Catholic Missal of the day: Friday, January 8 2016

5th day after Epiphany

5th day after Epiphany

1. Reading

First Letter of John

5,5-13.

]Beloved: Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
]This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.
]So there are three that testify,
]the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord.
]If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
]Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.
]And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
]Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.
]I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Psalm

Psalms

147,12-13.14-15.19-20.

]Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
]For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
]He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
]He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
]He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
]He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia

Gospel

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke

5,12-16.

]It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
]Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will it. Be made clean." And the leprosy left him immediately.
]Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but "Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."
]The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments,
]but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.

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St. Apollinaris(The Apologist, Bishop (2nd century))

SAINT APOLLINARIS, THE APOLOGIST Bishop(2nd century) Claudius Apollinaris was the bishop of Hierapolis, in the kingdom of Phrygia, modern Turkey. He was an apologist and civil rights activist. Besides encomiums from Eusebius, St. Jerome, Theodoret and others, little is known about Apollinaris. His writings, which were then held in great esteem, seem now to be lost. Apollinaris wrote many able treatises against heresies. He pointed out, as St. Jerome testifies, from what philosophical sect each heresy derived its errors. He also addressed an apologetic letter to Emperor Marcus Aurelius circa 175 A.D. Therein, he links the miraculous victory over the Quadi to the prayers of Christians. Apollinaris implored the emperor to protect Christians from persecution by pagans. Thus, Marcus Aurelius published an edict forbidding anyone, under pain of death, to accuse Christians for their religion. By a strange inconsistency, he lacked the courage to abolish the laws then in force. As a consequence, many Christians suffered martyrdom, though their accusers were also put to death. The date of Apollinaris' death is unknown. The Roman Martyrology mentions him on January 8. He lives now in the company of saints and beholds God forever.

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St. Severin(Abbot (410-482))

St. SeverinAbbot(410-482) While the Roman Empire was collapsing, St. Severin travelled to the most stricken, war-torn area to serve and minister to its people. He carried nothing more than the clothes on his back; but built refugee centers, schools and monasteries. He was like a prototype of St. Francis of Assisi. Austria honors St. Severin as its apostle. Germanic tribes were invading Noricum, modern Austria, and Bavaria. The Roman Empire was collapsing and those on its fringes were acutely affected. St. Severin made the conscious decision to work among the inhabitants of that area, amidst Germanic tribes who invaded Rome. He only bore the weight of the enormous risks through faith and likely a strong devotion to Saints Mary and Joseph. He walked by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). In Noricum, St. Severin organized refugee centers and procured food. Germanic warlords like Odoacer permitted his activities on account of his absolute poverty and clear lack of political agenda. He arrived in Noricum not wearing shoes and sleeping in the open. He had no claim to wealth or status; hence the power of his faith was great. He worked without any material gain and at the expense of his own life. The sheer vulnerability and radical lifestyle must have caused others to think he was harmless or a lunatic. The immunity he gained allowed him to eventually establish schools and monasteries with Germanic consent. When St. Severin's monastery was razed by invading Huns, his body was carried to Lucullano, near Naples. His body was then transferred to a monastery dedicated to him. The lasting impact he had on Austria and Bavaria have led those countries to venerate him as an apostle and father.

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St. Thorfinn(Bishop († 1285))

misalcatolico.com

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2016 / Catholic Missal of january 2016