Wednesday of the Second Week in Lent

Station at St. Cecilia

Matins

Lauds

Vespers

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Oremus.
Pópulum tuum, quæsumus, Dómine, propítius réspice : et quos ab escis carnálibus præcipis abstinére, a nóxiis quoque vítiis cessáre concéde.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to hear the prayers of thy people : that we, who by thine ordinance abstain from carnal food, may likewise be delivered from all sins that hurt the soul.  Through.

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Matins

In illo témpore : Ascéndens Jesus Jerosólymam, assúmpsit duódecim discípulos secréto, et ait illis : Ecce ascéndimus Jerosólymam, et Fílius hóminis tradétur princípibus sacerdótum, et scribis, et condemnábunt eum morte.  Et réliqua.

At that time : Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them : Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death.  And so on, and that which followeth.

Consideráte, quæ mater filiórum Zebedæi cum fíliis et pro fíliis petat : mater est útique, cui pro filiórum honóre sollícitæ, immoderátior quidem, sed tamen ignoscénda mensúra votórum est.  Atque mater ætáte longæva, stúdio religiósa, solátio destitúta, quæ tunc témporis, quando vel juvánda, vel alénda foret válidæ prolis auxílio, abésse sibi líberos patiebátur, et voluptáti suæ mercédem sequéntium Christum prætúlerat filiórum.  Qui prima voce vocáti a Dómino (ut légimus) relíctis rétibus et patre, secúti sunt eum.

Consider what the mother of Zebedee's children, in company with her sons, and on their behalf, came to ask of the Lord.  Her request, albeit immoderate, was yet excusable.  As a mother, she was anxious for the honour of her sons, and more than that, she was stricken in years, and deprived of consolation.  For at a time when she had sore need of the help and support of her sons, now in the vigour of their manhood, she allowed them to be absent from her.  In her godliness, she was ready to suffer the loss of her own comfort, that her sons might gain the reward of following Christ.  For at the first call of the Lord (as we read), they left their nets, and their father, and followed him.

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.  Dixit Angelus ad Jacob : * Dimítte me, auróra est.  Respóndit ei : Non dimíttam te, nisi benedíxeris mihi.  Et benedíxit ei in eódem loco.
V.  Cumque surrexísset Jacob, ecce vir luctabátur cum eo usque mane : et cum vidéret quod eum superáre non posset, dixit ad eum.
R.  Dimítte me, auróra est.  Respóndit ei : Non dimíttam te, nisi benedíxeris mihi.  Et benedíxit ei in eódem loco.

R.  The Angel said unto Jacob : * Let me go, for the day breaketh.  And Jacob said unto him : I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.  And he blessed him there in that same place.
V.  Now Jacob arose, and one there was that wrestled with him until the break of day, which same prevailed not against him, and said unto him.
R.  Let me go, for the day breaketh.  And Jacob said unto him : I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.  And he blessed him there in that same place.

Hæc ígitur, stúdio matérnæ sedulitátis indulgéntior, obsecrábat Salvatórem, dicens : Ut sédeant hi duo fílii mei, unus ad déxteram tuam, et alter ad sinístram in regno tuo.  Etsi error, pietátis tamen error est.  Nésciunt enim matérna víscera patiéntiam : etsi voti avára, tamen veniábilis cupíditas, quæ non pecúniæ est ávida, sed grátiæ.  Nec inverecúnda petítio, quæ non sibi, sed líberis consulébat.  Matrem consideráte, matrem cogitáte.

With all the zeal and tenderness of natural affection, she besought the Saviour, saying : Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.  Though it was a mistake, it was a mistake of love.  For a mother's love knoweth no moderation.  If such a prayer be covetous, yet is it a pardonable greed, for she hungered not for money, but for grace.  Nor was the petition shameful, for it sought, not her own good, but her children's.  Remember that she was a mother, and think on what is meant by that word.

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

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

R.  Vidi Dóminum fácie ad fáciem : * Et salva facta est ánima mea.
V.  Et dixit mihi : Nequáquam vocáberis Jacob, sed Israël erit nomen tuum.
R.  Et salva facta est ánima mea.

R.  I have seen the Lord face to face : * And now my life is preserved in the sight of the Lord.
V.  And he said unto me : Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name.
R.  And now my life is preserved in the sight of the Lord.

Considerábat Christus matris dilectiónem, quæ filiórum mercéde grandævam solabátur senéctam : et disidériis licet fessa matérnis, carissimórum pignórum tolerábat abséntiam.  Consideráte étiam féminam, hoc est, sexum fragiliórem, quem Dóminus própria nondum confirmáverat passióne.  Consideráte, inquam, Hevæ illíus primæ mulíeris herédem, transfúsa in omnes immoderátæ cupiditátis successióne labéntem : quam Dóminus adhuc próprio sánguine non redémerat, nondum inólitam afféctibus ómnium immódici contra fas honóris appeténtiam suo Christus cruóre dilúerat.  Hereditário ígitur múlier delinquébat erróre.

Christ had respect unto a mother's love, which sought comfort for her own old age only in a reward for her sons, and which could endure the loss of her loved ones, even though she was broken by a mother's yearnings.  Consider also that she was a woman, that is, of the weaker sex, to whom the Lord had not yet given strength by his passion.  Consider, I repeat, that she was an heiress of Eve, and weakened by the inordinate desire that the first woman hath transmitted to all of us, which same the Lord had not as yet subdued by his Blood.  For she but manifested that hankering after undue dignity, wherewith all our natures are imbued, and which the shedding of Christ's Blood had not as yet taken away.  She was at fault, but the fault was the inherited weakness of all our race.

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

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

R.  Cum audísset Jacob quod Esau veníret contra eum, divísit fílios suos et uxóres, dicens : Si percússerit Esau unam turmam, salvábitur áltera. * Líbera me, Dómine, qui dixísti mihi : * Multiplicábo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli, et sicut arénam maris, quæ præ multitúdine numerári non potest.
V.  Dómine, qui dixísti mihi, Revértere in terram nativitátis tuæ : Dómine, qui pascis me a juventúte mea.
R.  Líbera me, Dómine, qui dixísti mihi.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Multiplicábo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli, et sicut arénam maris, quæ præ multitúdine numerári non potest.

R.  When Jacob heard that Esau was come against him, he divided his sons and wives, saying, If Esau smite the one company, then shall the other escape. * Deliver me, O Lord, for thou didst promise : * I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
V.  O Lord, which saidst unto me, Return into thy country, thou, O Lord, who hast fed me all my life long unto this day.
R.  Deliver me, O Lord, for thou didst promise.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

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:  Ecce ascéndimus * Jerosólymam : et Fílius hóminis tradétur ad crucifigéndum.

Ant. on Bened:  Behold we go up * to Jerusalem: and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to be crucified.

BENEDICTUS

THE BENEDICTUS

Ferial Preces

Oremus.
Pópulum tuum, quæsumus, Dómine, propítius réspice : et quos ab escis carnálibus præcipis abstinére, a nóxiis quoque vítiis cessáre concéde.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to hear the prayers of thy people : that we, who by thine ordinance abstain from carnal food, may likewise be delivered from all sins that hurt the soul.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Vespers

Ad Magnif. Ant:  Tradétur enim Géntibus * ad illudéndum, et flagellándum, et crucifigéndum.

Ant. on Magnif:  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, * to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him.

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

Ferial Preces

Oremus.
Deus, innocéntiæ restitútor et amátor, dírige ad te tuórum corda servórum : ut, spíritus tui fervóre concépto, et in fide inveniántur stábiles, et in ópere efficáces.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, the restorer and lover of innocency, we beseech thee to direct unto thyself the hearts of us thy servants : that being kindled with the fire of thy Spirit, we may be found stedfast in faith, and effectually given to all good works.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS if it is said

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH