The Roman Missal: Advent to the Sundays after Epiphany (English) 14

1[The Holy Innocents.]

2Introit. Ps. viii. Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise because of thy enemies.—O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth. Glory, &c.

3[Gloria in excelsis is not said, unless this feast falls on a Sunday.]

4Prayer. Deus cujus. O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents confessed on this day not by speaking, but by dying: mortify in us all the evils of vices; that our life also may confess by actions thy faith which our tongue proclaims. Through our Lord, &c.

5[Commemorations of the Nativity, St Stephen, and St John, as above.]

6Lesson. Apoc. xiv. 1—5. In those days, I saw upon mount Sion a Lamb standing, and with him a hundred forty-four thousand having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. And I heard a noise from heaven, as the noise of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder; and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers, harping on their harps. And they sung as it were a new canticle, before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the ancients; and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty-four thousand who were purchased from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb; and in their mouth there was found no lie; for they are without spot before the throne of God.

7Gradual. Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered; our help is in the name of the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. Alleluia, alleluia. Praise the Lord, ye children, praise the name of the Lord. Alleluia.

8[If it be not Sunday the Alleluias and V. are omitted, and the following said in their place.]

9Tract. They have poured out the blood of the saints, as water, round about Jerusalem. And there was none to bury them. Revenge, O Lord, the blood of thy saints, which hath been poured out upon the earth.

10Gospel. St Matthew, ii. 13—18. At that time an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt; and be there until I tell thee: for it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt; and he was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending, killed all the men-children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

11[Credo.]

12Offertory. Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered.

13Secret. Let us not be deprived, O Lord, of the pious prayer of thy saints: which may both render our offerings acceptable, and ever obtain for us thy pardon. Through our Lord, &c.

14[Secrets of the Nativity, St Stephen, and St John, as above.]

15Communion. A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and mourning: Rachel bewailing her children: and would not be comforted, because they are not.

16Postcom. Votiva. We have received, O Lord, the gifts we desired, which we beseech thee to grant may confer upon us help for this life and that which is eternal. Through our Lord, &c.

17[Postcommunion of the Nativity, St Stephen and St John, as above.]