Office of Readings
1126 Pastors Memorial
Invitatory Antiphon
【Ant.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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 and The First Reading of the Weekday
The Second Reading
From the writings of Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (Opere Complete II, Venezia 1868, pp. 176-177)
Meditation on the Passion of Christ will arouse true contrition of heart
With desolation is all the land made desolate because there is none that considers in his heart. Behold the source of all our ills, that no one ponders on those things which demand diligent consideration. Hence arise manifold disorders in our conduct. The last things are especially ignored: God's benefits, and all that the Son of God bore for us in his most bitter passion are consigned to oblivion; the duties and obligations proper to each state of life are carelessly discharged. Nor are those dangers which surround our life on every side foreseen and guarded against. Since, therefore, the world is filled with iniquity, rightly does Jeremiah complain, saying: "With desolation is all the land made desolate."
But is there any remedy for such evils? Truly this much-desired medicine is, in great part at least, ready. This do I desire to make known to all prelates, parish priests, priests and other ministers of God, at whose feet I prostrate myself. It is, in short, that pious exercise which they call the Way of the Cross. If by their zeal and industry it were to penetrate into all individual parishes and churches, it would certainly prove a strong bulwark against the flood of vices; it would enrich with the greatest virtues all who occupy themselves with the holy thought of the suffering and love of Jesus Christ.
O how many salutary insights, what sincere remorse of heart, what unconquerable steadfastness of soul are inspired by the assiduous meditation on the most bitter passion of the Son of God! Daily experience has taught me that men's conduct is quickly changed for the better by this holy manner of prayer.
This Way of the Cross is the antidote against vices, the purifying of passions, an efficacious incentive to virtue and holiness of Iife. In very truth, if we vividly represent the bitter torments of the Son of God as in so many painted pictures before our mind's eye, we can scarcely refrain from detesting the filth of our own lives, after so great an illumination; further, we are urged to answer so great a love by loving in return, or at least to bear willingly those crosses which abound in every state of life.
Responsory [I Cor. 2, 2-5]
【V】:I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. *
【R】:Not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
【V】:My speech and my message were in the demonstration of spirit and power. *
【R】:Not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, you made blessed Leonard an outstanding herald of the mystery of the cross. Grant through his intercession that we may recognize the riches of the cross while on earth, and attain to the fruit of its redemption in heaven: we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
【Ant.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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.】:How wonderful is God among his saints; come, let us adore him.
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 and The First Reading of the Weekday
The Second Reading
From the writings of Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (Opere Complete II, Venezia 1868, pp. 176-177)
Meditation on the Passion of Christ will arouse true contrition of heart
With desolation is all the land made desolate because there is none that considers in his heart. Behold the source of all our ills, that no one ponders on those things which demand diligent consideration. Hence arise manifold disorders in our conduct. The last things are especially ignored: God's benefits, and all that the Son of God bore for us in his most bitter passion are consigned to oblivion; the duties and obligations proper to each state of life are carelessly discharged. Nor are those dangers which surround our life on every side foreseen and guarded against. Since, therefore, the world is filled with iniquity, rightly does Jeremiah complain, saying: "With desolation is all the land made desolate."
But is there any remedy for such evils? Truly this much-desired medicine is, in great part at least, ready. This do I desire to make known to all prelates, parish priests, priests and other ministers of God, at whose feet I prostrate myself. It is, in short, that pious exercise which they call the Way of the Cross. If by their zeal and industry it were to penetrate into all individual parishes and churches, it would certainly prove a strong bulwark against the flood of vices; it would enrich with the greatest virtues all who occupy themselves with the holy thought of the suffering and love of Jesus Christ.
O how many salutary insights, what sincere remorse of heart, what unconquerable steadfastness of soul are inspired by the assiduous meditation on the most bitter passion of the Son of God! Daily experience has taught me that men's conduct is quickly changed for the better by this holy manner of prayer.
This Way of the Cross is the antidote against vices, the purifying of passions, an efficacious incentive to virtue and holiness of Iife. In very truth, if we vividly represent the bitter torments of the Son of God as in so many painted pictures before our mind's eye, we can scarcely refrain from detesting the filth of our own lives, after so great an illumination; further, we are urged to answer so great a love by loving in return, or at least to bear willingly those crosses which abound in every state of life.
Responsory [I Cor. 2, 2-5]
【V】:I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. *
【R】:Not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
【V】:My speech and my message were in the demonstration of spirit and power. *
【R】:Not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, you made blessed Leonard an outstanding herald of the mystery of the cross. Grant through his intercession that we may recognize the riches of the cross while on earth, and attain to the fruit of its redemption in heaven: we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.