Friday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order. Seven laymen from Florence withdrew to Mount Senario (1233), dedicating themselves to a contemplative life. The later founded the Order of the Servants of Mary.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Gn 11:1-9
The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. While the people were migrating in the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.” They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.” The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that they had built. Then the LORD said: “If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that He scattered them all over the earth.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15 (R. 12)
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be His own.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
He foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of His heart, through all generations. R.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
He sees all mankind. R.
From His fixed throne He beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
He who knows all their works. R.
Gospel – Mk 8:34—9:1
Jesus summoned the crowd with His disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow He. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and that of the Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when He comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.”
Featured Saints
Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. Seven laymen from Florence withdrew to Mount Senario (1233), dedicating themselves to a contemplative life. The later founded the Order of the Servants of Mary. (See featured image: The Blessed Virgin clothes the Holy Servite Founders with the Scapular.)
St. Bonosus, Bishop (†c. 373). As Bishop of Trier, Germany, together with St. Hilary of Poitiers, he strove to maintain the integrity of the Faith in Gaul.
St. Flavian, Bishop (†449). Elected to the patriarchal See of Constantinople, he ended the controversy provoked by Nestorianism and, some years later, condemned the Monophysite heresy. He suffered severe persecution from Emperor Theodosius II.
St. Fintan, abbot (†c. 440). Founded the monastery of Cluain-Ednech in Ireland, and stood out for his austerity.
St. Evermod, bishop (†1178). Premonstratensian monk, disciple of St. Norbert, sent to Germany as a missionary. Elected Bishop of Ratzeburg, he evangelized the Wends, established on the banks of the Vistula.
St. Mesrob, monk (†c. 440). Evangelizer of the Armenians and disciple of St. Nerses, he created an alphabet to teach SacredScripture; he translated the Old and New Testament, and composed hymns and songs in the Armenian language.
St. Peter Yu Chŏng-nyul, martyr (†1866). Father of a family and catechist who was flogged to death in Pyongyang, during anti-Catholic persecution in Korea.
Blessed Luke Belludi, priest (†1286). From an noble Italian family and possessing great culture, he became a franciscan at the age of 25. He was a faithful disciple and companion of St. Anthony of Padua.
Blessed Anthony Leszczewicz, priest and martyr (†1943). Religious from the Congregation of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception; killed for the Faith in Rzeszów, Poland.
