Wednesday of the Fifth week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved."
Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question.
They were sent on their journey by the church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, as well as by the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law."
The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

Psalms

I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

St. Cristobal Magallanes Jara(Martyr & Priest (1869-1927))

Saint Cristóbal Magallanes JaraMartyr & Priest(1869 - 1927) St. Cristóbal Magallanes was born in 1869 in the Archdiocese of Guadalajara. His parents were Rafael Magallanes and Clara Jara. They were farmers who were pious and happy. Cristóbal worked as a shepherd, but felt called to look after Christ's sheep. At 19 years old, he entered the seminary. Cristóbal was ordained a priest at 30 years old. He taught classes in Guadalajara before returning to hishome village of Totatiche as a parish priest. He served there for nearly two decades: opening a carpentry business to provide jobs for local men and helping plan and construct a dam for the community. He was most interested in bringing the Catholic faith to those who had not heard the Good News of Jesus, in this case the Huichol people in the region. During this time in Mexico’s history, the government feared the power of the Catholic Church and tried to extinguish it. A constitution banned the training of priests; and the seminary where Cristóbal had studied was closed and turned into a museum. In 1915, he opened his own small seminary in Totatiche and soon had more than a dozen students. The government accused Fr. Cristóbal of trying to incite rebellion, even though he preached against violence of any kind.He was on his way to celebrate Mass when he was arrested. He was convicted without a trial. He gave away his few possessions to his jailers. On May 21, 1927, he was executed together with twenty-one priests and three lay Catholics.His last words to his executioners were, “I die innocent, and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren.” Cristóbal Magallanes Jara wascanonizedbyPope John Paul IIon May 21, 2000. The miracles reported from his intercession and the proof of his heroic virtues indicate that he is alive with God in Heaven.

St. Eugene de Mazenod(Bishop (1782-1861))

Eugene de Mazenod Bishop of Marseille, founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1782-1861) Charles Joseph Eugene De Mazenod came into a world that was destined to change very quickly. Born in Aix-en-Provence in southern France on August 1, 1782, he seemed assured of position and wealth from his family, who were of the minor nobility. However, the French Revolution's turmoil upended those expectations. When Eugene was just 8 years old, his family fled France, leaving their possessions behind, and starting a long, increasingly difficult eleven-year exile.The Years in Italy The Mazenod family were political refugees who trailed through a succession of Italian cities. His father, who had been president of the Court of Accounts, Aids and Finances in Aix, was forced to try his hand at trade to support his family. He proved to be a poor businessman, and as the years went on the family came close to destitution. Eugene studied briefly at the College of Nobles in Turin, but ended formal education after a move to Venice. A sympathetic priest, Don Bartolo Zinelli, undertook to educate the young French emigre. Don Bartolo gave Eugene a fundamental education, but with a lasting sense of God and a regimen of piety that stayed with him always. A further move to Naples because of financial problems led to a time of boredom and helplessness. The family moved again, this time to Palermo where, thanks to the kindness of the Duke and Duchess of Cannizzaro, Eugene had his first taste of noble living and found it very much to his liking. He took to himself the title of "Count" de Mazenod and dreamed of a bright future.Return to France: the Priesthood In 1802, at 20 years old, Eugene returned to his homeland. His dreams and delusions were quickly shattered: He was just plain "Citizen" de Mazenod. France was a changed world, his parents had separated and his mother was fighting to retrieve the family's possessions. She also intended to have Eugene marry the richest possible heiress. Eugene sank into depression after seeing little future for himself. However, his natural qualities of concern for others, together with the faith fostered in Venice, began to assert themselves. He was deeply affected by the disastrous situation of the French Church, which had been ridiculed, attacked and decimated by the Revolution. A calling to the priesthood began to manifest itself, and Eugene answered. Despite opposition from his mother, he entered the seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris. On December 21, 1811, he was ordained a priest in Amiens.Apostolic endeavors: Oblates of Mary Immaculate Returning to Aix-en-Provence, Eugene did not assume a normal parish appointment, but started exercising his priesthood in caring for prisoners, youth, servants and country villagers. Often in the face of opposition from the local clergy, Eugene pursued his course. Soon, he sought out other equally zealous priests who were prepared to step outside the box. Eugene and his cadre preached in Provencal, the language of the common people. They went from village to village and spent hours in the confessional. In between these parish missions, the group fostered an intense community life of prayer, study and fellowship. They called themselves "Missionaries of Provence." However, so that there would be an assured continuity, Eugene boldly asked the pope to recognize the group as a Religious Congregation. His faith and his persistence paid off, and on February 17, 1826, Pope Leo XII approved the new Congregation, the "Oblates of Mary Immaculate." Eugene was elected Superior General and continued to guide the congregation for 35 years until his death. Together with their growing apostolic endeavors - preaching, youth work, care of shrines, prison chaplaincy, confessors, direction of seminaries, parishes - Eugene insisted on deep spiritual formation and a close community life. He loved Christ his apostolate answered the needs of the Church. The "glory of God, the good of the Church and the sanctification of souls" were his motivation.Bishop of Marseilles The Diocese of Marseilles had been suppressed after the 1802 Concordat. When it was re-established, Eugene's aged uncle, Canon Fortune de Mazenod, was appointed bishop. The bishop appointed Eugene as vicar general, and most of the work of rebuilding the Diocese fell to him. Within a few years, in 1832, Eugene was appointed auxiliary bishop. His Episcopal ordination took place in Rome, in defiance of the pretensions of the French Government that it had the right to sanction all such appointments. This caused a bitter diplomatic battle, and Eugene was caught in the middle. The situation was further complicated by the growing pains of his religious family. Though battered, Eugene steered ahead resolutely, and finally the impasse was broken. Five years later, he was appointed to the See of Marseilles as its bishop.A heart as big as the world The Oblates of Mary Immaculate was founded to serve the spiritually needy in the French countryside, but expanded quickly to serve everyone. The Oblates ministered in Switzerland, England and Ireland. Eugene was dubbed "a second Paul" because of his zealousness and bishops came to him asking for Oblates for their mission fields. Despite small initial numbers, Eugene sent priests to Canada, the United States, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), South Africa and Basutoland (Lesotho). They opened previously uncharted areas and established new dioceses. They "left nothing undared that the Kingdom of Christ might be advanced." In the years that followed, the Oblates expanded and are active in 68 different countries.Pastor of his Diocese Alongside his fervent missionary activity, Eugene was an outstanding pastor of the Church of Marseilles: ensuring the best seminary training for his priests, establishing new parishes, building the city's cathedral and the spectacular Shrine of Notre Dame de la Garde above the city. He encouraged priests to lives of holiness, introduced many Religious Congregations to work in the diocese and led his fellow bishops in support of the rights of the pope. He grew into a towering figure in the French Church. In 1856, Napoleon III appointed him a senator, and at his death he was the senior bishop of France.Legacy of a Saint Eugene de Mazenod passed away on May 21, 1861, at the age of 79. For his religious family and for his diocese, he was a founder and a life-giving source. For God and for the Church, he was a faithful and generous son. As he lay dying, he left his Oblates a final testament, "Among yourselves, charity, charity, charity: In the world, zeal for souls." He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on December 3, 1995.

St. Hospitius(Hermit († 681))

SAINT HOSPITIUS, Recluse (+681) St. Hospitius took sanctuary in the ruins of an old tower near Villafranca, one league from Nice in Provence. He girded himself with a heavy iron chain and lived on bread and dates. During Lent, he ate only roots - striving to conform his life to Jesus and the Egyptian anchorites. Hospitius had gifts of prophecy and miracles. He foretold the ravages of the Lombards in Gaul. When the Lombards arrived at the tower where he lived, they saw his chain and mistook him for a criminal. Hospitius acknowledged that he was a sinner, whereupon one of the soldiers lifted his sword to strike. In that moment, the soldier's arm stiffened and became numb; and it was not until Hospitius made the sign of the cross over it that the man recovered. The soldier encountered Jesus, renounced the world and served God for the rest of his life. When Hospitius felt his last hour had arrived, he removed his chain and knelt in prayer. Then, stretching himself on a little bank of earth, he calmly gave up his soul to God. He passed away on May 21, 681, and was taken up by Jesus to Heaven.

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