Catholic Missal of the day: Wednesday, April 13 2016

Wednesday of the Third week of Easter

Wednesday of the Third week of Easter

1. Reading

Acts of the Apostles

8,1b-8.

]There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.
]Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
]Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.
]Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
]Thus Philip went down to (the) city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.
]With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
]For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many possessed people, and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
]There was great joy in that city.

Psalm

Psalms

66(65),1-3a.4-5.6-7a.

]Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
]sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
]Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
]“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
]Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
]He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
]He rules by his might forever.

Gospel

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

6,35-40.

]Jesus said to the crowds, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
]But I told you that although you have seen (me), you do not believe.
]Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
]because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
]And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day.
]For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."

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St. Hermenegild(Martyr († 586))

SAINT HERMENEGILD Martyr ( 586) The Visigothic king Leovigild reigned with his sons, Hermenegild and Recared. When Hermenegild married King Sigebert of France's daughter, he converted to Catholism. Thus, in renouncing Arianism, he sparked a conflict with his family. King Leovigild denounced Hermenegild's conversion, accused him of treason and raised arms against him. Hermenegild appealed to Spanish Catholics, but they were unable to resist the Visigoths. After two years of fruitless struggle, Hermenegild surrendered on the condition of being pardoned. He was instead imprisoned at a dungeon in Seville. Prince Hermenegild was tortured and offered freedom in exchange for renouncing Catholicism. With great love, he declared that he would die for Jesus Christ. At length, on Easter night, an Arian bishop entered his celland promised him full pardon in exchange for receiving Arian communion. Hermenegild declined and was condemned. On the night of his execution, a light streaming from his cell showed the Christians that he had won the martyrs crown and was celebrating Easter with the saints in Heaven. King Leovigild, on his death-bed, bade his remaining son Recared to seek out St. Leander, the one he had persecuted. King Leovigild converted and was baptized by St. Leander. After the king's death, Prince Recared labored zealously for the extirpation of Arianism and won over the whole Visigothic nation to the Catholic Church. "Nor is it to be wondered," says St. Gregory, "that he (Recared) came thus to be a preacher of the true faith, seeing that he was the brother of a martyr, whose merits did help him to bring so many into God's Church."

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St. Martin I(Pope and Martyr († 656))

SAINT MARTIN Pope and Martyr ( 656) St. Martin was the pope from 649 to 656. He incurred the enmity of the Byzantine court by opposing the Monothelite heresy. The Byzantine exarch Olympius went so far as to arrange Pope Martin's assassination at the Church of St. Mary Major. Miraculously, the Pope's assassin was struck blind and Olympius relented. Olympius' successor had no such scruples. He seized Pope Martin and conveyed him to Constantinople. After a three-month voyage, they reached the island of Naxos, where Pope Martin was confined for a year. In 654, he was brought to the imperial city in chains. Pope Martin was later banished to the Tannic Chersonese, where he lingered on for four months in sickness and starvation. He was martyred in 656 when death released him from suffering. He was canonized because of his heroic virtues and the miracles proceeding from his intercession.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2016 / Catholic Missal of april 2016