Readings for the Feast of Saint Ansgar

Readings
for the Feast of

ST. ANSGAR
Bishop
Apostle to the Scandinavians
February 3

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MASS

From the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries; or for a Bishop

COLLECT
O God, who willed to send the Bishop Saint Ansgar
to enlighten many peoples,
grant us, through his intercession,
that we may always walk in the light of your truth.
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.

FIRST READING          Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM          Ps 96: 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8, 10

R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation day after day.
Tell God's glory among the nations;
among all peoples, God's marvelous deeds.
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and might;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts and enter his courts;
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
The world will surely stand fast, never to be moved.
God rules the peoples with fairness.
R.\ Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

ALLELUIA          Mk 1:17
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.

GOSPEL          Mark 1:14-20
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."

0 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed Him.

Liturgy of the Hours
Ansgar

From the Common of Pastors, except the following:

Office of Readings

From the decree on the missionary activity of the Church of the Second Vatican Council
(Ad gentes, nn. 23-24)

We must boldly proclaim the mystery of Christ

Every disciple of Christ is responsible in his own measure for the spread of the faith, but Christ the Lord is always calling from among his followers those whom he wills, so that they may be with him and be sent by him to preach to the nations.

Through the Holy Spirit, who distributes gifts as he wills for the good of all, Christ implants in the hearts of individuals the vocation to be a missionary, and at the same time he raises up in the Church institutes which make their own the task of spreading the Gospel that belongs to the whole Church.

A special vocation marks out those priests, religious and lay people who are prepared to undertake the missionary task in their own country or abroad, and have the right natural disposition for it, with suitable gifts and talents. Sent by lawful authority, they go out in obedience and faith to those who are far from Christ. They have been set apart for the task to which they have been called as ministers of the gospel, to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering, sanctified in the Holy Spirit.

Those whom God calls must answer his call in such a way that, without regard for purely human counsel, they may devote themselves wholly to the work of the gospel. This response cannot be given except with the inspiration and strength of the Holy Spirit.

The person who is sent enters into the life and mission of him who emptied himself, taking the nature of a slave. He must be ready therefore to be true to his vocation for life, to deny himself, renouncing all that he had before, and to become all things to all men.

In preaching the Gospel to the nations he must boldly proclaim the mystery of Christ, whose ambassador he is, so that in Christ he may have the courage to speak as he ought, and not be ashamed of the scandal of the cross. He must follow in the footsteps of his Master, who was gentle and humble of heart, and reveal to others that his yoke is easy and his burden light.

By a life that is truly according to the Gospel, by much endurance, by forbearance, by kindness and sincere love, he must bear witness to his Lord, even, if need be, by the shedding of his blood.

He will pray to God for strength and courage, so that he may come to see that for one who experiences great hardship and extreme poverty there can be abundant joy.

RESPONSORY 1 Corinthians 9:16-22
I do not boast of preaching the Gospel,
since it is a duty with which I am charged.
- It would go hard with me indeed if I did not preach the Gospel.
I have been all things to all men
in the hope of saving some of them at the least.
- It would go hard with me indeed if I did not preach the Gospel.

COLLECT
O God, who willed to send the Bishop Saint Ansgar
to enlighten many peoples,
grant us, through his intercession,
that we may always walk in the light of your truth.
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.

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