Bl Baptist Spagnoli of Mantua (1447-1516)
Baptist came from a family who served the Dukes of Mantua, in a northern region of Italy. He entered a Carmelite community in Ferrara and professed his religious vows in 1464. This community was part of what would later be known as the ‘Mantuan Reform’, living a stricter observance of the Carmelite Rule and seeking a spirituality of integrity amidst laxity and lethargy that characterised many religious groups of the time.
White
Entrance Antiphon Cf. 1 Pt 2: 9
O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia.
Collect
Set aside, O Lord, the bond of sentence written for us by the law of sin, which in the Paschal Mystery you cancelled through the Resurrection of Christ your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Acts 6:1-7
About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.
Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,18-19
R/ May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
1. Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
2. For the word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love.
3. The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.
Gospel Acclamation: Rm6:9
Alleluia, alleluia! Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 6:16-21
In the evening the disciples went down to the shore of the lake and got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the lake. It was getting dark by now and Jesus had still not rejoined them. The wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming towards the boat. This frightened them, but he said, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ They were for taking him into the boat, but in no time it reached the shore at the place they were making for.
Prayer over the Offerings
Sanctify graciously these gifts, O Lord, we pray, and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 17: 24
Father, I wish that, where I am, those you gave me may also be with me, that they may see the glory that you gave me, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
We have partaken of the gifts of this sacred mystery, humbly imploring, O Lord, that what your Son commanded us to do in memory of him may bring us growth in charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The concern in the first reading today is the administration of financial support to widows as well as other needy people. This is clearly a side-issue subordinate to the preaching/proclamation of the Gospel. It is, nevertheless, an important issue because the Church has an obligation to follow Christ’s lead in caring for vulnerable people. We have many vulnerable people around us but at times we underlook them. We are invited to become more attentive to the cry of the needy and come to their assistance.