Thursday, January 14, 2016

ST. HILARY, CONFESSOR, BISHOP AND DOCTOR - MASS PROPERS


              St. Hilary of Poitiers
    Confessor, Bishop and Doctor   
Hilary was born of a noble family in Aquitaine, and was distinguished for his learning and eloquence. He was married, but the life he led was almost that of a monk, so that later on, on account of his great virtues, he was made Bishop of Poitiers, and so well did he discharge the episcopal office as to be the object of the deepest veneration on the part of the faithful. At that time the Emperor Constantius was inflicting every sort of harsh treatment, intimidation, confiscation of their property, and banishment, on the Catholics who refused to side with the Arians. Hilary set himself as a bulwark against the Arians. thereby bringing on himself all their fury. On this account they many times sought to ensnare him and at length, by the treachery of Saturninus, the Bishop of Aries, he was banished from the Council at Beziers into Phrygia. There he raised a dead man to life, and wrote his twelve-books On the Trinity, against the Arians. Four years after a Council was called at Seleucia, a town in lsauria, at which Hilary was compelled to assist. Thence he set out for Constantinople where seeing the extreme dangers to which the true faith had been exposed, he petitioned the Emperor, by three public petitions to grant him an audience. In order that he might obtain permission to hold a controversy with his  adversaries concerning matters of faith. But Ursacius and Valens, two Arian Bishops whom Hilary had refuted in his writings, were afraid of allowing, so learned a man to continue there any longer and persuaded Constantius to restore him to his episcopal see, under the pretense of showing him honor. Then did the Church of Gaul open her arms as St Jerome says, to receive Hilary on his return from battle with the heretics. St Martin, who was afterwards Bishop of Tours followed the holy Doctor to Poitiers; how much he profited by the instructions of such a master is evidenced-by the sanctity of his after-life. From that that time, he was left in perfect peace in the government of the Church of Poitiers. He led the whole of Gaul to condemn the Arian blasphemies. He composed a great many exceedingly Iearned books, of which St Jerome, in a letter to Laeta, says that they may be all read without the slightest fear of meeting any false doctrine in them; he assures her that she may run through the books of Hilary without stumbling on anything dangerous. He passed from this earth to heaven on the Ides of January (January 13th), during the reign of the Emperors Valentinian and Valens, in the year of our Lord 369. Hilary was called by several Fathers and Councils an illustrious Doctor of the Church, and was publicly honored as such in certain dioceses. At length, at the petition of the Council of Bordeaux, the Supreme Pontiff, Pius the Ninth, after having consulted the Sacred Congregation of Rites, declared him to have been justly called, and to be in effect, a Doctor of the universal Church; and ordered that on his Feast all should recite the Mass and Office of Doctors. 

            
            St. Felix of Nola             
This holy priest was born at Nola, a little town in the south of Italy and died towards 312.
Violently persecuted for the faith, he earned the title of martyr, although he survived the cruel torments which he underwent.




                January 14

             MASS PROPERS
 St. Hilary, BISHOP AND DOCTOR
Com. St. Felix, Confessor and Martyr
    Double – White vestments
           Missa – ‘In Medio’

INTROIT -  Ecclesiasticus 15: 5; Psalm 91: 2
In medio ecclesiæ aperuit os ejus: et implevit eum Dominus spiritu sapientiæ, et intellectus: stolam gloriæ induit eum. Ps. Bonum est confiteri Domino: et psallere nomini tuo, Altissime. Gloria Patri.

In the midst of the Church the Lord opened his mouth: and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding: He clothed him with a robe of glory. Ps. It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to Thy Name, O Most High. Glory be to the Father.

    St. Hilary of Poitiers baptizing St. Martin of Tours

COLLECT
O God, Who didst give unto Thy people blessed Hilary to be a minister of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be worthy to have as an intercessor in Heaven him, whom we have had as teacher of life on earth. Through our Lord.

Commemoration of St Felix of Nola
Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that the examples of Thy Saints may stir us up to a better life, so that we may also imitate the good deeds of those whose festivals we celebrate. Through our Lord.

EPISTLE - II Timothy 4: 1-8
Dearly beloved, I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the living and the dead, by His coming and His kingdom: preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. For there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and will indeed turn away from the truth, but will be turned into fables. But be thou vigilant, labor in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober. For I am even now ready to be sacrificed. And the time of my dissolution is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love His coming.

GRADUAL - Psalm 36: 30-31
The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment. The law of His God is in his heart: and his steps shall not be supplanted.

ALLELUIA - Ecclesiasticus 45: 1, 9
Alleluia, alleluia. The Lord loved him and adorned him: He clothed him with a robe of glory. Alleluia.


GOSPEL - Matthew 5: 13-19
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, Who is in heaven. Do not think that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and so shall teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

                      St. Hilary (Hilarius)

OFFERTORY Psalm 91: 13
The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus.

SECRET
May the holy prayer of St. Hilary, Thy Bishop and Doctor, fail us not, O Lord: may it render our offerings acceptable, and ever obtain for us Thy pardon. Through our Lord .

Commemoration of St Felix of Nola
O Lord, graciously accept the offerings consecrated unto Thee, through the merits of Thy blessed Martyr, Felix: and grant that they may be to us an abiding source of help. Through our Lord.

COMMON PREFACE
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, eternal God: through Christ our Lord. Through Whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, Dominations worship, Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the Heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with them we entreat Thee, that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted, while we say in lowly praise:


COMMUNION - Luke 12: 42
The faithful and wise servant, whom his lord setteth over his family: to give them their measure of wheat in due season.

POSTCOMMUNION
 We beseech Thee, O Lord, that blessed Hilary, Thy Bishop and illustrious Doctor, may approach to pray for us, that these Thy sacrifices may bring us salvation. Through our Lord.

Commemoration of St Felix of Nola
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that we, who have been fed with these mysteries of our salvation, may be aided by the prayers of blessed Felix, Thy Martyr, whose festival we celebrate. Through our Lord.





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