Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time &
Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor
Biographical Information about St. Albert the Great
Readings for Wednesday
Reading 1 Ti 3:1-7
Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor
Biographical Information about St. Albert the Great
Readings for Wednesday
Reading 1 Ti 3:1-7
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel Lk 17:11-19
Reflection:
Before we talk about St. Albert and the scripture we are given today, I wanted to give you some information I received from Rita Thiron, Author and Associate Director of Worship for the Diocese of Lansing. When I had posted yesterdays reflection I was not satisfied with my understanding of how the Church had come to select the readings for Mass. Unable to find what I was looking for on the web, I called Rita who has a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Here is a sketch of what she told me:
Before the Vatican II Council, which published its reforms in 1965, there was only one book used at Mass, that book was the Roman Missal. The Missal contained both the readings and the prayers used at Mass. The earliest Ordos and Missals date from around the 4th Century (Books were expensive) and it appears that the first codification or standardization was accomplished at the Council of Trent (1545-1563 it lasted that long). When it was felt that reform was once more necessary the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was held culminating in, among the other major reforms (including the vernacular) the establishment of the Lectionary for Mass we are familiar with.
At the command of the counsellor leadership, ultimately the Pope, 31 scripture scholars were assembled and asked to review all of the reading being used, not only within the Roman Catholic Church, but all other Christian denominations as well. They came up with what we use today (or at least the Schema for it). If you are interested in more on the subject, Rita suggested the following:
History of the Liturgical Books, Eric Palazzo, Liturgical Press (Pueblo Press)
Reform of the Liturgy 1948-1975, Annibale Buginini, Liturgical Press
Oh, and Rita’s book, Preparing Parish Liturgies, A Guide to Resources is also available at Liturgical Press
Also, it pays to know a Liturgist even though what they say is true – the difference between a Liturgist and a Terrorist is that you can negotiate with a terrorist.
Today we may celebrate the memorial of St Albert the Great. The period in Church history at which he appeared was (1206-1280) was certainly one of God’s more notable finger prints. Among his legacy gifts were his tutelage of another great figure in the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas who preceded him in death. With St. Thomas he defended the mendicant orders (Dominicans and Franciscans among others) right to receive support from the community of faith (something we take for granted, but the diocesan clergy (lead by William of St. Amour) were having a difficult time getting at the same source of generosity because the orders were so popular).
St. Albert was a true Renaissance Man. He was a student and teacher of Greek Philosophy and the Natural Sciences. “Beatified by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, Albert the Great was declared a saint of the Universal Church with the additional title of Doctor by Pope Pius XI in 1931. In 1941, Pope Pius XII named him as heavenly patron of all those who study the natural sciences.”[1]
What does this example of faith say to us? When we couple it with what we have been hearing from Paul’s letter to Titus about the virtues the Church looks for in its leaders we see glimpses of how much God’s influence can guide us. We see in St. Albert the Great, a hero of his age and ours, one of the building blocks that bring us, in this age, to understanding of the Father’s will for us.
Here is one more example of faith to inspire us on our daily journey of faith. Of all those who hear St. Albert’s story, let us give thanks for his gift to the Church and us.
God of Truth
you endowed our brother Albert
with the gift of combining human wisdom with divine faith.
May the pursuit of all human knowledge
lead to a greater knowledge and love of you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Amen.
[1] Butler’s Lives of Saints, Harmony Media, Inc, © 2000
Before we talk about St. Albert and the scripture we are given today, I wanted to give you some information I received from Rita Thiron, Author and Associate Director of Worship for the Diocese of Lansing. When I had posted yesterdays reflection I was not satisfied with my understanding of how the Church had come to select the readings for Mass. Unable to find what I was looking for on the web, I called Rita who has a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Here is a sketch of what she told me:
Before the Vatican II Council, which published its reforms in 1965, there was only one book used at Mass, that book was the Roman Missal. The Missal contained both the readings and the prayers used at Mass. The earliest Ordos and Missals date from around the 4th Century (Books were expensive) and it appears that the first codification or standardization was accomplished at the Council of Trent (1545-1563 it lasted that long). When it was felt that reform was once more necessary the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was held culminating in, among the other major reforms (including the vernacular) the establishment of the Lectionary for Mass we are familiar with.
At the command of the counsellor leadership, ultimately the Pope, 31 scripture scholars were assembled and asked to review all of the reading being used, not only within the Roman Catholic Church, but all other Christian denominations as well. They came up with what we use today (or at least the Schema for it). If you are interested in more on the subject, Rita suggested the following:
History of the Liturgical Books, Eric Palazzo, Liturgical Press (Pueblo Press)
Reform of the Liturgy 1948-1975, Annibale Buginini, Liturgical Press
Oh, and Rita’s book, Preparing Parish Liturgies, A Guide to Resources is also available at Liturgical Press
Also, it pays to know a Liturgist even though what they say is true – the difference between a Liturgist and a Terrorist is that you can negotiate with a terrorist.
Today we may celebrate the memorial of St Albert the Great. The period in Church history at which he appeared was (1206-1280) was certainly one of God’s more notable finger prints. Among his legacy gifts were his tutelage of another great figure in the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas who preceded him in death. With St. Thomas he defended the mendicant orders (Dominicans and Franciscans among others) right to receive support from the community of faith (something we take for granted, but the diocesan clergy (lead by William of St. Amour) were having a difficult time getting at the same source of generosity because the orders were so popular).
St. Albert was a true Renaissance Man. He was a student and teacher of Greek Philosophy and the Natural Sciences. “Beatified by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, Albert the Great was declared a saint of the Universal Church with the additional title of Doctor by Pope Pius XI in 1931. In 1941, Pope Pius XII named him as heavenly patron of all those who study the natural sciences.”[1]
What does this example of faith say to us? When we couple it with what we have been hearing from Paul’s letter to Titus about the virtues the Church looks for in its leaders we see glimpses of how much God’s influence can guide us. We see in St. Albert the Great, a hero of his age and ours, one of the building blocks that bring us, in this age, to understanding of the Father’s will for us.
Here is one more example of faith to inspire us on our daily journey of faith. Of all those who hear St. Albert’s story, let us give thanks for his gift to the Church and us.
God of Truth
you endowed our brother Albert
with the gift of combining human wisdom with divine faith.
May the pursuit of all human knowledge
lead to a greater knowledge and love of you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Amen.
[1] Butler’s Lives of Saints, Harmony Media, Inc, © 2000
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