Catholic Missal of the day: Friday, September 28 2018
Friday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
Friday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
1. ReadingBook of Ecclesiastes
3,1-11.]There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens.
]A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
]A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build.
]A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
]A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embraces.
]A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
]A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
]A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
]What advantage has the worker from his toil?
]I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about.
]He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done.
Psalms
144(143),1a.2abc.3-4.]Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
]my mercy and my fortress,
]my stronghold, my deliverer,
]my shield, in whom I trust.
]LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
]Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
9,18-22.]Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
]They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
]Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Messiah of God."
]He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
]He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."
St. Simón de Rojas(O.SS. (1552-1624))
Saint Simón de Rojas O.SS. (1552-1624) St. Simón de Rojas was born in Valladolid, Castilla, Spain, on October 28, 1552. At 12 years old, he entered the Trinitarian monastery. On October 28, 1572, he made his religious profession. St. Simón's mother was the virtuous Constanza. She nurtured his faith and devotion toward Mary. Constanza and Gregorio's veneration helped St. Simón pronounce his first words, "Ave Maria." St. Simón's greatest joy was visiting Marian shrines, praying to Mary and acknowledging Her importance in the mystery of God and the Church. By praying the Rosary, he participated in Mary's mission to transmit grace through Jesus' life. St. Simón studied at the University of Salamanca from 1573 to 1579. He was ordained a priest in 1577. From 1581 to 1587, he taught philosophy and theology in Toledo. From 1588 until his death, he was the superior of various monasteries in his province. He was also sent twice as apostolic visitor to Castilla and once to Andalusia. St. Simón lived his religious vows while emulating the life of Mary. To become united with Mary's salvific role, he established the Congregation of the Slaves of Mary on April 14, 1612. The Order was for the glory of the Trinity, in praise of the Virgin and in the service of the poor. For him, to be a slave of Mary meant belonging totally to her, "Totus tuus," in order to unite oneself more intimately to Christ. The Congregation was intended for the laity; persons of every social class could join. Its members included the king and his children. They honored Mary by giving material help to her favorite children: the poor. This work still continues in Spain. In 1619, St. Simón was appointed tutor to the royal princes of Spain. St. Simón is one of the greatest contemplatives of his time. In his work, "The Greatness of Prayer," he is a master-instructor of souls. He emphasizes that the contemplative dimension joins to the active through works of mercy. Faithful to the Trinitarian charism, he promoted the ransom of captives, helped the poor and consoled the sick. He served at Court on the condition that he continue his work with the poor, whom he always helped with a smile on his face. The painters who depicted St. Simón put the greeting "Ave Maria" on his lips: words he uttered so frequently that he was familiarly called "Father Ave Maria." He had thousands of images of the Most Holy Virgin printed with the inscription: "Ave Maria" and sent abroad. He had rosaries made with seventy-two blue beads on a white cord, symbols of the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception, and also a reminder that Mary, according to the belief of the time, lived to be 72 years old. He distributed these rosaries everywhere, even to England. St. Simón had the angelic greeting so dear to him, "Ave Maria," engraved in gold on the facade of the royal palace in Madrid. On May 12, 1621, he was elected provincial of Castilla. On January 1, 1622, he was chosen to be the confessor of Queen Isabel of Borbon. On June 5, 1622, he petitioned the Holy See to approve his liturgical text honoring the Sweet Name of Mary, which Pope Innocent XI extended to the Universal Church. After his death on September 29, 1624, the honors bestowed on him at his funeral took on the aspect of an anticipated canonization. For 12 days, Madrid's preachers exalted his virtues and holiness. Impressed with this unanimous veneration, on October 8, shortly after Fr. Simon's death, the Papal Nuncio ordered the beginning of the process leading to his glorification by the Church. His heroic virtues were recognized by Clement XII on March 25, 1735. He was beatified by Clement XIII on March 19, 1766. On July 3, 1988, just before the close of the Marian Year, Pope John Paul II, included St. Simón de Rojas in the calendar of saints.
St. Wenceslaus(Martyr († 936))
SAINT WENCESLAUS Martyr( 936) St. Wenceslaus was the son of a Christian duke of Bohemia, but his mother was a materialistic pagan. Through the care of his holy grandmother, Ludmilla (herself a martyr), Wenceslaus received faith. He also gained devotion to the Eucharist - a characteristic of saints. When Wenceslaus' father passed away, his mother, Drahomira, usurped leadership and passed a series of persecuting laws. In the interest of the Faith, Wenceslaus obtained through popular support a large portion of the country. Drahomira secured the apostasy and alliance of her second son, Boleslas. Meanwhile, Wenceslaus ruled as a brave and pious king. When his domain was attacked, he overcame the leader of an invading army in single combat. While attending a banquet at his brother's palace, Wenceslaus went to pray before the Tabernacle at midnight. As he prayed, an assassin struck him dead. He passed away on the Feast of the Archangels in 936.
Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2018 / Catholic Missal of september 2018
Published: 2026-07-14T18:16:30Z | Modified: 2026-07-14T18:16:30Z