Monday of the Fifth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Genesis

1,1-19.

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." Thus evening came, and morning followed--the first day.
Then God said, "Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other." And so it happened:
God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky." Evening came, and morning followed--the second day.
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear." And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth," and the basin of the water he called "the sea." God saw how good it was.
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it." And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed--the third day.
Then God said: "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth." And so it happened:
God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed--the fourth day.

Psalms

104(103),1-2a.5-6.10.12.24.35c.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark

6,53-56.

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

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St. Paul Miki & his companions(Martyrs (+ 1597) - Memorial)

SAINTS PAUL MIKI & HIS COMPANIONS Martyrs (+ 1597) The Gospel was preached in Japan after St. Francis Xavier's arrival in 1549. Fearing the invasion of his kingdom, Japanese emperor Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi banished all foreign religious in 1587. When fifteen Franciscans visited Japan in 1593, they were executed: martyred alongside six religious, three Jesuits, two Japanese converts and fifteen Japanese tertiaries. They were tortured and crucified on February 5, 1597, on the Hill of Wheat, Tateyama, Nagasaki. Among the martyrs was St. Paul Miki, a Jesuit scholastic [Jesuit in training]. He was born in 1565, entered the Society of Jesus in Japan and preached the Gospel. The martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1862 for their heroic virtues and the miracles proceeding from their intercession.********"The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason that I die. I believe that I am telling the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ's example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain."

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St. Dorothy(Virgin and Martyr (+ 304))

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SAINT DOROTHY Virgin and Martyr (+ 304) St. Dorothy lived in Cæsarea. During Diocletian's persecution, both her parents were martyred. When the governor sentenced her to apostasy or death, St. Dorothy bravely chose Jesus Christ. After being tortured, St. Dorothy was put under the authority of two apostates. The Holy Spirit kindled fire in the hearts of all three women: the two apostates declared their love for the Word made incarnate. As punishment for returning to the faith, the two women, together with St. Dorothy, were first beaten and then burned with plates of red-hot iron. On the road to execution, a lawyer, called Theophilus, mocked St. Dorothy, telling her to have (her Spouse) Jesus send him apples or roses from His garden. Before dying, a little child appeared by St. Dorothy carrying three apples and three roses. St. Dorothy asked the child to take the apples and roses to Theophilus, telling him they were presents from the garden of Jesus her Spouse. The child entered Theophilus' room; and he saw the child was an angel in disguise. The fruit and flowers were made from heaven. Theophilus then converted to the Faith, and lovingly shared in St. Dorothy's martyrdom.

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Bl. Alfonso Maria Fusco((1839-1910))

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Blessed Alfonso Maria Fusco Priest (1839-1910) Alfonso Maria Fusco, the oldest of five children, was born on March 23, 1839, in Angri, in the province of Salerno, in the Diocese of Nocera-Sarno. His parents, Aniello Fusco and Josephine Schiavone, were farmers raised with Christian principles and burned with love for God. Aniello and Josephine were married in the Collegiata of St. John the Baptist on January 31, 1834, and for four long years the cradle they had lovingly prepared remained painfully empty. In Pagani, only a short distance from Angri, the relics of St. Alfonso Maria de' Liguori were preserved. It was to his tomb that Aniello and Josephine went in 1838 to pray. While they were there, the Redemptorist Francesco Saverio Pecorelli told them, "You will have a son." Alfonso, a little child, quickly revealed a mild and gentle character. He was responsive to prayer and the needs of the poor. His teachers were learned priests who instructed and prepared him for his first Communion. When he was seven, Alfonso received his First Holy Communion and Confirmation. When he was eleven, Alfonso told his parents he wanted to become a priest. On November 5, 1850, "freely and with the sole desire to serve God and the Church," Alfonso entered the episcopal Seminary of Nocera dei Pagani. On May 29, 1863, he was ordained by the Archbishop of Salerno, Monsignor Anthony Salomone, amid the joy of his family and his community's enthusiasm. Quickly, Fr. Alfonso distinguished himself among the clergy of the Collegiata of St. John the Baptist in Angri. His fervor and spirit manifested in regular attendance at liturgical services and through diligently administering the Sacraments. During the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially, Fr. Alfonso revealed his paternal understanding of his penitents. He devoted himself to evangelization through prayer and simple, heartfelt preaching. The daily life of Father Alfonso was of a zealous priest. His vocation to pass family values onto the poor in whom he served Jesus prompted him to found an orphanage and an insitute of sisters. Like St. Josemaria Escriva, depicted in the movie "There Be Dragons," Bl. Alfonso saw Jesus of Nazareth calling him to become a founder. A meeting with Maddalena Caputo of Angri impelled Father Alfonso to move more quickly in the foundation of the institute. On September 25, 1878, Ms. Caputo and three other young women met at night in the Scarcella house in the Ardinghi district of Angri. There, they took vows of poverty, union with God and charity in educating orphans. The Congregation of the Baptistine Sisters of the Nazarene was thus begun; and the seed that fell on good soil brought forth grain a more than a hundredfold. The first house was named the Little House of Providence, and more followed. As more postulants and orphans arrived, the sisters struggled to make ends meet. While accepting their crosses and carrying the burdens with joyfulness and love,the Community expanded, becoming purer and more fervent. Bishop Saverio Vitagliano's unjustified attempt to remove Father Alfonso as director, and his own daughter's refusal to open the door of the house on Via Germanico in Rome, coupled with the words of Cardinal Respighi for him to withdraw were moments of great suffering for Fr. Alfonso. He prayed in anguish in the small chapel in the Mother House in Angri and in the church of St. Joachim in Rome. Fr. Alfonso did not leave many writings. He spoke, rather, with the witness of his life. The writings we have by him bear witness to his evangelical wisdom. From the testimony of those who knew him, he had immense love for the Eucharist, the Passion of Jesus, and was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He would often repeat to his Sisters, "Let us become saints, following Jesus closely..." At a time when education was the privilege of the few, denied to the poor and to women, Fr. Alfonso and the Sisters gave orphans a peaceful life, education and a trade to master. He wanted the Sisters to begin their studies as soon as possible so they could teach. Through their instruction and evangelization, they prepared the way for Jesus in the hearts, minds and souls of the children. Fr. Alfonso's spirit was anchored in Divine Providence. He, together with Maddalena Caputo, grew the Congregation in a short period of time. They soon opened new houses in Campania and other regions of Italy in response to the needs of the Church. During the night of February 5, 1910, Fr. Alfonso began feeling unwell. He received the Sacraments on the morning of February 6. Through St. Joseph's intercession, he passed away in the peace of the Holy Family. Bl. Alfonso's life was an act of gratitude to God, the diginity of life and the Body of Christ. The grace of God continues helping the Sisters' work across four continents. On February 12, 1976, Pope Paul VI recognized Bl. Alfonso's heroic virtues. On October 7, 2001, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him blessed; and offered his example as a model to priests and educators.

misalcatolico.com

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