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his wrath and indignation, which we have so justly deserved for our sins. They were instituted in the fifth century by St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne in France, when his Diocese was afflicted, in the most terrible manner, by almost continual earthquakes, incursions of wild beasts, fire, &c. and that saint experienced such happy effects of the public supplications he had appointed, by those calamities ceasing, that the same pious custom, by degrees, extended itself all over the Western Church; and, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the long Litany is sung in solemn Procession. To comply, therefore, with the spirit of the Church, it would be proper that this devotion should be performed by every family at an appointed hour; that Almighty God, being appeased by the prayers and abstinence of his Church, may not inflict on us those punishments, we but too justly deserve for our sins.

Litany

Anth. Arise, O Lord, and help us; and deliver us for the glory of thy name Alleluia. Ps. O Lord, we have heard with our ears; and our fathers have related ΤΟ us thy wonders. V. Glory. Anth. Arise, O Lord, &c. to Ps.

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MASS. INTROIT. Ps. 17. He hath heard my voice from his holy temple. Alleluia. And the cry I set forth in his presence, hath reached his ears. Alleluia, Alleluia. Ps. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my support, and my refuge, and my deliverer. V. Glory.

COLLECT. Præsta, quæsumus. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we, who in our afflictions rely on thy goodness, may, under thy protection, be defended against all adversities. Thro'.

EPISTLE. James v. 16. 20.

OST dearly beloved; Confess your sins one to an

Mo

other, and pray one for another, that you may be

saved; for the continual prayer of the righteous man is very powerful. Elias was a man subject to infirmities, as we are; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain on the earth; and it rained not for three years and six months. And he prayed again; and the heavens gave

rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit. My brethren, if any of you shall err from the truth, and another convert him; let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins.

Alleluia. V. Praise the Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever.

GOSPEL. Luke xi. 5. 13.

A a trend, and

T that time; Jesus said to his disciples: Which of

night, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have nothing to set before him; and he, from within, should answer, and say: Trouble me not; the door is shut, and my children are in bed with me; I cannot rise and give thee any. And if he continueth knocking, I say to you, though he would not rise and give him any, because he is his friend; yet he will rise on account of his importunity, and give him as many as he wanteth. So also I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, the door shall be opened. And what father among you would give his child a stone, if he was to ask him for bread? Or give him a serpent, when he asked for fish? Or would give him a scorpion, when he asked for an egg? If then you, wicked as you are, know how to give what is good to your children; how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give the good spirit to those that ask it of him?

OFFERT. Ps. 108. I will praise the Lord with a loud voice; I will praise him in a numerous assembly; for he stood on the right hand of the poor one, to save me from those that pursued my life. Alleluia.

SECRET. May these offerings, O Lord, loosen the bonds of our wickedness, and obtain for us the gifts of thy mercy. Thro`.

COMM. Luke 11. Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and the door shall be opened to him that knocketh. Alleluia.

POSTCOMM

Vota nostra. We beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully receive our prayers; that while we partake of thy gifts in our affliction, the comfort we find increase our love. Thro'.

ASCENSION-EVE.

may

MASS. As on the Fifth Sunday after Easter, p. 112. except what follows: together with a Commemoration of the Rogation, as p. 115. and if the B. V. Mary. Concede nos, p. lxv. with their respective Secrets and Postcommunions.

EPISTLE. Ephes. iv. 7. 13.

RETHREN: To every one of us is given grace ac

fore the scripture saith: Ascending on high, he led captivity captive; and gave gifts to men. And that he ascended, what is it, but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended, is the same also who ascended above all the heavens, that he might fulfil all. And he appointed some Apostles, and some Prophets, and others Evangelists, and others Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting the saints, for the functions of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; till we all meet in the unity of faith, and of knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ.

A

GOSPEL. John xvii. 1. 11.

T that time: Jesus lifting up his eyes to heaven, said: Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son ; that thy Son may glorify thee; as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to all those, whom thou hast given him. Now life eternal is this: that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. Now therefore, O Father, do thou also glorify me with thyself, with that glory, which I had with thee, before the world was. I have made known thy name to those, whom thou gavest me from out of the world. They were thine, and thou gavest them me: and they have kept thy world. They now know, that all things which thou gavest me, were from thee; for I have given them the words thou gavest me, and they have received them; and they know for certain, that I came forth from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. It is for

them I pray; I pray not for the world, but for those, whom thou hast given me, because they are thine. And all that I have is thine, and all that thou hast is mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world; but they are still in the world, and I return to thee.

TH

ASCENSION-DAY.

INSTRUCTION.

HE feast of the Ascension is one of the five most ancient festivals of the Christian Church, and is called in the Canon of the Mass a most sacred day. This mystery, which is the last of those of our Saviour, and the consummation of all the rest, represents Jesus Christ ascending into heaven, where he sits at the right hand of his Father, and is continually interceding for us; from whence he calls on us, and is preparing for us a place, which we shall one day be put in possession of, provided we follow his example, and tread in his steps. But let us not deceive ourselves; the way that leads to Christ is rough and difficult. There are indeed several mansions in the house of his Father; but there are not two ways to go thither. Our head got thither only by the way of humiliations and sufferings; let us not, therefore, flatter ourselves with the thoughts of enjoying eternal bliss upon any other condition.

I. VESPERS. PSALMS as on Sundays, p. 69,
Laudate Dominum omnes, p. 90.
E men of Ant. TIRI

Anth. Y Galilee, why

look you up to heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up into heaven from you, shall come so again. Alleluia.

Anth. And when they beheld him going up to heaven, they said. Alleluia.

Anth. Lifting up his hands, he blessed them, and was taken up into heaven. Alleluia.

Anth. Publish the greatness of the King of Kings,

VIR

Galilæi, quid aspicitis, in cœlum? Hic Jesus, qui assumptus est a vobis in cœlum, sic veniet. Alleluia.

Ant. Cumque intuerentur in cœlum euntem illum, dexerunt. Alleluia.

Ant. Elevatis manibus, benedixit eis, et ferebatur in cœlum. Alleluia.

Ant. Exaltate Regem Regum, et hymnum dicite

and sing a hymn to God. Deo. Alleluia.

Anth. He was taken up

in their sight, and a cloud took him up into heaven. Alleluia.

Alleluia.

Ant. Videntibus illis elevatus est, et nubes suscepit eum in cœlo. Alleluia.

LITTLE CHAPTER. Biinning of the LESSON, to*, p. 119.

HYMN.

JESUS, who man's Re

deemer art, Delight of ev'ry pious heart; Creator of this earthly frame,

The lover's chaste delight and flame.

What strange excess of clemency

ALUTIS humanæ sator,

SALUTI

Jesu, voluptas cordium;
Orbis redempti conditor,

Et casta lux amantium.

Qua victus es clementia

Prevailed, that thou would'st Ut nostra ferres crimina ?

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And, by enjoyment of thy Tuique vultus compotens,

sight,

Enrich us with eternal Dites beato lumine.

light.

O guide our way to hea

venly rest;

Tu dux ad astra et semita,

Be thou the aim of ev'ry Sis meta nostris cordibus

breast;

Be thou the comfort of our Sis lacrymarum gaudium;

tears,

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