[Officium]
Feria Sexta infra Hebdomadam IV in Quadragesima

[Lectio1]
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 11:1-45
At that time, there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and Martha her sister. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!49th Tract on John
Ye remember that in our last reading we learnt how that the Lord escaped out of the hands of them which took up stones to stone Him, and went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where John at first baptized. (John x. 31, 39, 40- ) While, then, the Lord still tarried there, Lazarus was sick at Bethany, which was a town near to Jerusalem. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His Feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent unto Him. We know already whither it was that they sent, for we know where Jesus was: He was gone away again beyond Jordan. His sisters sent unto Him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick, in order that, if He so pleased, He might come and free him from his sickness. But Jesus healed not, that He might afterward quicken.

[Lectio2]
What therefore sent his sisters to say? Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick and no more. They said not: Come, for Jesus loved him; and to tell Him that he was sick was enough. They dared not to say: Come, and heal him, they dared not to say: Speak the word where Thou art, and it shall be done here. And wherefore should they not have said this if they had the faith which won the Centurion so much praise? He had said: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. (Matth. viii. 8.) But they said none of these things, only: Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick. It is enough that Thou shouldest know it. Thou art not one that lovest and leavest.

[Lectio3]
But some man will say: How shall Lazarus be a type of the sinner, and yet the Lord so love him? Let such an one hear the words of the same Lord, which He said: I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Matth. ix. 13.) For if God had not loved sinners, He had not come down from heaven to earth. When Jesus heard that, He said: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Such a glorification is no increase of majesty for Him, but of profit for us. He therefore meaneth to say: This sickness is not unto death, but for the working of a miracle, the which being wrought, if men will thereby believe in Christ, they shall escape the real death. Note especially how the Lord doth in this place declare Himself to be God, as it were by implication, for the sake of some which say that He is not the Son of God.

[Ant 2]
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; * let us go and awake him out of sleep.

[Oratio 2]
O God, who dost quicken the whole world anew by thine unspeakable Sacraments, grant, we beseech thee, that thy Church may both profit by whatsoever Thou hast ordained touching the things which are eternal, nor be comfortless of such help as is needful unto her touching the things which are temporal.
$Per Dominum

[Ant 3]
Lord, if Thou hadst been here * Lazarus had not died; behold, by this time he stinketh, for he hath lain in the grave four days already.

[Oratio 3]
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, unto all us who know that we are weak, and who trust in thee, because we know that Thou art strong, the gladsome help of thy loving-kindness, both here in time and hereafter in eternity.
$Per Dominum