faith in the Resurrection was not as yet in their hearts. The Incense signifies their spices; the absence of light signifies their want of faith.

GOSPEL.

The Bishop does not intone the glorious Symbol of Faith it is reserved for the second Mass, which is to be sung at a later hour in the morning. By this omission of the Creed, the Church would re

mind us of the hours which elapsed, before the Apostles, who were to preach to the world the Mystery of the Resurrection, had themselves honoured it by their faith.

After having saluted the people with the usual Dominus vobiscum, the Pontiff at once proceeds to offer to the Divine Majesty the bread and wine, which are to be used in the Sacrifice; and the Choir omits the Antiphon, which is called the Offertory, and is sung or recited in every other Mass. The Offertory is intended as a chant to be sung whilst the people go up to the Sanctuary when offering the bread and wine for the Holy Sacrifice, and which they are to receive, at the Communion, changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. But the Service of

Holy Saturday is so long, that this ceremony of the offering is omitted. The spirit is as prompt and fervent as ever, but the body begins to feel exhausted; and the little children, who are kept fasting, on account of having to go to holy Communion, show by their cries that they, too, are suffering from want of food. To save time, therefore, the bread and wine, the matter of the Sacrifice, are provided this morning by the Church. The Neophytes will, nevertheless, approach to holy Communion, although they themselves have not brought bread and wine to the Sanctuary.

After having made the offering, and censed, first the Bread and Wine, then the Altar, the Pontiff recites the Secret, which is followed by the Easter Preface.

SECRET.

Receive, O Lord, we beseech thee, the prayers of thy people, together with the offering of these hosts, that what is consecrated by these Paschal

Suscipe quæsumus, Domine, preces populi tui cum oblationibus hostiarum : ut Paschalibus initiata mysteriis, ad æternitatis nobis

Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, te quidem Domine, omni tempore, sed in hac potissimum Nocte gloriosius prædicare, cum Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus. Ipse enim verus est Agnus, qui abstulit peccata mundi: qui mortem nostram moriendo destruxit, et vitam resurgendo reparavit. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia cœlestis exercitus, hymnum gloriæ tuæ canimus, sine fine dicentes: Sanctus! Sanctus! Sanctus!

For

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, to publish thy praise, O Lord, at all times; but chiefly and more gloriously on this Night, when Christ our Paschal Lamb is sacrificed. he is the true Lamb, that has taken away the sins of the world. Who by dying destroyed our death, and by rising again, restored us to life. 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!

The Canon commences, and the divine mystery is effected. Nothing in the sacred rites is changed, until close upon the Communion. It is a custom, which has come down from the times of the Apostles, that, before receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord in Communion, the Faithful should give to each other the Kiss of Peace, saying: "Peace be with thee!" This ceremony is omitted in this first

Mass. It was not till the evening of the day of his Resurrection, that Jesus spoke these words to his Disciples. Holy Church, reverencing, as she does, every detail of her Jesus' life, loves to imitate them in her own practice. For the same reason, she omits the Agnus Dei,1 which, in its third repetition, has these words: "Give us Peace."

And now the moment has come, when our Neophytes are to receive, for the first time, the Bread of Life and the Heavenly Chalice, which were instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper. Baptised in Water and the Holy Ghost, they have a right to approach the holy Table; and their White Robes are the outward expression of their souls' possessing the Wedding Garment, which all must have on, who would partake of the Banquet of the Lamb. They go up to the Altar with joy and reverence. The Deacon gives them the Body of our Lord, and then the Chalice of his precious Blood. The infants are also admitted to Communion: the Deacon dips his finger into the Chalice, and then puts it into their innocent mouths. Lastly, to signify that all are now, by their Baptism, those new-born babes, of whom St. Peter speaks,2—they receive, after holy Communion, a little milk and honey; it is a symbol of infancy, and, at the same time, an allusion to the Promised Land.

The Communion over, the Bishop ends the Holy Sacrifice with a Prayer, in which he beseeches God to unite us all to each other in a spirit of fraternal charity, seeing that we all participate in the celebration of the Pasch. We have all the same Mother,the Church; the same Font of Baptism has given to us all the same life of grace; we are all members of Jesus, our Head; the same Holy Spirit has signed

1 This formula does not date beyond the 7th century. 2 I. St. Pet. ii. 2.

us all with his seal, and the Father has made us all one family by adopting us as his Children. The signal for departure being given by the Deacon, in the Bishop's name, the Faithful leave the Church, and return to their homes, there to remain till they re-assemble for the Holy Sacrifice, which is again to be offered up in a still more solemn celebration of this the Feast of Feasts,-the Pasch of the Resurrection.

VESPERS.

During the centuries, when the Church celebrated the Vigil of Easter in the manner we have been describing, Holy Saturday had no Vespers. The Vigil began towards the hour of None, and continued, as we have seen, till the early morning of the Sunday. It was not till later, when custom had authorised the anticipating the Easter midnight Mass, and saying it on the morning of Holy Saturday, that this last day of Holy Week was provided with the Office of Vespers. In consequence of the service being so long, the Church made these Vespers as short as possible, and gave them a joyous character, in keeping with the return of the "Alleluia." They are drawn up so as to form part of the Mass. They begin immediately after the Communion, and the Postcommunion serves as a conclusion both to them and the Mass itself. This Postcommunion Prayer is the one of which we have just been speaking, as terminating the ancient celebration of the Easter Vigil.

After the Communion, then, the Choir sings the following Antiphon and Psalm:

ANT. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

ANT. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.