Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Marianne spent much of her life working in Hawai'i working with lepers on the island of Moloka'i. On October 12, 2012, she was officially canonized by Pope Benedict.Today, not yesterday, is also the optional memorial of Saint Vincent, Deacon & Martyr. Please scroll down to yesterday's incorrect remembrance of him.
Today we also remember Blessed Nikolaus Gross (1898-1945), martyr: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Bl. Nikolaus Gross is Columbia's, the official magazine of the Knights of Columbus, "Catholic Man of the Month" for January. Quoth Columbia:
The son of a miner, Nikolaus Gross was born Sept. 30, 1898, in Niederwenigern, a small town in western Germany. At age 14, after attending Catholic primary school, he followed his father into the mines & worked for the next five years. Determined to further his education, Gross went to night school & joined the Christian Miner's Trade Union.Westdeutschen Arbeiterzeitung, the newspaper of the Catholic Worker's Movement, & soon became its editor. He offered guidance on labor questions & on social & political issues, including the growth of national Socialism. Already in 1930, he wrote, "As Catholic workers we reject Nazism not only for political & economic reasons, but decisively also on account of our religious & cultural outlook."
In 1923, Gross married Elisabeth Koch, also a native of Niederwenigern. In the course of their happy marriage, they were blessed with seven children in whom they instilled a deep love of Christ, the Church, & the poor.
In 1927, Gross joined the staff of the
Upon Hitler's seizure of power in 1933, the newspaper was banned for three weeks. When it was eventually outlawed in 1938, Gross joined the German resistance & published pamphlets to fortify the faith among workers.
Though not involved in the "July Plot" to assassinate Hitler in 1944, gross was arrested in a massive roundup & imprisoned in Berlin. Through constant prayer, he remained serene & strong to the end. Two days before his execution, he wrote: "How amazingly good God is & how rich he has made my life. He gave me his love & grace, & he gave me a beloved wife & good children."
Gross was hanged at Plötzensee Prison on Jan. 23, 1945. He was beatified in 2001, & his feast is Jan. 23.Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Gospel according to John, chapter nineteen.
Mass Readings
The Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter seven, verse twenty-five thru chapter eight, verse six;
Psalm Forty, verses seven thru ten, seventeen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter three, verses seven thru twelve.
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