EMBER FRIDAY IN LENT

SAINTS FAUSTINUS AND JOVITA

Martyrs

SIMPLE / PURPLE

Faustinus, a priest and Jovita, a deacon, were brothers, born into a family of the nobility in Brescia, Italy. They preached the Christian religion openly during the persecution under the Emperor Hadrian. When neither threats nor torments could shake their fidelity to Christ, Hadrian ordered their beheading about the year 121.

The two brothers were sent to the amphitheater to be devoured by lions, but four of those came out and lay down at their feet. They were left without food in a dark jail cell, but Angels brought them strength and joy for new combats. The flames of a huge fire respected them, and a large number of spectators were converted at the sight. Finally sentenced to decapitation, they knelt down and received the death blow. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief patrons and possesses their relics, and a very ancient church in that city bears their names.

INTROIT Ps. 24:17-18

Deliver me from my distress, O Lord. See my affliction and my suffering, and forgive all my sins.
Ps. 24:1-2. I have lifted up my soul to You, O Lord; in You, O my God, I place my trust. Let me not be put to shame.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, be merciful towards Your people. Comfort them with Your loving help, as You have kept them loyal to You. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS FAUSTINUS AND JOVITA

We are made happy, O God, by the annual feast of Your holy martyrs Faustinus and Jovita. As we joyously remember the merits of these saints, may we also be inspired by their example. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Ezech. 18:20-28
The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live. Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live? But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die. And you have said: The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse? For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and comitteth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die. And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doeth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die.

GRADUAL Ps. 85:2, 6
Save Your servant who trusts in You, O my God.
V. Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer.

TRACT Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities.
V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (All kneel.)
V. Help us, O God our Savior, and for the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL John 5:1-15
At that time, there was a festival day of the Jews: and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered: waiting for the moving of the water. And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under.
And there was a certain man there that had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity. Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been now a long time, he saith to him: "Wilt thou be made whole?" The infirm man answered him: "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pond. For whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me." Jesus saith to him: "Arise, take up thy bed and walk." And immediately the man was made whole: and he took up his bed and walked. And it was the sabbath that day.
The Jews therefore said to him that was healed: "It is the sabbath. It is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed." He answered them: "He that made me whole, he said to me: Take up thy bed and walk." They asked him therefore: "Who is that man who said to thee: Take up thy bed and walk?" But he who was healed knew not who it was: for Jesus went aside from the multitude standing in the place. Afterwards, Jesus findeth him in the temple and saith to him: "Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee." The man went his way and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 102:2, 5
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; and your youth shall be renewed like that of the eagle.

SECRET
O Lord, accept our offering as a mark of our worship, and in Your mercy sanctify the gifts we bring You. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS FAUSTINUS AND JOVITA

O Lord, hear the prayers we offer on the feast of Your saints. Since we cannot rely on our own merits, let the merits of those who have been pleasing to You help us. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 6:11
Let all my enemies be put to shame in utter terror; let them be turned back in sudden shame.

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

Commemoration of SAINTS FAUSTINUS AND JOVITA

We have been nourished by the Sacrament of Salvation, O Lord. Help us also through the prayers of Your saints whom we honor this day. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O God of Mercy, hear us and enlighten our minds with Your grace. Through our Lord . . .