Second Antiphon. Lord, if I be still needful to Thy people, I refuse not * to work. Thy will be done.

*

Third Antiphon. Not to be told is this man's glory; whom work did not and death could not conquer; who neither feared to die, nor refused to live.

*

Fourth Antiphon. With eyes and hands lifted up to heaven, he never let his mighty spirit slacken in prayer. Alleluia.

Fifth Antiphon. Martin is called joyfully into Abraham's bosom. Martin, who was poor here and of small estimation, entereth rich into heaven, and the songs of heaven are raised in his honour.

Antiphon at the Song of Zacharias. O how blessed a man is he! His soul hath entered into possession in Paradise. There the Angels cry aloud for joy, there the Archangels make glad, there the whole company of the Saints do shout, there the army of the Virgins do call others to follow, [saying :] Make thine everlasting abode with us.

Prayer throughout the Office. GOD, Which seest that we stand by 0 no strength of our own, mercifully grant that the pleading of Thy blessed Confessor Bishop Martin may avail us for a succour against all things that rise up to harm us. Through our Lord JESus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

A Commemoration is made of St. Mennas.

At Second Vespers, Antiphon at the Song of the Blessed Virgin. O how blessed a Bishop was he! * All his bowels yearned on the King Christ, and he had no dread for the power of the Empire! O how holy a soul was his, which passed not away by the sword of the persecutor, and yet lost not the palm of martyrdom.

A Commemoration is made of the following. All from the Common. Prayer, "O God, Who year by year, &c.," (p. 824.)

NOVEMBER 12.

The Holy Martyr Pope Martin.

Semi-double.

All from the Common Office for a Martyr, (p. 817,) except the following. Prayer throughout the Office, "O God, Who year by year, &c.," (p. 824.)

MATTINS.

FIRST NOCTURN.

Lessons from Scripture according to the Season.

SECOND NOCTURN.

Fourth Lesson.

MARTIN was born at Todi in Tuscany. At the beginning of his Popedom [in the year 649,] he was careful to send an embassage with letters to Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, to call upon him to return to the truth of the Catholic faith from the blasphemous heresy [of the Monothelites.] But Paul, being backed up by the heretic Emperor Constans, had become so rabid, that he sent away the messengers of the Apostolic See into divers places in the islands. This crime moved the Pope to gather together at Rome a council of one-hundred-and-five Bishops, by whom Paul was condemned.

the 17th day of June, 653,] and [forthwith carried to the island of Naxos. On the 17th of September in 655 he was] brought to Constantinople, [where he was kept in prison] till he was sent to the Crimea [on the 15th of May, 645.] There his sufferings for the Catholic faith utterly broke him down, and he left this life for a better, upon the 12th day of November1 [in the same year 655.] He was famous for miracles. His body was afterwards brought back to Rome and buried in the Church dedicated under the names of St. Silvester and St. Martin [of Tours.] He ruled the Church for six years, one month, and twentysix days. He held two ordinations in the month of December, wherein he made eleven Priests, five Deacons, and thirty-three Bishops for divers places.

with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

FIRST VESPERS.

These, as regards St. Diego, begin with the Chapter.

A Commemoration is made of St. Martin.

MATTINS.

FIRST NOCTURN.

Lessons from Scripture according to the Season.

DI

SECOND NOCTURN.

Fourth Lesson.

IEGO was a Spaniard, and was born at the little town of San-Nicoladel-Porto, in the diocese of Seville. From his childhood he learnt the more holy life under a godly Priest, [who lived hermit] in a lonely Church, and so served his apprenticeship. Afterwards, being fain to be more utterly God's only, he professed himself as a lay brother under the Rule of St. Francis in the convent of the Friars Minor, called Observant, of Arrizafa. There he cheerfully bore the yoke of the lowliest obedience and the strictest observance. He was much given to contemplation, and a wonderful light from God shone in him, so that, though he was untaught, he could speak touching heavenly things strangely and as it were supernaturally.

IN

Fifth Lesson.

the Canary Islands, where he was warden of the brethren of his Order, he underwent much, earnestly willing to be a martyr, and by his word and ensample brought many unbelievers to Christ. He came to Rome in the year of the Jubilee, [being that of our Lord 1450,] in the reign of Pope Nicolas V., and there was set to tend the sick in the Convent of Ara Cali, which work he did with such love, that although the city was plagued with a famine, the sufferers (whose sores he would some

times cleanse even with his tongue) scarcely lacked anything needful. He was a burning and shining light of faith, and had the gift of healing, taking the oil from the lamp which burned before the image of the most blessed Mother of God, to whom he was earnestly devoted, and anointing the sick therewith, whereupon many were marvellously cured.

H

Sixth Lesson.

E was at Alcala when he understood that the end of his life was at hand. Clothed in a ragged cast-away

Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

MATTINS.

FIRST NOCTURN.

Lessons from Scripture according to the Season.

SECOND NOCTURN.

Fourth Lesson.

and said with extraordinary earnest

ness:

"Sweet the nails, and sweet the iron,

Sweet the Weight That hung on thee,' thou that wast chosen to up-bear the Lord, the King of heaven," and so he gave up his soul to God, upon the 12th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1463. To satisfy the godly wishes of the multitude, his body was kept unburied for not a few months, and lay in a right sweet savour, as though the corruptible had already put on incorruption. He was famous for many and great miracles, and Pope Sixtus V. enrolled him in the number of the Saints.

family at Eisleben, in Saxony, [about the year of our Lord, 1264.] At five years of age she offered her virginity and herself to JESUS Christ, in the Benedictine nunnery at Rodalsdorf. From that time forth she was utterly estranged from earthly things, ever striving for things higher, and began to lead a kind of heavenly life. To learning in human letters she added knowledge of the things of God. In the thought thereof she earnestly desired, and soon reached, the perfection of a Christian soul. Of Christ, and of the things in His life she spoke oftentimes with movings of spirit. The glory of God was the one end of all her thoughts, and to that her every longing, and her every act were given. Though God had crowned her with so many and so noble gifts both of nature and of grace, her belief regarding herself was so humble that she was used to number as among the greatest of the wonders of His goodness that He had always in His mercy borne with one who was so utterly unworthy.

IN

Fifth Lesson.

the thirtieth year of her age she was elected Abbess of Rodalsdorf, where she had professed herself in the religious life, and afterwards of Heldelfs. This office she bore for forty years in love, wisdom, and zeal for strict observance, so that the house seemed like an ideal ensample of a sisterhood of perfect nuns. To each one she was a mother and a teacher, and yet would be as the least of all, being in sooth in all lowliness among them as she that served. That she might be more utterly God's only, she tormented her body with sleeplessness,

hunger, and other afflictions, but withal ever true to herself, stood forth a pattern of innocency, gentleness, and long-suffering. The salvation of her neighbours was her constant earnest endeavour, and her godly toil bore abundant fruit. The love of God oftentimes threw her into trances, and she was given the grace of the deepest contemplation, even to union of spirit with God.

Sixth Lesson.

CHRIST Himself, to show what such

a bride was to Him, revealed that He had in the heart of Gertrude a pleasant dwelling-place. The Virgin Mother of God she ever sought with deep reverence as a mother and warden whom she had received from JESUS Himself, and from her she had many benefits. Toward the most Divine Sacrament of the Eucharist, and the sufferings of the Lord, her soul was moved with love and gratitude, so that she sometimes wept abundantly. She helped with daily gifts and prayers the souls of the just condemned to the purifying fire. She wrote much for the fostering of godliness. She was glorified also by revelations from God, and by the gift of prophecy. Her last illness was rather the wasting of a home-sickness to be with God than a decay of the flesh, and she left this life [to live the undying life in Him, upon the 17th day of November,] in the year of our Lord 1292.1 God made her bright with miracles both during her life and after her death.

All from the Common Office for a

The Petits Bollandistes give 1334.

Bishop and Confessor, (p. 842,) except the following.

Prayer throughout. "Grant, we beseech Thee, &c.," (p. 849.)

MATTINS.

FIRST NOCTURN.

Lessons from Scripture according to the Season.

SECOND NOCTURN.

Fourth Lesson.

GREGORY, Archbishop of Neocasa

rea-in-Pontus, is famous indeed for his holiness and doctrine, but much more so on account of the signs and wonders which he wrought, the number and character of which were so extraordinary that they have gotten him the name of "Thaumatourgos," [which is, being interpreted from the Greek, "the Wonderworker."] Holy Basil compareth him with Moses, with the Prophets, and with the Apostles, and testifieth that by his prayers he moved a mountain that stood in the way of the building of a Church. Moreover, he dried up a marsh, which was a cause of strife between brothers. Also, when the River Lycus overflowed and wasted the fields, he set his walking-stick on the bank, (which stick forthwith grew into a green tree,) and confined the stream within its bed, so that it never more passed that place again.

Fifth Lesson.

HE oftentimes cast out devils either

from heathen idols or from the bodies of men, and did many other marvellous things, whereby he drew countless numbers to believe in JESUS Christ. Also he had the spirit of prophecy, and foretold things to come. When he was at the point of death, he asked how many unbelievers were left in the city of Neocæsarea? and when they answered "Seventeen," he gave God thanks, and said: "Just so many were the faithful when I took the Bishoprick." He wrote

1357

calling upon Him to remove the mountain. And in the morning, when he came thither again, he found that the mountain had been removed back, and as much room left for the builders of the Church as they needed. This man therefore would have been able, and any other man of like grace would have been able, if need were, to obtain of the Lord, by the force of his faith, that even a mountain should be removed, and be cast into the sea.

Ninth Lesson.

Homily by the Venerable Bede, Priest [at Jarrow.] (Bk. iii. Comment. on Mark. xi.)

The heathen, who have written blasphemies against the Church, are used to cast in our teeth that we have not full faith in God, since we have never been able to move mountains. Such should be answered that we do not possess records of everything that hath come to pass in the Church, any more than, the Scripture being witness, we possess records of all the doings of our Lord Christ Himself. (John xx. 30; xxi. 25.) Mountains may have been removed and cast into the sea, in case of need; a like case, indeed, as we read, was that which came to pass at the prayers of the Blessed Father Gregory, Archbishop of Neocæsarea-in-Pontus, that right worthy and mighty man, when a mountain was moved from one place on land to another place on land, as the dwellers in the city had need.

Eighth Lesson.

GREGORY was wishful to build a

Church in a meet place, but the site was too narrow, being wedged in between a mountain on the one side and the other. He came therefore by night a precipice going down into the sea on to the place, kneeling down, and reminding the Lord of His promise, and

tain is sometimes signified the devil, on account of the pride whereby he lifteth himself up against God, and would fain be like unto the Most High. And when holy teachers, strong in faith, do preach the Word, this mountain is removed, and cast into the sea, that is to say, the unclean spirit removed out of the hearts of such as are foreordained unto eternal life, and sent free to exercise the wild rage of his tyranny in the riotous and embittered minds of the unfaithful.

Vespers are of the following.

NOVEMBER 18.

Dedication of the Cathedral Churches of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, [at Rome.]

All from the Common Office for the Dedication of a Church, (p. 909,) except the following.

At First Vespers a Commemoration is made of St. Gregory the Wonderworker.

MATTINS.

FIRST NOCTURN.

First Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the Book of the Apocalypse of the Blessed Apostle John (xxi. 18.)

of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the

ND the building of the wall of it was