# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Finding of the Holy Cross (May 3). # Sourced directly from web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/05-03.txt, # English/Sancti/05-03.txt. (Lectio1-3, Gal 3:10-14/Phil 2:5-11/ # Col 2:9-15, is left to the bible-plan store as usual.) # # Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6 combined into one reading — the legend of St. # Helena's finding of the True Cross, one continuous narrative, no # genuine source break. # Nocturn 3: Lectio7's Gospel citation (John 3:1-15) is a bare incipit # ("Et réliqua") with no full pericope text given, so only the homily # portion was originally authored (not marked isGospel), St. Augustine's # homily on Nicodemus (Lectio7's homily + Lectio8 combined). The source # has no Lectio9 at all for this feast (only 8 lessons total, an # unusual but genuine structural feature of this particular office, not # an omission here). # # Update (2026-09-05): the Gospel pericope itself is now authored too # (isGospel: true, immediately before the homily) — sourced from # missa/Latin/Sancti/05-03.txt's own [Evangelium], English/Sancti/ # 05-03.txt, not guessed at. Identical to exaltation-of-the-holy-cross.yml's # own Nocturn 3 Gospel (that feast's `ex Sancti/05-03` Rule reuses this # feast's content wholesale) — the same pericope text is duplicated in # both files, per this store's established pattern for that pairing. id: finding-of-the-holy-cross readings: - nocturn: 2 isGospel: false text: la: >- Post insígnem victóriam, quam Constantínus imperátor, divínitus accépto signo Domínicæ Crucis, ex Maxéntio reportávit, Hélena Constantíni mater, in somnis admónita, conquiréndæ Crucis stúdio Jerosólymam venit; ubi marmóream Véneris státuam, in Crucis loco a Géntibus collocátam ad tolléndam Christi Dómini passiónis memóriam, post centum círciter octogínta annos, everténdam curávit. Quod item fecit ad præsépe Salvatóris et in loco resurrectiónis, inde Adónidis hinc Jovis subláto simulácro. Itaque loco Crucis purgáto, alte defóssæ tres cruces érutæ sunt, repertúsque seórsum ab illis Crucis Domínicæ títulus: qui cum ex tribus cui affíxus fuísset, non apparéret, eam dubitatiónem sústulit miráculum. Nam Macárius Jerosolymórum epíscopus, factis Deo précibus, síngulas cruces cuídam féminæ, gravi morbo laboránti, admóvit; cui cum réliquæ nihil profuíssent, adhíbita tértia Crux statim eam sanávit. Hélena, salutári Cruce invénta, magnificentíssimam ibi exstrúxit ecclésiam, in qua partem Crucis relíquit thecis argénteis inclúsam, partem Constantíno fílio détulit; quæ Romæ repósita fuit in ecclésia sanctæ Crucis in Jerúsalem, ædificáta in ædibus Sessoriánis. Clavos étiam áttulit fílio, quibus sanctíssimum Jesu Christi corpus fixum fúerat. Quo ex témpore Constantínus legem sancívit, ne crux ad supplícium cuíquam adhiberétur. Ita res, quæ ántea homínibus probro ac ludíbrio fúerat, veneratióni et glóriæ esse cœpit. en: >- After that famous victory which the Emperor Constantine gained over Maxentius, on the eve of which the banner of the Cross of the Lord had been given to him from heaven, Helen, the mother of Constantine, being warned in a dream, came to Jerusalem, to seek for the Cross. There it was her care to cause to be overthrown the marble statue of Venus, which had stood on Calvary for about one hundred and eighty years, and which had originally been put there to desecrate and destroy the memorial of the sufferings of the Lord Christ. The like work Helen did at Bethlehem, by cleansing from an image of Adonis the stable where the Saviour was born, and from an idol of Jupiter, the place where He had arisen from the dead. Then she had thus cleansed the place where the Cross had stood, Helen caused deep excavations to be made, which resulted in the discovery of three crosses, and, apart from them, the writing which had been nailed on that of the Lord. But which of the crosses had been His was unknown, and was only manifested by a miracle. Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, after offering solemn prayers to God, touched with each of the three a woman who was afflicted with a grievous disease. The two first had no effect, but at the touch of the third she was immediately healed. Helen, after she had found the life-giving Cross, built over the site of the Passion a Church of extraordinary splendour, wherein she deposited part of the Cross, shut up in a silver case. Another part which she gave to her son, Constantine, was laid up in the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, which he built at Rome on the site of the Sessorian Palace. She also gave to her son the nails with which the Most Holy Body of Jesus Christ had been pierced. Constantine established a law abolishing the punishment of crucifixion for all time coming and thenceforth what had hitherto been a hissing and a curse among men, began to be esteemed worshipful and glorious. status: { la: verified, en: verified } - nocturn: 3 isGospel: true citation: { la: "Joannes 3:1-15", en: "John 3:1-15" } text: la: >- In illo témpore: Erat homo ex pharisǽis, Nicodémus nómine, princeps Judæórum. Hic venit ad Jesum nocte et dixit ei: Rabbi, scimus, quia a Deo venísti magíster; nemo enim potest hæc signa fácere, quæ tu facis, nisi fúerit Deus cum eo. Respóndit Jesus et dixit ei: Amen, amen, dico tibi, nisi quis renátus fúerit dénuo, non potest vidére regnum Dei. Dicit ad eum Nicodémus: Quómodo potest homo nasci, cum sit senex? Numquid potest in ventrem matris suæ iteráto introíre et renásci? Respóndit Jesus: Amen, amen, dico tibi, nisi quis renátus fúerit ex aqua et Spíritu Sancto, non potest introíre in regnum Dei. Quod natum est ex carne, caro est: et quod natum est ex spíritu, spíritus est. Non míreris, quia dixi tibi: opórtet vos nasci dénuo. Spíritus, ubi vult, spirat, et vocem ejus audis, sed nescis, unde véniat aut quo vadat: sic est omnis, qui natus est ex spíritu. Respóndit Nicodémus et dixit ei: Quómodo possunt hæc fíeri? Respóndit Jesus et dixit ei: Tu es magíster in Israël, et hæc ignóras? Amen, amen, dico tibi, quia, quod scimus, lóquimur, et quod vídimus, testámur, et testimónium nostrum non accípitis. Si terréna dixi vobis et non créditis: quómodo, si díxero vobis cœléstia, credétis? Et nemo ascéndit in cœlum, nisi qui descéndit de cœlo, Fílius hóminis, qui est in cœlo. Et sicut Móyses exaltávit serpéntem in desérto: ita exaltári opórtet Fílium hóminis, ut omnis, qui credit in ipsum, non péreat, sed hábeat vitam ætérnam. en: >- At that time, there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him." Jesus answered, and said to him, "Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus saith to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again?" Jesus answered, "Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Wonder not, that I said to thee, you must be born again. The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered, and said to him, "How can these things be done?" Jesus answered, and said to him, "Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things? Amen, amen, I say to thee, that we speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony. If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things? And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting." status: { la: verified, en: verified } - nocturn: 3 isGospel: false source: "St. Augustine of Hippo, Tractate 11 on John (on John 3:1-15)" text: la: >- Nicodémus ex his erat, qui credíderant in nómine Jesu, vidéntes signa et prodígia quæ faciébat. Supérius enim hoc dixit: Cum autem esset Jerosólymis in Pascha in die festo, multi credidérunt in nómine ejus. Quare credidérunt in nómine ejus? Séquitur, et dicit: Vidéntes signa ejus, quæ faciébat. Et de Nicodémo quid dicit? Erat princeps Judæórum, nómine Nicodémus. Hic venit ad eum nocte, et ait illi: Rabbi, scimus quia a Deo venísti magíster. Et iste ergo credíderat in nómine ejus. Et ipse unde credíderat? Séquitur: Nemo enim potest hæc signa fácere, quæ tu facis, nisi fúerit Deus cum eo. Si ergo Nicodémus de illis multis erat, qui credíderant in nómine ejus, jam in isto Nicodémo attendámus, quare Jesus non se credébat eis. Respóndit Jesus et dixit ei: Amen, amen dico tibi, nisi quis renátus fúerit dénuo, non potest vidére regnum Dei. Ipsis ergo se credit Jesus, qui nati fúerint dénuo. Ecce illi credíderant in eum, et Jesus non se credébat eis. Tales sunt omnes catechúmeni: ipsi jam credunt in nómine Christi, sed Jesus non se credit eis. Inténdat et intélligat cáritas vestra. Si dixérimus catechúmeno: Credis in Christum? respóndet, Credo, et signat se Cruce Christi: portat in fronte, et non erubéscit de Cruce Dómini sui. Ecce credit in nómine ejus. Interrogémus eum: Mandúcas carnem Fílii hóminis, et bibis sánguinem Fílii hóminis? nescit quid dícimus, quia Jesus non se crédidit ei. en: >- Nicodemus was one of them which believed in the Name of Jesus, when they saw the signs and wonders which He did. So hath John given us to understand a few words before our text: "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast-day, many believed in His Name." And wherefore did they believe in His Name John telleth us immediately: "When they saw the miracles which He did." And now, what saith he touching Nicodemus? "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God." Nicodemus therefore believed in His Name. And why did he believe He saith "For no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." Lo, then, Nicodemus was one of the many which had believed in His Name, let us seek to find in Nicodemus why "Jesus did not commit Himself unto them." Jesus answered and said unto him "Amen, Amen, I say unto thee except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus therefore committeth Himself unto such as be born again. Behold, Nicodemus and they that were with him believed in Jesus, but Jesus did not commit Himself unto them. Just so are all Catechumens they believe in the Name of Christ, but Jesus hath not yet committed Himself unto them. Now I trust ye will be good enough to pay attention, and understand what I am going to say. If ye ask of a Catechumen "Dost thou believe in Christ" he saith "I believe," and he signeth himself with the sign of the Cross. The Cross of his Lord is marked upon his forehead, and he is not ashamed of it. Behold, he believeth in the Name of Christ. But let us ask him "Dost thou eat the flesh of the Son of Man" and he knoweth not what we mean, for Jesus hath not yet committed Himself unto him. status: { la: verified, en: verified }