[Officium]
Common of a Widow Martyr

[Missa]
Me exspectaverunt (altera)

[Ant Vespera]
While the King sitteth at his table, * my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof;;109
We will run after thee, * in the savour of thy good ointments. The virgins love them exceedingly.;;112
Lo the winter is past, * the rain is over and gone. Rise up, my love, and come away.;;121
Come, O My chosen one, * and I will establish My throne in thee. Alleluia.;;126
She is beautiful * among the daughters of Jerusalem.;;147

[Hymnus Vespera]
v. High let us all our voices raise
In that heroic woman's praise
Whose name, with saintly glory bright,
Shines in the starry realms of light.
_
Filled with a pure celestial glow,
She spurned all love of things below;
And heedless here on earth to stay,
Climbed to the skies her toilsome way.
_
With fasts her body she subdued,
But filled her soul with prayer's sweet food:
In other worlds she tastes the bliss
For which she left the joys of this.
_
O Christ, the strength of all the strong;
To whom our holiest deeds belong!
Through her prevailing prayers on high,
In mercy hear thy people's cry!
_
* To God the Father, with the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
Be glory while the ages flow,
From all above, and all below.
Amen.

[Oratio]
O God, Who, amidst the wondrous work of thy divine power, dost make even weak women to be more than conquerors in the uplifting of their testimony, mercifully grant unto all us which do keep the birthday of thy blessed witness N., grace to follow her steps toward thee.
$Per Dominum.

[Invit]
For the confession of Blessed N. * Let us praise our God.

[Ant Matutinum2]
His left hand is under my head, * and his right hand doth embrace me.;;18

[Lectio4]
From the Book upon Widows by St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.
!near the end
Behold the field of the Church, that the same is a fruitful field, some while smiling with the brightness of virginity, somewhile golden with the ripe harvest of widowhood, somewhile rich with the crop of marriage. These things be diverse, but they be the fruits of the same field. There are not so many choice lilies as stalks of bearded grain, ears for the harvest, and there are more places in the soil fitted once to receive seed than there are places which, when they have yielded a crop, are fitted again to be ploughed. Good, then, is widowhood, which the judgment of an Apostle hath so often commended, widowhood, which is the teacher of faith and of purity.

[Lectio5]
Therefore they who worship adultery and uncleanness in their gods made celibacy and widowhood punishable. They who lusted after abominations, taxed self-control. The pretence was the desire of fruitfulness, but the aim was to abolish virginity, the resolution of chastity. When a soldier hath served his time he layeth down his arms, leaveth his trade, and retireth him to his own lands, that as well himself may rest after the toils of life, as that the hope of rest to come may make others the more ready to undergo work. So also the aged labourer leaveth it for others to guide the handle of the plough, and withdraweth from the weariness of his younger days' labour to essay the task of an old man's thoughtful supervision. It is easier to prune vines, than to stamp them out, to check the first wild outburst of their vigour, and to curtail the wantonness of their young growth, so teaching, even by the example of the vineyard, that chastity, which keepeth itself within the bearing of but a few children.

[Lectio6]
Like to these is a widow, a veteran retiring to rest upon the earned rewards of her chastity, and who, albeit she layeth down the arms of wifehood, still ruleth the order of all her household albeit she be at rest from bearing burdens, she is careful in the marriage of her youngers, and with the wisdom of age chooseth what study is the most useful, what fruit is the richest, what wedlock is the meetest. And so, if the government of the field be given more to the elder than to the younger, wherefore shouldest thou hold that a wife is more useful than a widow? But if they which persecuted the faith persecuted also widowhood, then, surely, in the eyes of them which hold the faith, must widowhood be looked upon as a reward, rather than shrunk from as a punishment.

[Responsory6]
R. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain
* A woman that feareth God she shall be praised.
V. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
R. A woman that feareth God she shall be praised.
&Gloria
R. A woman that feareth God she shall be praised.

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 13:44
At that time Jesus spake unto His disciples this parable The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field. And so on.
_
Homily by Pope St Gregory the Great
!11th on the Gospels
Dearly beloved brethren, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto the things of earth, to the end that by the mean of things which we know, our mind may rise to the contemplation of the things which we know not by the example of things which are seen, may fix her gaze on things which are not seen by the touch of things which she useth, may be warmed towards the things which she useth not; by things which she knoweth and loveth, to love also the things which she knoweth not. For, behold, “the kingdom of heaven is likened unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and, for joy thereof, goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field.”

[Responsory7]
R. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household
* And eateth not the bread of idleness.
V. She tasteth and perceiveth that her merchandise is good. Her candle goeth not out by night.
R. And she eateth not the bread of idleness.

[Lectio8]
And herein we must remark that the treasure, when once it hath been found, is hidden to keep it safe. He whose intimate yearnings after God are not hidden from the praise of men, is open thereby to the attacks of evil spirits. In this life we are, as it were, journeying homewards on a road beset by evil spirits who are like highwaymen. He therefore inviteth robbery who carrieth his treasure ostentatiously. Doubtless our neighbour should be able to see our good works, as it is written: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” But this is not to be understood to mean that we are to seek the praise of men by what we do. Rather, let us in such wise work in the open that the inner intention of devotion is not advertised. So we shall give an example to our neighbour, and yet keep hidden, except from the sight of God, our purpose of pleasing him.

[Responsory8]
R. The kingdom of this world and all the beauty of life I have esteemed as nothing, for the excellency of the love of Jesus Christ my Lord
* Whom, having seen, I loved Whom, having believed, I longed after.
V. My heart is overflowing with a good matter I speak of my works unto the King.
R. Whom, having seen, I loved Whom, having believed, I longed after.
&Gloria
R. Whom, having seen, I loved Whom, having believed, I longed after.

[Lectio9]
The treasure is the desire for heaven, the field wherein it is hidden is the earnest observance wherewith this desire is surrounded. Whosoever turneth his back upon the enjoyments of the flesh, and by earnest striving heavenward, putteth all earthly lusts under the feet of discipline, so that he smileth back no more when the flesh smileth at him, and shuddereth no more at anything that can only kill the body whosoever doth thus, hath sold all that he had, and bought that field.
&teDeum

[Capitulum Laudes]
!Sir 51:1-3
v. I will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King, and I will praise thee, O God my Saviour. I will give glory to thy name: for thou hast been a helper and protector to me, and hast preserved my body from destruction.
$Deo gratias.

[Ant 2]
Give her of the fruit of her hands, * and let her own works praise her in the gates.

[Lectio Prima]
!Sir 51:8; 51:12
v. My soul shall praise the Lord even to death. How thou deliverest them that wait for thee, O Lord, and savest them out of the hands of the nations!

[Capitulum Sexta]
!Sir 51:4-5
v. And thou hast delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of thy name, from them that did roar, prepared to devour. Out of the hands of them that sought my life, and from the gates of afflictions, which compassed me about.
$Deo gratias.

[Ant 3]
She spreadeth out her hand to the poor, * yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

[Graduale]
!Ps 44:8
You love justice and hate wickedness.
V. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness. Alleluia, alleluia.
!Ps 44:5
V. In your splendor and your beauty ride on triumphant, and reign. Alleluia.

[GradualeP]
Alleluia, alleluia.
!Ps 44:5
In your splendor and your beauty ride on triumphant, and reign. Alleluia.
V. In the cause of truth and mercy and for the sake of justice: may your right hand show you wondrous deeds. Alleluia.

[Secreta]
@Commune/C6::s/Virgin and // s/N\./N./

[Postcommunio]
@Commune/C6::s/Virgin and // s/N\./N./