DEDICATION OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL BASILICA (530 A.D.) (MICHAELMAS DAY)

 

DEDICATION OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL BASILICA

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE

This feast commemorates the dedication to St. Michael of an ancient church at Rome at a date earlier than the sixth century. St. Michael the Archangel is honored as the supreme guardian spirit of the universal Church. In heaven Michael led the good angels against Lucifer and his rebel angels. The fallen angels pursue on earth that same war against the Man-God Christ which they began in heaven. Therefore Michael continues to direct the battle against them here on earth. The standard-bearer of the Church, he introduces the departed souls of her children into God's holy light (Offertory Hymn of Requiem Mass). He also presents our prayers to God (Incensation at High Mass), conquers demons (Prayers after Low Mass), and pleads for us sinners (Confiteor). 

INTROIT Ps. 102:20

Bless the Lord, all you His angels, you mighty in strength who do His bidding, obeying the voice of His commands.

Ps. 102:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all my being bless His holy name.

V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O God, who wondrously directs the services of angels and men, grant that our lives on earth may be guarded by the angels who stand ever before Your face ministering to You in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Apoc. 1:1-5

In those days, God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John, Who hath given testimony to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen. Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy: and keepeth those things which are written in it. For the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace, from him that is and that was and that is to come: and from the seven spirits which are before his throne: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.

GRADUAL Ps. 102:20, 1

Bless the Lord, all you His angels, you mighty in strength who do His bidding.

V. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all my being bless His holy name.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.

Holy archangel Michael, defend us in battle, that we may not perish in the dreaded judgment. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 18:1-10

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: "Who, thinkest thou, is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?" And Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them. And said: "Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy hand, or thy foot, scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Apoc. 8:3, 4

An angel stood before the altar, having a golden censer in his hand; and there was given to him much incense, and the smoke of the incense went up before God, alleluia!

SECRET 

O Lord, graciously accept the Sacrifice of praise we offer You. May it bring us closer to our salvation through the angels' prayers of intercession. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Dan. 3:58

All you angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, sing a hymn of praise and exalt Him above all forever.

POSTCOMMUNION 

We rely on the prayers of the blessed archangel Michael, O Lord, that the Sacrament which we have received upon our lips may always remain in our hearts. Through our Lord . . .

A 13th-century Byzantine icon of St Michael from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT LINUS Pope and Martyr; SAINT THECLA Virgin and Martyr

EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

SAINT LINUS
Pope and Martyr

SAINT THECLA
Virgin and Martyr

DOUBLE / GREEN
Forgiveness is every man's need, for every man is born to sin. God may speak like thunder in the human heart, and then the man of good will has no peace until he kneels and confesses and receives His pardon. God's voice may be ignored or laughed at by others. But His rights to obedience and worship cannot be mocked. Through Christ our mediator, God has amply provided for man's reconciliation with the Deity. The confessional is always at hand, and the priest is God's minister of grace. By His death Christ won every grace needed for our present peace and future happiness.

INTROIT Eccli. 36:18
Grant peace, O Lord, to those who wait for You, that Your prophets may be found faithful. Hear the prayers of Your servant of Your people Israel.
Ps. 121.1. I rejoice at the tidings which were told me, "We shall go into the house of the Lord."
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O Lord, let Your mercy direct our hearts, for without You we can do nothing to please You. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LINUS
Very little is known of Pope Linus, the immediate successor of St. Peter, beyond the fact that he ruled the Christian community for over eleven years. Although his martyrdom is uncertain, the sufferings he underwent for the infant Church sufficed to place him among the martyrs in the canon of the Mass.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Linus 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.

Commemoration of SAINT THECLA
Thecla was a convert of St. Paul, with a Pauline love of virginity. Strong in purity of body and spirit, Thecla survived fierce tortures of persecution until Christ called her to Heaven.
 
Almighty God, we celebrate today the birthday of Your blessed virgin martyr Thecla. May her feast fill us with joy and may we profit by the example of her great faith. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Cor. 1:4-8
Brethren: I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus: That in all things you are made rich in him, in all utterance and in all knowledge; As the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, So that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the days of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL Ps. 121:1, 7
I rejoiced at the tidings which were told me, "We shall go into the house of the Lord."
V. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your towers.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
The nations shall revere Your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth shall reverence Your glory. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 9:1-8
At that time, Jesus entering into a boat, passed over the water and came into his own city. And behold they brought to him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy:"Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee." And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: "He blasphemeth." And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said:"Why do you think evil in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," (then said he to the man sick of the palsy,) "Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house." And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ex. 24:4, 5
Moses consecrated an altar to the Lord, offering holocausts on it, and sacrificing victims. He made an evening sacrifice to the Lord God for an odor of sweetness, in the sight of the children of Israel.

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 LINUS
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.

Commemoration of SAINT THECLA
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of Your blessed virgin martyr Thecla, through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 95:8-9
Bring offerings, and enter his courts; worship the Lord in His holy temple.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We thank You, O Lord, for nourishing us with Your Sacred Gift. In Your mercy, make us worthy of the Sacrament we have received. Through our Lord . . .



Commemoration of SAINT LINUS
O Lord, govern Your 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.

Commemoration of SAINT THECLA
O Lord, through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Thecla, may we be aided by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament and rejoice in Your everlasting protection. Through our Lord . . .

EMBER SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER; SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA (1555 A.D.), Bishop and Confessor; SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS, Martyrs

EMBER SATURDAY

St. Thomas of Villanova, renowned for the works of charity and love for the poor

El Greco

Martyrdom of St. Maurice and His Legions

1580-81
Oil on canvas, 448 x 301 cm
Chapter House, Monastery of El Escorial

[COMMEMORATION]

SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Bishop and Confessor

SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
Martyrs

The extra Lessons of today's Mass allow for the conferring of one of the minor or major orders after each reading. Men commonly feel the need of being cleansed from sin and of making atonement for sin. Everyone needs a way to worship God, to make personal contact with God, and to ask Him for many favors. Holy Orders is the sacrament Christ instituted to keep man in close personal contact with God. Each priest personally stands for Christ and goes on doing Christ's work of redeeming and sanctifying men. Without a priesthood, God would seem much more distant. Without Christ's priesthood, there would be no priests at all.

 

 Introit
Ps 94:6-7
Come, let us bow down in worship to God; let us kneel before the Lord. Let us weep before Him Who made us; for He is the Lord our God.
Ps 94:1
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim God our Savior.
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.
Come, let us bow down in worship to God; let us kneel before the Lord. Let us weep before Him Who made us; for He is the Lord our God.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Almighty, everlasting God, You Who cure body and soul through healing self-denial, we humbly entreat Your majesty to hear favorably the devout prayer of those who fast, and to grant us help for the present and the future.
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.

Lesson
Lev. 23:26-32 In those days, the Lord said to Moses, The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be most solemn, and shall be called holy; and you shall mortify yourselves on that day and offer an oblation to the Lord. On this day you shall not do any work, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord, your God. Anyone who does not mortify himself on this day shall be cut off from his people; and if anyone does any work on this day, I will remove him from the midst of his people. This is a perpetual statute for you and your descendants wherever you dwell: you shall do no work, but shall keep a Sabbath of complete rest and mortify yourselves. Beginning on the evening of the ninth of the month, you shall keep this Sabbath of yours from evening to evening, says the Lord almighty.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 78:9-10
Pardon our sins, O Lord; why should the nations say, Where is their God?
V. Help us, O God our Savior; because of the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Grant us, we beseech You, almighty God, that by fasting we may be filled with Your grace, and by abstinence we may be made stronger than all our enemies.
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.



Lesson
Lev. 23:39-43
In those days, the Lord said to Moses, On the fifteenth day, then, of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate a pilgrim feast of the Lord for a whole week. The first and the eighth day shall be days of complete rest. On the first day you shall gather foliage from majestic trees, branches of palms and boughs of myrtles and of valley poplars, and then for a week you shall make merry before the Lord, your God. By perpetual statute for you and your descendants you shall keep this pilgrim feast of the Lord for one whole week in the seventh month of the year. During this week you shall dwell in bowers; every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths, that your descendants may realize that, when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, I made them dwell in booths. I, the Lord, am your God.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 83:10, 9.
Behold, O God, our Protector, and look upon Your servants.
V. O Lord God of Hosts, hear the prayers of Your servants.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Protect Your people, we beseech You, O Lord, so that we may by Your gift, obtain those means of eternal salvation which we seek through Your inspiration.
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.



Lesson
Mich. 7:14, 16, 18-20.
O Lord, our God, shepherd Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your inheritance, that dwells in a woodland, as in the days of old. The nations shall behold and be put to shame, in spite of all their strength. Who is there like you, the God Who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, as You have sworn to our fathers from days of old, O Lord, our God.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 89:13, 1.
Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on Your servants.
V. O Lord, You have been our refuge through all generations.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we may so fast from bodily food as to abstain also from the sins that beset us.
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.



Lesson
Zach. 8:14-19
In those days, the word of the Lord came to me saying: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: As I determined to harm you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, says the Lord of Hosts, and I did not relent, so again in these days I have determined to favor Jerusalem and the house of Juda; do not fear! These then are the things you should do: Speak the truth to one another; let there be honesty and peace in the judgments at your gates, and let none of you plot evil against another in his heart, nor love a false oath. For all these things I hate, says the Lord. This word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: The fast days of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months shall become occasions of joy and gladness, cheerful festivals for the house of Juda; only love faithfulness and peace, says the Lord of Hosts.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 140:2
Let my prayer come like incense before You, O Lord.
V. The lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.

Collect
Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.
As You give us the grace, O Lord, to offer You our solemn fast, grant us, we beseech You, the support of Your forgiveness.
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.



Lesson
Dan 3:47-51
In those day, the Angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azaria and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. And the flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace, and spread out, burning the Chaldeans nearby, the king’s men who were stoking the furnace. And the fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm. Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:

Hymnus
Dan. 3:52-56
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. And blessed is Your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages. Blessed are You in the temple of Your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. Blessed are You on the holy throne of Your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You upon the sceptre of Your divinity, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You Who look into the depths from Your throne upon the Cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You Who walk upon the wings of the wind, and on the waves of the sea, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Let all Your Angels and Saints bless You, and praise You and exalt You above all forever. Let the heavens, the earth, the sea and all the things that are in them bless You, and praise You and exalt You above all forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our father, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Collect
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
O God, You Who tempered the flames of fire for the three young men, mercifully grant that the flames of sin may not burn us, Your servants.
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 SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555), great saint of the Spanish Renaissance and good friend of Emperor Charles V, joined the Hermits of St. Augustine, where his heroic qualities soon marked him for responsible offices in his community and then for ecclesiastical honor as archbishop of Valencia. A man of infinite charity in word and deed, he lived as frugally as the poor who benefited by his unstinted almsgiving. While provincial of his order in Castile, he sent the first group of Augustinians to the Americas. Establishing themselves in Mexico, they were integral in the growth of Christianity in the New World.

O God, You blessed the holy bishop Thomas with an extraordinary love for the poor. Be moved by his intercession to pour out the treasury of Your mercies upon all who humbly pray to You. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
Near Lake Geneva, Switzerland, about A.D. 297, the Theban Legion of 660 soldiers under the command of St. Maurice died to a man for abstaining from pagan sacrifice. 


O Almighty God, let the solemn feast of Your holy martyrs Maurice and his companions fill us with joy. May we glory in their feast, as we also rely on the power of their intercession. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Heb 9:2-12
Brethren: There was set up a tabernacle in the outer part of which were the lampstand and the table and the showbread, and this is called the Holy Place; but beyond the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden censer and the ark of the covenant, overlaid on every side with gold. In the ark was a golden pot containing the manna and the rod of Aaron which had budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the Cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat. But of all these we cannot now speak in detail. Such then being the arrangements, the priests always used to enter into the first tabernacle to perform the sacred rites; but into the second tabernacle the high priest alone entered once a year, not without blood, which he offered for his own and the people’s sins of ignorance. The Holy Spirit signified by this that the way into the Holies was not yet thrown open while the first tabernacle was still standing. This first tabernacle is a figure of the present time, inasmuch as gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshipper in conscience, since they refer only to food and drink and various ablutions and bodily regulations imposed until a time of reformation. But when Christ appeared once for all through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands - that is, not of this creation, - nor again by virtue of blood of goats and calves, but by virtue of His own Blood, into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption.

Gradual
Ps 116:1-2
Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify Him, all you peoples!
V. For steadfast is His kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

GOSPEL

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Luke 13:6-17
At that time, Jesus spoke to the multitudes this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. And he said to the vine-dresser, ‘Behold, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down, therefore; why does it still encumber the ground?’ But he answered him and said, ‘Sir, let it alone this year too, till I dig around it and manure it. Perhaps it may bear fruit; but if not, then afterwards you shall cut it down.’ Now He was teaching in one of their synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over and utterly unable to look upwards. When Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, Woman, you are delivered from your infirmity. And He laid His hands upon her, and instantly she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, addressed the crowd, saying, There are six days in which one ought to work; on these therefore come and be cured, and not on the Sabbath. But the Lord answered him and said, Hypocrites! does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or ass from the manger, and lead it forth to water? And this woman, daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound, lo, for eighteen years, ought not she to be loosed form this bond on the Sabbath? And as He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and the entire crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Secret
Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that the gift in the sight of Your majesty may obtain for us the grace of reverent devotion and secure eternal happiness.
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 SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Let our annual commemoration of Your blessed confessor bishop Thomas please You, O Lord. Grant that this Sacrifice of atonement which we offer on his feast may bring him greater honor and fill us with Your grace. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS

Look graciously, O Lord, on the gifts we offer You in memory of Your holy martyrs Maurice and his companions. May the intercession of these saints who are pleasing to You win us Your grace for all time. Through our Lord . . .

  Communion 
Lev 21:41, 43.
In the seventh month you shall keep this feast, as I made the Israelites dwell in booths, when I led them out of the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God.

Post Communion
May Your sacrament, we beseech You, O Lord, produce in us what it contains, and may we share in reality what we now perform as a sacramental rite.
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 SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
O God, rewarder of the faithful, pardon our sins through the intercession of Your blessed confessor bishop Thomas, whom we honor this day. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
You have comforted us by Your Sacraments, O Lord, and filled us with the joy of heaven. May Your saints defend us, even as we glory in their own victory. Through our Lord . . . 

SAINT MATTHEW Apostle and Evangelist; EMBER FRIDAY

The Inspiration of Saint Matthew
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)
1602
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

SAINT MATTHEW
Apostle and Evangelist

EMBER FRIDAY

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED
In the second year of His public ministry Jesus called Levi, the tax-gatherer, away from his booth and gave His new disciple the name of Matthew, which means "Gift of Yahweh." To Christ, the humble, willing soul of the publican was far more pleasing than were those of the self-satisfied Pharisees, proud of their observance of the letter of the Law but oblivious of its spirit. Soon afterward, the Savior chose the converted tax-gatherer as one of His Apostles. Matthew wrote the first Gospel, which records so many loving details about his master's life on earth. Tradition relates that he evangelized Persia and suffered martyrdom among the Parthians.

INTROIT Ps. 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justly. The law of God is in his heart.
Ps. 36:1. Be not envious of evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord,may the prayers of the blessed apostle and evangelist Matthew help us to obtain the graces we ourselves cannot acquire by our merits. Through our Lord . . .

Almighty God, we beg that, by keeping this yearly fast with devotion, we may please You both in body and in soul. Through our Lord . . .
 

READING Ezech. 1:10-14
And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four. And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies: And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went. And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire. And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

GRADUAL Ps. 111:1-2
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.
V. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the righteous generation shall be blessed.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
The glorious choir of apostles praises You, O Lord. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 9:9-13
At that time, Jesus saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: "Follow me." And he arose up and followed him. And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: "Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?" But Jesus hearing it, said: "They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill. Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 20:4-5
O Lord, You have placed on his head a crown of precious stones. He asked life of You and You gave it to him, alleluia!

SECRET 
O Lord, may the offering of Your Church be presented to You by Your blessed apostle and evangelist Matthew, through whose learned teaching she was instructed in the faith. Through our Lord . . .

May our fasting be acceptable to You, O Lord. Let it atone for our sins and make us worthy of Your grace, so that we may attain the fulfillment of Your everlasting promises. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 20:6
His glory is great because of Your help; You have conferred upon him glory and great splendor, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We who have received Your Sacrament, O Lord, look hopefully for the prayers of Your blessed apostle and evangelist Matthew. May the Sacred Rite that we have celebrated in his honor bring us healing for our own sinfulness. Through our Lord . . .


Almighty God, may our gratitude for the gifts we have received from You bring us even greater benefits. Through our Lord . . .  

Saint Eustace & Companions (120 A.D.) Martyrs, Vigil of St. Matthew

The Vision of St. Eustace (c.1436) by Pisanello (Antonio or Vittore Pisano; c.1395-1455)

SAINT EUSTACE AND
HIS COMPANIONS
Martyrs

VIGIL OF SAINT MATTHEW

DOUBLE / RED
Eustace was a distinguished Roman officer. He owed his conversion to the vision of a stag with a crucifix between its antlers, seen by him while he was hunting. His wife and their two sons became Christians at the same time. In about the year 120 A.D., Eustace and his wife and two children, after undergoing many cruel tortures, were martyred for having refused to offer sacrifice to false gods.

INTROIT Eccli. 44:13, 14
Let the people show forth the wisdom of the saints, and let the Church declare their praise; and their names shall live for all generations. 
Ps. Rejoice in the Lord, you just: praise befits the upright.
V. Glory be to the Father . . .

COLLECT
O God, who granted us the grace to celebrate the birthday of Your blessed martyrs Eustace and companions, grant that we may also share their eternal happiness in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

Wisdom 5:16-20 Douay-Rheims 1899

¹⁶ But the just shall live for evermore: and their reward is with the Lord, and the care of them with the most High.

¹⁷ Therefore shall they receive a kingdom of glory, and a crown of beauty at the hand of the Lord: for with his right hand he will cover them, and with his holy arm he will defend them.

¹⁸ And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the revenge of his enemies.

¹⁹ He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet.

²⁰ He will take equity for an invincible shield:

GRADUAL Ps. 123:7-8

Our soul has been rescued as a bird from the snare of the hunters.

V. The snare has been broken and we are free. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

GOSPEL

Luke 6:17-23 Douay-Rheims 1899

^{17 At that time, Jesus} coming down with them, stood in a plain place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon,

¹⁸ Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured.

¹⁹ And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.

²⁰ And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.

²² Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

²³ Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven.

OFFERTORY Ps. 149:5-6

The saints shall rejoice in glory; they shall shout for joy on their couches. The praise of God shall be in their throats. Alleluia!

SECRET
We offer to Thee, O Lord, the gifts of our devotion: may they be pleasing to Thee, honorable to Thy Saints, and through Thy mercy salutary to us. Through our Lord . . .


POSTCOMMUNION
Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, through the intercession of Thy holy Martyrs, Eustace and Companions, that what we take with our mouth, we may receive with a pure heart. Through our Lord . . .

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Saint Joseph of Cupertino (1663 A.D.), The Flying Saint!

SAINT JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO
Confessor

DOUBLE / WHITE
Because he was apparently a most ungifted and unpromising youth, Joseph of Cupertino (1603-63) was unwanted at home. Finally the Conventual Franciscans accepted him as a lay brother and assigned to him the task of rubbing down a mule. Brother Joseph's obedience and patience under severe criticism, his spirit of poverty, and his angelic purity brought about his ordination to the priesthood. He worked such extraordinary miracles that his fame spread over all Christendom. He is known as the flying Saint, patron of aviators and those who fly.

INTROIT Eccli. 1:14-15 
Wisdom worthy of honor is the love of God. Those to whom she is revealed love her because of her beauty and the appreciation of her great works.
Ps. 83:2. How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns and faints for the courts of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, at Your command Your only-begotten Son was lifted up above the earth that He might draw all things to Himself. May the merits and example of Your seraphic confessor Joseph help to raise us above all earthly desires so that we may come to Jesus, who lives and rules with You . . .

EPISTLE I Cor. 13:1-8
Brethren: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil: Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void or tongues shall cease or knowledge shall be destroyed.

GRADUAL Ps. 20:4-5
O Lord, You have made him excel by Your choicest blessings; You have placed on his head a crown of precious stones.
V. He asked life of You and You gave him length of days forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Eccli. 11:13
The eye of God has looked upon him for good, and he has lifted him up from his low estate and exalted his head. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 22:1-14
At that time, Jesus answering, spoke again in parables to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants to call them that were invited to the marriage: and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying: 'Tell them that were invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come ye to the marriage.' But they neglected and went their ways, one to his farm and another to his merchandise. And the rest laid hands on his servants and, having treated them contumeliously, put them to death. But when the king had heard of it, he was angry: and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers and burnt their city. Then he saith to his servants: 'The marriage indeed is ready; but they that were invited were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage.' And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filled with guests. And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he saith to him: 'Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment?' But he was silent. Then the king said to the waiters: 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."


OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 34:13
But I, when they were afflicting me, clothed myself in sackcloth, humbled myself with fasting, and prayed with head bent low.

SECRET
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. 68:30-31
I am brought low and sorrowful. let Your saving aid, O God, lift me up. I will extol the name of God in song and I will glorify Him with praise.

POSTCOMMUNION
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 . . .

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Sept. 13 Ferial Day (Mass of Preceding Sunday)

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)

[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

INTROIT Ps. 85:3, 5
Have pity on me, O Lord, for to You I call all the day; for You, O Lord, are sweet and mild, and plentiful in mercy to all who call upon You.
Ps. 85:1. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am needy and poor.
V. Glory be . . .
 
COLLECT
O Lord, may Your grace always be with us to make us diligent in performing good deeds. Through our Lord . . .

 
EPISTLE Eph. 3:13-21
Brethren: Wherefore I pray you not to faint at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inward man: That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts: that, being rooted and founded in charity, You may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge: that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us: To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations, world without end. Amen.

GRADUAL Ps. 101:16-17
The nations all revere Your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth shall reverence Your glory.
V. For the Lord has built up sion, and He shall appear in His glory.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 97:1
Sing to the Lord a new canticle, for He has done wondrous deeds. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 14:1-11
At that time, when Jesus went into the house of one of the Pharisees, on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And behold, there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy. And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?" 
But they held their peace. But he taking him, healed him and sent him away. And answering them, he said: "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit and will not immediately draw him out, on the sabbath day?" And they could not answer him to these things.
And he spoke a parable also to them that were invited, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them: "When thou art invited to a wedding, sit not down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honourable than thou be invited by him: And he that invited thee and him, come and say to thee: 'Give this man place.' And then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art invited, go, sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee: 'Friend, go up higher.' Then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at table with thee. Because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 39:14, 15
Look down, O Lord, to help me. Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek to snatch away my life. Look down, O Lord, to help me.

SECRET 
Cleanse us by this Sacrifice, O Lord, and in Your mercy make us worthy to participate in it. Through our Lord . . .


 COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 70:16-17, 18
O Lord, I will be mindful of Your singular justice. O God, You have taught me from my youth, and when I am old and gray, O God, forsake me not!

POSTCOMMUNION 
Purify our souls, O Lord, and instill new life into them through this Heavenly Sacrament, so that even our bodies may find strength now and for the future. Through our Lord . . .