Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
Featured Saints
St. Viventiolus, bishop (†circa 523). Encouraged the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Lyon, France, to participate in the Council of Pau, to provide the faithful with a better understanding of Pontifical decisions.
St. John Gualbert, abbot (†1073). Young Florentine who, for the love of Christ, pardoned his brother’s murderer. He embraced the religious life as a Benedictine and went on to found the Vallumbrosan Order, near Fiesole, Italy.
St. Clement Ignatius Delgado Cebrián, bishop and martyr (†1838). After preaching the Gospel for fifty years in Vietnam he was imprisoned and died, having endured tremendous suffering.
St. John Jones, priest and martyr (†1598). Welsh Franciscan priest who was executed in London during the reign of Elizabeth I, for exercising his priestly ministry in England.
St.Peter Khanh, priest and martyr (†1842). Recognized as a Catholic priest in a customs office, he was imprisoned, tortured and decapitated in Nghê An, Vietnam.
St. Leo, abbot (†1079). Abbot of the famous Monastery of La Cava which developed rapidly through his virtue and example. He was especially dedicated to caring for the poor.
Blessed David Gunston, martyr (†1541). Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, executed by order of Henry VIII of England, for refusing to recognize the religious supremacy of the king.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Ex 1:8-14, 22
A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country.” Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel and reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves. Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, “Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live.”
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8 (R.8a)
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Had not the LORD been with us–
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us. R.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept
the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth. R.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers’ snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth. R.
Gospel – Mt 10:34—11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
