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

[Rule]
vide Tempora/Pasc2-3
9 lectiones

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the Acts of Apostles
!Acts 24:10-16
10 Then Paul answered, (the governor making a sign to him to speak:) Knowing that for many years thou hast been judge over this nation, I will with good courage answer for myself.
11 For thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days, since I went up to adore in Jerusalem: 
12 And neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man, or causing any concourse of the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: 
13 Neither can they prove unto thee the things whereof they now accuse me. 
14 But this I confess to thee, that according to the way, which they call a heresy, so do I serve the Father and my God, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets: 
15 Having hope in God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust.
16 And herein do I endeavour to have always a conscience without offence toward God, and towards men. 

[Responsory1]
@Tempora/Pasc0-2:Responsory1

[Lectio2]
!Acts 24:17-21
17 Now after many years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings, and vows. 
18 In which I was found purified in the temple: neither with multitude, nor with tumult. 
19 But certain Jews of Asia, who ought to be present before thee, and to accuse, if they had any thing against me: 
20 Or let these men themselves say, if they found in me any iniquity, when standing before the council,
21 Except it be for this one voice only that I cried, standing among them, Concerning the resurrection of the dead am I judged this day by you

[Responsory2]
@Tempora/Pasc0-2:Responsory2

[Lectio3]
!Acts 24:22-27
22 And Felix put them off, having most certain knowledge of this way, saying: When Lysias the tribune shall come down, I will hear you. 
23 And he commanded a centurion to keep him, and that he should be easy, and that he should not prohibit any of his friends to minister unto him. 
24 And after some days, Felix, coming with Drusilla his wife, who was a Jew, sent for Paul, and heard of him the faith, that is in Christ Jesus. 
25 And as he treated of justice, and chastity, and of the judgment to come, Felix being terrified, answered: For this time, go thy way: but when I have a convenient time, I will send for thee.
26 Hoping also withal, that money should be given him by Paul; for which cause also oftentimes sending for him, he spoke with him. 
27 But when two years were ended, Felix had for successor Portius Festus. And Felix being willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. 

[Responsory3]
@Tempora/Pasc0-3:Responsory1

[Lectio4]
From a Sermon by St. Bernardin of Siena
!Sermo de S. Joseph
The marriage between Mary and Joseph was a real marriage, for it was contracted under divine inspiration.  Now in marriage there is so close a union of souls that the bridegroom and the bride are said to be one person, for which reason marriage is like unto the very perfection of unity.  Hence how can any discerning mind think that the Holy Spirit would unite, in a union of this intimacy, a mind such as the Virgin's, with the soul of a man who had not within him the operation of a godliness like unto hers?  Wherefore I believe that this Joseph was holy, the chastest of men and a virgin, completely humble, burning with a passion of charity towards God, and full of the highest graces of contemplation.  And since the Virgin knew that he was given her by the Holy Spirit to be her spouse, and the faithful guardian of her virginity, and to share besides in devoted love and affectionate care towards that One who was in the divinest fashion the very offspring of God ; therefore I believe that she sincerely loved Saint Joseph with all the affection of her heart.

[Lectio5]
Now Joseph was most ardent in his love for Christ.  For who, pray, would deny that Christ, whether as a child or as a grown man, would most deeply inspire ineffable affection, and the peculiar joys which he alone could give?  And what would be the effect on one who held him in his arms, and conversed at will with him?  And besides all this, who can reckon the bliss of receiving from the Christ Child those gazes of filial love? or his words spoken as a devoted son? or the giving of his trustful embraces?  O how sweet were the kisses that Joseph received from him!  O how sweet to hear little One lisp the name of father, and how delightful to feel his gentle carresses!  Think again how often (when the little Jesus was growing bigger, and was wearied with much walking on the journeys which they made) Joseph must have been filled with compassion, and so carried him at rest in his bosom.  For Joseph bore towards Jesus all the fulness of an adoptive love, as to a most dear son, given to him by the Holy Ghost in his Virgin bride.

[Lectio6]
Hence it was that a most prudent Mother, who knew the devotion of Joseph to Jesus, said to her Son, when she found him in the temple : Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.  In order to understand this, we must note that Christ hath within himself, as it were, two savours, sweetness and bitterness.  And since the most holy Joseph was in a wonderful manner (as we shall see) a partaker of these two savours, therefore the blessed Virgin doth bestow upon him in a special sense the title of Father of Christ.  This is the only place where we read that she did call Saint Joseph the father of Jesus, doubtless because the bitterness of sorrow which he felt at the loss of Jesus shewed the fatherly affection which he bore him.  For if according to human laws, which are approved by God, a man can adopt as his son the child of another family, how much more truly ought the Son of God to be called the Son of Joseph.  For he was given to this Joseph by his most holy Spouse, in the wonderful mystery of a virginal marriage.  And so it is also to be believed that in Joseph there were the two savours of Jesus, sweetness and bitterness, which were manifested as the sweetness of paternal love, and the bitterness of his compassion, towards his beloved Jesus.

[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. Augustine the Bishop
!Liber 2 de Consensu Evang.
Joseph cannot be denied the name of father of Christ, merely because he did not beget him by coition.  For he would have been called the father of any child whom he adopted, even if the child were not the issue of his wife, but from another family.  It is true that Christ was supposed to be the son of Joseph in another sense ; namely, in that of having been actually begotten by Joseph according to the flesh.  But this supposition was made only by those from whom Mary's virginity was concealed.  It is of this that Luke saith : And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph.  However, Luke sheweth no hesitation in giving the name of parent, not to Mary only, but also to Joseph, when in another place he saith : And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom : and the grace of God was upon him  : Now his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the Feast of Passover.

[Lectio8]
But lest anyone should think that by the word Parents there is here to understood Mary and her forbears only, we must take into account what Luke recordeth earlier, And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.  Since, therefore, Luke witnesseth that Christ was born, not by the begetting of Joseph, but of the Virgin Mary, how can he call Joseph the father of Jesus, except in the sense that Joseph was a real husband to Mary by virtue of the true bond of marriage, saving only that there never was any carnal intercourse between them?  And yet, on account of this bond of marriage, Joseph was the father of Jesus in a much closer sense (seeing that the Christ Child was born of his wife) than if Joseph had adopted Jesus from another family.  Hence, also, if anyone could prove that Mary did not trace her origin from David, the same reasoning by which Joseph is called the father of Christ would be sufficient reason for giving Christ the name, Son of David.

[Lectio9]
Luke giveth the genealogy, not at the beginning of his Gospel, but after the account of the Baptism of Christ.  And he giveth it, not in the descending order, but in the ascending, more as if he were pointing to Christ as Priest, making atonement for sins.  This was the occasion when the voice spake in testimony from heaven.  And also at this time John himself gave testimony, saying : Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.   By thus beginning with Jesus and tracing back, Luke passeth up through Abraham and eventually cometh to God, to whom we are reconciled after purification and atonement.  Rightly then doth Luke give the origin by adoption, for through adoption and faith in the Son of God we become God's sons.  In this fashion, Luke sheweth clearly enough why he nameth Joseph as the son of Heli ; that is, not because Joseph was betotten by Heli, but because he was adopted by him.  For Luke calleth Adam himself the son of God, and this because he was made by God, being set in the paradise of Eden as a son by virtue of the grace which afterwards he lost in sinning.
&teDeum
