15 February
BLESSED MICHAEL SOPOCKO, PRIEST
Father Michael Sopoçko was born November 1, 1888. He graduated from the Major Seminary in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he was ordained a priest in 1912. He fulfilled the duties of a vicar, military chaplain, spiritual director of the seminarians, and university professor. In 1933 he met Sr. Faustina and became her confessor. He was the first among priests to recognize the revelations granted to her. He made efforts to confirm that Sr. Faustina was a trustworthy person and he promoted the Divine Mercy devotion until the end of his life. He told Sr. Faustina to write down her private revelations. The book entitled “Diary” emerged out of these notes. He also made efforts to have painted the image of Merciful Jesus. In 1941, Fr. Michael engaged the help of Fr. Joseph Jarz´bowski, MIC, in bringing to the Western Hemisphere the Divine Mercy message and devotion. In 1942, Fr. Michael founded the Congregation of Sisters of Merciful Jesus. After settling in Białystok, Poland, he continued to spread the Divine Mercy by his word and his pen. He demonstrated profound faith, heroic patience, and love, especially for the poor. Under unfavorable circumstances, he gave an example of a true priest, confessor in difficult causes, and promoter of Gospels to various peoples. Saint John Paul II crowned Fr. Sopoçko’s work by establishing the Divine Mercy Sunday on the Second Sunday of Easter, by placing Sr. Faustina among the saints, and by explaining in his encyclical “Dives in Misericordia” how the Mercy of God must be understood in Himself and in relation to the world. This way, Bl. Fr. Sopoçko became – next to St. John Paul II and St. Faustina – a part of the triptych of persons who energized devotion to God, who “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Father Sopoçko died on February 15, 1975 in Białystok, Poland, and was beatified there on September 28, 2008.
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COLLECT
Almighty and merciful God,
you chose the priest Michael,
to proclaim the message of your mercy to the world.
Grant, we pray,
that his faithful ministry may keep bringing abundant fruits
of conversion and sanctity to all people.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
The Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 61, 1-3a
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the Lord
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
to place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
to give them oil of glandess in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 21-22, 25 and 27
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the Lord I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. R.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your thorne for all generations.” R.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
that my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’”
R.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Gospel Mt 11, 28
Those who are well do not need a physician; I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 9, 9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinner.”.
The Gospel of the Lord.
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Receive, O Lord, we pray,
the offerings placed on your altar
in commemoration of Blessed Michael,
so that, as you brought him glory,
you may, through these sacred mysteries,
grant to us your pardon.
Through Christ our Lord.
The presence of holy pastors in the Church
The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For, as on the festival of Blessed Michael
you bid your Church rejoice,
so, too, you strengthen her by the example of his holy life,
teach her by his words of preaching,
and keep her safe in answer to his prayers.
And so, with the company of Angels and Saints,
we sing the hymn of your praise,
as without end we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy....
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Make us, who have been nourished
by this sacred meal, almighty God,
always follow the example of Blessed Michael
in serving you with constant devotion
and assisting all with untiring charity.
Through Christ our Lord.
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