Monday, December 23, 2013

SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI; SAINT SERVULUS; December 23rd Day Advent Week Four




Mother Cabrini in 1880


SAINT FRANCES XAVIER CABRINI
Virgin

[Transferred from 12/22] 


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.


Looking southwest at Cabrini Shrine on Fort Wa...Cabrini Shrine. Image via Wikipedia

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


INTROIT 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 

EPISTLE 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 

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




ST. SERVULUS

Begger 590 A.D.


[Historical]





ST. SERVULUS was a beggar, and had been so afflicted with palsy from his infancy that he was never able to stand, sit upright, lift his hand to his mouth, or turn himself from one side to another. His mother and brother carried him into the porch of St. Clement's church at Rome, where he lived on the alms of those that passed by. He used to entreat devout persons to read the Holy Scriptures to him, which he heard with such attention as to learn them by heart. His time he consecrated by assiduously singing hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God. After several years thus spent, his distemper having seized his vitals, he felt his end was drawing nigh. In his last moments he desired the poor and pilgrims, who had often shared in his charity to sing sacred hymns and psalms for him. Whilst he joined his voice with theirs, he on a sudden cried out: "Silence; do you not hear the sweet melody and praise which resound in the heavens?" Soon after he spoke these words he expired, and his soul was carried by angels into everlasting bliss, about the year 590.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.