Dominus eis dicit: Scriptum est, Domus ea domus oratiónis vocábitur: vos autem fecístis illam spelúncam latrónum...

It was snowing last night before I went to bed, at about 2100 or so, but didn't look to me, when I arose earlier, that it had continued through the night or this morning, alas; the mages were predicting snowfall through 1000 today, ha, and at some point between when last I looked at the iPad yesterday and now someone issued a 'winter storm warning': here, the temperature is 32°. Today is the Tuesday in the first week of Lent; the Mass is Domine refugium factus es.

At Barroux, the Requiem was sung. It is still snowing, and the white flakes appearing at the window in the blackness of the hours before Dawn is lovely. A reminder, however, that I need to wash the glass in my window.

On the way to the supermarket, the snow was still falling-- a flake or two amidst countless droplets of rain-- while, when I left the store, having purchased, inter alia, olive oil, cabbage, carrots, and salt, the rain was still falling, half-heartedly, but without any snowflakes. And at last they had managed to obtain my OTC pain pills in a container of 50 of them: not the 100 I prefer but much better than what had been my choice for weeks, 25 of 'em or 1000. 

 

Lectio 1
Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum
Matt 12:38-50
In illo témpore: Respondérunt Jesu quidam de scribis et pharisǽis, dicéntes: Magíster, vólumus a te signum vidére. Et réliqua.

Homilía sancti Ambrósii Epíscopi
Lib. 7 in Lucæ cap. 11
Judæórum plebe damnáta, Ecclésiæ mystérium evidénter exprímitur, quæ in Ninivítis per pœniténtiam, et in regína Austri per stúdium percipiéndæ sapiéntiæ, de totíus orbis fínibus congregátur, ut pacífici Salomónis verba cognóscat. Regína plane, cujus regnum est indivísum, de divérsis et distántibus pópulis in unum corpus assúrgens.

R. Scíndite corda vestra, et non vestiménta vestra: et convertímini ad Dóminum Deum vestrum:
* Quia benígnus et miséricors est.
V. Derelínquat ímpius viam suam, et vir iníquus cogitatiónes suas, et revertátur ad Dóminum, et miserébitur ejus.
R. Quia benígnus et miséricors est.

Lectio 2
Itaque sacraméntum illud magnum est de Christo et Ecclésia. Sed tamen hoc majus est, quia illud in figúra ante præcéssit, nunc autem plenum in veritáte mystérium est. Illic enim Sálomon typus, hic autem Christus in suo córpore est. Ex duóbus ígitur constat Ecclésia: ut aut peccáre nésciat, aut peccáre désinat. Pœniténtia enim delíctum ábolet, sapiéntia cavet.

R. Frange esuriénti panem tuum, et egénos vagósque induc in domum tuam:
* Tunc erúmpet quasi mane lumen tuum, et anteíbit fáciem tuam justítia tua.
V. Cum víderis nudum, óperi eum, et carnem tuam ne despéxeris.
R. Tunc erúmpet quasi mane lumen tuum, et anteíbit fáciem tuam justítia tua.

Lectio 3
Céterum Jonæ signum, ut typus Domínicæ passiónis, ita étiam grávium, quæ Judǽi commíserint, testificátio peccatórum est. Simul advértere licet et majestátis oráculum, et pietátis indícium. Namque Ninivitárum exémplo et denuntiátur supplícium, et remédium demonstrátur. Unde étiam Judǽi debent non desperáre indulgéntiam, si velint ágere pœniténtiam.

R. Abscóndite eleemósynam in sinu páuperum, et ipsa orábit pro vobis ad Dóminum:
* Quia sicut aqua extínguit ignem, ita eleemósyna extínguit peccátum.
V. Date eleemósynam, et ecce ómnia munda sunt vobis.
R. Quia sicut aqua extínguit ignem, ita eleemósyna extínguit peccátum.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
R. Quia sicut aqua extínguit ignem, ita eleemósyna extínguit peccátum.

Statio ad S. Anastasiam

We have already mentioned the diaconal Basilica of St Nicholas in the forum olitorium, which during the Middle Ages became one of the most central and important of the Roman churches, at the time when the Pierleoni, the Orsini, the Frangipani, and others had, so to speak, quartered themselves about the Capitol. In this neighbourhood Urban II expired in 1099, whilst a guest of the Pierleoni, and his funeral was celebrated with much ceremony at St Nicholas in Carcere. The name in Carcere goes back to the Middle Ages, but the prison ad Elephantum in the forum olitorium is not to be confused with the latomiae of the Tullianum underneath the Capitol. 

The popularity of the veneration paid to St Anastasia, which in Rome is perhaps older than the feast of Christmas itself, brought it about that under the, influence of Byzantine imperialism her titular church, which was looked upon as a court church, being at the foot of the imperial Palatium, was chosen for the second Christmas Mass and for the second Lenten station. Indeed, it hardly seems a mere coincidence that after the Esquiline Basilica of SS Peter and Paul there should immediately follow the imperial basilica close to the Palatium.

A tradition asserts that the titulus Anastasiae mentioned in
a synod of 499 marks the spot of the martyr’s dwelling, but
on the other hand it is quite possible that it is only a case of
identity of name between the foundress of the basilica and
the titular saint. St Leo I delivered a vigorous homily in
St Anastasia against the heresy of Eutyches, probably at
Christmas-time. The church is enriched with very precious
relics. (Blessed Ildefonso in Liber Sacramentorum)

Introitus. Ps. 89, 1 et 2. Dómine, refúgium factus es nobis a generatióne et progénie: a sǽculo et in sǽculum tu es. Ps. ibid., 2. Priúsquam montes fíerent, aut formarétur terra et orbis: a sǽculo et usque in sǽculum tu es Deus. ℣. Glória Patri.

Oratio. Réspice, Dómine, famíliam tuam: et præsta; ut apud te mens nostra tuo desidério fúlgeat, quæ se carnis maceratióne castígat. Per Dóminum nostrum.

Léctio Isaíæ Prophétæ
Is. 55, 6-11.
In diébus illis: Locútus est Isaías Prophéta, dicens: Quaerite Dóminum, dum inveníri potest: invocáte eum, dum prope est. Derelínquat ímpius viam suam, et vir iníquus cogitatiónes suas, et revertátur ad Dóminum: et miserébitur ejus, et ad Deum nostrum: quóniam multus est ad ignoscéndum. Non enim cogitationes meæ cogitatiónes vestræ: neque viæ vestræ viæ meæ, dicit Dóminus. Quia sicut exaltántur cœli a terra, sic exaltátæ sunt viæ meæ a viis vestris, et cogitatiónes meæ a cogitatiónibus vestris. Et quómodo descéndit imber et nix de cœlo, et illuc ultra non revértitur, sed inébriat terram, et infúndit eam, et germináre eam facit, et dat semen serénti, et panem comedénti: sic erit verbum meum, quod egrediétur de ore meo: non revertétur ad me vácuum, sed fáciet quæcúmque volui, et prosperábitur in his, ad quæ misi illud: ait Dóminus omnípotens.

The Prophet, speaking to us in God's name, assures us, that, if we sincerely desire our conversion, we shall find mercy. The infinite distance which lies between the sovereign holiness of God and the soul that is defiled by sin is no obstacle to the reconciliation between the creature and the Creator. The goodness of God is omnipotent; it can create a clean heart in him that repents, and, where sin abounded, it can make grace abound more than ever sin abounded. The word of pardon will come down from heaven, like plentiful rain upon parched land, and that land will yield a rich harvest. But, let the sinner give ear to the rest of the prophecy. Is man at liberty to accept or refuse this word that comes from heaven? May he, for the present, neglect it, in the hope that he will give it a welcome later on, when his life is at its close ? No; God says to us by his Prophet: Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found; call upon him, while he is near. We cannot, therefore, find the Lord just when it suits our fickle humour; his nearness to us is not always the same. Let us take heed; God has his times; the time for mercy may be followed by the time for justice. Jonas went through the streets of the proud city, and cried out: Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed (Ionas 3,4). Ninive did not allow the forty days to pass without returning to the Lord; she put on sackcloth, and ashes, she fasted, and she was spared. Let us imitate the earnest repentance of this guilty city; let us not set Divine Justice at defiance by refusing to do penance, or by doing it negligently.

This Lent is, perhaps, the last God's mercy will grant us. If we put off our conversion, God may refuse us another such opportunity. Let us meditate upon these words of the Apostle, which repeat the truth told us in today's Epistle: The earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs, meet for them by whom it is tilled, receiveth blessing from God; but that which bringeth forth thorns and briars is reprobate, and very near unto a curse, whose end is to be burnt (Hebr 6,7-8). (Venerable Prosper in L'Année liturgique)

Graduale. Ps. 140, 2. Dirigátur orátio mea sicut incénsum in conspéctu tuo, Dómine, ℣. Elevátio mánuum meárum sacrifícium vespertínum.

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum.
Matth. 21, 10-17.
In illo témpore: Cum intrásset Jesus Jerosólymam, commóta est univérsa cívitas, dicens: Quis est hic? Pópuli autem dicébant: Hic est Jesus Prophéta a Názareth Galilǽæ. Et intrávit Jesus in templum Dei, et ejiciébat omnes vendéntes, et eméntes in templo; et mensas  nummulariórum et cáthedras vendéntium colúmbas evértit: et dicit eis: Scriptum est: Domus ea domus oratiónis vocábitur: vos autem fecístis illam spelúncam latrónum. Et accessérunt ad eum cæci et claudi in templo: et sanávit eos. Vidéntes autem príncipes sacerdótum et scribæ mirabília, quæ fecit, et púeros clamantes in templo, et dicéntes: Hosánna fílio David: indignáti sunt, et dixérunt ei: Audis, quid isti dicunt? Jesus autem dixit eis: Utique. Numquam legístis: Quia ex ore infántium et lacténtium perfecísti laudem? Et relíctis illis, ábiit foras extra civitátem in Bethániam: ibíque mansit.

Offertorium. Ps. 30, 15-16. In te sperávi, Dómine; dixi: Tu es Deus meus, in mánibus tuis témpora mea.

Secreta. Oblátis, quǽsumus, Dómine, placáre munéribus: et a cunctis nos defénde perículis. Per Dóminum.

Communio. Ps. 4, 2. Cum invocárem te, exaudísti me, Deus justítiæ meæ: in tribulatióne dilatásti me: miserére mihi, Dómine, et exáudi oratiónem meam.

Postcommunio. Quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut illíus salutáris capiámus efféctum, cujus per hæc mystéria pignus accépimus. Per Dóminum.

Oratio super populum. Humiliáte cápita vestra Deo. Ascéndant ad te, Dómine, preces nostræ: et ab Ecclésia tua cunctam repélle nequítiam. Per Dóminum.

LDVM