Readings for the Feast of Saint Rose of Lima

Readings for the Feast of
Saint Rose of Lima
Virgin
August 23

Go to the Liturgy of the Hours

MASS

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Here is a wise and faithful virgin who went with lighted lamp to meet her Lord.

OPENING PRAYER
God our Father,
for love of you
Saint Rose gave up everything
to devote herself to a life of penance.
By the help of her prayers
may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth
and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven.
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.

FIRST READING 1 Corinthians 10:17-11:2
"Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord." For it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends.

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 148:1bc-2, 11-12, 13,14

R./ (see 12a and 13a) Young men and women, praise the name of the Lord.
or:
R./ Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.
R./ Young men and women, praise the name of the Lord.
or:
R./ Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men, too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted.
R./ Young men and women, praise the name of the Lord.
or:
R./ Alleluia.
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones;
from the children of Israel,
the people close to him. Alleluia.
R./ Young men and women, praise the name of the Lord.
or:
R./ Alleluia.

ALLELUIA John 15:9b,5b
Remain in my love, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.

GOSPEL Matthew 13:44-46
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Lord, we see the wonder of your love
in the life of the virgin Rose
and her witness to Christ.
Accept our gifts of praise
and make our offering pleasing to you.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON Mt 25:6
The bridgroom is here; let us go out to meet Christ the Lord.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord God,
may this Eucharist renew our courage and strength.
May we remain close to you, like Saint Rose,
by accepting in our lives
a share in the suffering of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you for ever and ever.

The Liturgy of the Hours
Rose of Lima

From the Common of Virgins or of Holy Women, Religious, except the following

Office of Readings

SECOND READING

From the writings of Saint Rose of Lima, virgin
(Ad medicum Castillo: edit. L. Getino, La Patrona de America, madrid 1928, pp. 54-55)

Let us know the love of Christ which surpasses all understanding

Our Lord and Saviour lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: “Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven.”

When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemed to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status: “Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep participation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul.”

That same force strongly urged me to proclaim the beauty of divine grace. It pressed me so that my breath came slow and forced me to sweat and pant. I felt as if my soul could no longer be kept in the prison of the body, but that it had burst its chains and was free and alone and was going very swiftly through the whole world saying:

“If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! Without doubt they would devote all their care and concern to winning for themselves pains and afflictions. All men throughout the world would seek trouble, infirmities and torments, instead of good fortune, in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace. This is the reward and the final gain of patience. No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men.”

RESPONSORY 1 Cor. 1:27,28-29; Ps. 138:6
To shame the wise, God chose what the world considers foolish.
God chose those who were nothing at all
to humble those who were everything
- so that no one might boast in his presence.

Though the Lord is exalted,
he cares for the lowly,
but the proud he looks down on from afar.
- So that no one might boast in his presence.

PRAYER
God our Father,
for love of you
Saint Rose gave up everything
to devote herself to a life of penance.
By the help of her prayers
may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth
and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven.
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.

Home

Prayers

The
Saints