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Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection, Today, 24th November 2022

Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection, Today, 24th November 2022

Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection, Today, 24th November 2022

FIRST READING

“Fallen is Babylon the great! “

A reading from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 18: 1-2.21-23; 19:1-3.9a)

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I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendour. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird.” Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and shall be found no more; and the sound of harpists and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in you no more; and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in you no more; and the sound of the millstone shall be heard in you no more; and the light of a lamp shall shine in you no more; and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall be heard in you no more; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.” After this I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgements are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more they cried, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps  100:1-2.3.4.5 (R. Revelation 19:9a)

R/. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. 

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing for joy. R/.

Know that he, the Lord, is God. 

He made us; we belong to him.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock. R/.

R/. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving 

and his courts with songs of praise.

Give thanks to him, and bless his name. R/.

Indeed, how good is the Lord, 

eternal his merciful love.

He is faithful from age to age. R/.

ALLELUIA Luke 21:28

Alleluia. Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

“Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 21:20-28)

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. Alas for those who are with child and for those who are nursing in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

TODAY’S REFLECTION

It is consoling for the true followers of Christ that Babylon which symbolizes evil and forces opposed to God and his Christ will be destroyed. The children of eternal life will join their voices with those of the angels praising God. Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. The elect will have nothing to fear. They are to share in the glory of the lamb. When the Lord appears the elect will have nothing to fear. They are to stand erect and hold their hands high because their liberating is near at hand.

TODAY’S SAINT and QUOTE – 24th November 2022

SAINT ANDREW DUNG-LAC, Priest, and COMPANIONS, Martyrs (Memorial)

Today we remember a group of 117 martyrs of Vietnam who suffered during a series of sadistic persecutions which lasted over one hundred years, between 1745 and 1862. Despite the extreme tortures they had to endure, they heroically witnessed to the faith. Ninety-six of these martyrs were Vietnamese, including Fr Andrew Dung-Lac, while the others were European missionaries.

ST THEOPHANE VENARD – November 24th

Saint Jean-Theophane Venard, M.E.P. was a French Catholic missionary to Indo-China. He was a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. He was beatified in company with thirty-three other Catholic martyrs, most of whom were natives of Tonkin, Cochin-China, or China. Pope John Paul II canonized him, with nineteen other martyrs, in 1988.

– Be merry, really merry. The life of a true Christian should be a perpetual jubilee, a prelude to the festivals of eternity

PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength – Nehemiah 8:10

– Give me the will-power to stand for you always.

– O Lord, endear my spirit with the Joy of serving you always my Lord and my God.

– Pray for all children of God who have failed in their vow of holiness; that they will return to the Lord and renew their vows of holiness.

Let Us Pray,

Prayer of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Stay with Me, Lord)

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Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have you present so that I do not forget you, you know how easily I abandon you. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak, and I need your strength, that I may not fall so often, stay with me, Lord, for you are my life, and without you, I am without fervour. Stay with me, Lord, for you are my light, and without you, I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, to show me your will. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love you very much, and always be in your company. Stay with me, Lord, if you wish me to be faithful to you. Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for you, a nest of love. Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need you. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need you, my Jesus, in this night of exile! Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers. I need you. Let me recognize you as your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to you, if not by communion, at least by grace and love. Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but the gift of your presence, oh yes, I ask this of you! Stay with me, Lord, for it is you alone I look for, your love, your Grace, your Will, your Heart, your Spirit, because I love you and ask no other reward but to love you more and more. With a firm love, I will love you with all my heart while on earth and continue to love you perfectly during all eternity. Amen.

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