St. Marcellin Champagnat


St. Marcellin Champagnat

Feast date: Jun 06

“All to Jesus through Mary, and all to Mary for Jesus.”St. Marcellin Champagnat

Marcellin Champagnat was born on May 20, 1789, the year of the French Revolution, and died on June 6, 1840.  He was a priest of the Society of Mary and the founder of the Little Brothers of Mary, a congregation of brothers devoted to the education of the young.

He was the ninth child of a very pious catholic family and develpoed a very deep devotion to Mary as a young boy, which he learned from an aunt who was a religious.  He also had a great capacity for work, which he learned from his father.

Champagnat left school at the age of seven, and when, at the age of 14, he discovered through the help of a priest his own vocation to the priesthood, he had to begin to study again almost from scratch.

Aware of his limitations, and against the advice of those around him, he entered the minor seminary and struggled to learn the fundaments of schooling. However, never losing sight of the will of God for him, he struggled through these difficult years with his eyes fixed on the horizon of God’s call.

In the major seminary he became friends with the future Curé of Ars, Jean-Marie Vianney.  He was ordained with his companions on July 22, 1816, the feast of St. Mary Magdalen.

One of his desires was to found a congregarion devoted to the name of Mary in order to re-evangelize French society in the wake of the French Revolution. He saw his main task as the Christian education of the young, and this inclination was quickened and solidified upon encountering a dying young boy who had nearly no knowledge of the faith.

He foudned the Little Brothers of Mary on January 2, 1817, when two young men decided to join him in his mission. He set about at once, in addition to his parish ministry, to educate uncultured young boys and turn them into ardent apostles of Jesus Christ, all the while living in abject poverty and trusting totally in the will of God, and the solicitous protection of the Virgin Mary, to whom he gave all, for the sake of the Lord Jesus.

Marcellin Champagnat died at the age of 51, his health having been worn out by his immense workload and an illness.

At his canonization in 1999 by Pope JohnPaul II, the Holy Father said of him,“St Marcellin proclaimed the Gospel with a burning heart. He was sensitive to the spiritual and educational needs of his time, especially to religious ignorance and the situations of neglect experienced in a particular way by the young.”

St. Norbert


St. Norbert

Feast date: Jun 06

On June 6 the Catholic Church honors Saint Norbert of Xanten – who started out as a frivolous and worldly cleric, but was changed by God’s grace into a powerful preacher and an important reformer of the Church during the early 12th century.

He is the founder of the Norbertine order.

Born around the year 1075 in the German town of Xanten, Norbert belonged to a high-ranking family with ties to the imperial court. As a young man he showed a high degree of intelligence and sophistication – which marked him out as a contender for offices within the Church, the state, or both. None of this, however, was any guarantee of a holy life. On the contrary, Norbert’s gifts and advantages would prove to be a source of temptation even after he joined the ranks of the clergy.

Norbert was ordained as a subdeacon, and enrolled with a group of clerics in his town, before moving on to an appointment with the powerful Archbishop of Cologne. He went on to serve the German Emperor Henry V, in a position which involved the distribution of aid to the poor. In all of this, however, Norbert displayed no particular piety or personal seriousness, living a rather pleasurable and luxurious life.

Change would come from a brush with death, in approximately 1112: while riding on horseback near Xanten, he was caught in a storm and nearly killed by a lightning bolt. The frightened horse threw Norbert off, and he lay unconscious for some time. Sobered by the experience, he left his imperial post and began a period of prayer and discernment in a monastery. At age 35, he heard God calling him to the priesthood.

Radically converted to the ideals of the Gospel, Norbert was now set against the worldly attitude he had once embodied. This made him unpopular with local clerics, who responded with insults and condemnation. But Norbert was not turning back. He gave all of his wealth to the poor, reducing himself to a barefoot and begging pilgrim who possessed nothing except the means to celebrate Mass.

Pope Gelasius II gave Norbert permission to live as an itinerant preacher, and he was asked to found a religious order so that others might live after his example. He settled in the northern French region of Aisne, along with a small group of disciples who were to live according to the Rule of St. Augustine. On December 25, 1121, they were established as the Canons Regular of Premontre, also known as the Premonstratensians or Norbertines.

Their founder also established a women’s branch of the order, before returning to Germany for a successful preaching tour. He founded a lay branch of the Premonstratensians (the Third Order of St. Norbert), and went on to Belgium, where he preached against a sect that denied the power of the sacraments. His order was invited into many Northern European dioceses, and there was talk of making Norbert a bishop.

Though he avoided an earlier attempt to make him the Bishop of Wurzburg, Norbert was eventually chosen to become the Archbishop of Magdeburg in Germany. The archdiocese was in serious moral and financial trouble, and the new archbishop worked hard to reform it. His efforts were partly successful, but not universally accepted: Norbert was the target of three failed assassination attempts, made by opponents of his reforms.  

When a dispute arose over the papal succession in 1130, Norbert traveled to Rome to support the legitimate Pope Innocent II. Afterward he returned to Germany and became a close adviser to its Emperor Lothar. In a sense, his life seems to have come full-circle: the first hints of his conversion had come on a trip to Rome two decades earlier, when he accompanied a previous emperor. This time, however, Norbert was seeking God’s will, not his own advancement.

With his health failing, Norbert was brought back to Magdeburg. He died there on June 6, 1134. Pope Gregory XIII canonized St. Norbert in 1582.

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Tb 2:9-14

On the night of Pentecost, after I had buried the dead,
I, Tobit, went into my courtyard
to sleep next to the courtyard wall.
My face was uncovered because of the heat.
I did not know there were birds perched on the wall above me,
till their warm droppings settled in my eyes, causing cataracts.
I went to see some doctors for a cure
but the more they anointed my eyes with various salves,
the worse the cataracts became,
until I could see no more.
For four years I was deprived of eyesight, and
all my kinsmen were grieved at my condition.
Ahiqar, however, took care of me for two years,
until he left for Elymais.

At that time, my wife Anna worked for hire
at weaving cloth, the kind of work women do.
When she sent back the goods to their owners, they would pay her.
Late in winter on the seventh of Dystrus,
she finished the cloth and sent it back to the owners.
They paid her the full salary
and also gave her a young goat for the table.
On entering my house the goat began to bleat.

I called to my wife and said: “Where did this goat come from?
Perhaps it was stolen! Give it back to its owners;
we have no right to eat stolen food!”
She said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages.”
Yet I would not believe her,
and told her to give it back to its owners.
I became very angry with her over this.
So she retorted: “Where are your charitable deeds now?
Where are your virtuous acts?
See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 7-8, 9

R. (see 7c) The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia See Eph 1:17-18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to his call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent
to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech.
They came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.
You do not regard a person’s status
but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?
Should we pay or should we not pay?”
Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them,
“Why are you testing me?
Bring me a denarius to look at.”
They brought one to him and he said to them,
“Whose image and inscription is this?”
They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”
They were utterly amazed at him.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Stand Up For Your Faith / Defiende Tu Fe

Part of my job at my parish is forming and preparing the eighth grade students for the Sacrament of Confirmation. I enjoy the preparation program that we use and I often find myself learning right alongside the Confirmation candidates. 

One line from a recent lesson’s video has really stuck out to me lately. While talking about the gift of the Holy Spirit called fortitude, the message to the candidates went a little something like this, “You probably aren’t called to be a martyr, to die for your faith. It’s more likely that you’ll be asked to simply stand up for your faith and say that you believe in Jesus Christ.” 

To an average eighth grade student, that’s a terrifying possibility. Even for those who attend Catholic grade schools and high schools, faith isn’t often talked about outside of religion class. It’s not daily lunchtime conversation. It’s not brought up on the bus. And, even if faith is brought up, often students don’t know what to say or how to say it … or they’re too scared to speak up. 

It’s not just today’s young people, though. Many adults feel the same way – that they’re ill equipped to speak eloquently and confidently about the faith or they are silent in fear of rejection and ridicule. 

That’s where I take comfort in today’s Gospel passage: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done and it is wonderful in our eyes.” Trials and tribulations are part of the Christian life, as much as we may wish they weren’t. There are (or will be) times that we face rejection and times when enemies try to drag us down. 

But we should not fear – because the Lord is with us in these challenges. He will overcome, for He is more powerful than our difficulties. He is more merciful and loving than our enemies. And He will give us all the strength we need to stand up in and publicly proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ. 

May you be strong in the face of trial, brothers and sisters, and may you call upon the Lord for help. 

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Parte de mi trabajo en mi parroquia es formar y preparar a los estudiantes de octavo grado para el Sacramento de la Confirmación. Disfruto el programa de preparación que usamos y, a menudo, me encuentro aprendiendo junto con los candidatos de Confirmación.

Una línea del video de una lección reciente realmente me ha llamado la atención últimamente. Mientras hablaba sobre el don del Espíritu Santo llamado fortaleza, el mensaje a los candidatos fue algo así: “Probablemente no estás llamado a ser un mártir, a morir por tu fe. Es más probable que te pidan que simplemente defiendas tu fe y digas que crees en Jesucristo”.

Para un estudiante de octavo grado, esa es una posibilidad aterradora. Incluso para aquellos que asisten a escuelas primarias y secundarias católicas, no se suele hablar de la fe fuera de la clase de religión. No es una conversación diaria a la hora del almuerzo. No se menciona en el autobús. Y, incluso si se menciona la fe, a menudo los estudiantes no saben qué decir o cómo decirlo… o tienen demasiado miedo de hablar.

Sin embargo, no se trata solo de los jóvenes de hoy. Muchos adultos sienten lo mismo: que no están preparados para hablar con elocuencia y confianza sobre la fe o que guardan silencio por miedo al rechazo y al ridículo.

Ahí es donde me consuelo en el pasaje del Evangelio de hoy: “La piedra que desecharon los constructores se ha convertido en piedra angular; por el Señor ha sido hecho esto y es maravilloso a nuestros ojos.” Las pruebas y tribulaciones son parte de la vida cristiana, por mucho que deseemos que no lo sean. Hay (o habrá) momentos en los que nos enfrentamos al rechazo y momentos en que los enemigos intentan arrastrarnos hacia abajo.

Pero no debemos temer, porque el Señor está con nosotros en estos desafíos. Él vencerá, porque es más poderoso que nuestras dificultades. Es más misericordioso y amoroso que nuestros enemigos y nos dará toda la fuerza que necesitamos para levantarnos y proclamar públicamente nuestra fe en Jesucristo.

Que sean fuertes frente a la prueba, hermanos y hermanas, y que pidan ayuda al Señor.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions as a full-time youth minister and a freelance sports writer.

Feature Image Credit: Kyle Glenn, unsplash.com/photos/dGk-qYBk4OA

St. Boniface


St. Boniface

Feast date: Jun 05

St. Boniface was very bold in his faith and was well known for being very good at using the local customs and culture of the day to bring people to Christ. He was born in Devonshire, England, in the seventh century. He was educated at a Benedictine monastery and became a monk, and was sent as a missionary to Germany in 719 instead of becoming abbot for his monastery.

There, he destroyed idols and pagan temples, and built churches on the sites. He was eventually made archbishop of Mainz, where he reformed churches and built religious houses on those sites.

He was martyred on June 5, 754 while on mission in Holland, where a troop of pagans attacked and killed him and his 52 companions.

One story about St. Boniface tells about when he met a tribe in Saxony that was worshipping a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took an ax, and without a word, chopped it down. Then he stood on the trunk, and asked: “How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.”

Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

Reading 1 Tb 1:3; 2:1a-8

I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life
on the paths of truth and righteousness.
I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people
who had been deported with me to Nineveh, in Assyria.

On our festival of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks,
a fine dinner was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.
The table was set for me,
and when many different dishes were placed before me,
I said to my son Tobiah: “My son,
go out and try to find a poor man
from among our kinsmen exiled here in Nineveh.
If he is a sincere worshiper of God, bring him back with you,
so that he can share this meal with me.
Indeed, son, I shall wait for you to come back.”

Tobiah went out to look for some poor kinsman of ours.
When he returned he exclaimed, “Father!”
I said to him, “What is it, son?”
He answered, “Father, one of our people has been murdered!
His body lies in the market place where he was just strangled!”
I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched;
and I carried the dead man from the street
and put him in one of the rooms,
so that I might bury him after sunset.
Returning to my own quarters, I washed myself
and ate my food in sorrow.
I was reminded of the oracle
pronounced by the prophet Amos against Bethel:

“All your festivals shall be turned into mourning,
and all your songs into lamentation.”

And I wept.
Then at sunset I went out, dug a grave, and buried him.

The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another:
“He is still not afraid!
Once before he was hunted down for execution
because of this very thing;
yet now that he has scarcely escaped,
here he is again burying the dead!”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1b-2, 3b-4, 5-6

R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia See Rv 1:5ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead;
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
“A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

That All May be Saved / Que Todos Sean Salvos

In today’s Gospel we read perhaps the most quoted verse of Scripture, that “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” It’s printed on t-shirts, coffee mugs, those fancy picture frames that everyone has hanging in their bathroom, and on pencils to hand out to youth groups. 

I wonder if this is one of those verses that is so often quoted that it has lost some of its importance and just become a commonplace phrase. But today, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, let’s take some time to really dive deep into what this passage means. If we go all the way back to the beginning we see Adam and Eve in the garden. They have been given everything they could possibly desire, but through an act of disobedience and selfishness, they lose their inheritance. They want to be God and in trying to become like him, they turn their back on the very One they want to imitate. 

God, of course, knew this was going to happen and had a plan from the beginning. The irony is that God wanted to allow all of us to share in his divine life. He wanted us to participate fully and intimately in his very divinity. This was the desire of Adam and Eve, to be more like God, but they tried to get there through disobedience, while Christ brings us there by his obedience to the Father. I have shared this quote from the Catechism (221) before that states, “God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.” 

Adam and Eve lost their inheritance through disobedience. Jesus gave us our inheritance back by his obedience to the Father and offers to make us partakers of the divine life through the Holy Spirit. It’s the ultimate comeback story. This is why John 3:16 is such an important verse. Not because it can sell more merchandise to the Christian world than any other verse, but because it tells us of God’s plan right from the beginning to perfect us. 

This perfection does not come without a cost. As Scripture says, “We have been purchased for a price.” That price is the death and torture of Jesus Christ, who became man in order to to allow us to fully participate in the life of the trinity. What Adam and Eve did in the beginning, and what we continue to do today through our sin, can only be rectified by God stepping in and saving us. Today, let’s rejoice that he has. 

From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!

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En el Evangelio de hoy leemos quizás el versículo más citado de la Escritura, que “Tanto amó Dios al mundo, que le entregó a su Hijo único, para que todo el que crea en él no perezca, sino que tenga la vida eterna.” Está impreso en camisetas, tazas de café, esos elegantes marcos de fotos que todo el mundo tiene colgados en el baño y en lápices para repartir entre grupos de jóvenes.

Me pregunto si es uno de esos versos que se citan con tanta frecuencia que ha perdido parte de su importancia y se ha convertido en una frase común. Pero hoy, en la Solemnidad de la Santísima Trinidad, tomemos un momento para sumergirnos en lo que significa este pasaje. Si retrocedemos hasta el principio, vemos a Adán y Eva en el jardín. Se les ha dado todo lo que podían desear, pero por un acto de desobediencia y egoísmo, pierden su herencia. Quieren ser Dios y al tratar de ser como él, le dan la espalda.

Dios, por supuesto, sabía que esto iba a suceder y tenía un plan desde el principio. La ironía es que Dios quería permitirnos a todos compartir su vida divina. Quería que participáramos plena e íntimamente en su divinidad. Este era el deseo de Adán y Eva, de ser más como Dios, pero trataron de llegar a través de la desobediencia, mientras Cristo nos lleva allí por su obediencia al Padre. He compartido esta cita del Catecismo (221) anteriormente que dice: “Él mismo es una eterna comunicación de amor: Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, y nos ha destinado a participar en Él.”

Adán y Eva perdieron su herencia por la desobediencia. Jesús nos devolvió nuestra herencia por su obediencia al Padre y se ofrece a hacernos partícipes de la vida divina a través del Espíritu Santo. Es la última historia de retorno. Es por eso que Juan 3:16 es un versículo tan importante. No porque pueda vender más mercancía al mundo cristiano que cualquier otro versículo, sino porque nos habla del plan de Dios desde el principio para perfeccionarnos.

Esta perfección no viene sin costo. Como dice la Escritura: “Hemos sido comprados por precio”. Ese precio es la muerte y tortura de Jesucristo, quien se hizo hombre para permitirnos participar plenamente en la vida de la trinidad. Lo que Adán y Eva hicieron al principio, y lo que continuamos haciendo hoy a través de nuestro pecado, solo puede ser rectificado si Dios interviene y nos salva. Hoy, alegrémonos de que lo haya hecho.

De parte de todos nosotros aquí en Diocesan, ¡Dios los bendiga!

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Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”

Feature Image Credit: Regine Tholen, unsplash.com/photos/ojGvj7CE5OQ

St. Optatus


St. Optatus

Feast date: Jun 04

The church remembers St. Optatus on June 4. As a convert from paganism, he is best known for his opposition to the heresy of Donatism, and his six treatises composed against them. One of them, against Parmenian, is still extant, and was mentioned by St. Jerome in his De Viris Illustribus as having been composed in six books. The treatise stresses the need for unity and is conciliatory in tone, but it criticizes Donatist teachings on Baptism, and stresses that the Church cannot be limited to Africa but is “catholic.”

Optatus was highly praised by such contemporaries as Augustine and Fulgentius of Ruspe. He died in 387 A.D. as Bishop of Milevis, Numidia, in Africa.

St. Francis Caracciolo


St. Francis Caracciolo

Feast date: Jun 04

“Zeal for Thy house has consumed me!”

Born in Villa Santa Maria, Italy on October 13, 1563, Francis Caracciolo was given the name Ascanio at his baptism.  His mother was a relative of St. Thomas Aquinas. He lived a virtuous life as a youth and seemed inclined towards a religious vocation. When he was 22 he contracted a form of leprosy which he begged God to cure him of.  He promised to follow what seemed clear to him as his calling to the priesthood immediately upon being cured.

He was cured instantly upon making the promise, and left immediately for Naples to study for the priesthood.  On his ordination he joined the confraternity of The White Robes of Justice, who were devoted to helping condemned criminals to die a holy death, reconciled with God.

Five years after he went to Naples, a letter was delivered to him which was in fact addressed to another Ascanio Caracciolo, a distant relative.  The letter was an appeal from Father Giovanni Agostino Adorno, of Genoa, to this other Ascanio to join him in founding a religious order. Reading the lettter he realized that the vision of Fr. Adorno was in total compliance with his own ideas for a religious institute and he interpreted this as a sign of God’s plan.

He responded to the letter and the two men spent a few weeks together in retreat to draw up the institutions and rule. The congregation was approved by Pope Sixtus V on July 1, 1588.

The congregation lives both and active and contemplaive life, perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament being one of the pillars of their life.  They work with the sick, poor, prisoners and as missionaries. In addition to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, they have a fourth which forbids them to seek or accept ecclesiastical honors.

Upon making his profession, Caracciolo took the name Francis in honor of the saint of Assissi. He was noted for his ardent devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, often being found in ecstasy, and frequently repeating the words of the Psalm, “Zeal for Thy house has consumed me.” He died of a severe fever on the eve of Corpus Christi in Agnone, on June 4 in 1608, with his oft-repeated words on his lips.  Those same words were found burned into the flesh of his heart when his body was opened after his death.

He was canonized by Pope Pius VII on May 24, 1807.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Reading 1 Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai
as the LORD had commanded him,
taking along the two stone tablets.

Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there
and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.”
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O Lord,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own.”

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!

Reading 2 2 Cor 13:11-13

Brothers and sisters, rejoice.
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Alleluia Cf. Rv 1:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
to God who is, who was, and who is to come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 3:16-18

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.