S. Laurentii MartyrisS. Lawrence, Martyr

℣ O Lord, ✠ open my lips.

℟ And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

℣ O God, ✠ come to my assistance.

℟ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Alleluia.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, triumphs crowned in heaven: * Come, let us adore the Lord.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, triumphs crowned in heaven: * Come, let us adore the Lord.

Come, let us exult in the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to God, our Savior. Let us anticipate his presence with confession, and let us sing joyfully to him with psalms.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, triumphs crowned in heaven: * Come, let us adore the Lord.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all gods. For the Lord will not drive away his people. For in his hand are all the limits of the earth, and he beholds the heights of the mountains.

Ant. Come, let us adore the Lord.

For the sea is his, and he made it, and his hands established the dry land. (kneel) Come, let us adore and fall prostrate before God, and let us weep before the Lord who made us. For he is the Lord our God, and we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, triumphs crowned in heaven: * Come, let us adore the Lord.

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts: as in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me; they tested and saw my works.

Ant. Come, let us adore the Lord.

For forty years, I was near to that generation, and I said: These have always strayed in heart. But they have not known my ways. To them I swore in my wrath: They shall not enter into my rest.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, triumphs crowned in heaven: * Come, let us adore the Lord.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us adore the Lord.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, triumphs crowned in heaven: * Come, let us adore the Lord.

O God, the lot, crown, and reward

of your soldiers:

as we sing the praises of the Martyr,

free us from the bond of sin.

For he, reckoning the joys of this world

and the enticing food of deception

as bitter gall,

arrived at the things of heaven.

He ran bravely through his punishments

and bore them manfully,

and, shedding his blood for you,

now possesses eternal gifts.

For this, with suppliant prayer

we entreat you, most merciful One;

in this triumph of the Martyr

forgive your servants their offenses.

Let enduring praise and glory

be to the Father, and to the Son,

and likewise to the Holy Paraclete,

through all eternal ages.

Amen.

Nocturn I

Ant. Where are you going * without your son, father? Where do you hasten, holy priest, without your minister?

Psalm 1 [1]

1:1 Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the impious, † and has not remained in the way of sinners, * and has not sat in the chair of pestilence.

1:2 But his will is with the law of the Lord, * and he will meditate on his law, day and night.

1:3a And he will be like a tree that has been planted beside running waters, * which will provide its fruit in its time,

1:3b and its leaf will not fall away, * and all things whatsoever that he does will prosper.

1:4 Not so the impious, not so. * For they are like the dust that the wind casts away from the face of the earth.

1:5 Therefore, the impious will not rise again in judgment, * nor sinners in the council of the just.

1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the just. * And the path of the impious will pass away.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Where are you going without your son, father? Where do you hasten, holy priest, without your minister?

Ant. Do not forsake me, * holy father, for I have already spent the treasures which you entrusted to me.

Psalm 2 [2]

2:1 Why have the Gentiles been seething, * and why have the people been pondering nonsense?

2:2 The kings of the earth have stood up, and the leaders have joined together as one, * against the Lord and against his Christ:

2:3 “Let us shatter their chains * and cast their yoke away from us.”

2:4 He who dwells in heaven will ridicule them, * and the Lord will mock them.

2:5 Then will he speak to them in his anger * and trouble them with his fury.

2:6 Yet I have been appointed king by him over Zion, his holy mountain, * preaching his decree.

2:7 The Lord has said to me: * You are my son, this day have I begotten you.

2:8 Ask of me and I will give to you: the Gentiles for your inheritance, * and the ends of the earth for your possession.

2:9 You will rule them with an iron rod, * and you will shatter them like a potter’s vessel.

2:10 And now, O kings, understand. * Receive instruction, you who judge the earth.

2:11 Serve the Lord in fear, * and exult in him with trembling.

2:12 Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord might become angry, * and you would perish from the right way.

2:13 When his wrath soon flares up, * blessed are all those who trust in him.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Do not forsake me, holy father, for I have already spent the treasures which you entrusted to me.

Ant. I do not forsake you, * my son, nor abandon you; but greater struggles await you for the faith of Christ.

Psalm 3 [3]

3:2 Lord, why have those who trouble me been multiplied? * Many rise up against me.

3:3 Many say to my soul, * “There is no salvation for him in his God.”

3:4 But you, Lord, are my supporter, * my glory, and the one who raises up my head.

3:5 I have cried out to the Lord with my voice, * and he has heard me from his holy mountain.

3:6 I have slept, and I have fallen asleep. * But I awakened because the Lord has sustained me.

3:7 I will not fear the thousands of people surrounding me. * Rise up, Lord. Save me, my God.

3:8 For you have struck all those who oppose me without cause. * You have broken the teeth of sinners.

3:9 Salvation is of the Lord, * and your blessing is upon your people.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. I do not forsake you, my son, nor abandon you; but greater struggles await you for the faith of Christ.

℣ You have crowned him with glory and honor, O Lord.

℟ And you have set him over the works of your hands.

The Our Father is said silently as far as And lead us not into temptation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. Hear the prayers of your servants, Lord Jesus Christ, and have mercy on us: You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the eternal Father bless us with his everlasting blessing.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 1

From the Book of Sirach

Sir 51:1-7

1 I will confess to you, O Lord and King, and I will give praise to you, O God my Saviour.

2 I will acknowledge your name. For you have been my Helper and Protector.

3 And you have freed my body from perdition, from the snare of the iniquitous tongue, and from the lips of those who forge lies, and in the sight of those standing by you have been my helper.

4 And you have freed me according to the multitude of the mercy of your name: from those who roared and prepared to devour,

5 From the hands of those who sought my life, and from the gates of tribulation that surrounded me,

6 From the oppression of the flames that surrounded me, and I was not burned in the midst of the fire,

7 From the depths of the bowels of hell, and from the defiled tongue, and from lying words, from an iniquitous king, and from an unjust tongue.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Lawrence the Levite performed a good work, who by the sign of the cross gave sight to the blind,

* And gave the treasures of the Church to the poor.

℣ He distributed, he gave to the poor: his justice endures for ever and ever.

℟ And gave the treasures of the Church to the poor.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the Only Begotten Son of God be pleased to bless and assist us.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 2

Sir 51:8-13

8 My soul shall praise the Lord, even unto death.

9 For my life was drawing near to hell below.

10 And they surrounded me on every side. And there was no one who would help me. I was looking for someone to help me, and there was none.

11 Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, and your works, which are from the very beginning.

12 For you rescue those who wait for you, O Lord, and you free them from the hands of the nations.

13 You exalted my habitation upon the earth, and I made supplication that death would pass away.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ My child, do not be afraid, for I am with you, says the Lord:

* if you pass through fire, the flame shall not harm you, and the smell of fire shall not be upon you.

℣ I will deliver you from the hand of the worst and rescue you from the hand of the strong.

℟ if you pass through fire, the flame shall not harm you, and the smell of fire shall not be upon you.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our minds and hearts.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 3

Sir 51:14-17

14 I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, so that he would not abandon me in the day of my tribulation, and in the time of the proud, without help.

15 I will praise your name unceasingly, and I will praise it with thanksgiving, for my prayer was heeded.

16 And you freed me from perdition, and you rescued me from the time of iniquity.

17 Because of this, I will give thanks and praise to you, and I will bless the name of the Lord.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ They bound the limbs of his body laid upon the gridiron; the Levite of Christ mocks those tending the coals:

* Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, intercede for us.

℣ My night has no darkness, but all things shine in the light.

℟ Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, intercede for us.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ Blessed Lawrence, Martyr of Christ, intercede for us.

Nocturn II

Ant. Blessed Lawrence * prayed, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, God from God, have mercy on me your servant.

Psalm 4 [4]

4:2a When I called upon him, the God of my justice heeded me. * In tribulation, you have enlarged me.

4:2b Have mercy on me, * and heed my prayer.

4:3 Sons of men, how long will you be dull in heart, * why do you love vanity, and seek falsehood?

4:4 And know this: the Lord has made wondrous his holy one. * The Lord will heed me when I cry out to him.

4:5 Be angry, and do not be willing to sin. † The things that you say in your hearts: * be sorry for them on your beds.

4:6 Offer the sacrifice of justice, † and hope in the Lord. * Many say, “Who reveals to us what is good?”

4:7 The light of your countenance, Lord, has been sealed upon us. * You have given joy to my heart.

4:8 By the fruit of their grain, wine, and oil, * they have been multiplied.

4:9 At once in peace, * I will sleep and I will rest.

4:10 For you, O Lord, alone in hope * have established me.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence prayed, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, God from God, have mercy on me your servant.

Ant. Romanus said * to blessed Lawrence: I see a most beautiful young man before you; hasten to baptize me.

Psalm 5 [5]

5:2 O Lord, listen closely to my words. * Understand my outcry.

5:3 Attend to the voice of my prayer, * my King and my God.

5:4 For to you, I will pray. * In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice.

5:5 In the morning, I will stand before you, and I will see. * For you are not a God who wills iniquity.

5:6 And the malicious will not dwell close to you, * nor will the unjust endure before your eyes.

5:7a You hate all who work iniquity. * You will destroy all who speak a lie.

5:7b The bloody and deceitful man, the Lord will abominate. * (8a) But I, in the abundance of your mercy,

5:8b I will enter your house. * I will show adoration toward your holy temple, in your fear.

5:9 Lord, lead me in your justice. * Because of my enemies, direct my way in your sight.

5:10 For there is no truth in their mouth: * their heart is vain.

5:11a Their throat is an open sepulcher. † They have acted deceitfully with their tongues. * Judge them, O God.

5:11b Let them fall by their own intentions: † according to the multitude of their impiety, expel them. * For they have provoked you, O Lord.

5:12a But let all those who hope in you rejoice. * They will exult in eternity, and you will dwell in them.

5:12b And all those who love your name will glory in you. * (13a) For you will bless the just.

5:13b O Lord, as with a shield of your good will, * you have crowned us.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Romanus said to blessed Lawrence: I see a most beautiful young man before you; hasten to baptize me.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence * said: My night has no darkness, but all things shine bright in the light.

Psalm 8 [6]

8:2a O Lord, our Lord, * how admirable is your name throughout all the earth!

8:2b For your magnificence is elevated * above the heavens.

8:3 Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have perfected praise, because of your enemies, * so that you may destroy the enemy and the revenger.

8:4 For I will behold your heavens, the works of your fingers: * the moon and the stars, which you have founded.

8:5 What is man, that you are mindful of him, * or the son of man, that you visit him?

8:6 You reduced him to a little less than the Angels; † you have crowned him with glory and honor, * (7) and you have set him over the works of your hands.

8:8 You have subjected all things under his feet, * all sheep and oxen, and in addition: the beasts of the field,

8:9 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, * which pass through the paths of the sea.

8:10 O Lord, our Lord, * how admirable is your name throughout all the earth!

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Blessed Lawrence said: My night has no darkness, but all things shine bright in the light.

℣ You have placed upon his head, O Lord.

℟ A crown of precious stone.

The Our Father is said silently as far as And lead us not into temptation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. May his loving kindness and mercy assist us, he who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May God the almighty Father be gracious and merciful to us.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 4

Sermon of Saint Leo, Pope

On the Feast of Saint Lawrence, after the beginning

When the fury of the pagan powers was raging against the most elect members of Christ, and fell especially upon those of the priestly order, the impious persecutor burned with rage against the levite Lawrence, who was preeminent not only in the ministry of the sacraments but also in the administration of the Church's wealth, promising himself a double prize from the seizure of one man; for if he could make him a betrayer of the sacred money, he would make him also a stranger to the true religion. Thus a man greedy for money and an enemy of truth armed himself with a twofold torch: with avarice, to seize the gold; with impiety, to take away Christ. He demanded from the spotless guardian of the sanctuary that the Church's riches, for which he greedily gaped, be brought to him. The most chaste levite, showing him where they were laid up, offered him very large flocks of holy poor people, in whose food and clothing he had stored away inalienable wealth, which was all the more safely preserved the more holily it was shown to have been spent.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Where are you going without your son, O father? Where, O holy priest, do you hasten without your deacon?

* You were never accustomed to offer sacrifice without a minister.

℣ What, then, has displeased your fatherly heart in me? Have you found me unworthy? Prove whether you have chosen a fit minister, to whom you have entrusted the dispensation of the Lord's Blood.

℟ You were never accustomed to offer sacrifice without a minister.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 5

The frustrated plunderer rages then, and, burning with hatred of the religion that had established such a use of riches, attacks the spoiling of a richer treasure, in whose possessor he had found no substance in coin; that he might carry away that deposit by which its owner was the more wealthy in that it was more sacred. He commands Lawrence to renounce Christ, and prepares to press upon that most solid and levitical courage of soul with dire torments; when the first of these obtain nothing, more violent ones follow. He orders his torn limbs and his flesh cut through by many strokes of the lash to be tortured by fire applied beneath; so that through the iron grate, which by now from continual heat would have in itself the power of burning, through the alternate turning of each limb, the torment might be made more violent and the punishment more prolonged.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Do not forsake me, holy father, for I have already spent your treasures.

* I do not abandon you, my son, nor forsake you; but greater struggles for the faith of Christ await you.

℣ We, like old men, receive the course of a lighter struggle; but you, as a young man, a more glorious triumph over the tyrant awaits: after three days you shall follow me, a deacon your priest.

℟ I do not abandon you, my son, nor forsake you; but greater struggles for the faith of Christ await you.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May God kindle the fire of his love in our hearts.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 6

You gain nothing, you profit nothing, savage cruelty. The mortal material is taken from your torments, and while Lawrence departs to the heavens, you fail before your own flames. The charity of Christ could not be overcome by flame; and the fire that burned without was weaker than that which blazed within. You raged, persecutor, against the Martyr; you raged, and you increased his palm while you heaped up his punishment. For what did your ingenuity not devise for the glory of the victor, when even the instruments of execution passed over into the trophies of triumph? Let us therefore rejoice, dearly beloved, with a spiritual joy, and let us glory in the Lord for the most blessed end of this illustrious man, who is wonderful in his Saints, in whom he has established for us both a protection and an example; and so glorifies his glory throughout the entire world that, from the rising of the sun even to its setting, by the shining splendor of the Levitical lights, as Jerusalem was glorified by Stephen, so glorious did Rome become by Lawrence.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Blessed Lawrence cried out and said: I worship my God, I serve him alone;

* And therefore I do not fear your torments.

℣ My night has no darkness, but all things shine in the light.

℟ And therefore I do not fear your torments.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ And therefore I do not fear your torments.

Nocturn III

Ant. They bound * his limbs, laid upon the gridiron: the Levite of Christ mocks those who heap on the coals.

Psalm 14 [7]

14:1 O Lord, who will dwell in your tabernacle? * Or who will rest on your holy mountain?

14:2 He who walks without blemish * and who works justice.

14:3a He who speaks the truth in his heart, * who has not acted deceitfully with his tongue,

14:3b and has not done evil to his neighbor, * and has not taken up a reproach against his neighbors.

14:4a In his sight, the malicious one has been reduced to nothing, * but he glorifies those who fear the Lord.

14:4b He who swears to his neighbor and does not deceive. * (5a) He who has not given his money in usury, nor accepted bribes against the innocent.

14:5b He who does these things * will be undisturbed for eternity.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. They bound his limbs, laid upon the gridiron: the Levite of Christ mocks those who heap on the coals.

Ant. You have tried me * with fire, and no iniquity has been found in me.

Psalm 16 [8]

16:1a Lord, listen to my justice, * attend to my supplication.

16:1b Pay attention to my prayer, * which is not from deceitful lips.

16:2 Let my judgment proceed from your presence. * Let your eyes behold fairness.

16:3 You have tested my heart and visited it by night. * You have examined me by fire, and iniquity has not been found in me.

16:4 Therefore, may my mouth not speak the works of men. * I have kept to difficult ways because of the words of your lips.

16:5 Perfect my steps in your paths, * so that my footsteps may not be disturbed.

16:6 I have cried out because you, O God, have listened to me. * Incline your ear to me and heed my words.

16:7 Make your mercies wonderful, * for you save those who hope in you.

16:8a From those who resist your right hand, preserve me * like the pupil of your eye.

16:8b Protect me under the shadow of your wings, * (9a) from the face of the impious who have afflicted me.

16:9b My enemies have surrounded my soul. † (10) They have concealed their fatness; * their mouth has been speaking arrogantly.

16:11 They have cast me out, and now they have surrounded me. * They have cast their eyes down to the earth.

16:12 They have taken me, like a lion ready for the prey, * and like a young lion dwelling in hiding.

16:13 Rise up, O Lord, arrive before him and displace him. * Deliver my soul from the impious one: your spear (14a) from the enemies of your hand.

16:14b Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life. * Their gut has been filled from your hidden stores.

16:14c They have been filled with sons, * and they have bequeathed to their little ones the remainder.

16:15 But as for me, I will appear before your sight in justice. * I will be satisfied when your glory appears.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. You have tried me with fire, and no iniquity has been found in me.

Ant. Interrogated, * I have confessed you as Lord; roasted, I give thanks.

Psalm 20 [9]

20:2 In your strength, Lord, the king will rejoice, * and over your salvation, he will exult exceedingly.

20:3 You have granted him the desire of his heart, * and you have not cheated him of the wish of his lips.

20:4 For you have gone ahead of him with blessings of sweetness. * You have placed a crown of precious stones on his head.

20:5 He petitioned you for life, * and you have granted him length of days, forever and ever.

20:6 Great is his glory in your salvation. * Glory and great adornment, you will lay upon him.

20:7 For you will give him as a blessing forever and ever. * You will make him rejoice with gladness in your presence.

20:8 Because the king hopes in the Lord, * and in the mercy of the Most High, he will not be disturbed.

20:9 May your hand be found by all your enemies. * May your right hand discover all those who hate you.

20:10 You will make them like an oven of fire, in the time of your presence. * The Lord will trouble them in his wrath, and fire will devour them.

20:11 You will destroy their fruit from the earth * and their offspring from the sons of men.

20:12 For they have turned evils upon you; * they have devised plans, which they have not been able to accomplish.

20:13 For you will make them turn their back; * with your remnants, you will prepare their countenance.

20:14 Be exalted, Lord, by your own power. * We will sing and play music of your mighty deeds.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Interrogated, I have confessed you as Lord; roasted, I give thanks.

℣ Great is his glory in your salvation.

℟ You shall lay upon him glory and great majesty.

The Our Father is said silently as far as And lead us not into temptation:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. May the almighty and merciful Lord absolve us from the bonds of our sins.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the evangelical reading be our salvation and protection.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 7

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to John

John 12:24-26

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. And so forth.

A Homily of Saint Augustine, Bishop.

Tractate 51 on John, near the middle

The Lord Jesus himself was the grain that was to be put to death and multiplied: put to death by the unbelief of the Jews, multiplied by the faith of the nations. And now, exhorting them to follow in the footsteps of his Passion, he says: Whoever loves his soul will lose it. This can be understood in two ways. Whoever loves, will lose; that is, if you love, you will lose. If you desire to hold on to life in Christ, do not fear death for Christ. Likewise in another way: Whoever loves his soul will lose it; do not love it, lest you lose it; do not love it in this life, lest you lose it in eternal life.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ On the gridiron I did not deny you, O God,

* And applied to the fire I confessed you, Lord Jesus Christ.

℣ You have tested my heart, O Lord, and visited it by night.

℟ And applied to the fire I confessed you, Lord Jesus Christ.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May he whose feast we celebrate intercede for us to the Lord.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 8

But this which I said last seems to have the more evangelical meaning; for it follows: And he who hates his soul in this world keeps it for eternal life. Therefore what was said above — He who loves — it is understood: in this world, keeps it himself for eternal life. A great and wonderful saying: how a man's love for his own soul is such that it perishes, and hatred of it that it does not perish. If you have loved badly, then you have hated; if you have hated well, then you have loved. Blessed are those who have hated by keeping, lest they lose by loving.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ O Hippolytus, if you shall believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,

* I will show you treasures, and I promise you eternal life.

℣ Blessed Lawrence said to Hippolytus: If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

℟ I will show you treasures, and I promise you eternal life.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ I will show you treasures, and I promise you eternal life.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the King of Angels lead us to the company of the citizens on high.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 9

But take care lest it should steal upon you that you wish to destroy yourself, by understanding thus what you ought to hate in this world: your soul. For from this notion certain wicked and perverse men, more cruel to themselves and more criminal than ordinary murderers, give themselves to the flames, plunge themselves in the waters, dash themselves headlong and perish. This Christ did not teach; indeed, he also replied to the devil when he suggested throwing himself headlong: Get behind me, Satan: it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. But to Peter he said, signifying by what death he was to glorify God: When you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, another will gird you and lead you where you do not wish. In which words he made it clear enough that one who follows in the footsteps of Christ is not to be slain by himself, but by another.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

Te Deum

O God, we praise you; * O Lord, we acclaim you.

Eternal Father, * all the earth reveres you.

To you all the Angels, * the heavens and all the Powers of heaven:

To you the Cherubim and Seraphim * cry out in endless praise:

(A bow is made) Holy, Holy, Holy * Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are filled * with the majesty of your glory.

The glorious choir of Apostles * sings to you,

the noble company of Prophets * praises you,

the white-robed army of Martyrs * glorifies you.

Holy Church throughout the earth * proclaims you,

the Father * of boundless majesty;

your true and only Son, * worthy of adoration;

and the Holy Spirit, * the Paraclete.

You, O Christ, * are the King of glory.

You are * the Father's everlasting Son.

(A bow is made) When you resolved to save the human race, * you did not spurn the Virgin's womb.

You overcame the sting of death * and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to those who put their faith in you.

You are seated at the right hand of God * in the glory of the Father.

We believe you are the Judge * who is to come.

(The following verse is said kneeling) And so we beg you, help your servants, * redeemed by your most precious blood.

Number them * among your Saints in eternal glory.

Save your people, Lord, * and bless your inheritance.

Shepherd them * and raise them to eternal life.

Day by day * we bless you,

(A bow is made, according to custom) and we praise your name * for endless ages evermore.

Be gracious, Lord, on this day, * and keep us from all sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, * have mercy.

May your mercy be upon us, Lord, * as we place our trust in you.

In you, O Lord, I rest my hope: * let me never be put to shame.

The rest is omitted unless Lauds is said separately.

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come before you.

Let us pray.

Grant us, almighty God, to extinguish the flames of our vices; you who granted to blessed Lawrence to overcome the flames of his torments.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son: who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

℟ Amen.

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come before you.

℣ Let us bless the Lord.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℣ May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

℟ Amen.