St. Paul of the
Cross
Founder of the
Passionists
The
eighty-one years of this Saint's life were modelled on the Passion of Jesus
Christ. In his childhood, when praying in church, a heavy bench fell on his
foot, but the boy took no notice of the bleeding wound, and spoke of it as
"a rose sent from God." A few years later, the vision of a scourge
with "love" written on its lashes assured him that his thirst for
penance would be satisfied. In the hope of dying for the faith, he enlisted in
a crusade against the Turks; but a voice from the Tabernacle warned him that he
was to serve Christ alone, and that he should found a congregation in His
honor. At the command of his bishop he began while a layman to preach the
Passion, and a series of crosses tried the reality of his vocation. All his
first companions, save his brother, deserted him; the Sovereign Pontiff refused
him an audience; and it was only after a delay of seventeen years that the
Papal approbation was obtained, and the first house of the Passionists was
opened on Monte Argentario, the spot which Our Lady had pointed out. St. Paul
chose as the badge of his Order a heart with three nails, in memory of the
sufferings of Jesus, but for himself he invented a more secret and durable
sign. Moved by the same holy impulse as Blessed Henry Suso, St. Jane Frances,
and other Saints, he branded on his side the Holy Name, and its characters were
found there after death. His heart beat with a supernatural palpitation, which
was especially vehement on Fridays, and the heat at times was so intense as to
scorch his shirt in the region of his heart. Through fifty years of incessant
bodily pain, and amidst all his trials, Paul read the love of Jesus everywhere,
and would cry out to the flowers and grass, "Oh! be quiet, be quiet,"
as if they were reproaching him with ingratitude. He died whilst the Passion
was being read to him, and so passed with Jesus from the cross to glory.
St. Paul of the Cross was beatified on 1 October 1852, and canonized
on 29 June 1867 by Blessed Pius IX. Two years later, his feast day was inserted
in the Roman calendar, for celebration on 28 April as a Double. In 1962 it was
reclassified as a Third-Class feast, and in 1969 it became an optional Memorial
and was placed on 19 October, the day after the day of his death, 18 October, which
is the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist. In 2006, this Optional Memorial was
permanently transferred to 20 October.
St. Vitalis
Martyr
St.
Vitalis was a citizen of Milan, and is said to have been the father of Sts.
Gervasius and Protasius. The divine providence conducted him to Ravenna, where
he saw a Christian named Ursicinus, who was condemned to lose his head for his
faith, standing aghast at the sight of death, and seeming ready to yield.
Vitalis was extremely moved at this spectacle. He knew his double obligation of
preferring the glory of God and the eternal salvation of his neighbor to his
own corporal life: he therefore boldly and successfully encouraged Ursicinus to
triumph over death, and after his martyrdom carried off his body, and
respectfully interred it. The judge, whose name was Paulinus, being informed of
this, caused Vitalis to be apprehended, stretched on the rack, and, after other
torments, to be buried alive in a place called the Palm-tree, in Ravenna. His
wife, Valeria, returning from Ravenna to Milan, was beaten to death by
peasants, because she refused to join them in an idolatrous festival and riot.
April 28
ST.
PAUL OF THE CROSS
Commemoration of St. Vitalis
Double - White Vestments
Missa ‘Christo Confixus’
INTROITUS – Galatians 2: 19, 20
Christo
confixus sum cruci: vivo autem, jam non ego: vivit vero in me Christus: in fide
vivo Fílii Dei, qui diléxit me, et trádidit semetípsum pro me, allelúia,
allelúia. Ps. 40: 2. Beátus qui intélligit
super egénum et páuperem: in die mala liberábit eum Dóminus. Gloria Patri.
INTROIT
With
Christ I am nailed to the cross: but I live, now not I but Christ liveth in me.
I live in the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and delivered Himself for
me. Alleluia, alleluia. Ps.
Blessed is he that understandeth
concerning the needy and the poor: the Lord will deliver him in the evil day.
Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT
O
Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst endow St. Paul with exceeding charity to preach
the mystery of the Cross, and didst will that through him a new family should
spring up in Thy Church, grant us, by his intercession, that, constantly
venerating Thy passion on earth, we may be worthy to partake of its fruits in
heaven. Who livest and reignest.
Collect – Commemoration of St. Vitalis
Martyr
Grant
we beseech the almighty God, that we who celebrate the martyrdom of blessed
Vitalis, through his intercession be strengthened in your 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. Amen.
EPISTLE – I Corinthians 1: 17-25
Brethren,
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of
speech, lest the Cross of Christ should be made void. For the word of the
Cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness: but to them that are saved,
that is, to us, it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent I will reject. Where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God
made foolish the wisdom of this world? For seeing that in the wisdom of God the
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of our
preaching to save them that believe. For
both the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and unto the Gentiles
foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than
men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
PASCHAL ALLELUIA – II Corinthians 5: 15
Alleluia,
alleluia. V. Christ died for all; that they also who live may not now live to
themselves, but to Him who died for them, and rose again. Alleluia.
ALLELUIA – Romans 8:17
Alleluia.
And if sons, heirs also: heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ; yet
so if we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him. Alleluia.
GOSPEL – Luke 10: 1-9
At
that time, The Lord appointed also other seventy-two; and He sent them two and
two before His face into every city and place whither He Himself was to come.
And He said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few:
pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send laborers into His
harvest. Go, behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor
scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house you
enter, first say, Peace be to this house: and if the son of peace be there,
your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you. And in the
same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the
laborer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what
city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before
you; and heal the sick that are therein; and say to them, The kingdom of God is
come nigh unto you.
OFFERTORY – Ephesians 5: 2
Walk
in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an
oblation and a sacrifice to God, for an odor of sweetness. Alleluia.
SECRET
May
these mysteries of Thy passion and death, O Lord, obtain for us that heavenly
fervour by which St. Paul, when he offered the same, presented his own body as
a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto Thee. Who livest and reignest.
 |
| The martyrdom of Saint Vitalis. This 14th-century French manuscript depicts Vitalis being buried alive. |
SECRET – Commemoration of St. Vitalis
As
thou hast received our gifts and prayers, O Lord, cleanse us, we ask by thy heavenly
mysteries, and graciously hear us.
PREFACE OF EASTER
It
is truly meet and just, right and availing unto salvation that at all times,
but more especially at this season, we should extol Thy glory, O Lord, when
Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the true Lamb that hath taken away
the sins of the world: Who by dying hath overcome our death, and by rising
again hath restored our life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with
Thrones and Dominations, and with all the heavenly hosts, we sing a hymn to Thy
glory, saying without ceasing:
THE SANCTUS
Sanctus,
Sanctus, Sanctus, Dóminus Deus Sábaoth. Pleni sunt cæli et terra glória tua. Hosánna
in excélsis. Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini. Hosánna in excélsis.
COMMUNION – I Peter 4:13
If
you partake of the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, that when His glory shall be
revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. Alleluia.
POSTCOMMUNION
We
have received, O Lord, Thy divine sacrament, the perpetual memorial of Thine
infinite love; grant, we beseech Thee, that, by the merits of St. Paul and by
imitating him, we may draw from Thy fountains the water that gusheth out unto
life eternal, and may by our life and actions bear Thy sacred passion deep
graven upon our hearts. Who livest and reignest…
POSTCOMMUNION Commemoration of St. Vitalis
Grant,
we pray, O Lord our God, that we who in time render joyful service in memory of
thy saints, may be gladdened by their company in eternity. Through Jesus
Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee.
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