In the seminary (where men are trained to become priests), John's love for God and his vocation showed in the way he prayed. He was also eager to teach catechism in the parishes when he could. He was so good as a Catechist that children he taught helped bring their parents back to the Church.
After he was ordained a priest, St. John Francis began his work as a missionary preacher. He gave very simple talks that came right from his heart. He willingly spoke to the poor, ordinary folks and they came in great crowds to hear him. Many farmers, workers and country folk were converted.
He spent his mornings praying, performing the sacrament of Reconciliation and preaching. In the afternoon, he would visit prisons and hospitals. He lived on apples, black bread and whatever came his way not bothering with proper meals because he preferred to spend his time preaching, teaching and hearing confessions.
St. John Francis journeyed to wild mountain parishes even on the coldest days of winter to preach his missions. "I have seen him stand all day on a heap of snow at the top of a mountain preaching," one priest said, "and then spend the whole night hearing confessions." Sometimes he would start off for a far-away town at three o'clock in the morning with a few apples in his pocket for his day's food.
Once, on his way to a village, St. John Francis fell and broke his leg. But he kept on going, leaning on a stick and on his companion's shoulder. When he reached the village, he went at once to hear confessions. He did not have his leg taken care of. At the end of the day, when the doctor looked at it, his leg was already completely healed.
He started hostels for women who had fallen into sin but wanted to change and called them the Daughters of Refuge. Because of this, he was often attacked by bad men for saving them. He also helped many country girls stay away from the big, bad cities by setting up a center for lacemaking and embroidery where they could work to earn a living.
He sarted a granary (a barn or shed to store grains) for the poor which sometimes refilled by a miracle before it got empty. St. John Francis died on one of his preaching missions. He became very ill while lost at night in the woods. Just before he died, he exclaimed: "I see Our Lord and his mother opening heaven for me." He died on December 31, 1640.
In 1806, St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars joined the crowds as a pilgrim going to pray at the shrine of St. John Francis Regis. And he believed that his pilgrimage and the payers of this saint helped make him a priest too.
For the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians): Solemnity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The texts are given after the texts for the universal Church.
In the Congregation of Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Adorers of the Blood of Christ: the Solemnity of the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (translated from July 1). The appropriate texts are given below.
Lord, + open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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 worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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 worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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 worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
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 worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.
So I swore in my anger, *
They shall not enter into my rest.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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 worship Christ, the Son of Mary
or: Come, let us sing to the Lord as we celebrate this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
God, + come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
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. Alleluia.
The God whom earth and sea and sky
Adore and praise and magnify,
Whose might they own, whose praise they tell,
In Marys body deigned to dwell.
O Mother blest, the chosen shrine
Wherein the Architect divine,
Whose hand contains the earth and sky,
Vouchsafed in hidden guide to lie:
Blest in the message Gabriel brought;
Blest in the work the Spirit wrought;
More blest, to bring to human birth
The long-desired of all the earth.
O Lord, the virgin-born, to thee
Eternal praise and glory be,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Melody: Eisenach L.M.
Music: Johann H. Schein, 1586-1630
Text: Venantius Fortunatus, 530-609
Translation: John Mason Neale, 1818-1866
FIRST READING
[In view of the omission of yesterdays continuous reading on account of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the following reading may precede todays, in accordance with the GILH ¶249:
From the book of Job
40:1-14; 42:1-6
Job submits himself to the divine majesty
The Lord said to Job:
Will we have arguing with the Almighty by the critic?
Let him who would correct God give answer!
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;
though twice, I will do so no more.
Then the Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said:
Gird up your loins now, like a man.
I will question you, and you tell me the answers!
Would you refuse to acknowledge my right?
Would you condemn me that you may be justified?
Have you an arm like that of God,
or can you thunder with a voice like his?
Adorn yourself with grandeur and majesty,
and array yourself with glory and splendor.
Let loose the fury of your wrath;
tear down the wicked and shatter them.
Bring down the haughty with a glance;
bury them in the dust together;
in the hidden world imprison them.
Then will I too acknowledge
that your own right hand can save you.
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.]
42:7-16
Job is justified by God and his enemies are refuted
And it came to pass after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, I am angry with you and with your two friends; for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job. Now, therefore, take seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up a holocaust for yourselves; and let my servant Job pray for you; for his prayer I will accept, not to punish you severely. For you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, went and did as the Lord had commanded them. And the Lord accepted the intercession of Job.
Also, the Lord restored the prosperity of Job, after he had prayed for his friends; the Lord even gave to Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brethren and his sisters came to him, and all his former acquaintances, and they dined with him in his house. They condoled with him and comforted him for all the evil which the Lord had brought upon him; and each one gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.
Thus the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
And he had seven sons and three daughters, of whom he called the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no other women were as beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brethren. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; and he saw his children, his grandchildren, and even his great-grandchildren.
Then Job died, old and full of years.
RESPONSORY
See Job 42:7, 8
The Lord said to Eliphaz:
you and your friends have not spoken truthfully of me
as has my servant Job;
he will pray for you.
I shall hear his prayer
and forgive you your foolishness in speaking against me.
He will pray for you.
SECOND READING
From a sermon by Saint Laurence Justinian, bishop
(Sermo 8, in festo Purificationis B.M.V.: Opera, 2, Venetiis 1751, 38-39)
Mary stored up all these things in her heart
While Mary contemplated all she had come to know through reading, listening and observing, she grew in faith, increased in merits, and was more illuminated by wisdom and more consumed by the fire of charity. The heavenly mysteries were opened to her, and she was filled with joy; she became fruitful by the Spirit, was being directed toward God, and watched over protectively while on earth.
So remarkable are the divine graces that they elevate one from the lowest depths to the highest summit, and transform one to a greater holiness. How entirely blessed was the mind of the Virgin which, through the indwelling and guidance of the Spirit, was always and in every way open to the power of the Word of God. She was not led by her own senses, nor by her own will; thus she accomplished outwardly through her body what wisdom from within gave to her faith.
It was fitting for divine Wisdom, which created itself a home in the Church, to use the intervention of the most blessed Mary in guarding the law, purifying the mind, giving an example of humility and providing a spiritual sacrifice.
Imitate her, O faithful soul. Enter into the deep recesses of your heart so that you may be purified spiritually and cleansed from your sins. God places more value on good will in all we do than on the works themselves.
Therefore, whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation or whether we serve the needs of our neighbor by good works, we accomplish these things because the love of Christ urges us on. The acceptable offering of the spiritual purification is accomplished not in a man-made temple but in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters.
RESPONSORY
O pure and holy virgin,
how can I find words to praise your beauty?
The highest heavens cannot contain God whom you carried in your womb.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
The highest heavens cannot contain God whom you carried in your womb.
Or:
O God, who prepared a fit dwelling place for the Holy Spirit
in the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
graciously grant that through her intercession
we may be a worthy temple of your glory.
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.
In the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians), the following office for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Heart is prayed:
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
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 praise the Lord on this feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary.
Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.
So I swore in my anger, *
They shall not enter into my rest.
Ant. Come let us praise the Lord on this feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary.
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 praise the Lord on this feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
God, + come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Psalm 24
The Lords entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Iranaeus).
The Lords is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
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
When your Son was unjustly condemned, Lord God, and surrounded by the impious, he cried to you, and you set him free. Watch over your people as the treasure of your heart and guide their steps along safe paths that they may see your face.
Ant. Mary, innocent and pure of heart, received the blessing of the Lord.
Ant. 2 Rejoice Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Psalm 46
God our refuge and strength
He shall be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us (Matthew 1:23).
God is for us a refuge and strength, *
a helper close at hand, in time of distress:
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, *
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea,
even though its waters rage and foam, *
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The waters of a river give joy to Gods city, *
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken; *
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken: *
he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord, *
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth;
the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps. *
He burns the shields with fire.
Be still and know that I am God, *
supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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
All-powerful Father, the refuge and strength of your people, you protect in adversity and defend in prosperity those who put their trust in you. May they persevere in seeking your will and find their way to you through obedience.
Ant. Rejoice Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Ant. 3 With all generations we proclaim you blessed, Virgin Mary.
Psalm 87
Jerusalem is mother of us all
The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman; she is our mother (Galatians 4:26).
On the holy mountain is his city *
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion *
to all Jacobs dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things, *
O city of God!
Babylon and Egypt I will count *
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, *
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called Mother *
for all shall be her children.
It is he, the Lord Most High, *
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes: *
These are her children,
and while they dance they will sing: *
In you all find their home.
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
Lord God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church, and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.
Ant. With all generations we proclaim you blessed, Virgin Mary.
How blessed you are, Virgin Mary.
Because you carried within you the Lord, the Creator of the universe.
Mary is the attentive and praying Virgin
Mary is the attentive Virgin, who receives the word of God with faith, that faith which in her case was the gateway and path to divine motherhood, for, as Saint Augustine realized, Blessed Mary by believing conceived Him [Jesus] whom believing she brought forth. In fact, when she received from the angel the answer to her doubt , "full of faith, and conceiving Christ in her mind before conceiving Him in her womb, she said, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me. It was faith that was for her the cause of blessedness and certainty in the fulfillment of the promise: Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Similarly, it was faith with which she, who played a part in the Incarnation and was a unique witness to it, thinking back on the events of the infancy of Christ, meditated upon these events in her heart. The Church also acts in this way, especially in the liturgy, when with faith she listens, accepts, proclaims and venerates the word of God, distributes it to the faithful as the bread of life and in the light of that word examines the signs of the times and interprets and lives the events of history.
Mary is also the Virgin in prayer. She appears as such in the visit to the mother of the precursor, when she pours out her soul in expressions glorifying God, and expressions of humility, faith and hope. This prayer is the Magnificat, Marys prayer par excellence, the song of the messianic times in which there mingles the joy of the ancient and the new Israel. As St. Irenaeus seems to suggest, it is in Marys canticle that there was heard once more the rejoicing of Abraham who foresaw the Messiah (cf. Jn. 8:56) and there rang out in prophetic anticipation the voice of the Church: In her exultation Mary prophetically declared in the name of the Church: My soul proclaims the glory of the Lord. . . And in fact Marys hymn has spread far and wide and has become the prayer of the whole Church in all ages.
At Cana, Mary appears once more as the Virgin in prayer: when she tactfully told her Son of a temporal need, she also obtained an effect of grace, namely, that Jesus, in working the first of His signs, confirmed His disciples faith in Him.
Likewise, the last description of Marys life presents her as praying. The apostles joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. We have here the prayerful presence of Mary in the early Church and in the Church throughout all ages, for, having been assumed into heaven, she has not abandoned her mission of intercession and salvation. The title Virgin in prayer also fits the Church, which day by day presents to the Father the needs of her children, praises the Lord unceasingly and intercedes for the salvation of the world.
RESPONSORY
Luke I: 45-46; cf. Psalm 66: 16
Blessed are you, Virgin Mary,
you believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be ful?lled.
Mary said,
my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
Come and hear, and I will recount what God has done for me.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgins womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at Gods right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
R. Govern and uphold them now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you.
R. We praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope:
R. and we shall never hope in vain.
The final part of the hymn may be omitted
In the Congregation of Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Adorers of the Blood of Christ: the following office of the Solemnity of the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (translated from July 1) is prayed:
It is not enough merely to pronounce the name of God to be saved: None of those who cry out Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Two things, therefore, must be taken care of in our day. We must, first of all, find a way of placating the eternal, divine Father. For that purpose we have the merits of the divine Blood: The cup of salvation I will take up. Secondly, we must seek its effective application to souls, especially by means of missions and spiritual retreats, as well as other salutary religious activities adapted to the needs of the times. These were exactly the reasons which moved the holy Pontiff Pius VII to erect an Arch-confraternity under the august title of the Divine Blood. Sinners are abusing it terribly, and the Lord in the excess of his love is saying: What gain is there from my Blood? There should be dedicated persons who, by means of solemn worship, provide adoration and reparation, and at the same time preach to the people the glories of the divine Blood, emphasizing the fact that in this devotion we go to the heart of our faith. Hence, we say in the consecration of the chalice, The Mystery of Faith. There is an intimate connection between the devotion to the Blood of Christ and the salvation of souls.
Such is its centripetal force that all the prophetic utterances, symbols, figures and sacrifices of the Old Testament converge on it as the spokes of a wheel on a hub: In wine he washes his garments, his robe in the blood of grapes. Exodus says that the Hebrews were ordered to stain their doorposts with the blood of the lamb in order to be freed from the chastisements of Egypt as a symbol of the liberation of our souls from the servitude of the devil. Skipping many other references which could be made, we note what Moses did to his people: Taking the blood he sprinkled the book and all the people saying: This is the Blood of the covenant which God has enjoined upon you
Almost everything is purified by blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. We hear the Apostle saying: For if the blood of goats and bulls can sanctify those who are defiled, how much more will the Blood of Christ cleanse our consciences from dead works? We must pass up other references. Indeed, the Holy Scriptures are filled with sacred references to it: Why is your apparel red?
He wore a garment sprinkled with blood.
This devotion calls to mind baptism, through which the divine Blood purifies our souls, and reminds us of penance and the other sacraments, because you have redeemed us with your Blood, you have made us a kingdom, and priests to serve our God. Whereas all other devotions are aids to Catholic piety, this devotion is its foundation, support and essence. Other devotions, products of various times, have holy and praiseworthy beginnings, but they go back only so far. This devotion, on the other hand, goes back to the moment when Adam sinned. Therefore, Jesus was called the Lamb who was slain from the worlds beginning. St. Thomas says: The Blood of Christ is the key to Paradise. St. John Chrysostom affirms: The Blood of Christ is the salvation of souls
an excellent wine is the Blood of Christ.
RESPONSORY
1 John 5: 67
This is the one who came in water and blood, Jesus Christ;
not in water only, but in water and blood.
It is the Spirit who gives testimony, because the Spirit is truth;
not in water only, but in water and blood.
Or:
From the writings of Saint Maria De Mattias, virgin
(Letters of Saint Maria De Mattias, nn. 77; 701; 328; 355; 407; 543; 812; 710; 874; ed. 1944 and 1947)
The blood of Jesus is all our hope and all our good
May our hearts never withdraw from that perennial fountain flowing from the loving wound of the side of our most loving Spouse Jesus Crucified! Here all our poor labors borne for love of him will be sweetened.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus Crucified and we can be sure he will not let us perish, provided we are faithful to him. Oh! What a beautiful honor is ours to serve God, to think always of God, to love God, to suffer in order to please God; in short, to live entirely in God. This he permits us in his infinite goodness. I say, he permits us, poor creatures and miserable worms that we are, to be elevated to union with him; nay more, he even commands it. How must not these reflections encourage the soul! She would never depart from the feet of her Lord in order to hear his most loving voice calling her to unite herself ever more to him. She does not tire of always blessing, loving, praising and thanking him with all her heart. She seeks nothing else but to give him pleasure. Her Lords good pleasure constitutes all her delight, and if she obtains that, she is rich and filled with so much consolation that she does not know how to express it. Courage, therefore, and confidence in God, that, should everything else be wanting, it matters nothing, provided we enjoy the grace of our beloved Spouse, Jesus Crucified. Let us pray very much for the Church and ardently love Jesus, our Savior, who founded it with his Precious Blood. Let us have faith in the most holy word of Jesus, who assures us that he will hear those who invoke him. We wish nothing else except his glory and the salvation of souls which cost his Blood; and therefore, let us hope firmly, for all our confidence lies in the merits of the Divine Redeemer who looks upon his spouse, the Holy Church, with tender love. And, if he now chastises her, he does so to purify her in order to make him dearer to his loving eyes. The design of our Lord Jesus Christ is to reunite all peoples in his Church, and therefore the chastisement is being felt everywhere. Oh! What a triumph! Oh! What a triumph! Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray. What a beautiful consolation it is to see the Spouse of the Divine Lamb, the Adorers of his most Precious Blood, motivated by one sole will (the will of God), forming but one heart and one soul, and thus united, making the heavens resound with a hymn of thanksgiving to the infinite goodness of God, while at the same time they offer the Blood of his Son for the reconciliation of heaven with earth, of earth with heaven. The Blood of Jesus is our only hope and our only Goodthis Blood, shed with so much pain and so much love for our eternal salvation. Let our hearts be filled with courage, fearing nothing, not even death, so that at every moment the Precious Blood be glorified, loved and blessed by all!
My daughter, let us summon our spirit to union with God, in whom we shall find the person of his most holy Son given to us with infinite love, clothed with human flesh and covered with wounds and Blood, inviting us to contemplate him with fixed attention so that our hearts might respond to the delicacy of his most tender love. Jesus loves us without any merit on our part. Let us love him very much because he is worthy of being loved. Let us love him also for the great gift of the redemption and for the Blood he willed to shed for us.
Let our only thought be to bring all, as far as is possible, to the knowledge of Jesus, our Crucified Love, who is covered with blood and wounds for our salvation. Do not become disheartened. Courage and great confidence in the Blessed God. Much prayer. Jesus died for love of us; the merits of his sufferings are ours. Do not fear, my daughter. A loving glance at Jesus Crucified, and then take courage to labor for the school, for the salvation of souls, for the glory of his Precious Blood. I urge you to speak little and to pray much. We shall pass through many tribulations in order to enter Heaven. Have great confidence in the Precious Blood of Jesus. Let us ask God to make us understand the great value of sufferings. Suffering is dear to a soul that loves Jesus Christ, and it always seems to her that she does not suffer for Him who suffered so much and died crucified for love of us.
RESPONSORY
cf. Revelation 5: 910; 19: 5
You have redeemed us for God with your blood.
You have made us a kingdom for our God.
Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.
You have made us a kingdom for our God.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgins womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at Gods right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
R. Govern and uphold them now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you.
R. We praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope:
R. and we shall never hope in vain.
The final part of the hymn may be omitted