Wednesday of the Third week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles

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.

Psalms

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.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

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."

St. Raphael Arnáiz Barón(monk (1911-1938))

SAINT RAPHAEL ARNÁIZ BARÓN Monk (1911-1938) Raphael Arnáiz Barón was born in Burgos, Spain, on April 9, 1911, to a prominent, deeply-Christian family. He was baptised and confirmed in Burgos, and began his schooling at the Jesuit college in the same city. In 1919, he was admitted to first Communion. It was at this time that he had his first experience of illness. Persistent fevers due to colibacillosis forced him to postpone his studies. To mark his recovery, which he attributed to a special intervention of the Virgin Mary, his father took him to Zaragoza and consecrated him to the Virgin of Pilar. This experience, which took place in the late summer of 1921, profoundly affected Raphael. When the family moved to Oviedo, he continued his secondary schooling with the Jesuits and obtained a diploma in science. He afterward enrolled in the School of Architecture in Madrid, where he succeeded in balancing his studies with a life of fervent piety. Possessing a brilliant and eclectic mind, Raphael also stood out because of his deep sense of friendship and his fine features. Blessed with a happy and jovial nature, he was also athletic, had a gift for drawing and painting as well a love for music and the theatre. As he matured, his spiritual experience of the Christian life deepened. Although the study of architecture required a great deal of hard work and discipline, he began making a long daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel of Caballero de Gracia. He even joined the Nocturnal Adoration Association and faithfully took his turn before the Blessed Sacrament.In this way, he became well disposed to listening, and he perceived an invitation from God to lead the contemplative life. Raphael had already been in contact with the Trappist monastery of San Isidro de Dueñas, and he felt strongly drawn to it. In December of 1933, he suddenly broke off his professional studies; and on January 16, 1934, he entered the monastery of San Isidro. After the first months of the noviciate and his first Lent, which he lived with great enthusiasm, embracing all the austerities of Trappist life, God mysteriously chose to test him with a sudden and painfulinfirmity: a serious form of diabetes mellitus which forced him to leave the monastery immediately and return to his family in order to receive the proper care. Barely recovered, he returned to the monastery, but his illness forced him to leave the monastery for treatment again and again. But whenever he was absent he wanted to return, responding faithfully and generously to what he understood to be a call from God. Sanctified by his joyful and heroic fidelity to his vocation, in his loving acceptance of the Divine will and the mystery of the Cross, in his impassioned search for the Face of God, fascinated by his contemplation of the Absolute, in his tender and filial devotion to the Virgin Mary - "the Lady", as he liked to call her - his life came to an end on April 26, 1938. He was barely 27 years old. He was buried in the monastery cemetery, and later in the Abbey church. The fame of his sanctity rapidly spread beyond the walls of the monastery. The example of his life together with his many spiritual writings continue to spread and greatly profit those who get to know him. He has been described as one of the great mystics of the twentieth century. On August 19, 1989, the Holy Father St. John Paul II, on World Youth Day at Santiago de Compostella, proposed him as a model for young people today, and beatified him on September 27, 1992.St. Raphael was canonized on October 11, 2009, by Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope presented him as a friend and intercessor for all the faithful, especially for the young.

St. Cletus(Pope and Martyr (+ c. 88))

SAINT CLETUS Pope and Martyr (+ c. 88) St. Cletus, the third Bishop of Rome, was consecrated after St. Linus was martyred. He was among the first disciples of St. Peter; and circumstances hint at his eminent virtue. He sat twelve years, from 76 to 88. The canon of the Roman Mass, Bede, and other martyrologists style him a martyr. He was buried near St. Linus in the Vatican, and his relics still remain in that church.

St. Marcellinus(Pope and Martyr (+ 304))

SAINT MARCELLINUS Pope and Martyr (+ 304) St. Marcellinus succeeded St. Coins in the bishopric of Rome in 296, around the time that Diocletian set himself up as a deity and impiously claimed divine honors. In those stormy times of persecution, Marcellinus acquired sanctity and holiness. Pope Marcellinus sat in St. Peter's chair for eight years, three months and twenty-five days. He was martyred in 304, a year after the persecution broke out. He was killed for declaring Jesus is the True and Living God. Pope Marcellinus knew that confessing his love would mean his end. Like Jesus, he took up his cross with love, and laid down his life. According to Christian tradition, we can conclude that Pope Marcellinus asked St. Joseph for intercession and manliness; and consecrated himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2023 / Catholic Missal of april 2023