Saturday in the Fifth Week of Lent: Missa “Miserere mei”
Today’s Station on this day before Palm Sunday is at the Church of St. John’s Before The Latin Gate. Remember that St John the Apostle and Evangelist endured but did not succumb to martyrdom. Until Maunday Thursday, in masses of the season, the Psalm Judica me Psalm 42 is omitted as well as the Gloria Patri after the Introit and the Lavabo.
Today we begin, as does the Gospel, to number the days which precede the death, the sacrifice, of the Lamb of God. St. John, in the twelfth chapter of his Gospel, tells us that this is the sixth day before the Pasch.
Jesus is in Bethania, where a feast is being given in His honor. Lazarus, whom Jesus has restored to life, is present at this repast, which is given in the house of Simon the leper. Martha is busy looking after the various arrangements; her sister, Mary Magdalene, has a heavenly presentiment that the death and burial of her beloved Master are soon to be, and she has poured upon Him a precious perfume. The holy Gospel, which ever preserves such a mysterious reserve with regard to the Mother of Jesus, does not tell us that Mary was at Bethania on this occasion, but there can be no doubt of her being present. The apostles were also there, and partook of the repast. Whilst the friends of our Savior are thus grouped around Him, in this village, which is about two thousand paces from Jerusalem, the aspect of the faithless city becomes more and more threatening; and yet, though His disciples are not aware of it, Jesus is to enter the city tomorrow, and in a most public manner. The heart of Mary is a prey to sadness; Magdalene is absorbed in grief; everything announces that the fatal day is near.(pages 180-181)
It makes us tremble to read these awful anathemas, which Jeremias, the figure of Christ, speaks against his enemies the Jews. This prophecy, which was literally fulfilled at the first destruction of Jerusalem at the second visitation of God’s anger upon this city of malediction. This time, it was not because they had rejected and crucified the very Son of God. It was to their long-expected Messias that they had rendered evil for good. It was not a saint, like Jeremias, that had spoken good for them to the Lord, and besought Himto turn away His indignation from them; the Man-God Himself had, without ceasing, made intercession for them, and treated them with ungrateful people seemed to hate their divine Benefactor in proportion to His love for them; and at length, in the transport of their fury, they cried out: ‘His Blood be upon us and upon our children!’(1)- {St. Matt. xxvii. 25} What a frightful chastisement they entailed on themselves by this imprecation! God heard and remembered. Alas! The sinner, who knows Jesus and the worth of His Blood, yet who again sheds this precious Blood, does not he expose himself to the severity of that same justice which fell so heavily on the Jews? Let us tremble and pray: let us implore on the divine mercy in favor of those many obstinately blind and hardened sinners, who hare hastening to destruction. Oh! that by the fervor of our supplications addressed to the merciful Heart of our common Redeemer, we could obtain a reversion of their sentence, and secure them pardon! (pages 184-185)
[For the Gospel] The enemies of Jesus have come to that pitch of hatred, which robs a man of his senses. Lazarus, who has been restored from death to life, is here standing before them; and instead of his resuscitation convincing them of Jesus’ being the Messias, it sets them thinking how best to make away with this irresistible witness. O senseless men! That Jesus who raised him to life when dead, can again bring him to life if you murder him. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, which we are solemnly to commemorate tomorrow, adds to their jealousy and hatred. Behold, say they, we prevail nothing: the whole world goes after Him. Alas! This ovation is to be soon followed by one of those reverses to which a populace is so subject. Meanwhile, however, we havecertain Gentiles who desire to see Jesus. It is the beginning of the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy: ‘The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof.’ (1)- (St. Matt. xxi. 43} Then shall the Son of man be glorified; then shall all nations, by their humble homage to the Crucified, protest against the sinful blindness of the Jews. But, before this comes to pass, it is requisite that the divine Wheat be cast into the ground, and die. Then, the glorious harvest; and the beautiful seed shall yield a hundredfold.
And Yet, Jesus feels, in His human nature, a momentary fear at the thought of this death He is to undergo. It is not the agony in the garden; it is a trouble of soul. Let us listen to His words: Father! Save Me from this hour. It is our God Who foresees all that He is about so suffer for our sake, and it fills Him with fear: He asks to be freed from it, though His will has decreed and accepted it. He immediately adds: But for this cause I came unto this hour: Father I glorify Thy name. His soul is now calm; He once more accepts the hard conditions of our salvation. After this, His words bespeak a triumph; by virtue of the sacrifice about to be offered, satan shall be dethroned; the prince of this world shall be cast out. But the defeat of satan is not the only fruit of our Savior’s immolation: man, earthly and depraved creature as he is, is to be raised from this earth to Heaven. The Son of God is to be the heavenly loadstone, attracting man to Himself; And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself. He forgets His sufferings, and the terrible death which just now troubled Him; He thinks but of the defeat of our implacable enemy, and of our being saved and glorified by His cross. These few words reveal the whole Heart of our Redeemer; if we attentively weigh them, they will suffice to inflame us with devotion as we celebrate the ineffable mysteries of Holy Week.
INTROIT Psalm 30: 10, 16, 18
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted: my eye is troubled with wrath, my soul, and my belly: My lots are in thy hands. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me. Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee. V. (Psalm 30: 2) In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice. Let the wicked be ashamed, and be brought down to hell. REPEAT: Have mercy on me…… [Until Holy Thursday the Gloria Patri is omitted]
COLLECT
May the people prosper who are devoted to Thee by the affection of pious devotion, we beseech Thee O Lord; that instructed by the holy rites, they may be made more pleasing to Thy majesty, and more may they abound in excellent gifts. Through our Lord…
Second Collect Against the persecutors of Holy Mother Church
We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy Church : that, all adversity and error being destroyed, she may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through our Lord…
LESSON Jeremias 18: 18-23
And they said: Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words. Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries. Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, to speak good for them, and to turn away thy indignation from them. Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet. But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them.
GRADUAL Psalm 34: 20,22
For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile. For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile.
GOSPEL St. John 12: 10-36
At that time the chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also: Because many of the Jews, by reason of him, went away and believed in Jesus. And on the next day, a great multitude that was come to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him and cried Hosanna. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it, as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’ colt. These things His disciples did not know at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him and that they had done these things to Him. The multitude therefore gave testimony, which was with Him, when He called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from the dead. For which reason also the people came to meet Him, because they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves: Do you see that we prevail nothing? Behold, the whole world is gone after Him. Now there were certain Gentiles among them, who came up to adore on the festival day. These therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired Him, saying: Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. Again Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying: The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to Me, let him follow Me: and where I am, there also shall My minister be. If any man minister to Me, him will My Father honor. Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour. But for this cause I came unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” A voice therefore came from Heaven: “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” The multitude therefore that stood and heard said that it thundered. Others said: An angel spoke to Him. Jesus answered and said: “This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of the world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself.” Now this he said, signifying what death He should die. The multitude answered Him: We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever. And how sayest Thou: The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Jesus therefore said to them: “Yet a little while, the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, and the darkness overtake you not. And he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither be goeth. Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light.” These things Jesus spoke: and He went away and hid Himself from them.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 118: 12, 121, 122, 42
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy justifications : and give me not up to the proud that slander me : so shall I answer them that reproach me in any thing.
SECRET
Mercifully free us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all guilt and dangers, whom Thou hast made partakers of so great a mystery. Through our Lord…
Second Secret Against the persecutors of Holy Mother Church
Protect us, O Lord, who assist at Thy mysteries; that, fixed upon things divine we may serve Thee in both body and mind. Through our Lord…
PREFACE of the Holy Cross
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God : Who didst establish the salvation of mankind on the tree of the Cross: that whence death came thence also life might arise again, and that he, Who overcame by the tree, by the tree also might be overcome: Through Christ our Lord. Through Whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the Heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee, that Thou mayest bid our voices also be admitted while we say with lowly praise:
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Psalm 26: 12
Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.
POSTCOMMUNION
Being filled with the abundance of Thy divine gift, we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that we may ever live by its reception. Through our Lord…
Second Postcommunion against the persecutors of Holy Mother Church
We beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that Thou wouldst not suffer to be exposed to human dangers those to whom Thou givest to rejoice in this divine banquet. Through our Lord…
PRAYER OVER THE PEOPLE
May Thy right hand defend Thy suppliant people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and duly instruct them, who being purified in Thy sight, may by present consolation attain to the good things to come. Through our Lord…
The Brighton Oratory 
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