THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA (1231 A.D.) Confessor and Doctor of the Church

 

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

WITHIN THE OCTAVE

OF THE SACRED HEART

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

Jesus, the pursuing shepherd of souls, follows and sustains each person in his worst battles with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Even when, ignoring Christ's presence and rejecting His grace, a man chooses to sin, Jesus does not abandon the sinner but gives him the graces of sorrow and of confidence in God's forgiveness. Following Christ's example, the Pope continues to shepherd souls by making himself the "servant of the servants of God."

DOUBLE / WHITE
INTROIT Ps. 24:16, 18 Look upon me, O Lord, and have pity on me, for I am alone and desolate. See my poverty and my pain, and pardon all my sins, O my God.
Ps. 24:1-2. I have lifted up my soul to You, O Lord, in You I place my trust, O my God. Let me not be put to shame. 
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You are the protector of all who trust in You, and without You nothing is strong, nothing is holy. Be even more merciful towards us, and rule and guide us that we may use the good things of this life in such a way as not to lose the blessings of eternal life. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ANTHONY
Anthony Padua (1195-1231), a native of Portugal, was inspired to enter the Franciscan Order on the occasion of the translation of the relics of the first Franciscan martyrs from Morocco to Coimbra. Anthony was soon assigned to Africa, but he had scarcely landed there when he fell desperately ill. After his forced return to Europe, his superiors discovered his marvelous power as a preacher, and with it his profound grasp of Sacred Scripture ( later Pope Gregory IX called him the "Ark of the Testament"). Under the guidance of St. Francis, he began his phenomenal preaching apostolate in Italy and France. Although his life offers no satisfactory explanation for his subsequent cult as the saint to be invoked for lost articles, his sermons certainly brought immediate results in reformed lives. Anthony died at the age of 36, and was canonized within the year.


O God, let the Church rejoice on the occasion of the solemn commemoration of Your blessed confessor and doctor Anthony. May she always be protected by Your divine help so that her members may one day be worthy of eternal happiness. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 5:6-11
Beloved: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

GRADUAL Ps. 54:23, 17, 19
Cast your care upon the Lord and He will support you. 
V. When I called upon the Lord, He heard my voice and delivered me from those who war against me. 

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 7:12
God is a just judge, strong and patient. Shall He be angry all the time? Alleluia! 

GOSPEL Luke 15:1-10
At that time, the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 
"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 9:11-12, 13
Let those trust in You who cherish Your name, O Lord, for You do not forsake those who seek you. Sing praise to the Lord, enthroned in Sion, for He has not forgotten the cry of the poor.

SECRETO Lord, look with favor upon the offerings of Your Church as she prays to You. Bless these gifts, that the faithful who receive them may attain salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ANTHONY
May this offering aid the salvation of Your people, O Lord, for whom You have willed to offer Yourself as a living victim in sacrifice; who lives and rules with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Luke 15:10
I say to you, there will be joy among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

POSTCOMMUNIONO Lord, let the reception of Your Holy Sacrament bring us to life, atone for our sins, and prepare us to receive Your unfailing mercy. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ANTHONY
Nourished with Your Divine Gift, O Lord, we ask that we may feel the effect of Your life-giving sacrifice through the merits and intercession of Your blessed confessor and doctor Anthony. Through our Lord . . .