Sunday November 10, 2024
THIRTY- SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Office: Psalter Week 4, Te Deum
Mass prop. Gloria. Creed
Preface of Sunday
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
Vespers II of the 32nd Sunday of the Year

Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading

Theme of the Sunday: TWO WIDOWS WHO GAVE EVERYTHING.
In the first reading and the gospel today, God asks that all we have must be shared with those in need. The only sacrifice that pleases God says the second reading — is a heart ready to love a heart (i.e. Christ) that shares its very life.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Cf. Ps 87: 3
Let my prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry for help, O Lord.

THE GLORIA  (Either sung or recited)       
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you. We bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

COLLECT
Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue in freedom of heart the things that are yours. Through our Lord

FIRST READING             
The widow made a little cake from her meal and brought it to Elijah.
A reading from the first Book of Kings (1 Kings 17:10-16)

In those days: Elijah [the prophet] arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have  nothing  baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a pitcher; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” And Elijah said to her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and after ward make for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, ‘The Jar of meal shall not be spent, and the pitcher of oil shall not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” And she went and did as Elijah said; and she, and he, and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the pitcher of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM   Ps 146:6c-7.8-9a.9bc-10ab (R. 1b)
R/. Come, Lord, and save us.
Or: Alleluia.

It is the Lord who preserves fidelity forever,
Who does justice to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
The LORD who sets prisoners free. R/.

It is the LORD who opens the eyes of the blind,
The LORD who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the LORD who loves the just,
The LORD who protects the stranger. R/.

R/. Come, Lord, and save us.
Or: Alleluia.

The LORD upholds the orphan and the widow,
But thwarts the path of the wicked.
The LORD will reign forever,
The God of Sion from age to age. R/.

SECOND READING
“Christ offered himself once to bear the sins of many.”
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 9:24-28)

Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as he high priest enters the Holy place yearly with blood not his own; for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Matthew 5:3
Alleluia. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
“This poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 12:38-44)

At that time: In his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretence make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Or shorter          

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 12:41-44)
At that time: Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Creed (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL          

Celebrant:
The poor widow gave all she had out of genuine love for God. Let us ask God to give us the grace to use all we have and are fore the glory of God and for the good of our brothers and sisters.

FOR THE CHURCH: that she may not be tired of caring for the faithless, heretics, homeless and the underprivileged, thereby leading them to Christ. We pray O Lord.

FOR LEADERS IN SOCIETY: that they may continue to ameliorate the living conditions of those in their care, by judiciously using the available material resources in their community. We pray O Lord.

FOR THOSE WHO LACK THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY: that they may know that the goods of this world are temporal and be led by God to use them for the good of their brothers and sisters. We pray O Lord.

FOR MEMBERS OF THIS WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY: that we may not only seek the temporal happiness that material possessions give but, more importantly, seek the true and eternal happiness that come from the things of God. We pray O Lord.

FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, church projects or other activities).

FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS: that they may find eternal rest with the Lord. We pray O Lord.
We pray in silence for our private intentions.

Celebrant:
Lord our God, in your love for us you supply all our needs. We humbly ask you to hear the prayers we have presented to you and to grant us the grace to always trust in your providence. Through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen.

TODAY’S REFLECTION
The First Reading and the gospel of the day speak about two widows. In the ancient patriarchal world of the Old Testament, widowhood presented a difficult time in the life of a woman. It is against this background that the Prophet Elijah visits the widow of Zar’ephath and saves her from sure death in the face of famine. The widow willingly prepares the widow who dropped two copper coins into the treasury box. What she offered was a poor offering by human standards, but rich in the sight of God. God is not impressed and pleased with our pomp and show, our power and wealth, but with a heart that is overflowing with love, generosity and sincerity in our religious practices. It is not how much we give that matters, but how we give. Christ sacrificed himself to put away our sins (2nd reading). It is in the nature of God to be generous in sacrificial giving, and we, God’s children need to follow His example.

TODAY’S SAINT AND QUOTE: Pope St. Leo the Great – November 10th
He was an Italian aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. He is also a Doctor of the Church, most remembered theologically for issuing the Tome of Leo,
Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.

PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

  • I thank you Almighty God for your word that is active and alive.
  • Grant me your grace to consciously realise that you are the beginning and the end of all things and that you know my end from my beginning, hence, you know my troubles and worries.
  • Help me to fully rely on you and not in my own competence anymore.