R. (1) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be might upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
An evil report he shall not fear.
His heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.


ALLELUIA
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.


GOSPEL          Luke 12:32-34
Jesus said: "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."


PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Lord,
accept the gifts we bring to your altar
in memory of St. Cajetan.
As you led him to glory through these mysteries,
grant us also your pardon and love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.


COMMUNION ANTIPHON          Matthew 28:20
Blessed is the servant whom the Lord finds watching when he comes; truly I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions.


PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
All-powerful God,
by the eucharist, we share at your holy table
on this feast of St. Cajetan.
Increase our strength of character and love for you.
May we guard from every danger the faith you have given us
and walk always in the way that leads to salvation.
Grant this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

The Office of Readings


SECOND READING

From a letter by Saint Cajetan, priest
(Epist. ad Elizabeth Porto: Studi e Testi 177. Citta del Vaticano 1954, pp 50-51)

Christ dwells in our hearts

I am a sinner and do not think much of myself; I have recourse to the greatest servants of the Lord, that they may pray for you to the blessed Christ and his Mother. But do not forget that all the saints can not endear you to Christ as much as you can yourself. It is entirely up to you. If you want Christ to love you and help you, you must love him and always make an effort to please him. Do not waver in your purpose, because even if all the saints and every single creature should abandon you, he will always be near you, whatever your needs.

You know, of course, that we are pilgrims in this world, on a journey to our true home in heaven. The man who becomes proud loses his way and rushes to death. While living here we should strive to gain eternal life. Yet of ourselves we cannot achieve this since we have lost it through sin; but Jesus Christ has recovered it for us. For this reason we must always be grateful to him and love him. We must always obey him, and as far as possible remain united with him.

He has offered himself to be our food. How wretched is the man who knows nothing of such a gift! To us has been given the opportunity to receive Christ, son of the Virgin Mary, and we refuse him. Woe to the man who does not care enough to receive him. My daughter, I want what is good for myself; I beg the same for you. Now there is no other way to bring this about than to ask the Virgin Mary constantly to come to you with her glorious Son. Be bold! Ask her to give you her Son, who in the blessed sacrament of the altar is truly the food of your soul. Readily will she give him to you, still more readily will he come to you, giving you the strength to make your way fearlessly through this dark wood. In it large numbers of our enemies lie in wait, but they cannot reach us if they see us relying on such powerful help.

Nor, my child, must you receive Jesus Christ simply as a means to further your own plans; I want you to surrender to him, that he my welcome you and, as your divine Savior, do to you and in you whatever he wills. This is what I want, this is what I beg of you, this, as far as I can, is what I compel you to do.


RESPONSORY      
Let us praise the fame of this holy man
and his boundless love.
- Turning aside worldly pleasures, he gained eternal life.

For to him life was Christ, and death was gain.
- Turning aside worldly pleasures, he gained eternal life.


PRAYER
Lord,
You helped St. Cajetan
to imitate the apostolic way of life.
By his example and prayers
may we trust in You always
and be faithful in seeking Your kingdom.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.