PRAYER OF THE DAY

Prayer of Pope Pius XII

Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty, and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, O Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mary, confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Though degraded by our faults and overwhelmed by infinite misery, we admire and praise the peerless richness of sublime gifts with which God has filled you, above every other mere creature, from the first moment of your conception until the day on which, after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe.

O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume! O Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!

O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In your name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.

Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars: You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people! 

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading

Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63

The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.

Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem:

By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan;

your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut;

you were neither washed with water nor anointed,

nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.

No one looked on you with pity or compassion

to do any of these things for you.

Rather, you were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome,

the day you were born.

Then I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood.

I said to you: Live in your blood and grow like a plant in the field.

You grew and developed, you came to the age of puberty;

your breasts were formed, your hair had grown,

but you were still stark naked.

Again I passed by you and saw that you were now old enough for love.

So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness;

I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you;

you became mine, says the Lord GOD.

Then I bathed you with water, washed away your blood,

and anointed you with oil.

I clothed you with an embroidered gown,

put sandals of fine leather on your feet;

I gave you a fine linen sash and silk robes to wear.

I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms,

a necklace about your neck, a ring in your nose,

pendants in your ears, and a glorious diadem upon your head.

Thus you were adorned with gold and silver;

your garments were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.

Fine flour, honey, and oil were your food.

You were exceedingly beautiful, with the dignity of a queen.

You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was,

because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you,

says the Lord GOD.

But you were captivated by your own beauty,

you used your renown to make yourself a harlot,

and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by,

whose own you became.

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,

and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you,

that you may remember and be covered with confusion,

and that you may be utterly silenced for shame

when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD.

Or Ez 16:59-63

Thus says the LORD:

I will deal with you according to what you have done,

you who despised your oath, breaking a covenant.

Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,

and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you.

Then you shall remember your conduct and be ashamed

when I take your sisters, those older and younger than you,

and give them to you as daughters,

even though I am not bound by my covenant with you.

For I will re-establish my covenant with you,

that you may know that I am the LORD,

that you may remember and be covered with confusion,

and that you may be utterly silenced for shame

when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD.

Responsorial Psalm

Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. You have turned from your anger.

God indeed is my savior;

I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

R. You have turned from your anger.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You have turned from your anger.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You have turned from your anger.

Gospel

Mt 19:3-12

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,

"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"

He said in reply,

"Have you not read that from the beginning

the Creator made them male and female and said,

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?

So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate."

They said to him,

"Then why did Moses command

that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?"

He said to them,

"Because of the hardness of your hearts

Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,

but from the beginning it was not so.

I say to you, whoever divorces his wife

(unless the marriage is unlawful)

and marries another commits adultery."

His disciples said to him,

"If that is the case of a man with his wife,

it is better not to marry."

He answered,

"Not all can accept this word,

but only those to whom that is granted.

Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;

some, because they were made so by others;

some, because they have renounced marriage

for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.

Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

SAINT OF THE DAY

August 17

St. Joan of the Cross (1666-1736)

An encounter with a shabby old woman many dismissed as insane prompted St. Joan to dedicate her life to the poor. For Joan, who had a reputation as a businesswoman intent on monetary success, this was a significant conversion.

Born in 1666 in Anjou, France, Joan worked in the family business—a small shop near a religious shrine—from an early age. After her parents’ death she took over the shop herself. She quickly became known for her greediness and insensitivity to the beggars who often came seeking help.

That was until she was touched by the strange woman who claimed she was on intimate terms with the deity. Joan, who had always been devout, even scrupulous, became a new person. She began caring for needy children. Then the poor, elderly and sick came to her. Over time she closed the family business so she could devote herself fully to good works and penance.

She went on to found what came to be known as the Congregation of St. Anne of Providence. It was then she took the religious name of Joan of the Cross. By the time of her death in 1736 she had founded 12 religious houses, hospices and schools. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1982.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips.

And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 23 (24)

Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

– Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all who live in it.

He himself founded it upon the seas

and set it firm over the waters.

– Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who will stand in his holy place?

The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,

who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.

He will receive the blessing of the Lord

and be justified by God his saviour.

This is the way of those who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob.

– Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of might and power.

The Lord, strong in battle.

– Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of hosts

– he is the king of glory.

– Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

– Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy lasts for ever.

Hymn

Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

In ancient times God spoke to us

Through prophets, and in varied ways,

But now he speaks through Christ his Son,

His radiance through eternal days.

To God the Father of the world,

His Son through whom he made all things,

And Holy Spirit, bond of love,

All glad creation glory sings.

Psalm 68 (69)

I am consumed with zeal for your house

I am wearied with all my crying as I await my God.

Save me, O God,

for the waters have come up to my neck.

I am stuck in bottomless mud;

I am adrift in deep waters

and the flood is sweeping me away.

I am exhausted with crying out, my throat is parched,

my eyes are failing as I look out for my God.

Those who hate me for no reason

are more than the hairs of my head.

They are strong, my persecutors, my lying enemies:

they make me give back things I never took.

God, you know my weakness:

my crimes are not hidden from you.

Let my fate not put to shame those who trust in you,

Lord, Lord of hosts.

Let them not be dismayed on my account,

those who seek you, God of Israel.

For it is for your sake that I am taunted

and covered in confusion:

I have become a stranger to my own brothers,

a wanderer in the eyes of my mother’s children –

because zeal for your house is consuming me,

and the taunts of those who hate you

fall upon my head.

I have humbled my soul with fasting

and they reproach me for it.

I have made sackcloth my clothing

and they make me a byword.

The idlers at the gates speak against me;

for drinkers of wine, I am the butt of their songs.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

I am wearied with all my crying as I await my God.

Psalm 68 (69)

For food they gave me poison, 

and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

But I turn my prayer to you, Lord,

at the acceptable time, my God.

In your great kindness, hear me,

and rescue me with your faithful help.

Tear me from the mire, before I become stuck;

tear me from those who hate me;

tear me from the depths of the waters.

Do not let the waves overwhelm me;

do not let the deep waters swallow me;

do not let the well’s mouth engulf me.

Hear me, Lord, for you are kind and good.

In your abundant mercy, look upon me.

Do not turn your face from your servant:

I am suffering, so hurry to answer me.

Come to my soul and deliver it,

rescue me from my enemies’ attacks.

You know how I am taunted and ashamed;

how I am thrown into confusion.

You can see all those who are troubling me.

Reproach has shattered my heart – I am sick.

I looked for sympathy, but none came;

I looked for a consoler but did not find one.

They gave me bitterness to eat;

when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

For food they gave me poison, 

and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Psalm 68 (69)

Seek the Lord, and he will give life to your soul.

I am weak and I suffer,

but your help, O God, will sustain me.

I will praise the name of God in song

and proclaim his greatness with praises.

This will please the Lord more than oxen,

than cattle with their horns and hooves.

Let the humble see and rejoice.

Seek the Lord, and your heart shall live,

for the Lord has heard the needy

and has not despised his captive people.

Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that swims in them.

For the Lord will make Zion safe

and build up the cities of Judah:

there they will live, the land will be theirs.

The seed of his servants will inherit the land,

and those who love his name will dwell there.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Seek the Lord, and he will give life to your soul.

The Lord will teach us his ways

– and we shall walk in his paths.

Reading

Micah 6:1-15

Now listen to what the Lord is saying:

Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains

and let the hills hear what you say.

Listen, you mountains, to the Lord’s accusation,

give ear, you foundations of the earth,

for the Lord is accusing his people,

pleading against Israel:

My people, what have I done to you,

how have I been a burden to you? Answer me.

I brought you out of the land of Egypt,

I rescued you from the house of slavery;

I sent Moses to lead you,

with Aaron and Miriam.

My people, remember:

what did Balak plot, that king of Moab?

What did Balaam answer, that son of Beor?

From Shittim to Gilgal,

for you to know the rightness of the ways of the Lord.

‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence

and bow down before God on high?

Shall I come with holocausts,

with calves one year old?

Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,

with libations of oil in torrents?

Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,

the fruit of my body for my own sin?’

What is good has been explained to you, man;

this is what the Lord asks of you:

only this, to act justly,

to love tenderly

and to walk humbly with your God.

The voice of the Lord. He is calling to the city:

Listen, tribe, and assembly of the city

whose rich men are crammed with violence,

whose citizens are liars.

Must I put up with fraudulent measure,

or that abomination the short-weight bushel?

Must I hold the man honest who measures with false scales

and a bag of faked weights?

I have therefore begun to strike you down,

to bring you to ruin for your sins.

You will eat but never be satisfied,

store away but never preserve –

and what is preserved I shall give to the sword.

You will sow but never reap,

press the olive but never rub yourself with oil,

press the grape but never drink wine from it.

Responsory

What is good has been explained to you, O man. This is what the Lord asks of you:

act rightly and justly and walk humbly with your God.

If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will dwell in the land:

act rightly and justly and walk humbly with your God.

Reading

St Pacian's sermon on Baptism

Let us follow a new way of life through the Spirit

The sin of Adam passed on to the whole human race. As St Paul says, Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race. So the righteousness of Christ has to pass on to the whole human race also; and as Adam ruined all his descendants by sin, so must Christ, through righteousness, give life to his entire race. St Paul makes this point, saying As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Just as sin reigned and brought death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life through righteousness.

Someone might object as follows: “The sin of Adam deservedly passed on his posterity, because they were born of him. And are we then born of Christ, that we can be saved through him?” Stop thinking simply in terms of the body: then you will see in what sense Christ is our parent and we are born of him. In these last days Christ took a soul and body from Mary. It is this flesh that he came to save, that he did not abandon to the underworld: he united it with his own spirit and made it his own. This is the marriage of the Lord, united with the flesh of man, a mystery uniting the two — Christ and the Church — in one flesh.

From this marriage and from the coming of the Spirit of the Lord from above, the Christian people is born. The substance of our souls receives the seed of heaven: we are conceived in the womb of our mother and born of that womb we receive life in Christ. So St Paul says, The first man, Adam, as scripture says, “became a living soul;” but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. It is through his priests that Christ sows his seed in the Church. St Paul, again, says: It was I who begot you in Christ Jesus. It is the seed of Christ, that is, the Spirit of God, that produces the new man through the priest’s hands, conceived in the womb of his mother and born in the baptismal font under the auspices of faith.

We must receive Christ so that he can give us birth, as the Apostle John says: To all who accepted him he gave power to become children of God. But this cannot be brought about except by the sacrament of cleansing and anointing, the sacrament which the bishop administers. Sins are washed away by the cleansing waters of the font; the Holy Spirit is infused by oil of chrism; and we receive both at the bishop’s hands and through his words. Thus the whole man is born again and made new in Christ: so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. That is, having put behind us the errors of our former life, we should through the Spirit follow a new way of life in Christ.

Responsory

As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be reconciled to God. Just as sin reigned where there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ.

God sent his Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away. Just as sin reigned where there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Let us pray.

Almighty, ever-living God,

we confidently call you Father as well as Lord.

Renew your Spirit in our hearts:

make us ever more perfectly your children,

so that we may enter upon the inheritance you have promised us.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.