Tuesday of the First week in Ordinary Time

Letter to the Hebrews

It was not to angels that he subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
Instead, someone has testified somewhere: "What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor,
subjecting all things under his feet." In "subjecting" all things (to him), he left nothing not "subject to him." Yet at present we do not see "all things subject to him,"
but we do see Jesus "crowned with glory and honor" because he suffered death, he who "for a little while" was made "lower than the angels," that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them "brothers,"
saying: "I will proclaim your name to my brothers, in the midst of the assembly I will praise you";

Psalms

O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth.
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

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

St. Léonie Aviat(Religious (1844-1914))

Saint Françoise De Sales (Léonie Aviat)Religious(1844-1914) Léonie Aviat was born in Sézanne, in the region of Champagne (France), on September 16, 1844. She attended school at the Monastery of the Visitation in the city of Troyes. There, Mother Marie de Sales Chappuis, the superior, and Father Louis Brisson, the chaplain, acted as her spiritual directors. Having thus been formed at the school of St. Francis de Sales, Léonie prepared herself for the mission with which she was to be entrusted: the foundation of a Congregation committed to the Salesian spirituality and to the evangelization of young workers. The beginnings came in 1866. This was a time when large industrial concerns were attracting an underpaid labor force to cities. It was the case in the city of Troyes, where textile mills employed young, rural women. Fr. Brisson, a zealous apostle, and one of the forerunners of the great social movement that developed at the end of the 19th century, had opened a center in 1858 to welcome young girls working in the textile mills: to give them a complete human and Christian education. Unable to find a suitable directress and stable supervisory staff for the center, known as the "Oeuvre Saint-François de Sales," he decided, with God's inspiration, to establish a religious congregation. He found in Léonie Aviat an incomparable co-worker, in whom he discerned a vocation to the consecrated life as well. Upon completing her studies, Léonie left the Visitation monastery with the firm intention of returning to it as a lay Sister. However, Fr. Brisson and Mother Chappuis advised her to wait. Obedient to what she regarded as God's will, she received a special sign from Him a little later, one that couldn't be mistaken for an illusion: An inspiration enlightened Léonie's mind and guided her decision to go to the factory where glasses were manufactured and repaired in Sézanne, her native city. The sight of the workroom filled with young factory workers busily engaged in their work beneath the watchful and maternal gaze of a supervisor aroused in her heart the desire to take her place among them in order to counsel and guide them. This attraction would press her even more strongly the day Fr. Brisson invited her to visit the "Oeuvre ouvrière," which he had founded in Troyes. On April 18, 1866, Léonie joined the "Oeuvre Saint-François de Sales" with one of her former classmates of the Visitation, Lucie Canuet. On October 30, 1868, the young foundress was clothed with the religious habit and received the name of Sister Françoise de Sales. This name was a sign indicating what would be her life's work, as she herself expressed it in the form of a prayer in her personal notes: "St. Francis de Sales, you have chosen me to be at the head of this little group; give me your spirit, your heart... Grant me a share of your union with God and of that interior spirit which knows how to do everything in union with Him and nothing without Him" (August, 1871). The "little group" that she guided placed itself under the protection of the saintly Bishop of Geneva and completely adopted his method of spirituality and of pedagogy; hence the name that it chose for itself: the "Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales," which means, "offered to God and to neighbor by means of their whole life." On October 11, 1871, Sister Françoise de Sales professed her vows. The following year, she was elected Superior General of the new Congregation, which was thus canonically established and able to expand rapidly. Under her guidance, the community grew in numbers and the social apostolate developed. At the same time, grade schools were opened in parishes; and in Paris, the first boarding school for young ladies was also opened, an establishment which Mother Aviat directed for eight years. The apostolate of the Oblate Sisters extended to the different classes of society and to all forms of education; and from the very first years of its foundation, to the missions ad gentes as well. In 1893, after a period of effacement which brought to light her humility, Mother Françoise de Sales was again elected Superior General, an office she held until her death. During this time, she endeavored to develop the apostolate of the Congregation in Europe, South Africa, and Ecuador, while lavishing her untiring solicitude on every community and on each of her Sisters. She had to cope with the persecution directed against religious orders in France in 1903. While maintaining the houses of her Congregation that could be kept in France, she transferred the Mother House to Perugia, Italy. In 1911, she secured the final approbation of the Constitutions of the Institute from Pope St. Pius X. On January 10, 1914, she passed away in Perugia with serenity, totally entrusting herself to God. To the very end, she remained faithful to the resolution made at the time of her Profession: "To forget myself entirely." To her daughters in every age, she left this very Salesian precept: "Let us work for the happiness of others." She was beatified on September 27, 1992; and canonized on November 25, 2001, by Pope John Paul II.

St. William of Bourges(Archbishop († 1209))

SAINT WILLIAM Archbishop( 1209) William Berruyer, from the ancient Counts of Nevers, was educated by Peter the Hermit, Archdeacon of Soissons, his uncle by the mother's side. From his infancy, William learned to reject worldly vanity and human errors (materialism, consumerism, etc.). He thought only lightly of pleasure, and glorified God in all circumstances. His singular delights were the norms of piety; and his studying was accomplished in the spirit and fervor of the saints. He was made canon, first of Soissons and afterwards of Paris. Afterward, he resolved to abandon the world to give everything in the power of prayer. He retired into the solitude of Grandmont, where he lived with regularity in that austere Order. Finally, he joined the Cistercians who were in a state of sanctity. After some time, he was chosen Prior of the Abbey of Pontigny, and afterward became Abbot of Chaalis. On the death of Henri de Sully, Archbishop of Bourges, William was chosen to succeed him. The announcement of this dignity overwhelmed him; and he would not have accepted had not the Pope and his General, the Abbot of Citeaux, commanded him. Archbishop William's first care was conforming his intellect and will to the Divine. He redoubled all his austerities, saying it was incumbent to do penance for others as well as for himself. He always wore a hair-shirt under his religious habit and never added to his clothing in winter or diminished it in summer. He never ate meat, though he had it at his table for both guests and strangers. When Archbishop William drew near his end, he was, at his request, laid on ashes in his hair-cloth. In this state, he passed away January 10, 1209. His body was interred in his cathedral, and being honored by many miracles, was taken up in 1217. In the year following, St. William was canonized by Pope Honorius III.

Bl. María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña (1848-1918)()

Blessed María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña (1848-1918) Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña was born in Velez Rubio, Almería, Spain, on December 30, 1848, the fourth of seven siblings. Her parents, Tomas Rodríguez Sopeña and Nicolasa Ortega Salomon, had moved from Madrid to Velez Rubio for employment. Don Tomas had received his law degree at a young age, and because of this could not work as a lawyer. Instead, he found employment as an administrator of the Marqueses de Velez farms. Dolores grew up in the Andalucía region where her father began to work as a magistrate, an even though he was transferred often, she defined this time of her life as a "lake of tranquility." In 1866, her father was named Judge of Almería. Dolores was seventeen, and was formally introduced to society, though she did not relish the parties or the social life. Her interest was in doing good for others. In Almería, she had her first apostolic experiences: She attended, materially and spiritually, to two sisters who had typhoid fever, and to a leper. She kept this hidden from her parents because she was afraid that they might forbid her from continuing her work. She also visited the poor of Saint Vicent de Paul with her mother. Three years later, her father was sent to Puerto Rico. There, he traveled with one of his sons while the rest of his family moved to Madrid. Dolores chose a spiritual advisor and began teaching the Catholic doctrine to women in prison, in the Princess Hospital and in the Sunday Schools. In 1872, the family reunited in Puerto Rico. Dolores was twenty-three years old and would remain in the Americas until she was twenty-eight. She began her contact with the Jesuits, and Father Goicoechea became her spiritual advisor. In Puerto Rico, she founded the Association of the Sodality of the Virgin Mary and the schools for the disadvantaged, where she taught reading and writing, as well as catechism. In 1873, her father was named state attorney of Santiago de Cuba. These were difficult times because a religious schism was raging on the island. Because of this, her actions were curtailed to visiting the sick in a military hospital. She requested admission into the Sister of Charity community, but was not admitted due to her poor eye sight. An eye operation at the age of eight had left her with a disability that remained for the rest of her life. At the conclusion of the schism, Dolores began working in the poor neighborhoods, and founded the "Centers of Instruction." She taught catechism, general instruction, and provided medical assistance to those in need. For these efforts, she was able to get much assistance: establishing centers in three different neighborhoods. Dolores' mother passed away in Cuba, after which her father retired. The family returned to Madrid in 1877. In Madrid, Dolores organized her life on three fronts: her home and the care of her father, her apostolic work (the same work she did before leaving Spain) and her spiritual life (she chose a spiritual advisor and annually participated in Saint Ignatius Spiritual Retreat). In 1883, her father passed away, and once again she began struggling with her vocation. At the advice of her spiritual advisor, Father López Soldado, S.I., she entered the convent of the Salesians, even though she had never thought of devoting her whole life to contemplation. After 10 days, she left the convent as she came to the realization that this was not her vocation. She then began to give all of her attention to apostolic work. In 1885, Dolores opened a center similar to modern social work centers. There, the poor and needy could take their issues and have them resolved. During one of her visits to one of the women prisoners who had just being released, she became acquainted with the neighborhood of the Injurias. When she saw the moral, material and spiritual poorness of its people, she began visiting the neighborhood every week and invited her friends to help her with the work. There, she began the organization, "Works of the Doctrines," later named "Center for the Workers." In 1892, at the suggestion of the Bishop of Madrid, D. Ciríaco Sancha, she founded the Association of the Apostolic Laymen (which today is known as the Sopeña Lay Movement). The following year, she received approval from the government, allowing her to expand her work to eight neighborhoods in Madrid. In 1896, she began her activities outside Madrid. In four years, she took 199 trips all over Spain to establish and consolidate the "Works of the Doctrines." At the same time, she accompanied Father Tarin to Andalucía to help in the missions. In 1900, Dolores participated in a pilgrimage to Rome for the celebration of the Holy Year. There, she took part in a retreat at the Saint Peter's tomb and received approval to establish a Religious Institute that would provide continuation of her "Work of Doctrines" and help sustain spiritually the Sopeña Lay Movement. Cardinal Sancha, then Archbishop of Toledo, proposed founding it there. The "Ladies of Catechistical Institute" was founded on September 24, 1901. Dolores, with eight companions, had just participated in Spiritual Exercises in Loyola, where St. Ignatius was born. In the city of Toledo, on October 31, they started living as a religious community. One of the greatest inspirations that Dolores had was to establish, at the same time, the Civil Association which today is known as OSCUS or Social & Cultural Work Sopeña. In 1902, the Association was officially recognized by the Spanish government. In 1905, the Institute received from the Holy See the Degree of Praise. Two years later, on November 21, 1907, Dolores received the approval directly from Pope Pius X. Today, the Institute is known as the "Sopeña Catechetical Institute." During these years, her "Works of the Doctrines" were slowly changed to Centers for Workers' Instruction. This occurred because many of the workers that participated in the Centers were influenced by the anti-clerical sentiments, and the instruction could not be called religious out right. The anti-clerical sentiment was an important facet in the decision for the religious community of this Institute not to wear a habit or any outward sign of religion. These changes were made with the end result in mind: to get close to the workers who were "alienated from the church," that had been unable to receive any cultural, moral or religious instruction and to unite those socially distant. One of the main objectives was to bring people together so they could learn from each other. Dolores' deep faith, rich in spirituality, was the reason for her commitment to serving others. Her commitment was born from the experience that God, the Father of all, loves us with infinite tenderness and wishes us to live as sons and brothers and sisters. From there, she had a great desire to "Make of all one family in Christ Jesus." Her total immersion in Christ allowed her to see Him in everything and feel Him in everyone, especially in those that were in the most need of dignity and love. Towards the end of the 19th century, it was inconceivable to find a woman who would go out to work in the poor neighborhood. The secret of her fearlessness was her deep faith, her confidence without limit. She recognized this as her greatest treasure, and it made her feel that she had become the instrument of God's work, the instrument of love, hope, dignity and justice. In a few years, she was able to established communities and centers in industrialized cities. In 1910, the community celebrated the first General Chapter and Dolores was reelected Superior General. In 1914, she founded a community in Rome; and in 1917, opened their first house in the Americas. The following year, on January 10, 1918, Dolores Sopeña passed away in Madrid. Talk had already began of her being a saint. On July 11, 1992, Pope John Paul II declared Dolores' life work heroic; and on April 23, 2002, he certified the miracle attributed to Dolores Sopeña, which advanced her to beatification status. Currently, the Sopeña Family, encompasses three institutions: the Sopeña Catechetical Institute, The Sopeña Lay Movement and the Sopeña Social and Cultural Work. They are in Spain, Italy, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

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