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 a Confessor not a Bishop, Series 1,  Beatus vir.

Scripture Lessons

Lessons from Common of Confessors
 

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.

Guliélmus, nobílibus paréntibus Vercéllis in Insúbria natus, vix quartum décimum ætátis annum expléverat, cum, miro quodam pietátis ardóre flagrans, Compostellánam peregrinatiónem ad celebérrimum sancti Jacóbi templum aggréssus est.  Quod iter una amíctus túnica, ac dúplici férreo círculo præcínctus, nudísque pédibus prosecútus, aspérrima frígoris et æstus, famis et sitis summo cum vitæ discrímine perpéssus est incómmoda.  Revérsus in Itáliam, novam ad sanctum Dómini sepúlcrum peregrinatiónem molítur ; sed, quo minus propósitum exsequátur, vária atque gravíssima intercédunt impediménta, divíno númine ad altióra et sanctióra religiósam júvenis índolem retrahénte.  Porro in solículo monte biénnium inter assíduas preces, vigílias, chaméunias et jejúnia commorátus, divína subníxus ope, cæco lumen restítuit.  Cujus miráculi fama percrebrescénte, jam Guliélmus latére non póterat ; quare íterum Jerosólymam cógitat, et álacris se itíneri commíttit.

William was born of noble parents at Vercelli in Lombardy.  He was but little over fourteen years of age, when, impelled by a strange earnestness for holiness, he undertook a pilgruimage to Compostella, to the far-famed Church of St. James.  This journey he made clad in a single garment, wearing an iron girdle wound two-fold round his body, and with bare feet.  He accomplished his object under the severest hardships of cold and heat, hunger and thirst, and at the great danger of his life.  After his return to Italy, he undertook a new pilgrimage, this time to the Holy Sepulchre of the Lord.  But in the way of fulfilling this, there arose divers and most grievous obstacles, whereby the hand of God drew the lad to the higher and holier life of a monk.  He dwelt in the town on Monte Solicolo for two years, which he passed in constant prayer, watching, sleeping upon the ground, and fasting.  At the end of this time, the power of God made him the mean to restore a blind man to sight.  The fame of this miracle became so noised abroad, that William could no longer remain unknown.  His thoughts turned again towards Jerusalem, and he again entered cheerfully on the journey.

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

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

R.  Honéstum fecit illum Dóminus, et custodívit eum ab inimícis, et a seductóribus tutávit illum : * Et dedit illi claritátem ætérnam.
V.  Justum dedúxit Dóminus per vias rectas, et osténdit illi regnum Dei.
R.  Et dedit illi claritátem ætérnam.

R.  The Lord multiplied the fruit of his labours and defended him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those that lay in wait. * And gave him perpetual glory.
V.  The Lord guided the righteous in right paths, and shewed him the kingdom of God.
R.  And gave him perpetual glory.

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.

Dei autem mónitu, qui eídem appáruit, a propósito revocátur, utílior ac fructuósior tam apud Italos quam apud éxteras natiónes futúrus.  Tum monastérium in Virgiliáni montis cacúmine, quod deínde Vírginis est appellátum, loco áspero et inaccésso miránda exædíficat celeritáte.  Sócios deínde viros et religiósos ascíscit, eósque ad vivéndi normam, evangélicis præcéptis et concíliis summópere accommodátam, tum certis légibus ex beáti Benedícti institútis magna ex parte desúmptis, tum verbo et sanctíssimæ vitæ exémplis infórmat.

He was again hindered by a vision from God, and remained among the Italians to be more useful, and to bring forth more fruit than he would have done among strangers.  With extraordinary speed, he built a monastery upon the summit of Monte Vergiliano, ever since named Monte Vergine.  Thither he called around him, as his comrades, devout men, and schooled them into a way of life most closely following the commands and counsels of the Gospel, in great part by a rule taken from the constitutions of Blessed Benedict, and supplemented by his own words, and the example of his own holy life.

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

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

R.  Amávit eum Dóminus, et ornávit eum : stolam glóriæ índuit eum, * Et ad portas paradísi coronávit eum.
V.  Induit eum Dóminus lorícam fídei, et ornávit eum.
R.  Et ad portas paradísi coronávit eum.

R.  The Lord loved him and adorned him; he clothed him with a robe of glory : * And crowned him at the gates of Paradise.
V.  The Lord hath put on him the breast-plate of faith, and hath adorned him.
R.  And crowned him at the gates of Paradise.

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.

Aliis deínde monastériis eréctis, clárior in dies Guliélmi facta sánctitas multos ad eum úndique viros perdúcit, sanctitátis odóre et miraculórum fama alléctos.  Nam muti loquélam, surdi audítum, áridi vigórem, varióque et immedicábili morbo laborántes sanitátem, ipsíus intercessióne recepérunt.  Aquam in vinum convértit, aliáque complúra mirabília patrávit ; inter quæ illud non siléndum, quod, muliércula ad ejus castitátem tentándam missa, in ardéntibus prunis humi strátis illæsum se volutávit.  De qua re cértior factus Rogérius, Neápolis rex, in summam viri Dei veneratiónem addúcitur.  Demum, témpore sui óbitus regi aliísque prænuntiáto, innúmeris virtútibus et miráculis clarus obdormívit in Dómino, anno salútis millésimo centésimo quadragésimo secúndo.

As other monasteries were raised, the holy life of William became more known day by day, and brought men to him from all quarters, drawn by the sweet savour of his godliness, and the fame of his miracles.  At his prayers the dumb spake, the deaf heard, the withered were strengthened, and they that suffered under divers and incurable diseases received health.  He turned water into wine, and openly worked many other miracles.  Among all these things it must be told that a wretched woman sought him to lure him to impurity, but he raked hot embers out upon the floor and cast himself down upon them, and wallowed among them, and escaped unhurt.  When this thing came to the knowledge of Roger I, King of Naples, it roused in him the highest reverence for the man of God.  At the last, after foretelling his own death to the King and to others, and full of good works and miracles, he fell asleep in the Lord, in the year of salvation 1142.

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

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

R.  Iste homo perfécit ómnia quæ locútus est ei Deus, et dixit ad eum : Ingrédere in réquiem meam : * Quia te vidi justum coram me ex ómnibus géntibus.
V.  Iste est, qui contémpsit vitam mundi, et pervénit ad cæléstia regna.
R.  Quia te vidi justum coram me ex ómnibus géntibus.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Quia te vidi justum coram me ex ómnibus géntibus.

R.  This is he which did according to all that God commanded him ; and God said unto him : Enter thou into my rest : * For thee have I seen righteous before me among all people.
V.  This is he which despised his life in this world, and is come unto an everlasting kingdom.
R.  For thee have I seen righteous before me among all people.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  For thee have I seen righteous before me among all people.

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.

Guliélmus, nobílibus paréntibus Vercéllis natus, vix quartum décimum ætátis annum expléverat, cum Compostellánam peregrinatiónem miro spíritu pœniténtiæ ac pietátis ardóre perégit.  Dein, nova peregrinatióne ad Christi Dómini sepúlcrum frustra tentáta, in solitário monte inter assíduas preces, vigílias et jejúnia per biénnium delítuit.  Cum cæco lumen restituísset, hóminum existimatiónem fúgiens monastérium in Virgiliáni montis, quod deínde Vírginis est appellátum, loco áspero et inaccésso exædíficat ; ibi sócios ascíscit, eósque certis légibus, ex beáti Benedícti institútis magna ex parte desúmptis, verbo et sanctíssimæ vitæ exémplis infórmat.  Aliis deínde monastériis eréctis, clárior in dies Guliélmi facta sánctitas multos ad eum úndique viros perdúcit, frequéntium étiam miraculórum fama alléctos.  Demum, témpore sui óbitus prænuntiáto, obdormívit in Dómino anno salútis millésimo centésimo quadragésimo secúndo.

William, born of noble parents at Vercelli, had scarcely finished his fourteenth year when he made a pilgrimage to Compostella in a wonderful spirit of penitence and devotional zeal.  Then, having vainly attempted another, pilgrimage, to the tomb of Christ the Lord, he spent two years on a solitary mountain in constant prayer, in vigils and in fasting.  Fleeing human renown after he had restored sight to a blind man, he built a monastery on Monte Virgiliáno, which was thereafter called Monte Vergine, in a wild and inaccessible spot.  There companions joined him, and he formed them by fixed regulations taken largely from those of St. Benedict, by word, and by the example of a most holy life.  Then he built other monasteries, and daily his fame as a holy man grew ; so that many came to him from all parts, drawn by the report of his frequent miracles.  Finally, having foretold the day of his death, he fell asleep in the Lord, in the year of salvation 1142.

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

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

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 Ecce nos reliquimus omnia is read from the Common of Abbots, Series 2.

Gospel Homily from Common of Abbots