Wednesday of the Fifth week in Ordinary Time

1st book of Kings

10,1-10.

The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon's fame, came to test him with subtle questions.
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue, and with camels bearing spices, a large amount of gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject in which she was interested.
King Solomon explained everything she asked about, and there remained nothing hidden from him that he could not explain to her.
When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon's great wisdom, the palace he had built,
the food at his table, the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters, his banquet service, and the holocausts he offered in the temple of the LORD, she was breathless.
"The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true," she told the king.
"Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes, I have discovered that they were not telling me the half. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.
Happy are your men, happy these servants of yours, who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD, your God, whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel. In his enduring love for Israel, the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice."
Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Psalms

37(36),5-6.30-31.39-40.

Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
The mouths of the just utter wisdom;
their tongues speak what is right.
God's teaching is in their hearts;
their steps do not falter.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
He is their refuge in time of distress.
The LORD helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark

7,14-23.

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."
When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles.
From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."

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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 who were esteemed for their virtue. 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 Revolution broke out in France. It was compulsory for the clergy to take an oath of support for the civil Constitution starting 1790. 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 at the Rendu family home under the assumed name "Pierre." Jeanne Marie discovered that he was celebrating Mass and was offended that she had not been told.Later, in a discussion with her mother, she blurted out: "Be careful or I will tell that Pierre is not really Pierre." To avoid any indiscretion on the part of her daughter, Madame Rendu admitted the truth.Jeanne Marie was thus educated in an atmosphere of faith exposed to danger. She made her first communion by candlelight in the basement of her home. 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 care for her younger sisters. When people calmed down after the Terror, Madame Rendu sent Jeanne Marie to the Ursuline Sisters in Gex for education. Jeanne Marie stayed at their boarding school for two years. She discovered the hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick and obtained her mother's 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 besought her mother. After consulting Fr. de Varicourt, the senior priest in Gex, Madame Rendu gave her happy and emotional consent to Jeanne. 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, which had been suppressed by the Revolutionaries, took place in December 1800. On their arrival, 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 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. Jeanne Marie's calling to action, devotion and service was needed in Mouffetard, the most impoverished district of the quickly-expanding capital.Jeanne Marie, who received the name Sr. Rosalie, made her apprenticeship accompanying Sisters who visited 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. In 1815, Sr. Rosalie became Superior of the Community at rue des Francs Bourgeois. Two years later, the Community moved to rue de l'Epée de Bois for reasons of space and convenience. Sr. Rosalie's qualities of devotedness, natural authority, humility, compassion and organization 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 the hidden recesses of St. Médard Parish to bring 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 in the peace of the Holy Family on February 7, 1856, after a brief illness.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 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.

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St. Mel()

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St. Richard of Lucca()

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misalcatolico.com

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2024 / Catholic Missal of february 2024