In Festo S. Theresiae Virginis (Oct. 15), Acta

In Festo S. Theresiae Virginis (Oct. 15), Acta

Source: www.breviary.net

Second Nocturn
Absolutio: Ipsíus píetas et misericórdia nos ádjuvet, qui cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum. R.  Amen.	Absolution:  May his loving-kindness and mercy assist us.  Who, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever. R.  Amen.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 4: Deus Pater omnípotens sit nobis propítius et clemens. R.  Amen.	Benediction 4:  May God the Father Almighty shew us his mercy and pity. R.  Amen.
Lesson iv
Avila, Spain, where St. Teresa was born in the year of our Lord 1515
Terésia Virgo, nata est Abulæ in Hispánia paréntibus tum génere tum pietáte præcláris.  Ab iis divíni timóris lacte educáta, admirándum futúræ sanctitátis in tenérrima adhuc ætáte spécimen dedit.  Nam, cum sanctórum Mártyrum acta perlégeret, ádeo in ejus meditatióne Sancti Spíritus ignis exársit, ut, domo aufúgiens, in Africam trajíceret, ubi vitam pro glória Jesu Christi et animárum salúte profúnderet.  A pátruo revocáta, ardens martyrii desidérium eleemósynis aliísque piis opéribus compensávit, júgibus lácrimis deplórans óptimam sibi sortem fuísse præréptam.  Mórtua matre, cum a beatíssima Vírgine péteret ut se matrem esse monstráret, pii voti compos effécta est ; semper perínde ac fília patrocínio Deíparæ pérfruens.  Vigésimum ætátis annum agens, ad moniáles sanctæ Maríæ de Monte Carmélo se cóntulit.  Ibi, per duodevigínti annos gravíssimis morbis et váriis tentatiónibus vexáta, constantíssime méruit in castris christiánæ pœniténtiæ, nullo refécta pábulo cæléstium eárum consolatiónum quibus solet étiam in terris sánctitas abundáre.	The virgin Teresa was the daughter of a father and mother, equally honourable on account of their birth and of their godliness, and was born at Avila in Spain.  She was brought up from the dawn of her life in the fear of God, and when still only seven years old she gave startling forecast of the holy earnestness of her later years.  The reading of the acts of the holy martyrs so inflamed and excited her imagination, that she ran away from her father's house, with the design of going to Morocco and the hope there to lay down her life for the glory of Christ Jesus and the salvation of souls.  She was met by an uncle and brought back to her mother, and was fain to slake her thirst for martyrdom by giving to the poor all the alms she could, and by other godly exercises, though still ever bewailing with tears that the highest prize had been snatched from her.  Upon the death of her mother she besought the blessed Virgin to be a mother to her in her stead.  This she gained ; thenceforth she lived always as a daughter under the shelter of the Mother of God.  In the twentieth year of her age she withdrew herself among the nuns of St. Mary of Mount Carmel.  There she dwelt for two-and-twenty years, tormented by grievous sicknesses and divers temptations, and so bravely served her time in the hardest ranks of Christ's army, starved even of that comforting knowledge of God's reconciled love, wherein his holy children are so commonly used even upon earth to rejoice.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
The House of Santa Teresa, Avila
R.  Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam : * Et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua. V.  Spécie tua et pulchritúdine tua inténde, próspere procéde, et regna. R.  Et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.	R.  Ride on because of the Word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness : * And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. V.  In thy comeliness, yea, in thy beauty, go forth, ride prosperously, and reign. R.  And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 5: Christus perpétuæ det nobis gáudia vitæ. R.  Amen.	Benediction 5: May Christ bestow upon us the joys of life eternal. R.  Amen.
Lesson v
Angélicis ditáta virtútibus, non modo própriam, sed públicam étiam salútem sollícita caritáte curávit.  Quare severiórem véterum Carmelitárum régulam, Deo afflánte et Pio quarto approbánte, primum muliéribus, deínde viris observándam propósuit.  Efflóruit in eo consílio omnípotens miseréntis Dómini benedíctio ; nam duo supra trigínta monastéria inops virgo pótuit ædificáre, ómnibus humánis destitúta auxíliis, quinímmo adversántibus plerúmque sæculi princípibus.  Infidélium et hæreticórum ténebras perpétuis deflébat lácrimis, atque, ad placándam divínæ ultiónis iram, voluntários próprii córporis cruciátus Deo pro eórum salúte dicábat.  Tanto autem divíni amóris incéndio cor ejus conflagrávit, ut mérito víderit Angelum igníto jáculo sibi præcórdia transverberántem, et audíerit Christum, data déxtera, dicéntem sibi : Deínceps, ut vera sponsa, meum zelábis honórem.  Eo consiliánte, máxime árduum votum emísit efficiéndi semper quidquid perféctius esse intellígeret.  Multa cæléstis sapiéntiæ documénta conscrípsit, quibus fidélium mentes ad supérnæ pátriæ desidérium máxime excitántur.	Strengthened in the graces of an angel, the wideness of her love embraced in its tender care the salvation of other souls as well as her own.  To this end, under the blessing of God, and the approbation of Pius IV, she set, first before women and then before men, the observance of the stern Rule of the Old Carmelites.  The blessing of the Almighty and merciful Lord did indeed rest most evidently upon this design.  This penniless virgin, helped by no man, and in the teeth of many that were great in this world, was enabled to build two-and-thirty houses.  The darkness of unbelievers and misbelievers drew from her unceasing tears, and she willingly gave up her own body to God to be tortured, to soften the fury of his indignation against them.  His own love so blazed in her heart that she attained to see an Angel run her through with a fiery spear, and Christ himself take her by the hand, and to hear him say : Henceforth thou shalt love mine honour as a wife indeed.  At his inspiration she took the extremely difficult vow to do always that which should seem to her to be most perfect.  She wrote much, full of heavenly wisdom, whereby the minds of the faithful are enkindled to long for the Fatherland above.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa
R.  Dilexísti justítiam, et odísti iniquitátem : *Proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ. V.  Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam. R.  Proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ.	R.  Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity : * Wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness. V.  Because of the Word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness. R.  Wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 6: Ignem sui amóris accéndat Deus in córdibus nostris. R.  Amen.	Benediction 6: May God enkindle in our hearts the fire of his holy love. R.  Amen.
Lesson vi
Cum autem assídua éderet exémpla virtútum, tam ánxio castigándi córporis desidérioæstuábat, ut, quamvis secus suadérent morbi quibus afflictabátur, corpus cilíciis, caténis, urticárum manípulis aliísque aspérrimis flagéllis sæpe cruciáret, et aliquándo inter spinas volutáret, sic Deum álloqui sólita : Dómine, aut pati aut mori ; se semper misérrima morte pereúntem exístimans, quámdiu a cælésti ætérnæ vitæ fonte abésset.  Prophetíæ dono excélluit, eámque divínis charismátibus tam liberáliter locupletábat Dóminus, ut sæpius exclámans péterent benefíciis in se divínis modum impóni, nec tam céleri oblivióne culpárum suárum memóriam aboléri.  Intolerábili ígitur divíni amóris incéndio pótius quam vi morbi, Albæ cum decúmberet, prænuntiáto suæ mortis die, ecclesiásticis sacraméntis muníta, alúmnos ad pacem, caritátem et regulárem observántiam adhortáta, sub colúmbæ spécie puríssimam ánimam Deo réddidit, annos nata sexagínta septem annos millésimo quingentésimo octogésimo secúndo, Idibus Octóbris, juxta Kalendárii Románi emendatiónem.  Ei moriénti adésse visus est inter Angelórum ágmina Christus Jesus ; et arbor árida, cellæ próxima, statim efflóruit.  Ejus corpus, usque ad hanc diem incorrúptum, odoráto liquóre circumfúsum, pia veneratióne cólitur.  Miráculis cláruit ante et post óbitum, eámque Gregórius décimus quintus in Sanctórum númerum rétulit.	Earnest as were the ensamples of graces which she had shewn, and grievous as was the state of her body, afflicted by disease, she still burnt with the desire of tormenting it.  She tortured it with sackcloth, chains of spikes, handfuls of nettles, and heavy scourging.  She rolled herself sometimes among thorns, and was used to cry to God : Lord! to suffer, or to die!  As long as she remained exiled from the heavenly Fountain of eternal life, her life was to her a lingering death.  She was eminent for the gift of prophecy, and God did indeed so pour forth his bounties upon her, that she often cried to him in entreaty not to bless her so as to make her forget her sins.  It was worn out rather by the fever of her love than by the wasting of disease that she sank upon her deathbed at Alva.  She foretold the day of her own death, received the Sacraments of the Church, and exhorted her disciples to peace, love, and strictness in observing the Rule, and then her soul, like a pure dove, winged its flight to rest with God, on the 15th day of October in the year 1582, New Style, being then 67 years of age.  At her death she had a vision of Christ Jesus surrounded by Angels.  A dead tree hard by the cell instantly broke into foliage.  Her body is untouched by corruption even unto this day, and lieth in a sort of perfumed oil, regarded with godly reverence.  She was famous for miracles both before and after her death, and was numbered by Gregory XV, among the Saints.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
St. Teresa died in the year and at the day in which the Kalendar was changed, about 9PM on the evening of the 4th Oct., as we generally reckon, but the First Vespers of the next day counted the 15th, being passed, that day is the one to which her death belongs according to the Church reckoning.