[Officium]
Feria Sexta infra Hebdomadam Passionis

[Lectio1]
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John
!John 11:47-54
At that time, chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!49th Tract on John
The chief Priests and the Pharisees took counsel together, but Let us believe in Him was not one of the suggestions offered. Those lost creatures thought much more how they might hurt and undo Him, than how they might save themselves from perishing. And yet they were afraid, and took counsel together, and said What do we? For this Man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him; and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation. They were afraid of losing temporal things, but they gave no thought to eternal life, and so they lost both.

[Lectio2]
For, after that the Lord had suffered and been glorified, first came the Romans, and took away both their place and nation, prevailing against them and leading them away captive, and secondly there followeth them that which is written But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. (Matth. viii. 12.) But their fear was that, if all men should believe on Christ, none would remain to defend the city of God and His Temple against the Romans, since they deemed that Christ's teaching was against the Temple itself, and against the laws of their fathers.

[Lectio3]
And one of them, named Ca'iphas, being the High Priest that same year, said unto them: Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself but being High Priest that year, he prophesied. Here we will learn that bad men are enabled by the spirit of prophecy to foretell the future; which, at the same time, the Evangelist attributeth to an ordinance of God, namely, that he was the High Priest.

[Ant 2]
Now the Jews' Feastday * was at hand, and the chief Priests sought how they might kill Jesus; but they feared the people.

[Oratio 2]
We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts, that all we who of our own will do check our sins with the curb of mortification, may suffer here, and escape condemnation to eternal punishment hereafter.
$Per Dominum

[Commemoratio 2](rubrica 1955 aut rubrica 1960 aut rubrica innovata aut rubrica monastica)
!Commemoration of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
@Tempora/Quad5-5:Oratio

[Ant 3]
The chief Priests * consulted that they might kill Jesus, but they said: Not on the Feast-day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

[Oratio 3]
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who seek the grace of thy protection, being delivered from all evils, may serve thee ever in peace and quietness of spirit.
$Per Dominum