April 28, St. Paul of the Cross, Confessor

St. Paul of the Cross, Confessor

St. Paul of the Cross was born at Ovada in the State of Genoa in 1694. As his name indicates, he had during all his life a burning love for Jesus crucified. "Nailed to the Cross with Christ" (Gospel), he devoted himself to preaching everywhere with singular charity, the mystery of the cross (Collect, Epistle). To carry out this great work in the Church (Gospel), he instituted the Passionists who make a vow to propagate the blessed memory of the Saviour's Passion.

Consumed by the love which he drew from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, "which is the perpetual memorial of the boundless charity of Christ" (Postcommunion) he offered himself to God with Jesus "as an oblation of agreeable odour" (Offertory) and died in 1775.

Let us, like St. Paul of the Cross, suffer with the crucified Saviour, "that we may rejoice with Jesus risen again" (Alleluia, Communion).

Christo confixus sum cruci: vivo autem, jam non ego: vivit vero in me Christus: in fide vivo Filii Dei, qui dilexit me, et tradidit semetipsum pro me, alleluia, alleluia. Beatus qui intelligit super egenum et pauperem: in die mala liberabit eum Dominus.
With Christ I am nailed to the cross: but I live, now not I: but Christ liveth in me: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself for me, alleluia, alleluia. * Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor: the Lord will deliver him in the evil day.
(Galatians 2:19-20 and Psalm 40:2 from the Introit of Mass)

Domine Jesu Christe, qui ad mysterium crucis praedicandum, sanctum Paulum singulari caritate donasti, et per eum novam in Ecclesia familiam florescere voluisti: ipsius nobis intercessione concede: ut passionem tuam jugiter recolentes in terris, ejusdem fructum consequi mereamur in caelis.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst endow holy Paul with singular charity to preach the mystery of the Cross, and willed that through him a new family should flourish in the Church : grant us, through his intercession, that ever recalling the memory of Thy passion upon earth, we may deserve to obtain the fruit of it in heaven.
(Collect)

From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11590a.htm