Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Job

Job answered his friends and said:
I know well that it is so; but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him, he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has withstood him and remained unscathed?
He removes the mountains before they know it; he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not; he seals up the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out, marvelous things beyond reckoning.
Should he come near me, I see him not; should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay? Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"
How much less shall I give him any answer, or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him, but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call, I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

Psalms

Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke

As Jesus and His disciples were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."

St. Simón de Rojas(O.SS. (1552-1624))

Saint Simón de Rojas O.SS. (1552-1624) Father SIMON DE ROJAS of the Trinitarian Order was born at Valladolid, Castilla, Spain, the 28th of October, 1552. At twelve years of age, he entered the Trinitarian monastery of the city and there made his religious profession on October 28, 1572. He studied at the University of Salamanca from 1573 to 1579, being ordained a priest in 1577. From 1581 to 1587, he taught philosophy and theology at Toledo. From 1588 until his death, he prudently fulfilled the office of superior in various monasteries of his province, and was sent as apostolic visitor twice to Castilla and once to Andalusia. On April 14, 1612, he founded the Congregation of the Slaves of the Sweet Name of Mary. In 1619, he was named tutor to the royal princes of Spain. On May 12, 1621, he was elected Provincial of Castilla. On January 1, 1622 he was chosen confessor of Queen Isabel of Borbon. He passed away on September 29, 1624. St. Simon's mother, the virtuous Constanza, nurtured his faith and devotion toward Mary. Her and Gregorio's veneration helped St. Simon pronounce his first words, "Ave Maria." St. Simon's greatest joy was visiting Marian shrines, praying to Mary and praying with her, imitating her virtues, singing her praises and acknowledging her importance in the mystery of God and of the Church. Through theological study and the Rosary, he participated in Mary's mission of cooperating with the Trinity for the salvation of the human race and the sanctification of the Church. St. Simon lived his religious vows while emulating the sinless life of Mary. Ahead of his times, he consecrated his eyes, flesh, body and soul to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth; much like his contemporary, St. Josemaria Escriva, and all the saints with him. To become united with Mary's salvific role and mission, he established the Congregation of the Slaves of Mary for the greater glory of the Trinity, in praise of the Virgin, 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 and in Him through the Spirit, to the Father. The Congregation was intended for the laity: persons of every social class could join. The members, who included the King and his children, dedicated themselves to honor Mary by giving maternal help to her favorite children: the poor. This work still continues in Spain. St. Simon is held to be one of the greatest contemplatives of his time, and is a master-instructor of souls in his work, "The Greatness of Prayer." In it, 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 relieve the many needs of the poor, consoled the sick and the destitute and assisted the marginalized. He accepted duties at Court only on condition that he continued his work with the poor, whom he helped in a thousand ways, always with a smile on his face and at any hour of the day or night. The expressions of his love of Mary are manifold. The painters who depicted hi, 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," which he also 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 the age of 72 years. He sent these rosaries everywhere, even to England. Using his influence at Court, he had the angelic greeting so dear to him, "Ave Maria," engraved in letters of gold on the facade of the royal palace in Madrid. On June 5th, 1622, he petitioned the Holy See for the approval of his liturgical text composed in honor of the Sweet Name of Mary, which later, Pope Innocent XI extended to the universal Church. After his death on September 29th, 1624, the honors bestowed on him at his funeral, took on the aspect of an anticipated canonization. For twelve days, the most re-known preachers of Madrid exalted his virtues and his holiness. Impressed with this unanimous veneration, on October 8th, 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 25th, 1735. He was beatified by Clement XIII on March 19, 1766; and on July 3rd, 1988, just before the close of the Marian Year, Pope John Paul II, entered the name of this great servant of Mary and Father of the poor on the list of the 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, mean-spirited pagan. Through the care of his holy grandmother, Ludmilla, herself a martyr, Wenceslaus was educated in the true faith, and gained a holy devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. On the death of Wenceslaus' father, his mother, Drahomira, usurped the government and passed a series of persecuting laws. In the interests of the Faith, Wenceslaus claimed and obtained, through the support of the people, a large portion of the country as his own kingdom. His mother secured the apostasy and alliance of her second son, Boleslas, who became her ally. Wenceslaus, meanwhile, ruled as a brave and pious king, provided for all needs of his people, and when his kingdom was attacked, overcame in single combat the leader of an invading army. St. Wenceslaus was martyred following a banquet at his brother's palace. As he went to pray before the Tabernacle at midnight, his killer struck the death blow. Although passing away on the feast of the Angels, year 936, St. Wenceslaus received a martyr's crown and eternal life with Jesus Christ.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2022 / Catholic Missal of september 2022