# 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 was originally authored (not marked # isGospel), St. Ambrose's homily (Lectio7's homily + Lectio8-9 combined). # # Update (2026-09-05): the Gospel pericope itself is now authored too # (isGospel: true, immediately before the homily) — this feast's own # [Evangelium] redirects `@Commune/C10a`, which itself redirects # `@Tempora/Adv3-3` (Advent Ember Wednesday's Mass Gospel), sourced from # missa/Latin/Tempora/Adv3-3.txt, English/Tempora/Adv3-3.txt, not # guessed at. 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: true citation: { la: "Luc 1:26-38", en: "Luke 1:26-38" } text: la: >- In illo témpore: Missus est Angelus Gábriel a Deo in civitátem Galilǽæ, cui nomen Názareth, ad Vírginem desponsátam viro, cui nomen erat Joseph, de domo David, et nomen Vírginis María. Et ingréssus Angelus ad eam, dixit: Ave, grátia plena; Dóminus tecum: benedícta tu in muliéribus. Quæ cum audísset, turbáta est in sermóne ejus: et cogitábat, qualis esset ista salutátio. Et ait Angelus ei: Ne tímeas, María, invenísti enim grátiam apud Deum: ecce, concípies in útero, et páries fílium, et vocábis nomen ejus Jesum. Hic erit magnus, et Fílius Altíssimi vocábitur, et dabit illi Dóminus Deus sedem David, patris ejus: et regnábit in domo Jacob in ætérnum, et regni ejus non erit finis. Dixit autem María ad Angelum: Quómodo fiet istud, quóniam virum non cognósco? Et respóndens Angelus, dixit ei: Spíritus Sanctus supervéniet in te, et virtus Altíssimi obumbrábit tibi. Ideóque et quod nascétur ex te Sanctum, vocábitur Fílius Dei. Et ecce, Elísabeth, cognáta tua, et ipsa concépit fílium in senectúte sua: et hic mensis sextus est illi, quæ vocátur stérilis: quia non erit impossíbile apud Deum omne verbum. Dixit autem María: Ecce ancílla Dómini, fiat mihi secúndum verbum tuum. en: >- At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And when the angel had come to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women." When she had heard him she was troubled at his word, and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God. Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and shall bring forth a son; and you shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He shall be king over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How shall this happen, since I do not know man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you, and therefore the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, Elizabeth your kinswoman also has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month; for nothing shall be impossible with God." But Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." 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 }