#i want my name to be gobnait
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lucygxybaird · 15 days ago
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billy x reader - you feel the baby kick
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tw: pregnancy, tw: nausea (mention)
Sitting on the front porch, a pile of mending in a basket at your feet, you lean back in the chair and close your eyes, tipping your face up. A soft spring breeze plays with the tendrils of hair falling from your braid, sunshine splashing into your lap, and if you listen hard enough, you can hear Billy singing to himself as he repairs a saddle in the little shack that passes for your stable.
Oh, how I love her, ain’t that a shame…oh, how I love her, good-bye, Liza Jane…
You smile to yourself, absently humming along. More often than not lately, you’ve started dozing off in the afternoons, a habit which you know alarmed Billy at first — though he promised to fuss over you less (and  he’s definitely gotten better), you did overhear him taking the doctor aside after a recent visit, asking if it was normal for you to be so tired.
“Yes, son,” the doctor had assured him. You’d been pretty sure you could hear the smile in his voice. “It’s perfectly normal, and in fact, I’d encourage it. It’s a lot of work, bringing new life into the world.”
Without opening your eyes, you smooth a hand over your belly, your faint smile widening. Loose nightgowns can’t hide your condition anymore, but you don’t mind, because with every change to your body, you know your baby is growing. Not to mention Billy simply can’t keep his hands off you. 
Most often, he’ll start with his hands on your shoulders, coming up behind you and squeezing gently, resting his chin on the crown of your head. Then his hands will slide down your arms, pausing to cup your elbows and pull you flush against him. You’ll relax in his arms, glad to take the weight off the small of your back, and he’ll spread one large, warm palm over the curve of your belly.
“How’re my girls doin’ today?” he’ll ask, which never fails to make you giggle. 
“What if it’s a boy?”
Billy always shakes his head firmly. “Mm-mm, that’s my baby girl in there,” he’ll tell you. “I know it.” 
When the two of you are laying in bed together, Billy will hold you in his arms all night, both hands resting protectively over your stomach. Other times, throughout the day, he’ll pause just to kiss you — your lips, each cheek, your forehead — before putting his palm against your ribs, thumb moving in soothing circles over the fabric of your dress, which is becoming more and more tightly stretched with each passing day. 
“You’re so pretty,” he’ll tell you, smiling in a dreamy sort of way, like he can’t quite believe this life is actually his. Or he’ll ask you how you’re feeling, or he’ll ask you what you did today while he was working, or he’ll tease you with more whimsically intricate Gaelic baby names (Gobnait, Odhairnaith, Dubhghlas, Muircheartach). 
Sometimes, when you find yourself worrying — about the pain to come, about taking care of another little living being, about if you’ll be a good mother, a good wife — you think of that smile.
You have always known that Billy’s story diverges from the man, a tributary branching off from a river; the truth was clear, cold water, sweet and filling, but it seemed most people weren’t interested in that. They were rabidly fascinated by that little stream, by the waters churning with blood, spent shells, dirt and sweat. Tears. You love all of Billy, tributaries and all, but you know that he earnestly wants to follow the river, tracings its path to the future. A future with you, with your baby.
When you see his peaceful smile, his contentment radiating from him like an angel’s halo, you’re reminded of how far he’s come. Of how much he deserves this peace, this life the two of you are making together, and you feel at peace yourself. Whatever comes, physical pain or self-doubt, you know you can take it on, as long as you have him by your side.
Which — 
Your eyes flutter open as his shadow falls across your face, and you smile up at him. “How long have you been standing there?”
Billy grins sheepishly, shrugging. Rather than loom over you, he kneels beside your chair, putting his hand against your stomach. “Not long,” he says, as you cover his hand with your own. You can smell the scent of leather clinging to his skin, mixing with his natural musk, and you’re glad that your stomach has finally settled. A few months ago, even scents like this — scents you loved — would have driven you to a bucket. 
You remember how attentive he had been then — not that he was any less attentive now — even though your illness had embarrassed you. You’d known, logically, that you couldn’t help it, but it had made you cringe, nonetheless. You worried that he would find you disgusting like this, but you should have known better. Billy had never once flinched, instead holding your hair safely back, helping you into bed afterwards, fetching you water to rinse your mouth and crackers to soothe your tender stomach. 
“What are you thinkin’ about?” You feel his fingers grasp your chin, turning your face toward his. You smile and shake your head.
“You.” 
Billy raises an eyebrow, a faint smile coming to his lips. “Good things, I hope.”
“Oh, no,” you say, shaking your head expansively. “Only about how you repulse me, actually.”
“Ah!” He puts his hand over his heart, as though mortally wounded. You bite your lip to keep from giggling. After a moment of consideration, he says: “That makes having my baby a little awkward for ya, huh?”
“A little,” you agree. 
He leans up to kiss you, moving his hand from your stomach to the arm of the chair to brace himself. It’s then, as your own palm settles on the curve of your belly, that you feel it. You gasp against Billy’s lips, and he straightens up at once, his eyes widening.
“What?” he says. “Is somethin’ wrong? Is it the baby?”
You just smile at him, shaking your head. You hold up your free hand, indicating that you need a moment, and Billy sits back on his heels, his forehead still furrowed with concern. “Here,” you breathe, and you take his hand, putting it over the spot where you think you felt something.
“Darlin’, wh—?” His voice falters as he feels the same thing you felt, and his eyes go wide, his face shining like a child on Christmas morning, faced with every gift he could ever want. “Is that…?”
“I think so,” you say, laughing weakly, tears starting in your eyes like a pair of stars winking into life. “I think it is.”
And then it happens again, and you’re certain. 
“Billy, here,” you say, taking his hand and moving it to the new spot. 
It feels like a fish swimming beneath your skin, a fluttering sensation that reminds you of ripples in a pond — and then — 
“Oh!” 
The two of you exclaim at the same time, and under normal circumstances, it would make you laugh. His deeper voice melding with your lighter one is like a kitten and a mountain lion being startled in unison. But all you can think about is the strong, solid jab you both felt — you, against the drum-tight curve of your stomach, and Billy, in his cupped hand, as if he’s catching a firefly. 
“Do it again,” Billy says, wide-eyed, and you almost tell him — gently — that you can’t really control it, when you realize his eyes are trained on your stomach. “Please? Do it again for your papa, please?”
You both sit there for a moment, waiting, and then — 
Another little flutter, like the baby is rolling over inside you, and you guide Billy’s hand over the ballet beneath your skin. There’s another sharp jab to your ribs, right into Billy’s palm. “Oh, my sweet girl,” Billy says softly, and it isn’t until he looks up at you with glittering eyes that you realize he’s talking to you this time. “That’s our baby.”
You lean down, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Ours,” you agree. You love the sound of that word. 
“And she listened to me,” Billy says, offering you a cheeky grin. “You think that makes her papa’s girl already?”
“What are you going to do when this baby is born and it’s a boy?” 
Billy smiles. “Then we’ll name him Patrick William, and we’ll try again.” 
You snort, raising an eyebrow. “And how many babies do you think we’re going to have, Mr. Bonney?”
He leans up to kiss you again, brushing his lips, butterfly light, over the curve of your cheek. “As many as you’re willin’ to give me, honey. An’ you know I’ll love every one, whether it’s just this little one, or…”
He cuts his eyes over at you, raising his eyebrows to give you a cue. You laugh and hold up two fingers. “Or two more,” he finishes, and you giggle.
He sits in the rocking chair next to yours, pulling your feet into his lap. “You know it doesn’t matter to me, boy or girl,” he says. “I just want ’em to be happy and healthy. That’s all.”
You lean your head back as his thumbs dig into the arch of your foot. “I know,”  you murmur.
There’s silence for a moment, and you let yourself drift idly, relaxing at the pleasure of his touch, of his words. 
“I was thinkin’, though…”
You crack an eye open. “Hmm?”
“If we have a little girl…my ma would have liked…I mean, she woulda…she really woulda loved…”
His throat works, and you lean forward, taking your feet — with no small measure of reluctance — out of his lap, taking your hands in his instead. “I know,” you say. “Our firstborn daughter was always gonna be Kathleen Bonney, whether it’s this baby or another one.”
He smiles, his eyes bright again. “Thank you, darlin’.” 
You kiss him gently, before pulling back with a grin. “Much better than Gobnait…”
His head tilts back with the force of his laughter, his broad shoulders shaking. “Aw, come on now, you didn’t really give that one a chance…”
“And I won’t,” you say, shaking your head with a giggle. “No matter how many we have.” 
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maxilgal · 3 years ago
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You should be able to change your Confirmation name. The Vatican should have a form or something
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badolmen · 4 years ago
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tysm to everyone who has interacted with this fun lil fic - your likes, reblogs, and comments never cease to make me smile!  who’s ready for the spooky season? @billy-hoepe @bonniebunz @softupshur and @bandtrees I hope y’all’re doing well and taking care of yourselves <3
Chapters: First, 2, 3, 4, 5
Billy had been to churches before. Old ones, new ones, small ones, big ones, bright ones, dark ones, and places of worship of every denomination. He had slept on pews and stone stairs when the doors were locked. He had spent many Christmas nights bathing in the warmth of candles and songs, the midnight mass providing respite from the bitter winter if only for a few hours.
He didn’t understand churches, of course. His mother murmured of being raised Baptist on occasion or spit angry curses at Catholic and Mormon ex-boyfriends. She would mutter negative sentiments to cultures and beliefs he had no concept of outside of his mother’s warped and hate filled snarls at the television.
Billy knew nothing of worship or prayer or faith.
Sometimes, in Mount Massive, he wished a god would answer his prayers. Sometimes he was sure there was no god listening at all. He wondered, on dark nights and rainy days, that if he had learned prayer the higher powers would listen, that if he had faith, any faith at all, he would hear a response.
The phantom that scratched at the back of his mind didn’t bring any revelations with the pain it caused – it was just static, a ghost and whisper of hate that drove ice into Billy’s thoughts when he tried to explore the concept of the being that shared the same corporeal form as him.
This church was old and big but marred with minor disrepair. The main tower was wrapped in blue tarps to keep out the rain, and the shingles shuddered in the wind. The red brick had been stained a deeper crimson by the moisture, almost seeming to bleed into the gray concrete below.
Blood, smeared across the walls and floors and the stink of rotting flesh and freshly dead meat and insects and flies and maggots and –
“Here we are,” The driver hummed, her car groaning to a halt on the street in front of the massive building. Miles said her name was Beatrice. “I’d walk you in, but…” She trailed off, eyeing the rivulets of rain cascading down her windshield. “Just go right in and head to the room behind the altar, at the back of the building. We gave Fr. Kos the heads up so he should be waiting for y’all.”
“Thank you,” Miles said, stiffly nodding to Beatrice. Billy could feel the tension rising in the man like a spring coiled tighter and tighter. Exhaustion, too. “You good to go Billy? Probably best to make a run for it in this weather.”
“Good to go,” Billy whispered, swallowing back the metallic taste in his mouth. Had talking always hurt this much? Dr. Wernicke complained that he talked too much in their sessions. Maybe he finally fixed that problem.
“Alright then,” Miles grunted, car door opening and closing as he rushed the building. Billy tried to follow in suit but startled at the slam of the car door and tripped over his own wobbly legs while trying to scale the stone steps. Miles reached out, catching him before he collapsed at the top of the stairs.
With an exchange of thumbs up between Beatrice and Miles, the car sputtered away from the curb, leaving the two clinging to each other beneath the eaves.
The door was big, dark and solid wood heavy enough to make Miles’ face twist up in pain as he held the door open for Billy to shuffle inside. But the door closed softly, mechanism clicking in place the two stood in the warmth of the hallway between the church and the outside world.
“Man, forgot to ask if this is the back of the church or if the other end is…” Miles muttered, trying to find a comfortable way to hold his hands. Blood had seeped through his bandages.
“…think it’s this way,” Billy breathed, trying his hardest to keep his voice soft. It hurt less to whisper than to speak. He held open the inner door for Miles and the two treaded quietly across the carpeted floors toward the altar.
The church was empty and quiet save for their breathing and the quiet light of a few candles.
Billy’s eyes searched the many corners and peaks of the vaulted ceiling for cameras – Miles was probably doing the same as the pair slowly made their way toward the door beside the altar. But there were no cameras to be found. The fog that usually clouded Billy’s thoughts seemed to lift, or at least offer a shimmer of relieved clarity.
The door they were walking to opened, and the pair tensed.
“Oh, didn’t mean to startle you,” Billy couldn’t place the accent, but the voice was lighter than he thought it would be. The men or women in black who stood on the altar and wore colorful robes always had hard voices, sometimes even angry. But this man’s voice was soft and gentle. “I’m Father Kos – or Father Sebastian, whichever you care for, you are Miles and Billy, right?”
“Yeah,” Miles said, voice still tight even as his posture relaxed. “Yeah, I’m Miles, he’s Billy. This is Saint Gobnait’s?”
“Correct, come, this way. I’m sure you two will want to warm up,” The man in black stepped back into the room, gesturing that they follow. Miles paused, only for a moment, before stalking toward the entry. Billy kept close behind, eyes still wandering across the stained glass and statues of the building.
This room was warmer, but not by much. Father Kos had begun descending down a flight of stairs, black shoes clicking against the wood.
“Ah,” He sighed, noticing Miles pause again. “There’s a short tunnel to the rectory basement. Would you rather go outside again?”
“Yes,” Miles was quick to answer, curtly nodding to the man. Billy did not want to go outside again – the ice in his thoughts had made a home in his bones and every step felt like he was standing on nails. But he couldn’t tell Miles that fast enough, so he nodded in agreement.
“Alright, here,” Father Kos said, taking an umbrella from beneath his black coat. “Use my umbrella, it’s not far but it would –” He muttered a word Billy did not understand, before gesturing vaguely to the door that led outside. “Bah, never mind, follow me.”
The umbrella was small, so Billy stayed close to Miles’ side, careful not to jostle the man too much as they walked. Miles’ hands kept shaking, bandaged fingers struggling to get a comfortable grip on the handle.
Father Kos seemed unperturbed by the down pour, heavy black coat soaked, and glasses blurred by the time they reached the rectory, a small white building beside the brick church. The trio shook rain from their shoes at the doorway, a breath of blessed warmth working its way into Billy’s aching bones.
“Oh, is that the – Father! You’ll catch your death, go, go take a warm shower and get some dry clothes on –”
“This is Sister Francis, Sister, this is Miles and Billy, the one’s Carolyn’s Place called about,”
Billy shrank behind Miles, hoping to seem small. The woman was shorter than him, stout with a round face and liver spotted cheeks. Her voice was grating and hard, the static in the back of his mind hissed like water on an electric burner.
“I can introduce myself, Father. Go warm up the shower, and try not to track too much water in here,”
“Yes, yes,” The man’s lighthearted laugh calmed some of the building static in Billy thoughts. “What’s for lunch Sister?”
“McDonalds or Burger King; it depends on our guests,” Francis’ voice had softened, the crow’s feet at her eyes becoming more apparent as she smiled.
“I vote for Burger King – they have better fish,”
“Dully noted,” Francis sighed as Father Kos slowly made his way up the staircase. “Leave the umbrella by the door – goodness knows this rain won’t let up anytime soon,”
“That what the weather is saying?” Miles said, voice relaxing as the older woman limped down the hall.
“Yes, flood warnings – very strange for this time of year. Did you hear about the bugs down in Arizona? Flock of locust; they blotted out the sun just yesterday and then poof! No one knows where they went.”
“That…is strange,” Miles breathed, beckoning Billy to follow them as they made their way down the carpeted hall.
“The kitchen’s right there – don’t be in there when I’m cooking, Father might not mind but it’s a small space and I’d rather not smack you with a pan of potatoes by accident.” Francis said in a practiced tone, waving to the small oven and refrigerator for a brief moment before continuing the slow walk down the hall.
Billy didn’t bother looking in the room, his eyes trained on the back of Miles’ head. It was warm – cozy and comforting. The air smelled like dust and the faintest trace of smoke – and mixed with the blood and sweat of Miles’ jacket, it almost smelled like home.
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edward-little · 4 years ago
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tagged by @graham-cracking​ to list the top 10 songs over which i’m currently apeshit:
blood on my name- the brothers bright
kill and run- sia
who wants to live forever- queen
avalanche- leonard cohen
song on the times- 1840s protest song, covered by chumbawamba (anything off that album fucks though)
bottom of the river- delta rae
the old captain- brillig
après moi- regina spektor
the mariner’s revenge song- the decemberists
the crew of the hms terror- jessica law
i tag @lovelyprincejehan, @william-pilkington, @theiceandbones, @harrypeglar, @ableseamen, @gobnaits, and @areyougonnabe.
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avinrydarchive · 7 years ago
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Continuo
Author: AvinRyd Fandom: Seraphina Duology Rating: G Pairing: Seraphina/Glisselda Side Pairings: Seraphina/Lucian Kiggs, Lars/Viridius Word Count: ~1900
con·tin·u·o
/kənˈtinyəˌwō/ noun noun: continuo; plural noun: continuos; noun: basso continuo; plural noun: basso continuos
(in baroque music) an accompanying part that includes a bass line and harmonies, typically played on a keyboard instrument and with other instruments such as cello or bass viol.
Read on AO3: link
Without Seraphina, Castle Orison seemed to lose a dimension. Queen Glisselda couldn’t quite put her finger on what, exactly, was the difference, but something was off. She considered asking her dear fiancee and cousin, but Lucian would no doubt pull it into philosophical metaphors and probably quote scripture, because that’s what Lucian did. She didn’t have the patience for that, not today. No, maybe to put in terms more similar to the Second Court Composer herself? The object of such contemplation?
It was, Glisselda decided, like there was an instrument missing in the ensemble that was the castle; or more accurately, the ensemble that was her life. With Phina gone, there was no continuo to hers and Lucian’s duet. Dutifully, they played their parts, melodies intertwining with intervals and movements perfectly synchronized, but without the harmony beneath, it all seemed thin and paltry.
Some days, when she could get away from politics and propriety and war, she would sit at her harpsichord and dither. Seraphina had never taught her the finer points of the continuo part. She’d reasoned, when would Glisselda be called upon to play in an ensemble that required it? The numbers beneath a flute solo meant nothing to the young queen, but with a discerning ear and a book she may have stolen from her erstwhile music teacher’s rooms, she tried. Similarly, she tried to fill the void scarcely a month had made apparent. She made little progress in either arena.
One mid-afternoon, in a fit of frustration at both draconic ideas of ruling and musical rules of harmony, Glisselda swept herself off towards Viridius’s suite. The festival of St. Ida, with its celebrations within Castle Orison and without, was fast approaching; Viridius would be up to his eyeballs in preparations, she knew, but perhaps Lars could find some time in his schedule to indulge a Queen’s fancies. Holding queries about progress of the war machines before her like a shield, Glisselda inquired Lars’s location and tried not to scurry out of the gout-plagued composer’s presence after. A Queen does not “scurry,” she told herself. At best, she “hastens,” even when fleeing the presence of her grouchy ex-music teacher.
As Viridius had snapped, Glisselda found Lars atop the castle’s eastern wall. It did take a moment to find him, considering he was ten feet in the air straddling a support of his latest—what had he called it? Trebuchet?—and it took a moment longer for Glisselda to snag his attention.
“Lars!” she called above a sudden rush of wind, “Lars! I wondered if I might-” another gust caught at her voluminous cloud of skirts and buffeted her back a step. “-might have a word with you!”
With a grace no one ever expected from the large Samsamese man, Lars swung down from his creation to land nimbly at Glisselda’s feet. He sank into a low bow, giving full courtesy in the style of his homeland. “Your Mejesty, your presence is an honor,” he greeted in heavily-accented Goreddi, “how mey I help you?”
“I came to assess your progress on these-” she gestured at the construction behind him, “-war machines you’ve been building. Can you give me an appraisal?”
Lars seemed to light up from the inside. Eagerly, he extended an arm to usher the Queen along the castle battlements. Two points of gold made their way down the line of machines, Lars explaining the mathematics of his improved pyria sling, Glisselda casting a critical eye on wooden elements of construction; Lars extrapolating on saar-provided methods of fireproofing even the driest wood, Glisselda cataloguing the names of said dragons to reach out to in a more formal capacity later. Eventually, they reached the northeastern tower, where the castle walls fell away and opened to the city of Lavondaville proper.
“I hev actually been meaning to speak to Your Mejesty about the city’s defences,” Lars said, moving to climb the tower stairs, “If I mey, it is easier to show this from above.”
Glisselda nodded her assent and together they ascended to the tower’s top. The wind had died down considerably, to Glisselda’s great relief; she no longer had to cling to the battlements for fear of blowing away. The city sprawled beneath them, visibly teeming with life even from this distance. Open-air markets milled with shoppers, people scurried in little lines along streets like ants, Quighole seemed to pulse with the movements of too-crowded saar going about their business. The sheer enormity of what they were going to war to defend built pressure behind Glisselda’s breast, and apparently had affected Lars in some way as well, for he said,
“In an addition to our castle defences, I am meaning to ask about setting some sort of protection at the north border of the city. If the fighting comes south and the Old Ard cannot be stoppedt by our Loyalists, thet will be the first to be hit. So many homes mey be destroyed, so...” He trailed off.
Glisselda was quiet a long moment, then, “Yes, that seems wise. What do you have in mind?”
Apparently prepared for this question—had he planned on seeking audience with her soon?—he produced a parchment, neatly rolled and tied with twine, and unfurled it. Drawn on it in charcoal was a detailed sketch of Lavondaville’s northern perimeter and the lands just beyond. Small ‘x’s and circles were placed where trebuchets and ballistae might be placed, and Lars lowered the parchment to point out the locations more exactly. He’d obviously put a great deal of thought into this plan and it touched Glisselda more than she could say. Goredd was not his home, after all. That seemed insensitive to say, though, so aloud she said,
“I approve of the idea, certainly. Tomorrow, I will call together Lucian and our other defence councilors to discuss the logistics and such for the project.” At Lars’s move to hand her the parchment, she stopped him, “You will, of course, be present to explain your plan in full and be party to all of the preparations.”
He looked ready to protest, but then seemed to remember exactly who she was and bowed. No words passed his lips and Glisselda didn’t press. Lars was, as she understood it, often a man of few words even in his native tongue. In companionable silence then, they watched the city below breathe. Faintly, cathedral bells tolling the hour reached their ears and two pairs of pale eyes fixed on the spires of St. Gobnait’s. Lars’s megaharmonium lived in that church, Glisselda knew, but her most musical memory of that place was of Seraphina and her flute sending off Uncle Rufus in a fashion more beautiful and intimate than the princess had believed possible.
Still caught up in that vein of thought, she asked, “Lars, how long have you known Seraphina?”
“Thet depends,” he replied, “I only met her, in person, just before midwinter. But she has been in my mindt, her music I’m meaning, for many years.” He seemed to listen to the wind for a moment, then continued, “Do you know her well, Mejesty?”
When Glisselda laughed, the sound wasn’t quite merry. “I don’t know. I’ve known her not even a month more than you, by your first criteria. And please, Glisselda is fine.” Despite their height and the dizziness it caused, she closed her eyes to better encapsulate the feelings she wanted to put into words. “You say her music has always been in your head, due to some quirk of your ityasaari connection? Regardless. Has she always played with such a...captivating quality? Like you can’t bear to stop listening, like it might break you to try?”
With her eyes closed, Glisselda didn’t see the understanding, almost fond expression that overtook Lars’s face. She heard the softness, though, when he replied simply, “Yes, always.”
The spring chill began to creep its way into her bones. Still, it was peaceful up here and she was loath to return to being Queen Glisselda once more. Perhaps sensing her resolution starting to form, Lars spoke as if to continue her first line of questioning. “And how long hev you been lov- Neyt, in Gorshya it would be: how long hev you been in love with her?”
Air turned to ice in her lungs even as heat trickled from the back of her neck into her face and down her spine. A stunningly dissonant sensation she had no ability to process because Lars had just- He’d said-
“H-how did you know?” she choked out, “Does everyone know?” Am I so obvious with my heart that any can see? Her hands clutched the stone of the battlements once more, needing balance for an entirely different reason now. Violet-blue eyes were open now, wide and horrified, staring up at the piper next to her, almost pleading.
He met her gaze with a gentle serenity that was perfectly matched to the soft grey of his own eyes. Mouth still curved in that soft expression, he turned to stare out at the city once more, bracing strong arms on the stone before them to lean just the slightest bit forward, as if he might fly.
“People look a certain way when they want somethingk, or someone, they think they cannot hev.” he said, the wind stealing much of the sound and leaving Glisselda straining to catch his words. “I used to see thet look every time I looked in a mirror. I saw it in Viridius’s eyes for weeks before we began speaking of what our hearts were truly feeling.”
He left the examples there, possibly out of respect for her feelings, but she knew what would come next; they’d both seen that look on the face of Prince Lucian Kiggs before Seraphina’s departure. Between that fact and the shock of her secret being so brought to light, a light she herself hadn’t dared face yet, Glisselda hadn’t the words to reply. In his turn, Lars didn’t press for one. After a moment—a minute, an hour?—her overwhelmed fog was broken by the warmth of his hand atop her own.
“In my country,” he began, turning so his words were aimed toward her once more, “Saint Dann is condemned as a heretic. When I came to Goredd, I found readingk his untainted scriptures to be a comfort. Another comfort was in finding friends who feldt the same.” The pressure on her hand increased, then disappeared. He turned to leave, but said over his shoulder,
“Even as you are my Queen, I like to be thinking we are friends as well, Glisselda.”
And he was gone. The spring wind still brought a chill, but from her hand and heart warmth began to spread. She stared at the trapdoor he’d disappeared through, then at the castle proper where politics and propriety and war awaited. From the square below, a troubadour plied the city with his songs, and in a flurry of dazed irritation Glisselda realized she’d never asked Lars about how to read a continuo part.
She’d just have to seek him out and ask later. That’s what friends did, right? Feeling suddenly lighter, she made her way down the tower stairs and across the walls, slowly replacing layers of “Queen” as she went. Later, when Goredd could spare her for a few minutes, she would remove the layers once more and confront that newly-shed light, but for now she was Queen Glisselda of Goredd and she had a part to play; and even without the full realization beneath, play she would.
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11th February >> Mass Readings (Except USA)
Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
   or 
Our Lady of Lourdes
   or 
Saint Gobnait, Virgin.
Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical Colour: Green)
First Reading
Genesis 2:18-25
Man and wife become one body
The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.’ So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts. But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed:
‘This at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh! This is to be called woman, for this was taken from man.’
This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.    Now both of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they felt no shame in front of each other.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 127(128):1-5
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord    and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat.    You will be happy and prosper.
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine    in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive,    around your table.
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Indeed thus shall be blessed    the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion    all the days of your life!
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
Psalm 144:13
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia!
Or:
James 1:21
Alleluia, alleluia! Accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. Alleluia!
Gospel
Mark 7:24-30
The astuteness of the Syro-Phoenician woman
Jesus left Gennesaret and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not pass unrecognised. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him straightaway and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a pagan, by birth a Syrophoenician, and she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ But she spoke up: ‘Ah yes, sir,’ she replied ‘but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.’ And he said to her, ‘For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.’ So she went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
-----------------------------------------------------
Our Lady of Lourdes
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Thursday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
First Reading
Isaiah 66:10-14
Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace, like a river
Rejoice, Jerusalem, be glad for her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice for her, all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled, from her consoling breast, that you may savour with delight her glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord: Now towards her I send flowing peace, like a river, and like a stream in spate the glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carried and fondled in her lap. Like a son comforted by his mother will I comfort you. And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice, and your bones flourish like the grass. To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Judith 13:18a-19
R/ You are the highest honour of our race!
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond all women on earth; and may the Lord God be blessed, the Creator of heaven and earth.
R/ You are the highest honour of our race!
The trust you have shown shall not pass from the memories of men, but shall ever remind them of the power of God.
R/ You are the highest honour of our race!
Gospel Acclamation
cf. Luke 1:45
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Alleluia!
Gospel
John 2:1-11
'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’    This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saint Gobnait, Virgin
(Liturgical Colour: White)
(Readings for the memorial)
(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Thursday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)
________
Either:
First Reading
Song of Songs 8:6-7
The flash of love is a flame of the Lord himself
Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is strong as Death, jealousy as relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of the Lord himself. Love no floods can quench, no torrents drown.
Were a man to offer all the wealth of his house to buy love, contempt is all he would purchase.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
or
First Reading
Hosea 2:16,17,21-22
I will betroth you to myself for ever
The Lord says this:
I am going to lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart. There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt. I will betroth you to myself for ever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love; I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness, and you will come to know the Lord.
The Word of the Lord
R/ Thanks be to God.
EITHER: --------
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words. or The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:    forget your own people and your father’s house. So will the king desire your beauty:    He is your lord, pay homage to him.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words. or The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,    her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold. She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words. or The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;    they pass within the palace of the king. Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:    you will make them princes over all the earth.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words. or The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
OR: --------
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 148:1-2,11-14
Your glory fills all heaven and earth. or Alleluia!
Praise the Lord from the heavens,    praise him in the heights. Praise him, all his angels,    praise him, all his host.
Your glory fills all heaven and earth. or Alleluia!
All earth’s kings and peoples,    earth’s princes and rulers, young men and maidens,    old men together with children.
Your glory fills all heaven and earth. or Alleluia!
Let them praise the name of the Lord    for he alone is exalted. The splendour of his name    reaches beyond heaven and earth.
Your glory fills all heaven and earth. or Alleluia!
He exalts the strength of his people.    He is the praise of all his saints, of the sons of Israel,    of the people to whom he comes close.
Your glory fills all heaven and earth. or Alleluia!
-------- ________
Gospel Acclamation Jn14:23
Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia! This is the wise virgin whom the Lord found watching; she went in to the wedding feast with him when he came. Alleluia!
Or:
Alleluia, alleluia! Come, bride of Christ, and receive the crown which the Lord has prepared for you for ever. Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel Matthew 19:3-12 Husband and wife are no longer two, but one body
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’    They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’    The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’
OR: --------
Gospel Matthew 25:1-13 The wise and foolish virgins
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
OR: --------
Gospel Luke 10:38-42 Martha works; Mary listens
Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
0 notes
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11th February 2017 >> Mass Readings (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa) Saturday of Week Five in Ordinary Time   or Our Lady of Lourdes   or Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Saint Gobnait, Virgin (Ireland)
Saturday of Week Five in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical Colour: Green)
First Reading
Genesis 3:9-24
The Lord God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’    Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,all wild beasts.You shall crawl on your belly and eat dustevery day of your life.I will make you enemies of each other:you and the woman,your offspring and her offspring.It will crush your headand you will strike its heel.’
To the woman he said:
‘I will multiply your pains in childbearing,you shall give birth to your children in pain.Your yearning shall be for your husband,yet he will lord it over you.’
To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
‘Accursed be the soil because of you.With suffering shall you get your food from itevery day of your life.It shall yield you brambles and thistles,and you shall eat wild plants.With sweat on your browshall you eat your bread,until you return to the soil,as you were taken from it.For dust you areand to dust you shall return.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. The Lord God made clothes out of skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on. Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil. He must not be allowed to stretch his hand out next and pick from the tree of life also, and eat some and live for ever.’ So the Lord God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the cherubs, and the flame of a flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):2-6,12-13
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born    or the earth or the world brought forth,    you are God, without beginning or end.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
You turn men back to dust    and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’To your eyes a thousand years    are like yesterday, come and gone,    no more than a watch in the night.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
You sweep men away like a dream,    like the grass which springs up in the morning.In the morning it springs up and flowers:    by evening it withers and fades.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Make us know the shortness of our life    that we may gain wisdom of heart.Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?    Show pity to your servants.
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 4:4
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Mark 8:1-10
A great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. If I send them off home hungry they will collapse on the way; some have come a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said. Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them among the crowd. They had a few small fish as well, and over these he said a blessing and ordered them to be distributed also. They ate as much as they wanted, and they collected seven basketfuls of the scraps left over. Now there had been about four thousand people. He sent them away and immediately, getting into the boat with his disciples, went to the region of Dalmanutha.
-----------------
Our Lady of Lourdes
(Liturgical Colour: White)
First Reading
Isaiah 66:10-14
Rejoice, Jerusalem,be glad for her, all you who love her!Rejoice, rejoice for her,all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled,from her consoling breast,that you may savour with delighther glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord:Now towards her I send flowingpeace, like a river,and like a stream in spatethe glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carriedand fondled in her lap.Like a son comforted by his motherwill I comfort you.And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice,and your bones flourish like the grass.To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.
Responsorial Psalm
Judith 13:18a-19
R/ You are the highest honour of our race!
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,beyond all women on earth;and may the Lord God be blessed,the Creator of heaven and earth.
R/ You are the highest honour of our race!
The trust you have shownshall not pass from the memories of men,but shall ever remind themof the power of God.
R/ You are the highest honour of our race!
Gospel Acclamation
cf. Luke 1:45
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Alleluia!
Gospel
John 2:1-11
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said; ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’    This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.
-------------
Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First Reading
Genesis 3:9-15,20
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’    Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,all wild beasts.You shall crawl on your belly and eat dustevery day of your life.I will make you enemies of each other:you and the woman,your offspring and her offspring.It will crush your headand you will strike its heel.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
Responsorial Psalm
1 Samuel 2:1,4-8
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
My heart exults in the Lord.    I find my strength in my God;my mouth laughs at my enemies    as I rejoice in your saving help.
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
The bows of the mighty are broken,    but the weak are clothed with strength.Those with plenty must labour for bread,    but the hungry need work no more.The childless wife has children now    but the fruitful wife bears no more.
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
It is the Lord who gives life and death,    he brings men to the grave and back;it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.    He brings men low and raises them on high.
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust,    from the dungheap he raises the poorto set him in the company of princes    to give him a glorious throne.For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,    on them he has set the world.
R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.
Gospel Acclamation
cf. Luke 1:28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Matthew 1:1-16,18-23
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.
After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;
of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’
-----------
Saint Gobnait, Virgin (Ireland)
(Liturgical Colour: White)
Either
First Reading
Song of Songs 8:6-7
Love is strong as death,
jealousy as relentless as Sheol.
The flash of it is a flash of fire,
a flame of the Lord himself.
Love no floods can quench,
no torrents drown.
Were a man to offer all the wealth of his house to buy love, contempt is all he would purchase.
Or
Alternative First Reading
Hosea 2:16,17,21-22
The Lord says this:
I am going to lead her out into the wilderness
and speak to her heart.
There she will respond to me as she did when she was young,
as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt.
I will betroth you to myself for ever,
betroth you with integrity and justice,
with tenderness and love;
I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness,
and you will come to know the Lord.
Either
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17
R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
or
R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
   forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
   He is your lord, pay homage to him.
R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
or
R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
   her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.
She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
or
R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
   they pass within the palace of the king.
Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers:
   you will make them princes over all the earth.
R/ Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.
or
R/ The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet Christ the Lord.
Or
Alternative Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 148:1-2,11-14
R/ Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
or
R/ Alleluia!
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
   praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all his angels,
   praise him, all his host.
R/ Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
or
R/ Alleluia!
All earth’s kings and peoples,
   earth’s princes and rulers,
young men and maidens,
   old men together with children.
R/ Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
or
R/ Alleluia!
Let them praise the name of the Lord
   for he alone is exalted.
The splendour of his name
   reaches beyond heaven and earth.
R/ Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
or
R/ Alleluia!
He exalts the strength of his people.
   He is the praise of all his saints,
of the sons of Israel,
   of the people to whom he comes close.
R/ Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
or
R/ Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation
John 14:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Or
Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the wise virgin whom the Lord found watching;
she went in to the wedding feast with him when he came.
Alleluia!
Or
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, bride of Christ, and receive the crown
which the Lord has prepared for you for ever.
Alleluia!
Either
Gospel
Matthew 19:3-12
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’
   They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’
   The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’
Or
Alternative Gospel
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
Or
Alternative Gospel
Luke 10:38-42
Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
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