SAINT APOLLINARIS (A.D. 79) Bishop, Martyr; SAINT LIBORIUS (A.D. 395) Bishop, Confessor

  

Saint Apollinaris

SAINT APOLLINARIS 
Bishop and Martyr

SAINT LIBORIUS
Bishop and Confessor

DOUBLE / RED
As first bishop and only known martyr of Ravenna, Italy, Apollinaris evangelized that region and laid down his life for his flock after a succession of banishments and harassments from the pagans. Many miracles were ascribed to his intercession. He had perfectly fulfilled the command of St. Peter to those ordained to the ministry of souls: "Tend the flock of God which is among you . . . becoming from the heart a pattern to the flock" (Reading).

INTROIT Dan. 3:84, 87
You priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; you holy and humble of heart, praise God. Dan. 3:57. All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, rewarder of the faithful, pardon our sins through the intercession of Your blessed confessor bishop Apollinaris, whom we honor this day. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINT LIBORIUS
Liborius was bishop of Le Mans in France and friend of St. Martin of Tours, who was present at his death in A.D. 397.

O Almighty God, grant that our solemn celebration of the feast of Your confessor bishop Liborius may increase our devotion and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Peter 5:1-11
Beloved: The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand steadfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

GRADUAL Ps. 88:21-23
I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him, that My hand may help him and My arm strengthen him.
V. The enemy shall have no advantage over him, nor shall the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 109:4
The Lord has sworn, and He will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedech." Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 22:24-30
At that time, there was also a strife amongst the disciples, which of them should seem to be the greater. And Jesus said to them: "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them are called beneficent. But you not so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger: and he that is the leader, as he that serveth. For which is greater, he that sitteth at table or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at table? But I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth. And you are they who have continued with me in my temptations: And I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom; That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom: and may sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

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

SECRET 
O God, look kindly upon these gifts which we offer You in honor of Your blessed martyr priest Apollinaris and in satisfaction for our sins. Through our Lord . . . 

Commemoration of SAINT LIBORIUS
O Lord, may Your saints everywhere be a source of joy for us, and may we feel the power of their intercession with You as we solemnly recall the deeds of their lives. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 25:20, 21
Master, thou didst hand over to me five talents; behold, I have gained five others in addition. Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many; enter into the joy of thy master.

POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER 
We have received Your Holy Sacrament, O Lord. We now ask to be comforted by the protection of blessed Apollinaris, for You will always be merciful to those who are helped by Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT LIBORIUS 
O Almighty God, may the expression of our gratitude to You for all Your Gifts bring us even greater benefits through the intercession of Your blessed confessor Liborius. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT MARY MAGDALEN

  

SAINT MARY MAGDALEN
Penitent

DOUBLE / WHITE
Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, wasted the great beauty that God had given her in a life of sin, but one day she saw Christ and was touched by grace. On the day of Our Lord's crucifixion, she stood with the Mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross. At early dawn on the first Easter morning, Mary Magdalen and other women who had ministered to Jesus went to the Lord's sepulcher. Two angels said to them, "He is not here, but is risen. . . . Go, tell his disciples." Mary Magdalen ran to tell the Apostles what she had seen and heard. Then Peter and John, hastening to the sepulcher, saw and believed.

INTROIT Ps. 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 commandment is exceeding broad.
Ps. 118:1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT 
O Lord, help us through the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalen, whose pleas moved You to recall her brother Lazarus to life after he had been dead for four days; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

LESSON Cant. 3:2-5; 8:6-7
I will rise, and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and I found him not. The watchmen who keep the city, found me: "Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth?" When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that bore me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor awake my beloved, till she please. Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:8, 3
Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity. Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness.

Alleluia, alleluia Ps. 44:3
Grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever.

GOSPEL Luke 7:36-50
At that time, one of the Pharisees desired him to eat with him. And he went into the house of the Pharisee and sat down to meat. And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that he sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment. And standing behind at his feet. she began to wash his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying: "This man, if he were if a prophet, would know surely who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner." And Jesus answering, said to him: "Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee." But he said: "Master, say it." "A certain creditor had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which therefore of the two loveth him most?" Simon answering, said: "I suppose that he to whom he forgave most." And he said to him: "Thou hast judged rightly."
And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon: "Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house: thou gavest me no water for my feet. But she with tears hath washed my feet; and with her hairs hath wiped them. Thou gavest me no kiss. But she, since she cane in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint. But she with ointment hath anointed my feet. Wherefore, I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less." And he said to her: "Thy sins are forgiven thee." And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: "Who is this that forgiveth sins also?" And he said to the woman: "Thy faith hath made thee safe. Go in peace."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:10
The daughters of the King are in thine honor, the queen stood on thy right hand in gilded clothing, surrounded with variety.

SECRET 
Accept our gifts, O Lord, through the merits of blessed Mary Magdalen, as her humble homage and service were accepted by Your only-begotten Son; who lives and rules with You . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 118:121, 122, 127
I have done judgment and justice, O Lord, give me not up to them that slander me. I was directed to all Thy commandments. I have hated all wicked ways.

POSTCOMMUNION
We who have received Your precious Body and Blood, our solitary hope for salvation, O Lord, ask that the prayers of blessed Mary Magdalen may save us from all harm; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

God the Father with Sts Catherine of Siena and Mary Magdalen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Praxedes (2nd C.); Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1611 A.D.)

  

Saint Praxidis.

Attributed to Johannes Vermeer (ca. 1655).

SAINT PRAXEDES 

Virgin

SAINT LAURENCE OF BRINDISI

Confessor, Doctor of the Church

SIMPLE / WHITE
Praxedes, the daughter of wealthy parents in Rome, consecrated her virginity to God in the second century. Later she renounced her considerable wealth in favor of the poor and of the Church. When Emperor Marcus Antoninus was hunting down the Christians, Praxedes aided the victims of persecution in every way possible. At length she begged Christ that she might be spared from witnessing any longer the fearful sufferings inflicted on her fellow Christians. Her plea was heard, and she was called to the reward of her charity.

INTROIT Ps. 118:46-47 

I spoke of Your testimonies before kings, and I was not ashamed; I meditated on Your commandments, which I love dearly. Ps. 118:1. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be . . .

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

Commemoration of SAINT LAURENCE  
Laurence of Brindisi, a Capuchin friar who for some years ruled his whole Order, acquired great fame for learning and eloquence, and labored with remarkable success in most parts of Europe preaching to Catholics, to Protestants, and to Jews. When 80,000 Turks invaded Hungary in 1605, he it was who inspired the united Christian armies of 18,000 men to the attack and himself led them to complete victory riding before them bearing a large cross. He died in Lisbon in 1611.

O God, who didst confer upon Thy Confessor and Doctor, blessed Laurence, a spirit of wisdom and fortitude in hard labors for the glory of Thy name and for the salvation of souls, grant us in the same spirit both to perceive where our duty lies, and to accomplish it through his intercession. Through our Lord . . .  

EPISTLE I Cor. 7:25-34
Brethren: Concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy. I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is. Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I would spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none; and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; and those that use the world, as not using it to the full: for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and is divided. So also the woman that is unmarried and the virgin is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 44:5
In your splendor and your beauty make ready, ride on triumphant, and rule. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 13:44-52
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. "Have ye understood all these things?" They say unto him, "Yea." And he said unto them, "Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:3 Grace is poured out upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever and for all ages. 

SECRET 

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

Commemoration of SAINT LAURENCE
May the holy prayer of St. Laurence, Thy Confessor and Doctor, fail us not, O Lord; may it render our offerings acceptable, and ever obtain for us Thy pardon. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 13:45-46
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he gives all that he has and buys it.  

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

Commemoration of SAINT LAURENCE
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that blessed Laurence, Thy Confessor and illustrious Doctor may join his prayers to ours that this Thy sacrifice may bring us salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Jerome Emiliani (1537 A.D.); Saint Margaret of Antioch (304 A.D.)

  

SAINT JEROME EMILIANI
Confessor

SAINT MARGARET OF ANTIOCH

Virgin and Martyr

DOUBLE / WHITE
Jerome Emiliani (1481-1537), a member of one of the patrician families of Venice, was in early life a soldier. Captured by the enemy and thrown in a dungeon, he invoked the aid of Our Lady. Under circumstances that appeared to be miraculous, he was enabled to make his escape. The young man then dedicated himself to the service of the Blessed Virgin and began a life of intense charity, concerning himself especially with the care and Christian education of homeless orphans, victims of war and plague, whom he clothed, fed, and taught at his own expense. Later, he founded several orphanages, a home for converted prostitutes, and a hospital. In about 1532, Jerome founded the Clerks Regular of Somascha, for the continuation of his work after his own death. He died of a disease he caught in visiting the sick. Pope Pius XI declared him the patron of orphans and abandoned children.

INTROIT Lam. 2:11 

My liver is poured out upon the earth in sorrow for the destruction of the daughter of my people, for the child and the suckling fainting away in the streets of the city.
Ps. 112:1. Praise the Lord, you His servant, praise the name of the Lord.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT 

O God, Father of mercy, grant that we may preserve the spirit of adoption, which makes us Your children in name and in fact, through the merits and prayers of blessed Jerome, father and helper of orphans. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT MARGARET
Margaret was tortured at Antioch in Pisidia, in the last general persecution during the third century. After having endured many torments, she finished her martyrdom by the sword.

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

LESSON Isa. 58:7-11
The Lord says: "Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not. When thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonday. And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail."

GRADUAL Prov. 5:16; Ps. 111:5-6
Let your fountains be conveyed abroad, and in the streets divide your waters.
V. Delightful is the man who is kind and accommodating, who orders his speech with justice, for he shall never be moved.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 111:9
He has distributed his wealth and given it to the poor, his justice shall endure forever. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 19:13-21
At that time, little children were presented to Jesus, that he should impose hands upon them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said to them: "Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such." And when he had imposed hands upon them, he departed from thence. And behold one came and said to him: "Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?" Who said to him: "Why askest thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to him: "Which?" And Jesus said: "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." The young man saith to him: "All these have I kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?" Jesus saith to him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Tob. 12:12
When you prayed with tears, and buried the dead, and left your dinner to hide the dead by day in your house so as to bury them at night, I offered your prayer to the Lord.

SECRET
O God, you destroyed the old self of Your blessed Jerome and remade him in Your own likeness. Renew us also in spirit through the merits of this saint, and allow our offering of this victim of atonement to rise before You as a sweet fragrance. Through our Lord . . .

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

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Jac. 1:27
Religion pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.

POSTCOMMUNION
We are refreshed with the Bread of Angels, O Lord. May the yearly celebration in memory of blessed Jerome help us to imitate his example and win the abundant rewards of Your kingdom. Through our Lord . . .

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

Saint Vincent de Paul (1660 A.D.); Saint Arsenius (449 A.D.)

  

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL 
Confessor

Saint Arsenius the Great

[Historical]

DOUBLE / WHITE
Vincent de Paul, the "peasant priest" and future apostle of charity, was ordained at the age of 20. After an unspectacular start as chaplain to Queen Margaret of Valois, he came to grasp the appalling spiritual and temporal condition of the French peasantry, and set out upon his astonishing apostolate. He founded the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians, or Lazarists) for the preaching of missions and the teaching of seminarians, and before his death in 1660 they were laboring from the Hebrides to Africa, from helping the poor to ransoming Christian slaves. Then, with the aid of St. Louise de Marillac, "Monsieur Vincent" organized the Sisters of Charity, a glorious feature of Catholic life ever since. His activities ranged from chaplaincy to the galley slaves imprisoned in the Concirgerie to easing the death of King Louis XIII. He devised many types of spiritual exercises as well.

Mass of a CONFESSOR OF THE FAITH, except


Introit
Ps 91:13-14
The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow: planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Ps 91:2
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to Your name, Most High.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow: planted in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

COLLECT 
O God, you endowed blessed Vincent with apostolic zeal and authority to preach the Gospel to the poor and to add glory to the priesthood. May we venerate his holy life and profit by the example of his virtue. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
1 Cor. 4:9-14
Brethren: We have been made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are without honor! To this very hour we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and buffeted, and have no fixed abode. And we toil, working with our own hands. We are reviled and we bless, we are persecuted and we bear with it, we are maligned and we entreat, we have become as the refuse of this world, the offscouring of all, even until now! I write these things not to put you to shame, but to admonish you as my dearest children, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gradual
Ps 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom, and his tongue utters what is right.
V. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps do not falter. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 111:1
Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 10:1-9 
At that time, the Lord appointed also other seventy-two. And he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. And he said to them: "The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he send labourers into his harvest. Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick that are therein and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."

Offertory

Ps 20:2-3
O Lord, in Your strength the just man is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire.

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

Communion
Matt 19:28-29
Amen I say to you that you, who have left all things and followed Me, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.

 
POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, we pray that the reception of this bread of heaven may strengthen us against all adversity through the intercession of Your blessed Confessor Vincent. Through our Lord . . .

St. Arsenius the Great

(354-450 A.D.)

Confessor and hermit on the Nile. Arsenius, who was born in Rome in 354, was the tutor of the children of Emperors Theodosius I the Great, Arcadius, and Honorius. At that time, Arsenius was a Roman deacon recommended for the office by Pope St. Damasus. lie served at Theodosius' court in Constantinople for about ten years and then became a monk in Alexandria, Egypt. Inheriting a fortune from a relative, Arsenius studied with St. John the Dwarf and became a hermit in the desert of Egypt. In 434, he left Skete and went to the rock of Troe, near Memphis, Egypt, and to the island of Canopus near Alexandria. He died at Troe. Arsenius is sometimes called "the Roman" or "the Deacon."

from Wikipedia

Saint Arsenius the Deacon, sometimes known as Arsenius of Scetis and Turah, Arsenius the Roman or Arsenius the Great, was a Roman imperial tutor who became an anchorite in Egypt, one of the most highly regarded of the Desert Fathers, whose teachings were greatly influential on the development of asceticism and the contemplative life.
His contemporaries so admired him as to surname him "the Great". His feast day is celebrated on May 8 in the Eastern Orthodox church,^[1] on 13 Pashons in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and on July 19 in the Roman Catholic Church.

Saint Camillus (1614 A.D.); Saint Symphorosa and Her 7 Sons (120 A.D.)

 

SAINT CAMILLUS OF LELLIS
Confessor

SAINT SYMPHOROSA AND HER SEVEN SONS
MARTYRS

DOUBLE / WHITE
Camillus, the "Red Cross Saint," a 16th century Italian war veteran, began nursing the sick as his vocation in a Roman hospital. In 1582 he founded a religious society, the Ministers of the Sick, and, encouraged by St. Philip Neri, his confessor, became a priest in 1584. Besides the sick in hospitals, he and his band bound themselves to serve prisoners, plague victims, the sick in their homes, and later, troops at war, thus antedating by some three centuries the work of Red Cross. The devotion of Camillus to his patients never grew cold, as he saw in each of them the image of his suffering Saviour. He was named patron of the sick by Pope Leo XIII, and, by Pius XI, patron of nurses and nursing.

INTROIT John 15:13 
Greater love than this no one has, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Ps. 40:2. Blessed is he who has regard for the lowly and the poor; in the day of misfortune the Lord will deliver him.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You blessed the saint Camillus with a singular gift of love to help the dying in their last agony. May our hearts be moved by the spirit of Your love through the merits of Your saint, and may we overcome our enemy at the hour of our death to receive a heavenly reward. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT SYMPHOROSA AND HER SEVEN SONS, MARTYRS
According to early chronicles, Symphorosa and her seven sons, whom she instructed in the Christian Faith, were martyred at Trivoli, near Rome, about A.D. 120 during the reign of Hadrian.

O God, who has granted us the grace to celebrate the birthday of Your blessed martyrs Symphorosa and her sons, grant that we may also share their eternal happiness in heaven. through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I John 3:13-18
Beloved: Wonder not, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself. In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. He that hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother in need and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

GRADUAL Ps. 36:30-31
The mouth of the just man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justly.
V. The law of God is in his heart, and his steps do not falter.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 111:1
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 15:12-16
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you. I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends. because all things, whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you. You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

 
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON  Ps. 20:2-3
The just man rejoices in Your strength, O Lord; he greatly exalts in Your aid. You have granted him his heart's desire.

SECRET 
With this perfect offering, O Almighty God, our Father, we renew the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus' immeasurable love. May it heal the infirmities of our body and soul, and comfort and protect us in our last agony through the intercession of blessed Camillus. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT SYMPHOROSA AND HER SONS
We offer these gifts to You in Sacrifice, O Lord. may the honor we pay to Your saints please You, and may these offerings, through Your mercy, bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 25:36, 40
I was sick and you visited me. Amen, amen I say to you, as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me.

POSTCOMMUNION
Reverently and devotedly, O Lord, we have received the Food of Heaven in celebration of the feast of Your blessed confessor Camillus. May Your Sacraments strengthen us at the hour of our death, cleanse us from sin and bring us happily into Your merciful arms; who loves and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of SAINT SYMPHOROSA AND HER SONS
May the intercession of Your holy martyrs Symphorosa and her sons help us to cherish with pure hearts the Sacrament we have received upon our lips. Through our Lord . . .

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST; SAINT ALEXIS Confessor

 

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

St. Alexis under stairs.

SAINT ALEXIS
Confessor

DOUBLE/GREEN
Baptism and the Eucharist are the great sources of all Christian life. As the priest makes a thanksgiving after each Mass, and as the communicant makes a thanksgiving after each reception of Christ's Body, so every day of living as a Christian ought to include a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of Baptism. A baptismal day is more important than a birthday; for the Sacrament of  Baptism gives a share in the divine life, as well as membership in Christ and a pledge of eternal life.

INTROIT Ps. 27:8-9
The Lord is the strength of His people, and the assurance of the salvation of His anointed. Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance, and guide them forever.
Ps. 27:1. I cry to You, O Lord my God; do not be deaf to me, lest if You heed me not, I become like those who go down into the pit.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Mighty God, author of every good thing, implant in our hearts a deep love of Your name. Increase in us the true spirit of devotion and sincere virtue so that we may be supported by You and protected by Your loving care. Through our Lord . . .

 Commemoration of SAINT ALEXIS

An early forerunner of St. Joseph Benedict Labre, Alexis is said to have been born in Rome during the fourth century, the son of noble Roman parents. At the bidding of the Holy Spirit, he journeyed to Edessa, Syria, where for 17 years he begged at the church doors, then shared his donations with the poor people, sustaining himself on what was left over. When he returned to Rome, he went unrecognized and was given menial employment in his father's home, and a nook under the stairs for his accommodations. Thus he is thought to have lived for another 17 years, rejoicing in the mockery and ill-treatment of his father's slaves. Only after his death, reads the legend, was his identity discovered.

O God, it is a joy for us to celebrate yearly the feast of Your blessed confessor Alexis. may we who commemorate his birthday also imitate his example. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE Rom. 6:3-11
Brethren: Know you not that all we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized in his death? For we are buried together with him by baptism into death: that, as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. For he that is dead is justified from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ. Knowing that Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more. Death shall no more have dominion over him. For in that he died to sin, he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GRADUAL Ps. 89:13, 1
Turn a little, O Lord, and be moved by the entreaties for Your servants.
V. O Lord, You have been our refuge through all generations.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 30:2-3
I have hoped in You, let me never be put to shame. In Your justice rescue me and set me free. Incline Your ear to me; make haste to deliver me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 8:1-9
In those days again, when there was great multitude and they had nothing to eat; calling his disciples together, he saith to them: "I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I shall send them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way: for some of them came from afar off." And his disciples answered him: "From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the wilderness?" And he asked them: "How many loaves have ye?" Who said: "Seven."
And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground. And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke and gave to his disciples for to set before them. And they set them before the people. And they had a few little fishes: and he blessed them and commanded them to be set before them. And they did eat and were filled: and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand. And he sent them away.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 16:5, 6-7
Keep my steps steadfast in Your paths, that my feet may not falter. Incline Your ear and hear my words. Show Your wondrous kindness, O Saviour of those who trust in You, O Lord.

SECRET
Let our prayers win peace for Your people, O Lord, so that their offerings may be pleasing in Your sight. Grant us the requests we confidently make of You, so that it cannot be said that anyone hopes or calls upon You in vain. Through our Lord . . .

 Commemoration of SAINT ALEXIS

In memory of Thy Saints, O Lord, we offer Thee the sacrifice of praise, by which we trust to be freed from both present and future evils. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 26:6
I will draw near and joyfully offer a sacrifice in His tabernacle; I will sing and chant a psalm to the Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have been filled with Your gifts, O Lord; grant, we beseech You, that we may be cleansed and strengthened by their effect.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

 Commemoration of SAINT ALEXIS

Refreshed by meat and drink from heaven, O God, we humbly entreat Thee, that we may be protected by the prayers of him in whose memory we have partaken. Through our Lord . . .