Featured Saints
St. Bathildis, queen (†680). From the land of the Angles, she married Clovis II, King of the Franks, after whose death she served as regent until their son Clothaire III came of age to assume the throne. She then retired to the monastery of Chelles, which she had founded.
St. Matthias, Bishop of Jerusalem. († second century).
St. Thomas Khuông, priest and martyr (†1860). Dominican priest beheaded in Vietnam for declaring himself Christian during the persecution of Emperor Tu Đúc.
St. David Galvan, priest and martyr (†1915). During the Mexican persecution, he was arrested and shot without a trial, for defending the sanctity of Matrimony.
St. Adelelmus, abbot (†1097). First abbot of the Benedictine Monastery of St. John the Evangelist in Burgos, Spain, and is a patron of this city.
St. Mutien-Marie Wiaux, religious (†1917). Member of the Christian Brothers; he consecrated his life to educating youth in Namur, Belgium.
St. Adelgundis, Virgin and abbess. France, seventh century.
St. Hyacintha Mariscotti, virgem (†1640). Franciscan tertiary religious from Viterbo, Italy. After living in that state for fifteen years immersed in worldly frivolity, she embraced an austere life and went on to establish confraternities for the service of the needy and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Blessed Columba Marmion, abbot (†1923). Native of Ireland, he was superior of the Benedictine monastery of Maredsous, Belgium, where he shone as a director of souls as well as for his spiritual doctrine and eloquence.
Blessed Carmen Garcia Moyon, martyr (†1937). Catechist burned alive in Torrent, Spain, during the religious persecution in the country.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Responsorial Psalm – Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75 (R. cf. 68)
R. I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. R.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength. R.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. R.
Second Reading – 1 Cor 12:31—13:13 or :1 Cor 13:4-13
[Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.]
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Gospel – Lk 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
