The Living Spirit and the Liturgical Calendar

Beg our Lord to grant you perfect love for your neighbour and leave the rest to Him. He will give you more than you know how to desire if you constrain yourselves and strive with all your power to gain it, forcing your will as far as possible to comply in all things with your sisters’ wishes although you may sometimes forfeit your own rights by so doing. Forget your self-interests for theirs, however much nature may rebel: when opportunity occurs take some burden upon yourself to ease your neighbour of it.

ST THERESA OF AVILA

FROM LIVING WATER, ED. RUTH BURROWS (DARTON, LONGMAN & TODD, 1985)

You must believe in the Yes that comes back when you ask, “Do you love me?” You must choose this Yes even though you do not experience it.

You feel overwhelmed by distractions, fantasies, the disturbing desire to throw yourself into the world of pleasure. But you know already that you will not find there an answer to your deepest question.

You have to trust the place that is solid, the place where you can say Yes to God’s love even when you do not feel it … Keep saying, “God loves me, and God’s love is enough.” You have to choose the solid place over and over again and return to it after every failure.

HENRI NOUWEN

FROM YOU ARE THE BELOVED: DAILY MEDITATIONS FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING (RANDOM HOUSE, 2017)

Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today.

POPE LEO XIV

FROM THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION DILEXI TE (ON LOVE FOR THE POOR), 2025

Calendar

Sunday 16 November:
Thirty-Third Sunday of the Year
Monday 17 November:
Feria or St Hugh of Lincoln, Bishop
or St Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
or St Hilda, Religious
Tuesday 18 November:
Feria or The Dedication of the
Basilicas of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles
Wednesday 19 November:
Feria
Thursday 20 November:
Feria
Friday 21 November:
The Presentation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Saturday 22 November:
St Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr
Sunday 23 November:
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the Universe

For the calendar for the Missal of 1962, go to www.lms.org.uk