Catholic Missal of the day: Thursday, May 21 2026

Thursday of the Seventh week of Easter

Acts of the Apostles

Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; (I) am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead."
When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."

Psalms

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."

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.

misalcatolico.com

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