SAINTE TATIANA OF ROME
MARTYR
Psalter I
GREEN
Known for her steadfast faith and devotion to Christ. Born into a Roman family where her father was a secret Christian, she chose a life of virginity and service to God as a deaconess. During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Severus Alexander, she was arrested and tortured for refusing to renounce her faith. Miraculously, her prayers are said to have caused an earthquake that destroyed an idol and part of a temple. She was eventually beheaded on January 12th, and is revered as a patron saint of students and victims of slander.
Entrance Antiphon
Upon a lofty throne, I saw a man seated, whom a host of angels adore, singing in unison: Behold him, the name of whose empire is eternal.
Collect
Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care, O Lord, we pray, that they may see what must be done and gain strength to do what they have seen. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-8
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city to worship the Lord of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were ministering as priests of the Lord. When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice, he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her, though the Lord had made her barren. Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her that the Lord had left her barren. This went on year after year; each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Lord, Peninnah would approach her, and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat. Her husband Elkanah used to ask her: “Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat? Why do you grieve? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
R/ To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
- How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
- My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
- O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds.
- My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Gospel Acclamation: Mark 1:15
Alleluia, alleluia. The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.
Prayer over the Offerings
May your people’s oblation, O Lord, find favour with you, we pray, that it may restore them to holiness and obtain what they devoutly entreat. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 35: 10
With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in your light we see light.
Prayer after Communion
Humbly we ask you, almighty God, be graciously pleased to grant that those you renew with your Sacraments may also serve with lives pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Repent and believe the Good News.” This phrase could be considered as a summary of the Christian message. It contains two key things Jesus requires us to do as Christians. First, we must repent; in other words, we must change our ways. We must abandon one way of life in favour of another. Just as Simon, Andrew, James and John left their families and boats to follow him, we have to leave behind every aspect of our lives that contradicts the Christian ideal. We have to abandon dishonesty, duplicity, injustice, laziness, sexual impurity, and every other character trait that goes against the message of Christ. Secondly, we have to believe. To believe the Good News is to accept the message of Christ as true and to live according to it. To believe is to accept Jesus as our Lord and our God and to allow him to reign in our lives. To believe is to have the conviction that whatever pain, difficulty or trial we may go through, we have a God who will never let us down. May these two words remain imprinted in our hearts: repent and believe.