Volume 6: Lent (Part II) — Passiontide & Holy Week

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PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

CHAPTER THE FIRST

AFTER having proposed the forty-days' fast of Jesus in the desert to the meditation of the faithful during the first four weeks of Lent, the holy Church gives the two weeks which still remain before Easter to the commemoration of the Passion. She would not have her children come to that great day of the immolation of the Lamb, without having prepared for it by compassionating with Him in the sufferings He endured in their stead.

The most ancient sacramentaries and antiphonaries of the several Churches attest, by the prayers, the lessons, and the whole liturgy of these two weeks, that the Passion of our Lord is now the one sole thought of the Christian world. During Passion-week, a saint's feast, if it occur, will be kept; but Passion Sunday admits no feast, however solemn it may be; and even on those which are kept during the days intervening between Passion and Palm Sunday, there is always made a commemoration of the Passion, and the holy images are not allowed to be uncovered.

We cannot give any historical details upon the first of these two weeks; its ceremonies and rites have always been the same as those of the four preceding ones.¹ We, therefore, refer the reader to the following chapter, in which we treat of the mysteries peculiar to Passiontide. The second week, on the contrary, furnishes us with abundant historical details; there is no portion of the liturgical year which has interested the Christian world so much as this, or which has given rise to such fervent manifestations of piety.

This week was held in great veneration even as early as the third century, as we learn from St. Denis, bishop of Alexandria, who lived at that time.² In the fourth century, we find St. John Chrysostom, calling it the great week:³ 'Not,' says the holy doctor, 'that it has more days in it than other weeks, or that its days are made up of more hours than other days; but we call it great, because of the great mysteries which are then celebrated.' We find it called also by other names: the painful week (hebdomada penosa), on account of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the fatigue required from us in celebrating them; the week of indulgence, because sinners are then received to penance; and, lastly, Holy Week, in allusion to the holiness of the mysteries which are commemorated during these seven days. This last name is the one under which it most generally goes with us; and the very days themselves are, in many countries, called by the same name, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday.

The severity of the lenten fast is increased during these its last days; the whole energy of the spirit of penance is now brought out. Even with us, the dispensation which allows the use of eggs ceases towards the middle of this week. The eastern Churches, faithful to their ancient traditions, have kept up a most rigorous abstinence ever since the Monday of Quinquagesima week. During the whole of this long period, which they call Xerophagia, they have been allowed nothing but dry food. In the early ages, fasting during Holy Week was carried to the utmost limits that human nature could endure. We learn from St. Epiphanius⁴ that there were some of the Christians who observed a strict fast from Monday morning to cock-crow of Easter Sunday. Of course it must have been very few of the faithful who could go so far as this. Many passed two, three, and even four consecutive days, without tasting any food; but the general practice was to fast from Maundy Thursday evening to Easter morning. Many Christians in the east, and in Russia, observe this fast even in these times. Would that such severe penance were always accompanied by a firm faith and union with the Church, out of which the merit of such penitential works is of no avail for salvation!

Another of the ancient practices of Holy Week were the long hours spent, during the night, in the churches. On Maundy Thursday, after having celebrated the divine mysteries in remembrance of the Last Supper, the faithful continued a long time in prayer.⁵ The night between Friday and Saturday was spent in almost uninterrupted vigil, in honour of our Lord's burial.⁶ But the longest of all these vigils was that of Saturday, which was kept up till Easter Sunday morning. The whole congregation joined in it: they assisted at the final preparation of the catechumens, as also at the administration of Baptism; nor did they leave the church until after the celebration of the holy Sacrifice, which was not over till sunrise.⁷

Cessation from servile work was, for a long time, an obligation during Holy Week. The civil law united with that of the Church in order to bring about this solemn rest from toil and business, which so eloquently expresses the state of mourning of the Christian world. The thought of the sufferings and death of Jesus was the one pervading thought: the Divine Offices and prayer were the sole occupation of the people: and, indeed, all the strength of the body was needed for the support of the austerities of fasting and abstinence. We can readily understand what an impression was made upon men's minds, during the whole of the rest of the year, by this universal suspension of the ordinary routine of life. Moreover, when we call to mind how, for five full weeks, the severity of Lent had waged war on the sensual appetites, we can imagine the simple and honest joy wherewith was welcomed the feast of Easter, which brought both the regeneration of the soul, and respite to the body.

In the preceding volume, we mentioned the laws of the Theodosian Code, which forbade all law business during the forty days preceding Easter. This law of Gratian and Theodosius, which was published in 380, was extended by Theodosius in 389; this new decree forbade all pleadings during the seven days before, and the seven days after, Easter. We meet with several allusions to this then recent law, in the homilies of St. John Chrysostom, and in the sermons of St. Augustine. In virtue of this decree, each of these fifteen days was considered, as far as the courts of law were concerned, as a Sunday.

But Christian princes were not satisfied with the mere suspension of human justice during these days, which are so emphatically days of mercy: they would, moreover, pay homage, by an external act, to the fatherly goodness of God, who has deigned to pardon a guilty world, through the merits of the death of His Son. The Church was on the point of giving reconciliation to repentant sinners, who had broken the chains of sin whereby they were held captives; Christian princes were ambitious to imitate this their mother, and they ordered that prisoners should be loosened from their chains, that the prisons should be thrown open, and that freedom should be restored to those who had fallen under the sentence of human tribunals. The only exception made was that of criminals whose freedom would have exposed their families or society to great danger. The name of Theodosius stands prominent in these acts of mercy. We are told by St. John Chrysostom⁸ that this emperor sent letters of pardon to the several cities, ordering the release of prisoners, and granting life to those that had been condemned to death, and all this in order to sanctify the days preceding the Easter feast. The last emperors made a law of this custom, as we find in one of St. Leo's sermons, where he thus speaks of their clemency: 'The Roman emperors have long observed this holy practice. In honour of our Lord's Passion and Resurrection, they humbly withhold the exercise of their sovereign justice, and, laying aside the severity of their laws, they grant pardon to a great number of criminals. Their intention in this is to imitate the divine goodness by their own exercise of clemency during these days when the world owes its salvation to the divine mercy. Let, then, the Christian people imitate their princes, and let the example of kings induce subjects to forgive each other their private wrongs; for, surely it is absurd that private laws should be less unrelenting than those which are public. Let trespasses be forgiven, let bonds be taken off, let offences be forgotten, let revenge be stifled; that thus the sacred feast may, by both divine and human favours, find us all happy and innocent.'⁹

This Christian amnesty was not confined to the Theodosian Code; we find traces of it in the laws of several of our western countries. We may mention France as an example. Under the first race of its kings, St. Eligius bishop of Noyon, in a sermon for Maundy Thursday, thus expresses himself: 'On this day, when the Church grants indulgence to penitents and absolution to sinners, magistrates, also, relent in their severity and grant pardon to the guilty. Throughout the whole world prisons are thrown open; princes show clemency to criminals; masters forgive their slaves.'¹⁰ Under the second race, we learn from the Capitularia of Charlemagne,¹¹ that bishops had a right to exact from the judges, for the love of Jesus Christ (as it is expressed), that prisoners should be set free on the days preceding Easter; and should the magistrates refuse to obey, the bishops could refuse them admission into the church.¹² And lastly, under the third race, we find Charles VI, after quelling the rebellion at Rouen, giving orders, later on, that the prisoners should be set at liberty, because it was Painful Week, and very near to the Easter feast.¹³

A last vestige of this merciful legislation was a custom observed by the parliament of Paris. The ancient Christian practice of suspending its sessions during the whole of Lent, had long been abolished: it was not till the Wednesday of Holy Week that the house was closed, which it continued to be from that day until after Low Sunday. On the Tuesday of Holy Week, which was the last day granted for audiences, the parliament repaired to the palace prisons, and there one of the grand presidents, generally the last installed, held a session of the court. The prisoners were questioned; but, without any formal judgment, all those whose case seemed favourable, or who were not guilty of some capital offence, were set at liberty.

The revolutions of the last eighty years have produced in every country in Europe the secularization of society, that is to say, the effacing from our national customs and legislation of everything which had been introduced by the supernatural element of Christianity. The favourite theory of the last half century or more, has been that all men are equal. The people of the ages of faith had something far more convincing than theory, of the sacredness of their rights. At the approach of those solemn anniversaries which so forcibly remind us of the justice and mercy of God, they beheld princes abdicating, as it were, their sceptre, leaving in God's hands the punishment of the guilty, and assisting at the holy Table of Paschal Communion side by side with those very men, whom, a few days before, they had been keeping chained in prison for the good of society. There was one thought, which, during these days, was strongly brought before all nations: it was the thought of God, in whose eyes all men are sinners; of God, from whom alone proceed justice and power. It was in consequence of this deep Christian feeling, that we find so many diplomas and charters of the ages of faith speaking of the days of Holy Week as being the reign of Christ: such an event, they say, happened on such a day, 'under the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ:' regnante Domino nostro Jesu Christo.

When these days of holy and Christian equality were over, did subjects refuse submission to their sovereigns? Did they abuse the humility of their princes, and take occasion for drawing up what modern times call the rights of man? No: that same thought which had inspired human justice to humble itself before the cross of Jesus, taught the people their duty of obeying the powers established by God. The exercise of power, and submission to that power, both had God for their motive. They who wielded the sceptre might be of various dynasties: the respect for authority was ever the same. Now-a-days, the liturgy has none of her ancient influence on society; religion has been driven from the world at large, and her only life and power is now with the consciences of individuals; and as to political institutions, they are but the expression of human pride, seeking to command, or refusing to obey.

¹ It would be out of place to enter here on a discussion with regard to the name Mediana, under which title we find Passion Sunday mentioned both in ancient liturgies and in Canon Law.
² Epist. ad Basilidem, Canon i.
³ Hom. xxx in Genes.
⁴ Expositio fidei, in Hæres. xxii.
⁵ St. John Chrysostom, Hom. xxx in Genes.
⁶ St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. xviii.
⁷ Const. Apost. lib. i. cap. xviii.
⁸ Homil. in magn. Hebdom. Homil. xxx. in Genes. Homil. vi. ad popul. Antioch.
⁹ Sermon xl. de Quadragesima, ii.
¹⁰ Sermon x.
¹¹ We learn from the same capitularia, that this privilege was also extended to Christmas and Pentecost.
¹² Capitular. lib. vi.
¹³ Jean Juvénal des Ursins, year 1382.

And yet the fourth century, which, in virtue of the Christian spirit, produced the laws we have been alluding to, was still rife with the pagan element. How comes it that we, who live in the full light of Christianity, can give the name of progress to a regime which tends to separate society from everything that is supernatural? Men may talk as they please, there is but one way to secure order, peace, morality, and security to the world; and that is God's way, the way of faith, of living in accordance with the teachings and the spirit of faith. All other systems can, at best, but flatter those human passions, which are so strongly at variance with the mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we are now celebrating.

We must mention another law made by the Christian emperors in reference to Holy Week. If the spirit of charity, and a desire to imitate divine mercy, led them to decree the liberation of prisoners; it was but acting consistently with these principles, that, during these days when our Saviour shed His Blood for the emancipation of the human race, they should interest themselves in what regards slaves. Slavery, a consequence of sin, and the fundamental institution of the pagan world, had received its death-blow by the preaching of the Gospel; but its gradual abolition was left to individuals, and to their practical exercise of the principle of Christian fraternity. As our Lord and His apostles had not exacted the immediate abolition of slavery, so, in like manner, the Christian emperors limited themselves to passing such laws as would give encouragement to its gradual abolition. We have an example of this in the Justinian Code, where this prince, after having forbidden all law-proceedings during Holy Week and the week following, lays down the following exception: 'It shall, nevertheless, be permitted to give slaves their liberty; in such manner, that the legal acts necessary for their emancipation shall not be counted as contravening this present enactment.'¹ This charitable law of Justinian was but applying to the fifteen days of Easter the decree passed by Constantine, which forbade all legal proceedings on the Sundays throughout the year, excepting only such acts as had for their object the emancipation of slaves.

¹ Cod. lib. ii. tit. xii. de feriis. Leg. 8.

But long before the peace given her by Constantine, the Church had made provision for slaves, during these days when the mysteries of the world's redemption were accomplished. Christian masters were obliged to grant them total rest from labour during this holy fortnight. Such is the law laid down in the apostolic constitutions, which were compiled previously to the fourth century. 'During the great week preceding the day of Easter, and during the week that follows, slaves rest from labour, inasmuch as the first is the week of our Lord's Passion, and the second is that of His Resurrection; and the slaves require to be instructed upon these mysteries.'¹

Another characteristic of the two weeks, upon which we are now entering, is that of giving more abundant alms, and of greater fervour in the exercise of works of mercy. St. John Chrysostom assures us that such was the practice of his times; he passes an encomium on the faithful, many of whom redoubled, at this period, their charities to the poor, which they did out of this motive: that they might, in some slight measure, imitate the divine generosity, which is now so unreservedly pouring out its graces on sinners.

¹ Constit. Apost. lib. viii. cap. xxxiii.

CHAPTER THE SECOND

THE MYSTERY OF PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

The holy liturgy is rich in mystery during these days of the Church's celebrating the anniversaries of so many wonderful events; but as the principal part of these mysteries is embodied in the rites and ceremonies of the respective days, we shall give our explanations according as the occasion presents itself. Our object in the present chapter, is to say a few words respecting the general character of the mysteries of these two weeks.

We have nothing to add to the explanation, already given in our Lent, on the mystery of forty. The holy season of expiation continues its course until the fast of sinful man has imitated, in its duration, that observed by the Man-God in the desert. The army of Christ's faithful children is still fighting against the invisible enemies of man's salvation; they are still vested in their spiritual armour, and, aided by the angels of light, they are struggling hand to hand with the spirits of darkness, by compunction of heart and by mortification of the flesh.

As we have already observed, there are three objects which principally engage the thoughts of the Church during Lent. The Passion of our Redeemer, which we have felt to be coming nearer to us each week; the preparation of the catechumens for Baptism, which is to be administered to them on Easter eve; the reconciliation of the public penitents, who are to be readmitted into the Church on the Thursday, the day of the Last Supper. Each of these three objects engages more and more the attention of the Church, the nearer she approaches the time of their celebration. The miracle performed by our Saviour almost at the very gates of Jerusalem, by which He restored Lazarus to life, has roused the fury of His enemies to the highest pitch of phrensy. The people's enthusiasm has been excited by seeing him, who had been four days in the grave, walking in the streets of their city. They ask each other if the Messias, when He comes, can work greater wonders than these done by Jesus, and whether they ought not at once to receive this Jesus as the Messias, and sing their Hosanna to Him, for He is the Son of David. They cannot contain their feelings: Jesus enters Jerusalem, and they welcome Him as their King. The high priests and princes of the people are alarmed at this demonstration of feeling; they have no time to lose; they are resolved to destroy Jesus. We are going to assist at their impious conspiracy: the Blood of the just Man is to be sold, and the price put on it is thirty silver pieces. The divine Victim, betrayed by one of His disciples, is to be judged, condemned, and crucified. Every circumstance of this awful tragedy is to be put before us by the liturgy, not merely in words, but with all the expressiveness of a sublime ceremonial.

The catechumens have but a few more days to wait for the fount that is to give them life. Each day their instruction becomes fuller; the figures of the old Law are being explained to them; and very little now remains for them to learn with regard to the mysteries of salvation. The Symbol of faith is soon to be delivered to them. Initiated into the glories and the humiliations of the Redeemer, they will await with the faithful the moment of His glorious Resurrection; and we shall accompany them with our prayers and hymns at that solemn hour, when, leaving the defilements of sin in the life-giving waters of the font, they shall come forth pure and radiant with innocence, be enriched with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and be fed with the divine flesh of the Lamb that liveth for ever.

The reconciliation of the penitents, too, is close at hand. Clothed in sackcloth and ashes, they are continuing their work of expiation. The Church has still several passages from the sacred Scriptures to read to them, which, like those we have already heard during the last few weeks, will breathe consolation and refreshment to their souls. The near approach of the day when the Lamb is to be slain increases their hope, for they know that the Blood of this Lamb is of infinite worth, and can take away the sins of the whole world. Before the day of Jesus' Resurrection, they will have recovered their lost innocence; their pardon will come in time to enable them, like the penitent prodigal, to join in the great Banquet of that Thursday, when Jesus will say to His guests: 'With desire have I desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer.'¹

Such are the sublime subjects which are about to be brought before us: but, at the same time, we shall see our holy mother the Church mourning, like a disconsolate widow, and sad beyond all human grief. Hitherto she has been weeping over the sins of her children; now she bewails the death of her divine Spouse. The joyous Alleluia has long since been hushed in her canticles; she is now going to suppress another expression, which seems too glad for a time like the present. Partially, at first,² but entirely during the last three days, she is about to deny herself the use of that formula, which is so dear to her:

¹ St. Luke xxii. 15. ² Unless it be the feast of a saint, as frequently happens during the first of these two weeks. The same exception is to be made in what follows.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. There is an accent of jubilation in these words, which would ill suit her grief and the mournfulness of the rest of her chants.

Her lessons, for the night Office, are taken from Jeremias, the prophet of lamentation above all others. The colour of her vestments is the one she had on when she assembled us at the commencement of Lent to sprinkle us with ashes; but when the dreaded day of Good Friday comes, purple would not sufficiently express the depth of her grief; she will clothe herself in black, as men do when mourning the death of a fellow-mortal; for Jesus, her Spouse, is to be put to death on that day: the sins of mankind and the rigours of the divine justice are then to weigh him down, and in all the realities of a last agony, He is to yield up His Soul to His Father.

The presentiment of that awful hour leads the afflicted mother to veil the image of her Jesus: the cross is hidden from the eyes of the faithful. The statues of the saints, too, are covered; for it is but just that, if the glory of the Master be eclipsed, the servant should not appear. The interpreters of the liturgy tell us that this ceremony of veiling the crucifix during Passiontide, expresses the humiliation to which our Saviour subjected Himself, of hiding Himself when the Jews threatened to stone Him, as is related in the Gospel of Passion Sunday. The Church begins this solemn rite with the Vespers of the Saturday before Passion Sunday. Thus it is that, in those years when the feast of our Lady's Annunciation falls in Passion-week, the statue of Mary, the Mother of God, remains veiled, even on that very day when the Archangel greets her as being full of grace, and blessed among women.

CHAPTER THE THIRD

PRACTICE DURING PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

The past four weeks seem to have been but a preparation for the intense grief of the Church during these two. She knows that men are in search of her Jesus, and that they are bent on His death. Before twelve days are over, she will see them lay their sacrilegious hands upon Him. She will have to follow Him up the hill of Calvary; she will have to receive His last breath; she must witness the stone placed against the sepulchre where His lifeless Body is laid. We cannot, therefore, be surprised at her inviting all her children to contemplate, during these weeks, Him who is the object of all her love and all her sadness. But our mother asks something more of us than compassion and tears; she would have us profit by the lessons we are to be taught by the Passion and Death of our Redeemer. He Himself, when going up to Calvary, said to the holy women who had the courage to show their compassion even before His very executioners: 'Weep not over Me; but weep for yourselves and for your children'.¹ It was not that He refused the tribute of their tears, for He was pleased with this proof of their affection; but it was His love for them that made Him speak thus. He desired, above all, to see them appreciate the importance of what they were witnessing, and learn from it how inexorable is God's justice against sin.

During the four weeks that have preceded, the Church has been leading the sinner to his conversion;

¹ St. Luke xxiii. 28.

Chapter I.—The History of Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. II.—The Mystery of Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. III.—Practice during Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. IV.—Morning and Night Prayers for Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. V.—On hearing Mass, during Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. VI.—On Holy Communion, during Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. VII.—Of the Office of Vespers for Sundays and Feasts, during Passiontide and Holy Week,

Chap. VIII.—On the Office of Compline, during Passiontide and Holy Week,

PROPER OF THE TIME

Passion Sunday, Vespers, Monday in Passion Week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday in Passion Week.—The Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin. Saturday,

Palm Sunday,—Blessing of the Palms, The Procession, The Mass, Vespers, Monday in Holy Week, Tuesday in Holy Week, Wednesday in Holy Week,

Office of Tenebræ,

Maundy Thursday, The Night Office, The Morning, The Reconciliation of Penitents, The Blessing of the Holy Oils, The Mass, Vespers, The Stripping of the Altars, The Washing of the Feet, The Office of Tenebræ,
The Evening,

Good Friday, The Night Office, The Morning, The Morning Service, The Lessons, The Prayers, The Veneration of the Cross, The 'Improperia' or 'Reproaches', Mass of the Presanctified, Vespers, The Afternoon, The Office of Tenebræ,
The Evening,

Holy Saturday, The Night Office, The Morning, The Morning Service, The Blessing of the new Fire and Incense, The Paschal Candle, The Prophecies, The Blessing of the Font, The Litany, Vespers, The Evening,

N.B. For the saints' feasts which occur during Passion-week, see our Lent volume.

PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

so far, however, this conversion has been but begun: now she would perfect it. It is no longer our Jesus fasting and praying in the desert, that she offers to our consideration; it is this same Jesus, as the great Victim immolated for the world's salvation. The fatal hour is at hand; the power of darkness is preparing to make use of the time that is still left; the greatest of crimes is about to be perpetrated. A few days hence the Son of God is to be in the hands of sinners, and they will put Him to death. The Church no longer needs to urge her children to repentance; they know too well, now, what sin must be, when it could require such expiation as this. She is all absorbed in the thought of the terrible event, which is to close the life of the God-Man on earth; and by expressing her thoughts through the holy liturgy, she teaches us what our own sentiments should be.

The pervading character of the prayers and rites of these two weeks, is a profound grief at seeing the just One persecuted by His enemies even to death, and an energetic indignation against the deicides. The formulas, expressive of these two feelings are, for the most part, taken from David and the Prophets. Here, it is our Saviour Himself, disclosing to us the anguish of His soul; there, it is the Church pronouncing the most terrible anathemas upon the executioners of Jesus. The chastisement that is to befall the Jewish nation is prophesied in all its frightful details; and on the last three days, we shall hear the prophet Jeremias uttering his lamentations over the faithless city. The Church does not aim at exciting idle sentiment; what she principally seeks, is to impress the hearts of her children with a salutary fear. If Jerusalem's crime strike them with horror, and if they feel that they have partaken in her sin, their tears will flow in abundance.

Let us, therefore, do our utmost to receive these strong impressions, too little known, alas! by the superficial piety of these times. Let us reflect upon the love and affection of the Son of God, who has treated His creatures with such unlimited confidence, lived their own life, spent His three and thirty years amidst them, not only humbly and peaceably, but in going about doing good.¹ And now this life of kindness, condescension, and humility, is to be cut short by the disgraceful death, which none but slaves endured: the death of the cross. Let us consider, on the one side, this sinful people, who, having no crimes to lay to Jesus' charge, accuse Him of His benefits, and carry their detestable ingratitude to such a pitch as to shed the Blood of this innocent and divine Lamb; and then, let us turn to this Jesus, the Just by excellence, and see Him become a prey to every bitterest suffering: His Soul sorrowful even unto death;² weighed down by the malediction of our sins; drinking even to the very dregs the chalice He so humbly asks His Father to take from Him; and lastly, let us listen to His dying words: 'My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?'³ This it is that fills the Church with her immense grief; this it is that she proposes to our consideration; for she knows that, if we once rightly understood the sufferings of her Jesus, our attachments to sin must needs be broken, for, by sin, we make ourselves guilty of the crime we detest in these Jews. But the Church knows, too, how hard is the heart of man, and how, to make him resolve on a thorough conversion, he must be made to fear. For this reason, she puts before us those awful imprecations, which the prophets, speaking in Jesus' person, pronounced against them that put our Lord to death. These prophetic anathemas were literally fulfilled against the obdurate Jews. They teach us what the Christian,

¹ Acts x. 38. ² St. Matt. xxvi. 38. ³ Ibid. xxvii. 46.

also, must expect, if, as the apostle so forcibly expresses it, we again crucify the Son of God.¹ In listening to what the Church now speaks to us, we cannot but tremble as we recall to mind those other words of the same apostle: How much more, think ye, doth he deserve worse punishment, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the Blood of the testament unclean, (as though it were some vile thing), by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace? For we know Him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to Me, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.²

Fearful indeed it is! Oh! what a lesson God gives us of His inexorable justice, during these days of the Passion! He that spared not even his own Son,³ His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased,⁴ will He spare us, if, after all the graces He has bestowed upon us, He should find us in sin, which He so unpitifully chastised even in Jesus, when He took it upon Himself, that He might atone for it? Considerations such as these—the justice of God towards the most innocent and august of victims, and the punishments that befell the impenitent Jews—must surely destroy within us every affection to sin, for they will create within us that salutary fear which is the solid foundation of firm hope and tender love.

For if, by our sins, we have made ourselves guilty of the death of the Son of God, it is equally true that the Blood which flowed from His sacred wounds has the power to cleanse us from the guilt of our crime. The justice of our heavenly Father cannot be appeased, save by the shedding of this precious Blood; and the mercy of this same Father wills that it be spent for our ransom. The cruelty of Jesus' executioners has made five wounds in His sacred Body; and from these, there flow five sources of salvation, which purify the world, and restore within each one of us the image of God which sin had destroyed. Let us, then, approach with confidence to this redeeming Blood, which throws open to the sinner the gates of heaven, and whose worth is such that it could redeem a million worlds, were they even more guilty than ours. We are close upon the anniversary of the day when it was shed; long ages have passed away since it flowed down the wounded Body of our Jesus, and fell in streams from the cross upon this ungrateful earth; and yet its power is as great as ever.

¹ Heb. vi. 6. ² Ibid. x. 29-31. ³ Rom. viii. 32. ⁴ St. Matt. iii. 17.

Let us go, then, and draw from the Saviour's fountains;¹ our souls will come forth full of life, all pure, and dazzling with heavenly beauty; not one spot of their old defilements will be left; and the Father will love us with the love wherewith He loves His own Son. Why did He deliver up unto death this His tenderly beloved Son? Was it not that He might regain us, the children whom He had lost? We had become, by our sins, the possession of satan; hell had undoubted claims upon us; and, lo! we have been suddenly snatched from both, and all our primitive rights have been restored to us. Yet God used no violence in order to deliver us from our enemy; how comes it, then, that we are now free? Listen to the apostle: 'Ye are bought at a great price.'² And what is this price? The prince of the apostles explains it: 'Know ye,' says he, 'that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as gold or silver, but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb unspotted and undefiled.'³ This divine Blood was placed in the scales of God's justice, and so far did it outweigh our iniquities, as to make the bias in our favour. The power of this Blood has broken the very gates of hell, severed our chains, and made peace both as to the things on earth, and the things that are in heaven.¹ Let us receive upon us, therefore, this precious Blood, wash our wounds in it, and sign our foreheads with it as with an indelible mark, which may protect us, on the day of wrath, from the sword of vengeance.

¹ Is. xii. 3. ² 1 Cor. vi. 20. ³ 1 St. Peter i. 18, 19.

There is another object most dear to the Church, which she, during these two weeks, recommends to our deepest veneration; it is the cross, the altar upon which our incomparable Victim is immolated. Twice during the course of the year, that is, on the feasts of its Invention and Exaltation, this sacred Wood will be offered to us that we may honour it as the trophy of our Jesus' victory; but now, it speaks to us but of His sufferings, it brings with it no other idea but that of His humiliation. God had said in the ancient Covenant: 'Accursed is he that hangeth on a tree.'² The Lamb, that saved us, disdained not to suffer this curse; but, for that very cause, this tree, this wood of infamy, has become dear to us beyond measure. It is the instrument of our salvation, it is the sublime pledge of Jesus' love for us. On this account, the Church is about to lavish her veneration and love upon it; and we intend to imitate her, and join her in this, as in all else she does. An adoring gratitude towards the Blood that has redeemed us, and a loving veneration of the holy cross—these are the two sentiments which are to be uppermost in our hearts during these two weeks.

¹ Coloss. i. 20. ² Deut. xxi. 23.

But for the Lamb Himself—for Him that gave us this Blood, and so generously embraced the cross that saved us—what shall we do? Is it not just that we should keep close to Him, and that, more faithful than the apostles who abandoned Him during His Passion, we should follow Him day by day, nay, hour by hour, in the way of the cross that He treads for us? Yes, we will be His faithful companions during these last days of His mortal life, when He submits to the humiliation of having to hide Himself from His enemies. We will envy the lot of those devoted few, who shelter Him in their houses, and expose themselves, by this courageous hospitality, to the rage of His enemies. We will compassionate His Mother, who suffered an anguish that no other heart could feel, because no other creature could love Him as she did. We will go, in spirit, into that most hated Sanhedrim, where they are lost in the impious plot against the life of the just One. Suddenly, we shall see a bright speck gleaming on the dark horizon; the streets and squares of Jerusalem will re-echo with the cry of Hosanna to the Son of David. That unexpected homage paid to our Jesus, those palm branches, those shrill voices of admiring Hebrew children, will give a momentary truce to our sad forebodings. Our love shall make us take part in the loyal tribute thus paid to the King of Israel, who comes so meekly to visit the daughter of Sion, as the prophet had foretold He would: but alas! this joy will be short-lived, and we must speedily relapse into our deep sorrow of soul! The traitorous disciple will soon strike his bargain with the high priests; the last Pasch will be kept, and we shall see the figurative lamb give place to the true one, whose Flesh will become our food, and His Blood our drink. It will be our Lord's Supper. Clad in the nuptial robe, we will take our place there, together with the disciples; for that day is the day of reconciliation, which brings together, to the same holy Table, both the penitent sinner, and the just that has been ever faithful. Then, we shall have to turn our steps towards the fatal garden, where we shall learn what sin is, for we shall behold our Jesus agonizing beneath its weight, and asking some respite from His eternal Father. Then, in the dark hour of midnight, the servants of the high priests and the soldiers, led on by the vile Iscariot, will lay their impious hands on the Son of God; and yet the legions of angels, who adore Him, will be withheld from punishing the awful sacrilege! After this, we shall have to repair to the various tribunals, whither Jesus is led, and witness the triumph of injustice. The time that elapses between His being seized in the garden and His having to carry His cross up the hill of Calvary, will be filled up with the incidents of His mock trial—lies, calumnies, the wretched cowardice of the Roman governor, the insults of the by-standers, and the cries of the ungrateful populace thirsting for innocent Blood! We shall be present at all these things; our love will not permit us to separate ourselves from that dear Redeemer, who is to suffer them for our sake, for our salvation.

Finally, after seeing Him struck and spit upon, and after the cruel scourging and the frightful insult of the crown of thorns, we will follow our Jesus up Mount Calvary; we shall know where His sacred feet have trod by the Blood that marks the road. We shall have to make our way through the crowd, and, as we pass, we shall hear terrible imprecations uttered against our divine Master. Having reached the place of execution, we shall behold this august Victim stripped of His garment, nailed to the cross, hoisted into the air, as if the better to expose Him to insult! We will draw near to the tree of life, that we may lose neither one drop of that Blood which flows for the cleansing of the world, nor one single word spoken, for its instruction, by our dying Jesus. We will compassionate His Mother, whose heart is pierced through with a sword of sorrow; we will stand close to her, when her Son, a few moments before His death, shall consign us to her fond care. After His three hours' agony, we will reverently watch His sacred Head bow down, and receive, with adoring love, His last breath.

A bruised and mangled corpse, stiffened by the cold of death—this is all that remains to us of that Son of Man, whose first coming into the world caused us such joy! The Son of the eternal Father was not satisfied with emptying Himself and taking the form of a servant;¹ this His being born in the flesh was but the beginning of His sacrifice; His love was to lead Him even unto death, even to the death of the cross. He foresaw that He would not win our love save at the price of such a generous immolation, and His heart hesitated not to make it. 'Let us, therefore, love God,' says St. John, 'because God first loved us.'² This is the end the Church proposes to herself by the celebration of these solemn anniversaries. After humbling our pride and our resistance to grace by showing us how divine justice treats sin, she leads our hearts to love Jesus, who delivered Himself up, in our stead, to the rigours of that justice. Woe to us, if this great week fail to produce in our souls a just return towards Him who loved us more than Himself, though we were, and had made ourselves, His enemies. Let us say with the apostle: 'The charity of Christ presseth us; that they who live, may not now live to themselves, but unto Him who died for them.'³ We owe this return to Him who made Himself a Victim for our sake, and who, up to the very last moment, instead of pronouncing against us the curse we so justly deserved,

¹ Phil. ii. 7. ² 1 St. John iv. 19. ³ 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.

prayed and obtained for us mercy and grace. He is, one day, to reappear on the clouds of heaven, and as the prophet says, men shall look upon Him whom they have pierced.¹ God grant that we may be of the number of those who, having made amends by their love for the crimes they have committed against the divine Lamb, will then find confidence at the sight of those wounds!

Let us hope that, by God's mercy, the holy time we are now entering upon will work such a happy change in us, that, on the day of judgment, we may confidently fix our eyes on Him we are now about to contemplate crucified by the hands of sinners. The death of Jesus puts the whole of nature in commotion; the midday sun is darkened, the earth is shaken to its very foundations, the rocks are split: may it be that our hearts, too, be moved, and pass from indifference to fear, from fear to hope, and, at length, from hope to love; so that, having gone down, with our Crucified, to the very depths of sorrow, we may deserve to rise again with Him unto light and joy, beaming with the brightness of His Resurrection, and having within ourselves the pledge of a new life, which shall then die no more!

¹ Zach. xii. 10.

CHAPTER THE FOURTH

MORNING AND NIGHT PRAYERS FOR PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

During these two weeks, the Christian, on awaking in the morning, should unite himself with the Church, who repeats these words of St. Paul at every Hour of the Divine Office during the last three days of Holy Week.

Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis. | Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.

He should, after this, profoundly adore that great God, who was not to be appeased but by the Blood of Jesus; he should, also, adore the infinite goodness of this Jesus, who made Himself a Victim, that He might save us sinners. It is with these two sentiments that he must perform the first acts of religion, both interior and exterior, wherewith he begins each day of this present season. The time for morning prayer being come, he may use the following method, which is formed upon the very prayers of the Church:—

MORNING PRAYERS

First, praise and adoration of the most holy Trinity:

℣. Benedicamus Patrem et Filium, cum sancto Spiritu: | ℣. Let us bless the Father and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

℟. Laudemus et superexaltemus eum in sæcula. | ℟. Let us praise him and extol him above all for ever.

℣. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui sancto. | ℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

℟. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. | ℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Then, praise to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ:

℣. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi. | ℣. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.

℟. Quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum. | ℟. Because by thy holy cross thou hast redeemed the world.

Thirdly, invocation of the Holy Ghost:

Veni, sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. | Come, O holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and enkindle within them the fire of thy love.

After these fundamental acts of religion, recite the Lord's Prayer, begging your heavenly Father to be mindful of His infinite mercy and goodness; to forgive you your trespasses, through the merits of the Blood of Jesus; to come to your assistance in the temptations and dangers which so thickly beset the path of this life; and finally, to deliver you from evil, by removing from you every remnant of sin, which is the great evil, the evil that offends God, and entails the sovereign evil of man himself.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Pater noster, qui es in cœlis, sanctificetur nomen tuum: adveniat regnum tuum: fiat voluntas tua sicut in cœlo, et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie: et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: et ne nos inducas in tentationem: sed libera nos a malo. Amen. | Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then, address our blessed Lady, using the words of the Angelical Salutation. Pray to her with confidence and love, for she is the refuge of sinners.

THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen. | Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

After this you should recite the Creed, that is, the Symbol of faith. It contains the dogmas we are to believe; and during this season, you should dwell with loving attention on that article which mentions our redemption by the sufferings and death of Jesus. Let us lovingly confess this mystery of a God suffering and dying for us. Let us, by our repentance and amendment, merit that this precious Blood may perfect the conversion that has been begun in us.

THE APOSTLES' CREED

Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, creatorem cœli et terræ. Et in Jesum Christum Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum: qui conceptus est de Spiritu sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus: descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis; ascendit ad cœlos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis: inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos. | I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

Credo in Spiritum sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam æternam. Amen. | I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

After having thus made the profession of your faith, endeavour to excite yourself to sorrow for the sins you have committed. Ask our Lord to give you the graces appropriate to this holy season; and, for this end, recite the following hymn, which the Church uses in her Lauds for Lent:

HYMN

O sol salutis, intimis, Jesu, refulge mentibus, Dum nocte pulsa gratior Orbi dies renascitur.

O Jesus! thou Sun of the world's salvation! shine in the depth of our souls; for now is the hour of night's departure, and sweeter day-break dawns upon the earth.

Dans tempus acceptabile, Da lacrymarum rivulis Lavare cordis victimam, Quam læta adurat charitas.

O thou that givest us this acceptable time! give us to wash, with our tears, the victim we offer thee, which is our heart; and grant that it may burn with joyous love.

Quo fonte manavit nefas, Fluent perennes lacrymæ,
Si virga pœnitentiæ
Cordis rigorem conterat.

If the rod of penance but strike these hearts of stone, a flood of ceaseless tears will flow from that same fount, whence came our many sins.

Dies venit, dies tua, In qua reflorent omnia: Lætemur et nos, in viam
Tua reducti dextera.

The day, thine own day, is at hand, when all things bloom afresh; oh! grant that we, too, may rejoice, being led once more to the path, by thy right hand.

Te prona mundi machina, Clemens, adoret, Trinitas, Et nos novi per gratiam Novum canamus canticum.

Amen.

O merciful Trinity! may the world prostrate itself before thee, and adore; and we, made new by grace, sing a new canticle of praise. Amen.

Then make a humble confession of your sins, reciting the general formula made use of by the Church.

THE CONFESSION OF SINS

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistæ, sanctis apostolis Petro et Paulo, et omnibus sanctis, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joannem Baptistam, sanctos apostolos Petrum et Paulum, et omnes sanctos, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum. | I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

Misereatur nostri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis nostris perducat nos ad vitam æternam. Amen. | May almighty God have mercy on us, and our sins being forgiven, bring us to life everlasting. Amen.

Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus. Amen. | May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. Amen.

This is the proper time for making your meditation, as no doubt you practise this holy exercise. During these two weeks, the following should be the leading subjects of our meditation: the severity of God's justice towards His divine Son, who had taken upon Himself our sins; the ingratitude of the Jews, who, though laden by Jesus with favours, clamour for His death; the share we have taken, by our sins, in the crucifixion; the sufferings, both of body and soul, endured by our Redeemer; His patience and meekness under every injury; and finally, the infinite love He shows He has for us, by saving us at the cost of His Blood, yea, of His very life.

The next part of your morning prayer must be to ask of God, by the following prayers, grace to avoid every kind of sin during the day you are just beginning. Say, then, with the Church, whose prayers must be preferred to all others:

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam. | ℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat. | ℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

OREMUS

Domine, Deus omnipotens, qui ad principium hujus diei nos pervenire fecisti, tua nos hodie salva virtute, ut in hac die ad nullum declinemus peccatum, sed semper ad tuam justitiam faciendam nostra procedant eloquia, dirigantur cogitationes et opera. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen. | LET US PRAY. Almighty Lord and God, who hast brought us to the beginning of this day, let thy powerful grace so conduct us through it, that we may not fall into any sin, but that all our thoughts, words, and actions may be regulated according to the rules of thy heavenly justice, and tend to the observance of thy holy law. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then beg the divine assistance for the actions of the day, that you may do them well, and say thrice:

℣. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. | ℣. Incline unto my aid, O God.

℟. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. | ℟. O Lord, make haste to help me.

℣. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. | ℣. Incline unto my aid, O God.

℟. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. | ℟. O Lord, make haste to help me.

℣. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. | ℣. Incline unto my aid, O God.

℟. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. | ℟. O Lord, make haste to help me.

OREMUS

Dirigere et sanctificare, regere et gubernare dignare, Domine Deus, rex cœli et terræ, hodie corda et corpora nostra, sensus, sermones, et actus nostros in lege tua, et in operibus mandatorum tuorum, ut hic et in æternum, te auxiliante, salvi et liberi esse mereamur, Salvator mundi. Qui vivis et regnas in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

LET US PRAY

Lord God, and King of heaven and earth, vouchsafe this day to rule and sanctify, to direct and govern our souls and bodies, our senses, words, and actions, in conformity to thy law, and strict obedience to thy commands; that by the help of thy grace, O Saviour of the world! we may be fenced and freed from all evils. Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

During the day, you will do well to use the instructions and prayers which you will find in this volume, for each day of the season. In the evening, you may use the following prayers.

NIGHT PRAYERS

After having made the sign of the cross, let us adore that sovereign Lord, who has so mercifully preserved us during this day, and blessed us, every hour, with His grace and protection. For this end let us recite the following hymn, which the Church sings in her Vespers of Passiontide.

HYMN

Vexilla Regis prodeunt; Fulget crucis mysterium, Qua Vita mortem pertulit, Et morte vitam protulit.

Quæ vulnerata lanceæ
Mucrone diro, criminum Ut nos lavaret sordibus, Manavit unda et sanguine.

Impleta sunt quæ concinit
David fideli carmine, Dicendo nationibus: Regnavit a ligno Deus.

Arbor decora et fulgida, Ornata regis purpura, Electa digno stipite Tam sancta membra tangere.

Beata cujus brachiis Pretium pependit sæculi,
Statera facta corporis, Tulitque prædam tartari.

O crux, ave, spes unica, Hoc Passionis tempore, Piis adauge gratiam, Reisque dele crimina.

Te, fons salutis, Trinitas, Collaudet omnis spiritus; Quibus crucis victoriam Largiris, adde præmium.

Amen.

The standard of our King comes forth; the mystery of the cross shines upon us, that cross on which Life suffered death, and by his death gave life.

He was pierced with the cruel spear, that, by the Water and the Blood which flowed from the wound, he might cleanse us from sin.

Here on the cross was fulfilled the prophecy foretold in David's truthful words: 'God hath reigned from the tree.'

O fair and shining tree! beautified by the scarlet of the King, and chosen as the noble trunk that was to touch such sacred limbs.

O blessed tree! on whose arms hung the ransom of the world! It was the balance, wherein was placed the Body of Jesus, and thereby hell lost its prey.

Hail, O cross! our only hope! During these days of the Passion, increase to the good their grace, and cleanse sinners from their guilt.

May every spirit praise thee, O holy Trinity, thou fount of salvation! and by the cross, whereby thou gavest us victory, give us, too, our recompense. Amen.

After this hymn, say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles' Creed as in the morning. Then make the examination of conscience, going over in your mind all the faults you have committed during the day. Think how great is the obstacle put by sin to the merciful designs your God would work in you; and make a firm resolution to avoid it for the time to come, to do penance for it, and to shun the occasions which might again lead you into it. The examination of conscience concluded, recite the Confiteor (or 'I confess') with heartfelt contrition, and then give expression to your sorrow by the following act, which we have taken from the venerable Cardinal Bellarmine's catechism:

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am exceedingly grieved for having offended thee, and with my whole heart I repent of the sins I have committed: I hate and abhor them above every other evil, not only because, by so sinning, I have lost heaven and deserve hell, but still more because I have offended thee, O infinite Goodness, who art worthy to be loved above all things. I most firmly resolve, by the assistance of thy grace, never more to offend thee for the time to come, and to avoid those occasions which might lead me into sin.

You may then add the acts of faith, hope, and charity, to the recitation of which Pope Benedict XIV has granted an indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines for each time.

ACT OF FAITH

O my God, I firmly believe whatsoever the holy Catholic apostolic Roman Church requires me to believe: I believe it, because thou hast revealed it to her, thou who art the very Truth.

ACT OF HOPE

O my God, knowing thy almighty power, and thy infinite goodness and mercy, I hope in thee that, by the merits of the Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ, thou wilt grant me eternal life, which thou hast promised to all such as shall do the works of a good Christian; and these I resolve to do, with the help of thy grace.

ACT OF CHARITY

O my God, I love thee with my whole heart and above all things, because thou art the sovereign Good: I would rather lose all things than offend thee. For thy love also, I love, and desire to love, my neighbour as myself.

Then say to our blessed Lady the following anthem, which the Church uses from the feast of the Purification to Easter.

ANTHEM TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Ave Regina cœlorum,
Ave Domina angelorum: Salve radix, salve porta, Ex qua mundo lux est orta; Gaude, Virgo gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa: Vale, O valde decora, Et pro nobis Christum exora.

℣. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata.

℟. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.

OREMUS

Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostræ præsidium: ut, qui sanctæ Dei Genitricis memoriam agimus, intercessionis ejus auxilio, a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Hail, Queen of Heaven! Hail, Lady of the angels! Hail blessed root and gate, from which came light upon the world! Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, that surpassest all in beauty! Hail, most lovely Queen! and pray to Christ for us.

℣. Vouchsafe, O holy Virgin, that I may praise thee.

℟. Give me power against thine enemies.

LET US PRAY

Grant, O merciful God, thy protection to us in our weakness; that we who celebrate the memory of the holy Mother of God, may, through the aid of her intercession, rise again from our sins. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

You would do well to add the Stabat Mater, which is given below on Friday in Passion Week. Here invoke the holy angels, whose protection is, indeed, always so much needed by us, but never so much as during the hours of night. Say with the Church:

Sancti angeli, custodes nostri, defendite nos in prælio, ut non pereamus in tremendo judicio.

℣. Angelis suis Deus mandavit de te.

℟. Ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis.

OREMUS

Deus, qui ineffabili providentia sanctos angelos tuos ad nostram custodiam mittere dignaris: largire supplicibus tuis, et eorum semper protectione defendi, et æterna societate gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Holy angels, our loving guardians, defend us in the hour of battle, that we may not be lost at the dreadful judgment.

℣. God hath given his angels charge of thee.

℟. That they may guard thee in all thy ways.

LET US PRAY

O God, who in thy wonderful providence hast been pleased to appoint thy holy angels for our guardians: mercifully hear our prayers, and grant we may rest secure under their protection, and enjoy their fellowship in heaven for ever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then beg the assistance of the saints by the following antiphon:

Ant. Sancti Dei omnes, intercedere dignemini pro nostra omniumque salute.

Ant. All ye saints of God, vouchsafe to intercede for us and for all men, that we may be saved.

And here you may add a special mention of the saints to whom you bear a particular devotion, either as your patrons or otherwise; as also of those whose feast is kept in the Church that day, or who have been at least commemorated in the Divine Office. This done, remember the necessities of the Church suffering; and beg of God that He will give to the souls in purgatory a place of refreshment, light, and peace. For this intention recite the usual prayers.

PSALM 129

De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: Domine, exaudi vocem meam.

Fiant aures tuæ intendentes: in vocem deprecationis meæ.

Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine: Domine, quis sustinebit?

Quia apud te propitiatio est: et propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.

Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus: speravit anima mea in Domino.

A custodia matutina usque ad noctem: speret Israel in Domino.

Quia apud Dominum misericordia: et copiosa apud eum redemptio.

Et ipse redimet Israel; ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine.

Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

℣. A porta inferi.

℟. Erue, Domine, animas eorum.

℣. Requiescant in pace.

℟. Amen.

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

OREMUS

Fidelium, Deus, omnium Conditor et Redemptor, animabus famulorum famularumque tuarum, remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum; ut indulgentiam quam semper optaverunt, piis supplicationibus consequantur. Qui vivis et regnas in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

From the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.

Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.

If thou wilt observe iniquities, O Lord, Lord, who shall endure it?

For with thee there is merciful forgiveness; and by reason of thy law I have waited for thee, O Lord.

My soul hath relied on his word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.

From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.

Because with the Lord there is mercy, and with him plentiful redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Eternal rest give to them, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

℣. From the gate of hell.

℟. Deliver their souls, O Lord.

℣. May they rest in peace.

℟. Amen.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

LET US PRAY

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of thy servants departed the remission of all their sins: that through the help of pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Here make a special memento of such of the faithful departed as have a particular claim upon your charity; after which, beg of God to give you his assistance, whereby you may pass the night free from danger. Say, then, still keeping to the words of the Church:

Ant. Salva nos, Domine, vigilantes, custodi nos dormientes; ut vigilemus cum Christo, et requiescamus in pace.

℣. Dignare, Domine, nocte ista.

℟. Sine peccato nos custodire.

℣. Miserere nostri, Domine.

℟. Miserere nostri.

℣. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos.

℟. Quemadmodum speravimus in te.

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

OREMUS

Visita, quæsumus, Domine, habitationem istam, et omnes insidias inimici ab ea longe repelle; angeli tui sancti habitent in ea, qui nos in pace custodiant, et benedictio tua sit super nos semper. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

Ant. Save us, O Lord, while awake, and watch us as we sleep; that we may watch with Christ, and rest in peace.

℣. Vouchsafe, O Lord, this night.

℟. To keep us without sin.

℣. Have mercy on us, O Lord.

℟. Have mercy on us.

℣. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us.

℟. As we have hoped in thee.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

LET US PRAY

Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this house and family, and drive far from it all snares of the enemy: let thy holy angels dwell herein, who may keep us in peace, and may thy blessing be always upon us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

And that you may end the day in the same sentiments wherewith you began it, say once more these words of the apostle:

Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.

Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.

CHAPTER THE FIFTH

ON HEARING MASS DURING PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

If there be any time in the year, when the holy Sacrifice of the Mass should excite the heart of the Christian to devotion, it is Passiontide. During these days set apart for the celebration of the death of our Redeemer, the faithful soul can scarcely turn her thoughts from her Jesus expiring on the cross; she envies those who were witnesses of the sublime mystery on Calvary; she wishes that she could have stood at the foot of the cross, have compassionated the sufferings of her Saviour, have heard His last words, and reverently have taken up each drop of the precious Blood and applied it to her own wounds.

These holy desires have not been given to the Christian that they might be nothing but desires; God has given him the means of carrying them into effect, for the sacrifice of the Mass is no other than the sacrifice of Calvary. Jesus offered Himself but once on the cross for our sins; but He renews the offering, by an unbloody, yet real and complete, immolation on our altars. He comes down on the altar as soon as the sacred words of consecration are pronounced by the priest, and He comes as the Victim of the world's salvation. His Body is really present there, under the appearance of bread; the chalice contains His Blood under the species of wine; and why this mystic separation of the Body and Blood of the Man-God, who can die now no more, if it be not to represent before the divine Majesty the real death which was once suffered in a bloody manner on Calvary, and to renew, in man's favour, the merits and fruits of that death?

This is the sacrifice of the new Law, as far above all the sacrifices of the old, both in holiness and efficacy, as the Creator is above all His creatures. Our Jesus in the omnipotence of His love, has invented a means for uniting His dignity, as immortal King of ages, with His office of our Victim. He can die now no more; but His death is truly represented on the altar: it is the same Body, bearing on it its five precious Wounds; it is the same Blood, which redeemed us. If it were possible for Him to die again, the power of the mysterious words, which produce the presence of His Blood in the chalice, would be the sword of His immolation.

Let, then, the Christian approach with confidence; on the holy altar, he will find his Saviour dying for him, and offering Himself as the great High Priest. Yes, He is there, with the same love He had for us on Calvary; He is there making intercession for all men, but, in a special manner, for those who are present at the Mass and unite themselves with Him. Let us see, in the action of the holy sacrifice, that same immolation of which we have read the history in the Gospel. Let us hope for everything from that adorable goodness which thus makes use of omnipotence in order to facilitate, by such stupendous means, the salvation and sanctification of man.

We will now endeavour to embody these sentiments in our explanation of the mysteries of the holy Mass, and initiate the faithful into these divine secrets; not, indeed, by indiscreetly presuming to translate the sacred formulæ, but by suggesting such acts as will
enable those who hear Mass to enter into the ceremonies and the spirit of the Church and of the priest.

The purple vestments, and the other rites of which we have already treated, give to the holy sacrifice an appearance of mournfulness, so well suited to the season. Nevertheless, if the feast of a saint occurs between Passion and Palm Sunday, the Church lays aside her purple, and celebrates the Mass in honour of the saint. The crucifix and the holy images, however, continue to be veiled, beginning from the first Vespers of Passion Sunday.

On the Sundays, if the Mass at which the faithful assist be the parochial, or, as it is often called, the public Mass, two solemn rites precede it, and they are full of instruction and blessing: the Asperges, or sprinkling of the holy water, and the procession.

During the Asperges, let us ask with David, whose words are used by the Church in this ceremony, that our souls may be purified by the hyssop of humility, and become whiter than snow.

ANTIPHON OF THE ASPERGES

Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be cleansed; thou shalt wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Ps. Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Ps. Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

Ant. Asperges me, &c.

Ant. Thou shalt sprinkle me, &c.

℣. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.

℣. Show us, O Lord, thy mercy.

℟. Et salutare tuum da nobis.

℟. And grant us thy salvation.

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.

℣. The Lord be with you.

℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℟. And with thy spirit.

OREMUS

Exaudi nos, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus: et mittere digneris sanctum angelum tuum de cœlis, qui custodiat, foveat, protegat, visitet atque defendat omnes habitantes in hoc habitaculo. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

Graciously hear us, O holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God: and vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from heaven, who may keep, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all who are assembled in this place. Through Christ our Lord.

℟. Amen.

The procession, which immediately precedes the Mass, shows us the ardour wherewith the Church advances towards her God. Let us imitate her fervour, for it is written: The Lord is good to them that hope in Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.¹

But see, Christians! the sacrifice begins! The priest is at the foot of the altar; God is attentive, the angels are in adoration, the whole Church is united with the priest, whose priesthood and action are those of the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Let us make the sign of the cross with him.

THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

℣. Introibo ad altare Dei.

℟. Ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam.

I unite myself, O my God, with thy Church, whose heart is filled with the hope of soon seeing, and in all the splendour of his Resurrection, Jesus Christ thy Son, who is the true altar.

℣. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.

℟. Qui fecit cœlum et terram.

This my hope comes not from any merits of my own, but from the all-powerful help of my Creator.

The thought of being about to appear before his God, excites in the soul of the priest a lively sentiment of compunction. He cannot go further in the holy sacrifice without confessing, and publicly, that he is a sinner, and deserves not the grace he is about to receive. Listen, with respect, to this confession of God's minister, and earnestly ask our Lord to show mercy to him; for the priest is your father; he is answerable for your salvation, for which he every day risks his own. When he has finished, unite with the servers, or the sacred ministers, in this prayer:

Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam æternam.

May almighty God have mercy on thee, and, forgiving thy sins, bring thee to everlasting life.

The priest having answered Amen, make your confession, saying with a contrite spirit:

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistæ, sanctis apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus sanctis, et tibi, pater, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joannem Baptistam, sanctos apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes sanctos, et te, pater, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to thee, father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, and thee, father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

Receive with gratitude the paternal wish of the priest, who says to you:

Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam æternam.

℟. Amen.

May almighty God be merciful to you, and, forgiving your sins, bring you to everlasting life.

℟. Amen.

Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

℟. Amen.

May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins.

℟. Amen.

Invoke the divine assistance, that you may approach to Jesus Christ.

℣. Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos.

℟. Et plebs tua lætabitur in te.

℣. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.

℟. Et salutare tuum da nobis.

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

℣. O God, it needs but one look of thine to give us life.

℟. And thy people shall rejoice in thee.

℣. Show us, O Lord, thy mercy.

℟. And give us to know and love the Saviour whom thou hast sent unto us.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

The priest here leaves you to ascend to the altar; but first he salutes you:

℣. Dominus vobiscum.

℣. The Lord be with you.

Answer him with reverence:

℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℟. And with thy spirit.

OREMUS

LET US PRAY

He ascends the steps, and comes to the Holy of holies. Ask, both for him and yourself, the deliverance from sin:

Aufer a nobis, quæsumus Domine, iniquitates nostras; ut ad Sancta sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Take from our hearts, O Lord, all those sins, which make us unworthy to appear in thy presence. We ask this of thee by thy divine Son, our Lord.

When the priest kisses the altar, out of reverence for the relics of the martyrs which are there, say:

Oramus te, Domine, per merita sanctorum tuorum, quorum reliquiæ hic sunt, et omnium sanctorum: ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea. Amen.

Generous soldiers of Jesus Christ, who have mingled your own blood with his, intercede for us that our sins may be forgiven: that so we may, like you, approach unto God.

If it be a High Mass at which you are assisting, the priest here blesses the incense, saying:

Ab illo benedicaris, in cujus honore cremaberis. Amen.

Mayst thou be blessed by him, in whose honour thou art to be burned. Amen.

He then censes the altar in a most solemn manner. This white cloud, which you see ascending from every part of the altar, signifies the prayer of the Church, who addresses herself to Jesus Christ; while the divine mediator causes that prayer to ascend, united with His own, to the throne of the majesty of His Father.

The priest then says the Introit. It is a solemn opening-anthem, in which the Church, at the very commencement of the holy sacrifice, gives expression to the sentiments which fill her heart.

It is followed by nine exclamations, which are even more earnest, for they ask for mercy. In addressing them to God, the Church unites herself with the nine choirs of angels, who are standing round the altar of heaven, one and the same as this before which you are kneeling.

To the Father: Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us! Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us! Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us! To the Son: Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy on us! Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy on us! Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy on us! To the Holy Ghost: Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us! Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us! Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us!

As we have already mentioned, the Church abstains, during this season, from the heavenly hymn which the angels sang over the crib of the divine Babe. But, if she be keeping the feast of a saint, she recites this beautiful canticle on that day. The beginning of the Angelic Hymn seems more suitable for heavenly than for earthly voices; but the second part is in no way out of keeping with the sinner's wants and fears, for we there remind the Son of the eternal Father that He is the Lamb who came down from heaven that He might take away the sins of the world. We beseech Him to have mercy on us, and receive our humble prayer. Let us foster these sentiments within us, for they are so appropriate to the present season.

THE ANGELIC HYMN

Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis.

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will.

Laudamus te: benedicimus te: adoramus te: glorificamus te: gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.

We praise thee: we bless thee: we adore thee: we glorify thee: we give thee thanks for thy great glory.

Domine Deus, Rex cœlestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.

O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty.

Domine, Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son.

Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.

Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.

Who takest away the sins of the world, receive our humble prayer.

Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.

Who sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

For thou alone art holy, thou alone art Lord, thou alone, O Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Ghost, art most high, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The priest then turns towards the people, and salutes them, as it were to make sure of their devout attention to the sublime act, for which all this is but the preparation.

Then follows the Collect or Prayer, in which the Church formally expresses to the divine Majesty the special intentions she has in the Mass which is being celebrated. You may unite in this prayer, by reciting with the priest the Collects which you will find in their proper places: but on no account omit to join with the server of the Mass in answering Amen.

After this comes the Epistle, which is generally a portion of one or other of the Epistles of the apostles, or a passage from some Book of the old Testament. While it is being read, ask of God that you may profit by the instructions it conveys.

The Gradual is a formula of prayer intermediate between the Epistle and Gospel. It again brings to us the sentiments already expressed in the Introit. Read it with devotion, that so you may enter more and more into the spirit of the mystery proposed to you by the Church.

During every other portion of her year, the Church here repeats her joyous Alleluia; but now she denies herself this demonstration of gladness, until such time as her divine Spouse has passed through that sea of bitterness into which our sins have plunged Him. Instead of the Alleluia, then, she sings in a plaintive tone some verses from the Psalms, appropriate to the rest of that day's Office. This is the

¹ Lam. iii. 25.

raot, of which we have already spoken.

If it be a High Mass the deacon, meanwhile, prepares to fulfil his noble office—that of announcing the *good tidings* of salvation. He prays God to cleanse his heart and lips. Then kneeling before the priest, he asks a blessing; and, having received it, at once goes to the place where he is to sing the Gospel.

As a preparation for hearing it worthily, you may thus pray, together with both priest and deacon:

Munda cor meum, ac labia mea, omnipotens Deus, qui labia Isaiæ prophetæ calculo mundasti ignito; ita me tua grata miseratione dignare mundare, ut sanctum Evangelium tuum digne valeam nuntiare. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Alas! these ears of mine are but too often defiled with the world's vain words: cleanse them, O Lord, that so I may hear the words of eternal life, and treasure them in my heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dominus sit in corde meo, et in labiis meis: ut digne et competenter annuntiem Evangelium suum. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti. Amen.

Grant to thy ministers thy grace, that they may faithfully explain thy law; that so all, both pastors and flock, may be united to thee for ever. Amen.

You will stand during the Gospel, as though you were awaiting the orders of your Lord; and at the commencement, make the sign of the cross on your forehead, lips, and breast; and then listen to every word of the priest or deacon. Let your heart be ready and obedient. *While my Beloved was speaking,* says the bride in the Canticle, *my soul melted within me.*¹ If you have not such love as this, have at least the humble submission of Samuel, and say: *Speak, Lord! Thy servant heareth.*²

After the Gospel, if the priest says the symbol of faith, the Credo, you will say it with him. Faith is that gift of God, without which we cannot please Him. It is faith that makes us see the light which shineth in darkness, and which the darkness of unbelief did not comprehend. It is faith alone that teaches us what we are, whence we come, and the end for which we are made. It alone can point out to us the path whereby we may return to our God, when once we have separated ourselves from Him. Let us love this admirable faith, which, if we but make it fruitful by good works, will save us. Let us then say with the Catholic Church, our mother:

THE NICENE CREED

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem cœli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum. Et ex Patre natum ante omnia sæcula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero. Genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem, descendit de cœlis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu sancto, ex Maria Virgine; ET HOMO FACTUS EST. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus, et sepultus est. Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas. Et ascendit in cœlum; sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos; cujus regni non erit finis.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God. And born of the Father before all ages; God of God, light of light; true God of true God. Begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven. And became incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary; AND WAS MADE MAN. He was crucified also for us, under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. And the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And he is to come again with glory, to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end.

Et in Spiritum sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur, et conglorificatur; qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam sanctam Catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum Baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi sæculi. Amen.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son. Who together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And one holy Catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The priest and the people should, by this time, have their hearts ready: it is time to prepare the offering itself. And here we come to the second part of the holy Mass, which is called the *Oblation*, and Mass of catechumens, on account of its being formerly the only part at which the candidates for Baptism had a right to be present.

See, then, dear Christians! bread and wine are about to be offered to God, as being the noblest of inanimate creatures, since they are made for the nourishment of man; and even that is only a poor material image of what they are destined to become in our Christian sacrifice. Their substance will soon give place to God Himself, and of themselves nothing will remain but the appearances. Happy creatures, thus to yield up their own being, that God may take its place! We, too, are to undergo a like transformation, when, as the apostle expresses it, that which is mortal shall put on immortality.¹ Until that happy change shall be realized, let us offer ourselves to God, as often as we see the bread and wine presented to Him in the holy sacrifice; and let us glorify Him, who, by assuming our human nature, has made us sharers of the divine nature.²

The priest again turns to the people with the usual salutation, as though he would warn them to redouble their attention. Let us read the Offertory with him, and when he offers the Host to God, let us unite with him in saying:

Suscipe, sancte Pater, omnipotens æterne Deus, hanc immaculatam hostiam, quam ego indignus famulus tuus offero tibi Deo meo vivo et vero, pro innumerabilibus peccatis et offensionibus et negligentiis meis, et pro omnibus circumstantibus, sed et pro omnibus fidelibus christianis vivis atque defunctis; ut mihi et illis proficiat ad salutem in vitam æternam. Amen.

All that we have, O Lord, comes from thee, and belongs to thee; it is just, therefore, that we return it unto thee. But how wonderful art thou in the inventions of thy immense love! This bread which we are offering to thee, is to give place, in a few moments, to the sacred Body of Jesus. We beseech thee, receive, together with this oblation, our hearts which long to live by thee, and to cease to live their own life of self.

When the priest puts the wine into the chalice, and then mingles with it a drop of water, let your thoughts turn to the divine mystery of the Incarnation, which is the source of our hope and our salvation; and say:

Deus qui humanæ substantiæ dignitatem mirabiliter condidisti, et mirabilius reformasti: da nobis per hujus aquæ et vini mysterium, ejus divinitatis esse consortes, qui humanitatis nostræ fieri dignatus est particeps, Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

O Lord Jesus, who art the true Vine, and whose Blood like a generous wine, has been poured forth under the pressure of the cross! thou hast deigned to unite thy divine nature to our weak humanity, which is signified by this drop of water. Oh! come and make us partakers of thy divinity, by showing thyself to us in thy sweet and wondrous visit.

The priest then offers the mixture of wine and water, beseeching God graciously to accept this oblation, which is so soon to be changed into the reality, of which it is now but the figure. Meanwhile, say, in union with the priest:

Offerimus tibi, Domine, calicem salutaris, tuam deprecantes clementiam: ut in conspectu divinæ Majestatis tuæ, pro nostra et totius mundi salute, cum odore suavitatis ascendat. Amen.

Graciously accept these gifts, O sovereign Creator of all things. Let them be fitted for the divine transformation, which will make them, from being mere offerings of created things, the instrument of the world's salvation.

After having thus held up the sacred gifts towards heaven, the priest bows down: let us, also, humble ourselves, and say:

In spiritu humilitatis, et in animo contrito suscipiamur a te, Domine: et sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie, ut placeat tibi, Domine Deus.

Though daring, as we do, to approach thy altar, O Lord, we cannot forget that we are sinners. Have mercy on us, and delay not to send us thy Son, who is our saving Host.

Let us next invoke the Holy Ghost, whose operation is about to produce on the altar the presence of the Son of God, as it did in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, in the divine mystery of the Incarnation:

Veni, Sanctificator omnipotens æterne Deus, et benedic hoc sacrificium tuo sancto nomini præparatum.

Come, O divine Spirit, make fruitful the offering which is upon the altar, and produce in our hearts him whom they desire.

If it be a High Mass, the priest, before proceeding further with the sacrifice, takes the thurible a second time, after blessing the incense in these words:

Per intercessionem beati Michaelis archangeli, stantis a dextris altaris incensi, et omnium electorum suorum, incensum istud dignetur Dominus benedicere, et in odorem suavitatis accipere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Through the intercession of blessed Michael the archangel, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense, and of all his elect, may our Lord deign to bless this incense, and to receive it for an odour of sweetness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

He then censes first the bread and wine, which have just been offered, and then the altar itself; hereby inviting the faithful to make their prayer, which is signified by the fragrant incense, more and more fervent, the nearer the solemn moment approaches. St. John tells us that the incense he beheld burning on the altar in heaven is made up of the *prayers of the saints*; let us take a share in those prayers, and with all the ardour of holy desires, let us say with the priest:

Incensum istud, a te benedictum, ascendat ad te, Domine, et descendat super nos misericordia tua.

May this incense, blessed by thee, ascend to thee, O Lord, and may thy mercy descend upon us.

Dirigatur, Domine, oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo: elevatio manuum mearum sacrificium vespertinum. Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo, et ostium circumstantiæ labiis meis; ut non declinet cor meum in verba malitiæ, ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis.

Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed like incense in thy sight: the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door round about my lips; that my heart may not incline to evil words, to make excuses in sins.

Giving back the thurible to the deacon, the priest says:

Accendat in nobis Dominus ignem sui amoris, et flammam æternæ charitatis. Amen.

May the Lord enkindle in us the fire of his love and the flame of eternal charity. Amen.

But the thought of his own unworthiness becomes more intense than ever in the heart of the priest. The public confession, which he made at the foot of the altar, is not enough; he would now, at the altar itself, express to the people, in the language of a solemn rite, how far he knows himself to be from that spotless sanctity wherewith he should approach to God. He washes his hands. Our hands signify our works; and the priest, though by his priesthood he bear the office of Jesus Christ, is, by his works, but man. Seeing your father thus humble himself, do you also make an act of humility, and say with him these verses of the psalm.

PSALM 25

Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas: et circumdabo altare tuum, Domine.

Ut audiam vocem laudis; et enarrem universa mirabilia tua.

Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuæ, et locum habitationis gloriæ tuæ.

Ne perdas cum impiis, Deus, animam meam, et cum viris sanguinum vitam meam.

In quorum manibus iniquitates sunt: dextera eorum repleta est muneribus.

Ego autem in innocentia mea ingressus sum: redime me, et miserere mei.

Pes meus stetit in directo: in ecclesiis benedicam te, Domine.

I, too, would wash my hands, O Lord, and become like unto those who are innocent, that so I may be worthy to come near thy altar, and hear thy sacred canticles, and then go and proclaim to the world the wonders of thy goodness. I love the beauty of thy house, which thou art about to make the dwelling-place of thy glory. Leave me not, O God, in the midst of them that are enemies both to thee and me. Thy mercy having separated me from them, I entered on the path of innocence, and was restored to thy grace; but have pity on my weakness still; redeem me yet more, thou who hast so mercifully brought me back to the right path. In the midst of these thy faithful people, I give thee thanks.

The priest, taking encouragement from the act of humility he has just made, returns to the middle of the altar, and bows down full of respectful awe, begging of God to receive graciously the sacrifice which is about to be offered to Him, and expresses the intentions for which it is offered. Let us do the same.

Suscipe, sancta Trinitas, hanc oblationem, quam tibi offerimus ob memoriam Passionis, Resurrectionis, et Ascensionis Jesu Christi Domini nostri: et in honorem beatæ Mariæ semper Virginis, et beati Joannis Baptistæ, et sanctorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli, et istorum, et omnium sanctorum: ut illis proficiat ad honorem, nobis autem ad salutem: et illi pro nobis intercedere dignentur in cœlis, quorum memoriam agimus in terris. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

¹ Cant. v. 6.
² 1 Kings iii. 10.
¹ 1 Cor. xv. 53.
² 2 St. Peter i. 4.

O holy Trinity, graciously accept the sacrifice, we have begun. We offer it in remembrance of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Permit thy Church to join with this intention that of honouring the ever glorious Virgin Mary, the blessed Baptist John, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, the martyrs whose relics lie here under our altar awaiting their resurrection, and the saints whose memory we this day celebrate. Increase the glory they are enjoying, and receive the prayers they address to thee for us.

The priest again turns to the people; it is for the last time before the sacred mysteries are accomplished. He feels anxious to excite the fervour of the people. Neither does the thought of his own unworthiness leave him; and before entering the cloud with the Lord, he seeks help in the prayers of his brethren who are present. He says to them:

Orate, fratres: ut meum ac vestrum sacrificium acceptabile fiat apud Deum Patrem omnipotentem.

Brethren, pray that my sacrifice, which is yours also, may be acceptable to God, our almighty Father.

This request made, he turns again to the altar, and you will see his face no more, until our Lord Himself shall have come down from heaven upon that same altar. Assure the priest that he has your prayers, and say to him:

Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium de manibus tuis, ad laudem et gloriam nominis sui, ad utilitatem quoque nostram totiusque Ecclesiæ suæ sanctæ.

May our Lord accept this sacrifice at thy hands, to the praise and glory of his name, and for our benefit and that of his holy Church throughout the world.

Here the priest recites the prayers called the secrets, in which he presents the petition of the whole Church for God's acceptance of the sacrifice, and then immediately begins to fulfil that great duty of religion, thanksgiving. So far he has adored God, and has sued for mercy; he has still to give thanks for the blessings bestowed on us by the bounty of our heavenly Father, the chief of which, during this season, is His giving us His only-begotten Son, to be our Mediator by His Blood. The priest, in the name of the Church, is about to give expression to the gratitude of all mankind. In order to excite the faithful to that intensity of gratitude which is due to God for all His gifts, he interrupts his own and their silent prayer by terminating it aloud, saying:

Per omnia sæcula sæculorum!

For ever and ever.

In the same feeling, answer your Amen! Then he continues:

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.
℣. Sursum corda!

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.
℣. Lift up your hearts.

Let your response be sincere:

℟. Habemus ad Dominum.

℟. We have them fixed on God.

And when he adds:

℣. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.

℣. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Answer him with all the earnestness of your soul:

℟. Dignum et justum est.

℟. It is meet and just.

Then the priest:

THE PREFACE

Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus. Qui salutem humani generis in ligno crucis constituisti, ut unde mors oriebatur, inde vita resurgeret; et qui in ligno vincebat, in ligno quoque vinceretur; per Christum Dominum nostrum. Per quem majestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates; Cœli cœlorumque Virtutes, ac beata Seraphim, socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti jubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes:

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, eternal God, who hast appointed that the salvation of mankind should be wrought on the wood of the cross; that from whence death came, thence life might arise; and that he who overcame by the tree, might also by the tree be overcome; through Christ our Lord. By whom the Angels praise thy majesty, the Dominations adore it, the Powers tremble before it; the Heavens and the heavenly Virtues, and the blessed Seraphim, with common jubilee, glorify it. Together with whom, we beseech thee that we may be admitted to join our humble voices, saying:

Here unite with the priest, who, on his part, unites himself with the blessed spirits, in giving thanks to God for the unspeakable gift: bow down and say:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus sabaoth!

Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua.

Hosanna in excelsis!

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Hosanna in excelsis!

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts!

Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed be the Saviour who is coming to us in the name of the Lord who sends him. Hosanna be to him in the highest!

After these words commences the Canon, that mysterious prayer, in the midst of which heaven bows down to earth, and God descends unto us. The voice of the priest is no longer heard; yea, even at the altar all is silence. Let a profound respect stay all distractions, and keep our senses in submission to the soul. Let us respectfully fix our eyes on what the priest does in the holy place.

THE CANON OF THE MASS

In this mysterious colloquy with the great God of heaven and earth, the first prayer of the sacrificing priest is for the Catholic Church, his and our mother.

Te igitur, clementissime Pater, per Jesum Christum Filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ac petimus, uti accepta habeas, et benedicas hæc dona, hæc munera, hæc sancta sacrificia illibata; in primis quæ tibi offerimus pro Ecclesia tua sancta Catholica; quam pacificare, custodire, adunare, et regere digneris toto orbe terrarum, una cum famulo tuo Papa nostro N. et Antistite nostro N., et omnibus orthodoxis, atque catholicæ et apostolicæ fidei cultoribus.

O God, who manifestest thyself unto us by means of the mysteries which thou hast entrusted to thy holy Church, our mother; we beseech thee, by the merits of this sacrifice, that thou wouldst remove all those hindrances which oppose her during her pilgrimage in this world. Give her peace and unity. Do thou thyself guide our holy father the Pope, thy vicar on earth. Direct thou our Bishop, who is our sacred link of unity; and watch over all the orthodox children of the Catholic, apostolic, Roman Church.

Here pray, together with the priest, for those whose interests should be dearest to you.

Memento, Domine, famulorum, famularumque tuarum N. et N., et omnium circumstantium, quorum tibi fides cognita est, et nota devotio: pro quibus tibi offerimus, vel qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis pro se suisque omnibus, pro redemptione animarum suarum, pro spe salutis et incolumitatis suæ; tibique reddunt vota sua æterno Deo vivo et vero.

Permit me, O God, to intercede with thee for special blessings upon those for whom thou knowest that I have a special obligation to pray: . . . Apply to them the fruits of this divine sacrifice, which is offered unto thee in the name of all mankind. Visit them by thy grace, pardon them their sins, grant them the blessings of this present life and of that which is eternal.

Here let us commemorate the saints: they are that portion of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is called the Church triumphant.

Communicantes, et memoriam venerantes, in primis gloriosæ semper Virginis Mariæ, Genitricis Dei et Domini nostri Jesu Christi: sed et beatorum apostolorum ac martyrum tuorum, Petri et Pauli, Andreæ, Jacobi, Joannis, Thomæ, Jacobi, Philippi, Bartholomæi, Matthæi, Simonis et Thaddæi: Lini, Cleti, Clementis, Xysti, Cornelii, Cypriani, Laurentii, Chrysogoni, Joannis et Pauli, Cosmæ et Damiani, et omnium sanctorum tuorum: quorum meritis precibusque concedas, ut in omnibus protectionis tuæ muniamur auxilio. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

But the offering of this sacrifice, O my God, does not unite us with those only of our brethren who are still in this transient life of trial: it brings us closer to those also, who are already in possession of heaven. Therefore it is that we wish to honour by it the memory of the glorious and ever Virgin Mary, of whom Jesus was born to us; of the apostles, confessors, virgins, and of all the saints; that they may assist us, by their powerful intercession, to be worthy of this thy visit, and of contemplating thee, as they themselves now do, in the mansion of thy glory.

The priest, who up to this time has been praying with his hands extended, now joins them, and holds them over the bread and wine, as the high priest of the old Law was wont to do over the figurative victim: he thus expresses his intention of bringing these gifts more closely under the notice of the divine Majesty, and of marking them as the material offering whereby we express our dependence, and which, in a few instants, is to yield its place to the living Host, upon whom are laid all our iniquities.

Hanc igitur oblationem servitutis nostræ, sed et cunctæ familiæ tuæ, quæsumus, Domine, ut placatus accipias: diesque nostros in tua pace disponas, atque ab æterna damnatione nos eripi, et in electorum tuorum jubeas grege numerari. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O God, to accept the offering, which this thine assembled family presents to thee as the homage of its most happy servitude. In return, give us peace, save us from thy wrath, and number us among thine elect, through him who is coming to us—thy Son, our Saviour!

Quam oblationem tu, Deus, in omnibus, quæsumus, benedictam, adscriptam, ratam, rationabilem, acceptabilemque facere digneris: ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis fiat dilectissimi Filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi.

Yea, Lord, this is the moment when this bread is to become his sacred Body, which is our food; and this wine is to be changed into his Blood, which is our drink. Ah! delay no longer, but bring us into the presence of this divine Son, our Saviour!

And here the priest ceases to act as man; he now becomes more than a mere minister of the Church. His word becomes that of Jesus Christ, with its power and creation; for—Prostrate yourself in profound adoration; for God Himself is about to descend upon our altar, coming down from heaven.

Qui pridie quam pateretur, accepit panem in sanctas ac venerabiles manus suas: et elevatis oculis in cœlum, ad te Deum Patrem suum omnipotentem, tibi gratias agens, benedixit, fregit, deditque discipulis suis, dicens: Accipite, et manducate ex hoc omnes.

HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM.

What, O God of heaven and earth, my Jesus, the long expected Messias! what else can I do, at this solemn moment, but adore thee in silence, as my sovereign Master, and open to thee my whole heart, as to its dearest King? Come then, O Lord Jesus, come!

The divine Lamb is now lying on our altar! Glory and love be to Him for ever! But He has come that He may be immolated. Hence the priest, who is the minister of the designs of the Most High, immediately pronounces over the chalice the sacred words which follow, which will produce the great mystical immolation, by the separation of the Victim's Body and Blood. After those words, the substances of both bread and wine have ceased to exist; the species alone are left, veiling, as it were, the Body and Blood of our Redeemer, lest fear should keep us from a mystery, which God gives us for the very purpose of inspiring confidence into our hearts. While the priest is pronouncing those words, let us associate ourselves to the angels, who tremblingly gaze upon this deepest wonder.

Simili modo postquam cœnatum est, accipiens et hunc præclarum calicem in sanctas ac venerabiles manus suas: item tibi gratias agens, benedixit, deditque discipulis suis dicens: Accipite et bibite ex eo omnes.

HIC EST ENIM CALIX SANGUINIS MEI, NOVI ET ÆTERNI TESTAMENTI: MYSTERIUM FIDEI: QUI PRO VOBIS ET PRO MULTIS EFFUNDETUR IN REMISSIONEM PECCATORUM.

Hæc quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis.

O Precious Blood! thou price of my salvation! I adore thee! Wash away my sins, and make me whiter than snow. O Lamb ever slain, yet ever living, thou comest to take away the sins of the world! Come, also, and reign in me by thy power, and by thy love.

The priest is now face to face with God. He again raises his hands towards heaven, and tells our heavenly Father that the oblation now on the altar is no longer an earthly material offering, but the Body and Blood, the whole Person, of His divine Son.

Unde et memores, Domine, nos servi tui, sed et plebs tua sancta, ejusdem Christi Filii tui Domini nostri tam beatæ Passionis, nec non et ab inferis Resurrectionis, sed et in cœlos gloriosæ Ascensionis: offerimus præclaræ Majestati tuæ de tuis donis ac datis, Hostiam puram, Hostiam sanctam, Hostiam immaculatam: Panem sanctum vitæ æternæ, et Calicem salutis perpetuæ.

Father of infinite holiness! the Host so long expected is here before thee. Behold this thine eternal Son, who suffered a bitter Passion, rose again with glory from the grave, and ascended triumphantly into heaven. He is thy Son; but he is also our Host, Host pure and spotless, our meat and drink of everlasting life.

Supra quæ propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris: et accepta habere, sicuti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel, et sacrificium patriarchæ nostri Abrahæ, et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech, sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam.

Heretofore thou acceptedst the sacrifice of the innocent lambs offered unto thee by Abel; and the sacrifice which Abraham made thee of his son Isaac, who, though immolated, yet lived; and, lastly, the sacrifice which Melchisedech presented to thee of bread and wine. Receive our sacrifice, which surpasses all those others: it is the Lamb, of whom all others could be but figures; it is the undying Victim; it is the Body of thy Son, who is the Bread of life, and his Blood, which, whilst a drink of immortality for us, is a tribute adequate to thy glory.

The priest bows down to the altar, and kisses it as the throne of love, on which is seated the Saviour of men.

Supplices te rogamus, omnipotens Deus, jube hæc

But, O God of infinite power! these sacred gifts are

perferri per manus sancti angeli tui in sublime altare tuum, in conspectu divinæ
Majestatis tuæ: ut quotquot
ex hac altaris participatione, sacrosanctum Filii tui Corpus et Sanguinem sumpserimus, omni benedictione cœlesti et
gratia repleamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

not only on this altar here below: they are, also, on that sublime altar in heaven, which is before the throne of thy divine Majesty. These two altars are one and the same, on which is accomplished the great mystery of thy glory and our salvation. Vouchsafe to make us partakers of the Body and Blood of the august Victim, from whom flows every grace and blessing.

Nor is the moment less favourable for making supplication for the Church suffering. Let us, therefore, ask the divine Liberator, who has come down among us, that He mercifully visit, by a ray of His consoling light, the dark abode of Purgatory; and permit His Blood to flow, as a stream of mercy's dew, from this our altar, and refresh the panting captives there. Let us pray expressly for those among them, who have a claim upon our suffrages.

Memento, etiam, Domine,
famulorum famularumque tuarum N. et N. qui nos præcesserunt cum signo fidei,
et dormiunt in somno pacis. Ipsis, Domine, et omnibus
in Christo quiescentibus, locum refrigerii, lucis et pacis, ut indulgeas, deprecamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Dear Jesus! let the happiness of this thy visit extend to every portion of thy Church. Thy face gladdens the elect, in the holy city; even our mortal eyes can see thee beneath the veil of our delighted faith; ah! hide not thyself from those brethren of ours, who are imprisoned in the abode of expiation. Be thou refreshment to them in their flames, light in their darkness, and peace in their agonies of torment.

This duty of charity fulfilled, let us pray for ourselves, sinners, alas! who profit so little by the visit which our Saviour pays us. Let us, together with the priest, strike our breast, saying:

Nobis quoque peccatoribus famulis tuis, de multitudine miserationum tuarum sperantibus, partem aliquam et societatem donare digneris cum tuis sanctis apostolis et martyribus; cum Joanne, Stephano, Mathia, Barnaba, Ignatio, Alexandro, Marcellino, Petro, Felicitate, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucia, Agnete, Cæcilia, Anastasia,
et omnibus sanctis tuis; intra quorum nos consortium, non æstimator meriti,
sed veniæ, quæsumus,
largitor admitte: per Christum Dominum nostrum. Per quem hæc omnia, Domine,
semper bona creas, sanctificas, vivificas, benedicis, et præstas nobis; per ipsum, et
cum ipso, et in ipso, est tibi Deo Patri omnipotenti, in unitate Spiritus sancti, omnis honor et gloria.

Alas! we are poor sinners, O God of all sanctity! yet do we hope that thine infinite mercy will grant us to share thy kingdom; not indeed, by reason of our works, which deserve little else than punishment, but because of the merits of this sacrifice, which we are offering unto thee. Remember, too, the merits of thy holy apostles, of thy holy martyrs, of thy holy virgins, and of all thy saints. Grant us, by their intercession, grace in this world, and glory eternal in the next; which we ask of thee, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son. It is by him thou bestowest upon us thy blessings of life and sanctification; and, by him also, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, may honour and glory be to thee!

While saying the last of these words, the priest has taken up the sacred Host, which was upon the altar; he has held it over the chalice, thus reuniting the Body and Blood of the divine Victim, in order to show that He is now immortal. Then raising up both chalice and Host, he offers to God the noblest and most perfect homage which the divine Majesty could receive.

This sublime and mysterious rite ends the Canon. The silence of the mysteries is interrupted. The priest concludes his long prayers, by saying aloud, and so giving the faithful the opportunity of expressing their desire, that his supplications be granted:

Per omnia sæcula sæculorum.

For ever and ever!

Answer him with faith, and in a sentiment of union with your holy mother the Church:

Amen.

Amen! I believe the mystery which has just been accomplished. I unite myself to the offering which has been made, and to the petitions of the Church.

It is now time to recite the prayer taught us by our Saviour Himself. Let it ascend to heaven together with the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. How could it be otherwise than heard, when He Himself who made it for us, is in our very hands now while we say it? As this prayer belongs in common to all God's children, the priest recites it aloud, and begins by inviting us all to join in it; he says:

OREMUS

LET US PRAY

Præceptis salutaribus moniti,
et divina institutione formati, audemus dicere:

Having been taught by a saving precept, and following the form given us by divine instruction, we thus presume to speak:

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Pater noster, qui es in cœlis, sanctificetur nomen
tuum: adveniat regnum tuum: fiat voluntas tua sicut in cœlo, et in terra. Panem
nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie: et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: et ne nos inducas in tentationem.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation.

Let us answer with a deep feeling of our misery:

Sed libera nos a malo.

But deliver us from evil.

The priest falls once more into the silence of the holy mysteries. His first word is an affectionate Amen to your last petition—deliver us from evil—on which he forms his own next prayer: and could he pray for anything more needed? Evil surrounds us everywhere; and the Lamb on our altar has been sent to expiate it, and to deliver us from it.

Libera nos, quæsumus,
Domine, ab omnibus malis,
præteritis, præsentibus et
futuris: et intercedente beata et gloriosa semper Virgine Dei Genitrice Maria, cum beatis apostolis tuis Petro et Paulo, atque Andrea, et omnibus sanctis, da propitius pacem in diebus nostris: ut ope misericordiæ
tuæ adjuti, et a peccato
simus semper liberi, et ab omni perturbatione securi. Per eumdem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus.

How many, O Lord, are the evils which beset us! Evils past, which are the wounds left on the soul by her sins, and which strengthen her wicked propensities. Evils present, that is, the sins now, at this very time, upon our soul; the weakness of this poor soul; and the temptations which molest her. There are, also, future evils, that is, the chastisement which our sins deserve from the hand of thy justice. In presence of this Host of our salvation, we beseech thee, O Lord, to deliver us from all these evils, and to accept in our favour, the intercession of Mary the Mother of Jesus, of the holy apostles, Peter and Paul and Andrew. Liberate us, break our chains, give us peace: through Jesus Christ, thy Son, who with thee, liveth and reigneth God.

The priest is anxious to announce the peace, which he has asked and obtained; he therefore finishes his prayer aloud, saying:

Per omnia sæcula sæculorum.

World without end.

℟. Amen.

℟. Amen.

Then he says:

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

May the peace of our Lord be ever with you.

To this paternal wish reply:

℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℟. And with thy spirit.

The mystery is drawing to a close; God is about to be united with man, and man with God, by means of Communion. But first an imposing and sublime rite takes place at the altar. So far, the priest has announced the Death of Jesus; it is time to proclaim His Resurrection. To this end, he reverently breaks the sacred Host; and having divided it into three parts, he puts one into the chalice, thus reuniting the Body and Blood of the immortal Victim. Do you adore, and say:

Hæc commixtio et consecratio
Corporis et Sanguinis Domini nostri Jesu Christi, fiat accipientibus nobis in vitam æternam. Amen.

Glory be to thee, O Saviour of the world! who didst, in thy Passion, permit thy precious Blood to be separated from thy sacred Body, afterwards uniting them again together by thy divine power.

Offer now your prayer to the ever-living Lamb, whom St. John saw on the altar of heaven, standing though slain:¹ say to this your Lord and King, who has taken upon Himself all our iniquities, in order to wash them away by His Blood:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

¹ Apoc. v. 6.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, give us peace!

Peace is the grand object of our Saviour's coming into the world: He is the Prince of peace.¹ The divine Sacrament of the Eucharist ought therefore to be the mystery of peace, and the bond of Catholic unity; for, as the apostle says, all we who partake of one Bread, are all one bread and one body.² It is on this account that the priest, now that he is on the point of receiving, in Communion, the sacred Host, prays that fraternal peace may be preserved in the Church, and more especially in this portion of it which is assembled around the altar. Pray with him, and for the same blessing.

Domine Jesu Christe, qui
dixisti apostolis tuis: Pacem relinquo vobis: pacem meam do vobis: ne respicias peccata mea, sed fidem Ecclesiæ tuæ: eamque secundum
voluntatem tuam pacificare et coadunare digneris. Qui vivis et regnas Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst to thine apostles, 'my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:' regard not my sins, but the faith of thy Church, and grant her that peace and unity which is according to thy will. Who livest and reignest God for ever and ever. Amen.

If it be a High Mass, the priest here gives the kiss of peace to the deacon, who gives it to the subdeacon, and he to the choir. During this ceremony, you should excite within yourself feelings of Christian charity, and pardon your enemies, if you have any. Then continue to pray with the priest:

Domine Jesu Christe, Fili
Dei vivi, qui ex voluntate

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who according

¹ Is. ix. 6. ² 1 Cor. x. 17.

Patris, cooperante Spiritu sancto, per mortem tuam mundum vivificasti: libera me per hoc sacrosanctum Corpus et Sanguinem tuum, ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis, et universis malis, et fac me tuis semper inhærere
mandatis, et a te nunquam separari permittas. Qui cum eodem Deo Patre et Spiritu sancto vivis et regnas, Deus,
in sæcula sæculorum.
Amen.

to the will of the Father, through the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, hast, by thy death, given life to the world; deliver me, by this thy most sacred Body and Blood, from all mine iniquities, and from all evils; and make me always adhere to thy commandments, and never suffer me to be separated from thee, who with the same God the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest God for ever and ever. Amen.

If you are going to Communion at this Mass, say the following prayer; otherwise, prepare yourself for a spiritual Communion:

Perceptio Corporis tui, Domine Jesu Christe, quod
ego indignus sumere præsumo,
non mihi proveniat in judicium et condemnationem: sed pro tua pietate prosit mihi ad tutamentum mentis et corporis, et ad medelam percipiendam. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitate Spiritus sancti, Deus, per omnia sæcula
sæculorum. Amen.

Let not the participation of thy Body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment and condemnation; but, through thy mercy, may it be a safeguard and remedy both to my soul and body. Who with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest God, for ever and ever. Amen.

When the priest takes the Host into his hands, in order to receive it in Communion, say:

Panem cœlestem accipiam,
et nomen Domini invocabo.

Come, my dear Jesus, come!

When he strikes his breast, confessing his unworthiness, say thrice with him these words, and in the same dispositions as the centurion of the Gospel, who first used them:

Domine, non sum dignus
ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.

Lord! I am not worthy that thou enter under my roof: say it, only with one word of thine, and my soul shall be healed.

While the priest is receiving the sacred Host, if you also are to communicate, profoundly adore your God, who is ready to take up His abode within you; and again say to Him with the bride: 'Come, Lord Jesus, come!'

But should you not intend to receive sacramentally, make here a spiritual Communion. Adore Jesus Christ, who thus visits your soul by His grace, and say to Him:

Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam meam in vitam æternam.
Amen.

I give thee, O Jesus, this heart of mine, that thou mayst dwell in it, and do with me what thou wilt.

Then the priest takes the chalice in thanksgiving, and says:

Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quæ retribuit
mihi? Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo. Laudans invocabo Dominum, et ab inimicis meis salvus ero.

What return shall I make to the Lord for all he hath given to me? I will take the chalice of salvation, and will call upon the name of the Lord. Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from mine enemies.

But if you are to make a sacramental Communion, you should, at this moment of the priest's receiving the precious Blood, again adore the God who is coming to you, and keep to your prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, come!

If you are going to communicate only spiritually, again adore your divine Master, and say to Him:

I unite myself to thee, my beloved Jesus! do thou unite thyself to me and never let us be separated.

Sanguis Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam meam in vitam æternam. Amen.

It is here that you must approach to the altar, if you are going to Communion.

The Communion being finished, while the priest is purifying the chalice the first time, say:

Quod ore sumpsimus, Domine, pura mente capiamus; et de munere temporali fiat nobis remedium sempiternum.

Thou hast visited me, O God, in these days of my pilgrimage: give me grace to treasure up the fruits of this visit, and to make it tell upon my eternity.

While the priest is purifying the chalice the second time, say:

Corpus tuum Domine,
quod sumpsi, et Sanguis quem potavi, adhæreat visceribus meis: et præsta ut
in me non remaneat scelerum macula, quem pura et sancta refecerunt Sacramenta. Qui vivis et regnas in sæcula sæculorum.
Amen.

Be thou for ever blessed, O my Saviour, for having admitted me to the sacred mystery of thy Body and Blood. May my heart and senses preserve, by thy grace, the purity which thou hast imparted to them; and may I thus be rendered less unworthy of thy divine visit.

The priest, having read the antiphon called the Communion, which is the first part of his thanksgiving for the favour just received from God, whereby He has renewed His divine presence among us, turns to the people with the usual salutation; after which he recites the prayers, called the Postcommunion, which are the completion of the thanksgiving. You will join him here also, thanking God for the unspeakable gift He has just lavished on you, and asking Him, with most earnest entreaty, that He will bestow upon you a lasting spirit of compunction. These prayers having been recited, the priest again turns to the people, and full of joy for the immense favour he and they have been receiving, he says:

Dominus vobiscum.

The Lord be with you.

Answer him:

℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.
℣. Ite, Missa est.
℟. Deo gratias.

℟. And with thy spirit.
℣. Go, the Mass is finished.
℟. Thanks be to God.

The priest makes a last prayer before giving you his blessing; pray with him:

Placeat tibi, sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meæ, et præsta ut sacrificium,
quod oculis tuæ majestatis
indignus obtuli, tibi sit acceptabile, mihique et omnibus pro quibus illud obtuli sit, te miserante, propitiabile. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Eternal thanks be to thee, O adorable Trinity, for the mercy thou hast shown to me, in permitting me to assist at this divine Sacrifice. Pardon me the negligence and coldness wherewith I have received so great a favour, and deign to confirm the blessing which thy minister is about to give me in thy name.

The priest raises his hand, and thus blesses you:

Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pater, et Filius, et
Spiritus sanctus.

℟. Amen.

May the almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless you!

℟. Amen.

He then concludes the Mass, by reading the first fourteen verses of the Gospel according to St. John, which tell us of the eternity of the Word, and of the mercy which led Him to take upon Himself our flesh and to dwell among us. Pray that you may be of the number of those, who, now that He has come unto His own, receive Him, and are made the sons of God.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

THE LAST GOSPEL

Initium sancti Evangelii
secundum Joannem. Cap. i.

In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc
erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt; et sine ipso factum est nihil. Quod factum est, in ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum: et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebræ eam non comprehenderunt. Fuit homo
missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Joannes. Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ut omnes crederent per illum. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Erat lux vera, quæ
illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognovit. In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his, qui credunt in nomine ejus; qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiæ et
veritatis.

℟. Deo gratias.

The beginning of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. i.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave power to be made the sons of God; to them that believe in his name, who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, as it were the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

℟. Thanks be to God.

CHAPTER THE SIXTH

ON HOLY COMMUNION DURING PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

The holy Mass is the true sacrifice, of which the sacrifices of the old Law were but figures. This sacrifice was expected by mankind for four thousand years. It was during the present season that it was first offered up. It is now mysteriously renewed, each day, upon our Christian altars.

No greater glory can be given to God than the celebration of this sacrifice, wherein God Himself is the Victim; at the same time, nothing can be more advantageous to man than to partake of this divine Victim, to become himself this Victim, by incorporating it with himself by holy Communion, whereby is realized that wonderful promise of our Redeemer: He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him.¹

Now, it is by the immolation of our Redeemer on the cross that the Flesh of this Lamb of God has become truly our food, and His Blood truly our drink.² By the mysteries of His Incarnation and birth, we had Him as our Brother; His Passion and death have made Him both our Saviour and our Food. Thus was realized that figurative sacrifice which God prescribed to His people through Moses, and in which the victim, after being immolated, was to be eaten by the priest who offered it, and by the person in whose name it was offered.

¹ St. John vi. 57. ² Ibid. 56.

St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, speaks thus: 'As often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until He come.'¹ Therefore, there is a close relation between holy Communion and our Saviour's Passion; and it is on this account that we are going to celebrate, during this present season, the institution of the holy Eucharist and the sacrifice of the Lamb, our Redeemer. The two anniversaries come close to each other. If Jesus has desired with so ardent a desire to eat this last Pasch with His disciples,² it is because He had something infinitely grander to give them than He had given them the two preceding years: then He gave them to eat of the flesh of the figurative lamb; but now, in this the last Pasch, He is going to give them a pledge of pardon and immortality, by making them partake of the very substance of the true Lamb, whose Blood imparts remission of sin, and opens the gate of heaven. He immolates Himself on the table of the last Supper before men immolate Him on Calvary; and this wondrous anticipation of His sacrifice, in which He gives such a rich proof of His love and His power, is founded on the real sacrifice of the morrow, which is to cost Him every drop of His Blood.

In approaching, therefore, the holy Table, during this season of the Passion, the faithful must be absorbed in the remembrance of the Lamb that was sacrificed for us; they must keep this great truth uppermost in their hearts: that the divine Food which nourishes their souls was prepared on Calvary; and that, although this Lamb is now living and impassible, yet it was by His death on the cross that He became our Food. The sinner, reconciled to his offended God, must receive the Body of Jesus with

¹ 1 Cor. xi. 26. ² St. Luke xxii. 15.

sentiments of hearty contrition, and reproach himself, in all the bitterness of his soul, for having shed that precious Blood by his multiplied sins. The just man must make his Communion, and humble himself with the thought that he, too, has had too great a share in causing suffering to the innocent Lamb; and that if he now have reason to believe himself to be in the state of grace, he owes it to the Blood of the Victim who is about to be given to him for the increase of his spiritual life.

We will here give, as in our other volumes, acts which may serve as a preparation for holy Communion during these two weeks. There are souls that feel the want of some such assistance as this; and, for the same reason, we will add a form of thanksgiving for after Communion.

BEFORE COMMUNION

ACT OF FAITH

The signal grace which thou, O my God, hast granted to me, that I should know the wounds of my soul, has revealed to me the greatness of my misery. I have been taught how deep was the darkness that covered me, and how much I needed thy divine light. But, whilst the torch of faith has thus shown me the abyss of my own poor nature, it has also taught me how wonderful are the works, which thy love of thy ungrateful creature has made thee undertake, in order that thou mightest raise him up and save him. It is for me thou didst assume my human nature, and wast born at Bethlehem; it is for me that thou fastest forty days in the desert; it is for me that thou art soon to shed thy Blood on the cross. Thou commandest me to believe these miracles of thy love. I do believe them, O my God, humbly and gratefully. I also believe, and with an equally lively faith, that in a few moments thou art to give thyself to me in this ineffable mystery of holy Communion. Thou sayest to me: 'This is my Body, this is my Blood'; thy word is enough; in spite of my unworthiness seeming to forbid the possibility of such Communion, I believe, I consent, I bow me down before thine infinite truth. Oh! can there be Communion between the God of all holiness and a sinner such as I? And yet thou assurest me that thou art verily coming to me! I tremble, O eternal Truth, but I believe. I confess that thy love of me is infinite, and that having resolved to give thyself to thy poor and sinful creature, thou wilt suffer no obstacle to stand in thy way!

ACT OF HUMILITY

During the season just past, I have often contemplated, O my Jesus, thy coming from thy high throne into the bosom of Mary, thy uniting thy divine Person to our weak mortal nature, and thy being born in the crib of a poor stable. And when I thought on these humiliations of my God, they taught me not only to love thee tenderly, but to know also my own nothingness, for I saw more clearly what an infinite distance there is between the creature and his Creator; and, seeing these prodigies of thy immense love, I gladly confessed my own vileness. But now, dearest Saviour, I am led to consider something far more humiliating than the lowliness of my nature. That nothingness should be but nothingness, is not a sin. No; it is my sins that appal me. Sin has so long tyrannized over me; its consequences are still upon me; it has given me such dangerous tendencies; and I am so weak in resisting its bidding. When my first parent sinned, he hid himself, lest he should meet thee; and thou biddest me come unto thee, not to sentence me to the punishment I deserve, but to give me, oh! such a mark of love—union with thyself! Can this be? Art thou not the infinitely holy God? I must needs yield, and come, for thou art my sovereign Master; and who is there that dares resist thy will? I come, then, humbling myself, even to my very nothingness, before thee, and beseeching thee to pardon my coming, for I come because thou wilt have it so.

ACT OF CONTRITION

And shall I, O my Jesus, confess thus the grievousness and multitude of my sins, without promising thee to sin no more? Thou wishest this sinner to be reconciled with thee, thou desirest to press him to thy sacred Heart: and could he, whilst thanking thee for this thy wonderful condescension, still love the accursed cause which made him thine enemy? No, my infinitely merciful God, no! I will not, like my first parent, seek to escape thy justice, but, like the prodigal son, I will arise and go to my Father; like Magdalene, I will take courage and enter the banquet-hall; and, though trembling at the sight of my sins, I will comply with thy loving invitation. My heart has no further attachment to sin, which I hate and detest as the enemy of thy honour and of my own happiness. I am resolved to shun it from this time forward, and to spare no pains to free myself from its tyranny. There shall be no more of that easy life which chilled my love, nor of that studied indifference which dulled my conscience, nor of those dangerous habits which led me to stray from my loyalty to thee. Despise not, O God, this my humble and contrite heart.

ACT OF LOVE

Such is thy love for us in this world, O my Jesus, that, as thou thyself sayest, thou art come not to judge, but to save. I should not satisfy thee, in this happy Communion hour, were I to offer thee but this salutary fear, which has led me to thy sacred feet, and this shame-stricken conscience, which makes me tremble in thy holy presence. The visit thou art about to pay me, is a visit of love. The Sacrament, which is going to unite me to thee, is the Sacrament of thy love. Thou, my good Shepherd, hast said, that he loves most, who has been forgiven most. My heart then must dare to love thee; it must love thee with all its warmth; the very recollection of its past disloyalty must make its loving thee doubly needed, and doubly fervent. Ah! sweet Lord! See this poor heart of mine; strengthen it, console it, drive away its fears, make it feel that thou art its Jesus! It has come back to thee, because it feared thee; if it love thee, it will never again leave thee.

And thou, O Mary, refuge of sinners, help me to love him, who is thy Son, and our Brother. Holy angels! ye who live eternally on that love, which has never ceased to glow in your mighty spirits, remember, I reverently pray you, that this God created me, as he did you, that I might love him. All ye holy saints of God! I beseech you, by the love wherewith ye are inebriated in heaven, graciously give me a thought, and prepare now my heart to be united with him. Amen.

AFTER COMMUNION

ACT OF ADORATION

Thou art here within me, great God of heaven! Thou art, at this moment, residing in a sinner's heart! I, yea, I, am thy temple, thy throne, thy resting-place! How shall I worthily adore thee, who hast deigned to come down into this abyss of my lowliness and misery? The angels veil their faces in thy presence; thy saints lay their crowns at thy feet; and I, that am but a sinful mortal, how shall I sufficiently honour thee, O infinite Power, infinite Wisdom, infinite Goodness? This soul, wherein thou art now dwelling, has presumed so many times to set thee at defiance, and boldly disobey and break thy commands. And thou canst come to me after all this, and bring all thy beauty and greatness with thee! What else can I do, but give thee the homage of a heart, that knows not how to bear the immensity of the honour thou art now lavishing on me? Yes, my own wonderful and loving God, I adore thee; I acknowledge thee to be the sovereign Being, the Creator and preserver of all creatures, and the undisputed Master of everything that belongs to me. I delightedly confess my dependence on thee, and offer thee, with all my heart, my humble service.

ACT OF THANKSGIVING

Thy greatness, O my God, is infinite; but thy goodness to me is incomprehensible. Thy being now present within this breast of mine, is, I know, a proof of that immense power, which shows itself when and where it wills; but it is also a mark of thy love for me. Thou art come to my soul that thou mayst be closely united with her, comfort her, give her a new life, and bring her all good things. Oh! who will teach me how to value this grace, and thank thee for it in a becoming way? But how shall I hope to value it as I ought, when I am not able to understand either the love that brings thee thus within me, or my own need of having thee? And when I think of my inability to make thee a suitable return of thanks, I feel as though I can give thee nothing but my speechless gratitude. Yet thou willest that this my heart, poor as it is, should give thee its thanks: thou takest delight in receiving its worthless homage. Take it, then, my loving Jesus! I give it thee with all possible joy, and beseech thee to reveal unto me the immensity of thy gift, and to enrich me more that I may give thee more.

ACT OF LOVE

But nothing will satisfy thee, O my infinite Treasure, unless I give thee my love. Thou hast ever loved me, and thou art still loving me; I must love thee in return! Thou hast borne with me, thou hast forgiven me, thou art, at this moment, overpowering me with honour and riches; and all this out of love for me! The return thou askest of me, is my love. Gratitude will not content thee, thou wilt have my love! But Jesus, my dear Jesus!—my past life—the long years I have spent in offending thee—rise up before me, and tell me to hide myself from thee! And yet, whither could I go without carrying thee within me, for thou hast taken up thine abode in my inmost soul? No, I will not run from thee! I will summon all the energies of my heart to tell thee that I love thee; that thy love for me has emboldened me; that I belong to thee; that I love thee above all else that I love; and that henceforth all my joy and happiness shall be in pleasing thee, and doing whatsoever thou askest of me.

ACT OF OBLATION

I know, dear Jesus, that what thou askest of me is not the passing sentiment of a heart excited by the thought of thy goodness towards it. Thou hast loved me from eternity; thou lovedst me, even when I was doing nothing for thee; thou hast given me light to know my miseries; thou hast shielded me against thine own angry justice; thou hast mercifully pardoned me a countless number of times; thou art even now embracing me with tenderest love: and all these works of thy almighty hand have been but for one end—to make me give myself to thee, and live, at last, for thee. It is this thou wouldst obtain of me, by granting me this precious earnest of thy love, which I have just received. Thou hast said, speaking of this ineffable gift: 'As I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.'¹ Henceforth, O Bread which came down from heaven!² thou art the source of my life. Now, more than ever, my life belongs to thee. I give it unto thee. I dedicate unto thee my soul, my body, my faculties, my whole being. Do thou direct and govern me. I resign myself entirely into thy hands. I am blind, but thy light will guide me; I am weak, but thy power will uphold me; I am inconstant, but thy unchangeableness will give me stability. I trust unreservedly in thy mercy, which never abandons them that hope in thee.

O Mary! pray for me, that I lose not the fruit of this visit. Holy angels! watch over this dwelling-place of your Lord, which he has so mercifully chosen: let nothing defile it. O all ye saints of God! pray for the sinner, unto whom he has given this pledge of his divine pardon.

¹ St. John vi. 58. ² Ibid. 51.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH

OF THE OFFICE OF VESPERS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEASTS DURING PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

The Office of Vespers, or Evensong, consists firstly of the five following psalms and antiphons. According to our custom, we preface each psalm with a short explanation, in order to draw attention to what is most in harmony with the spirit of this season.

After the Pater and Ave have been said in secret, the Church commences this Hour with her favourite supplication:

℣. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.
℟. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.

℣. Incline unto my aid, O God.
℟. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui sancto.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Laus tibi, Domine, Rex æternæ gloriæ.

Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

ANT. Dixit Dominus.

ANT. The Lord said.

The first psalm is a prophecy of the future glory of the Messias; but it also speaks of His humiliations. It tells of the triumphs of Christ; but, before His exaltation, He is to drink of the torrent of sufferings.

PSALM 109

Dixit Dominus Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis.

The Lord said to my Lord, his Son: Sit thou at my right hand, and reign with me.

Donec ponam inimicos tuos: scabellum pedum tuorum.

Until, on the day of thy last coming, I make thy enemies thy footstool.

Virgam virtutis tuæ emittet Dominus ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum.

O Christ! the Lord thy Father, will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: from thence rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

Tecum principium in die virtutis tuæ in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te.

With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength, in the brightness of the saints: For the Father hath said to thee: From the womb before the day-star I begot thee.

Juravit Dominus, et non pœnitebit eum: Tu es Sacerdos in æternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech.

The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: he hath said, speaking to thee, the God-Man: Thou art a Priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

Dominus a dextris tuis: confregit in die iræ suæ reges.

Therefore, O Father, the Lord, thy Son is at thy right hand: he hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.

Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: conquassabit capita in terra multorum.

He shall also judge among nations: in that terrible coming, he shall fill the ruins of the world: he shall crush the heads in the land of many.

De torrente in via bibet: propterea exaltabit caput.

He cometh now in humility: he shall drink in the way, of the torrent of sufferings: therefore, shall he lift up the head.

ANT. Dixit Dominus Domino meo, sede a dextris meis.

ANT. The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand.

ANT. Fidelia.

ANT. Faithful.

The following psalm commemorates the mercies of God to His people: of these, the greatest is His having given us a Redeemer. He has made an eternal Covenant with us: but this Covenant was signed with the Blood of His own Son.

PSALM 110

Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: in consilio justorum et congregatione.

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: in the counsel of the just, and in the congregation.

Magna opera Domini: exquisita in omnes voluntates ejus.

Great are the works of the Lord: sought out according to all his wills.

Confessio et magnificentia opus ejus; et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

His work is praise and magnificence; and his justice continueth for ever and ever.

Memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum, misericors et miserator Dominus: escam dedit timentibus se.

He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: he hath given food to them that fear him.

Memor erit in sæculum testamenti sui: virtutem operum suorum annuntiabit populo suo.

He will be mindful for ever of his covenant with men: he will show forth to his people the power of his works.

Ut det illis hereditatem Gentium: opera manuum ejus veritas et judicium.

That he may give them, his Church, the inheritance of the Gentiles: the works of his hands are truth and judgment.

Fidelia omnia mandata ejus, confirmata in sæculum sæculi: facta in veritate et æquitate.

All his commandments are faithful, confirmed for ever and ever: made in truth and equity.

Redemptionem misit populo suo: mandavit in æternum testamentum suum.

He hath sent redemption to his people: he hath thereby commanded his covenant for ever.

Sanctum et terribile nomen ejus: initium sapientiæ timor Domini.

Holy and terrible is his name: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum: laudatio ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

A good understanding to all that do it; his praise continueth for ever and ever.

ANT. Fidelia omnia mandata ejus; confirmata in sæculum sæculi.

ANT. Faithful are all his commandments; confirmed for ever and ever.

ANT. In mandatis.

ANT. In his commandments.

The next psalm sings the happiness of the just man, and his hopes on the day of his Lord's coming. It tells us, likewise, of the confusion and despair which will torment the sinner, who, during life, was insensible to his own interests, and deaf to the invitations made him by the Church.

PSALM 111

Beatus vir, qui timet Dominum: in mandatis ejus volet nimis.

Potens in terra erit semen ejus: generatio rectorum benedicetur.

Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus: et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis: misericors, et miserator, et justus.

Jucundus homo, qui miseretur et commodat, disponet sermones suos in judicio: quia in æternum non commovebitur.

In memoria æterna erit justus: ab auditione mala non timebit.

Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus: non commovebitur donec despiciat inimicos suos.

Dispersit, dedit pauperibus, justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi: cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.

Peccator videbit, et irascetur, dentibus suis fremet et tabescet: desiderium peccatorum peribit.

ANT. In mandatis ejus cupit nimis. ANT. Sit nomen Domini.

Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.

Glory and wealth shall be in his house; and his justice remaineth for ever and ever.

To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate, and just.

Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth; he shall order his words with judgment: because he shall not be moved for ever.

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing.

His heart is ready to hope in the Lord; his heart is strengthened: he shall not be moved until he look over his enemies.

He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor; his justice remaineth for ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory.

The wicked shall see, and shall be angry; he shall gnash with his teeth, and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

ANT. In his commandments he delighteth exceedingly.

ANT. May the name of the Lord.

The Laudate pueri is a canticle of praise to the Lord, who, from His high heaven, has taken pity on the fallen human race, and facilitated its return to its Maker.

PSALM 112

Laudate, pueri, Dominum: laudate nomen Domini.

Sit nomen Domini benedictum: ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.

A solis ortu usque ad occasum: laudabile nomen Domini.

Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus: et super cœlos gloria ejus.

Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster qui in altis habitat: et humilia respicit in cœlo et in terra?

Suscitans a terra inopem: et de stercore erigens pauperem.

Ut collocet eum cum principibus: cum principibus populi sui.

Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo: matrem filiorum lætantem.

ANT. Sit nomen Domini benedictum in sæcula.
ANT. Nos qui vivimus.

Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord.

Blessed be the name of the Lord: from henceforth now and for ever.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.

The Lord is high above all nations: and his glory above the heavens.

Who is as the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high: and looketh down on the low things in heaven and in earth?

Raising up the needy from the earth: and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill.

That he may place him with princes: with the princes of his people.

Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children.

ANT. May the name of the Lord be for ever blessed.

ANT. We that live.

The fifth psalm, In exitu, recounts the prodigies witnessed under the ancient Covenant: they were figures, whose realities are to be accomplished in us, if we will but return to the Lord our God. He will deliver Israel from Egypt, emancipate the Gentiles from their idolatry, and pour out a blessing on every man who will consent to fear and love the Lord.

PSALM 113

In exitu Israel de Ægypto: domus Jacob de populo barbaro.

Facta est Judæa sanctificatio ejus: Israel potestas ejus.

Mare vidit, et fugit: Jordanis conversus est retrorsum.

Montes exsultaverunt ut arietes: et colles sicut agni ovium.

Quid est tibi, mare, quod fugisti: et tu, Jordanis, quia conversus es retrorsum?

Montes exsultastis sicut arietes: et colles sicut agni ovium?

A facie Domini mota est terra: a facie Dei Jacob.

Qui convertit petram in stagna aquarum: et rupem in fontes aquarum.

Non nobis, Domine, non nobis: sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

Super misericordia tua, et veritate tua: nequando dicant Gentes: Ubi est Deus eorum?

Deus autem noster in cœlo: omnia quæcumque voluit fecit.

Simulacra Gentium argentum et aurum: opera manuum hominum.

Os habent, et non loquentur: oculos habent, et non videbunt.

Aures habent et non audient: nares habent et non odorabunt.

Manus habent et non palpabunt, pedes habent et non ambulabunt: non clamabunt in gutture suo.

Similes illis fiant qui faciunt ea: et omnes qui confidunt in eis.

Domus Israel speravit in Domino: adjutor eorum, et protector eorum est.

Domus Aaron speravit in Domino: adjutor eorum, et protector eorum est.

Qui timent Dominum, speraverunt in Domino: adjutor eorum, et protector eorum est.

Dominus memor fuit nostri: et benedixit nobis.

Benedixit domui Israel: benedixit domui Aaron.

Benedixit omnibus qui timent Dominum: pusillis cum majoribus.

Adjiciat Dominus super vos: super vos, et super filios vestros.

Benedicti vos a Domino: qui fecit cœlum et terram.

Cœlum cœli Domino: terram autem dedit filiis hominum.

Non mortui laudabunt te, Domine: neque omnes qui descendunt in infernum.

Sed nos qui vivimus, benedicimus Domino: ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.

ANT. Nos qui vivimus, benedicimus Domino.

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a barbarous people.

Judea was made his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

The sea saw and fled; Jordan was turned back.

The mountains skipped like rams: and the hills like the lambs of the flock.

What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou didst flee; and thou, O Jordan, that thou wast turned back?

Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams: and ye hills like lambs of the flock?

At the presence of the Lord the earth was moved, at the presence of the God of Jacob.

Who turned the rock into pools of water, and the stony hills into fountains of waters.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us; but to thy name give glory.

For thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake: lest the Gentiles should say: Where is their God?

But our God is in heaven: he hath done all things whatsoever he would.

The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold: the works of the hands of men.

They have mouths, and speak not: they have eyes, and see not.

They have ears, and hear not: they have noses, and smell not.

They have hands, and feel not: they have feet, and walk not: neither shall they cry out through their throat.

Let them that make them become like unto them: and all such as trust in them.

The house of Israel hath hoped in the Lord: he is their helper and their protector.

The house of Aaron hath hoped in the Lord: he is their helper and their protector.

They that feared the Lord have hoped in the Lord: he is their helper and their protector.

The Lord hath been mindful of us, and hath blessed us.

He hath blessed the house of Israel: he hath blessed the house of Aaron.

He hath blessed all that fear the Lord: both little and great.

May the Lord add blessings upon you: upon you, and upon your children.

Blessed be you of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The heaven of heaven is the Lord's: but the earth he has given to the children of men.

The dead shall not praise thee, O Lord: nor any of them that go down to hell.

But we that live bless the Lord: from this time now and for ever.

ANT. We that live bless the Lord.

After these five psalms, a short lesson from the holy Scriptures is read. It is called Capitulum, because it is always very short. Those for the two Sundays are given in the Proper.

After the capitulum, follows the hymn Vexilla Regis.¹ It is the 'hymn of the cross' composed by St. Venantius Fortunatus, at the request of Saint Radegund.

HYMN

Vexilla Regis prodeunt; Fulget crucis mysterium, Qua Vita mortem pertulit, Et morte vitam protulit.

The standard of our King comes forth; the mystery of the cross shines upon us, that cross on which Life suffered death, and by his death gave life.

Quæ vulnerata lanceæ
Mucrone diro, criminum Ut nos lavaret sordibus, Manavit unda et sanguine.

He was pierced with the cruel spear, that, by the Water and the Blood which flowed from the wound, he might cleanse us from sin.

Impleta sunt quæ concinit
David fideli carmine, Dicendo nationibus: Regnavit a ligno Deus.

Here on the cross was fulfilled the prophecy foretold in David's truthful words: 'God hath reigned from the tree.'

Arbor decora et fulgida, Ornata Regis purpura, Electa digno stipite Tam sancta membra tangere.

O fair and shining tree! beautified by the scarlet of the King, and chosen as the noble trunk that was to touch such sacred limbs.

Beata cujus brachiis Pretium pependit sæculi,
Statera facta corporis, Tulitque prædam tartari.

O blessed tree! on whose arms hung the ransom of the world! It was the balance, wherein was placed the Body of Jesus, and thereby hell lost its prey.

O crux, ave, spes unica, Hoc Passionis tempore, Piis adauge gratiam, Reisque dele crimina.

Hail, O cross! our only hope! During these days of the Passion, increase to the good their grace, and cleanse sinners from their guilt.

Te, fons salutis, Trinitas, Collaudet omnis spiritus; Quibus crucis victoriam Largiris, adde præmium.
Amen.

May every spirit praise thee, O holy Trinity, thou fount of salvation! and by the cross, whereby thou gavest us victory, give us, too, our recompense. Amen.

¹ According to the monastic rite, it is as follows:—

℟. breve. De ore leonis, * humilitatem meam.
Libera me, Domine. De ore.
℣. Et a cornibus unicornium.
* Libera. Then is repeated: ℟. De ore.

Vexilla Regis prodeunt; Fulget crucis mysterium, Quo carne carnis Conditor Suspensus est patibulo.

Quo vulneratus insuper Mucrone diro lanceæ,
Ut nos lavaret crimine, Manavit unda et sanguine.

Impleta sunt quæ concinit
David fideli carmine, Dicens: In nationibus Regnavit a ligno Deus.

Arbor decora et fulgida, Ornata Regis purpura, Electa digno stipite Tam sancta membra tangere.

Beata, cujus brachiis Sæcli pependit pretium,
Statera facta corporis, Prædamque tulit tartari.

O crux, ave, spes unica, Hoc Passionis tempore, Auge piis justitiam, Reisque dona veniam.

Te summa, Deus, Trinitas,
Collaudet omnis spiritus: Quos per crucis mysterium Salvas, rege per sæcula. Amen.

℣. Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo.
℟. A viro iniquo eripe me.

℣. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man.
℟. Rescue me from the unjust man.

Then is said the Magnificat antiphon, which is to be found in the proper. After this, the Church sings the canticle of Mary, the Magnificat, in which are celebrated the divine maternity and all its consequent blessings. This exquisite canticle is an essential part of Vespers throughout the year. Let us unite with all generations, and call her blessed; but let us, also, enter into those sentiments of humility, which she recommends to us both by her words and her example. Her inspired lips speak to us this promise: if the great God, whose triumph is to gladden us on the glorious day of Easter, find us humble and submissive, he will exalt us, yea, raise us up even to Himself; if we confess our misery and poverty to Him, He will enrich us, even to the full, with every blessing.

OUR LADY'S CANTICLE

(St. Luke i.)

Magnificat: anima mea Dominum.

My soul doth magnify the Lord.

Et exsultavit spiritus meus: in Deo salutari meo.

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Quia respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.

Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for, behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen ejus.

Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name.

Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies: timentibus eum.

And his mercy is from generation unto generation, to them that fear him.

Fecit potentiam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.

He hath showed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

Deposuit potentes de sede: et exaltavit humiles.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble.

Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes.

He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.

Suscepit Israel puerum suum: recordatus misericordiæ suæ.

He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy.

Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros: Abraham et semini ejus in sæcula.

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

The Magnificat antiphon is then repeated. The prayer, or Collect, will be found in the proper of each Sunday.

The Vespers end with the following versicles:

℣. Benedicamus Domino.
℟. Deo gratias.

℣. Let us bless the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

℣. Fidelium animæ per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace.
℟. Amen.

℣. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
℟. Amen.

CHAPTER THE EIGHTH

ON THE OFFICE OF COMPLINE DURING PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

This Office, which concludes the day, commences by a warning of the dangers of the night: then immediately follows the public confession of our sins, as a powerful means of propitiating the divine justice, and obtaining God's help, now that we are going to spend so many hours in the unconscious and therefore dangerous state of sleep, which is also such an image of death.

The lector, addressing the priest, says to him:

Jube, domne, benedicere.

Pray, father, give thy blessing.

The priest answers:

Noctem quietam, et finem perfectum concedat nobis Dominus omnipotens.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

℟. Amen.

The lector then reads these words, from the first Epistle of St. Peter:

Fratres: Sobrii estote, et vigilate: quia adversarius vester diabolus, tamquam leo rugiens, circuit quærens quem devoret: cui resistite fortes in fide. Tu autem, Domine, miserere nobis.

Brethren, be sober and watch; for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist ye strong in faith. But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.

The choir answers :

℟. Deo gratias.

℟. Thanks be to God.

Then the priest :

℣. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.

℣. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

The choir :

℟. Qui fecit cœlum et terram.

℟. Who hath made heaven and earth.

Then the Lord's Prayer is recited in secret; after which the priest says the Confiteor; and when he has finished, the choir says:

Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam æternam.

May almighty God have mercy on thee, and, forgiving thy sins, bring thee to everlasting life.

The priest having answered Amen, the choir repeats the Confiteor thus :

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistæ, sanctis apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus sanctis, et tibi, pater, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joannem Baptistam, sanctos apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes sanctos, et te, pater, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to thee, father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, and thee, father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

The priest then says:

Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam æternam.

℟. Amen.

Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

℟. Amen.

℣. Converte nos, Deus, salutaris noster.

℟. Et averte iram tuam a nobis.

℣. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.

℟. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.

Gloria Patri, &c.

Laus tibi, Domine, Rex æternæ gloriæ.

ANT. Miserere.

May almighty God be merciful to you, and, forgiving your sins, bring you to everlasting life.

℟. Amen.

May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins.

℟. Amen.

℣. Convert us, O God, our Saviour.

℟. And turn away thy anger from us.

℣. Incline unto my aid, O God.

℟. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory &c.

Praise be to thee O Lord, King of eternal glory.

ANT. Have mercy.

The first psalm expresses the confidence with which the just man sleeps in peace; but it also rebukes those tepid Christians whose dull hearts are but too often enslaved to vanity and lies, and exhorts them to examine, at the close of the day, the thoughts of their hearts, and be sorry for them at that time of stillness and repose.

PSALM 4

Cum invocarem exaudivit me Deus justitiæ meæ: in tribulatione dilatasti mihi.

Miserere mei: et exaudi orationem meam.

Filii hominum, usquequo gravi corde: ut quid diligitis vanitatem, et quæritis mendacium?

Et scitote quoniam mirificavit Dominus sanctum suum: Dominus exaudiet me, cum clamavero ad eum.

Irascimini, et nolite peccare: quæ dicitis in cordibus vestris, in cubilibus vestris compungimini.

Sacrificate sacrificium justitiæ, et sperate in Domino: multi dicunt: Quis ostendit nobis bona?

Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui Domine: dedisti lætitiam in corde meo.

A fructu frumenti, vini et olei sui: multiplicati sunt.

In pace in idipsum: dormiam et requiescam.

Quoniam tu, Domine, singulariter in spe: constituisti me.

When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me.

Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.

O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

Know ye also, that the Lord hath made his holy One wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

Be ye angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.

Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, who showeth us good things?

The light of thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.

By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they are multiplied.

In peace, in the self same, I will sleep, and I will rest.

For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.

The Church has introduced here the first six verses of Psalm xxx, because they contain the prayer which our Saviour made when dying: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit!—words so beautifully appropriate in this Office of the close of the day.

PSALM 30

In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in æternum: in justitia tua libera me.

Inclina ad me aurem tuam: accelera ut eruas me.

Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in domum refugii: ut salvum me facias.

Quoniam fortitudo mea et refugium meum es tu: et propter nomen tuum deduces me, et enutries me.

Educes me de laqueo hoc, quem absconderunt mihi: quoniam tu es protector meus.

In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum: redemisti me, Domine, Deus veritatis.

In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice.

Bow down thine ear to me: make haste to deliver me.

Be thou unto me a God, a protector and a house of refuge, to save me.

For thou art my strength, and my refuge: and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.

Thou wilt bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for thou art my protector.

Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.

The third psalm gives the motives of the just man's confidence, even during the dangers of the night. The description here given of peace of mind should make the sinner long for a reconciliation with his God, that so he, too, may enjoy that divine protection, without which there can be no security or happiness in this life of peril and misery.

PSALM 90

Qui habitat in adjutorio Altissimi: in protectione Dei cœli commorabitur.

Dicet Domino: Susceptor meus es tu, et refugium meum: Deus meus, sperabo in eum.

Quoniam ipse liberavit me de laqueo venantium: et a verbo aspero.

Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi: et sub pennis ejus sperabis.

Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus: non timebis a timore nocturno.

A sagitta volante in die, a negotio perambulante in tenebris: ab incursu et dæmonio meridiano.

Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis: ad te autem non appropinquabit.

Verumtamen oculis tuis considerabis: et retributionem peccatorum videbis.

Quoniam tu es, Domine, spes mea: Altissimum posuisti refugium tuum.

Non accedet ad te malum: et flagellum non appropinquabit tabernaculo tuo.

Quoniam angelis suis mandavit de te: ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis.

In manibus portabunt te: ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum.

Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis: et conculcabis leonem et draconem.

Quoniam in me speravit, liberabo eum: protegam eum, quoniam cognovit nomen meum.

Clamabit ad me, et ego exaudiam eum: cum ipso sum in tribulatione, eripiam eum, et glorificabo eum.

Longitudine dierum replebo eum: et ostendam illi salutare meum.

He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven.

He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.

For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.

He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.

His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.

Of the arrow that flieth in the day: of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.

But thou shalt consider with thy eyes: and shalt see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast said: Thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou hast made the Most High thy refuge.

There shall no evil come to thee, nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.

For he hath given his angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways.

In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.

God will say of thee: Because he hoped in me, I will deliver him: I will protect him, because he hath known my name.

He will cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.

I will fill him with length of days: and I will show him my salvation.

The fourth psalm invites the servants of God to persevere, with fervour, in the prayers they offer during the night. The faithful should say this in a spirit of gratitude to God, for raising up in the Church adorers of His holy name, whose grand vocation is to lift up their hands, day and night, for the safety of Israel. On such prayers depend the happiness and the destinies of the world.

PSALM 133

Ecce nunc benedicite Dominum: omnes servi Domini.

Qui statis in domo Domini: in atriis domus Dei nostri.

In noctibus extollite manus vestras in sancta: et benedicite Dominum.

Benedicat te Dominus ex Sion: qui fecit cœlum et terram.

ANT. Miserere mei, Domine, et exaudi orationem meam.

Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord.

Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.

Say to Israel: May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.

ANT. Have mercy on me, O Lord, and hear my prayer.

HYMN ¹

Te lucis ante terminum, Rerum Creator poscimus, Ut pro tua clementia Sis præsul et custodia.

Procul recedant somnia, Et noctium phantasmata; Hostemque nostrum comprime, Ne polluantur corpora.

Præsta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice, Cum Spiritu Paraclito Regnans per omne sæculum.
Amen.

Before the closing of the light, we beseech thee, Creator of all things! that in thy clemency, thou be our protector and our guard.

May the dreams and phantoms of night depart far from us; and do thou repress our enemy, lest our bodies be profaned.

Most merciful Father! and thou, his only-begotten Son, coequal with him, reigning for ever with the holy Paraclete, grant this our prayer! Amen.

CAPITULUM

(Jeremias xiv)

Tu autem in nobis es, Domine, et nomen sanctum tuum invocatum est super nos; ne derelinquas nos Domine Deus noster.

℟. In manus tuas, Domine: * Commendo spiritum meum. In manus tuas.

℣. Redemisti nos, Domine Deus veritatis. * Commendo.

In manus tuas.

℣. Custodi nos, Domine, ut pupillam oculi.

℟. Sub umbra alarum tuarum protege nos.

ANT. Salva nos.

But thou art in us, O Lord, and thy holy name has been invoked upon us: forsake us not, O Lord our God.

℟. Into thy hands, O Lord, * I commend my spirit. Into thy hands.

℣. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord God of truth. * I commend.

Into thy hands.

℣. Preserve us, O Lord, as the apple of thine eye.

℟. Protect us under the shadow of thy wings.

ANT. Save us.

The canticle of the venerable Simeon—who, while holding the divine Infant in his arms, proclaimed Him to be the Light of the Gentiles, and then slept the sleep of the just—admirably expresses the repose of heart which the soul that is in the grace of God will experience in her Jesus; for, as the apostle says, we may live together with Jesus whether we are awake or asleep.¹

CANTICLE OF SIMEON

Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine: secundum verbum tuum in pace.

Quia viderunt oculi mei: salutare tuum.

Quod parasti: ante faciem omnium populorum.

Lumen ad revelationem Gentium: et gloriam plebis tuæ Israel.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, &c.

ANT. Salva nos, Domine, vigilantes, custodi nos dormientes; ut vigilemus cum Christo, et requiescamus in pace.

Now dost thou dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace.

Because my eyes have seen thy salvation.

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples.

A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory, &c.

ANT. Save us, O Lord, while awake, and watch us as we sleep; that we may watch with Christ, and rest in peace.

PRAYERS

Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.

Pater noster.

℣. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.

℟. Sed libera nos a malo.

Credo in Deum, &c.

℣. Carnis resurrectionem.

℟. Vitam æternam. Amen.

℣. Benedictus es Domine Deus patrum nostrorum.

℟. Et laudabilis et gloriosus in sæcula.

℣. Benedicamus Patrem et Filium cum sancto Spiritu.

℟. Laudemus, et superexaltemus eum in sæcula.

℣. Benedictus es, Domine, in firmamento cœli.

℟. Et laudabilis, et gloriosus et superexaltatus in sæcula.

℣. Benedicat et custodiat nos omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.

Our Father.

℣. And lead us not into temptation.

℟. But deliver us from evil.

I believe in God, &c.

℣. The resurrection of the body.

℟. And life everlasting. Amen.

℣. Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers.

℟. And praiseworthy and glorious for ever.

℣. Let us bless the Father and the Son, with the Holy Ghost.

℟. Let us praise and superexalt him for ever.

℣. Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven.

℟. And praiseworthy, and glorious, and superexalted for ever.

℣. May the almighty and merciful Lord bless and keep us.

¹ In the monastic rite, as follows:

Te lucis ante terminum, Rerum Creator, poscimus, Ut solita clementia Sis præsul ad custodiam.

Procul recedant somnia, Et noctium phantasmata, Hostemque nostrum comprime, Ne polluantur corpora.

Præsta Pater omnipotens,
Per Jesum Christum Dominum, Qui tecum in perpetuum Regnat cum sancto Spiritu. Amen.

¹ 1 Thess. v. 10.

℟. Let us praise and magnify him for ever.

℣. Thou art blessed, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven.

℟. And praiseworthy, and glorious, and magnified for ever.

℣. May the almighty and merciful Lord bless us and keep us. ℟. Amen.

℣. Vouchsafe, O Lord, this night.

℟. To keep us without sin.

℣. Have mercy on us, O Lord.

℟. Have mercy on us.

℣. Let thy mercy be upon us, O Lord.

℟. As we have hoped in thee.

℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

COMPLINE

diat nos omnipotens et misericors Dominus. ℟. Amen.

℣. Dignare, Domine, nocte ista.

℟. Sine peccato nos custodire.

℣. Miserere nostri, Domine.

℟. Miserere nostri.

℣. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos.

℟. Quemadmodum speravimus in te.

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

After these prayers (which are omitted if the Office be of a double rite), the priest says:

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

OREMUS

Visita, quæsumus, Domine, habitationem istam, et omnes insidias inimici ab ea longe repelle: angeli tui sancti habitent in ea, qui nos in pace custodiant, et benedictio tua sit super nos semper. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.
℣. Benedicamus Domino.
℟. Deo gratias.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

LET US PRAY

Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this house and family, and drive far from it all snares of the enemy: let thy holy angels dwell herein, who may keep us in peace, and may thy blessing be always upon us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.
℣. Let us bless the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Benedicat et custodiat nos omnipotens et misericors Dominus, Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus sanctus. ℟. Amen.

May the almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless and preserve us. ℟. Amen.

ANTHEM TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Ave Regina cælorum,
Ave Domina angelorum: Salve radix, salve porta, Ex qua mundo lux est orta; Gaude, Virgo gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa: Vale, O valde decora, Et pro nobis Christum exora.

℣. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata.

℟. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.

OREMUS

Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostræ præsidium: ut, qui sanctæ Dei Genitricis memoriam agimus, intercessionis ejus auxilio, a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

℣. Divinum auxilium maneat semper nobiscum.
℟. Amen. ¹

Hail, Queen of heaven! Hail, Lady of the angels! Hail blessed root and gate, from which came light upon the world! Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, that surpassest all in beauty! Hail, most lovely Queen! and pray to Christ for us.

℣. Vouchsafe, O holy Virgin, that I may praise thee.

℟. Give me power against thine enemies.

LET US PRAY

Grant, O merciful God, thy protection to us in our weakness; that we who celebrate the memory of the holy Mother of God, may, through the aid of her intercession, rise again from our sins. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

℣. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
℟. Amen. ¹

Then, in secret, Pater, Ave, and Credo; page 26.

¹ In the monastic rite, this response is as follows:—

℟. Et cum fratribus nostris absentibus. Amen.

℟. And with our absent brethren. Amen.

PROPER OF THE TIME

PASSION SUNDAY

Hodie, si vocem Domini audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra.

To-day if you shall hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.

The holy Church begins her night Office of this Sunday with these impressive words of the royal prophet. Formerly, the faithful considered it their duty to assist at the night Office, at least on Sundays and feasts; they would have grieved to lose the grand teachings given by the liturgy. Such fervour has long since died out; the assiduity at the Offices of the Church, which was the joy of our Catholic forefathers, has now become a thing of the past; and even in countries which have not apostatized from the faith, the clergy have ceased to celebrate publicly Offices at which no one assisted. Excepting in cathedral churches and in monasteries, the grand harmonious system of the divine praise has been abandoned, and the marvellous power of the liturgy has no longer its full influence upon the faithful. This is our reason for drawing the attention of our readers to certain beauties of the Divine Office, which would otherwise be totally ignored. Thus, what can be more impressive than this solemn Invitatory of to-day's Matins, which the Church takes from one of the psalms, and which she repeats on every feria between this and Maundy Thursday? She says: To-day, if ye shall hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts! The sweet voice of your suffering Jesus now speaks to you, poor sinners! be not your own enemies by indifference and hardness of heart. The Son of God is about to give you the last and greatest proof of the love that brought Him down from heaven; His death is nigh at hand: men are preparing the wood for the immolation of the new Isaac: enter into yourselves, and let not your hearts, after being touched with grace, return to their former obduracy; for nothing could be more dangerous. The great anniversaries we are to celebrate have a renovating power for those souls that faithfully correspond with the grace which is offered them; but they increase insensibility in those who let them pass without working their conversion. To-day, therefore, if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts!

During the preceding four weeks, we have noticed how the malice of Jesus' enemies has been gradually increasing. His very presence irritates them; and it is evident that any little circumstance will suffice to bring the deep and long-nurtured hatred to a head. The kind and gentle manners of Jesus are drawing to Him all hearts that are simple and upright; at the same time, the humble life He leads, and the stern purity of His doctrines, are perpetual sources of vexation and anger, both to the proud Jew that looks forward to the Messias being a mighty conqueror, and to the pharisee, who nulls the law of God, that he may make it the instrument of his own base passions. Still, Jesus goes on working miracles; His discourses are more than ever energetic; His prophecies foretell the fall of Jerusalem, and such a destruction of its famous temple, that not a stone is to be left on a stone. The doctors of the Law should, at least, reflect upon what they hear; they should examine these wonderful works, which render such strong testimony in favour of the Son of David; and they should consult those divine prophecies which, up to the present time, have been so literally fulfilled in His person. Alas! they themselves are about to carry them out to the very last iota. There is not a single outrage or suffering foretold by David and Isaias, as having to be put upon the Messias, which these blind men are not scheming to verify.

In them, therefore, was fulfilled that terrible saying: 'He that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.'¹ The Synagogue is nigh to a curse. Obstinate in her error, she refuses to see or to hear; she has deliberately perverted her judgment: she has extinguished within herself the light of the holy Spirit; she will go deeper and deeper into evil, and at length fall into the abyss. This same lamentable conduct is but too often witnessed nowadays in those sinners, who, by habitual resistance to the light, end by finding their happiness in sin. Neither should it surprise us, that we find in people of our own generation a resemblance to the murderers of our Jesus: the history of His Passion will reveal to us many sad secrets of the human heart and its perverse inclinations; for what happened in Jerusalem, happens also in every sinner's heart. His heart, according to the saying of St. Paul, is a Calvary, where Jesus is crucified. There is the same ingratitude, the same blindness, the same wild madness, with this difference: that the sinner who is enlightened by faith, knows Him whom he crucifies; whereas the Jews, as the same apostle tells us, knew not the Lord of glory.² Whilst, therefore, we listen to the Gospel, which relates the history of the Passion, let us turn the indignation which we feel for the Jews against ourselves and our own sins; let us weep over the sufferings of our Victim, for our sins caused Him to suffer and die.

¹ St. Matt. xii. 32. ² 1 Cor. ii. 8.

Everything around us urges us to mourn. The images of the saints, the very crucifix on our altar, are veiled from our sight. The Church is oppressed with grief. During the first four weeks of Lent, she compassionated her Jesus fasting in the desert; His coming sufferings and crucifixion and death are what now fill her with anguish. We read in to-day's Gospel, that the Jews threaten to stone the Son of God as a blasphemer: but His hour is not yet come. He is obliged to flee and hide Himself. It is to express this deep humiliation, that the Church veils the cross. A God hiding Himself, that He may evade the anger of men—what a mystery! Is it weakness? Is it, that He fears death? No; we shall soon see Him going out to meet His enemies: but at present He hides Himself from them, because all that had been prophesied regarding Him has not been fulfilled. Besides, His death is not to be by stoning: He is to die upon a cross, the tree of malediction, which, from that time forward, is to be the tree of life. Let us humble ourselves, as we see the Creator of heaven and earth thus obliged to hide Himself from men, who are bent on His destruction! Let us go back, in thought, to the sad day of the first sin, when Adam and Eve hid themselves because a guilty conscience told them they were naked. Jesus has come to assure us of our being pardoned, and lo! He hides Himself, not because He is naked—He that is to the saints the garb of holiness and immortality—but because He made Himself weak, that He might make us strong. Our first parents sought to hide themselves from the sight of God; Jesus hides Himself from the eye of men. But it will not be thus for ever. The day will come when sinners, from whose anger He now flees, will pray to the mountains to fall on them and shield them from His gaze; but their prayer will not be granted, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with much power and majesty.¹

¹ St. Matt. xxiv. 30.

This Sunday is called Passion Sunday, because the Church begins, on this day, to make the sufferings of our Redeemer her chief thought. It is called also, Judica, from the first word of the Introit of the Mass; and again Neomania, that is, the Sunday of the new (or the Easter) moon, because it always falls after the new moon which regulates the feast of Easter.

In the Greek Church, this Sunday goes under the simple name of the fifth Sunday of the holy fasts.

MASS

At Rome, the Station is in the basilica of St. Peter. The importance of this Sunday, which never gives way to any feast, no matter what its solemnity may be, required that the place for the assembly of the faithful should be in one of the chief sanctuaries of the holy city.

The Introit is taken from the first verses of Psalm xli. The Messias appeals to God's tribunal, and protests against the sentence about to be pronounced against Him by men. He likewise expresses His confidence in His Father's help, who, after His sufferings and death, will lead Him in triumph into the *holy mount*.

INTROIT

Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso eripe me: quia tu es Deus meus, et fortitudo mea.

Ps. Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua. Judica me.

Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man: for thou art my God and my strength.

Ps. Send forth thy light and thy truth; for they have conducted me, and brought me to thy holy mount, and into thy tabernacles. Judge me, &c.

The Gloria Patri is not said during Passiontide and Holy Week (unless a saint's feast be kept), but the Introit is repeated immediately after the Psalm.

In the Collect, the Church prays that there may be produced in her children that total reformation, which the holy season of Lent is intended to produce. This reformation is such, that it will not only subject the body to the spirit, but preserve also the spirit itself from those delusions and passions, to which it has been, hitherto, more or less a slave.

COLLECT

Quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, familiam tuam propitius respice: ut, te largiente, regatur in corpore, et, te servante, custodiatur in mente. Per Dominum.

Mercifully look down on thy people, we beseech thee O almighty God, that by thy bounty and protection, they may be governed and guarded both in body and soul. Through, &c.

Then is added one of the following prayers:

AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCH

Ecclesiæ tuæ, quæsumus, Domine, preces placatus admitte: ut destructis adversitatibus et erroribus universis, secura tibi serviat libertate. Per Dominum.

Mercifully hear, we beseech thee, O Lord, the prayers of thy Church: that all oppositions and errors being removed, she may serve thee with a secure liberty. Through, &c.

FOR THE POPE

Deus, omnium fidelium Pastor et Rector, famulum tuum N., quem Pastorem Ecclesiæ tuæ præesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quæsumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus præest, proficere; ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Dominum.

O God, the Pastor and Ruler of all the faithful, look down, in thy mercy, on thy servant N., whom thou hast appointed Pastor over thy Church; and grant we beseech thee, that both by word and example, he may edify all those that are under his charge: and, with the flock entrusted to him, arrive at length at eternal happiness. Through, &c.

EPISTLE

Lectio Epistolæ beati Pauli Apostoli ad Hebræos.

Cap. IX.

Fratres: Christus assistens Pontifex futurorum bonorum, per amplius et perfectius tabernaculum non manufactum, id est, non hujus creationis: neque per sanguinem hircorum aut vitulorum, sed per proprium Sanguinem introivit semel in Sancta, æterna redemptione inventa. Si enim sanguis hircorum et taurorum, et cinis vitulæ aspersus inquinatos sanctificat ad emundationem carnis: quanto magis Sanguis Christi, qui per Spiritum sanctum semetipsum obtulit immaculatum Deo, emundabit conscientiam nostram ab operibus mortuis, ad serviendum Deo viventi? Et ideo novi Testamenti mediator est: ut morte intercedente, in redemptionem earum prævaricationum, quæ erant sub priori Testamento, repromissionem accipiant, qui vocati sunt, æternæ hæreditatis: in Christo Jesu Domino nostro.

Lesson of the Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.

Ch. IX.

Brethren: Christ being come, an High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, neither by the blood of goats or of calves, but by his own Blood, entered once into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. For, if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh; how much more shall the Blood of Christ (who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God), cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And therefore, he is the mediator of the new Testament: that by means of his death, for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former Testament, they that are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is by blood alone that man is to be redeemed. He has offended God. This God cannot be appeased by anything short of the extermination of His rebellious creature, who, by shedding his blood, will give an earnest of his repentance and his entire submission to the Creator, against whom he dared to rebel. Otherwise, the justice of God must be satisfied by the sinner's suffering eternal punishment. This truth was understood by all the people of the ancient world, and all confessed it by shedding the blood of victims, as in the sacrifices of Abel at the very commencement of the world, in the hecatombs of Greece, in the countless immolations whereby Solomon dedicated the temple. And yet God thus speaks to His people: "Hear, O My people, and I will speak: O Israel, and I will testify to thee: I am God thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, and thy burnt-offerings are always in my sight. I will not take calves out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy flocks. I need them not: for all the beasts of the woods are Mine. If I should be hungry I would not tell thee; for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof. Shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? or shall I drink the blood of goats?"¹ Thus, God commands the blood of victims to be offered to Him, and, at the same time, declares that neither it nor they are precious in His sight.

¹ Ps. xlix. 7-13.

Is this a contradiction? No: God would hereby have man understand that it is only by blood that he can be redeemed, but that the blood of brute animals cannot effect this redemption. Can the blood of man himself bring him his own redemption, and appease God's justice? No, not even man's blood, for it is defiled; and even were it undefiled, it is powerless to compensate for the outrage done to God by sin. For this there was needed the Blood of a God; such was the Blood of Jesus, and He has come that He may shed it for our redemption.

In Him is fulfilled the most sacred of the figures of the old Law. Once each year, the high-priest entered into the Holy of holies, there to make intercession for the people. He went within the veil, even to the Ark of the Covenant; but he was not allowed to enjoy this great privilege, unless he entered the holy place carrying in his hands the blood of a newly-offered victim. The Son of God, the true High-Priest, is now about to enter heaven, and we are to follow Him thither; but unto this, He must have an offering of blood, and that Blood can be none other than His own. We are going to assist at this His compliance with the divine ordinance. Let us open our hearts, that this precious Blood may, as the apostle says in to-day's Epistle, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

The Gradual is taken from the Psalms. Our Saviour here prays to be delivered from His enemies, and protected from the rage of them that have risen up against Him; yet is He ready to do the will of His Father, by whom He will be avenged.

In the Tract, which is also taken from the Psalms, the Messias, under the name of Israel, complains of the persecution He has met with from the Jews, even from His youth. They are now about to scourge Him in a most cruel manner. But He also foretells the punishment their deicide is to bring upon them.

GRADUAL

Eripe me, Domine, de inimicis meis: doce me facere voluntatem tuam.

℣. Liberator meus, Domine, de gentibus iracundis: ab insurgentibus in me exaltabis me: a viro iniquo eripies me.

Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; teach me to do thy will.

℣. Thou, O Lord, art my deliverer from the enraged Gentiles: thou wilt put me out of the reach of those that assault me; and thou wilt rescue me from the unrighteous man.

TRACT

Sæpe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea.

℣. Dicat nunc Israel: Sæpe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea.

℣. Etenim non potuerunt mihi: supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores.

℣. Prolongaverunt iniquitates suas: Dominus justus concidet cervices peccatorum.

Many a time have they fought against me from my youth.

℣. Let Israel now say: They have often attacked me from my youth.

℣. But they could not prevail over me: the wicked have wrought upon my back.

℣. They have lengthened their iniquity: the Lord who is just, will cut the necks of sinners.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.

Cap. viii.

In illo tempore: Dicebat Jesus turbis Judæorum: Quis ex vobis arguet me de peccato? Si veritatem dico vobis, quare non creditis mihi? Qui ex Deo est, verba Dei audit. Propterea vos non auditis, quia ex Deo non estis. Responderunt ergo Judæi, et dixerunt ei: Nonne bene dicimus nos quia Samaritanus es tu, et dæmonium habes? Respondit Jesus: Ego dæmonium non habeo: sed honorifico Patrem meum, et vos inhonorastis me. Ego autem non quæro gloriam meam: est qui quærat et judicet. Amen, amen dico vobis: Si quis sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in æternum. Dixerunt ergo Judæi: Nunc cognovimus quia dæmonium habes. Abraham mortuus est, et prophetæ: et tu dicis: Si quis sermonem meum servaverit, non gustabit mortem in æternum. Numquid tu major es patre nostro Abraham, qui mortuus est? et prophetæ mortui sunt. Quem teipsum facis? Respondit Jesus: Si ego glorifico meipsum, gloria mea nihil est: est Pater meus, qui glorificat me, quem vos dicitis quia Deus vester est, et non cognovistis eum; ego autem novi eum: et si dixero quia non scio eum, ero similis vobis mendax. Sed scio eum, et sermonem ejus servo. Abraham pater vester exsultavit ut videret diem meum: vidit, et gavisus est. Dixerunt ergo Judæi ad eum: Quinquaginta annos nondum habes, et Abraham vidisti? Dixit eis Jesus: Amen, amen dico vobis, antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum. Tulerunt ergo lapides ut jacerent in eum: Jesus autem abscondit se, et exivit de templo.

Sequel of the holy Gospel, according to John.

Ch. viii.

At that time: Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews: Which of you shall convince me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do you not believe me? He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God. The Jews, therefore, answered and said to him: Do not we say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered: I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and you have dishonoured me. But I seek not my own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Amen, amen, I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever. The Jews therefore said: Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets: and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself? Jesus answered: If I glorify myself my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifieth me, of whom you say that he is your God; and you have not known him, but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him, and do keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad. The Jews therefore said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am. They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

The fury of the Jews is evidently at its height, and Jesus is obliged to hide Himself from them. But He is to fall into their hands before many days are over; then will they triumph and put Him to death. They triumph, and Jesus is their victim: but how different is to be His lot from theirs! In obedience to the decrees of His heavenly Father, and out of love for men, He will deliver Himself into the hands of His enemies, and they will put Him to death; but He will rise victorious from the tomb, He will ascend into heaven, He will be throned on the right hand of His Father. His enemies, on the contrary, after having vented all their rage, will live on without remorse, until the terrible day come for their chastisement. That day is not far off, for observe the severity wherewith our Lord speaks to them: "You hear not the words of God, because you are not of God." Yet there was a time when they were of God, for the Lord gives His grace to all men; but they have rendered this grace useless; they are now in darkness, and the light they have rejected will not return.

"You say that My Father is your God, and you have not known Him; but I know Him." Their obstinacy in refusing to acknowledge Jesus as the Messias, has led these men to ignore that very God, whom they boast of honouring; for if they knew the Father, they would not reject His Son. Moses, and the Psalms, and the Prophets, are all a dead letter to them; these sacred Books are soon to pass into the hands of the Gentiles, who will both read and understand them. "If," continues Jesus, "I should say that I know Him not, I should be like to you, a liar." This strong language is that of the angry Judge who is to come down, at the last day, to destroy sinners. Jerusalem has not known the time of her visitation: the Son of God has visited her, He is with her, and she dares to say to Him: "Thou hast a devil!" She says to the eternal Word, who proves Himself to be God by the most astonishing miracles, that Abraham and the prophets are greater than He! Strange blindness, that comes from pride and hardness of heart! The feast of the Pasch is at hand; these men are going to eat, and with much parade of religion, the flesh of the figurative lamb; they know full well that this lamb is a symbol, or a figure, which is to have its fulfilment. The true Lamb is to be sacrificed by their hands, and they will not know Him. He will shed His Blood for them, and it will not save them. How this reminds us of those sinners, for whom this Easter promises to be as fruitless as those of the past years! Let us redouble our prayers for them, and bend our Lord to soften their hearts, lest trampling the Blood of Jesus under their feet, they should have it to cry vengeance against them before the throne of the heavenly Father.

At the Offertory, confiding in the merits of the Blood that has redeemed us, let us, in the words of the Psalm, give praise to God, and proclaim Him to be the author of that new life, of which the sacrifice of the Lamb is the never-failing source.

OFFERTORY

Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: retribue servo tuo; vivam, et custodiam sermones tuos: vivifica me secundum verbum tuum, Domine.

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: reward thy servant: I shall live, and keep thy commandments: save me according to thy word, O Lord.

The Sacrifice of the spotless Lamb has

produced two effects upon the sinner: it has broken his fetters, and has made him the object of God's love. The Church prays, in the Secret, that the Sacrifice which she is about to offer, and which is one with that of the cross, may work the same results in us.

SECRETS

Hæc munera, quæsumus, Domine, et vincula nostræ pravitatis absolvant, et tuæ nobis misericordiæ dona concilient. Per Dominum.

May these offerings, O Lord, both loosen the bonds of our wickedness, and obtain for us the gifts of thy mercy. Through, &c.

AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCH

Protege nos, Domine, tuis mysteriis servientes: ut divinis rebus inhærentes, et corpore tibi famulemur et mente. Per Dominum.

Protect us, O Lord, while we assist at thy sacred mysteries: that being employed in acts of religion, we may serve thee both in body and mind. Through &c.

FOR THE POPE

Oblatis, quæsumus, Domine, placare muneribus: et famulum tuum N. quem Pastorem Ecclesiæ tuæ præesse voluisti, assidua protectione guberna. Per Dominum.

Be appeased, O Lord, with the offering we have made: and cease not to protect thy servant N., whom thou hast been pleased to appoint Pastor over thy Church. Through, &c.

The Communion-antiphon is formed out of the very words spoken by Jesus, when instituting the august Sacrifice which has just been celebrated, and of which the priest and people have partaken, in memory of the Passion, for it renews both the remembrance and the merits of the Passion.

COMMUNION

Hoc corpus, quod pro vobis tradetur: hic calix novi testamenti est in meo sanguine, dicit Dominus: hoc facite, quotiesque sumitis, in meam commemorationem.

This is the body which shall be delivered up for you; this is the cup of the new covenant in my blood, saith the Lord. As often as you receive them, do it in remembrance of me.

In the Postcommunion, the Church prays to God, that He would maintain in the faithful the fruits of the visit He has so graciously paid them; for, by their participation in the sacred mysteries, He has entered into them.

POSTCOMMUNIONS

Adesto nobis, Domine Deus noster: et, quos tuis mysteriis recreasti, perpetuis defende subsidiis. Per Dominum.

Help us, O Lord our God, and for ever protect those whom thou hast refreshed with thy sacred mysteries. Through, &c.

AGAINST THE PERSECUTORS OF THE CHURCH

Quæsumus, Domine Deus noster: ut quos divina tribuis participatione gaudere, humanis non sinas subjacere periculis. Per Dominum.

We beseech thee, O Lord our God, not to leave exposed to the dangers of human life, those whom thou hast permitted to partake of these divine mysteries. Through, &c.

FOR THE POPE

Hæc nos quæsumus, Domine, divini Sacramenti perceptio protegat: et famulum tuum N. quem Pastorem Ecclesiæ tuæ præesse voluisti, una cum commisso sibi grege salvet semper et muniat. Per Dominum.

May the participation of this divine Sacrament protect us, we beseech thee, O Lord, and always procure safety and defence to thy servant N., whom thou hast appointed Pastor over the Church, together with the flock committed to his charge. Through &c.

VESPERS

The psalms and antiphons are given on page 81.

CAPITULUM

*Heb. ix*

Fratres: Christus assistens Pontifex futurorum bonorum, per amplius et perfectius tabernaculum non manufactum, id est, non hujus creationis, neque per sanguinem hircorum, aut vitulorum, sed per proprium sanguinem, introivit semel in Sancta, æterna redemptione inventa.

Brethren: Christ being come an High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, neither by the blood of goats or of calves, but by his own Blood, entered once into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption.

For the hymn and versicle, see page 89.

ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT

Abraham pater vester exsultavit ut videret diem meum: vidit et gavisus est.

Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad.

OREMUS

Quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, familiam tuam propitius respice: ut, te largiente, regatur in corpore, et, te servante, custodiatur in mente. Per Dominum.

LET US PRAY

Mercifully look down on thy people, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that by thy bounty and protection, they may be governed and guarded both in body and soul. Through, &c.

The following appropriate prayer is from the Mozarabic breviary.

CAPITULUM

Passionis tuæ festum, Christe Dei Filius, devotis cordium officiis, recursu temporis inchoantes, quo pro nobis et linguas fuisti persequentium passus, et tradentium te vulneribus crucifixus; rogamus atque exposcimus ne te elonges a nobis: ut quia proximante tribulatione, non est qui adjuvet; tu solus Passionis tuæ nos subleves ope: ne tradas ergo nos inimicis nostris in malum, sed excipe servos tuos in bonum: ut nos calumniantes superbi, inimici scilicet animarum nostrarum, virtutis tuæ potentia propellantur; tu es enim divina lucerna per humanitatem super candelabrum crucis imposita; ideo te rogamus, ut nos accendas, ne veniamus in pœnam. Quos ergo perspicis initiatum Passionis tuæ festum devotis cordibus excepisse, facito eos Passioni tuæ communicare: ut tenebrarum nostrarum errore discusso, lucis tuæ muniamur præsidio.

The course of the year has brought us to the time for celebrating, with devout hearts and offices, the feast of thy Passion, O Jesus, Son of God! wherein, for our sake, thou didst suffer the calumnies of thine enemies, and wast crucified by the wounds of them that betrayed thee. We pray and beseech thee, that thou depart not from us; and whereas tribulation is nigh at hand, and there is none to help us, do thou, by the help of thy Passion, become our sole protector. Deliver us not, therefore, into the hands of our enemies unto evil, but receive us, as thy servants, unto good; that the haughty ones who calumniate us, namely the enemies of our souls, may be repelled by the might of thy power. Thou, by the human nature thou hast assumed, art the lamp set on the stand of the cross: we beseech thee, therefore, that thou enkindle us by thy flame, lest we become a prey to punishment. Behold us now entering, with devout hearts, upon the feast of thy Passion; oh! grant that we may partake of the merits of thy Passion: that thus, being delivered from the error of our darkness, we may be fortified by the help of thy light.

That we may the better honour the holy cross, we give, for each day of this week, an appropriate hymn from one or other of the various ancient liturgies. The one we have selected for to-day is the composition of St. Venantius Fortunatus, bishop of Poitiers.

HYMN

Crux benedicta nitet, Dominus qua carne pependit.

Atque cruore suo vulnera nostra lavat.

Mitis amore pio pro nobis victima factus,

Traxit ab ore lupi qua sacer Agnus oves.

Transfixis palmis ubi mundum a clade redemit,

Atque suo clausit funere mortis iter.

Hic manus illa fuit clavis confixa cruentis,

Quæ eripuit Paulum crimine, morte Petrum.

Fertilitate potens, o dulce et nobile lignum,

Quando tuis ramis tam nova poma geris.

Cujus odore novo defuncta cadavera surgunt,

Et redeunt vitæ qui caruere die.

Nullum uret æstus sub frondibus arboris hujus:

Luna nec in noctem, sol neque meridie.

Tu plantata micas secus est ubi cursus aquarum:

Spargis et ornatas flore recente comas.

Appensa est vitis inter tua brachia, de qua

Dulcia sanguineo vina rubore fluunt.

Brightly shineth the blessed cross, whereon hung the Body of our Lord, when, with his Blood, he washed our wounds.

Become, out of tender love for us, a meek Victim, this divine Lamb did by the cross rescue us his sheep from the jaws of the wolf.

'Twas there, with his hands nailed to the wood, that he redeemed the world from ruin, and by his own death, closed the way of death.

Here was fastened with cruel nails that hand which delivered Paul from sin, and Peter from death.

O sweet and noble tree! how vigorous in thy growth, when, on thy branches, hang fruits so rare as these!

Thy fresh fragrance gives resurrection to many that lay in the tomb, and restores the dead to life.

He that shelters beneath thy shade, shall not be scorched either by the moon at night or by the midday sun.

Planted near the running waters, thou art lovely in thy verdure, and blossoms ever fresh blow on each fair branch.

Between thine arms hangs the pendant Vine, whence wine most sweet flows in a ruddy stream.

MONDAY IN PASSION WEEK

The Station, at Rome, is in the church of Saint Chrysogonus, one of the most celebrated martyrs of the Church of Rome. His name is inserted in the Canon of the Mass.

COLLECT

Sanctifica, quæsumus, Domine, nostra jejunia: et cunctarum nobis indulgentiam propitius largire culparum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Sanctify, O Lord, we beseech thee, our fasts, and mercifully grant us the pardon of all our sins. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISTLE

Lectio Jonæ Prophetæ. Cap. iii.

In diebus illis: Factum est verbum Domini ad Jonam prophetam secundo, dicens: Surge, et vade in Niniven civitatem magnam: et prædica in ea prædicationem quam ego loquor ad te. Et surrexit Jonas, et abiit in Niniven juxta verbum Domini. Et Ninive erat civitas magna itinere trium dierum. Et cœpit Jonas introïre in civitatem itinere diei unius: et clamavit, et dixit: adhuc quadraginta dies et Ninive subvertetur. Et crediderunt viri Ninivitæ in Deum: et prædicaverunt jejunium, et vestiti sunt saccis a majore usque ad minorem. Et pervenit verbum ad regem Ninive: et surrexit de solio suo, et abjecit vestimentum suum a se, et indutus est sacco, et sedit in cinere. Et clamavit, et dixit in Ninive ex ore regis, et principum ejus, dicens: Homines, et jumenta, et boves, et pecora non gustent quidquam; nec pascantur, et aquam non bibant. Et operiantur saccis homines, et jumenta, et clament ad Dominum in fortitudine; et convertatur vir a via sua mala, et ab iniquitate, quæ est in manibus eorum. Quis scit si convertatur et ignoscat Deus: et revertatur a furore iræ suæ, et non peribimus? Et vidit Deus opera eorum, quia conversi sunt de via sua mala: et misertus est populo suo Dominus Deus noster.

Lesson from Jonas the Prophet. Ch. iii.

In those days: the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time, saying: Arise and go to Ninive, the great city: and preach in it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonas arose, and went to Ninive, according to the word of the Lord. Now Ninive was a great city of three days' journey. And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's journey: and he cried and said: Yet forty days and Ninive shall be destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. And the word came to the king of Ninive: and he rose up out of his throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published in Ninive, from the mouth of the king and of his princes, saying: Let neither men nor beasts, oxen nor sheep, taste anything: let them not feed nor drink water. And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and cry to the Lord with all their strength, and let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish? And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and the Lord our God had mercy on his people.

The Church's intention in this day's lesson is to encourage us to earnestness and perseverance in our penance. Here we have an idolatrous city, a haughty and debauched capital, whose crimes have merited the anger of heaven. God threatens it with His vengeance: yet forty days, and Ninive and its inhabitants shall be destroyed. How came it, that the threat was not carried into effect? What was it that caused Ninive to be spared? Its people returned to the God they had left; they sued for mercy; they humbled themselves, and fasted; and the Church concludes the prophet's account by these touching words of her own: "And the Lord our God had mercy on His people." They are Gentiles, but they became His people, because they did penance at the preaching of the prophet. God had made a covenant with one only nation, the Jews; but He rejected not the Gentiles as often as they renounced their false gods, confessed His holy name and desired to serve Him. We are here taught the efficacy of corporal mortification; when united with spiritual penance, that is, with the repentance of the heart, it has power to appease God's anger. How highly, then, should we prize the holy exercises of penance, put upon us by the Church during this holy season! Let us also learn to dread that false spirituality, which tells us that exterior mortification is of little value: such doctrine is the result of rationalism and cowardice.

This passage from the prophet Jonas is also intended for the catechumens, whose Baptism is so close at hand. It teaches them to have confidence in this merciful God of the Christians, whose threats are so terrible, but who, notwithstanding, turns from His threats to forgive the repentant sinner. These catechumens, who had hitherto lived in the Ninive of paganism, were here taught that God, even before sending His Son into the world, invited all men to become His people. Seeing the immense obstacles their Gentile ancestors had to surmount in order to receive and persevere in the grace offered them, they would bless God their Saviour for having, by His Incarnation, His Sacrifice, His Sacraments, and His Church, facilitated salvation for us who live under the new Testament. True, He was the source of salvation to all preceding generations: but with what incomparable richness is He the source of ours!

The public penitents, too, had their instruction in this Epistle. What an encouragement for them to hope for pardon! God has shown pardon to Ninive,

sinful as it was, and sentenced to destruction: He would, therefore, accept their repentance and penance, He would stay His justice, and show them mercy and pardon.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem. Cap. vii.

In illo tempore: Miserunt principes et pharisæi ministros, ut apprehenderent Jesum. Dixit ergo eis Jesus: Adhuc modicum tempus vobiscum sum: et vado ad eum qui me misit. Quæretis me, et non invenietis: et ubi ego sum vos non potestis venire. Dixerunt ergo Judæi ad semetipsos: Quo hic iturus est, quia non inveniemus eum? Numquid in dispersionem Gentium iturus est, et docturus Gentes? Quis est hic sermo quem dixit: Quæretis me, et non invenietis: et ubi sum ego, vos non potestis venire? In novissimo autem die magno festivitatis stabat Jesus, et clamabat dicens: Si quis sitit, veniat ad me, et bibat. Qui credit in me, sicut dicit Scriptura, flumina de ventre ejus fluent aquæ vivæ. Hoc autem dixit de Spiritu, quem accepturi erant credentes in eum.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. vii.

At that time: The rulers and pharisees sent ministers to apprehend Jesus. Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while I am with you: and then I go to him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come. The Jews therefore said among themselves: Whither will he go that we shall not find him? Will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What is this saying that he hath said: You shall seek me and shall not find me; and where I am, you cannot come? And on the last and great day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, 'Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in him.

The enemies of Jesus sought to stone Him to death, as we were told in yesterday's Gospel; to-day they are bent on making Him a prisoner, and send soldiers to seize Him. This time Jesus does not hide Himself; but how awful are the words He speaks: I go to Him that sent Me: you shall seek Me, and shall not find Me! The sinner, then, who has long abused the grace of God, may have his ingratitude and contempt punished in this just, but terrific way—that he shall not be able to find the Jesus he has despised: he shall seek, and shall not find. Antiochus, when humbled under the hand of God, prayed, yet obtained not mercy. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, whilst the Church was casting her roots in the world, the Jews, who had crucified the just One, were seeking the Messias in each of the many impostors, who were then rising up in Judea, and fomenting rebellions, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem. Surrounded on all sides by the Roman legions, with their temple and palaces a prey to flames, they sent up their cries to heaven, and besought the God of their fathers to send, as He had promised, the Deliverer! It never occurred to them that this Deliverer had shown Himself to their fathers, to many even of themselves; that they had put Him to death, and that the apostles had already carried His name to the ends of the earth. They went on looking for Him, even to the very day when the deicide city fell, burying beneath its ruins them that the sword had spared. Had they been asked what it was they were awaiting, they would have replied that they were expecting their Messias! He had come, and gone. You shall seek Me, and shall not find Me! Let those, too, think of these terrible words of Jesus, who intend to neglect the graces offered to them during this Easter. Let us pray, let us make intercession for them, lest they fall into that awful threat, of a repentance that seeks mercy when it is too late to find aught save an inexorable justice.

¹ 2 Mach. ix. 13.

But what consoling thoughts are given us by the concluding words of our Gospel! Faithful souls, and you that have repented! listen to what your Jesus says, for it is to you that He speaks: If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. Remember the prayer of the Samaritan woman: Give me O Lord, to drink of this water! This water is divine grace: come and drink your fill at the fountains of your Saviour, as the prophet Isaias bids you.¹ This water gives purity to the souls that are defiled, strength to them that are weak, and love to them that have no fervour. Nay, our Saviour assures us that he who believes in Him shall himself become as a fountain of living water, for the Holy Ghost will come upon him, and he shall pour out upon others of the fulness that he himself has received. With what joy must the catechumen have listened to these words, which promised him that his thirst should soon be quenched at the holy font! Jesus has made Himself everything to the world He has come to save: Light to guide us, Bread to nourish us, a Vine to gladden our hearts with its fruit, and, lastly, a Fountain of living water to quench our thirst.

¹ Is. xii, 3.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Bow down your heads to God.

Da, quæsumus, Domine, populo tuo salutem mentis et corporis: ut bonis operibus inhærendo, tua semper mereatur protectione defendi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, to thy people, health both of body and mind, that being constant in the practice of good works, they may always be safe under thy protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This being the day on which the Church offers to our meditations the history of the prophet Jonas reaching to Ninive, we subjoin a new fragment from the hymn of Prudentius on fasting. It is the passage where he relates the life of this prophet, and the repentance of the wicked city.

HYMN

Referre prisci stemma nunc jejunii Libet, fideli proditum volumine, Ut diruendæ civitatis incolis
Fulmen benigni mansuefactum Patris, Pie repressis ignibus, pepercerit.

I fain would now, in holy fasting's praise, tell, from the book of truth, how God our Father, with his wonted love, repressed the fire and thunder of his wrath, and spared the city doomed to be destroyed.

Gens insolenti præpotens jactantia
Pollebat olim: quam fluentem nequiter Corrupta vulgo solverat lascivia; Et inde bruto contumax fastidio Cultum superni negligebat Numinis.

In ancient days a city flourished, whose mighty power drove her into haughtiness extreme. Criminal indulgence and lewd corruption had destroyed the morals of her people, so brutalizing them, that they left the worship of the God of heaven.

Offensa tandem jugis indulgentiæ
Censura, justis excitatur motibus, Dextram perarmat rhomphæali incendio,
Nimbos crepantes, et fragosos turbines Vibrans tonantum nube flammarum quatit.

At length, the tired patience of God's long-suffering gave way to justice, which moves his hand to prepare his arrowed lightnings, and storm-voiced clouds, and jarring whirlwind, and thunderbolts that shake the vault of heaven.

Sed pœnitendi dum datur diecula,
Si forte vellent improbam libidinem Veteresque nugas condomare, ac frangere. Suspendit ictum terror exorabilis, Paulumque dicta substitit sententia.

Yet does he grant them time for penitence, wherein to tame and break the wickedness of their lust and wonted follies. Mercy, that waits for prayer, holds back the blow of anger; a brief delay puts off the day of doom.

Jonam prophetam mitis ultor excitat, Pœnæ imminentis iret ut prænuncius;
Sed nosset ille quum minacem judicem Servare malle, quam ferire ac plectere, Tectam latenter vertit in Tharsos fugam.

The meek avenger sends a herald of the coming woe: it is Jonas the prophet. But he, well knowing that the threatening Judge is prone to save rather than to strike and punish, stealthily to Tharsis flees.

Celsam paratis pontibus scandit ratem: Udo revincta fune puppis solvitur. Itur per altum; fit procellosum mare: Tum causa tanti quæritur periculi:
Sors in fugacem missa vatem decidit.

A noble vessel was prepared for sail, whereon he takes his place. The anchor weighed, the vessel puts from shore. She ploughs the deep, when, lo! a storm. Endangered thus, the crew would know the cause, and casting lots, it falls upon the fugitive, the prophet.

Jussus perire solus e cunctis reus, Cujus voluta crimen urna expresserat, Præceps rotatur, et profundo immergitur:
Exceptus inde belluinis faucibus, Alvi capacis vivus hauritur specu.

Of all, the only one in fault is he. His guilt is clear, the lot has told the tale. Headlong is he cast, and buried in the deep; and as he falls, a whale's huge jaw receives the prophet, burying him alive in the sepulchre of his capacious womb.

Intactus exin tertiæ noctis vice,
Monstri vomentis pellitur singultibus, Qua murmuranti fine fluctus frangitur, Salsosque candens spuma tundit pumices, Ructatus exit, seque servatum stupet.

There for three nights does Jonas lie unhurt; which passed, the sick monster heaves him from his womb, just where the murmuring billows break upon the shore, and whiten the salty rocks with foam. The prophet comes forth, wondering, but safe.

In Ninivitas se coactus percito Gressu reflectit: quos ut increpaverat, Pudenda censor imputans opprobria. Impendit, inquit, ira summi vindicis, Urbemque flamma mox cremabit: credite.

Compelled, to Ninive he turns his hurried steps. He chides, he censures, he charges her with all her shameless crimes, saying: 'The anger of the great Avenger shall fall upon you, and speedily your city shall be made a prey to fire. Believe the prophecy I speak.'

Apicem deinceps ardui montis petit, Visurus inde conglobatum turbide Fumum ruinæ, cladis et diræ struem,
Tectus flagellis multinodi germinis, Nato et repente perfruens umbraculo.

Then to the summit of a lofty hill he goes, from whence to see the thickened clouds of smoke rising from the ruined heap, and gaze upon the pile of unpitied dead. Suddenly there grows upon the spot an ivy-tree whose knotted branches yield a shady cover.

Sed mœsta postquam civitas vulnus novi
Hausit doloris, heu! supremum palpitat. Cursant per ampla congregatim mœnia
Plebs, et senatus, omnis ætas civium,
Pallens juventus, ejulantes feminæ.

But scarce had the mournful city felt the wound of her coming grief, than deathly fear possesses her. Her people and her senate, her young and old, youths pale with panic, and women wailing loud, hurry in groups along the spacious walls.

Placet frementem publicis jejuniis Placare Christum: mos edendi spernitur.

It is decreed: the anger of Christ shall by fasting be appeased. Henceforth they spurn to eat. Matrons doff their trinkets, and vest in dingy garbs, and, for their wreaths of pearls and silks, sprinkle ashes on their hair.

Glaucos amictus induit monilibus Matrona demptis, proque gemma, et serico Crinem fluentem sordibus spargit cinis.

Squalent recincta veste pullati patres, Setasque plangens turba sumit textiles, Impexa villis virginbestialibus Nigrante vultum contegit velamine, Jacens arenis et puer provolvitur.

Patricians put on robes of sombre hue; the people, weeping, take hair-shirts for their dress; dishevelled maidens, clad in skins of beasts, hide their faces in veils of black. Children, too, make the dust of earth their bed.

Rex ipse Coos æstuantem murices
Lænam revulsa dissipabat fibula,
Gemmas virentes, et lapillos sutiles, Insigne frontis exuebat vinculum Turpi capillos impeditus pulvere.

The king himself from his shoulders tears the Cossian purple robe, and for the diadem that decks his brow with emeralds and gems, strews grim ashes on his head.

Nullus bibendi, nemo vescendi memor: Jejuna mensas pubes omnis liquerat: Quin et negato lacte vagientium Fletu madescunt parvulorum cunulæ:
Succum papillæ parca nutrix derogat.

None thinks of drink or meat. Among the youths, not one would touch the food prepared. Nay, babes are kept from their mothers' breasts, and in their cradles, wet with tears, these little fasters lie.

Greges et ipsos claudit armentalium Solers virorum cura, ne vagum pecus Contingat ore rorulenta gramina, Potum strepentis neve fontis hauriat: Vacuis querelæ personant præsepibus.

The herdsman, too, pens up his flock with care, lest, left to roam, the dewy grass or rippling fount should tempt them to transgress the universal fast; but now, pent up, their moans rebellow through their prison-cave.

Mollitus his, et talibus, brevem Deus
Iram refrænat, temperans oraculum
Prosper sinistrum: prona nam clementia Haud difficulter supplicum mortalium Solvit reatum, fitque fautrix flentium.

Thus is God appeased, his anger brief restrained, and threatened evil yields to proffered love: for mercy leans to pardon men their sins, if they but humbly pray; and when they weep, she makes herself their friend.

Let us close the day with these stanzas in honour of the holy cross. We have taken them from the Triodion of the Greek Church.

HYMN

(Feria VI. mediæ Septimana)

Sanctissimum lignum, in quo Christus manibus extensis adversarias potestates devicit, adoremus jejunio nitidi, ad laudem et gloriam Omnipotentis.

Purified by our fast, let us, to the praise and glory of the omnipotent God, venerate that most holy cross, whereon Christ, with his arms stretched forth, overcame the power of our enemy.

Crux salutifera sanctificationem suppeditans proposita cernitur. Accedamus, cor et corpus emundantes.

The saving cross, that sanctifies us, is now exposed before our eyes. Let us draw nigh, having purified our body and our soul.

Igne mandatorum tuorum munda me, benigne, et da, ut salutiferam Passionem tuam intuear, et cum desiderio adorem, cruce vallatus et conservatus.

Cleanse me, O merciful Saviour, by the fire of thy commandments, and grant that I may contemplate thy saving Passion, and lovingly adore it, having the cross for my protection and defence.

Aquis jejunii pectora purgati, lignum crucis fideliter amplectamur, in quo Christus crucifixus aquam immortalitatis nobis emisit.

Having our hearts purified by the waters of our fast, let us faithfully embrace the wood of the cross, whereon Christ crucified sent forth to us the water of immortality.

Crucis velut velo alati, salutarem jejunii navigationem jam mediam emensi sumus, Jesu Salvator, per quam deduc nos ad Passionis tuæ portum.

Præmonstrabat te Moyses in monte, o crux, in gentium interitum. Nos vero efformantes te, et corde intuentes et adorantes, hostes carnis expertes virtute tua profligamus.

us, with faith, embrace the wood of the cross, on which Christ was crucified, and gave us the water of immortality.

Having thy cross as our sail, we have already winged our way half through the saving voyage of our fast. Lead us by the same, O Jesus our Saviour, into the haven of thy Passion.

Moses on the mount was a figure of thee, O holy cross, (when he prayed with his outstretched arms), unto the destruction of the Amalekites. Grant that we, who sign thee on ourselves, and lovingly gaze on and venerate thee, may, by thy power, put our spiritual enemies to flight.

TUESDAY

IN PASSION WEEK

The Station in Rome was formerly the church of the martyr St. Cyriacus, and as such it is still given in the Roman missal; but this holy sanctuary having been destroyed, and the relics of the holy deacon translated to the church of St. Mary in Via lata, it is here that the Station is now held.

COLLECT

Nostra tibi, Domine, quæsumus, sint accepta jejunia: quæ nos et expiando gratiæ tuæ dignos efficiant; et ad remedia perducant æterna. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

May our fast, O Lord, we beseech thee, be acceptable to thee, and, having purified us from sin, make us worthy of thy grace, and procure us everlasting remedies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISTLE

Lectio Danielis Prophetæ. Cap. xiv.

In diebus illis: Congregati sunt Babylonii ad regem, et dixerunt ei: Trade nobis Danielem, qui Bel destruxit, et draconem interfecit; alioquin interficiemus te et domum tuam. Vidit ergo rex quod irruerent in eum vehementer: et necessitate compulsus tradidit eis Danielem. Qui miserunt eum in lacum leonum, et erat ibi diebus sex. Porro in lacu erant leones septem, et dabantur eis duo corpora quotidie, et duæ oves: et tunc non data sunt eis, ut devorarent Danielem. Erat autem Habacuc propheta in Judæa, et ipse coxerat pulmentum, et intriverat panes in alveolo: et ibat in campum ut ferret messoribus. Dixitque angelus Domini ad Habacuc: Fer prandium quod habes in Babylonem Danieli, qui est in lacu leonum. Et dixit Habacuc: Domine, Babylonem non vidi, et lacum nescio. Et apprehendit eum angelus Domini in vertice ejus, et portavit eum capillo capitis sui, posuitque eum in Babylone supra lacum in impetu spiritus sui. Et clamavit Habacuc, dicens: Daniel, serve Dei, tolle prandium quod misit tibi Deus. Et ait Daniel: Recordatus es mei Deus, et non dereliquisti diligentes te. Surgensque Daniel comedit. Porro angelus Domini restituit Habacuc confestim in loco suo. Venit ergo rex die septimo, ut lugeret Danielem: et venit ad lacum, et introspexit, et ecce Daniel sedens in medio leonum. Et exclamavit voce magna rex, dicens: Magnus es, Domine Deus Danielis! Et extraxit eum de lacu leonum. Porro illos qui perditionis ejus causa fuerant, intromisit in lacum, et devorati sunt in momento coram eo. Tunc rex ait: Paveant omnes habitantes in universa terra Deum Danielis; quia ipse est Salvator, faciens signa et mirabilia in terra: qui liberavit Danielem de lacu leonum.

Lesson from Daniel the Prophet. Ch. xiv.

In those days: The people of Babylon gathered together against the king: and said to him: Deliver up to us Daniel, who hath destroyed Bel, and killed the dragon, otherwise we will destroy thee and thy house. And the king saw that they pressed upon him violently; and being constrained by necessity, he delivered Daniel to them. And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there six days. And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep: but then they were not given unto them, to the intent that they might devour Daniel. Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habacuc, and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl; and was going into the field to carry it to the reapers. And the angel of the Lord said to Habacuc: Carry the dinner which thou hast, into Babylon, to Daniel, who is in the lions' den. And Habacuc said: Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den. And the angel of the Lord took him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon, over the den, in the force of his spirit. And Habacuc cried, saying: O Daniel, thou servant of God, take the dinner that God hath sent thee. And Daniel said: Thou hast remembered me, O God, and thou hast not forsaken them that love thee. And Daniel arose and ate. And the angel of the Lord presently set Habacuc again in his own place. And upon the seventh day the king came to bewail Daniel: and he came to the den, and looked in, and behold Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions. And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying: Great art thou, O Lord, the God of Daniel. And he drew him out of the lions' den. But those that had been the cause of his destruction, he cast into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him. Then the king said: Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel: for he is the Saviour, working signs and wonders in the earth; who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions' den.

This lesson was intended, in an especial manner, as an instruction to the catechumens. They were preparing to enroll themselves as Christians; it was, therefore, necessary that they should have examples put before them, which they might study and imitate.

Daniel, cast into the lions' den for having despised and destroyed the idol Bel, was the type of a martyr. This prophet had confessed the true God in Babylon; he had put to death a dragon, to which the people, after Bel had been destroyed, had given their idolatrous worship; nothing less than Daniel's death could appease their indignation. The holy man full of confidence in God, allowed himself to be thrown into the lions' den, thus setting an example of courageous faith to the future Christians: they would imitate him, and for three centuries would nobly shed their blood for the establishment of the Church of Christ. In the Roman catacombs we continually meet with the representation of Daniel surrounded by lions, and many of these paintings date from the ages of persecution. Thus the eyes of the catechumens could see what their ears heard; both told them to be ready for trial and sacrifice. It is true, the history of Daniel showed them the power of God interfering and delivering him from death; but they were fully aware that, in order to merit a like deliverance, they would have to show a like constancy, and be ready to suffer death rather than deny their faith. From time to time, a Christian was led to the amphitheatre, and the wild beasts would fawn at his feet: but such miracles only put off the martyr's sacrifice, and perhaps won others to the faith.

It was the prophet's courage, and not his victory over the lions, that the Church proposed to her catechumens. The great thing for them to bear in mind was this maxim of our Lord: Fear not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body into hell!¹ We are the descendants of these early Christians; but our faith has not cost us what it cost them. And yet we have a tyrant to try even ours: we have to confess our faith, not indeed before consuls and emperors, but before the world. Let the example of the brave martyrs send us forth from our Lent with a courageous determination to withstand this tyrant, with his maxims, his pomps, and his works. There has been a truce between him and us, during these days of retirement and penance; but the battle will soon be renewed, and then we must stand the brunt, and show that we are Christians.

¹ Matt. x. 28.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem. Cap. vii.

In illo tempore: Ambulabat Jesus in Galilæam, non enim volebat in Judæam ambulare, quia quærebant eum interficere. Erat autem in proximo dies festus Judæorum, Scenopegia. Dixerunt autem ad eum fratres ejus: Transi hinc, et vade in Judæam, ut et discipuli tui videant opera tua quæ facis. Nemo quippe in occulto quid facit, et quærit ipse in palam esse: si hæc facis, manifesta teipsum mundo. Neque enim fratres ejus credebant in eum. Dicit ergo eis Jesus: Tempus meum nondum advenit: tempus autem vestrum semper est paratum. Non potest mundus odisse vos; me autem odit: quia ego testimonium perhibeo de illo, quod opera ejus mala sunt. Vos ascendite ad diem festum hunc, ego autem non ascendo ad diem festum istum: quia meum tempus nondum impletum est. Hæc cum dixisset, ipse mansit in Galilæa. Ut autem ascenderunt fratres ejus, tunc et ipse ascendit ad diem festum non manifeste, sed quasi in occulto. Judæi ergo quærebant eum in die festo, et dicebant: Ubi est ille? et murmur multum erat in turba de eo. Quidam enim dicebant: Quia bonus est. Alii autem dicebant: Non, sed seducit turbas. Nemo tamen palam loquebatur de illo, propter metum Judæorum.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. vii.

At that time: Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. And his brethren said to him: Depart from hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see thy works which thou dost. For there is no man that doth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly; if thou do these things, manifest thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth: because I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go you up to this festival day, but I go not up to this festival day; because my time is not accomplished. When he had said these things, he himself staid in Galilee. But after his brethren were gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. The Jews therefore sought him on the festival day, and said: Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the multitude concerning him. For some said: He is a good man. And others said: No, but he seduceth the people. Yet no man spoke openly of him, for fear of the Jews.

The facts here related refer to an earlier part of our Lord's life; but the Church proposes them to our consideration to-day, on account of their connexion with those given us in the Gospels read to us during the last few days. We learn from these words of St. John, that the Jews were plotting the death of Jesus, not only when this the last Pasch for the Synagogue was approaching, but even so far back as the feast of tabernacles, which was kept in September. The Son of God was reduced to the necessity of going from place to place as it were in secret; if He would go to Jerusalem, He must take precautions! Let us adore these humiliations of the Man-God, who has deigned to sanctify every position of life, even that of the just man persecuted and obliged to hide himself from his enemies. It would have been an easy matter for Him to confound His adversaries by working miracles, such as those which Herod's curiosity sought for; He could have compelled them to treat Him with the reverence that was due to Him. But this is not God's way: He does not force man to duty; He acts, and then leaves man to recognize his Creator's claims. In order to do this, man must be attentive and humble, he must impose silence on his passions. The divine light shows itself to the soul that thus comports herself. First, she sees the actions, the works, of God; then, she believes, and wishes to believe: her happiness, as well as her merit, lies in faith, and faith will be recompensed in eternity with light, with the vision. Flesh and blood cannot understand this; they love show and noise. The Son of God, having come down upon this earth, could not subject Himself to such an abasement as that of making a parade of His infinite power before men. He had to work miracles, in order to give a guarantee of His mission; but, as Man, not everything He did was to be a miracle. By far the longest period of His life was devoted to the humble duties of a creature; had it not been so, how should we have learned from Him what we so much needed to know? His brethren (the Jews gave the name of brothers to all who were collaterally related) wished Jesus to make a display of His miraculous power, for some of the glory would have accrued to them. This their ambition caused our Lord to address them in these strong words, upon which we should meditate during this holy season, for, later on, we shall stand in need of the teaching: 'The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth.' Let us, therefore, for the time to come, not please the world; its friendship would separate us from Jesus Christ.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Bow down your heads to God.

Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, perseverantem in tua voluntate famulatum: ut in diebus nostris, et merito et numero, populus tibi serviens augeatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Grant us, O Lord, we beseech thee, a persevering obedience to thy will: that in our days, the people who serve thee may increase both in merit and in number. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

beseech thee, perseverance in thy service; that in our days, thy faithful may increase both in number and goodness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The following devout hymn, taken from the ancient Roman-French missals, may serve us as an expression of the sentiments we entertain towards our loving Redeemer.

HYMN

Rex Christe factor omnium, Redemptor et credentium: Placare votis supplicum Te laudibus colentium.

Cujus benigna gratia Crucis per alma vulnera, Virtute solvit ardua Primi parentis vincula.

Qui es Creator siderum, Tegmen subisti carneum: Dignatus es vilissimam Pati doloris formulam.

Ligatus es ut solveres Mundi ruentis complices: Per probra tergens crimina Quæ mundus auxit plurima.

Cruci Redemptor figeris, Terram sed omnem concutis, Tradis potentem spiritum, Nigrescit atque sæculum.

Mox in paternæ gloriæ
Victor resplendens culmine; Cum Spiritus munimine Defende nos, Rex optime. Amen.

O Jesus! thou King and Creator of all, Redeemer, too, of believers, be appeased by the prayer and praise of thy humble suppliants.

'Twas thy loving grace that, by the dear wounds of the cross, broke so powerfully the fetters forged by our first parents.

Thou, that art the Creator of the stars, didst deign to assume a body of flesh, and endure the most humiliating sufferings.

Thy hands were tied, that thou mightest loosen sinners, accomplices of a world condemned: thou didst suffer shame, so to cleanse away the manifold sins of the world.

Thou, our Redeemer, art fastened to the cross, but thou movest the whole earth: thou breathest forth thy mighty Spirit, and the world is buried in darkness.

But soon we see thee shining triumphantly on the high throne of thy Father's glory: do thou, O best of kings, defend us by the protection of the holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pay our homage to the holy cross, in these words of the Greek liturgy.

HYMN

(Feria IV. mediæ Septimanæ)

Domine omnium et conditor Deus, in medio terræ in crucem elevatus es, attrahens ad te eam, quæ pessimo inimici suasu corruerat, humanam naturam. Quapropter sincere te concelebramus, Passione tua roborati.

Mundatis sensibus jejunii lumine, intellectualibus crucis radiis largissime illustremur, eamque hodie propositam reverenter conspicientes, castis labiis, ore et corde adoremus.

Locum ubi steterunt pedes Domini adoremus, crucem videlicet divinam; obsecrantes ut animæ nostræ pedes in petra divinorum mandatorum firmentur, et ut gressus ejus, divina gratia, in viam pacis dirigantur.

Plaudite omnes fines terræ in hymnis, quando adorari videtis lignum in quo Christus suspensus, et diabolus vulneratus est.

Vivifica crux hodie proponitur: cum gaudio igitur et timore adoremus Domini crucem, ut Spiritum sanctum accipiamus.

Accedens ut te tangam, vivifica crux, cohorresco et lingua et mente, cernens in te divinum Domini mei sanguinem effusum esse.

Confirma, Domine, Ecclesiam tuam, quam acquisivisti virtute crucis tuæ; in illa enim inimicum triumphasti, totumque mundum illuminasti.

Thou, O Lord God, the Creator of all things, wast lifted up on the cross, in the middle of the earth; thou didst draw up to thyself that human nature which had fallen by the most wicked persuasion of the enemy. Wherefore we pay thee our loyal homage, for thy Passion has strengthened us.

The light of fasting has purified our senses; may we be most brightly enlightened by the spiritual rays of thy cross. On this day it is exposed to our view; grant that we may devoutly kiss it, and venerate it in our hymns and with our hearts.

Let us adore the place where stood his feet, that is, the holy cross, and beseech him to firmly fix the feet of our soul on the rock of his divine commandments, and, by his holy grace, guide her steps into the way of peace.

Loudly sing your hymns, O all ye ends of the earth, when ye behold men venerating that wood whereon Christ was fastened, and whereby satan received his wound.

The life-giving cross is this day exposed: let us, then, with joy and fear, venerate the cross of our Lord, that we may receive the Holy Ghost.

O life-giving cross, my tongue and heart tremble with fear, as I draw nigh to touch thee, for I see the divine Blood of my Lord poured forth upon thee.

Strengthen, O Lord, thy Church, which thou didst purchase to thyself by the power of thy cross; for by the cross thou didst triumph over the enemy and enlighten the whole world.

WEDNESDAY IN PASSION WEEK

AT Rome, the Station is in the church of Saint Marcellus, Pope and Martyr. This church was once the house of the holy lady Lucina, who gave it to the Pontiff, that he might consecrate it to God.

COLLECT

Sanctificato hoc jejunio, Deus, tuorum corda fidelium miserator illustra: et quibus devotionis præstas affectum, præbe supplicantibus pium benignus auditum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Enlighten, O God of mercy, the hearts of thy people by means of this holy fast; and since all our devotion is the effect of thy bounty, mercifully hear the petitions we make. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISTLE

Lectio Libri Levitici.
Cap. xix.

Lesson from the book of Leviticus.

In diebus illis: Locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens: Loquere ad omnem cœtum filiorum Israel, et dices ad eos: Ego Dominus Deus vester. Non facietis furtum. Non mentiemini, nec decipiet unusquisque proximum suum. Non perjurabis in nomine meo, nec pollues nomen Dei tui. Ego Dominus. Non facies calumniam proximo tuo, nec vi opprimes eum. Non morabitur opus mercenarii tui apud te usque mane. Non maledices surdo, nec coram cæco pones offendiculum: sed timebis Dominum Deum tuum, quia ego sum Dominus. Non facies quod iniquum est, nec injuste judicabis. Non consideres personam pauperis, nec honores vultum potentis. Juste judica proximo tuo. Non eris criminator, nec susurro in populo. Non stabis contra sanguinem proximi tui. Ego Dominus. Non oderis fratrem tuum in corde tuo, sed publice argue eum, ne habeas super illo peccatum. Non quæras ultionem, nec memor eris injuriæ civium tuorum. Diliges amicum tuum sicut teipsum. Ego Dominus. Leges meas custodite. Ego enim sum Dominus Deus vester.

In those days: the Lord spake to Moses, saying: Speak to all the assembly of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: I am the Lord your God. You shall not steal. You shall not lie: neither shall any man deceive his neighbour. Thou shalt not swear falsely by my name, nor profane the name of thy God. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not calumniate thy neighbour, nor oppress him by violence. The wages of him that has been hired by thee, shall not abide with thee until the morning. Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind: but thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord. Thou shalt not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the poor, nor honour the countenance of the mighty. Judge thy neighbour according to justice. Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. Keep ye my laws, for I am the Lord your God.

This passage from Leviticus, wherein our duties to our neighbour are so clearly and so fully defined, is read to us to-day, in order that we may see how we fulfil these important duties, and correct whatever short-comings we may discover in ourselves. It is God who here speaks; it is God who commands. Observe that phrase: I am the Lord: He repeats it several times, to show us that if we injure our neighbour, He, God Himself, will become the avenger. How strange must this doctrine have seemed to the catechumens, who had been brought up in the selfish and heartless principles of paganism! Here they are told that all men are brethren, and that God is the common Father of all, commanding all to love one another with sincere charity, and without distinction of nation or class. Let us Christians resolve to fulfil this precept to the letter: these are days for good resolutions. Let us remember that the commandments we have been reading were given to the Israelite people, many ages before the preaching of the law of love. If, then, God exacted from the Jew a cordial love of his fellow-men, when the divine law was written on mere tablets of stone; what will He not require from the Christian, who can now read that law in the Heart of the Man-God, who has come down from heaven and made Himself our Brother, in order that we might find it easier and sweeter to fulfil the precept of charity? Human nature united in His Person to the divine, is henceforth sacred; it has become an object of the heavenly Father's love. It is out of fraternal love for this our nature that Jesus suffered death, teaching us, by His own example, to have such love for our brethren, that, if necessary, we ought to lay down our lives for them.¹ It is the beloved disciple that teaches us this, and he had it from his divine Master.

¹ 1 St. John iii. 16.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.
Cap. x.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. x.

In illo tempore: Facta sunt Encænia in Jerosolymis: et hiems erat. Et ambulabat Jesus in templo, in porticu Salomonis. Circumdederunt ergo eum Judæi, et dicebant ei: Quousque animam nostram tollis? Si tu es Christus, dic nobis palam. Respondit eis Jesus: Loquor vobis, et non creditis. Opera quæ ego facio in nomine Patris mei, hæc testimonium perhibent de me. Sed vos non creditis, quia non estis ex ovibus meis. Oves meæ vocem meam audiunt: et ego cognosco eas, et sequuntur me: et ego vitam æternam do eis: et non peribunt in æternum, et non rapiet eas quisquam de manu mea. Pater meus quod dedit mihi, majus omnibus est: et nemo potest rapere de manu Patris mei. Ego, et Pater unum sumus. Sustulerunt ergo lapides Judæi, ut lapidarent eum. Respondit eis Jesus: Multa bona opera ostendi vobis ex Patre meo; propter quod eorum opus me lapidatis? Responderunt ei Judæi: De bono opere non lapidamus te, sed de blasphemia, et quia tu homo cum sis, facis teipsum Deum. Respondit eis Jesus: Nonne scriptum est in lege vestra: Quia ego dixi, dii estis? Si illos dixit deos, ad quos sermo Dei factus est, et non potest solvi Scriptura: quem Pater sanctificavit, et misit in mundum, vos dicitis: Quia blasphemas, quia dixi: Filius Dei sum? Si non facio opera Patris mei, nolite credere mihi. Si autem facio, et si mihi non vultis credere, operibus credite, ut cognoscatis, et credatis, quia Pater in me est, et ego in Patre.

At that time: it was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem: and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. The Jews therefore came round about him, and said to him: How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them: I speak to you and you believe not. The works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me. But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice: and I know them, and they follow me: and I give them eternal life: and they shall not perish for ever, and no man shall pluck them out of my hand. That which my Father hath given me, is greater than all: and no man can snatch it out of the hand of my Father. I and the Father are one. The Jews then took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them: Many good works I have showed you from my Father; for which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him: For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy: and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law: I said you are gods? If he called them gods, to whom the word of God was spoken, and the Scripture cannot be broken; do you say of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world: Thou blasphemest: because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you will not believe me, believe the works, that you may know, and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.

After the feast of tabernacles came that of the Dedication, and Jesus remained in Jerusalem. The hatred His enemies bore Him is greater than ever. They come round about Him, that they may make Him say He is the Christ, and then accuse Him of claiming a mission which does not belong to Him. Jesus deigns not to reply to their question, but tells them that they have seen His works, and that these give ample testimony of His being Christ, the Son of God. It is by faith, and by faith alone, that man can here know his God. God manifests Himself by His divine works: man sees them, and is bound to believe the truth to which they bear testimony. By thus believing, he has both the certitude of what he believes, and the merit of believing. The proud Jew rebels against this: he would fain dictate to God how He should act, and sees not that such a pretension is impious and absurd.

But, if Jesus openly declare the truth, He will scandalize these evil-minded men! Be it so; the truth must be preached. Our Lord has others to consult besides them; there are the well-intentioned, who will believe what He teaches. He, therefore, utters these sublime words, whereby He declares, not only that He is Christ, but that He is God: I and the Father are one. He knew that this would enrage His enemies; but He had to make Himself known to the world, and to arm the Church against the false doctrines of heretics, who would rise up in future ages. One of these is to be Arius, who will teach that Jesus is not God, but only the most perfect of creatures: the Church will answer, that Jesus is one with the Father, consubstantial with the Father: and then, after causing much trouble and sin, Arianism will die out and be forgotten. The Jews mentioned in to-day's Gospel are the fore-runners of Arius; they understand what our Lord says: He says He is God, and they seek to stone Him. Jesus gives them a fresh grace; He shows them why they should receive what He here teaches; He reminds them, by the Scriptures they know off by heart, that the name god has sometimes been applied, in a limited sense, to men who had certain high offices put upon them by heaven; and then, He bids them think of all the miracles they have seen Him work, which so plainly testify to His being assisted by His Father, and once more declares Himself to be God, saying: The Father is in Me, and I in the Father. But men hardened in obstinacy, as these are, cannot be convinced: and the sin they have committed against the Holy Ghost is

working its effects. How different is it with the sheep of this divine Shepherd! They hear His voice; they follow Him; He gives them eternal life; no man shall pluck them out of His hand. Happy sheep indeed! They believe, because they love; and as it is through the heart that truth gains ascendancy over them, so is it by pride of intellect that darkness gains admission into the soul of the unbeliever, and lasts as long as pride lasts. Alas! poor unbeliever! he loves his darkness; he calls it light; he blasphemes when he thinks he reasons, just as these Jews crucified the Son of God, that, as they said, they might give glory to God.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Bow down your heads to God.

Adesto supplicationibus nostris, omnipotens Deus; et quibus fiduciam sperandæ pietatis indulges, consuetæ misericordiæ tribue benignus effectum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Hear our prayers and entreaties, O almighty God, and grant that those to whom thou givest hopes of thy mercy, may experience the effects of thy usual clemency. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Mozarabic breviary gives us the following beautiful prayer, which consists of exclamations to our suffering Jesus.

PRAYER

(Sabbato Dominicæ V. Quadragesimæ)

℣. Verus Dei Filius Christe,

℣. O Jesus! thou true Son of God.

℟. Exaudi: populo supplicanti miserere.

℟. Graciously hear us! have mercy on thy suppliant people.

℣. Qui triumpho crucis tuæ salvasti solus orbem, tu cruoris tui pœna nos libera,

℣. Thou that alone didst save the world by the triumph of thy cross, do thou, by the Blood thou didst shed, deliver us.

℟. Et exaudi.

℟. And graciously hear us.

℣. Qui moriens mortem damnas, resurgens vitam præstas, sustinens pro nobis pœnam indebitam.

℣. By thy death, thou didst destroy death; by thy Resurrection, thou didst give us life; for our sake thou didst suffer undue punishment.

℟. Et exaudi.

℟. And graciously hear us.

℣. Passionis tuæ dies celebremus indemnes: ut per hoc dulcedo tua nos foveat.

℣. May we celebrate, in peace, these days of thy Passion, and thereby be consoled by thy sweetness.

℟. Et exaudi.

℟. And graciously hear us.

℣. Pro quibus passus es crucem, non permittas perire; sed per crucem duc ad vitam perpetuam.

℣. Let not them perish, for whom thou didst suffer the cross; but, by thy cross, lead them to life everlasting.

℟. Et exaudi.

℟. And graciously hear us.

Let us now turn towards the holy cross. These words of the Greek Church, in her Triodion, will assist our devotion.

HYMN

(Feriæ V. mediæ Septimanæ)

Crucis speciem insinuans, manus, permutato ordine, olim expandit decantatissimus Jacob, benedictionem nepotibus impertiens; simulque salutiferam benedictionem quæ ad nos omnes pertingit indicans.

When the most praiseworthy patriarch Jacob was, of old, about to bless his children, he crossed his arms; in this he represented the cross, and prefigured that saving blessing which thence came to each of us.

Te salutiferam armaturam, te invictum trophæum, lætitiæ signum, quo mors occisa est, amplectimur, illustres effecti, ejus gloria qui in te, crux honoratissima, affixus est.

We embrace thee, most venerable cross, as our armour of salvation, the invincible trophy, the standard of joy, whereby death was put to death; for we have been made to share in the glory of him that was nailed upon thee.

Assistunt incorporearum Virtutum ordines trementes coram ligno vitam præbente. In te enim Christus sanguinem effudit, pretium redemptionis repræsentans, dæmonibus piaculare et capitale, ob perniciem hominibus illatam.

The choirs of the angelic Powers stand in holy awe around thee, O life-giving tree! For it is on thee that Christ shed his Blood, which was the price of our redemption, and which utterly destroyed all those rights that sin had given the devil over mankind.

Percussum me hostis gladio sana sanguine tuo, Verbum, et lancea celeriter peccatorum meorum chirographum disrumpe, et in librum vitæ inscribe.

O Word (made Flesh)! the sword of the enemy hath struck me; heal me by thy Blood. Speedily tear, with thy spear, the hand-writing of my sins, and write my name in the book of life.

Inferni habitaculum concussisti, ubi in terra defixa es: fidelibus autem fulcrum inconcussum et stabilis protectio effecta es, o veneranda crux.

O venerable cross! when thou wast fixed in the earth, thou didst make the region of hell to tremble; but thou wast made a firm support and unshaken protection to the faithful.

Feraces virtutum effecti decerpamus divini ligni vivificos fructus, quos protulit nobis in hoc extensus Jesus vitis illa fructifera.

Being made fruitful in virtue, let us pluck from the divine tree those life-giving fruits, offered unto us by that rich Vine, Jesus, who hung stretched upon it.

Laudamus, Jesu, immensam bonitatem tuam adorantes crucem, lanceam et arundinem per quam sustulisti, misericors, inimicitiarum medium parietem.

O Jesus! we praise thy immense goodness, as we venerate the cross, and spear, and reed, whereby, O merciful God, thou didst remove the wall of enmity that stood between us and thee.

THURSDAY IN PASSION WEEK

The Station at Rome is in the church of Saint Apollinaris, who was a disciple of St. Peter, and afterwards bishop of Ravenna and martyr.

COLLECT

Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut dignitas conditionis humanæ per immoderantiam sauciata, medicinalis parcimoniæ studio reformetur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that the dignity of human nature, which hath been wounded by excess, may be cured by the practice of healing temperance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISTLE

Lectio Danielis Prophetæ. Cap. iii.

In diebus illis: Oravit Azarias Dominum dicens: Domine Deus noster, ne quæsumus, tradas nos in perpetuum propter nomen tuum, et ne dissipes testamentum tuum: neque auferas misericordiam tuam a nobis, propter Abraham dilectum tuum, et Isaac servum tuum, et Israel sanctum tuum; quibus locutus es, pollicens quod multiplicares semen eorum sicut stellas cæli, et sicut arenam quæ est in littore maris: quia, Domine, imminuti sumus plus quam omnes gentes, sumusque humiles in universa terra hodie propter peccata nostra. Et non est in tempore hoc princeps, et dux, et propheta, neque holocaustum, neque sacrificium, neque oblatio, neque incensum, neque locus primitiarum coram te, ut possimus invenire misericordiam tuam: sed in animo contrito, et spiritu humilitatis suscipiamur. Sicut in holocausto arietum, et taurorum, et sicut in millibus agnorum pinguium: sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie, ut placeat tibi: quoniam non est confusio confidentibus in te. Et nunc sequimur te in toto corde, et timemus te, et quærimus faciem tuam. Ne confundas nos, sed fac nobiscum juxta mansuetudinem tuam, et secundum multitudinem misericordiæ tuæ. Et erue nos in mirabilibus tuis, et da gloriam nomini tuo, Domine: et confundantur omnes qui ostendunt servis tuis mala, confundantur in omnipotentia tua, et robur eorum conteratur; et sciant quia tu es Dominus Deus solus, et gloriosus super orbem terrarum, Domine Deus noster.

Lesson from Daniel the Prophet. Ch. iii.

In those days, Azarias prayed to the Lord saying: O Lord our God, deliver us not up for ever, we beseech thee, for thy name's sake, and abolish not thy covenant: and take not away thy mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham thy beloved, and Isaac thy servant, and Israel thy holy one: to whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldst multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea shore. For we, O Lord, are diminished more than any nation, and are brought low in all the earth this day for our sins. Neither is there at this time prince, or leader, or prophet, or holocaust, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place of first-fruits before thee, that we may find thy mercy: nevertheless, in a contrite heart and humble spirit, let us be accepted. As in holocausts of rams, and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee: for there is no confusion to them that trust in thee. And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and seek thy face. Put us not to confusion, but deal with us according to thy meekness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies. And deliver us according to thy wonderful works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord; and let all them be confounded that show evils to thy servants, let them be confounded in all thy might, and let their strength be broken; and let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God, and glorious over all the world, O Lord our God.

Thus did Juda, when captive in Babylon, pour forth her prayers to God, by the mouth of Azarias. Sion was desolate beyond measure; her people were in exile; her solemnities were hushed. Her children were to continue in a strange land for seventy years; after which God would be mindful of them, and lead them, by the hand of Cyrus, back to Jerusalem, when the building of the second temple would be begun, that temple which was to receive the Messias within its walls. What crime had Juda committed, that she should be thus severely punished? The daughter of Sion had fallen into idolatry; she had broken the sacred engagements which made her the bride of her God. Her crime, however, was expiated by these seventy years of captivity; and when she returned to the land of her fathers, she never relapsed into the worship of false gods. When the Son of God came to dwell in her, He found her innocent of idolatry. But scarcely had forty years elapsed after the Ascension of this divine Redeemer, than Juda was again an exile; not, indeed, led captive into Babylon, but dispersed in every nation under the sun, after having first seen the massacre of thousands of her children. This time it is not merely for seventy years, but for eighteen centuries, that she is without prince, or leader, or prophet, or holocaust, or sacrifice, or temple. Her new crime must be greater than idolatry; for, after all these long ages of suffering and humiliation, the justice of the Father is not appeased! It is, because the Blood that was shed by the Jewish people on Calvary was not the blood of a man—it was the Blood of a God. The very sight of the chastisement inflicted on the murderers proclaims to the world that they were deicides. Their crime was an unparalleled one; its punishment is to be so too; it is to last till the end of time, when God, for the sake of Abraham His beloved, and Isaac His servant, and Jacob His holy one, will visit Juda with an extraordinary grace, and her conversion will console the Church, whose affliction is then to be great by reason of the apostasy of many of her children. This spectacle of a whole people bearing on itself the curse of God for having crucified the Son of God, should make a Christian tremble for himself. It teaches him that divine justice is terrible, and that the Father demands an account of the Blood of His Son, even to the last drop, from those that shed it. Let us lose no time, but go at once, and, in this precious Blood, cleanse ourselves from the share we have had in the sin of the Jews; and, throwing off the chains of iniquity, let us imitate those among them whom we see, from time to time, separating themselves from their people and returning to the Messias: let us, also, be converts, and turn to that Jesus, whose hands are stretched out on the cross, ever ready to receive the humble penitent.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam. Cap. vii.

In illo tempore: Rogabat Jesum quidam de pharisæis, ut manducaret cum illo. Et ingressus domum pharisæi, discubuit. Et ecce mulier quæ erat in civitate peccatrix, ut cognovit quod accubuisset in domo pharisæi, attulit alabastrum unguenti; et stans retro secus pedes ejus, lacrymis cœpit rigare pedes ejus, et capillis capitis sui tergebat, et osculabatur pedes ejus, et unguento ungebat. Videns autem pharisæus, qui vocaverat eum, ait intra se dicens: Hic si esset Propheta sciret utique, quæ, et qualis est mulier, quæ tangit eum: quia peccatrix est. Et respondens Jesus, dixit ad illum: Simon, habeo tibi aliquid dicere. At ille ait: Magister, dic. Duo debitores erant cuidam fœneratori: unus debebat denarios quingentos, et alius quinquaginta. Non habentibus illis unde redderent, donavit utrisque. Quis ergo eum plus diligit? Respondens Simon, dixit: Æstimo quia is, cui plus donavit. At ille dixit ei: Recte judicasti. Et conversus ad mulierem, dixit Simoni: Vides hanc mulierem? Intravi in domum tuam: aquam pedibus meis non dedisti; hæc autem lacrymis rigavit pedes meos, et capillis suis tersit. Osculum mihi non dedisti; hæc autem ex quo intravit, non cessavit osculari pedes meos. Oleo caput meum non unxisti; hæc autem unguento unxit pedes meos. Propter quod dico tibi: Remittuntur ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum. Cui autem minus dimittitur, minus diligit. Dixit autem ad illam: Remittuntur tibi peccata. Et cœperunt qui simul accumbebant, dicere intra se: Quis est hic, qui etiam peccata dimittit? Dixit autem ad mulierem: Fides tua te salvam fecit; vade in pace.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Luke. Ch. vii.

At that time: one of the pharisees desired him to eat with him. And he went into the house of the pharisee, and sat down to meat. And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that he sat at meat in the pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment; and standing behind at his feet, she began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. And the pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying: This man, if he were a prophet, would know surely who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, that she is a sinner. And Jesus answering, said to him: Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee. But he said: Master, say it. A certain creditor had two debtors: the one owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which therefore of the two loveth him most? Simon answering, said: I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said to him: Thou hast judged rightly. And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon: Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house; thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she with tears hath washed my feet and with her hairs hath wiped them. Thou gavest me no kiss; but she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she with ointment hath anointed my feet. Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less. And he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: Who is this that forgiveth also sins? And he said to the woman: Thy faith hath made thee safe; go in peace.

...des tua te salvam fecit: vade in pace.

...eth sins also? And he said to the woman: Thy faith hath made thee safe: go in peace.

What consolation there is for us in this Gospel, and how different are the reflections it suggests, from those we were just making upon the Epistle! The event here related does not belong to the time of our Saviour's Passion; but, during these days of mercy, does it not behove us to glorify the meekness of that divine Heart, which is preparing to grant pardon to countless sinners throughout the world? Besides, is not Magdalene the inseparable companion of her dear crucified Master, even to Calvary? Let us, then, study this admirable penitent, this type of love faithful even to death.

Magdalene had led a wicked life: as the Gospel tells us elsewhere,¹ seven devils had taken up their abode within her. But, no sooner has she seen and heard Jesus, than immediately she is filled with a horror for sin; divine love is enkindled within her heart; she has but one desire: to make amends for her past life. Her sins have been public: her conversion must be so too. She has lived in vanity and luxury; she is resolved to give all up. Her perfumes are all to be for her God, her Jesus; that hair of hers, of which she has been so proud, shall serve to wipe His sacred feet; her eyes shall henceforth spend themselves in shedding tears of contrite love. The grace of the Holy Ghost urges her to go to Jesus. He is in the house of a pharisee, who is giving an entertainment. To go to Him now would be exposing herself to observation. She cares not. Taking with her an ointment of great worth, she makes her way in to the feast, throws herself at Jesus' feet, washes them with her tears, wipes them with the hair of her

¹ St. Mark xvi. 9.

head, kisses them, anoints them with the ointment. Jesus Himself tells us with what interior sentiments she accompanies these outward acts of respect: but even had He not, her tears, her generosity, her position at His feet, tell us enough; she is heartbroken, she is grateful, she is humble: who but a pharisee could have mistaken her?

The pharisee, then is shocked! His heart has within it much of that Jewish pride which is soon to crucify the Messias. He looks disdainfully at Magdalene; he is disappointed with his Guest, and murmurs out his conclusion: *This man, if He were a Prophet would surely know who and what manner of woman this is!* Poor pharisee! If he had the spirit of God within him, he would recognize Jesus to be the promised Saviour, by this wonderful condescension shown to a penitent. With all his reputation as a pharisee, how contemptible he is compared with this woman! Jesus would give him a useful lesson, and draws the parallel between the two—Magdalene and the pharisee. He passes His own divine judgment on them, and the preference is given to Magdalene. What is it that has thus transformed her, and made her deserve, not only the pardon, but the praise, of Jesus? Her love: She hath loved her Redeemer, she hath loved Him much; and, therefore, she was forgiven much. A few hours ago this Magdalene loved but the world and its pleasures; now, she cares for nothing, sees nothing, loves nothing, but Jesus; she is a convert. Henceforward she keeps close to her divine Master; she is ambitious to supply His wants; but, above all, she longs to see and hear Him. When the hour of trial shall come, and His very apostles dare not be with Him, she will follow Him to Calvary, stand at the foot of the cross, and see Him die who has made her live. What an argument for hope is here, even for the worst of sinners!

He to whom most is forgiven, is often the most fervent in love! You, then, whose souls are burdened with sins, think of your sins and confess them; but, most of all, think how you may most love. Let your love be in proportion to your pardon, and doubt it not: *Your sins shall be forgiven.*

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Esto, quæsumus Domine, propitius plebi tuæ: ut quæ tibi non placent respuentes, tuorum potius repleantur delectationibus mandatorum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Bow down your heads to God.

Be propitious, O Lord, we beseech thee, to thy people; that, forsaking what displeaseth thee, they may find comfort in keeping thy law. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us close this Thursday of Passion-week with the following devout hymn, taken from the Mozarabic breviary.

HYMN

Verbum Patris quod prodiit factum caro; Agnus Dei peccata mundi auferens; Ad te venimus cernui, ut inclytum Bibamus almæ Passionis sanguinem.

Ostende vulnerum sacrorum stigmata: Exsurgat insignis crucis fortissimum Signum, quod in vigore perpetim manens, Credentibus salvationem conferat.

Arundo, clavi, sputa, potus myrrheus, Corona spinarum, flagella, lancea, Impressa sunt damnationis verbera: Jam nostra pro his cuncta dele crimina.

Fons vulneris sacri rigat præcordia,
Lavet cruor malitiæque contagia:
Sit vita præsens absque omni crimine:
Futura detur in beato munere.

Ut cum resurgendi dies effulserit, Orbique regni claritas illuxerit, Sequamur ætheris viam quæ nos trahat
In se receptos jam perennes incolas.

Honor sit æterno Deo, sit gloria
Uni Patri, ejusque soli Filio Cum Spiritu; quæ Trinitas perenniter
Vivit potens in sæculorum sæculis.
Amen.

O Word of the Father, that camest into this world, and wast made Flesh! O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world! to thee do we come, and, in prostrate adoration, beseech thee to give us to drink of the Blood shed for us in thy sacred Passion.

Show unto us the marks of thy divine wounds! Let the invincible standard of thy glorious cross be raised on high, and, by its imperishable power, bring salvation to them that believe.

The reed, the nails, the spittle, the gall, the crown of thorns, the whips, the spear—these were the instruments of thy sufferings: oh! cleanse us by them from all our sins.

May the Blood that gushed from thy sacred Wounds, flow on our hearts and purify them from their stains of guilt, enable us to pass through this world without sin, and give us, in the next, the reward of bliss.

That when the resurrection day shall break upon the world, brightening it with the splendours of the eternal kingdom, we may ascend by the path that leads above, and dwell in heaven, citizens eternal.

Honour be to the eternal God! Glory be to the one Father, and to his only Son, together with the Holy Ghost: the almighty Trinity, that liveth unceasingly for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us again borrow from the Greek Church the expression of our devotion to the holy cross.

HYMN

*(Feria V. mediæ Septimanæ)*

Securis quam Eliseus ex Jordane retulit, crucem significabat, qua ex profundo vanitatis retraxisti gentes lætis vocibus cantantes: Benedictus es, Deus patrum nostrorum.

Lætantur cum terra, cœlestia ob adorationem crucis tuæ; etenim per te angeli et homines conjuncti sunt, clamantes: Benedictus Dominus Deus noster.

Compassionem tamquam cupressum suaveolentem, fidem tamquam cedrum, veram charitatem tamquam pinum afferentes,¹ Domini crucem adoremus, glorificantes eum qui in illa affixus est, liberatorem.

Extendisti manus tuas in ligno, incontinentis manus peccatum dissolvens; lancea vulneratus es, eademque inimicum sauciasti. Fel gustasti, et male blandum malitiam exemisti; aceto potatus es, qui omnium lætitia es.

Ligno peccati interemptus sum, gustuque voluptuoso morti traditus. Vivifica me, Domine. Excita jacentem: fac me cruciatuum tuorum adoratorem, et participem divinæ resurrectionis, et cohæredem eorum qui te diligunt.

Gaudii signum, armatura invicta, apostolorum decus, pontificum robur, vires suffice languenti animæ meæ, et dignare me ut te adorem, laudesque tibi decantem, clamans: Omnia opera Domini, laudate Dominum et superexaltate in sæcula.

The wood wherewith Eliseus drew the axe from the Jordan, was a figure of thy cross, O Jesus! wherewith thou didst draw, from the depths of their vanities, the nations that thus sing to thee in joy: Blessed art thou the God of our Fathers!

The heavens rejoice together with the earth, as we venerate thy cross; for it is by thee that angels and men are united and sing: Blessed is the Lord our God!

Venerating the cross of our Lord, and venerating our Redeemer, who was nailed upon it, let us present him a threefold homage:¹ our compassion, like the fragrant cypress; our faith, like the cedar; our love, like the pine.

Thou didst stretch forth thy hands upon the cross, to show that 'twas thou didst destroy the sin done by the hand of licentious man. Thou wast wounded with the spear, that thou mightest wound our foe. Thou didst taste gall, that thou mightest turn evil pleasures from us. Thy drink was vinegar, that thou mightest be a joy to each of us.

I have eaten of the tree of sin, and it was my ruin; I have tasted a pleasure that has caused me death. Bring me to life, O Lord! Raise me from my fall. Make me an adorer of thy sufferings, a partner in thy Resurrection, a coheir of them that love thee.

O cross! thou standard of joy, thou armour invulnerable, thou glory of the apostles, thou strength of pontiffs: supply my languid soul with power, and oh! may I venerate thee, and thus cry out thy praises: 'All ye works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and extol him, above all, for ever!'

¹ This is an allusion to the tradition, that the cross was formed of the three kinds of wood here mentioned. (*Translator.*)

FRIDAY IN PASSION WEEK

THE SEVEN DOLOURS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

The Station, at Rome, is in the church of Saint Stephen on Monte Celio. By a sort of prophetic presentiment, this church of the first proto-martyr was chosen as the place where the faithful were to assemble on the Friday of Passion-week, which was to be, at a future time, the feast consecrated to the Queen of martyrs.

COLLECT

Cordibus nostris, quæsumus, Domine, gratiam tuam benignus infunde; ut peccata nostra castigatione voluntaria cohibentes, temporaliter potius maceremur, quam suppliciis deputemur æternis. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Mercifully, O Lord, we beseech thee, pour forth thy grace into our hearts; that repressing our sins by voluntary mortifications, we may rather suffer for them in this life, than be condemned to eternal torments for them in the next. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISTLE

Lectio Jeremiæ Prophetæ. Cap. xvii.

In diebus illis, dixit Jeremias: Domine, omnes qui te derelinquunt, confundentur: recedentes a te in terra scribentur: quoniam dereliquerunt venam aquarum viventium, Dominum. Sana me, Domine, et sanabor: salvum me fac, et salvus ero: quoniam laus mea tu es. Ecce ipsi dicunt ad me: Ubi est verbum Domini? veniat. Et ego non sum turbatus, te Pastorem sequens: et diem hominis non desideravi, tu scis. Quod egressum est de labiis meis, rectum in conspectu tuo fuit. Non sis tu mihi formidini; spes mea tu in die afflictionis. Confundantur qui me persequuntur, et non confundar ego: paveant illi, et non paveam ego: induc super eos diem afflictionis, et duplici contritione contere eos, Domine Deus noster.

Lesson from Jeremias the Prophet. Ch. xvii.

In those days, Jeremias said: O Lord, all that forsake thee shall be confounded: they that depart from thee, shall be written in the earth, *(as on sand, from which their names shall soon be effaced,)* because they have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed, save me and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Behold they say to me: where is the word of the Lord? let it come. And I am not troubled, following thee for my pastor, and I have not desired the day of man, thou knowest. That which went out of my lips, hath been right in thy sight. Be not thou a terror unto me; thou art my hope in the day of affliction. Let them be confounded that persecute me, and let not me be confounded: let them be afraid, and let not me be afraid: bring upon them the day of affliction, and with a double destruction destroy them, O Lord our God.

Jeremias is one of the most striking figures of the Messias persecuted by the Jews. It is on this account, that the Church selects from this prophet so many of her lessons during these two weeks that are sacred to the Passion. In the passage chosen for to-day's Epistle, we have the complaint addressed to God by this just man against those that persecute him; and it is in the name of Christ that he speaks. He says: *They have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters.* How forcibly do these words describe the malice, both of the Jews that crucified, and of sinners that still crucify, Jesus our Lord! As to the Jews, they had forgotten the rock, whence came to them the living water which quenched their thirst in the desert; or, if they have not forgotten the history of this mysterious rock, they refuse to take it as a type of the Messias.

And yet, they hear this Jesus crying out to them in the streets of Jerusalem, and saying: 'If any man thirst, let him come to Me, and drink.'¹ His virtues, His teachings, His miracles, the prophecies that are fulfilled in His person, all claim their confidence in Him; they should believe every word He says. But they are deaf to His invitation; and how many Christians imitate them in their obduracy! How many there are, who once drank at the vein of living waters, and afterwards turned away, to seek to quench their thirst in the muddy waters of the world, which can only make them thirst the more! Let them tremble at the punishment that came upon the Jews; for, unless they return to the Lord their God, they must fall into those devouring and eternal flames, where even a drop of water is refused. Jesus, by the mouth of His prophet, tells the Jews that the day of affliction shall overtake them; and when, later on, He comes to them Himself, He forewarns them, that the tribulation which is to fall on Jerusalem, in punishment for her deicide, shall be so great that *such hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.*² But if God so rigorously avenged the Blood of His Son against a city

¹ St. John vii. 37. ² St. Matt. xxiv. 21.

that was so long a place of the habitation of His glory, and against a people that He had preferred to all others, He spare the sinner who, in spite of the Church's entreaties, continues obstinate in his evil ways? Jerusalem had filled up the measure of her iniquities; we, also, have a measure of sin, beyond which the justice of God will not permit us to go. Let us sin no more: let us fill up that other measure, the measure of good works. Let us pray for those sinners who are to pass these days of grace without being converted; let us pray that this divine Blood, which is to be so generously given to them, but which they are about again to trample upon, may

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem. Cap. xi.

In illo tempore: Collegerunt pontifices et pharisæi concilium adversus Jesum, et dicebant: Quid facimus, quia hic homo multa signa facit? Si dimittimus eum sic, omnes credent in eum; et venient Romani, et tollent nostrum locum et gentem. Unus autem ex ipsis, Caiphas nomine, cum esset pontifex anni illius, dixit eis: Vos nescitis quidquam, nec cogitatis quia expedit vobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo, et non tota gens pereat. Hoc autem a semetipso non dixit; sed cum esset pontifex anni illius prophetavit, quod Jesus moriturus erat pro gente; et non tantum pro gente sed ut filios Dei, qui erant dispersi, congregaret in unum. Ab illo ergo die cogitaverunt ut interficerent eum. Jesus ergo jam non in palam ambulabat apud Judæos, sed abiit in regionem juxta desertum, in civitatem quæ dicitur Ephrem, et ibi morabatur cum discipulis suis.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. xi.

At that time: The chief priests and pharisees gathered a council against Jesus, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let him alone so, all men will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high-priest that year, said to them: You know nothing, neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this he spoke not of himself; but being the high-priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; and not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed. From that day therefore they devised to put him to death. Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples.

Jesus is more than ever in danger of losing His life! The council of the nation assembles to devise a plan for His destruction. Listen to these men, slaves of that vilest of passions, jealousy. They do not deny the miracles of Jesus; therefore they are in a condition to pass judgment upon Him, and the judgment ought to be favourable. But they have not assembled to examine if He be or be not the Messias; it is to discuss the best plan for putting Him to death. And what argument will they bring forward to palliate the evident murder they contemplate? Political interests—their country's good. They argue thus: 'If Jesus be longer allowed to appear in public and work miracles, Judea will rise up in rebellion against the Romans, who now govern us, and will proclaim Jesus to be King; Rome will never allow us, the weakest of her tributaries, to insult her with impunity, and, in order to avenge the outrage offered to the Capitol, her armies will come and exterminate us.' Senseless counsellors! If Jesus had come that He might be King after this world's fashion, all the powers of the earth could not have prevented it. Again—how is it that these chief priests and pharisees, who know the Scriptures by heart, never once think of that prophecy of Daniel, which foretells that, in seventy weeks of years after the going forth of the decree for the rebuilding of the temple, the Christ shall be slain, and the people that shall deny Him shall cease to be His: moreover, that, after this crime, a people led on by a commander shall come and destroy the city; and the abomination of desolation shall enter the holy place, the temple shall be destroyed, and the desolation shall last even to the end.¹ How comes it, that this prophecy is lost sight of? Surely, if they thought of it, they would not put Christ to death; for, by putting Him to death, they ruin their country.

But to return to the council. The high-priest, who governed the Synagogue during the last days of the Mosaic Law, is a worthless man, by name Caiphas; he presides over the council. He puts on the sacred ephod, and he prophesies; his prophecy is from God, and is true. Let us not be astonished: the veil of the temple is not yet rent asunder; the covenant between God and Juda is not yet broken. Caiphas is a bloodthirsty man, a coward, a sacrilegious wretch; still, he is high-priest, and God speaks by his mouth. Let us hearken to this second Balaam: Jesus shall die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but to gather in one the children of God, that were dispersed. Thus, the Synagogue is near her end, and is compelled to prophesy the birth of the Church, and that this birth is to be by the shedding of Jesus' Blood. Here and there throughout the world, there are children of God who serve Him among the Gentiles, as did the centurion Cornelius; but there is no visible bond of union among them. The time is at hand, when the great and only city of God is to appear on the mountain, and all nations shall flow unto it.² As soon as the Blood of the new Testament shall have been shed, and the Conqueror of death shall have risen from the grave, the day of Pentecost will convoke, not the Jews to the temple of Jerusalem, but all nations to the Church of the Christ. By that time, Caiphas will have forgotten the prophecy he uttered; he will have ordered his servants to piece together the veil of the Holy of holies, which was torn in two at the moment of Jesus' death; but this veil will serve no purpose, for the Holy of holies will be no longer there: a clean oblation will be offered up in every place, the Sacrifice of the new Law;¹ and scarcely shall the avengers of Jesus' death have appeared on Mount Olivet, than a voice will be heard in the sanctuary of the repudiated temple, saying: 'Let us go out from this place!'

¹ Dan. ix. 25-27. ² Is. ii. 2.

¹ Malach. i. 11.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui protectionis tuæ gratiam quærimus, liberati a malis omnibus, secura tibi mente serviamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Bow down your heads to God.

Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that we who seek the honour of thy protection, may be delivered from all evil, and serve thee with a secure mind. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE SEVEN DOLOURS OF OUR LADY

This Friday of Passion-week is consecrated in a special manner, to the sufferings which the holy Mother of God endured at the foot of the cross. The whole of next week is fully taken up with the celebration of the mysteries of Jesus' Passion; and although the remembrance of Mary's share in those sufferings is often brought before the faithful during Holy Week, yet, the thought of what her Son, our divine Redeemer, goes through for our salvation, so absorbs our attention and love, that it is not then possible to honour, as it deserves, the sublime mystery of the Mother's com-passion.

It was but fitting, therefore, that one day in the year should be set apart for this sacred duty: and what day could be more appropriate than the Friday of this week, which, though sacred to the Passion, admits the celebration of saints' feasts, as we have already noticed? As far back as the fifteenth century (that is, in the year 1423), we find the pious archbishop of Cologne, Theodoric, prescribing this feast to be kept by his people.¹ It was progressively introduced, and with the knowledge of the holy See, into several other countries; and at length, in the last century, Pope Benedict XIII, by a decree dated August 22, 1727, ordered it to be kept in the whole Church under the name of the Feast of the Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for, up to this time, it had gone under various names. We will explain the title thus given to it, as also the first origin of the devotion of the Seven Dolours, when our Liturgical Year brings us to the third Sunday of September, the second feast of Mary's Dolours.

What the Church proposes to her children's devotion for this Friday of Passion-week, is that one special dolour of Mary—her standing at the foot of the cross. Among the various titles given to this feast before it was extended by the holy See to the whole Church, we may mention, Our Lady of Pity, the Compassion of our Lady, and the one that was so popular throughout France, Notre Dame de la Pamoison. These few historical observations prove that this feast was dear to the devotion of the people, even before it received the solemn sanction of the Church.

¹ Labb. Concil. t. xii. p. 365.

That we may clearly understand the object of this feast, and spend it, as the Church would have us do, in paying due honour to the Mother of God and of men, we must recall to our minds this great truth: that God, in the designs of His infinite wisdom, has willed that Mary should have a share in the work of the world's redemption. The mystery of the present feast is one of the applications of this divine law, a law which reveals to us the whole magnificence of God's plan; it is, also, one of the many realizations of the prophecy, that satan's pride was to be crushed by a woman. In the work of our redemption there are three interventions of Mary; that is, she was thrice called upon to take part in what God Himself did. The first of these was in the Incarnation of the Word, who would not take flesh in her virginal womb until she had given her consent to become His Mother; and this she gave by that solemn Fiat which blessed the world with a Saviour. The second was in the sacrifice which Jesus consummated on Calvary, where she was present that she might take part in the expiatory offering. The third was on the day of Pentecost, when she received the Holy Ghost, as did the apostles, in order that she might effectively labour in the establishment of the Church. We have already explained, on the feast of the Annunciation, the share Mary had in that wonderful mystery of the Incarnation, which God wrought for His own glory and for man's redemption and sanctification. On the feast of Pentecost we shall speak of the Church commencing and progressing under the active influence of the Mother of God. To-day we must show what part she took in the mystery of her Son's Passion; we must tell the sufferings, the Dolours, she endured at the foot of the cross, and the claims she thereby won to our filial gratitude.

On the fortieth day after the birth of our Emmanuel, we followed to the temple the happy Mother carrying her divine Babe in her arms. A venerable old man was there, waiting to receive her Child; and, when he had Him in his arms, he proclaimed Him to be the Light of the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. But, turning to the Mother, he spoke to her these heart-rending words: 'Behold! this Child is set to be a sign that shall be contradicted, and a sword shall pierce thine own soul.' This prophecy of sorrow for the Mother told us that the holy joys of Christmas were over, and that the season of trial, for both Jesus and Mary, had begun. It had, indeed, begun; for, from the night of the flight into Egypt, up to this present day, when the malice of the Jews is plotting the great crime, what else has the life of our Jesus been, but the bearing of humiliation, insult, persecution, and ingratitude? And if so, what has the Mother gone through? what ceaseless anxiety? what endless anguish of heart? But let us pass by all her other sufferings, and come to the morning of the great Friday.

Mary knows that, on the previous night, her Son has been betrayed by one of His disciples, that is, by one that Jesus had numbered among His intimate friends; she herself had often given him proofs of her maternal affection. After a cruel Agony, her Son has been manacled as a malefactor, and led by armed men to Caiphas, His worst enemy. Thence, they have dragged Him before the Roman governor, whose sanction the chief priests and scribes must have before they can put Jesus to death. Mary is in Jerusalem; Magdalene, and the other holy women, the friends of Jesus, are with her; but they cannot prevent her from hearing the loud shouts of the people, and if they could, how is such a heart as hers to be slow in its forebodings? The report spreads rapidly through the city that the Roman governor is being urged to condemn Jesus to be crucified. Whilst the entire populace is on the move towards Calvary, shouting out their blasphemous insults at her Jesus, will His Mother keep away, she that bore Him in her womb, and fed Him at her breast? Shall His enemies be eager to glut their eyes with the cruel sight, and His own Mother be afraid to be near Him?

The air resounded with the yells of the mob. Joseph of Arimathea, the noble counsellor, was not there, neither was the learned Nicodemus; they kept at home, grieving over what was done. The crowd that went before and after the divine Victim was made up of wretches without hearts, saving only a few who were seen to weep as they went along; they were women; Jesus saw them, and spoke to them. And if these women from mere sentiments of veneration, or, at most, of gratitude, thus testified their compassion, would Mary do less? Could she bear to be elsewhere than close to her Jesus? Our motive for insisting so much upon this point is that we may show our detestation of that school of modern rationalism, which, regardless of the instincts of a mother's heart and of all tradition, has dared to call in question the meeting of Jesus and Mary on the way to Calvary. These systematic contradictors are too prudent to deny that Mary was present when Jesus was crucified; the Gospel is too explicit: Mary stood near the cross;¹ but they would persuade us that, whilst the daughters of Jerusalem courageously walked after Jesus, Mary went up to Calvary by some secret path! What a heartless insult to the love of the incomparable Mother.

No; Mary, who is, by excellence, the valiant woman,² was with Jesus as He carried His cross.

And who could describe her anguish and her love, as her eye met that of her Son tottering under His heavy load? Who could tell the affection and the resignation of the look He gave her in return? Who could depict the eager and respectful tenderness wherewith Magdalene and the other holy women grouped around this Mother, as she followed her Jesus up to Calvary, there to see Him crucified and die? The distance between the fourth and the tenth Station of the Dolorous Way is long: it is marked with Jesus' Blood, and with His Mother's tears.

Jesus and Mary have reached the summit of the hill that is to be the altar of the holiest and most cruel Sacrifice: but the divine decree permits not the Mother as yet to approach her Son. When the Victim is ready, then she that is to offer Him shall come forward. Meanwhile, they nail her Jesus to the cross; and each blow of the hammer is a wound to Mary's heart. When, at last, she is permitted to approach, accompanied by the beloved disciple (who has made amends for his cowardly flight), and the disconsolate Magdalene and the other holy women, what unutterable anguish must have filled the soul of this Mother, when raising up her eyes, she sees the mangled Body of her Son, stretched upon the cross, with His face all covered with blood, and His head wreathed with a crown of thorns!

Here, then, is this King of Israel, of whom the angel had told her such glorious things in his prophecy! Here is that Son of hers, whom she has loved both as her God and as the fruit of her own womb! And who are they that have reduced Him to this pitiable state? Men—for whose sake rather than for her own, she conceived Him, gave Him birth, and nourished Him! Oh! if by one of those miracles, which His heavenly Father could so easily work, He might be again restored to her! If that divine justice, which He has taken on Himself to appease, would be satisfied with what He has already suffered! But no: He must die; He must breathe forth His blessed Soul after a long and cruel agony.

Mary then is at the foot of the cross, there to witness the death of her Son. He is soon to be separated from her. In three hours' time, all that will be left her of this beloved Jesus will be a lifeless Body, wounded from head to foot. Our words are too cold for such a scene as this: let us listen to those of St. Bernard, which the Church has inserted in her Matins of this feast. 'O blessed Mother! a sword of sorrow pierced thy soul, and we may well call thee more than martyr, for the intensity of thy compassion surpassed all that a bodily passion could produce. Could any sword have made thee smart so much as that word which pierced thy heart, reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit: "Woman! behold thy Son!" What an exchange! John for Jesus! the servant, for the Lord! the disciple for the Master! the son of Zebedee, for the Son of God! a mere man, for the very God! How must thy most loving heart have been pierced with the sound of those words, when even ours, that are hard as stone and steel, break down as we think of them! Ah! my brethren, be not surprised when you are told that Mary was a martyr in her soul. Let him alone be surprised, who has forgotten that St. Paul counts it as one of the greatest sins of the Gentiles, that they were without affection. Who could say that of Mary? God forbid it be said of us, the servants of Mary!'³

Amid the shouts and insults vociferated by the enemies of Jesus, Mary's quick ear has heard these words, which tell her, that the only son she is henceforth to have on earth is one of adoption. Her maternal joys of Bethlehem and Nazareth are all gone; they make her present sorrow the bitterer; she was the Mother of a God, and men have taken Him from her! Her last and fondest look at her Jesus, her own dearest Jesus, tells her that He is suffering a burning thirst, and she cannot give Him to drink! His eyes grow dim; His head droops; all is consummated!

Mary cannot leave the cross; love brought her thither; love keeps her there, whatever may happen! A soldier advances near that hallowed spot; she sees him lift up his spear, and thrust it through the breast of the sacred Corpse. 'Ah,' cries out St. Bernard, 'that thrust is through thy soul, O blessed Mother! It could but open His side, but it pierced thy very soul. His Soul was not there; thine was, and could not but be so.'⁴ The undaunted Mother keeps close to the Body of her Son. She watches them as they take it down from the cross; and when, at last, the friends of Jesus, with all the respect due to both Mother and Son, enable her to embrace it, she raises it upon her lap, and He that once lay upon her knees receiving the homage of the eastern kings, now lies there cold, mangled, bleeding, dead! And as she looks upon the wounds of the divine Victim, she gives them the highest honour in the power of creatures: she kisses them, she bathes them with her tears, she adores them, but oh! with what intensity of grief!

The hour is far advanced; and before sunset, He, Jesus, the author of life, must be buried. The Mother puts the whole vehemence of her love into a last kiss, and oppressed with a bitterness great as is the sea,⁵ she makes over this adorable Body to them that have to embalm and then lay it on the sepulchral slab. The sepulchre is closed; and Mary, accompanied by John, her adopted son, and Magdalene, and the holy women, and the two disciples that have presided over the burial, returns sorrowing to the deicide city.

Now, in all this, there is another mystery besides that of Mary's sufferings. Her dolours at the foot of the cross include and imply a truth, which we must not pass by, or we shall not understand the full beauty of to-day's feast. Why would God have her assist in person at such a scene as this of Calvary? Why was not she, as well as Joseph, taken out of this world before this terrible day of Jesus' death? Because God had assigned her a great office for that day, and it was to be under the tree of the cross that she, the second Eve, was to discharge her office. As the heavenly Father had waited for her consent before He sent His Son into the world: so, likewise, He called for her obedience and devotedness, when the hour came for that Son to be offered up in sacrifice for the world's redemption. Was not Jesus hers? her Child? her own and dearest treasure? And yet, God gave Him not to her, until she had consented to become His Mother; in like manner, He would not take Him from her, unless she gave Him back.

But see what this involved, see what a struggle it entailed upon this most loving heart! It is the injustice, the cruelty, of men that rob her of her Son; how can she, His Mother, ratify, by her consent, the death of Him, whom she loved with a twofold love, as her Son, and as her God? But, on the other hand, if Jesus be not put to death, the human race is left a prey to satan, sin is not atoned for, and all the honours and joys of her being Mother of God are of no use or blessing to us. This Virgin of Nazareth, this noblest heart, this purest creature, whose affections were never blunted with the selfishness which so easily makes its way into souls that have been wounded by original sin, what will she do? Her devotedness to mankind, her conformity with the will of her Son who so vehemently desires the world's salvation, lead her, a second time, to pronounce the solemn FIAT: she consents to the immolation of her Son. It is not God's justice that takes Him from her; it is she herself that gives Him up. But, in return, she is raised to a degree of greatness, which her humility could never have suspected was to be hers: an ineffable union is made to exist between the two offerings, that of the Incarnate Word, and that of Mary; the Blood of the divine Victim, and the tears of the Mother, flow together for the redemption of mankind.

We can now understand the conduct and the courage of this Mother of sorrows. Unlike that other mother, of whom the Scripture speaks—the unhappy Agar, who after having sought in vain how she might quench the thirst of her Ismael in the desert, withdrew from him that she might not see him die—Mary no sooner hears that Jesus is condemned to death, than she rises, hastens to Him, and follows Him to the place where He is to die. And what is her attitude at the foot of His cross? Does her matchless grief overpower her? Does she swoon? or fall? No: the Evangelist says: 'There stood by the cross of Jesus, His Mother.'⁶ The sacrificing priest stands, when offering at the altar; Mary stood for such a sacrifice as hers was to be. St. Ambrose, whose affectionate heart and profound appreciation of the mysteries of religion have revealed to us so many precious traits of Mary's character, thus speaks of her position at the foot of the cross: 'She stood opposite the cross, gazing with maternal love on the wounds of her Son; and thus she stood, not waiting for her Jesus to die, but for the world to be saved.'⁷ Thus, this Mother of sorrows, when standing on Calvary, blessed us who deserved but maledictions; she loved us; she sacrificed her Son for our salvation. In spite of all the feelings of her maternal heart, she gave back to the eternal Father the divine treasure He had entrusted to her keeping. The sword pierced through and through her soul, but we were saved; and she, though a mere creature, co-operated with her Son in the work of our salvation. Can we wonder, after this, that Jesus chose this moment for making her the Mother of men, in the person of John the evangelist, who represented us? Never had Mary's heart loved us as she did then; from that time forward, therefore, let this second Eve be the true Mother of the living!⁸ The sword, by piercing her immaculate heart, has given us admission there. For time and eternity, Mary will extend to us the love she has borne for her Son, for she has just heard Him saying to her that we are her children. He is our Lord, for He has redeemed us; she is our Lady, for she generously co-operated in our redemption. Animated by this confidence, O Mother of sorrows! we come before thee, on this feast of thy dolours, to offer thee our filial love. Jesus, the blessed Fruit of thy womb, filled thee with joy as thou gavest Him birth; we, thy adopted children, entered into thy heart by the cruel piercing of the sword of suffering. And yet, O Mary! love us, for thou didst co-operate with our divine Redeemer in saving us. How can we not trust in the love of thy generous heart, when we know that, for our salvation, thou didst unite thyself to the Sacrifice of thy Jesus? What proofs hast thou unceasingly given us of thy maternal tenderness, O Queen of mercy! O refuge of sinners! O untiring advocate for us in all our miseries! Deign, sweet Mother, to watch over us, during these days of grace. Give us to feel and relish the Passion of thy Son. It was consummated in thy presence; thine own share in it was magnificent! Oh! make us enter into all its mysteries, that so our souls, redeemed by the Blood of thy Son, and helped by thy tears, may be thoroughly converted to the Lord, and persevere, henceforward, faithful in His service.

Let us now recite the devout Complaint, whereby the Church unites herself with Mary's Dolours.

SEQUENCE

Stabat Mater dolorosa, Near the cross, while on it Juxta crucem lacrymosa, hung her Son, the sorrowing Dum pendebat Filius. Mother stood and wept.

¹ St. John xix. 25.
² Prov. xxxi. 10.
³ Sermon on the twelve stars.
⁴ Sermon on the twelve stars.
⁵ Lam. i. 4; ii. 13.
⁶ St. John xix. 25.
⁷ In Lucam, cap. xxiii.
⁸ Gen. iii. 20.

Cujus animam gementem, Contristatam et dolentem, Pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta Fuit illa benedicta Mater Unigeniti!

Quæ mœrebat et dolebat,
Pia Mater, dum videbat Nati pœnas inclyti.

Quis est homo qui non fleret, Matrem Christi si videret In tanto supplicio? Quis non posset contristari, Christi Matrem contemplari Dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suæ gentis
Vidit Jesum in tormentis, Et flagellis subditum.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum

A sword pierced her soul, that sighed, and mourned, and grieved.

Oh! how sad, and how afflicted, was that blessed Mother of an only Son!

The loving Mother sorrowed and mourned at seeing her divine Son suffer.

Who is there would not weep to see Jesus' Mother in such suffering?

Who is there could contemplate the Mother and the Son in sorrow, and not join his own with theirs?

Mary saw her Jesus tormented and scourged for the sins of his people.

She saw her sweet Child

Moriendo desolatum, Dum emisit spiritum.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris, Me sentire vim doloris Fac ut tecum lugeam.

Fac ut ardeat cor meum In amando Christum Deum, Ut sibi complaceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas, Crucifixi fige plagas Cordi meo valide.

Tui Nati vulnerati, Tam dignati pro me pati, Pœnas mecum divide.

Fac me tecum pie flere, Crucifixo condolere, Donec ego vixero.

Juxta crucem tecum stare, Et me tibi sociare In planctu desidero.

Virgo virginum præclara,
Mihi jam non sis amara: Fac me tecum plangere.

Fac ut portem Christi mortem, Passionis fac consortem, Et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari, Fac me cruce inebriari, Et cruore Filii.

Flammis ne urar succensus, Per te, Virgo, sim defensus, In die judicii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire, Da per Matrem me venire Ad palmam victoriæ.

abandoned by all, as he breathed forth his soul and died.

Ah, Mother, fount of love, make me feel the force of sorrow; make me weep with thee!

Make this heart of mine burn with the love of Jesus my God, that so I may content his heart.

Do this, O holy Mother: deeply stamp the wounds of the Crucified upon my heart.

Let me share with thee the sufferings of thy Son, for it is for me he graciously deigned to be wounded and to suffer.

Make me lovingly weep with thee: make me compassionate with thee our crucified Jesus, as long as life shall last.

This is my desire, to stand nigh the cross with thee, and be a sharer in thy grief.

Peerless Virgin of virgins! be not displeased at my prayer: make me weep with thee.

Make me to carry the death of Jesus; make me a partner of his Passion, an adorer of his Wounds.

Make me to be wounded with his Wounds; make me to be inebriated with the cross and Blood of thy Son.

And that I may not suffer the eternal flames, let me be defended by thee, O Virgin, on the day of judgment!

O Jesus! when my hour of death comes, let me, by thy Mother's aid, come to my crown of victory.

Quando corpus morietur, Fac ut animæ donetur
Paradisi gloria. Amen.

And when my body dies, oh! give to my soul the reward of heaven's glory. Amen.

Let us recite the concluding stanzas of the Greek hymn in honour of the holy cross.

HYMN

Adeste; crucem Domini propositam, jejuniis expiati, cum desiderio amplectamur. Est enim thesaurus sanctificationis et potentiæ, per
quam laudamus Christum in sæcula.

Hæc crux tripartita et
magna, vilis initio apparens, nunc cœlum tangit
virtute sua, hominesque ad Deum semper sursum ducit; per quam laudamus Christum in sæcula.

Honoretur hoc sacratissimum lignum, quod jam olim propheta in panem Christi immissum esse ab Israelitis, qui eum crucifixerunt, vaticinatus est; quem superexaltamus in sæcula.

Montes dulcedinem, et colles exsultationem stillate. Ligna campi, cedri Libani, choreas ducite ob hodiernam vivificæ crucis adorationem.
Prophetæ, martyres, apostoli
et spiritus justorum, exilite.

Respice in populum et in clerum tuum, Domine, qui
cum desiderio laudes tuas canit, cujus gratia mortem

Come, let us devoutly embrace the cross of our Lord that is exposed before us, for our fasts have made us pure. The cross is a treasure of holiness and power, and by it we give eternal praise to Christ.

This triple and glorious cross, contemptible as it seemed at first, now reaches to the very heavens with its power, ever raising and leading men up to God. By it we give eternal praise to Christ.

Honour to this most sacred Wood, which as the prophet anciently foretold was to be put in the bread of Christ, by them that crucified him; to him be praise above all for ever.

Rain down sweetness, O ye mountains! and ye, O hills, your gladness! Trees of the field, cedars of Libanus, exult with joy, for on this day we venerate the life-giving cross. Prophets, martyrs, apostles, spirits of the just, rejoice!

Look down, O Lord, upon thy people and clergy, who now devoutly sing thy praise, and for whose sake thou didst

subiisti. Ne vincat misericordiam tuam infinita multitudo malorum nostrorum, sed salva omnes, o benignissime, per crucem tuam.

Divina armatura vitæ
meæ es, o crux; in te Dominus ascendens, servavit
me. Latere vulnerato fudit sanguinem et aquam, cujus particeps factus exsulto, Christum glorificans.

Divinum Regis sceptrum crux es, exercitus fortitudo; in tua fiducia profligamus hostes; nobis qui te adoramus, semper concede adversus barbaros victorias.

suffer death. Let not the countless number of our sins outdo thy mercy, but save us, most loving Jesus, by thy cross!

O cross! thou art the sacred armour of my life. My Lord saved me by ascending upon thee. From his wounded side there flowed Blood and Water, of which being made a partaker, I exult, and give glory to Christ.

O cross! thou art the divine sceptre of the King; thou art the strength of them that wage war; it is our confidence in thee that makes us put our enemies to flight. Oh ever grant to us who honour thee, victory over the barbarians.

SATURDAY

IN PASSION WEEK

To-day we begin, as does the holy Gospel, to number the days which precede the death, the sacrifice, of the Lamb of God. St. John, in the twelfth chapter of his Gospel, tells us that this is the sixth day before the Pasch.

Jesus is in Bethania, where a feast is being given in His honour. Lazarus, whom Jesus has restored to life, is present at this repast, which is given in the house of Simon the leper. Martha is busy looking after the various arrangements; her sister, Mary Magdalene, has a heavenly presentiment that the death and burial of her beloved Master are soon to

be, and she has poured upon Him a precious perfume. The holy Gospel, which ever preserves such a mysterious reserve with regard to the Mother of Jesus, does not tell us that Mary was at Bethania on this occasion, but there can be no doubt of her being present. The apostles were also there, and partook of the repast. Whilst the friends of our Saviour are thus grouped around Him, in this village, which is about two thousand paces from Jerusalem, the aspect of the faithless city becomes more and more threatening; and yet, though His disciples are not aware of it, Jesus is to enter the city to-morrow, and in a most public manner. The heart of Mary is a prey to sadness; Magdalene is absorbed in grief; everything announces that the fatal day is near.

The Church has reserved for Monday next the Gospel which relates the history of this Saturday. The reason is that, formerly, and up to the twelfth century, there was no Station held on this day in Rome: it was left free, in order that the Pope might rest before the great fatigues of Holy Week, whose long and solemn services were to begin on the morrow. But, although he did not preside over the assembly of the faithful, he had to observe two usages, which had been handed down by tradition, and had almost become of liturgical importance in the Church at Rome.

During the whole year, the Pope used, every Sunday, to send a portion of the sacred Species consecrated by him, to each of the priests of the presbyterial titles, or parochial churches of the city. But it was to-day that this distribution was made for the whole of Holy Week, perhaps on account of to-morrow's long service. We know from the ancient liturgical books of Rome, that it was in the Lateran consistory that to-day's sacred distribution was made, and it is probable (as the blessed Cardinal Tommasi and Benedict XIV tell

us) that the bishops of the suburbicarian churches were of the number of those who received it. We have several instances proving that, formerly, bishops occasionally sent to one another the blessed Sacrament, as a sign of the union that existed between them. With regard to the priests of the city parochial churches, to whom a Particle was sent by the Pope, they put a portion of it in the chalice before receiving the precious Blood.

The other custom, peculiar to this day, consisted in giving alms to all the poor. The Pope presided at this distribution, which was no doubt made ample enough to last the whole of the coming week, when, on account of the long ceremonies, it would scarcely be possible to attend to individual cases of poverty. The liturgists of the middle-ages allude to the beautiful appropriateness of the Roman Pontiff's distributing alms with his own hand to the poor, on this day, the same on which Mary Magdalene embalmed with her perfumes the feet of Jesus.

Since the twelfth century, a Station has been assigned to this Saturday; it takes place in the Church of St. John before the Latin Gate. This ancient basilica is built near the spot where the beloved disciple was, by Domitian's order, plunged into the cauldron of boiling oil.

COLLECT

Proficiat, quæsumus, Domine, plebs tibi dicata piæ
devotionis affectu: ut sacris actionibus erudita, quanto majestati tuæ fit gratior,
tanto donis potioribus augeatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

May the people consecrated to thy service, we beseech thee, O Lord, improve in the affections of piety; that instructed by these holy mysteries, they may be so much the more enriched with thy heavenly gifts, as they become more acceptable to thy divine majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISTLE

Lectio Jeremiæ Prophetæ.

In diebus illis: Dixerunt impii Judæi ad invicem:
Venite, et cogitemus contra Justum cogitationes: non enim peribit lex a sacerdote, neque consilium a sapiente, nec sermo a propheta: venite, et percutiamus eum lingua, et non attendamus ad universos sermones ejus. Attende, Domine, ad me; et
audi vocem adversariorum meorum. Numquid redditur pro bono malum, quia foderunt foveam animæ meæ?
Recordare quod steterim in conspectu tuo, ut loquerer pro eis bonum, et averterem indignationem tuam ab eis. Propterea da filios eorum in famem, et deduc eos in manus gladii; fiant uxores eorum absque liberis, et viduæ:
et viri earum interficiantur morte: juvenes eorum confodiantur gladio in prælio.
Audiatur clamor de domibus eorum: adduces enim super eos latronem repente: quia foderunt foveam ut caperent me, et laqueos absconderunt pedibus meis. Tu autem, Domine, scis omne consilium
eorum adversum me in mortem: ne propitieris iniquitati eorum, et peccatum eorum a facie tua non deleatur: fiant corruentes in conspectu tuo, in tempore furoris tui abutere eis, Domine Deus noster.

Lesson from Jeremias the

In those days, the wicked Jews said to one another: Come, and let us invent devices against the Just: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words. Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries. Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight to speak good for them, and to turn away thy indignation from them. Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword; let their wives be bereaved of children, and widows; and let their husbands be slain by death; let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard out of their houses; for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly, because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet. But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death; forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them, O Lord our God.

It makes us tremble to read these awful anathemas, which Jeremias, the figure of Christ, speaks against his enemies, the Jews. This prophecy, which was literally fulfilled at the first destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, received a more terrible fulfilment at the second visitation of God's anger upon this city of malediction. This time, it was not because the Jews had persecuted a prophet; it was because they had rejected and crucified the very Son of God. It was to their long-expected Messias that they had rendered evil for good. It was not a saint, like Jeremias, that had spoken good for them to the Lord, and besought Him to turn away His indignation from them; the Man-God Himself had, without ceasing, made intercession for them, and treated them with the tenderest mercy. But all was in vain; this ungrateful people seemed to hate their divine Benefactor in proportion to His love for them; and at length, in the transport of their fury, they cried out: 'His Blood be upon us and upon our children!'¹ What a frightful chastisement they entailed on themselves by this imprecation! God heard and remembered. Alas! the sinner, who knows Jesus and the worth of His Blood, yet who again sheds this precious Blood, does not he expose himself to the severity of that same justice which fell so heavily on the Jews? Let us tremble and pray: let us implore the divine mercy in favour of those many obstinately blind and hardened sinners, who are hastening to destruction. Oh! that by the fervour of our suppli-

¹ St. Matt. xxvii. 26.

cations addressed to the merciful Heart of our common Redeemer, we could obtain a reversion of their sentence, and secure them pardon!

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem. Cap. xii.

In illo tempore: Cogitaverunt principes sacerdotum, ut et Lazarum interficerent: quia multi propter illum abibant ex Judæis, et credebant in Jesum. In crastinum autem turba multa, quæ venerat ad diem festum, cum audissent quia venit Jesus Jerosolymam: acceperunt ramos palmarum, et processerunt obviam ei, et clamabant: Hosanna: benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, Rex Israel. Et invenit Jesus asellum, et sedit super eum, sicut scriptum est: Noli timere, filia Sion: ecce Rex tuus venit sedens super pullum asinæ. Hæc non cognoverunt discipuli ejus primum: sed quando glorificatus est Jesus, tunc recordati sunt quia hæc erant scripta de eo: et hæc fecerunt ei.

Testimonium ergo perhibebat turba, quæ erat cum eo quando Lazarum vocavit de monumento, et suscitavit eum a mortuis. Propterea et obviam venit ei turba: quia audierunt eum fecisse hoc signum. Pharisæi ergo dixerunt ad semetipsos: Videtis quia nihil proficimus? Ecce mundus totus post eum abiit. Erant autem quidam Gentiles ex his, qui ascenderant ut adorarent in die festo. Hi ergo accesserunt ad Philippum, qui erat a Bethsaida Galilææ, et rogabant eum, dicentes: Domine, volumus Jesum videre. Venit Philippus, et dicit Andreæ: Andreas rursum et Philippus dixerunt Jesu.

Jesus autem respondit eis, dicens: Venit hora, ut clarificetur Filius hominis. Amen, amen, dico vobis, nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram, mortuum fuerit, ipsum solum manet. Si autem mortuum fuerit, multum fructum affert. Qui amat animam suam, perdet eam: et qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam æternam custodit eam. Si quis mihi ministrat, me sequatur: et ubi sum ego, illic et minister meus erit. Si quis mihi ministraverit, honorificabit eum Pater meus. Nunc anima mea turbata est. Et quid dicam? Pater, salvifica me ex hac hora. Sed propterea veni in horam hanc. Pater, clarifica nomen tuum. Venit ergo vox de cælo: Et clarificavi, et iterum clarificabo. Turba ergo, quæ stabat et audierat, dicebat tonitruum esse factum. Alii dicebant: Angelus ei locutus est.

Respondit Jesus, et dixit: Non propter me hæc vox venit, sed propter vos. Nunc judicium est mundi: nunc princeps hujus mundi ejicietur foras. Et ego si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia traham ad meipsum: (hoc autem dicebat, significans qua morte esset moriturus). Respondit ei turba: Nos audivimus ex lege, quia Christus manet in æternum: et quomodo tu dicis: Oportet exaltari Filium hominis? Quis est iste Filius hominis? Dixit ergo eis Jesus: Adhuc modicum lumen in vobis est. Ambulate dum lucem habetis, ut non vos tenebræ comprehendant: et qui ambulat in tenebris, nescit quo vadat. Dum lucem habetis, credite in lucem, ut filii lucis sitis. Hæc locutus est Jesus: et abiit, et abscondit se ab eis.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. xii.

At that time: The chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also, because many of the Jews by reason of him went away, and believed in Jesus. And on the next day a great multitude, that was come to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried: Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel! And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold thy king cometh sitting on an ass's colt. These things his disciples did not know at first; but when Jesus was glorified, they then remembered that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him.

The multitude therefore gave testimony, which was with him, when he called Lazarus out of the grave, and raised him from the dead. For which reason also the people came to meet him, because they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves: Do you see that we prevail nothing? behold the whole world is gone after him. Now there were certain Gentiles among them, who came up to adore on the festival day. These therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him saying: Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh, and telleth Andrew. Again Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

But Jesus answered them, saying: The hour is come that the Son of man shall be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life, shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause I came unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. A voice therefore came from heaven: I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The multitude therefore that stood and heard, said that it thundered. Others said: An angel spoke to him.

Jesus answered and said: This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of the world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself. (Now this he said, signifying what death he should die.) The multitude answered him: We have heard out of the law, that Christ abideth for ever; and how sayest thou: the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while, the light is among you. Walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness overtake you not; and he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. Whilst you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be children of light. These things Jesus spoke, and he went away and hid himself from them.

The enemies of Jesus have come to that pitch of hatred, which robs a man of his senses. Lazarus, who has been restored from death to life, is here standing before them; and instead of his resuscitation convincing them of Jesus' being the Messias, it sets them thinking how best to make away with this irresistible witness. O senseless men! that Jesus who raised him to life when dead, can again bring him to life if you murder him. Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, which we are solemnly to commemorate to-morrow, adds to their jealousy and hatred. Behold, say they, we prevail nothing: the whole world goes after Him. Alas! this ovation is to be soon followed by one of those reverses to which a populace is so subject. Meanwhile, however, we have certain Gentiles who desire to see Jesus. It is the beginning of the fulfilment of Jesus' prophecy: 'The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof.'¹ Then shall the Son of man be glorified; then shall all nations, by their humble homage to the Crucified, protest against the sinful blindness of the Jews. But, before this comes to pass, it is requisite that the divine Wheat be cast into the ground, and die. Then, the glorious harvest; and the beautiful seed shall yield a hundredfold.

And yet, Jesus feels, in His human nature, a momentary fear at the thought of this death He is to undergo. It is not the agony in the garden; it is a trouble of soul. Let us listen to His words: Father! save Me from this hour. It is our God who foresees all that He is about to suffer for our sake, and it fills Him with fear: He asks to be freed from it, though His will has decreed and accepted it. He immediately adds: But for this cause I came unto this hour: Father! glorify Thy name. His soul is now calm; He once more accepts the hard conditions of our salvation. After this, His words bespeak a triumph; by virtue of the sacrifice about to be offered, satan shall be dethroned: the prince of this world shall be cast out. But the defeat of satan is not the only fruit of our Saviour's immolation: man, earthly and depraved creature as he is, is to be raised from this earth to heaven. The Son of God is to be the heavenly loadstone, attracting man to Himself; And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself. He forgets His sufferings, and the terrible death which just now troubled Him; He thinks but of the defeat of our implacable enemy, and of our being saved and glorified by His cross. These few words reveal the whole Heart of our Redeemer: if we attentively weigh them, they will suffice to inflame us with devotion as we celebrate the ineffable mysteries of Holy Week.

¹ St. Matt. xxi. 43.

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Tueatur quæsumus, Domine, dextera tua populum deprecantem, et purificatum dignanter erudiat: ut consolatione præsenti, ad futura bona proficiat. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Bow down your heads to God.

May thy right hand, O Lord, we beseech thee, protect thy people making supplication to thee, and purifying them from their sins, make them wise, that they may make such use of the comforts of this present life, as to arrive at that which is eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us sue for mercy from the Saviour of our souls, in these words of supplication used in the Gothic liturgy of Spain.

SUPPLICATION

(Feria VI Dominicæ V)

℣. Miserere, et parce, clementissime Domine, populo tuo.

℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.

℣. De crucis throno aspice nos miseros, et passionum compeditos vinculis, nostris absolve, Redemptor, suppliciis.

℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.

℣. Passus flagella, et crucis injuriam, persecutorum sustinens convicia, dona delictis nostris pœnitentiam.

℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.

℣. Qui justus judex, male judicatus es, et pœnas crucis suscepisti innocens: tu nos a pœnis nostris salva redimens.

℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.

℣. Vox tua Patrem pro nobis expostulet, quæ silens fuit olim ante judicem, ut te regnante perfruamur Domino.

℟. Quia peccavimus tibi.

℣. Have mercy upon, and spare, thy people, O most merciful Lord!

℟. For we have sinned against thee.

℣. Look down, from the throne of thy cross, upon us miserable creatures, who are fettered by the chains of our passions. Deliver us, O thou our Redeemer, from the punishments we deserve.

℟. For we have sinned against thee.

℣. O thou that wast scourged, ignominiously crucified, and insulted by them that persecuted thee! grant us repentance for our sins.

℟. For we have sinned against thee.

℣. O thou, the just Judge, that wast judged unjustly, and, though innocent, made to suffer the tortures of the cross! save us from our merited punishments, for thou art our Redeemer.

℟. For we have sinned against thee.

℣. O thou, that heretofore wast silent before the judge! raise up thy voice in pleading for us to thy Father, that we may be happy with thee, our King and Lord.

℟. For we have sinned against thee.

The following sequence, in praise of Mary, is most appropriate for this Saturday of Passion-week. It sweetly blends together the homages we owe to the cross of Jesus and to the dolours of Mary. We have taken it from the Horæ of the sixth century.

SEQUENCE

Lignum vitæ quærimus,
Qui vitam amisimus Fructu ligni vetiti.

Nec inventum noverit Qui fructum non viderit Adhærentem stipiti.

Fructus per quem vivitur Pendet, sicut creditur, Virginis ad ubera.

Et ad crucem iterum, Inter viros scelerum, Passus quinque vulnera.

Hic Virgo puerpera, Hic crux salutifera: Ambo ligna mystica.

Hæc hyssopus humilis,
Illa cedrus nobilis: Utraque vivifica.

Positus in medio, Quo me vertam nescio.

In hoc dulci dubio, Dulcis est collatio.

Hic complexus brachiis, Modis vagit variis.

Hic extendit brachia, Complexurus omnia.

Charum Mater tenere Novit hic tenere.

Charitas sub latere, Nescit hic latere.

Hic adhærens pectori,
Pascitur ab ubere.

Hic affixus arbori, Pascit nos ex vulnere.

Crux ministrat pabula, Fructu nos reficiens.

Mater est præambula,
Fructum nobis nutriens.

Tandem ad hoc trahitur Finalis sententia. Quod nemo consequitur Unam sine alia.

Qui crucem elegerit, Nec sic Matrem deserit: Cum ad crucem venerit, Matrem ibi poterit Stantem invenire.

Nec qui Matrem eligit, Crucem prorsus abigit, Si modum intelligit Quo per Matrem contigit Gladium transire.

Fili Matris unice, Matris crucifixæ,
Nos de cruce respice, Fili crucifixe.

Fructus o vivifice, Fructus ligni vitæ,
Nos teipso refice, Nobis da frui te. Amen.

We that, by the fruit of the forbidden tree, lost our life, now seek the tree of life.

He alone hath found this tree, who sees the branch whereon is fixed the fruit.

Our faith tells us, that the fruit, that gives us life, hangs on Mary's breast.

And on the cross, between two thieves, though here he is pierced with five wounds.

The Virgin-Mother, and the saving cross, both are mystic trees;

The cross, humble as the hyssop; Mary, noble as the cedar: both are trees of life.

Placed between the two, I know not to which to turn.

O sweet perplexity! O sweet comparison!

Here, my Jesus lies, fondled in his Mother's arms, a weeping little Babe;

There, with his arms stretched out, calling all to his embrace.

Here, 'tis a burden sweet to a Mother's love;

There, 'tis Love itself, too ardent to be hid.

Here, leaning on his Mother's heart, he is fed at her breast;

There, fastened to the tree, he feeds us from his wounds.

The cross supplies us with the food of its refreshing fruit;

The Mother forestalls the cross, feeding the very fruit, feeding him for us.

This, then, is my decision: we cannot have the one without the other.

He that chooses the cross, must have the Mother; for when he comes to the cross, he will find the Mother standing at the foot.

He that chooses the Mother, meets the cross as well, for it was while standing at the cross, that the Mother's heart was pierced.

O Jesus! crucified Son of a crucified Mother! look upon us from thy cross.

O living fruit! O fruit of the tree of life! refresh us with thyself, give us the enjoyment of thine own dear self. Amen.

PALM SUNDAY

Hodie si vocem Domini audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra.

To-day, if ye shall hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.

Early in the morning of this day, Jesus sets out for Jerusalem, leaving Mary His Mother, and the two sisters Martha and Mary Magdalene, and Lazarus, at Bethania. The Mother of sorrows trembles at seeing her Son thus expose Himself to danger, for His enemies are bent upon His destruction; but it is not death, it is triumph, that Jesus is to receive to-day in Jerusalem. The Messias, before being nailed to the cross, is to be proclaimed King by the people of the great city; the little children are to make her streets echo with their Hosannas to the Son of David; and this in presence of the soldiers of Rome's emperor, and of the high priests and pharisees: the first standing under the banner of their eagles; the second, dumb with rage.

The prophet Zachary had foretold this triumph which the Son of Man was to receive a few days before His Passion, and which had been prepared for Him from all eternity. *Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion! Shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold thy King will come to thee; the Just and the Saviour. He is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.*¹ Jesus, knowing that the hour has come for the fulfilment of this prophecy, singles out two from the rest of His disciples, and bids them lead to Him an ass and her colt, which they would find not far off. He has reached Bethphage, on Mount Olivet. The two disciples lose no time in executing the order given them by their divine Master; and the ass and the colt are soon brought to the place where He stands.

The holy fathers have explained to us the mystery of these two animals. The ass represents the Jewish people, which had been long under the yoke of the Law; the colt, upon which, as the evangelist says, *no man yet hath sat,*² is a figure of the Gentile world, which no one had ever yet brought into subjection. The future of these two peoples is to be decided a few days hence: the Jews will be rejected, for having refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messias; the Gentiles will take their place, to be adopted as God's people, and become docile and faithful.

The disciples spread their garments upon the colt; and our Saviour, that the prophetic figure might be fulfilled, sits upon him,³ and advances towards Jerusalem. As soon as it is known that Jesus is near the city, the holy Spirit works in the hearts of those Jews, who have come from all parts to celebrate the feast of the Passover. They go out to meet our Lord, holding palm branches in their hands, and loudly proclaiming Him to be King. They that have accompanied Jesus from Bethania, join the enthusiastic crowd. Whilst some spread their garments on the way, others cut down boughs from the palm-trees, and strew them along the road. Hosanna is the triumphant cry, proclaiming to the whole city that Jesus, the Son of David, has made His entrance as her King.

Thus did God, in His power over men's hearts, procure a triumph for His Son, and in the very city which, a few days later, was to clamour for His Blood. This day was one of glory to our Jesus, and the holy Church would have us renew, each year, the memory of this triumph of the Man-God. Shortly after the birth of our Emmanuel, we saw the Magi coming from the extreme east, and looking in Jerusalem for the King of the Jews, to whom they intended offering their gifts and their adorations: but it is Jerusalem herself that now goes forth to meet this King. Each of these events is an acknowledgment of the kingship of Jesus; the first, from the Gentiles; the second, from the Jews. Both were to pay Him this regal homage, before He suffered His Passion. The inscription to be put upon the cross, by Pilate's order, will express the kingly character of the Crucified: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Pilate, the Roman governor, the pagan, the base coward, has been unwittingly the fulfiller of a prophecy; and when the enemies of Jesus insist on the inscription being altered, Pilate will not deign to give them any answer but this: *What I have written, I have written.* To-day, it is the Jews themselves that proclaim Jesus to be their King: they will soon be dispersed, in punishment for their revolt against the Son of David; but Jesus is King, and will be so for ever. Thus were literally verified the words spoken by the Archangel to Mary, when he announced to her the glories of the Child that was to be born of her: *The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David, His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever!*¹ Jesus begins His reign upon the earth this very day; and though the first Israel is soon to disclaim His rule, a new Israel, formed from the faithful few of the old, shall rise up in every nation of the earth, and become the kingdom of Christ, a kingdom such as no mere earthly monarch ever coveted in his wildest fancies of ambition.

This is the glorious mystery which ushers in the great week, the week of dolours. Holy Church would have us give this momentary consolation to our heart, and hail our Jesus as our King. She has so arranged the service of to-day, that it should express both joy and sorrow; joy, by uniting herself with the loyal hosannas of the city of David; and sorrow, by compassionating the Passion of her divine Spouse. The whole function is divided into three parts, which we will now proceed to explain.

The first is the blessing of the palms; and we may have an idea of its importance from the solemnity used by the Church in this sacred rite. One would suppose that the holy Sacrifice has begun, and is going to be offered up in honour of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Introit, Collect, Epistle, Gradual, Gospel, even a Preface, are said, as though we were, as usual, preparing for the immolation of the spotless Lamb; but, after the triple *Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus!* the Church suspends these sacrificial formulas, and turns to the blessing of the palms. The Prayers she uses for this blessing are eloquent and full of instruction; and, together with the sprinkling with holy water and the incensation, impart a virtue to these branches, which elevates them to the supernatural order, and makes them means for the sanctification of our souls and the protection of our persons and dwellings. The faithful should hold these palms in their hands during the procession, and during the reading of the Passion at Mass, and keep them in their homes as an outward expression of their faith, and as a pledge of God's watchful love.

It is scarcely necessary to tell our reader that the palms or olive branches, thus blessed, are carried in memory of those wherewith the people of Jerusalem strewed the road, as our Saviour made His triumphant entry; but a word on the antiquity of our ceremony will not be superfluous. It began very early in the east. It is probable that, as far as Jerusalem itself is concerned, the custom was established immediately after the ages of persecution. St. Cyril, who was bishop of that city in the fourth century, tells us that the palm-tree, from which the people cut the branches when they went out to meet our Saviour, was still to be seen in the vale of Cedron.¹ Such a circumstance would naturally suggest an annual commemoration of the great event. In the following century, we find this ceremony established, not only in the churches of the east, but also in the monasteries of Egypt and Syria. At the beginning of Lent, many of the holy monks obtained permission from their abbots to retire into the desert, that they might spend the sacred season in strict seclusion; but they were obliged to return to their monasteries for Palm Sunday, as we learn from the life of Saint Euthymius, written by his disciple Cyril.¹ In the west, the introduction of this ceremony was more gradual; the first trace we find of it is in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, that is, at the end of the sixth, or the beginning of the seventh, century. When the faith had penetrated into the north, it was not possible to have palms or olive branches; they were supplied by branches from other trees. The beautiful prayers used in the blessing, and based on the mysteries expressed by the palm and olive trees, are still employed in the blessing of our willow, box, or other branches; and rightly, for these represent the symbolical ones which nature has denied us.

The second of to-day's ceremonies is the procession, which comes immediately after the blessing of the palms. It represents our Saviour's journey to Jerusalem, and His entry into the city. To make it the more expressive, the branches that have just been blessed are held in the hand during it. With the Jews, to hold a branch in one's hand was a sign of joy. The divine law had sanctioned this practice, as we read in the following passage from Leviticus, where God commands His people to keep the feast of tabernacles: *And you shall take to you, on the first day, the fruits of the fairest tree, and branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God.*² It was, therefore, to testify their delight at seeing Jesus enter within their walls, that the inhabitants, even the little children, of Jerusalem, went forth to meet Him with palms in their hands. Let us, also, go before our King, singing our hosannas to Him as the conqueror of death, and the liberator of His people.

During the middle ages, it was the custom, in many churches, to carry the book of the holy Gospels in this procession. The Gospel contains the words of Jesus Christ, and was considered to represent Him. The procession halted at an appointed place, or station: the deacon then opened the sacred volume, and sang from it the passage which describes our Lord's entry into Jerusalem. This done, the cross which, up to this moment, was veiled, was uncovered; each of the clergy advanced towards it, venerated it, and placed at its foot a small portion of the palm he held in his hand. The procession then returned, preceded by the cross, which was left unveiled until all had re-entered the church. In England and Normandy, as far back as the eleventh century, there was practised a holy ceremony which represented, even more vividly than the one we have just been describing, the scene that was witnessed on this day at Jerusalem: the blessed Sacrament was carried in procession. The heresy of Berengarius, against the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, had been broached about that time; and the tribute of triumphant joy here shown to the sacred Host was a distant preparation for the feast and procession which were to be instituted at a later period.

A touching ceremony was also practised in Jerusalem during to-day's procession, and, like those just mentioned, was intended to commemorate the event related by the Gospel. The whole community of the Franciscans (to whose keeping the holy places are entrusted) went in the morning to Bethphage. There, the father guardian of the holy Land, being vested in pontifical robes, mounted upon an ass, on which garments were laid. Accompanied by the friars and the Catholics of Jerusalem, all holding palms in their hands, he entered the city, and alighted at the church of the holy sepulchre where Mass was celebrated with all possible solemnity. This beautiful ceremony, which dated from the period of the Latin kingdom in Jerusalem, has been interdicted, for now almost two hundred years, by the Turkish authorities of the city.

We have mentioned these different usages, as we have done others on similar occasions, in order to aid the faithful to the better understanding of the several mysteries of the liturgy. In the present instance, they will learn that, in to-day's procession, the Church wishes us to honour Jesus Christ as though He were really among us, and were receiving the humble tribute of our loyalty. Let us lovingly go forth to meet this our King, our Saviour, who comes to visit the daughter of Sion, as the prophet has just told us. He is in our midst; it is to Him that we pay honour with our palms: let us give Him our hearts too. He comes that He may be our King; let us welcome Him as such, and fervently cry out to Him: *Hosanna to the Son of David!*

At the close of the procession a ceremony takes place, which is full of the sublimest symbolism. On returning to the church, the doors are found to be shut. The triumphant procession is stopped; but the songs of joy are continued. A hymn in honour of Christ our King is sung with its joyous chorus; and at length the subdeacon strikes the door with the staff of the cross; the door opens, and the people, preceded by the clergy, enter the church, proclaiming the praise of Him, who is our resurrection and our life.

This ceremony is intended to represent the entry of Jesus into that Jerusalem of which the earthly one was but the figure—the Jerusalem of heaven, which has been opened for us by our Saviour. The sin of our first parents had shut it against us; but Jesus, the King of glory, opened its gates by His cross, to which every resistance yields. Let us, then, continue

¹ Zach. ix. 9.
² St. Mark xi. 2.
³ Ibid. 7, and St. Luke xix. 35.

¹ St. Luke xix. 38.

¹ St. Luke i. 32.

¹ Cateches. x. versus fin.
¹ Act. SS. Jan. 20.
² Lev. xxiii. 40.

to follow in the footsteps of the Son of David, for He is also the Son of God, and He invites us to share His kingdom with Him. Thus, by the procession, which is commemorative of what happened on this day, the Church raises up our thoughts to the glorious mystery of the Ascension, whereby heaven was made the close of Jesus' mission on earth. Alas! the interval between these two triumphs of our Redeemer are not all days of joy; and no sooner is our procession over, than the Church, who had laid aside for a moment the weight of her grief, falls back into sorrow and mourning.

The third part of to-day's service is the offering of the holy Sacrifice. The portions that are sung by the choir are expressive of the deepest desolation; and the history of our Lord's Passion, which is now to be read by anticipation, gives to the rest of the day that character of sacred gloom, which we all know so well. For the last five or six centuries, the Church has adopted a special chant for this narrative of the holy Gospel. The historian, or the evangelist, relates the events in a tone that is at once grave and pathetic; the words of our Saviour are sung to a solemn yet sweet melody, which strikingly contrasts with the high dominant of the several other interlocutors and the Jewish populace. During the singing of the Passion, the faithful should hold their palms in their hands, and, by this emblem of triumph, protest against the insults offered to Jesus by His enemies. As we listen to each humiliation and suffering, all of which were endured out of love for us, let us offer Him our palm as to our dearest Lord and King. When should we be more adoring, than when He is most suffering?

These are the leading features of this great day. According to our usual plan, we will add to the prayers and lessons any instructions that seem to be needed,

This Sunday, besides its liturgical and popular appellation of Palm Sunday, has had several other names. Thus it was called Hosanna Sunday, in allusion to the acclamation wherewith the Jews greeted Jesus on His entry into Jerusalem. Our forefathers used also to call it Pascha Floridum, because the feast of the Pasch (or Easter), which is but eight days off, is to-day in bud, so to speak, and the faithful could begin from this Sunday to fulfil the precept of Easter Communion. It was in allusion to this name, that the Spaniards, having on the Palm Sunday of 1513, discovered the peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico, called it Florida. We also find the name of Capitilavium given to this Sunday, because, during those times when it was the custom to defer till Holy Saturday the baptism of infants born during the preceding months (where such a delay entailed no danger), the parents used, on this day, to wash the heads of these children, out of respect to the holy chrism wherewith they were to be anointed. Later on, this Sunday was, at least in some churches, called the Pasch of the competents, that is, of the catechumens, who were admitted to Baptism; they assembled to-day in the church, and received a special instruction on the symbol, which had been given to them in the previous scrutiny. In the Gothic Church of Spain, the symbol was not given till to-day. The Greeks call this Sunday Baiophoros, that is, Palm-bearing.

THE BLESSING OF THE PALMS

It begins with the chanting of the following antiphon, which serves as an Introit.

ANTIPHON

Hosanna filio David! Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. O Rex Israel! Hosanna in excelsis!

Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. O King of Israel! Hosanna in the highest!

The priest then sums up, in the following prayer, the petitions of the faithful. This is what he asks for his people: that after this short life is over, they may come to that eternal kingdom, which has been prepared for them by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

OREMUS

Deus, quem diligere et amare justitia est, ineffabilis gratiæ tuæ in nobis dona multiplica; et qui fecisti nos in morte Filii tui sperare quæ credimus, fac nos eodem resurgente pervenire quo tendimus. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O God, whom to love is true righteousness, multiply in our hearts the gifts of thy holy grace; and since, by the death of thy only Son, thou hast made us to hope for those things which we believe, grant that, by his resurrection, we may arrive at the happy end of our journey. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.

℟. Amen.

After this prayer, the subdeacon chants a passage from the Book of Exodus, which relates how the people of God, after they had gone forth from Egypt, pitched their tents at Elim, beneath the shade of seventy palm-trees, where also were twelve fountains. While here, they were told by Moses that God was about to send them manna from heaven, and that, on the very next morning, their hunger would be appeased. These were figures of what is now given to the Christian people. The faithful, by a sincere conversion, have separated themselves from the Egypt of a sinful world. They are offering the palms of their loyalty and love to Jesus, their King. The fountains typify the Baptism, which, a few days hence, is to be administered to our catechumens. These fountains are twelve in number; the twelve articles of the symbol of our faith were preached to the world by the twelve apostles. And finally, on the morning of Easter day, Jesus, the Bread of life, the heavenly Manna, will arise from the tomb, and manifest His glory to us.

Lectio libri Exodi.
Cap. xv.

In diebus illis: Venerunt filii Israel in Elim, ubi erant duodecim fontes aquarum, et septuaginta palmæ: et castrametati sunt juxta aquas. Profectique sunt de Elim: et venit omnis multitudo filiorum Israel in desertum Sin, quod est inter Elim et Sinai: quintodecimo die mensis secundi, postquam egressi sunt de terra Ægypti. Et murmuravit omnis congregatio filiorum Israel contra Moysen et Aaron in solitudine. Dixeruntque filii Israel ad eos: Utinam mortui essemus per manum Domini in terra Ægypti, quando sedebamus super ollas carnium: et comedebamus panem in saturitate. Cur induxistis nos in desertum istud, ut occideretis omnem multitudinem fame? Dixit autem Dominus ad Moysen: Ecce ego pluam vobis panes de cælo. Egrediatur populus, et colligat quæ sufficiunt per singulos dies: ut tentem eum, utrum ambulet in lege mea, an non. Die autem sexto parent quod inferant: et sit duplum, quam colligere solebant per singulos dies. Dixeruntque Moyses et Aaron ad omnes filios Israel: Vespere scietis, quod Dominus eduxerit vos de terra Ægypti: et mane videbitis gloriam Domini.

Lesson from the book of Exodus.

In those days, the children of Israel came into Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm-trees; and they encamped by the waters. And they set forward from Elim; and all the multitude of the children of Israel came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, the fifteenth day of the second month after they came out of the land of Egypt. And all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them: Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat over the flesh pots, and ate bread to the full. Why have you brought us into this desert, that you might destroy all the multitude with famine? And the Lord said to Moses: Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you; let the people go forth, and gather what is sufficient for every day, that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law, or no. But the sixth day let them provide for to bring in, and let it be double to that they were wont to gather every day. And Moses and Aaron said to the children of Israel: In the evening you shall know that the Lord hath brought you forth out of the land of Egypt: and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord.

After this lesson, the choir sings one of the two following responsories, which commemorate the Passion of our Lord.

RESPONSORY

℟. Collegerunt pontifices et pharisæi concilium, et dixerunt: Quid facimus, quia hic homo multa signa facit? Si dimittimus eum sic, omnes credent in eum: * Et venient Romani, et tollent nostrum locum et gentem.

℣. Unus autem ex illis, Caiphas nomine, cum esset pontifex anni illius, prophetavit dicens: Expedit vobis, ut unus moriatur homo pro populo, et non tota gens pereat. Ab illo ergo die cogitaverunt interficere eum, dicentes:

* Et venient Romani, et tollent nostrum locum et gentem.

℟. The chief priests therefore and the pharisees gathered a council, and said: What are we doing, for this man performeth many wonders? If we let him go on thus, all will believe in him. * And the Romans will come and destroy both our country and people.

℣. But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest of that year, said to them: It is for your interest that one man should die for the people, and not the whole nation perish. Therefore from that day they devised to kill him, saying:

* And the Romans will come and destroy both our country and people.

℟. In monte Oliveti oravit ad Patrem: Pater, si fieri potest, transeat a me calix iste. * Spiritus quidem promptus est: caro autem infirma: fiat voluntas tua.

℣. Vigilate et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem.

* Spiritus quidem promptus est: caro autem infirma: fiat voluntas tua.

℟. Jesus prayed unto his Father on Mount Olivet: O Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. * The spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh is weak. Thy will be done.

℣. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.

* The spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh is weak. Thy will be done.

The deacon then chants, from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the history of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The palms of the new Testament entwine with those of the old, in honour of the Man-God, who is the connecting link of both.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthæum.
Cap. xxi.

In illo tempore: Cum appropinquasset Jesus Jerosolymis et venisset Bethphage, ad montem Oliveti; tunc misit duos discipulos, dicens eis: Ite in castellum, quod contra vos est: et statim invenietis asinam alligatam, et pullum cum ea: solvite, et adducite mihi. Et si quis vobis aliquid dixerit, dicite quia Dominus his opus habet: et confestim dimittet eos. Hoc autem totum factum est, ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per prophetam dicentem: Dicite filiæ Sion: Ecce Rex tuus venit tibi mansuetus, sedens super asinam, et pullum filium subjugalis. Euntes autem discipuli, fecerunt sicut præcepit illis Jesus. Et adduxerunt asinam, et pullum: et imposuerunt super eos vestimenta sua, et eum desuper sedere fecerunt. Plurima autem turba straverunt vestimenta sua in via. Alii autem cædebant ramos de arboribus, et sternebant in via. Turbæ autem quæ præcedebant, et quæ sequebantur, clamabant, dicentes: Hosanna filio David! benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini!

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Matthew. Ch. xxi.

At that time: When Jesus drew nigh to Jerusalem, and was come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, he sent two disciples, saying to them: Go ye into the village that is over against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied and a colt with her; loose them and bring them to me. And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need of them; and forthwith he will let them go. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold, thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them: and they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way, and others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way; and the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!

And now the mystery-speaking palms are to receive the Church's blessing. The priest begins by two scriptural allusions: the first is to Noah, who received an olive-branch, when the waters of the deluge had subsided; the second is to Moses, whose people, after quitting Egypt, encamped under the seventy palm-trees. Then in the solemn tone of the Preface, he calls upon all creatures to give praise to the adorable name of Jesus, for whom we are preparing the homage of our devoted love. Let us respond to the invitation, and sing with all our hearts: Holy! Holy! Holy!—Hosanna in excelsis!

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

OREMUS

Auge fidem in te sperantium, Deus, et supplicum preces clementer exaudi: veniat super nos multiplex misericordia tua; benedicantur et hi palmites palmarum, seu olivarum: et sicut in figura Ecclesiæ multiplicasti Noë egredientem de arca, et Moysen exeuntem de Ægypto cum filiis Israel: ita nos portantes palmas et ramos olivarum bonis actibus occurramus obviam Christo, et per ipsum in gaudium introeamus æternum. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus,

LET US PRAY

Increase, O God, the faith of them that hope in thee, and mercifully hear the prayers of thy suppliants; let thy manifold mercy come upon us, and

℣. Per omnia sæcula sæculorum.
℟. Amen.
℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.
℣. Sursum corda.
℟. Habemus ad Dominum.
℣. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
℟. Dignum et justum est.

Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus. Qui gloriaris in consilio sanctorum tuorum. Tibi enim serviunt creaturæ tuæ: quia te solum auctorem et Deum cognoscunt: et omnis factura tua te collaudat, et benedicunt te sancti tui. Quia illud magnum Unigeniti tui nomen, coram regibus et potestatibus hujus sæculi, libera voce confitentur. Cui assi-

let these branches of palm-trees, or olive-trees be blessed; and as in a figure of the Church thou didst multiply Noah going out of the ark, and Moses going out of Egypt with the children of Israel, so let us, carrying palms and branches of olive-trees, go and meet Christ with good works, and enter through him into eternal joys. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God,

℣. For ever and ever.

℟. Amen.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

℣. Lift up your hearts.

℟. We have fixed them on God.

℣. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

℟. It is meet and just.

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, always and in all places to give thee thanks, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who art glorious in the assembly of thy saints. For thy creatures serve thee, because they acknowledge thee for their only Creator and God. And the whole creation praiseth thee, and thy saints bless thee, because they confess with freedom, before the kings and powers of this world, the great name of thy only-begotten Son. Before whom the Angels and

stunt Angeli et Archangeli, Throni et Dominationes: cumque omni militia cœlestis exercitus, hymnum gloriæ tuæ concinunt, sine fine dicentes:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Archangels, the Thrones and Dominations, stand, and with all the troops of the heavenly host, sing a hymn to thy glory, saying without ceasing:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts!

Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest!

The prayers which now follow, explain the mystery of the palms, and draw down the blessing of God both upon them and upon the faithful who receive and keep them with proper dispositions.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

OREMUS

Petimus, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus: ut hanc creaturam olivæ, quam ex ligni materia prodire jussisti, quamque columba rediens ad arcam, proprio pertulit ore: benedicere et sanctificare digneris: ut quicumque ex ea receperint, accipiant sibi protectionem animæ et corporis, fiatque, Domine, nostræ salutis remedium, tuæ gratiæ sacramentum. Per Dominum nostrum.

℟. Amen.

OREMUS

Deus, qui dispersa congregas, et congregata con-

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

LET US PRAY

We beseech thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, that thou wouldst be pleased to bless and sanctify this creature of the olive tree, which thou madest to shoot out of the substance of the wood, and which the dove, returning to the ark, brought in its bill; that whoever receiveth it, may find protection of soul and body, and that it may prove, O Lord, a saving remedy, and a sacred sign of thy grace. Through, &c.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O God, who gatherest what is dispersed, and preservest

servas: qui populis obviam Jesu ramos portantibus benedixisti: benedic etiam hos ramos palmæ et olivæ, quos tui famuli ad honorem nominis tui fideliter suscipiunt: ut in quemcumque locum introducti fuerint, tuam benedictionem habitatores loci illius consequantur: et omni adversitate effugata, dextera tua protegat quos redemit Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster. Qui tecum.

℟. Amen.

OREMUS

Deus, qui miro dispositionis ordine, ex rebus etiam insensibilibus, dispensationem nostræ salutis ostendere voluisti: da quæsumus, ut devota tuorum corda fidelium salubriter intelligant, quid mystice designet in facto, quod hodie cœlesti lumine afflata, Redemptori obviam procedens, palmarum atque olivarum ramos vestigiis ejus turba substravit. Palmarum igitur rami de mortis principe triumphos exspectant: surculi vero olivarum spiritualem unctionem advenisse quodammodo clamant. Intellexit enim jam tunc illa hominum beata multitudo præfigurari: quia Redemptor noster humanis condolens mi-

what is gathered; who didst bless the people that carried boughs to meet Jesus; bless also these branches of the palm-tree and olive-tree which thy servants take with faith in honour of thy name; that into whatever place they may be carried, the inhabitants of that place may obtain thy blessing, and thy right hand may preserve from all adversity, and protect those that have been redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son. Who liveth, &c.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O God, who by the wonderful order of thy providence wouldst, even in insensible things, show us the manner of our salvation; grant, we beseech thee, that the devout hearts of thy faithful may understand to their benefit the mystical meaning of that ceremony, when the multitude, by direction from heaven, going this day to meet our Redeemer, strewed under his feet palms and olive-branches. The palms represent his triumph over the prince of death; and the olive-branches proclaim, in some manner, the coming of a spiritual unction. For that pious multitude then knew, what was by them signified, that our Redeemer, compassionating the misery of mankind, was to

seriis, pro totius mundi vita cum mortis principe esset pugnaturus, ac moriendo triumphaturus. Et ideo talia obsequens administravit, quæ in illo et triumphos victoriæ, et misericordiæ pinguedinem declararent. Quod nos quoque plena fide, et factum et significatum retinentes, te Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus, per eumdem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum suppliciter exoramus: ut in ipso atque per ipsum, cujus nos membra fieri voluisti, de mortis imperio victoriam reportantes, ipsius gloriosæ resurrectionis participes esse mereamur. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum.

℟. Amen.

OREMUS

Deus, qui per olivæ ramum, pacem terris columbam nuntiare jussisti: præsta quæsumus: ut hos olivæ cæterarumque arborum ramos, cœlesti benedictione sanctifices: ut cuncto populo tuo proficiant ad salutem. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

℟. Amen.

OREMUS

Benedic, quæsumus, Domine, hos palmarum, seu olivarum ramos: et præsta

fight for the life of the whole world with the prince of death; and to triumph over him by his own death. And therefore in that action they made use of such things as might declare both the triumph of his victory, and the riches of his mercy. We also with a firm faith, retaining both the ceremony and its signification, humbly beseech thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through the same Lord Jesus Christ, that we, whom thou hast made his members, gaining by him, and in him, a victory over the empire of death, may deserve to be partakers of his glorious resurrection. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

O God, who by an olive branch didst command the dove to proclaim peace to the world; sanctify, we beseech thee, by thy heavenly benediction, these branches of olives and other trees; that they may be serviceable to all thy people unto salvation. Through, &c.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, these branches of the palm-tree, or olive-tree; and

ut quod populus tuus in tui venerationem hodierna die corporaliter agit, hoc spiritualiter summa devotione perficiat, de hoste victoriam reportando, et opus misericordiæ summopere diligendo. Per Dominum.

℟. Amen.

grant that what thy people this day act corporally for thy honour, they may perform the same spiritually with the greatest devotion, by gaining a victory over their enemy, and ardently loving the work of thy mercy. Through, &c.

℟. Amen.

The priest completes the blessing of the palms by sprinkling them with holy water and thurifying them with incense. After which, he adds the following prayer.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

OREMUS

Deus, qui Filium tuum Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum, pro salute nostra in hunc mundum misisti, ut se humiliaret ad nos, et nos revocaret ad te: cui etiam dum Jerusalem veniret, ut adimpleret Scripturas, credentium populorum turba, fidelissima devotione, vestimenta sua cum ramis palmarum in via sternebant: præsta, quæsumus, ut illi fidei viam præparemus: de qua remoto lapide offensionis, et petra scandali, frondeant apud te opera nostra justitiæ ramis: ut ejus vestigia sequi mereamur. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum.

℟. Amen.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

LET US PRAY

O God, who, for our salvation, didst send into this world thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that he might humble himself to our condition, and call us back to thee: for whom also, as he was coming to Jerusalem, to fulfil the Scriptures, a multitude of faithful people, with a zealous devotion, spread their garments together with palm branches in the way: grant, we beseech thee, that we may prepare him the way of faith, out of which the stone of offence and the rock of scandal being removed, our actions may flourish with branches of righteousness, so that we may be worthy to follow his steps. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.

℟. Amen.

After this prayer, the priest distributes the palms to the faithful.¹ During the distribution, the choir reminds us, by the two following antiphons, of the enthusiasm of the little children of Jerusalem, who, with their palms in their hands, sang their loud Hosanna to the Son of David!

ANTIPHON

Pueri Hebræorum portantes ramos olivarum obviaverunt Domino, clamantes, et dicentes: Hosanna in excelsis!

The Hebrew children carrying olive-branches met the Lord, crying out, and saying: Hosanna in the highest!

ANTIPHON

Pueri Hebræorum vestimenta prosternebant in via, et clamabant dicentes: Hosanna filio David; benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini!

The Hebrew children spread their garments in the way, and cried out saying: Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!

As soon as the distribution is over, the priest concludes this first part of the service by the following prayer.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

OREMUS

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum super pullum asinæ sedere fecisti: et turbas populorum vestimenta, vel ramos arborum in via sternere, et Hosanna decantare in laudem ipsius docuisti: da quæsumus, ut illorum

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

LET US PRAY

O almighty and eternal God, who wouldst have our Lord Jesus Christ ride on the colt of an ass, and didst inspire the crowds of people to spread their garments, and branches of trees in the way, and to sing Hosanna to his praise: grant, we beseech thee, that

¹ In receiving the palm, the faithful should kiss first the palm itself, and then the priest's hand.

innocentiam imitari possimus, et eorum meritum consequi mereamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum.

℟. Amen.

we may imitate their innocence, and deserve to partake in their merits. Through the same Christ our Lord.

℟. Amen.

THE PROCESSION

The priest having blessed the incense—which, according to the custom of the Church, always heads a procession and sheds its perfume along the path that is to be taken—the deacon turns towards the people, and gives the signal for departure, with these words:

Procedamus in pace.

Let us proceed in peace.

The choir answers:

In nomine Christi. Amen.

In the name of Christ. Amen.

The procession then advances, the clergy and people holding the palms in their hands. The choir chants the following antiphons, in honour of Jesus, the King of Israel.

ANTIPHON

Cum appropinquaret Dominus Jerosolymam, misit duos ex discipulis suis, dicens: Ite in castellum, quod contra vos est: et invenietis pullum asinæ alligatum, super quem nullus hominum sedit: solvite, et adducite mihi. Si quis vos interrogaverit, dicite: Opus Domino est. Solventes ad-

When the Lord drew nigh to Jerusalem, he sent two of his disciples, saying: Go ye into the village that is over against you: and you will find the colt of an ass tied, loose it, and bring it to me. If any one ask you any questions, say: The Lord wanteth it. They untied, and brought it to Jesus, and laid their garments upon

duxerunt ad Jesum: et imposuerunt illi vestimenta sua, et sedit super eum: alii expandebant vestimenta sua in via: alii ramos de arboribus sternebant, et qui sequebantur, clamabant: Hosanna! benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, et benedictum regnum patris nostri David! Hosanna in excelsis! Miserere nobis, fili David!

it; and he seated himself on it. Others spread their garments in the way; others cut branches from the trees; and those who followed, cried out, Hosanna! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; and blessed be the reign of our father David! Hosanna in the highest! O Son of David, have mercy on us!

ANTIPHON

Cum audisset populus, quia Jesus venit Jerosolymam, acceperunt ramos palmarum, et exierunt ei obviam, et clamabant pueri dicentes: Hic est, qui venturus est in salutem populi: Hic est salus nostra, et redemptio Israel. Quantus est iste, cui Throni et Dominationes occurrunt! Noli timere, filia Sion! ecce Rex tuus venit tibi sedens super pullum asinæ sicut scriptum est. Salve Rex fabricator mundi, qui venisti redimere nos!

When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm-branches and went out to meet him; and the children cried out, saying: This is he, who is come for the salvation of the people. He is our salvation, and the redemption of Israel. How great is he, whom the Thrones and Dominations go out to meet! Fear not, O daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh to thee sitting on an ass's colt, as it is written. Hail, O King, the Creator of the world, who art come to redeem us!

ANTIPHON

Ante sex dies solemnis Paschæ, quando venit Dominus in civitatem Jerusalem, occurrerunt ei pueri: et in manibus portabant ramos palmarum: et clamabant voce magna dicentes: Hosanna in excelsis! Benedictus qui venisti in multitudine misericordiæ tuæ; Hosanna in excelsis!

Six days before the solemnity of the Passover, when the Lord was coming into the city of Jerusalem, the children met him, and carried palm-branches in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna in the highest: blessed art thou who art come in the multitude of thy mercy: Hosanna in the highest!

ANTIPHON

Occurrunt turbæ cum floribus et palmis Redemptori obviam: et victori triumphanti digna dant obsequia. Filium Dei ore gentes prædicant: et in laudem Christi voces tonant per nubila: Hosanna in excelsis!

The multitude goeth out to meet their Redeemer with flowers and palms, and payeth the homage due to a triumphant conqueror: the Gentiles proclaim the Son of God: and their voices rend the skies in the praise of Christ: Hosanna in the highest!

ANTIPHON

Cum angelis et pueris fideles inveniamur, triumphatori mortis clamantes: Hosanna in excelsis!

Let us faithfully join with the angels and children, singing to the Conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest!

ANTIPHON

Turba multa quæ convenerat ad diem festum, clamabat Domino: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini! Hosanna in excelsis!

A great multitude that was met together at the festival cried out to the Lord: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

The procession is now on its return to the church: but it cannot enter, for the doors are shut. We have already explained the meaning of this part of the ceremony. Immediately there are heard voices within the holy pile; they are singing the praises of Christ, our King and Saviour. These cantors represent the holy angels in heaven, who are greeting the entry of Jesus into the eternal Jerusalem. Outside the church, there stands the choir, re-echoing the hymn of triumph; but it is man celebrating the entry of the Son of David into the earthly Jerusalem. The two choirs are thus kept separated from each other, until at length the victorious cross throws open the door, which represents the gate of heaven, and unites the Church militant with the Church triumphant. The hymn which is sung during this ceremony, was composed by Theodulf bishop of Orleans, when prisoner at Angers, by order of Louis the Good. The Church of Rome, by using the first six stanzas of this short poem, has immortalized it throughout the world.

The cantors within the church begin the first stanza, which is repeated by the choir without, not only after this, but also after each of the following five stanzas.

HYMN

Gloria, laus et honor, tibi sit, Rex Christe, Redemptor! Cui puerile decus prompsit Hosanna pium.

℟. Gloria, laus.

Israel es tu Rex, Davidis et inclyta proles: Nomine qui in Domini, rex benedicte, venis.

℟. Gloria, laus.

Cœtus in excelsis, te laudat cælicus omnis,
Et mortalis homo, et cuncta creata simul.

℟. Gloria, laus.

Plebs Hebræa tibi cum palmis obvia venit:
Cum prece, voto, hymnis, adsumus ecce tibi.

℟. Gloria, laus.

Hi tibi passuro solvebant munia laudis; Nos tibi regnanti pangimus ecce melos.

℟. Gloria, laus.

Hi placuere tibi, placeat devotio nostra, Rex bone, rex clemens, cui bona cuncta placent.

℟. Gloria, laus.

Glory, praise, and honour be to thee, O Christ, our King, our Saviour; to whom the innocent children sang their fervent Hosanna.

℟. Glory, praise, &c.

Thou art the King of Israel, the glorious Son of David! Blessed art thou our King! that comest in the name of the Lord.

℟. Glory, praise, &c.

The whole heavenly host, in the highest heavens above, and men on earth, and all created things praise thee.

℟. Glory, praise, &c.

The Hebrew people, with palms, went forth to meet thee: behold, we, too, present ourselves before thee, with our prayers, desires, and hymns.

℟. Glory, praise, &c.

They offered the tribute of their praise to thee, when thou wast about to suffer; we sing our hymn to thee seated on thy throne.

℟. Glory, praise, &c.

They were pleasing to thee; grant that our devotion may also please thee, O dear and merciful King! to whom all is pleasing that is good.

℟. Glory, praise, &c.

As soon as the choir has sung its response to the last stanza, the subdeacon knocks with the cross at the door, which is immediately opened. In some places, it is the celebrant himself who performs this ceremony, and while doing it he recites the words of Psalm xxiii, in which David celebrates the entrance of our Redeemer into heaven on the day of His Ascension.

The procession then enters the church, singing the following responsory:

RESPONSORY

℟. Ingrediente Domino in sanctam civitatem, Hebræorum pueri resurrectionem vitæ pronuntiantes; * Cum ramis palmarum, Hosanna clamabant in excelsis.

℣. Cum audisset populus, quod Jesus veniret Jerosolymam, exierunt obviam ei.

* Cum ramis palmarum, Hosanna clamabant in excelsis.

℟. As our Lord entered the holy city, the Hebrew children declaring the resurrection of life, * With palm-branches, cried out: Hosanna in the highest!

℣. When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they went out to meet him.

* With palm-branches, cried out: Hosanna in the highest!

MASS

The Station at Rome is in the basilica of St. John Lateran, the mother and mistress of all Churches. The papal function, however, now takes place at St. Peter's; but the usual indulgences are still granted to those who visit the archbasilica.

The Mass of this Sunday retains no vestige of the joy, which characterized the ceremony of the palms. The Introit is taken from Psalm xxi, in which the royal prophet expresses the anguish of soul suffered by Jesus on the cross.

INTROIT

Domine, ne longe facias auxilium tuum a me, ad defensionem meam adspice; libera me de ore leonis, et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam.

Ps. Deus, Deus meus, respice in me, quare me dereliquisti? longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum.

Domine, ne longe.

O Lord, keep not thy help far from me; look to my defence; save me from the lion's mouth, and rescue me in my distress, from the horns of unicorns.

Ps. O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? It is the cry of my sins that keeps salvation far from me.

O Lord, keep not, &c.

In the Collect the Church prays that we may have grace to imitate the patience and humility of our Redeemer. Jesus suffers and humbles Himself for us; it is but just that we should work out our salvation by following His example, that we should suffer, and be humble.

COLLECT

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui humano generi ad imitandum humilitatis exemplum, Salvatorem nostrum carnem sumere, et crucem subire fecisti: concede propitius: ut et patientiæ ipsius habere documenta, et resurrectionis consortia mereamur. Per eumdem.

O almighty and eternal God, who wouldst have our Saviour become man, and suffer on a cross, to give mankind an example of humility; mercifully grant that we may improve by the example of his patience, and partake of his resurrection. Through the same, &c.

EPISTLE

Lectio Epistolæ B. Pauli Apostoli ad Philippenses.

Cap. ii.

Fratres, Hoc enim sentite in vobis, quod et in Christo Jesu. Qui cum in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus est, esse se æqualem Deo: sed semetipsum exinanivit, formam servi accipiens, in similitudinem hominum factus, et habitu inventus ut homo. Humiliavit semetipsum, factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis. Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum: et donavit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen: ut in nomine JESU (here, all kneel,) omne genu flectatur, cælestium, terrestrium, et infernorum: et omnis lingua confiteatur, quia Dominus Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris.

Lesson of the Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Philippians.

Ch. ii.

Brethren: For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names; that in the name of JESUS (here, all kneel,) every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

In obedience to the wishes of the Church, we have knelt down at those words of the apostle, where he says that every knee should bow at the holy name of Jesus. If there be one time of the year rather than another, when the Son of God has a right to our fervent adorations, it is this week, when we see Him insulted in His Passion. Not only should His sufferings excite us to tender compassion; we should also keenly resent the insults that are heaped upon our Jesus, the God of infinite majesty. Let us strive, by our humble homage, to make Him amends for the indignities He suffered in atonement for our pride. Let us unite with the holy angels, who, witnessing what He has gone through for the love of man, prostrate themselves, in profoundest adoration, at the sight of His humiliations.

In the Gradual, the Church makes use of the words of the royal prophet, who foretells the future glories of the Victim that dies on Calvary; but he also confesses that the success permitted to the enemies of Jesus had well nigh shaken his confidence.

GRADUAL

Tenuisti manum dexteram meam: et in voluntate tua deduxisti me: et cum gloria assumpsisti me.

℣. Quam bonus Israel Deus rectis corde! mei autem pene moti sunt pedes, pene effusi sunt gressus mei: quia zelavi in peccatoribus, pacem peccatorum videns.

Thou hast held me by my right hand, and by thy will thou hast conducted me; and with glory thou hast received me.

℣. How good is the God of Israel to them that are of a right heart! But my feet were almost moved, my steps had well nigh slipped, because I had a zeal on sinners, seeing the prosperity of sinners.

The Tract consists of several verses taken from Psalm xxi, the first words of which were spoken by our Redeemer on the cross. So clear and explicit are the words of this psalm, that it might almost be called a history, as well as a prophecy, of the Passion.

TRACT

Deus, Deus meus, respice in me: quare me dereliquisti?

℣. Longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum.

℣. Deus meus, clamabo per diem, nec exaudies; in nocte, et non ad insipientiam mihi.

℣. Tu autem in sancto habitas, laus Israel.

℣. In te speraverunt patres nostri: speraverunt et liberasti eos.

℣. Ad te clamaverunt, et salvi facti sunt: in te speraverunt, et non sunt confusi.

℣. Ego autem sum vermis, et non homo: opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis.

℣. Omnes qui videbant me, aspernabantur me: locuti sunt labiis, et moverunt caput.

℣. Speravit in Domino, eripiat eum: salvum faciat eum, quoniam vult eum.

℣. Ipsi vero consideraverunt et conspexerunt me: diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem.

℣. Libera me de ore leonis: et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam.

℣. Qui timetis Dominum laudate eum: universum semen Jacob magnificate eum.

℣. Annuntiabitur Domino generatio ventura: et annuntiabunt cæli justitiam ejus.

℣. Populo qui nascetur, quem fecit Dominus.

O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me?

℣. Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.

℣. O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear; and by night, and it shall not be imputed as folly in me.

℣. But thou dwellest in the holy place, O thou the praise of Israel!

℣. In thee have our fathers hoped: they hoped, and thou hast delivered them.

℣. They cried out to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

℣. But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.

℣. All they that saw me, have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.

℣. He hoped in the Lord, (say they) let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighted in him.

℣. They considered me, and viewed me attentively: they divided my garments among them, and cast lots for my vesture.

℣. Deliver me from the lion's mouth: and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.

℣. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: O all ye of the seed of Jacob magnify him.

℣. A people that is to come shall be declared the Lord's: and the heavens shall publish his justice.

℣. To a people to be born, whom the Lord hath made.

It is now time that we should hear the history of our Saviour's Passion: but, in order that we may show both heaven and earth that we are not scandalized, as were the disciples, at the sight of His apparent weakness and the triumph of His enemies, we hold in our hands the palms, wherewith we have been proclaiming Him as our King.

The Church reads, on four different days of this week, the four evangelists' narration of the Passion. She begins with that of St. Matthew, who was the first to write the Gospel. To express the sorrow which fills the hearts of the faithful, the acolytes do not carry the lights, nor is the book incensed. Omitting the customary salutation, the deacon, who is to take the part of the evangelist, at once begins the mournful history of our Lord's sufferings and death.

THE PASSION AND GOSPEL

Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Matthæum.

Cap. xxvi. et xxvii.

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.

Ch. xxvi. and xxvii.

In illo tempore: Dixit Jesus discipulis suis: Scitis, quia post biduum Pascha fiet: et Filius hominis tradetur, ut crucifigatur. Tunc congregati sunt principes sacerdotum et seniores populi in atrium principis

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified. Then were gathered together the chief priests and ancients of the people into

sacerdotum, qui dicebatur Caiphas: et consilium fecerunt, ut Jesum dolo tenerent, et occiderent. Dicebant autem: Non in die festo, ne forte tumultus fieret in populo.

Cum autem Jesus esset in Bethania, in domo Simonis leprosi, accessit ad eum mulier habens alabastrum unguenti pretiosi: et effudit super caput ipsius recumbentis. Videntes autem discipuli, indignati sunt, dicentes: ut quid perditio hæc? Potuit enim istud venundari multo, et dari pauperibus. Sciens autem Jesus, ait illis: Quid molesti estis huic mulieri? Opus enim bonum operata est in me. Nam semper pauperes habetis vobiscum: me autem non semper habetis. Mittens enim hæc unguentum hoc in corpus meum, ad sepeliendum me fecit. Amen dico vobis, ubicumque prædicatum fuerit hoc Evangelium in toto mundo, dicetur et quod hæc fecit in memoriam ejus.

Tunc abiit unus de duodecim, qui dicebatur Judas Iscariotes, ad principes sacerdotum; et ait illis: Quid vultis mihi dare, et ego vobis eum tradam? At illi constituerunt ei triginta ar-

the court of the high priest, who was called Caiphas; and they consulted together, that by subtility they might apprehend Jesus, and put him to death. But they said: Not on the festival day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult among the people.

And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, there came to him a woman having an alabaster-box of precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he was at table. And the disciples seeing it had indignation, saying: To what purpose is this waste? For this might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. And Jesus knowing it, said to them: Why do you trouble this woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me. For the poor you have always with you, but me you have not always. For she, in pouring this ointment upon my body, hath done it for my burial. Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memory of her.

Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests and said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver. And

genteos. Et exinde quærebat opportunitatem, ut eum traderet. Prima autem die Azymorum accesserunt discipuli ad Jesum dicentes: Ubi vis paremus tibi comedere Pascha? At Jesus dixit: Ite in civitatem ad quemdam, et dicite ei: Magister dicit: Tempus meum prope est; apud te facio Pascha cum discipulis meis. Et fecerunt discipuli sicut constituit illis Jesus: et paraverunt Pascha.

Vespere autem facto, discumbebat cum duodecim discipulis suis. Et edentibus illis, dixit: Amen dico vobis: quia unus vestrum me traditurus est. Et contristati valde, cœperunt singuli dicere: Numquid ego sum, Domine? At ipse respondens, ait: Qui intingit mecum manum in paropside, hic me tradet. Filius quidem hominis vadit, sicut scriptum est de illo. Væ autem homini illi, per quem Filius hominis tradetur! Bonum erat ei, si natus non fuisset homo ille. Respondens autem Judas qui tradidit eum dixit: Numquid ego sum, Rabbi? Ait illi: Tu dixisti.

Cœnantibus autem eis, accepit Jesus panem: et benedixit, ac fregit, deditque discipulis suis, et ait: Accipite, et comedite: Hoc est corpus

from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him. And on the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Pasch? But Jesus said: Go ye into the city, to a certain man, and say to him, The Master saith, my time is near at hand; with thee I make the Pasch with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the Pasch.

But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples; and whilst they were eating, he said: Amen, I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me. And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord? But he answering said: he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him; but woe to that man, by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born. And Judas, that betrayed him, answering said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it.

And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat; this is my

meum. Et accipiens calicem, gratias egit: et dedit illis dicens: Bibite ex hoc omnes. Hic est enim sanguis meus novi testamenti, qui pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum. Dico autem vobis: Non bibam amodo de hoc genimine vitis usque in diem illum, cum illud bibam vobiscum novum in regno Patris mei.

Et hymno dicto, exierunt in montem Oliveti. Tunc dicit illis Jesus: Omnes vos scandalum patiemini in me, in ista nocte. Scriptum est enim: Percutiam pastorem, et dispergentur oves gregis: postquam autem resurrexero, præcedam vos in Galilæam. Respondens autem Petrus, ait illi: Etsi omnes scandalizati fuerint in te, ego nunquam scandalizabor. Ait illi Jesus: Amen dico tibi quia in hac nocte, antequam gallus cantet, ter me negabis. Ait illi Petrus: Etiam si oportuerit me mori tecum, non te negabo. Similiter et omnes dixerunt.

Tunc venit Jesus cum illis in villam, quæ dicitur Gethsemani: et dixit discipulis suis: Sedete hic donec vadam illuc, et orem. Et assumpto Petro, et duobus filiis Zebedæi, cœpit contristari, et mœstus esse. Tunc ait illis: Tristis est

body. And taking the chalice he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.

And a hymn being said, they went out unto mount Olivet. Then Jesus saith to them: All you shall be scandalized in me this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. And Peter answering said to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized. Jesus said to him: Amen, I say to thee, that in this night, before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. Peter saith to him: Yea, though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner said all the disciples.

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful, and to be sad.

anima mea usque ad mortem. Sustinete hic et vigilate mecum. Et progressus pusillum, procidit in faciem suam, orans et dicens: Pater mi, si possibile est, transeat a me calix iste. Verumtamen non sicut ego volo, sed sicut tu. Et venit ad discipulos suos, et invenit eos dormientes: et dicit Petro: Sic non potuistis una hora vigilare mecum? Vigilate, et orate: ut non intretis in tentationem. Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma. Iterum secundo abiit, et oravit dicens: Pater mi, si non potest hic calix transire, nisi bibam illum: fiat voluntas tua. Et venit iterum, et invenit eos dormientes. Erant enim oculi eorum gravati. Et relictis illis, iterum abiit: et oravit tertio eumdem sermonem dicens. Tunc venit ad discipulos suos, et dicit illis: Dormite jam, et requiescite. Ecce appropinquavit hora: et Filius hominis tradetur in manus peccatorum. Surgite, eamus: ecce appropinquavit qui me tradet.

Adhuc eo loquente, ecce Judas unus de duodecim venit, et cum eo turba multa cum gladiis et fustibus, missi a principibus sacerdotum, et senioribus populi.

Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here and watch with me. And going a little further he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What! could you not watch one hour with me? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again the second time he went and prayed, saying: My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done. And he cometh again, and findeth them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy. And leaving them he went again; and he prayed the third time, saying the selfsame word. Then he cometh to his disciples, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest: behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go: behold he is at hand that will betray me.

As he yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people. And

Qui autem tradidit eum, dedit illis signum dicens: Quemcumque osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum. Et confestim accedens ad Jesum, dixit: Ave, Rabbi. Et osculatus est eum. Dixitque illi Jesus: Amice, ad quid venisti? Tunc accesserunt, et manus injecerunt in Jesum: et tenuerunt eum. Et ecce unus ex his qui erant cum Jesu, extendens manum, exemit gladium suum: et percutiens servum principis sacerdotum, amputavit auriculam ejus. Tunc ait illi Jesus: Converte gladium tuum in locum suum. Omnes enim, qui acceperint gladium, gladio peribunt. An putas, quia non possum rogare Patrem meum: et exhibebit mihi modo plusquam duodecim legiones angelorum? Quomodo ergo implebuntur Scripturæ, quia sic oportet fieri? In illa hora dixit Jesus turbis: Tamquam ad latronem existis cum gladiis et fustibus comprehendere me: quotidie apud vos sedebam docens in templo: et non me tenuistis. Hoc autem totum factum est, ut adimplerentur Scripturæ prophetarum. Tunc discipuli omnes, relicto eo, fugerunt.

At illi tenentes Jesum, duxerunt ad Caipham principem sacerdotum, ubi scribæ et seniores convenerant.

he that betrayed him, gave them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast. And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi! And he kissed him. And Jesus said to him: Friend, whereto art thou come? Then they came up, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him. And behold one of them that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword, and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place; for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father, and he will give me presently more than twelve legions of angels? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done? In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes: You are come out as it were to a robber, with swords and clubs, to apprehend me. I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and you laid not hands on me. Now all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving him, fled.

But they holding Jesus, led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. And

Petrus autem sequebatur eum a longe, usque in atrium principis sacerdotum. Et ingressus intro, sedebat cum ministris, ut videret finem. Principes autem sacerdotum, et omne concilium, quærebant falsum testimonium contra Jesum, ut eum morti traderent: et non invenerunt, cum multi falsi testes accessissent. Novissime autem venerunt duo falsi testes, et dixerunt: Hic dixit: Possum destruere templum Dei, et post triduum reædificare illud. Et surgens princeps sacerdotum, ait illi: Nihil respondes ad ea, quæ isti adversum te testificantur? Jesus autem tacebat. Et princeps sacerdotum ait illi: Adjuro te per Deum vivum, ut dicas nobis, si tu es Christus Filius Dei. Dicit illi Jesus: Tu dixisti. Verumtamen dico vobis, amodo videbitis Filium hominis sedentem a dextris virtutis Dei, et venientem in nubibus cœli. Tunc princeps sacerdotum scidit vestimenta sua, dicens: Blasphemavit. Quid adhuc egemus testibus? Ecce: nunc audistis blasphemiam. Quid vobis videtur? At illi respondentes, dixerunt: Reus est mortis. Tunc expuerunt in faciem ejus: et colaphis eum ceciderunt. Alii autem palmas in faciem ejus dederunt dicentes: Pro-

Peter followed him afar off, even to the court of the high priest; and going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end. And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death; and they found not, whereas many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses; and they said: This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and after three days to rebuild it. And the high priest rising up said to him: Answerest thou nothing to the things which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said to him: I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the Son of God. Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his garments, saying: He hath blasphemed, what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy: what think you? But they answering, said: He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and others struck his face with the palms of their hands, saying:

phetiza nobis, Christe, quis est, qui te percussit?

Petrus vero sedebat foris in atrio. Et accessit ad eum una ancilla dicens: Et tu cum Jesu Galilæo eras. At ille negavit coram omnibus, dicens: Nescio quid dicis. Exeunte autem illo januam, vidit eum alia ancilla: et ait his, qui erant ibi: Et hic erat cum Jesu Nazareno. Et iterum negavit cum juramento: Quia non novi hominem. Et post pusillum accesserunt qui stabant, et dixerunt Petro: Vere et tu ex illis es; nam et loquela tua manifestum te facit. Tunc cœpit detestari et jurare quia non novisset hominem. Et continuo gallus cantavit. Et recordatus est Petrus verbi Jesu quod dixerat: Priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis. Et egressus foras, flevit amare.

Mane autem facto, consilium inierunt omnes principes sacerdotum, et seniores populi adversus Jesum, ut eum morti traderent. Et vinctum adduxerunt eum, et tradiderunt Pontio Pilato, præsidi. Tunc videns Judas, qui eum tradidit, quod damnatus esset, pœnitentia ductus, retulit triginta argenteos principibus sacerdotum et senioribus, dicens:

Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck thee?

But Peter sat without in the court; and there came to him a servant-maid, saying: Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied before them all, saying: I know not what thou sayest. And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath: That I know not the man. And after a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee. Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And going forth, he wept bitterly.

And when morning was come, all the chief priests and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they might put him to death. And they brought him bound, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, say-

Peccavi tradens sanguinem justum. At illi dixerunt: Quid ad nos? Tu videris. Et projectis argenteis in templo, recessit: et abiens laqueo se suspendit. Principes autem sacerdotum, acceptis argenteis dixerunt: Non licet eos mittere in corbonam, quia pretium sanguinis est. Consilio autem inito, emerunt ex illis agrum figuli, in sepulturam peregrinorum. Propter hoc vocatus est ager ille Haceldama, hoc est, ager sanguinis; usque in hodiernum diem. Tunc impletum est quod dictum est per Jeremiam prophetam dicentem: Et acceperunt triginta argenteos, pretium appretiati, quem appretiaverunt a filiis Israel; et dederunt eos in agrum figuli, sicut constituit mihi Dominus.

Jesus autem stetit ante præsidem. Et interrogavit eum præses dicens: Tu es Rex Judæorum? Dicit illi Jesus: Tu dicis. Et cum accusaretur a principibus sacerdotum et senioribus, nihil respondit. Tunc dicit illi Pilatus: Non audis, quanta adversum te dicunt testimonia? Et non respondit ei ad ullum verbum: ita ut miraretur præses vehementer.

ing: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and went and hanged himself with an halter. But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter's field, to be a burying-place for strangers. For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is the field of blood, even to this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel. And they gave them unto the potter's field, as the Lord appointed to me.

And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it. And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him: Dost thou not hear how great testimonies they allege against thee? And he answered him to never a word; so that the governor wondered exceedingly.

Per diem autem solemnem consueverat præses populo dimittere unum vinctum, quem voluissent. Habebat autem tunc vinctum insignem, qui dicebatur Barabbas. Congregatis ergo illis, dixit Pilatus: Quem vultis dimittam vobis, Barabbam an Jesum qui dicitur Christus? Sciebat enim, quod per invidiam tradidissent eum. Sedente autem illo pro tribunali, misit ad eum uxor ejus dicens: Nihil tibi et justo illi: multa enim passa sum hodie per visum propter eum. Principes autem sacerdotum et seniores persuaserunt populis, ut peterent Barabbam: Jesum vero perderent. Respondens autem præses, ait illis: Quem vultis vobis de duobus dimitti? At illi dixerunt: Barabbam. Dicit illis Pilatus: Quid igitur faciam de Jesu, qui dicitur Christus? Dicunt omnes: Crucifigatur. Ait illis præses: Quid enim mali fecit? At illi magis clamabant dicentes: Crucifigatur.

Videns autem Pilatus, quia nihil proficeret, sed magis tumultus fieret: accepta aqua, lavit manus coram populo, dicens: Innocens ego sum a sanguine justi hujus, vos videritis. Et respondens universus popu-

Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would. And he had then a notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to you, Barabbas or Jesus, that is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that just man. For I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people, that they should ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. And the governor answering, said to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto you? But they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified. The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified.

And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made; taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man: look you to it. And the whole people answering, said:

lus, dixit: Sanguis ejus super nos, et super filios nostros. Tunc dimisit illis Barabbam: Jesum autem flagellatum tradidit eis, ut crucifigeretur.

Tunc milites præsidis suscipientes Jesum in prætorium, congregaverunt ad eum universam cohortem. Et exuentes eum, chlamydem coccineam circumdederunt ei. Et plectentes coronam de spinis, posuerunt super caput ejus, et arundinem in dextera ejus. Et genu flexo ante eum, illudebant ei, dicentes: Ave Rex Judæorum! Et exspuentes in eum, acceperunt arundinem, et percutiebant caput ejus. Et postquam illuserunt ei, exuerunt eum chlamyde: et induerunt eum vestimentis ejus, et duxerunt eum ut crucifigerent.

Exeuntes autem, invenerunt hominem Cyrenæum, nomine Simonem. Hunc angariaverunt, ut tolleret crucem ejus. Et venerunt in locum, qui dicitur Golgotha: quod est, Calvariæ locus. Et dederunt ei vinum bibere cum felle mixtum. Et cum gustasset, noluit bibere. Postquam autem crucifixerunt eum, diviserunt vestimenta ejus sortem mittentes: ut impleretur quod dictum est per prophetam dicentem: Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem. Et seden-

His blood be upon us and upon our children. Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged Jesus delivered him unto them to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band; and stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the reed, and struck his head. And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him.

And going out they met a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up the cross. And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink. And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. And they sat and watched him. And

tes, servabant eum. Et imposuerunt super caput ejus causam ipsius scriptam: Hic est Jesus Rex Judæorum. Tunc crucifixi sunt cum eo duo latrones, unus a dextris, et unus a sinistris. Prætereuntes autem blasphemabant eum, moventes capita sua, et dicentes: Vah! qui destruis templum Dei, et in triduo illud reædificas. Salva temetipsum. Si Filius Dei es, descende de cruce. Similiter et principes sacerdotum illudentes cum scribis et senioribus, dicebant: Alios salvos fecit: seipsum non potest salvum facere. Si Rex Israël est, descendat nunc de cruce, et credimus ei. Confidit in Deo: liberet nunc si vult eum: dixit enim, quia Filius Dei sum. Idipsum autem et latrones, qui crucifixi erant cum eo, improperabant ei.

A sexta autem hora, tenebræ factæ sunt super universam terram, usque ad horam nonam. Et circa horam nonam clamavit Jesus voce magna, dicens: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? Hoc est: Deus meus, Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me? Quidam autem illic stantes, et audientes dicebant: Eliam vocat iste. Et continuo currens unus ex eis acceptam spongiam im-

they put over his head his cause written: This is Jesus the King of the Jews. Then were crucified with him two thieves; one on the right hand, and one on the left.

And they that passed by, blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days dost rebuild it, save thy own self: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking, said: He saved others; himself he cannot save: if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God: let him now deliver him if he will have him: for he said: I am the Son of God. And the self same thing the thieves also that were crucified with him reproached him with.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some that stood there and heard, said: This man calleth Elias. And immediately one of them running, took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on

plevit aceto, et imposuit arundini, et dabat ei bibere. Cæteri vero dicebant: Sine, videamus, an veniat Elias liberans eum. Jesus autem iterum clamans voce magna, emisit spiritum.

a reed, and gave him to drink. And the others said: Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

Here the deacon pauses, and honours the Death of our Lord and Saviour by a solemn act of adoration. All the faithful kneel down, and remain for some time in that position. In many places, it is the custom to prostrate, and kiss the ground. The deacon then resumes his narration.

Et ecce velum templi scissum est in duas partes, a summo usque deorsum. Et terra mota est, et petræ scissæ sunt, et monumenta aperta sunt: et multa corpora sanctorum, qui dormierant, surrexerunt. Et exeuntes de monumentis post resurrectionem ejus, venerunt in sanctam civitatem, et apparuerunt multis. Centurio autem, et qui cum eo erant, custodientes Jesum, viso terræ motu, et his quæ fiebant, timuerunt valde, dicentes: Vere Filius Dei erat iste. Erant autem ibi mulieres multæ a longe, quæ secutæ erant Jesum a Galilæa ministrantes ei: inter quas erat Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi et Joseph mater, et mater filiorum Zebedæi. Cum autem sero factum esset, venit quidam homo dives ab Arimathæa, nomine Joseph,

And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God. And there were there many women afar off who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a

qui et ipse discipulus erat Jesu. Hic accessit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu. Tunc Pilatus jussit reddi corpus. Et accepto corpore, Joseph involvit illud in sindone munda: et posuit illud in monumento suo novo, quod exciderat in petra. Et advolvit saxum magnum ad ostium monumenti, et abiit. Erat autem ibi Maria Magdalene, et altera Maria, sedentes contra sepulchrum.

disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth: and laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way. And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewn out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way. And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.

That the Mass of this Sunday may not be deprived of that essential rite which we call the Gospel, the deacon reserves a portion of the narrative; and going to the altar, he asks the priest to bless the incense. Which done, the deacon, himself also having received the priest's blessing, goes to the place appointed for chanting the Gospel; but the acolytes do not carry their lights. After having thurified the book, he thus closes the history of the Passion.

Altera autem die, quæ est post Parasceven, convenerunt principes sacerdotum, et pharisæi ad Pilatum, dicentes: Domine, recordati sumus, quia seductor ille dixit adhuc vivens: Post tres dies resurgam. Jube ergo custodiri sepulchrum usque in diem tertium; ne forte veniant discipuli ejus et furentur eum: et dicant plebi: Surrexit a mortuis. Et erit novissimus error pejor priore. Ait illis Pilatus: Habetis custodiam; ite, custodite sicut scitis. Illi autem abeuntes, munierunt sepulchrum, signantes lapidem, cum custodibus.

And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the pharisees came together to Pilate, saying: Sir, we have remembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come and steal him away, and say to the people, he is risen from the dead: and the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know. And they, departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards.

The Offertory is again a prophecy of David. It foretells the state of abandonment to which our Saviour was to be reduced in the midst of all His sufferings, and the cruelty of His enemies, who would feed Him with gall and vinegar. Thus is He treated who is preparing to give us His Body for our food, and His Blood for our drink.

OFFERTORY

Improperium exspectavit cor meum, et miseriam: et sustinui qui simul mecum contristaretur et non fuit: consolantem me quæsivi, et non inveni: et dederunt in escam meam fel, et in siti mea potaverunt me aceto.

My heart hath expected reproach and misery; and I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I found none: they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

The Secret asks of God that He would impart to His servants the twofold fruit of Jesus' Passion: grace in this life, and glory in the next.

SECRET

Concede, quæsumus, Domine, ut oculis tuæ majestatis munus oblatum, et gratiam nobis devotionis obtineat, et effectum beatæ perennitatis acquirat. Per Dominum.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that what hath been offered in the presence of thy divine Majesty may procure us the grace of devotion, and effectually obtain a blessed eternity. Through, &c.

In the Communion-anthem, the Church, after receiving into herself the life of Christ by the chalice of salvation, calls to our minds that other chalice which Jesus was to drink in order that He might gift us with immortality.

COMMUNION

Pater, si non potest hic calix transire, nisi bibam illum: fiat voluntas tua.

Father, if this cup cannot pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done.

The Church concludes the prayers of the Sacrifice she has just been offering, by asking the remission of sin for all her children, that they may see fulfilled that longing of their souls—a share in the glorious Resurrection of Jesus.

POSTCOMMUNION

Per hujus, Domine, operationem mysterii, et vitia nostra purgentur, et justa desideria compleantur. Per Dominum.

May our vices, O Lord, be destroyed, and our righteous desires fulfilled by the efficacy of these mysteries. Through, &c.

VESPERS

The psalms and antiphons are given on page 81.

CAPITULUM

Fratres: Hoc enim sentite in vobis, quod et in Christo Jesu: qui cum in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus est esse se æqualem Deo: sed semetipsum exinanivit, formam servi accipiens, in similitudinem hominum factus, et habitu inventus ut homo.

Brethren: For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.

For the hymn and versicle, see page 89.

ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT

Scriptum est enim: Percutiam pastorem, et dispergentur oves gregis: postquam autem resurrexero, præcedam vos in Galilæam: ibi me videbitis, dicit Dominus.

For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed: but after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee: there ye shall see me, saith the Lord.

OREMUS

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui humano generi ad imitandum humilitatis exemplum, Salvatorem nostrum carnem sumere et crucem subire fecisti, concede propitius; ut et patientiæ ipsius habere documenta, et resurrectionis consortia mereamur. Per eumdem.

LET US PRAY

O almighty and eternal God, who wouldst have our Saviour become man, and suffer on a cross, to give mankind an example of humility; mercifully grant that we may improve by the example of his patience, and partake of his resurrection. Through the same, &c.

Let us now go over in our minds the other events which happened to our divine Lord on this day of His solemn entry into Jerusalem. St. Luke tells us that it was on His approach to the city, that Jesus wept over it, and spoke these touching words: If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace! But now they are hidden from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, and thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee; and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone; because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation.¹

A few days ago, we were reading in the holy Gospel how Jesus wept over the tomb of Lazarus; to-day He sheds tears over Jerusalem. At Bethania His weeping was caused by the sight of bodily death, the consequence and punishment of sin; but this death is not irremediable: Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and he that believeth in Him shall live.² Whereas, the state of the unfaithful Jerusalem is a figure of the death of the soul, and from this there is no resurrection, unless the soul, while time is given to her, return to the Author of life. Hence it is, that the tears shed by Jesus over Jerusalem are so bitter. Amidst the acclamations which greet His entry into the city of David, His heart is sad; for He sees that many of her inhabitants will not profit of the time of her visitation. Let us console the Heart of our Jesus, and be to Him a faithful Jerusalem.

The sacred historian tells us that Jesus, immediately upon His entrance into the city, went to the temple, and cast out all them that sold and bought there.³ This was the second time that He had shown His authority in His Father's house, and no one had dared to resist Him. The chief priests and pharisees found fault with Him, and accused Him to His face, of causing confusion by His entry into the city; but our Lord confounded them by the reply He made. It is thus that in after ages, when it has pleased God to glorify His Son and the Church of His Son, the enemies of both have given vent to their rage; they protested against the triumph, but they could not stop it. But when God, in the unsearchable ways of His wisdom, allowed persecution and trial to follow these periods of triumph, then did these bitter enemies redouble their efforts to induce the very people, that had cried Hosanna to the Son of David, to clamour for His being delivered up and crucified. They succeeded in fomenting persecution, but not in destroying the kingdom of Christ and His Church. The kingdom seemed, at times, to be interrupted in its progress; but the time for another triumph came. Thus will it be to the end; and then, after all these changes from glory to humiliation, and from humiliation to glory, the kingdom of Jesus and of His bride will gain the last and eternal triumph over this world, which would not know the time of its visitation.

We learn from St. Matthew⁴ that our Saviour spent the remainder of this day at Bethania. His blessed Mother and the house of Lazarus were comforted by His return. There was not a single offer of hospitality made to Him in Jerusalem, at least there is no mention in the Gospel of any such offer. We cannot help making the reflection, as we meditate upon this event of our Lord's life:—an enthusiastic reception is given to Him in the morning, He is recognised by the people as their King; but when the evening of that day comes on, there is not one of all those thousands to offer Him food or lodging. In the Carmelite monasteries of St. Teresa's reform, there is a custom, which has been suggested by this thought, and is intended as a reparation for this ingratitude shown to our Redeemer. A table is placed in the middle of the refectory; and after the community have finished their dinner, the food which was placed upon that table is distributed among the poor, and Jesus is honoured in them.

We give, as a conclusion to this day, a selection from the hymn used by the Greek Church on Palm Sunday. It was written by the celebrated hymnographer, Cosmas of Jerusalem.

HYMN

Qui in altissimis sedet super Cherubim Deus, et humilia respicit, ecce venit in gloria cum potestate, et replebuntur omnia divina laude ipsius. Pax super Israel, et salutare gentibus.

Lo! the God that sitteth, in the highest heavens, upon the Cherubim, and looketh down on lowly things, cometh in glory and power, all creatures are full of his divine praise. Peace upon Israel, and salvation to the Gentiles!

Clamaverunt in lætitia justorum animæ: Nunc mundo testamentum novum disponitur, et aspersione innovatur populus divini sanguinis.

The souls of the just cried out with joy: Now is prepared a new Covenant for the world, and mankind is renewed by the sprinkling of the divine Blood!

Genu flexo populi et cum discipulis gaudentes, cum palmis Hosanna filio David clamabant: Superlaudabilis Domine Deus patrum, benedictus es.

The people fell upon their knees, and, rejoicing with the disciples, sang, with palms in their hands: Hosanna to the Son of David! Praiseworthy and blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Simplex multitudo, adhuc infantilis ætas, ut Deum decet, te rex Israel et angelorum laudavit: Superlaudabilis Domine Deus patrum, benedictus es.

The simple-hearted people, yea, and little children, (the fittest to adore God) praised him as King of Israel and of the angels: Praiseworthy and blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Juvenem pullum ascendens rex tuus Sion adstitit Christus. Irrationabilem enim idolorum errorem solvere, effrenum impetum compescere omnium gentium advenit, ut cantent: Benedicite, opera, Dominum, et superexaltate in omnia sæcula.

O Sion! there came to thee Christ, thy King, seated on a young colt: for he came that he might loose mankind from the senseless error of idolatry, and tame the wild passions of all nations; that thus they might praise thee, singing: Bless the Lord, all ye his works, and extol him above all for ever!

Deus tuus regnavit in sæcula Christus. Iste, ut scriptum est, mitis et salvator, justus redemptor noster venit super pullo equitans, ut audaciam perderet inimicorum non clamantium: Benedicite, opera, Dominum, et superexaltate in omnia sæcula.

Christ thy Lord hath reigned for ever. He, as it is written, the meek one, the Saviour, our just Redeemer, came riding on an ass's colt, that he might destroy the pride of his enemies, who would not sing these words: Bless the Lord, all ye his works, and extol him above all for ever!

Dissipatur sacri templi iniquum Synedrium contumacium; orationis enim Dei domum speluncam effecerant latronum, a corde Redemptorem excludentes, cui clamamus: Benedicite, opera, Dominum, et superexaltate in omnia sæcula.

The unjust and obstinate Sanhedrim, the usurpers of the holy temple, are put to flight; for they had made God's house of prayer a den of thieves, and shut their hearts against the Redeemer, to whom we cry: Bless the Lord, all ye his works, and extol him above all for ever!

Deus Dominus, et apparuit nobis; constituite diem solemnem, et exsultantes venite, magnificemus Christum, cum palmis et ramis laudibus clamantes: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini Salvatoris nostri.

God is our Lord, he hath appeared unto us. Appoint a solemn feast, and come, let us rejoice and magnify the Christ, praising him, with palms and branches in our hands: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord our Saviour!

Gentes, ut quid fremuistis? Scribæ et sacerdotes, ut quid inania meditati estis, dicentes: Quis est iste cui pueri cum palmis et ramis laudibus clamant: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini Salvatoris nostri?

Scandala semitas occupantia quid vos ponitis immorigeri? Veloces pedes vestri ad effundendum sanguinem Domini. Sed resurget ut salvet omnes qui

¹ St. Luke xix. 42-44.
² St. John xi. 25.
³ St. Matt. xxi. 12.
⁴ St. Matt. xxi. 17.

Why, O ye Gentiles, have ye raged? Why, O ye scribes and priests, have ye devised vain things, saying: Who is this, unto whom children, with palms and branches in their hands, cry aloud this praise: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord our Saviour?

Why, O ye perverse of heart, have ye thrown stumbling-blocks in the way? Your feet are swift to shed the Blood of the Lord. But he will rise again, that he may save all

clamant: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini Salvatoris nostri.

that cry to him: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord our Saviour!

MONDAY

IN HOLY WEEK

This morning, also, Jesus goes with His disciples to Jerusalem. He is fasting, for the Gospel tells us that He was hungry.¹ He approaches a fig-tree, which is by the way-side; but finds nothing on it, save leaves only. Jesus, wishing to give us an instruction, curses the fig-tree, which immediately withers away. He would hereby teach us what they are to expect, who have nothing but good desires, and never produce in themselves the fruit of a real conversion. Nor is the allusion to Jerusalem less evident. This city is zealous for the exterior of divine worship; but her heart is hard and obstinate, and she is plotting, at this very hour, the death of the Son of God.

The greater portion of the day is spent in the temple, where Jesus holds long conversations with the chief priests and ancients of the people. His language to them is stronger than ever, and triumphs over their captious questions. It is principally in the Gospel of St. Matthew² that we shall find these answers of our Redeemer, which so energetically accuse the Jews of their sin of rejecting the Messias, and so plainly foretell the punishment their sin is to bring after it.

¹ St. Matt. xxi. 18. ² Chapters xxi. xxii. and xxiii.

At length, Jesus leaves the temple, and takes the road that leads to Bethania. Having come as far as Mount Olivet, which commands a view of Jerusalem, He sits down and rests awhile. The disciples take this opportunity of asking Him how soon the chastisements He has been speaking of in the temple will come upon the city. His answer comprises two events: the destruction of Jerusalem, and the final destruction of the world. He thus teaches them that the first is the figure of the second. The time when each is to happen, is to be when the measure of iniquity is filled up. But, with regard to the chastisement that is to befall Jerusalem, He gives this more definite answer: 'Amen I say to you: this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.'¹ History tells us how this prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled: forty years had scarcely elapsed after His Ascension, when the Roman army encamped on this very place where He is now speaking to His disciples, and laid siege to the ungrateful and wicked city. After giving a prophetic description of that last judgment, which is to rectify all the unjust judgments of men, He leaves Mount Olivet, returns to Bethania, and consoles the anxious heart of His most holy Mother.

The Station, at Rome, is in the church of Saint Praxedes. It is in this church that Pope Paschal I, in the ninth century, placed two thousand three hundred bodies of holy martyrs, which he had ordered to be taken out of the catacombs. The pillar to which our Saviour was tied during His scourging is also here.

¹ St. Matt. xxiv. 34.

MASS

The Introit is taken from Psalm xxxiv. Jesus, by these words of the royal prophet, prays to His eternal Father to defend Him against His enemies.

INTROIT

Judica, Domine, nocentes
me, expugna impugnantes me: apprehende arma et scutum, et exsurge in adjutorium meum, Domine virtus salutis meæ.

Ps. Effunde frameam, et conclude adversus eos qui persequuntur me: dic animæ meæ: Salus tua ego sum.

Judica, Domine.

Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me; overthrow them that fight against me: take hold of arms and shield, and rise up to help me, O Lord, my mighty deliverer.

Ps. Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me; say to my soul, I am thy salvation.

Judge thou, &c.

In the Collect, the Church teaches us to have recourse to the merits of our Saviour's Passion, in order that we may obtain from God the help we stand in need of amidst our many miseries.

COLLECT

Da, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, qui in tot
adversis ex nostra infirmitate deficimus, intercedente unigeniti Filii tui Passione respiremus. Qui tecum.

Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that we who through our weakness, faint under so many adversities, may recover by the Passion of thy only-begotten Son. Who liveth, &c.

Then is added one of the Collects given on p. 108.

EPISTLE

Lectio Isaiæ Prophetæ.
Cap. L.

In diebus illis; Dixit Isaias: Dominus Deus aperuit mihi aurem: ego autem
non contradico: retrorsum non abii. Corpus meum dedi percutientibus, et genas meas vellentibus; faciem meam non averti ab increpantibus et conspuentibus in me. Dominus Deus auxiliator meus, ideo non sum
confusus. Ideo posui faciem meam ut petram durissimam: et scio quoniam non confundar. Juxta est qui justificat me: quis contradicet mihi? Stemus simul: quis est adversarius meus? Accedat ad me. Ecce Dominus Deus, auxiliator
meus: quis est qui condemnet me? Ecce, omnes quasi vestimentum conterentur: tinea comedet eos. Quis ex vobis timens Dominum, audiens vocem servi sui? Qui ambulavit in tenebris, et non est lumen ei, speret in nomine Domini, et innitatur super Deum suum.

Lesson from Isaias the

In those days, Isaias said: The Lord God hath opened my ear, making known his will to me, and I do not resist: I have not gone back. I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded. Therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded. He is near that justifieth me, who will contend with me? let us stand together. Who is my adversary? let him come near to me. Behold the Lord God is my helper: who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they shall all be destroyed as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord, that heareth the voice of his servant, that hath walked in darkness and hath no light? Let him hope in the name of the Lord, and lean upon his God.

The sufferings of our Redeemer, and the patience wherewith He is to bear them, are thus prophesied by Isaias, who is always so explicit on the Passion. Jesus has accepted the office of victim for the world's salvation; He shrinks from no pain or humiliation: He turns not His Face from them that strike Him and spit upon Him. What reparation can we make to this infinite Majesty, who, that He might save us, submitted to such outrages as these? Observe these vile and cruel enemies of our divine Lord; now that they have Him in their power, they fear Him not. When they came to seize Him in the garden, He had but to speak, and they fell back upon the ground; but He has now permitted them to bind His hands and lead Him to the high priest. They accuse Him; they cry out against Him; and He answers but a few words. Jesus of Nazareth, the great teacher, the wonder-worker, has seemingly lost all His influence; they can do what they will with Him. It is thus with the sinner; when the thunder-storm is over, and the lightning has not struck him, he regains his courage. The holy angels look on with amazement at the treatment shown by the Jews to Jesus, and falling down, they adore the holy Face, which they see thus bruised and defiled: let us, also, prostrate and ask pardon, for our sins have outraged that same Face. But let us hearken to the last words of our Epistle: He that hath walked in darkness, and hath no light, let him hope in the name of the Lord and lean upon his God. Who is this but the Gentile, abandoned to sin and idolatry? He knows not what is happening at this very hour in Jerusalem; he knows not that the earth possesses its Saviour, and that this Saviour is being trampled beneath the feet of His own chosen people: but, in a very short time, the light of the Gospel will shine upon this poor Gentile; he will believe; he will obey; he will love his Redeemer, even to laying down his life for Him. Then will be fulfilled the prophecy of the unworthy pontiff, who prophesied against his will that the death of Jesus would bring salvation to the Gentiles, by gathering into one family the children of God, that hitherto had been dispersed.¹

In the Gradual, the royal prophet again calls down on the executioners of our Lord the chastisements

¹ St. John xi. 52.

they have deserved by their ingratitude and their obstinacy in sin.

The Tract is the one used by the Church on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, during Lent. It is a prayer, begging God to bless the works of penance done during this holy season.

GRADUAL

Exsurge, Domine, et intende judicio meo, Deus
meus et Dominus meus, in
causam meam.

℣. Effunde frameam, et
conclude adversus eos qui me persequuntur.

Arise, O Lord, and be attentive to my trial; my God and my Lord, undertake my cause.

℣. Draw thy sword, and
stop those that are in pursuit of me.

TRACT

℣. Domine, non secundum peccata nostra, quæ fecimus nos: neque secundum
iniquitates nostras retribuas nobis.

℣. Domine, ne memineris
iniquitatum nostrarum antiquarum: cito anticipent nos misericordiæ tuæ, quia pauperes facti sumus nimis.

℣. Adjuva nos, Deus salutaris noster: et propter
gloriam nominis tui, Domine, libera nos: et propitius
esto peccatis nostris propter nomen tuum.

℣. O Lord, deal not with us
according to our sins, which we have done, nor reward us according to our iniquities.

℣. O Lord, remember not
our former iniquities: let thy mercies speedily prevent us, for we are become exceeding poor.

℣. Help us, O God, our
Saviour, and for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins, for thy name's sake.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii
secundum Joannem. Cap. xii.

Ante sex dies Paschæ venit Jesus Bethaniam, ubi
Lazarus fuerat mortuus, quem suscitavit Jesus. Fecerunt autem ei cœnam
ibi: et Martha ministrabat; Lazarus vero unus erat ex discumbentibus cum eo. Maria ergo accepit libram unguenti nardi pistici pretiosi: et unxit pedes Jesu, et extersit pedes ejus capillis suis; et domus impleta est ex odore unguenti. Dixit ergo unus ex discipulis ejus, Judas Iscariotes, qui erat eum traditurus: Quare hoc unguentum non veniit trecentis denariis, et datum est egenis? Dixit autem hoc non quia de egenis pertinebat ad eum: sed quia fur erat, et loculos habens, ea quæ mittebantur, portabat. Dixit ergo
Jesus: Sinite illam, ut in diem sepulturæ meæ servet illud. Pauperes enim
semper habetis vobiscum: me autem non semper habetis. Cognovit ergo turba multa ex Judæis, quia illic
est: et venerunt, non propter Jesum tantum, sed ut Lazarum viderent, quem suscitavit a mortuis.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. xii.

Jesus, six days before the Pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and, having the purse, carried the things that were put therein. Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial; for the poor you have always with you, but me you have not always. A great multitude therefore of the Jews knew that he was there; and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

As we have already said, the event related in this Gospel took place on Saturday, the eve of Palm Sunday; but, as formerly there was no Station for that day, the reading of this Gospel was deferred till the following Monday. The Church brings this episode of the last days of our Saviour before us, because it enables us to have a clearer understanding of the history of the Passion.

Mary Magdalene, whose conversion was the subject of our meditation a few days ago, is a prominent figure in the Passion and Resurrection of her divine Master. She is the type of a soul that has been purified by grace, and then admitted to the enjoyment of God's choicest favours. It is important that we should study her in each of the several phases through which divine grace led her. We have already seen how she keeps close to her Saviour and supplies His sacred wants; elsewhere, we shall find Jesus giving the preference to her over her sister Martha, and this because Mary chose a better part than Martha; but now during these days of Passiontide, it is her tender love of Jesus that makes her dear to us. She knows that the Jews are plotting Jesus' death; the Holy Ghost, who guides her through the different degrees of perfection, inspires her, on the occasion mentioned in to-day's Gospel, with the performance of an action which prophesies what she most dreads.

One of the three gifts offered by the Magi to the divine Infant, was myrrh; it is an emblem of death, and the Gospel tells us that it was used at the burial of our Lord. Magdalene, on the day of her conversion, testified the earnestness of her change of heart by pouring on the feet of Jesus the most precious of her perfumes. She gives Him to-day the same proof of her love. Her divine Master is invited by Simon the leper to a feast: His blessed Mother and His disciples are among the guests: Martha is busy, looking after the service. Outwardly, there is no disturbance; but inwardly there are sad forebodings. During the repast, Magdalene is seen entering the room, holding in her hand a vase of precious spikenard. She advances towards Jesus, kneels at His feet, anoints them with the perfume, and wipes them with her hair, as on the previous occasion.

Jesus lay on one of those couches, which were used by the eastern people during their repasts. Magdalene, therefore, could easily take her favourite place at His feet, and give Him the same proof of her love as she had already done in the pharisee's house. The evangelist does not say that this time she shed tears. St. Matthew¹ and St. Mark² add that she poured the ointment on His head also. Whether or no Magdalene herself understood the full import of what the Holy Ghost inspired her to do, the Gospel does not say; but Jesus Himself revealed the mystery to His disciples, and we gather from His words that this action of Magdalene was, in a certain manner, the commencement of His Passion: 'She, in pouring this ointment upon My body, hath done it for My burial.'³

The fragrance of the ointment fills the whole house. One of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, dares to protest against this waste, as he calls it. His base avarice deprives him of feeling and respect for his divine Master. His opinion is shared in by several of the other disciples, for they are still carnal-minded. For several reasons Jesus permits Magdalene's generosity to be thus blamed. And firstly, He wishes to announce His approaching death, which is mystically expressed by the pouring of this ointment upon His body. Then, too, He would glorify Magdalene; and He therefore tells those who are present, that her tender and ardent love shall be rewarded, and that 'her name shall be celebrated in every country, wheresoever the Gospel shall be preached.'⁴ And lastly, He would console those whose generous love prompts them to be liberal in their gifts to His altars; for what He here says of Magdalene is, in reality, a defence for them, when they are accused of spending too much over the beauty of God's house.

¹ St. Matt. xxvi. 7. ² St. Mark, xiv. 3. ³ St. Matt. xxvi. 12. ⁴ Ibid. 13.

Let us prize each of these divine teachings. Let us love to honour Jesus, both in His own person, and in His poor. Let us honour Magdalene, and imitate her devotion to the Passion and death of our Lord. In fine, let us prepare our perfumes for our divine Master: there must be the myrrh of the Magi, which signifies penance, and the precious spikenard of Magdalene, which is the emblem of generous and compassionating love.

In the Offertory, our Redeemer implores His eternal Father to deliver Him from His enemies, and to fulfil the decrees regarding the salvation of mankind.

OFFERTORY

Eripe me de inimicis meis, Domine: ad te confugi, doce me facere voluntatem tuam: quia Deus meus es tu.

Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord; to thee have I fled, teach me to do thy will, because thou art my God.

The Secret tells us the wonderful power of the sacred mysteries. Not only does this Sacrifice purify our souls; it also raises them to perfect union with Him who is their Creator.

SECRET

Hæc sacrificia nos, omnipotens Deus, potenti virtute mundatos, ad suum faciant puriores venire principium. Per Dominum.

Grant, O almighty God, that being purified by the powerful virtue of this sacrifice, we may arrive with greater purity to the author and institutor thereof. Through, &c.

Then is added one of the Secrets given on p. 116.

After the faithful have partaken of the divine mystery, there is read, in the Communion-anthem, a malediction against the enemies of our Saviour. Thus does God act in His government of the world: they that refuse His mercy, cannot escape His justice.

COMMUNION

Erubescant, et revereantur simul, qui gratulantur malis meis: induantur pudore et reverentia, qui maligna loquuntur adversus me.

Let them blush and be ashamed, who rejoice at my misfortunes; let them be covered with shame and confusion, who speak maliciously against me.

The Church concludes her prayers of this morning's Sacrifice, by begging that her children may persevere in the holy fervour, which they have received at its very source.

POSTCOMMUNION

Præbeant nobis, Domine, divinum tua sancta fervorem; quo eorum pariter et actu delectemur et fructu. Per Dominum.

Let thy holy mysteries, O Lord, inspire us with divine fervour; that we may delight both in their effect and celebration. Through, &c.

Then is added one of the Postcommunions given on page 117.

OREMUS

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Adjuva nos, Deus salutaris noster; et ad beneficia recolenda, quibus nos instaurare dignatus es, tribue venire gaudentes. Per Dominum.

LET US PRAY

Bow down your heads to God.

Help us, O God, our salvation; and grant that we may celebrate with joy the memory of those benefits, by which thou hast been pleased to redeem us. Through, &c.

As an appropriate conclusion to this day, we may use the following beautiful prayer, taken from the ancient Gallican liturgy:

PRAYER

Christe Deus, Adonai magne, nos tecum quasi huic mundo crucifige; ut vita tua in nobis sit: nostraque peccata super te pone, ut ea crucifigas: nos quoque ad teipsum trahe, cum pro nobis exaltatus es a terra, ut nos eripias ab adultero tyranno: quia licet carne et vitiis diabolo noxii sumus; tibi tamen, non illi optamus servire: et sub tuo jure vivere desideramus, et a te gubernari rogamus; qui nos mortales et a morte invasos, per mortem crucis liberare voluisti. Pro quo singulari beneficio hodierna tibi nostra famulatur devotio: teque nunc hodie supplices adoramus, imploramus, invocamus, ut ad nos properes, virtus æterna Deus: quod nobis proficiat tua crux, triumphans scilicet de mundo in nobis per crucis virtutem: atque tua pietas nobis illud antiquum restituat beneficium, virtute scilicet et gratia; qui per potentiam futura præterita; per præsentiam facis similiter præterita præsentia: redde, ut nobis tua Passio salutaris sit, quasi præsens et hodierna: et sic nobis hodie, illa gutta sancti sanguinis super terram olim de cruce stillantis, sit salus: ut omnia terræ nostræ delicta lavans, et corporis nostri humo quodam modo immixta, nos de terra tuos efficiat; nos quoque tibi quasi corpus idem reconciliati capitis. Qui regnas cum Patre semper et Spiritu sancto; nunc nobis regnare incipe, Homo Deus, Christe Jesu, Rex in sæcula sæculorum.

O great and sovereign Lord! Adonai! Christ our God! crucify us, with thyself, to this world, that so thy life may be in us. Take upon thee our sins, that thou mayst crucify them. Draw us unto thyself, since it is for our sake that thou wast raised up from the earth; and thus snatch us from the power of the unclean tyrant: for though, by flesh and our sins, we be exposed to the insults of the devil, yet do we desire to serve, not him, but thee. We would be thy subjects; we ask to be governed by thee; for, by thy death on the cross, thou didst deliver us, who are mortals and surrounded by death. It is to bless thee for this wonderful favour, that we this day offer thee our devoted service; and humbly adoring thee, we now implore and beseech thee, to hasten to our assistance, O thou our God, the eternal and almighty! Let thy cross thus profit us unto good, that thou, by its power, mayst triumph over the world in us, and thine own mercy may restore us, by thy might and grace, to the ancient blessing. O thou, whose power hath turned the future into the past, and whose presence maketh the past to be present, grant that thy Passion may avail us to salvation, as though it were accomplished now on this very day. May the drops of thy holy Blood, which heretofore fell upon the earth from the cross, be our present salvation: may it wash away all the sins of our earthly nature, and be, so to say, commingled with the earth of our body, rendering it all thine; since we, by our reconciliation with thee, our Head, have been made one body with thee. Thou that ever reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now begin to reign over us, O God-Man, Christ Jesus, King for ever and ever!

TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK

To-day, again, our Saviour sets out in the morning for Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close. He says to His disciples: 'You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified.'¹

On the road from Bethania to Jerusalem, the disciples are surprised at seeing the fig-tree, which their divine Master had yesterday cursed, now dead. Addressing himself to Jesus, Peter says: 'Rabbi, behold, the fig-tree, which Thou didst curse, is withered away.'² In order to teach us that the whole of material nature is subservient to the spiritual element when this last is united to God by faith,

¹ St. Matt. xxvi. 2. ² St. Mark xi. 21.

Jesus replies: 'Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and cast into the sea! and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him.'¹

Having entered the city, Jesus directs His steps towards the temple. No sooner has He entered, than the chief priests, the scribes, and the ancients of the people, accost Him with these words: 'By what authority dost Thou these things? and who has given Thee this authority, that Thou shouldst do these things?'² We shall find our Lord's answer given in the Gospel. Our object is to mention the leading events of the last days of our Redeemer on earth; the holy volume will supply the details.

As on the two preceding days, Jesus leaves the city towards evening: He passes over Mount Olivet, and returns to Bethania, where He finds His blessed Mother and His devoted friends.

In to-day's Mass, the Church reads the history of the Passion according to St. Mark, who wrote his Gospel the next after St. Matthew; hence it is that the second place is assigned to him. His account of the Passion is shorter than St. Matthew's, of which it would often seem to be a summary; and yet certain details peculiar to this evangelist were evidently furnished by an eye-witness. Our readers are aware that St. Mark was a disciple of St. Peter, and that his Gospel was written under the very eye of the prince of the apostles.

In Rome, the Station for to-day is in the church of St. Prisca, which is said to have been the house of Aquila and his wife Prisca, to whom St. Paul sends his salutations in his Epistle to the Romans. In the third century, Pope St. Eutychian had translated thither, on account of the sameness of the name, the body of St. Prisca, a virgin and martyr of Rome.

¹ St. Mark xi. 22, 23. ² Ibid. 28.

MASS

Three days hence, the cross will be lifted up on Calvary bearing upon itself the Author of our salvation. The Church, in the Introit of to-day's Mass, bids us at once pay our homage to this trophy of our victory, and glory in it.

INTROIT

Nos autem gloriari oportet in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi: in quo est salus, vita, et resurrectio nostra, per quem salvati, et liberati sumus.

Ps. Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis; illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri.

Nos autem.

We ought to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; by whom we have been saved and delivered.

Ps. May God have mercy on us, and bless us; may his countenance shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.

We ought, &c.

In the Collect, the Church prays that the sacred anniversaries of our Saviour's Passion may be to us a source of pardon; and that they may work in us a full reconciliation with the divine justice.

COLLECT

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, da nobis ita Dominicæ Passionis sacramenta peragere, ut indulgentiam percipere mereamur. Per eumdem.

O almighty and everlasting God, grant that we may so celebrate the mysteries of our Lord's Passion, as to obtain thy pardon. Through the same, &c.

For the other Collect, see page 108.

EPISTLE

Lectio Jeremiæ Prophetæ.

In diebus illis: dixit Jeremias: Domine, demonstrasti mihi et cognovi; tunc ostendisti mihi studia eorum. Et ego quasi agnus mansuetus, qui portatur ad victimam: et non cognovi quia cogitaverunt super me consilia, dicentes: Mittamus lignum in panem ejus, et eradamus eum de terra viventium, et nomen ejus non memoretur amplius. Tu autem, Domine Sabaoth, qui judicas juste, et probas renes et corda, videam ultionem tuam ex eis: tibi enim revelavi causam meam, Domine Deus meus.

Lesson from Jeremias the Prophet. Ch. xi.

In those days: Jeremias said: Thou, O Lord, hast shown me, and I have known: then thou shewedst me their doings. And I was as a meek lamb, that is carried to be a victim; and I knew not that they had devised counsels against me, saying: Let us put wood on his bread, and cut him off from the land of the living, and let his name be remembered no more. But thou, O Lord of Sabaoth, who judgest justly, and triest the reins and the hearts, let me see thy revenge on them; for to thee have I revealed my cause, O Lord, my God!

Again we have the plaintive words of Jeremias:

he gives us the very words used by his enemies, when they conspired his death. It is evident, however, that the prophet is here the figure of one greater than himself. Let us, say these enemies, put wood upon his bread: that is, let us put poisonous wood into what he eats, that so we may cause his death. This is the literal sense of these words, as applied to the prophet; but how much more truly were they fulfilled in our Redeemer! He tells us that His divine Flesh is the true Bread that came down from heaven. This Bread, this Body of the Man-God, is bruised, torn, and wounded; the Jews nail it to the wood; so that, it is, in a manner, made one with the wood, and the wood is all covered with Jesus' Blood. This Lamb of God was immolated on the wood of the cross: it is by His immolation, that we have had given to us a Sacrifice which is worthy of God; and it is by this Sacrifice that we participate in the Bread of heaven, the Flesh of the Lamb, our true Pasch.

The Gradual, which is taken from Psalm xxxiv, shows us the humility and meekness of Jesus under His sufferings. How they contrast with the haughty pride of his enemies!

GRADUAL

Ego autem, dum mihi molesti essent, induebam me cilicio, et humiliabam in jejunio animam meam; et oratio mea in sinu meo convertetur.

℣. Judica, Domine, nocentes me, expugna impugnantes me: apprehende arma et scutum, et exsurge in adjutorium mihi.

When they were troublesome to me, I clothed myself with hair-cloth, and I humbled my soul with fasting; and I will yet continue to pour forth my prayer in my bosom.

℣. Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me, overthrow them that fight against me; take hold of arms and shield, and rise to help me.

After the Gradual, is sung the Passion according to St. Mark. The same ceremonies are observed as during the Passion which was read to us on Sunday, excepting only what regarded the palms.

THE PASSION AND GOSPEL

Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Marcum. Cap. xiv. et xv.

In illo tempore: Erat Pascha, et Azyma post biduum: et quærebant summi sacerdotes et scribæ quomodo Jesum dolo tenerent, et occiderent. Dicebant autem: Non in die festo ne forte tumultus fieret in populo.

Et cum esset Jesus Bethaniæ in domo Simonis leprosi, et recumberet: venit mulier habens alabastrum unguenti nardi spicati pretiosi, et fracto alabastro, effudit super caput ejus. Erant autem quidam indigne ferentes intra semetipsos, et dicentes: Ut quid perditio ista unguenti facta est? Poterat enim unguentum istud venundari plus quam trecentis denariis, et dari pauperibus. Et fremebant in eam. Jesus autem dixit: Sinite eam: quid illi molesti estis? Bonum opus operata est in me. Semper enim pauperes habetis vobiscum, et cum volueritis, potestis illis benefacere: me autem non semper habetis. Quod habuit hæc, fecit: prævenit ungere corpus meum in sepulturam. Amen dico vobis: Ubicumque prædicatum fuerit evangelium istud in universo mundo, et quod fecit hæc, narrabitur in memoriam ejus.

Et Judas Iscariotes unus de duodecim abiit ad summos sacerdotes, ut proderet eum illis. Qui audientes, gavisi sunt: et promiserunt ei pecuniam se daturos. Et quærebat, quomodo illum opportune traderet.

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark. Ch. xiv. and xv.

At that time, the feast of the Pasch and of Azymes was after two days; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on Jesus, and kill him. But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people.

And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard; and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head. Now there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made? For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me. For the poor you have always with you, and whensoever you will, you may do them good; but me you have not always. What she had, she hath done; she is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial. Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done shall be told for a memorial of her.

And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them. Who hearing it were glad; and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

Et primo die Azymorum, quando Pascha immolabant, dicunt ei discipuli: Quo vis eamus, et paremus tibi, ut manduces Pascha? Et mittit duos ex discipulis suis, et dicit eis: Ite in civitatem: et occurret vobis homo lagenam aquæ bajulans; sequimini eum: et quocumque introierit, dicite domino domus, quia Magister dicit: Ubi est refectio mea, ubi Pascha cum discipulis meis manducem? Et ipse vobis demonstrabit cœnaculum grande, stratum, et illic parate nobis. Et abierunt discipuli ejus, et venerunt in civitatem: et invenerunt sicut dixerat illis, et paraverunt Pascha.

Vespere autem facto, venit cum duodecim. Et discumbentibus eis, et manducantibus ait Jesus: Amen dico vobis, quia unus ex vobis tradet me, qui manducat mecum. At illi cœperunt contristari, et dicere ei singulatim: numquid ego? Qui ait illis: unus ex duodecim, qui intingit mecum manum in catino. Et Filius quidem hominis vadit, sicut scriptum est de eo; væ autem homini illi, per quem Filius hominis tradetur. Bonum erat ei, si non esset natus homo ille. Et manducantibus illis, accepit Jesus panem: et benedicens fregit, et dedit eis, et ait: Sumite: hoc est corpus meum. Et accepto calice, gratias agens dedit eis: et biberunt ex illo omnes. Et ait illis: Hic est sanguis meus novi testamenti, qui pro multis effundetur. Amen dico vobis: quia jam non bibam de hoc genimine vitis, usque in diem illum, cum illud bibam novum in regno Dei.

Et hymno dicto, exierunt in montem Olivarum. Et ait eis Jesus: Omnes scandalizabimini in me, in nocte ista, quia scriptum est: Percutiam pastorem, et dispergentur oves: sed postquam resurrexero, præcedam vos in Galilæam. Petrus autem ait illi: Et si omnes scandalizati fuerint in te, sed non ego. Et ait illi Jesus: Amen dico tibi, quia tu hodie in nocte hac, priusquam gallus vocem bis dederit, ter me es negaturus. At ille amplius loquebatur: Et si oportuerit me simul commori tibi, non te negabo. Similiter autem et omnes dicebant.

Et veniunt in prædium, cui nomen Gethsemani, et ait discipulis suis: Sedete hic donec orem. Et assumit Petrum, et Jacobum et Joannem secum: et cœpit pavere, et tædere. Et ait illis: Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem. Sustinete hic, et vigilate. Et cum processisset paululum, procidit super terram: et orabat, ut si fieri posset, transiret ab eo hora: et dixit: Abba Pater, omnia tibi possibilia sunt: transfer calicem hunc a me. Sed non quod ego volo: sed quod tu. Et venit, et invenit eos dormientes. Et ait Petro: Simon dormis? Non potuisti una hora vigilare? Vigilate, et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem. Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro vero infirma. Et iterum abiens oravit, eumdem sermonem dicens. Et reversus, denuo invenit eos dormientes (erant enim oculi eorum gravati) et ignorabant quid responderent ei. Et venit tertio, et ait illis: Dormite jam, et requiescite. Sufficit: venit hora: ecce Filius hominis tradetur in manus peccatorum. Surgite, eamus: ecce, qui me tradet, prope est.

Et adhuc eo loquente venit Judas Iscariotes unus de duodecim, et cum eo turba multa cum gladiis et lignis a summis sacerdotibus, et scribis et senioribus. Dederat autem traditor ejus signum eis, dicens: Quemcumque osculatus fuero, ipse est: tenete eum, et ducite caute. Et cum venisset, statim accedens ad eum ait: Ave Rabbi! Et osculatus est eum. At illi manus injecerunt in eum et tenuerunt eum. Unus autem quidam de circumstantibus educens gladium, percussit servum summi sacerdotis: et amputavit illi auriculam. Et respondens Jesus ait illis: Tanquam ad latronem existis cum gladiis et lignis comprehendere me? Quotidie eram apud vos in templo docens, et non me tenuistis. Sed ut impleantur Scripturæ. Tunc discipuli ejus relinquentes eum, omnes fugerunt. Adolescens autem quidam sequebatur eum amictus sindone super nudo: et tenuerunt eum. At ille rejecta sindone, nudus profugit ab eis.

Et adduxerunt Jesum ad summum sacerdotem: et convenerunt omnes sacerdotes, et scribæ et seniores. Petrus autem a longe secutus est eum, usque intro in atrium summi sacerdotis: et sedebat cum ministris ad ignem, et calefaciebat se. Summi vero sacerdotes et omne concilium quærebant adversus Jesum testimonium, ut eum morti traderent; nec inveniebant.

Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go and prepare for thee to eat the Pasch? And he sendeth two of his disciples and saith to them: Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; and whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house: The Master saith: Where is my refectory, where I may eat the Pasch with my disciples? And he will show you a large dining-room furnished; and there prepare ye for us. And his disciples went their way, and came into the city; and they found as he had told them, and they prepared the Pasch.

And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve. And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me. But they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one: Is it I? Who saith to them: One of the twelve who dippeth with me his hand in the dish. And the Son of Man indeed goeth, as it is written of him; but wo to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born. And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread: and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye, this is my body. And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it; and he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many. Amen I say to you, that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.

And when they had said an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed. But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I. And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, to-day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all.

And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. And he taketh Peter, and James, and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy. And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death, stay you here, and watch. And when he had gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground; and he prayed that, if it might be, the hour might pass from him: and he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee, remove this chalice from me; but not what I will but what thou wilt. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour? Watch ye, and pray, that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And going away again, he prayed saying the same words. And when he returned, he found them again asleep (for their eyes were heavy), and they knew not what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough, the hour is come; behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go. Behold he that will betray me is at hand.

And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests, and the scribes, and the ancients. And he that betrayed him had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, lay hold on him, and lead him away carefully. And when he was come, immediately going up to him, he saith: Hail Rabbi; and he kissed him. But they laid hands on him and held him. And one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber with swords and staves to apprehend me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But, that the scriptures may be fulfilled. Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away. And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him. But he casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked.

And they led Jesus to the high priest: and all the priests, and the scribes, and the ancients assembled together. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the court of the high priest: and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself. And the chief priests and the whole council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death; and found none.

And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together. And Peter followed him afar off even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire and warmed himself. And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus that they might put him to death, and found none,

Multi enim testimonium falsum dicebant adversus eum: et convenientia testimonia non erant. Et quidam surgentes, falsum testimonium ferebant adversus eum, dicentes: Quoniam nos audivimus eum dicentem: Ego dissolvam templum hoc manufactum: et per triduum, aliud non manufactum ædificabo. Et non erat conveniens testimonium illorum.

Et exsurgens summus sacerdos in medium, interrogavit Jesum, dicens: Non respondes quidquam ad ea, quæ tibi objiciuntur ab his? Ille autem tacebat, et nihil respondit. Rursum summus sacerdos interrogabat eum, et dixit ei: Tu es Christus Filius Dei benedicti? Jesus autem dixit illi: Ego sum. Et videbitis Filium hominis sedentem a dextris virtutis Dei, et venientem cum nubibus cœli. Summus autem sacerdos scindens vestimenta sua, ait: Quid adhuc desideramus testes? Audistis blasphemiam. Quid vobis videtur? Qui omnes condemnaverunt eum esse reum mortis. Et cœperunt quidam conspuere eum, et velare faciem ejus, et colaphis eum cædere, et dicere ei: Prophetiza. Et ministri alapis eum cædebant.

Et cum esset Petrus in atrio deorsum, venit una

For many bore false witness against him, and their evidences were not agreeing. And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying: We heard him say: I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands. And their witness did not agree.

And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God? And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rending his garments saith: What need we any further witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him: Prophesy! And the servants struck him with the palms of their hands.

Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one

ex ancillis summi sacerdotis: et cum vidisset Petrum calefacientem se, aspiciens illum, ait: Et tu cum Jesu Nazareno eras. At ille negavit, dicens: Neque scio, neque novi quid dicas. Et exiit foras ante atrium: et gallus cantavit. Rursus autem, cum vidisset illum ancilla, cœpit dicere circumstantibus: Quia hic ex illis est. At ille iterum negavit. Et post pusillum, rursus qui astabant, dicebant Petro: Vere ex illis es: nam et Galilæus es. Ille autem cœpit anathematizare et jurare: quia nescio hominem istum quem dicitis. Et statim gallus iterum cantavit. Et recordatus est Petrus verbi, quod dixerat ei Jesus: Priusquam gallus cantet bis, ter me negabis. Et cœpit flere.

Et confestim mane consilium facientes summi sacerdotes cum senioribus, et scribis, et universo concilio, vincientes Jesum, duxerunt, et tradiderunt Pilato. Et interrogavit eum Pilatus: Tu es Rex Judæorum? At ille respondens, ait illi: Tu dicis. Et accusabant eum summi sacerdotes in multis. Pilatus autem rursum interrogavit eum, dicens: Non respondes quidquam? Vide, in quantis te

of the maid servants of the high priest; and when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him, she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court, and the cock crew. And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers-by: This is one of them. But he denied again. And after a while, they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them, for thou art also a Galilean. But he began to curse and to swear, saying: I know not this man of whom you speak. And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.

And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes, and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away, and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him in many things. And Pilate again asked him, saying: Answerest thou nothing? Behold in how many

accusant. Jesus autem amplius nihil respondit: ita ut miraretur Pilatus.

Per diem autem festum solebat dimittere illis unum ex vinctis quemcumque petiissent. Erat autem qui dicebatur Barabbas, qui cum seditiosis erat vinctus, qui in seditione fecerat homicidium. Et cum ascendisset turba, cœpit rogare, sicut semper faciebat illis. Pilatus autem respondit eis, et dixit: Vultis dimittam vobis Regem Judæorum? Sciebat enim quod per invidiam tradidissent eum summi sacerdotes. Pontifices autem concitaverunt turbam ut magis Barabbam dimitteret eis. Pilatus autem iterum respondens, ait illis: Quid ergo vultis faciam Regi Judæorum? At illi iterum clamaverunt: Crucifige eum. Pilatus vero dicebat illis: Quid enim mali fecit? At illi magis clamabant: Crucifige eum.

Pilatus autem volens populo satisfacere, dimisit illis Barabbam, et tradidit Jesum flagellis cæsum, ut crucifigeretur. Milites autem duxerunt eum in atrium prætorii, et convocant totam cohortem: et induunt eum purpura, et imponunt ei plectentes spineam coronam. Et cœpe-

things they accuse thee. But Jesus still answered nothing: so that Pilate wondered.

Now on the festival day he was wont to release unto them one of the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded. And there was one called Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in the sedition had committed murder. And when the multitude was come up, they began to desire that he would do as he had ever done unto them. And Pilate answered them and said: Will you that I release to you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy. But the chief priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate again answering, saith to them: What will you then that I do to the King of the Jews? But they again cried out: Crucify him. And Pilate saith to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more: Crucify him.

And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace, and they called together the whole band; and they clothed him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it

runt salutare eum: Ave, Rex Judæorum. Et percutiebant caput ejus arundine: et conspuebant eum, et ponentes genua, adorabant eum.

Et postquam illuserunt ei, exuerunt illum purpura, et induerunt eum vestimentis suis, et educunt illum, ut crucifigerent eum. Et angariaverunt prætereuntem quempiam Simonem Cyrenæum venientem de villa, patrem Alexandri et Rufi, ut tolleret crucem ejus. Et perducunt illum in Golgotha locum: quod est interpretatum, Calvariæ locus. Et dabant ei bibere myrrhatum vinum: et non accepit. Et crucifigentes eum diviserunt vestimenta ejus, mittentes sortem super eis, quis quid tolleret. Erat autem hora tertia: et crucifixerunt eum. Et erat titulus causæ ejus inscriptus: Rex Judæorum. Et cum eo crucifigunt duos latrones: unum a dextris, et alium a sinistris ejus. Et impleta est Scriptura, quæ dicit: et cum iniquis reputatus est.

Et prætereuntes blasphemabant eum, moventes capita sua, et dicentes: Vah, qui destruis templum Dei et in tribus diebus reædificas: salvum fac temetipsum, descendens de cruce. Similiter

upon him. And they began to salute him: Hail, King of the Jews. And they struck his head with a reed, and they did spit on him; and bowing their knees, they adored him.

And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own garments on him, and they led him out to crucify him. And they forced one Simon, a Cyrenean, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross. And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but he took it not. And crucifying him, they divided his garments casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the inscription of his cause was written over, The King of the Jews. And with him they crucify two thieves, the one on his right hand and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith: And with the wicked he was reputed.

And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days buildest it up again; save thyself, coming down from the cross.

et summi sacerdotes illudentes, ad alterutrum cum scribis dicebant: Alios salvos fecit, seipsum non potest salvum facere. Christus Rex Israel descendat nunc de cruce, ut videamus, et credamus. Et qui cum eo crucifixi erant, conviciabantur ei.

Et facta hora sexta, tenebræ factæ sunt per totam terram, usque in horam nonam. Et hora nona exclamavit Jesus voce magna, dicens: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Quod est interpretatum: Deus meus, Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me? Et quidam de circumstantibus audientes dicebant: Ecce Eliam vocat. Currens autem unus, et implens spongiam aceto, circumponensque calamo, potum dabat ei, dicens: Sinite, videamus si veniat Elias ad deponendum eum. Jesus autem emissa voce magna, expiravit.

In like manner also the chief priests mocking, said with the scribes one to another: He saved others, himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour; and at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? which is, being interpreted: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of the standers-by hearing, said: Behold, he calleth Elias. And one running and filling a sponge with vinegar, and putting it upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost.

Here a pause is made, as on Palm Sunday. All kneel down, and, if such be the custom of the place, prostrate and kiss the ground.

Et velum templi scissum est in duo, a summo usque deorsum. Videns autem centurio, qui ex adverso stabat, quia sic clamans expirasset, ait: Vere hic homo Filius Dei erat. Erant autem et mulieres de longe aspicientes: inter quas erat

And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the centurion who stood over against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this man was the Son of God. And there were also women looking on afar off, among whom was

Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi minoris et Joseph mater, et Salome: et cum esset in Galilæa, sequebantur eum, et ministrabant ei: et aliæ multæ, quæ simul cum eo ascenderant Jerosolymam.

Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome; who also when he was in Galilee followed him, and ministered to him; and many other women that came up with him to Jerusalem.

Here the deacon presents the incense to the priest, that it may be blessed; and, after having himself received a blessing, he terminates the Passion, observing the ceremonies which are used at the singing of the Gospel in a High Mass.

Et quum jam sero esset factum (quia erat Parasceve, quod est ante Sabbatum) venit Joseph ab Arimathæa, nobilis decurio, qui et ipse erat exspectans regnum Dei. Et audacter introivit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu. Pilatus autem mirabatur si jam obiisset. Et accersito centurione, interrogavit eum, si jam mortuus esset. Et cum cognovisset a centurione, donavit corpus Joseph. Joseph autem mercatus sindonem, et deponens eum, involvit sindone: et posuit eum in monumento, quod erat excisum de petra, et advolvit lapidem ad ostium monumenti.

And when evening was now come, (because it was the Parasceve, that is, the day before the Sabbath,) Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead; and sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead. And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking him down, wrapped him up in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.

At the Offertory, the Messias asks His eternal Father to defend Him from the enemies that are preparing His destruction.

OFFERTORY

Custodi me Domine, de manu peccatoris: et ab hominibus iniquis eripe me.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the sinful man; and from unjust men deliver me.

In the Secret, the Church offers to the Majesty of God the tribute of our fasts, in union with the holy Host on our altar, from which they derive all their merit and efficacy.

SECRET

Sacrificia nos quæsumus
Domine, propensius ista re-
staurent: quæ medicinali-
bus sunt instituta jejuniis. Per Dominum.

May these sacrifices, O Lord, we beseech thee, which are accompanied with healing fasts, mercifully repair us. Through, &c.

For the other Secret, see page 116.

The words of the psalmist, used by the Church in her Communion-anthem, show us the blasphemous daring of our Saviour's enemies, as also the dispositions in which this dear Jesus Himself was during His sacred Passion.

COMMUNION

Adversum me exerceban- tur, qui sedebant in porta: et in me psallebant, qui bi- bebant vinum: ego vero orationem meam ad te, Do- mine: tempus beneplaciti Deus, in multitudine mi-
sericordiæ tuæ.

The judges in the gate spoke against me, and they that drank wine made songs against me. But I poured forth my prayer to thee, O Lord: it is time, O God, to show thy good will to me, according to the multitude of thy mercies.

In the Postcommunion the Church prays that by the merits of the Sacrifice she has just offered, we may obtain the perfect cure of our spiritual infirmities; for the Blood of the Lamb takes away the sins of the world.

POSTCOMMUNION

Sanctificationibus tuis, omnipotens Deus, et vitia
nostra curentur: et remedia nobis sempiterna proveniant. Per Dominum.

May these thy holy mysteries, O almighty God, both cure our vices and become an eternal remedy to us. Through, &c.

See the other Postcommunion on page 117.

OREMUS

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Tua nos misericordia, Deus, et ab omni subreptione vetustatis expurget,
et capaces sanctæ novitatis
efficiat. Per Dominum.

LET US PRAY

Bow down your heads to God.

May thy mercy, O God, purify us from the corruption of the old man, and enable us to put on the new. Through, &c.

We may close this day by saying these few verses taken from a hymn of the Greek Church on the Passion of our Lord.

HYMN

Vitale latus tuum, tanquam fons ex Eden scaturiens, Ecclesiam tuam, Christe, tanquam rationalem hortum adaquat: inde tanquam in quædam initia
se dividens in quatuor Evangelia: mundum irrigans, creaturam lætificans,
gentesque fideliter docens venerari regnum tuum.

Crucifixus es propter me;

The life-giving wound of thy side, O Jesus! like the fountain that sprang from Eden, waters the spiritual garden of thy Church. Thence, dividing itself into the four Gospels, as into so many master-streams, it freshens the world, gladdens creation, and teaches all nations to bow down in faith, and venerate thy kingdom.

Thou wast crucified for me,

ut velut ex fonte mihi effunderes remissionem. Punctus es in latere, ut mihi vitæ scaturigines aperires;
clavis confixus es, ut ego in passionum tuarum profundo altitudinem tuæ potentiæ confessus, clamem
ad te, vitæ largitor Christe:
Gloria cruci tuæ Salvator,
ac Passioni tuæ.

Chirographum nostrum in cruce dirupisti, Christe: et inter mortuos reputatus, tyrannum illic ligasti, liberatis omnibus ex vinculis mortis resurrectione tua. Per quam illuminati sumus, o amans hominum Domine! tibique clamamus: Memento et nostri Salvator in regno tuo.

Tuam, Christe, Matrem, quæ te in carne sine virili
semine peperit, et vere virgo etiam post partum incorrupta permansit; hanc tibi adducimus ad intercessionem, Domine multum misericors: ut offensarum condonationem jugiter largiaris iis qui clamant: Memento et nostri Domine in regno tuo.

that thou mightest be to me as a fountain pouring out forgiveness upon me. Thou wast wounded in thy side, that thou mightest open to me the sources of life. Thou wast nailed to the cross, that I, confessing the greatness of thy power in the depth of thy Passion, might sing to thee, O Christ, thou giver of life: Glory be to thy cross and Passion, O Saviour!

Thou, O Christ, didst, on thy cross, tear the hand-writing that was against us. Thou wast numbered among the dead, and there didst bind down the tyrant, and, by thy Resurrection, didst set us all free from the chains of death. It is thy Resurrection that has given us light, O God, thou lover of mankind! To thee do we sing: Remember us, also, O Saviour, in thy kingdom!

To thee, most merciful Lord, we bring thy Mother, that she may intercede for us, she that conceived thee and was a Virgin, she that gave thee birth and was a spotless Virgin. May her prayers obtain from thee the unceasing pardon of sin to all that cry out to thee: Remember us, also, O Lord, in thy kingdom.

WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK

The chief priests and the ancients of the people have met to-day in one of the rooms adjoining the temple, for the purpose of deliberating on the best means of putting Jesus to death. Several plans are discussed. Would it be prudent to lay hands upon Him at this season of the feast of the Pasch, when the city is filled with strangers, who have received a favourable impression of Jesus from the solemn ovation given to Him three days back? Then, too, are there not a great number of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who took part in that triumph, and whose enthusiastic admiration of Jesus might excite them to rise up in His defence? These considerations persuade them not to have recourse to any violent measure, at least for the present, as a sedition among the people might be the consequence, and its promoters, even were they to escape being ill-treated by the people, would be brought before the tribunal of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. They therefore come to the resolution of letting the feast pass quietly over, before apprehending Jesus.

But these blood-thirsty men are making all these calculations as though they were the masters. They are, if they will, shrewd assassins, who put off their murder to a more convenient day: but the divine decrees, which from all eternity have prepared a Sacrifice for the world's salvation, have fixed this very year's Pasch as the day of the Sacrifice, and to-morrow evening the holy city will re-echo with the trumpets which proclaim the opening of the feast. The figurative lamb is now to make way for the true one; the Pasch of this year will substitute the reality for the type; and Jesus' Blood, shed by the hands of wicked priests, is soon to flow simultaneously with that of victims, which have been hitherto acceptable to God only because they prefigured the Sacrifice of Calvary. The Jewish priesthood is about to be its own executioner, by immolating Him, whose Blood is to abrogate the ancient Alliance, and perpetuate the new one.

But how are Jesus' enemies to get possession of their divine Victim, so as to avoid a disturbance in the city? There is only one plan that could succeed, and they have not thought of it: it is treachery. Just at the close of their deliberations, they are told that one of Jesus' disciples seeks admission. They admit him, and he says to them: 'What will you give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?'¹ They are delighted at this proposition: and yet, how is it that they, doctors of the law, forget that this infamous bargain between themselves and Judas has all been foretold by David, in Psalm cviii? They know the Scriptures from beginning to end: how comes it that they forget the words of the Prophet, who even mentions the sum of thirty pieces of silver²? Judas asks them what they will give him; and they give him thirty pieces of silver! All is arranged; to-morrow, Jesus will be in Jerusalem, eating the Pasch with His disciples. In the evening He will go, as usual, to the garden on Mount Olivet. But how shall they, who are sent to seize Him, be able to distinguish Him from His disciples? Judas will lead the way; he will show them which is Jesus, by going up to Him and kissing Him!

Such is the impious scheme devised on this day,

¹ St. Matt. xxvi. 15. ² Ibid. xxvii. 9. Zach. xi. 12.

within the precincts of the temple of Jerusalem. To testify her detestation at it, and to make atonement to the Son of God for the outrage thus offered Him, the holy Church, from the earliest ages, has consecrated the Wednesday of every week to penance. In our own times, the fast of Lent begins on a Wednesday; and when the Church ordained that we should commence each of the four seasons of the year with fasting, Wednesday was chosen to be one of the three days thus consecrated to bodily mortification.

On this day, in the Roman Church, was held the sixth scrutiny, for the admission of catechumens to Baptism. Those about whom there had been previous doubts were now added to the number of the chosen ones, if they were found worthy. There were two Lessons read in the Mass, as on the day of the great scrutiny, the Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent. As usual, the catechumens left the church after the Gospel; but, as soon as the holy Sacrifice was over, they were brought back by the door-keeper, and one of the priests addressed them in these words: 'On Saturday next, the Eve of Easter, at such an hour, you will assemble in the Lateran basilica, for the seventh scrutiny; you will then recite the Symbol, which you must have learned; and lastly, you will receive, by God's help, the sacred laver of regeneration. Prepare yourselves, zealously and humbly, by persevering fasts and prayers, in order that, having been buried, by this holy Baptism, together with Jesus Christ, you may rise again with Him, unto life everlasting. Amen.'

At Rome, the Station for to-day is in the basilica of St. Mary Major. Let us compassionate with our dear Mother, whose heart is filled with poignant grief at the foresight of the Sacrifice which is preparing.

MASS

The Church commences her chants with one to the glory of the holy name of Jesus, outraged as it is, on this day, by them that plot His death. This name which was given Him by heaven, and signifies that He is our Saviour, is now being blasphemed by His enemies: in a few hours, their crime will bring its full meaning before us, for His death will have worked the salvation of the world.

INTROIT

In nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur, cœlestium,
terrestrium, et infernorum: quia Dominus factus est
obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis: ideo Dominus Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris.

Ps. Domine, exaudi orationem meam: et clamor
meus ad te veniat.

In nomine.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; because the Lord became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: therefore the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

Ps. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

At the name, &c.

In the first Collect, the Church acknowledges to God that her children have sinned against Him: but she reminds Him of the Passion endured for their sake, by His only-begotten Son; and this revives her hope.

OREMUS

℣. Flectamus genua.

℟. Levate.

Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut qui nostris
excessibus incessanter affligimur, per unigeniti Filii

LET US PRAY

℣. Let us kneel down.

℟. Stand up again.

Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that we who continually are punished for our excesses, may be delivered

tui Passionem liberemur. Qui tecum.

Lectio Isaiæ Prophetæ.
Cap. lxii. et lxiii.

Hæc dicit Dominus Deus:
Dicite filiæ Sion: Ecce
Salvator tuus venit, ecce merces ejus cum eo. Quis est iste qui venit de Edom, tinctis vestibus de Bosra? Iste formosus in stola sua, gradiens in multitudine fortitudinis suæ?
Ego, qui loquor justitiam: et propugnator sum ad salvandum. Quare ergo rubrum est indumentum tuum, et vestimenta tua sicut calcantium in torculari? Torcular calcavi solus: et de gentibus non est vir mecum. Calcavi eos in furore meo: et conculcavi eos in ira mea. Et aspersus est sanguis eorum super vestimenta mea, et omnia indumenta mea inquinavi. Dies enim ultionis in corde meo: annus redemptionis meæ venit. Circumspexi, et non erat auxiliator: quæsivi, et non
fuit qui adjuvaret. Et salvavit mihi brachium meum: et indignatio mea ipsa auxiliata est mihi. Et conculcavi populos in furore meo: et inebriavi eos in indignatione mea, et detraxi in terram virtutem eorum. Mi-

by the Passion of thy only-begotten Son. Who liveth, &c.

Lesson from Isaias the

Thus saith the Lord God: Tell the daughter of Sion: Behold thy Saviour cometh: behold his reward is with him. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosra, this beautiful one in his robe, walking in the greatness of his strength? I, that speak justice, and am a defender to save. Why then is thy apparel red, and thy garments like theirs that tread in the wine-press? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the Gentiles there is not a man with me; I have trampled on them in my indignation, and have trodden them down in my wrath, and their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, the year of my redemption is come. I looked about, and there was none to help; I sought, and there was none to give aid; and my own arm hath saved for me, and my indignation itself hath helped me. And I have trodden down the people in my wrath, and have made them drunk in my indignation, and have brought down their strength to the earth. I will

serationum Domini recordabor, laudem Domini super omnibus, quæ reddidit nobis
Dominus Deus noster.

remember the tender mercies of the Lord, the praise of the Lord, for all the things that the Lord hath bestowed on us.

How terrible is this our Defender, who tramples His enemies beneath His feet, as they that tread in the wine-press; so that their blood is sprinkled upon His garments! But is not this the fittest time for us to proclaim His power, now that He is being treated with ignominy, and sold to His enemies by one of His disciples? These humiliations will soon pass away; He will rise in glory, and His might will be shown by the chastisements wherewith He will crush them that now persecute Him. Jerusalem will stone them that shall preach in His name; she will be a cruel stepmother to those true Israelites, who, docile to the teaching of the prophets, have recognized Jesus as the promised Messias. The Synagogue will seek to stifle the Church in her infancy; but no sooner shall the Church, shaking the dust from her feet, turn from Jerusalem to the Gentiles, than the vengeance of Christ will fall on the city which bought, betrayed, and crucified Him. Her citizens will have to pay dearly for these crimes. We learn from the Jewish historian Josephus, who was an eye-witness to the siege, that the fire which was raging in one of the streets was quenched by the torrents of their blood. Thus were fulfilled the threats pronounced by our Lord against this faithless city, as He sat on Mount Olivet, the day after His triumphant entry.

And yet, the destruction of Jerusalem was but a faint image of the terrible destruction which is to befall the world at the last day. Jesus, who is now despised and insulted by sinners, will then appear on the clouds of heaven, and reparation will be made for all these outrages. Now He suffers Himself to be betrayed, scoffed at, and spit upon; but when the

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day of vengeance is come, happy they that have served Him, and have compassionated with Him in His humiliations and sufferings! Woe to them that have treated Him with contempt! Woe to those who, not content with refusing to bear His yoke, have led others to rebel against Him! For He is King; He came into this world that He might reign over it; and they that despise His mercy shall not escape e Gradual, which immediately follows upon this sublime passage from Isaias, is a prayer addressed by Jesus to His eternal Father: the words are taken from one of the Psalms.

GRADUAL

PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

a puero tuo, quoniam tri- bulor: velociter exaudi me.

Y. Salvum me fac, Deus,
quoniam intraverunt aqua usque ad animam meam: in- fixus sum in limo profundi, et non est substantia.

In the second Collect, the Church a

from thy servant, for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

Y. Save me, O God, for the walers are come in even unto my soul; I stick fast in the mire of the deep, and there is no sure standing.

gain reminds

our heavenly Father of the death which His divine

Ron dei

gned to suffer in order to set, us free from the

yoke of satan ; she prays that we may have a sharein the glorious Resurrection of this our Redeemer.

COLLECT

Deus, qui pro nobis Fi-
lium tuum crucis patibulum subire voluisti, ut inimici a nobis expelleres potestatem: concede nobis famulis tuis, ut resurrectionis gratiam con- sequamur. Per eumdem.

O God, who wouldst have thy Son suffer on the cross, to deliver us from the power of ihe enemy; grant that we thy servants may obtain the grace of his resurrection. Through the same, &c.

For the other Collect, see page 108,

--- PAGE 290 --- WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK

Leotio Isai Prophete.

Cap. liii.

In diebus illis Dixit Isaias: Domine, quis credidit
auditui nostro; et brachium Domini cui revelatum est? Et ascendet sicut virgultum coram eo: et sicut radix de terra sitienti. Non est spe- cies ei, neque decor. Et vidimus eum; et non erat aspectus, et desideravimus eum: despectum, et novis- simum virorum, virum do- lorum, et scientem infirmi- tatem. Et quasi abscon- ditus vultus ejus, et despe- ctus, unde nec reputavimus eum. Vere languores no- stros ipse tulit: et dolores nostros ipse portavit. Et nos putavimus eum quasi leprosum, et percussum a Deo, et humiliatum. Ipse autem vulneratus est pro- pter iniquitates nostras: at- tritus est propter scelera nostra; disciplina pacis no- sire super eum: et livore ejus sanati sumus. Omnes nos quasi oves erravimus: unusquisque in viam suam declinavit: et posuit Domi- nus in eo iniquitatem omni- um nostrum. Oblatus est, quia ipse voluit: et non aperuit os suum. Sicut ovis ad occisionem ducetur: et quasi agnus coram tonden-

281

EPISTLE

Lesson from Isaias the

In those days: Isaias said: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? And he shall grow up as a tender plant be- fore him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground. There is no beauty in him, nor comeliness. And we have seen him, and there was no sightliness that we should be desirous of him; despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity. And his look was as it were hid- den and despised; whereupon we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows. And we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth. He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer; and he shall not

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| i » see, onbrusteccet: eat pon i ypprrieia»s unur.^ Isg anvu- i aid, , e « dejliucesio utblauus 1 3%6.3t Gaaertnioesm qus qnis : sparrraliG? hu aisaiibscsteus est : libeerr veivintanln. 2tropeer i iokeuus >wplni nei »eercussi : wma. Edt atbi vimjo»s peo iienpàültese, 2c libvitaon peo : nrctte x 1a:€co jy aodi cniqiiri- : aetnm ofa »creit« nqdue o0- u sífuciit mr ceu esd. ZEt | draminso vli aitceontrie enm : ni onfimitd 2. 3i orsueiit pC: pecoat iiarmaan .1suann, 1 i edbbitieemroi Invgaeu «m eet ' 'colnnts ) Ioirmàhi ii rmauu 1 jsu : diigvetiT. Paro oc quod i achbrravtn aiam: seju, 1 viee- 14 teet artuatbiur. Len sii- | rita 8:3 juusifificalto ipse : utsuus enrvs remus aoultes: t: uinia:titae «& »enru1* ipee icbraabi 1 ole rdiseurtiam ip llurn oe etfuortidm ii- iedtt sali:n re» e oqudd i rdiddditirn ntoreum nuimam uma, e ucua gevlertrds p2- ; gatttuse. st. t E i ipsepoecaa- ian aaulonruiu tlidt: »sàb pco | tnssggrerboib »utrvoggi it.

APEISICOTIIEE ANL HOYE WR K

oéen hi nmout. 1 He wa 3 taken wray fortm disrress, aal from jdugmetk. Wid» shale leclare sic genr?ation ubecase he is ctc off wht of bde lan | of the 17i ‘ng. Feor th :cwickd? 1eas of nyp peobee hav xd strel k him. An. d hesiihall gv ve their agodly frt his wurial, n :d theri ich for Is bdeat;i becasse he ht h done n niniqifivy, nélmer ws there deneit i chis mráth. V. nd the Dard wsspleasdu to bni se him irninfinilty. fit he a: jill lay dvirn bs& life o k sin, e shall sena logl:-livec meed, ir id. the wlkl of hde Lor. shall i» pros- prious 21 his bind. 3 ecause hs Isouhzath lac ured) e shall se land)d: fille:is by hi . know- Idjge shlal thism y jus& ervant jutuify 1axny, ac he sh! [1 bear tbigr ini ities. fC hereo rewill Ilbistribtte to irn ver many, ads he hkall diiele tb spoils oitthe srcong, b«bause ic » hath düdvere »his saol unt : death, ad rwaselputechrith te wick- ec landa? hatltbornel ie sins oir,nany:and hth pry ed for

th strangriressos.

A. garti i Is £sais ath£t instruotsias, nofidndee. upon |t e'tripnlw wihiar owr Ermnane: isi wi over

:Bircenrenisb, vat ‘pronfthe uifferr

o: the I: an of

:preoow. f 3eo xcplsst i his epsoribrion £Iour J ord's gassiona tlatt :the v oly: fathms hwle calépd hmi the fitt.. etgnwelit. VaVhtt cobd b» mos] sul mely -Jáaantieb &: ani :helgangcuagehiere 158ed. lyr thes on of .4nm)8 {A 411d" we, eaftrr her ing Ltoth làe ol and aer v ' Tetrantpn 2upz tlee sufrsing iwhio sJesu * went,

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through for our sins, how shall we sufficiently love this dear Redeemer, who bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows, so as to look as a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted ?

We are healed by His bruises! O heavenly Physi- cian, who takes upon Himself the sufferings of those He comes to cure! But not only was He bruised for our sins; He was also slaughtered as a lamb : and this not merely as a Victim submitting to the inflexible will of His Father who kath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all, but (as the prophet here assures us) because it was His own will, His love for us, as well as His submission to His Father, led Him to the great Sacrifice. Observe, too, how He refuses to defend Himself before Pilate, who could so easily deliver Him from His enemies: He shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearers, and He shall not open His mouth. Let us love and adore this divine silence, which works our salvation. Let us not pass over an iota of the devotedness which Jesus shows us—a devotedness which never could have existed save in the heart of a God. Oh! how much He has loved us, His chil- dren, the purchase of His Blood, His seed, as the prophet here calls us. O holy Church! thou /ong- lived seed of Jesus, who /ai./ down His life, thou art dear to Him, for He bought thee at a great price. Faithful souls! give Him love for love. Sinners! be converted to this your Saviour ; His Blood will restore you to life, for if we have all gone astray like sheep, remember what is added: 77e Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. There is no sinner, how- ever great may be his crimes, there is no heretio, or infidel, who has not his share in this precious Blood, whose infinite merit is such, that it could redeem a million worlds more guilty even than our own.

The Traot, which follows this Lesson, is taken from

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Psalm oi, in which the royal prophet

His human Nature.

PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WERK

expresses the

TRACT

Domine, exaudi oratio-
nem meam, et clamor meus ad te veniat.

Y. Ne avertas faciem tu- am a me; in quacumque die tribulor, inclina ad me au- rem tuam.

Y. In quacumque die in- vocavero te, velociter exau- di me.

Y. Quia defecerunt sicut fumus dies mei: et ossa mea sicut in frixorio con- frixa sunt.

Y. Percussus sum sicut foenum, et aruit cor meum, quia oblitus sum mandu- care panem meum.

Y. Tu exsurgens, Domi- ne, misereberis Sion, quia venit tempus miserendi ejus.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

Y. Turn not away thy face from me, in the day when I am in trouble, incline thine ear to me.

Y. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily.

Y. For my days are van- ished like smoke: and my bones are as if they were fried in a frying-pan.

-Y. I am smitten as grass, and my heart is withered, be- cause I forgot to eat my bread.

Y. Thou, O Lord, arising, wilt have mercy on Sion, for the time to have mercy on her is come.

The Chureh then gives us the history of the

Passion according to St. Luke.

This evangelist

mentions several details not given by Sainte Matthew and Mark, which will assist us to a fuller under- standing of the divine mystery of the sufferings and Sacrifice of the Man-God.

THE PASSION AND GOSPEL Passio Domini nostri Jesu The Passion of our Lord Jesus

Christi secundum Lucam. Cap. zzii. et zziii.

In illo tempore: Appro-

pinquabat dies festus Azy-

Christ according to Luke. Ch. zzii. aud zziii. At that time: The feast of unleavened bread, which is

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morum, qui dicitur Pascha: et quaerebant principes sa- cerdotum et scribe, quomo- do Jesum interficerent: ti- mebant vero plebem. In- travit autem Satanas in Ju- dam, qui cognominabatur Iscariotes, unum de duode- cim; et abiit et locutus est cum principibus sacerdotum ei magistratibus, quemad- modum illum traderet eis. Et gavisi sunt: et pacti sunt pecuniam illi dare. Et spo- pondit. Et qusrebat op- portunitatem ut traderet illum sine turbis.

Venit autem dies azymo- rum, in qua necesse erat occidi Pascha. Et misit Pe- irum et Joannem, dicens: Euntes parate nobis Pa- scha, ut manducemus. At illi dixerunt: Ubi vis pare- mus? Et dixit ad eos: Ecce introeuntibus vobis in civi- tatem, occurret vobis homo quidam amphoram aque portans; sequimini eum in domum, in quam intrat, et dicetis patrifamilias domus: Dicit tibi Magister: Ubi est diversorium, ubi Pascha cum discipulis meis man- ducem? Et ipse ostendet vobis coenaculum magnum Stratum, et ibi parate.

Euntes autem invenerunt sicut dixit illis: et parave- runt Pascha, Et cum facta easet hora, discubuit, et duo-

285

called the Pasch, was at hand. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put Jesus to death; but they feared the people. And Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve; and he went, and dis- coursed with the chief priests and the magistrates, how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and co- venanted to give him money. And he promised; and he sought opportunity to betray him in the absence of the multitude.

And the day of the un- leavened bread came, on which it was necessary that the Pasch should be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying: Go and prepare for us the Pasch, that we may eat. But they said: Where wilt thou that we pre- pare? And he said to them: Behold, as you go into the city, there shall meet you a man car- rying a pitcher of water; fol- low him into the house where heentereth in, and you shall say to the good man of the house: The Master saith to thee: Where is the guest-chamber, where I may eat the Pasch with my disciples? and he will show you a large dining-room fur- nished; and there prepare.

And they going found as he had said to them, and made ready the Pasch; and when the hour was come, he sat down,

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decim apostoli cum eo. Et ait illis: Desiderio deside- ravi hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum, antequam patiar. Dico enim vobis: quia ex hoc non manducabo illud donec impleatur in regno Dei. Et accepto calice, gra- tias egit, et dixit: Accipite et dividite inter vos. Dico enim vobis: quod non bibam de generatione vitis, donec regnum Dei veniat. Et ac- cepto pane, gratias egit, et fregit, et dedit eis, dicens: Hoc est corpus meum, quod pro vobis datur. Hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Similiter et calicem, post- quam coenavit, dicens: Hic est calix novum testamen- tum in sanguine meo, qui pro vobis fundetur. Ve- rumtamen ecce manus íra- dentis me, mecum est in mensa. Et quidem Filius hominis, secundum quod de- finitum est, vadit: verum- tamen ve homini illi, per quem tradetur. Et ipsi coe- perunt qusrere inter se, quis esset ex eis, qui hoc facturus esset.

Facta est autem et con- tentio inter eos, quis eorum videretur esse major. Dixit autem eis: Reges gentium dominantur eorum: et qui potestatem habent super eos, benefici vocantur. Vos autem non sic: sed qui and the twelve apostles with him. And he said to them: With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you, before I suffer. For I say to you, that from this time I will not eat it till it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And having taken the chalice, he gave thanks and said: Take and divide it among you. For I say to you, that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, till the kingdom of God come. And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake, and gave to them, saying: This is my Body, which is given for you: do this for a commemoration of me. In like manner the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in my Blood, which shall be shed for you. But yet behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And the Son of Man indeed goeth, according to that which is determined; but yet wo to that man by whom he shall be betrayed. And they began to enquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing.

And there was also a strife amongst them, which of them should seem to be greater. And he said to them: The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them are called beneficent. But you not so;

major est in vobis, fiat sicut minor; et qui præcessor est, sicut ministrator. Nam quis major est, qui recumbit, an qui ministrat? Nonne qui recumbit? Ego autem in medio vestrum sum, sicut qui ministrat: vos autem estis, qui permansistis mecum in tentationibus meis. Et ego dispono vobis, sicut disposuit mihi Pater meus regnum: ut edatis et bibatis super mensam meam in regno meo, et sedeatis super thronos, judicantes duodecim tribus Israel. Ait autem Dominus: Simon, Simon, ecce Satanas expetivit vos, ut cribraret sicut triticum. Ego autem rogavi pro te, ut non deficiat fides tua: et tu aliquando conversus, confirma fratres tuos. Qui dixit ei: Domine, tecum paratus sum, et in carcerem et in mortem ire. At ille dixit: Dico tibi, Petre, non cantabit hodie gallus, donec ter abneges nosse me. Et dixit eis: Quando misi vos sine sacculo et pera et calceamentis, numquid aliquid defuit vobis? At illi dixerunt: Nihil. Dixit ergo eis: Sed nunc, qui habet sacculum, tollat similiter et peram. Et qui non habet, vendat tunicam suam et emat gladium. Dico enim vobis, quoniam adhuc hoc, quod scriptum est, oportet impleri in me: Et cum iniquis deputatus est. Etenim ea quæ sunt de me, finem habent. At illi dixerunt: Domine, ecce duo gladii hic. At ille dixit eis: Satis est.

but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is the leader, as he that serveth. For which is greater, he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at table? But I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth; and you are they who have continued with me in my temptations. And I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me a kingdom: that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and may sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren. Who said to him: Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said: I say to thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, till thou thrice deniest that thou knowest me. And he said to them: When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, did you want anything? But they said: Nothing. Then said he unto them: But now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a scrip: and he that hath not, let him sell his coat, and buy a sword. For I say to you, that this that is written must yet be fulfilled in me: And with the wicked was he reckoned: for the things concerning me have an end. But they said: Lord, here are two swords. And he said to them: It is enough.

Et egressus ibat secundum consuetudinem in montem Olivarum: secuti sunt autem illum et discipuli. Et cum pervenisset ad locum, dixit illis: Orate, ne intretis in tentationem. Et ipse avulsus est ab eis, quantum jactus est lapidis, et positis genibus orabat, dicens: Pater, si vis, transfer calicem istum a me: verumtamen non mea voluntas, sed tua fiat. Apparuit autem illi angelus de cœlo, confortans eum. Et factus in agonia, prolixius orabat. Et factus est sudor ejus sicut guttæ sanguinis decurrentis in terram. Et cum surrexisset ab oratione, et venisset ad discipulos suos, invenit eos dormientes præ tristitia, et ait illis: Quid dormitis? Surgite, orate, ne intretis in tentationem.

And going out, he went according to his custom to the mount of Olives. And his disciples also followed him. And when he was come to the place, he said to them: Pray, lest ye enter into temptation. And he was withdrawn away from them a stone's cast; and kneeling down he prayed, saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me; but yet not my will but thine be done. And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood trickling down upon the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow. And he said to them: Why sleep you? Arise, pray, lest you enter into temptation.

Adhuc eo loquente, ecce turba: et qui vocabatur Judas, unus de duodecim, antecedebat eos: et appropinquavit Jesu, ut oscularetur eum. Jesus autem dixit illi: Juda, osculo Filium hominis tradis? Videntes autem hi, qui circa ipsum erant, quod futurum erat, dixerunt ei: Domine, si percutimus in gladio? Et percussit unus ex illis servum principis sacerdotum: et amputavit auriculam ejus dexteram. Respondens autem Jesus, ait: Sinite usque huc. Et cum tetigisset auriculam ejus, sanavit eum. Dixit autem Jesus ad eos qui venerant ad se, principes sacerdotum et magistratus templi, et seniores: Quasi ad latronem existis cum gladiis et fustibus? Cum quotidie vobiscum fuerim in templo, non extendistis manus in me. Sed hæc est hora vestra, et potestas tenebrarum.

As he was yet speaking, behold a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near to Jesus for to kiss him. And Jesus said to him: Judas, dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss? And they that were about him, seeing what would follow, said to him: Lord, shall we strike with the sword? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answering, said: Suffer ye thus far. And when he had touched his ear, he healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and magistrates of the temple, and the ancients that were come unto him: Are you come out, as it were against a thief, with swords and clubs? When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against me. But this is your hour and the power of darkness.

Comprehendentes autem eum, duxerunt ad domum principis sacerdotum. Petrus vero sequebatur a longe. Accenso autem igne in medio atrii, et circumsedentibus illis, erat Petrus in medio eorum. Quem cum vidisset ancilla quædam sedentem ad lumen, et eum fuisset intuita, dixit: Et hic cum illo erat. At ille negavit eum, dicens: Mulier, non novi illum. Et post pusillum alius videns eum, dixit: Et tu de illis es. Petrus vero ait: O homo, non sum. Et intervallo facto quasi horæ unius, alius quidam affirmabat, dicens: Vere et hic cum illo erat: nam et Galilæus est. Et ait Petrus: Homo, nescio quid dicis. Et continuo, adhuc illo loquente, cantavit gallus. Et conversus Dominus respexit Petrum. Et recordatus est Petrus verbi Domini, sicut dixerat: Quia priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis. Et egressus foras Petrus flevit amare.

And apprehending him, they led him to the high priest's house: but Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were sitting about it, Peter was in the midst of them. Whom when a certain servant maid had seen sitting at the light, and had earnestly beheld him, she said: This man also was with him. But he denied him, saying: Woman, I know him not. And after a little while, another seeing him, said: Thou also art one of them. But Peter said: O man, I am not. And after the space as it were of one hour, another certain man affirmed, saying: Of a truth this man was also with him: for he is also a Galilean. And Peter said: Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately as he was yet speaking, the cock crew. And the Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as he had said: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter going out wept bitterly.

Et viri qui tenebant illum, illudebant ei, cædentes. Et velaverunt eum: et percutiebant faciem ejus, et interrogabant eum, dicentes: Prophetiza, quis est qui te percussit? Et alia multa blasphemantes dicebant in eum. Et ut factus est dies, convenerunt seniores plebis, et principes sacerdotum et scribæ, et duxerunt illum in concilium suum, dicentes: Si tu es Christus, dic nobis. Et ait illis: Si vobis dixero, non credetis mihi: si autem et interrogavero, non respondebitis mihi, neque dimittetis. Ex hoc autem erit Filius hominis sedens a dextris virtutis Dei. Dixerunt autem omnes: Tu ergo es Filius Dei? Qui ait: Vos dicitis, quia ego sum. At illi dixerunt: Quid adhuc desideramus testimonium? Ipsi enim audivimus de ore ejus.

And the men that held him, mocked him, and struck him. And they blindfolded him, and smote his face. And they asked him, saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck thee? And blaspheming, many other things they said against him. And as soon as it was day, the ancients of the people, and the chief priests and scribes came together, and they brought him into their council, saying: If thou be the Christ, tell us. And he saith to them: If I shall tell you, you will not believe me; and if I shall also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. But hereafter the Son of man shall be sitting on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all: Art thou then the Son of God? Who said: You say that I am. And they said: What need we any further testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth.

Et surgens omnis multitudo eorum, duxerunt illum ad Pilatum. — Cœperunt autem illum accusare, dicentes: Hunc invenimus subvertentem gentem nostram, et prohibentem tributa dare Cæsari, et dicentem se Christum regem esse. Pilatus autem interrogavit eum, dicens: Tu es Rex Judæorum? At ille respondens, ait: Tu dicis. Ait autem Pilatus ad principes sacerdotum et turbas: Nihil invenio causæ in hoc homine. At illi invalescebant, dicentes: Commovet populum, docens per universam Judæam, incipiens a Galilæa, usque huc. Pilatus autem audiens Galilæam, interrogavit si homo Galilæus esset. Et ut cognovit, quod de Herodis potestate esset, remisit eum ad Herodem, qui et ipse Jerosolymis erat illis diebus. Herodes autem, viso Jesu, gavisus est valde. Erat enim cupiens ex multo tempore videre eum, eo quod audierat multa de eo: et sperabat signum aliquod videre ab eo fieri. Interrogabat autem eum multis sermonibus. At ipse nihil illi respondebat. Stabant autem principes sacerdotum et scribæ, constanter accusantes eum: sprevit autem illum Herodes cum exercitu suo: et illusit indutum veste alba, et remisit ad Pilatum. Et facti sunt amici Herodes et Pilatus in ipsa die: nam antea inimici erant ad invicem.

And the whole multitude of them rising up, led him away to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying: We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, and saying that he is Christ the King. And Pilate asked him, saying: Art thou the King of the Jews? But he answering, said: Thou sayest it. But Pilate said to the chief priests and to the multitude: I find no cause in this man. But they were more earnest, saying: He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place. But Pilate hearing Galilee, asked if the man were of Galilee. And when he understood that he was of Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him away to Herod, who was also himself at Jerusalem in those days. And Herod seeing Jesus was very glad, for he was desirous of a long time to see him, because he had heard many things of him: and he hoped to see some sign wrought by him. And he questioned him in many words. But he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes stood by, earnestly accusing him. And Herod with his army set him at nought and mocked him, putting on him a white garment, and sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate were made friends that same day: for before they were enemies one to another.

Pilatus autem, convocatis principibus sacerdotum, et magistratibus, et plebe, dixit ad illos: Obtulistis mihi hunc hominem, quasi avertentem populum: et ecce ego coram vobis interrogans, nullam causam invenio in homine isto ex his, in quibus eum accusatis. Sed neque Herodes: nam remisi vos ad illum: et ecce, nihil dignum morte actum est ei. Emendatum ergo illum dimittam.

Necesse autem habebat dimittere eis, per diem festum, unum. Exclamavit autem simul universa turba, dicens: Tolle hunc, et dimitte nobis Barabbam. Qui erat, propter seditionem quamdam factam in civitate et homicidium, missus in carcerem. Iterum autem Pilatus locutus est ad eos, volens dimittere Jesum. At illi succlamabant, dicentes: Crucifige, crucifige eum. Ille autem tertio dixit ad illos: Quid enim mali fecit iste? Nullam causam mortis invenio in eo. Corripiam ergo illum, et dimittam. At illi instabant, vocibus magnis postulantes ut crucifigeretur: et invalescebant voces eorum. Et Pilatus adjudicavit fieri petitionem eorum. Dimisit autem illis eum qui propter

Then Pilate calling together the chief priests, and the magistrates, and the people, said to them: You have presented unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people: and behold I, having examined him before you, find no cause in this man, in those things wherein you accuse him. No, nor Herod neither. For I sent you to him, and behold, nothing worthy of death is done to him. I will chastise him therefore and release him.

Now of necessity he was to release unto them one upon the feast day. But the whole multitude together cried out saying: Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas. Who, for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison. And Pilate again spoke to them, desiring to release Jesus. But they cried again, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. And he said to them the third time: Why, what evil hath this man done? I find no cause of death in him. I will chastise him therefore, and let him go. But they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified; and their voices prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him who for murder and sedition had been cast into prison, whom they had desired: but Jesus he delivered up to their will.

Et cum ducerent eum, apprehenderunt Simonem quemdam Cyrenensem venientem de villa, et imposuerunt illi crucem portare post Jesum. Sequebatur autem illum multa turba populi, et mulierum, quæ plangebant et lamentabantur eum. Conversus autem ad illas Jesus, dixit: Filiæ Jerusalem, nolite flere super me: sed super vos ipsas flete, et super filios vestros. Quoniam ecce venient dies, in quibus dicent: Beatæ steriles, et ventres qui non genuerunt, et ubera quæ non lactaverunt. Tunc incipient dicere montibus: Cadite super nos: et collibus: Operite nos. Quia si in viridi ligno hæc faciunt, in arido quid fiet? Ducebantur autem et alii duo nequam cum eo, ut interficerentur.

And as they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country: and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold the days shall come, wherein they will say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us. For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death.

Et postquam venerunt in locum, qui vocatur Calvariæ, ibi crucifixerunt eum, et latrones unum a dextris, et alterum a sinistris. Jesus autem dicebat: Pater, dimitte illis: non enim sciunt quid faciunt. Dividentes vero vestimenta ejus, miserunt sortes. Et stabat populus spectans, et deridebant eum principes cum eis, dicentes:

And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, they crucified him there; and the robbers, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But they dividing his garments, cast lots. And the people stood beholding, and the rulers with them derided him, saying: He

Alios salvos fecit: se salvum faciat, si hic est Christus, Dei electus. Illudebant autem ei et milites, accedentes, et acetum offerentes ei, et dicentes: Si tu es Rex Judæorum, salvum te fac. Erat autem et superscriptio scripta super eum litteris Græcis, et Latinis, et Hebraicis: Hic est Rex Judæorum.

saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the elect of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying: If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself. And there was also a superscription written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: This is the King of the Jews.

Unus autem de his, qui pendebant latronibus, blasphemabat eum, dicens: Si tu es Christus, salvum fac temetipsum et nos. Respondens autem alter, increpabat eum dicens: Neque tu times Deum, quod in eadem damnatione es? Et nos quidem juste, nam digna factis recipimus: hic vero nihil mali gessit. Et dicebat ad Jesum: Domine, memento mei, cum veneris in regnum tuum. Et dixit illi Jesus: Amen dico tibi: Hodie mecum eris in paradiso.

And one of those robbers who were hanged, blasphemed him saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked him saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done no evil. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.

Erat autem fere hora sexta: et tenebræ factæ sunt in universam terram, usque in horam nonam. Et obscuratus est sol: et velum templi scissum est medium. Et clamans voce magna Jesus ait: Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. Et hæc dicens, exspiravit.

And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened; and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up the ghost.

Here a pause is made, as on Palm Sunday. All kneel down, and, if such be the custom of the place, they prostrate and kiss the ground.

Videns autem centurio quod factum fuerat, glorificavit Deum, dicens: Vere hic homo justus erat. Et omnis turba eorum, qui simul aderant ad spectaculum istud, et videbant quæ fiebant, percutientes pectora sua, revertebantur. Stabant autem omnes noti ejus a longe et mulieres, quæ secutæ eum erant a Galilæa, hæc videntes.

Now the centurion seeing what was done, glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just man. And all the multitude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the things that were done, returned striking their breasts. And all his acquaintance, and the women that had followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Here the deacon offers the incense to the priest, that he may bless it; and, having himself received a blessing, he concludes the history of the Passion, observing the ceremonies used for singing the Gospel at High Mass.

Et ecce vir nomine Joseph, qui erat decurio, vir bonus et justus: hic non consenserat consilio et actibus eorum: ab Arimathæa civitate Judææ: qui exspectabat et ipse regnum Dei. Hic accessit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu. Et depositum involvit sindone: et posuit eum in monumento exciso, in quo nondum quisquam positus fuerat.

And behold there was a man named Joseph, who was a counsellor, a good and just man, (the same had not consented to their counsel and doings,) of Arimathea, a city of Judæa, who also himself looked for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And taking him down he wrapped him in fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre that was hewed in stone, wherein never yet any man had been laid.

The words of the Offertory are those of Jesus, suppliantly beseeching His eternal Father not to turn away His face from His own Son, who is a prey to every suffering, both of body and mind.

OFFERTORY

Domine, exaudi orationem meam: et clamor meus ad te perveniat: ne avertas faciem tuam a me.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer; and let my cry come to thee: turn not away thy face from me.

In the Secret the Church prays that we may have a tender devotion for the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which the Passion of our Saviour is daily commemorated.

SECRET

Suscipe, quæsumus, Domine, munus oblatum, et dignanter operare: ut quod Passionis Filii tui Domini nostri mysterio gerimus, piis affectibus consequamur. Per eundem.

Accept, O Lord, we beseech thee, the offerings we have made: and mercifully grant that we may receive, with pious sentiments, what we celebrate in the mystery of the Passion of our Lord. Through the same, &c.

For the other Secret, see page 116.

The Church takes her Communion-anthem from the same Psalm, which supplied her with the Tract and Offertory, namely Psalm ci.

COMMUNION

Potum meum cum fletu temperabam: quia elevans allisisti me: et ego sicut fœnum arui: tu autem, Domine, in æternum permanes: tu exsurgens misereberis Sion, quia venit tempus miserendi ejus.

I mingled my drink with weeping; for having lifted me up thou hast thrown me down, and I am withered like grass; but thou, O Lord, endurest for ever: thou shalt arise, and have mercy on Sion; because the time to have mercy on her is come.

The death of Jesus should be to us an unceasing motive for confidence in the divine mercy. This confidence is one of the first conditions of our salvation. The Church asks it for us in the Postcommunion.

POSTCOMMUNION

Largire sensibus nostris omnipotens Deus: ut, per temporalem Filii tui mortem, quam mysteria veneranda testantur, vitam te nobis dedisse perpetuam confidamus. Per eumdem.

Grant, O almighty God, that we may have a lively hope that thou hast given us eternal life by the temporal death of thy Son, represented in these adorable mysteries. Through the same, &c.

See the other Postcommunion on page 117.

OREMUS

Humiliate capita vestra Deo.

Respice, quæsumus, Domine, super hanc familiam tuam: pro qua Dominus noster Jesus Christus non dubitavit manibus tradi nocentium, et crucis subire tormentum. Qui tecum.

LET US PRAY

Bow down your heads to God.

Look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, on this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ hesitated not to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and undergo the punishment of the cross. Who liveth, &c.

THE OFFICE OF TENEBRÆ

On this and the two following days, the Church anticipates the night Office; she celebrates it on the previous evening of each day, and this in order that the faithful may be present at it. The Matins and Lauds of Maundy Thursday, are, therefore, said this afternoon. The faithful should make every effort to assist at this solemn Office, seeing it is on their account that the Church has changed her usual hours. As to the merit there is in joining in it, there can be no doubt that it is to be preferred to any private devotions. The surest means for obtaining favours from God, and winning Him to our requests, is to approach Him through the Church. And as regards the feelings of devotion wherewith we ought to celebrate the mysteries of these three great days, the Offices of the Church are, ordinarily speaking, a surer and richer source than the exercises of piety composed by men. The soul that feeds on the words and ceremonies of the holy liturgy, will be all the more disposed to profit by the private devotions she practises at home. The prayer of the Church will thus become the basis, whereon is built the edifice of Christian piety during these glorious anniversaries of our Redemption: and we shall be imitating our forefathers who lived in the ages of faith, and who were such admirable Christians because they lived the life of the Church, by means of the sacred liturgy.

The Office of Tenebræ for to-day is given below, on Maundy Thursday, page 301.

———

As an appropriate exercise for the close of this day, we offer our readers the following stanzas from a hymn of the Greek liturgy; they allude to the mysteries we have been explaining.

HYMN

(In Parasceve)

Hodie Judas Magistrum derelinquit, et diabolum assumit: obcæcatur passione amoris pecuniæ: decidit a lumine, obscuratus est ille. Quomodo namque videre poterat ille qui Luminare vendidit triginta argenteis? Sed nobis exortus est ille, qui passus est pro mundo. Ad quem clamemus: Qui passus es, et compassus es hominibus, gloria tibi.

On this day, Judas leaves his Master, and takes the devil for his guide. The love of money blinds him. He fell from the light, he became darkened: for how could he be said to see, who sold the Light for thirty pieces of silver? But to us he that suffered for the world has risen: let us thus cry out unto him: Glory be to thee, who didst endure thy Passion, and hadst compassion on mankind.

Quænam te ratio, Juda, Salvatoris proditorem effecit? Numquid ille ab apostolorum te choro segregavit? Numquid sanitatum te gratia privavit? Numquid cum cœnaret una cum illis, a mensa te expulit? Numquid aliorum cum lavisset pedes tuos neglexit? O quantorum factus es immemor beneficiorum! et tuum sane consilium ingratum infamia notatur: illius autem prædicatur incomparabilis patientia et misericordia magna.

What was it, O Judas! that led thee to betray Jesus? Had he cut thee off from the number of his apostles? Had he deprived thee of the gift of healing the sick? When he supped with his apostles did he drive thee from table? When he washed their feet, did he pass thee by? And yet thou wast unmindful of these great favours! Thy ungrateful plot has branded thee with infamy: but his incomparable patience and great mercy are everywhere praised.

Dicite iniqui quidnam a Salvatore nostro audistis? Nonne Legem ac documenta Prophetarum exposuit? Quomodo ergo Verbum quod ex Deo est, et nostras animas redimit, Pilato tradere cogitastis?

Crucifigatur, clamabant ii qui tuis semper muneribus fuerant delectati; petebantque ut malefactorem acciperent pro benefactore interfectores illi justorum. Sed tacebas, Christe, eorum proterviam sustinens: volens pati, nosque salvare, ut hominum amans.

Loquendi libertatem non habemus propter multa peccata nostra; tu ex te genitum exora, Virgo Deipara: multum enim valet deprecatio Matris apud clementiam Domini. Ne de-

Say, O ye unjust ones! what is it ye have heard from our Saviour? Did he not expound unto you the Law and the Prophets? Why therefore, have ye plotted how to deliver up to Pilate the Word that is from God, and that came to redeem our souls?

They that had enjoyed thy unceasing gifts cried out: 'Let him be crucified!' These murderers of such as were innocent, sought thee, that they might treat thee, their benefactor, as an evil-doer. But thou, O Christ! didst bear their wickedness with silence; for thou, being the lover of mankind, didst desire to suffer for and save us.

We are prevented from speaking by the multitude of our sins: do thou, O Virgin-Mother of God! pray for us to him that was born of thee, for the Mother's prayer avails much with the mercy of our Lord.

Despise not, O most pure Virgin! the prayers of sinners, for he that refused not even to suffer for us, is merciful, and is able to save us.

Ne despicias peccatorum supplicationes, o castissima; quia misericors est et potens ad salvandum, is qui pro nobis etiam pati sustinuit.

We subjoin the following beautiful Preface from the Ambrosian missal: it expresses, in a most touching manner, the sentiments which a Christian should have within him on this vigil of our Lord's Supper.

PREFACE

Dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi
semper hic et ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte,
Pater omnipotens, æterne
Deus, per Christum Dominum nostrum, qui innocens
pro impiis voluit pati, et pro sceleratis indebite condemnari. Cujus mors delicta nostra detersit, et resurrectio Paradisi fores nobis reseravit. Per quem tuam pietatem suppliciter exoramus; ut nos hodie a peccatis emacules; cras vero venerabilis Cœnæ dapibus saties; hodie
acceptes nostrorum confessionem delictorum: cras vero tribuas spiritualium incrementa donorum: hodie jejuniorum nostrorum vota suscipias; cras vero nos ad sanctissimæ Cœnæ convivium introducas. Per eumdem Christum Dominum
nostrum. Amen.

It is meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should ever, here and in all places, give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through Christ our Lord: who, being innocent, willed to suffer for sinners, and be unjustly condemned for the guilty. His death wiped away our crimes, and his Resurrection opened for us the gates of heaven. Through him we beseech thy clemency, that, today, thou cleanse us from our sins, and, tomorrow, feed us on the banquet of the venerable Supper; that, to-day, thou receive the confession of our faults, and, to-morrow, grant us the increase of spiritual gifts; that, to-day, thou receive the offering of our fasts, but, to-morrow, introduce us to the feast of the most holy Supper. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

MAUNDY THURSDAY

THE NIGHT OFFICE

The Office of Matins and Lauds, for the last three days of Holy Week, differs, in many things, from that of the rest of the year. All is sad and mournful, as though it were a funeral-service: nothing could more emphatically express the grief that now weighs down the heart of our holy mother the Church. Throughout all the Office of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, she forbids herself the use of those formulas of joy and hope, wherewith, on all other days, she begins her praise of God. The *Domine, labia mea aperies* (O Lord, thou shalt open my lips): the *Deus, in adjutorium meum intende* (Incline unto mine aid, O God): the *Gloria Patri*, at the end of the psalms, canticles, and responsories—all are taken away. So likewise are those soul-stirring additions, which have been gradually made in the different ages; and nothing is left but what is essential to the form of the Divine Office: psalms, lessons, and chants expressive of grief. Each Canonical Hour ends with the psalm *Miserere*, and with a commemoration of the death and cross of our Redeemer.

The name of Tenebræ has been given to the Matins
and Lauds of the last three days of Holy Week, because this Office used formerly to be celebrated during the night; and even when the hour was anticipated, the name of Tenebræ was kept up for
another reason, namely, that it began with day-light, but ended after the sun had set. There is an impressive ceremony, peculiar to this Office, which tends to perpetuate its name. There is placed in the sanctuary, near the altar, a large triangular candlestick, holding fifteen candles. These candles, and the six that are on the altar, are of yellow wax, as in the Office for the dead. At the end of each psalm or canticle, one of these fifteen candles is extinguished; but the one which is placed at the top of the triangle is left lighted. During the singing of the *Benedictus*, at Lauds, the six candles on the altar are also put out. Then the master of ceremonies takes the lighted candle from the triangle, and holds it upon the altar, on the epistle side, while the choir repeats the antiphon after the canticle: after which he hides it behind the altar during the recitation of the *Miserere* and the prayer which follows the psalm. As soon as this prayer is finished, a noise is made with the seats of the stalls in the choir, which continues until the candle is brought from behind the altar, and shows, by its light, that the Office of Tenebræ is over.

Let us now study the meaning of these ceremonies. The glory of the Son of God was obscured, and, so to say, eclipsed, by the ignominies He endured during His Passion. He, the Light of the world, powerful in word and work, who, but a few days ago, was proclaimed King by the citizens of Jerusalem, is now robbed of all His honours; He is, says Isaias, the Man of sorrows, a leper;¹ He is, says the royal Prophet, a worm of the earth, and no man;² He is, as He says of Himself, an object of shame even to His own disciples, for they are all scandalized in Him,³ and abandon Him; yea, even Peter protests that he never knew Him. This desertion on the part of His apostles and disciples is expressed by the candles being extinguished, one after the other, not only on the triangle, but on the altar itself. But Jesus, our Light, though despised and hidden, is not extinguished. This is signified by the candle which is momentarily placed on the altar; it figures our Redeemer suffering and dying on Calvary. In order to express His burial, the candle is hidden behind the altar; its light disappears. A confused noise is heard in the house of God, where all is now darkness. This noise and gloom express the convulsions of nature, when Jesus expired on the cross: the earth shook, the rocks were split, the dead came forth from their tombs. But the candle suddenly reappears; its light is as fair as ever; the noise is hushed, and homage is paid to the Conqueror of death.

¹ Is. liii. 3, 4. ² Ps. xxi. 7. ³ St. Mark xiv. 27.

After having given these general explanations we now offer the faithful the text of the liturgy, to which we subjoin a few words of commentary, where we think it needed.

MATINS

After the *Pater*, *Ave*, and *Credo*, have been said secretly, the first Nocturn begins as follows.

THE FIRST NOCTURN

The first psalm was written by David, when obliged to flee from the persecution of his son Absalom, who sought his death. It refers to Christ, and describes various incidents of His Passion. The gall and vinegar, here mentioned, show us that this psalm is prophetic, for David never received any such treatment from his enemies.

ANT. Zelus domus tuæ
comedit me, et opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me.

ANT. The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me.

PSALM 68

Salvum me fac, Deus: quoniam intraverunt aquæ usque ad animam meam.

Save me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul.

Infixus sum in limo profundi: et non est substantia.

I stick fast in the mire of the deep: and there is no sure standing.

Veni in altitudinem maris: et tempestas demersit me.

I am come into the depth of the sea: and a tempest hath overwhelmed me.

Laboravi clamans, raucæ
factæ sunt fauces meæ: defecerunt oculi mei, dum spero in Deum meum.

I have laboured with crying: my jaws are become hoarse: my eyes have failed, whilst I hope in my God.

Multiplicati sunt super capillos capitis mei: qui oderunt me gratis.

They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who hate me without cause.

Confortati sunt qui persecuti sunt me inimici mei injuste: quæ non rapui,
tunc exsolvebam.

My enemies are grown strong, who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not away.

Deus, tu scis insipientiam
meam; et delicta mea a te non sunt abscondita.

O God thou knowest my foolishness; and my offences, the offences which I have taken upon myself, are not hid from thee.

Non erubescant in me, qui exspectant te, Domine:
Domine virtutum.

Let them not be ashamed for me, who look for thee, O Lord, the Lord of hosts.

Non confundantur super me: qui quærunt te Deus
Israel.

Let them not be confounded on my account, who seek thee, O God of Israel.

Quoniam propter te sustinui opprobrium: operuit confusio faciem meam.

Because for thy sake I have borne reproach: shame hath covered my face.

Extraneus factus sum fratribus meis: et peregrinus filiis matris meæ.

I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to the sons of my mother.

Quoniam zelus domus tuæ
comedit me: et opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me.

For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me.

Et operui in jejunio animam meam: et factum est in opprobrium mihi.

And I covered my soul in fasting and it was made a reproach to me.

Et posui vestimentum meum cilicium: et factus sum illis in parabolam.

And I made hair-cloth my garment: and I became a byword to them.

Adversum me loquebantur qui sedebant in porta: et in me psallebant qui bibebant vinum.

They that sat in the gate spoke against me: and they that drank wine made me their song.

Ego vero orationem meam ad te, Domine: tempus
beneplaciti Deus.

But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Lord: for the time of thy good pleasure, O God.

In multitudine misericordiæ tuæ exaudi me: in veritate salutis tuæ.

In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

Eripe me de luto, ut non infigar: libera me ab iis qui oderunt me, et de profundis aquarum.

Draw me out of the mire, that I may not stick fast: deliver me from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

Non me demergat tempestas aquæ, neque absorbeat me profundum: neque
urgeat super me puteus os suum.

Let not the tempest of water drown me, nor the deep swallow me up: and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

Exaudi me, Domine, quoniam benigna est misericordia tua: secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum respice in me.

Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind: look upon me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

Et ne avertas faciem tuam a puero tuo: quoniam tribulor, velociter exaudi me.

And turn not away thy face from thy servant: for I am in trouble, hear me speedily.

Intende animæ meæ et
libera eam: propter inimicos meos eripe me.

Attend to my soul, and deliver it; save me because of my enemies.

Tu scis improperium meum, et confusionem meam: et reverentiam meam.

Thou knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my shame.

In conspectu tuo sunt omnes qui tribulant me: improperium exspectavit cor meum et miseriam.

In thy sight are all they that afflict me; my heart hath experienced reproach and misery.

Et sustinui qui simul contristaretur, et non fuit: et qui consolaretur, et non inveni.

And I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I found none.

Et dederunt in escam meam fel: et in siti mea potaverunt me aceto.

And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Fiat mensa eorum coram ipsis in laqueum: et in retributiones, et in scandalum.

Let their table become as a snare before them, and a recompense, and a stumbling block.

Obscurentur oculi eorum ne videant: et dorsum eorum semper incurva.

Let their eyes be darkened that they see not: and their back bow thou down always.

Effunde super eos iram tuam: et furor iræ tuæ
comprehendat eos.

Pour out thy indignation upon them: and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

Fiat habitatio eorum deserta: et in tabernaculis eorum non sit qui inhabitet.

Let their habitation be made desolate: and let there be none to dwell in their tabernacles.

Quoniam quem tu percussisti, persecuti sunt: et super dolorem vulnerum meorum addiderunt.

Because they have persecuted him whom thou hast smitten: and they have added to the grief of my wounds.

Appone iniquitatem super iniquitatem eorum: et non intrent in justitiam tuam.

Add thou iniquity upon their iniquity: and let them not come into thy justice.

Deleantur de libro viventium: et cum justis non scribantur.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living: and with the just let them not be written.

Ego sum pauper et dolens: salus tua Deus suscepit me.

But I am poor and sorrowful: thy salvation, O God, hath set me up.

Laudabo nomen Dei cum cantico: et magnificabo eum in laude.

I will praise the name of God with a canticle: and I will magnify him with praise.

Et placebit Deo super vitulum novellum: cornua producentem et ungulas.

And it shall please God better than a young calf, that bringeth forth horns and hoofs.

Videant pauperes et lætentur: quærite Deum, et vivet anima vestra.

Let the poor see and rejoice: Seek ye God, and your soul shall live.

Quoniam exaudivit pauperes Dominus: et vinctos suos non despexit.

For the Lord hath heard the poor, and hath not despised his prisoners.

Laudent illum cœli et terra: mare et omnia reptilia in eis.

Let the heavens and the earth praise him; the sea, and every thing that creepeth therein.

Quoniam Deus salvam faciet Sion: et ædificabuntur civitates Juda.

For God will save Sion: and the cities of Juda shall be built up.

Et inhabitabunt ibi: et hereditate acquirent eam.

And they shall dwell there, and acquire it by inheritance.

Et semen servorum ejus possidebit eam: et qui diligunt nomen ejus habitabunt in ea.

And the seed of his servants shall possess it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Ant. Zelus domus tuæ comedit me, et opprobria exprobrantium tibi ceciderunt super me.

Ant. The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me.

The second psalm was written by David, under the same circumstances as the previous one. He begs God to defend him against the enemies that are seeking to destroy him. This psalm is prophetic of the lot reserved to the Messias.

Ant. Avertantur retrorsum, et erubescant, qui cogitant mihi mala.

Ant. Let them that devise evils against me be turned back, and let them blush for shame.

Psalm 69

Deus in adjutorium meum intende: Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.

O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.

Confundantur et revereantur: qui quærunt animam meam.

Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.

Avertantur retrorsum, et erubescant: qui volunt mihi mala.

Let them be turned backward, and blush for shame, that desire evils to me.

Avertantur statim erubescentes: qui dicunt mihi: Euge, euge.

Let them presently be turned away blushing for shame, that say to me: 'Tis well, 'tis well.

Exsultent et lætentur in te omnes qui quærunt te: et dicant semper: Magnificetur Dominus, qui diligunt salutare tuum.

Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.

Ego vero egenus et pauper sum: Deus adjuva me.

But I am needy and poor; O God, help me.

Adjutor meus et liberator meus es tu: Domine ne moreris.

Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord make no delay.

Ant. Avertantur retrorsum, et erubescant, qui cogitant mihi mala.

Ant. Let them that devise evils against me, be turned back, and let them blush for shame.

The third psalm refers to the same period of David's life; but whilst it describes the dangers to which this holy king was exposed, it also expresses the wonderful confidence he had that God would crown him with victory over all his enemies. In its prophetic signification, this psalm shows us how the Man-God, even in the lowest depths of His anguish, confided in His Father's help.

Ant. Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris.

Ant. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner.

Psalm 70

In te Domine speravi, non confundar in æternum: in justitia tua libera me, et eripe me.

In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion: deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me.

Inclina ad me aurem tuam: et salva me.

Incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

Esto mihi in Deum protectorem et in locum munitum: ut salvum me facias.

Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength, that thou mayst make me safe.

Quoniam firmamentum meum: et refugium meum es tu.

For thou art my firmament and my refuge.

Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris: et de manu contra legem agentis et iniqui.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law, and of the unjust.

Quoniam tu es patientia mea, Domine: Domine, spes mea a juventute mea.

For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope, O Lord, from my youth.

In te confirmatus sum ex utero: de ventre matris meæ tu es protector meus.

By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother's womb thou art my protector.

In te cantatio mea semper: tamquam prodigium factus sum multis; et tu adjutor fortis.

Of thee shall I continually sing: I am become unto many as a wonder: but thou art a strong helper.

Repleatur os meum laude, ut cantem gloriam tuam: tota die magnitudinem tuam.

Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory: thy greatness all the day long.

Ne projicias me in tempore senectutis: cum defecerit virtus mea, ne derelinquas me.

Cast me not off in the time of old age; when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me.

Quia dixerunt inimici mei mihi: et qui custodiebant animam meam consilium fecerunt in unum.

For my enemies have spoken against me; and they that watched my soul have consulted together.

Dicentes: Deus dereliquit eum, persequimini et comprehendite eum: quia non est qui eripiat.

Saying: God hath forsaken him: pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

Deus ne elongeris à me: Deus meus in auxilium meum respice.

O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.

Confundantur et deficiant detrahentes animæ meæ: operiantur confusione et pudore, qui quærunt mala mihi.

Let them be confounded and come to nothing that detract my soul: let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.

Ego autem semper sperabo: et adjiciam super omnem laudem tuam.

But I will always hope: and will add to thy praise.

Os meum annuntiavit justitiam tuam: tota die salutare tuum.

My mouth shall show forth thy justice: thy salvation all the day long.

Quoniam non cognovi litteraturam, introibo in potentias Domini: Domine, memorabor justitiæ tuæ solius.

Because I have not known learning, I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone.

Deus docuisti me a juventute mea: et usque nunc pronuntiabo mirabilia tua.

Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth, and till now I will declare thy wonderful works.

Et usque in senectam et senium: Deus ne derelinquas me.

And unto old age and grey hairs, O God, forsake me not.

Donec annuntiem brachium tuum: generationi omni, quæ ventura est.

Until I show forth thy arm to all the generation that is to come.

Potentiam tuam, et justitiam tuam Deus usque in altissima, quæ fecisti magnalia: Deus quis similis tibi?

Thy power, and thy justice, O God, even to the highest, great things thou hast done; O God, who is like to thee?

Quantas ostendisti mihi tribulationes multas et malas: et conversus vivificasti me: et de abyssis terræ iterum reduxisti me.

How great troubles hast thou showed me, many and grievous: and turning thou hast brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth.

Multiplicasti magnificentiam tuam: et conversus consolatus es me.

Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence; and turning to me, thou hast comforted me.

Nam et ego confitebor tibi in vasis psalmi veritatem tuam; Deus, psallam tibi in cithara, sanctus Israel.

I will also give praise to thee: I will extol thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I will sing to thee with the harp, thou holy one of Israel.

Exsultabunt labia mea cum cantavero tibi; et anima mea, quam redemisti.

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I shall sing to thee: and my soul which thou hast redeemed.

Sed et lingua mea tota die meditabitur justitiam tuam: cum confusi et reveriti fuerint qui quærunt mala mihi.

Yea and my tongue also shall meditate on thy justice all the day: when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.

Ant. Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris.

Ant. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner.

℣. Avertantur retrorsum, et erubescant.
℟. Qui cogitant mihi mala.

℣. Let them be turned back, and let them blush for shame.
℟. That devise evil things against me.

Here is said the Pater noster, but all in secret.

The lessons of the first nocturn for each of these three days are taken from the Lamentations of Jeremias, which describe the miserable state of Jerusalem, when, in punishment for her idolatry, her people were led captive into Babylon. How visibly is the anger of God shown in these ruins of the great city, over which Jeremias pours forth his inspired words of mourning! And yet, this first disaster was but a figure of a more terrible one to come. When the Assyrians took Jerusalem, and well nigh reduced her to a wilderness, she lost not her name; and the very prophet who laments over her destruction had foretold that the desolation was not to last beyond seventy years. But in her second destruction, the faithless city forfeited even her name. Rebuilt by her conquerors, she went, for two hundred years, under the name of Ælia Adriana; and when, after peace was granted to the Church, she was again called Jerusalem, it was not a restitution of honour to Juda, but a homage that was paid to the God of the Christians, whom Juda had crucified in her capital. Neither St. Helen's and Constantine's devotedness, nor the heroism of the crusaders, could raise Jerusalem to the position of even a second-rate city; she is doomed to be a slave, and a slave to infidels, to all but the very end of time. She drew this frightful curse upon herself by the crimes she committed against the Son of God; and nothing could give us a better idea of the enormity of those crimes, than the plaintive words of such a prophet as Jeremias. This is the reason that his Lamentations are chosen for the lessons of Tenebræ. The mournful chant to which they are sung is probably the one used by the Jews themselves. The names of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which divide the stanzas of this inspired elegy, show us that it was written by the prophet as an acrostic. The Jewish custom of singing these Lamentations has been retained in the Christian Church.

FIRST LESSON

Incipit Lamentatio Jeremiæ Prophetæ.
Cap. i.

Here beginneth the Lamentation of Jeremias the Prophet. Ch. i.

ALEPH. Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo! facta est quasi vidua domina gentium, princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo.

ALEPH. How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is the mistress of nations become as a widow: the princes of provinces made tributary!

BETH. Plorans ploravit in nocte et lacrymæ ejus in maxillis ejus: non est qui consoletur eam ex omnibus charis ejus. Omnes amici ejus spreverunt eam, et facti sunt ei inimici.

BETH. Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: there is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her: all her friends have despised her, and are become her enemies.

GHIMEL. Migravit Judas propter afflictionem, et multitudinem servitutis: habitavit inter gentes, nec invenit requiem. Omnes persecutores ejus apprehenderunt eam inter angustias.

GHIMEL. Juda hath removed her dwelling-place because of her affliction, and the greatness of her bondage: she hath dwelt among the nations, and she hath found no rest: all her persecutors have taken her in the midst of straits.

DALETH. Viæ Sion lugent, eo quod non sint qui veniant ad solemnitatem: omnes portæ ejus destructæ, sacerdotes ejus gementes, virgines ejus squalidæ, et ipsa oppressa amaritudine.

DALETH. The ways of Sion mourn, because there are none that come to the solemn feast: all her gates are broken down: her priests sigh, her virgins are in affliction, and she is oppressed with bitterness.

HE. Facti sunt hostes ejus in capite, inimici ejus locupletati sunt: quia Dominus locutus est super eam propter multitudinem iniquitatum ejus. Parvuli ejus ducti sunt in captivitatem, ante faciem tribulantis.

HE. Her adversaries are become her lords, her enemies are enriched: because the Lord hath spoken against her for the multitude of her iniquities: her children are led into captivity, before the face of the oppressor.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God.

℟. In Monte Oliveti oravit ad Patrem: Pater, si fieri potest, transeat a me calix iste: * Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma.

℟. He prayed to his Father on Mount Olivet: Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me: * The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak.

℣. Vigilate, et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem.

℣. Watch and pray, that ye may not enter into temptation.

* Spiritus quidem promptus est: caro autem infirma.

* The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak.

SECOND LESSON

VAU. Et egressus est a filia Sion omnis decor ejus: facti sunt principes ejus velut arietes non invenientes pascua, et abierunt absque fortitudine, ante faciem subsequentis.

VAU. And from the daughter of Sion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like rams that find no pasture, and they are gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.

ZAIN. Recordata est Jerusalem dierum afflictionis suæ, et prævaricationis omnium desiderabilium suorum, quæ habuerat a diebus antiquis, cum caderet populus ejus in manu hostili, et non esset auxiliator. Viderunt eam hostes, et deriserunt sabbata ejus.

HETH. Peccatum peccavit Jerusalem; propterea instabilis facta est. Omnes qui glorificabant eam, spreverunt illam: quia viderunt ignominiam ejus. Ipsa autem gemens conversa est retrorsum.

TETH. Sordes ejus in pedibus ejus, nec recordata est finis sui. Deposita est vehementer, non habens consolatorem. Vide, Domine, afflictionem meam: quoniam erectus est inimicus.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

℟. Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem: sustinete hic, et vigilate mecum: nunc videbitis turbam quæ circumdabit me: * Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

℣. Ecce appropinquat hora, et Filius hominis tradetur in manus peccatorum.

pastures: and they are gone away without strength before the face of the pursuer.

ZAIN. Jerusalem hath remembered the days of her affliction, and prevarication of all her desirable things, which she had from the days of old, when her people fell in the enemy's hand, and there was no helper: the enemies have seen her, and have mocked at her sabbaths.

HETH. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore is she become unstable: all that honoured her have despised her, because they have seen her shame: but she sighed and turned backward.

TETH. Her filthiness is on her feet, and she hath not remembered her end: she is wonderfully cast down, not having a comforter: behold, O Lord, my affliction, because the enemy is lifted up.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God.

℟. My soul is sorrowful even to death: stay here, and watch with me: now ye shall see a multitude, that will surround me: * Ye will take to flight, and I shall go to be sacrificed for you.

℣. Behold the hour is at hand, when the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of sinners.

* Ye will take to flight, and I shall go to be sacrificed for you.

* Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

THIRD LESSON

JOD. Manum suam misit hostis ad omnia desiderabilia ejus: quia vidit gentes ingressas sanctuarium suum, de quibus præceperas ne intrarent in ecclesiam tuam.

CAPH. Omnis populus ejus gemens, et quærens panem, dederunt pretiosa quæque pro cibo ad refocillandam animam. Vide, Domine, et considera, quoniam facta sum vilis.

LAMED. O vos omnes, qui transitis per viam, attendite, et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus: quoniam vindemiavit me, ut locutus est Dominus in die iræ furoris sui.

MEM. De excelso misit ignem in ossibus meis, et erudivit me: expandit rete pedibus meis, convertit me retrorsum: posuit me desolatam, tota die mœrore confectam.

NUN. Vigilavit jugum iniquitatum mearum: in manu ejus convolutæ sunt, et impositæ collo meo: infirmata est virtus mea: dedit me Dominus in manu, de qua non potero surgere.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

JOD. The enemy hath put out his hand to all her desirable things: for she hath seen the Gentiles enter into her sanctuary, of whom thou gavest commandment that they should not enter into thy church.

CAPH. All her people sigh, they seek bread: they have given all their precious things for food to relieve the soul. See, O Lord, and consider, for I am become vile.

LAMED. O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: for he hath made a vintage of me, as the Lord spoke in the day of his fierce anger.

MEM. From above he hath sent fire into my bones, and hath chastised me: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back; he hath made me desolate, wasted with sorrow all the day long.

NUN. The yoke of my iniquities hath watched for me: they are folded together in his hand, and put upon my neck: my strength is weakened; the Lord hath delivered me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God.

℟. Ecce vidimus eum non habentem speciem, neque decorem; aspectus ejus in eo non est: hic peccata nostra portavit et pro nobis dolet: ipse autem vulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras: * Cujus livore sanati sumus.

℣. Vere languores nostros ipse tulit, et dolores nostros ipse portavit.

* Cujus livore sanati sumus.

Here is repeated: Ecce vidimus.

℟. Lo! we have seen him as one not having beauty nor comeliness; there is no sightliness in him: he hath borne our sins, and he grieves for us: and he was wounded for our iniquities: * By his wounds we have been healed.

℣. Surely he hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows.

* By his wounds we have been healed.

Here is repeated: Lo! we have seen.

THE SECOND NOCTURN

The fourth psalm, which celebrates in such glowing terms the glories of the Son of David, would seem, at first sight, to be inappropriate for this Office, which commemorates only His humiliations. We sang this fine canticle on the night of our Emmanuel's birth at Bethlehem; how comes it to be among our present chants, which are all so sorrowful? The Church has chosen it, because one of the glories here prophesied of Jesus is, that He shall deliver the poor from the mighty; and the needy that had no helper. Mankind is this poor one; satan is the mighty one; Jesus is about to deliver us from his power, by suffering what we have deserved by our sins.

ANT. Liberavit Dominus pauperem a potente, et inopem, cui non erat adjutor.

ANT. The Lord hath delivered the poor from the mighty; and the needy that had no helper.

PSALM 71

Deus judicium tuum regi da: et justitiam tuam filio regis.

Give to the king thy judgment, O God; and to the king's son thy justice.

Judicare populum tuum in justitia: et pauperes tuos in judicio.

To judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment.

Suscipiant montes pacem populo: et colles justitiam.

Let the mountains receive peace for the people, and the hills justice.

Judicabit pauperes populi, et salvos faciet filios pauperum: et humiliabit calumniatorem.

He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor, and he shall humble the oppressor.

Et permanebit cum sole, et ante lunam: in generatione et generationem.

And his kingdom on earth shall continue with the sun; and before the moon, throughout all generations.

Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus: et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram.

He shall come down like rain upon the fleece: and as showers falling gently upon the earth.

Orietur in diebus ejus justitia, et abundantia pacis: donec auferatur luna.

In his days justice shall spring up, and abundance of peace: till the moon be taken away.

Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare: et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum.

And he shall rule from sea to sea: and from the river Jordan to the ends of the earth.

Coram illo procident Æthiopes: et inimici ejus terram lingent.

Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground.

Reges Tharsis et insulæ munera offerent: reges Arabum et Saba dona adducent.

The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts.

Et adorabunt eum omnes reges terræ: omnes gentes servient ei.

And all kings of the earth shall adore him; all nations shall serve him.

Quia liberabit pauperem a potente: et pauperem cui non erat adjutor.

For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper.

Parcet pauperi et inopi: et animas pauperum salvas faciet.

He shall spare the human race which is poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor.

Ex usuris et iniquitate redimet animas eorum: et honorabile nomen eorum coram illo.

He shall redeem their souls from the usuries and iniquity of Satan: and their name shall be honourable in his sight.

Et vivet, et dabitur ei de auro Arabiæ, et adorabunt de ipso semper: tota die benedicent ei.

And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia: for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day.

Et erit firmamentum in terra in summis montium, superextolletur super Libanum fructus ejus: et florebunt de civitate sicut fœnum terræ.

He is the Bread of life; therefore, under his reign there shall be a firmament on the earth, on the tops of mountains: above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.

Sit nomen ejus benedictum in sæcula: ante solem permanet nomen ejus.

Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continueth before the sun.

Et benedicentur in ipso omnes tribus terræ: omnes gentes magnificabunt eum.

And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.

Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel: qui facit mirabilia solus.

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.

Et benedictum nomen majestatis ejus in æternum: et replebitur majestate ejus omnis terra: fiat, fiat.

And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.

ANT. Liberavit Dominus pauperem a potente, et inopem cui non erat adjutor.

ANT. The Lord hath delivered the poor from the mighty; and the needy that had no helper.

The fifth psalm conveys a moral teaching, which, if listened to, would correct many a false judgment of the world. It often happens that men are scandalized at seeing the wicked prosperous, and the virtuous afflicted. It was the temptation which overcame the apostles, when, seeing their divine Master in the hands of His enemies, they lost their faith in Him as the Messias. The psalmist owns that he himself was troubled by the same kind of thought; but God enlightened him to see the truth, that if divine Providence permit iniquity to triumph for a time, the day is sure to come when He will punish the wicked, and avenge the just that have suffered persecution.

ANT. Cogitaverunt impii, et locuti sunt nequitiam: iniquitatem in excelso locuti sunt.

ANT. The ungodly have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.

PSALM 72

Quam bonus Israel Deus: his qui recto sunt corde.

How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!

Mei autem pene moti sunt pedes: pene effusi sunt gressus mei:

But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well nigh slipt:

Quia zelavi super iniquos, pacem peccatorum videns.

Because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners.

Quia non est respectus morti eorum: et firmamentum in plaga eorum.

For there is no regard to their death; nor is there strength in their stripes.

In labore hominum non sunt: et cum hominibus non flagellabuntur.

They are not in the labour of men: neither shall they be scourged like other men.

Ideo tenuit eos superbia: operti sunt iniquitate et impietate sua.

Therefore pride hath held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness.

Prodiit quasi ex adipe iniquitas eorum: transierunt in affectum cordis.

Their iniquity hath come forth, as it were from fatness: they have passed into the affection of the heart.

Cogitaverunt et locuti sunt nequitiam: iniquitatem in excelso locuti sunt.

They have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.

Posuerunt in cœlum os suum: et lingua eorum transivit in terra.

They have set their mouth against heaven: and their tongue hath passed through the earth.

Ideo convertetur populus meus hic: et dies pleni invenientur in eis.

Therefore will my people return here: and full days shall be found in them.

Et dixerunt: Quomodo scit Deus: et si est scientia in Excelso?

And they said: How doth God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?

Ecce ipsi peccatores, et abundantes in sæculo: obtinuerunt divitias.

Behold these are sinners; and yet abounding in the world, they have obtained riches.

Et dixi: Ergo sine causa justificavi cor meum: et lavi inter innocentes manus meas.

And I said: Then have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent.

Et fui flagellatus tota die: et castigatio mea in matutinis.

And I have been scourged all the day, and my chastisement hath been in the mornings.

Si dicebam: Narrabo sic: ecce nationem filiorum tuorum reprobavi.

If I said: I will speak thus: behold I should condemn the generation of thy children.

Existimabam ut cognoscerem hoc: labor est ante me:

I studied that I might know this thing: it is as labour in my sight:

Donec intrem in sanctuarium Dei: et intelligam in novissimis eorum.

Until I go into the sanctuary of God, and understand concerning their last ends.

Verumtamen propter dolos posuisti eis: dejecisti eos dum allevarentur.

But indeed for deceits thou hast put it to them: when they were lifted up thou hast cast them down.

Quomodo facti sunt in desolationem, subito defecerunt: perierunt propter iniquitatem suam.

How are they brought to desolation! they have suddenly ceased to be: they have perished by reason of their iniquity.

Velut somnium surgentium, Domine: in civitate tua imaginem ipsorum ad nihilum rediges.

As the dream of them that awake, O Lord, so in thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing.

Quia inflammatum est cor meum, et renes mei commutati sunt: et ego ad nihilum redactus sum, et nescivi.

For my heart hath been inflamed, and my reins have been changed: and I am brought to nothing, and I knew not.

Ut jumentum factus sum apud te: et ego semper tecum.

I am become as a beast before thee: and I am always with thee.

Tenuisti manum dexteram meam: et in voluntate tua deduxisti me: et cum gloria suscepisti me.

Thou hast held me by my right hand: and by thy will thou hast conducted me: and with glory thou hast received me.

Quid enim mihi est in cœlo: et a te quid volui super terram?

For what have I in heaven? and besides thee, what do I desire upon earth?

Defecit caro mea, et cor meum: Deus cordis mei et pars mea Deus in æternum.

For thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever.

Quia ecce, qui elongant se a te, peribunt: perdidisti omnes qui fornicantur abs te.

Mihi autem adhærere Deo bonum est: ponere in Domino Deo spem meam.

Ut annuntiem omnes prædicationes tuas: in portis filiæ Sion.

ANT. Cogitaverunt impii, et locuti sunt nequitiam: iniquitatem in excelso locuti sunt.

For behold they that go far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that are disloyal to thee.

But it is good for me to stick close to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God.

That I may declare all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.

ANT. The ungodly have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.

The sixth psalm is a reproach made to the enemies of the divine worship. The Jews used it for many ages against the Gentiles; the Christians now apply it to the Synagogue, which, after having crucified the Son of God, did its utmost to destroy his Church, by putting many of her children to death, and forbidding the apostles to preach the name of Christ.

ANT. Exsurge, Domine, et judica causam meam.

ANT. Arise, O Lord, and judge my cause.

PSALM 73

Ut quid Deus repulisti in finem: iratus est furor tuus super oves pascuæ tuæ?

Memor esto congregationis tuæ: quam possedisti ab initio.

Redemisti virgam hæreditatis tuæ: mons Sion in quo habitasti in eo.

Leva manus tuas in superbias eorum in finem: quanta malignatus est inimicus in sancto.

Et gloriati sunt qui oderunt te: in medio solemnitatis tuæ.

Posuerunt signa sua, signa: et non cognoverunt sicut in exitu super summum.

Quasi in silva lignorum securibus exciderunt januas ejus in idipsum: in securi et ascia dejecerunt eam.

Incenderunt igni sanctuarium tuum: in terra polluerunt tabernaculum nominis tui.

Dixerunt in corde suo cognatio eorum simul: Quiescere faciamus omnes dies festos Dei a terra.

Signa nostra non vidimus, jam non est propheta: et nos non cognoscet amplius.

Usquequo Deus improperabit inimicus: irritat adversarius nomen tuum in finem.

Ut quid avertis manum tuam, et dexteram tuam: de medio sinu tuo in finem.

Deus autem rex noster ante sæcula: operatus est salutem in medio terræ.

Tu confirmasti in virtute tua mare: contribulasti capita draconum in aquis.

Tu confregisti capita draconis: dedisti eum escam populis Æthiopum.

Tu dirupisti fontes, et torrentes: tu siccasti fluvios Ethan.

Tuus est dies, et tua est nox: tu fabricatus es auroram et solem.

Tu fecisti omnes terminos terræ: æstatem et ver tu plasmasti ea.

Memor esto hujus, inimicus improperavit Domino: et populus insipiens incitavit nomen tuum.

Ne tradas bestiis animas confitentes tibi: et animas pauperum tuorum ne obliviscaris in finem.

Respice in testamentum tuum: quia repleti sunt qui obscurati sunt terræ, domibus iniquitatum.

Ne avertatur humilis factus confusus: pauper et inops laudabunt nomen tuum.

Exsurge Deus judica causam tuam: memor esto improperiorum tuorum, eorum quæ ab insipiente sunt tota die.

Ne obliviscaris voces inimicorum tuorum: superbia eorum qui te oderunt, ascendit semper.

ANT. Exsurge, Domine, et judica causam meam.

℣. Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris.

℟. Et de manu contra legem agentis et iniqui.

O God, why hast thou cast us off unto the end? why is thy wrath enkindled against the sheep of thy pasture?

Remember thy congregation, which thou hast possessed from the beginning.

The sceptre of thy inheritance which thou hast redeemed: Mount Sion, in which thou hast dwelt.

Lift up thy hands against their pride unto the end: see what things the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

And they that hate thee have made their boasts, in the midst of thy solemnity.

They have set up their ensigns for signs: and they knew not: both in the going out and on the highest top.

As with axes in a wood of trees, they have cut down at once the gates thereof: with axe and hatchet they have brought it down.

They have set fire to thy sanctuary: they have defiled the dwelling-place of thy name on the earth.

They said in their heart, the whole kindred of them together: Let us abolish all the festival days of God from the land.

Our signs we have not seen, there is now no prophet: and he will know us no more.

How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach? Is the adversary to provoke thy name for ever?

Why dost thou turn away thy hand; and thy right hand out of the midst of thy bosom for ever?

But God is our king before ages: he hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.

Thou by thy strength didst make the sea firm: thou didst crush the heads of the dragons in the waters.

Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon: thou hast given him to be meat for the Ethiopian people.

Thou hast broken up the fountains, and the torrents: thou hast dried up the Ethan rivers.

Thine is the day, and thine is the night: thou hast made the dawn and the sun.

Thou hast made all the borders of the earth: the summer and the spring were formed by thee.

Remember this, the enemy hath reproached the Lord: and a foolish people hath provoked thy name.

Deliver not up to beasts the souls that confess to thee: and forget not to the end the souls of thy poor.

Have regard to thy covenant: for they that are the obscure of the earth have been filled with the dwellings of iniquity.

Let not the humble be turned away with confusion: the poor and the needy shall praise thy name.

Arise, O God, judge thy own cause: remember the reproaches with which the foolish man hath reproached thee all the day.

Forget not the voices of thy enemies: the pride of them that hate thee ascendeth continually.

ANT. Arise, O Lord, and judge my cause.

℣. O my God, deliver me out of the hand of the sinner.

℟. And out of the hand of the transgressor of the law, and of the unjust.

Here is said, in secret, the Pater noster.

For the lessons of the second nocturn the Church reads, each of these three days, a passage from Saint Augustine's Enarrations on the psalms which are prophetic of our Lord's Passion.

FOURTH LESSON

Ex tractatu Sancti Augustini Episcopi super Psalmos.

Ps. liv.

Exaudi, Deus, orationem meam, et ne despexeris deprecationem meam: intende mihi et exaudi me. Satagentis, solliciti, in tribulatione positi verba sunt ista. Orat multa patiens, de malo liberari desiderans. Superest ut videamus in quo malo sit; et cum dicere cœperit, agnoscamus ibi nos esse: ut communicata tribulatione, conjungamus orationem. Contristatus sum, inquit, in exercitatione mea, et conturbatus sum. Ubi contristatus? ubi conturbatus? In exercitatione mea, inquit. Homines malos, quos patitur, commemoratus est: eamdemque passionem malorum hominum, exercitationem suam dixit. Ne putetis gratis esse malos in hoc mundo, et nihil boni de illis agere Deum. Omnis malus, aut ideo vivit, ut corrigatur: aut ideo vivit, ut per illum bonus exerceatur.

℟. Amicus meus osculi me tradidit signo: quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum: hoc malum fecit signum, qui per osculum adimplevit homicidium. * Infelix prætermisit pretium sanguinis, et in fine laqueo se suspendit.

℣. Bonum erat ei, si natus non fuisset homo ille.

* Infelix prætermisit pretium sanguinis, et in fine laqueo se suspendit.

From the treatise of Saint Augustine, Bishop, upon the Psalms.

Ps. liv.

Hear my prayer, O God, and despise not my petition: attend to me and hear me. These are the words of a man in trouble, solicitude, and affliction. He prays in his great sufferings, desiring to be freed from some evil. Let us now see what evil he lies under: and when he has told it to us, let us acknowledge ourselves in it: that by partaking of the affliction, we may join in his prayer. I am become sorrowful in my exercise, says he, and I am troubled. Where is he become sorrowful? Where is he troubled? He says, In my exercise. He speaks of the wicked men whom he suffers, and calls such suffering of wicked men his exercise. Think not that the wicked are in the world for nothing, and that God works no good with them. Every wicked man lives, either to amend his life, or to exercise the good man.

℟. My friend hath betrayed me by the sign of a kiss: Whom I shall kiss, that is he; hold him fast: this was the wicked sign given by him, who committed murder by a kiss. * The unhappy wretch returned the price of Blood, and, in the end, hanged himself.

℣. It had been well for that man, had he never been born.

* The unhappy wretch returned the price of Blood, and, in the end, hanged himself.

FIFTH LESSON

Utinam ergo qui nos modo exercent, convertantur, et nobiscum exerceantur: tamen quamdiu ita sunt, ut exerceant nos, non eos oderimus: quia in eo quod malus est quis eorum, utrum usque in finem perseveraturus sit, ignoramus. Et plerumque cum tibi videris odisse inimicum, fratrem odisti, et nescis. Diabolus, et angeli ejus in Scripturis sanctis manifestati sunt nobis, quod ad ignem æternum sint destinati: ipsorum tantum desperanda est correctio, contra quos habemus occultam luctam: ad quam luctam nos armat apostolus, dicens: non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem: id est, non adversus homines quos videtis, sed adversus principes, et potestates, et rectores mundi, tenebrarum harum. Ne forte cum dixisset, mundi, intelligeres dæmones esse rectores cœli et terræ: mundi dixit, tenebrarum harum: mundi dixit, amatorum mundi: mundi dixit, impiorum et iniquorum: mundi dixit, de quo dicit Evangelium: Et mundus eum non cognovit.

℟. Judas mercator pessimus osculo petiit Dominum: ille ut agnus innocens non negavit Judæ osculum: * Denariorum numero Christum Judæis tradidit.

℣. Melius illi erat, si natus non fuisset.

* Denariorum numero Christum Judæis tradidit.

Would to God, then, they that now exercise us were converted and exercised with us; but let us not hate them, though they continue to exercise us; for we know not whether they will persevere to the end in their wickedness. And many times, when you imagine that you hate your enemy, it is your brother you hate, though you are ignorant of it. The holy Scriptures plainly show us that the devil and his angels are doomed to eternal fire. It is only their amendment we may despair of, with whom we wage an invisible war; for which the apostle arms us, saying: Our conflict is not with flesh and blood, that is not with the men you see before your eyes, but with the princes, and powers, and rulers of the world of this darkness. And lest by his saying, of the world, you might think perhaps, that the devils are rulers of heaven and earth, he added, of this darkness. By the world, then, he meant the lovers of the world: by the world, he meant the impious and the wicked: by the world, he meant that which the Gospel speaks of: And the world knew him not.

℟. Judas, the impious trader, betrayed his Lord with a kiss: He, as an innocent Lamb, refused not the kiss to Judas: * Who, for a few pence, delivered Christ up to the Jews.

℣. It would have been better for him, had he not been born.

* Who, for a few pence, delivered Christ up to the Jews.

SIXTH LESSON

Quoniam vidi iniquitatem et contradictionem in civitate. Attende gloriam crucis ipsius. Jam in fronte regum crux illa fixa est, cui inimici insultaverunt. Effectus probavit virtutem: domuit orbem non ferro, sed ligno. Lignum crucis contumeliis dignum visum est inimicis, et ante ipsum lignum stantes caput agitabant, et dicebant: Si Filius Dei est, descendat de cruce. Extendebat ille manus suas ad populum non credentem, et contradicentem. Si enim justus est qui ex fide vivit, iniquus est qui non habet fidem. Quod ergo hic ait, iniquitatem, perfidiam intellige. Videbat ergo Dominus in civitate iniquitatem et contradictionem, et extendebat manus suas ad populum non credentem: et tamen ipsos exspectans dicebat: Pater, ignosce illis, quia nesciunt quid faciunt.

℟. Unus ex discipulis meis tradet me hodie: væ illi per quem tradar ego! * Melius illi erat, si natus non fuisset.

℣. Qui intingit mecum manum in paropside, hic me traditurus est in manus peccatorum.

* Melius illi erat, si natus non fuisset.

Here is repeated: Unus ex discipulis meis.

For I have seen injustice and strife in the city. See the glory of the cross! That cross, which was an object of derision to his enemies, is now placed on the foreheads of kings. The effect is a proof of his power: he conquered the world not by the sword, but by the wood. The wood of the cross was thought a subject of scorn by his enemies, who, as they stood before it, shook their heads and said: If he be the Son of God, let him come down from the cross. He stretched forth his hands to an unbelieving and seditious people. For if he is just that lives by faith, he is unjust that has not faith. By injustice then here you must understand infidelity. Our Lord, therefore, saw injustice and strife in the city, and stretched forth his hands to an unbelieving and seditious people: and yet he waited for them, saying: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

℟. One of my disciples will this day betray me: woe to him, by whom I shall be betrayed! * It had been better for him, if he had not been born.

℣. He that dips his hand with me in the dish, he it is that is about to betray me into the hands of sinners.

* It had been better for him, if he had not been born.

Here is repeated: One of my disciples.

THE THIRD NOCTURN

The seventh psalm declares the vengeance of God on those that excite His anger. It shows us what will happen to the Synagogue; after having obliged the Messias to drink the bitter chalice of His Passion, its own turn shall come, and it shall drink the cup of God's wrath, even to the very dregs thereof.

ANT. Dixi iniquis: Nolite loqui adversus Deum iniquitatem.

ANT. I said to the wicked: Speak not iniquity against God.

PSALM 74

Confitebimur tibi Deus: confitebimur, et invocabimus nomen tuum.

Narrabimus mirabilia tua: cum accepero tempus, ego justitias judicabo.

Liquefacta est terra, et omnes qui habitant in ea: ego confirmavi columnas ejus.

Dixi iniquis: Nolite inique agere: et delinquentibus: Nolite exaltare cornu.

Nolite extollere in altum cornu vestrum: Nolite loqui adversus Deum iniquitatem.

Quia neque ab oriente, neque ab occidente, neque a desertis montibus: quoniam Deus judex est.

Hunc humiliat, et hunc exaltat: quia calix in manu Domini vini meri plenus mixto.

Et inclinavit ex hoc in hoc: verumtamen fæx ejus non est exinanita: bibent omnes peccatores terræ.

Ego autem annuntiabo in sæculum: cantabo Deo Jacob.

Et omnia cornua peccatorum confringam: et exaltabuntur cornua justi.

ANT. Dixi iniquis: Nolite loqui adversus Deum iniquitatem.

We will praise thee, O God: we will praise, and we will call upon thy name.

We will relate thy wondrous works: when, says the Lord, I shall take a time, I will judge justices.

The earth is melted and all that dwell therein: I have established the pillars thereof.

I said to the wicked: Do not act wickedly: and to the sinners: Lift not up the horn.

Lift not up your horn on high: speak not iniquity against God.

For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert hills: for God is the judge.

One he putteth down, and another he lifteth up. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup of strong wine full of mixture.

And he hath poured it out from this to that: but the dregs thereof are not emptied: all the sinners of the earth shall drink.

But I will declare for ever: I will sing to the God of Jacob.

And I will break all the horns of sinners: but the horns of the just shall be exalted.

ANT. I said to the wicked: Speak not iniquity against God.

The eighth psalm was written after David had conquered his enemies. He speaks of the peace that was restored to Sion, and of the sudden vengeance of God that overtook the wicked. The enemies of our Saviour were sleeping their sleep; when suddenly, the earth trembled, and God arose to judge them.

ANT. Terra tremuit et quievit, dum exsurgeret in judicio Deus.

ANT. The earth trembled, and was still, when God arose in judgment.

PSALM 75

Notus in Judæa Deus: in Israel magnum nomen ejus.

Et factus est in pace locus ejus: et habitatio ejus in Sion.

Ibi confregit potentias arcuum: scutum, gladium, et bellum.

Illuminans tu mirabiliter a montibus æternis: turbati sunt omnes insipientes corde.

Dormierunt somnum suum: et nihil invenerunt omnes viri divitiarum in manibus suis.

Ab increpatione tua Deus Jacob: dormitaverunt qui ascenderunt equos.

Tu terribilis es, et quis resistet tibi: ex tunc ira tua.

De cælo auditum fecisti judicium: terra tremuit et quievit.

Cum exsurgeret in judicium Deus: ut salvos faceret omnes mansuetos terræ.

Quoniam cogitatio hominis confitebitur tibi: et reliquiæ cogitationis diem festum agent tibi.

Vovete et reddite Domino Deo vestro: omnes qui in circuitu ejus affertis munera.

Terribili et ei qui aufert spiritum principum: terribili apud reges terræ.

ANT. Terra tremuit et quievit, dum exsurgeret in judicio Deus.

In Judea God is known, his name is great in Israel.

And his place is in peace, and his abode in Sion.

There hath he broken the power of bows, the shield, the sword, and the battle.

Thou enlightenest wonderfully from the everlasting hills: all the foolish of heart were troubled.

They have slept their sleep; and all the men of riches have found nothing in their hands.

At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, they have all slumbered that mounted on horseback.

Thou art terrible, and who shall resist thee? from that time thy wrath.

Thou hast caused judgment to be heard from heaven: the earth trembled and was still.

When God arose in judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.

For the thought of man shall give praise to thee: and the remainders of the thought shall keep holyday to thee.

Vow ye, and pay to the Lord your God: all you that round about him bring presents.

To him that is terrible, even to him who taketh away the spirit of princes; to the terrible with the kings of the earth.

ANT. The earth trembled, and was still, when God arose in judgment.

The ninth psalm tells us of David's tribulation when his son Absalom, the type of the Jewish people, raised the standard of revolt against him. The royal prophet, who is the figure of Christ, loses not his confidence in the midst of his trials. The recollection of the wonderful works wrought by God in favour of His people, animates his courage, and he feels that this same merciful God will deliver him.

ANT. In die tribulationis meæ Deum exquisivi manibus meis.

ANT. In the day of my tribulation, I sought God with my hands raised up in prayer.

PSALM 76

Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi: voce mea ad Deum, et intendit mihi.

In die tribulationis meæ Deum exquisivi, manibus meis nocte contra eum: et non sum deceptus.

Renuit consolari anima mea: memor fui Dei, et delectatus sum, et exercitatus sum, et defecit spiritus meus.

Anticipaverunt vigilias oculi mei: turbatus sum, et non sum locutus.

Cogitavi dies antiquos: et annos æternos in mente habui.

Et meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo: et exercitabar, et scopebam spiritum meum.

Numquid in æternum projiciet Deus: aut non apponet ut complacitior sit adhuc?

Aut in finem misericordiam suam abscindet: a generatione in generationem?

Aut obliviscetur misereri Deus: aut continebit in ira sua misericordias suas?

Et dixi: Nunc cœpi: hæc mutatio dexteræ Excelsi.

Memor fui operum Domini: quia memor ero ab initio mirabilium tuorum.

Et meditabor in omnibus operibus tuis: et in adinventionibus tuis exercebor.

Deus in sancto via tua: quis Deus magnus sicut Deus noster? Tu es Deus, qui facis mirabilia.

Notam fecisti in populis virtutem tuam: redemisti in brachio tuo populum tuum, filios Jacob et Joseph.

Viderunt te aquæ Deus, viderunt te aquæ: et timuerunt, et turbatæ sunt abyssi.

Multitudo sonitus aquarum: vocem dederunt nubes.

Etenim sagittæ tuæ transeunt: vox tonitrui tui in rota.

Illuxerunt coruscationes tuæ orbi terræ: commota est et contremuit terra.

In mari via tua, et semitæ tuæ in aquis multis: et vestigia tua non cognoscentur.

Deduxisti sicut oves populum tuum: in manu Moysi et Aaron.

ANT. In die tribulationis meæ Deum exquisivi manibus meis.

℣. Exsurge, Domine.
℟. Et judica causam meam.

I cried to the Lord with my voice; to God with my voice and he gave ear to me.

In the day of my trouble I sought God: with my hands lifted up to him in the night, and I was not deceived.

My soul refused to be comforted; I remembered God, and was delighted, and was exercised, and my spirit swooned away.

My eyes prevented the watches: I was troubled, and I spoke not.

I thought upon the days of old: and I had in my mind the eternal years.

And I meditated in the night with my own heart, and I was exercised, and I swept my spirit.

Will God then cast off for ever? or will he never be more favourable again?

Or will he cut off his mercy for ever, from generation to generation?

Or will God forget to show mercy? or will he in his anger shut up his mercies?

And I said: Now have I begun: this is the change of the right hand of the Most High.

I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will be mindful of thy wonders from the beginning.

And I will meditate on all thy works; and will be employed in thy inventions.

Thy way, O God, is in the holy place: who is the great God like our God? Thou art the God that dost wonders.

Thou hast made thy power known among the nations: with thy arm thou hast redeemed thy people, the children of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; and they were afraid, and the depths were troubled.

Great was the noise of the waters: the clouds sent out a sound.

For thy arrows pass: the voice of thy thunder in a wheel.

Thy lightnings enlightened the world, the earth shook and trembled.

Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in many waters; and thy footsteps shall not be known.

Thou hast conducted thy people like sheep, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

ANT. In the day of my tribulation, I sought God with my hands raised up in prayer.

℣. Arise, O Lord.
℟. And judge my cause.

Here is said the Pater noster in secret.

The lessons of the third nocturn are taken from St. Paul. After having reproved the faithful of Corinth for the abuses which had crept into their assemblies, he relates the institution of the holy Eucharist, which took place to-day (Thursday); and after showing us the dispositions wherewith we should approach the holy Table, he speaks of the enormity of the crime of an unworthy Communion.

SEVENTH LESSON

De Epistola prima Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthios.

Hoc autem præcipio: non laudans quod non in melius, sed in deterius convenitis. Primum quidem convenientibus vobis in ecclesiam, audio scissuras esse inter vos, et ex parte credo. Nam oportet et hæreses esse, ut et qui probati sunt, manifesti fiant in vobis. Convenientibus ergo vobis in unum, jam non est Dominicam Cœnam manducare. Unusquisque enim suam cœnam præsumit ad manducandum. Et alius quidem esurit, alius autem ebrius est. Numquid domos non habetis ad manducandum et bibendum? Aut Ecclesiam Dei contemnitis, et confunditis eos qui non habent? Quid dicam vobis? Laudo vos? In hoc non laudo.

℟. Eram quasi agnus innocens: ductus sum ad immolandum, et nesciebam: consilium fecerunt inimici mei adversum me, dicentes: * Venite, mittamus lignum in panem ejus, et eradamus eum de terra viventium.

℣. Omnes inimici mei adversum me cogitabant mala mihi: verbum iniquum mandaverunt adversum me, dicentes:

* Venite, mittamus lignum in panem ejus, et eradamus eum de terra viventium.

From the first Epistle of Saint Paul, the Apostle, to the Corinthians.

Ch. xi.

Now this I ordain: not praising you that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you, and in part I believe it. For there must be, also, heresies; that they also, who are approved, may be made manifest among you. When you therefore come together into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord's Supper. For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry, and another is drunk. What, have you not houses to eat and drink in? Or despise ye the Church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not.

℟. I was like an innocent lamb; I was led to be sacrificed, and I knew it not: my enemies conspired against me, saying: * Come, let us put wood into his bread, and root him out of the land of the living.

℣. All my enemies devised evil things against me: they uttered a wicked speech against me, saying:

* Come, let us put wood into his bread, and root him out of the land of the living.

EIGHTH LESSON

Ego enim accepi a Domino, quod et tradidi vobis, quoniam Dominus Jesus, in qua nocte tradebatur, accepit panem, et gratias agens fregit et dixit: Accipite, et manducate: hoc est Corpus meum, quod pro vobis tradetur: hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Similiter et calicem postquam cœnavit dicens: Hic calix novum testamentum est in meo Sanguine. Hoc facite quotiescumque bibetis, in meam commemorationem. Quotiescumque enim manducabitis panem hunc, et calicem bibetis, mortem Domini annuntiabitis donec veniat.

℟. Una hora non potuistis vigilare mecum, qui exhortabamini mori pro me? * Vel Judam non videtis, quomodo non dormit, sed festinat tradere me Judæis?

℣. Quid dormitis? Surgite, et orate, ne intretis in tentationem.

* Vel Judam non videtis, quomodo non dormit, sed festinat tradere me Judæis?

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye and eat: this is my Body which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my Blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink it, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until he come.

℟. Could ye not watch one hour with me, ye that exhorted each other to die for me? * Or see ye not how Judas sleepeth not, but maketh speed to deliver me up to the Jews?

℣. Why sleep ye? Arise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

* Or see ye not how Judas sleepeth not, but maketh speed to deliver me up to the Jews?

NINTH LESSON

Itaque quicumque manducaverit panem hunc, vel biberit calicem Domini indigne, reus erit Corporis et Sanguinis Domini. Probet autem seipsum homo; et sic de pane illo edat, et de calice bibat. Qui enim manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit, non dijudicans Corpus Domini. Ideo inter vos multi infirmi et imbecilles, et dormiunt multi. Quod si nosmetipsos dijudicaremus, non utique judicaremur. Dum judicamur autem, a Domino corripimur, ut non cum hoc mundo damnemur. Itaque fratres mei, cum convenitis ad manducandum, invicem exspectate. Si quis esurit, domi manducet: ut non in judicium conveniatis. Cetera autem, cum venero, disponam.

℟. Seniores populi consilium fecerunt, * ut Jesum dolo tenerent, et occiderent: cum gladiis et fustibus exierunt tamquam ad latronem.

℣. Collegerunt pontifices et Pharisæi concilium.

* Ut Jesum dolo tenerent, et occiderent.

Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

℟. The ancients of the people consulted together, * How they might, by craft, apprehend Jesus, and kill him: they went forth with swords and clubs, as to a thief.

℣. The priests and pharisees held a council.

* How they might, by craft, apprehend Jesus, and kill him: they went forth with swords and clubs, as to a thief.

Here is repeated: The ancients.

rent, et occiderent: cum gladiis et fustibus exierunt tamquam ad latronem.

Here is repeated: Seniores populi.

LAUDS

The first psalm is the one written by David after his sin, in which he so feelingly and so humbly breathes forth his repentance. The Church invariably makes use of this psalm, when she sues to God for mercy; and of all the canticles of the royal prophet there is not one so familiar to the faithful as this.

ANT. Justificeris, Domine, in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.

ANT. Be thou justified, O Lord, in thy words, and overcome, when thou art judged.

PSALM 50

Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum: dele iniquitatem meam.

Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.

Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper.

Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.

Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.

Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiæ tuæ manifestasti mihi.

Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Auditui meo dabis gaudium et lætitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.

Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele.

Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.

Ne projicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.

Redde mihi lætitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.

Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur.

Libera me de sanguinibus Deus, Deus salutis meæ: et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.

Domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.

Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem utique; holocaustis non delectaberis.

Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.

Benigne fac Domine in bona voluntate tua Sion: ut ædificentur muri Jerusalem.

Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiæ, oblationes, et holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.

ANT. Justificeris, Domine, in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquities.

Wash me yet more from my iniquity: and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my iniquity: and my sin is always before me.

To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: I confess it: do thou pardon me, that thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art judged.

For behold I was conceived in iniquities: and in sins did my mother conceive me.

For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, as a leper, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

Turn away thy face from my sins: and blot out all my iniquities.

Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

Cast me not away from thy face: and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

Deliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.

O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt-offerings thou wilt not be delighted.

A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good-will with Sion: that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole-burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thine altar.

ANT. Be thou justified, O Lord, in thy words, and overcome when thou art judged.

The second psalm is one of those fixed for the Thursday of each week: it is a prayer suitable for the morning. The psalmist confesses the nothingness of man, and the shortness of his life: he asks God to bless the actions of the day. The faithful must not forget that the Office of Lauds is the morning service, and its being said over night, during these three days, is exceptional.

ANT. Dominus tamquam ovis ad victimam ductus est, et non aperuit os suum.

ANT. The Lord was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and he opened not his mouth.

PSALM 89

Domine, refugium factus es nobis: a generatione in generationem.

Priusquam montes fierent, aut formaretur terra et orbis: a sæculo et usque in sæculum tu es Deus.

Ne avertas hominem in humilitatem: et dixisti: Convertimini filii hominum.

Quoniam mille anni ante oculos tuos: tanquam dies hesterna quæ præteriit.

Et custodia in nocte: quæ pro nihilo habentur, eorum anni erunt.

Mane sicut herba transeat, mane floreat, et transeat: vespere decidat, induret, et arescat.

Quia defecimus in ira tua: et in furore tuo turbati sumus.

Posuisti iniquitates nostras in conspectu tuo: sæculum nostrum in illuminatione vultus tui.

Quoniam omnes dies nostri defecerunt: et in ira tua defecimus.

Anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur: dies annorum nostrorum in ipsis septuaginta anni.

Si autem in potentatibus, octoginta anni: et amplius eorum labor et dolor.

Quoniam supervenit mansuetudo: et corripiemur.

Quis novit potestatem iræ tuæ: et præ timore tuo iram tuam dinumerare?

Dexteram tuam sic notam fac: et eruditos corde in sapientia.

Convertere, Domine, usquequo: et deprecabilis esto super servos tuos.

Repleti sumus mane misericordia tua: et exsultavimus, et delectati sumus omnibus diebus nostris.

Lætati sumus pro diebus quibus nos humiliasti: annis, quibus vidimus mala.

Respice in servos tuos, et in opera tua: et dirige filios eorum.

Et sit splendor Domini Dei nostri super nos, et opera manuum nostrarum dirige super nos: et opus manuum nostrarum dirige.

ANT. Dominus tamquam ovis ad victimam ductus est, et non aperuit os suum.

Lord, thou hast been our refuge: from generation to generation.

Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed: from eternity, and to eternity thou art God.

Turn not man away to be brought low; and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

For a thousand years, in thy sight, are but as yesterday which is past and gone.

And as a watch in the night: as things that are counted nothing, so shall their years be.

In the morning, man shall grow up like grass, in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.

For in thy wrath we are quickly consumed: and are troubled in thy indignation.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thy eyes: our life in the light of thy countenance.

For all our days are spent: and in thy wrath we have fainted away.

Our years shall be considered as a spider: the days of our years in them are threescore and ten years.

But if in the strong they be fourscore years: and what is more of them is labour and sorrow.

For mildness is come upon us: and we shall be corrected.

Who knoweth the power of thy anger: and, for thy fear, can number thy wrath?

So make thy right hand known: and make us learned in heart in wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.

We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we are rejoiced and are delighted all our days.

We have rejoiced for the days in which thou hast humbled us: for the years in which we have seen evils.

Look upon thy servants, and upon their works: and direct their children.

And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and direct thou the works of our hands over us: yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.

ANT. The Lord was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and he opened not his mouth.

The following psalm, like the former, belongs to the Lauds of Thursdays. It speaks of the wicked man rising in the morning with his mind bent upon the evil deeds he has resolved on during the night; it implores God's protection against him, and sings of the life, the true light, and the abundance of good things reserved for the just in heaven.

ANT. Contritum est cor meum in medio mei, contremuerunt omnia ossa mea.

ANT. My heart is broken within me; all my bones have trembled.

PSALM 35

Dixit injustus ut delinquat in semetipso: non est timor Dei ante oculos ejus.

Quoniam dolose egit in conspectu ejus: ut inveniatur iniquitas ejus ad odium.

Verba oris ejus iniquitas, et dolus: noluit intelligere ut bene ageret.

Iniquitatem meditatus est in cubili suo: astitit omni viæ non bonæ, malitiam autem non odivit.

Domine, in cælo misericordia tua: et veritas tua usque ad nubes.

Justitia tua sicut montes Dei: judicia tua abyssus multa.

Homines, et jumenta salvabis, Domine: quemadmodum multiplicasti misericordiam tuam, Deus.

Filii autem hominum in tegmine alarum tuarum sperabunt.

Inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus tuæ: et torrente voluptatis tuæ potabis eos.

Quoniam apud te est fons vitæ: et in lumine tuo videbimus lumen.

Prætende misericordiam tuam scientibus te, et justitiam tuam his, qui recto sunt corde.

Non veniat mihi pes superbiæ: et manus peccatoris non moveat me.

Ibi ceciderunt qui operantur iniquitatem: expulsi sunt, nec potuerunt stare.

ANT. Contritum est cor meum in medio mei, contremuerunt omnia ossa mea.

The unjust hath said within himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes.

For in his sight he hath done deceitfully: that his iniquity may be found unto hatred.

The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well.

He hath devised iniquity on his bed: he hath set himself on every way that is not good; but evil he hath not hated.

O Lord, thy mercy is in the heavens: and thy truth reacheth even unto the clouds.

Thy justice is as the mountains of God: thy judgments are a great deep.

Men and beasts thou wilt preserve, O Lord: O how hast thou multiplied thy mercy, O God!

But the children of men shall put their trust: under the covert of thy wings.

They shall be inebriated with the plenteousness of thy house: and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure.

For with thee is the well of life: and in thy light we shall see light.

Stretch forth thy mercy unto them that know thee: and thy justice unto them that are right of heart.

Let not the foot of pride come unto me: and let not the hand of the sinner move me.

There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast out, and they could not stand.

ANT. My heart is broken within me; all my bones have trembled.

The sublime Canticle of Moses, which was sung after the passage through the Red Sea, forms part of Thursday's Lauds for penitential seasons. It is peculiarly appropriate now, when our catechumens are about to receive holy Baptism. The font will be their Red Sea, wherein all their sins will be drowned, as the Egyptians of old. The Israelites, after having offered the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, passed safely between the waves: our catechumens will come to the laver of regeneration full of hope in the Sacrifice of the true Lamb, for His Blood imparted to the element of water the power of purifying the soul.

ANT. Exhortatus es in virtute tua, et in refectione sancta tua, Domine.

ANT. Thou hast encouraged us by thy power, and by thy holy refreshment, O Lord!

CANTICLE OF MOSES

(Exod. xv.)

Cantemus Domino: gloriose enim magnificatus est: equum et ascensorem dejecit in mare.

Fortitudo mea et laus mea Dominus: et factus est mihi in salutem.

Iste Deus meus, et glorificabo eum: Deus patris mei, et exaltabo eum.

Dominus quasi vir pugnator, Omnipotens nomen ejus: currus Pharaonis, et exercitum ejus projecit in mare.

Electi principes ejus submersi sunt in Mari Rubro: abyssi operuerunt eos, descenderunt in profundum quasi lapis.

Dextera tua, Domine, magnificata est in fortitudine: dextera tua, Domine, percussit inimicum: et in multitudine gloriæ tuæ deposuisti adversarios tuos.

Misisti iram tuam, quæ devoravit eos sicut stipulam: et in spiritu furoris tui congregatæ sunt aquæ.

Let us sing to the Lord: for he is gloriously magnified: the horse and the rider he hath thrown into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my praise: and he is become salvation to me.

He is my God, and I will glorify him: the God of my father, and I will exalt him.

The Lord is as a man of war, Almighty is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army he hath cast into the sea.

His chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them, they are sunk to the bottom like a stone.

Thy right hand, O Lord, is magnified in strength; thy right hand, O Lord, hath slain the enemy. And in the multitude of thy power thou hast put down thy adversaries.

Thou hast sent thy wrath, which hath devoured them like stubble. And with the blast of thy anger the waters were gathered together.

Stetit unda fluens: congregata sunt abyssi in medio mari.

Dixit inimicus: persequar et comprehendam: dividam spolia, implebitur anima mea.

Evaginabo gladium meum: interficiet eos manus mea.

Flavit spiritus tuus, et operuit eos mare: submersi sunt quasi plumbum in aquis vehementibus.

Quis similis tui in fortibus, Domine: quis similis tui, magnificus in sanctitate, terribilis atque laudabilis, faciens mirabilia?

Extendisti manum tuam, et devoravit eos terra: dux fuisti in misericordia tua populo quem redemisti.

Et portasti eum in fortitudine tua: ad habitaculum sanctum tuum.

Ascenderunt populi et irati sunt: dolores obtinuerunt habitatores Philisthiim.

Tunc conturbati sunt principes Edom, robustos Moab obtinuit tremor: obriguerunt omnes habitatores Chanaan.

Irruat super eos formido et pavor: in magnitudine brachii tui.

Fiant immobiles quasi lapis, donec pertranseat populus tuus Domine: donec pertranseat populus tuus iste, quem possedisti.

Introduces eos, et plantabis in monte hereditatis tuæ: firmissimo habitaculo tuo, quod operatus es, Domine:

Sanctuarium tuum, Domine, quod firmaverunt manus tuæ: Dominus regnabit in æternum, et ultra.

Ingressus est enim eques Pharao cum curribus et equitibus ejus in mare: et reduxit super eos Dominus aquas maris.

Filii autem Israel ambulaverunt per siccum: in medio ejus.

ANT. Exhortatus es in virtute tua, et in refectione sancta tua, Domine.

The flowing waters stood, the depths were gathered together in the midst of the sea.

The enemy said: I will pursue and overtake, I will divide the spoils, my soul shall have its fill.

I will draw my sword, my hand shall slay them.

Thy wind blew, and the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

Who is like to thee among the strong, O Lord? who is like to thee, glorious in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy, doing wonders?

Thou stretchedst forth thy hand, and the earth swallowed them. In thy mercy thou hast been a leader to the people whom thou hast redeemed:

And in thy strength thou hast carried them to thy holy habitation.

Nations rose up and were angry: sorrows took hold of the inhabitants of Philisthiim.

Then were the princes of Edom troubled, trembling seized on the stout men of Moab: all the inhabitants of Canaan became stiff.

Let fear and dread fall upon them in the greatness of thy arm.

Let them become immovable as a stone, until thy people, O Lord, pass by; until this thy people pass by, which thou hast possessed.

Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thy inheritance, in thy most firm habitation, which thou hast made, O Lord:

Thy sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

For Pharaoh went in on horseback with his chariots and horsemen into the sea: and the Lord brought back upon them the waters of the sea.

But the children of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst thereof.

ANT. Thou hast encouraged us by thy power, and by thy holy refreshment, O Lord!

Though varying according to the days of the week, the last psalm of the morning Office is always one of praise, which is expressed in its very first word; whence this Hour has received its beautiful name of Lauds.

ANT. Oblatus est quia ipse voluit; et peccata nostra ipse portavit.

ANT. He was offered because it was his own will, and he himself bore our sins.

PSALM 146

Laudate Dominum quoniam bonus est psalmus: Deo nostro sit jucunda, decoraque laudatio.

Ædificans Jerusalem Dominus: dispersiones Israelis congregabit.

Qui sanat contritos corde: et alligat contritiones eorum.

Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum: et omnibus eis nomina vocat.

Magnus Dominus noster, et magna virtus ejus: et sapientiæ ejus non est numerus.

Suscipiens mansuetos Dominus: humilians autem peccatores usque ad terram.

Præcinite Domino in confessione: psallite Deo nostro in cithara.

Qui operit cœlum nubibus: et parat terræ pluviam.

Qui producit in montibus fœnum: et herbam servituti hominum.

Qui dat jumentis escam ipsorum: et pullis corvorum invocantibus eum.

Non in fortitudine equi voluntatem habebit: nec in tibiis viri beneplacitum erit ei.

Beneplacitum est Domino super timentes eum: et in eis qui sperant super misericordia ejus.

Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises: let the praise of our God be joyful and comely.

The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem: he will gather together the dispersed of Israel.

Who healeth the broken of heart: and bindeth up their bruises.

Who telleth the number of the stars: and calleth them all by their names.

Great is our Lord, and great is his power: and of his wisdom there is no measure.

The Lord lifteth up the meek: and bringeth the wicked down even to the ground.

Sing ye to the Lord with praise: sing unto our God upon the harp.

Who covereth the heaven with clouds: and prepareth rain for the earth.

Who maketh grass to grow on the mountains: and herbs for the service of men.

Who giveth to beasts their food: and to the young ravens that call upon him.

He shall not delight in the strength of the horse: nor take pleasure in the legs of a man.

The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him: and in them that hope in his mercy.

ANT. Oblatus est quia ipse voluit, et peccata nostra ipse portavit.

ANT. He was offered because it was his own will, and he himself bore our sins.

℣. Homo pacis meæ, in quo speravi.

℣. The man of my peace, in whom I trusted;

℟. Qui edebat panes meos, ampliavit adversum me supplantationem.

℟. Who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.

The Church now intones the sweet canticle of Zachary, which she repeats every morning. Its joyous accents strangely contrast with the sadness caused in us by the Passion of our Jesus, the Sun of justice. It was during these very days, that the remission of sins was wrought through the bowels of the mercy of our God; but the divine Orient rises not upon us from on high and in His splendour; He is about to set on Calvary by the most cruel of deaths. Let us weep for ourselves, while we weep for Him; but let us look forward to His Resurrection, which is to be ours also.

ANT. Traditor autem dedit eis signum dicens: Quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum.

ANT. But the traitor gave them a sign, saying: He whom I shall kiss, that is he; hold him fast.

CANTICLE OF ZACHARY

Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel: quia visitavit, et fecit redemptionem plebis suæ:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:

Et erexit cornu salutis nobis: in domo David pueri sui.

And hath raised up a horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant.

Sicut locutus est per os sanctorum, qui a sæculo sunt prophetarum ejus:

As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:

Salutem ex inimicis nostris; et de manu omnium qui oderunt nos.

Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.

Ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris: et memorari testamenti sui sancti.

To perform mercy to our fathers; and to remember his holy covenant.

Jusjurandum, quod juravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum: daturum se nobis.

The oath which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us.

Ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum nostrorum liberati: serviamus illi.

That being delivered from the hands of our enemies, we may serve him without fear.

In sanctitate et justitia coram ipso: omnibus diebus nostris.

In holiness and justice before him, all our days.

Et tu puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis: præibis enim ante faciem Domini parare vias ejus.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.

Ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi ejus: in remissionem peccatorum eorum.

To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins.

Per viscera misericordiæ Dei nostri: in quibus visitavit nos Oriens ex alto.

Through the bowels of the mercy of our God: in which the Orient from on high hath visited us.

Illuminare his, qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent: ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis.

To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet in the way of peace.

ANT. Traditor autem dedit eis signum, dicens: Quem osculatus fuero, ipse est, tenete eum.

ANT. But the traitor gave them a sign, saying: He whom I shall kiss, that is he; hold him fast.

As soon as the antiphon is finished, the choir sings, to a most plaintive chant, the following words, which are continually on the lips of the Church, during these three days:

℣. Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem.

℣. Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death.

Immediately after this the Pater noster is said in secret, which is followed by the Psalm Miserere (page 336); it is recited with a suppressed voice, by alternate choirs. Finally the first in dignity says the following prayer:

Respice, quæsumus, Domine, super hanc familiam tuam: pro qua Dominus noster Jesus Christus non dubitavit manibus tradi nocentium, et crucis subire tormentum:

Look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, upon this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ hesitated not to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and to undergo the punishment of the cross:

(then the rest in secret:)

Qui tecum vivit et regnat, in unitate Spiritus sancti, Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

The ceremonies of gradually putting out the candles, of taking the one that is left lighted, concealing it and then showing it again, and of making a noise at the end of the Office, have already been explained (see page 301).

THE MORNING

This is the first day of the Azymes, or feast of the unleavened bread. At sunset, the Jews must eat the Pasch in Jerusalem. Jesus is still in Bethania; but He will return to the city before the hour for the paschal supper. The Law commands this; and, until He has abrogated the Law by the shedding of His Blood, He wishes to observe its ordinances. He therefore sends two of His disciples to get everything ready for the Pasch, without, however, telling them the great mystery wherewith it is to terminate. We, who know that at this last Supper was instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, can understand why He sends Peter and John, in preference to any of the other disciples, to prepare what is needed.¹ Peter, who was the first to confess the Divinity of Jesus, represents faith: and John, who leaned upon the breast of the Man-God, represents love. The mystery, which is to be instituted at to-night's Supper, is revealed to love by faith. It is this that Jesus would have us learn from His choice of the two apostles; but they themselves see not the intention of their Master.

Jesus, who knows all things, tells them by what sign they are to know the house, which He intends to honour with His presence: they have but to follow a man, whom they will see carrying a pitcher of water. The house to which this man is going belongs to a rich Jew, who recognizes Jesus as the Messias. The two apostles apprise him of their Master's wishes; and immediately he puts at their disposal a large and richly furnished room. It was fitting that the place where the most august mystery was to be instituted should be something above the common. This room, where the reality was to be substituted for all the ancient figures, was far superior to the temple of Jerusalem. In it was to be erected the first altar for the offering up of the clean oblation foretold by the prophet;² in it was to commence the Christian priesthood; in it, finally, fifty days later on, the Church of Christ, collected together and visited by the Holy Ghost, was to make herself known to the world, and promulgate the new and universal Covenant of God with men. This favoured sanctuary of our faith is still venerated on Mount Sion. The infidels have profaned it by their false worship, for even they look on it as a sacred place; but, as though divine Providence, which has mercifully preserved unto us so many traces of our Redeemer, would give us an earnest of better days to come, this venerable sanctuary has recently been thrown open to several priests of the Church, and they have even been permitted to offer up the holy Sacrifice in the very place where the holy Eucharist was instituted.

During the course of the day, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, with the rest of His disciples: He has found all things prepared.

The Paschal Lamb, after being first presented in the temple, has been brought to the house, where Jesus is to celebrate the Supper; it is prepared together with the wild lettuce and the unleavened bread. In a few hours, the divine Master and His disciples will be standing round the table, their loins girt, and staves in their hands: and, for the last time, they will observe the solemn rite prescribed by God to His people when they first went forth from Egypt.

But let us wait for the hour of Mass, before going further into the details of this last Supper. Meanwhile, let us seek edification and instruction in two holy functions, which belong to this great day. The first is the reconciliation of penitents, which, although not now in use, needs to be described, in order that our readers may have a proper idea of the lenten liturgy. The second is the consecration of the holy oils, which is a ceremony confined to cathedral churches, but so interesting to the faithful that we should have scrupled to exclude it from our volume. After having briefly described these, we will return to the history of the institution of the blessed Sacrament, and assist at Mass. Then we shall have to speak of the preparation for the Mass of the Presanctified for to-morrow's service, of the stripping of the altars, and of the Mandatum, or washing of the feet. We proceed, therefore, to explain these several ceremonies, which make Maundy Thursday to be one of the most sacred days of the liturgical year.

¹ St. Luke xxii. 8.
² Mal. i. 11.

THE RECONCILIATION OF PENITENTS

Three solemn Masses were anciently celebrated on this day; and the first was preceded by the absolution of the public penitents, and their readmission into the Church. The following was the order of the service for the reconciliation of penitents. They presented themselves at the church door, clad in penitential garb, and bare-footed. The hair of both head and beard had been allowed to grow from Ash Wednesday, the day on which they had received their penance. The bishop recited, in the sanctuary, the seven psalms in which David expresses his sorrow for having offended God. These were followed by the litany of the saints.

During these prayers the penitents were prostrate in the porch, for entrance into the church was forbidden them. Thrice during the litany the bishop deputed some of the clergy to go and visit them, in his name, and bear them words of hope and consolation. The first time, two subdeacons went to them and said: 'As I live, saith the Lord, I will not the death of the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live.' The second time, two other subdeacons were sent, with this message: 'Thus saith the Lord: Do penance; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Finally, a deacon was commissioned to go to them and say: 'Lift up your heads: lo! your redemption is nigh.'

After these announcements of approaching pardon, the bishop left the sanctuary and went towards the penitents, as far as half way down the centre nave, where was prepared a seat, turned towards the door which led into the porch where the penitents were still lying prostrate. The pontiff being seated, the archdeacon addressed him in these words:

Venerable pontiff! The acceptable time has come, the day of God's mercy and of man's salvation, when death was destroyed, and eternal life began. This is the time when, in the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth, new plants are to be set, and the detestableness of the old growth is to be pruned away. For though there is no period of time, which is not rich in the goodness and mercy of God, yet now indulgence produces a more abundant remission of sins, and grace yields a more plentiful number of the regenerated. Those that are regenerated add to our ranks; those that return, increase our numbers. There is a laver of water; there is a laver of tears. From the one, there is joy because of the admittance of them that are called; from the other, there is gladness because of them that repent. Therefore it is that these thy suppliant servants—after having fallen into sundry kinds of sins, by the neglect of the divine commandments, and the transgression of the moral law—humbled and prostrate, cry out to the Lord in these words of the prophet: 'We have sinned: we have done unjustly; we have committed iniquity: have mercy on us, O Lord!' It has not been in vain, that they have heard the words of the Gospel: Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. As it is written, they have eaten the bread of sorrow; they have watered their couch with tears; they have afflicted their hearts with mourning, and their bodies with fasting, that thus they might recover the health of soul, which they had lost. The grace of penance, therefore, is one; but it profits each one that receives it, and gives help to all in common.

The bishop then rose, and advanced towards the penitents. He spoke to them concerning the mercy of God, and how they should live for the time to come. After this admonition, he thus addressed them: 'Come, come, come, my children! I will teach you the fear of the Lord.' The choir then sang this antiphon, taken from Psalm xxxiii: 'Come ye to Him and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be confounded.' Hereupon, the penitents rose up and, coming to the bishop, threw themselves at his feet. The archpriest then pleaded for them in these words:

Make good in them, O apostolic pontiff, all that has been corrupted in them by the temptation of the devil. By the merit of thy prayers and intercession, and by the grace of the divine reconciliation, bring these men nigh unto God. Thus they, who heretofore suffered by the sins they committed, may now be happy in the hope that, having overcome the author of their death, they may please the Lord in the land of the living.

The bishop answered: 'Knowest thou, if they be worthy of reconciliation?' The archpriest replied: 'I know and bear witness, that they are worthy.' A deacon then ordered the penitents to rise. This done, the bishop took one of them by the hand, who did the same to his neighbour; and thus all, hand in hand, followed the bishop to the place prepared in the centre of the nave. Meanwhile, the choir sang the following antiphons: 'I say unto you, there is joy to the angels of God over one sinner doing penance. It behoveth thee, my son, to rejoice; for thy brother was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and is found.' The bishop then offered up to God this prayer, which he sang to the solemn tone of the Preface.

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always and in all places give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through Christ our Lord: whom thou, almighty Father, didst will to be born among us by an ineffable birth, that so he might pay to thee, his eternal Father, the debt contracted by Adam, and put our death to death by his own, and bear our wounds in his own flesh, and cleanse away our stains by his Blood; hereby enabling us, who had fallen by the envy of the old enemy, to rise again by his mercy. Through him, O Lord, we suppliantly beseech and pray thee that thou graciously hear us making intercession for the sins of others, who are not worthy to plead for our own. Do thou, O most merciful Lord, recall to thyself, with thy wonted goodness, these thy servants, who have separated themselves from thee by their sins. For neither didst thou reject the most wicked Achab when he humbled himself before thee, but didst avert from him the punishment he had deserved. So, likewise, didst thou graciously hear Peter, when he wept, and didst afterwards give to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and thou didst promise the reward of that same kingdom to the thief when he trusted in thee. Therefore, O most merciful Lord! mercifully welcome back these for whom we offer to thee our prayers, and restore them to the bosom of the Church, that the enemy may not triumph over them, but that they may be reconciled unto thee by thy coequal Son, and by him be cleansed from their guilt, and graciously admitted by him to the banquet of thy most holy Supper. May he in such wise refresh them by his Flesh and Blood, as to lead them, after this life's course is run, to the kingdom of heaven.

After this prayer, all, both clergy and laity, prostrated themselves, together with the penitents, before the divine Majesty, and recited the three psalms which begin with the word Miserere, that is, psalms l, lv, and lvi. The bishop then stood up, and said over the penitents (who remained prostrate, as did also all the assistants) six prayers, from which we select the following sentences.

Give ear, O Lord, to our supplications, and mercifully hear me, though I myself need mercy above all others. Thou hast chosen me to be the minister of this work, not from any merits thou didst see in me, but by the pure gift of thy grace. Grant me courage to fulfil my office, and do thou work, by my ministry, the effects of thine own mercy. It is thou that didst bring back, on thy shoulders, the lost sheep to the fold, and that didst mercifully hear the prayers of the publican: do thou, also, restore to life these thy servants, whom thou wouldst not have die unto thee. O thou, who abandonest not them that are gone astray, receive these who have returned to thee. We beseech thee, O Lord, let the tearful sighs of these thy servants move thee to clemency: heal their wounds: stretch out thy saving hand to them, and raise them up. Permit not thy Church to be injured in any of her members: let not thy flock suffer loss; let not the enemy exult over the destruction of any of thy family, nor the second death lay hold of them that have been regenerated in the laver of salvation. Pardon, O Lord, these that confess their sins to thee: let them not fall into the punishments of the judgment to come; let them never know the horrors of darkness, or the torments of the flames of hell. They have returned from the way of error to the path of justice; let them not again be wounded, but maintain ever within themselves both what thy grace hath conferred upon them, and what thy mercy hath reformed within them.

Having said these prayers, the bishop stretched forth his hands over the penitents, and pronounced the reconciliation, in this solemn formula:

May our Lord Jesus Christ, who vouchsafed to take away the sins of the whole world, by delivering himself up for us, and shedding his spotless Blood; who also said unto his disciples: Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven: and who hath numbered me, though unworthy, among these his ministers: may he deign, by the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, of the blessed Archangel Michael, of holy Peter the apostle (to whom he gave the power of binding and loosing), and of all the saints, to absolve you, by the merits of his Blood shed for the remission of sins, from all whatsoever you have negligently committed in thought, or word, or action; and, having loosed you from the bonds of sin, may he graciously lead you to the kingdom of heaven. Who, with God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

The bishop then advanced towards the penitents, who were still lying prostrate: he sprinkled them with holy water, and thurified them. Finally, he addressed them in these words of the apostle: 'Arise, ye that sleep! arise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten you!' The penitents stood up; and, in order to express the joy they felt at being reconciled with their God, they immediately went and changed their penitential garb for one more in accordance with gladness, and with the holy Communion they were now to receive together with the rest of the faithful.

This reconciliation of penitents has given rise to the magnificent ceremony, which takes place at Rome on this day, the papal benediction. After Mass, the sovereign Pontiff, vested in cope, and wearing the tiara, goes to the balcony over the centre door of the Vatican basilica. In the Piazza of St. Peter's there stands an immense crowd of people, come from every country of the world, awaiting the appearance of the vicar of Christ, who is about to grant them the remission of the punishment due to their sins. One of the prelates who surround the Pope's throne recites the usual form of the confession of sins; he recites it in the name of the assembly below, whom one and the same holy faith has thus brought before the father of the Christian world. After a few seconds of silence, the Pontiff beseeches God to show the riches of His mercy upon the multitude, who have already purified their conscience in the tribunal of reconciliation; he invokes upon them the assistance of the holy apostles Peter and Paul; and then rising, he raises up his hands to heaven, as though to draw thence the treasures of eternal indulgence; and immediately lowering them, he blesses the assembled multitude. This blessing,¹ which grants a plenary indulgence to all that have fulfilled the requisite conditions, was, originally, given only on Maundy Thursday; afterwards, it was given also on Easter Sunday; and again, later on, was extended to two other days in the year, namely, the Ascension (at St. John Lateran), and the Assumption (at St. Mary Major).

THE BLESSING OF THE HOLY OILS

The second Mass, which used formerly to be said on Maundy Thursday, was that of the blessing of the holy oils. This holy function, which takes place but once each year, requires a bishop as the consecrator. For now many centuries, this great ceremony is celebrated at the single Mass, which is said on this day in commemoration of our Lord's Supper. As this blessing takes place only in cathedral churches, we will not enter into each detail; and yet we would not deprive our readers of what they ought to know with regard to the holy oils. Faith teaches us that, as we are regenerated by water, so are we confirmed and fortified by oil; and that oil is one of the chief elements chosen by the divine Author of the Sacraments, whereby to signify and produce grace in our souls.

The reason of the Church's selecting Maundy Thursday for the blessing of the holy oils, was that they would be so much needed for the Baptism of the neophytes on Easter Eve. It behoves the faithful to understand the mystery of those sacred elements. We will, therefore, briefly explain it to them, in order that we may excite their hearts to gratitude to our blessed Lord, who has made material things the instruments of grace, and, by His Blood, has given them the sacramental power which resides within them.

The first of the holy oils, that is, the first that is blessed by the bishop, is the one called the *oil of the sick*. It is the matter of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. It takes away from the dying Christian the remnants of sin; it strengthens him in his last combat; and, by the supernatural power it possesses, sometimes restores to him the health of the body. Formerly, it used to be blessed on any day of the year, as often as required: but, later on, its blessing was fixed for this day, that thus the three oils might be blessed all together. The faithful should assist, with much devotion, at this ceremony; for the element that is thus sanctified is one day to anoint and purify our bodies, sinking under sickness. Let them, as they see it being blessed, think upon their last hour, and praise the infinite goodness of their

¹ It is particularly called a blessing *Urbi et Orbi*, inasmuch as it is given only to the faithful who are present at it.

Saviour, whose Blood streams so plentifully through this precious fluid.'¹

The noblest of the three oils is the chrism, and its consecration is more solemn, and fuller of mystery, than those of the other two. It is by the chrism that the Holy Ghost imprints His indelible seal on the Christian that has already been made a member of Christ by Baptism. The water gives us our spiritual birth; the chrism gives us strength; and, until such time as we have received its holy anointing, we have not as yet the perfect character of a Christian. Anointed with this holy oil, the Christian has a visible sign given him of his being a member of the Man-God, whose name of Christ signifies the unction He has received both as King and Pontiff. This consecration of a Christian by chrism is so much in accordance with the spirit of our holy religion, that, immediately after Baptism, the child receives upon its head an anointing (though it is not a sacramental one) of this oil, to show that he is already a sharer of the kingly character of Jesus Christ.

In order to express, by an outward sign, the sacredness of chrism, an apostolic tradition requires the bishop to mix balm with it. This balm represents what the apostle calls the good odour of Christ,² of whom it is written: 'We will run after Thee, to the odour of Thy ointments.'³ The scarcity and high price of other perfumes has obliged the Latin Church to be content with balm alone in the mixture of holy chrism: but in the eastern Church, where the climate is more favourable than ours, three and thirty species of precious perfumes are put into the oil, and it thus becomes an ointment of exquisite fragrance.

The holy chrism, besides its sacramental use in Confirmation, and its being put on the head of the newly baptized, is also used by the Church in the consecration of her bishops, in the consecration of chalices and altars, in the blessing of bells, and in the dedication of a church; in which last most imposing ceremony, the bishop pours out the chrism on the twelve crosses which are to attest to all succeeding ages the glory of God's house.

The third of the holy oils is that which is called the oil of catechumens. Though it be not the matter of any Sacrament, it is, nevertheless, apostolic institution. Its blessing is less solemn than that of the chrism, but more so than that of the oil of the sick. The oil of catechumens is used in the ceremonies of Baptism, for anointing the breast and shoulders. It is used also for the anointing of a priest's hands in Ordination, and for the coronation of a king or queen.

These few words of explanation will give the faithful some idea of the importance of the blessing of the holy oils. By this threefold blessing, says St. Fortunatus in the beautiful hymn which is used during the ceremony, the bishop acquits the debt he owes, and which none but he can pay.

The holy Church seldom employs such pomp as she does on this occasion. Twelve priests, seven deacons, and seven subdeacons are present. The Roman pontifical tells us that the twelve priests assist as witnesses and co-operators of the holy chrism. The Mass commences, and goes on as far as the prayer of the Canon which immediately precedes the Pater noster. The bishop then leaves the altar, and goes to the place prepared for the blessing. The first phial of oil that is brought to him, is that which is intended for the sick. He prefaces the blessing by pronouncing the words of exorcism over this oil in order to drive from it the influence of the wicked spirits, who, out of hatred for man, are ever seeking to infest the creatures given to us for our use. This done, he blesses it in these words:

We beseech thee, O Lord, send forth from heaven thy holy Spirit the Paraclete upon this rich juice of the olive, which thou hast graciously produced from the green wood, for the solace of both mind and body. By thy holy blessing, may all they that are anointed with this ointment of heavenly virtue, receive help to mind and body; may it remove from them all pains, all infirmities, and all sickness of mind and body, for it was with oil that thou didst anoint thy priests, kings, prophets, and martyrs. May this, being blessed by thee, O Lord, become unto us an ointment of perfection, and abide within our whole being. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the seven subdeacons then carries the phial back, and the bishop returns to the altar, and continues the Mass. As soon as he has given holy Communion to the clergy, he returns to the place prepared for the blessing of the oils. The twelve priests, the seven deacons, and the seven subdeacons, repair to the place where the other two phials have been put. One contains the oil which is to become the chrism of salvation; the other, the oil which is to be sanctified as the oil of catechumens. The procession is soon seen returning towards the pontiff. The two phials are carried by two deacons; a subdeacon carries the vase of balm. The bishop begins by blessing the balm: he calls it 'the fragrant tear of dry bark, the oozing of a favoured branch, that gives us the priestly unction'. Before proceeding to bless the oil of the chrism, he thrice breathes upon it, in the form of a cross. The twelve priests do the same. The Gospel tells us that our blessed Saviour used this same ceremony over His apostles. It signifies the power of the Holy Ghost, and expresses His name, which is the Spirit. This holy Spirit is about to make this oil become an instrument of His divine power. The bishop first prepares it for the heavenly dignity, by exorcising it. He then celebrates the praises of the chrism, by this magnificent Preface, which has been handed down to us from the earliest ages of our faith.

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God: who in the beginning, among the rest of thy bounteous gifts, didst command the earth to yield fruitbearing trees, among which should be the olive, which produces this most rich liquor, and whose fruit was to serve for making holy chrism. Hence it was that David, foreknowing by a prophetic spirit the Sacraments of thy grace, sang that our faces were to be made glad with oil: and when the sins of the world were expiated of old by the deluge, a dove announced that peace was restored to the earth, by bearing an olive branch, the type of the gift to come, which has been manifested in these latter ages; for after the waters of Baptism have washed away the sins of men, this anointing of oil gives us joy and calm. Hence, too, thou didst command thy servant Moses to ordain his brother Aaron priest, by pouring oil upon him, after he had been cleansed with water. A greater honour still was, that when thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, bade John baptize him in the waters of the Jordan, thou didst send upon him the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove; that thus by a voice that bore testimony, thou mightest designate thine only-begotten Son, in whom thou wast well pleased, and mightest prove, beyond all doubt, that this was the fulfilment of what the prophet David had foretold, when he sang, that he was to be anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. We, therefore, beseech thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, that thou vouchsafe to sanctify, by thy blessing, this thy creature oil, and infuse into it the virtue of the Holy Ghost, through the co-operating power of Christ, thy Son, from whose name it hath borrowed its own of chrism, and wherewith thou didst anoint the priests, kings, prophets, and martyrs. Raise this chrism into a Sacrament of perfect salvation and life, to them that are to be renewed by the spiritual laver of Baptism. That thus, the corruption of their first birth being absorbed by the infusion of this holy anointing, they may become a holy temple, redolent with the fragrance of the innocence of holy living. According to what thou hast appointed in this mystery, bestow upon them the honour of kings, priests, and prophets, by vesting them in the robe of incorruption. May this oil be to them, that are born again from water and the Holy Ghost, a chrism of salvation, making them partakers of life everlasting, and coheirs of heavenly glory.

The bishop then takes the balm; and having mixed it, on a paten, with a little oil, he pours it into the phial. The consecration of the chrism thus completed, he salutes it with these words: 'Hail, O holy chrism!' This he does with the intention of honouring the Holy Ghost, who is to work by this sacramental oil. The same is done by each of the twelve priests.

The bishop then proceeds to bless the oil of catechumens. After having breathed upon it and pronounced the exorcism, as before in the blessing of the holy chrism, he says this prayer:

O God, the rewarder of every spiritual increase and growth! who strengthenest the beginnings of weakly souls by the power of the Holy Ghost: we beseech thee, O Lord, that thou vouchsafe to pour out thy blessing upon this oil, and grant to them, that come to the laver of holy regeneration, the cleansing of soul and body, by the anointing they receive from this thy creature; that so, if there should be any stains fixed upon them by their spiritual enemies, they may be effaced by the touch of this holy oil. May the wicked spirits find no room there; may the powers, that have been put to flight, have no further sway; may there be no lurking place left to insidious evil ones. May thy servants that come to the faith, and are to be cleansed by the operation of thy holy Spirit, find in this anointing a preparation for that salvation, which they are to receive in the Sacrament of Baptism, by the birth of a heavenly regeneration. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who is to come to judge the living, and the dead, and the world by fire. Amen.

The bishop then salutes the oil, on which he has conferred these wonderful prerogatives, saying: 'Hail, O holy oil!' The same act of reverence is repeated by each of the priests. One of the deacons takes the chrism, another the oil of catechumens, and a procession is again formed for taking them to the place prepared for them. They are covered with veils of silk: the holy chrism, with white; the oil of catechumens, with purple.

We will conclude our outline of this imposing ceremony, by giving our readers the beautiful hymn, composed in the sixth century, by St. Venantius Fortunatus, bishop of Poitiers. The Church has adopted it for the two processions, which we have already described.

HYMN

O Redemptor sume carmen temet concinentium.

Repeat: O Redemptor.

Audi judex mortuorum, Una spes mortalium, Audi voces proferentum Donum pacis prævium.

O Redemptor.

Arbor fœta alma luce
Hoc sacrandum protulit: Fert hoc prona præsens turba,
Salvatori sæculi.

O Redemptor.

Stans ad aram immo supplex Infulatus Pontifex, Debitum persolvit omne, Consecrato chrismate.

O Redemptor.

Consecrare tu dignare, Rex perennis patriæ,

O Redeemer of mankind! receive the hymn of them that sing thy praise.

Repeat: O Redeemer.

O Judge of the dead! thou only hope of men! hear the prayers of them that carry the emblem of the gift of peace.

O Redeemer.

A tree made fruitful by the fostering sun, produced this oil that is now to be blessed, which we, the adorers of his holy name, bring to the Saviour of the world.

O Redeemer.

The mitred pontiff, too, standing humbly before the altar, is about to pay his debt, by consecrating the chrism.

O Redeemer.

O King of the everlasting kingdom! deign to consecrate

Hoc olivum, signum vivum, Jura contra dæmonum.

O Redemptor.

Ut novetur sexus omnis Unctione chrismatis, Ut sanetur sauciata Dignitatis gloria.

O Redemptor.

Lota mente sacro fonte Aufugantur crimina: Uncta fronte, sacrosancta Influunt charismata.

O Redemptor.

Corde natus ex Parentis, Alvum implens Virginis, Præsta lucem, claude mortem,
Chrismatis consortibus.

O Redemptor.

Sit hæc dies festa nobis
Sæculorum sæculis:
Sit sacrata, digna laude, Nec senescat tempore.

O Redemptor.

this oil, this instrument of life, that breaks the demon's power.

O Redeemer.

Men and women are renovated by the unction of the chrism; and their glorious dignity that had been wounded, is healed by the same.

O Redeemer.

When the soul is washed in the sacred font, her crimes are put to flight: and holiest graces come upon them, whose brow is anointed with this oil.

O Redeemer.

O thou the Son of the eternal Father, and Son of the Virgin-Mother! grant light and life to us whom thou hast made to share in thine own anointing.

O Redeemer.

May this day be to us an everlasting feast. May it be sacred, praiseworthy, nor grow old with time.

O Redeemer.

THE MASS OF MAUNDY THURSDAY

The Church intends, on this day, to renew, in a most solemn manner, the mystery of the last Supper: for our Lord Himself, on this occasion of the institution of the blessed Sacrament, said to His apostles: 'Do this for a commemoration of Me.'¹ Let us, therefore, resume the Gospel narrative.

Jesus is in the supper chamber, where the Paschal lamb is to be eaten. All the apostles are with Him;

¹ St. Luke xxii. 19.

Judas is there, also, but his crime is not known to the rest. Jesus approaches the table, on which the lamb is served. His disciples stand around Him. The ceremonies prescribed by God to Moses are religiously observed. At the beginning of the repast, Jesus speaks these words to His apostles: 'With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you, before I suffer!' In saying this, He does not imply that the Pasch of this year is intrinsically better than those that have preceded it; but that it is dearer to Him, inasmuch as it is to give rise to the institution of the new Pasch, which He has prepared for mankind, and which He is now going to give them as His last gift; for, as St. John says, having loved His own, who were in the world, He loved them unto the end.²

¹ Bossuet, Oraison funèbre d'Henriette d'Angleterre.
² 2 Cor. ii. 15.
³ Cant. i. 3.

During the repast, Jesus, who reads the hearts of all men, utters these words, which cause great consternation among the disciples: *Amen I say to you that one of you is about to betray Me:—he that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, he shall betray Me.* The sadness with which He speaks is enough to soften any heart; and Judas, who knows his Master's goodness, feels that they imply a merciful pardon, if he will but ask it. But no: the passion of avarice has enslaved his soul, and he, like the rest of the apostles, says to Jesus: *Is it I, Rabbi?* Jesus answers him in a whisper, in order not to compromise him before his brethren: *Thou hast said it!* But Judas yields not. He intends to remain with Jesus, until the hour comes for betraying Him. Thus, the august mystery, which is on the point of being celebrated, is to be insulted by his presence!

The legal repast is over. It is followed by a feast, which again brings the disciples around their divine Master. It was the custom in the east, that guests should repose two and two on couches round the table: these have been provided by the disciple who has placed his house at Jesus' service. John is on the same couch as Jesus, so that it is easy for him to lean his head on his Master's breast. Peter is on the next couch, on the other side of Jesus, who is thus between the two disciples whom He had sent, in the morning, to prepare the Pasch, and who, as we have already observed, represent faith and love. The second repast is a sorrowful one, in consequence of Jesus having told the guests that one of them is a traitor. The innocent and affectionate John is overwhelmed with grief, and seeks consolation on the Heart of his dear Lord, whom some one is about to deliver to His enemies.

But the apostles little expect a third supper; Jesus has not told them of His intention; but He had made a promise, and He would fulfil it before His Passion. Speaking, one day, to the people, He had said: *I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give, is My Flesh for the life of the world... My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him.*¹ The time has come for the fulfilment of this His loving promise. But as it was both His Flesh and His Blood that He promised us, He waited till the time of His sacrifice. His Passion has begun; He is sold to His enemies; His life is already in their hands:—He may at once, therefore, offer Himself in sacrifice, and give to His disciples the very Flesh and Blood of the Victim.

As soon as the second repast is over, Jesus suddenly rises, and, to the astonishment of His apostles, takes off His upper garment, girds Himself as a servant with a towel, pours water into a basin, and prepares to wash the feet of the guests. It was the custom, in the east, to wash one's feet before taking part in a feast; it was considered as the very extreme of hospitality, when the master of the house himself did this service to his guest. Jesus is about to regale His apostles with a divine banquet; He wishes to treat them with every possible mark of welcome and attention. But in this, as in every other action of His, there is a fund of instruction: He would teach us, by what He is now doing, how great is the purity wherewith we should approach the holy Table. *He that is washed,* says He, *needeth not but to wash his feet;*¹ as though He would say: *The holiness of this Table is such, that those who come to it should not only be free from grievous sins, but they should, moreover, strive to cleanse their souls from those lesser faults, which come from contact with the world, and are like the dust that covers the feet of one that walks on the high-way.* We will explain further on the other teachings conveyed by this action of our Lord.

It is with Peter, the future head of His Church, that Jesus begins. The apostle protests; he declares that he will never permit his Master to humble Himself so low as this: but he is obliged to yield. The other apostles (who, as Peter himself, are reclining upon their couches) receive the same mark of love: Jesus comes to each of them in turn, and washes their feet. Judas is not excepted: he has just received a second warning from his merciful Master; for Jesus, addressing Himself to all the apostles, said to them: *You are clean, but not all*:² but the reproach produced no effect upon this hardened heart. Having finished washing the feet of the twelve, Jesus resumes His place, side by side with John.

Then taking a piece of the unleavened bread, that had remained over from the feast, He raises His eyes to heaven, blesses the bread, breaks it, and distributes it to His disciples saying to them: *Take ye, and eat; this is My Body.*¹ The twelve take the bread, which is now changed into the Body of their divine Master; they eat: and Jesus is now not only with them, but in them. But, as this sacred mystery is not only the most holy of the Sacraments, but moreover a true Sacrifice; and as a Sacrifice requires the shedding of blood; our Jesus takes the cup, and changing the wine into His own Blood, He passes it round to His disciples, saying to them: *Drink ye all, of this; for this is My Blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many, unto remission of sins.*² The apostles drink from the sacred chalice thus proffered them! When it comes to Judas, he too partakes of it, but he drinks his own damnation, as he ate his own judgment when he received the Bread of life. Jesus, however, mercifully offers the traitor another grace, by saying, as He gives the cup to His disciples: *The hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table.*⁴

Peter is struck by Jesus thus frequently alluding to the crime, which is to be committed by one of the twelve. He is determined to find out who the traitor is. Not daring himself to ask Jesus, at whose right hand he is sitting, he makes a sign to John, who is on the other side, and begs him to put the question. John leans on Jesus' breast, and says to Him in a whisper: *Lord, who is it?* Jesus answers him in an equally suppressed tone: *He to whom I shall reach bread dipped.* And having taken one of the pieces of bread that remained over from the repast, He dipped it, and gave it to Judas. It was one more grace offered and refused, for the evangelist adds: *And after the morsel, satan entered into him.*¹ Jesus again addresses him saying: *That which thou dost, do quickly.*² The wretch then leaves the room, and sets about the perpetration of his crime.

Such is the history of the last Supper, of which we celebrate the anniversary on this day. But there is one circumstance of the deepest interest to us, to which we have, so far, made only an indirect allusion. The institution of the holy Eucharist, both as a Sacrament and a Sacrifice, is followed by another: the institution of a new priesthood. How could our Saviour have said: *Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you,*³ unless He had resolved to establish a ministry upon earth, whereby He would renew, even to the end of time, the great mystery He thus commands us to receive? He begins it to-day, in the cenacle. The twelve apostles are the first to partake of it; but observe what He says to them: *Do this for a commemoration of Me.*⁴ By these words, He gives them power to change bread into His Body, and wine into His Blood; and this sublime power shall be perpetuated in the Church, by holy Ordination, even to the end of the world. Jesus will continue to operate, by the ministry of mortal and sinful men, the mystery of the last Supper. By thus enriching His Church with the one and perpetual Sacrifice, He also gives us the means of abiding in Him, for He gives us, as He promised, the Bread of heaven. To-day, then, we keep the anniversary, not only of the institution of the holy Eucharist, but also of the equally wonderful institution of the Christian priesthood.

To offer the faithful an outward expression of the greatness and the unity of this Supper, which our Saviour gave to His disciples, and, through them, to us, the Church forbids her priests to say private Masses on this day, except in cases of necessity. She would have but one Sacrifice to be offered in each church, at which the other priests are to assist, and receive holy Communion from the hands of the celebrant. When approaching the altar, they put on the stole, the emblem of their priesthood.

The Mass of Maundy Thursday is one of the most solemn of the year; and although the feast of Corpus Christi is the day for solemnly honouring the mystery of the holy Eucharist, still, the Church would have the anniversary of the last Supper to be celebrated with all possible splendour. The colour of the vestments is white, as it is for Christmas day and Easter Sunday; the decorations of the altar and sanctuary all bespeak joy, and yet, there are several ceremonies during this Mass which show that the holy bride of Christ has not forgotten the Passion of her Jesus, and that this joy is but transient. The priest intones the angelic hymn, Glory be to God in the highest! and the bells ring forth a joyous peal, which continues during the whole of the heavenly canticle: but from that moment they remain silent, and their long silence produces, in every heart, a sentiment of holy mournfulness. But why does the Church deprive us, for so many hours, of the grand melody of these sweet bells, whose voices cheer us during the rest of the year? It is to show us that this world lost all its melody and joy when its Saviour suffered and was crucified. Moreover, she would hereby remind us, how the apostles (who were the heralds of Christ, and are figured by the bells, whose ringing summons the faithful to the house of God), fled from their divine Master and left Him a prey to His enemies.

The holy Sacrifice continues as usual; but at the solemn moment of the elevation of the holy Host and the Chalice of salvation, the bell is silent, and outside the church there is not given to the neighbourhood the usual signal of the descent of Jesus upon the altar. When the time of the holy Communion is near, the priest does not give the kiss of peace to the deacon, who, according to the apostolic tradition, should transmit it, by the subdeacon, to those who are about to communicate. Our thoughts turn to the traitor Judas, who on this very day profaned the sign of friendship by making it an instrument of death. It is out of detestation for this crime, that the Church omits, to-day, the sign of fraternal charity: it would too painfully remind us of the sacrilegious hypocrisy.

Another rite peculiar to to-day, is the consecration of two Hosts during the Mass. One of these the priest receives in Communion; the other he reserves, and reverently places it in a chalice, which he covers with a veil. The reason of this is that to-morrow the Church suspends the daily Sacrifice. Such is the impression produced by the anniversary of our Saviour's death, that the Church dares not to renew upon her altars the immolation which was then offered on Calvary; or rather, her renewal of it will be by fixing all her thoughts on the terrible scene of that Friday noon. The Host reserved from to-day's Mass, will be her morrow's participation. This rite is called the Mass of the Presanctified, because, in it, the priest does not consecrate, but only receives the Host consecrated on the previous day. Formerly, as we shall explain more fully further on, the holy Sacrifice was not offered up on Holy Saturday, and yet the Mass of the Presanctified was not celebrated as it was on the Friday.

But although the Church suspends, for a few short hours, the oblation of the perpetual Sacrifice, she would not that her divine Spouse should lose aught of the homage that is due to Him in the Sacrament of His love. Catholic piety has found a means of changing these trying hours into a tribute of devotion to the holy Eucharist. In every church is prepared a richly ornamented side-chapel or pavilion, where, after to-day's Mass, the Church places the Body of her divine Lord. Though veiled from their view, the faithful will visit Him in this His holy resting-place, pay Him their most humble adorations, and present Him their most fervent supplications. *Wheresoever the Body shall be, there shall the eagles be gathered together.*¹ In every part of the Catholic world, a concert of prayer, more loving and earnest than at any other period of the year, will be offered to our Jesus, in reparation for the outrages He underwent, during these very hours, from the Jews. Around this anticipated tomb will be united both His long-tried and fervent servants, and those who are newly converted, or are preparing for their reconciliation.

At Rome, the station is in the Lateran basilica. The metropolitan church both of the holy city and of the world was deservedly chosen for this great day of the reconciliation of sinners and of the consecration of the chrism. The papal function, however, now takes place at the Vatican; and, as we have

¹ St. Matt. xxvi. 28.

already stated, the apostolic benediction is given by the sovereign Pontiff from the loggia of St. Peter's.

MASS

In the Introit, the Church makes use of the words of St. Paul, in praise of the cross of Christ. She is filled with gratitude for this her Redeemer, who has made Himself our salvation, by dying for us; our life, by the Bread of heaven He has given us; and our resurrection, by His having risen from the grave.

INTROIT

Nos autem gloriari oportet in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi: in quo est salus, vita, et resurrectio nostra, per quem salvati, et liberati sumus.

We ought to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; by whom we have been saved and delivered.

Ps. Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis; illuminet vultum suum super nos, et misereatur nostri.

Ps. May God have mercy on us, and bless us; may his countenance shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.

Nos autem.

We ought.

In the Collect, the Church reminds us of Judas and the good thief: both are guilty; and yet, the one is condemned, the other is pardoned. She prays for us to God, that the Passion of His Son, during which were thus shown the divine justice and mercy, may procure us the forgiveness of our sins, and the fulness of grace.

COLLECT

Deus, a quo et Judas reatus sui pœnam, et confessionis suæ latro præmium sumpsit: concede nobis tuæ propitiationis effectum: ut sicut in passione sua Jesus Christus Dominus noster diversa utrisque intulit stipendia meritorum, ita nobis, ablato vetustatis errore, resurrectionis suæ gratiam largiatur. Qui tecum.

O God, from whom both Judas received the punishment of his sin, and the thief the reward of his confession; grant us the effects of thy mercy; that as our Lord Jesus Christ, at the time of his Passion, bestowed on both different rewards according to their merits; so, having destroyed the old man in us, he may give us grace to rise again with him. Who liveth, &c.

EPISTLE

Lectio Epistolæ beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthios.

I. Cap. xi.

Fratres: Convenientibus vobis in unum, jam non est dominicam cœnam manducare. Unusquisque enim suam cœnam præsumit ad manducandum. Et alius quidem esurit: alius autem ebrius est. Numquid domos non habetis ad manducandum et bibendum? Aut Ecclesiam Dei contemnitis, et confunditis eos, qui non habent? Quid dicam vobis? Laudo vos? In hoc non laudo. Ego enim accepi a Domino, quod et tradidi vobis: quoniam Dominus Jesus, in qua nocte tradebatur, accepit panem, et gratias agens fregit, et dixit: Accipite et manducate: hoc est Corpus meum, quod pro vobis tradetur; hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Similiter et calicem postquam cœnavit, dicens: Hic calix novum testamentum est in meo Sanguine. Hoc facite quotiescumque bibetis, in meam commemorationem. — Quotiescumque enim manducabitis panem hunc, et calicem bibetis, mortem Domini annuntiabitis donec veniat. Itaque quicumque manducaverit panem hunc, vel biberit calicem Domini indigne, reus erit Corporis et Sanguinis Domini. Probet autem seipsum homo, et sic de pane illo edat, et de calice bibat. Qui enim manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit, non dijudicans Corpus Domini. Ideo inter vos multi infirmi et imbecilles, et dormiunt multi. Quod si nosmetipsos dijudicaremus, non utique judicaremur. Dum judicamur autem, a Domino corripimur, ut non cum hoc mundo damnemur.

Lesson of the Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

I. Ch. xi.

Brethren: When you come, therefore, together, into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord's Supper. For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry, and another is drunk. What, have you not houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the Church of God, and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye and eat: this is my Body which shall be delivered for you; this do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my Blood; this do ye, as often as ye shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world.

After having rebuked the Christians of Corinth for the abuses into which they had fallen at the feasts (called Agapæ), which had been introduced by a spirit of fraternal charity but were soon abolished, the holy apostle relates the history of the last Supper. His account, which corresponds throughout with that given by the evangelists, rests upon the testimony of our blessed Saviour Himself, who deigned to appear to him and instruct him in person, after his conversion. The apostle does not omit to give the words, whereby our Lord empowered His apostles to renew what He Himself had done: he tells us that, as often as the priest consecrates the Body and Blood of Christ, he shows the death of the Lord, thus expressing the oneness there is between the Sacrifice of the cross and that of the altar. We have explained this important doctrine in the sixth chapter of the introduction to this present volume. The consequence to be drawn from this teaching is evident; it is contained in these words of the apostle: Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. What could be more just, than that, having to be initiated in so intimate a manner to the mystery of the redemption and to contract so close a union with the divine Victim, we should banish from our hearts sin and affection to sin? 'He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in Him,' says our Lord.¹ Could there be a closer union? God and man abiding in each other? Oh! how carefully ought we to purify our soul, and render our will conformable with the will of Jesus, before approaching this divine banquet, to which He invites us! Let us beseech Him to prepare us Himself, as He did His apostles by washing their feet. He will grant us our request, not only today, but as often as we go to holy Communion, provided we are docile to His grace.

The Gradual is made up of those admirable words, which the Church so often repeats during these three days, and by which St. Paul warms us to gratitude towards the Son of God, who delivered Himself up for us.

GRADUAL

Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.

Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.

℣. Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum, et dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen.

℣. For which cause, God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name, which is above all names.

¹ St. John vi. 57.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.

Cap. xiii.

Ante diem festum Paschæ, sciens Jesus, quia venit hora ejus, ut transeat ex hoc mundo ad Patrem: cum dilexisset suos, qui erant in mundo, in finem dilexit eos. Et cœna facta, cum diabolus jam misisset in cor, ut traderet eum Judas Simonis Iscariotæ: sciens quia omnia dedit ei Pater in manus, et quia a Deo exivit et ad Deum vadit, surgit a cœna, et ponit vestimenta sua. Et cum accepisset linteum, præcinxit se. Deinde mittit aquam in pelvim, et cœpit lavare pedes discipulorum, et extergere linteo, quo erat præcinctus. Venit ergo ad Simonem Petrum, et dicit ei Petrus: Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes? Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei: Quod ego facio, tu nescis modo: scies autem postea. Dicit ei Petrus: Non lavabis mihi pedes in æternum. Respondit ei Jesus: Si non lavero te, non habebis partem mecum. Dicit ei Simon Petrus: Domine, non tantum pedes meos, sed et manus et caput. Dicit ei Jesus: Qui lotus est, non indiget nisi ut pedes lavet, sed est mundus totus. Et vos mundi estis, sed non omnes. Sciebat enim quisnam esset qui traderet eum; propterea dixit: Non estis mundi omnes. Postquam ergo lavit pedes eorum, et accepit vestimenta sua, cum recubuisset iterum, dixit eis: Scitis quid fecerim vobis? Vos vocatis me Magister et Domine: et bene dicitis: sum etenim. Si ergo ego lavi pedes vestros, Dominus et Magister, et vos debetis alter alterius lavare pedes. Exemplum enim dedi vobis, ut quemadmodum ego feci vobis, ita et vos faciatis.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John.

Ch. xiii.

Before the festival day of the Pasch, Jesus knowing that his hour was come that he should pass out of this world, to the Father: having loved his own who were in the world he loved them unto the end. And when supper was done (the devil having now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him), knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came from God and goeth to God: he riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments, and having taken a towel, girded himself. After that, he putteth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him: Lord not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him: He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all. For he knew who he was that would betray him: therefore he said: You are not all clean. Then after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, being sat down again, he said to them: Know you what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord: and you say well, for so I am. If then I, being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet: you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.

Our Saviour's washing the feet of His disciples before permitting them to partake of His divine mystery, conveys an instruction to us. The apostle has just been telling us, that we should prove ourselves: and here we have Jesus saying to His disciples: you are clean. It is true, He adds: but not all: just as the apostle assures us, that there are some who render themselves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. God forbid we should ever be of the number! Let us prove ourselves; let us sound the depths of our conscience, before approaching the holy Table. Mortal sin, and the affection to mortal sin, would change the Bread of life into a deadly poison for our souls. But if respect for the holiness of God, who is about to enter within us by holy Communion, should make us shudder at the thought of receiving Him in the state of mortal sin which robs the soul of the image of God and gives her that of satan, ought not that same respect to urge us to purify our souls from venial sins, which dim the beauty of grace? He, says our Saviour, that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet. The feet are those earthly attachments, which so often lead us to the brink of sin. Let us watch over our senses, and the affections of our hearts. Let us wash away these stains by a sincere confession, by penance, by sorrow, and by humility; that thus we may worthily receive the adorable Sacrament, and derive from it the fullness of its power and grace.

In the Offertory-antiphon, the soul, confiding in the promise made to her by Christ that He will feed her with the Bread of life, gives way to a transport of joy. She praises her God for this divine nourishment, which keeps death from them that eat.

OFFERTORY

Dextera Domini fecit virtutem, dextera Domini exaltavit me: non moriar, sed vivam, et narrabo opera Domini.

The right hand of the Lord hath displayed its might: the right hand of the Lord hath raised me up; I shall not die, but live, and publish the works of the Lord.

In the Secret, the Church reminds our heavenly Father that the august Sacrifice, which she is now celebrating, was instituted on this very day.

SECRET

Ipse tibi, quæsumus, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus, sacrificium nostrum reddat acceptum, qui discipulis suis in sui commemorationem hoc fieri hodierna traditione

We beseech thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, that our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, may make our sacrifice acceptable to thee, who on this day commanded his disciples to celebrate it in memory of him. Who liveth, &c.

monstravit, Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster: Qui tecum.

After the priest has received under both kinds, he puts into a chalice the Host reserved for to-morrow: he then gives Communion to the clergy, and afterwards to the laity. As soon as the Communion is finished, the choir sings the following antiphon, which tells how Jesus prepared His disciples for the great mystery by humbly washing their feet.

COMMUNION

Dominus Jesus postquam cœnavit cum discipulis suis, lavit pedes eorum, et ait illis: Scitis quid fecerim vobis, ego Dominus et Magister? Exemplum dedi vobis, ut et vos ita faciatis.

The Lord Jesus, after he had supped with his disciples, washed their feet, and said to them: Do you understand what I have done to you, I your Lord and Master? I have set you an example, that you may do the same.

Our holy mother prays for us, in the Postcommunion, that we may preserve in ourselves, for all eternity, the divine Gift just bestowed upon us.

POSTCOMMUNION

Refecti vitalibus alimentis, quæsumus, Domine Deus noster: ut quod tempore nostræ mortalitatis exsequimur, immortalitatis tuæ munere consequamur. Per Dominum.

We beseech thee, O Lord, our God, that being nourished with this life-giving food, we may receive by thy grace, in immortal glory, what we celebrate in this mortal life. Through, &c.

As soon as the Mass is over, a procession is formed to the place prepared for the sacred Host, which is to be reserved for the morrow. The celebrant carries it beneath a canopy, as on the feast of Corpus Christi; it is not however exposed, as on that day of its triumph, but concealed in a chalice closely veiled. Let us adore this divine Sun of justice, whose rising at Bethlehem brought gladness to our hearts: He is now near His setting: a few hours more, and His light will be eclipsed. Our earth will then be buried in gloom, until, on the third day, He will rise again with renewed splendour.

During the procession, the choir sings the well-known hymn of the blessed Sacrament.

HYMN

Pange, lingua, gloriosi Corporis mysterium, Sanguinisque pretiosi, Quem in mundi pretium, Fructus ventris generosi, Rex effudit gentium.

Sing, my tongue, the mystery of the glorious Body and precious Blood! that Blood which the King of all nations, the Fruit of Mary's womb, shed for the world's redemption.

Nobis datus, nobis natus Ex intacta Virgine, Et in mundo conversatus, Sparso verbi semine, Sui moras incolatus Miro clausit ordine.

He gave himself to us; for us was he born from a pure Virgin; he lived among men, sowing the seed of his word, and closed his career on earth by a gift of wondrous love.

In supremæ nocte cœnæ
Recumbens cum fratribus, Observata lege plene Cibis in legalibus, Cibum turbæ duodenæ
Se dat suis manibus.

On the night of the last Supper, he assembled his brethren around him; and having observed the law, and eaten the Pasch prescribed, he, with his own hands, gave himself to the twelve as their food.

Verbum caro, panem verum Verbo carnem efficit: Fitque sanguis Christi merum: Et si sensus deficit, Ad firmandum cor sincerum Sola fides sufficit.

The Word made Flesh changes bread, by his word, into his own Flesh; and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ. Our senses fail us here: but faith has power to take all wavering from the Christian heart.

Tantum ergo Sacramentum Veneremur cernui: Et antiquum documentum Novo cedat ritui: Præstet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.

Let us, therefore, venerate this great Sacrament in prostrate adoration! Let the ancient form give place to the new rite! Let faith supply what the senses cannot give.

Genitori Genitoque Laus et jubilatio, Salus, honor, virtus quoque Sit et benedictio: Procedenti ab utroque Compar sit laudatio. Amen.

Be praise and jubilee to the Father and the Son! Salvation, honour, power, yea and benediction be to them; and to the Spirit that proceeds from both, be one coequal praise! Amen.

Having reached the place prepared, the priest places the chalice upon the altar, and censes the sacred Host. The deacon takes the chalice, and puts it in the tabernacle. After a short prayer in silence, the procession returns to the choir, and Vespers are immediately begun. This Office, which on feast days is celebrated with so much solemnity, is, to-day and to-morrow, deprived of everything that betokens joy. The psalms are recited, without the slightest chant or even inflexion. The Church, as a disconsolate widow, mourns the loss of her Jesus.

VESPERS

Pater and Ave are said in secret.

The first psalm alludes to the chalice of salvation, which Jesus prepared for His Church by shedding His Blood for our redemption. It was on this day, at His last Supper, that He gave her the chalice of the new Testament.

ANT. Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo.

ANT. I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

PSALM 115

Credidi, propter quod locutus sum: ego autem humiliatus sum nimis.

I have believed, therefore have I spoken: but I have been humbled exceedingly.

Ego dixi in excessu meo: omnis homo mendax.

I said in my excess: every man is a liar.

Quid retribuam Domino: pro omnibus quæ retribuit mihi?

What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that he hath rendered to me?

Calicem salutaris accipiam: et nomen Domini invocabo.

I will take the chalice of salvation: and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

Vota mea Domino reddam coram omni populo ejus: pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum ejus.

I will pay my vows to the Lord before all his people: precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

O Domine, quia ego servus tuus: ego servus tuus, et filius ancillæ tuæ.

O Lord, for I am thy servant: I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid.

Dirupisti vincula mea: tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis, et nomen Domini invocabo.

Thou hast broken my bonds: I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

Vota mea Domino reddam in conspectu omnis populi ejus: in atriis domus Domini, in medio tui Jerusalem.

I will pay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people: in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem.

ANT. Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo.

ANT. I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

The second psalm shows us our Lord patiently bearing the calumnies of His enemies, and the trials of His earthly sojourn.

ANT. Cum his qui oderunt pacem, eram pacificus: dum loquebar illis, impugnabant me gratis.

ANT. With them that hated peace, I was peaceable: when I spoke to them, they fought against me without cause.

PSALM 119

Ad Dominum cum tribularer, clamavi: et exaudivit me.

In my trouble, I cried to the Lord, and he heard me.

Domine, libera animam meam a labiis iniquis: et a lingua dolosa.

O Lord, deliver my soul from wicked lips, and a deceitful tongue.

Quid detur tibi, aut quid apponatur tibi: ad linguam dolosam?

What shall be given to thee, or what shall be added to thee, to a deceitful tongue?

Sagittæ potentis acutæ: cum carbonibus desolatoriis.

The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste.

Heu mihi quia incolatus meus prolongatus est! habitavi cum habitantibus Cedar: multum incola fuit anima mea.

Wo is me that my sojourning is prolonged: I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar: my soul has been long a sojourner.

Cum his qui oderunt pacem eram pacificus: cum loquebar illis, impugnabant me gratis.

With them that hated peace I was peaceable; when I spoke to them, they fought against me without cause.

ANT. Cum his qui oderunt pacem eram pacificus: dum loquebar illis, impugnabant me gratis.

ANT. With them that hated peace, I was peaceable: when I spoke to them, they fought against me without cause.

In the third psalm, the Messias complains of the perfidy of Judas, and of the persecutions He met with from the Synagogue.

ANT. Ab hominibus iniquis libera me, Domine.

ANT. From unjust men deliver me, O Lord!

PSALM 139

Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo: a viro iniquo eripe me.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man; rescue me from the unjust man.

Qui cogitaverunt iniquitates in corde: tota die constituebant prælia.

Who have devised iniquities in their hearts: all the day long they designed battles.

Acuerunt linguas suas sicut serpentis: venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: the venom of asps is under their lips.

Custodi me, Domine, de manu peccatoris: et ab hominibus iniquis eripe me.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked: and from unjust men deliver me.

Qui cogitaverunt supplantare gressus meos: absconderunt superbi laqueum mihi.

Who have proposed to supplant my steps: the proud have hid a net for me.

Et funes extenderunt in laqueum: juxta iter scandalum posuerunt mihi.

And they have stretched out cords for a snare: they have laid for me a stumbling-block by the way side.

Dixi Domino: Deus meus es tu: exaudi, Domine, vocem deprecationis meæ.

I said to the Lord: Thou art my God: hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication.

Domine, Domine, virtus salutis meæ; obumbrasti super caput meum in die belli.

O Lord, O Lord, the strength of my salvation: thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle.

Ne tradas me, Domine, a desiderio meo peccatori: cogitaverunt contra me, ne derelinquas me, ne forte exaltentur.

Give me not up, O Lord, from my desire to the wicked: they have plotted against me; do not thou forsake me, lest they should triumph.

Caput circuitus eorum: labor labiorum ipsorum operiet eos.

The head of their compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them.

Cadent super eos carbones, in ignem dejicies eos: in miseriis non subsistent.

Burning coals shall fall upon them; thou wilt cast them down into the fire: in miseries they shall not be able to stand.

Vir linguosus non dirigetur in terra: virum injustum mala capient in interitu.

A man full of tongue shall not be established in the earth: evils shall catch the unjust man unto destruction.

Cognovi quia faciet Dominus judicium inopis: et vindictam pauperum.

I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy, and will revenge the poor.

Verumtamen justi confitebuntur nomini tuo: et habitabunt recti cum vultu tuo.

But as for the just, they shall give glory to thy name: and the upright shall dwell with thy countenance.

ANT. Ab hominibus iniquis libera me, Domine.

ANT. From unjust men deliver me, O Lord!

The fourth psalm represents our Saviour offering His prayer to God as evening incense: His hands are stretched out upon the cross. His bones are disjointed; the tomb, which the psalmist here calls *hell*, is soon to receive Him as its victim; and yet, He hopes in the promised aid.

ANT. Custodi me a laqueo, quem statuerunt mihi, et a scandalis operantium iniquitatem.

ANT. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity.

PSALM 140

Domine, clamavi ad te, exaudi me: intende voci meæ cum clamavero ad te.

I have cried out to thee, O Lord, hear me: hearken to my voice when I cry to thee.

Dirigatur oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo: elevatio manuum mearum, sacrificium vespertinum.

Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight: the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.

Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo: et ostium circumstantiæ labiis meis.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and a door round my lips.

Non declines cor meum in verba malitiæ: ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis.

Incline not my heart to evil words: to make excuses for sins.

Cum hominibus operantibus iniquitatem: et non communicabo cum electis eorum.

With men that work iniquity: and I will not communicate with the choicest of them.

Corripiet me justus in misericordia, et increpabit me: oleum autem peccatoris non impinguet caput meum.

The just man shall correct me in mercy, and reprove me: but let not the oil of the sinner fatten my head.

Quoniam adhuc et oratio mea in beneplacitis eorum: absorpti sunt juncti petræ judices eorum.

For my prayer also shall still be against the things with which they are well pleased: their judges falling upon the rock have been swallowed up.

Audient verba mea quoniam potuerunt: sicut crassitudo terræ erupta est super terram.

They shall hear my words, for they have prevailed; as when the thickness of the earth is broken up upon the ground.

Dissipata sunt ossa nostra secus infernum: quia ad te Domine, Domine oculi mei: in te speravi, non auferas animam meam.

Our bones are scattered by the side of hell; but on thee, O Lord, Lord, are my eyes: in thee have I put my trust, take not away my soul.

Custodi me a laqueo quem statuerunt mihi: et a scandalis operantium iniquitatem.

Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity.

Cadent in retiaculo ejus peccatores: singulariter sum ego, donec transeam.

The wicked shall fall in his net: I am alone until I pass.

ANT. Custodi me a laqueo, quem statuerunt mihi, et a scandalis operantium iniquitatem.

ANT. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity.

In the fifth psalm, the Messias complains of being abandoned by all. No one takes His part; His enemies have Him in their power, and are determined He shall not escape. He turns towards His eternal Father, and beseeches Him to deliver Him from *the prison of the tomb*, into which He is soon to descend.

Ant. Considerabam ad dexteram, et videbam; et non erat qui cognosceret me.

Ant. I looked on my right hand, and beheld; and there was no one that would know me.

PSALM 141

Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi: voce mea ad Dominum deprecatus sum.

I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.

Effundo in conspectu ejus orationem meam: et tribulationem meam ante ipsum pronuntio.

In his sight I pour out my prayer: and before him I declare my trouble.

In deficiendo ex me spiritum meum: et tu cognovisti semitas meas.

When my spirit failed me, then thou knewest my paths.

In via hac qua ambulabam: absconderunt laqueum mihi.

In this way wherein I walked they have hidden a snare for me.

Considerabam ad dexteram, et videbam: et non erat qui cognosceret me.

I looked on my right hand, and beheld: and there was no one that would know me.

Periit fuga a me: et non est qui requirat animam meam.

Flight hath failed me: and there is no one that hath regard to my soul.

Clamavi ad te, Domine: dixi: Tu es spes mea, portio mea in terra viventium.

I cried to thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living.

Intende ad deprecationem meam: quia humiliatus sum nimis.

Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low.

Libera me a persequentibus me: quia confortati sunt super me.

Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

Educ de custodia animam meam ad confitendum nomini tuo: me exspectant justi, donec retribuas mihi.

Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the just wait for me until thou reward me.

Ant. Considerabam ad dexteram, et videbam; et non erat qui cognosceret me.

Ant. I looked on my right hand, and beheld; and there was no one that would know me.

ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT

Cœnantibus autem illis, accepit Jesus panem et benedixit, ac fregit, deditque discipulis suis.

As they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to his disciples.

Then is said the canticle Magnificat (see page 90).

The antiphon is repeated, and then is added the following versicle:

℣. Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem.

℣. Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death.

After the Pater noster has been said secretly, the psalm Miserere (page 336) is recited with a suppressed voice. The following prayer concludes the Vespers.

Respice, quæsumus, Domine, super hanc familiam tuam: pro qua Dominus noster Jesus Christus non dubitavit manibus tradi nocentium, et crucis subire tormentum:

Look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, upon this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ hesitated not to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and to undergo the punishment of the cross:

(then the rest in secret:)

Qui tecum vivit et regnat, in unitate Spiritus sancti, Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

THE STRIPPING OF THE ALTARS

As soon as Vespers are over, the celebrant returns to the sanctuary, assisted by the deacon and subdeacon. He goes to the altar, and takes off the cloths and ornaments. This ceremony signifies the suspension of the holy Sacrifice. The altar should be left in this denuded state, until the daily offering can be again presented to the divine Majesty; that is, when the Spouse of the holy Church shall arise from the grave, the Conqueror of death. He is now in the hands of His enemies, the Jews, who are about to strip Him of His garments, just as we strip the altar. He is to be exposed naked to the insults of the rabble; and for this reason, the psalm selected to be recited during this mournful ceremony is the twenty-first, wherein the Messias speaks of the Roman soldiers dividing His garments among them.

Ant. Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem.

Ant. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.

PSALM 21

Deus, Deus meus, respice in me: quare me dereliquisti: longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum.

O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me: Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.

Deus meus, clamabo per diem, et non exaudies: et nocte, et non ad insipientiam mihi.

O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.

Tu autem in sancto habitas: laus Israël.

But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.

In te speraverunt patres nostri: speraverunt, et liberasti eos.

In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped and thou hast delivered them.

Ad te clamaverunt, et salvi facti sunt: in te speraverunt, et non sunt confusi.

They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

Ego autem sum vermis, et non homo: opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis.

But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.

Omnes videntes me deriserunt me: locuti sunt labiis, et moverunt caput.

All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.

Speravit in Domino, eripiat eum: salvum faciat eum, quoniam vult eum.

He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighted in him.

Quoniam tu es, qui extraxisti me de ventre: spes mea ab uberibus matris meæ.

For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

In te projectus sum ex utero: de ventre matris meæ Deus meus es tu: ne discesseris à me.

I was cast upon thee from the womb: from my mother's womb thou art my God, depart not from me.

Quoniam tribulatio proxima est: quoniam non est qui adjuvet.

For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me.

Circumdederunt me vituli multi: tauri pingues obsederunt me.

Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me.

Aperuerunt super me os suum: sicut leo rapiens et rugiens.

They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring.

Sicut aqua effusus sum: et dispersa sunt omnia ossa mea.

I am poured out like water: and all my bones are scattered.

Factum est cor meum tamquam cera liquescens: in medio ventris mei.

My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.

Aruit tamquam testa virtus mea, et lingua mea adhæsit faucibus meis: et in pulverem mortis deduxisti me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.

Quoniam circumdederunt me canes multi: concilium malignantium obsedit me.

For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me.

Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos: dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea.

They have dug my hands and feet: they have numbered all my bones.

Ipsi vero consideraverunt et inspexerunt me: diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem.

And they have looked and stared upon me: they parted my garments amongst them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.

Tu autem, Domine, ne elongaveris auxilium tuum a me: ad defensionem meam conspice.

But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me: look towards my defence.

Erue a framea, Deus, animam meam: et de manu canis unicam meam.

Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog.

Salva me ex ore leonis: et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam.

Save me from the lion's mouth: and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.

Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis: in medio ecclesiæ laudabo te.

I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.

Qui timetis Dominum, laudate eum: universum semen Jacob, glorificate eum.

Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him.

Timeat eum omne semen Israël: quoniam non sprevit, neque despexit deprecationem pauperis.

Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man.

Nec avertit faciem suam a me: et cum clamarem ad eum, exaudivit me.

Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.

Apud te laus mea in ecclesia magna: vota mea reddam in conspectu timentium eum.

With thee is my praise in the great church: I will pay vows in the sight of them that fear him.

Edent pauperes, et saturabuntur, et laudabunt Dominum qui requirunt eum: vivent corda eorum in sæculum sæculi.

The poor shall eat and shall be filled, and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.

Reminiscentur et convertentur ad Dominum: universi fines terræ.

All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord.

Et adorabunt in conspectu ejus: universæ familiæ gentium.

And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight.

Quoniam Domini est regnum: et ipse dominabitur gentium.

For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he shall have dominion over the nations.

Manducaverunt, et adoraverunt omnes pingues terræ: in conspectu ejus cadent omnes, qui descendunt in terram.

All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.

Et anima mea illi vivet: et semen meum serviet ipsi.

And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him.

Annuntiabitur Domino generatio ventura: et annuntiabunt cæli justitiam ejus, populo qui nascetur, quem fecit Dominus.

There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall show forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

Ant. Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem.

Ant. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.

After having stripped the high altar, the celebrant takes off the cloths from the other altars that are in the church. An air of desolation pervades the temple of God. The very tabernacle has lost its divine Guest. The ciborium (in which the blessed Sacrament is reserved for Viaticum) has been taken to the place where reposes the chalice containing the Body of our Lord. The Majesty of our God has withdrawn to that mysterious sanctuary, into which we enter not but with silence and compunction.

It was the custom, in some churches, for the priest to wash the altars, in the afternoon, with wine and water, which he sprinkled upon them with a branch of hyssop. This ceremony, which has now ceased to be observed in almost every church excepting Saint Peter's in Rome, was intended as a homage offered to our blessed Lord, in return for the humility wherewith He deigned to wash the feet of His disciples. We find it so explained by St. Isidore of Seville,¹ and St. Eligius, bishop of Noyon.²

¹ De ecclesiasticis Officiis, lib. I, cap. xxviii.
² Homily viii, De Cœna Domini.

THE WASHING OF THE FEET

After having, on this day, washed the feet of His disciples, Jesus said to them: "Know ye what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord: and you say well, for so I am. If then I, being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you, also, ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also."¹ Although the meaning of these words is that, after the example of our divine Master, we should practise works of fraternal charity towards our neighbour, yet the literal imitation of this our Saviour's act has always been observed in the Church.

At the commencement, it was almost a daily practice. St. Paul, when mentioning the qualities which should adorn the Christian widow, includes that of washing the feet of the saints,² that is, of the faithful. We find this act of humble charity practised in the ages of persecution, and even later. The Acts of the saints of the first six centuries, and the homilies and writings of the holy fathers, are filled with allusions to it. Afterwards, charity grew cold, and this particular way of exercising it was confined, almost exclusively, to monasteries. Still, from time to time it was practised elsewhere. We occasionally find kings and queens setting this example of humility. The holy king Robert of France, and, later, Saint Louis, used frequently to wash the feet of the poor. The holy queen St. Margaret of Scotland, and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, did the same. The Church, with that spirit which makes her treasure up every recommendation of her divine Lord, has introduced this act of humility into her liturgy, and it is to-day that she puts the great lesson before her children. In every church of any importance, the prelate, or superior, honours our Saviour's condescension, by the ceremony called the washing of the feet. The bishops throughout the world follow the example set them by the sovereign Pontiff, who performs this ceremony in the Vatican. Yea, there are still to be found kings and queens who, on this day, wash the feet of the poor, and give them abundant alms.

The twelve apostles are represented by the twelve poor who, according to the most general practice, are chosen for this ceremony. The Pope, however, washes the feet of thirteen priests of as many different countries; and this is the reason of the ceremonial requiring this number for cathedral churches. But, why thirteen? Some have interpreted it thus: that it represented the full number of the apostolic college, which is thirteen; for St. Matthias was elected in Judas's place, and our Lord Himself, after His Ascension, called St. Paul to be an apostle. Other authors, however, and among them the learned Pope Benedict XIV,³ assert that the reason of this number being chosen was the miracle related in the life of St. Gregory the Great. This holy Pope used, every day, to wash the feet of twelve poor men, whom he afterwards invited to his own table. One day, a thirteenth was present: it was an angel, whom God had sent, that He might thereby testify how dear to Him was the charity of His servant.

¹ St. John xiii. 12-15.
² 1 Tim. v. 10.

The ceremony of the washing of the feet is also called the Mandatum, from the first word of the first antiphon. After the deacon has chanted the Gospel of the Mass of Maundy Thursday (page 378), the celebrant takes off the cope, girds himself with a towel, and, kneeling down, begins to wash the feet of those who have been chosen. He kisses the right foot of each one after having washed it. Meanwhile, the choir sings the following antiphons:

ANT. Mandatum novum do vobis: ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos, dicit Dominus. ℣. Beati immaculati in via: * qui ambulant in lege Domini. Mandatum.

ANT. I give you a new commandment: that ye love one another, as I have loved you, says our Lord. ℣. Blessed are the immaculate in the way: who walk in the law of the Lord. I give, &c.

¹ De Festis D. N. J. C. lib. I. cap. vi. no. 57.

ANT. Postquam surrexit Dominus a cœna, misit aquam in pelvim, et cœpit lavare pedes discipulorum suorum: hoc exemplum reliquit eis. ℣. Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis: * in civitate Dei nostri, in monte sancto ejus. Postquam.

ANT. After our Lord was risen from supper, he put water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples; to whom he gave this example. ℣. Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised: in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. After, &c.

ANT. Dominus Jesus, postquam cœnavit cum discipulis suis, lavit pedes eorum, et ait illis: Scitis quid fecerim vobis ego Dominus et Magister? Exemplum dedi vobis, ut et vos ita faciatis. ℣. Benedixisti, Domine, terram tuam; * avertisti captivitatem Jacob. Dominus.

ANT. Our Lord Jesus, after he had supped with his disciples, washed their feet, and said to them: Know you what I your Lord and Master have done to you? I have given you an example, that ye also may do the same. ℣. Thou hast blessed, O Lord, thy land; thou hast delivered Jacob from captivity. Our Lord, &c.

ANT. Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes! Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei: Si non lavero tibi pedes, non habebis partem mecum. ℣. Venit ergo ad Simonem Petrum, * et dixit ei Petrus: Domine. ℣. Quod ego facio tu nescis modo: scies autem postea. Domine.

ANT. Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered, and said to him: If I do not wash thy feet, thou shalt have no part with me. ℣. He came to Simon Peter, and Peter said to him: Lord, &c. ℣. What I do thou knowest not now: but thou shalt know it afterwards. Lord, &c.

ANT. Si ego Dominus et Magister vester lavi vobis pedes: quanto magis debetis alter alterius lavare pedes! ℣. Audite hæc, omnes gentes: * auribus percipite qui habitatis orbem. Si ego.

ANT. If I your Lord and Master have washed your feet: how much more ought you to wash the feet of one another? ℣. Hear these things, all ye nations: hearken to them all ye inhabit the world. If I, &c.

ANT. In hoc cognoscent omnes quia discipuli mei estis, si dilectionem habueritis adinvicem. ℣. Dixit Jesus discipulis suis. In hoc.

ANT. In this all shall know that ye are my disciples, if ye have a love for one another. ℣. Said Jesus to his disciples. In this, &c.

ANT. Maneant in vobis fides, spes, charitas, tria hæc: major autem horum est charitas. ℣. Nunc autem manent fides, spes, charitas, tria hæc: * major horum est charitas. Maneant.

ANT. Let these three, faith, hope, and charity, remain in you: but the greatest of them is charity. ℣. But now remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of them is charity. Let, &c.

ANT. Benedicta sit sancta Trinitas atque indivisa unitas: confitebimur ei, quia fecit nobiscum misericordiam suam. ℣. Benedicamus Patrem et Filium, * cum sancto Spiritu. ℣. Quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum! * concupiscit et deficit anima mea in atria Domini. Benedicta.

ANT. Blessed be the holy Trinity and undivided Unity: we will praise him because he has shown us his mercy. ℣. Let us bless the Father and the Son, with the Holy Ghost. ℣. How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts: my soul desires and longs after the house of the Lord. Blessed, &c.

After these antiphons, the choir sings the following canticle. It is a fervent exhortation to fraternal charity, of which the washing of the feet is a symbol.

CANTICLE

Ubi charitas, et amor, Deus ibi est.

Where charity and love are, there is God.

℣. Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
℣. Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
℣. Timeamus et amemus Deum vivum.
℣. Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

℣. The love of Christ hath gathered us together.
℣. Let us rejoice in him, and be glad.
℣. Let us fear and love the living God.
℣. And let us love one the other with a sincere heart.

Ubi charitas, et amor, Deus ibi est.

Where charity and love are, there is God.

℣. Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur,
℣. Ne nos mente dividamur caveamus.
℣. Cessent jurgia maligna, cessent lites,
℣. Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

℣. When, therefore, we are gathered together,
℣. Let us take heed we be not divided in mind.
℣. Let wicked quarrels and contentions be at an end.
℣. And let Christ our God dwell among us.

Ubi charitas, et amor, Deus ibi est.

Where charity and love are, there is God.

℣. Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,
℣. Glorianter, vultum tuum, Christe Deus.
℣. Gaudium, quod est immensum atque probum,
℣. Sæcula per infinita sæculorum. Amen.

℣. Let us, also, with the blessed see
℣. Thy face in glory, O Christ our God!
℣. There to possess an immense and happy joy.
℣. For endless ages. Amen.

The celebrant, having resumed his cope, concludes the ceremony with the following prayers:

Pater noster.

Our Father.

The rest of the Lord's Prayer is said in silence, as far as the last two petitions.

℣. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
℟. Sed libera nos a malo.

℣. And lead us not into temptation.
℟. But deliver us from evil.

℣. Tu mandasti mandata tua, Domine.
℟. Custodiri nimis.

℣. Thou hast commanded, O Lord.
℟. That thy precepts be exactly observed.

℣. Tu lavasti pedes discipulorum tuorum.
℟. Opera manuum tuarum ne despicias.

℣. Thou hast washed the feet of thy disciples.
℟. Despise not the work of thy hands.

℣. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
℟. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

℣. O Lord hear my prayer.
℟. And let my cry come unto thee.

℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟. Et cum spiritu tuo.

℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with thy spirit.

OREMUS

Adesto, Domine, quæsumus, officio servitutis nostræ: et quia tu discipulis tuis pedes lavare dignatus es, ne despicias opera manuum tuarum, quæ nobis retinenda mandasti: ut sicut hic nobis, et a nobis exteriora abluuntur inquinamenta, sic a te omnium nostrum interiora laventur peccata. Quod ipse præstare digneris, qui vivis et regnas Deus per omnia sæcula sæculorum.

℟. Amen.

LET US PRAY

Accept, O Lord, we beseech thee, this duty of our service, and since thou didst vouchsafe to wash the feet of thy disciples, despise not the work of thy hands, which thou hast commanded us to imitate: that as here the outward stains are washed away by us and from us, so the inmost sins of us all may be blotted out by thee. Which be thou pleased to grant, who livest and reignest one God for ever and ever.

℟. Amen.

EVENING

THE OFFICE OF TENEBRÆ

At a late hour in the afternoon, the night Office of Good Friday is anticipated, as was done yesterday. The faithful repair to the church at the time specified. Let them remember that the bells are not rung from this till Saturday.

The Office of Tenebræ for Good Friday is given below, page 413.

THE EVENING

Judas has left the cenacle, and, profiting by the darkness, has reached the place where the enemies of his Saviour are assembled. Jesus then turns to His faithful apostles, and says to them: 'Now is the Son of Man glorified.'¹ Yes, His Passion is to be followed by triumph and glory; and the Passion has already begun, for Judas has commenced his work of betraying Him. Meanwhile, the apostles, forgetting the trouble into which they had been thrown by Jesus' telling them that one of the twelve was about to betray Him, begin to dispute among themselves, which of them should seem to be greater.¹ They have not forgotten the words spoken by Jesus to Peter, when He made him the rock on which He would build His Church; and here at the supper, they have seen the divine Master wash the feet of Peter first. On the other hand, John's affectionate familiarity with Jesus, during this same supper, has made some of them argue that he who was most loved would be most honoured.

¹ St. John xiii. 31.

Jesus puts an end to this dispute, by giving to these future pastors of His Church a lesson of humility. There shall, it is true, be a head among them, but, says our Redeemer, 'let him that is the greater among you, become as the younger; and he that is the leader, as he that serveth.' He bids them look at Him: He is their Master, and yet, says He, 'I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth.'² Then turning towards Peter, He thus addresses him: 'Simon, Simon! behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.'³ This last interview is, as it were, our Saviour's testament; He provides for His Church, before leaving her. The apostles are to be Peter's brethren, but Peter is to be their head. This sublime dignity is to be enhanced by the humility of him that enjoys it: he shall be 'the servant of the servants of God.' The apostolic college is to be exposed to the fury of hell;

¹ St. Luke xxii. 24. ² Ibid. 26, 27. ³ Ibid. 31, 32.

but Peter alone is to confirm his brethren in the faith. His teaching shall ever be conformable to divine truth; it shall ever be infallible: Jesus has prayed that it may be so. Such a prayer is all-powerful; and thereby, the Church, ever docile to the voice of Peter, shall for ever maintain the doctrine of Christ.

Jesus, after having provided for the future of His Church by the words He addressed to Peter, thus speaks affectionately to all the eleven: 'Little children! yet a little while I am with you. Love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.' Peter says to him: 'Lord! whither goest Thou?' 'Whither I go,' answers Jesus, 'thou canst not now follow Me; but thou shalt follow hereafter.' 'Why cannot I follow thee now?' again asks Peter: 'I will lay down my life for Thee.' 'Wilt thou,' replies Jesus, 'lay down thy life for Me? Amen, amen, I say to thee: the cock shall not crow, till thou deny Me thrice.'¹ Peter's love for Jesus had too much of the human about it, for it was not based on humility. Presumption comes from pride: it almost always results in a fall. In order to prepare Peter for his future ministry of pardon, as also to give us a useful lesson, God permits that he, who was soon to be made prince of the apostles, should fall into a most grievous and humiliating sin.

¹ St. John xiii. 33–38.

But let us return to the instructions contained in the last words spoken by our Jesus before He leaves His disciples. 'I am,' says He, 'the way, the truth, and the life. If you love Me, keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you for ever. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father. I will not now speak many things with you, for the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not anything. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father hath given Me commandment, so do I: arise, let us go hence.' Deeply impressed by these words, the disciples arise, and, after the hymn of thanksgiving has been said, they accompany Jesus to Mount Olivet.

He continues His instructions as they go along. He takes occasion from their passing by a vine to speak of the effect produced by divine grace, in the soul of man. 'I am the true vine,' He says, 'and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me, that beareth not fruit, He will take away, and every one that beareth fruit, He will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine; so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. If any one abideth not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. You have not chosen Me: but I have chosen you, and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain.'

He next speaks to them of the persecutions that await them, and of the hatred the world will have of them. He renews the promise He had made them of the holy Spirit, the Comforter, and tells them that it is to their advantage that He Himself should

leave them. He assures them that they shall obtain whatever they ask of the Father in His name. 'The Father," He adds, 'loveth you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came from God. I come forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and I go to the Father. The disciples say to Him: 'Now we know that Thou knowest all things, and Thou needest not that any man should ask Thee. By this we believe that Thou camest forth from God." 'Do you now believe?' answers Jesus: 'Behold! the hour cometh, and it is now come, that you shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone. All you shall be scandalized in Me this night; for it is written: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed." But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.'²

Peter again protests that he will be faithful to his Master; the rest may abandon Him, if they will, but he will keep with Him to the last! It should, indeed, be so, for he has received so much more from Jesus than the others have: but he is again humbled by being told of his coming speedy fall. Jesus then calmly raising up his eyes to heaven, says: 'Father! the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee. I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do; I have manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou hast given Me. They have known that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them; I pray not for the world. And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father! keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given Me; that they may be one, as We also are.

¹ St. John xvi. ² St. Matt. xxvi. 31, 32.

'While I was with them, I kept them in Thy name. Those whom Thou gavest Me, have I kept; and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture may be fulfilled. I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from evil. Not for them only do I pray, but for them also who, through their word, shall believe in Me: that they all may be one, as Thou, Father! in Me, and I in Thee: that they also may be one in Us: that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me. Father, I will that where I am, they also, whom Thou hast given Me, may be with Me; that they may see the glory which Thou hast given Me, because Thou hast loved Me before the creation of the world. Just Father! the world hath not known Thee; but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have made known Thy name to them, and will make it known, that the love, wherewith Thou hast loved Me, may be in them, and I in them.'¹

Such are the out-pourings of the loving Heart of our Jesus, as He crosses the brook of Cedron, and ascends, with His disciples, the Mount of Olives. Having come as far as Gethsemani, He goes into a garden, whither He had often led His apostles and rested there with them. Suddenly, His Soul is overpowered with grief; His human Nature experiences, as it were, a suspension of that beatitude which results from its union with the Divinity. This His Humanity will be interiorly supported, even to the very last moment of His Passion; but it must bear everything that it is possible for it to bear. Jesus feels such intense sadness, that the very presence of

¹ St. John xvii.

His disciples is insupportable; He leaves them, taking with Him only Peter, James, and John, who, a short time before, had been witnesses of His glorious Transfiguration:—will they show greater courage than the rest, when they see their divine Master in the hands of His enemies? His words show them what a sudden change has come over Him. He whose language was, a few moments before, so calm, His look so serene, and His tone of voice so sweet, now says to them: 'My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with Me.'¹

He leaves them, and goes to a grotto, which is about a stone's throw distant. Even to this day it exists, perpetuating the memory of the terrible event. There does our Jesus prostrate Himself and pray, saying: 'Father! all things are possible to Thee. Remove this chalice from Me:—but not what I will, but what Thou wilt.'² While He is thus praying, a sweat of Blood flows from His Body and bathes the ground. It is not merely a swooning, it is an agony, that He suffers. God sends help to His sinking frame, and it is an angel that is entrusted with the office. Jesus is treated as man; His Humanity, exhausted as it is, is to receive no other sensible aid than that which is now brought Him by an angel (whom tradition affirms to have been Gabriel). Hereupon He rises, and again accepts the chalice prepared for Him. But what a chalice! Every pain that body and soul can suffer; the sins of the whole world taken upon Himself, and crying out vengeance against Him; the ingratitude of men, many of whom will make His sacrifice useless: Jesus has to accept all this, and at the very time when He seems to be left to His human Nature. The power of the Divinity, which is in Him, supports Him: but it does

¹ St. Matt. xxvi. 38. ² St. Mark xiv. 36.

not prevent Him from feeling every suffering, just as though He had been mere Man. He begins His prayer by asking that the chalice may be taken from Him: He ends it by saying to His Father: 'Not My will, but Thine be done.'¹

Jesus then rises, leaving the earth covered with the Blood of His agony: it is the first bloodshedding of His Passion. He goes to His three disciples, and, finding them asleep, says to them: 'What! could you not watch one hour with Me?'² This is the beginning of that feature of His sufferings which consists in His being abandoned. He twice returns to the grotto, and repeats His sorrowful, but submissive, prayer; twice He returns to His disciples, whom He had asked to watch near Him, but at each time finds them asleep. At length, He speaks to them, saying: 'Sleep ye now, and take your rest! Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.' Then resuming the energy of His divine courage, He adds: 'Rise! let us go! Behold, he is at hand that will betray Me.'³

While He is speaking these last few words, a numerous body of armed men enter the garden with torches in their hands. Judas is at their head. The betrayal is made by a profanation of the sign of friendship. 'Judas! dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss?'⁴ These piercing words should have made the traitor throw himself at his Master's feet, and ask pardon; but it was too late: he feared the soldiers. But the servants of the high priest cannot lay hands on Jesus, unless He, their Victim, permit them to do so. With a single word, He casts them prostrate on the ground. Then permitting them to rise, He says to them with all the majesty of a King: 'If you

¹ St. Luke xxii. 42. ² St. Matt. xxvi. 40. ³ Ibid. 45, 46. ⁴ St. Luke xxii. 48.

seek Me, let these go their way. You are come out, as it were against a thief with swords and clubs. When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against Me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.' Then turning to Peter, who has drawn and used his sword, He says to him: 'Thinkest thou that I cannot ask My Father, and He will give Me presently twelve legions of angels? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled?'¹

And now, Jesus permits Himself to be led. Whereupon, His apostles run away in fear. Peter and another disciple follow Him, but as far off as they can. The soldiers lead Jesus by the same road, along which He had passed on the previous Sunday, when the people met Him with palm and olive branches in their hands. They cross the brook Cedron; and there is a tradition of the Church of Jerusalem that the soldiers, as they passed the bridge, threw Jesus into the water. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of David: He shall drink of the torrent in the way.²

They reach the city walls. The gate is opened, and the divine prisoner enters. It is night, and the inhabitants know not the crime that has been committed. It is only on the morrow that they will learn that Jesus of Nazareth, the great Prophet, has fallen into the hands of the chief priests and pharisees. The hour is far advanced; but many hours must elapse before the dawn of day. The enemies of Jesus have arranged to take Him, in the morning, to Pontius Pilate, and accuse Him as being a disturber of the peace: but in the meanwhile, they intend to condemn Him as guilty in matters of religion! Their tribunal has authority to judge in cases of this nature,

¹ St. John xviii. 8. St. Luke xxii. 52, 53. St. Matt. xxvi. 53, 54. ² Ps. cix. 7.

only they cannot pass sentence of death upon a culprit, how guilty soever they may prove him. They, consequently, take Jesus to Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest Caiphas. Here is to take place the first examination. These blood-thirsty men have spent these hours in sleepless anxiety. They have counted the very minutes since the departure of their minions for Mount Olivet. They are not without some doubt as to whether their plot will succeed. At last, their Victim is brought before them, and He shall not escape their vengeance!

Here let us interrupt our history of the Passion, till the morrow shall bring us to the solemn hour, when the great mystery of our instruction and salvation was accomplished. What a day is this that we have been spending! How full of Jesus' love! He has given us His Body and Blood to be our food; He has instituted the priesthood of the new Testament; He has poured out upon the world the sublimest instructions of His loving Heart. We have seen Him struggling with the feelings of human weakness, as He beheld the chalice of the Passion that was prepared for Him; but He triumphed over all, in order to save us. We have seen Him betrayed, fettered, and led captive into the holy city, there to consummate His Sacrifice. Let us adore and love this Jesus, who might have saved us by one and the least of all these humiliations; but whose love for us was not satisfied unless He drank, to the very dregs, the chalice He had accepted from His Father.

The following beautiful Preface of the Gothic missal of Spain will assist us in our devotion towards the mysteries we have been celebrating.

ILLATION

Dignum et justum est nos tibi, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, gratias agere: et Jesu Christo Filio tuo. Cujus nos humanitas colligit: humilitas erigit: traditio solvit: pœna redimit: crux salvificat: sanguis emaculat: caro saginat. Qui seipsum pro nobis hodie tradidit; et culpæ nostræ vincula relaxavit. Qui ad commendandam fidelibus bonitatis suæ, humilitatisque magnificentiam, etiam traditoris sui non dedignatus est pedes abluere: cujus jam manus prævidebat in scelere. Sed quid mirum: si dum ministerium formæ servilis voluntarie morti vicinus adimplet, posuit vestimenta sua: qui cum in forma Dei esset, semetipsum exinanivit? Quid mirum si præcinxit se linteo: qui formam servi accipiens, habitu est inventus ut homo? Quid mirum si misit aquam in pelvim: unde lavaret pedes discipulorum: qui in terra sanguinem suum fudit: quo immunditias dilueret peccatorum? Quid mirum, si linteo quo erat præcinctus, pedes quos laverat tersit: qui carne qua erat indutus evangelistarum vestigia confirmavit? Et linteo quidem ut se præcingeret: posuit vestimenta quæ habebat: ut autem formam servi acciperet: quando semet-

It is meet and just, that we should give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, and to Jesus Christ thy Son. We have been fostered by his Humanity, exalted by his humility, set free by his betrayal, redeemed by his punishment, saved by his cross, cleansed by his Blood, fed by his Flesh. He, on this day, delivered himself for us; and loosed the bonds of our sin. He showed to his faithful people the riches of his goodness and humility, by deigning to wash the feet of his very betrayer, whose hand he already perceived to be engaged in his wicked deed. But what wonder that he, on the eve of his voluntary death, when about to do the work of a servant, should take off his garments, who, being in the form of God, had emptied himself? What wonder that he should gird himself with a towel, who, taking the form of a servant, was found in the habit of man? What wonder that he should put water into a basin to wash the feet of his disciples, who shed his Blood upon the earth to cleanse away the defilements of sinners? What wonder that with the towel, wherewith he was girt, he should wipe the feet he had washed, who, with the Flesh wherewith he had clothed himself, had strengthened the feet of them that were to preach his Gospel? Before girding himself with the towel, he took

EVENING

--- PAGE 421 --- 412

ipsum exinanivit: non quod habebat deposuit: sed quod non habebat accepit. Cru- cifigendus sane suis ex- spoliatus est vestimentis: et mortuus involutus est lin- teis: et tota illa ejus passio credentium facta est purga- tio. Passurus igitur exitia; premisit obsequia. Non so- lum eis pro quibus subi- turus venerat mortem; sed etiam illi qui fuerat tradi- turus illum ad mortem. Tanta quippe est humans humilitatis utilitas: ut eam suo commendaret exemplo divina sublimitas. Quia homo superbus in seternum periret: nisi illum Deus
humilis inveniret. Ut qui periret superbia deceptoris: salvaretur humilitate piis- simi redemptoris. Cui me- rito omnes Angeli et Arch- angeli non cessant clamare quotidie: una voce dicentes: Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus.

PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

off the garments he wore; but, when he took the form of a servant, and emptied himself, he laid not aside what he had, but assumed what he had not. When he was crucified, he was stripped of his garments, and when dead, was wrapped in linen: and his whole Passion was a purification of them that believe. When, therefore, he was on the eve of his sufferings, he prepared for them by bene- fits, given not only to them for whom he was about to suffer death, but even to him who was about to betray him unto death. Such, indeed, is the importance of humility to man, that the very majesty of God taught it him by hisown example. Proud man would have been for ever lost, had not the humble God found him: and thus, he tbat had been ruined by the pride of the seducer, was saved by the humility of the most loving Redeemer, to whom deserved- ly all the Angels and Arch- angels cry out daily without ceasing, saying with oné voice: Holy! Holy! Holy!

--- PAGE 422 --- GOOD FRIDAY: TENEBRJE 413

GOOD FRIDAY

THE NIGHT OFFICE

Tur ceremonies used by the Church for the Office

of Tenebre having been already explained, we deem

it unnecessary to repeat our instructions. The reader

may refer to them, should he require to refresh his

memory. They are given on pages 301—303. Pater noster, Ave, and Credo, in secret.

THE FIRST NOCTURN

The first psalm, after having spoken of the eternal generation of the Son of God, prophesies His king- ship over the nations, and the vengeance He will take on His enemies, at the last day. As this magnificent canticle also foretells the revolt of earthly princes against Christ, the Church uses it on this day, when the Synagogue has plotted His death.

ANT. Adstiterunt reges ANT. The kings of the earth terre, et principes conve- stood up, and the princes met nerunt in unum, adversus together against the Lord, and Dominum, et adversus Chri- against his Christ. stum ejus.

Psarx 2

Quare fremuerunt gen- Why have the Gentiles tes: et populi meditati sunt raged, and the people devised inania? vain things? .

Adstiterunt reges terre, The kings of the earth stood et principes convenerunt in up, and the princes met to- unum: adversus Dominum gether, against the Lord, and et adversus Christum ejus. ^ against his Christ.

Dirumpamus vincula eo- They said: Let us break their rum: et projiciamus a no- bonds asunder: and let us cast bis jugum ipsorum. away their yoke from us.

--- PAGE 423 --- 414

Qui habitat in coelis irri- debit eos: et Dominus sub-
sannabit eos.

Tunc loquetur ad eos in ira sua: et in furore suo con- turbabit eps.

Ego autem constitutus sum rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum ejus: prae- dicans preceptum ejus.

Dominus dixit ad me:
Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te.

Postula a me, et dabo tibi Gentes hereditatem tuam: et possessionem tuam ter- minos terra.

Reges eos in virga ferrea: et tamquam vas figuli con- fringes eos.

Et nunc reges intelligite: erudimini qui judicatis ter- ram.

Servite Domino in timore: et exsultate ei cum tremore.

Apprehendite ^ discipli- nam: nequando irascatur Dominus: et-pereatis de via
justa.

Cum exarserit in brevi ira ejus: beati omnes qui confi- dunt in eo.

ANT. Adstiterunt reges terre, et principes conve- nerunt in unum, adversus Dominum, et adversus Chri- stum ejus.

PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.

Then shall he speak to them in his anger: and trouble them in his rage.

But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his com- mandment.

The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy in- heritance: and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron: and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

And now, O ye kings, under- stand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.

Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.

Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry: and you perish from the just way.

‘When his wrath shall be kin- dled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.

ANT. The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and against his Christ.

The second mm is pre-eminently the psalm of

the Passion.

he first verse contains one of the

--- PAGE 424 --- GOOD FRIDAY: TENEBRE 415 seven words spoken by our Saviour on the cross. The rest of the psalm mentions so many circum- stances of the Passion, and with such clearness, that we almost seem to be reading the account of an eye- witness. Thus it tells us, among other particulars of our Lord’s sufferings, of His hands and feet being pierced, of His Body being violeutly stretched upon the cross, of His garments being divided, of lots being cast for His vesture, of His agony, and of His

being insulted by them that crucified Him.

ANT. Diviserunt sibi ve- stimenta mea, et super ve- stem meam miserunt sortem.

ANT. They parted my gar- ments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.

Psarw 21

Deus, Deus meus, respice
in me: quare me dereli- quisti: longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum.

Deus meus, clamabo per
diem, et non exaudies: et nocte, et non ad insipientiam mihi.

Tu autem in sancto habi- tas: laus Israél.

In te speraverunt patres nostri: speraverunt, et libe- rasti eos.

Ad te clamaverunt, et salvi facti sunt: in te spera- verunt, et non sunt confusi.

Ego autem sum vermis, et non homo: opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis.

Omnes videntes me deri- serunt me: locuti sunt la- biis, et moverunt caput.

Speravit in Domino, eri- piat eum: salvum faciat

O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me: Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.

O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.

But thou dwellest in the holy place, tlie praise of Israel.

In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped and thou hast delivered them.

They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.

All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagzed the head.

He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save

--- PAGE 425 --- 44b

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--- PAGE 426 --- GOOD FRIDAY: TENEBRZE

ame: ad defensionem me- am conspice.

Erue a framea, Deus, ani-
mam meam: et de manu canis unicam meam.

Salva me ex ore leonis: et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam.

Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis: in medio ecclesie laudabo te.

Quitimetis Dominum, lau- date eum: universum semen Jacob, glorificate eum.

Timeat eum omne semen Israel: quoniam non spre- vit, neque despexit depreca- tionem pauperis.

Nec avertit faciem suam a me: et cum clamarem ad eum, exaudivit me.

Apud te laus mea in ec- clesia magna: vota mea red- dam in conspectu timentium eum.

Edent pauperes, et sa- turabuntur, et laudabunt Dominum qui requirunt eum: vivent corda eorum in sseculum sseculi.

Reminiscentur et con- vertentur ad Dominum: universi fines terre.

Etadorabunt in conspectu ejus: universe familie gen- tium.

Quoniam Domini est re- guum: et ipse dominabitur

gentium. Manducaverunt, et ado- raverunt omnes pingues

lerre: in conspectu ejus

417

from me: look towards my defence.

Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog.

Save me from the lion's mouth: and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.

I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee.

Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him.

Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man.

Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.

With thee is my praise in the great church: I will pay vows in the sight of them that fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall be filled, and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever.

All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord.

And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight.

For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he shall have dominion over the nations.

All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down

P

--- PAGE 427 --- 418

cadent omnes, qui descen- dunt in terram.

Et anima mea illi vivet: et semen meum serviet ipsi.

Annuntiabitur Domino generatio ventura: et annun- tiabunt cceli justitiam ejus, populo qui nascetur, quem fecit Dominus.

ANT. Diviserunt sibi ve- stimenta mea, et super ve- stem meam miserunt sortem.

PASSIONTIDE AND HOLY WEEK

to the earth shall fall before him.

And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him.

There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall show forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

AwT. They parted my gar- ments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.

The third psalm was composed by David, when

fleeing from Saul's persecution.

It shows us how

this holy prophet kept up his confidence in the Lord, in spite of all the dangers that threatened him. David is here a figure of Christ in His Passion.

AwT. Insurrexerunt in ANT. Unjust witnesses have me testes iniqui, et mentita risen up against me, and ini-

est iniquitas sibi.

quity hath belied itself.

Psarx 26

Dominus illuminatio mea,
et salus mea: quem timebo?

Dominus protector vite
mes: a quo trepidabo?

Dum appropiant super me nocentes: ut edant carnes meas.

Qui tribulant me inimici mei: ipsi infirmati sunt et ceciderunt.

Si consistant adversum me castra: non timebit cor meum.

Si exsurgat adversum me

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh.

My enemies that troubled me have been weakened, and have fallen.

If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear.

If a battle should rise up

--- PAGE 428 --- GOOD FRIDAY: TENEBRJE

proelium: in hoc ego spe- rabo.

Unam petii a Domino, hanc requiram: ut inhabi- tem in domo Domini omni- bus diebus vite mez.

Ut videam voluptatem Domini: et visitem tem- plum ejus.

Quoniam abscondit me in tabernaculo suo: in die ma- lorum protexit me in ab- scondito tabernaculi sui.

In petra exaltavit me: et nunc exaltavit caput me- um super inimicos meos. Circuivi, et immolavi in tabernaculo ejus hostiam vociferationis: cantabo, et psalmum dicam Domino.

Exaudi, Domine, vocem meam, qua clamavi ad te: miserere mei, et exaudi me.

Tibi dixit cor meum, exquisivit te facies mea: faciem tuam, Domine, requiram.

Ne avertas faciem tuam a me: ne declines in ira a servo tuo.

Adjutor meus esto: ne derelinquas me, neque despicias me, Deus salutaris meus.

Quoniam pater meus et mater mea dereliquerunt me: Dominus autem assumpsit me.

Legem pone mihi, Domine, in via tua: et dirige me in semitam rectam propter inimicos meos.

Ne tradideris me in animas tribulantium me: quoniam insurrexerunt in me testes iniqui, et mentita est iniquitas sibi.

Credo videre bona Domini: in terra viventium.

Exspecta Dominum, viriliter age: et confortetur cor tuum, et sustine Dominum.

Ant. Insurrexerunt in me testes iniqui, et mentita est iniquitas sibi.

℣. Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea.

℟. Et super vestem meam miserunt sortem.

against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.

For he hath hid me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.

He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies.

I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me, and hear me.

My heart hath said to thee, my face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.

Turn not away thy face from me: decline not in thy wrath from thy servant.

Be thou my helper: forsake me not, do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.

For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.

Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way: and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.

Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me: for unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity hath belied itself.

I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Expect the Lord, do manfully: and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

Ant. Unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity hath belied itself.

℣. They parted my garments among them.

℟. And upon my vesture they cast lots.

Here is said, in secret, the Pater noster.

The lessons of the first nocturn are to-day, also, taken from the Lamentations of Jeremias. We have already (page 2) explained why the Church reads them on these three days. The first two of the following lessons refer to the destruction of Jerusalem; the third we will explain in its proper place.

FIRST LESSON

De Lamentatione Jeremiæ Prophetæ.
Cap. ii.

HETH. Cogitavit Dominus dissipare murum filiæ Sion: tetendit funiculum suum, et non avertit manum suam a perditione: luxitque antemurale, et murus pariter dissipatus est.

TETH. Defixæ sunt in terra portæ ejus, perdidit et contrivit vectes ejus, regem ejus, et principes ejus, in gentibus. Non est lex: et prophetæ ejus non invenerunt visionem a Domino.

JOD. Sederunt in terra, conticuerunt senes filiæ Sion: consperserunt cinere capita sua, accincti sunt ciliciis; abjecerunt in terram capita sua virgines Jerusalem.

CAPH. Defecerunt præ lacrymis oculi mei, conturbata sunt viscera mea. Effusum est in terra jecur meum super contritione filiæ populi mei, cum deficeret parvulus et lactens in plateis oppidi.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

℟. Omnes amici mei dereliquerunt me, et prævaluerunt insidiantes mihi: tradidit me quem diligebam. * Et terribilibus oculis plaga crudeli percutientes, aceto potabant me.

℣. Inter iniquos projecerunt me: et non pepercerunt animæ meæ.

* Et terribilibus oculis plaga crudeli percutientes, aceto potabant me.

From the Lamentation of Jeremias the Prophet. Ch. ii.

HETH. The Lord hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Sion: he hath stretched out his line, and hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: and the bulwark hath mourned, and the wall hath been destroyed together.

TETH. Her gates are sunk into the ground: he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles. The law is no more, and her prophets have found no vision from the Lord.

JOD. The ancients of the daughter of Sion sit upon the ground, they have held their peace; they have sprinkled their heads with dust, they are girded with hair-cloth, the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

CAPH. My eyes have failed with weeping, my bowels are troubled. My liver is poured out upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people, when the children and the sucklings fainted away in the streets of the city.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God.

℟. All my friends have forsaken me, and they that lay in ambush for me prevailed: he whom I loved has betrayed me. * And they, with terrible looks, striking me with a cruel wound, gave me vinegar to drink.

℣. They cast me out among the wicked, and spared not my life.

* And they, with terrible looks, striking me with a cruel wound, gave me vinegar to drink.

SECOND LESSON

LAMED. Matribus suis dixerunt: Ubi est triticum et vinum? cum deficerent quasi vulnerati in plateis civitatis, cum exhalarent animas suas in sinu matrum suarum.

MEM. Cui comparabo te, vel cui assimilabo te, filia Jerusalem? cui exæquabo te, et consolabor te, virgo filia Sion? Magna est enim velut mare contritio tua: quis medebitur tui?

NUN. Prophetæ tui viderunt tibi falsa et stulta: nec aperiebant iniquitatem tuam, ut te ad pœnitentiam provocarent. Viderunt autem tibi assumptiones falsas, et ejectiones.

SAMECH. Plauserunt super te manibus omnes transeuntes per viam: sibilaverunt, et moverunt caput suum super filiam Jerusalem: Hæccine est urbs, dicentes, perfecti decoris, gaudium universæ terræ?

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

℟. Velum templi scissum est, * Et omnis terra tremuit: latro de cruce clamabat, dicens: Memento mei, Domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum.

℣. Petræ scissæ sunt, et monumenta aperta sunt, et multa corpora sanctorum, qui dormierant, surrexerunt.

* Et omnis terra tremuit: latro de cruce clamabat, dicens: Memento mei, Domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum.

LAMED. They said to their mothers: Where is corn and wine? when they fainted away as the wounded in the streets of the city: when they breathed out their souls in the bosoms of their mothers.

MEM. To what shall I compare thee, or to what shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? to what shall I equal thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Sion? For great as the sea is thy destruction: who shall heal thee?

NUN. Thy prophets have seen false and foolish things for thee; and they have not laid open thy iniquity, to excite thee to penance, but they have seen for thee false revelations and banishments.

SAMECH. All they that passed by the way have clapped their hands at thee: they have hissed and wagged their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying: Is this the city of perfect beauty, the joy of all the earth?

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God.

℟. The veil of the temple was rent, * And all the earth shook: the thief cried out from the cross, saying: Remember me, O Lord, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.

℣. The rocks were split, and the monuments opened, and many bodies of the saints that were dead rose out of them.

* And all the earth shook: the thief cried out from the cross, saying: Remember me, O Lord, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.

In the third lesson, which now follows, Jeremias passes to another subject. According to the usage of the prophets, he leaves Jerusalem, to speak of Him who is the expectation of Israel—the Messias. But it is not of the glory of the Messias that he now speaks: it is of the sufferings He endures: He has made Himself the object of God's severest justice, by taking upon Himself the sins of the whole world.

THIRD LESSON

ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam, in virga indignationis ejus.

ALEPH. Me minavit et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.

ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.

BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam: contrivit ossa mea.

BETH. Ædificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle et labore.

BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.

GHIMEL. Circumædificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.

GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.

GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.

℟. Vinea mea electa, ego te plantavi: * Quomodo conversa es in amaritudinem, ut me crucifigeres, et Barabbam dimitteres?

℣. Sepivi te, et lapides elegi ex te, et ædificavi turrim.

* Quomodo conversa es in amaritudinem, ut me crucifigeres, et Barabbam dimitteres?

Here is repeated: Vinea mea.

ALEPH. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.

ALEPH. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.

ALEPH. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.

BETH. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.

BETH. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.

BETH. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.

GHIMEL. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.

GHIMEL. Yea, and when I cry and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.

GHIMEL. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, be converted to the Lord thy God.

℟. O my chosen vineyard, it is I that have planted thee: * How art thou become so bitter, that thou shouldst crucify me, and release Barabbas?

℣. I have hedged thee in, and picked the stones out of thee, and have built a tower.

* How art thou become so bitter, that thou shouldst crucify me, and release Barabbas?

Here is repeated: O my chosen.

THE SECOND NOCTURN

In the fourth psalm, David humbly acknowledges that the rebellion of his son Absolom was a just punishment of the sins he himself had committed. He is a figure of the Messias, who, in His agony, confesses that the iniquities, which He has taken upon Himself, are a heavy burthen upon Him, that His heart is troubled, and that His strength hath left Him.

Ant. Vim faciebant, qui quærebant animam meam.

Ant. They used violence that sought my soul.

PSALM 37

Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me: neque in ira tua corripias me.

Quoniam sagittæ tuæ infixæ sunt mihi: et confirmasti super me manum tuam.

Non est sanitas in carne mea a facie iræ tuæ: non est pax ossibus meis a facie peccatorum meorum.

Quoniam iniquitates meæ supergressæ sunt caput meum: et sicut onus grave gravatæ sunt super me.

Putruerunt, et corruptæ sunt cicatrices meæ: a facie insipientiæ meæ.

Miser factus sum, et curvatus sum usque in finem: tota die contristatus ingrediebar.

Quoniam lumbi mei impleti sunt illusionibus: et non est sanitas in carne mea.

Afflictus sum et humiliatus sum nimis: rugiebam a gemitu cordis mei.

Domine, ante te omne desiderium meum: et gemitus meus a te non est absconditus.

Cor meum conturbatum est, dereliquit me virtus mea: et lumen oculorum meorum, et ipsum non est mecum.

Amici mei et proximi mei: adversum me appropinquaverunt et steterunt.

Et qui juxta me erant, de longe steterunt: et vim faciebant qui quærebant animam meam.

Et qui inquirebant mala mihi, locuti sunt vanitates: et dolos tota die meditabantur.

Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiebam: et sicut mutus non aperiens os suum.

Et factus sum sicut homo non audiens: et non habens in ore suo redargutiones.

Quoniam in te, Domine, speravi: tu exaudies me, Domine Deus meus.

Quia dixi: Nequando supergaudeant mihi inimici mei: et dum commoventur pedes mei, super me magna locuti sunt.

Quoniam ego in flagella paratus sum: et dolor meus in conspectu meo semper.

Quoniam iniquitatem meam annuntiabo: et cogitabo pro peccato meo.

Inimici autem mei vivunt, et confirmati sunt super me: et multiplicati sunt qui oderunt me inique.

Qui retribuunt mala pro bonis detrahebant mihi: quoniam sequebar bonitatem.

Ne derelinquas me, Domine Deus meus: ne discesseris a me.

Rebuke me not, O Lord, in thy indignation: nor chastise me in thy wrath.

For thy arrows are fastened in me: and thy hand hath been strong upon me.

There is no health in my flesh, because of thy wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins.

For my iniquities are gone over my head: and as a heavy burthen are become heavy upon me.

My sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.

I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long.

For my loins are filled with illusions: and there is no health in my flesh.

I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared with the groaning of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before thee: and my groaning is not hid from thee.

My heart is troubled, my strength hath left me: and the light of my eyes itself is not with me.

My friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood against me.

And they that were near me stood afar off: and they that sought my soul used violence.

And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things: and studied deceits all the day long.

But I, as a deaf man, heard

Intende in adjutorium meum: Domine, Deus salutis meæ.

ANT. Vim faciebant qui quærebant animam meam.

not: and was as a dumb man not opening his mouth.

And I became as a man that heareth not: and that hath no reproofs in his mouth.

For in thee, O Lord, have I hoped: thou wilt hear me, O Lord my God.

For I said: Lest at any time my enemies rejoice over me: and whilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.

For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.

For I will declare my iniquity: and I will think for my sin.

But my enemies live, and are stronger than I: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

They that render evil for good have detracted me, because I followed goodness.

Forsake me not, O Lord my God: do not thou depart from me.

Attend unto my help, O Lord, the God of my salvation.

ANT. They used violence that sought my soul.

The fifth psalm also represents David, under persecution, as the figure of the Messias. But there is one verse in it, which refers to Christ only, and not to David: it is the tenth, wherein it is said: burnt-offerings and sin-offerings thou didst not require; then said I: 'Behold I come!'

ANT. Confundantur et revereantur, qui quærunt animam meam, ut auferant eam.

ANT. Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek after my soul, to take it away.

PSALM 39

Exspectans exspectavi Dominum: et intendit mihi.

Et exaudivit preces meas: et eduxit me de lacu miseriæ, et de luto fæcis.

Et statuit super petram pedes meos: et direxit gressus meos.

Et immisit in os meum canticum novum: carmen Deo nostro.

Videbunt multi, et timebunt: et sperabunt in Domino.

Beatus vir, cujus est nomen Domini spes ejus: et non respexit in vanitates et insanias falsas.

Multa fecisti tu Domine Deus meus, mirabilia tua: et cogitationibus tuis non est qui similis sit tibi.

Annuntiavi et locutus sum: multiplicati sunt super numerum.

Sacrificium et oblationem noluisti: aures autem perfecisti mihi.

Holocaustum et pro peccato non postulasti: tunc dixi: Ecce venio.

In capite libri scriptum est de me, ut facerem voluntatem tuam: Deus meus, volui, et legem tuam in medio cordis mei.

Annuntiavi justitiam tuam in ecclesia magna: ecce labia mea non prohibebo: Domine, tu scisti.

Justitiam tuam non abscondi in corde meo: veritatem tuam et salutare tuum dixi.

Non abscondi misericordiam tuam, et veritatem tuam: a concilio multo.

Tu autem, Domine, ne longe facias miserationes tuas a me: misericordia tua et veritas tua semper susceperunt me.

Quoniam circumdederunt me mala, quorum non est numerus: comprehenderunt me iniquitates meæ, et non potui ut viderem.

Multiplicati sunt super capillos capitis mei: et cor meum dereliquit me.

Complaceat tibi Domine, et eruas me: Domine, ad adjuvandum me respice.

Confundantur et revereantur simul, qui quærunt animam meam: ut auferant eam.

Convertantur retrorsum et revereantur: qui volunt mihi mala.

Ferant confestim confusionem suam: qui dicunt mihi: Euge, euge.

Exsultent et lætentur super te omnes quærentes te: et dicant semper: Magnificetur Dominus, qui diligunt salutare tuum.

Ego autem mendicus sum, et pauper: Dominus sollicitus est mei.

Adjutor meus et protector meus tu es: Deus meus, ne tardaveris.

ANT. Confundantur et revereantur, qui quærunt animam meam, ut auferant eam.

With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

And he heard my prayers and he brought me out of the pit of misery, and the mire of dregs.

And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps.

And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God.

Many shall see this, and shall fear: and they shall hope in the Lord.

Blessed is the man whose trust is in the name of the Lord: and who hath not had regard to vanities and lying follies.

Thou hast multiplied thy wonderful works, O Lord my God: and in thy thoughts there is no one like to thee.

I have declared, and I have spoken: they are multiplied above number.

Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire: but thou hast pierced ears for me.

Burnt-offerings and sin-offerings thou didst not require: then said I: Behold I come.

In the head of the book it was written of me, that I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.

I have declared thy justice in the great Church: lo! I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

I have not hid thy justice within my heart. I have declared thy truth and thy salvation.

I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from the great council.

Withhold not thou, O Lord, thy tender mercies from me: thy mercy and thy truth have always upheld me.

For evils without number have surrounded me: my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see.

They are multiplied above the hairs of my head: and my heart hath forsaken me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: look down, O Lord, to help me.

Let them be confounded and ashamed together, that seek after my soul, to take it away.

Let them be turned backward, and be ashamed, that desire evils to me.

Let them immediately bear their confusion that say to me: 'Tis well, 'tis well.

Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation, say always, The Lord be magnified.

But I am a beggar and poor: the Lord is careful for me.

Thou art my helper and my protector: O my God, be not slack.

ANT. Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek after my soul, to take it away.

In the sixth psalm, David, persecuted by Saul, is a figure of our Saviour, against whom the Synagogue prepares its wicked plots.

ANT. Alieni insurrexerunt in me, et fortes quæsierunt animam meam.

ANT. Strangers have risen up against me, and the mighty have sought after my soul.

PSALM 53

Deus, in nomine tuo salvum me fac: et in virtute tua judica me.

Deus, exaudi orationem meam: auribus percipe verba oris mei.

Quoniam alieni insurrexerunt adversum me, et fortes quæsierunt animam meam: et non proposuerunt Deum ante conspectum suum.

Ecce enim Deus adjuvat me: et Dominus susceptor est animæ meæ.

Averte mala inimicis meis: et in veritate tua disperde illos.

Voluntarie sacrificabo tibi: et confitebor nomini tuo, Domine, quoniam bonum est.

Quoniam ex omni tribulatione eripuisti me: et super inimicos meos despexit oculus meus.

ANT. Alieni insurrexerunt in me, et fortes quæsierunt animam meam.

℣. Insurrexerunt in me testes iniqui.

℟. Et mentita est iniquitas sibi.

Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me in thy strength.

O God, hear my prayer: give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers have risen up against me: and the mighty have sought after my soul: and they have not set God before their eyes.

For behold God is my helper: and the Lord is the protector of my soul.

Turn back the evils upon my enemies: and cut them off in thy truth.

I will freely sacrifice to thee, and will give praise, O God, to thy name: because it is good.

For thou hast delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye hath looked down upon my enemies.

ANT. Strangers have risen up against me, and the mighty have sought after my soul.

℣. Unjust witnesses have risen up against me.

℟. And iniquity hath belied itself.

Here is said, in secret, the Pater noster.

For the second nocturn lessons the Church continues the Enarrations of St. Augustine on the psalms prophetic of our Lord's Passion.

FOURTH LESSON

Ex tractatu Sancti Augustini Episcopi super Psalmos.

Ps. lxiii.

Protexisti me, Deus, a conventu malignantium, a multitudine operantium iniquitatem. Jam ipsum caput nostrum intueamur. Multi martyres talia passi sunt, sed nihil sic elucet, quomodo caput martyrum: ibi melius intuemur, quod illi experti sunt. Protectus est a multitudine malignantium: protegente se Deo, protegente carnem suam ipso Filio, et homine quem gerebat, quia Filius hominis est, et Filius Dei est: Filius Dei, propter formam Dei: Filius hominis, propter formam servi, habens in potestate ponere animam suam, et recipere eam. Quid ei potuerunt facere inimici? Occiderunt corpus, animam non occiderunt. Intendite. Parum ergo erat Dominum hortari martyres verbo, nisi firmaret exemplo.

℟. Tanquam ad latronem existis cum gladiis et fustibus comprehendere me. * Quotidie apud vos eram in templo docens, et non me tenuistis: et ecce flagellatum ducitis ad crucifigendum.

℣. Cumque injecissent manus in Jesum, et tenuissent eum, dixit ad eos:

* Quotidie apud vos eram in templo docens, et non me tenuistis: et ecce flagellatum ducitis ad crucifigendum.

From the treatise of Saint Augustine, Bishop, upon the Psalms.

Ps. lxiii.

Thou hast protected me, O God, from the assembly of the malignant, from the multitude of the workers of iniquity. Now let us behold our head himself. Many martyrs have suffered such torments, but nothing is so conspicuous as the head of the martyrs; there we see better what they endured. He was protected from the multitude of the malignant: that is, God protected himself; the Son, and the Man assumed by the Son, protected his own flesh. For he is the Son of Man, and the Son of God: the Son of God because of the form of God: the Son of Man because of the form of a servant, having it in his power to lay down his life, and take it up again. What could his enemies do against him? They killed his body, but they did not kill his soul. Take notice, then. It signified little for our Lord to exhort the martyrs by word, if he had not fortified them by his example.

℟. Ye are come out to take me, as a thief, with swords and clubs. * I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye did not apprehend me: and lo! ye scourge me, and lead me to be crucified.

℣. And when they had laid hands on Jesus, and taken him, he said to them:

* I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye did not apprehend me: and lo! ye scourge me, and lead me to be crucified.

FIFTH LESSON

Nostis qui conventus erat malignantium Judæorum, et quæ multitudo erat operantium iniquitatem. Quam iniquitatem? Quia voluerunt occidere Dominum Jesum Christum. 'Tanta opera bona, inquit, ostendi vobis; propter quod horum me vultis occidere?' Pertulit omnes infirmos eorum, curavit omnes languidos eorum, prædicavit regnum cælorum, non tacuit vitia eorum, ut ipsa potius eis displicerent, non medicus a quo sanabantur. His omnibus curationibus ejus ingrati, tamquam multa febre phrenetici, insanientes in medicum qui venerat curare eos, excogitaverunt consilium perdendi eum; tamquam ibi volentes probare, utrum vere homo sit qui mori possit, an aliquid super homines sit, et mori se non permittat. Verbum ipsorum agnoscimus in Sapientia Salomonis. Morte turpissima, inquiunt, condemnemus eum: interrogemus eum: erit enim respectus in sermonibus illius. Si enim vere Filius Dei est, liberet eum.

℟. Tenebræ factæ sunt, dum crucifixissent Jesum Judæi: et circa horam nonam exclamavit Jesus voce magna: Deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti? * Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.

℣. Exclamans Jesus voce magna ait: Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum.

* Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.

You know what was the assembly of the wicked Jews, and what the multitude of those that work iniquity. But what was that iniquity? It was that they intended to kill our Lord Jesus Christ. 'I have done,' saith he, 'so many good works among you: for which of them will you kill me?' He bore with all their weaknesses, he cured all their sick, he preached the kingdom of heaven, he concealed not their crimes, that they might rather hate them, than the physician that healed them. Yet such was their ingratitude for all these cures, that like men raving in a high fever, they raged against the physician that came to cure them, and formed a design of destroying him: as if they had a mind to try whether he was a real man that could die, or something above men, and would not die. We find their words in the Wisdom of Solomon: 'Let us condemn him,' say they, 'to a most shameful death. Let us examine him: for regard will be had to his words. If he is truly the Son of God, let him deliver him.'

℟. Darkness covered the earth, whilst the Jews crucified Jesus: and about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice: My God! why hast thou forsaken me? * And bowing down his head, he gave up the ghost.

℣. Jesus crying out with a loud voice said: Father! into thy hands I commend my spirit!

* And bowing down his head, he gave up the ghost.

SIXTH LESSON

Exacuerunt tamquam gladium linguas suas. Non dicant Judæi: Non occidimus Christum. Etenim propterea eum dederunt judici Pilato, ut quasi ipsi a morte ejus viderentur immunes. Nam cum dixisset eis Pilatus: Vos eum occidite; responderunt: Nobis non licet occidere quemquam. Iniquitatem facinoris sui in judicem hominem refundere volebant: sed numquid Deum judicem fallebant? Quod fecit Pilatus, in eo ipso quod fecit, aliquantum particeps fuit: sed in comparatione illorum, multo ipse innocentior. Institit enim quantum potuit, ut illum ex eorum manibus liberaret: nam propterea flagellatum produxit ad eos. Non persequendo Dominum flagellavit, sed eorum furori satisfacere volens: ut vel sic jam mitescerent, et desinerent velle occidere, cum flagellatum viderent. Fecit et hoc. At ubi perseveraverunt, nostis illum lavisse manus, et dixisse quod ipse non fecisset, mundum se esse a morte illius. Fecit tamen. Sed si reus, quia fecit vel invitus: illi innocentes, qui coegerunt ut faceret? Nullo modo. Sed ille dixit in eum sententiam, et jussit eum crucifigi, et quasi ipse occidit: et vos, O Judæi, occidistis. Unde occidistis? Gladio linguæ: acuistis enim linguas vestras. Et quan-

They sharpened their tongues like a sword. Let not the Jews say: 'We did not kill Christ:' for they delivered him up to

Pilate, the judge, that they might seem innocent of his death. Thus when Pilate had said to them: 'Put him to death yourselves;' they answered: 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.' Hereby, they pretended to throw the injustice of their crime upon a judge that was a man: but could they deceive a judge that is God? What Pilate did, made him partaker of their crime: but in comparison with them, he was much more innocent. For he laboured what he could to get him out of their hands; and for that reason ordered him to be scourged and shown to them. This he did to our Lord, not by way of persecution, but to satisfy their rage; that the sight of him in that condition might move them to pity, and make them desist from desiring his death. All this he did. But when they still persisted, you know that he washed his hands, and said that he had no hand in it, that he was innocent of his death. And yet he really put him to death. But if he was guilty for doing so against his will: are they innocent that forced him to do it? By no means. He pronounced sentence upon him, and commanded him to be crucified, and so might be said to kill him: but you, O Jews, you also killed him. How? With the sword of your tongues: for ye sharpened your tongues. And when gave you the stroke, but when you cried out: 'Crucify him, crucify him'?

do percussistis, nisi quando clamastis: Crucifige, crucifige?

℟. Animam meam dilectam tradidi in manus iniquorum, et facta est mihi hæreditas mea sicut leo in silva: dedit contra me voces adversarius, dicens: Congregamini, et properate ad devorandum illum. Posuerunt me in deserto solitudinis, et luxit super me omnis terra: * Quia non est inventus qui me agnosceret, et faceret bene.

℣. Insurrexerunt in me viri absque misericordia, et non pepercerunt animæ meæ.

* Quia non est inventus qui me agnosceret, et faceret bene.

Here is repeated: Animam meam dilectam.

℟. I have delivered my beloved soul into the hands of the wicked, and my inheritance is become to me like a lion in the forest: my adversary gave out his words against me, saying: Come together, and make haste to devour him. They placed me in a solitary desert, and all the earth mourned for me: * Because there was none found that would know me, and do good unto me.

℣. Men without mercy rose up against me, and they spared not my life.

* Because there was none found that would know me, and do good unto me.

Here is repeated: I have delivered.

THE THIRD NOCTURN

The seventh psalm was composed by David at the time when he was being persecuted by Saul. The prophet, by describing the fury of his own persecutor, shows us what kind of men were the enemies of the Messias.

ANT. Ab insurgentibus in me, libera me, Domine, quia occupaverunt animam meam.

ANT. From them that rise up against me, deliver me, O Lord: for they are in possession of my soul.

PSALM 58

Eripe me de inimicis meis, Deus meus: et ab insurgentibus in me, libera me.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God: and defend me from them that rise up against me.

Eripe me de operantibus iniquitatem: et de viris sanguinum salva me.

Deliver me from them that work iniquity: and save me from bloody men.

Quia ecce ceperunt animam meam: irruerunt in me fortes.

For behold they have caught my soul: the mighty have rushed in upon me.

Neque iniquitas mea, neque peccatum meum, Domine: sine iniquitate cucurri, et direxi.

Neither is it for my iniquity, nor for my sin, O Lord: without iniquity have I run and directed my steps.

Exsurge in occursum meum, et vide: et tu, Domine, Deus virtutum, Deus Israel.

Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: even thou, O Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel.

Intende ad visitandas omnes Gentes: non miserearis omnibus qui operantur iniquitatem.

Attend to visit all the nations: have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.

Convertentur ad vesperam, et famem patientur ut canes: et circuibunt civitatem.

They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

Ecce loquentur in ore suo, et gladius in labiis eorum: quoniam quis audivit?

Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us?

Et tu, Domine, deridebis eos: ad nihilum deduces omnes Gentes.

But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.

Fortitudinem meam ad te custodiam, quia Deus susceptor meus es: Deus meus, misericordia ejus præveniet me.

I will keep my strength to thee, for thou art my protector: my God, his mercy shall prevent me.

Deus ostendit mihi super inimicos meos, ne occidas eos: nequando obliviscantur populi mei.

God shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, lest at any time my people forget.

Disperge illos in virtute tua: et depone eos, protector meus, Domine.

Scatter them by thy power: and bring them down, O Lord, my protector.

Delictum oris eorum, sermonem labiorum ipsorum: et comprehendantur in superbia sua.

For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride.

Et de execratione et mendacio annuntiabuntur in consummatione: in ira consummationis, et non erunt.

And for their cursing and lying they shall be talked of, when they are consumed: when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more.

Et scient quia Deus dominabitur Jacob: et finium terræ.

And they shall know that God will rule Jacob: and all the ends of the earth.

Convertentur ad vesperam, et famem patientur ut canes: et circuibunt civitatem.

They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

Ipsi dispergentur ad manducandum: si vero non fuerint saturati, et murmurabunt.

They shall be scattered abroad to eat: and shall murmur if they be not filled.

Ego autem cantabo fortitudinem tuam: et exaltabo mane misericordiam tuam.

But I will sing thy strength: and will extol thy mercy in the morning.

Quia factus es susceptor meus: et refugium meum, in die tribulationis meæ.

For thou art become my support and my refuge, in the day of my trouble.

Adjutor meus tibi psallam, quia Deus susceptor meus es: Deus meus, misericordia mea.

Unto thee, O my helper, will I sing, for thou art God, my defence: my God, my mercy.

ANT. Ab insurgentibus in me, libera me, Domine, quia occupaverunt animam meam.

ANT. From them that rise up against me, deliver me, O Lord, for they are in possession of my soul.

In the eighth psalm, the royal prophet shows us the Messias threatened with death, and complaining of His disciples having abandoned Him.

ANT. Longe fecisti notos meos a me: traditus sum, et non egrediebar.

ANT. Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me; I was delivered up, and I escaped not.

PSALM 87

Domine, Deus salutis meæ: in die clamavi, et nocte coram te.

O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried in the day, and in the night before thee.

Intret in conspectu tuo oratio mea: inclina aurem tuam ad precem meam.

Let my prayer come in before thee: incline thy ear to my petition.

Quia repleta est malis anima mea: et vita mea inferno appropinquavit.

For my soul is filled with evils: and my life hath drawn nigh to hell.

Æstimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum: factus sum sicut homo sine adjutorio, inter mortuos liber.

I am counted among them that go down to the pit: I am become as a man without help, free among the dead.

Sicut vulnerati dormientes in sepulchris, quorum non es memor amplius: et ipsi de manu tua repulsi sunt.

Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cast off from thy hand.

Posuerunt me in lacu inferiori: in tenebrosis, et in umbra mortis.

They have laid me in the lower pit: in the dark places and in the shadow of death.

Super me confirmatus est furor tuus: et omnes fluctus tuos induxisti super me.

Thy wrath is strong over me: and all thy waves thou hast brought in upon me.

Longe fecisti notos meos a me: posuerunt me abominationem sibi.

Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me: they have set me an abomination to themselves.

Traditus sum, et non egrediebar: oculi mei languerunt præ inopia.

I was delivered up, and came not forth: my eyes languished through poverty.

Clamavi ad te, Domine, tota die: expandi ad te manus meas.

All the day I cried to thee, O Lord: I stretched out my hands to thee.

Numquid mortuis facies mirabilia: aut medici suscitabunt, et confitebuntur tibi?

Wilt thou show wonders to the dead: or shall physicians raise to life, and give praise to thee?

Numquid narrabit aliquis in sepulchro misericordiam tuam: et veritatem tuam in perditione?

Shall any one in the sepulchre declare thy mercy, and thy truth in destruction?

Numquid cognoscentur in tenebris mirabilia tua: et justitia tua in terra oblivionis?

Shall thy wonders be known in the dark: and thy justice in the land of forgetfulness?

Et ego ad te, Domine, clamavi: et mane oratio mea præveniet te.

But I, O Lord, have cried to thee, and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee.

Ut quid, Domine, repellis orationem meam: avertis faciem tuam a me?

Lord, why castest thou off my prayer: why turnest thou away thy face from me?

Pauper sum ego, et in laboribus a juventute mea: exaltatus autem, humiliatus sum et conturbatus.

I am poor and in labours from my youth: and being exalted, have been humbled and troubled.

In me transierunt iræ tuæ: et terrores tui conturbaverunt me.

Thy wrath hath come upon me: and thy terrors have troubled me.

Circumdederunt me sicut aqua tota die: circumdederunt me simul.

They have come round about me like water all the day: they have compassed me about together.

Elongasti a me amicum et proximum: et notos meos a miseria.

Friend and neighbour thou hast put far from me: and my acquaintance because of misery.

ANT. Longe fecisti notos meos a me: traditus sum, et non egrediebar.

ANT. Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me: I was delivered up, and I escaped not.

The ninth psalm invokes the vengeance of God upon the unjust judges, who shed the Blood of the innocent Jesus, and forget that there is One in heaven who is witness of their injustice and of His immolation. The high priests, the doctors of the Law, the dastardly Pontius Pilate, are here described as unjust judges, upon whose heads will fall the wrath of heaven.

ANT. Captabunt in animam justi, et sanguinem innocentem condemnabunt.

ANT. They will hunt after the soul of the Just; and will condemn innocent Blood.

PSALM 93

Deus ultionum Dominus: Deus ultionum libere egit.

The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge acted freely.

Exaltare qui judicas terram: redde retributionem superbis.

Lift up thyself, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Usquequo peccatores, Domine: usquequo peccatores gloriabuntur?

How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked make their boast?

Effabuntur et loquentur iniquitatem: loquentur omnes qui operantur injustitiam?

How long shall they utter and speak wrong things: how long shall the workers of iniquity talk?

Populum tuum, Domine, humiliaverunt: et hæreditatem tuam vexaverunt.

Thy people, O Lord, they have brought low: and they have afflicted thy inheritance.

Viduam et advenam interfecerunt: et pupillos occiderunt.

They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.

Et dixerunt: Non videbit Dominus: nec intelliget Deus Jacob.

And they have said: The Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob understand.

Intelligite insipientes in populo: et stulti aliquando sapite.

Understand, ye senseless among the people: and you fools be wise at last.

Qui plantavit aurem, non audiet: aut qui finxit oculum, non considerat?

He that planted the ear, shall he not hear: or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?

Qui corripit gentes, non arguet: qui docet hominem scientiam?

He that chastiseth nations, shall he not rebuke: he that teacheth man knowledge?

Dominus scit cogitationes hominum: quoniam vanæ sunt.

The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain.

Beatus homo, quem tu erudieris, Domine: et de lege tua docueris eum.

Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.

Ut mitiges ei a diebus malis: donec fodiatur peccatori fovea.

That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.

Quia non repellet Dominus plebem suam: et hæreditatem suam non derelinquet.

For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.

Quoadusque justitia convertatur in judicium: et qui juxta illam omnes qui recto sunt corde.

Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright of heart.

Quis consurget mihi adversus malignantes: aut quis stabit mecum adversus operantes iniquitatem?

Who shall rise up for me against the evil doers? or who shall stand with me against the workers of iniquity?

Nisi quia Dominus adjuvit me: paulo minus habitasset in inferno anima mea.

Si dicebam: Motus est pes meus: misericordia tua, Domine, adjuvabat me.

Secundum multitudinem dolorum meorum in corde meo: consolationes tuæ lætificaverunt animam meam.

Numquid adhæret tibi sedes iniquitatis: qui fingis laborem in præcepto?

Captabunt in animam justi: et sanguinem innocentem condemnabunt.

Et factus est mihi Dominus in refugium: et Deus meus in adjutorium spei meæ.

Et reddet illis iniquitatem ipsorum: et in malitia eorum disperdet eos: disperdet illos Dominus Deus noster.

ANT. Captabunt in animam justi, et sanguinem innocentem condemnabunt.

℣. Locuti sunt adversum me lingua dolosa.

Unless the Lord had been my helper: my soul had almost dwelt in hell.

If I said: my foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.

According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart: thy comforts have given joy to my soul.

Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?

They will hunt after the soul of the just: and will condemn innocent blood.

But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help of my hope.

And he will render to them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: yea, the Lord our God will destroy them.

Ant. They will hunt after the soul of the Just: and will condemn innocent Blood.

℣. They have spoken against me with a deceitful tongue.

℟. Et sermonibus odii circumdederunt me, et expugnaverunt me gratis.

℟. And they have compassed me about with words of hatred, and have fought against me without cause.

Here is said the Pater noster in secret.

For the lessons of this nocturn, the Church has selected a passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews, where St. Paul speaks of the Son of God having become our High Priest and Mediator with the Father, by the shedding of His Blood. This precious Blood blots out our sins, and opens heaven to us, which Adam's sin had closed against us.

SEVENTH LESSON

De Epistola Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Hebræos.

Cap. iv. et v.

Festinemus ingredi in illam requiem: ut ne in idipsum quis incidat incredulitatis exemplum. Vivus est enim sermo Dei, et efficax, et penetrabilior omni gladio ancipiti: et pertingens usque ad divisionem animæ ac spiritus, compagum quoque ac medullarum, et discretor cogitationum et intentionum cordis. Et non est ulla creatura invisibilis in conspectu ejus: omnia autem nuda et aperta sunt oculis ejus, ad quem nobis sermo. Habentes ergo Pontificem magnum, qui penetravit cœlos, Jesum Filium Dei, teneamus confessionem. Non enim habemus Pontificem qui non possit compati infirmitatibus nostris: tentatum autem per omnia pro similitudine absque peccato.

From the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.

Ch. iv. and v.

Let us hasten therefore to enter into that rest: lest any man fall into the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two-edged sword, and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also, and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature invisible in his sight: but all things are naked and open to his eyes, to whom our speech is. Having therefore a great High Priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a High Priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.

℟. Tradiderunt me in manus impiorum, et inter iniquos projecerunt me, et non pepercerunt animæ meæ: congregati sunt adversum me fortes: * Et sicut gigantes steterunt contra me.

℣. Alieni insurrexerunt adversum me, et fortes quæsierunt animam meam.

* Et sicut gigantes steterunt contra me.

℟. They delivered me into the hands of the impious and cast me out among the wicked, and spared not my life: the powerful gathered together against me: * And like giants they stood against me.

℣. Strangers have risen up against me, and the mighty have sought my soul.

* And like giants they stood against me.

EIGHTH LESSON

Adeamus ergo cum fiducia ad thronum gratiæ: ut misericordiam consequamur, et gratiam inveniamus in auxilio opportuno. Omnis namque pontifex ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus constituitur in iis quæ sunt ad Deum, ut offerat dona et sacrificia pro peccatis: qui condolere possit iis qui ignorant et errant: quoniam et ipse circumdatus est infirmitate. Et propterea debet, quemadmodum pro populo, ita etiam et pro semetipso offerre pro peccatis.

Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid. For every high priest taken from among men, is appointed for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on them that are ignorant, and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

℟. Jesum tradidit impius summis principibus sacerdotum, et senioribus populi: * Petrus autem sequebatur eum a longe, ut videret finem.

℣. Adduxerunt autem eum ad Caipham principem sacerdotum, ubi scribæ et pharisæi convenerant.

* Petrus autem sequebatur eum a longe, ut videret finem.

℟. The wicked man betrayed Jesus to the chief priests and elders of the people: * But Peter followed him afar off, that he might see the end.

℣. And they led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and pharisees were met together.

* But Peter followed him afar off, that he might see the end.

NINTH LESSON

Nec quisquam sumit sibi honorem sed qui vocatur a Deo, tanquam Aaron. Sic et Christus non semetipsum clarificavit ut pontifex fieret: sed qui locutus est ad eum: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te. Quemadmodum et in alio loco dicit: Tu es sacerdos in æternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Qui in diebus carnis suæ, preces, supplicationesque ad eum, qui possit illum salvum facere a morte, cum clamore valido et lacrymis offerens, exauditus est pro sua reverentia. Et quidem cum esset Filius Dei, didicit ex iis, quæ passus est, obedientiam: et consummatus, factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi, causa salutis æternæ, appellatus a Deo pontifex juxta ordinem Melchisedech.

Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence: and whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered: and being consummated he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation, called by God a high-priest according to the order of Melchisedech.

℟. Caligaverunt oculi mei a fletu meo: quia elongatus est a me, qui consolabatur me. Videte omnes populi, * Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

℣. O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte.

* Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

Here is repeated: Caligaverunt oculi mei.

℟. My eyes are darkened by my tears: for he is far from me that comforted me. See all ye people, * If there be sorrow like unto my sorrow.

℣. O all ye that pass by the way, behold and see.

* If there be sorrow like unto my sorrow.

Here is repeated: My eyes are darkened.

LAUDS

The first psalm of Lauds is the Miserere, as yesterday, page 336. It is sung to the following antiphon:

Ant. Proprio Filio suo non pepercit Deus, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum.

Ant. God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.

The second psalm is one of those that were composed by David during the time of Absalom's rebellion. It is one of the psalms of Friday's ferial Lauds throughout the year; and is appropriate to the mystery of to-day, inasmuch as it expresses how the Messias was abandoned by His disciples, and how confidently He hoped in God.

Ant. Anxiatus est super me spiritus meus, in me turbatum est cor meum.

Ant. My spirit is in anguish within me, my heart within me is troubled.

Psalm 142

Domine, exaudi orationem meam: auribus percipe obsecrationem meam in veritate tua: exaudi me in tua justitia.

Et non intres in judicium cum servo tuo: quia non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens.

Quia persecutus est inimicus animam meam: humiliavit in terra vitam meam.

Collocavit me in obscuris sicut mortuos sæculi: et anxiatus est super me spiritus meus, in me turbatum est cor meum.

Memor fui dierum antiquorum, meditatus sum in omnibus operibus tuis: in factis manuum tuarum meditabar.

Expandi manus meas ad te: anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi.

Velociter exaudi me Domine: defecit spiritus meus.

Non avertas faciem tuam a me: et similis ero descendentibus in lacum.

Auditam fac mihi mane misericordiam tuam: quia in te speravi.

Notam fac mihi viam in qua ambulem: quia ad te levavi animam meam.

Eripe me de inimicis meis, Domine, ad te confugi: doce me facere voluntatem tuam, quia Deus meus es tu.

Spiritus tuus bonus deducet me in terram rectam: propter nomen tuum, Domine, vivificabis me in æquitate tua.

Educes de tribulatione animam meam: et in misericordia tua disperdes inimicos meos.

Et perdes omnes qui tribulant animam meam: quoniam ego servus tuus sum.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer, give ear to my supplication in thy truth: hear me in thy justice.

And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath brought down my life to the earth.

He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been dead of old; and my spirit is in anguish within me, my heart within me is troubled.

I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy works, I mused upon the works of thy hands.

I stretched forth my hands to thee: my soul is as earth without water unto thee.

Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away.

Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning: for in thee have I hoped.

Make the way known to me wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to thee.

Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to thee have I fled: teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God.

Thy good spirit shall lead me into the right land: for thy name's sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice.

Thou wilt bring my soul out of troubles: and in thy mercy thou wilt destroy my enemies.

And thou wilt cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Ant. Anxiatus est super me spiritus meus, et in me turbatum est cor meum.

Ant. My spirit is in anguish within me, my heart within me is troubled.

The third psalm celebrates the great mystery of the Redemption accomplished on this day, the destruction of sin, and the propitiation of God's offended majesty. It is sung to the following antiphon:

Ant. Ait latro ad latronem: Nos quidem digna factis recipimus: hic autem quid fecit? Memento mei, Domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum.

Ant. The thief said to the thief: We, indeed, receive the due reward of our deeds; but what has this Man done? Remember me, O Lord, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.

Psalm 84

Benedixisti, Domine, terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob.

Remisisti iniquitatem plebis tuæ: operuisti omnia peccata eorum.

Mitigasti omnem iram tuam: avertisti ab ira indignationis tuæ.

Converte nos, Deus, salutaris noster: et averte iram tuam a nobis.

Numquid in æternum irasceris nobis? aut extendes iram tuam a generatione in generationem?

Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos: et plebs tua lætabitur in te.

Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam: et salutare tuum da nobis.

Audiam quid loquatur in me Dominus Deus: quoniam loquetur pacem in plebem suam.

Et super sanctos suos: et in eos qui convertuntur ad cor.

Verumtamen prope timentes eum salutare ipsius: ut inhabitet gloria in terra nostra.

Misericordia et veritas obviaverunt sibi: justitia et pax osculatæ sunt.

Veritas de terra orta est: et justitia de cœlo prospexit.

Etenim Dominus dabit benignitatem: et terra nostra dabit fructum suum.

Justitia ante eum ambulabit: et ponet in via gressus suos.

Thou hast blessed thy land, O Lord: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people: thou hast covered all their sins.

Thou hast softened all thine anger: thou hast turned away from the wrath of thine indignation.

Convert us, O God our Saviour: and turn away thine anger from us.

Wilt thou be angry with us for ever: or wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from generation to generation?

Thou shalt turn again, O God, and quicken us: and thy people shall rejoice in thee.

Show us thy mercy, O Lord; and grant us thy salvation.

I will hearken to what the Lord shall say within me: for he will speak peace unto his people:

And unto his saints: and unto them that are converted in heart.

Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that fear him: that glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth have met together: justice and peace have kissed each other.

Truth is sprung out of the earth: and justice hath looked down from heaven.

For the Lord shall give goodness: and our earth shall yield her fruit.

Justice shall walk before him; and shall set his steps in the way.

Ant. Ait latro ad latronem: Nos quidem digna factis recipimus: hic autem quid fecit? Memento mei, Domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum.

Ant. The thief said to the thief: We, indeed, receive the due reward of our deeds: but what has this Man done? Remember me, O Lord, when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.

The following canticle is that of the prophet Habacuc; it comes in the ferial Lauds of Friday, for penitential seasons. It celebrates the victory of

Christ over His enemies, when He shall come to judge the world; and forms a sublime contrast with the humiliations which the Man-God suffers on this the day of His death.

ANT. Cum conturbata fuerit anima mea, Domine, misericordiæ memor eris.

ANT. When my soul shall be in trouble, O Lord! thou wilt be mindful of thy mercy.

CANTICLE OF HABACUC

Domine, audivi auditionem tuam: et timui.
Domine, opus tuum: in medio annorum vivifica illud.

In medio annorum notum facies: cum iratus fueris, misericordiæ recordaberis.

Deus ab austro veniet: et Sanctus de monte Pharan.

Operuit cœlos gloria ejus: et laudis ejus plena est terra.

Splendor ejus ut lux erit: cornua in manibus ejus.

Ibi abscondita est fortitudo ejus: ante faciem ejus ibit mors.

Et egredietur diabolus ante pedes ejus: stetit et mensus est terram.

Aspexit et dissolvit Gentes: et contriti sunt montes sæculi.

Incurvati sunt colles mundi: ab itineribus æternitatis ejus.

Pro iniquitate vidi tentoria Æthiopiæ: turbabuntur pelles terræ Madian.

Numquid in fluminibus iratus es, Domine: aut in fluminibus furor tuus, vel in mari indignatio tua?

Qui ascendes super equos tuos: et quadrigæ tuæ salvatio.

Suscitans suscitabis arcum tuum: juramenta tribubus, quæ locutus es.

Fluvios scindes terræ: viderunt te et doluerunt montes: gurges aquarum transiit.

Dedit abyssus vocem suam: altitudo manus suas levavit.

Sol et luna steterunt in habitaculo suo: in luce sagittarum tuarum, ibunt in splendore fulgurantis hastæ tuæ.

In fremitu conculcabis terram: et in furore obstupefacies Gentes.

Egressus es in salutem populi tui: in salutem cum Christo tuo.

Percussisti caput de domo impii: denudasti fundamentum ejus usque ad collum.

Maledixisti sceptris ejus, capiti bellatorum ejus: venientibus ut turbo ad dispergendum me.

Exsultatio eorum: sicut ejus qui devorat pauperem in abscondito.

Viam fecisti in mari equis tuis: in luto aquarum multarum.

Audivi et conturbatus est venter meus: a voce contremuerunt labia mea.

Ingrediatur putredo in ossibus meis: et subter me scateat.

Ut requiescam in die tribulationis: ut ascendam ad populum accinctum nostrum.