Lesson at Matins – Isaias xiv. 1‒15
Her time is near at hand, and her days will not be prolonged. For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose out of Israel, and will make them rest upon their own ground: and the stranger will be joined with them, and will adhere to the house of Jacob. And the people will take them, and bring them into their place: the house of Israel will possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they will make them captives that had taken them, and will subdue their oppressors. And it will come to pass in that day, that when God will give you rest from your labour, and from your vexation, and from the hard bondage, with which you served before, you will take up this parable against the King of Babylon, and will say: “How is the oppressor come to nothing, the tribute has ceased? The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers, that struck the people in wrath with an incurable wound, that brought nations under in fury, that persecuted in a cruel manner. How are you fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, who rose in the morning? How are you fallen to the Earth, that wounded the nations: and you said in your heart: I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the North: I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. But yet you will be brought down to Hell into the depth of the pit.”
Thanks be to God.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
Your ruin, Lucifer, is irreparable! You refused to humble yourself before God, and you were cast into Hell. Your pride then sought a compensation for this your deep humiliation, and you caused the ruin of the human race out of hatred for God and His creatures. You succeeded in inspiring him who was formed out of dust with that same pride which had caused your own destruction. By you sin came into this world, and by sin death: the human race seemed now a victim which never could escape your vengeance. Forced to give up your hopes of a heavenly royalty, you aimed to reign in Hell and destroy the creatures of God as they came from His creating love. But again you are foiled and conquered. Your reign was in pride. Pride alone could form your court and give you subjects. Now see how the Sovereign Lord of all things uproots your kingdom: He Himself comes to teach His creatures humility, and he teaches it not by laws given with awful majesty as once on Sinai, but by Himself meekly practising that heavenly humility which alone can raise up them that had fallen by pride. Tremble, proud Spirit, your sceptre is to be broken!
In your haughty wisdom, you
disdain this humble and lovely Virgin of Nazareth who holds within
herself, in adoring silence, the mystery of your ruin and our
salvation. The child she carries in her womb and is so soon to be
born has long since been the object of your contempt. Know, then,
that God does not disdain this unborn child, for this child is also
God, and a single act of adoration and devotedness to His Father,
which He is making in the womb of Mary, gives more glory to the
Divinity than all your pride could rob it of, even were your pride to
increase for eternity. Henceforth, men, taught by the lessons of a
God the immense power of humility, will have recourse to it as their
great remedy. Instead of exalting themselves, as you did, by a mad
and guilty pride, they will humble themselves with love and pleasure:
the lower they humble themselves, the higher will God raise them: the
poorer they own themselves, the richer will He make them. It is the
glorious Virgin that tells us this in her exquisite Canticle. May she
be ever blessed, Mother so gentle and sweet to her children, and so
terrible to you, Lucifer, that writhes beneath her as she crushes and
conquers you.
