Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

O Lord, have mercy on us : for we have waited for thee : be thou our arm in the morning, and our salvation in the time of trouble. At the voice of the Angel the people fled, and at the lifting up thyself the nations are scattered. And your spoils shall be gathered together as the locusts are gathered, as when the ditches are full of them. The Lord is magnified, for he hath dwelt on high : he hath filled Sion with judgment and justice. And there shall be faith in thy times, riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge : the fear of the Lord is his treasure. The sinners in Siori are afraid : trembling hath seized upon the hypocrites. Which of you can dwell with devouring fire 1 which of you shall dwell with everlasting burnings 1 He that walketh in justices, and speaketh truth, that casteth away avarice by oppression, and shaketh his hands from all bribes, that stoppeth his

Prope est jam Dominus ; venite, adoremus.

De Isaia Propheta.

Cap. XXX III.

Domine, miserere nostri : te enim exspectavimus : esto brachium nostrum in mane, et sal us nostra in tempore tribulationis. A voce Angeli fugerunt populi, et ab exaltatione tua dispersse sunt Gentes. Et congregabuntur spolia vestra sicut colligitur bruchus, velut cum fossae plenaafuerint de eo. Magnificatus est Dominus, quoniam habitavit in excelso : implevit Sionjudicio etjustitia. Et erit fides in temporibus tuis : divitiae salutis, sapientia et scientia : timor Domini ipse est thesaurus ejus. Conterriti sunt in Sion

Eeccatores : possedit tremor ypocritas. Quis poterit ha oi tare de vobis cum igne devorante ] quis habitabit ex vobis cum ardoribus sempiternis? Qui ambulat in justitiis, et loquitur veritatem,#qui projicit avaritiam ex calumnia, et excutit manus suas ab omni munere, qui obturat aures suas ne audiat sanguinem, et claudit oculos

ADVENT. suos ne videat malum. Iste in excelsis habitabit, munimenta saxorum subliinitas ejus : panis ei datus est, aquae ejus fidelea sunt. Regem in decore suo videbunt oculi ejus ; cement terram de longe. ears lest be hear blood, and shutteth his eyes that he may see no evil. He shall dwell on high, the fortifications of rocks shall be his highness : bread is given him, his waters are sure. His eyes shall see the King in his beauty ; they shall see the land- far oft

Happy he whose eyes shall thus contemplate the new-born King in the sweet majesty of his love and his humility ! He shall be so taken with this his beauty, that the earth, with all its magnificence, shall appear as nothing in his eyes. The only thing he will care to look upon, will be upon Him that shall be laid in a manger, and wrapped in swaddling clothes. But, that we may have this happiness of closely contemplating the divine King who is coming to us, that we may merit to enter his court, we must do as the Prophet bids us: we mmtwalk injustice, and speak truth. Let us listen to the pious Rabanus Maurus, who expresses this, with much unction, in his first Sermon on Preparation for the feast of Christmas : " If at all times it behoves us to be adorned with the " comeliness of good works, we should be 30, with an " especial care, on the Day of our Saviour's Birth. "Consider within yourselves, my Brethren, what " you would do, were a king, or prince, to invite you " to come to celebrate his Birth-day. Your garments " would be as new, as elegant, even as magnificent, " as you could procure them, for you would think it "an insult to him who invited you, were you to ap- " pear before him with anything upon you that was "torn, or poor, or unclean. Show a like solicitude " on the occasion of the coming Feast ; — and let your "souls, beautified with the several ornaments of " virtue, go forth to their King. He loves the pearls "of simplicity, and the flowers of chaste sobriety :

" wear them therefore. Let your consciences be " composed in a holy calm, now that the solemn feast "of Jesus' Nativity is so close upon us. Assist at it "lovely in your chastity, gorgeous in your charity, "beauteous by your almsdeeds, brilliant with justice " and humility, and, above all, radiant in the love of " God. If the Lord Jesus shall see you thus when " you keep his feast, believe me, he will do more than " visit your souls ; he will treat you with such fami- " liarity, that he will choose them for his favourite " abode, and there he will dwell forever, as it is written: " Behold ! I will come, and I will dwell with them ; " and they shall be my people, and I will be their " God." Christians, you have no time to lose : quickly prepare yourselves for this great visit. Let sinners be converted and become just: let the just become more just ; let the holy become more holy, for he that is coming is the Lord our God, and none else.

A PROSE FOR THE TIME OF ADVENT.

{Composed in the Wth century \ and taken from the ancient Roman- French Missals.)

Let us sing together to our God, who created all things ;

By whom all ages were made ;

The firmament, which shines with much light, and the countless stars ;

The sun, the ornament of the world ; the moon, which is the night's beauty ; and all shining things :

The sea, the land, the hills, the plains, and the deep rivers ;

The wide space of the air, through which float birds, and winds, and rain ;

All these obey thee alone, O God, as their Maker and King.

Jubilemus omnes una, Deo nostro qui creavit omnia ;

Per quern condita sunt ssecula ;

Ccelum quod plurima luce coruscat, et diversa sidera ;

Sol mundi schema, noctium decus luna, cunctaque splendentia ;

Mare, solum, alta, plana, et profunda flumina ;

Aeris ampla spatia : quae discurrunt aves, venti atque pluvia.

Haec simul cuncta tibi soli Deo Patri militant.

ADVENT.

Nunc et in aevum, sine fine per saecula :

Laus eorum tua gloria ;

Qui pro salute nostra Prolem unicani

Pati in terra misisti sine culpa, sed ob nostra delicta.

Te, Sancta Trinitas, precamur, ut corpora nostra et corda regas et protegas; et dones peccatorum veniam. Amen.

Now and evermore, for

Their praise is thy glory ;

Who for our salvation didst send thine Only Begotten Son,

In whom could be no sin, to suffer on earth for our sins.

We beseech thee, O Holy Trinity, to govern and protect our souls and bodies, and grant us forgiveness of our sins. Amen.

PRAYER FROM THE AMBROSIAN MISSAL.

(Second Sunday of Advent, Prsefatio.)

Vere dignum et justum est, sequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterae Deus, per Christum Dominum nostrum : cujus Incarnatione salus facta est mundi, et Passione redemptio procurata est hominis procreati. Ipse nos,

Suaisumus, ad aeternum perucat praemium, qui red emit nos de tenebris infernorum : justificetque in Adventu secundo, qui nos redemit in primo : quateuus illius nos a malis omnibus defendat sublimitas, cujus nos ad vitam erexit humilitas.

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always and in all places, give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through Christ our Lord : by whose Incarnation has been wrought the salvation of the world, and by whose Passion has been purchased the redemption of his creature man. Grant, we beseech thee, that he, who redeemed us from the dark prison of hell, may lead us to the rewards which are eternal ; and justify us in his second Coming, who redeemed us in the first : that thus, he, whose humility exalted us unto life, may by his most high majesty shield us from all eviL