Hymn
Lord, who before Your praise was heard
Were praised in silence by the Word,
And whom, from all eternity
Your Son has praised sufficiently:
Please deign to be our hallowing,
And we in Christ Your Son will sing,
Then Your poor creatures’ prayers will rise
Sufficient praise before Your eyes.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done,
Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your Son,
Whom with the Spirit we adore,
One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, / giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Psalm 22)
All: The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside restful waters he leads me; / he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths; / for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; / for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff / that give me courage.
You spread the table before me / in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil, / my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me / all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord / for years to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be / world without end. Amen.
Antiphon
All: Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, / giving thanks to God the Father through him.
P. (Chapter–Hebrews 10:12-14) Jesus, having offered one sacrifice for sins, has taken his seat forever at the right hand of God, waiting thenceforth until his enemies be made the footstool under his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. Offer to God the sacrifice of praise.
R. And pay your vows to the Most High.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray
P. Protect us, O Lord; who offer holocausts to You, and sear our hearts with the flame of Your divine charity, so that they may be ever more fervently prepared for sacrifice, through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. St. Isidore.
R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, / and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, / revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, / deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, / to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, / so that working the soil in the sweat of our brow, / we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen.
REFLECTION*
A farmer can justly take pride in the fact that his work is a very special contribution to the Sacrifice of the Mass, and he should meditate upon this truth with humility and gratitude.
“The Lord used the product of wheat and of grapes, bread and wine, for the institution of the august sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Bread and wine are the substances changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of our blessed Savior. Their sense appearances are the carriers of the most precious gifts of our Lord’s love to us.
“In the consecrated elements of bread and wine, Jesus Christ makes Himself present to be the spiritual food of men. He is the bread that has come down from heaven, of which if men eat they shall not die. With good reason, then, has Christian tradition used the sheaf of wheat and the vine with grapes, these precious products of the toil of the farmer, as the symbols of the Holy Eucharist.
“Both adorn tabernacle and altar as symbols to give vivid expression to this great and loving mystery of our Catholic faith; both play their part in beautifying art and architecture; both enrich hymns and sacred songs composed to give honor to our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. As he kneels in prayer before the tabernacle the farmer indeed has reason to glory in all this and to give profound thanks to his Lord and Master for having honored his calling in so exalted a manner.”
*From Partnership with God by the Most Reverend Aloysius J. Muench
Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.) three times, followed by a prayer of you choice for special needs.
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