VIGIL OF PENTECOST OR WHITSUN EVE [Evening Mass after None]

    

VIGIL OF PENTECOST

PRIVILEGED VIGIL, DOUBLE / RED
The Vigil Mass of Pentecost is a festal Mass, and a great baptismal day, which opens the celebration of the Feast and Octave of Pentecost. It is properly celebrated in the afternoon after None, though it may either be postponed to later in the evening or anticipated in the morning for pastoral reasons. If celebrated in the evening it fulfills the obligation of attending Mass on Pentecost Sunday, subject to diocesan legislation. The feast of Whitsun is as ancient as that of Easter, and First Vespers on the Saturday following begins the liturgical season called Season after Pentecost. 
The Ascension of God's Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Heaven did not leave us abandoned and helpless. By the Divine Will, the Third Person of the Trinity is to be the soul and guiding light of Christ's Mystical Body.

INTROIT Ezech. 36:23-24, 25-26
When I shall be sanctified in you, I will gather you together out of all the countries; and I will pour upon you clean water and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will give you a new spirit, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 33:2. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be in my mouth.
V. Glory be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
Let the brightness of Your glory shine upon us, Almighty God, so that the Holy Spirit, light of Your light, may strengthen the hearts of those who are reborn in Your grace. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 19:1-8
Now it was while Apollo was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. And he said to them: "Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" But they said to him: "We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost." And he said: "In what then were you baptized?" Who said: "In John's baptism." Then Paul said: "John baptized the people with the baptism of penance saying: That they should believe in him, who was to come after him, that is to say, in Jesus." Having heard these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them: and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. And entering into the synagogue, he spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and exhorting concerning the kingdom of God.

GRADUAL

Alleluia! V. Ps. 106:1.
Praise the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

Ps. 116:1-2
Praise the Lord, all you nations; praise Him in unison, all you peoples!
V. For His mercy is steadfast towards us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

GOSPEL John 14:15-21
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father: and He shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever: The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, nor knoweth Him. But you shall know Him; because He shall abide with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more. But you see Me: because I live, and you shall live. In that day you shall know that I am in my Father: and you in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments and keepeth them; he it is that loveth Me. And he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 103:30-31
Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the Lord endure forever, alleluia!

SECRET
Bless our offering, O Lord, and cleanse our hearts by the light of the Holy Spirit. Through Our Lord . . .

Preface of Pentecost

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 7:37-39
On the last day of the feast, Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, from within him there shall flow rivers of living water." He said this of the Spirit, whom they who believed in Him were to receive, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
May the coming of the Holy Spirit cleanse our hearts, and, as a heavenly dew, water them to bring forth good fruit. Through Our Lord . . .

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA, Widow (1457 A.D.)

    

 

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA

Widow

DOUBLE / WHITE

For centuries St. Rita of Cascia (1381-1457) has been one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church. She is known as the "Saint of the Impossible" because of the amazing answers to prayer, as well as the remarkable events of her own life.

St. Rita wanted to become a nun, but in obedience to her aged parents, she married. Her husband caused her much suffering, but she repaid his cruelty with prayer and kindness. In time he was converted, becoming considerate and God-fearing. But St. Rita was to undergo another great sorrow when her husband was murdered.

St. Rita then found that her two sons were entertaining thoughts of avenging their father's murder; she feared they would put their desires into effect in accord with the evil custom of the Vendetta. With heroic love for their souls, she begged God to take them from this life rather than allow them to commit this great sin. Not long afterward they both died, after preparing themselves to meet God.

Bereft of spouse and children, St. Rita devoted herself to prayer, penance and works of charity. After a time she applied for admittance to the Augustinian Convent in Cascia. She was refused, but after praying to her three special patron saints-St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentino-she miraculously entered the convent and was allowed to remain. This took place around the year of 1411.

In the convent, St. Rita's life was marked by great charity and severe penances. Her prayers obtained for others remarkable cures, deliverance from the devil and other special favors from God.

So that she might share in the pain of His Crown of Thorns, Our Lord gave St. Rita a thorn wound in her forehead. It was very painful and gave off a disagreeable odor, yet she considered it a very great grace. She prayed, "O loving Jesus, increase my patience accordingly as my sufferings increase." The wound lasted the rest of her life.

St. Rita died on May 22, 1457 at the age of 76. People flocked to the convent to pay their last respects. Innumerable miracles took place through her intercession, and devotion to her spread far and wide.

St. Rita's body was preserved perfectly incorrupt for several centuries, and at times it gave off a sweet fragrance. At the beatification ceremony, the body of the Saint raised itself up and opened its eyes.

God has heard St. Rita's prayers for others on countless occasions, and certainly she will gladly intercede once again, on behalf of those who pray to her now-thus continuing to prove the truth of her great name: The Saint of the Impossible!

INTROIT Ps. 117:19-22
Open ye to me the gates of justice: I will go into them, and give praise to the Lord: the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner.
Ps. 117:1. Give praise to the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever.
V. Glory be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, Who didst vouchsafe to confer on St. Rita so great grace that she loved her enemies and bore in her heart and on her brow the stigmata of Thy love and Passion, grant us, we beseech Thee, by her intercession and merits, so to spare our enemies and to meditate on the pains of Thy Passion that we may obtain the rewards promised to the meek and to them that mourn. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Canticle of Canticles 2:1-13
I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valleys.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow, whom I desired: and his fruit was sweet to my palate.
He brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me.
Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with apples: because I languish with love.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.
I adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and the harts of the field, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please.
The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills.
My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices.
Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come.
For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone.
The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land:
The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come:

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA Ecclus. 24:18
I was exalted like a palm-tree in Cades, and as a rose-plant in Jericho. Alleluia
Ecclus. 24:20. I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatical balm. I yielded sweet odor like the best myrrh. Alleluia

GOSPEL Matt. 13:44-52
At that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all kinds of fishes. Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth. So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have ye understood all these things?" They say to him: "Yes." He said unto them: "Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Gen. 40:9, 10
I saw before me a vine, on which were three branches which by little and little sent out buds, and after the blossoms brought forth ripe grapes. Alleluia!

SECRET 
Pierce our hearts, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of St. Rita, with the thorn of that sorrow which is from heaven that, being delivered by Thy grace from all sins, we may be able to offer to Thee the sacrifice of praise with pure hearts. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 20:4
Thou hast prevented her, O Lord, with blessings of sweetness: Thou hast set on her head a crown of precious stones. Alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
Regaled with heavenly delights, O Lord, we humbly entreat Thee that, by the intercession of St. Rita, we may bear in our souls the marks of Thy love and Thy Passion and constantly enjoy the fruit of perpetual peace. Through our Lord . . .

 

 

Saint Rita's tomb at the Basilica of Cascia

[wikipedia.org image]  

Feria V infra Hebdomadam post Ascensionem; ST. ANDREW BOBOLA (1657 A.D.); ST. GODRIC (1170 A.D.); Blessed John Hale (1535 A.D.) Martyr

  

 

FERIA V

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

~ IV. classis/ WHITE
Our Lord ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us. is apostles were sent to teach all nations what He had commanded them. We must now cleanse our hearts from sin, which cannot enter heaven, and store up good deeds, performed in the state of grace. These will speak for us when we appear before God.

INTROIT Acts 1:11
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? Alleluia! He shall come in the same way as you have seen him going up to heaven, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 46:2. O, clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of exultation.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
O Almighty God, we firmly believe that Your only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day into heaven. May our minds dwell always on this heavenly home. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 1:1-11
In the former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach, Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, "which you have heard"(saith he) "by my mouth. For John indeed baptized with water: but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence."
They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?" But he said to them: "It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power: But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth."
And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments. Who also said: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven."

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets. Alleluia!
V. Ps. 67:18-19. The Lord is in Sinai, in the holy place; ascending on high, He has led captivity captive. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 16:14-20
At that time, Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again. And he said to them: "Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover." 
And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. But they going forth preached every where: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.


OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets, alleluia!

SECRET 
Accept, O Lord, the gifts we offer to celebrate the glorious ascension of Your Son. May Your mercy free us from our present dangers and lead us to eternal life. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 67:33-34
Sing to the Lord, who ascends above the heaven of heavens to the East, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION 
Almighty and merciful God, grant that this Sacrament, which we have received in this visible sacred Rite, may bring us Your invisible help. Through Our Lord . . .

Saint Andrew Bobola (1657) 

[Historical]

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Jesuit missionary and martyr. He was born a member of a noble Polish family in 1590. Entering the Society of Jesus at Vilna in 1622, he preached in the church of St. Casimir there. He took solemn vows in 1630 and was made superior of the Jesuits in Brobuisk. There he preached and distinguished himself by his work of mercy during a plague. In 1636, Andrew was sent to the Lithuanian missions. A house was provided for him in Pinsk, Belarus, by Prince Radziwell, and he worked there despite attacks by Protestants and schismatics. On May 10, 1657, Andrew was kidnapped by two Cossacks who beat him and tied him to the saddles of their horses so they could drag him to a place of torture. He was partially flayed alive and finally decapitated. His remains were buried in Pinsk and then moved to Polosk. St. Bobola was canonized by Pius XI on April 17, 1938.

Saint Godric of Finchale (1170) 

[Historical]

Oldest three children born to a freedman Anglo-Saxon farmer. An adventurous seafaring man, he spent his youth in travel both on land and sea as a peddler and merchant mariner first along the coast of the British Isles, then throughout Europe. Sometime sailor, sometime ship's captain, he lived a seafarer's life of the day, and it was hardly a religious one. He was known to drink, fight, chase women, con customers, and in a contemporary manuscript, was referred to as a "pirate". Convertedupon visiting Lindisfarne during a voyage, and being touched by the life of Saint Cuthbert. 

Pilgrim to Jerusalem and the holy lands, Saintiago de Compostela, the shrine of Saint Gaul in Provence, and to Rome. As a self-imposed austerity, and a way to always remember Christ's lowering himself to become human, Godric never wore shoes, regardless of the season. Lived as a hermit in the holy lands, and worked in a hospital nearJerusalem. Hermit for nearly sixty years at Finchale, County Durham, England, first in a cave, then later in a more formal hermitage; he was led to its site by a vision of Saint Cuthbert. It was a rough life, living barefoot in mud and wattle hut, wearing a hair shirt under a metal breastplate, standing in icy waters to control his lust, living for a while off berries and roots, and being badly beaten by Scottish raiders who strangely thought he had a hidden treasure. 

Noted for his close familiarity with wild animals, his supernatural visions, his gift of prophecy, and ability to know of events occurring hundreds or thousands of miles away. Counseled Saint Aelred, Saint Robert of Newminster, Saint Thomas Beckett, and Pope Alexander III. Wrote poetry in Medieval English. The brief song Sainte nicholaes by Godric is one of the oldest in the English language, and is believed to be the earliest surviving example of lyric poetry. He was said to have received his songs, lyrics and music, complete during his miraculous visions. He died of natural causes on May 11, 1170.

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BLESSED JOHN HALE - CRANFORD'S MARTYR

Blessed John Hale was an English martyr who suffered martyrdom at the same time as the Holy Cathusians.

He was a secular priest who became Rector of Cranford on 11th September 1505. On 20th April 1521 he was appointed Vicar of Isleworth. It was there that he was arrested on the orders of King Henry VIII, being accused of  treason for speaking out against the King's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and his subsequent remarriage to Anne Boleyn.

Father Hale was executed at Tyburn where he was hanged, drawn and quartered on 4th May 1535.

He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.

SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA (1444 A.D.)

  

Saint Bernardino of Siena by El Greco.

SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA
Confessor

SIMPLE / WHITE
Bernardine (1380–1444), Italian preacher. Born of noble parentage, left all and was a Franciscan of the Observant congregation and one of the most effective and most widely known preachers of his day. His popular, lively sermons still make good reading. He was vicar general of his congregation, and he repeatedly refused ecclesiastical preferment. St. Bernardine was one of the great promoters of devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.

Mass of a CONFESSOR OF THE FAITH, except 

The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 36:1
Be not vexed over evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
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 mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart. Alleluia, alleluia. 

 

GLORIA

COLLECT
O Lord Jesus Christ, You didst grant to blessed Bernardine, Thy Confessor, a surpassing love for Thy holy name: we beseech Thee, by his merits and intercession, graciously pour into our hearts the spirit of Thy love: Who livest and reignest . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Ecclesiasticus
Eccli 31:8-11
Happy the man found without fault, who turns not aside after gain, nor puts his trust in money nor in treasures! Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders in his life. He has been tested by gold and come off safe, and this remains his glory forever; he could have sinned but did not, could have done evil but would not, so that his possessions are secure in the Lord, and the assembly of the Saints shall recount his alms.

Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
Jas 1:12
V. Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried, he shall receive the crown of life. Alleluia.
Eccli 45:9
V. The Lord loved him and adorned him; He clothed him with a robe of glory. Alleluia. 

GOSPEL Matt. 19:27-29 
At that time, Peter answering, said to Jesus: "Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have?" And Jesus said to them: "Amen I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting."

 

OFFERTORY

Ps 88:25
My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My name shall his horn be exalted. Alleluia.

 

SECRET

We offer You, O Lord, this sacrifice of praise in memory of Your Saints. Free us from evil now and in the future through their intercession. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Matt 24:46-47
Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, he will set him over all his goods. Alleluia.

 

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 . . .

[wikimedia.org image]

SAINT PETER CELESTINE (1296 A.D.) Pope and Confessor; SAINT DUNSTAN (988 A.D.) Bishop, Confessor; SAINT PUDENTIANA (160 A.D.) Virgin

    

Saint Celestine renouncing the Papacy

Saint Dunstan praying before Christ [wikipedia.org]
 

Saint Pudentiana

SAINT PETER CELESTINE
Pope and Confessor

SAINT DUNSTAN

Bishop, Confessor

SAINT PUDENTIANA
Virgin

DOUBLE / WHITE
Peter Celestine (1221-96) left his Italian home at the age of 20, and went to a mountain to live in solitude. Disciples soon grouped themselves around him, and the rule of life that Peter gave them formed the foundation of the Celestine Order. When Peter was 72 years old, he was elected Pope and chose the name of Celestine. It soon became evident that the former hermit's life had not in any way fitted him for the government of the Church; so Pope Celestine V had the supreme humility to resign his trust after a reign of five months.

Mass of a POPE, except

INTROIT

If thou lovest me, Simon Peter, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Allelúja, allelúja.
Ps 29:2
I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me.
Gloria
If thou lovest me, Simon Peter, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Allelúja, allelúja.

GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, You raised blessed Peter Celestine to the dignity of Pope, and taught him also to renounce the honor in all humility. May we follow his example and despise the things of this world, so that we may win the rewards You promised to the humble of heart. Through Our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT DUNSTAN
St. Dunstan, known as "the good Archbishop", was successively Abbot of Glastonbury, Bishop of Worchester and under king Edgar the Peaceful, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the zealous reformer of discipline in the Anglo-Saxon Church. He went to his eternal reward A.D. 988.

O God, who wast pleased to receive Thy holy Bishop Dunstan into Thy heavenly kingdom, make us, through his glorious merits, likewise one day to be carried into everlasing joys.

 

Commemoration of SAINT PUDENTIANA
Pudentiana, a daughter of a Roman senator, consecrated herself wholly to Christ and gave away her goods to the poor. She died in the year 160, when she was 16 years of age.

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

 

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St Peter the Apostle
1 Pet. 5:1-4; 5:10-11.
Beloved: I exhort the presbyters among you - I, your fellow presbyter and witness of the sufferings of Christ, the partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed in time to come - tend the flock of God which is among you, governing not under constraint, but willingly, according to God; nor yet for the sake of base gain, but eagerly; nor yet as lording it over your charges, but becoming from the heart a pattern to the flock. And when the Prince of the shepherds appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. But the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself, after we have suffered a little while, perfect, strengthen and establish us. To Him is the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
Matt 16:18
V. You are Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.
Ps 44:17-18
You shall make them princes through all the land; they shall remember Your name through all generations. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt. 16:13-19
At that time, Jesus, having come into the district of Caesarea Philippi, began to ask His disciples, saying, "Who do men say the Son of Man is?" But they said, "Some say, John the Baptist; and others, Elias; and others, Jeremia, or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then Jesus answered and said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven. And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."   

Offertory
Jer 1:9-10
See, I place My words in your mouth! I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, and to build and to plant. Alleluia.

SECRET
We have offered our gifts to You, O Lord. Let Your light graciously shine upon Your Church, so that this flock may everywhere prosper, and its pastors, under Your guidance, may be truly pleasing to You. Through Our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT DUNSTAN 
Accept, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the offering which we, Thy suppliant family, lay before Thee on this solemn Feast of blessed Dunstan, Thy Confessor and Bishop, imploring Thee to reckon us worthy to be delivered from the snares of our enemies, through the help of his venerable patronage.

Commemoration of SAINT PUDENTIANA
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 . . .

Communion
Matt 16:18
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, govern Your Church, which You have been pleased to nourish with Your Heavenly Food. Guide her by Your powerful direction, so that she may enjoy greater freedom and remain unshaken in the fullness of faith. Through Our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT DUNSTAN 
Through the prayer of blessed Dunstan, Thy Confessor and Bishop, help us, we implore Thee, O Lord, who in honor have approached Thy holy Sacraments.

Commemoration of SAINT PUDENTIANA
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 . . .

 

 

Dunstan playing his harp as the Devil is paying a visit

[wikipedia.org image]

SAINT VENANTIUS (257 A.D.) Martyr

  

SAINT VENANTIUS  

Martyr

DOUBLE/RED

Venantius was born at Camerino in Italy. In the year 250, when he was 15 years of age, he was arrested because of his Christian faith and was condemned by a Roman judge to suffer cruel torments. The steadfastness of the young saint touched even hardened hearts, and many pagans were converted. On hearing of this the governor had Venantius beheaded.

Mass of a MARTYR DURING EASTERTIME, except

Introit
Ps 63:3
Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant, alleluia; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 63:2
Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.
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.
Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant, alleluia; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity, alleluia, alleluia.

GLORIA

COLLECT

O God, You sanctified this day by the triumph of Your blessed martyr Venantius. May we imitate the fortitude of his faith as we venerate his merits. Through Our Lord . . .  

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Wisdom
Wis 5:1-5
Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labours. These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation. Saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.  

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja
Ps 88:6.
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints. Alleluia.
Ps 20:4
For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ✝ of the Holy Gospel according to John
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
John 15:1-7
In that time, Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you.  

Offertory
Ps 88:6
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints, alleluia, alleluia.

SECRET  

O Almighty God, may the merits of blessed Venantius make our offering acceptable to You, and may we come one day to share in the glory of Your saint through the help of his prayers. Through Our Lord . . .  

Communion
Ps 63:11.
The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised, alleluia, alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION  

We have been fed with the Sacrament of everlasting life, O Lord. May it obtain Your pardon and grace for us through the prayers of Your blessed martyr Venantius. Through Our Lord . . .

The Successful Formula Behind a Fast-Growing French Pilgrimage

From https://www.ncregister.com/ 

The pilgrimage to Brittany’s Sainte-Anne-d’Auray Shrine combines evangelization, traditional liturgy and cultural heritage to draw new generations to the faith.

Pilgrims make their way to the St. Anne Shrine in Brittany via the Feiz e Breizh in 2024. (photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

Edward Pentin FeaturesMay 17, 2026

A rapidly growing pilgrimage in western France is showing how a new Catholic movement can be successfully founded by focusing on mission, tradition and heritage. 

The Feiz e Breizh pilgrimage, meaning “Faith in Brittany,” began in 2017, the initiative of four lay Catholic friends and backed by their local ordinary, Bishop Raymond Centène of Vannes. 

“They wanted to create a special event that brings people together by focusing on what is essential: their faith,” said Korantin Denis, the pilgrimage’s current director. “So their objective was to create a family pilgrimage open to everyone.”

The two-day journey, covering 30 to 40 miles at the end of September, concludes at the famous shrine of Sainte-Anne-d’Auray, where the grandmother of Jesus appeared to Yvon Nicolazic in the 17th century — the only recorded and Church-approved apparition of St. Anne, Brittany’s patroness. 

“The pilgrimage strengthens the community and draws on the bonds between men and women who share the same roots,” Denis told the traditionalist Pax Liturgica conference at the Vatican last October. “It is about the Gospel renunciation of worldliness. We focus on friendship and sacrifice, stripping away what is secondary in order to concentrate on what is essential.” 

Although smaller than major events such as the Chartres pilgrimage, which attracts around 20,000 participants at Pentecost, Feiz e Breizh has grown rapidly. Open to everyone, attendance has risen from 120 pilgrims in its first year to around 2,200 in 2025, making it one of Brittany’s largest Catholic pilgrimages.

Denis attributes this growth to a shared spirit of sacrifice and common effort. “It leads to the virtue of compassion, ‘suffering with’ others, which becomes genuine fraternal charity and mercy,” he explained. “Ultimately, pilgrimage is a journey towards a noble, transcendent goal. During these two days we try to obtain the graces our country needs — graces for our society, our families and ourselves — because the first virtue we seek through prayer is to preserve the faith.”

Families with young children take part.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

Mission is the first of the pilgrimage’s three pillars. It seeks to evangelize Breton families, especially the young, presenting the journey as a time of conversion and sanctification through prayer, suffering through physical effort and hymns of praise for the salvation of souls. “We walk to glorify God, to sanctify souls, and to root our faith more deeply,” Denis said.

Catholics of all ages, including religious, walk.(Photo: 2024, courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

He noted that the pilgrimage has enriched many pilgrims’ faith, adding that some had never been to church before. “Now they come, and they bring their friends,” he said. “This gives us strength because we’ve had many conversions over time. We are basically feeding a fire that is growing, and this is important for us.”

Fellowship is a hallmark of the prayerful journey.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

The second pillar, tradition, is expressed through celebration of the Tridentine Mass, Gregorian chant and traditional Breton hymns. Denis underlined that this aspect is grounded in the Church’s magisterium and the teachings of the doctors of the Church, as well as through “prayer, silence and adoration, without focusing on passing controversies or temporary issues.” 

Pilgrims pray at the St. Anne Shrine in Brittany.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

The third pillar, heritage, highlights Brittany’s unique cultural and religious identity. This includes the Breton language, parish banners, traditional costumes, and bagad pipe bands, alongside devotion to local saints — estimated at around 2,000 — and the region’s rich spiritual history. “Brittany is a very Catholic land,” Denis said. “The density of religious heritage is remarkable.” In an era of globalization, he added, the culture of Brittany “is actually dying,” and so safeguarding this inheritance is especially important.

Cultural heritage is part of this pilgrimage.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

The pilgrimage itself is organized into chapters, or groups, often placed under the patronage of local saints. Along the route, pilgrims pray the Rosary, listen to spiritual talks, sing hymns in Breton and French, and take part in meditations.

Saturday evening typically includes a bivouac (improvised campsite) and a torchlight procession, followed by Eucharistic adoration and nighttime prayer. 

Adoration in the Breton countryside is a mainstay of the pilgrimage.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

On Sunday, the pilgrims enter the Sainte‑Anne‑d’Auray Shrine in solemn procession, often accompanied by a bagad, and perform a “triple tour” of the basilica honoring the Holy Trinity, before attending a pontifical Mass.

Pilgrims attend a pontifical Mass at the Sainte‑Anne‑d’Auray Shrine in 2024.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh )

“All this has been possible thanks, above all, to the action of the Holy Spirit,” Denis said, expressing gratitude to the many volunteers whose “unseen but essential” work sustains the event.

Asked what advice he would give to any other group of faithful thinking of founding their own such pilgrimage, Denis stressed to the Register the importance of securing their bishop’s approval, “otherwise he will be cross!” 

“We received a very strong message from the bishop of Vannes,” he said, recalling how he urged Brittany Catholics “to rise up and reclaim the heritage of faith handed down by their ancestors” in the face of the “sad spectacle of a world without memory and without identity.” 

Breton families are rooted in faith and heritage.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

Today, Denis said around 15 similar pilgrimage projects have been inspired by the work of Feiz e Breizh, adopting its threefold focus on mission, tradition and heritage. 

Feiz e Breizh is a blessed journey.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

Denis also emphasized that tradition must be integrated with local culture. “You do not look back on the past with nostalgia,” he said, “but draw on its riches to build the future.” 

Even the youngest pilgrims participate.(Photo: Courtesy of Feiz e Breizh)

 

SUNDAY AFTER THE ASCENSION

 

SUNDAY AFTER THE ASCENSION

DOUBLE / WHITE
Today's Mass has a touch of Good Friday, a sense of loss, a note of resignation that Christ's visible presence was not meant to continue. There was also a brave facing of the real world of Christian mystery, wherein charity is a constant need and violent opposition is a possible threat. But grace in the human heart is divine life shared with men: it is the seed of glory, the beginning of heaven. Mysteriously, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- tabernacled in every soul that is alive with grace -- are with every Christian as he goes on his missionary way to heaven.

INTROIT Ps. 26:7, 8, 9 
Hear, O Lord, my voice as I cry to You, alleluia! my heart has spoken to You; I have sought You. Your presence, O Lord, I will seek; hide not Your face from me, alleluia, alleluia! 
Ps. 26:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? V. Glory be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
O Almighty and Eternal God, make our wills devoted to You so that our hearts may sincerely serve Your majesty. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 4:7-11
Beloved: Be prudent therefore and watch in prayers. But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another, without murmuring, As every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another: as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak, as the words of God. If any minister, let him do it, as of the power which God administereth: that in all things God may be honoured through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 46:9
God reigns over all the nations, God sits on His holy throne. Alleluia!
V. John 14:18. I will not leave you orphans; I go away, but I will come to you, and your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 15:26-27; 16:1-4 
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me. And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the beginning."These things have I spoken to you things have I spoken to you that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God. And these things will they do to you; because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them."

CREED

 

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets, alleluia!

SECRET 
Cleanse us through this spotless offering, O Lord, and let our souls be made strong by Your heavenly grace. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 17:12-13, 15
Father, while I was with them, I kept them whom You gave Me, alleluia! but now I am coming to You; I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil, alleluia, alleluia! 

POSTCOMMUNION 
Grant, O Lord, that we may always be grateful for the Sacramental Gift that we have just received. Through Our Lord . . .