We are nearing the end of the liturgical year with the celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe on November 23. Established in 1925 with the encyclical Quas primas, by Pope Pius XI to counter the rise of atheistic communism, the Holy Father stated: “He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘as instruments of justice unto God.’” -Quas primas, 33. Therefore, our theme for this month is Obedience as a Virtue.
The CMA Zoom Prayer Group will meet tomorrow,Sat., Nov. 8 at 2:00 PM. Bring your intentions and come join us!
November is also Black Catholic History Month in the U.S. There is a great book, Catholic Heroes of Civil and Human Rights: 1800’s to the Present by Matthew Daniels and Roxanne King that tells the story of many on the road to canonization. Let’s pray for their intercession.
St. Leo the Great (Nov. 10) lived from 400-461 and is one of the greatest popes who ever lived. He promoted unity, settled many disputes, protected his people from invasions and rooted out heresies. He taught that Jesus Christ was both man and God, explained the dogma of Original Sin and our need for God’s grace to attain salvation, which was denied by Pelagianism, and countered Manichaeism, which denigrated the human body and the material world.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Nov. 13) was the first American citizen declared a saint. Born in Italy in 1850 and desiring to be a missionary in China, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. However, Pope Leo XIII sent her instead to America to help the Italian immigrants keep their faith. Against all odds, she established 67 schools, orphanages and hospitals. She died at age 67. We suggest the movie, Cabrini (2024).
St. Cecilia (Nov. 22), the patroness of music, was martyred in 177 A.D. after the martyrdoms of her husband and brother-in-law in Rome. In 1599, their bodies were exhumed, and her body was found to be incorrupt, and in the position in which she died. We suggest for your listening pleasure Bach: The Art of the Fugue.
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (Nov. 24) were 117 martyrs for their faith in Vietnam between the 17th and 19th centuries. The book, The Road of Hope: A Gospel from Prison (New & Expanded Edition), by Frances Cardinal Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan is a moving example of the persecution of Catholics in that country over the centuries. As the saying goes, “It may not always be easy living as a faithful Catholic, but easy dying one.”
Lastly, we recall the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Nov. 21) when the Blessed Mother as a small child was presented by her parents in the Temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated to the Lord. Raised by the holy women of the Temple, including Anna, she was educated in the Scriptures and the history of the Jewish people, preparing her for her role as the Mother of God.
Recommended reading for this month include Your Eucharistic Identity by Fr. Gregory Pine, OP, Word on Fire’s Veritatis Splendor and What it Means to Be Human by Carter Snead.
The FIRE committee wishes you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
