[Rank]
Dominica III in Quadragesima;;I classis Semiduplex;;6

[Rule]
9 lectiones

[Ant 1]
But the father said to his servants: * Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the book of Genesis
!Gen 37:2-10
2 And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's wives and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of diverse colours.
4 And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.
8 His brethren answered Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
9 He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.
10 And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?

[Responsory1]
R. And when his brethren saw Joseph afar off, they said one to another: Behold, this dreamer cometh.
* Come, let us slay him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
V. And when his brethren saw that their father loved Joseph more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him; therefore they said:
R. Come, let us slay him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

[Lectio2]
!Gen 37:11-20
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father's flocks,
13 Israel said to him thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
14 I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
16 But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
17 And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
18 And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
20 Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit and we will say Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him.

[Responsory2]
R. Judah said unto his brethren: Behold, the Ismaelites pass by; come, let us sell him, and let not our hands be defiled.
* For he is our flesh, and our brother.
V. What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? It is better to sell him.
R. For he is our flesh, and our brother.

[Lectio3]
!Gen 37:21-28
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
22 Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
23 And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of diverse colours:
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
25 And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Calaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
28 And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

[Responsory3]
R. They drew up Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
* And Reuben returned unto the pit, and when he found not Joseph, he rent his clothes, and wept, and said: * The child is not, and I, whither shall I go?
V. And they took Joseph's coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid of the goats, and they sent one that brought the coat unto their father, and said: See now whether this be thy son's coat or no.
R. And Reuben returned unto the pit, and when he found not Joseph, he rent his clothes, and wept.
&Gloria
R. And Reuben said: The child is not, and I, whither shall I go?

[Responsory3](rubrica 1960 aut rubrica monastica)
R. They drew up Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
* And Reuben returned unto the pit, and when he found not Joseph, he rent his clothes, and wept, and said: The child is not, and I, whither shall I go?
V. And they took Joseph's coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid of the goats, and they sent one that brought the coat unto their father, and said: See now whether this be thy son's coat or no.
R. And Reuben returned unto the pit, and when he found not Joseph, he rent his clothes, and wept. And Reuben said: The child is not, and I, whither shall I go?

[Lectio4]
From the Book upon holy Joseph written by St. Ambrose, Bishop (of Milan.)
!Ch. 1
The lives of the saints are the models for the lives of others. This is one of the reasons why we have been given the wise tale of the Scriptures, that while, by reading therein, we come to know Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and others of the righteous, we may follow them in that path of innocency which is opened to us for our imitation by the record of their godly conversation. Of them I have often treated, and today the story of the holy Joseph cometh before me. In that story there are patterns of many virtues, but chiefly is he glorious on account of his clean living. Right is it then that ye who have learnt in Abraham the devotedness of a faith that nothing could daunt, in Isaac the transparency of an upright soul, in Jacob a wonderful patience of spirit in great travails, should now turn from their worthy deeds, to see the bright example of Joseph's self-control.

[Responsory4]
R. When Jacob saw Joseph's coat he rent his clothes, and mourned; and he said:
* An evil beast hath devoured my son Joseph.
V. And his brethren took his coat, and sent it to his father and he knew it, and said:
R. An evil beast hath devoured my son Joseph.

[Lectio5]
The holy Joseph is put before us as a pattern of chastity. Modesty shineth in his manners and in his deeds, and a certain loveliness, which is found with chastity, shineth there also. Hence his parents loved him more than their other children. But this love caused him to be the object of an envy, which we must needs not pass by, and upon this the whole story turneth. Yet, at the same time, we learn how that just man was not swayed by any desire to avenge his own sufferings, neither repaid evil for evil. Whence also David saith If I have rewarded evil (Ps. vii. 5.) 

[Responsory5]
R. When Joseph came into the land of Egypt, he heard a language that he understood not; his hands were burdened with labour;
* And his tongue spake wisdom among princes.
V. Whose feet they hurt with fetters; the iron entered into his soul, until the time that his word came
R. And his tongue spake wisdom among princes.

[Lectio6]
In what would Joseph have been worthy to be chosen before others, if he had harmed them which harmed him, and loved them which loved him? For this do many do. But it is a wonder if one do that which the Saviour teacheth, and love his enemy. Well, then, may we wonder at him who did this before the Gospel came; who, being injured, spared; being assailed, forgave; being sold, returned no evil;~
but repaid insult with favour. We, from the Gospel, have been taught to do all this, and we cannot. Let us also, then, learn how that there was envy even among some of the holy (Patriarchs), that we may follow the example of the patience (wherewith others of them bore it;) and let us feel that they were not men of another and higher nature than ours, but only more heedful; that they were not sinless, but that they repented. But if the passion of envy scorched even some of the holy race, how much more need is there for the sinful to take heed lest it set fire to them?

[Responsory6]
R. Think on me when it shall be well with thee;
* And make mention of me unto Pharaoh, that he may bring me out of this prison. * For I was stolen away; and here have I done nothing, that they should put me into the dungeon.
V. For yet three days, and then Pharaoh shall remember thy service, and restore thee unto thy place; then think of me.
R. And make mention of me unto Pharaoh, that he may bring me out of this prison.
&Gloria
R. For I was stolen away; and here have I done nothing, that they should put me into the dungeon.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 11:14-28
At that time, Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb: and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes were in admiration at it. And so on.
_
Homily by the Venerable Bede, Priest (at Jarrow.)
!Bk. iv, 48 on Luke xi
We read in Matthew (xii. 22) that the devil, by which this poor creature was possessed, was not only dumb, but also blind; and that, when he was healed by the Lord, he saw as well as spake. Three miracles, therefore, were performed on this one man; the blind saw, the dumb spake, and the possessed was delivered. This mighty work was then indeed wrought carnally, but it is still wrought spiritually in the conversion of believers, when the devil is cast out of them, so that their eyes see the light of faith, and the lips, that before were dumb, are opened that their mouth may show forth the praise of God. But some of them said: He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. These some were not of the multitude, but liars among the Pharisees and Scribes, as we are told by the other Evangelist.

[Responsory7]
R. 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.
V. And Reuben answered his brethren, saying Spake I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear?
R. Therefore is this distress come upon us.

[Lectio8]
While the multitude, who were less instructed, wondered ever at the works of the Lord, the Pharisees and Scribes, on the other hand, denied the facts when they could, and when they were not able, twisted them by an evil interpretation, and asserted that the works of God were the works of an unclean spirit. And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven. They would have had Christ either to call down fire from heaven like Elias, (4 Kings i. 10,) or, like Samuel, (1 Kings vii. 10,) to have made thunder roll, and lightning flash, and rain fall at midsummer. And yet and if he had so done, they had been still able to explain away these signs also, as being the natural result of some unusual, though, till that moment, unremarked state of the atmosphere. O thou, who stubbornly deniest that which thine eye seeth, thine hand holdeth, and thy sense perceiveth, what wilt thou say to a sign from heaven? In good sooth, thou wilt say that the magicians in Egypt also wrought diverse signs from heaven. (Ex. vii., viii.)

[Responsory8]
R. And Reuben answered his brethren, saying: Spake I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear?
* Behold, his blood is required.
V. 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.
R. Behold, his blood is required.

[Lectio9]
But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and an house divided against an house falleth. He answered not their words, but their thoughts; as though He would compel them to believe in the power of Him Who seeth the secrets of the heart. But if every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, then have not the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost a divided kingdom, since His is a kingdom that, without all contradiction, shall never be brought to desolation by any shock, but abideth unchanged and unchangeable for ever. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because ye say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub. In saying this, He sought to draw from their own mouth a confession that they had chosen for themselves to be part of that devil's kingdom, which, if it be divided against itself, cannot stand.

[Responsory9]
R. Jacob lamented for his two sons, saying: Woe is me; I am bereaved of Joseph, for he is not; and afflicted because of Benjamin, because he is taken away for bread.
* I pray the King of heaven in my distress, that He may make me to see them yet again.
V. And Jacob cast him down upon his face upon the ground, and wept sore; and he prayed, saying:
R. I pray the King of heaven in my distress, that He may make me to see them yet again.
&Gloria
R. I pray the King of heaven in my distress, that He may make me to see them yet again.

[Ant Laudes]
O Lord, do good in thy good pleasure * unto Zion; to build the walls of Jerusalem.
The Lord is on my side; * I will not fear what can man do unto me?
O my God, my soul cleaveth fast * after thee, O God.
(sed rubrica Tridentina dicitur)
May God have mercy * on us and bless us.
(sed rubrica Monastica dicitur)
My lips * shall praise, thee all my life long, my God.
The fire forgot his strength * that thy children might be delivered therefrom.
Praise God, O ye sun and moon, * for His Name alone is exalted!

[Capitulum Laudes]
!Eph 5:1-2
v. Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as most dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.
$Deo gratias

[Ant 2]
When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, * his goods are in peace.

[Ant Prima]
When Jesus had cast out the devil, * the dumb spake, and the people wondered.

[Ant Tertia]
If I with the finger of God * cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

[Ant Sexta]
He that gathereth not with Me scattereth, * and he that is not with Me is against Me.

[Capitulum Sexta]
!Eph 5:5
v. For know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
$Deo gratias

[Ant Nona]
When the unclean spirit * is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none.

[Capitulum Nona]
!Eph 5:8-9
v. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth.
$Deo gratias

[Ant 3]
A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said: * Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked. But Jesus said unto her: Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.