Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi ~ 4 October 2017

Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscan Order, born as Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (known as as Francesco) at Assisi, Umbria in the circa of 1181 or 1182. Francis was a man of action and his simplicity of life extended to ideas and deeds. Humility was, no doubt, his ruling virtue. Francis wrote the beautiful Canticle of the Sun that expresses his brotherhood with creation in praising God. In the canticle, Francis refers to the sun, wind, air, and fire as his brothers, and to the moon, stars, earth, water, and death as his sisters. He died on 4 October, 1226 at the age of 45. Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals, merchants and the natural environment. Each October, many animals the world over are blessed on his feast day.

Here are two famous story about Francis,

• Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for God's care. The story tells us the birds stood still as he walked among him, only flying off when he said they could leave.
• A wolf that had been eating human beings. Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat.

Canticle of the Sun

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, 

All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong, 

and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,

especially Sir Brother Sun,

Who is the day through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,

Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,

And fair and stormy, all weather's moods,

by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,

So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,

through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,

Mother Earth

who sustains and governs us,

producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon 

for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, 

By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,

from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. 

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,

And serve Him with great humility.

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ 26 July 2017

The Catholic Church commemorates the memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. After years of childlessness, an angel appeared to announce to Anne and Joachim that their sorrow will end and they would soon have a child. Anne promised that the child would be dedicated to God. It was part of God's great plan for our salvation that all generations would honor their future child, as this child will bear our Saviour Jesus Christ.

O Lord, God of our Fathers, who bestowed on Saints Joachim and Anne this grace, that of them should be born the Mother of your incarnate Son, grant, through the prayers of both, that we may attain the salvation you have promised to your people. 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.

Reading 1

Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15

The children of Israel set out from Elim,
and came into the desert of Sin,
which is between Elim and Sinai,
on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their departure from the land of Egypt.
Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The children of Israel said to them,
"Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt,
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!"

Then the LORD said to Moses,
"I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,
let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."

Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation
of the children of Israel:
Present yourselves before the LORD,
for he has heard your grumbling."
When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel,
they turned toward the desert, and lo,
the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
"I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, "What is this?"
for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
"This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
They tempted God in their hearts
by demanding the food they craved.
Yes, they spoke against God, saying,
"Can God spread a table in the desert?"
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Yet he commanded the skies above
and the doors of heaven he opened;
He rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
He stirred up the east wind in the heavens,
and by his power brought on the south wind.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
And he rained meat upon them like dust,
and, like the sand of the sea, winged fowl,
Which fell in the midst of their camp
round about their tents.
R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.


Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
All who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Matthew 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest ~ 3 December 2015

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the memorial of St.Francis Xavier, one of the greatest Christian missionaries. 

• 7 April 1506, Francis Xavier was born in Navarre, Spain. He was born into a noble family and was the youngest of five children, two girls and three boys.
• Late summer of 1525, Francis left home to pursue his studies at the University of Paris.
• In March 1530, completing his philosophical studies, he received a Master of Arts degree. 
• From 1530 until 1534,he was an instructor in philosophy in the College of Beauvais. 
• From 1534 to 1536, he was studied theology. Francis met two other students who would have a huge influence on his life, Pierre Favre and Ignatius of Loyola.
• In Paris, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier and Pierre Favre were joined by four others: Simon Rodriguez, Jaime Laynez, Alphonso Salmeron and Nicolas Bobadilla. Together these seven companions were united in wanting to spread the Gospel and devoting their lives to the service of God. 
• They decided that they would take vows of chastity and poverty and then make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 
• 15 August 1534 (on the feast of the Assumption), in the chapel of Montmartre near Paris, these seven companions made their vows. This was an important step in the foundation of the Society of Jesus.
• 24 June 1537, Francis Xavier was ordained a priest in Venice.
• 1540, Francis traveled from Rome to Lisbon. He spent a year, living at a hospice and helping to care for the sick, visiting the poor, and visiting those in prison. 
• 1541, Francis Xavier went on his first missionary journey to India.
• From August 1541 to March 1542, Francis had to remain in Mozambique because of the dangerous seas during wintertime.
• 6 May 1542, Francis reached Goa, India. He was forced to spend the next four months in Goa due to the monsoon weather.
• September 1542, he reached his initial destination the coast in Southern India. Francis was known as a cheerful and good humoured man. 
• October 1543, Francis return to Goa, India. He learned that the Society of Jesus had been formally approved by the Pope and that Ignatius had been elected general and that his companions had taken solemn vows. Francis himself took his own vows before the bishop of Goa. Francis now became superior of India.
• September 1545, Francis Xavier set sail for Malacca.
• Francis Xavier reached Japan. Francis worked for more than two years in Japan spreading the gospel and founding churches and saw his successor-Jesuits established.
• 1552, Back to India and he began to make preparations for his next journey.
• 17 April 1552, Leaving Goa, India to embark journey to China.
• September 1552, reached the Chinese island of Shangchuan, Southern coast of China.
• Between 2 December and 3 December 1552, he died on the Island of Shangchuanon near the coast of China. His dying words were: In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum (�In you, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be confounded�.)
• 11 December 1553, Francis's body was shipped to Goa. The body, having resisted extensive decay, is now in the Basilica of Bom J�sus in Goa, 
• 2 December 1637, his body was transferred into a silver casket.

source: www.gardinerstparish

O God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier won many peoples to yourself, grant that the hearts of the faithful may burn with the same zeal for the faith and that Holy Church may everywhere rejoice in an abundance of offspring. 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.

Reading 1

Isaiah 26:1-6
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

�A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.�

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD�s;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call him while he is near.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples:
�Not everyone who says to me, �Lord, Lord,�
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

�Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.�

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist ~ 29 August 2015

We remember and honour the anniversary of Saint John the Baptist martyrdom in today memorial. John the Baptist who was put to death through beheading for speaking the truth.

�Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the martyrdom of St John the Baptist reminds us too, Christians of this time, that with love for Christ, for his words and for the Truth, we cannot stoop to compromises. The Truth is Truth; there are no compromises. Christian life demands, so to speak, the �martyrdom� of daily fidelity to the Gospel, the courage, that is, to let Christ grow within us and let him be the One who guides our thought and our actions.� 

~ Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience of 29 August 2012 ~

O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. 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.

Reading 1

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11

Brothers and sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 6:17-29
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
�It is not lawful for you to have your brother�s wife.�
Herodias harboured a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias� own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
�Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.�
He even swore many things to her,
�I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.�
She went out and said to her mother,
�What shall I ask for?�
She replied, �The head of John the Baptist.�
The girl hurried back to the king�s presence and made her request,
�I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist.�
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker ~ 1 May 2015

Saint Joseph was a carpenter, as we know from Matthew 13:55, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? ....". He was a faithful and righteous man who went about doing his day-to-day work without complaining. He was a man who just put total trust in God, and did what he was required to do in order to care for his family. In order to Christianise the concept of labour and give to all workmen a model and a protector, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955, therefore Saint Joseph is the Church the patron saint of workers and craftsmen. In some countries around the world 1 May is observed as a public holiday to commemorate Labour Day aka May Day, a day of celebration in honour of workers labour. 

In normal times, Catholics traditionally honour Saint Joseph every Wednesday. The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus will be celebrated on 19 March. Except for Mary, no other saint has more than one feast day.

"I know by experience that 

the glorious St. Joseph 

assists us generally in all necessities. 

I never asked him for anything 

which he did not obtain for me."

~ * ~ St. Teresa of Avila ~ * ~

St. Joseph the Worker, Pray for us!

St. Joseph faithfully practiced the carpenter's trade. 

He is a shining example for all workers.

~ * ~ Canticle of Zechariah ~ * ~

O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise. 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.

Prayer to Saint Joseph for Fidelity to Work

Glorious St. Joseph, 

model of all who are devoted to labour, 

obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, 

putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; 

to work with gratitude and joy, 

considering it an honour to employ and develop, 

by means of labour, the gifts received from God, 

disregarding difficulties and weariness; 

to work, above all, with purity 

of intention and with detachment from self, 

having always before my eyes death, 

and the account which I must render of time lost, 

of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, 

so fatal to the work of God. 

All for Jesus, all for Mary, 

all after your example, patriarch Joseph. 

This will be my watchword in life and in death. 

Amen.

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) ~ 14 December

"With what procrastinations do you wait, 

since from this very moment 

you can love God in your heart?"

~ St. John of the Cross ~

St. John on the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) was named Juan de Yepes at his bith in June, 1542 and was the Castilian son of a poor silk weaver of Fontiberos, Toledo, Spain.

St. John in 1563 he offered himself as a lay brother to the Carmelite friars, who, however, perceiving his unusual talents, ordained him in 1567 as a Carmelite priest at 25, he met St.Teresa of Jesus (St.Teresa of Avila) at the Carmelite priory of Medina and like her vowed himself to the primitive rule of the Carmelites. John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: �of the Cross.� where �Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.� (Mark 8:34), and the Way of the Cross is the story of John�s life. He had a great devotion to Our Lord's Passion and voluntarily sought out humiliations. When Our Lord asked him what reward he would ask for his labors, John answered: "To suffer and to be despised for Thee." In April, 1571, John was appointed rector of a Discalced Carmelite college at the university of Alcal� near Madrid. In September, 1572, John was brought by Teresa to serve for the next five years as a confessor and spiritual director, along with another friar, for the 130 nuns at the Convent of the Incarnation in �vila. One day at some point between 1574 and 1577, while praying in the Monastery of the Incarnation in �vila, in a loft overlooking the sanctuary, John had a vision of the crucified Christ, which led him to create his famous drawing of Christ "from above". In 1641, this drawing was placed in a smallmonstrance and kept in �vila.

St. John died in �beda, Spain on 14 December, 1591, of erysipelas. he was only beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X, and was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. St. John was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August, 1926. He is the patron of contemplative life, mystical theology, mystics, and Spanish poets.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

You gave Saint John of the Cross 

the grace of complete self-denial 

and an ardent love for the cross of Christ. 

Grant that by following always in his footsteps 

we may come to the eternal vision of Your glory. 

Amen.

O God, who gave the Priest Saint John
an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial
and love of the Cross,
grant that, by imitating him closely at all times,
we may come to contemplate eternally your glory.
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.

Saturday, 14 December, 2013 

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

Sirach 48: 1 - 4, 9 - 11
1	Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.
2	He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number.
3	By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire.
4	How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have?
9	You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire;
10	you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11	Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been adorned in love; for we also shall surely live.

Psalm

Psalms 80: 2 - 3, 15 - 16, 18 - 19
2	before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us!
3	Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
15	the stock which thy right hand planted.
16	They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!
18	Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!
19	Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

Gospel

Matthew 17: 10 - 13
10	And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?"
11	He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things;
12	but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands."
13	Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Mine are the heavens 

and mine is the earth. 

Mine are the nations, 

the just are mine 

and mine the sinners. 

The angels are mine, 

and the Mother of God, 

and all things are mine; 

and God himself is mine 

and for me, 

because Christ is mine 

and all for me. 

What do you ask, then, 

and seek my soul? 

Yours is all of this, 

and all is for you. 

Do not engage your self 

in something less 

or pay heed to the crumbs 

that fall from your Father's table. 

Go forth and exult 

in your Glory! 

Hide yourself in it and rejoice, 

and you will obtain 

the supplications of your heart.

~ St. John of the Cross ~

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.