Introit: John xix. 25

    here stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister Mary of Cleophas, and Salome, and Mary Magdalen. Ps. Woman, behold thy son, said Jesus; and to the disciple, Behold thy mother. ℣. Glory be to the Father.

Collect

    O God, at whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of sorrow pierced the most sweet soul of the glorious Virgin and Mother Mary: grant in Thy mercy that we, who call to mind with veneration her soul pierced with sorrow,through the glorious merits and prayers of all the saints faithfully standing by Thy Cross, may obtain the blessed result of Thy Passion. Who livest and reignest.

Commemoration of the Feria:

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Commemoration of St. John Damascene:

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Epistle: Judith xiii. 22, 23-25

    Lesson from the book of Judith. The Lord hath blessed thee by His power, who by thee hath brought our enemies to nought. Blessed art thou, o daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth. Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, because He hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of man, who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord for ever; for that thou hast not spared thy life by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.

Gradual

    Thou art sorrowful and worthy of tears, O Virgin Mary, standing near the cross of the Lord Jesus, thy son, the Redeemer. ℣. O Virgin Mother of God, He whom the whole world doth not contain beareth this punishment of the cross, the author of life made man.

Tract: John xix. 25; Lamentations i. 12

    Holy Mary, the Queen of heaven, and mistress of the world, stood by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, full of sadness. ℣. O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.

Sequence: Stabat Mater

    At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, / Close to Jesus to the last. / Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, / All His bitter anguish bearing, / Now at length the sword had pass' d. / Oh, how sad and sore distress'd / Was that Mother highly blest /Of the sole-begotten One! / Christ above in torment hangs; / She beneath beholds the pangs / Of her dying glorious Son. / Is there one who would not weep, / Whelm'd in miseries so deep / Christ's dear Mother to behold? / Can the human heart refrain / From partaking in her pain, / In that Mother's pain untold? / Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd, / She beheld her tender child: All with bloody scourges rent. / For the sins of His own nation, / Saw Him hang in desolation, / Till His spirit forth He sent. / O thou Mother! fount of love! / Touch my spirit from above; / Make my heart with thine accord. / Make me feel as thou hast felt; / Make my soul to glow and melt / With the love of Christ our Lord. / Holy Mother! pierce me through; / In my heart each wound renew / Of my Savior crucified. / Let me share with thee His pain, / Who for all my sins was slain, / Who for me in torments died. / Let me mingle tears with thee, / Mourning Him who mourn'd for me, / All the days that I may live. / By the cross with thee to stay, / There with thee to weep and pray, / Is all I ask of thee to give. / Virgin of all virgins best, / Listen to my fond request : / Let me share thy grief divine. / Let me, to my latest breath, / In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of thine. / Wounded with His every wound, / Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd / In His very blood away. / Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, / Lest in flames I burn and die, In His awful Judgment day. / Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, / Be Thy Mother my defense, / Be Thy cross my victory. / While my body here decays, / May my soul Thy goodness praise, / Safe in Paradise with Thee. Amen.

Gospel: John xix. 25-27

    + The continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John. At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother, and His mother's sister Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen His mother and the disciple standing, whom He loved, He saith to His mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that He saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own.

Offertory: Jeremias xviii. 20

    Be mindful, O Virgin Mother of God, when thou standest in the sight of the Lord, to speak good things for us, and to turn away His anger from us.

Secret

    We offer unto Thee our prayers and oblations, O Lord Jesus Christ,humbly beseeching Thee, that we who recall in our prayers the piercing of the most sweet soul of blessed Mary, through the merits of Thy death and the manifold intercession of Thy Mother and her holy companions at the foot of the cross, may share the reward of the blessed. Who livest.

Commemoration of the Feria:

Secret

    Grant, O merciful God, that we may deserve ever worthily to minister at Thy altars, and to be saved by our constant participation thereat. Through our Lord.

Commemoration of St. John Damascene:

Secret

    O Lord, through the prayer of blessed John, and the pleading of Thy saints, whose images are set before us for veneration in our churches through his zeal : grant that the gifts which we offer be accounted worthy in Thy sight. Through our Lord.

Communion

    Happy the senses of the blessed Virgin Mary, which without dying earned the palm of martyrdom beneath the cross of our Lord.

Postcommunion

    May the divine sacrifice, O Lord Jesus Christ, of which we, commemorating the transfixion of Thy virgin Mother, have partaken,obtain for us from Thy mercy every good and salutary gift. Who livest and reignest.

Commemoration of the Feria:

Postcommunion

    May the perpetual protection of the sacrifice we have received not forsake us, O Lord, but ever keep from us all that is hurtful. Through our Lord.

Commemoration of St. John Damascene:

Postcommunion

    May the holy gifts we have received, O Lord, be heavenly weapons in our defense and may the patronage of blessed John, joined with that of all Thy saints whose images, through his means, are held in honour in the churches, plead with one voice in our behalf. Through.

Last Gospel of the Feria:

Gospel: John xi. 47-54

    + The continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John. At that time the chief priests and the pharisees gathered a council against Jesus, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let Him alone so, all will believe in Him: and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing, neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God that were dispersed. From that day therefore they devised to put Him to death. Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews: but He went into a country near the desert, unto a city that called is Ephrem, and there He abode with His disciples.

+ Taken from St. Andrew Daily Missal, by Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, O.S.B., Imprimi Potest 11-18-1945 P. Joannes Delacroix, O.S.B., Imprimatur 11-22-1945 Joseph Van Der Meersch