B EPISTLE. Colos. iii. 12. 17. RETHREN: Put ye on, as the elect of God, holy and well-beloved, the bowels of mercy, goodness, humility, modesty, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have any complaint against another; even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so also do you. But above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ triumph in your hearts, to which you have been called, in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in you, and fill you with all wisdom. Instruct and excite one another by psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing from your hearts with grace to God. Whatever you do in word and in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord. GOSPEL. Matt xiii. 24.30. A T that time: Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude: The kingdom of heaven is like to a man, who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and the wheat was in ear, then appeared also the tares. And the servants of the master of the house coming, said to him: Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then came these tares? And he said to them: An enemy hath done it. Then the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and pull them up? And he said: No, lest perhaps in gathering the tares, you root up the wheat also with them. Let both grow till the harvest; and at the harvest-time, I will say to the reapers; Gather up first the tares, and tie them up in bundles to burn; but the wheat gather into my barn. CREDO. SECRET. We offer thee, O Lord, this sacrifice of propitiation, that thou wouldst mercifully forgive us our sins, and guide our tottering hearts. Thro.' POSTCOMM. Quæsumus. We beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we may one day receive the effects of that salvation, of which we have received a pledge in these mysteries. Thro'. VESPERS. At the MAGNIFICAT. Anth. Gather first the Ant. Colligite primum tares, and tie them up in bundles to be bnurt; but zizania, et alligate ea in fasciculos ad comburendum : COLLECT. Præsta, quæsumus. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that being always intent upon what is reasonable and just; we may, both in word and deed, perform what is acceptable to thee. Thro'. EPISTLE. 1 Thess. i. 2. B RETHREN; We always give thanks to God for you all, without intermission remembering you in our prayers; being mindful of the efficacy of your faith, of your labour, and charity, and of your firm hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of God and our Father. For we know, brethren, beloved of God, your election; because our preaching the gospel to you was not in words only, but was accompanied with miracles, with the power of the Holy Ghost, and with much abundance: for you know what manner of men we were among you for your own sakes. And thus you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, though with great joy of the Holy Spirit. So that you became a pattern to all the faithful of Macedonia and Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord was spread, not only in Macedonia and Achaia; but your faith in God is become famous every where, so that it is not necessary for us to say any thing about it; for they themselves publish the success of our coming amongst you; and how you were converted from idols to God, to serve the living and true God, and to expect from heaven his Son Jesus, whom he raised from the dead, and who hath delivered us from the wrath to come. GOSPEL. Matt. xiii. 31.35. T that time: Jesus spoke to the multitude this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field. This grain is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater than any other herb, and becometh a tree; so that the birds of the air come, and dwell on its branches. He spoke likewise another parable to them. The kingdom of heaven is like to a piece of leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till di whole was leavened. All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables, and without parables he spoke not to them; that what the prophet had foretold might be fulfilled, when he said: I will open my mouth in parables, I will publish the things that have been hidden from the creation of the world. CREDO. SECRET. May this oblation, O God, we beseech thee, cleanse, renew, govern, and protect us. Thro'. POSCOMM. Cælestibus. Being fed, O Lord, with heavenly dainties, we beseech thee, that we may always hunger after them, as they truly preserve our life. Thro'. VESPERS. At the MAGNIFICAT. Anth. The kingdom of heaven is like a piece of leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Ant. Simile est regnum cœlorum fermento, quod acceptum mulier abscondit in farinæ satis tribus, donec fermentatum est totum. PRAYER. Collect at Mass, p. 269. The PARTICULAR OFFICES of the SAINTS. FROM INSTUCTION. ROM the earliest ages of Christianity, the faithful met every year on the anniversary day of the death of the Martyrs in the churches, or chapels, which were usually in the place where their bodies, or some sacred remains thereof, had been buried. The altar was placed on their tombs; and from thence came the custom of always putting some relics in, or under the altar-stones. The sacrifice was not offered to the Martyrs, but to the God of the Martyrs, (to whom alone it is due) to thank him for the courage and strength he had given his servants, and for that state of bliss, to which he had admitted them. Such was the origin of the feasts of the saints; and we ought to keep them with the same spirit, with which they were instituted; that is to say, the worship we pay in honour of the saints, ought to have God himself for its object. Our adorations and respect terminate in God; and we consider the saints only as powerful friends, whose credit and prayers may obtain for us, from the goodness of God, those helps our sins make us unworthy to obtain by our own pravers alone. The FEASTS of MARCH. Semidouble. At VESPERS. The COMMEMORATION. Anth. Ο Priest and Bishop. V. The Lord loved. p. xxxiv. PRAYER. Collect at Mass. MASS. INTROIT. The Lord settled, &c. p. xxxiv. except: COLLECT. Deus qui. O God, who wast pleased to send blessed Patrick, thy Confessor and Bishop, to preach thy glory to the Gentiles; grant, by his merits and prayers, that we may, through thy grace, be enabled to keep thy commandments. Thro'. XIX. St. JOSEPH, Confessor. A Double of the second Rank. MASS. INTROIT. The righteous man. p. xlv. COLLECT. Sanctissime. Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the merits of the Spouse of thy most holy Virgin-mother may be assisting to us; that what we cannot obtain through our own weakness, may be granted us by his prayers. Who livest. LESSON Eccles. xlv. p. xlvii. THEN W Mary the Mother of Jesus was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child by the Holy Ghost. And Joseph her husband being a righteous man, and unwilling to expose her, thought secretly to dismiss her. But while he was thinking on these things, behold an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins. OFFERT. My truth, p. xliv. SECRET. We pay thee, O Lord, the homage we owe, humbly beseeching thee, to preserve in us thy gifts, by the prayers ers of blessed Joseph, the husband of the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, on whose festival we offer thee this sacrifice of praise. Thro' the same. COMM. Matt. i. Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. Alleluia. Joseph, fili David ne timeas accipere Mariam conjugem tuam: quod enim in ea natum est, de Spiritu Sancto est. Alleluia. POSTCOMM. Adesto. Hear us, O merciful God, and vouchsafe, by the intercession of blessed Joseph, thy Confessor, to preserve in us, what thou hast bestowed upon us. Thro'. XX. St. CUTHBERT, Bishop. A Double. VESPERS. As p. xxxii. PRAYER. Collect at Mass. MASS. INTROIT. The Lord settled, &c. COMMON, p. xxxiv. except: COLLECT. Deus qui. O God, who, by the inestimable gift of thy grace, renderest glorious thy saints; grant that, by the intercession of blessed Cuthbert thy Confessor and Bishop, we may learn to practise every virtue in an eminent degree. Thro'. SECRET. Receive, O Lord, we beseech thee, the victim of our redemption: and by the intercession of blessed Cuthbert thy Confessor and Bishop, mercifully grant us health of body and mind. POSTCOMM. Sancta tua. May the sacred mysțeries we have received, protect us, O Lord, by their efficacy; and the intercession of thy glorious Confessor and Bishop, blessed Cuthbert, preserve us in peace and holiness of life. Thro'. XXI. St. BENEDICT, Abbot. A Double, XXV. THE ANNUNCIATION of the B. V. MARY. Anth. A D. 2d. Cl. ISSUS est Gabriel Angelus ad to Mary, a virgin espoused Mariam, virginem desponsa to Joseph. Alleluia. tam Joseph. Alleluia. Ps. Dixit Dominus, p. 69. Anth. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women. Alleluia. Ant. Ave Maria, gratia plena Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus Alleluia. |