This week’s Gospel message for Sunday, October 31st is from Mark 12:28b-34.
“One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.’”
“The scribe knows all about the commandments, but he wants to see if Jesus does, too. When Christ responds correctly, the scribe ‘takes to heart’ his words and is therefore ‘not far from the kingdom of God.’ In fact, to love Jesus is to fulfill the commandments, for in loving him we love the God who became our neighbor.” SOURCE: Magnificat, October 2021
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
Monday Revelation 7:2-4,9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a
All Saints Day – “This feast, honoring all the saints of the Church, known and unknown, provides an opportunity to reflect on the nature of sainthood and celebrate the exemplary faithfulness of holy men and women of every place and time, whose lives and deeds inspire us.”
Tuesday Wisdom 3:1-9; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day) – “Since the early Church, Christians have prayed for the dead, and in 988, Odilo, abbot of the French monastery of Cluny, established the tradition of keeping, ‘with joyous affection, the memory of all the faithful departed who have lived from the beginning of the world until the end.’ By the fourteenth century, the commemoration had spread and was universally accepted in the Latin Church.”
Wednesday Romans 13:8-10; Luke 14:25-33
Thursday Romans 14:7-12; Luke 15:1-10
Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Memorial) – “As archbishop, his ascetic life and reform of his diocese made him one of the leading figures in the Catholic reformation of the Church after the Council of Trent. May we learn from him that ‘if we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness.’”
Friday Romans 15:14-21; Luke 16:1-8
Saturday Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27; Luke 16:9-15
SOURCE: Living With Christ, November 2021