Monday, April 03, 2006

Monday in Passion Week.
The Roman Breviary
At MATINS
The reading of the Holy Gospel according to John.
Lesson i: c.7, 32-39
At that time: The rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend Jesus. Jesus therefore said to them: yet a little while I am with you: and then I go to him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come. The Jews therefore said among themselves: Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What is this saying that he hath said: You shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, you cannot come? And on the last, and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive, who believed in him: for as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Homily of St. Augustine, Bishop.
Treatise 31 on John
How could they apprehend him, if, as yet, he were unwilling? Since, then, they could not apprehend him because he did not will it, they were that they might hear what he was teaching. And what was he teaching? Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while I am with you. What you wish to do now, you shall do hereafter; but not just now, for I do not will it now. Why am I now as yet unwilling? Because yet a little while I am with you, and then I go to him that sent me. I must fulfil my charge, and thus come to my Passion.
R. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor, and of the unjust: For thou art my patience.
V. O my God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.

Lesson ii
You shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, thither you cannot come. Here he has already foretold his resurrection: for they would not acknowledge him when he was present with them, and afterwards they sought him, seeing the multitude already believing in him. For great signs were wrought, even when the Lord was risen again and ascended into heaven. And again, mighty deeds were done by his disciples; but he wrought by them as he wrought by himself; indeed, he himself had told them: Without me you can do nothing. When that lame man who sat at the gate, rose up at the voice of Peter, and walked upon his own feet, so that man marveled, Peter thus addressed them, saying that he had not done this by his own power, but by the power of him whom they themselves had slain. Many, being stung with remorse, said: What shall we do?
R. They that watched for my life took counsel together, saying: God hath forsaken him, Pursue and take him: for there is none to deliver him: O my God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.
V. All my enemies whispered together against me; they have devised evils against me, saying.

Lesson iii
For they saw themselves bound by a monstrous crime of impiety, when they slew him whom they ought to have revered and adored: and this, they thought, was beyond all pardon. It was indeed a great crime, and to think upon it might bring them to despair; yet they ought not to have despaired, since it was for them that the Lord was pleased to pray to pray while he hung upon the cross. For he had said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He saw, among the many strangers, some who belonged to him; he begged forgiveness for these, from whom he was still receiving outrages. For he heeded not that he was dying at their hands, but only that he was dying for them.
R. My enemies spoke indeed peaceably unto me, but in their anger they troubled me: Thou hast seen, O Lord, be not thou silent, depart not from me.
V. As for me, when they molested me, I was clothed with hair-cloth, and I humbled my soul with fasting.

Collect
Sanctify our fasts, we beseech thee, O Lord: and mercifully bestow upon us the pardon of all our faults. Through Our Lord.
Collect
Grant thy people, we beseech thee, O Lord, health of mind and body: that, cleaving to good works, they may ever deserve to be defended by thy protection.Through Our Lord.