The Office of Readings


SECOND READING

From a letter from Blessed Mary Frances to the Sisters of the Congregation written on Easter Monday, 1868

Love lightens all difficulties and sweetens all bitterness.

In his farewell discourse, the Lord told his beloved disciples that all men would recognize them as his disciples, if they would love one another, and that the sign of their love for him would consist in their faithful keeping of his commandments. Our Lord then added: You are my friends if you do what I command you. The command I give you is this, that you love one another. In these present times let us take to heart especially this particular teaching of our divine Lord, let us apply it to ourselves and endeavor to put it into practice.

If we do this faithfully and zealously, we will experience the truth of the words of our father Saint Francis, who says that love lightens all difficulties and sweetens all bitterness. We will likewise partake of the blessing which Saint Francis promised to all his children, both present and future, after having admonished them to love one another even as he had loved them and continues to love them.

And now that we know the will of our divine Lord, expressed so faithfully in the exhortation of our holy father Francis, there remains but one thing, that we fulfill the same and confidently wait “to be blessed with the eternal blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ” and of our seraphic father Francis.


RESPONSORY      John 15:16, 9
It was not you who chose me,
it was I who chose you.
 - to go forth and bear fruit.

Live on in my love.
 - to go forth and bear fruit.


COLLECT
God our Father,
you bestowed a marvelous gift of charity on blessed Mary Frances the virgin
to hekp the poor and sick.
Grant us through her example
to live with the spirit of poverty and prudence
and to serve the brethren with all care.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.


The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.