Hymn to St. Augustine

 

Magne Pater Augustine,

Preces nostras suscipe

Et per eas Conditori

Nos unire satage:

Atque rege gregem tuum,

Summum decus praesulum.

Amatorem paupertatis

Te collaudant pauperes:

Assertorem veritatis

Amant veri judices:

Frangis nobis favos mellis,

De Scripturis disserens.

Quae obscura prius erant

Nobis plana faciens,

Tu de verbis Salvatoris

Dulcem panem conficis,

Et propinas potum vitae

De Psalmorum nectare.

Tu de vita clericorum

Sanctam scribis regulam,

Quam qui amant et sequuntur

Viam tenent regiam,

Atque tuo sancto ductu

Redeunt ad patriam.

Regi regum salus, vita,

Decus, et imperium:

Trinitati laus et honor

Sit per omne saeculum,

Quae concives nos adscribat

Supernorum civium.

HOLY Father, Saint Augustine,

Hearken to thy children's cry;

Plead for us as now thou standest

Near the throne of God on high:

Guide thy flock O loving Shepherd,

Who to us in Christ art high.

Holy poverty's true lover,

All Christ's poor ones hymn thy praise,

Truth's own champion and defender,

Loved by all who seek her ways;

Scripture's God-enlightened teacher,

All her wealth thy pen displays.

Lighting depths obscure and hidden,

Thou dost break us heavenly bread

From the doctrine of our Saviour,

From the gracious words he said;

With the Psalm's life-giving nectar

All who learn of thee are fed.

For the white-robed canon's choir

Laws of wisdom thou didst frame:

Those who love thy words and keep them,

Thy sure patronage may claim;

Safe, they treat the ways of Sion,

Calling on thy worthy name.

Glory to the King of Ages;

Praise and triumph to his reign;

Let us sound our answering strain;

E'en now, 'neath our Patron's banner,

Citizens of heaven's domain. Amen.

Homily of St. Augustine, Bishop: The Ten Lepers

 

 

Concerning the ten lepers whom the Lord cleansed when He said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests," it can be asked why He sent them to the priests, that, as they went, they might be made clean. For none of them upon whom He had conferred corporal blessings did He send to the priests except the lepers, For it was from leprosy also that He had cleansed him to whom He said: "Go, show thyself to the priests, and offer for thyself ag a testimony to them the sacrifice which Moses commanded."

It is to be sought, therefore, what leprosy signifies, for those who are cured of it are not said to be heated but to be cleansed. It is indeed a sickness which affects the color (of the skin), not of the health or integrity of the senses or members of the body. Not without reason, therefore, may lepers be understood to signify those who, not having the knowledge of the true Faith, profess various erroneous doctrines. They do not hide their ignorance, but spread it abroad as the highest knowledge, and make it known by the boastfulness of their speech.

Verily there is no false doctrine that does not contain some admixture of truth. Therefore, truths mingled haphazard with falsehoods in a single controversy or discussion of a man, as though appearing in the color of one body, signify leprosy, which discolors and soils human bodies by true and false spots of color.

These men must be so shunned by the Church that, being removed far away, they may, if it be possible, cry out to Christ with a loud voice, just as the ten lepers stood. afar off and raised their voices, saying: "Jesus, master, have mercy on us." Now even the fact that they styled Him master (by which name know not whether anyone else asked the Lord for a bodily cure), I think is sufficient to show that the leprosy signifies -false doctrine, which a good master rectifies. 

August 24: ST. BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE

 

I Nocturn: From the first- Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, c. 4, 1 15

Il Nocturn

The Apostle Bartholomew wag a Galilean. When he had arrived in India, which was apportioned to him for the preaching of the Gospel or Jesus Christ, he preached to the various peoples there concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus, according to the Gospel.

When he had converted many in that province to Jesus Christ and had undergone many sufferings and hardships, he went into greater Armenia. There he converted to the Christian Faith the king Polymius, together with his wife and the inhabitants of twelve cities. This brought upon him the great envy of the priests of that nation, and they so incited Astyages, the brother of the king, against the Apostle, that he ordered Bartholomew to be flayed alive and then to be beheaded. In this martyrdom the Apostle gave his soul back to God.

His body was buried at Albanopolis, a city in greater Armenia, where he had suffered. Afterwards it was taken to the island of Lipari and thence to Benevento. Finally, it was brought to Rome by the emperor Otto Ill, and was placed in the church dedicated to God in the Saint's name on the island in the Tiber.

III Nocturn:

The reading of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke

At that time Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when day broke, he summoned his disciples. And so forth.

Homily of St. Ambrose, Bishop

All great men, all men of lofty aims, ascend a mountain. It was not to everyone that the Prophet said, "Thou who bring good tidings to Sion, go up into a high mountain; thou who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, cry out with a loud voice." Ascend this mountain, not by the footsteps of the body, but by your noble deeds, and follow Christ that you too may be able to become a mountain. "Mountains were all around him." This is the reason why you will find in the Gospel that only the disciples went up with our Lord into the mountain.

There our Lord prays not for Himself, but He intercedes for me. Although the Father has placed all things in the power of the Son, yet the Son, that He might fulfill His role as Man, deems it necessary, as our Advocate, to intercede for us with the Father. "And he remained," said the Gospel narrative, ''all that night in prayer to God." O Christian, an example is given to you, a model is proposed to you, which you ought to imitate.

Now what ought you to do for your own salvation, if Christ spent the night for you in prayer? What, I say, ought you to do, since you wish to flatter yourself with some semblance of Piety, if Christ first prayed before He sent out His disciples— yes, and prayed alone? And if I am not mistaken, nowhere is Christ found praying with His disciples—everywhere He prayed alone. Human desires do not fathom the thought of God; no one can be a participant of the interior thoughts of Christ.

He called His disciples, says the Gospel, and chose from amongst them twelve, whom He sent forth as sowers of the faith to give to men throughout the world those helps necessary for their eternal salvation. Notice at the same time the heavenly plan. He did not choose any wise, nor rich, nor noble men, but fishermen and publicans to use as His instruments. This He did lest He should seem to have led men on by wisdom, or redeemed them by riches, or drawn them to His grace by the weight of His power or nobility. He chose fishermen and publicans that truth might prevail of itself, and not by virtue of subtle disputations.

Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke— At that time Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when day broke, he summoned his disciples; and from these he chose twelve (whom he also named apostles): Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew ; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alpheus, and Simon, called the Zealot; Jude the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who turned traitor.

And coming down with them he took his stand on a level stretch, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd were trying to touch him, for power went forth from him and healed all.

 

Homily by S. Bernard, Abbot: Sermon 36 on the Canticles

 

    

 

YOU are aware that I propose today to speak of ignorance, or rather, of the various kinds of ignorance; for, if you remember, we distinguished two kinds:   the one in regard to ourselves, the other to God: and I warned you that each was to be avoided, because each was a cause of condemnation. I think we must in the first place inquire whether every kind of ignorance be a cause of condemnation? And it seems to me that this is not the case; that it is not every kind of ignorance that is blamable, since there are many things (they are, indeed, innumerable) of which we are allowed to be ignorant without peril to our salvation. For example, if you are ignorant of some mechanical art, as that of the wheelwright, or mason, would that be an obstacle for your salvation?  How many men there are who have been saved, being acceptable to God in character and actions without having been acquainted even with the liberal arts! How many persons does the Apostle enumerate in the Epistle to the Hebrews who became dear to God, not by their acquaintance with polite literature, but by a pure science and love unfeigned!

 

I MAY seem to you, perhaps, to speak too severely of knowledge; to blame, as it were, the learned, and to forbid the study of literature. But I would by no means do this. I am not unaware how great are the services that have been rendered to the Church, and are rendered to her continually, by her learned sons, whether in repulsing the attacks of her enemies, or in instructing the simple. Besides, I have read the words of the Prophet: Because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no more priest unto me; and also: They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever, But I know also where I have read: Knowledge puffs up; and again: He that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

 

BUT it is best to send you to the master. If any man, he says, think that he knows anything, he knows  nothing, if he knows not what he ought to know. You see that he does not praise the person who knows many things if he is still ignorant of the right manner of knowing them, and that in that very point he places the fruit and usefulness of knowledge. What, then, does he understand by the manner of knowing? What else can he mean by it than in what order, with what degree of eagerness, and with what intention and object we ought to acquaint ourselves with all things? In what order? That is to say, so as to acquire first that which is more fitted to the work of our salvation. With what degree of eagerness? By which we learn that we ought to apply ourselves with the greatest ardor and vehemence to make progress in that which excites us the most strongly to the love of God. And lastly, with what intention and object? Not to learn, that is to say, in order to satisfy vain-glory, or to indulge curiosity, or any motive like that, but only for our own edification or that of our neighbor. For there are those who wish to learn merely in order that they may know, and such curiosity is blamable. There are others who wish to desire to learn that they may make merchandise of their knowledge, for example, in order to gain money or honors; and such trafficking is ignoble. But there are others who desire to learn that they may edify others: that is charity. And lastly, there are some who wish to learn that they may themselves be edified: and that is wisdom.

 

OF all these reasons then, it is in the last two alone that no abuse of knowledge is to be found; in fact, only among those who seek knowledge in order to do good. In short, learn to do good and then act upon it. Perhaps it can be said that he who knows what is right and does not act upon it is a sinner. To put it metaphorically: Food that is eaten and not digested is harmful. Indigestible and badly cooked food begets sickness, and injures the body instead of nourishing it. Likewise, much knowledge is indigestible to the stomach of the mind, which is the memory, unless it has first been cooked in the fire of charity, and has been received and digested by certain spiritual members, namely acts and habits. Refreshment so received will show forth in a man’s life and manners. So, knowledge in a sinner is to compared with food that has become harmful and noisome. Therefore, the holy Doctor of the Church complains both of those who condemn knowledge whatever their manner of life, and those who possessing knowledge of righteousness, still live evil lives.

Of your charity pray for Cardinal Burke

 

Various Hymns for the Assumption

 

 

 

Vespers: Fr. Vittorio Genovesi, S.J.

 

O prima, Virgo, pródita

E Conditóris spíritu,

Prædestináta Altíssimi

Gestáre in alvo Fílium;

 

Tu perpes hostis fémina

Prænuntiáta dæmonis,

Oppléris una grátia

Intamináta orígine.

 

Tu ventre Vitam cóncipis,

Vitámque ab Adam pérditam,

Diæ litándæ Víctimæ

Carnem minístrans, íntegras.

 

Merces piáclo débita

Devícta mors te déserit,

Almíque consors Fílii

Ad astra ferris córpore.

 

Tanta corúscans glória,

Natúra cuncta extóllitur,

In te vocáta vérticem

Decóris omnis tángere.

 

Ad nos, triúmphans, éxsules,

Regína, verte lúmina,

Cæli ut beátam pátriam,

Te, consequámur áuspice.

 

Jesu, tibi sit glória,

Qui natus es de Vírgine,

Cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

In sempitérna sæcula.

Amen.

 

 

O Virgin thou, the spirit's fair’st,

Predestined by the will divine,

Within thy sacred womb thou bear’st

His only Son, and also thine.

 

O thou in whom rich grace abounds,

Foretold thou wast to be the foe

Who in her origin confounds

The wicked demon here below.

 

Within thy womb anew Life's made,

The very life by Adam lost

Hath been renewed by thee, sweet maid,

Who didst provide the holocaust.

 

Thy will immersed in Jesu's own,

Atoning for the sins of all,

He raiseth thee to Heaven's throne,

In victory o'er death's dread thrall.

 

In thy great glory burning bright

Exalted nature sings the praise,

And unto beauty's very height,

Dost honour and all glory raise.

 

Triumphant Queen to Heaven borne,

Upon us exiles turn thy sight,

That to the ever-blessed morn

We may be guided by thy light.

 

All honor, laud, and glory be,

O Jesu, Virgin-Born, to thee;

Whom with the Father we adore,

And Holy Ghost, for evermore.

Amen.

 

Matins: Fr. Vittorio Genovesi, S.J.

 

Surge! Iam terris fera bruma cessit,

Ridet in pratis decus omne florum,

Alma quæ Vitæ Genitrix fuisti,

Surge, Maria!

 

Lilium fulgens velut in rubeto,

Mortis auctorem teris una, carpens

Sontibus fructum patribus negatum

Arbore vitæ.

 

Arca non putri fabricata ligno

Manna tu servas, fluit unde virtus,

Ipsa qua surgent animata rursus

Ossa sepulcris.

 

Præsidis mentis docilis ministra,

Haud caro tabo patitur resolvi;

Spiritus imo sine fine consors

Tendit ad astra.

 

Surge! Dilecto pete nixa cælum,

Sume consertum diadema stellis,

Teque natorum recinens beatam

Excipe carmen.

 

Laus sit excelsæ Triadi perennis,

Quæ tibi, Virgo, tribuit coronam,

Atque reginam statuitque nostram

Provida matrem. Amen.

 

Rise up! the misty chill has left the meadows;

Now, as they put their liveliest blossoms forward,

Thou, who hast been to Life himself a mother,

Rise up, O Mary.

 

Fair, as a lily blooming among brambles,

Thou, though unaided, crushing death's inventor,

Fruit from the tree of life denied our fathers

Gatherest for us.

 

Ark built of wood not subject to corruption,

Thine to conserve the Manna by whose virtue

Dry bones re-edified in living sinew

Rise from their graveyards.

 

Thy flesh, in all things docile to thy ruling

Spirit, defying final dissolution,

Now as thy soul's inseparable consort

Rises to heaven.

 

Rise up! and seek the arms of thy Belovéd,

Take thou thy crown of stars at his awarding

And when thy children sing thy benedictions

Hear us with favor.

 

Christ's in the height be glory never ending,

Offspring of holy Mary ever virgin,

Who with the Father and Spirit co-equal

Reigns to all ages. Amen.

 

 

Lauds/Vespers : Jean-Baptiste de Santeul , 17th C: Jean-Baptiste de Santeul entered the Abbey of St. Victor, Paris, in 1653, and made his profession the next year. He was a respected poet in the Latin language, writing under the name of Santolius Victorinus. Santeul also wrote hymns, many of which were published in the Cluniac Breviary of 1686, and the Paris Breviaries of 1680 and 1736. His Hymni Sacri et Novi were published at Paris in 1689. An enlarged version was published in 1698. A number of his hymns were translated into English. De Santeul was the author of the Latin phrase castigat ridendo mores, meaning "laughter corrects customs".

 

O vos, ætherei plaudite cives,

Hæc est illa dies clara triumpho,

Qua matrem placida morte solutam

Natus siderea suscipit aula.

 

Quæ non, Virgo, tibi dona rependit!

Cæli divitias explicat omnes,

Verbum vestieras carne; vicissim

Te Verbum proprio lumine vestit.

 

Qui velo latuit carnis, aperti

Pleno te satiat Numinis haustu:

Et quem virgineo lacte cibasti,

In iugem tibi dat se Deus escam.

 

O concessa tibi quanta potestas!

Per te quanta venit gratia terris!

Cunctis cœlitibus celsior una,

Solo facta minor, Virgo, Tonante.

 

Quæ Regina sedes proxima Christo,

Alto de solio vota tuorum

Audi; namque potes flectere Natum,

Virgo Mater: amas nos quoque natos.

 

Divinæ Soboli, qui dare matrem

In terris voluit, gloria Patri:

Cuius virgo parens, gloria Nato;

Quo fœcunda, tibi gloria, Flamen. Amen.

 

 

Sing, you who dwell in the kingdom of heaven!

This anniversary marks a great triumph:

Death's gentle transit accomplished, a mother

Hears her son welcome her into his kingdom.

 

Virgin, what gifts shall he not lavish on thee?

He deploys all the resources of heaven.

Thine was to clothe God in flesh; and now likewise

God in his own divine splendor shall clothe thee.

 

Formerly veiled in the flesh, God the Word now

Satisfies thee with full vision of Godhead;

He who once fed on thy virginal milk now

Feeds thee with bread of himself God of heaven.

 

What immense power is conferred on thee by him!

What immense grace is conferred on earth by thee!

Higher preferred than all dwellers in heaven,

Less than the Thunderer only, O Virgin.

 

Queen enthroned next to the Lord, hear thy people

Praying to thee where thou reignest in heaven;

Thou canst prevail on thy First-born, O Virgin

Mother, and lovest us also thy children.

 

Hail to the Father Who willed his divine Son

Take flesh on earth and assigned him a mother,

Hail to the Son who was born of a virgin,

Hail to the Spirit who caused her conception. Amen.

IN ASSUMPTIONE BEATÆ MARIÆ VIRGINIS

 

Ad I  &  II  Vesperas: Petrus Damianus

Gáudium mundi, nova stella cæli,

prócreans solem, páriens paréntem,

da manum lapsis, fer opem cadúcis,

  virgo María.

Te Deo factam liquet esse scalam

qua tenens summa petit Altus ima;

nos ad excélsi remeáre cæli

  cúlmina dona.

Te beatórum chorus angelórum,

te prophetárum et apostolórum

ordo prælátam sibi cernit unam

  post Deitátem.

Laus sit excélsæ Tríadi perénnis,

quæ tibi, Virgo, tríbuit corónam,

atque regínam statuítque nostram

  próvida matrem. Amen.

Joy of the world, new star of heaven, giving birth to the sun, bearing the parent, give your hand to those slipping, help the fallen, O Virgin Mary. God made you to be the certain ladder, by which the Highest keeping its height could seek the lowest; grant that we may return to the summit of highest heaven.  The choir of Blessed angels, the order of prophets and apostles acknowledge you singularly favored before themselves, after God.  Everlasting praise to the Trinity on high, who granted you, O Virgin, a crown, and established you as our queen and watchful mother. Amen.

Ad Officium lectionis: Petrus Damianus

Auróra velut fúlgida,

ad cæli meat cúlmina

ut sol María spléndida,

tamquam luna pulchérrima.

Regína mundi hódie

thronum conscéndit glóriæ,

illum eníxa Fílium

qui est ante lucíferum.

Assúmpta super ángelos

omnésque choros cælitum,

cuncta sanctórum mérita

transcéndit una fémina.

Quem fóverat in grémio,

locárat in præsépio,

nunc regem super ómnia

Patris videt in glória.

Pro nobis, Virgo vírginum,

tuum depósce Fílium,

per quam nostra suscéperat,

ut sua nobis præbeat.

Sit laus Patri cum Fílio

et Spíritu Paráclito,

qui te præ cunctis cælica

exornavérunt glória. Amen.

As the glittering dawn Mary arises to the height of heaven, sparkling like the sun, most beautiful like the moon.  Today the Queen of the world ascends to her throne of glory, she who gave birth to that Son, who was before the daystar. This one women is taken above the angels and over all the heavenly hosts; she surpasses the merits of all of the saints. Him, whom she has cherished at her bosom, she puts in a manger; now she sees him King over all in the glory of the Father. O Virgin of virgins, pray to your Son for us, through you he received what is ours that he might give to us what is his.  Praise to the Father with the Son and Comforter Spirit, who before all adorned you with heavenly glory. Amen.

Ad Laudes matutinas: Victorius Genovesi

Solis, O Virgo, rádiis amícta,

bis caput senis redimíta stellis,

luna cui præbet pédibus scabéllum,

  ínclita fulges.

Mortis, inférni domitríxque culpæ,

ássides Christo studiósa nostri,

teque regínam célebrat poténtem

  terra polúsque.

Asseclas diæ fídei tuére;

díssitos adduc ad ovíle sacrum;

quas diu gentes tegit umbra mortis

  úndique coge.

Sóntibus mitis véniam precáre,

ádiuva flentes, ínopes et ægros,

spes mica cunctis per acúta vitæ

  certa salútis.

Laus sit excélsæ Tríadi perénnis,

quæ tibi, Virgo, tríbuit corónam,

atque regínam statuítque nostram

  próvida matrem. Amen.

O Virgin, clothed with the radiant sun, her head garlanded with twice six stars, the moon serving her as a footstool, you gloriously shine.  Ruling over death and guilty hell, anxious for our good you are enthroned next to Christ, earth and heaven celebrate you as their mighty queen.  Watch over your children by godly faith, bring back the scattered to the holy fold; gather from all the nations those so long covered by the shadow of death. With gentle prayers implore pardon for the guilty, help those who weep, the needy and the sick, shine on all in the difficulties of life the sure hope of salvation. Everlasting praise to the Trinity on high, who granted you, O Virgin, a crown, and established you as our queen and watchful mother. Amen.