EMBER WEDNESDAY AFTER PENTECOST

 

EMBER WEDNESDAY AFTER

PENTECOST

DOUBLE/RED
During these Ember Days every Christian should beg a blessing upon the new planting and sowing of crops that will feed the earth's millions. Everyone should also offer to God the first fruits of the spring harvest. Moreover, this is a time to pray for the deacons who will be ordained to the priesthood on the coming Saturday.

INTROIT Ps. 67:8, 9 

O God, when You went forth at the head of Your people, marching with them and dwelling among them, alleluia! the earth trembled and the skies dripped with rain, alleluia, alleluia!
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
May the Holy Comforter, who proceeds from You, O Lord, enlighten our minds and guide us in all truth, as Your Son has promised; who lives and rules with You in the unity of the same Holy Spirit . . .

LESSON Acts 2:14-21
In those days, Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: "Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day: But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy. And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come. And it shalt come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

Alleluia! V. Ps. 32:6
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all the celestial bodies thereof were created.

COLLECT
Almighty and merciful God, grant that the Holy Spirit may come and dwell in us, that we may be a temple of His glory. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 5:12-16
In those days, by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. But of the rest no man durst join himself unto them: but the people magnified them. And the multitude of men and women who believed in the Lord was more increased: Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that, when Peter came, his shadow at the least might overshadow any of them and they might be delivered from their infirmities. And there came also together to Jerusalem a multitude out of the neighbouring cities, bringing sick persons and such as were troubled with unclean spirits: who were all healed.

Alleluia, alleluia! (Here all kneel.)
V. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
 

SEQUENCE
Holy Spirit, come and shine
On our souls with beams divine
Issuing from your radiance bright.
Come, O Father of the poor,
Ever bounteous of your store,
Come, our heart's unfailing light.

Come, Consoler, kindest, best,
Come our bosom's dearest guest,
Sweet refreshment, sweet repose.
Rest in labor, coolness sweet,
Tempering the burning heat,
Truest comfort of our woes.

O divinest light, impart
Unto every faithful heart
Plenteous streams from love's bright flood.
But for your blest Deity,
Nothing pure in man could be;
Nothing harmless, nothing good.

Wash away each sinful stain;
Gently shed your gracious rain
On the dry and fruitless soul.
Heal each wound and bend each will,
Warm our hearts benumbed and chill,
All our wayward steps control.

Unto all your faithful just,
Who in you confide and trust,
Deign the sevenfold gift to send.
Grant us virtue's blest increase,
Grant a death of hope and peace,
Grant the joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 6:44-52
At that time, Jesus said to the Jews: "No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets: 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Every one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned cometh forth me. Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say unto you: He that believeth in me hath everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven: that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 118:47-48
I will meditate on Your commandments, which I love dearly; and I will lift up my hands to Your commands, which I cherish, alleluia!

SECRET 
Accept the gifts we offer You, O Lord, and grant that the celebration of these sacred rites may be reflected in our holy lives. Through our Lord . . .
 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, alleluia! My peace I give to you, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
We have received the Sacrament of Heaven, O Lord. We now humbly beg that the sacred rite, which we have celebrated, may be our joy for all eternity. Through our Lord . . .

TUESDAY AFTER PENTECOST

 

Image by Sacred Destinations via Flickr

TUESDAY AFTER PENTECOST

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / RED
Baptism alone seals a person as a child of God, bestows an initial share in Christ's priesthood, and enriches the soul with divine life. But Jesus instituted also the Sacrament of Confirmation, by which He gives a further indelible seal and a further share in His priesthood, as well as a special grace to live and worship as a mature, apostolic Christian. Because Christ emphasizes the fact that the Holy Spirit continues the work of saving souls, the act of Confirmation is recognized as the means for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

INTROIT IV Esdr. 2:36, 37
Receive with joy the glory that is yours, alleluia! giving thanks to God, alleluia! who has called you to the heavenly kingdom, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 77:1. Hearken, My people, to My law; incline your ears to the words of My mouth.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, let the power of the Holy Spirit be with us, gently cleansing our hearts and guarding us against danger. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 8:14-17
Now, when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. For he was not as yet come upon any of them: but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them: and they received the Holy Ghost.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. John 14:26
The Holy Spirit will teach you whatever I have said to you. Alleluia! (Here all Kneel.)
V. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love.

SEQUENCE
Holy Spirit, come and shine
On our souls with beams divine
Issuing from your radiance bright.
Come, O Father of the poor,
Ever bounteous of your store,
Come, our heart's unfailing light.

Come, Consoler, kindest, best,
Come our bosom's dearest guest,
Sweet refreshment, sweet repose.
Rest in labor, coolness sweet,
Tempering the burning heat,
Truest comfort of our woes.

O divinest light, impart
Unto every faithful heart
Plenteous streams from love's bright flood.
But for your blest Deity,
Nothing pure in man could be;
Nothing harmless, nothing good.

Wash away each sinful stain;
Gently shed your gracious rain
On the dry and fruitless soul.
Heal each wound and bend each will,
Warm our hearts benumbed and chill,
All our wayward steps control.

Unto all your faithful just,
Who in you confide and trust,
Deign the sevenfold gift to send.
Grant us virtue's blest increase,
Grant a death of hope and peace,
Grant the joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 10:1-10
At that time, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "Amen, amen, I say to you: He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth: and the sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers."
This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke. Jesus therefore said to them again: "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers: and the sheep heard them not. I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they may have life and may have it more abundantly."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 77:23-25
The Lord opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them for food. He gave them the bread of heaven, and man ate the food of angels, alleluia!

SECRET
O Lord, may we be cleansed by the sacrifice we offer, and made worthy to receive Your Blessed Sacrament. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 15:26; 16:14
The Spirit who proceeds from the Father, alleluia! He will glorify Me, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the Holy Spirit heal our souls with this divine Sacrament, for He Himself is the forgiveness of all sins. Through our Lord . . .

PENTECOST SUNDAY

 

 

English: Derivative work. Original image was taken by bobsh_t Flickr user. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PENTECOST SUNDAY

 
DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS WITH OCTAVE / RED
On Pentecost, Jesus crowned His life and teaching by sending the Holy Spirit into the hearts of Mary and the Apostles and three thousand converts. In them and through them, began a new generation of men, a new supernatural family, a new Mystical Christ embracing members of every race. Jesus gave His own Holy Spirit to be the soul of His new Mystical Body. That body, the Church, which rested with Him in germ beneath Mary's Heart and was born of His pierced side upon the Cross, came into its full, active maturity on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came in visible form to begin His invisible activity.

INTROIT Sap. 1:7
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world, alleluia! and that which contains all things has knowledge of His voice, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
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
O God, who this day instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that through the same Holy Spirit we may always be truly wise and rejoice in His consolation. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 2:1-11
When the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: "Behold, are not all these that speak Galilean? And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

GRADUAL

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 103:30.
Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Alleluia! (Here all kneel.)
V. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love.

SEQUENCE
Holy Spirit, come and shine
On our souls with beams divine
Issuing from your radiance bright.
Come, O Father of the poor,
Ever bounteous of your store,
Come, our heart's unfailing light.

Come, Consoler, kindest, best,
Come our bosom's dearest guest,
Sweet refreshment, sweet repose.
Rest in labor, coolness sweet,
Tempering the burning heat,
Truest comfort of our woes.

O divinest light, impart
Unto every faithful heart
Plenteous streams from love's bright flood.
But for your blest Deity,
Nothing pure in man could be;
Nothing harmless, nothing good.

Wash away each sinful stain;
Gently shed your gracious rain
On the dry and fruitless soul.
Heal each wound and bend each will,
Warm our hearts benumbed and chill,
All our wayward steps control.

Unto all your faithful just,
Who in you confide and trust,
Deign the sevenfold gift to send.
Grant us virtue's blest increase,
Grant a death of hope and peace,
Grant the joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia!

 

GOSPEL John 14:23-31
At that time, Jesus answered and said to him: "If any one love me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard is not mine; but the Father's who sent me. "These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled: nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you: 'I go away, and I come unto you.' If you loved me you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world: cometh: and in me he hath not any thing. But that the world may know that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given me commandments, so do I. Arise, let us go hence."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 67:29-30
Make lasting what You have wrought in us, O God; in Your temple in Jerusalem let the kings offer presents to You, alleluia!

SECRET
Bless our offering, O Lord, and cleanse our hearts by the light of the Holy Spirit. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Acts 2:2, 4
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, alleluia! And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began speaking of the wondrous deeds of God, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
May the coming of the Holy Spirit cleanse our hearts, and, as a heavenly dew, water them to bring forth good fruit. Through our Lord . . .

VIGIL OF PENTECOST OR WHITSUN EVE [Evening Mass after None]

  

VIGIL OF PENTECOST

PRIVILEGED VIGIL, DOUBLE / RED
The Vigil Mass of Pentecost is a festal Mass, and a great baptismal day, which opens the celebration of the Feast and Octave of Pentecost. It is properly celebrated in the afternoon after None, though it may either be postponed to later in the evening or anticipated in the morning for pastoral reasons. If celebrated in the evening it fulfills the obligation of attending Mass on Pentecost Sunday, subject to diocesan legislation. The feast of Whitsun is as ancient as that of Easter, and First Vespers on the Saturday following begins the liturgical season called Season after Pentecost. 
The Ascension of God's Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Heaven did not leave us abandoned and helpless. By the Divine Will, the Third Person of the Trinity is to be the soul and guiding light of Christ's Mystical Body.

INTROIT Ezech. 36:23-24, 25-26
When I shall be sanctified in you, I will gather you together out of all the countries; and I will pour upon you clean water and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will give you a new spirit, alleluia, alleluia!
Ps. 33:2. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be in my mouth.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Let the brightness of Your glory shine upon us, Almighty God, so that the Holy Spirit, light of Your light, may strengthen the hearts of those who are reborn in Your grace. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Acts 19:1-8
Now it was while Apollo was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. And he said to them: "Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" But they said to him: "We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost." And he said: "In what then were you baptized?" Who said: "In John's baptism." Then Paul said: "John baptized the people with the baptism of penance saying: That they should believe in him, who was to come after him, that is to say, in Jesus." Having heard these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them: and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. And entering into the synagogue, he spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and exhorting concerning the kingdom of God.

Alleluia! V. Ps. 106:1.
Praise the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

TRACT Ps. 116:1-2
Praise the Lord, all you nations; praise Him in unison, all you peoples!
V. For His mercy is steadfast towards us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

GOSPEL John 14:15-21
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father: and He shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever: The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, nor knoweth Him. But you shall know Him; because He shall abide with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more. But you see Me: because I live, and you shall live. In that day you shall know that I am in my Father: and you in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments and keepeth them; he it is that loveth Me. And he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 103:30-31
Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the Lord endure forever, alleluia!

SECRET
Bless our offering, O Lord, and cleanse our hearts by the light of the Holy Spirit. Through Our Lord . . .

Preface of Pentecost

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 7:37-39
On the last day of the feast, Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, from within him there shall flow rivers of living water." He said this of the Spirit, whom they who believed in Him were to receive, alleluia, alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION
May the coming of the Holy Spirit cleanse our hearts, and, as a heavenly dew, water them to bring forth good fruit. Through Our Lord . . .

MORNING MASS: SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE (735 A.D.); SAINT JOHN I (526 A.D.) Pope and Martyr

 

SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

SAINT JOHN I
Pope and Martyr

DOUBLE / WHITE
Venerable Bede (673-735), the first English historian, was consecrated to God from childhood. He became a Benedictine monk in the monastery of Jarrow in Northumberland, and trained there some six hundred scholars. His Ecclesiastical History of England is a treasure to scholars and lovers of spiritual life alike; but his principal study was ever the Bible. When this great Englishman died, on Ascension Day, 735, he had just finished dictating the final sentence of a translation of the Gospel of St. John.

Mass of a DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, except

COLLECT
O God, who dost enlighten Thy Church by the learning of blessed Bede, Thy Confessor and Doctor, mercifully grant to Thy servants ever to be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN I
Pope John I (525-26) was imprisoned by the heretical ravager of Italy, King Theodoric, and died in a dungeon from the hardships he had to endure.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed John 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. through our Lord . . .

Lesson 
Lesson from the second 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.

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja.
Eccli 45:9
The Lord loved him and decorated him: He hath clothed him in a stole of glory.
Osee 14:6.
The just man shall flourish like the lily: and will bear fruit in eternity before the Lord. Allelúja.
 

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."

Offertory
Ps 91:13
The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus. Allelúja.

 

SECRET
O Lord, let the blessed Confessor and Doctor Bede always help us, and through his intercession accept our offering and pardon our sins. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN I
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. 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. Allelúja.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed Confessor and illustrious Doctor Bede. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN I
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. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Philip Neri (1595 A.D.); Saint Eleutherius (188 A.D.); Saint Augustine of Canterbury (604 A.D.)

 

SAINT PHILIP NERI
Confessor

SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
Pope and Martyr

 

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY
Bishop and Confessor

 

DOUBLE / WHITE
Philip Neri (1515-95), a native of Florence, settled in Rome. He thought of offering himself for the foreign missions, but a Benedictine friend told him that his apostolate was in Rome. Philip gathered some companions into a group that later became the renowned Congregation of the Oratory. In 1551 he was ordained to the priesthood. Philip's Oratory soon constituted the center of religious life in the Eternal City, and its founder fully deserved the title by which he was called: "Second Apostle of Rome." This lovable saint attracted the trust and affection of people in every walk of life by his abounding joy in the Lord.

INTROIT Rom. 5:5
The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by His Spirit dwelling within us.
Ps. 102:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and let all that is within me bless His holy name.
Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, who didst exalt blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, with Thy Saints in glory, mercifully grant, that we who rejoice in his festival may profit by the example of his virtues. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
This pope, a Greek by origin, became a deacon in Rome. He succeeded St. Soter as Vicar of Christ, ruling from A.D. 175 to A.D. 189, when he was executed.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Eleutherius 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 AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY
St. Augustine, sent by St. Gregory the Great to the Anglo-Saxons, is the great Apostle of England and the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He died A.D. 604.

 O God, who by the preaching and miracles of blessed Augustine, Thy Confessor and Bishop, didst vouchsafe to shed upon the English people the light of the true faith, grant that, through his intercession, the hearts of the straying may return to the unity of Thy truth, and that we may do Thy will with one accord. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Wisd. 7:7-14
Wherefore I wished, and understanding was given me: and I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me: And I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her. Neither did I compare unto her any precious stone: for all gold, in comparison of her, is as a little sand; and silver, in respect to her, shall be counted as clay. I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for her light cannot be put out. Now all good things came to me together with her, and innumerable riches through her hands, And I rejoiced in all these: for this wisdom went before me, and I knew not that she was the mother of them all. Which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy, and her riches I hide not. For she is an infinite treasure to men: which they that use, become the friends of God, being commended for the gifts of discipline.

GRADUAL Ps. 33:12, 6
Come, children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
V. Come ye to Him, and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be confounded.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Lam. 1:13.
From above He had sent a fire into my bones, and hath instructed me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 12:35-40
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "Let your loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands. And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit down to meat and passing will minister unto them. And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants. But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 118:32
I have run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou didst enlarge my heart.

SECRET
We beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously regard these present Sacrifices; and grant that the Holy Spirit may inflame us with that fire which miraculously pierced the heart of blessed Philip. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
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 trully pleasing to You.

 

Commemoration of SAINT AUGUSTINE
We offer Thee this Sacrifice, O Lord, on the solemn feast of blessed Augustine, Thy Bishop and Confessor, humbly entreating that the sheep which are lost may return to the one fold, and be nourished by this food of salvation. Through our Lord . . .

 
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 83:3
My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God.

POSTCOMMUNION
Do Thou, O Lord, who hast filled our souls with heavenly delights, grant that through the merits and example of blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, we may ever hunger for that food by which we truly live. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT ELEUTHERIUS
O Lord, govern Thy 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 AUGUSTINE
We who are refreshed by this Saving Victim, humbly entreat Thee, O Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Augustine pleading for us, it may continually be offered in every place to the

Image via Wikipedia

glory of Thy name. Through our Lord . . .

Traditional Chartres Pilgrimage in France Is a Victim of Its Own Success

 From https://www.ncregister.com/

For the first time in 40 years, the organizers of the famous Catholic route linking Notre Dame of Paris to Chartres Cathedral will have to turn away pilgrims due to an overflow of registrations.

Pilgrims arrive at the Chartres cathedral on June 1, 2009, during the annual Pentecost pilgrimage. (photo: Alain Jocard / AFP via Getty Images)

Solène Tadié Blogs May 24, 2023

More than 16,000 people are expected to take part in the upcoming 41st annual Chartres Pilgrimage in France, May 27-29.

This is a record number in the history of this three-day event, which takes place each year on the weekend marking the solemnity of Pentecost. The uninterrupted influx of online registrations in recent days has forced the organizers of the lay association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté (“Our Lady of Christendom”) to refuse all new applications as of May 19.

Invoking a “painful” and unprecedented decision in a communiqué published on its website, the association motivated its choice by the reality of the field, the bivouacs not being able to accommodate enough tents for everyone, the length of the walking column, which would exceed two hours, making the arrival of the last pilgrims too late, in addition to security issues.

The statement said that although this decision “was not easy to make,” “it attests to the growing influence of the Chartres pilgrimage and shows the growing interest of Chartres pilgrims, the majority of whom are under 20 years old, in the spirituality and depth of the traditional Mass.” The organizers added that they “will draw the consequences of this historic situation for the 2024 pilgrimage.”

Indeed, the enthusiasm generated by this event, which brings together Catholics attached to the traditional Mass from all over France and the rest of the world, does not seem to have been negatively affected by the 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes or the February 2023 rescript restricting the use of the Tridentine rite.

This is also the conclusion of Père Danziec, a well-known pseudonymous commenter in the French Catholic media, who in a tweet compared the attachment to the Traditional Latin Mass to an “irresistible wave.” “It’s not a tsunami but something like the rising tide at Mont-Saint-Michel,” he wrote.

For him, the broadening of the “sounding board” of the Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Christendom is a manifestation of Cardinal Louis-Édouard Pie’s 1855 prophecy that “Chartres will become, more than ever, the center of devotion to Mary in the West, and people will flock to it, as in the past, from all parts of the world.”

A prediction that seems to have been partly fulfilled under the impulse of French-Catholic writer Charles Péguy, who made a solitary pilgrimage from Notre Dame of Paris to the Marian sanctuary of Chartres in 1912 to ask the intercession of the Virgin Mary to help his ill son. The writer, who had returned to the Catholic faith a few years earlier, was an inspiration for the itinerary conceived by Notre-Dame de Chrétienté in 1983.

“My old friend, I am a new man,” Péguy wrote in a letter to his friend Joseph Lotte upon returning from his 86-mile pilgrimage covered in four days. “You can see the Chartres bell tower 17 kilometers away on the plain. As soon as I saw it, I was ecstatic. All my impurities fell away at once.”

In 2019, the fire that ravaged a large part of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris forced pilgrims to establish their starting point in the square of St. Sulpice Church, in the 6th arrondissement of the French capital. This route will remain in effect until the reopening of the famous cathedral, probably in 2024.

Each year, the participants, carrying the flags and banners of their chapters, undertake the journey through the golden and verdant landscape of the Beauce region, singing traditional Catholic chants while thousands of non-walking pilgrims, called the “guardian angels,” unite with them in prayer.

“Eucharist, salvation of souls!” will be the guiding theme of this year’s meeting, during which the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas will be exposed to the veneration of pilgrims at the opening and closing Masses. Exhibited for the first time since 1369 in several places of France, on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of his canonization, in 2023, these relics of the skull of the Angelic Doctor were until now kept under the altar of the convent of the Jacobins in Toulouse, the cradle of the Dominican Order.

Saint Gregory VII (1085 A.D.); Saint Urban I (230 A.D.); Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, Virgin (1865 A.D.)

 

ST. GREGORY VII

ST. URBAN

SAINT GREGORY VII
Pope and Confessor

SAINT URBAN I

Pope and Martyr

SAINT MADELEINE SOPHIE BARAT
Virgin

Born in Tuscany, Italy, Hildebrand became a Benedictine monk in the famous monastery of Cluny in France. At the death of Alexander II, Hildebrand was elected pope and took the name of Gregory VII. In the eleventh century the bishops were virtually the dependents of secular princes. Gregory, therefore, fought with constancy and courage for the independence of the Church. His fearlessness stands out strikingly in his conflict with Henry IV, Emperor of Germany. At length the aged pope was obliged to flee. As Gregory was dying in 1085, he said, "I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile."

Mass of a POPE, except
Introit 
John 21:15-17
If you love Me, Simon Peter, feed My lambs, feed My sheep. Ps 29:1
I will extol You, O Lord, for You drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
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.
If you love Me, Simon Peter, feed My lambs, feed My sheep. 

COLLECT
O God, the strength of all who trust in You, it was from You that blessed confessor bishop Gregory drew courage and perseverance in defending the freedom of Your Church. May his example and intercession help us to face all adversity bravely. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT URBAN I, POPE AND MARTYR
Pope Urban I, one of the glorious early pontiffs of the Church, was martyred in A.D. 230.

O Eternal Shepherd, who appointed blessed Urban shepherd of the whole Church, let the prayers of this martyr and supreme pontiff move You to look with favor upon Your flock and keep it under Your continual protection. 

Commemoration of SAINT MADELEINE SOPHIE BARAT
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, born in France (A.D. 1779) of poor parents, was called by a special inspiration to fond the Society of the Religious of the Sacred Heart for the education of girls. She became the first Superior and spread her society throughout the world. Her holy soul passed from this life on May 25 A.D. 1865.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst marvelously adorn blessed Madeleine Sophie with a humility and charity that had Thine own Heart as pattern, and who didst will that through her there should flower forth a new company of Virgins; do Thou make us ever to cleave to Thy most Sacred Heart, and by imitation of that Heart to enjoy fellowship with Thee, Who livest . . .

  Lesson 
Lesson from the first letter of St Peter the Apostle
1 Pet 5:1-4; 5:10-11
Beloved: I exhort the presbyters among you - I, your fellow presbyter and witness of the sufferings of Christ, the partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed in time to come - tend the flock of God which is among you, governing not under constraint, but willingly, according to God; nor yet for the sake of base gain, but eagerly; nor yet as lording it over your charges, but becoming from the heart a pattern to the flock. And when the Prince of the shepherds appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. But the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself, after we have suffered a little while, perfect, strengthen and establish us. To Him is the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Gradual 
Ps 106:32; 106:31
Let them extol in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
V. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His kindness and His wondrous deeds to the children of men. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Matt. 16:18. You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 16:13-19
At that time, Jesus, having come into the district of Caesarea Philippi, began to ask His disciples, saying, Who do men say the Son of Man is? But they said, Some say, John the Baptist; and others, Elias; and others, Jeremia, or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus answered and said, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven. And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed 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. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT URBAN
O Lord, graciously accept the gifts that we joyfully offer to You. May Your Church, through the prayers of blessed Urban, always live in peace and rejoice in the security of her faith. 

Commemoration of SAINT MADELEINE SOPHIE BARAT
Hearken, O Lord, unto our supplications, look graciously upon our offerings, that by the intercession of St. Madeleine Sophie, through the humility and charity of Thy Heart, they be made profitable for us unto salvation, Who livest . . .

POSTCOMMUNION
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. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT URBAN
O Lord, increase the spirit of grace which You have bestowed upon Your Church. let the prayers of Your Martyr and supreme pontiff Urban aid her so that she may never fail in obedience to her shepherd, and the shepherd may never be wanting in his care of the flock. 

Commemoration of SAINT MADELEINE SOPHIE BARAT
Grant, O Lord Jesus Christ, that we who have been refreshed with this heavenly food may grow in the humility and charity of Thy Heart, by which Thou didst raise St. Madeleine Sophie to the eternal glory of heaven, Who livest . . .

MAY 24 OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS; ST. JOANNA; STS. DONATIAN, Martyrs

 

 

OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

 

ST. JOANNA; STS. DONATIAN 

MARTYRS

DOUBLE / WHITE

Saint Pius V gave Mary the title: "Help of Christians," after the victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571, and he added this invocation to her litany. When Pius VII returned to Rome on May 24, 1814, after spending five years of exile and captivity, he established the Feast of Our Lady, Helper of the Papal States.

The invocation of Mary as Help of Christians is part of the oldest prayer addressed directly to Mary, the "Sub tuum praesidium," which was found on a papyrus dating, at the latest, from the end of the third century. This prayer was composed at a time of great danger for Christians and for the Church. "Praesidium" is translated as "an assistance given in time of war by fresh troops in a strong manner." 

  INTROIT
Hail, holy Parent, that didst bring forth the King who ruleth Heaven and earth for ever and ever. Alleluia, alleluia. Ps. 44:2. My heart hath uttered a good word, I speak of my works to the King. Glory be to the Father . . . Hail . . .

O Almighty and merciful God, who didst wondrously appoint the most Blessed Virgin perpetual help for Christians in need of protection, grant in Thy mercy that after battling in life under such a protectress, we may be able to conquer our enemy at death. 

EPISTLE (Ecclesiasticus 14: 14-16)

¹⁴ From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him.

¹⁵ And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.

¹⁶ And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

Alleluia, alleluia!
  The rod of Jesse hath blossomed, a Virgin hath brought forth God and man; God hath restored peace, reconciling in Himself the lowest with the highest. Alleluia. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 11: 27-28

²⁷ And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.

²⁸ But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.

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. Alleluia
 

SECRET 
For the triumph of the Christian faith we immolate to Thee, O Lord, these victims of propitiation; may the Blessed Virgin's help render them of profit to us, for such a perfect victory ever comes through her.  

COMMUNION ANTIPHON 

Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father. Alleluia!

POSTCOMMUNION 

After refreshing Thy people with a participation of Thy Body and Blood, O Lord, come to their aid, so that with the help of Thy Blessed Mother they may be freed from all evil and danger, and preserved in good works; Who livest and reignest . . .

SAINT JOANNA

Saint Joanna and the Head of Saint John the Baptist

(Wikipedia.org image)

Facts

Feastday: May 24

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Jennifer is a derivative of Joanna whose feast day is May 24th. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, steward of King Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. She was one of the women who helped provide for Jesus and the Apostles and was one of the three women who discovered the empty tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning.

Brothers of a Roman-Gallo noble family of Nantes, France. Donatian was arrested and soon joined by Rogatian. They were tortured and beheaded by Pictovarius under co-Emperor Diocletian.