Monday in Holy Week
They who refuse God’s mercy, cannot escape His justice.
Taken from Dom Gueranger's The Liturgical Year
This morning, also, Jesus goes with his disciples to Jerusalem. He is fasting, for the Gospel tells us, that He was hungry. (Matthew 21:18) He approaches a fig-tree, which is by the way- side; bat finds nothing on it, save leaves only. Jesus, wishing to give us an instruction, curses the fig-tree, which immediately withers away. He would hereby teach us what they are to expect, who have nothing but good desires, and never produce in themselves the fruit of a real conversion. Nor is the allusion to Jerusalem less evident. This city is zealous for the exterior of divine worship; but her heart is hard and obstinate, and she is plotting, at this very hour, the death of the Son of God.
The greater portion of the day is spent in the Temple, where Jesus holds long conversations with the chief priests and ancients of the people. His language to them is stronger than ever, and triumphs over all their captious questions. It is principally in the Gospel of St. Matthew, (Matthew 21, 22, & 23) that we shall find these answers of our Redeemer, which so energetically accuse the Jews of their sin of rejecting the Messias, and so plainly foretell the punishment their sin is to bring after it.
At length, Jesus leaves the Temple, and takes the road that leads to Bethania. Having come as far as Mount Olivet, which commands a view of Jerusalem, He sits down, and rests awhile. The disciples make this an opportunity for asking Him, how soon the chastisements He has been speaking of in the temple will come upon the city. His answer comprises two events: the destruction of Jerusalem, and the final destruction of the world. He thus teaches them that the first is a figure of the second. The time when each is to happen, is to be when the measure of iniquity is filled up. But, with regard to the chastisement that is to befall Jerusalem, He gives this more definite answer: “Amen I say to you: this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.” (Matthew 24:34) History tells us how this prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled: forty years had scarcely elapsed after His Ascension, when the Roman army encamped on this very place where He is now speaking to His Disciples, and laid siege to the ungrateful and wicked City. After giving a prophetic description of that Last Judgment, which is to rectify all the unjust judgments of men, He leaves Mount Olivet, returns to Bethania, and consoles the anxious heart of His most holy Mother.
The Station, at Rome, is in the Church of Saint Praxedes. It was in this Church, that Pope Paschal II, in the 9th century, placed 2,300 bodies of holy Martyrs, which he had ordered to be taken out of the catacombs. The pillar, to which our Saviour was tied during his scourging, is also here.
MASS
The Introit is taken from the 84th Psalm. Jesus, by these words of the Royal Prophet, prays to his Eternal Father, that he would defend him against his enemies.
INTROITJudge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me; overthrow them that fight against me: take hold of arms and shield, and rise up to help me, O Lord, my mighty deliverer.
Ps. Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that, persecute me; say to my soul, I am thy salvation. Judge thou, etc.
In the Collect, the Church teaches us to have recourse to the merits of our Saviour’s Passion, in order that we may obtain from God the help we stand in need of amidst our many miseries.
COLLECTGrant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we, who through our weakness, faint under so many adversities, may recover by the Passion of thy Only Begotten Son. Who, liveth, etc.
Then is added one of the following Collects.
AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCHMercifully hear, we beseech thee, O Lord, the prayers of thy Church: that all oppositions and errors being removed, she may serve thee with a secure liberty. Through, etc.
FOR THE POPEO God, the Pastor and Euler of all the Faithful, look down, in thy mercy, on thy servant X., whom thou hast appointed Pastor over thy Church; and grant, we beseech thee, that both by word and example, he may edify all those that are under his charge; and with the flock intrusted to him, arrive at length at eternal happiness. Through, etc.
EPISTLELesson from the Prophet Isaias 50:5-10
In those days, Isaias said: The Lord hath opened my ear making known his will to me, and I do not resist: I have not gone back. I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded. He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand together. Who is my adversary? let him come near to me. Behold the Lord God is my helper: who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they shall all be destroyed as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, that heareth the voice of his servant? He that hath walked in darkness, and hath no light, let him hope in the name of the Lord, and lean upon his God.
GRADUALArise, Lord, and be attentive to my trial; my God and my Lord, undertake my cause.
℣. Draw thy sword, and stop those that are in pursuit of me.
TRACT℣. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins, which we have done, nor reward us according to our iniquities.
℣. O Lord, remember not our former iniquities: let thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor.
℣. Help us, O God, our Saviour: and for the glory of thy Name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins, for thy Name’s sake.
GOSPELSequel of the holy Gospel according to John 12:1-9
Jesus, six days before the Pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and, having the purse, carried the things that were put therein. Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial; for the poor you have always with you, but me you have not always. A great multitude therefore of the Jews knew that he was there; and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
OFFERTORYDeliver me from my enemies, O Lord; to thee have I fled, teach me to do thy will, because thou art my God.
The Secret tells us the wonderful power of the ‘Sacred Mysteries. Not only does this Sacrifice purify our souls; it also raises them to perfect union with Him who is their Creator.
SECRETGrant, Almighty God, that being purified by the powerful virtue of this sacrifice, we may arrive with greater purity to the author and institutor thereof. Through, etc.
Then is added one of the following Prayers:
AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCHProtect us, Lord, while we assist at thy sacred mysteries: that being employed in acts of religion, we may serve thee both in body and mind. Through, etc.
FOR THE POPEBe appeased, O Lord, with the offering we have made: and cease not to protect thy Servant N., whom thou hast been pleased to appoint Pastor over thy Church. Through, etc.
After the Faithful have partaken of the divine mystery, there is read, in the Communion- Anthem, a malediction against the enemies of our Saviour. Thus does God act in His government of the world: they who refuse His mercy, cannot escape His justice.
COMMUNIONLet them blush and be ashamed, who rejoice at my misfortunes; let them be covered with shame and confusion, who speak maliciously against me.
The Church concludes her Prayers of this morning’s Sacrifice, by begging that her children may persevere in the holy fervour, which they have received at its very source.
POSTCOMMUNIONLet thy holy mysteries, O Lord, inspire us with divine fervour; that we may delight both in their effect and celebration. Through, etc.
To this is added one of the following:
AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCHWe beseech thee, Lord our God, not to leave exposed to the dangers of human life, those whom thou hast permitted to partake of these divine mysteries. Through, etc.
FOR THE POPEMay the participation of this divine Sacrament protect us, we beseech thee, O Lord; and always procure safety and defense to thy Servant N., whom thou hast appointed Pastor over thy Church, together with the flock committed to his charge. Through, etc.
LET US PRAY
Bow down your heads to God.
Help us, O God, our Salvation; and grant that we may celebrate with joy the memory of these benefits, by which thou hast been pleased to redeem us. Through, etc.
As an appropriate conclusion to this day, we may use the following beautiful Prayer, taken from the ancient Gallican Liturgy:
PRAYER
(
Oratio ad Sextam)
O great and Sovereign Lord! (Adonai!) Christ our God! crucify us, with thyself, to this world, that so thy life may be in us. Take upon thee our sins, that thou mayst crucify them. Draw us unto thyself, since it was for our sakes that thou wast raised up from the earth; and thus snatch us from the power of the unclean tyrant: for, though by flesh and our sins, we be exposed to the insults of the devil, yet do we desire to serve, not him, but thee. We would be thy subjects; we ask to be governed by thee; for, by thy death on the cross, thou didst deliver us, who are mortals and surrounded by death. It is to bless thee for this wonderful favour, that we this day offer thee our devoted service; and humbly adoring thee, we now implore and beseech thee, to hasten to our assistance, O thou our God, the Eternal and Almighty! Let thy Cross thus profit us unto good, that thou, by its power, mayst triumph over the world in us, and thine own mercy restore us, by thy might and grace, to the ancient blessing. O thou, whose power hath turned the future into the past, and whose presence maketh the past to be present, grant, that thy Passion may avail us to salvation, as though it were accomplished now on this very day. May the drops of thy holy Blood, which heretofore fell upon the earth from the Cross, be our present salvation: may it wash away all the sins of our earthly nature, and be, so to say, commingled with the earth of our body, rendering it all thine, since we, by our reconciliation with thee, our Head, have been made one body with thee. Thou that ever reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now begin to reign over us, O God-Man, Christ Jesus, King forever and ever!
This text is taken from
The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Gueranger (1841-1875)