St. Francis Xavier, Priest (Memorial)

3 December , commemorates the dedication, mission and service that Saint Francis Xavier committed himself to through his outreach of faith and missionary work in India, Asia and Europe. Born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta in Spain on 7 April, 1506, Francis Xavier was a co-founder of the Society of Jesus in 15 August 1534 together with Ignatius of Loyola and five others. Francis Xavier came to India with the Portuguese Viceroy of Goa in 1543, St. Francis was a great Roman Catholic missionary to Africa, India, South East Asia (Mallaca, Maluku islands, Ambon island, etc), China and Japan, mainly in the Portuguese Empire. He devoted much of his life to missions in Asia. He managed to convince the truth about the Good News and convert many pagans. We too should be consider our mission as Jesus' last words on earth were to his disciples, telling them "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matt 28:19)

Francis Xavier died from a fever at Shangchuan island (S�o Jo�o Island), Portuguese Base, China, on 3 December 1552 and on 11 December 1553, Xavier's body was shipped to Goa. The body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container encased in a silver casket on 2 December 1637. Francis Xavier body lies uncorrupt or decayed till this day. Francis Xavier was beatified by Paul V on 25 October 1619, and was canonized by Gregory XV on 12 March 1622.

Prayer by Saint Francis Xavier

Eternal God, Creator of all things, remember that You alone has created the souls of unbelievers, which You have made according to Your Image and Likeness. Behold, O Lord, how to Your dishonor many of them are falling into Hell. Remember, O Lord, Your Son Jesus Christ, Who so generously shed His Blood and suffered for them. Do not permit that Your Son, Our Lord, remain unknown by unbelievers, but, with the help of Your Saints and the Church, the Bride of Your Son, remember Your mercy, forget their idolatry and infidelity, and make them know Him, Who You have sent, Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who is our salvation, our life, and our resurrection, through Whom we have been saved and redeemed, and to Whom is due glory forever. Amen.

Tuesday, December 03, 2013
St. Francis Xavier, Priest (Memorial)

Reading

Isaiah 11: 1 - 10
1	There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2	And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3	And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
4	but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
5	Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
6	The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
7	The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8	The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9	They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10	In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious.

Psalm

Psalms 72: 1, 7 - 8, 12 - 13, 17
1	Give the king thy justice, O God, and thy righteousness to the royal son!
7	In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8	May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!
12	For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
13	He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
17	May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, all nations call him blessed!

Gospel

Luke 10: 21 - 24
21	In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will.
22	All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
23	Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!
24	For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Novena of Grace

The Miraculous Novena of Grace, is a Catholic devotion addressed to Saint Francis Xavier, usually recited from March 4 to March 12 and the devotion spread far and wide and it has been instrumental in obtaining many favours, spiritual and temporal. It can be recited also at any time outside the mention period for the same purpose. 

"Most amiable and most loving Saint Francis Xavier, in union with thee I reverently adore the Divine Majesty. I rejoice exceedingly on account of the marvellous gifts which God bestowed upon thee. I thank God for the special graces He gave thee during thy life on earth and for the great glory that came to thee after thy death. I implore thee to obtain for me, through thy powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings--that of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beg of thee to secure for me the special favour I ask in this novena. (Here you may mention the grace, spiritual or temporal, that you wish to obtain.) In asking this favor, I am fully resigned to the Divine Will. I pray and desire only to obtain that which is most conducive to the greater glory of God and the greater good of my soul."

It is then customary to say:

V. Pray for us, Saint Francis Xavier. 

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

O God, Who didst vouchsafe, by the preaching and miracles of Saint Francis Xavier, to join unto Thy Church the nations of the Indies, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who reverence his glorious merits may also imitate his example, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Then add 3 Our Father's and 3 Hail Mary's in memory of Saint Francis Xavier's devotion to the Most Holy Trinity, and Glory be to the Father 10 times in thanksgiving for the graces received during his 10 years of apostleship.

St. Leonard of Port Maurice, OFM, Priest (Memorial)

20 December 1676 ~ 26 November 1751

Beatified on 19 June 1796 by Pope Pius VI

Canonized on 29 June 1867 by Pope Pius IX

Leonard was born in Port Maurice on the north-western coast of Italy and named Paul Jerome Casanuova. In 1697, he joined the Friars Minor and on 2 October 1697, he received the habit with the name of Brother Leonard. Leonard, was devoted and widely promoted the devotion of the Stations of the Cross. St. Leonard preached the Way of the Cross at missions for forty-three years and reportedly set up stations in 571 locations throughout Italy, including the Colosseum in Rome. The Franciscan Order celebrates his feast on 26 November.

Tuesday, 26 November, 2013
St. Leonard of Port Maurice, OFM, Priest (Memorial)

Reading

Daniel 2: 31 - 45
31	"In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
32	The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs bronze,
33	the legs iron, its feet partly iron and partly tile.
34	While you looked at the statue, a stone which was hewn from a mountain without a hand being put to it, struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
35	The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once, fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer, and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36	"This was the dream; the interpretation we shall also give in the king's presence.
37	You, O king, are the king of kings; to you the God of heaven has given dominion and strength, power and glory;
38	men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell, he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all; you are the head of gold.
39	Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours, then a third kingdom, of bronze, which shall rule over the whole earth.
40	There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others, just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.
41	The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter's tile and partly of iron, mean that it shall be a divided kingdom, but yet have some of the hardness of iron. As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,
42	and the toes partly iron and partly tile, the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
43	The iron mixed with clay tile means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage, but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44	In the lifetime of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
45	That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain without a hand being put to it, which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold. The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future; this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure."

Psalm

Daniel 3: 57 - 61
57	Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
58	Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
59	You heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
60	All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
61	All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.

Gospel

Luke 21: 5 - 11
5	And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,
6	"As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
7	And they asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?"
8	And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and, `The time is at hand!' Do not go after them.
9	And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
10	Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
11	there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial) ~ 2013

The church celebrates the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to God in the temple, where Joachim and Anna, the holy parents of the Blessed Virgin, consecrated their little daughter to the divine service in the temple at Jerusalem, and Mary consecrated herself to the Almighty. At that time, there were two ways of consecrating children, one was ordained by the law, which required every male child to be offered to God, forty days, and every female child, eighty days after its birth. This ceremony was called the consecration of the child and the purification of the mother. Many parents had consecrated their children to the service of God, but Mary surpassed them all in innocence and grace, in heavenly virtues and gifts; hence it cannot be doubted that her sacrifice surpassed all others, and was more agreeable to the Almighty.

In following the example of Joachim and Anna, parents should not merely offer your children to God in His temple, but that you should take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples of the Holy Spirit which have been consecrated in Baptism.

Mary gives and dedicates herself to God as soon as she is capable of serving Him, and that without any reservation, for all time, and irrevocably. When, then, shall we give ourselves in earnest to God?

Mary's presentation to God was an offering most acceptable in His sight. Let our consecration of ourselves to God be made under her patronage, and assisted by her powerful intercession and the union of her merits.

As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.


Thursday, 21 November, 2013
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)

Reading 1

1 Maccabees 2: 15 - 29
15	Then the king's officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them offer sacrifice.
16	Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled.
17	Then the king's officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: "You are a leader, honored and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers.
18	Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts."
19	But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: "Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to do his commandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers,
20	yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers.
21	Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances.
22	We will not obey the king's words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left."
23	When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king's command.
24	When Mattathias saw it, be burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him upon the altar.
25	At the same time he killed the king's officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar.
26	Thus he burned with zeal for the law, as Phinehas did against Zimri the son of Salu.
27	Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: "Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!"
28	And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city.
29	Then many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to the wilderness to dwell there,

Psalm

Psalms 50: 1 - 2, 5 - 6, 14 - 15
1	The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2	Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
5	"Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6	The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! [Selah]
14	Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High;
15	and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."

Gospel

Luke 19: 41 - 44
41	And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it,
42	saying, "Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes.
43	For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side,
44	and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Roman Catholic Holy Days, Feast and Memorial days - 21 Nov 2013 - 2014 - 5 Apr 2015

Date	Event
Nov 21, 2013	Presentation of Mary
Nov 30, 2013	St. Andrew's Day
Dec 01, 2013	First Sunday of Advent
Dec 08, 2013	Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec 08, 2013	Second Sunday of Advent
Dec 15, 2013	Third Sunday of Advent
Dec 22, 2013	Fourth Sunday of Advent
Dec 25, 2013	Christmas
Jan 01, 2014	Mary, Mother of God
Jan 03, 2014	The Most holy Name of Jesus
Jan 04, 2014	Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Jan 06, 2014	Epiphany
Jan 21, 2014	Saint Agnes
Jan 24, 2014	Saint Francis de Sales
Jan 24, 2014	Our Lady, Queen of Peace
Jan 25, 2014	The Conversion of Saint Paul
Jan 26, 2014	Saints Timoty and Titus
Jan 28, 2014	Saint Thomas Aquinas
Jan 31, 2014	Saint John Bosco
Feb 02, 2014	Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
Feb 05, 2014	Saint Agatha
Feb 07, 2014	Blessed Pius IX
Feb 11, 2014	Our Lady of Lourdes
Feb 22, 2014	Chair of Saint Peter
Mar 05, 2014	Ash Wednesday
Mar 05 - Apr 19, 2014	Lent
Mar 07, 2014	Saints Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs
Mar 08, 2014	Saint John of God, religious
Mar 19, 2014	Saint Joseph's Day, Saint Joseph Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mar 25, 2014	Annunciation of the Lord
Apr 13 - 19, 2014	Holy Week
Apr 13, 2014	Palm Sunday
Apr 17, 2014	Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday)
Apr 18, 2014	Good Friday
Apr 19, 2014	Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)
Apr 20, 2014	Easter Sunday
Apr 25, 2014	Saint Mark the Evangelist
Apr 26, 2014	Our Lady of Good Counsel
Apr 27, 2014	The Feast of Divine Mercy, Divine Mercy Sunday
Apr 29, 2014	Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church
Apr 30, 2014	Saint Pius V, pope
May 01, 2014	Saint Joseph the Worker
May 03, 2014	Saints Philip and James, Apostles
May 03, 2014	Our Lady of the Valley
May 08, 2014	Our Lady of Luj�n, Patroness of Argentina
May 08, 2014	Blessed Catherine of Saint Augustine
May 13, 2014	Our Lady of Fatima
May 14, 2014	Saint Matthias the Apostle
May 18, 2014	Saint John I, pope and martyr
May 20, 2014	Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest
May 22, 2014	Saint Rita of Cascia
May 24, 2014	Mary, Help of Christians
May 25, 2014	Saint Gregory VII, pope
May 27, 2014	Saint Augustine (Austin) of Canterbury, bishop
May 29, 2014	Ascension of the Lord
May 31, 2014	Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Jun 05, 2014	Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr
Jun 08, 2014	Pentecost
Jun 09, 2014	Mary, Mother of the Church
Jun 11, 2014	Saint Barnabas the Apostle
Jun 12, 2014	Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest
Jun 13, 2014	Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor
Jun 15, 2014	Trinity Sunday, Feast of the Holy Trinity
Jun 19, 2014	Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ)
Jun 22, 2014	Saints John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Thomas More, martyr
Jun 24, 2014	Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Birth of St. John the Baptist)
Jun 27, 2014	Feast of the Sacred Heart
Jun 28, 2014	Feast of Immaculate Heart of Mary
Jun 28, 2014	Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr
Jun 29, 2014	Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Jul 03, 2014	Saint Thomas the Apostle
Jul 06, 2014	Saint Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr
Jul 11, 2014	Saint Benedict, abbot
Jul 15, 2014	Saint Bonaventure, bishop and doctor
Jul 16, 2014	Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Jul 22, 2014	Saint Mary Magdalene
Jul 25, 2014	Saint James, apostle
Jul 26, 2014	Saints Joachim and Anne (parent of Mary)
Jul 28, 2014	Saint Martha
Jul 31, 2014	Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest
Aug 01, 2014	Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church
Aug 04, 2014	Saint Jean Vianney (the Cur� of Ars), priest
Aug 06, 2014	Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Aug 08, 2014	Saint Dominic, priest
Aug 10, 2014	Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr
Aug 15, 2014	Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Aug 21, 2014	Saint Pius X, pope
Aug 22, 2014	Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary
Aug 24, 2014	Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
Aug 27, 2014	Saint Monica
Aug 28, 2014	Saint Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church
Aug 29, 2014	The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, martyr
Sep 03, 2014	Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor
Sep 08, 2014	Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Sep 09, 2014	Saint Peter Claver, priest
Sep 12, 2014	Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sep 13, 2014	Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor
Sep 14, 2014	Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Feast of the Holy Cross
Sep 15, 2014	Our Lady of Sorrows
Sep 20, 2014	Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, and Paul Chong Hasang and companions, martyrs
Sep 20, 2014	Saints Jacques Honore Chastan and Laurent Marie Joseph Imbert, priests, martyrs
Sep 21, 2014	Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Apostle, Evangelist
Sep 23, 2014	Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), priest
Sep 24, 2014	Our Lady of Mercy
Sep 26, 2014	Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs
Sep 27, 2014	Saint Vincent de Paul, priest
Sep 28, 2014	Saint Wenceslaus, martyr
Sep 29, 2014	Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
Sep 30, 2014	Saint Jerome, priest and doctor
Oct 01, 2014	Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor
Oct 02, 2014	Guardian Angels
Oct 04, 2014	Saint Francis of Assisi
Oct 07, 2014	Our Lady of the Rosary
Oct 11, 2014	Blessed John XXIII
Oct 12, 2014	Our Lady of the Pillar
Oct 15, 2014	Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor
Oct 16, 2014	Saint Hedwig, religious
Oct 16, 2014	Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin
Oct 17, 2014	Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr
Oct 18, 2014	Saint Luke the Evangelist
Oct 19, 2014	World Mission Sunday
Oct 23, 2014	Saint John of Capistrano, priest
Oct 24, 2014	Saint Anthony Mary Claret, bishop
Oct 28, 2014	Saint Simon and Saint Jude, apostles
Nov 01, 2014	All Saints
Nov 02, 2014	All Souls' Day
Nov 03, 2014	Saint Martin de Porres, religious
Nov 07, 2014	Mary, Mother and Mediatrix of Grace
Nov 09, 2014	Dedication of the Lateran basilica
Nov 10, 2014	Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor
Nov 11, 2014	Saint Martin of Tours, bishop
Nov 12, 2014	Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr
Nov 13, 2014	Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin
Nov 15, 2014	Saint Albert the Great, bishop and doctor
Nov 16, 2014	Saint Gertrude the Great, virgin
Nov 17, 2014	Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
Nov 18, 2014	Dedication of the basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Nov 18, 2014	Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin
Nov 21, 2014	Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Nov 22, 2014	Saint Cecilia
Nov 23, 2014	Christ the King
Nov 23, 2014	Saint Clement I, pope and martyr
Nov 30, 2014	First Sunday of Advent
Nov 30, 2014	St. Andrew's Day, Saint Andrew the Apostle
Dec 03, 2014	Saint Francis Xavier, priest
Dec 07, 2014	Second Sunday of Advent
Dec 07, 2014	Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor
Dec 08, 2014	Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dec 09, 2014	Saint Juan Diego
Dec 12, 2014	Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec 14, 2014	Third Sunday of Advent
Dec 14, 2014	Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor
Dec 21, 2014	Fourth Sunday of Advent
Dec 25, 2014	Christmas, Nativity of the Lord
Dec 26, 2014	Saint Stephen, the first martyr
Dec 27, 2014	Saint John the Apostle and evangelist
Dec 28, 2014	Holy Family
Dec 31, 2014	Saint Sylvester I, pope
Jan 06, 2015	Epiphany
Feb 02, 2015	Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
Feb 18, 2015	Ash Wednesday
Feb 18 - Apr 04, 2015	Lent
Mar 19, 2015	Saint Joseph's Day, Saint Joseph Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mar 25, 2015	Annunciation of the Lord
Mar 29 - Apr 04, 2015	Holy Week
Mar 29, 2015	Palm Sunday
Apr 02, 2015	Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday)
Apr 03, 2015	Good Friday
Apr 04, 2015	Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)
Apr 05, 2015	Easter Sunday