In Inventione Sanctæ Crucis.

Quicúmque ex opéribus legis sunt, sub maledícto sunt. Scriptum est enim: Maledíctus omnis, qui non permánserit in ómnibus, quæ scripta sunt in Libro legis ut fácit ea. Quóniam autem in lege nemo justificátur apud Deum, maniféstum est: quia justus ex fide vivit. Lex autem non est ex fide, sed Qui fécerit ea, vivet in illis. Christus nos redémit de maledícto legis, factus pro nobis maledíctum: quia scriptum est: Maledíctus omnis qui pendet in ligno: ut in Géntibus benedíctio Abrahæ fíeret in Christo Jesu, ut pollicitatiónem Spíritus accipiámus per fidem.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

For as many as are of the works of the law, are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one, that abideth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that in the law no man is justified with God, it is manifest: because the just man liveth by faith. But the law is not of faith: but, He that doth those things, shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus: that we may receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Post insígnem victóriam, quam Constantínus imperátor, divínitus accépto signo Domínicæ Crucis, ex Maxéntio reportávit, Hélena Constantíni mater in somnis admónita, conquiréndæ Crucis stúdio Jerosólymam venit: ubi marmóream Véneris státuam in Crucis loco a Géntibus collocátam ad tolléndam Christi Dómini passiónis memóriam, post centum círciter octogínta annos everténdam curávit. Quod item fecit ad præsépe Salvatóris, et in loco resurrectiónis, inde Adónidis, hinc Jovis subláto simulácro.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

After that famous victory which the Emperor Constantine gained over Maxentius, (in the year 312,) on the eve of which the banner of the Cross of the Lord had been given to him from heaven, Helen, the mother of Constantine, being warned in a dream, came to Jerusalem, (in 326,) to seek for the Cross. There it was her care to cause to be overthrown the marble statue of Venus, which had stood on Calvary for about one hundred and eighty years, and which had originally been put there to desecrate and destroy the memorial of the sufferings of the Lord Christ. The like work Helen did at Bethlehem, by cleansing from an image of Adonis the stable where the Saviour was born, and from an idol of Jupiter, the place where He had arisen from the dead.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Nicodémus ex his erat, qui credíderant in nómine Jesu, vidéntes signa et prodígia quæ faciébat. Supérius enim hoc dixit: Cum autem esse Jerosólymis in Pascha in die festo, multi credidérunt in nómine ejus. Quare credidérunt in nómine ejus? Séquitur, et dicit: Vidéntes signa ejus, quæ faciébat. Et de Nicodémo quid dicit? Erat princeps Judæórum, nómine Nicodémus. Hic venit ad eum nocte, et ait illi: Rabbi, scimus quia a Deo venísti magíster. Et iste ergo credíderat in nómine ejus. Et ipse unde credíderat? Séquitur: Nemo enim potest hæc signa fácere, quæ tu facis, nisi fúerit Deus cum eo.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Nicodemus was one of them which believed in the Name of Jesus, when they saw the signs and wonders which He did. So hath John given us to understand a few words before our text: "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast-day, many believed in His Name" And wherefore did they believe in His Name John telleth us immediately: "When they saw the miracles which He did." And now, what saith he touching Nicodemus? "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God." Nicodemus therefore believed in His Name. And why did he believe He saith "For no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him."
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Cum Dóminus Jesus prædixísset discípulis suis persecutiónes, quas passúri erant post ejus abscéssum, subjúnxit atque ait: Hæc autem vobis ab inítio non dixi, quia vobíscum eram: nunc autem vado ad eum, qui me misit. Ubi primum vidéndum est, utrum eis futúras non prædíxerit ante passiónes. Sed álii tres Evangelístæ satis eum prædixísse ista demónstrant, ántequam ventum esset ad cœnam: qua perácta, secúndum Joánnem ista locútus est, ubi ait: Hæc autem vobis ab inítio non dixi, quia vobíscum eram. ¶ An forte hinc ista sólvitur quǽstio, quia et illi eum narrant passióni próximum fuísse cum hæc díceret? Non ergo ab inítio, quando cum illis erat: quia jam discessúrus, jamque ad Patrem perrectúrus hæc dixit. Et ídeo étiam secúndum illos Evangelístas verum est, quod hic dictum est: Hæc autem vobis ab inítio non dixi. Sed quid ágimus de fide Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum, qui hæc eis a Dómino non solum cum jam Pascha esset cum discípulis cœnatúrus, imminénte passióne, verum et ab inítio denuntiáta esse commémorat; ubi primum nominátim duódecim exprimúntur Apóstoli, et ad ópera divína mittúntur? ¶ Quid sibi ergo vult, quod hic ait: Hæc autem vobis ab inítio non dixi, quia vobíscum eram: nisi quia ea, quæ hic dicit de Spíritu sancto, quod sit ventúrus ad eos, et testimónium perhibitúrus, quando mala illa passúri sunt, hæc ab inítio eis non dixit, quia cum ipsis erat? Consolátor ergo ille, vel advocátus, (utrúmque enim interpretátur, quod est Græce Paráclitus) Christo abscedénte fúerat necessárius: et ídeo de illo non díxerat ab inítio, quando cum illis erat, quia ejus præséntia consolabántur.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples what things they should suffer after that He was gone away from them, and then He said: "These things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you; but now I go My way to Him That sent Me." Let us first see whether it had been that He had not told them before this what they were to suffer in time coming. That He had done so amply before the night of the last Supper, is testified by the three first Evangelists, but it was when that Supper was ended that, according to John, He said: "These things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you." ¶ Are we then to try and loose the knot of this difficulty by asserting that, according to these three Evangelists, it was on the eve of the Passion, albeit before the Supper, that He had said these things unto them, and therefore not at the beginning, when He was with them, but when He was about to leave them, and go His way to the Father And in this way we might reconcile the truthfulness of what this Evangelist saith here "These things I said not unto you at the beginning" with the truthfulness of the! other three. But this explanation is rendered impossible by the Gospel according to Matthew, who telleth us how that the Lord spake to His Apostles concerning their sufferings to come, not only when He was on the point of eating the Passover with them, but at the very beginning, when the names of the twelve are first given, and they were sent forth to do the work of God. (Matth. x. 17-42.) ¶ It would seem then that when He said: "These things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you," He meant by "these things," not the sufferings which they were to bear for His sake, but His promise of the Comforter Who should come to them, and testify while they suffered, (xv. 26, 27.) This Comforter then, or Advocate, (for the Greek word "Parakletos" will bear either interpretation,) would be needful to them when they saw Christ no more, and therefore it was that Christ spoke not of Him "at the beginning" (of the Gospel Dispensation) while He Himself "was with" His disciples, because His visible Presence was then their sufficient comfort.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.