HYMN

Your hand, O Lord, has guided
Your Church from age to age;
The wondrous tale is written
So clearly on each page;
Our fathers praised your goodness,
And we their deeds record;
And both to this bear witness:
One Church, one Faith, one Lord.

Your heralds brought glad tidings
To greatest and to least;
They told all men to hasten
To share the great King’s feast;
And this was all their teaching
In every deed and word,
To all alike proclaiming:
One Church, one Faith, one Lord.

Through many days of darkness,
Through many scenes of strife,
The faithful few fought bravely
To guard the Christian life;
Their gospel of redemption,
Sin pardoned, man restored,
Was all in this enfolded:
One Church, one Faith, one Lord.

Your mercy will not fail us,
Nor leave your work undone;
With all your strength to help us,
The vict’ry shall be won;
And then by men and angels
Your name shall be adored,
And this shall be their anthem:
One Church, one Faith, one Lord.

 The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
      and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
 Day unto day takes up the story
      and night unto night makes known the message.

 No speech, no word, no voice is heard
 yet their span extends through all the earth,
      their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;
 it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,
      rejoices like a champion to run its course.

 At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;
      to the furthest end of the sky is its course.
      There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

 Hear my voice, O God, as I complain,
      guard my life from dread of the foe.
 Hide me from the band of the wicked,
      from the throng of those who do evil.

 They sharpen their tongues like swords;
      they aim bitter words like arrows
 to shoot at the innocent from ambush,
      shooting suddenly and recklessly.

 They scheme their evil course;
      they conspire to lay secret snares.
      They say: Who will see us?
 Who can search out our crimes?"

 He will search who searches the mind
      and knows the depths of the heart.
 God has shot them with his arrow
      and dealt them sudden wounds.
 Their own tongue has brought them to ruin
      and all who see them mock.

 Then will all men fear;
      they will tell what God has done.
      They will understand God's deeds.
 The just will rejoice in the Lord
      and fly to him for refuge.
      All the upright hearts will glory.

 The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
      let all the coastlands be glad.
 Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
      his throne, justice and right.

 A fire prepares his path;
      it burns up his foes on every side.
 His lightnings light up the world,
      the earth trembles at the sight.

 The mountains melt like wax
      before the Lord of all the earth.
 The skies proclaim his justice;
      all peoples see his glory.

 Let those who serve idols be ashamed,
      those who boast of their worthless gods.
      All you spirits, worship him.

 Zion hears and is glad;
      the people of Judah rejoice
      because of your judgments, O Lord.

 For you indeed are the Lord
      most high above all the earth,
      exalted far above all spirits.

 The Lord loves those who hate evil;
      he guards the souls of his saints;
      he sets them free from the wicked.

 Light shines forth for the just
      and joy for the upright of heart.
 Rejoice, you just, in the Lord;
      give glory to his holy name.

Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon's portico.  None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them.  Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them.  Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.  A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.   

Then the high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy,  laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail.  But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,  "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life."  When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.

When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the Israelites, and sent to the jail to have them brought in.  But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported,  "We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside."  

When they heard this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to.  Then someone came in and reported to them, "The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people."  Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.  When they had brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them,  "We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us."  But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men.   The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him at his right hand  as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.  We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him."

'In those days, Peter, stood up in the midst of the disciples and said" As the fiery spirit to whom the flock was entrusted by Christ and as the leader in the band of the apostles, Peter always took the initiative in speaking: "My brothers, we must choose from among our number.'" He left the decision to the whole body, at once augmenting the honour of those elected and avoiding any suspicion of partiality. For such great occasions can easily lead to trouble.

Did not Peter then have the right to make the choice himself? Certainly he had the right, but he did not want to give the appearance of showing special favour to anyone. Besides he was not yet endowed with the Spirit. "And they nominated two," we read, "Joseph, who was called Barsabbas and surnamed Justus, and Matthias." He himself did not nominate them; all present did. But it was he who brought the issue forward, pointing out that it was not his own idea but had been suggested to him by a scriptural prophecy. So he was speaking not as a teacher but as an interpreter.

"So," he goes on, "we must choose from those men who lived in our company." Notice how insistent he is that they should be eyewitnesses. Even though the Spirit would come to ratify the choice, Peter regards this prior qualification as most important.

"Those who lived in our company," he continued, "all through the time when the Lord Jesus came and went among us." He refers to those who had dwelt with Jesus, not just those who had been his disciples. For of course from the very beginning many had followed him. Notice how it is written that Peter himself was "one of the two who had listened to John, and followed Jesus."

"All through the time when the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning with the baptism of John" – rightly so, because no one knew what had happened before that time, although they were to know of it later through the Spirit.

"Up to the day," Peter added, "on which he was taken up from us – one of these must be made a witness along with us of his resurrection." He did not say “a witness of the rest of his actions” but only "a witness of the resurrection." That witness would be more believable who could declare that he who ate and drank and was crucified also rose from the dead. He needed to be a witness not of the times before or after that event, and not of the signs and wonders, but only of the resurrection itself. For the rest happened by general admission, openly; but the resurrection took place secretly, and was known to these men only.

And they all prayed together, saying: "You, Lord, know the hearts of men; make your choice known to us." “You”, not “we”. Appropriately they said that he knew the hearts of men, because the choice was to be made by him, not by others.

They spoke with such confidence, because someone had to be appointed. They did not say “choose” but "make known to us" the chosen one; "the one you choose," they said, fully aware that everything was pre-ordained by God. "They then drew lots." For they did not think themselves worthy to make the choice of their own accord, and therefore they wanted some sign for their instruction.


RESPONSORY
Lord, you know the hearts of all.
   - Show us the one whom you have chosen to assume this ministry and apostleship, alleluia.

The cast lots and the choice fell upon Matthias,
and he was added to the eleven apostles.
   - Show us the one whom you have chosen to assume this ministry and apostleship, alleluia.


TE DEUM LAUDAMUS

You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord; we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
     Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
     heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;
     Father, of majesty unbounded,
     your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
     and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
     Come then, Lord, and help your people,
     bought with the price of your own blood,
     and bring us with your saints
     to glory everlasting.

V.  Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R.  govern and uphold them, now and always.
V.  Day by day we bless you;
R.  we praise your name for ever.
V.  Keep us today, Lord, from all sin;
R.  have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V.  Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R.  for we put our trust in you.
V.  In you, Lord, is our hope;
R.  and we shall never hope in vain.

The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted.