Just as devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is older than the liturgical feast of Corpus Christi, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus predates the formal institution of a feast in its honor, by many centuries in fact. For example, St. Gertrude the Great, who lived from 1256 to the first years of the following century, writes of a vision of St. John the Evangelist which she beheld on his feast day, in which he brought her to lay her head upon the breast of the Lord, as he himself had done at the Last Supper. St. Gertrude than ask John if he had also heard the beating of the Lord's heart as she did, and when he replied that he had, and that the sweetness of it had penetrated into his very marrow, she asked him why he had not written about this in the Gospel. St. John replied:
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Introitus
Quanta malignatus est inimicus in sancto! in
terra polluerunt tabernaculum nominis tui, Domine. Usquequo, Deus,
irritat adversarius nomen tuum in finem?
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The Introit Psalm 73
What things the enemy hath done wickedly in
the sanctuary! they have defiled the dwelling place of thy name on the earth.
How long, O God, doth the adversary provoke thy name forever?
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Psalmus Ut quid,
Deus, repulisti in finem? iratus est furor tuus super oves pascuae tuae? Gloria Patri. Quanta.
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Psalm O God, why hast
thou cast us off unto the end: why is thy wrath enkindled against the sheep
of thy pasture? Glory be. What things.
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Oratio
Gementes et dolentes super cunctis
abominationibus quae fiunt in domo tua, propitius respice, Deus omnipotens;
et pro contumeliis quibus in sacramento sui amoris impetitur Dominus Jesus,
ipsum fac pro nobis esse apud te propitiationem. Qui tecum vivit et regnat.
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The Collect
Look with mercy, God almighty, upon those who
mourn and grieve for all the abominations that take place in Thy house; and for
the injuries by which the Lord Jesus is assailed in the sacrament of His
love, make Him the propitiation before Thee for our sake. Who liveth and
reigneth with Thee.
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Lectio Epistolae beati Pauli Apostoli ad
Hebraeos.
Fratres: Accedamus cum vero corde in
plenitudine fidei, aspersi corda a conscientia mala, et abluti corpus aqua
munda, teneamus spei nostrae confessionem indeclinabilem (fidelis enim est
qui repromisit), et consideremus invicem in provocationem caritatis, et
bonorum operum: non deserentes collectionem nostram, sicut consuetudinis est
quibusdam, sed consolantes, et tanto magis quanto videritis appropinquantem
diem. Voluntarie enim peccantibus nobis post acceptam notitiam veritatis, jam
non relinquitur pro peccatis hostia, terribilis autem quaedam exspectatio
judicii, et ignis aemulatio, quae consumptura est adversarios. Irritam quis
faciens legem Moysi, sine ulla miseratione duobus vel tribus testibus moritur:
quanto magis putatis deteriora mereri supplicia qui Filium Dei conculcaverit,
et sanguinem testamenti pollutum duxerit, in quo sanctificatus est, et spiritui
gratiae contumeliam fecerit? Scimus enim qui dixit: Mihi vindicta, et ego
retribuam. Et iterum: Quia judicabit Dominus populum suum. Horrendum est
incidere in manus Dei viventis.
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The Epistle Hebrews 10, 22-31
Brethren: Let us draw near with a true heart
in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with clean water. Let us hold fast the confession of
our hope without wavering (for he is faithful that hath promised), And let us
consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good works: Not
forsaking our assembly, as some are accustomed; but comforting one another,
and so much the more as you see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully
after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for
sins, but a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire
which shall consume the adversaries. A man making void the law of Moses,
dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses: how much more, do you
think he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden under foot the Son of
God, and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, by which he was
sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace? For we know
him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will repay. And again:
The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of the living God.
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Graduale Viderunt
altare profanatum, et sciderunt vestimenta sua, et planxerunt planctu magno. V. Imposuerunt cinerem super caput suum, et
ceciderunt in faciem super terram, et clamaverunt in caelum.
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Gradual 1 Maccabees 4, 38-40 They
saw the altar profaned, and they rent their garments, and made great
lamentation. V. They put ashes on their heads,
and fell down to the ground on their faces, and they cried towards heaven.
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Alleluia, alleluia. Zelus domus tuae comedit
me, et opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me. Alleluia.
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Alleluia, alleluia. Zeal of thy house hath
eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon
me. Alleluia. Psalm 68, 10.
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Sequentia sancti
Evangelii secundum Matthaeum.
In illo tempore: Respondens Jesus, dixit
iterum in parabolis principibus sacerdotum et Pharisaeis, dicens: Simile
factum est regnum caelorum homini regi, qui fecit nuptias filio suo.
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The Gospel Matthew 22, 1-14
At that time: Jesus answering, spoke again in
parables to the chief priests and Pharisees, saying The kingdom of heaven is
likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son. As
on the 19th Sunday after Pentecost.
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Offertorium
Ad Christum accedamus
cum vero corde in plenitudine fidei, aspersi corda a conscientia mala, et
consideremus invicem in provocationem caritatis, et bonorum operum.
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The Offertory Hebrews 10, 22
and 24
Let us draw near
to Christ with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience, and let us consider one another, to provoke unto
charity and to good works:.
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Secreta
Deus, qui Unigenitum tuum in Cruce pro
transgressoribus orantem exaudisti; quaesumus ut nos, qui in altari tuo ipsum
offerimus pro contaminatoribus mensae illius orantes, clementer exaudire
digneris. Per eundem.
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The Secret
O God, who didst harken to Thy Only-Begotten
Son as He prayed upon the Cross for the transgressors; we ask that Thou
mercifully deign to hear us, as we pray upon Thy altar for them that defile
His table. Through the same.
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Communio
Quanta putatis mereri supplicia, qui Filium
Dei conculcaverit, et sanguinem testamenti pollutum duxerit, in quo
sanctificatus est?
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Communion Hebrews 10, 29
How great punishments do you think he
deserveth, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the
blood of the testament unclean, by which he was sanctified?
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Postcommunio
Domine Jesu
Christe, qui zelo domus Dei succensus, vendentes et ementes de templo ejecisti:
da comedentibus panem tuum, eodem zelo animari; et propter reos corporis tui
aut tabescere gementes, aut ad prohibendum fortes ignescere. Qui vivis et
regnas.
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Postcommunion
Lord Jesus
Christ, who, kindled with zeal for the house of God, didst cast out from the
temple them that bought and sold: grant to those that eat Thy bread, that
they may be filled with the same zeal; and either to languish with mourning
over those guilty of Thy body, or to burn mightily to stop them. Who livest
and reignest.
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