In our gospel today, Jesus weeps over the fate of Jerusalem in the years to come.

This is the human side of our Lord.

Jesus calls the Pharisees “blind guides" they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

Jesus wept over his city. He felt deep sorrow at its resistance to God’s word as he foresaw the disaster it would soon face.

Here, he looks at the city of Jerusalem and prays for its populace, wishing that it might receive what God is offering.

 

 St. Clement 1, pope & martyr/ St. Columban, abbot

 1st Reading: 1 Maccabees 2:15-29

In the meantime,

  ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 

The woman of character,

 St. Cecilia, she was a noble Roman who,

one of the most famous virgin martyrs of the early church and historically one of the most discussed.

She is a patron saint of music and of musicians.

Cecelia was born into a wealthy and noble family in the city of Rome during a time

when Roman emperors and local prefects often persecuted Christians.

Cecilia was arrested.

The Prefect tried to convince her to save her life by offering sacrifice to the Roman gods, but she refused.

Outraged, Almachius ordered her beheading.

 

St. Cecilia, virgin & martyr

 1st Reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31

 

Ps 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b & 15

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊     

Luke 19:11-28

Jesus was now near

 

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63* 

From their descendants there came a godless offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of king Antiochus, who had been held as hostage in Rome. He became king in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the Greek era (in the year 175 B.C.).

(...) On the fifteenth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, Antiochus erected the "abominable idol of the invaders" on the altar of the temple. Pagan altars were built throughout the whole land of Judea; incense was offered at the doors of their houses and in the squares. There wicked men tore up the books of the Law they found and burned them. They killed anyone they caught in possession of the book of the Covenant and who fulfilled the precepts of the Law, as the royal decree had ordered.

But in spite of all this, many Israelites still remained firm and determined not to eat unclean food. They preferred to die rather than to make themselves unclean with those foods (prohibited by the Law) that violated the Holy Covenant.

 

Ps 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊      

Luke 18:35-43

When Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by. Then he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The people in front of him scolded him. "Be quiet!" they said, but he cried out all the more, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped, and ordered the blind man to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the man said, "Lord, that I may see!" Jesus said, "Receive your sight, your faith has saved you." At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

 

"Those who live faithfully may face persecution." 

There's an old proverb that says that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Sometimes people living their faith and striving for holiness are treated as squeaky wheels who need to be quieted. They make us uncomfortable by calling us to a higher standard and by making us aware of our own sins and failures. 

We see examples in today's readings. People try to silence the blind man who is calling out to Jesus. The first reading describes the time surrounding the Greek conquest of Israel. Many people abandoned their faith and adopted Greek customs, ultimately leading to those who remained faithful to the covenant being silenced, sometimes violently.

Even in our day, those who live faithfully may face persecution. In some places, churches have been destroyed and worshippers have been injured or even killed. In other places, people are not permitted to speak of their faith and evangelize others. Let each of us pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, that God will strengthen them, keep them safe, and bring them home to him.

 
Today, 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.

In the 1974 encyclical, Pope Paul VI wrote that "despite its apocryphal content,

it presents lofty and exemplary values and carries on the venerable traditions having their origins in the Eastern churches.

  

 Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

2 Maccabees 6:18-31*

Eleazar, one of the prominent

 The Pharisees are anxious to know when the Kingdom will come?

" The kingdom of god is within you."

Ｏur own faith should be deep and that the kingdom of God has taken its roots profoundly in our lives.

 

St. Margaret of Scotland, queen/ St. Gertrude the Great, virgin

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Wisdom of Solomon 7:22b-8:1

In her is a spirit

The gospel today assures us that the end time will come.

Although no one knows the time or the hour, still it will come, it is more about salvation.

These occurrences should be welcomed with joy because they signal

that the deliverance of the just is right around the corner.

  

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-91

The natural

Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing.

Because these lepers believe, they begin to obey and go to the village.

They believed him -- that is, had faith -- and received their healing as a result.

Only priests, according to Jewish law, can declare a person healed of leprosy

-- clean and fit to re-enter society (Leviticus 14).

"One of them, when he saw he was healed , came back, praising God in a loud voice.

He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him -- and『he was a Samaritan. 』”

 

St. Albert the Great, bishop & doctor

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-11

Listen, O kings, and understand;

 The Parousia seems long overdue, and disciples are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their faith. 

It calls us to maintain hope through the darkest of days,

reminds us that God will vindicate faithful disciples, and reassures the disciples that God hears their prayers.

 

Blessed Virgin Mary/ Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul/

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-16; 19:6-9

While all was in quiet silence

Jesus reminds us that there are things we must do even if we do not receive anything in return.

Not because it has no value in God’s eyes, but for us to turn our attention to His promises to us.

When we come to him as a servant, he welcomes us as a sister or brother and friend and,

at the end of this life, will tell us "Come, ... inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world." 

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Wisdom of Solomon 2:23-3:9

Indeed God created man