November 6: Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost/Third Sunday of November



The walls of Avila

 November suffers from the strange phenomenon of leaping straight to week three in terms of its Matins readings, and hence I Vespers canticle antiphon.

This reflects the fact that the first week of November used to be the Octave of All Saints, which had its own patristic readings, marking the start of the winter three readings schema for Matins in the Benedictine Office. 

The Scriptural readings for Matins are from the Book of Daniel, but in fact the canticle antiphon for I Vespers, 'Muros tuos' (Surround us O Lord with thy impregnable wall), is not scriptural. 

Scot's Church, Melbourne

The Gospel this Sunday, referred to in the Benedictus and Magnificat antiphons, is Matthew 18:23-35, the Parable of the unforgiving servant.