Office of Readings

The Optional Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola , Bishop, may be observed today using the ferial texts with the Proper Second Reading and Closing Prayer. If it is desired to use any texts from the Common, these may be taken from the Common of Pastors: For a Bishop, found in the ëPrayersí section of the iBreviary.

The Optional Memorial of Saint John Fisher, Bishop, and Saint Thomas More, Martyrs, may be observed today using the ferial texts with the Proper Second Reading and Closing Prayer. If it is desired to use any texts from the Common, these may be taken from the Common of Martyrs: For Several Martyrs, found in the ëPrayersí section of the iBreviary.

INVITATORY

The Invitatory is said when this is the first ëhourí of the day.

Lord, + open my lips.
ñ And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Come, let us sing to the Lord *
   and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
   the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
   and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
   the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
   bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
   the flock he shepherds.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Ü
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
   in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
   they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, ìThey are a people whose hearts go astray
   and they do not know my ways.î
So I swore in my anger, *
   ìThey shall not enter into my rest.î

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:

God, + come to my assistance.
ñ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
ñ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

In ancient times God spoke to man
Through prophets, and in varied ways,
But now he speaks through Christ his Son,
His radiance through eternal days.

To God the Father of the world,
His Son through whom he made all things,
And Holy Spirit, bond of love,
All glad creation glory sings.

Melody: Herr Jesu Christ mein Lebens Licht L.M.
Music: As Hymnodus Sacer, Leipzig 1625
Text: © Stanbrook Abbey. Used with permission.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.

Psalm 69:2-22, 30-37
I am consumed with zeal for your house

They offered him a mixture of wine and gall (Matthew 27:34).

I

Save me, O God, *
for the waters have risen to my neck.

I have sunk into the mud of the deep *
and there is no foothold.
I have entered the waters of the deep *
and the waves overwhelm me.

I am wearied with all my crying, *
my throat is parched.
My eyes are wasted away *
from looking for my God.

More numerous than the hairs on my head *
are those who hate me without cause.
Those who attack me with lies *
are too much for my strength.

How can I restore *
what I have never stolen?
O God, you know my sinful folly; *
my sins you can see.

Let those who hope in you not be put to shame *
through me, Lord of hosts:
let not those who seek you be dismayed *
through me, God of Israel.

It is for you that I suffer taunts, *
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers, *
an alien to my own motherís sons.
I burn with zeal for your house *
and taunts against you fall on me.

When I afflict my soul with fasting *
they make it a taunt against me.
When I put on sackcloth in mourning *
then they make me a byword,
the gossip of men at the gates, *
the subject of drunkardsí songs.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.

Ant. 2 I needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar.

II

This is my prayer to you, *
my prayer for your favor.
In your great love, answer me, O God, *
with your help that never fails:
rescue me from sinking in the mud; *
save me from my foes.

Save me from the waters of the deep *
lest the waves overwhelm me.
Do not let the deep engulf me *
nor death close its mouth on me.

Lord, answer, for your love is kind; *
in your compassion, turn towards me.
Do not hide your face from your servant; *
answer quickly for I am in distress.
Come close to my soul and redeem me; *
ransom me pressed by my foes.

You know how they taunt and deride me; *
my oppressors are all before you.
Taunts have broken my heart; *
I have reached the end of my strength.
I looked in vain for compassion, *
for consolers; not one could I find.

For food they gave me poison; *
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,*
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar.

Ant. 3 Seek the Lord and you will live.

III

As for me in my poverty and pain *
let your help, O God, lift me up.

I will praise Godís name with a song; *
I will glorify him with thanksgiving,
a gift pleasing God more than oxen, *
more than beasts prepared for sacrifice.

The poor when they see it will be glad *
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy *
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise, *
the sea and all its living creatures.

For God will bring help to Zion *
and rebuild the cities of Judah
and men shall dwell there in possession. Ü
The sons of his servants shall inherit it; *
those who love his name shall dwell there.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

God our Father, to show the way of salvation, you chose that the standard of the cross should go before us, and you fulfilled the ancient prophecies in Christís passover from death to life. Do not let us rouse your burning indignation by sin, but rather, through the contemplation of his wounds, make us burn with zeal for the honor of your Church and with grateful love for you.

Ant. Seek the Lord and you will live.

The Lord will teach us his ways.
ñ And we will follow in his footsteps.

FIRST READING

From the book of Judges
13:1-25

The birth of Samson is foretold

The Israelites again offended the Lord, who therefore delivered them into the power of the Philistines for forty years.

There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ìThough you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.î

The woman went and told her husband, ìA man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, ëYou will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.íî Manoah then prayed to the Lord. ìO Lord, I beseech you,î he said, ìmay the man of God whom you sent, return to us to teach us what to do for the boy who will be born.î

God heard the prayer of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field. Since her husband Manoah was not with her, the woman ran in haste and told her husband. ìThe man who came to me the other day has appeared to me,î she said to him; so Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he reached the man, he said to him, ìAre you the one who spoke to my wife?î ìYes,î he answered. Then Manoah asked, ìNow, when that which you say comes true, what are we expected to do for the boy?î The angel of the Lord answered Manoah, ìYour wife is to abstain from all the things of which I spoke to her. She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor take wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. Let her observe all that I have commanded her.î

Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, ìCan we persuade you to stay, while we prepare a kid for you?î But the angel of the Lord answered Manoah, ìAlthough you press me, I will not partake of your food. But if you will, you may offer a holocaust to the Lord.î Not knowing that it was the angel of the Lord, Manoah said to him, ìWhat is your name, that we may honor you when your words come true?î The angel of the Lord answered him, ìWhy do you ask my name, which is mysterious?î Then Manoah took the kid with a cereal offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, whose works are mysteries.

While Manoah and his wife were looking on, as the flame rose to the sky from the altar, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell prostrate to the ground; but the angel of the Lord was seen no more by Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah, realizing that it was the angel of the Lord, said to his wife, ìWe will certainly die, for we have seen God.î But his wife pointed out to him, ìIf the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a holocaust and cereal offering from our hands! Nor would he have let us see all this just now, or hear what we have heard.î

The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him; the spirit of the Lord first stirred him in Mahaneh-dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol.

RESPONSORY
Luke 1:13, 15; Judges 13:5

The angel said to Zechariah:
Your wife will bear you a son,
and you must name him John;
he will drink no wine or any strong drink,
and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his motherís womb.
ñ For the boy is to be a Nazarite consecrated to God.

The angel of the Lord appeared to the wife of Manoah and said to her:
You shall conceive and bear a son,
and no razor must touch his head.
ñ For the boy is to be a Nazarite consecrated to God.

SECOND READING

From a treatise on the Lordís Prayer by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr
(Nn. 23-24: CSEL 3, 284-285)

We are Godís children; let us abide in his peace

Christ clearly laid down an additional rule to bind us by a certain contractual condition: we ask that our debts be forgiven insofar as we forgive our own debtors. Thus we are made aware that we cannot obtain what we ask regarding our own trespasses unless we do the same for those who trespass against us. This is why he says elsewhere: The measure you give will be the measure you get. And the servant who, after his master forgives all his debt, refuses to forgive his fellow servant is thrown into prison. Because he refused to be kind to his fellow servant, he lost the favor his master had given him.

Along with his other precepts Christ lays this down even more forcefully with a most vigorous condemnation. He says: When you stand up to pray, if you have anything against anyone, let it go, so that your heavenly Father may also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. You will have no excuse on the day of judgment, for then you will be judged just as you have judged, and you will suffer whatever you have done to others.

God bids us to be peace-loving, harmonious and of one mind in his house; he wants us to live with the new life he gave us at our second birth. As sons of God, we are to abide in peace; as we have one Spirit, we should be one in mind and heart. Thus God does not receive the sacrifice of one who lives in conflict, and he orders us to turn back from the altar and be first reconciled with our brother, that God too may be appeased by the prayers of one who is at peace. The greatest offering we can make to God is our peace, harmony among fellow Christians, a people united with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

When Cain and Abel first offered their sacrifices, God considered not so much the gifts as the spirit of the giver: God was pleased with Abelís offering because he was pleased with his spirit. Thus Abel the just man, the peacemaker, in his blameless sacrifice taught men that when they offer their gift at the altar they should approach as he did, in the fear of God, simplicity of heart, ruled by justice and peaceful harmony. Since this was the character of Abelís offering, it was only right that he himself should afterward become a sacrifice. As martyrdomís first witness and possessing the Lordís qualities of justice and peace, he foreshadowed the Lordís passion in the glory of his own death. Such, then, are the men who are crowned by the Lord and will be justified with him on the day of judgment.

But Saint Paul and the sacred Scriptures tell us that the quarrelsome man and the troublemaker, who is never at peace with his brothers, cannot escape the charge of internal dissension even though he may die for Christís name. For it is written: He who hates his brother is a murderer, nor can he attain the kingdom of heaven. God cannot abide a murderer. He cannot be united with Christ, who has preferred to imitate Judas rather than Christ.

RESPONSORY
Ephesians 4:1, 3, 4; Romans 15:5, 6

I implore you to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you have been called.
Be careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
ñ There is but one hope given to you by your calling.

May God grant you to live in harmony with one another,
so that together you may glorify God with one voice.
ñ There is but one hope given to you by your calling.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Almighty God,
our hope and our strength,
without you we falter.
Help us to follow Christ
and to live according to your will.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, strength of those who hope in you,
graciously hear our pleas,
and, since without you mortal frailty can do nothing,
grant us always the help of your grace
that in following your commands
we may please you by our resolve and our deeds.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

For the Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola:

SECOND READING

From a letter by Saint Paulinus of Nola, bishop
(Epist. 3 ad Alypium, 1. 5. 6: CSEL 29, 13-14, 17-18)

God everywhere produces his love in his people through the Holy Spirit

You have shown, my lord, that you bear within you true charity and perfect love toward my humble person. Truly holy and deservedly blessed, you are a most desirable friend, for my cousin Julian on his return from Carthage delivered the letter which conveyed to us the shining light of your sanctity. As a result it seems to me that I am not just now coming to know your love for me but rather recognizing it as something I was already aware of. For clearly this love of yours came forth from the one who predestined us for himself from the foundation of the world. In him, the maker of all that is to be, we were made before we were born, because he made us and not we ourselves. Shaped by his work and his foreknowledge, then, we were already joined by charity into a likeness of wills and a union of faith, or a faith of unity, that anticipated our present acquaintance. So before we met in person, we became known to each other in the revelation of the Spirit.

Hence I give thanks and boast in the Lord, who, one and the same throughout the world, produces his love in his people through the Holy Spirit whom he pours out upon all flesh. With the flow of the river he gladdens his city among whose citizens he rightly established you to be the first among the princes of his people in your apostolic see. Likewise, he wanted me, whom he raised up when I was downtrodden, and lifted up from the earth when I was destitute, to be numbered among your associates. But I am more grateful for that gift of the Lord by which he established a place for me in your heart and allowed me so to penetrate your affections that I might claim a personal trust in your love. Moved by such kindnesses and gifts, I could not love you in a merely casual or negligent way.

But you should know everything about me and you should be aware that I am a sinner lf long standing, it is not so long ago that I was led out of darkness and the shadow of death; only recently have I begun to breathe in the air of life; only recently have I put my hand to the plough and taken up the cross of Christ. I need to be helped by your prayers to persevere to the end. And if you should lighten my burden by your intercession, this is the reward that will be added on to your merits, for the holy man who helps a laborer (I dare not call myself a brother) will be exalted like a great city.

We have sent to you a loaf of bread in token of our unity; it symbolizes as well the substance of the Trinity. By accepting it you will make it a bread of blessing.

RESPONSORY
Sirach 31:8, 11, 10

Blessed is the man who is found without fault,
who does not make gold his lifeís object,
who does not put his trust in wealth.
ñ His future will be secure in the Lord.

He was able to sin, but did not;
he was able to do wrong, but would not.
ñ His future will be secure in the Lord.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord,
you made Saint Paulinus
renowned for his love of poverty
and concern for his people.
May we who celebrate his witness to the Gospel
imitate his example of love for others.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Paulinus of Nola
outstanding for love of poverty and for pastoral care,
graciously grant that, as we celebrate his merits,
we may imitate the example of his charity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

For the Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More:

SECOND READING

From a letter written in prison to his daughter Margaret by Saint Thomas More
(The English Works of Sir Thomas More, London, 1557, p. 1454)

With good hope I shall commit myself wholly to God

Although I know well, Margaret, that because of my past wickedness I deserve to be abandoned by God, I cannot but trust in his merciful goodness. His grace has strengthened me until now and made me content to loose goods, land, and life as well, rather than to swear against my conscience. Godís grace has given the king a gracious frame of mind toward me, so that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my liberty. In doing this His Majesty has done me such great good with respect to spiritual profit that I trust that among all the great benefits he has heaped so abundantly upon me I count my imprisonment the very greatest. I cannot, therefore, mistrust the grace of God. Either he shall keep the king in that gracious frame of mind to continue to do me no harm, or else, if it be his pleasure that for my other sins I suffer in this case as I shall not deserve, then his grace shall give me the strength to bear it patiently, and perhaps even gladly.

By the merits of his bitter passion joined to mine and far surpassing in merit for me all that I can suffer myself, his bounteous goodness shall release me from the pains of purgatory and shall increase my reward in heaven besides.

I will not mistrust him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at a blast of wind began to sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do as he did: call upon Christ and pray to him for help. And then I trust he shall place his holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning.

And if he permits me to play Saint Peter further and to fall to the ground and to swear and forswear, may God our Lord in his tender mercy keep me from this, and let me lose if it so happen, and never win thereby! Still, if this should happen, afterward I trust that in his goodness he will look on me with pity as he did upon Saint Peter, and make me stand up again and confess the truth of my conscience afresh and endure here the shame and harm of my own fault.

And finally, Margaret, I know this well: that without my fault he will not let me be lost. I shall, therefore, with good hope commit myself wholly to him. And if he permits me to perish for my faults, then I shall serve as praise for his justice. But in good faith, Meg, I trust that his tender pity shall keep my poor soul safe and make me commend his mercy.

And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let your mind be troubled over anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best.

RESPONSORY

When the martyrs of Christ were suffering,
they turned their minds to heavenly things and cried out:
ñ Help us, O Lord, to complete your work without wavering.

Look down upon your servants
and upon the works of your hands.
ñ Help us, O Lord, to complete your work without wavering.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Father,
you confirm the true faith
with the crown of martyrdom.
May the prayers of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More
give us the courage to proclaim our faith
by the witness of our lives.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

Lauds

The Optional Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, may be observed today using the ferial texts with the Proper Closing Prayer. If it is desired to use any texts from the Common, these may be taken from the Common of Pastors: For a Bishop, found in the ëPrayersí section of the iBreviary.

The Optional Memorial of Saint John Fisher, Bishop, and Saint Thomas More, Martyrs, may be observed today using the ferial texts with the Proper Closing Prayer. If it is desired to use any texts from the Common, these may be taken from the Common of Martyrs: For Several Martyrs, found in the ëPrayersí section of the iBreviary.

INVITATORY

The Invitatory is said when this is the first ëhourí of the day.

Lord, + open my lips.
ñ And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end..

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Come, let us sing to the Lord *
   and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
   and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
   the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
   and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
   the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
   the flock he shepherds.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Ü
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
   in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
   they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, ìThey are a people whose hearts go astray
   and they do not know my ways.î
So I swore in my anger, *
   ìThey shall not enter into my rest.î

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.

If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:

God, + come to my assistance.
ñ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
ñ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Lord, whose love in humble service
Bore the weight of human need,
Who did on the cross, forsaken,
Show us mercyís perfect deed:
We, your servants, bring the worship
Not of voice alone, but heart;
Consecrating to your purpose
Every gift which you impart.

As we worship, grant us vision,
Till your loveís revealing light,
Till the height and depth and greatness
Dawns upon our human sight;
Making known the needs and burdens
Your compassion bids us bear,
Stirring us to faithful service,
Your abundant life to share.

Called from worship into service
Forth in your great name we go,
To the child, the youth, the aged,
Love in living deeds to show.
Hope and health, goodwill and comfort,
Counsel, aid, and peace we give,
That your children, Lord, in freedom,
May your mercy know, and live.

Melody: In Babilone 87.87 D
Music: Traditional Dutch Melody
Text: Alan Bayly, 1901-1984.

Or:

Eternal glory of the sky,
Blest hope of frail humanity,
The Fatherís sole-begotten One,
Yet born a spotless Virginís Son!

Uplift us with thine arm of might,
And let our hearts rise pure and bright,
And, ardent in Godís praises, pay
The thanks we owe him every day.

The day-starís rays are glittering clear,
And tell that day itself is near:
The shadows of the night depart;
Thou, holy Light, illume the heart!

Within our senses ever dwell,
And worldly darkness thence expel;
Long as the days of life endure,
Preserve our souls devout and pure.

The faith that first must be possessed,
Root deep within our inmost breast;
And joyous hope in second place,
Then charity, thy greatest grace.

All laud to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete.

Melody: Winchester New L.M.
Music: Adapted from Musikalisches Handbuch, Hamburg, 1690
Text; ∆terna cÊli gloria, attributed to Saint Ambrose of Milan, 337?-397
Translation: John M. Neale, 1818-1866

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 You alone I have grieved by my sin; have pity on me, O Lord.

Psalm 51
O God, have mercy on me

Your inmost being must be renewed, and you must put on a new man (Ephesians 4:23-24).

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. *
In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt *
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them; *
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned; *
what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence *
and be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born, *
a sinner was I conceived.

Indeed you love truth in the heart; *
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean; *
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, *
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face *
and blot out all my guilt.

A pure heart create for me, O God, *
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence, *
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help; *
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways *
and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper, *
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips *
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For in sacrifice you take no delight, *
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. *
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion: *
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, *
holocausts offered on your altar.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Father, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations.

Ant. You alone I have grieved by my sin; have pity on me, O Lord.

Ant. 2 Truly we know our offenses, Lord, for we have sinned against you.

Canticle: Jeremiah 14:17-21
The lament of the people in war and famine

The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:15).

Let my eyes stream with tears *
day and night, without rest,
over the great destruction which overwhelms Ü
the virgin daughter of my people, *
over her incurable wound.

If I walk out into the field, *
look! those slain by the sword;
if I enter the city, *
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest *
forage in a land they know not.

Have you cast Judah off completely? *
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow *
that cannot be healed?

We wait for peace, to no avail; *
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness, Ü
the guilt of our fathers; *
that we have sinned against you.

For your nameís sake spurn us not, Ü
disgrace not the throne of your glory; *
remember your covenant with us, and break it not.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Truly we know our offenses, Lord, for we have sinned against you.

Ant. 3 The Lord is God; we are his people, the flock he shepherds.

Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering Godís temple

The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Ü
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.

Know that he, the Lord, is God. Ü
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Go within his gates, giving thanks. Ü
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord, Ü
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

God, devoted to us as a Father, you created us as a sign of your power, and elected us your people to show your goodness. Accept the thanks your children offer that all men may enter your courts praising you in song.

Ant. The Lord is God; we are his people, the flock he shepherds.

READING
2 Corinthians 19b-10

I willingly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I am content with weakness, with mistreatment, with distress, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ; for when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong.

RESPONSORY

At daybreak, be merciful to me.
ñ At daybreak, be merciful to me.

Make known to me the path that I must walk.
ñ Be merciful to me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
ñ At daybreak, be merciful to me.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. The Lord has come to his people and set them free.

Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old Ü
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The Lord has come to his people and set them free.

INTERCESSIONS

Raising our eyes to Christ, who was born and died and rose again for his people, let us cry out:
Save those you have redeemed by your blood, Lord.

Blessed are you, Jesus, redeemer of mankind; you did not hesitate to undergo your passion and death,
ñ to redeem us by your precious blood.
Save those you have redeemed by your blood, Lord.

You promised that you would provide living water, the fountain of eternal life,
ñ pour forth your Spirit upon all men.
Save those you have redeemed by your blood, Lord.

You send disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations,
ñ help them to extend the victory of your cross.
Save those you have redeemed by your blood, Lord.

You have given the sick and the suffering a share in your cross,
ñ give them patience and strength.
Save those you have redeemed by your blood, Lord.

THE LORDíS PRAYER

(Let us again offer our praise to God and pray in the words of Christ:)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Father all-powerful,
let your radiance dawn in our lives,
that we may walk in the light of your law
with you as our leader.
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.
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.

For the Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola:

Lord,
you made Saint Paulinus
renowned for his love of poverty
and concern for his people.
May we who celebrate his witness to the Gospel
imitate his example of love for others.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Paulinus of Nola
outstanding for love of poverty and for pastoral care,
graciously grant that, as we celebrate his merits,
we may imitate the example of his charity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.

For the Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More:

Father,
you confirm the true faith
with the crown of martyrdom.
May the prayers of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More
give us the courage to proclaim our faith
by the witness of our lives.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.

Daytime Prayer

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
ñ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
ñ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

At Midmorning

Come, Holy Ghost, who ever one
Art with the Father and the Son;
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess
With thy full flood of holiness.

In will and deed, in heart and tongue
With all the powers, thy praise be sung;
And love light up our mortal frame
Till others catch the living flame.

Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord most High,
Who with the Holy Ghost and thee
Doth live and reign eternally.

Melody: Saint Ventantius L.M.
Music: Clausener Gesangbuch, 1653
Text: Saint Ambrose of Milan. 337?-397
Translation: Blessed John Henry Newman

At Midday

Help us, O Lord, to learn
The truths thy Word imparts:
To study that thy laws may be
Inscribed upon our hearts.

Help us, O Lord, to live
The faith which we proclaim,
That all our thoughts and words and deeds
May glorify your name.

Help us, O Lord, to teach
The beauty of your ways,
That yearning hearts may find the Christ,
And sing aloud his praise.

Melody: Franconia S.M.
Music: J. H. Konig, 1691-1758, adapted by W. H. Havergal, 1793-1870
Text: W. W. Reid, 1923-

At Midafternoon

Faith of our fathers! faith and prayer
Shall win all nations unto thee:
And through the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then indeed be free.

Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife:
And preach thee too, as love knows how,
By kindly deeds and virtuous life.

Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Melody: Saint Catherine L.M. with Refrain
Music: Henry F. Henry, 1818-1888 and James G. Watson, 1821-1905
Text: Frederick W. Faber, 1814-1863

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 We saw him despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with infirmity.

Psalm 22
God hears the suffering of his Holy One

Jesus cried with a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46).

I

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *
You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress.
O my God, I call by day and you give no reply; *
I call by night and I find no peace.

Yet you, O God, are holy, *
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust; *
they trusted and you set them free.
When they cried to you, they escaped. *
In you they trusted and never in vain.

But I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by men, despised by the people.
All who see me deride me. *
They curl their lips, they toss their heads.
ìHe trusted in the Lord, let him save him; *
let him release him if this is his friend.î

Yes, it was you who took me from the womb, *
entrusted me to my motherís breast.
To you I was committed from my birth, *
from my motherís womb you have been my God.
Do not leave me alone in my distress; *
come close, there is none else to help.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. We saw him despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with infirmity.

Ant.2 The garments of Jesus they divided among them by casting lots.

II

Many bulls have surrounded me, *
fierce bulls of Bashan close me in.
Against me they open wide their jaws, *
like lions, rending and roaring.

Like water I am poured out, *
disjointed are all my bones.
My heart has become like wax, *
it is melted within my breast.

Parched as burnt clay is my throat, *
my tongue cleaves to my jaws.
Many dogs have surrounded me, *
a band of the wicked beset me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet *
and lay me in the dust of death.

I can count every one of my bones. *
These people stare at me and gloat;
they divide my clothing among them. *
They cast lots for my robe.

O Lord, do not leave me alone, *
my strength, make haste to help me!
Rescue my soul from the sword, *
my life from the grip of these dogs.
Save my life from the jaws of these lions, *
my poor soul from the horns of these oxen.

I will tell of your name to my brethren *
and praise you where they are assembled.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The garments of Jesus they divided among them by casting lots.

Ant. 3 The family of nations will worship in the presence of the Lord.

III

ìYou who fear the Lord, give him praise; Ü
all sons of Jacob, give him glory. *
Revere him, Israelís sons.

For he has never despised *
nor scorned the poverty of the poor.
From him he has not hidden his face, *
but he heard the poor man when he cried.î

You are my praise in the great assembly. *
My vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and shall have their fill. Ü
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him. *
May their hearts live for ever and ever!

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord, *
all families of the nations worship before him
for the kingdom is the Lordís; he is the ruler of the nations. Ü
They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth; *
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him. *
They shall tell of the Lord to the generations yet to come,
declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn: *
ìThese things the Lord has done.î

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Father, when your Son was handed over to torture and seemed abandoned by you, he cried out to you from the cross and death was destroyed, life was restored. By his death and resurrection, may we see the day when the poor man is saved, the downtrodden is lifted up and the chains that bind people are broken. United to the thanks that Christ gives you, your Church will sing your praises.

Ant. The family of nations will worship in the presence of the Lord.

If the other hours are prayed the complementary psalms are used

MIDMORNING

READING
Romans 1:16b-17

The gospel is the power of God leading everyone who believes in it to salvation. For in the gospel is revealed the justice of God which begins and ends with faith; as Scripture says, ìThe just man shall live by faith.î

God is the joy of our hearts.
ñ We trust in his holy name.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,
at this hour you were led out
to die on the cross
for the salvation of the world.
We ask your forgiveness for the sins of our past
and your protection from all future evil.
Bring us to the peace and joy of that kingdom
where you live and reign for ever and ever.
ñ Amen

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

MIDDAY

READING
Romans 3:21-22

But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from the law, even though both law and prophets bear witness to itóthat justice of God which works through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

The judgments of the Lord are true; they gladden the heart.
ñ His precepts are clear; they give light to the mind.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,
at noon, when darkness covered all the earth,
you mounted the wood of the cross
as the innocent victim for our redemption.
May your light be always with us
to guide us to eternal life in that kingdom
where you live and reign for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

MIDAFTERNOON

READING
Ephesians 2:8-9

It is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is Godís gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it.

Lord, make known your way to us on earth..
ñ May all nations know you, their Savior.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,
you brought the repentant thief
from the suffering of the cross
to the joy of your kingdom.
Lord, when we die,
may we who confess our sins
be brought to you through the gates of heaven,
that we may have eternal joy in that kingdom
where you live and reign for ever and ever.
ñ Amen

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

Vespers

The Optional Memorial of Saint Paulinusof Nola, Bishop, may be observed today using the ferial texts with the Proper Closing Prayer. If it is desired to use any texts from the Common, these may be taken from the Common of Pastors: For a Bishop, found in the ëPrayersí section of the iBreviary.

The Optional Memorial of Saint John Fisher, Bishop, and Saint Thomas More, Martyrs, may be observed today using the ferial texts with the Proper Closing Prayer. If it is desired to use any texts from the Common, these may be taken from the Common of Martyrs: For Several Martyrs, found in the ëPrayersí section of the iBreviary.

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
ñ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
ñ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

When, in his own image,
God created man,
He included freedom
In creationís plan.
For he loved us even
From before our birth:
By his grace he made us
Freemen of this earth.

God to man entrusted
Life as gift and aim.
Sin became our prison,
Turning hope to shame.
Man against his brother
Lifted hand and sword,
And the Fatherís pleading
Went unseen, unheard.

Then in time, our maker
Chose to intervene,
Set his love in person
In the human scene.
Jesus broke the circle
Of repeated sin,
So that manís devotion
Newly might begin.

Choose we now in freedom
Where we should belong.
Let us turn to Jesus,
Let our choice be strong.
May the great obedience
Which in Christ we see
Perfect all our service:
Then we shall be free!

Melody: Kingís Weston 65.65 D
Music: R. Vaughn Williams, 1875-1958
Text: Fred Kaan, 1929-2009

Or:

Maker of men, who from thy throne
Dost order all things, God alone;
By whose decree the teeming earth
To reptile and to beast gave birth:

The mighty forms that fill the land,
Instinct with life at thy command,
Are givín subdued to humankind
For service in their rank assigned.

From all thy servants drive away
Whateíer of thought impure today
Hath been with open action blent,
Or mingled with the heartís intent.

In heavín thine endless joys bestow,
And grant thy gifts of grace below;
From chains of strife our souls release,
Blind fast the gentle bands of peace.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.

Melody: Quebec L.M.
Music: Henry Baker, 1866
Text: Plasmator hominis, Deus, attributed to Saint Gregory the Great, 540-604.
Translation: From The Psalter, 1852, John David Chambers, 1803-1893

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Great is the Lord, our God, transcending all other gods.

Psalm 135
Praise for the wonderful things God does for us

He has won us for himself. . . and you must proclaim what he has done for you. He has called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light (see 1 Peter 2:9).

I

Praise the name of the Lord, *
praise him, servants of the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord *
in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. *
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself *
and Israel for his own possession.

For I know the Lord is great, *
that our Lord is high above all gods.
The Lord does whatever he wills, *
in heaven, on earth, in the seas.

He summons clouds from the ends of the earth; Ü
makes lightning produce the rain; *
from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.

The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, *
of man and beast alike.
Signs and wonders he worked Ü
in the midst of your land, O Egypt, *
against Pharaoh and all his servants.

Nations in their greatness he struck *
and kings in their splendor he slew.
Sihon, king of the Amorites, Ü
Og, the king of Bashan, *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He let Israel inherit their land; *
on his people their land he bestowed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Great is the Lord, our God, transcending all other gods.

Ant. 2 House of Israel, bless the Lord! Sing psalms to him, for he is merciful.

II

Lord, your name stands for ever, *
unforgotten from age to age:
for the Lord does justice for his people; *
the Lord takes pity on his servants.

Pagan idols are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
They have mouths but they cannot speak; *
they have eyes but they cannot see.

They have ears but they cannot hear; *
there is never a breath on their lips.
Their makers will come to be like them *
and so will all who trust in them!

Sons of Israel, bless the Lord! *
Sons of Aaron, bless the Lord!
Sons of Levi, bless the Lord! *
You who fear him, bless the Lord!

From Zion may the Lord be blessed, *
he who dwells in Jerusalem!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm prayer

Father, your name and your memory last forever. We stand to pray in your house and praise you with psalms of joy. We ask you in your kindness to have mercy on us in our lowliness.

Ant. House of Israel, bless the Lord! Sing psalms to him, for he is merciful.

Ant. 3 All nations will come and worship before you, O Lord.

Canticle: Revelation 15:3-4
Hymn of adoration

Mighty and wonderful are your works, *
Lord God Almighty!
Righteous and true are your ways, *
O King of the nations!

Who would dare refuse you honor, *
or the glory due your name, O Lord?

Since you alone are holy, *
all nations shall come
and worship in your presence. *
Your mighty deeds are clearly seen.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. All nations will come and worship before you, O Lord.

READING
James 1:2-4

My brothers, count it pure joy when you are involved in every sort of trial. Realize that when your faith is tested this makes for endurance. Let endurance come to its perfection so that you may be fully mature and lacking in nothing.

RESPONSORY

Christ loved us and washed away our sins, in his own blood.
ñ Christ loved us and washed away our sins, in his own blood.

He made us a nation of kings and priests,
ñ in his own blood.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
ñ Christ loved us and washed away our sins, in his own blood.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. The Lord has come to the help of his servants, for he has remembered his promise of mercy.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, Ü
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: Ü
the Almighty has done great things for me, *
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The Lord has come to the help of his servants, for he has remembered his promise of mercy.

INTERCESSIONS

Because of our sins the Father gave the Lord Jesus up to death, and for our justification he raised him up again. Let us pray:
Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Hear our prayers and spare us as we confess our sins,
ñ grant us forgiveness and peace.
Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Your Apostle said: ìWhere sin abounds, grace abounds all the more,î
ñ forgive us our transgressions.
Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Lord, we have sinned, yet we have also acknowledged your infinite mercy,
ñ bring us to conversion.
Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Save your people from their sins, Lord,
ñ make them pleasing to you.
Have mercy on your people, Lord.

You opened Paradise to the thief who believed in you,
ñ do not close the gates of heaven to the faithful departed.
Have mercy on your people, Lord.

THE LORDíS PRAYER

(Let us again offer our praise to God and pray in the words of Christ:)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Father,
in your loving plan
Christ your Son became the price of our salvation.
May we be united with him in his suffering
so that we may experience the power of his resurrection
in the kingdom
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever..
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.

For the Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola:

Lord,
you made Saint Paulinus
renowned for his love of poverty
and concern for his people.
May we who celebrate his witness to the Gospel
imitate his example of love for others.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, who made the Bishop Saint Paulinus of Nola
outstanding for love of poverty and for pastoral care,
graciously grant that, as we celebrate his merits,
we may imitate the example of his charity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.

For the Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More:

Father,
you confirm the true faith
with the crown of martyrdom.
May the prayers of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More
give us the courage to proclaim our faith
by the witness of our lives.
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.
ñ Amen.

Or:

O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.

Compline

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
ñ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
ñ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Examination of Conscience

A brief examination of conscience may be made. In the communal celebration of the Office, a Penitential Rite using the formulas of the Mass may be inserted here.

[I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

And, striking their breast, they say:

through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;

Then they continue:

therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The absolution by the Priest follows:

May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.]

HYMN

Holy God, we praise thy Name!
Lord of all, we bow before thee!
All on earth they scepter claim,
All in heaven above adore thee!
Infinite thy vast domain,
Everlasting is thy reign.

Hark the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and Seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name thee,
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.

Melody: Groﬂer Gott 78.78.77
Music: Katholisches Gesangbuch, Vienna, c. 1774
Text: Ignaz Franz, 1719-1790
Translation: Clarence Walsworth, 1820-1900

PSALMODY

Ant. Day and night I cry to you, my God.

Psalm 88
Prayer of a very sick person

This is your hour when darkness reigns (Luke 22:53).

Lord my God, I call for help by day; *
I cry at night before you.
Let my prayer come into your presence. *
O turn your ear to my cry.

For my soul is filled with evils; *
my life is on the brink of the grave.
I am reckoned as one in the tomb: *
I have reached the end of my strength,

like one alone among the dead; *
like the slain lying in their graves;
like those you remember no more, *
cut off, as they are, from your hand.

You have laid me in the depths of the tomb, *
in places that are dark, in the depths.
Your anger weighs down upon me: *
I am drowned beneath your waves.

You have taken away my friends *
and made me hateful in their sight.
Imprisoned, I cannot escape; *
my eyes are sunken with grief.

I call to you, Lord, all the day long; *
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work your wonders for the dead? *
Will the shades stand and praise you?

Will your love be told in the grave *
or your faithfulness among the dead?
Will your wonders be known in the dark *
or your justice in the land of oblivion?

As for me, Lord, I call to you for help: *
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord, why do you reject me? *
Why do you hide your face?

Wretched, close to death from my youth, *
I have borne your trials; I am numb.
Your fury has swept down upon me; *
your terrors have utterly destroyed me.

They surround me all the day like a flood, *
they assail me all together.
Friend and neighbor you have taken away: *
my one companion is darkness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Day and night I cry to you, my God.

READING
Jeremiah 14:9a

You are in our midst, O Lord,
your name we bear:
do not forsake us, O Lord, our God!

RESPONSORY

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
ñ Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
ñ I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
ñ Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

CANTICLE OF SIMEON

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel

Lord, + now you let your servant go in peace; *
your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation *
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations *
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

All-powerful God
keep us united with your Son
in his death and burial
so that we may rise to new life with him,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
ñ Amen.

BLESSING

May the all-powerful Lord
grant us a restful night
and a peaceful death.
ñ Amen.

Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this exile
show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Or:

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.

Or:

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve,
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes occulos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.

Or:

Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabrielís joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.

Thank you, Dave.

You’re welcome. Have a good friday!

Dave

Thanks to both of you! And to mark for sending things to you.

Saint John Fisher, Bishop & Martyr

Saint John Fisher, Bishop & Martyr
Optional Memorial with Saint Thomas More, Martyr
June 22nd

John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester
Born at Beverly, 1469 - martyred June 22, 1535, Tower of London
Canonizeed (with Saint Thomas More) 1935

Saint John Fisher studied theology in Cambridge, England and became Bishop of Rochester. His friend Saint Thomas More wrote of him, "I reckon in this realm no one man, in wisdom, learning, and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him."

Saint John Fisher and his friend Saint Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to the unity of the Church and to the indissolubility of marriage.

Born at Beverly, 1469 + June 22, 1535, Tower of London

Reply to Bishops Stokesley, Gardiner and Tunstal, sent to the Tower by Thomas Cromwell to persuade Fisher to submit to the King:

Methinks it had been rather our parts to stick together in repressing these violent and unlawful intrusions and injuries dayly offered to our common mother, the holy Church of Christ, than by any manner of persuasions to help or set forward the same.

And we ought rather to seek by all means the temporal destruction of the so ravenous wolves, that daily go about worrying and devouring everlastingly, the flock that Christ committed to our charge, and the flock that Himself died for, than to suffer them thus to range abroad.

But (alas) seeing we do it not, you see in what peril the Christian state now standeth: We are besieged on all sides, and can hardly escape the danger of our enemy. And seeing that judgment is begone at the house of God, what hope is there left (if we fall) that the rest shall stand!

The fort is betrayed even of them that should have defended it. And therefore seeing the matter is thus begun, and so faintly resisted on our parts, I fear that we be not the men that shall see the end of the misery.

Wherefore, seeing I am an old man and look not long to live, I mind not by the help of God to trouble my conscience in pleasing the king this way whatsoever become of me, but rather here to spend out the remnant of my old days in praying to God for him.

On the scaffold he said to the people assembled:

Christian people, I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's Holy Catholic Church, and I thank God hitherto my stomach hath served me very well thereunto, so that yet I have not feared death.

Wheefore I do desire you all to help and assist me with your prayers, that at the very point and instant of death's stroke, I may in that very moment stand steadfast without fainting in any one point of the Catholic faith free from any fear; and I beseech Almighty God of His infinite goodness to save the king and this Realm, and that it may please Him to hold His holy hand over it, and send the king good Counsel.

He then knelt, said the Te Deum, In te domine speravi, and submitted to the axe.

Of all the English bishops, only Bishop John Fisher of Rochester publicly opposed Henry VIII's mandatory Oath of Allegience, which unlawfully declared King Henry the head of the Church of England. The bishop's stand ultimately cost him his life. May his example inspire all Catholics today, especially the bishops on whose courageous leadership the Church depends.

Collect:
O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: I Peter 4:12-19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Saint Thomas More, Martyr

Saint Thomas More, Martyr
Optional Memorial with Saint John Fisher
June 22nd

Sir Thomas More
Hans Holbein the Younger
1527
Tempera on wood, 74,2 x 59 cm
Frick Collection, New York

Saint Thomas More was born in London and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. As a family man, a public servant, and writer, he displayed a rare combination of human warmth, Christian wisdom, and sense of humor.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: I Peter 4:12-19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Related Pages:
Voices, Young Writers Award -- Thomas More: A Saint for Today — Bernadette Pfang, Voices, Michaelmas 2007
Voices Young Writer Award - Pentecost 2004
A Life Lived with Faith and Reason - by Anna Maria Mendell

LITANY OF ST. THOMAS MORE,
Martyr and Patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers

APOSTOLIC LETTER ISSUED MOTU PROPRIO PROCLAIMING SAINT THOMAS MORE, PATRON OF STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS, POPE JOHN PAUL II, FOR PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE

1. The life and martyrdom of Saint Thomas More have been the source of a message which spans the centuries and which speaks to people everywhere of the inalienable dignity of the human conscience, which, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, is "the most intimate centre and sanctuary of a person, in which he or she is alone with God, whose voice echoes within them" (Gaudium et Spes, 16). Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal the service of the human person.
Recently, several Heads of State and of Government, numerous political figures, and some Episcopal Conferences and individual Bishops have asked me to proclaim Saint Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians. Those supporting this petition include people from different political, cultural and religious allegiances, and this is a sign of the deep and widespread interest in the thought and activity of this outstanding Statesman.
2. Thomas More had a remarkable political career in his native land. Born in London in 1478 of a respectable family, as a young boy he was placed in the service of the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Morton, Lord Chancellor of the Realm. He then studied law at Oxford and London, while broadening his interests in the spheres of culture, theology and classical literature. He mastered Greek and enjoyed the company and friendship of important figures of Renaissance culture, including Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.
His sincere religious sentiment led him to pursue virtue through the assiduous practice of asceticism: he cultivated friendly relations with the Observant Franciscans of the Friary at Greenwich, and for a time he lived at the London Charterhouse, these being two of the main centres of religious fervour in the Kingdom. Feeling himself called to marriage, family life and dedication as a layman, in 1505 he married Jane Colt, who bore him four children. Jane died in 1511 and Thomas then married Alice Middleton, a widow with one daughter. Throughout his life he was an affectionate and faithful husband and father, deeply involved in his children’s religious, moral and intellectual education. His house offered a welcome to his children’s spouses and his grandchildren, and was always open to his many young friends in search of the truth or of their own calling in life. Family life also gave him ample opportunity for prayer in common and lectio divina, as well as for happy and wholesome relaxation. Thomas attended daily Mass in the parish church, but the austere penances which he practised were known only to his immediate family.
3. He was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1504 under King Henry VII. The latter’s successor Henry VIII renewed his mandate in 1510, and even made him the Crown’s representative in the capital. This launched him on a prominent career in public administration. During the following decade the King sent him on several diplomatic and commercial missions to Flanders and the territory of present-day France. Having been made a member of the King’s Council, presiding judge of an important tribunal, deputy treasurer and a knight, in 1523 he became Speaker of the House of Commons.
Highly esteemed by everyone for his unfailing moral integrity, sharpness of mind, his open and humorous character, and his extraordinary learning, in 1529 at a time of political and economic crisis in the country he was appointed by the King to the post of Lord Chancellor. The first layman to occupy this position, Thomas faced an extremely difficult period, as he sought to serve King and country. In fidelity to his principles, he concentrated on promoting justice and restraining the harmful influence of those who advanced their own interests at the expense of the weak. In 1532, not wishing to support Henry VIII’s intention to take control of the Church in England, he resigned. He withdrew from public life, resigning himself to suffering poverty with his family and being deserted by many people who, in the moment of trial, proved to be false friends.
Given his inflexible firmness in rejecting any compromise with his own conscience, in 1534 the King had him imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he was subjected to various kinds of psychological pressure. Thomas More did not allow himself to waver, and he refused to take the oath requested of him, since this would have involved accepting a political and ecclesiastical arrangement that prepared the way for uncontrolled despotism. At his trial, he made an impassioned defence of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage, the respect due to the juridical patrimony of Christian civilization, and the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State. Condemned by the Court, he was beheaded.
With the passing of the centuries discrimination against the Church diminished. In 1850 the English Catholic Hierarchy was re-established. This made it possible to initiate the causes of many martyrs. Thomas More, together with 53 other martyrs, including Bishop John Fisher, was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. And with John Fisher, he was canonized by Pius XI in 1935, on the fourth centenary of his martyrdom.
4. There are many reasons for proclaiming Thomas More Patron of statesmen and people in public life. Among these is the need felt by the world of politics and public administration for credible role models able to indicate the path of truth at a time in history when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing. Today in fact strongly innovative economic forces are reshaping social structures; on the other hand, scientific achievements in the area of biotechnology underline the need to defend human life at all its different stages, while the promises of a new society — successfully presented to a bewildered public opinion — urgently demand clear political decisions in favour of the family, young people, the elderly and the marginalized.
In this context, it is helpful to turn to the example of Saint Thomas More, who distinguished himself by his constant fidelity to legitimate authority and institutions precisely in his intention to serve not power but the supreme ideal of justice. His life teaches us that government is above all an exercise of virtue. Unwavering in this rigorous moral stance, this English statesman placed his own public activity at the service of the person, especially if that person was weak or poor; he dealt with social controversies with a superb sense of fairness; he was vigorously committed to favouring and defending the family; he supported the all-round education of the young. His profound detachment from honours and wealth, his serene and joyful humility, his balanced knowledge of human nature and of the vanity of success, his certainty of judgement rooted in faith: these all gave him that confident inner strength that sustained him in adversity and in the face of death. His sanctity shone forth in his martyrdom, but it had been prepared by an entire life of work devoted to God and neighbour.
Referring to similar examples of perfect harmony between faith and action, in my Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici I wrote: "The unity of life of the lay faithful is of the greatest importance: indeed they must be sanctified in everyday professional and social life. Therefore, to respond to their vocation, the lay faithful must see their daily activities as an occasion to join themselves to God, fulfil his will, serve other people and lead them to communion with God in Christ" (No. 17).
This harmony between the natural and the supernatural is perhaps the element which more than any other defines the personality of this great English statesman: he lived his intense public life with a simple humility marked by good humour, even at the moment of his execution.
This was the height to which he was led by his passion for the truth. What enlightened his conscience was the sense that man cannot be sundered from God, nor politics from morality. As I have already had occasion to say, "man is created by God, and therefore human rights have their origin in God, are based upon the design of creation and form part of the plan of redemption. One might even dare to say that the rights of man are also the rights of God" (Speech, 7 April 1998).
And it was precisely in defence of the rights of conscience that the example of Thomas More shone brightly. It can be said that he demonstrated in a singular way the value of a moral conscience which is "the witness of God himself, whose voice and judgment penetrate the depths of man’s soul" (Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 58), even if, in his actions against heretics, he reflected the limits of the culture of his time.
In the Constitution Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Council notes how in the world today there is "a growing awareness of the matchless dignity of the human person, who is superior to all else and whose rights and duties are universal and inviolable" (No. 26). The life of Saint Thomas More clearly illustrates a fundamental truth of political ethics. The defence of the Church’s freedom from unwarranted interference by the State is at the same time a defence, in the name of the primacy of conscience, of the individual’s freedom vis-à-vis political power. Here we find the basic principle of every civil order consonant with human nature.
5. I am confident therefore that the proclamation of the outstanding figure of Saint Thomas More as Patron of Statesmen and Politicians will redound to the good of society. It is likewise a gesture fully in keeping with the spirit of the Great Jubilee which carries us into the Third Christian Millennium.
Therefore, after due consideration and willingly acceding to the petitions addressed to me, I establish and declare Saint Thomas More the heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, and I decree that he be ascribed all the liturgical honours and privileges which, according to law, belong to the Patrons of categories of people.
Blessed and glorified be Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man, yesterday, today and for ever.
Given at Saint Peter’s, on the thirty-first day of October in the year 2000, the twenty-third of my Pontificate.
IOANNES PAULUS PP. II
Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop

Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop
Optional Memorial
June 22nd

unknown artist

Saint Paulinus was born of a patrician Roman family in Bordeaux, he was successively prefect, senator, and consul. He married while still a pagan. Later on he converted and became a monk and a bishop. He gave his people not only an example of virtue but also wise guidance during the Gothic invasion.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

Collect:
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Paulinus of Nola
outstanding for love of poverty and for pastoral care,
graciously grant that, as we celbrate his merits,
we may imitate the example of his charity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:9-15
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality. As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

Gospel Reading: Luke 12: 32-34
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

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( St.) THOMAS MORE AS STATESMAN: A BRIEF SKETCH
St. Thomas More: A Man for This Season
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St. Thomas More and Modern Martyrdom
St. Thomas More Bearing Witness Long After His Death
Saint Thomas More,Martyr, Chancellor of England 1535

The Martyrdom of St. John Fisher - 22 June 1535 (By Michael Davies) [Catholic Caucus]Defensor Matrimonii - St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher: "I am come here to die for Christ's Catholic Church"
St John Fisher, 1460-1535[Bishop and Martyr]
St John Fisher, 1460-1535[Bishop and Martyr]
St.John Fisher

Saint Paulinus Of Nola, Bishop, Confessor

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Paulinus of Nola

Feast Day: June 22

St. Paulinus was born in Bordeaux, France. His father was a governor and a wealthy landowner. Paulinus received a good education and became a famous lawyer and poet. He traveled in France, Spain and Italy, wherever work or pleasure took him. In 381, at the age of twenty-eight, he became the governor of Campania, Italy.

When he was thirty-six, Paulinus and his Spanish wife, Theresia were baptized and became Catholics. They had one child, a son who died when he was just a few weeks old. The couple then decided to devote their lives to God and gave away their wealth and property to the poor. They kept only what they needed to live on.

Paulinus and Theresia agreed that they wanted to live simply and decided not to live as a married couple any more. They prayed, made sacrifices and lived holy lives to show their love for Jesus. Paulinus and his wife were greatly admired by the Christian community.

They were very pleased when Paulinus became a priest in 394. Then he and Theresia started a small community of monks in Nola, Italy. They decided to remain in Nola near the shire of one of his favorite saints, St. Felix of Nola. There they opened a hospital for poor people and travelers, too.

St. Felix a priest and bishop who had died in 260 had been a great defender of his people during the cruel torture of Christians by Emperor Decius. Bishop Felix had been known for his prayerfulness, his love for the people, and his poor lifestyle.

Almost hundred years later, Paulinus prayed to him and wrote about him. Then in 409, Paulinus was chosen to be bishop of Nola. The people were so happy. He was a wise, gentle bishop, just as St. Felix had been. He was praised by many great saints who lived at that time, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin of Tours and others.

Although some of his wonderful writings have been lost, thirty-two poems and fifty-one letters remain. St. Paulinus was bishop of Nola, living in his own home until his death in 431.

Information: St. John Fisher

Feast Day:	June 22
Born:	1469, Beverley, Yorkshire, England
Died:	22 June 1535, Tower Hill, London, England
Canonized:	19 May 1935, Rome by Pope Pius XI

Information: St. Thomas More

Feast Day:	June 22
Born:	1478 at London, England
Died:	6 July 1535, London, England
Canonized:	1935, Rome by Pope Pius XI
Patron of:	Adopted children,civil servants, court clerks, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, politicians and statesmen, stepparents, widowers

Information: St. Paulinus of Nola

Feast Day:	June 22
Born:	354 AD, Bordeaux, France
Died:	June 22, 431, Nola, near Naples, Campagna, Italy

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 6
19.	Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal.	Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra : ubi ærugo, et tinea demolitur : et ubi fures effodiunt, et furantur.	μη θησαυριζετε υμιν θησαυρους επι της γης οπου σης και βρωσις αφανιζει και οπου κλεπται διορυσσουσιν και κλεπτουσιν
20.	But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.	Thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in cælo, ubi neque ærugo, neque tinea demolitur, et ubi fures non effodiunt, nec furantur.	θησαυριζετε δε υμιν θησαυρους εν ουρανω οπου ουτε σης ουτε βρωσις αφανιζει και οπου κλεπται ου διορυσσουσιν ουδε κλεπτουσιν
21.	For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.	Ubi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum.	οπου γαρ εστιν ο θησαυρος υμων εκει εσται και η καρδια υμων
22.	The light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.	Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit.	ο λυχνος του σωματος εστιν ο οφθαλμος εαν ουν ο οφθαλμος σου απλους η ολον το σωμα σου φωτεινον εσται
23.	But if thy eye be evil thy whole body shall be darksome. If then the light that is in thee, be darkness: the darkness itself how great shall it be!	Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam, totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit. Si ergo lumen, quod in te est, tenebræ sunt : ipsæ tenebræ quantæ erunt ?	εαν δε ο οφθαλμος σου πονηρος η ολον το σωμα σου σκοτεινον εσται ει ουν το φως το εν σοι σκοτος εστιν το σκοτος ποσον

19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

CHRYS. When He has driven away the disease of vanity, He does well to bring in speech of contempt of riches. For there is no greater cause of desire of money than love of praise; for this men desire troops of slaves, horses dressed in gold, and tables of silver, not for use or pleasure, but that they may be seen of many; therefore he says, Lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth.

AUG. For if any does a work with the mind of gaining thereby an earthly good, how will his heart be pure while it is thus walking on earth? For anything that is mingled with an inferior nature is polluted therewith, though that inferior be in its kind pure. Thus gold is alloyed when mixed with pure silver; and in like manner our mind is defiled by lust of earthly things, though earth is in its own kind pure.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Otherwise; As the Lord had above taught nothing concerning alms, or prayer, or fasting, but had only checked a pretense of them, He now proceeds to deliver a doctrine of three portions, according to the division which He had before made, in this order. First, a counsel that alms should be done; second, to show the benefit of almsgiving; third, that the fear of poverty should be no hindrance to our purpose of almsgiving.

CHRYS. Saying, Lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth, He adds, where rust and moth destroy, in order to show the insecurity of that treasure that is here, and the advantage of that which is in Heaven, both from the place, and from those things which harm. As though He had said; Why fear you that your wealth should be consumed, if you should give alms?

You rather give alms, and they shall receive increase, for those treasures that are in Heaven shall be added to them, which treasures perish if you do not give alms. He said not, You leave them to others, for that is pleasant to men.

RABAN. Here are three precepts according to the three different kinds of wealth. Metals are destroyed by rust, clothes by moth; but as there are other things which fear neither rust nor moth, as precious stones, He therefore names a common damage, that by thieves, who may rob wealth of all kinds.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Another reading is, Where moth and banqueting consume. For a threefold destruction awaits all the goods of this life. They either decay and are eaten of moths as cloth; or are consumed by their master's luxurious living; or are plundered by strangers, either by violence, or pilfering, or false accusation, or some other unjust doing. For all may be called thieves who hasten by any unlawful means to make other men's rods their own. But you will say, Do all who have these things, perforce lose them? I would answer by the way, that if all do not, yet many do. But ill-hoarded wealth, you alive lost spiritually if not actually, because it profits you not to your salvation.

RABAN. Allegorically; Rust denotes pride which obscures the brightness of virtue. Moth which privately eats out garments, is jealousy which frets into good intention, and destroys the bond of unity. Thieves denote heretics and demons, who are ever on the watch to rob men of their spiritual treasure.

HILARY; But the praise of Heaven is eternal, and cannot be carried off by invading thief, nor consumed by the moth and rust of envy.

AUG. By heaven in this place I understand not the material heavens, for everything that has a body is earthly. But it is necessary that the whole world be despised by him who lays up his treasure in that Heaven, of which it is said, The heaven of heavens is the Lord's, that is, in the spiritual firmament. For heaven and earth shall pass away; but we ought not to place our treasure in that which passes away, but in that which abides forever

PSEUD-CHRYS. Which then is better? To place it on earth where its security is doubtful, or in Heaven where it will be certainly preserved? What folly to leave it in this place when you must soon depart, and not to send it before you thither, whither you are to go? Therefore place your substance there where your country is.

CHRYS. But for as much as not every earthly treasure is destroyed by rust or moth, or carried away by thieves, He therefore brings in another motive, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. As much as to say; Though none of these former losses should befall you, you will yet Sustain no small loss by attaching your affections to things beneath, and becoming a slave to them, and in falling from Heaven, and being unable to think of any lofty thing.

JEROME; This must be understood not of money only, but of all our possessions. The god of a glutton is his belly; of a lover his lust; and so every man serves that to which he is in bondage; and has his heart there where his treasure is.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Otherwise; He now teaches the benefit of almsgiving. He who places his treasure on earth has nothing to look for in Heaven; for why should he look up to Heaven where he has nothing laid up for himself? Thus he doubly sins; first, because he gathers together things evil; secondly, because he has his heart in earth; and so on the contrary he does right in a twofold manner who lays up his treasure in Heaven.

22. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light.
23. But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!

CHRYS. Having spoken of the bringing the understanding into captivity because it was not easy to be understood of many, He transfers it to a sensible instance, saying, The light of your body is your eye. As though He had said, If you do not knonternal eye. The light is the understanding, through which the soul sees God. He whose heart is turned to God, has an eye full of light; that is, his understanding is pure, not distorted by late influence of worldly lusts. The darkness in us is our bodily senses, which always desire the things that pertain to darkness. Whoever then has a pure eye, that is, a spiritual understanding, preserves his body in light, that is, without sin; for though the flesh desires evil, yet by the might of divine fear the soul resists it. But whoever has an eye, that is, an understanding, either darkened by the influence of the malignant passions, or fouled by evil lusts, possesses his body in darkness; he does not resist the flesh when it lusts after evil things, because he has no hope in Heaven, which hope alone gives us the strength to resist desire.

HILARY; Otherwise; from the office of the light of the eye, He calls it the light of the heart; which if it continue single and brilliant, will confer on the body the brightness of the eternal light, and pour again into the corrupted flesh the splendor of its origin, that is, in time resurrection. But if it be obscured by sin, and evil in will, the bodily nature will yet abide subject to all the evils of the understanding.

AUG. Otherwise; by the eye here we may understand our purpose; if thw what is meant by the loss of the understanding, learn a parable of the bodily members; for what the eye is to the body, that the understanding is to the soul. As by the loss of the eyes we lose much of the use of the other limbs, so when the understanding is corrupted, your life is filled with many evils.

JEROME; This is an illustration drawn from the senses. As the whole body is in darkness, where the eye is not single, so if the soul has lost her original brightness, every sense, or that whole part of the soul to which sensation belongs, will abide in darkness. Wherefore He says, If then the light which is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! that is, if the senses which are the soul's light be darkened by vice, in how great darkness do you suppose the darkness itself will be wrapped?

PSEUD-CHRYS. It seems that He is not here speaking of the bodily eye, or of the outward body that is seen, or He would have said, If your eye be sound, or weak; but He says, single, and, evil. But if one have a benign yet diseased eye, is his body therefore in light? Or if an evil yet a sound, is his body therefore in darkness?

JEROME; Those who have thick eye-sight see the lights multiplied; but the single and clear eye sees them single and clear.

CHRYS. Or; The eye He speaks of is not the external but the iat be pure and right, all our works which we work according to are good. These He here calls the body, as the Apostle speaks of certain works as members; Mortify your members, fornication and uncleanness. We should look then, not to what a person does, but with what mind he does it. For this is the light within us, because by this we see that we do with good intention what we do. For all which does make manifest is light. But the deeds themselves, which go forth to men's society, have a result to us uncertain, and therefore He calls them darkness; as when I give money to one in need, I know not what He will do with it. If then the purpose of your heart, which you can know, is defiled with the lust of temporal things, much more is the act itself, of which the issue is uncertain, defiled. For even though one should reap good of what you do with a purpose not good; it will be imputed to you as you did it, not as it resulted to him. If however our works are done with a single purpose, that is with the aim of charity, then are they pure and pleasing in God's sight.

AUG. But acts which are known to be in themselves sins, are not to be done as with a good purpose; but such works only as are either good or bad, according to the motives from which they are done are either good or bad, and are not in themselves sins; as to give food to the poor is good if it be done from merciful motives, but evil if it is done from ostentation. But such works as are in themselves sins, who will say that they are to be done with good motives, or that they are not sins? Who would say, Let us rob the rich, that we may have to give to the poor?

GREG. Otherwise; if the light that is in you, that is, if what we have begun to do well, we overcloud with evil purpose, when we do things which we know to be in themselves evil, how great is the darkness!

REMIG. Otherwise; faith is likened to a light, because by it the goings of the inner man, that is, action, are lightened, that he should not stumble according to that, Your word is a light to my feet. If that then be pure and single, the whole body is light; but if defiled, the whole body will be dark. Yet otherwise; by the light may be understood the ruler of the Church who may be well called the eye, as he it is that ought to see that wholesome things be provided for the people under him, which are understood by the body. If then the ruler of the Church err, how much more will the people subject to him err?

Catena Aurea Matthew 6

June 22, 2012

Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

Responsorial Psalm Ps 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

Gospel Mt 6:19-23

St. Paulinus of Nola