SATURDAY OF PASSION WEEK

SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

INTROIT (Ps. 30:10, 16, 18)
Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am in distress. Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors. O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I have called upon You.Ps. 30:2. In You, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be put to shame. In Your justice rescue me. Have pity on me . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, may Your people who are already dedicated to You, grow stronger in loving devotion to Your service. May they grow in appreciation of the sacred rite and, by becoming more pleasing to You, receive even greater gifts from You. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN DAMASCENEAlthough Christian, John was grand vizier of the Mohammedan caliph of Damascus, when Emperor Leo the Isaurian began his campaign in the eight century against the veneration of holy images. John strongly opposed the destroyers of images, and for that reason lost his high post. John became a monk and passed the rest of his life in prayer, in study, and in writing about the things of God. He composed commentaries on St. Paul, many beautiful poems, and the Fountain of Wisdom, a summary of Christian beliefs. He is the last of the Greek Fathers, and has been called the St. Thomas Aquinas of the East.
Almighty and Eternal God, You endowed blessed John with divine learning and wondrous fortitude of soul in order that he might defend the veneration of sacred images. May the example and prayers of blessed John help us to imitate the virtues and enjoy the protection of the saints whose images we venerate. Through our Lord . . .


LESSON (Jer. 18:18-23)
In those days, the wicked Jews said: "Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words."
"Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries. Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, to speak good for them, and to turn away thy indignation from them. Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet. But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them, O Lord our God."

GRADUAL (Ps. 34:20, 22)
My enemies spoke peaceably to me, but in their hatred they were devising treachery.
V. You have seen it, O Lord; be not silent, be not far from me.

GOSPEL (John 12:10-36)
At that time, the chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also: Because many of the Jews, by reason of him, went away and believed in Jesus.
And on the next day, a great multitude that was come to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried "Hosanna! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel!" And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it, as it is written: "Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy king cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." These things his disciples did not know at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him and that they had done these things to him.
The multitude therefore gave testimony, which was with him, when he called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from the dead. For which reason also the people came to meet him, because they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves: "Do you see that we prevail nothing? Behold, the whole world is gone after him!"
Now there were certain Gentiles among them, who came up to adore on the festival day. These therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying: "Sir, we would see Jesus." Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. Again Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying: "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, Itself remaineth alone. But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me: and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause I came unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name." A voice therefore came from heaven: "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."
The multitude therefore that stood and heard said that it thundered. Others said: "An angel spoke to him." Jesus answered and said: "This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." (Now this he said, signifying what death he should die.) The multitude answered him: "We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever. And how sayest thou: The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?" Jesus therefore said to them: "Yet a little while, the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, and the darkness overtake you not. And he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither be goeth. Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light." These things Jesus spoke: and he went away and hid himself from them.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 118:12, 121, 42)
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your commandments. Leave me not to my slanderers, so that I shall have an answer for those who reproach me.

SECRET
O God, You gave us a share in this great Sacrament. Mercifully free us from all guilt and danger of sin. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN DAMASCENEO Lord, may our offerings be pleasing to You through the prayerful intercession of blessed John and of Your saints whose images we today venerate in our churches because of the efforts of their defender. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Ps. 26:12)
Hand me not over to the wishes of my foes, O Lord, for false witnesses have risen up against me, whose malice betrays itself.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been nourished by Your divine Gift, O Lord our God. Mat the reception of this Bread of Heaven bring us eternal life. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN DAMASCENEShield us, O Lord, with Your divine protection through the Gift we have just received. Cover us over with the prayers of blessed John and of all Your saints whose images are held in veneration in our churches today because of his efforts. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, let Your right hand shield Your suppliant people. Purify and instruct them, that their present consolation may lead them toward future good. Through Our Lord . . .