SEXAGESIMA: OR, THE SECOND SUNDAY
BEFORE LENT.

The Gospel. Luke viii. 4-15.

AND when much people were gathered togethAer, and much we ou gatherery

spake by a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and, as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And others fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred-fold." And when he had said these things, he cried: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." And his disciples asked him, saying: "What might this parable be?" And he said; "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing, they might not see, and hearing, they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God; those by the wayside are these that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock, are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground, are they, which, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

The Epistle. 2 Cor. xi. 19.-31.

FOR ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves

Are

bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit, whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly, ) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool ) I am more in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren: in weariness and painfulness; in watchings often; in hunger and thirst: in fastings often; in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lye not.

QUINQUAGESIMA: OR THE SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

The Gospel. Luke xviii. 31-43.

HEN he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem,

and all things that are written by the prophets con cerning the son of man, shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully intreated, and spitted on : and they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again." And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass, that, as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side, begging; and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant; and they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying: "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me." And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more: "Thou son of David, have mercy on me." And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying: "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" And he said: "Lord, that I may receive my sight." And Jesus said unto him, "Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee." And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

T

The Epistle. 1 Cor. xiii. Throughout.

HOUGH Í speak with the tongues of men and

of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling.cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor; and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind;

charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but, when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth Faith, Hope, Charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

INCOVAVIT.

TH

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

The Gospel. Matt. iv. 1

11.

HEN was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said: "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." But he answered and said: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinacle of the temple; and saith unto him: "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest

at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Jesus said unto him: "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Again, the devil taketh

him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them and saith unto him: "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Then saith Jesus unto him: "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

WE

E then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no of fence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness, on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.