In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Solemnity or Feast, please use the texts found in the Common of Doctors of the Church or 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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
[Doctors]
Eternal Sun, whose splendid rays,
pervading all created things,
infuse our minds with heav’nly light;
our hearts rejoice to sing your praise.
Enkindled by your Spirit’s care,
resplendent lamps of living flame
shed light on earth through ev’ry age,
revealing paths that save and heal.
The truth of words from heaven sent,
the truth that human minds can teach,
has shone with new and clearer light
through these, the stewards of your grace.
This blest partaker of their crown,
revered for teachings filled with light,
whom we acclaim with hymns of praise,
has shone in splendor with the saints.
O grant us, Lord our God, we pray
this teacher’s loving patronage,
that, running on the paths of truth,
we hold the course and come to you.
Most loving Father, hear our prayer,
and you, O Christ coequal Son,
who with the Spirit Paraclete
now reign for all eternity. Amen.
Tune: MELCOMBE, 8 8 8 8
Music: Samuel Webbe the elder, 1740-1816
or Mode IV, melody 84; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Æterne sol, qui lumine, Anselmo Lentini, O.S.B., 1901-1989, © 2023 ICEL
Or: [Pastors]
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 None but the Lord has done such marvels; his love endures for ever.
Psalm 136
Paschal Hymn
We praise God by recalling his marvelous deeds (Cassiodorus).
I
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, *
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods *
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, *
for his love endures for ever;
who alone has wrought marvelous works, *
for his love endures for ever;
whose wisdom it was made the skies, *
for his love endures for ever;
who fixed the earth firmly on the seas, *
for his love endures for ever.
It was he who made the great lights, *
for his love endures for ever,
the sun to rule in the day, *
for his love endures for ever,
the moon and the stars in the night, *
for his love endures 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. None but the Lord has done such marvels; his love endures for ever.
Ant. 2 He brought Israel out of Egypt with powerful hand and arm outstretched.
II
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, *
for his love endures for ever.
He brought Israel out from their midst, *
for his love endures for ever;
arm outstretched, with power in his hand, *
for his love endures for ever.
He divided the Red Sea in two, *
for his love endures for ever;
he made Israel pass through the midst, *
for his love endures for ever;
he flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea, *
for his love endures 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. He brought Israel out of Egypt with powerful hand and arm outstretched.
Ant. 3 Give praise to the God of heaven; he has ransomed us from our enemies.
III
Through the desert his people he led, *
for his love endures for ever.
Nations in their greatness he struck, *
for his love endures for ever.
Kings in their splendor he slew, *
for his love endures for ever.
Sihon, king of the Amorites, *
for his love endures for ever,
and Og, the king of Bashan, *
for his love endures for ever.
He let Israel inherit their land, *
for his love endures for ever.
On his servant their land he bestowed, *
for his love endures for ever.
He remembered us in our distress, *
for his love endures for ever.
And he snatched us away from our foes, *
for his love endures for ever.
He gives food to all living things, *
for his love endures for ever.
To the God of heaven give thanks, *
for his love endures 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.
Psalm Prayer
Almighty God, remember our lowliness and have mercy. Once you gave our fathers a foreign land to inherit. Free us today from sin and give us a share in your inheritance.
Ant. Give praise to the God of heaven; he has ransomed us from our enemies.
Lord, show me your ways.
— Teach me to walk in your footsteps.
READINGS
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy
16:1-17
The observance of the feasts
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“Observe the month of Abib by keeping the Passover of the Lord, your God, since it was in the month of Abib that he brought you by night out of Egypt. You shall offer the Passover sacrifice from your flock or your herd to the Lord, your God, in the place which he chooses as the dwelling place of his name.
“You shall not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days you shall eat with it only unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, that you may remember as long as you live the day of your departure from the land of Egypt; for in frightened haste you left the land of Egypt. Nothing leavened may be found in all your territory for seven days, and none of the meat which you sacrificed on the evening of the first day shall be kept overnight for the next day.
“You may not sacrifice the Passover in any of the communities which the Lord, your God, gives you; only at the place which he chooses as the dwelling place of his name, and in the evening at sunset, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt, shall you sacrifice the Passover. You shall cook and eat it at the place the Lord, your God, chooses; then in the morning you may return to your tents. For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh there shall be a solemn meeting in honor of the Lord, your God; on that day you shall not do any sort of work.
“You shall count off seven weeks, computing them from the day when the sickle is first put to the standing grain. You shall then keep the feast of Weeks in honor of the Lord, your God, and the measure of your own freewill offering shall be in proportion to the blessing the Lord, your God, has bestowed on you. In the place which the Lord, your God, chooses as the dwelling place of his name, you shall make merry in his presence together with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and the Levite who belongs to your community, as well as the alien, the orphan and the widow among you. Remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and carry out these statutes carefully.
“You shall celebrate the feast of Booths for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and wine press. You shall make merry at your feast, together with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and also the Levite, the alien, the orphan and the widow who belong to your community. For seven days you shall celebrate this pilgrim feast in honor of the Lord, your God, in the place which he chooses; since the Lord, your God, has blessed you in all your crops and in all your undertakings, you shall do nought but make merry.
“Three times a year, then, every male among you shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place which he chooses: at the feast of Unleavened Bread, at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of Booths. No one shall appear before the Lord empty-handed, but each of you with as much as he can give, in proportion to the blessings which the Lord, your God, has bestowed on you.”
RESPONSORY
Deuteronomy 16:14, 15; Nahum 1:15
Your feast must be a time of rejoicing for you and your son and your daughter,
for the Levite too, and the stranger, for the orphan and the widow;
— and then the Lord will bless you and fill you with joy.
See, even now over the mountain the messenger of good tidings comes!
Peace, he cries out.
Rejoice, Judah, and celebrate your feasts.
— And then the Lord will bless you and fill you with joy.
SECOND READING
From The Introduction to the Devout Life, by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop
(Pars 1, cap 3)
Devotion must be practiced in different ways
When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station and his calling.
I say that devotion must be practiced in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.
Tell me, please, my Philothea, whether it is proper for a bishop to want to lead a solitary life like a Carthusian; or for married people to be no more concerned than a Capuchin about increasing their income; or for a working man to spend his whole day in church like a religious; or on the other hand for a religious to be constantly exposed like a bishop to all the events and circumstances that bear on the needs of our neighbor. Is not this sort of devotion ridiculous, unorganized and intolerable? Yet this absurd error occurs very frequently, but in no way does true devotion, my Philothea, destroy anything at all. On the contrary, it perfects and fulfills all things. In fact if it ever works against, or is inimical to, anyone’s legitimate station and calling, then it is very definitely false devotion.
The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.
Moreover, just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling, each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion. Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince becomes more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households. I acknowledge, my dear Philothea, that the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.
Therefore, in whatever situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.
RESPONSORY
Ephesians 4:32-5:1; Matthew 11:29
Be kind and compassionate to one another;
forgive each other as God has forgiven you in Christ.
— Be imitators of God the Father who loves you as his own dear children.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me,
for I am gentle and humble of heart.
— Be imitators of God the Father who loves you as his own dear children.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
you gave Francis de Sales the spirit of compassion
to befriend all men on the way to salvation.
By his example, lead us to show your gentle love
in the service of our fellow men.
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 for the salvation of souls
willed that the Bishop Saint Francis de Sales
become all things to all,
graciously grant that, following his example,
we may always display the gentleness of your charity
in the service of our neighbor.
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.
******
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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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 the Lord, fount of all wisdom.
Or: 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