Thursday in the Fourth Week of September

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

Matins

Note : When this day occurs after September 24th, this week is the last one in the month; in which case at Matins tonight is begun the Book of Esther, with its Responds, as hereafter set down for the V Sunday of September, and it is also read on the two following days, but on those days the Lessons are for Friday and Saturday respectively, unless the Sunday Lessons must be transferred to one of those days.

De libro Judith

The Lesson is taken from
the Book of Judith

Et factum est in quarto die Holoférnes fecit cœnam servis suis et dixit ad Vágao eunúchum suum : Vade et suáde Hebræam illam ut sponte conséntiat habitáre mecum.  Fœdum est enim apud Assyrios, si fémina irrídeat virum agéndo ut immúnis ab eo tránseat.  Tunc introívit Vágao ad Judith et dixit : Non vereátur bona puélla introíre ad dóminum meum, ut honorificétur ante fáciem ejus, ut mandúcet cum eo et bibat vinum in jucunditáte.  Cui Judith respóndit : Quæ ego sum, ut contradícam dómino meo?

And it came to pass that in the fourth day Holofernes made a feast to his own servants, and said to Bagoas his eunuch : Go now, and persuade this Hebrew woman to come of her own accord, and dwell with me.  For it is a shame among the Assyrians, if a woman laugh a man to scorn, so that she come away from him scatheless.  Then came Bagoas unto Judith, and said : Let not this fair damsel fear to come to my lord, and to be honoured in his presence, to eat with him, and to drink wine in merriment.  Then said Judith unto him : Who am I now, that I should gainsay my lord?

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

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

R.  Adonái, Dómine, Deus magne et mirábilis, qui dedísti salútem in manu féminæ, * Exáudi preces servórum tuórum.
V.  Benedíctus es, Dómine, qui non derelínquis præsuméntes de te, et de sua virtúte gloriántes humílias.
R.  Exáudi preces servórum tuórum.

R.  O Adonai, O Lord God, thou art great and glorious, who hast given salvation into the hand of a woman ; * Graciously hear the prayers of thy servants.
V.  Blessed art thou, O Lord, who failest none that put their trust in thee, and humblest such as boast themselves in their own strength.
R.  Graciously hear the prayers of thy servants.

Ut autem sero factum est, festinavérunt servi illíus ad hospítia sua ; et conclúsit Vágao óstia cubículi et ábiit.  Erant autem omnes fatigáti a vino ; erátque Judith sola in cubículo.  Porro Holoférnes jacébat in lecto nímia ebrietáte sopítus.  Dixítque Judith puéllæ suæ ut staret foris ante cubículum et observáret.  Stetítque Judith ante lectum orans cum lácrimis et labiórum motu in siléntio dicens : Confírma me, Dómine Deus Israël, et réspice in hac hora ad ópera mánuum meárum, ut, sicut promisísti, Jerúsalem civitátem tuam érigas, et hoc quod credens per te posse fíeri cogitávi, perfíciam.

Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste unto their own lodgings, and Bagoas shut his tent without, and departed.  And they were all overcome with wine ; and Judith was left alone if the tent.  And Holofernes was lying along on his bed, for he was filled with wine.  And Judith commanded her maid to stand without the chamber and to watch.  And Judith stood before the bed, and prayed with tears, her lips moving silently, saying : Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and look at this present upon the works of mine hands, that thou mayest exalt Jerusalem, thine own city, even as thou hast promised ; and that I may finish that which I have believed that I could do by thine help.

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

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

R.  Tribulatiónes civitátum audívimus, quas passæ sunt, et defécimus : timor et hebetúdo mentis cécidit super nos et super líberos nostros : ipsi montes nolunt recípere fugam nostram : * Dómine, miserére.
V.  Peccávimus cum pátribus nostris, injúste égimus, iniquitátem fécimus.
R.  Dómine, miserére.

R.  We have heard of the tribulation of those cities, which they have suffered, and we have fainted.  Fear and confusion of mind are fallen upon us.  Even the mountains will not give us a refuge. * Lord, have mercy.
V.  We have sinned like our forefathers, we have done unjustly, and wrought iniquity.
R.  Lord, have mercy.

In Feastdays of Simple rank :

V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Dómine, miserére.

V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  Lord, have mercy.

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

Proper Third Lesson

Et, cum hæc dixísset, accéssit ad colúmnam, quæ erat ad caput léctuli ejus, et pugiónem ejus, qui in ea ligátus pendébat, exsólvit.  Cumque evaginásset illum, apprehéndit comam cápitis ejus et ait : Confírma me, Dómine Deus, in hac hora.  Et percússit bis in cervícem ejus et abscídit caput ejus et ábstulit conopéum ejus a colúmnis et evólvit corpus ejus truncum.  Et post pusíllum exívit et trádidit caput Holoférnis ancíllæ suæ et jussit ut mítteret illud in peram suam.

And when she had so spoken, she came to the pillar which was at the head of the bed, and took down his fauchion that was hanging thereon.  And she drew it, and took hold of the hair of his head, and said : Strengthen me, O Lord God, in this hour.  And she smote him twice upon his neck, and cut off his head from him, and pulled down the canopy from the pillars, and tumbled his body down.  And anon she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to her maid, and bade her to put it into her bag.

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

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

R.  Benedícat te Dóminus in virtúte sua, qui per te ad níhilum redégit inimícos nostros : * Ut non defíciat laus tua de ore hóminum.
V.  Benedíctus Dóminus qui creávit cælum et terram ; quia hódie nomen tuum ita magnificávit.
R.  Ut non defíciat laus tua de ore hóminum.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Ut non defíciat laus tua de ore hóminum.

R.  The Lord bless thee by his power, who hath brought our enemies to nought through thee : * And may the praise of thee never fail from the mouth of men.
V.  Blessed be the Lord, who hath created the heaven and the earth, because that he hath so glorified thy name this day.
R.  And may the praise of thee never fail from the mouth of men.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  And may the praise of thee never fail from the mouth of men.

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