True Catholic News

(Click image to enlarge of the celebration of the Mozarabic Liturgy in Salamanca)

Note: in continuation of TCW's posting of Daily Lenten Meditations & Readings - here is a beautiful Preface from the Mozarabic Liturgy [one of the approved Catholic Rites] for the Third Friday in Lent. 

The Mozarabic Liturgy on 

the Samaritan Woman

(Preface)

It is meet and just that we
should always give thanks to
thee, Holy Lord, Eternal
Father, Almighty God, through
Jesus Christ, thy Son, our
Lord. Who, having come
from heaven for the salvation
of mankind, sat near a well,
thirsting and wearied. For
this is he, in whom dwelt all
the fulness of the Godhead
corporally. But whereas he
had assumed the body of our
mortality, he wished to show,
by certain signs, the reality of
the flesh thus assumed ; for
when we say that he was
wearied with a journey, we
believe that this weakness was
only in the flesh. He went
forth to run the way, that he
might show that he had taken
a true body; hence, although
he was wearied in the flesh,
yet would he not that our faith
should grow weak at the sight
of this his weakness; for that
which is weak in him, is
stronger than men. Having,
therefore, come in humility,
that he might deliver the world
from the power of darkness,
he sat and thirsted, when he
asked the woman to give him
to drink. For he was humbled
in the flesh, when, sitting at
the well, he spoke with the
woman, and thirsted after
water, and required of her her
faith. Yea, he required from
her the faith, which he sought
and asked for; and when his
disciples came he said to them
concerning it: I have meat to
eat which you know not of.
He that had already created
in her the gift of faith, asked
her to give him water to drink;
and he that had enkindled
within her the fire of his love,
asked her to give him a cup,
whereby to refresh his thirst.
Seeing these miracles of divine
power, what else shall we offer
unto thee, holy and imma-
culate and most merciful God,
but a pure conscience and a
heart that is well prepared to
receive thy love? Now, there-
fore, whilst offering to thy
Name this clean Oblation, we
pray and beseech thee, that
thou mayest work salvation
in us, as thou didst work faith
in that woman. Thou didst
destroy in her the delusion of
idolatry; produce in us the
extirpation of our carnal vices.
May we find thee full of most
tender mercy when thou com-
est to judge us, as she deserved
to find thee. We are the work
of thy hands, neither can we
be otherwise saved than by
thee. Come to our assistance,
thou our true Redeemer, the
fulness of whose mercy faileth
not. Destroy not what is thine
own. Thou hast given us a
rational nature; bestow upon
us exhaustless glory of eter-
nity, that so we who praise
thee in this life, may still more
fervently glorify thee in a
blessed eternity. Thou art
our God ; cast us not away
from thy face, but look upon
us, whom thou didst create out
of thy pure mercy : that when
thou hast taken from us the
whole debt of our guilt, and
rendered us worthy of thy
gracious sight, we, being drawn
out from the deep well of our
sins, and leaving behind us the
pitcher of our evil desires,
may, after passing through
this life, take our flight to
Jerusalem, the eternal City.

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