Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Petronilla (60 A.D.)

English: Coronation of the Salus Populi Romani by Pope Pius XII in 1954 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our Lady Virgin and Queen

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, OUR QUEEN

The Burial of Saint Petronilla by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1623)

Commemoration of SAINT PETRONILLA

Virgin

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
In his prayer to Our Queen Mother, Pope Pius XII recognized Her Queenship as due to the sovereign excellence of Her entire being: "O most sweet Mother of Him who is King by right, by inheritance, and by conquest." The Holy Father hailed the reign of Mary over the angels, the saints, and the entire human race. He asked the special aid of the Queen of Heaven and earth for those who do not yet know Her divine Son, and for the persecuted members of the Church that they may never yield under unjust compulsion. "Reign over the minds of men, that they may seek only what is true; over their wills, that they may follow only what is good; over their hearts, that they may love only what You yourself love."

INTROIT
Let us all rejoice in the Lord as we celebrate the feast in honor of our Queen, the Blessed Virgin, upon which the angels rejoice and praise the Son of God. 
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king. 
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, bestow peace in this life and glory in the life to come upon all who celebrate the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Queen. Through our Lord . . . 


Commemoration of SAINT PETRONILLA
Aurelia Petronilla, specially honored in France, was a disciple of St. Peter, the first Pope. She died A.D. 60.


Hear us, O God, our Savior: and as we rejoice in the feast of blessed Petronilla, Thy Virgin: so we may learn a filial devotion to Thee. Through our Lord . . .


LESSON Eccli. 24:5, 7, 9-11, 30-31
I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before all creatures; I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud. I have stood in all the earth and in every people, and in every nation I have had the chief rule; and by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low. He who hearkens to me, shall not be confounded, and they who work by me, shall not sin; they who explain me shall have life everlasting.

GRADUAL Apoc. 19:16; Ps. 44:10
Upon His cloak and upon His thigh He has written the name: King of kings and Lord of lords.
V. The queen stands at His right hand, clad in robes of gold from Ophir.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Hail, O Queen of mercy. Shield us from our enemy, and receive us at the hour of death. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 1:26-33
At that time, And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
Mary has come forth from a royal race and is crowned with glory. We earnestly plead with heart and soul for the assistance of Her prayers.

SECRET
O Lord, receive the gifts of Your jubilant Church and let them assist us toward salvation through the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Queen. Through our Lord . . .
 
Commemoration of SAINT PETRONILLA  
 Accept this gift, O Lord, from a people dedicated to You. We offer it in honor of Your Saints for the help we have received from them when we were in trouble. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
O Ever-Virgin Mary, the most royal Queen of the world who gave birth to Christ the Lord, the Savior of all men, obtain peace and salvation for us.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have celebrated the Sacred Mysteries with joy, O Lord, on this feast of Holy Mary, our Queen. may the Sacrifice that we have jubilantly offered in Mary's honor bring us to our eternal salvation through Her intercession. Through our Lord . . . 


Commemoration of SAINT PETRONILLA
O Lord, You have feasted Your family with the food of heaven. May we always be refreshed through the intercession of Your Saint whose feast we celebrate this day. Through our Lord . . .

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
The life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus had made Him unforgettable for His Apostles. The powers of priesthood, which He shared with them, made them conscious that His mission would be continued in them. Moreover, Jesus would dwell in them. He had only to confirm and deepen their faith by frequent appearances and instructions during the days after the resurrection. His own ascension into heaven would give assurance that they could follow Him. But Jesus knew that He had to impress upon them again and again the fact that the Holy Spirit is a real Person. Repeatedly, therefore, especially at the solemn moment of ascension, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit's vital presence with them. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, their missionary zeal would embrace the world and bring all races to belief in Christ.
 
INTROIT Acts 1:11
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? Alleluia! He shall come in the same way as you have seen him going up to heaven, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 46:2. O, clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with the voice of exultation.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, we firmly believe that Your only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day into heaven. May our minds dwell always on this heavenly home. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 1:1-11
In 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."

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets. Alleluia!
V. Ps. 67:18-19. The Lord is in Sinai, in the holy place; ascending on high, He has led captivity captive. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 16:14-20
At that time, Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again. And he said to them: "Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover." 
And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. But they going forth preached every where: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

After the Gospel, the Paschal Candle is extinguished
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 46:6
God ascends His throne amid shouts of joy, the Lord is taken up with the sound of trumpets, alleluia!

SECRET 
Accept, O Lord, the gifts we offer to celebrate the glorious ascension of Your Son. May Your mercy free us from our present dangers and lead us to eternal life. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 67:33-34
Sing to the Lord, who ascends above the heaven of heavens to the East, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION 
Almighty and merciful God, grant that this Sacrament, which we have received in this visible sacred Rite, may bring us Your invisible help. Through Our Lord . . .

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY (604 A.D.); ROGATION DAY 2; SAINT ALDHELM (709 A.D.)

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY
Bishop and Confessor

ROGATION DAY 2

 

SAINT ALDHELM
Bishop and Confessor

DOUBLE / WHITE
St. Augustine, sent by St. Gregory the Great to the Anglo-Saxons, is the great Apostle of England and the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He died A.D. 604.

Mass of a CONFESSOR BISHOP, except

COLLECT
O God, who by the preaching and miracles of blessed Augustine, Thy Confessor and Bishop, didst vouchsafe to shed upon the English people the light of the true faith, grant that, through his intercession, the hearts of the straying may return to the unity of Thy truth, and that we may do Thy will with one accord. 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.

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. 

Commemoration of SAINT ALDHELM
St. Aldhelm, of the royal stock of Wessex, was a monk of the Abbey at Malmesbury. Renowned for learning and holiness, he was elected Bishop of Sherbourne. He entered into the greater glory awaiting him in heaven, A.D. 709.

O God, who this day didst exalt Thy holy Bishop Aldhelm, to everlasting joys, we beseech Thee, may Thy mercy conduct us thither, by his merits and prayers. Through our Lord . . . 

EPISTLE I Thess. 2:2-9
Brethren: We had confidence in our God, to speak unto you the gospel of God in much carefulness. For our exhortation was not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deceit. But as we were approved by God that the gospel should be committed to us: even so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who proveth our hearts. For neither have we used at any time the speech of flattery, as you know: nor taken an occasion of covetousness (God is witness): Nor sought we glory of men, neither of you, nor of others. Whereas we might have been burdensome to you, as the apostles of Christ: but we became little ones in the midst of you, as if a nurse should cherish her children: So desirous of you, we would gladly impart unto you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls: because you were become most dear unto us. For you remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.

GOSPEL Luke 10:1-9
At that time, the Lord appointed also other seventy-two. And he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. And he said to them: "The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he send labourers into his harvest. Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick that are therein and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."

SECRET
We offer Thee this Sacrifice, O Lord, on the solemn feast of blessed Augustine, Thy Bishop and Confessor, humbly entreating that the sheep which are lost may return to the one fold, and be nourished by this food of salvation. 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. 

Commemoration of SAINT ALDHELM

May our oblation be pleasing to Thee, O Lord, by the prayers of him for whose festivity it is offered. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION
We who are refreshed by this Saving Victim, humbly entreat Thee, O Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Augustine pleading for us, it may continually be offered in every place to the glory of Thy name. 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 . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ALDHELM
We, who celebrate the solemnity of the blessed Bishop Aldhelm, beseech Thee graciously to hear us, O Lord, and by his merits grant us heavenly joys. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Bede the Venerable (735 A.D.); Saint John I (526 A.D.); Rogation Day LESSER LITANIES

SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE

Confessor and Doctor of the Church

SAINT JOHN I

Pope and Martyr

ROGATION DAY

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

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.

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 . . .

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.

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 . . . 

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.

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 . . .  

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER; Saint Philip Neri (1595 A.D.); Saint Eleutherius (188 A.D.)

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

SAINT PHILIP NERI
Confessor

SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
Pope and Martyr

DOUBLE / WHITE
The statement of Jesus to His Apostles is like a last will and testament. Jesus tells everyone that His bodily passing from this earth does not lessen the power of His sympathy or the readiness of His love to answer man's every need. The problem is to believe strongly enough in such divine goodness. The chief limit to what He will do for us is, pathetically, our lack of confidence in His readiness to do everything. His preaching told the world which essential things to ask for; but everyone must also ask God for his individual, daily necessities. If sincere, man's prayer will be infallibly answered -- in God's wise way.
  
INTROIT Isa. 48:20
Declare it with the voice of joy and let it be heard, alleluia! Announce it to the ends of the earth: the Lord has delivered His people, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 65:1-2. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing a psalm to the glory of His name; proclaim His glorious praise.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, the source of all good, grant us Your inspiration that we may have proper thoughts, and Your guidance that we may carry them into practice. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP NERI
Philip Neri (1515-95), a native of Florence, settled in Rome. He thought of offering himself for the foreign missions, but a Benedictine friend told him that his apostolate was in Rome. Philip gathered some companions into a group that later became the renowned Congregation of the Oratory. In 1551 he was ordained to the priesthood. Philip's Oratory soon constituted the center of religious life in the Eternal City, and its founder fully deserved the title by which he was called: "Second Apostle of Rome." This lovable saint attracted the trust and affection of people in every walk of life by his abounding joy in the Lord.

O God, who didst exalt blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, with Thy Saints in glory, mercifully grant, that we who rejoice in his festival may profit by the example of his virtues. 

Commemoration of SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
This pope, a Greek by origin, became a deacon in Rome. He succeeded St. Soter as Vicar of Christ, ruling from A.D. 175 to A.D. 189, when he was executed.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Eleutherius 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 James 1:22-27
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, alleluia!
V. Christ has risen and has given light to us, whom He redeemed with His Blood. Alleluia!
V. John 16:28. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again I leave the world and go to the Father. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 16:23-30
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "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 longer 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."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 65:8-9, 20
Bless the Lord our God, you nations; loudly sound His praise. he has given life to my soul, and has not let my feet falter. Blessed be the Lord who has not refused my prayer nor His mercy to me, alleluia!

SECRET
Accept the prayers and offering of the faithful, O Lord, and let our love and devotion lead us to the glory of heaven. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP NERIWe beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously regard these present Sacrifices; and grant that the Holy Spirit may inflame us with that fire which miraculously pierced the heart of blessed Philip.  

Commemoration of SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
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 trully pleasing to You. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 95:2
Sing to the Lord, alleluia! Sing to the Lord, and bless His name; announce His salvation day after day, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
Grant that we, who have been fed at Your Heavenly Banquet, O Lord, may desire only what is right and that we may fulfill these holy desires. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP NERIDo Thou, O Lord, who hast filled our souls with heavenly delights, grant that through the merits and example of blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, we may ever hunger for that food by which we truly live. 

Commemoration of SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
O Lord, govern Thy 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 HELP OF CHRISTIANS; ST. JOANNA; STS. DONATIAN AND ROGATIAN, MARTYRS

OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

(Historical)

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, except:

COLLECT

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 . . .

SECRET

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 . . .

POSTCOMMUNION

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 . . .

In the Paschal Season, the first reading is from the 12th chapter of the Apocalypse; the rest of the year it is from the 3rd chapter of Genesis. Both texts prophesy the victory of "the Woman" over the Serpent or the Dragon. One occurs at the beginning of the Bible, the other at the end. This Woman, whose offspring or son is the instrument of victory, is understood to be the image of the New Sion, the Church, the holy people of messianic times. Yet at the same time she can be considered the image of Mary, daughter of Sion, type of the Church and mother of the redeemed people. In these readings, Mary is the New Eve; she is the Mother of the Living. In both cases she faces conflict and this conflict continues for "the rest of her children" who are also menaced. However, the Woman is always there to assist them.

The assistance of the Woman is especially helpful to those engaged in "new wars" and who keep the commandments of God."

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.

The invocation of Mary as Help of Christians is part of the oldest prayer addressed directly to Mary, the "Sub tuum praesidium," which was found on a papyrus dating, at the latest, from the end of the third century. This prayer was composed at a time of great danger for Christians and for the Church. "Praesidium" is translated as "an assistance given in time of war by fresh troops in a strong manner."

Yet, Mary help of all Christians is not only helpful to those engaged in new wars, as the Gospel shows quite clearly. She is the bearer of joy, readying all Christians of good will to receive God's grace and the many gifts of life. Yes, ultimately, it is the caring woman of Cana who makes victory over dragon and serpent possible -- in letting Christ act on his own terms and at his own hour. Anthony de Mello writes in conclusion to the introduction of his last book:

"I dedicate this book to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who has always been for me a model of contemplation. She has been more: I am convinced that it is her intercession that has obtained for me, and for many of the people I have guided, graces in prayer that we should never have acquired otherwise. There, then, is my first piece of advice to you if you would make progress in the art of contemplation: Seek her patronage and ask for her intercession before you start out on this way. She has been given the charisma of drawing down the Holy Spirit on the Church, as she did at the Annunciation and at Pentecost, when she prayed with the Apostles. If you get her to pray with you and for you, you will be very fortunate indeed."

This, then, is Mary, the help of all Christians and as such, she is the star that prepares the coming of the rising sun, Christ. 

SAINT JOANNA

Saint Joanna and the Head of Saint John the Baptist

(Wikipedia.org image)

Facts

Feastday: May 24

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Jennifer is a derivative of Joanna whose feast day is May 24th. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, steward of King Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. She was one of the women who helped provide for Jesus and the Apostles and was one of the three women who discovered the empty tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning.

Brothers of a Roman-Gallo noble family of Nantes, France. Donatian was arrested and soon joined by Rogatian. They were tortured and beheaded by Pictovarius under co-Emperor Diocletian. 

MAY 21 FERIAL DAY; ST. ANDREW BOBOLA (1657 A.D.); ST. GODRIC (1170 A.D.); Blessed John Hale (1535 A.D.) Martyr

FERIAL DAY
Mass from the preceding Sunday

[Saint Andrew Bobola (1657) Historical]

Jesuit missionary and martyr. He was born a member of a noble Polish family in 1590. Entering the Society of Jesus at Vilna in 1622, he preached in the church of St. Casimir there. He took solemn vows in 1630 and was made superior of the Jesuits in Brobuisk. There he preached and distinguished himself by his work of mercy during a plague. In 1636, Andrew was sent to the Lithuanian missions. A house was provided for him in Pinsk, Belarus, by Prince Radziwell, and he worked there despite attacks by Protestants and schismatics. On May 10, 1657, Andrew was kidnapped by two Cossacks who beat him and tied him to the saddles of their horses so they could drag him to a place of torture. He was partially flayed alive and finally decapitated. His remains were buried in Pinsk and then moved to Polosk. St. Bobola was canonized by Pius XI on April 17, 1938.

[Saint Godric of Finchale (1170) Historical]

Oldest three children born to a freedman Anglo-Saxon farmer. An adventurous seafaring man, he spent his youth in travel both on land and sea as a peddler and merchant mariner first along the coast of the British Isles, then throughout Europe. Sometime sailor, sometime ship's captain, he lived a seafarer's life of the day, and it was hardly a religious one. He was known to drink, fight, chase women, con customers, and in a contemporary manuscript, was referred to as a "pirate". Convertedupon visiting Lindisfarne during a voyage, and being touched by the life of Saint Cuthbert. 

Pilgrim to Jerusalem and the holy lands, Saintiago de Compostela, the shrine of Saint Gaul in Provence, and to Rome. As a self-imposed austerity, and a way to always remember Christ's lowering himself to become human, Godric never wore shoes, regardless of the season. Lived as a hermit in the holy lands, and worked in a hospital nearJerusalem. Hermit for nearly sixty years at Finchale, County Durham, England, first in a cave, then later in a more formal hermitage; he was led to its site by a vision of Saint Cuthbert. It was a rough life, living barefoot in mud and wattle hut, wearing a hair shirt under a metal breastplate, standing in icy waters to control his lust, living for a while off berries and roots, and being badly beaten by Scottish raiders who strangely thought he had a hidden treasure. 

Noted for his close familiarity with wild animals, his supernatural visions, his gift of prophecy, and ability to know of events occurring hundreds or thousands of miles away. Counseled Saint Aelred, Saint Robert of Newminster, Saint Thomas Beckett, and Pope Alexander III. Wrote poetry in Medieval English. The brief song Sainte nicholaes by Godric is one of the oldest in the English language, and is believed to be the earliest surviving example of lyric poetry. He was said to have received his songs, lyrics and music, complete during his miraculous visions. He died of natural causes on May 11, 1170.

BLESSED JOHN HALE - CRANFORD'S MARTYR

Blessed John Hale was an English martyr who suffered martyrdom at the same time as the Holy Cathusians.

He was a secular priest who became Rector of Cranford on 11th September 1505. On 20th April 1521 he was appointed Vicar of Isleworth. It was there that he was arrested on the orders of King Henry VIII, being accused of  treason for speaking out against the King's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and his subsequent remarriage to Anne Boleyn.

Father Hale was executed at Tyburn where he was hanged, drawn and quartered on 4th May 1535.

He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER; SAINT PETER CELESTINE (1296 A.D.) Pope and Confessor; SAINT PUDENTIANA (160 A.D.) Virgin

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

Saint Celestine renouncing the Papacy

Saint Pudentiana

SAINT PETER CELESTINE
Pope and Confessor

SAINT PUDENTIANA
Virgin

DOUBLE / WHITE
Christ, the Eternal Word, lived and worked visibly among men. Then He sent His Holy Spirit to work invisibly. The Spirit has been the soul of the Mystical Body through its centuries of alternate glory and persecution. The world at once incurs its own guilt and pays tribute to the invisible working of the Holy Spirit, by trying to ignore or forcefully crush the Mystical Christ. Bu the Church has always outlived its opponents, blossomed with truth and sacramental life, and borne the fruit of saints, martyrs, and countless sincere Christians.

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 PETER CELESTINE

Peter Celestine (1221-96) left his Italian home at the age of 20, and went to a mountain to live in solitude. Disciples soon grouped themselves around him, and the rule of life that Peter gave them formed the foundation of the Celestine Order. When Peter was 72 years old, he was elected Pope and chose the name of Celestine. It soon became evident that the former hermit's life had not in any way fitted him for the government of the Church; so Pope Celestine V had the supreme humility to resign his trust after a reign of five months.

O God, You raised blessed Peter Celestine to the dignity of Pope, and taught him also to renounce the honor in all humility. May we follow his example and despise the things of this world, so that we may win the rewards You promised to the humble of heart. 
 
Commemoration of SAINT PUDENTIANA
Pudentiana, a daughter of a Roman senator, consecrated herself wholly to Christ and gave away her goods to the poor. She died in the year 160, when she was 16 years of age.

Hear our prayer, O God our Saviour, and let us learn the spirit of true devotion from Your blessed virgin Pudentiana, as we joyfully celebrate her feast. 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 PETER CELESTINE
 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 . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PUDENTIANA
Accept this gift, O Lord, from a people dedicated to You. We offer it in honor of Your saints for the help we have received from them when we were in trouble. 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 PETER CELESTINE 
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. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PUDENTIANA
O Lord, You have feasted Your family with the Food of Heaven. May we always be refreshed through the intercession of Your saint whose feast we celebrate this day. Through Our Lord . . . 

SAINT PASCHAL BAYLON (1592 A.D.) [THE SAINT OF THE EUCHARIST]

THE SAINT OF THE EUCHARIST: SAINT PASCHAL BAYLON, PATRON OF EUCHARISTIC ASSOCIATIONS.

SAINT PASCHAL BAYLON
Confessor

DOUBLE / WHITE
Until the age of 20, Paschal (1540-92) tended flocks on the hills of Aragon. He then became a Franciscan Brother and spent the rest of his years mainly as doorkeeper in various friaries of Spain. All through his life he was animated with a burning love for the Holy Eucharist, a love so intense that it enabled him to speak triumphantly to heretics about the most obscure mysteries of the Faith. Pope Leo XIII declared him patron of all Eucharistic confraternities and congresses. 

Introit
Ps. 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 36:1
Be not vexed over evildoers, nor jealous of those who do wrong.
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.
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart. Alleluia, alleluia.


COLLECT
O God, who didst adorn blessed Paschal Thy Confessor with a wonderful love for the holy Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood: mercifully grant that we too may be worthy to receive the rich spiritual graces which he received from this divine banquet; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .



Lesson
Lesson from the book of Ecclesiasticus
Eccli 31:8-11
Happy the man found without fault, who turns not aside after gain, nor puts his trust in money nor in treasures! Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders in his life. He has been tested by gold and come off safe, and this remains his glory forever; he could have sinned but did not, could have done evil but would not, so that his possessions are secure in the Lord, and the assembly of the Saints shall recount his alms.

Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
V. James 1:12. Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried, he shall receive the crown of life. Alleluia.
Eccli 45:9
V. The Lord loved him and adorned him; He clothed him with a robe of glory. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Luke
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Luke 12:35-40
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "Let your loins be girt about and your lamps burning, and you yourselves like men waiting for their master’s return from the wedding; so that when he comes and knocks, they may straight-way open to him. Blessed are those servants whom the master, on his return, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, he will gird himself, and will make them recline at table, and will come and serve them. And if he comes in the second watch, and if in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! But of this be assured, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would certainly have watched, and not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because at an hour that you do not expect, the Son of Man is coming." 

SECRET
In memory of Thy Saints, O Lord, we offer Thee the sacrifice of praise, by which we trust to be freed from both present and future evils. Through our Lord . . . 


POSTCOMMUNION 
Refreshed by meat and drink from heaven, O God, we humbly entreat Thee, that we may be protected by the prayers of him whose memory we have partaken. Through our Lord . . .

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