S. Hermenegildi Martyris.

Et cum hæc dixísset, vidéntibus illis, elevátus est: et nubes suscépit eum ab óculis eórum. Cumque intueréntur in cœlum eúntem illum, ecce duo viri astitérunt juxta illos in véstibus albis, qui et dixérunt: Viri Galilǽi quid statis aspiciéntes in cœlum? Hic Jesus qui assúmptus est a vobis in cœlum, sic véniet, quemádmodum vidístis eum eúntem in cœlum. Tunc revérsi sunt Jerosólymam a monte, qui vocátur Olivéti, qui est juxta Jerúsalem, sábbati habens iter. Et cum introíssent in cœnáculum, ascendérunt ubi manébant Petrus et Joánnes, Jacóbus et Andréas, Philíppus et Thomas, Bartholomǽus et Matthǽus, Jacóbus Alphǽi et Simon Zelótes, et Judas Jacóbi. Hi omnes erant perseverántes unanímiter in oratióne cum muliéribus, et María matre Jesu, et frátribus ejus.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments. Who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is nigh Jerusalem, within a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James. All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

In diébus illis exsúrgens Petrus in médio fratrum, dixit (erat autem turba hóminum simul fere centum vigínti). Viri fratres, opórtet impléri Scriptúram, quam prædíxit Spíritus sanctus per os David de Juda, qui fuit dux eórum, qui comprehendérunt Jesum: qui connumerátus erat in nobis, et sortítus est sortem ministérii hujus. Et hic quidem possédit agrum de mercéde iniquitátis, et suspénsus crépuit médius: et diffúsa sunt ómnia víscera ejus. Et notum factum est ómnibus habitántibus Jerúsalem, ita ut appellarétur ager ille, lingua eórum, Hacéldama, hoc est, ager sánguinis. Scriptum est enim in libro Psalmórum: Fiat commorátio eórum desérta, et non sit qui inhábitet in ea: et episcopátum ejus accípiat alter. Opórtet ergo ex his viris, qui nobíscum sunt congregáti in omni témpore, quo intrávit et exívit inter nos Dóminus Jesus, incípiens a baptísmate Joánnis usque in diem, qua assúmptus est a nobis, testem resurrectiónis ejus nobíscum fíeri unum ex istis. Et statuérunt duos, Joseph, qui vocabátur Bársabas, qui cognominátus est Justus: et Mathíam. Et orántes dixérunt: Tu Dómine, qui corda nosti ómnium, osténde, quem elégeris ex his duóbus unum accípere locum ministérii hujus, et apostolátus, de quo prævaricátus est Judas, ut abíret in locum suum. Et dedérunt sortes eis, et cécidit sors super Mathíam, et annumerátus est cum úndecim Apóstolis.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said: (now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty:) Men, brethren, the scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus: Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. And he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity, and being hanged, burst asunder in the midst: and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take. Wherefore of these men who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, To take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place. And they gave them lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Superveniénte autem Paschális festivitátis die, intempéstæ noctis siléntio, ad eum pérfidus pater Ariánum epíscopum misit, ut ex ejus manu sacrílegæ consecratiónis communiónem percíperet, atque per hoc ad patris grátiam redíre mererétur. Sed vir Deo déditus, Ariáno epíscopo veniénti exprobrávit, ut débuit, ejúsque a se perfídiam dignis increpatiónibus répulit: quia etsi extérius jacébat ligátus, apud se tamen in magno mentis cúlmine stabat secúrus. Ad se ítaque revérso epíscopo, Ariánus pater infrémuit, statímque suos apparitóres misit, qui constantíssimum Confessórem Dei illic ubi jacébat, occíderent; quod et factum est. Nam mox ut ingréssi sunt, secúrim cérebro ejus infigéntes, vitam córporis abstulérunt: hocque in eo valuérunt perímere, quod ipsum quoque, qui perémptus est, in se constíterat despexísse. Sed pro ostendénda vera ejus glória, supérna quoque non defuére mirácula. Nam cœpit in noctúrno siléntio psalmódiæ cantus ad corpus ejúsdem Regis et Mártyris audíri: atque ídeo veráciter Regis, quia et Mártyris.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

But when the day of the glad Passover came, at dead of night, the unbelieving father sent to his son the Arian Bishop, to offer him, as the price of his favour, to receive at the hands of the said Bishop the Communion which was the result of a sacrilegious consecration. But when the Arian Bishop came into the prison, the servant of God, remembering that he was not his own but God's man, rebuked the unbeliever as he deserved, and drave him from his presence with just reproaches for though he was weak and bound as touching this outer body, yet was he strong in the mighty castle of his soul. The Bishop, therefore, went away again to that Arian father. And when he came to Leovigild, he waxed exceeding wroth, and sent his servants to kill God's faithful witness where he lay. Which thing was done for as soon as they came to him into the prison, they clave his head with an axe, and freed him from the dying life of this house of our tabernacle. And so they did to him all that which they that kill the body are able to do, and it was a thing which now of a long season he feared not, seeing that when they have done that, they have no more that they can do, but fearing rather Him Who, when He hath killed, hath power to cast both body and soul into hell. But God, to make manifest the glory of His servant, was pleased to work signs from heaven, for of a sudden the solemn swell of singing of Psalms was heard at that dead hour of night from round about the place where lay the body of the kingly martyr, kingly now in an higher and truer sense than the sense of earthly kingship, since he had witnessed a good confession for the truth, sealing it with his blood.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Quidam étiam ferunt, quod illic noctúrno témpore accénsæ lámpades apparébant. Unde et factum est, quátenus corpus illíus, ut vidélicet Mártyris, jure a cunctis fidélibus venerári debuísset. Pater vero pérfidus et parricída, commótus pœniténtia, hoc fecísse se dóluit, nec tamen usque ad obtinéndam salútem pœnítuit. Nam quia vera esset cathólica fides agnóvit, sed gentis suæ timóre pertérritus, ad hanc perveníre non méruit. Qui, obórta ægritúdine, ad extréma perdúctus est, et Leándro epíscopo, quem prius veheménter afflíxerat, Reccarédum regem fílium suum, quem in sua hǽresi relinquébat, commendáre curávit, ut in ipso quoque tália fáceret, quália et in fratre suis exhortatiónibus fecísset. Qua commendatióne expléta, defúnctus est. Post cujus mortem Reccarédus rex non patrem pérfidum, sed fratrem Mártyrem sequens, ab Ariánæ hæréseos pravitáte convérsus est, totámque Visigothórum gentem ita ad veram perdúxit fidem, ut nullum in suo regno militáre permítteret, qui regni Dei hostis exsístere per hæréticam pravitátem non timéret. Nec mirum quod veræ fídei prædicátor factus est, qui frater est Mártyris: cujus hunc quoque mérita ádjuvant, ut ad omnipoténtis Dei grémium tam multos redúcat.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Come say, too, that lights were seen there that night. Wherefore it came to pass that the body of the martyr became the rightful object of reverence to all God's faithful people. The unbelieving father, murderer of his own child, was seized with remorse, and repented him of what he had done, but he sorrowed not unto salvation. For though he knew that the Catholic faith was true, he stood in fear of his people, and deserved not to attain unto it. He fell sick, and, when he was at the point of death, he made it his duty to recommend King Reccared his surviving son to the care of the Bishop Leander, whom aforetime he had grievously persecuted, that though Reccared was now left in heresy, the Bishop might work in him by his exhortations the same change that he had worked in his brother, which when Leovigild had said, he died. After his death, King Reccared took for his example not his unbelieving father but his martyred brother. He forsook the Arian heresy, and brought the whole nation of the Visigoths to believe in the true faith, so that he allowed no man in his kingdom to be an officer, who dared any longer range himself through heresy as an enemy of the Kingdom of God. Neither need we marvel that Reccared was a preacher of the faith, since he had had to his brother a martyr, for whose sake Almighty God hath helped him to bring back so many to the bosom of their Father Who is in heaven.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Sed ad hæc audíta inardéscit ánimus, jamque illic cupit assístere, ubi se sperat sine fine gaudére. Sed ad magna prǽmia perveníri non potest, nisi per magnos labóres. Unde et Paulus egrégius prædicátor dicit: Non coronábitur, nisi qui legítime certáverit. Deléctat ergo mentem magnitúdo præmiórum, sed non detérreat certámen labórum. Unde ad se veniéntibus Véritas dicit: Si quis venit ad me, et non odit patrem suum, et matrem, et uxórem, et fílios, et fratres, et soróres, adhuc autem et ánimam suam, non potest meus esse discípulus.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

When we hear these things our hearts burn within us; and we long to be already there, where we hope to rejoice for ever. But we cannot attain unto great rewards, save through great labour. Therefore saith the excellent preacher Paul: He is not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The greatness of the reward doth delight our mind; let not the throes of the struggle dishearten us. Therefore the Truth saith unto every one that cometh unto Him: If any man come to Me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Sed percontári libet, quómodo paréntes, et carnáliter propínquos præcípimur odísse, qui jubémur et inimícos dilígere? Et certe Véritas de uxóre dicit: Quod Deus conjúnxit, homo non séparet. Et Paulus ait: Viri, dilígite uxóres vestras, sicut et Christus Ecclésiam. Ecce, discípulus uxórem diligéndam prǽdicat, cum magíster dicat: Qui uxórem non odit, non potest meus esse discípulus. Numquid áliud judex núntiat, áliud præco clamat? An simul et odísse póssumus, et dilígere? Sed si vim præcépti perpéndimus, utrúmque ágere per discretiónem valémus: ut uxórem, et eos, qui nobis carnis cognatióne conjúncti sunt, et quos próximos nóvimus, diligámus; et quos adversários in via Dei pátimur, odiéndo et fugiéndo nesciámus.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

But it may be asked how we are commanded in one place to hate our parents, and them that are near us in the flesh, and in another place to love even our enemies. And, verily, the Truth hath said, as touching a wife: What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And Paul saith: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church. Behold, the disciple commandeth a man to love his wife, and the Master saith: If any man hate not his wife, he cannot be My disciple. Doth the judge, then, order one proclamation, and the crier make another? or can the man both love and hate? If we consider well the force of the commandment, we shall be able in wisdom to do both. Let us love wife, and kindred, and neighbour, as touching their nearness in the flesh; but as touching the way of God, if they withstand us therein, let us not know them, but hate them and flee from them.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.