Today, May 21
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Charles Joseph Eugène de Mazenod was born in France in 1782. Ordained in 1811, his religious experience led him to minister to the poor and the young. Interested in popular missions, Eugène founded a missionary institute of priests and lay brothers in 1826, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, whose particular charism is to minister to those who have never heard of Christ. By the middle of the 19th century, in response to requests for help from North American bishops, especially Bishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal, the congregation sent several of its small number to Canada. Within 10 years of their arrival, the Oblates had covered all of Canada and expanded into the United States.
Eugène became Bishop of Marseilles in 1837 and reorganized the diocese, accomplishing great works. A fervent supporter of the papacy in matters of education and infallibility, he continued as superior of the Oblates until his death on May 21, 1861. Eugène was canonized on December 3, 1995.
Today, the members of this community work around the world, in remote missions and in education. In Canada, Oblates established the College of Bytown (which became the University of Ottawa and Saint Paul University) and Novalis, as well as numerous parishes and dioceses from coast to coast.
Saint Christopher Magallanes and companions
Born in Mexico in 1869 to a farming family, Christopher Magallanes entered the seminary at age 19. After ordination, he worked with the poor and the indigenous people, founding schools and catechism centres and forming agrarian co-operatives. In the 1920s the anti-Catholic government in Mexico closed all seminaries. Father Christopher started his own seminary, but it was soon forced to close. He opened another, and another, and finally conducted classes in private homes. He was arrested on May 21, 1927, while on his way to say Mass, and was falsely accused of promoting armed rebellion. Four days later, on May 25, he was executed along with 21 diocesan priests and 3 laymen. Before his martyrdom he gave his belongings to his executioners and forgave them. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.
Readings of the Day
Acts of the Apostles 22,30.23,6-11.
Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; (I) am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."
Psalms 16(15),1-2a.5.7-8.9-10.11.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you." O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 17,20-26.
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."
Daily Reflection
Think about unity, my brothers, and see if even in the multiplicity there is anything that pleases you like it. By the grace of God I see you here in large numbers: who could suffer you there if you were not united in feeling? Where does this calm come from in such a multitude? With unity, it is a people, and without it, a crowd. What, in fact, is a crowd, if not a disorderly multitude? But listen to the Apostle: “I beseech you, my brethren”; he was addressing a multitude, but to a multitude where he wanted to reestablish unity; “I beseech you, my brothers, to all have one language and not to suffer from schisms among you; but to be all steadfast in the same spirit and in the same sentiments” (1Co 1:10). Elsewhere still he urges us to live in union of hearts, in the same thoughts, to do nothing out of a spirit of contention or out of vain glory (cf. Phil 2:2-3). Did not the Lord say to his Father, speaking of the faithful: “Let them be one, as we ourselves are one” (Jn 17:21)? and is it not written in the Acts of the Apostles: “Now the multitude of believers had one soul and one heart” (Acts 4:32)? So bless the Lord with me and let us glorify his name to achieve unity; to this necessary unity, to this sublime unity where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are so intimately united. You see how everything recommends unity to us. Yes, our God is Trinity; the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father, and the Holy Spirit is neither Father nor the Son, but the Spirit of both; these three, however, are neither three Gods nor three almighty ones, but one almighty God, and the Trinity is only one God. This is the necessary unity; but to get there we need all our hearts to be united.