vu/src/data/propers/nocturn-readings/immaculate-heart-of-mary.yml

# Matins Nocturn 2-3 readings for the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed
# Virgin Mary (Aug 22). Sourced directly from
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/08-22.txt, English/Sancti/08-22.txt.
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6, a sermon of St. Bernardine of Siena on the
# Visitation and an excerpt from ecclesiastical documents on the
# feast's own institution history (Pius VII, 1801; Pius IX; Pius XII,
# 1942), combined into one reading, not Gospel-tied. Nocturn 3:
# Lectio7-9, St. Robert Bellarmine's homily on the Seven Words of
# Christ on the Cross.
#
# Update (2026-09-05): the Gospel pericope itself (John 19:25-27, Our
# Lord entrusting Mary to St. John from the Cross) is now authored too
# (isGospel: true, immediately before the Bellarmine homily) -- sourced
# from missa/Latin/Sancti/08-22.txt's own [Evangelium] (this same
# feast's own Mass Gospel) and its English parallel, not guessed at.
id: immaculate-heart-of-mary
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Bernardine of Siena, Sermon 9 on the Visitation; ecclesiastical documents on the feast's institution"
    text:
      la: >-
        Quis mortálium, nisi divíno tutus oráculo, de vera Dei et hóminis
        Genetríce quidquam módicum, sive grande præsúmat incircumcísis, immo
        pollútis lábiis nomináre, quam Pater ante sǽcula Deus perpétuam
        prædestinávit in Vírginem, digníssimam Fílius elégit in Matrem,
        Spíritus Sanctus omnis grátiæ domicílium præparávit? Quibus verbis
        ego homúnculus sensus altíssimos virgínei Cordis, sanctíssimo ore
        prolátos, éfferam, quibus non súfficit lingua ómnium Angelórum?
        Dóminus enim ait: Bonus homo de bono thesáuro cordis profert bona;
        quod verbum potest étiam esse thesáurus. Quis inter puros hómines
        mélior homo potest excogitári, quam illa, quæ méruit éffici Mater
        Dei, quæ novem ménsibus in corde et in útero suo ipsum Deum
        hospitáta est? Quis thesáurus mélior, quam ipse divínus amor quo
        fornáceum cor Vírginis ardens erat?


        De hoc ígitur Corde quasi de fornáce divíni ardóris Virgo beáta
        prótulit verba bona, id est, verba ardentíssimæ caritátis. Sicut
        enim a vase summo et óptimo vino pleno, non potest exíre nisi óptimum
        vinum; aut sicut a fornáce summi ardóris non egréditur nisi incéndium
        fervens; sic quippe a Christi Matre exíre non pótuit verbum, nisi
        summi summéque divíni amóris atque ardóris. Sapiéntis quoque dóminæ
        et matrónæ est pauca verba, sólida tamen atque sententiósa habére;
        proínde septem vícibus quasi septem verba tantum miræ senténtiæ et
        virtútis a Christi benedictíssima Matre legúntur dicta, ut mýstice
        ostendátur ipsam fuísse plenam grátia septifórmi. Cum Angelo bis
        tantúmmodo est locúta. Cum Elísabeth bis étiam. Cum Fílio étiam bis,
        semel in templo, secúndo in núptiis. Cum minístris semel. Et in his
        ómnibus semper valde parum locúta est; excépto quod in laude Dei et
        gratiárum actióne se ámplius dilatávit, scílicet, quum ait:
        Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum. Ubi non cum hómine, sed cum Deo locúta
        fuit.


        Cultum litúrgicum, quo Cordi Immaculáto Vírginis Maríæ débitus
        tribúitur honor, cuíque plures viri sancti ac mulíeres viam
        parárunt, ipsa Apostólica Sedes primum approbávit ineúnte sǽculo
        undevicésimo, cum Pius Papa séptimus festum Puríssimi Cordis Maríæ
        Vírginis instítuit, ab ómnibus diœcésibus et religiósis famíliis,
        quæ id petiíssent, pie sanctéque agéndum: quod póstmodum Pius Papa
        nonus Offício ac Missa própria auxit. Ardens autem stúdium atque
        optátum, jam sǽculo décimo séptimo exórtum et in dies invaléscens,
        ut nempe ejúsmodi festum, majóri solemnitáte donátum, totíus
        Ecclésiæ commúne efficerétur, Summus Póntifex Pius duodécimus
        benígne excípiens anno millésimo nongentésimo quadragésimo secúndo,
        bello atrocíssimo per orbem fere totum ingravescénte, infínitas
        populórum ærúmnas míserans, pro sua in Matrem cæléstem pietáte ac
        fidúcia genus hóminum univérsum illíus Cordi benigníssimo
        obsecratióne solémni eníxe commendávit, atque in honórem ejúsdem
        Immaculáti Cordis festum cum Offício et Missa própriis in perpétuum
        ubíque celebrándum indíxit.
      en: >-
        What man, unless secure in a divine oracle, may presume to speak with
        impure, indeed with polluted lips, anything little or great about the
        true Parent of God and of man, whom the Father before all ages
        predestined a perpetual Virgin, whom the Son chose as his most
        worthy Mother, whom the Holy Ghost prepared as the dwelling place of
        every grace? With what words shall I, a lowly man, give expression
        to the highest sentiments of the virginal Heart uttered by the
        holiest mouth, for which the tongues of all the Angels do not
        suffice? For the Lord saith: A good man bringeth forth good things
        from the good treasure of his heart; and this word can also be a
        treasure. Among pure mortals who can be conceived of as better than
        she who was worthy to be the Mother of God, who for nine months had
        as a guest in her heart and in her womb God himself? What better
        treasure than the divine love itself, which was burning in the Heart
        of the Virgin as in a furnace?


        And so, from this Heart as from a furnace of divine ardor the
        Blessed Virgin brought forth good words, that is, words of the most
        ardent charity. For as from a vessel full of the richest and best
        wine only good wine can be poured; or as from a furnace of intense
        heat only a burning fire is emitted; so indeed from the Mother of
        Christ no word can go forth except of the greatest and most intense
        divine love and ardor. It is also the mark of a wise woman and
        matron to speak few words, but words that are effective and full of
        meaning; and so seven times, as it were, seven words of such
        wonderful meaning and virtue are read as having been uttered by the
        Most Blessed Mother of Christ, that mystically it may be shown she
        was full of the sevenfold grace. To the Angel twice only did she
        speak; to Elizabeth also twice; with her Son likewise twice, once in
        the temple, and a second time at the marriage feast; and once to the
        attendants. And on all those occasions she always said very little;
        with this one exception that she spake at length in the praise of
        God and in thanksgiving, namely, when she said: My soul doth
        magnify the Lord. But here she did not speak with man, but with God.


        The liturgical worship, through which due honor is given to the
        Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, and for which many holy men and
        women have prepared the way, the Apostolic See itself first
        approved in the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Pope Pius
        VII instituted the feast of the Most Pure Heart of the Virgin Mary,
        to be piously and reverently celebrated by all the dioceses and
        religious families who had asked for it. Afterwards Pope Pius IX
        added an Office and a proper Mass to it. But an ardent desire and
        longing, which had arisen in the seventeenth century, grew day by
        day, that namely, the same Feast, given greater solemnity, might be
        spread to the entire Church. In 1942, Pope Pius XII, graciously
        acceding to this wish, and during the terrible war then ravaging
        almost the entire world, pitying the infinite hardships of men, and
        because of his devotion and confidence in our heavenly Mother, in
        solemn supplication earnestly entrusted the entire human race to
        her most generous Heart, and in honor of the same Immaculate Heart
        he ordered a Feast to be kept forever with its proper Office and
        Mass.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: true
    citation: { la: "Joann 19:25-27", en: "John 19:25-27" }
    text:
      la: >-
        In illo témpore: Stabant juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus, et soror matris ejus María
        Cléophæ, et María Magdaléne. Cum vidísset ergo Jesus matrem, et discípulum stantem, quem
        diligébat, dicit matri suæ: Múlier, ecce fílius tuus. Deinde dicit discípulo: Ecce mater
        tua. Et ex illa hora accépit eam discípulus in sua.
      en: >-
        At that time, there were standing by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother, and His Mother's
        sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus, therefore, saw His Mother and the
        disciple standing by, whom He loved, He said to His Mother, Woman, behold your son. Then He
        said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into
        his home.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }

  - nocturn: 3
    isGospel: false
    source: "St. Robert Bellarmine, On the Seven Words of Christ on the Cross, ch. 12"
    text:
      la: >-
        Onus et jugum impósitum a Dómino sancto Joánni, ut Vírginis Matris
        curam géreret, vere fuit jugum suáve et onus leve. Quis enim non
        libentíssime cohabitáret Matri illi, quæ Verbum incarnátum in útero
        novem ménsibus portávit, et illi totos trigínta annos devotíssime
        dulcissiméque cohabitávit? Quis non invídeat dilécto Dómini, qui in
        abséntia Fílii Dei præséntiam obtínuit Matris Dei? Sed, nisi fallor,
        póssumus et nos a benignitáte Verbi nostri causa incarnáti et ex
        dilectióne nímia nostri causa crucifíxi, précibus impetráre, ut
        dicat et nobis: Ecce Mater tua; et Matri suæ de nobis dicat: Ecce
        fílius tuus.


        Non est avárus pius Dóminus gratiárum, dúmmodo ad thronum grátiæ
        ejus cum fide et fidúcia et non ficto corde, sed vero et sincéro
        accedámus. Qui nos coherédes esse vóluit regni Patris sui, non
        dedignábitur certe nos coherédes habére amóris Matris suæ. Sed nec
        ipsa Virgo benigníssima gravábitur multitúdine filiórum, cum sinum
        amplíssimum hábeat et valde cúpiat, nullum períre ex his, quos
        Fílius suus tam pretióso sánguine et tam pretiósa morte redémit.
        Adeámus ergo cum fidúcia ad thronum grátiæ Christi, et supplíciter
        nec sine lácrimis ab eo petámus, ut de unoquóque nostrum Matri suæ
        dicat: Ecce fílius tuus; et unicuíque nostrum de Matre sua dicat:
        Ecce Mater tua.


        Quam bene nobis erit sub præsídio tantæ Matris? Quis nos detráhere
        audébit de sinu ejus? Quæ nos tentátio superáre póterit,
        confidéntes in patrocínio Matris Dei et nostræ? neque nos primi
        érimus in tanti consecutióne benefícii. Multi nos præcessérunt;
        multi, inquam, ad singuláre et plane matérnum patrocínium tantæ
        Vírginis accessérunt, et nemo confúsus aut tristis dimíssus est, sed
        omnes hílares et gaudéntes, freti patrocínio tantæ Matris.
      en: >-
        The burden and yoke which our Lord imposed on St. John, that he take
        care of his Virgin Mother, was indeed a sweet yoke and a light
        burden. Who indeed would not esteem it a happiness to dwell under
        the same roof with her, who for nine months had borne in her womb
        the Incarnate Word, and for thirty years had enjoyed the sweetest
        and happiest communication of sentiments with him? Who doth not
        envy the chosen disciple of our Lord, who in the absence of the Son
        of God, was given the presence of the Mother of God? Yet, if I am
        not mistaken, we can obtain by our prayers that our most kind Lord,
        who became man for our sakes and was crucified for love of us,
        should say to us: Behold thy Mother; and should say to his Mother
        for each one of us: Behold thy son.


        Our good Lord is not avaricious of his graces, if only we approach
        the throne of grace with faith and confidence, with a true and
        sincere but not a false heart. He who desireth to have us co-heirs
        in the kingdom of his Father, will certainly not disdain to have us
        co-heirs in the love of his Mother. Nor will the most benign Virgin
        herself take it amiss to have a countless number of children, since
        she hath an heart capable of embracing all of us, and ardently
        desireth that not even one of those souls should perish whom her
        divine Son redeemed with his precious Blood, and his still more
        precious death. And so let us approach with confidence the throne
        of the grace of Christ, and with tears let us humbly beg of him to
        say to his Mother for each of us: Behold thy son; and to each one of
        us concerning his Mother: Behold thy Mother.


        How secure shall we be under the protection of such a Mother? Who
        will dare to drag us from her bosom? What temptation can overcome us
        if we confide in the protection of the Mother of God and of our
        Mother? Nor will we be the first who have secured such a great
        favour. Many have preceded us; many, I say, have placed themselves
        under the singular and really maternal protection of so powerful a
        Virgin, and no one hath been cast off by her with his soul in a
        perplexed and sad state, but all who confide in the patronage of
        such a Mother are happy and contented.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }