Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Featured Saints
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, priest (†1716). Optional Memorial. A gifted preacher, he was named a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. Founded the Company of Mary for missionary priests, the Daughters of Divine Wisdom for hospitaller sisters, and the St. Gabriel Brothers for lay brothers dedicated to teaching. Marian saint par excellence, his spirituality is based on love of the Cross and the slavery of love to the Blessed Virgin. See also: True Devotion to Mary – a Prophetic Book, and: Prophet and Missionary.
St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr (†1841). Optional memorial. Religious from the Society of Mary (Marist), apostle of Oceania, he received the crown of martyrdom on Futuna Island (French Polynesia), for his evangelizing activity which converted many, including the son of the tribe’s chief.
St. Prudentius, bishop (Seventh century). He became a hermit at the age of 15, and later the Bishop of Tarazona (Spain), outstanding as an unfailing advocate of the poor and afflicted.
Sts. Paul Pham Khac Khoan, John Baptist Dinh Van Thanh and Peter Nguyen Van Hieu, martyrs (†1840). Priests and catechists in Vietnam; after three years in prison they were tortured and beheaded.
Blessed Joseph Cebula, priest and martyr (†1941). Polish priest from the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. For exercising his ministry, which had been banned by the Nazis in power, he was deported to Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Austria, where he was killed.
Blessed Lucchese, layman (†1260). Wealthy merchant from Poggibonsi, Italy; a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi, he distributed his goods among the poor and became a Franciscan tertiary.
Blessed Marie Louise of Jesus Trichet, virgin (†1759). First religious and superior of the Congregation of the Daughters of Wisdom, founded by St. Louis de Montfort. She died in SaintLaurent-sur-Sèvre (France).
St. Gianna Beretta Molla, mother of a family (†1962). Pediatrician and mother of four children. While pregnant, a fibrous tumour was discovered in her womb, but she refused to have an abortion, preferring to sacrifice her own life to save that of her daughter who was about to be born.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Acts 12:24—13:5a
The word of God continued to spread and grow. After Barnabas and Saul completed their relief mission, they returned to Jerusalem, taking with them John, who is called Mark. Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8 (R.4)
R. O God, let all the nations praise You!
or:
R. Alleluia.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation. R.
May the nations be glad and exult
because You rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth You guide. R.
May the peoples praise You, O God;
may all the peoples praise You!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear Him! R.
Gospel – Jn 12:44-50
Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in Me
but also in the one who sent Me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent Me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects Me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told Me.”
