OCD Nuns:  Memorial

OCD:  Optional Memorial

 

 

'The chief among Teresa's virtues was the love of God, which our Lord Jesus

Christ increased by means of many visions and revelations.

He made her His spouse on one occasion.  At other times she saw an angel

with a flaming dart piercing her heart.  Through these heavenly gifts the

flame of divine love in her heart became so strong that, inspired by God,

she made the extremely difficult vow of always doing what seemed to her most

perfect and most conducive to God's glory' (Gregory XV in the Bull of

Canonization).

 

 

Office of Readings

 

Second Reading

A reading from "The Living Flame of Love" by St. John of the Cross

 

As Moses declares in Deuteronomy, 'Our Lord is a consuming fire,' that is, a

fire of love, which being of infinite power, can inestimably consume and

transform into itself the soul it touches.  Yet He burns each souls

according to its preparation:  He will burn one more, another less, and this

He does in so far as He desires, and how and when He desires.  When He wills

to touch somewhat vehemently, the soul's burning reaches such a high degree

of love that it seems to surpass that of all the fires of the world:  for He

is an infinite fire of love.  Because the soul in this case is entirely

transformed by the Divine Flame, it not only feels a cautery, but has become

a cautery of blazing fire.

 

It is a wonderful thing and worth relating that, since this fire of God is

so mighty it would consume a thousand worlds more easily that the fire of

this earth would burn up a straw, it does not consume and destroy the soul

to which it so burns.  And it does not afflict it:  rather, commensurate

with the strength of the love, it divinizes and delights it, burning gently.

 

Since God's purpose in granting these communications is to exalt the soul,

He does not weary and restrict it, but enlarges and delights it, brightens

and enriches it.

 

The happy soul that by great fortune reaches this cautery knows all things,

tastes all things, does all it wishes, and prospers; no one prevails before

it and nothing touches it.  This is the soul of which the Apostle speaks:

'The spiritual man judges all things and he is judged by no one.'  And

again:  'The spirit searches out all things, unto the deep things of God.'

 

It will happen that while the soul is inflamed with the love of God, it will

feel that a seraph is assailing it by means of an arrow or dart which is all

afire with love.  And the seraph pierces and in an instant cauterizes this

soul

which, like a    -    coal, or better a flame, is already

enkindled.  The soul is converted into an immense fire of love.

 

Few persons have reached these heights.  Some have, however; especially

those whose virtue and spirit were to be diffused among their children.  For

God accords to founders, with respect to the first fruits of the spirit,

wealth and value commensurate with the greater or lesser following they will

have in their doctrine and spirituality.

 

O happy wound, wrought by one who knows only how to heal!  O fortunate and

choicest wound; you were made only for delight, and the quality of your

affliction is delight and gratification for the wounded soul!  You are

great, O delightful wound, because He who caused you is great!

 

And your delight is great, because the fire of love is infinite.  O, then,

delightful wound, so much more sub- limely delightful the more the cautery

touched the intimate center of the substance of the soul, burning all that

was burnable in order to give delight to all that could be delighted!

 

Responsory

R/.  The Lord our God is one Lord.  *  You shall love the Lord your God with

all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.

V/.  The Lord your God is a consuming fire, *  You shall love the Lord your

God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.

 

 

Canticle of Zechariah

In my heart was the likeness of a burning fire, imprisoned in my bones; and

I was scarcely able to bear it.

 

 

Prayer

Almighty God,

You filled the heart

of St. Teresa of Jesus, our Mother,

with the fire of Your love

and gave her strength to undertake difficult tasks for the honor of Your

name.

Through her prayers

may the power of Your love fill our hearts also and stir us to ever more

generous efforts in Your service.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns

with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

Canticle of Mary:

Let my heart rejoice in Your salvation; let me sing to the Lord for His

goodness to me.

 

 

****************

for Mass

 

 

Entrance Antiphon

The love of God has been poured into

our hearts by His Spirit living in us.

 

 

Opening Prayer

(same as above)

 

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God,

we offer You this victim of charity.

May He kindle in us a love as intense

as that which led St. Teresa of Jesus

to offer herself a living sacrifice for the Church.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Communion Antiphon

I have come to bring fire to the earth.

How I wish it were already blazing!

 

 

Prayer after Communion

Father,

pour into our hearts the Spirit of Your love.

Through the heavenly bread You have given us on this feast of our Mother St.

Teresa of Jesus may we grow in friendship with You and spread the fire of

charity throughout the world.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

 

First Reading

1 Corinthians 12: 31; 13: 1-10, 12-13

But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more

excellent way.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not

love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic

powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all

faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I

give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not

love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or

boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices

in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,

endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away;

as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For

our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the

perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.  For now we see in a mirror

dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall understand

fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide,

these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

Responsorial Psalm

R/. My heart rejoices in the Lord.

 

I waited, I waited for the Lord

and He stooped down to me;

He heard my cry.

He put a new song into my mouth,

praise of our God.  R/.

 

You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear, You do not ask

for holocaust and victim.

Instead, here am I.  R/.

 

In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do Your will.

My God, I delight in Your law

in the depth of my heart.  R/.

 

Your justice I have proclaimed

in the great assembly.

My lips I have not sealed;

You know it, O Lord.  R/.

 

Gospel

John 14: 23-27

Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father

will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear

is not mine but the Father's who sent me. "These things I have spoken to

you, while I am still with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom

the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to

your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my

peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your

hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.