Daily Gospel for Saturday, 14 November 2015

Daily Gospel for Saturday, 14 November 2015
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day:

St. Lawrence O'Toole, Archbishop of Dublin (c. 1125-1180)

SAINT LAWRENCE O'TOOLE 
Archbishop of Dublin
(c. 1125-1180)

St. Lawrence, it appears, was born about the year 1125. When only ten years old, his father delivered him up as a hostage to Dermod Mac Murchad, King of Leinster, who treated the child with great inhumanity, until his father obliged the tyrant to put him in the hands of the Bishop of Glendalough, in the county of Wicklow. The holy youth, by his fidelity in corresponding with the divine grace, grew to be a model of virtues.

On the death of the bishop, who was also abbot of the monastery, St. Lawrence was chosen abbot in 1150, though but twenty-five years old, and governed his numerous community with wonderful virtue and prudence. In 1161 St. Lawrence was unanimously chosen to fill the new metropolitan See of Dublin.

About the year 1171 he was obliged, for the affairs of his diocese, to go over to England to see the king, Henry II., who was then at Canterbury. The Saint was received by the Benedictine monks of Christ Church with the greatest honor and respect. On the following day, as the holy archbishop was advancing to the altar to officiate, a maniac, who had heard much of his sanctity, and who was led on by the idea of making so holy a man another St. Thomas, struck him a violent blow on the head. All present concluded that he was mortally wounded; but the Saint coming to himself, asked for some water, blessed it, and having his wound washed with it, the blood was immediately stanched, and the archbishop celebrated Mass.

In 1175 Henry II of England became offended with Roderic, the monarch of Ireland, and St. Lawrence undertook another journey to England to negotiate a reconciliation between them. Henry was so moved by his piety, charity, and prudence that he granted him everything he asked, and left the whole negotiation to his discretion.

Our Saint ended his journey here below on the 14th of November, 1180, and was buried in the church of the abbey at Eu, on the confines of Normandy.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Sidonius

Feastday: November 27

Death: 828

Benedictine abbot of Monte Cassino, in Italy. He served in this capacity for eleven years, edifying all with his piety. Apollinaris has long been venerated in Monte Cassino. He is listed as both blessed and saint.

Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time

The Book of Wisdom 18:14 It was then, while everything was wrapped in a gentle silence, and half a night had already passed, 15 that your all-powerful word had leaped down from heaven, the royal throne. Like a fierce warrior, he had entered the land that was marked for destruction. 16 He carried with him your unchanging declaration like a sharp sword. He stood up and filled everything with death; he reached the sky while still standing on the ground.

19:6 The whole creation began to take on a new shape in its very nature. It once again submitted to your commands so that your children might be kept unharmed. 7 A cloud appeared, casting its shadow over their camp. Dry land appeared where before there had been only water. It presented them an open path through the Red Sea,[Wisdom 19:7 Or traditionally Reed Sea in the Hebrew Bible] a grassy plain where before there had been only violent surf. 8 Those who were protected by your hand passed through as a single nation, seeing amazing wonders. 9 They were like horses ranging about and like lambs skipping along. They praised you, Lord, for you were rescuing them.

Psalm 105:

2 Sing to God;

    sing praises to the Lord;

    dwell on all his wondrous works!

3 Give praise to God’s holy name!

    Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord!

36 God struck down all the oldest sons throughout their land;

    struck down their very pride and joy.

37 Then God brought Israel out, filled with silver and gold;

    not one of its tribes stumbled.

42 Because God remembered his holy promise

    to Abraham his servant,

43     God brought his people out with rejoicing,

    his chosen ones with songs of joy.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:1 Then Yeshua told his talmidim a parable, in order to impress on them that they must always keep praying and not lose heart. 2 “In a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected other people. 3 There was also in that town a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me a judgment against the man who is trying to ruin me.’ 4 For a long time he refused; but after awhile, he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God, and I don’t respect other people; 5 but because this widow is such a nudnik, I will see to it that she gets justice — otherwise, she’ll keep coming and pestering me till she wears me out!’”

6 Then the Lord commented, “Notice what this corrupt judge says. 7 Now won’t God grant justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Is he delaying long over them? 8 I tell you that he will judge in their favor, and quickly! But when the Son of Man comes, will he find this trust on the earth at all?”

Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day:
Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Dominican theologian, Doctor of the Church
Compendium theologiae, 2nd part, ch. 1

Praying confidently and with persistence

There is one difference that distinguishes prayer to God from prayers addressed to another person. Prayer addressed to another demands a certain degree of familiarity from the outset, thanks to which one gains access to the person one is begging from. Whereas prayer to God makes us, in itself, friends of God. Our souls are lifted up to him, lovingly converse with him, and adore him in spirit and truth (Jn 4,23).
This close relationship that is acquired as one prays prompts a person to apply himself to prayer with confidence. Hence it is said in the psalm: “I call upon you,” that is to say, I have prayed with confidence, “for you have answered me, O God” (16[17],6). Having been taken into close relationship with God through the original prayer, the psalmist then prays with increased confidence. Thus, in prayer to God, diligence or persistence in asking is not an imposition but, rather, pleasing to God. For the gospel says: “We should always pray and never grow weary”, and elsewhere the Lord invites us to make our requests: “Ask and you will receive, he says, knock and it will be opened to you” (Mt 7,7). ---------------------