Saint Catherine Laboure
November 28
“The fullness of the law is charity. But where is charity to be found? In the love of God and love of neighbor; it won’t be genuine unless God is also loved. You chose love of God; it won’t be genuine unless neighbor is also tacitly included … There is absolutely nothing, in fact, that can satisfy you except God; nothing is enough for you, except God. Show us the Father and it is enough for us. So, let us love the works of mercy, while our ills are being healed, so that when our ills have been healed, our desires may be sharpened; being healed may they be sharpened, being sharpened may they be satisfied, so that there will be judgment on us, but with mercy.”
Sermon 90A, 13-14
Saint Virgilio
November 27
“First and foremost, … remember the poor, so that what you withhold from yourselves by living more sparingly, you may deposit in the treasury of heaven. Let the hungry Christ receive what the fasting Christian receives less of. Let the self-denial of one who undertakes it willingly become the support of the one who has nothing. Let the voluntary want of the person who has plenty become the needed plenty of the person in want.”
Sermon 210.10.12
November 27, 1837
American born William Harnett was received as a novice in Genazzano, Italy. It has often been stated, mistakenly, that Blessed Stephen Bellesini was his novice master. Bellesini, in fact, had resigned his position previous to this date, but remained as pastor of the shrine.
Saint Corrado
November 26
“God proclaims a Sabbath for us. What kind of Sabbath? Consider first how it is to be observed. Our Sabbath has to be within, a thing of the heart. Many indeed are those who rest their bodies, but their conscience is in a state of turmoil … He, on the contrary, who has a good conscience, is at peace; and this peace is in itself the Sabbath of the heart … It is the joy we have in the serenity of our hope that constitutes our Sabbath.”
Exposition on the Psalms, 91.2
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
November 25
“Be fervent in the Spirit and burn with the fire of love; make yourselves burn through praise of God and a good life. One man is hot, another cold; the hot one warms the cold. The man who does not burn enough with love must desire a more intense love and pray for help. The Lord is ready to help; we must open our hearts and yearn to receive.”
Sermon 234, 3
November 25, 1993
This is the date of dedication of the final issue of Augustinian Heritage, which had been founded in 1983 by Fr. John Rotelle, as a revival of The Tagastan, initiated in 1936 and terminated in 1968.
Solemnity of Christ the King – Year B
We celebrate today the Feast of Christ the King, as the Church concludes the liturgical cycle and begins again with Advent next week. Even though we are celebrating, the readings of this Sunday offer plenty of opportunity to reflect on the more serious aspects of life. As we enjoy this Thanksgiving weekend with the familiar comfort of family, friends, food and football, we should remember to include those much less fortunate than ourselves in our thoughts and prayers.
Saint Andrew Dung-Lac & Companions
November 24
“Because of its weight a body tends to its proper place. Weight does not necessarily urge a body down, but it does urge it to its proper place. Fire tends upward, a stone downward; each is moved by its weight and seeks its proper place. Oil mixed with water rises to the surface of the water; water poured into oil sinks beneath the oil; each is moved by its weight and seeks its proper place. If a being is not in its proper place, it is restless: if it is, it is at rest. My weight is love; it is what carries me wherever I am borne.”
Confessions XIII, 9,10
November 24, 1932
Denis Cardinal Dougherty, with the agreement of Augustinian officials in Rome, transferred the canonical foundation of the Italian Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Philadelphia, to that of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, thereby moving the focus of the Italian Augustinian Mission.
Saint Clement
November 23
“Why did he permit himself to be tempted, if not to teach us how to resist the tempter? The world promises the pleasures of the flesh; answer it: ‘God is ore delightful than that.’ The world promises secular honors and high office; answer it: ‘The Kingdom of God is higher than all that.’ The world promises superfluous, even damnable spectacle to our curiosity; answer it: ‘God’s truth alone does not err.’”
Sermon 284,5