Saturday in Passion Week - Matins readings and responsories

(St John 12:10-36; Augustine Tract 50)

Lectio 1: Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Ioánnem - In illo témpore: Cogitavérunt príncipes sacerdótum ut et Lázarum interfícerent: quia multi propter illum abíbant ex Iudǽis, et credébant in Iesum. Et réliqua. Homilía sancti Augustíni Epíscopi - Viso Lázaro resuscitáto, quia tantum miráculum Dómini tanta erat evidéntia diffamátum, tanta manifestatióne declarátum, ut non possent vel occúltare quod factum est, vel negáre: quid invenérunt, vidéte. Cogitavérunt autem príncipes sacerdótum ut et Lázarum interfícerent. O stulta cogitátio, et cæca sævítia! Dóminus Christus, qui suscitáre pótuit mórtuum, non posset occísum! Quando Lázaro inferebátis necem, numquid auferebátis Dómino potestátem? Si aliud vobis vidétur mórtuus, áliud occísus: ecce Dóminus utrúmque fecit, et Lázarum mórtuum, et seípsum suscitávit occísum.

Reading 1: From the holy Gospel according to John - At that time the chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also: Because many of the Jews, by reason of him, went away, and believed in Jesus. And so on. Homily by St Augustine, Bishop - When they saw Lazarus who had been raised from the dead, and knew that the miracle which the Lord had worked was so great, spread about by so many witnesses, and so plain and manifest that it could neither be concealed nor denied, they invented an expedient; and see here what it was--"But the chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death." What stupidity of thought, what blindness of cruelty is here! If the Lord Christ had raised up again a man who had died a natural death, could He not also raise up one that had died by violence? Would killing Lazarus paralyse the Lord? But if ye consider that there is a difference between a man dead of disease, and a man killed, behold, the Lord hath raised up both for He first raised up Lazarus, who had died a natural death, and then Himself, after a violent one.

℟. Tota die / contristátus ingrediébar, Dómine: † quóniam ánima mea compléta est illusiónibus: * Et vim faciébant, qui quærébant ánimam meam. ℣. Amíci mei et próximi mei advérsum me appropinquavérunt et stetérunt: † et qui iuxta me erant, de longe stetérunt. ℟. Et vim faciébant, qui quærébant ánimam meam.

℟. O Lord, I go mourning all the day long, for my soul is filled with a loathsome disease * They also that sought after my life have used violence against me. ℣. My friends and my neighbours draw near, and stand over against me; and they that are nearest to me stand afar off. ℟. They also that sought after my life have used violence against me.

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Lectio 2: In crástinum autem turba multa, quæ vénerat ad diem festum, cum audíssent quia venit Iesus Ierosólymam: accepérunt ramos palmárum, et processérunt obviam ei, et clamábant: Hosánna, benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini, Rex Israël. Rami palmárum laudes sunt, significántes victoriam: quia erat Dóminus mortem moriéndo superatúrus, et trophǽo crucis de diabolo mortis príncipe triumphatúrus. Vox autem obsecrántis est Hosánna, sicut nonnúlli dicunt, qui Hebrǽam linguam novérunt, magis afféctum índicans, quam rem áliquam signíficans, sicut sunt in lingua Latína, quas interiectiónes vocant: velut cum doléntes dícimus, heu; vel cum delectámur, vah dícimus.

Reading 2: On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm-trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel That cometh in the Name of the Lord!" Palm branches are glorious boughs which tell of victory; yea, the Lord was now ready by His Own Death to trample down death, and to carry the victorious banner of His Cross in triumph over the devil, the prince of death. The cry with which He was greeted, namely "Hosanna," hath not, as we are assured by some who are acquainted with the Hebrew language, any meaning in particular, but is a shout after the manner of interjections, as they are called, just as in Latin when we lament we say "Heu," or when we are pleased, "Vah."

℟. Ne avértas / fáciem tuam a púero tuo, Dómine: * Quóniam tríbulor, velóciter exáudi me. ℣. Inténde ánimæ meæ, et líbera eam: † propter inimícos meos éripe me. ℟. Quóniam tríbulor, velóciter exáudi me.

℟. O Lord, hide not thy face from thy servant * For I am in trouble; hear me speedily. ℣. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it; deliver me, because of mine enemies. ℟. For I am in trouble; hear me speedily.

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Lectio 3: Has ei laudes turba dicébat: Hosánna, benedíctus, qui venit in nómine Dómini, Rex Israël. Quam crucem mentis invidéntia príncipum Iudæórum pérpeti potúerat, quando Regem suum Christum tanta multitúdo clamábat? Sed quid fuit Dómino Regem esse Israël? Quid magnum fuit Regi sæculórum, Regem fíeri hóminum? Non enim Rex Israël Christus ad exigéndum tribútum, vel exércitum ferro armándum, hostésque visibíliter debellándos: sed Rex Israël, quod mentes regat, quod in ætérnum cónsulat, quod in regnum cælórum credéntes, sperántes, amantésque perdúcat.

Reading 3: These were the shouts of applause with which the crowd greeted Him, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel That cometh in the Name of the Lord!" What inward torture must the jealousy of the Jewish leaders have caused them, when they heard that great multitude hailing Christ as their King! But, for the Lord, what was it to be King of Israel? To the Eternal King what mattered it to become a King of men? And Christ is not King of Israel in the sense of monarchs who exact tribute, or arm hosts with steel to conquer enemies that are seen. But King of Israel He is, as He Who is Lord of our intellect, a Ruler Whose power shall never wane, and Who openeth a Kingdom in heaven to all such as centre in Him their faith, their hope, and their love.

℟. Quis dabit / cápiti meo aquam, et óculis meis fontem lacrimárum, et plorábo die ac nocte? † quia frater propínquus supplantávit me, * Et omnis amícus fraudulénter incéssit in me. ℣. Fiant viæ eórum ténebræ et lúbricum: † et Angelus Dómini pérsequens eos. ℟. Et omnis amícus fraudulénter incessit in me. ℟. Quis dabit cápiti meo aquam, et óculis meis fontem lacrimárum, et plorábo die ac nocte? † quia frater propínquus supplantávit me, * Et omnis amícus fraudulénter incéssit in me.

℟. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night! for my nearest brother hath supplanted me, * And my neighbour hath walked with slanders against me. ℣. Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them. ℟. And my neighbour hath walked with slanders against me. ℟. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night! for my nearest brother hath supplanted me, * And my neighbour hath walked with slanders against me.

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Oratio: Profíciat, quǽsumus, Dómine, plebs tibi dicáta, piæ devotiónis afféctu: † ut sacris actiónibus erudíta, quanto maiestáti tuæ fit grátior, * tanto donis potióribus augeátur. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Collect: Grant, O Lord, that thy people, which are consecrated to thy service may continually increase in all godly affections: that they being duly instructed in all holy learning, may both be made the more acceptable unto thy divine majesty, and prospered more abundantly in the gifts of thy bounty. 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.