saved. Than this, what could be wiser, what more worthy of God's counsels ? By this device the heavenly secret was at the same time provided with its witness and protected from its foeman; and the good name of the Maiden Mother preserved. Sixth Responsory. Thy betrothal, O Virgin Mother of God, was a message of joy to the whole world, for out of thee rose the Sun of righteousness, even Christ our God, Who hath taken away the curse and brought a blessing, confounded death, and given unto us everlasting life. Verse. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb. Answer. For out of thee rose the Sun of righteousness, even Christ our God. Verse. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Answer. Who hath taken away the curse and brought a blessing, confounded death, and given unto us everlasting life. Answer. For out of thee rose the Sun of righteousness. Verse. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Answer. Even Christ our God. LAUDS. First Antiphon. This day was be trothed the glorious Virgin Mary, *: child of the seed of Abraham, a daughter of the tribe of Judah, a Princess of the lineage of David. Second Antiphon. This day is the Bridal-Feast of the holy Virgin Mary, whose famous life still sheddeth lustre upon all the Churches. Third Antiphon. Mary was a maiden of illustrious birth, the daughter of a Kingly race. We earnestly intreat her to help our minds and souls by her prayers. Fourth Antiphon. With all our heart and with all our soul let us sing praise to Christ on this the solemn Feastday of Mary, the mighty Mother of God. Fifth Antiphon. Let us keep with rejoicing the Bridal-Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that she may pray for us to our Lord JESUS Christ. Verse. This day is the Bridal-Feast of the holy Virgin Mary. Answer. Whose famous life still sheddeth lustre upon all the Churches. Antiphon at the Song of Zacharias, Let us this day keep solemnly the BridalFeast of Mary, Mother but still Maiden. her Bridal, a step toward the loftiness of her throne. Alleluia. G Prayer throughout the Office. RANT unto us Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace, unto whom Thou didst give the first sight of a Saviour as the offspring of a Blessed Virgin, and grant that this Feast, which they keep in honour of the same Virgin, may avail them unto the increase of peace. 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. If permitted, Commemoration of St. Joseph, from his Office, (p. 1029.) Then of St. Emerentiana. The Antiphons at Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, are the First, Second, Third, and Fifth from Lauds, respectively. The last verses of all the Hymns are altered in honour of the Incarnation. Verse at Prime, "Thou that wast born of the Virgin Mary." SECOND VESPERS. All as the First, except the following. Antiphon at the Song of the Blessed Virgin. Thy betrothal, O Virgin Mother of God, was a message of joy to the whole world, for out of thee rose the Sun of righteousness, even Christ our God, Who hath taken away the curse and brought a blessing, confounded death, and given unto us everlasting life. Where permitted, Commemoration of St. Joseph, from his Office, (p. 1030.) Then of [the First Vespers of] St. Timothy. At Compline the last verse of the Hymn is altered in honour of the Incar Pitying the world's disaster, O what anguish, what affliction Comes from heaven to His aid; To the Father praise be given Praise the Son, Whose Name is greater Than all names beneath the heaven,Praise the Spirit, every creature. Amen. Verse. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, Answer. Even unto death. Antiphon at the Song of the Blessed Virgin. He kneeled down, and prayed, saying: Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done. First Antiphon. 'Before thou prayest, prepare thy soul, and be not as one that tempteth God. Ps. xvi. Hear my right, O LORD, &c., (p. 12.) Second Antiphon. "Let nothing hinder thee to pray always, and defer not until death to be justified. Ps. xxiv. Unto Thee, O LORD, &c., (p. 124.) Third Antiphon. "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. GENERAL APPENDIX. The Lesson is taken from the Book of lay up alms rather than to lay up stores of gold. For alms doth deliver from death, and the same it is which purgeth away sin, and causeth to find mercy and everlasting life. But they that work sin and iniquity are enemies of their own soul. Therefore I show you the truth, and will not keep an hidden matter back from you. When thou didst pray with tears, and bury the dead, and leave thy dinner, and hide the dead in thine house by day, and bury them by night, I did bring up thy prayer before the Lord. And because thou wast accepted with God, it was needs that temptation should try thee. The Lesson is taken from the Epistle of the Blessed Apostle James (v. 16.) PRAY one for another, that ye may be healed, for the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save his soul from 1 1 Thess. v. 17, 18. 5 Matth. vi. 5. death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. Second Responsory. When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any. Verse. That your Father also Who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Answer. Forgive, if ye have aught against any. Third Lesson. First Antiphon. When ye pray ye shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Ps. xlii. Judge me, O God, &c., (p. 100.) Second Antiphon. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father Who is in secret. Ps. liv. Give ear to my prayer, &c., (p. 42.) Third Antiphon. And it came to pass in those days, that JESUS went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Ps. cxx. I will lift up mine eyes, &c., (p. 154.) 2 Mark xi. 25. Verse. 10 My Father, if it be possible, Answer. Let this cup pass from Me! Fourth Lesson. The Lesson is taken from the Treatise upon the Lord's Prayer written by the Holy Martyr Cyprian Bishop [of Carthage.] (On the Lord's Prayer.) THE Lord hath indeed taught us to pray, not by words only, but also by deeds. He Himself prayed oftentimes, and right earnestly, and showed us by the witness of His Own example what we are behoven to do; as it is written: " And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed." (Luke v. 16.) And again: "And it came to pass in those days that JESUS went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." (Luke vi. 12.) If He prayed Who was without sin, how much more are sinners beholden to pray? And if He remained sleepless all night in unceasing prayer, how much more ought we to watch by night in common prayer? The Lord prayed and besought, but not for Himself-for what had the Innocent One to ask for for Himself? But it was for us sinners that He prayed, as Himself declareth when He saith unto Peter: 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' (Luke xxii. 31, 32.) And a little while after, He prayed to the Father for all, saying: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word, that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us." (John xvii. 20, 21.) Fourth Responsory. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Verse. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Answer. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. 1 Matth. xxvi. 39. Fifth Lesson. The Lesson is taken from the Commentary upon the Epistle to the Hebrews, written by St. Anselm, Archbishop [of Canterbury.] (v.) He offered. "That He prayed we read E offered up prayers like a true High oftentimes in the Gospel, especially in that according to Luke, who draweth Him in His Priestly character. But even as all things which He did in the Flesh, His prayers and supplications were for men. Through all His life He prayed to the Father touching the Resurrection of His Own Flesh, and our salvation, and at the last moment before He suffered, He offered up supplications, that is, prayers most beseeching and most vehement, with the utmost passion and tenderness of His Heart, when, "being in an agony He prayed more earnestly, and His Sweat was as it were great drops of Blood falling down to the ground." (Luke xxii. 44.) These prayers and supplications He offered up unto the Father, Who met Him halfway by hearing Him. He offered them up unto Him That was able to save Him from death, that is, to raise Him up again -unto Him of Whom He knew that He was able to save Him, that is, to make Him so that He could die no more and suffer no more, by delivering Him from death, so that His Soul was not left in hell, neither did His Flesh see corruption in the grave. (Ps. xv. 10.) Fifth Responsory. The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds, and till it come nigh, he will not be comforted. Verse. And will not depart till the Most High shall behold. Answer. And till it come nigh, he will not be comforted. Sixth Lesson. AND these prayers and supplications He offered up with strong crying, that is, with the keenest and liveliest yearning of godly desire, as when, being in an agony, He prayed more earnestly, and even with tears, for in that lengthened prayer we must believe that He shed Tears as well as those drops of Blood which trickled down His Body in the 2 Ecclus. xxxv. 21. place of sweat. And He was heard, for in rising again, He received that for which He had asked. He was heard, that is, He in especial was heard in a sense of thoroughness in which no other hath ever been heard, since, after the throes of the struggle were over, the Father exalted Him above everything created. Moreover, He was heard on account of reverent submission,' which meaneth either that He was heard because as the Son of God reverent submission was due to His wishes, or else that He was heard because of His reverent submission to the Will of God, in that He feared and honoured the Father above all. Or again, we may understand that He was heard, because His reverent submission merited that He should be heard. The out-pouring of His Blood may in itself be called a strong cry, wherein He was heard on account of His reverent submission to such suffering. His reverent submission in that case lay in this, that having never done any evil, He was willing to suffer, simply out of love. unto the dust; quicken Thou me acording to Thy word. Ps. lxxxvii. O LORD God of my salvation, &c., (p. 68.) Verse. Watch and pray, Answer. That ye enter not into temp tation. Seventh Lesson. The Lesson is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (xxii. 39.) AT T that time: JESUS came out, and went, as He was wont, to the Mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him. And so on. Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop [of Milan.] (Bk. x. Comm. on Luke xxii.) "Remove this cup from Me"-the Man shrank from death, the God remained unshaken in the counsel of His Own Will. We must needs die to this world that we may rise again to God, that in accordance with God's sentence, the law of the curse may work itself out by our return to the dust of the earth from whence we are taken. "Not My will, but Thine be done." In these words our Lord signifieth by "My will" His human will, and by the Father's will, His Own Divine Will. The wills of men are temporal, but the Will of God is eternal. There is not one Will of the Father, and another Will of the Son. There is but one Will, where there is but one God. Learn, nevertheless, from the ensample of Christ, to be resigned to God's Will, and not to choose that which best pleaseth thyself, but that which thou knowest will best please God. Seventh Responsory. 'I am come into the depth of the sea, and the flood overfloweth me. Verse. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul. me. Answer. And the flood overfloweth Eighth Lesson. THEN, let us consider the special meaning of His different expressions. "My Soul is exceeding sorrow3 Ps. cxviii. 143, 25. 2 2 Ezra (Nehem.) i. 6. 5 Matth. xxvi. 41. |