INTROIT
Ps. 69:2-3 O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. Let my enemies who seek my life be put to shame and confounded. Ps. 69:4. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. V. Glory be . . .
COLLECT - Almighty and merciful God, it is through Your grace that the faithful are able to serve You fittingly and laudably. Grant that we may hurry, without faltering, toward the rewards You have promised to us. Through our Lord . . .
EPISTLE
II Cor. 3:4-9
Brethren: And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God. Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God. Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter but in the spirit. For the letter killeth: but the spirit quickeneth. Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious (so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance), which is made void: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.
GRADUAL
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be in my mouth. V. My soul shall glory in the Lord; the humble will hear and be made glad.
Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 87:2 O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and by night in Your presence. Alleluia!
GOSPEL
Luke 10:23-37
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: "Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see. For I say to you that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see and have not seen them; and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them." And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him and saying, "Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?" But he said to him: "What is written in the law? How readest thou?" He answering, said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself." And he said to him: "Thou hast answered right. This do: and thou shalt live." But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: "And who is my neighbour?" And Jesus answering, said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who also stripped him and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan, being on his journey, came near him: and seeing him, was moved with compassion: And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two pence and gave to the host and said: 'Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee.' "Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers?" But he said: "He that shewed mercy to him." And Jesus said to him: "Go, and do thou in like manner."
OFFERTORY
Ex. 32:11, 13, 14
Moses prayed before the Lord his God, saying, "Why, O Lord, should Your wrath blaze up against Your own people? Let Your anger die down. Remember Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, how You swore to give them a land flowing with milk and honey." And the Lord relented in the punishments He had threatened to inflict of His people.
SECRET O Lord, look with mercy upon the offerings we have placed upon Your altar. May they win pardon for our sins and give glory to Your name. Through our Lord . . .
COMMUNION
Ps. 103:13, 14-15
The earth is filled with the fruit of Your works, O Lord, that You may bring forth food from the earth and wine to cheer the heart of man, oil to make his face gleam, and bread to sustain his strength.
POST COMMUNION - May the reception of this Sacrament bring us life, O Lord, and win for us Your pardon and Your protection. Through our Lord . . .
Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal, 1945
The Fathers of the Church have revealed to us the spiritual meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan, in all its details. Our Lord speaks to us of a man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho – from Jerusalem, at 2,500 feet above sea level, to Jericho, nestled in the valley of the Jordan. This man represents Adam and the whole human race. Jerusalem, which means “vision of peace,” represents the heavenly Jerusalem, to which man lost access by his sin. Jericho, which means “moon,” symbolizes change, corruption – ultimately, the state of fallen man, after original sin. Mankind went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Man, who had such a perfect nature, enriched over and above by grace and the gifts of immortality, impassibility, integrity, and knowledge, left Jerusalem to go down to Jericho. This man “fell in with robbers” (Lk. 10:30), with brigands – that is, he fell into the power of the devil and his angels. These robbers stripped him and covered him with wounds. They took from him the garment of innocence by making him lose the state of grace, and they covered him with wounds, weakening his nature and giving him an inclination to evil. They wounded him in all his faculties by ignorance, malice, weakness, and concupiscence. Finally, these robbers “went their way, leaving him half-dead.” (Lk.10:30) Ever since original sin, man is there, lying on the ground, half-dead, incapable of reaching eternal life by himself, powerless to regain his health without the help of God. Such was the work of Satan, “a murderer from the beginning.” (Jn. 8:44) The descent from Jerusalem to Jericho therefore symbolizes the Fall. O my Jesus, aware of my native misery, I beg for Your help. Lord Jesus, have pity on me!
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