Friday in Passion Week - Matins readings and responsories

(John 11:47-54; St Augustine Tract 49)

Lectio 1: Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Ioánnem - In illo témpore: Collegérunt pontífices et pharisǽi concílium advérsus Iesum, et dicébant: Quid fácimus, quia hic homo multa signa facit? Et réliqua. Homilía sancti Augustíni Epíscopi - Pontífices et pharisǽi sibi consulébant: nec tamen dicébant: Credamus. Plus enim pérditi hómines cogitábant, quómodo nocérent, ut pérderent, quam quómodo sibi consúlerent, ne perírent: et tamen timébant, et quasi consulebant. Dicébant enim: Quid fácimus, quia hic homo multa signa facit? Si dimittimus eum sic, omnes credent in eum: et vénient Románi, et tóllent nostrum locum et gentem. Temporália pérdere timuérunt, et vitam ætérnam non cogitavérunt, ac sic utrúmque amisérunt.

Reading 1: From the holy Gospel according to John - At that time chief priests and the Pharisees, gathered a council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? And so on. Homily of St Augustine, bishop - The chief Priests and the Pharisees took counsel together, but Let us believe in Him was not one of the suggestions offered. Those lost creatures thought much more how they might hurt and undo Him, than how they might save themselves from perishing. And yet they were afraid, and took counsel together, and said What do we? For this Man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him; and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation. They were afraid of losing temporal things, but they gave no thought to eternal life, and so they lost both.

℟. Deus meus / es tu, ne discédas a me: * Quóniam tribulátio próxima est, et non est qui ádiuvet. ℣. Tu autem, Dómine, ne elongáveris auxílium tuum a me: † ad defensiónem meam áspice. ℟. Quóniam tribulátio próxima est, et non est qui ádiuvet.

℟. Thou art my God be not far from me for trouble is near; * For there is none to help. ℣. But be not thy strength far from me; O Lord, haste thee to help me. ℟. For trouble is near; for there is none to help.

NR 347

Lectio 2: Nam et Románi post Dómini passiónem et glorificatiónem tulérunt eis et locum et gentem, expúgnando et transferéndo: et illud eos séquitur, quod álibi dictum est: Fílii autem regni huius ibunt in ténebras exteriores. Hoc autem timuérunt, ne, si omnes in Christum créderent, nemo remanéret, qui advérsus Romános civitátem Dei templúmque defénderet: quóniam contra ipsum templum, et contra suas patérnas leges doctrínam Christi esse sentiébant.

Reading 2: For, after that the Lord had suffered and been glorified, first came the Romans, and took away both their place and nation, prevailing against them and leading them away captive, and secondly there followeth them that which is written But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. But their fear was that, if all men should believe on Christ, none would remain to defend the city of God and His Temple against the Romans, since they deemed that Christ's teaching was against the Temple itself, and against the laws of their fathers.

℟. In te / iactátus sum ex útero, † de ventre matris meæ Deus meus es tu, ne discédas a me: * Quóniam tribulátio próxima est, et non est qui ádiuvet. ℣. Salva me ex ore leónis, et a córnibus unicórnium humilitátem meam. ℟. Quóniam tribulátio próxima est, et non est qui ádiuvet.

℟. I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God from my mother's belly; be not far from me. * For trouble is near, and there is none to help. ℣. Save me from the lion's mouth, and mine affliction from the horns of the unicorns. ℟. For trouble is near, and there is none to help.

NR 347

Lectio 3: Unus autem ex ipsis Cáiphas, cum esset Pontifex anni illíus, dixit eis: Vos nescítis quidquam, nec cogitátis, quia éxpedit vobis ut unus moriátur homo pro pópulo, et non tota gens péreat. Hoc autem a semetípso non dixit: sed cum esset póntifex anni illíus, prophetávit. Hic docémur, étiam hómines malos prophetíæ spíritu futúra prædícere: quod tamen Evangelísta divíno tríbuit sacraménto, quia póntifex fuit, id est summus sacérdos.

Reading 3: And one of them, named Ca'iphas, being the High Priest that same year, said unto them: Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself but being High Priest that year, he prophesied. Here we will learn that bad men are enabled by the spirit of prophecy to foretell the future; which, at the same time, the Evangelist attributeth to an ordinance of God, namely, that he was the High Priest.

℟. In próximo / est tribulátio mea, Dómine, et non est qui ádiuvet; † ut fódiant manus meas et pedes meos: líbera me de ore leónis, * Ut enárrem nomen tuum frátribus meis. ℣. Erue a frámea, Deus, ánimam meam, et de manu canis únicam meam. ℟. Ut enárrem nomen tuum frátribus meis. ℟. In próximo est tribulátio mea, Dómine, et non est qui ádiuvet; † ut fódiant manus meas et pedes meos: líbera me de ore leónis, * Ut enárrem nomen tuum frátribus meis.

℟. O Lord, my trouble is near, and there is none to help me; or ever they pierce my hands and my feet, save me from the lion's mouth! * That I may declare thy Name unto my brethren. ℣. O God, deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog. ℟. That I may declare thy Name unto my brethren. ℟. O Lord, my trouble is near, and there is none to help me; or ever they pierce my hands and my feet, save me from the lion's mouth! * That I may declare thy Name unto my brethren.

NR 348

Oratio: Córdibus nostris, quǽsumus, Dómine, grátiam tuam benígnus infúnde: † ut peccáta nostra castigatióne voluntária cohibéntes, * temporáliter pótius macerémur, quam supplíciis deputémur ætérnis. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Collect: We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts, that all we who of our own will do check our sins with the curb of mortification, may suffer here, and escape condemnation to eternal punishment hereafter. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.