Thursday in the Third Week of August

If today be a Feria, the Collect is taken from the preceding Sunday as given in the Ordo.

Matins

De libro Sapiéntiæ

The Lesson is taken from
the Book of Wisdom

Quis hóminum póterit scire consílium Dei? aut quis póterit cogitáre quid velit Deus?  Cogitatiónes enim mortálium tímidæ, et incértæ providéntiæ nostræ ; corpus enim quod corrúmpitur ággravat ánimam, et terréna inhabitátio déprimit sensum multa cogitántem.  Et diffícile æstimámus quæ in terra sunt, et quæ in prospéctu sunt invenímus cum labóre ; quæ autem in cælis sunt quis investigábit?  Sensum autem tuum quis sciet, nisi tu déderis sapiéntiam, et míseris Spíritum Sanctum tuum de altíssimis, et sic corréctæ sint sémitæ eórum qui sunt in terris, et quæ tibi placent didícerint hómines?  Nam per sapiéntiam sanáti sunt quicúmque placuérunt tibi, Dómine, a princípio.

For what man is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is?  For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are but uncertain.  For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things.  And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us: but the things that are in heaven who hath searched out?  And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above?  For so the ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto thee, and were saved through wisdom.

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

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

R.  In princípio Deus ántequam terram fáceret, priúsquam abyssos constitúeret, priúsquam prodúceret fontes aquárum, * Antequam montes collocaréntur, ante omnes colles generávit me Dóminus.
V.  Quando præparábat cælos, áderam, cum eo cuncta compónens.
R.  Antequam montes collocaréntur, ante omnes colles generávit me Dóminus.

R.  The Lord possessed me in the beginning, or ever the earth was, when there were no fountains abounding with water ; * Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.
V.  When he prepared the heavens, I was there, present with him, forming all things.
R.  Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.

Hæc illum, qui primus formátus est a Deo pater orbis terrárum, cum solus esset creátus, custodívit et edúxit illum a delícto suo et dedit illi virtútem continéndi ómnia.  Ab hac ut recéssit injústus in ira sua, per iram homicídii fratérni depériit.  Propter quem, cum aqua deléret terram, sanávit íterum sapiéntia per contemptíbile lignum justum gubérnans.  Hæc, et in consénsu nequítiæ cum se natiónes contulíssent, scivit justum et conservávit sine queréla Deo et in fílii misericórdia fortem custodívit.

She preserved the first formed father of the world, that was created alone, and brought him out of his fall, and gave him power to rule all things.  But when the unrighteous went away from her in his anger, he perished also in the fury wherewith he murdered his brother.  For whose cause the earth being drowned with the flood, wisdom again preserved it, and directed the course of the righteous in a piece of wood of small value.  Moreover, the nations in their wicked conspiracy being confounded, she found out the righteous, and preserved him blameless unto God, and kept him strong against his tender compassion toward his son.

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

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

R.  Gyrum cæli circuívi sola, et in flúctibus maris ambulávi, in omni gente et in omni pópulo primátum ténui : * Superbórum et sublímium colla própria virtúte calcávi.
V.  Ego in altíssimis hábito, et thronus meus in colúmna nubis.
R.  Superbórum et sublímium colla própria virtúte calcávi.

R.  I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep, and in every people and nation have I gotten myself a possession ; *  And by mine own power have I trodden under my feet the hearts of both the high and the low.
V.  I dwell in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of cloud.
R.  And by mine own power have I trodden under my feet the hearts of both the high and the low.

In Feastdays of Simple rank :

V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Magnificásti pópulum tuum et honorásti.

V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  For thou dost magnify thy people, and glorify them.

And on such Feastdays of Simple rank, the Third Lesson is read according to the Proper.

Proper Third Lesson

Hæc justum a pereúntibus ímpiis liberávit fugiéntem, descendénte igne in Pentápolim, quibus in testimónium nequítiæ fumigabúnda constat desérta terra, et incérto témpore fructus habéntes árbores, et incredíbilis ánimæ memória stans figméntum salis.  Sapiéntiam enim prætereúntes non tantum in hoc lapsi sunt ut ignorárent bona, sed et insipiéntiæ suæ reliquérunt homínibus memóriam, ut in his quæ peccavérunt nec latére potuíssent.  Sapiéntia autem hos qui se obsérvant a dolóribus liberávit.

When the ungodly perished, she delivered the righteous man, who fled from the fire which fell down upon the five cities.  Of whose wickedness even to this day the waste land that smoketh is a testimony, and plants bearing fruit that never come to ripeness: and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an unbelieving soul.  For regarding not wisdom, they gat not only this hurt, that they knew not the things which were good; but also left behind them to the world a memorial of their foolishness: so that in the things wherein they offended they could not so much as be hid.  But wisdom delivered from pain those that attended upon her.

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

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

R.  Emítte, Dómine, sapiéntiam de sede magnitúdinis tuæ, ut mecum sit et mecum labóret : * Ut sciam quid accéptum sit coram te omni témpore.
V.  Da mihi, Dómine, sédium tuárum assistrícem sapiéntiam.
R.  Ut sciam quid accéptum sit coram te omni témpore.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Ut sciam quid accéptum sit coram te omni témpore.

R.  Send Holy Wisdom out of thy heavens, O Lord, and from the Throne of thy Glory, to be present and labour with me, * That I may ever know what is pleasing unto thee.
V.  Give me, O Lord, Holy Wisdom that sitteth by thy Throne.
R.  That I may ever know what is pleasing unto thee.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  That I may ever know what is pleasing unto thee.

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

After the conclusion of the First Nocturn, the Second Nocturn is begun according to the current weekday.

Second Nocturn