Lam 2:11
My gall is poured out on the ground because of the downfall of the daughter of my people, as child and infant faint away in the open spaces of the town.
Ps 112:1
Praise the Lord, you children, praise the name of the Lord.
Glory Be to the Father…
My gall is poured out on the ground because of the downfall of the daughter of my people, as child and infant faint away in the open spaces of the town.

O God, the Father of mercies, by the merits and intercession of St. Jerome, whom You willed to be the helper and father of orphans, grant that we may faithfully guard the spirit of adoption which makes us Your sons both in name and reality.
Through our Lord…

Lesson from the book of Isaias
Isa 58:7-11
Thus says the Lord: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and He will say: ‘Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like the midday; then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.

Prov 5:16
Let your water sources be dispersed abroad, and in the streets divide your waters.
Ps 111:5-6
℣. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; he shall never be moved. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 111:9
Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever. Alleluia.

Allelúja, allelúja.
Ps 111:1
Beátus vir, qui timet Dóminum, in mandátis ejus cupit nimis. Allelúja.
℣. Ibid., 9, 3
Dispérsit, dedit paupéribus: justítia ejus manet in sǽculum sǽculi. Allelúja.

Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 19:13-21
At that time, little children were brought to Jesus, that He might lay His hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said to them, Let the little children be, and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And when He had laid His hands on them, He departed from that place. And behold, a certain man came to Him and said, Good Master, what good work shall I do to have eternal life? He said to him, Why do you ask Me about what is good? One there is Who is good, and He is God. But if you will enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to Him, Which? And Jesus said, You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. And, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man said to Him, All these I have kept; what is yet wanting to me? Jesus said to him, If you will be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.

Tob 12:12
When you prayed with tears, and buried the dead, and left your dinner, and hid the dead by day in your house, and buried them by night, I offered your prayer to the Lord.

O most merciful God, Who in blessed Jerome graciously destroyed the old to create in him a new man in Your likeness, grant by his merits, that we, in like manner reborn, may offer You this sacrifice of atonement as a most sweet fragrance.
Through our Lord…

Common
It is truly meet and just, and profitable unto salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, through Christ, our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominions adore it, the Powers are in awe. Which the heavens and the hosts of heaven together with the blessed Seraphim joyfully do magnify. And do Thou command that it be permitted us to join with them in confessing Thee, while we say with lowly praise:

James 1:27
Religion pure and undefiled before God the Father, is this: to give aid to orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.

Refreshed with the bread of angels, we humbly pray You, O Lord, that we who joyfully celebrate the yearly feast of blessed Jerome, Your Confessor, may follow his example and be enabled to win a most abundant reward in Your kingdom.
Through our Lord…