FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT; SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, Martyrs; Saint Colette of Corbie (1447 A.D.)

FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

 

Saint Colette of Corbie

By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ 

 

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Souls are bought dearly. They never come cheaply. There is always enough human weakness and malice at hand to blind men to the need of repentance. The same forces oppose, even violently at times, any attempt to change people. Envy is sometimes the reason for the opposition, as in the cases of Joseph and Jesus.
If consistent Christian integrity and a zealous apostolate seem unreasonably difficult, a meditation on the crucifix should recall that the death of the God-man was not considered too high a price to pay for the redemption and winning of souls.

INTROIT Ps. 16:15
But I shall appear before you in justice; I shall be content when your glory shall be made manifest.
Ps. 16:1. Hear, O Lord, a just cause; hearken to my supplication.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, cleanse us by this holy fast, so that we may celebrate the coming feast with pure hearts. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .


LESSON Gen. 37:6-22
In those days, Joseph said to his brethren, "Hear my dream which I dreamed. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf." His brethren answered: "Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion?" Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: "I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me." And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him and said: "What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?" His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's flocks, Israel said to him: "Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them." And when he answered: "I am ready:" he said to him: "Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing." So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought. But he answered: "I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks." And the man said to him: "They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain." And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him: And said one to another: "Behold the dreamer cometh. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: 'Some evil beast hath devoured him:' and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:" And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: "Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless": now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

GRADUAL Ps. 119:1-2
In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.
V. O Lord, deliver me from lying lips and from a treacherous tongue.

TRACT Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities.
V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (All kneel.)
V. Help us, O God our Savior, and for the glory of Your name. O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL Matt. 21:33-46
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude of the Jews and the chief priests, "There was a man, an householder, who planted a vineyard and made a hedge round about it and dug in it a press and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a strange country. And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one and killed another and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the former; and they did to them in like manner. And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: 'They will reverence my son.' But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: 'This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.' And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard and killed him.
"When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?" They say to him: "He will bring those evil men to an evil end and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen that shall render him the fruit in due season." Jesus saith to them: "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.'
"Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder."
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them. And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him as a prophet.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 39:14, 15
Look down, O Lord, to help me. Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek to snatch away my life. Look down, O Lord, to help me.

SECRET
O God, may this sacrifice remain in us, and may it increase the good effect it has accomplished. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 11:8
O Lord, You will keep us, and preserve us always from this generation.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may our lives always be guided by this promise of eternal salvation, so that we may eventually attain our goal. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . . 

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, grant Your people health of soul and body. May we be fervent in doing good and so deserve to be protected by Your mighty power. Through our Lord . . .

 

 

Saint Colette of Corbie

 

 

Founder of Colettine Poor Clares (Clarisses), born 13 January 1381, at Corbie in Picardy, France; died at Ghent, 6 March, 1447. Her father, Robert Boellet, was the carpenter of the famous Benedictine Abbey of Corbie; her mother's name was Marguerite Moyon. Colette joined successively the Bequines, the Benedictines, and the Urbanist Poor Clares. Later she lived for a while as a recluse. Having resolved to reform the Poor Clares, she turned to the antipope, Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna), then recognized by France as the rightful pope. Benedict allowed her to enter to the order of Poor Clares and empowered her by several Bulls, dated 1406, 1407, 1408, and 1412 to found new convents and complete the reform of the order. With the approval of the Countess of Geneva and the Franciscan Henri de la Beaume, her confessor and spiritual guide, Colette began her work at Beaume, in the Diocese of Geneva. She remained there but a short time and soon opened at Besancon her first convent in an almost abandoned house of Urbanist Poor Clares. Thence her reform spread to Auxonne (1410), to Poligny, to Ghent (1412), to Heidelberg (1444), to Amiens, etc. To the seventeen convents founded during her lifetime must be added another begun by her at Pont-a-Mousson in Lorraine. She also inaugurated a reform among the Franciscan friars (the Coletani), not to be confounded with the Observants. These Coletani remained obedient to the authority of the provincial of the Franciscan convents, and never attained much importance even in France. In 1448 they had only thirteen convents, and together with other small branches of the Franciscan Order were suppressed in 1417 by Leo X. In addition to the strict rules of the Poor Clares, the Colettines follow their special constitutions sanctioned in 1434 by the General of the Franciscans, William of Casale, approved in 1448 by Nicholas V, in 1458 by Pius II, and in 1482 by Sixtus IV.

St. Colette was beatified 23 January, 1740, and canonized 24 May, 1807. She was not only a woman of sincere piety, but also intelligent and energetic, and exercised a remarkable moral power over all her associates. She was very austere and mortified in her life, for which God rewarded her by supernatural favours and the gift of miracles. For the convents reformed by her she prescribed extreme poverty, to go barefooted, and the observance of perpetual fast and abstinence. The Colettine Sisters are found today, outside of France, in Belgium, Germany, Spain, England, and the United States.

 

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, (203 A.D.) Martyrs; THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

 

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

DOUBLE / RED
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

Mass of a HOLY WOMAN MARTYR, except

INTROIT Psalms 118: 95-96

The wicked have waited for me to
destroy me: but I have understood Thy
testimonies, O Lord: I have seen an
end of all perfection; Thy command is
exceeding broad. (Ps. 118: 1) Blessed
are the undefiled in the way: who walk
in the law of the Lord. Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world
without end. Amen. The wicked have
waited for me to destroy me: but I
have understood Thy testimonies, O
Lord: I have seen an end of all
perfection; Thy command is exceeding
broad.

GLORIA

 

COLLECT
O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of Lenten Feria

O God, Who by sin art offended and
by penance appeased, mercifully
regard the prayers of Thy suppliant
people: and turn aside the scourges of
Thine anger, which we deserve for our
sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with
Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.

 

LESSON Ecclesiasticus 51: 13-17

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

 

GRADUAL Psalms 45: 6, 5 

God will help her with His countenance. God is in her midst; she shall not be disturbed.
℣. There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God; the Most High has sanctified His dwelling.
 

TRACT
Come spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord has prepared for you forever: for the love of Whom you shed your blood. Ps 44:8; 44:5 You love justice and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
℣. In your splendor and your beauty ride on triumphant, and reign.

 

GOSPEL Matthew 13: 44-52

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; he who finds it hides it, and in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea that gathered in fish of every kind. When it was filled, they hauled it out, and sitting down on the beach, they gathered the good fish into vessels, but threw away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just, and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, Yes. And He said to them, So then, every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old.

 
SECRET
O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . .

 

Commemoration of Lenten Feria
O Lord, we beseech You to look with favor upon these offerings before You, and may they be profitable to our devotion as well as to our salvation.

 

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

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of Lenten Feria

 We humbly beseech You, almighty God, that, having received the blessing of Your heavenly gift, it may be for us the source of sacramental grace and of salvation.

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
We humbly beseech You, almighty God, that, having received the blessing of Your heavenly gift, it may be for us the source of sacramental grace and of salvation.

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent; Saints Perpetua and Felicitas

 

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

SIMPLE / PURPLE
INTROIT (Ps. 30:7-8)
I will hope in the Lord. I shall rejoice and be glad because of Your mercy, for You have regarded my humility.
Ps. 30:2. In You, O Lord, have I hoped.Let me never be put to shame. In Your justice rescue me and set me free.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Lord, may our fasting and our avoidance of sin win for us Your readier forgiveness. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

 LESSON (Ex. 20:12-24)
Thus says the Lord God: "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayst be long-lived upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his."
And all the people saw the voices and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and being terrified and struck with fear, they stood afar off, Saying to Moses: "Speak thou to us, and we will hear: let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die."
And Moses said to the people: "Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that the dread of him might be in you, and you should not sin."
And the people stood afar off. But Moses went to the dark cloud wherein God was. And the Lord said to Moses: "Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver, nor shall you make to yourselves gods of gold. You shall make an altar of earth unto me, and you shall offer upon it your holocausts and peace offerings, your sheep and oxen, in every place where the memory of my name shall be."

GRADUAL (Ps. 6:3-4)
Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord.
V. For my body is in terror, and my soul. too, is utterly terrified.

TRACT (Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9)
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities.
V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past, let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (All Kneel.)
V. Help us, O God our Savior, and for the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL (Matt. 15:1-20)
At that time, then came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying: "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread." But he answering, said to them: "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? For God said: 'Honour thy father and mother': And: 'He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death.' But you say: 'Whosoever shall say to father or mother, "The gift whatsoever proceedeth from me, shall profit thee." And he shall not honour his father or his mother': and you have made void the commandment of God for your tradition. Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: 'This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.' "
And having called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: "Hear ye and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
Then came his disciples, and said to him: "Dost thou know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized?" But he answering, said: "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit."
And Peter answering, said to him: "Expound to us this parable." But he said: "Are you also yet without understanding? Do you not understand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the privy? But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man. For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands doth not defile a man."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 108:21)
O Lord, be merciful to me for Your name's sake, because Your mercy is sweet.

SECRET
O Lord, accept the prayers and sacrifice Your people offer You. May we who celebrate Your sacred rites be guarded from all danger. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Ps. 15:11)
You have made known to me the path of life; You shall fill me with the joy of Your presence, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the heavenly banquet of which we have partaken sanctify us, free us of all error, and make us worthy of Your promise of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Almighty God, may we who seek the help of Your protection be delivered from all evil, to serve You with untroubled minds. Through Our Lord . . .

MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT; SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, (203 A.D.) Martyrs

 

MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

SIMPLE / PURPLE
INTROIT Ps. 25:11-12
Redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me, for my foot stands on the right path. In the assemblies I will bless the Lord.
Ps. 25:1. Do me justice, O Lord, for I have walked in innocence, and in the Lord I trust without wavering.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, while Your servants mortify their bodies by fasting, may they also follow after righteousness and avoid sin. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Dan. 9:15-19
In those days, Daniel prayed to the Lord, saying, "O Lord, our God, who hast brought forth thy people out of the land of Egypt, with a strong hand, and hast made thee a name as at this day: we have sinned, we have committed iniquity, O Lord, against all thy justice: let thy wrath and thy indignation be turned away, I beseech thee, from thy city, Jerusalem, and from thy holy mountain. For by reason of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and thy people, are a reproach to all that are round about us.
"Now, therefore, O our God, hear the supplication of thy servant, and his prayers: and shew thy face upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate, for thy own sake. Incline, O my God, thy ear, and hear: open thy eyes, and see our desolation, and the city upon which thy name is called: for it is not for our justifications that we present our prayers before thy face, but for the multitude of thy tender mercies. O Lord, hear: O Lord, be appeased: hearken, and do: delay not, for thy own sake, O my God: because thy name is invocated upon thy city, and upon thy people."

GRADUAL Ps. 69:6, 3
Help me and deliver me, O Lord, make no delay! V. Let my enemies who seek my life be put to shame and confounded.

TRACT Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities. V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (All kneel.) V. Help us, O God our Savior, and for the glory of Your name. O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL John 8:21-29
At that time, Jesus said to them: "I go: and you shall seek me. And you shall die in your sin. Whither I go, you cannot come." The Jews therefore said: "Will he kill himself, because he said: Whither I go you cannot come?"
And he said to them: "You are from beneath: I am from above. You are of this world: I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you shall die in your sins. For if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sin." They said therefore to him: "Who art thou?" Jesus said to them: "The beginning, who also speak unto you. Many things I have to speak and to judge of you. But he that sent me, is true: and the things I have heard of him, these same I speak in the world." And they understood not that he called God his Father.
Jesus therefore said to them: "When you shall have lifted up, the Son of man, then shall you know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself. But as the Father hath taught me, these things I speak. And he that sent me is with me: and he hath not left me alone. For I do always the things that please him."

OFFERTORY Ps. 15:7, 8
I bless the Lord, who has given me understanding. I set the Lord ever before me; with Him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

SECRET
O Lord, protect us through this sacrifice which we offer to atone for our sins and to give glory to You. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 8:2
O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is Your name over all the earth!

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Communion cleanse us from sin, and bestow upon us spiritual health from heaven. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Hear our petitions, O Almighty God. Your love has given us hope; let Your unfailing mercy protect us. Through our Lord . . .

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT; SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, Martyrs

 

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / PURPLE

After our first brave efforts of Lent, our natural inclinations tend to reassert themselves. Temptations may increase their strength or their frequency. Hence the danger of discouragement and of slackening in the observance of generous lenten resolutions. It is the critical hour, in which temptation may surprise us, turn our thoughts inward upon personal problems, and make us forget the sufferings of other men. Brother to all men, Jesus showed that temptation can be a way of redeeming souls--our own and those of others. "In that He Himself has suffered and has been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted" (Heb. 2:18)

INTROIT Ps. 90:15-16

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him, I will deliver him and glorify him with length of days.
Ps. 90:1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide in the protection of the God of heaven.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O God, each year You purify the Church through the lenten observance. May the good works of Your Church obtain for us the grace we ask for through our self-denial. 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.

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE II Cor. 6:1-10

Brethren: We do exhort you that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith: In an accepted time have I heard thee and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time: behold, now is the day of salvation. Giving no offense to any man, that our ministry be not blamed. But in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, In chastity, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned, In the word of truth, in the power of God: by the armour of justice on the right hand and on the left: By honour and dishonour: by evil report and good report: as deceivers and yet true: as unknown and yet known: As dying and behold we live: as chastised and not killed: As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: as needy, yet enriching many: as having nothing and possessing all things.

GRADUAL Ps. 90:11-12

God has given his angels charge over you, that they guard you in all your ways.
V. Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

TRACT Ps. 90:1-7; 11-16

He who dwells inm the shelter of the Most High shall abide in the protection of the God of heaven.
V. He shall say to the Lord, "You are my support and my refuge; my God, in You I trust."
V. For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.
V. He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.
V. His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.
V. Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.
V. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.
V. For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.
V. In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
V. Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.
V. Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known my name.
V. He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation,
V. I will deliver him, and I will glorify him. I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him my salvation.

GOSPEL Matt. 4:1-11

At that time, Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He was hungry. And the tempter coming said to Him: "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Who answered and said: "It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him upon the pinnacle of the temple, And said to Him: "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone."

Jesus said to him: "It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Again the devil took Him up into a very high mountain, and shewed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, And said to Him: "All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me." Then Jesus saith to him: "Begone, Satan: for it is written: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve."

Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came and ministered to Him.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 90:4-5

The Lord will cover you with His shoulders, and under His wings you shall find refuge. His truth shall surround you with a shield.

SECRET

O Lord, we solemnly offer You our sacrifice at the beginning of Lent, and pray that by observing abstinence we may also learn to avoid sinful pleasures. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 90:4-5

The Lord will cover you with His shoulders, and under His wings you shall find refuge. His truth shall surround you with a shield.

POSTCOMMUNION

May the worthy reception of the Blessed Sacrament give us new strength, O Lord. May it cleanse us from our old selves and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . . 

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, Martyrs; SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT

 

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT

DOUBLE / RED
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

Mass of a HOLY WOMAN MARTYR, except
COLLECT
O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT
O Lord, may our fasting attain its saving effect so that the mortification of our bodies may bring a new life to our souls. Through Our Lord . . .

LENTEN READINGS


LESSON Gen. 27:6-40
In those days Rebecca said to her son Jacob: "I heard thy father talking with Esau, thy brother, and saying to him: 'Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the Lord, before I die.' Now therefore, my son, follow my counsel: And go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, that I may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth. Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die." And he answered her: "Thou knowest that Esau, my brother, is a hairy man, and I am smooth: If my father should feel me, and perceive it, I fear lest he will think I would have mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing." And his mother said to him: "Upon me be this curse, my son: only hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have said."
He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked. And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her: And the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck. And she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked. Which when he had carried in, he said: "My father?" But he answered: "I hear. Who art thou, my son?" And Jacob said: "I am Esau, thy firstborn: I have done as thou didst command me: arise, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me." And Isaac said to his son: "How couldst thou find it so quickly, my son?" He answered: "It was the will of God, that what I sought came quickly in my way:" And Isaac said: "Come hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be my son Esau, or no." He came near to his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: "The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob; but the hands, are the hands of Esau." And he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder.
Then blessing him, He said: "Art thou my son Esau?" He answered: "I am." Then he said: "Bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee." And when they were brought, and he had eaten, he offered him wine also, which after he had drunk, He said to him: "Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son." He came near, and kissed him. And immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said: "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee: be thou lord of thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee: and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings."
Isaac had scarce ended his words, when, Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came, And brought in to his father meats, made of what he had taken in hunting, saying: "Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison; that thy soul may bless me." And Isaac said to him: "Why! who art thou?" He answered: "I am thy firstborn son, Esau." Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly; and wondering beyond what can be believed, said: "Who is he then that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou camest? and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed."
Esau having heard his father's words, roared out with a great cry; and, being in a consternation, said: "Bless me also, my father." And he said: "Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing." But he said again: "Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he hath supplanted me lo this second time: My birthright he took away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing." And again he said to his father: "Hast thou not reserved me also a blessing?" Isaac answered: "I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants: I have established him with corn and wine, and after this, what shall I do more for thee, my son?" And Esau said to him: "Hast thou only one blessing, father? I beseech thee bless me also." And when he wept with a loud cry, Isaac being moved, said to him: "In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,
Shall thy blessing be."

GRADUAL Ps. 91:2-3
It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing to Your name, O Most High.
V. To proclaim Your mercy in the morning and Your truth throughout the night.

GOSPEL Luke 15:11-32
At that time, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and Scribes this parable: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father: 'Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me.' And he divided unto them his substance.
"And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And returning to himself, he said: 'How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger! I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.' And rising up, he came to his father.
"And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him: 'Father: I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy son.' And the father said to his servants: 'Bring forth quickly the first robe and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry: Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
"Now his elder son was in the field and when he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said to him: 'Thy brother is come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe.' And he was angry and would not go in. His father therefore coming out began to entreat him. And he answering, said to his father: 'Behold, for so many years do I serve thee and I have never transgressed thy commandment: and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.' But he said to him: 'Son, thou art always with me; and all I have is thine. But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found.' " 


SECRET
O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT
O Lord, be appeased by this Sacrifice. We seek forgiveness for our own sins; let us not be burdened with the sins of others. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT
May this sacramental libation of Your Sacrament fill our hearts, O Lord, and impart its own strength to us. Through our Lord . . .

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, (203 A.D.) Martyrs; EMBER FRIDAY IN LENT

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

EMBER FRIDAY IN LENT

DOUBLE / RED
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

Mass of a HOLY WOMAN MARTYR, except
COLLECT
O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of EMBER FRIDAY IN LENT
O Lord, be merciful towards Your people. Comfort them with Your loving help, as You have kept them loyal to You. Through our Lord . . .

SECRET
O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of EMBER FRIDAY IN LENT
O Lord, accept our offering as a mark of our worship, and in Your mercy sanctify the gifts we bring You. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of EMBER FRIDAY IN LENTO Lord, may this sacred rite wash away our sins and fulfill our reasonable desires. Through our Lord . . .
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O God of Mercy, hear us and enlighten our minds with Your grace. Through our Lord . . .

FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT; SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, Martyrs

FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT

[Commemoration]

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Souls are bought dearly. They never come cheaply. There is always enough human weakness and malice at hand to blind men to the need of repentance. The same forces oppose, even violently at times, any attempt to change people. Envy is sometimes the reason for the opposition, as in the cases of Joseph and Jesus.
If consistent Christian integrity and a zealous apostolate seem unreasonably difficult, a meditation on the crucifix should recall that the death of the God-man was not considered too high a price to pay for the redemption and winning of souls.

INTROIT Ps. 16:15
But I shall appear before you in justice; I shall be content when your glory shall be made manifest.
Ps. 16:1. Hear, O Lord, a just cause; hearken to my supplication.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, cleanse us by this holy fast, so that we may celebrate the coming feast with pure hearts. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .


LESSON Gen. 37:6-22
In those days, Joseph said to his brethren, "Hear my dream which I dreamed. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf." His brethren answered: "Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion?" Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: "I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me." And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him and said: "What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?" His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father's flocks, Israel said to him: "Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them." And when he answered: "I am ready:" he said to him: "Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing." So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought. But he answered: "I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks." And the man said to him: "They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain." And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him: And said one to another: "Behold the dreamer cometh. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: 'Some evil beast hath devoured him:' and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:" And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: "Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless": now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

GRADUAL Ps. 119:1-2
In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.
V. O Lord, deliver me from lying lips and from a treacherous tongue.

TRACT Ps. 102:10; 78:8-9
O Lord, repay us not according to the sins we have committed, nor according to our iniquities.
V. O Lord, remember not our iniquities of the past; let Your mercy come quickly to us, for we are being brought very low. (All kneel.)
V. Help us, O God our Savior, and for the glory of Your name. O Lord, deliver us; and pardon us our sins for Your name's sake.

GOSPEL Matt. 21:33-46
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude of the Jews and the chief priests, "There was a man, an householder, who planted a vineyard and made a hedge round about it and dug in it a press and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a strange country. And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one and killed another and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the former; and they did to them in like manner. And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: 'They will reverence my son.' But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: 'This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.' And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard and killed him.
"When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?" They say to him: "He will bring those evil men to an evil end and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen that shall render him the fruit in due season." Jesus saith to them: "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.'
"Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder."
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them. And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him as a prophet.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 39:14, 15
Look down, O Lord, to help me. Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek to snatch away my life. Look down, O Lord, to help me.

SECRET
O God, may this sacrifice remain in us, and may it increase the good effect it has accomplished. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 11:8
O Lord, You will keep us, and preserve us always from this generation.

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may our lives always be guided by this promise of eternal salvation, so that we may eventually attain our goal. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . . 

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
O Lord, grant Your people health of soul and body. May we be fervent in doing good and so deserve to be protected by Your mighty power. Through our Lord . . .

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WED.; SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS, MARTYRS (203 A.D.)

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

[Commemoration]

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITAS
Martyrs

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Everyone owes God the homage of looking to Him as the source of all things. Everyone must express this homage, both in private prayer and in corporate worship. Both private and public prayer should embrace all mankind, so that men of every race will come to offer God the homage of prayer and receive from Him the graces of spiritual rebirth, of final perseverance, and of every needed blessing. Today's Mass indicates that all prayer is to be offered with simplicity, with complete confidence, and with deep humility.

INTROIT Ps. 54:17, 19, 20, 23
When I called upon the Lord, He heard my voice and delivered me from those who war against me. He who is from eternity and remains forever, has humbled them. Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will support you.
Ps. 54:2-3. Hearken, O God, to my prayer and turn not away from my pleading; give heed to me, and answer me.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O God, sin offends You but penance can turn away Your anger. Hear the prayers of Your suppliant people and do not punish us in anger, even though our sins justly deserve it. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

Vivia Perpetua, a young wife and mother of noble birth, and Felicitas, a slave girl who was with child, were among the Christians arrested in Carthage (Africa) during the year 203. Felicitas gave birth to a daughter in prison, and the baby was adopted by a fellow Christian. Three days later the martyrs were exposed to wild beasts in the arena. The people soon tired of seeing the young mothers tortured and demanded that they should be slain by the sword. Greater devotion no human beings can have than to prefer Christ to the children of their love.

O Lord Our God, grant that we may always honor the victories of Your blessed martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Although we are unable to pay them the honor that is due, may we at least offer them our humble tribute. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON Isa. 38:1-6
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, "Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live." Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight." And Hezekiah wept sore.
Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, "Go, and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.' "

GRADUAL Ps. 54:23, 17-19
Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will support you.
V. When I called upon the Lord, He heard my voice and delivered me from those who war against me.

GOSPEL Matt. 8:5-13
And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, "Lord, my servant lieth in the house sick of the palsy, grievously tormented." And he saith unto him, "I will come and heal him." And the centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having under myself soldiers: and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it."
And when Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth."
And Jesus said unto the centurion, "Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And the servant was healed in that hour."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 24:1-3
I have lifted up my soul to You, O Lord; in You, O my God, I place my trust. Let me not be put to shame, nor let my enemies exalt over me. No one who waits for You shall be left in confusion.

SECRET

Look with favor on these offerings, O Lord, that they may be an aid to our devotion and to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS

O Lord, see the gifts we offer at Your altar in honor of the feast of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. May this sacred rite, which honors them, forgive us our sins. Through Our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 50:21
You shall be pleased with lawful sacrifices, with oblations and holocausts offered upon Your altar, O Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION

O Almighty God, we humbly implore the heavenly blessings of Your Sacrament which we have received. May it be for us a means of grace and salvation. Through our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SAINTS PERPETUA & FELICITAS
We have been filled with spiritual gifts and joy, O Lord. May we always profit spiritually from the service we perform here on earth, through the intercession of Your holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Through Our Lord . . .

PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Spare, O spare Your people, Lord! Let Your mercy shield them who have been punished by Your just judgments. Through our Lord . . .