November 14 Saint Nicholas Tavelic, O.F.M., and companions.
Nicholas Tavelic, O.F.M. and companions (Croatian: Nikola Tavelić) were a group of Friars Minor and missionaries who died a martyr's death in Jerusalem on November 14, 1391, under the leadership of Tavelic, a Croatian friar. The four have been declared saints by the Catholic Church, making Tavelic the first Croatian saint.
Most sources mention Šibenik as Tavelic's birthplace, but another possible location is Velim near Stankovci. In 1365, Tavelic became a friar in Bribir, the seat of the Šubić, a powerful Croatian noble family.
Tavelic was among 60 friars from various Franciscan provinces who answered an appeal by the Bosnian guardian, motivated by a papal bull, Prae cunctis, issued in 1291 by Pope Nicholas IV, himself a Friar Minor, to work as missionaries in Bosnia, combating the perceived heresies of the Bosnian Church. Tavelic spread Catholicism around Bosnia for 12 years. In his report to the pope, the Bosnian guardian later said that the missionaries converted around 50,000 members of that Church.
In 1384, Tavelic went to serve in the Custody of the Holy Land where he met the friars Deodatus Aribert of Rodez, Peter of Narbonne and Stephen of Cuneo. The four lived at the Monastery of Mount Zion, the ancient friary maintained by the Friars Minor in the city, where they spent several years learning Arabic and serving at the holy sites connected to Jesus' life, which had been entrusted to the care of the Order of Friars Minor and which still drew pilgrims from Christian Europe.
After having seen few, if any, conversions from the Muslim populace of the city resulting from their quiet pastoral work at the holy sites of Christianity, Tavelic and his colleagues decided to take the option given to them in the Rule of Life of their founder, Francis of Assisi, and to preach openly the Christian faith to the Muslim populace. They went to the regular gathering before the Qadi of Jerusalem and began to preach. Following their arrest for this, they refused the option to convert to Islam and were imprisoned. After again refusing to convert several days later, the group were all sentenced to death. These missionaries were executed near the Jaffa Gate on November 14, 1391, and their remains completely burned.[1]
Other Saints of the Day:
Adeltrude of Aurillac
Alberic of Utrecht
Antigius of Langres
Déodat of Rodez
Dubricius of Wales
Etienne-Théodore Cuenot
Hypatius of Gangra
Jean of Tufara
John Licci
John Osorinus
Jucundus of Bologna
Lawrence O’Toole
Maria Louise Merkert
Maria Teresa of Jesus
Modanic
Nikola Tavelic
Pierre of Narbonne
Ruf of Avignon
Serapion of Alexandria
Serapion of Algiers
Siard
Stefano of Cuneo
Veneranda of Gaul
Venerando the Centurian
Venerandus of Troyes
—
Holy Fathers of Merida
Martyrs of Emesa
Martyrs of Heraclea – (3 saints)
catholicsaints.info/14-november/
One more comment from Irapuato
Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
Book of Wisdom 18:14-16.19:6-9.
When peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent,
Your all-powerful word from heaven's royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.
For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed.
The cloud overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.
Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders.
For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O LORD! their deliverer.
Psalms 105(104):2-3.36-37.42-43.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
He struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of all their manhood.
And he led them forth laden with silver and gold,
with not a weakling among their tribes.
For he remembered his holy word
to his servant Abraham.
And he led forth his people with joy;
with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:1-8.
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said,
"There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Commentary of the day : Saint Thomas Aquinas
Praying confidently and with persistence