Leader:

most holy Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all your churches throughout the world, and we bless you
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

O Lord make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

OPENING HYMN:

The only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, the crucified Christ.

Psalm 63:2-9

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you,
on you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm.

The only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, the crucified Christ.

I was fitted closely into the pattern of his death, in order to know Christ and the power of his Resurrection.

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
you heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.

Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.

Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
You children of earth, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men and women of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm.

I was fitted closely into the pattern of his death, in order to know Christ and the power of his Resurrection.

The Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory.

Psalm 149

Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion’s children exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,

to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained;
this honour is for all his faithful.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm.

The Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory.

READINGS

A READING FORM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE (LK. 10:1-9)

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself would be visiting. And he said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to do his harvesting. Start off now, but look, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Take no purse with you, no haversack, no sandals.
Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

So ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to do his harvesting.

FROM THE SECOND LIFE OF CELANO. (184-187)

Near the end of Francis’ vocation in the Lord, a certain brother who was always solicitous for the things of God and filled with love for the order, made this request of Francis: “Father, you will pass away and the family that has followed you will be left abandoned in this valley of tears. Point out someone, if you know of anyone in the order, upon whom your spirit may rest and upon whom the burden of minister general may be safely placed.” St. Francis answered, accompanying all his words with sighs: “I see no one, son, who would be capable of being the
leader of an army of so many different men and the shepherd of so large a flock. But I would like to describe one for you and fashion one, as the saying goes, with my hand, one in whom it may be clearly seen what kind of man the father of this family must be.

“He must be a man of most serious life,” he said, “of great discretion, of praiseworthy reputation. A man who has no private loves, lest while he shows favour to the one, he beget scandal in the whole group. A man to whom zeal for prayer is a close friend; a man who sets aside certain hours for his soul and certain hours for the flock committed to him. For the first thing in the morning he must commend himself and his flock to the divine protection in a prolonged devotion.

He should be a man who consoles the afflicted, since he is the last recourse for the troubled; and if they can find no healing remedies from him, there is danger that the illness of despair may prevail over the sick. He should bend stormy characters to meekness; he should debase himself and relax something of what is his right to gain a soul for Christ.

Responsory

All:

Benedictus

You have made him a blessing for ever.

The Lord has looked upon him with favour; he has raised him from his lowly state so that he can hold up his head. Many have marvelled at him and glorified the Lord.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has visited his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up for us a mighty saviour
in the house of David his servant,
as he promised by the lips the holy ones,
those who were his prophets from of old.

A saviour who would free us from our foes,
from the hands of all who hate us.
So his love for our ancestors is fulfilled
and his holy covenant remembered.

He swore to Abraham and Sarah to grant us,
that free from fear, and saved from the hands our foes,
we might serve him in holiness and justice
all the days of our life in his presence.

As for you, little child,
you shall be called a prophet of God the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his way before him,

To make known to his people their salvation
through forgiveness of all their sins,
the loving-kindness of the heart of our God
who visits us like the dawn from on high.

He will give light to those in darkness
those who dwell in the shadow of death,
and guide us into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Lord has looked upon him with favour; he has raised him from his lowly state so that he can hold
up his head. Many have marvelled at him and glorified the Lord.

INTERCESSIONS

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Our Father ….

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God,
grant us the grace to do for You alone
what we know You want us to do,
and always to desire what pleases You.
Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened,
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
may we be able to follow in the footprints
of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And by your grace alone,
may we make our way to You, Most High,
who live and reign in perfect Trinity and simple Unity,
and are glorified God all-powerful
forever and ever. Amen.

May the Lord Bless you and keep you.
May He turn his face to you,
and have mercy on you.
May He turn His countenance to you
and give you peace.
May the Lord Bless you: @
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.