St. Josaphat, bishop and martyr

I am ready to die for the holy union,

for the supremacy of Saint Peter and of his successor, the supreme pontiff.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊       

Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-11

Listen,

O kings, and understand; rulers of the most distant lands, take warning.

Pay attention, you who rule multitudes and boast of the numerous subjects in your pagan nations!

For authority was given you by the Lord, your kingship is from the Most High who will examine your works and scrutinize your intentions.

If, as officials of his kingdom, you have not judged justly or observed his law or walked the way God pointed out,

he will oppose you swiftly and terribly; his sentence strikes the mighty suddenly.

For the lowly there may be excuses and pardon, but the great will be severely punished.

 

For the Lord of all makes no distinction, nor does he take account of greatness.

Both great and lowly are his work and he watches over all, but the powerful are to be judged more strictly.

It is to you then, sovereigns, that I speak, that you may learn Wisdom and not stumble.

For those who keep the holy laws in a holy way will be acknowledged holy,

and those who accept the teaching will find in it their defense.

Welcome my words, desire them and they will instruct you.

 

Ps 82:3-4, 6-7

Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee, and as he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him. 

Keeping their distance, they called to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Jesus said to them, “Go, and show yourselves to the priests.”

Then, as they went on their way, they found they were cured.

One of them, as soon as he saw that he was cleansed, turned back, praising God in a loud voice;

 

and throwing himself on his face before Jesus, he gave him thanks. This man was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked him,

“Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Did none of them decide to return and give praise to God,

but this foreigner?” And Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go your way; your faith has saved you.”

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"God will judge our use of authority."

"May they all be one," said Jesus (Jn 17:21). Sadly, the unity of the Church is damaged

by division and the divisions have damaged our common witness to Christ in the world.

Josaphat died for his effort to achieve greater unity.

Josaphat grew up in a Lithuanian province which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland.

 

He was ethnically a Ruthenian, a group which followed the Byzantine Orthodox faith.

Union with Rome was a major issue at the time and seven bishops signed a decree which allowed them to retain their Eastern rites,

but in union with Rome. Josaphat made his profession of faith in this union and became a monk.

As a priest he made tours of preaching and cared for the homeless.

He also collected writings of the early Church Fathers under the title "A Defense of Church Unity."

 

All of this led him to being made Archbishop of Plock. In 1623, while visiting Belarus, he was brutally murdered

by members of a mob who were against the union. However, his murderers eventually repented and converted.

Wisdom says God will judge our use of authority. We pray for all who lead the Church, that they might strive for the unity for which Christ prayed.