Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent
Featured Saints
St. Eligius (Eloi), bishop (†660). A goldsmith from Limoges, France, and counsellor to King Dagobert I. He entered religious life, was ordained, and founded several monasteries before being elected Bishop of Noyon.
St. Domnolus, bishop (†581). He was abbot of the Monastery of St. Lawrence in Paris, and later Bishop of Le Mans, France. He shone fore his gift of miracles.
St. Nahum, prophet of the Old Testament. In his exhortations, he portrays God as the director of History and Judge of nations.
St. Edmund Campion, Ralph Sherwin and Alexander Briant, priests and martyrs (†1581). Jesuit religious who suffered martyrdom in England during the reign of Elizabeth I.
St. Florence, virgin (†fourth century). Converted by St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, whom he followed into exile, later returning with him to France. He then lived as a hermit in Comblé.
Beato Casimiro Sykulski, martyr († 1941). Polish priest, military chaplain in the First World War. He laboured with great dedication in social and apostolic work. For his continuous charitable activity, he was arrested during World War II and taken to Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was shot.
blessed Maria Clara of the Child Jesus, virgem (†1899). She founded the Franciscan Hospitallers Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Lisbon.
Blessed Liduina Meneguzzi, virgem (†1941). A Sister of St. Francis de Sales from Italy, who worked as a missionary in Ethiopia, where she practised the virtue of Christian charity towards the poor, sick and imprisoned.
Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta, virgin and martyr († 1964). Religious of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family, martyred during a bloody persecution in the Republic of Congo.
Mass Readings
First Reading –Is 25:6-10a
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (R. 6cd)
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul. R.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage. R.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. R.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come. R.
Gospel – Mt 15:29-37
At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there.
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole,
the lame walking,
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way.”
The disciples said to him,
“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?”
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.
