Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time

Book of Ecclesiastes

Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart, the vision of your eyes ; Yet understand that as regards all this God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart and put away trouble from your presence, though the dawn of youth is fleeting.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years approach of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened. and the light, and the moon, and the stars, while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, And the grinders are idle because they are few, and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; When one waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights, and perils in the street; When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grows sluggish and the caper berry is without effect, Because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well,
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!

Psalms

You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke

While they were all amazed at his every deed, he said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

St. Simón de Rojas(O.SS. (1552-1624))

Saint Simón de Rojas O.SS. (1552-1624) St. Simón de Rojas of the Trinitarian Order 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, 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. The members included the king and his children, honored Mary by giving maternal 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 held to be one of the greatest contemplatives of his time. In his work, "The Greatness of Prayer," he is a master-instructor of souls. 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 assisted the marginalized. He accepted duties at Court only on condition that he continue 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 him 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 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 for the approval of his liturgical text composed in honor of the Sweet Name of Mary, which Pope Innocent XI later 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 twelve days, the most re-known preachers of Madrid exalted his virtues and his 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 on 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 was educated in the complete faith and gained a holy devotion to the Eucharist. 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 the support of the people - a large portion of the country as his own kingdom. Drahomira secured the apostasy and alliance of her second son, Boleslas. Wenceslaus meanwhile ruled as a brave and pious king. When his domain was attacked, he overcame the leader of the 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 approached and struck him dead. He was killed for being loyal to St. Peter. He passed away on the Feast of the Archangels in 936.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2024 / Catholic Missal of september 2024