Posted by Saturday Lent II: Missa “Lex Domini”
The Station at Sts. Marcellinus and Peter is in the basilica founded by St. Helen on the Via Lavicana, where were buried the bodies of St. Marcellinus, priest, and St. Peter, exorcist, martyred at Rome during the Diocletian persecution. Their names are mentioned in the Canon of the Mass. This church was one of the twenty-five Roman parish churches in the fifth century.
The favors which Isaac had received from Abraham, he transmitted by his blessing to Jacob, chosen by God in preference to Esau, to become the ancestor of Christ. This week, we read about Jacob in the Breviary.
“The prodigal son,” says St. Ambrose “lost grace. Learn from this, O thou, who possessest the likeness of God, not to destroy this image within thee by the ugliness of sin” (Matins).
INTROIT Psalm 18:8
The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls : the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones. (Psalm 18: 2) The heavens show forth the glory of God : and the firmament declareth the work of His hands. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Repeat The law of the Lord…
COLLECT
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, a saving virtue to our fast: that the chastisement of the flesh, which we have taken upon us, may bestow new life to our souls. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen.
Second Collect for the Intercession of Thy Saints
Defend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all dangers of mind and body; that through the intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, together with blessed Joseph, Thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and blessed N. (Here mention the titular saint of the church), and all the saints, mercifully grant us safety and peace; that all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in security and freedom.
Third Collect for the Living and the Dead
O almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over both the living and the dead, and hast mercy on all whom Thou forekowest shall be Thine by faith and good works : we humbly beseech Thee that all for whom we have resolved to make supplication whether the present world still holds them in the flesh or the world to come has already received them out of the body, may, through the intercession of all Thy saints, obtain of Thy goodness and clemency pardon for all their sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.
EPISTLE Genesis 27: 6-40.
Lesson from the Book of Genesis: In those days Rebecca said to her son Jacob : I heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, and saying to him : Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the Lord before I die. Now, therefore, my son, follow my counsel : and go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, that I may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth : which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die. And he answered her : Thou knowest that Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am smooth : if my father shall feel me, and perceive it, I fear lest he will think I would have mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing. And his mother said to him : Upon me be this curse, my son : only hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have said. He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked. And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her : and the little skins of the kids she put about his hands and covered the bare of his neck. And she gave him the savory meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked. Which when he had carried in, he said, My father? But he answered : I hear. Who art thou, my son? And Jacob said: I am Esau, thy first-born : I have done as thou didst command me : arise, sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said to his son: How couldst thou find it so quickly, my son? He answered : It was the will of God that what I sought came quickly in my way. And Isaac said : Come hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be my son Esau or not. He came near to his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said : The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob; but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder. Then blessing him, he said : Art thou my son Esau? He answered: I am. Then he said : Bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may less thee. And when they were brought, and he had eaten, he offered him wine also. Which after he had drunk, he said to him : Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son. He came near and kissed him. And immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said : Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee : be thou lord of thy brethren, and let thy mother’s children bow down before thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee : and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings. Isaac had scarce ended his words, when Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came, and brought in to his father meats made of what he had taken in hunting, saying : Arise, my father, an eat of thy son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said to him : Why, who art thou? He answered : I am thy firstborn son Esau. Isaac was struck with fear and astonished exceedingly, and wondering beyond what can be believed, said : Who is he then that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou camest? And I have blessed him and he shall be blessed. Esau having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great cry, and being in a great consternation, said : Bless me also, my father. And he said : Thy brother came deceitfully, and got thy blessing. But he said again : Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he hath supplanted me, lo, this second time : my first birthright he took away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing. And again he said to his father : Hast thou not reserved me also a blessing: Isaac answered : I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants : I have established him with corn and wine, and after this, what shall I do more for thee, y son? And Esau said to Him : Hast thou only one blessing Father? I beseech thee, bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry, Isaac being moved said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of Heaven from above shall thy blessing be.
GRADUAL Psalm 91:2,3
It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to Thy name, O most High. V. To show forth Thy mercy in the morning, and Thy truth in the night.
GOSPEL Luke 15: 11-32
At that time Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and scribes this parable : “A certain man had two sons : and the younger of them said to his father : Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance. And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country, and there wasted his substance, living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country, and he began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat : and no man gave unto him. And returning to himself, he said : How many hired servants in my father’s house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger? I will arise, and will go to my father, and say to him : Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee : I am not worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired servants. And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him : Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, I am not now worthy to be called thy son. And the father said to his servants : Bring forth quickly the first robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet : and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry, because this my son was dead, and is come to life again : was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field : and when he came, and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing : and he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said to him : Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe. And hew as angry, and would not go in. His father therefore coming out began to entreat him, and he answering, said to his father : Behold, for so many years do I serve thee, and I have never transgressed thy commandment, and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with my friends : but as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. But he said to him :Son, thou art always with me, and all I have is thine : but it was fit that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again : he was lost, and is found.”
OFFERTORY Psalm 12:4,5
Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death : lest at any time my enemy say : I have prevailed against him.
SECRET
Be appeased, O Lord, by this sacrifice: and grant that we who pray to be absolved from our own sins, may not be burdened with those of others. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R.Amen.
Second Secret to implore the Intercession of the Saints
Graciously hear us, O God our Savior, and by the virtue of this sacrament protect us from all enemies of soul and body, bestowing on us both grace in this life and glory hereafter.
Third Secret for the Living and the Dead
O God, Who alone knowest the number of the elect to be admitted to the happiness of Heaven, grant, we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of all Thy saints, the names of all who have been recommended to our prayers and of all the faithful, may be inscribed in the book of blessed predestination. Protect us, O Lord, who assist at Thy mysteries; that, fixed upon things divine we may serve Thee in both body and mind. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.
PREFACE of Lent
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: Who by this bodily fast, dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds and bestow on us strength and rewards; through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…
COMMUNION Luke 15:32
Thou oughtest to rejoice my son, because thy brother was dead, and is come to life again : he was lost, and is found.
POSTCOMMUNION
May the divine libation of Thy sacrament, O Lord, be infused into the inmost recesses of our hearts : and cause us to feel its powerful virtue. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.
Second Postcommunion to implore the Intercession of the Saints
May the oblation of this divine sacrament cleanse and defend us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, Thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, blessed N. (here mention the titular saint of the church), and all the saints, purify us from all our sins and deliver us from all adversity.
Third Postcommunion for the Living and the Dead
Let us pray. May the sacraments which we have received purify us, we beseech Thee, O almighty and merciful Lord; and through the intercession of all Thy saints, grant that this Thy sacrament may not be unto us a condemnation, but a salutary intercession for pardon; may it be the washing away of sin, the strength of the weak, a protection against all dangers of the world, and a remission of all the sins of the faithful, whether living or dead. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
Let us pray. Bow down your heads before God.
O God, the restorer and lover of innocence, direct to Thyself the hearts of Thy servants; that fervent in Thy spirit, they may be found both steadfast in faith and zealous in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever.
R. Amen.