The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me. And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitude, concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went you out to see? A man cloathed in soft garments? Behold, they that are cloathed in soft garments are in the houses of kings. But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: "Behold, I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee." CREDO. OFFERT. Thou wilt turn, O God, to us, and bring us to life, and thy people shall rejoice in thee. Shew us, O Lord, thy mercy, and grant us thy salvation. SECRET. Be appeased, O Lord, we beseech thee, by our humble prayers and sacrifices; and altho' we can allege no deserts on our part, grant us thy protection. Thro. For the II. and III. Secrets, see p. 52. COMM. Arise, O Jerusalem, and stand on high, and behold the joy that will come to thee from thy God. P. COMM. Repleti. Being filled, O Lord, with this spiritual food, we humbly beseech thee, to teach us, by partaking of this mystery, to despise earthly things, and to love such as are heavenly. For the II. and III. Postcommunions, see p. 52, 53. · THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. REJOICE in the Lord Audete Audete in Domino semper; iterum dico, gaudete: modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominimen: the Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. Ps. O Lord thou hast blest thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. V. Glory. bus: Dominus enim prope est: nihil soliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum. Ps. Benedixisti, Domine, terram tuam, avertisti captivita tem Jacob. V. Gloria. COLLECT. Aurem tuam. Bend thine ear, O Lord, we beseech thee, to our prayers, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of thy visitation. Who livest. For the other Collects, see p. 50. EPISTLE. Philip, iv. 4. 7.-Brethren: Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. GRAD. Ps. lxxix. Lord, who sittest on the Cherubim, exert thy power, and come. V. Thou, who rulest Israel, hearken; thou who leadest Joseph as a sheep. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. Exert, O Lord, thy power, and come to save Alleluia. us. V. Excita, Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni: ut salvos facias nos. Alleluia. GOSPEL. John i. 19. 28. At that time: The Jews sent from Jerusalem Priests and Levites to John, to ask him: Who art thou? And he confessed, and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou a prophet? And he answered: No. They said therefore vinto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? He said: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord," as said the prophet Isaias. And they that were sent were of the pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? John answered them, saying: I baptize, with water; but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not. The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me; the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. CREDO. OFFERT. Ps. lxxxiv.-Lord, thou hast blessed thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. SECRET. May we always, O Lord, offer thee this sacrifice of our devotion, both to comply with the institution of these sacred mysteries, and wonderfully to procure ourselves that salvation which thou designest us. Thro'. For the other Secrets, see p. 52. COMM. Is. xxxv.-Say, be comforted, O ye fearful of heart, and fear not; behold our God will come and save us. P. COMM. Imploramus. We implore, O Lord, thy mercy, that these divine helps having cleansed us from sin, may prepare us for the ensuing solemnity. For the rest of the Postcommunions see pp. 52 and Σ QUATUOR TEMPORA, OR EMBER-DAYS HE Ember-days, (so called from our forefathers' fastTHE on those days in sackcloth and ashes, or from their eating nothing but cakes baked under the embers,) are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the first week of Lent, of Whitsun-week, of the third week in September, and of the third week in Advent. The spirit of the Church is, to engage her children at these stated times to pray, fast, and perform such other good works as may prevail God furnish his Church with good pastors; Saturday in Ember-week being the appointed day for ordaining and consecrating persons to the sacred ministry. We are likewise to beg God's blessing on the fruits of the earth, and give him thanks for those we have already received. WEDNESDAY IN EMBER WEEK. DROP down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour. Ps. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work cf his hands. V. Glory. After Kyrie eleison is said, Let us pray. Let us kneel down*. R. Stand up again. Flectamus genua. R. Levate. COLLECT. Præsta quæsumus. Grant we bes seech thee, O Almighty God, that the approaching solemnity of our redemption may afford us the succours of this present life, and heap on us the rewards of eternal happiness. Thro'. I. LESSON. Is. ii. 2. 5.-In those days the prophet Isaiah said: In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of * At solemn Masses this is sung by the Deacon; when all kneel, till the Subdeacon, after a little pause, bids them stand up again to join with the Priest whilst he says the Collect VISA the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills: and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go, and say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall come forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people; and they shall turn their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. GRADUAL. Ps. xxiii.-Lift up your gates O you princes: and be you lifted up, O eternal gates, and the King of Glory shall enter in. Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place? The innocent in hands, and clean of heart. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. COLLECT. Festina. Make haste, we beseech thee O Lord, and delay not; but grant us the assistance of thy heavenly grace; that they who trust in thy goodness, may be relieved by the comfort of thy coming. Who livest. Here are said the other Collects, as directed, p. 50. II. LESSON. Is. vii. 10, 16. In those days: The Lord spoke unto Achaz, saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. And Achaz, said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you, to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called |