November 2011 - Daily Readings and Homily

Tuesday, November 01, 2011 All Saints (Solemnity)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalm 24:1-6 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. -- Pope St. Gregory the Great

Wednesday, November 02, 2011 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-9, 13-14 Romans 5:5-11 John 11:17-27 The devil will try to upset you by accusing you of being unworthy of the blessings that you have received. Simply remain cheerful and do your best to ignore the devil's nagging. If need be even laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Satan, the epitome of sin itself, accuses you of unworthiness! When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future! -- St. Theresa of Avila

Thursday, November 03, 2011 St. Martin de Porres, Religious (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Romans 14:7-12 Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 Luke 15:1-10 The crosses with which our path through life is strewn associate us with Jesus in the mystery of His crucifixion. -- St. John Eudes

Friday, November 04, 2011 St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Romans 15:14-21 Psalm 98:1-4 Luke 16:1-8 "Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven." -- St Ephraem

Saturday, November 05, 2011 Commemoration of All the Deceased of the Seraphic Order (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 23:1-6 John 6:37-40 Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be. -- St Thomas More

Sunday, November 06, 2011 Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Wisdom 6:12-16 Psalm 63:2-8 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 4:13-14 Matthew 25:1-13 Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things. -- St. Augustine

Monday, November 07, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 1:1-7 Psalm 139:1-10 Luke 17:1-6 Stretch forth your hand towards God as an infant towards its father to be conducted by Him. -- St. Francis de Sales

Tuesday, November 08, 2011 Blessed John Duns Scotus (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 2:23 -- 3:9 Psalm 34:2-3, 16-19 Luke 17:7-10 Let my soul live as if separated from my body. -- St. John of the Cross

Wednesday, November 09, 2011 The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17 John 2:13-22 So, you will ask me, who then are the people most tempted? They are these, my friends; note them carefully. The people most tempted are those who are ready, with the grace of God, to sacrifice everything for the salvation of their poor souls, who renounce all those things which most people eagerly seek. It is not one devil only who tempts them, but millions seek to entrap them. -- St. John Vianney

Thursday, November 10, 2011 St. Leo the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 7:22 -- 8:1 Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175 Luke 17:20-25 When our hands have touched spices, they give fragrance to all they handle. Let us make our prayers pass through the hands of the Blessed Virgin. She will make them fragrant. -- St. John Vianney

Friday, November 11, 2011 St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 13:1-9 Psalm 19:2-5 Luke 17:26-37 Certainly nothing can so effectually humble us before the mercy of God as the multitude of his benefits. Nor can anything so much humble us before His justices as the enormity of our innumerable offences. Let us consider what He has done for us and what we have done against Him. -- St. Francis de Sales

Saturday, November 12, 2011 St. Josaphat, Bishop, Martyr (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9 Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43 Luke 18:1-8 By giving yourself to God, you not only receive Himself in exchange, but eternal life as well. -- St Francis de Sales

Sunday, November 13, 2011 Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Psalm 128:1-5 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-21 It is not particularly difficult to find thousands who will spend two or three hours a day in exercising, but if you ask them to bend their knees to God in five minutes of prayer, they protest that it is too long. -- Bishop Fulton Sheen

Monday, November 14, 2011 St. Nicholas Tavelic, OFM, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63 Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158 Luke 18:35-43 It is never true that we have no time to meditate; the less one thinks of God, the less time there will always be for Him. The time one has for anything depends on how much we value it. Thinking determines the use of time; time does not rule over thinking! The problem of spirituality is never, then, a question of time; it is a problem of thought. For it does not require much time to make us saints; it requires only much love. -- Bishop Fulton Sheen

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 Psalm 3:2-7 Luke 19:1-10 This very moment I may, if I desire, become the friend of God. -- St. Augustine

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 Luke 19:11-28 God gave Himself to you: give yourself to God. -- Blessed Robert Southwell

Thursday, November 17, 2011 St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Patroness of the Third Order (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Sirach 26:1-3, 15-18, 24 or 1 Timothy 5:3-10 Psalm 31:4-5, 8-9, 20, 24-25 Matthew 25:31-40 You cannot please both God and the world at the same time. They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires, and their actions. -- St. John Mary Vianney

Friday, November 18, 2011 Dedication of the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Acts 28:11-16, 30-31 Psalm 98:1-6 Matthew 14:22-33 Burning the candle at both ends for God's sake may be foolishness to the world, but it is a profitable Christian exercise-for so much better the light. Only one thing in life matters. Being found worthy of the Light of the World in the hour of His visitation. We need have no undue fear for our health if we work hard for the kingdom of God; God will take care of our health if we take care of His cause. In any case it is better to burn out than to rust out. -- Bishop Fulton Sheen

Saturday, November 19, 2011 Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 1 Maccabees 6:1-13 Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16, 19 Luke 20:27-40 Father, you guide your people with kindness and govern us with love. By the prayers of Saint Gregory give the spirit of wisdom to those you have called to lead your Church. May the growth of Your people in holiness be the eternal joy of our shepherds. -- Liturgy of the Hours

Sunday, November 20, 2011 Christ the King (Solemnity)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be -- St Francis de Sales

Monday, November 21, 2011 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 Daniel 3:52-56 Luke 21:1-4 O God, who in the heart of Thy Son, wounded by our transgressions, dost mercifully vouchsafe to bestow upon us the infinite wealth of your love; grant, we beseech Thee, that revering it with meet devotion, we may make a worthy reparation for our sins. -- Collect, Feast of the Sacred Heart - 1945 Missal

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 St. Cecilia, Virgin, Martyr (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 2:31-45 Daniel 3:57-61 Luke 21:5-11 Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family. -- St Angela Merici

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, Priest, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 Daniel 3:62-67 Luke 21:12-19 Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the weakness of men. He loves to teach the ignorant and the erring he turns again to his own true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, he opens immediately. -- St. Hyppolytus (Treatise on Christ and Antichrist)

Thursday, November 24, 2011 St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, Martyr and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 6:12-28 Daniel 3:68-74 Luke 21:20-28 Your life consists in drawing nearer to God. To do this you must endeavor to detach yourself from visible things and remember that in a short time they will be taken from you. -- Blessed John of Avila

Friday, November 25, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 7:2-14 Daniel 3:75-81 Luke 21:29-33 Necessity urges us to pray for ourselves. Fraternal Charity obliges us to pray for others. God finds the prayer motivated by charity to be more meritorious than the prayer motivated by necessity. -- St. John Chrysostom

Saturday, November 26, 2011 St. Leonard of Port Maurice, OFM, Priest (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 7:15-27 Daniel 3:82-87 Luke 21:34-36 Now that we are reborn, as I have said, in the likeness of our Lord, and have indeed been adopted by God as his children, let us put on the complete image of our Creator so as to be wholly like him, not in the glory that he alone possesses, but in innocence, simplicity, gentleness, patience, humility, mercy, harmony, those qualities in which he chose to become, and to be, one with us. -- St Peter Chrysologus

Sunday, November 27, 2011 First Sunday of Advent

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7 Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 We know we are traveling together. If our pace is slow, go on ahead of us. We won't envy you but rather will seek to catch up with you. However, if you consider us capable of a quicker pace, run along with us. There is only one goal, and we are all anxious to reach it....some at a slow pace and others at a fast pace. Let everyone's sighs be uttered in longing for Christ. Let us run to Him and cry out for Him. -- St Augustine

Monday, November 28, 2011 St. James of the Marsh, Priest (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122:1-9 Matthew 8:5-11 If I wish to please God, I must do His Will and not my own. -- St Alphonsus de Liguori

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 All Saints of the Seraphic Order (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Sirach 44:1, 10-15 Psalm 24:1-6 Mark 10:17-21 You people of Vitebsk want to put me to death. You make ambushes for me everywhere, in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, and in the marketplace. I am here among you as a shepherd and you ought to know that I should be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of St. Peter and of his successor the Supreme Pontiff. -- St Josaphat

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 St. Andrew, Apostle (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Romans 10:9-18 Psalm 19:8-11 Matthew 4:18-22 Humility is the safeguard of chastity. In the matter of purity, there is no greater danger than not fearing danger. When a person puts himself in an occasion of sin, saying, " I shall not fall", it is almost an infallible sign that he will fall, and with great injury to his soul. We must specifically and regularly pray for God's assistance and not rely on our own strength. -- St. Phillip Neri