Catholic Missal of the day: Friday, April 28 2017
Friday of the Second week of Easter
Friday of the Second week of Easter
1. ReadingActs of the Apostles
5,34-42.]A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
]and said to them, "Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men.
]Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing.
]After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
]So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.
]But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God." They were persuaded by him.
]After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
]So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
]And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.
Psalms
27(26),1.4.13-14.]The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
]One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
to dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
that I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
]I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
]Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
6,1-15.]Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
]A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
]Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
]The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
]When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
]He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
]Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little (bit)."
]One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
]There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?
]Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
]Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
]When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted."
]So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
]When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
]Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
St. Louis de Montfort(Priest (1673-1716))
St. Louis de MontfortPriest (1673 - 1716)Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Roman Catholic priest and confessor. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. He was born in Montfort-sur-Meu, the eldest surviving child of eighteen born to Jean-Baptiste and Jeanne Robert Grignion. His father was a notary.Louis-Marie passed most of his infancy and early childhood in Iffendic, a few kilometers from Montfort, where his father had bought a farm. At the age of 12, he entered the Jesuit College of St. Thomas Becket in Rennes, where his uncle was a parish priest. He was then given the opportunity, through a benefactor, to go to Paris to study at the renowned Seminary of Saint-Sulpice. When he arrived in Paris, it was to find that his benefactor had not provided enough money for him, so he lodged in a succession of boarding houses, living among the very poor, in the meantime attending lectures in theology. After less than two years, he became very ill and had to be hospitalized.He was ordained a priest in June 1700, and assigned to Nantes. His letters of this period show that he felt frustrated from the lack of opportunity to preach as he felt he was called to do. He considered various options, even that of becoming a hermit, but the conviction that he was called to "preach missions to the poor" increased. In November 1700, he joined the Third Order of the Dominicans and asked permission not only to preach the rosary, but to also form rosary confraternities. The same month, he wrote: "I am continually asking in my prayers for a poor and small company of good priests to preach missions and retreats under the standard and protection of the Blessed Virgin." This initial thought eventually led to the formation of the Company of Mary.The bishop of La Rochelle invited him to open a school in his diocese. Montfort enlisted the help of his follower Marie Louise Trichet who was then running the General Hospital in Poitiers. In 1715, Marie Louise and Catherine Brunet left Poitiers for La Rochelle to open the school there; and in a short time it had 400 students. On August 22, 1715, Blessed Marie Louise Trichet and Catherine Brunet, along with Marie Valleau and Marie Régnier from La Rochelle, received the approbation of Bishop de Champflour of La Rochelle to perform their religious profession under the direction of Montfort. At the ceremony, Montfort told them: "Call yourselves the Daughters of Wisdom, for the teaching of children and the care of the poor." The Daughters of Wisdom grew into an international organization and the placing of Montfort's founders statue in Saint Peter's Basilica was based on that organization.As well as preaching, Montfort found time to write a number of books that became classic Catholic titles and influenced several popes. Montfort is known for his particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the practice of praying the Rosary. Montfort is considered as one of the early writers in the field of Mariology. His most notable works regarding Marian devotions are contained in The Secret of Mary andTrue Devotion to Mary.Pope Pius XII canonized Louis de Montfort on July 20, 1947. He intercedes for causes related to his life, love and works. Like St. Joseph, he is an unfailing intercessor; and will enkindle love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla(Layperson (1922-1962))
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962) Gianna Beretta was born in Magenta (Milan) on October 4, 1922. She was educated by her parents. She experienced life as a marvelous gift from God, had a strong faith in Providence and was convinced of the necessity and effectiveness of prayer. Gianna was an exemplary student during secondary and university education. She participated in the apostolate of Catholic Action and served the elderly as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She earned degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949. She then opened a medical clinic in Mesero (near Magenta) in 1950. She specialized in pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952, and there afterward gave special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and the poor. While working in the field of medicine, which she considered a mission and practiced as such, she increased her generous service to Catholic Action, especially among the very young. At the same time, she expressed her joie de vivre and love of creation through skiing and mountaineering. Through her prayers and those of others, she reflected upon her vocation, which she also considered a gift from God. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she embraced it with complete enthusiasm and wholly dedicated herself to forming a truly Christian family. She became engaged to Pietro Molla and was radiant with joy and happiness during the time of their engagement, for which she thanked and praised the Lord. They were married on September 24, 1955, in the Basilica of St. Martin in Magenta. In November 1956, to her great joy, she became the mother of Pierluigi; in December 1957, of Mariolina; and in July 1959 of Laura. With simplicity and equilibrium, she harmonized the demands of mother, wife, doctor and her passion for life. In September 1961, toward the end of the second month of pregnancy, Gianna was struck by pain: She had developed a fibroma in her uterus. Before the required surgical operation and conscious of the risk that her continued pregnancy brought, she pleaded with the surgeon to save the child's life. The baby was saved, and she spent the next seven months attending to her duties as mother and doctor. All the while, she prayed asking God to let the baby in her womb be born without complications. A few days before the child's birth, Gianna said, "If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child - I insist on it. Save him". On the morning of April 21, 1962, Gianna Emanuela was born. Despite all efforts and treatments to save the both of them, Gianna passed away. She died on the morning of April 28, after repeatedly saying, "Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you." She was 39 years old. She was laid to rest at the cemetery of Mesero, 4 kilometers from Magenta. At the Sunday Angelus of September 23, 1973, Pope Paul VI described Gianna's sacrifice as "conscious immolation." He said, "A young mother from the diocese of Milan, who, to give life to her daughter, sacrificed her own, with conscious immolation." In these words, he connected Gianna's sacrifice to that of Christ's on Mt. Calvary and in the Eucharist. Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994. She was officially canonized on May 16, 2004. Her husband, Pietro and their last child, Gianna, were present at the ceremony. She intercedes in causes related to her life.
St. Peter Chanel(Martyr (1803-1841))
St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr (1803 - April 28, 1841) The protomartyr of the South Seas, St. Peter Chanel was born in Clet, in the diocese of Belley, France. His intelligence and simple piety were noticed by the parish priest, Fr. Trompier, who facilitated his elementary education. Peter eventually entered the diocesan seminary and won the affection and esteem of both students and professors. After his ordination, Fr. Peter completely revitalized a rundown country parish in the three years he was there. However, his mind was set on missionary work. In 1831, he joined the newly formed Society of Mary (Marists) that concentrated on missionary work at home and abroad. To his surprise, he was appointed to teach at the seminary in Belley. He remained there for the next five years, diligently performing his duties. In 1836, Fr. Peter's Marists were given the New Hebrides in the Pacific for evangelization. Fr. Peter was appointed Superior of a little band of missionaries sent to proclaim the Gospel. They reached their destination after a ten-month journey and set to work. Fr. Peter went to the island of Futuna accompanied by a laybrother and an English layman, Thomas Boog. Fr. Peter and the laymen were well-received by the locals and their king, Niuliki, who had recently forbidden cannibalism. However, the king grew envious once the missionaries learned the language and gained the people's confidence. Niuliki saw that Christianity would abolish some of the prerogatives he enjoyed as high priest and sovereign. When Niuliki's son desired to be baptized, the king's hatred erupted. He dispatched a group of warriors to set upon the missionaries. On April 28, 1841, three years after arriving, Fr. Peter was seized and clubbed to death by those he loved. His death brought the work to completion: Within 5 months, the whole population converted to Christianity.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2017 / Catholic Missal of april 2017
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:12Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:12Z