# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Annunciation of the Blessed
# Virgin Mary (Mar 25). Sourced directly from
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/03-25.txt, English/Sancti/03-25.txt.
# (Lectio1-3, Isa 11:1-5, left to the bible-plan store as usual.)
#
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, Pope St. Leo the
# Great's sermon.
# Nocturn 3: Lectio7's Gospel citation (Luke 1:26-38) is a bare incipit
# ("Et réliqua"), so only the homily is authored (not marked isGospel),
# St. Ambrose's homily (Lectio7's homily + Lectio8-9 combined).
id: annunciation
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermon 2 on the Nativity"
    text:
      la: >-
        Deus omnípotens et clemens, cujus natúra bónitas, cujus volúntas poténtia, cujus
        opus misericórdia est, statim ut nos diabólica malígnitas venéno suæ mortificávit
        invídiæ, prædestináta renovándis mortálibus suæ pietátis remédia, inter ipsa
        mundi primórdia præsignávit; denúntians serpénti futúrum semen mulíeris, quod
        nóxii cápitis elatiónem sua virtúte contéreret, Christum scílicet in carne
        ventúrum; Deum hominémque signans, qui natus ex Vírgine, violatórem humánæ
        propáginis incorrúpta nativitáte damnáret.


        Nam quia gloriabátur diábolus hóminem sua fraude decéptum divínis caruísse
        munéribus, et immortalitátis dote nudátum, duram mortis subísse senténtiam,
        seque in malis suis quoddam de prævaricatóris consórtio invenísse solátium; Deum
        quoque, justæ severitátis exigénte ratióne, erga hóminem, quem in tanto honóre
        condíderat, antíquam mutásse senténtiam: opus fuit, dilectíssimi, secréti
        dispensatióne consílii ut incommutábilis Deus, cujus volúntas non potest sua
        benignitáte privári, primam pietátis suæ dispositiónem sacraménto occultióre
        compléret; et homo diabólicæ iniquitátis versútia actus in culpam, contra Dei
        propósitum non períret.


        Adveniéntibus ergo tempóribus, dilectíssimi, quæ redemptióni hóminum fúerant
        præstitúta, ingréditur hæc ínfima Jesus Christus, Dóminus noster, de cælésti
        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
        ex témpore; universitátis Dóminus servílem formam, obumbráta majestátis suæ
        dignitáte, suscépit; impassíbilis Deus, non dedignátus est homo esse passíbilis;
        et immortális, mortis légibus subjacére.
      en: >-
        The Almighty and merciful God, Whose nature is goodness, Whose will is power, and
        Whose work is mercy, did, at the very beginning of the world, as soon as the
        devil's hatred had mortally poisoned us with the venom of his envy, foretell those
        remedies which His mercy had foreordained for our healing. He bade the serpent
        know that there was to be a Seed of the woman Who should yet bruise the swelling of
        his pestilential head; this Seed was none other than the Christ to come in the
        flesh, that God and Man in one Person, Who, being born of a Virgin, should, by His
        undefiled birth, damn the seducer of man.


        The devil rejoiced that by his fraud he had so deceived man as to make him lose the
        gifts of God, forfeit his privilege of eternal life, bring himself under the hard
        sentence of death, and find in his misery a certain comfort in the accomplice of
        his guilt; he rejoiced also that God, in His just anger, was changed towards man,
        whom He had made in such honour. But, dearly beloved brethren, that Unchangeable
        God, Whose Will cannot be divorced from His goodness, by His own secret counsel
        carried out in a mysterious way His original purpose of goodness, and man, who had
        been led into sin by the wicked craft of the devil, perished not to disappoint that
        gracious purpose of God.


        Then therefore, dearly beloved brethren, the fulness of that time came, which God
        had appointed for our Redemption, our Lord Jesus Christ entered this lower world,
        came down from His heavenly throne, and, while He left not that glory which He hath
        with the Father before the world was, was incarnate by a new order and a new birth
        new, in that He Who is Invisible among His own, was made visible among us; He Who
        is Incomprehensible, willed to be comprehended; He Who is before the ages, began to
        be in time; the Lord of all shadowed the glory of His Majesty, and took upon Him the
        form of a servant; the Impassible God vouchsafed to become a man subject to
        suffering; and the Immortal laid Himself under the laws of death.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Ambrose, Commentary on Luke, Book II (on Luke 1:26-38)"
    text:
      la: >-
        Latent quidem divína mystéria, nec fácile, juxta prophéticum dictum, quisquam
        hóminum potest scire consílium Dei. Sed tamen ex céteris factis, atque præcéptis
        Dómini Salvatóris póssumus intellégere, et hoc propensióris fuísse consílii, quod
        ea potíssimum elécta est, ut Dóminum páreret, quæ erat desponsáta viro. Cur autem
        non ántequam desponsarétur, impléta est? Fortásse ne dicerétur quod concéperat ex
        adultério.


        Et ingréssus ad eam Angelus. Disce vírginem móribus, disce vírginem verecúndia,
        disce oráculo, disce mystério. Trepidáre vírginum est, et ad omnes viri ingréssus
        pavére, omnes viri affátus veréri. Discant mulíeres propósitum pudóris imitári.
        Sola in penetrálibus, quam nemo virórum víderit, solus Angelus repérerit: sola
        sine cómite, sola sine teste, ne quo degénere depravarétur affátu, ab Angelo
        salutátur.


        Tanti namque mandáti mystérium non hóminis fuit, sed Angeli ore proméndum. Hódie
        primum audítur: Spíritus Sanctus supervéniet in te. Et audítur, et créditur.
        Dénique, Ecce, inquit, ancílla Dómini: contíngat mihi secúndum verbum tuum. Vide
        humilitátem, vide devotiónem. Ancíllam se dicit Dómini, quæ mater elígitur: nec
        repentíno exaltáta promísso est.
      en: >-
        The mysteries of God are unsearchable, and it is especially declared by a Prophet,
        that a man can hardly know His counsels. Nevertheless, some things have been
        revealed to us, and we may gather from some of the words and works of the Lord our
        Saviour, that there was a special purpose of God, in the fact that she who was
        chosen to be the mother of the Lord was espoused to a man. Why did not the power of
        the Highest overshadow her before she was so espoused? Perhaps it was lest any
        might blasphemously say that she had conceived in fornication the Holy One.


        And the angel came in unto her. Let us learn from this Virgin how to bear
        ourselves, let us learn her modesty, let us learn by her devout utterance, above
        all let us learn by the holy mystery enacted. It is the part of a maiden to be
        timid, to avoid the advances of men, and to shrink from men's addresses. Would that
        our women would learn from the example of modesty here set before us. She upon
        whom the stare of men had never been fixed was alone in her chamber, and was found
        only by an angel. There was neither companion nor witness there, that what passed
        might not be debased in gossip and the angel saluted her.


        The message of God to the Virgin was a mystery, which it was not lawful for the
        mouth of men, but only of angels, to utter. For the first time on earth the words
        are spoken The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. The holy maiden heareth, and
        believeth. At length she saith Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me
        according to thy word. Here is an example of lowliness, here is a pattern of true
        devotion. At the very moment that she is told she is chosen to be the mother of the
        Lord she at once declareth herself His handmaid. The knowledge that she was Mother
        of God caused in the heart of Mary only an act of humility.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
