October 17
St Marguerite-Marie Alacoque, Virgin
Saturday after the 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Today, according to the traditional (1962) Roman calendar, the Church commemorates St Marguerite-Marie Alacoque, Virgin—a prominent French mystic of the seventeenth century renowned for her profound devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Born in 1647 in Burgundy, France, Marguerite-Marie entered the Visitation convent at Paray-le-Monial, where she experienced a series of extraordinary mystical revelations between 1673 and 1675. In these visions, Christ entrusted to her the mission of spreading devotion to His Heart, wounded by the indifference and ingratitude of men, and called for the establishment of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Marguerite-Marie suffered misunderstanding and opposition, both within and outside her community, yet persevered with humility, faith, and unwavering zeal, aided by her spiritual director, St Claude de la Colombière.
Her spirituality centred on Eucharistic adoration, reparation, and a tender, trusting love for Jesus. The apostolic fruitfulness of her fidelity led to the eventual universal institution of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, fulfilling Christ's request many years after her death in 1690. Though initial skepticism greeted her revelations, the authenticity of her mission was gradually recognized, and she was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. The 1962 Roman calendar keeps her memory on October 17th (rather than October 16th as in the modern calendar), and at the rank of III classis (third class feast), attesting to her significance for the tradition of Catholic spirituality. St Marguerite-Marie is honored especially for her loving reparative devotion and her docility to Divine inspiration, through which the Lord greatly enriched the life of the Church.
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Questions about St Marguerite-Marie Alacoque, Virgin (Vetus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
IntroitCant 2:3
Latin
Cant 2:3.
Sub umbra illíus, quem desideráveram, sedi: et fructus eius dulcis gútturi meo.
Ps 83:2-3
Quam dilécta tabernácula tua, Dómine virtútum! Concupíscit, et déficit ánima mea in átria Dómini.
℣. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
℟. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
Sub umbra illíus, quem desideráveram, sedi: et fructus eius dulcis gútturi meo.
English
Cant 2:3
I rest in His shadow Whom I desire, and His fruit is sweet to my mouth.
Ps 83:2-3
How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
I rest in His shadow Whom I desire, and His fruit is sweet to my mouth.
Collect
Latin
Dómine Iesu Christe, qui investigábiles divítias Cordis tui beátæ Margarítæ Maríæ Vírgini mirabíliter revelásti: da nobis eius méritis et imitatióne; ut, te in ómnibus et super ómnia diligéntes, iugem in eódem Corde tuo mansiónem habére mereámur:
Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.
English
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who wondrously revealed the unsearchable riches of Your Heart to blessed Margaret Mary, the Virgin, grant us, by her merits and through imitating her, to love You in all things and above all things, so that we may be found worthy to possess a lasting dwelling place in Your Heart itself.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen
LessonEph 3:8-9, 14-19
Latin
Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Ephésios.
Ephes 3:8-9; 14-19.
Fratres: Mihi ómnium sanctórum mínimo data est grátia hæc, in géntibus evangelizáre investigábiles divítias Christi, et illumináre omnes, quæ sit dispensátio sacraménti abscónditi a sǽculis in Deo, qui ómnia creávit. Huius rei grátia flecto génua mea ad Patrem Dómini nostri Iesu Christi, ex quo omnis patérnitas in cælis et in terra nominátur, ut det vobis secúndum divítias glóriæ suæ, virtúte corroborári per Spíritum eius in interiórem hóminem: Christum habitáre per fidem in córdibus vestris: in caritáte radicáti et fundáti, ut póssitis comprehéndere cum ómnibus sanctis, quæ sit latitúdo et longitúdo et sublímitas et profúndum: scire étiam supereminéntem sciéntiæ caritátem Christi, ut impleámini in omnem plenitúdinem Dei.
℟. Deo grátias.
English
Lesson from the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
Eph 3:8-9, 14-19
Brethren: To me, the very least of all saints, there was given this grace to announce among the Gentiles the good tidings of the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all men as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden from eternity in God, Who created all things. For this reason I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth receives its name, that He may grant you from His glorious riches to be strengthened with power through His Spirit unto the progress of the inner man; and to have Christ dwelling through faith in your hearts: so that, being rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.
℟. Thanks be to God.
GradualCant 8:7
Latin
Cant 8:7.
Aquæ multæ non potuérunt exstínguere caritátem, nec flúmina óbruent illam.
Ps 72:26
Defécit caro mea et cor meum: Deus cordis mei, et pars mea Deus in ætérnum. Allelúia, allelúia.
Cant 7:10.
Ego dilécto meo, et ad me conversio eius. Allelúia.
English
Cant 8:7
Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away.
Ps 72:26
℣. My flesh and my heart waste away; God is the God of my heart and my portion forever. Alleluia, alleluia.
Cant. 7:10
℣. I belong to my lover and for me He yearns. Alleluia.
GospelMatt 11:25-30
Latin
℟. Glória tibi, Dómine.
Matt 11:25-30
In illo témpore: Respóndens Iesus, dixit: Confíteor tibi, Pater, Dómine cæli et terræ, quia abscondísti hæc a sapiéntibus et prudéntibus, et revelásti ea párvulis. Ita, Pater: quóniam sic fuit plácitum ante te. Omnia mihi trádita sunt a Patre meo. Et nemo novit Fílium nisi Pater: neque Patrem quis novit nisi Fílius, et cui volúerit Fílius reveláre. Veníte ad me, omnes, qui laborátis et oneráti estis, et ego refíciam vos. Tóllite iugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum et húmilis corde: et inveniétis réquiem animábus vestris. Iugum enim meum suave est et onus meum leve.
English
℟. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 11:25-30
At that time, Jesus spoke and said, I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, for such was Your good pleasure. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and him to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light.
OffertoryZach 9:17
Latin
Zach 9:17
Quid bonum eius est et quid pulchrum eius, nisi fruméntum electórum et vinum gérminans vírgines?
English
Zach 9:17
What wealth is His, and what beauty! grain that makes the chosen ones flourish, and new wine, the maidens.
Secret
Latin
Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.
English
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.
CommunionCant 6:2
Latin
Cant 6:2
Ego dilécto meo, et diléctus meus mihi, qui páscitur inter lília.
English
Cant 6:2
I belong to my lover and my lover to me; He browses among the lilies.
Post Communion
Latin
Córporis et Sánguinis tui, Dómine Iesu, sumptis mystériis: concéde nobis, quǽsumus, beáta Margaríta María Vírgine intercedénte; ut, supérbis sǽculi vanitátibus exútis, mansuetúdinem et humilitátem Cordis tui indúere mereámur:
Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.
English
Having received the sacrament of Your Body and Blood, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus, grant us by the intercession of blessed Margaret Mary, the Virgin, that, stripping ourselves of worldly vanities, we may be found worthy to put on the meekness and humility of Your Heart.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen
Vetus Ordo texts: Divinum Officium