Nearest to Jesus’ Crib, after Stephen, stands John, the Apostle and Evangelist. It was only right, that the first place should be assigned to him, who so loved his God, that he shed his blood in his service; for, as this God himself declares, greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends,1 and Martyrdom has ever been counted, by the Church, as the greatest act of love, and as having, consequently, the power of remitting sins, like a second Baptism. But, next to the sacrifice of Blood, the noblest, the bravest, and which most wins the heart of Him who is the Spouse of souls, is the sacrifice of Virginity. Now, just as St. Stephen is looked upon as the type of Martyrs, St. John is honored as the Prince of Virgins. Martyrdom won for Stephen the Crown and palm; Virginity merited for John most singular prerogatives, which, while they show how dear to God is holy Chastity, put this Disciple among those, who, by their dignity and influence, are above the rest of men.
St. John was of the family of David, as was our Blessed Lady. He was, consequently, a relation of Jesus. This same honor belonged to St. James the Greater, his Brother; as also to St. James the Less, and St. Jude, both Sons of Alpheus. When our Saint was in the prime of his youth, he left, not only his boat and nets, not only his Father Zebedee, but even his betrothed, when everything was prepared for the marriage. He followed Jesus, and never once looked back. Hence, the special love which our Lord bore him. Others were Disciples or Apostles, John was the Friend, of Jesus. The cause of this our Lord’s partiality, was, as the Church tells us in the Liturgy, that John had offered his Virginity to the Man-God. Let us, on this his Feast, enumerate the graces and privileges that came to St. John from his being The Disciple whom Jesus loved.
This very expression of the Gospel, which the Evangelist repeats several times — The Disciple whom Jesus loved2 — says more than any commentary could do. St. Peter, it is true, was chosen by our Divine Lord, to be the Head of the Apostolic College, and the Rock whereon the Church was to be built: he, then, was honored most; but St. John was loved most. Peter was bid to love more than the rest loved, and he was able to say, in answer to Jesus’ thrice repeated question, that he did love him in this highest way: and yet, notwithstanding, John was more loved by Jesus than was Peter himself, because his Virginity deserved this special mark of honor.
Chastity of soul and body brings him who possesses it into a sacred nearness and intimacy with God. Hence it was, that at the Last Supper—that Supper, which was to be renewed on our Altars, to the end of the world, in order to cure our spiritual infirmities, and give life to our souls—John was placed near to Jesus, nay, was permitted, as the tenderly loved Disciple, to lean his head upon the Breast of the Man-God. Then it was, that he was filled, and from their very Fountain, with Light and Love: it was both a recompense and a favor, and became the source of two signal graces, which make St. John an object of special reverence to the whole Church.
Divine wisdom wishing to make known to the world the Mystery of the Word, and commit to Scripture those profound secrets, which, so far, no pen of mortal had been permitted to write—the task was put upon John. Peter had been crucified, Paul had been beheaded, and the rest of the Apostles had laid down their lives in testimony of the Truths they had been sent to preach to the world; John was the only one left in the Church. Heresy had already begun its blasphemies against the Apostolic Teachings; it refused to admit the Incarnate Word as the Son of God, Consubstantial to the Father. John was asked by the Churches to speak, and he did so in language heavenly above measure. His Divine Master had reserved to this his Virgin-Disciple the honor of writing those sublime Mysteries, which the other Apostles had been commissioned only to teach — the Word was God, and this Word was made Flesh for the salvation of mankind. Thus did our Evangelist soar, like the Eagle, up to the Divine Sun, and gaze upon Him with undazzled eye, because his heart and senses were pure, and therefore fitted for such vision of the uncreated Light. If Moses, after having conversed with God in the cloud, came from the divine interview with rays of miraculous light encircling his head: — how radiant must have been the face of St. John, which had rested on the very Heart of Jesus, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!3 how sublime his writings! how divine his teaching! Hence, the symbol of the Eagle, shown to the Prophet Ezechiel,4 and to St. John himself in his Revelations,5 has been assigned to him by the Church: and to this title of The Eagle has been added, by universal tradition, the other beautiful name of Theologian.
This was the first recompense given by Jesus to his Beloved John—a profound penetration into divine Mysteries. The second was the imparting to him a most ardent charity, which was equally a grace consequent upon his angelic purity, for purity unburdens the soul from grovelling egotistic affections, and raises it to a chaste and generous love. John had treasured up in his heart the Discourses of his Master: he made them known to the Church, and especially that divine one of the Last Supper, wherein Jesus had poured forth his whole Soul to his own, whom he had always tenderly loved, but most so at the end.6 He wrote his Epistles, and Charity is his subject: God is Charity—he that loveth not, knoweth not God—perfect Charity casteth out fear — and so on throughout, always on Love. During the rest of his life, even when so enfeebled by old age as not to be able to walk, he was for ever insisting upon all men loving each other, after the example of God, who had loved them and so loved them! Thus, he that had announced more clearly than the rest of the Apostles the divinity of the Incarnate Word, was by excellence the Apostle of that divine Charity, which Jesus came to enkindle upon the earth.
But, our Lord had a further gift to bestow, and it was sweetly appropriate to the Virgin-Disciple. When dying on his cross, Jesus left Mary upon this earth. Joseph had been dead now some years. Who, then, shall watch over his Mother? who is there worthy of the charge? Will Jesus send his Angels to protect and console her? — for, surely, what man could ever merit to be to her as a second Joseph? Looking down, he sees the Virgin-Disciple standing at the foot of the Cross: we know the rest, John is to be Mary’s Son—Mary is to be John’s Mother. Oh! wonderful Chastity, that wins from Jesus such an inheritance as this! Peter, says St. Peter Damian, shall have left to him the Church, the Mother of men; but John, shall receive Mary, the Mother of God, whom he will love as his own dearest Treasure, and to whom he will stand in Jesus’ stead; whilst Mary will tenderly love John, her Jesus’ Friend, as her Son.
Can we be surprised after this, that St. John is looked upon by the Church as one of her greatest glories? He is a Relative of Jesus in the flesh; he is an Apostle, a Virgin, the Friend of the Divine Spouse, the Eagle, the Theologian, the Son of Mary; he is an Evangelist, by the history he has given of the Life of his Divine Master and Friend; he is a Sacred Writer, by the three Epistles he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; he is a Prophet, by his mysterious Apocalypse, wherein are treasured the secrets of time and eternity. But, is he a Martyr? Yes, for if he did not complete his sacrifice, he drank the Chalice of Jesus,7 when, after being cruelly scourged, he was thrown into a caldron of boiling oil, before the Latin Gate, at Rome. He was, therefore, a Martyr in desire and intention, though not in fact. If our Lord, wishing to prolong a life so dear to the Church, as well as to show how he loves and honors Virginity, — miraculously stayed the effects of the frightful punishment, St. John had, on his part, unreservedly accepted Martyrdom.
Such is the companion of Stephen at the Crib, wherein lies our Infant Jesus. If the Protomartyr dazzles us with the robes he wears of the bright scarlet of his own blood—is not the virginal whiteness of John’s vestment fairer than the untrod snow? The spotless beauty of the Lilies of Mary’s adopted Son, and the bright vermilion of Stephen’s Roses—what is there more lovely than their union? Glory, then, be to our New-Born King, whose court is tapestried with such heaven-made colors as these! Yes, Bethlehem’s Stable is a very heaven on earth, and we have seen its transformation. First, we saw Mary and Joseph alone there—they were adoring Jesus in his Crib; then, immediately, there descended a heavenly host of Angels singing the wonderful Hymn; the Shepherds soon followed, the humble simple-hearted Shepherds; after these, entered Stephen the Crowned, and John the Beloved Disciple; and, even before there enters the pageant of the devout Magi, we shall have others coming in, and there will be, each day, grander glory in the Cave, and gladder joy in our hearts. Oh! this Birth of our Jesus! Humble as it seems, yet, how divine! What King or Emperor ever received, in his gilded cradle, honors like these shown to the Babe of Bethlehem? Let us unite our homage with that given him by these the favored inmates of his court. Yesterday, the sight of the Palm in Stephen’s hand animated us, and we offered to our Jesus the promise of a stronger Faith: today, the Wreath, that decks the brow of the Beloved Disciple, breathes upon the Church the heavenly fragrance of Virginity—an intenser love of Purity must be our resolution, and our tribute to the Lamb.
Mass
The Church commences her chants of the holy Sacrifice with words taken from the Book of Ecclesiasticus, which she applies to St. John. Our Lord has proclaimed his mysteries to the Church, by the teaching of his Beloved Disciple. He favored him with his divine intimacy, which filled him with the spirit of wisdom. He clad him with a robe of glory, in reward for his virginal purity.
Introit
He opened his mouth in the midst of the Church, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding: he clad him with a robe of glory.
In medio Ecclesiæ aperuit os ejus; et implevit eum Dominus Spiritu sapientiæ et intellectus; stolam gloriæ induit eum.
Ps. It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to thy name, O Most High.
Ps. Bonum est confiteri Domino, et psallere nomini tuo, Altissime.
℣. Glory, &c. He opened.
℣. Gloria. In medio.
In the Collect, the Church asks for the Light, that is, for the Word of God, of whom St. John was the propagator by his sublime writings. She aspires to the eternal possession of this Emmanuel, who is come to enlighten the world, and who has revealed to his Beloved Disciple the secrets of heaven.
Collect
Mercifully, O Lord, enlighten thy Church: that being taught by blessed John, thine Apostle and Evangelist, she may come to thy eternal rewards. Through, &c.
Ecclesiam tuam, Domine, benignus illustra: ut beati Joannis, Apostoli tui et Evangelistæ, illuminata doctrinis, ad dona perveniat sempiterna. Per Dominum.
Commemoration of Christmas Day
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new Birth of thine Only Begotten Son.
Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per carnem nativitas liberet, quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet.
Commemoration of St. Stephen
Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies, because we now solemnize his martyrdom who knew how to pray, even for his persecutors, to our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son. Who liveth, &c.
Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, imitari quod colimus: ut discamus et inimicos diligere, quia ejus natalitia celebramus, qui novit etiam pro persecutoribus exorare Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum. Qui tecum.
Epistle
Lesson from the Book of Wisdom.
Lectio libri Sapientiæ.
Ecclus. ch. XV.
Eccli. cap. XV.
He that feareth God, will do good; and he that possesseth justice, shall lay hold on her, and she will meet him as an honorable mother. With the bread of life and understanding she shall feed him, and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink, and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved; and she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded; and she shall exalt him among his neighbors; and in the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with the robe of glory; she shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and our Lord God shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.
Qui timet Deum, faciet bona; et qui continens est justitiæ, apprehendet illam, et obviabit illi quasi mater honorificata. Cibabit illum pane vitæ et intellectus, et aqua sapientiæ salutaris potabit illum; et firmabitur in illo, et non flectetur; et continebit illum, et non confundetur; et exaltabit illum apud proximos suos; et in medio Ecclesiæ aperiet os ejus, et adimplebit illum Spiritu sapientiæ et intellectus, et stolam gloriæ vestiet illum; jucunditatem et exsultationem thesaurizabit super illum, et nomine æterno hæreditabit illum Dominus Deus noster.
The Wisdom here spoken of, is Jesus the Eternal Word, who came to St. John and called him to the Apostolate. The Bread of life wherewith she fed him, is the divine Bread of the Last Supper, the Body and Blood of Jesus; the wholesome Water, is that promised by our Savior to the Samaritan Woman, and of which St. John drank so abundantly from its very source, when he rested his head on the Heart of Jesus. The immovable Strength, is the Saint’s close and resolute custody of the treasure of his Virginity, and the courageous profession of the religion of Christ before the Proconsuls of Domitian. The Treasure which Wisdom heaped upon him, is the magnificence of the prerogatives granted to him. Lastly, the everlasting Name, is that glorious title given him of John the Beloved Disciple.
Gradual
A report was spread among the brethren, that that Disciple should not die; but Jesus said not: He should not die;
Exiit sermo inter fratres, quod discipulus ille non moritur; et non dixit Jesus: Non moritur;
℣. But: So I will have him remain till I come; follow thou me.
℣. Sed: Sic eum volo manere, donec veniam; tu me sequere.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
℣. This is the Disciple that beareth testimony of these things; and we know his testimony is true. Alleluia.
℣. Hic est discipulus ille, qui testimonium perhibet de his; et scimus quia verum est testimonium ejus. Alleluia.
Gospel
Sequel of the Holy Gospel according to John.
Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.
Ch. XXI.
Cap. XXI.
At that time: Jesus said to Peter: Follow me. Peter turning about, saw that Disciple, whom Jesus loved, following, who also leaned on his breast at supper, and said: Lord, who is he that shall betray thee? Him, therefore, when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me. This saying, therefore, went abroad among the brethren, that that Disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? This is that Disciple, who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
In illo tempore, dixit Jesus Petro: Sequere me. Conversus Petrus vidit illum discipulum quem diligebat Jesus, sequentem, qui et recubuit in cœna super pectus ejus, et dixit: Domine, quis est qui tradet te? Hunc ergo cum vidisset Petrus, dixit Jesu: Domine, hic autem quid? Dicit ei Jesus: Sic eum volo manere donec veniam, quid ad te? Tu me sequere. Exiit ergo sermo iste inter fratres, quia discipulus ille non moritur. Et non dixit ei Jesus: Non moritur; sed: Sic eum volo manere donec veniam, quid ad te? Hic est discipulus ille, qui testimonium perhibet de his, et scripsit hæc; et scimus quia verum est testimonium ejus.
This passage of the holy Gospel has been much commented upon. Some of the Fathers and Commentators interpret it as signifying, that St. John was to be exempt from death, and that he is still living in the flesh, awaiting the coming of the Judge of the living and the dead. It is certain that this opinion regarding our Apostle has been entertained; and one of the arguments in its favor was this very passage. But, the general opinion of the Holy Fathers is, that nothing further is implied by it, than the difference between the two vocations of St. Peter and St. John. The former shall follow his divine Master, by dying, like Him, on the cross; the latter shall remain — he shall live to a venerable old age—and at length, Jesus shall come and take him out of this world, by sending him a sweet and peaceful death.
During the Offertory, the Church makes a remembrance of the flourishing Palms which grew up around the Beloved Disciple; she tells us of the spiritual children he had trained, and of the Churches he had founded; all which, like young cedars round the venerable parent-tree on Libanus, multiplied under the fostering care of their Father.
Offertory
The just shall flourish, like the palm-tree; he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus.
Justus ut palma florebit; sicut cedrus, quæ in Libano est multiplicabitur.
Secret
Receive, O Lord, the offerings we make to thee, on his feast, by whose intercession we hope to be delivered. Through, &c.
Suscipe, Domine, munera quæ in ejus tibi solemnitate deferimus, cujus nos confidimus patrocinio liberari. Per Dominum.
Commemoration of Christmas Day
Sanctify, O Lord, our offerings by the new Birth of thine Only Begotten Son, and cleanse us from the stains of our sins.
Oblata, Domine, munera, nova Unigeniti tui nativitate sanctifica: nosque a peccatorum nostrorum maculis emunda.
Commemoration of St. Stephen
Receive, O Lord, these offerings in memory of thy Saints; and as their sufferings have made them glorious, so may our devotion render us free from sin. Through, &c.
Suscipe, Domine, munera, pro tuorum commemoratione Sanctorum; ut sicut illos passio gloriosos effecit, ita nos devotio reddat innocuos. Per Dominum.
The Preface as in Chapter V. On Hearing Mass during the Season of Christmas: but on the Octave-Day it is as below.8
The mysterious words of the Gospel are repeated in the Communion, that is, at the moment when Priest and people have partaken of the Victim of salvation; they convey this teaching—that he who eats of this Bread, though he must die the death of the body, will yet live for the coming of the supreme Judge and Rewarder.
Communion
A report was spread among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. But Jesus said not: He should not die; but: So will I that he remain till I come.
Exiit sermo inter fratres quod discipulus ille non moritur. Et non dixit Jesus: Non moritur; sed: Sic eum volo manere donec veniam.
Postcommunion
Being refreshed, O Lord, with this heavenly meat and drink, we humbly beseech thee, that we may be assisted by his prayers, on whose feast we have received these sacred mysteries. Through, &c.
Refecti cibo potuque cœlesti, Deus noster, te supplices deprecamur; ut in cujus hæc commemoratione percepimus, ejus muniamur et precibus. Per Dominum.
Commemoration of Christmas Day
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as the Savior of the world, who was born this day, procured for us a divine birth, he may, also, bestow on us immortality.
Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut natus hodie Salvator mundi, sicut divinæ nobis generationis est auctor, ita et immortalitatis sit ipse largitor.
Commemoration of St. Stephen
May the mysteries we have received, O Lord, be a help to us; and, by the intercession of the blessed Martyr Stephen, strengthen us with thy perpetual protection. Through, &c.
Auxilientur nobis, Domine, sumpta mysteria; et intercedente beato Stephano, Martyre tuo, sempiterna protectione confirment. Per Dominum.
Vespers
The Antiphons and Psalms are sung as yesterday, the Feast of St. Stephen: they are given in December 25. Christmas Day: the Third Mass and Second Vespers. After the last Psalm, the Office of St. John is resumed, commencing as follows:
Capitulum
(Ecclus. 15)
He that feareth God, will do good: and he that possesseth justice, shall lay hold on her, and she shall meet him as an honorable mother.
Qui timet Deum, faciet bona: et qui continens est justitiæ, apprehendet illam, et obviabit illi quasi mater honorificata.
Hymn9
Let the earth exult with joy: let the heavens re-echo with praise: the glory of the Apostles is sung by both earth and heaven.
Cœlum resultet laudibus;
Apostolorum gloriam
Tellus et astra concinunt.
O ye, the Judges of the world, and the true Lights of the earth! we pray to you with all earnestness of heart: hear the prayers of your clients.
Et vera mundi lumina:
Votis precamur cordium,
Audite voces supplicum.
’Tis ye that have power, by your word, to shut and open the gates of heaven: we beseech you, loosen us from the bonds of sin.
Serasque verbo solvitis,
Nos a reatu noxios
Solvi jubete quæsumus.
Sickness and health promptly do your bidding; oh! heal our languid souls, bring us growth in virtue;
Languor salusque sentiunt;
Sanate mentes languidas,
Augete nos virtutibus.
That so, when Jesus, our judge, shall come again at the end of the world, he may grant us to be partakers of never-ending bliss.
In fine Christus sæculi,
Nos sempiterni gaudii
Concedat esse compotes.
Glory be to thee, O Jesus, that wast born of the Virgin! and to the Father, and to the Spirit of love, for everlasting ages.
Qui natus es de Virgine:
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu
In sempiterna sæcula.
Amen.
Amen.
℣. Most worthy of honor is the blessed John.
℣. Valde honorandus est beatus Joannes.
℟. Who leaned upon the Lord’s breast at the supper.
℟. Qui supra pectus Domini in cœna recubuit.
Antiphon of the Magnificat
Ant. There went abroad among the brethren this saying, that that disciple should not die: and Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but: So I will have him to remain till I come.
Ant. Exiit sermo inter fratres, quod discipulus ille non moritur: et non dixit Jesus: Non moritur; sed: Sic eum volo manere donec veniam.
Let us pray.
Oremus.
Mercifully, O Lord, enlighten thy Church; that being taught by blessed John, thine Apostle and Evangelist, she may come to thy eternal rewards. Through, &c.
Ecclesiam tuam, Domine, benignus illustra, ut beati Joannis Apostoli tui et Evangelistæ illuminata doctrinis, ad dona perveniat sempiterna. Per Dominum.
Commemoration of the Holy Innocents
Ant. These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
Ant. Hi sunt, qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati: virgines enim sunt, et sequuntur Agnum quocumque ierit.
℣. Herod, being angry, killed many children.
℣. Herodes iratus occidit multos pueros.
℟. In Bethlehem of Juda, the city of David.
℟. In Bethlehem Judæ, civitate David.
Let us pray.
Oremus.
O God, whose praise the holy Martyrs, the Innocents, published this day, not by speaking, but by dying; mortify in us all our vicious inclinations: that we may show forth, in our actions, thy faith, which we profess with our lips.
Deus cujus hodierna die præconium Innocentes martyres non loquendo, sed moriendo confessi sunt, omnia in nobis vitiorum mala mortifica: ut fidem tuam, quam lingua nostra loquitur, etiam moribus vita fateatur.
Commemoration of Christmas Day
Ant. This day, Christ is born; this day, the Savior hath appeared; this day, the Angels sing on earth; the Archangels rejoice; this day, the just exult, saying: Glory be to God in the highest, alleluia.
Ant. Hodie Christus natus est: hodie Salvator apparuit: hodie in terra canunt Angeli, lætantur Archangeli: hodie exsultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis Deo. Alleluia.
℣. The Lord hath made known, alleluia.
℣. Notum fecit Dominus, alleluia.
℟. His salvation, alleluia.
℟. Salutare suum, alleluia.
Let us pray.
Oremus.
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new Birth of thine Only Begotten Son.
Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per carnem Nativitas liberet, quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet.
Commemoration of St. Stephen
Ant. Devout men buried Stephen, and made great mourning over him.
Ant. Sepelierunt Stephanum viri timorati, et fecerunt planctum magnum super eum.
℣. Stephen saw the heavens opened.
℣. Stephanus vidit cœlos apertos.
℟. He saw and entered: blessed man, to whom the heavens opened.
℟. Vidit et introivit: beatus homo cui cœli patebant.
Let us pray.
Oremus.
Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies, because we now solemnize his martyrdom who knew how to pray, even for his persecutors, to our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son. Who liveth, &c.
Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine imitari quod colimus, ut discamus et inimicos diligere: quia ejus natalitia celebramus, qui novit etiam pro persecutoribus exorare Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum. Qui tecum.
Now let us listen to the several Churches, proclaiming, in their liturgical praises, the glory of St. John. We begin with the Church of Rome, from which we take this beautiful Preface of the Leonian Sacramentary.
Preface
It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should give thanks to thee, O Almighty Father! now that we are celebrating the Feast of thy blessed Apostle, John the Evangelist. Having received the vocation of our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, he left his earthly father, that he might find one in heaven. He threw down the nets of this world, wherein he was entangled, that he might, with a free soul, pursue the goods that are eternal. He abandoned his boat, which was ever tossing on the waves, that he might calmly steer a spiritual bark in the Church. He gave up his trade of fishing, that, by the hook of saving doctrine, he might draw out souls ingulfed in the surges of the world. He ceased his searchings in the deep waters of the sea, that he might be made worthy to penetrate into secrets divine. Even thus was he favored—he leaned his head on the Savior’s breast, in the most holy banquet of the mystic supper; our Lord, when hanging on the cross, gave him to the Virgin-Mother to be her Son in His own stead; and it was he, above all others, that showed how this was to be preached: In the beginning was the Word, who was God with God.
Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi gratias agere, Pater omnipotens, beati Apostoli tui Joannis Evangelistæ natalitia venerantes. Qui Domini nostri Jesu Christi Filii tui vocatione suscepta, terrenum respuit patrem, ut posset invenire cœlestem: retia sæculi, quibus implicabatur, abjecit, ut æternitatis dona mente libera sectaretur: nutantem fluctibus navem reliquit, ut in ecclesiasticæ gubernationis tranquillitate consisteret: a piscium captione cessavit, ut animas mundanis gurgitibus immersas, calamo doctrinæ salutaris abstraheret: destitit pelagi profunda rimari, secretorum scrutator redditus divinorum. Eo usque procedens, ut et in cœnæ mysticæ sacrosancto convivio in ipsius recumberet pectore Salvatoris; et eum in cruce Dominus constitutus, vicarium sui, Matri Virgini Filium subrogaret, et in principio Verbum, quod Deus erat apud Deum, præ cæteris ostenderet prædicandum.
The Church of Milan, in her Ambrosian Missal, thus sings forth the praises of the Beloved Disciple:
It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should give thanks to thee, O Eternal God! whilst celebrating the merits of blessed John the Evangelist, whom our Lord Jesus Christ not only adorned with every peculiar grace, but to whom also, he, when fastened to the cross, lovingly granted, as though it were the gift of inheritance, to take his own place and be the Son of Mary. Even unto this grade of honor did thy divine goodness raise him, that being changed from a fisherman into a Disciple, and, in the dispensing thy Truth, going beyond the measure of other men, — he, above all others, both saw and preached the very Divinity of thy Eternal Word.
Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi gratias agere, æterne Deus: beati Joannis Evangelistæ merita recolentes, quem Dominus Jesus Christus non solum peculiari semper decore ornavit; sed et in cruce positus, tamquam hæreditario munere prosecutus, vicarium pro se Matri Filium clementer attribuit. Quem ad eum usque dignitatis gradum divina benignitas evexit, ut et factus ex piscatore Discipulus, et humanæ dispensationis modum excedens, ipsam Verbi tui sine initio Deitatem præ cæteris et mente conspiceret, et voce perferret.
The Mozarabic Missal has the following prayer to our holy Apostle and Evangelist:
Prayer
O Son of God, Begotten of the Unbegotten infinite God! who didst open the sacred treasury of thy Breast to thine Apostle, when he, reclining on thy Bosom, merited to drink in, from the very fountain of thy Heart, the streams of his own Gospel: look upon us with an eye of pity, that so, by thee, we may know thy mysteries, and do the good thou hast manifested unto us. Reveal unto us the hidden things of thy Heart, whereby we may be taught both the weakness of our own nature, and the Divinity which is thine. Show us thyself, that we may love thee; show us in ourselves what we must correct. That thus, by the prayers of thy beloved Disciple, our evil ways being converted, pestilence may flee from us, sickness disappear, and the sword be sheathed. May all that is adverse to Christian faith perish; may all that prospers it, be strengthened. May famines cease, may dissensions be appeased, may the upholders of heresy be confounded. May the earth be pregnant with fruits, our souls be clad with virtues, and all good things come unto us all. That thus, faithfully serving thee our God, we may both use these gifts without sin, and, hereafter, enjoy the bliss of possessing thee for eternity. Amen.
Genite ingeniti Filius Dei summi; qui sacrum illud arcanum pectoris tui dilecto tuo Joanni Apostolo reserasti: cum in sinu tuo recubans Evangelii sui fluenta ex ipso pectoris tui fonte haurire promeruit. Tu nos intuere propitius, ut per te abdita cognoscamus, per te bona quæ manifesta sunt impleamus. Reserans nobis pectoris tui occulta, quibus possimus cognoscere, et conditionis nostræ infirmitatem, et ad tuæ divinitatis pervenire cognitionem. Manifestans de te quid amemus, indicans de nobis quid corrigamus. Quo hujus dilecti tui suffragiis, moribus nostris in melius commutatis, aufugiat pestis, dispereat languor, pellatur mucro. Quidquid adversum est fidei christianæ intereat; quidquid prosperum, convalescat. Arceantur fames, sedentur lites, hæresum obtrudantur fautores. Fœcundetur frugibus terra, vestiatur virtutibus anima; atque cuncta nobis in commune proveniant bona. Quo tibi Deo nostro fideliter servientes, et his sine peccato utamur concessis, et post deliciis fruamur æternæ possessionis. Amen.
The following Hymn, which we have taken from the Milan Liturgy, is attributed to St. Ambrose; it certainly bears a resemblance to his style—sublime thoughts, majestically told.
Hymn
John—the honored loved-one of Jesus, and named by Him the Son of Thunder — revealed in sacred words, the hidden things of God.
He was a fisherman, and supported his aged parent by his toil: whilst sailing on the troubled waves, he received the faith, and firmly did he hold to it.
He throws his hook into the deep, and takes the Word of God; he lets down his nets into the waters, he draws in Him who is the Light of the world.
His fervent Faith is the good Fish which swam through the briny flood of this world; it rested on the Breast of Christ, and thus spoke in the Holy Spirit:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
“All things were made by Him.” Then, let us sing the praises of this Disciple, and since he bears the laurels of the Spirit, let his writings be his crown.
Martyrdom has been granted to many, and this shedding of their own blood purifies them from every sin; but John did what was better than Martyrdom—he taught to the world that which made the Martyrs.
Yet we are told, that he was bound by wicked men, and plunged into boiling oil; it did but cleanse him from this world’s dust, and give him victory over the enemy.
Glory be to thee, O Lord, that wast born of the Virgin! and to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, for everlasting ages. Amen.
Et filius Tonitrui,
Arcana Joannes Dei
Fatu revelavit sacro.
Patris senectam pascere;
Turbante dum natat salo
Immobilis fide stetit.
Piscatus est Verbum Dei;
Jactavit undis retia,
Vitam levavit hominum.
Mundi supernatans salum,
Subnixa Christi pectore,
Sancto locuta Spiritu:
Et Verbum erat apud Deum,
Et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat
In principio apud Deum.
Sed ipse laude resonet;
Et laureatus Spiritu,
Scriptis coronetur suis.
Cruorque delictum lavans;
Hoc morte præstat Martyrum,
Quod fecit esse Martyres.
Calente olivo dicitur
Tersisse mundi pulverem,
Stetisse victor æmuli.
Qui natus es de Virgine;
Cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu
In sempiterna sæcula.
Amen.
We will now give a few stanzas from the Hymns which the Greek Church, in her accustomed pomp of language, sings in honor of St. John. She keeps his Feast on the 26th September.
(XXVI. Septembris, in magno Vespertino, et passim.)
Come, ye Faithful, let us this day crown with sacred hymns the glorious and Beloved John, an abyss of wisdom, and the writer of orthodox dogmas: for it was he that uttered, In the beginning was the Word. Therefore did he appear as with the voice of thunder, enlightening the world with his Gospel—he the exceeding wise and world-wide famed Disciple.
Venite, sapientiæ abyssum et orthodoxorum scriptorem dogmatum, Fideles, hymnis coronemus divinis hodie, Joannem gloriosum et dilectum: is enim intonuit: Verbum erat in principio. Ideo voce tonitru simili demonstratus est, quasi Evangelio mundum illuminans, multisapiens et celeberrimus.
Thou wast truly and manifestly the great bosom-friend of Jesus thy Master; for thou didst recline upon his Breast, imbibing thence the dogmas of wisdom, wherewith, as God’s sublime herald, thou enrichest the earth’s circuit, and which the glad Church of Christ, now possessing it, exultingly honors.
Vere aperteque tu manifestatus es amicus ex corde magnus Christi magistri; pectori enim illius incubuisti, unde hausisti sapientiæ dogmata, quibus tamquam Dei præco divinus, ditas omnem terræ circuitum, quam possidens jucunda Christi Ecclesia nunc gaudens exornat.
Rejoice, thou true Theologian! rejoice, thou most amiable Son of our Lord’s Mother! for, when standing nigh the Cross of Jesus, thou didst hear his divine voice saying unto thee: Behold now thy Mother. Therefore do we all bless thee, as the great and Beloved Apostle of Christ.
Gaude, vere theologe, gaude, Matris Domini fili amabilissime: tu enim stans juxta crucem Christi, divinam audisti vocem Magistri: Ecce nunc mater tua, ad te clamantis. Ideo digne te omnes ut Christi Apostolum magnum et dilectum beatificamus.
The contemplator of ineffable revelations, the interpreter of God’s most high mysteries, the son of Zebedee, wrote us the Gospel of Christ, and thereby taught us how to speak theologically of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Contemplator ineffabilium revelationum, et interpres supernorum Dei mysteriorum, Zebedæi filius, scribens nobis Christi Evangelium, divine loqui Patrem, et Filium, et Spiritum nos docuit.
This heaven-hymned Harp attuned by God, this mystic writer, this mouth that speaks divine things, is now sweetly singing the Canticle of Canticles, and prays for our salvation.
Lyra a Deo mota cœlestium odarum, mysticus ille scriptor, os divina loquens, Canticum canticorum dulciter decantat, et precatur salvari nos.
Let us, O ye mortals! proclaim his many praises: — John, the Son of thunder — the source of divine language—the Prince of Theology—the first preacher of true wisdom’s dogmas—the Beloved and Virgin-Disciple.
Tonitru filium, divinorum sermonum fundamentum, theologiæ ducem, et primum præconem veræ sapientiæ dogmatum, Joannem dilectum et virginem, o mortalium genus, multis laudemus acclamationibus.
The streams of Theology gushed from thy venerable lips, O Apostle! the Church of God has drunk them in, O teacher of truth! and adores the consubstantial Trinity. O holy Theologian John! now pray that our souls may be unwavering and saved.
Flumina theologiæ, ex venerando ore tuo salierunt, Apostole, quibus Ecclesia Dei potata, adorat, orthodoxe, Trinitatem consubstantialem; et nunc deprecare, Joannes theologe, stabiliri et salvari animas nostras.
The flower of purity, the fragrant perfume, breathes upon this day’s feast; let us, therefore, pray to him: Blessed Apostle John! who didst recline upon Jesus’ Breast! who didst pour out The Word upon the earth; who didst guard the Virgin as the apple of thine eye! Oh! ask Jesus to show his great mercy unto us.
Virgultum puritatis, boni odoris unguentum apparuit nobis in hodierna festivitate; ad ipsum igitur clamemus: Tu qui supra pectus recubuisti Dominicum, tu qui mundo stillare fecisti Verbum, Joannes Apostole; qui Virginem custodivisti ut pupillam oculi, postula pro nobis apud Christum magnam misericordiam.
Come, ye faithful! let us bless the most renowned John, the exalted one among the Apostles, the trumpet of theology, the spiritual guide—he that brought the world into subjection to God—he that was raised above the earth, not taken away from it, and is living and awaiting the dread second coming of our Lord. O thou the mystic Friend of Christ, that didst lovingly lean upon his Breast, help us, who celebrate thy memory, help us by thy prayers to present ourselves guiltless before our judge.
Apostolorum celsitudinem, theologiæ tubam, spiritalem ducem, qui orbem terrarum Deo subegit, venite, fideles, beatificemus Joannem illustrissimum, e terra sublatum et non ablatum, sed viventem et exspectantem terribilem Domini secundum adventum; cui ut inculpabiliter assistamus deprecare, amice mystice Christi pectori ejus innixe cum amore, tuam memoriam celebrantes.
As usual, we will close these liturgical praises of our dear Saint, by a Prose of the Western Churches in the Middle-Ages, which we have taken from the collection of the Monastery of Saint Gall. It was composed by the Blessed Notker, and was for centuries in the Roman-French Missals.
Sequence
O John! the dearly Beloved Virgin-Disciple of Jesus!
Multum dilecte virgo.
For love of Him, thou didst leave thy father Zebedee and his boat.
Carnalem in navi
Parentem liquisti.
Thou didst disdain the caresses of thy young betrothed, and didst follow the Messias,
Pectus respuisti,
Messiam secutus,
That thou mightest merit to drink at the sacred fount of his Heart.
Sacra meruisses
Fluenta potare.
Thou, too, when on this earth, didst behold the transfiguration of the Son of God,
Gloriam conspexisti
Filii Dei,
Which vision, as we are taught, is not granted save to the Saints in life eternal.
In vita creditur
Contuenda esse perenni.
Jesus, when conquering on his cross, entrusted his Mother to thy keeping;
In cruce triumphans,
Matri suæ dedit custodem;
That thou, a Virgin, mightest protect and care for the Virgin, in His stead.
Virginem servares,
Atque curam suppeditares.
Imprisoned and torn by scourges, thou didst rejoice—for it was thy bearing testimony to Christ.
Flagrisque fractus,
Testimonio pro Christo
Es gavisus.
Thou, too, raisest the dead to life, and, in the name of Jesus, breakest the poison’s power.
Inque Jesu nomine
Venenum forte vincis.
To thee, above the rest, the Almighty Father reveals his own embosom’d Word.
Præ cæteris Verbum suum
Pater revelat.
Do thou ever commend us all to God, by unwearied intercession,
Sedulis precibus
Apud Deum
Semper commenda,
O John, Disciple dear to Christ!
Amen.
Amen.
Beloved Disciple of the Babe of Bethlehem! — how great is thy happiness! how wonderful is the reward given to thy love and thy purity! In thee was fulfilled that word of thy Master: Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God. Not only didst thou see this God-Man—thou wast his Friend, and on his Bosom didst rest thy head. John the Baptist trembles at having to bend the head of Jesus under the water of Jordan; Magdalene, though assured by his own lips that her pardon was perfect as her love, yet dares not raise her head, but keeps clinging to his feet; Thomas scarce presumes to obey him when he bids him put his finger into his wounded Side; — and thou, in the presence of all the Apostles, sittest close to Him, leaning thy head upon his Breast! Nor is it only Jesus in his Humanity that thou seest and possessest; but, because thy heart is pure, thou soarest, like an eagle, up to the Sun of Justice, and fixest thine eye upon him in the light inaccessible, wherein he dwelleth eternally with the Father and the Holy Ghost.
Thus was rewarded the fidelity wherewith thou didst keep intact for Jesus the precious treasure of thy Purity. And now, O worthy favorite of the great King! forget not us poor sinners. We believe and confess the Divinity of the Incarnate Word, whom thou hast evangelized unto us; but we desire to draw nigh to him during this holy season, now that he shows himself so desirous of our company, so humble, so full of love, so dear a Child, and so poor! Alas! our sins keep us back; our heart is not pure like thine; we have need of a Patron to introduce us to our Master’s Crib.10 Thou, O Beloved Disciple of the Emmanuel! thou must procure us this happiness. Thou hast shown us the Divinity of the Word in the bosom of the Eternal Father; lead us now to this same Word made flesh. Under thy patronage, Jesus will permit us to enter into the Stable, to stand near his Crib, to see with our eyes, and touch with our hands,11 this sweet Fruit of eternal Life. May it be granted us to contemplate the sweet Face of Him, that is our Savior and thy Friend; to feel the throbs of that Heart, which loves both thee and us—and which thou didst see wounded by the Spear, on Calvary. It is good for us to fix ourselves here near the Crib of our Jesus, and share in the graces he there lavishes, and learn, as thou didst, the grand lesson of this Child’s simplicity: — thy prayers must get us all this.
Then too, as Son and Guardian of Mary, thou hast to present us to thine own and our Mother. Ask her to give us somewhat of the tender love wherewith she watches over the Crib of her Divine Son; to see in us the Brothers of that Child she bore; and to admit us to a share of the maternal affection she had for thee, the favored confidant of the secrets of her Jesus.
We also pray to thee, O holy Apostle! for the Church of God. She was planted and watered by thy labors, embalmed with the celestial fragrance of thy virtues, and illumined by thy sublime teachings; — pray now, that these graces may bring forth their fruit, and that, to the end of her pilgrimage, faith may be firm, the love of Jesus fervent, and christian morals pure and holy. Thou tellest us, in thy Gospel, of a saying of thy Divine Master: I will not now call you servants, but I have called you friends:12 pray, dear Saint, that there may come to this, from our hearts and lips, a response of love and courage, telling our Emmanuel, that, like thyself, we will follow him whithersoever he leads us.
Let us, on this second day after our Divine Infant’s Birth, meditate upon the Sleep he deigns to take. Let us consider how this God of all goodness, who has come down from heaven to invite his creature man to come to him and seek rest for his soul—seeks rest himself in our earthly home, and sanctifies, by his own divine Sleep, that rest, which to us is a necessity. We have just been dwelling, with delighted devotion, on the thought of his offering his Breast as a resting-place for the Beloved Disciple, and for all souls that imitate John in their love and devotedness: now, let us look at this our God, sweetly sleeping in his humble Crib, or on his Mother’s lap.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, in one of his delicious Canticles, thus describes the Sleep of Jesus and the enraptured love of the Mother:
Hush the music of their spheres;
Soft her voice, her beauty fairer
Than the glancing stars appears:
While to Jesus slumbering nigh,
Thus she sings her lullaby.
Gently sleep: but ah! the sight
With its beauty so transports me,
I am dying of delight:
Thou canst not thy Mother see,
Yet thou breathest flames to me.
Slumbering eyes! you seem so fair;
When upon my gaze you open,
How shall I your beauty bear?
Ah! I tremble when you wake,
Lest my heart with love should break.
Mouth where lurks a smile divine —
Though the kiss my Babe should waken,
I must press those lips to mine.
Pardon, Dearest, if I say,
Mother’s love will take no nay.
Clasped the Infant to her breast,
And upon his radiant forehead
Many a loving kiss impress’d:
Jesus woke, and on her face
Fixed a look of heavenly grace.
How they pierce the Mother’s heart;
Shafts of love from every feature
Through her gentle bosom dart.
Heart of stone! can I behold
Mary’s love, and still be cold?
When will these delays be o’er?
All things else, how fair so ever,
Are but smoke: — resist no more!
Yes! ’tis done! I yield my arms
Captive to those double charms.
Now so late those charms I learn,
Now at least, and ever, ever,
With thy love my heart will burn
For the Mother and the Child,
Rose and Lily undefiled.
I am theirs, and they are mine;
For no other prize I labor,
For no other bliss I pine;
Love can every pain requite,
Love alone is full delight.13
Let us, then, adore the Divine Babe in this state of Sleep, to which he voluntarily subjects himself, and contrast it with the cruel fatigues, which are one day to be His. When he is grown up, and come to the age of manhood, he will go through every toil and suffering in search of us his Lost Sheep. But these first slumbers shall not be troubled by anything of ours, which could pain this loving wakeful Heart; and the Blessed Mother shall not be disturbed in the blissful contemplation of her Sleeping Child, over whom she is, at a future time, to shed such bitter tears. The day is not far distant, when he will say: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.14
“Christ has had three resting-places,” says Peter of Celles. “The first was in the Bosom of his Eternal Father. He says: I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.15 What repose could be compared to this, of the Father’s delight in the Son, and the Son’s delight in the Father? It is a mutual and ineffable love, and they are happy in the union. But, whilst maintaining this place of his eternal rest, the Son of God has sought a second, in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He overshadowed her with the Holy Ghost, and slept a long sleep in her chaste womb, whilst his Body was there being formed. The holy Virgin troubled not the sleep of her Child: she kept all the powers of her soul in a silence like that of heaven; and, rapt in self-contemplation, she heard mysteries which it is not permitted to man to utter. The third resting-place of Christ is in man. Jesus dwells in a heart that is purified by faith, enlarged by charity, raised above Earth by contemplation, and is renewed by the Holy Ghost. Such a heart as this offers to Jesus not an earthly but a heavenly dwelling; and the Child, who is born unto us, will not refuse to enter it, and take his rest within it.”16
To this Eternal Word, made Flesh for our salvation, let us offer up this Hymn of our great ecclesiastical Poet, Prudentius.
Hymn
Born from the bosom of the Father before the world began, his name is Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and end of all things present, past, and future.
Ante mundi exordium
A et O cognominatus:
Ipse fons et clausula
Omnium quæ sunt, fuerunt,
Quæque post futura sunt.
He commanded and they were created, he spoke and they were made: earth, heaven, and sea—the triple kingdom—and all things that are in them, under the sun and moon.
Dixit ipse, et facta sunt;
Terra, cœlum, fossa ponti,
Trina rerum machina,
Quæque in his vigent sub alto
Solis et lunæ globo.
He clothes himself with a frail Body, and with members subject to death; lest the human race, the offspring of Adam, should perish together with their first Parent, whom a terrible sentence had condemned to the depth of hell.
Membra morti obnoxia
Induit, ne gens periret
Primoplasti ex germine,
Merserat quem lex profundo
Noxialis Tartaro.
O that happy Birth, when a Virgin-Mother, having conceived of the Holy Ghost, brought forth the Child that was our salvation; and the Babe, the Redeemer of the world, showed unto us his divine Face!
Virgo cum puerpera
Edidit nostram salutem,
Fœta Sancto Spiritu,
Et puer Redemptor orbis
Os sacratum protulit.
Let high heaven sing, and sing all ye Angels! Let every living creature sing to the praise of God! Let every tongue proclaim it, and every voice join in the hymn of praise.
Psallite, omnes Angeli,
Quidquid est virtutis usquam,
Psallat in laudem Dei:
Nulla linguarum silescat,
Vox et omnis consonet.
Behold the Promised Messias, of whom sang the Seers in the ancient times, and whom the Prophets foretold in their truthful oracles! Praise be to him from every creature.
Concinebant sæculis,
Quem Prophetarum fideles
Paginæ spoponderant,
Emicat promissus olim:
Cuncta collaudent eum.
May the aged, and the young, and children, mothers, and virgins, and innocent maidens, sing to thee, O Jesus! and with concordant voice chastely hymn thy praise!
Parvulorum te chorus,
Turba matrum, virginumque,
Simplices puellulæ,
Voce concordes pudicis
Perstrepant concentibus.
May the flowing river and the sea-shore wave, rain and heat, snow and frost, forest and zephyr, day and night, for ever and for ever give thee praise.
Littorum crepidines,
Imber, æstus, nix, pruinæ,
Silva, et aura, nox, dies,
Omnibus te concelebrent
Sæculorum sæculis.
Amen.
Amen.
Let us now honor and invoke the ever Blessed and most Merciful Mother of our God, and use the words of this beautiful Hymn of the ancient Roman-French Missals:
Hymn
Rejoice, O Virgin-Mother! in thy joy-giving delivery, for thy chaste womb was made fruitful of the very Son of God.
Læto puerperio,
Cujus casta viscera
Fœcundantur Filio.
O wondrous sight—Jesus feeding from the Lily of Purity! Yea, most pure Virgin, thou feedest at thy breasts his infant life.
Cum pudoris lilio;
Membra foves tenera,
Virgo, lacte proprio.
The Only Begotten of the Father, by whom he made this world, is dwelling here the Babe of a poor Mother.
Per quem fecit sæcula,
Hic degit humanitus,
Sub Matre paupercula.
There, he is feeding the holy Angels with joy: — here, he is in hunger and thirst, from his cradle.
Angelos lætitia:
Hic sitit et esurit
Degens ab infantia.
There, he holds all things in subjection: — here, he is in subjection to a Mother. There, he commands; — here, he obeys his Handmaid.
Hic a Matre regitur:
Ibi dat imperia,
Hic ancillæ subditur.
There, he is seated on the throne of highest majesty: — here, he is lying swathed and weeping in a manger.
Residet in solio;
Hic ligatus fasciis
Vagit in præsepio.
Think on this, O man! and to thy memory recall these stupendous works of God’s mercy.
Revocans memoriæ,
Quanta sint hæc opera
Divinæ clementiæ.
And though thy sins be great, yet canst thou not despair, for the proofs thou seest here of Jesus’ love speak but of pardon.
Si multum deliqueris,
Ubi tot insignia
Charitatis videris.
Thou wouldst have pardon? fly to the Mother for protection, for she holds on her lap the Infinite Fountain of Mercy.
Fuge, causa veniæ:
Nam tenet in gremio
Fontem indulgentiæ.
Often bend thy knee before her, and, with hopeful love, salute her thus: Hail! full of grace!
Cum spei fiducia,
Dicens, flexis genibus:
Ave plena gratia.
As thou, of old, didst feed thy Jesus, and stay his infant tears; so now, dear Mother, appease him angered by our sins.
Sedabas uberibus:
Nunc iratum mitigas
Pro nostris excessibus.
Hear, O Jesus! thy sweet Mother’s prayers, and, with an eye of pity, look upon us sinners! Correct and change us, and make us worthy to be citizens of heaven.
Piæ Matris precibus;
Emendatos effice
Dignos cœli civibus.
Amen.
Amen.
St. John 15:13.↩︎
St. John 13:23; xix. 26; xxi. 7; xxi. 20.↩︎
Coloss. 2:3.↩︎
Ezechiel 1:10; x. 14.↩︎
Apoc. 4:7.↩︎
St. John 13:1.↩︎
St. Matth. 20:22.↩︎
Preface. For the Octave-Day.
It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, humbly to beseech thee, that thou, O Lord, our eternal Shepherd, wouldst not forsake thy flock, but keep it under thy continual protection, by thy blessed Apostles. That it may be governed by those whom thou hast appointed its vicars and pastors. And therefore with the Angels and Archangels, with the Thrones and Dominations, and with all the heavenly host, we sing an everlasting hymn to thy glory, saying: Holy, &c.
Vere dignum et justum est æquum et salutare, te Domine suppliciter exorare, ut gregem tuum, Pastor æterne, non deseras, sed per beatos Apostolos tuos continua protectione custodias. Ut iisdem rectoribus gubernetur, quos operis tui vicarios eidem contulisti præesse Pastores. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia cœlestis exercitus, hymnum gloriæ tuæ canimus, sine fine dicentes: Sanctus, &c.↩︎
According to the Monastic Rite it is as follows:—
℟. Breve. Constitues eos principes, * Super omnem terram. Constitues. ℣. Memores erunt nominis tui, Domine. * Super. Gloria Patri. Constitues.
Exsultet cœlum laudibus,
Resultet terra gaudiis;
Apostolorum gloriam
Sacra canunt solemnia.Vos sæcli justi judices
Et vera mundi lumina,
Votis precamur cordium,
Audite preces supplicum.Qui cœlum verbo clauditis,
Serasque ejus solvitis,
Nos a peccatis omnibus
Solvite jussu, quæsumus.Quorum præcepto subditur
Salus et languor omnium,
Sanate ægros moribus,
Nos reddentes virtutibus.Ut cum judex advenerit,
Christus in fine sæculi,
Nos sempiterni gaudii
Faciat esse compotes.Gloria tibi, Domine,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et Sancto Spiritu,
In sempiterna sæcula.Amen.↩︎
Is. 1:3.↩︎
1 St. John 1:1.↩︎
St. John 15:15.↩︎
Translation by the Very Rev. R. A. Coffin. — We subjoin the original:
Fermarono i cieli
La loro armonia,
Cantando Maria
La nanna a Gesù.Con voce divina
La Virgine bella,
Più vaga che stella,
Diceva così:Mio figlio, mio Dio,
Mio caro tesoro,
Tu dormi, ed io moro
Per tanta beltà.Dormendo, mio bene,
Tua Madre non miri,
Ma l’aura che spiri,
È foco per me.Cogli occhi serrati
Voi pur mi ferite;
Or quando li aprite,
Per me che sarà?Le guance di rose
Mi rubano il core:
O Dio! che si more
Quest’alma per te.Mi sforza a baciarti
Un labbro sì raro:
Perdonami, caro,
Non posso più, no.Si tacque, ed al petto,
Stringendo il Bambino,
Al volto divino
Un bacio donò.Si desta il diletto;
E tutto amoroso,
Con occhio vezzoso
La Madre guardò.Ah Dio! ch’alla Madre
Quegli occhi, quel guardo
Fu strale, fu dardo,
Che l’alma ferì.E tu non languisci,
O dur’ alma mia,
Vedendo Maria
Languir per Gesù.Se tardi v’amai,
Bellezze divine,
Ormai senza fine
Per voi arderò.Il Figlio e la Madre,↩︎
La Madre col Figlio,
La rosa col giglio
Quest’alma vorrà.St. Matth. 8:20.↩︎
St. John 14:11.↩︎
Fourth Sermon On our Lord’s Nativity.↩︎