S. Athanasii Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiæ Doctoris.

In quo exsultábitis, módicum nunc si opórtet contristári in váriis tentatiónibus: ut probátio vestræ fídei multo pretiósior auro (quod per ignem probátur) inveniátur in laudem, et glóriam, et honórem, in revelatióne Jesu Christi: quem cum non vidéritis, dilígitis: in quem nunc quoque non vidéntes créditis: credéntes autem exsultábitis lætítia inenarrábili, et glorificáta: reportántes finem fídei vestræ, salútem animárum. De qua salúte exquisiérunt, atque scrutáti sunt prophétæ, qui de futúra in vobis grátia prophetavérunt: scrutántes in quod, vel quale tempus significáret in eis Spíritus Christi: prænúntians eas quæ in Christo sunt passiónes, et posterióres glórias: quibus revelátum est, quia non sibimetípsis, vobis autem ministrábant ea, quæ nunc nuntiáta sunt vobis per eos, qui evangelizavérunt vobis, Spíritu sancto misso de cœlo, in quem desíderant Angeli prospícere.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Wherein you shall greatly rejoice, if now you must be for a little time made sorrowful in diverse temptations: That the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, you love: in whom also now, though you see him not, you believe: and believing shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorified; Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and diligently searched, who prophesied of the grace to come in you. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them did signify: when it foretold those sufferings that are in Christ, and the glories that should follow: To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you they ministered those things which are now declared to you by them that have preached the gospel to you, the Holy Ghost being sent down from heaven, on whom the angels desire to look.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Propter quod succíncti lumbos mentis vestræ, sóbrii perfécte speráte in eam, quæ offértur vobis, grátiam, in revelatiónem Jesu Christi: quasi fílii obediéntiæ, non configuráti prióribus ignorántiæ vestræ desidériis: sed secúndum eum, qui vocávit vos, Sanctum; et ipsi in omni conversatióne sancti sitis: quóniam scriptum est: Sancti éritis, quóniam ego sanctus sum. Et si Patrem invocátis eum, qui sine acceptióne personárum júdicat secúndum uniuscujúsque opus, in timóre incolátus vestri témpore conversámini. Sciéntes quod non corruptibílibus auro vel argénto redémpti estis de vana vestra conversatióne patérnæ traditiónis: sed pretióso sánguine quasi agni immaculáti Christi, et incontamináti: præcógniti quidem ante mundi constitutiónem, manifestáti autem novíssimis tempóribus propter vos, qui per ipsum fidéles estis in Deo, qui suscitávit eum a mórtuis, et dedit ei glóriam, ut fides vestra, et spes esset in Deo.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Wherefore having the loins of your mind girt up, being sober, trust perfectly in the grace which is offered you in the revelation of Jesus Christ, As children of obedience, not fashioned according to the former desires of your ignorance: But according to him that hath called you, who is holy, be you also in all manner of conversation holy: Because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy. And if you invoke as Father him who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every one's work: converse in fear during the time of your sojourning here. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled, Foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested in the last times for you, Who through him are faithful in God, who raised him up from the dead, and hath given him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Arsénium quoque epíscopum ab Athanásio interféctum Ariáni pervulgárunt: quem dum occúlte détinent, manum mórtui déferunt in judícium, ab Athanásio ad usum mágicæ artis Arsénio amputátam criminántes. At Arsénius noctu aufúgiens, cum se in conspéctu totíus concílii statuísset, Athanásii inimicórum impudentíssimum scelus apéruit. Quod illi nihilóminus mágicis ártibus Athanásii tribuéntes, vitæ ejus insidiári non desistébant. Quamóbrem in exsílium actus, in Gállia apud Tréviros exsulávit. Grávibus deínceps ac diutúrnis sub Constántio imperatóre, Arianórum fautóre, tempestátibus jactátus, et incredíbiles calamitátes perpéssus, magnam orbis terræ partem peragrávit; ac sæpe e sua ecclésia ejéctus, sæpe étiam in eámdem et Júlii Románi Pontíficis auctoritáte, et Constántis imperatóris, Constántii fratris, patrocínio, decrétis quoque concílii Sardicénsis, ac Jerosolymitáni, restitútus est; Ariánis intérea illi semper inféstis: quorum pertinácem iram, et summum vitæ discrímen fúgiens, in sicca cistérna quinque annis se ábdidit, ejus rei tantum cónscio quodam Athanásii amíco, qui eum clam sustentábat.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

The Arians also accused Athanasius of having murdered the (schismatic) Bishop Arsenius. This Arsenius they kept shut up, and brought into the court a dead man's hand, which they declared had been his, and had been cut off by Athanasius to use in sorcery. But Arsenius escaped in the night, and when he appeared before all the Council whole and sound, the brazen-faced crime of the enemies of Athanasius was exposed. This appearance nevertheless they attributed to Athanasius being a warlock, and persisted still in their attack on him. He was driven into exile, and banished to Treves in Gaul. Thenceforth, under authority of the Emperor Constantius, that abettor of Arians, he was hunted to and fro with unceasing persecutions. He suffered hardships which it is difficult to believe. He was sent wandering all about the Roman world. He was twice more thrust out of his See, and again restored through the authority of Pope Julius of Rome, and with the protection of the Emperor Constans, the brother of Constantius, by decrees of the Councils of Sardica and of Jerusalem. The vindictiveness of the Arians never let him alone. In his third exile so great was the danger of his life from the pursuit of their undying hatred, that he had to lie hid for five years in a dry cistern, unknown to all men, save one of his friends who brought him food.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Constántio mórtuo, cum Juliánus Apóstata, qui ei in império succéssit, éxsules epíscopos ad suas ecclésias redíre permisísset, Athanásius Alexandríam revérsus, summo honóre excéptus est. Sed non multo post, iísdem Ariánis impelléntibus, a Juliáno exagitátus, rursus discédere cógitur. Cumque ab ejus satellítibus ad necem conquirerétur, qua fugiébat navícula convérsa in contráriam flúminis partem, iis qui se insequebántur, ex indústria occúrrit: et quæréntibus, quantum inde abésset Athanásius, respóndit eum non longe abésse: ítaque illos contrárium tenéntes cursum effúgit, atque Alexandríam rédiens, ibídem usque ad Juliáni óbitum occúltus permánsit. Qui paulo post Alexandríæ ália exórta tempestáte, quátuor menses in patérno sepúlchro delítuit. Ac dénique ex tot tantísque perículis divínitus eréptus, Alexandríæ mórtuus est in suo léctulo, sub Valénte: cujus vita et mors magnis nobilitáta est miráculis. Multa pie et ad illustrándam cathólicam fidem præcláre scripsit, sexque et quadragínta annos in summa témporum varietáte Alexandrínam ecclésiam sanctíssime gubernávit.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

After the death of Constantius, Julian the Apostate, who succeeded him, allowed every sort of Bishop who had been banished to return to their own Churches. Athanasius therefore returned to Alexandria, and was received with profound reverence. But it was not long before the same Arians got Julian to hunt him down again, and again it behoved him to fly. A band of soldiers were sent in pursuit of him to kill him, and as he fled up the Nile, their boat pressed hard on his. Athanasius, before they were yet in sight, had his own boat turned round, and went down the stream to meet them. As the vessels passed one another the murderers called out to ask if they knew where Athanasius was, and the servant of God himself cried to them in answer, Ye are close to him! whereupon they redoubled their exertions to ascend the stream, and Athanasius went peacefully down to Alexandria, and found means of concealment till the death of Julian. Yet once again he had to fly from another persecution at Alexandria, and in this his fifth and last exile he hid himself for four months in his own father's sepulchre. From all these so many and so great dangers did God deliver him, and at last he died in his own bed at Alexandria, (upon the 2nd day of May, in the year of salvation 373,) in the reign of Valens. He wrote much that is both godly and luminous in explaining the Catholic Faith, and governed the Church of Alexandria in great holiness, amid all changes of weather, for six and forty years.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Hæc cum scirent sancti, ejúsmodi tenuérunt suæ conversatiónis institútum. Quæ enim nunc præcépit Dóminus, éadem quoque ante suum in carne advéntum locútus est in sanctis: et hoc institútum hómines ad perfectiónem ducit. Nam quod Deus jússerit, id omníno faciéndum est. Ideóque et ipsum Verbum propter nos homo factum, non indígnum putávit, cum quærerétur, quemádmodum et nos, abscóndere se; et cum persecutiónem paterétur, fúgere, et insídias declináre: cum autem a se definítum tempus ipse adduxísset, in quo corporáliter pro ómnibus pati volébat, ultro seípsum trádidit insidiántibus. ¶ At vero sancti hómines cum hanc quoque formam a Salvatóre didicíssent, (ab ipso enim et ántea et semper omnes docebántur) advérsus persecutóres ut legítime certárent, fugiébant, et ab illis quæsíti se abscondébant. Cum enim præstitúti sibi a divína providéntia témporis finem ignorárent, nolébant insidiántibus se témere trádere: sed contra, cum scirent quod scriptum est, in mánibus Dei esse hóminum sortes, et Dóminum mortificáre et vivificáre, pótius in finem usque perseverábant, circumeúntes, ut ait Apóstolus, in melótis et péllibus caprínis, egéntes, angustiáti, in solitudínibus errántes, et in spelúncis et cavérnis terræ laténtes, quoad vel definítum mortis tempus veníret, vel qui tempus ipsum definíerat, Deus cum eis loquerétur, et insidiántes cohibéret, aut certe persecutóribus eos tráderet, utcúmque illi placuísset.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

The Saints, therefore, knowing these words of the Lord, have obeyed them in their lives. What the Lord hath now commanded by His Own Mouth He commanded through His Saints before that He Himself was come in the flesh, and to obey this commandment worketh in a man perfection, since whatever God commandeth is a thing which it behoveth man to do. For this cause, that very Word of God Which was made flesh for our sake thought it meet when they sought Him, even as at this present time they are seeking us, to hide Himself, (John viii. 59,) and, when they persecuted Him, to fly and escape from their laying in wait for Him although when that time came which He had Himself decreed, and wherein He willed, as touching the Body, to suffer for us all, He willingly gave Himself up to His enemies. ¶ Ye are the light of the world. They whom the Lord hath, just above, called the salt of the earth, the same doth He now call the light of the world. By the earth, whereof they were said to be the salt, we have not understood to be signified that earth whereupon we walk with our bodily feet, but the men which dwell upon the earth, or sinners, for the sweetening and correction of whose stinking corruption the Lord hath sent His Apostles, as it were, as so much salt. And so here also, by the world we are to understand, not the heavens and the earth, but the men which are in the world, or which love the world for the enlightening of whom the Apostles have been sent. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid - that is, set upon the heights of the same plain and great righteousness, whereof the mountain upon the which the Lord taught was itself a figure.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.