[Rank]
Die Octavae S. Joseph;;Duplex majus;;4;;vide Tempora/Pasc2-3

[Rule]
vide Tempora/Pasc2-3
9 lectiones

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the book of Revelation
!Rev 5:1-7
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it.
5 And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not; behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes: which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.

[Responsory1]
R. Thy streets, O Jerusalem, shall bel paved with pure gold, Alleluia, and the song of joy shall be sung in thee. Alleluia.
* And all that pass through all thy streets shall say Alleluia, Alleluia.
V. Thy light shall be exceeding glorious, and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee.
R. And all that pass through all thy streets shall say Alleluia, Alleluia.

[Lectio2]
!Rev 5:8-10
8 And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints:
9 And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
10 And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.

[Lectio3]
!Rev 5:11-14
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the ancients; and the number of them was thousands of thousands,
12 Saying with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and benediction. 
13 And every creature, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them: I heard all saying: To him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, benediction, and honour, and glory, and power, for ever and ever.
14 And the four living creatures said: Amen. And the four and twenty ancients fell down on their faces, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever.

[Lectio4]
From a Sermon by St. Augustine the Bishop
!Liber 1 de Nupt. et Concup., c. 11
The Angel did not speak falsely when he said to Joseph: Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. She is called wife because of the mutual confidence established between them at the time of her espousal, although he had not known her carnally, nor was he ever so to do. And the name of wife was not lost or rendered untrue because there had not been any carnal intercourse, and would not be in the future. She was, in fact, The Virgin; and therefore she was holier and a more wonderful source of joy to her husband just because she became a mother without a man's intervention. Thus he knew her to be like unto himself in faithfulness, unlike him as regards her offspring.  On account of his faithful union, both of them merited the name of Christ's parents. And not only is she called his Mother, but he also is called his father, as being the husband of his Mother, not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. But even though he was a father only in spirit, whilst she was Mother according to the flesh, yet they both were the parents of his humility, not of his glory; of his infirmity, not of his divinity.

[Lectio5]
For the Gospel doth not lie, when it saith: And Joseph and his Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And in another place: His parents went to Jerusalem every year. And a little further on: And his Mother said unto him; Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. But, to shew that, apart from them, he had a Father who begat him without a mother, he answered them: How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And, as a set-off to this, lest anyone might think that by these words he denied his parents, the Evangelist immediately addeth: And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them; and he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. To whom was he subject but to his parents? And who was thus subject but Jesus Christ, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God?

[Lectio6]
Why therefore was he subject to them who were so far below the form of God, except that he humbled himself, taking upon himself the form of a servant, of which form they were the parents? But truly, neither of them would have attained unto the parenthood of this form of a servant, except they had become respectively husband and wife, albeit without any carnal intercourse. And hence, when the ancestors of Christ are recounted in direct line of succession, the genealogy was fittingly traced down to Joseph. Otherwise, it would have been a slur upon the male sex, which is wont to be accorded the greater dignity. At the same time the truth did not suffer, for both Joseph and Mary were of the seed of David, from which it was prophesied that Christ should come. Note how thus all the good things of marriage are found in these parents of Christ: offspring, fidelity, the marriage bond. The offspring we know, was the Lord Jesus himself; their fidelity is proved because there was no adultery; the marriage bond, because there was no divorce. 

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 3:21-23
At that time: When all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened. And so on, and that which followeth.
_
A Homily by St. Augustine the Bishop
!Serm. 36 de Temp. Bapt. Christi
The day of his baptism is, as it were, a second birthday of the Saviour. For we know that he was born with signs and wonders like to those of his baptism, and that in the latter is a great mystery like to his birth. For God saith: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This second birth is indeed more glorious than the first. For then, he was born in silence, and without witnesses. Now, the Lord is baptized with a proclamation of his divinity. Then, Joseph, who was supposed to be his father, denied that he was. Now, his true Father, who was not believed to be so, proclaimeth himself so to be. Then, the Mother was enduring suspicion, because no father was acknowledged. Now she that bore him is honoured because the Divinity maketh him known as his Son.

[Lectio8]
I say that the second birth was more glorious than the first. For now, the God of majesty proclaimeth himself as his father. Then, the carpenter Joseph was so accounted. And although it was the Holy Ghost through whom the Lord was born and baptized, yet the Father, whose voice was heard from heaven, is greater than the father who laboured on earth. Therefore Joseph the workman on earth was supposed to be the father of the Lord and Saviour. But God, the true Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is also a workman, and cannot be excluded from those who work at the carpenter's trade.

[Lectio9]
For he is the artificer who hath wrought the fabric of this world with power not only wondrous but ineffable. Like a wise architect hath he erected the heavens on high; he hath laid the foundations of the earth; he hath constrained the sea within its beaches. He is the artificer who, in due measure, lowereth the pinnacles of pride and bringeth to the surface the bedrock of humility. He is the artificer who doth chip off the unnecessary substance in our behaviour, and preserveth whatever is useful. He is the artificer whose axe, as John the Baptist warneth us, is laid to the root of our tree. So every tree, which measureth not up to his standard of due growth, is cut down at the roots, and used as fuel for the fire. But that which measureth up rightly, according to his rule and standard, is squared and fitted by his divine workmanship.
&teDeum