Daily Mass readings and feast days

September 29th Feast of the Archangels taken from Medjugorje Every day
WHO ARE THE ARCHANGELS? In Sacred Scripture we speak of seven archangels of which the best known are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Saint Michael is powerful, especially in the fight against evil. Saint Gabriel is a specialist in the field of communications and St. Raphael is so special, the protector of travelers, and to intercede for the sick. Saint Gabriel helps those who invoke the Holy Spirit. It is the angel of truth and no priest should let a day pass without asking for help. Raphael is the angel of healing. It archangel who helps priests as confessors and also penitents. Married people should pray for St. Raphael's intercession.

The archangel St. Michael is the strongest angel against all kinds of evil. We often ask him to protect not only us, but also all the living and deceased members of our family.
Michael means "Who is like God?" It is the Archangel of light and fire; the head of the heavenly hosts. It is he who threw Lucifer from Heaven. For this reason, in Christian iconography, Saint Michael is portrayed as a strong young man, young and handsome, wearing armor. He is identified as the protector of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as patron of the Jewish nation.
Gabriel: His name etymologically means "strength of God" because he is thought to have fought with Jacob breaking his femur ( Gen. ch. 32). He appeared to Zechariah as "the one who is in the sight of God" (Lk 1: 19). He appeared to the Virgin Mary, announcing the birth of Jesus (Annunciation). For this he is considered the head of the ambassadors, and the Angel of Revelation. In Christian iconography, he is portrayed as young, elegant, majestic, dressed in rich robes. Frequently he is also portrayed on his knees in front of the Madonna with his arms crossed on his chest or holding a parchment, a scepter or a lily.
Raphael's name means "God Heals" and is mentioned in the book of Tobit, and he accompanied Tobias on a trip to Mesopotamia to recover his father's money, he freed Sara from a demon and he favored the marriage of Sara with Tobias. Saint Raphael is often regarded as the guardian angel par excellence, the head of the Guardian Angels, the Angel of Providence that watches over all mankind. Saint Raphael is often depicted in Christian iconography, along with the young Tobias and his dog, which accompanies faithfully and consistently. Saint Raphael is 'identified as the patron saint of pilgrims, which means those who make a pilgrimage to a religious place or better yet, on their way to God. He is represented for this like a traveler who travels with his staff and sandals,

Do not forget that all the people with whom we relate have their guardian angel, that we can greet and invoke; especially the angels of our family members, who live in our homes with us. But of all the angels, we do not overlook the fact that the intercession of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is especially powerful. When we have to make a trip or just cross our city, we invoke Raphael; and just as we do when we are sick. When we use the means of communication, especially the Internet, we ask the help of Gabriel. And at all times we turn to Michael, which is powerful to deliver us from bad people and evil. GREETINGS TO ALL THOSE WHO CELEBRATE THEIR NAME DAY TODAY!

 

September 30, 2019
Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 455
Reading 1 Zec 8:1-8
This word of the LORD of hosts came:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence.
That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Alleluia Mk 10:45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel Lk 9:46-50
An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."

Then John said in reply,
"Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company."
Jesus said to him,
"Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."

Jerome was a Latin Catholic priest, confessor, theologian, and historian, commonly known as Saint Jerome. He was born at Stridon, a village near Emona on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia. He is best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin, and his commentaries on the Gospels.

 

On the 1600 year anniversary of Saint Jerome's death, the Pope has established that the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time will henceforth be celebrated as Sunday of the Word of God https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-09/pope-motu-proprio-sunday-word-of-god.html

 

Mass readings for October 1

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 456
Reading 1 Zec 8:20-23
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
There shall yet come peoples,
the inhabitants of many cities;
and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another,
and say, "Come! let us go to implore the favor of the LORD";
and, "I too will go to seek the LORD."
Many peoples and strong nations shall come
to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem
and to implore the favor of the LORD.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
In those days ten men of every nationality,
speaking different tongues, shall take hold,
yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say,
"Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (Zec 8:23) God is with us.
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
R. God is with us.
I tell of Egypt and Babylon
among those that know the LORD;
Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia:
“This man was born there.”
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. God is with us.
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
R. God is with us.

Alleluia Mk 10:45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 9:51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.



The Story of a Soul is the autobiography of Thérèse of Lisieux, a French Discalced Carmelite nun, later recognized as a saint. It was first published on September 30, 1898, a year to the day after her death from tuberculosis at the age of 24, on September 30, 1897.

 

Mass readings for October 2
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Lectionary: 457/650
Reading 1 Neh 2:1-8
In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,
when the wine was in my charge,
I took some and offered it to the king.
As I had never before been sad in his presence,
the king asked me, “Why do you look sad?
If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart.”
Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king:
“May the king live forever!
How could I not look sad
when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins,
and its gates have been eaten out by fire?”
The king asked me, “What is it, then, that you wish?”
I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king:
“If it please the king,
and if your servant is deserving of your favor,
send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves,
to rebuild it.”
Then the king, and the queen seated beside him,
asked me how long my journey would take
and when I would return.
I set a date that was acceptable to him,
and the king agreed that I might go.

I asked the king further: “If it please the king,
let letters be given to me for the governors
of West-of-Euphrates,
that they may afford me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah;
also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park,
that he may give me wood for timbering the gates
of the temple-citadel and for the city wall
and the house that I shall occupy.”
The king granted my requests,
for the favoring hand of my God was upon me.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
R. (6ab) Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
By the streams of Babylon
we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
On the aspens of that land
we hung up our harps.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
Though there our captors asked of us
the lyrics of our songs,
And our despoilers urged us to be joyous:
"Sing for us the songs of Zion!"
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
How could we sing a song of the LORD
in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand be forgotten!
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
May my tongue cleave to my palate
if I remember you not,
If I place not Jerusalem
ahead of my joy.
R. Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!

Alleluia Ps 103:21
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 18:1-5, 10
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
The angels in the life of the Church

334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.201

335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).

336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life."203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

Thanks, Guardian Angel!

 

I really love this time of year. The Feast Days roll one after another like jewels in a Crown. St Therese, St Francis, Arcangel Michael, Gabrael and Raphael, the Moth of Mary and the Angels, Fatima....the list goes on and on.

I was rejoicing in this crowd of Feasts this morning and remembering when I was a child and used to do Sacristant in a gorgeous tiny little wooden Oratory. It was all wood, about the size ofa large lving room and thickly carpeted and decorated. As soon as you walked in yo got knocked out with sights and smells. Wood polish, incense, stained glass windows, statues, paintings.

The little chalices and ciboriums were studded with semi precious stones. Beautiful white linens so crisp and fresh. The liturgical vestments were to die for. The different colours, rich and deep, reds, golds, greens, silvers, deepest blacks. Heavily hand embroidered and set with little stones, glimmering in the many candles burning all about.

Best of all a little book that gave the colours of the day. I loved to pull out the vestments off the day rejoicing s they changed to fit the Feast.

It reminds me now so much looking back of the descriptions of the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem and the Ark of the Covenant. Golds and silvers, many jewels.

1 Kings 6


Solomon Builds the Temple

6 In the four hundred and eightietha]">[a] year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord.


2 The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.b]">[b] 3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits,c]">[c] and projected ten cubitsd]">[d] from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows high up in the temple walls. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. 6 The lowest floor was five cubitse]">[e] wide, the middle floor six cubitsf]">[f] and the third floor seven.g]">[g] He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.


7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.


8 The entrance to the lowesth]">[h] floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.


11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

 

A little story for the month of the Holy Angels:

 

I love that story!

 

Mass readings for October 3

Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 458
Reading 1 Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12
The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate,
and they called upon Ezra the scribe
to bring forth the book of the law of Moses
which the LORD prescribed for Israel.
On the first day of the seventh month, therefore,
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak until midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
(for he was standing higher up than any of the people);
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
"Amen, amen!"
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
As the people remained in their places,
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
"Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep"–
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!"
And the Levites quieted all the people, saying,
"Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened."
Then all the people went to eat and drink,
to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy,
for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (9ab) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye;
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Alleluia Mk 1:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 10:1-12
Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."

This is the feast day of St. Gerard of Brogne on the Traditional calendar. Saint Gérard was an abbot of Brogne. A native of Staves, he was a member of the family of dukes of Lower Austrasia. Originally a soldier, he rebuilt a family chapel into a large church and later became a monk at Saint-Denis. He was then ordained priest. born about 895 died October 3, 959

 

I got to 7 am mass 20 minutes early yesterday morning, the Feast of the Guardian Angels and was so glad that I did so. The Church Front was lit with a very warm orange light and the place was dim and dark and totally silent; so very prayerful!!

I started to think who would greet us from heaven when we die. A lovely though.

CS Lewis has a passage from his book, 'The Screwtape Letters' , in which he imagines a man who is killed during the Blitz, the German bombing of London, opening his eyes after the death and the first thing he sees is his Guardian Angel. But when he sees his Guardian Angel he recognises him at once. He has know his angel all his life but never realised it.

For those of us who love Mary we know Mary will come to greet us.

From Church Tradition we know that St Michael the Arcangel is the Minister of Heaven and so carries the recently dead before the Throne of God.

We know that , form the Catholic Mystics that the Souls in Purgatory are so grateful and always pay their debts. So they will be with us to intercede before the Throne of God.

We know from St Paul that we are surrounded by a great crowd of heavenly witnesses on every side. So we know our friends and relatives and a great crowd of the saints we have had a devotion to will be there to give hugs.

We talk of souls being carried to heaven. How true. Our Knowledge of our sins teach us humility so the angels will have to carry us as we would feel too unworthy to walk there ourselves.

'May flights of angels carry you to your rest'.

Hebrews 12:22

An Unshakable Kingdom
…21The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,…

 

Waiting by the window, This is a wonderful thread! Thank you.

 

Not yet.

Beautiful post, Padraig.

 

Yes, thank you Waiting by the window !

 

Thank you, it is fun for me and I am greedy for any graces to come my way for my conversion and my loved ones, state, country, etc... Please post whenever you want with saints days that are not included or if I forget....there are so many saints that the calendar does not include that are beloved in different countries.

 

Mass readings for October 4
Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lectionary: 459

Reading 1 Bar 1:15-22
During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed:
"Justice is with the Lord, our God;
and we today are flushed with shame,
we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers
and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,
have sinned in the Lord's sight and disobeyed him.
We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God,
nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us.
From the time the Lord led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt
until the present day,
we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God,
and only too ready to disregard his voice.
And the evils and the curse that the Lord enjoined upon Moses, his servant,
at the time he led our ancestors forth from the land of Egypt
to give us the land flowing with milk and honey,
cling to us even today.
For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God,
in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us,
but each one of us went off
after the devices of his own wicked heart,
served other gods,
and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9
R.(9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Alleluia Ps 95:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 10:13-16
Jesus said to them,
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.'
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

Saint Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco, was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.
Born:Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, 1181 or 1182, Assisi, Duchy of Spoleto, Holy Roman Empire
Died:3 October 1226 (aged 44 years), Assisi, Umbria, Papal States
Canonized:16 July 1228, Assisi, Italy by Pope Gregory IX who had been his patron and friend
At about the age of 42, Francis received the stigmata as he prayed on the Monte della Verna. He had a vision and was pierced with the wounds of the Crucifixion which stayed with him for his remaining years. Francis is known for his love of nature as one time he was known to have preached to the sparrows at Alviano.

 

RW just posted on another thread that
this Saturday, also First Saturday, is the feast of St Faustina.

 

October 5 Mass readings

Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 460

Reading 1 Bar 4:5-12, 27-29
Fear not, my people!
Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;
You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,
and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.
She indeed saw coming upon you
the anger of God; and she said:

"Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
that the Eternal God has brought
upon my sons and daughters.
With joy I fostered them;
but with mourning and lament I let them go.
Let no one gloat over me, a widow,
bereft of many:
For the sins of my children I am left desolate,
because they turned from the law of God.

Fear not, my children; call out to God!
He who brought this upon you will remember you.
As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,
turn now ten times the more to seek him;
For he who has brought disaster upon you
will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:33-35, 36-37
R.(34) The Lord listens to the poor.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!”
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.

Alleluia See Mt 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 10:17-24
The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Feast day of Saint Faustina Kowalska and optional memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos

Saint Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, OLM, popularly spelled Faustina, was a Polish Roman Catholic nun and mystic. Her apparitions of Jesus Christ inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of "Apostle of Divine Mercy". She wrote down the words Jesus told her in her 700 page diary named Divine Mercy in My Soul. The diary may be read online at this link https://archive.org/stream/St.FaustinaKowalskaDiary/divine-mercy-in-my-soul_djvu.txt

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was a Redemptorist priest, born in Bavaria 1819, moved to America. As an itinerant preacher and lifelong friend of the poor and destitute, Seelos was a spiritual father to tens of thousands. Despite the ravages of yellow fever and the Civil War that raged around him, his missionary zeal was so profound that he continued helping the poor of New Orleans up until his death from yellow fever at the age of 48 in 1867.

 

Thank you!
Blessed Seelos was at St Mary’s in Annapolis, MD before he went to New Orleans. It’s still Redemptorist.

 

October 6 Mass readings
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 141

Reading 1 Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4
How long, O LORD? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets,
so that one can read it readily.
For the vision still has its time,
presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint;
if it delays, wait for it,
it will surely come, it will not be late.
The rash one has no integrity;
but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14
Beloved:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit
that dwells within us.

Alleluia 1 Pt 1:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord remains forever.
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied,
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Oct. 6th is the feast day of Saint Bruno of Cologne. Bruno of Cologne (1030- Oct. 6, 1101) was the founder of the Carthusian Order, he personally founded the order's first two communities. He was a celebrated teacher at Reims, and a close advisor of his former pupil, Pope Urban II.

 

Mass readings for October 7

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Lectionary: 461

Reading 1 Jon 1:1–2:1-2, 11
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai:

"Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it;
their wickedness has come up before me."
But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD.
He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish,
paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish,
away from the LORD.

The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea,
and in the furious tempest that arose
the ship was on the point of breaking up.
Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god.
To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea.
Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship,
and lay there fast asleep.
The captain came to him and said, "What are you doing asleep?
Rise up, call upon your God!
Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish."

Then they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots
to find out on whose account we have met with this misfortune."
So they cast lots, and thus singled out Jonah.
"Tell us," they said, "what is your business?
Where do you come from?
What is your country, and to what people do you belong?"
Jonah answered them, "I am a Hebrew,
I worship the LORD, the God of heaven,
who made the sea and the dry land."

Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him,
"How could you do such a thing!–
They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD,
because he had told them.–
They asked, "What shall we do with you,
that the sea may quiet down for us?"
For the sea was growing more and more turbulent.
Jonah said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea,
that it may quiet down for you;
since I know it is because of me
that this violent storm has come upon you."

Still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not,
for the sea grew ever more turbulent.
Then they cried to the LORD: "We beseech you, O LORD,
let us not perish for taking this man's life;
do not charge us with shedding innocent blood,
for you, LORD, have done as you saw fit."
Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea,
and the sea's raging abated.
Struck with great fear of the LORD,
the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him.

But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah;
and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights.
From the belly of the fish Jonah prayed
to the LORD, his God.
Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore.

Responsorial Psalm Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Out of my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me;
From the midst of the nether world I cried for help,
and you heard my voice.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea,
and the flood enveloped me;
All your breakers and your billows
passed over me.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
Then I said, "I am banished from your sight!
yet would I again look upon your holy temple."
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.
When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
My prayer reached you
in your holy temple.
R. You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.

Alleluia Jn 13:34
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

The rosary is a very important prayer in the Church. It played a spiritual part in defeating the advancement of the Ottoman Turks (Muslims) into Europe. The Dominican Pope, Saint Pius V (January 17, 1504 – May 1, 1572) faced many pressures during his pontificate, but one very large threat was the advancement of Turkish forces (Muslims) into Western Europe. The Ottomans were advancing methodically into regions where they could dominate the Mediterranean Sea and they had formidable military power. Their naval battle victories stretched back decades. It was in this situation that Pope Saint Pius V sounded the alarm across Europe and called for a Holy League of ships to repel the Ottoman advancement. Pope Pius exhorted all of Catholic Europe to pray, especially the prayer of the rosary. Pius sent his blessing to the commander of the Christian forces. The King of Spain, Philip II gave another Christian commander, Andrea Doria, a replica of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (an apparition from the New world that was now forty years old) which he kept in the stateroom of his ship during the battle. For their part, the sailors and commanders confessed their sins, attended Mass on their ships and received Holy Communion in an effort to be spiritually prepared. Pope Pius V had prepared a Papal Bull that was read aloud on all the Christian ships saying that those who died in battle were granted a general indulgence and absolution of sin.
The battle between the Holy League and the Ottomans favored victory for the Turks because they outnumbered the Christians in manpower and had more ships in their navy. The point of engagement was Lepanto, off of southwestern Greece on the northern edge of the present day Gulf of Patras on the morning of Sunday, October 7, 1571. At the start of the battle, both sides took a few hours to slowly advance. The Christians got off to a shaky start and lost several ships to the Muslims. However, as time progressed in the four-hour long battle, several things happened including a change in the wind direction to give the Christians an upper hand. Poor visibility from smoke and glare from the sun hampered the Ottomans' efforts. Each side struggled valiantly to be victorious. The Turks boarded Christian ships and vice versa so that many men were locked in hand to hand combat, but in the end the Holy League was victorious. About 24,000 Turks died in battle, while the Christians mourned about 8,000 casualties. Included in the victory was the release of more than 12,000 Christian slaves who had been forced to be oarsmen in the ships of the Turks.
More than 500 miles away in Rome, Pope Pius V was praying with Cardinals when he abruptly stopped and went over to open the windows and look at the sky. Staring in fascination at a miraculous vision of opposing fleets clashing in battle. At this moment he also saw how the Mother of God spread her mantle over the Christian soldiers. He turned and jubilantly exclaimed, “Go with God! Our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army!” Thus the Christians defeated the Ottomans and repulsed their further advance westward into the Mediterranean Sea and into Europe. In thanksgiving to God and just months before his death, this tenacious Dominican, Pope Pius V called for October 7th to be celebrated as “Festem BMV de Victoria” (Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory). The next pope, Gregory XIII, changed the title to “Feast of the Holy Rosary” which is still celebrated October 7th on the Church calendar today.