Gospel and Saint of the day: 9 December 2019

Book of Isaiah 35,1-10.
Let the desert and the arid land rejoice, the steppe rejoice and flourish.
How narcissus flower to bloom; yes, sing with joy and joy. It is given the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Saròn. They will see the glory of the Lord, the magnificence of our God.
Strengthen your weak hands, make your knees firm.
Tell the lost of heart: "Courage! Fear not; here is your God, vengeance comes, the divine reward. He comes to save you. "
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will open.
Then the lame will jump like a deer, the tongue of the silent will scream with joy, because waters will flow in the desert, streams will flow in the steppe.
The scorched earth will become a swamp, the parched soil will turn into water sources. The places where jackals lay will become reeds and rushes.
There will be a leveled road and they will call it Via Santa; no unclean one will go through it, and fools will not go around it.
There will no longer be the lion, no ferocious beast will pass through it, the redeemed will walk there.
The ransomed by the Lord will return to it and come to Zion with jubilation; perennial happiness will shine on their head; joy and happiness will follow them and sadness and tears will flee.

Salmi 85(84),9ab-10.11-12.13-14.
I will listen to what God the Lord says:
he announces peace for his people, for his faithful.
His salvation is close to those who fear him
and his glory will inhabit our land.

Mercy and truth will meet,
justice and peace will kiss.
The truth will sprout from the earth
and justice will appear from heaven.

When the Lord bestows his good,
our land will bear fruit.
Justice will walk before him
and on the way of his steps salvation.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke 5,17-26.
One day he sat teaching. There also sat Pharisees and doctors of the law, who came from every village in Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord made him heal.
And here are some men, carrying a paralytic on a bed, they tried to pass him and put him in front of him.
Not finding which way to introduce him because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles with the bed in front of Jesus, in the middle of the room.
Having seen their faith, he said: "Man, your sins are forgiven you."
The scribes and Pharisees began to argue saying: "Who is this who pronounces blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, if not God alone? ».
But Jesus, knowing their reasoning, replied: «What are you going to reason in your hearts?
What is easier, say: Your sins are forgiven, or say: Get up and walk?
Now, so that you know that the Son of man has the power on earth to forgive sins: I tell you - he exclaimed to the paralytic - get up, take your bed and go to your house ».
Immediately he got up in front of them, took the bed on which he was lying and went home glorifying God.
Everyone was amazed and praised God; full of fear they said: "Today we have seen prodigious things." Call of Levi

09 December

SAINT PETER FOURIER

Mirecourt, France, 30 November 1565 - Gray, France, 8 December 1640

He was born into a merchant family on 30 November 1565 in Mirecourt in Lorraine, an independent region and, in the midst of the Protestant Reformation, still loyal to Rome. He introduced himself to the high school of the Society of Jesus founded in Pont-à-Mousson, near the capital Nancy, in 1579. Four years later, he returned to Pont-à-Mousson to become a priest; he was ordained in Trier (Germany) in 1589. Since 1597 he has been parish priest in Mattaincourt, a center dedicated to textiles and suffocated by usury. The new parish priest threw himself against this scourge, which was a fund for loans to artisans. He will also fight against ignorance by opening free schools for boys and girls. A girl from Remiremont, Alessia Leclerq (now blessed Mother Teresa of Jesus) dedicates herself to the girls. Other young women join her, who will give life to the religious institute of the "Canonichesse di Sant'Agostino". And so it will be for the voluntary teachers: they will become the "regular canons of the Savior". During the Thirty Years War Fourier receives death threats and must flee Gray. He died here in 30. (Avvenire)

PRAYER

Most glorious St. Peter, lily of purity, exemplar of Christian perfection, perfect model of priestly zeal, for that glory which, in consideration of your merits, has been granted to you in Heaven, turn a benign glance over us, and come to our aid at the throne of the Most High. Living on earth, you had as your characteristic the maxim that often came out of your lips: "do no harm to anyone, benefit everyone" and you spent your whole life in helping the poor, advise the doubtful, console the afflicted, reduce to the way of virtue the misguided ones, bringing back to Jesus Christ the souls redeemed with his precious blood. Now that you are so powerful in Heaven, continue your work to benefit everyone; and be for us a vigilant protector so that, by your intercession, freed from temporal evils and corroborated in faith and charity, we overcome the pitfalls of the enemies of our health, and we can one day with you praise bless the Lord for all eternity in Paradise . So be it.