[Rank]
Die VII Infra Octavam S. Joseph;;Semiduplex;;2;;vide Tempora/Pasc2-3

[Rule]
vide Tempora/Pasc2-3
9 lectiones

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the book of Revelations
!Rev 4:1-5
1 After these things I looked, and behold a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, as it were, of a trumpet speaking with me, said: Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must be done hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne one sitting.
3 And he that sat, was to the sight like the jasper and the sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats; and upon the seats, four and twenty ancients sitting, clothed in white garments, and on their heads were crowns of gold.
5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there were seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

[Responsory1]
R. I saw Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, adorned with pure gold, and garnished with precious stones.
* Alleluia, Alleluia.
V. The building of the wall of it was of jasper and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
R. Alleluia, Alleluia.

[Lectio2]
!Rev 4:6-8
6 And in the sight of the throne was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first living creature was like a lion: and the second living creature like a calf: and the third living creature, having the face, as it were, of a man: and the fourth living creature was like an eagle flying.
8 And the four living creatures had each of them six wings; and round about and within they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.

[Responsory2]
R. Upon the diadem of Aaron's head was graven the Majesty of the Lord,
* While as the work of God was in doing. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
V. For in the long garment which he had, was the whole world, and in the four rows of the stones was the glory of the fathers graven.
R. While as the work of God was in doing. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
&Gloria
R. While as the work of God was in doing. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

[Lectio3]
!Rev 4:9-11
9 And when those living creatures gave glory, and honour, and benediction to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever;
10 The four and twenty ancients fell down before him that sitteth on the throne, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, and honour, and power: because thou hast created all things; and for thy will they were, and have been created.

[Responsory3]
R. Coming from Lebanon how sweet she is, alleluia:
* And the sweet smell of her garments, above all aromatical spices, alleluia, alleluia.
V. thy lips are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue.
R. And the sweet smell of her garments, above all aromatical spices, alleluia, alleluia.
&Gloria
R. And the sweet smell of her garments, above all aromatical spices, alleluia, alleluia.

[Lectio4]
The Lesson is taken from a Sermon by St. Bernard the Abbot
!Homilia 2 super Missus est
It is written : Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  Being a just man, he was rightly unwilling to expose her.  For as he would not have been a just man if he had connived at known guilt, so he would have been even less just if he had condemned proven innocence.  Being a just man, therefore, and not willing to make her a publick example, he was minded to put her away privily.  Why did he wish to put her away?  On this point hear, not my opinion, but that of the Fathers.  Perchance Joseph wished to put her away for the same reason of reverence that made Peter seek to put away the Lord, when he said : Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord : just as the centurion also sought to keep the Lord away from his house, when he said : Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof.

[Lectio5]
In like manner Joseph may have held himself to be sinful and unworthy, in such wise that he thought he ought no longer to enjoy the familiar companionship of her whose marvellous dignity filled him with awe.  Perchance he saw and trembled at the unmistakeable signs of the divine presence ; and, since he could not fathom the mystery, he was minded to put her away.  Peter trembled at the greatness of the divine power.  The Centurion trembled at the presence of the divine Majesty.  Joseph too, being but a man, was filled with awe at the strangeness of this mystery.  Dost thou wonder that Joseph judged himself unworthy of the companionship of this pregnant Virgin, when thou hearest that Saint Elizabeth too was filled with reverence and trembling at her presence?  For she said : Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?

[Lectio6]
And so Joseph was minded to put her away.  But why privily, and not publickly?  Lest perhaps enquiry should be made about this separation, and he should be asked for reasons.  What should a just man reply to a stiffnecked people, a faithless and perverse generation?  If he were to have said what he thought, and what he had proved, concerning her purity, would not all the cruel and unbelieving amongst the Jews have soon laughed him to scorn, and stoned her to death?  How would they have believed in the Truth lying silent in her womb, when they afterwards despised the Truth preaching in the temple?  What would they have done to him before his appearance in the flesh, when afterwards they laid impious hands on him in spite of his signs and wonders?  The just man, therefore, was right in wishing to put her away privily, lest he should be thought to lie, or to defame an innocent woman.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 3:21-23
At that time : When all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened.  And so on, and that which followeth.
_
A Homily by St. John of Damascus
!Oratio 3 de B.M.V. Nativ.
Matthew beginneth his Gospel with the words : The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  But he doth not stop here.  In fact, he continueth his genealogy down to the very Spouse of the Virgin.  Luke, on the other hand, after relating the manifestation of the Saviour at his baptism, maketh a digression in his account, and writeth thus : And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat : and so on, in an ascending line, going up even to Seth : which was the son of Adam, which was the Son of God.  Thus after reckoning up Joseph's genealogy in this fashion, we are shewn clearly at the same time how Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was herself also of the same lineage as Joseph.  For the Mosaic Law straitly forbade marriages between the different tribes, in order that the hereditary rights of one tribe might not pass into another.

[Lectio8]
Note that there was good reason for these following things : namely, that the birth of Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost was kept secret from the people ; and that Joseph stood to Jesus in the place of a father ; and that on that account, as was truly fitting, he was counted the father of the Child.  Otherwise, it would have seemed that the Child had no father, because he had no recorded descent from his father's side.  Wherefore it was of the utmost importance that the Evangelists should record Joseph's lineage.  Had they not done so, but had given the Child's lineage on his mother's side, they would have done unseemly, and gone contrary to the usage of divine Scripture.  It was therefore fitting that they should give the lineage of Joseph from David, for the reason which we have already given of the kinship between her and her husband.  They thereby attest that the Virgin Mary was of the lineage of David.

[Lectio9]
It is indeed clear to all that Joseph was endued with righteousness, and led a life in accordance with the Law.  Therefore, living by what the Law prescribed, he certainly would not marry a wife sprung from any other but his own tribe.  If, then, Joseph belonged to the tribe of Judah, and came of the seed and family of David, is it not a matter of course that Mary should come from the same?  Whence it is that her husband's descent is recorded.  For if, according to the Apostle's saying, the head of the woman is the man, doth it not follow in consequence that when the descent of the head is registered, that of the body in included in that of the head?  I think it is therefore clearly shewn that the Evangelists purposely chronicle Joseph's genealogy, so that, in consequence, it would be understood that the Virgin was also sprung of the family of David ; thereby implying the surpassing wonder that it was the Christ, before all ages the Son of God, who was born of her.
&teDeum
