Friday 23rd September 2022
St. Pius of Pietrelcina
(Padre Pio)
(1887-1968)
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina was a Capuchin friar who for more than fifty years bore the stigmata or the bleeding wounds of Jesus. He died a few days after the fiftieth anniversary of his receiving the stigmata, and over 100,000 people attended his funeral.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 131: 9
Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed with justice; your holy ones shall ring out their joy.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who, by a singular grace, gave the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of your Son and, by means of his ministry, renewed the wonders of your mercy, grant that through his intercession we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ, and so brought happily to the glory of the resurrection. 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.
First reading : Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven: A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted. A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building. A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing. A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them up; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing. A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for throwing away. A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking. A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace. What does a man gain for the efforts that he makes? I contemplate the task that God gives mankind to labour at. All that he does is apt for its time; but though he has permitted man to consider time in its wholeness, man cannot comprehend the work of God from beginning to end.
Psalm 143:1-4
R/ Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
- Blessed be the Lord, my rock. He is my love, my fortress; he is my stronghold, my saviour my shield, my place of refuge.
- Lord, what is man that you care for him, mortal man, that you keep him in mind; man who is merely a breath whose life fades like a passing shadow?
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Ep1:17,18
Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 9:18-22
One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God’ he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. ‘The Son of Man’ he said ‘is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and Scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, the offerings placed on your altar in commemoration of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, so that, as you brought him glory, you may, through these sacred mysteries, grant to us your pardon. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Mt 24: 46-47
Blessed is the servant whom the Lord finds watching when he comes. Amen I say to you: He will put that servant in charge of all his property.
Prayer after Communion
May partaking at the heavenly table, almighty God, confirm and increase strength from on high in all who celebrate the feast day of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, that we may preserve in integrity the gift of faith and walk in the path of salvation you trace for us. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We all need moments of prayer, not only before every major decision in our lives, but always. Jesus did so when He was about to examine His apostles concerning His identity. It is easy to lean on the false idea that what others think should not bother me. But again, a good Christian must, from time to time, sample opinions on his/her personality, to know what others think of them, to know what they reserve or hold against them.This helps us for personal growth and an ascent in our spiritual, moral and psycho/physical development. At the same time, we must not easily allow the opinions of friends and others to form our judgement about them and situations, without having a firsthand experience. Our experiences will always be different.