SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY
The Liturgical Year
Ven. Prosper Guéranger
The Church offers to our consideration,
during this week of Sexagesima, the history of Noah and the deluge. Man has not
profited by the warnings already given him. God is obliged to punish him once
more, and by a terrible chastisement. There is found out of the whole human
race one just man; God makes a covenant with him, and with us through him. But,
before He draws up this new alliance, He would show that He is the sovereign Master,
and that man, and the earth whereon he lives, subsist solely by His power and
permission.
As the ground-work of this week’s
instructions, we give a short passage from the Book of Genesis: it is read in
the Office of this Sunday’s Matins.
From the Book of Genesis
Chapter six
And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on
the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all
times, it repented him that he had made man on the earth. And being touched
inwardly with sorrow of heart, he said: I will destroy man, whom I have
created, from the face of the earth, from man even to beasts, from the creeping
thing even to the fowls of the air. For it repenteth me that I have made them. But
Noah found grace before the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a
just and perfect man in his generations: he walked with God. And he begot three
sons: Sem, Chain, and Japheth. And the earth was corrupted before God, and was
filled with iniquity. And when God had seen that the earth was corrupted (for
all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth), he said to Noah: The end of all
flesh is come before me: the earth is filled with iniquity through them, and I
will destroy them with the earth.
This awful
chastisement of the human race by the deluge was a fresh consequence of sin.
This time, however, there was found one just man; and it was through him and
his family that the world was restored. Having once more mercifully renewed His
covenant with His creatures, God allows the earth to be repeopled, and makes
the three sons of Noah become the fathers of the three great families of the
human race.
This is the
mystery of the Divine Office during the week of Sexagesima. The mystery
expressed in today’s Mass is of still greater importance, and the former is but
a figure of it. The earth is deluged by sin and heresy. But the word of God, the
seed of life, is ever producing a new generation: a race of men, who, like
Noah, fear God. It is the word of God that produces those happy children, of whom
the beloved disciple speaks, saying: ‘They are born not of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ Let us endeavour to be of
this family; or, if we are already numbered among its members, let us zealously
maintain our glorious position.
What we have to do, during these days of
Septuagesima, is to escape from the deluge of worldliness, and take shelter in
the Ark of salvation; we have to become that good soil, which yields a hundred—fold
from the heavenly seed. Let us flee from the wrath to come, lest we perish with
the enemies of God: let us hunger after that word of God, which converteth and
giveth life to souls.
St. John Bosco
St. John Bosco (Don Bosco), was an Italian Roman
Catholic priest of the Latin Church, educator and writer of the 19th century.
While working in Turin, where the population suffered many of the effects of
industrialization and urbanization, he dedicated his life to the betterment and
education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged
youth. He developed teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a
method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System. A follower of the
spirituality and philosophy of Saint Francis de Sales, Bosco dedicated his
works to him when he founded the Salesians of Don Bosco, based in Turin.
Together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns
dedicated to the care and education of poor girls. In 1876 Bosco founded a movement of laity,
the Association of Salesian Cooperators, with the same educational mission to
the poor. In 1875 he began to publish the Salesian Bulletin. The Bulletin has
remained in continuous publication, and is currently published in 50 different
editions and 30 languages. Bosco
established a network of organizations and centers to carry on his work. Following his posthumous beatification in 1929, he was canonized as a saint in
the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1934.
MASS
SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY
With a Commemoration for
St. John Bosco
Semi-double/Second Class
Violet vestments
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls
At Rome the Station is in the basilica of St. Paul
outside the walls. It is around the tomb of the Doctor of the Gentiles, the
zealous sower of the divine seed, the father by his preaching of so many nations,
that the Roman Church assembles her children on this Sunday, whereon she is
about to announce to them how God spared the earth on the condition that it
should be peopled with true believers and with faithful adorers of His name.
INTROIT - Psalm 43: 23-26
Exsúrge, quare obdórmis, Dómine? exsúrge, et ne
repéllas in finem. Quare fáciem tuam avértis, oblivísceris tribulatiónem
nostram? adhǽsit in terra venter noster:
exsúrge, Dómine, ádjuva nos, et líbera nos.
Ps. 43. 2 Deus, áuribus
nostris audívimus: patres nostri annuntiavérunt nobis.
V. Glória Patri.
Exsúrge, quare obdórmis…
Arise, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, and cast us
not off to the end. Why turnest thou thy face away? and for gettest our
tribulation? Our belly cleaveth to the earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and deliver
us.
Ps.
We have heard, O God, with our ears: our fathers have declared
to us thy wonders.
V. Glory be.
Arise, why sleepest thou…
COLLECT
O God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing
that we do: mercifully grant that by the protection of the Doctor of the
Gentiles we may be defended against all adversities. Through our Lord.
Commemoration for St. John Bosco
O God, who didst raise up Saint John, Thy Confessor,
to be the father and the teacher of the youth, and who by him, with the help of
the Virgin Mary, didst promote new families in Thy Church: grant, we beseech
Thee, that inflamed by the same fire of love, we may win souls and serve Thee
alone. Through our Lord.
EPISTLE - 2 Corinthians 11: 19-33; 12: 1-9
Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to
the Corinthians
Brethren: You gladly suffer the foolish: whereas
yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man
devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you
on the face. I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this
part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak
foolishly), I dare also. They are Hebrews, so am I. They are Israelites, so am
I. They are the seed of Abraham, so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I
speak as one less wise), I am more: in many more labours, in prisons more
frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times
did I receive forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of
the sea: in journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in
perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false
brethren: in labour and painfulness, in much watching, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings often, in cold and nakedness; besides those things which are without,
my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am
not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory, I
will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. At Damascus
the governor of the nation under Aretas the king guarded the city of the
Damascenes, to apprehend me: and through a window in a basket was I let down by
the wall, and so escaped his hands. If I must glory (it is not expedient
indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in
Christ about fourteen years ago, whether in the body I know not, or out of the
body I know not, God knoweth: such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I know
such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I know not, God knoweth:
that he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words which it is not
granted to man to utter. For such a one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my
infirmities. For, though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish:
for I will say the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should think of me above
that which he seeth in me, or anything he heareth from me. And lest the
greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my
flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing, thrice I besought the
Lord that it might depart from me. And He said to me: My grace is sufficient
for thee, for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
GRADUAL - Psalm 82: 19, 14
Let the Gentiles know that God is Thy name: Thou alone
art the Most High over all the earth.
V. O my God, make them like a wheel, and as stubble before the wind.
TRACT - Psalm 59: 4, 6
Thou hast moved the earth, O Lord, and hast troubled
it.
V. Heal Thou the breaches thereof, for it has been moved.
V. That they may flee from before the bow: that Thine elect may be
delivered.
GOSPEL - Luke 8: 4-15
At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered
together and hastened out of the cities unto Jesus, He spoke by a
similitude: The sower went out to sow
his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock: and as
soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other
some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it choked it. And other
some fell upon good ground: and being sprung up yielded fruit a hundredfold.
Saying these things, He cried out: He
that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And His disciples asked Him what this
parable might be. To whom He said: To you it is given to know the mystery of
the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables: that seeing they may not see,
and hearing may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God. And they by the wayside are they that hear: then the devil cometh and
taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now
they upon the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and
these have no roots: for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation
they fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they who have heard and,
going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this
life, and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground are they who in a good
and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in
patience.
St. Gregory the Great justly remarks, that this parable needs no explanation,
since eternal Wisdom Himself has told us its meaning. All that we have to do,
is to profit by this divine teaching, and become the good soil, wherein the
heavenly seed may yield a rich harvest. How often have we, 'hitherto, allowed
it to be trampled on by them that passed by, or to be torn up by the birds of
the air! How often has it found our heart like a stone, that could give no
moisture, or like a thorn plot, that could but choke! We listened to the word
of God; we took pleasure in hearing it; and from this we argued well for ourselves.
Nay, we have often received this word with joy and eagerness. Sometimes, even,
it took root within us. But, alas! something always came to stop its growth.
Henceforth, it must both grow and yield fruit. The seed given to us is of such
quality, that the divine Sower has a right to expect a hundred-fold. If the
soil, that is, our heart, be good; if we take the trouble to prepare it, by
profiting of the means afforded us by the Church; we shall have an abundant
harvest to show our Lord on that grand day, when, rising triumphant from His
tomb, He will come to share with His faithful people the glory of His
Resurrection.
OFFERTORY - Psalm 16: 5, 6-7
Perfect Thou my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps
be not moved: incline Thy ear, and hear my words: show forth Thy wonderful
mercies, Thou who savest them that trust in Thee, O Lord.
SECRET
May the sacrifice offered unto Thee, O Lord, ever
quicken and protect us. Through our Lord.
Commemoration for St. John Bosco
Accept, O Lord, the pure oblation of the Host of
salvation and grant that loving Thee into and above all things, we merit to
live for the praise of Thy glory. Through our Lord.
PREFACE OF THE HOLY TRINITY
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, together with Thine
only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, are one God, one Lord: not in the
oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we
believe by Thy revelation of Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the
same of the Holy Ghost, without difference or separation. So that in confessing
the true and everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and
equality in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the
Cherubim also and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out with one
voice saying:
COMMUNION – Psalm 43: 4
I will go in unto the Altar of God. Unto God, who
giveth joy to my youth.
POSTCOMMUNION
We humbly beseech Thee, almighty God to grant that
they whom Thou refreshest with Thy sacraments, may serve Thee worthily by a
life well pleasing unto Thee. Through
our Lord.
Commemoration for St. John Bosco
Filled with the mystery of Thy Body and Blood, grant,
we beseech Thee, O Lord, through the intercession of Saint John, Confessor,
that we may ever be thankful. Who livest and reignest.
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