Undusted Texts

"On the Holy Birth of Christ" By John Mauropous (c. 1000 - 1070s) Introduction John Mauropous was born in the region of Paphlagonia (in north-central Turkey), before moving to Constantinople, where he became a poet and scholar. While acting as court orator for Constantine IX Monomachos (r. 1042-1055), Byzantine Emperor, he was also a teacher, whose most famous pupil was the many-faceted Byzantine writer Michael Psellos (1017 - c. 1078). Around 1050, though, John fell from favor, and became Metropolitan of Euchaita (modern Avhat, Turkey), which he considered as exile. After prodding his friends, particularly Psellos, he returned to Constantinople near the end of his life, spending his last years in the Monastery of Agia Petra. John's writings include a number of poems of various sorts (including autobiographical poems and funeral orations in verse) as well as letters, sermons, and canons (a style of Byzantine liturgical poetry). He seems to have prepared hi...

Introduction Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle was born in 1575 near Champagne. Educated by Jesuits, he attended the Sorbonne in Paris and was ordained in 1599. With the help of his cousin, Bl. Marie of the Incarnation, he introduced the Discalced Carmelites into France, following the reform of St. Teresa de Ávila. He became spiritual director of St. Vincent de Paul and friends with St. Francis de Sales. In 1611, he founded the Oratory of Jesus (see "Humani generis / Cessent suspiria" ). Along with his religious work, he was also a statesman, assisting King Henry IV and King Louis XIII. He became a cardinal in 1627, but died in 1629 before receiving the red hat. The below text is from his collection Works of Piety , #6.   God, Jesus, and Mary are Life and Source of Life The life of God in Himself must be considered each day, esteemed, adored, loved, and imitated in our life, life of the spirit and source of all life, and especially of the life of the Spirit: for G...

  Introduction Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle was born in 1575 near Champagne. Educated by Jesuits, he attended the Sorbonne in Paris and was ordained in 1599. With the help of his cousin, Bl. Marie of the Incarnation, he introduced the Discalced Carmelites into France, following the reform of St. Teresa de Ávila. He became spiritual director of St. Vincent de Paul and friends with St. Francis de Sales. In 1611, he founded the Oratory of Jesus (see "Humani generis / Cessent suspiria" ). Along with his religious work, he was also a statesman, assisting King Henry IV and King Louis XIII. He became a cardinal in 1627, but died in 1629 before receiving the red hat. The below text is from his collection Works of Piety , #38.   On the Nativity of Jesus He Who has made times and Who is the king of the ages, has willed to render Himself subject to time, and to guide the course of His life by the law of time. And this is the first law, subjection, and servitude to whic...

Introduction This is one of the texts edited by Cardinal Angelo Mai (1782-1854), a philologist skilled in reading palimpsests, where a previous text is wiped off a parchment in order to make room for a new one. Cardinal Mai could decipher the original texts and printed many collections of otherwise-lost ancient texts. The manuscript only attributes this homily to a "Paulinus"; Cardinal Mai thinks the most likely author is Paulinus of Béziers (fl. c. 418), rather than the more famous St. Paulinus of Nola (354-431), among others. An interesting element of this Lenten homily is Paulinus' explanation of the resurrected state; based on Christ's death age of 30 (we would now say 33), at the General Resurrection, all will be at age 30, no matter what age they died.   Homily for the Beginning of Lent As our Lord Jesus Christ did not permit this world to perish, so He deigned, through the womb of the holy Mary, to come into the world, in order ...

Introduction Sts. Victor and Stephanis were martyred under one of the Antonines, either Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (r. 161-180) or his predecessor, Antoninus Pius (r. 138-161). This life was written by St. Symeon Metaphrastes, in the 10th century. He is famous for his collection of saints' lives, the  Menologion.  (In Greek, this word would mean "month-book," as it provides the lives of the saints for each day of the year, arranged by the month of their feast.) He may have merely collected many of his saints' lives rather than writing them himself; however, it is through him that so many have reached us, so we still have him to thank, either way. Feast Day: May 14 Sts. Victor and Stephanis In those days, in which the Christians were persecuted by the king of the Romans Antoninus, him being pagan, and by Sebastian his duke, there was a man from Italy, a Christian soldier, altogether reverent and fearing God, named Victor. To this one the duke said, “Writings of the king...

Introduction Sor Francisca Josefa del Castillo (1671-1742) was a Poor Clare in what is now Colombia. She was born to weathly parents and, at the age of 18, entered the Monastery of St. Clare in Tunja, her birthplace. There she remained for the rest of her life, taking final vows in 1694, at the age of 23, and being appointed abbess four times. At the instigation of her confessors, she recorded her mystical experiences and feelings in poems and in an autobiography. The following is her most famous poem, #45 in her  Afectos espirituales  ( Spiritual Affections ). Another name for the poem is "Deliquios del Divino Amor en el corazón de la criatura, y en las agonías del huerto" ("Swoons of Divine Love in the heart of the creature, and in the agonies of the garden"). "El habla delicada" The delicate speech I esteem from the Lover milk and honey distills among roses and lyres. His mellifluous word cuts me quick like the dew and there flowers with it the hear...