Periods of Silence within the Eucharistic Celebration

 OFFICE FOR THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS

OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF

Periods of Silence within the Eucharistic Celebration

Number 45 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (Third and Emended Typical Edition, 2008) prescribes:

Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times. Its purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts. Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.

Paragraph 30 of the Liturgy Constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium, likewise prescribes: “And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.”

Number 56 of the General Instruction specifies better the importance of silence within the Liturgy of the Word, while number 78 makes the same clear for the Liturgy of the Eucharist: “The Eucharistic Prayer demands that all listen to it with reverence and in silence.” Number 84 then underscores the importance of the observance of silence as a means of good preparation for the reception of Holy Communion: “The priest prepares himself by a prayer, said quietly, that he may fruitfully receive Christ’s Body and Blood. The faithful do the same, praying silently.” Finally, the same attitude is proposed for the period of thanksgiving after Communion:

When the distribution of Communion is finished, as circumstances suggest, the priest and faithful spend some time praying privately.¹ If desired, a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may also be sung by the entire congregation. (n. 88)

In several other paragraphs of the General Instruction similar directives concerning silence are repeated, such that silence is an integral part of the liturgical celebration.

The Servant of God John Paul II had recognized that, in actual practice, the directive of the Second Vatican Council concerning sacred silence, a directive later included in the General Instruction, was not always faithfully observed. He writes: “One aspect that we must foster in our communities with greater commitment is the experience of silence. . . . The Liturgy, with its different moments and symbols, cannot ignore silence.” (Spiritus et Sponsa, n. 13, emphasis in original)

Here we can recall a text of the then-theologian and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger:

We are realizing more and more clearly that silence is part of the liturgy. We respond, by singing and praying, to the God who addresses us, but the greater mystery, surpassing all words, summons us to silence. It must, of course, be a silence with content, not just the absence of speech and action. We should expect the liturgy to give us a positive stillness that will restore us.²

Consequently, the observance of the moments of silence envisioned by the liturgy is of great importance. These moments of silence are as much an integral part of the ars celebrandi (art of celebrating) of the ministers as is participatio actuosa (active participation) on the part of the faithful. Silence in the liturgy is the moment in which one listens with greater attention to the voice of God and internalizes His word, so that it bears the fruit of sanctity in daily life.

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¹It is worth noting that the original Latin text which the English renders as “privately” is actually “secreto,” better translated as “quietly” or “in silence.”

²The Spirit of the Liturgy (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000), 209.

From the Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great: Birthday of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

From the Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great First for the Birthday of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Dearly beloved brethren, in the joy of all the holy Feast-days the whole world is partaker. There is but one love of God, and whatsoever is solemnly called to memory, if it has been done for the salvation of all, must needs be worth the honor of a joyful memorial at the hands of all. Nevertheless, this feast which we are keeping today, besides that world-wide worship which it does of right get throughout all the earth, does deserve from this city of ours an outburst of gladness altogether special and our own. In this place it was that the two chiefs of the Apostles did so right gloriously finish their race. And upon this day whereon they lifted up that their last testimony, let it be in this place that the memory thereof receives the chief of jubilant celebrations. O Rome, these two are the men who brought the light of the Gospel of Christ to shine upon you! These are they by whom thou, from being the teacher of lies, were turned into a learner of the truth.

These two be your fathers, these be your shepherds, these two be those who laid for you, as touching the kingdom of heaven, better and happier foundations, than did they that first planned your earthly ramparts, from which he that gave you your name took occasion to pollute you with a brother's blood. These are they who have set on your head this your glorious crown, that  become an holy nation, a chosen people, a city both Priestly and Kingly, whom the Sacred Throne of blessed Peter has exalted until you become the Lady of the world, unto whom the world-wide love for God hath conceded a broader lordship than is the possession of any mere earthly empire. You were once waxen great by victories, until thy power was spread haughtily over land and sea, but your power was narrower then which the toils of war had won for you, than that you now have which has been laid at your feet by the peace of Christ.

You once waxen great by victories, until your power was spread haughtily over land and sea, but your power was narrower then which the toils of war had won for you, than that you now have which has been laid at your feet by the peace of Christ. It well suited for the doing of the work which God had decreed that the multitude of kingdoms should be bound together under one rule, and that so the universal preaching of the Gospel should find easier entry into all peoples, since all were governed by the empire of one city.

But this city, knowing not Him, Who had been pleased to make her great, used her lordship over almost all nations to make herself the minister of all their falsehoods and seemed to herself exceeding godly because there was no false god whom she rejected. But the tighter than Satan had bound her, the more wondrous was the work of Christ in setting her free.

Ss. John and Paul

Ss. John and Paul

The Roman brothers John and Paul distributed to the poor the wealth they had been left by Constantia, the daughter of Constantine, whom they had served justly and faithfully. Invited by Julian the Apostate to join the members of his household, they boldly declared that they did not wish to live in the house of a man who had abandoned Jesus Christ. They were therefore given ten days in which to be persuaded to sacrifice to Jupiter. As they steadfastly refused to commit this sin, they were beheaded in their home, at the command of Terentian the judge, thus meriting the palm of martyrdom. The news of their glorious death was spread abroad by unclean spirits, who began tormenting the bodies of many persons, among them the son of Terentian. He was freed of his diabolical tormentor at the tomb of the Martyrs. This miracle led both him and his father, Terentian, to believe in Christ; and the latter is said to have written the life of the holy Martyrs.

Quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut nos gemináta lætítia hodiérnæ festivitátis excípiat, quæ de beatórum Ioánnis et Pauli glorificatióne procédit; quos éadem fides et pássio vere fecit esse germános.

Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

Almighty God, fill us, we beseech thee, with the twofold gladness which doth flow down upon this bright day from the glory of thy blessed servants John and Paul, whom one faith and one suffering made to be brothers indeed.

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

R. Amen.

St. Charles de Foucauld: A Meditation on Psalm 5

 St. Charles de Foucauld: A Meditation on Psalm 5

A Meditation on Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my groaning.
Hearken to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to thee do I pray.
O Lord, in the morning thou dost hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for thee, and watch.

For thou art not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not sojourn with thee.
The boastful may not stand ground before thy eyes;
thou hatest all evildoers.
Thou destroyest those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors bloodthirsty and deceitful men.

But I through the abundance of thy steadfast love
will enter thy house,
I will worship toward thy holy temple
in fear of thee.
Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness
because of my enemies;
make thy way straight before me.

For there is no truth in their mouth;
their heart is destruction,
their throat is an open sepulchre,
they flatter with their tongue.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against thee.

But let all who take refuge in thee rejoice,
let them ever sing for joy;
and do thou defend them,
that those who love thy name may exult in thee.
For thou dost bless the righteous, O Lord;
thou dost cover him with favor as with a shield.

♦ ♦ ♦

Psalm 5: 1–7

My God, how good you are to teach us to pray! So often we don’t know how to do it. So often we need to say with the Apostles, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” You give us in your Psalms, my God, so many examples of prayers. They are your own words, the indescribable groanings of the Holy Spirit in the soul of David, divine prayer. The Our Father and the prayers reported by the holy gospels are the lessons in prayer that you give us! How good you are to give them to us, to remedy our weakness, our dryness. And to give them to each of us in such abundance, and in designating them yourself for each state of soul or moment of the day. What a consolation, what a good thing it is for us to be able to pray to you in your own words, in so perfect a way and perfectly appropriate to our condition.

This Psalm is the psalm of morning. The Catholic Church recites it at Lauds on Monday. The first seven verses are divided in a simple and remarkable way: the first three are simply invocations: “Lord, I pray you, I pray you, listen to me, listen to me.”

The fourth verse [sic] indicates the hour for which this Psalm is composed: “In the morning I will stand before you, Lord, and what will I see? I will see that you hate sin, that the evildoer will not live near you, that the unjust will not be allowed before your eyes. You hate all those who do evil, you curse liars; you abhor the bloodthirsty and the perfidious.”

This, then, is how the Holy Spirit wants us to place ourselves upon awakening, in the presence of God. Let us adore him, let us beg him to listen to us, to make us pray to him himself, to make our prayer within us himself, that it may be acceptable; that Jesus continue his life in us, that he may live in us and not we ourselves; that his kingdom may come into our souls, that he may make our thoughts, words and actions, that he may pray to his Father in us.

May this have its place in our morning prayer, since the Holy Spirit himself indicates to us this great and beneficial truth and at the same time this dazzling beauty—the holiness of God, so formidable to the living, so terrifying to sinners, so sweet to the just, to begin the day and enlighten all our thoughts and our actions until evening—to the evening of the present day and the evening of life.

Psalm 5: 8–End

How consoling still are these verses, my God, and how good you are to have inspired your prophet for our consolation! You have willed that this Psalm should start with harsh images: “I will stand before you in the morning, and what will I see? A God who hates iniquity.” Before all else, you inspire in us a hatred of evil, the fear of sin, fear of your judgments, the fear of offending you. But you do not want to leave us with only this impression. Having in the first place engraved it on our hearts as the first thing, the most necessary, the most beneficial, you have us make an act of adoration and confidence: “I am surrounded by the multiplicity of your mercies, I will enter your house and adore you in your holy temple.” And immediately after, you have us make an act of the detestation of evil, of this evil we have just seen that you hate, and as an act of the renouncement of Satan and his works.

Finally in the last three verses there is the tender and filial expression of confidence in God. It is on this that you want us to end our morning prayer: “All those who hope in you shall rejoice; they will be eternally blessed, and you will live in them. All those who love you will be glorified in you, for you bless the just one, Lord. You have spread out your love over our heads like a shield.”

Is there anything sweeter, anything more consoling? God himself, it seems, could not have found a word more tender than the one he chose to end this prayer, and which with his ineffable goodness he orders us to say to him, “You have spread out your love over our heads like a shield.”

Let us allow these acts to enter into our prayers and meditations; let us always begin by saying to ourselves, “I will stand before the Lord and what will I see? A God who hates iniquity.” And then let us ask him pardon of our faults, great and small, and let us beg him that we not commit any of them again, not even the least imperfection, because any imperfection displeases him, is an unfaithfulness, a lack of fervor, lack of love, a sadness for his heart. Afterward should come the act of adoration: “I will adore you in your holy temple.” This is the sequence which the priest follows at Mass. And after the act of adoration which will last if it pleases God to make it last, let us finish with an act of the detestation of evil and the renouncement of all that is not willed by God. And finally let us throw ourselves upon the heart of God. Let us thank him for his love, let us tell him that we believe that poor as we are, we want, we hope to avoid every imperfection, to glorify him as much as possible because he has spread out his love over our heads as a shield, because we can do all in him who strengthens us.

Let us finish our prayer by recalling his kindness, his heart, his mercies. This is an act of gratitude, of necessary confidence in his love, necessary because to give it to God is just, necessary because he will give us the strength to fight the temptations of the day. Moreover, since God makes us do it in this Psalm, we must think thereby that it is very good to do.

Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan: Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

 

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke

Luke 1:5-17

There was, in the days of Herod the King of Judaea, a certain Priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And so on.

Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

Bk. i. on Luke

The Divine Scriptures teach us that we are behoven to praise the lives, not only of those concerning whom we are to speak honorably, but the lives also of their fathers, so as to show that that which we will praise in our subjects was in them a gift inherited from the bright purity of the source from which they came. What other meaning can the holy Evangelist have had in this place but to glorify St. John the Baptist, as well for having been the offspring of such parents, as for his miracles, his life, his gifts, and his sufferings? So likewise is praise ascribed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel so also did Isaac draw from his parents that noble godliness which he in his turn bequeathed to his children. Thus it is told not only that Zacharias was a Priest, but a Priest of the course of Abia, that is to say, of a family noble among the noblest.

And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron. Thus we see that the noble blood of St. John was inherited not only from parents, but from an ancient ancestry, not illustrious indeed by worldly power, but worshipful for the tradition of a sacred succession. Such were the forefathers whom it well became the Fore-runner of the Christ to have, that it might manifestly fall to his lot, not as a sudden gift, but as an heir-loom, to preach belief in the coming of the Lord. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. What do they make of this text who, to take them some consolation for their own sins, hold that man cannot exist without oftentimes sinning, and quote to that end that which is written in Job: Not one is clean, even though his life on the earth be but one day?

To such we must reply by asking them first to tell us what they mean by a man without sin whether it be one who hath never sinned, or one who hath ceased to sin. If they mean by a man without sin one who hath never sinned, I myself agree in their position, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Rom. iii. 23. But if they mean to deny that he who hath reformed his old crooked ways, and changed his life for a new one, on purpose to avoid sin, cannot avoid sin, I am not able to subscribe to their opinion while I read that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph. v. 25-27.

Commemoratio S. Silverii Papæ et Martyris: S. Silvester, Pope and Martyr

 

Commemoratio S. Silverii Papæ et Martyris

Ant. Qui odit ánimam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam ætérnam custódit eam.

V. Iustus ut palma florébit.
R. Sicut cedrus Líbani multiplicábitur.

Orémus.

Gregem tuum, Pastor ætérne, placátus inténde: et per beátum Silvérium Mártyrem tuum atque Summum Pontíficem perpétua protectióne custódi; quem totíus Ecclésiæ præstitísti esse pastórem.

Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

Commemoration: S. Silvester,  Pope and Martyr

Ant. He that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.

V. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree.
R. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Let us pray.

Look forgivingly on thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Silverius thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, whom thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church.

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Saints Gervasius and Protasi

 

Saints Gervasius and Protasi

Deus, qui nos ánnua sanctórum Mártyrum tuórum Gervásii et Protásii solemnitáte lætíficas: concéde propítius; ut, quorum gaudémus méritis, accendámur exémplis.

Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

O God, who dost every year by the solemn memorial of the blessed martyrs Saints Gervasius and Protasius grant us grace, we beseech thee, not only to rejoice because of their worthy deeds, but also to tread in their footsteps.

Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Saints Gervasius and Protasius: The Iconography

In Milan, Saints Gervasius and Protasius. The Judge Astasius ordered that Gervase beaten to death with leaded scourges and Protase beated with sticks and beheaded. By divine revelation blessed Ambrose discovered their bodies, flecked with blood and incorrupt as if they had just died that day. During the translation of their bodies a blind man gained his sight by touching the bier and many were set free who had been possessed by demons. – Roman Martyrology for June 19

Gervasius and Protasius were among the earliest martyrs in Milan (Butler, II, 583f). In 386, about two centuries after their death, St. Ambrose wrote to his sister that he had had "a sudden flash of a premonition" (statim subiit veluti eiusdam ardor praesagii) during Mass and suddenly knew where the bodies of the two martyrs had been buried. His priests dug in the indicated spot, and the bodies were discovered and used to consecrate a new basilica, where it is said that they remain to this day. Contemporaries who were there at the time referred to Ambrose's premonition as a "vision" revealed to him by God or perhaps by the martyrs themselves.1 Centuries afterward, a letter falsely attributed to Ambrose filled in the details we see in the image above. In it Ambrose has a vision one night of two youths wearing short boots and dressed in white pallia and colobia (mantles and sleeved garments). They appear again the second night, and on the third St. Paul appears and tells Ambrose where to dig for their relics. When they are found a note in the grave says they are Gervasius and Protasius, twin sons of the saints Valeria and Vitalis. The letter continues with an account of their martyrdom at the order of Count Astacius, who had been told he needed them to sacrifice to the gods if he wanted victory in battle. The youths refused, so one was beaten to death with cudgels and the other beheaded.2 This account is also in the Golden Legend, but it is not clear whether that work was based on the spurious letter or vice-versa. PORTRAITS The iconography of these saints is very unsettled, but a few features are relatively constant. Usually the twins are portrayed as handsome young men. In the letter attributed to Ambrose he calls them iuvenes ephebos – that is, youths of about 18-20 years old (ibid.). The Golden Legend (ibid.) calls them pulcherrimi iuvenes – "most beautiful" youths. In another instance of the art influencing the hagiography, the adjective may have been influenced by the way the two had already been pictured. In the 6th-century mosaics at right, for example, they are shown as handsome and beardless young men. They are also beardless, if perhaps less handsome, in the 11th-century book cover at right and in most later portraits. A few images from later times do give them beards. In this one they also have swords and military garb. Neither the genuine letter of Ambrose's nor the spurious one says that they were soldiers, but their father Vitalis was an officer and a nobleman, so the assumption may have been that they had once followed in his footsteps, or simply that the profession of arms was appropriate for men of their age and status. The short boots, characteristic of soldiers, may also have supported such an assumption. In portraits without the military garb, the saints' attributes are a scourge for Gervasius and a sword for Protasius (example). In one curious case Gervasius holds both a whip and a sword, as if he had been beheaded after the whipping. A statuary group in Milan also seems to assume that both were beheaded, as they have identical swords as their attributes. Another attribute used occasionally is the hand cross, as in the book cover at right and in this mosaic in Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. The white tunic and mantle specified in the Legend are perhaps the most common attributes both in portraits and in narrative images, as in the painting at the top of this page and this painting of their arrest. In the Middle Ages the words colobium and pallium referred to liturgical vestments, which seems to be the reason that Gervasius and Protasius are sometimes dressed as deacons (example). Prepared in 2013 by Richard Stracke, Emeritus Professor of English, Augusta University.

From the Exposition [attributed to] of blessed Gregory, Pope, on the book of Kings Lib. 4, cap. 5 in I Reg. c. 10

 

From the Exposition [attributed to] of blessed Gregory, Pope, on the book of Kings

Lib. 4, cap. 5 in I Reg. c. 10
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it over his head. Clearly this anointing expresses what has become a custom in Holy Church: for he who is made one of her princes receives the sacrament of anointing. Now, since this anointing is a sacrament, he who is thus promoted is well anointed outwardly, if he is inwardly strengthened by sacramental power.

Let the head of the King be anointed then, that his mind may be filled with the spiritual grace of a teacher. Let him have oil through his anointing, let him have abundant mercy, which he should prefer to all other virtues. Let him have oil, so that while he kindles within himself the flame of the Holy Spirit, he may enlighten others by the Word. Likewise let him have the oil of healing, that he may dispense wisdom, and by it wipe out the stains of sins, and restore the sick in mind to health.

Let the head of the King be anointed then, that his mind may be filled with the spiritual grace of a teacher. Let him have oil through his anointing, let him have abundant mercy, which he should prefer to all other virtues. Let him have oil, so that while he kindles within himself the flame of the Holy Spirit, he may enlighten others by the Word. Likewise let him have the oil of healing, that he may dispense wisdom, and by it wipe out the stains of sins, and restore the sick in mind to health.

But Saul was anointed from a vial, not to signify teaching, but to indicate his future. For a vial is a very small vessel. Why was it that Saul was anointed from a vial of oil, if not because he was eventually to be cast out? For after he had refused to obey God, he heard from Samuel, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king. As the vial held but little oil, so he was to be cast away received but little spiritual grace. This may be taken to be the rulers of the holy Church. For many of them receive the high dignity of the prelacy who are not perfect in their love of God and of their neighbors.

Sacred Heart: Collects

 

1962

Deus, qui nobis in Corde Fílii tui, nostris vulneráto peccátis, infinítos dilectiónis thesáuros misericórditer largíri dignáris; concéde, quǽsumus, ut illi devótum pietátis nostræ præstántes obséquium, dignæ quoque satisfactiónis exhibeámus offícium.

Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

O God, who hast suffered the Heart of thy Son to be wounded by our sins, and in that very Heart hast bestowed on us the abundant riches of thy love: grant that the devout homage of our hearts, which we render unto him, may of thy mercy be deemed a recompence acceptable in thy sight.

Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.

Ordinariate

O GOD, who hast suffered the Heart of thy Son to be wounded by our sins, and in that very Heart hast bestowed on us the abundant riches of thy love: grant, we beseech thee; that the devout homage of our hearts which we render unto him, may of thy mercy be deemed a recompense acceptable in thy sight; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Novus Ordo

Sacred Heart, Option 1: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

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Sacred Heart, Option 2: O God, who in the Heart of your Son, wounded by our sins, bestow on us in mercy the boundless treasures of your love, grant, we pray, that, in paying him the homage of our devotion, we may also offer worthy reparation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Almighty God and Father,

  we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, your beloved Son,

  as we call to mind the great things his love has done for us.

Fill us with the grace that flows in abundance

  from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven’s gifts.

TREATISE OF ST. BONAVENTURE ON THE SACRED HEART

 

TREATISE OF ST. BONAVENTURE ON THE SACRED HEART 

The providence of God permitted one of the soldiers to pierce the sacred side of Christ with a lance in order that the Church might come forth from that side while He was hanging dead on the cross. The Divine Ruler allowed this to happen that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says: "They shall look on Him Whom they pierced" (Zacharias XII, 10). God's purposes were furthered when that sacred side, opened up by the thrust of the spear, poured forth blood and water, the price of our redemption. This saving liquid which sprang from the fountain that was Christ's Heart would empower the Sacrament of the Church to give grace. For those who live in Christ, it would be a drink of the living fountain that springs up to eternal life. 

 Arise, then, O soul friendly to Christ! Be on your guard continuously! Put your lips to the place where you may drink the waters of the Savior's well. Since once we come to the Heart of the Lord, our dearest Jesus, and realize that it is good for us to be here,5 we are not easily torn away from It. 0 how good and how pleasant it is to dwell in this Heart! The good treasure is Thy Heart. The pearl 4 Book on the Tree of Life, mnn. 30, On the M)•SticaJ Vine, chapter 3. 5 cf. Matt. XVII, 4. 6 cf. Psalm CXXXII, 1. 

The Blessed Sacrament and the Sacred Heart 113 of great price is Thy Heart. 0 all good Jesus, we found this Pearl after the field which was Thy body had been dug open. Who would reject this Pearl? As for me, I shall surrender all other pearls, I shall give in exchange all my thoughts and actions, and I will unite this Pearl to myself. For by casting all my thoughts and desires into the Heart of the good Jesus, I will not be deceived, but rather will be supported by that same Heart. Since I have found this Heart, which is both Thine and mine, 0 dearest Jesus, I shall now beseech Thee Who art my God: "Allow my prayers to enter Thy sanctuary where Thou shalt answer them. Rather, do more than this. Draw me entirely into Thy Heart." Thy side was opened to make an entrance for us. Thy Heart was wounded to be our dwelling place free from the disturbances outside. For no less a reason, this Heart was pierced that by seeing a visible wound we might behold the invisible wound of His love. How could He have shown His love more convincingly than by permitting not only His body, but even His very Heart to be wounded by a spear? 

The wound of the flesh therefore, shows forth the wound of the spirit. Who would not love that Heart so wounded? Who would not return the love of a Heart so loving? Who would not embrace a Heart so pure? And so, while we are still with our bodies, let us, as much as we are able, love in return One Who so loves us; let us embrace our wounded One, Whose hands and feet, side and Heart were pierced by ungodly barbarians; and let us pray that, although our hearts are yet obstinate and impenitent, He may deem them worthy to become the prisoners and targets of His love. 7 d . Matt. XIII, 44; Matt. XIII, 46.

BLESSED ALPHONSUS MARY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MAZUREK, Priest, AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs

 June 12

BLESSED ALPHONSUS MARY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MAZUREK,
Priest,
AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs

Optional Memorial
In the Polish provinces: Memorial
Pastoral note: In the year 2022, this Optional Memorial gives way to Trinity Sunday

He was born in 1891 at Baranowka, near Lubartow, Poland. He entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1908, taking the religious name Alphonsus Mary of the Holy Spirit. He was ordained a priest and appointed as a professor while dedicating himself to the education of youth. Afterward, he served in his Order as prior and bursar. In 1944, after having been arrested by the troops that had invaded his country, he was shot on 28 August at Nawojowa Gora, near Krzeszowice. He was beatified by John Paul II on 13 June 1999, together with many other Polish martyrs.

From the common of several martyrs; psalms from the current weekday

OFFICE OF READINGS

Second Reading
From the addresses of Pope John Paul II
(OR 7-8 June 1999 p. 11; 18/6/1999, p. 4)

Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness

Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. In a particular way, this beatitude places the events of Good Friday before our eyes. Christ was condemned to death as a criminal and then crucified. On Calvary, it seemed he had been abandoned by God and left at the mercy of people’s derision.

The Gospel proclaimed by Christ was put to a radical test: those who were present at the event cried out, He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. Christ does not descend from the cross since he is faithful to his Gospel. He suffers human injustice. Only in this way, in fact, is he able to accomplish the justification of mankind.

Above all, he wanted the words of the sermon on the mount to be verified in himself: Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you. To whom do these words still apply? To many, many people throughout humanity’s history, to whom it was given to suffer persecution for the sake of justice. We know that the first three centuries after Christ were marked by persecutions, at times terrible, particularly under some Roman emperors from Nero to Diocletian. Even though these ceased from the time of the Edict of Milan, nevertheless they broke out again in various historical eras, in numerous places throughout the world.

Even our century has written a great martyrology. I myself, over the twenty years of my pontificate, have elevated to the glory of the altar numerous groups of martyrs: Japanese, French, Vietnamese, Spanish, Mexican. How many there were during the period of the Second World War and under the communist totalitarian system! They suffered and gave their lives in the Hitlerian or Soviet extermination camps.

The time has now come to remember all these victims and to render due honor to them. These are often Nameless, “unknown soldiers” as it were, of God’s great cause, as I wrote in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente. It is also good to speak of them on Polish land since here there was a particular sharing in this contemporary martyrology. They are an example for us to follow. From their blood, we should draw strength for the sacrifice of our life, which we ought to offer to God every day. They are an example for us to give a courageous witness of fidelity to the Cross of Christ, as they did.

I am happy that I was able to beatify, among the one hundred and eight martyrs, Blessed Father Alphonsus Mary Mazurek, a pupil, and much later, a well-deserving educator in the minor seminary connected to the Discalced Carmelite monastery. I had an occasion of meeting personally with this witness to Christ, who in 1944, as Prior of the Czerna monastery, sealed his faithfulness to God with death through martyrdom. I kneel in veneration before his relics which rest in the church of Saint Joseph and I thank God for the gift of the life, the martyrdom, and sanctity of this great religious.

Responsory
Cf Mt 5:11-12; Jn 15:20

R/. Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. * Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (alleluia).
R/. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. * Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (alleluia).

Prayer

May the prayers of your martyrs
Blessed Alphonsus Mary and companions,
prevail with you, Lord, on our behalf:
Let them strengthen us in our witness to your truth.

We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.

Detail of a portrait of Blessed Alphonsus Mary Mazurek displayed in the Basilica of St. Anne in Lubartów, Poland, where Blessed Alphonsus Mary was born.

St. Charles de Foucauld

 

[He was] A true contemplative, at the same time totally committed to others, particularly those most suffering; so near to God; so close to the poor—he has provided an example of faithfulness, even unto martyrdom.

Charles de Foucauld 

Father,

I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do,
I thank you.

I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

BLESSED ANNE OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW Virgin: Memorial

BLESSED ANNE OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW
Virgin

Memorial

Ana Garcia was born at Almendral, Castille, in 1549. In 1572 she made her profession as a Carmelite in the hands of St Teresa at Saint Joseph’s, Avila. The Saint later chose her as her companion and nurse, and she subsequently brought the Teresian spirit to France and Belgium, where she proved herself, like Teresa, a daughter of the Church in her great zeal for the salvation of souls. She died at Antwerp in 1626.

From the common of virgins

OFFICE OF READINGS

Second Reading
From the Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew
(Autog. MS monast. St. Teresa, Madrid)

Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart

According to Saint Bernard, it is the person who keeps silent and says nothing when things go wrong who is really humble. It is very virtuous, he says, to keep silent when people are talking about our true faults, but more perfect when we are slighted or accused without having committed any fault or sin. And though it is virtuous indeed to bear this in silence, it is more perfect still to want to be despised and thought mad and good-for-nothing, and to go on, as our Lord Jesus Christ did, wholeheartedly loving those who despise us.

If Jesus kept silent, it was not because he hated anyone. He was simply saying to his eternal Father what he said on the cross: Lord, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. What infinite love burned in that sacred heart of yours, Lord Jesus! Without uttering a single word you spoke to us; without a word you worked the mysteries you came to accomplish—teaching virtue to the ignorant and blind. What our Lord did was no small thing. Where should we get patience and humility and poverty and the other virtues, and how could we carry each other’s burdens and cross, if Christ had not taught us all this first, and given himself as a living model of all perfection?

Blessed silence! In it, you cry out and preach to the whole world by your example. Volumes could be written about your silence, Lord! There is more wisdom to be learned from it by those who love you than from books or study.

Our Lord became a spring of Living water for us so that we should not die of thirst among all the miseries that surround us. How truly he said in the Gospel that he came to serve and not to be served! What tremendous goodness! Can we fail to be shamed by your words and deeds, and the patience you show with us every day? How truly, again Lord, did you say: Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart. Where can we obtain this patience and humbleness of heart? Is there any way to achieve it except by taking it from Christ as he taught it to us with those other virtues we need—faith, hope, and charity? Without faith, we cannot follow that royal road of the divine mysteries. It is faith that opens our eyes and makes us see the truth; and where faith is wanting there is no light and no way leading to goodness.

Responsory
Proverbs 3:5, 6
R/. Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and do not rely on your own intelligence;
* and he will make straight your paths (alleluia).
R/. Wherever you go be mindful of him,
* and he will make straight your paths (alleluia).

MORNING PRAYER

Canticle of Zechariah
Ant. Where humility is, there is wisdom; the wisdom of the humble will protect them from defeat (alleluia).

Prayer

Father,
rewarder of the humble,
you blessed your servant Anne of Saint Bartholomew
with outstanding charity and patience.
May her prayers help us, and her example inspire us,
to carry our cross
and be faithful in loving you,
and others for your sake.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

EVENING PRAYER

Canticle of Mary
Ant. God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him (alleluia).

 

Portrait of Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew by France de Wilde (1917)