PSALM I cried to the Lord with my voice with my voice I made supplication to the Lord. In his sight I pour out my prayer and before him I declare my trouble. When my spirit failed me, then thou knowest my paths. In this way wherein I walked, they have had a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath perished from me and there is no one that hath regard to my soul. I cried to thee, O Lord; I said: Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name : the just wait for me until thou reward me. ANT. I looked on my right hand, and beheld: and there was no one that would know me. ANTIPHON OF THE Magnificat. ANT. As they were at Supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to his Disciples. ANT. Conantibus autem illis, accepit Jesus panem et benedixit, ac fregit, deditque discipulis suis. Then is said the Canticle Magnificat, (see page 88.) The Antiphon is repeated, and then is added the following Versicle: . Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem. V. Christ became, for our sakes, obedient unto death. After the Pater noster has been said secretly, the Psalm Miserere (page 388) is recited with a suppressed voice. The following prayer concludes the Vespers. Respice, quæsumus, Domine, super hanc familiam tuam, pro qua Dominus noster Jesus Christus non dubitavit manibus tradi nocentium, et crucis subire tormentum. Look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, on this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ hesitated not to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and undergo the punishment of the Cross. (Then, the rest in secret :) Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum, amen. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end, amen. THE STRIPPING THE ALTARS. As soon as Vespers are over, the Celebrant returns to the Sanctuary, assisted by the Deacon and Subdeacon. He goes to the Altar, and takes off the cloths and ornaments. This ceremony signifies the suspension of the Holy Sacrifice. The Altar should be left in this denuded state, until the daily offering can be again presented to the Divine Majesty; that is, when the Spouse of the holy Church shall arise from the Grave, the Conqueror of Death. He is now in the Hands of his enemies, the Jews, who are about to strip him of his garments, just as we strip the Altar. He is to be exposed naked to the insults of the rabble: and for this reason, the Psalm selected to be recited during this mournful ceremony is the 21st, wherein the Messias speaks of the Roman Soldiers' dividing his garments among them. ANT. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots. ANT. Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem. PSALM 21. O God, my God, look upon me why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me. But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel. In thee have our fathers hoped they have hoped and thou hast delivered them. They cried to thee, and they were saved they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people. All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighted in him. For thou art he that hast Deus, Deus meus, respice in me: quare me dereliquisti: * Longe a salute mea verba delictorum meorum. Deus meus, clamabo per diem, et non exaudies: * et nocte, et non ad insipientiam mihi. Tu autem in sancto habitus: * Laus Israël. In te speraverunt patres nostri : * speraverunt, et liberasti eos. Ad te clamaverunt, et salvi facti sunt : * in te speraverunt, et non sunt confusi. Ego autem sum vermis, et non homo: * opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis. Omnes videntes me deriserunt me: *locuti sunt labiis, et moverunt caput. Speravit in Domino, eripiat eum : *salvum faciat eum, quoniam vult eum. Quoniam tu es, qui ex traxisti me de ventre: * spes mea ab uberibus matris meæ. In te projectus sum ex utero. De ventre matris meæ Deus meus es tu: * ne discesseris a me. Quoniam tribulatio proxima est: quoniam non est qui adjuvet. Circumdederunt me vituli multi: * tauri pingues obsederunt me. Aperuerunt super me os suum: *sicut leo rapiens et rugiens. Sicut aqua effusus sum: *et dispersa sunt omnia Ossa me. Factum est cor meum tamquam cera liquescens : * in medio ventris mei. Aruit tamquam testa virtus mea, et lingua mea, adhæsit faucibus meis: * et in pulverem mortis deduxisti me. Quoniam circumdederunt me canes multi: * concilium malignantium obsedit me. Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos: * dinumerave runt omnia ossa mea. Ipsi vero consideraverunt et inspexerunt me: * diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea, et super vestem meam miserunt sortem. Tu autem, Domine, ne elongaveris auxilium tuum a me: * ad defensionem meam conspice. Erue a framea, Deus, animam meam : * et de manu can is unicam meam. drawn me out of the womb : my hope from the breasts of my mother. I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God, depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me. Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me. They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring. I am poured out like water: and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaven to my jaws and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death. : For many dogs have encompassed me the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet: they have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me: they parted my garments amongst them, and upon my vesture they cast lots. But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me: look towards my defence. Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name to my brethren in the midst of the church will I praise thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him. Let all the seed of Israel fear him because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me. With thee is my praise in the great church : I will pay vows in the sight of them that fear him. The poor shall eat, and shall be filled, and they shall praise the Lord that seek him their hearts shall live for ever and ever. Salva me ex ore leonis : * et a cornibus unicornium humilitatem meam. Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis: * in medio ecclesiæ laudabo te. Qui timetis Dominum, laudate eum: * universum semen Jacob, glorificate eum. Timeat eum omne semen Israël : * quoniam non sprevit, neque despexit deprecationem pauperis. Nec avertit faciem suam a me et cum clamarem ad eum, exaudivit me. Apud te laus me in ecclesia magna : *vota mea reddam in conspectu timentium eum. Edent pauperes, et saturabuntur, et laudabunt Dominum : qui requirunt eum: * vivent corda eorum in sæculum sæculi. All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord. And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight. For the kingdom is the Lord's and he shall have dominion over the nations. All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored all they that go down to the earth, shall fall before him. And to him my soul shall live and my seed shall serve him. : There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall show * Reminiscentur, et convertentur ad Dominum : universi fines terræ. Et adorabunt in conspectu ejus: * universæ familiæ gentium. Quoniam Domini est regnum: * et ipse dominabitur gentium. Manducaverunt, et adoraverunt omnes pingues terræ: * in conspectu ejus cadent omnes, qui descendunt in terram. Et anima mea illi vivet :* et semen meum serviet ipsi. Annuntiabitur Domino generatio ventura: * et annuntiabunt cœli justitiam |