|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Above: the interior of Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le mura, built by Pope St. Damasus, before the bombing of 1943.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement.
℟. Amen.
Reading 4
Damasus was a Spaniard, a man of eminence and of great learning in the Scriptures, and was elected to the Chair of Peter in the year of our Lord 381, when he convoked the First Council of Constantinople, wherein he crushed the wicked heresy of Eunomius and Macedonius. He confirmed the condemnation of the Assembly at Rimini, which condemnation had already been pronounced by Liberius. This Assembly of Rimini was that in which, to use the language of St. Jerome, “Valens and Ursacius brought it about through trickery that the Faith of Nice was abrogated by mob law, and the world afterwards groaned in amazement to find itself Arian.”
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. I have found David My servant, with My holy oil have I anointed him
* For My hand shall help him.
℣. The enemy shall prevail nothing against him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
℟. For My hand shall help him.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live.
℟. Amen.
Reading 5
This Pope built two Basilicas, first, St. Lawrence’s, near Pompey’s Theatre, which he magnificently enriched, and endowed with houses and farms; and, secondly, another, over the Catacombs on the Road to Ardea. He also consecrated the Platonia, where the bodies of St. Peter and St. Paul lay for some time, and decorated it with elegant inscriptions in poetry composed by himself. He wrote on the subject of virginity both in prose and verse, and likewise many other poems on various subjects.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. I have laid help upon one that is mighty, and have exalted one chosen out of My people
* For My hand shall help him.
℣. I have found David My servant, with My holy oil have I anointed him.
℟. For My hand shall help him.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Spirit’s fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine.
℟. Amen.
Reading 6
He ordained that false accusers should be punished for the offences which they had falsely laid to the charge of their neighbours. He established the usage, which already prevailed in many churches, of singing the Psalms, both by day and by night, by alternate choirs, and of adding at the end of each Psalm the words, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. It was at his command that St. Jerome revised the translation of the New Testament to accord with the Greek text. He ruled the Church for seventeen years, two months, and twenty-six days. He held five Advent ordinations, wherein he ordained thirty-one Priests, eleven Deacons, and sixty-two Bishops for diverse Sees. At length he fell asleep in the Lord, in the reign of Theodosius the Elder, upon the 10th day of December, in the year 384, being aged nearly eighty years, and full of righteousness, truth, and judgment. He was buried beside his mother and sister in the Church which he had himself founded on the Road to Ardea. His reliques were afterwards taken to the Basilica of St. Lawrence, which is thence sometimes called San Lorenzo in Damaso.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. This is he which wrought great wonders before God, and the whole earth is full of his teaching
* May he pray for all people, that their sins may be forgiven unto them
℣. This is he which loved not his life in this world, and hath attained unto the kingdom of heaven.
℟. May he pray for all people, that their sins may be forgiven unto them
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. May he pray for all people, that their sins may be forgiven unto them
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.
Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 25:14-23
At that time Jesus spake unto His disciples this parable A man, travelling into a far country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And so on.
Homily by Pope St Gregory the Great.
9th on the Gospels.
Dearly beloved brethren, this Lesson from the Holy Gospel moveth us to take good heed lest we, who are seen in this world to have received more than others, should thereby bring ourselves into greater condemnation from the Maker of this world. To whom much is given, of the same is much required. Therefore, let him that receiveth much, strive to be all the more lowly, and all the more ready to do God service, for his very gifts’ sake, knowing that he will be obliged to give account thereof. Behold, a man, travelling into a far country, calleth his own servants, and delivereth unto them talents, to the end that they may trade therewith. After a long time, the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them, and to them that have done well He rendereth a reward of their labours, but that servant which was careless of his master’s work He condemneth.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. The Lord loved him and beautified him. He clothed him with a robe of glory
* And crowned him at the gates of Paradise.
℣. The Lord hath put on him the breast-plate of faith, and hath adorned him.
℟. And crowned him at the gates of Paradise.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. He whose feast-day we are keeping, be our Advocate with God.
℟. Amen.
Reading 8
What other, then, is that man travelling into a far country but our Redeemer, Who is gone up from us into heaven in that Flesh Which He had taken into Himself? For the earth is the home of the Flesh, Which travelleth into a far country when our Redeemer giveth It a place in heaven. But that man travelling into a far country delivered unto his servants his goods and so doth our Redeemer give spiritual gifts unto His faithful people. “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one.” There are five bodily senses that is, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. By the five talents therefore are signified the five senses, that is, outward knowledge. By the two, wit and work. And by the figure of the one talent, understanding, which is alone.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
* And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding.
℣. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
℟. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.
Reading 9
And so he that had received five talents, gained other five talents for some there be who, while yet they are not able to go on unto things inward and mystic, do yet so desire our Fatherland which is above, that they teach well all whom they can, and of those very outward things which they have received make gain double. These are they which keep themselves clean from the unruly motions of the flesh, and from the lust of the world, and from the delight of things which are seen, and, by their preaching, keep other men also clean from all these things. And some there are who receive, as their two talents, the power to think and the power to work. These are they which inwardly understand dark things, and outwardly work wonders. And these, since they preach unto others, both through their understanding and their works, gain, as it were, double, for the talents which they have received.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
Te Deum