9th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT ANNE, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary;

   

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]
SAINT ANNE
Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Man did not make the world. He cannot totally reshape it to serve his desires. He cannot resolve its seeming contradictions. It is God's world. If man is to play a human part in it, he must first adore and obey the God who made the world and who settled its ways and rewards. Therein lies peace, the fullness of personality development, holiness of life, and heaven. That is Christian wisdom. Every zealous Christian can help other people to see that God is present and speaks and moves in all the events of life, even while everything humanly possible is done to relieve suffering and its causes.

 

INTROIT Ps. 53:6-7
Behold, God is my helper, and the Lord is the support of my soul. Turn back the evils upon my enemies, and in Your faithfulness to us disperse them, O Lord my protector.
Ps. 53:3. O God, by Your name save me, and by Your might deliver me.
V. Glory be . . .

 

GLORIA

COLLECT
O Lord, let mercy attune Your ear to the prayers of Your people calling upon You. May they ask only what is pleasing to You, so that their requests may always be heard. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ANNE
O God, You conferred upon holy Anne the grace to bear the Mother of Your only-begotten Son; help us through the prayers of this holy woman as we celebrate her feast. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Cor. 10:6-13
Brethren: These things were done in a figure of us, that we should not covet evil things, as they also coveted. Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them, as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them that committed fornication: and there fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them tempted and perished by the serpent. Neither do you murmur, as some of them murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them in figure: and they are written for our correction, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall. Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human. And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.

GRADUAL Ps. 8:2
O Lord our Lord, how glorious is Your name over all the earth!
V. For Your splendor is exalted above the heavens.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 58:2
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God, and defend me from my adversaries. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 19:41-47
At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, seeing the city, he wept over it, saying: "If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace: but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee: and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and straiten thee on every side, And beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee. And they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation." And entering into the temple, he began to cast out them that sold therein and them that bought. Saying to them: "It is written: 'My house is the house of prayer.' But you have made it a den of thieves." And he was teaching daily in the temple.

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 18:9, 10, 11, 12
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart, and His judgments are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb; for Your servant observes them.

SECRET
May we celebrate these sacred rites worthily, O Lord, for each offering of this memorial Sacrifice carries on the work of our redemption. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ANNE

Look with favor upon these offerings, O Lord, so that they may be an aid to our devotion and to our salvation through the intercession of blessed Anne, mother of Mary who bore Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

 Communion
John 6:57
"He who eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, abides in Me and I in him," said the Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, may the reception of Your Blessed Sacrament cleanse us from sin and unite us all in You. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ANNE

We are given new life through Your Divine Sacraments, O Lord our God. Grant us eternal salvation through the intercession of blessed Anne, whom You chose to bear the Mother of Your Son. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Saint James the Greater; Saint Christopher (250 A.D.) Martyr [Patron of Travelers]

  

 
Saint James the Greater

Saint Christopher

SAINT JAMES
Apostle

[Commemoration]
SAINT CHRISTOPHER
Martyr

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED
St. James the Greater was the brother of St. John the Beloved Disciple. After having evangelized Spain, James returned to Jerusalem during the reign of the persecuting Herod Agrippa. He was delivered into the hands of Agrippa by an informer. The informer was so affected by the holy courage of his victim that he repented of his apostasy. James then embraced his betrayer, saying, "Peace be with you!" The Apostle and the repentant apostate were beheaded at the same time, in A.D. 42.

INTROIT Ps. 138:17 
Your friends are greatly honored by me, O Lord; 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 . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
Sanctify and protect Your people, O Lord. Let the assistance of Your apostle James strengthen them that they may serve You with confidence and please You by their conduct. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT CHRISTOPHER
The name Christopher means "he who bears Christ." A native of Palestine, Christopher made great strides in the way of virtue, because he carried Jesus in his soul. This patron saint of travelers was martyred in the third century. 

O Almighty God, grant that we who celebrate the birthday of Your blessed martyr Christopher, may be made stronger in our love of You through his intercession. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Cor. 4:9-15
Brethren: I think that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death. We are made a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. We are fools for Christs sake, but you are wise in Christ: we are weak, but you are strong: you are honourable, but we without honour. Even unto this hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no fixed abode. And we labour, working with our own hands. We are reviled: and we bless. We are persecuted: and we suffer it. We are blasphemed: and we entreat. We are made as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all, even until now. I write not these things to confound you: but I admonish you as my dearest children. For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:17-18
You shall make them princes throughout the land; they shall remember Your name, O Lord.
V. To take the place of your fathers, sons shall be born to you; therefore peoples shall praise you.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. John 15:16
I have chosen you out of the world that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 20:20-23
At that time, then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. Who said to her: "What wilt thou?" She saith to him: "Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom." And Jesus answering, said: "You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink?" They say to him: "We can." He saith to them: "My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father."

CREED

 

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

SECRET 
May the holy martyrdom of the blessed apostle James make the offerings of Your people acceptable to You, O Lord. In spite of our unworthiness, may these gifts be pleasing to You through the prayers of Your saint. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT CHRISTOPHER
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 Matt. 19:28
You who have followed Me shall sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

POSTCOMMUNION 
Help us, O Lord, through the intercession of Your blessed apostle James, in whose honor we have joyfully received Your Blessed Sacrament today. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT CHRISTOPHER
O Lord our God, may we who now joyfully commemorate Your saints on earth rejoice one day with them in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Christina of Bolsena (307 A.D.); Saint Francis Solano (1610 A.D.); Vigil of St. James "the Greater"

   

SAINT CHRISTINA 

of Bolsena

Virgin and Martyr

SAINT FRANCIS SOLANO
Priest

VIGIL OF SAINT JAMES
Apostle

SIMPLE / RED
Christina, born in Tuscany, Italy, destroyed the pagan idols in her father's home and distributed their gold among the poor. Her father then delivered the young girl to the persecutors. Christina was martyred about A.D. 307 at the age of ten or eleven.

Mass of a VIRGIN MARTYR, except 

COLLECT
O Lord, pardon our sins through the intercession of the blessed virgin martyr Christina, who pleased You by her purity and faith. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT FRANCIS SOLANO
South American missionary of the Order of Friars Minor; b. at Montilla, in the Diocese of Cordova, Spain, 10 March, 1549; d. at Lima, Peru, 14 July, 1610. His parents, Matthew Sanchez Solanus and Anna Ximenes, were distinguished no less for their noble birth than for their virtue and piety. When Francis was twenty years old, he was received into the Franciscan Order at Montilla, and after his ordination, several years later, he was sent by his superiors to the convent of Arifazza as master of novices. In 1589 he sailed from Spain to the New World, and having landed at Panama, crossed the isthmus and embarked on a vessel that was to convey him to Peru. His missionary labours in South America extended over a period of twenty years, during which time he spared no fatigue, shrank from no sacrifice however great, and feared no danger that stood in the way of evangelizing the vast and savage regions of Tucuman and Paraguay. So successful, indeed, was his apostolate that he has been aptly styled the Thaumaturgus of the New World. Notwithstanding the number and difficulty of the dialects spoken by the Indians, he learned them all in a very short time, and it is said that he often addressed tribes of different tongues in one language and was understood by them all. Besides being engaged in active missionary work, he filled the office of custos of the convents of his order in Tucuman and Paraguay, and later was elected guardian of the Franciscan convent in Lima, Peru. In 1610, while preaching at Truxillo he foretold the calamities that were to befall that city, which was destroyed by an earthquake eight years later, most of the inhabitants perishing in the ruins. The death of St. Francis, which he himself had foretold, was the cause of general grief throughout Peru. In his funeral sermon at the burial of the saint, Father Sebastiani, S.J., said that "Divine Providence had chosen Father Francis Solanus to be the hope and edification of all Peru, the example and glory of Lima and the splendour of the Seraphic Order". St. Francis was beatified by Clement X, in 1675, and canonized by Benedict XIII, in 1726. His feast is kept throughout the Franciscan Order on the twenty-fourth of July. 

O God, who by means of blessed Francis didst bring a number of the tribes of America into the bosom of the Church, do Thou, through his merits and prayers, turn away Thine indignation from our sins, and graciously send down the fear of Thy name to the nations that have not known Thee. Through our Lord . . . 

Lesson
Lesson from the letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Romans
Rom. 6:3-11.
Brethren: All we who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. For we were buried with Him by means of Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ has arisen from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall be so in the likeness of His resurrection also. For we know that our old self has been crucified with Him, in order that the body of sin may be destroyed, that we may no longer be slaves to sin; for he who is dead is acquitted of sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ; for we know that Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no longer have dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life that He lives, He lives unto God. Thus do you consider yourselves also as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps. 89:13, 1.
Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on Your servants!
V. O Lord, You have been our refuge through all generations. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Ps. 30:2-3. In You, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In Your justice rescue me and release me, incline Your ear to me, make haste to deliver me! Alleluia.

Gospel
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Mark
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

Mark 8:1-9
At that time, when there was a great crowd with Jesus, and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples together and said to them, I have compassion on the crowd, for behold, they have now been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away to their homes fasting, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from a distance. And His disciples answered Him, How will anyone be able to satisfy these with bread, here in a desert? And He asked them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven. And He bade the crowd recline on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to distribute; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few little fishes; and He blessed them, and ordered them to be distributed. And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up what was left of the fragments, seven baskets. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He dismissed them.
R. Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
S. By the words of the Gospel may our sins be blotted out.  

SECRET
O Lord, graciously accept the gifts we offer you in honor of Your blessed virgin martyr Christina, and grant us Your unending assistance through these offerings. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT FRANCIS SOLANO
May the gift which we offer unto Thee give unto us, we beseech Thee, almighty God, an increase of faith, hope, and charity and that we may attain unto that which Thou dost promise, do Thou, through the intercession of blessed Francis Thy confessor, make us to love that which Thou commandest. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION 
We have been nourished by Your Divine Gift, O Lord our God. May the reception of this Bread of Heaven bring us eternal life through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Christina. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT FRANCIS SOLANO
Do Thou, O Lord, through the intercession of blessed Francis Thy confessor, make us ever to obey Thy commandments, that we may become worthy of the gifts of which we have partaken. Through our Lord . . . 

SAINT APOLLINARIS (A.D. 79) Bishop, Martyr; SAINT LIBORIUS (A.D. 395) Bishop, Confessor

   

  

Saint Apollinaris

SAINT APOLLINARIS 
Bishop and Martyr

SAINT LIBORIUS
Bishop and Confessor

DOUBLE / RED
As first bishop and only known martyr of Ravenna, Italy, Apollinaris evangelized that region and laid down his life for his flock after a succession of banishments and harassments from the pagans. Many miracles were ascribed to his intercession. He had perfectly fulfilled the command of St. Peter to those ordained to the ministry of souls: "Tend the flock of God which is among you . . . becoming from the heart a pattern to the flock" (Reading).

INTROIT Dan. 3:84, 87
You priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; you holy and humble of heart, praise God. Dan. 3:57. All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, rewarder of the faithful, pardon our sins through the intercession of Your blessed confessor bishop Apollinaris, whom we honor this day. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINT LIBORIUS
Liborius was bishop of Le Mans in France and friend of St. Martin of Tours, who was present at his death in A.D. 397.

O Almighty God, grant that our solemn celebration of the feast of Your confessor bishop Liborius may increase our devotion and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 5:1-11
Beloved: The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand steadfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

GRADUAL Ps. 88:21-23
I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him, that My hand may help him and My arm strengthen him.
V. The enemy shall have no advantage over him, nor shall the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 109:4
The Lord has sworn, and He will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedech." Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 22:24-30
At that time, there was also a strife amongst the disciples, which of them should seem to be the greater. And Jesus said to them: "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them are called beneficent. But you not so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger: and he that is the leader, as he that serveth. For which is greater, he that sitteth at table or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at table? But I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth. And you are they who have continued with me in my temptations: And I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom; That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom: and may sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 88:25
My truth and My mercy shall be with him; and in My name shall his power be exalted.

SECRET 
O God, look kindly upon these gifts which we offer You in honor of Your blessed martyr priest Apollinaris and in satisfaction for our sins. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINT LIBORIUS
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. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 25:20, 21
Master, thou didst hand over to me five talents; behold, I have gained five others in addition. Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many; enter into the joy of thy master.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER 
We have received Your Holy Sacrament, O Lord. We now ask to be comforted by the protection of blessed Apollinaris, for You will always be merciful to those who are helped by Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LIBORIUS 
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 Liborius. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT MARY MAGDALEN, Penitent

  

  

SAINT MARY MAGDALEN
Penitent

DOUBLE / WHITE
Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, wasted the great beauty that God had given her in a life of sin, but one day she saw Christ and was touched by grace. On the day of Our Lord's crucifixion, she stood with the Mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross. At early dawn on the first Easter morning, Mary Magdalen and other women who had ministered to Jesus went to the Lord's sepulcher. Two angels said to them, "He is not here, but is risen. . . . Go, tell his disciples." Mary Magdalen ran to tell the Apostles what she had seen and heard. Then Peter and John, hastening to the sepulcher, saw and believed.

INTROIT Ps. 118:95-96
The wicked have waited for me to destroy me, but I have understood Thy testimonies, O Lord. I have seen an end of all perfection; Thy commandment is exceeding broad.
Ps. 118:1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT 
O Lord, help us through the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalen, whose pleas moved You to recall her brother Lazarus to life after he had been dead for four days; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

LESSON Cant. 3:2-5; 8:6-7
I will rise, and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and I found him not. The watchmen who keep the city, found me: "Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth?" When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that bore me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor awake my beloved, till she please. Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:8, 3
Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity. Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness.

Alleluia, alleluia Ps. 44:3
Grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever.

GOSPEL Luke 7:36-50
At that time, one of the Pharisees desired him to eat with him. And he went into the house of the Pharisee and sat down to meat. And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that he sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment. And standing behind at his feet. she began to wash his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying: "This man, if he were if a prophet, would know surely who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner." And Jesus answering, said to him: "Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee." But he said: "Master, say it." "A certain creditor had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which therefore of the two loveth him most?" Simon answering, said: "I suppose that he to whom he forgave most." And he said to him: "Thou hast judged rightly."
And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon: "Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house: thou gavest me no water for my feet. But she with tears hath washed my feet; and with her hairs hath wiped them. Thou gavest me no kiss. But she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint. But she with ointment hath anointed my feet. Wherefore, I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less." And he said to her: "Thy sins are forgiven thee." And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: "Who is this that forgiveth sins also?" And he said to the woman: "Thy faith hath made thee safe. Go in peace."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:10
The daughters of the King are in thine honor, the queen stood on thy right hand in gilded clothing, surrounded with variety.

SECRET 
Accept our gifts, O Lord, through the merits of blessed Mary Magdalen, as her humble homage and service were accepted by Your only-begotten Son; who lives and rules with You . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 118:121, 122, 127
I have done judgment and justice, O Lord, give me not up to them that slander me. I was directed to all Thy commandments. I have hated all wicked ways.

POSTCOMMUNION
We who have received Your precious Body and Blood, our solitary hope for salvation, O Lord, ask that the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalen may save us from all harm; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

[wikimedia.org image]

Saint Praxedes (2nd C.); Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1611 A.D.)

   

Saint Praxidis.

Attributed to Johannes Vermeer (ca. 1655).

SAINT PRAXEDES 

Virgin

SAINT LAURENCE OF BRINDISI

Confessor, Doctor of the Church

SIMPLE / WHITE
Praxedes, the daughter of wealthy parents in Rome, consecrated her virginity to God in the second century. Later she renounced her considerable wealth in favor of the poor and of the Church. When Emperor Marcus Antoninus was hunting down the Christians, Praxedes aided the victims of persecution in every way possible. At length she begged Christ that she might be spared from witnessing any longer the fearful sufferings inflicted on her fellow Christians. Her plea was heard, and she was called to the reward of her charity.

INTROIT Ps. 118:46-47 

I spoke of Your testimonies before kings, and I was not ashamed; I meditated on Your commandments, which I love dearly. Ps. 118:1. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Hear our prayer, O God our Saviour, and let us learn the spirit of true devotion from Your blessed virgin Praxedes, as we joyfully celebrate her feast. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LAURENCE  
Laurence of Brindisi, a Capuchin friar who for some years ruled his whole Order, acquired great fame for learning and eloquence, and labored with remarkable success in most parts of Europe preaching to Catholics, to Protestants, and to Jews. When 80,000 Turks invaded Hungary in 1605, he it was who inspired the united Christian armies of 18,000 men to the attack and himself led them to complete victory riding before them bearing a large cross. He died in Lisbon in 1611.

O God, who didst confer upon Thy Confessor and Doctor, blessed Laurence, a spirit of wisdom and fortitude in hard labors for the glory of Thy name and for the salvation of souls, grant us in the same spirit both to perceive where our duty lies, and to accomplish it through his intercession. Through our Lord . . .  

EPISTLE I Cor. 7:25-34
Brethren: Concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy. I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is. Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I would spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none; and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; and those that use the world, as not using it to the full: for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and is divided. So also the woman that is unmarried and the virgin is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:8
You loved justice and hated wickedness.
V. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 44:5
In your splendor and your beauty make ready, ride on triumphant, and rule. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 13:44-52
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. "Have ye understood all these things?" They say unto him, "Yea." And he said unto them, "Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:3 Grace is poured out upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever and for all ages. 

SECRET 

Accept this gift, O Lord, from a people dedicated to You. We offer it in honor of Your saints for the help we have received from them when we were in trouble. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LAURENCE
May the holy prayer of St. Laurence, Thy Confessor and Doctor, fail us not, O Lord; may it render our offerings acceptable, and ever obtain for us Thy pardon. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 13:45-46
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he gives all that he has and buys it.  

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, You have feasted Your family with the Food of Heaven. May we always be refreshed through the intercession of Your saint whose feast we celebrate this day. through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LAURENCE
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that blessed Laurence, Thy Confessor and illustrious Doctor may join his prayers to ours that this Thy sacrifice may bring us salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Jerome Emiliani (1537 A.D.); Saint Margaret of Antioch (304 A.D.)

   

SAINT JEROME EMILIANI
Confessor

SAINT MARGARET OF ANTIOCH

Virgin and Martyr

DOUBLE / WHITE
Jerome Emiliani (1481-1537), a member of one of the patrician families of Venice, was in early life a soldier. Captured by the enemy and thrown in a dungeon, he invoked the aid of Our Lady. Under circumstances that appeared to be miraculous, he was enabled to make his escape. The young man then dedicated himself to the service of the Blessed Virgin and began a life of intense charity, concerning himself especially with the care and Christian education of homeless orphans, victims of war and plague, whom he clothed, fed, and taught at his own expense. Later, he founded several orphanages, a home for converted prostitutes, and a hospital. In about 1532, Jerome founded the Clerks Regular of Somascha, for the continuation of his work after his own death. He died of a disease he caught in visiting the sick. Pope Pius XI declared him the patron of orphans and abandoned children.

INTROIT Lam. 2:11 

My liver is poured out upon the earth in sorrow for the destruction of the daughter of my people, for the child and the suckling fainting away in the streets of the city.
Ps. 112:1. Praise the Lord, you His servant, praise the name of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

 

GLORIA

COLLECT 

O God, Father of mercy, grant that we may preserve the spirit of adoption, which makes us Your children in name and in fact, through the merits and prayers of blessed Jerome, father and helper of orphans. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MARGARET
Margaret was tortured at Antioch in Pisidia, in the last general persecution during the third century. After having endured many torments, she finished her martyrdom by the sword.

O God, one of the marvelous examples of Your power was granting the victory of martyrdom even to delicate womanhood. May the example of the blessed virgin martyr Margaret, whose birthday we celebrate today, draw us closer to You. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Isa. 58:7-11
The Lord says: "Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not. When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonday. And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail."

GRADUAL Prov. 5:16; Ps. 111:5-6
Let your fountains be conveyed abroad, and in the streets divide your waters.
V. Delightful is the man who is kind and accommodating, who orders his speech with justice, for he shall never be moved.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 111:9
He has distributed his wealth and given it to the poor, his justice shall endure forever. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 19:13-21
At that time, little children were presented to Jesus, that he should impose hands upon them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said to them: "Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such." And when he had imposed hands upon them, he departed from thence. And behold one came and said to him: "Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?" Who said to him: "Why askest thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to him: "Which?" And Jesus said: "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." The young man saith to him: "All these have I kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?" Jesus saith to him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Tob. 12:12
When you prayed with tears, and buried the dead, and left your dinner to hide the dead by day in your house so as to bury them at night, I offered your prayer to the Lord.

SECRET
O God, you destroyed the old self of Your blessed Jerome and remade him in Your own likeness. Renew us also in spirit through the merits of this saint, and allow our offering of this victim of atonement to rise before You as a sweet fragrance. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MARGARET
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of Your blessed virgin Margaret, through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Jac. 1:27
Religion pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.

POSTCOMMUNION
We are refreshed with the Bread of Angels, O Lord. May the yearly celebration in memory of blessed Jerome help us to imitate his example and win the abundant rewards of Your kingdom. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MARGARET
O Lord, through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Margaret, may we be aided by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament and rejoice in Your everlasting protection. Through our Lord . . .