Office Of Readings

FEB 26 Second Reading of Divine Office.⁣ ⁣ February 26th ---From a homily on Ecclesiastes by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop  "There is a time to be born, and a time to die"⁣ ⁣ There is a time to be born and a time to die. The fact that there is a natural link between birth and death is expressed very clearly in this text of Scripture. Death invariably follows birth and everyone who is born comes at last to the grave.⁣ ⁣ There is a time to be born and a time to die. God grant that mine may be a timely birth and a timely death! Of course no one imagines that the Speaker regards as acts of virtue our natural birth and death, in neither of which our own will plays any part. A woman does not give birth because she chooses to do so; neither does anyone die as a result of his own decision. Obviously, there is neither virtue nor vice in anything that lies beyond our control. So we must consider what is meant by a timely birth and a timely death.⁣ ⁣ It seems to me that the birth referred to here is our salvation,