O Christ, Word of the Father,
glorious king among the saints,
light and salvation of the world,
we believe in you.
Food and drink of life,
balm, garment, dwelling,
strength, refuge, and comfort,
we hope in you.
Enlighten with your Spirit
the dark night of evil,
direct our journey
toward the Father. Amen
Or another suitable hymn approved by ecclesiastic authority.
Ant.1 God called us to the gospel
through our faith in what is true,
to be worthy to possess the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
PSALM 63: 2-9 A soul thirsting for God
The Church thirsts for her Savior, yearning to drink at the fount of living water that springs up for eternal life. (Cf Cassiodorus).
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.
Ant.1 God called us to the gospel
through our faith in what is true,
to be worthy to possess the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ant. 2 Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CANTICLE Daniel 3: 57-88, 56 Let all creatures praise the Lord
Praise our God, all you his servants. (Rv 19:5)
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, *
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; *
lightning 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;
all you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; *
you sons of men, 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 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, and the Holy Spirit. *
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, *
praiseworthy and glorious forever.
At the end of the canticle the Glory be to the Father is not said.
Ant. 2 Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Ant. 3 The word of God is alive and effective,
sharper than a two-edged sword.
PSALM 149 The joy of God’s holy people
Let the sons of the Church, the children of the new people, rejoice in Christ, their King (Hesychius).
Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons 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 honor is for all his faithful.
Ant. 3 The word of God is alive and effective,
sharper than a two-edged sword.
READING 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.
RESPONSORY 1 Corinthians 2:2, 3, 5
R. I came to you in weakness and fear, * so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
-- I came to you in weakness and fear, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
V. For I resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified,
-- so that your faith might rest on the power of God.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
-- I came to you in weakness and fear, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.
Benedictus Ant. Blessed be the Lord; he has redeemed all people and has called everyone from darkness to his splendid light.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory 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
Benedictus Ant. Blessed be the Lord; he has redeemed all people and has called everyone from darkness to his splendid light.
INTERCESSIONS
On the feast of Saint Francis Xavier we turn to God, our Father, in the Spirit of his Risen
Son, as we say in faith:
Your kingdom come, Lord.
O Father, you set Saint Francis Xavier on fire with zeal:
- may your Church be an effective witness of your love toward every creature.
O Father, you endowed Saint Francis Xavier with a great missionary spirit:
- may the saving word of the gospel reach every nation.
O Father, you placed in the heart of Saint Francis Xavier a great love for the neglected:
- may the heralds of the gospel always prefer the poor and the marginalized.
O Father, you filled the apostle of the Indies, Saint Francis Xavier, with your Spirit:
- may all baptized people, announcing and professing your word, always be motivated by the same love of Christ.
Our Father.
Prayer
O God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier won many peoples for yourself, grant that the hearts of the faithful may burn with the same zeal for the faith, and that Holy Church may everywhere rejoice in abundant offspring. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
