holy Communion, at which time she offered herself completely to God. She strongly desired a religious vocation, but because her father opposed the idea, she had to wait to execute her mission of founding a new religious congregation. Having submitted a petition on 1 October 1873, Siedliska founded her new congregation in Rome on the first Sunday of Advent in 1875, having received the blessing of Pope Pius IX. Siedliska named her order after the Holy Family, viewing it as the perfect model of total abandonment to the love of God
The congregation spread rapidly to Poland, England, France, and, in 1885, the United States. Siedliska led eleven sisters to found a community in Des Plaines, moving to Pittsburgh ten years later in August 1895. Having taken the name "Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd", Siedliska devoted herself to her congregation, presiding at religious exercises, holding conferences, and writing letters of encouragement to her more than 29 foundations.
Her efforts slowly drained her of physical strength and Franciszka Siedliska died in Rome on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary, 21 November 1902.
Legacy and veneration
Today, more than 1,500 Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth maintain ministries in 10 countries, including Italy, Poland, France, England, the United States, the Philippines, Russia, Australia, India, and Jerusalem. Franciszka Siedliska was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 23 April 1989, 86 years after her death. In 2000, the pope also beatified eleven sisters of the institute who had been murdered by the Gestapo in August 1943 in present-day Belarus, the Blessed Martyrs of Nowogródek.Thus I envisioned our life in Nazareth as a life of love externally given to work, service, performance of whatever Our Lord may require...—Bl. Franciszka Siedliska[4]
References
- "The Saints Among Us". Parish History. St. Parick - St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- "Blessed Frances Siedliska". Saints. Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- Bartos, Patricia (2008-02-14). "Relic finds home in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Catholic. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- "Our Ministry". Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
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Today's Snippet I: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (as it is known in the West), or The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple (its name in the East), is a liturgical feast celebrated by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Orthodox Churches.
The feast is associated with an event recounted not in the New Testament, but in the apocryphal Infancy Narrative of James. According to that text, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne,
who had been childless, received a heavenly message that they would
have a child. In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, they
brought her, when still a child, to the Temple in Jerusalem
to consecrate her to God. Mary remained in the Temple until puberty, at
which point she was assigned to Joseph as guardian. Later versions of
the story (such as the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary) tell us that Mary was taken to the Temple at around the age of three in fulfillment of a vow. Tradition held that she was to remain there to be educated in preparation for her role as Mother of God.
The "Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" is a pious
belief, but not a defined matter of faith. The feast originated as a
result of the dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary the New, built in
543 by the Byzantines under Emperor Justinian I near the site of the ruined Temple in Jerusalem. This basilica was destroyed by the Sassanid Persians under Khosrau II after the Siege of Jerusalem (614). The feast continued to be celebrated throughout the East, was celebrated in the monasteries of Southern Italy by the ninth century, and was introduced into the Papal Chapel in Avignon in 1372 by decree of Pope Gregory XI.[1] The feast was included in the Roman Missal in 1472, but was suppressed by Pope Pius V in 1568.[2] As a result, it did not appear in the Tridentine Calendar. Pope Sixtus V reintroduced it into the Roman Calendar in 1585.[3] Pope Clement VIII made this feast a greater double in 1597.[4] The feast also continued as a memorial in the Roman Calendar of 1969.
Liturgical celebration
The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates it on November 21 as one of its twelve Great Feasts. For those churches which follow the Julian Calendar, November 21 falls on December 4 of the modern Gregorian Calendar. The first documented celebration of the feast in any calendar is the mention of the Εἴσοδος τῆς Παναγίας Θεοτόκου (Entry of the All-Holy Theotokos, i.e., into the Temple) in the Menologion of Basil II, an 11th-century menology of the Eastern Roman (also known as Byzantine) emperor Basil II. In the Orthodox Church the feast always falls during the Nativity Fast, and on the day of the feast the fasting rules are lessened somewhat so that fish, wine and oil may be eaten.
For the Roman Catholic Church, on the day of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "we
celebrate that dedication of herself which Mary made to God from her
very childhood under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who filled her
with grace at her Immaculate Conception."[5]
November 21 is also a "Pro Orantibus" Day, a day of prayer for cloistered religious "totally dedicated to God in prayer, silence and concealment."[6]
In art
Western depictions usually focused on the lone figure of the young
Mary climbing the steep steps of the Temple, having left her parents at
the bottom, and climbing towards the chief priest and other Temple
figures at the top of the steps. The Presentation was one of the usual
scenes in larger cycles of the Life of the Virgin, although it was not usually one of the scenes shown in a Book of Hours.
References
- "The Saint Andrew Missal, with Sundays and Feasts," by Dom Gaspar LeFebvre, O.S.B., Saint Paul, MN: The E. M. Lohmann Co., 1952, p. 1684; William E. Coleman, Ed. "Philippe de Mezieres' Campaign for the Feast of Mary's Presentation," Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 1981, pp. 3-4.
- "The Saint Andrew Missal, with Sundays and Feasts," p. 1684
- "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), pp. 108-109
- "The Saint Andrew Missal, with Sundays and Feasts," p. 1684
- "Liturgy of the Hours," November 21
- Angelus Address of Pope Benedict XVI, November 19, 2006
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