Ss. Quadraginta Martyrum.

Fratres: Debitóres sumus non carni, ut secúndum carnem vivámus. Si enim secúndum carnem vixéritis, moriémini: si autem spíritu facta carnis mortificavéritis, vivétis. Quicúmque enim spíritu Dei agúntur, ii sunt fílii Dei. Non enim accepístis spíritum servitútis íterum in timóre, sed accepístis spíritum adoptiónis filiórum, in quo clamámus: Abba (Pater). Ipse enim Spíritus testimónium reddit spirítui nostro, quod sumus fílii Dei. Si autem fílii, et hærédes: hærédes quidem Dei, cohærédes autem Christi: si tamen compátimur, ut et conglorificémur. Exístimo enim quod non sunt condígnæ passiónes hujus témporis ad futúram glóriam, quæ revelábitur in nobis. Nam exspectátio creatúræ revelatiónem filiórum Dei exspéctat.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry: Abba! (Father.) For the Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Licínio imperatóre, et Agricoláo prǽside, ad Sebásten Arméniæ urbem, quadragínta mílitum fides in Jesum Christum, et fortitúdo in cruciátibus perferéndis enítuit. Qui sǽpius in horríbilem cárcerem detrúsi, vinculísque constrícti, cum ora ipsórum lapídibus contúsa fuíssent, híemis témpore frigidíssimo, nudi sub apérto áëre supra stagnum rigens pernoctáre jussi sunt, ut frígore congeláti necaréntur. Una autem erat ómnium orátio: Quadragínta in stádium ingréssi sumus, quadragínta item Dómine coróna donémur, ne una quidem huic número desit. Est in honóre hic númerus, quem tu quadragínta diérum jejúnio decorásti, per quem divína lex ingréssa est in orbem terrárum. Elías quadragínta diérum jejúnio Deum quærens, ejus visiónem consecútus est. Et hæc quidem illórum erat orátio.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

While Licinius was Emperor and Agricolaus President, (in the year of our Lord 320,) forty soldiers at Sebaste, a city of Armenia, gave a singular instance of faith in Jesus Christ, and bravery under suffering. After being often remanded to an horrid prison-house, bound in fetters, and their mouths bruised with stones, they were ordered out in the depth of winter, stripped naked, and put upon a frozen pool, to die of cold during the night. The prayer of them all was the same O Lord, forty of us have begun to run in the race, grant that all forty may receive the crown, let not one be wanting at the last. Behold, is it not an honourable number in thy sight, Who didst bless the fast of forty days, and at the end thy Divine Law came forth to the earth? When also Elias sought thee, Thou, O God, didst reveal thyself unto him when he had fasted for forty days. Even so was their petition.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Advérte ómnia diligénter, quómodo et cum Apóstolis ascéndat et descéndat ad turbas. Quómodo enim turba nisi in húmili Christum vidéret? Non séquitur ad excélsa, non ascéndit ad sublímia. Dénique ubi descéndit, invénit infírmos: in excélsis enim infírmi esse non possunt. Hinc étiam Matthǽus docet in inferióribus débiles esse sanátos. Prius enim unusquísque sanándus est, ut paulátim virtútibus procedéntibus ascéndere possit ad montem. Et ídeo quemque in inferióribus sanat, hoc est, a libídine révocat, injúriam cæcitátis avértit. Ad vúlnera nostra descéndit: ut usu quodam et cópia suæ natúræ, compartícipes nos fáciat esse regni cœléstis.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Mark well how Jesus goeth upward with His disciples, and downward to the multitude. How should the multitude behold Christ, save in a lower place? Such go not up to the things which are above; such attain not to the things which are high. And when Jesus cometh down, He findeth such as are diseased: for such like go not up to the heights. Hence also Matthew saith that there were there all sick people. Of these every man had need of healing, that, when he had received strength, by and by, he might go up into the mountain. And therefore, being Himself come down, He healeth them in the plain, that is to say, He calleth them away from their lust, and freeth them of their blindness. He cometh down to our wounds, to the end that by a certain use of His nature, and by the abundance thereof, He might make us joint-heirs of the kingdom of heaven.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Ea quæ fecit Dóminus noster Jesus Christus, stupénda atque miránda, et ópera, et verba sunt: ópera, quia facta sunt: verba, quia signa sunt. Si ergo quid signíficet hoc quod factum est, cogitémus: genus humánum est iste cæcus. Hæc enim cǽcitas cóntigit in primo hómine per peccátum, de quo omnes oríginem dúximus, non solum mortis, sed étiam iniquitátis. Si enim cǽcitas est infidélitas, et illuminátio fides: quem fidélem, quando venit Christus, invénit? Quandóquidem Apóstolus natus in gente prophetárum dicit: Fúimus et nos aliquándo natúra fílii iræ, sicut et céteri. Si fílii iræ, fílii vindíctæ, fílii pœnæ, fílii gehénnæ: quómodo natúra, nisi quia peccánte primo hómine vítium pro natúra inolévit? Si vítium pro natúra inolévit, secúndum mentem omnis homo cæcus natus est. ¶ Venit Dóminus: quid fecit? Magnum mystérium commendávit. Exspuit in terram, de salíva sua lutum fecit; quia Verbum caro factum est, et inúnxit óculos cæci. Inúnctus erat, et nondum vidébat. Misit illum ad piscínam, quæ vocátur Síloë. Pertínuit autem ad Evangelístam commendáre nobis nomen hujus piscínæ, et ait: Quod interpretátur: Missus. Jam quis sit missus agnóscitis. Nisi enim ille fuísset missus, nemo nostrum esset ab iniquitáte dimíssus. Lavit ergo óculos in ea piscína, quæ interpretátur, Missus; baptizátus est in Christo. Si ergo quando eum in seípso quodámmodo baptizávit, tunc illuminávit: quando inúnxit, fortásse catechúmenum fecit. ¶ Audístis grande mystérium. Intérroga hóminem: Christiánus es? Respóndet tibi: Non sum. Si pagánus es, aut Judǽus: Si autem díxerit, Non sum: adhuc quæris ab eo, Catechúmenus, an fidélis? Si respónderit tibi, Catechúmenus: inúnctus est, nondum lotus. Sed unde inúnctus? Quære, et respóndet. Quære ab illo, in quem credat? Eo ipso quo catechúmenus est, dicit, In Christum. Ecce modo loquor et fidélibus et catechúmenis. Quid dixi de sputo et luto? Quia Verbum caro factum est; hoc catechúmeni aúdiunt: sed non eis súfficit ad quod inúncti sunt: festínent ad lavácrum, si lumen inquírunt.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Dread and wondrous are all the things which our Lord Jesus Christ did, both His works and His words; the works, because He wrought them; the words, because they are deep. If, therefore, we consider the meaning of this work of His, we see that that man which was blind from his birth was a figure of mankind. This spiritual blindness was the consequence of the sin of the first man, from whom we all inherit by birth, not death only, but depravity also. For if blindness be unbelief, and faith, light, whom, when Christ came, did He find faithful? May, the Apostle who had himself been born of the race of which the Prophets came, saith: We also were by nature children of wrath, even as others. (Eph. ii. 3.) And if children of wrath, then children also of vengeance, children of damnation, children of hell. And wherefore so by nature, unless it were that the sin of the first man had made all his descendants to be born in sin, in that they partook of his nature? If, then, our nature bring sin with it, all men, according to the spirit, are born blind. ¶ The Lord came; and what did He? He set before us a great mystery. Jesus spat on the ground, and made clay of the Spittle for the Word was made flesh. And He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay but yet that man saw not. He was anointed, indeed, but yet still he saw not. And He said unto him: Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam. Now, it was the duty of the Evangelist to impress upon us the name of this Pool, and therefore he saith Siloam, which is, by interpretation, Sent. Ye, my brethren, know Who is signified where it is written: (The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from his loins, until) He that shall be Sent cometh. (Gen. xlix. 10.) Yea, He it is, Who, if He had not been sent, we had never been sent loose out of the prison-house of sin. The blind man went his way therefore, and washed his eyes in that Pool, which is, by interpretation, Sent in other words, he was baptized in Christ. When, therefore, he had figuratively been baptized in Him Whom the Father hath Sent into the world, he came seeing. When he was anointed, he was perchance made a figure of a Catechumen. ¶ We have heard this great mystery. Ask of a man: Art thou a Christian? He answereth thee: I am not. Then, if thou ask him: Art thou a pagan then, or a Jew? And he still saith unto thee Nay and thou say Art thou then a Catechumen, though not yet one of the faithful? and he saith Yea, a Catechumen then there thou seest a man anointed, but not yet washed. With what hath he been anointed? Ask of him, and he will tell thee. Ask of him in Whom he believeth, and, being a Catechumen, he will say: In Christ. But, behold, I speak before both Faithful and Catechumens. What said I touching the. Spittle and the clay? I said for 'the Word was made flesh.' This the Catechumens hear, but it is not enough for them to be anointed; they must make haste to the washing, if they would have their eyes opened.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.