St. Margaret

Queen of Scots, Widow

Semidouble

Common

1st Vespers

Matins

Lauds

COLLECT OF THE DAY

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

First Vespers

Edinburgh Castle

Ad Magnif. Ant:  Símile est regnum cælórum * hómini negotiatóri quærénti bonas margarítas : invénta una pretiósa, dedit ómnia sua, et comparávit eam.

Ant. on Magnif:  The kingdom of heaven * is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

Oremus.
Deus, qui beátam Margarítam regínam exímia in páuperes caritáte mirábilem effecísti : da ; ut ejus intercessióne et exémplo, tua in córdibus nostris cáritas júgiter augeátur.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who didst render thy blessed Saint Queen Margaret glorious by reason of her singular charity to the poor : grant that by her intercession and example ; thy charity may continually increase within our hearts.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Matins

The first part of Matins is in the Ordinary

Invitatory and Hymn

First Nocturn

Second Nocturn

Third Nocturn
 

First Nocturn

The Lessons for the First Nocturn are taken from the occurrent Scripture.  If, however, they are to be taken from the Common, they are read from that of Holy Women, Mulierem fortem.

Scripture Lessons

Lessons from Common of Holy Women
 

Second Nocturn

Absolutio: Ipsíus píetas et misericórdia nos ádjuvet, qui cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.
R.  Amen.

Absolution:  May his loving-kindness and mercy assist us.  Who, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever.
R.  Amen.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.

V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.

Benedíctio 4: Deus Pater omnípotens sit nobis propítius et clemens.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 4:  May God the Father Almighty shew us his mercy and pity.
R.  Amen.

Margaríta, Scotórum regína, patérno Angliæ regum, matérno Cǽsarum sánguine claríssima, illústrior adhuc fuit christiána virtúte.  Hæc in Hungária nata, ubi pater tunc témporis exsulábat, post exáctam summa cum pietáte puerílem ætátem, una cum genitóre, qui a sancto Eduárdo pátruo, Anglórum rege, ad patérni regni fastígium vocabátur, in Angliam venit.  Mox, alternánte paréntum fortúna, ex Angliæ líttore solvens, vi tempestátis expúlsa, seu vérius divínæ providéntiæ consílio dedúcta est in oram marítimam Scótiæ.  Ibi cum ex matris império Malchólmo tértio Scotórum regi, egrégiis ejus dótibus capto, nupsísset, sanctimóniæ ac pietátis opéribus, trigínta quibus regnávit annis, toti regno mirífice prófuit.

Margaret, Queen of Scots, was most noble by birth, uniting in herself, from her father the blood of the Kings of England and from her mother the blood of the Caesars, but her greatest nobleness was in her brave Christian life.  She was born in Hungary, where her father was then in exile, and had passed a religious childhood when her uncle Edward, the holy King of England, recalled him to his own royal home, and she came to England with him.  A few years after, upon the ruin of her family, she was escaping from England by sea, when the violence of the weather, or, to speak more truly, the Providence of God, caused that the ship should take refuge upon the coast of Scotland.  There her extraordinary graces of mind and body so attracted King Malcolm III, that by the advice of his mother, he took her to wife and of Scotland she deserved exceedingly well for the thirty years of her reign, by the holiness of her life and the abundance of her works of mercy.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam : * Et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.
V.  Spécie tua et pulchritúdine tua inténde, próspere procéde, et regna.
R.  Et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.

R.  Ride on because of the Word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness : * And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
V.  In thy comeliness, yea, in thy beauty, go forth, ride prosperously, and reign.
R.  And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.

V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.

Benedíctio 5: Christus perpétuæ det nobis gáudia vitæ.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 5: May Christ bestow upon us the joys of life eternal.
R.  Amen.

Inter regáles delícias corpus afflictatiónibus ac vigíliis mácerans, magnam noctis partem piis precatiónibus extrahébat.  Præter ália jejúnia, quæ idéntidem usurpábat, íntegros quadragínta dies ante Natalítia festa tanta cum severitáte jejunáre consuévit, ut ne in gravíssimis quidem dolóribus intermíserit.  Divíno cúltui addictíssima, templa plúria et cœnóbia partim ex íntegro excitávit, partim resarcívit, et sacra supelléctili ac largo censu ditávit.  Regem cónjugem ad meliórem frugem et ad simília suis exercitatiónibus ópera salubérrimo exémplo tradúxit, liberósque omnes tam sancte et felíciter educávit, ut eórum pleríque, quemádmodum et Agatha mater, et Christína soror, sanctíssimum vitæ genus ampléxi sint.  Univérsi demum regni felicitáti cónsulens, a vítiis ómnibus, quæ furtim irrépserant, pópulos expurgávit, eísque mores christiána pietáte dignos restítuit.

In the midst of kingly dainties, she afflicted her body with hardships and watching, using to spend great part of the night in earnest prayer.  Besides other fasts which she imposed upon herself, it was her custom to observe one of forty days before Christmas, concerning which fast she was so rigid, that she would not relax it even under sharp suffering.  She took great delight in the public worship of God, and founded or renewed a great number of Churches and convents, which she enriched at great cost with sacred furniture.  Her healthy example drew the King her husband to habits of sobriety, and to imitate her in her good works.  To all her children she had the happiness of giving a godly education, and several of them, like her mother Agatha and her sister Christina, led notable holy lives.  The happiness of the whole kingdom was the object for which she constantly strove, and she successfully rooted out all the vices which had stealthily crept in, and established among the people a standard of living worthy of Christians.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Dilexísti justítiam, et odísti iniquitátem : * Proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ.
V.  Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam.
R.  Proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ.

R.  Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity : * Wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.
V.  Because of the Word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness.
R.  Wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.

V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.

Benedíctio 6: Ignem sui amóris accéndat Deus in córdibus nostris.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 6: May God enkindle in our hearts the fire of his holy love.
R.  Amen.

Nihil tamen æque in illa mirábile fuit ac flagrantíssima cáritas erga próximos, præsértim egénos, quorum numerósis grégibus non modo stipem áffatim suppeditáre, verum étiam trecéntis quotídie matérna benignitáte dapes præbére, fléxis génibus in morem ancíllæ ministráre, régiis mánibus pedes ablúere, et pressis étiam ósculis úlcera fovére, solémne hábuit.  His porro aliísque piis súmptibus non régias tantum vestes et pretiósa monília distráxit, sed ipsum non semel exháusit ærárium.  Tolerátis demum ad patiéntiæ miráculum acerbíssimis dolóribus, ánimam seméstri córporis ægrotatióne purgátam Auctóri suo, sextodécimo Kaléndas Decémbris, réddidit.  Quo témporis moménto fácies ejus, diutúrni morbi mácie ac pallóre fœdáta, insólita quadam venustáte reflóruit.  Miris étiam post mortem prodígiis clara, et Cleméntis décimi auctoritáte in Scótiæ patrónam accépta, ubíque terrárum religiosíssime cólitur.

The most remarkable feature of her life was the tenderness of her charity toward her neighbour, especially the needy.  Of these she would not only order whole flocks to be relieved, but was accustomed to give dinner to three hundred of them every day, treating them with the tenderness of a mother, and waiting upon them on her knees like a maidservant.  She held it one of the privileges of her rank to wash their feet with her own royal hands, and to dress their sores, which latter she would even kiss.  To meet the expenses of her charities she sold not only her queenly raiment and her precious jewels, but more than once exhausted her funds entirely.  Purified by grievous suffering, which she bore with marvellous patience during an illness of six months, she resigned her soul into the hands of him who had created it, upon the 10th day of June.  At the moment of death, the bystanders saw her poor worn face, pale and disfigured by continual suffering, flush again with a beauty to which it had long been unused.  After her death she became illustrious on account of great signs and wonders.  With the approval of Clement X, she was chosen Patroness of Scotland, and her memory is held in profound reverence throughout the whole earth.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Fallax grátia, et vana est pulchritúdo : * Múlier timens Dóminum ipsa laudábitur.
V.  Date ei de fructu mánuum suárum, et laudent eam in portis ópera ejus.
R.  Múlier timens Dóminum ipsa laudábitur.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Múlier timens Dóminum ipsa laudábitur.

R.  Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain, * But the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
V.  Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
R.  But the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  But the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

If this Feast be reduced to the rank of Simple, and Lesson IX of this Feast is to be said according to the Rubrics, the following abbreviated version may be used.

Margaríta, ex regia Anglórum stirpe in Hungária nata, post exáctam summa cum pietáte puerítiam, una cum genitóre, qui a sancto Eduárdo pátruo, Anglórum rege, ad patérni regni fastígium vocabátur, in Angliam, dein in Scótiam venit.  Ibi, cum ex matris império Scotórum regi Malchólmo tértio nupsísset, sanctimóniæ et pietátis opéribus annis trigínta toti regno prófuit.  Máxima erat in ea vitæ austéritas et flagrantíssimum erga próximos caritátis stúdium, præsértim in egénos ; pro quibus aléndis non semel exháusit ærárium.  Demum acerbis dolóribus et diutúrno morbo patientíssime tolerátis, ánimam Deo réddidit quarto Idus Júnii.  Quo témporis moménto fácies ejus, mácie ac pallóre fœdáta, insólita quadam venustáte reflóruit.  Cleméntis décimi auctoritáte in Scótiæ patrónam accépta, ubíque terrárum religiosíssime cólitur.

Margaret, of the royal house of England, was born in Hungary and spent her childhood there as an unusually devout and pious girl.  When her father was called to high office in his own country by his uncle, St. Edward, King of England, she went to England and then to Scotland.  There, upon instructions from her mother, she married King Malcolm III.  The country was blessed by her holy life and by her deeds of charity for the next thirty years.  The austerity of her life was exceedingly great, and her charity towards her neighbour most ardent and zealous, especially for those in need, for whom she not infrequently exhausted the treasury.  At length, having most patiently endured bitter sorrows and long illness, she rendered her soul to God on the 16th day of November.  At the moment of her death her features, emaciated and pale, bloomed again with unusual beauty.  On the authority of Clement X she was chosen Patroness of Scotland, and is honoured with great devotion throughout the world.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

Edinburgh Castle

After the conclusion of the Second Nocturn, the Third Nocturn is begun according to the current weekday, as given in the table below.

Third Nocturn

In the Third Nocturn, the Gospel Homily Simile est regnum cælorum thesauro is read from the Common of Holy Women.

Edinburgh Castle

Gospel Homily from Common of Holy Women

Lauds

V.  Diffúsa est grátia in lábiis tuis.
R.  Proptérea benedíxit te Deus in ætérnum.

V.  Full of grace are thy lips.
R.  Because God hath blessed thee for ever.

Ad Bened. Ant:  Date ei * de fructu mánuum suárum, et laudent eam in portis ópera ejus.

Ant. on Bened:  Give her * of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

THE BENEDICTUS

Oremus.
Deus, qui beátam Margarítam regínam exímia in páuperes caritáte mirábilem effecísti : da ; ut ejus intercessióne et exémplo, tua in córdibus nostris cáritas júgiter augeátur.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who didst render thy blessed Saint Queen Margaret glorious by reason of her singular charity to the poor : grant that by her intercession and example ; thy charity may continually increase within our hearts.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH