Monday within the Octave of

Corpus Christi.

Second Day, within the Octave of the Feast of the Body of Christ.

Semidouble.

All as on the Feast except that the Antiphons are not doubled and the following.

FIRST NOCTURN.

First Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the First Book of Kings (v. 1.)

AND the Philistines took the Ark of

God, and brought it from the Stoneof-help unto Ashdod. When the Philistines took the Ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the Ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the Ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.2

BUT

Second Lesson.

UT the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and He destroyed them; and the farms and the fields in all that coast brake forth;3 and mice were begotten; and there was confusion in the city, a great destruction. And when the men of Ashdod saw the plague, they said: The Ark of the God of Israël shall not abide with us, for His hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. They sent therefore, and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said: What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israël ? And they of Gath answered: Let the Ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath.

AN

Third Lesson.

ND they carried the Ark of the God of Israël about thither. And it was so, that when they carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against every one of their cities with a very great destruction, and He smote the men of every city, both small and great. Therefore they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the Ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying: They have brought about the Ark of the God of Israël to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said: Send away the Ark of the God of Israël, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people. For there was an horror of death in all the cities, and the hand of God was very heavy there.

SECOND NOCTURN.

(Read in the Votive Office in May and June.)

Fourth Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the Sermons of St. John Chrysostom [Patriarch of Constantinople. (Continuation of the 60th Homily.)

this mysterious Sacrament Christ doth mingle Himself with all and each of His faithful ones. They are His children, and He nurseth them Himself, and giveth them not over unto another, herein again assuring us that the Flesh He hath taken unto Himself is ours. We then, who have been deemed meet to be treated with such love and such honour, let us be wakeful! See ye not how eagerly the sucklings seize on the breasts, how readily they fix their mouths on the paps? Let us, with like eagerness, draw nigh to that Table, and suck at that spiritual Cup. Yea, let us prize that gracious Food as the suckling doth its mother's breast, and hold it the great woe of life to be cut off from that Banquet. Here there are set before us no works of man's power; He That worked at that Last

Supper, the Same worketh the same here still. As for us Priests, we hold the place of His ministers, but He Which halloweth and changeth is He. Hither let there draw nigh no Judas, nor covetous one-this is no Table for him. But he which is Christ's disciple, let him come; for the Lord saith: "I will keep the Passover with My disciples," (Matth. xxvi. 18.) This is that Passover Table, and it is all Christ's-what is wrought there is not some of it Christ's work, and some of it man's work, but it is all His work and not another's.

HTH

Fifth Lesson.

ITHER let there draw nigh none brutal, none cruel, none merciless; in good sooth, none unclean. I speak to all that take that Holy Communion, and to you also, O ye that do administer the same! To you now I turn my speech, to warn you with how great care that Gift is to be given. No slight vengeance is that which awaiteth you if ye admit for a partaker at the Lord's Table the sinner whose guiltiness ye know. At your hands will his blood be required. If a man be a General, a Governor, a crowned Monarch, yet if he come there unworthily, forbid him; thou hast greater power than he. To this end hath God exalted you to the honour ye hold, that ye may judge in such matters. This office is your dignity, this is your strength, this is all your crown, this, and not the going about in white robes and glittering vestments. And thou, O layman! when thou seest the Priest making the oblation, think not that He Which is then the real Worker is such a Priest as thou seest, but know of a surety that it is Christ's Hand Which is stretched out, albeit unseen by thee.

Sixth Lesson.

both Priests and laymen, let us hear What Food it is whereof we are made worthy -let us hear, I say, and let us quake. The Lord satisfieth us with His Own holy Flesh, setting Himself slain before us. What excuse therefore shall we have, if, being so fed as we are, we sin as we do? If, eating of the Lamb, we are still wolves? If, pastured as the sheep of the flock, we raven like

LET us hear, all of us,

lions? This mysterious Sacrament forbiddeth unto us not outrage only, but any the least enmity; it is the Mystery of peace. Upon the Jews God laid it to make year by year by solemn festivals a yearly commemoration of His mercies unto them, but upon thee to do this in remembrance of His love to thee, day by day. To this Table then let there draw nigh no Judas Iscariot, no Simon Magus. These men fell through covetousness; let us fly that bottomless pit.

THIRD NOCTURN.

(Read in the Votive Office in May and June.) Seventh Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to John (vi. 56.)

AT

T that time: JESUS said unto the multitudes of the Jews: My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And so on.

Homily by St. Austin, Bishop [of Hippo.] (26th Tract on John.)

"This is the bread which cometh down from heaven," (v. 50.) By "this bread" the Lord here signifieth both the manna, and That Which we receive at the Altar of God. Both these are, as it were, Sacramental signs, differing indeed somewhat in their outward and visible part, but pointing to the Same Thing signified. Hear what the Apostle saith: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat." (1 Cor. x. 1-3.) This meat was the same spiritually but not really; they ate manna-we eat Something else. Spiritually they ate What we eat; but our fathers-not their fathers; unto whom we are like-not unto whom they are like. And it is added: "And did all drink the same

Spiritual drink." They drank one thing, and we drink Another, the difference being in the outer show, the sameness in that the Same Thing is pointed to by both. And what was that Same Drink? "They drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." Him did bread and rock alike signify. The Rock was a

figure, but by the Word and in the Flesh there is the very Christ Himself. And how came they to drink of that rock? "Moses lift up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice, and the water came out abundantly." (Num. xx. 11.) These two strokes of the rod upon the rock are a figure of the two beams whereof the Cross was made.

Eighth Lesson.

HRIST'S faithful ones discern the

Lord's Body while they remain watchful members of His Body. They remain members of His Body as long as they will to live according to His Spirit. The Spirit of Christ giveth life to nothing but the body of Christ. Now, my brethren, understand what I am going to say. Thou art a man, and hast a body and a spirit. By spirit I mean the soul, which causeth thee to be a man at all. Thou art a man, made up of soul and body. Thy spirit is unseen, thy body seen. Tell me, which of them is it which giveth animation to the other? Doth thy spirit derive animation from thy body, or thy body from thy spirit? Every one who liveth will answer-for if any one cannot answer this, I know not if he be alive. What will whosoever hath life answer? "Verily, it is my spirit which doth animate my body." Wilt thou then live by the Spirit of Christ? Be of the Body of Christ.

IS

Ninth Lesson.

it not my spirit which doth animate my body? My spirit doth animate my body, and thy spirit doth animate thy body. The Body of Christ liveth not save by the Spirit of Christ. Hence it is that the Apostle Paul saith, touching this Bread: "We, being many, are one bread, and one body, for we are all partakers of that one Bread." (1 Cor. x. 17.) O what a Sacrament of love! O what a seal of union! O what a bond of charity! He that willeth to live hath here where to live, and whence to live. Let him come near, let him believe, let him enter into that Body, that he may be quickened. Let him not sever himself from the fit joining-together of all the members; let him not be as a mor

tifying limb, that must needs be cut off, nor a mis-shapen limb, a cause to blush. Let him be goodly, and useful, and healthy. Let him cleave unto the body; let him live by God to God; let him labour now on earth, that he may reign hereafter in heaven.

Tuesday.

Third Day within the Octave of the
Feast of the Body of Christ.
Semidouble.

All as on the Feast except that the Antiphons are not doubled, and the following.

FIRST NOCTURN.

First Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the First Book of Kings (vi. 1.)

AN

ND the Ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months, and the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: What shall we do to the Ark of the LORD? Tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. And they said: If ye send away the Ark of the God of Israël, send it not empty; but in any wise return Him a trespass-offering; then shall ye be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed from you."

Second Lesson.

WHEREFORE do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he was smitten, did he not let the people go, and they departed? Now, therefore, take, and make a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke; tie the kine to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. And take the Ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart, and put the jewels of gold, which ye return Him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away that it may go. And see; if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then He hath done us this great evil; but if not,

AND the kine took the straight way to

the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went and turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh. And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the Ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine upon it, a burnt-offering unto the LORD. And the Levites took down the Ark of God.

SECOND NOCTURN.

(Read in the Votive Office in July and August.)

Fourth Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the Letter written to Cæcilius by the Holy Martyr Cyprian, Bishop [of Carthage.] (Bk. ii. Ep. 3.)

the deed of the Priest Melchisedek we see a type of the Sacrament of the Lord's Sacrifice. For thus it is written in the writings of God: -"And Melchisedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine for he was the Priest of the Most High God: and he blessed" Abraham. (Gen. xiv. 18.) That Melchisedek was a type of Christ, the Holy Ghost Himself doth testify in the Psalms, where the First Person of the Holy Trinity, even the Father, is set before us as saying unto the Second Person, that is, the Son :"Before the day-star have I begotten Thee. . . . Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek." (cix. 3, 4.) And verily that sameness of order cometh of this sacrifice, and proceedeth from this, that Melchisedek was the Priest of the Most High God; that he offered bread and wine; and that he blessed Abraham.

Fifth Lesson.

WHAT Priest of the Most High God

JESUS Christ ?-He Who hath made an offering unto God the Father, and the same offering that Melchisedek made, bread and wine, that is to say, His Own Flesh and His Own Blood. And, as touching Abraham, that ancient blessing was spoken likewise by fore-knowledge upon us. For if Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, verily, whosoever believeth God and liveth by faith, the same is found righteous, and is shown unto us that he is already blessed in faithful Abraham, and justified-as the Apostle Paul proveth, where he saith:-"Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. Know thereye fore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the Scripture, fore-seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed." (Gal. iii. 6—8.)

Sixth Lesson.

N Genesis, therefore, in order that the

Priest Melchisedek might in due order pronounce the blessing upon Abraham, there was first offered a typical sacrifice, consisting of bread and wine. This was the offering which our Lord JESUS Christ completed and fulfilled, when He offered up bread and a cup of wine mingled [with water]. This fulfilment by Him Who came to fulfil (Matth. v. 17,) utterly satisfied the truth of the image which had gone before. The Holy Ghost doth by Solomon also clearly foreshadow, as it were in a parable, the Lord's Sacrifice, pointing to the victim slain, and the bread and the wine, and the Altar likewise, and the Apostles; as it is written:-"Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars; she hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her servants, she crieth upon the highest places of the city, saying: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither unto me. As for them that want understanding, she saith to them. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the

is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And so on.

Homily by St. Austin, Bishop [of Hippo.] (26th Tract on John.)

"Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead." Wherefore did they eat and die? Because they believed only that which they saw; and that which they saw not, they understood not. Therefore were they your fathers, because ye are like unto them. Doth this death, my brethren, mean that death which is outward and bodily? And do not we also die, who eat of that Bread Which cometh down from heaven? That death died they, and so shall we also, as far, as I have said, as is meant that death which is outward and bodily.

Eighth Lesson.

BUT the death whereof the Lord doth

sound the alarm, the death that their fathers died, is another death than that which is outward and bodily. Moses ate manna, Aaron ate manna, Phinehas ate manna, many ate manna in whom the Lord was well pleasedand these are not dead. Wherefore? Because they understood spiritually that outward bread, spiritually hungered thereafter, spiritually tasted thereof, and spiritually were satisfied therewith. So also do we this day feed on a visible food, but the Sacrament is one thing, and the grace of the Sacrament is another.

Ninth Lesson.

HOW many there be which receive at the Altar, and die, yea, die even

in the very receiving! Whence the Apostle saith:-"[He that eateth and drinketh unworthily] eateth and drinketh damnation to himself." (1 Cor. xi. 29.) Is it not written :-"When JESUS had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, and after the sop Satan entered into him?" (John xiii. 26, 27.) And yet he took it. And when he had eaten it, the enemy entered in and possessed him. Not because what he ate was evil, but because he, being evil, dared to eat that which was good. Look to it well, then, brethren, that ye take spiritually the Bread Which cometh down from heaven. Bring innocency with you to the Altar. Though your sins be daily, let them not be deadly. Before ye draw near to the Altar, think well what it is that ye say:-"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." "For, if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" (Matth. vi. 14)— and ye may draw near boldly, for unto you It is Bread, and not poison.

Wednesday.

Fourth Day within the Octave of the Feast of the Body of Christ. Semidouble.

All as on the Feast, except that the Antiphons are not doubled, and the following.

FIRST NOCTURN.

First Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the First Book of Kings (vi. 19.)

AN

ND [the Lord]1 smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the Ark of the LORD, even He smote of the people three-score and ten men and fifty thousand of the people. And the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said: Who is able to stand before this Holy LORD God? and to whom shall He go up from us? And they sent messengers to the in