# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for St. Stephen, Protomartyr (Dec 26) —
# SanctiM/12-26.txt inherits the whole day (`@Sancti/12-26`) with no
# Nocturn 2/3 override, so this feast's own proper content is sourced
# from the Tridentine track exactly as for a pre-1955 saint (see
# memory vu-matins-pre1955-saints, vu-matins-sanctim-saints).
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/12-26.txt, English/Sancti/12-26.txt.
#
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, St. Fulgentius's
# sermon contrasting yesterday's Nativity with today's martyrdom — one
# continuous piece, no genuine source break.
# Nocturn 3: Lectio7's Gospel citation (Matt 23:34-39) is a bare
# incipit ("Et réliqua") with no full pericope text given, so — per
# the established convention of not transcribing bare incipits — only
# the homily portion is authored (not marked isGospel), St. Jerome's
# commentary (Lectio7's homily + Lectio8-9 combined, one continuous
# piece on "Zacharias son of Barachias").
id: st-stephen-protomartyr
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Fulgentius of Ruspe, Sermon 3 on St. Stephen"
    text:
      la: >-
        Heri celebrávimus temporálem sempitérni Regis nostri natálem: hódie celebrámus
        triumphálem mílitis passiónem. Heri enim Rex noster trábea carnis indútus, de aula
        úteri virginális egrédiens, visitáre dignátus est mundum: hódie miles de tabernáculo
        córporis éxiens, triumphátor migrávit ad cælum. Ille, sempitérnæ Deitátis majestáte
        serváta, servíle cinctórium carnis assúmens, in hujus sǽculi campum pugnatúrus
        intrávit; iste, depósitis corruptibílibus córporis induméntis, ad cæli palátium
        perénniter regnatúrus ascéndit. Ille descéndit carne velátus, iste ascéndit sánguine
        laureátus.


        Ascéndit iste lapidántibus Judǽis, quia ille descéndit lætántibus Angelis. Glória in
        excélsis Deo, heri sancti Angeli exsultántes cantavérunt: hódie Stéphanum lætántes in
        suum consórtium suscepérunt. Heri Dóminus exívit de útero Vírginis: hódie miles
        egréssus est de ergástulo carnis. Heri Christus pro nobis pannis est involútus: hódie
        Stéphanus stola est ab eo immortalitátis indútus. Heri præsépis angústia Christum
        portávit infántem: hódie imménsitas cæli suscépit Stéphanum triumphántem. Solus
        Dóminus descéndit, ut multos eleváret: humiliávit se Rex noster, ut suos mílites
        exaltáret.


        Necessárium tamen nobis est, fratres, agnóscere, quibus armis præcínctus Stéphanus
        sævítiam Judæórum pótuit superáre, ut ita meruísset felíciter triumpháre. Stéphanus
        ergo, ut nóminis sui corónam meruísset accípere, caritátem pro armis habébat, et per
        ipsam ubíque vincébat. Per caritátem Dei sæviéntibus Judǽis non cessit: per caritátem
        próximi pro lapidántibus intercéssit. Per caritátem arguébat errántes, ut
        corrigeréntur: per caritátem pro lapidántibus orábat, ne puniréntur. Caritátis virtúte
        subníxus, vicit Saulum crudéliter sæviéntem; et quem hábuit in terra persecutórem, in
        cælo méruit habére consórtem.
      en: >-
        Yesterday we were celebrating the birth in time of our Eternal King; today we
        celebrate the victory, through suffering, of one of His soldiers. Yesterday our King
        was pleased to come forth from His royal palace of the Virgin's womb, clothed in a
        robe of flesh, to visit the world; today His soldier, laying aside the tabernacle of
        the body, entereth in triumph into the heavenly palaces. The One, preserving unchanged
        that glory of the Godhead which He had before the world was, girded Himself with the
        form of a servant, and entered the arena of this world to fight sin; the other taketh
        off the garments of this corruptible body, and entereth into the heavenly mansions,
        where he will reign for ever. The One cometh down, veiled in flesh; the other goeth
        up, clothed in a robe of glory, red with blood.


        The One cometh down amid the jubilation of angels; the other goeth up amid the stoning
        of the Jews. Yesterday the holy angels were singing, Glory to God in the highest;
        today there is joy among them, for they receive Stephen into their company. Yesterday
        the Lord came forth from the Virgin's womb; today His soldier is delivered from the
        prison of the body. Yesterday Christ was for our sakes wrapped in swaddling bands;
        today He girdeth Stephen with a robe of immortality. Yesterday the new-born Christ lay
        in a narrow manger; today Stephen entereth victorious into the boundless heavens. The
        Lord came down alone that He might raise many up; our King humbled Himself that He
        might set His soldiers in high places.


        Why brethren, it behoveth us to consider with what arms Stephen was able, amid all the
        cruelty of the Jews, to remain more than conqueror, and worthily to attain to so
        blessed a triumph. Stephen, in that struggle which brought him to the crown whereof
        his name is a prophecy, had for armour the love of God and man, and by it he remained
        victorious on all hands. The love of God strengthened him against the cruelty of the
        Jews; and the love of his neighbour made him pray even for his murderers. Through love
        he rebuked the wandering, that they might be corrected; through love he prayed for
        them that stoned him, that they might not be punished. By the might of his love he
        overcame Saul his cruel persecutor; and earned for a comrade in heaven, the very man
        who had done him to death upon earth.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Jerome, Commentary on Matthew, Book IV, on Matt 23:34-39"
    text:
      la: >-
        Hoc quod ántea dixerámus, Impléte mensúram patrum vestrórum; ad persónam Dómini
        pertinére, eo quod occidéndus esset ab eis, potest et ad discípulos ejus reférri, de
        quibus nunc dicit: Ecce ego mitto ad vos prophétas, et sapiéntes, et scribas. Simúlque
        obsérva, juxta Apóstolum scribéntem ad Corínthios, vária esse dona discipulórum
        Christi; álios prophétas, qui ventúra prædícent; álios sapiéntes, qui novérunt quando
        débeant proférre sermónem; álios scribas in lege doctíssimos, ex quibus lapidátus est
        Stéphanus, Paulus occísus, crucifíxus Petrus, flagelláti in Actibus Apostolórum
        discípuli.


        Quǽrimus, quis iste sit Zacharías fílius Barachíæ: quia multos légimus Zacharías. Et
        ne líbera nobis tribuerétur erróris facúltas, ádditum est: Quem occidístis inter
        templum et altáre. In divérsis divérsa legi: et débeo singulórum opiniónes pónere.
        Alii Zacharíam fílium Barachíæ dicunt, qui in duódecim prophétis undécimus est,
        patrísque in eo nomen conséntit: sed ubi occísus sit inter templum et altáre,
        Scriptúra non lóquitur; máxime cum tempóribus ejus vix ruínæ templi fúerint. Alii
        Zacharíam patrem Joánnis intellégi volunt, ex quibúsdam apocryphórum sómniis
        approbántes, quod proptérea occísus sit, quia Salvatóris prædicáverit advéntum.


        Alii istum volunt esse Zacharíam, qui occísus est a Joas rege Judæ inter templum et
        altáre, sicut Regum narrat história. Sed observándum, quod ille Zacharías non sit
        fílius Barachíæ, sed fílius Jójadæ sacerdótis: unde et Scriptúra refert: Non fuit
        recordátus Joas patris ejus Jójadæ, quia sibi fecísset bona. Cum ergo et Zacharíam
        teneámus et occisiónis conséntiat locus: quǽrimus, quare Barachíæ dicátur fílius, et
        non Jójadæ? Barachía lingua nostra Benedíctus Dómini dícitur, et sacerdótis Jójadæ
        justítia Hebrǽo nómine demonstrátur. In Evangélio, quo utúntur Nazaréni, pro fílio
        Barachíæ, fílium Jójadæ reperímus scriptum.
      en: >-
        We have already remarked that the Lord's words, Fill ye up the measure of your
        fathers, refer in the first place to Himself, Whom the Jews afterwards put to death.
        In a secondary sense it may likewise be applied to His disciples, of whom He saith,
        Behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes. Here observe that,
        according to the Apostle writing to the Corinthians, there are diversities of gifts
        among Christ's followers. Some are Prophets of that which is to come; some are wise
        men, who know the due season for rebuke and exhortation; some are Scribes learned in
        the law. And of these they stoned Stephen, slew Paul with the sword, crucified Peter,
        and scourged the Disciples mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.


        It is a subject of dispute among commentators who is meant by Zacharias the son of
        Barachias. We read of several persons of the name of Zacharias. But here, in order to
        prevent any mistake, it is particularly said, Whom ye slew between the temple and the
        altar. I have read various opinions in various places upon this question, and I will
        give each. First, some hold that Zacharias the son of Barachias is the eleventh of the
        twelve Minor Prophets; and this opinion is supported by the father's name. But the
        Bible nowhere telleth us that this Prophet was slain between the temple and the altar;
        and it is hardly possible that he can have been, for in his time it could scarcely be
        said that even the ruins of the temple were in existence. Secondly, others maintain
        that this Zacharias was Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. This interpretation
        is derived from the dreams of the Apocryphal Gospels, wherein it is asserted that he
        was martyred for preaching Christ's coming.


        A third school will have it that this Zacharias, the son of Barachias, was that
        Zacharias of whom we read, in Chron. xxiv. 22, that he was slain by Joash, king of
        Judah, between the temple and the altar. Against this it is to be remarked, that that
        Zacharias was not the son of Barachias, but of Jehoiada the priest; whence it is
        written, Joash remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him.
        The question therefore ariseth, if this opinion be true, why, the name and manner of
        death both agreeing with this explanation, Zacharias is called the son, not of
        Jehoiada, but of Barachias. In Hebrew, Barachias signifieth the Blessed of the Lord,
        and Jehoiada proves his Righteousness. In the Gospel used by the Nazarenes the name of
        Jehoiada is used instead of Barachias.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }
