Thursday, March 14, 2019

THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK IN LENT; SAINT MATILDA (MAUD) (968 A.D.)




THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK
IN LENT


SIMPLE / PURPLE
INTROIT (Ps. 95:6)
Praise and beauty go before him; holiness and majesty are in his sanctuary.
Ps. 95:1. Sing to the Lord a new canticle; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
V. Glory be . . .


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


LESSON (Ezech. 18:1-9)
In those days, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "What is the meaning? That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.' As I live", saith the Lord God, "this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel."
"Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die. And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice, And hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman: And hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment: Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man: Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live," saith the Lord God.

GRADUAL (Ps. 16:8, 2)
Keep me as the apple of Your eye, O Lord; protect me under the shadow of Your wings. V. Let my judgment come from You; let my eyes behold what is right.

GOSPEL (Matt. 15:21-28)
At that time, Jesus went from thence, and retired into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil." Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: "Send her away, for she crieth after us": And he answering, said: "I was not sent but to the sheep, that are lost of the house of Israel." But she came and adored him, saying: "Lord, help me." Who answering, said: "It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs." But she said: "Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus answering, said to her: "O woman, great is thy faith: be it done to thee as thou wilt": and her daughter was cured from that hour.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 33:8-9)
The angel of the Lord shall encamp around those who fear Him, and shall deliver them. Taste and see how good is the Lord.

SECRET 
O Lord, may we be brought even closer to our salvation through this sacrifice by uniting our lenten fast with it. Through our Lord . . .


COMMUNION ANTIPHON (John 6:52)
The Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, support us in this life with Your grace and bring us to a new life in the world to come. Through our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, grant all Your Christians an understanding of the faith they profess, and a deep love of the heavenly Sacrament they receive. Through our Lord . . .



Saint Matilda

(Saint Maud)

Patron Saint of Misbehaving Children

Saint Matilda - Patron Saint of Misbehaving Children
Saint Matilda was born into nobility in the Westphalia province of Prussia and was raised by her grandmother, an abbess, in an abbey.
Saint Matilda married King Henry the Fowler, the first German king from Saxony, and had five children including Saint Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne.
Saint Matilda interceded with the king on behalf of criminals, nursed the sick, taught the unschooled, and was generous in almsgiving.
Upon King Henry I's, also known as King Henry the Fowler, death, Saint Matilda inherited much of his land.  Two of her children, King Otto I, and Henry, accused Saint Matilda of fiscal irresponsibility because of her generosity to the poor. Her oldest son, now Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, confiscated Saint Matilda's property causing her to flee to a convent.
Holy Roman Emperor Otto I found out pretty quickly that ruling an empire was not easy, so he and Henry sought out their mother's advice with contrition, restoring her lands, and reconciling, and Saint Matilda resumed caring for the poor.

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