PRAYER OF THE DAY

Prayer for the Pope

A Prayer of Pope Leo XIII

O Lord,

we are the millions of believers,

humbly kneeling at Thy feet and begging Thee to preserve,

defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years.

He is the Father of the great fellowship of souls and our Father as well.

On this day, as on every other day,

he is praying for us also,

and is offering unto Thee with holy fervor the sacred Victim of love and peace.

Wherefore, O Lord,

turn Thyself toward us with eyes of pity;

for we are now, as it were,

forgetful of ourselves,

and are praying above all for him.

Do Thou unite our prayers with his and receive them into the bosom of Thine infinite mercy,

as a sweet savor of active and fruitful charity,

whereby the children are united in the Church to their Father.

All that he asks of Thee this day,

we too ask it of Thee in unison with him.

Whether he weeps or rejoices,

whether he hopes or offers himself as a victim of charity for his people,

we desire to be united with him;

nay more, we desire that the cry of our hearts should be made one with his.

Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord,

that not one of us may be far from his mind and his heart

in the hour that he prays and offers unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son.

At the moment when our venerable High Priest,

holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus Christ,

shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these words:

"The peace of the Lord be with you always,"

grant, O Lord,

that Thy sweet peace may come down upon our hearts

and upon all the nations with new and manifest power.

Amen.

SAINT OF THE DAY

September 26

Sts. Cosmas and Damian (d. 303?)

Nothing is known of their lives except that they suffered martyrdom in Syria 

during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian.

A church erected on the site of their burial place was enlarged by the emperor Justinian. Devotion to the two saints spread rapidly in both East and West. A famous basilica was erected in their honor in Constantinople. 

Their names were placed in the canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer I) , probably in the sixth century.

Legend says that they were twin brothers born in Arabia, who became skilled doctors. They were among those who are venerated in the East as the "moneyless ones" because they did not charge a fee for their services. It was impossible that such prominent persons would escape unnoticed in time of persecution: They were arrested and beheaded.

Nine centuries later, Francis of Assisi (October 4) rebuilt the dilapidated San Damiano chapel outside Assisi.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading

HG 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,

The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai

to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,

and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

This people says:

“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”

(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)

Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,

while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts:

Consider your ways!

You have sown much, but have brought in little;

you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;

You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;

have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;

And whoever earned wages

earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

Consider your ways!

Go up into the hill country;

bring timber, and build the house

That I may take pleasure in it

and receive my glory, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Sing to the LORD a new song

of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel be glad in their maker,

let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,

let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD loves his people,

and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Let the faithful exult in glory;

let them sing for joy upon their couches;

Let the high praises of God be in their throats.

This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel

LK 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,

and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,

“John has been raised from the dead”;

others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;

still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”

But Herod said, “John I beheaded.

Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”

And he kept trying to see him.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim your praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 66 (67)

Come, let us adore the Lord, for he is our God.

O God, take pity on us and bless us,

and let your face shine upon us,

so that your ways may be known across the world,

and all nations learn of your salvation.

Come, let us adore the Lord, for he is our God.

Let the peoples praise you, O God,

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and rejoice,

for you judge the peoples with fairness

and you guide the nations of the earth.

Come, let us adore the Lord, for he is our God.

Let the peoples praise you, O God,

let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has produced its harvest:

may God, our God, bless us.

May God bless us,

may the whole world revere him.

Come, let us adore the Lord, for he is our God.

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.

Come, let us adore the Lord, for he is our God.

Hymn

Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

Eternal Father, through your Word

You gave new life to Adam’s race,

And call us now to live in light,

New creatures by your saving grace.

To you who stooped to all who sin

We render homage and give praise:

To Father, Son and Spirit blest

Whose loving gift is endless days.

Psalm 17 (18)

Thanksgiving

The word of the Lord is a shield for all who make him their refuge.

The Lord’s ways are pure;

the words of the Lord are refined in the furnace;

the Lord protects all who hope in him.

For what God is there, but our Lord?

What help, but in the Lord our God?

God, who has wrapped me in his strength

and set me on the perfect path,

who has made my feet like those of the deer,

who has set me firm upon the heights,

who trains my hands for battle,

teaches my arms to bend a bow of bronze.

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.

The word of the Lord is a shield for all who make him their refuge.

Psalm 17 (18)

Lord, your right hand upheld me.

You have given me the shield of your salvation;

your right hand holds me up;

by answering me, you give me greatness.

You have stretched the length of my stride,

my feet do not weaken.

I pursue my enemies and surround them;

I do not turn back until they are no more.

I smash them to pieces, they cannot stand,

they fall beneath my feet.

You have wrapped me round with strength for war,

and made my attackers fall under me.

You turned my enemies’ backs on me,

you destroyed those who hated me.

They cried out, but there was no-one to save them;

they cried to the Lord, but he did not hear.

I have ground them up until they are dust in the wind,

trodden them down like the mud of the street.

You have delivered me from the murmurings of the people

and placed me at the head of the nations.

A people I do not even know serves me –

at a mere rumor of my orders, they obey.

The children of strangers beg for my favor;

they hide away and tremble where they hide.

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.

Lord, your right hand upheld me.

Psalm 17 (18)

Long life to the Lord!

Praised be the God who saves me.

The Lord lives, my blessed Helper.

Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

God, you give me my revenge,

you subject peoples to my rule,

you free me from my enraged enemies.

You raise me up from those who attack me,

you snatch me from the grasp of the violent.

And so I will proclaim you among the nations, Lord,

and sing to your name.

Time and again you save your king,

you show your loving kindness to your anointed,

to David and his descendants 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.

Long life to the Lord!

Praised be the God who saves me.

Uncover my eyes, Lord,

– and I will consider the wonders of your Law.

First Reading

Ezekiel 37:15-28

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, take a stick and write on it, “Judah and those Israelites loyal to him.” Take another stick and write on it, 

“Joseph, the wood of Ephraim, and all the House of Israel loyal to him.”

‘Join one to the other to make a single piece of wood, a single stick in your hand. And when the members of your nation say, “Tell us what you mean,” say, “The Lord says this: I am taking the stick of Joseph, now in the hand of Ephraim, and those tribes of Israel loyal to him, and I am going to put the stick of Judah with them. 

I shall make one stick out of the two, and I shall hold them as one.”

‘Keep the pieces of wood you have written on in your hand where they can see, and say, “The Lord says this: I am going to take the sons of Israel from the nations where they have gone. I shall gather them together from everywhere and bring them home to their own soil. I shall make them into one nation in my own land and on the mountains of Israel, and one king is to be king of them all; they will no longer form two nations, nor be two separate kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and their filthy practices and all their sins. I shall rescue them from all the betrayals they have been guilty of; I shall cleanse them; they shall be my people and I will be their God. My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all; they will follow my observances, respect my laws and practice them. They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land in which your ancestors lived. They will live in it, they, their children, their children’s children, for ever. David my servant is to be their prince for ever. I shall make a covenant of peace with them, an eternal covenant with them. I shall resettle them and increase them; I shall settle my sanctuary among them for ever. I shall make my home above them; I will be their God, they shall be my people. 

And the nations will learn that I am the Lord, the sanctifier of Israel, 

when my sanctuary is with them for ever.”’

Responsory

I am going to take the sons of Israel and gather them together from far and wide,

and I shall make them into one nation.

Then shall there be one flock and one shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.

Then shall there be one flock and one shepherd.

Second Reading

St Augustine's sermon On Pastors

I shall feed my sheep on good pasture

I shall gather them together from foreign nations and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel... As the mountains of Israel, he has set up the authors of the holy Scriptures. Feed on these and you will feed in safety. Whatever you hear from them will do you good; whatever you hear from elsewhere, spit it out. Listen to the voice of your shepherd lest you lose your way and wander into the mist. Gather together on the mountains of holy Scripture. There you will find the delight of your heart: nothing poisonous, nothing strange – 

the richest of pastures. Simply come in good health, and feed in good health on the mountains of Israel.

...In the ravines and in every inhabited place in the land. 

From these mountains of Scripture flow the streams of the gospel preaching, 

whose sound has gone forth into all the earth so that every inhabited place of the earth has become a rich and fertile pasture for the sheep.

I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There will they rest. That is, where they will say, “It is good here,” where they will say, “It is true, it is clear, we are not deceived.” They will take their rest in the glory of God as in their own shelters. They will sleep and take their rest in the midst of delight.

They will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. I have already spoken of the mountains of Israel, the good mountains, the mountains to which we lift up our eyes so that help will come to us from them. But remember, our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. So to prevent us putting our hope in the mountains, as soon as he had said I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel he added at once I shall feed my sheep. Yes, lift your eyes up to the mountains from which your help will come; but wait for him to say I shall feed. 

For your help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

And finally he says I shall feed them with judgement. Note that it is he alone who feeds them with judgement. For what man can judge another man? Wherever you look, you see rash judgements. Someone we have despaired of suddenly turns round and becomes the best of people. Someone of whom we have had high expectations suddenly fails and sinks into uselessness. There is no certainty in our foreboding, there is no certainty in our love.

Take any man. What is he today? He hardly knows himself. He has some slight idea, perhaps, of what he is today, but as for tomorrow – nothing. So the Lord feeds us all with judgement, distributing what is appropriate to each of us: this to one person, that to others, to each what they ought to have, one thing to one and another to another. For he knows what he is doing. He feeds us with judgement, us whom he redeemed after he had himself been judged. 

So he feeds us all with judgement.

Responsory

I am the good shepherd.

I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

I myself will search for my sheep,

find them for myself.

I shall rescue them from every kingdom,

recover them from every land,

and bring them back to their own country where they will find pasture.

I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

Let us pray.

Father,

you summed up the whole law

as love of you and of our neighbour.

Grant that by keeping this commandment of love,

we may come to eternal life.

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 praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.