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 Priest 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
[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.
Chosen to serve you, sharing in your priesthood,
you gave this Pastor to your holy people,
that he might guide them as a faithful leader
and a good father.
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.
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 Wherever you are, Lord, there is mercy, there is truth.
Psalm 89:2-38
God’s favors to the house of David
According to his promise, the Lord has raised up Jesus, a Savior, from the family of David (Acts 13:22, 23).
I
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; *
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, *
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
“With my chosen one, I have made a covenant; *
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever *
and set up your throne through all ages.”
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord; *
the assembly of your holy ones proclaims your truth.
For who in the skies can compare with the Lord *
or who is like the Lord among the sons of God?
A God to be feared in the council of the holy ones, *
great and dreadful to all around him.
O Lord God of hosts, who is your equal? *
You are mighty, O Lord, and truth is your garment.
It is you who rule the sea in its pride; *
it is you who still the surging of its waves.
You crushed the monster Rahab and killed it, *
scattering your foes with your mighty arm.
The heavens are yours, the world is yours. *
It is you who founded the earth and all it holds;
it is you who created the North and the South. *
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at your name.
Yours is a mighty arm, O Lord; *
your hand is strong, your right hand ready.
Justice and right are the pillars of your throne, *
love and truth walk in your presence.
Happy the people who acclaim such a king, *
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who find their joy every day in your name, *
who make your justice the source of their bliss.
For you, O Lord, are the glory of their strength; *
by your favor it is that our might is exalted:
for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord; *
our king in the keeping of the Holy One of Israel.
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. Wherever you are, Lord, there is mercy, there is truth.
Ant. 2 When the Son of God came into this world, he was born of David’s line.
II
Of old you spoke in a vision. *
To your friends the prophets you said:
“I have set the crown on a warrior, *
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found David my servant *
and with my holy oil anointed him.
My hand shall always be with him *
and my arm shall make him strong.
The enemy shall never outwit him *
nor the evil man oppress him.
I will beat down his foes before him *
and smite those who hate him.
My truth and my love shall be with him; *
by my name his might shall be exalted.
I will stretch out his hand to the Sea *
and his right hand as far as the River.
He will say to me: ‘You are my father, *
my God, the rock who saves me.’
And I will make him my first-born, *
the highest of the kings of the earth.
I will keep my love for him always; *
for him my covenant shall last.
I will establish his dynasty for ever, *
make his throne endure as the heavens.
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. When the Son of God came into this world, he was born of David’s line.
Ant. 3 Once for all I swore to my servant David: his dynasty shall never fail.
III
“If his sons forsake my law *
and refuse to walk as I decree
and if ever they violate my statutes, *
refusing to keep my commands;
then I will punish their offenses with the rod, *
then I will scourge them on account of their guilt.
But I will never take back my love: *
my truth will never fail.
I will never violate my covenant *
nor go back on the word I have spoken.
Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness. *
‘I will never lie to David.
His dynasty shall last for ever. *
In my sight his throne is like the sun;
like the moon, it shall endure for ever, *
a faithful witness in the skies.’”
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, you anointed your servant Jesus with holy oil and raised him higher than all kings on earth. In this you fulfilled the promise made to David’s descendants, and established a lasting covenant through your first-born Son. Do not forget your holy covenant, so that we, who are signed with the blood of your Son through the new sacraments of faith, may sing of your mercies for ever.
Ant. Once for all I swore to my servant David: his dynasty shall never fail.
When we listen to your word, our minds are filled with light.
— It is the lowly heart that understands.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of Deuteronomy
29:1-5, 9-28
A curse is called down upon transgressors of the covenant
Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “You have seen all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt before your very eyes to Pharaoh and all his servants and to all his land; the great testings your own eyes have seen, and those great signs and wonders. But not even at the present day has the Lord yet given you a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.
“‘I led you for forty years in the desert. Your clothes did not fall from you in tatters nor your sandals from your feet; bread was not your food, nor wine or beer your drink. Thus you should know that I, the Lord, am your God.’
“You are all now standing before the Lord, your God—your chiefs and judges, your elders and officials, and all of the men of Israel, together with your wives and children and the aliens who live in your camp, down to those who hew wood and draw water for you—that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord, your God, which he concluded with you today under this sanction of a curse; so that he may now establish you as his people and he may be your God, as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
“But it is not with you alone that I am making this covenant, under this sanction of a curse; it is just as much with those who are not here among us today as it is with those of us who are now here present before the Lord, our God.
“You know in what surroundings we lived in the land of Egypt and what we passed by in the nations we traversed, and you saw the loathsome idols of wood and stone, of gold and silver, that they possess.
“Let there be, then, no man or woman, no clan or tribe among you, who would now turn away their hearts from the Lord, our God, to go and serve these pagan gods! Let there be no root that would bear such poison and wormwood among you. If any such person, upon hearing the words of this curse, should beguile himself into thinking that he can safely persist in his stubbornness of heart, as though to sweep away both the watered soil and the parched ground, the Lord will never consent to pardon him. Instead, the Lord’s wrath and jealousy will flare up against that man, and every curse mentioned in this book will alight on him. The Lord will blot out his name from under the heavens and will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for doom, in keeping with all the curses of the covenant inscribed in this book of the law.
“Future generations, your own descendants who will rise up after you, as well as the foreigners who will come here from far-off lands, when they see the calamities of this land and the ills with which the Lord has smitten it—all its soil being nothing but sulphur and salt, a burnt-out waste, unsown and unfruitful, without a blade of grass, destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his furious wrath—they and all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the Lord dealt thus with this land? Why this fierce outburst of wrath?’ And the answer will be, ‘Because they forsook the covenant which the Lord, the God of their fathers, had made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they went and served other gods and adored them, gods whom they did not know and whom he had not let fall to their lot: that is why the Lord was angry with this land and brought on it all the imprecations listed in this book; in his furious wrath and tremendous anger the Lord uprooted them from their soil and cast them out into a strange land, where they are today.’
“Both what is still hidden and what has already been revealed concern us and our descendants forever, that we may carry out all the words of this law.”
RESPONSORY
Galatians 3:13-14; see Deuteronomy 8:14
For our sake, Christ was cursed,
so that the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans,
— that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.
God rescued us from the land of Egypt
and set us free from the land of slavery.
— That through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.
SECOND READING
From a conference by Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest
(Collatio 6 super Credo in Deum)
The cross exemplifies every virtue
Why did the Son of God have to suffer for us? There was a great need, and it can be considered in a twofold way: in the first place, as a remedy for sin, and secondly, as an example of how to act.
It is a remedy, for, in the face of all the evils which we incur on account of our sins, we have found relief through the passion of Christ. Yet, it is no less an example, for the passion of Christ completely suffices to fashion our lives. Whoever wishes to live perfectly should do nothing but disdain what Christ disdained on the cross and desire what he desired, for the cross exemplifies every virtue.
If you seek the example of love: Greater love than this no man has, than to lay down his life for his friends. Such a man was Christ on the cross. And if he gave his life for us, then it should not be difficult to bear whatever hardships arise for his sake.
If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Great patience occurs in two ways: either when one patiently suffers much, or when one suffers things which one is able to avoid and yet does not avoid. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth. Therefore Christ’s patience on the cross was great. In patience let us run for the prize set before us, looking upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who, for the joy set before him, bore his cross and despised the shame.
If you seek an example of humility, look upon the crucified one, for God wished to be judged by Pontius Pilate and to die.
If you seek an example of obedience, follow him who became obedient to the Father even unto death. For just as by the disobedience of one man, namely, Adam, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man, many were made righteous.
If you seek an example of despising earthly things, follow him who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Upon the cross he was stripped, mocked, spat upon, struck, crowned with thorns, and given only vinegar and gall to drink.
Do not be attached, therefore, to clothing and riches, because they divided my garments among themselves. Nor to honors, for he experienced harsh words and scourgings. Nor to greatness of rank, for weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on my head. Nor to anything delightful, for in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
RESPONSORY
Wisdom 7:7-8; 9:17
I prayed, and understanding was given me;
I entreated, and the spirit of wisdom came to me;
— I esteemed wisdom more than scepter or throne;
compared with her, I held riches to be nothing.
Who will know your design, O Lord,
unless you bestow wisdom,
and send your Holy Spirit from above?
— I esteemed wisdom more than scepter or throne;
compared with her, I held riches to be nothing.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
God our Father,
you made Thomas Aquinas known for his holiness and learning.
Help us to grow in wisdom by his teaching,
and in holiness by imitating his faith.
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 made Saint Thomas Aquinas
outstanding in his zeal for holiness
and his study of sacred doctrine,
grant us, we pray,
that we may understand what he taught
and imitate what he accomplished.
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