466 XXV. ST. MARK, the Evangelist. A dreadful plague having broke out at Rome, anno. 589, which carried off a great number of the people, and among the rest Pope Pelagius, who then sat in St. Peter's Chair. St. Gregory his successor, appointed public prayers for appeasing the anger of God, the happy effects of which became so evident by the immediate cessation of the plague, that the same pious custom has been ever since con tinued. Wherefore, since, by our repeated trans gressions we also have just reason to deprecate the Scourges of divine vengeance, let us this day hum ble ourselves by prayer and abstinence before the throne of mercy, beseeching God to preserve us from all pestilential distempers, forgive us our sins; and grant his blessing on the fruit of the earth. The Litanies are said for this purpose to-day. INTROIT, Protexistí, as in Mass VI. COLLECT. Deus qui. O God, who didst raise blessed Mark, thy evangelist, to the honourable commission of preaching the gospel: grant, we be seech thee, that we may ever receive benefit from his instructions, and be defended by his prayers. Through. p. X. LESSON. Ezek. i. 10, 14. The likeness of the four living creatures was this; there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four; and the face of an ox on the left side of all the four; and the face of an eagle over all the four. And their faces and their wings were stretched up ward; two wings of every one were joined, and twe covered their bodies. And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spint was to go, thither they went, and they turned not when they went. And as for the likeness of the liv ing creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance o lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, of and lightning going forth from the fire. And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning. Alleluia, Alleluia. The heavens, O Lord declare thy wonders, and the fulfilling of thy promise in the assembly of the saints. Alleluia. GOSPEL. Luke x. 1, 9. At that time: The Lord appointed other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. And he said to them: the harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers unto his harvest. Go; behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house you enter, first say; Peace be to this house, and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house reinain, eating and drinking such things as they have. For the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you; and heal the sick that are therein, and say to them; the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. The Creed. SECRET. Bringing thee our offerings, O Lord, on this solemnity of blessed Mark, the evangelist, we humbly beseech thee, that as the preaching of the gospel raised him to glory, so his intercession may make us both in word and deed, well pleasing to thee. Thro'. COMM. Ps. lxiii. The just man, &c. P. COMM. Tribuant nobis. May thy sacred mysteries, O Lord, afford us continual help, so as by the prayers of blessed Mark, thy evangelist, they may ever defend us from all adversity. Thro". For the Litanies, see Rogation days. XXVI. SS. CLETUS & MARCELLINE, bps. m. COLLECT. Beatorum. Grant, O Lord, that the glorious confession of thy blessed martyrs and bishops, Cletus and Marcelline, may strengthen us, and their pious intercession continually defend us. Thro'. XXVIII. ST. VITALIS, m. XXIX. ST. PETER, m. All as in Mass VI. p. x. except COLLECT. Præsta. Grant we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we may with true zeal pr fess the faith of blessed Peter thy martyr, for the propagation whereof he was crowned with a glorious death. Thro'. 465. Commem. of St. George, p. SECRET. Favourably regard, O Lord, the pra ers we offer thee, and by the intercession of blessed Peter, thy martyr, continually protect the defenders of the faith. Thro'. P. COMM. Fidelis. May the sacraments we have received, O Lord, preserve thy faithful, and by the intercession of blessed Peter, thy martyr defend us against the assaults of the enemy. Thro XXX. ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA, V. All as in Mass XX. p. xxxv, except COLLECT. Da, quæsumus. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who celebrate the festival of blessed Catharine, thy Virgin, may re joice in her yearly solemnity, and profit by the ex ample in her eminent virtues. Thro'. SECRET. May the prayers we offer on the festival of blessed Catharine ascend to thee, O Lord, & P.CO We may together with the victim of our salvation, fraught with heavenly sweetness. Thro'. P. COMM. Æternitatem. Grant, O Lord, that we may have eternal life communicated to us by the nourishment we have received at thy holy table, which supported the temporal life of blessed Catharine thy virgin. Thro'. May 1. SS. PHILIP AND JAMES, aps. INTROIT. 2 Esdras ix. They cried out unto thee, O Lord, in their affliction; and thou didst hear them from heaven. Alleluia, Alleluia. Ps. Rejoice, in the Lord, O ye just; praise becometh the upright; V. Glory. O God, who COLLECT. Deus, qui nos annua. comfortest us by the yearly solemnity of thy apostles Philip and James: grant, we beseech thee, that we may be instructed by their example, for whose merits we rejoice. Thro', LESSON. Wisd. v. as in Mass VI. p. x. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord; and thy truth in the church of the saints. Alleluia. V. So long a time have I been with you, and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me, seeth my Father also. Allel. In If GOSPEL. John xiv. 1, 13. At that time; Jesus said to his disciples: Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. my father's house there are many mansions. not, I would have told you, that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself, that where I am, you also may be. And whither I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas saith to him; Lord we know not whither thou goest: and how can we know the way; Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. 470 If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him. Philip saith to him: Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus saith to him; So long a time have I been with you; and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, Shew us the Father? Do you not be lieve, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. But the Father who abideth in me, he doth the works. Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? Otherwise believe for the very works' sake. Amen, amen, I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do, and greater than these shall he do. Because I go to the Father, and whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do. The Creed. OFFERT. P. xviii. The heavens, O Lord, shall declare thy wonders, and the fulfilling of thy promises in the assembly of the saints. Alleluia, Alleluia. SECRET. Favourably receive, O Lord, the of ferings we bring on the feast of thy holy apostles, Philip and James; and turn away all the misfortunes we deserve. Thro?. COMM. John xiv. So long a time have I been with you and have you not known me? Philip, be that seeth me, seeth my Father also. Alleluia. Be lieve you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? Alleluia, Alleluia. P. COMM. Quæsumus, as in MASS VII. p. x. II. ST. ATHANASIUS, bp. c. D. INTROIT. In medio, Mass XIII. p. xxiv, the rest as in Mass XII. p. xxii, except ·EPISTLE. 2 Cor. iv. 5, 15. Brethren: We Christ J 2 ། |