S. Eduardi Regis ConfessorisSt. Edward the Confessor, King

Lesson I

Lesson from the first book of Machabees

1 Mac 5:1-5

Now it came to pass, when the nations round about heard that the altar and the sanctuary were built up as before, that they were exceeding angry. And they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them. Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, and them that were in Acrabathane: because they beset the Israelites around about, and he made a great slaughter of them. And he remembered the malice of the children of Bean: who were a snare and a stumblingblock to the people, by lying in wait for them in the way. And they were shut up by him in towers, and he set upon them, and devoted them to utter destruction, and burnt their towers with fire, and all that were in them.

Lesson II

1 Mac 5:6-9

Then he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, and Timotheus was their captain: And he fought many battles with them, and they were discomfited in their sight, and he smote them: And he took the city of Gazer and her towns, and returned into Judea. And the Gentiles that were in Galaad, assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters to destroy them: and they fled into the fortress of Datheman.

Lesson III

1 Mac 5:10-13

And they sent letters to Judas and his brethren, saying, The heathens that are round about are gathered together against us, to destroy us: And they are preparing to come, and to take the fortress into which we are fled: and Timotheus is the captain of their host. Now therefore come, and deliver us out of their hands, for many of us are slain. And all our brethren that were in the places of Tubin, are killed: and they have carried away their wives, and their children, captives, and taken their spoils, and they have slain there almost a thousand men.

Lesson IV

Edward, surnamed the Confessor, was the nephew of the holy King Edward the Martyr, and himself the last Anglo-Saxon King. That he should succeed to the Kingdom was shown by the Lord in a trance to a most holy man named Brithwald. When he was ten years old the Danes, who were ravaging England, sought him, to put him to death, and he was driven into exile to dwell with his mother's brother, (Richard II.) Duke of Normandy, at whose Court (and that of his successors, Richard III., Robert surnamed the Devil, and William the Bastard) he lived among all the allurements of vice a life of such uprightness and innocency as made all men to marvel. He was a burning and shining light for love of God and the things of God, very gentle-hearted, and quite free from any lust for power. Of him the saying is preserved, That he would liefer not be a King than win a kingdom through slaughter and blood.

Lesson V

When the (Danish) tyrants, who had robbed his brothers Edmund and Alfred of life and kingdom, were passed away, Edward was called back into his own country and with the hearty good-will and rejoicing of all, took the kingdom (in the year 1042, being then about forty years old.) He set himself to repair the breaches which wars had made, and began with the things of God. Of the Churches of the Saints, he built some altogether, and renewed others and gifted them with incomes and privileges, being chiefly fain that religion should rise from the low estate whereinto it had fallen. He was brought by the nobles of his Court to marry, but it is constantly said by all writers that in matrimony he remained a virgin with a virgin bride. So great was his love toward Christ, and so strong his faith, that somewhiles when the Mass was in saying, he won to see Him, with countenance full of grace, and glory of God's light. By reason of the abundance of his charity he was styled everywhere the father of orphans and of the poor, and he was never happier than when he had spent upon the needy the whole of his kingly treasures.

Lesson VI

He was famous for the gift of prophecy, and foretold by inspiration from heaven many things that were to befall England. Of this gift the following is a remarkable instance. Sweyn, King of the Danes, was embarking on ship-board with the mind to invade England, when he fell into the sea and was drowned, and God made known his death to Edward at the very same moment that it happened. He had a wonderful love toward John the Evangelist, so that he was used never to refuse anything for the which he was asked in his name. The Evangelist appeared to him once while in tattered raiment, and, in his own name, asked him for an alms. It befell that the King had no money, wherefore he took a ring from off his finger and gifted him therewith. Not long afterward, the Evangelist sent the same ring back to him by a pilgrim, with a message concerning his death, which was then at hand. The King therefore commanded that prayers should be made for him, and then fell blessedly asleep in the Lord, upon the very day which had been foretold to him by the Evangelist, that is to say, upon the 5th day of January, in the year of salvation 1066. He was famous for miracles, and in 1161 Pope Alexander III. numbered him among the Saints. But Innocent XI. commanded that his memory should be celebrated with a public Office throughout the whole Church, upon the 13th day of October, being that day whereon in the year 1102 his body had been lifted, and found uncorrupt and sweetsavoured.

Lesson VII

From the Holy Gospel according to Luke

Luke 12:35-40

At that time, Jesus said unto His disciples: Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. And so on.

Homily by Pope St. Gregory (the Great.)

13th on the Gospels.

Dearly beloved brethren, the words of the Holy Gospel, which have just been read, lie open before you, and, lest their very plainness should make them seem to some to be hard, we will go through them with such shortness as that neither may they which understand not remain unenlightened, nor they which understand be wearied. The Lord saith Let your loins be girded about. Now, we gird our loins about, when by continency we master the lustful inclination of the flesh. But, forasmuch as it sufficeth not for a man to abstain from evil deeds, if he strive not to join thereto the earnest doing of good works, it is immediately added And your lights burning. Our lights burn when, by good works, we give bright example to our neighbour; concerning which works the Lord saith Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven. (Matth. v. 16.)

Lesson VIII

Here, then, are two commandments, to gird our loins about, and to keep our lights burning the cleanness of purity in our body, and the light of the truth in our works. Whoso hath the one and not the other, pleaseth not thereby our Redeemer; that is, he pleaseth Him not which doth good works, but bridleth not himself from the pollutions of lust, neither he which is eminent in chastity, but exerciseth not himself in good works. Neither is chastity a great thing without good works, nor good works anything without chastity. And if any man do both, it remaineth that he must look by hope toward our Fatherland above, and not have for his reason wherethrough he turneth himself away from vice, the love of honour in this present world.

Lesson IX

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. The Lord cometh at the hour of judgment He knocketh when, by the pains of sickness, He biddeth us know that death is nigh. To Him open we immediately, if we receive Him in love. Whoso feareth to leave this body, will not open to the Judge when He knocketh, for he dreadeth to see that Judge, Whom he knoweth that he hath despised. But whosoever knoweth that his hope and works are built upon a good foundation, when he heareth the Judge knock, openeth to Him immediately, for to such an one that coming is blessed, yea, when the hour of death is at hand, such an one haileth with gladness a glorious reward.

Te Deum