Saint Anthony, Abbot, January 17

St. Anthony, Abbot, January 17

Saint Anthony of Egypt

The life of Saint Anthony (the authorship of which same is ascribed to Saint Athanasius) hath the following items regarding him who is venerated as the first Abbot of monks. Anthony was an Egyptian, the child of noble and Christian parents, whom he lost while yet very young. On one occasion he heard read in church this passage of the Gospel : If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor : and he straightway took these words as addressed to himself personally, and therefore distributed all his possessions to the poor. Since he was about to enter the field of battle against Satan, he first gave heed to the examples set by all those who were eminent for any grace, and strove to copy them. * He was excelled by none in watchfulness and self-restraint, and continual study of the Holy Scriptures. He had such a loathing of hereticks and schismatics, specially Arians, that he would never go near them. He slept lying on the ground. He took nothing with his bread but salt, and drank only water. He never ate or drank before sunset, and often abstained from food altogether for two days at a time. Very often he passed whole nights in prayer. And being so valiant a soldier of God, he was attacked by the devil with divers temptations. * He betook himself to the deserts round about Egypt, where many disciples became monks under his direction. Day by day the attacks of the fiends became more violent, but day by day his strength grew greater to strive against them. At length he came to mock at their powerlessness, saying : Satan is afraid of good men’s prayers and fasts, but above all for their warm love of our Lord, the mere Sign of whose holy Cross is enough to put him to flight. He became such an object of dread to the devils, that many persons tormented by them were delivered by calling on his name. Moreover, the fame of his holiness was so spread abroad that Constantine the Great and his sons wrote to him to commend themselves to his prayers. In the hundred and fiftieth year of his age, having roused up great numbers to follow his example, he passed to heaven, on January 17^th, in the year 356.

Collect:

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot, blessed Anthony, may commend us unto thee, that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may by his advocacy find favour in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saints Maris, Martha, Audifax, and Habakkuk, Martyrs

Saints Maris, Martha, Audifax, and Habakkuk, Martyrs, January 19

Maris was a Persian of high rank, who came to Rome in the reign of the Emperor Claudius, with his wife Martha, who was equally noble, and their two sons Audifax and Habakkuk, to pray at the graves of the martyrs. Here they comforted the Christians who were in prison, (whom they relieved by their ministrations and alms,) and buried the bodies of the Saints. For these good deeds they were all arrested, but no threats or terrors could move them to sacrifice to idols. They were accordingly beaten with clubs, dragged about with ropes, burnt with red-hot metal, and mangled with metal hooks. Lastly their hands were all cut off, and they were fastened together by the neck, in which state they were driven through the City to the Thirteenth Milestone on the Cornelian Way, a place now called Santa Ninfa, where they were to die. There Martha addressed a moving exhortation to her husband and sons to hold out bravely to the last, for the love of Jesus Christ, and was then herself drowned. The other three martyrs were next beheaded, and thrown into a fire. The lady Felicity of Rome collected the half burnt remains, and caused them to be buried at her won farm. The date of their death was in the year 270.

Collect:

O Lord, we pray thee, graciously to hear thy people that call upon thee with the assistance of thy Saints, that we may obtain of thee peace in this our temporal life, and likewise thy succour unto life eternal, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Saint Marcellus, Pope and Martyr, January 16

St.Marcellus in a stable

Saint Marcellus, Pope and Martyr, January 16,


This Marcellus was a Roman, and was believed to have held his brief pontificate in the reign of Constantius and Galerius, and in that of Maxentius. According to the Pontifical Book, it was through his persuasion that the Roman Lady Lucina left the whole of her property to the Church of God, which same was made into a church bearing his name. An epitaph by Pope Saint Damasus saith that because of his enforcement of the penitential canons, he excited the wrath of Maxentius, who threatened him with punishment. * The servant of God treated with contempt the mad cries of this man, who (so it is said) sent him to a menagerie, to take care of the beasts which were fed at the public cost, where Marcellus remained in continual fasting and prayer. And, as he could not visit the parishes of Rome in person, he wrote letters to them, until some of his clergy rescued him. * Maxentius, it is said, thereupon had the wild beasts brought from the menagerie and located in a church, where Marcellus was made to feed them. And the noisomeness of the place and the filthiness of his occupation soon broke down a constitution already enfeebled by many ailments, and he fell asleep in the Lord in 309, on January 16, and for his sufferings is accounted a Martyr.

Collect:

O Lord, we beseech thee favorably to hear the prayers of thy people, that, as we do rejoice in the passion of thy blessed Bishop and Martyr, Saint Marcellus, so his merits may be our succour and defence, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor

Hilary was born of a most illustrious family in Aquataine, and of him blessed Jerome saith : He was a man of mighty eloquence, the Latin Trumpet against the Arians. He was born of pagan parents , and brought up in idolatry, but in due time was found of Christ and became God’s servant. In early life he had married, but at his ordination he and his wife chose to live in continence. And because of the fame he made for himself by his wisdom and eloquence as a priest, he was chosen to be Bishop of Poitiers, in which office he gained the universal praise of the faithful. At that time the Emperor Constantius was persecuting the Catholics by every species of cruelty, in order to make them yield to the Arian heresy. Against the Arians Hilary set himself up as a brazen wall, and thereby turned upon himself the fierceness of their anger. When they procured his banishment to Phrygia, he used his exile to write a work in twelve books, on the Trinity, against these hereticks. * In the year 359, the fourth of his exile, he was obliged to attend the Council of Selucia in Isauria, which was largely composed of Arians, whom he there publicly withstood. And afterwards he withdrew to Constantinople, where he demanded leave from the Emperor to hold a public disputation in his presence. However, the Arian Bishops Ursacius and Valens, whom Hilary had already confuted in writing, were afraid to meet him in debate, and therefore induced Constantius, under pretence of pardon, to send him back to his bishoprick. And he was followed to Poitiers by Martin, afterwards Bishop of Tours, whose growth in holiness was a fruit of his teaching. * Henceforth he ruled the Church of Poitiers in great peace. His wonderful learning is seen in his numerous written works. And his tenderness of heart is well manifested in a letter, still extant, which during his exile he wrote to his daughter, urging upon her to become a nun, which same by this letter she was moved to do. He passed from earth to heaven upon January 13^th, about the 368, during the reign of the Emperors Valentian and Valens. He has been called an Illustrious Doctor of the Church by many Fathers and Councils.

The Collect:

O GOD, who hast enlightened thy Church with the wondrous learning of blessed Hilary thy Confessor and Doctor: mercifully grant to us thy servants; that we, being in all things enlightened by his wisdom, may at all times feel the effectual succour of his righteousness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Thomas the Apostle, Dec 21

Saint Thomas the Apostle, Dec 21

The Apostle Thomas ( whose name signifieth a twin, for which reason in Greek he is called Didymus) was a Galilean. The historian Eusebius saith that after the descent of the Holy Ghost Thomas preached the Gospel to many different peoples, such as the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, and Bactrians. It is believed that he went last of all to India (for his ministry there is mentioned by holy Ephraem the Syrian, blessed Jerome, and others ) where, because of his holiness and wondrous works, he drew many after him, and brought them to Christ Jesus. For which reason he is said to have provoked the anger of the idolatrous king, who condemned him to be pierced with lances, whereby he crowned the dignity of his apostleship with the glory of martyrdom. Eight miles from Madras, on Big Hill in the Coromandel coast (called in the Martyrology Calamina), is a spot still pointed out as the place of his holy death. His relicks were reputed to have been translated to Edessa, thence to Chios in the Aegean, and later to Ortona in the Abruzzi, where they are to this day venerated with much devotion by the faithful.

A Homily by St. Gregory the Pope

Dearly beloved brethren, what do ye chiefly notice in this passage? Think ye that is was by accident that this chosen Apostle was not with them when Jesus came? Or that when he came, he heard? Or that when he heard, he doubted? Or that when he doubted, he touched? Or that when he touched, he believed? None of these things was accidental, but providential. It was a wonderful provision of divine mercy, that this incredulous disciple, by thrusting his fingers into the bodily wounds of His master, should apply a remedy to the spiritual wounds of unbelief in our souls. The doubts of Thomas have done us more good than the faith of all the disciples that believed. While he feeleth his way to faith by touching, our minds are freed from doubt, and settled in faith.

Antiphon on Magnificat:

O Thomas Didymus to whom it was given to touch the risen Christ, and who now with him art evermore on high, * we entreat thee to pray for us who suffer amidst the evils of this world, lest amongst the lost we receive the sentence of doom, when the Judge appeared.

Collect:

Almighty and everliving God, who for the more confirmation of the Faith didst suffer thy holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtful in thy Son’s resurrection, grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ; that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Antiphon on the Benedictus:

Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, * blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.

Saint Andrew the Apostle, November 30

Saint Andrew the Apostle

Saint Andrew the first called

The Apostle Andrew, who was blood-brother to Peter, was born at Bethsaida, a town of Galilee. He first became a disciple of the Baptist. But when he heard John say : Behold the Lamb of God : he straightway became a disciple of Jesus, to whom he brought his brother Peter also. Some while after, when they went fishing in the Sea of Galilee, the Lord Christ came by and called them both, before any other of the Apostles, in the words : Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Whereat without delay they left their nets, and followed him. After the death and resurrection of Christ, according to the ancient historian Eusebius, Andrew was allotted European Scythia as the province of his preaching Other ancient writers say that he went through Epirus and Thrace, and there turned many souls to Christ by his teaching and wondrous works. Finally he is said to have gone to Patras in Achaia, and to have brought many there also to the knowledge of Gospel truth. The particulars of his death were written down by the priests and deacons of Achaia, which same were eye-witnesses of his last sufferings. According to this account, when Aegeas the Proconsul resisted the preaching of the Gospel, the Apostle freely rebuked him, bidding him know that whilst he set himself up as a judge of his fellow men, he was himself in such wise deceived by evil spirits that he was unable to recognize the divine Judge of all men in the person of Christ.
And according to the aforementioned record, blessed Andrew’s martyrdom was on this wise. Aegeas answered the Apostle wrathfully, saying: Boast no more of this matter, for thy Lord Christ spake words even such as thine, but they availed him not, and he was crucified by the Jews. Whereto Andrew boldly answered that Christ of his own will had given himself up to die for man’s salvation. But the Proconsul with blasphemy interrupted him, and bade him look to his own interests ; and if he would save himself, to sacrifice to the gods. Then said Andrew : We have an altar, whereon day by day I offer up to God Almighty, the one and only true God: not the flesh of bulls nor the blood of goats, but a Lamb without spot ; and when all they that believe have eaten of the Flesh thereof, the Lamb that was slain abideth whole and liveth. Then Aegeas, filled with wrath, bound the Apostle in prison. Now the people could easily have accomplished his deliverance, were it not that he himself calmed them, and earnestly besought them not to take from him the crown of martyrdom, for which he longed, and which was drawing near.
And it is said that a short while thereafter, Andrew was brought before the judgement-seat, where he extolled the Mystery of the Cross, and again rebuked Aegeas for his ungodliness. Whereupon Aegeas would bear with him no longer, but commanded him to be crucified, in imitation of Christ. Then was Andrew led to the cross. And when as yet he saw it afar off, he cried out : O gracious cross, made so fair and goodly by the sweet body of my Lord! Long have I desired thee! Constantly have I sought thee! And now that thou art made ready, my soul is drawn to thee! Welcome me from amongst men, and join me anew to my Master, that as by thee in death he redeemed me, so by thee he may take me unto himself once and for all! So he was fastened to the cross, whereon he hung living for two whole days, during which time he ceased not to preach the Faith of Christ, and finally, passed into the presence of him the likeness of whose death he had loved so well. Under the Emperor Constantine the relicks of the Apostle were first taken to Constantinople, whence they were afterwards brought to Amalfi. But in the pontificate of Pope Pius II his head was carried to Rome, where it is kept in the Basilica of Saint Peter, that the relicks of these two blood-brothers might be nigh each other. Blessed Andrew is revered as the Patron of Scotland and Russia, and his name is twice read in the Gregorian Canon ; namely, first in the Canon proper, and secondly in the Embolism.
　

Antiphon of the Magnificat:

One of the two which followed the Lord was Andrew, * Simon Peter’s brother, Alleluia.

Collect:

Almighty God, who didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle Saint Andrew, that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him without delay : grant unto us all , that we, being called by thy holy Word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil thy holy commandments, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Antiphon on the Benedictus:

And the bystanders pleaded for him: Spare this innocent man! Restore to us this holy one! Slay not him that is so dear to God! * for he is just and meek and godly.

A Homily by Saint Gregory the Pope

Dearly beloved, ye have heard how Peter and Andrew, at one word of command, left their nets, and followed their Saviour. As yet they had seen none of his miracles. As yet they had received no promise of their eternal and exceeding great reward. Nevertheless, at one word from the Lord they forgat all those things which they seemed to have. We on the contrary have seen many of his miracles. We have received many of his gracious chastenings. Many times hath he warned us of the wrath to come. How is it then that when the Lord calleth we do not follow?
Christ who calleth us to be converted is now enthroned in heaven. He hath bowed the necks of the Gentiles under the yoke of the Faith. He hath laid low the glory of the world, and the ruins thereof on all sides do preach unto us that day when he is to be revealed as our Judge is drawing nigh. Yet so stubborn is our mind that we will not freely abandon what willy nilly we are each day losing. Dearly beloved, what shall we answer at his judgement-seat, we whom no lessons can persuade and no stripes can break from the love of this present world?
Some one perchance will ask in his heart, what these two fishermen had to lose by obeying the call of the Lord? Dearly beloved, we must consider here the intention, rather than the loss incurred by this obedience. He that keepeth nothing for himself giveth up much. He that sacrificeth his all, sacrificeth what is to him a great deal. Beyond doubt, we cling to whatever we have, and what we have least, that we desire most. Peter and Andrew therefore gave up much when they gave up even the desire of possessing anything.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr

Catherine of Alexandria, since the tenth century, hath been held in great veneration, and that more in the West than in the East. She is esteemed as the Patroness of learned folk and of wheel-wrights and millers, and the Dominicans have adopted her as one of their Patrons. Her fame is as follows. She was a noble maiden of Alexandria who became, through her studies, a very learned woman, and prevailed over the chief wits of the day. * And she went boldly to Maxentius, and rebuked him for his savage cruelty toward Christians, bringing forward likewise most sage reasons why the Faith of Christ should be needful for salvation. Maxentius marveled at her wisdom, and detained her, whilst he gathered together the most learned men from all quarters, and offered them great rewards if they could confute Catherine, and bring her to worship idols. But the event fell contrariwise, for many of the philosophers who had come to dispute with her were overcome by the force and skill of her reasoning, so that the love of Christ Jesus was kindled in them, and they were content even to die for his sake. Then did Maxentius strive to beguile Catherine with fair words and promises, and when he found it was lost pains, he caused her to be cast into prison and starved. * Afterwards Catherine was brought out of the ward, and a wheel was set, wherein were fastened many and sharp blades, so that her virgin body might be most direfully cut and torn in pieces. But when it was set in motion it flew to pieces, which so enraged Maxentius that he forthwith commanded to behead Catherine. So, on November 25, about the year 310, she attained the twin crowns of martyrdom and virginity. It is said that her body was carried by Angels to Mount Sinai, and there enshrined, in the famous monastery called by her name. And this by some writers is interpreted to mean that it was carried thither by the monks of Sinai, to be their great treasure, for of old times the monastic habit was known as the angelical habit, and those that wore the same were sometimes given the honorific title of Angel, to signify that state of heavenly worship wherein they should live.

Collect:

O God, who on Mount Sinai didst give the law to Moses, and afterwards, through the ministry of holy Angels, didst mystically give rest thereon to the body of blessed Catherine thy Virgin and Martyr : grant, we beseech thee, that by her intercession, we may be brought unto that mountain which is Christ, by the same thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Feast of Corpus Christi

A Homily by St. Augustine the Bishop

By the use of meat and drink men seek to attain to this end, namely, that they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. And yet noting doth truly accomplish this, except that Meat and Drink whereby this corruptible is able to put on incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality ; namely, the means of Communion with that general assembly and Church of the first-born which is the fellowship of the saints ; which same are kept in perfect peace, and are all one (even as Christ and his Father are one) in full and perfect unity. And therefore it is, (even as men of God before our time have understood it,) that our Lord Jesus Christ hath set before us his Body and his Blood in the likeness of things which, from being many, are reduced into one. That is to say, in one loaf are many grains of corn, and in one cup of wine the juice of many grapes. Hence it is that, in this passage from the Gospel, he now giveth us to know how that which he spake cometh to pass, in answer to the question : How can this man give us his Flesh to eat, and his Blood to drink?

He saith : He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. This, then, is to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup, to wit: to dwell in him, and to have him dwelling in us. And contrariwise, he which dwelleth not in Christ, and in whom Christ dwelleth not, doth not spiritually eat Christ’s Flesh nor drink his Blood, although he do carnally and visibly press the Sacrament with his teeth ; but rather, such an one eateth and drinketh judgement unto himself, because he dareth to draw nigh unclean to that secret and holy thing of Christ, whereunto none draweth nigh worthily, save he which is clean ; for concerning such it is said : Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

As the living Father hath sent me, (saith he,) and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is as though he had said : The Father hath sent me unto the world, and therefore I have humbled myself, and taken upon me the form of a servant, and so was found in fashion as a man ; and as Man I ascribe my life to One that is greater than I ; but the partaking, whereby anyone eateth me, causeth him to live by me; I, having been brought low, live by the Father, but man, having been raised up, shall live by me. And although he saith : I live by the Father : (that is, he is of the Father, not the Father of him ;) these words are no disparagement of the equality of the Father and the Son as God. On the other hand, by saying : He that eateth me, even he shall live by me : he doth not signify equality between him and ourselves, but rather that he is the one Mediator between God and man.

Collect:

O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament, hast left unto us a Memorial f thyPassion : grant us, we beseech thee, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of they Body and Blood ; that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and forever. Amen.

The Martyrs of Lyons

The Martyrs of Lyons
　
From the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius

A record of these Martyrs was written for posterity, and in truth it is worthy of perpetual remembrance. I will give it in their own words, to wit: - The servants of God residing at Vienne and Lyons in Gaul, to the brethren through Asia and Phrygia : The greatness of the tribulation in the region, and the fury of the heathen, and the sufferings of the blessed Martyrs, could not possibly be put into words. They shut us out from houses and baths and markets, and forbade us to appear in any public place whatsoever. But the grace of God confirmed even the weak amongst us, and made them able to endure in patience all kinds of shame and injury : clamours, blows, draggings, robberies, stonings, imprisonments, and all things which an infuriated mob delight to inflict on such as they chose to regard as enemies. * Then, being taken before the magistrate, and having confessed Christ, they were thrown into prison to await the governour’s coming. He treated us with the utmost cruelty. The Protomartyrs were manifestly ready. But some there were, weak as yet, and unable to endure so great a conflict. About ten of these proved to be children of God born out of due season, which same caused us sorrow beyond measure, and weakened the zeal of others who had not yet been seized. But those who were worthy were seized day by day. And some of our heathen servants, fearing for themselves, accused us falsely of deeds which we cannot even believe were ever done by men. Then all the people raged like wild beasts against us, even those who before had been moderate. And that which was spoken by the Lord was fulfilled : The time will come when whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. Wrath was aroused exceedingly against Sanctus, the Deacon of Vienne ; and Maturus, a recent convert but noble combatant ; and Attalus, a native of Pergamus, where he was always a pillar and a foundation ; and Blandina, the slave, through whom Christ shewed that what appeareth to men as mean can with God be of great glory. For Blandina endured her sufferings with so much fortitude that even those who in relays tortured her from morning till evening grew faint and weary. He relief in pain was in exclaiming ; I am a Christian, an nothing vile is done amongst us. * As for Sanctus, red-hot brazen plates were fastened to the most tender parts of his body, but he continued unyielding, his body being one complete wound and bruise, drawn out of shape, and altogether unlike human form. The devil invented other contrivances, such as : confinement in dungeons ; stretching of the feet to the fifth hole in the stocks ; suffocation ; leaving the tortured without human ministration. Blessed Pothinus, Bishop of Lyons, was more than ninety years of age, and very infirm ; but being asked who the god of the Christians is , he said : If thou art worthy, thou shalt know. Those near him beat him and kicked him ; those at a distance hurled at him whatever they could seize. Scarcely breathing, he was cast into prison, and died after two days. Blandina was suspended on a stake, and thus exposed to wild beasts ; and because she appeared as if hanging on a cross, and because of her prayers, she inspired the combatants with great zeal, for in this their sister they beheld Christ Crucified. But as none of the wild beasts at that time did touch her, she was preserved for another contest. And some of those who had as first denied Christ confessed him, and were added to the Martyrs. Blessed Blandina, last of all, was finally enclosed in a net and thrown before a bull, which same tossed her about. In the end all that remained alive were sacrificed by the pagans. We were in deep affliction because we were not even allowed to bury their bodies, for these were exposed for six days, then burned, and the ashes thrown into the Rhone. ( The foregoing is part of an Epistle written by the surviving Christians in Vienne and Lyons to the Christians of Asia Minor, a trustworthy account of the great martyrdom which occurred in Gaul about the year 177.)

Collect:

Grant, O Lord, that as we keep the Feast of Pothinus the Bishop, Blandina the Virgin, and their Companions in holy Martyrdom : so we may become rooted and grounded in love of thee ; and sustain with unconquered soul any sufferings of this present life, for the glory that shall be revealed in us, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Ss. Marcellinus, Peter, and Erasmus, Bishop, and Martyrs.

Ss. Marcellinus, Peter, and Erasmus, Bishop, and Martyrs.

　
Marcellinus and Peter have their names amongst those Martyrs who are commemorated daily in the Gregorian Canon of the Mass. Pope Saint Damasus wrote an epitaph for the tomb of these Martyrs, saying : O Marcellinus and Peter, when I was still a child, your executioner himself related to me how he had been commanded by the cruel tyrant to sever your heads from your bodies in the midst of a wood, so that no man should know the place of your burial ; and how that ye then, with your own hands, diligently prepared for yourselves a tomb ; and in this cave which ye had cleansed, your bodies lay for some time undiscovered, until ye made the place known to Lucilla, who preferred to translate your holy relicks thither. The details of their passion is told as followeth : Peter, an exorcist, (having been sent to prison at Rome, about the 304 under Diocletian, because he confessed the Christian Faith,) delivered Paulina, daughter of Artemius the keeper of his prison, from an evil spirit which tormented her ; whereupon the girl’s parents, and many of their friends, were converted to Jesus Christ ; and all these Peter sent to Marcellinus the priest, who baptized them ; and when the judge heard of it, he took Peter and Marcellinus, and separated them ; shutting up Marcellinus naked in a prison strewn with broken glass, without either food or light ; and confining Peter elsewhere in locked fetters ; but when such and other torments served but to increase their faith and courage, they were beheaded, unshaken in their testimony, and confessing Jesus Christ gloriously. Erasmus (Also called Elmo) is reputed to have been a Syrian bishop, who fled from country to country because of the persecution to which he was subjected for Christ’s sake. And in each place he converted many to believe in Christ. And finally, about the year 304, at Formi in the Campagna, he obtained the palm of a glorious martyrdom. Because of his travels, he was accounted a seafaring man, and so came to be widely venerated as the patron of sailors ; and the strange fire which sometimes is seen to flare forth on the rigging of ships is called after him, Saint Elmo’s Fire, and was believed to be a sign of his intervention of behalf of the ship. He is said to have been martyred by disemboweling, for which reason he was invoked against stomach disorders.

Collect:

O God, who makest us glad with the yearly festival of thy Martyrs, Marcellinus, Peter, and Erasmus : grant, we beseech thee ; that, as we do rejoice in their merits, so we may be enkindled to follow them in all virtuous and godly living, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, Confessor and Doctor

Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, Confessor and Doctor

　
Bede the Priest was born about the year 673, at Jarrow, on the borders of England and Scotland. At the age of seven, as he himself hath left on record, he was placed under the care of holy Benedict Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth, to be educated. Thereafter he became a monk, and so ordered his life that, whilst he should devote himself wholly to the study of the sciences and of doctrine, he might in nothing relax the discipline of his Order. There was no branch of learning in which he was not thoroughly versed, but his chief care was the study of the Holy Scriptures ; and that he might the better understand them he acquired a knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew tongues. When he was nineteen, as he himself hath told us, he was ordered deacon ; and at thirty by command of his Abbot he was ordained priest ; and immediately on the advice of Acea, Bishop of Hexham, undertook the work of expounding the Sacred Books. In his interpretations he so strictly adhered to the teaching of the holy Fathers that he would advance nothing which was not approved by their judgement, and had the warrant of their very words. He ever hated sloth, and by habitually passing from reading to prayer, and in turn from prater to reading, he so inflamed his soul that often amid his reading and teaching he was bathed in tears. Lest his mind should be distracted by the cares of transitory things, he never would take the office of Abbot when it was offered him. * The name of Bede soon became so famous for learning and piety that Saint Sergius the Pope thought of calling him to Rome, where, certainly, he might have helped to solve the very difficult questions which had then arisen concerning sacred things. He wrote many books for the bettering of the lives of the faithful and for the defending and extending the Faith. By those he gained everywhere such a reputation that the holy Martyr Bishop Boniface styled him the Light of the Church ; Lanfranc called him The Teacher of the English ; and the Council of Aix la Chapelle termed him The Admirable Doctor. But as his writings were publicly read in the churches during his life, and as it was not allowable to give him officially the title of Saint, they spoke of him as The Venerable, a title which in all times after hath remained peculiarly his. The power of his teaching was the greater also, in that it was attested by a holy life and the graces of religious observance. In this way, by his earnestness and example, his disciples, who were many and distinguished, were made eminent, not only in letters and in sciences, but in personal holiness. * Broken at length by age and labour, he was seized, in the year 735, by a grievous illness. Though he suffered under it for more than seven weeks. He ceased not from his prayers and his interpreting of the Scriptures ; for at that time he was turning the Gospel of blessed John into English for the use of his people. But when, on the Eve of the Ascension, he perceived that death was coming upon him, he sought to be fortified with the last Sacraments of the Church. Then his young amanuensis said to him : There remaineth yet, dear master, one sentence not written down. And when the holy man had painfully supplied the translation, and heard the scribe say that it was finished, he exclaimed : Well said, It is finished. Whereupon, after he had embraced his companions, and was laid on a piece of sackcloth on the ground, he repeated the words : Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost : and fell asleep in the Lord. His body, incorrupt, (or, as it is related, breathing sweet odour,) was buried in the monastery of Jarrow, and afterwards was translated to Durham with the relics of Saint Cuthbert.
　

Collect:

O God, who hast enlightened thy Church with the wondrous learning of blessed Bede thy Confessor and Doctor : mercifully grant to us thy servants ; that we, being in all things enlightened by his wisdom, may at all times feel the effectual succour of his righteousness, through Jesus Christ our Lord

Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop and Confessor

Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop and Confessor

　
From the Ecclesiastical History by St. Bede the Venerable

Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Apostle of the English, was sent into England by blessed Gregory, and came thither in the year 597. At that time King Ethelbert held the chief power in Kent, and his sway reached even to the Humber. When this King had heard for what reason the holy man was come, he received him kindly, and bade him and his companions, who were all monks, to come to his own capital city of Canterbury ; being struck with astonishment the perfect blamelessness of their lives, and the power of the heavenly doctrine which they preached, and which God confirmed with signs following.
They drew nigh to the city in solemn procession, singing the Litany, and bearing before them for their standard a silver cross and a picture of the Lord our Saviour painted on a panel. Hard by the city, upon the east side, there was a church builded of old time in honour of Saint Martin, and wherein the Queen, who was a Christian, was used to pray. There they first began to meet together, to sing, to pray, to celebrate Masses, to preach and to baptize, until the King was turned to the Faith, and the most part of his people was led by his example, but not his authority, to take the name of Christian ; for he had learned from his teachers and his own soul’s physicians, that men are to be drawn, and not driven to heaven. And now, Augustine, being ordained Archbishop of the English and of Britain, lest he should leave unraveled any part of the Lord’s vineyard, asked from the Apostolic See a new band of labourers, among whom were Mellitus, Justus, Paulinus, and Rufinian.
By them Gregory sent hallowed vessels, altar-cloths, church vestments, and also relicks of the holy Apostles and Martyrs. He instructed them to turn the temples of the idols into places of Christian worship, by sprinkling them with hallowed water, building altars in them, and putting relicks therein. The Britons who, nearly an hundred and fifty years before, had been thrust into the uttermost part of the island, had some bishops, whom Augustine vehemently urged to lay aside their error concerning the keeping of Easter, and to labour along with him for the conversion of the English, but they left it all to him. He toiled much for the saving of souls. He was illustrious for his life. He made Mellitus Bishop of London and Justus Bishop of Rochester, and named Lawrence to succeed himself at Canterbury, and then finished his work in peace, and passed away to that life which is perfect blessedness, upon May 26^th, in the year of our Lord 604, in the reign of Ethelbert.

Collect:

O God, who by the preaching and miracles of blessed Augustine thy Confessor and Bishop, hast caused the light of the true Faith to shine forth among the peoples of England: grant that by his intercession the hearts of them that are gone astray may return to the unity of thy truth ; and that we may dwell together in peace according to thy will, through Jesus

Saint Aldhelm, Bishop & Confessor

Saint Aldhelm, Bishop & Confessor

Saint Aldhelm

　
Aldhelm, who was a Saxon of royal blood, took the habit of a monk in the Monastery at Malmesbury. But he resorted again and again to Canterbury to sit at the feet of the Abbot Hadrian, and so advanced under his instruction, that not only himself became famous as a teacher, but was also the first Englishman who ventured on a publishing books. According to the testimony of Bede, he was a man of wide and varied learning, a brilliant speaker, and wonderfully well read both in ecclesiastical and worldly writers. * He read often, and prayed constantly, so that , to use his own expression, whilst he read, he seemed to hear God speaking to him, and whilst he prayed, himself did speak to God there present. He was indifferent to hunger, and careless about money. Further, he as far as possible remained inside his monastery, where he proclaimed an unceasing war against idleness and desire. However, when a Church Synod had discussed the corrupt doctrines of the British Christians, and had come to the unanimous conclusion that it was better to lead schismatics by reason than to drive them by force, Aldhelm took upon himself the task of confuting their errors. This he did by writing a book, which was the means of leading back many of the wanderers into the bosom of the Universal Church. * After the death of Saint Hedda, Bishop among the West-Saxons, Aldhelm was induced, against his own wishes, to accept the See of Sherborne. When he entered on this duty, he already felt that the end of his life was near, and, to make the best of what time remained, he preached day and night, visited about his diocese, and practiced fasting, and the like, as much as in the prime of his life. He died four years after his consecration as bishop, in the year of our Lord’s Incarnation 709, and was buried in the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel at Malmesbury.
　

Collect:

O god, who as on this day didst exalt thy blessed Bishop Saint Aldhelm to everlasting felicity : we pray thee, that by his merits and intercession, thy mercy may bring us unto that place whither he is gone before, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
　

Saint Vincent of Lerins, Confessor, (May 24)

Saint Vincent of Lerins, Confessor

　
This Vincent, whom the ancients describe as a man pre-eminent in eloquence and learning, was a priest in the island-monastery once called Lerins, but now known as Saint Honorat, after its holy founder. About the year 434 he wrote a celebrated treatise as a warning against heresies, and an examination in the means of establishing Christian truth. Therein he laid down a rule of faith which is sometimes called the Vincentian Canon, to wit : the Catholic Faith is that which hath been held always, everywhere, and by all : which is to say, that doubtful points are to be settled by the test of antiquity, universality, and consent. In this little book he describes himself as a stranger and pilgrim who fled from the military service of this world, with its passing pleasures and empty vanities, that he might enter the service of Christ. He is believed to have been a brother of that Saint Lupus who was also a monk at Lerins, and afterwards became Bishop of Troyes ; and about the year 445, he went to God in peace.

Collect:

O God, who didst raise up thy blessed confessor Vincent to proclaim the rule of faith : grant that all thy people may stedfastly witness to the fulness of the truth ; that the same may be received everywhere, always, and by all, even as thou hast taught us through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
　

Passion For Good Friday

The Gospel. St. John xix. 1.  

PILATE therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King ! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son ! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced

The Collects.

ALMIGHTY God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified; Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

MERCIFUL God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor desirest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live; Have mercy upon all who know thee not as thou art revealed in the Gospel of thy Son. Take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word; and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, to thy fold, that they may be made one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Ash Wednesday Matins Lessons

The First Lesson

Isaiah 58:1-12

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

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The Second Lesson

Hebrews 12:1-14

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

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The Collect

Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Walburga, Virgin.

Saint Walburga, Virgin.

　
Walburga was the daughter of the West Saxon Thane Saint Richard, and sister to Willibald and Wunnibald, all of whom were venerated by the Saxons as great Saints of God. Walburga became a nun at Windborne ; and when her kinsman Saint Boniface was evangelizing the Germans, she was sent, along with Saint Lioba and other nuns, to help him. The Abbey of Heidenheim, which had been founded by her aforesaid holy brothers, now added a house for women ; and Walburga held rule over both the monks and nuns thereof until her death, about the year 780. She is venerated under various names throughout France, Germany, and the Low Countries, where her feast is kept on May 1^st.
　
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Collect:

Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation : that, like as we do rejoice in the festival of blessed Walburga thy holy virgin : so we may learn to follow her in all godly and devout affections, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Ignatius, Bishop and Martyr, February 1

　From the Book on Ecclesiastical Writers by St. Jerome the Priest
　
Ignatius was the third Bishop of Antioch after the Apostle Peter, and when Trajan stirred up persecution against the Christians, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts, and so was sent to Rome in chains. On his journey thither he arrived at Smyrna, where Polycarp, the disciple of John, was Bishop. Since we have thus made mention of a man of so much importance as Ignatius, it is fitting that we should also note briefly the Epistle which he addressed to the Romans. I am on my way, said he, from Syria to Rome, and am already fighting with beasts on sea and land all the way. For I am chained day and night to the ten soldiers in charge of me, who are not better than leopards.
The more courteous I am to them, the worse they are to me. Yet their wickedness is good schooling for me, though I know that my mere sufferings cannot in themselves gain me justification. I earnestly wish for the beasts which are to devour me. At any rate, I pray they may put me out of pain quickly, and fly on me willingly, that I be not like some other Martyrs, whose bodies the animals have refused to touch. If I find that they will not come at me, I shall run at them as quick as I can, to make them devour me. Bear with me, my little children ; I know what is good for me. I feel now that I am beginning to be Christ’s disciple. I desire none of those things which are seen, if so be I may find Christ Jesus. I care not that there come upon me fire, or cross, or wild beasts, or breaking of my bones, or sundering of my members, or destruction of my whole body, yea, or all the torments of the devil, if only I may thereby win Christ.
When he was brought condemned to the theatre, and heard the roaring of the beasts which were to devour him, he felt a strong eagerness to suffer, even as he himself put on record : I am Christ’s wheat ; let the teeth of wild beasts be my mill, that I may be ground up in such wise as to become good bread unto Christ. He suffered in the eleventh year of Trajan. What was left of his body was buried at Antioch, in the cemetery outside the Gate of Daphne.

　

Collect:

Almighty God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, that whereas we are afflicted by the burden of our sins, the glorious intercession of thy Martyr and Bishop Saint Ignatius may be our succour and defence, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor

Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor

St. John Chrysostom

　
This John was born at Antioch, and in manhood developed such a gift of eloquence that he came to be called Chrysostom, that is, Golden-mouth. He became a monk, and set about to subdue his quick temper, and other passions, none of which he found so difficult to conquer as vainglory. He was made Archbishop of Constantinople against his will in 398, and undertook the reform of that vast diocese, recalling Christians to their first fervour, founding hospitals for the sick and poor, and sending missionaries to the Goths, and even settling the troubles of the Church of Ephesus. The principal liturgy of the Eastern Church is named for him because of the contributions which he made to it.
His great Christian learning and zeal earned him many enemies, one of whom was the Empress Eudoxia, who sent him into exile. But the people so much rebelled at his that he was recalled. Whereat he ceased not to rebuke the laxity of manners amongst high and low, which so annoyed a faction of bishops that these same procured of the Emperor Arcadius to have him exiled to Armenia, and then driven thither and yon. During which time it passeth belief how much he suffered, and how many he won to Christ. Thus in his old age, from the hardships of his forced journeys, he died in Pontus, on September 14^th in 407.
But in 434, the then Emperor Theodosius and his sister Pulcheria, children of Arcadius and Eudoxia, caused the body of the Saint to be brought from Pontus to Constantinople, and on January 27^th laid it with magnificent honours in a tomb, beside the which they prayed for the forgiveness of their father and mother. His relicks were later translated to the Vatican Basilica at Rome. Saint Chrysostom is esteemed as one of the first four Eastern Doctors of the Church, of whom he was by far the most prolific preacher, and his writings are one of the treasures of Christendom.
　

Collect:

O Lord, who didst vouchsafe to illumine thy Church with the wondrous righteousness and doctrine of thy blessed Confessor and Bishop Saint Chrysostom: grant, we beseech thee, that the bounty of thy heavenly grace may evermore increase and multiply the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Agnes Virgin & Martyr: Mass Propers

Saint Agnes, Virgin amd Martyr

INTROIT. Me expectaverunt. Ps. 119THE ungodly laid wait for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies, O Lord: I see that all things come o an end: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. Ps. ibid. Blessed are those hat are undefiled in the way: and walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be.
COLLECT.
Almighty and everlasting God, who dost choose the weak things of the world to confound those things that are strong: mercifully grant that we who keep the feast of blessed Agnes thy Virgin and Martyr, may feel the succour of her intercession in thy sight. [Through]

The Epistle. Ecclesiasticus 51.1[Mass 21, Me expectaverunt.]
I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my saviour: I do give praise unto thy Name: for thou art my defender and helper, and hast preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and hast been mine helper against mine adversaries: and hast delivered me according to the multitude of thy mercies and greatness of thy Name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had; from the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not; from the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words. By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath. They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me; I looked for the succour of men, but there was none. Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies, O Lord our God.
GRADUAL. Ps. 45. Full of grace are thy lips: because God hath blessed thee for ever. V. Because of the word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness: and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
Alleluia, alleluia. V. St. Matt. 25. The five wise virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps: and at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him, Christ the Lord. Alleluia.
After Septuagesima, instead of Alleluia, and verse following, is said:
TRACT. Come, thou bride of Christ, receive the crown which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever: for whose love thou didst shed thy blood. V. Ps. 45. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. V. In thy comeliness and in thy beauty go forth, ride prosperously and reign.

GOSPEL. St Matthew 25:1-13a[From Mass 19, Delexisti.]1 The kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.