SAINT JEROME Confessor and Doctor of the Church (420 A.D.); SAINT HONORIUS (653 A.D.) Confessor and Bishop

 

SAINT JEROME
Confessor and Doctor of the Church

[Image from https://catholicsaintmedals.com/]
 

 

[Commemoration]

SAINT HONORIUS

BISHOP, CONFESSOR

DOUBLE/WHITE
Born in Dalmatia of a Christian family, Jerome (c. 342-420) was baptized in Rome, while taking his classical courses. He then studied under the best masters in foreign cities. But the Church had need of this extraordinarily gifted man. Jerome heard and obeyed the divine call, made a vow of celibacy, and withdrew for four years to a hermitage in the Syrian desert. The Holy Father soon summoned Jerome to Rome and entrusted him with the enormous task of revising the Latin Bible. This work, which took 30 years to complete, is our official Vulgate version of the Scriptures. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV stated: "The Church venerates in Jerome the greatest doctor given her by heaven for the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures."

Introit
Ecclus 15:5
In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth; and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding; He clothed him with a robe of glory.
Ps 91:2
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to Your name, Most High.
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.
In the midst of the assembly he opened his mouth; and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding; He clothed him with a robe of glory. 

COLLECT
O God, in the person of Your blessed confessor Jerome You provided Your Church with her greatest scholar in the interpretation of Holy Scripture. may the merits of this saint help us to practice his teachings in our words and deeds. Through our Lord . . .

COMMEMORATION OF SAINT HONORIUS
St. Honorius, a Roman monk, was sent by St. Gregory the Great, with forty companions to help St. Augustine in the English mission. Succeeding St. Justus he became the fifth Archbishop of Canterbury. His death took place on September 30, A.D. 653.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the solemn feast of blessed Honorius, Thy Confessor and Bishop, may both increase our devotion and advance our salvation. 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.
R. Thanks be to God.

Gradual
Ps 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right.
V. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps do not falter. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Ecclus 45:9 The Lord loved him and adorned him; He clothed him with a robe of glory. Alleluia.

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.

SECRET
Grant us Your heavenly grace, O Lord, that we may serve You in perfect freedom. Let the offerings, which we bring You through the intercession of Your blessed confessor Jerome, heal us and lead us to everlasting glory. Through our Lord . . .

COMMEMORATION OF SAINT HONORIUS 
May Thy Saints, we beseech Thee, O Lord, in all places bring us joy, that while we recall their merits, we may experience their patronage. 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.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We are refreshed with the Bread of Heaven, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed confessor Jerome make us worthy of Your mercy. Through our Lord . . .

COMMEMORATION OF SAINT HONORIUS 
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that, we who give thanks for the gifts which we have received, may through the intercession of blessed Honorius, Thy Confessor and Bishop, obtain still greater blessings. Through our Lord . . .

DEDICATION OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL BASILICA (530 A.D.) (MICHAELMAS DAY)

 

 

DEDICATION OF SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL BASILICA

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE

This feast commemorates the dedication to St. Michael of an ancient church at Rome at a date earlier than the sixth century. St. Michael the Archangel is honored as the supreme guardian spirit of the universal Church. In heaven Michael led the good angels against Lucifer and his rebel angels. The fallen angels pursue on earth that same war against the Man-God Christ which they began in heaven. Therefore Michael continues to direct the battle against them here on earth. The standard-bearer of the Church, he introduces the departed souls of her children into God's holy light (Offertory Hymn of Requiem Mass). He also presents our prayers to God (Incensation at High Mass), conquers demons (Prayers after Low Mass), and pleads for us sinners (Confiteor). 

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, who wondrously directs the services of angels and men, grant that our lives on earth may be guarded by the angels who stand ever before Your face ministering to You in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Apoc. 1:1-5

In those days, God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John, Who hath given testimony to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what things soever he hath seen. Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy: and keepeth those things which are written in it. For the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace, from him that is and that was and that is to come: and from the seven spirits which are before his throne: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.

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.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.

Holy archangel Michael, defend us in battle, that we may not perish in the dreaded judgment. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 18:1-10

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: "Who, thinkest thou, is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?" And Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them. And said: "Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy hand, or thy foot, scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."

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, alleluia!

SECRET 

O Lord, graciously accept the Sacrifice of praise we offer You. May it bring us closer to our salvation through the angels' prayers of intercession. Through 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 rely on the prayers of the blessed archangel Michael, O Lord, that the Sacrament which we have received upon our lips may always remain in our hearts. Through our Lord . . .

A 13th-century Byzantine icon of St Michael from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Wenceslas (929 A.D.) Duke and Martyr

 

 

Young prince Wenceslas

SAINT WENCESLAS
Duke and Martyr

SIMPLE / RED
Son of a Christian duke of tenth-century Bohemia, Wenceslas received a pious upbringing from his grandmother St. Ludmilla, who later died a martyr. Taking over the government at the time of a strong pagan reaction among his people, Wenceslas labored with Christlike patience and mildness to stem this regression. He rebuilt churches, recalled exiled priests, and invited missioners from Germany. But Boleslas, the duke's heathen brother, had Wenceslas assassinated while he was on his way to Mass. The 22-year old martyr died uttering the words, "May God forgive you."

Mass of a MARTYR, except

Introit
Ps 20:2-3
O Lord, in Your strength the just man is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire.
Ps 20:4
For You welcomed him with goodly blessings, You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
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.
O Lord, in Your strength the just man is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire.

COLLECT
O God, You raised blessed Wenceslas from his earthly honors to the glory of heaven by granting him the victory of martyrdom. May his prayers shield us from all harm and bring us to share his heavenly happiness. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Wisdom
Wis 10:10-14
The Lord guided the just in direct ways, showed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things. He prospered him in his labors and made abundant the fruit of his works, stood by him against the greed of his defrauders, and enriched him; He preserved him from foes, and secured him against ambush, and He gave him the prize for his stern struggle that he might recognize that devotion to God is mightier than all else. He did not abandon the just man when he was sold, but delivered him from sin. He went down with him into the dungeon, and did not desert him in his bonds, until He brought him the scepter of royalty and authority over his oppressors, and showed those who had defamed him false; and the Lord our God gave him eternal glory.

Gradual
Ps 111:1-2
Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands.
V. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 20:4
V. You placed on his head, O Lord, a crown of pure gold. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 10:34-42
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, Do not think that I have come to send peace upon the earth; I have come to bring a sword, not peace. For I have come to set a man at variance with his father, and a daughter with her mother, and a daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me. he who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake, will find it. He who receives you, receives Me; and he who receives Me, receives Him Who sent Me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a just man because he is a just man, shall receive a just man’s reward. And whoever gives to one of these little ones but a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.  

Offertory
Ps 8:6-7
Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour: and hast set him over the works of thy hands.

 

SECRET

Receive our gifts and our prayers, we beseech Thee, O Lord; cleanse us by the heavenly Mysteries and mercifully hear us. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Matt 16:24
Whoever wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

POSTCOMMUNION

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, that as we rejoice on earth in keeping the memory of Thy saints, so also we may enjoy their company for evermore. Through our Lord . . .

SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN, Martyrs (283 A.D.) Patrons of Physicians and Pharmacists

 

Saints Cosmas and Damian performing transplant surgery.
Attributed to Alonso De Sedano, Burgos, Spain, ca. 1495.

SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN
Martyrs

SIMPLE / RED
Doctors and mission dispensaries have special patrons in Cosmas and Damian, brothers who practiced medicine in Syria in the closing years of the third century. They were called in the East "the moneyless ones," because they cared for their patients free of charge. Devout lovers of Jesus, they were even more solicitous for the souls than for the bodies of those they tended. The apostolic brother-physicians converted many sinners and exorcised the possessed. They were given the grace of martyrdom during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.

INTROIT Eccli. 44:15, 14 
Let the people show forth the wisdom of the saints, and let the Church declare their praise; and their names shall live for all generations.
Ps. 32:1. Rejoice in the Lord, you just; praise befits the upright.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, today we are celebrating the birthday of Your blessed martyrs Cosmas and Damian. Hear their prayers and rescue us from all the dangers that threaten us. Through our Lord . . .

READING Wisdom 5:16-20
But the just shall live for evermore: and their reward is with the Lord, and the care of them with the most High. Therefore shall they receive a kingdom of glory, and a crown of beauty at the hand of the Lord: for with his right hand he will cover them, and with his holy arm he will defend them. And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the revenge of his enemies.
He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet: He will take equity for an invincible shield.

GRADUAL Ps. 33:18-19
The just have cried out, and the Lord answered them and rescued them from all their distress.
V. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and He will save those who are humble in spirit.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Here was true brotherliness which overcame the sinfulness of the world and followed Christ to attain the glorious kingdom of heaven. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 6:17-23
At that time, Jesus, coming down from the mountain, stood in a plain place: and the company of his disciples and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast, both of Tyre and Sidon, Who were come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the multitude sought to touch him: for virtue went out from him and healed all.
And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: "Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold, your reward is great in heaven." 

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 5:12-13
All those who love your name shall glory in You, for You, O Lord, will bless the just man. O Lord, You surround us with Your good will, as with a shield.

SECRET 
O Lord, may Your saints' unfailing prayer of honor render our offerings acceptable to You and obtain Your pardon for us. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 78:2, 11
They have given the dead bodies of Your servants, O Lord, as food to the birds of the air, and the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. With Your great power, save the sons of those who have been put to death.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, let Your people find protection in this banquet at which You have generously fed them, and in the prayers of all Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

The Charity of Saints Cosmas and Damian by Ambrosius Francken I

[wikipedia.org image]
 

Saints Isaac Jogues, John De Brebeuf & Companions; Saints Cyprian and Justina, Martyrs

 

SAINTS ISAAC JOGUES, JOHN DE BREBEUF,
AND THEIR COMPANIONS
Martyrs

[IN ALL DIOCESES OF THE UNITED STATES]

SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA 
Martyrs

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED 
These eight French Jesuit missioners, the first canonized saints of the North American continent, labored and died among the most barbaric of red men in the most impenetrable fastnesses of the 17th-century New World. After struggling with unbelievable privations and hardships, they were severely tortured and martyred by the Iroquois Indians between the years 1642 and 1649. Fathers Isaac Jogues and Anthony Daniel and the two lay oblates, John Lalande and Rene Goupil, gave their lives in what is now New York State; Fathers John de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, and Noel Chabanel in central Canada.

INTROIT Apoc. 7:14
These are they who have come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
Ps. 116:1. Praise the Lord, all you nations; praise Him, all you peoples!
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You blessed the first fruits of the faith in the vast expanse of North America by the missionary labors and martyrdom of blessed Isaac, John, and their companions. May the harvest for Christ grow daily more abundant in the whole world through the intercession of these saints. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA
At Antioch the virtue of the virgin Justina converted Cyprian, a magician, to Christianity. Cyprian later became a priest and then a bishop. Both suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in the year 304, and their bodies were brought to Rome by some Christian mariners.

Comfort us, O Lord, with the unfailing protection of Your holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina, for You are always merciful to those who are helped by Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE II Cor. 12:11-15
Brethren: I ought to have been commended by you, For I have no way come short of them that are above measure apostles, although I be nothing. Yet the signs of my apostleship have been wrought on you, in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. For what is there that you have had less than the other churches but that I myself was not burthensome to you? Pardon me this injury. Behold now the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burthensome unto you. For I seek not the things that are yours, but you. For neither ought the children to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. But I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls: although loving you more, I be loved less.

GRADUAL Ps. 123:7-8
Our soul has been rescued as a bird from the snare of the hunters.
V. The snare has been broken and we are free. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. II Cor. 1:5
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also through Christ does our comfort abound. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 6:17-23
At that time, Jesus coming down from the mountain, stood in a plain place: and the company of his disciples and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast, both of Tyre and Sidon, Who were come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the multitude sought to touch him: for virtue went out from him and healed all. 
And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: "Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold, your reward is great in heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Sap. 3:6
As gold in the furnace the Lord has proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust He received them.

SECRET 
O Lord, let us offer You with pure hearts this spotless Victim, in which Your holy martyrs found a food of unutterable sweetness, because of their own unsullied purity and their tireless zeal for mortification. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA

We offer these gifts to You in sacrifice, O Lord. May the honor we pay to Your saints please You, and may these offerings, through Your mercy, bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHONPhilipp. 1:20-21
Christ will be glorified in my body whether through life or death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

POSTCOMMUNION 
Almighty God, we are refreshed by the food of the valiant. When Your holy martyrs Isaac, John, and their companions were strengthened by this same Bread, they were able to lay down their own lives for their brothers; may we also bear one another's burdens and love our neighbors with an effective and sincere charity. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS CYPRIAN AND JUSTINA

May the intercession of Your holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina help us to cherish with pure hearts the Sacrament we have received upon our lips. Through our Lord . . .

September 25 Ferial Day, Blessed Herman the Cripple (1054 A.D.) Author of Salve Regina; Saint Cadoc, Bishop, Martyr (490 A.D.)

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)

ANOTHER PRO-LIFE SAINT: GOOD! WE NEED HIM

Blessed Herman the Cripple

[Historical]
(See below) 

SAINT CADOC

Bishop, Martyr

 INTROIT Ps. 118:137, 124
You are just, O Lord, and Your judgment is right. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.
Ps. 118:1. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, keep Your people from falling under the influence of the devil, and let our hearts follow You, our only God, that they may remain pure. Through our Lord . . .

 Saint Cadoc [Cattwg], known as "the Wise," is venerated as one of the chief Saints of Wales. He founded the monastery of Llan-carvan over which he presided for many years. Desiring to lead a life of retirement, he went to Brittany. When that country was overrun by pirates he returned to Wales and passed away about A.D. 490.  

 

Commemoration of SAINT CADOC
Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the weight of our own deeds bears us down, may the glorious intercession of Blessed Cadoc, Thy Bishop and Martyr, protect us. Through our Lord . . .  

 

EPISTLE Eph. 4:1-6
Brethren: I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called: With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen.

GRADUAL Ps. 32:12, 6
Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His 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.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 101:2
O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come unto You. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 22:34-46
At that time, the Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together. And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Jesus said to him: " 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind.' This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets."
And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying: "What think you of Christ? Whose son is he?" They say to him: "David's." He saith to them: "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying: 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?' If David then call him 'Lord,' how is he his son?" And no man was able to answer him a word: neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Dan. 9:17, 18, 19
I, Danial, prayed to my God, saying, "Hear, O Lord, the prayers of Your servant; show Your face upon Your sanctuary, and look down favorably upon this people upon whom Your name is invoked, O God."

SECRET
We humbly implore Your majesty, O Lord, to grant us, through the sacred rite that we here celebrate, pardon for our sins of the past and preservation from sin in the future. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT CADOC
Graciously receive, O Lord, the sacrifice offered to Thee by the merits of Blessed Cadoc, Thy Martyr and Bishop, and grant that it may be to us an unfailing help. Through our Lord . . .   

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 75:12-13
Make vows and fulfill them to the Lord your God, all you round about Him who bring gifts; to the awesome God who destroys the pride of princes, to Him who is awesome among all the kings of the earth.

POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, may the grace of this Sacrament cure our sinfulness and be an everlasting remedy for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT CADOC 
Refreshed by the partaking of Thy holy Gift, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, that through the intercession of Blessed Cadoc, Thy Martyr and Bishop, we may perceive the fruit of the rite which we celebrate. Through our Lord . . .  

Blessed Herman the Cripple 

[wikipedia.org image]
 

Today, September 25, is the feast day of Blessed Herman (1013-1054). He was born with many medical problems: cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida. During his lifetime he was known as Blessed Herman the Cripple. Father Robert F. McNamara on his website, Saints Alive, calls him Blessed Herman the Disabled.

He was a remarkable man. Despite his daunting physical limitations he studied and wrote on astronomy, theology, math, history, poetry, Arabic, Greek, and Latin. He also built musical and astronomical equipment. He was considered a genius in his time. He wrote prayers and hymns – the most notable being the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen).

Father McNamara in his article on Blessed Herman the Disabled comments on the great meaning of Herman’s life with this closing insight: “In his own day, the heroic cripple who achieved learning and holiness was called ‘The Wonder of His Age’.

In our day, many voices say that people with disabilities should be phased out of existence. Which were the Dark Ages, then or now!”

Thanks to http://unbornwordoftheday.com/ for this article.

 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; OUR LADY OF RANSOM

 

 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY
AFTER PENTECOST

 

[Commemoration]
OUR LADY OF RANSOM

DOUBLE / GREEN

Love is man's first and constant vocation. Love is the summary of the whole Bible. Love is the secret of the saints, the necessary way to God. It is the means to reveal God's heart to other men. But the beauty of God's love must show itself fresh and new in every Christian; for beauty, to delight and attract, must be fresh as the morning. Every deed of vital love, performed by us in our personality which nature and grace has fashioned, is like the morning of time itself.
"God is love" (I John 4:8) in its mysterious fullness and infinite freshness. Utterly King and Lord, He unites the baptized of every nation in the one Mystical Body of Christ, by the one Holy Spirit, under the one Mother Mary.

INTROIT Ps. 118:137, 124
You are just, O Lord, and Your judgment is right. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy.
Ps. 118:1. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, keep Your people from falling under the influence of the devil, and let our hearts follow You, our only God, that they may remain pure. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of OUR LADY OF RANSOM
This feast was extended to the whole Church in thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin, for having in the thirteenth century inspired St. Peter Nolasco and St. Raymond of Pennafort to found a religious order for the release of Christians captured by the Saracens. The Mercedarians vowed to give themselves up as hostages for the imprisoned Christians when ransom and military means failed. Their heroism saved countless souls from apostasy and despair.

O God, through the glorious Mother of Your Son You enriched the Church with a new religious congregation dedicated to freeing Christians from slavery among the heathens. We venerate Mary as the foundress of this institution and pray that she may also deliver us from our sins and the slavery of the devil through her own merits and intercession. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . . 

 

EPISTLE Eph. 4:1-6
Brethren: I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called: With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit: as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen.

GRADUAL Ps. 32:12, 6
Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His 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.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 101:2
O Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come unto You. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 22:34-46
At that time, the Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together. And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Jesus said to him: " 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with thy whole mind.' This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets."
And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying: "What think you of Christ? Whose son is he?" They say to him: "David's." He saith to them: "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying: 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?' If David then call him 'Lord,' how is he his son?" And no man was able to answer him a word: neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Dan. 9:17, 18, 19
I, Danial, prayed to my God, saying, "Hear, O Lord, the prayers of Your servant; show Your face upon Your sanctuary, and look down favorably upon this people upon whom Your name is invoked, O God."

SECRET
We humbly implore Your majesty, O Lord, to grant us, through the sacred rite that we here celebrate, pardon for our sins of the past and preservation from sin in the future. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of OUR LADY OF RANSOM
O Lord, through Your mercy and the intercession of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, let this offering bring us prosperity and peace now and forever. Through our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 75:12-13
Make vows and fulfill them to the Lord your God, all you round about Him who bring gifts; to the awesome God who destroys the pride of princes, to Him who is awesome among all the kings of the earth.

POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, may the grace of this Sacrament cure our sinfulness and be an everlasting remedy for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

 

 Commemoration of OUR LADY OF RANSOM
O Lord, grant that we who have received the Sacrament of our salvation may be protected through the intercession of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, in whose honor we have offered this Sacrifice to Your majesty. Through our Lord . . .