FIRST READING

A Reading from the Book of Judith 13:14, 17-20

Judith urged them with a loud voice:

“Praise God, praise God!
Praise God who has not withdrawn his mercy
From the house of Israel,
but has shattered our enemies by man hand this very
night.”
All people were greatly astonished
They bowed down and worshiped God, saying with one
accord,
“Blessed are You, our God,
who today have brought to naught the enemies of your
people.”
Then Uzziah said to her:
“Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the Lord God,
the creator of heaven and earth,
who guided your blow at the head of the chief of our
enemies.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
May God make this redound to your everlasting honor,
rewarding you with blessings,
 because you risked your life
when your people are being oppressed,
and you averted our disaster,
walking uprightly before our God.”
And all the people answered, “Amen! Amen!”

The word of the Lord.

SECOND READING
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1: 12-14

From the Mount of Olives, as it is called, they went back

to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a Sabbath
walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper
room where they were staying; there were Peter and John,
James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and
Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and
Jude son of James. With one heart all these joined constantly
in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the
mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

The Word of the Lord.

GOSPEL
⧾ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
11: 27-28
Blessed is the womb that bore you
While Jesus was speaking,
A woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied,
“Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

 PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Brethren, today, we have so great a reason to be happy because these young men, under
the grace of God, opened themselves in order to discover the will of the Lord for them. We
raise our prayer to the Father, so that, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, they
may advance in the knowledge of the truth and grow in charity and simplicity of heart. In
every petition, we sing.
Panginoon dinggin ang aming panalangin, Lord hear our prayer
1. For the Holy Mother Church, may She be given holy and faithful servants
who will give their lives for the salvation of souls. We pray to the Lord. R.
2. For the Order of Augustinian Recollects, may she be given members
whose lives mirror the fidelity, simplicity and wisdom of our Father Saint
Augustine. We pray to the Lord. R.
3. For the Province of Saint Ezekiel Moreno, may the Blessed Virgin Mary
guide her religious to the fulfilment of God’s will in the life and mission
entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus. We pray to the Lord. R.
4. For our country and government leaders, may they find in the examples
of Mary, the Lady of the Pillar, the true value of following the will of God for
the good of everyone. We pray to the Lord. R.
5. For our newly accepted postulants, may they learn authentic dedication
and community service so that, guided by the spirit of the Recollection,
they will live chaste, poor and obedient in all the days of their lives.
We pray to the Lord. R.
6. For the families of these our brothers, may God, who call every family to
be the seedbed of vocation, grant joy and sanctification for the
unconditional offering they made by giving their sons to the service of the
Church and for the glory of God. We pray to the Lord. R.
7. For the sick, the dying and the poor souls in purgatory, may the sacrifices
and selfless offerings of these courageous young men guarantee them of
constant intercession to the Father in heaven. We pray to the Lord. R.
O God, author and dispenser of religious vocation, be gracious to the supplications of
your children, and grant to these brothers, who wish to experience our Recollect way of
life, with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Lady of the Pillar, to know what your will
is, and to help us to be always faithful in your service, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.