Readings for the Memorial of Saint Vincent Ferrer

Readings
for the Memorial of

St Vincent Ferrer
Priest
April 5

MASS

From the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries

COLLECT
Deus, qui beatum Vincentium presbyterum ministrum praedicationis evangelicae suscitasti, praesta, quaesumus, ut, quem venturum iudicem nuntiavit in terris, beati videamus regnantem in caelis.
O God, who raised up the Priest Saint Vincent Ferrer
to minister by the preaching of the Gospel,
grant, we pray,
that, when the Judge comes,
whom Saint Vincent proclaimed on earth,
we may be among those blessed
to behold him reigning in heaven.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

FIRST READING          2 Timothy 4:1-5
Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine
but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM          Ps 40:2 and 4, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
Ecce venio, Domine, facere voluntatem tuam.

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips,
as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness
and your truth in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL          Jn 6:63,68c
Vigilate, omni tempore orantes, ut possitis stare ante Filium hominis.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.

GOSPEL          Luke 12:35-40
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come."

The Liturgy of the Hours
Vincent Ferrer

From the Common of Pastors, except the following:

Morning Prayer

For a commemoration during Lent:

BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon:It is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

COLLECT
O God, who raised up the Priest Saint Vincent Ferrer
to minister by the preaching of the Gospel,
grant, we pray,
that, when the Judge comes,
whom Saint Vincent proclaimed on earth,
we may be among those blessed
to behold him reigning in heaven.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Evening Prayer

For a commemoration during Lent:

MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: I became all things to all men, that all might find salvation.

COLLECT
O God, who raised up the Priest Saint Vincent Ferrer
to minister by the preaching of the Gospel,
grant, we pray,
that, when the Judge comes,
whom Saint Vincent proclaimed on earth,
we may be among those blessed
to behold him reigning in heaven.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Office of Readings

From the treatise On the Spiritual Life by Saint Vincent Ferrer, priest
(Cap. 14, 16, 26: Opera omnia, edit. Schmitt, Seccovii, 1938, 1, 111-113, 121-122)

On teaching

When you treat virtuous and sinful acts in you sermons and exhortations, use simple language and sensible idioms. Give apt and precise examples whenever you can. Each sinner in your congregation should feel moved as though you were preaching to him alone. Your words should sound as though they were coming, not from a proud or angry soul, but from a charitable and loving heart. Your tone of voice should be that of a father who suffers with his sinful children, as though they were seriously ill or were lying in a huge pit; and he struggles to free them, raise them up, and cherish them like a mother, as one who is happy over their progress and the hope they have of heaven’s glory.

This way of preaching has proven profitable to congregations; for an abstract discourse on the virtues and vices hardly inspires those who listen.

When hearing confession, you should always radiate the warmest charity. Whether you are gently encouraging the fainthearted or putting the fear of God into the hardhearted, the penitent should feel that you are motivated only by pure love. Therefore, speak in a pleasant friendly way before you use words that will prod his conscience.

Finally, if you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God first with all your heart. Ask him simply to fill you with charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire.

COLLECT
O God, who raised up the Priest Saint Vincent Ferrer
to minister by the preaching of the Gospel,
grant, we pray,
that, when the Judge comes,
whom Saint Vincent proclaimed on earth,
we may be among those blessed
to behold him reigning in heaven.
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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