Saturday 25 April 2020
Saint Mark, Evangelist - Feast
Office of Readings
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
________
Hymn
The eternal gifts of Christ the King,
The Apostles’ glory let us sing;
And all with hearts of gladness raise
Due hymns of thankful love and praise.
For they the Church’s princes are,
Triumphant leaders in the war,
In heavenly courts a warrior band,
True lights to lighten every land.
Theirs is the steadfast faith of saints,
And hope that never yields nor faints,
The love of Christ in perfect glow
That lays the prince of this world low.
In them the Father’s glory shone,
In them the will of God the Son,
In them exults the Holy Ghost,
Through them rejoice the heavenly host.
________
Psalm 18 (19)
Praise of God the creator
“The Rising Sun has come to visit us to guide our feet in the way of peace” (Lk 1:78,79).
Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their message to the ends of the world. Alleluia.
The héavens procláim the glóry of Gód, *
and the fírmament shows fórth the wórk of his hánds.
Dáy unto dáy tákes up the stóry *
and níght unto níght makes knówn the méssage.
No spéech, no wórd, no vóice is héard †
yet their spán exténds through áll the éarth, *
their wórds to the útmost bóunds of the wórld.
Thére he has pláced a tént for the sún; †
it comes fórth like a brídegroom cóming from his tént, *
rejóices like a chámpion to rún its cóurse.
At the énd of the ský is the rísing of the sún; †
to the fúrthest énd of the ský is its cóurse. *
There is nóthing concéaled from its búrning héat.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their message to the ends of the world. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
To enlighten the world, Father, you sent to us your Word as the sun of truth and justice shining upon mankind. Illumine our eyes that we may discern your glory in the many works of your hand.
________
Psalm 63 (64)
A prayer against enemies
“This psalm in particular invites us to think about the passion of the Lord” (St Augustine).
They told what God has done; they understood God’s deeds. Alleluia.
Hear my vóice, O Gód, as I compláin, *
guard my lífe from dréad of the fóe.
Híde me from the bánd of the wícked, *
from the thróng of thóse who do évil.
They shárpen their tóngues like swórds; *
they áim bitter wórds like árrows
to shóot at the ínnocent from ámbush, *
shóoting súddenly and récklessly.
They schéme their évil cóurse; *
they conspíre to lay sécret snáres.
They sáy: ‘Whó will sée us? *
Whó can séarch out our crímes?’
He will séarch who séarches the mínd *
and knóws the dépths of the héart.
Gód has shót them with his árrow *
and déalt them súdden wóunds.
Their ówn tongue has bróught them to rúin *
and áll who sée them móck.
Thén will áll men féar; *
they will téll what Gód has dóne.
They will únderstánd God’s déeds. *
The júst will rejóice in the Lórd
and flý to hím for réfuge. *
All the úpright héarts will glóry.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
They told what God has done; they understood God’s deeds. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you gave your Son victory over the men who plotted evil against him; when he cried to you in his agony, you delivered him from fear of his enemies. May those who suffer with him in this life find refuge and success in you.
________
Psalm 96 (97)
The glory of God in his judgements
“This psalm tells of the salvation of the world and of the faith all peoples would have in Christ” (St Athanasius).
They proclaimed the justice of God; all peoples saw his glory. Alleluia.
The Lord is kíng, let éarth rejóice, *
let áll the cóastlands be glád.
Clóud and dárkness are his ráiment; *
his thróne, jústice and ríght.
A fíre prepáres his páth; *
it búrns up his fóes on every síde.
His líghtnings líght up the wórld, *
the éarth trémbles at the síght.
The móuntains mélt like wáx *
before the Lórd of áll the éarth.
The skíes procláim his jústice; *
all péoples sée his glóry.
Let thóse who serve ídols be ashámed, †
those who bóast of their wórthless góds. *
All you spírits, wórship hím.
Síon héars and is glád; †
the péople of Júdah rejóice *
becáuse of your júdgements, O Lórd.
For yóu indéed are the Lórd †
most hígh above áll the éarth, *
exálted far abóve all spírits.
The Lórd loves thóse who hate évil; †
he gúards the sóuls of his sáints; *
he séts them frée from the wícked.
Líght shines fórth for the júst *
and jóy for the úpright of héart.
Rejóice, you júst, in the Lórd; *
give glóry to his hóly náme.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
They proclaimed the justice of God; all peoples saw his glory. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you clothe the sky with light and the depths of the ocean with darkness. Among the sons of men you work wonders, and rain terror upon the enemy. Look upon your servants. Do not try us by fire but bring us rejoicing to the shelter of your home.
________
℣. The Lord inspires the bearers of the Gospel, alleluia.
℟. Their preaching is filled with the power of God, alleluia.
________
The one-year and two-year cycles of readings are identical today.
First Reading
Ephesians 4:1-16
The body of Christ is built up in unity
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.
Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. It was said that he would:
When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners,
he gave gifts to men.
When it says, ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.
Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.
Responsory
Ep 4:4-5; Col 1:12
℟. No prophecy ever came from man’s initiative.* When men spoke for God it was the Holy Spirit that moved them, alleluia.
℣. The Lord alone bestows wisdom and teaches knowledge.* When men spoke for God it was the Holy Spirit that moved them, alleluia.
________
Second Reading
From the treatise "Against the Heresies" by St Irenaeus
Preaching truth
The Church, which has spread everywhere, even to the ends of the earth, received the faith from the apostles and their disciples. By faith, we believe in one God, the almighty Father who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became man for our salvation. And we believe in the Holy Spirit who through the prophets foretold God’s plan: the coming of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, his birth from the Virgin, his passion, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, and his final coming from heaven in the glory of his Father, to recapitulate all things and to raise all men from the dead, so that, by the decree of his invisible Father, he may make a just judgement in all things and so that every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth to Jesus Christ our Lord and our God, our Saviour and our King, and every tongue confess him.
The Church, spread throughout the whole world, received this preaching and this faith and now preserves it carefully, dwelling as it were in one house. Having one soul and one heart, the Church holds this faith, preaches and teaches it consistently as though by a single voice. For though there are different languages, there is but one tradition.
The faith and the tradition of the churches founded in Germany are no different from those founded among the Spanish and the Celts, in the East, in Egypt, in Libya and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world. Just as God’s creature, the sun, is one and the same the world over, so also does the Church’s preaching shine everywhere to enlighten all men who want to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Now of those who speak with authority in the churches, no preacher however forceful will utter anything different – for no one is above the Master – nor will a less forceful preacher diminish what has been handed down. Since our faith is everywhere the same, no one who can say more augments it, nor can anyone who says less diminish it.
Responsory
℟. Christ sent me to preach the Good News, but not in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed.* To those who court their own ruin, the message of the cross is but folly; to us who are on the way to salvation, it is the evidence of God’s power, alleluia.
℣. The world, with all its wisdom, could not find its way to God; and now God would use a foolish thing, our preaching, to save those who will believe in it.* To those who court their own ruin, the message of the cross is but folly; to us who are on the way to salvation, it is the evidence of God’s power, alleluia.
________
Hymn
Te Deum
We praise you, O God: *
we acclaim you as the Lord.
Everlasting Father, *
all the world bows down before you.
All the angels sing your praise, *
the hosts of heaven and all the angelic powers,
all the cherubim and seraphim *
call out to you in unending song:
Holy, Holy, Holy, *
is the Lord God of angel hosts!
The heavens and the earth are filled *
with your majesty and glory.
The glorious band of apostles, *
the noble company of prophets,
the white-robed army who shed their blood for Christ, *
all sing your praise.
And to the ends of the earth *
your holy Church proclaims her faith in you:
Father, whose majesty is boundless, *
your true and only Son, who is to be adored, *
the Holy Spirit sent to be our Advocate.
You, Christ, are the king of glory, *
Son of the eternal Father.
When you took our nature to save mankind *
you did not shrink from birth in the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the power of death *
opening the Father’s kingdom to all who believe in you.
Enthroned at God’s right hand in the glory of the Father, *
you will come in judgement according to your promise.
You redeemed your people by your precious blood. *
Come, we implore you, to our aid.
Grant us with the saints *
a place in eternal glory.
The final part of the hymn may be omitted:
Lord, save your people *
and bless your inheritance.
Rule them and uphold them *
for ever and ever.
Day by day we praise you: *
we acclaim you now and to all eternity.
In your goodness, Lord, keep us free from sin. *
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
May your mercy always be with us, Lord, *
for we have hoped in you.
In you, Lord, we put our trust: *
we shall not be put to shame.
________
Let us pray.
Almighty God,
you chose out the evangelist Saint Mark
and ennobled him with grace to preach the gospel.
Let his teaching so improve our lives
that we may walk faithfully in the footsteps of Christ.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
________
The week’s sequence of readings from Scripture has been interrupted today, because today’s feast has a First Reading of its own.
The reading you would otherwise have seen is shown below. It is perfectly reasonable (and encouraged) to join it on to yesterday’s or tomorrow’s First Reading, if it goes well with one of them and you think this is a sensible way of avoiding a gap.
Apocalypse 5:1-14
A vision of the Lamb
I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on back and front and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a powerful angel who called with a loud voice, ‘Is there anyone worthy to open the scroll and break the seals of it?’ But there was no one, in heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it. I wept bitterly because there was nobody fit to open the scroll and read it, but one of the elders said to me, ‘There is no need to cry: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it.’
Then I saw, standing between the throne with its four animals and the circle of the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns, and it had seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits God has sent out all over the world. The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne, and when he took it, the four animals prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense made of the prayers of the saints. They sang a new hymn:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll
and break the seals of it,
because you were sacrificed, and with your blood
you bought men for God
of every race, language, people and nation
and made them a line of kings and priests,
to serve our God and to rule the world.’
In my vision, I heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the animals and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands, shouting, ‘The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing.’ Then I heard all the living things in creation – everything that lives in the air, and on the ground, and under the ground, and in the sea, crying, ‘To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever.’ And the four animals said, ‘Amen’; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.
Copyright © 1996-2020 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.