[Rank]
S. Alexii Confessoris;;Semiduplex;;2;;vide C5

[Rank1960]
S. Alexii Confessoris;;Simplex;;1.1;;vide C5

[Rank1570]
S. Alexii Confessoris;;Simplex;;1.1;;vide C5

[Rule]
vide C5;
9 lectiones;

[Oratio]
O God, Who didst make thy blessed Confessor Alexis to be a marvel in his~
contempt of this world, grant, we beseech thee, unto thy faithful people, that~
with the help of his prayers they may esteem but little things earthly, and~
desire always such things as be heavenly.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Alexis was a member of one of the noblest Roman families. Through his exceeding~
great love for Jesus Christ, he received a particular command from God to leave~
his bride untouched upon his wedding night, and to undertake a pilgrimage to the~
most famous Churches of the world. For seventeen years he remained occupied in~
these journeys and utterly unknown. At the end of that time, his name was spoken~
from an image of the most holy Virgin Mary in the city of Edessa, in Syria, and~
when he found himself recognised he took ship from thence. He landed at Porto~
near Rome, and fared to the house of his own father, who gave him shelter as a~
strange beggar. He lived there unrecognised by any for seventeen years more, and~
then passed away to heaven, in the time of Pope Innocent I. He left behind him a~
writing giving his name, family, and the story of his life.

[Lectio5]
From the Book of Moral Reflections upon Job, written by Pope St Gregory the~
Great.
!{Bk. x. Chap. xvi. on Job xii.)
The simplicity of the righteous is made a subject of derision. The wisdom of~
this world hideth our true feelings by artifice, and useth language to conceal~
our thoughts this is the wisdom which demonstrated the truth of falsehood, and~
showeth the falsehood of the truth. This kind of shrewdness the young acquire by~
practice, and children pay for the learning it. Those who are good at this look~
down upon their neighbours those who are bad at it are humble and timid, and~
wonder at it in others they regard this astuteness too, wrong though it be,~
with wistful admiration, under softened epithets. Unstraightforwardness is~
called good breeding. The principles of the world teach those who entertain them,~
to try and rise to distinction, and when they have attained the bubble of glory~
which is so soon to pass away, to feel it sweet to have at their feet them on~
whom they may wreak rich revenge. These principles teach a man, as long as he is~
strong enough, to give way to nobody else, and, if he hath no chance by force,~
to try and attain his object by diplomacy.

[Lectio6]
The wisdom of the righteous is the contrary of all this. They seek to avoid~
deception, to give their thoughts a clear expression in their words, to love the~
truth because it is the truth, to avoid falsehood, and rather to suffer than to~
inflict evil. Such are they who seek not to avenge themselves for wrong, and~
deem it gain to be despised for the truth's sake. This their simplicity is made a~
subject of derision, for such as are wise in this world believe the purity of~
their virtue to be simple foolery. Whatsoever is done innocently, they consider~
without doubt stupid. Such works as the truth approveth are idiotic, when tried~
by carnal standards of wisdom. After all, what stupider thing is there in this~
world than to express our real thoughts in our words, to keep nothing quiet by~
skilful tact, to repay no injuries, to pray for them which curse us, to seek~
poverty, to give up property, to strive not with such as take from us, to turn~
the other cheek to the smiter?

[Lectio7]
@Commune/C1:Lectio7

[Lectio8]
@Commune/C1:Lectio8

[Lectio9]
@Commune/C1:Lectio9

[Lectio94]
Alexius was a member of one of the noblest Roman families. Through his exceeding great love for Jesus Christ, he received a particular command from God to leave his bride untouched upon his wedding night, and to undertake a pilgrimage to the most famous churches of the world. For seventeen years he remained occupied in these journeys and utterly unknown. At the end of that time, his name was spoken from an image of the most holy Virgin Mary in the city of Edessa, in Syria, and when he found himself recognised he took ship from thence. He landed at Porto near Rome, and fared to the house of his own father, who gave him shelter as a strange beggar. He lived there unrecognised by any for seventeen years more, and then passed away to heaven, in the time of Pope Innocent I, leaving behind him a writing giving his name, family, and the story of his life.
&teDeum
