St.
Hedwig, Widow
St. Hedwig, the wife of
Henry, Duke of Silesia, and the mother of his six children, led a humble,
austere, and most holy life amidst all the pomp of royal state. Devotion to the
Blessed Sacrament was the key-note of her life. Her valued privilege was to supply
the bread and wine for the Sacred Mysteries, and she would attend each morning
as many Masses as were celebrated. After the death of her husband she retired
to the Cistercian convent of Trebnitz, where she lived under obedience to her
daughter Gertrude, who was abbess of the monastery, growing day by day in holiness, till God called
her to Himself, A.D. 1242.
Twenty-Second
Week after Pentecost
Semi-double Green vestments
Commemoration
of St. Hedwig, Widow
Commentary from
The Liturgical Year - Dom
Guéranger
According to Honorius of Autun, the Mass of
today has reference to the days of Antichrist. The Church, foreseeing the reign
of the man of sin, and as though she were actually undergoing the persecution,
which is to surpass all others, she takes her Introit of this twenty- second
Sunday from the Psalm De profundis.
If, unitedly with
this prophetic sense, we would apply these words practically to our own
personal miseries, we must remember the Gospel we had eight days ago, and
which, formerly, was the one appointed for the present Sunday. Each one of us
will recognise himself in the person of the insolvent debtor, who has nothing
to trust to, but his master's goodness; and, in our deep humiliation, we shall
exclaim: thou, O Lord, mark iniquities, who shall endure it?
INTROIT - Psalm 129: 3-4
Si iniquitátes
observáveris, Dómine, Dómìne, quis sustinébit? quía apud te propitátio est,
Deus Israël. Ps. 129: 1, 2. De profúndis clamávi ad te, Dómíne:
Dómine, exáudì vocem meam. V. Gloria Patri.
If Thou shalt observe
iniquities, O Lord, Lord, who shall endure it? for with Thee is propitiation, O
God of Israel. Ps. From the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord:
Lord, hear my voice. V. Glory be to the Father.
We have just been
rousing our confidence, by singing, that with God, there is merciful
forgiveness. It is He himself who gives that loving unction to the prayers of
the Church, which proves that he wishes to grant them. But, we shall not be
thus graciously heard, as she is, unless, like her, we ask with faith, that is
to say, conformably with the teachings of the Gospel. To ask with faith, is to
forgive our fellow-creatures their trespasses against us; on that condition, we
may confidently beseech our common Lord and Master to forgive us.
COLLECT
O God, our refuge and
our strength, give ear to the holy prayers of Thy Church, and grant, that what
we ask with faith, we may effectually obtain. Through our Lord.
St. Hedwig, Widow
O God, Who didst teach
blessed Hedwig to leave the pomp of the world for the humble following of Thy
cross: grant that, through her merits and intercession, we may learn to trample
under foot the perishable delights of the world and in the embrace of Thy cross
to overcome all things that oppose us. Who livest and reignest.
EPISTLE - Philippians
1: 6-11
Brethren, we are
confident of this very thing, that He Who hath begun a good work in you, will
perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus. As it is meet for me to think this for
you all: for that I have you in my heart and that, in my bands, and in the
defense and confirmation of the Gospel, you are all partakers of my joy. For
God is my witness, how I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And
this I pray, that your charity may more and more abound in knowledge and in all
understanding that you may approve the better things, that you may be sincere
and without offense unto the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of justice,
through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
St. Paul, in the
Church's name, again invites our attention to the near approach of the Last
Day. But, what, on the previous Sunday, he called the evil day, he now, in the
short passage taken from his Epistle to the Philippians, which has just been
read to us, calls, and twice over, the day of Christ Jesus. The Epistle to the Philippians is full of loving confidence; its
tone is decidedly one of joy; and yet, it plainly shows us that persecution was
raging against the Church, and that the old enemy was making capital of the
storm, to stir up evil passions, even amidst the very flock of Christ. The
Apostle is in chains; the envy and treachery of false brethren intensify his
sufferings; still, joy predominates in his heart over everything else, because
he is come to that perfection of love, wherein divine charity is enkindled by
suffering more even than by the sweetest spiritual caresses. To him, to live is
Christ, and to die is gain; he cannot make up his mind which of the two to
choose, death, which would give him the bliss of being with his Jesus, or life,
which will add to his merits and his labours for the salvation of men. What are
all personal considerations to him? His one joy, for both the present and the
future, is that Christ may be known and glorified, no matter how! As to his
hopes and expectations, he cannot be disappointed, for, Christ is sure to be
glorified in his body, by its life and by its death.
Hence,
in Paul's soul, that sublime indifference, which is the climax of the Christian
life; it is, of course, a totally different thing from that fatal apathy, to
which the false Mystics of the 17th century pretended to reduce the love of
man's heart. What tender affection has not this convert of Damascus for his
brethren, once he has reached this point of perfection! God, says he,
is my witness, how I long after you all, in the bowels of Jesus
Christ! The one ambition which rules and absorbs him, is that
God, who has begun in them the work, which is good by excellence, the work of
Christian perfection, (such as we know had been wrought in the Apostle
himself,) may be continued and perfected in them all, by the day, when Christ
is to appear in his glory. This is what he prays for, that the wedding garment
of those whom he has betrothed to the one Spouse, in other words, that charity
may beautify them with all its splendour for the grand Day of the eternal
nuptials.
Now,
what is the sure means, whereby charity is to be perfected in them? It must
abound, more and more, in knowledge and in all understanding of salvation, that
is, in Faith. It is Faith, that constitutes the basis of all supernatural
virtue. A restricted, a diminished,'' Faith, could never support a large and
high-minded charity. Those men, therefore, are deceiving themselves, whose love
for revealed truth does not keep pace with their charity! Such Christianity as
that, believes as little as it may; it has a nervous dread of new definitions;
and, out of respect for error, it cleverly and continually narrows the
supernatural horizon. Charity, they say, is the queen of virtues; it makes them
take everything easily, even lies against Truth; to give the same rights to
error as to Truth, is, in their estimation, the highest point of Christian
civilisation grounded on love! They quite forget, that the first object of
charity being God, who is substantial Truth, he has no greater enemy than a
lie; they cannot understand how it is, that a Christian does not do a work of
love, by putting on the same footing, the Object beloved, and His mortal enemy!
The
Apostles had very different ideas: in order to make charity grow in the world,
they gave it a rich sowing of truth. Every new ray of Light they put into their
disciples' hearts, was an intensifying of their love; and these disciples,
having, by Baptism, become themselves light, they were most determined to have
nothing to do with darkness. In those days, to deny the truth, was the greatest
of crimes; to expose themselves, by a want of vigilance, to infringe on the
rights of truth, even in the slightest degree, was the height of imprudence.
When Christianity first shone upon mankind, it found error supreme mistress of
the world; having, then, to deal with a universe that was rooted in death,
Christianity adopted no other plan for giving it salvation, than that of making
the Light as bright as could be; its only policy was to proclaim the power
which truth alone has for saving man, and to assert its exclusive right to
reign over this world. The triumph of the Gospel was the result: it came after three
centuries of struggle; a struggle, intense and violent, on the side of darkness
which declared itself to be supreme and was resolved to keep so, but, a
struggle, most patient and glorious on the side of the Christians, the torrents
of whose blood did but add fresh joy to the brave army, for it became the
strongest possible foundation of the united Kingdom of Love and Truth.
But
now, with the connivance of those, whose Baptism made them, too, be Children of
Light, error has regained its pretended Rights; as a natural consequence, the
chanty of an immense number has grown cold in proportion; darkness is again
thickening over the world, as though it were in the chill of its last agony.
The children of light? who would live up to their dignity,
must behave exactly as did the early Christians. They must not fear, nor be
troubled; but, like their forefathers and the Apostles, they must be proud to
suffer for Jesus's sake, and prize the word of life' as quite
the dearest thing they possess; for they are convinced, that, so long as truth
is kept up in the world, so long is there hope for it. As their only care is,
to make their manner of life worthy of the Gospel of Christ,"
they go on, with all the simplicity of children of God, faithfully fulfilling
the duties of their state of life, in the midst of a wicked and perverse
generation, as stars of the firmament do in the night. The stars shine
in 'the night,' says St. John Chrysostom, 'they glitter' in the dark; so far
from growing dim amidst the gloom that surrounds them, they seem all the more
brilliant. So will it be with thee, if thou art virtuous amidst the wicked; thy
light will shine so much the clearer. As the stars, says St. Augustine, keep on
their course in the track marked out for them by God, and grow not tired of sending forth
their light in the midst of darkness, neither heed they the
calamities which may be happening on earth, so should do those holy ones whose
" conversation is truly in heaven; they should pay no
more notice as to what is said or done against them, than the stars do.
GRADUAL
Behold how good and
how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. V. It is like the
precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of
Aaron.
The Gradual hymns the
praise of the sweet and strong unity, maintained, in the Church, even to the
end; she has done this, by the charity, in which the Epistle urged us to be
making fresh progress, and which the ancient Gospel of this same Sunday put
before us as the one means for finding a favourable sentence passed on us, at
the Day of Judgment.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Let them that fear the
Lord, hope in Him; He is their helper and their protector. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
At that time, the
Pharisees went and consulted among themselves, how to ensnare Jesus in His
speech. And they sent to Him their disciples, with the Herodians, Saying:
Master, we know that Thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in
truth, neither carest Thou for any man, for Thou dost not regard the person of
men. Tell us therefore, what dost Thou think? Is it lawful to give tribute to
Caesar, or not? But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said: Why do you tempt Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the
coin of the tribute. And they offered Him a penny. And Jesus saith to them:
Whose image and superscription is this? They say to Him: Caesar's. Then He
saith to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to
God the things that are God's.
The diminution
of truth is, evidently, to be a leading peril of the latter
times, for, during these weeks which represent the last days of the world,
the Church is continually urging us to a sound and solid understanding of
truth, as though she considered that to be the great preservative for her
children. Last Sunday, she gave them, as defensive armour, the shield of faith,
and, as an offensive weapon, the word of God. On the previous Sunday, it was
circumspection of mind and intelligence that she recommended to them, with a
view to their preserving, during the approaching evil days, the holiness which
is founded on truth; for, as she told them, the previous week, their riches in
all knowledge are of paramount necessity. Today, in the Epistle, she implored
of them to be ever progressing in knowledge and all understanding, as being the
essential means for abounding in charity, and for having the work of their
sanctification perfected for the day of Christ Jesus. The Gospel comes with an
appropriate finish to these instructions given us by the Apostle: it relates an
event in our Lord's life, which stamps those counsels with the weightiest
possible authority, the authority of the example of Him, who is our divine
Model. He gives his disciples the example they should follow, when, like
himself, they have snares laid, by the world, for their destruction.
It
was the last day of Jesus's public teaching; it was almost the eve of his
departure from this earth. His enemies had failed in every attempt hitherto
made to ensnare him; this last plot was to be unusually deep-laid. The
Pharisees, who refused to recognise Caesar's authority, and denied his claim to
tribute, joined issue with their adversaries, the partisans of Herod and Rome,
to propose this insidious question to Jesus: Is it lawful to give tribute to
Caesar, or not? If our Lord's answer was negative, he in cured the displeasure
of the government; if he took the affirmative side, he would lose the
estimation of the people. With his divine prudence, he disconcerted their
plans. The two parties, so strangely made friends by partnership in one common
intrigue, heard the magnificent answer, which was divine enough to make even
Pharisees and Herodians one in the Truth: but, Truth was not what they were in
search of; so they both skulked back again into their old party squabbles. The
league formed against our Jesus was broken; the effort made by error, recoiled
on its own self, as must ever be the case; and the answer it had elicited,
passed, from the lips of our Incarnate Lord, to those of his Bride, the Church,
who would be ever repeating it to this world of ours, for it contains the first
principle of all governments on earth.
Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are God's:
it was the dictum most dear to the Apostles. If they boldly asserted, that we
must obey God, rather than men, they explained the whole truth, and added: Let
every soul be subject to the higher powers: for there is no power but from God:
and those that are, are ordained, of God. Therefore, he that resisteth the
power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist, purchase to
themselves dam nation. Wherefore, be subject of necessity, not only for wrath,
but also for conscience' sake. For, therefore, also ye pay tribute; for they
are the ministers of God serving unto this purpose.
The
will of God! there is the
origin, there is the real greatness of all authority amongst men! Of himself,
man has no right to command his fellow- man. The number, however imposing it
may be, makes no difference with this powerlessness of men over my conscience;
for, whether they be one, or five hundred, I, by nature, am equal to each one
among them; and, by adding the number of their so-called rights over me, they
are only adding to the number of nothingnesses. But, God, wishing that men
should live one with the other, has thereby wished, that there exist amongst
them a power which should rule over the rest; that is, should direct the
thousands or millions of different wills to the unity of one social end. God
leaves to circumstances, though it is his providence that regulates those
circumstances, he leaves to men themselves, at the beginning of any mere human
society, a great latitude as to the choice of the form, under which is to be
exercised, both the civil power itself, and the mode of its transmission. But,
once regularly invested with the power, its depositories its possessors, are
responsible to God alone, as far, that is as the legitimate exercise of their
authority goes, because it is from God alone that that power comes to them; it
does not come to them from their people, who, not having that power themselves,
cannot give it to another. So long as those rulers comply with the compact, or
do not turn to the ruin of their people the power they received for its
well-being, so long their right to the obedience of their subjects is the right
of God himself, whether they exercise their authority in exacting the subsidies
needed for government; or in passing laws, which, for the general good of the
people, restrain the liberty otherwise theirs, by natural right; or, again, by
bidding their soldiers defend their country, at the risk of life. In all such
cases, it is God himself that commands, and insists on being obeyed: in this
world, he puts the sword into the hands of representatives, that they may
punish the disobedient; and, in the next, he himself will eternally punish
them, unless they have made amends.
How
great, then, is not the dignity of human Law! It makes the legislator a
representative of God, and, at the same time, spares the subject the
humiliation of feeling himself debased before a fellow-man! But, in order that
the law oblige, that is, be truly a law, it is evident, that it must be, first
and foremost, conformable to the commands and the prohibitions of that God,
whose will alone can give it a sacred character, by making it enter into the
domain of man's conscience. It is for this reason, that there cannot be a law
against God, or his Christ, or his Church. When God is not with him who
governs, the power he exercises is nothing better than brute force. The
sovereign, or the parliament, that pre tends to govern a country in opposition
to the laws of God, has no right to aught but revolt and contempt from every
upright man; to give the sacred name of law to tyrannical enactments of that
kind, is a profanation, unworthy, not only of Christian, but of every man who
is not a slave.
OFFERTORY
The Offertory Anthem,
as also the Verses which used to be joined to it, refers, like the Introit, to
the period of the last persecution. The words are taken from the prayer
addressed to God by Esther, when about to enter into the presence of Assuerus,
that she might plead with him against Aman, who is a figure of Antichrist.
Esther is a type of the Church; and we could not better show the spirit in
which we ought to sing our Offertory, than by quoting the inspired words which
preface this sublime prayer. Queen Esther, fearing the danger that was
at hand, had recourse to the Lord. And when she had laid away her royal
apparel, she put on garments suitable for weeping and mourning; instead of
divers precious ointments, she covered her head with ashes and filth, and she
humbled her body with fasts: and all the places, in which before she was
accustomed to rejoice, she filled with her torn hair! And she prayed to the
Lord the God of Israel, saying: O my Lord! who alone art our King, help me a
desolate woman, and who have no other helper but thee!
Remember me, O Lord,
Thou Who rulest above all power; and give a well-ordered speech in my mouth,
that my words may be pleasing in the sight of the prince.
SECRET
The surest guarantee a
Christian can have against adversity, is freedom from sin. It is sin that stirs
up the anger of God, and cries upon him for vengeance. Let us unite in the
following prayer of the Church.
Grant unto us, O
merciful God, that this saving oblation may unceasingly free us from our own
guilty deeds, and keep us from all things that may hurt us. Through our Lord.
St. Hedwig, W
May the offerings of
Thy holy people be accepted by Thee, O Lord, in honour of Thy Saints, through
whose merits they know that they have received aid in time of trouble. Through
our Lord
PREFACE OF THE MOST
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, ever-lasting 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:
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 have cried, for
Thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my words.
Whilst offering the
sacred mysteries in memory of our Jesus, as he commanded us to do, we must not
forget, that these same are, also, our refuge in all our miseries. It would be
presumption, or folly, to neglect to pray, that they may thus protect us. The Church,
here again, is our model, in utilising these most powerful of all means for
help.
POSTCOMMUNION
We have received, O
Lord, the gifts of this sacred Mystery, and humbly beseech Thee: that what Thou
hast bidden us to do in memory of Thee may avail us in our weakness. Who livest
and reignest.
St. Hedwig, W
Having fed Thy family,
O Lord, with holy gifts, we beseech Thee, ever to comfort us by the
intercession of her whose festival we celebrate. Through our Lord.
