In Festo S. Athanasii (Mai. 2), Acta

In Festo S. Athanasii (Mai. 2), Acta

From Matins of the Feast of St. Athanasius, Confessor, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
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
Ancient Christian Church in Egypt
Athanásius Alexandrínus, cathólicæ religiónis propugnátor acérrimus, ab Alexándro epíscopo Alexandríno diáconus factus est, in cujus locum succéssit.  Quem étiam ántea secútus fúerat ad Nicænum Concílium ; ubi cum Aríi impietátem repressísset, tantum ódium Arianórum suscépit, ut ex eo témpore ei insídias molíri numquam destíterint.  Nam coácto ad Tyrum concílio magna ex parte Arianórum episcopórum, subornárunt muliérculam, quæ accusáret Athanásium, quod hospítio accéptus sibi stuprum per vim intulísset.  Introdúctus ígitur est Athanásius, et una cum eo Timótheus présbyter ; qui símulans se esse Athanásium, Ego ne, inquit, múlier, apud te sum diversátus? ego te violávi?  Cui illa petulánter : Tu mihi vim attulísti ; idque jurejurándo affírmans, júdicum fidem obtestabátur, ut tantum flagítium vindicárent.  Qua cógnita fraude, rejécta est mulíeris impudéntia.	The great Athanasius, the lealest soldier that the Catholic Religion hath perhaps ever had, was an Alexandrian.  He was ordained Deacon by Alexander, Bishop of that city, whom he afterwards succeeded.  He had followed Alexander to the Council of Nicaea, where he wrestled triumphantly against the blasphemy of Arius.  For this reason he was honoured with so much of their hatred by the Arians, that their vindictiveness never forsook him from that time forward.  They called together a Council at Tyre, composed for the most part of Arian bishops, where they suborned a wretched woman to charge Athanasius with having raped her when she had received him as a guest into her house.  Athanasius therefore came into the assembly, and with him a certain priest, whose name was Timothy.  This Timothy arose as though he were Athanasius, and asked her, saying : Woman, was it I that raped thee?  She cried out indignantly : Yea, thou it was that didst rape me, the which she attested with an oath, and called on the honour of the judges to punish such iniquity.  Upon this discovery of her perjury, they drave the shameless woman from their presence.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
R.  Invéni David servum meum, óleo sancto meo unxi eum : * Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei, allelúja. V.  Nihil profíciet inimícus in eo, et fílius iniquitátis non nocébit ei. R.  Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei, allelúja.	R.  I have found David my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him. * My hand shall hold him fast, alleluia. V.  The enemy shall not be able to do him violence ; the son of wickedness shall not hurt him. R.  My hand shall hold him fast, 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
Arsénium quoque epíscopum ab Athanásio interféctum Ariáni pervulgárunt ; quem dum occúlte détinent, manum mórtui déferunt in judícium, ab Athanásio ad usum mágicæ artis Arsénio amputátam criminántes.  At Arsénius noctu aufúgiens, cum se in conspéctu totíus concílii statuísset, Athanásii inimicórum impudentíssimum scelus apéruit.  Quod illi nihilóminus mágicis ártibus Athanásii tribuéntes, vitæ ejus insidiári non desistébant.  Quam ob rem in exsílium actus, in Gállia apud Tréviros exsulávit.  Grávibus deínceps ac diutúrnis sub Constántio imperatóre, Arianórum fautóre, tempestátibus jactátus et incredíbiles calamitátes perpéssus, magnam orbis terræ partem peragrávit ; ac sæpe e sua ecclésia ejéctus, sæpe étiam in eámdem et Júlii, Románi Pontíficis, auctoritáte, et Constántis imperatóris, Constántii fratris, patrocínio, decrétis quoque concílii Sardicénsis ac Jerosolymitáni, restitútus est, Ariánis intérea illi semper inféstis ; quorum pertinácem iram, et summum vitæ discrímen fúgiens, in sicca cistérna quinque annis se ábdidit, ejus rei tantum cónscio quodam Athanásii amíco, qui eum clam sustentábat.	The Arians also accused Athanasius of having murdered the Bishop Arsenius.  This Arsenius they kept shut up, and brought into the court a dead man's hand, which they declared had been his, and had been cut off by Athanasius to use in sorcery.  But Arsenius escaped in the night, and when he appeared before all the Council whole and sound, the brazen-faced crime of the enemies of Athanasius was exposed.  This appearance nevertheless they attributed to Athanasius being a warlock, and persisted still in their attack on him.  He was driven into exile, and banished to Treves in Gaul.  Thenceforth, under authority of the Emperor Constantius, that abettor of Arians, he was hunted to and fro with unceasing persecutions.  He suffered hardships which it is difficult to believe.  He was sent wandering all about the Roman world.  He was twice more thrust out of his See, and again restored through the authority of Pope Julius of Rome, and with the protection of the Emperor Constans, the brother of Constantius, by decrees of the Councils of Sardica and of Jerusalem.  The vindictiveness of the Arians never let him alone.  In his third exile so great was the danger of his life from the pursuit of their undying hatred, that he had to lie hid for five years in a dry cistern, unknown to all men, save one of his friends who brought him food.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
The Church of Saint-Aubin, Treves
R.  Pósui adjutórium super poténtem, et exaltávi eléctum de plebe mea : * Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei, allelúja. V.  Invéni David servum meum, óleo sancto meo unxi eum. R.  Manus enim mea auxiliábitur ei, allelúja.	R.  I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people. * My hand shall hold him fast, alleluia.V.  I have found David, my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him. R.  My hand shall hold him fast, 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
The River Nile
Constántio mórtuo, cum Juliánus Apóstata, qui ei in império succéssit, éxsules epíscopos ad suas ecclésias redíre permisísset, Athanásius Alexandríam revérsus, summo honóre excéptus est.  Sed non multo post, iísdem Ariánis impelléntibus, a Juliáno exagitátus, rursus discédere cógitur.  Cumque ab ejus satellítibus ad necem conquirerétur, qua fugiébat navícula convérsa in contráriam flúminis partem, iis qui se insequebántur, ex indústria occúrrit ; et quæréntibus quantum inde abésset Athanásius, respóndit eum non longe abésse : ítaque illos contrárium tenéntes cursum effúgit, atque Alexandríam rédiens, ibídem usque ad Juliáni óbitum occúltus permánsit.  Qui paulo post, Alexandríæ ália exórta tempestáte, quátuor menses in patérno sepúlcro delítuit.  Ac dénique ex tot tantísque perículis divínitus eréptus, Alexandríæ mórtuus est in suo léctulo, sub Valénte : cujus vita et mors magnis nobilitáta est miráculis.  Multa pie et ad illustrándum cathólicam fidem præcláre scripsit, sexque et quadragínta annos in summa témporum varietáte Alexandrínam ecclésiam sanctíssime gubernávit.	After the death of Constantius, Julian the Apostate, who succeeded him, allowed every sort of bishop who had been banished to return to their own Churches.  Athanasius therefore returned to Alexandria, and was received with profound reverence.  But it was not long before the same Arians got Julian to hunt him down again, and again it behoved him to fly.  A band of soldiers were sent in pursuit of him to kill him, and as he fled up the Nile, their boat pressed hard on his.  Athanasius, before they were yet in sight, had his own boat turned round, and went down the stream to meet them.  As the vessels passed one another the murderers called out to ask if they knew where Athanasius was, and the servant of God himself cried to them in answer, Ye are close to him! whereupon they redoubled their exertions to ascend the stream, and Athanasius went peacefully down to Alexandria, and found means of concealment till the death of Julian.  Yet once again he had to fly from another persecution at Alexandria, and in this his fifth and last exile he hid himself for four months in his own father's sepulchre.  From all these so many and so great dangers did God deliver him, and at last he died in his own bed at Alexandria in the reign of Valens.  He wrote much that is both godly and luminous in explaining the Catholic Faith, and governed the Church of Alexandria in great holiness, amid all changes of weather, for six and forty years.
V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis. R.  Deo grátias.	V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. R.  Thanks be to God.
St. Athanasius, who died upon the 2nd day of May, in the year of salvation 373
R.  Iste est, qui ante Deum magnas virtútes operátus est, et omnis terra doctrína ejus repléta est : * Ipse intercédat pro peccátis ómnium populórum, allelúja.V.  Iste est, qui contémpsit vitam mundi, et pervénit ad cæléstia regna. R.  Ipse intercédat pro peccátis ómnium populórum, allelúja.V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. R.  Ipse intercédat pro peccátis ómnium populórum, allelúja.	R.  This is he who wrought mighty deeds and valiant in the sight of God, and all the earth is filled with his doctrine: * May his intercession avail for the sins of all the people, alleluia.V.  He was a man who despised the life of the world and attained unto the kingdom of heaven. R.  May his intercession avail for the sins of all the people, alleluia.V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R.  May his intercession avail for the sins of all the people, alleluia.