Office of Readings
0126 Pastors Feast
Invitatory Antiphon
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the God who save us.
Let us come before him giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his.
To him belongs the sea, for he made it,
and the dry land shaped by his hands.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us
for he is our God and we +
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert +
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
For forty years I was wearied of these people
and I said: 'Their hearts are astray,
these people do not know my ways.' +
Then I took an oath in my anger:
'Never shall they enter my rest.'"
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Hymn
The king of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness fails me never:
I nothing lack if I am his,
And he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living water flow,
To rest my soul he leads me:
Where fresh and fertile pastures grow,
With heav’nly food he feeds me.
Perverse and foolish I have strayed,
But he with love has sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death’s dark vale, I fear no ill,
With you, dear Lord, beside me:
Your rod and staff my comfort still,
Your cross will ever guide.
You spread a banquet in my sight,
My head with oil anointing,
And let me taste the sweet delight
From your pure chalice flowing.
And so through all the length of days
Your goodness fails me never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing your praise
Within your house forever.
PSALMODY
Psalm 21:2-8,14
Ant 1: If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last and the servant of all.
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the King; *
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart's desire; *
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
You came to meet him with the blessings of success, *
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given, *
days that will last from age to age.
Your saving help has given him glory. *
You have laid upon him majesty and splendor,
you have granted your blessings to him forever. *
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
The king has put his trust in the Lord: *
through the mercy of the Most High he shall stand firm.
O Lord, arise in your strength; *
we shall sing and praise your power.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever.
Ant 1: If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last and the servant of all.
Psalm 92 I
Ant 2: When the prince of pastors comes again, you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, *
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning *
and your truth in the watches of the night,
on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute, *
with the murmuring sound of the harp.
Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad; *
for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
O Lord, how great are your works! *
How deep are your designs!
The foolish man cannot know this *
and the fool cannot understand.
Though the wicked spring up like grass *
and all who do evil thrive,
they are doomed to be eternally destroyed. *
But you, Lord, are eternally on high.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever.
Ant 2: When the prince of pastors comes again, you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory.
Psalm 92 II
Ant 3: My good and faithful servant, come and share your master's joy.
See how your enemies perish; *
all doers of evil are scattered.
To me you give the wild ox's strength; *
you anoint me with the purest oil.
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes; *
my ears heard gladly of their fall.
The just will flourish like the palm tree *
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
Planted in the house of the Lord *
they will flourish in the courts of our God,
still bearing fruit when they are old, *
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is just. *
In him, my rock, there is no wrong
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever.
Ant 3: My good and faithful servant, come and share your master's joy.
【V】:You will hear the word from my mouth.
【R】:You will tell others what I have said.
First Reading
From the first letter of Peter the Apostle (5:1-11)
The duties of pastors and the laity
I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Likewise, you younger members, be subject to the presbyters. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: "God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.
RESPONSORY [See Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 4:2]
【V】:It should be clear that we are Christ's servants, stewards of the mysteries of God;
【R】:the great quality of a steward is to be faithful to his duty.
【V】:Many men are said to be merciful,but how often do we find one who is faithful to his duty?
【R】:the great quality of a steward is to be faithful to his duty.
Second Reading
From the autobiographical memoirs of Blessed Gabriele Allegra (published d by S. Gozzo, Rome 1986, pp. 251-254)
Search for God in solitude and work for the salvation of your people.
“Search for God” is one of the sweetest and most frequent phrases in the Bible. But searching for Him in solitude is much more, something that makes us think of some of the greatest prophets such as Moses, Elijah and Elisha, and of Lord Jesus himself who, before beginning to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, withdrew to the “mountain of the quarantine” to pray and do penance; of Jesus, who very often spent his nights in prayer and led his apostles to deserted places to better train them for the Evangelical apostolate.
The way of living of the divine Master is an example and a lesson for his disciples and will always be so. The life of the Church is a mystical recreation of the divine Master’s life. A single saint will never be able to achieve all the divine richness, the ineffable holiness of the life of Jesus. Therefore, inside the Church there are many different charisms, so that in the mystical body of Christ the whole mystery of Christ may reach its fulfilment.
The phrase: “Searching for God in solitude and working for the salvation of your people” expresses, as it seems to me, with fullness and sweetness, the vocation, the charism both of the Franciscan Order as a whole and of its children, individually taken. For this, a Franciscan friar is able to put into practice the two main aspects of the life of the Lord, who used to look for deserted places and to spend the nights in prayer, but also used to enter the synagogues and to walk from town to town preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Regarding the history of the earliest times of the Order, there was a period of doubt of our father St Francis, whether he should live as a hermit, in solitude, or should go out to preach the Gospel to the peoples of the world. We also know how he asked the prayers of brother Sylvester and of sister Clare, in order to know the will of God. We know how from both of them he received the same answer, that he should imitate the "mixed" life of the Saviour, who yearned for and immersed himself in solitude, to unite more intimately with his Father, to immerse himself in the heart of the Father, in order to tirelessly preach His Kingdom.
St Francis was called to this life of loving solitude and of service of the most suffering brothers of the body of Christ, the lepers, and above all to live the Gospel and preach it to everyone with strength and greatness of heart. His children too are called to the same lifestyle, ready to give their lives, to suffer martyrdom for the cause of the Gospel.
I pray to Our Lady, “Seat of Wisdom”, to pour out the desire and love of wisdom into the hearts of all priests, so that they, like the young friend of St Jerome, the priest Nepozianus, may make of their hearts "the library of Christ".
Study, the true study, accepted and practiced for the love of Jesus and of His Church, is a humble and hidden penance, and wisdom is grace, is light and strength, which forms hearts of flesh, our hearts, poor children of Adam, pure, ardent, strong hearts. Pure as angels, ardent as St John the Apostle, and strong like St Paul, who, having been seized by Christ, felt the strength of Christ within himself and therefore could write these words, which sound meaningless to the world: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37 NRSV)
Responsory [Lk 24:45; Mk 16:15.17; Acts 1:8]
【V】:The Lord opened the minds of the disciples to understand the Scriptures, and said, "Go out to all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."
【R】:"Those who believe in my name will speak in new tongues".
【V】:You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.”
【R】:"Those who believe in my name will speak in new tongues".
TeDeum
We praise you, O God: *
we acclaim you as the Lord.
Everlasting Father, *
all the world bows down before you.
All the angels sing your praise, *
the hosts of heaven and all the angelic powers,
all the cherubim and seraphim *
call out to you in unending song:
Holy, Holy, Holy, *
is the Lord God of angel hosts!
The heavens and the earth are filled *
with your majesty and glory.
The glorious band of apostles, *
the noble company of prophets,
the white-robed army who shed their blood for Christ, *
all sing your praise.
And to the ends of the earth *
your holy Church proclaims her faith in you:
Father, whose majesty is boundless, +
your true and only Son, who is to be adored *
the Holy Spirit sent to be our Advocate.
You, Christ, are the king of glory, *
Son of the eternal Father.
When you took our nature to save mankind *
you did not shrink from birth in the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the power of death *
opening the Father's kingdom to all who believe in you.
Enthroned at God's right hand in the glory of the Father, *
you will come in judgment according to your promise.
You redeemed your people by your precious blood. *
Come we implore you, to our aid.
Grant us with the saints *
a place in eternal glory.
***
Lord, save your people *
and bless your inheritance.
Rule them and uphold them *
for ever and ever.
Day by day we praise you: *
we acclaim you now and to all eternity.
In your goodness, Lord, keep us free from sin. *
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
May your mercy always be with us, Lord, *
for we have hoped in you.
In you, Lord, we put our trust: *
we shall not be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
God, Father of light,you aroused in Blessed Gabriel Maria, priestly friar, an ardent dedication to the divine Scriptures,so that the Gospel of your Son could resound to the ends of the earth,grant us too, through his intercession, to nourish ourselves assiduously with the Word of life,and always testify to it in words and deeds.Through our Lord Jesus Christ your son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the God who save us.
Let us come before him giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his.
To him belongs the sea, for he made it,
and the dry land shaped by his hands.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the God who made us
for he is our God and we +
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
O that today you would listen to his voice!
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert +
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
For forty years I was wearied of these people
and I said: 'Their hearts are astray,
these people do not know my ways.' +
Then I took an oath in my anger:
'Never shall they enter my rest.'"
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
【Ant】:Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Hymn
The king of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness fails me never:
I nothing lack if I am his,
And he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living water flow,
To rest my soul he leads me:
Where fresh and fertile pastures grow,
With heav’nly food he feeds me.
Perverse and foolish I have strayed,
But he with love has sought me,
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death’s dark vale, I fear no ill,
With you, dear Lord, beside me:
Your rod and staff my comfort still,
Your cross will ever guide.
You spread a banquet in my sight,
My head with oil anointing,
And let me taste the sweet delight
From your pure chalice flowing.
And so through all the length of days
Your goodness fails me never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing your praise
Within your house forever.
PSALMODY
Psalm 21:2-8,14
Ant 1: If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last and the servant of all.
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the King; *
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart's desire; *
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
You came to meet him with the blessings of success, *
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given, *
days that will last from age to age.
Your saving help has given him glory. *
You have laid upon him majesty and splendor,
you have granted your blessings to him forever. *
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
The king has put his trust in the Lord: *
through the mercy of the Most High he shall stand firm.
O Lord, arise in your strength; *
we shall sing and praise your power.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever.
Ant 1: If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last and the servant of all.
Psalm 92 I
Ant 2: When the prince of pastors comes again, you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, *
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning *
and your truth in the watches of the night,
on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute, *
with the murmuring sound of the harp.
Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad; *
for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
O Lord, how great are your works! *
How deep are your designs!
The foolish man cannot know this *
and the fool cannot understand.
Though the wicked spring up like grass *
and all who do evil thrive,
they are doomed to be eternally destroyed. *
But you, Lord, are eternally on high.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever.
Ant 2: When the prince of pastors comes again, you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory.
Psalm 92 II
Ant 3: My good and faithful servant, come and share your master's joy.
See how your enemies perish; *
all doers of evil are scattered.
To me you give the wild ox's strength; *
you anoint me with the purest oil.
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes; *
my ears heard gladly of their fall.
The just will flourish like the palm tree *
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
Planted in the house of the Lord *
they will flourish in the courts of our God,
still bearing fruit when they are old, *
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is just. *
In him, my rock, there is no wrong
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever.
Ant 3: My good and faithful servant, come and share your master's joy.
【V】:You will hear the word from my mouth.
【R】:You will tell others what I have said.
First Reading
From the first letter of Peter the Apostle (5:1-11)
The duties of pastors and the laity
I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Likewise, you younger members, be subject to the presbyters. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: "God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen.
RESPONSORY [See Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 4:2]
【V】:It should be clear that we are Christ's servants, stewards of the mysteries of God;
【R】:the great quality of a steward is to be faithful to his duty.
【V】:Many men are said to be merciful,but how often do we find one who is faithful to his duty?
【R】:the great quality of a steward is to be faithful to his duty.
Second Reading
From the autobiographical memoirs of Blessed Gabriele Allegra (published d by S. Gozzo, Rome 1986, pp. 251-254)
Search for God in solitude and work for the salvation of your people.
“Search for God” is one of the sweetest and most frequent phrases in the Bible. But searching for Him in solitude is much more, something that makes us think of some of the greatest prophets such as Moses, Elijah and Elisha, and of Lord Jesus himself who, before beginning to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, withdrew to the “mountain of the quarantine” to pray and do penance; of Jesus, who very often spent his nights in prayer and led his apostles to deserted places to better train them for the Evangelical apostolate.
The way of living of the divine Master is an example and a lesson for his disciples and will always be so. The life of the Church is a mystical recreation of the divine Master’s life. A single saint will never be able to achieve all the divine richness, the ineffable holiness of the life of Jesus. Therefore, inside the Church there are many different charisms, so that in the mystical body of Christ the whole mystery of Christ may reach its fulfilment.
The phrase: “Searching for God in solitude and working for the salvation of your people” expresses, as it seems to me, with fullness and sweetness, the vocation, the charism both of the Franciscan Order as a whole and of its children, individually taken. For this, a Franciscan friar is able to put into practice the two main aspects of the life of the Lord, who used to look for deserted places and to spend the nights in prayer, but also used to enter the synagogues and to walk from town to town preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Regarding the history of the earliest times of the Order, there was a period of doubt of our father St Francis, whether he should live as a hermit, in solitude, or should go out to preach the Gospel to the peoples of the world. We also know how he asked the prayers of brother Sylvester and of sister Clare, in order to know the will of God. We know how from both of them he received the same answer, that he should imitate the "mixed" life of the Saviour, who yearned for and immersed himself in solitude, to unite more intimately with his Father, to immerse himself in the heart of the Father, in order to tirelessly preach His Kingdom.
St Francis was called to this life of loving solitude and of service of the most suffering brothers of the body of Christ, the lepers, and above all to live the Gospel and preach it to everyone with strength and greatness of heart. His children too are called to the same lifestyle, ready to give their lives, to suffer martyrdom for the cause of the Gospel.
I pray to Our Lady, “Seat of Wisdom”, to pour out the desire and love of wisdom into the hearts of all priests, so that they, like the young friend of St Jerome, the priest Nepozianus, may make of their hearts "the library of Christ".
Study, the true study, accepted and practiced for the love of Jesus and of His Church, is a humble and hidden penance, and wisdom is grace, is light and strength, which forms hearts of flesh, our hearts, poor children of Adam, pure, ardent, strong hearts. Pure as angels, ardent as St John the Apostle, and strong like St Paul, who, having been seized by Christ, felt the strength of Christ within himself and therefore could write these words, which sound meaningless to the world: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37 NRSV)
Responsory [Lk 24:45; Mk 16:15.17; Acts 1:8]
【V】:The Lord opened the minds of the disciples to understand the Scriptures, and said, "Go out to all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."
【R】:"Those who believe in my name will speak in new tongues".
【V】:You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.”
【R】:"Those who believe in my name will speak in new tongues".
TeDeum
We praise you, O God: *
we acclaim you as the Lord.
Everlasting Father, *
all the world bows down before you.
All the angels sing your praise, *
the hosts of heaven and all the angelic powers,
all the cherubim and seraphim *
call out to you in unending song:
Holy, Holy, Holy, *
is the Lord God of angel hosts!
The heavens and the earth are filled *
with your majesty and glory.
The glorious band of apostles, *
the noble company of prophets,
the white-robed army who shed their blood for Christ, *
all sing your praise.
And to the ends of the earth *
your holy Church proclaims her faith in you:
Father, whose majesty is boundless, +
your true and only Son, who is to be adored *
the Holy Spirit sent to be our Advocate.
You, Christ, are the king of glory, *
Son of the eternal Father.
When you took our nature to save mankind *
you did not shrink from birth in the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the power of death *
opening the Father's kingdom to all who believe in you.
Enthroned at God's right hand in the glory of the Father, *
you will come in judgment according to your promise.
You redeemed your people by your precious blood. *
Come we implore you, to our aid.
Grant us with the saints *
a place in eternal glory.
***
Lord, save your people *
and bless your inheritance.
Rule them and uphold them *
for ever and ever.
Day by day we praise you: *
we acclaim you now and to all eternity.
In your goodness, Lord, keep us free from sin. *
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
May your mercy always be with us, Lord, *
for we have hoped in you.
In you, Lord, we put our trust: *
we shall not be put to shame.
Concluding Prayer
God, Father of light,you aroused in Blessed Gabriel Maria, priestly friar, an ardent dedication to the divine Scriptures,so that the Gospel of your Son could resound to the ends of the earth,grant us too, through his intercession, to nourish ourselves assiduously with the Word of life,and always testify to it in words and deeds.Through our Lord Jesus Christ your son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.