Tuesday, April 29, 2008

St Peter of Verona, M.O.P.

In the modern rite, which I must needs attend if I am to hear Mass, St Catherine of SIena is celebrated (in the old, her feast day is tomorrow). Yesterday's feast of St Peter Chanel pushed aside not only St Paul of the Cross (EF only) but St Louis Mary de Monfort (in both forms of the Roman Rite). Too many saints to fit in!

In the old rite, and especially in the Dominican Rite, today is the feast of St Peter Martyr, a Dominican slain by heretics outside Milan on Easter Saturday, 6th April 1252, and canonized within a year, the fastest of all modern canonizations; his murderer repented, and became a Dominican lay brother - which must have occasioned some unusual reflections each year as the feast approached! - and himself died in the odour of sanctity, being ever since venerated in some places as Blessed Carino.

For various reasons I consider St Peter a patron saint of mine: he was an intrepid preacher of the Faith, even unto death. In his earliest youth he, the child of Manichaean parents, rebuked their faithlessness by his refusal to disavow the Apostles' Creed, which he had learnt at school; and, as he lay dying, his skull split open by the nefarious blow from a billhook, he wrote one last time Credo in his own blood.

St Vincent Ferrer, his later confrere, also an indefatigable herald of the Gospel, tells us to treasure and pray often the Apostles' Creed with great devotion and full attention, giving heartfelt assent to its saving truths; but we must beware, lest our wicked lives give the lie to our pious utterances, for "The diamond is easily lost in the dunghill, and the precious pearl of faith is in great danger of being lost in a conscience defiled with the filth of sin." As my old P.P. (now Bishop of Lismore) said, the root of most all heresies is moral turpitude.

The Missale Romanum includes proper orations only, but the Dominican Missal has this proper, borrowing some parts from various commons:

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Mass of St Peter of Verona, Dominican Priest and Martyr (T.P.)

Introit (Ps. 63:3,2)

Protexisti me, Deus, a conventu malignantium, alleluja: a multitudine operantium iniquitatem, alleluja, alleluja. Ps. Exaudi Deus orationem meam cum deprecor:a timore inimici eripe animam meam. Gloria Patri.

Collect

Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut beati Petri martyris tui fidem congrua devotione sectemur, qui pro ejusdem fidei dilatatione, martyrii palmam meruit obtinere. Per…

Epistle (II Timothy ii, 4-10)

Carissime: Nemo militans Deo implicat se negotiis sæcularibus; ut ei placeat, cui se probavit. Nam et qui certat in agone, non coronatur nisi legitime certaverit. Laborantem agricolam oportet primum de fructibus percipere. Intellige quæ dico: Dabit enim tibi Dominus in omnibus intellectum. Memor esto Dominum Jesum Christum resurrexisse a mortuis ex semine David, secundum Evangelium meum, in quo laboro usque ad vincula, quasi male operans: sed verbum Dei non est alligatum. Ideo omnia sustineo propter electos, ut et ipsi salutem consequantur, quæ est in Christo Jesu, cum gloria cælesti.

Paschal Alleluia (before Ascensiontide)

Alleluja, alleluja. V/. Felix ex fructu triplici, quem sub patre mirifico ex virtute multiplici legit sancto Dominico. Alleluja. V/. Surrexit pastor bonus, qui posuit animam suam pro ovibus suis, et pro suo grege mori dignatus est. Alleluja.

Gospel (St Luke ix, 23-26)

In illo tempore: Dixit Jesus discipulis suis: Si quis vult post me venire, abneget semetipsum, et tollat crucem suam quotidie, et sequatur me. Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere, perdet illam: nam qui perdiderit animam suam propter me, salvam faciet illam. Quid enim proficit homo, si lucretur universum mundum, se autem ipsum perdat, et detrimentum sui faciat? Nam qui me erubuerit, et meos sermones, hunc Filius hominis erubescet cum venerit in majestate sua, et Patris, et sanctorum angelorum.

Offertory (Ps 20:4,5)

Posuisti, Domine, in capite ejus coronam de lapide pretioso: vitam petiit a te, et tribuisti ei. Alleluja.

Secret

Preces, quas tibi, Domine, offerimus, intercedente beato Petro martyre tuo, clementer intende; et pugiles fidei sub tua protectione custodi. Per…

Communion (St John xv, 5)

Ego sum vitis vera, et vos palmites: qui manet in me, et ego in eo, hic fert fructum multum. Alleluja.

Postcommunion

Fideles tuos, Domine, custodiant sacramenta, quæ sumpsimus; et intercedente beato Petro martyre tuo, contra omnes adversos tueantur incursus. Per…

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