Ant. On the feast of Saint Francis Xavier,
Come, let us adore the Lord Jesus, light of the people.
PSALM 95 Invitation to praise God
Encourage yourself daily while it is still “today” (Heb 3:13).
Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving, *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord. (Ant.)
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands. (Ant.)
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds. (Ant.)
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn, *
as your fathers did in the wilderness, †
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works. (Ant.)
Forty years I endured that generation; †
I said: “They are a people whose hearts go astray *
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.” (Ant.)
Glory to the Father and to the Son *
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever will be. Amen (Ant.)
Alternative Invitatory Psalms: 100, 67, 24
HYMN
Wheat of Christ are we
grown under the sun of God,
kneaded in the water of the fount,
marked by the divine chrism.
Transform us into bread, O Father,
for the sacrament of peace;
one Bread, one Spirit, one Body,
the One and Holy Church, O Lord.
O Christ, glorious shepherd,
to you be power and honor
with the Father and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever. Amen.
Or another appropriate hymn approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Ant. 1 Tell all people: the Lord reigns!
PSALM 21:2-8. 14 Thanksgiving for the victory of the King-Messiah
Lord, the king finds joy in your power; *
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire; *
you did not refuse the prayer of his lips.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings; *
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him, *
length of days forever.
Great is his glory in your victory; *
majesty and splendor you confer upon him.
You make him the pattern of blessings forever, *
you gladden him with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord, *
stands firm through the love of the Most High.
Arise, Lord, in your power! *
We will sing and chant the praise of your might.
Ant.1 Tell all people: the Lord reigns!
Ant. 2 To live for God is my delight;
my joy is to tell his wonders.
PSALM 92 Praise to the creator
I (1-9)
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, *
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your love in the morning, *
your faithfulness in the night,
With the ten-stringed harp, *
with melody upon the lyre.
For you make me jubilant, Lord, by your deeds; *
at the works of your hands I shout for joy.
How great are your works, Lord! *
How profound your purpose!
A senseless person cannot know this; *
a fool cannot comprehend.
Though the wicked flourish like grass *
and all sinners thrive,
They are destined for eternal destruction; *
For you, Lord, are forever on high.
Ant. 2 To live for God is my delight;
my joy is to recount his wonders.
Ant. 3 Our strength is in the blood of Jesus;
our life is in his mercy.
II (10-16)
Indeed your enemies, Lord, †
indeed your enemies shall perish; *
all sinners shall be scattered.
You have given me the strength of a wild bull; *
you have poured rich oil upon me.
My eyes look with glee on my wicked enemies; *
my ears delight in the fall of my foes.
The just shall flourish like the palm tree, *
they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
shall grow like a cedar of Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the Lord, *
They shall bear fruit even in old age, *
always vigorous and sturdy,
As they proclaim: “The Lord is just; *
our rock, in whom there is no wrong.”
Ant. 3 Our strength is in the blood of Jesus;
our life is in his mercy.
R. You will receive the word from my mouth,
V. and you will relate it to your people.
FIRST READING
From the Acts of the Apostles 10:34-48a
Even the pagans have received the gift of the Holy Spirit
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
RESPONSORY Acts 12:24; 13:48,52
R. The word of God continued to spread and grow. * All who were destined for eternal life came to believe.
V. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
R. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe.
SECOND READING
From the letters of Saint Francis Xavier, priest, to Saint Ignatius
(20 October and 15 January 1544: Letters of St. Francis Xavier and other writings, vol. I, ed G. Schurhammer - I. Wicki, Mon. Hist. Soc. Iesu, vol. 67, Romae 1944, pp 147-148; 166-167)
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel
We have covered the villages of the neophytes, who a few years ago had received the Christian sacraments. This zone is not inhabited by the Portuguese, because extremely sterile and poor, and the aboriginal Christians, deprived of clergymen, do not know anything other than that they are Christian. No one is here to celebrate the sacred functions, no one to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of the divine law.
Therefore since I arrived here I have not stopped a moment; I cover with assiduousness the villages, I administer baptism to the children who have not yet received it. Therefore I have saved a very great number of children, who, as is said, did not know how to distinguish the right hand from the left. Children then do not leave me to say the Divine Office, nor to take food, nor to rest until I have taught them some prayer; then I began to understand that to them the reign of heaven belongs.
Therefore, not being able without impiety reject a just need, beginning from the confession of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I taught them the apostolic Symbol, the Our Father and the Hail Mary. I became aware that they are intelligent, and if someone was here to instruct them in the Christian faith, I do not doubt that they would become very good Christians.
Very many, in these places, do not become Christians only because no one is here to make them Christians. Very often it comes to my mind to cover the Universities of Europe, especially the one of Paris, and to scream here and there as a crazy one and to shake those who have more science that charity with these words: Alas, what a great number of people, for your fault, become excluded from heaven and forced to hell!
Oh! if these, as they take care of learning, would give thought also of this, to be able to render account to God of science and the talents received!
In truth very many of them, upset by this thought, giving themselves to the meditation of the divine matters, would listen to how much the Lord speaks to their heart, and, having put aside their desires and human expectations, would place themselves totally at the disposition of the will of God. They would cry from the depth of their heart: “Here I am, Lord; what do you want me to do”. Send me where you want, even to India.
RESPONSORY Luke 10:2; Acts 1:8
R. The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; * ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
V. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.
R. ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Hymn Te Deum
We praise you, O God; *
we acclaim you Lord and Master.
Everlasting Father, *
all the world bows down before you.
All the angels sing your praise, *
the hosts of heaven and all the angelic powers;
All the cherubim and seraphim *
call out to you in unending chorus:
Holy, holy, holy *
is the Lord God of angel hosts!
The heavens and the earth are filled, Lord, *
with your majesty and glory.
Your praises are sung *
by the renowned Apostles;
By all the prophets, *
who themselves deserve our praise;
By that mighty white-robed army *
who shed their blood for Christ.
And to the ends of the earth, *
the holy Church proclaims her faith in you:
Father, *
whose majesty is boundless;
Your only Son, *
who is true God and who is to be adored;
The Holy Spirit, *
sent to be our Advocate.
O Christ, the King of glory! *
You alone are the Father’s eternal Son.
When you were to become man so as to save humankind, *
you did not shrink back from the chaste Virgin’s womb.
When you triumphantly destroyed death’s sting, *
you opened up to believers the kingdom of haven.
You are now enthroned at God’s right hand, in the Father’s glory: *
We believe that you will come for judgment.
We therefore implore you to grant your servants grace and aid, *
for you shed your precious blood for their redemption.
Admit them all to the ranks of your saints *
in everlasting glory.
Be their Shepherd, Lord, *
uphold and exalt them forever and ever.
Day by day we praise you, *
daily we acclaim you.
We will confess and glorify your hold name, *
now and for all eternity.
In your great mercy, Lord, throughout this day *
keep us free from sin by your protection.
Have mercy on us, we humbly pray; *
Lord, have mercy on us.
May your mercy, Lord, your loving-kindness, always remain with us; *
for we have placed our confidence in you.
In you alone, Lord, I have hoped; *
may I not be disappointed.
Prayer
O God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier won many peoples for yourself, grant that the hearts of the faithful may burn with the same zeal for the faith, and that Holy Church may everywhere rejoice in abundant offspring. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
