Office of Readings
0512 Pastors Memorial
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
Antiphons and Psalms of the Weekday
The Second Reading
From an address by Pope Paul VI on the occasion of the Beatification of Brother Leopold
Mandic
Who, who is he, who draws us together today, that in his blessed name, we may celebrate the radiance of the Gospel of Christ? It is an event which cannot be described, and yet one so clear and evident, an event of enchanting luminosity, which lets us see, in the face of a humble friar, a form that is at once ennobling and amazing: look, look, that is Saint Francis; do you not see him? See how poor he is, how simple, how courteous! Indeed it is he, he Francis, in ecstasy through some interior vision of the invisible presence of God, and yet so present to us and for us, so accessible and ready to serve us, that he seems to know us, to await us, to know our business and to read our hearts. Look carefully, he is a poor, humble Capuchin, always in pain and of halting step, yet so incredibly strong that each of us feels himself attracted and fascinated by him. Look well through the calm Franciscan window. Do you see him? Do you tremble? What do you see? Let us say that he is a feeble, human but authentic image of Jesus; that that Jesus who at one and the same time converses with the ineffable God, with the Father, and with us, his lowly audience, limited by the measure of our small and sorrowing humanity. And what does Jesus say to this, his poor little prophet? Oh wonderful mysteries, the mysteries of the infinite transcendence of God; he enchants us, and at once takes up a phrase which moves and draws us, which echoes the Gospel: "Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest."
But who is he? He is Father Leopold, who was born on 12th May 1866, who died at Padua, where he spent the greater part of his life, on 30th July, little more than 30 years ago.
But we cannot overlook a special characteristic of his. He was born on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, at Hercegovina, near the Gulf of Kotor, and always preserved a constant love of his native land; nor had he less affection for his new and hospitable fatherland all the while he dwelt in Padua, especially for the people among whom he exercised a silent and tireless ministry.
Thus did Blessed Leopold unite in himself this double citizenship, a symbol of friendship and brotherhood, a trait which every devotee should make his own. This special mark of the life of Father Leopold is the primary fulfilment of the idea and purpose which dominated his whole life.
As everyone knows, Father Leopold was "ecumenical" before his time, that is he dreamed of, foresaw and promoted, without fulfilling, that restoration of the perfect unity of the Church, which likewise zealously protects the manifold variety of its ethnic components.
Another of his special talents was the heroism and the charismatic quality of Father Leopold; who does not know it? We refer to his ministry in the Confessional. This was his daily programme. Having celebrated Mass at a very early hour, he sat in the Confessional, and there he remained all day, at the service of his penitents. For nearly forty years he followed this way of life, never complaining. This, in our opinion, is the main title by which our humble Capuchin merited the beatification which we are now celebrating. He attained to sanctity chiefly through the ministry of the sacrament of Penance. To the best of our ability we should regard with wonder and gratitude the Lord who today gives the Church such an outstanding example of a minister of the grace of the Sacrament of Penance, a man who on the one hand reminds priests of a ministry of such capital importance, such teaching value, and incomparable spirituality, and on the other hand reminds the faithful, be they fervent or tepid or indifferent, of what providential and ineffable help it offers them even today, and indeed today more than ever before, by individual and auricular confession, a source of grace and peace, a school of Christian living, an incomparable aid on the earthly journey to eternal happiness. May our Blessed brother draw to this tribunal of Penance, which is indeed austere but nonetheless a desirable haven of help, of inner truthfulness, of resurrection to grace, and an exercise in maintaining Christian authenticity, many who are deadened by the fallacy of today's customs, many who will thus have an opportunity of experiencing the hidden and renewed consolations of the Gospel, of conversing with the Father, meeting the Son and drinking from the inebriating fountains of the Holy Spirit, and of renewing in themselves zeal for promoting the good of others, for justice and for dignity of conduct.
Responsory
【V】:When we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ *
【R】:out of the great love with which he loved us.
【V】:This was to show for all ages to come how infinitely rich he is in grace, *
【R】:out of the great love with which he loved us.
Concluding Prayer
O God, true love and supreme unity, you adorned Saint Leopold your priest with the virtue of great compassion for sinners, and filled him with zeal for Christian unity. Through his prayers grant that we, renewed in mind and heart, may be able to show your love to all, and confidently seek the unity of all believers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
【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
Antiphons and Psalms of the Weekday
The Second Reading
From an address by Pope Paul VI on the occasion of the Beatification of Brother Leopold
Mandic
Who, who is he, who draws us together today, that in his blessed name, we may celebrate the radiance of the Gospel of Christ? It is an event which cannot be described, and yet one so clear and evident, an event of enchanting luminosity, which lets us see, in the face of a humble friar, a form that is at once ennobling and amazing: look, look, that is Saint Francis; do you not see him? See how poor he is, how simple, how courteous! Indeed it is he, he Francis, in ecstasy through some interior vision of the invisible presence of God, and yet so present to us and for us, so accessible and ready to serve us, that he seems to know us, to await us, to know our business and to read our hearts. Look carefully, he is a poor, humble Capuchin, always in pain and of halting step, yet so incredibly strong that each of us feels himself attracted and fascinated by him. Look well through the calm Franciscan window. Do you see him? Do you tremble? What do you see? Let us say that he is a feeble, human but authentic image of Jesus; that that Jesus who at one and the same time converses with the ineffable God, with the Father, and with us, his lowly audience, limited by the measure of our small and sorrowing humanity. And what does Jesus say to this, his poor little prophet? Oh wonderful mysteries, the mysteries of the infinite transcendence of God; he enchants us, and at once takes up a phrase which moves and draws us, which echoes the Gospel: "Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest."
But who is he? He is Father Leopold, who was born on 12th May 1866, who died at Padua, where he spent the greater part of his life, on 30th July, little more than 30 years ago.
But we cannot overlook a special characteristic of his. He was born on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, at Hercegovina, near the Gulf of Kotor, and always preserved a constant love of his native land; nor had he less affection for his new and hospitable fatherland all the while he dwelt in Padua, especially for the people among whom he exercised a silent and tireless ministry.
Thus did Blessed Leopold unite in himself this double citizenship, a symbol of friendship and brotherhood, a trait which every devotee should make his own. This special mark of the life of Father Leopold is the primary fulfilment of the idea and purpose which dominated his whole life.
As everyone knows, Father Leopold was "ecumenical" before his time, that is he dreamed of, foresaw and promoted, without fulfilling, that restoration of the perfect unity of the Church, which likewise zealously protects the manifold variety of its ethnic components.
Another of his special talents was the heroism and the charismatic quality of Father Leopold; who does not know it? We refer to his ministry in the Confessional. This was his daily programme. Having celebrated Mass at a very early hour, he sat in the Confessional, and there he remained all day, at the service of his penitents. For nearly forty years he followed this way of life, never complaining. This, in our opinion, is the main title by which our humble Capuchin merited the beatification which we are now celebrating. He attained to sanctity chiefly through the ministry of the sacrament of Penance. To the best of our ability we should regard with wonder and gratitude the Lord who today gives the Church such an outstanding example of a minister of the grace of the Sacrament of Penance, a man who on the one hand reminds priests of a ministry of such capital importance, such teaching value, and incomparable spirituality, and on the other hand reminds the faithful, be they fervent or tepid or indifferent, of what providential and ineffable help it offers them even today, and indeed today more than ever before, by individual and auricular confession, a source of grace and peace, a school of Christian living, an incomparable aid on the earthly journey to eternal happiness. May our Blessed brother draw to this tribunal of Penance, which is indeed austere but nonetheless a desirable haven of help, of inner truthfulness, of resurrection to grace, and an exercise in maintaining Christian authenticity, many who are deadened by the fallacy of today's customs, many who will thus have an opportunity of experiencing the hidden and renewed consolations of the Gospel, of conversing with the Father, meeting the Son and drinking from the inebriating fountains of the Holy Spirit, and of renewing in themselves zeal for promoting the good of others, for justice and for dignity of conduct.
Responsory
【V】:When we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ *
【R】:out of the great love with which he loved us.
【V】:This was to show for all ages to come how infinitely rich he is in grace, *
【R】:out of the great love with which he loved us.
Concluding Prayer
O God, true love and supreme unity, you adorned Saint Leopold your priest with the virtue of great compassion for sinners, and filled him with zeal for Christian unity. Through his prayers grant that we, renewed in mind and heart, may be able to show your love to all, and confidently seek the unity of all believers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen