🙏Saint John Leonardi, born in Lucca, Italy, lived a lay life as a pharmacist until the age of 26, when he felt the call to the priesthood. Once ordained, he ardently dedicated himself to the formation of youth and catechesis, culminating in the founding of the Order of the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God, aimed at the reform of the clergy and education in the faith. He faced intense persecution and exile, but his work persevered, becoming a pillar of the Counter-Reformation. His vision is encapsulated in his maxim: "The reform of the Church must begin with each one of us. If you want to reform the world, reform yourself."
📖Introit (Ecclus 42:15-16 | Ps 95:1)
By the words of the Lord are his works directed; as the sun illuminates all things, so his works are full of the glory of the Lord. Ps. Sing to the Lord a new song: sing to the Lord, all the earth. ℣. Glory be to the Father...
✉️Epistle (II Cor 4:1-6, 15-18)
Brethren: Being entrusted with this ministry, according to the mercy we have obtained, we do not lose heart, but we reject shameful machinations. We do not walk with subterfuge, nor do we adulterate the word of God, but we recommend ourselves by manifesting the truth to the conscience of all men before God. If, however, our Gospel is still veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In them, the god of this age has blinded the understanding of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord, and ourselves as your servants for the sake of Jesus. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has Himself shone in our hearts, to manifest the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. For all things are for your sake, so that grace, abundantly bestowed, may through the great number cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not grow weary: rather, though our outer man is consumed, our inner self is renewed day by day. For our present tribulation, momentary and light, produces in us abundantly, to the highest degree, an eternal joy of glory, if we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. The things that are seen are temporary, and the things that are not seen are eternal.
✝️Gospel (Lk 10:1-9)
At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them, two by two, ahead of him, to all the towns and places where he himself was to go. He said to them: The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest. Go, behold, I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, nor bag, nor sandals, and greet no one on the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they have, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. And if you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them: The kingdom of God has come near to you.
🕊️Reflections
⛪️Saint Augustine explains that the seventy-two disciples sent forth represent the universality of the preaching of the Gospel to all nations, echoing the missionary work of Saint John Leonardi. Saint Gregory the Great, commenting on the scarcity of laborers, laments that "there are many who wish to hear good things, but they lack preachers," a deficiency that the Saint of the day sought to supply by founding his order, sending zealous priests like lambs, whose strength lies not in themselves, but in the peace of Christ they proclaim. (Saint Augustine, Sermon 101; Saint Gregory the Great, Homily 17 on the Gospels).
✨Saint John Chrysostom, meditating on the apostle's refusal to adulterate the word of God, sees in this the seal of the preacher's authenticity, who, like Saint John Leonardi, seeks not his own praise but manifests the truth of Christ. The light that "shone out of darkness" in the apostle's heart is the same that moved the Saint to endure tribulations, understanding that the wearing down of the "outer man" through penance and persecution contributes to an "eternal weight of glory," for the missionary's gaze is fixed not on temporal rewards, but on eternity. (Saint John Chrysostom, Homily 8 on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians).
📜The life and work of Saint John Leonardi reflect the perennial principles of the Catholic priesthood, as outlined in pontifical documents. The emphasis on solid doctrinal formation to combat errors and the need for an intense interior life to sustain the exterior ministry are central points. The mission entrusted to the seventy-two disciples is presented not as a human initiative, but as a divine mandate that demands personal holiness and total detachment, echoing the call to priestly perfection as the condition for apostolic effectiveness and the true reform of the Church. (Pius XI, Encyclical Ad Catholici Sacerdotii).
🔚See English version of the critical articles here.
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