Sexagesima Sunday

Tee Church offers to our consideration, during this week of Sexagesima, the history of Noah and the deluge. Man has not profited by the warnings already given him. God is obliged to punish him once more, and by a terrible chastisement. There is found out of the whole human race one just man ; God makes a covenant with him, and with us through him. But, before He draws up this new alliance, He would show that He is the sovereign Master, and that man, and the earth whereon he lives, subsist solely by His power and permission.

As the ground-work of this week's instructions, we give a short passage from the Book of Genesis : it is read in the Office of this Sunday's Matins.

De Libro Genesis. From the Book of Genesis.

Cap, vi. Ch. vi.

Videns autem Deus quod And God seeing that the multa malitia hominum es- wickedness of men was great set in terra, et cuncta cogi- on the earth, and that all the tatio cordis intenta esset thought of their heart was bent ad malum omni tempore, upon evil at all times, it re- poenituit eum quod homi- . pented him that he had made nem feoisset in terra. Et man on the earth. And being tactus dolore cordis intrin- touched inwardly with sorrow secus : Delebo, inquit, ho- of heart, he said : I will destroy minem quern creavi, a facie man, whom I have created, terrsB, ab homine usque ad from the face of the earth, from animantia, a reptili usque man even to beasts, from the ad volucres coeli. Poenitet creeping thing even to the fowls enim me fecisse eos. Noe of the air. For it repenteth

SEXAGBSIMA SUNDAY vero invenit gratiam coram me that I have made them.

Domino. But Noah found grace before the Lord.

Hse sunt generationes These are the generations of

Noe : Noe vir justus atque Noah : Noah was a just and perfectus f uit in generatio- perfect man in his generations : nibus suis, cum Deo ambu- he walked with God. And he lavit. Et genuit tres filios, begot three sons : Sem, Cham,

Sem, Cham, et Japheth. and Japheth. And the earth

Corrupta est autem terra was corrupted before God, and coram Deo, et repleta est was filled with iniquity. And iniquitate. Cumque vidisset when God had seen that the

Deus terram esse corruptam earth was corrupted (for all

(omnis quippe caro cor- flesh had corrupted its way ruperat viam suam super upon the earth), he said to terram) dixit ad Noe : Finis Noah : The end of all flesh is universse carnis venit coram come before me : the earth is me: repleta est terra ini- filled with iniquity through quitate a facie eorum, et ego them, and I will destroy them disperdam eos cum terra. with the earth.

This awful chastisement of the human race by the deluge was a fresh consequence of sin. This time, however, there was found one just man ; and it was through him and his family that the world was restored. Having once more mercifully renewed His covenant with His creatures, God allows the earth to be repeopled, and makes the three sons of Noah become the fathers of the three great families of the human race.

This is the mystery of the Divine Office during the week of Sexagesima. The mystery expressed in to-day's Mass is of still greater importance, and the former is but a figure of it. The earth is deluged by sin and heresy. But the word of God, the seed of life, is ever producing a new genera* tion : a race of men, who, like Noah, fear God. It is the word of God that produces those happy children, of whom the beloved disciple speaks, saying : * They are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of

God.' 1 Let us endeavour to be of this family ; or, if we are already numbered among its members, let us zealously maintain our glorious position. What we have to do, during these days of Septuagesima, is to escape from the deluge of worldliness, and take shelter in the Ark of salvation ; we have to become that good soil, which yields a hundred-fold from the heavenly seed. Let us flee from the wrath to come, lest we perish with the enemies of God : let us hunger after that word of God, which converteth and giveth life to souls. 2

With the Greeks, this is the seventh day of their week Apocreos, which begins on the Monday after our Septuagesima Sunday. They call this week Apocreos, because they then begin to abstain from flesh-meat, which abstinence is observed till Easter Sunday.

MASS

At Borne the Station is in the basilica of St. Paul outside the walls. It is around the tomb of the Doctor of the Gentiles, the zealous sower of the divine seed, the father by his preaching of so many nations, that the Eoman Church assembles her children on this Sunday, whereon she is about to announce to them how God spared the earth on the condition that it should be peopled with true believers and with faithful adorers of His name.

The Introit, which is taken from the Psalms, cries out to our Lord for help. The human race, all but extinct after the deluge, is here represented as beseeching its Creator to bless and increase it. The Church adopts the same prayer, and asks her Saviour to multiply the children of the Word, as He did in former days.

^St.JJohn i. 13. 2 Ps. xviii.

INTROIT

Exsurge, quare obdormis, Domine ? Exsurge, et ne repellas in finem ; quare faciem tuam avertis, oblivisceris tribulationem nostram? Adhsesit in terra venter noster : exsurge, Domine, adjuva nos, et libera nos.

Ps. Deus, auribus nostris audivimus : patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis. V. Gloria Patri. Exsurge.

Arise, why sleepest thou, 0 Lord ? Arise, and cast us not off to the end. Why turnest thou thy face away ? and forgettest our tribulation ? Our belly cleaveth to the earth. Arise, O Lord, help us, and deliver us.

Ps. We have heard, 0 God, with our ears : our fathers have declared to us thy wonders. V. Glory. Arise.

In the Collect, the Church expresses the confidence she puts in the prayers of the great apostle St. Paul, that zealous sower of the divine seed, who laboured more than the other apostles in preaching the word to the Gentiles.

COLLECT

Deus, qui conspicis quia 0 God, who seest l^hat we ex nulla nostra actione con- place no confidence in anything fidimus : concede propitius, we do : mercifully grant that, ut contra adversa omnia, by the protection of the Doctor

Doctoris Gentium prote- of the Gentiles, we may be ctione, muniamur. Per Do- defended against all adversity, minum. Through, etc.

Then are added two other Collects, as in the Mass of Septuagesima Sunday, page 120.

The Epistle is that admirable passage from one of St. Paul's Epistles, in which the great apostle, for the honour and interest of his sacred ministry, is necessitated to write his defence against the calumnies of his enemies. We learn from this his apology what labours the apostles had to go through, in order to sow the word of God in the barren soil of the Gentile world, and make it Christian.

SBPTUAGESIMA

Lectio Epistolse beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthios.

2 Cap. xi.

Fratres, libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes. Sustinetis enim si quis vos in servitutem redigit, si quis devorat, si quis accipit, si quis extollitur, si quis in faciem vos csedit. Secundum ignobilitatem dico, quasi nos infirmi fuerimus in hac parte. In quo quis audet (in insipientia dico), audeo et ego. Hebrsei sunt, et ego. IsraelitsB sunt, et ego. Semen .Abrahse sunt, et ego. Ministri Christi sunt (ut minus sapiens dico), plus ego: in laboribus plurimis, in carceribus abundantius, in plagis supra modum, in mortibus frequenter. A Judseis quinquies quadragenas, una minus, accepi, Ter virgis caesus sum, semel lapidatus sum, ter naufragium feci, nocte et die in profundo maris fui; in itineribus ssepe, periculis fluminum, periculis latronum, periculis ex genere, periculis ex gentibus, periculis in civitate, periculis in solitudine, periculis in mari, periculis in falsis fratribus ; in labore et aerumna, in vigiliis multis, in fame et siti, in jejuniis multis, in frigore et nuditate. Praeter ilia, quae extrinsecus sunt, instantia mea quotidiana, sollicitudo

Lesson of the Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

2 Ch. xi.

Brethren, you gladly suffer the foolish, whereas yourselves • are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man sfrike you on the face. I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly) I dare also. They are Hebrews : so am I. They are Israelites : so am I. They are the seed of Abraham : so am I. They are the ministers of Christ: (I speak as one less wise) I am more : in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. In labour and painfullness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things which are without : my daily instance, the solicitude for all omnium Ecclesiarum. Quia the churches. Who is weak, infirmatur, et ego non in- and I am not weak ? Who is firmor? Quis scandalizatur, scandalized, and I am not on et ego non uror ? Si gloriari fire ? If I must needs glory, oportet, quae infirmitatis I will glory of the things that meae sunt, gloriabor. Deus concern my infirmity. The et Pater Domini nostri Jesu God and Father of our Lord

Christi, qui est benedictus Jesus Christ, who is blessed for in saecula, scit quod non ever, knoweth that I lie not. mentior. Damasci praeposi- At Damascus the governor of tus gentis Aretae regis, cus- the nation under Aretas the todiebat civitatem Damas- king, guarded the city of the cenorum, ut me compre- Damascenes, to apprehend me ; henderet; et per fenestram and through a window in a in sporta dimissus sum per basket was I let down by the murum, et sic effugi manus wall, and so escaped his hands, ejus. Si gloriari oportet (non If I must glory (it is not expe- expedit quidem), veniam dient indeed), but I will come autem ad visiones et reve- to the visions and revelations lationes Domini. Scio homi- of the Lord. I know a man in nem in Christo ante annos Christ about fourteen years ago quatuordecim (sive in cor- (whether in the body, I know pore nescio, sive extra corpus not, or out of the body, I know nescio, Deus scit), raptum not, God knoweth), such an one hujusmodi usque ad tertium rapt even to the third heaven, caelum. Et scio hujus- And I know such a man modi hominem (sive in cor- (whether in the body, or out pore, sive extra corpus of the body, I cannot tell, God nescio, Deus scit), quoniam knoweth), that he was caught raptus est in paradisum, et up into paradise, and heard audivit arcana verba quae secret words, which it is not non licet homini loqui. Pro granted to man to utter. For hujusmodi gloriabor ; pro such an one I will glory ; but me autem nihil gloriabor, for myself I will glory nothing, nisi in infirmitatibus meis. but in my infirmities. For

Nam, et si voluero gloriari, though I should have a mind non ero insipiens ; verita- to glory, I shall not be foolish : tern enim dicam : parco au- for I will say the truth. But tern, ne quis me existimet I forbear, lest any man should supra id quod videt in me, think of me above that which aut aliquid audit ex me. Et he seeth in me, or anything he ne magnitudo revelationum heareth from me. And lest the extollat me, datus est mihi greatness of the revelations stimulus carnis meae, ange- should exalt me, there was lus Satanae, qui me colaphi- given me a sting of my flesh, zet. Propter quod ter Do- an angel of Satan to buffet me. minum rogavi ut discederet For which thing thrice I be- a me : et dixit mihi : Sufficit tibi gratia mea ; nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi. sought the Lord that it might depart from me : and he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee : for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

In the Gradual, the Church beseeches her Lord to give her strength against those who oppose the mission He has entrusted to her, of gaining for Him a new people, adorers of His sovereign Majesty.

GRADUAL

Sciant gentes, quoniam Let the Gentiles know that nomen tibi Deus : tu solus God is thy name : thou alone

Altissimus super omnem art the Most High over all the terram. earth.

V. Deus meus, pone illos V. 0 my God, make them ut rotam, et sicut stipulam like a wheel, and as stubble ante faciem venti. before the wind.

Whilst the earth is being moved, and is suffering those terrible revolutions which, deluge-like, come first on one nation and then on another, the Church prays for her faithful children, in order that they may be spared, for they are the elect, and the hope of the world. It is thus she prays in the following Tract, which precedes the Gospel of the word.

TRACT

Commovisti, Domine, ter- Thou hast moved the earth, ram, et conturbasti earn. O Lord, and hast troubled it.

V. Sana contritiones ejus, V. Heal the breaches therequia mota est. of, for it is moved.

V. Ut f ugiant a facie ar V. That they may flee from cus : ut liberentur electi tui. before the bow : that thy elect may be delivered.

SBXAGESIMA SUNDAY

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucain.

Cap, viii.

In illo tempore, cum turba plurima convenirent, et de civitatibus properarent ad Jesum, dixit per similitudinem : Exiit, qui seminat, seminare semen suum : et dum seminat, aliud cecidit secus viam, et conculcatum est, et volucres cceli comederunt illud. Et aliud cecidit supra petram : et natum, aruit ; quia non habebat humorem. Et aliud cecidit inter spinas, et simul exortae spin© suffocaverunt illud. Et aliud cecidit in terram bonam : et ortum fecit fructum centuplum. Haec dicens clamabat : Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat. Interrogabant autem eum discipuli ejus, quae esset haec parabola. Quibus ipse dixit : Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni Dei, caeteris autem in parabolis ; ut videntes non videant, et audientes non intelligant. Est autem haec parabola. Semen est verbum Del Qui autem secus viam, hi sunt qui audiunt : deinde venit diabolus, et tollit verbum de corde eorum, ne credentes salvi fiant. Nam qui supra petram : qui cum audierint, cum gaudio suscipiunt verbum : et hi radices non habent : quia ad tern pus credunt, et in tempore tentationis recedunt. Quod au-

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Ch. viii.

At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together, and hastened out of the cities to meet Jesus, he spoke by a similitude. The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock: and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns ; and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground, and being sprung up, yielded fruit a hundred-fold. Saying these things he cried out : He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. To whom he said : To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God ; but to the rest in parables : that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this : The seed is the word of God. And they by the wayside are they that hear ; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy : and these have no roots ; for they believe for a while, and in time of tem in spinas cecidit, hi sunt qui audierunt, et a sollicitudinibus, et divitiis, et voluptatibus vitse, euntes, suffocantur, et non referunt fructum. Quod autem in bonam terram : hi sunt, qui in corde bono et optimo audientes verbum retinent, et fructum afferunt in patientia. temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground, are they, who in a good and very good heart hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.

St. Gregory the Great justly remarks, that this parable needs no explanation, since eternal Wisdom Himself has told us its meaning. All that we have to do, is to profit by this divine teaching, and become the good soil, wherein the heavenly seed may yield a rich harvest. How often have we, hitherto, allowed it to be trampled on by them that passed by, or to be torn up by the birds of the air ! How often has it found our heart like a stone, that could give no moisture, or like a thorn plot, that could but choke ! We listened to the word of God ; we took pleasure in hearing it ; and from this we argued well for ourselves. Nay, we have often received this word with joy and eagerness. Sometimes, even, it took root within us. But, alas ! something always came to stop its growth. Henceforth, it must both grow and yield fruit. The seed given to us is of such quality, that the divine Sower has a right to expect a hundred-fold. If the soil, that is, our heart, be good ; if we take the trouble to prepare it, by profiting of the means afforded us by the Church ; we shall have an abundant harvest to show our Lord on that grand day, when, rising triumphant from His tomb, He will come to share with His faithful people the glory of His Eesurrection.

Inspirited by this hope, and full of confidence in Him who has once more thrown this seed into this long ungrateful soil, let us sing with the Church, in

SBXAGESIMA SUNDAY her Offertory, these beautiful words of the royal psalmist : they are a prayer for holy resolution and perseverance.

OFFERTORY

Perfice gressus meos in semitis tuis, ut non antur vestigia mea : inclina aurem tuam et exaudi verba mea : mirinca misericordias tuas, qui salvos facis spe- derful rantes in te, Domine.

Perfect thou my goings in move- thy paths ; that my footsteps be not moved. 0 incline thy ear unto me and hear my words. Show forth thy wonmercies ; who savest them that hope in thee, 0

Lord.

SECRET

Oblatum tibi, Domine, sacrificium vivificet nos s toper, et muniat. Per enliven Dominum. Through, etc.

May the sacrifice we have offered to thee, O Lord, always us and defend us.

To this are added the other Secrets, as on Septuagesima Sunday, page 127.

The visit, which our Lord makes to us in the Sacrament of His love, is the grand means whereby He gives fertility to our souls. Hence it is that the Church invites us, in the Communion antiphon, to draw nigh to the altar of our God ; there, our heart shall regain all the youthful fervour of its best days.

COMMUNION

Introibo ad altare Dei, ad I will go up to the altar of Deum qui laetificat juven- God ; to God, who rejoiceth tutem meam. my youth.

POSTOOMMUNION

Supplices te rogamus, om- Grant, we humbly beseech nipotens Deus; ut quos tuis thee, O almighty God, that refici8sacramentis,tibietiam those whom thou refreshest placitis moribus dignanter with thy sacraments, may, by deservire concedas. Per Do- a life well pleasing to thee, minum. worthily serve thee. Through, etc.

Two other Postcommunions are said after this, as on Septuagesima Sunday, page 128.

VE8PEES

The psalms and antiphons as on page 72.

CAPITULUM

\2 Cor. xi.)

Fratres, libenter suffertis insipientes, cum sitis ipsi sapientes. Sustinetis enim si quis vos in servitutem redigit, si quis devorat, si quis accipit, si quis extollitur, si quis in faciem vos caedit.

Brethren, you gladly suffer the fooftsh, whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.

The hymn and versicle, page 79.

ANTIPHON OF THE ' MAGNIFICAT '

Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni Dei, cseteris autem in parabolis, dixit Jesus discipulis suis.

OREMUS.

Deus, qui conspicis quia ex nulla nostra actione confidimus: concede propitius, ut contra adversa omnia, Doctoris Gentium protection, muniamur. Per Dominum.

To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the others in parables, said Jesus to his disciples.

LET US PRAY.

0 God, who seest that we place no confidence in anything we do : mercifully grant that by the protection of the Doctor of the Gentiles, we may be defended against all adversity. Through, etc.

We will end our Sunday by a hymn taken from the ancient breviaries of the Churches of France : it will help us to keep up in our souls the sentiments proper to the season of Septuagesima.

Dies absoluti prsetereunt; Dies observabiles redeunt. ,

Tempus adest sobrium : Quaeramus puro corde Dominum.

Hymnis et in confessionibus

Judex complacabitur Dominus.

Non negabit hie veniam, Qui vult ut homo quaerat gratiam. Post jugum servile Pha- raonis,

Post catenas dirae Babylonis:

Liber homo patriam Quaerat ccelestem Hierosolymam. Fugiamus de hoc exilio : Habitemus cum Dei Filio :

Hoc decus est famuli Si sit cohaeres sui Domini.

Sis Christe nobis dux hujus vitae : Memento quod sumus oves tuae,

Pro quibus ipse tuam Pastor ponebas morte animam.

• Gloria sit Patri et Filio : Sancto simul honor Paraclito : Sicut erat pariter In principio et.nunc et semper. Amen.

The days of ease are about to close ; the days of holy observance are returning ; the time of temperance is at hand; let us seek our Lord in purity of heart.

Our sovereign Judge will be appeased by our hymns and praise. He who would have us sue for grace, will not refuse us pardon.

The slavish yoke of Pharaoh, and the fetters of cruel Babylon, have been borne too long : let man now claim his freedom, and seek his heavenly country, Jerusalem.

Let us quit this place of exile : let us dwell with the Son of God. Is it not the servant's glory, to be made co-heir with his Lord ?

O Jesus! be thou our guide through life. Remember that we are thy sheep, for whom thou, the Shepherd, didst lay down thine own life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son ; honour too be to the holy Paraclete: as it was in the beginning, now is, and shall ever be. Amen.