INTROIT Ps. 43:23-26
Awake!
Why are you asleep, O Lord? Arise! Cast us not off forever! Why do you
hide your face and forget our troubles? Our bodies are pressed to the
earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and free us!
Ps. 43:2. O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have spoken to us.
V. Glory be . . .
Ps. 43:2. O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have spoken to us.
V. Glory be . . .
COLLECT
O
God, You see that we place no trust in our ability and actions. May the
prayers of the Doctor of the Gentiles defend us against all adversity.
Through Our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT OSWALD
St. Oswald, Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York, England, seconded to St. Dunstan in his efforts to reform monastic discipline and to restore the Christian religion to England. He fell asleep in the peace of Christ on February 29, A.D. 992.
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the solemn feast of blessed Oswald, Thy Confessor and Bishop, may both increase our devotion and advance our salvation. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT OSWALD
St. Oswald, Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York, England, seconded to St. Dunstan in his efforts to reform monastic discipline and to restore the Christian religion to England. He fell asleep in the peace of Christ on February 29, A.D. 992.
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the solemn feast of blessed Oswald, Thy Confessor and Bishop, may both increase our devotion and advance our salvation. Through our Lord . . .
EPISTLE II Cor. 11:19-33; 12:1-9
Brethren:
For you gladly suffer the foolish: whereas yourselves are wise. For you
suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man
take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.
I
seek according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part.
Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. They are
Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of
Abraham: so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less
wise): I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in
stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I
receive forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods: once I
was stoned: thrice I suffered shipwreck: a night and a day I was in the
depth of the sea.
In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren: In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness: Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?
In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren: In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness: Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus, the
governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the
Damascenes, to apprehend me. And through a window in a basket was I let
down by the wall: and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not
expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the
Lord. I know a man in Christ: above fourteen years ago (whether in the
body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), such a
one caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the
body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth): That he was caught
up into paradise and heard secret words which it is not granted to man
to utter.
For
such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my
infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be
foolish: for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should
think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth
from me.
And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
GRADUAL Ps. 82:19, 14
Let the nations know that You whose name is God, alone are the Most High over all the earth.
V. O my God, whirl them about like chaff before the wind!
V. O my God, whirl them about like chaff before the wind!
TRACT Ps. 59:4, 6
You have shaken the earth, O Lord, and thrown it into confusion.
V. Repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
V. That they may flee out of bowshot; that Your chosen ones may escape.
V. Repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
V. That they may flee out of bowshot; that Your chosen ones may escape.
GOSPEL Luke 8:4-15
At
that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together and
hastened out of the cities, unto him, he spoke by a similitude. "The
sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way
side. And it was trodden down: and the fowls of the air devoured it. And
other some fell upon a rock. And as soon as it was sprung up, it
withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among
thorns. And the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some
fell upon good ground and, being sprung up, yielded fruit a
hundredfold." Saying these things, he cried out: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. To whom he said: "To
you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the
rest in parables, that 'seeing they may not see and hearing may not
understand.' Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And
they by the way side are they that hear: then the devil cometh and
taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved.
Now they upon the rock are they who when they hear receive the word
with joy: and these have no roots: for they believe for a while and in
time of temptation they fall away. And that which fell among thorns are
they who have heard and, going their way, are choked with the cares and
riches and pleasures of this life and yield no fruit. But that on the
good ground are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word,
keep it and bring forth fruit in patience."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 16:5, 6-7
Keep
my steps steadfast in Your paths, that my feet may not falter. Incline
Your ear and hear my words. Show Your wondrous kindness, O Savior of
those who trust in You, O Lord.
SECRET
May the sacrifice we offer You, O Lord, bring us new life and keep us safe. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT OSWALD
May Thy Saints, we beseech Thee, O Lord, in all places bring us joy, that while we recall their merits, we may experience their patronage. Through our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 42:4
I will go in to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth.
POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, we humbly ask that those who are nourished with Your Sacrament may live a life of worthy service pleasing to You. Through Our Lord . . .
Almighty God, we humbly ask that those who are nourished with Your Sacrament may live a life of worthy service pleasing to You. Through Our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT OSWALD
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who give thanks for the gifts that we have received, may through the intercession of blessed Oswald, Thy Confessor and Bishop, obtain still greater blessings. Through our Lord . . .
[Historical]
ST. HILARY
461 - 468 AD
To replace a man like Leo was not easy, but the next pope was a man
after Leo's heart, the archdeacon Hilary. Hilary was a Sardinian who
had joined the Roman clergy and had been sent by St. Leo as one of the
papal legates to the council at Ephesus in 449. This council, intended
to settle the Monophysite affair, got out of hand. Packed with
Monophysites and presided over by Dioscorus, the patriarch of
Alexandria, the assembly refused to listen to the protests of the papal
legates. Dioscorus steam-rollered through the council a condemnation of
the orthodox and saintly Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople, and an
approval of the Monophysite leader Eutyches. In vain Hilary protested.
He had to fly in fear for his life and hide in a chapel of St. John
the Evangelist. It was only with difficulty that he got back to Rome.
No wonder St. Leo called this Ephesus council a gathering of robbers!As pope, Hilary worked hard to foster order in the Gallic hierarchy. When a certain Hermes illegally made himself archbishop of Narbonne, two Gallic delegates came to Rome to appeal to Pope Hilary. He held a council at Rome in 462 to settle the matter. He also upheld the rights of the see of Arles to be the primatial see of Gaul. From Spain also came appeals of a similar nature. To settle these Hilary held a council at Rome in 465. This is the first Council at Rome whose acts have come down to us. According to the "Liber Pontificalis" he sent a letter to the East confirming the ecumenical councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, and the famous dogmatic letter of his predecessor St. Leo to Flavian. He also publicly in St. Peter's rebuked the shadow-emperor Anthemius for allowing a favorite of his to foster heresy in Rome.
St. Hilary deserves great credit for his work in building and decorating churches in Rome. Of especial interest is the oratory he built near the Lateran, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. The Pope attributed his escape from the wild Monophysites at Ephesus to the intercession of the Beloved Disciple, and to show his gratitude he built this beautiful oratory. Over its doors may still be seen the inscription, "To his deliverer, Blessed John the Evangelist, Bishop Hilary, the Servant of Christ." Hilary built two more churches and spent freely in decorating still others. The gold and silver and marble used so lavishly by this Pope in adorning the Roman churches indicate that the wealthy families of Rome must have saved something from the grasping hands of Goths and Vandals.
St. Hilary died on February 29. His feast is kept on February 28.
St. Romanus
When he was thirtyfive years old, Romanus (d. 460) decided to live
as a hermit. He packed only a few simple tools and seeds to plant and he
found a secluded spot under a large tree in the mountainous area
between Switzerland and France. He spent many hours every day in prayer,
and he cared for the field in which he had planted his seeds. But even
in such a remote place, others heard of him, and came to join him in his
life of devotion to God in nature. His brother became his partner, and
his sister also worked with them. When it seemed that more permanent
dwellings were needed, Romanus and his brother founded a monastery for
the men and a nunnery for the women. The religious community lived
simply, often enduring hardship from the weather.
Romanus once made a pilgrimage to where the Theban Legion had been martyred and healed two lepers along the way. Romanus died in 460, and we honor him on February 28.
Romanus once made a pilgrimage to where the Theban Legion had been martyred and healed two lepers along the way. Romanus died in 460, and we honor him on February 28.
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