[Officium]
St. Matthias the Apostle

[Name]
Matthias

[Oratio]
O God, Who added blessed Matthias to the company of Thy Apostles; grant, we beseech Thee, that by his intercession we may ever be aware of the depth of Thy love for us.
$Per Dominum 

[Lectio1]
From the Acts of the Apostles
!Acts 1:15-18
15 In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said: now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty:
16 Men, brethren, the scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus:
17 Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 And he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity, and being hanged, burst asunder in the midst: and all his bowels gushed out.

[Lectio2]
!Acts 1:19-22
19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.
21 Wherefore of these men who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection.

[Lectio3]
!Acts 1:23-26
23 And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 To take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave them lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

[Lectio7]
From the holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 11:25-30
At that time, Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!10th Sermon on the Words of the Lord
Come unto Me, all ye that labour! And wherefore labour we all, but because we are frail, sickly, dying creatures, burdened with earthen vessels which distress us? But if these fleshly vessels be distressful, let the open expanse of love be free and wide. Come unto Me, all ye that labour! and why? That we may labour no more. His promise is an instant promise, for He calleth such as are labouring. Perchance they will ask Him what shall be their reward? And I, saith He, will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me not how to make the world, not how to create all things visible and invisible, not to work wonders in the earth, nor to raise the dead but for I am meek and lowly in heart.

[Lectio8]
Wilt thou be great? Begin by being little. Dost thou think to raise up a lofty building? Then lay the foundations thereof in lowliness. The greater soever, and the more massy, be that which any man thinketh to build, so much the deeper doth he dig his foundation. And when the house is built, it towereth heavenward; but he which layeth the foundation goeth down into the earth. The building, therefore, is low before it is high, and, after it is low, it riseth high to the roof.

[Lectio9]
What is the roof of the house on which we labour? Whither do its spires rise? I answer you at once; to the presence of God. You see how high it is, yea, what it is to see God. He that will, understandeth what I say, and he heareth. What is promised you is to see God, God, the True, God, the Supreme. Blessed is he who seeth Him by Whom he is seen. Such as worship false gods see them easily, but they see them who have eyes and see not. But unto us it is promised that we shall see that God Who liveth and seeth. (Gen. xvi. 14.)
&teDeum