The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

The Gothic Missal (Missale Gothicum)

ORDO MISSAE IN NATALE SANCTI STEPHANI PROTOMARTYRIS

25. PRAEFATIO. Venerabilem atque sublimem beatissimi protomartyris Stephani passionem hodie celebrantes, deum martyrum, fratres karissimi, depraecemur ut sicut illi contemplatione meritorum suorum coronam dare dignatus est, nobis quoque plenissimam misericordiam ipsius praecibus flexus in omnibus largiatur. Per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium suum.

26. COLLECTIO SEQVITVR. Deus, qui sancto Stephano martyri tuo et principatum in ministerio et principem in martyrio contulisti, dum nobis sancti diei huius festiuitatem pro eius uel commemoratione uel passione donasti, exaudi, quesomus, supplices familiae tuae praeces. Nobis eius peculiare tribue, cuius pro inimicis ac peccatoribus praeces piisimus acceptasti. Tribue etiam ut pro nobis intercessor existat qui pro suis persecutoribus supplicauit Per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum, qui tecum beatus uiuit.

27. COLLECTIO POST NOMINA. Omnipotens sempiternae deus, qui sanctorum uirtute multiplice aeclesiae tuae sacrum corpus exornan primitias martyrum gloriosi leuitae tui Stephani sanguinem dedicasti, da nobis diem natalis eius honore praecipuo celebrare, quia non diffidimus eum fidelibus tuis posse suffragari, qui dominicae caritatis imitator etiam pro suis persecutoribus supplicauit. Tribueque, quaesomus, per interuentum ipsius ut uiuentes salutem, defuncti requiem consequantur aeterna, Praesta per dominum nostrum filium tuum.

28. COLLECTIO AD PACEM. Deus caritatis indultor, deus indulgentiae munerator, qui sancto martyri tuo Stephano in passione largitus es, ut ymbrem lapidum clementer exciperet et pro lapidantibus supplicarit, pietatem tuam domine subnixis praecibus exoramus, ut dum martyris tui passionem recolimus, per intercessionem ipsius pacis securitatem cum peccatorum nostrorum ueniam consequi mereamur. Per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum, qui tecum.

29. CONTESTATIO MISSAE. Dignum et iustum est, aequum et iustum est te laudare teque benedicere, tibi gratias agere, omnipotens sempiterne deus, qui gloriaris in conuentu sanctorum tuorum, quos ante mundi constitutionem praeelectos spiritali in caelestibus benedictione signasti quosque unigenito tuo per adsumptionem carnis et crucis redemptionem sociasti, in quibus spiritum tuum sanctum regnare fecisti, per quem ad felicis martyrii gloriam pietatis tuae fauorem uenerunt. Digne igitur tibi, domine uirtutum, festa sollempnitas agitur, tibi haec dies sacrata in tuae ueritatis testimonio profusus, magnificum nominis tui honore signauit. Hic est enim illius nominis primus confessor, quod est supra omne nomen, in quo unicum salutis nostrae praesidium, pater aeterne, posuisti. Hic in aeclesia tua quam splendidum ad cunctorum animos confirmandos unicae laudis praecessit exemplum. Hic post passionem domini nostri Iesu Christi uicturiae palmam primus inuasit. Hic ut leuitico ministerio per spiritum sanctum ab apostulis cosecratus est, niueo candore confestim emicuit martyrii cruore purpureus. O benedictum Abrahae semen, apostolicae doctrinae et dominicae crucis prior omnium factus imitator et testis. Merito caelos apertos uidit et Iesum stantem ad dexteram dei. Digne igitur ac iuste talem sub tui nominis confessione laudamus, omnipotens deus, quem ad tantam gloriam uocare dignatus es, suffragia eius nobis pro tua pietate concide. Talis pro hac plebe praecetur, qualem illum post trophea uenientem exultans Christus excepit. Illi pro nobis oculi sublimentur, qui adhuc in hoc mortis corpore constituti stantem ad dexteram patris filium dei in ipsa passionis hora uiderunt. Ille pro nobis obteneat, qui pro persecutoribus suis, dum lapidaretur, orabat ad te, sancte deus, pater omnipotens. Per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui pro peccatis nostris nasci carne per uirginem et pati dignatus est mortem, ut martyres suos suo pati doceret exemplo. Cui merito omnes angeli atque archangeli sine cessatione proclamant dicentes: SANCTVS, SANCTVS, SANCTVS.

30. COLLECTIO POST SANCTVS. Vere sanctus, uere benedictus dominus noster Iesus Christus unigenitus tuus, qui martyrem suum Stephanum caelestis aulae collegio munerauit, qui corporis nostri infirmitatem suscepit priusquam pium sanguinem pro humana salute funderet, mysterium sacrae sollemnitatis instituit. Ipse enum pridie quam pateretur.

31. POST MYSTERIVM. Hoc ergo facimus, domine, haec praecepta seruamus, haec sacri corporis passionem sacris sollemnibus praedicamus. Quaesomus, omnipotens deus, ut sicut ueritatem nunc sacramenti caelestis exsequimur, ipsi ueritati dominici corporis ac sanguinis haereamus. Per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum.

32. ANTE ORATIONEM DOMINICAM. Gloriosi leuitae exemplis et beatissimi martyris Stephani magisteriis instituti aeterno regi et patri deo raecem, fratres karissimi, cum omni humilitate fundamus, ut dato nobis fidei calore uel mundere, ad martyrii nos desiderium amoris sui igne succendat eiusque imitatores efficiat, qui non solum pro sui gloriam uerum etiam pro exemplis eruditionis nostrae passionem sustenuit. Et cui conferre dignatus est in passione uirtutem, intercedendi pro nobis tribuat facultatem. Et orationem quam praecipere dignatus est, dicere sine cunctationem permittat: PATER NOSTER.

33. POST ORATIONEM DOMINICAM. Liber nos a malo, omnipotens deus, et tribue nobis supplicibus tuis tam prumptum pro Christo tuo ad patiendum animum, ut probemur non nos martyrio sed nobis defuisse martyrium. Per.

34. BENEDICTIO POPVLO. Deus, qui tuos martyres ita uincxisti caritate, ut pro etiam mori cupirent ne perirent. AMEN. Et beaum Stephanum in confessione ita succendisti fidem, ut ymbrem lapidum non timeret. AMEN. Exaudi praecem familiae tuae amatoris inter festa plaudentem. AMEN. Accedat ad te uox illa intercedens pro populo, pro inimicis quae orabat in ipso martyrio. AMEN. Vt se obtinente et te remunerante perueniar illuc plebs adquaesita per gratiam, ubi te caelis apertis ipse uidit in gloriam. AMEN. Quod ipse praestare digneris.

35. COLLECTIO POST EVCHARISTIAM. Deus perennis salus, beatitudo inaestimabilis, da, quaesomus, omnibus tuis ut, qui sancta ac beata sumserunt, et sancti iugiter et beati esse mereantur. Quod ipse prestare digneris.

36. CONSVMMATIO MISSAE. Gratias agimus tibi, domine, multiplicatis circa nos miserationibus tuis, qui et fili tui natiuitate nos saluas et martyris Stephani depraecatione sustenas. Per dominus nostrum filium tuum.



'Order of Mass for the Feast of the Protomartyr Saint Stephen

25. Preface. Let us, most beloved brothers, now that we celebrate today the venerable and exalted passion of the most blessed protomartyr Stephen, pray to the God of the martyrs that, as he considered it worthy to give him the crown after seeing his merits, he will lavish on us in all things his most bounteous mercy, moved through the prayers of Stephen. Through our Lord Jesus Christ his Son.

26. Collect follows. God, you who have granted to the holy Stephen your martyr to be the first in ministry and martyrdom, as you have granted us the feast of this holy day for the commemoration of his passion, hear the humble prayers of your servants, so we ask, and give us the special protection of him whose prayers for his enemies and sinners you affectionally accepted. Grant also that he is our intercessor, who prayed for his own persecutors. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives blessedly with you.

27. Collect after the names. Almighty and everlasting God, who to adorn the holy body of your church (Rom. 12, 4-5; cf. I Cor. 12, 12-27) with the manifold virtue of your saints, dedicated the blood of your glorious deacon Stephen as first-fruits of martyrs, grant us, that we celebrate the day of his birth with particular honour, because we fully trust that he can support your faithful, who as follower of the love of the Lord even prayed for his own persecutors. And give through his mediation, so we ask, that the living may gain salvation and the dead eternal rest. Grant this through the Lord your Son.

28. Collect at the kiss of peace. God, Giver of Love, God who grants us forgiveness, who gave abundantly to your holy martyr Stephen during his passion that he received the rain of stones mildly and prayed for those who threw them, we request with prayers of trust your goodness, O Lord, that while we commemorate the passion of your martyr, through his intercession we may be considered worthy to gain the safety of peace an the forgiveness of our sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who with you [...]

29. Prayer of sacrifice. It is worthy and just, fair and just that we praise you and bless you, that we give thanks to you, almighty and everlasting God. For your glory in the assembly of your saints, whom, chosen before the foundation of the world (Ioh. 17, 24), you have marked in heaven with a spiritual blessing (Eph. 1, 3), and whom you have joined with your only-begotten Son through his adoption of the flesh and the redemption of the cross. In them you have made your Holy Spirit reign, through whom they have come to the glory of the blessed martyrdom through the favour of your goodness. It is therefore appropriate that this solemn feast is held for you,Lord of might, that this holy day is celebrated for you [this day], which the blood of your first martyr the blessed Stephen, poured out as a testimony to your truth, has marked with the magnificent honour of your name. For he is the first confessor of this name that is above every name (Phil. 2, 9), in which you, holy Father, have placed the only protection of our salvation. He has gone before in your Church, a splendid example of that one praise to strengthen the hearts of all. He was the first, after the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, to take possession of the palm of victory. As soon as he was consecrated in the ministry of deacon by the apostles through the Holy Spirit, he suddenly began to shine with a a radiant snow-white colour, purple through the blood of martyrdom. O blessed offspring of Abraham (Ps. 105, 6; II Cor. 11, 22), who earlier than all others became a follower and witness to the teaching of the apostles and the cross of the Lord. He deservedly saw the heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Act. 7, 55-56). It is therefore worthy and just that we praise such a person in the confession of your name. Almighty God, grant us by your goodness the help of him whom you have deigned to call to such great glory. May such a person pray for this people, who rejoicingly received Christ when he came to Him after the victory. May these eyes be opened for us to heaven, which, still in this body of death (Rom. 7, 24), in that hour of the passion saw the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father. May he obtain this for us, who, when he was stoned, prayed to you, holy God, almighty Father, on behalf of his persecutors. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who deigned to be born in the flesh through the Virgin and suffer death for our sins, so that through his example he taught his martyrs to suffer. To whom all the angels and archangels rightfully and unceasingly cry out, saying: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.

30. Collect after the Sanctus. Truly holy, truly blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ your only-begotten Son, who endowed his martyr Stephen with the company of the heavenly court, who took upon him the weakness of our body, [and] before he poured out his holy blood for the salvation of humankind instituted the mystery of the holy Eucharist. Who on the day before his suffering [...]

31. After the consecration. Therefore we do this, Lord, we observe these commandments, we proclaim this passion of the sacred body through the holy sacrifice, [and] we ask, almighty God, that we, as we now fulfil the truth of the heavenly sacrament, may partake of the true body and blood of the Lord. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son.

32. Before the Lord's prayer. Taught by the examples of the glorious deacon and the lessons of the most blessed martyr Stephen, dear brothers, let us pour out our prayer in all humility to the eternal King and Father God, that, after he has given us the glow and the gift of faith, he will ignite us through the fire of his love to desire martyrdom, and will make us followers of him, who bore his passion not only through his own glory, but also as an example for his edification. And to whom he deigned to give strength in martyrdom, may he give the opportunity to be an intercessor for us. And may he permit [us] to say without hesitation the prayer that he deigned to teach us: OUR FATHER [...]

33. After the Lord's prayer. Deliver us from evil, almighty God, and grant to us your supplicants that our soul may be so willing to suffer and die for your Christ, that it may be judged of us that we are not lacking martyrdom, but that martyrdom was lacking us. Through.

34. Blessing of the people. God, who so bound your martyrs through your love that they even wished to die for you in order not to be lost. AMEN. And who so ignited in faith the blessed Stephen in his confession that he did not fear the rain of stones. AMEN. Hear the prayer of your servants, which sounds up amid the festivities for your faithful friend. AMEN. May this voice reach you, while it intercedes for your people and which in martyrdom itself prayed for your enemies. AMEN. That the people, who have been acquired through mercy, while he claimed victory and you rewarded him, may come where he has seen you in glory while heaven was open. AMEN. May you deign to grant this.

35. Collect after the Eucharist. God, perpetual Salvation, inestimable Bliss, grant, so we ask, to all your people, that they who have taken the sacred and the blessed may also be deemed worthy to be ever sacred and blessed. May you deign to grant this.

36. Completion of Mass. We bring thanks to you, O Lord, for your mercies which have been multiplied towards us, who saves us through the birth of your Son and sustains us through the prayer of the martyr Stephen. Through our Lord your Son.'


Text: Rose 2005, 359-64.
Translation: Rose 2017, 124-8.

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