Dominica in Sexagesima, Evangelium & Homilia

Dominica in Sexagesima, Evangelium & Homilia

Sexagesima Sunday

Station at St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls
(Click here to learn more about its history, architecture, and relics.)

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii Secundum Lucam (8: 4-15):

In illo témpore: Cum turba plúrima convenírent, et de civitátibus properárent ad Jesum, dixit per similitúdinem: Exiit, qui séminat, semináre semen suum: et dum séminat, áliud cécidit secus viam, et conculcátum est, et vólucres caeli comedérunt illud. Et áliud cécidit supra petram: et natum áruit, quia non habébat humórem. Et áliud cécidit inter spinas, et simul exórtæ spinæ suffocavérunt illud. Et áliud cécidit in terram bonam: et ortum fecit fructum céntuplum. Hæc dicens, clamábat: Qui habet aures audiéndi, áudiat. Interrogábant autem eum discípuli ejus, quæ esset hæc parábola. Quibus ipse dixit: Vobis datum est nosse mystérium regni Dei, céteris autem in parábolis: ut vidéntes non vídeant, et audiéntes non intélligant. Est autem hæc parábola: Semen est verbum Dei. Qui autem secus viam hi sunt qui áudiunt: deínde venit diábolus, et tollit verbum de corde eórum, ne credéntes salvi fiant. Nam qui supra petram: qui cum audíerint, cum gáudio suscípiunt verbum: et hi radíces non habent: qui ad tempus credunt, et in témpore tentatiónis recédunt. Quod autem in spinas cécidit: hi sunt, qui audiérunt, et a sollicitudínibus, et divítiis, et voluptátibus vitæ eúntes, suffocántur, et non réferunt fructum. Quod autem in bonam terram: hi sunt, qui in corde bono et óptimo audiéntes verbum rétinent, et fructum áfferunt in patiéntia.

῾Η παραβολὴ τοῦ σπορέως

4 Συνιόντος δὲ ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ τῶν κατὰ πόλιν ἐπιπορευομένων πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπε διὰ παραβολῆς· 5 ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι τὸν σπόρον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτὸν ὃ μὲν ἔπεσε παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ κατεπατήθη, καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατέφαγεν αὐτό· 6 καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν, καὶ φυὲν ἐξηράνθη διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἰκμάδα· 7 καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν, καὶ συμφυεῖσαι αἱ ἄκανθαι ἀπέπνιξαν αὐτό. 8 καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθήν, καὶ φυὲν ἐποίησε καρπὸν ἑκατονταπλασίονα. ταῦτα λέγων ἐφώνει· ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω. 9 ᾿Επηρώτων δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· τίς εἴη ἡ παραβολὴ αὕτη. 10 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς, ἵνα βλέποντες μὴ βλέπωσι καὶ ἀκούοντες μὴ συνιῶσιν. 11 ἔστι δὲ αὕτη ἡ παραβολή· ὁ σπόρος ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ· 12 οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν εἰσιν οἱ ἀκούσαντες, εἶτα ἔρχεται ὁ διάβολος καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν. 13 οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας οἳ ὅταν ἀκούσωσι, μετὰ χαρᾶς δέχονται τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὗτοι ρίζαν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, οἳ πρὸς καιρὸν πιστεύουσι καὶ ἐν καιρῷ πειρασμοῦ ἀφίστανται. 14 τὸ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας πεσόν, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀκούσαντες, καὶ ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν καὶ πλούτου καὶ ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου πορευόμενοι συμπνίγονται καὶ οὐ τελεσφοροῦσι. 15 τὸ δὲ ἐν τῇ καλῇ γῇ, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἵτινες ἐν καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον κατέχουσι καὶ καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν ὑπομονῇ.

From Matins of Sexagesima Sunday
Online Source: www.breviary.net

Third Nocturn
Absolutio: A vínculis peccatórum nostrórum absólvat nos omnípotens et miséricors Dóminus. R.  Amen.	Absolution:  May the Lord Almighty and merciful break the bonds of our sins and set us free. R.  Amen.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Pray, Sir (Lord), give me thy blessing.
Benedíctio 7: Evangélica léctio sit nobis salus et protéctio. R.  Amen.	Benediction 7:  May the Gospel's holy lection be our safeguard and protection. R.  Amen.
Lesson vii
Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Lucam	The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Chap. 8, 4-15
In illo témpore : Cum turba plúrima convenírent, et de civitátibus properárent ad Jesum, dixit per similitúdinem : Exiit qui séminat semináre semen suum.  Et réliqua.	At that time : When much people were gathered together, and were come to Jesus out of every city, he spake by a parable.  A sower went out to sow his seed.  And so on, and that which followeth.
Homilía sancti Gregórii Papæ	A Homily by St. Gregory the Pope
Homilía 15 in Evangelia
Parable of the Sower, by Van Gogh
Léctio sancti Evangélii, quam modo, fratres caríssimi, audístis, expositióne non índiget, sed admonitióne.  Quam enim per semetípsam Véritas expósuit, hanc discútere humána fragílitas non præsúmat.  Sed est quod sollícite in hac ipsa expositióne Domínica pensáre debeámus : quia si nos vobis semen verbum, agrum mundum, vólucres dæmónia, spinas divítias significáre dicerémus ad credéndum nobis mens fórsitan vestra dubitáret.  Unde et idem Dóminus per semetípsum dignátus est expónere quod dicébat, ut sciátis rerum significatiónes quærere in iis étiam, quæ per semetípsum nóluit explanáre.	Dearly beloved brethren, the passage from the Holy Gospel which ye have just heard, needeth not so much that I should explain it, as that I should seek to enforce its lesson.  For what the Truth himself hath explained, human weakness may not presume to comment upon.  But there is, in that very explanation by the Lord, something which we ought to consider carefully.  For if we had told you that the seed is meant to signify the Word, ye might have doubted our understanding.  Or if we had said that the field is the world ; and the birds, devils ; and the thorns, riches ; ye would perchance have denied the truth of our explanation.  Therefore the Lord himself vouchsafed to give this explanation ; and that, not for this parable only, but that ye may know in what manner to interpret others, whereof he hath not given the meaning.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Benedíxit Deus Noë, et fíliis ejus, et dixit ad eos : * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.V.  Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos. R.  Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.	R.  God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them : *   Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.V.  Behold I establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you. R.  Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Pray, Sir (Lord), give me 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
Exponéndo ergo quod dixit, figuráte se loqui innótuit : quátenus certos nos rédderet, cum vobis nostra fragílitas verbórum illíus figúras aperíret.  Quis enim mihi umquam créderet, si spinas divítias interpretári voluíssem? máxime cum illæ pugnant, istæ deléctent.  Et tamen spinæ sunt, quia cogitatiónum suárum punctiónibus mentem lácerant : et cum usque ad peccátum pértrahunt, quasi inflícto vúlnere cruéntant.  Quas bene hoc in loco, alio Evangelísta testánte, nequáquam Dóminus divítias, sed falláces divítias appéllat.	Beginning his explanation, the Lord saith that he speaketh in parable, that is he sheweth his language to be figurátive.  Hereby he giveth confidence to the preacher when, in spite of his incapacity, he must needs endeavour to lay open to you the hidden meaning of the Lord's words.  If I spake of myself, who would believe me when I say that riches are thorns?  Thorns prick, but riches lull to rest.  And yet riches are indeed thorns, for the anxiety they bring is a ceaseless pricking to the minds of their owners.  And, if they lead into sin, they are thorns which made us bleed with the wounds which they inflict.  But we understand from the Evangelist Matthew that in this place the Lord speaketh, not of riches themselves, but of the deceitfulness of riches.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos : * Neque erit deínceps dilúvium díssipans terram.V.  Arcum meum ponam in núbibus, et erit signum fœderis inter me et inter terram.  R.  Neque erit deínceps dilúvium díssipans terram.	R.  Behold I establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you : * Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.V.  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a Covenant betwixt me and the earth. R.  Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.	V.  Pray, Sir (Lord), give me 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
Falláces enim sunt, quæ nobíscum diu permanére non possunt : falláces sunt, quæ mentis nostræinópiam non expéllunt.  Solæ autem divítiæ veræsunt, quæ nos dívites virtútibus fáciunt.  Si ergo, fratres caríssimi, esse dívites cúpitis, veras divítias amáte.  Si culmen veri honóris quæritis, ad cæléste regnum téndite.  Si glóriam dignitátum dilígitis, in illa supérna Angelórum cúria adscríbi festináte.  Verba Dómini, quæ aure percípitis, mente retinéte.  Cibus enim mentis est sermo Dei : et quasi accéptus cibus stómacho languénte rejícitur, quando audítus sermo in ventre memóriæ non tenétur.  Sed quisquis aliménta non rétinet, hujus profécto vita desperátur.	Those riches are deceitful riches, which can be ours only for a little while ; those riches are deceitful riches, which cannot relieve the poverty of our souls.  They only are the true riches, which made us rich in virtues.  If then, dearly beloved brethren, ye seek to be rich, earnestly desire the true riches.  If ye would be truly honourable, strive after the kingdom of heaven.  If ye love the bravery of titles, hasten to have your names written down at the Court of the heavenly King, where Angels are.  Take to heart the Lord's words which your ear heareth.  The food of the soul is the Word of God.  When the stomach is sick it throweth up again the food which is put into it ; and so is the soul sick when a man heareth and digesteth not in his memory the Word of God.  For if any man canot keep his food, that man's life is in desperate case.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
NOTE : That from Septuagesima until the end of Passiontide the Hymn Te Deum is not said in the Office of the Season.  A Ninth Respond is said instead.
R.  Cum turba plúrima convenírent ad Jesum, et de civitátibus properárent ad eum, dixit per similitúdinem : * Exiit qui séminat, semináre semen suum. V.  Et dum séminat, áliud cécidit in terram bonam, et ortum fecit fructum céntuplum. R.  Exiit qui séminat, semináre semen suum. V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. R.  Exiit qui séminat, semináre semen suum.	R.  When much people were gathered together unto Jesus, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable : * A sower went out to sow his seed.V.  And as he sowed, some fell on good ground, and bare fruit an hundredfold. R.  A sower went out to sow his seed.V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R.  A sower went out to sow his seed.