APRIL 26
Ss. Cletus and Marcellinus
POPES AND MARTYRS
The Liturgical Year
Ven. Abbot Dom Guéranger
Two
bright stars appear this day on the Ecclesiastical Cycle, proclaiming the glory
of our Jesus, the Conqueror of death. Again, they are two Pontiffs, and
Martyr-Pontiffs. Cletus leads us to the very commencement of the Church, for he
was a disciple of Peter, and his second Successor in the See of Rome.
Marcellinus was a witness of the great Persecution under Diocletian; he
governed the Church on the eve of her triumph. Let us honour these two fathers
of Christendom, who laid down their lives in its defense; and let us offer their
merits to Jesus, who supported them by his grace, and cheered them with the
hope, that, one day, they would share in his Resurrection.
Pope St. Marcellinus
In
the short notice on the life of St. Marcellinus, the reader will meet with a
circumstance, which, by some learned historians, is rejected as utterly untrue,
whilst, by others equally learned, it is considered as authentic. The holy Pontiff is said to have flinched before his persecutors,
and to have gone so far as to offer incense to the idols; but the statement
adds, that he repaired his fault by a second and courageous profession of his
faith, which secured for him the crown of Martyrdom. The plan of our work does
not admit critical disquisitions; we shall therefore not attempt to clear up
this difficulty of history; it is enough for us to know that all are agreed
upon the Martyrdom of this holy Pope. At the time when the Lesson, which is now
in the Breviary, was drawn up, — the fall of Marcellinus was believed as a
fact; later on, it was called in question, and the arguments used against it
are by no means to be despised; the Church, however, has not thought well to
change the Lesson as it first stood, the more so as questions of this nature do
not touch upon Faith. We scarcely need to remind the reader, that the fall of
Marcellinus, supposing it to be a fact, would be no argument against the
infallibility of the Roman Pontiff. The Pope cannot teach error, when
he addresses himself to the Church; but he is not impeccable in his personal
conduct.
The following is the account given on St. Cletus by the Liturgy.
Cletus,
the son of Emilianus, was a Roman, of the fifth Region, and of the Patrician
street. He governed the Church during the reigns of the emperors Vespasian and
Titus. Agreeably to the order given him by the Prince of the Apostles, he
established five and twenty priests in the City. He was the first, who, in his
letters, used those words: "Health and Apostolic benediction.” Having put
the Church into admirable order, and having governed it twelve years, seven
months, and two days, he was crowned with martyrdom under the emperor Domitian,
in the second
Persecution
following that of Nero, and was buried in the Vatican, near the body of St.
Peter.
The Life of St. Marcellinus is thus given in the Breviary.
Marcellinus,
a Roman by birth, was overcome by fear in the terrible persecution under the
emperor Diocletian, and offered incense to the idols of the gods. But such was
his sorrow for his fall, that he immediately repaired to Sinuessa, where a
council of several Bishops was being held, and, entering in, covered with
sackcloth, and shedding floods of tears, he publicly confessed his sin. No one,
however, dared to condemn him, but all, with one voice, exclaimed: “Judge
thyself by thine own lips, not by our judgment; for the first See is judged by
no one.” They added, that Peter, too, sinned through the same weakness, and, by
the like tears, obtained pardon from God.
Having returned to Rome, Marcellinus went
to the emperor, and severely reproached him for having driven him to so great a
crime. Whereupon, the emperor ordered him to be beheaded, together with three
other Christians, Claudius, Cyrinus, and Antoninus. Their bodies, by the
emperor's order, were left six and thirty days without burial, after which, the
blessed Marcellus, (in consequence of his receiving, whilst asleep, an admonition
from St. Peter,) had them buried in the Cemetery of Priscilla, on the Salarian
Road: at which burial were present many Priests and Deacons, who, with torches
in their hands, sang hymns, in honour of the Martyrs. Marcellinus governed the
Church seven years, eleven months, and twenty-three days. During this period,
he gave two Ordinations in December, at which four were made Priests, and five
Bishops for divers places.
Pray for us, O holy Pontiffs, and look
with fatherly love upon the Church on earth, which was so violently persecuted
in your times, and, at the present day, is far from enjoying peace. The worship
of idols is revived; and though they be not of stone or metal, yet they that
adore them are as determined to propagate their worship as were the Pagans of
former days to make all men idolaters. The gods and goddesses now in favour are
called Liberty, Progress, and Modern Civilization. Every measure is resorted to, in
order to impose these new divinities upon the world; — they that refuse to
adore them are persecuted; governments are secularized, that is,
unchristianized;
the education of youth is made independent of all moral teaching; the religious
element is rejected from social life, as an intrusion: and all this is done
with such a show of reasonableness, that thousands of well-minded Christians
are led to be its advocates, timid perhaps, and partial, but still its advocates.
Preserve us, O holy Martyrs! from being the dupes of this artful impiety. It was
not in vain that our Jesus suffered death, and rose again from the grave.
Surely, after this, he deserves to be what he is, — King of the whole earth,
under whose power are all creatures. It is in order to obey Him, that we wish
no other Liberty save that which he has based upon his Gospel; no other
Progress save that which follows the path He has marked out; no other
Civilization save that which results from the fulfillment of the duties to our
fellow men, which He has established. It is He that created human nature, and
gave it its laws; it is He that redeemed it, and re stored it to its lost
rights. Him alone, then, do we adore. O holy Martyrs! pray that we may never
become the dupes or slaves of the theories of human pride, not even should they
that make or uphold them, have power to make us suffer or die for our
resistance.
SS. CLETUS AND MARCELLINUS
POPES AND MARTYRS
Semi-double
- Red vestments
Missa ‘Si Diligis Me’
INTROITUS - John 21: 15-17
SI
diligis me, Simon Petre, pasce agnos meos, pasce oves meas. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. Exaltábo te, Dómine,
quóniam suscepísti me, nec delectásti inimícos meos super me. Gloria Patri.
INTROIT
If
thou lovest Me, Simon Peter, feed My lambs; feed My sheep. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. I will extol Thee, O Lord,
for Thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. Glory
be to the Father.
COLLECT
Eternal
Shepherd, do Thou look favourably upon Thy flock, which we beseech Thee to
guard and keep for evermore through the blessed Cletus and Marcellinus Thy
Martyrs and Supreme Pontiffs, whom Thou didst choose to be the chief shepherds
of the whole Church. Through our Lord.
COLLECT IN HONOR
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Grant,
O Lord, we beseech thee, that we thy ‘servants may enjoy constant health of
body and mind; and by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary, ever a Virgin,
be delivered from all present sorrow, and come to that joy which is eternal.
COLLECT AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE
CHURCH
Mercifully
hear, we beseech thee, O Lord, the prayers of thy Church: that, all oppositions
and errors being removed, she may serve thee with a secure liberty. 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.
 |
| Feed My Sheep. |
EPISTLE - I Peter 5: 1-4, 10-11
Dearly
beloved: the ancients therefore that are among you, I beseech, who am myself
also an ancient, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ: as also a partaker
of that glory which is to be revealed in time to come: feed the flock of God
which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint, but willingly,
according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake, but voluntarily: neither as
lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the
heart. And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a
never-fading crown of glory. But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto
His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will
himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you. To Him be glory and
empire for ever and ever. Amen.
PASCHAL ALLELUIA
Alleluia,
alleluia. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth: they shall remember Thy name.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL - Matthew 16: 13-19
At
that time, Jesus came into the quarters of Cæsarea Philippi, and He asked His
disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some,
John the Baptist, and other some, Elias, and others, Jeremias, or one of the
prophets. Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter
answered: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said
to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not
revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in Heaven: and I say to thee, that
thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it; and to thee I will give the keys of the
kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound
also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed
also in Heaven.
OFFERTORY -Jeremiah 1: 9-10
Behold
I have given My words in thy mouth: lo, I have set thee this day over the
nations, and over the kingdoms, to waste and to destroy, and to build and to
plant. Alleluia.
SECRET
In
Thy loving kindness, we beseech Thee, Lord, be moved by the offering of our
gifts and enlighten Thy Church: that Thy flock may prosper everywhere and the
shepherds, under Thy guidance, may be rendered acceptable to Thee. Through our
Lord.
IN HONOR OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN
By
thine own mercy, O Lord, and the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever a Virgin,
may this oblation procure us peace and happiness, both in this life, and in
that which is to come.
AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCH
Protect
us, O Lord, while we assist at thy sacred mysteries: that, being employed in
acts of religion, we may serve thee, both in body and mind. 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.
EASTER PREFACE
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 coeli et terra glória tua.
Hosánna in excélsis. Benedíctus, qui venit in nómine Dómini. Hosánna in
excélsis.
COMMUNION - Matthew 16: 18
Thou
art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church. Alleluia.
POSTCOMMUNION
We
who have been refreshed by heavenly food and drink, humbly entreat Thee, O our
God, that we may be strengthened also by the prayers of him, in whose
commemoration we have received them. Through our Lord.
IN HONOR OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN
Having
received, O Lord, what is to advance our salvation; grant we may always be
protected by the patronage of Blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, in whose honor we
have offered this Sacrifice to thy majesty.
AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCH
We
beseech thee, O Lord our God, not to leave exposed to the dangers of human
life, those whom thou hast permitted to partake of these divine mysteries.
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.
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