FRIDAY FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT; SAINT SABBAS (532 A.D.)

  

 

English: Advent wreath, First Advent Sunday (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

[Commemoration]
SAINT SABBAS
Abbot

 

INTROIT Ps. 24. 1-3
To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed. Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Ps. 24:4 Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me, and teach me Thy paths.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT
Arise in Thy strength, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: from the dangers which threaten us because of our sins, be Thy presence our sure defense, be Thy deliverance our safety for evermore. Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Commemoration of SAINT SABBAS
When Sabbas (439-532), a native of Cappadocia, was twenty years old, he became a disciple of the great solitary, St. Euthymius, in the Judean wilderness. On the death of Euthymius, Sabbas was made leader of the solitaries by the appointment of the patriarch of Jerusalem. Several times he left his loved solitude to intervene with the Emperors of the East for the liberty and welfare of the Church. Venerated for his holiness, Sabbas died on December 5, 532 A.D., at the age of 93.


Let the Blessed abbot Sabbas intercede for us, O Lord. May his prayers win us Your help, since our own actions cannot merit it. Through Our Lord . . .
 
EPISTLE Rom 13. 11-14
Brethren, knowing the time, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL Ps. 24. 3, 4
None of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me, and teach me Thy paths.

Alleluia: Ps. 84. 8
Alleluia, alleluia. Show us O Lord, Thy mercy: and grant us Thy salvation. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 21. 25-33
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand."
And He spoke to them a similitude: "See the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh; so you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 24. 1-3
To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait for Thee shall be confounded.

SECRET PRAYER
May, O Lord, these Sacred Rites enable us, whom by Thy mighty power Thou hast cleansed from sin, to come pure in heart before Thee who art their author. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Commemoration of SAINT SABBAS 

May the offerings we lay upon Your sacred altar, O Lord, bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of the blessed abbot Sabbas. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 84. 13
The Lord will give goodness: and our earth shall yield her fruit.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
May we in the midst of Thy holy temple, O Lord, receive of Thy mercy, who seek with fitting honor to welcome the coming festival of our Redemption. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Commemoration of SAINT SABBAS
May the Sacrament we have received and the prayers of the blessed abbot Sabbas protect us, O Lord. Grant also that we may imitate the virtues of this saint who is our intercessor with You in heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS (450 A.D.); SAINT BARBARA (235 A.D.); THURSDAY FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

  

  

Saint Peter Chrysologus, Diocesan Museum, Imola
 

SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS

Bishop and Doctor of the Church

[Commemoration]
THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT

Image via Wikipedia

Commemoration

SAINT BARBARA

Virgin and Martyr

DOUBLE / WHITE
Peter Chrysologus ("the man of golden speech") earned the title of Doctor of the Church for his eloquent sermons, of which some two hundred remain. Made Archbishop of Ravenna by miraculous intervention of St. Peter in 433, he rooted out all remaining traces of paganism, as well as a number of abuses among the Christians. In his sermons he strongly urged frequent Communion. He is supposed to have given us the saying: "He who wants to laugh with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ." Peter died about the year 450 in his native city of Imola.

Mass of a Doctor of the Church, except:

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, You miraculously chose the blessed and illustrious doctor Peter Chrysologus to rule and instruct Your Church. Grant that he who on earth was our guide along the way of supernatural life may be our intercessor in heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of THURSDAY FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Put forth Your power, O Lord, we beseech You, and come, that with You as our protector we may be rescued from the impending danger of our sins; and with You as our deliverer, may we obtain our salvation.
 
Commemoration of Saint Barbara, 
One of the Auxiliary Saints, Barbara is believed to have been martyred at Nicomedia under Emperor Maximinus of Thrace, about the year 235. She is invoked for the grace of preservation from sudden death.

O God, one of the marvelous examples of Your power was granting the victory of martyrdom even to delicate womanhood. May the example of the Blessed virgin martyr Barbara, whose birthday we celebrate today, draw us closer to You. 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. 

Gradual
Ecclus 44:16, 20.
Behold a great priest, who in his days pleased God.
V.There was not found the like to him, who kept the law of the Most High. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 109:4
V. You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedec. 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." 

14

Offertory

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

SECRET
O Lord, let the blessed bishop and doctor Chrysologus always help us, and through his intercession accept our offering and pardon our sins. through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of THURSDAY FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
May these offerings, O Lord, cleanse us by their mighty power and thus make us come purer before You Who are their author.

Commemoration of SAINT BARBARA
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of Your blessed virgin Barbara, through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through our Lord . . .

Communion
Luke 12:42
The faithful and prudent servant whom the master will set over his household to give them their ration of grain in due time.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed bishop and illustrious doctor Chrystologus. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of THURSDAY FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
May we receive Your mercy, O Lord, in the midst of Your temple, and thus prepare with due observance for the coming festal season of our redemption.

Commemoration of SAINT BARBARA
O Lord, through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Barbara, may we be aided by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament and rejoice in Your everlasting protection. through our Lord . . .

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER (1552 A.D.); WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

 

  

Andrea Pozzo - Saint Francis Xavier - WGA18362 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER
Confessor

[Commemoration]
WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

GREATER DOUBLE / WHITE
Francis Xavier (1506-52) was born in the Basque country of Spain. While still young he was a popular lecturer at the University of Paris. There he met Ignatius Loyola, and was professed as one of the seven pioneer Jesuits. In 1540 St. Ignatius sent his loved disciple to the Orient, saying, "Go and set all on fire." Francis Xavier first evangelized the Portuguese colony of Goa in India, then Travancore, Ceylon, Malacca, and the surrounding islands. From there he journeyed to japan, where he gave Christianity such deep roots that it survived centuries of violent persecution. He died on Sancian Island in 1552, while he was seeking to penetrate into the great forbidden land of China. The immortal fire of his love for Christ still draws missioners to high adventure for God and souls.

INTROIT Ps. 118:46-47
I spoke of Your testimonies before kings, and I was not ashamed; I meditated on Your commandments, which I loved dearly.
Ps. 116:1-2. Praise the Lord, all you nations; praise Him in unison, all you peoples! For His mercy is steadfast toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
O God, You brought the peoples of India into the fold of Your Church through the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis. Grant that we who venerate his glorious merits may also imitate his virtues. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of  WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Put forth Your power, O Lord, we beseech You, and come, that with You as our protector we may be rescued from the impending danger of our sins; and with You as our deliverer, may we obtain our salvation.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
 
EPISTLE Rom. 10:10-18
For, with the heart, we believe unto justice: but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith: "Whosoever believeth in him shall not be confounded." For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things?" But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: "Lord, who hath believed our report?" Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say: Have they not heard? Yes, verily: "Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the whole world."

GRADUAL Ps. 91:13, 14, 3
The just man shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon in the house of the Lord.
V. That he may show forth Your mercy in the morning and Your truth throughout the night.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Jac. 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 16:15-18
At that time, Jesus said to them: "Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover."

 
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 88:25
My truth and My mercy shall be with him; and in My name shall his power be exalted.

SECRET
Accept this offering which we humbly present in honor of Your saints, O Almighty God, and through it purify our bodies and our souls. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of  WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
May these offerings, O Lord, cleanse us by their mighty power and thus make us come purer before You Who are their author.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
  
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 24:46-47
Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, he will set him over all his goods.

POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, we pray that the reception of this Bread of Heaven may strengthen us against all adversity through the intercession of Your blessed confessor Francis. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of  WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT 
May we receive Your mercy, O Lord, in the midst of Your temple, and thus prepare with due observance for the coming festal season of our redemption.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

SAINT BIBIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR (4th C.); TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

    

                                SAINT BIBIANA

Virgin and Martyr

                                                               

SIMPLE / RED

According to tradition, Bibiana belonged to a family of martyrs. When persecution broke out at Rome during the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate, her father Flavian, former prefect of the city, was branded in the face with a hot iron and sent into exile. Her mother, Dafrosa, was beheaded. Bibiana herself was handed over to a wicked woman named Rufina, to be corrupted by her; but she proved stronger than her temptress, and was finally condemned to death. About the year 363, she was beaten with leaded whips until she died. St. Bibiana is one of the three virgin martyrs particularly venerated in Rome, the other two being St. Cecilia and St. Agnes.

Mass of a Virgin Martyr, except:


Introit
Ps 118:95-96
Sinners wait to destroy me, but I pay heed to Your decrees, O Lord. I see that all fulfillment has its limits; broad indeed is Your command.
Ps 118:1
Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
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.
Sinners wait to destroy me, but I pay heed to Your decrees, O Lord. I see that all fulfillment has its limits; broad indeed is Your command.
 
COLLECT
O God, the giver of all good gifts, You united the grace of virginity and the palm of martyrdom in the blessings conferred upon Your servant Bibiana. Unite our souls to You by love Through the intercession of this saint, so that we may be shielded from all danger and obtain the rewards of eternity. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoratio Feria II infra Hebdomadam I Adventus
Put forth Your power, O Lord, we beseech You, and come, that with You as our protector we may be rescued from the impending danger of our sins; and with You as our deliverer, may we obtain our salvation.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Ecclesiasticus
Ecclus 51:13-17
O Lord, my God, You have exalted my dwelling place upon the earth, and I have prayed for death to pass away. I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that He would not abandon me in the day of my trouble, and in the time of the proud without help. I will ever praise Your name, and will praise it with thanksgiving; and my prayer was heard. And You saved me from destruction, and delivered me from the evil time. For this reason I thank You and I praise You, O Lord, our God.

Gradual
Ps 45:6, 5.
God will help her with His countenance. God is in her midst; she shall not be disturbed.
V. There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God; the Most High has sanctified His dwelling. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. This is a wise virgin, and one of the number of the prudent. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 13:44-52
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; he who finds it hides it, and in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea that gathered in fish of every kind. When it was filled, they hauled it out, and sitting down on the beach, they gathered the good fish into vessels, but threw away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just, and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, Yes. And He said to them, So then, every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old.  
 
SECRET
O Lord, graciously accept the gifts we offer You in honor of Your blessed virgin martyr Bibiana and grant us Your unending assistance through these offerings. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoratio Feria II infra Hebdomadam I Adventus
May these offerings, O Lord, cleanse us by their mighty power and thus make us come purer before You Who are their author.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

Communion
Ps 118:121-122; 118:128
I have fulfilled just ordinances, O Lord; let not the proud oppress me. For in all Your precepts I go forward; every false way I hate.  


 POSTCOMMUNION
We have been nourished by Your Divine Gift, O Lord our God. May the reception of this Bread of Heaven bring us eternal life through the intercession of Your blessed virgin martyr Bibiana. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoratio Feria II infra Hebdomadam I Adventus
May we receive Your mercy, O Lord, in the midst of Your temple, and thus prepare with due observance for the coming festal season of our redemption.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

Santa Bibiana by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini at Church of Santa Bibiana. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SAINT ANDREW, Apostle [Transferred]

 

   

Image via Wikipedia

SAINT ANDREW 
Apostle

A native of Bethsaida in Galilee, a fisherman by trade, and a former disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew was the one who introduced his brother Peter to Jesus, saying, "We have found the Messias." Overshadowed henceforth by his brother, Andrew nevertheless appears again in the Gospels as introducing souls to Christ. In St. John 12:22, he goes with St. Philip to tell Our Lord of a group of Gentiles who wish to speak with the Master.
After Pentecost, Andrew took up the apostolate on a much wider scale, and is said to have been martyred at Patras in southern Greece on a cross which was in the form of an "X". This type of cross has long been known as "St. Andrew's cross.

"INTROIT Ps. 138:17 
Your friends are greatly honored by me, O God; their pre-eminence is definitely established.Ps. 138:1-2 O Lord, You have proved me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand.V. Glory be . . .

 

GLORIA

COLLECT 
O Lord, we humbly implore Your divine majesty to give us for our perpetual intercessor in heaven the blessed apostle Andrew, who was so outstanding a preacher and ruler in Your Church. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Rom. 10:10-18
Brethren: For, with the heart, we believe unto justice: but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith: "Whosoever believeth in him shall not be confounded." For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things?" But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: "Lord, who hath believed our report?" Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say: Have they not heard? Yes, verily: "Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the whole world."

GRADUAL Ps. 44:17-18 

You shall make them princes through all the land; they shall remember Your name, O Lord.V. To take the place of fathers, sons shall be born to you; therefore peoples shall praise you.

Alleluia, alleluia!V. The Lord loved Andrew as a sweet fragrance. 
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 4:18-22
At that time, Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers). And he saith to them: "Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men." And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them. And they forthwith left their nets and father, and followed him. 

 

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 138:17
Your friends are greatly honored by me, O God; their pre-eminence is definitely established.

SECRET
May the prayers of the blessed apostle Andrew accompany our sacrifice, O Lord, so that his merits, which we commemorate by these offerings, may make it acceptable to You. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 4:19-20
"Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." And at once they left their nets, and followed the Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We have received Your divine Mysteries with joy, O Lord, on the feast of Your blessed apostle Andrew. Grant that our reception of the Holy Eucharist may give glory to Your saints and bring us Your forgiveness. Through Our Lord . . . 

The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew by Caravaggio

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

             

             

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / PURPLE
This First Sunday of Advent or the Fourth before Christmas, is the first day of the Liturgical Year. The Mass prepares us this day for the double coming (adventus) of mercy and justice. That is why St. Paul tells us, in the Epistle, to cast off sin in order that, being ready for the coming of Christ as our Saviour, we may also be ready for His coming as our Judge, of which we learn in the Gospel. Let us prepare ourselves, by pious aspirations and by the reformation of our life, for this twofold coming. Jesus our Lord will reward those who yearn for Him and await Him: "Those who trust in Him shall not be confounded." 
 
 INTROIT Ps. 24. 1-3
To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed. Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Ps. 24:4 Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me, and teach me Thy paths.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT
Arise in Thy strength, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: from the dangers which threaten us because of our sins, be Thy presence our sure defense, be Thy deliverance our safety for evermore. Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

EPISTLE Rom 13. 11-14
Brethren, knowing the time, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL Ps. 24. 3, 4
None of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Show, O Lord, Thy ways to me, and teach me Thy paths.

Alleluia: Ps. 84. 8
Alleluia, alleluia. Show us O Lord, Thy mercy: and grant us Thy salvation. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 21. 25-33
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand."
And He spoke to them a similitude: "See the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh; so you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 24. 1-3
To Thee have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait for Thee shall be confounded.

SECRET PRAYER
May, O Lord, these Sacred Rites enable us, whom by Thy mighty power Thou hast cleansed from sin, to come pure in heart before Thee who art their author. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 84. 13
The Lord will give goodness: and our earth shall yield her fruit.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
May we in the midst of Thy holy temple, O Lord, receive of Thy mercy, who seek with fitting honor to welcome the coming festival of our Redemption. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

SAINT SATURNINUS Martyr (309 A.D.); SAINT CUTHBERT MAYNE Martyr (1579 A.D.)

    

SAINT SATURNINUS

Martyr

 

SAINT CUTHBERT MAYNE

Martyr
 

[Cuthbert Mayne. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuthbert_Mayne]

 

SIMPLE / RED

Saturninus is said to have been a priest who came to Rome from Carthage. At an advanced age he was arrested for his faith. After suffering long imprisonment and barbarous tortures, he was beheaded in the year 309.

Mass of a Martyr, except:

INTROIT Jer. 29:11, 12, 14
Said the Lord: "I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. You shall call upon me and I will hear you, and I will bring you back from captivity from all places." 
Ps. 84:2. Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O Lord, stir up the wills of the faithful that they may be more eager to seek the fruits of divine grace, and to discover in Your mercy greater healing for their sinfulness. Through Our Lord . . .
 

Commemoration of SAINT SATURNINUS 

O God, who fills us with joy at the celebration of Your martyr Saturninus' heavenly birthday, grant that the merits of this saint may help us.

Commemoration of SAINT CUTHBERT MAYNE
 Born in Youlston in 1544, Blessed Cuthbert received Anglican orders, but was converted to the true Faith. Ordained Priest at Douai he labored without ceasing for the welfare of souls in Cornwall. The government invited him to take the unlawful oath of royal supremacy, he refused and was hanged at Launceston on November 29, A.D. 1579.

O God, who didst grant unto blessed Cuthbert, to be the first of the seminary students to run the way of torture for the salvation of souls, grant in Thy mercy that we, likewise inflamed by zeal for souls, may be ready to spend our lives for others. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Col. 1:9-14
Brethren: Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding: That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God: Strengthened with all might according to the power of his glory, in all patience and long-suffering with joy, giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins.

Gradual Ps. 43:8-9
You have freed us from those who afflict us, O Lord, and You have put to shame those who hate us. V. In God we will glory all the day, and praise Your name forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 129:1-2
V. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer!
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 24:15-35
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand. Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains: And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house: And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat. And woe to them that are with child and that give suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath. For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.
"Then if any man shall say to you, 'Lo here is Christ,' or 'there': do not believe him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you, beforehand. If therefore they shall say to you, 'Behold he is in the desert': go ye not out. 'Behold he is in the closets': believe it not. For as lightning cometh out of the east and appeareth even into the west: so shall also the cowling of the Son of man be. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.
"And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. And he shall send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.
"And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors. Amen I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass: but my words shall not pass."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 129:1-2
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer, out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.

SECRET

O Lord, lend a responsive ear to our petitions. Receive the offerings and prayers of Your people, and turn the hearts of us all towards Yourself, so that we may be drawn from earthly desires to the joys of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
 

Commemoration of SAINT SATURNINUS 

 

Bless the gifts we have set apart for You, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed martyr Saturninus help these offerings to win Your mercy for us.

Commemoration of SAINT CUTHBERT MAYNE
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 ANTIPHON Mark 11:24
Amen I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.

 

POSTCOMMUNION

O Lord, cure the evil in our hearts by the healing power of the Sacrament we have received. Through Our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT SATURNINUS 

 

O Lord, may the reception of Your Sacrament sanctify us and make us acceptable to You through the intercession of Your saints.

Commemoration of SAINT CUTHBERT MAYNE 

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 . . .