SAINT Saturninus
St. Saturninus was bishop of Toulouse and Martyr. He converted a great number of idolaters by his preaching and miracles. This is all the account we have of him till the time of his holy martyrdom. The martyrdom of this saint probably happened m the reign of Valerian in 257.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 84: 9
The Lord speaks of peace to his people and his holy ones and to those who turn to him.
Collect
Stir up the will of your faithful, we pray, O Lord, that, striving more eagerly to bring your divine work to fruitful completion, they may receive in greater measure the healing remedies your kindness bestows. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Daniel 5: 1-6, 3-14, 16-17, 23-28
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen; a thousand of them attended, and he drank wine in company with this thousand. As he sipped his wine, Belshazzar gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women could drink out of them. The gold and silver vessels looted from the sanctuary of the Temple of God in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women drank out of them. They drank their wine and praised their gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall, directly behind the lamp-stand; and the king could see the hand as it wrote. The king turned pale with alarm: his thigh-joints went slack and his knees began to knock. Daniel was brought into the king’s presence; the king said to Daniel, “Are you the Daniel who was one of the Judean exiles brought by my father the king from Judah? I am told that the spirit of God Most Holy lives in you, and that you are known for your perception, intelligence and marvellous wisdom. As I am told that you are able to give interpretations and to unravel difficult problems, if you can read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be dressed in purple, and have a chain of gold put round your neck, and be third in rank in the kingdom.” Then Daniel spoke up in the presence of the king. “Keep your gifts for yourself,” he said, “and give your rewards to others. I will read the writing to the king without them, and tell him what it means. You have defied the Lord of heaven, you have had the vessels from his Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God who holds your breath and all your fortunes in his hands. That is why he has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin. The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
Psalm Daniel 3:62-67
R/ Give glory and eternal praise to him!
Sun and moon! Bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven! Bless the Lord.
Showers and dews! All bless the Lord.
Winds! All bless the Lord.
Fire and heat! Bless the Lord.
Cold and heat! Bless the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk21:36
Alleluia, alleluia! Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 21:12-19
Jesus said to his disciples: “Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the sacred offerings which at your bidding we dedicate to your name and, in order that through these gifts we may become worthy of your love, grant us unfailing obedience to your commands. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 116: 1, 2
O praise the Lord, all you nations, for his merciful love towards us is great.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, almighty God, that those to whom you give the joy of participating in divine mysteries may never be parted from you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The name of Jesus resounds in the history of salvation as well as that of all humanity. We often speak of the Jesus of faith and the Jesus of history. But they are the same person. Indeed, to belong to Jesus or even to speak well of Him in the past was to get into big trouble. Aware of this, Jesus warns his disciples and invites them to courage and to persevere in mission. He reassures them that he is always there, even in times of trial and persecution. Why are we afraid to suffer for the sake of our faith in Jesus Christ? Why do we doubt that God will always defend us? The most beautiful witnessing we can bear to Christ is martyrdom. Following the example of Saint Saturnin and his companions, let us show prove of our attachment to Christ Jesus.