September 9
St Peter Claver
Wednesday, week 23 in Ordinary Time
St Peter Claver, a Spanish Jesuit priest of the 17th century, is honored for his tireless ministry among enslaved Africans arriving in Cartagena (now in Colombia), then one of the main ports of the transatlantic slave trade. After being ordained in the New World, he dedicated over forty years to meeting ships as they arrived, providing food, medicine, and comfort to those who had endured the brutal Middle Passage. Deeply moved by their suffering, Claver did not simply offer material help—he also proclaimed the Gospel and baptized an extraordinary number of people, seeking to defend their dignity and advocate for more humane treatment. His works of mercy and compassion were radical for the time, and he constantly challenged both his contemporaries and slave owners regarding Christian justice and charity.
The circumstances of Peter Claver's life invite us to ponder the cost and courage of Christian love in action, especially towards the most vulnerable and oppressed. The Church remembers him not only for his words, but for his witness: he called himself "the slave of the slaves forever", a phrase pointing to Christ's own command to serve the least. St Peter Claver's optional memorial reminds the faithful of the need for personal encounter, mercy, and steadfast solidarity in the face of exploitation and injustice.
Permanent link
Ask a question about today’s feast
Questions about St Peter Claver (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
Reading1 Co 7, 25-31
Brothers,
about celibacy, I do not have a command from the Lord,
but I give my opinion,
I, who have become trustworthy
by the mercy of the Lord.
I think that celibacy is a good thing,
given the present necessities;
yes, it is a good thing to live in this way.
Are you married?
Do not seek to be separated from your wife.
Are you without a wife?
Do not seek to get married.
But if you do marry, this is not a sin;
and if a young woman marries, this is not a sin.
But those who make this choice will find the corresponding trials,
and that is what I would like to spare you.
Brothers, I have to tell you: time is short.
From now on, those who have wives
should be as if they had none,
those who weep,
as if they were not weeping,
those who rejoice,
as if they were not rejoicing,
those who buy,
as if they owned nothing,
those who use the world,
as if they did not really make use of it.
For this world as we see it is passing away.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 44 (45), 11a.12, 14-15a, 15b-16, 17a.18
Listen, daughter, see and incline your ear:
the king will be captivated by your beauty.
He is your Lord: bow down before him.
Daughter of kings, she is there, in her glory,
clothed in garments of gold;
she is brought, all adorned, to the king.
Young girls, her companions, form her escort;
they are brought in with festive songs:
they enter the palace of the king.
In place of your fathers your sons will arise;
I will make your name live through all generations:
that peoples may give you thanks, forever, always!
GospelLc 6, 20-26
At that time,
Jesus, raising his eyes towards his disciples, declared:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you
and exclude you,
when they insult you and reject your name as despicable,
because of the Son of Man.
On that day, rejoice, leap for joy,
for behold, your reward is great in heaven;
for this is how their fathers treated the prophets.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have your consolation!
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry!
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep!
Woe to you
when all speak well of you!
For this is how their fathers treated the false prophets."
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org