Monday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Judges

The children of Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals.
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand.
Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress.
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers,
they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD.
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors.
But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.

Psalms

They did not exterminate the peoples,
as the LORD had commanded them,
But mingled with the nations
and learned their works.
They served their idols,
which became a snare for them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
They became defiled by their works,
and wanton in their crimes.
And the LORD grew angry with his people,
and abhorred his inheritance.
Many times did he rescue them,
but they embittered him with their counsels.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

A young man approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?"
He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."
He asked him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, " 'You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother'; and 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

St. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga(Priest (1901-1952))

Saint Alberto Hurtado CruchagaPriest(1901-1952) Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga was born in Viña del Mar, Chile, on January 22, 1901. His father died when he was 4 years old and his mother sold their modest property at a loss to pay off the family's debt. Alberto and his brother lived with relatives and often moved from one family to another. At an early age, he experienced poverty, homelessness and being at the mercy of others. He completed his secondary education, was given a scholarship to the Jesuit College in Santiago and became a member of the Sodality of Our Lady. He developed a lively interest in the poor and spent time with them every Sunday afternoon in the slums. After completing his secondary education in 1917, Alberto wanted to become a Jesuit, but he postponed his novitiate to take care of his mother and younger brother. He worked in the afternoons and evenings while studying law at the Catholic University. During this period, he continued caring for the poor and visiting them every Sunday. Obligatory military service interrupted his studies, but he fulfilled his duty and earned his degree in August 1923. On August 14, 1923, Alberto entered the Novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Chillán. In 1925, he went to Córdoba, Argentina, and studied humanities. In 1927, he was sent to Spain to study philosophy and theology. However, because of the suppression of the Jesuits in Spain in 1931, he went to Belgium and studied theology in Louvain. He was ordained a priest on August 24, 1933, and in 1935 obtained a doctorate in pedagogy and psychology. After completing his Tertianship in Drongen, Belgium, Fr. Alberto returned to Chile in January 1936. He was a professor of religion at Colegio San Ignacio and of pedagogy at the Catholic University of Santiago. He was entrusted with the Sodality of Our Lady for the students and involved them in catechizing the underprivileged. He frequently directed retreats and offered spiritual direction to many young men, accompanying several of them in their response to the priestly vocation and contributing to the formation of many Christian laymen. In 1941, Fr. Alberto published his most famous book: "Is Chile a Catholic Country?" The same year, he was asked to assume the role of Assistant for the Youth Movement of the Catholic Action, first within the Archdiocese of Santiago and then nationally. He performed these roles with an exceptional spirit of initiative, dedication and sacrifice. In October 1944, while giving a retreat, he felt impelled to appeal to his audience to consider the many poor people of Santiago, especially the numerous homeless children. This request evoked a ready and generous response. Thus began the initiative for which Fr. Alberto is especially well-known: a form of charitable activity that provided not only housing, but a home-like milieu for the homeless: "El Hogar de Cristo." By means of contributions from benefactors and the active collaboration of committed laity, Fr. Alberto opened the first house for children. This was followed by a house for women and then one for men. The poor found a warm home in "El Hogar de Cristo." The houses multiplied and took on new dimensions. In some houses, there were rehabilitation centers; in others, trade-schools and so on. In 1945, he visited the United States to study the "Boys Town" movement and to consider how it could be adapted to Chile. The last six years of his life were dedicated to the development of various forms in which "El Hogar" could exist and function. In 1947, Fr. Alberto founded the Chilean Trade Union Association (ASICH) to promote a union movement inspired by the social teaching of the Church. Between 1947 and 1950, he wrote three important works on trade unions, social humanism and Christian social order. In 1951, he founded "Mensaje," a well-known Jesuit periodical dedicated to explaining the doctrine of the Church.Fr. Alberto passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 18, 1952. While enduring terrible pain, he was often heard saying, "I am content, Lord." From his return to Chile after his Tertianship up to his death, a matter of only fifteen years, Fr. Alberto accomplished all the works described above. His apostolate was the expression of a personal love for Christ the Lord: characterized by a great love for poor and abandoned children, an enlightened zeal for the formation of the laity and a lively sense of Christian social justice. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 23, 2005.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2025 / Catholic Missal of august 2025