MEMORIAL OF SAINT JEROME

PRAYER OF THE DAY

A Prayer of Saint Jerome for Christ's Mercy

O Lord,

show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart.

I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers,

wounded and left for dead.

O Good Samaritan,

come to my aid.

I am like the sheep that went astray.

O Good Shepherd,

seek me out and bring me home in accord with Your will.

Let me dwell in Your house all the days of my life

and praise You forever and ever with those who are there.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Memorial of Saint Jerome

Priest and Doctor of the Church

Reading

JB 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23

Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.

Job spoke out and said:

Perish the day on which I was born,

the night when they said, “The child is a boy!”

Why did I not perish at birth,

come forth from the womb and expire?

Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,

like babes that have never seen the light?

Wherefore did the knees receive me?

or why did I suck at the breasts?

For then I should have lain down and been tranquil;

had I slept, I should then have been at rest

With kings and counselors of the earth

who built where now there are ruins

Or with princes who had gold

and filled their houses with silver.

There the wicked cease from troubling,

there the weary are at rest.

Why is light given to the toilers,

and life to the bitter in spirit?

They wait for death and it comes not;

they search for it rather than for hidden treasures,

Rejoice in it exultingly,

and are glad when they reach the grave:

Those whose path is hidden from them,

and whom God has hemmed in!

Responsorial Psalm

PS 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

O LORD, my God, by day I cry out;

at night I clamor in your presence.

Let my prayer come before you;

incline your ear to my call for help.

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

For my soul is surfeited with troubles

and my life draws near to the nether world.

I am numbered with those who go down into the pit;

I am a man without strength.

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

My couch is among the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

Whom you remember no longer

and who are cut off from your care.

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

You have plunged me into the bottom of the pit,

into the dark abyss.

Upon me your wrath lies heavy,

and with all your billows you overwhelm me.

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Gospel

LK 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,

he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,

and he sent messengers ahead of him.

On the way they entered a Samaritan village

to prepare for his reception there,

but they would not welcome him

because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.

When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,

“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven

to consume them?”

Jesus turned and rebuked them,

and they journeyed to another village.

SAINT OF THE DAY

September 30

St. Jerome (345-420)

Most of the saints are remembered for some outstanding virtue or devotion which they practiced, but Jerome is frequently remembered for his bad temper! It is true that he had a very bad temper and could use a vitriolic pen, but his love for God and his Son Jesus Christ was extraordinarily intense; anyone who taught error was an enemy of God and truth, 

and St. Jerome went after him or her with his mighty and sometimes sarcastic pen.

He was above all a Scripture scholar, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew. He also wrote commentaries which are a great source of scriptural inspiration for us today. He was an avid student, a thorough scholar, a prodigious letter-writer and a consultant to monk, bishop and pope. St. Augustine (August 28) said of him, 

"What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known."

St. Jerome is particularly important for having made a translation of the Bible which came to be called the Vulgate. It is not the most critical edition of the Bible, but its acceptance by the Church was fortunate. As a modern scholar says, "No man before Jerome or among his contemporaries and very few men for many centuries afterwards were so well qualified to do the work." The Council of Trent called for a new and corrected edition of the Vulgate, and declared it the authentic text to be used in the Church.

In order to be able to do such work, Jerome prepared himself well. He was a master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Chaldaic. He began his studies at his birthplace, Stridon in Dalmatia (in the former Yugoslavia). After his preliminary education he went to Rome, the center of learning at that time, and thence to Trier, Germany, where the scholar was very much in evidence. He spent several years in each place, always trying to find the very best teachers. He once served as private secretary of Pope Damasus (December 11).

After these preparatory studies he traveled extensively in Palestine, marking each spot of Christ's life with an outpouring of devotion. Mystic that he was, he spent five years in the desert of Chalcis so that he might give himself up to prayer, penance and study. Finally he settled in Bethlehem, where he lived in the cave believed to have been the birthplace of Christ. On September 30 in the year 420, Jerome died in Bethlehem. The remains of his body now lie buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 66 (67)

The Lord is the source of all wisdom:

come, let us adore him.

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.

The Lord is the source of all wisdom:

come, let us adore him.

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.

The Lord is the source of all wisdom:

come, let us adore him.

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.

The Lord is the source of all wisdom:

come, let us adore him.

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 Lord is the source of all wisdom:

come, let us adore him.

Hymn

O God of truth and Lord of power,

whose word their course to things assigns,

whose splendour lights the morning hour,

whose fiery sun at noonday shines:

Within us quench the flames of strife,

the harmful heat of passion quell;

give health of body to our life

and give true peace of soul as well.

In this, most loving Father, hear,

and Christ, co-equal Son, our prayer:

with Holy Ghost, one Trinity,

you reign for all eternity.

Psalm 36 (37)

The fate of the evil and the righteous

Commit your life to the Lord,

and he will act on your behalf.

Do not envy the wicked;

do not be jealous of those that do evil.

They will dry up as quickly as hay;

they will wither like the grass.

Put your trust in the Lord and do good,

and your land and habitation will be secure.

Take your delight in the Lord,

and he will give you what your heart desires.

Entrust your journey to the Lord, and hope in him:

and he will act.

He will make your uprightness shine like the light,

your judgement like the sun at noon.

Take your rest in the Lord, and hope in him:

do not envy the one who thrives in his own way,

the man who weaves plots.

Abstain from wrath, abandon anger:

do not envy him who turns to evil,

for those who do evil will be destroyed,

but those on the side of the Lord

will inherit the earth.

A moment yet – and the sinner will be gone:

you will look where he was and find nothing.

But the needy will inherit the land

and delight in abundant peace.

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.

Commit your life to the Lord,

and he will act on your behalf.

Psalm 36 (37)

Turn away from evil and do good:

the Lord will support the just.

The wicked will plot against the righteous

and gnash his teeth at him;

but the Lord will deride him in his turn,

for the Lord has seen what awaits him.

The wicked have pulled out their swords,

the wicked have drawn their bows,

to throw down the poor and the destitute,

to murder whoever follows the straight path.

But their swords will enter their own hearts,

and their bows will splinter.

For the righteous, the little they have is better

than the abundant wealth of the wicked.

The limbs of the wicked will be broken

while the Lord gives his strength to the just.

The Lord knows when the day of the perfect will come;

and their inheritance will be eternal.

They will not be troubled in evil times,

and in times of famine they will have more than enough.

For the wicked will perish:

the enemies of the Lord will be like the flowers of the fields,

and like smoke they will vanish away.

The wicked man borrows and does not return;

but the righteous takes pity and gives.

The blessed ones of the Lord will inherit the earth,

but those whom he curses will be cut off.

It is the Lord who strengthens the steps of man

and chooses his path.

Even if he trips he will not fall flat,

for the Lord is holding his hand.

I was young and I have grown old,

but I have not seen the righteous man abandoned

nor his children seeking for bread.

All day long he takes pity and lends,

and his seed will be blessed.

Shun evil and do good,

and you will live for ever.

For the Lord loves right judgement,

and will not abandon his chosen ones.

The unjust will be destroyed for ever,

and the seed of the wicked will be cut off,

but the righteous will inherit the earth

and live there from age to age.

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.

Turn away from evil and do good:

the Lord will support the just.

Psalm 36 (37)

Wait for the Lord, keep to his way.

The mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom,

and his tongue will utter right judgement.

The law of his God is in his heart

and his steps will not stumble.

The wicked man watches the just

and seeks to kill him;

but the Lord will rescue the just man from his hands

and not condemn the just in the time of judgement.

Put your hope in the Lord and follow his paths,

and he will raise you up and make the land your inheritance,

let you watch as the wicked are cut off.

I have seen the sinner triumph,

flourish like a green cedar,

but he is gone, he is there no longer:

I have looked for him but have not found him.

Preserve innocence, follow uprightness:

for the future belongs to the man of peace.

The unrighteous will be destroyed altogether,

their posterity will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,

and their protection in time of trouble.

The Lord will come to their help and free them,

rescue them from the wicked and save them,

because they have put their trust in him.

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.

Wait for the Lord, keep to his way.

Teach me goodness and discernment and knowledge;

– for I trust in your commands.

First Reading

Philippians 1:27-2:11

Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come to you and see for myself, or stay at a distance and only hear about you, I shall know that you are unanimous in meeting the attack with firm resistance, united by your love for the faith of the gospel and quite unshaken by your enemies. This would be the sure sign that they will lose and you will be saved. It would be a sign from God that he has given you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well. You and I are together in the same fight as you saw me fighting before and, as you will have heard, I am fighting still.

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, So that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:

His state was divine,

yet he did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave,

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings in the heavens,

on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Responsory

Christ bore our sins on the cross,

so that we might die to sin and live for holiness;

that, through his death,

he might destroy the devil,

who has command over death.

Jesus, on whom our faith depends,

endured the cross for the sake of the joy that waited for him,

that, through his death,

he might destroy the devil,

who has command over death.

Second Reading

A commentary on Isaiah

by St Jerome

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ

I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: Search the Scriptures, and Seek and you shall find. Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God. For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

Therefore, I will imitate the head of a household who brings out of his storehouse things both new and old, and says to his spouse in the Song of Songs: I have kept for you things new and old, my beloved. In this way permit me to explain Isaiah, showing that he was not only a prophet, but an evangelist and an apostle as well. For he says about himself and the other evangelists: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news, of those who announce peace. 

And God speaks to him as if he were an apostle: 

Whom shall I send, who will go to my people? And he answers: Here I am; send me.

No one should think that I mean to explain the entire subject matter of this great book of Scripture in one brief sermon, since it contains all the mysteries of the Lord. It prophesies that Emmanuel is to be born of a virgin and accomplish marvellous works and signs. It predicts his death, burial and resurrection from the dead as the Saviour of all men. I need say nothing about the natural sciences, ethics and logic. Whatever is proper to holy Scripture, whatever can be expressed in human language and understood by the human mind, is contained in the book of Isaiah. Of these mysteries the author himself testifies when he writes: You will be given a vision of all things, like words in a sealed scroll. When they give the writings to a wise man, they will say: Read this. And he will reply: I cannot, for it is sealed. And when the scroll is given to an uneducated man and he is told: Read this, he will reply: 

I do not know how to read.

Should this argument appear weak to anyone, let him listen to the Apostle: Let two or three prophets speak, and let others interpret; if, however, a revelation should come to one of those who are seated there, let the first one be quiet. How can they be silent, since it depends on the Spirit who speaks through his prophets whether they remain silent or speak? If they understood what they were saying, all things would be full of wisdom and knowledge. But it was not the air vibrating with the human voice that reached their ears, but rather it was God speaking within the soul of the prophets, just as another prophet says: It is an angel who spoke in me; and again, Crying out in our hearts, Abba, Father’, and I shall listen to what the Lord God says within me.

Responsory

All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for instruction and for teaching men to be holy.

This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

A discerning son is he who keeps the law.

This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

Let us pray.

Almighty, ever-living God,

you endowed Saint Jerome with a deep reverence for Holy Scripture,

which he loved with all his heart.

Sustain us ever more with your word

and help us to find in it the source of 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.

FEAST OF SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL

PRAYER OF THE DAY

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

St. Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

Archangels

Reading 

DN 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched:

Thrones were set up

and the Ancient One took his throne.

His clothing was bright as snow,

and the hair on his head as white as wool;

His throne was flames of fire,

with wheels of burning fire.

A surging stream of fire

flowed out from where he sat;

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,

and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,

on the clouds of heaven;

When he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before him,

He received dominion, glory, and kingship;

nations and peoples of every language serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not be taken away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Or RV 12:7-12AB

War broke out in heaven;

Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.

The dragon and its angels fought back,

but they did not prevail

and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,

who is called the Devil and Satan,

who deceived the whole world,

was thrown down to earth,

and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have salvation and power come,

and the Kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Anointed.

For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,

who accuses them before our God day and night.

They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony;

love for life did not deter them from death.

Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,

and you who dwell in them.”

Responsorial Psalm

PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 4-5

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple

and give thanks to your name.

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Because of your kindness and your truth;

for you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD

when they hear the words of your mouth;

And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD

“Great is the glory of the LORD

R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Gospel

JN 1:47-51

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

“Here is a true child of Israel.

There is no duplicity in him.”

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Nathanael answered him,

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Do you believe

because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this.”

And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will see heaven opened

and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

September 29

Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

Angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.

Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.

Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. 

His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.

Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, 

the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune.

The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. 

The 1970 revision of the calendar joined their feasts to Michael's.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 94 (95)

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord,

let us acclaim God our salvation.

Let us come before him proclaiming our thanks,

let us acclaim him with songs.

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

For the Lord is a great God,

a king above all gods.

For he holds the depths of the earth in his hands,

and the peaks of the mountains are his.

For the sea is his: he made it;

and his hands formed the dry land.

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

Come, let us worship and bow down,

bend the knee before the Lord who made us;

for he himself is our God and we are his flock,

the sheep that follow his hand.

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

If only, today, you would listen to his voice:

“Do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

on the day of Massah in the desert,

when your fathers tested me –

they put me to the test,

although they had seen my works.”

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

“For forty years they wearied me,

that generation.

I said: their hearts are wandering,

they do not know my paths.

I swore in my anger:

they will never enter my place of rest.”

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

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.

In the presence of the angels,

come, let us adore the Lord.

Hymn

Come, Spirit blest, with God the Son

and God the Father, ever one:

shed forth your grace within our breast

and live in us, a ready guest.

By every power, by heart and tongue,

by act and deed, your praise be sung.

Inflame with perfect love each sense,

that others’ souls may kindle thence.

Psalm 96 (97)

The glory of God in his judgements

The ocean was lashed in storm and the earth trembled,

when Michael the archangel came down from heaven.

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice,

let the many islands be glad.

Clouds and dark mist surround him,

his throne is founded on law and justice.

Fire precedes him,

burning up his enemies all around.

His lightnings light up the globe;

the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains flow like wax at the sight of the Lord,

at the sight of the Lord the earth dissolves.

The heavens proclaim his justice

and all peoples see his glory.

Let them be dismayed, who worship carved things,

who take pride in the images they make.

All his angels, worship him.

Zion heard and was glad,

the daughters of Judah rejoiced

because of your judgements, O Lord.

For you are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth,

far above all other gods.

You who love the Lord, hate evil!

The Lord protects the lives of his consecrated ones:

he will free them from the hands of sinners.

A light has arisen for the just,

and gladness for the upright in heart.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord

and proclaim his holiness.

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 ocean was lashed in storm and the earth trembled,

when Michael the archangel came down from heaven.

Psalm 102 (103)

Praise of the compassionate Lord

The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and said

‘Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.’

My soul, bless the Lord!

All that is in me, bless his holy name.

My soul, bless the Lord!

Never forget all he has done for you.

The Lord, who forgives your wrongdoing,

who heals all your weaknesses.

The Lord, who redeems your life from destruction,

who crowns you with kindness and compassion.

The Lord, who fills your age with good things,

who renews your youth like an eagle’s.

The Lord, who gives fair judgements,

who gives judgement in favour of the oppressed.

The Lord is compassion and kindness,

full of patience, full of mercy.

He will not fight against you for ever:

he will not always be angry.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve;

he does not pay us back for our wrongdoing.

As high as the sky above the earth,

so great is his kindness to those who fear him.

As far as east is from west,

so far he has put our wrongdoing from us.

As a father cares for his children,

so the Lord cares for those who fear him.

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 angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and said

‘Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.’

Psalm 102 (103)

I am the angel Raphael:

I stand before the Lord.

You, for your part,

give thanks to the Lord,

tell all his deeds.

For the Lord knows how we are made,

he remembers we are nothing but dust.

Man – his life is like grass,

he blossoms and withers like flowers of the field.

The wind blows and carries him away:

no trace of him remains.

But the Lord has been kind from the beginning;

to those who fear him his kindness lasts for ever.

His justice is for their children’s children,

for those who keep his covenant,

for those who remember his commandments

and try to perform them.

The Lord’s throne is high in the heavens

and his rule shall extend over all.

Bless the Lord, all his angels,

strong in your strength, doers of his command,

bless him as you hear his words.

Bless the Lord, all his powers,

his servants who do his will.

Bless the Lord, all he has created,

in every place that he rules.

My soul, bless the Lord!

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 the angel Raphael:

I stand before the Lord.

You, for your part,

give thanks to the Lord,

tell all his deeds.

Bless the Lord, all his angels,

– mighty powers who obey his word.

First Reading

Apocalypse 12:1-17

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother. The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready, 

for her to be looked after in the twelve hundred and sixty days.

And now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels, but they were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived all the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him. Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down. They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the witness of their martyrdom, because even in the face of death they would not cling to life. 

Let the heavens rejoice and all who live there; but for you, earth and sea, trouble is coming – 

because the devil has gone down to you in a rage, knowing that his days are numbered.’

As soon as the devil found himself thrown down to the earth, he sprang in pursuit of the woman, the mother of the male child, but she was given a huge pair of eagle’s wings to fly away from the serpent into the desert, to the place where she was to be looked after for a year and twice a year and half a year. So the serpent vomited water from his mouth, like a river, after the woman, to sweep her away in the current, but the earth came to her rescue; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river thrown up by the dragon’s jaws. Then the dragon was enraged with the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, 

that is, all who obey God’s commandments and bear witness for Jesus.

Responsory

There was silence in heaven while the dragon fought against the archangel Michael.

Then I heard many voices crying out:

Salvation, honour, and power belong to our God!

Now God’s salvation has come!

Now God has shown his power as king!

Now his Messiah has shown his authority!

Then I heard many voices crying out:

Salvation, honour, and power belong to our God!

Second Reading

A sermon of Pope St Gregory the Great

The word "angel" denotes a function rather than a nature

You should be aware that the word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels. And so it was that not merely an angel but the archangel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary. 

It was only fitting that the highest angel should come to announce the greatest of all messages.

Some angels are given proper names to denote the service they are empowered to perform. In that holy city, where perfect knowledge flows from the vision of almighty God, those who have no names may easily be known. But personal names are assigned to some, not because they could not be known without them, but rather to denote their ministry when they came among us. Thus, Michael means “Who is like God”; Gabriel is “The Strength of God”; and Raphael is “God’s Remedy.”

Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power. So also our ancient foe desired in his pride to be like God, saying: I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven; I will be like the Most High. He will be allowed to remain in power until the end of the world when he will be destroyed in the final punishment. Then, 

he will fight with the archangel Michael, as we are told by John: A battle was fought with Michael the archangel.

So too Gabriel, who is called God’s strength, was sent to Mary. He came to announce the One who appeared as a humble man to quell the cosmic powers. Thus God’s strength announced the coming of the Lord of the heavenly powers, mighty in battle. Raphael means, as I have said, God’s remedy, for when he touched Tobit’s eyes in order to cure him, 

he banished the darkness of his blindness. Thus, since he is to heal, he is rightly called God’s remedy.

Responsory

An angel stood at the altar of the temple having a golden censer in his hand,

and a great quantity of incense was given to him;

and from the angel’s hand the smoke of the incense went up in the presence of God.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him,

and from the angel’s hand the smoke of the incense went up in the presence of God.

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!

You, the Father, the eternal –

all the earth venerates you.

All the angels, all the heavens, every power –

The cherubim, the seraphim –

unceasingly, they cry:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:

heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –

The noble ranks of prophets –

The shining army of martyrs –

all praise you.

Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.

– Father of immeasurable majesty,

– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,

– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:

– You are the king of glory.

– You are the Father’s eternal Son.

– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.

– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.

– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.

– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,

whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.

Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.

Bring your people to safety, Lord,

and bless those who are your inheritance.

Rule them and lift them high for ever.

Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.

Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.

In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

Let us pray.

Lord God of hosts,

in your all-wise plan you assign to angels and to men

the services they have to render you.

Grant that the angels, who adore you in heaven,

may protect us here on earth.

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.