Posted by Friday Lent IV: Missa “Meditátio cordis mei”
Today’s Collecta is at the Church of St. Vitus in “Macello Livice.” Station at the Church of St. Eusebius The assembly of the faithful was appointed for today at a church once called ad Lunam. During the Seventh Century, when St. Vitus was a popular Italian saint, this church received his name.
Eusebius, whose house occupied the site of the stational church, was martyred under the Arian Emperor Constantius II (353-361). The nearness of an ancient burying-ground may have influenced the choice of the Epistle and Gospel of the Mass.
The resurrection of Lazarus may be regarded as a type of the sacrament of Penance. Jesus alone has power to convert the heart, but He delegates to his apostles and ministers the office of freeing Lazarus from the bands and the windingsheet which envelop him.
INTROIT Psalm 18: 15
The meditation of my heart is always in Thy sight: O Lord, my helper, and my redeemer. (Ps. 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 meditation of my heart…
COLLECT
God, Who dost renew the world with ineffable sacraments, grant, we beseech Thee, that Thy Church may both be profited by the eternal institutions and not left without temporal assistance. 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 3 Kings 17: 17-24
Lesson from the Book of Kings. In those days: The son of the woman of. the house fell sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elias: What have I to do with thee, thou man of God? art thou come to me that my iniquities should be remembered, and that thou shouldst kill my son? And Elias said to her: Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, hast Thou also afflicted the widow, with whom I am after a sort maintained, so as to kill her son? And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech Thee, return into his body. And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned unto him, and he revived. And Elias took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, and delivered him to his mother, and said to her: Behold thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elias: Now, by this I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.
GRADUAL Psalm 117: 8, 9
It is good to confide in the Lord, rather than to have confidence in man: V. It is good to trust in the Lord rather than to trust in princes.
TRACTUS Psalm 102:10
O Lord, deal with us not according to our sins, nor requite us according to our crimes. Ps 78:8-9 O Lord, remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may Your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. kneel V. Help us, O God, our Savior, because of the glory of Your Name, O Lord; deliver us and pardon our sins for Your Name’s sake.
GOSPEL John 11: 1-45
At that time, there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. (And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair; whose brother Lazarus was sick). His sisters therefore sent to Him, saying, Lord, behold he whom Thou lovest is sick. And Jesus hearing it said to them, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” Now, Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He still remained in the same place two days. Then after that, He said to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” The disciples say to Him, Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone Thee; and goest Thou thither again? Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world: but if he walk in the night he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Lazarus our friend sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.” His disciples therefore said, Lord, if he sleep he shall do well; but Jesus spoke of his death, and they thought that He spoke of the repose of sleep.Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe: but let us go to him.” Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow-disciples, Let us also go that we may die with Him. Jesus therefore came, and found that he had been four days already in the grave. (Now Bethania was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off). And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Martha, therefore, as soon as she heard that Jesus was come, went to meet Him: but Mary sat at home. Martha therefore said to Jesus, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But now also I know that whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee. Jesus saith to her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, although he be dead, shall live; and every one, that liveth and believeth in Me, shall not die forever. Believest thou this? She saith to Him, Yea, Lord, I have believed, that Thou are Christ, the Son of the living God, Who art come into this world. And when she had said these things she went, and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. She, as soon as she heard this, riseth quickly, and cometh to Him. For Jesus was not yet come into the town, but He was still in that place where Martha had met Him. The Jews therefore, who were with her in the house and comforted her, when they saw Mary that she rose up speedily, and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth to the grave to weep there. When Mary therefore was come where Jesus was, seeing Him, she fell down at His feet, and saith to Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Jesus therefore, when He saw, her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled Himself; and said, “where have you laid him?” They say to Him, Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how He loved him! But some of them said, Could not He that opened the eyes of the man born blind, have caused that this man should not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself, cometh to the sepulchre. Now it was a cave: and a stone was laid over it. Jesus saith, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he is now of four days. Jesus saith to her, “Did not I say to thee that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?” They took therefore the stone away: and Jesus lifting up His eyes, said, “Father, I give Thee thanks that Thou hast heard Me; and I knew that Thou hearest Me always,but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” When He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding-bands, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them. “Loose him, and let him go.” Many therefore of the Jews who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in Him.
OFFERTORY Psalm 17: 28, 32
Thou wilt save the humble people, O Lord, and wilt bring down the eyes of the proud: for Who is God, but Thou, O Lord?
SECRET
May the gifts we offer purify us, O Lord, we pray, and continually appease Thee in our regard. 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 John 11: 33, 35, 43, 44
The Lord seeing the sisters of Lazarus weeping at the tomb, wept before the Jews, and cried out, Lazarus, come forth: and he that had been dead four days came forth bound hands and feet.
POSTCOMMUNION
May the participation of this sacrament, we pray, O Lord, unceasingly keep us free from sins of our own and guard us from all hostile powers. 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 your heads to God.
Grant us, we beseech You, almighty God, that, conscious of our weakness, we may place our trust in Your strength, and rejoice forever in Your fatherly love. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen.