# Sourced directly from the raw reference files (web/www/horas/Latin+English/
# Tempora/Pasc5-6.txt) -- day 3 of the Ascension's own movable octave, same
# shape/rationale as ascension-octave-day-2.yml. Joins the continuation of
# St. Leo's own Ascension sermon (Lectio4-6, a different passage than day 2)
# with the continuation of Pope St. Gregory's homily on Mark 16:14-20
# (Lectio7-9, same Gospel pericope as day 2, different homily passage; bare
# incipit dropped). Responsory not sourced, same reason as day 2.
id: ascension-octave-day-3
source:
  la: "Sermo sancti Leónis Papæ; Homilía sancti Gregórii Papæ"
  en: "Sermon of St. Leo, Pope; Homily of St. Gregory the Great, Pope"
text:
  la: |
    Quod ítaque Redemptóris nostri conspícuum fuit, in sacraménta transívit: et ut fides excelléntior esset ac fírmior, visióni doctrína succéssit, cujus auctoritátem supérnis illumináta rádiis credéntium corda sequeréntur. Hanc fidem ascensióne Dómini auctam, et Spíritus Sancti múnere roborátam, non víncula, non cárceres, non exsília, non fames, non ignis, non laniátus ferárum, nec exquisíta persequéntium crudelitátibus supplícia terruérunt. Pro hac fide per univérsum mundum non solum viri, sed étiam féminæ: nec tantum impúbes púeri, sed étiam téneræ vírgines usque ad effusiónem sui sánguinis decertárunt. Hæc fides dæmónia ejécit, ægritúdines dépulit, mórtuos suscitávit.

    Unde et ipsi beáti Apóstoli, qui tot miráculis confirmáti, tot sermónibus erudíti, atrocitátem tamen Domínicæ passiónis expáverant, et veritátem resurrectiónis ejus non sine hæsitatióne suscéperant; tantum de ascensióne Dómini profecérunt, ut quidquid illis prius intúlerat metum, verterétur in gáudium. Totam enim contemplatiónem ánimi in divinitátem ad Patris déxteram considéntis eréxerant: nec jam corpóreæ visiónis tardabántur objéctu, quo minus in id áciem mentis inténderent, quod nec a Patre descendéndo abfúerat, nec a discípulis ascendéndo discésserat. Tunc ígitur, dilectíssimi, Fílius hóminis, Dei Fílius excelléntius sacratiúsque innótuit, cum in patérnæ majestátis glóriam se recépit: et ineffábili modo cœpit esse divinitáte præséntior, qui factus est humanitáte longínquior.

    Tunc ad æquálem Patri Fílium erudítior fides gressu mentis cœpit accédere, et contrectatióne in Christo corpóreæ substántiæ, qua Patre minor est, non egére: quóniam glorificáti córporis manénte natúra, eo fides credéntium vocabátur, ubi non carnáli manu, sed spiritáli intelléctu par Genitóri Unigénitus tangerétur. Hinc illud est, quod post resurrectiónem suam Dóminus Maríæ Magdalénæ persónam Ecclésiæ gerénti, cum ad contáctum ipsíus properáret accédere, dicit: Noli me tángere, nondum enim ascéndi ad Patrem meum: hoc est, Nolo ut ad me corporáliter vénias, nec ut me sensu carnis agnóscas: ad sublimióra te díffero, majóra tibi prǽparo: cum ad Patrem ascéndero, tunc me perféctius veriúsque palpábis, apprehensúra quod non tangis, et creditúra quod non cernis.

    Signa autem eos qui creditúri sunt, hæc sequéntur: In nómine meo dæmónia eícient, linguis loquéntur novis, serpéntes tollent: et si mortíferum quid bíberint, non eis nocébit: super ægros manus impónent, et bene habébunt. Numquídnam, fratres mei, quia ista signa non fácitis, mínime créditis? Sed hæc necessária in exórdio Ecclésiæ fuérunt. Ut enim ad fidem crésceret multitúdo credéntium, miráculis fúerat nutriénda: quia et nos, cum arbústa plantámus, támdiu eis aquam infúndimus, quoúsque ea in terra jam coaluísse videámus: et si semel radícem fíxerint, irrigátio cessábit. Hinc est enim quod Paulus dicit: Linguæ in signum sunt non fidélibus, sed infidélibus.

    Habémus de his signis atque virtútibus, quæ adhuc subtílius consideráre debeámus. Sancta quippe Ecclésia quotídie spiritáliter facit, quod tunc per Apóstolos corporáliter faciébat. Nam sacerdótes ejus cum per exorcísmi grátiam manum credéntibus impónunt, et habitáre malígnos spíritus in eórum mente contradícunt, quid áliud fáciunt, nisi dæmónia ejíciunt? Et fidéles quique, qui jam vitæ véteris sæculária verba derelínquunt, sancta autem mystéria ínsonant, Conditóris sui laudes et poténtiam, quantum prǽvalent, narrant: quid áliud fáciunt, nisi novis linguis loquúntur? Qui dum bonis suis exhortatiónibus malítiam de aliénis córdibus áuferunt, serpéntes tollunt.

    Et dum pestíferas suasiónes áudiunt, sed tamen ad operatiónem pravam mínime pertrahúntur, mortíferum quidem est quod bibunt, sed non eis nocébit. Qui quóties próximos suos in bono ópere infirmári conspíciunt, dum eis tota virtúte concúrrunt, et exémplo suæ operatiónis illórum vitam róborant, qui in própria actióne títubant: quid áliud fáciunt, nisi super ægros manus impónunt, ut bene hábeant? Quæ nimírum mirácula tanto majóra sunt, quanto spiritália: tanto majóra sunt, quanto per hæc non córpora, sed ánimæ suscitántur.
  en: |
    And so the seen Presence of our Redeemer in the Body was changed for an unseen Presence in the Sacraments, and hearing was given to the Church in place of seeing, that her faith, rightly so called, might be the more victorious and stedfast, and that teaching, which the hearts of all her children are called on to hear, is a teaching enlightened by rays from heaven. This faith, strengthened by the Ascension of the Lord, and established by the gift of the Holy Ghost, neither bonds, nor imprisonment, nor exile, nor famine, nor fire, nor savage beasts, nor those forms of death, finewrought in cruelty, wherein they that persecute us are well skilled, have been able to scare. For this faith there have striven throughout the whole world, even unto the out-pouring of their blood, not men only, but women also, not little lads only, but tender maidens. This is the faith which hath cast out devils, healed diseases, raised the dead.

    Hence even the blessed Apostles themselves, who had been comforted by so many miracles and taught by so many discourses, were sickened by the horrors of their Lord's Passion, and received but doubtfully the assurance of His Resurrection, till after the Lord's Ascension, and then fared on so bravely, that all that had been fearful to them before became joyful then. The reason was that they had lifted up all their mind to think of the Godhead of Him Who sitteth at the right hand of the Father. They asked no longer for a seen Presence, when their spiritual eye had caught the fact that, even as, when He had come down to earth, He had not left His Father, so now that He was gone up into heaven, He had not left His disciples. So then it was, dearly beloved brethren, that the Son of man more excellently and more sacredly revealed Himself as the Son of God, when He had withdrawn Himself again into that glory which He had with the Father before the world was. In some unspeakable way He began to be more present, as touching His Godhead, when He removed Himself farther from us, as touching His Manhood.

    Then it was that a better instructed faith began intellectually to approach the idea of a Son equal to the Father, and no longer to need to handle in Christ the bodily Matter, which is of a nature as touching which He is inferior to the Father — since, Its nature still remaining in the glorified Body, the faith of believers was summoned to that place where the Only-Begotten Son, Who is equal to the Father, is felt, not by the application of a bodily hand, but by the effort of a spiritual-minded intellect. Hence it was that after His Resurrection, when Mary Magdalene (in whom was there represented the Person of the whole Church) wished to handle the Lord, He said: "Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father"; that is, "I will no more that thy nearness to Me should be a nearness of body to Body, nor that thine experience of Me should henceforward be one proceeding from fleshly experiment — for that, I appoint thee an higher world, I make ready for thee a nobler form of it than this: after that I have ascended to My Father, a time will come when thou shalt indeed touch Me, but after a manner more perfect, more real than this, even a time when thou shalt lay hold on that which thou touchest not now, and believe that which thou seest not now."

    "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." My brethren, these signs do not follow us. Do we, then, not believe? Nay. The truth is, these things were needful when the Church was young. That she might grow by the increase of the faithful, she needed to be nourished with miracles. Even so we, when we plant a young tree, continually water and tend it till we see that it hath taken firm root in the earth; but when once it hath taken firm root, it can grow of itself. Hence, Paul saith of tongues: "Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not." (1 Cor. xiv. 22.)

    We have a deeper matter of thought touching these signs and mighty works. It is the work of the holy Church to do every day spiritually that which the Apostles then did carnally. When her Priests, armed with the power of exorcism, lay their hands upon believers, and command evil spirits to dwell no longer in their souls, what is it they do but cast out devils? When Christ's faithful people themselves give up the language of their old life, and speak the wonderful works of God, the glory and power of their Maker, telling of them with all their strength, what is it they do then but speak with new tongues? When either the one or the other doth by his exhortation charm the wickedness out of his neighbour's heart, what is it he doth but take up serpents?

    When they hear the voice of temptation inviting to deadly sin, but are not drawn thereby to work iniquity, do they not then drink a deadly thing, and it doth not hurt them? As often as they see their neighbour fainting in well-doing, and run to help him with all their might, so that their example braceth the feeble life of the waverer, what do they but lay hands on the sick, and they recover? And indeed, such miracles as these are the greatest miracles, which are spiritual — the greatest, for they bring health, not to the dying body, but to the immortal soul.
status:
  la: verified
  en: verified