# Matins Nocturn 2 for "week III of November" (Tempora/113-0.txt) — see
# month-week-081.yml's header for the id scheme. Live-verified (2026-11-08:
# "Dominica V Post Epiphaniam III. Novembris"). Responsory reuses 111's
# own Responsory4 (source's own cross-reference).
id: month-week-113
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Athanasius, On Virginity"
    text:
      la: >-
        Si accédant áliqui, e dicant tibi: Ne frequénter jejúnes, ne imbecíllior fias; ne credas
        illis, neque auscúltes: per istos enim inimícus hæc súggerit. Reminíscere ejus quod scriptum
        est, quod, cum tres púeri, et Dániel, et álii adolescéntuli, captívi ducti essent a
        Nabuchodónosor rege Babylónis, jussúmque esset ut de ipsíus mensa régia coméderent et de vino
        bíberent; Dániel et tres púeri illi noluérunt póllui ex mensa regis, sed dixérunt eunúcho qui
        eos curándos suscéperat: Da nobis de semínibus terræ, et vescémur. Quibus ait eunúchus: Tímeo
        ego regem, qui constítuit vobis cibum et potum, ne forte fácies vestræ appáreant regi
        squalidióres præ céteris púeris qui régia mensa alúntur, et púniat me.


        Cui dixérunt illi: Tenta servos tuos dies decem, et da nobis de semínibus. Et dedit eis
        legúmina ad vescéndum, et aquam ad bibéndum; et introdúxit eos in conspéctu regis, et visæ
        sunt fácies ipsórum speciosióres præter céteros púeros, qui régiæ mensæ cibis nutriebántur.
        Vidésne quid fáciat jejúnium? Morbos sanat, distillatiónes córporis exsíccat, dǽmones fugat,
        pravas cogitatiónes expéllit, mentem clariórem reddit, cor mundum éfficit, corpus sanctíficat,
        dénique ad thronum Dei hóminem sistit. Et ne putes hæc témere dici; habes hujus rei
        testimónium in Evangéliis a Salvatóre prolátum. Cum enim quæsivíssent discípuli quonam modo
        immúndi spíritus ejiceréntur, respóndit Dóminus: Hoc genus non ejícitur, nisi in oratióne et
        jejúnio.


        Quisquis ígitur ab immúndo spíritu vexátur, si hoc animadvértat, et hoc phármaco utátur,
        jejúnio inquam, statim spíritus malus oppréssus abscédet, vim jejúnii métuens. Valde enim
        dǽmones oblectántur crápula et ebrietáte et córporis cómmodis. Magna vis in jejúnio, et magna
        ac præclára fiunt per illud. Alióquin unde hómines tam mirífica præstárent, et signa per eos
        fíerent, et sanitátem infírmis per ipsos largirétur Deus, nisi plane ob exercitatiónes
        spirituáles, et humilitátem ánimi, et conversatiónem bonam? Jejúnium enim Angelórum cibus est:
        et qui eo útitur, órdinis angélici censéndus est.
      en: >-
        If any should come and say unto thee, "Fast not so often, lest thou injure thine health,"
        believe them not, neither listen to them. They are but the tools of the great enemy to suggest
        such a thing unto thee. Remember how it is written that when the three children, and Daniel,
        and the other lads, were led captives by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, and it was commanded
        them to eat of his Royal table, and to drink of his wine, Daniel and those three children would
        not defile themselves with the King's table, but said unto the eunuch into whose keeping they
        had been given, "Give us of the fruits of the earth, and we will eat." And the eunuch answered
        them, "I fear my lord the King, who hath appointed your meat and your drink, lest perchance your
        faces should appear unto the King worse-liking than the other children, who are fed from his
        Royal table, and he should punish me."


        Then they said unto him: "Prove thy servants ten days, and give us herbs." And he gave them
        pulse to eat and water to drink; and, when he brought them in before the King, their countenances
        appeared fairer than all the children which did eat the portion of the King's meat. Seest thou
        what fasting doth? It healeth diseases, it drieth up the humours of the body, it scareth away
        devils, it purgeth forth unclean thoughts, it maketh the intellect clearer, it purifieth the
        heart, it sanctifieth the body, and in the end it leadeth a man unto the throne of God. Think
        not that this is rash talking. Thou hast the testimony of this in the Gospels under the
        sanction of the Saviour Himself. His disciples asked Him why they could not cast out an evil
        spirit, and He said unto them, "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."
        (Mark 9:28.)


        If any man therefore be troubled with an unclean spirit, if he bethink him of this, and have
        recourse to this remedy, namely, fasting, the evil spirit will be forthwith compelled to leave
        him, from dread of the power of fasting. Devils take great delight in fulness, and drunkenness,
        and bodily comfort. There is great power in fasting, and great and glorious things are wrought
        thereby. How cometh it that men work such wonders, and that signs are done by them, and that
        God through them giveth health to the sick, unless it be from their ghostly exercises, and the
        meekness of their souls, and their godly conversation? To fast is to banquet with Angels, and
        he that fasteth is to be reckoned, so far, among the Angelic host.
    responsory:
      la: "R. Super muros tuos, Jerúsalem, constítui custódes; * Tota die et nocte non tacébunt laudáre nomen Dómini.\nV. Prædicábunt pópulis fortitúdinem meam, et annuntiábunt géntibus glóriam meam.\nR. Tota die et nocte non tacébunt laudáre nomen Dómini."
      en: "R. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; * Which shall never hold their peace day nor night, to praise the name of the Lord.\nV. They shall proclaim My might unto the nations, and declare My glory unto the Gentiles.\nR. Which shall never hold their peace day nor night, to praise the name of the Lord."
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
