S. Andreæ Avellini ConfessorisSt. Andrew Avellino Confessor

Lesson I

Lesson from the book of Daniel

Dan 3:14-15

And Nabuchodonosor the king spoke to them, and said: Is it true, O Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the golden statue that I have set up? Now therefore if you be ready at what hour soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and symphony, and of all kind of music, prostrate yourselves, and adore the statue which I have made: but if you do not adore, you shall be cast the same hour into the furnace of burning fire: and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?

Lesson II

Dan 3:16-19

Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago answered and said to king Nabuchodonosor: We have no occasion to answer thee concerning this matter. For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to save us from the furnace of burning fire, and to deliver us out of thy hands, O king. But if he will not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not worship thy gods, nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up. Then was Nabuchodonosor filled with fury: and the countenance of his face was changed against Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times more than it had been accustomed to be heated.

Lesson III

Dan 3:21-24

And immediately these men were bound and were cast into the furnace of burning fire, with their coats, and their caps, and their shoes, and their garments. For the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace was heated exceedingly. And the flame of the fire slew those men that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago. But these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell down bound in the midst of the furnace of burning fire. And they walked in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord.

Lesson IV

Lancelot Avelino, who afterwards took the name of Andrew, was born at Castro Nuovo, a small town in Lucania, (in the kingdom of Naples, in the year of our Lord 1520.) From his earliest childhood he gave no dark signs of the holiness of his after life. When as a lad he was away from home at school, he so passed the slippery paths of that age, as ever keeping before his eyes, amid the pursuit of earthly knowledge, the true beginning of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord. ~(Prov. ix. 10.) He was exceedingly comely, but withal careful in purity, and thereby escaped oftentimes the shameless proposals of women, and somewhiles even resisted open violence. He had already become a clerk when he went to Naples to study law. There he was ordained Priest, and also took his degree in Jurisprudence. He undertook cases only in the Church Courts, and for certain private persons, according to the rules of the Sacred Canons. l Once in pleading a cause, in a matter indeed which was of no weight, a lie escaped him. Almost forthwith thereafter, in reading the Holy Scriptures, he came upon the words: The mouth that lieth killeth the soul (Wisd. i. 11) and so great was the grief and remorse which he felt for his sin that he made up his mind to leave that way of life. He therefore gave up his law business, and set himself altogether to mind the worship of God and the execution of his holy ministry. The eminent pattern which he gave of all the graces proper to a Churchman moved the Archbishop of Naples to commit to him the care of a certain nunnery in that city. The holy man's zeal (for removing all obstacles to the recollection of these spouses of Christ, in which consisteth the very essence of their state and virtue,) stirred up the malice and rage of certain wicked men in the city, (whom he had forbid being admitted to the grate to speak to any of the nuns.) He once narrowly escaped death, with which they threatened him; and another time received three wounds in his face from a bully. These injuries he bore with thorough meekness. Out of an earnest desire of more readily attaining to a perfect disengagement of his heart from all earthly things, he humbly sought and ~(in 1556) obtained to be admitted into the Order of Regular Clerks, (called Theatins,) and on this occasion, out of the love he bore to the Cross, he entreated that his name might be changed from Lancelot to Andrew.

Lesson V

He entered manfully and cheerily upon the harder life, set to work to better himself therein, and to that end made two very grim vows, the first, perpetually to fight against his own will, the second, always to advance to the utmost of his power in Christian perfection. Of the discipline of his Order he was a stern defender, and when he was set over others the observance thereof was his great care. Whatever time the duties of his work and his institute left him, he gave to prayer and the salvation of souls. His godliness and wisdom in hearing of confessions were beautiful. He went many times through the farthest lanes and suburbs of Naples, bringing Gospel ministry with great gain of souls. The greatness of his love toward his neighbour God was pleased to crown even by signs and wonders. One stormy night he was coming home from hearing a sick man's confession, when the rain and wind put out the light which was carried before him, but he and they that were with him not only came dry through the thickest of the rain, but there came also a strange light out of his body and showed them the way in the deepest of the darkness. He was a wonderful instance of selfcontrol, long-suffering, lowliness, and hatred of self. He bore with stillness the murder of his nephew, held in the passion of his kinsfolk to take revenge, and even asked pity for the assassins from the judges.

Lesson VI

He spread in many places the Institute of Regular Clerks, and founded their houses at Milan and Piacenza. The holy Cardinal Charles Borromeo, and the Cardinal Paul of Arezzo, being himself a Regular Clerk, men by both of whom he was well liked, used his help in their care for souls. Toward the Virgin Mother of God he was constant in an extraordinary love and reverence. He won the conversation of Angels, whom he said he used to hear singing when he was praising God. He set an example of the highest graces, even to the gift of prophecy, whereby he saw into men's hearts and knew things afar off or even yet to come. Full of years and worn out with work, he was beginning the Liturgy, when, having repeated thrice the words, I will go unto the Altar of God, he was felled by a stroke of apoplexy, and, duly fortified by the Sacraments, in the arms of his friends, most peacefully gave up his soul to God, (upon the 10th day of November, in the year 1608.) The crowds which flock to his grave in the Church of St. Paul at Naples are still as great as they were when his body was first laid there. He was famous for signs and wonders both during his life and after his death, and Pope Clement XI solemnly enrolled his name among those of the Saints.

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

Commemoration of: Sts. Tryphon, Respicius, et Nympha, Martyrs

In the reign of the Emperor Decius one Tryphon strove by preaching the faith of Jesus Christ to bring all men to worship Him. For this cause he was taken by the servants of Decius. He was first tormented upon the rack, and flesh stripped from him with iron claws; then red-hot nails were driven into his insteps, he was beaten with cudgels and scarified with lighted torches. The sight of the courage wherewith he bore all, brought the Praefect Respicius to believe in the Lord Christ, and he forthwith declared himself a Christian. He also was diverse ways tormented, and then led along with Tryphon before the statue of Jupiter. When Tryphon prayed, the statue fell down. Then were both Tryphon and Respicius savagely lashed with whips loaded with lead, until they grasped the crown of a most glorious testimony, upon the 10th day of November. Upon the same day a certain maiden named Nympha, having openly confessed that Jesus Christ is very God, added the palm of martyrdom to the crown of virginity.

Te Deum