OUR LADY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES; SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE (735 A.D.); SAINT JOHN I (526 A.D.) Pope and Martyr

SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

SAINT JOHN I
Pope and Martyr

OUR LADY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES 

SATURDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION

IN SOME PLACES BY SPECIAL INDULT

(Mass propers below)

 

DOUBLE / WHITE

Venerable Bede (673-735), the first English historian, was consecrated to God from childhood. He became a Benedictine monk in the monastery of Jarrow in Northumberland, and trained there some six hundred scholars. His Ecclesiastical History of England is a treasure to scholars and lovers of spiritual life alike; but his principal study was ever the Bible. When this great Englishman died, on Ascension Day, 735, he had just finished dictating the final sentence of a translation of the Gospel of St. John.

Mass of a DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, except

Introit 
Eccli 15:5
In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth; and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding; He clothed him with a robe of glory.
Ps 91:2
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to Your name, Most High.
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.
In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth; and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding; He clothed him with a robe of glory.

COLLECT

O God, who dost enlighten Thy Church by the learning of blessed Bede, Thy Confessor and Doctor, mercifully grant to Thy servants ever to be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN I

Pope John I (525-26) was imprisoned by the heretical ravager of Italy, King Theodoric, and died in a dungeon from the hardships he had to endure.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed John 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 
Lesson from the secons letter of St Paul the Apostle to Timotheus
2 Tim 4:1-8
Beloved: I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead by His coming and by His kingdom, preach the word, be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and teaching. For there will come a time when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but having itching ears, will heap up to themselves teachers according to their lusts, and they will turn away their hearing from the truth and turn aside rather to fables. But be watchful in all things, bear with tribulation patiently, work as a preacher of the Gospel, fulfill your ministry. As for me, I am already being poured out in sacrifice, and the time of my deliverance is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. For the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will give to me in that day; yet not to me only, but also to those who love His coming.

Gradual 
Ps 106:32; 106:31
Let them extol in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
V. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His kindness and His wondrous deeds to the children of men. Alleluia, alleluia.
Matt 16:18
V. You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 5:13-19
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its strength, what shall it be salted with? It is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under the measure, but upon the lampstand, so as to give light to all in the house. Even so let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For amen I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall be lost from the Law till all things have been accomplished. Therefore whoever does away with one of these least commandments, and so teaches men, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever carries them out and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

SECRET

O Lord, let the blessed Confessor and Doctor Bede always help us, and through his intercession accept our offering and pardon our sins. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN I

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 . . .

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, may this Sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed Confessor and illustrious Doctor Bede. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN I

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 . . .

OUR LADY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES 

Mary, the regal Mother of Christ's Apostles and their successors, watches over missioners' souls and persons and fortunes. She is, besides, their special Protectress and support in all that pertains to their work, because they are particularly dedicated to the cause nearest Her Heart -- the salvation of the world by and through Her divine Son. Apostles accordingly have a great and double claim on their heavenly Queen; they know it and are certain that by staying close to Her, they will be kept in every way close to God. Continuing through all the ages and over all the world, this special benevolence of Mary towards Her Son's apostles is something lavish, endless, and boundlessly maternal.

INTROIT Ps. 86:1-3
Her foundation is upon the holy mountain. The Lord loves the gates of Sion more than any of the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. Alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 133:1. Behold, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You sent Your Holy Spirit upon the Apostles as they were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. May the Queen of Apostles, the same Mother of us all, help us serve Your majesty faithfully, and to spread the glory of Your name by word and example. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . . in the unity of the same Holy Spirit.
 
LESSON Acts 1:1-14
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."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is nigh Jerusalem, within a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Jude the brother of James. All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Num. 17:8; Judith 13:17-18
The rod of Jesse has blossomed. A Virgin has brought forth the God-man. God has restored peace to us, reconciling in Himself the lowness of earth and the highness of heaven. Alleluia!
V. Praise the Lord our God, who has not forsaken those who hope in Him, and who by me, His handmaid, has fulfilled His mercy which He promised to the house of Israel; He has killed the enemy of His people by my hand. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 19:25-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Judith 5:3, 7-8
It is I, it is I who will sing to the Lord. I will sing to the Lord, the God of Israel. The valiant men ceased and rested in Israel, until a mother arose in Israel. The Lord chose new wars, and He Himself overthrew the gates of the enemies. Alleluia!

SECRET
May our offering, O Lord, hasten the growth of Your Church and add to the splendor of the virtues of her members through Your mercy and the intercession of the blessed ever-Virgin Mary. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Blessed Mother and spotless Virgin, glorious Queen of the world, intercede for us with the Lord, for you are the glory of Israel, the honor of our people. Alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, the Sacrament we have received will help us towards salvation. May we persevere in doing Your holy Will so that Your Church may always increase under the protection of the blessed ever-Virgin Mary, the Queen of Apostles. Through Our Lord . . .

VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION; OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS; Rogation Day 3

OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

VIGIL OF THE ASCENSION

ROGATION DAY 3

Introit
Isa. 48:20.
Declare the word of joy, and let it be heard, alleluia: declare it even to the ends of the earth; the Lord has delivered His people: alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 61:1-2.
Shout joyfully to God, all you on earth, sing praise to the glory of His name; proclaim His glorious praise.
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.
Declare the word of joy, and let it be heard, alleluia: declare it even to the ends of the earth; the Lord has delivered His people: alleluia, alleluia.

Collect
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, from Whom all good things come, grant, we beseech You, that by Your inspiration, we may think what is right and under Your guidance, accomplish it.
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.
R. Amen. 

Commemoration of OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

Saint Pius V gave Mary the title: "Help of Christians," after the victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571, and he added this invocation to her litany. When Pius VII returned to Rome on May 24, 1814, after spending five years of exile and captivity, he established the Feast of Our Lady, Helper of the Papal States.  

O Almighty and merciful God, who didst wondrously appoint the most Blessed Virgin perpetual help for Christians in need of protection, grant in Thy mercy that after battling in life under such a protectress, we may be able to conquer our enemy at death. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION  

In our difficulties, O almighty God, we rely upon Your loving mercy. Let Your protection shield us from all harm.

 Lesson
Lesson from the letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
Eph. 4:7-13.
Brethren: To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s bestowal. Thus it says, Ascending on high, He led away captives; He gave gifts to men. Now this, He ascended, what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He Who descended, He it is Who ascended also above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some men as apostles, and some as prophets, others again as evangelists, and others as pastors and teachers, in order to perfect the saints for a work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the deep knowledge of the Son of God, to perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ.

Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Christ is risen, and has shone upon us, whom He redeemed with His Blood. Alleluia.
John 16:28
V. I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world. Again I leave the world, and go to the Father. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Luke
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Luke 11:5-13
In that time: Jesus said to His disciples: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him. And he from within should answer, and say: Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise, and give him as many as he needeth. And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him?

Secret
We beseech thee, O Lord, that these offerings may both loosen the bonds of our wickedness and obtain for us the gift of mercy.
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.

 Commemoration of OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS   

For the triumph of the Christian faith we immolate to Thee, O Lord, these victims of propitiation; may the Blessed Virgin's help render them of profit to us, for such a perfect victory ever comes through her. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION

May these gifts free us from the ties of sinfulness, O Lord, and win us  the gift of Your mercy.

Post Communion
Mercifully grant our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord, that while we receive thy gifts in tribulation, we may be conforted, and so increase in thy love.
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.

 

 Commemoration of OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS 

After refreshing Thy people with a participation of Thy Body and Blood, O Lord, come to their aid, so that with the help of Thy Blessed Mother they may be freed from all evil and danger, and preserved in good works; Who livest and reignest . . .

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION

Mercifully grant us our requests, O Lord, that the consolation we receive in our grievous troubles may increase our love for You.

 

MAY 23 FERIAL DAY; ROGATION DAY 2; ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE ROSSI (1764 A.D.); SAINT JULIA (440 A.D.)

May 23

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)

[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

ROGATION DAY 2

Introit
Isa 48:20
Declare it with the voice of joy: make this to be heard, allelúja: and speak it out even to the ends of the earth. Say: The Lord hath redeemed his people, allelúja, allelúja
Ps 65:1-2
Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.
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.
Declare it with the voice of joy: make this to be heard, allelúja: and speak it out even to the ends of the earth. Say: The Lord hath redeemed his people, allelúja, allelúja.

Collect
O God, from Whom all good things do come, grant to us thy humble servants that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same.
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. 

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION 
 May these oblations, O Lord, we beseech Thee, loosen the bonds of our wickedness, and obtain for us the gifts of Thy mercy. Through our Lord . . .  

Lesson
Lesson from the letter of St James the Apostle
Jas 1:22-27
Dearly beloved: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if a man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass. For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was. But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed. And if any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja.
V. Christ is risen and hath shone upon us whom he redeemed with his blood. Alleluia,
John 16:28
I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again I leave the world, and I go to the Father. Allelúja.

GOSPEL

Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to John
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
John 16:23-30
In that time, Jesus said to His disciples: And in that day you shall not ask me any thing. Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full. These things I have spoken to you in proverbs. The hour cometh, when I will no more speak to you in proverbs, but will shew you plainly of the Father. In that day you shall ask in my name; and I say not to you, that I will ask the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again I leave the world, and I go to the Father. His disciples say to him: Behold, now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now we know that thou knowest all things, and thou needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

Secret
Receive, O Lord, the prayers of thy faithful with offerings of victims, that by these services of pious devotion we may pass to heavenly glory.
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.

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION 
 May these oblations, O Lord, we beseech Thee, loosen the bonds of our wickedness, and obtain for us the gifts of Thy mercy. Through our Lord . . .        

Post Communion

Grant us, O Lord, fed with the virtue of a heavenly table, to desire what is right, and to gain what we desire.
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. 

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION 
Favorably receive our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee; may we in our distress be consoled by Thy gifts and grow in love accordingly. Through our Lord . . .     

[Historical]

St. John Baptist de Rossi, Confessor, 'The Apostle of the Abandoned'

 

John was born in Voltaggio, diocese of Genoa, Italy, in 1698. He was one of four children of Carlo de Rossi and Francesca Anfosi, who were poor, but pious parents. At the age of ten, he was taken in by wealthy friends of the family who saw to it that he was well-educated.

At the suggestion of his uncle, Lorenzo de Rossi, a Church Canon, John travelled to Rome to study at the Collegium Romanum, under the Jesuits. He entered the Roman College at 13 and completed the classical course of studies but began practicing severe mortification. This practice, combined with a heavy course load and a bout of epilepsy, led to a breakdown, and he was forced to leave the college. He recuperated and completed his training at Minerva but never fully regained his former strength.

At the age of 23 he was ordained (with dispensation, due to his poor health),and celebrated his first Mass in the Roman College. He was assigned to Rome, where he worked with the poor and the sick. He concentrated especially on the hospice of Saint Galla, an overnight shelter for paupers that had been founded by Pope Celestine III. John also helped start a nearby hospice for homeless women, which he placed under the protection of St. Aloysius Gonzaga - one of his favorite saints.

For many years, John avoided hearing confessions for fear he would have a seizure in the confessional, but the bishop of Civitá Castellana convinced him it was part of his vocation; he relented, and soon became one of the most sought after confessors in Rome. He worked tirelessly, spending many hours a day hearing confessions, particularly those of prisoners, the poor and illiterate in the hospitals or in their homes. He preached to them five and six times a day in churches, chapels convents, hospitals, barracks, and prison cells, so that he became known as "the apostle of the abandoned", a second Philip Neri.

John's frail health compelled him in 1763 to move to the Trinita dei Pellegrini, where he suffered a stroke that same year and received the last sacraments. He recovered enough to resume celebrating Mass, but, in 1764, he had another stroke and died at the age of 66. He was buried at the altar of the Blessed Virgin in the Church of Trinita de Pelleghrini. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on December 8,1881. 

SAINT JULIA
Virgin, Martyr
Patron of Corsica
(Fifth century)

 

Saint Julia was a noble virgin of Carthage, who, when the city was taken by Genseric in 439, was sold for a slave to a pagan merchant of Syria. In the most mortifying employments of her station, by cheerfulness and patience she found a happiness and comfort which the world could not give. Whenever she was not employed in household affairs, her time was devoted to prayer and reading books of piety.

Her master, who was charmed with her fidelity and other virtues, thought proper to take her with him on one of his voyages to Gaul. When he reached the northern part of Corsica, he cast anchor and went ashore to join the pagans of the place in an idolatrous festival. Julia was left at some distance, because she would not be defiled by the superstitious ceremonies, which she openly spurned. The governor of the island, Felix, a bigoted pagan, asked who this woman was who dared to insult the gods. The merchant informed him that she was a Christian, and that all his authority over her was too weak to prevail upon her to renounce her religion; nonetheless, he found her so diligent and faithful he could not part with her. The governor offered him four of his best slaves in exchange for her. But the merchant replied, “No; all you are worth will not purchase her; for I would lose the most valuable thing I have in the world rather than be deprived of her.”

Nonetheless Felix, while the inebriated merchant was asleep, attempted to compel her to sacrifice to his gods. He offered to procure her liberty if she would comply. The Saint made answer that she was as free as she desired to be, as long as she was allowed to serve Jesus Christ. The pagan, offended by her undaunted and resolute air, in a transport of rage caused her to be struck on the face, and the hair of her head to be torn off. Finally he ordered her to be hanged on a cross until she expired. Certain monks from the isle of Gorgon transported her relics there, but in 763 the king of Lombardy transferred them to Brescia, where her memory is celebrated with great devotion.

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA, Widow (1457 A.D.); ROGATION DAY LESSER LITANIES

 

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA

Widow

ROGATION DAY 
LESSER LITANIES 

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.

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.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.

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 . . .

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 . . .

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION  

The death and resurrection of Jesus have opened heaven and won the grace to avoid sin and to gain eternal happiness. But many of the consequences of sin still remain; and every person has his guilt to confess and atone for. Besides, there are the countless needs of soul and body that put all men on their knees before God. Earthquakes and other calamities afflicted Europe in the fifth century and St. Mamertus, instituted a penitential procession with public supplications in his Diocese. Hence, the special days of petition, called Rogation Days, marked by a special Mass, the Litany of the Saints, and, where possible, a procession during which the Litany is sung. It is well to join penance and fasting to all prayer. In 816 A.D., Pope Leo III introduced this Mass in Rome, and soon after it became a general observance throughout the Church.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who in our affliction put our trust in Thy mercy, may ever be defended by the protection against all adversity. 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 . . .

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION 
 May these oblations, O Lord, we beseech Thee, loosen the bonds of our wickedness, and obtain for us the gifts of Thy mercy. 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 . . .

Commemoration of the MASS OF ROGATION 
Favorably receive our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee; may we in our distress be consoled by Thy gifts and grow in love accordingly. Through our Lord . . .  

Santa Rita Cascia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

[TRADITIONAL] FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER; SAINT BONIFACE OF TARSUS, Martyr (306 A.D.)

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

 

Boniface of Tarsus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SAINT BONIFACE

OF TARSUS 
Martyr

DOUBLE / WHITE
INTROIT Ps. 97:1, 2
Sing to the Lord a new canticle, alleluia! For the Lord has done wondrous deeds, alleluia! He has revealed His justice in the sight of the nations, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 97:1. His right hand has won him victory, and his holy arm has brought salvation.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, in whom all the faithful are united in one mind, let Your people everywhere love Your commandments and yearn for Your promises, so that, even amid the changes of this world, their hearts may always be fixed upon the true happiness of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BONIFACE 

Boniface, a young Roman who lived the early years of the fourth century, was notorious for his dissipated life. But there was much good in Boniface, too; He was always extremely kind to the poor. The hour of grace struck for him when he was asked to journey to Asia Minor to recover the bodies of certain martyrs. At Tarsus Boniface rushed to join a group of Christians being tortured for their Faith, and then he himself was put to death with savage cruelty.

O Almighty God, may the prayers of Your blessed martyr Boniface aid us as we celebrate his feast today. Through Our Lord . . .

 
EPISTLE James 1:17-21
Beloved: Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration. For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature.
You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 117:16 The right hand of the Lord has exercised power, the right hand of the Lord has lifted me up. Alleluia!
Rom. 6:9 Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more; death shall no longer have dominion over Him. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 16:5-14
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "I go to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me: 'Whither goest thou?' But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to you that I go. For if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you: but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin and of justice and of judgment. Of sin: because they believed not in me. And of justice: because I go to the Father: and you shall see me no longer. And of judgment: because the prince of this world is already judged. "I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself: but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak. And the things that are to come, he shall shew you. He shall glorify me: because he shall receive of mine and shall shew it to you."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 65:1-2, 16
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing a psalm to the glory of His name. Come and hear, all you who fear God, the great things the Lord has done for me, alleluia!

SECRET
O God, who allows us to share in Your own divine nature by partaking of this sacrifice, grant that our conduct may be guided by Your revealed truth. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BONIFACE 
Accept our offerings and prayers, O Lord. Cleanse us by this heavenly rite, and in Your mercy hear our petitions. Through Our Lord . . .
 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 16:8
When the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will convict the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
Help us, O Lord our God, that we may be cleansed from sin and shielded from all dangers by these Gifts which we receive with faith. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BONIFACE
We are refreshed by the reception of Your Sacred Gift, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed martyr Boniface make us feel the benefit of the Sacred Rite we have performed. Through Our Lord . . . 

Our Lady of Fatima; Mass of The Immaculate Heart of Mary

By a letter published and dated of today, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

By a letter published and dated of today, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

By a letter published and dated 4/5/2017, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

By a letter published and dated of today, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima -- it is a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 22nd in the Traditional Calendar). - See more at: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/04/ecclesia-dei-letter-mass-of-our-lady-of.html#sthash.BhbB3P3D.dpuf

THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
Fatima owes its present popularity in the Church very largely to the interest and encouragement of Pope Pius XII. Although the bishops of Portugal had authorized the cultus of Our Lady of Fatima in 1930, and Pius XI made an implicit reference to the "extra-ordinary benefits with which the Blessed Virgin recently favored" Portugal, it was Pius XII among the Popes who first explicitly referred to Fatima in a formal papal document. Pleading for more vocations to the missions, he wrote in 1940, "Let the faithful, when reciting the Rosary so strongly recommended by Our Lady of Fatima, not omit to address an invocation to the Blessed Virgin in favor of missionary vocations" (L’Osservatore, June 29, 1940). This was so significant that the Portuguese Hierarchy in 1942 were able to say, "We are happy to see the Supreme Authority of the Vicar of Jesus Christ evoke thus the testimony of Fatima, and proclaim Urbi et orbi the name of Our Lady of Fatima in an Apostolic Letter addressed to the Portuguese Bishops, but published for the whole world" (Da Cruz, Fatima, 1949, 99).

On October 31, 1942, the Holy Father associated himself with the closing celebrations of the Jubilee of Fatima, by consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Our Lady of Fatima had requested. And in the same year he extended the Office and Mass of the Immaculate Heart to the Universal Church, appointing the 22nd of August as the feast day. More recently Pope Pius XII sent, for the second time, an official delegate to Fatima, to represent, as he said, "Our own person at the shrine of the Virgin of Fatima, to act in Our own name, and to preside with Our authority" (A.A.S., 43, 781). Cardinal Tedeschini, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, was the papal legate who assisted at the Fatima celebration on October 13, 1951, when more than a million pilgrims came to the Portuguese shrine.

In his own radio message to the pilgrims, the Holy Father emphasized one practical aspect of the message of Fatima which deserves to be better known: the Family Rosary. "The Virgin Mother's insistence on the recitation of the family Rosary," he said, "was meant to teach us that the secret of peace in family life lies in imitating the virtues of the Holy Family" (A.A.S., 43, 801). via Fr. Hardon S.J. 

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE

The apparitions of Mary at Fatima in 1917 were not the first supernatural events reported there – two years before Mary appeared to the three shepherd children – Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto – they saw a strange sight while praying the rosary in the field, according to the memoirs of Sister Lucia, who had become a Carmelite nun.

“We had hardly begun when, there before our eyes, we saw a figure poised in the air above the trees; it looked like a statue made of snow, rendered almost transparent by the rays of the sun,” she wrote, describing what they saw in 1915.

The next year, Francisco and Jacinta received permission to tend their family’s flocks and Lucia decided to join her cousins in a field owned by their families. It was 1916 when the mysterious figure appeared again, this time approaching close enough “to distinguish its features.”

“Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me,” Sister Lucia recalled the angel saying.

The three told no one about the angel’s visit and received no more heavenly visits until May 13, 1917. While the children tended their sheep and played, they were startled by two flashes of lightning.

As they made their way down a slope, the children saw a “lady all dressed in white” standing on a small tree. It was the first of six apparitions of Mary, who gave a particular message or revelation each time:

– May 13, 1917. When asked by the children who she was and where she came from, the lady said she was “from heaven” and that she would reveal her identity later. She asked the children to come back to the Cova da Iria on the 13th day of the month for the next six months, and she asked them to pray the rosary every day “in order to obtain peace for the world” and the end of World War I.

– June 13, 1917. The lady said she would take Francisco and Jacinta to heaven soon while Lucia would remain on earth for “some time longer” to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart.

– July 13, 1917. The lady said she would reveal her identity in October and “perform a miracle for all to see and believe.” After telling the children to make sacrifices for sinners, she revealed three secrets; two of the secrets were not shared publicly until 1941 and the third secret, written down by Sister Lucia and sent to the Vatican, was not released until 2000.

INTROIT Heb. 4:16 
Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and Eternal God, You prepared a worthy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May all of us who devoutly celebrate the feast of her Immaculate Heart be blessed to live according to the wishes of Your own Heart. Through our Lord . . .


LESSON Eccli. 24:23-31 [Sirach]
As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

GRADUAL Ps. 12:6; 44:18
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, who has given me all good; I will sing to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
V. They shall remember your name in every generation. Therefore peoples shall praise you forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Luke 1:46
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 19:25-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Luke 1:47, 49
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.

SECRET
We offer this perfect Lamb to your majesty, O Lord, and pray that our hearts may be kindled by that divine fire which so wondrously inflamed the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord . . .


COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 19:26-27
Jesus said to His Mother, "Woman, behold, thy son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, thy mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been refreshed by Your Divine Gifts, O Lord. Free us from present dangers and bestow upon us the joys of eternal life through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Immaculate Heart we honor in this feast. Through our Lord . . .