St. Scholastica

Virgin

Double

Common

1st Vespers

Matins

Lauds

COLLECT OF THE DAY

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

First Vespers

Ad Magnif. Ant:  Veni, Sponsa Christi, * áccipe corónam, quam tibi Dóminus præparávit in ætérnum.

Ant. on Magnif:  Come, thou bride of Christ, * receive the crown which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

Oremus.
Deus, qui ánimam beátæ Vírginis tuæ Scholásticæ, ad ostendéndam innocéntiæ viam, in colúmbæ spécie cælum penetráre fecísti : da nobis, ejus méritis et précibus, ita innocénter vívere ; ut ad ætérna mereámur gáudia perveníre.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who for a testimony to the path of innocency didst cause the soul of blessed Scholastica, thy Virgin, to enter heaven in the appearance of a dove : grant unto us, that by her merits and intercession we may walk in such innocency of life ; that we may be worthy to attain to everlasting felicity.  Through.

Ant:  O Doctor óptime, Ecclésiæ sanctæ lumen, beáte Cyrílle, divínæ legis amátor, deprecáre pro nobis Fílium Dei.

Ant:  O Doctor right excellent, O light of Holy Church, O blessed Cyril, lover of the divine law, entreat for us the Son of God.

V.  The Lord guided the righteous in right paths.
R.  And shewed him the kingdom of God.

Oremus.
Deus, qui beátum Cyríllum  Confessórem tuum atque Pontíficem divínæ maternitátis beatíssimæ Vírginis Maríæ assertórem invíctum effecísti : concéde, ipso intercedénte; ut, qui vere eam Genitrícem Dei crédimus, matérna ejúsdem protectióne salvémur.  Per eúmdem Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who didst strengthen thy blessed Confessor and Bishop Saint Cyril, invincibly to maintain the divine motherhood of the blessed Virgin Mary : vouchsafe that at his intercession we, believing her to be indeed the Mother of God ; may as her children rejoice in her protection.  Through the same.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Matins

The first part of Matins is in the Ordinary

Invitatory and Hymn

First Nocturn

Second Nocturn

Third Nocturn
 

First Nocturn

The Lessons for the First Nocturn are taken from the occurrent Scripture.  If, however, they are to be taken from the Common, they are read from that of Virgins, De virginibus.

Scripture Lessons

Lessons from Common of Virgins
 

Absolutio: Ipsíus píetas et misericórdia nos ádjuvet, qui cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.
R.  Amen.

Absolution:  May his loving-kindness and mercy assist us.  Who, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, for ever and ever.
R.  Amen.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.

V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.

Benedíctio 4: Deus Pater omnípotens sit nobis propítius et clemens.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 4:  May God the Father Almighty shew us his mercy and pity.
R.  Amen.

Scholástica, venerábilis patris Benedícti soror, omnipoténti Dómino ab ipso infántiæ témpore dedicáta, ad eum semel per annum veníre consuéverat ; ad quam vir Dei non longe extra jánuam in possessióne monastérii descendébat.  Quadam vero die venit ex more, atque ad eam, cum discípulis venerábilis ejus descéndit frater ; qui totum diem in Dei láudibus sacrísque collóquiis ducéntes, incumbéntibus jam noctis ténebris, simul accepérunt cibum.  Cumque adhuc ad mensam sedérent, et inter sacra collóquia tárdior se hora protráheret, éadem sanctimoniális fémina soror ejus eum rogávit, dicens : Quæso te, ut ista nocte me non déseras, ut usque mane de cæléstis vitæ gáudiis loquámur.  Cui ille respóndit : Quid est quod lóqueris, soror? manére extra cellam nullátenus possum.  Tanta vero erat cæli serénitas, ut nulla in áëre nubes apparéret.  Sanctimoniális autem fémina, cum verba fratris negántis pósuit, et caput in mánibus omnipoténtem Dóminum rogatúra declinávit.  Cumque leváret de mensa caput, tanta coruscatiónis et tonítrui virtus, tántaque inundátio plúviæ erúpit, ut neque fratres, qui cum eo áderant, extra loci limen, quo conséderant, pedem movére potúerint.

The worshipful Scholastica, the sister of our Father Benedict, was hallowed unto the Lord Almighty from a child.  Her custom was to come to see her brother once every year.  And when she came, the man of God went down unto her, not far from the gate, but, as it were, within the borders of the monastery.  And there was a day when she came, as her custom was, and her worshipful brother went down to her, and his disciples with him.  Then they passed the whole day together, praising God, and speaking one to the other of spiritual things.  And when the night came, they brake bread together.  And while they were yet at table, and conversed together on spiritual things, the hour was late.  Then the holy woman his sister besought him, saying : Leave me not, I pray thee, this night, but let us speak even until morning of the gladness of the eternal life.  He answered her : What is it that thou sayest, my sister?  I can by no means remain out of my cell.  Now the firmament was so clear that there were no clouds in the sky.  Then the holy nun, when she had heard the words of her brother, that he would not abide with her, clasped her hands on the table, and laid her face on her hands, and besought the Lord Almighty.  And it came to pass that when she lifted up her head from the table, there were great thunderings and lightnings, and a flood of rain, insomuch that neither the worshipful Benedict nor the brethren that were with him could move as much as a foot over the threshold of the place where they sat.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam : * Et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.
V.  Spécie tua et pulchritúdine tua inténde, próspere procéde, et regna.
R.  Et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.

R.  Ride on because of the Word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness : * And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
V.  In thy comeliness, yea, in thy beauty, go forth, ride prosperously, and reign.
R.  And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.

V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.

Benedíctio 5: Christus perpétuæ det nobis gáudia vitæ.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 5: May Christ bestow upon us the joys of life eternal.
R.  Amen.

Sanctimoniális quippe fémina caput in mánibus declínans, lacrimárum flúvium in mensam fúderat, per quas serenitátem áëris ad plúviam traxit.  Nec paulo tárdius post oratiónem inundátio illa secúta est ; sed tanta fuit conveniéntia oratiónis et inundatiónis, ut de mensa caput jam cum tonítruo leváret ; quátenus unum idémque esset moméntum, et leváre caput, et plúviam depónere.  Tunc vir Dei inter corúscos et tonítruos atque ingéntis plúviæ inundatiónem, videns se ad monastérium non posse remeáre, cœpit cónqueri contristátus, dicens : Parcat tibi omnípotens Deus, soror : quid est quod fecísti?  Cui illa respóndit : Ecce rogávi te et audíre me noluísti ; rogávi Deum meum, et audívit me : modo ergo, si potes, egrédere et, me dimíssa, ad monastérium recéde.  Ipse autem exíre extra tectum non valens, qui remanére sponte nóluit in loco, mansit invítus.  Sicque factum est, ut totam noctem pervígilem dúcerent, atque per sacra spiritális vitæ collóquia, sese vicária relatióne satiárent.

Now when the holy woman laid her head in her hands upon the table, she wept bitterly, and as she wept, the clearness of the sky was turned to a tempest.  As she prayed, immediately the flood followed.  And the time was so, that she lifted up her head when it thundered, and when she had lifted up her head, the rain came.  When the man of God saw that he could not return to his monastery, because of the lightnings, and thunderings, and the great rain, he was sorrowful and grieved, saying : Almighty God forgive thee, my sister ; what is this that thou hast done?  She answered him : Behold, I besought thee, and thou wouldest not hear ; I besought my God, and he hath heard me ; if, therefore, thou wilt, go forth, leave me alone, and go thy way to thy monastery.  But he could not, and so he tarried in the same place, not willingly, but of necessity.  And so it came to pass that they slept not all that night, but fed one another with discourse on spiritual things.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Dilexísti justítiam, et odísti iniquitátem : * Proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ.
V.  Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam.
R.  Proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ.

R.  Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity : * Wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.
V.  Because of the Word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness.
R.  Wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness.

V.  Jube domne, (Dómine) benedícere.

V.  Vouchsafe, Reverend Father (O Lord), thy blessing.

Benedíctio 6: Ignem sui amóris accéndat Deus in córdibus nostris.
R.  Amen.

Benediction 6: May God enkindle in our hearts the fire of his holy love.
R.  Amen.

Cumque die áltero éadem venerábilis fémina ad cellam própriam recessísset, vir Dei ad monastérium rédiit.  Cum ecce post tríduum, in cella consístens, elevátis in áëra óculis vidit ejúsdem soróris suæ ánimam de córpore egréssam in colúmbæ spécie cæli secréta penetráre.  Qui, tantæ ejus glóriæ congáudens, omnipoténti Deo in hymnis et láudibus grátias réddidit, ejúsque óbitum frátribus denuntiávit.  Quos étiam prótinus misit, ut ejus corpus ad monastérium deférrent, atque in sepúlcro, quod sibi ipsi paráverat, pónerent.  Quo facto cóntigit, ut, quorum mens una semper in Deo fúerat, eórum quoque córpora nec sepultúra separáret.

And when the morning was come, the worshipful woman arose, and went unto her own cell, and the man of God went back to his monastery.  And, behold, after three days he was sitting in his cell, and he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and saw the soul of his sister, delivered from the body, fly to heaven in a bodily shape like a dove.  Wherefore he rejoiced  because of the glory that was revealed in her, and gave thanks to Almighty God in hymns and praises, and made known to the brethren that she was dead.  He commanded them also to go and take up her body, and bring it to his monastery, and lay it in the grave which he had made ready for himself.  Whereby it came to pass that they twain who had ever been of one mind in the Lord, even in death were not divided.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Afferéntur Regi vírgines post eam, próximæ ejus * Afferéntur tibi in lætítia et exsultatióne.
V.  Spécie tua et pulchritúdine tua inténde, próspere procéde, et regna.
R.  Afferéntur tibi in lætítia et exsultatióne.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Afferéntur tibi in lætítia et exsultatióne.

R.  After her shall virgins be brought unto the King : * Her fellows shall be brought unto thee with gladness and rejoicing.
V.  In thy comeliness, yea, in thy beauty, go forth, ride prosperously, and reign.
R.  Her fellows shall be brought unto thee with gladness and rejoicing.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  Her fellows shall be brought unto thee with gladness and rejoicing.

If this Feast be reduced to the rank of Simple, and Lesson IX of this Feast is to be said according to the Rubrics, the following abbreviated version may be used.

Scholástica, venerábilis Patris Benedícti soror, ut scribit sanctus Gregórius Papa in libro secúndo Dialogórum, omnipoténti Dómino ab ipso infántiæ témpore dedicáta, ad eum semel per annum veníre consuéverat ; ad quam vir Dei non longe extra jánuam in possessióne monastérii descendébat.  Quadam vero die, cum ob repentínam plúviæ inundatiónem, quam a Deo Scholástica obtínuit, incumbéntibus jam noctis ténebris, venerábilis frater extra tectum exíre non posset, factum est, ut totam noctem pervígilem dúcerent atque per sacra spiritális vitæ collóquia sese vicária relatióne satiárent.  Cumque die áltero éadem venerábilis fémina ad cellam própriam recessísset, vir Dei ad monastérium rédiit.  Cum ecce post tríduum in cella consístens, elevátis in áëra óculis vidit ejúsdem soróris suæ ánimam de córpore egréssam in colúmbæ spécie cæli secréta penetráre.  Tum Benedíctus fratres misit, ut ejus corpus in sepúlcro, quod sibi ipsi paráverat, pónerent.  Quo facto cóntigit, ut, quorum mens una semper in Deo fúerat, eórum quoque córpora nec sepultúra separáret.

Scholastica, sister of the worshipful Father, Benedict, had been consecrated to God in early childhood, as St. Gregory recounteth in the latter book of his Dialogues.  She used to visit with Benedict once a year.  On these occcasions he would go down to meet her in a house belonging to the monastery a short distance from the entrance.  On a certain day, a sudden downpour of rain, obtained from God from Scholastica just as darkness was setting in, made it impossible for her worshipful brother to leave.  And so they spent the entire night together, and both of them derived great profit from the holy thoughts they exchanged about the interior life.  The next morning Scholastica returned to her convent, and Benedict to his monastery.  Three days later as he stood in his room looking up towards heaven, he beheld his sister's soul leaving her body and entering the heavenly court in the form of a dove.  Then Benedict sent some of his brethren to bury her body in the tomb he had prepared for himself.  Whereby it came to pass that they twain who had ever been of one mind in the Lord, even in death were not divided.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

After the conclusion of the Second Nocturn, the Third Nocturn is begun according to the current weekday, as given in the table below.

Third Nocturn

In the Third Nocturn, the Gospel Homily Simile erit regnum cælorum decem virginibus is read from the Common of Virgins, Series 1.

Gospel Homily from Common of Virgins

Lauds

V.  Diffúsa est grátia in lábiis tuis.
R.  Proptérea benedíxit te Deus in ætérnum.

V.  Full of grace are thy lips.
R.  Because God hath blessed thee for ever.

Ad Bened. Ant:  Símile est regnum cælórum * hómini negotiatóri quærénti bonas margarítas : invénta una pretiósa, dedit ómnia sua, et comparávit eam.

Ant. on Bened:  The kingdom of heaven * is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

THE BENEDICTUS

Oremus.
Deus, qui ánimam beátæ Vírginis tuæ Scholasticæ, ad ostendéndam innocéntiæ viam, in colúmbæ spécie cælum penetráre fecísti : da nobis, ejus méritis et précibus, ita innocénter vívere ; ut ad ætérna mereámur gáudia perveníre.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, who for a testimony to the path of innocency didst cause the soul of blessed Scholastica, thy Virgin, to enter heaven in the appearance of a dove : grant unto us, that by her merits and intercession we may walk in such innocency of life ; that we may be worthy to attain to everlasting felicity.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH