Vigil of the Epiphany

it is kept on the Sunday, has all the privileges of a Sunday, and the Mass is that of the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas Day. Let us, therefore, celebrate this Vigil in great joy of heart, and prepare our souls for to-morrow's graces.

The Greek Church keeps this a fasting-day, in memory of the preparation for Baptism, which used formerly to be administered, especially in the East, on the night preceding the feast of the Epiphany. She still solemnly blesses the Water on this Feast. We will, in our next volume, speak of this ceremony, of which some vestiges still remain in the Western Church.

The holy Church of Rome commemorates to-day the holy Pope and Martyr, St. Telesphorus. This Pontiff began his reign in the year 127 ; and among his decrees, we find that of his prescribing the holy sacrifice of the Mass to be offered up on Christmas Night, in order to honour the hour when our Saviour was born : he also ordered that the Angelic Hymn Gloria in excelsis should be said, on most days, at the beginning of Mass. This devotion of the holy Pope towards the great Mystery which we are now celebrating, renders his commemoration at this season of the year doubly dear to us. Telesphorus suffered a glorious martyrdom, as St. Ireneus expresses it, and was crowned with eternal glory in the year 138.

MASS.

The Mass of the Vigil of the Epiphany is that of the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, except the Commemoration of St. Telesphorus and the Gospel.

INTEOIT.

Dum medium silentium, page 375.

CHRISTMAS.

COLLECT. Omnipotens, sempiterne Deus, page 376.

Commemoration of St. Telesphorus.

OREMUS.

Deus qui nos beati Telesphori, Martyris tui atque Pontificis, annua solemnitate laetificas : concede propitius ; ut cujus natalitia colimus, de ejusdem etiani protectione gaudeamus.

LET US PKAY.

O God, who by the yearly solemnity of blessed Telesphorus, thy Martyr and Bishop, rejoicest the hearts of the faithful ; mercifully grant that we who celebrate his martyrdom may enjoy his protection.

Commemoration of the^Blessed Virgin. Deus, qui salutis aeternae, page 421.

EPISTLE.

Fratres, quanto temfore, page 376.

GRADUAL.

Speciosus forma, page 377.

GOSPEL.

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthseum.

Cap. II.

In illo tempore : defuncto Herode, ecce Angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph, in iEgypto, dicens : Surge, et accipe Puerum et Matrem ejus, et vade in terrain Israel ; defuncti sunt enim qui quaerebant animam Pueri. Qui consurgens accepit Puerum et Matrem ejus, et venitin terram Israel. Audiens autem quod Archelaus regnaret in Judaea pro Herode patre suo,

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Ch. II.

When Herod was dead, behold an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt, saying : Arise and take the Child and his Mother, and go into the land of Israel : for they are dead that sought the life of the Child. Who arose, and took the Child and his Mother, and came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was

JAN. 5. VIGIL OF THE EPIPHANY. afraid to go thither : and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee. And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth : that it might be fulfilled which was said by the prophets : That he shall be called a Nazarite. timuit illo ire : et admonitus in somnis, secessit in partes Galilaase. Et veniens habitavit in civitate quae vocatur Nazareth : ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per Prophetas : quoniam Nazarseus vocabitur.

OFFERTORY.

Deus firmavit, page 379.

SECRET.

Concede, qusesumus, page 380. Commemoration of St. Telesphorus.

Sanctify, 0 Lord, the offerings consecrated to thee : and being appeased thereby, mercifully look upon- us, by the intercession of blessed Telesphorus, thy Martyr and Bishop.

Munera tibi, Domine, dicata sanctifica : et, intercedente beato Telesphoro, Martyre tuo atque Pontifice, per eadem nos placatus intende.

Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin. Muneribus nostris, page 424.

COMMUNION".

Tolle puerum, page 380. Commemoration of St. Telesphorus.

LET US PRAY.

May this communion, O Lord, cleanse us from sin, and by the intercession of blessed Telesphorus, thy Martyr and Bishop, make us effectually partakers of this heavenly remedy.

OREMUS.

Kef ecti participatione muneris sacri, quaesumus, Domine Deus noster, ut cujus exsequimur cultum, intercedente beato Telesphoro, Martyre tuo atque Pontifice, sentiamus effectum.

Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin. Haec nos communio, page 425.

The last words of our Advent were those of the Spouse, recorded in the prophecy of the Beloved Disciple : Come, Lord Jesus, come ! 1 We will close this first part of our Christmas with those words of the Prophet Isaias, which the Church has so often spoken to us : unto us a Child is bom ! 2 The heavens have dropped down their Dew, the clouds have rained down the Just One, the earth has yielded its Saviour, the Wobd is made flesh, the Virgin has brought forth her sweet Fruit — our Emmanuel, that is, God with us. The Sun of Justice now shines upon us ; darkness has fled ; in heaven there is Glory to God ; on earth, there is Peace to men. All these blessings have been brought to us by the humble yet glorious Birth of this Child. Let us adore him in his Crib ; let us love him for all his love of us ; and let us prepare the gifts we intend to present to him, with the Magi, on to-morrow's Feast. The joy of the Church is as great as ever ; the Angels are adoring in their wondering admiration ; all nature thrills with delight : — Unto us is born a little Child !

1 Apoc. xxii. 20. 2 Is. ix. 6.

APPENDIX.

HYMN.

[The stanzas usually sung are marked thus * ]

• Come, ye Faithful, in joy and triumph, to Bethlehem, and gaze on the new-born King of Angels ! Come, let us adore the Lord !

• The Virgin's womb carries the God of God, the Light of Light, the true God, that was born, not made. Come, let us adore the Lord !

Lo ! the Shepherds are called, and, leaving their flocks, hasten to the humble Crib. Let us, also, go thither, with joy. the Lord !

Come, let us adore

We shall see the eternal brightness of the Eternal Father hid under the veil of Flesh — the Infant-God wrapt in swaddling-clothes. Come, let us adore the Lord !

Let us devoutly embrace Him, who, for our sakes, is become poor and lies on straw.

• Adeste fideles, laeti, triumphantes,

Venite, venite in Bethlehem !

Natum videte Eegem Angelorum !

Venite adoremus ! Venite adoremus !

Venite adoremus Dominum !

• Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine,

Gestant Puellas viscera, Deum verum genitum non factum. Venite adoremus ! <&c. En grege relicto, humiles ad cunas Vocati Pastores adprope- rant : Et nos ovanti gradu festi- nemus. Venite adoremus ! &c. iEterni Parentis splendo- rem seternum Velatum sub carne videbi- mus, Deum Infantem pannis in- volutum. Venite adoremus ! <fcc. Pro nobis egenum et f ceno cubantem Piis foveamus amplexibus.

2k

CHRISTMAS.

Sic nos ainantem quis non redamaret ] Venite adoremus ! &c.

• Cantet nunc Io chorus angelorum,

Cantet nunc aula coeles- tium : Gloria in excelsis Deo ! Venite adoremus ! &c.

• Ergo qui natus die hodierna,

Jesu, tibi sit gloria ! Patris seterni Yerbum caro factum ! Venite adoremus ! &c.

Oh ! who will refuse to love Him, who so loves us ] Come, let us adore the Lord !

• Let the Angel choir now sing its Hymns. Let the court of the Blessed give forth its Glory be to God in the highest ! Come, let us adore the Lord !

• To thee, O Jesus ! who art this day born, be glory. Glory be to thee, 0 Word of the Eternal Father, that art now made Flesh ! Come, let us adore !