EMBER FRIDAY IN LENT

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SAINT CY[c

[Commemoration]

SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM

Bishop & Doctor

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 SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEMAfter Cyril (c. 315-86) had been ordained to the priesthood in Jerusalem, he was appointed to the vital duty of instructing and preparing the candidates for baptism. We still have one series of his instructions, and they are the earliest extant record of the systematic teaching of the Church on the Creed and the Sacraments. Having been chosen bishop of Jerusalem, he served as one of God's instruments in combating widespread contemporary heresy. Cyril was several times persecuted and driven from his see city because of his defense of the Catholic Faith. He remained at peace, recalling his Lord had said, "No disciple is above his teacher, nor is the servant above his master (Matt. 10:24).

O Almighty God, may the prayers of Your blessed bishop Cyril help us to know You, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent, so that we may be numbered among the flock that obeys His voice. Through the same Jesus Christ . . .

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 SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM
Look with favor upon the immaculate gift we offer You, O Lord. May we always receive it with clean hearts through the intercession of Your blessed bishop Cyril. 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 PRAYER
O Lord, may this sacred rite wash away our sins and fulfill our reasonable desires. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM
O Lord Jesus Christ, sanctify our hearts and minds by the Sacrament of Your own Body and Blood which we have received. Make us worthy to share in Your divine nature through the intercession of the holy bishop Cyril; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O God of Mercy, hear us and enlighten our minds with Your grace. Through our Lord . . .