Catholic Missal of the day: Sunday, February 4 2018
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
1. ReadingBook of Job
7,1-4.6-7.]Job spoke, saying: "Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling?
]He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages.
]So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been told off for me.
]If in bed I say, 'When shall I arise?' then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
]My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope.
]Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again."
Psalms
147(146),1-2.3-4.5-6.]Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
]The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
]He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
]He tells the number of the stars;
He calls each by name.
]Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
]The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
First Letter to the Corinthians
9,16-19.22-23.]Brothers and sisters : If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!
]If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
]What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
]Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.
]To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
]All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
1,29-39.]On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
]Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her.
]He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
]When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
]The whole town was gathered at the door.
]He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
]Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
]Simon and those who were with him pursued him
]and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."
]He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come."
]So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
St. Jane of Valois(Queen and Religious († 1505))
SAINT JANE OF VALOIS Queen and Religious ( 1505) St. Jane of Valois was a queen whose humiliations were remarkable even in the annals of the saints. Her father, Louis XI, hoped for a son to succeed him. He banished Jane from his palace and even attempted her life. At the age of 5, the neglected child offered her whole heart to God and yearned to do some special service in honor of His Holy Mother. At King Louis' wish, though against her own inclination, Jane was wedded to the Duke of Orleans. Toward an indifferent and unworthy husband, her conduct was ever more patient and dutiful. Her prayers and tears saved him from a traitor's death for rebellion and shortened his imprisonment. When her husband ascended the throne as Louis XII, his first act was to repudiate her by false representations. At the final sentence of separation, the saintly queen exclaimed, "God be praised Who has allowed this, that I may serve Him better." She retired to Bourges and founded the Order of the Annunciation in honor of Mary, the Mother of God. Jane thus fulfilled her childhood dream of honoring Mother Mary. Jane was guided by St. Francis of Paula, her childhood director, and overcame serious obstacles that even "good" people raised. In 1501, the rule of the Annunciation was finally approved by Alexander VI. The Order's main goal was imitating Our Lady's ten virtues in the mystery of the Incarnation. The superioress was called Ancelle, "handmaid," in honor of Mary's humility. Jane built and endowed the first convent of the Order in 1502.She passed away in a state of grace after a sanctified life. She was buried in the royal crown and purple, beneath which lay the habit of her Order. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on May 28, 1950, because of her heroic virtues and the miracles proceeding from her intercession.
St. John de Britto(Martyr († 1693))
SAINT JOHN DE BRITTOMartyr( 1693) John de Britto was a page in Don Pedro II of Portugal's court. His modesty and virtues were sometimes off-putting to his careless companions. When he was dangerously ill, St. Francis Xavier miraculously cured him. With gratitude, his mother vested him for a year in the garb worn by the Jesuit Fathers. From that time, John's heart burned to follow the example of the Apostle of the Indies. On December 17, 1662, John entered the novitiate of the Society in Lisbon. Eleven years later, in spite of his family and the court's opposition, he left everything to evangelize Madura's Hindus. When his mother learned that he was going to the Indies, she used her influence to prevent him from leaving and persuaded the Papal Nuncio to intervene. John wrote, "God, Who called me from the world into religious life, now calls me from Portugal to India." For 14 years, John preached, baptized and converted multitudes. The Holy Cross was his consolation during privations, hardships and persecutions. After 14 years, he was seized, tortured and nearly killed. He was banished from the country and forced to return to Portugal. However, he overcame every obstacle and returned. Like St. John the Baptist, John de Britto suffered defamation and martyrdom. A woman accused him of wrongdoing after being set aside by a converted king. After a painful imprisonment, John was beheaded in 1693. His heroic virtues and the miracles proceeding from his intercession saw him canonized by Ven. Pope Pius XII in 1947.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2018 / Catholic Missal of february 2018
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:24Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:24Z