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arundinem; totiusque corporis extensiones in cruce; artus clavos; et latus lanceam. Qui passus es pro nobis, et patiens liberos nos fecisti; quique amore erga homines una nobiscum te demisisti, nosque sublimasti, omnipotens Salvator, miserere nostri.

Hodie in cruce te suspenVerbum, inculpata Virgo spectans, maternis visceribus morens, corde vulnerabatur amare, et gemens dolenter ex animæ profundo flebiliter exclamabat: Heu me, Divine Nate! heu me, o lux mundi! eur ex oculis meis abscessisti, Agne Dei? Inde incorporeorum Spirituum exercitus tremore corripiebantur, dicentes: Incomprehensibilis Domine, gloria tibi.

Domine, ascendente te in crucem, timor et tremor cecidit in creaturam : et terram quidem prohibebas absorbe re eos, qui te crucifigebant: inferno autem permittebas remittere vinctos. Judex vivorum, et mortuorum venisti, ut vitam præstares et non mortem amans hominum, gloria tibi.

mies; thy back, with scourges; thy hand, with a reed; thy whole body, with the cross; thy hands and feet, with nails; thy side, with a spear. O Almighty Saviour! who didst suffer for us, and, by thy sufferings, didst make us free! O thou, that out of love for man, didst humble thyself with us, that thus thou mightest exalt us!-have mercy on us!

To-day, the sinless Virgin saw thee, O Word! hanging on the Cross: she wept over thee with a mother's love: her heart was cruelly wounded: and thus, with doleful sobs and tears, she spake from her inmost soul: Alas! my Di"vine Son! Alas! thou Light "of the World! why hast thou departed from my sight, O Lamb of God?"-The Angel host was seized with trembling, and said: "Glory be "to thee, O incomprehensible "Lord!"

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Fear and trembling fell upon thy creatures, O Lord, when thou didst ascend thy Cross. Yet wouldst thou not permit the earth to swallow up them that crucified thee; nay, thou gavest leave to death to set its captives free. Thou camest into the world, O Judge of the living and the dead! that thou mightest bring, not death, but life. Glory be to thee, O Lover of mankind!

The ancient Gallican Liturgy contains, in to-day's Office, the following eloquent and devout prayer.

PRAYER.

(Oratio ad Nonam.)

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O saving hour of the Passion! O hour of None, favoured with richest graces! O hour of hours! O beloved Spouse of souls, kiss us at this hour from thy Cross, for the Cross is the trophy of thy victory. Yea, we beseech, grant us thy kiss, grant us thy salvation, O admirable Conqueror! O heavenly Charioteer! O good God! O most glorious Champion! Do thou, O all-seeing Jesus, speak to our hearts, and say: Hail, all "hail! Be vigorous, act man"fully, be courageous!" Thou, O Lord, that didst these things of old, canst thou not the same now? Thou canst, yea, thou canst, for thou art allpowerful. Thou canst, most loving Jesus! thou canst do beyond what we can think. And whereas nothing is impossible to thee, O Almighty God, our Jesus! kiss us, we beseech thee, Beloved Lord, who didst triumphantly return to the Father, with whom thou wast and art, for ever, one; for thy kiss is sweet, thy breasts are better than wine, and are fragrant with the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out, therefore have our souls loved thee. The righteous, whom thou drawest to thee, love thee. Thy couch is strewed with flowers, the Cross is thy trophy. Coming in scarlet, at this Hour, from,

O salutaris hora Passionis, o magna maximarum gratiarum Nona hodierna, maxima horarum hora. Hac nunc tu, noster dilecte Sponse, osculare de cruce, licet post crucis trophæum. Osculare, precamur; salutare tuum impertire nobis, triumphator mirabilis, auriga supreme, Deus pie, gloriosissime propugnator. Avete, valete, invalescite et viriliter agite, confortamini dicito, loquere cordibus nostris inspector Christe. An qui olim hæc fecisti, nunc eadem non potes facere? potes utique, potes; quia omnipotens es potes, amantissime, potes facere quod non possumus cogitare: quia nihil tibi impossibile est, Deus omnipotens, Jesus, osculare, quæso, dilectissime, qui triumphans regressus es ad Patrem, cum quo semper eras et permanes unus; quia osculum tuum dulce est, et ubera tua vino dulciora, fragrantia optimis unguentis; et nomen tuum super oleum, quem adolescentulæ dilexerunt: quem recti diligunt, quos trahis post te: cujus lectus floridus, cujus trophæum crux. Qui hac hora rubens de Edom, de cruce, tinctis vestibus de Bosra, solus quasi calcator magni illius torcularis ad

cœlos ascendisti: cui occurrunt Angeli, Archangeli dicentes: Quis est iste qui ascendit, tinctis vestibus de Bosra? Quibuste interrogantibus: Quare ergo rubrum est vestimentum tuum? respondisti: Torcular calcavi solus, et vir de gentibus non fuit mecum. Vere, Salvator, vere rubrum est tuum propter nos corpus : rubrum est sanguine uvæ; lavasti enim in vino stolam tuam, et pallium tuum in sanguine uvæ: qui es Deus solus, crucifixus pro nobis, quos antiqua prævaricatio morti tradidit: cujus vulnere omnium innumera peccatorum vulnera sanata sunt. Et nos, pie crucifixe Christe, cum tuis redime; salva, pia bonitas Deus. Qui regnas cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto, unus in æternum et in sæcula sæculo

rum.

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Why, then, is thy apparel "red?" Thou answerest: “I "have trodden the wine-press “alone: and of the Gentiles,

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there is not a man with me.'

Truly, O Saviour! truly is thy body red for our sakes: it is red with the blood of the Grape, for thou hast washed thy robe in Wine, and thy garment in the blood of the Grape. Thou alone art God, crucified for us, whom the ancient sin had delivered over to death; and by thy Wounds, the countless sins of all men have been healed. O loving crucified Jesus! put us among the number of thy redeemed. Save us, O loving goodness! our God! who with the Father and Holy Ghost, reignest one God for ever, yea for ever and ever.

HOLY SATURDAY.

THE NIGHT OFFICE.

The Ceremonies used by the Church for the Office of Tenebræ having been already explained, we deem it unnecessary to repeat our instructions. The reader may refer to them, should he require to refresh his memory. They are given in pages 304-306.

Pater noster, Ave, and Credo, in secret.

THE FIRST NOCTURN.

The first Psalm is one which the Church daily recites in her Compline, because it expresses the confidence wherewith the Christian takes his rest. She uses it in to-day's Tenebræ, to remind us of the Rest taken by Christ in his Sepulchre, where he sleeps with the assurance of wakening to a glorious Resurrection.

ANT. In peace, in the selfsame, I will sleep, and I will take my rest.

ANT. In pace, in idipsum, dormiam et requiescam.

PSALM 4.

When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me when I was in distress thou hast enlarged me.

Cum invocarem, exaudivit me Deus justitiæ meæ : * in tribulatione dilatasti mihi.

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Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

O ye sons of men, how long will ye be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

Know ye also that the Lord hath made his Holy One wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

Be ye angry and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them on your beds.

Offer up the sacrifice of justice and trust in the Lord: many say: Who showeth us good things?

The light of thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us thou hast given gladness in my heart.

By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.

In peace, in the self-same I will sleep, and I will take my rest.

For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.

ANT. In peace, in the selfsame, I will sleep, and I will take my rest.

The second Psalm speaks of the happiness that is in reserve for the just man, and of the rest which is to be the reward of his labours. The Church applies it to Christ, the Just One, by excellence, who went about doing good.

ANT. Habitabit in taber- ANT. He shall dwell in naculo tuo requiescet in thy tabernacle: he shall monte sancto tuo. rest in thy holy hill.

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