# Sourced directly from the raw reference files (web/www/horas/Latin+English/
# Tempora/Pasc3-3.txt) -- day 8, "In Octava Patrocinii S. Joseph," the
# octave's own closing day (Wednesday, per the Wednesday-based pre-1955
# dating). Joins St. Augustine's own "De Nuptiis et Concupiscentia"
# (Lectio4-6, Joseph and Mary's true marriage) with another sermon of
# St. Augustine on Christ's baptism as a "second birthday" (Lectio7-9,
# same Gospel pericope as the feast day; bare incipit dropped).
# Responsory not sourced, same convention as the other movable octaves in
# this project.
id: patronage-of-st-joseph-octave-day-8
source:
  la: "Sermo sancti Augustíni Epíscopi; Homilía sancti Augustíni Epíscopi"
  en: "Sermon of St. Augustine, Bishop; Homily of St. Augustine, Bishop"
text:
  la: |
    Non falláciter ab Angelo dictum est ad Joseph: Noli timére accípere Maríam cónjugem tuam. Conjux vocátur ex prima fide desponsatiónis, quam concúbitu nec cognóverat nec fúerat cognitúrus; nec períerat nec mendax mánserat cónjugis appellátio, ubi nec fúerat nec futúra erat ulla carnis commíxtio. Erat quippe illa Virgo; ídeo et sánctius et mirabílius jucúnda suo viro, quia étiam fœcúnda sine viro, prole dispar, fide compar. Propter quod fidéle conjúgium paréntes Christi vocári ambo meruérunt, et non solum illa mater, verum étiam ille pater ejus, sicut conjux matris ejus, utrúmque mente, non carne. Sive autem ille pater sola mente, sive illa mater et carne, paréntes tamen ambo humilitátis ejus, non sublimitátis; infirmitátis, non divinitátis.

    Neque enim mentítur Evangélium, ubi légitur: Et erat Pater ejus et Mater mirántes super his, quæ dicebántur de illo. Et álio loco: Ibant paréntes ejus per omnes annos in Jerúsalem. Item paulo post: Et dixit Mater ejus ad illum: Fili, quid fecísti nobis sic? Ecce pater tuus et ego doléntes quærebámus te. At ille, ut osténderet habére se præter illos Patrem, qui eum génuit præter matrem, respóndit eis: Quid est, quod me quærebátis? Nesciebátis, quia in his, quæ Patris mei sunt, opórtet me esse? Et rursum, ne hoc dicto paréntes illos negásse putarétur, Evangelísta secútus adjúnxit: Et ipsi non intellexérunt verbum quod locútus est ad illos; et descéndit cum eis, et venit Názareth, et erat súbditus illis. Quibus súbditus nisi paréntibus? Quis autem súbditus, nisi Jesus Christus, qui, cum in forma Dei esset, non rapínam arbitrátus est, esse se æquálem Deo?

    Cur ergo illis súbditus, qui longe infra formam Dei erant, nisi quia semetípsum exinanívit formam servi accípiens, cujus formæ paréntes erant? Sed profécto nec ipsíus formæ servi paréntes ambo essent, nisi inter se étiam sine carnis commixtióne cónjuges essent. Unde et séries generatiónum, cum paréntes Christi connexióne successiónis commemorántur, usque ad Joseph pótius, sicut factum est, fúerat perducénda; ne in illo conjúgio viríli séxui, útique potióri, fíeret injúria, cum veritáti nihil períret, quia ex sémine David, ex quo ventúrus prædíctus est Christus, et Joseph erat et María. Omne ítaque nuptiárum bonum implétum est in illis paréntibus Christi: proles, fides sacraméntum. Prolem cognóscimus ipsum Dóminum Jesum; fidem, quia nullum adultérium; sacraméntum, quia nullum divórtium.

    Natális hódie alter est quodam modo Salvatóris. Nam eísdem eum signis, eísdem miráculis cognóscimus génitum, sed nunc majóri mystério baptizátum. Ait enim Deus: Hic est Fílius meus diléctus, in quo mihi complácui. Præclárior plane est secúnda, quam prima natívitas. Illa enim sine teste siléntio Christum génuit; ista cum divinitátis professióne Dóminum baptizávit. Ab illa se Joseph, qui pater putabátur, excúsat; in hac se Pater, qui non credebátur, insínuat. Ibi labórat suspiciónibus Mater, quia professióni déerat pater; hic honorátur Génitrix, quia Divínitas Fílium protestátur.

    Honorátior, inquam, secúnda, quam prima natívitas. Síquidem Pater hic Deus majestátis inscríbitur; illic Joseph ártifex æstimátur. Et licet in utráque Dóminus per Spíritum Sanctum et natus sit et baptizátus, tamen honorátior est qui de cælis clamat, quam qui in terris labórat. Joseph ergo faber in terris pater putabátur esse Dómini Salvatóris, nec ab hoc ópere Deus, qui vere est Pater Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, exclúditur; nam est et ipse faber.

    Ipse enim est ártifex, qui hujus mundi máchinam non solum mirábili, sed étiam ineffábili poténtia fabricávit; tamquam sápiens architéctus cælum sublimitáte suspéndit, terram mole fundávit, mária cálculis alligávit. Ipse est ártifex, qui ad mensúram quamdam supérbiæ depónit fastígia, humilitátis extréma sublímat. Ipse est ártifex, qui in nostris móribus præcídit supérflua ópera, utília quæque consérvat. Ipse est ártifex, cujus secúrim ad radícem nostram pósitam Joánnes Baptísta comminátur, ut omnis arbor, quæ normam justæ discretiónis excésserit, excísa radícitus tradátur incéndio; quæ autem mensúram veritátis habúerit, cælésti fábricæ deputétur.
  en: |
    The Angel did not speak falsely when he said to Joseph: "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife." She is called wife because of the mutual confidence established between them at the time of her espousal, although he had not known her carnally, nor was he ever so to do; and the name of wife was not lost or rendered untrue because there had not been, nor would there ever be, any union of the flesh. For she was indeed the Virgin, and therefore was she a holier and more wonderful source of joy to her husband, in that she became fruitful without a man's part — unlike him in her offspring, yet like him in faithfulness. On account of this faithful union, both of them merited the name of Christ's parents: not only is she called His Mother, but he also is called His father, as the husband of His Mother — both in mind, not in flesh. But whether he was a father only in mind, or she a mother both in mind and flesh, yet both were the parents of His humility, not of His glory; of His infirmity, not of His divinity.

    For the Gospel doth not lie, where it saith: "And His Father and His Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of Him." And in another place: "His parents went to Jerusalem every year." And a little further on: "And His Mother said unto Him: Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." But He, to shew that, apart from them, He had a Father Who begat Him without a mother, answered them: "How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" And, lest anyone should think that by these words He denied His parents, the Evangelist immediately addeth: "And they understood not the saying which He spoke unto them; and He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." To whom was He subject but to His parents? And who was thus subject but Jesus Christ, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God?

    Why then was He subject to them, who were so far below the form of God, except that He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, of which form they were the parents? But truly, neither of them would have attained to the parenthood of this form of a servant, had they not also been, between themselves, husband and wife, albeit without any union of the flesh. And hence, when the ancestors of Christ are recounted in the direct line of succession, the genealogy was fittingly traced down to Joseph, as indeed it was; lest it should be a slight upon the male sex, which is rightly accorded the greater dignity — and the truth suffered nothing thereby, for both Joseph and Mary were of the seed of David, from which it was foretold that Christ should come. Thus all the goods of marriage are found fulfilled in these parents of Christ: offspring, fidelity, and the sacred bond. The offspring we know was the Lord Jesus Himself; the fidelity, in that there was no adultery; the sacred bond, in that there was no divorce.

    The day of His baptism is, in a manner, a second birthday of the Saviour. For we know that He was born with the same signs and the same wonders, but now baptized with a still greater mystery. For God saith: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." Plainly the second birth is more glorious than the first. For that birth, in silence and without a witness, brought forth Christ; this baptism, with a proclamation of His divinity, revealed the Lord. There, Joseph, who was supposed to be His father, excuseth himself from the claim; here, the Father, Who was not believed, declareth Himself. There, the Mother laboureth under suspicion, because no father could be acknowledged; here, she that bore Him is honoured, because the Godhead proclaimeth Him as Its Son.

    More honoured, I say, is the second birth than the first. For here the Father is inscribed as the God of majesty; there Joseph was reckoned a craftsman. And although in both the Lord was born and baptized through the Holy Ghost, yet He That crieth out from heaven is more honoured than he that laboureth on earth. Joseph, then, a workman on earth, was supposed to be the father of the Lord and Saviour; nor is God, Who is truly the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, excluded from this same work, for He too is a craftsman.

    For He is the Artificer Who hath wrought the fabric of this world with power not only wondrous but ineffable — like a wise architect He hath hung the heavens on high, founded the earth in its mass, and bound the seas within their bounds. He is the Artificer Who, by a certain measure, bringeth low the heights of pride and exalteth the depths of humility. He is the Artificer Who, in our own conduct, cutteth away what is superfluous and preserveth what is useful. He is the Artificer whose axe, as John the Baptist warneth us, is laid to the root of our tree: that every tree which exceedeth the rule of just discernment be cut down at the root and given to the fire, but that which hath the measure of truth be counted worthy of His heavenly building.
status:
  la: verified
  en: verified