SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP AND MARTYR
Psalter I | VIOLET
Was a disciple of the Apostle John and learned directly from the apostles. He was ordained as bishop of Smyrna by John. He served as a patient and loving preacher, with a special concern for widows and slaves. He actively fought against various heretical groups and emphasized the importance of the Incarnation, death, and Resurrection of Christ. His writings, particularly the Letter to the Philippians, are valuable for understanding early Christian theology. He was arrested and charged with being a Christian. He was burned at the stake, but the flames miraculously did not consume him. He was then stabbed to death.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 122:2-3
Like the eyes of slaves on the hand of their lords, so our eyes are on the Lord our God, till he show us his mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Collect
Convert us, O God our Saviour, and instruct our minds by heavenly teaching, that we may benefit from the works of Lent. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
First reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. “You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. “You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the Lord. “You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R/ Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
- The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
- The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.
- The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the Lord are true, all of them just.
- Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Saint Biography
Was a disciple of the Apostle John and learned directly from the apostles. He was ordained as bishop of Smyrna by John. He served as a patient and loving preacher, with a special concern for widows and slaves. He actively fought against various heretical groups and emphasized the importance of the Incarnation, death, and Resurrection of Christ. His writings, particularly the Letter to the Philippians, are valuable for understanding early Christian theology. He was arrested and charged with being a Christian. He was burned at the stake, but the flames miraculously did not consume him. He was then stabbed to death.
Gospel Acclamation: 2 Corinthians 6:2b
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this devout oblation be acceptable to you, O Lord, that by your power it may sanctify our manner of life and gain for us your conciliation and pardon. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 25:40, 34
Amen, I say to you: Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me, says the Lord. Come, you blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, O Lord, that, in receiving your Sacrament, we may experience help in mind and body so that, kept safe in both, we may glory in the fullness of heavenly healing. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Enlighten the minds of your people, Lord, we pray, with the light of your glory, that they may see what must be done and have the strength to do what is right. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“You must love your neighbour as yourself.” The readings of today remind us that as Christians we are called to be holy like God our Father, and a true measure of holiness is how we treat the people we encounter. Our Lord exhorts us to treat everybody around us with love, and love entails concrete actions and attitudes: honesty, justice, fairness, impartiality, compassion and kindness. These virtues should define the way we relate with and treat others. Jesus teaches us that on the Last Day, we will be judged on love; the question we will have to answer is whether during our life on earth we loved God and loved our neighbour. God will ask us whether we fed the hungry, clothed the naked and comforted the lonely and abandoned. The Gospel makes it clear; we cannot claim to love God if we do not love those around us, because by reaching out to them we reach out to God, and by ignoring them we ignore God. Let us ask for God’s grace to open our eyes, so that we may see him in the people we encounter, and love him by loving them.