The Ascension : Mass

nem feci de omnibus, o Theophile, quae coepit Jesus facere et docere, usque in diem, qua praecipiens apostolis per Spiritum Sanctum, quos elegit, assumptus est: quibus et praebuit seipsum vivum post passionem suam in multis argumentis, per dies quadraginta apparens eis, et loquens de regno Dei. Et convescens, praecepit eis ab Jerosolymis ne discederent, sed expectarent promissionem Patris, quam audistis (inquit) per os meum: quia Joannes quidem baptizavit aqua, vos autem baptizabimini Spiritu Sancto non post multos hos dies. Igitur qui convenerant interrogabant eum dicentes: Domine, si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel? Dixit autem eis: Non est vestrum nosse tempora vel momenta, quae Pater posuit in sua potestate : sed accipietis virtutem supervenientis Spiritus Sancti in vos, et eritis mihi testes in Jerusalem, et in omni Judaea, et Samaria, et usque ad ultimum terrae. Et cum haec dixisset, videntibus illis, elevatus est: et nubes suscepit eum ab oculis eorum. Cumque intuerentur in coelum euntem ilium, ecce duo viri adstiterunt juxta illos in vestibus albis, qui et dixerunt: Viri Galilaei, quid statis aspicientes in coelum? Hie Jesus, qui assumptus

PASCH TIME* III,

O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach, until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth ; for John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. They, therefore, who were come together asked him, saying: Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? But he said to them: It is not for you to know the times or moments which the Father hath put in his own power; but you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments.

JPASCHAL TIME est a vobis in ccelum, sic Who also said: Ye men of Gaveniet, quemadmodum vi- lilee, why stand you looking up distis eum euntem in coelum. to heaven? This Jesus who is

This admirable description of our Jesus' Ascension, brings the mystery so vividly before us, that we almost seem to see the happy group on Mount Olivet. With what affection the disciples gaze upon the divine Master as they see Him rising up towards heaven, and stretching out His hand to bless them ! Their eyes, though full of tears, are riveted on the cloud which has come between themselves and Jesus. They are alone on the mount ; Jesus' visible presenoe is taken from them. How wretohed would they not feel in the desert land of their exile, were it not for His supporting graoe, and for that holy Spirit who is about to come down and create within them a new being ? So then, it is only in heaven that they can ever again see the iace of Jesus, who, God as He is, deigned to be their Master for three long happy years, and on the evening of the Last Supper, called them His friends !

Neither are they the only ones who feel this separation. Our earth leaped with joy as the Son of God walked upon it ; that joy is now past. It had looked forward, for four thousand years, for the glory of being the dwelling-place of its Creator ; that glory is now gone. The nations are in expectation of a Deliverer, and though, with the exception of the people of Judea and Galilee, men are not aware that this Deliverer has come and gone again, — it shall not long be so. They shall hear of His birth, and His life, and His works ; they shall hear of His triumphant Ascension, too, for holy Churoh shall proolaim it in every country of the earth. Eighteen hundred taken from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.

THE asCeKsiOn : Mass years have elapsed since He left this world, and our respectful and loving farewell blends with that which His disciples gave Him when He was mounting up to heaven. Like them, we feel His absence; but like them, we also rejoice in the thought that He is seated at the right hand of His Father, beautiful in His kingly glory. Thou, dear Jesus ! hast entered into Thy rest ! We adore Thee on Thy throne, we Thy redeemed and the fruit of Thy victory. Bless us ! Draw us to Thyself, and grant that Thy last ooming may be to us a source of joy rather than of fear !

The two AUeluia-versioles give us the words of the royal psalmist, wherein he celebrates the glorious Ascension of the future Messias, the acclamations of the angels, the loud musio of heaven's trumpets, the gorgeous pageant of the oountless fortunate captives of limbo whom the conqueror leads up, as His trophy, to heaven.

Alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia. f . Ascendit Deus in jubi- f. God ascended in trilatione, et Dominus in voce umph, and the Lord at the tubae. sound of the trumpet.

Alleluia. Alleluia. f. Dominus in Sina in f. sancto, ascendens in altum, captivam duxit captivita-

The Lord on Sina, in his holy place, ascending on high, hath led captivity captive, tern. Alleluia. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Marcum. Cap. xvi. In illo tempore: Recumbentibus undecim discipulis, apparuit illis Jesus, et exprobravit incredulitatem eorum et duritiam cordis: quia iis, qui viderant eum resurrexisse, non credide-

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Mark. Ch. xvi.

At that time: Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at table ; and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen runt. Et dixit ©is: Euntes in mundum universum, praedicate Evangelium omni creaturae. Qui crediderit et baptizatusfuerit, salvus erit: qui vero non crediderit, condemnabitur. Signa autem eos, qui crediderint, hac sequentur: In nomine meo daemonia ejicient ; Unguis loquentur novis: serpentes tollent : et si mortif erum quid biberint, non eis nocebit: super aegros manus imponent, et bene habebunt. Et Dominus quidem Jesus, postquam locutus est eis, assumptus est in coelum, et sedet a dextris Dei. Mi autem profecti praedieaverunt ubique, Domino cooperante, et sermonem confirmante, sequentibus signis. again. And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; butf he that believeth not shall bej condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: 1 In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues : they shall take up serpents : and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. And the Lord Jesus after he had spoken to them was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God. But they going preached everywhere; the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

The deacon having sung these words, an acolyte ascends the ambo and extinguishes the Paschal Candle, the sweet symbol of our Jesus' presence for the forty days after His resurrection. This expressive rite tells us of the widowhood of holy mother Church, and that we, when we would contemplate our beloved Lord, must turn our hearts to heaven, for it is there that He is to be seen. Alas ! how short was His stay here below, and how quickly the time passed ! How many ages have gone by, and how many must still come over this poor earth of ours, before she oan again behold His face !

The Church languishes after Him, in this dreary exile of the vale of tears, taking care of us, the children her Jesus has given her by His holy Spirit. She feels His absence ; and, if we are Christians, we

THE ASCENSION : MASS shall feel it too. Oh ! when will the day oome, whereon reunited to our bodies, we shall be taken up in the clouds to meet Christ, and be with our Lord for ever I 1 Then, and then only, shall we have attained the end for which we were created.

All the mysteries of the Word Inoarnate were to olose with His Ascension ; all the graces we receive are to end with ours. This world is but a figure that passeth away ; 2 and we are hastening through it to rejoin our divine Leader. In Him are our life and our happiness; it is vain to seek them elsewhere. Whatever brings us nearer to Jesus, is good ; whatever alienates us from Him is evil. The mystery of the Ascension is the last ray of light given to us by our Creator, whereby He shows us the path to our heavenly country. If our heart is seeking its Jesus, and longs to come to Him, it is alive with the true life; if its energies are spent upon created things, and it feels no attraction for its Jesus, it is dead.

Let us, therefore, lift up our eyes, as did the disciples, and follow in desire Him who this day asoends to heaven, and prepares a place there for each of His faithful servants. Sursum corda ! Hearts on heaven ! It is the parting word of our brethren, who accompany the divine Conqueror in His Asoension ; it is the hymn wherewith the angels, ooming down to meet their King, invite us to ascend and fill up the vacant thrones: Sursum corda !

Farewell, dear paschal torch, that hast gladdened us with thy lovely flame! Thou hast sweetly spoken to us of J esus, our light in the darkness of our pilgrimage ; and now thou leavest us, telling us that He is no longer to be seen here below, and that we must follow Him to heaven, if we would again behold Him. Farewell, loved symbol made by the hand of our

1 1 Thess, iv. 16, a 1 Cor. vii. 31, mother, the Church, that thou mightest speak to our hearts ! The impressions excited within us, as we looked upon thee, during this holy season of Easter, shall not he forgotten. Thou wast the herald of our Pasoh ; thy leaving reminds us that the glad time is drawing to its olose.

For the Offertory-antiphon, the Church uses the words of David, as before the Gospel. She is taken up with this one glad thought: the triumph of her Spouse, and the joy it caused in heaven. She would have this joy to he shared in by us who are on earth.

OFFERTORY

Ascendit Deus in jubila- God ascended with jubilee, tione: et Dominus in voce and the Lord with the sound tub®, alleluia. of the trumpet, alleluia.

Our desires, on this day, should be that we may follow our Jesus to life everlasting, and overcome all the hindrances that we may have to encounter on the way thither. This is what the Churoh asks of God for us, in the Secret.

SECRET

Suscipe, Domine, munera, Receive, O Lord, the offer- qusB pro Filii tui gloriosa ings we make in memory of

Ascensione deferimus; et the glorious Ascension of thy concede propitius; ut a Son: and mercifully grant, praesentibus periculis libe- that we may both be delivered remur, et ad vitam pervenia- from present danger, and mus eeternam. Per eum- arrive at everlasting life, dem. Through the same, &c.

PREFACE

Yere dignum et justum est, eequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, reterne Peus, per (Jlnistum, Domi-

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always and in all places give thanks to thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty t eternal God, through

THE ASCENSION : MASS num nostrum; qui post Resurrectionem suam omnibus discipulis suis manifestus apparuit, et ipsiscernentibus est elevatus in coelum, ut nos divinitatis suae tribueret esse participes. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia ccelestis exercitus, hymnum gloriae tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes: Sanctus, sanctus,sanctus.

Christ our Lord; who after his Resurrection appeared openly to all his disciples, and, in their presence ascended into heaven, to make us partakers of his divine nature. And therefore, with the Angels and Archangels, with the Thrones and Dominations, and with all the heavenly host, we sing a hymn to thy glory, saying unceasingly: Holy, holy, holy.

It is the royal prophet who again speaks in the Communion-anthem. He foretells, a thousand years before the event, that the Emmanuel is to ascend from the east. Mount Olivet, whence our Lord took His departure to His Father's kingdom, is to the east of Jerusalem.

COMMUNION

Psallite Domino, qui as- Sing to the Lord, who hath i cendit super coelos coelorum ascended towards the east, ad orientem, alleluia. above all the heavens, alleluia.

The faithful people has just oonfirmed its union with its divine Head, by reoeiving the adorable Sacrament ; the Church asks of God that this mystery, which contains Jesus within it in an invisible manner, may work in us what it outwardly expresses.

POSTCOMMUNION

Praesta nobis, quaesumus omnipotens et misericors Deus, ut quae visibilibus mysteriis sumenda percepimus, invisibili consequamur effectu. Per Pominum,

Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty and most merciful God, that we may obtain the invisible effects of the visible mysteries we have received. Through, £c T

NOON

A tradition, handed down from the early ages, and confirmed by the revelations of the saints, tells us that the Ascension of our Lord took place at the hour of noon. The Carmelites of St. Teresa's reform honour this pious tradition by assembling in the ohoir, at the hour of midday on the Asoension, and spending it in the contemplation of this last of Jesus' mysteries, following Him, in thought and desire, to the throne of His glory.

Let us also follow Him ; but before looking on the bright noon which smiles on His triumph, let us go baok in thought to His first coming among us. It was at midnight, in the stable of Bethlehem. That dark and silent hour was an appropriate commencement to the three and thirty years of His life on earth. He had come to. accomplish a great mission: year by year and day by day, He laboured in its fulfilment. It was nigh to its fulfilment, when men laid their sacrilegious hands upon Him, and nailed Him to a cross. It was midday, when He was thus raised up in the air ; but the eternal Father would not permit the sun to shine on Jesus' humiliation. Darkness covered the face of the earth ; and that day had no noon. Three hours after, the sun reappeared. Three days after, the Cruoified rose again from the tomb, and it was at the early dawn of light.

On this day, yea at this very hour, His work is completed. He has redeemed us, by His Blood, from our sins ; He has conquered death by His Resurrection to life: had He not a right to choose, for His Asoension, the hour when the sun is pouring forth his warmest and brightest beams P Hail, holy hour of noon, saored with thy double consecration, which reminds us daily of the mercy and of the triumph of our Emmanuel, of salvation by His cross, and of heaven bjr His Ascension J

THE ascension: vespers

But art not Thou, 0 Jesus ! 0 Sun of Justioe ! art not Thou Thyself the noontide of our souls ? Where are we to find that fullness of light for which we were created, where that burning of eternal love which alone can satisfy our longing hearts, but in Thee, who earnest down upon the earth to dispel our darkness and our cold P It is in this hope that we venture to address Thee in the sublime words of Thy faithful bride Gertrude: ' 0 Love, 0 noontide, whose ardours are so soothing ! Thou art the hour of saored rest ; and the. unruffled peace I taste in thee is all my delight. 0 Thou whom my soul loveth, Thou who art my chosen and my elect above all creatures, tell me, show me, where Thou feedest Thy flock, where Thou liest to re<*t in the midday. My heart kindles with rapture at thought of Thy tranquil rest at noon ! Oh that it were given me to come so near to Thee, that I might be not only near Thee, but in Thee! Beneath Thy genial ray, 0 Sun of justice, the flowers of all the virtues would spring forth from me, who am but dust and ashes. Then would my soid, rendered fruitful by Thee, my Master and my Spouse, bring forth the noble fruit of every perfection. Then should I be led forth from this valley of sorrows, and be admitted to behold Thy faoe, so long, so wistfully longed for ; and then would it be my everlasting happiness to think that Thou hast not disdained, 0 Thou spotless Mirror, to unite Thyself to a sinner like me!' 1

The Lord Jesus has disappeared from our earth, but His memory and His promises are treasured in the heart of the Church. She follows in spirit the glorious triumph of her Spouse, a triumph so well

VESPERS

1 Jlxerciti* S. Gertrudis, Die P,

PASCHAL TIM'S deserved by His having accomplished the world's Redemption. She keenly feels her widowhood ; but she awaits, with unshaken confidence, the promised Comforter. The hours of this trying day are passing away, and evening is coming on ; she once more assembles her children, and, in the Office of Vespers, commemorates all that has happened in this sublime mystery of the Ascension.

The antiphons of the psalms relate the great event of noon; the tone of sadness that runs through their melody, is in keeping with the feelings excited by the separation.

Ant. Viri Galilsei, quid Ant. aspicitis in coelum? Hie qui assumptus est a vobis in coelum, sic veniet, alleluia. alleluia. ft f 0 ^

Ye men of Galilee, why look ye up to heaven? Jesus This Jesus, who is taken from you into heaven, shall so come,

Psalm : Dixit Dominus, page 92. ~

Ant. Cumque intueren- Ant. And when they beheld tur in coelum euntem ilium, him going up to heaven, they dixerunt, alleluia. said: alleluia.

Psalm : Confitebor, page 93.

Ant. Elevatis manibus, Ant. Lifting up^his hands, benedixit eis, et f erebatur in he blessed them, and was carcoelum, alleluia. ried up to heaven, alleluia.

Psalm : Beatus vir, page 94.

Ant. Exaltate regem re- Ant. Praise ye the King of gum, et hymnum dicite Deo, kings, and sing a hymn to God, alleluia. alleluia.

Psalm : Laudate, pueri, page 95.

Ant. Yidentibus illis ele- Ant. As they looked on, he vatus est, et nubes suscepit was raised up, and a cloud reeum in coelo, alleluia. ceived him into heaven, alle- luia.

Psalm 116

Jjaudate Dominum, omnes 0 praise the Lord, all ye the ascension: vespers gen tea: laudate eum, omnes populi.

Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et Veritas Domini manet in sternum.

Ant. Videntibus illis elevatus est, et nubes suscepit eum in ccelo, alleluia. nations: praise him all ye people.

For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

Ant. As they looked on, he was raised up, and a cloud received him into heaven, alleluia.

CAPITULUM

( Acts of the Apostles, I.) Primum quidem sermo- The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach, until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up.

The hymn was composed by St. Ambrose, and is full of sweetness ; it was somewhat changed in the seventeenth century, and in this ohanged form we now have it.

HYMN*

Salutis humanae sator, O Jesus Bedeemer of man- nem feci de omnibus, o Theophile, quae ccepit Jesus facere et docere, usque in diem qua praecipiens apostolis per Spiritum Sanctum, quos elegit, assumptus est.

• In the monastic rite, it is retained in its original form, as written by St. Ambrose. It is preceded by the following responsory : Bt. breve. — Ascendens Christus Inferni claustra penetrans,

Tuos captivos redimens, Victor triumpho nobili, Gloria Ad dextram Patris residens. Ipsa te cogat pietas, in alt urn, * Alleluia, alleluia. Ascendens. y. Captivam duxit captivitatem. Alleluia, Patri, &c. Ascendens.

Jesu, nostra redemptio, Amor et desiderium, Deus Creator omnium, Homo in fine temporum.

Quae te vicit dementia, Ut f erres nostra crimina ? Crudelem mortem patiens, Ut nos a morte tolleres ?

Ut mala nostra superes Parcendo, et voti compotes, Nos tuo vultu saties. Tu esto nostrum gaudium, Qui es f uturus praemium ; Sit nostra in te gloria Per cuncta semper specula. 4men,

Jesu, voluptas cordium, Orbis redempti conditor, Et casta lux amantium.

Qua victus es dementia, Ut nostra f erres crimina, Mortem subires innocens, A morte nos ut tolleres?

Perrumpis inf ernum chaos,

Vinctis catenas detrahis: Victor triumpho nobili, Ad dexteram Patris sedes.

Te cogat indulgentia, Ut damna nostra sarcias, Tuique vultus compotes Bites beato lumine.

Tu dux ad astra et semita, Sis meta nostris cordibus, Sis lacrymarum gaudium, Sis dulce vitae premium. Amen. f. Dominus in coelo, alleluia.

Paravit sedem suam, alleluia. kind, joy of our hearts, Creator of the world redeemed, and chaste light of them that love thee.

What mercy was it that led thee to take upon thee our sins? and suffer death, 0 innocent victim, that thou mightest free us from death?

Thou brokest the gates of hell, and the chains of them that were bound. A conqueror, with noblest triumph, thou now sittest at the right hand of the Father.

May thy clemency lead thee to repair our losses. Oh! give us to see thy Face, and enrich us with the blessed light.

Be thou our guide and path to heaven; be thou the object of our heart's desire; be thou the joy of our tears, and the sweet recompense of a life spent for thee! Amen. f. The Lord, in heaven, alleluia.

Jty. Hath prepared his throne, alleluia.

The Magnificat-anthem is an appeal made to our Jesus, that He would be mindful of His own and His Father's promise, and not delay to console His bride by sending her the holy Spirit. The Church repeats this antiphon every day, till the arrival of the heavenly Guest, antiphon of the Magnificat

0 rex gloriae, Domine vir- 0 King of glory, Lord of tutum, qui triumphator ho- hosts, who didst this day as- <Ue super omnes ccelos as? cend in triumph above all the by Google

THE ASCENSION : EVENING heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised us by the Father, alleluia.

LET US PRAY

Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that we, who believe that thy only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, ascended this day into heaven, may also dwell there in desire. Through the same, &c. cendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos, Spiritum veritatis, alleluia.

OREMUS

Concede, quaesumus omnipotens Deus: ut qui hodierna die Unigenitum tuum redemptorem nostrum ad coslos ascendisse credimus, ipsi quoque mente in coelestibus habitemus. Per eumdem.

During the days of the octave, we will listen to the several Churches of old celebrating, each in its own style, but all with one and the same faith, the Ascension of our Redeemer. Let us give the first place to the Ghreek Church, which, in her usual pompous style, commemorates the glories of this mystery. It is her hymn for the evening Office.

HYMN

( In Assumptione Domini, ad Vesperas )

Quando pervenisti, Christe, in montem Olivarum, Patris adimpleturus beneplacitum, obstupuerunt coelestes angeli, et horruerunt inferorum habitatores. Adstabant autem discipuli cum gaudio trementes, dum ipsis loquereris; tamquam thronus vero, ex adverso praeparata erat nubes expectans; portis autem apertis in decore suo coelum apparebat; et terras abscondita revelat, ut notus fiat Adae descensus et reascensus. Sed vestigia guidem exaltabantur tam-

When thou, 0 Christ, camest to Mount Olivet, there to fulfil the good pleasure of thy Father, the angels of heaven were in admiration, and the inhabitants of hell trembled. Thy disciples, too, were there, and they thrilled with joy as thou spokest unto them. A cloud, like a throne, hovered above in front, awaiting thee; the gates of heaven were opened, showing the beauty of its courts, and revealing its hidden treasures to the earth, that Adam might thus learn whence he had fallen and whither he quam a manu: os vero multum benedicebat, quamdiu audiebatur; nubes excipiebat, et coelum te intus suscepit. Opus istud magaum prater rerum ordinem operatus es, Domine, ad salutem animarum nostrarum.

Delapsam in inferiores partes terras naturam Adas a te, Deus, renovatam, super omnem principatum et potestatem tecum hodie sustulisti; quia eaim diligebas, tecum collocasti; quia commiserebaris, tibi univisti; quia unieras, simul passus es; quia passus es impassibilis, conglorificasti. At incorporei: Quis est,aiebant, iste vir speciosus? sed non tantum homo, Deus autem et homo, utramque prof erens naturam. Unde alii angeli in stolis circum discipulos volantes clamabant: Tiri Galilaei, qui a vobis abiit \ hie Jesus homo Deus, rursum veniet Deus homo, judex vivorum et mortuorum, fidelibus autem dans peccatorum veniam et magaam misericordiam.

Quando assumptus es in gloria, Christe Deus, viden- was to reascend. Thy feet were suddenly lifted up, as though some hand were raising them. Thy words, as long as they were heard, were nought but blessing. The cloud received thee, and heaven welcomed thee within its bosom. It was for the salvation of our souls, that thou, O Lord, didst achieve this great work, this work surpassing nature's law.

Thou, 0 God, didst on this day raise up together with thyself, above all Principalities and Powers, the nature of Adam which had fallen into the deep abyss, but which was restored by thee. Because thou lovedst it, thou placedst it on thine own throne ; because thou hadst pity on it, thou unitedst it to thyself; because thou hadst thus united it, thou didst suffer with it; because thou, the impassible, didst thus suffer, thou gavest it to share in thy glory. The angels cried out: 4 Who is this beautiful Man? nay, not Man only, but God and Man, having the Nature of both? 9 Other angels in white garments, hovered round the disciples, and exclaimed: 'Ye men of Galilee! this Jesus, this Man- God, who hath left you will return the God-Man, the J udge of the living and the dead, to give unto them that are faithful pardon and abundant mercy.'

When thou, 0 Christ our God, didst ascend into glory, in

THE ASCENSION : EVENING tibus discipulis, nubes te cum came suscipiebant, # porta coeli sublatse sunt; Angelorum chorus in exsultatione l®tabatur; supernsa Virtutesclamabant dicentes: Attollite portas, principes vestras, et introibit Rex glorias. Discipuli autem obstupefacti dicebant: Ne separeris a nobis, Pastor bone, sed mitte nobis sanctissimum Spiritum tuum, dirigentem et firman tern animas nostras.

Domine, postquam utpote bonus, mysterium a saeculis et generationibus absconditum implevisti, in montem Olivarum cum discipulis tuis venisti, habens earn quae te creatorem et omnium opificem genuit. Earn enim quae in passione tua materno more prae omnibus doluit, oportebat et ob gloriam carnis tuae majori perfrui gaudio; cujus et nos participes effecti, in tua ad coelos ascensione, Domine, magnam tuam in nos misericordiam glorificamus. the sight of thy disciples, a cloud received thee in thy human Nature, and the gates of heaven were uplifted ; the angelic choirs exulted with great joy ; the heavenly Powers cried out, saying: 4 Lift up your gates, O ye princes! and the King of glory shall enter in!' The disciples were amazed, and said to thee: 4 Leave us not, good Shepherd! but send unto us thy holy Spirit, that he may guide and strengthen our souls! '

After having, O Lord, in thy goodness, accomplished the mystery that was hidden from ages and generations, thou didst go, together with thy disciples to Mount Olivet, having with thee her that had given birth to thee the Creator and Maker of all creatures. It was meet that she, who being thy Mother, had mourned more than all others over thy Passion, should also have greater joy in the glory thus conferred upon thy human Nature. We, therefore, who share in the joy she had in thine Ascension glorify thy great mercy.

0 Jesus, our Emmanuel ! Thy work is done, and this is the day of Thy entering into Thy rest. In the beginning of the world, Thou didst spend six days in harmonizing the varied portions of the creation ; after which, Thou enteredst again into Thy rest. When, later on, Thou wouldst repair Thy work, which satan's malice had deranged, Thy love induced Thee to live among us for three-and-thirty years,

PASCHAL TIMI during which Thou didst work our redemption, and restoredst us to the holiness and honour whenoe we had fallen. Whatsoever had been assigned Thee in the eternal decrees of the blessed Trinity, whatsoever had been foretold of Thee by the prophets, all was done, dear Jesus ! not an iota of it all was forgotten. Thy triumphant Ascension was the close of the mission Thou hadst so mercifully undertaken. It was Thy second entrance into Thy rest ; but, this time,it was with our human nature which Thou hadst assumed, and which was now to receive divine honour. Thou wouldst have companions in Thine Ascension: the souls Thou hadst liberated from limbo ; yea, and when about to leave us, Thou saidst this word of consolation to us: 4 1 go to prepare a place for you ! n

Confiding 0 Jesus! in this promise; resolved to follow Thee in all the mysteries achieved by Thee for our sake — in the humility of Thy birth at Bethlehem, in Thy sufferings on Calvary, in the joy of Thy Resurreotion — we hope, also, to imitate Thee, when our mortal course is run, in Thy glorious Ascension, Meanwhile, we unite with the holy apostles who rejoiced at Thy triumph, and with the ransomed captives of limbo who entered heaven in Thy compauy. Watch over us, I) divine Shepherd, while we are in our exile ! Tend Thy faithful sheep ; let none be lost ; lead them all to Thy fold. The mystery of Thine Ascensiou shows us the object of our existence ; it reanimates us to study more attentively, and love more warmly, all Thy other mysteries. Our one ambition, then, our one desire, shall henceforth be our own asoension to heaven and to Thee. It was for this Thou earnest into the world: by humbling Thyself to our lowliness, to exalt us to Thine own majesty ; and by making Thyself Man, to make man

1 St. John, xiy. 2.

THE ASCENSION: EVENING a partaker of Thy Divinity. But until the happy day of our union with Thee, what would become of us without that Power of the Most High whom Thou hast promised to send us, that He may bring us

Etience during our pilgrimage, fidelity to our absent ng, and that solace of a heart exiled from its God, love ? Come, then, 0 holy Spirit ! Support our weakness; fix the eye of our souls on the heaven where our King awaits us; and never permit us to set our hearts on a world which, had it every other charm, has not the infinite one of Jesus' visible presence!

Let us close our feast with this beautiful prayer, taken from the Mozarabio breviary.

PRAYER

Unigenite Dei Filius, qui devicta morte de terrenis ad coelestia transitum faciens, quasi filius hominis apparens, in throno magnam claritatem habens, quern omnis militia coelestis exercitus angelorum laudat: praebe nobis, ut nullis flagitiorum vinculis in corde hujus saeculi illigemur, qui te ad Patrem ascendisse gloriosa fidei devotione concinimus, ut illic indesinenter cordis nostri dirigatur obtutus, quo tu ascendisti post vulnera gloriosus. Amen.

Only-begotten Son of God! who, having conquered death, didst pass from earth to heaven : who, as Son of Man, art seated in great glory on thy throne, receiving praise from the whole angelic host! grant that we, who in the jubilant devotion of our faith, celebrate thine Ascension to the Father, may not be fettered by the chains of sin to the love of this world; and that the aim of our hearts may unceasingly be directed to the heaven, whither thou didst ascend in glory, after thy Passion. Amen.