Third Week
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January 27th
Saint Angela Merici, OFS
Secular Franciscan
1474 – 1540
Memorial
Saint Angela Merici was born in 1474 at Desenzano del Garda, a small town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy. She and her older sister, whom she dearly loved, Giana Maria, were left orphans when she was fifteen years old. Together they came to live with their uncle in the town of Salò. Young Angela was very distressed when her sister suddenly died without receiving the last sacraments. She joined the Secular Franciscan Order (Third Order of St Francis), and increased her prayers to God so her sister’s soul could rest in peace. It is said that in a vision she received a response that her sister was in heaven in the company of the saints. Soon people began to notice Angela’s beauty and particularly admire her hair. As by that time she had already promised herself to God, she wanted to avoid worldly attention. And so she dyed her hair in soot.
Angela’s uncle died when she was twenty years old and she returned to her previous home in Desenzano. Angela believed that better Christian education was needed for young girls. She then dedicated her time to teaching girls in her home, which she had converted into a school. She later allegedly had another vision that revealed to her that she was to found an association of virgins who were to devote their lives to the religious training of young girls. This association was a success and she was invited to start another school in the neighboring city, Brescia. She happily accepted this offer.
According to legend, in 1524, while traveling to the Holy Land, St Angela Merici became suddenly blind when she was on the island of Crete. Despite this, St Angela continued her journey to the Holy Places and was ostensibly cured of her blindness, while praying before a crucifix, at the same place where she was struck with blindness a few weeks before. In 1525, she came to Rome to gain the Indulgences of the Jubilee year. Pope Clement VII, who had heard of her virtue and success with her school, invited her to remain in Rome. St Angela disliked notoriety, and she soon returned to Brescia.
On 25 November 1535, St Angela Merici chose twelve virgins and started the foundation of the “Company of St Ursula” near the Church of St Afra, in a small house in Brescia. She wanted them to be consecrated to God and dedicated to the service of their neighbor, but remain in the world and live a celibate life in their own homes. She thus anticipated the secular institutes that have flourished in modern times. On 18 March 1537, she was elected “Mother and Mistress” (Superior) of the order.
When she died in Brescia on January 27, 1540, there were some 24 branches of the Company of St. Ursula serving the Church. Her body was clothed in the habit of the Secular Franciscan tertiary and interred in the Church of St Afra, Brescia.
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Thursday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Behold the golden Dawn arise;
The paling night forsakes the skies:
Those shades that hid the world from view,
And us to dang’rous error drew.
May this new day be calmly passed,
May we keep pure while it shall last:
Nor let our lips from truth depart,
Nor dark designs engage the heart.
So may the day speed on; the tongue
No falsehood know, the hands no wrong:
Our eyes from wanton gaze refrain,
No guilt our guarded bodies stain.
For God all-seeing from on high
Surveys us with a watchful eye:
Each day our every act he knows
From early dawn to evening’s close.
All laud to God the Father be;
All praise, eternal Son, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.
Psalm 87
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
“Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called ‘Mother’
for all shall be her children.”
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
“These are her children,”
and while they dance they will sing:
“In you all find their home.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, your only son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.
Ant. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.
Ant. 2 The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.
Canticle – Isaiah 40:10-17
Here comes with power
the Lord God,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea,
and marked off the heavens with a span?
Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth,
weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
or has instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did he consult to gain knowledge?
Who taught him the path of judgment,
or showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket,
as dust on the scales;
the coastlands weigh no more than powder.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor its animals be enough for holocausts.
Before him all the nations are as nought,
as nothing and void he accounts them.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.
Ant. 3 Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.
Psalm 99
The Lord is king; the peoples tremble.
He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes.
The Lord is great in Zion.
He is supreme over all the peoples.
Let them praise his name, so terrible and great.
He is holy, full of power.
You are a king who loves what is right;
you have established equity, justice and right;
you have established them in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before Zion, his footstool.
He the Lord is holy.
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses,
among those who invoked his name was Samuel.
They invoked the Lord and he answered.
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.
They did his will; they kept the law,
which he, the Lord, had given.
O Lord our God, you answered them.
For them you were a God who forgives;
yet you punished all their offenses.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before his holy mountain
for the Lord our God is holy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
God, you are the source of all holiness. Though no one can see you and live, you give life most generously and in an even greater way restore it. Sanctify your priests through your life-giving Word and consecrate your people in his blood until our eyes see your face.
Ant. Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.
READING 1 Peter 4:8-11a
As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God’s message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ.
RESPONSORY
From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.
— From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.
I will do what you desire;
— hear me, O Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies.
Luke 1:68-79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us joyfully cry out in thanks to God the Father whose love guides and nourishes his people:
May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.
Most merciful Father, we praise you for your love,
— for you wondrously created us and even more wondrously restored us to grace.
May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.
At the beginning of this day fill our hearts with zeal for serving you,
— so that our thoughts and actions may redound to your glory.
May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.
Purify our hearts of every evil desire,
— make us intent on doing your will.
May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.
Open our hearts to the needs of all men,
— fill us with brotherly love.
May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Concluding Prayer
Saint Angela, you were not afraid of change.
You did not let stereotypes keep you from serving.
Help us to overcome our fear of change in order to follow God’s
call and allow others to follow theirs. Amen
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Thursday Evening Prayer II
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Almighty God, whose will supreme
Made ocean’s flood with life to teem;
Part in the firmament to fly,
And part in ocean depths to lie:
Appointing fishes in the sea,
And fowls in open air to be;
That each, by origin the same,
Its separate dwelling place might claim:
Grant that thy servants by the tide
Of Blood and Water purified
No guilty fall from thee may know,
Nor death eternal undergo.
Let none despair through sin’s distress,
Be none puffed up with boastfulness;
That contrite hearts be not dismayed,
Nor haughty souls in ruin laid.
O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Do live and reign eternally. Amen.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Let your holy people rejoice, O Lord, as they enter your dwelling place.
Psalm 132
I
O Lord, remember David
and all the many hardships he endured,
the oath he swore to the Lord,
his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.
“I will not enter the house where I live
nor go to the bed where I rest.
I will give no sleep to my eyes,
to my eyelids I will give no slumber
till I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.”
At Ephrathah we heard of the ark;
we found it in the plains of Yearim.
“Let us go to the place of his dwelling;
let us go to kneel at his footstool.”
Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest,
you and the ark of your strength.
Your priests shall be clothed with holiness:
your faithful shall ring out their joy.
For the sake of David your servant
do not reject your anointed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let your holy people rejoice, O Lord, as they enter your dwelling place.
Ant. 2 The Lord has chosen Zion as his sanctuary.
II
The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on his word;
“A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne.
If they keep my covenant in truth
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
on your throne from age to age.”
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
“This is my resting-place for ever,
here have I chosen to live.
I will greatly bless her produce,
I will fill her poor with bread.
I will clothe her priests with salvation
and her faithful shall ring out their joy.
There David’s stock will flower:
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
I will cover his enemies with shame
but on him my crown shall shine.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer and be overwhelmed by death in order to open the gates of death in triumph. Stay with us to help us on our pilgrimage; free us from all evil by the power of your resurrection. In the company of your saints, and constantly remembering your love for us, may we sing of your wonders in our Father’s house.
Ant. The Lord has chosen Zion as his sanctuary.
Ant. 3 The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.
Canticle – Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
The nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
The time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our God and the authority
of his Anointed One.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.
READING 1 Peter 3:8-9
All of you should be like-minded, sympathetic, loving toward one another, kindly disposed, and humble. Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult. Return a blessing instead. This you have been called to do, that you may receive a blessing as your inheritance.
RESPONSORY
The Lord has given us food, bread of the finest wheat.
—The Lord has given us food, bread of the finest wheat.
Honey from the rock to our heart’s content,
— bread of the finest wheat.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
—The Lord has given us food, bread of the finest wheat.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. God has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. God has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us call upon Christ, the Good Shepherd who comes to the aid of his people:
Hear us, O God our refuge.
Blessed are you, Lord, for you graciously called us into your holy Church,
— keep us within the Church until death.
Hear us, O God our refuge.
You have given the care of all the churches to our Pope,
— give him unfailing faith, lively hope and loving concern.
Hear us, O God our refuge.
Grant the grace of conversion to all sinners,
— and the grace of true repentance to all men.
Hear us, O God our refuge.
You were willing to live as a stranger in our world,
— be mindful of those who are separated from family and homeland.
Hear us, O God our refuge.
To all the departed who have hoped in you,
— grant eternal peace.
Hear us, O God our refuge.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Concluding Prayer
Saint Angela, you were not afraid of change.
You did not let stereotypes keep you from serving.
Help us to overcome our fear of change in order to follow God’s
call and allow others to follow theirs. Amen
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
January 28th
Friday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Friday Evening Prayer II
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
