January 8 — Third Day W

The vine-dressers came next They spoke the praises of the Vine grown from the root and branch of Jesse, that bore, from its venerable stock, the virginal Fruit. M We beseech " thee," said they, " reform us "into vessels worthy of thy ••new Wine, which maketh all "things new. Restore thy " vineyard to its former state. "Hitherto, it haa produced 44 nought but wild grapes. In- " graft thine own scions on "our vines."

Then, because Joseph was a Carpenter, Carpenters approach to this his Son. " We "greet thy happy birth," say they— " we hail thee as our " Prince, for thou it was didst " plan the Ark of Noe. Thou "wast Architect of that ta- "bernacle so soon built, and " to last but for a time. Our " works praise thee. We be- " seech thee, be thou our " glory, and make for us that " yoke of thine, which we in- "tend to carry— for it is a " light yoke, and a sweet bur- «den.w

A like instinct brought the newly married to the new-born Babe : they saluted him, and said: "Hail, Child! " whose Mother is the Spouse " of the Holy One 1 O blessed "nuptials those, where thou " art to be present 1 O blessed " Spouses they, who shall see "the Wine, that had failed, " flow out abundantly at thy " bidding I n

Little Children, too, cried out : " O happy we, to whom "it has been given to have

Secuti sunt vinitores, vineamque laudarunt ex radios ramisque Jesse propagatam, qu» virginem botrum ex veneranda vite protulit, nos, quaeso, refingito in vasa digna vino tuo novo innovante omnia; statum vine® tu» restitue, quaeso ; nil ilia prater siliquas hucusque pro tulit ; tuoa jam insere vitibus surculos.

Ad filium Joseph propter Joseph venere fabri. Beatum natal em tuum auguramur,aiebant, artificum Princeps, qui Noeticam arcam delineasti ; atque tabemaculum architectatus es illud extemporaneum, et ad tempus duraturum ; nostra te laudant opificia: esto, precamur, tu gloria nostra, jugum fabricare, f uturum gestaturi, leve et suave onus.

Simili instinctu saluta- ▼ere natum infantem novi eonjuges, ut dicerent: Salve puer, cujus mater sponsa Sancti facta est Beatasnuptia,quibus inter futurus es, beatos sponsos, quibus, cum vinum defuerit, tuo repente nutu, illud .affluere cernent.

Clamavere simul parvull: O nos beatos, quibus conti^dt habere te fratrem, et in foris sodalem : felicem diem, felices pueros, quibus continget laudare te arborem vit®, qui celsitudinem tuam ad nostram aatatulain demiaiati.

Ramor pervaserat aures feminarum, fore at virgo aliquando pareret ; injecta est ctiilibet illarum hujusmodi partus spes ; speravere nobilea, speravere iormos» tuas se fore matres. Tibi, Altissime, benedicimus, quod pauperem inatrem elegeris.

Prophetavere etiam puellae, quibus obtigit ad ilium deferri, dicentes: Seu def ormis aim, seu f ormosa aim, seu humilis aim, tibi ero, adhserebo tibi : mortales thai ami tuo numquam mini erunt potiores.

" Thee for our Brother and our " Companion ! Happy day ! " and happy children who, on " that day, shall be permitted " to praise Thee, the tree of "life, who hast humbled thy "immensity to the littleness " of our infant age 1"

The report of the prophecy, that a Virgin would, one day, bring forth a Child, came to the women's ears • and each one hoped that this privilege would fall to their lot "No. "ble women, and beautiful "women, hoped that they "might be thy mother. We " bless thee, O Most High God, " that thou chose for thy Mo- " ther one that was poor."

Young Maidens, too, were presented to Jesus, and they prophesied, saying : "I may " be uncomely, or I may be " beautiful, or I may be poor — " but, thine will I be, and to " thee will I cling. I will pre- "fer espousals with thee to " those I could contract with " mortal man."

Let vlb, in honour of the Blessed Mother, sing this sweet Hymn used by some Churches in the Middle Agea

SEQUENCE.

Yerbum bonum et suave, Personemus illud Ave Per quod Christi fit conclave Virgo, mater, filia.

Per quod Ave salutata Mox concepit f cecundata

Let us sing that word, so f ood and sweet : Ave — Hail ! t was by that salutation, that the Virgin was made the sanctuary of Christ — the Virgin, who was both his Mother and his Child.

Greeted by that Hail, the Virgin, born of the family of

JAN. 8. THIRD DAY W

David, conceived the Divine Fruit in her womb— She that was the Lily amidst the thorns.

Hail I thou Mother of the true Solomon, thon Fleece of Gedeon ! The Magi, by their three gifts, praise thy delivery.

Hail! thou hast given birth to the Son ! Hail /thou hast given us to see the Sun, and thereby hast restored life and power to this fallen world.

Hail I thou Spouse of the Divine Word ! Haven of the sea 1 Burning Bush 1 Cloud of sweet aromatic spices 1 Queen of Angels !

We beseech thee, convert us ; and commend us, so converted, to thy Son, that he bestow upon us the eternal joys of heaven. Amen.

Virgo David stirpe nata, Inter spinas lilia.

Ave, veri Salomonis Mater, vellus Gedeonis, Cujus Magis tribus donis Laudant puerperium.

Ave, solem genuisti ; Ave, solem protulisti, Mundo lapso contulisti Vitam et imperium.

Ave, sponsa Verbi summi, Maris portus, signum dumi, Aromatum virga fuwi, Angelorum Donrina.

SuDpiicamus : nos emen-

Emendatos nos commenda Tuo Nato, ad habenda Sempiterna gaudia. Amen

January 9. THE FOURTH DAY

WITHIN THE OOTAVE OF THE EPIPHANY,

The Star foretold by Balaam having risen in the East, the three Magi, whose hearts were full of the expectation of the promised Redeemer, are immediately inflamed with the desire of going in search of him. The announcement of the glad coming ot the King of the Jews is made to these holy Kings in » mysterious and silent manner ; and hereby it differs from that made to the Shepherds of Bethlehem, who were invited to Jesus' Crib by the voice of an Angel. But the mute language of the Star was explained to them by God himself, for he revealed his Son to them; and this made their Vocation superior in dignity to that of the Jewish Shepherds, who, according- to the dispensation of the Old Law, could know nothing save by the ministry of Angels.

The divine grace, which spoke, directly and by itself, to the souls of the Magi, met with a faithful and unhesitating correspondence. St Luke says of the Shepherds, that they came with haste to Bethlehem -y and the Magi show their simple and fervent eagerness by the words they addressed to Herod: We have seen his Star in the East, they say, and we are come to adore him.*

When Abraham received the command from God to go out of the land ot Chaldea, which waa the land

1 St. Luke, ii. 16. » St. Matth. ii. 2. of his fathers and kindred, and go into a strange country, he obeyed with such faithful promptitude, as to merit the being made the Father of all them that believe :l so, likewise, the Magi, by reason of their equally docile and admirable faith, have been judged worthy to be called the Fathers of the Gentile Church.

They, too, or at least one or more of them, went out from Chaldea, if we are to believe St. Justin and Tertullian. Several of the Fathers, among whom are the two just mentioned, assert that one, if not two, of these holy Kings was from Arabia. A popular tradition, now for centuries admitted into christian Art, tells us that one of the three was from Ethiopia ; and certainly, as regards this last opinion, we have David and other Prophets telling us that the coloured inhabitants of the banks of the Nile were to be objects of God's special mercy.

The term Magi implies that they gave themselves to the study of the heavenly bodies, and that, too, for the special intention of finding that glorious Star, whose rising had been prophesied. They were of the number of those Uentiles who, like the centurion Cornelius, feared God, had not been defiled by the worship of idols, and maintained, in spite of all the ignorance which surrounded them, the sacred traditions of the religion that was practised by Abraham and the Patriarchs.

The Gospel does not say that they were Ki/ngs; but the Church applies to them those verses of the Psalm, where David speaks of the Kings of Arabia and Saba, that should hereafter come to the Messias, bringing their offerings of gold. The tradition of their being Kings rests on the testimony of St. Hilary of Poitiers, of St. Jerome, of the Poet Juvencus, of St Leo, and several others ; and it would be

1 Rom. iv. 11. impossible to controvert it by any well-grounded arguments. Of course, we are not to suppose them to have been Monarchs, whose kingdoms were as great as those of the Roman Empire ; but we know, that the Scripture frequently applies this name of King to fatty princes, and even to mere governors of provinces, he Magi, therefore, would be called Kings, if they exercised authority over a considerable number of people ; and, that they were persons of great importance, we have a strong proof in the consideration and attention showed them by Herod, into whose palace they enter, telling him that they are come to pay their homage to the new-born King of the Jews. The city of Jerusalem is thrown into a state of excitement by their arrival, which would scarce have occurred had not the three strangers, who came for a purpose which few heeded, been attended by a numerous retinue, or had not attracted attention by their imposing appearance.

These Kings, then, docile to the divine inspiration, suddenly leave their country, their riches, their quiet, in order to follow a Star : the power of that God, who had called them, unites them in the same path, as they were, already, one in faith. The Star goes on before them, marking out the route they were to follow : the dangers of such a journey, the fatigues of a pilgrimage which might last for weeks or months, the fear of awakening suspicions in the Roman Empire towards which they were evidently tending — all this was nothing to them ; they were told to go, and they went.

Their first stay is at Jerusalem, for the Star halts there. They, Gentiles, come into this Holy City, (which is soon to have God's curse upon it,) and they come to announce that Jesus Christ is come ! With all the simple courage, and all the calm conviction, of Apostles and Martyrs, they declare their firm resolution of going to him, and of adoring him. Their earnest inquiries constraiu Israel, who was the guardian of the divine prophecies, to confess one of the chief marks of the Messias — his Birth in Bethlehem. The Jewish Priesthood fulfils, though with a sinful ignorance, its sacred ministry, and Herod sits restlessly on his throne, plotting murder. The Magi leave the faithless City, which has turned the presence of the Magi into a mark of its own reprobation. The Star re-appears in the heavens, and invites them to resume their journey. Yet a few hours, and they will be at Bethlehem, at the feet of the King they are in search of.

O dear Jesus ! we, also, are following thee ; we are walking in thy light, for thou hast said, in the Prophecy of thy beloved Disciple : / am the bright ana morning Star. The meteor that guides the Magi is but thy symbol, O divine Star ! Thou art the morning Star ; for thy Birth- proclaims that the darkness of error and sin is at an end. Thou art Vie morning Star; for, after submitting to death and the tomb, thou wilt suddenly arise from that night of humiliation to the bright morning of thy glorious Resurrection. Thou art the morning Star ; for, by thy Birth and the Mysteries which are to follow, thou announcest unto us the cloudless day of eternity. May thy light ever beam upon us ! May we, like the Magi, be obedient to its guidance, and ready to leave all things in order to follow it ! We were sitting in darkness when thou didst call us to thy grace, by making this thy light shine upon us. We were fond of our darkness, and thou gavest us a love for the Light 1 Dear Jesus ! keep up this love within ua Let not sin, which is darkness, ever approach us. Preserve us from the delusion of a false conscience. Avert from us that blindness into which fell the City of Jerusalem and her king, and which

• Apoo. xxii. 16. (2) U prevented them from seeing the Star. May thy Star guide us through life, and bring us bo thee, our King, our Peace, our Love !

We salute thee, too, O Mary, thou Star of the Sea, that shinest on the waters of this life, giving calm and protection to thy tempest-tossed children who invoke thee ! Thou didst pray for the Magi as they traversed the desert ; guide also our steps, and bring us to Him who is thy Child and thy Light eternal.

Let us close this day with the expressions of divine praise offered us by the ancient Liturgies. Let us begin with the continuation of the Hymn of Prudentius, on the vocation of the Gentiles. The following are the concluding stanzas.

HYMN.

O sola magnarum urbium Major Bethlem : cui contigit

Ducem salatis ccslitus Incorporatum giguere.

Altrice te, suramo Patri Haerea creatur unicus, Homo ex Tonantis Spiritu, Idenique sub membris Deus.

Hunc et Prophetis testibus,

Iisdemque si^natoribus, Testator, et Sator jubet Adire regnum, et cernere.

Regnum, quod ambit omnia,

Dia, et marina, et terrea, A solis ortu ad exitum, Et tartara, et coelum supra.

O Bethlehem I greater than the greatest of cities 1 'Twas thy happy lot to give birth to the Prince of our salvation, who had become incarnate by the heavenly mystery.

'Twas thou didst nurse Him who is the Only begotten Son and Heir of the eternal Father; he was made Man by the power of the Spirit of the God who darts the thunder-bolts ; and this same Jesus is God under human flesh.

His eternal Father, who bears witness to him, bids him enter on his kingdom, and inherit it. The Prophets, who are his witnesses and vouchers, were the proclaimers of the Father's will.

This kingdom of Jesus includes all things — the firmament, the sea, the earth, from where the sun rises to where he sets, and hell, and heaven.

He is the King of those ancient judges, who ruled the race of Jacob : he is the King of the Church, (the Mistress of the earth) : he is King of both temples, the new and old.

The children of EphraXm and the holy family of Ma* nasses worship him ; the tribes of the twelve Brethren, sons of Jacob, also receive him as their God.

The degenerate race, too, which, observing the rites of idolatrous worship, had framed in hot furnaces the statute of the cruel Baal,

Now turns to worship Christ, leaving for his sake the smokegrimed gods of their fathers, stones, and metals, and stocks, planed, hewn, and chiselled by the hands of man.

Rejoice, all ye nations of the earth I Judea, Borne, and Greece, Egypt, Thrace, Persia, Scythia! Ye are now all under the one same King !

Praise your King, O all ye people ! just and sinners, living, weak, and dead, give him praise. None must die henceforth 1

Hie Hex priorum judicum,

Rexere qui Jacob genus, Dominaeque Rex ecclesia, Templi et novelli, et pristini.

Hunc posteri, Ephralm colunt,

Hunc sancta Manasse domus,

Omnesque suscipiunt tribus,

Bissena f ratrum semina.

Quin et propago degener, Ritum secuta inconditum, Quaecumque dirum fervidis Baal caminis coxerat:

Fumosa avorum numina, Saxum, metallum, stipitem, Rasum, dolatum, sectile, In Christi honorem demerit.

Gaudete quidquid gentium est, Juda3a,Roma, et Graecia, iEgypte, Thrax, Persa, Scytha,

Rex unus omnes possidet Laudate vestrum Principem,

Omnes, beati, ac perditi, Vivi, imbecilii, ac mortui: Jam nemo posthac mortuua.

The following beautiful prayer, from the Mozarabic Missal, will assist us to celebrate, in a becoming manner, the triple Mystery of the Epiphany.

OBATIO.

O God, who, to lighten the labours of this present life, hast conferred upon us the

Deus qui nobis ad relevandos istius vita* labores, diversa donorum tuorum

196 CHE solatia etgaudia contulisti, quibus insignes annuis recursions dies agimus, at EcclesiaB tuas votft solemnia praesenti festivitate celebremus : unde et prozime Natalem Domini Salvatoris peregimus, qui nobis natus in tempore est, qui de te natus sine tempore, omnium sasculorum et temporum est antecessor et conditor : deinde subsecutum diem Circumcisionis octavum, Unigeniti luce signatum, pari observantia recolentes, aacrificiis solemnibus honoravimus : nunc Epiphanias diem, revelante in nomine divinitate, excolimus, diversa Domini nostri Jesu Christ! Filii tui in hoc mundo suum adventum manifestantia insignia praedicantes, sive quod steltam ortus sui nunciam misit e coelo, quam stupeutibus Magis usque ad cunabula suae carnaus infant ise praeviam fecit : sive quod aquas baptismate suo, ad omnium gentium lavationem, Jordanis alveum sanctificaturus intravit : ubi ipsum esse Filium unigenitum dilectum, Spiritu, columbae specie, advolante, monstrasti, et paterna insuper voce docuisti : sive quod primum in Cana Galuaesa prodidit signum, cum in connubio nuptiali, aquas in vinum convertit, alto et admirabili Sacramento docens, quod a saeculis sponsae sibi jungendus Ecclesiae advenerat, ac in vinum prudentiae spi- various consolations and joys of thy gifts, the which we conmemorate in the yearly recurrence of the festivals : — thou gran test us now, on this present solemnity, to unite in the mysteries celebrated by thy Church. Having kept, a few days past, the feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour, who was born unto us in time and yet was born of thee from eternity, and preceded and created all ages and time ; having, eight days after that, with like devotion and with the same solemn sacrifice, honoured the Circumcision, that feast resplendent with the light of thine Only Begotten Son ; we now, on this day, worship the Epiphany, which revealed unto us the divinity of Him, who had assumed our Humanity. We proclaim those various manifestations, whereby our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, made known his having come into this world. We proclaim his having sent from the heavens that Star, which announced his own rising, and by whose guidance, he led the wondering Magi to the cradle where he lay in his assumed Infant Flesh. We proclaim his sanctifying, unto the cleansing of all nations, the waters by his own Baptism, when he entered the bed of the Jordan, and where, by thy Spirit hovering in the shape of a dove over him, thou didst show and by thy paternal voice didst declare that he was thy beloved Only Begotten Son.

We proclaim his first miracle wrought in Oana of Galilee, when, at the marriage-feast, he changed the water into wine, teaching us, by a sublime and admirable mystery, that he had come in order to be united to the Church, the Spouse he had. for ages, chosen to himself, and that the faith in the promises was henceforth to be changed into the wine of sweet spiritual wisdom. Thus it is, that in the three wonders, which are the object of our faith on this day's solemnity, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, achieves both the operation of thy power, and the preparation of our salvation. Wherefore, we beseech thee, O Lord, grant us, agreeably to these three prodigies, that there may abide in us the soundness of spiritual grace, that our hearts may relish the wine of prudence, and that the star of justice may shine forth in our works. Amen. ritualis saporis fideni veritatis esse mutandum : itaque in his tribus mirabilium tuorum causis fide hodierace solemaitatis edita, Dominus noster Jesus Christus, Filius tuus, nihilominus tuae virtutis operatio, et nostra salutis praeparatio est. Propterea, Domine, secundum haec tria magna mirabilia, maneat in nobis gratia spiritualis integritas, sapiat in cordibus nostris vinum prudentise, fulgeat in openbus stella justitise. Ament

The ancient Paris Missal of 1584 contains the following Sequence for one of the days during this Octave. It is full of unction.

SEQUENCE.

The Star of the Cross has risen : let us most earnestly seek the King of kinra.

Let us seek him in humility, for it is to humble hearts alone that he shows himself.

He lies in a crib, for he scorns a regal couch, and lives in poverty.

Orto crucis sidere, Quseramus summopere Regem regum omnium.

Quaeramus humiliter, Non panditur aliter Cordibus quaerentium.

Jacet in praesepio, Spreto regum soho, Degens in penuria.

Formam dans quaerentibus,

Calcatis terrestribus, Amare coeiestia.

Herode postposito, Magos cultu debito Sequamur oeleriter.

Stella dace cursitant Ad Begem quern praadicant Regnare perenniter.

Offeramus typice, Quod ill! magnifice Tulerunt reauter.

Thus superno Numini, Myrrham vero homini, Aurum Regi pariter.

His donia, o lilium, Placa nobis Filium Bepletum dulcedine.

Ut possimus libere, Secum semper vivere Paradisi culmine. Amen.

He thus teaches them that seek him, to despise the things of earth, and love those of heaven.

Let us turn away from Herod, and follow, without delay, the Magi, and pay our homage to Jesus.

They are led by the Star, and hasten to the King, whom they proclaim as the everlasting Ruler.

Let us mystically offer the gifts, which they really offered him so magnificently :

Let us oner Incense to Jesus, as our God ; our Myrrh to him, as Man : our Gold to him, as King.

Do thou, O Mary, pure Lily ! pray for us to thy Son, who is full of sweetness, that thes our gifts may render him propitious ;

That so, being freed from this world, we may live with him for ev<*r in the heavenly land above. Amen.

We here insert a few stanzas from the exquisite Hymn composed by St. Ephrem for the Syrian Church*

HYMN.

Quam mitis es Puer, quam vehemens judiciorum tuorum vis omnipotens, et ineluctabilis est, suavis et dulcis est amor tuus ; quis tibi obsi8tet ?

In sublimi habitat Pater tuus, tua Mater humi jacet ; undenam tui notitiam quia capiat? Si quis terrenus homo tuam disquirat naturam ab humanis remotam

How gentle art thou; dear Babel How mighty is the omnipotent and irresistible power of thy judgments 1 How sweet and amiable is thy love! Who can withstand thee?

Thy Father dwells in the high heavens ; thy Mother stands on the lowly earth : who can understand thee? It the earthly man investigate thv nature, which surpasses the ken of mortals, it is found in the highest heavens, hid in the vast bosom of the divinity.

If, again, one wish to see thy Body made visible to the eye of man, lo 1 it lies upon the earth — it has issued from the narrow womb of Mary, and all may see it. The soul knows not what to think, and the mind grows bewildered in the calculation of thy ways, O Jesus 1 rich Lord and God !

Thy divinity is shut beneath a twofold barrier ; yet art thou, and I confess it, an immeasurable ocean to him who attempts to fathom thee, even now that thou hast humbled thy greatness to our littleness. When we seek for a sight of thee, we see thee a Man, having hoped to see thee as the great God : and when we wish to look upon thee as Man, then straightways is our eye struck ana dazzled by the bright splendour of thy Divinity.

And who would think thee to be the Heir of David's throne f Instead of costly furniture, thou hast but a Crib : instead of the regal palaces, thou hast but a Cave : instead of the richly caparisoned steeds, there stands near thee one poor ass.

Yet, dear Babe, how lovely art thou 1 accessible to all, and meeting with thy smile all who come to thee 1 Thy love is verily the love of one who longeth after men. as a hungry man that longeth after bread.

Thou welcomest to thee, sensibus, h«c supereminet coelo in magnum aivinitatis retrusa sinum.

Si rursus quispiam corpus cognoscere cupiat oculia expositum, en humi jacet, teque ab angusto Maria gremio prebetaspectabilem. Errat incertus animus, nequesibi constat mens tuas, o dives, rationes supputans.

Cougeminatis seris clauditur tua divinitas ; pelagus es tamen immensum, cedo, qui ejus fundum attingat, etiam postquam magnitudinem tuam ad nostram parvitatem deduxisti. Cum tuum conspectum petimus, hominem videmus, visuros noB Deum sperantes ; si hominem videre velimus, inde statim in oculos incurrit hebetatque aciem coruscans divinitatis splendor.

Jam quis credat haeredem te esse Davidici throni, cui ex lauta ejus spellectile prosepe duntaxat relictum est, et ex amplissimi aedibus, spelunca, deque ejus equitatu vix vilem asellum cernere aliquando continget?

Attamen quam benignus es, puer, qui te omnibus indulges, et obviis quibusque arrides 1 talis nempe tuus amor est, qualem credibile eat futurum fuisse ejus, qui homines desideraret, ut panem quilibet esuriens.

Parentes ab externis non discernis, nec genitricem ab ancillis, nec virginem te lactantem ab impuris prostitute pudicitiffl feminis. Quid ? Nam tui ingenii naturalia facilitas hue te demiaitj an eharitas, qui nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti f

Quid istuo quod te movet, ut ad omnes descendas, ad locupletes ao tenues, et ad eos accurraa etiam non vocatus ? Unde tibi iatud inditum, ut homines tantopere cupias ?

Qua h»c tua eharitas est, ut si quis te objurgat, non succenseas, si minis terret, non trepides, si duriter tecum agit, frontem non contrahas ? Tua nimirum eharitas antecellit legem illorum, qui suas pereequebantur injurias et vindicabant with a like affection, strangers and thy kindred, women and thy Mother, impure prostitutes and the Virgin that feeds thee at her Breast. And how is this? Is it the sweet condescension of thy heart, or ia it the love, wherewith thou lovest all things thou hast made, that has brought thee to this excess of affection ?

What is it that induces thee to stoop thus towards all, rich and poor, and run even to them that ask thee not to come ? Whence hast thou this inclination to love us men so much?

What charity is this, that if a man insult thee, thou art not indignant? or if he threaten thee, thou fearest not to go to him? or if he treat thee with cruelty, there is not a wrinkle on thy brow ? Ah 1 thy charity is of another sort from theirs who persecute them that do them wrong and who seek revenge upon their enemies.

Let ua honour the Virgin-Mother, by addressing to her these stanzas of a Hymn composed by St. Joseph the Hymnographer. It is in tne Menaea of the Greek Church.

IV. Die Januakh.

Divinum Regis palatium honoremus, in quo quemadmodum ipse voluit, habitavit, innuptam ac solam Deiparam, per quam deificati sumus, collaudemus.

Casta ante partum, in partu, et post partum, vere,

Let us honour the divine Palace of the King, in which it was his will to dwell — the virgin and incomparable Mother of God : let us sing our praises to Her, by whom we were raised up to God.

Thou, truly Virgin-Mother, wast pure before thy delivery, and in thy delivery, and after o Virgo mater, apparuisti : thy delivery ; for thou didst Deum enim peperisti, quern give birth to that God, whom Apostolorum collegium ma- the Apostolic College made nifeste pnedicavit. known to the world by their preaching.

The most blessed choir of Beatissimus olim Prophe- the Prophets of old, divinely tarum chorus sacris vatici- inspired by the Spirit, did, in niis in Spiritu divinitas te»

their sacred prophecies, call o castissima, Portam et Mon- thee, O most chaste one, the tern umbrosum nominavit Gate and the Mountain o'erahadowed.

Enlighten, O Virgin 1 the Illumina, o Virgo, oculos oris perennibus libera me ; Porta lucis, Befugium omnium christianorum te fideliter laudantium. compunction ; deliver me from eternal darkness ; O thou Gate o of Light, and Refuge of all Christians faithfully praising

I praise thee, the creature Laudo te, o sola digna alone worthy or all praise ; I omni laude ; glorifico te, o glorify thee, O thou that hast semper a Deo glorificatis- ever been glorified by God ; sima ; et beatifico, te, o and 1 bless thee, O Virgin, Virgo, divina beatitudine fe- blesseduess, who art called nes generationum beatam eorum qui assidelinquunt, supra naordinem eniza qui tollit peccata raunad quern clamamus : minus ac Dens patrum, benedictus es. been made the propitiatory of purissima, them that sin often, for thou due didst miraculously bring forth tune Chris- Christ, who taketh away the turn, sins of the world, and to whom di, Dowe cry : Blessed art thou, O Lord and God of our fathers !

miraculum, quod omnia miracula transcendit ; et permauea virgo, o castissima sponsa Dei ! nimirum Verbum Patri co®ternum genuisti, cui omnes psallimus : Laudate omnia opera, et superexalminum in omnia sae-

O miracle that surpasaeth O all miracles! How is it, O most chaste Spouse of God, quomodo paris that thou bearest a Child yet remainest a Virgin 1 Thou hast given birth to the Word, co-eternal with the Father, to whom we all thus sing : Praise him, all ye his works, and tate Do magnify the Lord above all cula, for ever. eyes of my heart, and send within me the bright ray of cordis mei, effulge super me thee.

Jubar f ulgoris partus tui The bright splendour of thy effulsit, atque universum delivery has shown forth, and lumine perfudit, ac tene- over the whole earth, and has brarum principem perdidit, destroyed the prince of dark- o Dei Gfenitnx castissima, ness, O most chaste Mother of

Angelorum gloriatio, atque God, thou joy of the Angels, omnium hominum sal us, and protectress of all who qui incessantibus vocibus te honour thee with their unceas- terrarum orbem lntissimo eoncelebrant. mg praises.