S. Dionysii Epíscopi, Rustici et Eleutherii Martyrum

Deus, qui hodiérna die beátum Dionýsium, Mártyrem tuum atque Pontíficem, virtúte constantiæ in passióne roborásti, quique illi, ad prædicándum géntibus glóriam tuam, Rústicum et Eleuthérium sociáre dignátus es: tríbue nobis, quǽsumus; eórum imitatióne, pro amóre tuo próspera mundi despícere, et nulla ejus advérsa formidáre.

O God, Who on this day strengthened blessed Dionysius, Your Martyr and Bishop, with the power to be steadfast in his suffering, and were pleased to join with him Rusticus and Eleutherius to preach Your glory to the pagans, grant us, we beseech You, out of love for You, to despise the favors of this world and to fear not its enmity.

Léctio Actuum Apostolórum. In diébus illis: Stans Paulus in médio Areopági, ait: Viri Atheniénses, per ómnia quasi superstitiosióres vos vídeo. Prætériens enim et videns simulácra vestra, invéni et aram, in qua scriptum erat: Ignóto Deo. Quod ergo ignorántes cólitis, hoc ego annúntio vobis. Deus, qui fecit mundum et ómnia, quæ in eo sunt, hic cœli et terræ cum sit Dóminus, non in manufáctis templis hábitat, nec mánibus humánis cólitur índigens áliquo, cum ipse det ómnibus vitam et inspiratiónem et ómnia: fecítque ex uno omne genus hóminum inhabitáre super univérsam fáciem terræ, defíniens statúta témpora et términos habitatiónis eórum, quærere Deum, si forte attréctent eum aut invéniant, quamvis non longe sit ab unoquóque nostrum. In ipso enim vívimus et movémur et sumus: sicut et quidam vestrórum poëtárum dixérunt: Ipsíus enim et genus sumus. Genus ergo cum simus Dei, non debémus æstimáre auro aut argénto aut lápidi, sculptúræ artis et cogitatiónis hóminis Divínum esse símile. Et témpora quidem hujus ignorántia despíciens Deus, nunc annúntiat homínibus, ut omnes úbique pœniténtiam agant, eo quod státuit diem, in quo judicatúrus est orbem in æquitáte, in viro, in quo státuit, fidem præbens ómnibus, súscitans eum a mórtuis. Cum audíssent autem resurrectiónem mortuórum, quidam quidem irridébant, quidam vero dixérunt: Audiámus te de hoc íterum. Sic Paulus exívit de médio eórum. Quidam vero viri adhæréntes ei, credidérunt: in quibus et Dionýsius Areopagíta, et múlier nómine Dámaris, et álii cum eis.

Lesson from the Acts of Apostles In those days, Paul stood up in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Men of Athens, I see that in every respect you are extremely religious. For as I was going about and observing objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription:‘To the Unknown God.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, that I proclaim to you. God, Who made the world and all that is in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples built by hands; neither is He served by human hands as though He were in need of anything, since it is He Who gives to all men life and breath and all things. And from one man He has created the whole human race and made them live all over the face of the earth, determining their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands; that they should seek God, and perhaps grope after him and find Him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being, as indeed some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ If therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to imagine that the Divinity is like to gold or silver or stone, to an image graven by human art and thought. The times of this ignorance God has, it is true, overlooked, but now He calls upon all men everywhere to repent; inasmuch as He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world with justice by a Man Whom He has appointed, and Whom He has guaranteed to all by raising Him from the dead. Now when they heard of a resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, We will hear thee again on this matter. So Paul went forth from among them. Certain persons however joined him and became believers; among them were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Sequéntia † sancti Evangélii secúndum Lucam In illo témpore: Descéndens Jesus de monte, stetit in loco campéstri, et turba discipulórum ejus, et multitúdo copiósa plebis ab omni Judǽa, et Jerúsalem, et marítima, et Tyri, et Sidónis, qui venérant, ut audírent eum et sanaréntur a languóribus suis. Et, qui vexabántur a spirítibus immúndis, curabántur. Et omnis turba quærébat eum tángere: quia virtus de illo exíbat, et sanábat omnes. Et ipse, elevátis oculis in discípulos suos, dicébat: Beáti, páuperes: quia vestrum est regnum Dei. Beáti, qui nunc esurítis: quia saturabímini. Beáti, qui nunc fletis: quia ridébitis. Beáti éritis, cum vos óderint hómines, et cum separáverint vos et exprobréverint, et ejécerint nomen vestrum tamquam malum, propter Fílium hóminis. Gaudéte in illa die et exsultáte: ecce enim, merces vestra multa est in cœlo.

Obláta tibi, Dómine, múnera pópuli tui, pro tuórum honóre Sanctórum, súscipe propítius, quǽsumus: et eórum nos intercessióne sanctífica.

Graciously accept, O Lord, the gifts of Your people in honor of Your Saints, and make us holy by their intercession.

Sumptis, Dómine, sacraméntis, quǽsumus: ut, intercedéntibus beátis Martýribus tuis Dionýsio, Rústico et Eleuthério, ad redemptiónis ætérnæ proficiamus augméntum.

We who have received Your sacrament beseech You, Lord, that through the intercession of Your blessed Martyrs, Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius, we may profit unto an increase of eternal salvation.

Intret in conspéctu tuo, Dómine, gémitus compeditórum: redde vicínis nostris séptuplum in sinu eórum: víndica sánguinem Sanctórum tuórum, qui effúsus est. Deus, venérunt gentes in hereditátem tuam: polluérunt templum sanctum tuum: posuérunt Jerúsalem in pomórum custódiam. Intret in conspéctu tuo, Dómine, gémitus compeditórum: redde vicínis nostris séptuplum in sinu eórum: víndica sánguinem Sanctórum tuórum, qui effúsus est.

Gloriósus Deus in Sanctis suis: mirábilis in majestáte, fáciens prodígia. V. Déxtera tua, Dómine, glorificáta est in virtúte: déxtera manus tua confrégit inimícos. Allelúja, allelúja. Córpora Sanctórum in pace sepúlta sunt, et nómina eórum vivent in generatiónem et generatiónem. Allelúja.

Qui séminant in lácrimis, in gáudio metent. V. Eúntes ibant et flébant, mitténtes sémina sua. V. Veniéntes autem vénient cum exsultatióne, portántes manípulos suos.

Mirábilis Deus in Sanctis suis: Deus Israël, ipse dabit virtútem et fortitúdinem plebi suæ: benedíctus Deus, allelúja. (sed post Septuagesimam dicitur) Deus.

Et si coram homínibus torménta passi sunt, Deus tentávit eos: tamquam aurum in fornáce probávit eos, et quasi holocáusta accépit eos.