Posted on 08/25/2008 7:30:30 AM PDT by Salvation
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Monday of the Twenty-first Week
in Ordinary Time
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Reading 1
2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,
as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more,
and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.
Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God
regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions
and the afflictions you endure.
This is evidence of the just judgment of God,
so that you may be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God
for which you are suffering.
We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5
R. (3) Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Gospel
Mt 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
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The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
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Sacred Heart Of Jesus |
Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 |
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The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
From: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
Greeting
Thanksgiving
[5] This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
Prayer for Perseverance
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Commentary:
1-2. This heading is similar to that of the first letter. Two slight differences bear
comment. The first is the adjective “our” applied to God the Father. This under-
lines the divine filiation of Christians. Only the second person, the Word, is the
Son of God by nature; human beings are children of God by adoption, thanks to
the Son’s deigning to make us sharers in the divine filiation which is his in all its
fullness; in theology this is expressed in the well-known proposition that we are
“filii in Filio,” sons in the Son. “The Son of God, his only son by nature,” St
Augustine says, “deigned to become Son of man, so that we who are sons of
man by nature might become sons of God by grace” (”The City of God”, 21,15).
And St lrenaeus explains that “if the Word became flesh, and if the Son of God
became Son of man, he did this so that man, by entering into communion with
the Word and receiving the privilege of adoption, might become a son of God”
(”Against Heresies”, 2,19).
The Second Vatican Council gives the same teaching when it says that “the fol-
lowers of Christ, called by God not in virtue of their works but by his design and
grace, and justified in the Lord Jesus, have been made sons of God in the bap-
tism of faith and partakers of the divine nature, and so are truly sanctified” (”Lu-
men Gentium”, 40). The full import of what Christian life means becomes clear
if one keeps in mind “this expressible and simple fact—that he is our Father and
we are his children” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 144).
The second difference in the heading (as compared with the first letter) is that it
specifically says that grace comes “from God the Father and [from] the Lord
Jesus Christ”. Peace is inseparable from grace, and has its source in God. That
is why the Second Vatican Council emphasized that “peace on earth, which flows
from love of one’s neighbor, symbolizes and derives from the peace of Christ which
proceeds from God the Father” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 78).
See the note on 1 Thess 1:1-2.
3-4. As in other letters, the Apostle expresses his deep gratitude to the Lord (cf.
Phil 4:6; Col 3:15-17; 1 Tim 2:1; etc.). By doing so he is imitating Jesus himself
who at the start of prayer used to praise the Father and give him thanks (cf. Mt
11:25; 15:36; 26:27 and par.; Jn 11:41; etc.). In its supreme act of worship, the
Mass, the Church exclaims at the start of the Preface: “We do well always and
everywhere to give you thanks.” In addition to showing the nobility of our feelings,
gratefulness also puts us in the way of further gifts, because the Lord is particu-
larly well disposed to a humble and grateful heart. As St Bernard teaches, “some-
one who humbly recognizes himself as obliged for gifts and who is grateful for
them, is bound to receive many more. For if he shows that he is faithful in little
things, he has a right to be entrusted with many; whereas on the contrary, some-
one who does not appreciate the favors he has been given renders himself unwor-
thy of being given additional favors” (”Sermons on Psalm 90”, 4).
That is why the Christian feels the need to express his gratitude to God: “Thank
you, my Jesus, for your choosing to become perfect Man, with a most loving and
lovable heart; a heart which loves unto death; a heart which suffers; which is fitted
with joy and sorrow; which delights in the things of men and shows us the way to
heaven; which subjects itself heroically to duty and acts with mercy; which wat-
ches over the poor and the rich, which cares for sinners and the just.... Thank you,
my Jesus. Give us hearts to measure up to Yours!” (Sy. J. Escriva, “Furrow”, 813).
“Your faith is growing”: faith needs to grow, it needs to be alive. It grows when it
is joined to love. The Thessalonians were active in their practice of faith and love,
and this meant that their morale was good despite persecution and affliction.
“Observe how the love and mutual solidarity of the believers is a great help in re-
sisting evils and bearing affliction,” St John Chrysostom says. “That deep frater-
nity was a great source of consolation. It is only a weak faith and an imperfect
charity that afflictions cause to waver; but a solid, robust faith is in fact streng-
thened by affliction. A weak, languid soul derives no benefit from suffering,
whereas a gene- rous soul finds in suffering a source of new energy” (”Hom.
on 2 Thess, ad loc.”).
5. Fidelity to God, even in a situation which is adverse and difficult; is a guaran-
tee of future reward. Our Lord sometimes allows us to experience suffering for
the sake of the Gospel; he thereby tests our love and makes us worthy of the
enduring Kingdom which awaits us in the life to come. In a particularly authori-
tative way, Paul VI taught that “the Kingdom of God begun here below in the
Church of Christ is not of this world whose form is passing, and [...] its proper
growth cannot be confounded with the progress of civilization, of science or of
human technology, but [...] consists in an ever more profound knowledge of the
unfathomable riches of Christ, an ever stronger hope in eternal blessings, an
ever more ardent response to the Love of God, and an ever more generous be-
stowal of grace and holiness among men” (”Creed of the People of God”, 27).
Suffering, like faith, should he accepted as a mark of God’s special love: “it has
been granted to you that...you should not only believe in him but also suffer for
his sake” (Phil 1:29). Making the same point John Paul II reminds us that “in
bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human
suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can
also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ” (”Salvifici Doloris”,
19).
11. St. Paul takes up the thread of the prayer he began in v. 4, asking God to
keep the believers true to their calling. He himself is very good example of how
teachers of Christian doctrine should approach their work; he does not confine
himself to expounding the truths of faith: the first step he takes is to pray for his
work to be fruitful. St. Augustine observes that anyone who wants to teach the
word of God “tries as far as possible to make his words understandable, pleasing
and persuasive. But he should be convinced that if he is to obtain a good result
it will be due more to the piety of his prayers than to his gifts of speech. And so,
praying for those he is to address, he should be more a supplicant than a speaker.
When the time comes for him to speak, before actually doing so he should raise
his parched soul to God that he may utter only what he has himself eaten and
drunk” (”Christian Instruction”, 4, 15).
The Apostle asks God to make the Thessalonians “worthy of his call”, that their
efforts should have the support of divine grace, for no supernatural action can be
planned, begun or brought to a conclusion without the grace of God (cf. Boniface
II, “Per Filium Nostrum, Dz-Sch”, 399). Hence the liturgical prayer: “Lord, be the
beginning and end of all that we do and say. Prompt our actions with your grace,
and complete them with your all-powerful help” (”Liturgy of the Hours”, Morning
Prayer, Monday Week 1).
12. The Greek formula here translated as “according to the grace of our God and
the Lord Jesus Christ” could also be interpreted as “according to the grace of our
God and Lord Jesus Christ”—in which case we would have here a confession of
christological faith which would be of enormous value on account of its antiquity.
It would be an acknowledgment of Christ being both God (”Theos”) and Lord
(”Kyrios”), that is, “Iesus Christus, Dominus et Deus noster”. However, the ex-
pression “our God” often appears in Pauline writings (cf., in this very chapter, vv.
2 and 11); he also frequently uses the formula “Lord Jesus Christ”. This suggests
that there is a distinction between “our God” and “the Lord Jesus Christ” (or even
“our Lord Jesus Christ”); hence the preferred translation.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States
From: Matthew 23:13-22
Jesus Indicts the Scribes and Pharisees
[16] “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `If any one swears by the temple, it is
nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
[17] You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made
the gold sacred? [18] And you say, `If any one swears by the altar, it is nothing;
but if one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ [19]
You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sa-
cred? [20] So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and everything on it;
[21] and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in
it; [22] and he who swears by Heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him
who sits upon it.”
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Commentary:
13. Here comes our Lord’s invective against the behavior of the scribes and Phari-
sees: His “woes” condemn their past conduct and threaten them with punishment
if they do not repent and mend their ways.
14. As RSV points out, “other authorities add here (or after verse 12) verse 14,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses
and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater con-
demnation.” Our Lord is not reproaching them for praying long prayers but for
their hypocrisy and cupidity. By going in for a lot of external religious practices,
the Pharisees wanted to be recognized as devout men and then trade on that
reputation particularly with vulnerable people. Widows, for example, would ask
them to say prayers; the Pharisees in turn would ask for alms. What Jesus
means here is that prayer should always come from an upright heart and a
generous spirit.
15. “Proselyte”: a pagan convert to Judaism. The root of the word means “he
who comes”, he who—coming from idolatry—joins the chosen people in response
to a calling from God. The Pharisees spared no effort to gain converts. Our Lord
reproaches them not for this, but because they were concerned only about hu-
man success, their motivation being vainglory.
The sad thing about these proselytes was that, after receiving the light of Old
Testament revelation, they remained under the influence of scribes and Pharisees,
who passed on to them their own narrow outlook.
22. Our Lord’s teaching about taking oaths is given in the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5:33-37). Jesus does away with the nitpicking casuistry of the Phari-
sees by focusing directly on the uprightness of the intention of the oath-taker and
by stressing the respect due to God’s majesty and dignity. What Jesus wants
is a pure heart, with no element of deceit.
Our Lord particularly reproves any tendency to undermine the content of an oath,
as the Doctors of the Law tended to do, thereby failing to respect holy things and
especially the holy name of God. He therefore draws attention to the command-
ment of the Law which says, `You shall not take the name of the Lord your God
in vain” (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 5:11).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| First reading | 2 Thessalonians 1:1 - 12 © |
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| From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We feel we must be continually thanking God for you, brothers; quite rightly, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the love that you have for one another never stops increasing; and among the churches of God we can take special pride in you for your constancy and faith under all the persecutions and troubles you have to bear. It all shows that God’s judgement is just, and the purpose of it is that you may be found worthy of the kingdom of God; it is for the sake of this that you are suffering now. Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 95 |
| Gospel | Matthew 23:13 - 22 © |
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| Jesus said, ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to. ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are. ‘Alas for you, blind guides! You who say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Or else, “If a man swears by the altar it has no force; but if a man swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound.” You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’ |
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| Monday, August 25, 2008 St. Louis IX of France, King, Patron of the Third Order (Memorial) |
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 6 |
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| A prayer for relief from affliction |
| Lord, do not condemn me in your fury: do not destroy me in your anger. Take pity on me, Lord, for I am sick; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in disarray. My spirit is deeply disturbed, and you, Lord – how long? Turn to me, Lord, rescue my spirit: in your pity, save me. If I die, how can I praise you? Can anyone in the underworld proclaim your name? I struggle and groan, soak my bed with weeping night after night; my eyes are troubled with sadness: I grow older as my enemies watch. Leave me, all who do evil, for the Lord has heard my voice as I wept. The Lord listened to my prayer, granted me what I asked. Let my enemies be ashamed and confounded: let shame and confusion overtake them soon. 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. |
| Psalm 9A (9) |
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| Thanksgiving for victory |
| I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonders. I will rejoice in you and triumph, make music to your name, O Most High. Because my enemies are in full retreat; they stumble and perish at your presence. For you have given judgement in my favour, upheld my case, taken your seat on the throne of judgement. You have rebuked the nations, condemned the wicked, wiped out their name for ever and for ever. My enemies are no more; their land is a desert for ever. You have demolished their cities, their very memory is wiped away. But the Lord will reign for ever: he has made his throne his judgement-seat. He himself will judge the whole world in justice, judge the peoples impartially. The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in good times and in bad. Let them put their hope in you, those who know your name; for you, Lord, have never abandoned those who seek you. 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. |
| Psalm 9A (9) |
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| Sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion, proclaim to the nations his loving care. For he has remembered the poor and avenged them with blood: he has not forgotten the cry of the weak. Take pity on me, Lord: see how my enemies torment me. You raise me up from the gates of death, and I will proclaim your praise at the gates of the daughter of Sion; I will rejoice in your salvation. The nations have fallen into the pit that they made, into the very trap that they set: their feet are caught fast. The Lord’s justice shines forth: the sinner is trapped by his very own action. Sinners will go down to the underworld, and all nations that forget God. For the weak will not always be forgotten: the hope of the weak will never perish. Rise up, Lord, let men not be complacent: let the nations come before you to be judged. Put fear into them, Lord: let them know that they are only men. 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. |
| Reading | Zephaniah 3:8 - 20 © |
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| Therefore, expect me – it is the Lord who speaks – on the day I stand up to make my accusation; for I am determined to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, and to pour out my fury on you, the whole heat of my anger. Yes, I will then give the peoples lips that are clean, so that all may invoke the name of the Lord and serve him under the same yoke. From beyond the banks of the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants will bring me offerings. When that day comes you need feel no shame for all the misdeeds you have committed against me, for I will remove your proud boasters from your midst; and you will cease to strut on my holy mountain. In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths. But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them. Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear. When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem: Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love; he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival. I have taken away your misfortune, no longer need you bear the disgrace of it. I am taking action here and now against your oppressors. When that time comes I will rescue the lame, and gather the strays, and I will win them praise and renown when I restore their fortunes. When that times comes, I will be your guide, when that time comes, I will gather you in; I will give you praise and renown among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes under your own eyes, says the Lord. |
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| Reading | An exposition on John by Saint Thomas Aquinas |
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| The remnant of Israel shall be led to pasture | |
| I am the Good Shepherd. Surely it is fitting that Christ should be a shepherd, for just as a flock is guided and fed by a shepherd so the faithful are fed by Christ with spiritual food and with his own body and blood. The Apostle said: You were once like sheep without a shepherd, but now you have returned to the guardian and ruler of your souls. The prophet has said: As a shepherd he pastures his flock. Christ said that the shepherd enters through the gate and that he is himself the gate as well as the shepherd. Then it is necessary that he enter through himself. By so doing, he reveals himself, and through himself he knows the Father. But we enter through him because through him we find happiness. Take heed: no one else is the gate but Christ. Others reflect his light, but no one else is the true light. John the Baptist was not the light, but he bore witness to the light. It is said of Christ, however: He was the true light that enlightens every man. For this reason no one says that he is the gate; this title is Christ’s own. However, he has made others shepherds and given that office to his members; for Peter was a shepherd, and so were the other apostles and all good bishops after them. Scripture says: I shall give you shepherds according to my own heart. Although the bishops of the Church, who are her sons, are all shepherds, nevertheless Christ refers only to one person in saying: I am the Good Shepherd, because he wants to emphasise the virtue of charity. Thus, no one can be a good shepherd unless he is one with Christ in charity. Through this we become members of the true shepherd. The duty of a good shepherd is charity; therefore Christ said: The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. Know the difference between a good and a bad shepherd: the good shepherd cares for the welfare of his flock, but the bad shepherd cares only for his own welfare. The Good Shepherd does not demand that shepherds lay down their lives for a real flock of sheep. But every spiritual shepherd must endure the loss of his bodily life for the salvation of the flock, since the spiritual good of the flock is more important than the bodily life of the shepherd, when danger threatens the salvation of the flock. This is why the Lord says: The good shepherd lays down his life, that is, his physical life, for his sheep; this he does because of his authority and love. Both, in fact, are required: that they should be ruled by him, and that he should love them. The first without the second is not enough. Christ stands out for us as the example of this teaching: If Christ laid down his life for us, so we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. |
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| Concluding Prayer |
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| O God, through you your faithful are united and of one will. Grant to your people that they may love what you have taught and desire what you have promised: in this changeable world may our hearts be fixed on where true joy comes from. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
Saint Louis, King of France
Optional Memorial
August 25th
Saint Louis - Basilica of St. Louis King of France [Photo by Phyllis Mees]
History:
St. Louis IX, King of France, son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile, born at Poissy, April 25, 1215.He was eleven years of age when the death of Louis VIII made him king, and nineteen when he married Marguerite of Provence by whom he had eleven children.
It was one of St. Louis's chief characteristics to carry on abreast his administration as national sovereign and the performance of his duties towards Christendom.
St. Louis was a patron of architecture. The Sainte Chappelle, an architectural gem, was constructed in his reign, and it was under his patronage that Robert of Sorbonne founded the "Collège de la Sorbonne," which became the seat of the theological faculty of Paris.
He was renowned for his charity. The peace and blessings of the realm come to us through the poor he would say. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. He founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the Felles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes; the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254), hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne.
He died near Tunis, August 25, 1270.
St. Louis's canonization was proclaimed at Orvieto in 1297, by Boniface VIII. Of the inquiries in view of canonization, carried on from 1273 till 1297, we have only fragmentary reports published by Delaborde ("Mémoires de la société de l'histoire de Paris et de l'Ilea de France," XXIII, 1896) and a series of extracts compiled by Guillaume de St. Pathus, Queen Marguerite's confessor, under the title of "Vie Monseigneur Saint Loys" (Paris, 1899).
(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )
Collect:
Father,
You raised St. Louis
from the cares of earthly rule
to the glory of Your heavenly kingdom.
By the help of his prayers
may we come to Your eternal kingdom
by our work here on earth.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 58: 6-11
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.
"If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
from St. Louis' Last Instruction to his eldest son
"Fair son, the first thing I would teach thee is to set thine heart to love God; for unless he love God none can be saved. Keep thyself from doing aught that is displeasing to God, that is to say, from mortal sin. Contrariwise thou shouldst suffer every manner of torment rather than commit a mortal sin.
"If God send thee adversity, receive it in patience and give thanks to our Saviour and bethink thee that thou hast deserved it, and that He will make it turn to thine advantage. If He send thee prosperity, then thank Him humbly, so that thou becomest not worse from pride or any other cause, when thou oughtest to be better. For we should not fight against God with his own gifts.
"Confess thyself often and choose for thy confessor a right worthy man who knows how to teach thee what to do, and what not to do; and bear thyself in such sort that thy confessor and thy friends shall dare to reprove thee for thy misdoings. Listen to the services of Holy Church devoutly, and without chattering; and pray to God with thy heart and with thy lips, and especially at Mass when the consecration takes place. Let thy heart be tender and full of pity toward those who are poor, miserable, and afflicted, and comfort and help them to the utmost of thy power.
"Maintain the good customs of thy realm and abolish the bad. Be not covetous against thy people and do not burden them with taxes and imposts save when thou art in great need.
"If thou hast any great burden weighing upon thy heart, tell it to thy confessor or to some right worthy man who is not full of vain words. Thou shalt be able to bear it more easily.
"See that thou hast in thy company men, whether religious or lay, who are right worthy and loyal and not full of covetousness, and confer with them oft; and fly and eschew the company of the wicked. Hearken willingly to the Word of God and keep it in thine heart, and seek diligently after prayers and indulgences. Love all that is good and profitable and hate all that is evil, wheresoever it may be.
"Let none be so bold as to say before thee any word that would draw or move to sin, or so bold as to speak evil behind another's back for pleasure's sake; nor do thou suffer any word in disparagement of God and of His saints to be spoken in thy presence. Give often thanks to God for all the good things he has bestowed on thee, so that thou be accounted worthy to receive more.
"In order to do justice and right to thy subjects, be upright and firm, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left, but always to what is just; and do thou maintain the cause of the poor until such a time as the truth is made clear. And if anyone has an action against thee, make full inquiry until thou knowest the truth; for thus shall thy counsellors judge the more boldly according to the truth, whether for thee or against.
"If thou holdest aught that belongeth to another, whether by thine own act or the act of thy predecessors, and the matter be certain, make restitution without delay. If the matter be doubtful, cause inquiry to be made by wise men diligently and promptly.
"Give heed that thy servants and thy subjects live under thee in peace and uprightness. Especially maintain the good cities and commons of thy realm in the same estate and with the same franchises as they enjoyed under thy predecessors; and if there be aught to amend, amend and set it right, and keep them in thy favor and love. For because of the power and wealth of the great cities, thine own subjects, and especially thy peers and thy barons and foreigners also will fear to undertake aught against thee.
"Love and honor all persons belonging to Holy Church, and see that no one take away or diminish the gifts and alms paid to them by thy predecessors. It is related of King Philip, my grandfather, that one of his counsellors once told him that those of Holy Church did him much harm and damage in that they deprived him of his rights, and diminished his jurisdiction, and that it was a great marvel that he suffered it; and the good king replied that he believed this might well be so, but he had regard to the benefits and courtesies that God had bestowed on him, and so thought it better to abandon some of his rights than to have any contention with the people of Holy Church.
"To thy father and mother thou shalt give honor and reverence, and thou shalt obey their commandments. Bestow the benefices of Holy Church on persons who are righteous and of a clean life, and do it on the advice of men of worth and uprightness.
"Beware of undertaking a war against any Christian prince without great deliberation; and if it has to be undertaken, see that thou do no hurt to Holy Church and to those that have done thee no injury. If wars and dissensions arise among thy subjects, see that thou appease them as soon as thou art able. "Use diligence to have good provosts and bailiffs, and inquire often of them and of those of thy household how they conduct themselves, and if there be found in them any vice of inordinate covetousness or falsehood or trickery. Labor to free thy land from all vile iniquity, and especially strike down with all thy power evil swearing and heresy. See to it that the expense of thy household be reasonable.
"Finally, my very dear son, cause Masses to be sung for my soul, and prayers to be said throughout thy realm; and give to me a special share and full part in all the good thou doest. Fair, dear son, I give thee all the blessings that a good father can give to his son. And may the blessed Trinity and all the saints keep and defend thee from all evils; and God give thee grace to do His will always, so that He be honored in thee, and that thou and I may both, after this mortal life is ended, be with Him together and praise Him everlastingly. Amen."
Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest
Optional Memorial
August 25th
Francisco de Goya -1819
The Last Communion of Saint Jose de Calasanz
Oil on canvas, 250 x 180 cm.
Church of the Escuelas Pias de San Antón, Madrid, Spain.
Called in religion "a Matre Dei", founder of the Piarists, born September 11, 1556, at the castle of Calasanza near Petralta de la Sal in Aragon; died August 25, 1648, at Rome. His parents, Don Pedro Calasanza and Donna Maria Gastonia, gave Joseph, the youngest of five children, a good education at home and then at the school of Petralta. After his classical studies at Estadilla he took up philosophy and jurisprudence at Lerida and merited the degree of Doctor of Laws, and then with honors completed his theological course at Valencia and Alcalá de Henares.
He was ordained priest December 17, 1583, by Hugo Ambrose de Moncada, Bishop of Urgel. Joseph began his labors as priest in the Diocese of Albarracin, where Bishop della Figuera appointed him his theologian and confessor, synodal examiner, and procurator, and when the bishop was transferred to Lerida his theologian followed him to the new diocese. In 1586 della Figuera was sent as Apostolic visitator to the Abbey of Montserrat, and Joseph accompanied him as secretary. The bishop died the following year and Joseph left, though urgently requested to remain. He hurried to Calasanza only to be present at the death of his father. He was then called by his Bishop of Urgel to act as vicar-general for the district of Trempe. In 1592 he embarked for Rome, where he found a protector in Cardinal Marcantonio Colonna who chose him as his theologian and instructor to his nephew.
Rome offered a splendid field for works of charity, especially for the instruction of neglected and homeless children, many of whom had lost their parents. Joseph joined a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and gathered the boys and girls from the streets and brought them to school. The teachers, being poorly paid, refused to accept the additional labor without remuneration. The pastor of St. Dorotea, Anthony Brendani, offered him two rooms and promised assistance in teaching, and when two other priests promised similar help, Joseph, in November, 1597, opened the first public free school in Europe. Pope Clement VIII gave an annual contribution and many others shared in the good work, so that in a short time Joseph had about a thousand children under his charge. In 1602 he rented a house at S. Andrea della Valle and commenced a community life with his assistants and laid the foundation of the Order of Piarists. Much envy and opposition arose against him and his new institute, but all were overcome in time. In 1612 the school was transferred to the Torres palace adjoining S. Pantaleone. Here Joseph spent the remaining years of his life in his chosen calling.
He lived and died a faithful son of the church, a true friend of forsaken children. His body rests in S. Paltaleone. His beatification was solemnized on August 7., 1748, and his canonization by Clement XIII, July 16, 1767.
(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition )
Collect:
Lord,
You blessed St. Joseph Calasanz
with such charity and patience
that he dedicated himself
to the formation of Christian youth.
As we honor this teacher of wisdom
may we follow his example in working for truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading:1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 or [13:4-13]
[But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.]
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
"Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me."
| Mt 23:13-22 | ||
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| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 13 | But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for you yourselves do not enter in and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter. | vae autem vobis scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae quia clauditis regnum caelorum ante homines vos enim non intratis nec introeuntes sinitis intrare |
| 14 | Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment. | [] |
| 15 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves. | vae vobis scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae quia circuitis mare et aridam ut faciatis unum proselytum et cum fuerit factus facitis eum filium gehennae duplo quam vos |
| 16 | Woe to you, blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple is a debtor. | vae vobis duces caeci qui dicitis quicumque iuraverit per templum nihil est qui autem iuraverit in aurum templi debet |
| 17 | Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? | stulti et caeci quid enim maius est aurum an templum quod sanctificat aurum |
| 18 | And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor. | et quicumque iuraverit in altari nihil est quicumque autem iuraverit in dono quod est super illud debet |
| 19 | Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? | caeci quid enim maius est donum an altare quod sanctificat donum |
| 20 | He therefore that sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things that are upon it. | qui ergo iurat in altare iurat in eo et in omnibus quae super illud sunt |
| 21 | And whosoever shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth in it. | et qui iuraverit in templo iurat in illo et in eo qui inhabitat in ipso |
| 22 | And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon. | et qui iurat in caelo iurat in throno Dei et in eo qui sedet super eum |
Collect: Lord, you blessed Saint Joseph Calasanz with such charity and patience that he dedicated himself to the formation of Christian youth. As we honor this teacher of wisdom may we follow his example in working for truth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Optional Memorials of St. Louis of France and St. Joseph Calasanz, priest
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St. Louis IX, (1215-1270) who became King of France at the age of twelve, had been religiously brought up by his mother, Blanche of Castile. Throughout his life he remained deeply devout and as a king his conduct was that of a real saint. He devoted himself to the affairs of his kingdom and to those of Christendom and was a great peacemaker — kings and princes constantly sought his aid in settling disputes. He was humble and upright, helpful to the needy and in person nursed lepers and the sick. St. Louis gave to all the example of a life overflowing with charity and sovereign justice. He was a Franciscan Tertiary. He died near Tunis, lying on a bed of ashes, during a crusade for the deliverance of the Holy Land.
St. Joseph Calasanz (1556-1648) was born in Petralta, Aragon, and died in Rome. He studied law and theology and was ordained a priest in 1583. He always showed a great interest in the religious instruction of children, especially of those who were poor and neglected. He journeyed to Rome, became a member of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and opened a free school for the education of homeless children. In 1602 he founded the Order of Piarists who were to continue this charitable work among youth. Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar St. Joseph's feast was celebrated on August 27.
Reigning from 1226 to 1270, Louis IX showed how a saint would act on the throne of France. He was a lovable personality, a kind husband, a father of eleven children, and at the same time a strict ascetic. To an energetic and prudent rule Louis added love and zeal for the practice of piety and the reception of the holy sacraments. He was brave in battle, polished at feasts, and addicted to fasting and mortification. His politics were grounded upon strict justice, unshatterable fidelity, and untiring effort toward peace. Nevertheless, his was not a weakly rule but one that left its impress upon following generations. He was a great friend of religious Orders, a generous benefactor of the Church.
The Breviary says of him: "He had already been king for twenty years when he fell victim to a severe illness. That afforded the occasion for making a vow to undertake a crusade for the liberation of the Holy Land. Immediately upon recovery he received the crusader's cross from the hand of the bishop of Paris, and, followed by an immense army, he crossed the sea in 1248. On the field of battle Louis routed the Saracens; yet when the plague had taken large numbers of his soldiery, he was attacked and taken captive (1250). The king was forced to make peace with the Saracens; upon the payment of a huge ransom, he and his army were again set at liberty." While on a second crusade he died of the plague, with these words from the psalm upon his lips: "I will enter Thy house; I will worship in Thy holy temple and sing praises to Thy Name!" (Ps. 5).
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
It was his mother's supreme desire that her son should become a kind, pious and just ruler. She was wont to say to him: "Never forget that sin is the only great evil in the world. No mother could love her son more than I love you. But I would rather see you lying dead at my feet than know that you had offended God by one mortal sin." These words remained indelibly impressed upon his mind.
St. Louis was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and so is included in the family of Franciscan saints.
Patron: barbers; builders; button makers; construction workers; Crusaders; death of children; difficult marriages; distillers; embroiderers; French monarchs; grooms; haberdashers; hairdressers; hair stylists; kings; masons; needle workers; parenthood; parents of large families; prisoners; sculptors; sick people; soldiers; stone masons; stonecutters; tertiaries; Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Symbols: Crown and scepter tipped with a Manus Dei; crown of thorns; fleurs-de-lys; three nails; banner with fleurs-de-lys; three crowns at his feet; king holding a cross or crown of thorns.
Things to Do:
St. Joseph is the founder of the Poor Clerks Regular (Piarists), a community devoted to the task of educating youth. At an early age Joseph loved to care for children; he gathered them together, conducted religion classes in boyish fashion, and taught them how to pray. After a time of severe illness he was ordained a priest. His zeal found expression as he organized the Order of the Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools and directed the members in the instruction and rearing of children from poor parents. While residing in Rome, Joseph endeavored to visit the seven principal churches of that city almost every evening, and also to honor the graves of the Roman martyrs. During one of the city's repeated plagues a holy rivalry existed between him and St. Camillus in aiding the sick and in personally carrying away for burial the bodies of those who had been stricken. On account of his heroic patience and fortitude in the midst of trouble and persecution, he was called a marvel of Christian courage, a second Job. When eighty years old, he was led as a criminal through the streets of Rome by the Inquisition. His life is a consoling example of how God permits misunderstandings and opposition, even from ecclesiastics, to harass noble undertakings. At the time of his death his Order had almost been destroyed. Then, however, it again began to flourish.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Patron: Colleges; schoolchildren; schools; schools for the poor; students; universities.
Things to Do:
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 5 |
|---|
| A morning prayer for help |
| Let my words come to your ears, O Lord: hear my sighs. Listen to the voice of my crying, my King and my God. As I pray to you in the morning, Lord, listen to my voice; in the morning I will stand before you and await you. You are not a God who loves evil. The wicked cannot stay near you, the unjust cannot remain in your presence. You hate all who do evil – you destroy all who speak falsehood – the Lord abominates the bloody and deceitful man. But in the abundance of your mercy you will admit me to your house: I will worship you in your holy temple, with fear and reverence. Lord, guide me in your justice, protect me from my enemies: let me see the path I must follow. For there is no truth in their mouth – their heart is a bottomless pit – their throat is a wide open grave – their tongue seduces. Punish them, Lord, and let their own plans destroy them. On account of their crimes, thrust them from your presence; for they are rebels against you. Let all who hope in you rejoice, triumph for ever. You will shelter them and they will glory in you. For you bless the just, O Lord, and your good will surrounds them like a shield. 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. |
| Canticle | 1 Chronicles 29 |
|---|---|
| To God alone be honour and glory | |
| Blessed are you, Lord, God of our father Israel, through all the ages. All power and greatness are yours, O God; glory, splendour, and majesty. All things are yours, in the heavens and on the earth; you rule over them, Lord, you are high above them all. All riches and glory come from you, you rule over all things. In your hand lie strength and power, your hand raises all things and sets them firm. So now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 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. |
|
| Psalm 28 (29) |
|---|
| Praise the word of the Lord |
| Give to the Lord, all his children, his glory and power, give to the Lord the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in holy splendour. The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters: the God of majesty thunders, God above all the waters. The voice of the Lord in his power, the voice of the Lord in his greatness. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, the Lord breaks down the cedars of Lebanon. The Lord makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a wild ox. The voice of the Lord cuts flames in two; the voice of the Lord beats on the desert, the Lord stuns the desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord puts the deer to flight, it empties the thickets; in his sanctuary, all praise his glory. The Lord dwells above the raging flood, he is enthroned as king for ever. The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace. 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. |
| Short reading | 2 Thessalonians 3:10 - 13 © |
|---|---|
| Do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. Now we hear that there are some of you who are living in idleness, doing no work themselves but interfering with everyone else’s. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat. My brothers, never grow tired of doing what is right. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
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| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. 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. |
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