PRAYER OF THE DAY

The Offering of Saint Leonard of Port Maurice

Eternal God, and my God,

behold me prostrate before Thine immense Majesty,

and humbly adoring Thee.

I offer Thee all my thoughts,

words, and actions of this day.

I purpose them all to be thought, spoken,

and done entirely for love of Thee,

for Thy glory,

to fulfill Thy Divine will,

to serve Thee, praise Thee, and bless Thee;

in order also to my own enlightenment in the mysteries of the holy Faith,

for the securing of my salvation,

and out of hope in Thy loving mercy;

for satisfaction, too, of Thy Divine justice,

for my so many and most grievous sins;

as supplication for the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

and for the grace of a true conversion to all sinners;

in fine,

I wish and intend to do everything in union with the most pure intentions of Jesus and Mary during their lives on earth,

of all the Saints who are in Heaven,

and of all the just who are on earth:

and I would willingly subscribe to this my intention with my own blood,

and to repeat it from a loving heart,

as often as there are moments in eternity.

Receive, O my dearest God,

this my good intention;

give me Thy holy benediction with efficacious grace to keep me from mortal sin through all my life,

but particularly this day,

in which I desire and purpose to receive all the Indulgences which I am capable of receiving,

and to assist, were it possible,

at all the Masses which are celebrated this day throughout the whole world,

applying all in supplication for the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

that they may be freed from detention in its pains and come quickly before the face of God.

So be it

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading

DN 2:31-45

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:

“In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,

very large and exceedingly bright,

terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.

The head of the statue was pure gold,

its chest and arms were silver,

its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,

its feet partly iron and partly tile.

While you looked at the statue,

a stone which was hewn from a mountain

without a hand being put to it,

struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.

The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,

fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,

and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.

But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain

and filled the whole earth.

“This was the dream;

the interpretation we shall also give in the king’s presence.

You, O king, are the king of kings;

to you the God of heaven

has given dominion and strength, power and glory;

men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,

he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;

you are the head of gold.

Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,

then a third kingdom, of bronze,

which shall rule over the whole earth.

There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;

it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,

just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.

The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter’s tile and partly of iron,

mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,

but yet have some of the hardness of iron.

As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,

and the toes partly iron and partly tile,

the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.

The iron mixed with clay tile

means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,

but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

In the lifetime of those kings

the God of heaven will set up a kingdom

that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;

rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms

and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.

That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain

without a hand being put to it,

which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.

The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;

this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.”

Responsorial Psalm

DN 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“You heavens, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

“All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.”

R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel

LK 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about

how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,

Jesus said,

“All that you see here–

the days will come when there will not be left

a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,

“Teacher, when will this happen?

And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”

He answered,

“See that you not be deceived,

for many will come in my name, saying,

‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’

Do not follow them!

When you hear of wars and insurrections,

do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,

but it will not immediately be the end.”

Then he said to them,

“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues

from place to place;

and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

November 26

St. Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)

Leonard, called "the great missionary of the 18th century" by St. Alphonsus Liguori, was another Franciscan who tried to go to the foreign missions (China), failed at that and succeeded tremendously in some other work.

Leonard’s father was a ship captain whose family lived in Port Maurice on the northwestern coast of Italy. At 13, Leonard went to Rome to live with his uncle Agostino and study at the Roman College. Leonard was a good student and was destined for a career in medicine. In 1697, however, he joined the Friars Minor, 

a decision that his uncle opposed bitterly.

After ordination Leonard contracted tuberculosis and was sent to his hometown to rest or perhaps to die. He made a vow that if he recovered he would dedicate his life to the missions and to the conversion of sinners. He soon was able to begin his 40-year career of preaching retreats, Lenten sermons and parish missions throughout Italy. His missions lasted 15 to 18 days, and he often stayed an additional week to hear confessions. He said: "I believe that in those days the real and greatest fruit of the mission is gathered. As much good is done in these days as during the mission."

As a means of keeping alive the religious fervor awakened in a mission, Leonard promoted the Stations of the Cross, a devotion which had made little progress in Italy up to this time. He also preached regularly on the Holy Name of Jesus.

Since he realized that he needed time simply to pray alone, Leonard regularly made use of the ritiros 

(houses of recollection) that he helped establish throughout Italy.

Leonard was canonized in 1867; in 1923 he was named patron of those who preach parish missions.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 23 (24)

A mighty God is the Lord:

come, let us adore him.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all who live in it.

He himself founded it upon the seas

and set it firm over the waters.

A mighty God is the Lord:

come, let us adore him.

Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who will stand in his holy place?

The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,

who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.

He will receive the blessing of the Lord

and be justified by God his savior.

This is the way of those who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob.

A mighty God is the Lord:

come, let us adore him.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of might and power.

The Lord, strong in battle.

A mighty God is the Lord:

come, let us adore him.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of hosts

– he is the king of glory.

A mighty God is the Lord:

come, let us adore him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

A mighty God is the Lord:

come, let us adore him.

Hymn

O God of truth and Lord of power,

whose word their course to things assigns,

whose splendor lights the morning hour,

whose fiery sun at noonday shines:

Within us quench the flames of strife,

the harmful heat of passion quell;

give health of body to our life

and give true peace of soul as well.

In this, most loving Father, hear,

and Christ, co-equal Son, our prayer:

with Holy Ghost, one Trinity,

you reign for all eternity.

Psalm 36 (37)

The fate of the evil and the righteous

Commit your life to the Lord,

and he will act on your behalf.

Do not envy the wicked;

do not be jealous of those that do evil.

They will dry up as quickly as hay;

they will wither like the grass.

Put your trust in the Lord and do good,

and your land and habitation will be secure.

Take your delight in the Lord,

and he will give you what your heart desires.

Entrust your journey to the Lord, and hope in him:

and he will act.

He will make your uprightness shine like the light,

your judgement like the sun at noon.

Take your rest in the Lord, and hope in him:

do not envy the one who thrives in his own way,

the man who weaves plots.

Abstain from wrath, abandon anger:

do not envy him who turns to evil,

for those who do evil will be destroyed,

but those on the side of the Lord

will inherit the earth.

A moment yet – and the sinner will be gone:

you will look where he was and find nothing.

But the needy will inherit the land

and delight in abundant peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Commit your life to the Lord,

and he will act on your behalf.

Psalm 36 (37)

Turn away from evil and do good:

the Lord will support the just.

The wicked will plot against the righteous

and gnash his teeth at him;

but the Lord will deride him in his turn,

for the Lord has seen what awaits him.

The wicked have pulled out their swords,

the wicked have drawn their bows,

to throw down the poor and the destitute,

to murder whoever follows the straight path.

But their swords will enter their own hearts,

and their bows will splinter.

For the righteous, the little they have is better

than the abundant wealth of the wicked.

The limbs of the wicked will be broken

while the Lord gives his strength to the just.

The Lord knows when the day of the perfect will come;

and their inheritance will be eternal.

They will not be troubled in evil times,

and in times of famine they will have more than enough.

For the wicked will perish:

the enemies of the Lord will be like the flowers of the fields,

and like smoke they will vanish away.

The wicked man borrows and does not return;

but the righteous takes pity and gives.

The blessed ones of the Lord will inherit the earth,

but those whom he curses will be cut off.

It is the Lord who strengthens the steps of man

and chooses his path.

Even if he trips he will not fall flat,

for the Lord is holding his hand.

I was young and I have grown old,

but I have not seen the righteous man abandoned

nor his children seeking for bread.

All day long he takes pity and lends,

and his seed will be blessed.

Shun evil and do good,

and you will live for ever.

For the Lord loves right judgement,

and will not abandon his chosen ones.

The unjust will be destroyed for ever,

and the seed of the wicked will be cut off,

but the righteous will inherit the earth

and live there from age to age.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Turn away from evil and do good:

the Lord will support the just.

Psalm 36 (37)

Wait for the Lord, keep to his way.

The mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom,

and his tongue will utter right judgement.

The law of his God is in his heart

and his steps will not stumble.

The wicked man watches the just

and seeks to kill him;

but the Lord will rescue the just man from his hands

and not condemn the just in the time of judgement.

Put your hope in the Lord and follow his paths,

and he will raise you up and make the land your inheritance,

let you watch as the wicked are cut off.

I have seen the sinner triumph,

flourish like a green cedar,

but he is gone, he is there no longer:

I have looked for him but have not found him.

Preserve innocence, follow uprightness:

for the future belongs to the man of peace.

The unrighteous will be destroyed altogether,

their posterity will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,

and their protection in time of trouble.

The Lord will come to their help and free them,

rescue them from the wicked and save them,

because they have put their trust in him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Wait for the Lord, keep to his way.

Teach me goodness and discernment and knowledge;

– for I trust in your commands.

First Reading

2 Peter 1:12-21

I am continually recalling the same truths to you, even though you already know them and firmly hold them. I am sure it is my duty, as long as I am in this tent, to keep stirring you up with reminders, 

since I know the time for taking off this tent is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ foretold to me. 

And I shall take great care that after my own departure 

you will still have a means to recall these things to memory.

It was not any cleverly invented myths that we were repeating when we brought you the knowledge of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; we had seen his majesty for ourselves. He was honored and glorified by God the Father, when the Sublime Glory itself spoke to him and said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favor.’ 

We heard this ourselves, spoken from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have confirmation of what was said in prophecies; and you will be right to depend on prophecy and take it as a lamp for lighting a way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds. At the same time, we must be most careful to remember that the interpretation of scriptural prophecy is never a matter for the individual. Why? Because no prophecy ever came from man’s initiative. 

When men spoke for God it was the Holy Spirit that moved them.

Responsory

The Word was made flesh and lived among us.

We saw his glory,

the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father.

With our own eyes we saw his greatness when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

We saw his glory,

the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father.

Second Reading

A treatise of St Augustine on St John's gospel

You will come to the spring and see light itself

We Christians are the light, at least by comparison with unbelievers. Thus the Apostle says: Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk then as sons of the light. And elsewhere he says: The night is far spent, the day is drawing near. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 

let us walk uprightly as in the day.

Nevertheless, since the days in which we are now living are still dark compared to the light which we shall see, hear what the apostle Peter says. He speaks of a voice that came from the Supreme Glory and said to the Lord Jesus Christ: You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. This voice, he says, we heard coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because we ourselves were not present there and did not hear that voice from heaven, Peter says to us: And we possess a more certain prophetic word to which you do well to attend, 

as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

When, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ comes and, as the apostle Paul says, brings to light things hidden in darkness and makes plain the secrets of the heart, so that everyone may receive his commendation from God, then lamps will no longer be needed. When that day is at hand, the prophet will not be read to us, the book of the Apostle will not be opened, we shall not require the testimony of John, we shall have no need of the Gospel itself. 

Therefore all Scriptures will be taken away from us, 

those Scriptures which in the night of this world burned like lamps so that we might not remain in darkness.

When all these things are removed as no longer necessary for our illumination, and when the men of God by whom they were ministered to us shall themselves together with us behold the true and dear light without such aids, what shall we see? With what shall our minds be nourished? What will give joy to our gaze? Where will that gladness come from, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, which has not even been conceived by the heart of man? What shall we see?

I implore you to love with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our heavenly country, let us sigh for our heavenly home, let us truly feel that here we are strangers. What shall we then see? Let the gospel tell us: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. You will come to the fountain, with whose dew you have already been sprinkled. Instead of the ray of light which was sent through slanting and winding ways into the heart of your darkness, you will see the light itself in all its purity and brightness. It is to see and experience this light that you are now being cleansed. Dearly beloved, John himself says, we are the sons of God, and it has not yet been disclosed what we shall be; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

I feel that your spirits are being raised up with mine to the heavens above; but the body which is corruptible weighs down the soul, and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind. I am about to lay aside this book, and you are soon going away, each to his own business. It has been good for us to share the common light, good to have enjoyed ourselves, good to have been glad together. When we part from one another, let us not depart from him.

Responsory

There shall be no more night and the servants of God will not need lamps or sunlight,

because the Lord God will be their light,

and they will rule as kings for ever and ever.

They will see his face,

and his name will be written on their foreheads,

and they will rule as kings for ever and ever.

Let us pray.

Lord, strengthen the wills of your people

to be more active in doing good works,

and so gain from your loving-kindness

more abundant healing.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.