ful, even unto death." (Matth. xxvi. 38.) So also elsewhere He saith: "Now is My Soul troubled." (John xii. 27.) It was not He Who had taken the Manhood into God Who was troubled, but the Manhood Which He had so taken. The soul of man is able to be moved by divers feelings, but not so God. "The Spirit indeed is willing, but the Flesh is weak." (Matth. xxvi. 41.) That which was exceeding sorrowful was not Himself but His Soul. The Eternal Wisdom was not sorrowful, the Divine Being was not sorrowful, but the human Soul of JESUS was sorrowful. He had taken into the Godhead a Soul, but a Soul of the same nature as mine. I am not deceived into thinking that it was one thing, when it seemed another. Sorrowful He seemed to be, and sorrowful He was-not at the thought of His Own sufferings, but of our sins. THEN He saith: "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." (Matth. xxvi. 31.) He was sorrowful because He was leaving us orphans. But how resolutely He was giving Himself up to die is sufficiently clear by what followed, when He went to meet those that sought Him, when He calmed the agitated, when He nerved the timid, when He received the traitor himself with the condescension of a kiss. Neither is it other than the truth to say that He was sorrowful for their sakes who were hunting Him down, since He knew what a punishment they were to undergo for that un utterable crime. And because of all these things He said: "Let this cup pass from Me!" It was not that the Divine Son of the Divine Being was afraid to die, but He would not that even wicked men should perish on His account. The Hymn, "We praise Thee, O God, &c.," is said. LAUDS. First Antiphon. JESUS cometh with His disciples unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto them: Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. Second Antiphon. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Third Antiphon. Then saith He unto them: My Soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with Me. Fourth Antiphon. And He went a little farther, and fell on His Face, and prayed, saying: O My Father! if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me! Fifth Antiphon. O My Father! if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy Will be done! Chapter. (Matth. xxvi. 40.) JESUS cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter What! could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Hymn. FROM high heaven the Mediator, Whom the Prophets sang of yore, For the ill which Eden wrought us, The Redeemer of His nation, Such the love which filled His Breast, Hastens to make expiation For the world by sin oppressed. 1 St. Ambrose seems to understand these words as spoken by our Lord concerning Himself. 2 Suscepit animam suam, suscepit corpus meum. 3 Ps. lxxxvii. 3, 4. ↑ Antiphons from Matth. xxvi. 36–9, 42. 5 Translation by the Rev. Dr. Wallace. Now the Father's anger ceases, GENERAL APPENDIX. And the Hand up-raised to smite, All those threatening shafts releases, Destined on our souls to light. Thus the snares of hell are broken; Heaven's gates are open wide, Where eternal joys unspoken Welcome those for whom He died. 1 Luke xi. 1; Matth. vi. 9. SECOND VESPERS. Last Psalm. Ps. cxv. I believed, &c., (p. 153.) Verse. His Sweat Answer. Was as it were great drops of Blood. Antiphon at the Song of the Blessed Virgin. 'Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Tuesday or Friday after Sexas gesima Sunday. Office in Memory of the Sufferings of our Lord JESUS Christ. Greater Double. All as on Sundays, except the following. FIRST VESPERS. First Antiphon. I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the LORD. Ps. cxv. I believed, &c., (p. 153.) Second Antiphon. With them that hate peace I was peaceable. When I spoke unto them they fought against me without a cause. Ps. cxix. In my distress, &c., (p. 154.) Third Antiphon. O LORD, preserve me from the evil man. Ps. cxxxix. Deliver me, &c., (p. 166.) Fourth Antiphon. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Ps. cxl. LORD, I cry unto Thee, &c., (p. 166.) 1 Matth. xxvi. 45. Fifth Antiphon. I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. P3. cxli. I cried unto the LORD, &c., (p. 167.) Chapter from Lauds. Hymn.2 BLOOD is the price of heaven; All sin that price exceeds; O come to be forgiven, My Saviour bleeds! Under the olive boughs, The Blood drops from His Brows, My Saviour bleeds! While the fierce scourges fall, The Precious Blood still pleads; In front of Pilate's hall He bleeds, My Saviour bleeds! Beneath the thorny crown My Saviour bleeds! Bearing the fatal wood His band of Saints He leads, My Saviour bleeds! On Calvary His shame With Blood still intercedes; His open Wounds proclaim- My Saviour bleeds! He hangs upon the tree, My Saviour bleeds! The two beautiful and popular Hymns by the late Dr. Faber which are here inserted at Vespers and Mattins are not translations of the Hymns Mærentes oculi and Aspice, infami, but, whether the ideas were suggested by the Latin or whether it be an accidental coincidence, they agree with the sense of the Latin so closely, that they might fairly be called Paraphrases or imitations, and this consideration induces the Translator to insert them. Absolute translations have been executed by the late Rev. E. Caswall and the Rev. Dr. Wallace. COME and mourn with me awhile! O come, and let us mourn with her; Have we no tears to shed for Him, How fast His Hands, His Feet are nailed; His Mother cannot reach His Face; Isa. liii. 7, 5. Seven times He spoke, seven words of love, Death came, and JESUS meekly bowed; His failing Eyes He strove to guide With mindful love to Mary's face; JESUS, our Love, is crucified! O break, O break, hard heart of mine! Come, take thy stand beneath the Cross, A broken heart, a fount of tears, Ask, and it will not be denied; A broken heart love's cradle is; JESUS, our Love, is crucified! O love of God! O sin of man! In this dread act your strength is tried; And victory remains with love; For He, our Love, is crucified! FIRST NOCTURN. First Antiphon. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed. Ps. ii. Why do the heathen, &c., (p. 4.) Second Antiphon. They be increased that trouble me; many are they that rise up against me. Ps. iii. LORD, how are they increased, &c., (p. 5.) Third Antiphon. They part my garments among them; and cast lots upon my vesture. Ps. xxi. My God, My God, &c., (p. 126.) Verse. He was offered up because He willed it. Answer. And with His stripes we are healed. First Lesson. The Lesson is taken from the Epistle of the Blessed Apostle Paul to the Romans (v. 8.) GOD comm, white we were ytt sinners, OD commendeth His love toward us, 2 Lam. i. 12. 3 By Dr. Faber as before; two verses are omitted. Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord JESUS Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement. (17.) For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace, and bounty, and righteousness, shall reign in life through JESUS Christ. First Responsory. 'I had planted thee a noble vine, saith the Lord, and thou hast brought forth unto Me grapes exceeding bitter, for thou hast made ready a Cross for thy Saviour. Verse. 20 My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me. Answer. For thou hast made ready a Cross for thy Saviour. T Second Lesson. HEREFORE, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so, by the righteousness of One, [the gift] came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. Then, the law entered that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded grace did much more abound, that, as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by JESUS Christ our Lord. Second Responsory. I brought thee forth out of Egypt; behind thee I caused Pharaoh to drown in the Red Sea, and before thee I went in the pillar of the cloud. And thou didst betray Me unto the chief Priests, and lead Me unto the judgment-hall of Pilate. Verse. O My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me. 1 Cf. Jer. ii. 21. Answer. And thou didst betray Me unto the chief Priests, and lead Me unto the judgment-hall of Pilate. Third Lesson. (vi.) WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid; how shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into JESUS Christ were baptized into His death? For we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also may walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Third Responsory. I scourged Egypt in her first-born for thy sake, and thou when thou hadst Scourged Me, didst deliver Me [to be crucified,] Me, Who as a lamb before his shearer, was dumb, and opened not My Mouth.3 Verse. O My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me. Answer. And thou, when thou hadst scourged Me, didst deliver Me [to be crucified]. Verse. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Answer. Me, Who, as a lamb before his shearer, was dumb, and opened not My Mouth. SECOND NOCTURN. First Antiphon. Mine enemies speak evil of me: When shall he die, and his name perish? Ps. xl. Blessed is he that considereth, &c., (p. 34.) Second Antiphon. Strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul. |