11th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT BARTHOLOMEW; OUR LADY, HELP OF THE SICK

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

 

Jose (Jusepe) de Ribera
The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew
Prado, Madrid
1639

SAINT BARTHOLOMEW

Apostle

OUR LADY HEALTH OF THE SICK

[Historical]

DOUBLE / GREEN  
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36 God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people. Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him. V. Glory be . . .

 
GLORIA

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BARTHOLOMEW
Bartholomew, a doctor in the Jewish law, was a dear friend of St. Philip the Apostle. Because Bartholomew was a man "in whom there was no guile," his mind was open to the truth. He went willingly with Philip to see Christ, and recognized the Saviour immediately as the Son of God. After having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, Bartholomew evangelized Asia Minor, northwestern India, and Greater Armenia. In the latter country, while preaching to idolators, he was arrested and condemned to death.

Almighty and Eternal God, the feast of Your blessed apostle Bartholomew fills us with reverent and holy joy. Grant that Your Church may love the truths that he believed and preach the doctrines that he taught. Through our Lord . . .
 
 
EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

 
CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET
 O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BARTHOLOMEW
O Lord, grant us Your blessings through the help of the blessed apostle Bartholomew, in whose memory we offer this Sacrifice of praise to celebrate his feast day. Through our Lord . . .
 
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT BARTHOLOMEW
We have received in Holy Communion the pledge of eternal salvation, O Lord. May it help us in this life and in the life to come through the prayers of Your blessed apostle Bartholomew. Through our Lord . . .

OUR LADY, HEALTH OF THE SICK

When Bishop Don Vasco de Quiroga wanted a statue of the Blesses Virgin for the Christian community of Patzcuaro, he persuaded a member of the Tarascan tribe to sculpt it for him.  Accustomed to fashioning idols, the Indian’s statue was well received and is the one that is now venerated as the miraculous image of Our Lady Health of the Sick.

For three centuries the little statue of Our Lady has been dearly loved and venerated by the Indians and the people of Patzcuaro.  Known for restoring peace, giving needed rain during droughts, restoring wells and spring, it has even dismissed epidemics.  But most of all, the Blessed Virgin is known as Nuestra Senora de la Salud, Our Lady, Health of the Sick, the worked of miracles and a guiding star for her faithful children. 

Prayer

Virgin, most holy, Mother of the Word Incarnate, Treasurer of graces, and Refuge of sinners, I fly to your motherly affection with lively faith, and I beg of you the grace ever to do the will of God.

Into your most holy hands I commit the keeping of my heart, asking you for health of soul and body, in the certain hope that you, my most loving Mother, will hear my prayer.

Into the bosom of your tender mercy, this day, every day of my life, and at the hour of my death, I commend my soul and body.

To you I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that all my actions may be ordered and disposed according to your will and that of your Divine Son. Amen.

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT DOMINIC (1221 A.D.)

 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]

 

St Dominic and the Albigenses:
A 1480 painting by Pedro Berruguete of St Dominic checking for heresy by burning books
(Museo del Prado).

SAINT DOMINIC

Confessor

DOUBLE / GREEN
All men tend to seek God in proportion to their conscious needs. Before pagans can be drawn to the Church they must be convinced that they need to seek the rich doctrine, worship, and ethics Christ deposited in Christianity. It is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge one's own blindness and ignorance. It requires instead the strength of truth and the vitality of humility to come to God asking for the light of faith. For only God can reveal the sweep of His own power. Only God, through His apostles, can help the world's millions penetrate the meaning of the Gospel's, of Christ's death and resurrection. Through Christian truth, all peoples can learn the truth  of their own worth and dignity.
 
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36
God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people.
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .

GLORIA

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT DOMINIC
During the first years of the 13th century, Dominic de Guzman, a young Spanish priest of noble birth, won the permission of Pope Innocent III to labor among the Albigensian heretics in France. He brought thousands of heretics back to the Faith, and nine of his women converts became the first Dominican nuns of the Second Order. In 1210 Dominic obtained papal sanction for his preaching order of men, thus originating the revolutionary "mixed" vocation, at once monastic and active. With inspired boldness he dispersed his Friars Preachers to centers of civilization in Spain, France, Italy, and Central Europe. He died at Bologna in 1221, leaving to his religious family a strong theological character and the great ideal of leading souls to the freedom of God by instructing them in truth. Tradition records a beautiful spiritual friendship with his contemporary apostle-founder St. Francis of Assisi.

O God, You have enlightened Your Church through the teaching and merits of the blessed confessor Dominic. May the Church never be deprived of help on earth, but always advance in spiritual growth through the intercession of Your saint. Through our Lord . . .

 EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

 

CREED

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET 
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT DOMINIC
Sanctify the offering we have dedicated to You, O Lord, so that it may restore us to health through the merits of Your blessed confessor Dominic. Through our Lord . . .

  
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT DOMINIC
O Almighty God, may the intercession of Your blessed confessor Dominic sustain us who are weighed down by our sins. Through our Lord . . .  

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; Saints Hippolytus (235 A.D.) and Cassian (320 A.D.), Martyrs

 

 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]

The Torture of St. Hippolyte
Dieric Bouts the Elder
after 1468
Oil on wood, 90 x 89.2 cm
St Salvator Cathedral, Bruges

SAINTS HIPPOLYTUS AND CASSIAN
Martyrs

DOUBLE / GREEN
All men tend to seek God in proportion to their conscious needs. Before pagans can be drawn to the Church they must be convinced that they need to seek the rich doctrine, worship, and ethics Christ deposited in Christianity. It is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge one's own blindness and ignorance. It requires instead the strength of truth and the vitality of humility to come to God asking for the light of faith. For only God can reveal the sweep of His own power. Only God, through His apostles, can help the world's millions penetrate the meaning of the Gospel's, of Christ's death and resurrection. Through Christian truth, all peoples can learn the truth  of their own worth and dignity.
 
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36
God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people.
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINTS HIPPOLYTUS AND CASSIAN
Hippolytus was a prominent priest of the church of Rome at the beginning of the third century. Together with the Pope St. Pontian he was exiled to Sardinia, and his sufferings ended in martyrdom A.D. 235. 
In about the year 320, officials at Imola, Italy, arrested Cassian, a Christian schoolmaster. The governor ordered him to be tortured by his own pagan pupils. After making barbarous sport of Cassian in various ways, the pagan boys stabbed their former teacher to death with their stilettos. 
 
O Almighty God, grant that our solemn celebration of the feast of your holy martyrs Hippolytus and Cassian may increase our devotion and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . . 

 EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET 
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS HIPPOLYTUS AND CASSIAN
Look kindly upon the gifts Your people offer on this feast day of Your saints. May the testimony that these saints gave to th etruth help us toward salvation. Through our Lord . . .

  
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS HIPPOLYTUS AND CASSIAN
O Lord, may the reception of Your Sacraments save us and confirm us in the light of Your truth. Through our Lord . . .

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL (1641 A.D.) Widow

 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]

SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL
Widow

DOUBLE / GREEN
All men tend to seek God in proportion to their conscious needs. Before pagans can be drawn to the Church they must be convinced that they need to seek the rich doctrine, worship, and ethics Christ deposited in Christianity. It is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge one's own blindness and ignorance. It requires instead the strength of truth and the vitality of humility to come to God asking for the light of faith. For only God can reveal the sweep of His own power. Only God, through His apostles, can help the world's millions penetrate the meaning of the Gospel's, of Christ's death and resurrection. Through Christian truth, all peoples can learn the truth  of their own worth and dignity.
 
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36
God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people.
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL
The family of Jane Frances de Fremiot (1572-1641) in Dijon, France, was prominent and wealthy. Jane became the wife of the Baron de Chantal, a nobleman of honor and virtue. The happiness of the young couple ended nine years later, when the baron died in a hunting accident. His widow devoted herself to the care of their four children, and after a time placed herself under the direction of St. Francis de Sales. Under his guidance she founded the congregation of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, for the education of girls.

O Almighty and merciful God, who willed to add glory to Your Church through the new congregation founded by blessed Jane Frances, You inflamed this saint with such a love of Yourself that her wondrous strength of soul led her in the way of perfection during her whole life. May her merits and prayers bring us grace from heaven to overcome everything that hinders us, for we are conscious of our own frailty and trust solely in Your strength. Through our Lord . . .

 EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL
 O Lord, let this life-giving sacrifice kindle in us the same fire of love that burned so ardently in the heart of blessed Jane Frances and consumed her in the flames of infinite charity. Through our Lord . . .

 
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL
O Lord, pour out the Spirit of Your love upon us who have been fed with the Bread of Heaven. Grant us the grace to spurn earthly things through the prayers of blessed Jane Frances, so that we may seek You alone, our God, with pure hearts. Through our Lord . . .

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY (1859 A.D.); SAINTS CYRIACUS, LARGUS, AND SMARAGDUS Martyrs

 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY
Confessor

 

SAINTS CYRIACUS, LARGUS, 

AND SMARAGDUS
Martyrs

DOUBLE / GREEN  
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36 God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people. Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY

For forty years in his poor, uninspiring parish of Ars, France, Father John Mary Vianney (1786-1859) spent himself to snatch souls from sin. The "saint of the confessional" often passed as many as 18 hours daily at his arduous task, with never a break in the line of sin-laden penitents who came to him for healing.

Almighty and merciful God, You blessed John Mary with admirable priestly zeal and unflagging fervor in prayer and penance. May his intercession and example enable us to gain the souls of our brothers for Christ and with them attain everlasting glory. 

Commemoration of SAINT CYRIACUS AND COMPANIONS
Cyriacus, a Roman deacon, gave help to Christians forced to labor on the Baths of Diocletian. He was arrested together with 22 other witnesses to Christ, among whom were Largus and Smaragdus. These martyrs were beheaded about A.D. 304. "They overcame . . . through the Blood of the Lamb and through the word of their witness, for they did not love their lives even in the face of death" (Apoc. 12:11).

O God, we are made happy by the annual feast of Your holy martyrs Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus. May we imitate the fortitude under suffering of these saints whose birthday we celebrate today. Through our Lord . . . 
 
EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET

 O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY

We offer You, O Lord, this Sacrifice of praise in memory of Your saints. Free us from evil now and in the future through their intercession.

 Commemoration of SAINT CYRIACUS AND COMPANIONS
O Lord, let the prayers of Your saints whom we honor by this sacred rite make our offering acceptable to You so that it may aid our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOHN MARY VIANNEY

Refreshed with Heavenly Food and Drink we humbly pray You, our God, that we may be strengthened by the prayers of Your saint, in whose memory we have received this Sacrament. 

Commemoration of SAINT CYRIACUS AND COMPANIONS
We are refreshed by the reception of Your Sacred Gift, O Lord. May the prayers of Your blessed martyrs Cyriacus, Largus and Smaragdus make us feel the benefit of the Sacred Rite we have performed. Through our Lord . . . 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT JOACHIM, FATHER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]

SAINT JOACHIM

Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Confessor

DOUBLE / GREEN
All men tend to seek God in proportion to their conscious needs. Before pagans can be drawn to the Church they must be convinced that they need to seek the rich doctrine, worship, and ethics Christ deposited in Christianity. It is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge one's own blindness and ignorance. It requires instead the strength of truth and the vitality of humility to come to God asking for the light of faith. For only God can reveal the sweep of His own power. Only God, through His apostles, can help the world's millions penetrate the meaning of the Gospel's, of Christ's death and resurrection. Through Christian truth, all peoples can learn the truth  of their own worth and dignity.
 
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36
God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people.
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of SAINT JOACHIM

 "Most blessed couple, the whole of creation is in your debt," says St. John Damascene about Joachim and Anne, the parents of Our Lady. "For it is through you that it has been possible to offer the Creator a present above all other presents, the chaste Mother, who alone was worthy of the Creator. Rejoice, Joachim, for unto us a Son is born of thy daughter."
According to tradition, Joachim was untiring in his charity. He divided what he had into three parts, of which the first was given to the upkeep of the temple, the second to the poor, and the third was all that he reserved for his own household.

 

O God, You chose blessed Joachim from among all Your saints to be the father of Mary, who bore Your Son. May we sensibly feel the power of the protection of this saint whom we honor on this feast. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

 EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOACHIM

O most merciful God, accept the sacrifice we offer to Your majesty in honor of the holy patriarch Joachim, father of the Virgin Mary. May his intercession, and that of his wife and most blessed child, enable us to win complete forgiveness of our sins and everlasting glory. Through our Lord . . .

  
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT JOACHIM

O Almighty God, may we be worthy of Your grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come through this Sacrament that we have received and through the merits and prayers of blessed Joachim, father of Mary who bore Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . . 

 

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT LOUIS IX King and Confessor (1270 A.D.)

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

[Commemoration]

Detail of 'St-Louis IX at the Battle of Taillebourg',
painted by Eugène Delacroix in 1837 (at 'Galerie des Batailles', Versailles). The decisive engagement of this brief, but critical war was fought on 21 or 22 July 1242, near the strategic bridge over the Charente river just south of the château of Taillebourg.

SAINT LOUIS IX
King and Confessor

DOUBLE / GREEN
All men tend to seek God in proportion to their conscious needs. Before pagans can be drawn to the Church they must be convinced that they need to seek the rich doctrine, worship, and ethics Christ deposited in Christianity. It is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge one's own blindness and ignorance. It requires instead the strength of truth and the vitality of humility to come to God asking for the light of faith. For only God can reveal the sweep of His own power. Only God, through His apostles, can help the world's millions penetrate the meaning of the Gospel's, of Christ's death and resurrection. Through Christian truth, all peoples can learn the truth  of their own worth and dignity.
 
INTROIT Ps. 67:6-7, 36
God is in His holy place. It is God who makes men dwell in unity in his house; it is He who gives power and strength to His people.
Ps. 67:2. Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and eternal God, Your bounteous kindness exceeds the merits and fondest hopes of our prayers. Shower Your mercy upon us, forgive us the sins that strike fear in our consciences, and grant us the blessings we dare not presume to ask for. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LOUIS IX

King Louis IX of France (1215-70) is acknowledged the ideal Christian monarch. Not only was his private life marked by a spirit of contemplation and asceticism overflowing in Christ-like charity toward all men, from fellow kings to the lowest of his subjects; he also gave his country a rule of unprecedented peace, justice, and material and spiritual prosperity. He fostered the flowering of Gothic architecture, developed the University of Paris. So great was his apostolic zeal that when he joined the Crusades he personally prepared Saracen converts for baptism and sent their children to France for a Catholic education. In a message to the Sultan of Tunis he wrote: "I desire so strongly the salvation of your soul that to secure it I would gladly spend the rest of my life in a Saracen prison. . . ." He died of plague at Tunis during his second campaign to save the Holy Land.

O God, You raised the blessed confessor Louis from an earthly throne to the glory of Your kingdom in heaven. May the merits and prayers of this saint bring us to share in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, Your Son, the King of kings; who lives and rules with You . . .

 EPISTLE I Cor. 15:1-10
Brethren: Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the child untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain.

GRADUAL Ps. 27:7, 1
My heart has trusted in God, and I have found help. I have thrived once again, and with all my will I shall give praise to Him.
V. To You, O Lord my God, I cry; be not deaf to me, nor depart from me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 80:2-3
Sing joyfully to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Play a pleasant psalm upon the harp. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 7:31-37
At that time, Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 29:2-3
I will extol You, O Lord, for You have upheld me, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, I cried out to You, and You have healed me.

SECRET
O Lord, look mercifully upon this service of ours that our gift may be acceptable to You and worthy of winning Your assistance for our weakness. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LOUIS IX
O Almighty God, may we be made acceptable to You through the prayers of Your blessed confessor Louis, who spurned the pleasures of this world and sought only to please Christ the King. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Prov. 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first of all your fruits; and your barns shall be filled with abundance, and your presses shall run over with wine.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
O Lord, may we experience strength of mind and body from the Sacrament we have received. Let it restore health to both that we may glory in Your heavenly healing. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LOUIS IX
O God, may the Church have as her defender the blessed confessor Louis, on whom You bestowed renown on earth and glory in heaven. Through our Lord . . .