Thursday - November 16, 2017
"To convert somebody
go and take them by the hand
and guide them."
-St. Thomas Aquinas
TODAY'S READINGS
November 16, 2017
Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 494
Reading 1WIS 7:22B–8:1
In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Responsorial PsalmPS 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
R. (89a) Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
AlleluiaJN 15:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."
Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."
Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."
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The Spirit that's Guided by Wisdom
In the Old Testament, "Wisdom" is a name for the Holy Spirit. Today's reading, from the Book of Wisdom, lists the qualities of a soul that's guided by wisdom, i.e., guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
Find this scripture in your bible and bookmark the page. This is a good checklist to use while waiting in line for Confession or facing a difficult decision. Or when you feel insecure or inadequate, use this list to discover who you really are, according to God and how he designed you to be. Are you uncertain about the Lord's calling for a vocation or career path? Use this list to examine how well you're using the gifts that he has given you.
And by the way, if you need assurance that God is not just a "he" but has a feminine side, notice that Wisdom is called a "she". How very wise to view wisdom this way! Women are usually more intuitive than men (female brains are designed that way; we have more neural connections between the brain's two hemispheres).
What makes wisdom different from knowledge? Wisdom is the divine intuition that understands the right use of the facts that knowledge has provided. But let's get back to the main point.
Read the description of the Spirit of Wisdom -- slowly. Because we are made in the image of God, this scripture is describing you and me when we let the Holy Spirit work through us……. (Pause now to actually read it.) …………….
Now read it again to see what you're really like! Look at the gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have access to. You received this Spirit of Wisdom during your baptism. Do not underestimate the wisdom that dwells within you!
We don't fully experience this wise nature of ours because sin closes us off to it. When our relationship with the Holy Spirit is active and healthy and growing, we share in God's holiness. We have a spirit that is:
- intelligent (so, ignore the people who have called you "stupid")
- holy (you are part of the Body of Christ)
- unique (there is no one else who can do what you can do, the way you can do it)
- manifold (you are multi-talented)
- unhampered (nothing can stop you when you're doing God's will)
- secure (you safely reside in God's love and faithfulness)
- tranquil (you can have peace no matter what else is going on)
- all-powerful, all-seeing (God can help you deal with anything)
- pervading all spirits (greater is this Spirit in you than all evil spirits combined)
- (meditate on the rest of the list)
What on this list do you need more of from the Holy Spirit right now? Well, you already have it! Do something that activates it. Be who you really are.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
