# Matins Nocturn 2 for "5th Sunday of October" (Tempora/105-0.txt) — see # month-week-081.yml's header for the id scheme. Responsory reuses 101's # own Responsory4 (source's own cross-reference). id: month-week-105 readings: - nocturn: 2 isGospel: false source: "St. Gregory Nazianzen, Sermon 20, On the Maccabees" text: la: >- Eleázarus primítiæ eórum qui hic ante Christum sunt passi, quemádmodum post Christum Stéphanus. Is vir et sacérdos et senex, canus capíllis, canus et prudéntia, prius quidem pro pópulo sacrificábat et orábat: nunc autem semetípsum hóstiam óbtulit Deo perfectíssimam ad totíus pópuli expiatiónem, faustum certáminis inítium, ad quod loquens páriter ac tacens cohortabátur. Obtúlit autem et fílios septem, suæ frúctus disciplínæ, hóstiam vivéntem, sanctam, beneplácitam Deo, omni legáli sacrifício splendídiorem et puríorem: quæ sunt enim filiórum, ad patrem referri, æquíssimum ac justíssimum est. Ibi tum generósi et magnánimi púeri, generósæ matris nóbilis proles, gloriósi veritátis propugnatóres, Antíochi tempóribus excelsióres, veri Mosáicæ legis discípuli, paternórum rítuum observantíssimi, númerus apud Hebrǽos laudábilis, et propter septenáriæ quiétis mystérium venerábilis, unum spirántes, unum spectántes, unum illud ad vitam iter agnoscéntes, ut mortem Dei causa suscíperent: non minus ánimis fratres quam corpóribus, inter se mútuæ mortis ǽmuli: o rem admirándam! torménta quasi thesáuros præripiéntes, pro magístra lege perícula subeúntes, quæ non magis illáta formidábant, quam relícta requirébant, unum illud veríti, ne týrannus a pœnis desísteret, ne quis ipsórum sine corónæ prǽmio discéderet, ne invíti fratres alii ab alio sejungeréntur, et ne, in eo discrímine cruciátibus erépti, mala victória superárent. Erat ibi fortis et generósa mater, puerórum simul ac Dei amans, cujus matérna víscera supra natúræ consuetúdinem dilaniabántur. Non enim filiórum, qui in torméntis erant, miserebátur, sed timóre angebátur, ne non ea suscíperent: neque magis eos, qui e vita migráverant, desiderábat, quam precabátur, ut relíqui cum illis conjungeréntur: de quibus fíliis magis quam de mórtuis erat sollícita. Horum enim dúbium erat certámen, at illórum secúrus vitæ éxitus: atque illos quidem jam Deo adjúnxerat; de his vero, quómodo eos Deus susciperet, laborábat. O virílem ánimum in córpore muliébri! o admirábile magni ánimi increméntum! en: >- Eleazar was the first-fruits of those who suffered before the coming of Christ, even as Stephen was the first-fruits of those who suffered after that coming. He was a Priest and an Elder, grey in years, and grey also in wisdom. Once he had sacrificed and prayed for the people, but now the time came when he offered himself to God as a burnt sacrifice without blemish, a peace-offering for all the people, a blessed beginning in that struggle whereunto his words and his silence were alike their exhortation. He presented likewise the bodies of seven children, the offspring of his teaching, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, (Rom. 12:1,) an oblation more glorious and more pure than any legal offering, for to give the father credit of his children is most meet and right. There stood the noble and highminded lads, the gallant sons of a noble mother, the glorious champions of the truth, men to whom the epoch of Antiochus was an anachronism, true disciples of the Law of Moses, straitest of the observers of the rites of their forefathers, in that seven-fold number which the Hebrews bless, and which is hallowed and worshipful through the reckoning of Sabbath — there they stood, with one longing, and one aim, looking to one road to life, even to receive death for God's sake; there they stood, brethren in soul not less than in body, only covetous one of the other's death. O what a mystery! They snatched at agony as at treasure, and perilled themselves for the teaching of the Law, with no more fear for what was before than regret for what was behind. Their dread was but one, even lest any should go uncrowned, lest brother should be unwillingly parted from brother, and be saved from the torment of the conflict to gain a disastrous victory. There stood the brave and noble mother, burning with love of her children and of God, with her heart rent as few human hearts are riven. Her agony was not so much on account of the tortures which her children suffered, as from fear lest they should shrink therefrom. She yearned not more over those who left this life than she prayed that they who were left might join them; her anxiety was for the living rather than for the dead. The living were still contending, the dead had safely left the field; concerning the living she was straitened in not knowing how God would receive them, the dead she knew that God had joined unto Himself. O what a manly soul in a woman's body! O what an admirable growth of a great soul! responsory: la: "R. Impetum inimicórum ne timuéritis: mémores estóte, quómodo salvi facti sunt patres nostri: * Et nunc clamémus in cælum et miserébitur nostri Deus noster.\nV. Mementóte mirabílium ejus, quæ fecit pharaóni et exercítui ejus in Mari Rubro.\nR. Et nunc clamémus in cælum et miserébitur nostri Deus noster." en: "R. Be ye not afraid of the assault of the enemy; remember how our fathers were delivered. * Now, therefore, let us cry unto heaven, and our God will have mercy upon us.\nV. Remember His marvellous works that He hath done unto Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea.\nR. Now, therefore, let us cry unto heaven, and our God will have mercy upon us." status: { la: verified, en: verified }