ST. GABRIEL OF OUR LADY OF SORROW
SAINT GREGORY OF NAREK
Psalter I | VIOLET
He was educated by the Jesuits and initially displayed a keen interest in secular life. After facing personal tragedies, he experienced a profound conversion and felt a strong call to religious life. He was known for his deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Passion of Christ with a particular fondness for Our Lady of Sorrows. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor, and consideration for others made a deep impression on his community. He died from tuberculosis at the young age of 23.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 24:17-18
Set me free from my distress, O Lord. See my lowliness and suffering, and take away all my sins.
Collect
Grant that your faithful, O Lord, we pray, may be so conformed to the paschal observances, that the bodily discipline now solemnly begun may bear fruit in the souls of all. 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: Ezekiel 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord God: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8
R/ If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
- Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.
- If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.
- I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in his word. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn. Let Israel wait for the Lord.
- For with the Lord is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; And he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Saint Biography
He was educated by the Jesuits and initially displayed a keen interest in secular life. After facing personal tragedies, he experienced a profound conversion and felt a strong call to religious life. He was known for his deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Passion of Christ with a particular fondness for Our Lady of Sorrows. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor, and consideration for others made a deep impression on his community. He died from tuberculosis at the young age of 23.
Gospel Acclamation: Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept the sacrificial offerings, O Lord, by which, in your power and kindness, you willed us to be reconciled to yourself and our salvation to be restored. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ez 33:11
As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live.
Prayer after Communion
May the holy refreshment of your Sacrament restore us anew, O Lord, and, cleansing us of old ways, take us up into the mystery of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Look with favour on your people, O Lord, that what their observance outwardly declares it may inwardly bring about. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Go and be reconciled with your brother.” It is easy to think that the fifth commandment, “You must not kill”, does not concern you, because you have never killed anyone. If you stop at this level, then you are like the scribes and Pharisees, who paid attention to the words of the Law and did not embrace the spirit of the Law. Embracing the spirit of this commandment means going beyond the act of killing to look at those thoughts, intentions, words and acts that hurt others and poison your relationship with them. The anger, resentment and jealousy that you feel, which make you insult a person, tell lies about him, tarnish his reputation and make life difficult for him, make you a murderer; you have killed that person in your heart. The fifth commandment therefore requires you to rid your heart of those evil thoughts and motives. It requires you to approach that person you are angry with or who is angry with you, and make peace with him. Take the resolution today to cleanse your heart of all evil intentions and ameliorate your relationship with those around you.