Feria quárta ad Matutínum

Ante quam inchoetur Officium, laudabiliter dicitur, sub singulari semper numero, sequens Oratio; pro qua Summus Pontifex Pius Pp. XI sub die 17 Novembris 1933 Indulgentiam trium annorum concessit.

Oratio

APERI, Dómine, os meum ad benedicéndum nomen sanctum tuum: munda quoque cor meum ab ómnibus vanis, pervérsis et aliénis cogitatiónibus; intelléctum illúmina, afféctum inflámma, ut digne, atténte ac devóte hoc Offícium recitáre váleam, et exaudíri mérear ante conspéctum divínæ Majestátis tuæ. Per Christum, Dóminum nostrum. R. Amen.

Dómine, in unióne illíus divínæ intentiónis, qua ipse in terris laudes Deo persolvísti, hanc tibi Horam persólvo.

PATER noster, qui es in cælis, sanctificétur nomen tuum. Advéniat regnum tuum. Fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie. Et dimítte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem: sed líbera nos a malo. Amen.

AVE, María, grátia plena; Dóminus tecum: benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus fructus ventris tui Jesus. Sancta María, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatóribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.

CREDO in Deum, Patrem omnipoténtem, Creatórem cæli et terræ. Et in Jesum Christum, Fílium ejus únicum, Dóminum nostrum: qui concéptus est de Spíritu Sancto, natus ex María Vírgine, passus sub Póntio Piláto, crucifíxus, mórtuus, et sepúltus: descéndit ad ínferos; tértia die resurréxit a mórtuis; ascéndit ad cælos; sedet ad déxteram Dei Patris omnipoténtis: inde ventúrus est judicáre vivos et mórtuos. Credo in Spíritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclésiam cathólicam, Sanctórum communiónem, remissiónem peccatórum, carnis resurrectiónem, vitam ætérnam. Amen.

DÓMINE, lábia mea apéries.

R. Et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam.

V. Deus, in adjutórium meum inténde.

R. Dómine, ad adjuvándum me festína.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen. Allelúja.

Invit. Dóminum, qui fecit nos, * Veníte, adorémus.

Psalmus 94

VENÍTE, exsultémus Dómino, jubilémus Deo, salutári nostro: præoccupémus fáciem ejus in confessióne, et in psalmis jubilémus ei.

Repetitur integrum Invitatorium.

Quóniam Deus magnus Dóminus, et Rex magnus super omnes deos: quóniam non repéllet Dóminus plebem suam: quia in manu ejus sunt omnes fines terræ, et altitúdines móntium ipse cónspicit.

Repetitur altera pars Invitatorii.

In sequenti Psalmi versu, ad verba veníte, adorémus, et procidámus ante Deum, genuflectitur.

Quóniam ipsíus est mare, et ipse fecit illud, et áridam fundavérunt manus ejus: veníte, adorémus, et procidámus ante Deum: plorémus coram Dómino, qui fecit nos, quia ipse est Dóminus, Deus noster; nos autem pópulus ejus, et oves páscuæ ejus.

Repetitur integrum Invitatorium.

Hódie, si vocem ejus audiéritis, nolíte obduráre corda vestra, sicut in exacerbatióne secúndum diem tentatiónis in desérto: ubi tentavérunt me patres vestri, probavérunt et vidérunt ópera mea.

Repetitur altera pars Invitatorii.

Quadragínta annis próximus fui generatióni huic, et dixi: Semper hi errant corde; ipsi vero non cognovérunt vias meas: quibus jurávi in ira mea: Si introíbunt in réquiem meam.

Repetitur integrum Invitatorium.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Repetitur altera pars Invitatorii.

Denique repetitur integrum Invitatorium.

Hymnus

RERUM Creátor óptime,

Rectórque noster, áspice:

Nos a quiéte nóxia

Mersos sopóre líbera.

Te, sancte Christe, póscimus,

Ignósce culpis ómnibus:

Ad confiténdum súrgimus,

Morásque noctis rúmpimus.

Mentes manúsque tóllimus,

Prophéta sicut nóctibus

Nobis geréndum præcipit,

Paulúsque gestis cénsuit.

Vides malum, quod fécimus:

Occúlta nostra pándimus:

Preces geméntes fúndimus,

Dimítte quod peccávimus.

Præsta, Pater piíssime,

Patríque compar Unice,

Cum Spíritu Paráclito

Regnans per omne sæculum.

Amen.

IN II NOCTURNO

Ant. 4 Magnus Dóminus.

Psalmus 47

MAGNUS Dóminus, et laudábilis nimis in civitáte Dei nostri, in monte sancto ejus.

Fundátur exsultatióne univérsæ terræ mons Sion, látera Aquilónis, cívitas Regis magni.

Deus in dómibus ejus cognoscétur, cum suscípiet eam.

Quóniam ecce reges terræ congregáti sunt: convenérunt in unum.

Ipsi vidéntes sic admiráti sunt, conturbáti sunt, commóti sunt: tremor apprehéndit eos.

Ibi dolóres ut parturiéntis: in spíritu veheménti cónteres naves Tharsis.

Sicut audívimus, sic vídimus in civitáte Dómini virtútum, in civitáte Dei nostri: Deus fundávit eam in ætérnum.

Suscépimus, Deus, misericórdiam tuam, in médio templi tui.

Secúndum nomen tuum, Deus, sic et laus tua in fines terræ: justítia plena est déxtera tua.

Lætétur mons Sion, et exsúltent fíliæ Judæ propter judícia tua, Dómine.

Circúmdate Sion, et complectímini eam: narráte in túrribus ejus.

Pónite corda vestra in virtúte ejus: et distribúite domos ejus, ut enarrétis in progénie áltera.

Quóniam hic est Deus, Deus noster in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: ipse reget nos in sæcula.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Ant. Magnus Dóminus, et laudábilis nimis in civitáte Dei nostri.

Ant. 5 Os meum loquétur.

Psalmus 48, i

AUDÍTE hæc, omnes gentes: áuribus percípite omnes, qui habitátis orbem:

Quique terrígenæ, et fílii hóminum: simul in unum dives et pauper.

Os meum loquétur sapiéntiam: et meditátio cordis mei prudéntiam.

Inclinábo in parábolam aurem meam: apériam in psaltério propositiónem meam.

Cur timébo in die mala? iníquitas calcánei mei circúmdabit me:

Qui confídunt in virtúte sua: et in multitúdine divitiárum suárum gloriántur.

Frater non rédimit, rédimet homo: non dabit Deo placatiónem suam.

Et prétium redemptiónis ánimæ suæ: et laborábit in ætérnum, et vivet adhuc in finem.

Non vidébit intéritum, cum víderit sapiéntes moriéntes: simul insípiens, et stultus períbunt.

Et relínquent aliénis divítias suas: et sepúlcra eórum domus illórum in ætérnum.

Tabernácula eórum in progénie et progénie: vocavérunt nómina sua in terris suis.

Et homo, cum in honóre esset, non intelléxit: comparátus est juméntis insipiéntibus, et símilis factus est illis.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Ant. Os meum loquétur sapiéntiam: et meditátio cordis mei prudéntiam.

Ant. 6 Ne timúeris.

Psalmus 48, ii

HÆC via illórum scándalum ipsis: et póstea in ore suo complacébunt.

Sicut oves in inférno pósiti sunt: mors depáscet eos.

Et dominabúntur eórum justi in matutíno: et auxílium eórum veteráscet in inférno a glória eórum.

Verúmtamen Deus rédimet ánimam meam de manu ínferi, cum accéperit me.

Ne timúeris, cum dives factus fúerit homo: et cum multiplicáta fúerit glória domus ejus.

Quóniam cum interíerit, non sumet ómnia: neque descéndet cum eo glória ejus.

Quia ánima ejus in vita ipsíus benedicétur: confitébitur tibi cum beneféceris ei.

Introíbit usque in progénies patrum suórum: et usque in ætérnum non vidébit lumen.

Homo, cum in honóre esset, non intelléxit: comparátus est juméntis insipiéntibus, et símilis factus est illis.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Ant. Ne timúeris: cum dívite non descéndet in sepúlcrum glória ejus.

V. Deus rédimet ánimam meam de manu ínferi.

R. Cum accéperit me.

Post Versum dicitur.

Pater noster secreto usque ad V. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem. R. Sed líbera nos a malo.

PATER noster, qui es in cælis, sanctificétur nomen tuum. Advéniat regnum tuum. Fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie. Et dimítte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem: sed líbera nos a malo.

Absolutio

IPSÍUS píetas et misericórdia nos ádjuvet, qui cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculórum.

R. Amen.

V. Jube, Dómine, benedícere.

Sermo sancti Augustíni Epíscopi

Sermo 44 de Sanctis

Bened. Deus Pater omnípotens sit nobis propítius et clemens. R. Amen.

Lectio iv

TRIUMPHÁLIS beáti Mártyris N. dies hódie nobis anniversária celebritáte recúrrit; cujus glorificatióni sicut congáudet Ecclésia, sic ejus propónit sequénda vestígia. Si enim compátimur, et conglorificábimur. In cujus glorióso agóne duo nobis præcípue consideránda sunt: induráta vidélicet tortóris sævítia, et Mártyris invícta patiéntia. Sævítia tortóris, ut eam detestémur; patiéntia Mártyris, ut eam imitémur. Audi Psalmístam advérsus malítiam increpántem: Noli æmulári in malignántibus, quóniam tamquam fœnum velóciter aréscent. Quod autem advérsus malignántes patiéntia exhibénda sit, audi Apóstolum suadéntem: Patiéntia vobis necessária est, ut reportétis promissiónes.

V. Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.

R. Deo grátias.

R. Honéstum fecit illum Dóminus, et custodívit eum ab inimícis, et a seductóribus tutávit illum: * Et dedit illi claritátem ætérnam. V. Descendítque cum illo in fóveam, et in vínculis non derelíquit eum. Et dedit illi claritátem ætérnam.

Bened. Christus perpétuæ det nobis gáudia vitæ. R. Amen.

Lectio v

CORONÁTA ítaque est beáti Mártyris patiéntia: mancipáta est ætérnis cruciátibus tortóris incorrécta malítia. Hoc atténdens in agóne suo gloriósus Christi Athléta, non exhórruit cárcerem. Ad imitatiónem cápitis sui tolerávit probra, sustínuit irrisiónes, flagélla non tímuit, et quot ante mortem pro Christo pértulit supplícia, tot ei de se óbtulit sacrifícia. Quod enim propinánte Apóstolo bíberat, alte retinébat: Quia non sunt condígnæ passiónes hujus témporis ad futúram glóriam, quæ revelábitur in nobis; et Quia momentáneum hoc et leve nostræ tribulatiónis, ætérnum glóriæ pondus operátur in cælis. Hujus promissiónis amóre a terrénis suspénsus, et prægustáta supérnæ suavitátis dulcédine ineffabíliter afféctus, dicébat cum Psalmísta: Quid mihi est in cælo, et a te quid vólui super terram? Defécit caro mea et cor meum: Deus cordis mei, et pars mea Deus in ætérnum.

V. Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.

R. Deo grátias.

R. Desidérium ánimæ ejus tribuísti ei, Dómine, * Et voluntáte labiórum ejus non fraudásti eum. V. Quóniam prævenísti eum in benedictiónibus dulcédinis: posuísti in cápite ejus corónam de lápide pretióso. Et voluntáte labiórum ejus non fraudásti eum.

Bened. Ignem sui amóris accéndat Deus in córdibus nostris. R. Amen.

Lectio vi

CONTEMPLABÁTUR enim quantum in ænígmate infírmitas humána óculum mentis in æternitáte fígere potest, quanta sint supérnæ civitátis gáudia: et ea enarráre non suffíciens, admirándo clamábat: Quid mihi est in cælo? Quasi díceret: Excédit vires meas, excédit facultátem eloquéntiæ meæ, transcéndit capacitátem intelligéntiæ meæ illud decus, illa glória, illa celsitúdo, qua nobis, a conturbatióne hóminum remótis, in abscóndito faciéi suæ Jesus Christus Dóminus noster reformábit corpus humilitátis nostræ, configurátum córpori claritátis suæ. Hujus perféctæ libertátis contemplatióne nullum vitábat perículum, nullum horrébat supplícium: et si míllies posset mori, non putábat se hanc digne posse áliqua ratióne promeréri.

V. Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.

R. Deo grátias.

R. Stola jucunditátis índuit eum Dóminus: * Et corónam pulchritúdinis pósuit super caput ejus. V. Cibávit illum Dóminus pane vitæ et intelléctus: et aqua sapiéntiæ salutáris potávit illum. Et corónam pulchritúdinis pósuit super caput ejus. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Et corónam pulchritúdinis pósuit super caput ejus.

V. Dóminus vobíscum.

R. Et cum spíritu tuo.

Orémus.

Oratio

(ex Commune Festorum beatæ Mariæ Virginis)

CONCÉDE nos fámulos tuos, quæsumus, Dómine Deus, perpétua mentis et córporis sanitáte gaudére: et, gloriósa beátæ Maríæ semper Vírginis intercessióne, a præsénti liberári tristítia et ætérna pérfrui lætítia. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum. R. Amen.

V. Dóminus vobíscum.

R. Et cum spíritu tuo.

V. Benedicámus Dómino.

R. Deo grátias.

V. Fidélium ánimæ per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace.

R. Amen.

Deinde dicitur Pater noster totum secreto.

PATER noster, qui es in cælis, sanctificétur nomen tuum. Advéniat regnum tuum. Fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie. Et dimítte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem: sed líbera nos a malo. Amen.

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Wednesday Matins

Before the Office is begun, it is commendable to say the following Prayer, the singular number being used throughout; for which Pope Pius XI granted an indulgence of 3 years (S. Ap., November 17, 1933).

Prayer

OPEN my mouth, O Lord, to bless thy holy name: cleanse also my heart from all vain, evil and distracting thoughts; enlighten my understanding, inflame my will, that I may worthily recite this Office with attention and devotion, and deserve to be heard in the presence of thy divine Majesty. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

O Lord, in union with that divine intention with which thou didst praise God on earth, I offer to thee this Hour.

OUR Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

HAIL, Mary, full of grace; The Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, JESUS. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in JESUS CHRIST, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried: he descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven; sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

O LORD, thou wilt open my lips.

V.And my mouth will announce thy praise.

V. O God, come to my assistance.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia.

Invit. Come, * Let us rejoice unto the Lord.

Psalm 94

COME let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.

The whole Invitatory is repeated.

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For in his hand are all the ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are his.

The second part of the Invitatory is repeated.

In the following verse of the Psalm, genuflect at the words "Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord."

For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us. For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

The whole Invitatory is repeated.

To day if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts: As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.

The second part of the Invitatory is repeated.

Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said: These always err in heart. And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.

The whole Invitatory is repeated.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The second part of the Invitatory is repeated. Then the whole Invitatory is repeated.

Hymn

WHO madest all and dost control,

Lord, with thy touch divine,

Cast out the slumbers of the soul,

The rest that is not thine.

Look down, Eternal Holiness,

And wash the sins away,

Of those, who, rising to confess,

Outstrip the lingering day.

Our hearts and hands by night, O Lord,

We lift them in our need;

As holy Psalmists give the word,

And holy Paul the deed.

Each sin to thee of years gone by,

Each hidden stain lies bare;

We shrink not from thine awful eye,

But pray that thou wouldst spare.

Grant this, O Father, Only Son

And Spirit, God of grace,

To whom all worship shall be done

In every time and place.

Amen.

II NOCTURN

Ant. 4 Great is the Lord.

Psalm 47

God is greatly to be praised for the establishment of his chhhhhhurch.

GREAT is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

With the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion founded, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king.

In her houses shall God be known, when he shall protect her.

For behold the kings of the earth assembled themselves: they gathered together.

So they saw, and they wondered, they were troubled, they were moved: trembling took hold of them.

There were pains as of a woman in labour. With a vehement wind thou shalt break in pieces the ships of Tharsis.

As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God hath founded it for ever.

We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

According to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of justice.

Let mount Sion rejoice, and the daughters of Juda be glad; because of thy judgments, O Lord.

Surround Sion, and encompass her: tell ye in her towers.

Set your hearts on her strength; and distribute her houses, that ye may relate it in another generation.

For this is God, our God unto eternity, and for ever and ever: he shall rule us for evermore.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Ant. Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God.

Ant. 5 My mouth shall speak.

Psalm 48, i

The folly of worldlings, who live on in sin, without thinking of death or hell.

HEAR these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.

All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.

My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.

I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.

Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.

They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,

No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,

Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever, and shall still live unto the end.

He shall not see destruction, when he shall see the wise dying: the senseless and the fool shall perish together:

And they shall leave their riches to strangers: and their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever.

Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.

And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Ant. My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.

Ant. 6 Be not thou afraid.

Psalm 48, ii

The folly of worldlings, who live on in sin, without thinking of death or hell.

THIS way of theirs is a stumbling-block to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.

They are laid in hell like sheep: death shall feed upon them.

And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their help shall decay in hell from their glory.

But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me.

Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.

For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.

For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.

He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.

Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Ant. Be not thou afraid when the glory of a rich man shall not descend with him into the grave.

V. God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell.

R. When he shall receive me.

After the Versicle, Our Father is said silently as far as

V. And lead us not into temptation. R. But deliver us from evil.

OUR Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Absolution

MAY his loving-kindness and his mercy help us, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end.

R. Amen.

V. Pray, O Lord, a blessing.

Sermon of St. Augustine, Bishop

Sermon 44 on the Saints

Blessing. May almighty God the Father be gracious and kind to us. R. Amen.

Lesson iv

TODAY we keep our annual celebration of the triumph of the blessed Martyr N. and the Church, while rejoicing in his glory, places him before us, that we may follow in his footsteps. If we suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him. There are two things to be considered in this glorious combat: namely, the hard-hearted cruelty of the torturer, and the unconquered patience of the Martyr-the cruelty of the torturer, that we may detest it; the patience of the Martyr, that we may imitate it. Hear what the Psalmist says in reproof of wickedness: Be not emulous of evildoers, for they shall shortly wither away as grass. But the Apostle teaches patience with the wicked in the words: Patience is necessary for you, that you may receive the promise.

V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.

R. Thanks be to God.

R. The Lord made him honorable, and kept him safe from enemies, and defended him from seducers: * And he gave him everlasting glory. V. He went down with him into the pit, and in bands he left him not. And he gave him everlasting glory.

Blessing. May Christ give us the joys of everlasting life. R. Amen.

Lesson v

AND so the patience of the blessed martyr was crowned: and the unbridled malice of the torturer is delivered up to everlasting torments. The glorious Athlete of Christ shrank not from the dungeon, for during his combat he looked forward to the reward. In imitation of his Master, he bore reproaches and mockery, and feared not the scourge; and, as many tortures as he endured for Christ before his death, so many sacrifices did he offer to him. He had drunk in the Apostle's words and kept them in his heart: For the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us; and: For that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us an eternal weight of glory in heaven. He was raised above earthly things by the love of this promise and, ineffably moved by a foretaste of the pleasantness of the heavenly sweetness, he said with the Psalmist: What have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth? For thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever.

V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.

R. Thanks be to God.

R. Thou hast given him his heart's desire, O Lord, * And hast not withheld from him the will of his lips. V. For thou hast come to meet him with blessings of sweetness, thou hast set upon his head a crown of precious stones. And hast not withheld from him the will of his lips.

Blessing. May God enkindle in our hearts the fire of his love. R. Amen.

Lesson vi

HE contemplated as clearly as human weakness, which beholds the things of eternity in a dark manner, can do, the infinite joys of the heavenly city; and seeing that it was beyond his power to tell them, he cried out in wonder: What have I in heaven? As though he would say: My strength is nought, and my power of eloquence fails me, even my understanding cannot comprehend the beauty, the glory, the exaltation unto which our Lord Jesus Christ will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory, when he has hidden us from the disturbance of men in the secret of his face. At the sight of this perfect liberty, he shrank from no danger and quailed before no torment; nay, if he could have died a thousand times to win it, he would not have thought the price by any means too dear.

V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.

R. Thanks be to God.

R. The Lord hath put on him a robe of glory: * And hath set upon his head a crown of beauty. V. The Lord fed him with the bread of life and understanding: and gave him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink. And hath set upon his head a crown of beauty. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. And hath set upon his head a crown of beauty.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Prayer

(Common of Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

GRANT, we beseech thee, O Lord God, to us thy servants, that we may evermore enjoy health of mind and body: and by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, may be delivered from present sorrows, and enjoy everlasting gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with thy spirit.

V. Let us bless the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

R. Amen.

Then is added Our Father in full said silently.

OUR Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

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