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| Feast |
Invitatory
The Lord Jesus, the son of Mary, is the source of all holiness: come, let us adore him.
Office of Readings
Hymn
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Come, let us praise the Virgin Queen
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Our prophets flourished, faithful, strong;
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Grant that, on Carmel's mount of prayer, Praise to the Father evermore
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Psalmody
Ant. 1
The Lord knows the way of the just, who ponder his law day and night.
Psalm 1
Happy indeed is the man *
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners *
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord *
and who ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree that is planted *
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season †
and whose leaves shall never fade; *
and all that he does shall prosper.
Not so are the wicked, not so! †
For they like winnowed chaff *
shall be driven away by the wind.
When the wicked are judged they shall not stand, *
nor find room among those who are just;
for the Lord guards the way of the just *
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Ant. The Lord knows the way of the just, who ponder his law day and night.
Ant. 2
The Lord guides his saints in the way of life and fills them with the joy of his presence.
Psalm 16
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. †
I say to the Lord: 'You are my God. *
My happiness lies in you alone.'
He has put into my heart a marvelous love *
for the faithful ones who dwell in his land.
Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows. †
Never will I offer their offerings of blood. *
Never will I take their name upon my lips.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup, *
it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight: *
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, *
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight: *
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; *
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead, *
nor let your beloved know decay.
Ant.The Lord guides his saints in the way of life and fills them with the joy of his presence.
Ant. 3
I will lead them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, *
Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning, *
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy *
to God, the living God.
The sparrow herself finds a home *
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars, *
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
They are happy, who dwell in your house, *
for ever singing your praise.
They are happy, whose strength is in you, *
in whose hearts are the roads to Sion.
As they go through the Bitter Valley †
they make it a place of springs *
the autumn rain covers it with blessings.
They walk with ever growing strength, *
they will see the God of gods in Sion.
O Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer, *
give ear, O God of Jacob
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield, *
look on the face of your anointed.
One day within your courts *
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God *
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a rampart, a shield; *
he will give us his favor and glory.
The Lord will not refuse any good *
to those who walk without blame.
Lord, God of hosts, *
happy the man who trusts in you!
Ant. 3 I will lead them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house
of prayer.
V. Everlasting light will shine on your saints, Lord.
R. And they shall live forever.
The First Reading
Rev 19:1-10; 21:1-7
A reading from the Book of Revelation
The glory of the saints in the new Jerusalem
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, 'Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! True and just are his judgements! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants.' Again
they shouted, 'Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up for ever and ever!' The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated on the throne. They said, 'Amen! Praise God!'
Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, 'Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who worship him!' Then I heard what sounded like a large crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, 'Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it.
She has been given clean shining linen to wear.' (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.)
Then the angel said to me, 'Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb. And the angel added, 'These are the true words
of God.'
I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, 'Don't do it! I am a fellow-servant of yours and of your brothers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God!'
For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. And saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: 'Now God's home is with mankind! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.'
Then the one who sits on the throne said, 'And now I make all things new!' He also said to me, 'Write this because these words are true and can be trusted.' Andhe said, 'It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it. Whoever wins the victory will receive this from me: I will be his God, and he will be my son.'
Responsory
R. Those who conquer will be clothed in white robes * and I will write their names in the book of life.
V. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the fountain of life * and I will write their names in the book of life.
The Second Reading (Alternative 1)
Chs 14, 16
From the treatise of Blessed Baptist of Mantua On Patience
They will see Christ himself and his blessed Mother and all the saints in glory
It would be rash for me to say anything about the joy of paradise, since it is written in 'Isaiah and in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, 'No eye has seen and no ear has heard nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him.' Why endeavor to express the very thing that is unable to enter
into the heart of man?
I would rather say something to arouse in you the desire of experiencing what mortal eyes cannot see. For this desire uplifts the mind from earthly to heavenly things and causes us to become at least partly of heaven, even though we are still earthly and mortal. If the saying is true, 'Where your treasure is, there is your heart also,' then if our treasüre is in heaven our hearts must be in heaven too. And if our hearts are in heaven and are heavenly, then it is our desire that makes our hearts heavenly. So let us try in our meditation to be lifted up to infinite matters from the small, and to mighty matters from the least.
As heaven exceeds the earth in magnitude and height and beauty, so heavenly goods are doubtless to be preferred to earthly ones. I can say this without hesitation, even though I do not know what heavenly goods are like—for they are beyond all imagining. The two powers of our intellective ability are intellect and will. The intellect is gratified by knowledge of the truth, but the will is gratified by the possession of satisfaction, and there is nothing more pleasing in this life.
'Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect.' We know as children, we speak as children, because we always see only 'a dim image in a mirror:' for the body is a hindrance which weighs down the soul and interferes with its understanding. However, because in paradise man will see face to face and know as he is known, 'all imperfect things will pass away,' and this immense desire that we have will be utterly satisfied. The all-embracing essence which is the first Truth will reveal himself to our intelligence, and at last that saying willbe fulfilled, 'Be still and know that I am God.' At present our intellect is disturbed by the coming and going of many fantasies. It is like a child in the market place, captivated now by this, now by that. It is not still, it does not see God, and all its busyness and work is in vain.
No matter how innocently and piously we live, it is only in paradise that we will find the home of our hopes and our desires. It was with this home in mind that the prophet said, 'Glorious things are told of you, O city of God!' and 'How lovely is your dwelling-place, O Lord God of hosts! My soul is longing and yearning for the courts of the Lord,' and 'As a deer yearns for running streams, so my soul is longing for you, my King and my God. My soul is thirsting for God, the living God, when shall I see him face to face?' Then, God will be all things to all people; he will satisfy the desire of every person. God will fill our minds with such delight that the prophet's saying will be perfectly fulfilled, 'I shall be satisfied when your glory appears.' The blessed will hear the sweet praises of God resounding on all sides; again, this is what the prophet says: 'O happy are those who dwell in your house, forever singing your praise!' They will also see the heavens and perceive their harmonious wholeness. They will see Christ himself and his blessed Mother and all the saints in glory. Incorruptible, and radiant in their beauty, they will be such a wonder to behold that no one could imagine anything more desirable.
Responsory
R. Moved by the Lord's command and the laws of their fathers, the saints of God were faithful in brotherly love. * They were joined together in one faith and one spirit. V. How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell in unity. * They were joined together in one faith and one spirit.
The Second Reading (Alternative 2)
Int. Cast. V, 1:2; WP, 11:4;
Found. 14:4; 4:6, 7; 29:33
From the works of Saint Teresa of Jesus
We belong to a race of saints
All of us who wear this holy Carmelite habit are called to prayer and contemplation. This is what we were founded for. We are descended from those holy fathers of ours on Mount Carmel, those who went in search of that treasure —the priceless pearl we are talking about—in such solitude and with such contempt for the world.
We must remember those holy fathers of ours who have gone before us, thehermits whose lives we are trying to imitate. We must remember our real founders, those holy fathers whose descendants we are. It was by way of poverty and humility, we know, that they came to the enjoyment of God.
On the subject of the beginnings of orders, I sometimes hear it said that the Lord gave greater graces to those saints who went before us because they were the foundations. Quite so, but we too must always bear in mind what it means to be the foundations for those who will come later.
For if those of us who are alive now have not fallen away from what they did in the past, and those who come after us do the same, the building will always
stand firm. What use is it to me for the saints of the past to have been what they were, if I come along after them and behave so badly that I leave the building in
ruins because of my bad habits? For obviously those who come later don't remember those who have died years before as they do the people they see around them. A fine state of affairs it is to insist that I am not one of the first, and do not realize what a difference there is between my life and virtues and the lives of those God has endowed with such graces!
Any of you who sees your Order falling away in any respect must try to be the kind of stone the building can be rebuilt with—the Lord will help to rebuild it.
For love of our Lord I beg them to remember how quickly everything comes to an end, and what a favor the Lord has done in bringing us to this Order, and what a punishment anyone who starts any kind of relaxation will deserve. They must always look at the race we are descended from—that race of holy prophets. What numbers of saints we have in heaven who have worn this habit of ours! We must have the holy audacity to aspire, with God's help, to be like them. The struggle will not last long, but the outcome will be eternal.
Responsory
R. I will make my home with them and walk among them; * I will be their God and they shall be my people.
V. I will set up my dwelling among them. * I will be their God and they shall be my people.
Where the Vigil Office is celebrated, see Appendix I
Te Deum
Prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Morning Prayer
Hymn
O Jesus, source of endless life
Be near to help us and defend;
O Mary, Mother of our Lord,
Lead us to heaven in the end.
You angel hosts suffused with light,
You Patriarchs who heard God's call,
You Prophets, knowing mysteries,
Obtain forgiveness for us all.
O Saints of Carmel, throned above
In Mary's court, obtain this grace
That where you are in glory now
We too may find a resting place.
May hosts of martyrs intercede
For us on earth, confessors pray
And choirs of holy virgins plead
That God may wash our sins away.
O blessed saints of solitude,
And all the heavenly company,
Obtain for us that life in God
Which lasts for all eternity.
Praise to the Father evermore
And to the Spirit he bestows,
To Jesus whom that Virgin bore
From whom all Carmel's beauty flows.
L.M.
Jesu, Salvator saeculi
Tr. unknown
Psalmody
Ant. I Your saints, Lord, as they watched in prayer, saw your strength and your glory.
Psalms and canticle of Sunday I.
Ant. 2 All you men and women, saints of God, O bless the Lord forever.
Ant. 3 Eye has not seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love him.
Scripture Reading
Sir 44:1-4
Let us now sing the praises of famous men, the heroes of our nation's history, through whom the Lord established his renown, and revealed his majesty in each succeeding age. Some held sway over kingdoms and made themselves a name by their exploits. Others were sage counsellors, who spoke out with prophetic power. Some led the people by their counsels and by their knowledge of the nation's law; out of their fund of wisdom they gave instruction.
Short Responsory
R. I saw a great throng of people * dressed in shining clothes. Repeat R.
V. They are the saints, the friends of God, * dressed in shining clothes.
Glory . . . R
Benedictus
With such a cloud of witnesses around us, we should run steadily in the race we have begun. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.
Intercessions
Let us give thanks to God our Father, who gives us the joy of honoring our brothers and sisters, the saints of Carmel. United with them and with the Virgin Mary, our Mother, let us say:
R. We glorify you, Lord.
Lord, you called your people into the desert to make with them a covenant of love,
— renew your covenant with us in Jesus Christ. R.
You have made us brothers and sisters of Mary, to keep your word and treasure it in our hearts;
— help us to be like her, serving Christ and sharing in his work of salvation. R.
You called us to imitate Elijah, living in intimacy with you;
— by living always in your presence, may we grow in your love and be zealous for your glory. R.
You raised up our family in the Church to live in holiness, longing for mystical union with you in prayer and contemplation;
— may we always seek your face, and so be able to teach to others the way of friendship with you. R.
You gave our saints such zeal and charity that they were not afraid to lay down their lives for their brothers and sisters;
— help us to bear the death of Christ in our bodies as we give our lives for the work of redemption. R.
Our Father . . .
Prayer
Lord, may the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,
and the prayers of all the saints of Carmel
help us to walk steadfastly in their footsteps,
and by our prayers and good works
to further the cause of your Church.
We ask this through our Lord.
Prayer During the Day
Antiphons and psalms of the weekday.
Before Noon Scripture Reading
Eph 6:17-18
Accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit
gives you. Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as
the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all
God's people.
V. Your Word is a lamp for my feet.
R. And a light for my path.
Midday Scripture Reading
Sir 44:13-14
Their posterity will continue for ever, and their glory will not be blotted out.
Their bodies were buried in peace, and their name lives to all generations.
V. The peoples will declare their wisdom.
R. And the assembly will proclaim their praise.
Afternoon Scripture Reading
2 Cor 4:17-18
Our troubles are slight and short-lived; and their outcome an eternal glory which
outweighs them far. Meanwhile our eyes are fixed, not on the things that are
seen, but on the things that are unseen: for what is seen passes away; what isunseen is eternal.
V. My chosen ones shall not labor in vain.
R. They are the offspring of those the Lord has blessed.
Evening Prayer
Hymn
On Carmel's mount Our Lady tends
A living garden rich in flowers;
God's Word has sown the seed of grace,
That grows in silent, prayer-filled hours.
In heaven's glory Carmel's saints
With Christ their King for ever reign;
The firstborn Son enfolds in joy
His brethren, born of Mary's pain.
Dark night gives way to purest light,
The mystic sees with light unsealed;
The saints who bore Christ's wounds of love
Now see Christ's wounds in love revealed.
The white-robed martyrs sing the praise
Of Christ, the martyrs' glorious Lord;
The lowly now are lifted high,
To gain at last their great reward.
Give thanks to God, the fount of grace,
Give thanks to God, our victim-priest,
Give thanks to God, the breath of life,
For Carmel's saints on their great feast.
L.M.
James Quinn, S.J.
Psalmody
Ant. 1 There are many mansions in my Father's house, says the Lord.
Psalm 15
Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent *
and dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault; *
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart; *
he who does not slander with his tongue.
He who does no wrong to his brother, *
who casts no slur on his neighbor,
who holds the godless in disdain, *
and honors those who fear the Lord;
he who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan *
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm forever.
Ant. There are many mansions in my Father's house, says the Lord.
Ant. 2 I no longer call you servants but friends, because all I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Psalm 112
Happy the man who fears the Lord, *
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth; *
the children of the upright are blessed.
Riches and wealth are in his house; *
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is light in the darkness for the upright: *
he is generous, merciful and just.
The good man takes pity and lends, *
he conducts his affairs with honor.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
He has no fear of evil news; *
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear; *
he will see the downfall of his foes.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor; †
his justice stands firm for ever. *
His head will be raised in glory.
The wicked man sees and is angry, †
grinds his teeth and fades away, *
the desire of the wicked leads to doom.
Ant. I no longer call you servants but friends, because all I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Ant. 3 I heard a great voice from heaven as of a mighty throng saying: 'Alleluia! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!'
Canticle: Rev 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, *
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, *
and by your will they existed and were created.
Worthy are you, O Lord, *
to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for you were slain, †
and by your blood you ransomed men for God *
from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
You have made us a kingdom and priests to our God, *
and we shall reign on earth.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, *
to receive power and wealth,
and wisdom and might, *
and honor and glory and blessing.
Ant. I heard a great voice from heaven as of a mighty throng saying: 'Alleluia!Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!'
Scripture Reading
Rom 8:28-30
We know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.
Short Responsory
R. This is a true fellowship * and no contention may break it. Repeat R.
V. By following Christ, they came to the heavenly kingdom, * and no contention may break it
Glory... R.
Magnificat
Soldiers of Christ, your battles are over, and after your campaigning in God's cause, you have won peace and joy with the angels; support now your comrades in arms, so that they may rejoice in their deliverance, and that you may glory in a complete victory.
Intercessions
Safe in the protection of Mary, our Mother, let us call on Jesus, our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of the saints of Carmel:
R. Lord, make us holy in the truth.
You call men and women to Carmel to follow you more closely in the way of love;
— may we who belong to your holy Church always do the truth in charity. R.
You have given to the saints of our family in heaven an unchanging love for their brothers and sisters;
— keep our communities in peace, and make us one in heart and mind. R.
By your desire our saints dedicated themselves to the service of Mary, imitating her life;
— under the name and protection of your Mother may we walk today in newness of life and remain faithful to our vocation. R.
You raised up the Order of Carmel in the Church to live in intimate communion with you through prayer and self-sacrifice, sharing the fruits of contemplation with others;
— may we be attuned to your Spirit, who prays 'Abba, Father' in us with sighs too deep for words. R.
You are the crown and joy of the saints;
— may our departed brothers and sisters rejoice with you forever in heaven. R.
Our Father...
Prayer as at Morning Pray
