In Festo S. Canisii (Apr 27), Acta

In Festo S. Canisii (Apr 27), Acta

From Matins of the Feast of St. Peter Canisius, SJ - Confessor, Doctor
Online 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
The town of Nimwegen, Netherlands
Petrus Canísius, Noviómagi in Gélria eo ipso anno natus est, quo Luthérus in Germánia apérta rebellióne ab Ecclésia descívit, et Ignátius de Loyóla, in Hispánia, terréstri milítia abdicáta, ad prœliánda prœlia Dómini se convértit ; Deo nimírum portendénte, quos ille posthac adversários, quem sacræ milítiæ ducem esset habitúrus.  Colóniæ Agrippínæ, quo studiórum causa concésserat, perpétuo castitátis voto se Deo obstrínxit, et paulo post Societáti Jesu nomen dedit.  Sacerdótio auctus, cathólicam fidem contra novatórum insídias legatiónibus, sermónibus, scriptis libris statim defendéndam suscépit.  Ob præcláram sapiéntiam et explorátum rerum usum a Cardináli Augustáno et a pontifíciis Legátis magnópere expetítus, semel atque íterum Concílio Tridentíno intérfuit ; cujus étiam decréta ex auctoritáte Pii quarti Pontíficis Máximi rite per Germániam promulgánda et in morem inducénda curávit.  A Paulo quarto ad convéntum Petricoviénsem ire jussus, aliísque a Gregório décimo tértio legatiónibus obeúndis adhíbitus, álacri semper et numquam fracto difficultátibus ánimo, gravíssima religiónis negótia tractávit, ac vel inter præséntia vitæ discrímina ad felícem éxitum perdúxit.	Peter Canisius was born at Nimwegen in the Netherlands, in the very year in which Luther openly rebelled against the Church in Germany, and in which Ignatius Loyola in Spain gave up earthly warfare to fight the battles of the Lord ; God thus shewed what adversaries he was to encounter, and under whose leadership he was to fight.  He made his studies at Cologne, where he took a vow to God of perpetual chastity, and shortly afterwards entered the Society of Jesus.  After his ordination as priest, he began at once to defend the Catholic faith against the wiles of the innovators by missions, sermons, and writing books.  His eminent wisdom and experience caused the Cardinal of Augsburg and the papal legates to invite him to the Council of Trent, and he was present at its sittings more than once.  Moreover, by the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, Pius IV, he was entrusted with the charge of making its decrees known in Germany and carrying them into effect.  Paul IV sent him to the Diet of Petrikau, and Gregory XIII entrusted him with the carrying out of other missions, all of which he undertook with an eager spirit, never conquered by any difficulties, and carried the most important affairs of religion through all the crises of this present life to a successful end.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Honéstum fecit illum Dóminus, et custodívit eum ab inimícis, et a seductóribus tutávit illum : *Et dedit illi claritátem ætérnam, allelúja.V.  Justum dedúxit Dóminus per vias rectas, et osténdit illi regnum Dei. R.  Et dedit illi claritátem ætérnam, allelúja.	R.  The Lord multiplied the fruit of his labours and defended him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those that lay in wait. * And gave him perpetual glory, alleluia. V.  The Lord guided the righteous in right paths, and shewed him the kingdom of God. R.  And gave him perpetual glory, alleluia.
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
Supérno caritátis igne, quem in Basílica Vaticána e penetrálibus Cordis Jesu olim copiose háuserat, inflammátus, et divínæ glóriæ amplificándæ únice inténtus dici vix potest, quot, per annos ámplius quadragínta, labóres suscéperit, ærumnásque pertúlerit, ut complúres Germániæ civitátes ac províncias vel ab hæréseos contagióne defénderet, vel, hæresi inféctas, cathólicæ Fídei restitúeret.  In Ratisbonénsi et in Augustáno convéntu impérii próceres ad jura Ecclésiæ tuénda et mores populórum emendándos excitávit : in Vormatiénsi insolescéntes impietátis magístros ad siléntium adégit.  A sancto Ignátio Germániæ Superióris provínciæ præféctus, domos et collégia multis locis cóndidit.  Collégium Germánicum, Romæ constitútum, omni ope provéhere atque amplificáre stúduit ; in academíis sacrárum humanarúmque disciplinárum stúdia, miserándum in modum collápsa, instaurávit ; contra Centuriatóres Magdeburgénses duo volúmina egrégie conscrípsit : et summam doctrínæ christiánæ, theologórum judício et público trium sæculórum usu ubíque probatíssimam, alíaque complúra ad populórum institutiónem valde accommodáta in vulgus édidit.  Quamóbrem, hæreticórum málleus et alter Germániæ apóstolus appellátus, plane dignus hábitus est, qui ad tutándam in Germánia religiónem divínitus eléctus putarétur.	Inflamed with the heavenly fire of charity, which he had once received in the Vatican basilica from the sanctuary of the Heart of Jesus, and intent only on increasing the glory of God, it is almost impossible to describe how, for more than forty years, he took upon himself laborious tasks, and endured hardship, that he might defend very many cities and provinces of Germany from the contagion of heresy, or restore to the Catholic faith those that were infected with heresy.  At the Diets of Ratisbon and Augsburg, he exhorted the princes of the Empire to defend the rights of the Church and reform the lives of their subjects.  At Worms he reduced the insolent teachers of ímpiety to silence.  St. Ignatius made him prefect of the province of Upper Germany, where he founded houses and colleges in many places.  He used every effort to advance and enlarge the German College founded at Rome ; he restored the study of sacred and profane learning in academies, which had fallen into a wretched condition.  He wrote two excellent volumes against the Centuriators of Magdeburg ; and he edited a summary of Christian doctrine, which has been thoroughly approved by the judgment of theologians and by common use everywhere for three centuries, as well as very many other works useful for public instruction in the vulgar tongue.  For all these reasons he was called the Hammer of the Heretics, and the Second Apostle of Germany, and is rightly thought to have been worthy of having been chosen by God to protect religion in Germany.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Amávit eum Dóminus, et ornávit eum : stolam glóriæ índuit eum, * Et ad portas paradísi coronávit eum, allelúja.V.  Induit eum Dóminus lorícam fídei, et ornávit eum. R.  Et ad portas paradísi coronávit eum, allelúja.	R.  The Lord loved him and adorned him; he clothed him with a robe of glory : * And crowned him at the gates of Paradise, alleluia.V.  The Lord hath put on him the breast-plate of faith, and hath adorned him. R.  And crowned him at the gates of Paradise, alleluia.
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
Inter hæc, precatióne crebra et assídua rerum supernárum commentatióne, lácrimis sæpe perfúsus et ánimo intérdum a sénsibus abdúcto, Deo se conjúngere sólitus erat.  A viris princípibus vel sanctitáte claríssimis et a quátuor Summis Pontifícibus magno in honóre hábitus, ádeo de se demísse sentiébat, ut se ómnium mínimum et díceret et habéret.  Vindobonénsem episcopátum semel, íterum ac tértio recusávit.  Moderatóribus suis obsequentíssimus, parátus erat ad ipsórum nutum ómnia relínquere aut ággredi, étiam cum valetúdinis et vitæ perículo.  Voluntária sui ipsíus coërcitióne castitátem perpétuo sepsit.  Demum Fribúrgi Helvetiórum, ubi plúrimum pro Dei glória et salúte animárum últimis vitæ suæ annis desudáverat, migrávit ad Deum die vicésima prima Decémbris anno millésimo quingentésimo nonagésimo séptimo, ætátis suæ séptimo supra septuagésimum.  Hunc vero strénuum cathólicæ veritátis propugnatórem Pius Papa nonus cælitum Beatórum honóribus adáuxit ; novis autem fulgéntem signis Pius undécimus, Póntifex máximus, anno jubilæi, Sanctórum número accénsuit, simúlque Doctórem universális Ecclésiæ declarávit.	In these activities he was accustomed to unite himself to God by frequent prayer and assiduous meditation on heavenly things, often bathed in tears and sometimes with his soul rapt in ecstasy.  He was held in great honour by men of rank, or of most distinguished holiness, and by four of the Supreme Pontiffs, but he thought so humbly of himself, that he spake of and held himself as the least of all.  He refused the bishoprick of Vienna no less than three times.  He was most obedient to his superiors, and ready at their mere nod to stop or to undertake all labours, even at the risk of his health and life.  He guarded his chastity with perpetual voluntary self-mortification.  At length, at Fribourg in Switzerland, where during the last years of his life he had laboured much for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, he passed to God on the 21st day of December, 1597, in the seventy-seventh year of his age.  This zealous champion of Catholic truth was adorned with the heavenly honours of the blessed by Pope Pius IX ; and, as fresh miracles added to his renown, the Supreme Pontiff Pius XI, in the year of the Jubilee, included him among the Saints, and at the same time declared him a Doctor of the Universal Church.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
The town of Fribourg, Switzerland
R.  Iste homo perfécit ómnia quæ locútus est ei Deus, et dixit ad eum : Ingrédere in réquiem meam : * Quia te vidi justum coram me ex ómnibus géntibus, allelúja. V.  Iste est, qui contémpsit vitam mundi, et pervénit ad cæléstia regna. R.  Quia te vidi justum coram me ex ómnibus géntibus, allelúja. V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. R.  Quia te vidi justum coram me ex ómnibus géntibus, allelúja.	R.  This is he which did according to all that God commanded him ; and God said unto him : Enter thou into my rest : * For thee have I seen righteous before me among all people, alleluia.V.  This is he which despised his life in this world, and is come unto an everlasting kingdom. R.  For thee have I seen righteous before me among all people, alleluia.V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R.  For thee have I seen righteous before me among all people, alleluia.