Monday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Exodus

When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them. "What have we done!" they exclaimed. "Why, we have released Israel from our service!"
So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers--
six hundred first-class chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh that he pursued the Israelites even while they were marching away in triumph.
The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh's whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the Israelites looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the LORD.
And they complained to Moses, "Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt?
Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, 'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians'? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert."
But Moses answered the people, "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.
The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two, that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers."

Book of Exodus

I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh's chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."
He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here."

St. Sharbel Makhluf(Priest (1828-1898))

SAINT CHARBEL MAKHLUFPriest(1828-1898) Joseph Zaroun Makhluf was born at a small mountain village in Lebanon. Raised by an uncle who opposed the boy's youthful piety, he snuck away at 23 to join the Baladite monastery of Saint Maron, at Annaya, where he took the name Charbel - in memory of a 2nd century martyr. He was ordained in 1858. Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fr. Charbel spent the last 23 years of his life as a hermit. Despite temptations to wealth and comfort, he lived as a model monk on the bare minimums of everything. He gained a reputation for holiness, and was much sought for counsel and blessing. He had a great personal devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and was known to levitate during his prayers. He was briefly paralyzed just before his death. Many post-mortem miracles were attributed to him, including periods in 1927 and 1950 when a bloody "sweat" flowed from his corpse. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for Lebanese and non-Lebanese, Christian and non-Christian alike. Fr. Charbel was beatified in 1965 and canonized on 9 October 1977 by Pope Paul VI.July 24th is the feast-day for St. Charbel Makhlouf in the Universal Church. The Maronite Church celebrates him on the 3rd Sunday of July and on December 24th, when he entered heaven.

St. Christina(Virgin and Martyr († c. 300))

SAINT CHRISTINA Virgin and Martyr( c. 300) St. Christina won her martyr's crown when she refused to deny Christ. Roman Martyrologies say she was daughter of Urbain, a rich and powerful magistrate. At least one record says that she destroyed her father's golden idols and distributed their pieces among the poor. By her father's command, Christina was tortured to death. Her executioners tore into her with iron hooks. Afterward, they fastened her to a rack and started burning her. A miracle of God's justice was when the burning flames turned away from Christina and toward her onlookers. Another miracle occurred when she was drowned in Bolsena Lake, and an angel loosened the bonds and freed her. Christina's father was recorded as passing away while she was being tortured. Maybe a glimmer of remorse saved him from hell. Christina was again tortured by the magistrate who succeeded her father. Alban Butler stated that Christina remained unhurt inside a burning furnace for 5 days. Once removed, serpents could not bite her. In a rage, Christina's torturers cut out her tongue and shot her to death with arrows. The island-city, Tyro, where she was executed was swallowed up by waters in the course of time. St. Christina's relics are kept at Palermo in Sicily. Her perseverance and heroic courage are witnesses to perfect love. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (Jn. 4:18)"

Sts. John Boste(George Swallowell, & John Ingram)

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