with the Father,—consubstantial to the Father: and, then, after causing much trouble and sin, Arianism will die out, and be forgotten. The Jews, mentioned in to-day's Gospel, are the fore-runners of Arius; they understand what our Lord says,—be says he is God; and they seek to stone him. Jesus gives them a fresh grace; he shows them why they should receive what he here teaches: he reminds them, by the Scriptures they knew off by heart, that the name god has sometimes been applied, in a limited sense, to men who had certain high offices put upon them by heaven; and then, he bids them think of all the miracles they have seen him work, which so plainly testify to his being assisted by his Father, and once more declares himself to be God, saying: The Father is in me, and I in the Father. But men, hardened in obstinacy as these are, cannot be convinced; and the sin they have committed against the Holy Ghost is working its effects. How different is it with the Sheep of this divine Shepherd! They hear his voice; they follow him; he gives them eternal life; no man shall pluck them out of his hand. Happy Sheep indeed! They believe, because they love; and as it is through the heart that Truth gains ascendency over them, so is it by pride of intellect that darkness gets admission into the soul of the unbeliever, and lasts as long as pride lasts. Alas! poor unbeliever! he loves his darkness; he calls it light; he blasphemes when he thinks he reasons, just as these Jews crucified the Son of God, that, as they said, they might give glory to God! Humiliate capita vestra Deo. Adesto supplicationibus nostris, omnipotens Deus; et quibus fiduciam sperandæ pietatis indulges, con Bow down your heads to God. Hear our prayers and entreaties, O Almighty God, and grant that those to whom thou givest hopes of thy mercy, may experience the effects of suetæ misericordiæ tribue thy usual clemency. Through benignus effectum. Christ our Lord. Amen. Per Christum Dominum nos trum. Amen. The Mozarabic Breviary gives us the following beautiful prayer, which consists of exclamations to our suffering Jesus. PRAYER. (Sabbato Dominicæ V. Quadragesima.) . O Jesus! thou true Son of God, B. Graciously hear us ! have mercy on thy suppliant people. Thou that alone didst save the world by the triumph of thy Cross, do thou, by the Blood thou didst shed, deliver us. R. And graciously hear us. V. By thy Death, thou didst destroy death; By thy Resurrection, thou didst give us life; for our sakes, thou didst suffer undue punishment. B. And graciously hear us. V. May we celebrate, in peace, these days of thy Passion, and thereby be consoled by thy sweetness. R. And graciously hear us. V. Let not them perish, for whom thou didst suffer the Cross; but, by thy Cross, lead them to life everlasting. R. And graciously hear us. te, V. Verus Dei Filius Chris R. Exaudi: populo supplicanti miserere. V. Qui triumpho Crucis tuæ salvasti solus orbem, tu cruoris tui pœna nos libera. Let us now turn towards the Holy Cross. These words of the Greek Church, in her Triodion, will assist our devotion. HYMN. (Feria V. media Septimana.) Crucis speciem insinuans, When the most praisemanus, permutato ordine, worthy Patriarch Jacob, was, of olim expandit decantatissi- old, about to bless his children, mus Jacob, benedictionem he crossed his arms; in this nepotibus impertiens; si- he represented the Cross, and mulque salutiferam bene- prefigured that saving blessing dictionem quæ ad nos om- which thence came to each of nes pertingit indicans. Te salutiferam armaturam, te invictum trophæum, lætitiæ signum, quo mors occisa est, amplectimur, illustres effecti ejus gloria qui in te, Crux honora tissima, affixus est. Assistunt incorporearum Virtutum ordines trementes coram ligno vitam præbente. In te enim Christus sanguinem effudit, pretium redemptionis repræsentans, dæmonibus piaculare et capitale, ob perniciem hominibus illatam. Percussum me hostis gladio sana sanguine tuo, Verbum, et lancea celeriter pec catorum meorum chirographum disrumpe, et in librum vitæ inscribe. Inferni habitaculum concussisti, ubi in terra defixa es: fidelibus autem fulcrum inconcussum et stabilis protectio effecta es, ô veneranda Crux. Feraces virtutum effecti decerpamus divini ligni vivificos fructus, quos protulit us. We embrace thee, most venerable Cross, as our armour of salvation, the invincible trophy, the standard of joy, whereby Death was put to death; for we have been made to share in the glory of Him, that was nailed upon thee. The choirs of the angelic Powers stand in holy awe around thee, O life-giving tree! For it was on thee that Christ shed his Blood, which was the price of our redemption, and which utterly destroyed all those rights that sin had given the devil over mankind. O Word (made Flesh)! the sword of the enemy hath struck me; heal me by thy Blood. Speedily tear, with thy Spear, the hand-writing of my sins, and write my name in the book of life. O venerable Cross! when thou wast fixed in the earth, thou didst make to tremble the region of hell; but thou wast made a firm support and unshaken protection to the Faithful. Being made fruitful in virtue, let us pluck from the divine Tree those life-giving fruits, offered unto us by that rich Vine, Jesus, who lay stretched upon it. O Jesus! we praise thy immense goodness, as we venerate the Cross, and Spear, and Reed, whereby, O merciful God, thou didst remove the wall of enmity that stood between us and thee. nobis in hoc extensus Jesus vitis illa fructifera. Laudamus, Jesu, immensam bonitatem tuam adorantes Crucem, lanceam et arundinem per quam sustulisti, misericors, inimicitiarum medium parietem. |