The Daily Gospel for Thursday, 19 November 2015

The Daily Gospel for Thursday, 19 November 2015
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."[John 6:68]
Thursday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the day:

St. Mechtildis of Helfta (13th century)

Saint Mechtildis of Helfta
(13th century)

St. Mechtildis was born to a noble family in Heifta, Saxony, and was placed in a Benedictine convent at age seven.

Mechtildis was a mystic, and aided St. Gertrude with her Book of Special Graces or The Revelation of St. Mechtildis.

[©Evangelizo.org]
St. Nerses the Great, Bishop and Martyr (4th century)

There was also a Caucasian Albanian Catholicos Nerses I, who ruled in 689–706, and a Patriarch Nerses I of Constantinople, who ruled in 1704.

Saint Nerses
Born	Fourth century
Died	373
Venerated in	Catholicos of Armenia
Feast	19 November[1]

Nerses I the Great (Armenian: Սուրբ Ներսես Ա. Մեծ ) was an Armenian Catholicos (orPatriarch) who lived in the fourth century. He was the son of At'anagenes and his mother was the Arsacid Princess Bambish, a sister of King Tigranes VII (Tiran)^[2] and a daughter of KingKhosrov III. His paternal grandfather was St. Husik I whose paternal grandfather was SaintGregory the Illuminator.

Nerses spent his youth in Caesarea where he married a Mamikonian Princess called Sanducht. Sanducht bore Nerses a son called Sahak, who would become another Catholicos in Armenia. After the death of his wife, he was appointed sword-bearer to King Arsaces II (Arshak II). A few years later, having entered the ecclesiastical state, he was elected Catholicos in 353.

His patriarchate marks a new era in Armenian history. Till then the Church had been more or less identified with the royal family and the nobles; Nerses brought it into closer connection with the people. At the Council of Ashtishat he promulgated numerous laws on marriage, fast days, and divine worship. He built schools and hospitals, and sent monks throughout the land to preach the Gospel.

Nerses held a synod at Ashtishat that, among other things, forbade people to marry their first cousin and forbade mutilation and other extreme actions in mourning.^[3] Some of these reforms drew upon him the king's displeasure, and he was exiled, supposedly to Edessa. It was probably at some point during the latter part of Arshak's reign that Nerses went toConstantinople to ensure the emperor's support of Armenia against the Persians. According toP'awstos Buzandac'i's account Roman emperor Valens became outraged at Nerses condemning his following of the teachings of Arius and sent Nerses into exile.^[4] While Nerses was in exile in Xad he was the leader of the church in Armenia.

Upon the accession of pro-Arian King Papas (Pap) (369) he returned to his see. Papas proved a dissolute and unworthy ruler and Nerses forbade him entrance to the church. Under the pretence of seeking reconciliation, Papas invited Nerses to his table and reportedly poisoned him in 373.

In the Arts[edit]

• Nerses is a character in the tragedy Nerses The Great, Patron of Armenia written in 1857, by the Anatolian Armenian Playwright, Actor & Editor of the 19th century, Sargis Vanadetsi also known as Sargis Mirzayan.

See also[edit]

• Gregorids

Sources[edit]

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.

1. ^ Attwater, Donald (1965) The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 248
2. ^ P'awstos Buzandac'i, History of Armenia, p. 81
3. ^ Lang, David Marshall. Armenia: Cradle of Civilization (Boston: George Allen & Unwin, 1970) p. 160
4. ^ Pawstos, Armenia, p. 99

St. BarlaamFeastday: November 19
Prince of India, Joasaph, Prince of India, and Abennar, King, father of Joasaph (4th century). 
Thursday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time
The Second Book of  Maccabees 2: Pagan worship refused

15 At that time, the king’s officers were enforcing the decrees to give up Jewish practice. They came to the town of Modein to make its people offer pagan sacrifice. 16 Many from Israel came out to them, including Mattathias and his sons. 17 Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias: “You’re a leader, honored and important in this town, and supported by sons and brothers. 18 Be the first to come and do what the king has commanded, as have all the Gentiles, the people of Judah, and those who are left in Jerusalem. Then you and your sons will be counted among the king’s closest political advisors; you and your sons will be honored with silver, gold, and many gifts.”

19 But Mattathias answered loudly, “Even if all the nations that live under the king’s rule obey him and have chosen to follow his orders, departing from their ancestral religion, 20 My sons and brothers and I will continue to live according to our ancestors’ covenant. 21 We will never abandon the Law and its commands! 22 We won’t obey the king’s orders by turning aside from our religion to either the right or the left.”

23 When he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in plain sight to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein, in keeping with the king’s command. 24 When Mattathias saw this action, he burned with zeal, and his spirit was stirred up. He gave way to his righteous anger, and he ran over and killed the man on the altar. 25 He also killed the king’s officer who was overseeing the sacrifice at that time, and he tore down the altar. 26 He burned with zeal for the Law, just like Phinehas did against Zimri, Salu’s son.

27 Then Mattathias shouted loudly in the town, “Everyone who is zealous for the Law and supports the covenant should come with me!” 28 So he and his sons fled to the hills and left behind all that they had in the town.

29 At that time, many who sought righteousness and justice went to live in the desert.

Psalm 50:(0) A psalm of Asaf:

(1) The Mighty One, God, Adonai, is speaking,

summoning the world from east to west.

2 Out of Tziyon, the perfection of beauty,

God is shining forth.

5 “Gather to me my faithful,

those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for God himself is judge. (Selah)

14 Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to God,

pay your vows to the Most High,

15 and call on me when you are in trouble;

I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

The Holy Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah according to Luke 19:41 When Yeshua had come closer and could see the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you only knew today what is needed for shalom! But for now it is hidden from your sight. 43 For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you, encircle you, hem you in on every side, 44 and dash you to the ground, you and your children within your walls, leaving not one stone standing on another — and all because you did not recognize your opportunity when God offered it!”
Thursday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day:
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church 
Discourse on the Psalms, Ps 121[122] 
"If this day you only knew what makes for peace" “May peace reign in your walls” (Ps 121[122],7). O Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity” (v.3), peace in your strength, peace in your love! For your strength is your love. Listen to the Song of Songs: “Love is strong as death” (8,6). What wonderful words, brethren !... Who can resist death ? People resist flames, floods, steel; they resist tyrants and kings; let death come and who can resist it? There is nothing stronger. Love alone can match up to its strength. It can be said that love is strong as death. Because love kills what we used to be to make us become what as yet we were not, it carries out in us a work of death. Saint Paul died this death. He said: “The world is crucified to me and I to the world” (Gal 6,14), and those to whom he said: “You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3,3) died this death. 

Love is strong as death… let peace, therefore, be in your strength, Jerusalem ; let peace be in your love. And by this strength, love, peace “may prosperity be in your towers” (Ps 121[122],7), that is to say, on your heights… Profusion of delights, countless riches, this is the God who is one, this is he with whom all this city’s inhabitants hold communion. This is he who will be our abundance in the city of Jerusalem. 

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