Welcome to the Latin Mass illuminated.
Today we listen to the readings for the 15th Sunday after pentecost. IN this year of Our Lord 2025 it falls on the 20TH SEPTEMBER
Welcome to the Latin Mass illuminated.
Today we listen to the readings for the 15th Sunday after pentecost. IN this year of Our Lord 2025 it falls on the 21st September
Before we listen to the readings lets be ready to meditate on the theme Holy Mother Church presents to us in celebration of this day. Our Lord Jesus Christ has snatched us from eternal death as he once snatched the young man of Naim. from natural death and doing this he shows the compassion which he feels for our mother the Catholic Church lamenting over sinners just as he was moved by pity for the poor widow lamenting over her son.
After the epistle and gospel I have included an EXPLANATION.
This is taken from the writings of
Rverant Father LEONARD GOFFINE,
Who was a PRIEST OF THE ORDER OF PREMONSTRATENSIANS
Father Goffine lived and wrote in the 1600’s.
Now we will listen to The Propers of the Mass red for us beginning with the Introit
Introit
Our Lord Jesus Christ has snatched us from eternal death as he once snatched the young man of Naim. from natural death and doing this he shows the compassion which he feels for our mother the Catholic Church lamenting over sinners just as he was moved by pity for the poor widow lamenting over her son.
The Introit
Bough down thy ear oh Lord to me and hear me. Save they servant oh my God that trusts in thee. have mercy on me oh Lord, for I have cried to the all day give joy to the soul of the servant. for to thee oh Lord I have lifted up my soul.
glory be to the father and to the sun and to the Holy Ghost. amen
Collect
Let thy continual pity oh Lord cleanse and defend the church and because it cannot continue in safety without thee may it ever be governed by that goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ. amen
Epistle:
Galatians chapter five verses 25 – 26 and chapter six verses 2 – 10
Breathern if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be made desirers of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another
Breathren, and if a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let everyone prove his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only and not in another. For everyone shall bear his own burden.
And let him that is instructed in the word communicate to him that instructs him in all good things.
Be not deceived God is not mocked, for what things man shall sow those also shall he reap. For he that sows in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption; but he that sows in the spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in doing good, let us not fail; for in due time we shall reap, not failing.
Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Amen
EXPLANATION.
This epistle is taken, like that of Sunday before last, from the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, in which St. Paul shows them the insufficiency of the Jewish law, and that they can only he saved by a lively faith in Christ, but now he admonishes them to carry out this faith in good works.
You now live, he tells them, in the Spirit, that is, the Holy Ghost animates your hearts by His grace, enlightens, confirms, and inflames you, admonishes and teaches you, impels your hearts to do good; you
must, therefore, also regulate your external conduct accordingly,
and you must particularly devote yourself to the practice of humility and charity, as the foundations of a truly spiritual life.
Humility must teach and move you to have a little opinion of
yourself, that you avoid vain glory, and do not confide in your
own strength. But charity should impel you to be meek and compassionate to all, even sinners, to correct them charitably, and
lead them back to the path of virtue ; since he who is harsh to
the erring, despises them, and treats them roughly, is often by the permission of God allowed to fall into the same, nay, often even greater sins.
Particularly you must show your charity for one another, that
one bears the burdens of another: that you bear the faults and
imperfections of others just as patiently, as you wish others to
bear with your own imperfections ; thus you will fulfil the law of
Christ, which commands us to love our neighbour ; you will prevent
many sins which come into existence, when we consider ourselves
perfect, without blemish, and, therefore, raise ourselves above
others, criticise their failings, and cause disturbance.
He who acts thus, deceives himself, and is no credit to himself. True glory consists in this, that we learn to know ourselves, our faults, and
inclinations always better, that we battle with them and lay them
aside, since every one has enough faults to correct in himself.
Be also grateful to those who instruct you in the word of God,
and give them some of your goods.
Do not deceive yourselves, however, with regard to what has been said concerning the manner of living as a true Christian, God will not be trifled with.
For what you sow, you shall reap ; if you only follow the dictates
of the desires of the flesh, do not mortify yourselves, do not cor-
rect your failings, and do indulge your sinful appetites, you will
one day reap death, destruction, and damnation, whereas, on the
contrary, if you follow the dictates of the Holy Ghost and do good
untiringly, you will reap of the Spirit of life.
Let us obey this doctrine, for it is also of interest to us, and
impress deeply on our heart, that without mortification of body
and soul we cannot be saved.
ASPIRATION. Oh St. Paul! beg of God the grace for me,
that I may always walk in humility and the love of my
neighbour, particularly in bearing with his imperfections and
failings, and thus fulfil the law of Christ in this as well as
in all things.
Gradual
It is good to give praises to the Lord and to sing to thy name most high to show for thy mercy in the morning and thy truth in the night.
hallelujah hallelujah
for the Lord is a great God and a great king over all the Earth .hallelujah
Gospel
At that time Jesus went into a city called Naim and there went with him his disciples and a great multitude and when he came to the gate of the city behold a dead man was carried out the only son of his mother and she was a widow.
and much people of the city were with her and when the Lord saw her he had compassion on her and said to her
“weep not”
and he came near and touched the beir. and they who carried it stood still and he said
“young man I say to thee, Arise”
and he that was dead sat up and began to speak and he delivered him to his mother and there came a fear on them all.
and they glorified God saying
“ a great prophet is risen up amongst us and God has visited his people. Amen.
And now Father Goffine ask us to consider the following questions to help us meditate on today’s Gospel.
Why did Christ show compassion to this widow ?
To convince us, that God takes sorrowful and destitute widows
under His protection, and is to them a consoler and helper ; and
to teach us to do the same.
Woe, therefore, to those who instead of consoling and supporting widows and orphans, rather oppress them, and cause them to weep. The tears and cries of widows will rise up to God, who will terribly punish the injuries inflicted upon them. (Exodus 22 verse 22)
Christ had still other reasons for compassion, for He seeing this
deceased youth the death of sinners, and in the afflicted mother
the pain which the Church, our mother, experiences at the loss
of so many of her children, who are tempted by the evil spirit
and the corrupt world to all vices, or who are infected by the
spirit of lies and error, and exclude themselves from salvation.
This was the principal cause which moved our Saviour to compassion, and this should also awaken our compassion. If we are faithful children of our mother, the Church, it is impossible for us not to share her sorrow, and we would surely not be her children, and even spiritually dead, if we could without sorrow contemplate how many daily die spiritually by sins of all sorts, and so many who are partly already captives of the darkness of error and become partly seduced to error, and thus, separated from the living body of Christ, hasten to eternal destruction.
Oh let us pray daily without ceasing with the Church to Jesus, that
He may raise sinners from their terrible spiritual death, may enlighten those in error, so that all may recognise the truth, and find and walk the path which leads to life !
Why did Christ say to the widow: Weep not?
He wished to moderate her excessive sorrow, and to teach us,
that we should not be sorrowful over the loss of our relatives,
like the heathens who have no hope of resurrection to eternal life.
Patient resignation to the will of God becomes the Christian, who believes and hopes in a resurrection, and this with prayer and good works will be more useful to the deceased than many tears.
What else do we learn from this Gospel?
That no one, be he ever so young and healthy, is safe from
death, therefore we should always be prepared to die.
Offertory
With expectation I have waited for the Lord and he has regard to me and he heard my prayer and he put a new canticle into my mouth a song to our God.
Secret
May our sacraments oh Lord safeguard us and ever defend us against the assaults of the devil through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
communion
the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world
Post communion
May the efficacy of the heavenly gift we received oh Lord possess our minds and bodies so that it’s affect and not our own impulses may ever prevail in us through Jesus Christ our Lord amen