Octave of Saint Stephen

appointed as the head of the Seven, and St. Irenaeus, who lived in the second century, calls him the Arch- Deacon.

The characteristic virtue of a Deacon is fidelity. Hence, he is entrusted with the care of the treasures of the Church, treasures, which consist not merely in the alms destined for the poor, but in that which is the most precious thing in heaven and earth — the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which the Deacon is the minister, in virtue of his Order. For this reason, the Apostle St. Paul, in his first Epistle to Timothy, bids the Deacons hold the Mystery of Faith in a pure conscience}

It was, therefore, more than an appropriate co-incidence, that the First of all the Martyrs was a Deacon, for Martyrdom is the great proof of fidelity, and fidelity is the official virtue of the Deaconate. This same truth is still more strongly impressed upon us by the fact, that the three, who stand pre-eminent amongst the Martyrs of Christ, are vested in the holy Dalmatic — the three glorious Deacons : Stephen, the glory of Jerusalem ; Laurence, the pride of Rome ; and Vincent, of whom Spain so justly boasts. The present holy season gives us Stephen, who has been gladdening us with his festal presence ever since Christmas Day, and Vincent, whose Feast falls on January 22nd. Laurence will come to us, with his rich waving Palm, in the sunny month of August ; and Stephen, in the same month, will visit us, a second time, in the Feast of the Finding of his Relics.

With the intention of paying respect to the Holy Order of Deaconship in the person of its first representative, it is a custom in a great many Churches, on the Feast of St. Stephen, that Deacons should fulfil every office, which is not beyond their Order.

1 I. Tim. iii. 9.

For example, the Chanter yields his staff of office to a Deacon ; the Choristers, who assist the Chanter, are also Deacons, vested in Dalmatics ; and the Epistle of the Mass is sung by a Deacon, because it is the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, which relates the history of the holy Martyr's death.

The institution of St. Stephen's Feast, and its being fixed on the day immediately following that of our Lord's Birth, are so ancient, that it is impossible to assign their date. The Apostolic Constitutions, which were compiled, at the latest, towards the close of the 3rd century, mention this Feast as already established, and that, too, on the morrow of Christmas Day. St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Asterius of Amasea, both of them earlier than the miraculous discovery of the Holy Deacon's Relics, have left us Homilies for the Feast of St. Stephen, in which they lay stress on the circumstance of its having the honour to be kept the very day after the solemnity of Christmas. With regard to its Octave, the institution is less ancient, though the date cannot be defined. Amalarius, who wrote in the 9 th centary, speaks of this Octave as already established, and Notker's Martyrology, compiled in the 10th century, makes express mention of it.

But, how comes it, that the Feast of a mere Deacon has been thus honoured, whilst almost all those of the Apostles have no Octave ? The rule followed by the Church, in her Liturgy, is to give more or less solemnity to the Feasts of the Saints, according to the importance of the services they rendered to mankind. Thus it is, that the honour she pays to St. Jerome, for example, who was only a Priest, is more marked than that she gives to a great number of holy Popes. It is her gratitude, which guides her in assigning to the Saints their respective rank in her Calendar, and the devotion of the Faithful to the saintly benefactors, whom she now venerates as members of the Church Triumphant, is thus regulated by a safe standard. St. Stephen led the way to Martyrdom ; his example inaugurated that sublime witnessing by the shedding one's own blood, which is the very strength of the Church, ratifies the truths she teaches to the world, and confirms the hopes of eternal reward promised by those truths. Glory, then, and honour to the Prince of Martyrs ! As long as time shall last, so long shall the Church, on earth, celebrate the name of Stephen, who was the first to shed his blood for the God who died on Calvary !

We have already noticed St. Stephen's imitating Jesus, by praying for and forgiving his enemies ; it is the circumstance, which the Church continually alludes to in her Office of his Feast. But there is another very important incident in the martyrdom of our Saint, which we must, for a moment, dwell upon. One of the accomplices in the murder, which was being committed under the walls of Jerusalem, was a young man of the name of Saul. He made himself exceedingly active, for he was of an ardent temperament, and, as the Fathers observe, he helped every man who stoned the holy Deacon, because he took care of the murderers' garments whilst they committed the crime. Not long after, this same Saul, whilst travelling to Damascus, was converted into an Apostle of that Jesus, whom he had heard Stephen confess as the Son of God. He was the fruit of Stephen's dying prayer. The blood of Stephen cried to heaven for mercy — and heaven sent to the Gentiles the Apostle, who would bring them to the knowledge and love of Jesus. " What an ad- "mirable scene !" cries out St. Augustine. "Here is " Stephen being stoned, and Saul taking care of the " garments of them that stone him. But this Saul " is now Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, and " Stephen is the servant of Jesus Christ. * * O

' Saul ! thou hast been prostrated, and raised up ( again : prostrated a Persecutor, raised up a Preacher. f Everywhere are thy Epistles read ; everywhere ' art thou bringing to Christ them that are his enef mies ; everywhere art thou the good Shepherd, 1 surrounded by a numerous flock. Thou art now ( reigning with Christ, in company with him thou 1 didst once stone. Both of you are looking upon us; 1 both of you now hear what I am saying ; do both ' of you pray, also, for us. He who crowned you '' both, will hear both. Stephen was a lamb ; ' Saul was a wolf; now, both are lambs, and both 1 will acknowledge us as of the flock of Christ, and 1 will pray for us, that the Church of their Master ' may be blessed with a peaceful and tranquil life."1 Stephen and Paul, both visit us during this grand season of Christmas ; for we shall keep the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on the 25th of January ; and thus, Stephen leads his spiritual conquest to the Crib of their common Lord and Master.

Catholic piety has chosen St. Stephen as one of the Patrons of a Happy Death. This choice was suggested by the death of the holy Martyr — a death so tranquil that the Scripture calls it a Sleeji, in spite of the cruel torture to which his executioners put him. Let us, therefore, beg the intercession of St. Stephen for that awful hour of our death, when we must return to our Creator these Souls of ours ; nay, let us ask him to pray, that we may be habitually in such a disposition of mind, as to be ever ready to make the total sacrifice of the life which God has given to us : it was a sacred deposit he entrusted to our keeping, and which we were to hold in readiness for him, whensoever he might demand it at our hands.

1 Sermon 316 : The Third for the Feast of St. Stephen.

The Mass is given above, page 255, except the Collect, which we give at the bottom of this page. ancient Liturgies a

We will now select from the few additional pieces in honour of our Saint. We begin with two Responsories, and the proper Collect for this Octave-Day, as given in the Roman Breviary.

RESPONSORIES.

I£. Stephen, the servant of God, whom the Jews stoned, saw the heavens opened ; he saw and entered : * Blessed man, to whom the heavens were opened. y. While, therefore, the loud pelting of the storm of stones was beating against him, a divine brightness shone upon him from the ethereal recesses of the heavenly court. * Blessed man.

I£. The gates of. heaven were thrown open to Stephen, the blessed Martyr of Christ, who was the first among the Martyrs. * And he, therefore, triumphs in heaven, with his Crown upon him.

~$. For he was the first to pay back to the Saviour the Death our Saviour deigned to suffer for us. * And he.

I£. Stephanus, servus Dei, quern lapidabant Judaei, vidit coelos apertos : vidit et introivit : * Beatus homo, cui cceli patebant.

~ft. Cum igitur saxorum crepitantium turbine quateretur, inter sethereos aula? ccelestis sinus divina ei claritas fulsit. * Beatus homo.

I£. Patefactse sunt januae cceli Christi Martyri beato Stephano, qui in numero Martyrum inventus est primus : * Et ideo triumphat in ccelis coronatus. y. Mortem enim, quam Salvator noster dignatus est pro nobis pati, hanc ille primus reddidit Salvatori. * Et ideo.

COLLECT.

O Almighty and eternal God, who didst consecrate the first-fruits of Martyrdom in the blood of blessed Stephen the Levite ; grant, we beseech thee, that he may intercede for

Gmnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui primitias Martyrum in beati Levitse Stephani sanguine dedicasti : tribue qusesumus ut pro nobis intercessor existat, qui pro suis etiam persecutoribus exoravit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum. us, who begged mercy, even for his persecutors, of our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son.

The Church of Milan, in its Ambrosian Missal, consecrates this Preface to the praise of the Prince of Martyrs.

PEEFACE.

Vere dignum et justum est, eequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, seterne Deus : qui Levitarum praeconem vocasti Stephanum. Hie tibi primus dedicavit Martyrii nomen : hie tibi inchoavit primus effundere sanguinem : hie meruit videre ccelos apertos, et Filium stantem ad dexteram Patris. In terris hominem adorabat, et in ccelo Filium Patris esse clamabat. Hie Magistri verba referebat ; quia, quod Christus dixit in cruce, hoc Stephanus docuit in sanguinis sui morte. Christus in cruce indulgentiam seminabat : et Stephanus pro suis lapidatoribus Dominum supplicabat.

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O Eternal God, who didst call Stephen to be the first of Deacons. He was the first, that dedicated unto thee the offering of Martyrdom : he was the first to shed his blood for thee : he it was that merited to see the heavens opened, and the Son standing at the rig^ht hand of the Father. He adored Jesus the Man- God on earth, and he proclaimed him to be the Son of the Father in heaven. He repeated the words of his Master ; for, what Christ said on the cross, that did Stephen teach when shedding his blood in death. Christ, on the Cross, sowed the seed of his pardon : so did Stephen beseech his Lord to have mercy on them that stoned him.

The same Liturgy has the following Collect for St. Stephen's Feast :

COLLECT.

Ministrantium tibi, Deus eruditor et rector,' qui Ecclesise tuae primordia beati

0 God, the teacher and ruler of them that are thy ministers, who didst adorn the early days of thy Church by the ministry and precious blood of blessed Stephen the Levite ; grant, we beseech thee, that meeting with pardon at the hour of our death, we may deserve to follow his example, and be aided by his intercession. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Levitae Stephani ministerio, etpretiosomartyrii sanguine decorasti, da, qusesumus : ut in excessu nostro veniam consequentes, mereamur exemplis ejus imbui, et intercessionibus adjuvari. Per Dominum Jesum Christum.

The Gothic Liturgy of Spain gives us, in its Mozarabic Missal, the following admirable Prayer to St. Stephen.

CAPITTJLUM.

Most blessed Protomartyr Stephen I thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord hath named: for that thou, who didst suffer death for him, didst, by him, receive a Grown for thy name, and a Croivn for thy virtue. Thou wast the first in Martyrdom, and first in its reward : first Martyr in the world, and the first in the courts of heaven. Here, stoned for Christ ; there, exulting in the Crown he gave thee. Here, thou didst suffer, for his sake, the most cruel torments ; there, thou didst receive the most precious Crown. Thou, therefore, that wast the first flower of the Church, be now her untiring patron ; that so, by thy prayers, that Jesus, for whose sake thou wast a glorious Martyr, may be merciful unto us.

Beatissime Stephane, Protomartyr, vocabitur tibi nomen novum, quod os Domini nominavit : ut qui mortem pro illo sumeres, coronam per ilium et nomine et virtute susciperes: primus in Martyrio, primus in praemio ; primus in aula mundi, primus in aula cceli : ut hie pro Christo lapidatus, illic ab ipso coronatus, exsultes ; ut pro quo hie crudelissimam sustinuisti pcenam, illic pretiosissimam susciperes coronam : ergo qui extitisti Ecclesiaa primitivus, nunc esto patronus assiduus : ut sit Christus nobis, te precante, propitius, pro quo Martyr extitisti mirificus.

The following Hymn, remarkable for its unction and simplicity of style, is to be found in most of the ancient Roman-French Breviaries.

HYMN.

Sancte Dei pretiose, Protomartyr Stephane, Qui virtute charitatis Circumfultus undique, Dominum pro inimico Exorasti populo.

Tu coelestis primitivus Signifer militiae, Yeritatis assertivus, Testis primus gratise, Fundamento lapis vivus, Basis patientiae.

Saxo caesus, non mucrone, Per saxorum cuspides, Corpus membri passione Circumcidi provides : Ad decorem sunt coronse Rubricati lapides.

Tu coelorum primus stratam Consternis lapideam, Tu per Christum hebetatam Primus transis rhomphseam, Primum granum trituratum, Ditans Christi aream.

Tibi primum reseratse Coeli patent januse, Jesum vides potestate, Cui pugnas strenue ; Stans cum Patris maj estate Tecum est assidue.

Funde preces pro devoto Tibi nunc collegio, Ut tuo propitiatus Interventu Dominus Nos purgatos a peccatis Jungat cceli civibus.

0 holy Protomartyr Stephen, most dear to God ! in the virtue of charity, wherewith thou wast armed on every side, thou didst beseech the Lord to have mercy on thine enemies.

Thou art the Standard-bearer of heaven's martyr-host; the herald of truth ; the first witness of Christian grace; the living foundation-stone, and ground-work of martyrdom.

Stones were the instrument of thy martyrdom, not the sword. The sharp-edged stones, like knives of a second circumcision, tore thine innocent flesh ; but, tinged in thy blood, they were made rubies for thy Crown.

Thou wast the first to tread the stony rugged path, that leads to heaven ; thou wast the first to breast that sword, which had slain our Lord and lost its keen edge by piercing Him ; thou wast the earliest winnowed wheat, that graced the granaries of Christ.

To thee were heaven's gates first opened, showing thee Jesus in his power, for whom thou didst so bravely fight : He, standing at the right hand of his Father's majesty, is with thee incessantly.

Pray now for this thy devout people, that our Lord, through thy prayers, may mercifully forgive us our sins, and grant us fellowship with the citizens of heaven.

Glory and honour to the God who gave thee thy Crown of roses and thy throne above the stars. May he free us from the sting of death, and save us sinners. Amen.

Gloria et honor Deo, Qui te flore roseo Coronavit et locavit In throno sidereo : Salvet reos, solvens eos A mortis aculeo.

Amen.

We will close our selection with a Sequence, composed by Notker ; we find it in the collection of Saint- Gall.

Let us solemnise this Feast in the union of fraternal charity,

Instructed by the sweet example of its Saint,

Who prayed for his guilty persecutors.

Hear us, O Stephen, thou standard-bearer of the infinitely merciful King,

Who heard the prayers thou didst offer him for thine enemies.

By thy prayers, O Stephen, that very Paul, who once persecuted thee, was converted to believe in Jesus,

And now exults with thee in that Kingdom, nigh which no persecutors come.

Then, we who humbly cry to thee for pity, and besiege thee with our prayers,

We, surely, shall be reconciled to our God by thy most holy prayers.

Peter ordained thee as a minister of Christ : and thou to the faithful Peter didst affirm and show this truth, that He, whom the mad populace crucified, is at the right hand of the Father.

Hanc concordi famulatu, colamus solemnitatem,

Auctoris illius exemplo docti benigno,

Pro persecutorum precantis fraude suorum.

O Stephane, signifer Eegis summe boni, nos exaudi :

Proficue qui es pro tuis exauditus inimicis.

Paulus tuis precibus, Stephane, te quondam persecutus Christo credit,

Et tecum tripudiat in regno, cui nullus persecutor appropinquat :

Nos proinde, nos supplices ad te clamantes et precibus te pulsantes,

Oratio sanctissima nos tua semper conciliet Deo nostro.

Te Petrus Christi ministrum statuit : Tu Petro normam credenti adstruis, ad dextram summi Patris ostendendo, quern plebs furens crucifixit.

Se tibi Christus eligit, Stephane, per queni fideles phen ! suos corroboret, se tibi inter rotatus saxorum solatio manifestans.

Christ chose thee, O Steas the example whereby he would give courage to his faithful ones, for he showed himself to thee amidst the shower of stones, and sweetly consoled thee.

Nunc inter inclytas Mar- Now amidst the red-robed tyrum purpuras coruscas army of the Martyrs thou coronatus. shinest as The Crowned Prince.

We return thee our grateful thanks, 0 glorious Stephen ! for the help thou hast given us in this great Feast of Christmas. It is thy yearly office to initiate us into the sublime mystery of the Birth of Jesus. Thy Feast ever brings us into the company of this Divine Child, and the Church trusts to thy revealing him to the hearts of her children, as thou heretofore didst to the Jews. Thou hast done thy work, dear Saint ! and here is our faith : — we adore this Babe of Bethlehem as the Word of God ; we hail him as our King ; we offer ourselves to him, to serve him as thou didst ; we acknowledge his absolute right over us, and our obligation of serving him even to the last droj) of our blood, should he put our loyalty to that great test. Stephen, the Faithful Deacon ! pray for us, that we may have the grace to give our whole heart to Jesus, from this time forward; that we may use our best efforts to please him ; and that we may conform our lives and affections to his blessed will. Doing this, we shall have the grace to fight his Fight, if not before tyrants and persecutors, at least before the base passions of our own hearts. We are the descendants of the Martyrs, and the Martyrs conquered the world ; for Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, had conquered it before them : — shall we, then, be cowards, and re-enslave ourselves to our eternal enemy ? Obtain for us, also, that fraternal charity, which pardons every injury, and prays for them that hate us, and converts sinners and heretics when all means else have failed. — 0 valiant Martyr of Jesus ! watch over us at the hour of our death; assist us in our agony; show us that Jesus, whom thou hast shown us so often as the dear Babe of Bethlehem ; show us him then as the glorified, the triumphant, but, above all, as the merciful Jesus, holding in his divine hands the Crown he has prepared for us ; and may our last words be those which thou didst utter when going to thy God : Lord Jesus ! receive my Spirit I1

1 Acts, vii. 58.

January 3. THE OCTAVE OF SAINT JOHN,

APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST.

The Octave of the Beloved Disciple closes to-day : let us devoutly offer him our parting homage. We shall meet him again, during the year; for, on the 6th of May, when the Resurrection of his Divine Master is gladdening the Church with the Easter joys, we shall have the Feast of our Apostle's Confession, made before the Latin Gate : — but his grand Feast ends to-day, and he has done too much for us this Christmas, that we should allow this Octave Day to pass without returning him our warmest thanks. Let us begin by exciting ourselves to a great reverence for our Saint ; and for this end, let us continue the considerations, we were making this day week, on the favours conferred upon him by Jesus.

The Apostolate of St. John produced a plentiful harvest among the people to whom he was sent. The Parthians received the Gospel from him, and most of the Churches of Asia Minor were founded by him. Of these latter, seven, together with their Angels, were chosen by Christ himself, to typify the several kinds of Pastors ; and probably, as some have interpreted this passage of the Apocalypse, these Seven may be taken as representing the seven Ages of the Church herself. Neither must we forget, that these Churches of Asia Minor, shortly after St. John had founded them, sent Apostles into our western

1 Apoc. i.

Europe. Thus, for example, the illustrious Church of Lyons was one of the conquests made by these early Missioners ; and St. Pothinus, the first Bishop of Lyons, was a disciple of the disciple of St. John — St. Polycarp — the Angel of the Church of Smyrna} whose Feast we shall keep a few days hence.

But St. John's apostolic labours in no wise interfered with the care, which his own filial affection and the injunctions of our Saviour imposed upon him — the care of the Blessed Mother and Virgin Mary. So long as Jesus judged her visible presence on the earth to be necessary for the consolidation of his Church, so long did John enjoy the immense happiness of her society, and of being permitted to treat her as his most beloved Mother. After a certain number of years, during which he had dwelt with her in the city of Ephesus, he returned with her to Jerusalem, whence she ascended to heaven from the desert of this world, as the Church sings of her, as a pillar of smoke of aromatic spices of myrrh and frankincense. The holy Apostle had to bear this second separation, and continue preaching the Gospel until that happy day should come, when he also should ascend to that blissful region, where Jesus his Divine Friend, and Mary his incomparable Mother, were awaiting his arrival.

The Apostles, those Lights placed by the hand of Jesus himself upon the candlestick of the Church, died out by martyrdom one after the other, leaving St. John the sole survivor of the Twelve. His white hair, as the early Fathers tell us, was encircled with a thin plate of gold, the mark of episcopal dignity ; the Churches treasured up the words which fell from his inspired lips, and considered them as their rule of Faith ; and his prophecy of Patmos, the Apocalypse, proves that the future of the Church was also

1 Apoc. ii. 8. 2 Cant. iii. 6. 3 St. Matth. v. 15. revealed to him. Notwithstanding all this, John was humble and simple, like the Divine Infant of Bethlehem; and one cannot read without emotion what the early writers tell us of him, how he was often seen fondling a pet bird in his venerable hands.

He that had, when young, leaned his head upon the Breast of that God, whose delights are to be with the children of men — that had stood near his Lord during the Crucifixion, when all the other Apostles kept away in fear — that had seen the soldier's Spear pierce the Sacred Heart, which so loved the world — when old age had come upon him, was for ever urging upon all he met the duty of loving one another. His tender compassion for sinners was such as we might naturally look for from the favourite Disciple of the Redeemer; and we are not surprised at that example — which would have been wonderful in any other Saint than John — of his going in search of a young man, whom he had loved with a Father's love, and who had abandoned himself, during the Apostle's absence, to every sort of sin: old age was no hindrance to this fatiguing search, which ended in his finding the young man amidst the mountains, and leading him back to repentance.

And yet, this same gentle and loving Saint was the inflexible enemy of heresy; for heresy, by destroying Faith, poisons Charity in its very source. It is from this Apostle, that the Church has received the maxim she gives to us — of shunning heresy as we would shun a plague : If any man come to you and bring not the doctrine of Christ, receive him not into the house, nor say to him " God speed thee;" for he that saith unto him, " God speed thee," communicateth with his wicked works. St. John having, one day, entered one of the public baths, he was no

1 Pro v. viii. 31. s II. St. John, i. 10, 11. sooner informed that the heresiarch Cerinthus was in the same building, than he instantly left the place, as though it were infected. The disciples of Cerinthus were indignant at this conduct of the Apostle, and endeavoured to take away his life, by putting poison into the cup he used to drink from ; but St. John having made the sign of the cross over the cup, a serpent was seen to issue from it, testifying both to the wickedness of his enemies, and to the divinity of Christ. This apostolic firmness in resisting the enemies of the Faith, made him the dread of the heretics of Asia ; and hereby, he proved how justly he had received from Jesus the surname of Son of Thunder, a name which he shared with his Brother, James the Greater, the Apostle of Spain.

The miracle we have just related has suggested the assigning to St. John, as one of his emblems, a cup with a serpent coming from it ; and, in many countries, in Germany particularly, there is the custom, on the Feast of St. John, of blessing wine ; and the prayer, used on the occasion, alludes to the miracle. In these same countries, there also prevails the custom of taking, at the end of meals, what is called St John's Gup, putting, as it were, under the Saint's protection, the repast just taken.

For brevity's sake, we omit several other traditions regarding our holy Apostle, to which allusion is made in many of the Medieval Liturgical pieces which we have quoted : but, we cannot refrain from saying a few words in reference to his Death.

The passage of the holy Gospel read on the Feast of St. John, has often been interpreted in the sense, that the Beloved Disciple was never to die, although our Lord's words are easily explained without putting such a meaning upon them. The Greek Church, as we have already seen in her Offices, professes her belief in St. John's exemption from death. It was also the opinion of several holy Doctors of the

2 G

Church, and found its way into some of the Hymns of the Western Church. The Church of Rome seems to countenance it, by one of the Antiphons in the Lauds of the Feast ; but it must be acknowledged, that she has never favoured this opinion, although she has not thought proper to condemn it. Moreover, the Tomb of St. John once existed at Ephesus ; we have early traditions regarding it, and miracles are related which were wrought by the miraculous oil, which flowed, for centuries, from the Tomb.

Still, it is strange, that no mention has ever been made of any Translation of the Body of St. John ; no Church has ever boasted of its possessing it ; and as to particular Relics of this Apostle, they are not only very rare, but a great deal of vagueness has always clung to them. At Rome, when a Relic of St. John is asked for, the only one given is a small piece of the Tomb. With these facts before us, we are forced into the idea, that there is something mysterious in this total ignorance with regard to the Body of a Saint so dear to the whole Church ; whereas, the Bodies of all the other Apostles have been the subject of most interesting and detailed accounts, and we can name the Churches which have possessed either the whole or a portion of their venerable remains. Has our Redeemer willed that the Body of his dear Disciple should be glorified before the Day of Judgment ? Has he, in his own inscrutable designs, withdrawn it from the sight of man, as he did that of Moses ? These are questions, which will, perhaps, never be solved on this earth ; but it is almost impossible not to acknowledge, as so many holy writers have done, that the mystery, wherewith it has pleased our Lord to shroud the virginal Body of St. John, may >e considered as an additional reward given to the Disciple, whom he so tenderly loved, during life, on account of his purity.

The Mass is given above, page 283.

Let us listen, once more, to the sweet praises given to St. John in the various Liturgies. And first, let us open the Roman Breviary, where we shall find the following Responsories : —

RESPONSOEIES.

1$. This is John, who, at the Supper, reclined his head on the Lord's Breast : * Blessed Apostle, unto whom the secrets of heaven were revealed. ft. He drank in the streams of the Gospel from the sacred fount itself of our Lord's Breast. * Blessed.

1$. Jesus loved him, for the special prerogative of his chastity made him worthy of a special love : * Because, being chosen by Christ as a virgin, he remained a virgin for ever. ft. When, at length, he was about to die on the Cross, he commended his Virgin Mother to this his virgin disciple. * Because.

I£. In that day, I will take thee to be my Servant, and I will make thee as a signet in my sight : * For I have chosen thee, saith the Lord.

1$. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. * For.

1$. Iste est Joannes qui supra pectus Domini in ccena recubuit : * Beatus Apostolus, cui revelata sunt secreta ccelestia. ft. Fluenta Evangelii de ipso sacro Dominici pectoris fonte potavit. * Beatus.

1$. Diligebat autem eum Jesus, quoniam specialis praerogativa castitatis ampliori dilectione f ecerat dignum : * Quia virgo electus ab ipso, virgo in sevum permansit. ft. In cruce denique moriturus, huic Matrem suam virginem virgini commendavit. * Quia.

R. In ilium diem suscipiam te servum meum, et ponam te sicut signaculum in conspectu meo : * Quoniam ego elegi te, dicit Dominus. ft. Esto fidelis usque ad mortem, et dabo tibi coronam vitae. * Quoniam.

The Mozarabic Breviary, in the Office of St. John the Evangelist, contains the following beautiful prayer : —

CAPITULUM.

Ineffable, O Lord, are the streams of thy Heart, wherewith the Disciple, whom thou

Ineffabilia sunt, Domine, fluenta uteri tui, quibus prae caeteris dilectus iHe a te

CHEISTMAS. discipulus, recubans in sinu tuo, satiari promeruit : quaesumus ergo, ut, niortificatis membris nostris, tuis semper merearnur inhaerere vestigiis : ut intercessu hujus sancti Joannis, ita nos ignis amoris tui concremet, et absumat, qnaliter beneplacitum nos tibi in toto holocaustum efficiat. lovedst above the rest, deserved to be filled, when leaning on thy Breast : we, therefore, humbly beseech thee, that our senses being mortified, we may deserve to walk, at all times, in thy footsteps : that thus, by the intercession of this thy holy disciple John, the fire of thy love may so burn and consume us, as to make us, in all things, a holocaust well-pleasing unto thee.

We find, also, this other prayer, in the Missal of the same Gothic Liturgy.

PRAYER.

Vide, vide, Deus, quibus gravati delictis obruimur ; qualiterque nobis ipsi quotidie efficimur causa veneni et poena supplier^ dum cum quotidiano carnis nostras veneno polluimur, _ et de reparatione melioris vitse nullo modo cogitamus. Sed quia certum est quod hoc videas, qui semper es Clemens ; et ideo per confessionem nos ad te redituros exspectas, ideo suggerimus, ut Apostolo tuo Joanne intercedente ; qui invocato nomine tuo lethale ebibens virus, non solum ipse evasit, sed etiam alios ex eodem extinctos populo suscitavit. Procul a nobis efficias et incentivam carnis nostras libidinem, et virus persuasionis hostis antiqui, ut fide te colentes, sicut Joannem Apostolum non nocuit oblatum venenum, ita nos non noceat

See, see, O God, the sins whereby we are weighed down, and how we daily create to ourselves the poison that destroys and the pain that punishes, inasmuch as we are each day infected with the poison of the deeds of our flesh, yet give we no thought to the amending our lives. But, whereas faith teaches us that thou seest our sins, and, because thou art merciful, thou awaitest us that we return to thee by humble confession ; therefore, do we beg the intercession of John, thine Apostle, who having drunk a deadly poison, not only, by the invocation of thy name, escaped hurt himself, but raised them to life who had been poisoned by that same cup. By this his intercession, drive far from us both the lustful flames of our own flesh, and the poison of the old enemy's suggestions ; that latentium vitiorum virus worshipping thee by our faith, occultum. we may be guarded against the hidden poison of latent passions, as the poison offered to the Apostle John left him uninjured.

We take from the Mensea of the Greek Church a second selection of stanzas in honour of the holy Evangelist.

ON THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN".

{XXVI. Septembris.)

Leaving the waters of the sea, thou didst, with much wisdom, draw all nations to the Faith by the rod of the Cross ; for, as Christ told thee, thou wast a Fisher of men, drawing them unto holiness. Therefore, didst thou spread abroad the knowledge of the Word, and, by thy preachings, O Theologian Apostle, thou didst gain over Patmos and Ephesus. Beseech Christ our Lord to grant forgiveness of sin to us who lovingly celebrate thy holy memory.

Thy tongue was made the pen of Him who wrote by thee — the Holy Ghost ; it showed us, by divine inspiration, the venerable and divine Gospel.

The blaze of thy great and divine Theology, O glorious Apostle, illumined the earth that was shining with a triple light.

Truly was thy divinely taught tongue, O Theologian, as the pen of one that writes swiftly, for it beautifully wrote

Maris abyssum derelinquens, crucis calamo omnes sapienter fidei piscatus es gentes velut pisces ; nam, ut dixit tibi Christus, apparuisti piscator hominum, carpens eos ad pietatem ; ideo sparsisti Yerbi gnosim ; Patmos et Ephesum sermonibus cepisti tuis, Theologe Apostole ; deprecare Christum Deum ut det lapsuum remissionem celebrantibus cum amore tuam sanctam commemorationem.

Lingua tua facta est calamus scriptoris Spiritus sancti, deifice demonstrans venerabile et divinum Evangelium.

Magnse divinasque tuse theologiae faces totam, gloriose, illuminarunt terram luce trisolari splendentem.

Vere fuit tamquam calamus velociter scribentis tua lingua theodica, veram pulchre scribens gnosim et le- gem novissimam in tabulis, theologe, cordium nostrorum.

Coeloram scire celsitudines, marisque explorare abyssos temerarium et intentabile ; astra autem numerare vel littoralem arenam par est. Sic de theologo dici non potest quot ipsum coronis quern aniabat coronavit Christus, supra cujus pectus recubuit, et in mystica coena eum lautissime ref ecit sicut theologum et Christi amicum.

Terrestrem petisti apud Christum sedem habere ; at ille tibi pectus suum donat, o vocate theologe, tranquilla et permanente sede pulchritudinis ditatus es Apostolorum gloria. on the tablets of our hearts the true knowledge and the New Law.

To measure the height of the heavens, and explore the depths of the sea, is a rash and vain attempt — so too is it, to count the stars or the sand on the shore. In like manner, we may not count the number of crowns wherewith Christ crowned his Beloved Disciple, who reposed on his Breast, and, in the mystic Supper, was most sumptuously regaled as the Theologian and Friend of Jesus.

Thou didst once ask to sit near Jesus on a terrestrial throne ; but he gave thee to recline on his Breast, and placed thee on a peaceful and eternal throne of beauty, O thou that art called the Theologian, and art the glory of the Apostles !

Let us now loudly celebrate in spiritual canticles this servant of Christ : — he is the flower of holy Virginity, the chosen dwelling of sublime virtues, the instrument of wisdom, the temple of the Spirit, the burning tongue of the Church, the most bright eye of charity, the most venerable John.

O Evangelist John ! angelic, virgin, taught of God ! 'twas thou didst tell us of that Sacred Side, from whence, as from a most limpid stream, flowed Blood and Water : thus didst thou teach our souls the way to life eternal.

The Latin Churches of the Middle Ages were fer-

Virginitatis florem, venerandarum virtutum electum habitaculum, sapientise instrumentum, templum Spiritus, os EcclesiaB igniferum, charitatis manifestissimum oculum, venerandissimum Joannem, spiritualibus canticis nunc sursum celebremus, tamquam Christi famulum.

Evangelista Joannes, par Angelo, virgo, a Deo docte, limpidissimum latus sanguine et aqua fluens prsedicasti, per quern deducimur ad vitam seternam animabus nostris. vent in their praises of St. John, and have left us a great many Hymns in his honour. Out of the number, we select only two; the first is the composition of Adam of Saint- Victor, and is the finest of the four written on St. John by the great lyric Poet of those times.

'Tis the Feast of St. Johnlet us rejoice ; let us sing his praise with glad hearts.

But, let our lips so speak his praise, that our hearts be not devoid of fervour, and so relish the hidden joy.

This is the Disciple the Beloved of Christ, who leaned on his sacred breast, and imbibed wisdom.

'Twas to him that Jesus, dying on the Cross, left his Mother : John, the virgin, was guardian of the Virgin.

His heart was filled with burning charity \ his exterior, his miracles, his words, were a shining light.

As the fire of criminal passion had never impaired his soul ; so did he come unhurt from the caldron of boiling oil.

He checked the power of poison ; death, disease, and demons, fled at his bidding.

And yet, with all this heavenly power, he was the tenderest hearted friend to them that were in grief.

Some precious stones had been broken ; he miraculously brought the fragments together, and thus pieced, gave them to the poor.

Gratulemur ad festivum, Jocundemur ad votivum Joannis prseconium. Sic versetur laus in ore, ISTe fraudetur cor sap ore Quo degustet gaudium.

Hie est Christi prsedilectus Qui reclinans supra pectus, Hausit sapientiam. Huic in cruce commendavit Matrem Christus ; hie servavit Virgo viri nesciam. Intus ardens charitate, Foris lucens honestate, Signis et eloquio,

Ut ab asstu criminali, Sic immunis a poenali, Prodiit ex dolio.

Vim veneni superavit, Morti, morbis imperavit, Nee non et demonibus. Sed vir tantse potestatis, Non minoris pietatis Erat tribulantibus.

Cum gemmarum partes fractas Solidasset, has distractas Tribuit pauperibus.

Inexhaustum fert thesaurum, Qui de virgis fecit aurum, Gemmas de lapidibus. Invitatur ab amico Convivari ; Christum dico Visum cum discipulis.

De sepulcro quo descendit Redivivus sic ascenclit, Frui summis epulis.

Testem habes populum, Immo, si vis, oculum, Quod ad ejus tumulum Manna scatet, epulum De Christi convivio.

Scribens Evangelium, Aquilse fert proprium, Cernens solis radium, Scilicet Principium Verbum in Principio.

Hujus signis est conversa Gens gentiks, gens perversa, Gens totius Asiae. Hujus scriptis illustratur, Illustrata solidatur Unitas Ecclesise. Salve, salvi vas pudoris, Vas ccelestis plenum roris, Mundum intus, clarum foris, Nobile per omnia ! Fac nos sequi sanctitatem ; Fac, per mentis puritatem, Contemplari Trinitatem, In una substantia. Amen.

He was a living treasure, for lie changed the branches of a tree into gold, and stones into gems.

He is invited to a banquet by a Friend ; that Friend was Jesus, surrounded by his Disciples :

From the tomb wherein he had been laid, he then came forth alive, and ascended to enjoy the infinite feast.

Innumerable witnesses will tell thee, (though thyself may see it, if thou wilt,) that round his tomb there falls a Manna, the symbol of that Banquet which Jesus gave him.

The Eagle is the emblem of this Evangelist, for he looks stedfastly at the Sun, that is, at the Eternal Word in the Bosom of the Eternal Father.

By his miracles, the gentile world, a stubborn world, the world of Asia, was converted.

His writings enlighten, and, by their light, confirm the one true Church.

Hail, then, vessel of unsullied chastity ! vessel filled with heavenly dew ! pure within, fair without, and noble in every part.

Oh ! pray for us, that we may follow the path of holiness, and by the cleanliness of our hearts, be rewarded with the vision of the Tri-une God.

Amen.

Our second Sequence is taken from the ancient Missals of the Churches of Germany, and is extremely beautiful.

JAN.

O.

OCTAVE OF ST. JOHN.

The Word of God, who was born of God, and was not made nor created, and who came down from heaven — this Word was seen, and handled, and revealed to men, by John the Evangelist.

John sprang up amidst those true rivulets, which, from the commencement, flowed from the True Fountain ; he has made the whole world drink of that life-giving nectar, that flows from the throne of God.

He soared above the heavens, and gazed, with the fixedness of his soul's eye, on the brightness of the true Sun ; this spiritual contemplator saw, as it were from under the wings of the Seraphim, the Face of God.

He hears what songs are sung round the Throne by the Four and Twenty Elders and the heavenly Harpers. He has stamped upon the coin of our terrestrial city the impress and seal of the Holy Trinity.

He, the guardian of the Virgin, wrote his Gospel, that he might show to the world the profound mystery of the Divine Generation : and Jesus, after allowing him to recline on his Sacred Heart, commended his own pure Lily, Mary, to this his and her much loved one, the Son of Thunder.

He drinks a deadly poison ! but the virtue of his faith preserves his virginal body from

Verbum Dei, Deo natum, Quod nee factum nee crea- tum, Venit de coelestibus : Hoc vidit, hoc attrectavit, Hoc de coelo reseravit Joannes hominibus.

Inter illos primitivos Veros veri fontis rivos Joannes exsiliit, Toti mundo propinare Nectar illud salutare Quod de throno prodiit.

Ccelum transit, veri rotam Solis ibi vidit, totam Mentis figens aciem : Speculator spiritalis Quasi Seraphim sub alis Dei videt faciem.

Audiit in gyro sedis Quid psallant cum citha- roedis Quater seni proceres : De sigillo Trinitatis Nostras nummo civitatis Impressit characteres.

Iste custos Virginis Arcanum originis Divinae mysterium, Scribens Evangelium, Mundo demonstravit : Cordis cui sacrarium Suum Christus lilium, Filio tonitrui Sub amoris mutui Pace commendavit.

Haurit virus hie lethale, Ubi corpus virginale Virtus servat fidei :

CHKISTMAS.

Poena stupet quod in poena Sit Joannes sine poena Bullientis olei.

Hie naturis imperat Ut et saxa transferat In decus gemmarum : Quo jubente riguit, Auri fulvum induit Virgula silvarum.

Hie infernum reserat, . Morti jubet, referat Quos venenum stravit : Obstruit quod Ebion, Cerinthus et Marcion Perfide latravit.

Volat avis sine meta Quo nee vates,' nee Pro- pheta Evolavit altius : Tarn implenda, quam im- pleta Numquam vidit tot secreta Purus homo purius.

Sponsus rubra veste tectus, Visus sed non intellectus, Redit ad palatium : Aquilam Ezechielis Sponsse misit quae de coelis Beferret mysterium.

Die, dilecte, de dilecto, Qualis sit, et ex dilecto Sponsus sponsae nuncia : Die quis cibus Angelorum, Quae sint festa superorum De sponsi praesentia.

Veri panem intellectus, Coenam Christi supra pectus Christi sumptam resera : Ut cantemus de patrono, death. Nay, the very creature that was prepared to torture him — the boiling oil — stood wondering at his feeling not its cruel power to pain. .

Nature is obedient to him. He bids the stones be gems, and they obey : he bids the branch of a tree turn its pliant fibres into the precious metal of gold, and it obeys.

He bids the sepulchre and death yield back them whom poison had made their victims; they obey. He stops the blasphemous howlings of Ebion, Cerinthus, and Marcion.

He is the Eagle, soaring to the infinite; nor Seer, nor Prophet, passed him in his flight. No pure mind ever saw more clearly than he so many mysteries, already past or yet to come.

Jesus, the Bridegroom, clothed in his scarlet robe, after being seen by men, but not understood, returned to his palace above : he sent to his Bride the Eagle of Ezechiel, that he might relate to her the mystery seen in heaven.

0 Beloved Disciple ! speak to us of thy Beloved : tell the Church the beauty of this thy Jesus, who is her chosen Spouse : tell her, who is the Bread of the Angels : tell her, what feasts her Spouse's presence causes to the citizens of heaven.

Speak to her of that Bread which feeds the soul with truth ; reveal to her that Supper of thy Lord taken on the

Breast of thy Lord : we will Coram Agno, coram throno, sing to the Lamb, we will sing Laudes super aethera. round the Throne, we will praise him above the heavens, for his having given us such a Patron as thee.

O glorious Saint ! we thank thee with all the gratitude of our hearts, for the assistance thou hast so lovingly granted us, during the celebration of this grand Feast of Jesus' Birth. Thou art ever with us at Christmas ; but it is only to help us to know Jesus the more ; for, in considering thy prerogatives, we are giving praise to Him, who gave them to thee. We offer thee, then, the homage of our admiration and thanks, dear Friend of Jesus, and adopted Child of Mary ! Before leaving us, suffer us to offer thee, once more, our humble petitions.

Pray, sweet Apostle of Fraternal Love ! that the hearts of all men may be united in holy charity ; that dissensions may cease ; that the simplicity of the dove, of which thou wast such a touching example, may become the spirit of our present age, adverse though it seem to this commandment of our Lord. May Faith, without which love and charity cannot exist, be maintained in all its purity ; may the serpent of heresy be crushed, and its poisoned cup find neither teachers to offer it, nor disciples to drink it. May the attachment to the doctrines of the Church be firm and courageous ; may no human schemes or theories, or cowardly toleration of error, enervate the principles of truth and morals ; may the children of light boldly disown fellowship with the children of darkness.

Remember, O holy Prophet ! the sublime vision granted thee of the Churches of Asia Minor; and obtain for the Angels, who are set over ours, that unflinching faithfulness, which alone wins the victory and the Crown. Pray, also, for those countries which received the Gospel from thee, but have since deserved to lose the Faith. They have been suffering, now for ages, the consequences of false doctrines — slavery and degradation ; intercede for them, that they may be regenerated by Jesus and his Spouse the Church. From thy heavenly home, send Peace to thine own dear Church of Ephesus, and to her Sister-Churches of Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea; may they awake from their sleep ; may they rise from their tomb ; may Mahometanism cease its brutalising tyranny over them ; may schism and heresy, which now keep the East in a state of barbarism, be extinguished ; and may the whole flock be once more united in the one Fold. Cover with thy protecting love the holy Church of Rome, which was witness of thy glorious Confession, and which she counts as one of those her grand glories, which began with the Martyrdom of thy fellow Apostles, Peter and Paul. May she receive a fresh infusion of light and charity, now that the harvest is whitening over so many countries. And, lastly, Beloved Disciple of the Saviour of mankind ! pray that, on the last day, we may enjoy the sight of thy glorified Body ; and, after having so often presented us, on this earth, to Jesus and Mary in Bethlehem, present us, on that day, to the same Jesus and Mary in the glories of the eternal Vision.

1 St. John, iv. 35.

January 4. THE OCTAVE OF HOLY INNOCENTS.

We finish, to-day, the Octave consecrated to the memory of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. Thanks be to God, who has given them to us, to be our intercessors and our models ! Their name will not re-appear on the Church's Calendar, until the return of the Christmas Solemnity; let us, therefore, devoutly approach these sweet Infant Saints — venerate them, love them, and address to them our farewell prayers.

The Holy Church, which, on the Feast, vested in the colour of mourning, — and this out of condolence with Rachel's grief, — now, on the Octave-Day, clothes herself in the red of her Martyrs, in order to honour these Babes, who shed their blood for Jesus. Notwithstanding, she is full of tender compassion for those poor Mothers, who suffered such agonies of grief at the sight of the murder of their little ones: she continually alludes to it in to-day's Liturgy, and reads, in the Office of Matins, a passage from an ancient Sermon, which vividly describes their feelings. We cannot withhold it from our readers. The Sermon, from which it is taken, was for a long time attributed to St. Augustine.

"When our Lord was born, there began lamen- " tation, not indeed in heaven, but on earth ! Lamen- " tation for the Mothers, joy for the Angels, heaven " for the Babes. He that is born, is God : a victim " must be offered him, and Innocents must be that " offering, for he came to condemn the malice of this

" world. Tender lambs must be slain, for the Lamb, " who is come to take away the sins of the world, is " to be crucified. But the Mothers wail, because " they lose their lambs, that scarce have voice to " make their bleatings heard. O wonderful martyr- " dom ! 0 sight most cruel ! The sword is unsheathed, " and there is no enemy ; jealousy alone spurs on the " band, for He, that is born, would injure no man.

" There, then, sit the Mothers, weeping over their "lambs. A voice in Rama is heard, lamentation " and great mourning. These sweet pledges are not " mere things entrusted to their care, they are the " children of their own wombs ; they are pledges, " but they are not given, they are cruelly stolen from " them. Nature herself is witness, it betrays the " children whom the tyrant is in search of. The " Mother tears her hair, for she has lost her beauty " in losing her babe. Oh ! how she sought to hide " him, and the innocent one betrayed himself ! He " knew not how to be silent, for he had not yet "learnt to fear. The Mother struggled with the " executioner ; he seized her child, resolved to murder " him; she clung to him, resolved to hold him to her " bosom. ' Why,' she exclaimed, ' why separate me " ' from my child ? I gave him birth, and I fed him " ' at my breast untiringly. I bore him in my arms " ' with fondest care, and thy cruel hand has dashed " ' him on the ground ! This fresh and lovely fruit — " ' thus trampled on !'

" A second Mother bade the executioner take away " her life together with that of her child : he would " not, and she cried out to him : ' Why dost thou " ' send me away, having slain my son ? If there " 'was any fault, I only could be guilty : if there was " ' no fault, let me die with my babe, and rid me of " ' my wretched life.' A third exclaimed : ' What is " ' it that ye seek ? Ye are in search of one, and ye " ' slay so many! and Him,who is One, ye cannot find !'

JAN. 4. OCTAVE OF HOLY INNOCENTS. 4G3

"And again another cried out: 'Come, 0 come, " ' thou Saviour of the world ! How long shalt thou " ' be sought for ? Thou fearest no man : let these u< soldiers see thee, and so not slay our children.' " These were the lamentations of the Mothers; and the " immolation of their Babes ascended as a sacrifice " to heaven."

Among these Children thus cruelly massacred, from the age of two years and under, there were some belonging to those Shepherds of Bethlehem, who had been called, on the Night of our Saviour's Birth, to go and adore him in his Crib. These, after Mary and Joseph, the first worshippers of the Incarnate Word, thus offered, to the God who had called them, the most precious treasure they possessed. They knew to what Child their children were sacrificed, and a holy pride filled their souls, as they thought of this new proof of God's singular mercy to them, in preference to so many others of their fellow-creatures.

As to Herod, he was foiled in his schemes, as must ever be the case with them that wage war against Christ and his Church. His edict for the murder of every male child that was two years old or younger, included Bethlehem and its entire neighbourhood; but the Child he alone cared for, and wished to destroy, escaped the sword and fled into Egypt. It was another proof of the world's folly in opposing the designs of God ; and, in this instance, the very measure that was intended to effect evil, produced good — the tyrant enriched the Church of heaven with Saints, and the Church militant with so many fresh patrons.

Jesus, the new-born King of the Jews, who causes Herod to tremble on his throne, is but a Little Child, without so much as one single soldier to

1 St. Matth. ii. 2. defend him. Herod, like all the persecutors of the Church, has an instinctive knowledge, which teaches him, that this apparent weakness is real and formidable power: what neither he nor his successors knew, was, that it is worse than useless, and worse than folly, to attempt to crush a spiritual power by the sword. This apparent weakness of the Babe of Bethlehem will increase with his years ; now he flees from the tyrant who seeks his life ; but later on, when he has grown into Manhood, he will not escape from his enemies; they will fasten him to an infamous gibbet, between two Thieves — but, on that very day, a Roman Governor will declare this Jesus to he King; he will write, with his own hand, the inscription to be nailed on the Cross : Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Pilate will give Jesus, and with all possible formality, that very Title, which now makes Herod turn pale : the enemies of Jesus will protest, they will insist on the Title being altered; but Pilate will not change an iota, and will say : What I have written, I have written. As on the day of his Crucifixion, he will admit one of the two Thieves to share in his triumph ; so now, that he is laid in the Crib, he will share his glory with the Innocents of Bethlehem.

The Mass is given above, page 314. The Gloria in excelsis is said.

Let us once more honour these dear Innocents, by culling their praises from the various Liturgies. We will begin with three Responsories from the Roman Breviary.

RESPONSORIES.

1$. Isti qui amicti sunt ^. These that are clad in stolis albis, qui sunt, et white robes, who are they, and unde venerunt? Et dixit whence came they? And he mini : * Hi sunt, qui vene- said unto me : * These are

1 St. John, xix. 22. they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. p. I saw, under the altar of God, the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. * These. runt de tribulatione magna, et laverunt stolas suas, et dealbaverunt eas in sanguine Agni.

^". Vidi sub altare Dei animas interfectorum propter Verbum Dei, et propter testimonium quod habebant. * Hi sunt.

I£. These are they which have not defiled their garments ; * They shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

$". These are they who were not defiled with women ; for they are virgins. * They.

T$. Isti sunt qui non inquinaverunt vestimenta sua ;

• Ambulabant mecum in albis, quia digni sunt. m (¥• Hi sunt qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati; virgines enim sunt.

• Ambulabant.

I£. These Saints sang a new canticle before the throne of God and the Lamb ; * And the earth resounded with their voices.

$". These were purchased from among men, the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb, and in their mouth there was found no lie. * And the earth.

. I£. Cantabant Sancti canticum novum ante sedem Dei et Agni : * Et resonabat terra in voces eorum.

_ $T. Hi empti sunt ex hominibus, primitiaeDeoet Agno, et in ore ipsorum non est inventum mendacium. * Et resonabat.

The two Collects which follow, are from the Leonian Sacramentary.

PEAYEE.

O God, who though great in great things, dost nevertheless work with exceeding glory in those that are the least : grant.

Deus qui licet sis magnus in magnis, mirabilia tamen gloriosius operaris in minimis : da nobis, qusesumus,

2h in eorum celebritate gaudere, qui Filio tuo Domino nostro testimonium prsebuerunt etiam non loquentes. we beseech thee, that we may rejoice on this the Feast of them, who bore testimony, though they spoke not, to thy Son, our Lord.

PEAYEE.

Tribue, Domine, quaesumus, fidelibus tuis, ut, sicut ait Apostolus, non efficiantur pueri sensibus, sed malitia innoxii reperiantur ut parvuli ; ut Martyres festivitatis hodiernse, quos mentis aequare non possunt, mentis simplicitate sectentur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy faithful people, that, as thy Apostle saith, they may become children not in sense, but in malice ; that thus they may imitate the Martyrs of this day's Feast by the simplicity of their hearts, since they cannot attain to the merits they acquired. Through Christ our Lord.

We take the following beautiful prayer from the Mozarabic Breviary of the Gothic Liturgy of Spain.

CAPITULA.

Christe, inenarrabile lumen mundi, qui adhuc in ipsis cunabulis constitutus, nondum effectus martyr, martyrii palma catervas Infantium dedicasti : qui necdum loqui valentes, sub mucrone ssevientium varios fecisti mugitus emittere : quorum animas de abditis infernorum, te spontanee pro nobis omnibus moriente, maluisti eripere ; inspira eis, sine intermissione orare pro parvulis : ut, qui propriis non valeamus supplicationibus emundari a crimine, eorum, qui te, quocumque ieris, cum hymnis, et canticis adsequuntur, et hie et in seternum postulationibus abluamur

O Jesus, Light ineffable of the world ! who, whilst yet in thy Crib, and not thyself a Martyr, didst give the palm of martyrdom to the army of Innocents : who, not being able to speak, did, by thy will, utter their many cries when being massacred by the cruel soldiers : whose souls, when thou didst freely die for all our sakes, were taken by thee from the depths of limbo : — to these same, O Jesus, inspire the desire of incessantly praying for us, the little and weak : that thus, not deserving to be cleansed from our sins by our own prayers, we may obtain both present and eternal purity by the intercession of them, that follow thee whithersoever thou goest, singing to thee their hymns and canticles.

The Missal of the same Church gives us also this prayer.

PRAYER.

O God, whose mercy is granted to every age and sex ; and who didst lavish on the Innocents such richness of fatherly love, that thou wouldst neither suffer them to be kept in Egyptian bondage, nor, (when they left this world under the Law, as their fathers had done,) to be deprived of the Gospel's fulness of grace ; but didst call them to thy kingdom, in common with them that were made perfect under the law of Grace, thus making them a lesson and an example to us of innocence that knows no evil : — grant unto us thy servants, that laying aside our power for evil, and dying to the concupiscence of the flesh, we may have no will save that of being taught by thy instructions. May our soul be thus neither rigid nor proud ; may she be gentle, and innocent, without being imprudent ; may she be humble, without being weak ; that hereby, by the timely judgment of discernment, she may both know thy goodpleasure and do it, and ignore how to do that which offends thee. May she, moreover, possess that wholesome temperance, which flows from the guidance of counsel ; that so, she both imitate the simplicity of these Innocents, in that they were children, and emulate their fortitude, in that they were combatants. Amen.

Deus cujus misericordia utrumque sexum et per omnem cucurrit setatem, ita plurimum Infantibus affectum paternse pietatis indulgens, ut parvulos nee ab iEgypto teneri sineres, nee ab Evangelio prohiberi, dum in Lege cum patribus evaderent mundum ; et in gratia cum perfectis vocarentur ad regnum, atque institutione doctrinse, innocentia expers mali forma induceretur exempli. Dona nobis famulis tuis, ut malitias viribus defecati, in usum concupiscentise carnalis invalid!, docibilem servemus disciplinis voluntatem. Quo mens nee rigida nee superba, sic sit blanda, sic innocens, ne imprudens ; sic humilis, ne imbecillis ; quatenus maturo discretionis judicio sic sufficiat probare quod placeat, ut effectare nesciat quod delinquat. Atque ita salubrem sumat temperantiam moderante consilio, ut et simplicitatem imitetur infantium, et fortitudinem vindicet pugnatorum.

Amen.

CHKISTMAS.

Prudentius, the Poet of the Mysteries and the Martyrs, and from whom the Church has taken her beautiful stanzas for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Salvete, Flores Martyrum, — celebrates the immolation of these lovely Babes of Bethlehem, in his exquisite Hymn for the Epiphany. It is from this Hymn that the Roman Liturgy has had recourse for several great Feasts ; and we now extract from it the strophes which refer to our dear Innocents.

HYMN.

Audit tyrannus anxius Adesse regum Principem, Qui nomen Israel regat, Teneatque David regiam.

Exclamat amens nuntio Successor instat, pellimur Satelles, i, ferram rape, Perfunde cunas sanguine.

Mas inf ans omnis occidat ; Scratare nutricmn sinus ; Interque materna ubera Ensem cruentet pusio.

Suspecta per Bethlem mihi Puerperarum est omnium Fraus, ne qua furtim sub- traliat Prolem virilis inclolis. _

Transfigit ergo carnifex, Mucrone distiicto furens, Effusa nuper corpora, Animasque rimatur novas.

Locum minutis artubus Vix interemptor invenit,

The anxious Tyrant hears that the King of kings is come, who is to rule over the Jews, and sit on the throne of David.

Maddened by jealous fear, he calls a messenger, and says to him : " Our rival is at " hand — we are in danger : go, "slave, arm thee with thy " sword, and bathe every cradle "with blood.

"Let every male-child be "slain, and every nurse be "watched, and every Babe "feel thy sharp-edged blade, "even whilst he sucks his " mother's breast.

" Not a Mother about Beth- " lehem but I suspect her ; "then, watch them all, lest "they hide their boys from "thee."

On this, the executioner goes, and, in his wild cruelty, plunges his naked dagger into the tender flesh and the but freshly formed hearts of these little ones.

But, where shall he strike ? where find space enough to

Quod plaga descendat patens, Juguloque major pugio est. O barbarumspectaculum ! Illisa cervix cautibus Spargit cerebrum lacteum, Oculosque per vulnusvomit. hold a gaping wound, in these infant-bodies not so big as the dagger in his hand 1

Yet still these butchers murder every child. Here, it is an infant dashed against a rock, covering its flinty sides, oh ! cruel sight ! with blood, and brains, and eyes.

There, it is a lovely babe torn from his mother's arms and thrown into a deep stream, whose gurgling waters weep whilst drowning sobs and life so sweet as these.

Hail, ye Flowers of the Martyrs ! The enemy of Christ cut you down in the very threshold of life, as rose-buds are snapped by a storm.

First Victims for Jesus ! Tender flock of his Martyrs ! ye, with sweet simplicity, play with palms and your crowns, even at the very altar of your sacrifice !

And what does Herod gain by this dark crime 1 Does it give him what he sought? The single One he cared to kill is Jesus, and He still lives !

The stream of infant-blood has ceased to flow, and He alone is safe : the Virgin's Child has escaped that sword, which robbed all other Mothers of their babes.

So was it in that time of old, when Moses, the liberator of his people, and the type of Christ, escaped the senseless edicts of the wicked Pharaoh.

We will close our selection by this Sequence of Notker, which is given in the collection of Saint- Gall.

Aut in profundum palpitans Mersatur infans gurgitem, Cui subter arctis faucibus Singultat unda, et halitus.

Salvete flores Martyrum, Quos lucis ipso in limine Christi insecutor sustulit, Ceu turbo nascentes rosas.

Vos prima Christi victima, Grex immolatorum tener, Aram sub ipsam simplices Palma et coronis luditis.

Quid proficit tantum ne-

. f as l Quid crimen Herodem ju- vaU _ Unus tot inter funera Impune Christus tollitur.

Inter cosevi sanguinis Fluenta, solus integer, Ferrum, quod orbabat minis, Partus fefellit Virginis.

Sic stulta Pharaonis mali E dicta quondam fugerat, Christi figuram prseferens, Moses, receptor civium.

CHEISTMAS.

Laus tibi, Christe, Patris optimi Nate, Deus omnipotentiaa,

Quern coelitus jubilat supra astra manentis plebis decus harmonise :

Quern agmina infantium sonoris hyninis collaudant aetheris in arce :

Quos impius, ob nominis odium tui, niisero straverat vulnere :

Quos pie nunc remuneras in coelis, Christe, pro pcenis nitide ;

Solita usus gratia, qua tuos ornas coronis splendide;

Quorum precibus sacris dele, precamur, nostra pie crimina vitas,

Et quos laudibus tuis junxeras, nobis istic dones clemens favere :

Illis aeternaa dans lumen glorias, nobis terrea concede vincere ;

Ut liceat serenis actibus pleniter adipisci dona tuae gratiae :

Herodis ut non fiat socius, quisquis in horum laude se exercet propere ;

Sed aeternaliter cum eisdem catervis tecum sit, Domine. Amen.

Praise be to thee, 0 Jesus, Son of the all-perfect Father, Almighty God !

Unto whom the sweet hymns of the citizens of heaven are ever giving praise,

And the Innocent Babes are ever singing their melodious songs of praise in the courts above.

These Babes were slain by the ruthless sword, at the bidding of a wicked king, who hated thy name,

And now are richly rewarded in heaven, by thee 0 Jesus, in return for the sufferings they endured ;

Herein showing thy wonted mercy, which gives, to all who serve thee, crowns of richest beauty.

By the holy prayers of these Innocents, mercifully cleanse us, we beseech thee, from the sins of our past lives,

And lovingly grant, that they whom thou hast associated to thyself to give thee praise, may become our protectors here below.

On them bestow the light of endless glory ; on us, the victory over earthly things,

That thus, by a life of holiness, we may merit an abundance of the riches of thy grace.

Of all that devoutly praise these thy holy Innocents, may none be made companions with Herod,

But may they all live for ever with thee, 0 Lord, in the society of this sweet choir of. heaven. Amen.

Sweet Flowers of the Martyrs ! your Feast is over in our Church on earth, but your patronage will never leave us. During this new year of the holy Liturgy, which God has given us, you will watch over us, and pray for us to the Lamb, who loves you so tenderly. We entrust to you the fruits of grace which our souls have gathered from the Christmas Feasts. We have become little children together with our Lord ; we have begun a new life with him ; pray for us, that we may grow with him in wisdom and age, before God and man. Secure us perseverance, by your prayers ; and, to this end, keep up in our hearts that Christian simplicity, which is the special virtue of Children of Christ. You are innocent ; we are sinners ; still, we are brethren ; love us, then, with brotherly love. You were garnered into heaven at the very dawn of the Law of Grace ; our lives have fallen on the close of time, and the world has grown cold in charity ; be near and help us ; cheer and encourage us in our combat, by showing us your lovely palms of victory ; pray to our Lord, that we may speedily obtain by repentance the heavenly crown, which his infinite mercy allowed you to win, without the fatigues and risks of a battle.

Infant Martyrs ! forget not the young generation, which has just entered on the scene of life. You were taken to eternal glory at the age of infancy ; these little ones are like you in their innocence ; love them, watch over them, pray for them. The grace of their Baptism is upon them in all its freshness, and their pure souls reflect, as a mirror, the holiness of the God that dwells in them by grace. Alas ! these Babes are to go through great trials ; many of them will forfeit the grace of God, and their Baptismal garment will lose its unspotted purity. The world will seek to corrupt their heart and mind,

1 St. Luke, ii. 52. and the frightful influence of bad example is almost always successful. Christian Mothers will have to weep over the ruin of their children's souls, and what consolation is there for such a grief as theirs ? There is a Christian Rama, and a Christian Rachel, ever wailing in the Church : do you, sweet Innocents of Bethlehem, comfort these mothers, by praying for their little ones. Pray that our times may grow less evil, and that parents may have less need to fear, than they now have — that the first step taken by their children in the world, will be death to their souls.