The Forty Holy Martyrs

Semidouble

Common

Ash Wednesday never occurs after this date

Matins

Lauds

2nd Vespers

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Oremus.
Præsta, quæsumus, omnípotens Deus : ut, qui gloriósos Mártyres fortes in sua confessióne cognóvimus, pios apud te in nostra intercessióne sentiámus.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God : that, like as we have known thy glorious Martyrs to be constant in their confession of thy Faith ; so we may feel the succour of their loving intercession.  Through.

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

At Second Vespers of St. Frances of Rome

Ant:  Istórum est enim regnum cælórum, qui contempsérunt vitam mundi, et pervenérunt ad præmia regni, et lavérunt stolas suas in sánguine Agni.

Ant:  Blessed are they who have despised earthly pleasure, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and have won the heavenly great reward.

V.  Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord.
R.  And be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.

Oremus.
Præsta, quæsumus, omnípotens Deus : ut, qui gloriósos Mártyres fortes in sua confessióne cognóvimus, pios apud te in nostra intercessióne sentiámus.  (Per Dóminum.)

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God : that, like as we have known thy glorious Martyrs to be constant in their confession of thy Faith ; so we may feel the succour of their loving intercession.  (Through.)

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 Common of Several Martyrs, Fratres : Debitores.

Lessons from Common of Several Martyrs

Second Nocturn

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.

Licínio imperatóre et Agricoláo præside, ad Sebásten Arméniæ urbem, quadragínta mílitum fides in Jesum Christum et fortitúdo in cruciátibus perferéndis enítuit.  Qui sæpius in horríbilem cárcerem detrúsi, vinculísque constrícti, cum ora ipsórum lapídibus contúsa fuíssent, híemis témpore frigidíssimo, nudi sub apérto áëre supra stagnum rigens pernoctáre jussi sunt, ut frigóre congeláti necaréntur.  Una autem erat ómnium orátio : Quadragínta in stádium ingréssi sumus, quadragínta item, Dómine, coróna donémur, ne una quidem huic número desit.  Est in honóre hic númerus, quem tu quadragínta diérum jejúnio decorásti, per quem divína lex ingréssa est in orbem terrárum ; Elías quadragínta diérum jejúnio Deum quærens, ejus visiónem consecútus est.  Et hæc quidem illórum erat orátio.

While Licinius was Emperor and Agricolaus Governor, forty soldiers at Sebaste, a city of Armenia, gave a singular instance of faith in Jesus Christ, and bravery under suffering.  After being often remanded to an horrid prison-house, bound in fetters, and their mouths bruised with stones, they were ordered out in the depth of winter, stripped naked, and put upon a frozen pool, to die of cold during the night.  The prayer of them all was the same : O Lord, forty of us have begun to run in the race, grant that all forty may receive the crown, let not one be wanting at the last.  Behold, is it not an honourable number in thy sight, who didst bless the fast of forty days, and at the end thy Divine Law came forth to the earth?  When also Elias sought thee, thou, O God, didst reveal thyself unto him when he had fasted for forty days.  Even so was their petition.

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

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

R.  Sancti tui, Dómine, mirábile consecúti sunt iter, serviéntes præcéptis tuis, ut inveniréntur illæsi in aquis válidis : * Terra appáruit árida, et in Mari Rubro via sine impediménto.
V.  Quóniam percússit petram, et fluxérunt aquæ, et torréntes inundavérunt.
R.  Terra appáruit árida, et in Mari Rubro via sine impediménto.

R.  Thy Saints, O Lord, have passed a wonderful way, serving thy commandments, that they might be found without hurt in the midst of the mighty waters. * Dry land appeared, and out of the Red Sea, a way without impediment.
V.  He smote the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed.
R.  Dry land appeared, and out of the Red Sea, a way without impediment.

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.

Céteris autem custódibus somno déditis, solus vigilábat jánitor, qui et illos orántes et luce circumfúsos, et quosdam e cælo descendéntes Angelos tamquam a Rege missos, qui corónas trigínta novem milítibus distribúerent, íntuens, ita secum loquebátur : Quadragínta hi sunt ; quadragésimi coróna ubi est?  Quæ dum cogitáret, unus ex illo número, cui ánimus ad frigus feréndum defécerat, in próximum tepefáctum bálneum desíliens, Sanctos illos summo dolóre affécit.  Verum Deus illórum preces írritas esse non est passus ; nam rei evéntum admirátus jánitor, mox custódibus e somno excitátis, detractísque sibi véstibus, ac se christiánum esse clara voce proféssus, Martyribus se adjúnxit.  Cum vero præsidis satéllites janitórem quoque christiánum esse cognovíssent, bacíllis comminúta ómnium eórum crura fregérunt.

When the keepers were all asleep and the watchman only was awake, he heard them praying and saw a light shining round about them, and Angels coming down from heaven, as the messengers of the King, bearing nine-and-thirty crowns, and distributing them to the soldiers.  Then he said within himself : Are not forty here?  Where is the crown of the fortieth?  And as he looked he saw one of them whose courage could not bear the cold, come and leap into a warm bath that stood by ; and the Saints were grievously afflicted.  Nevertheless God suffered not that their prayer should return unto them void ; for the watchman wondered, and called the keepers, and stripped himself of his clothes ; and, when with a loud voice he had confessed himself a Christian, he joined the Martyrs.  When the servants of the Governor knew that the watchman also was a Christian, they brake the legs of them all with staves.

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

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

R.  Vérbera carníficum non timuérunt Sancti Dei, moriéntes pro Christi nómine : * Ut herédes fíerent in domo Dómini.
V.  Tradidérunt córpora sua propter Deum ad supplícia.
R.  Ut herédes fíerent in domo Domini.

R.  The Saints of God shrank not from the stripes of the executioners, but chose to die for the Name of Christ,  * That they might be made joint-heirs in the house of the Lord.
V.  They delivered their bodies for God's sake to suffer torment.
R.  That they might be made joint-heirs in the house of the Lord.

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.

In eo supplício mórtui sunt omnes, præter Melithónem natu mínimum.  Quem cum præsens mater ejus, fractis crúribus, adhuc vivéntem vidísset, sic cohortáta est : Fili, paulísper sústine ; ecce Christus ad jánuam stat ádjuvans te.  Cum vero reliquórum córpora plaustris impóni cérneret, ut in rogum inferréntur, ac fílium suum relínqui, quod speráret ímpia turba púerum, si vixísset, ad idolórum cultum revocári posse ; ipso in húmeros subláto, sancta mater vehícula Mártyrum corpóribus onústa strénue prosequebátur.  In cujus ampléxu Mélithon spíritum Deo réddidit, ejúsque corpus in eúmdem illum ceterórum Mártyrum rogum pia mater injécit ; ut qui fide et virtúte conjunctíssimi fúerant, fúneris étiam societáte copuláti, una in cælum pervenírent.  Combústis illis, eórum relíquiæ projéctæ in profluéntem, cum mirabíliter in unum confluxíssent locum, salvæ et íntegræ repértæ, honorífico sepúlcro cónditæ sunt.

Under this torment died they all, saving Melithon, who was the youngest.  Now, his mother stood by, and when she saw that his legs were broken, but that he was yet alive, she cried, and said : My son, have patience but a little longer.  Behold how Christ standeth at the door to help thee.  When she saw the bodies of all the others put upon carts and taken away to be burned, and that her son was left behind, because the multitude wickedly hoped that being but a youth, if he lived, he might yet be drawn to commit idolatry, the holy mother took him on her own shoulders and bravely followed behind the carts laden with the bodies of the Martyrs.  In her arms Melithon gave up his soul unto God, and the mother who loved him so well laid his body with her own hands upon the pile, with those of the other Martyrs, that, as they had all been one in faith and strength, in death they might not be divided, and might enter heaven together.  After the burning, what remained of them was thrown into a running stream, but the ashes were all washed together into one place, and being found and rescued, they were laid in an honourable sepulchre.

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

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

R.  Tamquam aurum in fornáce probávit eléctos Dóminus, et quasi holocáusti hóstiam accépit illos; et in témpore erit respéctus illórum, * Quóniam donum et pax est eléctis Dei.
V.  Qui confídunt in illum, intélligent veritátem : et fidéles in dilectióne acquiéscent illi.
R.  Quóniam donum et pax est eléctis Dei.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Quóniam donum et pax est eléctis Dei.

R.  As gold in the furnace hath the Lord tried his chosen ones, and received them as a burnt-offering, and yet a while, and they shall be regarded; * For the grace of God, and his peace, are with his chosen.
V.  They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth : and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him.
R.  For the grace of God, and his peace, are with his chosen.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  For the grace of God, and his peace, are with his chosen.

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 Descendens Jesus is read from the Common of Several Martyrs, Series 2.

Gospel Homily from Common of Several Martyrs

Lesson IX is from the Homily of the occurring weekday
 

Lauds

Ad Bened. Ant:  Vestri capílli cápitis * omnes numeráti sunt : nolíte timére : multis passéribus melióres estis vos.

Ant. on Bened:  Even the very hairs of your head * are all numbered; fear not therefore ; ye are of more value than many sparrows.

BENEDICTUS

Oremus.
Præsta, quæsumus, omnípotens Deus : ut, qui gloriósos Mártyres fortes in sua confessióne cognóvimus, pios apud te in nostra intercessióne sentiámus.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God : that, like as we have known thy glorious Martyrs to be constant in their confession of thy Faith ; so we may feel the succour of their loving intercession.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Second Vespers

Ad Magnif. Ant:  Gaudent in cælis * ánimæ Sanctórum, qui Christi vestígia sunt secúti, et, quia pro ejus amóre sánguinem suum fudérunt, ídeo cum Christo exsúltant sine fine.

Ant. on Magnif:  In the heavenly kingdom * the souls of the Saints are rejoicing, even such as walked in the footsteps of Christ, for love of whom they shed their very life-blood; therefore with Christ they now do reign for ever and ever.

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

Oremus.
Præsta, quæsumus, omnípotens Deus : ut, qui gloriósos Mártyres fortes in sua confessióne cognóvimus, pios apud te in nostra intercessióne sentiámus.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God : that, like as we have known thy glorious Martyrs to be constant in their confession of thy Faith ; so we may feel the succour of their loving intercession.  Through.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

SUFFRAGE OF ALL SAINTS

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH