Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Station at St. George in Velabro

Matins

Lauds

Vespers

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Oremus.
Deus, qui culpa offénderis, pœniténtia placáris : preces pópuli tui supplicántis propítius réspice ; et flagélla tuæ iracúndiæ, quæ pro peccátis nostris merémur, avérte.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who art wroth with them that sin against thee, and sparest them that are penitent : we beseech thee to hear the prayers of thy people that call upon thee ; that we, which have most justly deserved the scourges of thine anger, may by thy great mercy be delivered from the same.  Through.

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH

Matins

In illo témpore : Cum introísset Jesus Caphárnaum, accéssit ad eum centúrio, rogans eum, et dicens : Dómine, puer meus jacet in domo paralyticus, et male torquétur.  Et réliqua.

At that time : When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying : Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.  And so on, and that which followeth.

Videámus, utrum sibi de hoc servo centuriónis Matthæus Lucásque conséntiant.  Matthæus enim dicit : Accéssit ad eum centúrio, rogans eum, et dicens : Puer meus jacet in domo paralyticus.  Cui vidétur repugnáre quod ait Lucas : Et cum audísset de Jesu, misit ad eum senióres Judæórum, rogans eum ut veníret, et sanáret servum ejus.  At illi cum veníssent ad Jesum, rogábant eum sollícite, dicéntes ei : Quia dignus est ut hoc illi præstes : díligit enim gentem nostram, et synagógam ipse ædificávit nobis.  Jesus autem ibat cum illis : et cum jam non longe esset a domo, misit ad eum centúrio amícos, dicens : Dómine, noli vexári : non enim dignus sum ut sub tectum meum intres.

Let us see whether Matthew and Luke agree together concerning this servant of the centurion.  Matthew saith that there came unto Jesus a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, My servant lieth at home sick of the palsy.  In seeming contradiction to this, Luke saith that when the centurion heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this, for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue : then Jesus went with them ; and when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.

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

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

On Feastdays having an Office of Nine Lessons during Lent, the Te Deum is said after the conclusion of the Ninth Lesson.

R.  Dómine, puer meus jacet paralyticus in domo, et male torquétur : * Amen dico tibi, ego véniam, et curábo eum.
V.  Dómine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum : sed tantum dic verbo, et sanábitur puer meus.
R.  Amen dico tibi, ego véniam, et curábo eum.

R.  Lord, my servant lieth at home, sick of the palsy, and grievously tormented : *   Verily I say unto thee, I will come and heal him.
V.  Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
R.  Verily I say unto thee, I will come and heal him.

Si enim hoc ita gestum est, quómodo erit verum, quod Matthæus narrat : Accéssit ad eum quidam centúrio, cum ipse non accésserit, sed amícos míserit : nisi diligénter adverténtes intelligámus Matthæum non omnímodo deseruísse usitátum morem loquéndi?  Non solum enim dícere solémus, accessísse áliquem étiam ántequam pervéniat illuc, quo dícitur accessísse : unde étiam dícimus : Parum accéssit, vel Multum accéssit eo, quo áppetit perveníre : verum étiam ipsam perventiónem cujus adipiscéndi causa accéditur, dícimus plerúmque factam, etsi eum, ad quem pérvenit, non vídeat ille qui pérvenit, cum per amícum pérvenit ad áliquem, cujus ei favor est necessárius.  Quod ita ténuit consuetúdo, ut jam étiam vulgo perventóres appelléntur, qui poténtium quorúmlibet tamquam inaccessíbiles ánimos, per conveniéntium personárum interpositiónem, ambitiónis arte pertíngunt.

Now if it happened as Luke saith, how then can Matthew's words be true?  For Matthew saith : There came unto him a certain centurion.  Whereas Luke saith that the centurion himself came not, but sent friends?  If we look well into this seeming contradiction, we shall see that Matthew only made use of a customary manner of speech.  For we are wont to say of a man that he cometh to a place, even though he be not already come.  Furthermore, we are wont to say, he almost came, or he arrived a long way off from his destination ; meaning that he was unable to come, albeit we speak of it as coming or arriving.  Yea, more than this, we are wont to speak of a journey as being accomplished, albeit the man himself who is said to have arrived, doth not himself see the person unto whom the journey is made, but reacheth this person through the good offices of friends.  In sooth, this customary manner of speech doth so much obtain that we say concerning them that cannot themselves approach a great man, but must lay their matters before him through the intervention of others, that the aforesaid came at him by means of those that intervened.

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

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

R.  Dum staret Abraham ad ílicem Mambre, vidit tres viros ascendéntes per viam : * Tres vidit, et unum adorávit.
V.  Ecce Sara uxor tua páriet tibi fílium, et vocábis nomen ejus Isaac.
R.  Tres vidit, et unum adorávit.

R.  As Abraham stood by the oak of Mamre, he beheld three young men coming down by the way : * He saw Three, and adored One.
V.  Behold, Sarai thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac.
R.  He saw Three, and adored One.

Non ergo absúrde Matthæus, étiam quod vulgo possit intélligi, per álios facto accéssu centuriónis ad Dóminum, compéndio dícere vóluit : Accéssit ad eum centúrio.  Verúmtamen non negligénter intuénda est étiam sancti Evangelístæ altitúdo mysticæ locutiónis, secúndum quam scriptum est in Psalmo : Accédite ad eum, et illuminámini.  Proínde quia fidem centuriónis, qua vere accéditur ad Jesum, ipse ita laudávit, ut díceret : Non invéni tantam fidem in Israël : ipsum pótius accessísse ad Christum dícere vóluit prudens Evangelísta, quam illos, per quos verba sua míserat.

Whence it is not strange that Matthew should make use of a common handy phrase, and say of the centurion who obtained access to our Lord by means of friends, that the same came unto him.  Furthermore, we must not fail to observe a certain mystical depth which underlieth the words of this holy Evangelist.  It is written in the Psalms : They had an eye unto him, and were lightened : that is to say, they saw him by the eye of faith, and so drew near.  Thus did the centurion in faith draw near unto Jesus, and the Lord praised him on this wise : I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.  Whereby the wise Evangelist meaneth us to understand that the centurion himself came to Christ, rather than those persons by whom he sent his message.

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

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

R.  Tentávit Dóminus Abraham, et dixit ad eum : * Tolle fílium tuum, quem díligis, Isaac, et offer illum ibi in holocáustum super unum móntium, quem díxero tibi.
V.  Vocátus quoque a Dómino, respóndit, Adsum : et ait ei Dóminus.
R.  Tolle fílium tuum, quem díligis, Isaac, et offer illum ibi in holocáustum super unum móntium, quem díxero tibi.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Tolle fílium tuum, quem díligis, Isaac, et offer illum ibi in holocáustum super unum móntium, quem díxero tibi.

R.  The Lord desired to prove Abraham, so he said unto him : * Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest ; and offer him up for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell thee of.
V.  And when the Lord called him, the same made answer : Here am I : and the Lord said unto him.
R.  Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest ; and offer him up for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell thee of.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest ; and offer him up for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell thee of.

The Office of Matins ends after the Third Respond.  The Te Deum is not said, and Lauds normally follows immediately, beginning with the Opening Versicles.  Otherwise, the Conclusion of Matins is read, according to the Rubrics.

Conclusion of Matins

Lauds

Ad Bened. Ant: Dómine, * puer meus jacet paralyticus in domo, et male torquétur : Amen dico tibi, ego véniam, et curábo eum.

Ant. on Bened:  Lord, * my servant lieth at home, sick of the palsy, and grievously tormented.  Verily I say unto thee, I will come and heal him.

Ferial Preces (if they are to be said)

Oremus.
Deus, qui culpa offénderis, pœniténtia placáris : preces pópuli tui supplicántis propítius réspice ; et flagélla tuæ iracúndiæ, quæ pro peccátis nostris merémur, avérte.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who art wroth with them that sin against thee, and sparest them that are penitent : we beseech thee to hear the prayers of thy people that call upon thee ; that we, which have most justly deserved the scourges of thine anger, may by thy great mercy be delivered from the same.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH

Vespers

Ad Magnif. Ant:  Dómine, * non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum : sed tantum dic verbo, et sanábitur puer meus.

Ant. on Magnif:  Lord, * I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

Ferial Preces (if they are to be said)

Oremus.
Parce, Dómine, parce pópulo tuo : ut dignis flagellatiónibus castigátus, in tua miseratióne respíret.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
Spare, O Lord, spare thy people, that they which are justly punished for their offences, may be comforted by the pardon of thy mercy.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH