Secunda die infra Octavam Epiphaniæ Domini.

Non autem quod excíderit verbum Dei. Non enim omnes qui ex Israël sunt, ii sunt Israëlítæ: neque qui semen sunt Abrahæ, omnes fílii: sed in Isaac vocábitur tibi semen: id est, non qui fílii carnis, hi fílii Dei: sed qui fílii sunt promissiónis, æstimántur in sémine. Promissiónis enim verbum hoc est: Secúndum hoc tempus véniam: et erit Saræ fílius. Non solum autem illa: sed et Rebécca ex uno concúbitu habens, Isaac patris nostri.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Not as though the word of God hath miscarried. For all are not Israelites that are of Israel: Neither are all they that are the seed of Abraham, children; but in Isaac shall thy seed be called: That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh, are the children of God; but they, that are the children of the promise, are accounted for the seed. For this is the word of promise: According to this time will I come; and Sara shall have a son. And not only she. But when Rebecca also had conceived at once, of Isaac our father.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Cum enim nondum nati fuíssent, aut áliquid boni egíssent, aut mali, (ut secúndum electiónem propósitum Dei manéret) non ex opéribus, sed ex vocánte dictum est ei: Quia major sérviet minóri, sicut scriptum est: Jacob diléxi, Esau autem ódio hábui. Quid ergo dicémus? numquid iníquitas apud Deum? Absit. Móysi enim dicit: Miserébor cujus miséreor: et misericórdiam præstábo cujus miserébor. Igitur non voléntis, neque curréntis, sed miseréntis est Dei.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

For when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, Not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written: Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Magnum sacraméntum: in præsépi jacébat, et Magos ab Oriénte ducébat: abscondebátur in stábulo, et agnoscebátur in cœlo: ut ágnitus in cœlo manifestarétur in stábulo, et appellarétur Epiphanía dies iste, quod latíne manifestátio dici potest: simul ejus celsitúdinem humilitatémque comméndans, ut qui in apérto cœlo signis sidéreis monstrabátur magnus, in angústo diversório quæsítus invenirétur inválidus, infantílibus in membris natus, infantilibúsque pannis involútus, adorarétur a Magis, timerétur a malis.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Great is the mystery. While He lay in the manger, He drew to Himself wise men from the East; while He was unknown in the stable, He was recognised in the heavens; and, being recognised in the heavens, made Himself known in the stable. So this day is called in the Greek Epiphaneia, which is, being interpreted, Manifestation. Wherein is manifested both the greatness and the lowliness of Him, Whose greatness was attested in the stars of heaven, and Who, being sought on earth, is found so lowly that there is no room for Him in the inn. And yet, though to be found in fashion as a little Child wrapped in swaddlingclothes, He is the object of worship to the wise men and of terror to the godless.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Tímuit enim eum rex Heródes, eísdem sibi Magis nuntiántibus, cum adhuc quǽrerent párvulum, quem cognóverant cœlo teste jam natum. Quid erit tribúnal judicántis, quando supérbos reges cunábula terrébant infántis? Quanto consúltius reges, non sicut Heródes, interfícere quærant, sed sicut Magi, pótius adoráre delecténtur, jam præsértim eum, qui et ipsam mortem, quam cupiébat inimícus inférre, étiam pro ipsis inimícis ab inimícis sustínuit, eámque in suo córpore occísus occídit. Pie tímeant reges ad Patris déxteram jam sedéntem, quem rex ímpius tímuit adhuc matris úbera lambéntem.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Nor Herod feared when he heard from the wise men of Him Whom they sought, and of Whose birth they knew by the witness of a star. What will be the fearful judgment-seat of Him, Who, even as a Suckling, struck terror into haughty kings? How much wiser is the thought of those kings who seek Christ like the wise men, to worship Him, than of those who seek Him, like Herod, to slay Him! who seek to put Him to that same death, which He came to suffer from His.enemies for their own salvation, and which, by His death, He hath trodden down! Kings will do well to fear Him Who now sitteth at the right hand of the Father, and Whom Herod feared when He hung upon His mother's breast.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Sed inter hæc sciéndum, quod Priscillianístæ hærétici nasci unumquémque hóminem sub constitutiónibus stellárum purant: et hoc in adjutórium sui erróris assúmunt, quod nova stella éxiit cum Dóminus in carne appáruit: cujus fuísse fatum eámdem, quæ appáruit, stellam putant. Sed si Evangélii verba pensámus, quibus de eádem stella dícitur: Usque dum véniens staret supra, ubi erat puer: dum non puer ad stellam, sed stella ad púerum cucúrrit, si dici líceat, non stella fatum púeri, sed fatum stellæ is, qui appáruit, puer fuit.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

It is as well to know that it is one of the opinions of the Priscillianist heretics l that every man is born under the influence of a star; and, to confirm this notion, they bring forward the instance of the star of Bethlehem, which appeared when the Lord was born; and which they call His star, that is, the star ruling over His fate or destiny. But if we consider the words of the Gospel concerning this star, they are It went before, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. Whence we see that it was not the young Child Who followed the star, but the star which followed the young Child, as if to show that the young Child ruled the star, instead of the star ruling Him.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Sed a fidélium córdibus absit, ut áliquid esse fatum dicant. Vitam quippe hóminum solus hic Cónditor, qui creávit, adminístrat. Neque enim propter stellas homo, sed stellæ propter hóminem factæ sunt: et si stella fatum hóminis dícitur, ipsis suis ministériis subésse homo perhibétur. Certe cum Jacob de útero egrédiens, prióris fratris plantam tenéret manu, prior perfécte nequáquam égredi pótuit, nisi súbsequens inchoásset: et tamen cum uno témpore, eodémque moménto utrúmque mater fúderit, non una utriúsque vitæ quálitas fuit.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

But I pray that the hearts of the faithful may ever be free from the thought that anything ruleth their destiny. In this world there is but One Who ruleth the destiny of man, even He Who made man; neither was man made for the stars, but the stars for man; and if we say that they rule his destiny, we set them above him for whose service they were made. When Jacob came out of his mother's womb, and his hand took hold on his elder brother Esau's heel, he could not have done so unless this his first movement had been behind his brother, and, nevertheless, such was not in after life the position of those two brethren whom their mother brought forth at one birth.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.