Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Mass Readings
First Reading – 2 Cor 6:1-10
Brothers and sisters: As your fellow workers, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation, I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We cause no one to stumble in anything, in order that no fault may be found with our ministry; on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, vigils, fasts; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left; through glory and dishonour, insult and praise. We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps. 98:1, 2B-3AB, 3CD-4 (R. 2a)
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm. R.
In the sight of the nations, he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel. R.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.. R.
Gospel – Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
Featured Saints
St. Lutgardis, virgin (†1246). A Belgian Cistercian nun favoured with mystical visions of the Passion and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She offered her life for the conversion of the Albigensians and of sinners.
St. Aurelian of Arles, bishop (†551). Bishop of Arles and Vicar of the the Apostolic See in Gaul, he founded both a masculine and feminine monastery in his diocese and wrote a rule for them.
St. Ceccardus, Bishop and martyr (†860). Bishop of Luni and Sarzana, killed by marble quarry workers in Carrara, Italy.
St. Julitta and St. Cyriacus, martyrs (†unknown). Young widow martyred along with her three-year-old son, during the Diocletian persecution in Tarsus (in modern Turkey).
Bl. Antoine Constante Auriel, priest and martyr (†1794). For refusing to sign the Civil Constitution of the Clergy during the French Revolution, he was imprisoned in a sordid jail cell where he died ministering to his fellow prisoners.
Blessed Thomas Reding, martyr (†1537). Carthusian monk of London, England. For remaining united to the Church, he was shackled in Newgate Prison, where he died of hunger and illness during the reign of Henry VIII.
Blessed Maria Theresa Scherer, foundress (†1888). Founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross in Ingenbohl, Switzerland, for the assistance of the poor and the sick.
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