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St. Januarius and Companions | pre-1955 Missal | Traditional Latin Mass Readings | 9/19/2026 · Vox Liturgica

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  Vox Liturgica: The propers of the day according to the Roman Missal before 1955. The feast of Saint Januarius and his companions. September 19 in the year of our Lord 2026. A note on the rubrics. In the older Missal, the September Ember Days were kept on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
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  They also have the rank of greater but not privileged faria. Therefore, this year in our series following the pre-nineteen fifty five Missal, all three September ember days are only commemorated with the last gospel of the prologue of John being replaced by the Ember Days Gospel. In the 1960 rubrics, unlike the other three sets of Ember Days, the September Ember Days were changed to occur after the third Sunday within the month of September. They were also raised in relative rank to second class, meaning they almost always occur instead of being commemorated. This year, 2026, is one in which the September ember days of the 1962 missile occur the week following what they would have been before the 1960 rubric change, meaning next week.
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  Also today in the pre-nineteen fifty five missile, the vigil of Saint Matthew is anticipated due to it falling on a Sunday. Because of the concurrence of the anticipated vigil and Ember Saturday, Ember Saturday outranks the vigil, and its gospel is commemorated as the last gospel. In the liturgical year, Dom Prosper Garage writes the following. Januarius is ever preaching the gospel to every creature for his miraculous blood perpetuates the testimony he bore to Christ. Let those who say they cannot believe unless they see go to Naples.
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  There, they will behold the martyr's blood when placed near his head, which was cut off seventeen hundred years ago to liquefy and boil as at the moment it escaped from his sacred veins. No. Miracles are not lacking in the church at the present day. True. God cannot subject himself to the fanciful requirements of those proud men who would dictate to him the conditions of the prodigies they must needs witness, ere they will bow before his infinite majesty.
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  Nevertheless, his intervention in interrupting the laws of nature framed by him and by him alone to be suspended has never yet failed the man of good faith in any period of history. At present, there is less dearth than ever of such manifestations. The following is the legend concerning Saint Januarius and the shares in his glorious martyrdom. During the persecution of the Christians under Diocletian and Maximian, Januarius, Bishop of Beneventum, was brought before Timothy, President of Campania at Nola for his profession of the Christian faith. There his constancy was tried in various ways.
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  He was cast into a burning furnace but escaped unhurt. Not even his garments nor a hair of his head being injured by the flames. This enraged the president who commanded the martyr's body to be so stretched that all his joints and nerves were displaced. Meanwhile, Festus, his deacon, and Desiderius, elector were seized, loaded with chains, and dragged together with the bishop before the president's chariot to Pozzuolo. There, they were cast into a dungeon where they found the deacons Socios of Mycenaum and Proculus of Pozzuolo with Eutyches and Acutias.
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  Laymen all condemned to be thrown to wild beasts. The following day, they were all exposed in the amphitheater, but the beasts forgetting their natural ferocity crouched at the feet of Januarius. Timothy attributing this to magical arts condemned the martyrs of Christ to be beheaded. But as he was pronouncing the sentence, he was suddenly struck blind. However, at the prayer of Januarius, he soon recovered his sight.
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  On account of which miracle, about 5,000 men embraced the Christian faith. The ungrateful judge was in no way softened by the benefit conferred upon him. On the contrary, he was enraged by so many conversions and fearing the emperor's edicts, he ordered the holy bishop and his companions to be beheaded. Eager to secure each for itself a patron before God among these holy martyrs, the neighboring towns provided burial places for their bodies. In obedience to a warning from heaven, the Neapolitans took the body of Saint Januarius and placed it first at Beneventum, then in the monastery of Montevergine, and finally in the principal church at Naples where it became illustrious for many miracles.
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  One of these was the extinction of a fiery eruption of Mount Vesuvius when the terrible flames threatened with destruction not only the neighborhood but even distant parts. Another remarkable miracle is seen even to the present day. Namely, when the martyr's blood which is preserved congealed in a glass vial is brought in presence of his head. It liquefies and boils up in a wondrous manner as if it had been but recently shed. Oh, holy martyrs, and thou especially, oh, Januarius, the leader no less by thy courage than by thy pontifical dignity.
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  Your present glory increased our longing for heaven. Your past combats animate us to fight the good fight. Your continual miracles confirm us in the faith. Praise and gratitude are therefore due to you on this day of your triumph. And we pay this our debt in the joy of our hearts.
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  In return, extend to us the protection of which the fortunate cities placed under your powerful patronage are so justly proud. Defend those faithful towns against the assaults of the evil one in compensation for the falling away of society at large. Offer to Christ our king the growing faith of all who pay you honor. In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. Amen.
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  The introit. When affliction comes, the Lord is the refuge and defense of the innocent. Allay thy impatience with the wicked. Envy not the lot of evildoers. Glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and will be through all ages of ages.
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  Amen. When affliction comes the Lord is the refuge in defense of the innocent. The Collect. Let us pray. Oh, who year by year dust fill our hearts with gladness on the festival of thy holy martyrs, Januarius and his companions, graciously grant that while rejoicing in their merits, we may be fired by their example.
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  A commemoration of Ember Saturday in September. Almighty ever living God who makest wholesome fasting into a bodily and spiritual remedy, we humbly entreat thy majesty to be appeased by the prayers of those who fast and to grant us succor both now and in the time to come. A commemoration of the vigil of Saint Matthew. Grant we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that the August solemnity of blessed Matthew, thine apostle, to which we look forward, may increase both our devotion and our salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen.
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  A lesson from the letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. Brethren, remember those early days when the light first came to you and the hard probation of suffering you went through. There were times when you yourselves were publicly exposed to calumny and persecution. There was a time when you took part with those who had the same path to tread. You showed your sympathy with those who were in bonds.
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  And when you were robbed of your goods, you took it cheerfully as men who knew that a higher, a more lasting good was yours. Do not throw away that confidence of yours with its rich hope of reward. You still need endurance if you are to attain the prize God has promised to those who do his will. Only a brief moment now before he who is coming will be here. He will not linger on the way.
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  It is faith that brings life to the man whom I accept as justified. The gradual. Roused by the cry of the innocent, the Lord set them free from all their afflictions. So near is he to the crushed heart, so ready to defend the humbled spirit. Alleluia.
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  Alleluia. To thee, O Lord, the white robed host of martyrs give glory. Hallelujah. A continuation of the holy gospel according to Matthew. At that time, Jesus was sitting down on Mount Olivet.
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  The disciples came to him privately and said, tell us, when will this be? And what sign will be given of thy coming and of the world being brought to an end? Jesus answered them, take care that you do not allow anyone to deceive you. Many will come making use of my name and they will say, I am Christ, and many will be deceived by it. And you will hear tell of wars and rumors of wars.
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  See to it that you are not disturbed in mind. Such things must happen, but the end will not come yet. Nation will rise in arms against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there will be plagues and famines and earthquakes in this region or that. But all this is but the beginning of travail. In those days, men will give you up to persecution and will put you to death.
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  All the world will be hating you because you bear my name, whereupon many will lose heart, will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and many will be deceived by them. And the charity of most men will grow cold as they see wickedness everywhere. But that man will be saved who endures to the last. The offertory.
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  The souls of the just are in the hands of God beyond the reach of their tormentors' malice. Dead? Fools think so, but all is well with them. The secret. Lord, we pray thee accept our peace offerings and at the intercession of thy holy martyrs, Januarius and his companions, guard us from every peril.
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  A commemoration of Ember Saturday in September. Almighty God, grant we beseech thee that this sacrifice offered up in the sight of thy divine majesty may ensure to us the grace of fervor and may merit for us the enjoyment of a happy eternity. A commemoration of the vigil of Saint Matthew, Offering to thee, oh, Lord, the sacred mysteries in reverence for the supreme apostolic dignity. We beseech thee that thy people may, by the protection of blessed Matthew, thine apostle, to whose heavenly birthday we look forward at all times utter their prayers to thee and obtain that for which they ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost God through all ages of ages. Amen.
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  The common preface. Just it is indeed and fitting right in for our salvation that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, Oh, holy Lord, father almighty, everlasting God. Through whom the angels praise thy majesty. The dominions worship it. The power stand in awe.
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  The heavens and the hosts of heaven together with the blessed Seraphim joyfully do magnify. We entreat thee that thou command it be permitted us to join with them in confessing thee while we say with lowly praise. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, the heavens and the earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
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  Hosanna in the highest. The communion. What I have said to you under cover of darkness, you are to utter in the light of day are the words of the Lord. What has been whispered in your ears, you are to proclaim on the housetops. The post communion.
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  Let us pray. O Lord, may this communion cleanse us from guilt and at the intercession of Thy holy martyrs, Januarius and his companions, bring us a share of healing from on high. A commemoration of Ember Saturday in September. In us we beseech thee, O Lord, may thy sacraments affect that which they signify, and may we one day see face to face him who now is hidden from us under these appearances. A commemoration of the vigil of Saint Matthew.
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  Being appeased by the supplication of thy holy apostle Matthew, O Lord, grant us, we beseech thee, both pardon and everlasting salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God through all ages of ages. Amen. The Last Gospel, A continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke. At that time Jesus told the multitude this parable. There was a man that had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, but when he came and looked for fruit on it, he could find none.
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  Whereupon he said to his vinedresser, see now, I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree for three years and cannot find any. Cut it down. Why should it be a useless charge upon the land? But he answered thus, sir, let it stand this year too so that I may have time to dig and put dung round it. Perhaps it will bear fruit.
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  If not, it will be time to cut it down then. There was a Sabbath day on which he was preaching in one of their synagogues. Here there was a woman who for eighteen years had suffered under some influence that disabled her. She was bent down and could not lift her head straight. Jesus saw her and called to her, woman, he said, thou art rid of thy infirmity.
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  Then he laid his hands on her and immediately she was raised upright and gave praise to God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus should heal them on the Sabbath day, turned and said to the multitude, you have six days on which work is allowed. You should come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath. And the Lord gave him this answer. What?
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  You hypocrites. Is there any one of you that will not untie his ox or his ass from the stall and take them down to water when it is the Sabbath? And here is this daughter of Abraham whom Satan had kept bound these eighteen years past. Was it wrong that she should be delivered on the Sabbath day from bonds like these? All his adversaries were put to shame by this saying of his, and the whole multitude rejoiced over the marvelous works he did.
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  In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. Amen. Saint Januarius, pray for us. Saint Festus, pray for us. Saint Desiderius, pray for us.
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  Saint Socius, pray for us. Saint Proculus, pray for us. Saint Eutyches, pray for us. Saint Acutius, pray for us. The holy apostle Saint Matthew, pray for us.