Readings for the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Readings for the Memorial of
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Virgin and Martyr
November 25

MASS

From the Common of Martyrs: For a Virgin Martyr; or from the Common of Virgins: For One Virgin
COLLECT
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui populo tuo beatam Catharinam virginem et invictam martyrem praestitisti, concede, ut, eius intercessione, fide et constantia roboremur, et pro Ecclesiae unitate operam tribuamus impense.
Almighty ever-living God,
who gave Saint Catherine of Alexandria to your people
as a Virgin and an invincible Martyr,
grant that through her intercession
we may be strengthened in faith and constancy
and spend ourselves without reserve
for the unity of the Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

FIRST READING          Revelation 21:5-7
The One who was seated on the throne said,
"Behold, I make all things new."
Then he said, "Write these words down
for they are trustworthy and true."
He said to me, "They are accomplished.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
To the thirsty I will give a gift
from the spring of life-giving water.
The victor will inherit these gifts,
and I shall be his God and he will be my son.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM           124:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8
Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium.

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.

ALLELUIA          Cf. Te Deum
Te deum laudamus, te dominum confitemur; te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord:
the white-robed army of martyrs praise you..

GOSPEL           Matthew 10:28-33
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both body and soul in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before by heavenly Father."

The Liturgy of the Hours
Catherine of Alexandria

From the Common of One Martyr or of Virgins or the following:

SECOND READING

From a sermon of St Caesarius of Arles

How can Christ be followed?

When the Lord tells us in the Gospel that anyone who wants to be his follower must renounce himself, the injunction seems harsh; we think he is imposing a burden on us. But an order is no burden when it is given by one who helps in carrying it out.

"Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ." To what place are we to follow Christ if not where he has already gone? We know that he has risen and ascended into heaven: there, then, we must follow him. There is no cause for despair - by ourselves we can do nothing, but we have Christ's promise. Heaven was beyond our reach before our Head ascended there, but now, if we are his members, why should we despair of arriving there ourselves? Is there any reason? True, many fears and afflictions confront us in this world; but if we follow Christ, we shall reach a place of perfect happiness, perfect peace, and everlasting freedom from fear.

Yet let me warn anyone bent on following Christ to listen to Saint Paul: "One who claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as he walked." Would you follow Christ? Then be humble as he was humble; do not scorn his lowliness if you want to reach his exaltation.

Human sin made the road rough but Christ's resurrection leveled it; by passing over it himself he transformed the narrowest of tracks into a royal highway. Two feet are needed to run along this highway; they are humility and charity. Everyone wants to get to the top - well, the first step to take is humility. Why take strides that are too big for you - do you want to fall instead of going up? Begin with the first step, humility, and you will already be climbing.

As well as telling us to renounce ourselves, our Lord and Savior said that we must take up our cross and follow him. What does it mean to take up one's cross? Bearing every annoyance patiently. That is following Christ. When someone begins to follow his way of life and his commandments, that person will meet resistance on every side. He or she will be opposed, mocked, even persecuted, and this not only by unbelievers but also by people who to all appearances belong to the body of Christ, though they are really excluded from it by their wickedness; people who, being Christians only in name, never stop persecuting true Christians. These are among the members of the Church like evil humors in the body. If you want to follow Christ, then, take up his cross without delay. Put up with evil ones, do not be overcome by them.

If you want to follow Christ, then, take up his cross without delay. Endure injuries, do not be overcome by them. If we would fulfil the Lord's command: "If anyone wants to be my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me," we must strive with God's help to do as the Apostle says: "As long as we have food and clothing, let this content us." Otherwise, if we seek more material goods than we need and desire to become rich, we may fall prey to temptation. The devil may trick us into wanting the many useless and harmful things that plunge people into ruin and destruction. May we be free from this temptation through the protection of our Lord

RESPONSORY     Cf. Ps 44, 15 b-16 a. 5 a
Her maiden companions will be brought to the King, following her.
- They will be brought to you amid gladness and joy.

Come forth in your splendor and beauty, go on in triumph, to reign.
- They will be brought to you amid gladness and joy.

COLLECT
Almighty ever-living God,
who gave Saint Catherine of Alexandria to your people
as a Virgin and an invincible Martyr,
grant that through her intercession
we may be strengthened in faith and constancy
and spend ourselves without reserve
for the unity of the Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of 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.

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