Sunday, January 03, 2010

In Festo S. Nominis Jesu (Dom. post Oct. Nativitatis)


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Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
(Sunday after the Octave of the Nativity)



Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam (1:21) 


In illo témpore: Postquam consummáti sunt dies octo, ut circumciderétur puer: vocátum est nomen ejus Jesus, quod vocátum est ab Angelo priúsquam in útero conciperétur.

Καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦς, τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου πρὸ τοῦ συλληφθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ.

From the Second Nocturn of Matins of the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Online source: www.breviary.net

Lesson vii
Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Lucam
The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Chap. 2, 21
In illo témpore : Postquam consummáti sunt dies octo, ut circumciderétur Puer : vocátum est nomen ejus Jesus.  Et réliqua.
At that time : When eight days were accomplished for the circumcision of the Child, his Name was called Jesus.   And so on, and that which followeth.
Homilía sancti Bernárdi Abbátis
A Homily by St. Bernard the Abbot
Sermo 1 de Circumcisione

Magnum et mirábile sacraméntum! Circumcíditur Puer, et vocátur Jesus.  Quid sibi vult ista connéxio?  Circumcísio nempe magis salvándi, quam Salvatóris esse vidétur ; et Salvatórem circumcídere pótius decet, quam circumcídi.  Sed agnósce mediatórem Dei et hóminum, qui ab ipso nativitátis suæ exórdio divínis humána sóciat, ima summis.  Náscitur ex mulíere, sed cui fœcunditátis fructus sic accédat, ut non décidat flos virginitátis.  Pannis invólvitur  ; sed panni ipsi angélicis láudibus honorántur.  Abscónditur in præsépio  ; sed próditur radiánte stella de cælo.  Sic et circumcísio veritátem suscéptæ probat humanitátis ; et nomen, quod est super omne nomen, glóriam índicat majestátis.  Circumcíditur tamquam verus Abrahæ fílius  ; Jesus vocátur tamquam verus Fílius Dei.
Behold a mystery, great and full of wonder!  The child is circumcised, and his Name is called Jesus.  Why are these two things thus mentioned together?  It would seem that circumcision should rather be for the saved than for the Saviour ; that the Saviour ought rather to be Circumciser than circumcised.  But behold here the Mediator between God and men, how even from his childhood he joineth the things of the Highest to the things of the lowest, the things of God to the things of men.  He is born of a woman, but her womb is made fruitful without the loss of the flower of her virginity.  He is wrapped in swaddling-bands, but these swaddling-bands are a theme for the jubilation of Angels.  He is laid in a manger, but a bright star standeth in heaven over the place.  So also in his Circumcision, the ceremony gave proof of the reality of the Manhood which he had taken, and that Name which is above every name proclaimed the glory of his blessed Majesty.  As very son of Abraham he underwent circumcision ; he assumed the Name of Jesus as very Son of God.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.
V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni : * Et nomen Dómini invocávi.
V.  Turris fortíssima nomen Dómini, in ipso sperávi, et adjútus sum.
R.  Et nomen Dómini invocávi.
R.  Whensoever I have found heaviness and sorrow, *Then have I called upon the Name of the Lord.
V.  For the Name of the Lord is a strong tower, wherein I have hoped and been holpen.
R.  Then have I called upon the Name of the Lord.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.
V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 8: Divínum auxílium máneat semper nobíscum.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 8: May help divine be with us all, for ever abiding.
R.  Amen.

Lesson viii

Neque enim ad instar priórum meus iste Jesus nomen vácuum aut ináne portat : non est in eo magni nóminis umbra, sed véritas.  Cælitus síquidem índitum nomen Evangelísta testátur, quod vocátum est ab Angelo, priúsquam in útero conciperétur.  Et atténde verbi profunditátem : Postquam natus est Jesus, Jesus vocátur ab homínibus, qui vocátus est ab Angelo, priúsquam in útero conciperétur.  Idem quippe et Angeli Salvátor et hóminis  ; sed hóminis ab incarnatióne, Angeli ab inítio creatúræ.  Vocátum est, ait, nomen ejus Jesus, quod vocátum est ab Angelo.  In ore ergo duórum vel trium téstium stat omne verbum  ; et ipsum, quod in Prophéta abbreviátum, maniféstius in Evangélio légitur caro factum.
My Jesus doth not bear this Name as an empty, honourific title, as did all others before him who were so named.  In him this Name is not the mere shadow cast by the great Name of God as our Saviour ; rather it is he himself that giveth the true meaning to this Name.  Wherefore his Name was revealed from heaven, as saith the Evangelist.  After he was born, men called him Jesus ; but Angels called him Jesus even before he was conceived in the womb.  Thus this same Lord is Saviour to the Angels as well as to man ; he became man's Saviour at his incarnation ; but to the Angels he was Saviour from the beginning of their creation.  And therefore, as saith the Evangelist : His Name was called Jesus, which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb.  And thus is fulfilled the Scripture which saith : At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.  So it was that the Word which the Prophet saith was cut short for Jewry is made manifest in the Gospel in all fulness, to wit : The Word was made flesh.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.
V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Exspectábo nomen tuum, Dómine, * Quóniam bonum est in conspéctu sanctórum tuórum.
V.  Ut confiteámur nómini sancto tuo, et gloriémur in laude tua.
R.  Quóniam bonum est in conspéctu sanctórum tuórum.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Quóniam bonum est in conspéctu sanctórum tuórum.
R.  I will hope in thy Name, O Lord, * For it is good in the sight of thy Saints.
V.  That we may give thanks unto thy Holy Name, and make our boast of thy praise.
R.  For it is good in the sight of thy Saints.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  For it is good in the sight of thy Saints.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.
V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.
Benedíctio 9: Ad societátem cívium supernórum perdúcat nos Rex Angelórum.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 9: May the King of Angels give us fellowship with all the citizens of heaven.
R.  Amen.

Lesson ix
Sermo 2 de Circumcisione

Mérito sane, dum circumcíditur puer, qui natus est nobis, Salvátor vocátur ; quod vidélicet ex hoc jam cœperit operári salútem nostram, immaculátum illum pro nobis sánguinem fundens.  Neque enim jam quærere est Christiánis, cur volúerit Dóminus Christus circumcídi.  Propter hoc síquidem circumcísus est, propter quod natus, propter quod passus.  Nihil horum propter se, sed ómnia propter eléctos.  Nec in peccáto génitus, nec a peccáto circumcísus, nec mórtuus est pro peccáto suo  ; magis autem propter delícta nostra.  Quod vocátum est, inquit, ab Angelo, priúsquam in útero conciperétur.  Vocátum plane, non impósitum : nempe hoc ei nomen est ab ætérno.  A natúra própria habet, ut sit Salvátor : innátum est ei nomen hoc, nonínditum ab humána vel angélica creatúra.
However, it is fitting that the Child which was born for man should, at the moment of his Circumcision, be called Saviour by man : because from that moment he began to work for our salvation by shedding for us that most pure blood.  Nor should Christians need to ask why the Lord Christ willed to be circumcised.  He was circumcised for the same reason for which he was born, and for which he suffered.  He desired none of these things for himself but all for the elect.  He was neither born in sin, nor circumcised from sin, nor did he die for his own sin ; but rather, he did all these things because of our sins.  He was called Jesus (saith the Gospel) by the Angel, before he was conceived in the womb.  That is to say, this Name was not merely attributed to him ; he was truly what he was called, for it was his from the very beginning ; he was Saviour by his very nature, so that this Name was natural to him, and therefore it was not bestowed upon him by any creature, man or Angel.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.
V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

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