1st Reading: Exodus 1:8-14, 22 A new Pharaoh enslaves the Israelites and threatens them with extinction. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will…
God has blessed us in very many ways: God has showered grace upon us. During today’s gathering, we give thanks to the Lord for all we have received.
1st Reading: Amos 7:12-15 Amos is called by God to be a prophet Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” Then…
Benedict of Nursia Benedict (480-543) from Nursia in Umbria (Italy) spent years as a hermit in a mountain cave at Subiaco (64 km east of Rome), before being inspired to gather companions to live a monastic life in community. Later he moved to Monte Cassino near Naples. The “Rule of Saint Benedict” is admired for…
1st Reading: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 Jacob joyfully meets his long-lost son Joseph. Now he can die in peace. When Israel set out on his journey with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said,…
Augustine Zhao and Companions, Chinese martyrs. The Church recognizes 120 Catholics who died between 1648 and 1930 as its Chinese martyrs, canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Of this number, 86 died during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, among them three indigenous Chinese priests, Augustine Zhao Rong, Joseph Yuan and Thaddeus Liu. Others…
1st Reading: Genesis 41-42 Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt for grain; he sends for Benjamin. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.” And since the famine had spread over all the land,…
Saint Maelruain, abbott. Saint Máel Ruain, (c. 722-792) was founder and abbot-bishop of the monastery of Tallaght near Dublin, Ireland. He was a leading figure of the movement known as the Céli Dé, whose monastic rules were written by Mael Ruain and his principal disciple, Aengus. 1st Reading: Genesis 32:23-33 On returning from exile, Jacob…
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-40 For ask now about former ages, long before your own, ever since the day that God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of heaven to the other: has anything so great as this ever happened or has its like ever been heard of? Has any people ever…
1st Reading: Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob dreams of a ladder stretching between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending. Jacob left Beer-sheva and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under…
As weak and sinful people, we gather to ask the Lord’s mercy. We know his grace is sufficient for us. Together, we praise and thank our God for the constant care we receive.
1st Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5 God sends Ezekiel to call the people to repentance And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of…
Saint Elisabeth of Portugal. Elizabeth (Isabel) of Aragon (1271-1336) became wife of King Denis of Portugal, with whom she had a son and a daughter. During her time as queen she proved an effective conciliator between opposing factions. As a very devout believer, after king Denis’ death (1325), she retired to a monastery of Poor…
Thomas Didymus The Apostle Thomas, called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (“The Twin”) was one of the Twelve chosen by Jesus as his inner circle. He is best known for his candid doubt about Jesus’ resurrection, followed by his confession of faith as both “My Lord and my God!” 1st Reading: Ephesians 2:19-21. Built on the…
1st Reading: Genesis 22:1-19 God promises many descendants for Abraham through Isaac, the child of sacrifice. After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him…
1st Reading: Genesis 21:5, 8-20 Abraham drives out the slave-wife Hagar and her son Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; so she demanded of Abraham: “Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with…
