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UPDATE: Pope Leo XIV’s hometown purchases his childhood home

The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV in Dolton, Illinois. / Credit: “EWTN News in Depth”/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Jul 14, 2025 / 17:23 pm (CNA).

The village of Dolton purchased Pope Leo XIV’s boyhood home for $375,000 on Tuesday, July 8, after the village board unanimously approved its purchase at a special meeting the week before. 

Newly-elected Dolton Mayor Jason House said on July 10 that a steering committee would be formed in order to plan how to manage the property, which will become a historic site open to the public. He said the committee would then “lay out the plans to trustees and the community.”

House called for the special July 1 vote, which was unanimous, after hearing from the trustees and allowing for comment from members of the public, several of whom opposed the home purchase by the cash-strapped village.

Amid the pushback from Dolton residents who complained about the dilapidated state of local roads and the village’s high debt, House said the purchase of the childhood home of the first U.S.-born pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, would eventually “pay for itself,” calling it a “historical opportunity.”

Dolton, a formerly prosperous village due to the industrial boom during the second half of the 20th century, has declined economically since the 1980s. The per capita income is $29,776 and 20% of the residents live in poverty, according to census data.

Trustee Edward Steave referred to the “busloads of people” in and out of the village to see the house, located at 212 E. 141st Place, since the pope’s election, emphasizing the economic benefits visitors to the historic site would bring to the community.

Also acknowledging residents’ concerns, Trustee Kiana Belcher asked them to “stand with us as we make this decision because we know it will help all of us as a village.”

Trustee Stanley Brown said that while he is not a Catholic himself, he is a Christian who would like to “help out the Catholics.”

“I just believe in this opportunity that’s been given us, and I believe in waiting on the Lord,” Brown continued. “He’s here to strengthen our town, so don’t let this opportunity get away from us!”

“We have been put on the back row … and now we have the opportunity to get on the front row, and we don’t want to let this opportunity get away from us,” he said.

Dolton City Attorney Burt Odelson agreed, telling CNA that a “world of opportunity” has opened for the small suburb, which is like “no other place in the world.”

“Things are just going to get better and better for the people of Dolton,” he said. 

On the Village of Dolton’s Facebook page on July 1, the village posted photos of the house getting a new roof, paid for by a donor, according to Odelson.

“The pope’s house continues to draw in people, bringing new energy and attention to our village. This increased traffic represents a new day in Dolton — full of potential, progress, and promise,” the village wrote on its Facebook page.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, House said he hoped the house could be “converted into its ultimate form” within 30-60 days after its purchase was finalized.

House said the village will have the help of a “number of partnerships,” possibly referring to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

As it considers next steps, Odelson said the village has done research on how former popes’ homes are preserved around the world. Last month, he told CNA that he was speaking with someone “high up” in the archdiocese who was helping “guide” the village in its goal to preserve the historic home.

The Archdiocese of Chicago did not respond to CNA’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Odelson told CNA in June that once the house was purchased, the village would set up a nonprofit charity to help fundraise for the preservation of the house and the revitalization of the neighborhood.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve what many people believe is a sacred” place, Odelson told CNA about the pope’s former home. “We need to do it right and we don’t have the funds to do it right. We have to lean on others.”

People from “all over the U.S. have already offered to help preserve the house,” Odelson said, “and the charity will enable them to do so.”

On the heels of the pope’s election in May, Odelson and House said at the time that the city intended to purchase the modest three-bedroom, 1,050-square-foot brick home, which had been listed for sale since January.

Realtor Steve Budzik told CNA in May that as soon as the owner, house renovator Pawel Radzik, found out the house he had updated and listed for sale once belonged to the newly elected pope, he removed it from the market to “reassess” the situation.

Radzik relisted it for sale by auction through Paramount Realty auction house. The auction was originally set to close on June 17 but was extended by a month “to finalize negotiations with the village of Dolton,” Odelson told CNA in June.

The final sale price of $375,000 was much lower than the $1 million Budzik had said he thought the house might sell for at auction.

This story was first published on July 2, 2025, and was updated on July 14, 2025, at 5:23 p.m. ET with details on the purchase of the home.

‘You were, above all, a friend’: Eulogy for Italian priest who died by suicide

The funeral of Matteo Balzano, a young Italian priest who recently took his own life at the age of 35, was held July 8, 2025, in the presence of the faithful — especially young people — he served at the parish in Cannobio in the Piedmont region. / Credit: Courtesy of Italian Episcopal Conference

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 14, 2025 / 16:53 pm (CNA).

The funeral of Matteo Balzano, a young Italian priest who recently took his own life at the age of 35, was held July 8 in the presence of the faithful — especially young people — he served at the parish in Cannobio in the Piedmont region.

The bishop of Novara, Franco Giulio Brambilla, who offered the funeral Mass, gave an impromptu homily marked by hope but with considerable effort due to the fact that he was, as he put it, “devastated by grief.”

Before the tragic event, Balzano had resumed his mission among the young people at the oratory of the parish in Cannobio, so Brambilla wanted to address them in particular: “I was struck by the inconsolable grief of the young people, the same ones who are here before us today,” he commented.

‘You always believed in all of us and in every one of our dreams’

A young woman named Alessia then read a letter addressed to Balzano on behalf of the young people he had served. “Even in our most difficult moments, you always managed to get us to smile, telling us something silly or teasing us, as you often did.”

The young woman thanked him for bringing “life back” to the oratory and for valuing “each of our strengths.” With nostalgia, Alessia stated that, from the very beginning, the priest became “a fundamental pillar,” a person “to whom I could confide anything, even the most foolish, because for me, you were not just my priest, my confessor, or my ‘superior,’ for me, you were above all a friend.”

She also recalled how the young people were “fascinated” by Balzano’s talks and highlighted his ability to involve them all. “You always believed in all of us and in every one of our dreams. You managed to help us face many insecurities and bring out the best in us.”

“We will remember every laugh, every joke, every day together, because with your presence you knew how to make everything special. Our relationship has not ended; it has only transformed, because now you will be our guardian forever,” the young woman concluded.

Speaking again, Brambilla affirmed with hope that “the Lord will be close to us through the affectionate memory of Don Matteo, which each of us holds in our hearts and which will come to our aid in life’s critical moments.”

Addressing the faithful of the Diocese of Novara, Brambilla openly shared that the “unimaginable and incomprehensible news of the traumatic death” of the young priest left him “shocked and speechless.”

He also expressed his gratitude to the priests and laypeople who have written to the diocese to express their closeness: “I have noticed that, above all, such a tragic circumstance has made us rediscover what is true, profoundly true, in our lives: the profound bond that unites us in the Lord Jesus,” he noted.

He then shared some reflections that he said arose from his “heart torn apart” by grief.

Helping priests stay the course 

First, he recalled when Jesus sent the apostles to prepare the Passover and explained that, in the same way, all the faithful “must help the bishop, the families of priests, the priests, and especially the younger ones, not lose the compass that points to the deepest meaning of the priest’s mission: to prepare the Passover, to eat the Passover.”

“Preparation, setting the table for Passover, is the meaning of our entire mission, which means guiding the life of every person, every family, every child, adolescent, and young person to understand that the most difficult, but also the most beautiful moment of life, is to go through the Passover, which means ‘passage,’” he explained.

He pointed out that, when difficulties arise, “it’s important to understand that there is something greater that drives us forward, and that is the Lord Jesus who dies with us, accompanies us, and makes us rise with him.” Thus, he encouraged priests to “never lose” the sense of this reality.

Faced with this reality, he emphasized that “our language, our ways of speaking, must be edifying and reveal the communion that unites us. Only in the face of the truth of life and death can it be revealed whether our language edifies and whether our actions build communion,” he added.

He also noted that, after what happened, he understood that “we must learn to listen to each other, to speak the truth more simply, to not hide our most intimate sufferings, to be open with one another in a transparent way, because this is the essential condition for building together the preparation for Jesus’ Passover.”

At the end of his homily, he invited those present to “take more care for the soul” and give less importance to material things: “Our homes are too full of things, but poor in what is meaningful for living,” he said.

“Don Matteo’s presence, his contagious spirit, his beautiful person, all these people present today in these saddest of circumstances, reveal to us precisely that there exists a profound bond, without which we run the risk of suffering from spiritual anemia,” he commented.

The Italian prelate confessed that he doesn’t know if his heart “will ever stop crying, but I know that from now on and forever I will never be able to forget Don Matteo.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

As conditions worsen in Gaza, novena for peace set to start

Charitable organizations distribute food to displaced people in shelter tents in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on June 9, 2024. / Credit: Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 14, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

As U.N. agencies issue dire warnings of humanitarian collapse in Gaza, the Catholic arm of an organization that promotes Christian engagement in the Near East has announced a nine-day novena prayer for peace in the Holy Land to begin on July 16.

The Philos Project’s “Nine-Day Novena to Pray for Peace in the Holy Land” comes as Israel has intensified its bombardment of Gaza, and eight U.N. agencies have indicated that “without fuel, their lifesaving work may soon come to a halt.” Over the weekend, BBC reported the deaths of 10 people, including six children, who were killed in a July 13 Israeli airstrike while waiting to fill their containers of water in central Gaza. 

Fifty Israel hostages remain in Hamas captivity, including the bodies of at least 28 that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed dead, according to a Times of Israel report. Twenty hostages are believed to be alive, while “grave concerns for the well-being of two others” remain. 

The novena will begin July 16 on the feast of Our Lady of Carmel and end on July 24, the feast of St. Charbel of Mount Lebanon. A similar novena was held last year. This year, according to the Director of Philos Catholic Simone Rizkallah, participants will “dare to ask for more,” lifting up their prayers for an end to the conflict. 

“This jubilee year [of hope] reminds us that God’s promises are never revoked,” Rizkallah said, adding: “Let’s pray boldly together.”

The novena’s intentions are for a complete end to the conflict in the Holy Land, the return of all hostages, the rebuilding of devastated communities, the healing of deep wounds and the restoration of trust, and a prophetic sign of peace: that one day soon, Christians may walk safely on pilgrimage from Mount Carmel to Mount Lebanon, two sacred peaks tied by faith, history, and hope.

Last year, the Philos Project’s “emergency novena,” which was prayed by more than 1,000 people, centered on prayers for peace between Israel and Lebanon. 

“We began on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, asking that Lebanon be spared from imminent war,” Rizkallah recalled. “Against all odds, peace has held. Dialogue, not destruction, has taken root between Lebanon and Israel. It was almost unimaginable a year ago.” 

At the time, the novena was in response to ongoing clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed, Shiite Muslim militant group based in Lebanon.

Security guard killed, 3 seminarians abducted from Nigerian seminary

A map of Nigeria. / Credit: SevenMaps/Shutterstock

ACI Africa, Jul 14, 2025 / 14:28 pm (CNA).

Three seminarians were kidnapped and a security guard was killed in an armed attack on Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in the Diocese of Auchi in Nigeria on the night of July 10.

In a statement issued July 11, Father Peter Egielewa, the director of communications of the Auchi Diocese, provided details about the attack. He said the 9 p.m. attack on the Catholic institution located in Ivhianokpodi, Etsako East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo state, involved “several gunmen.”

“In the process, the Nigerian Civil Defense Security official, Mr. Christopher Aweneghieme, stationed at the seminary was killed, and three minor seminarians were abducted and led into the bush,” Egielewa said.

The other seminarians have been moved to what Egielewa described as “a safe area until security measures around the seminary are tightened.”

“Unfortunately, no communication has been had with the abductors yet,” he said, adding that the leadership of the diocese “sympathizes with the family of the deceased security official and prays for the repose for his soul.”

In his statement, Egielewa also appealed for “prayers for the quick release of our seminarians.”

He said the bishop of the Auchi Diocese has denounced the attack and called on security agencies to “do more to secure the lives and properties of our people.”

Bishop Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia directed all priests of the diocese to celebrate a Votive Mass of the Precious Blood of Jesus on Saturday, July 12, and in morning Masses on Monday, July 14. 

According to Egielewa, the bishop has also directed all parish priests to “ensure the continuous recitation of the holy rosary and Sunday evening Benediction for divine protection for all faithful of the diocese, Edo state, and the country of Nigeria until further notice.”

He appealed to all people of goodwill to “join the faithful of the diocese to pray for the repose of the soul of Aweneghieme and for the speedy release of the abducted seminarians unharmed.”

Dunia, who has been at the helm of the Diocese of Auchi since February 2003, established Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in 2006 for the training of future priests. Over 500 minor seminarians have so far successfully graduated from the institution.

Nigeria has been experiencing insecurity since 2009, when the Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state.

Since then, the group, one of the largest Islamist groups in Africa, has been orchestrating indiscriminate terrorist attacks on various targets, including religious and political groups, as well as civilians.

The insecurity situation in the country has further been complicated by the involvement of the predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen, also referred to as the Fulani Militia.

Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have repeatedly denounced the reported killings and abductions in the West African nation and challenged the government to prioritize the safeguarding of human life.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Historic St. Kateri Tekakwitha shrine welcomes visitors to walk in her footsteps

St. Peter’s Chapel and Native American Museum at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site

Chicago, Ill., Jul 14, 2025 / 09:20 am (CNA).

Shrines to various saints can be found in every part of the world, including every state in the U.S. Each one is dedicated to faith and prayer, but one shrine in the northeastern United States also has a distinct mission of connecting pilgrims with Native American culture and sharing the fascinating history of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized a saint.

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York, honors not only the life of St. Kateri, whose feast day is July 14, but also the life and history of the local Indigenous people to whom she belonged.

“We have cultivated strong ties to both the Catholic Mohawk community and the traditional Mohawk community,” said Melissa Miscevic Bramble, director of operations at the Saint Kateri Shrine, in an interview with CNA. “We see it as our mission to educate about her Mohawk culture as well as her Catholic faith.”

Who was St. Kateri?

Called the Lily of the Mohawks, Kateri Tekakwitha was the child of a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother but was orphaned at age 4 when the rest of her family died of smallpox. Her own early bout with the illness left lasting scars and poor vision.

She went to live with an anti-Christian uncle and aunt, but at age 11 she encountered Jesuit missionaries and recognized their teaching as the beliefs of her beloved mother. Desiring to become a Christian, she began to privately practice Christianity. 

Beginning at about age 13, she experienced pressure from her family to marry, but she wanted to give her life to Jesus instead. A priest who knew her recorded her words: “I have deliberated enough. For a long time, my decision on what I will do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen him for husband, and he alone will take me for wife.”

At last, she was baptized at about age 19, and her baptism made public her beliefs, which had been kept private up until then. The event was the catalyst for her ostracism from her village. Some members of her people believed that her beliefs were sorcery, and she was harassed, stoned, and threatened with torture in her home village.

Tekakwitha fled 200 miles to Kahnawake, a Jesuit mission village for Native Amerian converts to Christianity to live together in community. There, she found her mother’s close friend, Anastasia Tegonhatsiongo, who was a clan matron of a Kahnawake longhouse. Anastasia and other Mohawk women took Kateri under their wings and taught her about Christianity, and she lived there happily for several years until her death at around age 23 or 24. 

Although she never took formal vows, Tekakwitha is considered a consecrated virgin, and the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins took her as its patron. She is also the patron saint of traditional ecology, Indigenous peoples, and care for creation.

A shrine with a special mission

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site has a unique mission of archaeological and historical research related to Kateri Tekakwitha and her people. Welcoming several thousand visitors per year, the shrine ministers not only to Christians but also to all Native American.

According to its website, the shrine and historic site “promotes healing, encourages environmental stewardship, and facilitates peace for all people by offering the natural, cultural, and spiritual resources at this sacred site.” Describing itself as a sacred place of peace and healing with a Catholic identity, its ministry and site are intended to be ecumenical and welcome people of all faiths.

In keeping with this mission, the shrine’s grounds include an archaeological site, the village of Caughnawaga, which is the only fully excavated Iroquois/Haudenosaunee village in the world. St. Kateri lived in this village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can also visit the Kateri Spring, where Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized.

“The water from the Kateri Spring is considered holy water by the Catholic Church,” Bramble said. “People are welcome to come take the waters, and we regularly get reports of healing. We’ve sent that water all over North America to folks who have requested it.”

Besides the archaeological site, the main grounds of the shrine include St. Peter’s Chapel, housed in a former Dutch barn built in 1782; museum exhibits of Native American culture and history; St. Maximilian Kolbe Pavilion; a candle chapel dedicated to St. Kateri; Grassmann Hall and the shrine office; a friary; a gift shop; an outdoor sanctuary; and maintenance facilities. The 150-acre property includes hiking trails that are open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. 

Peace Grove at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York. Credit: Photo courtesy of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site
Peace Grove at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York. Credit: Photo courtesy of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site

Outside the candle chapel, which is always open for prayer, visitors can participate in a ministry of “Kateri crosses.”

“St. Kateri was known for going into the forest, gathering sticks, binding them into crosses, and then spending hours in prayer in front of crosses she created,” Bramble said. Sticks are gathered from the shrine grounds, and visitors are invited to make their own “Kateri crosses” and take them home to use as a prayer aid. Bramble shared that the shrine sends materials for Kateri crosses to those who aren’t able to visit, including recently to a confirmation group.

The feast day weekend

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine hosts special events for St. Kateri’s July 14 feast day. The shrine usally welcomes several hundred visitors for these events, which include Masses and talks. (A listing of the schedule can be found here.)

This weekend’s Masses included a traditional purification rite, a solemn blessing with a relic of St. Kateri, and music of the Akwesasne Mohawk Choir, which “incorporates American Indian spiritual practices in keeping with the Catholic Church,” Bramble told CNA. “The Akwesasne Mohawk Choir is made up of descendants of St. Kateri’s community who lived in the area historically.”

“There is a reestablished traditional Mohawk community a few miles west of the shrine, and we feel very blessed that we’ve been able to cultivate a very cooperative and mutually respectful relationship with the folks there,” Bramble said.

The Saint Kateri Shrine is also a great place for families. Events often include activities and crafts for children, there is an all-ages scavenger hunt available at the site, and the shrine’s museum is “a phenomenal educational opportunity,” she said.

Bringing together Native American archaeology and history with the story of St. Kateri, the shrine and its programs shed light on the saint’s story and keep alive the traditions and history of her people.

This story was first published on July 13, 2023, and has been updated.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]

Reading 1 Exodus 1:8-14, 22

A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful
the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves!
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase;
otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies
to fight against us, and so leave our country."

Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel
to oppress them with forced labor.
Thus they had to build for Pharaoh
the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.
Yet the more they were oppressed,
the more they multiplied and spread.
The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel
and reduced them to cruel slavery,
making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick
and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.

Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects,
"Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews,
but you may let all the girls live."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8

R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Had not the LORD been with us–
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept
the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers' snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Alleluia Matthew 5:10

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

Gospel Matthew 10:34—11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

 

- - -

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.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Deuteronomy 30:10-14

Moses said to the people:
"If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God,
and keep his commandments and statutes
that are written in this book of the law,
when you return to the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul.

"For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you.
It is not up in the sky, that you should say,
'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
Nor is it across the sea, that you should say,
'Who will cross the sea to get it for us
and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
No, it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37

R. (cf. 33)  Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I pray to you, O LORD,
 for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
 with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness:
 in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I am afflicted and in pain;
 let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
 and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
 you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
 and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
For God will save Zion
 and rebuild the cities of Judah.
The descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
 and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

or Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R.(9a) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
 refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
 giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
 rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
 enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
 enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
 all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
 than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
 or honey from the comb.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Reading 2 Colossians 1:15-20

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Alleluia Cf. John 6:63c, 68c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?
How do you read it?"
He said in reply,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
'Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."


 

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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.

Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a

Jacob gave his sons this charge:
“Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites.”

Now that their father was dead,
Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought,
“Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”
So they approached Joseph and said:
“Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
‘You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.’
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father’s God, committed.”
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, “Let us be your slaves!”
But Joseph replied to them:
“Have no fear.  Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children.”
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.

Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir
were also born on Joseph’s knees.

Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
“When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place.”
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7

R.    (see Psalm 69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
    make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
    proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R.    Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Glory in his holy name;
    rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
    seek to serve him constantly.
R.    Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
    sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
    throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R.    Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!

Alleluia 1 Peter 4:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles: 
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!

“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

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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.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Reading 1 Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30

Israel set out with all that was his.
When he arrived at Beer-sheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called,
"Jacob! Jacob!"
He answered, "Here I am."
Then he said: "I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you;
I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes."

So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba,
and the sons of Israel
put their father and their wives and children
on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.
They took with them their livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt.
His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—
all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.

Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph,
so that he might meet him in Goshen.
On his arrival in the region of Goshen,
Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.
And Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Alleluia John 16:13a, 14:26d

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you to all truth
and remind you of all I told you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes."

 

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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.

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Genesis 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5

Judah approached Joseph and said: "I beg you, my lord,
let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,
and do not become angry with your servant,
for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'
So we said to my lord, 'We have an aged father,
and a young brother, the child of his old age.
This one's full brother is dead,
and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,
his father dotes on him.'
Then you told your servants,
'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.
Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,
you shall not come into my presence again.'
When we returned to your servant our father,
we reported to him the words of my lord.

"Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
So we reminded him, 'We cannot go down there;
only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,
for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.'
Then your servant our father said to us,
'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude
that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;
I have not seen him since.
If you now take this one away from me, too,
and some disaster befalls him,
you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.'"

Joseph could no longer control himself
in the presence of all his attendants,
so he cried out, "Have everyone withdraw from me!"
Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.
But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,
and so the news reached Pharaoh's palace.
"I am Joseph," he said to his brothers.
"Is my father still in good health?"
But his brothers could give him no answer,
so dumbfounded were they at him.

"Come closer to me," he told his brothers.
When they had done so, he said:
"I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.
But now do not be distressed,
and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R. (5a) Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Mark 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand:
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 10:7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town."

 

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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.