November 15, 2012 
Thursday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the day
Saint Albert the Great (1206-1280)
Saint Albert the Great was born in 1206 to a wealthy and powerful German family. He was well educated, and despite disapproval from his family he joined the Dominicans. He was an educator at Paris and at Cologne, and had Thomas Aquinas as one of his pupils. Albert was extremely intelligent, had a wide array of interests, and wrote on a number of topics, including logic, natural science, mathematics, rhetoric, ethics, astronomy, politics, economics, and metaphysics. Saint Albert the Great is a Doctor of the Church, and is the patron saint of scientists and philosophers.
Reflection
Education is hard work; it is hard to be an educator, and it is hard to be a student. Ask God to remind you that, even though education comes with many pressures, it also comes with numerous rewards. Thank God for those who have educated you, for the chance to educate others, and for the opportunity to become a more intelligent, well rounded person.
Prayer
Living God, I do not always enjoy the pressures of my education, but I am sometimes surprised at how much I have learned. Thank you for the gift of my intelligence and for the patience of my parents, friends, and teachers. (Taken from “Good News Day by Day: Bible Reflections for Teens.”)
Liturgical season information
Lectionary: 494
Place in Year: Ordinary Time
Color of decorations and priest's vestments: Green
Daily readings
Reading 1: Philemon 7-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Gospel: Luke 17:20-25
View complete readings on USCCB.orgMeditations
Meditation for Gospel
Saint Martin became a Christian at the age of eighteen. Even though his father was a military officer, Martin believed that Christians were not allowed to kill, and became a conscientious objector even though he was imprisoned for refusing to serve in the military. As a priest, then a bishop, he founded monasteries and churches in present-day France. Once, the story goes, he met a beggar who was freezing in the cold. Martin tore his own cloak in half to share it with the man. The story of his life was written down and became one of the first and most popular lives of the saints. Look in your own closet. Share what you have with those who may be cold this winter. Like Martin, you will help bring the Kingdom of God among us. (Taken from “Take Ten – Daily Bible Reflections for Teens”)
