Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Dec 30 - St John-Francis Regis SJ (1597–1640)
Summary: St John-Francis Regis SJ There are similarities between St John-Francis Regis SJ and the Curé of Ars, St John Vianney - holiness, devotion to prayer and pastoral care for souls.
Patrick Duffy traces out his life and the connection between the two saints mentioned above.
Early Life
John-Francis Regis was born into a family of some wealth in the diocese of Narbonne in the Languedoc region of southern France. He was educated by the Jesuits at Beziers. At the age of eighteen, he considered becoming a Buddhist, but at nineteen he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Toulouse on 8 December 1616.
Studies in the Jesuits
After finishing his course in rhetoric at Cahors, John-Francis was sent to teach grammar at several colleges: Billom (1619-1622), Puy-en-Velay (1625-1627), and Auch (1627-1628). While he was teaching, he also pursued his studies in philosophy at the scholasticate at Tournon. He began his study of theology at Toulouse in 1628 and was ordained in 1631. During his time studying theology his room-mate became concerned he was spending much of his nights in prayer and approached his superior who said: "Don't disturb his devotions. If I'm not greatly mistaken, this man is a saint".
Montpellier: Itinerant Retreat-Giver
The rest of John-Francis's life was devoted to preaching missions in rural areas, part of the great effort to re-Christianise Europe after the Council of Trent.
His direct way of speaking and his manifest sincerity attracted people from every class of society. For the first two years he made the Jesuit College of Montpellier his centre. He visited prisons in the afternoon and set up a committee to help in this work. He also concerned himself with rescuing women from prostitution and set up girls so they could earn an income for themselves as lacemakers.
In the Auvergne (1633-40)
In 1633, the bishop of Viviers invited him to give missions throughout his diocese. From 1633-1640 he evangelised more than fifty districts in le Vivarais, le Forez, and le Velay where church structures had collapsed. He was able to speak to the people in their own dialect which won the people's confidence.
Longing to be a Missionary in Canada
John-Francis had a longing to go with his brother Jesuits to Canada to preach to the North American Indians there, but he remained in France all his life. Often in winter he suffered many hardships in the snow as he moved around over rugged mountains. He is described as spending the day preaching on top of a heap of snow and then hearing confessions through the night.
At Le Puy
John-Francis spent the last four
summers in Le Puy, the chief town of le Velay where thousands flocked to fill the church to overflowing.(In the picture right in Le Puy-en-Velay, we see an altar and statue of St.Jean-François Régis.)
Death and Inspiration
His last retreat was during Advent at La Louvesc. He preached three times on Christmas Day and and three times the following day, then fainted while hearing confessions. He died at the priest's house at La Louvesc on New Year's Eve. He was just forty-three. He was canonized in 1737. The town became a great place of pilgrimage. It is even today a centre which attracts many young people to the faith.
It was on a visit to this place that the Curé of Ars, St John Vianney, became convinced of his own vocation and later wrote a life of John-Francis Regis and found in it an inspiration for his own.
Patrick Duffy traces out his life and the connection between the two saints mentioned above.
Early Life
John-Francis Regis was born into a family of some wealth in the diocese of Narbonne in the Languedoc region of southern France. He was educated by the Jesuits at Beziers. At the age of eighteen, he considered becoming a Buddhist, but at nineteen he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Toulouse on 8 December 1616.Studies in the Jesuits
After finishing his course in rhetoric at Cahors, John-Francis was sent to teach grammar at several colleges: Billom (1619-1622), Puy-en-Velay (1625-1627), and Auch (1627-1628). While he was teaching, he also pursued his studies in philosophy at the scholasticate at Tournon. He began his study of theology at Toulouse in 1628 and was ordained in 1631. During his time studying theology his room-mate became concerned he was spending much of his nights in prayer and approached his superior who said: "Don't disturb his devotions. If I'm not greatly mistaken, this man is a saint".
Montpellier: Itinerant Retreat-GiverThe rest of John-Francis's life was devoted to preaching missions in rural areas, part of the great effort to re-Christianise Europe after the Council of Trent.
His direct way of speaking and his manifest sincerity attracted people from every class of society. For the first two years he made the Jesuit College of Montpellier his centre. He visited prisons in the afternoon and set up a committee to help in this work. He also concerned himself with rescuing women from prostitution and set up girls so they could earn an income for themselves as lacemakers.
In the Auvergne (1633-40)
In 1633, the bishop of Viviers invited him to give missions throughout his diocese. From 1633-1640 he evangelised more than fifty districts in le Vivarais, le Forez, and le Velay where church structures had collapsed. He was able to speak to the people in their own dialect which won the people's confidence.
Longing to be a Missionary in Canada
John-Francis had a longing to go with his brother Jesuits to Canada to preach to the North American Indians there, but he remained in France all his life. Often in winter he suffered many hardships in the snow as he moved around over rugged mountains. He is described as spending the day preaching on top of a heap of snow and then hearing confessions through the night.
At Le Puy
John-Francis spent the last four
summers in Le Puy, the chief town of le Velay where thousands flocked to fill the church to overflowing.(In the picture right in Le Puy-en-Velay, we see an altar and statue of St.Jean-François Régis.)Death and Inspiration
His last retreat was during Advent at La Louvesc. He preached three times on Christmas Day and and three times the following day, then fainted while hearing confessions. He died at the priest's house at La Louvesc on New Year's Eve. He was just forty-three. He was canonized in 1737. The town became a great place of pilgrimage. It is even today a centre which attracts many young people to the faith.
It was on a visit to this place that the Curé of Ars, St John Vianney, became convinced of his own vocation and later wrote a life of John-Francis Regis and found in it an inspiration for his own.
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Memorable Sayings for Today
I believe in God - not in a Catholic God;
there is no Catholic God. ...
and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation.
He is my teacher and my pastor,
but God, is the Father, Abba, the light and Creator.
~ Pope Francis ~
I think a good pastor is somebody who is honest and humble
and has a really caring heart.
Robert H. Schuller
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Liturgical Readings for: Tuesday, 30th December, 2025
-30-12 - Tuesday, Sixth Day in the Christmas Octave
The child Jesus grows to maturity, and he is filled with wisdom
FIRST READING
A reading from the first letter of St John 2:12-17
Anyone who does the will of God is filled with wisdom and remains for ever.
I am writing to you, my own children, whose sins have already been forgiven through his name;I am writing to you, fathers, who have come to know the one who has existed since the beginning;
I am writing to you, young men, who have already overcome the Evil One;
I have written to you, children, because you already know the Father;
I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who has existed since the beginning;
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God's word has made its home in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.
You must not love this passing world or anything that is in the world. The love of the Father cannot be in any man who loves the world, because nothing the world has to offer -the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride in possessions - could ever come from the Father but only from the world; and the world, with all it craves for, is coming to an end; but anyone who does the will of God remains for ever.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:7-10 R/v 11
Response Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
1. Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power, give the Lord the glory of his name. Response 2. Bring an offering and enter his courts, worship the Lord in his temple. O earth, tremble before him. Response
3. Proclaim to the nations: 'God is king'.
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness. Response
Gospel Acclamation Heb 1:1-2
Alleluia, alleluia!
At various times in the past and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son.
Alleluia!
Or
Alleluia, alleluia!
A hallowed day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, worship the Lord,
for today a great light has shone down upon the earth.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 2:36-40 Glory to you, O Lord.
Anna spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.
She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God's favour was with him.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas Luke 2:36-40
There are several women in Luke’s gospel who welcome the coming of God through the person of Jesus.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth are especially noteworthy, and then there are the sisters,
Mary and Martha, the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried them with her hair,
Mary Magdalene and the other women who accompanied Jesus and his disciples on their travels and provided for them out of their means. Anna in today’s gospel reading belongs in their company. She had been a widow for most of her adult life, her husband having died after only seven years of marriage and Anna herself now being eighty four years old. Her devotion to God through prayer and fasting made her sensitive to the coming of God’s special messenger, the child of Mary and Joseph.
When she saw Simeon with the child in his arms, she immediately recognized the child for who he was, and began praising God and speaking about the child to others. Her response to recognizing the true identity of this child was two-fold, towards God in prayer, and towards others in proclaiming to them the good news that God had come to deliver his people through this child.
The portrayal of Anna in the gospel reading reminds us that prayer makes us sensitive to the Lord’s presence. Prayer attunes us to the various ways the Lord comes to us. Anna also shows us how to respond to the Lord’s coming to us, his presence with us. Like her, we respond firstly by giving praise to God. We also respond by proclaiming the good news of the Lord’s presence to others. We do this above all by allowing the Lord to be present to others through us
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Liturgical Readings for: Tuesday, 30th December, 2025
CHÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as an céad litir Naomh Eoin 2:12-17
An té, áfach, a dhéanann toil Dé mairfidh seisean go deo.
Scríobhaim chugaibhse, a chlann liom, mar gur maitheadh daoibh bhur bpeacaí trína ainmsean.Scríobhaim chugaibhse, a aithreacha, mar gur aithnid daoibh an té a bhí ó thús.
Scríobhaim chugaibhse, a ógánacha, mar gur threascair sibh an mac mallachta.
Scríobh mé chugaibhse, a leanaí, mar gur aithnid daoibh an tAthair.
Scríobh mé chugaibh, a aithreacha, mar gur aithnid daoibh an té atá ann ó thús.
Scríobh mé chugaibhse, a dhaoine óga, mar gur tréan sibh, agus go maireann focal Dé ionaibh,
agus gur threascair sibh an mac mallachta.
Ná bígí i ngean ar an saol ná ar éadáil an tsaoil.
Más áil le duine an saol níl grá an Athar ann.
Mar a bhfuil sa saol – mian na colainne, agus mian na súl agus mórtas maoine
– sin nithe nach den Athair iad ach den saol. Agus imíonn an saol agus a mhianta ar ceal.
An té, áfach, a dhéanann toil Dé mairfidh seisean go deo.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 95:7-10 R/v 11
Freagra: Bíodh áthas ar neamh agus ar talamh.
1. Tugaigí don Tiarna, a chlanna na gciníocha;tugaigí don Tiarna glóir agus cumhacht.
tugaigí don Tiarna an ghlóir is dual dá ainm. Freagra
2. Tugaigí bhur dtabhartais libh isteach ina chúirteanna.
Tugaigí adhradh don Tiarna in éide naofa;
bí ar crith ina láthair a dhomhan uile. Freagra
3. Fógraígí do na ciníocha: “Tá an Tiarna ina Rí.”
shocraigh sé an domhan go daingean dochorraithe;
tabharfaidh sé breith chóir chothrom ar na náisiúin. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 2:36-40 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Labhair sí mar gheall air le cách a bhí ag súil le Iarúsailéim a fhuascailt.
San am sin bhí banfháidh ann , Anna iníon Fanuéil, de threibh Áiséar, í anon i mblianta móra: bhí sí seacht mbliana pósta lena fear céile. Fágadh ina baintreach í, agus bhí ceithre bliana ochtód an uair seo aici; agus ní fhágadh sí an Teampall, ag seirbhís do Dhia de lá agus d’oíche le troscadh agus le hurnaithe.Tháinig sí i láthair an uair sin féin, agus thug moladh agus buíochas do Dhia; agus labhair sí mar gheall air le cách a bhí ag súil le Iarúsailéim a fhuascailt. Nuair a bhí gach ní curtha i gcrích acu de réir dhlí an Tiarna, d’fhill siad ar an nGailíl, go dtí a gcathair féin Nazarat.
Agus d’fhás an leanbh agus neartaigh, é lán d’eagna; agus bhí grásta Dé ina luí air.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
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Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 4th January, 2026
01-04 before Epiphany
Jesus has come to undo the work of the devil.
FIRST READING
A reading from the first letter of St John 3:7-10
He cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.
My children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy;
to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.
It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared.
No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God's seed remains inside him,
he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.
In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil:
anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God's.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 97
Response All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
1. Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation. Response
2. Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples.
Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy at the presence of the Lord. Response
3. For the Lord comes, he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness. Response
Gospel Acclamation Jn 1:14. 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
Or Heb 1:1-2
Alleluia, alleluia!
At various times in the past and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 1:35-42 Glory to you, O Lord
We have found the Messiah.
As John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said,
'Look, there is the lamb of God'.
Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said,
'What do you want?'
They answered, 'Rabbi,' - which means Teacher -'where do you live?'
'Come and see' he replied;
so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.
Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' - which means the Christ - and he took Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked hard at him and said,
'You are Simon, son of John; you are to be called Cephas' - meaning Rock.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection 4th Jan. before Epiphany, John 1:35–42
In today’s gospel reading John the Baptist introduced two of his disciples to Jesus, saying to them, ‘Look, there is the Lamb of God’. It was because of what John the Baptist said to his two disciples that they began to follow Jesus. Jesus could then speak to them directly, ‘What do you want?’ ‘Come and see’. The Lord wants to speak to each one of us directly, but he often needs others to firstly pave the way. A person of faith takes some initiative towards us, and then we discover the call of the Lord for ourselves. John the Baptist created a space for Jesus to engage directly with his disciples and for them to respond. According to the gospel reading, that pattern then repeated itself. One of John the Baptist’s two disciples was Andrew. Having spent time with Jesus, having developed a personal relationship with Jesus, Andrew then introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. He created a space for Jesus to engage personally with Peter and for Peter to respond. What John the Baptist did for Andrew and what Andrew did for Peter, Peter would go on to do for many others.
He created a space for the Lord to relate in a very personal way to others and for them to respond. We can each give thanks for all those who introduced us to the Lord, who played the role in our lives that Andrew played in the life of Peter, that Peter played in the life of many others, and that, later on in John’s gospel, the Samaritan woman played in the life of her townspeople, and that Mary Magdalene played in the life of the other disciples on Easter Sunday morning. Both these women played a significant role in bringing others to the Lord. Each of us is called to bring others to the Lord, perhaps just one person. We don’t have to be great missionaries to introduce someone to the Lord. Very often our own quiet and faithful witness to the Lord and his way of life will, in time, bear that rich fruit for others.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings 2024: The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 4th January, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as an chéad litir Naomh Eoin 3:7-10
Ní féidir leis peacú mar gur ó Dhia a shíolraigh.
A chlann liom, ná cuireadh éinne amú sibh. An té a shaothraíonn an fhíréantacht, is fíréan é amhail is fíréan eisean.
An té a dhéanann an peaca is den diabhal é mar gur peacach an diabhal ó thús.
Is chuige seo a foilsíodh Mac Dé, go scriosfadh sé saothar an diabhail.
Gach duine a shíolraigh ó Dhia, ní dhéanann peaca mar go maireann a shíolsan ann agus ní féidir dó peacú mar gur ó Dhia a shíolraigh.
Mar seo a léirítear cé hiad clann Dé agus cé hiad clann an diabhail;
gach duine nach saothraíonn an fhíréantacht ní ó Dhia dó,
agus is é a fhearacht sin ag an té nach dtugann grá dá bhráthair.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 97
Freagra Chonaic críocha uile na cruinne slánú ár nDé
I. Canaigí amhrán nua don Tiarna óir rinne sé éachtaí
Le neart a dheasláimhe is a chuisle naofa Rug sé bua dó féin. Freagra
2. Bíodh an fharraige agus a bhfuil inti ag búirthíl, an domhan agus a maireann ann.
Bíodh na haibhneacha ag bualadh a mbos; Déanadh na sléibhte gairdeas
i bhfianaise an Tiarna atá ag teacht a rialú na cruinne. Freagra
3. Tá an Tiarna ag teacht a rialú na cruinne.
Sé an domhan a rialú go cóir agus náisiúin go cothrom. Freagra
Alleluia Véarsa 1 Eoin :14 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
Agus rinneadh feoil den Bhriathar agus bhí sé inár measc,
An uile dhuine a ghlac é, thug sé de cheart dóibh go ndéanfaí clann Dé díobh.
Alleluia!
Alleluia Véarsa eile Eib 1: 1-2
Alleluia, alleluia!
Labhair Dia go minic agus ar shlite éagsúla
anallód léis na haithreacha trí bhíthin na bhfáithe;
ach sna laethanta deireanacha seo labhair sé linn trína Mhac.
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Eoin 1:35-42 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Fuaireamar an Meisias.
San am sin bhí Eoin ina sheasamh ansiúd agus beirt dá dheisceabail. Agus ag stánadh dó ar Íosa ag gabháil thart dúirt sé: “Seo é Uan Dé.” Chuala an bheirt deisceabal é ag rá na cainte agus lean siad Íosa.D’iompaigh Íosa, chonaic iad á leanúint agus dúirt sé leo: “Cad tá uaibh?”
D’fhreagair siad é:
“A raibí” – is é sin le rá “a mháistir” – “Cá bhfuil cónaí ort?”
“Tagaigí agus feicigí,” ar sé leo.
Tháinig siad dá bhrí sin agus chonaic siad cá raibh cónaí air, agus d’fhan siad fairis an lá sin. Bhí sé timpeall an deichiú huair.
Duine den bheirt a chuala Eoin agus a lean Íosa a ba ea Aindrias, deartháir Shíomóin Peadar. Fuair seisean ar dtús a dheartháir féin Síomón agus dúirt sé leis: “Fuaireamar an Meisias” – is é sín le rá an tUngthach.
Thug sé leis é chun Íosa. D’fhéach Íosa go grinn air agus dúirt:
“Is tú Síomón mac Eoin. Tabharfar ort Céafas” – focal a chiallaíonn Carraig.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
