The Daily Gospel for Friday, 20 November 2015

The Daily Gospel for Friday, 20 November 2015 
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Friday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day:

St. Edmund the Martyr (841-870)

Saint Edmund the MartyrKing and Martyr
(841-870)

St. Edmund was elected king of the East Angles in 855 at the age of fourteen and began ruling Suffolk, England, the following year.

In 869 or 870, the Danes invaded Edmund's realm, and he was captured at Hone, in Suffolk. After extreme torture, Edmund was beheaded and died calling upon Jesus.

According to Abbo of Fleury's vita "His severed head was thrown into the wood. Day and night as Edmund's followers went seeking, calling out "Where are you, friend?" the head answered, "Here, here, here," until at last, "a great wonder", they found Edmund's head in the possession of a grey wolf, clasped between its paws. "They were astonished at the wolf's guardianship".The wolf, sent by God to protect the head from the animals of the forest, was starving but did not eat the head for all the days it was lost. After recovering the head the villagers marched back to the kingdom, praising God and the wolf that served him. The wolf walked beside them as if tame all the way to the town, after which it turned around and vanished into the forest."

His shrine brought about the town of Bury St. Edmund's.[©Evangelizo.org]

St. Bernward

Feastday: November 20

Birth: 960

Death: 1022

Bernward was of a Saxon family and was raised by his uncle Bishop Volkmar of Utrecht when orphaned as a child. He studied at the cathedral school of Heidelburg and at Mainz, where he was ordained in 987. He became imperial chaplain and tutor to the child Emperor Otto III. He was elected bishop of Hildesheimin 993, built St. Michael's church and monastery there, and administered his See capably. He was interested in architecture, art, and metal work and created several metalwork pieces. He was engaged in a dispute for years with Archbishop Willigis of Mainz over episcopal rights to the Gandersheim convent, but eventually Rome ruled in Bernward's favor. He became a Benedictine in later life and died on November 20th. He was canonized in 1193. His feast day is November 20th

Friday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time
The First Book Maccabees 4:  Cleansing and dedication of the temple

36 At that time Judas and his brothers said, “Look, our enemies have been crushed. Let’s go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary.” 37 All the army gathered together and went up to Mount Zion.

52 They rose early in the morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.[a] It was the year 148. 53 They offered sacrifice, following the Law, on the new altar for entirely burned offerings that they had made. 54 In the very season, on the exact day that the Gentiles had polluted it, it was dedicated with songs, harps, lutes, and cymbals. 55 All the people bowed to the ground and worshipped and blessed heaven, which had given them success.

56 So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days and joyfully made entirely burned offerings. They offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. 57 They decorated the front of the temple with gold crowns and small shields. They restored the gates and the priests’ chambers, furnishing them with doors. 58 The people were extremely glad, and the disgrace the Gentiles brought was lifted.

59 Then Judas, with his brothers and all the assembly of Israel, laid down a law that every year at that season the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and happiness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of Kislev.[1 Maccabees 4:59 November–December]

(Psalm) 1 Chronicles 29:10 as he blessed Adonai before the entire community: “Blessed be you, Adonai, the God of Isra’el our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, Adonai, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. The kingdom is yours, Adonai; and you are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor come from you, you rule everything, in your hand is power and strength, you have the capacity to make great and to give strength to all.

The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Saint Luke 19:45 Then Yeshua entered the Temple grounds and began driving out those doing business there, 46 saying to them, “The Tanakh says, ‘My House is to be a house of prayer,’[Luke 19:46 Isaiah 56:7] but you have made it into a den of robbers!”[Luke 19:46 Jeremiah 7:11]

47 Every day he taught at the Temple. The head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the leaders of the people tried to find a way of putting an end to him; 48 but they couldn’t find any way of doing it, because all the people were hanging onto his every word.
Friday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
The Roman Missal 
Preface of Dedication of a church 
"My house shall be a house of prayer" Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, 

we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. 
We thank you now for this house of prayer 
in which you bless your family 
as we come to you on pilgrimage. 
Here you reveal your presence 
by sacramental signs, 
and make us one with you 
through the unseen bond of grace. 
Here you built your temple of living stones, 
and bring the Church to its full stature 
as the body of Christ throughout the world, 
to reach its perfection at last 
in the heavenly city of Jerusalem 
which is the vision of your peace. 
In communion with all the angels and saints 
we bless and praise your greatness 
in the temple of your glory: 
"Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might."

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