Tuesday, November 21, 2023

22-NOV-'23, Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr


Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

Lectionary: 499


Reading 1

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested

and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,

to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.


Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,

who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,

yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.

Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage,

she exhorted each of them

in the language of their ancestors with these words:

"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb;

it was not I who gave you the breath of life,

nor was it I who set in order

the elements of which each of you is composed.

Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe

who shapes each man's beginning,

as he brings about the origin of everything,

he, in his mercy,

will give you back both breath and life,

because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law."


Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words,

thought he was being ridiculed.

As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him,

not with mere words, but with promises on oath,

to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs:

he would make him his Friend

and entrust him with high office.

When the youth paid no attention to him at all,

the king appealed to the mother,

urging her to advise her boy to save his life.

After he had urged her for a long time,

she went through the motions of persuading her son.

In derision of the cruel tyrant,

she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language:

"Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months,

nursed you for three years, brought you up,

educated and supported you to your present age.

I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth

and see all that is in them;

then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things;

and in the same way the human race came into existence.

Do not be afraid of this executioner,

but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,

so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them."


She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said:

"What are you waiting for?

I will not obey the king's command.

I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.

But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews,

will not escape the hands of God."


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b and 15

R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Hear, O LORD, a just suit;

attend to my outcry;

hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.

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

My steps have been steadfast in your paths,

my feet have not faltered.

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

incline your ear to me; hear my word.

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

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings.

But I in justice shall behold your face;

on waking, I shall be content in your presence.

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


Alleluia

See John 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world,

to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Luke 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,

he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem

and they thought that the Kingdom of God

would appear there immediately.

So he said,

"A nobleman went off to a distant country

to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.

He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins

and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'

His fellow citizens, however, despised him

and sent a delegation after him to announce,

'We do not want this man to be our king.'

But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,

he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,

to learn what they had gained by trading.

The first came forward and said,

'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'

He replied, 'Well done, good servant!

You have been faithful in this very small matter;

take charge of ten cities.'

Then the second came and reported,

'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'

And to this servant too he said,

'You, take charge of five cities.'

Then the other servant came and said,

'Sir, here is your gold coin;

I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,

for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;

you take up what you did not lay down

and you harvest what you did not plant.'

He said to him,

'With your own words, I shall condemn you,

you wicked servant.

You knew I was a demanding man,

taking up what I did not lay down

and harvesting what I did not plant;

why did you not put my money in a bank?

Then on my return, I would have collected it with interest.'

And to those standing by he said,

'Take the gold coin from him

and give it to the servant who has ten.'

But they said to him,

'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'

He replied, 'I tell you,

to everyone who has, more will be given,

but from the one who has not,

even what he has will be taken away.

Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,

bring them here and slay them before me.'"


After he had said this,

he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.


Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections


Your Apostolic Calling


“A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’” Luke 19:12–14


There are three categories of people in this parable. The first includes those who received a gold coin and followed the master’s request to “engage in trade” until he returned. The second has those who received the same command but were lazy and failed to produce any good fruit from that which our Lord has given them. And the third includes those who “despise” our Lord and do not want Him as their King.


Upon the king’s return, this first category of people are represented by the two servants who took the gold coins, engaged in trade, and made five and ten more. These are those who have much apostolic zeal. God not only calls us to use the gifts we have received to expand His Kingdom on earth, He also expects it of us. His expectation is a command of love. For those who understand this command, they see it as a glorious invitation to make an eternal difference in the lives of many. They do not see the apostolic works to which they are called as a burden. Rather, they see them as a joy, and that joy fuels their efforts. The result will have exponential effects for God’s Kingdom.


The second category of people is illustrated by the one servant who kept the one gold coin “stored away in a handkerchief” out of fear. These are the people who avoid evangelizing and furthering the Kingdom of God out of fear. Fear is paralyzing. But giving in to fear is a sin. It’s a lack of faith and trust in God. Serving God will inevitably require courage on our part. It will demand that we step out of our comfort zone and do that which we may not immediately feel comfortable doing. But as that servant in the parable foretold, God is a demanding God. And He will not accept fear as an acceptable excuse not to zealously help to build the Kingdom of God.


The third category of people is the category in which you definitely do not want to fall. These are those who actively work to undermine God’s Kingship and reject Him as God. The world is filled with these people. The only thing we need to say about those who fall into this category is that which our Lord said of them. “Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.”


Reflect, today, upon which category of people your life most fully resembles. Most likely it is one of the first two. Do you have great zeal for God’s Kingdom? Are you willing to do all that you can to help build His Kingdom? Are you willing to do so even at the cost of great personal sacrifice? If so, then rejoice and know that an abundant reward awaits. But if you are one who struggles with fear, specifically, if you struggle with a fear to evangelize, to share the Gospel and to live your faith openly with humility and love, then spend more time with this parable and the fate of that one servant who hid the coin in the handkerchief. Engage in the apostolate. Commit yourself to the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. Dispel all fear and know that you will never regret putting your whole heart and soul into the service of God and the building of His Kingdom.


Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body


THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT TERRORISM


“The mother...saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.” —2 Maccabees 7:20


The Seleucids who persecuted the Jewish people at the time of the Maccabean revolt were terrorists. They did not just kill their enemies but did it in such a way as to try to intimidate them. For example, they did not just kill seven Jewish brothers but scalped, dismembered, and fried them one by one, while forcing the remaining brothers and their mother to watch every brutal act. The Seleucids planned that the mother’s anguish would be used to manipulate her sons into becoming traitors to their faith or that they would at least break the spirit of the mother and the Jewish nation by their terrorism.


However, the terrorists’ psychological warfare backfired on them. The mother’s relationship with the Lord and with her sons was so strong that she did not crack under pressure. She strengthened her sons to die heroic deaths, and she followed them in martyrdom. Her faith and her family’s faith was so strong that it defeated the terrorists. Contrary to what many believe, terrorism is not defeated by military might. Because terrorism is demonic, it cannot be defeated by merely human means. It can be defeated only by faith in Jesus, especially by holy families of faith (Mt 17:20-21). Therefore, we must become holy faith-filled disciples of Jesus, or we will be helpless, intimidated, manipulated victims of terrorists.


Prayer:  Father, I reject the spirit of fear and accept the Holy Spirit (see 2 Tm 1:6-7; Rm 8:15).


Promise:  “He, in His mercy, will give you back both breath and life.” —2 Mc 7:23


Praise:  St. Cecilia, her husband, and her brother-in-law were all beheaded as martyrs for their steadfast faith in Jesus.


Reflection 3

By Fr. Thomas Hoisington


After He had said this, He proceeded on His journey up to Jerusalem.


Those who think of Jesus as a “teddy bear” are challenged by the last words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Passage.  These concluding words—“…as for those enemies of mine… bring them here and slay them before me”—conclude the parable which the evangelist prefaces by explaining Jesus’ motive:  He “proceeded to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately.”


The “king” speaks and acts harshly.  He refers to himself as “a demanding man”, but his greatest demand comes at the end of the parable.  Of his enemies he declares, “bring them here and slay them before me.”  The question we have to grapple with is this:  to whom does this character in the parable refer in real life?  Can he possibly symbolize Jesus or God the Father?  The king’s demand is reminiscent of practices found in the Old Testament.  God Himself seems there to demand the murder of innocents.  Surely such ideas have no place in the teaching of Jesus?


However, the parable’s own inner logic suggests that the servants did have a choice.  This points to the choice that each servant of God has to follow Him or not.  At the end of each person’s life is a fork.  One branch leads to eternal life and the other to eternal death.  This is where the Kingdom of God comes to its fulfillment.


Prayers

My demanding Lord, You have entrusted me with much, and You demand that I use all that You have given me to help build Your Kingdom of grace. What a privilege it is to be called by You and used by You for this apostolic mission. Please free me from all fear, dear Lord, so that I will never hesitate to serve You in the ways that You call me to serve. Jesus, I trust in You.


Lord, I surrender to You and Your perfect Will.  Give me patience so that I may set aside my own ideas and plans, submitting only to You.  May I learn to wait on You, dear Lord, and act only as You command.  I love You, my God.  Jesus, I trust in You.


Lord Jesus, be the ruler of my heart and mind and the master of my home and goods. Fill me with a generous and wise spirit that I may use the gifts, talents, time, and resources you give me for your glory and your kingdom.

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