# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin
# Mary (July 2). Sourced directly from
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/07-02.txt, English/Sancti/07-02.txt.
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6, St. John Chrysostom's homily on St. John the
# Baptist leaping in Elizabeth's womb, 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. Ambrose) is authored, isGospel: false, no
# citation field.
id: visitation-of-the-bvm
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. John Chrysostom, apud Metaphrasten, July"
    text:
      la: >-
        Cum ad nos advenísset Redémptor nostri géneris, venit prótinus ad suum amícum
        Joánnem, dum adhuc esset in ventre matris. Quem cum ex útero in útero
        aspexísset Joánnes, términos natúræ concútiens, exclámat: Vídeo Dóminum, qui
        natúræ impósuit términos, et non exspécto tempus nascéndi. Novem ménsium
        tempus mihi non est hic necessárium; in me est enim, qui est ætérnus.
        Egrédiar ex hoc tenebróso tabernáculo, rerum admirabílium compendiósam
        prædicábo cognitiónem. Sum signum: significábo Christi advéntum. Sum tuba:
        próferam Fílii Dei in carne dispensatiónem. Tuba canam; eo ipso patérnæ
        linguæ benedícam, et eam traham, ut loquátur. Tuba canam, et úterum matérnum
        vivificábo.


        Vides, o dilécte, quam sit novum et admirábile mystérium. Nondum náscitur, et
        sáltibus lóquitur; nondum appáret, et minas inténtat; nondum ei permíttitur
        clamáre, et per facta audítur; nondum ducit vitam, et Deum prǽdicat; nondum
        áspicit lucem, et solem índicat; nondum páritur, et próperat præcúrrere. Non
        fert enim, præsénte Dómino, continéri; non sústinet natúræ exspectáre
        términos; sed conténdit rúmpere cárcerem ventris, et studet præsignificáre
        veniéntem Salvatórem. Accéssit, inquit, qui solvit víncula; et quid ego sédeo
        vinctus, et retíneor ut máneam? Venit Verbum, ut ómnia constítuat; et ego
        adhuc máneo deténtus? Exíbo, præcúrram, et prædicábo ómnibus: Ecce Agnus Dei,
        qui tollit peccátum mundi.


        Sed dic nobis, Joánnes, cum adhuc in tenebróso matris útero contineáris,
        quómodo intuéris et audis? quómodo res divínas contempláris? quómodo éxsilis
        et exsúltas? Magnum est, inquit, quod perágitur mystérium, et actus ab
        humána remótus comprehensióne. Mérito ínnovo natúram propter eum, qui est
        innovatúrus ea quæ sunt supra natúram. Vídeo, etsi adhuc in útero sim;
        quóniam in útero gestári vídeo solem justítiæ. Auribus percípio, quóniam
        nascor vox magni Verbi. Exclámo, quóniam Fílium Patris unigénitum consídero
        carne indútum. Exsúlto, quóniam univérsi Effectórem vídeo formam, hóminis
        suscípere. Exsílio, quóniam mundi Redemptórem cógito incorporátum. Præcúrro
        advéntum ejus, et quodámmodo vobis prǽeo confessióne.
      en: >-
        As soon as our Redeemer was come among us, He went with haste, while as yet He
        was in His mother's womb, to visit His friend John. And John, in the one womb,
        becoming conscious of the Presence of Jesus in the other womb, dashed himself
        impatiently against the narrow walls of his natural prison, as though crying
        out: I see the very Lord who hath given nature her bounds, and I wait not for
        the due season of my birth. There is no need for me to linger here till nine
        months are ended, for He That is Eternal is with me! I will break out of my
        dark cell; I will proclaim my full knowledge of many wonders. I am the sign. I
        will show that the Christ is here. I am the trumpet; let me peal forth the news
        that the Son of God is come in the flesh. Let me give my trumpet-note, let me
        bless my father's tongue, and make it to speak again. Let me give my
        trumpet-note, let me quicken my mother's womb.


        Thou seest, O beloved, how new and how strange a mystery is here! John is not
        born, but by leaping he speaketh; he is yet unseen, and he giveth warning; he
        is not yet able to cry, but by his acts he is heard. He draweth not yet the
        breath of life, but he preacheth God. He seeth not yet the light, but he
        maketh known the Sun! He is not come out of the womb, but he hasteth to play
        the Fore-runner in the Presence of the Lord. He cannot restrain himself; he
        rebelleth against the bounds set by nature, and struggleth to break out of the
        prison of the belly. His longing is to herald the coming Saviour. He saith, as
        it were: Behold, the Deliverer cometh, and am I to remain still bound to abide
        here? The Word cometh, that He may set right all things, and am I still to
        tarry in prison? I will go forth. I will run before Him, and cry aloud to all
        men: "Behold the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sin of the world."


        But do thou tell us, O John, how it came to pass that while thou wast still in
        the darkness of thy mother's womb, thou didst see and hear? How didst thou
        behold the things of God? How didst thou leap and bound for joy? Great, saith
        John, is the mystery of that which taketh place here, far from the
        understanding of men are these doings. It is meet that I should do a new thing
        in nature for the sake of Him Who is making new things which are beyond
        nature. I see in the womb, because I see the Sun of righteousness in a womb. I
        hear, because I am coming as the herald of the Great Word. I cry out, because
        I espy the Only-begotten Son of the Father clad in Flesh. I bound for joy,
        because I see that He by Whom all things were made, hath taken upon Him the
        form of a servant. I leap, because I think of the Redeemer of the world being
        made Flesh. I run before His coming, and herald His approach unto you with
        this, as it were, my confession.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Ambrose, Commentary on Luke, Bk. II (on Luke 1)"
    text:
      la: >-
        Contuéndum est, quia supérior venit ad inferiórem, ut inférior adjuvétur:
        María ad Elísabeth, Christus ad Joánnem. Dénique étiam póstea, ut
        sanctificáret baptísmum Joánnis, Dóminus venit ad baptísmum. Cito quoque
        advéntus Maríæ et præséntiæ divínæ benefícia declarántur. Vide distinctiónem
        singulorúmque verbórum proprietátem. Vocem prior Elísabeth audívit, sed
        Joánnes prior grátiam sensit. Illa natúræ órdine audívit, iste exsultávit
        ratióne mystérii. Illa Maríæ, iste Dómini sensit advéntum. Istæ grátiam
        loquúntur, illi intus operántur, pietatísque mystérium matérnis adoriúntur
        proféctibus; duplicíque miráculo prophétant matres spíritu parvulórum.
        Exsultávit infans, repléta est mater. Non prius mater repléta, quam fílius;
        sed, cum fílius esset replétus Spíritu Sancto, replévit et matrem.


        Et unde hoc mihi, ut véniat Mater Dómini mei ad me? Hoc est, Quo tantum bonum
        mihi áccidit, ut mater Dómini mei véniat ad me? Miráculum séntio, agnósco
        mystérium: Mater Dómini Verbo fœta, Deo plena est. Mansit autem María cum illa
        ménsibus tribus, et revérsa est in domum suam. Bene indúcitur sancta María et
        exhibuísse offícium, et mýsticum númerum custodísse.


        Non enim sola familiaritátis est causa quod diu mansit, sed étiam tanti vatis
        proféctus. Nam, si primo ingréssu tantus proféctus éxstitit, ut ad
        salutatiónem Maríæ exsultáret infans in útero, replerétur Spíritu Sancto
        mater infántis; quantum putámus usu tanti témporis sanctæ Maríæ addidísse
        præséntiam? Ungebátur ítaque, et quasi bonus athléta exercebátur in útero
        matris Prophéta; amplíssimo enim virtus ejus certámini parabátur.
      en: >-
        We must here consider that the greater cometh unto the lesser, Mary unto
        Elizabeth, Christ unto John. And again afterwards, to hallow the baptism of
        John, the Lord came unto him to be baptized. It was soon that the blessings
        of the coming of Mary and of the Presence of God were made manifest. Have
        regard here to the distinction made, and to the special weight of every word.
        Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice of Mary's salutation, but John was
        the first to receive grace. She heard naturally, but he leaped mystically. She
        hailed the coming of Mary, he that of the Lord. Mary and Elizabeth spake words
        full of grace, but Jesus and John worked, and commenced their mystery of
        godliness from their mothers' beginnings, and so by twin miracles the mothers
        prophesied from the spirit of their unborn offspring. The babe leaped, and the
        mother was filled with the Holy Ghost. The mother was not filled before the
        son, but when the son was filled with the Holy Ghost, he filled his mother
        also.


        And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? That
        is to say, How cometh it to pass that so great a good should befall me, as
        that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? I feel the miracle, I
        acknowledge the mystery: the Mother of my Lord, pregnant with the Word, is
        full of God. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her
        own house. It is meet to record how Mary showed this kindness, and abode this
        mystic number of months.


        She tarried long, not only for friendship's sake, but also for the good of the
        Great Prophet. For if the first coming of Mary so blessed him, that even as a
        babe in the womb he leapt for joy, and his mother was filled with the Holy
        Ghost, what blessedness must we not deem to have flowed upon him from so long
        neighbourhood of Mary. Thus was the Prophet anointed, and trained by exercise
        like a strong wrestler, in his mother's womb, for his sinews were being braced
        for a hard battle.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
