Saturday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time

2nd book of Chronicles

After the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and the king then listened to them.
They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols; and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD, the people would not listen to their warnings.
Then the spirit of God possessed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He took his stand above the people and said to them: "God says, 'Why are you transgressing the LORD'S commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.'"
But they conspired against him, and at the king's order they stoned him to death in the court of the LORD'S temple.
Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, and slew his son. And as he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge."
At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, did away with all the princes of the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
Though the Aramean force came with few men, the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power, because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So punishment was meted out to Joash.
After the Arameans had departed from him, leaving him in grievous suffering, his servants conspired against him because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed him on his sickbed. He was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Psalms

"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven."
"If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands."
"I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

St. Thomas More(Martyr (1478-1535))

SAINT THOMAS MOREMartyr(1478-1535) The life and martyrdom of Saint Thomas More have been the source of a message which spans the centuries and which speaks to people everywhere of the inalienable dignity of the human conscience, which (...) is "the most intimate centre and sanctuary of a person, in which he or she is alone with God, whose voice echoes within them" (Gaudium et Spes, 16). Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal the service of the human person. Thomas More had a remarkable political career in his native land. Born in London in 1478 of a respectable family, as a young boy he was placed in the service of the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Morton, Lord Chancellor of the Realm. He then studied law at Oxford and London, while broadening his interests in the spheres of culture, theology and classical literature. He mastered Greek and enjoyed the company and friendship of important figures of Renaissance culture, including Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam. His sincere religious sentiment led him to pursue virtue through the assiduous practice of asceticism: he cultivated friendly relations with the Observant Franciscans of the Friary at Greenwich, and for a time he lived at the London Charterhouse, these being two of the main centres of religious fervour in the Kingdom. Feeling himself called to marriage, family life and dedication as a layman, in 1505 he married Jane Colt, who bore him four children. Jane died in 1511 and Thomas then married Alice Middleton, a widow with one daughter. Throughout his life, St. Thomas was an affectionate and faithful husband and father, deeply involved in his children's religious, moral and intellectual education. His house offered a welcome to his children's spouses and his grandchildren, and was always open to his many young friends in search of the truth or of their own calling in life. Family life also gave him ample opportunity for prayer in common and lectio divina, as well as for happy and wholesome relaxation. Thomas attended daily Mass in the parish church, but the austere penances which he practised were known only to his immediate family. He was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1504 under King Henry VII. The latter's successor Henry VIII renewed his mandate in 1510, and even made him the Crown's representative in the capital. This launched him on a prominent career in public administration. During the following decade, the King sent him on several diplomatic and commercial missions to Flanders and the territory of present-day France. Having been made a member of the King's Council, presiding judge of an important tribunal, deputy treasurer and a knight, in 1523 he became Speaker of the House of Commons. Highly esteemed by everyone for his unfailing moral integrity, sharpness of mind, his open and humorous character, and his extraordinary learning, in 1529, at a time of political and economic crisis in the country, he was appointed by the King to the post of Lord Chancellor. The first layman to occupy this position, Thomas faced an extremely difficult period, as he sought to serve King and country. In fidelity to his principles, he concentrated on promoting justice and restraining the harmful influence of those who advanced their own interests at the expense of the weak. In 1532, not wishing to support Henry VIII's intention to take control of the Church in England, he resigned. He withdrew from public life, resigning himself to suffering poverty with his family and being deserted by many people who, in the moment of trial, proved to be false friends. Given his inflexible firmness in rejecting any compromise with his own conscience, in 1534 the King had him imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he was subjected to various kinds of psychological pressure. Thomas More did not allow himself to waver, and he refused to take the oath requested of him, since this would have involved accepting a political and ecclesiastical arrangement that prepared the way for uncontrolled despotism. At his trial, he made an impassioned defence of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage, the respect due to the juridical patrimony of Christian civilization, and the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State. Condemned by the Court, he was beheaded. Thomas More, together with 53 other martyrs, including Bishop John Fisher, was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. And with John Fisher, he was canonized by Pius XI in 1935, on the fourth centenary of his martyrdom. The life of Saint Thomas More clearly illustrates a fundamental truth of political ethics. The defence of the Church's freedom from unwarranted interference by the State is at the same time a defence, in the name of the primacy of conscience, of the individual's freedom vis-á-vis political power. Here we find the basic principle of every civil order consonant with human nature. Therefore, after due consideration and willingly acceding to the petitions addressed to me, I establish and declare Saint Thomas More the heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, and I decree that he be ascribed all the liturgical honours and privileges which, according to law, belong to the Patrons of categories of people.(St. John Paul II - Apostolic letter issued Motu Proprio proclaiming Saint Thomas More Patron of Statesmen and Politicians - October 31, 2000)

St. John Fisher(Bishop and Martyr (1459-1535))

SAINT JOHN FISHERBishop and Martyr(1459-1535) St. John Fisher was born in Beverly, Yorkshire, and was educated at Cambridge University. He received a Master of Arts in 1491 and occupied the vicarage of Northallerton from 1491 to 1494. He then became the proctor of Cambridge University. In 1497, he was appointed confessor to Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, and became closely associated in her endowments to Cambridge. He created scholarships, introduced Greek and Hebrew into the curriculum and brought in the world-famous Erasmus as professor of Divinity and Greek. In 1504, John Fisher became the bishop of Rochester and chancellor of Cambridge, in which capacity he also tutored Prince Henry who was to become Henry VIII. Bp. John was dedicated to the welfare of his diocese and university. From 1527, he steadfastly resisted the encroachment of Henry on the Church, and actively opposed the King's divorce proceedings against Catherine. Unlike the other bishops, Bp. John Fisher refused to take the oath of succession, which acknowledged the issue of Henry and his mistress Anne as the legitimate heirs to the throne. In retaliation, Bp. John was imprisoned in the tower in April 1534. The next year, he was made a Cardinal by Paul III, and Henry retaliated further by having him beheaded within a month. A half hour before his execution, Bp. John Fisher opened his New Testament for the last time and his eyes fell on the following words from St. John's Gospel: "Eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and Him Whom You have sent, Jesus Christ. I have given you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. Do you now, Father, give me glory at your side." Closing the book, he observed: "There is enough learning in that to last me a lifetime."

St. Paulinus of Nola(Bishop (353-431))

SAINT PAULINUS OF NOLABishop (353-431) Paulinus was from a family of senators, prefects and consuls. He was educated with great care and his eloquence in prose and verse was admired by St. Jerome and St. Augustine. He had more than doubled his wealth by marriage and was one of the foremost men of his time. Though he was a chosen friend of Saints and had a great devotion to St. Felix of Nola, he was still a catechumen trying to serve two masters. Nonetheless, God drew Paulinus to Himself along the way of the Cross. Paulinus received baptism and withdrew into Spain. After a period of contemplation, he and his holy wife sold all their vast estates in various parts of the empire. They distributed their proceeds so prudently that St. Jerome says East and West were filled with their alms. Paulinus was then ordained and retired to Nola in Campania. There, he rebuilt the Church of St. Felix and served its people night and day, living a holy life of work and chastity. In 409, Paulinus was consecrated bishop; and for more than thirty years, he tended his flock. His sanctity was conspicuous during an age that had many great and wise bishops. St. Gregory the Great tells us that when the Vandals of Africa descended on Campania, Bp. Paulinus spent all he had in relieving the distress of his people and ransoming them from slavery. When a poor widow's son was taken captive by the son-in-law of the Vandal king, she came to Paulinus for help. Having exhausted all his revenue, Bp. Paulinus exchanged places with the widow's son to spend the rest of his life in enslavement. The widow attempted to change his mind, but Bp. Paulinus could not be disuaded. Bp. Paulinus went to Africa and was accepted in place of the widow's son. After Paulinus toiled as a gardener for some time, the vandal king found out that his son-in-law's slave was the bishop of Nola. He at once freed Bp. Paulinus and all the townsmen of Nola. One who knew Bp. Paulinus well said that he was meek like Moses, priestlike as Aaron, innocent as Samuel, tender as David, wise as Solomon, apostolic as Peter, loving as John, cautious as Thomas, keen-sighted as Stephen and fervent as Apollos. He passed away in 431, but the miracles from his intercession show he lives forever.

misalcatolico.com

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