Dress to God's Word / "Liturgical Dress": November 26

November 26, 2013: Tuesday, 34th week, Ordinary Time

Readings

Dn 2:31-45 Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar re vision and interpretation: “You saw a statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay tile, being crumbled by stone. You're the head. Kingdoms replacing yours are the silver, bronze, iron with clay. Last won't stay united. God will set up a permanent kingdom”

Dn 3:57-61 "Give glory and eternal praise to him." Works of the Lord, angels, heavens, waters, and hosts, bless the Lord.

Lk 21:5-11 Jesus re temple: “Days will come when nothing you see here will remain. Don't follow the false prophets or fear the wars. There will be earthquakes, famines, and plagues, as well as awesome sights and signs from the sky.”

Reflections

Pope Francis released Evangelii Gaudium, incorporating 2012 Synod on new evangelization: Gospel joy fills all who encounter Jesus. Embark on new chapter of proclaiming the gospel. Open your heart to God's love and forgiveness; bring Christ’s love to others, conquering desolation, anguish, blunted conscience. When we're caught up in our interests, there's no room for others, for the poor. Recover Gospel's freshness via conversion. Renew church structures and reexamine customs to make them more mission-oriented, decentralized. Leave church, sacraments' doors open to God-seekers; Eucharist nourishes the weak. A Church bruised, hurting, and dirty from being out on the streets is preferable to one caught up with obsessions and procedures; what should disturb us is that many live without Jesus' friendship.

Resist individualism, cooling of fervor, pragmatism wearing down faith. Be signs of hope; bring a revolution of tenderness. Accept responsibility for others; vanquish worldliness seeking human glory over God's. Avoid preoccupation for liturgy, doctrine, or prestige without concern for Gospel's impact on people. Promote growth of laity's, women's responsibility in Church and decision making. Church is poor and for the poor; attend to homeless, addicted, refugees, elderly, migrants, victims of trafficking, unborn children, marginated. We've done little to accompany women in situations where abortion seems a quick fix. Church's face is varied; don't demand all imitate one form of expression. Don't be content with desk-bound theology. [This 200-word teaser doesn't do justice to his 224-page apostolic exhortation; please check it out.]

Creighton: St. John Berchmans, not noted for extraordinary feats of holiness or austerity, lived with kindness and fidelity. "My penance is to live community life." The path to holiness can lie in the ordinary. Do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.

RC.net: Jesus used signs to point to higher truth of his imperishable, enduring kingdom. God works through signs to renew and purify us to set our hearts on him alone. Destruction of temple warns of judgment, points to mercy for those who heed him. Seek kingdom of justice and peace.

Marian retreat, day 22: Blessed John Paul II consecrated self, world to Mary. God's merciful love saves.

Sacred Space

Saints

St. John Berchmans died a Jesuit scholastic.

St. Leonard of Port Maurice, missionary, Way of the Cross preacher

Music (most for yesterday's 1st reading)

Seek ye first/ Lafferty (gospel)

Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego/ Cadence
Meshach Shadrach Abednego/ Arcadi
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego/ Armstrong
Meschach/ Apologetix (parody of "Love shack" :-)

I found the above while looking for They who wait on the Lord (audio) (which I remember from Caltech Christian Fellowship "noon sings"), with refrain based on Is 40:31 and a verse about the three youths, but I couldn't find it, not even on the CCF obscure songs list. If you have a lead, please comment or e-mail me.