# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed # Virgin Mary (Aug 22). Sourced directly from # web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/08-22.txt, English/Sancti/08-22.txt. # Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6, a sermon of St. Bernardine of Siena on the # Visitation and an excerpt from ecclesiastical documents on the # feast's own institution history (Pius VII, 1801; Pius IX; Pius XII, # 1942), combined into one reading, not Gospel-tied. Nocturn 3: # Lectio7-9, St. Robert Bellarmine's homily on the Seven Words of # Christ on the Cross. # # Update (2026-09-05): the Gospel pericope itself (John 19:25-27, Our # Lord entrusting Mary to St. John from the Cross) is now authored too # (isGospel: true, immediately before the Bellarmine homily) -- sourced # from missa/Latin/Sancti/08-22.txt's own [Evangelium] (this same # feast's own Mass Gospel) and its English parallel, not guessed at. id: immaculate-heart-of-mary readings: - nocturn: 2 isGospel: false source: "St. Bernardine of Siena, Sermon 9 on the Visitation; ecclesiastical documents on the feast's institution" text: la: >- Quis mortálium, nisi divíno tutus oráculo, de vera Dei et hóminis Genetríce quidquam módicum, sive grande præsúmat incircumcísis, immo pollútis lábiis nomináre, quam Pater ante sǽcula Deus perpétuam prædestinávit in Vírginem, digníssimam Fílius elégit in Matrem, Spíritus Sanctus omnis grátiæ domicílium præparávit? Quibus verbis ego homúnculus sensus altíssimos virgínei Cordis, sanctíssimo ore prolátos, éfferam, quibus non súfficit lingua ómnium Angelórum? Dóminus enim ait: Bonus homo de bono thesáuro cordis profert bona; quod verbum potest étiam esse thesáurus. Quis inter puros hómines mélior homo potest excogitári, quam illa, quæ méruit éffici Mater Dei, quæ novem ménsibus in corde et in útero suo ipsum Deum hospitáta est? Quis thesáurus mélior, quam ipse divínus amor quo fornáceum cor Vírginis ardens erat? De hoc ígitur Corde quasi de fornáce divíni ardóris Virgo beáta prótulit verba bona, id est, verba ardentíssimæ caritátis. Sicut enim a vase summo et óptimo vino pleno, non potest exíre nisi óptimum vinum; aut sicut a fornáce summi ardóris non egréditur nisi incéndium fervens; sic quippe a Christi Matre exíre non pótuit verbum, nisi summi summéque divíni amóris atque ardóris. Sapiéntis quoque dóminæ et matrónæ est pauca verba, sólida tamen atque sententiósa habére; proínde septem vícibus quasi septem verba tantum miræ senténtiæ et virtútis a Christi benedictíssima Matre legúntur dicta, ut mýstice ostendátur ipsam fuísse plenam grátia septifórmi. Cum Angelo bis tantúmmodo est locúta. Cum Elísabeth bis étiam. Cum Fílio étiam bis, semel in templo, secúndo in núptiis. Cum minístris semel. Et in his ómnibus semper valde parum locúta est; excépto quod in laude Dei et gratiárum actióne se ámplius dilatávit, scílicet, quum ait: Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum. Ubi non cum hómine, sed cum Deo locúta fuit. Cultum litúrgicum, quo Cordi Immaculáto Vírginis Maríæ débitus tribúitur honor, cuíque plures viri sancti ac mulíeres viam parárunt, ipsa Apostólica Sedes primum approbávit ineúnte sǽculo undevicésimo, cum Pius Papa séptimus festum Puríssimi Cordis Maríæ Vírginis instítuit, ab ómnibus diœcésibus et religiósis famíliis, quæ id petiíssent, pie sanctéque agéndum: quod póstmodum Pius Papa nonus Offício ac Missa própria auxit. Ardens autem stúdium atque optátum, jam sǽculo décimo séptimo exórtum et in dies invaléscens, ut nempe ejúsmodi festum, majóri solemnitáte donátum, totíus Ecclésiæ commúne efficerétur, Summus Póntifex Pius duodécimus benígne excípiens anno millésimo nongentésimo quadragésimo secúndo, bello atrocíssimo per orbem fere totum ingravescénte, infínitas populórum ærúmnas míserans, pro sua in Matrem cæléstem pietáte ac fidúcia genus hóminum univérsum illíus Cordi benigníssimo obsecratióne solémni eníxe commendávit, atque in honórem ejúsdem Immaculáti Cordis festum cum Offício et Missa própriis in perpétuum ubíque celebrándum indíxit. en: >- What man, unless secure in a divine oracle, may presume to speak with impure, indeed with polluted lips, anything little or great about the true Parent of God and of man, whom the Father before all ages predestined a perpetual Virgin, whom the Son chose as his most worthy Mother, whom the Holy Ghost prepared as the dwelling place of every grace? With what words shall I, a lowly man, give expression to the highest sentiments of the virginal Heart uttered by the holiest mouth, for which the tongues of all the Angels do not suffice? For the Lord saith: A good man bringeth forth good things from the good treasure of his heart; and this word can also be a treasure. Among pure mortals who can be conceived of as better than she who was worthy to be the Mother of God, who for nine months had as a guest in her heart and in her womb God himself? What better treasure than the divine love itself, which was burning in the Heart of the Virgin as in a furnace? And so, from this Heart as from a furnace of divine ardor the Blessed Virgin brought forth good words, that is, words of the most ardent charity. For as from a vessel full of the richest and best wine only good wine can be poured; or as from a furnace of intense heat only a burning fire is emitted; so indeed from the Mother of Christ no word can go forth except of the greatest and most intense divine love and ardor. It is also the mark of a wise woman and matron to speak few words, but words that are effective and full of meaning; and so seven times, as it were, seven words of such wonderful meaning and virtue are read as having been uttered by the Most Blessed Mother of Christ, that mystically it may be shown she was full of the sevenfold grace. To the Angel twice only did she speak; to Elizabeth also twice; with her Son likewise twice, once in the temple, and a second time at the marriage feast; and once to the attendants. And on all those occasions she always said very little; with this one exception that she spake at length in the praise of God and in thanksgiving, namely, when she said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. But here she did not speak with man, but with God. The liturgical worship, through which due honor is given to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, and for which many holy men and women have prepared the way, the Apostolic See itself first approved in the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Pope Pius VII instituted the feast of the Most Pure Heart of the Virgin Mary, to be piously and reverently celebrated by all the dioceses and religious families who had asked for it. Afterwards Pope Pius IX added an Office and a proper Mass to it. But an ardent desire and longing, which had arisen in the seventeenth century, grew day by day, that namely, the same Feast, given greater solemnity, might be spread to the entire Church. In 1942, Pope Pius XII, graciously acceding to this wish, and during the terrible war then ravaging almost the entire world, pitying the infinite hardships of men, and because of his devotion and confidence in our heavenly Mother, in solemn supplication earnestly entrusted the entire human race to her most generous Heart, and in honor of the same Immaculate Heart he ordered a Feast to be kept forever with its proper Office and Mass. status: { la: verified, en: verified } - nocturn: 3 isGospel: true citation: { la: "Joann 19:25-27", en: "John 19:25-27" } text: la: >- In illo témpore: Stabant juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus, et soror matris ejus María Cléophæ, et María Magdaléne. Cum vidísset ergo Jesus matrem, et discípulum stantem, quem diligébat, dicit matri suæ: Múlier, ecce fílius tuus. Deinde dicit discípulo: Ecce mater tua. Et ex illa hora accépit eam discípulus in sua. en: >- At that time, there were standing by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother, and His Mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus, therefore, saw His Mother and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He said to His Mother, Woman, behold your son. Then He said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. status: { la: verified, en: verified } - nocturn: 3 isGospel: false source: "St. Robert Bellarmine, On the Seven Words of Christ on the Cross, ch. 12" text: la: >- Onus et jugum impósitum a Dómino sancto Joánni, ut Vírginis Matris curam géreret, vere fuit jugum suáve et onus leve. Quis enim non libentíssime cohabitáret Matri illi, quæ Verbum incarnátum in útero novem ménsibus portávit, et illi totos trigínta annos devotíssime dulcissiméque cohabitávit? Quis non invídeat dilécto Dómini, qui in abséntia Fílii Dei præséntiam obtínuit Matris Dei? Sed, nisi fallor, póssumus et nos a benignitáte Verbi nostri causa incarnáti et ex dilectióne nímia nostri causa crucifíxi, précibus impetráre, ut dicat et nobis: Ecce Mater tua; et Matri suæ de nobis dicat: Ecce fílius tuus. Non est avárus pius Dóminus gratiárum, dúmmodo ad thronum grátiæ ejus cum fide et fidúcia et non ficto corde, sed vero et sincéro accedámus. Qui nos coherédes esse vóluit regni Patris sui, non dedignábitur certe nos coherédes habére amóris Matris suæ. Sed nec ipsa Virgo benigníssima gravábitur multitúdine filiórum, cum sinum amplíssimum hábeat et valde cúpiat, nullum períre ex his, quos Fílius suus tam pretióso sánguine et tam pretiósa morte redémit. Adeámus ergo cum fidúcia ad thronum grátiæ Christi, et supplíciter nec sine lácrimis ab eo petámus, ut de unoquóque nostrum Matri suæ dicat: Ecce fílius tuus; et unicuíque nostrum de Matre sua dicat: Ecce Mater tua. Quam bene nobis erit sub præsídio tantæ Matris? Quis nos detráhere audébit de sinu ejus? Quæ nos tentátio superáre póterit, confidéntes in patrocínio Matris Dei et nostræ? neque nos primi érimus in tanti consecutióne benefícii. Multi nos præcessérunt; multi, inquam, ad singuláre et plane matérnum patrocínium tantæ Vírginis accessérunt, et nemo confúsus aut tristis dimíssus est, sed omnes hílares et gaudéntes, freti patrocínio tantæ Matris. en: >- The burden and yoke which our Lord imposed on St. John, that he take care of his Virgin Mother, was indeed a sweet yoke and a light burden. Who indeed would not esteem it a happiness to dwell under the same roof with her, who for nine months had borne in her womb the Incarnate Word, and for thirty years had enjoyed the sweetest and happiest communication of sentiments with him? Who doth not envy the chosen disciple of our Lord, who in the absence of the Son of God, was given the presence of the Mother of God? Yet, if I am not mistaken, we can obtain by our prayers that our most kind Lord, who became man for our sakes and was crucified for love of us, should say to us: Behold thy Mother; and should say to his Mother for each one of us: Behold thy son. Our good Lord is not avaricious of his graces, if only we approach the throne of grace with faith and confidence, with a true and sincere but not a false heart. He who desireth to have us co-heirs in the kingdom of his Father, will certainly not disdain to have us co-heirs in the love of his Mother. Nor will the most benign Virgin herself take it amiss to have a countless number of children, since she hath an heart capable of embracing all of us, and ardently desireth that not even one of those souls should perish whom her divine Son redeemed with his precious Blood, and his still more precious death. And so let us approach with confidence the throne of the grace of Christ, and with tears let us humbly beg of him to say to his Mother for each of us: Behold thy son; and to each one of us concerning his Mother: Behold thy Mother. How secure shall we be under the protection of such a Mother? Who will dare to drag us from her bosom? What temptation can overcome us if we confide in the protection of the Mother of God and of our Mother? Nor will we be the first who have secured such a great favour. Many have preceded us; many, I say, have placed themselves under the singular and really maternal protection of so powerful a Virgin, and no one hath been cast off by her with his soul in a perplexed and sad state, but all who confide in the patronage of such a Mother are happy and contented. status: { la: verified, en: verified }