Women can do things "manfully" according to Jerome and the Hebrews

I enjoy comparing the propers for the EF form of the Mass. My 1920s missal does not have the "optional Mass to be used in Religious houses of the Visitation [the order St. Jane founded.]" Neither does the '62 Baronius press missal.

BUT the 40s "St. Mary's Missal" does have those Mass propers. (In addition to the usual ones.]

Here's the Offertory prayer for that EF Mass:

"Quia fecisti viriliter et confortatum est cor tuum, eo quod castitatem amavertis, et post virum tuum alterum nescieris: Ideo et manus Domini comfortavit te, it ideo eris benedicta in aeternum."

[Thou hast done manfully and they heart has been strengthened: because thou hast loved chastity and after thy husband hast not known any other: therefore also the hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thous shalt be blessed forever."]

I expect it's likely Jerome more or less transliterated the word.

The passage is from Judith 15, 11.

Gee, "viriliter" referring to something a woman can do. I guess the concept of a woman being able to suck it up and go in for the kill was not around such that they didn't have a similar word to apply to women.

There was also somewhere during lent where St. Jerome's translation of scripture said something about God not bending to the will of a man "vir." [Thereby leaving open the possiblility that God might bend to the will of a woman? Don't think that's what he meant. But there's a case of "vir" meaning mankind and not just males. I was saving that bit for Sept 30th when I can find it again!]

Whatever. It pays to look at ALL my missals. I get tidbits in one that I don't get in another.

Off to Mass. But I was amused this morning when I read it.

Procession for Holy Relics

Fr. Blake had been asking about prayers, etc. used when relics are carried in procession. I scanned in and uploaded the Latin texts that would be applicable. Hope this helps. The Roman Ritual I pulled this from was published in 1944. Document is 15 pages long. It's not a lot of translating to do, really. Most of it is psalms in Latin, which you can look up easily if you get stuck.

You can download the .pdf here.

Hope this helps.