# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Circumcision of Our Lord (Jan 1). # Sourced directly from web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/01-01.txt, # English/Sancti/01-01.txt. # Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6, a sermon of St. Leo the Great on the Nativity # (this feast's own [Rule] reuses Christmas's own backbone, "ex # Sancti/12-25" — this is that same sermon), combined into one reading # per this project's own condensed-Matins convention (see nearby # immaculate-heart-of-mary.yml). Nocturn 3: the Gospel citation ends # "Et réliqua"/"And so on" with no full pericope given — per the # bare-incipit convention, only the homily (Lectio7-9, St. Ambrose) is # authored, isGospel: false, no citation field. id: circumcision readings: - nocturn: 2 isGospel: false source: "St. Leo the Great, Sermon 7 on the Nativity" text: la: >- Festivitátis hodiérnæ, dilectíssimi, verus venerátor est, et pius cultor, qui nec de Incarnatióne Dómini áliquid falsum, nec de Deitáte áliquid sentit indígnum. Paris enim perículi malum est, si illi aut natúræ nostræ véritas, aut Patérnæ glóriæ negátur æquálitas. Cum ergo ad intellegéndum sacraméntum nativitátis Christi, qua de Matre vírgine est ortus, accédimus, abigátur procul terrenárum calígo ratiónum, et ab illuminátæ fídei óculo mundánæ sapiéntiæ fumus abscédat. Divína est enim auctóritas, cui crédimus: divína est doctrína, quam séquimur. Quóniam sive legis testificatióni, sive oráculis prophetárum, sive evangélicæ tubæ interiórem admoveámus audítum; verum est, quod Joánnes plenus Spíritu Sancto intónuit: In princípio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in princípio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil. Et simíliter verum est, quod idem prædicátor adjécit: Verbum caro factum est et habitávit in nobis: et vídimus glóriam ejus, glóriam quasi Unigéniti a Patre. In utráque ergo natúra idem est Dei Fílius, nostra suscípiens, et própria non amíttens: in hómine hóminem rénovans, in se incommutábilis persevérans. Déitas enim, quæ illi cum Patre commúnis est, nullum detriméntum omnipoténtiæ súbiit, nec Dei formam servi forma violávit: quia summa et sempitérna esséntia, quæ se ad humáni géneris inclinávit salútem, nos quidem in suam glóriam tránstulit, sed quod erat, esse non déstitit. Unde cum Unigénitus Dei minórem se Patre confitétur, cui se dicit æquálem, veritátem in se formæ utriúsque demónstrat: ut et humánam probet imparílitas, et divínam decláret æquálitas. en: >- Dearly beloved brethren, whosoever will keep truly and honour piously this day's festival, it is necessary for him neither to think falsely of the Lord's Incarnation, nor meanly of the Lord's Godhead. For as there is danger, on the one hand, of denying the truth of Christ's participation of our nature, so is there no less danger, on the other, of doing despite to the equality of his glory with the glory of the Father. Wherefore, when we draw near to understand the mystery of Christ's Birth, wherein he was born of the Virgin Mary, we must leave the clouds of earthly imagination behind and pierce the fog of human wisdom with the eye of enlightened faith. The authority on which we believe is the authority of God himself; the teaching which we follow is the teaching of God himself. Wherefore whether we lend the ear of our mind to the testimony of the Law, or to the revelations of the Prophets, or to the full pealing of the Gospel trumpet, that is true, which John the Son of Thunder uttered, when he was filled with the Holy Ghost, and said: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made. True also is his witness when he saith: The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father. The Person of the Son of God therefore remaineth unchanged and one, though he have two natures, keeping his own, and taking ours. He appeareth as man to be the restorer of men, but abideth all the while in his immutable Godhead. That Godhead which he shareth with the Father was not a whit the less Almighty, nor did the form of a servant touch the form of God to derogate from it. The Most High and Everlasting Being, bending down for man's salvation, took the Manhood into his glory; he ceased not to be that which he is from everlasting. Hence we see the Only-begotten Son of God in one place confessing that the Father is greater than he, and in another declaring that he and the Father are One. This is an evident proof of the distinction of his two natures, and the unity of his Person; for he is inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood, and yet equal to the Father as touching his Godhead, and yet, though he be God and Man, he is not two, but One Christ. status: { la: verified, en: verified } - nocturn: 3 isGospel: false source: "St. Ambrose, Commentary on Luke, Book II" text: la: >- Circumcíditur ítaque Puer. Quis est iste puer, nisi ille, de quo dictum est: Puer natus est nobis, Fílius datus est nobis? Factus est enim sub lege, ut eos, qui sub lege essent, lucrifáceret. Ut sísterent eum Dómino. Quid sit autem in Jerúsalem sisti Dómino, dícerem, nisi in Isaíæ comméntis ante dixíssem. Circumcísus enim vítiis, Domínico dignus judicátur obtútu; quia, Oculi Dómini super justos. Vides omnem legis véteris sériem fuísse typum futúri: nam et circumcísio purgatiónem signíficat delictórum. Sed quóniam prona quadam cupiditáte peccándi, humánæ carnis et mentis fragílitas inextricabílibus vítiis implicátur, eo per octávum circumcisiónis diem culpæ totíus futúra purgátio, resurrectiónis præfigurabátur ætáte. Hoc est enim illud: Quia omne masculínum adapériens vulvam, sanctum Dómino vocábitur. Verbis enim legis promittebátur Vírginis partus. Et vere sanctus, quia immaculátus. Dénique ipsum esse, qui lege signétur, in eúndem modum ab Angelo repetíta verba declárant: Quod nascétur, inquit, Sanctum, vocábitur Fílius Dei. Solus enim per ómnia ex natis de fémina sanctus Dóminus Jesus, qui terrénæ contágia corruptélæ, immaculáti partus novitáte non sénserit, et cælésti majestáte depúlerit. Nam si lítteram sequámur: quómodo sanctus omnis másculus, cum multos sceleratíssimos fuísse non láteat? Numquid sanctus Achab? numquid sancti pseudoprophétæ, quos ad Elíæ preces ultor cæléstis injúriæ ignis absúmpsit? Sed ille sanctus, quem in figúra futúri mystérii pia legis divínæ præscrípta signábant; eo quod solus sanctæ Ecclésiæ vírginis ad generándos pópulos Dei, immaculátæ fecunditátis aperíret genitále secrétum. en: >- So the Child is circumcised. This is the Child of whom it is said: Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. Made under the law to redeem them that were under the law. To present him to the Lord. What it means in Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord I have already explained in my Commentary on Isaiah, and therefore I will not enter into the subject again. He that is circumcised in heart gaineth the protection of God, for the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. Ye will see that as all the ceremonies of the old law were types of realities in the new, so the circumcision of the body signified the cleansing of the heart from the guilt of sin. But since the body and mind of man remain yet infected with a proneness to sin, the circumcision of the eighth day is also a type of that complete cleansing from sin which we shall have at the resurrection. This ceremony was also performed in obedience to the commandment of God: Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy unto the Lord. These words were written with especial reference to the delivery of the Blessed Virgin. Truly he That opened her womb was holy, for he was altogether without spot, and we may gather that the law was written specially for him from the words of the Angel: That Holy Thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. Among all that are born of women the Lord Jesus Christ stood alone in holiness. Fresh from his immaculate Birth, he felt no contagion from human corruption, and his heavenly Majesty drove it away. If we are to follow the letter and say that every male that openeth the womb is holy, how shall we explain that so many have been unrighteous? Was Ahab holy? Were the false prophets holy? Were they holy on whom Elijah justly called down fire from heaven? But he to whom the sacred commandment of the law of God is mystically directed is the Holy One of Israel; who also alone hath opened the secret womb of his holy Virgin-bride the Church, filling her with a sinless fruitfulness to give birth to Christian souls. status: { la: verified, en: verified }