Mozarabic Saturday - II

Place yourself at Toledo: in the cathedral’s Mozarabic Rite chapel the faithful, silent, stand; silently, at this penitential season, the priest and his ministers advance to God’s altar; still without speaking, the priest bows awhile in prayer, then ascends the altar steps, kisses it, and goes to stand at his seat, where at length he first opens his mouth and salutes the congregation.  All attend to the readings that now begin.  A lector reads out the first lessson at the lectern; after he finishes, another takes his place.  The Old Testament lessons ended, the choir chants; a third lector reads the Epistle.  Next the deacon, with cerifers and thurifer, proceeds to the lectern to read the Gospel, first saluting the people (who stand in reverence), then censing the sacred volume.  The deacon having ended, then the priest having preached, again the choir sings God’s praises.  Next would come the offering of the Sacrifice…

But let us at the least unite ourselves to the Mass at Toledo by some participation in the Service of the Word, before in prayer making a spiritual communion as our devotion suggests.

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Saturday in the second week of Lent

Sabbatum in secunda hebdomada Quadragesimæ

Sapiential Lesson: Proverbs 28,14-28

Hisorical Lesson: Exodus 14,1-14

Psallendum: Psalm 139,5b.9b

Apostle: James 5,16-20

Gospel: St John 6,15-23

Laudes: Psalm 139,2.5a

The Lord be ever with you. R/. And with thy spirit.

A Lesson from the Book of Proverbs. R/. Thanks be to God.

Son:

Blessed is the man that is always fearful: but he that is hardened in mind, shall fall into evil. As a roaring lion, and a hungry bear, so is a wicked prince over the poor people. A prince void of prudence shall oppress many by calumny: but he that hateth covetousness, shall prolong his days. A man that doth violence to the blood of a person, if he flee even to the pit, no man will stay him. He that walketh uprightly, shall be saved: he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. He that tilleth his ground, shall be filled with bread: but he that followeth idleness shall be filled with poverty. A faithful man shall be much praised: but he that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent. He that hath respect to a person in judgment, doth not well: such a man even for a morsel of bread forsaketh the truth. A man, that maketh haste to be rich, and envieth others, is ignorant that poverty shall come upon him. He that rebuketh a man, shall afterward find favour with him, more than he that by a flattering tongue deceiveth him. He that stealeth any thing from his father, or from his mother: and saith, This is no sin, is the partner of a murderer. He that boasteth, and puffeth up himself, stirreth up quarrels: but he that trusteth in the Lord, shall be healed. He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool: but he that walketh wisely, he shall be saved. He that giveth to the poor, shall not want: he that despiseth his entreaty, shall suffer indigence. When the wicked rise up, men shall hide themselves: when they perish, the lust shall be multiplied.

R/. Amen.

A Lesson from the Book of Exodus. R/. Thanks be to God.

In those days:

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel: Let them turn and encamp over against Phihahiroth which is between Magdal and the sea over against Beelsephon: you shall encamp before it upon the sea. And Pharao will say of the children of Israel: They are straitened in the land, the desert hath shut them in. And I shall harden his heart, and he will pursue you: and I shall be glorified in Pharao, and in all his army: and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. And it was told the king of the Egyptians that the people was fled: and the heart of Pharao and of his servants was changed with regard to the people, and they said: What meant we to do, that we let Israel go from serving us? So he made ready his chariot, and took all his people with him. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots that were in Egypt: and the captains of the whole army. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharao king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel: but they were gone forth in a mighty hand. And when the Egyptians followed the steps of them who were gone before, they found them encamped at the sea side: all Pharao's horse and chariots, and the whole army were in Phihahiroth before Beelsephon. And when Pharao drew near, the children of Israel, lifting up their eyes, saw the Egyptians behind them: and they feared exceedingly, and cried to the Lord. And they said to Moses: Perhaps there were no graves in Egypt, therefore thou hast brought us to die in the wilderness: why wouldst thou do this, to lead us out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we spoke to thee in Egypt, saying: Depart from us that we may serve the Egyptians? for it was much better to serve them, than to die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people: Fear not: stand and see the great wonders of the Lord, which he will do this day: for the Egyptians, whom you see now, you shall see no more for ever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

R/. Amen.

R/. From unjust men deliver me: * Who have proposed to supplant my steps.

V/ Do not thou forsake me, lest they should triumph. * Who have proposed to supplant my steps.

The Epistle of the Apostle James to the Twelve Tribes. R/. Thanks be to God.

Dearly beloved:

Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much. Elias was a man passible like unto us: and with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not for three years and six months. And he prayed again: and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. My brethren, if any of you err from the truth, and one convert him: he must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.

R/. Amen.

The Lord be ever with you. R/. And with thy spirit.

A Lesson from the Holy Gospel according to John. R/. Glory to Thee, O Lord.

At that time:

Jesus, when he knew that they would come to take him by force, and make him king, fled again into the mountain himself alone. And when evening was come, his disciples went down to the sea. And when they had gone up into a ship, they went over the sea to Capharnaum; and it was now dark, and Jesus was not come unto them. And the sea arose, by reason of a great wind that blew. When they had rowed therefore about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking upon the sea, and drawing nigh to the ship, and they were afraid. But he saith to them: It is I; be not afraid. They were willing therefore to take him into the ship; and presently the ship was at the land to which they were going. The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea, saw that there was no other ship there but one, and that Jesus had not entered into the ship with his disciples, but that his disciples were gone away alone. But other ships came in from Tiberias; nigh unto the place where they had eaten the bread, the Lord giving thanks.

R/. Amen.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: * Rescue me from the unjust man.

V/. Keep me, O Lord, from the hand of the wicked: * Rescue me from the unjust man.