Catholic Missal of the day: Friday, March 20 2026

Friday of the Fourth week of Lent

Book of Wisdom

The wicked said among themselves,  thinking not aright:
"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like other men's, and different are his ways.
He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them,
And they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward.

Psalms

The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but (as it were) in secret.
So some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, "Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Messiah?
But we know where he is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from."
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, "You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

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.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2026 / Catholic Missal of march 2026