FRIDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
SAINT VINCENT FERRER
Confessor
A miracle reveals the world as it really is, with God in complete control of His world and re-commanding natural law in order to relieve human suffering. God is above all a God of human hearts; and He made us the world by a free act of love to serve His own glory and man's need. A miracle, then raises the natural laws of the world and of life to their highest fulfillment. Their momentary change is their glory. At the great shrines of Our Lady, God continues to work miracles in response to the pleading of her maternal love, just as Jesus, in His own love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, answered the pleading of the sister's love.
INTROIT (Ps. 18:15)
The thoughts of my heart are always before You, O Lord, my helper and my Redeemer.
Ps. 18:2. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.
V. Glory be
COLLECT
O God, You renew the world through the miracle of Your Sacraments. May Your Church
Commemoration of SAINT VINCENT FERRER
Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) was a great Spanish Dominican missionary and master of souls. One biographer claims that Vincent's labors in Spain brought 25,000 Jews into the Church; he also won numerous Moorish converts for the Faith. In addition to carrying on an inspired apostolate in Spain, he preached to thousands of persons in France, Switzerland, and Italy [By his preaching and miracles, he converted thousands of sinners and heretics.]. He pleaded so eloquently for penance that he was known as the "Angel of the Judgment."
O God, who didst vouchsafe to glorify Thy Church by the merits and preaching of blessed Vincent, Thy Confessor: grant to us Thy servants that we may be taught by his example, and delivered by his patronage from all adversities. Through our Lord . . .
LESSON (I Kings 17:17-24)
In those days, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elias: "What have I to do with thee, thou man of God?
And Elias said to her: "Give me thy son." And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried to the Lord, and said: "O Lord, my God, hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I am after a sort maintained, so as to kill her son?" And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: "O Lord, my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his body."
And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived. And Elias took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, and delivered him to his mother, and said to her: "
GRADUAL (Ps. 117:8-9)
It is better to trust in the Lord than to confide in
TRACT (Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9)
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low (All kneel.) V. Help us, O God our Saviour, and for the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.
GOSPEL (John 11:1-45)
At that time, there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. (And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.) His sisters therefore sent to him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. And Jesus hearing it, said to them: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God: that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he still remained in the same place two days. Then after that, he said to his disciples: "Let us go into Judea again." The disciples say to him: "Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone thee. And goest thou thither again?" Jesus answered: "Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the
These things he said; and after that he said to them: "Lazarus our friend sleepeth: but I go that I may awake him out of sleep." His disciples therefore said: "Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well." But Jesus spoke of his death: and they thought that he spoke of the repose of sleep. Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly: "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad, for your sakes; that I was not there, that you may believe. But, let us go to him." Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Jesus therefore came: and found that he had been four days already in the grave. (Now Bethania was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.) And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, as soon as she heard that Jesus was
Martha therefore said to Jesus: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But now also I know
And when she had said these things, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying: "The master is
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the
They took therefore the stone away. And Jesus lifting up his eyes, said: "Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: "Lazarus, come forth." And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding bands. And his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: "Loose him and let him go." Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 17:28, 32)
You will save the humble, O Lord, but the eyes of the proud You will bring low; for who is God except You, O Lord?
SECRET
O Lord, purify us through the gifts we offer You and let us be reconciled
Commemoration of SAINT VINCENT FERRER
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 (John 11:33, 35, 43, 44, 39)
When the Lord saw the sisters of Lazarus weeping at the tomb, He wept before the Jews, and cried out, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had been dead four days came forth, bound hands and feet.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the reception of this Sacrament
Commemoration of SAINT VINCENT FERRER
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 recieved this Sacrament. Through our Lord . . .
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, we are aware of our own weakness but we trust in Your strength. May we always rejoice in Your loving care. Through Our Lord . . .
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