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.
First Reading – Ez 12:1-12
The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on, prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on, migrate from where you live to another place; perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the daytime while they are looking on; in the evening, again while they are looking on, you shall go out like one of those driven into exile; while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass through it; while they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in the darkness; cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel. I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my baggage as though it were that of an exile, and at evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness, shouldering my burden. Then, in the morning, the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that rebellious house, ask you what you were doing? Tell them: Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle concerns Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel within it. I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; as captives they shall go into exile. The prince who is among them shall shoulder his burden and set out in darkness, going through a hole he has dug out in the wall, and covering his face lest he be seen by anyone.
Responsorial Psalm – PS 78:56-57, 58-59, 61-62 (R.see 7b)
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
They tempted and rebelled against God the Most High,
and kept not his decrees.
They turned back and were faithless like their fathers;
they recoiled like a treacherous bow. R.
They angered him with their high places
and with their idols roused his jealousy.
God heard and was enraged
and utterly rejected Israel. R.
And he surrendered his strength into captivity,
his glory in the hands of the foe.
He abandoned his people to the sword
and was enraged against his inheritance. R.
Gospel – Mt 18:21–19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
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.
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