Wednesday of the Second week of Lent

Book of Jeremiah

The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, "Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word."
Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.

Psalms

You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
You will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God.
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,
Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom."
Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can."
He replied, "My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

St. Heribert(Archbishop (c. 970-1021))

Saint HeribertArchbishop (c. 970-1021) St. Heribert was born in Worms, Germany and was the son of Hugo, count of Worms. He was educated in the school of Worms Cathedral and at the Benedictine Gorze Abbey in Lorraine, France. He returned to Worms Cathedral to be provost and was ordained in 994. In the same year, Otto III appointed him chancellor for Italy and four years later also for Germany, a position which he held until Otto's death on January 23, 1002. Fr. Heribert was made an archbishop of Cologne on 998. Then, he also served Emperor St. Henry. Bp. Heribert built the monastery of Deutz, on the Rhine and performed miracles, including ending a drought. He is thus invoked for rains. He passed away in Cologne on March 16, 1021 and was buried at Deutz.He was already honoured as a saint during his lifetime, and was canonized by Pope St. Gregory VII about 1074.

St. Abraham(Hermit & St. Mary (4th century))

SAINT ABRAHAM, Hermit (+ c. 360) and SAINT MARY (+ c. 355) St. Abraham was a rich nobleman of Edessa. At his parents' desire, he married, but escaped to a cell near the city as soon as the feast was over. He walled up the door, leaving only a small window through which he received his food. There, for fifty years, he praised God and implored mercy for himself and for all men. The wealth which fell to him on his parents' death, he gave to the poor. Many sought Abraham for advice and consolation. Hence the Bishop of Edessa ordained Abraham a priest. Fr. Abraham was sent, soon after his ordination, to an idolatrous city which had hitherto been deaf to every messenger. He was insulted, beaten, and three times banished, but he returned each time with fresh zeal. For three years, he pleaded with God for those souls, and in the end prevailed. Every citizen came to him for Baptism. After providing for their spiritual needs, Fr. Abraham went back to his cell more than ever convinced of the power of prayer. His brother died, leaving an only daughter, Mary, to the Saint's care. He placed her in a cell near his own, and devoted himself to training her in perfection. After twenty years of innocence, Mary fell, and fled in despair to a distant city, where she drowned the voice of conscience in sin. Fr. Abraham and his friend, St. Ephrem, prayed earnestly for her during two years. Then he went disguised to seek the lost sheep, and had the joy of bringing her back to the desert a true penitent. Mary received the gift of miracles, and her countenance after death shone as the sun. St. Abraham passed away five years before her, about 360. All Edessa came for his last blessing and to secure his relics.

St. Finnian Lobhar(Abbot (+ c. 560))

Saint Finnian Lobhar Abbot(+ c. 560) St. Finnian was born in Bregia, Leinster, Ireland. He was ordained to the priesthood by the bishop Fathlad. Fr. Finnian's holiness and the miracles wrought through his prayers drew many of the faithful to seek his assistance. When the mother of a leprous boy came to Finnian in the hope of a cure, the priest prayed intently for him. He then experienced a revelation that he could only obtain the child's healing by consenting to take the leprosy upon himself. Fr. Finnian readily accepted this sacrifice, and the boy was cured, while he himself became leprous from head to foot. Then, he was called Lobhar, "the Leper". After a stay in Clonmore, Fr. Finnian became abbot of Swords Abbey near Dublin. He may have returned to Clonmore in his later years. Fr. Finnian fell asleep in the Lord about the year 560. Tradition credits St. Finnian with founding a church at Innisfallen and a monastery there as well.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2022 / Catholic Missal of march 2022