Year: B(II). Psalm week: 2. Liturgical Colour: Violet or Black.
About the author of the Second Reading in today's Office of Readings:
Second Reading: St Ambrose of Milan (340? - 397)
Ambrose was born in Trier (now in Germany) between 337 and 340, to a Roman family: his father was praetorian prefect of Gaul. Ambrose was educated at Rome and embarked on the standard cursus honorum of Roman advocates and administrators, at Sirmium, the capital of Illyria. In about 372 he was made prefect of Liguria and Emilia, whose capital was Milan.
ÂÂ ÂÂ In 374 the bishopric of Milan fell vacant and when Ambrose tried to pacify the conflict between the Catholics and Arians over the appointment of a new bishop, the people turned on him and demanded that he become the bishop himself. He was a layman and not yet baptized (at this time it was common for baptism to be delayed and for people to remain for years as catechumens), but that was no defence. Coerced by the people and by the emperor, he was baptized, ordained, and installed as bishop within a week, on 7ÂÂ DecemberÂÂ 374.
ÂÂ ÂÂ He immediately gave his money to the poor and his land to the Church and set about learning theology. He had the advantage of knowing Greek, which few people did at that time, and so he was able to read the Eastern theologians and philosophers as well as those of the West.
ÂÂ ÂÂ He was assiduous in carrying out his office, acting with charity to all: a true shepherd and teacher of the faithful. He was unimpressed by status and when the Emperor Theodosius ordered the massacre of 7,000 people in Thessalonica, Ambrose forced him to do public penance. He defended the rights of the Church and attacked the Arian heresy with learning, firmness and gentleness. He also wrote a number of hymns which are still in use today.
ÂÂ ÂÂ Ambrose was a key figure in the conversion of St Augustine to Catholicism, impressing Augustine (hitherto unimpressed by the Catholics he had met) by his intelligence and scholarship. He died on Holy Saturday, 4ÂÂ AprilÂÂ 397.
Liturgical colour: black (or violet)
Violet is the colour of penance, and black is (for most of us) the colour of mourning. One or the other is therefore used in Masses for the Dead and, in particular, on All Souls’ Day.
| Mid-morning reading |
Job 19:25-26 |
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This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth. After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.
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| Noon reading |
Wisdom 1:13-14,15 |
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Death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living. To be – for this he created all things; for virtue is undying.
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| Afternoon reading |
Isaiah 25:8 |
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The Lord will destroy Death for ever. He will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has spoken.
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