and other righteous men by reading their lives, we may steadfastly follow with imitating footsteps the path of innocence which has been, so to speak, unlocked for us by their virtue. Of those three great patriarchs I have already frequently spoken; to day we have to consider the history of holy Joseph. Now, although very many kinds of virtue met in him, yet above all the illustrious gift of chastity shone forth in his life. And I may say, that as the particular lesson in the history of Abraham was the activity of devout faith, in that of Isaac the purity of an honest mind, in that of Jacob marvellous patience of soul and endurance of labours, so as a rule it is best to direct your attention rather to the special teaching of each saint, than to the entire round of his virtues. hands; and said, Let us not kill in order that while we become achim. And Reuben said unto them, | quainted with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; and they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. Ry. And they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver. * And when Reuben returned to the pit, and found him not, he rent his clothes and wept, and said: * The child is not, and I, whither shall I go? y. But they killed a kid of the goats, and dipped Joseph's coat in the blood, and they brought it to their father; and said, Know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. And. Glory. The SECOND NOCTURN. Ry. When Jacob saw Joseph's clothes, he rent his clothes, and mourned, and said: * an evil beast hath devoured my son Joseph. Y. And his brethren took his coat, and brought it to their father, and when their father knew it he said. evil. Lesson V. An LET then holy Joseph be set before us as a mirror of holy chastity. For modesty shines in his conduct and in his acts, and a certain radiant grace, the companion of purity, gleams in him. Wherefore also he was more loved by his parents than the other fact which could not be passed over in sons. But that gave rise to envy, a silence. For this was the starting point of the whole story of his life, that we might learn two things, that a perfect man is not moved with From the Book of S. Ambrose the evil desire of avenging his sufferings, Bishop on Joseph. Lesson IV. Chap. i. and that he does not retaliate evil for evil. Wherefore David saith: If I have rewarded evil to him that dealt unfriendly with me. THE lives of the saints are the models of holy living to us. And on that account we have received a Ry. When Joseph entered into the very full series of Scripture histories, land of Egypt, he heard a tongue that BUT why should Joseph have been preferred to his brethren, if he injured those that injured him, or loved those that loved him? This is what most persons do. But, if we love our enemies, then we rise above human nature: as the Saviour teaches. This was the more admirable, that he did these things before the Gospel was preached: he spared them that injured him, forgave them that attacked him, being sold returned not injury, but rendered favour for contumely. We who live after the Gospel, have been taught to do this, and yet do it not. Let us learn therefore the envy to which the saints were exposed, that we may imitate the patience they exercised; and let us acknowledge that their nature was not more excellent, but more observant; that they were not unassaulted by temptation, but resisted it. But if feeling a grudge caused the saints to burn, how much more care should be taken, lest it set sinners on fire? Ry. Think on me when it shall be well with thee: * and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this place: * for indeed I was stolen away out of the land, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. y. Yet there are three days, after which thy ministry shall come to Pharaoh's remembrance, and he shall restore thee unto thy former place: then think on me. And. Glory. For. THIRD NOCTURN. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. xi. it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. And that which follows. A Homily of Ven. Bede the Priest. Book 4. chap. 48 on S. Luke xi. THIS demoniac is said by Matthew to have been not only dumb, but blind as well, and to have been healed by the LORD, so that he both spake and saw. Three wonders therefore were wrought together in this man: the blind sees, the dumb speaks, the possessed is freed from the devil. That thing was then, indeed, done in the flesh; but is daily fulfilled in the conversion of believers; first, the devil being cast out, they see the light of faith, then the silent lips are loosed to the praise of God. But some of them said: He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the prince of the devils. It was not some of the multitude that uttered this slander; but the Pharisees and Scribes, as other Evangelists bear witness. Ry. We suffer this justly, for we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. y. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child? and ye would not hear. Therefore. AT that time: JESUS was casting down from above, or else that after the out a devil, and it was dumb. And likeness of Samuel, thunders should roar in summer time, lightnings flash, | concerning Joseph, who is not, and rains fall as though they could not very heavy for Benjamin carried distort such things, and say that they away. * I will pray the heavenly had happened by hidden and divers King, that I who deeply sorrow may conditions of the air. But thou, who behold them. . Casting himself speakest evil of those things which with tears upon the ground, and worthou seest with thine eyes, beholdest in shipping, Jacob said. I will. Glory. thine hand, ownest to be useful, what I will. wilt thou say of those things which MONDAY. come down from heaven? Verily thou Lesson of the Holy Gospel according wilt answer, The sorcerers also in Egypt brought many signs from heaven. BUT He, as He saw their thoughts, said unto them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falleth. He answereth not to their words, but to their thoughts: that thus at least they might be forced to believe in His power, Who beheld the hidden things of their hearts. But if every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, therefore the kingdom of the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST is not divided, for without any contradiction it is not to be brought to desolation by any blow, but is to remain in everlasting steadfastness. But if Satan be divided against himself, how should his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub. Saying thus, He desired it to be understood by their own confession, that by not believing in Him, they had chosen to be of the kingdom of Satan, which cannot stand, because divided against itself. Ry. Jacob lamented concerning his two sons: Woe is me! I am grieved to S. Luke. Lesson I. Chap. iv. AT that time: JESUS said unto the Pharisees Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsover we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop. Book 4 on S. Luke iv. No small spite is here displayed; for, forgetting the love which fellow For citizens are wont to bear towards each other, it turneth into bitter hatred that which ought rather to have caused love. And herein is set forth at once by example and by word, how that thou wilt in vain look for the help of heavenly mercy, if thou enviest the fruits of virtue in others. the LORD is the rejecter of the envious, and turneth aside the wondrous works of His power from those who persecute the divine gifts in others. For what the LORD did in the flesh, sheweth forth the Godhead: and the invisible things of Him are clearly shewn forth to us by the things that are seen. Ry. Take with you presents, and go to the lord of the land: and when ye come unto him, bow yourselves down before him to the earth; * and GOD Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your brother with you, and him whom he holdeth in bonds. . Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present. TH Lesson II. HE SAVIOUR therefore did not excuse Himself unnecessarily, because He worked no miracles of His power in His own country: lest perchance any should deem the love of country to be evil in us. For He could not but love His fellow-citizens who loved all men: but they themselves abandoned love of their country when they envied Him. I tell you of a truth, there were many widows in the days of Elias. Not because the days belonged to Elias, but they were those in which Elias wrought; or because Elias made them to be day to those who saw in his works the light of spiritual grace, and were turned unto the LORD. And therefore the heavens were opened to those who beheld everlasting and divine mysteries; but they were shut up, and there was famine, when there was no knowledge of GOD. But of this we spoke more fully when we wrote concerning widows. The people have gathered together the Church, that that people gathered together from among strangers may follow. That people, formerly leprous, that people, formerly spotted, before, that is, they were baptized in the mystical stream: but the same people, after the sacrament of baptism washed from spots of body and soul, now no longer leprous, beginneth to be an unspotted virgin, without wrinkle. Ry. Joseph said to his eleven brethren; I am Joseph whom ye sold into Egypt; doth our father yet live, the old man of whom ye spake? * go, bring him to me, that he may live. . For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. Go. Glory. Go. TUESDAY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according disciples: If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop. Serm. 16 on the Word of the LORD. Why shouldest thou tell him his fault? Is it because thou art grieved AND many lepers were in Judæa in that he has trespassed against thee? the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Plainly, this healthful discourse of the LORD trains and exhorts us to zeal in the worship of GOD, since none is shewn to be healed, no defiled one is set free from the disease of his leprous body, saving he who with religious care sought the gift of healing. For divine benefits are not bestowed on them that slumber, but on them that wait for them. We have said in another book, that the widow unto whom Elias was sent is set forth as a type of the Church. GOD forbid. If thou doest this for thine own sake, thou doest nothing; if for his sake, thou doest most excellently. Listen then to these words, for whose sake thou oughtest to do this, whether for thine own or his. If he shall hear thee, He saith, thou hast gained thy brother. Therefore do it on account of him, that thou mayest gain him. So doing, thou shalt gain him: except thou do it, he will perish. How comes it then that so many men think lightly of these sins and say: What great matter have I done? I have but sinned against a man. Think not lightly. sinned against a man. Thou hast | thou shalt bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar. God is not angry because thou delayest to offer thy gift: GOD desireth thee, more than thy gift. Ry. And they told Jacob, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt: which when he heard, his spirit revived, and he said: * It is enough; I will go and see him before I die. V. When Jacob heard that his son was alive, as one awaking out of a heavy sleep, he said. It. Lesson II. WILT thou know how it is, that, sinning against a man, thou hast perished? If he against whom thou hast sinned tell thee thy fault between thee him and alone, and thou hearest him, he has gained thee. What then means, He hath gained thee, unless, that thou wouldst have perished, if he had not gained thee? For if thou wast not perishing, in what sense has he gained thee? Let none therefore think lightly, when he sinneth against his brother. For the Apostle saith in a certain place: when ye so sin against the brethren, and wound their weak consciences, ye sin against CHRIST: and that, because we are all members of CHRIST. How then canst thou fail to sin against CHRIST, when thou sinnest against a member of CHRIST? Rz. When Joseph. p. cxxxviii. Lesson III. LET none therefore say, that I have not sinned against GOD, but I have sinned against my brother; I have but sinned against man, the sin is light, or even none at all. Perchance thou therefore sayest: it is light; because it is quickly healed. Thou hast sinned against thy brother; make amends, and thou art healed. Thou hast quickly done a deadly thing, but thou hast quickly found its healing. Which of us, my brethren, can hope for the kingdom of heaven, when the Gospel saith: Whosoever shall say to his | brother, Thou fool: shall be in danger of hell fire? Great is this terror, but here behold the healing remedy. If Ry. Think on me. p. cxxxix. To-day are said the Gradual Psalms. AT that time: There came to JESUS Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? And that which follows. A Homily of S. Jerome the Priest. Book 2. Comm. on S. Matt. xv. Wondrous folly of the Pharisees and Scribes! They blame the SoN of GOD because He keepeth not the traditions and commandments of men. For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. The hands, that is, the works, not of the body indeed, but of the soul, should be washed, that the word of GOD may be fulfilled in them. But He answered and said unto them: Why do ye also transgress the commandment of GOD by your tradidition? He confoundeth their lying slander by a true answer. When, He saith, ye disregard the commandments of the LORD because of the traditions of men, wherefore do ye think that My disciples are to be reproved, because they lightly esteem the commands of the elders, that they may keep the precepts of GOD? Ry. We suffer. p. cxxxix. OR GOD commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall not honour his father or his mother. Honour, in Scripture, con |