[Rank]
Sabbato infra Hebdomadam III in Quadragesima;;Feria major;;2

[Rule]

[Lectio1]
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 8:1-11
In that time, Jesus went unto Mount Olivet. And early in the morning he came again into the temple. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!33rd Tract on John.
Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives, even unto that fruitful Mount, that anointing Mount, that Mount of Chrism. Where else became it Christ to teach, if not on the Mount of Olives? For the word Christ is derived from Chrisma, and Chrisma is the Greek for ointment. He hath anointed us that we may be able to wrestle with the devil. And, early in the morning, He came again into the temple; and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them and no man laid hands on Him, because He was not yet pleased to suffer. And now listen how His enemies tried the Lord's meekness.

[Lectio2]
And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto Him: Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now, Moses in the law commanded that such should be stoned; but what sayest Thou? This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. Whereof to accuse Him? Had they taken Him in any sin? Or was the woman said to have anything to do with Him?

[Lectio3]
We must understand, my brethren, that there was a wonderful gentleness in the Lord. They knew that He was most mild and most gentle. Of Him indeed it had been said of old time: Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty! In thy comeliness and thy beauty go forward, fare prosperously, and reign, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness. (Ps. xliv. 4, 5.) And He came bringing truth as one that teacheth, meekness as one that delivereth, and righteousness as one that knoweth. Because of these it was that the Prophet declared, in the Holy Ghost, that He was to reign. Whenever He spake, truth shone forth whenever He spared His enemies, meekness was made glorious. And His enemies, racked with envy and hatred by His truth and His meekness, laid a stumbling-block for His righteousness.

[Ant 2]
Jesus stooped down, * and wrote on the ground: He that is without sin, let him cast a stone at her.

[Oratio 2]
O Almighty God, grant, we beseech thee, that as many as, to afflict the body, do abstain from meats, may, by following after righteousness, fast from sin.
$Per Dominum