The 17th of November, 2021, Wednesday is the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious. The Holy Bible verses for the mass readings for this day came from the Liturgical Calendar of the Year 2021.
Reading 1: 2 MC 7:1, 20-31
The first reading from the Book of Maccabees.
It came to pass that seven brothers and their mother were at the king’s command taken and shamefully handled with scourges and cords, to compel them to taste of the abominable swine’s flesh.
But above all, the mother was marvelous and worthy of honorable memory; for when she watched seven sons perishing within the space of one day, she bore the sight with a good courage because of her hope in the Lord.
She exhorted each one of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble spirit and stirring up her woman’s thoughts with manly courage, saying to them, “I don’t know how you came into my womb. It wasn’t I who gave you your spirit and your life. It wasn’t I who brought into order the first elements of each one of you.
Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the first origin of man and devised the first origin of all things, in mercy gives back to you again both your spirit and your life, as you now treat yourselves with contempt for his laws’ sake.”
But Antiochus, thinking himself to be despised, and suspecting the reproachful voice, while the youngest was yet alive didn’t only make his appeal to him by words, but also at the same time promised with oaths that he would enrich him and raise him to high honor if he would turn from the ways of his ancestors, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs.
But when the young man would in no way listen, the king called to him his mother, and urged her to advise the youth to save himself.
When he had urged her with many words, she undertook to persuade her son.
But bending toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, she spoke this in the language of her fathers: “My son, have pity upon me who carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you three years, and nourished and brought you up to this age, and sustained you.
I beg you, my child, to lift your eyes to the sky and the earth, and to see all things that are in it, and thus to recognize that God made them not of things that were, and that the race of men in this way comes into being.
Don’t be afraid of this butcher, but, proving yourself worthy of your brothers, accept your death, that in God’s mercy I may receive you again with your brothers.”
But before she had finished speaking, the young man said, “What are you all waiting for? I don’t obey the commandment of the king, but I listen to the commandment of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses.
But you, who have devised all kinds of evil against the Hebrews, will in no way escape God’s hands.”
Responsorial Psalm: PS 17:1, 5-6, 8B and 15
Response: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea. Give ear to my prayer that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
R: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped.
I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.
R: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings.
As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
R: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
Gospel of the Day: LK 19:11-28
From the gospel scripture according to Luke.
As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately.
He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’
But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’_”
“When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.
The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’_”
“He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’_”
“The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’_”
“So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief, for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’_”
“He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down and reaping that which I didn’t sow.
Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’
He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to him who has the ten minas.’_”
“They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’
‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.
But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’_”
Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
