vu/src/data/propers/nocturn-readings/sexagesima.yml

# Nocturn 2-3, Sexagesima Sunday (temporalId sexagesima). Sourced from
# Tempora/Quadp2-0.txt (Latin) / English/Tempora/Quadp2-0.txt. See
# advent-1.yml/septuagesima.yml for the general sweep method.
#
# Nocturn 2 (Lectio4-6): one continuous excerpt from St. Ambrose's book On
# Noah and the Ark, chapter 4 (continuing the Genesis/Fall-to-Flood
# Nocturn 1 cycle begun at Septuagesima). Responsory: Lectio4's own
# (Responsory4, "Ædificávit Noë altáre Dómino").
#
# Nocturn 3 (Lectio7-9): Lectio7 carries real homily prose after its bare
# Gospel incipit (Luke 8:4-15, the parable of the sower, "Et réliqua") -
# Pope St. Gregory the Great's Homily 15 on the Gospels begins within
# Lectio7 itself, same pattern used throughout this sweep. Combined
# Lectio7's homily portion (incipit dropped) with Lectio8-9, using
# Responsory7 ("Benedíxit Deus Noë, et fíliis ejus") - the first
# responsory of the group the combined reading spans.
id: sexagesima
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, On Noah and the Ark, Chapter 4"
    text:
      la: >-
        Habes, quia irátus Dóminus est: quóniam quamvis cogitáret, hoc est sciret, quia homo pósitus in
        terræ regióne, carnem portans, sine peccáto esse non possit, (terra enim velut quidam tentatiónum
        locus est, caróque corruptélæ illécebra) tamen cum habérent mentem ratiónis capácem, virtutémque
        ánimæ infusam córpori, sine consideratióne áliqua in lapsum ruérunt, ex quo revocáre se nollent.
        Neque enim Deus cógitat sicut hómines, ut áliqua ei nova succédat senténtia, neque iráscitur quasi
        mutábilis: sed ídeo hæc legúntur, ut exprimátur peccatórum nostrórum acérbitas, quæ divínam
        merúerit offénsam: tamquam eoúsque incréverit culpa, ut étiam Deus, qui naturáliter non movétur
        aut ira, aut ódio, aut passióne ulla, provocátus videátur ad iracúndiam.


        Minitátus est prætérea, quod deléret hóminem. Ab hómine, inquit, usque ad pecus, et a reptílibus
        usque ad volatília delébo. Quid læserant irrationabília? Sed quia propter hóminem illa facta
        erant, eo útique deléto, propter quem facta sunt, cónsequens erat, ut étiam illa deleréntur, quia
        non erat qui his uterétur. Sensu autem altióre illud manifestátur: quia homo mens est, quæ est
        ratiónis capax. Homo enim definítur ánimal vivum, mortále, rationábile. Principáli ígitur
        exstíncto, étiam sensus omnis exstínguitur: eo quod nihil réliqui ad salútem supérsit, cum salútis
        fundaméntum virtus defécerit.


        Ad condemnatiónem autem ceterórum, et ad expressiónem pietátis divínæ, dícitur Noë apud Deum
        grátiam invenísse. Simul osténditur, quod hóminem justum non obúmbret aliórum offénsio, quando
        ipse ad totíus géneris reservátur seminárium. Qui non generatiónis nobilitáte, sed justítiæ et
        perfectiónis mérito laudátur. Probáti enim viri genus, virtútis prosápia est: quia sicut hóminum
        genus hómines, ita animárum genus virtútes sunt. Etenim famíliæ hóminum splendóre géneris
        nobilitántur, animárum autem clarificátur grátia splendóre virtútis.
      en: >-
        We read that the Lord was angry. It is in the thoughts, that is to say, in the knowledge of God,
        that man being put on earth and weighted with the body cannot be without sin, for earth is the
        home of temptations, and the flesh is a bait for corruption. Yet man had a reasonable soul, and
        his soul had power to control his body; and, being so made, he made no struggle to keep himself
        from falling into that from whence he would not return. God's thoughts are not as man's thoughts;
        in Him there is no such thing as change of mind, no such thing as to be angry and then cool down
        again. These things are written that we may know the bitterness of our sins, whereby we have
        earned the Divine wrath. To such a degree had iniquity grown that God, Who by His nature cannot
        be moved by anger, or hatred, or any passion whatsoever, is represented as provoked to anger.


        And God threatened that He would destroy man. He said: I will destroy man, whom I have created,
        from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air.
        What harm had the animals done? For man's use had they been created, and, when man was wiped
        away, they were of use no longer. And there is an higher reason. Man is a living soul, capable of
        reason, who may be described as a living animal, subject to death, and endowed with reason. When
        then the highest animal is gone, why should the lower branches remain? Why should anything be
        saved alive, when righteousness, the basis of salvation, is to be no more?


        But more effectually to condemn the rest of men, and to manifest the goodness of God, it is
        written that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Here we learn also that the sin of his
        neighbour casteth no shadow on the righteous, when he is kept as a stock from whence the whole
        race are to spring. He is praised, not because he was of a noble race, but because he was a just
        man and perfect. The stock of a just man yieldeth men of just souls; for virtues, like blood, are
        hereditary. Among men are some families illustrious for honourable pedigrees, and so there are
        also races of souls whose comeliness is the lustre of virtues.
    responsory:
      la: "R. Ædificávit Noë altáre Dómino, ófferens super illud holocáustum: odoratúsque est Dóminus odórem suavitátis, et benedíxit ei, dicens: * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.\nV. Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos.\nR. Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram."
      en: "R. Noah builded an Altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings on the Altar; and the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and blessed Noah, and said: * Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.\nV. Behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you.\nR. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: false
    source: "Pope St. Gregory the Great, Homily 15 on the Gospels"
    text:
      la: >-
        Léctio sancti Evangélii, quam modo, fratres caríssimi, audístis, expositióne non índiget, sed
        admonitióne. Quam enim per semetípsam Véritas expósuit, hanc discútere humána fragílitas non
        præsúmat. Sed est quod sollícite in hac ipsa expositióne Domínica pensáre debeámus: quia si nos
        vobis semen verbum, agrum mundum, vólucres dæmónia, spinas divítias significáre dicerémus ad
        credéndum nobis mens fórsitan vestra dubitáret. Unde et idem Dóminus per semetípsum dignátus est
        expónere quod dicébat, ut sciátis rerum significatiónes quǽrere in iis étiam, quæ per semetípsum
        nóluit explanáre.


        Exponéndo ergo quod dixit, figuráte se loqui innótuit: quátenus certos nos rédderet, cum vobis
        nostra fragílitas verbórum illíus figúras aperíret. Quis enim mihi umquam créderet, si spinas
        divítias interpretári voluíssem? máxime cum illæ pugnant, istæ deléctent. Et tamen spinæ sunt,
        quia cogitatiónum suárum punctiónibus mentem lácerant: et cum usque ad peccátum pértrahunt, quasi
        inflícto vúlnere cruéntant. Quas bene hoc in loco, álio Evangelísta testánte, nequáquam Dóminus
        divítias, sed falláces divítias appéllat.


        Falláces enim sunt, quæ nobíscum diu permanére non possunt: falláces sunt, quæ mentis nostræ
        inópiam non expéllunt. Solæ autem divítiæ veræ sunt, quæ nos dívites virtútibus fáciunt. Si ergo,
        fratres caríssimi, esse dívites cúpitis, veras divítias amáte. Si culmen veri honóris quæritis, ad
        cæléste regnum téndite. Si glóriam dignitátum dilígitis, in illa supérna Angelórum cúria
        adscríbi festináte. Verba Dómini, quæ aure percípitis, mente retinéte. Cibus enim mentis est
        sermo Dei: et quasi accéptus cibus stómacho languénte rejícitur, quando audítus sermo in ventre
        memóriæ non tenétur. Sed quisquis aliménta non rétinet, hujus profécto vita desperátur.
      en: >-
        Dearly beloved brethren, the passage from the Holy Gospel which ye have just heard, needeth not
        so much that I should explain it, as that I should seek to enforce its lesson. The Truth Himself
        hath explained it, and, after that, it beseemeth not man's frailty to fritter away His exposition
        by any further comment. But there is, in that very explanation by the Lord, somewhat, which it
        behoveth us well to weigh. If it were but we who bade you believe that by the seed is signified
        the word; by the field, the world; by the birds, the devils; and by the thorns, riches, ye would
        perchance doubt of the truth of our explanation. Therefore the Lord Himself hath vouchsafed to
        give this explanation, and that, not for this parable only, but that ye may know in what manner
        to interpret others, whereof He hath not given the meaning.


        Beginning His explanation, the Lord saith that He speaketh in parables. Hereby He doth certify
        us, when our weakness would unveil to you the hidden meaning of His words. If I spake of myself,
        who would believe me when I say that riches are thorns? Thorns prick, but riches lull to rest.
        And yet riches are indeed thorns, for the anxiety they bring is a ceaseless pricking to the minds
        of their owners, and, if they lead into sin, they are thorns which bloodily tear the soul. But we
        understand from another Evangelist that in this place the Lord speaketh, not of riches
        themselves, but of the deceitfulness of riches.


        Those riches are deceitful riches, which can be ours only for a little while; those riches are
        deceitful riches, which cannot relieve the poverty of our souls. They are the only true riches,
        which make us rich in virtues. If then, dearly beloved brethren, ye seek to be rich, earnestly
        desire the true riches. If ye would be truly honourable, strive after the kingdom of heaven. If
        ye love the bravery of titles, hasten to have your names written down at Court above, where
        Angels are. Take to heart the Lord's words which your ear heareth. The food of the soul is the
        word of God: when the stomach is sick it throweth up again the food which is put into it, and so
        is the soul sick when a man heareth and digesteth not in his memory the Word of God. And if any
        man cannot keep his food, that man's life is in desperate case.
    responsory:
      la: "R. Benedíxit Deus Noë, et fíliis ejus, et dixit ad eos: * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.\nV. Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos.\nR. Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram."
      en: "R. God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them: * Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.\nV. Behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you.\nR. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }