Sixth Day Within the Octave

" to perform the sacred rites prescribed with regard " to those who have slept in the Lord. " 1

Tomorrow we will give some examples of these last honours paid by the Church to her children.

Certain Churches borrow the following stanzas from the tenth Song of the Cathemerinon, which gave us yesterday the Mozarabio Hymn for the Dead.

HYMN.

Jam mcesta quiesce querela,

Lacrymas suspendite matres,

Nullus sua pignora plangat : Mors hsec reparatio vitae est.

Quidnam sibi saxa cavata, Quid pulchra volunt monu- menta, Bes quod nisi creditur illis Non mortua, sed data som- no?

Nam quod requiescere corpus

Vacuum sine mente videmus,

Spatium breve restat ut alti Kepetat collegia sensus. Venient cito ssecula cum jam

Socius calor ossa revisat, Animataque sanguine vivo Habitacula pristma gestet.

Quae pigra cadavera pridem

Tumulis putrefacta j acebant,

1 Dionys. De eccles. hierarch.

Cease now each sad complaint ; ye mothers check your tears ; let no man mourn the pledges he has given : for this death is the restoration of life.

What mean these sculptured marbles, and these fair monuments, save that what is committed to them is not dead, but laid to sleep ?

For this body which we see lying lifeless, yet a little while and it will seek once more the companionship of the spirit that has fled on high.

Quickly shall the time come, when friendly life shall make these cold embers glow; and animating them with circling blood, shall take back her former dwelling.

The motionless corpses, that have lain corrupting in their graves, shall be caught up into the swift air, united to the

TIME AFTER PENTECOST.

Volucres rapientur in auras Animas oomitata priores.

Sic semina sicca virescunt Jam mortua, jamque sepulta :

Quae reddita cespite ab imo Veteres meditantur aristas. Nunc suscipe terra fovendum,

Gremioque huno concipe molli :

Hominis tibi membra se- questro, Generosa et fragmina credo. Animse fuit naec domus olim,

Factoris ab ore creat® ; Fervens habitavit in istis Sapientia principe Christo. Tu depositum tege corpus :

Non immemor ille requiret Sua munera fictor et auctor Propriique senigmata vultus.

Yeniant modo tempora justa

Cum spem Deus impleat omnem, Reddas patef acta necesse est Qualem tibi trado figuram. Amen. same souls as before.

Even thus do the dry seeds, dead and buried, become green blades; and, springing up from the sward, recall the former ears.

Receive now, 0 earth, this deposit into thy care, and cherish it in thy tender bosom: 'tis the form of a man I place in thee, noble remains I entrust to thee.

This was once the home of a spirit breathed from the mouth of its Creator; Christ ruled these members, and his holy wisdom dwelt therein.

Then shelter the body confided to thee : he who made it will not forget it, but will ask back the guts he had given, and the likeness of his own countenance.

Soon the promised time will come, when God shall fulfil all hope ; then thou must needs open thy bosom, and restore this form such as I give it thee.

The following Responsory is the last of the third Nooturn in the short Office of the Dead per annum. After it we give an ancient prayer, found in the Ambrosian rite, and appropriated to deoeased benefactors and relatives. 1

EE8P0N80RY.

&. Libera me, Domine, &. Deliver me, 0 Lord, from

1 Oratio super sindonem, in Missa quotidiana pro deftmctis Fratribus, Sororibus, Propinquis et Benefaotoribus. de viis inferni, qui portas aereas confregisti: et visitasti infemum, et dedisti eis lumen, ut viderent te, * Qui erant in pcenis tenebrarum. f. Olamantes et dieentes : Advenisti, Bedemptor noster. * Qui erant. y. Eequiem aeternam dona eis, Domine : et lux perpetua luceat eis. * Qui erant. the ways of hell, who hast broken the brazen gates, and hast visited hell, and hast given light to them, that they might behold thee * who were in the pains of darkness. f. Crying, and saying: Thou art come, 0 our Redeemer. * Who were. f. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them. * Who were.

PRATER.

Deus vita viventium, spes morientium, salus omnium in te sperantium, praesta propitius, ut animse famulorum famularumque tuarum a nostras mortalitatis tenebris absolutae in perpetua cum Sanctis tuis luce laetentur. Per Dominum.

0 God, the life of the living, the hope of the dying, the salvation of all that trust in thee, mercifully grant that the souls of thy servants and handmaids, delivered from the darkness of our mortality, may rejoice with thy Saints in perpetual light. Through our Lord.

The following Prose by Adam of St. Victor, though often assigned to other feasts, was sung in several places to celebrate all the Saints.

SEQUENCE.

Supernae matris gaudia Bepraesentet Boclesia : Dum festa colit annua, Suspiret ad perpetua.

In hac valle miseriae Mater sucourrat filiae : Hie coelestes excubiae Nobiscum stent in acie.

Let the Church on earth commemorate the joys of her mother the Church in heaven : and while she celebrates annual feasts, let her sigh for those which are eternal.

May the mother assist her daughter in this valley of sorrows : and may our heavenly guardians be at our side in the battle.

TIME AFTER PENTECOST.

Mundus, caro, daemonia Diversa movent prselia : Incursu tot phantasmatum Turbatur cordis sabbatum.

Dies festos cognatio Simul haec habet odio, Certatque pari foedere Pacem de terra tollere.

Confusa sunt hie omnia, Spes, metus, moeror, gau- dium : Vix hora vel dimidia Fit in coalo silentium.

Quam f elix ilia ciyitas In qua jugis solemnitas ! Et quam jocunda curia. Quae curse prorsus nescia !

Nec languor hie, nee senium,

Neo fraus, nec terror hostium,

Sed una vox Isetantium Et unus ardor cordium.

Illio cives angelici Sub hierarchia triplici, Trinra gaudent et simplici Be Monarchiae subjici.

Mirantur, neo deficiunt, In ilium quern prospiciunt : Fruuntur, nec fastidiunt, Quo frui magis sitiunt.

Illic patres dispositi Pro dignitate meriti, Semota jam caligine Lumen vident in lumine.

Hi sancti quorum hodie Oelebrantur solemnia Jam revelata facie Begem cernunt in gloria.

Illio Eegina virginum,

The world, the flesh, and the devils wage their several warfares ; at the onslaught of so many terrors, the heart's tranquillity is disturbed.

All this brood detests our feast-days, and with united force, endeavours to drive peace from the earth.

Here all is confusion ; hope, fear, sadness, joy are commingled: in heaven, scarce half an hour is silence kept.

Oh ! how happy is that city, where there is unceasing festivity ! and how joyful is that assembly where care is utterlyunknown !

No sickness there, nor old age; no deceit, nor terror of foes ; but all one voice of joyful souls, and all one burning love of hearts.

There the angelic citizens in their triple hierarchy rejoice to be subject to a Monarch who is both One and Three.

They admire, and faint not in contemplating, the God upon whom they gaze ; they enjoy him, and are not satiated, for the enjoyment brings new thirst.

There are our fathers, ranked according to their merit; all darkness is now dispelled, and in God's light they see light.

These Saints, whose solemnity is celebrated to-day, behold with unveiled face the king in his glory.

There is the Queen of vir-

Transoendens oulmen ordi- gins, far above the highest nam, choirs; may she, before the

Exouset apud Dominum Lord, excuse our guilty falls.

Nostrorum lapsus criminum.

Nos ad sanctorum glo- And after this present mise- riam, ry, may the grace of Christ,

Per ipsorum suffragia, through the intercession of the

Post prsesentem miseriam Saints, lead us to the same

Ghristi perducat gratia. glory ! Amen.

Amen.

TIME AFTER PENTECOST.

November 7.

SEVENTH DAT WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF ALL SAINTS.

€t A great mystery " says St. John Ohrysostom, "is " accomplished in our dead. A mystery of praise " and of joy, when, summoned by the King of kings, " the soul goes to meet her Lord, accompanied by " Angels sent from heaven for the purpose ! And " thou — dost thou lament P 1 When the bridegroom, " to whom thou hast given thy daughter, carries her " to a far country, thou dost not oomplain, provided "he makes her happy; although her absence is a " grief to thee, the sadness is tempered. And now, " because it is not a man, a fellow-slave, but the Lord " himself that claims one of thy family, is thy grief " to be without measure ? I do not forbid thee to " shed a tear ; weep, but be not disconsolate even as " others who have no hope? And be ready also to re- "turn thanks, as is meet; honouring thereby thy " dead, as well as glorifying God, and thus giving " them magnificent obsequies." 3

With sucn sentiments were our fathers inspired, in those farewells of the primitive liturgy, whioh contrasted so strangely with the sad pomp of pagans, and whioh made the funeral train resemble a bridal prooession. First, loving hands respectfully washed

1 Chbts. in Acta Ap. Homilia xxi. 3, 4. 2 I. Thess. iy. 12.

• Chuys. Homilia de Dormientibus, V. de Lazaro, 2.