Gospel and Saint of the day: 8 January 2020

First letter of St. John the apostle 4,7-10.
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God: whoever loves is generated by God and knows God.
Whoever does not love has not known God, because God is love.
In this was manifested the love of God for us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we would have life for him.
In this lies love: it was not we who loved God, but it was he who loved us and sent his Son as a victim of expiation for our sins.

Salmi 72(71),2.3-4ab.7-8.
God give your judgment to the king,
your righteousness to the king's son;
Regain your people with justice
and your poor with righteousness.

The mountains bring peace to the people
and the hills justice.
To the wretched of his people he will do justice,
will save the children of the poor.

In his days justice will flourish and peace will abound,
until the moon goes out.
And will dominate from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark 6,34-44.
At that time, Jesus saw many crowds and was moved by them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he taught them many things.
Having grown late, the disciples approached him saying: «This place is lonely and it is now late;
leave them therefore, so that, going to the nearby countryside and villages, they can buy food. "
But he replied, "You feed them yourself." They said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii of bread and feed them?"
But he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see ». And having ascertained, they reported: "Five loaves and two fish."
Then he ordered them to sit all in groups on the green grass.
And they all sat in groups and groups of one hundred and fifty.
He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to distribute them; and divided the two fish among all.
Everyone ate and fed,
and they took away twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and even fish.
Five thousand men had eaten the loaves.

08 JANUARY

SAN LORENZO GIUSTINIANI

Venice, July 1381 - January 8, 1456

Lorenzo Giustiniani was the first patriarch of Venice, where he was born on July 1, 1381. His father was educated by a very noble family, died by his mother, remained widow at only 24 years with five children. At the age of 19, with the help of a maternal uncle, he entered the Augustinian Secular Canons of S. Giorgio in Alga. Ordained a priest (probably in 1405), Lorenzo was elected prior of various communities in the congregation. About 38 he began his work as a writer. In 1433 Eugene IV appointed him bishop of Castello. He opened a seminar for poor clerics; he convoked a synod giving organic form to his apostolic initiatives; revived women's monasteries; he paid particular attention to the poor. He also had special supernatural gifts (prophecies, discernment of spirit and miracles). When Niccolò V, succeeded Eugene IV, suppressed the patriarchal see of Grado and the episcopal title of Castello by transferring the see to Venice, he named Lorenzo first patriarch. The saint died on the morning of January 8, 1456. His body was exposed to the veneration of the faithful for 67 days. He was canonized in 1690.

PRAYER

O God, the beginning of all things, who gives us the joy of celebrating the glorious memory of San Lorenzo Giustiniani first patriarch of Venice, look at our Church which he guided by word and example; and through her intercession, let us experience the sweetness of your love. For our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who is God, and lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for all ages.