thinking without reason? For He Who is generated is God. For That which shall be born of her is of the Holy Ghost, for verily the Holy Ghost is the co-operator in His Nativity. For this is He of Whom the Scriptures prophesy, saying: Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.

R. Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bring forth a son,* and shalt call His Name Jesus. V. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And thou shalt.

SHE shall bring forth a Son, he

saith, and thou shalt call His Name Jesus. The Virgin shall bear, and thou, Joseph, shalt call her offspring Jesus, which is, being inter

shall save His people from their sins, as verily God of God; for it is of the virtue of God to save from sin, or to forgive sins. Therefore it was meet that the Son of God, having His people in possession, should come, as it was spoken of Him, to deliver them from their sins, and to save them, whether Jews or Gentiles.

[Ry. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: * and that believing ye might have life * through His Name. V. O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon His Name; tell the people what things He hath done. That. Glory. Through.]

Te Deum. p. 16.

AUGUST 8.

Thou

save His people from their sins. shalt call His Name, he saith, that which was of old, that which was named before the world began. Set not thou a name upon Him, neither do thou assign to Him an appellation; but name and call Him in exultation, to testify that He is Jesus, the Saviour.

Ry. When Jesus drew nigh unto Jerusalem, 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: * King of Israel, Hosanna in the Highest. . Help me now, O Lord: O Lord, send us now prosperity.

Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. King of Israel.

HOLY NAME.

In the First Nocturn, Lessons of the occurrent Scripture.

SECOND NOCTURN.

A Sermon of S. Bernard the Abbot.

4 Lesson IV.

THIS is the Name which Paul bore

before kings and nations as candle upon a candlestick. For it is wonderful and most sweet, wherefore a certain one saith: If thou shalt write or discourse, it doth not gratify me, except I read there Jesus. If thou dispute or confer, it is nothing to me, except the Name of Jesus sound there. Jesus, then, is the sweet and delectable Name, Name comforting the sinner. and Name of blessed hope. Therefore, O Jesu, be Thou to me Jesus. And let not the manifold power of this most sacred Name escape our notice. This is the Name which brought sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, gait to the lame, speech to the dumb, and life

to the dead. The virtue of this Name hath driven away all the power of the devil over our bodies. Nor is It of less perfect excellency and sublimity than of virtue. Whence it is written: The Name of my Saviour, of my Brother, of my flesh, and of my blood. Name hidden in the ages, but revealed at the end of time! Name wonderful, ineffable, inestimable! yea, the more

wonderful in that It is inestimable,

the more precious in that It is freely bestowed. But this Name was laid upon Him from everlasting, and by the Angel, and by Joseph His father. From everlasting, when because of His power to save, Jesus is interpreted Saviour. By the Angel, when from the condition of saving, He is called Saviour. By His father Joseph is this Name given, when from the future work of His Passion and our redemption, Jesus is called Sa

viour.

THY Name is as ointment poured forth. There is no doubt a similitude between oil and the Name of Jesus, the Bridegroom of our souls: nor does the Holy Spirit without & purpose compare the one to the other. Oil shines, oil feeds, oil anoints. It cherishes fire, it nourishes flesh, it diminishes pain. Oil, then, is light, food, and medicine. Thus, too, the Name of the Bridegroom: it shines when preached: it feeds when meditated: it soothes when invoked. Whence, think you, so great and so sudden a light of faith in the whole world, unless by the Name of Jesus preached? In the light of this Name, God hath called us to His wonderful light. Whence it is written, Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Art thou not strengthened as often as thou rememberest It? What is there which so restores the darkened senses, so increases virtues,

so strengthens goodness, so cherishes love? All meat is dry, if it be not sprinkled with this oil: insipid, if it be not savoured with this salt: Jesus is honey in the mouth, jubilation in the heart.

Rz. Now I. p. lxxvii. 77

6

Lesson VI.

WE said that the Name of Jesus

was medicine. Is any among Let the Name of

you sorrowful? Jesus come into his heart, and thence leap into his mouth: and, behold, as the light of that Name arises, every cloud is scattered, and fair weather returns. Does any one fall into sin, and run in despair, on the highway of death? If he invokes the Name of Life, shall he not forthwith be restored to life? If the fountain of tears be exhausted in any, let the Name of Jesus be invoked, and it will flow forth more abundantly and more sweetly. Is any one hesitating, and trembling in danger? This Name of virtue being invoked, at once gives courage, and

repels fear. It is written, Call upon Me in the time of trouble, so will I hear thee, and thou shalt praise Me. Nothing so restrains the impetuosity of anger, so brings down the swelling of pride, so heals the wounds of envy, so extinguishes the flame of luxury, so tempers the thirst of avarice, and drives away all unlawful desires. When I name Jesus, I think of a Man meek and gentle, sober, chaste, and merciful, and resplendent with all beauty and glory, and that same Man, Almighty God; may He heal me by His example, and lead me by His assistance. All these things sound in mine ears, when Jesus is named. I take to myself examples from the Man; but help from the Powerful One. These are 88 species of ointments; this the source whence I may increase them. And I make a confection, the like of which no physician can compound.

Ry. Jesus. p. lxxvii. 77

to S. Matthew.

Lesson VII. Chap. i. AT that time: The Angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. John Chrysostom.

Homily 4 on S. Matthew.

While he thought on these things, an Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. And why not openly, as to the shepherds, and to Zacharias, and to the Virgin? The man was exceedingly full of faith, and needed not this vision. Whereas the Virgin, as having declared unto her very exceeding good tidings, greater than to Zacharias, and this before the event, needed also a marvellous vision; and the shepherds, as being by nature rather dull and clownish. But this man, when his soul was actually possessed with that evil suspicion, and ready to exchange it for good hopes if there appeared any one to guide that way, readily receives the revelation. Wherefore he hath the good tidings declared to him after his suspicion, that this selfsame thing might be to him a convincing proof of the thing spoken. I mean, that the fact of his having mentioned it to no one, and his hearing

suspicion. How then doth the Angel assure him? Hear and marvel at the wisdom of his words. For being come he

saith, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. He straightway puts him in mind of David, from whom the Christ was to spring, and he doth not suffer him to be greatly perturbed, by the title of his forefathers reminding him of the promise made to the whole race. Else wherefore doth he call him son of David?

Ry. When Jesus. p. lxxviii. 78

BUT what means, to take unto thee?

To retain her in his house, for in intention she had been now put away by him. Her, being put away, do thou retain, saith he, as committed unto thee by God, not by her parents. And He commits her not for marriage; but to dwell with thee; and by my voice doth He commit her. Much as Christ Himself afterwards committed her to His disciple, so even now unto Joseph. Then, more than entirely doing away with his distress, he saith, Not only put away all thy fear, but even rejoice more exceedingly, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Ry. But these. p. lxxviii. 78
Te Deum. P. 16.

AUGUST 9.

he thought in his mind, this afforded him an unquestionable sign, that one had come from God to say it. For to Him alone it belongs to know the secrets of the heart.

Ry. Behold. p. lxxviii. 78

8

Lesson VIII.

MARK only, what a number of re

sults are here. The man's selfcommand is thoroughly shewn; the word spoken in season contributes to

HOLY NAME.

In the First Nocturn, Lessons of the occurrent Scripture.

SECOND NOCTURN.

A Sermon of S. Bernard the Abbot. Lesson IV.

THOU hast an universal medicine,

O my soul, laid up in the shrine of this Name, the healthful Name of Jesus: there is not one disease in which

it is inefficacious. Ever be it in thy breast, ever in thy hand: let all thy senses and acts be directed to Jesus. He invites thee to this when He says, Set Me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm. O how fair art Thou to Thine Angels, O Lord Jesus, in the form of God, in the day of Thine Eternity, among the splendour of the Saints! Splendour and Figure of the Substance of the Father, and Brightness of everlasting life! How beautiful art Thou to me, O my Lord, in the laying aside of this Thy glory, when Thou didst empty Thyself, and didst put off Thine imperishable light! Then love chiefly was shewn, then mercy principally was manifested, then grace was more plainly displayed.

Ry. In the way. p. lxxvi. +

5 Lesson V.

HOW bright a star rises to me out

of Jacob! how fair a flower springs forth from the root of Jesse! how joyful a light has visited me in darkness, rising from on high! And

how resplendent and wonderful Thou art with heavenly virtues, in innocence of life, in fulness of doctrine, in the glory of miracles, in the revelation of Sacraments! How brightly thou arisest from the heart of the earth, O Sun of Righteousness, after Thy setting! Lastly, how beautiful in Thine apparel Thou returnest into the highest heaven, O King of glory! Wherefore should not all my bones say, for all these things, Who is like unto Thee? Ry. Now I. p. lxxvii. 77

Lesson

$1.

THIS venerable Name of Jesus signifies nothing else than the beginning of life. By this Name is Jesus Christ called, to signify that He is the Saviour of the world. That therefore is rightly signified by the Name of Jesus, which in appearance is rather signified by the other. O

Name admirable to all! terrible to sinners, and most lovely to the just! Nor was this hidden from Jacob in his dream, who when he saw a ladder touching Heaven and earth, said, How dreadful is this place! This mystery signifies that Jesus Christ Who was born in that very place where Jacob saw the ladder, Who came to the righteous as the Angel of Counsel, and the Father of the world to come, should be terrible to the wicked, whom He should destroy by the breath of His mouth. Jesus therefore is the ladder of Heaven, for by Jesus we ascend to Heaven. Let Jesus therefore be devoutly impressed on the mind, and worthily called upon by the soul of the just.

Ry. Jesus. p. lxxvii. 7

THIRD NOCTURN.

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Matthew.

Lesson VII. Chap. 1.
vt.

AT that time: The Angel of the

Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife. And that which follows.

A Homily of Origen.

is the Name above every name, most This sweet and glorious word Jesus worthy of all worship, and adoration; it was not meet that it should be given by men, or brought into the world by them, but by the greater and more excellent angelic nature. Therefore Gabriel said to Mary, Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name

Jesus. For this is the new Name, which the mouth of the Lord, not of man, hath spoken. For when Moses, that law-giver most pleasing to God, received the Divine oracles, and spoke to God as a friend speaks with his friend, he did not see this venerable