ously and piously, expect- mus, expectantes beatam ing the blessed hope, and spem,et adventuni Domini. the coming of the Lord.

LITTLE CHAPTER. Brethren, rejoice. Beginning of the Epistle to*, p. 123.

HYMN, V. and R. as, above, p. 117.

AT THE MAGNIFICAT.

Anth. Blessed art thou Mary, who didst believe the Lord: whatever the Lord hath said to thee, will be fulfilled in thee. luia.

Alle

Ant. Beata es Maria, quæ credidisti Domino, perficientur in te, quæ dicta sunt tibi a: Domino. Alleluia.

PRAYER, Collect at Mass, p. 123.

THE SOLEMN ANTHEMS, O.

INSTRUCTION.

HESE solemn Anthems (which express and represent the ardent desires and wishes of the holy Prophets for the coming of Christ, and which ought to express the desire we have that Christ may be born in us by his grace) are begun on the 17th of December; and are said on every day before and after the Magnificat entire, as on Doubles, in the following order. But in the first and second Vespers of St. Thomas, they serve as the Commemoration of Advent.

On the 17th. of December.

Anth. O wisdom, who didst proceed out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end with might and with sweetness disposing all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.

Ant. O sapientia, quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens, a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.

On the 18th.

Anth. O Adonai † and

Ant. O Adonai et dux leader of the house of Is- domus Israel, qui Moysi

Anth. O King of the Gentiles, and their desired one, the corner stone that joinest the two walls come and save man, whom thou formedst out of slime. limo formasti. On the 23d.

Ant. O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni et salva hominem, quem de

Anth. O Emmanuel, our

Ant. O Emmanuel Rex King and Law-giver, the et Legifer noster, expecta

expectation of the Gentiles, tio Gentium et Salvator and their Saviour: come earum veni ad salvandum and save us, O Lord our nos, Domine Deus noster. God.

EMBER-DAYS.

INSTRUCTION.

THE Ember-days (so called from the custom of our forefather's: : fasting 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 with God to 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,

MASS. INTROIT. Is. lv. Ps. xviii.

ROP down dew, O you heavens from above, and

DRO

be opened and bring forth a saviour. Psalm. The heavens publish the glory of God: and the firmament declareth the works of his hands. V. Glory.

After the Kyrie eleison, is said:

Let us pray. Let us kneel downt. R. Stand up again.

COLLECT. Præstà, quæsumus.:

RANT, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that

afford us the succours of this present life, and heap on us the rewards of eternal happiness. Thro'.

At solemn Masses this is sung by the Deacon; when all are to kneel, till the Subdeacon, after a little pause; (during which all remain in silence) bids them stand up again to join with the Priest when he says the Collect.'

LESSON. IS. ii. 2, 5.

N those days the Prophet Isaias said: In the last days

tled on the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say? Come, 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 the sword against nation, neither shall they be trained up any more to battle. Come, you house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord our God.

GRADUAL. Psalm 23. Lift up your gates, O you princes; and be you lifted up, O Eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter in. V. Who shall go up to the mountain of the Lord; or who shall abide in his sanctuary ? The man whose hands are innocent, and whose heart is clean..

May the Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit.

M

AKE 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. 112. LESSON. Is. vii.

IN

N those days: The Lord spoke to Achaz saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the heavens 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 not enough for you to be troublesome to men; but you must be troublesome 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 Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to refuse evil, and to choose good,

Expl. Butter and honey, or rather cream and honey, w as the first food given to children; and the meaning is, that Christ should

GRADUAL. Psalm 144. The Lord is near all those that call upon him, all that call upon him in truth. V. My mouth shall declare the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name.

GOSPEL. Luke i. 26, 38.

T that time: The Angel Gabriel was sent from

A God to a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a Vir

gin espoused to a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel being come in, said to her, Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women. And when she had heard this, she was troubled at his words, and thought with herself, what manner of salutation this should be. And the Angel said to her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David, his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his reign there shall be no end. And Mary said to the Angel; How shall this be, since I know not man? And the Angel answering, said to her; The Holy Ghost shall come down upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore the Holy one, who shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who is called the barren woman; for with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

OFFERTORY. IS, 35. Take courage, and now fear not: for behold our God will do justice; he will come himself, and save us.

SECRET.

ET our fasts, we beseech thee, O Lord, be accepta

both make us worthy of thy grace, and bring us to the everlasting effects of thy promises. Thro'.

be as really Man, as he was God, the true Emmanuel, or the Person, in whom the divine nature should be united to that of

man.