July 13
The Liturgical
Year
Ven. Abbot Dom Prosper Guéranger,
O.S.B.
The name of Anacletus sounds like a lingering echo of
the solemnity of June 29th. Linus, Clement, and Cletus, the immediate successors
of St. Peter, received from his hands the pontifical consecration; Anacletus had
a less but still inestimable glory of being ordained priest by the Vicar of the
Man-God. Whereas the feasts of most of the martyr Pontiffs who came after him
are only of simple rite, that of Anacletus is a semi-double, because of his
privilege of being the last
Pope honoured by the imposition of hands of the Prince
of the Apostles. It was also during his pontificate that the Eternal City had
the glory of receiving within its walls the beloved disciple, who had come to
fulfil his promise and drink of his Master's chalice. O happy Church, exclaims Tertullian, into whose bosom the Apostles poured not only all their teaching,
but their very blood; where Peter imitated his Lord's Passion by dying on the
cross; where Paul, like John the Baptist, received his crown by means of the sword;
whence the Apostle John, after coming forth safe and sound from the boiling
oil, was sent to the isle of his banishment.
By the
almighty power of the Spirit of Pentecost, the progress of the faith in Rome
was proportionate to the bountiful graces of our Lord. Little by little the
great Babylon, drunk with the blood of the martyrs, was being transformed into
the Holy City. This new-born race, so full of promise for the future, could
already reckon among its members representatives of every class of society.
Beside the boiling cauldron where the Prophet of Patmos did homage to the New Jerusalem
by offering within her walls his glorious confession, two consuls, one
representing the ancient patrician rank, the other the more modern nobility of
the Caesars, Acilius Glabrio, and Flavius Clemens, together fell by the sword
of martyrdom. Anacletus adorned the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles, and
provided a burial-place for the other pontiffs. Following his example, the
distinguished families of Rome opened galleries for subterranean cemeteries,
all along the roads leading to the imperial city. There rest innumerable
soldiers of Christ, victorious by their blood; and there, too, sleep in peace with
the anchor of salvation beside them, the most illustrious names of earth.
Anacletus, an Athenian by birth, governed the Church
in the days of the Emperor Trajan. He decreed that a bishop should be
consecrated by no fewer than three bishops; that clerics should be publicly admitted
to Holy Orders, by their own bishop; and that at Mass all should communicate
after the Consecration. He adorned the tomb of blessed Peter, and set aside a
place for the burial of the Pontiffs. He held two ordinations in the month of
December, and made five priests, three deacons, and six bishops. Having sat in
St. Peter's Chair nine years, three months, and ten days, he was crowned with
martyrdom and buried on the Vatican.
Glorious Pontiff! thy memory is so closely linked with
that of Peter, that many reckon thee under a somewhat different name, among the
three august persons raised by the Prince of the Apostles to the highest rank
in the hierarchy. Nevertheless, in distinguishing thee from Cletus, who
appeared on the sacred cycle in the month of April, we are justified by the
authority of the holy Liturgy which appoints thee a separate feast, and by the
constant testimony of Rome itself, which knows better than any the names and
the history of its pontiffs. Happy art thou in being thus, as
it were, lost sight of among the foundations whereon rest for ever the strength
and beauty of the Church! Give us all a special love for the particular
positions assigned to us in the sacred building. Receive the grateful homage of
all the living stones who are chosen to form the eternal temple, and who will
all lean upon thee for evermore.
*****
Liturgical Note
Dumped by Vatican
II
In 1960, Pope John XXIII, while keeping the 26 April
feast, which mentions the saint under the name given to him in the Canon of the
Mass, removed 13 July as a feast day for St. Anacletus.
Mass Propers
St. Anacletus, Pope and Martyr
Semi – double
Red vestments
Missa “Si diligis me”
INTROITUS
Si díligis Me, Simon Petre, pasce agnos meos, pasce
oves meas. Ps. 29: 1 Exaltábo
te, Dómine, quóniam suscepísti me, nec delectásti inimícos meos super me.
Gloria Patri.
INTROIT - John 21:
15-17
If thou lovest Me, Simon Peter, feed My lambs; feed My
sheep.
Psalm: 29: 1
I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me:
and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. Glory be.
COLLECT
O Eternal Shepherd, do Thou look favorably upon Thy
flock, which we beseech Thee to guard and keep for evermore through the Blessed
Anacletus, Thy Martyr and Supreme Pontiff, whom Thou didst choose to be the
chief shepherd of the whole Church. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who
livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever
and ever.
EPISTLE - 1 Peter
5: 1-4, 10-11
Lesson from
the First Book of Peter
Dearly beloved, the ancients therefore that are among
you, I beseech , who am myself also am 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.
GRADUAL - Psalm
106: 32, 31
Let them exalt him in the Church of the people: and
praise him in the chair of the ancients. Let the mercies of the Lord give glory
to him, and the wonderful works to the children of men.
ALLELUIA -
Matthew 16: 18
Alleluia, alleluia. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build My Church. Alleluia.
GOSPEL - Matthew
16: 13-19
Continuation
of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
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 put my words in thy mouth: See, I have this day set thee over the
nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy,
and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
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 Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and
reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever.
PREFACE OF THE
APOSTLES
It is truly meet and just, right and for our
salvation, to entreat Thee humbly, O Lord, that Thou wouldst not desert Thy
flock, O everlasting Shepherd; but through Thy blessed Apostles, wouldst keep
it under Thy constant protection; that it may be governed by those same rulers,
whom as vicars of Thy work, Thou didst set over it to be its pastors. And
therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all
the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying:
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: Matthew
16: 18
Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
POSTCOMMUNION
Since Thy Church has been nourished by the sacred
repast, govern her in Thy clemency, we beseech Thee, O Lord, so that under the
guidance of Thy mighty rule she may enjoy greater freedom and abiding integrity
of religion. Through our Lord.
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