Catholic Missal of the day: Friday, July 7 2017
Friday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time
Friday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time
1. ReadingBook of Genesis
23,1-4.19.24,1-8.62-67.]The span of Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty-seven years.
]She died in Kiriatharba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham performed the customary mourning rites for her.
]Then he left the side of his dead one and addressed the Hittites:
]"Although I am a resident alien among you, sell me from your holdings a piece of property for a burial ground, that I may bury my dead wife."
]After this transaction, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
]Abraham had now reached a ripe old age, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
]Abraham said to the senior servant of his household, who had charge of all his possessions: "Put your hand under my thigh,
]and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not procure a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live,
]but that you will go to my own land and to my kindred to get a wife for my son Isaac."
]The servant asked him: "What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I then take your son back to the land from which you migrated?"
]"Never take my son back there for any reason," Abraham told him.
]"The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my kin, and who confirmed by oath the promise he then made to me, 'I will give this land to your descendants'--he will send his messenger before you, and you will obtain a wife for my son there.
]If the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But never take my son back there!"
]Meanwhile Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the region of the Negeb.
]One day toward evening he went out. . . in the field, and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching.
]Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him, she alighted from her camel
]and asked the servant, "Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?" "That is my master," replied the servant. Then she covered herself with her veil.
]The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
]Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent; he married her, and thus she became his wife. In his love for her Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.
Psalms
106(105),1-2.3-4a.4b-5.]Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
]Who can tell the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or proclaim all his praises?
]Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
]Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people.
]Visit me with your saving help,
]that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
9,9-13.]As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
]While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
]The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
]He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
]Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
St. Pantaenus(Father of the Church († c. 216))
SAINT PANTÆNUS Father of the Church ( c. 216) Saint Pantænus was born during the second century. He was Sicilian who taught stoicism. He befriended Christians because of their innocence, joyfulness and disinterested love. Soon, he received faith in Jesus through their prayers and witness. Pantænus studied Holy Scripture under the apostles' disciples. He went to Alexandria in Egypt where the disciples of St. Mark founded a school of Christian doctrine. Pantænus' great progress merited his appointment as head of the Christian school around the year 179. He revitalized and expanded the institute, which stood out amid the schools of philosophy. He and his successors formed Chrstian thought on the Trinity, disproved gnostic heresy and disseminated Christianity throughout the Hellenistic world. The Indians who traded in Alexandria entreated Pantænus to visit their country, so he left and preached the Gospel in the East. He found some seeds of the faith already sown in the Indies and a book of the Gospel of St. Matthew written in Hebrew, carried there by St. Bartholomew. He brought the book with him to Alexandria after several years. He continued teaching in private until around the year 216 when he closed a noble life with a happy death.
Bl. María Romero Meneses(Religious (1902-1977))
BLESSED MARÍA ROMERO MENESES Salesian Sister (1902-1977) Blessed María Romero Meneses was a SalesianSister who is popularly known as the Social Apostle of Costa Rica. She was born in Granada, Nicaragua, on January 13, 1902. In Costa Rica, María was a social apostle through multiple initiatives for the poor. She started with teaching catechism and vocational skills and finished with a medical center, a school for the Church's social doctrine and seven housing communities for poor families. María was one of eight children from an upper class family. She was educated by her aunts and parents, studied drawing and painting and played the piano and violin. She was also enrolled at the Salesian Sisters' school. When she was 12 years old, she fell ill with rheumatic fever that paralyzed her for six months. It was a source of trial and suffering that made her miss a year at herbeloved school. During her trial, she already showed a mature faith, character and will. She called her sufferings "gifts of God." When a doctor informed her that her heart had been seriously damaged, she did not complain, but put her confidence for a complete recovery in Our Lady, Help of Christians. To a school friend who visited her, she said, "I know that the Blessed Virgin will cure me." A few days later, she returned to school in good health. On December 8, 1915, María joined the Marian association "Daughters of Mary." She offered herself with great confidence to the Mother of God. The Salesian spiritual director Don Emilio Bottari helped her discern a vocation and recorded her mystical experiences. In 1920, at age of 18, María joined the Daughters of Mary. Fr. Emilio Bottari gave her a prophetic recommendation: "Even though difficult moments will come and you will feel torn to pieces, be faithful and strong in your vocation." For María, these words sustained her for the rest of her life. On January 6, 1929, in Nicaragua, María made her final profession. Her interior life unfolded as each day she strived to live in joyful union with God as His instrument, after the example of Don Bosco, which she described in her spiritual writings. In 1931, she was sent to San José, Costa Rica, which became her second country. In 1933, she was teaching music, drawing and typing to wealthy girls at the school and catechetics and practical trades in the barrios. In 1934, she began winning over young girls who were her students (misioneritas) to join her in the work of evangelizing and catechizing. She discovered that her life's work was inspiring the have's to help the have-not's. In 1945,María began establishing community recreational centers. In 1953, she had centers for food distribution. In 1961, she opened a casita: a school for poor girls. In 1966, she opened a (again) nonprofit clinic, where God's Providence helped her with the volunteer services of doctors and donations of medicines. María then planned a village housing for communities. On a piece of land outside the city, in 1973, the first seven homes were built in the Centro San José. It was followed by a farm, a market and school space for religious formation, catechesis and job training. There was also a church dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians. María always joined love and devotion to the Eucharist with Mary and Her social apostolate. María was very "limited" in terms of available funding, but with total confidence, she always left everything in the hands of Our Lady. In her later years, she retired from full time teaching, but continued catechesis. On July 7, 1977, in Leon, Nicaragua, at the Salesian house where she had been sent to rest, she suffered a fatal heart attack. She was 75 years old. Her remains were sent to San José, Costa Rica, and buried at the Salesian Chapel. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 14, 2002.
Bl. Ralph Milner & Roger Dickenson(Martyrs († 1591))
Bl. Ralph Milner & Fr. Roger DickensonBritish MartyrsThese two men lived in England at a time when practicing one’s Catholic faith meant imprisonment and possible execution. Ralph Milner was an elderly, illiterate farmer and a father of eight children. He was from Flacstead, Hampshire. He was raised Protestant, but was so impressed by his Catholic neighbors that he received catechism and baptism. On the day of his First Communion, he was arrested for changing his religion and was imprisoned at the Winchester jail.Farmer Milner’s behavior in prison was such that he gained the respect and trust of the prison guards and was granted frequent parole. He came and went at will: seeing to the spiritual and temporal needs of his fellow prisoners and aiding and escorting undercover Catholic priests. He thus met the secular priest, Father Roger Dickenson (sometimes spelled Dicconsen).Father Dickenson was a native of Lincoln who had studied for the priesthood in Rheims, France. In 1583, he was sent on a mission to England and was imprisoned, but managed to escape his drunken guards. He was not so fortunate a second time and was arrested with Ralph Milner, who had been escorting him around the local villages. The two were put under close confinement at the Winchester jail. Father Dickenson was charged with the crime of being a Catholic priest and Ralph Milner for aiding him.During their trial, the judge pitied Ralph Milner and made several attempts to set him free, urging him to merely visit a Protestant church as a matter of form. Since to Ralph Milner this would have been tantamount to renouncing his new-found Faith, he refused, saying that he could not “embrace a counsel so disagreeable to the maxims of the gospel.”On July 7, 1591, the day of execution, Ralph Milner’s children were escorted to the gallows. They begged him to renounce his Faith and so save his life, but again he refused. He gave them his final blessing, declaring that “he could wish them no greater happiness than to die for the like cause.” The two men were hanged, drawn, and quartered. Witnesses said they faced their deaths calmly and courageously.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2017 / Catholic Missal of july 2017
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:15Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:15Z