Monday of the First week of Lent

Book of Leviticus

The LORD said to Moses,
"Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
"You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD.
"You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
"You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kinsmen; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake. I am the LORD.
"You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow man, do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

Psalms

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

St. Marie Eugenie of Jesus(Foundress (1817-1898))

Saint Marie Eugenie of JesusFoundress of the Religious of the Assumption (1817 - 1898) Anne Marie Eugenie was born in 1817, in Metz, after Napoleon's defeat and the restoration of the monarchy. Her family was non-believing and financially comfortable. It seemed unlikely that Anne Marie would trace a new spiritual path in France. Anne Marie's father was a follower of Voltaire, was a liberal, and made his fortune in banking and politics. Her mother provided education, which developed Anne Marie's character and gave her a strong sense of duty. Family life developed Anne Marie's intellectual curiosity, romantic spirit, interest in social questions and a broad world view. Like her contemporary, George Sand, Anne Marie went to Mass on feast days and received the sacraments of initiation, but did so according to custom and without knowledge or conviction. However, her First Communion was a mystical experience that foretold the secret of her future. She did not grasp its prophetic meaning until much later when she recognized it as her path toward totally belonging to Jesus Christ and the Church. Anne Marie's youth was happy, but not without suffering. When she was a child, her elder brother and a baby sister passed away. She was also frail; and a fall from a horse left permanent injuries. Anne Marie was mature for her age and learned how to hide her feelings and face up to events. After a prosperous period for her father, she experienced the failure of his banks, the misunderstanding and eventual separation of her parents and the loss of all security. She had to leave her family home and go to Paris with her mother; while Louis, closest to her in age and a faithful companion, went to live with their father. Anne Marie went to Paris only to see her mother die from cholera. At the age of 15, she was now alone in a society that was worldly and superficial. She thus searched in anguish for truth and meaning. When she was 19, Anne Marie attended the Lenten Conferences at Notre Dame in Paris, preached by the young Abbe Lacordaire, who was already well-known for his talent as an orator. Lacordaire was a former disciple of Lamennais, who envisioned a renewed Church with a special place in the world. He understood young people, their questions and their desires, their idealism and their ignorance of both Christ and the Church. His words touched Anne Marie's heart, answered her many questions and aroused her generosity. "I was truly converted," she wrote, "and I was seized by a longing to devote all my strength or rather all my weakness to the Church which, from that moment, I saw as alone holding the key to the knowledge and achievement of all that is good." Just at this time, another preacher, also a former disciple of Lamennais, appeared. In the confessional, Father Combalot recognized that he had encountered a chosen soul who would be the foundress of the congregation he had envisaged. He persuaded Eugenie to undertake the work by showing education evangelized minds, made families truly Christian and thus transformed society. Anne Marie accepted the project as God's will for her and allowed the Abbe Combalot to guide her. At 22, Anne Marie became foundress of the Religious of the Assumption, whose members consecrate their whole lives to extending the Kingdom of Christ in themselves and in the world. In 1839, Mademoiselle Eugenie Milleret, with two other young women, began a life of prayer and study in a flat at rue Ferou near the church of St. Sulpice in Paris. In 1841, under Madame de Chateaubriand, Lacordaire, Montalembert and their patrons, the Sisters opened their first school. In a relatively short time, there were sixteen Sisters of four nationalities in the community. Anne Marie and her community wanted to link the ancient and the new: uniting the past treasures of the Church's spirituality and wisdom with a type of religious life and education able to satisfy the demands of modern minds. It was a matter of respecting the values of the period and making the Gospel penetrate the culture. The spirituality of the Congregation, centered on Christ and the Incarnation, was both deeply contemplative and dedicated to apostolic action. Anne Marie's long life covered almost the whole of the 19th century. She loved her times passionately and took an active part. Progressively, she channeled her energy and gifts into the Congregation, which became her life's work. God gave her many Sisters and friends. One of her first Sisters was an Irish mystic who Anne Marie called, "half of myself." Kate O'Neill (called Mother Therese Emmanuel in religion) is considered as a co-foundress. Father Emmanuel d'Alzon became Anne Marie's spiritual director soon after the foundation. He was a father, brother or friend according to the seasons. In 1845, he founded the Augustinians of the Assumption and the two founders helped each other in a multitude of ways over a period of forty years. Both had a gift for friendship and they inspired many lay-persons to work with them and the Church. Together, as they followed Christ and labored with him, the religious and laity traced the path of the Assumption and took their place in the great cloud of witnesses. In the last years of her life, Mother Anne Marie Eugenie experienced a progressive physical weakening, which she lived in silence and humility. She received the Eucharist for the last time on March 9, 1898. On the 10th, she gently passed over to the Lord. She was beatified by Pope Paul VI on February 9, 1975, and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on June 3, 2007.

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste((† c. 320))

THE FORTY MARTYRS OF SEBASTE ( c. 320) The martyrs were soldiers quartered in Sebaste (modern Turkey) around 320 A.D. When their legion was ordered to offer pagan sacrifice, the forty declined. As punishment, they were scourged, torn with iron hooks, chained together and left to a lingering death. In the dead of winter, the men were condemned to freeze on the icy surface of a pond. With Christ so near during their trial, they removed their garments and went toward the pond singing hymns. The secular authorities placed hot baths nearby to tempt them, yet not one renounced his faith. They remained steadfast and passed away one by one. Among the forty, there was a young soldier who held out the longest. When the officers came to cart away the bodies, they asked him to change his mind, but the soldier's mother encouraged him to triumph. He made a sign of recognition before being carried away - loyal and true to the very end. Forever in heaven, the martyrs praise God and intercede for us. We may call upon them for courage to obey the Holy Spirit.

St. Macarius()

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2025 / Catholic Missal of march 2025