Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional memorials: St. John Leonardi, priest (†1609). Founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God, in 1574, and of the Congregation of Christian Doctrine, for the purpose of catechising youth and instructing adults against the errors of the Protestant Reformation. In Rome, he became a a close friend of St. Philip Neri and founded a seminary there for the formation of missionary priests.
St. Denis, bishop and companions, martyrs, (†third century). First Bishop of Paris, he was decapitated together with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius on the hill of Montmartre, in the vicinity of the city. The chapel built over his tomb later became the Abbey of Saint-Denis.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Galatians 3:7-14
Brothers and sisters: Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, Through you shall all the nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law. And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live. But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 111:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6(R. 5)
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights. R.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD. R.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations. R.
Gospel – Lk 11:15-26
When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Featured Saints
St. Abraham, patriarch. Heeding God’s call, he left Ur of the Chaldeans in order to settle in the land where God led him and promised to make him the father of many nations. For his persevering faith in God’s covenant, St. Paul called him the father of all who believe (Rom 4).
St. Louis Bertrand, priest (†1581). Spanish Dominican missionary who preached the Gospel to South American Indians and defended them against the abuse of colonizers .
St. Deusdedit, martyr (†c. 834). Abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, Italy. Imprisoned by order of the tyrant Sicardus, he died as a result of starvation and neglect.
St. Gunther, hermit (†1045). Abandoning all earthly goods, he embraced the monastic life in the Benedictine Order. After some years, he opted for the hermitic life, withdrawing to the forests of Bavaria and Bohemia.
St. Publia (†fourth century). A holy widow of Antioch who lived with a group of consecrated women after after her husband’s death. She suffered flogging by order of Emperor Julian for singing psalms which condemned idolatry.
Image gallery
