May 25, 2014 - Sixth Sunday of Easter:
Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Grant, almighty God,
that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy,
which we keep in honor of the risen Lord,
and that what we relive in remembrance
we may always hold to in what we do.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”
Today’s Scripture readings and reflections:
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2014-05-25
May 25 - Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest & Doctor of the Church (Optional Memorial):
Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, who bring light to your Church
through the learning of the Priest Saint Bede,
mercifully grant that your servants
may always be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”
“Born in England, St. Bede (672-735) entered the Benedictine monastery of Sts. Peter and Paul, where he was ‘the most observant and the happiest of all monks.’ His writings are so replete with sound doctrine he was called ‘Venerable’ while still alive. He wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture and treatises on theology and history. Called the Father of English History, he popularized the dating of events ‘beforfe Christ’ (BC) and ‘in the year of Our Lord’ ('
anno Domini’; AD). He died at Jarrow, England.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)
For more on
St. Bede the Venerable, see link:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/B/stbede.asp
May 25 - Saint Gregory VII, Pope (Optional Memorial):
Collect (Opening Prayer):
“Give to your Church, we pray, O Lord,
that spirit of fortitude and zeal for justice
which you made to shine forth in Pope Saint Gregory the Seventh,
so that, rejecting evil, she may be free
to carry out in charity whatever is right.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”
“Formerly the monk Hildebrand at Cluny, St. Gregory VII (d.1085) fought against the abuse of lay investiture, a chief source of evils from which the Church was suffering. His energetic papacy earned him the enmity of Emperor Henry IV, who exiled St. Gregory to Salerno, where he died.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)
May 25 - Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin (Optional Memorial):
Collect (Opening Prayer):
“O God, lover of virginity,
who adorned with heavenly gifts
the Virgin Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi,
setting her on fire with your love,
grant, we pray, that we, who honor her today,
may imitate her example of purity and love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.”
“St. Mary (1566-1607) was born in Florence and joined the Carmelites at nineteen. She practiced mortification for the salvation of sinners; her constant exclamation was, ‘To suffer, not to die!’ With apostolic zeal she urged the renewal of the entire ecclesiastical community.” (Daily Roman Missal, MTF.)
For more on
Pope St. Gregory VII, and
St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, see links:
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/G/stgregorythegreat.asp
www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/M/stmarymagdalendepazzi.asp