# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Felix of Valois (Nov 20). Sourced
# directly from web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/11-20.txt,
# English/Sancti/11-20.txt. Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one
# continuous vita. [Lectio7]-[Lectio9] are bare `@Commune/C5:LectioN
# in 2 loco` cross-references -- not transcribed.
id: st-felix-of-valois
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Felix, Hugo ántea dictus, ex regali Valesiórum família ortus
        in Gállia, ab ineunte ætate non lévia dedit futuræ sanctitátis
        indicia, præsertim misericórdiæ erga páuperes. Nam, adhuc
        infantulus, manu propria, ac si grandior esset et judícii
        maturitáte polleret, nummos egenis distríbuit; jam
        grandiúsculus, solebat ex appositis in mensa dápibus ad
        ipsos mittere, et ferme eo, quod sapidius erat, obsonio
        paupérculos púeros recreábat; adoléscens, non semel vestibus
        se expoliávit, ut inopes cooperíret. Ab avunculo Theobaldo,
        Xamphánæ et Blesii comite, vitam reo mortis impetrávit,
        prædicens hunc infamem háctenus sicárium, mox sanctíssimis
        præditum móribus evasurum: verídicum testimónium monstrávit
        eventus.


        Post exactam laudabíliter adolescéntiam cœpit ex cæléstis
        contemplatiónis studio solitúdinem cogitare; prius tamen
        vóluit Sacris initiari, ut omnem regni, a cujus successióne
        jure legis Sálicæ non longe distabat, spem sibi præcideret.
        Sacerdos factus, et prima Missa devotíssime celebrata, non
        multo post in eremum secessit, ubi, summa abstinéntia
        víctitans, cæléstium charísmatum abundántia pascebátur. Ibi
        cum sancto Joánne de Matha Parisiénsi doctore, a quo ex
        divina inspiratióne quæsítus et invéntus, per aliquot annos
        sanctíssime vixit; donec ambo per Angelum a Deo admóniti
        Romam petiérunt, specialem a summo Pontifice vivéndi regulam
        impetráturi. Facta ígitur Innocentio Papæ tertio inter
        Missárum solemnia revelatióne religiónis et institúti de
        rediméndis captivis, ab ipso Pontifice, simul cum socio,
        cándidis vestibus bicolori cruce signátis induitur, ad eam
        formam qua Angelus indútus appáruit. Et ínsuper vóluit
        Pontifex, ut nova religio, juxta tríplicem colórem quo
        hábitus constat, sanctíssimæ Trinitátis titulo decorarétur.


        Regula propria, ex summi Pontificis Innocentii confirmatióne,
        accepta, in diœcesi Meldénsi apud locum qui Cervus Frígidus
        dícitur, primum ordinis paulo ante a se et socio exstructum
        cœnobium ampliávit, ubi religiosam observantiam et
        redemptiónis institutum mirifice coluit, ac inde per alumnos
        in alias provincias diligentíssime propagávit. Illustrem
        hic a beáta Vírgine Matre favórem accépit; dormiéntibus
        síquidem cunctis frátribus et ad matutínas preces in
        pervigílio Nativitátis Deiparæ media nocte recitandas, Deo
        sic disponente, non surgéntibus, Felix, de more vigilans et
        horas præveniens, chorum ingréssus, réperit beátam Vírginem
        in médio chori, hábitu cruce ordinis insigníto indutam, ac
        Cælítibus simíliter indutis sociátam. Quibus permixtus
        Felix, præcinénte Deipara, laudes divinas concinuit ríteque
        persolvit. Et, quasi jam a terrestri ad cælestem chorum
        evocarétur, instántis mortis ab Angelo certior factus, fílios
        ad caritátem erga páuperes et captivos adhortans, ánimam Deo
        réddidit, ætate ac meritis consummatus, anno post Christum
        natum ducentésimo duodecimo supra millesimum, sub eodem
        Pontifice Innocentio tertio.
      en: >-
        Hugo de Valois, who afterwards took the name of Felix, was born
        (in the year 1127) of the same family of the de Valois which
        in after times became Kingly. From his earliest childhood he
        gave tokens, especially by his pity toward the poor, of the
        holiness of his coming life. When he was still a little lad he
        distributed money to the poor with his own hand, with the
        seriousness of an old man. When he was a little bigger he used
        to send them dishes from the table, and took especial delight
        in treating poor children with the most toothsome of the
        sweetmeats. As a boy he took clothes off his own back more
        than once, to cover the naked. He begged and obtained from his
        uncle Theobald, Earl of Champagne and Blois, the life of a
        felon condemned to death, foretelling to him that this
        blackguard cut-throat would yet become a man of most holy
        life which did indeed come to pass as he had said.


        After a praiseworthy boyhood, he began to think of withdrawing
        from the world in order to be alone with heavenly thoughts.
        But he first wished to take orders, to the end that he might
        clear himself of all expectation of succeeding to the crown,
        to which, in consequence of the Salic Law, he was somewhat
        near. He became a Priest, and said his first Mass with deep
        devotion. Then, in a little while, he withdrew himself into
        the wilderness, where he lived in extreme abstinence, fed by
        heavenly grace. Thither, by the inspiration of God, came the
        holy Doctor John de la Mata of Paris, and found him, and they
        led an holy life together for several years, until they were
        both warned of an Angel to go to Rome and seek a special Rule
        of life from the Pope. Pope Innocent III. while he was
        solemnly celebrating the Liturgy (on the 28th day of January,
        1198,) received in a vision the revelation of the Order and
        Institute for the redemption of bondsmen, and he forthwith
        clad Felix and John in white garments marked with a cross of
        red and blue, made after the likeness of the raiment wherein
        the Angel had appeared. This Pope also willed that the new
        Order should bear, as well as the habit of three colours, the
        name of the Most Holy Trinity.


        When they had received the confirmation of their rule from
        Pope Innocent, John and Felix enlarged the first house of
        their Order, which they had built a little while before at
        Cerfroi, in the diocese of Meaux, in France. There Felix
        wonderfully devoted himself to the promotion of Regular
        Observance and of the Institute for the redemption of
        bondsmen, and thence he busily spread the same by sending
        forth his disciples into other provinces. Here it was that he
        received an extraordinary favour from the blessed
        Maiden-Mother. On the night of the Nativity of the Mother of
        God, the brethren lay all asleep, and by the Providence of
        God woke not to say Mattins. But Felix was watching, as his
        custom was, and came betimes into the Choir. There he found
        the Blessed Virgin in the midst of the Choir, clad in raiment
        marked with the Cross of his Order, the Cross of red and blue;
        and with her a company of the heavenly host in like garments.
        And Felix was mingled among them. And the Mother of God began
        to sing, and they all sang with her and praised God; and
        Felix sang with them; and so they finished the Office. So now
        that he seemed to have been already called away from
        glorifying God on earth, to glorify Him in heaven, an Angel
        told Felix that the hour of his death was at hand. When
        therefore he had exhorted his children to be tender to the
        poor and to slaves, he gave up his soul to God (upon the 4th
        day of November) in the year of Christ 1212, in the time of
        the same Pope Innocent III., being four-score-and-five years
        old, and full of good works.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
