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From: Luke 17:7-10

Humble Service

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [7] "Will any of you, who has a servant
ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the
field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? [8] Will he not rather
say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me,
till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? [9] Does
he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? [10] So you
also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are
unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Commentary:

7-10. Jesus is not approving this master's abusive and arbitrary
behavior: He is using an example very familiar to His audience to show
the attitude a person should have towards his Creator: everything, from
our very existence to the eternal happiness promised us, is one huge
gift from God. Man is always in debt to God; no matter what service he
renders Him he can never adequately repay the gifts God has given him.
There is no sense in a creature adopting a proud attitude towards God.
What Jesus teaches us here we see being put into practice by our Lady,
who replied to God's messenger (the Archangel Gabriel), "Behold, I am
the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Martin of Tours was born of pagan parents around the year 316
in what is modern day Hungary. His father was an army veteran and
Martin was forced to enter the military at the age of 15. One story
about his life while he was in the military tells how he cut his cloak in
half and gave one of the halves to a beggar. That night, the beggar
appeared to him in a dream as Christ wrapped in half of Martin's
cloak.

At the age of 18, while he was still in the military, Martin was
baptized. He sought to give up his life in the military in order to serve
God better, and sometime after the year 339, his wish was granted.
Martin was relieved of his military duty, ordained, and set out to find
St. Hilary and become his disciple. Martin, now a monk, traveled with
Hilary to Poitiers in France and began to build a monastery. This
monastery became one of the first established in the West, and
Martin lived there for ten years while it became established.

Martin was very charismatic, and well known as a preacher, and he
became well known throughout much of France. The city of Tours
clamored for his ordination as their bishop, and reluctantly, he
accepted the post. Martin spent the rest of his life in Tours caring for
his flock. He died around the year 397 and is the patron of soldiers,
winegrowers, and France. Martin was the first saint who was not a
martyr to be honored with an annual feast in the Western Church.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Christ, the Master of humility, manifests His Truth only to the humble
and hides Himself from the proud. -St. Vincent Ferrer

TODAY IN HISTORY

537 St Silverius ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1215 4th Lateran Council (12th ecumenical council) opens
1918 at 11:11 a.m., an armistice goes into effect to end World War One

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The Fourth Lateran Council was held between November 11, 1215
and November 30, 1215. In the area of sacramental theology, this
council ordered the annual reception of the Sacraments of Eucharist
and penance by all Catholics, and defined and made the first use of
the term Transubstantiation to describe the miracle of the change of
bread and wine into Jesus' body and blood at the Eucharist. This
council also adopted several measures to battle the Albigensian and
Cathari heresies, and approve seventy canons to be added to
Church Law.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all veterans of war and for peace throughout the
world.