[Officium]
Commune Evangelistarum

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the book of Ezekiel
!Ezek 1:1-4
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin,
3 The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel the priest the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
4 And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber.

[Lectio2]
!Ezek 1:5-9
5 And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.
6 Every one had four faces, and every one four wings.
7 Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces, and wings on the four sides,
9 And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward.

[Lectio3]
!Ezek 1:10-12
10 And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.
11 And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:
12 And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went.

[Lectio4]
From the Exposition of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel by Pope St. Gregory (the Great.)
!Hom. 3, Bk. I
The Prophet writeth very minutely touching the four holy living creatures, whom he saw in the spirit as being to come. He saith: “Every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.” What signifieth the face save likeness whereby we are known? or wings, save the power to fly since it is by the face that man is known from man, and by their wings that the birds' bodies are carried up into the air. So the face pertaineth to certitude, and the wings to contemplation. With certitude we are known of God Almighty, Who saith: “I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.” (John x. 14.) And again: “I know whom I have chosen.” (xiii. 18.) And by contemplation, whereby we rise above ourselves, we as it were fly heavenwards.

[Lectio5]
“Verily one had four faces.” Four faces, that is, and one body. If thou seek to know what Matthew teacheth concerning the Incarnation of the Lord, he teacheth no other doctrine than teacheth Mark, or Luke, or John. If thou seek to know what John teacheth, it is beyond all doubt that his doctrine is the doctrine of Matthew, and Mark, and Luke. If thou ask concerning Mark, he hath that which hath Matthew, and John, and Luke. If thou wilt know of Luke, know that he teacheth as doth Matthew, and Mark, and John. Therefore every one hath four faces, for God knoweth and seeth in them but one faith, which thou mayest see in each and in all.

[Lectio6]
“And every one had four wings.” For they do all with one accord preach our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Almighty God toward Whose Godhead lifting up the eyes of their mind, they do lift the wings of contemplation, and do fly. In the Evangelists, the face pertaineth to the Lord's Manhood, and the wings to His Godhead for they turn their face toward Him Whom they see in bodily shape: but when they say that He is, as touching His Godhead, Incomprehensible, and Incorporeal, the wings of their contemplation do, in a manner, carry them in flight heavenward. Because, then, they have all one faith in the Incarnation, and all equally look by contemplation toward the Godhead it is well written of them, “Every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.”

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
!Luke 10:1-9
At that time, the Lord appointed other seventy-two also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come. And so on.
_
Homily by Pope St. Gregory (the Great.)
!17th Homily on the Gospels
Dearly beloved brethren, our Lord and Saviour doth sometimes admonish us by words, and sometimes by works. Yea, His very works do themselves teach us for that which He doth silently His example still moveth us to copy. Behold how He sendeth forth His disciples to preach by two and two since there are two commandments to love, that is, a commandment to love God, and a commandment to love our neighbour and where there are not two, the one, being alone, hath not whereon to do the Lord's commandment. And no man can properly be said to love himself: for love tendeth outward toward our neighbour, if it be the love whereto the Gospel doth oblige us.

[Lectio8]
Behold, the Lord sendeth forth His disciples to preach by two and two and thus doing, He doth silently teach us that whosoever loveth not his neighbour, such a one it behoveth not to take upon him the office of a preacher. Well also is it said that He sent them before His face into every city and place whither He Himself would come. The Lord followeth His preachers first cometh preaching, and then the Lord Himself cometh to the house of our mind, whither the word of exhortation hath come before and so cometh the truth into our mind.

[Lectio9]
Therefore, to preachers saith Isaiah: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight an highway for our God.” (xl. 3.) And again the Psalmist saith: “Spread a path before him that rideth upon the West.” (lxvii. 4.) The Lord rideth upon the West above that from which in death He veiled His glory, hath He royally exalted that glory that excelleth, even the glory of His rising again. He rideth upon the West, Who, being risen again from the dead, is throned high above the death to which He bowed. Before Him, therefore, That rideth upon the West, we spread a path, when we set forth His glory before the eyes of your mind, to the end that He Himself may come after, and Himself enlighten the same your minds by His presence and His love.
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