TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

SAINT PHILIP BENIZI
Confessor

DOUBLE / GREEN
INTROIT Ps. 69:2-3
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. Let my enemies who seek my life be put to shame and confounded.
Ps. 69:4. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and merciful God, it is through Your grace that the faithful are able to serve You fittingly and laudably. Grant that we may hurry, without faltering, toward the rewards You have promised to us. Through our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP BENIZI
Philip Benizi was born in Florence on the Feast of the Assumption, 1233. Our Lady herself called him to her newly founded Order of Servites. Philip entered as a lay brother, but his abilities were soon discovered and he was ordained to the priesthood. As a priest he filled in succession the highest offices of his order. He won souls to God in various European countries; and in Italy itself, then wasted by civil wars, his preaching restored peace.

O God, You have set before us an outstanding example of humility in the person of Your blessed confessor Philip. Grant us, Your servants, the grace to follow his example and spurn earthly riches in order to strive after the treasures of heaven. Through our Lord . . .


EPISTLE II Cor. 3:4-9
Brethren: And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God. Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God. Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter but in the spirit. For the letter killeth: but the spirit quickeneth.
Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious (so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance), which is made void: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.

GRADUAL Ps. 33:2-3
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be in my mouth.
V. My soul shall glory in the Lord; the humble will hear and be made glad.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 87:2
O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and by night in Your presence. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 10:23-37
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: "Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see. For I say to you that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see and have not seen them; and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them." 
And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him and saying, "Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?" But he said to him: "What is written in the law? How readest thou?" He answering, said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself." And he said to him: "Thou hast answered right. This do: and thou shalt live." But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: "And who is my neighbour?"
And Jesus answering, said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who also stripped him and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan, being on his journey, came near him: and seeing him, was moved with compassion: And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two pence and gave to the host and said: 'Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee.' "Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers?" But he said: "He that shewed mercy to him." And Jesus said to him: "Go, and do thou in like manner."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ex. 32:11, 13, 14
Moses prayed before the Lord his God, saying, "Why, O Lord, should Your wrath blaze up against Your own people? Let Your anger die down. Remember Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, how You swore to give them a land flowing with milk and honey." And the Lord relented in the punishments He had threatened to inflict of His people.

SECRET 
O Lord, look with mercy upon the offerings we have placed upon Your altar. May they win pardon for our sins and give glory to Your name. Through our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP BENIZI
Accept this offering which we humbly present in honor of Your Saints, O God, and through it purify our bodies and our souls. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 103:13, 14-15
The earth is filled with the fruit of Your works, O Lord, that You may bring forth food from the earth and wine to cheer the heart of man, oil to make his face gleam, and bread to sustain his strength.

POSTCOMMUNION 
May the reception of this Sacrament bring us life, O Lord, and win for us Your pardon and Your protection. Through our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SAINT PHILIP BENIZI
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 Philip. Through our Lord . . .

Martyrdom of St. Symphorian

THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

SAINTS TIMOTHY, HIPPOLYTUS, AND SYMPHORIAN
MARTYRS

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / WHITE
The Mother of Christ was worthy to be His mother. This is an ineffable mystery which passes human understanding -- that is was possible to God to fashion a human soul so beautiful, so full of grace, so pure and immaculate, that it actually became quite fitting for this soul to give to the Eternal Word the flesh and blood with which He saved the world. Mary is the flower of all God's creation, and was made so by His power because she was to bud forth the Saviour.

INTROIT Heb. 4:16
Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
Almighty and Eternal God, You prepared a worthy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May all of us who devoutly celebrate the feast of her Immaculate Heart be blessed to live according to the wishes of Your own Heart. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINTS TIMOTHY, HIPPOLYTUS, AND SYMPHORIAN 
Timothy of Antioch shed his blood for Christ at Rome in A.D. 311. Bishop Hippolytus died in prison about the year 235. As the young Symphorian was led to execution in Autun, France, about the year 180, his mother said to him, "Life is not taken from thee, my son; it is exchanged for a better one."

Help us, O Lord, and stretch out Your right hand in compassion to save us through the intercession of Your blessed martyrs Timothy, Hippolytus, and Symphorian. Through our Lord . . .

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

GRADUAL Ps. 12:6; 44:18
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, who has given me all good; I will sing to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
V. They shall remember your name in every generation. Therefore peoples shall praise you forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Luke 1:46
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 19:25-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Luke 1:47, 49
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.

SECRET 
We offer this perfect Lamb to your majesty, O Lord, and pray that our hearts may be kindled by that divine fire which so wondrously inflamed the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT TIMOTHY AND HIS COMPANIONS
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 . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 19:26-27
Jesus said to His Mother, "Woman, behold, thy son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, thy mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We have been refreshed by Your Divine Gifts, O Lord. Free us from present dangers and bestow upon us the joys of eternal life through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Immaculate Heart we honor in this feast. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT TIMOTHY AND HIS COMPANIONS
We have been nourished by Your Divine Gift, O Lord our God. May the reception of this Bread of Heaven bring us eternal life through the intercession of Your blessed martyrs Timothy, Hippolytus, and Symphorian. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL
Widow

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

Mass of a HOLY WOMAN, except

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

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

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

Fra Bartolommeo The Vision of St. Bernard ca.1504. Oil on wood.

Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy.

SAINT BERNARD
Abbot and Doctor of the Church

DOUBLE / WHITE
Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), of a titled Burgundy family, won over to the service of Christ 31 other Burgundian noblemen, including four of his five brothers and an uncle as well, who with him entered the monastic life at the Abbey of Citeaux, of "strict" Benedictine observance, which had been founded shortly before by SS. Robert, Alberic, and Stephen Harding. Their arrival gave new vigor to the Cistercian Order. Bernard was soon sent to found a Cistercian house at Clairvaux, and under his direction the fame of the new monastery spread throughout the world. There his aged father and youngest brother Nivard received the Cistercian habit from his hands. His spirit of austere strength and moving sweetness in the love of God and of the Blessed Virgin stamped itself on the age. He was the adviser of Popes and monarchs, the eloquent preacher of the Second Crusade, and inspired defender of the Faith against powerful schismatics and heretics.

Mass of a DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, except

COLLECT
O God, may blessed Bernard intercede for us in heaven as he once instructed Your faithful on earth and directed them in the way of eternal salvation. Through our Lord . . .

LESSON Eccli 39:6-14 [Sirach]
The just man will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and he will pray in the sight of the most High. He will open his mouth in prayer, and will make supplication for his sins. For if it shall please the great Lord, he will fill him with the spirit of understanding: And he will pour forth the words of his wisdom as showers, and in his prayer he will confess to the Lord. And he shall direct his counsel, and his knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate. He shall shew forth the discipline he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord. Many shall praise his wisdom, and it shall never be forgotten. The memory of him shall not depart away, and his name shall be in request from generation to generation. Nations shall declare his wisdom, and the church shall shew forth his praise.


SECRET
O Lord, let the blessed confessor and doctor Bernard always help us, and through his intercession accept our offering and pardon our sins. Through our Lord . . .


POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed confessor and illustrious doctor Bernard. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT JOHN EUDES
Confessor

DOUBLE / WHITE
John Eudes (1601-80) was a zealous preacher of missions in French towns and villages, and was equally zealous in the confessional. In 1643, he founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, called the Eudists, an institute combining the work of parochial missions with that of training and reform of the clergy; and, a year later, the Congregation of Sisters of the Good Shepherd. In his widely-read writings he was the first to urge public devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

INTROIT Isa. 58:11
The Lord will fill your soul with brightness, and deliver your bones, and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail.
Ps. 72:1. How good is God to Israel, to those whose heart is upright.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You inflamed the blessed confessor John with a wondrous zeal to promote the public worship of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and You also founded a new congregation in the Church through this saint. May the example of his merits teach all of us who venerate his deep virtue. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I John 4:7-11
Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is charity. By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him. In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. My dearest, if God hath so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

GRADUAL Matt. 9:38; Ps. 131:16
Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest.
V. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding joy.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Gal. 2:20
It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 10:1-9
And after these things, 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 ANTIPHON Ps. 58:1
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God, to You have I fled. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

SECRET 
In honor of Your blessed priest John, O Lord, we offer to You in sacrifice these gifts that are our consolation on earth and encourage us to hope for an eternal reward. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 15:5
"Abide in me, and I in you. He who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit," says the Lord.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We are refreshed by Your Sacred Gift, O Lord, and beg You, through the intercession of blessed John, who fervently worshiped the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, to keep us on earth so close to these same Hearts that we may delight in them in Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

SAINT AGAPITUS
Martyr

SAINT HELEN

Empress, Widow

[In some places]

SIMPLE / RED
When only 15 years old, Agapitus was beheaded at Praeneste (Palestrina), Italy, about the year 275, as his punishment for professing Christ. Legend has it that he was beheaded only because the animals in the arena refused to attack him, and that a tribune, Anastasius, watching the "entertainment," was converted by the animal's reaction to the boy martyr.

Mass of a MARTYR, except

COLLECT
Let the Church rejoice in the trust she places in the intercessions of Your holy martyr Agapitus, O God, and grant that through the prayers of this saint she may always serve You devotedly in peace and security. Through our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SAINT HELEN
St. Helen was born in Britain and espoused to the Roman Emperor, Constantius Chlorus. Her son Constantine became the first Christian Emperor of Rome. The saintly Empress made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she had the joy of discovering the true Cross, to enshrine which, she built a magnificent Basilica on Mount Calvary. Saint Helen died in August, A.D. 326.


O Lord Jesus Christ, who to blessed Helen didst reveal the place where Thy cross was hidden, in order, through her, to enrich Thy Church with this precious treasure: grant us through her prayers, that by means of the ransom of this Tree of Life, we may attain to the reward of eternal life: Who livest . . .


GOSPEL John 12:24-26
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, Itself remaineth alone. But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me: and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour."

SECRET 
O Lord, accept the gifts we bring You on the feast of him through whose intercession we hope to be set free. Through our Lord . . .


Commemoration of SAINT HELEN
Grant us through these holy Mysteries, O Lord, who in Thy mercy didst vouchsafe to blessed Helen ever to bear in her heart Thy crucified Son: that we, too, may carry Him in our hearts for evermore. Through the same . . .

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 HELEN
Grant, O merciful God, that we who on earth have been recreated by the fruit of Thy salutary Cross, may, by the intercession of blessed Helen, deserve to enjoy that fruit for ever more in heaven: Who liveth and  . . .

Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Hyacinth
by Ludovico Carracci (1594)

SAINT HYACINTH
Confessor

DOUBLE / WHITE
The nephew of a Polish bishop, Hyacinth (1185-1257) was received as a Friar Preacher by St. Dominic himself. At the age of 33, Hyacinth was made superior of the mission that Dominic sent to Poland. He and his confrères began the amazing apostolate that was finally to include Poland, Austria, Moravia, Pomerania, Prussia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, and Russia. The great Apostle of the North was characterized by an intense devotion to Mary, Queen of the Apostles. He attributed his victories over error to her, "who alone has overcome all heresies throughout the world."

Mass of a CONFESSOR OF THE FAITH

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

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

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

Image via Wikipedia

THE ASSUMPTION OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

DOUBLE, FIRST CLASS / WHITE
The dogma of the Assumption is the answer of the Church to a materialistic world. It implicitly states that the perfection of our faculties and bodily skills will be fully exercised only in heaven, where they attain fulfillment in contemplating God. The Assumption was the moment of creation's fulfillment, the first-fruit of God's plan for mankind -- a plan which includes our own appearance, body and soul, before the throne of God. May the Immaculate Mother of God and our co-redeemer, in the new glory of this revelation, focus the mind of the world on the true aim of progress toward the goal of union with the Creator of the universe.

INTROIT Apoc. 12:1
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
Ps. 97:1. Sing to the Lord a new canticle, for He has done wondrous deeds.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty and Eternal God, You have taken up into heavenly glory the body and soul of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of Your Son. May we always look upward toward heaven and come to be worthy of sharing her glory. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

LESSON Judith 13:22-25; 15:10
The Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath brought our enemies to nought. Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies. Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honour of our people.

GRADUAL Ps. 44:11-12, 14
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, for the king greatly desires your beauty.
V. All glorious, the daughter of the king enters, clothed in robes of spun gold.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
Mary was taken up to heaven; the choirs of angels are filled with joy. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Luke 1:41-50
At that time, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she cried out with a loud voice and said: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord." And Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Gen. 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.

SECRET
Let our devoted offerings arise before You, O Lord. Inflame our hearts with the fire of love so that through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who was assumed into heaven, they may yearn always for You. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Luke 1:48-49
All generations shall call me blessed, because He who is mighty has done great things for me.

POSTCOMMUNION
We have received the Sacrament of Salvation, O Lord, and now ask that we may be brought to the glory of the resurrection through the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was taken up into heaven. Through our Lord . . .

Coreggio's famed Assumption fresco

VIGIL OF THE ASSUMPTION OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SAINT EUSEBIUS

Confessor

SIMPLE / PURPLE
Our Lady was acclaimed as Mother of God at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Shortly before Bernadette's vision at Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception was defined. And now her glorious assumption into heaven has been revealed to us as a dogma. In her Immaculate Conception, Mary was the sole human being who perfectly fulfilled God's will. As Mother of God, Mary became the co-redeemer of the human race. At the Assumption she was the first to enter, body and soul united, into the final glory awaiting redeemed mankind after the general resurrection. Thus, all through her temporal life, Mary was the expressed ideal of God's plan of creation.

INTROIT Ps. 44:13, 15-16
All the rich among the people shall seek your favor. Behind her the virgins shall be led to the king; her friends shall be brought to you with gladness and joy.
Ps. 44:2. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You willed to choose the womb of Blessed Mary as Your dwelling place. Grant that we may joyfully celebrate her feast under the shield of her protection; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of SAINT EUSEBIUS, CONFESSOR
Eusebius, a Roman priest, was imprisoned for having opposed heretics favored by Emperor Constantius. He persisted in his defense of the true Faith until his death in about the middle of the fourth century.

O God, our hearts are overjoyed at the annual feast of Your blessed confessor Eusebuis. Grant that we who celebrate his birthday may draw near You by following his example. Through our Lord . . .

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

GRADUAL
You are blessed and venerable, O Virgin Mary, for without the loss of your virginity you became the Mother of our Saviour.
V. O Virgin Mother of God, He whom the whole world cannot contain enclosed Himself in your womb and was made man.

GOSPEL Luke 11:27-28
At that time, as Jesus spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: "Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee suck." But he said: "Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. "

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who bore the Creator of all things. You brought forth your own Creator, and yet you remain a virgin forever.

SECRET
O Lord, may the intercession of the Mother of God bring our offerings to Your merciful attention, for You took her out of this world that she might plead with confidence before Your throne for the forgiveness of our sins. Through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Commemoration of SAINT EUSEBIUS
We offer You, O Lord, this sacrifice of praise in memory of Your saints. Free us from evil now and in the future through their intercession. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the eternal God.

POSTCOMMUNION
Support us in our weakness, O merciful God. May we rise again from our sins through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, whose feast we are preparing to celebrate. Through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

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

Dieric Bouts the Elder

The Torture of St. Hippolyte

after 1468
Oil on wood, 90 x 89.2 cm
St Salvator Cathedral, Bruges

Saint Cassian tortured by

his pagan pupils

SAINTS HIPPOLYTUS AND CASSIAN
Martyrs

SIMPLE / RED
Hippolytus was a prominent priest of the church of Rome at the beginning of the third century. Together with the Pope St. Pontian he was exiled to Sardinia, and his sufferings ended in martyrdom A.D. 235.
In about the year 320, officials at Imola, Italy, arrested Cassian, a Christian schoolmaster. The governor ordered him to be tortured by his own pagan pupils. After making barbarous sport of Cassian in various ways, the pagan boys stabbed their former teacher to death with their stilettos.

Mass of SEVERAL MARTYRS, except

COLLECT
O Almighty God, grant that our solemn celebration of the feast of your holy martyrs Hippolytus and Cassian may increase our devotion and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

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

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may the reception of Your Sacraments save us and confirm us in the light of Your truth. Through our Lord . . .

SAINT CLARE
Virgin

DOUBLE / WHITE The Lady Clare was born in Assisi, Italy, about the year 1193. After having heard St. Francis preach, the wealthy and beautiful young girl left home to embrace a life of poverty, and thus became the first member of the Franciscan Second Order, since called the "Poor Clares." Soon other aristocratic women adopted the cloistered penitential life of the Poor Clares. When the Saracen soldiers of Emperor Fredrick II threatened to force their way into her Assisi convent during his campaigns against the Pope, Clare held the ciborium before the assailants, and they fled at once. After long illness, she died in the year 1253, as the Passion of Christ was being read to her.

Mass of a VIRGIN, except

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

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

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 . . .

SAINT LAWRENCE
Martyr

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED
Lawrence was chief among the seven deacons who served the Roman Church during the mid-third century. The young cleric held a position of great trust, caring for the goods of the Church and distributing its alms among the poor. He was arrested under the Emperor Valerian, in 258, laid upon a gridiron and slowly roasted to death. Lawrence rejoiced in his awful martyrdom and died praying for the conversion of the city of Rome, in the hope that from it the faith of Christ might spread throughout the world. From that time idolatry began to decline in Rome.

INTROIT Ps. 95:6
Praise and beauty go before him; holiness and majesty are in his sanctuary.
Ps. 95:1. Sing to the Lord a new canticle; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O Almighty God, strengthen us that we may extinguish in ourselves the flames of sin, just as Lawrence was enabled to withstand his fiery torments. Through our Lord . . .


EPISTLE II Cor. 9:6-10
Brethren: He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for "God loveth a cheerful giver." And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work: as it is written, "He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever." And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

GRADUAL Ps. 16:3
You have put my heart to test, O Lord, and searched it by night.
V. You have tried me by fire, but no sin has been found in me.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
The levite Lawrence has done a good work; by the sign of the cross he restored sight to the blind. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 12:24-26
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will the Father honor."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 95:6
Praise and beauty go before him; holiness and majesty are in his sanctuary.

SECRET 
O Lord, accept the gifts which we offer with honor to You. May we be aided by the meritorious prayer of Your blessed martyr Lawrence, that these offerings may help us towards our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 12:26
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also shall My servant be.

POSTCOMMUNION 
Nourished by Your Sacred Gift, O Lord, we humbly ask that through this worship we may receive an increase of Your saving grace by the intercession of Your blessed martyr Lawrence. Through our Lord . . .

SAINTS CYRIACUS, LARGUS, 

AND SMARAGDUS
Martyrs

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

INTROIT Ps. 33:10-11
Fear the Lord, all you His saints, for nothing is wanting to those who fear Him. The rich shall grow poor and hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.
Ps. 33:2. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, we are made happy by the annual feast of Your holy martyrs Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus. May we imitate the fortitude under suffering of these saints whose birthday we celebrate today. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE I Thess. 2:13-16
Brethren: And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and pleased not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

GRADUAL Ps. 33:10, 11
Fear the Lord, all you His saints, for nothing is wanting to those who fear Him.
V. Those who seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Sap. 3:7
The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds forever. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Mark 16:15-18
At that time, Jesus said unto them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 31:11
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you just; shout for joy, all you upright of heart.

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

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Mark 16:17, 18
And these signs shall attend those who believe in Me: they shall cast out devils; they shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall get well.

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

St. Peter's Chains (relic in San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome)

St. Paul in prison.

SAINT PETER'S CHAINS

HOLY MACHABEES
Martyrs

GREATER DOUBLE / WHITE

After King Herod Agrippa had put to death St. James the Greater ten years after Christ's crucifixion, he decided to placate the Jews still more by arresting Peter, Prince of the Apostles. The Acts tell us that while Peter was in prison, "prayer was being made to god for him by the Church without ceasing." Finally, one night, an angel awakened the prisoner. The chains fell from his hands, he followed the angel safely past the sentries, and the iron gate of the jail opened of its own accord. This miracle confirmed the divine promise: "If two of you shall agree on earth about anything at all for which they ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). It is these chains, now preserved in Rome, that are venerated today.

INTROIT Acts 12:11
Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from all that the Jewish people were expecting. Ps. 138:1-2. O Lord, You have proved me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT
O God, You freed the blessed apostle Peter from his chains and sent him forth unharmed. Free us from the bonds of our sins and in Your mercy shield us from all harm. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PAUL, Apostle
St. Peter, one of the two apostles of Rome, is never celebrated without St. Paul, the other. Moreover, four links of St. Paul's chains are preserved with those of St. Peter.

O God, You have instructed many nations through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Paul. Let the power of his intercession with You help us who venerate his memory this day. 

Commemoration of the HOLY MACHABEES
Seven brothers known as the Machabees were martyred together with their heroic mother during the second century B.C. They are the only martyrs of the Old Testament honored by a feast of universal observance in the Church. 

O Lord, may the martyrdom of these brothers warm our hearts with joy, enliven our faith by an increase of virtue, and comfort us by the added number of intercessors we have in heaven. Through our Lord . . . 

EPISTLE Acts 12: 1-11
In those days, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church. And he killed James, the brother of John, With the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of the Azymes. And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison, delivering him to four files of soldiers, to be kept, intending, after the pasch, to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shined in the room. And he, striking Peter on the side, raised him up, saying: "Arise quickly." And the chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said to him: "Gird thyself and put on thy sandals." And he did so. And he said to him: "Cast thy garment about thee and follow me," And going out, he followed him. And he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision. And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city which of itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through one street. And immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter coming to himself, said: "Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent his angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews." 

GRADUAL Ps. 44:17-18
You shall make them prices through all the land; they shall remember Your name, O Lord. 
V. To take the place of your fathers, sons shall be born to you; therefore peoples shall praise you.

Alleluia, alleluia! V.
At the bidding of God, loosen the chains of the world, Peter, you who open the kingdom to the blessed. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Matt. 16:13-19 
At that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: "Whom do men say that the Son of man is?" But they said: "Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Jesus saith to them:"But whom do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answering said to him: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 44:17-18
You shall make them princes throughout the land; they shall remember Your name, O Lord, in every generation and age.

SECRET 
May the sacrifice we offer You, O Lord, bring us new life and keep us safe through the intercession of blessed Peter, Your apostle. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PAUL
O Lord, sanctify the offerings of Your people through the intercession of the blessed apostle Paul. The sacrifice we offer is already acceptable to You because You instituted it; may it become even more pleasing to You through the prayers of Your saint.

Commemoration of the HOLY MACHABEES
O Lord, grant that we may celebrate these sacred mysteries with devotion to honor Your holy martyrs, so that through this sacrifice we may have new help and a deeper joy. Through our Lord . . . 

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 16:18
Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.

POSTCOMMUNION 
We are refreshed by the Sacrifice of Your Sacred Body and Precious Blood, O Lord our God. may our devout celebration of these divine Mysteries insure our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PAUL 

We who have received your Sacrament, O Lord, look hopefully for the prayers of Your blessed Paul. May the Sacred Rite that we have celebrated in his honor bring us healing for our own sinfulness.

Commemoration of the HOLY MACHABEES 
O Almighty God, grant that we may grow in grace by emulating the faith of these martyrs whose memory we honor by the reception of Your Sacrament. through our Lord . . .