Catholic Missal of the day: Tuesday, February 7 2023
Tuesday of the Fifth week in Ordinary Time
Book of Genesis
1,20-31.2,1-4a.God said, "Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky." And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was,
and God blessed them, saying, "Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed--the fifth day.
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds." And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was.
Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed--the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation. At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens--
Psalms
8,4-5.6-7.8-9.When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
7,1-13.When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.'
You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
He went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother shall die.'
Yet you say, 'If a person says to father or mother, "Any support you might have had from me is qorban"' (meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things."
Bl. Rosalie Rendu((1786-1856))
Blessed Rosalie Rendu Daughter of Charity (1786-1856) Jeanne Marie Rendu, the eldest of four girls, was born on September 9 at Confort, a district of Gex, in the Jura Mountains. Her parents were esteemed for their virtue and small property owners. Jeanne Marie was baptized the day she was born in 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 Revolution broke out in France. From 1790, it was compulsory for the clergy to take an oath of support for the civil Constitution. Numerous priests, faithful to the Church, refused to take the oath. They 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 in the Rendu family home under the assumed name "Pierre." Jeanne Marie was fascinated by this hired hand. One night, she discovered that he was celebrating Mass. She was offended that she had not been told the truth.Later, in a discussion with her mother, she blurted out: "Be careful or I will tell that Pierre is not really Pierre." In order to avoid any indiscretion on the part of her daughter, Madame Rendu told her the truth of the situation. It was in an atmosphere of faith exposed to the dangers of denunciation that Jeanne Marie was educated. She would make her first communion one night by candlelight in the basement of her home. This challenging environment forged her character. 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 entire family. Jeanne Marie, aware of her responsibility as the eldest, helped her mother, especially in caring for her younger sisters. In the days following the Terror, people calmed down little by little and life resumed its normality. Madame Rendu, concerned about the education of her eldest daughter, sent her to the Ursuline Sisters in Gex. Jeanne Marie stayed two years in this boarding school. During her walks to town, she discovered the hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick. She had only one desire: to go and join them. Her mother gave consent that Jeanne, in spite of her young age, might spend some time at this hospital. God's call, which she had sensed for many years, made itself clear: she would become a Daughter of Charity. In 1802, Armande Jacquinot, from the village of Lancrans, confided to her friend that she was preparing to leave for Paris to enter the Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Jeanne Marie leaped at the opportunity and begged her mother to allow her to leave. Having consulted with Fr. de Varicourt, the senior priest at Gex, Madame Rendu, happy, but very emotional at her daughter's vocation, consented to her request. On May 25, 1802, Jeanne Marie arrived at the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity, rue du Vieux Colombier in Paris. She was nearly 17 years old! The reopening of the Seminary, (novitiate suppressed by the Revolutionaries) took place in December 1800. On their arrival, the travelers were welcomed by 50 young women in formation. Jeanne Marie was anxious to give her very best in this new life. Her health was weakened by the sustained effort it demanded. On the advice of her physician and that of her Godfather, Fr. Emery, Jeanne Marie was sent to the house of the Daughters of Charity in the Mouffetard District for the service of the poor. There, she remain fifty-four years. Jeanne Marie's calling to action, devotion and service could not have found a better place than this District of Paris. At the time, it was the most impoverished district of the quickly expanding capital.Jeanne Marie, who received the name Sr. Rosalie, made her apprenticeship accompanying Sisters visiting the sick and the poor. Between times, she taught catechism and reading to little girls at the free school. In 1807, Sr. Rosalie, surrounded by the Sisters of her Community, made vows for the first time to serve God and the poor. She made these vows with great joy. In 1815, Sr. Rosalie became Superior of the Community at rue des Francs Bourgeois. Two years later, the Community would move to rue de l'Epée de Bois for reasons of space and convenience. All her qualities of devotedness, natural authority, humility, compassion and her organizational abilities would be revealed. "Her poor," as she would call them, became more and more numerous during this troubled time. The ravages of a triumphant economic liberalism accentuated the destitution of those most rejected. She sent her Sisters into all the hidden recesses of St. Médard Parish in order to bring supplies, clothing, care and a comforting word. To assist all the suffering, 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.Sr. Rosalie's 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: a "mirror of Christ." 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." Sr. Rosalie was attentive to her companions and assured they had time for prayer, but sometimes there was a need to "leave God for God," as Vincent de Paul taught his Daughters. 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 always walked with God. She would speak to Him of families in distress, of 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." Sr. Rosalie was 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." To Sr. Rosalie's house, her superiors sent postulants and young Sisters to be formed. To one of her Sisters in crisis, she gave this advice, which is the secret of her life: "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. She saw in these works the Providence of God. Sr. Rosalie's reputation quickly grew in all the districts of Paris and beyond. She knew how to surround 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 in her parlor. Students of law, medicine, science, technology, engineering, teacher‑training and all the other important schools came seeking information and recommendations. Or, before performing a good work, they asked her at which door they should knock. Among these, 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, knew well the road to her office. They came, with their other friends, to Sr. Rosalie seeking advice for undertaking their projects. She was the center of a charitable movement that characterized Paris and France in the first half of the 19th century. Sr. Rosalie's experience was priceless for these young people. She directed their apostolate, guided their coming and going in the suburbs and gave them addresses of families in need, choosing with care. 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, age, 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 in the peace of the Holy Family on February 7, 1856, after a brief illness. Emotions ran high in the district and at all levels of society in both Paris and the countryside. After the funeral rite at St. Médard Church in her parish, 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 show their affection for this "out of the ordinary" sister. Numerous newspaper articles witnessed to the admiration and even veneration that Sr. Rosalie received. Newspapers from all sides echoed the sentiments of the people.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, did not hesitate to announce the death of this Daughter of Charity: "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." The official newspaper of the Empire, le Moniteur, praised the kindly actions of Sr. Rosalie: "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. They went to meditate at the tomb of she who had laid down her life for others. From the miracles attriuted to her intecession, it became difficult for Daughters of Charity to visit Bl. Rosalie's resting place. Hence 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. She intercedes, together with him, on our behalf, forever.
St. Mel()
St. Richard of Lucca()
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2023 / Catholic Missal of february 2023
Published: 2023-11-27T19:31:43Z | Modified: 2023-11-27T19:31:43Z