Ember Saturday in Lent

Station at St. Peter

Matins

Lauds

Vespers

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Oremus.
Pópulum tuum, quæsumus, Dómine, propítius réspice : atque ab eo flagélla tuæ iracúndiæ cleménter avérte.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to hear the prayers of thy people : and of thy great goodness turn aside from them the scourges of thine anger.  Through.

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Matins

In illo témpore : Assúmpsit Jesus Petrum, et Jacóbum, et Joánnem fratrem ejus, et duxit illos in montem excélsum seórsum : et transfigurátus est ante eos.  Et réliqua.

At that time : Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them.  And so on, and that which followeth.

Evangélica léctio, dilectíssimi, quæ per aures córporis interiórem méntium nostrárum pulsávit audítum, ad magni sacraménti nos intelligéntiam vocat : quam, aspiránte grátia Dei, facílius assequémur, si consideratiónem nostram ad ea, quæ paulo supérius sunt narráta, referámus.  Salvátor enim humáni géneris Jesus Christus, condens eam fidem, quæ et ímpios ad justítiam, et mórtuos révocat ad vitam, ad hoc discípulos suos doctrínæ mónitis, et óperum miráculis imbuébat, ut idem Christus et Unigénitus Dei, et hóminis Fílius crederétur.  Nam unum horum sine áltero non próderat ad salútem : et æquális erat perículi, Dóminum Jesum Christum aut Deum tantúmmodo sine hómine, aut sine Deo solum hóminem credidísse : cum utrúmque esset páriter confiténdum : quia sicut Deo vera humánitas, ita hómini ínerat vera divínitas.

Dearly beloved, this Gospel Lesson calleth us to the understanding of a great mystery.  And thereto we shall the more readily attain, by the grace of God, if we take into account the things which are recorded just before this passage.  Wherefrom we see that the Saviour of mankind was careful to lay the foundations of the Faith whereby the ungodly are called to righteousness and the dead to life.  To this end he instilled into the minds of his disciples, both by the doctrines which he taught and the miracles which he did, a belief in himself, the one Christ, as at once the Son of God, only-begotten, and the Son of Man.  For one of these truths is of no use, as regards salvation, without the other.  The danger is equally great of holding the Lord Jesus Christ to be God alone and not man, or man alone and not God.  Both truths alike are to be confessed.  For just as there is united with his Godhead true humanity, so also there is united with his humanity very Godhead.

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.  Scíndite corda vestra, et non vestiménta vestra : et convertímini ad Dóminum Deum vestrum : * Quia benígnus et miséricors est.
V.  Derelínquat ímpius viam suam, et vir iníquus cogitatiónes suas, et revertátur ad Dóminum, et miserébitur ejus.
R.  Quia benígnus et miséricors est.

R.  Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God : *   For he is gracious and merciful.
V.  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts : and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him.
R.  For he is gracious and merciful.

Ad confírmándam ergo hujus fídei salubérrimam cognitiónem interrogáverat discípulos suos Dóminus, inter divérsas aliórum opiniónes quid ipsi de eo créderent, quidve sentírent.  Ubi Petrus Apóstolus, per revelatiónem summi Patris corpórea súperans, et humána transcéndens, vidit mentis óculis Fílium Dei vivi, et conféssus est glóriam Deitátis ; quia non ad solam respéxit substántiam carnis et sánguinis : tantúmque in hac fídei sublimitáte complácuit, ut beatitúdinis felicitáte donátus, sacram inviolábilis petræ accíperet firmitátem : super quam fundáta Ecclésia, portis ínferi et mortis légibus prævaléret : nec in solvéndis aut ligándis quorumcúmque causis áliud ratum esset in cælis, quam quod Petri sedísset arbítrio.

Therefore, to confirm their knowledge of this Faith, so necessary to salvation, the Lord had asked his disciples what, among the differing opinions of men, was their own belief and judgment as to what he was.  Then the Apostle Peter, by the revelation of that Father who is above all, did rise above the experience of flesh and blood, and pass beyond the ken of man.  Yea, he did fix the eyes of his mind upon the Son of the living God, and confess the glory of the Godhead, for he looked not on the substance of the flesh and blood only.  And so well pleasing did he become by virtue of the loftiness of his faith, that he was rewarded with the joy of hearing himself called Blessed, and of being endued with a holy firmness, like unto a rock which cannot be moved.  Founded on this, the Church was to prevail against the gates of hell and the laws of death ; so that whatsoever Peter bound on earth, was bound in heaven, and whatsoever he did set loose on earth was set loose in heaven.

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

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

R.  Frange esuriénti panem tuum, et egénos vagósque induc in domum tuam : * Tunc erúmpet quasi mane lumen tuum, et anteíbit fáciem tuam justítia tua.
V.  Cum víderis nudum, óperi eum, et carnem tuam ne despéxeris.
R.  Tunc erúmpet quasi mane lumen tuum, et anteíbit fáciem tuam justítia tua.

R.  Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor and the wanderer to thine house : * Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy righteousness shall go before thee.
V.  When thou seest the naked, cover him ; and hide not thyself from thine own flesh.
R.  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy righteousness shall go before thee.

Hæc autem, dilectíssimi, laudátæ intelligéntiæ celsitúdo instruénda erat de inferióris substántiæ sacraménto : ne apostólica fídes ad glóriam confiténdæ in Christo Deitátis evécta, infirmitátis nostræ receptiónem indígnam impassíbili Deo atque incóngruam judicáret : et ita jam in Christo humánam créderet glorificátam esse natúram, ut nec supplício posset áffici, nec morte dissólvi.  Et ídeo dicénte Dómino, quod oportéret eum ire Jerosólymam, et multa pati a senióribus et scribis, ac princípibus sacerdótum, et occídi, et tértia die resúrgere : cum beátus Petrus, qui supérno illustrátus lúmine, de ardentíssima Fílii Dei confessióne fervébat, contumélias illusiónum et crudelíssimæ mortis oppróbrium religióso, ut putábat, et líbero fastídio respuísset ; benígna a Jesu increpatióne corréptus, et ad cupiditátem participándæ cum eo passiónis animátus est.

But, dearly beloved, the loftiness of Peter's understanding, which the Lord praised, must needs rest on a foundation, and that foundation was the mystery of Christ's lower nature.  Otherwise, the faith of the Apostle, carried away by the glorious acknowledgement of the Godhead in Christ, might deem it unworthy and unnatural for the impassible God to take into himself the frailty of our nature, and might thus believe that in Christ the humanity had been so glorified as to be no longer able to suffer pain, or be dissolved in death.  And mark ye that when the Lord told how he must go up to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be put to death, and rise again on the third day, it so happened that blessed Peter, bright with heavenly illumination, and still glowing from the passionate acknowledgement of the divine sonship, could not bear the mention of insulting mockery and cruel death, but spurned the same because of a natural, and, as seemed to him, a godly shrinking.  Whereupon, by the merciful rebuke of Jesus he was corrected, and moved rather to desire to be a partaker in the sufferings of his Master.

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

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

R.  Abscóndite eleemósynam in sinu páuperum, et ipsa orábit pro vobis ad Dóminum : * Quia sicut aqua exstínguit ignem, ita eleemósyna exstínguit peccátum.
V.  Date eleemósynam, et ecce ómnia munda sunt vobis.
R.  Quia sicut aqua exstínguit ignem, ita eleemósyna exstínguit peccátum.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Quia sicut aqua exstínguit ignem, ita eleemósyna exstínguit peccátum.

R.  Shut up alms in thy storehouses, even in the hearts of the poor, and it shall plead for you with the Lord : * For like as water quencheth a flaming fire, so do alms make an atonement for sin.
V.  Give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all things are clean unto you.
R.  For like as water quencheth a flaming fire, so do alms make an atonement for sin.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  For like as water quencheth a flaming fire, so do alms make an atonement for sin.

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:  Assúmpsit Jesus * discípulos suos, et ascéndit in montem, et transfigurátus est ante eos.

Ant. on Bened:  And Jesus taketh his disciples, * and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them.

BENEDICTUS

THE BENEDICTUS

Ferial Preces

Oremus.
Pópulum tuum, quæsumus, Dómine, propítius réspice : atque ab eo flagélla tuæ iracúndiæ cleménter avérte.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to hear the prayers of thy people : and of thy great goodness turn aside from them the scourges of thine anger.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Vespers

The first part of Vespers is in the Ordinary

Antiphons and Psalms from Saturday

STAND

Capitulum           1 Thess. 4. 1.
Fratres : Rogámus vos, et obsecrámus in Dómino Jesu : ut, quemádmodum accepístis a nobis, quómodo vos opórteat ambuláre, et placére Deo, sic et ambulétis, ut abundétis magis.
R.  Deo grátias.

The Little Chapter        1 Thess. 4. 1.
Brethren : We beseech you, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
R.  Thanks be to God.

Audi, benígne Cónditor,
Nostras preces cum flétibus,
In hoc sacro jejúnio
Fusas quadragenário.

Scrutátor alme córdium,
Infírma tu scis vírium :
Ad te revérsis éxhibe
Remissiónis grátiam.

Multum quidem peccávimus,
Sed parce confiténtibus :
Ad nóminis laudem tui
Confer medélam lánguidis.

Concéde nostrum cónteri
Corpus per abstinéntiam ;
Culpæ ut relínquant pábulum
Jejúna corda críminum.

Sequens Conclusio numquam mutatur.
Præsta, beáta Trínitas,
Concéde, simplex Unitas ;
Ut fructuósa sint tuis
Jejuniórum múnera.  Amen.

O Maker of the world, give ear;
Accept the prayer and own the tear
To-wards thy seat of mercy sent
In this most holy fast of Lent.

Each heart is manifest to thee;
Thou knowest our infirmity;
Forgive thou then each soul that fain
Would seek to thee, and turn again.

Our sins are manifold and sore,
But pardon them that sin deplore:
And, for thy Name's sake, make each soul
That feels and owns its languor, whole.

So mortify we every sense
By grace of outward abstinence,
That from each stain and spot of sin
The soul may keep her fast within.

This Ending is never changed:
Grant, O thou blessed Trinity,
Grant, O essential Unity,
That this our fast of forty days
May work our profit and thy praise.  Amen.

V.  God shall give his Angels charge over thee.
R.  To keep thee in all thy ways.

Ad Magnif. Ant:  Visiónem quam vidístis, * némini dixéritis donec a mórtuis resúrgat Fílius hóminis.

Ant. on Magnif:  Tell the vision * which ye have seen to no man until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead.

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

Oremus.
Deus, qui cónspicis omni nos virtúte destítui : intérius exteriúsque custódi ; ut ab ómnibus adversitátibus muniámur in córpore, et a pravis cogitatiónibus mundémur in mente.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves : keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls ; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH