St. Albert the Great, bishop and doctor

The greater and more persistent your confidence in God.

The more abundantly you will receive, all that you ask.

 

Blessed Virgin Mary

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-16; 19:6-9

While all was

In quiet silence and the night was in the middle of its course,

your almighty word leapt down from the royal throne,a stern warrior to a doomed world.

Carrying your fearful command like a sharpened sword and stretching from heaven to earth, he filled the universe with death.

All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at your command, in order to protect your people.

The cloud covered the camp with its shadow, dry land emerged where water had been.

A safe passage was opened through the Red Sea, the tempestuous flood became a green plain

where the whole nation of those protected by your hand passed across, witnessing your astounding deeds.

They were like horses led to pasture, or like frolicking lambs, praising you, their Lord, who had delivered them.

 

Ps 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43

 Remember the marvels the Lord has done!

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told them a parable, to show them that they should pray continually, and not lose heart.

He said, "In a certain town there was a judge, who neither feared God nor people.

In the same town there was a widow, who kept coming to him, saying, 'Defend my rights against my adversary!'

For a time, he refused, but finally he thought, 'Even though I neither fear God nor care about people,

this widow bothers me so much, I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.'"

And Jesus said, "Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for his chosen ones, who cry to him day and night,

even if he delays in answering them? I tell you, he will speedily do them justice. But, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Science served to help us understand God through his creation."

Although he wasn't canonized until 1931, the thirteenth century Saint Albert was known as "Great"

in his own day for his incredible breadth and depth of knowledge in science, philosophy and theology.

He was also called the Universal Doctor, given his research into so many fields, from anatomy to zoology,

and now he is honored as the patron saint of the sciences. His method is a mix of reliance on Aristotle and ancient writers,

as well as on his own observation. While his scientific method was far from fully developed, nonetheless he isolated arsenic,

and declared that the shapes on the moon to be features of its own surface and not reflections of the earth's topography.

 

It's clear from Albert's life that he saw no separation between faith and science.

And yet, nowadays, many see faith as somehow holding science back or being opposed to it.

For Albert, science served to help us understand God through his creation.

The Book of Wisdom presents God's creative plan: "All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at your command."

May our scientific endeavor praise the Creator and be used in a manner that cares for humanity and all of creation.