Featured Saints
Blessed Urban V, Pope (†1370). French Benedictine monk elevated to the Chair of Peter, in Avignon. He worked to reestablish the Apostolic See in Rome and restore the unity of the Church.
St. Anastasius I, Pope (†401). Man of outstanding poverty and apostolic zeal, he firmly opposed heretical doctrines.
St. Francis Xavier Hà Trong Mâu and companions, martyrs (†1838). Dominican tertiary and catechist strangled to death with his companions in Bac-Ninh, Vietnam, for refusing to trample the cross as a sign of apostasy.
Blessed William of Fenoli, religious (†c. 1200). He was one of the first religious of the Charterhouse of Casotto, Italy, where he was a lay brother.
Blesseds Mary Eve of Providence and Mary Martha of Jesus, virgins and martyrs (†1942). Religious from the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, shot to death in Slonim, Poland.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Mi 5:1-4a
Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19. (R.4)
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us. R.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong. R.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name. R.
Second Reading – Heb 10:5-10
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel – Lk 1:39-45
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
