Saint Veronica Giuliani, born in Mercatelli, was a woman deeply dedicated to her faith and whose desire to emulate Christ was so strong that it was answered with the stigmata. As her mother, Benedetta, lay on her deathbed, she entrusted each of her five daughters to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was given the sacred task of looking after the wound below Christ’s heart.

At a young age of 17, Veronica renounced worldly life and joined the Poor Clares, a monastic order under the guidance of the Capuchins. Her father initially hoped for her to get married, but she persuaded him to let her follow her spiritual calling instead. During her early years at the monastery, Veronica served humbly, fulfilling roles in the kitchen, infirmary, sacristy, and also as a portress. At 34, she was appointed the novice mistress, a role she dedicated herself to for the next 22 years.

When Veronica turned 37, she experienced a life-changing event – she received the stigmata, and her life took a significant turn thereafter. The Church authorities in Rome, seeking to verify Veronica’s authenticity, launched an investigation. This led to her temporary removal from her role as novice mistress and restricted her participation in Mass to only Sundays and holy days. Despite these challenges, Veronica bore no bitterness and continued to devote herself to her spiritual duties. Eventually, the investigation concluded in her favor, and she was reinstated as novice mistress.

Even though she initially resisted, Veronica was elected as the abbess at the age of 56, a position she dutifully served for 11 years until her death. Her devotion was particularly strong towards the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart, and she often offered her sufferings for the betterment of the missions. Veronica was canonized in 1839.

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Hosea 14:2-10
Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-14, 17
Matthew 10:16-23

Hosea 14:2-10
(2) Israel, convert to the Lord your God. For you have been ruined by your own iniquity. (3) Take these words with you and return to the Lord. And say to him, “Remove all iniquity and accept the good. And we will repay the calves of our lips. (4) Assur will not save us; we will not ride on horses. Neither will we say any more, ‘The works of our hands are our gods,’ for those that are in you will have mercy on the orphan.” (5) I will heal their contrition; I will love them spontaneously. For my wrath has been turned away from them. (6) I will be like the dew; Israel will spring forth like the lily, and his root will spread out like that of the cedars of Lebanon. (7) His branches will advance, and his glory will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance will be like that of the cedars of Lebanon. (8) They will be converted, sitting in his shadow. They will live on wheat, and they will grow like a vine. His memorial will be like the wine of the cedars of Lebanon. (9) Ephraim will say, “What are idols to me anymore?” I will listen to him, and I will set him straight like a healthy spruce tree. Your fruit has been found by me. (10) Who is wise and will understand this? Who has understanding and will know these things? For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the just will walk in them, but truly, the traitors will fall in them.

Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-14, 17
(3) Be merciful to me, O God, according to your great mercy. And, according to the plentitude of your compassion, wipe out my iniquity. (4) Wash me once again from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (8) For behold, you have loved truth. The obscure and hidden things of your wisdom, you have manifested to me. (9) You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. (12) Create a clean heart in me, O God. And renew an upright spirit within my inmost being. (13) Do not cast me away from your face; and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. (14) Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with an unsurpassed spirit. (17) O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will announce your praise.

Matthew 10:16-23
(16) Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be as prudent as serpents and as simple as doves. (17) But beware of men. For they will hand you over to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. (18) And you shall be led before both rulers and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. (19) But when they hand you over, do not choose to think about how or what to speak. For what to speak shall be given to you in that hour. (20) For it is not you who will be speaking, but the Spirit of your Father, who will speak in you. (21) And brother will hand over brother to death, and father will hand over son. And children will rise up against parents and bring about their deaths. (22) And you will be hated by all for the sake of my name. But whoever will have persevered, even to the end, the same shall be saved. (23) Now when they persecute you in one city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you will not have exhausted all the cities of Israel, before the Son of man returns.

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Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!

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The spread of Christianity into China began in the 600s, coming from Syria. Over the centuries, the circumstances of its growth were deeply influenced by China’s fluctuating relations with the outside world. At times, the religion experienced freedom and expansion, while in other periods, it was forced to operate in secrecy due to restrictions and persecution.

This narrative revolves around 120 Christian martyrs who lost their lives for their faith between 1648 and 1930. The majority of these martyrs, 87 to be exact, were native to China. They came from various walks of life – some were children, others were parents, catechists, or laborers. Their ages ranged from as young as nine to as old as 72. Within this group, four Chinese diocesan priests were included.

The remaining 33 martyrs were foreigners, predominantly priests and women of religious orders. They represented various Christian denominations and missionary groups including the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians, and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

One notable martyr was Augustine Zhao Rong, a Chinese soldier who witnessed the martyrdom of Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse from the Paris Foreign Mission Society, in Beijing. This event led to Augustine’s baptism and subsequent ordination as a diocesan priest. He met his own martyrdom in 1815.

These 120 martyrs were beatified in separate groups at different times, but were collectively canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000, marking their official recognition as saints within the Catholic Church.

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Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16
Matthew 10:7-15

Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9
(1) Just as the morning passes, so has the king of Israel passed by. For Israel was a child and I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. (2) They called them, and so they departed before their face. They offered victims to the Baals, and they sacrificed to graven images. (3) And I was like a foster father to Ephraim. I carried them in my arms. And they did not know that I healed them. (4) I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love. And I will be to them like one who raises the yoke over their jaws. And I will reach down to him so that he may eat. (8) How will I provide for you, Ephraim; how will I protect you, Israel? How will I provide for you as for Adam; will I set you like Zeboiim? My heart has changed within me; together with my regret, it has been stirred up. (9) I will not act on the fury of my wrath. I will not turn back to utterly destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Divine in your midst, and I will not advance upon the city.

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16
(2) The One who reigns over Israel: Be attentive. For you lead Joseph like a sheep. The One who sits upon the cherubim: Shine forth (3) in the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Awaken your power and draw near, so as to accomplish our salvation. (15) Turn back, O God of hosts. Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vineyard; (16) and complete what your right hand has planted, and look upon the son of man, whom you have confirmed for yourself.

Matthew 10:7-15
(7) And going forth, preach, saying: ‘For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.’ (8) Cure the infirm, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You have received freely, so give freely. (9) Do not choose to possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your belts, (10) nor provisions for the journey, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor a staff. For the laborer deserves his portion. (11) Now, into whatever city or town you will enter, inquire as to who is worthy within it. And stay there until you depart. (12) Then, when you enter into the house, greet it, saying, ‘Peace to this house.’ (13) And if, indeed, that house is worthy, your peace will rest upon it. But if it is not worthy, your peace will return to you. (14) And whoever has neither received you, nor listened to your words, departing from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. (15) Amen I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

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Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!

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Paul arrived in Corinth around the year 50, where he encountered Priscilla (or Prisca) and her husband Aquila. Like Paul, they were tentmakers and Jewish, newly arrived from Rome after Emperor Claudius expelled the Jewish community from the city. Roman historian Suetonius attributes this expulsion to the disturbances caused by someone named “Chrestus,” likely a reference to conflicts between Christian and non-Christian Jews.

The religious beliefs of Priscilla and Aquila before meeting Paul remain uncertain. We don’t know whether they were already Christians or if they converted to Christianity after hearing Paul’s preaching. Regardless, they accompanied Paul to Ephesus after 18 months in Corinth. Priscilla and Aquila stayed in Ephesus while Paul journeyed on to Antioch.

During their time in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila befriended a man named Apollos, an eloquent preacher who had accepted some aspects of the Christian message. Apollos was a knowledgeable interpreter of the Hebrew Scriptures. Priscilla and Aquila expanded his understanding of the Gospel, enhancing his preaching capabilities.

There is evidence to suggest that Priscilla and Aquila were in Rome when Paul wrote to the congregation there, and later they were in Ephesus with Timothy when Paul wrote his final letter to him. In fact, Paul often included their greetings in his letters from Ephesus to the Corinthians, demonstrating their close relationship and shared commitment to spreading the Christian faith.

Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned six times in the New Testament (Acts 18:2,18,26; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19). Interestingly, the order of their names alternates in these mentions – Aquila comes first in odd-numbered references, and Priscilla in even-numbered ones. This could underscore that they are equal partners in their religious endeavors.

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Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Psalm 105:2-7
Matthew 10:1-7

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
(1) Israel is a leafy vine, its fruit has been suitable to him. According to the multitude of his fruit, he has multiplied altars; according to the fertility of his land, he has abounded with graven images. (2) His heart has been divided, so now they will cross the divide. He will break apart their images; he will plunder their sanctuaries. (3) For now they will say, “We have no king. For we do not fear the Lord. And what would a king do for us?” (7) Samaria has required her king to pass by, like foam on the face of the water. (8) And the heights of the idol, the sin of Israel, will be utterly destroyed. The burr and the thistle will rise up over their altars. And they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us,’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us.’ (12) Sow for yourselves in justice, and harvest in the mouth of mercy; renew your fallow land. But the time when you will seek the Lord is the time when he will arrive who will teach you justice.

Psalm 105:2-7
(2) Sing to him, and sing psalms to him. Describe all his wonders. (3) Be praised in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice. (4) Seek the Lord, and be confirmed. Seek his face always. (5) Remember his miracles, which he has done, his portents and the judgments of his mouth: (6) you offspring of Abraham his servant, you sons of Jacob his elect. (7) He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout the entire earth.

Matthew 10:1-7
(1) And having called together his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to cure every sickness and every infirmity. (2) Now the names of the twelve Apostles are these: the First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, (3) James of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, (4) Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. (5) Jesus sent these twelve, instructing them, saying: “Do not travel by the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into the city of the Samaritans, (6) but instead go to the sheep who have fallen away from the house of Israel. (7) And going forth, preach, saying: ‘For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.’

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Please comment below to leave your prayer request. As your request will be prayed for, please also pray for the petitions of others! Remember in your prayers, those in purgatory, all those suffering around the world, and for the intentions of the Pope! Lord, hear our prayer!

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Pope Saint Benedict XI, originally known as Nicholas Boccasini, was born in Treviso, Italy, in 1240 and passed away on 7 July, 1304, in Perugia. He joined the Dominican Order when he was only 14 years old. After dedicating 14 years to his studies, he ascended to the position of lector of theology, a role he held for several years.

In 1296, amid growing hostility towards Pope Boniface VIII, Boccasini was elected as the Master General of the Order. As the leader, he issued a directive that none of his subjects should support the Pope’s opponents in any manner. He further instructed them to affirm the legitimacy of Boniface’s election in their sermons, if it was fitting to do so. Boccasini’s unwavering loyalty was appreciated by Boniface, who expressed his gratitude through various signs of favour and confidence.

Boccasini was entrusted with a critical mission to negotiate an armistice between the warring nations of England, led by Edward I, and France, led by Philip IV. He executed this mission alongside two cardinal-legates appointed by Boniface.

In 1298, Boccasini was elevated to the position of a cardinal. Later, he was designated as the Bishop of Ostia and the Dean of the Sacred College. His role extended further when Hungary was plunged into civil war. The Holy See assigned him as their representative to broker peace in the nation. Upon his return to Rome, Boccasini found himself in the midst of the intense conflict between Boniface VIII and Philip the Fair. Even when Pope Boniface VIII was overpowered by his enemies in the sacred palace, Boccasini stood by the Pope’s side, along with the Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina, to defend him against the aggression of William of Nogaret and Sciarra Colonna.

Boccasini’s loyalty was rewarded when, a month after the violence against Boniface, he was unanimously elected Pope on October 22, 1303. He took the name Benedict XI. The major accomplishment of his pontificate was the reconciliation with the French court. However, his reign was abruptly ended after just eight months when he suddenly died in Perugia. There were suspicions, not entirely unfounded, that his untimely death was a result of poisoning by William of Nogaret.

Benedict XI was beatified in 1773, and his feast is celebrated on July 7th in Rome and throughout the Dominican Order. He left behind a wealth of written works, including a collection of sermons and commentaries on parts of the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Psalms, the Book of Job, and the Apocalypse.

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