if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. R. Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the sea, and He called them, saying; *Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. y. For they were fishers, and He said unto them. Follow. Lesson II. FOR with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Ry. When blessed Andrew heard the voice of the Lord, leaving the nets by use of which he gained his living * straightway he followed Him Who bestows the reward of eternal life. V. At the sound of one call, blessed Andrew leaving his nets. Straightway. Lesson III. BUT they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought Me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Ry. The man of God was being led to crucifixion; but the people cried with a loud voice, saying, * His innocent blood is condemned without cause. . And as the executicners were leading him to be crucified, the people ran together, crying and saying. His. Glory. His. ANDREW the Apostle, born at Bethsaida, which is a village of Galilee, brother of Peter, disciple of John Baptist, when he had heard him saying of Christ, Behold the Lamb of God, followed Jesus, and also brought his brother to Him. Afterwards, when they were both fishing in the sea of Galilee, and were called before the other Apostles by Christ the Lord as He passed by, with those words, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men, they made no delay, but left their nets and followed Him. After Whose Passion and Resurrection, Andrew, when he had come into Scythia, (which province had fallen to him by lot to spread the faith of Christ therein,) proceeded through Epirus and Thrace, and by teaching and miracles, converted countless men to Christ. Afterwards, having gone to Patra in Achaia, and having brought many in that city to the truth of the Gospel, he rebuked, with all boldness, Egeas the proconsul, who resisted his preaching, because he who wished to be considered a judge of men, misled by evil spirits, would not acknowledge Christ the Lord as Judge of all. Ry. The brave teacher, the friend of God is being led to the cross: and beholding it from afar, he exclaimed: Hail, O Cross : * Receive the disciple of Him Who hung on thee, my Master Christ. Y. Hail, Cross, sacred to the body of Christ: and by His limbs adorned as with pearls. Receive. Lesson V. THEN Egeas being angry, Cease, saith he, to boast of Christ, Whom like words could not hinder from being crucified by the Jews. And when Andrew, nevertheless, ceased not to preach Christ boldly, and to set Him forth as the Sacrifice for the salvation of the human race, the proconsul interrupted him with wicked words, and desired him to take thought for himself, and be willing to sacrifice to the gods; to whom Andrew said: I sacrifice every day to the Omnipotent God, Who is the One and True God, not the flesh of bulls, not the flesh of goats, but the Immaculate Lamb on the Altar: Whose Flesh, when all believers shall have eaten the Lamb that was sacrificed, remains whole and living. Whereupon Ægeas, filled with anger, commanded Andrew to be thrust into prison, whence the people might easily have set him free, unless he himself had stilled them, and had urgently desired them not to impede him in his passage to the much longedfor crown of martyrdom. R. O good Cross, which hast received thy beauty and thy loveliness from the Body of my Lord, receive me from men and restore me to my Master, * that by thee He may receive me, Who by thee redeemed me. y. Fearlessly and joyfully I come unto thee; do thou likewise exultantly receive me. That. Lesson VI. THEREFORE, no long time after, when he was brought forth to the judgment-seat, and had extolled the mysteries of the Cross, Egeas could no longer bear to have his wickedness reproached, and commanded that he should be taken to the cross, and should imitate Christ in his death. Andrew, being brought to the place of martyrdom, when he saw the cross, began to exclaim from afar, Good Cross, which hast received thy beauty from the Body of my Lord, long desired, tenderly loved, unceasingly sought, and in due time prepared for me, receive me from men, and restore me to my Master; that by thee He may receive me, Who by thee redeemed me. And so he was tied to the cross, on which hanging alive two days, and never ceasing to preach the faith of Christ, he departed to the same Lord after Whose likeness he had desired to die. All which things the presbyters and deacons of Achaia, who wrote his passion, affirm that they heard and saw. His bones were removed first to Constantinople, when Constantine was emperor, and afterwards to Amalfi. His head was brought to Rome in the pontificate of Pius II., and placed in the basilica of S. Peter. Ry. Holy Andrew prayed looking up to heaven; with a loud voice he cried, saying, Thou art my God Whom I have seen: * suffer me not to be cast down by the unrighteous judge; * for I have acknowledged the power of the holy Cross. . Thou art my Master, O Christ, Whom I have loved, Whom I have known, Whom I have confessed: now in this one prayer only hearken unto me. Suffer. Glory. For. THIRD NOCTURN. Ant. 1. The executioners approaching, lifted him on the cross: and stretching out his whole body with ropes, hung him up as it was commanded them. Ant. 2. Meanwhile all the people cried out together, saying, The holy and chaste man, the brave teacher, excellent in his life, pitiful and meek: it is not fitting he should suffer; let him be taken down from the cross. Ant. 3. Then spake holy Andrew: Now I behold my King, now I adore Him; now I abide in His sight. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S, Matthew. Lesson VII. Chap. iv. AT that time: Jesus, walking by the A Homily of S. Gregory the Pope. HE Lesson VIII. E now sits in heaven, and admonishes us to turn to Him; now has He placed the yoke of His faith on the necks of the Gentiles; now has He laid low the glory of the world, and by its increasing ruin does He announce the approaching day of His severe judgment; yet our proud mind is not inclined willingly to give up that which, against its will, it daily is losing. What therefore, beloved, what shall we say before His Judgment-seat, we who, neither by precepts nor by chastisements, are turned from the love of the present world? Ry. The Lord loved Andrew in the odour of sweetness while he hung upon the cross; He counted him a Martyr worthy for Himself, whom, while he was on the sea, He had called to be an Apostle. * And therefore he was named the friend of God. . This man appeared most merciful among his people, full of holiness and grace. And. Lesson IX. You have heard, brethren beloved, BUT perhaps one might reason thus how, at the first bidding of the Lord, Peter and Andrew left their nets, and followed the Redeemer. As yet indeed they had not seen Him perform any miracles, had heard nothing from Him concerning the rewards of eternal retribution; and yet at a single precept of the Lord, they forgot that which they seemed to possess. How many miracles of His do we behold, with how many chastisements are we punished, with what sharp threatenings are we warned, and yet we scorn to follow Him Who calls! in his secret thoughts: What, or how much did that fisherman leave at his Lord's command, who scarcely possessed anything? But in this matter, beloved, we ought rather to regard the disposition of mind than the amount. He left much, who retained nothing for himself; he left much, who left the whole, however small that whole was. We certainly love our possessions, and what we do not possess, that we eagerly seek. Peter and Andrew, therefore, left much when they left even their desire of possessing. [Ry. This man appeared most merciful among his people: full of holiness and grace is he who prayeth much * for the people, and for the holy city, V. For the love that I had unto them, lo, they take now my contrary part: but I give myself unto prayer. For. Glory. For.] DECEMBER 8. Festival of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Inv. The LORD GOD, Who planted a garden eastward in Eden: * O come, let us worship. Venite, Ps. 95. p. 3. Hymn and Pss. of the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary. p. 128. FIRST NOCTURN. Ant. 1. I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation: and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. Ant. 2. A little cloud arose out of the sea: and there was a great rain. Ant. 3. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel: when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them. y. This shall be My rest for ever. Ry. Here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein. Of Isaiah the Prophet. Lesson I. Chap. xliv. SING, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel. Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself. us; Ry. The Most High hath sanctified His tabernacle: * God is in the midst of her the Lord of hosts is with the God of Jacob is our refuge. Y. A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son; and shall call His Name Emmanuel, which is being interpreted, God with us. God is in. I Lesson II. Chap. xlv. AM the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil I the Lord do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together: I the Lord have created it. Ry. The Lord hath chosen her, * He hath chosen her to be an habitation for Himself. y. There shall be a performance of those things which were told her. He hath. Lesson III. THUS saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. Ry. He shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool. * Blessed be the Name of His majesty for ever, and all the earth shall be filled with His majesty. . Behold, the tabernacle of God is with man, and He will dwell with them, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. Blessed be. Glory. All the earth. SECOND NOCTURN. Ant. 1. The same is the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out : for my Master's Son. Ant. 2. I will bless her, and give thee a Son also of her: yea, I will bless her. Ant. 3. I will establish My cove nant with Him for an everlasting covenant and with His seed after Him. Him. . All men shall be blessed in Rz. All nations shall call Him blessed. A Sermon of S. Augustine the Bishop. Lesson IV. begotten in His bosom, equal to Himself, Whom He loved as Himself; that naturally He might be one and the same Son, common to God the Father, and the Virgin. Ry. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, * and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, . Be of good cheer, WHEN speaking of sin, for the thou shalt not die. And so. sake of the honour of the Lord, I prefer to say nothing at all concerning the holy Virgin Mary. For whence do we know what more of grace was given to her to conquer sin from every quarter, who was counted worthy to conceive and bear Him Who, it is certain, had no sin? Therefore, this Virgin excepted, if all the Saints whilst they lived here could have been gathered together, and asked which of them was sinless; what do we think they would have answered? However great was their sanctity whilst they were in the body, if they could have been asked this, they would have exclaimed with one voice that which the Apostle John says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Ry. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? . As He spake unto our fathers. That looketh. A Sermon of S. Anselm the Bishop. Lesson V. ΑΙ LTHOUGH the Son of God was truly conceived of a most pure Virgin, yet this was not done out of absolute necessity, as if a righteous seed could not with propriety be generated from a sinful parent by this manner of propagation; but because it was meet that the conception of this Man should be effected of a most pure mother. It was indeed meet that this Virgin should shine with purity greater than any that can be imagined except the purity of God, to whom God the Father willed to give His only Son, A Sermon of S. Bernard the Abbot. Lesson VI. Sermon 2 on the Assumption. ALL the glory indeed of the King's daughter is from within, yet, nevertheless, in her golden borders, she is girt about with variety. She is not of the number of the foolish virgins. She is a wise virgin, whose lamp was marvellously bright to the very Angels themselves. For she glowed more Jesus her Son our Lord filled with the brightly than the rest, whom Christ oil of grace above her fellows. Ry. Thou art our sister, * be thou the mother of thousands of millions; * and let thy seed possess the gate of them which hate thee, . That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear. And let. Glory. And let. THIRD NOCTURN. Ant. 1. O Lord God of all power: now is the time to help Thine in heritance. Ant. 2. Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men: and He will dwell with them. Ant. 3. This is the house of the Lord: exceeding magnifical, of fame, and of love, throughout all countries. Lesson of the Holy Gospel acoording to S. Matthew. Lesson VII. Chap. i. TE |