In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Solemnity or Feast, please use the texts found in the Common of Pastors: For a Bishop with the proper texts below.
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
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. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
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
Christ, Prince of Pastors, Head and sov’reign ruler
your joyful people long with all devotion
to laud this Pastor, off’ring him due praises
with hymns and anthems.
Blest and anointed by the Holy Spirit;
this valiant Pastor, filled with gifts from heaven,
waged holy warfare, to confirm and govern
your holy people.
Shepherd and pattern for the flock he tended,
light bringing comfort to the blind and wretched,
provident father, in all things becoming
all things to others.
Christ, Lord in heaven, crowning saints for merit,
grant us to follow in this Pastor’s footsteps
with lives of goodness and attain hereafter
like crowns of glory.
Let equal praises honor God the Father
and you our Savior, loving King eternal;
through all creation, let the Spirit’s glory
echo for ever. Amen.
Tune: ISTE CONFESSOR (ROUEN/POITIERS) 11 11 11 5
Music: Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746
or Mode III, melody 58; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Christe, pastorum caput atque princeps, ca. 12th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue.
Psalm 31:1-17, 20-25
A troubled person’s confident appeal to God
Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46).
I
In you, O Lord, I take refuge. *
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free, *
hear me and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me, *
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold. *
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
Release me from the snares they have hidden *
for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit. *
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
O God of truth, you detest *
those who worship false and empty gods.
As for me, I trust in the Lord: *
let me be glad and rejoice in your love.
You have seen my affliction *
and taken heed of my soul’s distress,
have not handed me over to the enemy, *
but set my feet at large.
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. Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue.
Ant. 2 Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant.
II
Have mercy on me, O Lord, *
for I am in distress.
Tears have wasted my eyes, *
my throat and my heart.
For my life is spent with sorrow *
and my years with sighs.
Affliction has broken down my strength *
and my bones waste away.
In the face of all my foes *
I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbors *
and of fear to my friends.
Those who see me in the street *
run far away from me.
I am like a dead man, forgotten, *
like a thing thrown away.
I have heard the slander of the crowd, *
fear is all around me,
as they plot together against me, *
as they plan to take my life.
But as for me, I trust in you, Lord, *
I say: “You are my God.
My life is in your hands, deliver me *
from the hands of those who hate me.
Let your face shine on your servant. *
Save me in your love.”
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. Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant.
Ant. 3 Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me.
III
How great is the goodness, Lord, *
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you *
in the sight of men.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence *
from the plotting of men:
you keep them safe within your tent *
from disputing tongues.
Blessed be the Lord who has shown me †
the wonders of his love *
in a fortified city.
“I am far removed from your sight,” *
I said in my alarm.
Yet you heard the voice of my plea *
when I cried for help.
Love the Lord, all you saints. *
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full *
those who act with pride.
Be strong, let your heart take courage, *
all who hope in the Lord.
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 of kindness and truth, you saved your Chosen One, Jesus Christ, and you gave your martyrs strength. Watch over your people who come to you here and strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you, that they may proclaim your saving acts of kindness in the eternal city.
Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me.
The heavens proclaim the justice of God.
— All nations shall see his glory.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Isaiah
61:1-11
The Spirit of the Lord is upon his servant
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the Lord
and a day of vindication by our God,
to comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
a diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness
in place of mourning,
a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
They will be called oaks of justice,
planted by the Lord to show his glory.
They shall rebuild the ancient ruins,
the former wastes they shall raise up
And restore the ruined cities,
desolate now for generations.
Strangers shall stand ready to pasture your flocks,
foreigners shall be your farmers and vinedressers.
You yourselves shall be named priests of the Lord,
ministers of our God you shall be called.
You shall eat the wealth of the nations
and boast of riches from them.
Since their shame was double
and disgrace and spittle were their portion,
They shall have a double inheritance in their land,
everlasting joy shall be theirs.
For I, the Lord, love what is right,
I hate robbery and injustice;
I will give them their recompense faithfully,
a lasting covenant I will make with them.
Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
All who see them shall acknowledge them
as a race the Lord has blessed.
I rejoice heartily in the Lord,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
So will the Lord God make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
RESPONSORY
Isaiah 61:1; John 8:42
The Spirit of God rests upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me;
and he has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
— to heal the broken-hearted,
to proclaim that captivity is now ended and prisoners set free.
I have come forth from God and have come into the world.
I did not come of myself; the Father has sent me.
— to heal the broken-hearted,
to proclaim that captivity is now ended and prisoners set free.
SECOND READING
From a letter to Cardinal Barnabo by Saint John Neumann, bishop
(Archives of Propaganda Fide, America Centrale, 1858-1860, Vol. XVIII, fol. 386 v. Neumann to Barnabo, October 1858, as quoted in Michael J. Curley, Venerable John Neumann [Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1950, pp. 325-326].)
I have labored with all my powers to fulfill the duties of my office
Indeed, I have apparently delayed too long in writing to the Holy See the letter promised by the Archbishop of Baltimore in the name of the council. However, this delay was not without reason. For the council was scarcely finished and I was discussing the division of Diocese of Philadelphia and my translation to a new see with one of the Fathers of the council, when the Father intimated to me [that he did not know] whether that could more probably be hoped for, since the Holy See thought that I would resign from the episcopate, or wished to resign. In the same way when the Archbishop of Baltimore informed me of the designation of a coadjutor, he added that in the event that I should persevere in the desire to resign, the Holy See would permit me to give the title of the ecclesiastical property to the same coadjutor.
I was no little disturbed by the fear that I had done something that so displeased the Holy Father that my resignation would appear desirable to him. If this be the case, I am prepared without any hesitation to leave the episcopacy. I have taken this burden out of obedience, and I have labored with all my powers to fulfill the duties of my office, and with God’s help, as I hope, not without fruit. When the care of temporal things weighed upon my mind and it seemed to me that my character was little suited for the very cultured world of Philadelphia, I made known to my fellow bishops during the Baltimore council of 1858 that it seemed opportune to me to request my translation to one or the other see that was to be erected (namely in the City of Pottsville or in Wilmington, North Carolina). But to give up the episcopal career never entered my mind, although I was conscious of my unworthiness and ineptitude; for things had not come to such a pass that I had one or the other reason out of the six for which a bishop could safely ask the Holy Father permission to resign. For a long time I have doubted what should be done….
Although my coadjutor has proposed to me that he would take the new see if it is erected, I have thought it much more opportune and I have asked the Fathers that he be appointed to the See of Philadelphia, since he is much more highly endowed with facility and alacrity concerning the administration of temporal things. Indeed, I am much more accustomed to the country, and will be able to care for the people and faithful living in the mountains, in the coal mines and on the farms, since I would be among them.
If, however, it should be displeasing to His Holiness to divide the diocese, I am, indeed, prepared either to remain in the same condition in which I am at present, or if God so inspires His Holiness to give the whole administration of the diocese to the Most Reverend James Wood, I am equally prepared to resign from the episcopate and to go where I may more securely prepare myself for death and for the account which must be rendered to the Divine Justice.
I desire nothing but to fulfill the wish of the Holy Father whatever it may be.
RESPONSORY
Matthew 25:21, 20
Well done, my good and faithful servant;
you have been faithful in the little tasks I gave you;
now I will entrust you with greater ones.
— Come and share my joy.
Lord, you gave me five coins,
and see, I bring you back double.
— Come and share my joy.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
you called Saint John Neumann to labor for the gospel
among the people of the new world.
His ministry strengthened many others in the Christian faith:
through his prayers may faith grow strong in this land.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
O God, who called the Bishop Saint John Neumann,
renowned for his charity and pastoral service,
to shepherd your people in America,
grant by his intercession
that, as we foster the Christian education of youth
and are strengthened by the witness of brotherly love,
we may constantly increase the family of your Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
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Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
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. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
The earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
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. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
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. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Loving shepherd of thy sheep,
Keep thy lamb, in safety keep;
Nothing can thy power withstand,
None can pluck me from thy hand.
I would bless thee every day,
Gladly all thy will obey,
Like the blessed ones above,
Happy in thy precious love.
Loving Shepherd, ever near,
Teach thy lamb thy voice to hear;
Suffer not my steps to stray
From the straight and narrow way.
Where thou leadest I would go,
Walking in thy steps below.
Till before my Father’s throne
I shall know as I am known.
Tune: Buckland 77.77
Music: Leighton Hayne, 1836-1883
Text: Jane E. Leeson, 1807-1882