ST EUSEBIUS, Bishop and Martyr (371 A.D.); TUESDAY 3rd WEEK IN ADVENT; ST ADELAIDE OF ITALY (999 A.D.)

 

SAINT EUSEBIUS
Bishop and Martyr

TUESDAY THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

SIMPLE / RED
Eusebius was bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy in the middle of the fourth century. St. Ambrose says that he was the first in the West to introduce the practice of community life among secular clergy. Eusebius was exiled to Palestine and Cappadocia by Emperor Constantius for his defense of St. Athanasius and his opposition to the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Though greatly mistreated in exile, [he won the title of martyr for his grievous sufferings] the courageous bishop survived the ordeal and, on the death of the Emperor, took up the fight for the Church once more. He won other enemies, however, by urging clemency toward repentant Arian bishops, the very ones who had been a cause of his exile. St. Eusebius died in peace at Vercelli in 371.

COLLECT
O God, who gladdens us each year by the feast of Your blessed martyr bishop Eusebius, mercifully grant that we who celebrate his birthday may also enjoy his protection. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration 3rd WEEK IN ADVENT
Hear our prayers, O Lord, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by Your coming on earth; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the second letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
2 Cor. 1:3-7
Brethren: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our afflictions, that we also may be able to comfort those who are in any distress by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also through Christ does our comfort abound. For whether we are afflicted, it is for your instruction and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort; which shows its efficacy in the endurance of the selfsame sufferings that we also suffer. And our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so will you also be of the comfort, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gradual
Ps 8:6-7
You crowned him with glory and honor.
V. You have given him rule over the works of Your hands, O Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. This is the priest whom the Lord has crowned. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt. 16:24-27
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will find it. For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will render to everyone according to His conduct.

 

OFFERTORY Psalms 88: 21-22

I have found David My servant, with
My holy oil I have anointed him: for
My hand shall help him, and My arm
shall strengthen him. 

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

Commemoration 3rd WEEK IN ADVENT
May we always offer the sacrifice of adoration in such a manner, O Lord, that it will attain the purpose for which You instituted this sacred rite, and bring about our salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

Communion
Ps 20:4
You placed on his head, O Lord, a crown of pure gold.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Communion cleanse us from sin, and bestow on us spiritual health from heaven through the intercession of Your martyr bishop Eusebius. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration 3rd WEEK IN ADVENT
In Your mercy cleanse us from our sins by these divine Rites, O Lord, and make us ready for the coming feast. Through Our Lord . . .

Saint Adelaide of Burgundy

Also known as

• Adelaide of Italy
• Adelheid….
• Alice….

Memorial

• 16 December

Profile

Born a princess, the daughter of King Rudolf II (Rupert II) of Upper Burgundy. Promised at age two in an arranged marriage as part of a treaty between Rudolf and Hugh of Provence. Married at age 16 to Lothair of Italy, who eventually became king of Italy. Widowed in 950 while still a teenager; Lothair was probably poisoned by his successor to the throne, Berengarius. As part of his attempt to solidify his grip on power, Berengarius ordered Adelaide to marry his son; she refused, and was imprisoned. She was freed soon after when the German king Otto the Great defeated Berengarius.
Adelaide married Otto in Pavia, Italy in 951. He was crowned Emperor in Rome, Italy in 952, and Adelaide reigned with him for 20 years. Widowed in 973, she was ill-treated by her step-son, Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophano, but eventually reconciled with her royal in-laws.
When Otto II died in 983, he was succeeded by his infant son, Otto III. Theophano acted as regent, and since she still did not like Adelaide, used her power to exile her from the royal court. Theophano died in 991, and Adelaide returned once again to the court to act as regent for the child emperor. She used her position and power to help the poor, to evangelize, especially among the Slavs, and to build and restore monasteries and churches. When Otto III was old enough, Adelaide retired to the convent of Selta near Cologne, a house she had built. Though she never became a nun, she spent the rest of her days there in prayer.

December 15th: FERIA – THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT; SAINT CHRISTIANA (NINO) (4th C.)

 

December 15th: FERIA – THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

SAINT CHRISTIANA (NINO) (4th C.)  

INTROIT Philipp. 4:4-6
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety; but in every prayer let your petitions be made known to God.
Ps. 84:2. O Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity.V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Hear our prayers, O Lord, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by Your coming on earth; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .
  
EPISTLE Philipp. 4:4-7
Brethren: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

GRADUAL Ps. 79:2, 3, 2
O Lord, enthroned above the Cherubim, stir up Your might and come.
V. Take heed, you who rule Israel, you who are shepherd over Joseph.

GOSPEL John 1:19-28
At that time, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: "Who art thou?" And he confessed and did not deny: and he confessed: "I am not the Christ." And they asked him: "What then? Art thou Elias?" And he said: "I am not." "Art thou the prophet? And he answered: "No." They said therefore unto him: "Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias." And they that were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: "Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?" John answered them, saying: "I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not. The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 84:2, 3
O Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity; You have forgiven the sinfulness of Your people.

SECRET
May we always offer the sacrifice of adoration in such a manner, O Lord, that it will attain the purpose for which You instituted this sacred rite, and bring about our salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 35:4
Say to the fainthearted, "Take courage and fear not. Behold, our God will come and will save us."

POSTCOMMUNION
In Your mercy cleanse us from our sins by these divine Rites, O Lord, and make us ready for the coming feast. Through Our Lord . . .

SAINT CHRISTIANA (NINO) (4th C.)

Virgin (Apostle of Georgia (Asia) (Historical)

St. Nino (fl. III/IV Century) was born in Cappadocia. Tradition says she was a relative of St. George who travelled to Iberia (Georgia) to convert the people to Christianity. Scholars believe she was a slave to whom the name Nino (the Georgian form of Nina) was given; she has also been identified as Christiana. The quiet piety of her life and her preaching converted many people, and when she cured Queen Nana of a seemingly incurable disease, Nino converted the queen. When King Mirian also became a Christian, he sent to Constantinople for bishops and priests. Nino continued to preach throughout Georgia until her death at Bodke. A church dedicated to the memory of St. George was built on the site of her grave.

English: A Georgian miniature depicting St. Nino and the episode of the legend of the Svetitskhoveli cathedral (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT; GAUDETE SUNDAY

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

GAUDETE SUNDAY

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / ROSE or PURPLE
Guadete means "Rejoice." Anticipated joy over our Savior's coming breaks through all our serious Advent preparation. Although it cannot be entirely repressed, our joy is yet restrained for two reasons: 1. Like John the Baptist, even the most fervent person feels a great unworthiness either to be a friend of Christ or to be His apostle. 2. Very often our joy is dulled by unnecessary anxiety. We let our peace of soul depend too much upon persons and events and circumstances, and too little upon God's infallible and tender care.

INTROIT Philipp. 4:4-6
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety; but in every prayer let your petitions be made known to God.
Ps. 84:2. O Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity.V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Hear our prayers, O Lord, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by Your coming on earth; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

  
EPISTLE Philipp. 4:4-7
Brethren: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

GRADUAL Ps. 79:2, 3, 2
O Lord, enthroned above the Cherubim, stir up Your might and come.
V. Take heed, you who rule Israel, you who are shepherd over Joseph.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Stir up Your might, O Lord, and come to save us.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 1:19-28
At that time, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: "Who art thou?" And he confessed and did not deny: and he confessed: "I am not the Christ." And they asked him: "What then? Art thou Elias?" And he said: "I am not." "Art thou the prophet? And he answered: "No." They said therefore unto him: "Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?" He said: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias." And they that were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: "Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?" John answered them, saying: "I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not. The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 
CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 84:2, 3
O Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity; You have forgiven the sinfulness of Your people.

SECRET
May we always offer the sacrifice of adoration in such a manner, O Lord, that it will attain the purpose for which You instituted this sacred rite, and bring about our salvation. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 35:4
Say to the fainthearted, "Take courage and fear not. Behold, our God will come and will save us."

POSTCOMMUNION
In Your mercy cleanse us from our sins by these divine Rites, O Lord, and make us ready for the coming feast. Through Our Lord . . .

SAINT LUCY (304 A.D.) Virgin and Martyr; SAINT ODILIA, Virgin; Within the Octave; Saturday 2nd Week of Advent

 

St. Lucy, c. 1472-74
Lippi, Filippino

SAINT LUCY
Virgin and Martyr

SATURDAY SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

WITHIN THE OCTAVE

SAINT ODILIA

Virgin

[Historical]

DOUBLE / RED
Lucy, patron of Sicily, and one of the saints of the Canon of the Mass, was martyred at Syracuse in the persecution of Diocletian about the year 304. The legend of her martyrdom says that she was denounced as a Christian by a rejected suitor. Refusing to apostatize, she was condemned to a brothel, but a mysterious force prevented the persecutors from moving her from the tribunal. After an unsuccessful attempt had been made to burn her to death, her neck was pierced with a dagger.

INTROIT Ps. 44:8
You loved justice and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above all your fellow creatures.
Ps. 44:2 My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Hear our prayer, O God our Savior, and let us learn the spirit of true devotion from Your blessed virgin and martyr Lucy, as we joyfully celebrate her feast. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the 2nd Sunday of Advent
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Your only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve You with purified minds.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
R. Amen

EPISTLE II Cor. 10:17-18; 11:1-2
Brethren: He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commendeth himself is approved: but he, whom God commendeth. Would to God you could bear with some little of my folly! But do bear with me. For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:8
You loved justice and hated wickedness. 
V. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 44:3
Grace is poured out upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 13:44-52
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all kinds of fishes. Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth. So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"Have ye understood all these things?" They say to him: "Yes." He said unto them: "Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:15, 16
Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king; her friends shall be brought to you with gladness and joy; they shall be brought into the temple of the king, the Lord.

SECRET 
Accept this gift, O Lord, from a people dedicated to You. We offer it in honor of Your saints for the help we have received from them when we were in trouble. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the 2nd Sunday of Advent
Be appeased, we beseech You, O Lord, by the prayers and offerings of our human frailty, and where the support of our own merits is lacking, come to our assistance with Your protection.
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.
R. Amen.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 118:161-162
Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart has stood in awe of Your words. I rejoice at Your words as one who has found great booty.

POSTCOMMUNION 
O Lord, You have feasted Your family with the Food of heaven. May we always be refreshed through the intercession of Your saint whose feast we celebrate this day. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of the 2nd Sunday of Advent
We who have been refreshed by the food of spiritual nourishment, humbly beseech You, O Lord, that through partaking of this sacrament You will teach us to disdain the things of earth and love those of heaven.
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.
R. Amen.

 

Saint Odile in Avolsheim - Alsac

Born blind to the family of the Duke of Alsace Lord Aldaric (aka Etichon, aka Athich) and Bereswinda; because she was a girl and disabled, the family decided to put her out. Rather that having her killed, she was given to a peasant family. Taken in by a convent at age twelve, she gained her sight upon being touched by chrism during her baptism by Saint Erhard of Regensburg. Her brother wanted her back for use in an arranged marriage; when he heard of his son’s machinations and Odilia’s miraculous healing, her father was so angry that he struck and killed the brother. Odilia raised her brother back to life, then fled to the convent to escape the marriage. Her father followed her, but when a mountain opened a cave to hide her, and then dropped rocks on him, he gave up the idea. She joined the abbey, and eventually became abbess. Founded the Hohenburg Abbey on the Odilienberg mountain in Alsace. 

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE (1531 A.D.); FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

  

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Archbishop Zumarraga. Image via Wikipedia

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
On the summit of a hill a few miles north of Mexico City, Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Aztec Indian convert, in December, 1531. In order that the Spanish Archbishop Zumarraga of Mexico might have faith in the apparitions, Mary made roses bloom on the cold, arid hillside, and impressed a picture of herself upon Juan Diego's roughly woven mantle. Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe has helped to weld into a nation the various peoples of Mexico; [millions of Indians were baptized and entered the Church] and her shrine has never been closed, even during the most bitter conflicts between Church and State in that country.


INTROIT
Hail, Holy Mother, who brought forth the King who rules heaven and earth forever and ever. 
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You have placed us under the special patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and through her You have favored us with endless blessings. May we, who joyfully honor her this day on earth, enjoy her company forever in heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

During Advent, commemoration of the preceding Sunday

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Your only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve You with purified minds.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
R. Amen

EPISTLE  Eccli. 24:23-31
As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odor: and my flowers are the fruit of honor and riches.
I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.
Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.
For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.
My memory is unto everlasting generations.
They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.
He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.
They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

GRADUAL  Cant. 6:9; Eccli. 50:8
Who is she who comes forth as th morning dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun? 
V. As a rainbow that gives light in the bright clouds, and as the budding roses in the springtime.

Alleluia, alleluia!  V. Cant. 2:12
The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning has come.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL  Luke 1:39-47
At that time, Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she cried out with a loud voice and said: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord." And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON  II Par. 7:16
I have chosen and sanctified this place, that my name may be here, and my eyes and my heart may dwell here forever.

SECRET 
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 . . .

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday
Be appeased, we beseech You, O Lord, by the prayers and offerings of our human frailty, and where the support of our own merits is lacking, come to our assistance with Your protection.
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.
R. Amen.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON  Ps. 147:20
He has not done this for any other nation, and His ordinances He has not made known to them.

POSTCOMMUNION 
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 . . .

Juan Diego. 18th Century Painting. Image via Wikipedia

Commemoration of the preceding Sunday
We who have been refreshed by the food of spiritual nourishment, humbly beseech You, O Lord, that through partaking of this sacrament You will teach us to disdain the things of earth and love those of heaven.
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.
R. Amen.

SAINT DAMASUS (384 A.D.) Pope; THURSDAY SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT; THE HUMILITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY; OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS

   

SAINT DAMASUS
Pope and Confessor

THURSDAY OF SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT

THE HUMILITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS
[Historical]

WITHIN THE OCTAVE

SIMPLE / WHITE
The Spaniard Damasus was pope from 366 to 384. During his reign he had to contend with an antipope at Rome, schism at Antioch, Constantinople, and Sardinia, and Arian heresy over the whole Empire. St. Jerome, whom he commissioned to prepare the Vulgatetranslation of the Bible, calls him "an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity and heard its praise with pleasure." Pope Damasus had great veneration for the Christian martyrs, wrote many of the epitaphs for their tombs, and out of humility, would not allow himself to be buried among his martyred predecessors.

INTROIT (John 21: 15-17)

Simon Peter, if thou lovest Me, feed My lambs, feed My sheep. Alleluia, alleluia' Ps. 29:1 I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me, and hast not made mine enemies to rejoice over me. Glory be to the Father . . . Simon Peter, if . . .

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

Commemoration of THURSDAY SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT
 Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Your only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve You with purified minds.


Commemoration of THE HUMILITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
The whole life of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a continual practice of humility. She had renounced all the vanities and honors of the world from the moment when, as a child, she offered herself to God in the Temple. She ever sought to appear as a servant although she had been exalted to be the Mistress of the universe. She was in very deed the humble handmaid of the Lord, as she terms herself in the Magnificat. 

O God, who regardest the humble and removest Thine eyes from the proud, grant that we Thy servants may imitate with pure heart the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who pleased Thee by her virginity and who by her humility, became the Mother of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth . . . 

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St Peter the Apostle
1 Pet. 5:1-4, 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, 31.
Let them extol him 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.
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."  
 
OFFERTORY (Jer. 1: 9-10)

Behold I have given My words in thy mouth, lo, I have set thee over the nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to build, and to plant, Alleluia.

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 THURSDAY SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT
 Be appeased, we beseech You, O Lord, by the prayers and offerings of our human frailty, and where the support of our own merits is lacking, come to our assistance with Your protection.


Commemoration of THE HUMILITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, may this offering, we beseech Thee, O Lord, obtain for us the grace of true humility and take from our hearts the concupiscence of the flesh and of the eyes and all worldly ambition, so that we may live soberly and justly and piously and thus attain our eternal reward. Through our Lord . . .  

COMMUNION (Matt. 16:18)

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.

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 THURSDAY SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT
We who have been refreshed by the food of spiritual nourishment, humbly beseech You, O Lord, that through partaking of this sacrament You will teach us to disdain the things of earth and love those of heaven.


Commemoration of THE HUMILITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
May the partaking of this sacrament remove from us the stain of sin, O Lord, and through the prayers of the glorious and blessed Virgin Mary bring us by the road of humility unto the kingdom of heaven. Through our Lord . . . 

OUR LADY QUEEN OF THE ANGELS  

FEAST DAY

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"There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God." St. Luke, 2: 13.

Today we honor Mary as Queen of the Angels. As our thoughts fly up to heaven, we pass by all the nine choirs of angels up to the very throne of God, to behold the Queen of all these heavenly spirits. We can call Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, because she was more favored by God than all the angels, and she can and really does do more for our souls than the heavenly spirits could ever do. These spirits are the servants of God; but Our Blessed Lady is the Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, and Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. All through her life we see the angels about our Blessed Mother:

1. We see the Archangel Gabriel announcing to the Blessed Virgin that she is to be the Mother of God. This Archangel salutes her, greets her, honors her, because he realized that Mary was his Queen.

2. At Bethlehem we hear the angels announce the birth of Jesus, the Son of God in a stable. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." There was a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and honoring their Queen, even though she was a humble, simple Jewish Mother. These heavenly messengers came from the throne of God to tell the world that this Child was really the Son of God.

3. Again the angels enter Our Lady's life when they warned St. Joseph to take the Child and flee into Egypt. What is the power of the sword, when the angels of God spread their wings to protect the Infant Son of God? The angels protected the Holy Family as they made that perilous, tedious trip to a foriegn land, and also during their sojourn there.

4. After the Death and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the angels were at the tomb. One of them rolled away the stone and then announced: "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come and see the place where the Lord was laid." (Matt. 28: 5) They helped Mother Mary to see her risen Son.

5. Finally, on Ascension day two angels addressed the disciples, with Our Lady accompanying them, as they looked at the departing Master: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall come in the same way as you have seen Him going up to heaven." (Acts 1:11)

6. According to an unquestionable tradition of Mother Church, Our Lady was taken into heaven by the hands of angels. Thus, all through her life messengers of the Almighty waited upon her, honored her, and brought her messages. Prayer and devotion to Our Lady, Queen of Angels, and all the choirs of angels throughout our life on earth and especially in death, gives us hope that we too will be assisted into heaven by their hands.

[Adapted from a sermon by Rt. Rev. Arthur Tonne, c/o Didde Printing Co.]