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February 28

FERIAL DAY


Mass of preceding Sunday
is celebrated

Purple Vestments

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Image via Wikipedia

The Sower

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY

SAINT GABRIEL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / PURPLE

This Sunday moves deeper into immediate preparation for Lent. It is a day of testing the soil of human hearts, to find out how ready everyone is for the good seed of grace that God is sure to offer. Has our vision enlarged to see all men as our brothers? Has our love reached out to all the world's sufferers, at least by sympathy and prayer? Is our hand open to the needy of our local community?

The Collect recalls that in old Rome this Mass was always said at the "stational" church of St. Paul-outside-the-Walls.

INTROIT Ps. 43:23-26

Awake! Why are you asleep, O Lord? Arise! Cast us not off forever! Why do you hide your face and forget our troubles? Our bodies are pressed to the earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and free us!
Ps. 43:2. O God, our ears have heard, our fathers have spoken to us.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O God, You see that we place no trust in our ability and actions. May the prayers of the Doctor of the Gentiles defend us against all adversity. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT GABRIEL

Gabriel Possenti (1838-62), the son of a distinguished Italian lawyer, entered the novitiate of the Passionist Fathers, receiving in religion the name of Brother Gabriel of Our lady of Sorrows. The story of the remaining six years of this young saint's life is largely a record of an extraordinary effort to attain spiritual perfection in small things, but his devotion to Mary was exceptional. Pope Leo XIII said of him: "Because of his filial love for Mary at the foot of the cross, he deserves to take his place by St. John, the beloved disciple, to whom Jesus in His dying hour commended His Mother."

O God, You taught blessed Gabriel to meditate constantly on the sorrows of Your most sweet Mother, and You exalted him by glorious virtues and miracles. Through his prayers and example may we share the sorrows of Your Mother and come to eternal life under Her motherly care; who lives and rules with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

EPISTLE II Cor. 11:19-33; 12:1-9

Brethren: For you gladly suffer the foolish: whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.

I seek according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise): I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods: once I was stoned: thrice I suffered shipwreck: a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.
In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren: In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness: Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall: and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ: above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth): That he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter.

For such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish: for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me.
And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

GRADUAL Ps. 82:19, 14

Let the nations know that You whose name is God, alone are the Most High over all the earth. 
V. O my God, whirl them about like chaff before the wind!

TRACT Ps. 59:4, 6

You have shaken the earth, O Lord, and thrown it into confusion. 
V. Repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
V. That they may flee out of bowshot; that Your chosen ones may escape.

GOSPEL Luke 8:4-15

At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities, unto him, he spoke by a similitude. "The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side. And it was trodden down: and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock. And as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns. And the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground and, being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundredfold." Saying these things, he cried out: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. To whom he said: "To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables, that 'seeing they may not see and hearing may not understand.' Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the way side are they that hear: then the devil cometh and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock are they who when they hear receive the word with joy: and these have no roots: for they believe for a while and in time of temptation they fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they who have heard and, going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it and bring forth fruit in patience."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 16:5, 6-7

Keep my steps steadfast in Your paths, that my feet may not falter. Incline Your ear and hear my words. Show Your wondrous kindness, O Savior of those who trust in You, O Lord.

SECRET

May the sacrifice we offer You, O Lord, bring us new life and keep us safe. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT GABRIEL

We offer You, O Lord, this life-giving sacrifice in memory of blessed Gabriel. make us always remember the sacrifice of Your death, and let us share in the abundant effects of that sacrifice through the merits of the sorrowing Virgin; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 42:4

I will go in to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth.

POSTCOMMUNION
Almighty God, we humbly ask that those who are nourished with Your Sacrament may live a life of worthy service pleasing to You. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of SAINT GABRIEL
O Lord, on this feast of Your holy confessor Gabriel, we give thanks for all we have received from You. Graciously accept our gratitude through the hands of the glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, from whom You took flesh--the same flesh that we have received in this Banquet of Salvation; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

FERIAL DAY

(Mass of preceding Sunday)

[Requiem or Votive Mass allowed]

SATURDAY VOTIVE MASS OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

 

SAINT PORPHYRIUS

Bishop (420 A.D.)

[Historical]

Saint Porphyry (or Saint Porphyrius) (Greek: Πορφύριος, Porphyrios; Latin: Porphyrius; Slavonic: Порфирий, Porfiriy) (ca. 347–420), Bishop of Gaza 395–420, known from the account in his Life for Christianizing the recalcitrant pagan city of Gaza, and demolishing its temples.
Porphyry of Gaza is known to us only from the vivid biography by Mark the Deacon. The Vita Porphyrii appears to be a contemporary account of Porphyry that chronicles in some detail the end of paganism in Gaza in the early fifth century. However the text has been identified in the 20th century as hagiography rather than history and some elements of it are certainly examples of the stereotyped events characteristic of this form of fiction ^[1] . On the other hand the author was certainly intimately familiar with Gaza in late Antiquity ^[2], and his statements are of interest at least as reflecting attitudes in the 5th century. A street in the village of Zejtun, Malta bears his name.

SAINT ALEXANDER

Bishop (326 A.D.)

[Historical]

ST ALEXANDER, CONFESSOR, PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA

Feast: February 26 A.D. 326

St Alexander succeeded St. Achillas in the see of Alexandria in 313. He was a man of apostolic doctrine and life, mild, affable, exceedingly charitable to the poor, and full of faith, zeal, and fervour. He assumed to the sacred ministry chiefly those who had first sanctified themselves in holy solitude, and was happy in the choice of bishops throughout all Egypt. The devil, enraged to see the havoc made in his usurped empire over mankind by the disrepute idolatry was generally fallen into, used his utmost endeavours to repair the loss to his infernal kingdom by procuring the establishment of a most impious heresy. Arius, a priest of Alexandria, was his principal instrument for that purpose. This heresiarch was well versed in profane literature, was a subtle dialectitian, had an exterior show of virtue, and an insinuating behaviour; but was a monster of pride, vainglory, ambition, envy, and jealousy. He joined Meletius, the Bishop of Lycopolis, in the beginning of his schism against St. Peter, our saint's predecessor, in 300: but quitting that party after some time, St. Peter was so well satisfied of the sincerity of his repentance that he ordained him deacon. Soon after Arius discovered his turbulent spirit, in accusing his archbishop and raising disturbances in favour of the Meletians. This obliged St. Peter to excommunicate him, nor could he ever be induced to revoke that sentence. But his successor, St. Achillas, upon his repentance, admitted him to his communion, ordained him priest, and made him curate of the church of Baucales, one of the quarters of Alexandria. Giving way to spite and envy on seeing St. Alexander preferred before him to the see of Alexandria,[1] he became his mortal enemy: and as the saint's life and conduct were irreproachable, all his endeavours to oppose him were levelled at his doctrine, in opposition to which the heresiarch denied the divinity of Christ. This error he at first taught only in private; but having, about the year 319, gained followers to support him, he boldly advanced his blasphemies in his sermons, affirming, with Ebion, Artemas, and Theodotus, that Christ was not truly God; adding, what no heretic had before asserted in such a manner, that the Son was a creature, and made out of nothing; that there was a time when he did not exist, and that he was capable of sinning, with other such impieties. St. Athanasius informs us,[2] that he also held that Christ had no other soul than his created divinity, or spiritual substance, made before the world: consequently, that it truly suffered on the cross, descended into hell, and rose again from the dead. Arius engaged in his errors two other curates of the city, a great many virgins, twelve deacons, seven priests, and two bishops. One Colluthus, another curate of Alexandria, and many others, declaimed loudly against these blasphemies. The heretics were called Arians, and these called the Catholics Colluthians. St. Alexander, who was one of the mildest of men, first made use of soft and gentle methods to recover Arius to the truth, and endeavoured to gain him by sweetness and exhortations. Several were offended at his lenity, and Colluthus carried his resentment so far as to commence a schism; but this was soon at an end, and the author of it returned to the Catholic communion. But St. Alexander, finding Arius's party increase, and all his endeavours to reclaim him ineffectual, he summoned him to appear in an assembly of his clergy, where, being found obstinate and incorrigible, he was excommunicated together with his adherents. This sentence of excommunication the saint confirmed soon after, about the end of the year 320, in a council at Alexandria, at the head of near one hundred bishops, at which Arius was also present, who, repeating his former blasphemies, and adding still more horrible ones, was unanimously condemned by the synod, which loaded him and all his followers with anathemas. Arius lay hid for some time after this in Alexandria, but being discovered, went into Palestine, and found means to gain over to his party Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, also Theognis of Nice, and Eusebius of Nicomedia, which last was, of all others, his most declared protector, and had great authority with the emperor Constantine, who resided even at Nicomedia, or rather with his sister Constantia. Yet it is clear, from Constantine himself, that he was a wicked, proud, ambitious, intriguing man. It is no wonder, after his other crimes, that he became an heresiarch, and that he should have an ascendant over many weak, but well-meaning men, on account of his high credit and reputation at court. After several letters that had passed between these two serpents, Arius retired to him at Nicomedia; and there composed his Thalia, a poem stuffed with his own praises, and his impious heresies. Alexander wrote to the Pope, St. Sylvester, and, in a circular letter, to the other bishops of the church, giving them an account of Arius's heresy and condemnation. Arius, Eusebius, and many others, wrote to our saint, begging that he would take off his censures. The Emperor Constantine also exhorted him by letter to a reconciliation with Arius, and sent it by the great Osius to Alexandria, with express orders to procure information of the state of the affair. The deputy returned to the emperor better informed of the heresiarch's impiety and malice, and the zeal, virtue, and prudence of St. Alexander: and having given him a just and faithful account of the matter, convinced him of the necessity of a general council as the only remedy adequate to the growing evil and capable of restoring peace to the church. St. Alexander had already sent him the same advice in several letters. That prince, accordingly, by letters of respect, invited the bishops to Nice, in Bithynia, and defrayed their expenses. They assembled in the imperial palace of Nice on the 19th of June, in 325, being three hundred and eighteen in number, the most illustrious prelates of the church, among whom were many glorious confessors of the faith. The principal were our saint, St. Eustathius, Patriarch of Antioch, St. Macarius of Jerusalem, Cecilian, Archbishop of Carthage, St. Paphnutius, St. Potamon, St. Paul of Neocesarea, St. James of Nisibis, &c. St. Sylvester could not come in person by reason of his great age; but he sent his legates, who presided in his name. The Emperor Constantine entered the council without guards, nor would he sit till he was desired by the bishops, says Eusebius.[3] Theodoret says[4] a that he asked the bishops' leave before he would enter. The blasphemies of Arius, who was himself present, were canvassed for several days. Marcellus of Ancyra, and St. Athanasius, whom St. Alexander had brought with him, and whom he treated with the greatest esteem, discovered all the impiety they contained, and confuted the Arians with invincible strength. The heretics, fearing the indignation of the council, used a great deal of dissimulation in admitting the Catholic terms. The fathers, to exclude all their subtleties, declared the Son consubstantial to the father, which they inserted in the profession of their faith, called the Nicene creed, which was drawn up by Osius, and to which all subscribed, except a small number of Arians. At first they were seventeen, but Eusebius of Caesarea received the creed the day following, as did all the others, except five, namely, Eusebius of Nicomedia, Theognis of Nice, Maris of Chalcedon, Theonas and Secundus of Lybia, the two bishops who had first joined Arius. Of theses also Eusebius, Maris, and Theognis conformed through fear of banishment. The Arian historian Philostorgius[5] pretends to excuse his heroes, Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis, by saying they inserted an iota, and signed "like in substance", instead of "of the same substance"; a fraud in religion which would no way have excused their hypocrisy. Arius, Theonas, and Secundus, with some Egyptian priests, were banished by the order of Constantine, and Illyricum was the place of their exile. The council received Meletius and his schismatical adherents upon their repentance; but they afterwards relapsed into their schism, and part of them joined the Arians. The council added twenty canons of discipline, and was closed about the 25th of August. Constantine gave all the prelates a magnificent entertainment, and dismissed them with great presents to their respective sees. St. Alexander, after this triumph of the faith, returned to Alexandria; where, after having recommended St. Athanasius for his successor, he died in 326, on the 26th of February, on which day he is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology. A true disciple of Christ, by a sincere spirit of humility and distrust in himself, is, as it were, naturally inclined to submission to all authority appointed by God, in which he finds his peace, security, and joy. This happy disposition of his soul is his secure fence against the illusions of self-sufficiency and blind pride, which easily betrays men into the most fatal errors. On the contrary, pride is a spirit of revolt and independence: he who is possessed with this devil is fond of his own conceits, self-confident, and obstinate. However strong the daylight of evidence may be in itself, such a one will endeavor to shut up all the avenues of light, though some beams force themselves into his soul to disturb his repose, and strike deep the sting of remorse: jealousy and a love of opposition foster the disorder, and render it incurable. This is the true portraiture of Arius and other heresiarchs and firebrands of the universe. Can we sufficiently detest jealousy and pride, the fatal source of so great evils! Do we not discover, by fatal symptoms, that we ourselves harbour this monster in our breasts? Should the eye be jealous that the ear hears, and disturb the functions of this or the other senses, instead of regarding them as its own and enjoying their mutual advantage and comfort, what confusion would ensue!

February 25

FERIAL DAY

Mass of preceding Sunday
is celebrated

 Saint Tarasius

Bishop (806 A.D.)

[Historical]

Tarasios was born and raised in the city of Constantinople. A son of a high-ranking judge, Tarasios was related to important families, including that of the later Patriarch Photios the Great. Tarasios had embarked on a career in the secular administration and had attained the rank of senator, eventually becoming imperial secretary (asekretis) to the Emperor Constantine VI and his mother, the Empress Irene. Originally he embraced Iconoclasm, but later repented, resigned his post, and retired to a monastery, taking the Great Schema (monastic habit).
Since he exhibited both Iconodule sympathies and the willingness to follow imperial commands when they were not contrary to the faith, he was selected as Patriarch of Constantinople by the Empress Irene in 784, even though he was a layman at the time. Nevertheless, like all educated Byzantines, he was well versed in theology, and the election of qualified laymen as bishops was not unheard of in the history of the Church.^[2]
He reluctantly accepted, on condition that church unity would be restored with Rome and the oriental Patriarchs.^[3] To make him eligible for the office of patriarch, Tarasios was duly ordained to the deaconate and then the priesthood, prior to his consecration as bishop.^[4]

SAINT WALBURGA

Abbess (779 A.D.)

[Historical]

 
Together with her brothers, Saint Willibald and Saint Winibald, she travelled to Francia (now Württemberg and Franconia) to assist Saint Boniface, her mother's brother, in evangelizing among the still-pagan Germans. She had been well prepared for the call. She was educated by the nuns of Winborne Abbey, Dorset, where she spent twenty-six years as a member of the community. Thanks to her rigorous training, she was later able to write St. Winibald's vita and an account in Latin of St. Willibald's travels in Palestine, so that she is often credited with being the first female author of both England and Germany.^[2]
She became a nun and lived in the double monastery of Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm near Eichstätt, which was founded by her brother, Willibald, who appointed her his successor; after his death in 751, she became abbess. Walpurga died on 25 February 777 or 779 and was buried at Heidenheim; that day still carries her name in the Catholic calendar. In the 870s, her remains were transferred to Eichstätt, and in some places, e.g. Finland, Sweden, and Bavaria, her feast day commemorates the translation of her relics on 1 May.

SAINT MATTHIAS

Apostle

DOUBLE, SECOND CLASS / RED

After the Ascension of Jesus, St. Peter proposed to the assembled faithful that they choose a disciple of Christ to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the first missionary band. Lots were drawn, with the result in favor of Matthias. According to one ancient tradition, this missioner labored in Ethiopia and was martyred there. Thus did St. Matthias receive "the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12).

INTROIT (Ps. 138:17)

Your friends are greatly honored by me, O God; their pre-eminence is definitely established.
Ps. 138:1. O Lord, You have proved me and You know me; You know when I sit and when I stand.
V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT

O God, You made blessed Matthias one of the group of Your apostles. May his intercession enable us to feel the effects of Your mercy. Through Our Lord . . .

LESSON (Acts 1:15-26)

In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty): "Men, brethren, the scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus: Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. And he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity, and being hanged, burst asunder in the midst: and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms: 'Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein.' And 'His bishopric let another take.'
" Wherefore of these men who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection."

And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And praying, they said: "Thou, Lord, who knowest the heart of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, To take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place." And they gave them lot, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

GRADUAL (Ps. 138:17-18)

Your friends are greatly honored, O God; their pre-eminence is definitely established.
V. Were I to try to number them, they would be more numerous than the sands.

TRACT (Ps. 20:3-4)

You have granted him his heart's desire; You have not refused him the wish of his lips.
V. You have made him excel by Your choicest blessings.
V. You have placed on his head a crown of precious stones.

GOSPEL (Matt. 11:25-30)

At that time Jesus answered and said: "I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Yea, Father: for so hath it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him. Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (Ps. 44:17-18)

You shall make them princes through all the land; they shall remember Your name, O Lord, in every generation and age.

SECRET

May Your blessed apostle Matthias join his prayers to the sacrifice we offer to Your name, O Lord, so that it may win Your pardon and protection for us. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Matt. 19:28)

You who have followed Me shall sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

POSTCOMMUNION

O Almighty God, may our reception of Your Holy Sacrament and the intercession of Your blessed apostle Matthias bring us Your pardon and peace. Through Our Lord . . .

SAINT PETER DAMIAN
Bishop and Doctor of the Church

DOUBLE / WHITE
The tenth century was a dark age for the Church, but an upsurge of faith and morals began soon after the year 1000. One of the foremost apostles of reform was Peter Damian (1007-72), a native of Ravenna, Italy. Seven Popes in succession sought his advice, and St. Peter induced two antipopes to withdraw their pretensions to the Holy See. He often said: "We can never restore primitive discipline when once it is decayed; and if we, by negligence, suffer any diminution in what remains established, future ages will never be able to repair the breach."

Mass of a DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, except
COLLECT
O Almighty God, grant that we may follow the teaching and example of Your blessed confessor bishop Peter, and turn away from the things of earth that we may attain the joys of heaven. Through Our Lord . . .
SECRET
O Lord, let the blessed bishop and doctor Damian always help us, and through his intercession, accept our offering and pardon our sins. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed bishop and illustrious doctor Damian. Through our Lord . . .

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SAINT PETER'S CHAIR AT ANTIOCH

GREATER DOUBLE / WHITE
This feast commemorates the seven years during which Pope Peter ruled the Church from Antioch before he went to Rome. Since the majority of the Jews had rejected Christianity, Peter left Jerusalem and founded the see of Antioch among the Gentiles. In that large Eastern city, Christianity took deep root, and it was there that the faithful were first called by the name of Christians. After seven years the Vicar of Christ transferred his see to Rome, the very center of the ancient world, so that from it the messengers of salvation might radiate to the uttermost ends of the earth.COLLECTO God, You have entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Your blessed apostle Peter and have given him the power of bishop to bind or to loose. May his intercession free us from the slavery of sin; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of SAINT PAUL
O God, you have instructed many nations through the preaching of the blessed apostle Paul. Let the power of his intercession with You help us who venerate his memory this day. Through Our Lord . . .

Epistle I Peter 1:1-7

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers dispersed through Pontus, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, unto the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: Unto an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that cannot fade, reserved in heaven for you, Who, by the power of God, are kept by faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein you shalt greatly rejoice, if now you must be for a little time made sorrowful in divers temptations: That the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

GRADUAL Ps. 106:32; 31

Let them extol him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. V. Let them praise the Lord for His mercies and for His wondrous deeds to the children of men.

TRACT Matt. 16:18-19
Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.
V. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
V. What ever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.
V. And whatever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

GOSPEL Matt. 16:13-19

At that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: "Whom do men say that the Son of man is?" But they said: "Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Jesus saith to them:"But whom do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God."

And Jesus answering said to him: "Blessed art thou, Simon BarJona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Matt. 16:18-19

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

SECRET

O Lord, we offer You the prayers and sacrifice of Your Church through the intercession of Your apostle Peter. May this Mass, which we celebrate in his honor, win pardon for us. Through our Lord . . .

Commemoration of Saint Paul

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

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Matt. 16:18

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.

POSTCOMMUNION

May our offering bring us happiness, O Lord. We praise You for the wondrous things You accomplished through Your apostle Peter and ask forgiveness through his intercession. Through Our Lord . . .

Commemoration of Saint Paul

We have been made holy by this life-giving Sacrifice, O Lord. May we always be aided by the prayers of Your saint, whom You gave us as a protector and a guide. Through Our Lord . . .

FERIAL DAY


Mass of preceding Sunday
is celebrated

Purple Vestments

Image via Wikipedia

France Soldiers Mass in a bombed chapel WWI

 

News from an Italian source about the Instruction on Summorum Pontificum

Posted on 19 February 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

There is a good deal of hand-wringing going on right now about the possibility that the upcoming “Instruction” aboutSummorum Pontificum will water-down the provisions which the Supreme Pontiff made the law of the Latin Church.

About this Instruction, I gave an initial comment here.

Such an Instruction has been expected, like Godot, for a long time.  I long ago stopped hoping for it.  I actively stopped hoping for it, as a matter of fact.

But it is coming and many people, in anticipation of its arrival, are chewing their own skulls in anxiety.

I can understand why people would be upset at the reports about the Instruction.  So many who mourned the loss of the older forms of worship have been mistreated by the Church’s shepherds.  Many who knew the older forms back when, and younger people who prefer them now, are still being treated like second-class trash who get to sit in the back of the bus.  And there only grudgingly.   You can understand why they would be anxious about this Instruction, given how many positions of power are still in the hands of enemies of the Holy Father’s vision and provisions.

Now we see this.

Paolo Rodari writes on Palazzo Apostolico with my emphases and comments in my rapid translation.

They are writing here, here and here that in the Vatican they are trying to water-down the implementing decree ["Instruction"] of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

In substance, according to the blogs mentioned above, the decree instead of giving a greater impetus to the Motu Proprio, explaining to bishops how to implement it in a better way, would say that the old liturgy is a concession made only to “traditionalists”, in recognition of their particular ‘sensibility”.  The blogs still write that the fabricators of this watering-down are Msgr. Charles Scicluna, the Maltese promoter of justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Antonio Card. Canizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

I personally made the necessary verifications and I can say that, according to sources inside the Vatican, the news items given here above, “are completely without foundation”.  The implementing decree will not water-down anything and neither Scicluna nor Canizares are working in that sense.

The Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”, which today is presided over by the Prefect for Doctrine of the Faith William Joseph Card. Levada, already has the text of the decree ready, [I have the sense that someone has told the writer something along the lines of "Get this out there so that the trouble-makers will stop making a fuss!"] is waiting for the difficult work of the translations to finish, and counts on publishing it all (if the translations aren’t subject to delays) before Easter.

Take that for what it is worth.  Rodari doesn’t offer anything that can be verified either.

We don’t know what the text will say.  Most of the people who are talking about the text to me in private – most, not all – don’t know what is in the text.

Given that we don’t know many of the actual details of the text, I can only recommend that people who are deeply concern get on their knees and pray that Pope Benedict be strengthened in his mandate as Vicar of Christ and that his enemies – far from him and close to him – be weakened and confounded.

Do what a committed Catholic warrior would do for a cause that is dear.

I have started a month long “novena”, a Spiritual Bouquet for Pope Benedict to end on 19 March, which is the Holy Father’s “name day”, the Feast of St. Joseph.

Please participate in this Spiritual Bouquet.

In the meantime, drink some Mystic Monk coffee and, if you want to sign something, go to this site and put your signature to a kind of open-letter or petition.

Also, in the next days and weeks consider that the Holy Father is unlikely to put his signature to something which would so undermine his position and authority.

Finally, I will ask the readers for some help with something.

We could use an up-to-date list of the members (not the workers) of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the members (not workers) of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.  We need to know who has been involved in this and who may also need prayers.  It would be nice to get this before the 2011 Annuario Pontificio is released.   Please don’t waste our time with “This guy used to be the list” or “I think he is a member” or even worse “I think X should be on it!”  We need facts, not old news or guesses.  If you don’t know, don’t write about it.

And now…

From the the Enchiridion of Indulgences, #25:

A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in a spirit of filial devotion, devoutly recite any duly approved prayer for the Supreme Pontiff (e.g., the Oremus pro Pontifice):

V. Let us pray for our Pontiff, Pope Benedict.

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and bless him upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

Our Father.  Hail Mary.

Let us pray.

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you Fr. Zuklusdorf http://wdtprs.com/blog/