THE PROPER OFFICE OF THE SAINTS.

SECOND NOCTURN.

we who have chosen Him, [but He Who

hath chosen us,) and ordained us, that Fourth Lesson.

we should go, and bring forth fruit, that

is to say, should love one another. SIMON the Canaanite, called also Ze

lotes, ing the Gospel, whileas the like was

Eighth Lesson. done in Mesopotamia by Thaddæus, called also in the Gospel Judas the bro- Love, then, is the fruit which we

should bring forth, and the Apostle ther of James, and the writer of one of

Paul telleth us (1 Tim. i. 5) that this love the Catholic Epistles. They met toge

is love “out of a pure heart, and of a ther afterwards in Persia, where they

good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” begat countless children in JESUS Christ,

This is the love wherewith we love our spread the faith far and wide in those

neighbour, the love wherewith we love lands, amid raging heathens, and glori

God,-for we do not really love our fied together by their teaching and mi

neighbour unless we love God. For if racles, and, in the end, by a glorious

any man love God, he loveth his neighmartyrdom, the most holy name of Je

bour as himself, since he that loveth not sus Christ.

God loveth not himself. For on these Fifth and Sixth Lessons, the Fourth two commandments hangeth all the law and Fifth of the Common, (p. 807.) and the Prophets. Love, then, is the

fruit which we should bring forth. And

concerning this fruit, the Lord giveth THIRD NOCTURN.

us this commandment: “These things" Seventh Lesson.

(saith He) “I command you, that ye

love one another.” Hence also the AposThe Lesson is taken from the Holy tle Paul (Gal. v. 22) when he is about Gospel according to John (xv. 17.) praising up the fruits of the Spirit as

opposed to the works of the flesh, saith AT

first of all : “The fruit of the Spirit is disciples : These things I command

love." And from that as the beginning you, that ye love one another. If the

he draweth out a string of other fruits, world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. And so on.

as thence begotten and thereto bound,

namely, “joy, peace, long-suffering, Homily by St. Austin, Bishop (of

gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, Hippo.) (87th Tract on John.)

temperance, chastity.” In the reading from the Gospel, the

Ninth Lesson.
last before this, the Lord had said : “Ye
have not chosep Me, but I have chosen
you, and ordained you, that ye should

WI
HO is really joyful that loveth not

the cause of his joy? Who can go, and bring forth fruit, and that your really be at one with another, unless he fruit should remain: that whatsoever loveth that other? Who is cheerful ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, under long toil for a good work, unless He may give it you.". And here Hé he loveth the aim? Who is kind, unless saith : " These things I command you, he love the object of his tenderness? that ye love one another.” And by this Who is good, unless by the persuasion of it is that we must understand what fruit love? Who is truly faithful, unless by from us it is, whereof He saith: “I the faith which worketh by love? Who have chosen, that ye should go, is gentle to any use, unless love move and bring forth fruit, and that your him? Who turneth away from basefruit should remain," and so the words ness unless he love honour? Well, then, added—“That whatsoever ye shall ask doth the Good Master so often command of the Father in My Name, He may us to love, as though that commandgive it you." He will give unto us ment were all-sufficient, for love is that when we love one another, since this gift without which all other good things (mutual love) is itself the gift of Him avail nothing, and which cannot be Who hath chosen us when as yet we without having every other good gift were fruitless, since it hath not been which maketh a good man good.

1 The translator has failed to find any version of the Placare, Christe, which appears to him to be worthy either of the occasion or of the office, and he has therefore ventured to represent it by the above Hymn in which the ideas of the Placare are reflected from the medium of Van Eyck's "Adoration of the Lamb." It is signed, " Elizabeth Harcourt Mitchell."

4 s

THE PROPER OFFICE OF THE SAINTS.

Virgins holy, matrons lowly,

Gleaning in His fields of wheat-
Widows prayerful-mothers careful,

Children playing near His Feet,
Doctors, teachers, hermits, preachers,

Pouring out their oil and wine;
Meet before Thee to adore Thee,

Lamb of God, O Christ Divine !

Ps. viii. O LORD, our Ruler, &c., (p. 6.)

Verse. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous.

Answer. And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

How they love Thee! and above Thee

Cloudless is the sapphire blue,
And below Thee they who know Thee

Sing their anthems loud and true,-
Ever flowing, red and glowing

Is the Blood-stream from Thy side,-
Feeding, laving, cheering, saving,

Holy Church, Thy chosen Bride. Amen.

.

Verse. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous.

Answer. And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Antiphon at the Song of the Blessed Virgin. O ye Angels, ye Archangels, yo Thrones and Dominions, ye Principalities and Powers, ye mighty ones of the heavens, ye Cherubim and Seraphim, * -Oye Patriarchs and Prophets, ye holy Teachers of the Law,-0 ye Apostles, O all ye Martyrs of Christ, ye holy Confessors, ye Virgins of the Lord, ye Hermits, -0 all ye holy children of God, make intercession for us.

MATTINS.

First Lesson. The Lesson is taken from the Apocalypse of the Blessed Apostle John (iv. 2.)

ND, behold, a throne was set in
And He That sat was to look upon like
a jasper and a sardine stone; and there
was a rainbow round about the throne,
in sight like unto an emerald; and
round about the throne were four-and-
twenty seats; and upon the seats I saw
four-and-twenty elders sitting, clothed
in white raiment; and they had on their
heads crowns of gold. And out of the
throne proceeded lightnings, and voices
and thunderings; and there were seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
And before the throne there was a sea
of glass like unto crystal; and in the
midst of the throne, and round about
the throne, were four living creatures
full of eyes before and behind. And
the first living creature was like a lion,
and the second living creature like a
calf, and the third living creature had
the face as a man, and the fourth living
creature was like a flying eagle. And
the four living creatures had each of
them six wings about him; and they
are full of eyes about and within. And
they rest not day and night, saying:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,
Which was, and is, and is to come.

First Responsory.
I saw the Lord, &c., (p. 556.)
Second Lesson. (v. 1.)

of
That sat on the throne, a book,
written within and on the back side,
sealed with seven seals. And I saw a
strong Angel proclaiming with a loud
voice : Who is worthy to open the book,
and to loose the seals thereof? And no
man in heaven, nor in earth, neither
under the earth, was able to open the
book, neither to look thereon. And I wept

Invitatory. 0 come, let us worship the Lord, the King of kings, for * He is Himself the Crown of all the Saints.

Hymn as at Vespers.

FIRST NOCTURN.

First Antiphon. The LORD knoweth the way of the righteous, * who in His Law do meditate day and night.

Ps. i. Blessed is the man, &c., (p. 4.)

Second Antiphon. The LORD hath set apart for Himself them that are holy, and when they called, He hath heard them.

Ps. iv. When I called, &c., (p. 172.)

Third Antiphon. How excellent is Thy Name, O Lord, Who hast crowned Thy Saints with glory and honour, * and madest them to have dominion over the works of Thy hands.

much, because no man was found worthy and all that are in them all of them I
to open the book, neither to look there- heard saying: Blessing, and honour,
on." And one of the elders saith unto and glory, and power be unto Him That
me : Weep not; behold, the Lion of the sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
tribe of Judah, the Root of David, bath Lamb, for ever and ever. And the four
prevailed to open the book, and to loose living creatures said : Amen. And the
the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, four-and-twenty elders fell down and
and, lo, in the midst of the throne and worshipped Him That liveth for ever
of the four living creatures, and in the and ever.
midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as it
bad been slain, having seven Horns,

Third Responsory.
and seven Eyes, Which are the seven

Before the Angels will I sing praise Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And He came and took the book

unto Thee, and will worship toward Thy out of the Right Hand of Him That sat

holy temple. And I will praise Thy

Name, O Lord. upon the throne. And when He had

Verse. For Thy lovingkindness and opened the book, the four living crea

for Thy truth; for Thou hast glorified tures and four-and-twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every

Thine holy Name on us.

Answer. And I will praise Thy Name, one of them harps, and golden vials full

O Lord. of odours, which are the prayers of the

Verse. Glory be to the Father, and to saints.

the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

Answer. And I will praise Thy Name,
Second Responsory.

O Lord.
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, that didst believe the

SECOND NOCTURN.
Lord. There hath been a performance

First Antiphon. They that work in thee of those things which were told righteousness, * O Lord, even they, shall thee. Lo, thou hast been exalted above

abide in Thy tabernacle, and dwell in the choirs of Angels. Pray for us unto

Thy holy hill.
the Lord our God.
Verse. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the

Ps. xiv. LORD, who shall abide, &c.,
Lord is with thee.

(p. 10.) Answer. Pray for us unto the Lord Second Antiphon. This is the geneour God.

ration of them that seek the Lord, * that

seek the face of the God of Jacob. Third Lesson.

Ps. xxiii. The earth is the Lord's,

&c., (p. 124.) O Lord, Thou art worthy to take

Third Antiphon. Be glad in the the book and to open the seals thereof,

LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous, and for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed

shout for joy, all ye that are upright in us to God by Thy Blood out of every

heart. kindred and tongue and people and na- P8. xxxi. Blessed are they, &c., (p. tion: and hast made us unto our God a

24.) kingdom and priests; and we shall reign

Verse. Let the righteous rejoice beon the earth. And I beheld, and I

fore God.
beard the voice of many Angels round
about the throne, and the living crea-

Answer. Yea, let them exceedingly tures, and the elders; and the number

rejoice.
of them was thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice: Worthy is

Fourth Lesson.
the Lamb That was slain to receive

The Lesson is taken from the Sermons power, and riches, and wisdom, and

of the Venerable Bede, Priest (at strength, and honour, and glory, and

Jarrow.) (18th upon the Saints.) blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under

DEARLY beloved brethren : This day the earth, and such as are in the sea, we keep, with one great cry of joy, a Feast in memory of all God's holy and, as it were, but for a moment, so children ; His children, whose presence that in this short and scanty life there is a gladness to heaven; His children, is wrestling and working, but the crown whose prayers are a blessing to earth; and the prize is in a life which is His children,

whose victories are the eternal. So the work is soon over, but crown of the Holy Church; His chosen, the wage is paid for ever. And when whose testifying is the more glorious in the night of this world is over, the honour, as the agony in which it was Saints are to see the clearness of the given was the sterner in intensity, for essential light, and to receive a blessedas the dreader grew the battle, so the ness outweighing the pangs of any torgrander grew the fighters, and the ment, as testifieth the Apostle Paul, triumph of martyrdom waxed the more where he saith : “ The sufferings of this incisive by the multiplicity of suffering, present time are not worthy to be comand the heavier the torment, the heavier pared with the glory which shall be rethe prize. And it is our Mother, the vealed in us." (Rom. viii. 18.) Catholic Church, spread far and wide throughout all this planet, it is she

Sixth Responsory. that hath learnt, in Christ Jesus her Head, not to fear shame, nor cross, Oye My Saints, &c., (p. 834.) nor death, but hath waxed lealer and lealer, and, not by fighting, but by en

THIRD NOCTURN. during, hath breathed into all that noble band who have come up to the bitter

First Antiphon. O fear the LORD, all starting-post the hope of conquest and

ye His Saints, * for there is no want to glory which hath warmed them man

them that fear Him. Behold, the eyes fully to accept the race.

of the LORD are upon the righteous, and

His ears are open unto their cry.
Fourth Responsory.

Ps. xxxiii. I will bless the LORD, &c.,

(p. 26.) The Forerunner, &c., (p. 1116.)

Second Antiphon. O Lord, Thou hast Fifth Lesson.

been a shelter for Thy Saints, * a strong

tower from the enemy. Thou hast given OF

a verity thou art blessed, O my the heritage to those that fear Thy Mother the Church! The blaze of

Name, and they shall abide in Thy God's mercy beateth full upon thee; tabernacle for ever. thine adornment is the glorious blood of victorious Martyrs, and thy raiment the

Ps. lx. Hear my cry, O God, &c., (p. virgin whiteness of untarnished ortho

47.) doxy. Thy garlands lack neither roses Third Antiphon. Ye that love the nor lilies. And now, dearly beloved LORD, rejoice in the LORD, * and give brethren, let each one of us strive to thanks at the remembrance of His holigain the goodly crown of one sort or the other, either the glistening white

Ps. xcvi. The LORD reigneth, &c., ness of purity, or the red dye of suffer

(p. 73.) ing. In the army in heaven peace and war have both chaplets of their own, to

Verse. The righteous live for evercrown Christ's soldiers withal.

Answer. Their reward also is with Fifth Responsory.

the Lord, These are they, &c., (p. 809.)

Seventh Lesson.
Sixth Lesson.

The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gos-
M
TOREOVER, to this also hath the

pel according to Matthew (v. 1.) unutterable and boundless good to At that time : Jesus, seeing the mail.

T ness of that He spreadeth

up into a , the time of working and wrestling, and, when He was set, His disciples neither maketh it long, nor everlasting, came unto Him. And so on.

ness.

more.