[Rank]
Dominica II post Epiphaniam;;Semiduplex;;5

[Rule]
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
Almighty and eternal God, As you govern all things in heaven and on earth; in thy mercy hear the supplication of thy people, and grant thy peace in our times
$Per Dominum.

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the second letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
!2 Cor 1:1-5
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:
2 Grace unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation; that we also may be able to comfort them who are in all distress, by the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound.

[Responsory1]
R. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thine hot displeasure.
* Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.
V. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and darkness hath overwhelmed me.
R. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.

[Lectio2]
!2 Cor 1:6-7
6 Now whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.
7 That our hope for you may be steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.

[Responsory2]
R. O God, Which satest in the throne judging right, be Thou a refuge for the poor, a refuge in times of trouble.
* For Thou alone beholdest mischief and spite.
V. The poor leaveth himself unto thee; Thou wilt be the helper of the fatherless.
R. For Thou alone beholdest mischief and spite.

[Lectio3]
!2 Cor 1:8-11
8 For we would not have you ignorant,brethren, of our tribulation, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above our strength, so that we were weary even of life.
9 But we had in ourselves the answer of death, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead.
10 Who hath delivered and doth deliver us out of so great dangers: in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us.
11 You helping withal in prayer for us: that for this gift obtained for us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many in our behalf.

[Responsory3]
R. The Lord is at my right hand, I shall never be moved.
* Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoiceth.
V. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup.
R. Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoiceth.
&Gloria
R. Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoiceth.

[Lectio4]
Sermon of S.John Chrysostom
!Preface for the letters of St Paul
As I listen intently to the reading of S.Paul's Epistles, often two or three times a week, whenever we commemorate the holy martyrs, I am filled with joy, delighting in the sound of that spiritual trumpet. And as I recognize the voice of a friend, I am roused, and enkindled with love so that I almost seem to see him present, and to hear him speaking. But nevertheless I am grieved, and am troubled, that all do not know this great man as he desrves to be known. Indeed, many are so ignorant that they do not even know how many epistles he wrote. But this ignorance is not due to a want of inteeligence on their part, but because they will not carefully study the writings of this great man.

[Responsory4]
R. O Lord, Thou hast shown me the path of life.
* Thou shalt fill me with joy in thy presence, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
V. Thou art He That shalt restore mine inheritance unto me.
R. Thou shalt fill me with joy in thy presence, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

[Lectio5]
For what we know, if we know anything, we do not know it owing to any superlative talent  or penetration, but, being strongly drawn towards this great man, we never cease from reading his works. For so it is that those who love any one usually know better than others what he has done, because they take the trouble to learn all about him. The blessed Paul himself shows that this is so, when he says to the Philippians: As it is meet for me to think this for you all : for that I have you in my heart; and in my bands, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel.

[Responsory5]
R. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my rock
* And my fortress.
V. My Deliverer, my God, mine Helper.
R. And my fortress.

[Lectio6]
And if you also will diligently attend to the reading, you will have no need of other instruction. Most true are those words of Christ : Seek and you shall find : knock and it shall be opened unto you.  For the rest, since many of those who are assembled here are charged with the care of a wife, and with providing for a family, and with the bringing-up of children, and therefore cannot devote themselves wholly to this study; let them at least bestir themselves to receive what others have gathered; showing as much eagerness in listening to what is said about him as in acquiring wealth. For though it is unseemly to demand from you no more than this, yet it is to be wished that you do this at least.

[Responsory6]
R. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof
* The world, and they that dwell therein.
V. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
R. The world, and they that dwell therein.
&Gloria
R. The world, and they that dwell therein.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 2:1-11
In that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And so on.
_
Homily by St Austin, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!Tract. 9. in John.
Even setting aside any mystical interpretation, the fact that the Lord was pleased to be asked, and to go to a marriage, showeth plainly enough that He is the Author and Blesser of marriage. There were yet to be those of whom the Apostle hath warned us as forbidding to marry ; who say that marriage is a bad thing in itself, and a work of the devil. Yet we read in the Gospel that when the Lord was asked, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? He answered that it was not lawful, except it were for fornication. In which answer ye will remember that He used these words : What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

[Responsory7]
R. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
* O my God, I trust in thee, let me not be ashamed.
V. O keep my soul and deliver me.
R. O my God, I trust in thee, let me not be ashamed.

[Lectio8]
They who are well instructed in the Catholic religion know that God is the Author and Blesser of marriage ; and that, whereas joining together in marriage is of God, divorce is of the devil. But it is lawful for a man to put away his wife in case of fornication, For by not keeping a wife's faith to her husband she herself hath first willed not to be wife. They also who have made a vow of their virginity to God and have thereby attained to an higher degree of honour and holiness in the Church, are not unmarried, for they are a special part of the marriage of the whole Church, which is the Bride of Christ.

[Responsory8]
@Tempora/Pent01-0:Responsory8

[Lectio9]
Lord, being asked, went to the marriage, to strengthen the marriage tie, and to shed light on the hidden meaning of matrimony. In that marriage feast the Bridegroom to whom it was said, " Thou hast kept the good wine until now," was a figure of the Lord Christ, Who hath kept until now the good wine, namely the Gospel.
&teDeum

[Versum 2]
V. The Lord reigneth He is clothed with majesty.
R. The Lord is clothed with strength, and has girded Himself with power.

[Ant 2]
There was a marriage * in Cana of Galilee: and Jesus was there, with Mary, his mother.

[Versum 3]
V. Let my prayer, O Lord, be set forth.
R. As incense before thee.

[Ant 3]
The wine failing, * Jesus commanded the water pots to be filled with water, which was changed into wine, alleluia.
