# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin
# Mary (Oct 11). Sourced directly from
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/10-11.txt, English/Sancti/10-11.txt.
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-5 (two excerpts from Pope St. Leo the Great's own
# Nativity sermons) plus Lectio6 (Pius XI's own history of this feast's
# institution, 1931, for the 1500th anniversary of the Council of
# Ephesus), combined into one reading. Nocturn 3: the Gospel citation
# ends "Et réliqua"/"And so on" with no full pericope given -- per the
# bare-incipit convention, only the homily (Lectio7-9, St. Bernard of
# Clairvaux) is authored, isGospel: false, no citation field.
id: maternity-of-the-bvm
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermons 1-2 on the Nativity of the Lord; Acts of Pope Pius XI"
    text:
      la: >-
        Virgo régia Davídicæ stirpis elígitur, quæ sacro gravidánda
        fetu, divínam humanámque prolem prius concíperet mente quam
        córpore: et ne supérni ignára consílii ad inusitátos pavéret
        affátus, quod in ea operándum erat a Spíritu Sancto, collóquio
        dídicit angélico, nec damnum crédidit pudóris Dei Génetrix mox
        futúra. Cur enim de conceptiónis novitáte despéret, cui
        efficiéntia de Altíssimi virtúte promíttitur? Confirmátur
        credéntis fides étiam præeúntis attestatióne miráculi. Donátur
        Elísabeth inopináta fecúnditas, ut qui concéptum déderat
        stérili, datúrus non dubitarétur et Vírgini. Verbum ígitur Dei
        Fílius, qui in princípio erat apud Deum, per quem facta sunt
        ómnia, et sine quo factum est nihil, propter liberándum
        hóminem ab ætérna morte, factus est homo.


        Ingréditur hæc ínfima Jesus Christus Dóminus noster de cæli
        sede descéndens, et a patérna glória non recédens, novo
        órdine, nova nativitáte generátus. Novo órdine, quia
        invisíbilis in suis, visíbilis factus est in nostris:
        incomprehensíbilis vóluit comprehéndi: ante témpora manens,
        esse cœpit in témpore. Nova autem nativitáte génitus est:
        concéptus a Vírgine, natus ex Vírgine, sine patérnæ carnis
        concupiscéntia, sine matérnæ integritátis injúria: quia
        futúrum hóminum Salvatórem talis ortus decébat, qui et in se
        habéret humánæ substántiæ natúram, et humánæ carnis
        inquinaménta nescíret. Orígo dissímilis, sed natúra consímilis;
        humáno usu et consuetúdine, quod crédimus, caret: sed divína
        potestáte subníxum est, quod Virgo concéperit, Virgo pepérerit,
        Virgo permánserit.


        Cum anno millésimo nongentésimo trigésimo primo, univérso orbe
        cathólico plaudénte, solémnia celebraréntur expléti sǽculi
        décimi quinti, postquam in Ephesína sýnodo beáta María Virgo,
        de qua natus est Jesus, contra Nestórii hǽresim Mater Dei a
        Pátribus, Cælestíno Papa præeúnte, conclamáta est, Summus
        Póntifex Pius undécimus faustíssimi evéntus memóriam, perénni
        suæ pietátis testimónio perpetuándam vóluit. Itaque quod jam in
        Urbe exstábat nóbile Ephesínæ proclamatiónis monuméntum,
        triumphálem arcum in Basílica sanctæ Maríæ Majóris in
        Exquíliis, a decessóre suo Xysto tértio mirábili ópere musívo
        ornátum, témporis injúria fatiscéntem felíciter restituéndum
        una cum ala transvérsa Basílicæ munificéntia sua curávit.
        Lítteris vero encýclicis, Œcuménici Concílii Ephesíni genuínis
        lineaméntis descríptis, ineffábile divínæ Maternitátis beátæ
        Maríæ Vírginis privilégium, pie copioséque illustrávit, ut tam
        excélsi mystérii doctrína áltius fidélium ánimis insidéret.
        Demum, ut neque litúrgicum deésset monuméntum jussit ut festum
        divínæ Maternitátis beátæ Maríæ Vírginis cum Missa et Offício
        própriis die undécima octóbris sub ritu dúplici secúndæ classis
        quotánnis ab univérsa Ecclésia celebrarétur.
      en: >-
        His Mother was chosen a Virgin of the kingly lineage of David,
        and when she was to grow heavy with the sacred Child, her soul
        had already conceived him before her body. She learned the
        counsel of God announced to her by the Angel, lest the unwonted
        events should alarm her. The future Mother of God knew what was
        to be wrought in her by the Holy Ghost, and that her modesty
        was absolutely safe. For why should she, unto whom was promised
        all sufficient strength through the power of the Highest, have
        felt hopeless merely because of the unexampled character of
        such a conception? She believeth, and her belief is confirmed
        by the attestation of a miracle which hath already been
        wrought. The fruitfulness of Elizabeth, before unhoped for, is
        brought forward that she might not doubt that he who had given
        conception unto her that was barren, would give the same unto
        her that was Virgin. And so the Word of God, the Son of God,
        who was in the beginning with God, by whom all things were
        made, and without whom was not anything made that was made, to
        deliver man from eternal death, was made man.


        Our Lord Jesus Christ, descending from his throne in heaven,
        but leaving not that glory which he hath with the Father,
        cometh into this lower world by being born after a new order
        and in a new birth. He cometh after a new order, in that he
        who is unseen among his own, was seen among us; the
        Incomprehensible was fain to be comprehended, and he that is
        from everlasting to everlasting began to be in time. He was
        the Offspring of a new birth; conceived of a maiden, without
        the passion of any fleshly father, without any breach of his
        Mother's virginity, since such a birth beseemed the coming
        Saviour of mankind, who was to have in him the nature of man's
        being, and to be free of any defilement of man's flesh. Though
        he sprung not as we spring, yet is his nature as our nature; we
        believe that he is free from the use and custom of men; but it
        was the power of God which wrought that a maiden should
        conceive, that a maiden should bring forth, and yet abide a
        maiden still.


        In the year 1931, amid the applause of the whole Catholic
        world, solemn rites were celebrated to mark the completion of
        the fifteen centuries which had elapsed since the Council of
        Ephesus, moving against the Nestorian heresy, had acclaimed the
        blessed Virgin Mary, of whom Jesus was born, as Mother of God.
        This acclamation had been made by the Fathers of the Church
        under the leadership of Pope Celestine. Pius XI, as Supreme
        Pontiff, wished to commemorate the notable event and to give
        lasting proof of his devotion to Mary. Now there had existed
        for many years in Rome a grand memorial to the proclamation of
        Ephesus, the triumphal arch in the basilica of Saint Mary Major
        on the Esquiline Hill. This monument had already been adorned
        by a previous pontiff, Sixtus III, with mosaics of marvelous
        workmanship, now falling to pieces from the decay of the
        passing ages. Pius XI, therefore, out of his own munificence,
        caused these to be restored most exquisitely and with them the
        transept of the basilica. In an Encyclical Letter Pius set
        forth also the true history of the Council of Ephesus, and
        expounded fervently and at great length the doctrine of the
        prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of God.
        Finally, that no liturgical detail be lacking, he decreed that
        the feast of the Divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary
        be celebrated annually on the 11th day of October by the
        universal Church with a proper Mass and Office under the rite
        of a double of the second class.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Homily 1 in Praise of the Virgin Mother"
    text:
      la: >-
        Deum et Dóminum Angelórum María suum fílium appéllat, dicens:
        Fili, quid fecísti nobis sic? Quis hoc áudeat Angelórum?
        Súfficit eis, et pro magno habent, quod cum sint spíritus ex
        conditióne, ex grátia facti sint et vocáti Angeli, testánte
        David: Qui facit Angelos suos spíritus. María vero matrem se
        agnóscens, majestátem illam, cui illi cum reveréntia sérviunt,
        cum fidúcia suum núncupat Fílium: nec dedignátur nuncupári
        Deus, quod esse dignátus est. Nam paulo post subdit
        Evangelísta: Et erat súbditus illis. Quis? Quibus? Deus
        homínibus? Deus, inquam, cui Angeli súbditi sunt, cui
        Principátus et Potestátes obédiunt, súbditus erat Maríæ.


        Miráre utrúmlibet, et élige quod ámplius miréris, sive Fílii
        benigníssimam dignatiónem, sive Matris excellentíssimam
        dignitátem. Utrímque stupor, utrímque miráculum. Et quod Deus
        féminæ obtémperet, humílitas absque exémplo: et quod Deo
        fémina principétur, sublímitas sine sócio. In láudibus
        Vírginum singuláriter cánitur quod sequúntur Agnum quocúmque
        íerit. Quibus ergo láudibus júdicas dignam, quæ étiam præit?
        Disce, homo, obedíre: disce, terra, subdi; disce, pulvis,
        obtemperáre. De Auctóre tuo loquens Evangelísta: Et erat,
        inquit, súbditus illis. Erubésce, supérbe cinis! Deus se
        humíliat, et tu te exáltas? Deus se homínibus subdit, et tu,
        dominári géstiens homínibus, tuo te præpónis Auctóri?


        Felix María, cui nec humílitas défuit, nec virgínitas! Et
        quidem singuláris virgínitas, quam non temerávit, sed honorávit
        fecúnditas. Et nihilóminus speciális humílitas, quam non
        ábstulit, sed éxtulit fecúnda virgínitas: et incomparábilis
        prorsus fecúnditas, quam virgínitas simul comitátur et
        humílitas. Quid horum non mirábile? quid non incomparábile?
        quid non singuláre? Venerámini ergo, cónjuges, in carne
        corruptíbili carnis integritátem: vos sacræ vírgines in Vírgine
        fecunditátem. Imitámini, omnes hómines, Dei Matris humilitátem.
      en: >-
        Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Mary called God, the
        Lord of Angels, her son. Which of the angels would have dared
        to do so? It is enough for them, and they reckon it is a great
        thing, that, being naturally spirits, they should receive the
        grace of being made and called angels, as witness David: Who
        maketh spirits his angels. But Mary, knowing herself to be his
        Mother, doth boldly apply the word Son to that Majesty whom the
        angels do serve with awe; neither doth God despise to be
        called what he hath made himself. For a little after, the
        Evangelist saith: And he was subject unto them. Who to whom?
        God to men. I say that God, unto whom the angels are subject,
        and who is obeyed by the Principalities and Powers, was
        subject to Mary.


        Marvel thou at both these things, and choose whether to marvel
        most at the sublime condescension of the Son, or at the
        sublime dignity of Mary. Either is amazing, either marvelous.
        That God should obey this woman, is a lowliness without
        parallel; that this woman should rule over God, an exaltation
        without match. In praise of virgins, and of virgins only, is
        it sung that These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever
        he goeth. Of what praise then thinkest thou that she must be
        worthy who even leadeth the Lamb? O man, learn to obey. O
        earth, learn to submit. O dust, learn to keep down. It is of
        thy Maker that the Evangelist saith: And he was subject unto
        them. Blush, O proud ashes. God humbleth himself; and dost thou
        exalt thyself? God is subject unto men; and wilt thou, by
        striving to rule over men, set thyself before thy Maker?


        O happy Mary, lowly and virgin; and wondrous virginity, which
        motherhood destroyed not, but exalted; and wondrous lowliness,
        which the fruitful virginity took not away, but ennobled; and
        wondrous motherhood, which was both virgin and lowly. Which of
        them is not wondrous? which of them is not unexampled? and
        which of them doth not stand alone? O ye that be married,
        honor this incorruption in corruptible flesh; O holy maidens,
        gaze in wonder at motherhood in a maid; O, all mankind, take
        pattern by the lowliness of the Mother of God.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
