S. Damasi Papae et Confessoris ~ III. classis Scriptura: Feria IV infra Hebdomadam II Adventus

From the Office of Matins, taken from divinumofficium.

Lectio 3 Dámasus Hispánus, vir egrégius et erudítus in Scriptúris sacris, indícto primo Constantinopolitáno concílio, nefáriam Eunómii et Macedónii hæresim exstínxit. Ariminénsem convéntum, a Libério iam ante reiéctum, íterum condemnávit; in quo, ut scribit sanctus Hierónymus, Valéntis potíssimum et Ursácii fráudibus, damnátio Nicænæ fídei conclamáta est. Basílicas duas ædificávit: álteram sancti Lauréntii nómine ad theátrum Pompéii, álteram via Ardeatína ad Catacúmbas. Státuit, ut, quod plúribus iam locis erat in usu, Psalmi per omnes ecclésias diu noctúque ab altérnis caneréntur, et in fine cuiúsque Psalmi dicerétur: Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Eius iussu sanctus Hierónymus novum testaméntum Græcæ fídei réddidit. Multa étiam sanctórum Mártyrum córpora invénit, eorúmque memórias vérsibus exornávit. Virtúte, doctrína et prudéntia clarus, prope octogenárius, Theodósio senióre imperánte, obdormívit in Dómino.

Reading 3 Damasus was a Spaniard of great eminence and learned in the Sacred Scriptures. He called the first Council of Constantinople, in which he abolished the evil heresy of Eunomius and Macedonius. He repeated the condemnation, already pronounced by Liberius, of the Council of Rimini. A proclamation of that council, chiefly due, as writeth St. Jerome, to the intrigues of Valens and Ursacius, had condemned the faith of Nicea. Damasus built two basilicas: one dedicated to St. Lawrence near the theatre of Pompey, the other on the Ardeatine Way at the Catacombs. He decreed that, as was already the custom in many places, Psalms should be sung day and night in all churches by alternate choirs, and that at the end of each Psalm should be repeated the words: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." It was at his command that St. Jerome revised the translation of the New Testament to make it faithful to the Greek text. He discovered many bodies of holy Martyrs and celebrated their memory in verses. When he was nearly eighty years old and famous for his virtue, learning and prudence, he fell asleep in the Lord, during the reign of Theodosius the Great.