November 12
St Josaphat, bishop and martyr
Thursday, week 32 in Ordinary Time — Year II
St Josaphat was a bishop and martyr of the early 17th century, best remembered for his dedicated efforts toward Christian unity, particularly between Catholics and Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe. Born around 1580 in the region now known as Ukraine or Belarus, Josaphat was raised in the Orthodox tradition, but joined the Catholic Church via the Union of Brest, which sought to bring parts of the Ruthenian Church into full communion with Rome while respecting their liturgical customs. As Archbishop of Polotsk, he worked tirelessly for the unity of the Church, often facing intense opposition and misunderstanding from both sides. His steadfastness drew both admiration and hostility; tragically, he was violently killed by a mob in 1623 because of his advocacy for unity—a death seen by the Church as that of a martyr for Christian reconciliation. While his precise methods and the lasting effects of his work are debated among historians, his feast reminds Catholics to pray for, and work toward, unity among all Christians. St Josaphat is honored today as a courageous witness to the cost and value of reconciliation, and as a model for those seeking peace and communion in the Church.
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Questions about St Josaphat, bishop and martyr (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingPhm 7-20
Beloved,
your charity has already brought me much joy and comfort,
because thanks to you, brother, the hearts of the faithful have found rest.
Certainly, in Christ I have full liberty
to tell you what needs to be done,
but I prefer to make a request to you out of love:
I, Paul, as I am, an old man
and, moreover, now a prisoner because of Christ Jesus,
I have something to ask you regarding Onesimus,
my child to whom, in prison, I gave life in Christ.
This Onesimus (whose name means “profitable”)
was useless to you for a time,
but he is now very useful to you and to me.
I am sending him back to you,
he who is like my very heart.
I would have gladly kept him with me,
so that he might serve me on your behalf,
while I am in prison for the sake of the Gospel.
But I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that what is good may be done by you
not by force, but willingly.
If he was separated from you for a while,
it may be so that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave,
but better than a slave, as a beloved brother:
he is truly that to me,
how much more will he be so to you,
both humanly and in the Lord.
So if you consider me in communion with you,
welcome him as you would welcome me.
If he has wronged you or owes you anything,
charge that to my account.
I, Paul, am writing this in my own hand:
I will pay it back.
I won’t mention that you, too, owe me a debt,
and that debt is your very self.
Yes, brother, give me this joy in the Lord,
let my heart find rest in Christ.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 145 (146), 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
The Lord keeps faith forever,
he gives justice to the oppressed;
to the hungry he gives bread;
the Lord sets prisoners free.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous,
the Lord protects the stranger.
He supports the widow and the orphan,
but he thwarts the way of the wicked.
From age to age, the Lord will reign:
your God, O Zion, forever!
GospelLc 17, 20-25
At that time,
as the Pharisees asked Jesus
when the kingdom of God would come,
he replied and said:
“The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed.
And people will not say, ‘Look, it is here!’ or ‘It is there!’
Indeed, the kingdom of God is already among you.”
Then he said to the disciples:
“Days will come
when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,
and you will not see it.
They will say to you, ‘Look, he is over there!’ or ‘Look, he is here!’
Do not go, do not run after them.
For as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be
on his day.
But first, he must suffer greatly,
and be rejected by this generation.”
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org