THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

 

THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Man's cleverest technique cannot synthesize life nor restore it. Man can frustrate life or destroy it but he cannot compound it. Life's mystery escapes human genius. Only God is the author and lord of life. From Him it comes; to Him it returns. He alone can give or restore human life, either directly or, more commonly, through human agents. He alone gives and restores the supernatural life of the soul. As shared divine life surpasses human life, so the marvel of restoring a soul, through the sacraments of Baptism or Penance from the death of sin to the life of grace surpasses the miracle of restoring physical life. It is the mission of the Church to give soul-life to all men.

INTROIT Ps. 104:3-4
Let every heart that seeks the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and find strength; seek the Lord evermore.
Ps. 104:1. Give glory to the Lord and invoke His Name; make known His deeds among the nations.
V. Glory be . . .

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 . . .

LESSON IV Kings 4:25-38 [2 Kings 4:25-38]
In those days, a Sunamite woman came to Eliseus to mount Carmel: and when the man of God saw her coming towards, he said to Giezi, his servant: "Behold that Sunamitess. Go, therefore, to meet her, and say to her: Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and with thy son?" And she answered: "Well."
And when she came to the man of God, to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said: "Let her alone for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me." And she said to him: "Did I ask a son of my lord? did I not say to thee: 'Do not deceive me?' "
Then he said to Giezi: "Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child." But the mother of the child said: "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." He arose, therefore, and followed her. But Giezi was gone before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and there was no voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him, saying: "The child is not risen."
Eliseus, therefore, went into the house, and behold the child lay dead on his bed: And going in, he shut the door upon him, and upon the child, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child: and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he bowed himself upon him, and the child's flesh grew warm. Then he returned and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went up, and lay upon him: and the child gaped seven times, and opened his eyes. And he called Giezi, and said to him: "Call this Sunamitess." And she being called, went in to him: and he said: "Take up thy son." She came and fell at his feet, and worshiped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out. And Eliseus returned to Galgal.

GRADUAL Ps. 73:20, 19, 22
Be mindful of Your covenant, O Lord, and forget not forever the lives of Your poor.
V. Arise, O Lord, defend Your own cause; remember the abuse hurled against Your servants.

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. 69:2, 3, 4
O Lord, make haste to help me. Let all be put to shame who plot evil against Your servants.

SECRET
Cleanse us, O merciful God. Let the prayers of the Church, which are so pleasing to You when they are accompanied by this offering, be even more acceptable to You because our souls are free from sin. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 70:16, 17, 18
O Lord, I will be mindful of Your singular justice. O God, You have taught me from my youth, and when I am old and gray, O God, forsake me not.

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, let us not be condemned by unworthily receiving this Gift of Heaven which was instituted for the spiritual health of Your faithful. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O God, Creator and Ruler of Your people, free Your own from the temptations assailing them, so that they may please You and be protected by You. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ . . .

WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

 

WEDNESDAY OF THE 

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

SIMPLE / PURPLE
The Church of the New Testament continues the Israel of the Old Testament. The faithful of God are one social, religious unit that extends backward to our first parents and forward over the world to the end of time. All derive grace from Christ. Hence all, by grace, are brothers in Christ. Old and New Testament saints are celebrated in the one Sacrifice of Christ.
Jesus came to cleanse His people anew, to give them a new and vastly higher dignity, to make them charitable and apostolic. It is now their conscience mission to bring all men to a baptized brotherhood in Christ -- a brotherhood that reaches across every line of nation, race, or color.
 
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.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.

COLLECT
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 . . .

LESSONEzech. 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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

  

TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

SIMPLE / PURPLE
It is man's perennial temptation to forget whence he comes, why he exists, and to whom he owes worship. Disavowing his true Creator, man sometimes makes a god out of an ambition and burns up his energies in a holocaust of devotion to it; or he makes a god of himself by saying that his own nobility of action and his own sense of achievement are sufficient guarantee of truth and morality, as well as sufficient reward. Such subtle but monstrous pride forgets that only God is sufficient reason for His own action and glory. "He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory."

INTROIT (Ps. 54:2-3)
Hearken, O God, to my prayer and turn not away from my pleading; give heed to me, and answer me.  
Ps. 54:3-4. I am tossed about in my grief, and am troubled at the uproar of th enemy and the oppression of the wicked.  
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, may our observance of the Lenten fast increase our piety and bring us Your continued merciful help. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON (Ex. 32:7-14)
In those days, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Go, get thee down: thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, hath sinned. They have quickly strayed from the way which thou didst shew them: and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: 'These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.' "
And again the Lord said to Moses: "I see that this people is stiffnecked: Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation." But Moses besought the Lord his God, saying: "Why, O Lord, is thy indignation enkindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: 'He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth': let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: 'I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to your seed, and you shall possess it for ever' ": And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people.

GRADUAL (Ps. 43:26, 2)
Arise, O Lord, and help us, and save us for Your name's sake.
V. O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have declared to us the deeds You performed in their time, in the days of old.

GOSPEL (John 7:14-31)
At that time, about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews wondered, saying: "How doth this man know letters, having never learned?" Jesus answered them and said: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do the will of him, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true and there is no injustice in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why seek you to kill me?" The multitude answered and said: "Thou hast a devil. Who seeketh to kill thee?" Jesus answered and said to them: "One work I have done: and you all wonder. Therefore, Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers): and on the sabbath day you circumcise a man. If a man receive circumcision on the sabbath day, that the law of Moses may not be broken: are you angry at me, because I have healed the whole man on the sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance: but judge just judgment." Some therefore of Jerusalem said: "Is not this he whom they seek to kill? And behold, he speaketh openly: and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth that this is the Christ? But we know this man, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth, whence he is."
Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: "You both know me, and you know whence I am. And I am not come of myself: but he that sent me is true, whom you know not. I know him, because I am from him: and he hath sent me." They sought therefore to apprehend him: and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. But of the people many believed in him.

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

SECRET
May this offering cleanse us from our sins, O Lord, and may it sanctify Your servants in body and soul for the celebration of this Sacrifice. Through Our Lord . . .

 Communion Antiphon
Ps 19:6
May we shout for joy at Your victory and raise the standards in the Name of the Lord our God.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, cleanse us from sin through the reception of this Sacrament and lead us toward the kingdom of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
 
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, have mercy on Your people and strengthen them in their daily trials and labors. Through Our Lord . . .

MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT; SAINT JOHN CAPISTRAN (1456 A.D.)

  

MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

[Commemoration] 

SAINT JOHN CAPISTRAN
Confessor

SIMPLE / PURPLE
The wisdom of God is always saving men from their human weaknesses. Man succeeds in a particular task by concentrating on the particular; but he fails in his high destiny when he lets the particular need, or desire, or project, crowd out the rights of God and of his fellow men. The eternal vision of God rectifies the limited human vision which sees everything in days or months or years. The eternal law of God lays down man's duty of worshiping God and also his duty of speaking the truth, of rendering justice, and of practicing charity towards everyone. God's wisdom prevails to man's eternal gain.
  

INTROIT Ps. 53:3-4

O God, by Your name save me, and by Your might deliver me. O God, hear my prayer; hearken to the words of my mouth.

Ps. 53:5. For strangers have risen up against me, and the powerful have sought my life.

V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O Almighty God, may we please You with our bodies and our souls by keeping this yearly fast with devotion. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN CAPISTRAN
John was born in 1386, at Capistrano in the kingdom of Naples. He became a famous lawyer and then was appointed governor of Perugia. At the age of 34 he entered the Franciscan Order. John Capistran was the friend of four Popes: he reformed his order, and he evangelized Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Poland. At the close of his life, John led a crusade against the Turks and was a chief organizer of the glorious Christian victory at Belgrade in 1456.
 
O God, blessed John manifested the power of the most holy name of Jesus when he led the faithful in triumph over the enemies of the Cross. May we overcome the deceits of our spiritual enemies and receive the crown of justice from You through the intercession of this saint. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

LESSON III Kings 3:16-28 [I King 3:16-28]

Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him. And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber. And the third day after I was delivered, she also was delivered; and we were together, and no other person with us in the house; only we two. And this woman's child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him. And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I, thy handmaid, was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I arose in the morning, to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently, when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore. And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayst, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary, she said; Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king. Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay; but thy child is dead, and mine liveth. The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king, Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other. But the woman, whose child was alive, said to the king; (for her bowels were moved upon her child) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine; but divide it. The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed; for she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.

GRADUAL Ps. 30:3; 70:1

Be a God of protection to me, a place of shelter to give me safety.

V. I have placed my trust in You, O God; O Lord, let me never be put to shame.

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 2:13-25
At that time, the pasch of the Jews was at hand: and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
And he found in the temple them that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made, as it were, a scourge of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen: and the money of the changers he poured out, and the tables he overthrew. And to them that sold doves he said: "Take these things hence, and make not the house of my Father a house of traffic." And his disciples remembered, that it was written: 'The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up.'
The Jews, therefore, answered, and said to him: "What sign dost thou shew unto us, seeing thou dost these things?" Jesus answered and said to them: "Destroy this temple; and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said: "Six and forty years was this temple in building; and wilt thou raise it up in three days?" But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen again from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this: and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had said.
Now when he was at Jerusalem, at the pasch, upon the festival day, many believed in his name, seeing his signs which he did. But Jesus did not trust himself unto them: for that he knew all men, And because he needed not that any should give testimony of man: for he knew what was in man.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 99:1-2
Sing joyfully to God all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful song, for the Lord is God.

SECRET
May the Sacrifice that we offer You, O Lord, always bring us new life and keep us from harm. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN CAPISTRAN
May the sacrifice we offer please You, O Lord, and protect us against the trickery of our enemies through the intercession of Your blessed confessor John. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 18:13-14
Cleanse me from my hidden faults, O Lord, and spare Your servants from those of others.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the reception of Your Sacrament bring us ever nearer to our eternal redemption. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN CAPISTRAN
We have been nourished by the Food of Heaven and refreshed by Spiritual Drink. Shield us from our evil enemies and keep the Church in enduring peace. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, graciously hear our prayers. Protect those who depend upon You even for the desire to ask for help. Through our Lord . . .

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - LAETARE SUNDAY; SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE (749 A.D.) Doctor of the Church

 

Rose Chasable

http://www.saintbedestudio.bizland.com/

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
LAETARE SUNDAY

[Commemoration]

SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / ROSE or PURPLE
Lent is half over, and Easter is enticingly near. This Sunday is a foretaste of Easter joy. Knowing the ebb and flow on intensity even in our best efforts, God deals with us tenderly in rhythms of consolation and desolation. So today, the thoughts of freedom and joy come in the middle of Lent. But the joy does more than cushion our failing energies and needle our lagging spirits. It is a positive, meaningful joy, born of our fruitful life in Christ and of our sweet freedom as His purchased children. The Eucharistic banquet of heavenly Bread, foreshadowed by the multiplied loaves and fishes and become now the Bread of Life for the whole Christian world, adds to our Laetare joy the quiet gladness of every festive meal.

INTROIT (Isa. 66:10-11)Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together all you who love her. rejoice with joy, you who have been in sorrow, that you may exalt, and be filled from the abundance of your consolation.
Ps. 121:1. I rejoice at the tidings that were told me, "We shall go into the house of the Lord."
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, we are being justly punished for our sins, but comfort us with Your grace, that we may live. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE 

Although Christian, John was grand vizier of the Mohammedan caliph of Damascus, when Emperor Leo the Isaurian began his campaign in the eight century against the veneration of holy images. John strongly opposed the destroyers of images, and for that reason lost his high post. John became a monk and passed the rest of his life in prayer, in study, and in writing about the things of God. He composed commentaries on St. Paul, many beautiful poems, and the Fountain of Wisdom, a summary of Christian beliefs. He is the last of the Greek Fathers, and has been called the St. Thomas Aquinas of the East.

Almighty and Eternal God, You endowed blessed John with divine learning and wondrous fortitude of soul in order that he might defend the veneration of sacred images. May the example and prayers of blessed John help us to imitate the virtues and enjoy the protection of the saints whose images we venerate. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE (Gal. 4:22-31)
Brethren: For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman and the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh: but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sinai, engendering unto bondage, which is Agar. For Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is: and is in bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem which is above is free: which is our mother. For it is written:

Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry thou that travailest not: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit: so also it is now. But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman." So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free.

GRADUAL (Ps. 121:1, 7)
I rejoice at the tidings that were told me, "We shall go into the house of the Lord." V. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your towers.

TRACT (Ps. 124:1-2)
They who trust in the Lord are like Mount Sion; he who dwells in Jerusalem shall never be moved. 
V. Mountains are round about it, and the Lord is round about His people, from henceforth and forever.

GOSPEL (John 6:1-15)
At that time, After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain: and there he sat with his disciples.
Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" And this he said to try him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him: "Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one may take a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him: "There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves and two fishes. But what are these among so many?" Then Jesus said: "Make the men sit down."
Now, there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would. And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: "Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost." They gathered up therefore and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above to them that had eaten.
Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: "This is of a truth the prophet that is to come into the world." Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to take him by force and make him king, fled again into the mountains, himself alone.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 134:3, 6)
Praise the Lord, for He is good; sing praise to His name, for He is sweet. All He has willed, He has done in heaven and on earth.

SECRET 
Look with favor upon these offerings, O Lord, that they may be an aid to our devotion and to our salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE

O Lord, may our offerings be pleasing to You through the prayerful intercession of blessed John and of Your saints whose images we today venerate in our churches because of the efforts of their defender. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Ps. 121:3-4)
Jerusalem was built as a city with compact unity; to it the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, to give praise to Your name, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O merciful God, we never fail to be nourished by Your Sacrament. May we offer it with true devotion and receive it always with faith. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE

Shield us, O Lord, with Your divine protection through the Gift we have just received. Cover us over with the prayers of blessed John and of all Your saints whose images are held in veneration in our churches today because of his efforts. Through Our Lord . . .

SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

  

The painting is by Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri; Italian, ca. 1591-1666),
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, 1621.

SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

SIMPLE / PURPLE

 Jesus said: "Do not judge, that you may not be judged. For with what judgement you judge, you shall be judged. . . . But why dost thou see the speck in thy brother's eye, and yet dost not consider the beam in thine own eye? . . . Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam from thine own eye, and then thou wilt see clearly to cast out the speck from thy brother's eye" (Matt. 7:1-3,5).
It is common tendency to favor ourselves and condemn others precisely in proportion to our own guilt. Conversely, the innocent find it easy to believe in the innocence of others, and to sympathize with their failures.

INTROIT Ps. 5:2-3
Hear my words, O Lord; consider my cry. Hearken to the voice of my prayer, O my king and my God.
Ps. 5:4. For to You I pray, O Lord; in the morning You hear my voice.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, while Your servants mortify their bodies by fasting, may they also follow after righteousness and avoid sin. Through our Lord . . .


LESSON Dan. 13:1-9, 15-17, 1930, 33-62
Now there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joakim: And he took a wife, whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God. For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter according to the law of Moses.
Now Joakim was very rich, and had an orchard near his house: and the Jews resorted to him, because he was the most honourable of them all. And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said: 'That iniquity came out from Babylon, from the ancient judges, that seemed to govern the people.' These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had any matters of judgment came to them. And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband's orchard. And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards her:
And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes, that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.
And it fell out, as they watched a fit day, she went in on a time, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and was desirous to wash herself in the orchard: for it was hot weather. And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves, and were beholding her. So she said to the maids: "Bring me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me."
Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose, and ran to her, and said: "Behold the doors of the orchard are shut, and nobody seeth us, and we are in love with thee: wherefore consent to us, and lie with us. But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that a young man was with thee, and therefore thou didst send away thy maids form thee." Susanna sighed, and said: "I am straitened on every side: for if I do this thing, it is death to me: and if I do it not, I shall not escape your hands. But it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord." With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out against her. And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and opened it. So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door, to see what was the matter. But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed: for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on the next day, When the people were come to Joakim, her husband, the two elders also came full of wicked device against Susanna, to put her to death. And they said before the people: "Send to Susanna, daughter of Helcias, the wife of Joakim." And presently they sent. And she came with her parents, and children and all her kindred.
Therefore her friends, and all her acquaintance wept. But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people, laid their hands upon her head. And she weeping, looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord. And the elders said: "As we walked in the orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the doors of the orchard, ans sent away the maids from her. Then a young man that was there hid came to her, and lay with her. But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.
And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than us, and opening the doors, he leaped out: But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses."
The multitude believed them, as being the elders, and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said: "O eternal God, who knowest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to pass, Thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me: and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously forged against me."
And the Lord heard her voice. And when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel: And he cried out with a loud voice: "I am clear from the blood of this woman." Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said: "What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?" But he standing in the midst of them, said: "Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel? Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her."
So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him: "Come, and sit thou down among us, and shew it us: seeing God hath given thee the honour of old age." And Daniel said to the people: "Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them." So when they were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: "O thou that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou hast committed before: In judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith: The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill. Now then if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together?": He said: "Under a mastic tree." And Daniel said: "Well hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God having recieved the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two."
And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: "O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thy heart: Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you: but a daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness. Now, therefore, tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together?" And he answered: "Under a holm tree." And Daniel said to him: "Well hast thou also lied against thy own head: for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you."
With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him. And they rose up against the two elders, (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbour, To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.

 
GRADUAL Ps. 22:4
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, O Lord.
V. Your rod and Your staff, these give me courage.

GOSPEL John 8:1-11
At that time, Jesus went unto mount Olivet. And early in the morning he came again into the temple: and all the people came to him. And sitting down he taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst, And said to him: "Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest thou?" And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him.
But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger on the ground. When therefore they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said to them: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground.
But they hearing this, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up himself, said to her: "Woman, where are they that accused thee? Hath no man condemned thee?" Who said: "No man, Lord." And Jesus said: "Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 118:133
Direct my footsteps according to Your promise, O Lord, and let no iniquity rule over me.

SECRET
Almighty God, grant that our sacrificial offering may cleanse and protect our frail nature from all evil. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 8:10, 11
Has no one condemned thee, woman? No one, Lord. Neither will I condemn thee. From now on sin no more.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Almighty God, may we, who have received the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion, be numbered among the members of His Mystical Body; who lives and rules with You . . .

PRAY OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, stretch out Your helping hand from heaven to all the faithful who seek You with all their hearts. May they be worthy of receiving that which they rightly ask for. Through our Lord . . .

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY; FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

 

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
Every year this feast recalls anew Mary's reply to God's angelic messenger: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." Every work of the Creator is called to perfection, and perfection consists in obedience. The heavens and the earth inevitably announce the glory of God, but to human beings alone God granted a free will to serve Him. At the Annunciation, the obedience of Mary brought Christ down on earth to save fallen humanity. we, too, are called upon to co-operate with the Creator. The glory of God awaits our human word of obedient consent.

INTROIT (Ps. 44:13, 15, 16)All the rich among the people shall seek your favor. Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king, her friends shall be brought to you with gladness and joy.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, by Your divine decree the Word was made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the announcement of the angel. May the prayers of the Virgin help us, for we believe that she is truly the Mother of God. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Commemoration of FRIDAY OF THE 3rd WEEK OF LENT
O Lord, graciously be with us during this fast, and, we beseech You, help our spirit to abstain from sin as our body fasts from food.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord . . .

LESSON (Isa. 7:10-15)
In those days, the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying: "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above." And Achaz said: "I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord." And he said: "Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good."

GRADUAL (Ps. 44:3, 5)
Grace is poured out on your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever and for all ages. V. For the sake of truth and meekness and justice, may your right hand lead you on wonderfully.

TRACT (Ps. 44:11, 12, 13, 10 15-16)
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, for the king greatly desires your beauty. V. All the rich among the people seek your favor, the daughters of the king wish to be held in honor by you. V. Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king; her friends shall be brought to you. V. They shall be brought in with gladness and joy, they shall be led into the temple of the king.

GOSPEL (Luke 1:26-38)
At that time, 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."
And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" And the angel answering, said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word shall be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Luke 1:28, 42)
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

SECRET
O Lord, fix deeply in our minds the mysteries of our true faith. We profess that Your Son who was conceived of a virgin is true God and true man. May His life-giving resurrection bring us the reward of eternal happiness. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Commemoration of FRIDAY OF THE 3rd WEEK OF LENT

Look with favor, we beseech You, O Lord, upon the gifts we offer You, that they may be pleasing to you and ever helpful to our salvation.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Isa. 7:14)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

POSTCOMMUNION
Pour forth Your grace into our hearts, O Lord, so that we who learned of the Incarnation of Your Son Christ through the message of an angel, may be brought to the glory of Jesus' resurrection by His passion and cross. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Commemoration of FRIDAY OF THE 3rd WEEK OF LENT

May the reception of this sacrament, O Lord, cleanse us from sin and bring us into the heavenly kingdom.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord . . .

SAINT GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL; THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

  

SAINT GABRIEL

Archangel

THURSDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

GREATER DOUBLE / WHITE
Gabriel the Archangel announced to Daniel the time of the coming of the Messias (Dan. 9:21), and to Zachary the future birth of the Precursor of the Word Incarnate (Luke 1:10). Then came the sublime message to Mary at Nazareth and the God-inspired salutation, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28).
In the "Hail Mary," the words of the Angel of the Annunciation have been repeated through the centuries by countless millions of human beings. Thrice daily the church bells ring the "Angelus" to recall through the ages how the strong angel who stands before God bowed in reverence to a humble Jewish virgin, soon to become the Mother of Christ and the Queen of heaven and earth.

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, from among all the angels You chose the archangel Gabriel as the messenger of the mystery of Your Incarnation. May his intercession in heaven help us as we celebrate his feast on earth; who lives and rules with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Commemoration of THURSDAY 3rd WEEK OF LENT
May the blessed feast of Your saints, Cosmas and Damian, glorify You, O Lord; for on this day in Your marvelous providence, You gave them glory everlasting, and gave us their help.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord . . .

 
LESSON (Dan. 9:21-26)
In those days, behold the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice. And he instructed me, and spoke to me, and said: "O Daniel, I am now come forth to teach thee, and that thou mightest understand. From the beginning of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to shew it to thee, because thou art a man of desires: therefore, do thou mark the word, and understand the vision.
"Seventy weeks are shortened upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, that transgression may be finished, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be abolished; and everlasting justice may be brought; and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled; and the Saint of saints may be anointed.
Know thou, therefore, and take notice: that from the going forth of the word, to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ, the prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: and the street shall be built again, and the walls, in straitness of times. And after sixty-two weeks Christ shall be slain: and the people that shall deny him shall not be his. And a people, with their leader, that shall come, shall destroy the city, and the sanctuary: and the end thereof shall be waste, and after the end of the war the appointed desolation."

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.

TRACT (Luke 1:28, 42, 32, 35)
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. V. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! V. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel. V. The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. V. And therefore the Holy One to be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

GOSPEL (Luke 1:26-38)
At that time, 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."
And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?" And the angel answering, said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word shall be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word."

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.

SECRET
Accept the offering of our gift and the prayers of the blessed archangel Gabriel, O Lord. May he whom we venerate on earth be our advocate before You in heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
 
Commemoration of THURSDAY 3rd WEEK OF LENT

We offer You, O Lord, in honor of the meritorious death of Your just ones, this sacrifice which is the source of martyrdom.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son 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 have received the Sacrament of Your Body and Blood, O Lord our God. may Gabriel, who brought us the news of Your Incarnation, help us to obtain the benefits of it; who lives and rules with God . . .

Commemoration of THURSDAY 3rd WEEK OF LENT

O Lord, we ask You through the merits of Your blessed martyrs, Cosmas and Damian, that Your holy sacrament will assure us of salvation.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord . . .