May 3, 2024. Gospel: John 3:1-15. The Finding of the Holy Cross.

Traditional Latin Mass Gospel Readings

And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Erat autem homo ex pharisaeis, Nicodemus nomine, princeps Judaeorum.

2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him.
Hic venit ad Jesum nocte, et dixit ei : Rabbi, scimus quia a Deo venisti magister, nemo enim potest haec signa facere, quae tu facis, nisi fuerit Deus cum eo.

3 Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Amen, amen dico tibi, nisi quis renatus fuerit denuo, non potest videre regnum Dei.

4 Nicodemus saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again?
Dicit ad eum Nicodemus : Quomodo potest homo nasci, cum sit senex? numquid potest in ventrem matris suae iterato introire et renasci?

5 Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Respondit Jesus : Amen, amen dico tibi, nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua, et Spiritu Sancto, non potest introire in regnum Dei.

6 That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Quod natum est ex carne, caro est : et quod natum est ex spiritu, spiritus est.

7 Wonder not, that I said to thee, you must be born again.
Non mireris quia dixi tibi : oportet vos nasci denuo.

8 The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Spiritus ubi vult spirat, et vocem ejus audis, sed nescis unde veniat, aut quo vadat : sic est omnis qui natus est ex spiritu.

9 Nicodemus answered, and said to him: How can these things be done?
Respondit Nicodemus, et dixit ei : Quomodo possunt haec fieri?

10 Jesus answered, and said to him: Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?
Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Tu es magister in Israel, et haec ignoras?

11 Amen, amen I say to thee, that we speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony.
amen, amen dico tibi, quia quod scimus loquimur, et quod vidimus testamur, et testimonium nostrum non accipitis.

12 If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?
Si terrena dixi vobis, et non creditis : quomodo, si dixero vobis caelestia, credetis?

13 And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.
Et nemo ascendit in caelum, nisi qui descendit de caelo, Filius hominis, qui est in caelo.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Et sicut Moyses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis :

15 That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting.
ut omnis qui credit in ipsum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam.

After the victory gained by Constantine by virtue of the Cross which appeared to him in the skies, and whose sign he reproduced in the Laborum, St Helena, his mother, went to Jerusalem to try to find the true Cross. At the beginning of the second century Hadrian had covered Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre under a terrace of 300 feet in length, on which had been erected a statue of Jupiter and a temple of Venus. The Empress razed them to the ground, and, in digging up the soil, they discovered the nails (Allelluia) and the glorious trophy to which we owe "life, salvation and resurrection" (Introit). The miraculous cure of a woman authenticated the sacred tree .