Nov. 6th Ferial Day; Within the Octave; Saint Leonard; Saint Theophane Venard

 

FERIAL DAY
(Mass of preceding Sunday)

[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

INTROIT Jer. 29:11, 12, 14
Said the Lord: "I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. You shall call upon Me and I will hear you, and I will bring you back from captivity from all places."
Ps. 84:2. Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You Who know that our human frailty cannot stand fast against the great dangers that beset us; grant us health of mind and body, that with Your help, we may overcome what we suffer on account of our sins.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

EPISTLE Rom. 13: 8-10
Brethren: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law. For: Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.

GRADUAL Ps. 43:8-9
You have freed us from those who afflict us, O Lord, and You have put to shame those who hate us. V. In God we will glory all the day, and praise Your name forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 129:1-2
V. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer!
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 8:23-27
At that time, Jesus entered into the boat, and his disciples followed him: And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: "Lord, save us, we perish." And Jesus saith to them: "Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?" Then rising up, he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: "What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?"

OFFERTORY ANTIPHONN Ps. 129:1-2
OUT OF THE DEPTHS I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer, out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.

SECRET
Almighty God, grant that our sacrificial offering may cleanse and protect out frail nature from all evil. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Mark 11:24
AMEN I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.

POSTCOMMUNION
May this gift draw us away from earthly pleasures, O God, and may the nourishment we receive from this Bread of Heaven fill us always with new strength. Through our Lord . . .

 

WITHIN THE OCTAVE
SAINT LEONARD OF LIMOGES
[Nobleman, 559 A.D. Historical]

Hermit, Patron of prisoners
(† Second half of the Sixth Century)

Saint Leonard was born towards the end of the fifth century of illustrious parents, residing in the part of the province of Gaul which was then beginning to be called France. Several historians believe that with his brother Saint Lifard, his origins can be traced to the castle of Vendome in the region of Orleans. He belonged to the nation of the Franks, and at the court of Clovis his relatives were dignitaries, baptized at the same time as the king by Saint Remi. That monarch himself stood as sponsor in Baptism for this child of predilection.

As Leonard grew he was so moved by the holy examples of the bishop of Rheims that he renounced the world in order to lead a more perfect life. When Saint Remi had trained Leonard in virtue and conferred on him the tonsure, he began to exercise his charity on behalf of prisoners. Clovis, in response to a prayer of Saint Remi, had already issued an edict that prisoners in Rheims might be freed whenever his royal highness would pass through that city. Leonard asked the kind monarch to grant him personally the right to liberate prisoners whom he would find worthy of it, any time at all.

The reputation of Saint Leonard’s goodness and sanctity soon spread, and the sick came to him for healing and alms. He did not fail to teach them also the value of Christian patience and to console them by the divine doctrine. The king desired to attach him permanently to his court, but Saint Leonard, in a discourse brilliant by its humility, replied that he preferred to live in the obscurity Christ had chosen for Himself for so many years, and he retired to a monastery. Saint Maximin, its abbot, saw to it that he was ordained a deacon, which office he accepted out of obedience, but he did not aspire to any additional ecclesiastical dignities. He recognized that his role was not to remain always in the monastery, and departed to preach to the pagans of the province of Limoges. He found on a nearby mountain a forested solitude where he decided to remain, and there he built a cell of branches and considered himself rich in the possession of God, joyous in his freedom to devote himself to meditation, prayer and mortification.

He continued to obtain miracles when solicited by the suffering members of Jesus Christ. The spouse of a king living nearby had a successful delivery of a child by his prayers, when her very life was despaired of; and the king in gratitude gave him a part of the forest to dispose of as he wished. He then built an oratory to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Two disciples joined him in this sanctuary, continuing to pray without interruption when their master went on pilgrimage to the tombs of the Saints.

Soon the sick came to Saint Leonard here also, and prisoners who invoked him from their cells saw their chains break before their eyes. Many came to him afterwards, bringing their heavy chains and irons to offer them in homage. A considerable number wished to remain with him, and he often gave them part of his vast forest to clear and make ready for the labors of the fields, that they might have the means to live an honest life. He continued to be their guardian and father and preached the religion of our Saviour to them; and those who had once been malefactors were transformed by prayer and labor.

Seven families of persons who were his relatives in the north heard of his reputation and decided to come to him and remain with him. He was surprised but encouraged their good resolutions, saying: “A fare of dry bread, eaten in the joy of a pure conscience, is of more worth than a house abundantly furnished, where quarrels and divisions prevail.” After increasing in holiness until his last days, he died on the 6^th of November in the oratory he had dedicated to Our Lady, after having himself transported there, sometime during the second half of the sixth century. Miracles on behalf of prisoners and the sick followed, as they had preceded, his death. The cult of Saint Leonard has remained extremely popular in France ever since; and throughout all of Europe churches and monasteries have been placed under his invocation.

Source: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 13.

SAINT THEOPHANE VENARD
Martyr 1829-1861

SAINT THEOPHANE VENARD

Martyr 1829-1861

Also known as: Jean-Théophane Vénard

Profile
Raised in a pious family; one brother became a priest, and was later curator for Theophane's writings, and another was the bishop of Poitiers, France. Studied at the College of Doue-la-Fontaine, Montmorillon, Poitiers, and the Paris Seminary for Foreign Missions. Ordained on 5 June 1852. Missionary to southeast Asia, leaving on 19 September 1852. Worked fifteen months at Hong Kong, then transferred to West Tonkin, Vietnam.

Christians in the area were being persecuted by order of the ruler Minh-Menh. Just before Theophan's arrival, new anti-Christian orders had forced priests and bishops to go into hiding in forests and caves. Father Venard, whose health had never been good, suffered terribly, ministering to his flock by night and, when he could find a secure location, by day for nearly four years. Betrayed by an ostensible parishioner, he was arrested on 30 November 1860. Tried for his faith, he was given ample opportunity to save himself by denying Christ; he declined. He was kept in a cage for several weeks prior to his execution, during which he wrote a series of joyful, consoling letters to his family. One of the Martyrs of Vietnam.
Born: 1829 at Saint-Loup, diocese of Poitiers, France
Died: beheaded on 2 February 1861 at Tonkin, Vietnam; his head was stuck on a pole as a warning to other, but was later recovered and preserved as a relic in Tonkin; the rest of his body was sent back to his family, and is interred in the crypt of the Missions Etrangères in Paris
Beatified: 2 May 1909
Canonized: 19 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II

Readings
A slight saber-cut will separate my head from my body, like the spring flower which the Master of the garden gathers for His pleasure. We are all flowers planted on this earth, which God plucks in His own good time: some a little sooner, some a little later . . . Father and son may we meet in Paradise. I, poor little moth, go first. Adieu.

- Saint Theophane in a letter to his father just before his martyrdom

Nov. 5th Ferial Day; Within the Octave; Feast of the Holy Relics; Sts. Zachary and Elizabeth (Parents of St. John the Baptist)

 

 

Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Cleveland, Ohio

FERIAL DAY
(Mass of preceding Sunday)

[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

FEAST OF THE HOLY RELICS
[In some places]
(In the Cathedral Church of Cleveland)

DOUBLE/RED

INTROIT (Ps. 33:20-21)

Many are the afflictions of the just, and out of all these the Lord hath delivered them: the Lord keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.

(Ps. 33:2) I Will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be always in my mouth.

V. Glory Be . . .

 

GLORIA

COLLECT

Do thou, O Lord, increase our faith in the Resurrection, Thou that workest wonders in the relics of Thy saints: and make us partakers of that immortal glory, a pledge of which we venerate in their ashes. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON (Ecclesiasticus 44:1015)

These also were godly men, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten; their wealth will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance with their children's children. Their descendants stand by the covenants; their children also, for their sake. Their offspring will continue forever, and their glory will never be blotted out. Their bodies are buried in peace, but their name lives on generation after generation. The assembly declares their wisdom, and the congregation proclaims their praise.

 GRADUAL (Ps. 149: 5, 1)

The saints shall rejoice in glory: they shall be joyful in their beds. Sing unto the Lord a new song: let His praise be in the Church of the Saints.

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA. (Ps. 67:4)

And let the just feast, and rejoice before God: and be delighted with gladness.

ALLELUIA.

GOSPEL (St. Luke 6: 17-23)

And coming down with them, he stood in a plain place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon,

 Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured.

 And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.

 And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: "Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.

 Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

 Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven."

OFFERTORY (Ps. 67:36)

God is wonderful in His saints: the God of Israel is He Who will give power and strength to His people: blessed be God. Alleluia.

SECRET

We implore Thy clemency, O Lord: that by the interceding merits of Thy saints whose relics we venerate, this sacrifice which we offer may be an expiation of our sins. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION (Ps. 32:1)

Rejoice in the Lord, ye just: praise becometh the upright.

POSTCOMMUNION

Multiply upon us Thy mercy, we beseech Thee, O Lord, through the sacraments which we have received: that even as with a pious devotion we rejoice in the solemnity of Thy saints whose relics we venerate, so also by Thy bountiful goodness we enjoy their everlasting fellowship. Through our Lord . . .

WITHIN THE OCTAVE

SAINTS ZACHARY & ELIZABETH

Parents of St. John the Baptist

[Historical]

Descendant of the Old Testament patriarch, Aaron. Wife of Zachary, temple priest. Relative of Mary. Mother of Saint John the Baptist, becoming pregnant very late in life. She was the Elizabeth that Mary visited soon after the Annunciation. Described in the Gospel of Luke as "righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly."

Born: 1st century BC

Died: 1st century AD of natural causes

Canonized: Pre-Congregation

Patronage
expectant mothers, pregnant women

SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO (1584 A.D.); WITHIN THE OCTAVE; SAINTS VITALIS AND AGRICOLA, Martyrs (304 A.D.)

 

 

Intercession of Charles Borromeo supported by the Virgin Mary (1714), Ceiling paintings made by Johann Michael Rottmayr (1654-1730) for the Karlskirche, Vienna. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO
Bishop and Confessor

WITHIN THE OCTAVE

The painting of Christian martyrs Vitalis and Agricola in Bologna.
[Wikipedia]

SAINTS VITALIS AND AGRICOLA
MARTYRS

DOUBLE / WHITE
When Charles Borromeo, great hero of the "Catholic Reformation," was 22, his uncle, Pope Pius IV, appointed him Cardinal-deacon and administrator of the see of Milan. He governed wisely and courageously all during his uncle's pontificate, and was mainly responsible for the successful conclusion of the Council of Trent. The death of his elder brother changed him from a virtuous man to a saint. He entered the priesthood and from 1565 onward he lived in Milan, devoting all his time to reforming that diocese in accordance with the decrees of Trent. He founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, with its schools for teaching the Catechism to children, historically the first "Sunday Schools." To help those stricken by the plague of 1576, he gave away everything, even his bed. He died in 1584, at the age of 46.

Mass of a CONFESSOR BISHOP, except
Introit 
Sir 45:30
The Lord made a covenant of friendship with him, and make him a prince; that he should possess the dignity of priesthood forever.
Ps 131:1
Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Lord made a covenant of friendship with him, and make him a prince; that he should possess the dignity of priesthood forever.

GLORIA

COLLECT
O Lord, keep Your Church always under the protection of Your holy confessor bishop Charles, who was distinguished by his vigilant care of his flock. Enkindle in us a burning love of You through his intercession. 

Commemoration of SAINTS VITALIS AND AGRICOLA
Agricola converted his slave Vitalis and went with him to martyrdom at Bologna about A.D. 304 under Emperor Diocletian.

O Almighty God, may the intercessory power of Your blessed martyrs Vitalis and Agricola aid us who celebrate their feast today. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson 
Lesson from the book of Ecclesiasticus
Sir 44:16-27; 45:3-20
Behold, a great priest, who in his days pleased God, and was found just; and in the time of wrath he was made a reconciliation. There was not found the like to him, who kept the law of the Most High. Therefore, by an oath, the Lord made him to increase among his people. He gave him the blessing of all nations, and confirmed His covenant upon his head. He acknowledged him in His blessings; He preserved for him His mercy; and he found grace before the eyes of the Lord. He glorified him in the sight of kings, and gave him a crown of glory. He made an everlasting covenant with him, and gave him a great priesthood; and made him blessed in glory. To execute the office of the priesthood, and to have praise in His name, and to offer Him a worthy incense for an odor of sweetness.

Gradual 
Sir 44:16, 20.
Behold, a great priest, who in his days pleased God.
V. There was not found the like to him, who kept the law of the Most High. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 109:4
V. You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedec. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt. 25:14-23
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: "A man going abroad, called his servants and handed over his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his particular ability, and then he went on his journey. And he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more. In like manner, he who had received the two gained two more. But he who had received the one went away and dug in the earth and hid his master's money. Then after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; behold, I have gained five others in addition.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; because you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had received the two talents came, and said, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; behold, I have gained two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; because you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your master.

Offertory
Ps 88:21-22
I have found David, my servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him, that My hand may be always with him, and that My arm may make him strong.

SECRET PRAYER
O Lord, may Your saints everywhere be a source of joy for us, and may we feel the power of their intercession with You as we solemnly recall the deeds of their lives.

Commemoration of SAINTS VITALIS AND AGRICOLAO 
Lord, be moved to compassion by our offerings and shield us from all danger through the prayers of Your holy martyrs Vitalis and Agricola. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Luke 12:42
The faithful and prudent servant whom the master will set over his household to give them their ration of grain in due time.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Almighty God, may the expression of our gratitude to You for all Your Gifts bring us even greater benefits through the intercession of Your blessed confessor Charles.

Commemoration of SAINTS VITALIS AND AGRICOLAO 
Lord, may this Communion cleanse us from sin, and bestow on us spiritual health from heaven through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Vitalis and Agricola. Through our Lord . . .

24th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; WITHIN THE OCTAVE; SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES (1639 A.D.)

 

TWENTY-FORTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

 

SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES

Confessor

 

WITHIN THE OCTAVE

DOUBLE / GREEN
INTROIT Jer. 29:11, 12, 14
Said the Lord: "I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. You shall call upon Me and I will hear you, and I will bring you back from captivity from all places."
Ps. 84:2. Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, You Who know that our human frailty cannot stand fast against the great dangers that beset us; grant us health of mind and body, that with Your help, we may overcome what we suffer on account of our sins.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Commemoration of SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES

Martin de Porres (1579-1639) was born in Peru of a Spanish Knight and a Negro woman from Panama. Martin inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother, and for that reason his noble father eventually turned the boy out of his house. After a turn as surgeon's apprentice, the young man joined the Dominicans as a laybrother and was put in charge of the infirmary of a friary in Lima. Soon he was caring for the sick of the city and the slaves brought to Peru from Africa -- not to mention the animals with which he is often pictured. Martin had the gift of miracles; and although he had no formal training, he was often consulted on theological questions by great churchmen of his day. St. Rose of Lima and Bl. John Massias were among his close friends. He is unofficially called the patron of social justice.

O God, the rewarder of the humble, You raised up the blessed Confessor Martin to the kingdom of heaven. May his merits and prayers help us to imitate his humility on earth that we may be exalted with him in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Rom. 13: 8-10
Brethren: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law. For: Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.

GRADUAL Ps. 43:8-9
You have freed us from those who afflict us, O Lord, and You have put to shame those who hate us. V. In God we will glory all the day, and praise Your name forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 129:1-2
V. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer!
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 8:23-27
At that time, Jesus entered into the boat, and his disciples followed him: And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: "Lord, save us, we perish." And Jesus saith to them: "Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?" Then rising up, he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: "What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?"

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHONN Ps. 129:1-2
OUT OF THE DEPTHS I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer, out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.

SECRET
Almighty God, grant that our sacrificial offering may cleanse and protect out frail nature from all evil. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES

O Lord, graciously accept the host that we present to You to be consecrated in honor of the blessed Confessor Martin. Grant that it may confer upon us the effects of Your salvation through the intercession of this Saint. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Mark 11:24
AMEN I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.

POSTCOMMUNION
May this gift draw us away from earthly pleasures, O God, and may the nourishment we receive from this Bread of Heaven fill us always with new strength. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES

We have been nourished by the Food of Heaven, O Lord our God. May the intercession of Your blessed Confessor Martin help us to be obedient always to Your commandments. Through our Lord . . . 

ALL SOULS' DAY: COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

 

 

ALL SOULS' DAY

COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE
FAITHFUL DEPARTED

DOUBLE / BLACK
"Unto Your faithful, O Lord, life is changed, not taken away."
The shared divine life that makes all the faithful one Mystical Body of Christ is not broken by death. Those who are born into eternal life remain our brothers and sisters in Christ. They have a debt of punishment to pay for sin, and God permits us to help them pay it. By personal sacrifices, by any personal prayer, by indulgenced prayers and good works, and especially by having Mass offered, everyone can help shorten Purgatory for relatives and friends, for unmourned derelicts, and for the persecuted of all nations who must die without the Sacraments.

FIRST MASS

INTROIT Ps. 64:2-3
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Ps. It is fitting to praise You in Sion, O God, and to fulfill our vow to You in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer: all flesh must come to You. Grant them . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant the souls of Your departed servants forgiveness of all their sins. May our devout prayers obtain for them the pardon that they have always desired; who lives and rules with God, . . .

LESSON I Cor. 15: 51-57
Brethren: Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again incorruptible. And we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption: and this mortal must put on immortality. And when this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory! O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" Now the sting of death is sin: and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL IV Esdr. 2:34
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Ps. 111:7. The just man shall be in everlasting remembrance; he shall not fear an evil report.

TRACT
Release the souls of all the faithful departed from every bond of sin, O Lord.
V. Enable them by the help of Your grace to escape the avenging judgment.
V. That they may enjoy the happiness of eternal light.

SEQUENCE

That day of wrath, that dreadful day
When heaven and earth shall pass away,
Both David and the Sibyl say.

What terror then to us shall fall
When lo, the Judge's steps appall,
About to weigh the deeds of all.

The mighty trumpet's dolorous tone
Shall pierce through each sepulchral stone
And summon men before the throne.

Now death and nature in amaze
Behold the Lord His creatures raise
To meet the Judge's awful gaze.

The book is opened, that the dead
May hear their doom from what is read,
The record of our conscience dread.

The Lord of judgment on His throne
Shall every secret thing make known,
No sin escapes that once was sown.

Ah, how shall I that day endure?
What patron's aid can make secure,
When scarce the just themselves are sure?

O King of dreadful majesty
Who grants us grace and mercy free
Grant mercy now and grace to me.

Good Lord, who for my sinful sake
Man's suffering flesh Yourself did take,
Please do not now my soul forsake.

In weariness my soul was sought;
Upon the cross its life was bought;
Alas, if all in vain were wrought.

O just avenging Judge, I pray
Have pity, take my sins away
Before the great accounting day.

I groan beneath crimes' guilty pain;
My flush of shame reveals the stain
Of, sins, my God, that still remain.

All Mary's sins You did unbind,
And mercy for the robber find;
Now fill with hope my anxious mind.

My feeble prayers can make no claim;
Yet, gracious Lord, for Your great Name
Redeem me from the quenchless flame.

At Your right hand, give me a place,
Among Your sheep, a child of grace
Far from the goats' accursed race.

And when Your justly kindled ire
Lets sinners fall to ceaseless fire
Oh, call me to Your chosen choir.

In suppliant prayer I humbly bend,
My contrite heart like ashes rend;
Regard, O Lord, my final end.

Oh, on that day, that tearful day,
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Do You the sinner's sentence stay
O spare him, God, we humbly pray.

And grant to all, O Saviour blest,
Who die in You, the saints' sweet rest. Amen.

GOSPEL St. John 5:25-29
At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews:"Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son also to have life in himself. And he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man. Wonder not at this: for the hour cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection of life: but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment."

CREED
 

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
O Lord, Jesus Christ, glorious King, spare the souls of the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit; free them from the jaws of the lion, and let them not descend into hell to be swallowed up in darkness. May Saint Michael, Your standard

Image via Wikipedia

bearer, lead them into the holy light which You promised of old to Abraham and his posterity. V. Receive the sacrifices and prayers of praise, O Lord, which we offer for the souls of those whom we would remember this day. Grant, O Lord, that they may pass from death to life, which You promised of old to Abraham and his posterity.

SECRET
O Lord, look with favor upon the gifts we offer You in behalf of the souls of Your faithful departed. Grant them the reward of Christian faith, just as You bestowed upon them the merit of their belief. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON IV Esdr 2:35, 34
May eternal light shine upon them, O Lord, with Your saints forever, for You are merciful. V. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, with Your saints forever, for You are merciful.

POSTCOMMUNION
May the prayers of Your suppliant people help the souls of Your servants, O Lord. Free them of all their sins and grant that they may share in the redemption You won for all men, who lives and rules with God . . .

NOVEMBER 1st FEAST OF ALL SAINTS

 

 

FEAST OF ALL SAINTS

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
This is the great family feast of the Mystical Body in its final triumph. The unnumbered and nameless multitude of saints, "out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues," are our brothers and sisters in Christ at home with our Redeemer-Brother. Their sainthood is the fulfillment of living the eight Beatitudes. They are the great Christian heroes. "Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love Him" (I Cor. 2:9).

INTROIT 
Let us all rejoice in the Lord as we celebrate the feast in honor of all the saints upon which the angels rejoice and praise the Son of God. 
Ps. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright. 
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, through Your grace we honor the merits of all Your saints in the one solemn feast of today. Grant us the abundant mercy we ask of You through this army of heavenly intercessors. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ . . .

LESSON Apoc. 7:2-12
In those days, behold, I, John, saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying: "Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads." And I heard the number of them that were signed. An hundred forty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Ruben, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Nephthali, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Manasses, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Zabulon, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand signed. After this, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: "Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb." And all the angels stood round about the throne and the ancients and the four living creatures. And they fell down before the throne upon their faces and adored God, Saying: "Amen. Benediction and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, honor and power and strength, to our God, for ever and ever. Amen."

GRADUAL Ps. 33:10, 11
Fear the Lord all you His saints, for nothing is wanting to those who fear Him. 
V. Those who seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.

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

GOSPEL Matt. 5:1-12

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At that time, Jesus, seeing the multitudes, went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. And opening his mouth he taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven."

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Wisdom 3:1-2, 3 
The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they appeared to perish, but they are in peace, alleluia!

SECRET 
We offer these gifts to You in sacrifice, O Lord. May the honor we pay to Your saints please You, and may these offerings, through Your mercy, bring us closer to our salvation. Through Christ Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 5:8-10
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
May Your faithful always delight in paying reverence to all the saints, O Lord, and may the constant intercession of the saints be our protection. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit . . .