Introitus
Ps 29:11.Audívit Dóminus, et misértus est mihi: Dóminus factus est adjútor meus.
Ps 29:2
Exaltábo te, Dómine, quóniam suscepísti me: nec delectásti inimícos meos super me.
V. Glória Patri, ...
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
May Your kindly favor, we beseech You, O Lord, accompany the fast we have begun, that we may be able to practice with a pure mind what we perform bodily.
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.
Let us pray.
Collect of the Saints
From all perils of soul and body defend us, O Lord, we beseech thee, and by the intercession of blessed and gloriosus ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and of blessed N. and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace that all adversities and errors being overcome, thy Church may serve thee in security and freedom.
pro vivis et mortuos
Almighty and eternal God, who has dominion over both the living and the dead, and has mercy upon all whom You foreknow will be Yours by faith and good works; we humbly beseech You that all for whom we have resolved to make supplication, whether the present world home still holds them in the flesh or the world to come holds them out of the body, may, through the intercession of Your saints, obtain of Your goodness and clemency pardon for all their sins.
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.
Matt 5:43-48; 6:1-4
In that time, Jesus said to his disciples: You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. And so on.
Homily by St. Jerome, Priest at Bethlehem.
Bk. i, Comm. on Matth. v and vi
But I say unto you: “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.” There are many who judge of the commandments of the Lord by their own weakness, and not by the strength of His Saints; and so deem Him to have commanded things impossible. These are they who think that not to hate their enemies is all that they are able to do; and that to command us to love them, is to command more than man's nature can bear. It behoveth them to know, that this which Christ commandeth is not impossible, albeit perfect. This is what David did in respect of Saul and Absalom; the martyr Stephen also prayed for his enemies, even while they were stoning him; and Paul could wish that himself were accursed from Christ for his persecutors. Rom. ix. 3. And this, Jesus Himself did, as well as taught, when He said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke xxiii. 34.
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Fill us, O Lord, with the spirit of Your love, to unite in charity those whom You have filled with one and the same heavenly Bread.
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.
Let us pray.
Of the Saints
May the offering of this divine Sacrament cleanse and protect us, O Lord we beseech thee, and by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of blessed N. and all the Saints, may it purify us from all sin, and free us from all adversity.
pro vivis et mortuos
May the Sacraments which we have received purify us, we beseech Thee, O almighty and merciful Lord; and through the intercession of all the saints, grant that this Thy Sacrament may not be unto us a condemnation, but a salutory 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 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.
Prayer over the people
Let us pray.
Bow your heads to God.
Watch over Your people, O Lord, and mercifully cleanse them from all their sins; for no harm can come to them if no evil has power over them.
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.
