Catholic Missal of the day: Friday, February 6 2026

Friday of the Fourth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Sirach

Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings, so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids, and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant and wiped out the people's disgrace, When his hand let fly the slingstone that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God, who gave strength to his right arm To defeat the skilled warrior and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises and ascribed to him tens of thousands. When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side. He destroyed the hostile Philistines and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise. With his whole being he loved his Maker and daily had his praises sung;
He added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year With string music before the altar, providing sweet melody for the psalms
So that when the Holy Name was praised, before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The Lord forgave him his sins and exalted his strength forever; He conferred on him the rights of royalty and established his throne in Israel.

Psalms

God's way is unerring;
the LORD'S promise is tried and true;
he is a shield for all who trust in him.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
Thus I will proclaim you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
You who gave great victories to your king
And showed kindness to your anointed;
to David and his posterity forever.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Others were saying, "He is Elijah"; still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets."
But when Herod learned of it, he said, "It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias's own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore (many things) to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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 arrived 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 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. He was born in 1565, entered the Society of Jesus in Japan and gave his life to God. The martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1862. They behold God face to face because of 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."

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

SAINT DOROTHY Virgin and Martyr (+ 304) St. Dorothy lived in Cæsarea, modern Kayseri, Turkey. Her parents were martyred during Diocletian's persecution. When the governor forced Dorothy to choose between apostasy and death, Dorothy bravely chose Jesus. After being tortured, Dorothy was put under the authority of two apostates. The Holy Spirit kindled fire in their hearts; and the two apostates declared their love for Jesus. As punishment for returning to the faith, the two women, together with Dorothy, were first beaten and then burned with plates of red-hot iron. On the way to execution, a lawyer called Theophilus mocked Dorothy, telling her to have Jesus send him apples or roses. Before dying, a child appeared beside Dorothy with three apples and three roses. Dorothy asked the child to take the apples and roses to Theophilus and tell him they were presents from Jesus' garden. The child entered Theophilus' room and the latter recognized the child as an angel in disguise. Theophilus later converted and was martyred.

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

Blessed Alfonso Maria Fusco Priest (1839-1910) Alfonso Maria Fusco was born on March 23, 1839, in Angri, the province of Salerno, southern Italy. His parents, Aniello Fusco and Josephine Schiavone, were farmers. They raised their five children with love and serenity. Aniello and Josephine were married in the Collegiata of St. John the Baptist on January 31, 1834. However, the cradle they had lovingly prepared remained empty for four years. In Pagani, only a short distance from Angri, the relics of St. Alfonso Maria de' Liguori were preserved. They went to St. Alfonso's tomb in 1838 to pray. There, the Redemptorist Francesco Saverio Pecorelli told them, "You will have a son." As a child, Alfonso revealed a mild and gentle character. He prayed regularly and was charitable toward the poor. His teachers were priests who instructed him and prepared him for his first Communion. When he was 7, Alfonso received his First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Alfonso was 11 years old when he 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 his family and community. 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 transmit family values to the poor prompted him to found an orphanage and an institute of sisters. Like St. Alfonso Maria de' Liguori, 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 founded. Their first house was named the Little House of Providence, and more followed. 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 at the small chapel of 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. During the night of February 5, 1910, Fr. Alfonso began feeling unwell. He received the sacraments on the morning of February 6 and passed away in the peace of the Holy Family.Bl. Alfonso's life was an act of gratitude to God and the Church. God's grace 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 him as a model to priests and educators.

misalcatolico.com

Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2026 / Catholic Missal of february 2026