ANNUNCIATION

 

 

Ad I Vesperas: saec VII-VIII

Agnóscat omne sæculum

venísse vitæ præmium;

post hostis ásperi iugum

appáruit redémptio.

 

Isaías quæ præcinit

compléta sunt in Vírgine;

annuntiávit Angelus,

Sanctus replévit Spíritus.

 

María ventre cóncipit

verbi fidélis sémine;

quem totus orbis non capit,

portant puéllæ víscera.

 

Adam vetus quod pólluit,

Adam novus hoc ábluit;

tumens quod ille déicit,

humíllimus hic érigit.

 

Christo sit omnis glória,

Dei Paréntis Fílio,

quem Virgo felix cóncipit

Sancti sub umbra Spíritus. Amen.

 

May every age know the reward of life has come; after the yoke of the harsh enemy redemption appeared. What Isaiah proclaimed has been accomplished in the Virgin; the Angel announced, the Holy Spirit filled. Mary conceived in her womb by the seed of the faithful word; what the whole world could not hold a young’ girl's womb carried. What the old Adam corrupted the new Adam washed clean; what the prideful one cast down the humble one raised up. All glory be to Christ, the Son of God the Father, whom the blessed Virgin conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Ad Officium lectionis: Prudentius

Iam cæca vis mortálium

vénerans inánes nænias,

vel æra vel saxa álgida

vel ligna credébat Deum.

 

Hæc dum sequúntur pérfidi,

prædónis in ius vénerant

et mancipátam fúmido

vitam baráthro immérserant.

 

Stragem sed istam non tulit

Christus cadéntum géntium;

impúne ne forsan sui

Patris períret fábrica,

 

Mortále corpus índuit

ut, excitáto córpore,

mortis caténam frángeret

hominémque portáret Patri.

 

Hic ille natális dies,

quo te Creátor árduus

spirávit et limo índidit,

Sermóne carnem glútinans.

 

O quanta rerum gáudia

alvus pudíca cóntinet,

ex qua novéllum sæculum

procédit et lux áurea!

 

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui natus es de Vírgine,

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

When mortal men were blind, they worshiped empty myths, they trusted as God bronze or cold stone or wood.  While the faithless followed these things, they came under the rule of the devil and lived the life of a slave plunged down into a dark abyss. But Christ could not bear this slaughter of fallen peoples; he would not let the work of his Father perish with impunity. He put on a mortal body that, when the body had been raised, he might break the chains of death and carry man to the Father. This is the birthday, when the Creator breathed on you and from the mud caused the flesh to be joined to the Word. O what joys for all things the pure womb contains, from which comes forth a new world and golden light.  To you, O Jesus, be glory, born of the Virgin, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for eternal ages. Amen.

 

 

Ad Laudes matutinas: novus

O lux, salútis núntia,

qua Vírgini fert Angelus

complénda mox orácula

et cara terris gáudia.

 

Qui Patris ætérno sinu

ætérna Proles náscitur,

obnóxius fit témpori

matrémque in orbe séligit.

 

Nobis piándis víctima

nostros se in artus cólligit,

ut innocénti sánguine

scelus nocéntum díluat.

 

Concépta carne Véritas,

umbráta velo Vírginis,

puris vidénda méntibus,

imple tuo nos lúmine.

 

Et quæ modésto péctore

te dicis ancíllam Dei,

regína nunc cæléstium,

patróna sis fidélium.

 

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui natus es de Vírgine,

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

O Light, O tidings of salvation, which the Angel bore to the Virgin, the prophecies soon to be fulfilled and dear joys upon the earth.  The eternal Son who rests forever in the Father’s bosom is born, becomes subject to time and chooses a mother in this world. Victim for our atonement, he joins himself to our bodies that by innocent blood he might wash away the wickedness of our sins.  O truth conceived in the flesh and shaded by the Virgin’s veil, but seen by pure minds, fill us with your light. And you who humbly call yourself the handmaid of God, now the Queen of the saints in heaven, be the patron of the faithful.  To you, O Jesus, be glory, born of the Virgin, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for eternal ages. Amen.

 

Ad II Vesperas:

Ave, maris stella,

Dei mater alma,

atque semper virgo,

felix cæli porta.

 

Sumens illud «Ave»

Gabriélis ore,

funda nos in pace,

mutans Evæ nomen.

 

Solve vincla reis,

profer lumen cæcis,

mala nostra pelle,

bona cuncta posce.

 

Monstra te esse matrem,

sumat per te precem

qui pro nobis natus

tulit esse tuus.

 

Virgo singuláris,

inter omnes mitis,

nos culpis solútos

mites fac et castos.

 

Vitam præsta puram,

iter para tutum,

ut vidéntes Iesum

semper collætémur.

 

Sit laus Deo Patri,

summo Christo decus,

Spirítui Sancto

honor, tribus unus. Amen.

Hail, Star of the Sea, loving Mother of God and ever a virgin, fair gate of heaven. You who received the “Ave’ from the mouth of Gabriel, establish us in peace, reversing the name of “Eva”. Break the chains of sin, give light to the blind, drive away our evil, ask for us all that is good. Show yourself a mother, may he who was born for us and humbled himself to be your Son, receive our prayer through you.  Virgin alone, meek beyond all others, cause our sins to be absolved, make us meek and chaste. Make our life unsullied, our journey safe, that we may see Jesus and with you praise him forever. Amen.

Annunciation: From the prayers of Saint Catherine of Siena: Proper of the Order of Preachers

 

Annunciation: From the prayers of Saint Catherine of Siena: Proper of the Order of Preachers

 

You, O Mary, have been made a book in which our rule is written. In you today is written the eternal Father' s wisdom; in you today our human strength and freedom are revealed.

If I consider your own great counsel, eternal Trinity, I see that in your light you saw the dignity and nobility of the human race. So, just as love compelled you to draw us out of yourself, so that same love compelled you to buy us back when we were lost. In fact, you showed that you loved us before we existed, when you chose to draw us out of yourself only for love. But you have shown us greater love still by giving us yourself, shutting yourself up today in the pouch of our humanity. And what more could you have given us than to give us your very self? So, you can truly ask us, "What should I or could I have done for you that I have not done?"

I see, then, that whatever your wisdom saw, in that great eternal council of yours, as best for our salvation, is what your mercy willed, and what your power has today accomplished.

So, what did you do? What way did your eternal unfathomable wisdom find to fulfill your truth and be merciful, and to satisfy your justice as well? What remedy did you give us? Oh, see what a fitting remedy! You arranged to give us the Word, your only-begotten Son. He would take on the clay of our flesh which had offended you so that when he suffered in that humanity your justice would be satisfied—not by humanity' s power, but by the power of the divinity united with that humanity. And so, your truth was fulfilled, and both justice and mercy were satisfied.

O Mary, I see this Word given to you, living in you yet not separated from the Father—just as the word one has in one's mind does not leave one's heart or become separated from it even though that word is externalized and communicated to others. In these things our human dignity is revealed—that God should have done such and so great things for us.

And even more in you, O Mary, our human strength and freedom are today revealed, for after the deliberation of such and so great a council, the angel was sent to you to announce to you the mystery of the divine counsel and to seek to know your will, and God's Son did not come down into your womb until you had given your will's consent, He waited at the door of' your will for you to open to him; for he wanted to come into you, but he would never have entered unless you had opened to him, saying, "Here I am, God's servant; let it be done to me as you have said."

The eternal Godhead, O Mary, was knocking at your door, but unless you had opened that door of your will God would not have taken flesh in you. Blush, my soul, when you see that today God has become your relative in Mary. Today you have been shown that even though you were made without your help, you will not be saved without your help.

O Mary, my tenderest love! In you is written the Word from whom we have the teaching of life. You are the tablet that sets this teaching before us.

Roman Breviary: Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.42th Tract on John: Feria Quarta infra Hebdomadam Passionis

 

 

So are we: "frozen with want of love".

 

The Greek word Enkainia, used by the Evangelist, signified the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple. The derivation thereof is kainon, which is, being interpreted, new; and the Dedication of anything new is thence called Enkainia. The use of this word is still preserved among ourselves; if any man put on his new coat for the first time we say that he enkainiateth. It was the use of the Jews to keep solemn holiday upon the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Temple, and this was the Feast-day which was being observed when the Lord spoke the words which have been read.

It was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple in Solomon's Porch. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, How long dost Thou make us to doubt? If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. They sought not to know the truth, but to have whereof to accuse Him. It was winter, and they were cold; for they were slow to draw near to God's fire. If to believe is to draw near thereto, then he which believed drew near thereto and he which denied, went away therefrom. The feet of the soul, by which it moved, are the affections thereof.

They were frozen with want of love, and at the same time on fire with thirst to do injury. They stood afar off, and yet came near; for though they drew not near by faith, they were eager to persecute. They sought to hear the Lord say I am the Christ; and perchance they knew somewhat concerning Christ, as touching His Manhood, for the Prophets had prophesied of Christ. But the Godhead of Christ even some heretics do not see witnessed either in the Prophets or in the Gospel; how much less the Jews, as long as the veil is upon their heart. 2 Cor. iii. 15.

Roman Breviary: Feria Tertia infra Hebdomadam Passionis: John 7:1-13: Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. 28th Tract on John

 

 

In this chapter of the Gospel, my brethren, our Lord Jesus Christ hath much commended Himself unto our faith, as touching His Manhood. At the same time, His words and works were always such as to give us to believe that He is both God and Man, yea, that God Who made us, and that Man Who hath sought us, yea, God the Son, Who, as touching His Godhead, is always with the Father, John i. 18; iii. 13, and, as touching His Manhood, hath been with us in time. Matth. i. 23. For He had not sought the work of His hands unless He had been made His own work. John i. 14. Keep this well in mind, and let your hearts never forget it, namely, that Christ was not made Man so as to cease to be God. He, Who made the Manhood, took It into that Godhead Which is His from everlasting to everlasting.

While therefore He lay hid in the Manhood, we must not think that He had suffered any lessening of power, but that He was giving example to our weakness. When He willed it, He was taken; when He willed it, He was put to death. John x. 18. But, since He was to have members, that is, His faithful people, who would not have that power over their lives which He, our God, had over His, He hid Himself, He concealed Himself, as if it were to escape being put to death, to show what should be done by those His members in whom He should dwell.

Christ is not the Head of His Church in such sense that He is not in her Body; but the whole Christ is in the Head, and the whole Christ is in the Body. That, then, which His members are is Himself, though That Which He is, That are not therefore His members. For if His members had not been indeed His Own, how had He said unto Saul, Acts ix. 4: Why persecute thou Me? since Saul was not persecuting Him in Himself, but in His members, that is, in His faithful ones which were upon earth. He said not: Why persecute thou My holy ones, nor: My servants, no, nor yet called He them by that more honorable name “My brethren”, but, “Why persecute thou Me?”; that is, the members of My Body, whose Head I am.

Roman Breviary: Passiontide: Feria Secunda infra Hebdomadam Passionis

 

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John 7:32-39 At that time, the rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him. And so on.

Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. 31th Tract on John

 

How could they take Him until such time as He willed to be taken? If, then, they could not take Him until He willed to be taken, were they sent to watch His teaching? Then said Jesus unto them Yet a little while am I with you, what ye now seek to do, ye shall do; but not yet, for I will not so yet. And why will I not so yet? Because yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me I must fulfill that which I am sent to do, and so go to suffer.

You shall seek Me, and shall not find Me, and where I am thither ye cannot come. In these words He foretold already His rising again from the dead. While He was with them they would not know Him; and afterwards they sought Him, when they saw that a multitude already believed in Him. For great signs were wrought also when the Lord rose again, and ascended up into heaven. Then were great signs again wrought through the Disciples, that is, through them by Him Who worketh the same directly also by Himself, according as He had said unto them: Without Me ye can do nothing. John xv. 5. When that lame man that was laid daily at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple stood up at the voice of Peter Acts iii. and walked, and all the people were filled with wonder, Peter bade them know that it was not by his own power that he had made him to walk, but by the power of Him Whom they had killed. And when they heard this, many were pricked in their heart, and said: What shall we do? Acts ii. 37.

Nor they saw that they were burdened with the guilt of an exceeding great sin, in that they had killed Him, Whom it was their duty to worship and adore and for that guilt they knew of no propitiation. Yea, their sin was indeed exceeding great; and the consideration of it made them to despair for whom the Lord, when He hung upon the Cross, had been willing to pray, as it is written. Then said Jesus: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke xxiii. 34. At that hour He had seen among many aliens some that were His Own; for them He asked forgiveness, while yet He suffered at their hand, nor considered that they were putting Him to death, but only that He was dying for them.

Prayers of St. Catherine of Siena

 

 

Thou, O Lord, callest me, and I come to Thee, not through my merits, but through Thy mercy alone, which I ask of Thee in virtue of Thy Blood.

I confess to my Creator that my life has indeed been passed in darkness, but I will hide myself in the wounds of Christ crucified and bathe myself in His blood, and so shall all my iniquities be consumed, and with desire will I rejoice in my Creator.

FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: Instruction of St. Augustine

 

 

It was not misleading of the angel to say to Joseph: Do not be afraid to take thy wife Mary to thyself. Although she had not known his bed and never would, Joseph could still call her his wife, because at her betrothal she had pledged herself to be his wife. The term had not become obsolete or deceptive, merely there had been no carnal union in the past and there would be none in the future. She was more of a joy to her husband as a virgin, and the relationship was a more sacred and wonderful thing. As her Fruit came to her without her husband's help, their partnership did not extend to the realm of childbearing, but they were partners all the same because they had pledged their word to each other.

 

Because this marriage resting on plighted troth was a true marriage, they were deservedly called Christ's parents. It was not simply that Mary was called his mother but that Joseph was called his father, just as he was called the husband of Christ's mother. He was both these things spiritually, not physically. But whether we envisage Joseph as Christ's father spiritually or Mary as his mother both spiritually and physically, we have to admit that both of them were the parents of the lowly element in him, not of the exalted: they were the parents of his weak human nature, not of his divinity and his strength. The gospel is not misrepresenting the situation when it says: His mother said to him, My Son, why hast thou treated us so? Think, what anguish of mind thy father and I have endured, searching for thee. As he wanted to make it clear that they were not his only parents, and that he also had a Father who had begotten him without his mother's aid, he answered: What reason had you to search for me? Could you not tell that I must needs be in the place which belongs to my Father? Fearing that this question might give a false impression, and that people might think Christ meant that Mary and Joseph were not his parents at all, the evangelist goes on to say: These words which he spoke to them were beyond their understanding; but he went down with them on their journey to Nazareth, and lived there in subjection to them. l Thus, if we ask who he was subject to, the answer is: his parents. And if we ask who was subject to his parents, the answer is: that same Jesus Christ, who though his nature is, from the first, divine, yet did not see, in the rank of Godhead, a prize to be coveted. If, then, he lived in subjection to Mary and Joseph, who were far below the rank of Godhead, it must have been because he dispossessed himself, and took the nature of a slave, which was his parents' nature. But since when Mary bore him she was not reaping a harvest sown by Joseph, it is clear that they could not both have been the parents of his servile nature unless they actually were husband and wife, even though they had had no carnal knowledge of each other.

 

It was right, too, that when the lists of Christ's ancestors came to be drawn up, the series of generations should be made to center on Joseph, as in fact it was. Otherwise, an injustice would have been done to the male partner in the marriage, the more prominent of the two. This did not involve tampering with the truth. Joseph too, as well as Mary, belonged to the line which the prophets had said would produce the Christ—they were both of the line of David.