Readings for the Memorial of Saint John Leonardi

Readings
for the Memorial of

Saint John Leonardi
Priest
October 9

MASS

From the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries, or from the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Those Who Practiced Works of Mercy

COLLECT
Bonorum omnium largitor, Deus, qui per beatum Ioannem presbyterum populis Evangelium nuntiari fecisti, eius intercessione concede, ut fides vera semper et ubique proficiat.
O God, giver of all good things,
who through the Priest Saint John Leonardi
caused the Gospel to be announced to the nations,
grant, through his intercession,
that the true faith may always and everywhere prosper.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

FIRST READING 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-7
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us,
we are not discouraged.
Rather, we have renounced shameful, hidden things;
not acting deceitfully or falsifying the word of God,
but by the open declaration of the truth
we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,
and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.
For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness,
has shone in our hearts to bring to light
the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.

But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM          Ps 96: 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10

R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation day after day.
Tell God's glory among the nations;
among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds.
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and might;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts and enter his courts;
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
The world will surely stand fast, never to be moved.
God rules the peoples with fairness.
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

ALLELUIA          Mk 1:17
Venite post me, dicit Dominus, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.

GOSPEL           Luke 5:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that they were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

Liturgy of the Hours
John Leonardi

From the Common of Pastors or of Holy Men: those who work for the underprivileged., except for the following:

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From a letter to Pope Paul V by Saint John Leonardi, priest

(Epist. Pro universali totius Ecclesiae reformatione: in archivo Ordinis Clericorum Regularium Matris Dei)

I will tell you what the Lord requires of you

Those who want to work for moral reform in the world must seek the glory of God before all else. Because he is the source of all good they must wait for his help, and pray for it in this difficult and necessary undertaking. They must then present themselves to those they seek to reform, as mirrors of every virtue and as lamps on a lamp-stand. Their upright lives and noble conduct must shine before all who are in the house of God. In this way they will gently entice the members of the Church to reform instead of forcing them, lest, in the words of the Council of Trent, they demand of the body what is not found in the head, and thus upset the whole order of the Lord's household.

They will be like skilled physicians taking great pains to dispose of all the diseases that afflict the Church and require a cure. They will ready themselves to provide suitable remedies for each illness.

As far as remedies applicable to the whole Church are concerned, reform must begin with high and low alike, with superiors and inferiors. Yet the reformers must look first to those who are set over the rest, so that reform can begin at the point from which it may spread to others.

Be especially concerned with cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops and priests, whose particular duty is the care of souls, and make them men to whom guidance of the Lord's flock can be safely entrusted. So let us work down from the highest to the lowest, from superiors to inferiors. Those men who must initiate ecclesiastical reform must not be looked down upon.

Nothing should be left untried that can train children from early childhood in good morals and in the earnest practice of Christianity. To this end nothing is more effective than pious instructions in Christian doctrine. Children should be entrusted only to good and God-fearing teachers.

These are the thoughts, most holy Father, that the Lord has chosen to inspire in me for the present on this most important matter. If at first glance they appear difficult, compare them with the magnitude of the situation. Then they will seem very easy indeed. Great works are accomplished only by great men, and great men should be involved in great works.

RESPONSORY
This holy man accomplished everything God asked of him,
and God said to him:
- Of all the peoples of this world,
you alone I have found just in my sight.
Enter in my resting place.

He renounced earthly joys,
and so gained the kingdom of heaven.
- Of all the peoples of this world,
you alone I have found just in my sight.
Enter in my resting place.

COLLECT
O God, giver of all good things,
who through the Priest Saint John Leonardi
caused the Gospel to be announced to the nations,
grant, through his intercession,
that the true faith may always and everywhere prosper.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever

The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Home

Prayers

The
Saints