[Ant 1]
The Lord, even the Lord our God * hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble.

[Versum 1]
V. Let the evening prayer ascend unto thee, O Lord.
R. And let there descend upon us thy mercy.

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the second book of Machabees
!2 Mac 1:1-6
1 To the brethren the Jews that are I throughout Egypt, the brethren, the Jews that are in Jerusalem, and in the land of Judea, send health, and good peace.
2 May God be gracious to you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants:
3 And give you all a heart to worship him, and to do his will with a great heart, and a willing mind.
4 May he open your heart in his law, and in his commandments, and send you peace.
5 May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled unto you, and never forsake you in the evil time.
6 And now here we are praying for you.

[Responsory1]
@Tempora/101-0:Responsory1

[Lectio2]
!2 Mac 1:18-19
18 Therefore whereas we purpose to keep the purification of the temple on the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, we thought it necessary to signify it to you: that you also may keep the day of Scenopegia, and the day of the fire, that was given when Nehemias offered sacrifice, after the temple and the altar was built.
19 For when our fathers were led in Persia, the priests that then were worshippers of God took privately the fire from the altar, and hid it in a valley where there was a deep pit without water, and there they kept it safe,

[Responsory2]
@Tempora/101-0:Responsory2

[Lectio3]
!2 Mac 1:20-22
20 But when many years had passed, and it pleased God that Nehemias should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the posterity of those priests that had hid it, to seek for the fire: and as they told us, they found no fire, but thick water.
21 Then he bade them draw it up, and bring it to him: and the priest Nehemias commanded the sacrifices that were laid on, to be sprinkled with the same water, both the wood, and the things that were laid upon it.
22 And when this was done, and the time came that the sun shone out, which before was in a cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that all wondered.

[Responsory3]
@Tempora/101-0:Responsory3

[Lectio4]
From blessed John Chrysostom 
!On Psalm 43
Deus, auribus nostris audivimus, patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis opus, quod operatus es in diebus eorum. Hunc Psalmum dicit quidem Propheta, dicit autem non ex persona propria, sed ex persona Machabaeorum, narrans et praedicens quae futura erant illo tempore. Tales enim sunt Prophetae: omnia tempora percurrunt, praesentia, praeterita, futura. Quinam sint autem hi Machabaei, quidque passi sint, et quid fecerint, necessarium est primum dicere, ut sint apertiora quae in~
argumento dicuntur. Ii enim, cum invasisset Judaeam Antiochus, qui dictus est Epiphanes, et omnia devastasset, et multos qui tunc erant, a patriis institutis resilire coegisset, permanaerunt illaesi ab illis tentationibus.

[Responsory4]
@Tempora/101-0:Responsory4

[Lectio5]
Et quando grave quidem bellum ingruebat, nec quidquam possent facere quod prodesset, se abscondebant: nam hoc quoque fecerunt Apostoli. Non enim semper apparentes in media irruebant pericula, sed nonnumquam et fugientes, et latentes secedebant. Postquam autem parum respirarunt, tamquam generosi quidam catuli ex antris exsilientes, et e latebris emergentes, statuerunt non se amplius solos servare, sed etiam alios quoscumque possent: et civitatem et omnem regionem obeuntes, collegerunt quotquot invenerunt adhuc sanos et integros: et multos etiam qui laborabant et corrupti erant, in statum pristinum redegerunt, eis persuadentes redire ad legem patriam.

[Responsory5]
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[Lectio6]
Deum enim dicebant esse benignum et clementem, nec umquam adimere salutem, quae proficiscitur ex poenitentia. Haec autem dicentes, habuerunt delectum fortissimorum virorum. Non enim pro uxoribus, liberis, et ancillis, patriaeque eversione et captivitate, sed pro lege et patria republica pugnabant. Eorum autem dux erat Deus. Cum ergo aciem dirigerent, et suas animas prodigerent, fundebant adversarios, non armis fidentes, sed loco omnis armaturae, pugnae causam sufficere ducentes. Ad bellum autem euntes non tragaedias excitabant, non poeana canebant, sicut nonnulli faciunt: non asciverunt tibicines, ut fit in aliis castris: sed Dei superne auxilium invocabant, ut adesset, opem ferret, et manum praeberet, propter quem bellum gerebant, pro cujus gloria decertabant.


[Responsory6]
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[Responsory7]
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[Responsory8]
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