Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Featured Saints
St. Callistus I, Pope and martyr (†third century). Optional Memorial. His name is associated with the catacombs of Rome and the veneration of the martyrs.
St. Venantius of Luni, bishop (†fourth century). A friend of Pope St. Gregory the Great, he dedicated himself especially to the helping the clerics and monk in his diocese of Luni, Italy.
St. Dominic Loricatus, priest (†1060). Priest of the Camaldolese Order who, after having been ordained through simony, decided to become a hermit and lead a life of penance and austerity in San Severino, Italy.
St. Angadrisma, abbess (†c.695). She desired to consecrate herself to God; when her father promised her in marriage, a terrible illness served to break the commitment. Miraculously cured, she entered the Benedictine monastery of Oroërdes-Vierges, near Beauvais, where she eventually became the abbess.
Blesseds Stanislaus Mysakowski and Francis Rosłaniec, priests and martyrs (†1942). Put to death in gas chambers in Dachau, Germany.
Blessed Roman Lysko, priest and martyr (†1949). Priest of the Archeparchy of Lviv, he died by immurement for his faithfulness during religious persecution in Ukraine.
Blessed Didacus Kagayama Haito, martyr (†1619). Noble Samurai and governor of the city. He was beheaded in Kokura, Japan, while he prayed, holding a crucifix.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Rom 3:21-30
Brothers and sisters: Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, through the forbearance of God– to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Does God belong to Jews alone? Does he not belong to Gentiles, too? Yes, also to Gentiles, for God is one and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab (R.7)
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication. R.
If You, O LORD, mark iniquities,
Lord, who can stand?
But with You is forgiveness,
that you may be revered. R.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn. R.
Gospel – Lk 11:47-54
The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward Him
and to interrogate Him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch Him at something He might say.
