Welcome to my Blog! I read where there was a need for English Propers for the Traditional (1962 Missale Romanum - Tridentine) Latin Mass, so I will try posting the prayers and readings each day, if they are available. I will also post some other writings regarding the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the greatest Act of Worship we can offer to Almighty God and the closest we can get to Heaven!
Showing posts with label Saint Venantius Fortunatus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saint Venantius Fortunatus. Show all posts
SIMPLE / PURPLE INTROIT Isa. 30:30 People
of Sion, behold, the Lord shall come to save the nations; and the Lord
shall make heard the glory of His voice in the joy of your heart.Ps. 79:2 Take heed, you who rule Israel, you who shepherd over Joseph.
V. Glory be . . . COLLECT O
Lord, stir up our hearts to accept the message of Your only-begotten
Son, so that, through His coming on earth, we may serve Him always with a
pure intention; who lives and rules with You . . . EPISTLE Rom. 15:4-13 Brethren:
For what things soever were written were written for our learning:
that, through patience and the comfort of the scriptures, we might have
hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one
mind, one towards another, according to Jesus Christ: That with one mind
and with one mouth you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Wherefore, receive one another, as Christ also hath received
you, unto the honour of God. For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of
the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made
unto the fathers: But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his
mercy, as it is written: "Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord,
among the Gentiles and will sing to thy name." And again he saith:
"Rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people." And again: "Praise the Lord, all
ye Gentiles: and magnify him, all ye people." And again, Isaias saith:
"There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the
Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope." Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing: that you may abound in hope and in
the power of the Holy Ghost. GRADUAL Ps. 49:2-3, 5 Out of Sion, perfect in beauty, God shall come revealed.
V. Gather before Him His saints, who have ratified His covenant with sacrifice. Alleluia, alleluia! V.Ps. 121:1 I rejoiced at the tidings which were told me, "We shall go into the house of the Lord." Alleluia! GOSPEL Matt. 11:2-10 At
that time, when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending
two of his disciples he said to him: "Art thou he that art to come, or
look we for another?" And Jesus making answer said to them: "Go
and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again,
the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he that shall
not be scandalized in me." And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What
went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind? But
what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they
that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings. But what
went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold I send my angel before my
face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.' " OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 84:7-8 You
will turn again, O God, and bring us life, and Your people shall
rejoice in You. Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. SECRET O
Lord, let our humble offering of these prayers and sacrifices appease
You for our sins. We have no merits of our own to depend on; so assist
us with Your aid. Through Our Lord . . . COMMUNION ANTIPHON Bar. 5:5; 4:36 Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high, and behold the joy that comes to you from your God. POSTCOMMUNION We
have just been nourished with Your Body and Blood, O Lord. Teach us
through this Sacramental rite to despise the things of earth and to
yearn for the things of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
SAINTS NICASIUS & EUTROPIA Bishop & his Sister (5th C. Historical)
(5th century)
Saint Nicasius and his Companions
In the fifth century an army of Vandal barbarians from Germany, while
ravaging part of Gaul, plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, its holy
bishop, an emissary of peace, justice and charity, had foretold this
calamity to his flock; for the city of Rheims, which for a long time had
been docile to his word, little by little was seen by the afflicted
pastor to be sinking into vice and corruption. He endeavored to waken
them to penance: Weep, lament in sackcloth and ashes, unfortunate flock,
for God has numbered your iniquities, and if you do not do penance,
dreadful punishments are going to come upon you! But his words were
unheeded.
When Saint Nicasius saw the enemy at the gates and in
the streets, forgetting himself and solicitous only for his spiritual
children, he went from door to door encouraging everyone to patience and
constancy, and awakening in each breast the most heroic sentiments of
piety and religion. By endeavoring to save the lives of his flock, he
exposed himself to the sword of the infidels, who indeed slew him, while
he was praying on his knees the words of a Psalm: Lord, my soul has
been as though fastened to the earth; Lord, give me life, according to
Your word! Florens, his deacon, and Jocond, his lector, were massacred
by his side. His sister Eutropia, a virtuous and beautiful virgin,
fearing she might be reserved for a fate worse than death, boldly cried
out to the infidels that it was her unalterable resolution to sacrifice
her life rather than her faith or her virtue. In reply, they dispatched
her with their cutlasses, and continued their massacre.
Then,
suddenly, a strange and terrible noise was heard in the Church of
Notre-Dame, and the alarmed barbarians took flight without taking time
to pillage the houses or burn the city, or even take the booty they had
already amassed.
When the city's inhabitants who had fled to the
mountains of the region felt it was safe to return, having seen an
unexplained flame above the place of the torment and heard what seemed
to be an angelic concert in that area, they went with the intention of
piously burying the remains of the slain, and they found there Saint
Nicasius, their bishop, his assistants, and Saint Eutropia. Many
miracles occurred at their tomb.
SAINT VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS Bishop (605 A.D. Historical)
Gallic poet and (briefly) serving bishop
of Poitiers, France. Known in full as Venantius Clementianus
Fortunatus, he was born in Trevise, near Venice, Italy, and studied at
Ravenna. He suffered from some ailment of the eye, but thanks to St. Martin of Tours, he was able to embark upon a pilgrimage in 565 which brought him to Mainz, Cologne, and Trier, Gennany, and to Metz and the Moselle, France. He reached the court of King Sigebert (r. sixth century) at Metz
in 566 and there was much praise for his poetry, especially his
eulogies. Venantius next journeyed to Verdun, Reims, Soissons, Paris,
and finaIly Tours, where he prayed at the tomb
of St. Martin. Moving on to Poitiers, he entered into the service of
Queen Rodegunda who was now living as a nun, acting as her secretary
until her death in August 587. Shortly before his death, he was named bishop
of Potiers. A brilliant poet, considered a transitional figure in
literature between the ancient and medieval periods, Venanhus was a
prolific writer: six poems on the Cross, including the two famous works
Vexilla Regia and Pange Lzngua Gloijosi; eleven books of poems; a
metrical life of St. Martin of Tours; the prose lives of eleven Gallic saints, including the Vita Rodegundis; and the elegy DeExcidie Thui'ingiae.
SIMPLE / PURPLE INTROIT Isa. 30:30 People
of Sion, behold, the Lord shall come to save the nations; and the Lord
shall make heard the glory of His voice in the joy of your heart.Ps. 79:2 Take heed, you who rule Israel, you who shepherd over Joseph.
V. Glory be . . . COLLECT O
Lord, stir up our hearts to accept the message of Your only-begotten
Son, so that, through His coming on earth, we may serve Him always with a
pure intention; who lives and rules with You . . . EPISTLE Rom. 15:4-13 Brethren:
For what things soever were written were written for our learning:
that, through patience and the comfort of the scriptures, we might have
hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one
mind, one towards another, according to Jesus Christ: That with one mind
and with one mouth you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Wherefore, receive one another, as Christ also hath received
you, unto the honour of God. For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of
the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made
unto the fathers: But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his
mercy, as it is written: "Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord,
among the Gentiles and will sing to thy name." And again he saith:
"Rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people." And again: "Praise the Lord, all
ye Gentiles: and magnify him, all ye people." And again, Isaias saith:
"There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the
Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope." Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing: that you may abound in hope and in
the power of the Holy Ghost. GRADUAL Ps. 49:2-3, 5 Out of Sion, perfect in beauty, God shall come revealed.
V. Gather before Him His saints, who have ratified His covenant with sacrifice. Alleluia, alleluia! V.Ps. 121:1 I rejoiced at the tidings which were told me, "We shall go into the house of the Lord." Alleluia! GOSPEL Matt. 11:2-10 At
that time, when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending
two of his disciples he said to him: "Art thou he that art to come, or
look we for another?" And Jesus making answer said to them: "Go
and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again,
the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he that shall
not be scandalized in me." And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What
went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind? But
what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they
that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings. But what
went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold I send my angel before my
face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.' " OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 84:7-8 You
will turn again, O God, and bring us life, and Your people shall
rejoice in You. Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. SECRET O
Lord, let our humble offering of these prayers and sacrifices appease
You for our sins. We have no merits of our own to depend on; so assist
us with Your aid. Through Our Lord . . . COMMUNION ANTIPHON Bar. 5:5; 4:36 Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high, and behold the joy that comes to you from your God. POSTCOMMUNION We
have just been nourished with Your Body and Blood, O Lord. Teach us
through this Sacramental rite to despise the things of earth and to
yearn for the things of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
SAINTS NICASIUS & EUTROPIA Bishop & his Sister (5th C. Historical)
(5th century)
Saint Nicasius and his Companions
In the fifth century an army of Vandal barbarians from Germany, while
ravaging part of Gaul, plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, its holy
bishop, an emissary of peace, justice and charity, had foretold this
calamity to his flock; for the city of Rheims, which for a long time had
been docile to his word, little by little was seen by the afflicted
pastor to be sinking into vice and corruption. He endeavored to waken
them to penance: Weep, lament in sackcloth and ashes, unfortunate flock,
for God has numbered your iniquities, and if you do not do penance,
dreadful punishments are going to come upon you! But his words were
unheeded.
When Saint Nicasius saw the enemy at the gates and in
the streets, forgetting himself and solicitous only for his spiritual
children, he went from door to door encouraging everyone to patience and
constancy, and awakening in each breast the most heroic sentiments of
piety and religion. By endeavoring to save the lives of his flock, he
exposed himself to the sword of the infidels, who indeed slew him, while
he was praying on his knees the words of a Psalm: Lord, my soul has
been as though fastened to the earth; Lord, give me life, according to
Your word! Florens, his deacon, and Jocond, his lector, were massacred
by his side. His sister Eutropia, a virtuous and beautiful virgin,
fearing she might be reserved for a fate worse than death, boldly cried
out to the infidels that it was her unalterable resolution to sacrifice
her life rather than her faith or her virtue. In reply, they dispatched
her with their cutlasses, and continued their massacre.
Then,
suddenly, a strange and terrible noise was heard in the Church of
Notre-Dame, and the alarmed barbarians took flight without taking time
to pillage the houses or burn the city, or even take the booty they had
already amassed.
When the city's inhabitants who had fled to the
mountains of the region felt it was safe to return, having seen an
unexplained flame above the place of the torment and heard what seemed
to be an angelic concert in that area, they went with the intention of
piously burying the remains of the slain, and they found there Saint
Nicasius, their bishop, his assistants, and Saint Eutropia. Many
miracles occurred at their tomb.
SAINT VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS Bishop (605 A.D. Historical)
Gallic poet and (briefly) serving bishop
of Poitiers, France. Known in full as Venantius Clementianus
Fortunatus, he was born in Trevise, near Venice, Italy, and studied at
Ravenna. He suffered from some ailment of the eye, but thanks to St. Martin of Tours, he was able to embark upon a pilgrimage in 565 which brought him to Mainz, Cologne, and Trier, Gennany, and to Metz and the Moselle, France. He reached the court of King Sigebert (r. sixth century) at Metz
in 566 and there was much praise for his poetry, especially his
eulogies. Venantius next journeyed to Verdun, Reims, Soissons, Paris,
and finaIly Tours, where he prayed at the tomb
of St. Martin. Moving on to Poitiers, he entered into the service of
Queen Rodegunda who was now living as a nun, acting as her secretary
until her death in August 587. Shortly before his death, he was named bishop
of Potiers. A brilliant poet, considered a transitional figure in
literature between the ancient and medieval periods, Venanhus was a
prolific writer: six poems on the Cross, including the two famous works
Vexilla Regia and Pange Lzngua Gloijosi; eleven books of poems; a
metrical life of St. Martin of Tours; the prose lives of eleven Gallic saints, including the Vita Rodegundis; and the elegy DeExcidie Thui'ingiae.
Within the Octave; Saints Nicasius and Eutropia; Saint Venantius Fortunatus
SIMPLE / PURPLE Three days of fasting, prayer, and charity consecrate
to God each of the four seasons of the year. "Let the abstinence of him
that fasts become the meal of the poor man," says St. Leo, reminding us
that we fast not only for ourselves but
for our neighbors. These are also days of praying and meriting grace
for those to be ordained on Saturday. The Epistle in the Mass deals with
the promise of the Saviour, and the Gospel with the announcement of His
coming. So these Advent Ember Days are, finally, a spiritual
preparation for His advent. INTROIT Isa. 45:8
Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one. Let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour. Ps. 18:2. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. V. Glory be . . . PRAYER V. Let us pray. Let us kneel. R. Arise O Almighty God, may the coming feast of our redemption bring us Your help in this life and the reward of everlasting happiness hereafter. Through our Lord . . . LESSON Isa. 2:2-5 In those days, the prophet Isaias said: In
the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared
on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and
all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go, and say: Come
and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the
God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his
paths: for the law shall come forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem. And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people:
and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war. O house of
Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord our God. GRADUAL Ps. 23:7, 3, 4 Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted, O eternal gates; and the king of glory shall enter in. V. Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean. COLLECT Make
haste to come, O Lord, we beg You! Grant us Your heavenly aid, so that
those who trust in Your goodness may be consoled by Your coming; who
lives and rules with God the Father . . . LESSON Isa. 7:10-15 In those days, the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying: "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above." And
Achaz said: "I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord." And he
said: "Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you
to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore
the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat
butter and honey, that he may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the
good." GRADUAL Ps. 144:18, 21 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. V. My lips shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all men bless His holy name. GOSPEL Luke 1:26-38 At
that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee,
called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being
come in, said unto her: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women." Who having heard, was troubled at his
saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should
be. And the angel said to her: "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found
grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and
shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give
unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house
of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end." And Mary said to the angel: "How shall this be done, because I know not man?"
And the angel answering, said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore
also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God. And behold
thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and
this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word
shall be impossible with God." And Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of
the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word." OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Isa. 35:4 Take courage, and be afraid no longer. Behold, our God will render justice; He Himself will come and save us. SECRET May
our fasting be acceptable to You, O Lord. Let it atone for our sins and
make us worthy of Your grace, so that we may attain the fulfillment of
Your everlasting promises. Through our Lord . . . COMMUNION ANTIPHON Isa. 7:14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. POSTCOMMUNION O
Lord, may the banquet of salvation, of which we have partaken with joy,
bring us a new life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives
and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit; one God forever and
ever.
SAINTS NICASIUS & EUTROPIA Bishop & his Sister (5th C. Historical)
(5th century)
Saint Nicasius and his Companions
In the fifth century an army of Vandal barbarians from Germany, while
ravaging part of Gaul, plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, its holy
bishop, an emissary of peace, justice and charity, had foretold this
calamity to his flock; for the city of Rheims, which for a long time had
been docile to his word, little by little was seen by the afflicted
pastor to be sinking into vice and corruption. He endeavored to waken
them to penance: Weep, lament in sackcloth and ashes, unfortunate flock,
for God has numbered your iniquities, and if you do not do penance,
dreadful punishments are going to come upon you! But his words were
unheeded.
When Saint Nicasius saw the enemy at the gates and in
the streets, forgetting himself and solicitous only for his spiritual
children, he went from door to door encouraging everyone to patience and
constancy, and awakening in each breast the most heroic sentiments of
piety and religion. By endeavoring to save the lives of his flock, he
exposed himself to the sword of the infidels, who indeed slew him, while
he was praying on his knees the words of a Psalm: Lord, my soul has
been as though fastened to the earth; Lord, give me life, according to
Your word! Florens, his deacon, and Jocond, his lector, were massacred
by his side. His sister Eutropia, a virtuous and beautiful virgin,
fearing she might be reserved for a fate worse than death, boldly cried
out to the infidels that it was her unalterable resolution to sacrifice
her life rather than her faith or her virtue. In reply, they dispatched
her with their cutlasses, and continued their massacre.
Then,
suddenly, a strange and terrible noise was heard in the Church of
Notre-Dame, and the alarmed barbarians took flight without taking time
to pillage the houses or burn the city, or even take the booty they had
already amassed.
When the city's inhabitants who had fled to the
mountains of the region felt it was safe to return, having seen an
unexplained flame above the place of the torment and heard what seemed
to be an angelic concert in that area, they went with the intention of
piously burying the remains of the slain, and they found there Saint
Nicasius, their bishop, his assistants, and Saint Eutropia. Many
miracles occurred at their tomb.
SAINT VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS Bishop (605 A.D. Historical)
Gallic poet and (briefly) serving bishop
of Poitiers, France. Known in full as Venantius Clementianus
Fortunatus, he was born in Trevise, near Venice, Italy, and studied at
Ravenna. He suffered from some ailment of the eye, but thanks to St. Martin of Tours, he was able to embark upon a pilgrimage in 565 which brought him to Mainz, Cologne, and Trier, Gennany, and to Metz and the Moselle, France. He reached the court of King Sigebert (r. sixth century) at Metz
in 566 and there was much praise for his poetry, especially his
eulogies. Venantius next journeyed to Verdun, Reims, Soissons, Paris,
and finaIly Tours, where he prayed at the tomb
of St. Martin. Moving on to Poitiers, he entered into the service of
Queen Rodegunda who was now living as a nun, acting as her secretary
until her death in August 587. Shortly before his death, he was named bishop
of Potiers. A brilliant poet, considered a transitional figure in
literature between the ancient and medieval periods, Venanhus was a
prolific writer: six poems on the Cross, including the two famous works
Vexilla Regia and Pange Lzngua Gloijosi; eleven books of poems; a
metrical life of St. Martin of Tours; the prose lives of eleven Gallic saints, including the Vita Rodegundis; and the elegy DeExcidie Thui'ingiae.
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.
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 . . .
SAINTS NICASIUS & EUTROPIA Bishop & his Sister (5th C. Historical)
(5th century)
Saint Nicasius and his Companions
In the fifth century an army of Vandal barbarians from Germany, while
ravaging part of Gaul, plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, its holy
bishop, an emissary of peace, justice and charity, had foretold this
calamity to his flock; for the city of Rheims, which for a long time had
been docile to his word, little by little was seen by the afflicted
pastor to be sinking into vice and corruption. He endeavored to waken
them to penance: Weep, lament in sackcloth and ashes, unfortunate flock,
for God has numbered your iniquities, and if you do not do penance,
dreadful punishments are going to come upon you! But his words were
unheeded.
When Saint Nicasius saw the enemy at the gates and in
the streets, forgetting himself and solicitous only for his spiritual
children, he went from door to door encouraging everyone to patience and
constancy, and awakening in each breast the most heroic sentiments of
piety and religion. By endeavoring to save the lives of his flock, he
exposed himself to the sword of the infidels, who indeed slew him, while
he was praying on his knees the words of a Psalm: Lord, my soul has
been as though fastened to the earth; Lord, give me life, according to
Your word! Florens, his deacon, and Jocond, his lector, were massacred
by his side. His sister Eutropia, a virtuous and beautiful virgin,
fearing she might be reserved for a fate worse than death, boldly cried
out to the infidels that it was her unalterable resolution to sacrifice
her life rather than her faith or her virtue. In reply, they dispatched
her with their cutlasses, and continued their massacre.
Then,
suddenly, a strange and terrible noise was heard in the Church of
Notre-Dame, and the alarmed barbarians took flight without taking time
to pillage the houses or burn the city, or even take the booty they had
already amassed.
When the city's inhabitants who had fled to the
mountains of the region felt it was safe to return, having seen an
unexplained flame above the place of the torment and heard what seemed
to be an angelic concert in that area, they went with the intention of
piously burying the remains of the slain, and they found there Saint
Nicasius, their bishop, his assistants, and Saint Eutropia. Many
miracles occurred at their tomb.
SAINT VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS Bishop (605 A.D. Historical)
Gallic poet and (briefly) serving bishop
of Poitiers, France. Known in full as Venantius Clementianus
Fortunatus, he was born in Trevise, near Venice, Italy, and studied at
Ravenna. He suffered from some ailment of the eye, but thanks to St. Martin of Tours, he was able to embark upon a pilgrimage in 565 which brought him to Mainz, Cologne, and Trier, Gennany, and to Metz and the Moselle, France. He reached the court of King Sigebert (r. sixth century) at Metz
in 566 and there was much praise for his poetry, especially his
eulogies. Venantius next journeyed to Verdun, Reims, Soissons, Paris,
and finaIly Tours, where he prayed at the tomb
of St. Martin. Moving on to Poitiers, he entered into the service of
Queen Rodegunda who was now living as a nun, acting as her secretary
until her death in August 587. Shortly before his death, he was named bishop
of Potiers. A brilliant poet, considered a transitional figure in
literature between the ancient and medieval periods, Venanhus was a
prolific writer: six poems on the Cross, including the two famous works
Vexilla Regia and Pange Lzngua Gloijosi; eleven books of poems; a
metrical life of St. Martin of Tours; the prose lives of eleven Gallic saints, including the Vita Rodegundis; and the elegy DeExcidie Thui'ingiae.
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.
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 . . .
SAINTS NICASIUS & EUTROPIA Bishop & his Sister (5th C. Historical)
(5th century)
Saint Nicasius and his Companions
In the fifth century an army of Vandal barbarians from Germany, while
ravaging part of Gaul, plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, its holy
bishop, an emissary of peace, justice and charity, had foretold this
calamity to his flock; for the city of Rheims, which for a long time had
been docile to his word, little by little was seen by the afflicted
pastor to be sinking into vice and corruption. He endeavored to waken
them to penance: Weep, lament in sackcloth and ashes, unfortunate flock,
for God has numbered your iniquities, and if you do not do penance,
dreadful punishments are going to come upon you! But his words were
unheeded.
When Saint Nicasius saw the enemy at the gates and in
the streets, forgetting himself and solicitous only for his spiritual
children, he went from door to door encouraging everyone to patience and
constancy, and awakening in each breast the most heroic sentiments of
piety and religion. By endeavoring to save the lives of his flock, he
exposed himself to the sword of the infidels, who indeed slew him, while
he was praying on his knees the words of a Psalm: Lord, my soul has
been as though fastened to the earth; Lord, give me life, according to
Your word! Florens, his deacon, and Jocond, his lector, were massacred
by his side. His sister Eutropia, a virtuous and beautiful virgin,
fearing she might be reserved for a fate worse than death, boldly cried
out to the infidels that it was her unalterable resolution to sacrifice
her life rather than her faith or her virtue. In reply, they dispatched
her with their cutlasses, and continued their massacre.
Then,
suddenly, a strange and terrible noise was heard in the Church of
Notre-Dame, and the alarmed barbarians took flight without taking time
to pillage the houses or burn the city, or even take the booty they had
already amassed.
When the city's inhabitants who had fled to the
mountains of the region felt it was safe to return, having seen an
unexplained flame above the place of the torment and heard what seemed
to be an angelic concert in that area, they went with the intention of
piously burying the remains of the slain, and they found there Saint
Nicasius, their bishop, his assistants, and Saint Eutropia. Many
miracles occurred at their tomb.
SAINT VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS Bishop (605 A.D. Historical)
Gallic poet and (briefly) serving bishop
of Poitiers, France. Known in full as Venantius Clementianus
Fortunatus, he was born in Trevise, near Venice, Italy, and studied at
Ravenna. He suffered from some ailment of the eye, but thanks to St. Martin of Tours, he was able to embark upon a pilgrimage in 565 which brought him to Mainz, Cologne, and Trier, Gennany, and to Metz and the Moselle, France. He reached the court of King Sigebert (r. sixth century) at Metz
in 566 and there was much praise for his poetry, especially his
eulogies. Venantius next journeyed to Verdun, Reims, Soissons, Paris,
and finaIly Tours, where he prayed at the tomb
of St. Martin. Moving on to Poitiers, he entered into the service of
Queen Rodegunda who was now living as a nun, acting as her secretary
until her death in August 587. Shortly before his death, he was named bishop
of Potiers. A brilliant poet, considered a transitional figure in
literature between the ancient and medieval periods, Venanhus was a
prolific writer: six poems on the Cross, including the two famous works
Vexilla Regia and Pange Lzngua Gloijosi; eleven books of poems; a
metrical life of St. Martin of Tours; the prose lives of eleven Gallic saints, including the Vita Rodegundis; and the elegy DeExcidie Thui'ingiae.
