Juana Inés de la Cruz, Monastic and Theologian, 1695

The Collect:

Rite I:
Almighty God, Source of all knowledge, we give thee thanks for the witness of thy servant Juana Inés de la Cruz in her fierce passion for learning and creativity. Teach us, we beseech thee, so to be faithful stewards of our minds and hearts, that, following her example, we might forever proclaim the riches of thine unending love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Through the same Jesus Christ who, with thee and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Rite II:
Almighty God, Source of all knowledge, we give you thanks for the witness of your servant Juana Inés de la Cruz in her fierce passion for learning and creativity. Teach us to be faithful stewards of our minds and hearts, so that, following her example, we might forever proclaim the riches of your unending love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Jesus Christ who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.

First Lesson: Judith 16:1–10

¹And Judith said,

Begin a song to my God with tambourines,
    sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Raise to him a new psalm;
    exalt him, and call upon his name.
²For the Lord is a God who crushes wars;
    he sets up his camp among his people;
    he delivered me from the hands of my pursuers.
³The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north;
    he came with myriads of his warriors;
their numbers blocked up the wadis,
    and their cavalry covered the hills.
⁴He boasted that he would burn up my territory,
    and kill my young men with the sword,
and dash my infants to the ground,
    and seize my children as booty,
    and take my virgins as spoil.

⁵But the Lord Almighty has foiled them
    by the hand of a woman.
⁶For their mighty one did not fall by the hands of the young men,
    nor did the sons of the Titans strike him down,
    nor did tall giants set upon him;
but Judith daughter of Merari
    with the beauty of her countenance undid him.

⁷For she put away her widow’s clothing
    to exalt the oppressed in Israel.
She anointed her face with perfume;
⁸    she fastened her hair with a tiara
    and put on a linen gown to beguile him.
⁹Her sandal ravished his eyes,
    her beauty captivated his mind,
    and the sword severed his neck!
¹⁰The Persians trembled at her boldness,
    the Medes were daunted at her daring.

Psalm: Psalm 34:11–18

¹¹ Come, children, and listen to me; *
       I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Who among you loves life *
       and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil-speaking *
       and your lips from lying words.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; *
       seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, *
       and his ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, *
       to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them *
       and delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted *
       and will save those whose spirits are crushed.

Gospel: Matthew 5:17–20

¹⁷‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. ¹⁸For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

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