Catholic Missal of the day: Sunday, March 20 2016
Passion (Palm) Sunday
Passion (Palm) Sunday
1. ReadingBook of Isaiah
50,4-7.]The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear;
]And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.
]I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
]The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
Psalms
22(21),8-9.17-18a.19-20.23-24.]All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
]"He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him."
]Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
]I can count all my bones.
]They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
]But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
]I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
]"You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!"
Letter to the Philippians
2,6-11.]Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
]Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,
]he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
]Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
]that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
]and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
22,14-71.23,1-56.]When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles.
]He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
]for, I tell you, I shall not eat it (again) until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
]Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;
]for I tell you (that) from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
]Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."
]And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.
]And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table;
]for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed."
]And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed.
]Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.
]He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors';
]but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.
]For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves.
]It is you who have stood by me in my trials;
]and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me,
]that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
]Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,
]but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers."
]He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you."
]But he replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me."
]He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No, nothing," they replied.
]He said to them, "But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one.
]For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, 'He was counted among the wicked'; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment."
]Then they said, "Lord, look, there are two swords here." But he replied, "It is enough!"
]Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.
]When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test."
]After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed,
]saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done."
](And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.
]He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.)
]When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief.
]He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test."
]While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him.
]Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
]His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?"
]And one of them struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.
]But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him.
]And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
]Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness."
]After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance.
]They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them.
]When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man too was with him."
]But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not know him."
]A short while later someone else saw him and said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I am not."
]About an hour later, still another insisted, "Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean."
]But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed,
]and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times."
]He went out and began to weep bitterly.
]The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him.
]They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?"
]And they reviled him in saying many other things against him.
]When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.
]They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us," but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe,
]and if I question, you will not respond.
]But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."
]They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am."
]Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth."
]Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate.
]They brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king."
]Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so."
]Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, "I find this man not guilty."
]But they were adamant and said, "He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here."
]On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
]and upon learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time.
]Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign.
]He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer.
]The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly.
](Even) Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate.
]Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly.
]Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people
]and said to them, "You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him,
]nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him.
]Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him."
]
]But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us."
](Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.)
]Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
]but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
]Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him."
]With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed.
]The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
]So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.
]As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.
]A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.
]Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children,
]for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.'
]At that time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'
]for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?"
]Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed.
]When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.
](Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.") They divided his garments by casting lots.
]The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God."
]Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine
]they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
]Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."
]Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us."
]The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?
]And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal."
]Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
]He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
]It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon
]because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
]Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last.
]The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt."
]When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts;
]but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.
]Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council,
]had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God.
]He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
]After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried.
]It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin.
]The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it,
]they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
St. Joseph Bilczewski(Bishop (1860-1923))
Saint Joseph Bilczewski Archbishop (1860-1923) Blessed Archbishop Joseph Bilczewski was born on April 26, 1860, in Wilamowice, near Kęty, Poland. He was born in the Diocese of Bielsko Żywiec, then part of the Diocese of Krakow. He finished elementary school in Wilamowice and Kęty, attended high school in Wadowice and received his diploma in 1880. On July 6, 1884, he was ordained in Krakow by Cardinal Albino Dunajewski. In 1886, Fr. Joseph received a doctorate in theology from the University of Vienna. After advanced studies in Rome and Paris, he passed the qualifying exam at the Jaghellonic University of Krakow. The following year, he became a professor of dogmatic theology at the John Casimir University of Leopoli. He also served as dean of theology prior to becoming university rector. During his tenure, he was appreciated by his students and enjoyed the friendship and respect of his colleagues. He arduously dedicated himself to scientific work and, despite his young age, acquired fame as a learned man. Fr. Joseph's extraordinary intellectual and social abilities were recognized by Francis Joseph, the emperor of Austria, who presented Monsignor Joseph to the Holy Father as a candidate for the vacant Metropolitan See of Leopoli. The holy father, Leo XIII, responded positively to the Emperor's proposal; and on December 17, 1900, he named the forty-year-old Monsignor Joseph Bilczewski Archbishop of Leopoli of the Latin Rite.Given the complex social, economic, ethnic and religious situation, caring for the large diocese required Joseph's utmost commitment and moral effort. His pastoral plan can be summed up in the words, "totally sacrifice oneself for the Holy Church." Among other things, he pointed out the need for the development of devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament and frequent reception of Holy Communion. Archbishop Bilczewski addressed pastoral letters and appeals to the priests and the faithful. He pointed out the need for frequent reception of Holy Communion, devotion to the Sacred Heart and the formation of children and youth in the family and school. He spoke about the problems of faith and morals of the time as well as pressing social issues. Above all, he took great care to cultivate many priestly vocations. He saw the priest as first and foremost a teacher of faith and an instrument of Christ, a father for the rich as well as for the poor. Taking the place of Christ on Earth, the priest was to be the minister of the sacraments, and for this reason his whole heart had to be dedicated to the celebration of the Eucharist. He often exhorted priests to adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament. In his pastoral letter devoted to the Eucharist, he invited the priests to participate in the priestly associations: The Association for Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament and the Association of Aid to Poor Catholic Churches, whose goal was to rejuvenate the zeal of the priests themselves. He also dedicated a great deal of care to the spiritual formation of children and to full participation in the Mass, desiring that every Catechesis would lead children and youth to the Eucharist. Archbishop Joseph Bilczewski promoted the construction of churches, chapels, schools and day-care centers. He developed guidelines for instructing the faithful and materially and spiritually supported important works in his archdiocese. His holy life, filled with prayer, good deeds and works of mercy led to his meriting great appreciation and respect on the part of those of various faiths, rites and nationalities. No religious or nationalistic conflicts arose during the tenure of his pastoral work. He was a proponent of unity, harmony and peace. On social issues, he always stood on the side of the people and of the poor. He taught that the base of social life had to be justice made perfect by Christian love. During the First World War, when souls were overtaken with hate and lack of appreciation, he pointed out the infinite love of God, capable of forgiving every type of sin and offense. He reminded them to observe the Commandments and particularly that of brotherly love. Sensitive to the social questions regarding the family and youth, he courageously proposed solutions to the problems based on the love of God and of neighbor. During his 23 years of pastoral service, he changed the face of the Archdiocese of Leopoli. His passing on March 20, 1923, engendered further support of his pastoral initiatives. Abp. Joseph Bilczewski was prepared for death and fully accepted God's will with peace and serenity.He left the world universally recognized for his holiness. He wanted to rest among those whom had he served and was buried in Leopoli, at the cemetery of Janów, known as the cemetery of the poor. The Archdiocese of Leopoli initiated the process for his beatification and canonization; and on December 17, 1997, Pope John Paul II declared his heroic life and virtues. In June 2001, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized as miraculous the fact of the rapid, lasting and unexplainable "quo ad modum" healing, through Abp. Joseph's intercession, of the third degree burns of nine-year-old Marcin Gawlik. The miracle opened the way for Abp. Joseph's beatification in the Diocese of Leopoli on June 26, 2001, during Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Visit to the Ukraine.He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 23, 2005, in Rome.
St. Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus((1842-1912))
SAINT MARIA JOSEFA OF THE HEART OF JESUS SANCHO DE GUERRA Religious (1842-1912)I- LIFE AND WORKS Saint Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus was the eldest daughter of Bernabe Sancho, a chair-maker, and of Petra de Guerra, a housewife. She was born in Vitoria (Spain) on September 7, 1842, and was baptized the following day. She was confirmed two years later on August 10, 1844. Her father died when she was seven years old. Her mother prepared her for the First Communion that she received at ten years old. At the age of fifteen, she was sent to some relatives in Madrid to receive education and a more complete formation. The characteristic traits of her infancy and childhood were a strong piety to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, a remarkable sensibility towards the poor and the sick, and an inclination to solitude.She returned to Vitoria at eighteen years old and told her mother the desired to enter cloistered life. Blessed Maria Josefa used to repeat: "I was born with a religious vocation." She lived through many various experiences, but listened faithfully to counsel from both priests and family before finding her vocation's definitive form. She was on the point of entering the Conceptionists contemplative of Aranjuez in 1860, but was prevented by the onset of a severe case of typhus. Her mother helped her overcome the disappointment. In the following months, she discerned that the Lord called her to a type of religious active life. For this, she decided to enter the Institute of the Servants of Mary, recently founded in Madrid by Saint Soledad Torres Acosta. When she was close to professing vows, she was assailed with grave doubts about her call to the Institute. After opening her soul to various confessors, she felt that she was mistaken on her vocation. The meetings with the holy Archbishop Claret and serene conversations with Saint Soledad Torres Acosta helped Sr. Maria Josefa arrive to the decision of leaving the Institute of the Servants of Mary and founding a new religious family. The aim was to assist the sick in hospitals and in their homes. With the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo's permission, Sr. Maria Josefa and three other Servants of Mary started the new foundation. The new foundation started in Bilbao in the spring of 1871, when Sr. Maria Josefa was 29 years old. For the next 41 years, she was superior of the new Institute of the Servants of Jesus. She embarked on difficult trips to visit the different communities until a long sickness confined her to the house in Bilbao. She continued following the events of the various communities in and outside Spain through a painstaking and precious correspondence. When Mother Maria Josefa passed away on March 20, 1912, there were 43 houses of the Servants of Jesus and the number of her Sisters reached more than one thousand. She was buried in the municipal cemetery of Bilbao. In 1926, her mortal remains were transferred to the chapel of the Institute's mother house.II- SPIRITUALITY The writings and testimonies of eye-witnesses put in evidence the central points of Blessed Maria Josefa's spirituality:1) Great love for the Eucharist and for the Sacred Heart.2) Profound adoration for the mystery of Redemption and intimate participation to the sufferings of Christ and to his Cross.3) Total dedication to the service of the sick in a context of contemplative spirit. Here are some excerpts from her writings: "Charity and mutual love constitute even in this life the paradise of the community. Without the cross we cannot live wherever we go, because the religious life is a life of sacrifice and of abnegation. The foundation of greatest perfection is the fraternal charity" (Don Pablo B. Aristegui, Beata Maria Josefa del Cuore di Gesù, Mensajero, Bilbao, 1992, p. 97). "Don't believe, sisters, that the assistance consists only in giving medicines and food to the sick. There is another type of assistance that must never be forgotten and it is the assistance of the heart that adjusts and enter in sympathy with the person who suffers and go to meet his necessities" (Ibidem, p. 100). "We form in the Divine Heart of Jesus our center to communicate with Him. We can do it with the frequency that we desire without fear of molesting anyone; only with Jesus will be our intimacy'' (Consejos y Maximas de Nuestra Venerada Madre Fundadora. Madrid, Imprenta Juan Bravo, 1994, p. 15).III- CHARISM TO SERVE THE SICK The spirit of Ma. Josefa brought forth the Institute of the Servants of Jesus. Her writings reflect the interior movements of a soul consecrated to the Church and serving the sick. We find her concept well-expressed in the Directorio de Asistencias, where the Servant of Jesus provides for the sick, accompanies the suffering until the door of eternity, and calls those who are lost to the right path of life. "In this manner, as written in the functional manuals of our Institute, designed to procure the corporal health of the neighbor, is elevated to a great height, making our active life more perfect than that of a contemplative, as taught by the angelic teacher St. Thomas who says about the works directed to the salvation of souls derived from contemplation" (Directorio de Asistencias de la Congregación Religiosas Siervas de Jesús de la Caridad, Vitoria, 1930, p. 9). With this spirit, the Servants of Jesus, from the death of their Mother Maria Josefa and until now, have continued their service to the sick, with a generous oblation of life that reminds us of their Foundress. The Servants of Jesus also assist the elderly in residences and provide assistance to children in day care centers. They support food security, centers for those afflicted with AIDS, day care centers for the aged, pastoral health care and other works of beneficence and charities, above all in the poorest places of Latin America and Asia. Today, in actuality, the 1,050 Religious of the Institute of the Servants of Jesus are present in Spain and in other countries such as Italy, France, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Columbia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Philippines.IV- ITINERARY OF THE CAUSE Mother Maria Josefa's Sisters initiated the process for her canonization. However, the Spanish civil war and the Second World War delayed the motion.a) May 31, 1951, was the start of the Informative Ordinary Process in Bilbao.b) On January 7, 1972, the Decretum super introductione Causae.c) On September 7, 1989, the Decretum super Virtutibus was promulgated.d) On September 27, 1992, Ma. Maria Josefa was solemnly beatified in Saint Peter's Square.e) On October 1, 2000, she was canonized by John Paul II.
St. Wulfran(Archbishop († 720))
SAINT WULFRAN Archbishop( 720) St. Wulfran's father was an officer in King Dagobert's army. Wulfran was raised in King Clotaire III and St. Bathildes' court. He wasconsecrated archbishop of Sens in 682 and ministered for two and a half years. He emulated English preachers and evangelized Friesland: eventually leaving the comfort of his see to minister in remote communities. After a retreat in Fontenelle, he entered Friesland as a poor missionary priest. Wulfran's baptism of King Radbod's son helped end the custom of sacrificing people to idols. On one occasion, Ovon was being sacrificed and his life was spared through Wulfran's intercession. However, there was an uproar after the courtesans said that ending human sacrifice was sacrilegious. They demanded that God manifest His will to save Ovon and hanged the victim on a gibbet for two hours. Miraculously, Ovon was found alive. He later became a monk and a priest in Fontenelle. Wulfran miraculously rescued two children from being drowned as sacrifices. Radbod witnessed that miracle and sought baptism, but was tempted by power. He asked where his ancestors and nobles were in the afterlife and then quit the baptism. Wulfran later retired in Fontenelle. He passed away on April 20, 720.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2016 / Catholic Missal of march 2016
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:09Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:09Z