Memorial of St. Cornelius, Pope and St. Cyprian, Martyrs
St. Cornelius, Pope (+253) and St. Cyprian, bishop (+258), martyrs. St. Cornelius fought zealously for the unity of the persecuted Church. He was banished from Rome under Emperor Gallus and died a martyr in exile in Civitavecchia. St. Cyprian, as Bishop of Carthage, dedicated himself to the organization of the Church in Africa. Great orator and master of moral theology, he figures among the Patristic writers of the early Church, one of the first defenders of the Primacy of Peter.
Mass Readings
First Reading – 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33
Brothers and sisters: In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact that your meetings are doing more harm than good. First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church there are divisions among you, and to a degree I believe it; there have to be factions among you in order that also those who are approved among you may become known. When you meet in one place, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper, for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the Church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you. For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17 (R.1 Cor 11:26b)
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.” R.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!” R.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. R.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.” R.
Gospel – Lk 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come here, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Featured Saints
St. Ludmila, martyr (†921). Duchess of Bohemia, baptized by St. Methodius. She dedicated herself to works of charity, building churches and spreading the Faith. On account of her religious influence in the education her her grandson, the future ruler St. Wenceslaus, St. Ludmilda was murdered by her daughter-in-law.
St. Ninian of Galloway, bishop (†c. 432). Of British origin, he led the Picts of southern Scotland to embrace the Faith, becoming the first Bishop of Galloway.
St. Vital, abbot (†1122). He renounced earthly posts and founded a monastery in Savigny, France, where he gathered many disciples.
St. Martin of Finojosa, bishop and abbot (†1213). Abbot of the Cistercian monastery of St. Mary of Huerta, Spain, he was ordained Bishop of Sigüenza, where he strove to reform the clergy.
St. John Macias, religious (†1645). Dominican lay brother who for many years carried out humble offices in the monastery of Lima (Peru), excelling in piety and charity. His projects for the assistance of the needy were adopted in other Latin-American countries.
St. Edith of Wilton, virgin (†984). Daughter of King Edgar of England, she consecrated herself to God from a young age at the monastery of Wilton, where she was outstanding for her humility and abnegation, repeatedly declining to accept the office of abbess.
St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr (†c. 303). For her Faith, she bore cruel torture unto death in Chalcedon, present-day Turkey.
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