[Rank]
ln Octavam S. Joannis Baptistae;;Duplex;;3;;vide Sancti/06-24

[Rule]
vide C1;
9 lectiones
					
[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of St Maximus, Bishop of Turin.
!3rd for the Birth-day of St John the Baptist.
Dearly beloved brethren, the feast which we this day keep hath been hallowed by~
the true Birth of the worshipful Baptist, John. He was a man whom God was~
pleased to send into this world, not only that he himself might fill the~
glorious office of a Prophet, but also that by him the words of all the other~
Prophets might be established. That we should give him, as we now do, the~
chiefest honour among them all, is right for he had poured upon him this~
special blessing, that, being the last who prophesied in the world the coming of~
Him Who came to redeem the world, he was the first who, when He came, pointed to~
Him as already come. The other Prophets, at the distance of ages, knew that our~
Lord Jesus Christ was to come the Prophet John alone was worthy to see Him~
with his very eyes, and to proclaim Him actually present.

[Lectio5]
This is he concerning whom the seer Isaiah, by the inspiration of God, said: The~
voice of him that crieth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord.~
(xl. 3.) How meetly, dearly beloved brethren, is this blessed John called a~
voice he who was sent to be at once the herald and the witness of the Word from~
heaven This is he whose birth, whose name, and whose work were foretold by the~
angel Gabriel. This is he who in the sight of heavenly knowledge is more~
honourable than any other man, as hath been declared by the Lord Among them~
that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.~
(Matth. xi. 11.) How beautifully is it said, born of women  since He Who was~
infinitely greater than John was born of a Virgin

[Lectio6]
In sight of these things, consider, dearly beloved brethren, in how great~
worship, in how great love ye are behoven to hold him, who is thus honourable,~
that he hath been foretold by the Holy Ghost, promised by an Angel, extolled by~
the Lord Himself, and hallowed by the everlasting glory of an holy death. His~
birth, surrounded with wonders, is the meet beginning of a wondrous life, that~
holy, sinless life the meet fore-runner of a death which was a gift to God. It~
is but just then, my brethren, that the Church of Christ should on this day with~
keen joy keep throughout the whole world the Feast of his Birth, even his, who~
arose a right faithful witness to tell a wondering world that a life of eternal~
gladness was lying open to the choice of dying creatures.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 1:57-65
Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered and she brought forth a~
son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great~
mercy upon her and they rejoiced with her. And so on.
_
Homily by St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.
!Bk ii. on Luke i.
 He shall be called John. Elizabeth who had herself prophesied of Christ, could~
not fail to recognise the Fore-runner of the Lord. It is well added: There is~
none of thy kindred that is called by this name whereby we know that he was~
named, not as the son of Zacharias, but as the Prophet of God. And they made~
signs to his father, how he would have him called  but since unbelief had~
bereft him of voice and hearing, he was not able to answer them by word of mouth,~
and he asked for a writing-table and wrote, saying His name is John.

[Lectio8]
He asked for a writing-table and wrote, saying His name is John he giveth not~
this name to his son, but maketh known that it is already his. And his mouth was~
opened immediately unbelief had shut it, faith opened it. If, then, we likewise~
would speak, let us believe let our tongues, which unbelief hath tied, be~
opened to speak wisdom.

[Lectio9]
If we be fain to speak, let us engrave deep things upon our memories let us~
engrave the fact that Christ is at hand, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy~
tables of the heart. (2 Cor. iii. 3.) He that spake of John prophesied of~
Christ. Let us so speak of John, as to speak of Christ, that our mouth also may~
be opened, as was the mouth of the great Priest Zacharias which, like the mouth~
of a dumb beast constrained by the bit, was forced by a wavering faith to make~
voiceless signs.
&teDeum

[Commemoratio 2]
!Commemoratio Octavae Ss. Petri and Pauli
Ant. Glorious princes of the Earth, as in this life you were honored together,~
you are not separated by death 
_
V. Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth:
R. And their words unto the ends of the world.
_
$Oremus.
O God, Who didst hallow this day by the Testifying of thine Holy Apostles Peter~
and Paul, grant unto thy Church, whose foundations Thou wast pleased to lay by~
their hands, the grace always in all things to remain faithful to their~
teaching.
$Per Dominum
