Masses for Various Causes and
Occasions
The Mass of the Five Wounds of
the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lesson. Zech. xii. 10, 11; xiii. 6, 7
Thus saith the Lord God, I
will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son,
and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his
firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning
of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And one shall say unto him, What are
these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was
wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and
against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts.
The Gospel. John xix. 28-35
At that time, Jesus knowing
that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a
spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed
his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the
preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath
day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and
brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But
when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his
legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came
there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is
true.
Mass of the Crown of Our Lord
The Epistle. Cant. iii. 7-11; iv. 1, 8
Threescore valiant men are
about his bed of Solomon, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being
expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the
night. King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the
pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of
purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of
Jerusalem. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the
crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the
day of the gladness of his heart. Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou
art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of
goats, that appear from mount Gilead. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
with me from Lebanon, come and thou shalt be crowned.
The Gospel. John xix. 1-5
At that time, Pilate took
Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it
on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the
Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again,
and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I
find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and
the purple robe.
A Mass for Peace.
The Lesson. Ecclus. xxxvi. 1-8.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord God
of all, and behold us: And send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not
after thee. Lift up thy hand against the strange nations, and let them see thy
power. As thou wast sanctified in us before them: so be thou magnified among
them before us. And let them know thee, as we have known thee, that there is no
God but only thou, O God. Shew new signs, and make other strange wonders:
glorify thy hand and thy right arm, that they may set forth thy wondrous works.
Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath: take away the adversary, and destroy
the enemy. Sake the time short, remember the covenant, and let them declare thy
wonderful works, O lord our God.
The Gospel. John. xvi. 32-33.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be
scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not
alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that
in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of
good cheer; I have overcome the world.
A Mass for the King.
The Lesson. Ecclus. xxxvi. 1-8.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord God
of all, and behold us: And send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not
after thee. Lift up thy hand against the strange nations, and let them see thy
power. As thou wast sanctified in us before them: so be thou magnified among
them before us. And let them know thee, as we have known thee, that there is no
God but only thou, O God. Shew new signs, and make other strange wonders:
glorify thy hand and thy right arm, that they may set forth thy wondrous works.
Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath: take away the adversary, and destroy
the enemy. Sake the time short, remember the covenant, and let them declare thy
wonderful works, O lord our God.
The Gospel. Mark xi. 23-26.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt
in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that
your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye
do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses.
A Mass for the Grace of the
Holy Ghost.
The Epistle. I Cor. xii. 7-11.
Brethren, the manifestation of
the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the
same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to
another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The Gospel. John iv. 21-24.
At that time Jesus said unto
the woman of Samaria, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither
in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know
not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour
cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in
spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a
Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
A Mass for Oneself.
The Epistle. Romans vii. 22-25.
Brethren, I delight in the law
of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel. John xv. 7-11.
At that time Jesus said unto
his disciples, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what
ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye
bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so
have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in
his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full.
A Mass for the Gift of the
Holy Ghost.
The Epistle. I Cor xiii. 4-13.
Brethren, charity suffereth
long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not
puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall
fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,
it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see
through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then
shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity,
these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
The Gospel. John xiii. 33-36.
At that time Jesus said unto
his disciples, Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek
me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to
you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye
are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter said unto him,
Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow
me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
A Mass for Sinners.
The Epistle. Romans v. 8-11.
Brethren, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel. Luke v. 27-32.
At that time Jesus saw a
publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him,
Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a
great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of
others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured
against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and
sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a
physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.
A Mass for Penitents.
The Epistle. Gal. vi. 1-2.
Brethren, if a man be
overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit
of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one
another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
The Gospel. Matt. ix. 10-13.
At that time, as Jesus sat at
meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with
him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his
disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus
heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but
they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and
not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.
A Mass for the Inspiration of
Heavenly Wisdom.
The Epistle. James i. 5-7.
Beloved, if any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For
let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
The Gospel. John xvii. 1-3.
At that time, Jesus lifted up
his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that
thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is
life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.
A Mass for those in Trouble of
Heart.
The Epistle. 2 Cor. i. 3-5.
Brethren, blessed be God, even
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all
comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our
consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
The Gospel. John xvi. 20-22.
At that time Jesus said unto
his disciples, Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament,
but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall
be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her
hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no
more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now
therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,
and your joy no man taketh from you.
A Mass for a Sick Person.
The Epistle. James v. 13-16.
Beloved, is any among you
afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among
you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed.
The Gospel. Luke iv. 38-40
At that time Jesus arose out
of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was
taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her,
and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and
ministered unto them. Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick
with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one
of them, and healed them.
A Mass for the Welfare of a
Friend.
The Lesson. Ecclus. xxxvi. 1-8.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord God
of all, and behold us: And send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not
after thee. Lift up thy hand against the strange nations, and let them see thy
power. As thou wast sanctified in us before them: so be thou magnified among
them before us. And let them know thee, as we have known thee, that there is no
God but only thou, O God. Shew new signs, and make other strange wonders:
glorify thy hand and thy right arm, that they may set forth thy wondrous works.
Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath: take away the adversary, and destroy
the enemy. Sake the time short, remember the covenant, and let them declare thy
wonderful works, O lord our God.
The Gospel. Mark xi. 23-26.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt
in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that
your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye
do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses.
A Mass for Fair Weather.
The Lesson. Lament. ii, 19-20; iii. 47-50, 54-58.
In those days Jeremiah the
prophet spake, saying, Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the
watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up
thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger
in the top of every street. Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou hast done
this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the
priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? Fear and a snare
is come upon us, desolation and destruction. Mine eye runneth down with rivers
of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth
down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, Till the Lord look down, and
behold from heaven. Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off. I
called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice:
hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day
that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the
causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life, O Lord my God.
The Gospel. Luke viii. 22-25.
At that time, it came to pass
on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto
them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the
lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him,
and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked
the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered,
saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the
winds and water, and they obey him.
A Mass for Rain.
The Lesson. Jer. xiv. 19-22.
In those days Jeremiah the
Prophet prayed, saying, Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed
Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for
peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!
We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we
have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace
the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. Are there
any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens
give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon
thee: for thou hast made all these things, O Lord our God.
The Gospel. Matt. vi. 31-33.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?
or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
A Mass in Time of War.
The Lesson. Esther xiii. 9-17.
In those days Esther prayed to
the Lord, saying, O Lord, Lord, the King Almighty: for the whole world is in
thy power, and if thou hast appointed to save Israel, there is no man that can
gainsay thee: For thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things
under the heaven. Thou art Lord of all things, and and there is no man that can
resist thee, which art the Lord. Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest,
Lord, that it was neither in contempt nor pride, nor for any desire of glory,
that I did not bow down to proud Aman. For I could have been content with good
will for the salvation of Israel to kiss the soles of his feet. But I did this,
that I might not prefer the glory of man above the glory of God: neither will I
worship any but thee, O God, neither will I do it in pride. And now, O Lord God
and King, spare thy people: for their eyes are upon us to bring us to nought;
yea, they desire to destroy the inheritance, that hath been thine from the
beginning. Despise not the portion, which thou hast delivered out of Egypt for
thine own self. Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto thine inheritance: turn
our sorrow into joy, that we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: and destroy
not the mouths of them that praise thee, O Lord our God.
The Gospel. Mark xi. 23-26.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt
in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that
your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye
do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses.
A Mass for One in Prison.
The Lesson. Acts xii. 12-17
In those days, Peter, when he
had gone forth from prison, came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose
surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter
knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And
when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in,
and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad.
But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his
angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw
him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold
their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
The Gospel. Matt. xvi. 13-19.
At that time, Jesus came into
the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men
say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the
Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith
unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it
unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That
thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
A Mass in Time of Pestilence.
The Lesson. Jeremiah xiv. 7-9.
In those days Jeremiah prayed,
saying, O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy
name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the
hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, yet thou, O Lord, art
in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
The Gospel. Luke xi. 9-13.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall
ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he
ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg,
will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
A Mass in the Time of Murrain.
The Lesson. Jeremiah xiv. 7-9.
In those days Jeremiah prayed,
saying, O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy
name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the
hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, yet thou, O Lord, art
in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.
The Gospel. Luke xi. 9-13.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall
ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he
ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg,
will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
A Mass in any Trouble.
The Epistle. 2 Cor. i. 3-5.
Brethren, blessed be God, even
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all
comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ.
The Gospel. John xvi. 20-22.
At that time Jesus said unto
his disciples, Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament,
but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall
be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her
hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no
more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now
therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,
and your joy no man taketh from you.
A Mass for Those going on a
Journey.
The Lesson. Genesis xxiv. 7.
In those days Abraham spake
and said, The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and
from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me,
saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before
thee.
The Gospel. Matt. x. 7-15.
At that time Jesus said to his
disciples, And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal
the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have
received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your
purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet
staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town
ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your
peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And
whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of
that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of
judgment, than for that city.
