Virgin and Martyr

Semidouble

Common

Lauds

COLLECT OF THE DAY

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH

First Vespers

The Church of Santa Bibiana, Rome

MAGNIFICAT

THE MAGNIFICAT

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

Commemoration of the Feria.

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 Virgin Martyrs, Confitebor.

Scripture Lessons

Lessons from Common of Virgin 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.

Bibiána virgo Romána, nóbili génere nata, christiána fide nobílior fuit.  Ejus enim pater Flaviánus sub Juliáno Apóstata impiíssimo tyránno expræféctus, servilibúsque notis compúnctus, ad aquas Taurínas deportátus, martyr occúbuit.  Mater Dafrósa et fíliæ, primum conclúsæ domi, ut inédia conficeréntur ; mox relegáta mater extra Urbem cápite plexa est.  Mórtuis autem piis paréntibus, Bibiána cum soróre sua Demétria bonis ómnibus exspoliátur ; Aproniánus Urbis prætor, pecúniis ínhians, soróres perséquitur ; quas humána prorsus ope destitútas, Deo mirabíliter, qui dat escam esuriéntibus, enutriénte, cum vivacióres vegetiorésque conspexísset, veheménter est admirátus.

Bibiana was a Roman maiden, distinguished on account of the nobility of her family, but now far more distinguished for her confession of Christ.  In the reign of the foul tyrant, Julian the Apostate, her father Flavian, although he was an ex-Prefect, was branded as a slave and banished to Aquapendente, not far from Rome, where he soon died a martyr for his faith.  His wife, Dafrosa, and his two daughters, Bibiana and Demetria, were first imprisoned in their own house, with the idea of starving them to death ; but the mother was afterwards taken outside the city and beheaded.  Bibiana and her sister Demetria, after the death of their holy parents, were stripped of all they had in the world.  Apronianus, Governor of the city, who hankered after their property, continued to persecute them, but although they were destitute of all human support, God, who giveth bread to the hungry, fed them, and kept them in health, life, and strength, to the wonder of their enemies.

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.

Suádet nihilóminus Aproniánus, ut veneréntur deos Géntium, amíssas ídeo opes, imperatóris grátiam, præclaríssimas núptias consecutúræ.  Si secus fécerint, minátur cárceres, virgas, secúres.  At illæ, neque blandítiis, neque minis a recta fide declinántes, parátæ pótius mori, quam fœdári móribus ethnicórum, prætóris impietátem constantíssime detestántur.  Quare Demétria, ob óculos Bibiánæ repénte córruens, óbiit in Dómino : Bibiána Rufínæ mulíeri vaférrimæ seducénda tráditur ; quæ ab incunábulis edócta christiánas leges et illibátum serváre virginitátis florem, se ipsa fórtior féminæ superávit insídias, et prætóris astus delúsit.

Apronianus then attacked them to make them worship the gods of the Gentiles, and promised them the restoration of their property, the favour of the Emperor, and a great marriage for each of them, if they would give way, and, on the other hand, imprisonment, stripes, and death.  But neither promises nor threats availed, for they remained firm in the faith, being resolved rather to die than to pollute themselves by doing according to the deeds of the heathen ; and, as for the iniquity of the Governor, they loathed it continually.  At length the strength of Demetria gave way, and she fell down suddenly, and died in the Lord, before the eyes of her sister Bibiana.  Then Bibiana was put into the hands of an artful woman named Rufina, to seduce her if possible ; but she had known the law of Christ from her childhood, and kept the lily of her purity undefiled, triumphing over the efforts of that vile person, and disappointing the lust of the Governor.

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.

Nihil autem proficiénte Rufína, quæ, præter dolósa verba, illam quotídie verbéribus affligébat, ut de sancto propósito dimovéret, spe sua frustrátus, prætor, accénsus ira quod in Bibiána perdidísset óperam, a lictóribus eam denudári, vinctísque mánibus colúmnæ alligári, eámque plumbátis cædi jubet, donec effláret ánimam.  Cujus sacrum corpus objéctum cánibus bíduo jácuit in foro Tauri, illæsum tamen, et divínitus servátum ; quod deínde Joánnes présbyter sepelívit noctu juxta sepúlcrum soróris et matris ad palátium Liciniánum, ubi usque in præsens exstat ecclésia Deo, sanctæ Bibiánæ nómine, dicáta, quam Urbánus octávus instaurávit, sanctárum Bibiánæ, Demétriæ et Dafrósæ corpóribus in ea repértis, et sub ara máxima collocátis.

Then, when Rufina saw that her false words availed not, she took to blows, and scourged Bibiana daily, but the saint was not staggered in her holy resolution.  At last the Governor, mad with baffled lust, when he found his labour was thrown away, ordered his lictors to strip her naked, hang her up by the hands to a pillar, and flog her to death with whips weighted with lead.  When all was over, her sacred body was thrown out for the dogs to eat.  It lay two days in the Forum Tauri, but the animals would not touch it ; and, at last, a Priest, named John, took it, and buried it by night beside the graves of her mother and sister, near the Licinian Palace.  This is the place where there is still a church, dedicated in the name of St. Bibiana.  When this church was being restored by Urban VIII, the bodies of these three holy women, Bibiana, Demetria, and Dafrosa, were found, and were re-buried under the High Altar.

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.

Bibiána virgo Romána, nóbili génere nata, christiána fide nobílior fuit.  Ejus enim paréntes, Flaviánus et Dafrósa, sub Juliáno Apóstata martyrium subiérunt.  Tum Bibiána ejúsque soror Demétria, bonis ómnibus exspoliátæ et ab Aproniáno.  Urbis prætóre, blandítiis et minis tentátæ, ut a recta fide declinárent, prætóris impietátem constantíssime detestátæ sunt.  Quo in agóne Demétria, ob óculos Bibiánæ repénte córruens, óbiit in Dómino.  Bibiána autem Rufínæ mulíeri vaférrimæ seducénda tráditur ; sed, ejus superátis insídiis, prætóris astus delúsit.  Quare hujus jussu plumbátis cæsa est, donec ánimam efflávit.  Ejus sacrum corpus, bíduo cánibus objéctum, illæsum tamen divínitus servátum, Joánnes présbyter sepelívit noctu juxta sepúlcrum soróris et matris ad palátium Licinianum, ubi nunc exstat ecclésia Deo, sanctæ Bibiánæ nómine, dicáta.

Bibiana, a Roman virgin, was born of noble parents but was of still nobler race by reason of her Christian faith.  Her parents, Flavian and Dafrosa, suffered martyrdom under Julian the Apostate.  Then Bibiana and her sister, Demetria, were deprived of all their possessions ; and Aprónianus, Governor of the City, attempted, both by promises and by threats, to make them abandon the true faith.  But they resisted him and his wickedness with great constancy.  In this struggle, Demetria suddenly collapsed before Bibiana's eyes, and died in the Lord.  Next Bibiana herself was handed over to a very crafty woman called Rufina, who was to have her seduced.  But Bibiana was victorious over all her wiles, and thwarted the Governor's evil designs.  Then he commanded that she be beaten with leaded whips, and at length she breathed out her soul.  Her sacred body, left exposed to the dogs for two days, was preserved unharmed by divine power.  John the priest buried it by night next to the grave of her sister and mother, near the palace of Licinius, where now standeth a church dedicated to God and named after St. Bibiana.

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

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

The Church of Santa Bibiana, Rome

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 est regnum cælorum thesauro abscondito is read from the Common of Holy Women, with Responds from the Common of Virgins, as therein given.

Gospel Homily from Common of Holy Women

Lauds

The Church of Santa Bibiana, Rome

BENEDICTUS

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

Commemoration of the Feria.

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH