November 16
St Margaret of Scotland and St Gertrude, virgin
Monday, week 33 in Ordinary Time — Year II
On November 16, the Church honors two remarkable women: St Margaret of Scotland and St Gertrude the Great, virgin. St Margaret (c. 1045–1093), an English princess who became Queen of Scotland, is celebrated for her profound charity and deep faith; she used her royal influence to support the Church, care for the poor, and promote moral and liturgical reform in her adopted homeland. Her family, including her husband King Malcolm III and several of her children, played pivotal roles in Scotland’s Christian history. St Gertrude (1256–c. 1302) was a German Benedictine mystic, renowned for her visionary experiences and intense devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through her writings, she shaped mystical theology and devotion, especially in the later Middle Ages, emphasizing the personal love of Christ and the value of contemplative prayer. Both saints are commemorated as examples of holiness within their particular vocations—St Margaret as a queen and mother, St Gertrude as a monastic and theologian—demonstrating sanctity in both public life and contemplative prayer. The Church keeps their memory as encouragement to respond to God’s love in whatever state of life we are called.
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The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingAp 1, 1-4 ; 2, 1-5a
Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God entrusted to him
to show his servants
what must soon take place;
he made it known
to his servant John by sending his angel.
John bears witness as the word of God
and testimony of Jesus Christ
everything he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads,
blessed are those who listen
to the words of the prophecy
and keep what is written in it,
for the time is near.
John,
to the seven Churches that are in Asia Minor:
to you, grace and peace,
from him who is, who was, and who is to come,
from the seven spirits who are before his throne.
I heard the Lord who said to me:
To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write:
Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand,
who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
I know your deeds, your toil, your perseverance,
I know that you cannot tolerate the wicked;
you have tested those who say they are apostles
and are not;
you have found them to be liars.
You do not lack perseverance,
and you have endured much for my name,
without sparing yourself.
But I have this against you:
that you have abandoned your first love.
So, remember where you have fallen from,
repent, return to your first works.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 1, 1-2, 3, 4.6
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
who does not follow the path of sinners,
does not sit with those who mock,
but delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on his law day and night!
He is like a tree
planted beside a stream,
that bears fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never wither;
everything he does will prosper.
Not so the wicked.
But they are like chaff
blown away by the wind.
The Lord knows the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
GospelLc 18, 35-43
As Jesus was approaching Jericho,
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.
Hearing the crowd passing in front of him,
he asked what was happening.
He was told that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by.
He cried out:
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Those who were at the front
scolded him to make him be quiet.
But he shouted all the more:
"Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him.
When he had come near, Jesus asked him:
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied:
"Lord, let me see again."
And Jesus said to him:
"Receive your sight! Your faith has saved you."
Immediately, he regained his sight,
and he followed Jesus, giving glory to God.
And all the people, when they saw it,
gave praise to God.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org