January 4/Octave Day of Holy Innocents

Under the 1960 rubrics, the season is Nativitytide, and the three readings care from Romans 7: 1-9.

In the 1953 breviary, however, the day is celebrated as the Octave Day of the feast of the Holy Innocents.  In this case, the Invitatory antiphon, hymn and collect are as for the feast; the psalms and antiphons are those of the day of the week; the versicle at the end of nocturn I and chapter at the end of Nocturn II are of the season.  The first two readings and responsories are as for 1960; the third reading and responsory are set out below. 

Lectio 1: De Epistola ad Romanos - An ignoratis, fratres (scientibus enim legem loquor), quia lex in homine dominatur quanto tempore vivit? Nam quæ sub viro est mulier, vivente viro, alligata est legi: si autem mortuus fuerit vir ejus, soluta est a lege viri. Igitur, vivente viro, vocabitur adultera si fuerit cum alio viro: si autem mortuus fuerit vir ejus, liberata est a lege viri, ut non sit adultera si fuerit cum alio viro.

Reading 1: Know you not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as it liveth? For the woman that hath a husband, whilst her husband liveth is bound to the law. But if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Therefore, whilst her husband liveth, she shall be called an adulteress, if she be with another man: but if her husband be dead, she is delivered from the law of her husband; so that she is not an adulteress, if she be with another man.

R. Sancta et immaculata virginitas, quibus te laudibus efferam nescio: * Quia quem coeli capere non poterant, tuo gremio contulisti. V. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui. R. Quia quem coeli capere non poterant, tuo gremio contulisti.

R. O Mary, how holy and how spotless is thy virginity! I am too dull to praise thee! * For thou hast borne in thy breast Him Whom the heavens cannot contain. V. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. R. For thou hast borne in thy breast Him Whom the heavens cannot contain.

Lectio 2: Itaque fratres mei, et vos mortificati estis legi per corpus Christi: ut sitis alterius, qui ex mortuis resurrexit, ut fructificemus Deo. Cum enim essemus in carne, passiones peccatorum, quæ per legem erant, operabantur in membris nostris, ut fructificarent morti. Nunc autem soluti sumus a lege mortis, in qua detinebamur, ita ut serviamus in novitate spiritus, et non in vetustate litteræ.

Reading 2: Therefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ; that you may belong to another, who is risen again from the dead, that we may bring forth fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are loosed from the law of death, wherein we were detained; so that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

R. Nesciens Mater Virgo virum, péperit sine dolóre: * Salvatórem sæculórum, ipsum Regem Angelórum, sola Virgo lactábat ubere de cælo pleno. V. Domus pudici péctoris templum repénte fit Dei: intacta nesciens virum, verbo concépit Fílium. R. Salvatórem sæculórum, ipsum Regem Angelórum, sola Virgo lactábat ubere de cælo pleno.

R. The Virgin-Mother that knew not a man, bore, but travailed not.* She fed the Saviour of the world, The King of Angel hosts above, Jesus, our Redeemer blest, From the fountain of her breast. V. Soon rises in that modest shrine, The Temple of the Lord Divine; The stainless and unwedded one, Within her womb conceived the Son. R. She fed the Saviour of the world, The King of Angel hosts above, Jesus, our Redeemer blest, From the fountain of her breast.

Lectio 3: Quid ergo dicemus? lex peccatum est? Absit. Sed peccatum non cognovi, nisi per legem: nam concupiscentiam nesciebam, nisi lex diceret: Non concupisces. Occasione autem accepta, peccatum per mandatum operatum est in me omnem concupiscentiam. Sine lege enim peccatum mortuum erat. Ego autem vivebam sine lege aliquando: sed cum venisset mandatum, peccatum revixit.	Reading 3: What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? God forbid. But I do not know sin, but by the law; for I had not known concupiscence, if the law did not say: Thou shalt not covet.  But sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.  And I lived some time without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived.
R. Parvulus natus est nobis, et fílius datus est nobis, et factus est principátus super humerum ejus: * Et vocábitur Admirábilis, Deus Fortis V. Multiplicabitur ejus imperium et pacis non erit finis R. Et vocábitur Admirábilis, Deus Fortis V. Gloria Patri… R. Et vocábitur Admirábilis, Deus Fortis	R. A child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: * And his name shall be called, Wonderful, God the Mighty V. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace R. And his name shall be called, Wonderful, God the Mighty V. Glory be… R. And his name shall be called, Wonderful, God the Mighty.

OR (For the Octave Day of the Holy Innocents):

 

Reading 3 - Sermo sancti Augustíni Epíscopi: Nascénte Dómino, luctus cœpit, non cælo, sed mundo: indícitur mátribus lamentátio, Angelis exsultátio, infántibus transmigrátio. Deus est, qui natus est: Innocéntes illi debéntur víctima, qui venit damnáre mundi malítiam. Agnélli debent immolári, quia Agnus futúrus est crucifígi, qui tollit peccáta mundi. Sed oves úlulant matres, quia agnos perdunt sine voce balántes. Grande martýrium, crudéle spectáculum! Exímitur machæra, et nulla intérvenit causa: sola stridet invídia, cum qui natus est, nulli fáciat violéntiam. Sed oves cérnimus matres: quæ super agnos lugent: Vox in Rama audíta est, plorátus et ululátus magnus. Pígnora sunt, non crédita, sed creáta; non depósita, sed expósita.

The Lord is born, and sorrow breaks out, not in heaven but on earth; to mothers is proclaimed lamentation, to angels joy, to children translation. God is born, and innocence must be offered up to Him Who cometh to condemn the malice of the world. The Lamb that takes away the sins of the world is come to be crucified, and the tender flock is brought to the sacrifice. But the mothers will lament over them whose inarticulate bleating is silenced for ever. Let us turn a look on this great martyrdom, this heart-rending sorrow. The sword is drawn, though there is no offence to punish, only jealousy shrieking for Him Who is born, and does no violence. And here are mothers weeping over the lambs of the flock. In Ramah was there a voice heard, weeping and great mourning. which shall be returned hereafter, but they are pledges taken without being given, impounded without being entrusted.

R. Céntum / quadragínta quátuor míllia, qui empti sunt de terra, † hi sunt qui cum muliéribus non sunt coinquináti: * Vírgines enim permansérunt, ídeo regnant cum Deo, et Agnus Dei cum illis. V. Isti sunt qui venérunt ex magna tribulatióne, † et lavérunt stolas suas in sánguine Agni. R. Vírgines enim permansérunt, ídeo regnant cum Deo, et Agnus Dei cum illis. V. Gloria Patri... R.  Virgines...

R. A hundred and forty-four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth; these are they which were not defiled with women. * For they remained virgins; therefore are they kings before God, and the Lamb of God is with them. V. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb. R. For they remained virgins; therefore are they kings before God, and the Lamb of God is with them.

NR 190-1