GOSPEL.

Virgo virginum præcla

ra,

Mihi jam non sis amara,

Fac me tecum plangere.

Fac ut portem Christi mortem, Passionis fac consortem,

Et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari, `

Cruce hac inebriari,

Ob amorem filii.

Inflammatus, & accen

sus,

Per te, virgo, sim defensus,

In die judicii.

Fac me cruce custodiri,

Morte Christi præmuniri,

Confoveri gratia.

Quando corpus morietur, Fac ut anima donetur Paradisi gloria. Amen. John xix. 25.

T that time: There stood by the cross of Jesus his

Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing, whom he loveth, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy

son.

After that he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

OFFERT. Remember, O Virgin-mother of God,

whilst thou standest in the presence of the Lord, to speak in our favour, that thou mayest turn away his wrath from us.

SECRET. We offer thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, our prayers and sacrifices, humbly intreating thee, that we, who, in our prayers of this day, commemorate the trans. fixion of the most sweet soul of blessed Mary thy mother, may receive our reward with her and her blessed companions that stood under thy cross, this holy assembly being multiplied, thro' the merits of thy death. Who livest, &c.

PREFACE. In the transfixion.

Ordinary, p. 54. COMM. Happy are the senses of the blessed Vir gin Mary, who, without dying, merited the crown of martyrdom under the cross of the Lord.

PÓSTCOMM. Sacrificia. Grant, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the sacrifice we have partaken of, while with devotion, we celebrate the transfixion of thy blessed Virgin-mother, may, thro' thy mercy, obtain for us the effect of every salutary good. Who livest, &c.

At the end of Mass is read the Gospel of Friday, John ii. as p. 311.

SATURDAY.

MASS. The INTROIT, OFFERTORY, and COMMUNION as on Friday, p. 310.

COLLECT. Proficiat. May the people consecrated to thy service, O Lord, we beseech thee, improve in all the affections of piety; that, being instructed by these holy mysteries, they may be so much the more enriched with thy heavenly gifts, as they become more acceptable to thy divine majesty. Thro'.

IN

LESSON. Jer. xviii. 18.

N those days: The wicked Jews said to one another: Come, and let us consider of some design against the righteous man; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, not the word from the prophet: Come, and let us strike him with our tongue, and have no regard to all he shall say. Take care of me, O Lord, and hear the words of my enemies. Is evil returned for good; for they have dug a pit for my soul? Remember, I stood before thee, to speak in their favour, and to turn away thy anger from them. Wherefore give up their children to famine, and let them fall

by the edge of the sword; let their wives lose their children, and become widows, and let their husbands be slain; let their young men be stabbed by the sword in battle. Let their cry be heard from their houses; for thou shalt bring the robber unexpectedly upon them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. But thou, O Lord, knowest all their designs against me to kill me; forgive not their iniquity; and let not their sin be blotted out in thy sight. Let them fall before thee, deal severely with them in the time of thy anger, O Lord our God.

GRAD. Ps. 34. My enemies spoke peaceably to me; but in their anger they were troublesome to me. V. Thou hast seen it, O Lord, be not silent; abandon me

not.

A

GOSPEL. John xii. 10. 36.

T that time; The chief priests consulted to kill Lazarus too; because, on his account, many of the Jews went away from them, and believed in Jesus. And, the next day, a great multitude of people, who were come to the feast, hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palms, and went out to meet him, and cried out; Hosanna, blessed is he, that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass, and got on him, as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold thy King cometh sitting on an ass's colt. These things his disciples understood not at first; but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered these things written of him and that they had done thus to him. And the multitude that was with him, when he called Lazarus out of the monument and raised him from the dead, gave testimony to him. For which reason a multitude came out to meet him; because they heard he had done this miracle, The Pharisees therefore said among themselves; Do you see how what we do is to no purpose? Behold the whole world is gone after him. And there were certain Gentiles among those that came up to worship on the feast day. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida in Galilee, and besought him, saying; Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and Andrew and Philip told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying: The hour is come in which the Son of man is to be glorified. Verily, verily I say unto

VOL. I.

D d

*

you, unless the grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remaineth alone by itself; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life, shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world preserveth it for life eternal. If any one serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall my servant also be. If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say? Father save me from this hour; but therefore came I to this hour. Father glorify thy name. Then there came a voice from heaven; I both have glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood and heard it, said. It was thunder: others said, An angel spoke to him. Jesus answered and said: This voice came not for me, but

for your sakes. Now is the world to be judged; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself. (This he said, alluding to the death he was to die.) The people answered him: We have heard from the law, that the Christ abideth for ever; and how sayst thou, That the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said to them; Yet for a little while the light is with you. Walk, while you have the light, that darkness come not on you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be children of the light. These things spake Jesus; and he went away, and concealed himself from them.

SECRET. Mercifully, O Lord, we beseech thee, deliver us from all sins and dangers, since thou allowest us to partake of these great mysteries. Thro'.

POSTCOMM. Divini. Being filled with the divine gifts, we beseech thee, O Lord our God, that we may ever live by the participation thereof. Thro'.

Let us pray. Bow down your heads to God.

PRAYER. Tueatur. May thy right hand, O Lord, we beseech thee, protect thy people making supplication to thee, and, purifying them from their sins, make them wise, that they may make such use of the comforts of this present life, as to arrive at that which is eternal. Thro'.

The COMMEMORATION at VESPERS.

Anth. Righteous Father,

Ant. Pater juste, munthe world knoweth thee dus te non cognovit; ego

not; but I know thee, for aurem novi te, quia tu me thou didst send me.

misisti.

V. and R. as p. 296. PRAYER. Collect of to-morrow.

T

PALM-SUNDAY.

INSTRUCTION.

HIS Sunday takes its name from the ceremony of blessing sprigs or small branches of Palms, Olives, or some other tree, to be distributed to the faithful to carry in procession in remembrance of what the Jewish people did, when Jesus Christ, six days before his passion, made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He rode upon an ass's colt as had been foretold by the Prophet, and received the joyful acclamations of his disciples, and of multitudes of the people.

Let us therefore assist, according to the spirit of the Church, at the religious ceremony of this day, with recollection and piety; and while we hold the Palms in our bands, or accompany the procession, let us adore Jesus Christ, who triumphed over hell by his death, and endeavour to partake of his triumph, by overcoming sin, and every inclination which is contrary to the spirit of God.

Christians should also recollect that whatever has received the solemn blessing of the Church, is consecrated to God, and, of course, is deserving a certain degree of respect, and on no account to be prostituted to any profane use. St. Chrysostome says, that the week previous to Easter is called the great week, on account of the great mysteries therein effected: Satan and Death subdued; God reconciled to man, and the world saved. Hence it has ever been observed with greater severity. After the usual sprinkling of the Holy Water, as on all other Sundays, the Office begins thus:

Ant. Hosanna filio David; benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. 0 Rex Israel: Hosanna in

Anth. Hosannna to the Son of David; blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. O King of Israel; Hosanna in the excelsis. highest heavens.

May the Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray.

COLLECT. Deus, quem. O God to whom to love is true righteousness, multiply in our hearts the gifts of thy holy grace; and since, by the death of thy only Son,