St Bede the Venerable, Confessor and Doctor of the Church: Missa “In medio”
Venerable Bede (673-735), the first English historian, was consecrated to God from childhood. He became a Benedictine monk in the monastery of Jarrow in Northumberland, and trained there some six hundred scholars. His Ecclesiastical History of England is a treasure to scholars and lovers of spiritual life alike; but his principal study was ever the Bible. When this great Englishman died, on Ascension Day, 735, he had just finished dictating the final sentence of a translation of the Gospel of St. John.
INTROIT Ecclesiasticus 15: 5
In the midst of the Church the Lord opened his mouth: and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding: He clothed him with a robe of glory.. (Ps. 91: 2) It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to Thy Name, O Most High. v. Glory be…etc
COLLECT
O God, who dost enlighten Thy Church by the learning of blessed Bede, Thy Confessor and Doctor, mercifully grant to Thy servants ever to be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen.
EPISTLE 2 Corinthians 4: 5-14
Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. Brethren, We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus. For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God and not of us. In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not destitute; we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not; always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake; that the life also of Jesus, may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written, I believed, for which cause I have spoken, we also believe, for which cause we speak also: knowing that He who raised up Jesus will raise up us also with Jesus, and place us with you.
GRADUAL Ps. 36:30-31
Right reason is on the good man’s lips, well weighed are all his counsels. V. His steps never falter, because the law of God rules in his heart. Alleluia, alleluia. V. (Eccle. 45:9) The Lord loved him well and ennobled him: he clothed him about with a robe of honour. Alleluia.
ALLELUIA
(In Paschaltide) Allelúja, allelúja. Eccli 45:9 The Lord loved him and decorated him: He hath clothed him in a stole of glory. Osee 14:6. The just man shall flourish like the lily: and will bear fruit in eternity before the Lord. Allelúja.
GOSPEL Matthew 10: 23-28
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: “When they shall persecute you in this city, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel till the Son of man come. The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the good man of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household? Therefore fear them not; for nothing is covered that shall not be revealed; nor hid that shall not be known. That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light; and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops. And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body into hell.”
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Psalm 88: 24, 22
I have found David my servant: with my holy oil I have anointed him; for my arm shall help him, and my hand shall strengthen him, alleluia.
SECRET
O Lord, let the blessed Confessor and Doctor Bede always help us, and through his intercession accept our offering and pardon our sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. R. Amen.
PREFACE of Easter
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, at all times to praise Thee, O Lord, but more gloriously especially in this season when Christ our Pasch was sacrificed. For He is the Lamb Who hath taken away the sins of the world: Who by dying hath destroyed our death: and by rising again hath restored us to life. And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing the hymn of Thy glory, evermore saying: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY…
COMMUNION ANTIPHON John 21: 23
That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light, saith the Lord; and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops, alleluia.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, may this Sacrifice bring us closer to our salvation through the intercession of Your blessed Confessor and illustrious Doctor Bede. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God For ever and ever. R. Amen.
The Brighton Oratory 
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