heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. CREDO.

OFFERT. Ps. xcii. God hath established the world, which shall not be moved: thy throne, O Lord, is prepared from of old, thou art from everlasting.

SECRET. May the offerings, O Lord, we make, be agreeable to the mystery of this day's birth, and always pour forth peace upon us; that as he, who though born man, showed himself also God; so may this earthly substance give us that which is divine.

SECRET of St. Anastasia. Graciously receive, O Lord, we beseech thee, our offerings, and grant, by the merits of blessed Anastasia the martyr, that they may avail to our salvation. Through.

COMM. Zach. ix. Rejoice, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh, the holy, and Saviour of the world.

P. COMM. May we, O Lord, always receive new light from this sacrament, which reneweth to us the memory of that wonderful birth, which destroyed the old man. Through.

P. COMM. of St. Anastasia. Thou hast fed, O Lord, thy family with these sacred oblations: ever therefore comfort us with her intercession, whose feast we celebrate. Through.

THIRD MASS. IN THE DAY-TIME.

Introit.

PUER natus est nobis,

et Filius datus est nobis: cujus imperium super humerum ejus, et vocabitur nomen ejus,

Isaias ix.

A CHILD is born to us,

and a Son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder; and his name shall be

Magni consilii Angelus. Ps. xcvii. Cantate Domino canticum novum: quia mirabilia fecit. V. Gloria.

called the Angel of great Counsel. Ps. xcvii. Sing to the Lord a new canticle, for he hath done wonderful things. V. Glory.

COLL. Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the birth of thy only-begotten Son. Through.

EPISTLE. Heb. i. 1. 12. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days, hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world: who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath he said at any time: "Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee?" And again: "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a Son?" And again, when he bringeth the first-begotten into the world, he saith: "And let all the angels of God adore him." And to the angels indeed he saith: "He that maketh his angels spirits: and his ministers a flame of fire." But to the Son: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." And: "Thou, in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth: and the works of thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but thou shalt continue: and they shall all grow old as a garment. And as a vesture

shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the self-same, and thy years shall not fail."

GRAD. Ps. xcvii. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God: sing joyfully to God all the earth. V. The Lord hath made known his salvation: he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. A sanctified day hath shone upon us: come, ye Gentiles, and adore the Lord, for this day a great light is come down upon the earth. Alleluia.

The Gospel, John i, as page 79.

OFFERT. Ps. lxxxviii. Thine are the heavens, and thine is the earth; the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded: justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne.

SECRET. Sanctify, O Lord, our offerings by the new birth of thy only-begotten Son, and cleanse us from the stains of our sins. Through the same.

Preface and Communicantes as in the firsl Mass. COMM. Ps. xcvii. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

P. COMM. Præsta, quæs. Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that, as the Saviour of the world, who was born this day, procured for us a divine birth, he may also bestow on us immortality. Who liveth.

The last Gospel is the same as on the Ephipany.

ST. STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR.

Introit. Ps. cxviii.

Sederunt.

PRINCES sat, and spoke against me; and the wicked persecuted me: help me, O Lord my God, for thy servant was employed in thy justifications. Ps. Blessed are the undefiled in

the way: who walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory.

COLL. Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies, because we now solemnize his martyrdom who knew how to pray, even for his persecutors, to our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son. "Who liveth.

Comm. of Christmas, by the Collect, Secret, and P. Comm. of the third Mass, pages 114, 115.

LESSON.

Acts vi. 8. 10: vii. 54. 59. In those days: Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people. Now there arose some of that which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke. [Chap. vii. 54.] Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. And they, crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him. And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.

GRAD. Ps. cxviii. Princes sat, and spoke against me: and the wicked persecuted me. V. Help me, O Lord, my God: save me for thy mer

cies' sake. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the power of God. Alleluia.

GOSPEL. Matt. xxiii. 34. 39. At that time: Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees: Behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death, and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: that upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the Son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Amen, I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not? Behold, your house shall be left to you desolate. For Í say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. CREDO.

OFFERT. Acts vi. 7. The Apostles chose Stephen, a Levite, full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost, whom the Jews stoned, praying and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Alleluia.

SECRET. Receive, O Lord, these offerings in memory of thy saints; and as their sufferings have made them glorious, so may our devotion render us free from sin. Through.

COMM. Acts vii. I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing on the right hand of the power of God. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, and lay not this sin to their charge.

P. COMM. May the mysteries we have received, O Lord, be a help to us, and by the intercession of the blessed martyr Stephen, strengthen us with thy perpetual protection. Through.