[Rank]
In Dedicatione Basilicarum Ss. Apostolorum Petri and Pauli.;;Duplex maius;;3;;ex C8

[Rank1960]
In Dedicatione Basilicarum Ss. Apostolorum Petri et Pauli.;;Duplex;;3;;vide C8

[RankNewcal]
In Dedicatione Basilicarum Ss. Apostolorum Petri et Pauli.;;Duplex optional;;2;;vide C8

[Rule]
vide C8;
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
O God, who dost every year bring round unto us again the day whereon this thine~
holy temple was hallowed, and bringest us again in soundness of body and mind to~
be present at thine holy worship, graciously hear the supplications of thy~
people, and grant that whosoever shall come into this thine house to ask good at~
thine hand, may be rejoiced in the obtaining of all his request.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Among the hallowed places which have from of old time been held in honour among~
Christians, the most famous and sought after were those where the bodies of the~
Saints were buried, or where there was some trace or token of the Martyrs. Among~
these spots so hallowed hath been ever among the most noteworthy that place on~
the Vatican Hill which is called the Confession * of St Peter. Thither~
Christians do come from all parts of the earth as unto the rock of faith and the~
foundation-stone of the Church, and surround with godly reverence and love the~
spot hallowed by the grave of the Prince of the Apostles.

[Lectio5]
Whither came the Emperor Constantine the Great upon the eighth day after his~
Baptism, and, taking off his crown, cast himself down upon the ground, and wept~
abundantly. Then presently he took a spade and pick-axe, and began to break up~
the earth, whereof he carried away twelve baskets-full in honour of the twelve~
Apostles, and built a Church upon that spot, appointed for the Cathedral Church~
of the Prince of the Apostles. This Church was hallowed by holy Pope Silvester~
upon the 18th day of November, in like manner as he had hallowed the Church of~
the Lateran upon the 9th day of the same month. In this Church did the Pope set~
up an altar of stone, and pour ointment thereon, and ordain that from~
thenceforth no altars should be set up, save of stone. The same Emperor~
Constantine likewise built a very stately Church upon the road to Ostia, in~
honour of the holy Apostle Paul, which Church also was hallowed by the blessed~
Silvester. These Churches the Emperor enriched by grants of much land, and~
adorned with exceedingly rich gifts.

[Lectio6]
The Church of St Peter upon the Vatican fell in course of time to ruins, and~
having been rebuilt from the foundations, enlarged and garnished, by the zeal of~
many Popes, was solemnly consecrated anew by Urban VIII., upon the same day, in~
the year 1628. The Church of St Paul upon the road to Ostia was almost entirely~
consumed by fire in the year 1823, but was rebuilt in a more splendid form and,~
as it were, raised from the dead, by the unwearied zeal of four successive~
Popes. In the year 1854 Pius IX. seized the happy occasion when the doctrine~
concerning the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, which he had just set~
forth, had drawn together to Rome a great multitude of Cardinals and Bishops~
from all quarters of the Catholic world, solemnly to dedicate this new Church in~
their presence upon the 10th day of December in the year aforesaid; but he~
decreed that the yearly Feast in honour of that dedication should be kept upon~
this day, being the same as that of the Dedication of the Church of St Peter.

[Lectio94]
Among the holy places which have been held in honor among Christians from the beginning, one of the foremost has always been the Confession of St. Peter in the Vatican, made sacred by the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles. Here Constantine the Great is said to have prostrated himself on the ground and, with pick and shovel, to have marked but the place for the basilica, which he built at his own expense. This basilica was dedicated on November 18 by Pope St Sylvester. It was at that time that he decreed that henceforth altars were to be made only of stone. Eventually, having deteriorated with age this basilica was rebuilt from its foundations with greater magnificence. The loving care of several successive popes saw to the long task of rebuilding, and in 1626 Pope Urban VIII solemnly dedicated the new basilica on the anniversary of the original dedication. In the same way, the basilica of St. Paul on the Ostian Way was very richly built by Emperor Constantine and consecrated by St. Sylvester. Then, after it had been destroyed by a great fire, it was rebuilt more splendidly than before by the untiring devotion of four popes. And Pius IX, surrounded by a solemn assembly of bishops, consecrated it on the auspicious occasion of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
&teDeum

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 19:1-10
At that time Jesus entering in, he walked through Jericho. And behold, there was a~
man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.~
And so on.
_
Homily by Pope St Gregory (the Great,)
!Bk. xxviii. of Moral {Reflections on Job\ ch. 27.
If we would be truly wise, and behold wisdom herself, we must humbly acknowledge~
ourselves to be fools. Let us cast away harmful wisdom, and learn praiseworthy~
folly. For this reason indeed is it written God hath chosen the foolish things~
of the world, to confound the wise. (1 Cor. i. 27.) And again it is said If any~
man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he~
may be wise. (iii. 18.) And unto this doth the very Gospel bear witness, wherein~
it is said that Zacchasus sought to see Jesus, Who He was; and could not for the~
press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a~
sycamore tree to see Him; for He was to pass that way. For this name Sycamore,~
being interpreted, signifieth the Foolish Fig. 

[Lectio8]
Little Zacchaeus therefore accepted the humiliation of having recourse to the~
sycamore and saw the Lord. They who humbly choose to be fools in the estimation~
of the world, have a deep insight into the wisdom of God. The press standeth in~
our way, on account of our little stature, when we are fain to see the Lord; for~
the toilsome din of worldly business tormenteth our weak minds, so as to hinder~
our perceiving the light of the truth. But we climb up wisely into the sycamore~
tree, if we willingly give up our minds to that folly which God giveth unto us.~
What can be more utter folly (in this world) than not to seek for that we have~
lost, to leave that whereof we have been robbed in the hands of our despoilers,~
to take no revenge for wrongs which have been done us, yea, even to offer to him~
that taketh away our cloak, our coat also, and be patient?

[Lectio9]
The Lord biddeth us, as it were, to climb up into the sycamore, where He saith~
Of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. (Luke vi. 30.) And again~
Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.~
(Matth. v. 39.) From the boughs of this sycamore tree, the Lord is seen passing~
by. He may indeed, as yet, not be seen face to Face, but by this wise folly the~
inward eye may see the Wisdom of God, as it were, passing by, even that Wisdom~
Which they that are wise in their own conceit cannot see. They are mixed up in~
the overbearing press of their own imaginations, and have not yet found the~
sycamore tree where into to climb up, if they would see the Lord.
&teDeum
