Saint Fidelis (1622 A.D.); Saint Egbert (729 A.D.) Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (1868 A.D.)

 

SAINT FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN
Martyr

 

Saint Egbert

 

 

SAINT MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER
Virgin
(For the Religious of the Good Shepherd)

DOUBLE / RED
Fidelis (1577-1622), a native of southern Germany, became a lawyer of such noble integrity that he was known as "The Advocate of the Poor." In the year 1612 he entered the Capuchin Order and was sent as a missioner to Switzerland. He had marked success in persuading Protestant Swiss to return to the Catholic Church. Eventually Father Fidelis was waylaid by a band of ruffians. One of them felled the priest with a violent blow, and as he struggled to his knees, another of the murderers stabbed the martyr. He died after uttering the prayer, "Lord, forgive my enemies!"

Introit
Ps 63:3
Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant, alleluia; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 63:2
Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.
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.
Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant, alleluia; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity, alleluia, alleluia.

Mass of a MARTYR DURING EASTERTIME, except

GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, You set the heart of Fidelis on fire with a seraphic love, and granted him both the triumph of martyrdom and the gift of miracles in preaching the true faith. May his merits and prayers make us strong in faith and love, so that by Your grace we may be faithful in Your service until death. Through Our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT EGBERT

Northumbrian monk, born of noble parentage c. 639; d. 729. In his youth he went for the sake of study to Ireland, to a monastery, says the Venerable Bede, “called Rathmelsigi”, identified by some with Mellifont in what is now County Louth. There, when in danger of death from pestilence, he prayed for time to do penance, vowing amongst other things to live always in exile from his own country. In consequence he never returned to England, though he lived to the age of ninety, and always fasted rigorously. Having become a priest, he was filled with zeal for the conversion of the still pagan German tribes related to the Angles, and would himself have become their apostle, if God had not shown him that his real calling was to other work. It was he, however, who dispatched to Friesland St. Wigbert, St. Willibrord, and other saintly missionaries. St. Egbert’s own mission was made known to him by a monk, who, at Melrose, had been a disciple of St. Boisil. Appearing to this monk, St. Boisil sent him to tell Egbert that the Lord willed him instead of preaching to the heathen to go to the monasteries of St. Columba, “because their ploughs were not going straight”, in consequence of their schismatic practice in the celebration of Easter. Leaving Ireland therefore in 716, Egbert crossed over to Iona, where the last thirteen years of his life were spent. By his sweetness and humility he induced the Iona monks to relinquish their erroneous mode of computation; in 729 they celebrated Easter with the rest of the Church upon April 24, although their old rule placed it that year upon an earlier day. On the same day, after saying Mass and joining joyfully in their celebration, the aged Egbert died. Though he is now honored simply as a confessor, it is probable that St. Egbert was a bishop. By Alcuin he is expressly called antistes and episcopus, and an Irish account of a synod at Birra names him “Egbert Bishop”, whilst the term sacerdos used by the Venerable Bede, is sometimes applied by him to bishops. 

From https://nobility.org/

 

O God, who dost gladden us by the annual solemnity of blessed Egbert, Thy Confessor, do Thou, through his interceding merits, guide unto Thyself the hearts of Thy servants, that inflamed with the fire of Thy Spirit, they may found both firm in faith and efficient in deed. 

Commemoration of SAINT MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER

By her enlightened zeal, Sister Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (1796-1868) developed the French Institute of the Religious of the Good Shepherd into a world-wide congregation. She was accused by her adversaries of ambition and disobedience; but her innovations were approved by Pope Gregory XVI, as being entirely in harmony with the spirit of the Gospel. During the 33 years that she served as mother general of her congregation, ecclesiastical authorities in every part of the world requested the soul-saving aid of her Sisters.

O God, by Your gift the blessed virgin Mary Euphrasia followed in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. May we imitate her example on earth to gain the rewards of heaven promised to those who are merciful. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Wisdom
Wis 5:1-5
Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labours. These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation. Saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. 

Alleluia
Allelúja, allelúja
Ps 88:6.
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints. Alleluia.
Ps 20:4
For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ✝ of the Holy Gospel according to John
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
John 15:1-7
In that time, Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you.   

Offertory
Ps 88:6
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints, alleluia, alleluia. 

SECRET

Accept our offerings and prayers, O Lord. Cleanse us by this heavenly rite, and in Your mercy hear our petitions. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT EGBERT

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we may ever rejoice in these Easter Mysteries and that the unceasing working out of our redemption may be for us a cause of endless joy.

Commemoration of SAINT MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER

We offer You this spotless host, O Lord, in honor of the virgin Mary Euphrasia. For the glory of Your holy Name may we be fired with zeal to save souls through her intercession. Through our Lord . . .

 

Communion
Ps 63:11.
The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised, alleluia, alleluia.

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord our God, may we who now joyfully commemorate Your Saints on earth rejoice one day with them in heaven. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT EGBERT

Pour forth upon us, O Lord, the spirit of Thy love and by Thy goodness, make to be of one mind those whom Thou hast fully nourished with Thine Easter Sacraments.

 

Commemoration of SAINT MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER

We are refreshed by Your divine Gift, O Lord. May the intercession of the blessed virgin Mary Euphrasia bring Your abundant blessing upon the sheep of Your fold. Through our Lord . . .