SAINT ZEPHYRINUSPope and Martyr
OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA
[Historical]
SAINT JOHN WALL
Martyr
BLESSED THOMAS PERCY
Martyr
IV Class
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36
God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people.
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .
COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT ZEPHYRINUS
A native of Rome, Zephyrinus was Pope from 199 to 217. During part of his rule, the Church endured the bloody persecution of Emperor Septimus Severus. Pope Zephyrinus rejoiced in the triumphs of the martyrs, but he had much to suffer from current heresies and apostasies. It was his glory that the heretics called this holy Pope the principle defender of Christ's divinity.
O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Zephyrinus 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.
A native of Rome, Zephyrinus was Pope from 199 to 217. During part of his rule, the Church endured the bloody persecution of Emperor Septimus Severus. Pope Zephyrinus rejoiced in the triumphs of the martyrs, but he had much to suffer from current heresies and apostasies. It was his glory that the heretics called this holy Pope the principle defender of Christ's divinity.
O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Zephyrinus 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 JOHN WALL, BLESSED THOMAS PERCY
O Lord, we beseech Thee, pour down upon us the spirit of constancy and fortitude wherewith Thou strengthened Thy blessed Martyrs John and Thomas in the defence of the Catholic Faith, so that, filled therewith, we, who rejoice on earth for their triumphant martyrdom, may deserve to be partakers of their glory in heaven. Through our Lord . . .
EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.
GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.
Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!
GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.
SECRET
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.
GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.
Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!
GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.
SECRET
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT ZEPHYRINUS
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 JOHN WALL, BLESSED THOMAS PERCY
Stand by us, O Lord, while we commemorate Thy saints and humbly pray, that by their merits these Thy friends may assist us who dare not rely on our own. Through our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.
POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT ZEPHYRINUS
O Lord, govern the Church, which You have been pleased to nourish with Your Heavenly Food. Guide her by Your powerful direction so that she may enjoy greater freedom and remain unshaken in the fullness of faith.
O Lord, govern the Church, which You have been pleased to nourish with Your Heavenly Food. Guide her by Your powerful direction so that she may enjoy greater freedom and remain unshaken in the fullness of faith.
Commemoration of SAINT JOHN WALL, BLESSED THOMAS PERCY
Well satisfied with these saving mysteries, O Lord, we beseech Thee that those whose feast we celebrate may aid us by their prayers. Though our Lord . . .
History:
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| English: The Black Madonna of Czestochowa Polski: Ikona Matki Boskiej z Jasnej Góry w Częstochowie zwana Czarną Madonną (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
| Feast Day: August 26 - Our Lady of Czestochowa | | |
History:
The
origin of this miraculous image in Czestochowa, according to
tradition, the painting was a portrait of Our Lady done by St. John
sometime after the Crucifixion of Our Lord and remained in the Holy
Land until discovered by St. Helena of the Cross in the fourth century.
The painting was taken to Constantinople, where St. Helena's son, the
Emperor Constantine, erected a church for its enthronement. During the
siege by the Saracens, the invaders became frightened when the people
carried the picture in a procession around the city; the infidels fled.
Later, the image was threatened with burning by an evil emperor, who
had a wife, Irene, who saved it and hid it from harm. The image was in
that city for 500 years, until it became part of some dowries, eventually being taken to Russia to a region that later became Poland.
After
the portrait became the possession of the Polish prince, St. Ladislaus
in the 15th century, it was installed in his castle. Tartar invaders
besieged the castle and an enemy arrow pierced Our Lady's image,
inflicting a scar. Interestingly, repeated attempts to fix the image,
artistically have all failed.
Tradition
says that St. Ladislaus determined to save the image from repeated
invasions, so he went to his birthplace, Opala, stopping for rest in Częstochowa; the image was brought nearby to Jasna Góra (bright hill")and
placed in a small wooden church named for the Assumption. The
following morning, after the picture was carefully placed in the wagon,
the horses refused to move. St. Ladislaus understood this to be a sign
from Heaven that the image should stay in Częstochowa; thus he replaced
the painting in the Church of the Assumption, August 26, 1382, a day
still observed as the Feast Day. The Saint wished to have the holiest of
men guard the painting, so he assigned the church and the monastery to
the Pauline Fathers, who have devoutly protected the image for the
last six hundred years.
Having
survived two attacks upon it, Our Lady's image was next in peril by
the Hussites. The Hussites successfully stormed the Pauline monastery
in 1430, plundering the sanctuary. Among the items stolen was the
image. After putting it in their wagon, the Hussites went a little ways but
then the horses refused to go any further. Recalling the former
incident that was so similar, the heretics threw the portrait down to
the ground, which shattered the image into three pieces. One of the
plunderers drew his sword and slashed the image twice, causing two deep
gashes; while attempting a third gash, he was overcome with a writhing
agony and died.
The two slashes on the cheek of the Blessed Virgin, together with the one on
the throat, have always reappeared after artistic attempts to fix
them. The portrait again faced danger in 1655 by a Swedish horde of
12,000, which confronted the 300 men guarding the image. The band of
300 routed the 12,000 and the following year, the Holy Virgin was
acclaimed Queen of Poland.
Prayer
(to be said each day upon rising)
HOLY MOTHER of Czestochowa, Thou art full of grace,
goodness and mercy. I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts,
words and actions----my soul and body. I beseech Thy
blessings and especially prayers for my salvation.
Today, I consecrate myself to Thee, Good Mother, totally
----with body and soul amid joy and sufferings to obtain
for myself and others Thy blessings on this earth and
eternal life in Heaven. Amen.
Imprimatur: Cardinal O' Boyle, Washington, DC
goodness and mercy. I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts,
words and actions----my soul and body. I beseech Thy
blessings and especially prayers for my salvation.
Today, I consecrate myself to Thee, Good Mother, totally
----with body and soul amid joy and sufferings to obtain
for myself and others Thy blessings on this earth and
eternal life in Heaven. Amen.
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