Catholic Missal of the day: Sunday, February 7 2016
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
1. ReadingBook of Isaiah
6,1-2a.3-8.]In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple.
]Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.
]"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!"
]At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.
]Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
]Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
]He touched my mouth with it. "See," he said, "now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."
]Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said; "send me!"
Psalms
138(137),1-2a.2bc-3.4-5.7c-8.]I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
]I will worship at your holy temple.
]I will give thanks to your name,
]because of your kindness and your truth.
]When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
]All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
]and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:
"Great is the glory of the LORD."
]Your right hand saves me.
]The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
First Letter to the Corinthians
15,1-11.]I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
]Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
]For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;
]that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures;
]that he appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve.
]After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
]After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
]Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
]For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
]But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me.
]Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
5,1-11.]While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
]He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
]Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
]After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
]Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."
]When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.
]They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.
]When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
]For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him,
]and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."
]When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
Bl. Rosalie Rendu(Foundress (1786-1856))
Blessed Rosalie Rendu Daughter of Charity (1786-1856) Jeanne Marie Rendu, the eldest of four girls, was born on September 9 in Confort, a district of Gex, in the Jura Mountains of France and Switzerland. Her parents were small property owners. Jeanne Marie was baptized the day she was born at the parish church of Lancrans. Her godfather was Jacques Emery, a family friend and future superior general of the Sulpicians in Paris. Jeanne Marie Rendu was three years old when the French Revolution broke out. Starting 1790, it was compulsory for the clergy to take an oath of support for the civil Constitution. Numerous priests refused and were chased from their parishes, lynched or executed.Thus, the Rendu family home became a refuge for persecuted priests. The bishop of Annecy found refuge at the Rendu family home under the assumed name "Pierre." Jeanne Marie discovered him celebrating Mass and later told her mother, "Be careful or I will tell that Pierre is not really Pierre." Hence, Jeanne Marie was educated in an atmosphere of faith exposed to danger. She made her first communion by candlelight in the basement. The death of her father on May 12, 1796, and the passing of her youngest sister at four months old, on July 19 of the same year, shook the family. Jeanne Marie, aware of her responsibility as the eldest, helped care for her younger sisters. When the Terror subsided, Jeanne Marie was sent to the Ursuline Sisters in Gex for education and stayed at their boarding school for two years. She discovered the hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick and obtained consent to join them. God's call, which she had sensed for many years, became clear: she would become a Daughter of Charity. In 1802, Armande Jacquinot, from the village of Lancrans, confided to Jeanne Marie that she was leaving for Paris to become a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Jeanne Marie leaped at the opportunity and told her mother. After consulting Fr. de Varicourt, the senior priest in Gex, Jeanne's mother gave happy and emotional consent. On May 25, 1802, Jeanne Marie arrived at the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity, rue du Vieux Colombier, in Paris. They were welcomed by 50 young women in formation.Jeanne Marie was anxious to give her very best in this new life, but her health was weakened by the sustained effort it demanded. On her physician's advise and that of her godfather, Fr. Emery, she was sent to the house of the Daughters of Charity in the Mouffetard District. Jeanne Marie's calling to action, devotion and service was needed in Mouffetard, Paris' most impoverished district. She received the name Sr. Rosalie and made her apprenticeship accompanying Sisters who visited the sick and the poor. She also taught catechism and reading to little girls at the free school. In 1807, surrounded by her Sisters, she made vows for the first time. In 1815, Sr. Rosalie became Superior of the Community at rue des Francs Bourgeois. Two years later, they moved to rue de l'Epée de Bois for additional space and convenience. Sr. Rosalie's devotedness, natural authority, humility, compassion and organization were revealed. "Her poor," as she called them, became more and more numerous during this troubled time. She sent her Sisters into the recesses of St. Médard Parish bringing supplies, clothing, care and a comforting word. To assist Mouffetard's residents, Sr. Rosalie opened a free clinic, a pharmacy, a school, an orphanage, a child‑care center, a youth club for young workers and a home for the elderly without resources. Soon, a whole network of charitable services would be established to counter poverty. Her example edified and encouraged her Sisters. She often told them, "Be a milestone where all those who are tired have the right to lay down their load." She was so simple, and lived so poorly, as to let the presence of God shine through her. Sr. Rosalie's faith, solid as a rock and clear as a spring, revealed Jesus Christ in all circumstances. She daily experienced the conviction of St. Vincent: "You will go and visit the poor ten times a day, and ten times a day you will find God there ... you go into their poor homes, but you find God there." Her prayer life was intense, as a Sister affirmed, "She continually lived in the presence of God. Even if she had a difficult mission to fulfill, we were always assured of seeing her go to the chapel or finding her on her knees in her office." Sometimes, there was a need to "leave God for God," as Vincent de Paul taught. Once, while accompanying a Sister on a charitable visit, she said to her: "Sister, let's begin our meditation!" She suggested the plan, the outline, in a few simple, clear words and entered into prayer. Sr. Rosalie spoke with God about families in distress, elderly persons who risked dying alone and all suffering souls. "Never have I prayed so well as in the streets," she would say.One of her companions remarked that, "the poor themselves noted her way of praying and acting. Humble in her authority, Sr. Rosalie would correct us with great sensitivity and had the gift of consoling. Her advice, spoken justly and given with all her affection, penetrated our souls." Shewas also attentive to the manner in which she received the poor. Her spirit of faith saw in them our "lords and masters." "The poor may insult you. The ruder they are, the more dignified you must be," she said. "Remember, Our Lord hides behind those rags." Sr. Rosalie's superiors sent her postulants and young Sisters. To one of her Sisters in crisis, she gave this advice: "If you want someone to love you, you must be the first to love; and if you have nothing to give, give yourself." As the number of Sisters increased, the charity office became a house of charity with a clinic and a school.Sr. Rosalie's reputation grew in all the districts of Paris and beyond. She surrounded herself with efficient and dedicated collaborators. Donations flowed in quickly as the rich were unable to resist this persuasive woman. Even the former royalty did not forget her in their generosity. Bishops, priests, the Ambassador of Spain (Donoso Cortéz), Carlo X, General Cavaignac, and the most distinguished men of state and culture, even the Emperor Napoleon III with his wife, were often seen at her parlor. Students of law, medicine, science, technology, engineering, teacher‑training and all the other important schools came seeking information and recommendations. They asked her at which door they should knock before performing a good work. Among these was Blessed Frederick Ozanam, co‑founder of the "Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul," and the Venerable Jean Léon Le Prevost, future founder of the Religious of St. Vincent de Paul. They came seeking advice to undertake projects. Sr. Rosalie was the center of a charitable movement that characterized Paris and France in the first half of the 19th century. Sr. Rosalie also formed a friendship with the Superioress of Bon Saveur in Caen and requested that she too welcome those in need. She was particularly attentive to priests and religious suffering from psychiatric difficulties. Her correspondence was short but touching, considerate, patient and respectful toward all. Hardships were not lacking in the Mouffetard District. Epidemics of cholera followed one after another. Lack of hygiene and poverty fostered their virulence. Most particularly, in 1832 and 1846, the dedication shown - and risks taken - by Sr. Rosalie and her Sisters were beyond imagination. She herself was seen picking up dead bodies in the streets. During the uprisings of July 1830 and February 1848, barricades and bloody battles were the marks of the working class stirred up against the rent-seeking elite. Archbishop Affre, the archbishop of Paris, was killed while trying to intervene between the fighting factions. Sr. Rosalie was deeply grieved at his passing. She herself climbed the barricades to try and help the wounded fighters irrespective of the side they were fighting on. When order was reestablished, Sr. Rosalie tried to save a number of people who were victims of fierce repression. She was helped a great deal by the mayor of the district, Dr. Ulysse Trélat, a true republican, who was also very popular.In 1852, Napoleon III awarded Sr. Rosalie the Cross of the Legion of Honor. She was ready to refuse this individual honor, but Fr. Etienne, Superior General of the Priests of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, made her accept it. Always in fragile health, Sr. Rosalie never took a moment of rest, but managed to overcome fatigue and fevers. However, increasing sickness and the amount of work that needed to be done eventually broke her strong resistance. During the last two years of her life, she became progressively blind. She passed away on February 7, 1856, after a brief illness.After the funeral rite at St. Médard Church, a large and emotional crowd followed her remains to the Montparnasse Cemetery. They came to show their respect for the works she had accomplished and to show their affection for this "out of the ordinary" sister. Numerous newspaper articles witnessed to the admiration that Sr. Rosalie received. L'Univers, the principal Catholic newspaper of the time, edited by Louis Veuillot, wrote as early as February 8: "Our readers understand the significance of the sadness that has come upon the poor of Paris. They join their sufferings with the tears and prayers of the unfortunate."Il Consitutionnel, the newspaper of the anticlerical left, wrote: "The unfortunate people of the 12th district have just experienced a regrettable loss. Sr. Rosalie, Superior of the Community at rue de l'Epée de Bois died yesterday after a long illness. For many years this respectable woman was the salvation of the numerous needy in this district." Le Moniteur, the Empire's official newspaper wrote: "Funeral honors were given to Sr. Rosalie with unusual splendor. For more than fifty years this holy woman was a friend to others in a district where there are many unfortunate people to care for, and all these grateful people accompanied her remains to the church and to the cemetery. A guard of honor was part of the cortege." Numerous visitors flocked to the Montparnasse Cemetery. From the miracles attributed to her interession, it became difficult for Daughters of Charity to visit Bl. Rosalie's resting place. Thus, her body was transferred to a more accessible site near the cemetery's entrance. On St. Rosalie's simple tomb are engraved these words: "To Sister Rosalie, from her grateful friends, the rich and the poor." Anonymous hands continue bringing flowers to her gravesite: a lasting yet discreet homage to this humble daughter of St. Vincent de Paul.
St. Mel()
St. Richard of Lucca()
Roman Martyrology: At Lucca in Tuscany, around 720, the burial of Saint Richard, father of Saints Winebald, Willibald and Walburge, who, on his way from England on a pilgrimage to Rome with his sons, where he died.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2016 / Catholic Missal of february 2016
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:07Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:07Z