SAINT JEROME (420 A.D.)

SAINT JEROME
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

DOUBLE/WHITE
Born in Dalmatia of a Christian family, Jerome (c. 342-420) was baptized in Rome, while taking his classical courses. He then studied under the best masters in foreign cities. But the Church had need of this extraordinarily gifted man. Jerome heard and obeyed the divine call, made a vow of celibacy, and withdrew for four years to a hermitage in the Syrian desert. The Holy Father soon summoned Jerome to Rome and entrusted him with the enormous task of revising the Latin Bible. This work, which took 30 years to complete, is our official Vulgate version of the Scriptures. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV stated: "The Church venerates in Jerome the greatest doctor given her by heaven for the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures."

Introit
Ecclus 15:5
In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth; and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding; He clothed him with a robe of glory.
Ps 91:2
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to Your name, Most High.
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.
In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth; and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding; He clothed him with a robe of glory. 

COLLECT
O God, in the person of Your blessed confessor Jerome You provided Your Church with her greatest scholar in the interpretation of Holy Scripture. may the merits of this saint help us to practice his teachings in our words and deeds. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the secons letter of St Paul the Apostle to Timotheus
2 Tim. 4:1-8
Beloved: I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead by His coming and by His kingdom, preach the word, be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and teaching. For there will come a time when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but having itching ears, will heap up to themselves teachers according to their lusts, and they will turn away their hearing from the truth and turn aside rather to fables. But be watchful in all things, bear with tribulation patiently, work as a preacher of the Gospel, fulfill your ministry. As for me, I am already being poured out in sacrifice, and the time of my deliverance is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. For the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will give to me in that day; yet not to me only, but also to those who love His coming.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right.
V. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps do not falter. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Ecclus 45:9 The Lord loved him and adorned him; He clothed him with a robe of glory. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 5:13-19
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its strength, what shall it be salted with? It is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under the measure, but upon the lampstand, so as to give light to all in the house. Even so let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For amen I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall be lost from the Law till all things have been accomplished. Therefore whoever does away with one of these least commandments, and so teaches men, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever carries them out and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

SECRET
Grant us Your heavenly grace, O Lord, that we may serve You in perfect freedom. Let the offerings, which we bring You through the intercession of Your blessed confessor Jerome, heal us and lead us to everlasting glory. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Luke 12:42
The faithful and wise steward, whom his lord setteth over his family, to give them their measure of wheat in due season.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We are refreshed with the Bread of Heaven, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed confessor Jerome make us worthy of Your mercy. Through our Lord . . .

photo of Pope Benedict XV (1903-1922) in the year 

1914 at the coronationImage via Wikipedia

DEDICATION OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL BASILICA; 16th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

DEDICATION OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL BASILICA

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER
PENTECOST

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 . . .

Commemoration of 16th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

O Lord, may Your grace always be with us to make us diligent in performing good deeds. 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 . . .


Commemoration of 16th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

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

Commemoration of 16th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOSTO Lord, we beseech You, graciously cleanse and renew our minds with the heavenly sacrament, so we may thereby also receive bodily help for the present as well as for the future.

Saint Wenceslas (929 A.D.) Martyr

Young prince Wenceslas

SAINT WENCESLAS
Duke and Martyr

SIMPLE / RED
Son of a Christian duke of tenth-century Bohemia, Wenceslas received a pious upbringing from his grandmother St. Ludmilla, who later died a martyr. Taking over the government at the time of a strong pagan reaction among his people, Wenceslas labored with Christlike patience and mildness to stem this regression. He rebuilt churches, recalled exiled priests, and invited missioners from Germany. But Boleslas, the duke's heathen brother, had Wenceslas assassinated while he was on his way to Mass. The 22-year old martyr died uttering the words, "May God forgive you."

Mass of a MARTYR, except

Introit
Ps 20:2-3
O Lord, in Your strength the just man is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire.
Ps 20:4
For You welcomed him with goodly blessings, You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
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.
O Lord, in Your strength the just man is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire.

COLLECT
O God, You raised blessed Wenceslas from his earthly honors to the glory of heaven by granting him the victory of martyrdom. May his prayers shield us from all harm and bring us to share his heavenly happiness. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Wisdom
Wis 10:10-14
The Lord guided the just in direct ways, showed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things. He prospered him in his labors and made abundant the fruit of his works, stood by him against the greed of his defrauders, and enriched him; He preserved him from foes, and secured him against ambush, and He gave him the prize for his stern struggle that he might recognize that devotion to God is mightier than all else. He did not abandon the just man when he was sold, but delivered him from sin. He went down with him into the dungeon, and did not desert him in his bonds, until He brought him the scepter of royalty and authority over his oppressors, and showed those who had defamed him false; and the Lord our God gave him eternal glory.

Gradual
Ps 111:1-2
Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands.
V. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 20:4
V. You placed on his head, O Lord, a crown of pure gold. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 10:34-42
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, Do not think that I have come to send peace upon the earth; I have come to bring a sword, not peace. For I have come to set a man at variance with his father, and a daughter with her mother, and a daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me. he who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake, will find it. He who receives you, receives Me; and he who receives Me, receives Him Who sent Me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a just man because he is a just man, shall receive a just man’s reward. And whoever gives to one of these little ones but a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.  

SECRET

Receive our gifts and our prayers, we beseech Thee, O Lord; cleanse us by the heavenly Mysteries and mercifully hear us. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Matt 16:24
Whoever wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

POSTCOMMUNION

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, that as we rejoice on earth in keeping the memory of Thy saints, so also we may enjoy their company for evermore. Through our Lord . . .

SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN, Martyrs (283 A.D.)

Saints Cosmas and Damian performing transplant surgery.
Attributed to Alonso De Sedano, Burgos, Spain, ca. 1495.

SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN
Martyrs

SIMPLE / RED
Doctors and mission dispensaries have special patrons in Cosmas and Damian, brothers who practiced medicine in Syria in the closing years of the third century. They were called in the East "the moneyless ones," because they cared for their patients free of charge. Devout lovers of Jesus, they were even more solicitous for the souls than for the bodies of those they tended. The apostolic brother-physicians converted many sinners and exorcised the possessed. They were given the grace of martyrdom during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.

INTROIT Eccli. 44:15, 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. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, today we are celebrating the birthday of Your blessed martyrs Cosmas and Damian. Hear their prayers and rescue us from all the dangers that threaten us. Through our Lord . . .

READING Wisdom 5:16-20
But the just shall live for evermore: and their reward is with the Lord, and the care of them with the most High. 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. And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the revenge of his enemies.
He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet: He will take equity for an invincible shield.

GRADUAL Ps. 33:18-19
The just have cried out, and the Lord answered them and rescued them from all their distress.
V. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and He will save those who are humble in spirit.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Here was true brotherliness which overcame the sinfulness of the world and followed Christ to attain the glorious kingdom of heaven. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 6:17-23
At that time, Jesus, coming down from the mountain, 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, Who were come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the multitude sought to touch him: for virtue went out from him and healed all.
And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: "Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. 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. Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold, your reward is great in heaven." 

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 5:12-13
All those who love your name shall glory in You, for You, O Lord, will bless the just man. O Lord, You surround us with Your good will, as with a shield.

SECRET 
O Lord, may Your saints' unfailing prayer of honor render our offerings acceptable to You and obtain Your pardon for us. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 78:2, 11
They have given the dead bodies of Your servants, O Lord, as food to the birds of the air, and the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. With Your great power, save the sons of those who have been put to death.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, let Your people find protection in this banquet at which You have generously fed them, and in the prayers of all Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

Saints Isaac Jogues, John De Brebeuf & Companions, Saints Cyprian and Justina, Martyrs

SAINTS ISAAC JOGUES, JOHN DE BREBEUF,
AND THEIR COMPANIONS
Martyrs

[IN ALL DIOCESES OF THE UNITED STATES]

SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA 
Martyrs

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED 
These eight French Jesuit missioners, the first canonized saints of the North American continent, labored and died among the most barbaric of red men in the most impenetrable fastnesses of the 17th-century New World. After struggling with unbelievable privations and hardships, they were severely tortured and martyred by the Iroquois Indians between the years 1642 and 1649. Fathers Isaac Jogues and Anthony Daniel and the two lay oblates, John Lalande and Rene Goupil, gave their lives in what is now New York State; Fathers John de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, and Noel Chabanel in central Canada.

INTROIT Apoc. 7:14
These are they who have come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
Ps. 116:1. Praise the Lord, all you nations; praise Him, all you peoples!
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You blessed the first fruits of the faith in the vast expanse of North America by the missionary labors and martyrdom of blessed Isaac, John, and their companions. May the harvest for Christ grow daily more abundant in the whole world through the intercession of these saints. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA
At Antioch the virtue of the virgin Justina converted Cyprian, a magician, to Christianity. Cyprian later became a priest and then a bishop. Both suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in the year 304, and their bodies were brought to Rome by some Christian mariners.

Comfort us, O Lord, with the unfailing protection of Your holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina, for You are always merciful to those who are helped by Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE II Cor. 12:11-15
Brethren: I ought to have been commended by you, For I have no way come short of them that are above measure apostles, although I be nothing. Yet the signs of my apostleship have been wrought on you, in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. For what is there that you have had less than the other churches but that I myself was not burthensome to you? Pardon me this injury. Behold now the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burthensome unto you. For I seek not the things that are yours, but you. For neither ought the children to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. But I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls: although loving you more, I be loved less.

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.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. II Cor. 1:5
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also through Christ does our comfort abound. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 6:17-23
At that time, Jesus coming down from the mountain, 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, Who were come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the multitude sought to touch him: for virtue went out from him and healed all. 
And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: "Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. 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. Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold, your reward is great in heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Sap. 3:6
As gold in the furnace the Lord has proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust He received them.

SECRET 
O Lord, let us offer You with pure hearts this spotless Victim, in which Your holy martyrs found a food of unutterable sweetness, because of their own unsullied purity and their tireless zeal for mortification. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA

We offer these gifts to You in sacrifice, O Lord. May the honor we pay to Your saints please You, and may these offerings, through Your mercy, bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHONPhilipp. 1:20-21
Christ will be glorified in my body whether through life or death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

POSTCOMMUNION 
Almighty God, we are refreshed by the food of the valiant. When Your holy martyrs Isaac, John, and their companions were strengthened by this same Bread, they were able to lay down their own lives for their brothers; may we also bear one another's burdens and love our neighbors with an effective and sincere charity. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA

May the intercession of Your holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina help us to cherish with pure hearts the Sacrament we have received upon our lips. Through our Lord . . .

Our Lady of Ransom; Saint Pacific of San Severino

OUR LADY OF RANSOM

SAINT PACIFIC OF SAN SEVERINO
[Historical]

GREATER DOUBLE / WHITE
This feast was extended to the whole Church in thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin, for having in the thirteenth century inspired St. Peter Nolasco and St. Raymond of Pennafort to found a religious order for the release of Christians captured by the Saracens. The Mercedarians vowed to give themselves up as hostages for the imprisoned Christians when ransom and military means failed. Their heroism saved countless souls from apostasy and despair.

Introit
Ps 118:137; 118:124
You are just, O Lord, and Your ordinance is right. Deal with Your servant according to Your kindness.
Ps 118:1
Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
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.
You are just, O Lord, and Your ordinance is right. Deal with Your servant according to Your kindness. 

Mass of the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY,except

 



COLLECT
O God, through the glorious Mother of Your Son You enriched the Church with a new religious congregation dedicated to freeing Christians from slavery among the heathens. We venerate Mary as the foundress of this institution and pray that she may also deliver us from our sins and the slavery of the devil through her own merits and intercession. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .


Lesson
Lesson from the letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
Eph 4:1-6
Brethren: I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, even as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and throughout all, and in us all, Who is blessed forever and ever. Amen.

Gradual
Ps 32:12; 32:6
Happy the nation whose God is the Lord, the people the Lord has chosen for His own inheritance.
V. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made; by the breath of His mouth all their host. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 101:2
V. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to You. Alleluia.


Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 22:34-46
At that time, the Pharisees came to Jesus and one of them, a doctor of the Law, putting Him to the test, asked Him, Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, saying, What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is He? They said to Him, David’s. He said to them, How then does David in the spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool?’ If David, therefore, calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son? And no one could answer Him a word; neither did anyone dare from that day forth to ask Him any more questions.



SECRET
O Lord, through Your mercy and the intercession of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, let this offering bring us prosperity and peace now and forever. Through our Lord . . .


POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, grant that we who have received the Sacrament of our salvation may be protected through the intercession of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, in whose honor we have offered this Sacrifice to Your majesty. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Pacific of San Severino
(San Pacifico di San Severino)

Feast Day – September 24
Saint Pacific of San Severino was born of a distinguished family in the Italian city of San Severino. As a child he evinced unusual seriousness, great piety, and love of mortification.
Early in his youthful life this spirit of mortification was put to the test. He was quite young when he became an orphan, and was taken to the home of his uncle, who brought him up very strictly. Two servants in his uncle’s home could not bear the sight of the boy and caused him many unpleasant experiences. If anything went wrong in the house, even if they were to blame for it, they accused the boy; and his uncle would then punish him severely for it. Pacific accepted the punishment in the spirit of mortification, bore it with remarkable patience, and so advanced in virtue.
Our Lord saw to it that his virtue was made manifest. One day a servant knocked the spigot of a wine barrel loose and all the wine ran out into the cellar. She blamed Pacific for it. His uncle took the boy down into the cellar with him to show him what he had done and to give him the punishment he deserved. The boy went along calmly. When they reached the cellar, they found the floor quite dry and the barrel full of wine. The maid was called, and when she saw the miracle, she admitted her fault and praised the holiness of the innocent boy.
When he was seventeen years old, Pacific entered the Order of Friars Minor. After the year of probation, he made his vows, and from that time took great pains to observe them perfectly. He was ordained to the priesthood when he was twenty-five years old. He was first assigned to the surrounding villages of the Apennines, where he found the greatest delight in preaching the Gospel to the poor and the uneducated. No road was too rough, no mountain too steep for him. He looked up the poor shepherds in their out-of-the-way huts in order to instruct and guide them on the road that leads to God.

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Saint Pacific of San Severino was not long to enjoy this apostolic work. After a few years, he became ill and never completely recovered his health, so that he was obliged to serve God patiently with an infirm body for more than thirty years.
Pacific was completely satisfied with God’s designs in his regard. “God wills it,” he said in a cheerful way, “and so may His will be done.”
The painful suffering he had to endure, and the many acts of mortification he performed in addition, he joined to his unceasing prayers and offered them up for the salvation of souls and the conversion of sinners. Even in his sickness he was so modest that he would never allow anyone else to dress the ugly sores on his legs, but always took care of them himself.
When he was able to say holy Mass, Saint Pacific did it with the utmost fervor and devotion. In his later years he was often favored with ecstasies after the elevation at holy Mass. His countenance shone with a radiance like that of the sun. The sick were miraculously cured by him, and he foretold many future events.
When death finally summoned him and he had received Holy Communion for the last time with admirable devotion, he once more expressed his gratitude to God for all His benefits, and then, with his hands crossed upon his breast, surrendered his soul to his Creator. The day was September 24, 1721.
Many miracles occurred at his grave, and two dead persons were restored to life after his holy relics were applied to them. He was buried in a common grave used by his deceased brothers in the community, but his body was found incorrupt after four years, even though he was given no coffin.
When the body was moved, the head of the saint was accidently struck so hard against a stairway that the head of the corpse detached from the body. Blood flowed freely from the neck, splattering blood as if the body were still alive. The blood was sopped up with a shirt and kept as a relic.
Pope Gregory XVI cononized Saint Pacific in 1839.
from The Franciscan Book of Saints, edited by Marion Habig, OFM

SAINT LINUS (79 A.D.); SAINT THECLA, Martyrs

SAINT LINUS
Pope and Martyr

SAINT THECLA
Virgin and Martyr

SIMPLE/RED
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.

COLLECT
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 . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St Peter the Apostle
1 Pet 5:1-4; 5:10-11.
Dearly beloved brethren: The ancients therefore that are among you, I beseech, who am myself also an ancient, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ: as also a partaker of that glory which is to be revealed in time to come: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint, but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake, but voluntarily: Neither as lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart. And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you. To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen.

Gradual
Ps 106:32; 106:31
And let them exalt him in the church of the people: and praise him in the chair of the ancients.
V. Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him, and his wonderful works to the children of men. Allelúja, allelúja
Matt 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, Allelúja.

GOSPEL
Continuation +︎ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 16:13-19
In that time: Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.  

SECRET
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
Matt 16:18
Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

POSTCOMMUNION 
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 . . .

15th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA (1555 A.D.), Bishop and Confessor; SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS, Martyrs

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]

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

SAINT THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Bishop and Confessor

SAINT MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
Martyrs

DOUBLE / GREEN 
INTROIT Ps. 85:1, 2-3
Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me. Save Your servant who trusts in You. Have pity on me, O Lord, for to You I call all the day.
Ps. 85:4. Gladden the soul of Your servant, for I have lifted up my soul to You, O Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, let Your abiding mercy purify and defend the Church. Govern her always by Your care, for without Your assistance she cannot remain safe. Through our Lord . . . 

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.

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 . . .  

 EPISTLE Gal. 5:25-26; 6:1-10
Brethren: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, and if a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens: and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be some thing, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every one prove his own work: and so he shall have glory in himself only and not in another. For every one shall bear his own burden. And let him that is instructed in the word communicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things. Be not deceived: God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit of the spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

GRADUAL Ps. 91:2-3
It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing to Your name, O Most high.
V. To proclaim Your mercy in the morning and Your truth throughout the night. 

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 94:3
For the Lord is a great God, and a great king over all the earth. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 7:11-16
At that time, Jesus went into a city that is called Naim: and there went with him his disciples and a great multitude. And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother: and she was a widow. And a great multitude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her:"Weep not." And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it stood still. And he said: "Young man, I say to thee, arise." And he that was dead sat up and begun to speak. And he gave him to his mother. And there came a fear upon them all: and they glorified God saying: "A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 39:2, 3, 4
I have waited and waited for the Lord, and He inclined toward me and heard my cry. And He out a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. 

SECRET 
O Lord, may Your Sacrament safeguard and defend us always against the attacks of the devil. through our Lord . . .


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. 
 
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 ANTIPHON John 6:52 
The Bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world.

POSTCOMMUNION
Let the grace of your Heavenly gift rule our minds and bodies, O Lord, that we may overcome the unruly impulses of our nature. Through our Lord . . .

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. 
 
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 . . .