THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY; SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN LENT

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN LENT

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
Every year this feast recalls anew Mary's reply to God's angelic messenger: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." Every work of the Creator is called to perfection, and perfection consists in obedience. The heavens and the earth inevitably announce the glory of God, but to human beings alone God granted a free will to serve Him. At the Annunciation, the obedience of Mary brought Christ down on earth to save fallen humanity. we, too, are called upon to co-operate with the Creator. The glory of God awaits our human word of obedient consent.

INTROIT (Ps. 44:13, 15, 16)All the rich among the people shall seek your favor. Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king, her friends shall be brought to you with gladness and joy.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, by Your divine decree the Word was made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the announcement of the angel. May the prayers of the Virgin help us, for we believe that she is truly the Mother of God. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN LENT
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we who chastise our flesh by abstaining from food, may fast from sin by striving after righteousness.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.


LESSON (Isa. 7:10-15)
In those days, the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying: "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above." And Achaz said: "I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord." And he said: "Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good."

GRADUAL (Ps. 44:3, 5)
Grace is poured out on your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever and for all ages. V. For the sake of truth and meekness and justice, may your right hand lead you on wonderfully.

TRACT (Ps. 44:11, 12, 13, 10 15-16)
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, for the king greatly desires your beauty. V. All the rich among the people seek your favor, the daughters of the king wish to be held in honor by you. V. Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king; her friends shall be brought to you. V. They shall be brought in with gladness and joy, they shall be led into the temple of the king.

GOSPEL (Luke 1:26-38)
At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end."
And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" And the angel answering, said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word shall be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Luke 1:28, 42)
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

SECRET
O Lord, fix deeply in our minds the mysteries of our true faith. We profess that Your Son who was conceived of a virgin is true God and true man. May His life-giving resurrection bring us the reward of eternal happiness. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN LENT
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the offering of this sacrifice may always cleanse and strengthen the weakness of our nature.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.  
 COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Isa. 7:14)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

POSTCOMMUNION
Pour forth Your grace into our hearts, O Lord, so that we who learned of the Incarnation of Your Son Christ through the message of an angel, may be brought to the glory of Jesus' resurrection by His passion and cross. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK IN LENT
We beseech You, almighty God, that we may be numbered among the members of Him, Whose Body and Blood we receive in communion.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.  

EMBER WEDNESDAY IN LENT; SAINT JOHN OF GOD (1550 A.D.)

EMBER WEDNESDAY IN LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINT JOHN OF GOD
Confessor

SIMPLE / PURPLE
God gives the very grace by which men seek Him throughout a fervent Lent, just as He called Moses to the mountain top of revelation for a stay of forty days and nights, and as He fed Elias for a walk of forty days and nights to the mount of God. The lenten Ember Days have a double purpose: to offer to God the spring season with its sowing and planting, and to pray and fast for those to be ordained this coming Saturday.

INTROIT (Ps. 24:6, 3, 22)
Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your mercy are from of old, that our enemies may never rule over us. Deliver us from all our distress, O God of Israel. 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 . . .

PRAYER
V. Let us pray. Let us kneel.
R. Arise!
O Lord, mercifully hear our prayers and let Your right hand of power shield us against our enemies. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON (Ex. 24:12-18)
In those days, the Lord said to Moses: "Come up to me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and the law, and the commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them."
Moses rose up, and his minister Josue: and Moses going up into the mount of God, Said to the ancients: "Wait ye here till we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you: if any question shall arise, you shall refer it to them."
And when Moses was gone up, a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord dwelt upon Sinai, covering it with a cloud six days: and the seventh day he called him out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord, was like a burning fire upon the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses entering into the midst of the cloud, went up into the mountain: And he was there forty days and forty nights.

GRADUAL (Ps. 24:17-18)
The cares of my heart are multiplied; deliver me from my distress, O Lord. V. See my wretchedness and my suffering, and forgive all my sins.

COLLECT
O Lord, look with favor upon the devotion of Your people. As we mortify our bodies through abstinence, may our souls be refreshed by this good work. Through our Lord . . .
 

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN OF GOD
At the age of 40, John of God (1495-1550) reformed his undisciplined life, obtained alms for the erection of two large hospitals at Granada, and staffed them with a new order, the Brothers Hospitallers. Successors of the first Brothers have continued to the present time their apostolic work of healing bodies and souls. The Prayer recalls how when a neighboring hospital was on fire, John of God passed miraculously through the flames until he had rescued all the poor sufferers.
 

O God, You brought blessed John unharmed through fire, burning only with love of You. You also enriched Your Church by his establishment of a new religious order. May the fire of Your love burn away our sins and heal us for eternal life through his merits. Through Our Lord . . .
LESSON (III Kings 19:3-8)
In those days, Elias came to Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant there, And he went forward, one day's journey into the desert. And when he was there, and sat under a juniper tree, he requested for his soul that he might die, and said: "It is enough for me, Lord; take away my soul: for I am no better than my fathers." And he cast himself down, and slept in the shadow of the juniper tree: and behold an angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him: "Arise and eat." He looked, and behold there was at his head a hearth cake, and a vessel of water: and he ate and drank, and he fell asleep again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said to him: "Arise, eat: for thou hast yet a great way to go." And he arose, and ate and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb.

TRACT (Ps. 24:17, 18, 1-4)
Deliver me from my distress, O Lord. See my affliction and my suffering, and forgive all my sins. V. 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, nor let my enemies exult over me. V. No one who waits for You shall be left in confusion; let all those be confounded who trust in vain things.

GOSPEL (Matt. 12:38-50)
At that time, certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying: "Master, we would see a sign from thee." Who answering said to them: "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was in the whale's belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here. The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon here. "And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith: 'I will return into my house from whence I came out.' And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation." 
As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And one said unto him: "Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee." But he answering him that told him, said: "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?" And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: "Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 118:47-48)
I will meditate on Your commandments, which I love dearly; and I will lift up my hands to Your commands, which I cherish.

SECRET 
We offer this sacrifice to You, O Lord, to atone for our sins. Mercifully absolve us from our wrong-doing and exert Your power over the inconstancy of our hearts. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN OF GOD

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 ANTIPHON (Ps. 5:2-4)
Hear my call for help and hearken to the voice of my prayer, O my King and my God; for to You I pray, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, may the reception of Your Sacrament cleanse us from our hidden faults, and guard us against the deceptions of our enemies. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN OF GOD 
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 . . . 

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, enlighten our minds with Your own clear light, that we may understand our duties and fulfill them with courage. Through Our Lord . . .

SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY; SAINT CASIMIR (1484 A.D.); SAINT LUCIUS (254 A.D.)

SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

[Commemoration]

SAINT CASIMIR 

Confessor
SAINT LUCIUS 

Pope and Martyr

Pope Lucius I (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Not only fasting, private prayer, and almsgiving, but also corporate worship, helps to form the thorough Christian. All worship centers in Christ, the one Mediator. His presence and priesthood are the hope of the world. Through Him as their Head, all His members give the Trinity due homage, thanksgiving, and reparation. By worshiping together, men express their dependence upon one another and deepen their vital unity.

INTROIT Ps. 29:11
The Lord heard me and had pity on me; the Lord became my helper.
Ps. 29:2. I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

Hear our Prayers, O Lord, and help us strickly observe the solemn fast that was enjoined upon us as a healing for our body and our soul.



Commemoration of SAINT CASIMIR
Amid the luxuries of court life in 15th-century Poland, Prince Casimir managed to practice heroic virtue. Such was his love of the needy that the Polish people called him "the father and defender of the poor and unfortunate." He would neither break his vow of celibacy for marriage, nor accept the proffered throne of Hungary--much to the displeasure of his father, King Casimir IV. He also refused to bear arms, believing resolutely in the folly of war among Christians, and is thus referred to as the "Peacemaker." Devoting his days to contemplation and charity, he died at 23. "Being made perfect in a short space, he fulfilled a long time, for his soul pleased God" (Wisdom 4:13,14).

O God, You strengthened blessed Casimir to persevere in virtue even among royal surroundings and worldly pleasures. May all Your faithful despise earthly things and seek those of heaven through the intercession of this saint.

Commemoration of SAINT LUCIUS
Pope Lucius I was a true shepherd of his flock during a time of violent persecution. He laid down his life for Christ in the year 254.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Lucius shepherd of the whole Church, let the prayers of this martyr and supreme pontiff move You to look with favor upon Your flock and to keep it under Your continual protection. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Isa. 58:9-14
Thus says the Lord God:
If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday: and the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, and the holy of the LORD honourable; and shalt honour it, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth; and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

GRADUAL Ps. 26:4
One thing I have asked of the Lord; this will I seek after; to dwell in the house of the Lord.
V. That I may behold the joy of the Lord and be sheltered by His holy temple.

GOSPEL Mark 6:47-56
At that time, when even was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them, about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them: but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was an apparition, and cried out: for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he straightway spake with them, and saith unto them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." And he went up unto them into the boat; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves; for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.
And when they had crossed over, they came to the land unto Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. And when they were come out of the boat, straightway the people knew him, and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry about on their beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. And wheresoever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 118:154, 125
O Lord, give me life according to Your promise, that I may know Your degrees.

SECRET

O Lord, accept this Sacrifice, which You have instituted in order that man may be at peace with God. May it cleanse us from sin so that our love may also be acceptable to You.

Commemoration of SAINT CASIMIR
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.

Commemoration of SAINT LUCIUS
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 . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 2:11-12
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling before Him. Embrace discipline that you perish not from the way of virtue.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER

We are nourished by the Bread of Heavenly Life, O Lord. May this Sacrifice that is hidden under the veil of mystery in this life help us through all eternity.

Commemoration of SAINT CASIMIR
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.

Commemoration of SAINT LUCIUS
O Lord, govern the 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 . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, may the faithful be strengthened by the reception of Your Sacramental Gifts. And having received them, may they hunger after them still; and through hungering, may they come constantly to be nourished by them. Through our Lord . . .