From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop

 

From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop

The sacrament of Christ's incarnation

A virgin conceived, bore a son, and yet remained a virgin. This is no common occurrence, but a sign; no reason here, but God’s power, for he is the cause, and not nature. It is a special event, not shared by others; it is divine, not human. Christ’s birth was not necessity, but an expression of omnipotence, a sacrament of piety for the redemption of men. He who made man without generation from pure clay made man again and was born from a pure body. The hand that assumed clay to make our flesh deigned to assume a body for our salvation. That the Creator is in his creature and God is in the flesh brings dignity to man without dishonour to him who made him.

  Why then, man, are you so worthless in your own eyes and yet so precious to God? Why render yourself such dishonour when you are honoured by him? Why do you ask how you were created and do not seek to know why you were made? Was not this entire visible universe made for your dwelling? It was for you that the light dispelled the overshadowing gloom; for your sake was the night regulated and the day measured, and for you were the heavens embellished with the varying brilliance of the sun, the moon and the stars. The earth was adorned with flowers, groves and fruit; and the constant marvellous variety of lovely living things was created in the air, the fields, and the seas for you, lest sad solitude destroy the joy of God’s new creation. And the Creator still works to devise things that can add to your glory. He has made you in his image that you might in your person make the invisible Creator present on earth; he has made you his legate, so that the vast empire of the world might have the Lord’s representative. Then in his mercy God assumed what he made in you; he wanted now to be truly manifest in man, just as he had wished to be revealed in man as in an image. Now he would be in reality what he had submitted to be in symbol.

  And so Christ is born that by his birth he might restore our nature. He became a child, was fed, and grew that he might inaugurate the one perfect age to remain for ever as he had created it. He supports man that man might no longer fall. And the creature he had formed of earth he now makes heavenly; and what he had endowed with a human soul he now vivifies to become a heavenly spirit. In this way he fully raised man to God, and left in him neither sin, nor death, nor travail, nor pain, nor anything earthly, with the grace of our Lord Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, for all the ages of eternity. Amen.

Saints Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix

 

Saints Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix (or Beatrice, Viatrix) were siblings martyred in Rome during the Diocletian persecution (302 or 303).

Legend

[edit]

The legend about them is that the brothers Simplicius and Faustinus were cruelly tortured on account of their Christian faith, beaten with clubs, and finally beheaded; their bodies were thrown into the Tiber (according to another version a stone was tied to them and they were drowned). Their sister Beatrix had the bodies drawn out of the water and buried.^[1] Beatrix is thought to be a manuscript corruption of the name "Viatrix".^[2][3]

Then for seven months she lived with a pious woman named Lucina and together they secretly helped persecuted Christians.^[4] Finally she was discovered and arrested. Her accuser was Lucretius, a neighboring kinsman, who desired to obtain possession of her lands.^[5] She asserted before the judge that she would never sacrifice to demons, because she was a Christian. As punishment, she was strangled in prison. Her friend Lucina buried her with her brothers in the cemetery ad Ursum Pileatum on the Via Portuensis.^[1]

Divine punishment soon overtook the accuser Lucretius, who at a feast was mocking the folly of the martyrs. A small child cried out, "Thou hast committed murder and hast taken unjust possession of land. Thou art a slave of the devil". The angry citizens grabbed and tortured Lucretius for three hours, eventually throwing him into a bottomless pit.^[4] The terror of those present was so great that they became Christians. This is the story of the legend. Trustworthy Acts concerning the history of the two brothers and sister are no longer in existence.^[1]

Veneration

[edit]

Of these martyrs, apart from their names, nothing is known except that they were buried on July 29 in the Cemetery of Generosa on the Via Portuensis. Their feast day is thus July 29.^[6] Because of the extremely limited knowledge about them, they are no longer included in the General Roman Calendar,^[7] but, since they are included in the Roman Martyrology, they continue to be officially venerated and may be included in local liturgical calendars. From the time of the Tridentine calendar until 1969, the General Roman Calendar included a commemoration of them within the liturgy of Saint Martha on July 29.

Pope Leo II (682-683) translated their relics to a church which he had built in Rome in honor of Santa Bibiana.^[2] Later the greater part of the relics of the martyrs were taken to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have relics purported to be those of Saint Beatrice at their monastery in Clyde, Missouri, where a wax effigy of the saint lies in a glass case.^[8]

Lauterbach, coat of arms

Patronage

[edit]

Saint Simplicius is the patron saint of Lauterbach and one of the patrons of the city of Fulda. Images of Simplicius can be found on monuments, house facades and as a work of art throughout Lauterbach.^[9]

Iconography

[edit]

Saint Simplicius is represented in art with a pennant, on the shield of which are three lilies, called the crest of Simplicius; the lilies are a symbol of purity of heart. Saint Beatrix is portrayed with a cord in her hand, because she was strangled.^[4] Their feast day is July 29.

From a homily on the 2nd letter to the Corinthians by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

 

From a homily on the 2nd letter to the Corinthians by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

I rejoice exceedingly in all my tribulations

Again, Paul turns to speak of love, softening the harshness of his rebuke. For after convicting and reproaching them for not loving him as he had loved them, breaking away from his love and attaching themselves to troublemakers, he again takes the edge off the reproach by saying: Open your hearts to us, that is, love us. He asks for a favor which will be no burden to them but will be more profitable to the giver than to the receiver. And he did not use the word “love” but said, more appealingly: Open your hearts to us.

  Who, he said, has cast us out of your minds, thrust us from your hearts? How is it that you feel constraint with us? For, since he has said earlier: You are restricted in your own affection, he now declares himself more openly and says: Open your heart to us, thus once more drawing them to him. For nothing so much wins love as the knowledge that one’s lover desires most of all to be himself loved.

  For I said before, he tells them, that you are in our hearts to die together or live together. This is love at its height, that even though in disfavor, he wishes both to die and to live with them. For you are in our hearts, not just somehow or other, but in the way I have said. It is possible to love and yet to draw back when danger threatens; but my love is not like that.

  I am filled with consolation. What consolation? That which comes from you because you, being changed for the better, have consoled me by what you have done. It is natural for a lover both to complain that he is not loved in return and to fear that he may cause distress by complaining too much. Therefore, he says: I am filled with consolation, I rejoice exceedingly.

  It is as if he said, I was much grieved on your account, but you have made it up for me in full measure and given me comfort; for you have not only removed the cause for any grief but filled me with a richer joy.

  Then he shows the greatness of that joy by saying not only I rejoice exceedingly but also the words which follow: in all my tribulations. So great, he says, was the delight that you gave me that it was not even dimmed by so much tribulation, but overcame by its strength and keenness all those sorrows which had invaded my heart, and took away from me all awareness of them.

From a sermon by Saint John Damascene, bishop: Joachim and Anne

 

 From a sermon by Saint John Damascene, bishop: Joachim and Anne

From a sermon by Saint John Damascene, bishop

By their fruits you will know them

Anne was to be the mother of the Virgin Mother of God, and hence nature did not dare to anticipate the flowering of grace. Thus nature remained sterile, until grace produced its fruit. For she who was to be born had to be a first born daughter, since she would be the mother of the first-born of all creation, in whom all things are held together.

  Joachim and Anne, how blessed a couple! All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts: a chaste mother, who alone was worthy of him.

  And so rejoice, Anne, that you were sterile and have not borne children; break forth into shouts, you who have not given birth. Rejoice, Joachim, because from your daughter a child is born for us, a son is given us, whose name is Messenger of great counsel and universal salvation, mighty God. For this child is God.

  Joachim and Anne, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have borne, as the Lord says: By their fruits you will know them. The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter. For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth. She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body.

  Joachim and Anne, how chaste a couple! While safeguarding the chastity prescribed by the law of nature, you achieved with God’s help something which transcends nature in giving the world the Virgin Mother of God as your daughter. While leading a devout and holy life in your human nature, you gave birth to a daughter nobler than the angels, whose queen she now is. Girl of utter beauty and delight, daughter of Adam and mother of God, blessed the loins and blessed the womb from which you come! Blessed the arms that carried you, and blessed your parents’ lips, which you were allowed to cover with chaste kisses, ever maintaining your virginity. Rejoice in God, all the earth. Sing, exult and sing hymns. Raise your voice, raise it and do not be afraid.

From the prayers attributed to Saint Bridget A prayer to Christ our Saviour

 From the prayers attributed to Saint Bridget A prayer to Christ our Saviour

From the prayers attributed to Saint Bridget

A prayer to Christ our Saviour

Blessed are you, my Lord Jesus Christ. You foretold your death and at the Last Supper you marvelously consecrated bread which became your precious body. And then you gave it to your apostles out of love as a memorial of your most holy passion. By washing their feet with your holy hands, you gave them a supreme example of your deep humility.

  Honour be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. Fearing your passion and death, you poured forth blood from your innocent body like sweat, and still you accomplished our redemption as you desired and gave us the clearest proof of your love for all men.

  Blessed may you be, my Lord Jesus Christ. After you had been led to Caiaphas, you, the judge of all men, humbly allowed yourself to be handed over to the judgement of Pilate.

  Glory be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for the mockery you endured when you stood clothed in purple and wearing a crown of sharp thorns. With utmost endurance you allowed vicious men to spit upon your glorious face, blindfold you and beat your cheek and neck with cruelest blows.

  Praise be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. For with the greatest patience you allowed yourself like an innocent lamb to be bound to a pillar and mercilessly scourged, and then to be brought, covered with blood, before the judgement seat of Pilate to be gazed upon by all.

  Honour be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. For after your glorious body was covered with blood, you were condemned to death on the cross, you endured the pain of carrying the cross on your sacred shoulders, and you were led with curses to the place where you were to suffer. Then stripped of your garments, you allowed yourself to be nailed to the wood of the cross.

  Everlasting honor be to you, Lord Jesus Christ. You allowed your most holy mother to suffer so much, even though she had never sinned nor ever even consented to the smallest sin. Humbly you looked down upon her with your gentle loving eyes, and to comfort her you entrusted her to the faithful care of your disciple.

  Eternal blessing be yours, my Lord Jesus Christ, because in your last agony you held out to all sinners the hope of pardon, when in your mercy you promised the glory of paradise to the penitent thief.

  Eternal praise be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for the time you endured on the cross the greatest torments and sufferings for us sinners. The sharp pain of your wounds fiercely penetrated even to your blessed soul and cruelly pierced your most sacred heart till finally you sent forth your spirit in peace, bowed your head, and humbly commended yourself into the hands of God your Father, and your whole body remained cold in death.

  Blessed may you be, my Lord Jesus Christ. You redeemed our souls with your precious blood and most holy death, and in your mercy you led them from exile back to eternal life.

  Blessed may you be, my Lord Jesus Christ. For our salvation you allowed your side and heart to be pierced with a lance; and from that side water and your precious blood flowed out abundantly for our redemption.

  Glory be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. You allowed your blessed body to be taken down from the cross by your friends and laid in the arms of your most sorrowing mother, and you let her wrap your body in a shroud and bury it in a tomb to be guarded by soldiers.

  Unending honor be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. On the third day you rose from the dead and appeared to those you had chosen. And after forty days you ascended into heaven before the eyes of many witnesses, and there in heaven you gathered together in glory those you love, whom you had freed from hell.

  Rejoicing and eternal praise be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, who sent the Holy Spirit into the hearts of your disciples and increased the boundless love of God in their spirits.

  Blessed are you and praiseworthy and glorious forever, my Lord Jesus. You sit upon your throne in your kingdom of heaven, in the glory of your divinity, living in the most holy body you took from a virgin’s flesh. So will you appear on that last day to judge the souls of all the living and the dead; you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Mary Magdalene

 

From a homily on the Gospels by Gregory the Great, pope

She longed for Christ, though she thought he had been taken away

When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: The disciples went back home, and it adds: but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.

  We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.

  At first she sought but did not find, but when she persevered it happened that she found what she was looking for. When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger, and becoming stronger they take hold of their object. Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation, and if they do not grow they are not really desires. Anyone who succeeds in attaining the truth has burned with such a great love. As David says: My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? And so also in the Song of Songs the Church says: I was wounded by love; and again: My soul is melted with love.

  Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? She is asked why she is sorrowing so that her desire might be strengthened; for when she mentions whom she is seeking, her love is kindled all the more ardently.

  Jesus says to her: Mary. Jesus is not recognised when he calls her “woman”; so he calls her by name, as though he were saying: Recognise me as I recognise you; for I do not know you as I know others; I know you as yourself. And so Mary, once addressed by name, recognises who is speaking. She immediately calls him rabboni, that is to say, teacher, because the one whom she sought outwardly was the one who inwardly taught her to keep on searching.

St. Jerome Emiliani

 S. Hieronymi Emiliani Confessoris ~ III. classis

Scriptura: Sabbato infra Hebdomadam VIII post Octavam Pentecostes

Hymnus {ex Commune aut Festo}
Iste Conféssor Dómini, coléntes
Quem pie laudant pópuli per orbem,
Hac die lætus méruit suprémos
Laudis honóres.

Qui pius, prudens, húmilis, pudícus,
Sóbriam duxit sine labe vitam,
Donec humános animávit auræ
Spíritus artus.

Cuius ob præstans méritum, frequénter,
Ægra quæ passim iacuére membra,
Víribus morbi dómitis, salúti
Restituúntur.

Noster hinc illi chorus obsequéntem
Cóncinit laudem celebrésque palmas,
Ut piis eius précibus iuvémur
Omne per ævum.

Sit salus illi, decus atque virtus,
Qui, super cæli sólio corúscans,
Tótius mundi sériem gubérnat,
Trinus et unus.
Amen.

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Hymn {from the Common or Feast}
This the confessor of the Lord, whose triumph
Now all the faithful celebrate, with gladness
On this feast day year by year receiveth
Merited honors.

Saintly and prudent, modest in behaviour,
Peaceful and sober, chaste was he, and lowly.
While that life’s vigour, coursing through his members,
Quickened his being.

Sick ones of old time, to his tomb resorting,
Sorely by ailments manifold afflicted,
Oft-times have welcomed health and strength returning,
At his petition.

Whence we in chorus gladly do him honour,
Chanting his praises with devout affection,
That in his merits we may have a portion,
Now and forever.

His be the glory, power and salvation,
Who over all things reigneth in the highest,
Earth’s mighty fabric ruling and directing,
Onely and Trinal.
Amen.

Deus, misericordiárum pater, per mérita et intercessiónem beáti Hierónymi, quem órphanis adiutórem et patrem esse voluísti: concéde; ut spíritum adoptiónis, quo fílii tui nominámur et sumus, fidéliter custodiámus.
Per Dóminum

Let us pray.
O God, the Father of mercies, Who wast pleased that blessed Jerome should be an helper and a father to the fatherless, grant unto us for his sake and at his prayers, the grace ever to hold fast to the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry to thee, Father, and are called and are thy sons.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ

Saturday memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Saturday memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary

‘On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed.

  ‘Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This memorial derives from Carolingian times (9th century), but the reasons for having chosen Saturday for its observance are unknown. While many explanations of this choice have been advanced, none is completely satisfactory from the point of view of the history of popular piety.

  ‘Whatever its historical origins may be, today the memorial rightly emphasizes certain values to which contemporary spirituality is more sensitive. It is a remembrance of the maternal example and discipleship of the Blessed Virgin Mary who, strengthened by faith and hope, on that “great Saturday” on which Our Lord lay in the tomb, was the only one of the disciples to hold vigil in expectation of the Lord’s resurrection. It is a prelude and introduction to the celebration of Sunday, the weekly memorial of the Resurrection of Christ. It is a sign that the Virgin Mary is continuously present and operative in the life of the Church.’

  Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001), §188

This hymn was used for Lauds on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians in appendices to the Roman Breviary of the 19th Century in certain regions.

 

This hymn was used for Lauds on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians in appendices to the Roman Breviary of the 19th Century in certain regions.

 

Te Redemptoris, Dominique nostri

Dicimus Matrem, speciosa Virgo,

Christianorum decus, et levamen –

Rebus in arctis.

 

Sæviant portæ licet inferorum,

Hostis antiquus fremat, et minaces

Ut Deo, sacrum populetur agmen,

Suscitet iras.

 

Nil truces possunt furiæ nocere

Mentibus castis, prece quas vocata

Annuens Virgo fovet, et superno

Robore firmat.

 

Tanta si nobis faveat Patrona,

Bellici cessat sceleris tumultus,

Mille sternuntur, fugiuntve turmæ,

Mille cohortes.

 

Tollit ut sancta caput in Sione

Turris, arx firmo fabricata muro,

Civitas David, clypeis, et acri

Milite tuta.

 

Virgo sic fortis Domini potenti

Dextera, cæli cumulata donis,

A piis longe famulis repellit

Dæmonis ictus.

 

Te per æternos veneremur annos

Trinitas, summo celebranda plausu,

Te fide mentes, resonoque linguæ

Carmine laudent. Amen.

 

 

 

Mother of our Lord and Saviour!
First in beauty as in power!
Glory of the Christian nations!
Ready help in trouble’s hour!

Though the gates of Hell against us
With profoundest fury rage;
Though the ancient Foe assault us,
And his fiercest battle wage;

Nought can hurt the pure in spirit,
Who upon thine aid rely;
At thy hand secure of gaining
Strength and mercy from on high.

Safe beneath thy mighty shelter,-
Though a thousand hosts combine,
All must fall or flee before us,
Scatter’d by an arm divine.

Firm as once on holy Sion,
David’s tower rear’d its height;
With a glorious rampart girded,
And with glistening armour bright:

So th’ Almighty’s Virgin Mother
Stands in strength for evermore;
From Satanic hosts defending
All who her defence implore.

Through the everlasting ages,
Blessed Trinity to Thee!
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Praise and endless glory be. Amen. 

St. Gertrude of Helfta: The Herald of Divine Love, III.51: The Heartbeats of the Lord

 

St. Gertrude of Helfta: The Herald of Divine Love, III.51: The Heartbeats of the Lord

 

When she saw the others assembling for the sermon, she complained within herself and said to the Lord: "You Know, my dearest, how gladly I would now hear the sermon with all my heart, were I not held back by sickness. " To which the Lord answered: "Would you like me to preach to you, my dearest?"? She answered: "I would, very much. " Then the Lord made her lean against his heart, with the heart of her soul close to his divine heart. When her soul had sweetly rested there a while, she heard in the Lord's heart two wondrous and very sweet pulsations.

 

The Lord said to her: "Each of these two pulsations brings about man's salvation in three ways. The first pulsation effects the salvation of sinners; the second, that of the just. With the first pulsation, first, I address God the Father, ceaselessly appeasing him and leading him to have mercy upon sinners. Second, I invoke all my saints, excusing the sinner with fraternal fidelity, and urging them to pray for him. Third, I address the sinner himself, calling upon him to repent, and awaiting his conversion with ineffable longing.

 

"With the second pulsation, first, I address God the Father, inviting him to rejoice with me for having shed my precious blood to such good purpose for the redemption of the just, in whose hearts I now find so many delights. Second, I address all the heavenly hosts, inviting them to praise the lives of the just, and to thank me for the benefits I have already bestowed upon them, and for those I will bestow in the future. Third, I address the just themselves, lavishing various favors on them for their salvation and admonishing them to progress from day to day and from hour to hour. And just as the pulsations of the human heart are not impeded by seeing or hearing or by any manual work, but always maintain their regular motion, so the government and disposition of heaven and earth and the whole universe can never affect in the very least these twofold pulsations of my divine heart, still them, modify them, or in any way hinder them, till the end of time."

 

 Feast of St. Benedict

Since he was, obviously, the guy who created the Benedictine order, it seems pretty appropriate to celebrate his feast in the way his children do. It's a great opportunity for those of you who haven't gotten into the Divine Office/LotH yet to get your feet wet, too.

Even if you don't have the inclination to say the entire office, there's a collect for the day set out at the bottom, and the rest of it is also perhaps worth looking through, since it does contain some very pretty stuff in parts. Oh, and there's one link to some real monks singing one of the hymns, which is worth listening to, at least.

I'll start by posting the raw information right from the diurnal for those of you who know how to parse it, and then add some more explanation at the end. I'll post it in both Latin and English -- note that the Latin is the version with full approvals, so you can be certain that it counts as liturgical prayer, while the English is on somewhat less solid footing.

If you're a beginner, scroll down to the end first, and then look at the stuff right below here. It'll be less scary that way.

First Vespers

Everything as at second vespers, except for:

Versicle of hymn:

• V. Amavit eum Dominus, et ornavit eum. R. Stolam gloriae induit eum.

• V. The Lord loved him and adorned him. R. He clothed him with a robe of glory.

Magnificat antiphon:

• Exsultet omnium turba fidelium pro gloria almi Patris Benedicti: laetentur praecipue catervae monachorum, celebrantes eius Solemnitatem in terris, de cuius societate Sancti congaudent in caelis

• Let the whole multitude of the faithful exult in the glory of our beloved Father Benedict; but most of all let that army of monks be glad who on earth are celebrating the feast of him with whom the Saints in heaven are rejoicing

Lauds

Antiphons

Latin

1. Vir Dei Benedictus signum crucis edidit, et vas pestiferi potus ita confractum est, ac si pro signo lapidem dedisset

2. Completa oratione, tres petras in loco posuit; et omnipotens Deus in montis excelsa rupe aquam produxit

3. Gloriosus Confessor Domini, orationem faciens, benedictionem dedit; et lapis, super quem antiquus hostis sedebat, subito levatus est

4. Regrediente anima, corpusculum pueri contremuit, et sub oculis omnium, qui aderant, vivus apparuit

5. Cum Placidus ex aqua traheretur, vidit super caput suum Abbatis melotem, qui eum ab unda reducebat

English

1. The man of God, Benedict, made the sign of the Cross; and the glass containing the deadly drink was broken into pieces, as if a stone had been hurled against it.

2. When he had finished his prayer, he set up three stones to mark the spot; and almighty God supplied water on the rocky heights.

3. After the glorious confessor of the Lord had said a prayer, he gave a blessing; and the stone on which the ancient enemy had been sitting was raised immediately.

4. When the soul returned, the body of the stripling trembled, and, before the eyes of all present, appeared living.

5. When Placidus was carried out of the water, he saw above his head the robe of the Abbot, who was rescuing him from the waves

Chapter:

[Ecclesiasticus 50:6-7 Vulg] [Ecclesiasticus 50:6-7]

Short responsory:

• Amavit eum Dominus, et ornavit eum. Amavit eum Dominus, et ornavit eum. Stolam gloriae induit eum, et ornavit eum. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Amavit eum Dominus, et ornavit eum.

• The Lord loved him, and adorned him. The Lord loved him, and adorned him. He clothed him with a robe of glory, and adorned him. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. The Lord loved him, and adorned him.

Hymn:

Aurora Surgit Aurea. YouTube of it. Beautiful, right?

Latin text:

Aurora surgit aurea
Festa restaurans annua,
Cum Benedictus arduum
Caeli scandit palatium.

Quanta in summis accipit,
Qui sic in imis claruit,
Cuius micant prodigia
Per ampla mundi climata!

Eius carentum gratia
Tellus vomit cadavera,
Devotis unda liquida
Sicca lambit vestigia.

Totius orbis ambitum
Per solis videt radium,
Mens in auctore posita
Subiecta cernit omnia.

Te, Pater alme, petimus
Pronae mentis visceribus,
Ut caelum des ascendere,
Quos terrain doces spernere.

Deo Patri sit gloria,
eiusque soli Filio,
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
et nunc, et in perpetuum.

Amen.

(Untranscribed English translation.)

Versicle:

• V. Iustus deduxit Dominus per vias rectas R. Et ostendit illi regnum Dei

Benedictus antiphon:

• Sanctissime Confessor Domini, monachorum Pater et Dux Benedicte, intercede pro nostra omniumque salute

• O most holy Confessor of the Lord, Benedict, father and guide of monks, intercede for the salvation of us and everyone

Minor hours

Prime has the first antiphon of Lauds, Terce the second, and so on. Terce has the same chapter as at Lauds, Sext has [Ecclesiasticus 50:3-4 Vulg] [Ecclesiasticus 50:3-4], and None has [Ecclesiasticus 50:10-11,13-14 Vulg] [Ecclesiasticus 50:10-11,13-14].

Second vespers

Antiphons:

Antiphons 1-3 and 5 from Lauds.

Chapter:

[Ecclesiasticus 50:6-7 Vulg] [Ecclesiasticus 50:6-7]

Short responsory:

• Sancte Pater Benedicte, intercede pro nobis. Sancte Pater Benedicte, intercede pro nobis. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi, intercede pro nobis. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sancte Pater Benedicte, intercede pro nobis.

• O holy Father Benedict, intercede for us. O holy Father Benedict, intercede for us. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, intercede for us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. O holy Father Benedict, intercede for us.

Hymn:

Gemma caelestis pretiosa Regis. Link has both Latin and English version, though the English translation is different from the one in my book. Also a slightly different doxology, my book says:

Gloria Patri, Genitaeque Proli,
et tibi, compar utriusque semper,
Spiritus alme, Deus unus, omni
tempore saecli.
Amen.

I was unfortunately unable to find a recording of this hymn. Perhaps someone else has one?

Versicle:

As at Lauds.

Magnificat antiphon:

• O caelestis norma vitae, Doctor et Dux Benedicte, cuius cum Christo spiritus exsultat in caelestibus: gregem, Pastor alme, serva, sancta prece corrobora, via caelos clarescente fac, te duce, penetrare.

• O pattern of heavenly life, our guide and teacher Benedict, whose soul is now rejoicing with Christ in heaven: protect thy flock, dear shepherd, and by thy holy prayer support them; with thyself as leader showing that brightened way, make them enter the heavens.

Collect:

• Deus, qui beatissimum Confessorem tuum Benedictum omnium iustorum spiritu replere dignatus es: concede nobis famulis tuis, eius Solemnitatem celebrantibus; ut, eiusdem spiritu repleti, quod te donante promisimus, fideliter adimpleamus. Der Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

• O God, Who didst fill Thy most blessed Confessor Benedict with the spirit of all the righteous, grant unto Thy servants who celebrate his solemnity, that filled with his spirit we may faithfully accomplish by Thy assistance that which we have promised. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who with thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Which psalms to use?

If you're a complete beginner, go for the ones you get naturally from the below heading. You'll have to use the rest of the info there anyway, and it's pointless to overcomplicate things.

Otherwise, the rubrics provide for this feast being interpreted as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class, or even just a commemoration. For the 1st or 2nd class feast, use the Common of Apostles, which has Lauds with Psalms 92, 99, 62, then the Benedicite, and then Psalms 148-150. Vespers has Psalms 109-112.

For the 2nd & 3rd class feast, there's no 1st vespers, and you use psalms of the day. Lauds with psalms 50 and 142, division in 142 after Non avertas faciem tuam a me, et similis ero descendentibus in lacum, the Canticle of Ecclesiasticus, and finally psalms 148-150. Second vespers has psalm 144 starting after (not including) Suavis Dominus universis, et miserationes eius super omnia opera eius, then 145-147.

If you say it as a commemoration, you say the office as usual, but after the collect and before the 2nd Domine exaudi, you say first the the Benedictus antiphon, then versicle of Lauds, and then finally the collect of St. Benedict. After that, continue with Domine exaudi and so on until the end.

You should probably go for the 1st or 2nd class scheme.

(All psalm numbers are according to the vulgate numbering here.)

How to compile all this stuff, for the beginner

Essentially, you just look at this site for the divine office (set to the 1960 rubrics), and replace the antiphons and so on according to the things written here. I've set them out in the order in which they appear in the Office, so it should be relatively straightforward. The only major difference I can see is that the responsory seems to be missing from vespers there -- it goes between the chapter and the hymn. If it seems difficult, this site has a lot of information on the office which may be helpful. Or you could ask in the comments here, since I think I've figured out how to say it.

 

Sts. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and Companions - Chinese Martyrs 

The Middle Kingdom

            The gospel first arrived in the vast and powerful “Middle Kingdom,” or China, in the 6th century via Syria, with different emperors in turn permitting and suppressing the small community of faith planted there. Evangelization in the modern age began in earnest in the 16th century with the arrival of European missionaries such as the Jesuit Matteo Ricci, who painstakingly learned the language and customs of this immensely cultured people. By the 17th century, not a few Chinese had embraced the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel. Over the next several centuries, they would testify to their commitment to him with their blood.

The protomartyr of China

            The first Chinese martyr was in fact a Spanish Dominican friar, Fr. Francisco Fernandez de Capillas, who was captured in 1647 in Fu’an, in a wave of anti-Christian persecution. From prison, he wrote, “I am here with other prisoners and we have developed a fellowship. They ask me about the gospel of the Lord…. I live here in great joy … knowing that I am here because of the Lord Jesus Christ. The pearls I have found here these days are not always easy to find.” Those “pearls” were open hearts, people hungry for God. When, in 1648, Fr. de Capillas was beheaded, sealing the transformation of the Spanish priest into a Chinese saint, his spiritual children would show their worth. They followed him: 120 martyrs between 1648 and 1930, of which 87 were native-born Chinese Christians and 33 were foreign-born missionaries from various religious communities.

The soldier turned priest

            In the late 1700’s, after the death of a number of Chinese lay catechists who refused to renounce the faith even under torture, a Chinese soldier experienced a turn of events that transformed him into the name and the face of a vast company of his fellow countrymen who had encountered the Lord. It happened that Zhao Rong was assigned to the company of guards sent to escort the French missionary, Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse, on the long journey to his execution in Beijing. There was something about this foreigner’s bearing, his patience in the face of suffering and imminent death, that struck the soldier. He began to listen to this leader of an outlawed faith. Soon, the soldier asked for baptism, taking the name Augustine. The foreign-born priest was killed, but he had a spiritual son: Augustine Zhao Rong asked for holy orders, becoming the first Chinese-born diocesan priest. In 1815, Fr. Augustine followed his spiritual father to torture and martyrdom.

“I am a Christian”

If the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, as Tertullian stated in antiquity, the Church was taking deep root in this ancient land. Waves of persecution followed, each of which brought with it new martyrs, up through the anti-imperialist and anti-Christian Boxer Rebellion of the beginning of the 20th century. The foreign-born martyrs sealed their embrace of this land and people with their blood so completely that, like Fr. de Capillas, they are counted among the Chinese saints. The 87 Chinese-born martyrs were men, women and children – the youngest was 9 years old and the oldest was 79 – from all walks of life. They were Chinese priests who rose up in Fr. Augustine Zhao Rong’s footsteps, lay catechists, merchants, cooks, farmers, and an adolescent boy who, at the threat of being flayed alive, exclaimed, “Every piece of my flesh… will tell you that I am a Christian.” Many were offered freedom if they would apostatize, and refused.

There could be no greater proof that the Church was alive in China, or that the Lord had Chinese-born servants filled with courage and love. “Where I am, there will my servant be” (Jn 12:26), he had promised. This vast company of Chinese martyrs were with him, loving their Lord, their land and their culture unto the shedding of blood. Pope John Paul II beatified them together in the year 2000.