The Catholic Week Ahead – 29th Week in Ordinary Time

This is the 29th Week in Ordinary Time.  This week is highlighted by the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch (Monday), the Feast of St. Luke (Tuesday) and, for Americans, the Memorial of the North American Martyrs – Sts. Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf and companions (Wednesday).  It’s also a good week to focus on the Holy Rosary (this month’s devotion).

First, the Mass readings for the week.  I encourage everyone to follow the readings throughout the week.

First Reading

We are in the second of four weeks reading through St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans.  This epistle was first intended for the Church in Rome.  The Roman Church was still in its infancy and trying to establish itself amongst the paganism and grandeur of 1st Century Imperial Rome.

This week, there is a consistent message concerning the battle that wages in each of us.  On Monday, we hear more about Abraham’s faithfulness in trusting the promises of God.  We are told that this faithfulness was credited to him by God and will be credited to all who believe as well.  On Tuesday, we move away from the Romans in order to focus on the Feast of St. Luke which has special readings.  We hear from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, in which St. Paul tells St. Timothy how everyone had abandoned him, except for St. Luke.  On Wednesday, we are back to Romans and hear St. Paul warn that one is not to obey their desires and sin, but are supposed to obey God and become “slaves of righteousness.”  On Thursday, St. Paul continues his theme about sin versus righteousness by encouraging all to become slaves of God instead of slaves of sin.  On Friday, we hear St. Paul’s own lament concerning his struggle with the evil that causes him to sin.  On Saturday, St. Paul explains that all are to live according to the spirit and not the flesh; that the spirit leads us to Christ while the flesh leads us to sin.

Responsorial Psalms

The Responsorial Psalms are tied to either the reading or the Gospel or both.  For the week, we pray the Benedictus from Luke 1 (Monday), Psalm 145 (Tuesday), Psalm 124 (Wednesday), Psalm 1 (Thursday), Psalm 119 (Friday), and Psalm 24 (Saturday).

Gospel

We finish up Luke 12 and begin Luke 13.  In these passages, we are instructed as to the need to make ourselves prepared for our passage into eternal life by following Christ and what he expects from our lives.  On Monday, Christ warns against relying on wealth as he tells the parable of the rich man who built massive barns to store his grain only to die that day.  He sends a message to each “who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”   On Tuesday, we fittingly stay with the Gospel of St. Luke for the Feast of St. Luke.  Except, we revisit Luke 10:1-9 in which we hear how Christ sent out the 72 disciples to preach the Word as he exhorted all of the faithful by instructing them that the “harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”  On Wednesday, we move back to Luke 12 and hear the parable of the unfaithful servant who didn’t anticipate his master’s arrival and engaged in sinful acts thinking that he would have time to make thing right before his master returned.  Christ also warns those who know the master’s will but don’t act in accordance with that will.   On Thursday, we hear a very interesting passage in which Christ exclaims that he has “come to set the earth on fire,” and how there wouldn’t be peace due to the struggle between those who are faithful and those who are not faithful.  On Friday, we hear Christ warn against those who try to predict the future and don’t focus on interpreting the present time.  He also instructs all to settle disputes before they get out-of-hand.   On Saturday, Christ uses the story about the Galileans who had their blood mixed in with the sacrifices and the Siloams who had a tower fall on them as a warning about the need to repent.  We also hear the  parable of the fig tree which didn’t bear fruit as a warning to all about the need to bear fruit in their lives.

Saints in the Liturgical Calendar

(The Mass Celebrant must celebrate feasts and memorials.  They may, if they choose, celebrate optional memorials).

Monday – St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 107) – Bishop of Antioch in the 1st Century.  He was one of the Apostolic Fathers, disciple of St. John the Evangelist and successor to St. Peter in the See of Antioch (St. Peter had founded the Church in Antioch and became their bishop before going to Rome).  In 107, during the Trajan Persecution, he was martyred in Rome by being devoured by lions in the amphitheater.  His procession in captivity from Antioch to Rome was a huge spectacle as Christians turned out along the way to greet him.  He went to his matrydom with great joy and hope.  He wrote seven epistles, which are among the great writings of the Church. (Memorial)

Tuesday – St. Luke the Evangelist – author of the Holy Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.  He was a native of Antioch, physician, and Gentile who converted to the faith.  After his conversion, he was a companion of St. Paul in his missionary journeys.  (Feast)

Wednesday – Sts. Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf and Companions – 17th Century martyrs in North America.  St. Isaac and St. John were Jesuit priests who were missionaries among the Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region and what is now New York.  Often misunderstood, these priests and their companions were constantly beaten and tortured.  Nevertheless, they kept on evangelizing until they were all martyred between 1642 and 1649.  There is a National Shrine  of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York.  (Memorial)

Thursday – St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775) – Italian priest who founded the Passionists.  He was also a noted mystic.  His order is still focused on preaching and evangelizing, as well as the contemplative life.  There are more than 2,000 in the order ministering in almost 60 countries.  (Optional Memorial)

A couple of other notes for this week. The latest 40 Days for Life Campaign enters its fourth week.  If your town is included in the campaign (go to the website to find out), take some time and go pray at the vigil site for the end to abortion.  Also, the feast day for Blessed Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) is on Saturday.  On Sunday, October 23rd, it is World Mission Day and the Holy Father will beatify three new Blesseds.

Have a blessed and holy week.