St. Pius V, pope
St. Pius V was born Michele Ghislieri in 1504 to poor parents of
noble lineage at Bosco, near Alexandria, Lombardy on January 17, 1504.
He worked as a shepherd until the age of 14 when he encountered two
Dominicans who recognized his intelligence and virtue. He joined the
Dominicans and was ordained a priest at 24. He taught philosophy and
theology for 16 years during which he was elected prior of many houses.
He was known for his austere penances, his long hours of prayer and
fasting, and the holiness of his speech.
He was elected Bishop of
Sutri in 1556, and served as an inquisitor in Milan and Lombardi, and
then as inquisitor general of the Church and a cardinal in 1557. He was
known in this capacity as an able, yet unflinching man who rigorously
fought heresy and corruption wherever he encountered it.
He was
elected Pope on January 7, 1566, with the influential backing of his
friend St. Charles Borromeo, and took the name Pius V. He immediately
put into action his vast program of reform by getting rid of many of the
extravagant luxuries then prevalent in his court. He gave the money
usually invested in these luxuries to the poor whom he personally cared
for, washing their feet, consoling those near death, and tending to
lepers and the very sick. He spent long hours before the Blessed
Sacrament despite his heavy workload.
His pontificate was
dedicated to applying the reforms of the Council of Trent, raising the
standard of morality and reforming the clergy, and strongly supporting
foreign missions. The Catechism of the Council of Trent was completed
during his reign, and he revised the Roman Breviary and Missal, which
remained in use until the reforms of Vatican II.
His six year
pontificate saw him constantly at war with two massive enemy forces; the
Protestant heretics and the spread of their doctrines in the West, and
the Turkish armies who were advancing from the East. He encouraged
efforts to battle Protestantism by education and preaching, and giving
strong support to the newly formed Society of Jesus, founded by St.
Ignatius of Loyola. He excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I, and supported
Catholics who were oppressed and intimidated by Protestant princes,
especially in Germany.
He worked hard to unite the Christian
armies against the Turks, and perhaps the most famous success of his
papacy was the miraculous victory of the Christian fleet in the battle
of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The island of Malta was attacked by the
Turkish fleet, and nearly every man defending the fortress was killed in
battle. The Pope sent out a fleet to meet the enemy, requesting that
each man on board pray the Rosary and receive communion. Meanwhile, he
called on all of Europe to recite the Rosary and ordered a 40 hour
devotion in Rome during which time the battle took place. The Christian
fleet, vastly outnumbered by the Turks, inflicted an impossible defeat
on the Turkish navy, demolishing the entire fleet.
In memory of
the triumph, he declared the day the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
because of her intercession in answering the mass recitation of the
Rosary and obtaining the victory. He has also been called ‘the Pope of
the Rosary’ for this reason.
Pope Pius V died seven months later
on May 1, 1572, of a painful disease, uttering "O Lord, increase my
sufferings and my patience!" He is enshrined at Santa Maria Maggiore in
Rome, and was beatified by Clement X in 1672. He was canonized by
Clement XI in 1712.
Acts 5:17-26
17 But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sad'ducees, and filled with jealousy
18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison.
19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said,
20 "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."
21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple
at daybreak and taught. Now the high priest came and those who were with
him and called together the council and all the senate of Israel, and
sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported,
23 "We found the prison securely locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when we opened it we found no one inside."
24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief
priests heard these words, they were much perplexed about them,
wondering what this would come to.
25 And some one came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people."
26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought
them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the
people.
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who
does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in
the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come
into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.
20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.
Psalms 34:2-9
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise always on my lips
Wednesday April 30 2025
2nd Week of Easter
Acts
5:17-26; Ps. 33:2-3,4-5,6-7,8-9;
Jn.
3:16-21 (Ps Wk II)
During His public life, Jesus had warned the disciples that
they would suffer preaching in His name. And He was right. So, in today’s
reading, we find that they have been put in prison for preaching the message of
the Gospel. But Jesus had also made another promise: “I will be with you
always.” And that promise is also kept. The disciples suddenly find themselves
free from their prison. What do they do? Go into hiding and lie low? No! They
go straight back to the Temple and continue to proclaim Jesus and the Kingdom’s
message without any fear.
When the Sanhedrin call for them to be brought to
court, they discover the disciples are not there but are told that they are
back in the Temple. Soldiers are sent to arrest them but are afraid to use
force because the people are delighted with their message.
In the life of
Jesus, we see the division between the ordinary people and the leadership with
its closed mind. We, too, must be ready to be attacked for living out the
Gospel in word and deed, but we need to remember it is a message that people
want to hear because it is a message of Life.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise always on my
lips.
