WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT; SAINT PATRICK (461 A.D.) - Lorica of Saint Patrick

 

WEDNESDAY OF THE

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINT PATRICK
Bishop and Confessor

SIMPLE / PURPLE
INTROIT Ezech. 36:23-26
When I shall be sanctified in you, I will gather you from every land; and I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from your filthiness, and I will give you a new spirit.
Ps. 33:2. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be in my mouth.
V. Glory be . . .

Let us pray.
Let us kneel.
Arise.

O God, You reward the just man and grant pardon to the sinner if he does penance by fasting. Be merciful to Your people who implore You, and forgive us our sins through our confession of guilt. Through our Lord . . . 

LESSON Ezech. 36:23-28
Thus says the Lord God: "And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the Gentiles, which you have profaned in the midst of them: that the Gentiles may know that I am the Lord, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the Gentiles, and will gather you together out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in the midst of you: and I will cause you to walk in my commandments, and to keep my judgments, and do them. And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God," says the Lord Almighty.

GRADUAL Ps. 33:12, 6
Come, children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
V. Turn to Him that you may be enlightened, and your faces may never blush with shame.

COLLECT
O Almighty God, grant that we may be happy in chastising our bodies through fasting. May we bring our passions under control, and thus more easily attain the rewards of heaven. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINT PATRICK
Toward the close of the fourth century, the pagan Irish captured during a slave-hunting raid the Christian youth who would become St. Patrick. The lad was put to work in Ireland as a pigherd for six years. Then he escaped, but with the intension of returning to th eland of his captivity as an apostle. The former pigherd was ordained to the priesthood, and in 432 was made a bishop. The Pope himself commissioned Patrick to carry the Faith to Ireland. In his apostolic travels St. Patrick covered the length and breathe of the island. He overcame heartbreaking difficulties and sorrows, because he made Christ his sole changeless friend and helper.

O God, You sent Your blessed confessor bishop Patrick to preach Your glory among the nations. May we fulfill all the duties commanded of us through his merits and intercession. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Isa. 1:16-19
Thus says the Lord God: "Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes, cease to do perversely, Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then come, and accuse me", saith the Lord: "If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. If you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land," says the Lord Almighty.

GRADUAL Ps. 32:12, 6
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance! V. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all the celestial bodies thereof were created.

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 Savior, and for the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your names sake.


GOSPEL John 9:1-38
At that time Jesus, passing by, saw a man who was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him: "Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?" Jesus answered: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, whilst it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 
When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and spread the clay upon his eyes, And said to him: "Go, wash in the pool of Siloe,"which is interpreted, 'Sent.' He went therefore and washed: and he came seeing.
The neighbours, therefore, and they who had seen him before that he was a beggar, said: "Is not this he that sat and begged?" Some said: "This is he." But others said: "No, but he is like him." But he said: "I am he." They said therefore to him: "How were thy eyes opened?" He answered: "That man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me: 'Go to the pool of Siloe and wash.' And I went: I washed: and I see." And they said to him: "Where is he?" He saith: "I know not."
They bring him that had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it was the sabbath, when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Again therefore the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. But he said to them: "He put clay upon my eyes: and I washed: and I see." Some therefore of the Pharisees said: "This man is not of God, who keepeth not the sabbath." But others said: "How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?" And there was a division among them. They say therefore to the blind man again: "What sayest thou of him that hath opened thy eyes?" And he said: "He is a prophet."
The Jews then did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight,
And asked them, saying: "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then doth he now see?" His parents answered them and said: "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind: But how he now seeth, we know not: or who hath opened his eyes, we know not. Ask himself: he is of age: Let him speak for himself."
These things his parents said, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had already agreed among themselves that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore did his parents say: "He is of age. Ask himself."
They therefore called the man again that had been blind and said to him: "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner." He said therefore to them: "If he be a sinner, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind. now I see." They said then to him: "What did he to thee? How did he open thy eyes?" He answered them: "I have told you already, and you have heard. Why would you hear it again? Will you also become his disciples?" They reviled him therefore and said: "Be thou his disciple; but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses: but as to this man, we know not from whence he is." The man answered and said to them: "why, herein is a wonderful thing, that you know not from whence he is, and he hath opened my eyes. Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God and doth his, will, him he heareth. From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God, he could not do anything." They answered and said to him: "Thou wast wholly born in sins; and dost thou teach us?" And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said to him: "Dost thou believe in the Son of God?" He answered, and said: "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?" And Jesus said to him: "Thou hast both seen him; and it is he that talketh with thee." And he said: "I believe, Lord." And falling down, he adored him.

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!

SECRET
O Almighty God, wash away our sins through these sacrificial gifts so that we may receive Your blessings of true health of mind and body. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PATRICK
O Lord, may Your Saints everywhere be a source of joy for us, and may we feel the power of their intercession with You as we solemnly recall the deeds of their lives. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Jo. 9:11
The Lord made clay with spittle and anointed my eyes, and I went and washed, and I saw; and I believed in God.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord our God, may the Sacrament we have received nourish us with spiritual food and comfort us with bodily aid. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PATRICK
O Almighty God, may the expression of our gratitude to You for all Your gifts bring us even greater benefits, through the intercession of Your blessed Confessor bishop Patrick. Through our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, in Your mercy hear the prayers of those who call upon You. Make their wills like Your will so that You may fulfill their every desire. Through our Lord . . .

[Not part of Liturgy, but for your pleasure]

Lorica of Saint Patrick

 

 

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)