SAINT SYLVESTER
Pope and Confessor

DOUBLE / WHITE
During the pontificate of St. Sylvester, from 314 to 335, the long persecutions in Rome came to an end, and the Church emerged from her hidden existence in the catacombs. The blood of the early martyrs, the seed of Christianity, blossomed into a rich harvest as the Faith spread throughout the Roman Empire. St. Sylvester, the first Pope of Peace, further strengthened the faith by convening the first ecumenical council of Nice and condemning the heresy which taught that Christ was inferior to the Father in the Blessed Trinity.

Mass of a Pope

COLLECT
O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Sylvester shepherd of the whole Church, let the prayers of this supreme pontiff move You to look with favor upon Your flock and to keep it under Your continual protection. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

The Profession of Faith is said.

The Christmas Preface is said.

Catholics United for Faith to celebrate

Tridentine Latin Mass in Florida

The Pensacola Chapter of the Catholics United for Faith will sponsor a Tridentine Latin Mass at St. Anne Church on Saufley Field Road at 6 p.m. Thursday.Mass will be celebrated by Rev. Joseph Fowler.Prior to the Mass, Fr. Fowler will give a brief explanation of this Mass, termed by Pope Benedict as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The Novus Ordo is the Ordinary Form.

His sermon will deal with the major difference between the respective missals of these two forms of the one Roman Rite.

Details: Dr. Charles Bercier, 455-5858.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE

OF CHRISTMAS

DOUBLE /WHITE

The Father has sent His Son to be the world's Savior. Though almighty king and ruler of the universe, Jesus came in silence and simplicity and obedience. After such an example there can be no excuse for not listening to Him. Everyone must believe Him or reject Him. He is the sign that divides the believers from their contradictors. making the choice and living by it, is part of our Christian adulthood: it is part of the loyalty due to Christ from His adopted brothers. To lead others to this adoption and brotherhood in Christ is the highest form of gratitude we can pay to Jesus.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Sap. 18:14-15

While all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course, Your Almighty Word, O Lord, leapt down from heaven, from Your royal throne.
Ps. 92:1. The Lord reigns, robed in beauty. The Lord is clothed and girt about with strength.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O Almighty and Eternal God, direct our actions according to Your holy will, so that, in the name of Your beloved Son, we may lead lives that are marked by good deeds; who lives and rules with You . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

EPISTLE Gal. 4:1-7

Brethren: As long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father. So we also, when we were children, were serving under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law: that he might redeem them who were under the law: that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: "Abba, Father". Therefore, now he is not a servant, but a son. And if a son, an heir also through God.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:3, 2

You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured out upon your lips.
V. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king; my tongue is as nimble as the pen of a skillful scribe.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 92:1

The Lord reigns, robed in beauty. The Lord is clothed with strength, and he has girded himself about with power.

Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 2:33-40

At that time, And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: "Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed."

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was far advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow until fourscore and four years: who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day. Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord: and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.
And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. And the child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom: and the grace of God was in him.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 92:1-2

God has made the world firm, and it shall not be shaken. Your throne, O God, is prepared from of old; You are from eternity.

SECRET

Grant that the gifts we offer to Your majesty, O Almighty God, may obtain for us the grace of sincere devotion and the reward of a blessed eternity. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of Christmas

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 2:20

Take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child's life are dead.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this sacred rite wash away our sins and fulfill our reasonable desires. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket

St. David the King

SAINT THOMAS OF CANTERBURY
Bishop and Martyr

Saint David the King
(Historical)

DOUBLE / RED
Thomas Becket, like "the good shepherd," laid down his life for the flock entrusted to his care. Already chancellor of England at the age of 35, he was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 at the recommendation of Henry II. The king, relying on Thomas' gratitude and friendship, attempted to extend his jurisdiction over ecclesiastical affairs. But the archbishop fearlessly defended the independence of the Church and as a result was punished by banishment. After six years in exile, he returned and was brutally murdered by royal retainers while celebrating Vespers in his own episcopal church on December 29, 1170.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Let us all rejoice in the Lord as we celebrate the feast in honor of the blessed martyr Thomas, at whose martyrdom the angels rejoiced and praised the Son of God.
Ps. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
V. Glory be . . .

Gloria

COLLECT
O God, for the cause of the Church the glorious bishop Thomas was slain by the swords of evil men. May all who implore his aid obtain through him the petitions they ask. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

EPISTLE Heb. 5:1-6
Brethren: Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: "Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee." As he saith also in another place: "Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech."

GRADUAL Eccli. 44:16, 20
Behold a great priest, who pleased God in his life.
V. There was none found like to him, who kept the law of the Most High.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. John 10:14
I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep, and mine know me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 10:11-16
At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and flieth: and the wolf casteth and scattereth the sheep, And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd: and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep. And other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice: And there shall be one fold and one shepherd."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 20:4-5
You have placed on his head a crown of precious stones, O Lord. He asked life of You, and You have given it to him, alleluia!

SECRET
Bless the gifts we have set apart for You, O Lord. may the prayers of Your blessed martyr bishop, Thomas, help these offerings to win Your mercy for us. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and mine know me.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Communion cleanse us from sin, and bestow on us spiritual health from heaven through the intercession of Your blessed martyr bishop Thomas. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

HOLY INNOCENTS
Martyrs

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / PURPLE
There is mixed joy and sorrow in the feast of the innocent victims of the first persecution. The Church rejoices at the spiritual victory of the young witnesses to Christ. The purple vestments of the Mass denote the Church's common grief with the mothers of Bethlehem, who saw their babies massacred by the jealousy of Herod.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Ps. 8:3
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, O God, You have fashioned praise because of Your enemies.
Ps. 8:2. O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is Your name over all the earth!
V. Glory be . . .

The Gloria is not recited today.

COLLECT
O God, the martyred innocents bore witness to You this day not by words but by laying down their lives. Destroy in us the evil of sin, so that our lives may bear witness to our faith in You, which we profess in words. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

EPISTLE Apoc. 14:1-5
In those days, I beheld: and lo a Lamb stood upon mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the noise of many waters and as the voice of great thunder. And the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers, harping on their harps. And they sung as it were a new canticle, before the throne and before the four living creatures and the ancients: and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty-four thousand who were purchased from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth there was found no lie: for they are without spot before the throne of God.

GRADUAL Ps. 123:7-8
Our soul has been rescued as a bird from the snare of the hunters.
V. The snare has been broken and we are free. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

TRACT Ps. 78:3, 10
They have poured out the blood of the saints like water around Jerusalem. V. And there was no one to bury them.
V. Avenge, O Lord, the blood of Your saints which has been shed upon the earth.

GOSPEL Matt. 2:13-18
At that time, an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: "Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him." Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: "Out of Egypt have I called my son."
Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry: and sending killed all the menchildren that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: "A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 123:7
Our soul has been rescued as a bird from the snare of the hunters. The snare has been broken and we are free.

SECRET
O Lord, may Your saints' unfailing prayer of honor render our offerings acceptable to You and obtain Your pardon for us. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 2:18
A voice was heard weeping in Rama, and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they are no more.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may these Gifts, which we have both offered to You and received from You, win for us Your assistance in this life and in the life to come through the prayers of the saints. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

SAINT JOHN
Apostle and Evangelist

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
In the group that Christ chose to be the messengers of God's love for men, St. John is singled out by the Gospel description as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." The great token of that love, the Mother of God, was entrusted to St. John by Christ in His dying moments. The New Testament writings of St. John -- the Fourth Gospel, the Apocalypse, and three epistles -- put into words the divine secret of love which the disciple learned in his intimacy with God and the Mother of God. "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God" (I John 4:7).
Tradition persists that St. John, miraculously preserved from being killed, yet considered a martyr by Catholics, spent a long life forming the infant Church in Asia Minor in the simple and fundamental teaching of Christ, "Little children, love one another."

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Eccli. 15:5
In the gathering of the Church the Lord opened his mouth and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and clothed him with a robe of glory.
Ps. 91:2. It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing to Your name. O Most High!
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, let the Church be enlightened by the teachings of Your blessed apostle and evangelist John, so that she may enjoy Your everlasting gifts. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

EPISTLE Eccli. 15:1-6
He that feareth God, will do good: and he that possesseth justice, shall lay hold on her, And she will meet him as an honourable mother, and will receive him as a wife married of a virgin. With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him, and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink: and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved. And she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded: and she shall exalt him among his neighbours. And in the midst of the church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with a robe of glory. She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.

GRADUAL John 21:23, 19
A Saying went abroad among the brethren, that the disciple was not to die. But Jesus had not said, "He is not to die."
V. But rather, "So I will have him to remain until I come, do thou follow me."

Alleluia, alleluia! V. John 21:24
This is the disciple who bears witness concerning these things, and we know that his witness is true.
Alleluia!

Gospel John 21:19-24
At that time, Jesus said to Peter: "Follow me." Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on his breast at supper and said: "Lord, who is he that shall betray thee?" Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: "Lord, and what shall this man do?" Jesus saith to him: "So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me." This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: "He should not die"; but: "So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee?"
This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things and hath written these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 91:13
The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.

SECRET
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of Your saint, through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 21:23
A saying went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple was not to die. But Jesus had not said, "He is not to die"; but rather, "So I will have him to remain until I come."

POSTCOMMUNION
Refreshed with heavenly Food and Drink, we humbly pray You, our God, that we may be strengthened by the prayers of Your saint, in whose memory we have received this Sacrament. through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

SAINT STEPHEN
First Martyr

Stephen, the first to give his life for Christ, died, as did his master, praying for his persecutors. Stephen was one of the seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to preach and care for the poor. Because of the great signs and wonders he worked among the people, he was hailed before the Jewish Sanhedrin and condemned to stoning. St. Stephen's prayer, "Lord, do not lay this sin against them," fulfilled Christ's command to His followers, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you" (Matt. 5:44).


ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Ps. 118:23, 86, 23
Princes met and spoke against me, and the wicked persecuted me. Help me, O Lord my God, because Your servant has followed Your commandments.
Ps. 118:1. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
V. Glory Be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, we celebrate the birthday of Stephen, who prayed for his persecutors. May we imitate this saint, whom we revere, and learn from him to love even our enemies. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS

EPISTLE Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-60
In those days, Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people. Now there arose some, of that which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke. Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart: and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." And they, crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears and with one accord ran violently upon him. And casting him forth without the city. they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: "Lord, lay not his sin to their charge": And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.

GRADUAL Ps. 118:23, 86; 6:5
Princes met and spoke against me, and the wicked persecuted me.
V. Help me, O Lord my God! Save me for Your mercy's sake.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Acts 7:56
I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the power of God.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 23:34-39
At that time, Jesus said to the scribes and pharisees, "Therefore behold I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify: and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not? Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate. For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: 'Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.' "

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Acts 6:5; 7:59
The Apostles chose Stephen, a Levite, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, whom the Jews stoned while he prayed and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Alleluia!

SECRET
O Lord, receive our offerings in memory of Your saints; and as they were made glorious by their suffering, may we be made sinless by our devotion. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of CHRISTMAS
The Christmas Preface and Communicantes are said

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Acts 7:56, 59, 60
I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the power of God. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, and lay not this sin against them.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, through the intercession of Your beloved martyr Stephen, may we be aided by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament and rejoice in Your everlasting protection. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the Octave of Christmas

CHRISTMAS DAY
THIRD MASS

After meditating upon the human circumstances of the Savior's birth, we come in this Mass to ponder upon His divinity. He is the eternal Son of God, the creator of all things. In those who accept Christ, His creative power begets supernatural life and calls our fellow men over the earth to be adopted sons and daughters of God. Even the Angels are only His messengers and worshiping creatures.


ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Isa. 9:6
A Child is born to us, and a son is given to us; upon his shoulder is supreme sovereignty, and his name shall be called the Angel of great counsel.
Ps. 97:1. Sing a new canticle to the Lord, for He has done wondrous things.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, free us from the old bondage and yoke of sin by Your only-begotten Son's new birth as man. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord . . .

READING Heb. 1:1-12
God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days, hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world. Who being the brightness of his glory and the figure of his substance and upholding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath he said at any time: "Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee?" And again: "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith: "And let all the angels of God adore him. And to the angels indeed he saith: "He that maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire." But to the Son: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." And: "Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth: and the works of thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish: but thou shalt continue: and they shall all grow old as a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shalt be changed. But thou art the selfsame: and thy years shall not fail."

GRADUAL Ps. 97:3-4, 2
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Sing joyfully to God, all the earth.
V. The Lord has made His salvation known; in the sight of the nations He has revealed His justice.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
A blessed day has dawned on us! Come, you nations, and adore the Lord, for this day a great light has descended upon the earth!
Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God: and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life: and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world: and the world was made by him: and the world knew him not. He came unto his own: and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 88:12, 15
Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth, the world and its fullness you have founded. Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne.

SECRET
Bless these gifts we offer You, O Lord, by the new birth of Your only-begotten Son. May they cleanse us from the stain of our sins. Through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 97:3
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Almighty God, may the Savior of the world, who came upon earth this day to bring us the Gift of supernatural life, bestow on us also the treasure of eternal life; who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

THE VIGIL OF CHRISTMAS

PRIVILEGED VIGIL / PURPLE
All Advent seems concentrated on the Vigil Mass. All the desires and hopes of men point to this night of miraculous birth. "This day . . . the Lord will come." He is to be welcomed as Saviour and King; but also with the awareness that He is our Judge. The Gospel and Epistle are filled with the deep mystery of the divine and human in the Saviour. Both the name that Joseph was to give Him and the vocation of the Apostle Paul, tell us that the Saviour we possess is meant for all nations.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Ex. 16:6-7
This day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us; and in the morning you shall see His glory.
Ps. 23:1. The earth and its fullness is the Lord's; the world and all those who dwell therein.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, who each year makes us happy with the anticipation of our redemption, grant that as we now joyfully welcome Your only-begotten Son as our Redeemer, we may also look with confidence on the same Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, when He comes as judge; who lives and rules with You . . .

READING Rom. 1:1-6
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. Which he had promised before, by his prophets, in the holy scriptures, Concerning his Son, who was made to him of the seed of David, according to the flesh, Who was predestinated the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in all nations, for his name: Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL Ex. 16:6, 7; Ps. 79:2-3
This day you shall know that the Lord will come and save us; and in the morning you shall see His glory.
V. Take heed, You who rule Israel, You who are shepherd over Joseph. You who are enthroned above the Cherubim, reveal Yourself to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Tomorrow the sinfulness of the earth shall bve blotted out, and the Saviour of the world shall rule over us. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 1:18-21
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: "Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 23:7
Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, O eternal gates, and the king of glory shall enter in.

SECRET
O Almighty God, we eagerly look forward to the adorable birthday of Your Son; grant that we may also receive His everlasting gifts with joy; who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Preface for Weekdays is said

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 40:5
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all men shall see the salvation of God.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, grant us new life as we celebrate the birthday of Your only-begotten Son, for His heavenly rite is our food and drink. Through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

La Vierge L'Enfant Jesus et Saint Jean Baptiste by William Bouguereau

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

There is urgency in the readings and prayers of today. We ask the Father to "drop" and to "rain" the Savior upon us, the human race, in order that we may "speedily" be delivered. "Come and tarry not!" is our cry. "Prepare the way of the Lord" for an immediate coming is the Gospel thought. And Mary we hail as the mediatrix of our pressing desire. Great indeed is our need for grace.
But the Savior we seek to possess and love is also our Judge. Not men but God alone can judge our preparedness for grace and for eternity. And God judges us by our love for our neighbors and our impartial zeal for their welfare.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Isa. 45:8
Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one. Let the earth be opened and bud forth a savior.
Ps. 18:2. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, show yourself an all-powerful God and come to us. Aid us with Your powerful assistance so that, through Your grace and merciful forgiveness, we may attain salvation, which now is hindered by our sins; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

EPISTLE I Cor. 4:1-5
Brethren: Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. Here now it is required among the dispensers that a man be found faithful. But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you or by man's day. But neither do I judge my own self. For I am not conscious to myself of anything. Yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore, judge not before the time: until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise from God.

GRADUAL Ps. 144:18, 21
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
V. My lips shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all men bless His holy name.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Come, O Lord; do not delay. Forgive the sins of Israel, Your people.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 3:1-6
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina: Under the high priests Anna and Caiphas: the word of the Lord was made unto John, the son of Zachary, in the desert. And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins. As it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet: "A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Luke 1:28, 42
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

SECRET
Look with favor upon these offerings, O Lord, that they may be an aid to our devotion and to our salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 7:14
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may we, who have received Your Gifts, be brought closer to our salvation by each performance of this Sacred Rite. Through Our Lord . . .

Mother Cabrini in 1880

SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI
Virgin

EMBER SATURDAY IN WINTER

In All Dioceses of the United States

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
From childhood Frances Cabrini desired to become a missionary for Christ. After some unsuccessful starts, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Codogna, Italy; and in 1889 at the urging of Pope Leo XIII, she accepted the invitation of New York's Archbishop Corrigan to work among the numerous Italian immigrants of that era. Mother Cabrini founded orphanages, schools, and hospitals all over the United States, and extended her institute to Central and South America, France, Spain, and England. Everywhere her work succeeded only through her unbounded trust in God's providence. Though always in poor health, she traveled constantly, crossing the Atlantic 25 times in spite of a great fear of ocean voyages. A naturalized citizen of the United States, Mother Cabrini died in 1917 in the convent of her great hospital in Chicago, and was canonized in 1946, the first American citizen-saint.

The chapel of the high school in Fort Washington, New York, where her body is enshrined, is a place of pilgrimage.


ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Ps. 72:24
You have held me by my right hand, and guided me by Your counsel, and in the end You have received me in glory.
Ps. 72:1. How good God is to Israel, to those whose hearts are upright.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, Jesus Christ, You enkindled the fire of Your Sacred Heart in the holy virgin Frances Xavier so that she might win souls for You in many lands, and establish a new religious congregation of women in Your Church. Grant that we too may imitate the virtues of Your Sacred Heart through her intercession, so that we may be worthy of the haven of eternal happiness, who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of the preceding SUNDAY or EMBER SATURDAY

READING I Cor. 1:26-31
Brethren: For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the "wise": and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong. And the base things of the world and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen: and things that are not, that he might bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his sight. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption: That, as it is written: "He that glorieth may glory in the Lord."

GRADUAL Ps. 17:33-34
God has girded me with strength and made my way sinless.
V. He has made my feet swift as those of a stag and set me on the heights.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. I Cor. 9:22
I became all things to all men, that I might save all.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 11:25-30
At that time Jesus answered and said: "I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Yea, Father: for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to Me by My Father. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him. Come to Me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is sweet and My burden light."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 72:28
It is good for me to hold fast to God, to put my hope in the Lord God, that I may proclaim all Your praises at the gates of the daughter of Sion.

SECRET
Accept our offerings in honor of the holy virgin Frances Xavier, O Lord, and grant that we too may imitate the Sacred Heart of Your Son and make ourselves an acceptable sacrifice to You. Through the same Jesus Christ . . .

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday or EMBER SATURDAY

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 11:28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

POSTCOMMUNION
From the fullness of the Sacred Heart of Your beloved Son, O God, You have bestowed heavenly gifts upon us. Grant that we may follow Saint Frances Xavier's example and seek the glory of Your Son so that we may attain to the rewards of His kingdom; who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday or EMBER SATURDAY

THE LANGUAGE THAT BUILT THE CHURCH

Where Has All the Latin Gone?

By Mark Cole

Mark Cole writes from Warren, Pennsylvania. If you would like to receive a trivial Latin e-mail on a highly occasional basis, please contact him at thelatinbumbler@yahoo.com.

It hardly seems necessary to note that Latin no longer occupies the same place within the Catholic Church that it once did. Not that the average Catholic worries much about it; all he's noticed is that the Mass is no longer said in Latin. Yet the decline of Latin reaches deeper into the heart of the Church than that, deep enough that it has changed the Church in profound ways.

Read this article here: New Oxford Review

SAINT THOMAS
Apostle

When Jesus was about to go to Judea where He was in mortal danger from His enemies, intense love for his Master made St. Thomas say, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (John 11:8-16). As Christ said farewell to His disciples on the eve of His Passion, Thomas wanted to know the way to reunion with his Lord. Jesus said to him and to us, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:2-6). After the Resurrection, he sought the reassurance of feeling the wounds of the risen Savior (John 20:24-29). His short-lived but agonized incredulity has served through the centuries to strengthen Christian faith in the Resurrection, and his impulsive exclamation, "My Lord and my God!" is repeated by every Christian at the elevation of the Sacred Host.
According to the martyrology, after Pentecost Thomas preached the Gospel to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, and Hyrcanians, and finally evangelized India, where he was martyred. There is in India today, in the region called Malabar Coast, a Christian community of Syriac Rite which claims that its ancestors were baptized by Thomas himself.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Ps. 138:17
Your friends are greatly honored by me, O God; their pre-eminence is definitely established.
Ps. 138:1-2. O Lord, You have proved me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, may we so celebrate the solemn feast of Your apostle Thomas that we may be aided by his prayers to imitate his faith in our lives at all times. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of EMBER FRIDAY IN WINTER
O Lord, stir up Your might and come, so that those who trust in Your goodness may be freed quickly from all adversity; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

EPISTLE Eph. 2:19-22
Brethren: Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners: but you are fellow citizens with the saints and the domestics of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: In whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord. in whom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the Spirit.

GRADUAL (Ps. 138:17-18)
Your friends are greatly honored, O God; their pre-eminence is definitely established.
V. Were I to try to count them, they would be more numerous than the sands.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 32:1.
Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 20:24-29
At that time, Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him: "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them: "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said: "Peace be to you." Then he said to Thomas: "Put in thy finger hither and see my hands. And bring hither the hand and put it into my side. And be not faithless, but believing." Thomas answered and said to him: "My Lord and my God." Jesus saith to him: "Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and have believed."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 18:5
Their voice has gone forth through all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

SECRET
We worship You, O Lord, as it is our duty. Guard over the gifts You have bestowed upon us through the prayers of Your blessed apostle Thomas, whose faith we honor by offering You this sacrifice of praise. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of EMBER FRIDAY
Accept our offerings and prayers, O Lord. Cleanse us by this heavenly rite, and in Your mercy hear our petitions. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 20:27
Bring here thy hand and feel the place of the nails. and be not unbelieving, but believing.

POSTCOMMUNION
Be close to us, O merciful God, and through the prayers of Your blessed apostle Thomas,watch over the Gifts You have given us. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of EMBER FRIDAY
May the worthy reception of the Blessed Sacrament give us new strength, O Lord. May it cleanse us from our old selves and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS
Abbot

St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers, was named after this Benedictine abbot, who lived a century before him. According to Dominican tradition, St. Dominic of Silos appeared to Blessed Joan of Aza (the mother of the later St. Dominic), who made a pilgrimage to his shrine before the birth of her son, and named him after the abbot of Silos.

Dominic of Silos was born in Navarre, Spain, on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, and was a shepherd boy, looking after his father's flocks. He acquired a love of solitude and as a young man became a monk at the monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla. He eventually became prior of the monastery and came into conflict with the king of Navarre over possessions of the monastery claimed by the king. The king drove Dominic out of the monastery, and Dominic went with other monks to Castille, where the king of Castille appointed Dominic abbot of the monastery of St. Sebastian at Silos.

The monastery was in terrible shape, spiritually and materially, and Dominic set about to restore the monastery and to reform the lives of the monks. He preserved the Mozarbic Rite (one of the variants of the Latin Rite) at his monastery, and his monastery became one of the centers of the Mozarbic liturgy. His monastery also preserved the Visigothic script of ancient Spain and was a center of learning and liturgy in that part of Spain.

Dominic of Silos died on December 20,1073, about a century before the birth of his namesake, St. Dominic of Calaruega. Before the Spanish Revolution of 1931, it was customary for the abbot of Silos to bring the staff of Dominic of Silos to the Spanish royal palace whenever the queen was in labor and to leave it at her bedside until the birth of her child had taken place.

In recent times, great interest in Dominic of Silos has arisen since the literary treasures of the library of Silos have become known. The abbey had a profound influence on spirituality and learning in Spain. Today the monastery is an abbey of the Benedictine Congregation of Solesmes housing a library of ancient and rare manuscripts.

Thought for the Day: St. Dominic of Silos came to know God in the solitude of a shepherd boy. It was this love of solitude that drew him into monastic life where he could be alone with his God. Most of us are so busy we scarcely have time for Sunday Mass. We should cultivate a little solitude, too.

From 'The Catholic One Year Bible': . . . In heaven, the temple of God was opened and the ark of his covenant could be seen inside. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed and roared, and there was a great hailstorm and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.—Revelation 11:19

Taken from "The One Year Book of Saints" by Rev. Clifford Stevens published by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, IN 46750.

EMBER WEDNESDAY IN WINTER

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Three days of fasting, prayer, and charity consecrate to God each of the four seasons of the year. "Let the abstinence of him that fasts become the meal of the poor man," says St. Leo, reminding us that we fast not only for ourselves but for our neighbors. These are also days of praying and meriting grace for those to be ordained on Saturday. The Epistle in the Mass deals with the promise of the Saviour, and the Gospel with the announcement of His coming. So these Advent Ember Days are, finally, a spiritual preparation for His advent.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Isa. 45:8

Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one. Let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.
Ps. 18:2. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.
V. Glory be . . .

PRAYER
V. Let us pray. Let us kneel.
R. Arise

O Almighty God, may the coming feast of our redemption bring us Your help in this life and the reward of everlasting happiness hereafter. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Isa. 2:2-5
In those days, the prophet Isaias said:
In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go, and say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall come forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord our God.

GRADUAL Ps. 23:7, 3, 4
Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted, O eternal gates; and the king of glory shall enter in.
V. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean.

COLLECT
Make haste to come, O Lord, we beg You! Grant us Your heavenly aid, so that those who trust in Your goodness may be consoled by Your coming; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

EPISTLE Isa. 7:10-15
In those days, the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying:
"Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above."
And Achaz said: "I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord." And he said: "Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good."

GRADUAL Ps. 144:18, 21
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
V. My lips shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all men bless His holy name.

GOSPEL Luke 1:26-38
At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end."
And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" And the angel answering, said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word shall be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Isa. 35:4
Take courage, and be afraid no longer. Behold, our God will render justice; He Himself will come and save us.

SECRET
May our fasting be acceptable to You, O Lord. Let it atone for our sins and make us worthy of Your grace, so that we may attain the fulfillment of Your everlasting promises. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 7:14
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the banquet of salvation, of which we have partaken with joy, bring us a new life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit; one God forever and ever.

EXPECTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
TRADITIONAL FEAST DAY DECEMBER 18

Today is one of the most inspiring days preceding Christmas! It is the feast of "Our Lady of Expectation," mostly unknown to many in these modern times, but still kept alive in many countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland as well as in a few religious orders. In older editions of missals, this feast is still listed as a votive Mass.

The feast is celebrated on the 18th of December, a week before Christmas Day. Our Blessed Lady, well advanced in pregnancy, is portrayed in the highest dignity of her Divine Motherhood. Dressed in royal apparel as daughter of David the King, she awaits with joy the arrival of her divine Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Her whole posture suggests how she remains wholly consumed in contemplation of her Son under her heart. Her immaculate womb has become a living portable sanctuary of divinity. There are special prayers and novenas to "Our Lady of Expectation" available for women who cannot conceive or bear a child.

The votive Mass of "Our Lady of Expectation" is theologically enlightening and spiritually enriching for the time of Advent and Christmas. With the entrance antiphon, the Church prays with the prophet for the coming of the Just One from heaven that the earth may be ready to welcome the Savior: "Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the just. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up" (Is 45:8). In the opening prayer, the Church offers the prayer to God through Mary's intercession: "O God who wished that your Word would take the flesh from the womb of the Virgin as announced by the Angel and whom we confess to be the true Mother of God, may we be helped by her intercession."

This wonderful feast also reminds us that it has been almost nine months since the Annunciation/Incarnation (March 25) and that Jesus developed in Mary's womb just like we did in our mother's womb. Think of all the millions of babies who never make it through the nine months because their mothers have aborted them. May God, through the intercession of the Expectant Mother Mary, take their souls into His Kingdom.

Our Lady of Expectation: Pray for us!

This week’s cover story on U.S. News & World Report
is about the return to traditional forms of worship in various religions.

Click on link for the article.

SAINT OLYMPIA
Widow 410A.D.
(Historical)

SAINT LAZARUS 1st C.

SAINT OLYMPIA

Saint Olympia, the glory of the widows in the Eastern Church, was born of a noble and illustrious family. Left an orphan at a tender age, she was brought up by Theodosia, sister of Saint Amphilochius, a virtuous and prudent woman. At the age of eighteen, Olympias was regarded as a model of Christian virtues. It was then that she was married to Nebridius, a young man worthy of her; the new spouses promised one another to live in perfect continence. After less than two years of this angelic union, Nebridius went to receive in heaven the reward of his virtues.

The Emperor would have engaged her in a second marriage, but she replied: “If God had destined me to live in the married state, He would not have taken my first spouse. The event which has broken my bonds shows me the way Providence has traced for me.” She had resolved to consecrate her life to prayer and penance, and to devote her fortune to the poor. She liberated all her slaves, who nonetheless wished to continue to serve her, and she administered her fortune as a trustee for the poor. The farthest cities, islands, deserts and poor churches found themselves blessed through her liberality.

Nectarius, Archbishop of Constantinople, had a high esteem for the saintly widow and made her a deaconess of his church. The duties of deaconesses were to prepare the altar linens and instruct the catechumens of their sex; they aided the priests in works of charity, and they made a vow of perpetual chastity. When Saint John Chrysostom succeeded Nectarius, he had for Olympias no less respect than his predecessor, and through her aid he built a hospital for the sick and refuges for the elderly and orphans. When he was exiled in the year 404, he continued to encourage her in her good works by his letters, and she assisted him to ransom some of his fellow captives.

Saint Olympias, as one of his supporters, was persecuted. When she refused to deal with the usurper of the episcopal see, she was mistreated and calumniated, and her goods were sold at a public auction. Finally she, too, was banished with the entire community of nuns which she governed in Constantinople. Her illnesses added to her sufferings, but she never ceased her good works until her death in the year 410. She outlived the exiled Patriarch by about two or three years.

SAINT LAZARUS

The disciple and friend of Jesus raised from the dead by Jesus. He was the brother of Martha and Mary, and resided in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem, Israel. No mention is made in the New Testament of his activities after being brought back to life, but several traditions survive. In one, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary go to France, where he became the first bishop of Marseilles, before being martyred. In other traditions, Lazarus and his sisters went to Cyprus, where he became bishop of Kition, or Lamaka. Still another legend reports that he went to Syria. His supposed relics were translated to Constantinople and numerous churches were built in his honor. Devotion to Lazarus was commonplace in the early Church.

VIDEO: A TRADITIONAL WALK WITH GOD & CHURCH

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SAINT EUSEBIUS
Bishop and Martyr

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / ROSE or PURPLE
Guadete means "Rejoice." Anticipated joy over our Savior's coming breaks through all our serious Advent preparation. Although it cannot be entirely repressed, our joy is yet restrained for two reasons: 1. Like John the Baptist, even the most fervent person feels a great unworthiness either to be a friend of Christ or to be His apostle. 2. Very often our joy is dulled by unnecessary anxiety. We let our peace of soul depend too much upon persons and events and circumstances, and too little upon God's infallible and tender care.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Philipp. 4:4-6
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety; but in every prayer let your petitions be made known to God.
Ps. 84:2. O Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Hear our prayers, O Lord, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by Your coming on earth; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of SAINT EUSEBIUS

Eusebius was bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy in the middle of the fourth century. St. Ambrose says that he was the first in the West to introduce the practice of community life among secular clergy. Eusebius was exiled to Palestine and Cappadocia by Emperor Constantius for his defense of St. Athanasius and his opposition to the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Though greatly mistreated in exile, [he won the title of martyr for his grievous sufferings] the courageous bishop survived the ordeal and, on the death of the Emperor, took up the fight for the Church once more. He won other enemies, however, by urging clemency toward repentant Arian bishops, the very ones who had been a cause of his exile. St. Eusebius died in peace at Vercelli in 371 A. D.

O God, who gladdens us each year by the feast of Your blessed martyr bishop Eusebius, mercifully grant that we who celebrate his birthday may also enjoy his protection. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Philipp. 4:4-7
Brethren: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

GRADUAL Ps. 79:2, 3, 2
O Lord, enthroned above the Cherubim, stir up Your might and come.
V. Take heed, you who rule Israel, you who are shepherd over Joseph.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Stir up Your might, O Lord, and come to save us.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 1:19-28
At that time, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: "Who art thou?" And he confessed and did not deny: and he confessed: "I am not the Christ." And they asked him: "What then? Art thou Elias?" And he said: "I am not." "Art thou the prophet? And he answered: "No." They said therefore unto him: "Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias." And they that were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: "Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?" John answered them, saying: "I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not. The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 84:2, 3
O Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity; You have forgiven the sinfulness of Your people.

SECRET PRAYER
May we always offer the sacrifice of adoration in such a manner, O Lord, that it will attain the purpose for which You instituted this sacred rite, and bring about our salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT EUSEBIUS
Bless the gifts we have set apart for You, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed martyr bishop Eusebius help these offerings to win Your mercy for us. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 35:4
Say to the fainthearted, "Take courage and fear not. Behold, our God will come and will save us."

POSTCOMMUNION
In Your mercy cleanse us from our sins by these divine Rites, O Lord, and make us ready for the coming feast. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT EUSEBIUS
O Lord, may this Communion cleanse us from sin, and bestow on us spiritual health from heaven through the intercession of Your martyr bishop Eusebius. Through Our Lord . . .