December 26th

Go to Octave of Saint Stephen
 
 

Double of II CLass with Simple Octave
 
INTROIT

Sederunt principes (Psalm 119)

  Princes moreover, did sit, and did witness falsely against me:
And the ungodly pressed sore upon me.
  O Lord, my God, stand up to help me:
For thy servant is occupied continually in thy commandments.  §

   Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way:
  And walk in the law of the Lord.

  Glory be ...
  As it was ...

(Repeat to §.)

Grant, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon the earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed: and being filled with the Holy Ghost may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen; who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of god to succour all those that suffer for thee, our only Mediator and Advocate.  [Long ending: Who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.]

Then shall follow the Collect of the Nativity, which ashall be said continually unto New Year's Eve..
 

COLLECT Of the Nativity

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: grant that we, being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit.  Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ.  Who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end.
 

THE  EPISTLE

Acts 7.55-60

In those days: Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord: and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.  And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.  And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

GRADUAL AND ALLELUIA

   (Psalm 119)  Princes also did sit and speak against me:
  And the wicked men have have persecuted me.
   Help me, O Lord my God:
  Save me for thy mercy's sake.
   Alleluia.
  Alleluia.
   (Acts 7)  I see the heavens opened,
  And Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
All:        Alleluia!

§ In Votive Masses after Septuagesima, instead of the Alleluia and verse following, is said the Tract from the Common of a Martyr.  But in Eastertide, the Gradual is omitted, and in its place is said the Alleluia as above, and then the verse: Thou hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head, O Lord.  Alleluia.

[The Gospels for St. Stephen, St. Thomas of Canterbury, and St. Sylvester are not Proper, and therefore are not read at the end of a Mass on which a Commemoration is made of their Feasts.]

THE GOSPEL

St. Matthew 23.34-39

At that time; Jesus said unto the scribes and Pharisees: Behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zecharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.  Verily I say unto you: All these things shall come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.  For I say unto you: Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say: Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.

The creed is said on account of the Octave.

OFFERTORY

Acts 6 and 7

The Apostles chose Stephen the Levite, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost: whom the Jews stoned, calling upon God, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

SECRET

Accept, O Lord, we pray thee, the gifts which we offer unto thee in remembrance of thy Saints: that like as they by suffering obtained thy crown of glory, so we by godly conversation may attain to innocnece of life.  Through.

SECRET Of the Nativity

We beseech thee, O Lord, that by this new Birth of thy only-begotten Son thou wouldest vouchsafe to sanctify these our oblations: and to cleanse us from the defilements of all our iniquities.  Through the same.

PREFACE AND CANON OF CHRISTMAS
 

COMMUNION  Acts 7

I see the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of the power of God: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, and lay not this sin to their charge, for they know not what they do.

POSTCOMMUNION

Assist us mercifully, O Lord: that we, which have received these holy mysteries; may, at the intercession of thy blessed Martyr Saint Stephen, be stablished by thy everlasting protection.  Through.

POSTCOMMUNION Of the Nativity

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that like as thy Son, born this day the Saviour of the world, hath been made the author of our heavenly birth; so he may bestow upon us the gift of everlasting life.  Who liveth and reigneth with thee.

§ Within the Octave of St. Stephen, nothing is said of that Feast.
 
 

Octave of Saint Stephen

January 2

Simple

Mass as on the Feast (above), except the Collect following.  No Commemoration of Christmas is made, but the Christmas Preface is used.  The Creed is not said.

COLLECT

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast consecrated unto thyself the first-fruits of thy Martyrs in the blood of the blessed Levite Stephen: grant, we beseech thee; that he may ever plead for our salvation, who for his murderers didst pray unto thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Who.

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