Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin
St. Clare of Assisi, virgin (†1253). As a young woman from a noble family, she triumphed over intense opposition from her parents, in her choice to follow St. Francis of Assisi, and founded the first feminine branch of the Franciscan Order, which came to be known as the Poor Clares, or Clarists.
Featured Saints
Blesseds John Sandys (†1586) and Stephen Rowsham (†1587), priests, and William Lampley
(†1588), martyrs. Killed in England for their fidelity to the Catholic Church during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Blessed Miguel Domingo Cendra, martyr (†1936). Salesian killed in the religious persecution during the Spanish Civil War.
St. Gaugericus, Bishop (†c. 625). He governed the Diocese of Cambrai, France, for thirty-nine years, and built a chapel on the site of what would become the city centre of Brussels. Noted for performing numerous miracles.
St. Susanna, martyr (†fourth century). Young Christian beheaded in Rome by the order of Emperor Diocletian.
Blessed Louis Biraghi, priest (†1879). Priest of the Diocese of Milan, Italy, founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Marcellina.
St. Alexander, bishop and martyr (†third century). Consecrated Bishop of Comana, Turkey by St. Gregory, he was burned to death on a pyre by the enemies of the Faith.
St. Equitius, abbot (†c. 571). Due to his holiness of life he drew many vocations to the monasteries of the ancient province in Valeria, Italy.
Blessed Maurice Tornay, priest and martyr (†1949). Swiss born, he proclaimed the Gospel in China and Tibet, where he was murdered in an ambush, out of hatred for the Faith.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Dt 34:1-12
Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho, and the LORD showed him all the land— Gilead, and as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan with the lowlands at Jericho, city of palms, and as far as Zoar. The LORD then said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.” So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died as the LORD had said; and he was buried in the ravine opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the place of his burial. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. For thirty days the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, till they had completed the period of grief and mourning for Moses. Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so the children of Israel gave him their obedience, thus carrying out the LORD’s command to Moses. Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.
Responsorial Psalm – 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17 (R.cf.20a and 10b)
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God: “How tremendous are your deeds!” R.
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Bless our God, you peoples;
loudly sound his praise. R.
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue. R.
Gospel – Mt 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
