Readings for the Feast of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

Readings for the Feast of the
First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

June 30

MASS

Entrance Song
The saints are happy in heaven because they followed Christ. They rejoice with him forever because they shed their blood for love of him.

Opening Prayer:
Father,
you sanctified the Church of Rome
with the blood of its first martyrs.
May we find strength from their courage
and rejoice in their triumph.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading
Romans 8:31b-39

What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also give us all things with Him? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, "For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm          124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8
R./ (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Had not the Lord been with us–
When men rose up against us,
    then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R./ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
    over us then would have swept
    the raging waters.
R./ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Broken was the snare,
    and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
R./ Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 24:4-13

Jesus answered them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS

Lord,
receive the gifts we bring
in memory of your holy martyrs.
Keep us strong in our faith
and in our witness to you.
Grant this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Communion Antiphon:
You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trial, and now I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord. You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.- Lk 22:28-30

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
in your holy martyrs you show us the glory of your cross.
through this sacrifice, strengthen our resolution
to follow Christ faithfully
and to work in your church for the salvation of all.
We ask this through Christ the Lord.

Liturgy of the Hours
Martyrs of Rome

From the Common of Several Martyrs, except the following:

Morning Prayer
BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon: The great numbers of martyrs stood firm in their love for one another because the shared the same spirit and the same faith.

Evening Prayer
MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: They loved Christ in this life and imitated him in their death; and so they will rejoice with him for ever.

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From a letter written to the Corinthians by Clement I, pope
(Cap 5, 1-7,4; Fink 1, 67-71)

Though victims of jealousy, they gave the finest example

Let us leave behind the examples from times of old, and come to those who struggled closest to us; let us consider the noble models of our own generation. It was through jealousy and envy that the greatest and most upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death. Let us set before our eyes the good apostles. First of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy, suffered not merely once or twice but many times, and, having thus given his witness, went to the place of glory that he deserved. It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed the way to the prize for perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a noble fame by his faith. He taught justice to all the world and, when he had reached the limits of the western world, he gave his witness before those in authority; then he left this world and was taken up into the holy place, a superb example of endurance.

Around these men with their holy lives gathered a great throng of the elect, who, though victims of jealousy, gave us the finest example of endurance in the midst of many indignities and tortures. Through jealousy women were tormented like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the course of faith and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize. It was jealousy that separated wives from husbands, and violated the words of our father Adam: This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Jealousy and strife have overthrown great cities and uprooted mighty nations.

We are writing this, beloved, not only for your admonition but also as a reminder to ourselves; for we are placed in the same arena, and the same contest lies before us. Hence we ought to put aside vain and useless concerns and go straight to the glorious and venerable norm which is our tradition, and we should consider what is good, pleasing and acceptable in the sight of him who made us. Let us fix our gaze on the blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

RESPONSORY Revelation 7:14
They handed their bodies over to be tortured for their faith in God,
- and so they earned an everlasting reward.

They have undergone great persecution
and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
- and so they earned an everlasting reward.

PRAYER
Father,
you sanctified the Church of Rome
with the blood of its first martyrs.
May we find strength from their courage
and rejoice in their triumph.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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