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White Semidouble Christum regem adoremus dominantem gentibus, qui se manducantibus dat spiritus pingudeninem. Let us adore Christ, the King, who ruleth the nations; who giveth fatness of spirit to them that eat him. MAN HAS BEEN CAST FORTH from Eden, and is gone into the dreary land of his exile. He has nothing left him of the Tree of Life, but the recollection that it was once his. It remains in the happy land where it was first planted; how could it go after the sinner man, now that he is banished into the vale of tears? No! it...

Red Semidouble Veni, sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and enkindle within them the fire of thy love. WE HAVE BEEN CONTEMPLATING, with grateful hearts, the inexpressible devotedness, the divine untiredness, wherewith the Holy Ghost fulfills his mission in the souls of men; we have something still to add to our considerations, in order to have anything like a true idea of the wonders wrought by the Divine Guest when the heart raises no obstacles. And first of all, we deem it...

Violet Privileged Vigil of the First Class O rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cœlos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis, alleluia. O King of glory, Lord of hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph above all the heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised by the Father, alleluia. THE DAZZLING SPLENDOR of tomorrow’s Solemnity forecasts its beauty on this day of its Vigil. The Faithful are preparing themselves by Fasting to celebrate the glorious mystery. But the Mass of the...

O rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cœlos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis, alleluia. O King of glory, Lord of hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph above all the heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised by the Father, alleluia. JESUS, then—the Man who dwelt on the earth and was perfect in all holiness—has ascended into heaven. This earth, accursed of God as it was, has produced the fairest Fruit of heaven; and heaven, with its gates shut against...

White   ℣. In resurrectione tua Christe, alleluia. ℣. In thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia. ℟. Cœli et terra lætentur, alleluia. ℟. Let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia. ON THIS DAY, which is sacred to Mary, let us open the holy Gospel, according to St. John. There, in the second chapter, we find these words: There was a Marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there. The sacred text goes on to say that Jesus also and his disciples were among the guests; but the Holy Spirit, who guided the Evangelist’s hand, would have him...

White   ℣. In resurrectione tua Christe, alleluia. ℣. In thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia. ℟. Cœli et terra lætentur, alleluia. ℟. Let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia. SATURDAY BRINGS US once more to the dear Mother of our Jesus. Last Saturday, when closing our week’s considerations upon the establishment of the Church, we reverently drew a parallel between these two Mothers—Mary and the Church. During the present week, we have been considering how our Savior confided his Doctrine—that is, the object of our Faith—to his Apostles: let us devote this last day to a loving remembrance of the...

White   ℣. In resurrectione tua Christe, alleluia. ℣. In thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia. ℟. Cœli et terra lætentur, alleluia. ℟. Let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia. THIS SATURDAY BRINGS US back to Mary. Let us again contemplate her prerogatives; and yet, while so doing, let us still keep our thoughts on holy Church, which has been the subject of our meditations during this week. Let us, today, consider the relations existing between Mary and the Church:—they will make us the better understand these two Mothers of mankind. Before taking possession of the Church, which was to be...

White   ℣. In resurrectione tua Christe, alleluia. ℣. In thy resurrection, O Christ, alleluia. ℟. Cœli et terra lætentur, alleluia. ℟. let heaven and earth rejoice, alleluia. THIS BEING SATURDAY, let us once more think of Mary, and of the joy she feels at the Resurrection of her Son. She had been his companion in his Sufferings; there was not one that she had not endured and suffered as far as a mere creature could suffer: so too, there is not a single glory or gladness of the Resurrection in which she is not now made to participate....

White Semidouble Hæc dies quam fecit Dominus; exsultemus et lætemur in ea! This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein! THE SEVENTH DAY of the gladdest of weeks has risen upon us, bringing with it the memory of the Creator’s rest, after the six days of creation. It also reminds us of that other rest, which this same God took in the tomb; like a warrior who, when sure of the victory, calmly reposes before the final combat with the enemy. Our Jesus slept His rest in the sepulcher, after permitting...

Violet & White Double of the First Class A NIGHT HAS PASSED over the Tomb, wherein lies buried the Body of the Man-God. Death is triumphant in that silent cave, and hold captive Him that gives life to every creature—but his triumph will soon be at an end. The Soldiers may watch, as best they will, over that Grave: they cannot hold Jesus prisoner, as soon as the moment fixed for his Resurrection comes. The holy Angels are there, profoundly adoring the lifeless Body of Him whose Blood is to reconcile all things, both on earth, and in heaven....

Violet Simple TODAY WE BEGIN, as does the holy Gospel, to number the days which precede the Death, the Sacrifice, of the Lamb of God. St. John, in the 12th Chapter of his Gospel, tells us that this is the Sixth day before the Pasch. Jesus is in Bethania, where a feast is being given in his honor. Lazarus, he whom Jesus has restored to life, was present at this repast, which was given in the house of Simon the Leper. Martha is busy looking after the various arrangements; her sister, Mary Magdalene, has a heavenly presentiment that the...

Violet Simple THIS SATURDAY, in the early ages of Christianity, was called Sitientes, from the first word of the Introit of the Mass, in which the Church addresses her Catechumens in the words of Isaias, and invites them that thirst after grace, to come and receive it in the holy Sacrament of Baptism. At Rome, the Station was originally in the Basilica of Saint Laurence outside the walls; but it was found inconvenient, on account of its great distance from the City; and the Church of Saint Nicholas in carcere, which is within the walls, was selected for today’s...

Violet Simple THE STATION is in the Church of Saint Susanna, Virgin and Martyr of Rome. The reason of this Church having been chosen is that today, there is read the history of the chaste Susanna, the daughter of Helcias. COLLECT Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus; ut qui se, affligendo carnem, ab alimentis abstinent, sectando justitiam, a culpa jejunent. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that they who mortify themselves by abstinence from food, may, by observing thy holy law, also fast from all sin. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Let thy kind favor, O...

Violet Simple THE STATION is the Church of Saints Peter and Marcellinus, two celebrated Martyrs of Rome, under the persecution of Diocletian. Their names are inserted in the Canon of the Mass. COLLECT Da, quæsumus, Domine, nostris effectum jejuniis salutarem: ut castigatio carnis assumpta, ad nostrarum vegetationem transeat animarum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, this saving effect of our fast, that the chastisement of the flesh, which we have undertaken, may become the improvement of our souls. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. EPISTLE LECTIO LIBRI GENESIS. LESSON from the BOOK of GENESIS. Cap....

Violet Simple THE STATION is in the Basilica of Saint Peter, on the Vatican, where the people were wont to assemble, towards evening, that they might be present at the Ordination of the Priests and Sacred Ministers. This day was called Twelve-Lesson-Saturday, because formerly, twelve passages from the Holy Scriptures used to be read, as upon Holy Saturday. The Mass, during which the Ordinations were given, was celebrated during the night; so that by the time it was over, the Sunday had begun. Later on, the Ordination Mass was said early on the Saturday, as we now have it;...

THE STATION for today is as noted in the missal, in the church of St. Trypho, martyr; but this church having been destroyed many centuries ago, the station is now in that of St. Augustine, which is built on the same site. COLLECT Adesto, Domine, supplicationibus nostris, et concede ut hoc solemne jejunium, quod animabus corporibusque curandis salubriter institutum est, devoto servitio celebremus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. Give ear, O Lord, to our prayers, and grant that we may, with true devotion, observe this solemn fast which was wholesomely instituted for giving health to both our souls and...

ON THE SATURDAY of the preceding week, which was devoted to the consideration of the fall of our first parents both in its own malice and in its sad consequences upon us, we turned our thoughts towards our blessed Lady, who, though a daughter of Eve, was by the special mercy of God preserved from the stain of original sin. Let us end this week with a like act of veneration and love towards this Immaculate Queen of heaven. We, even the most saintly among us, have not only been stained with original sin, we have the actual sins...

THE SENTENCE pronounced by the Almighty upon our first parents was to fall upon their children to the end of time. We have been considering, during this week of Septuagesima, the penalties of the great sin; but the severest and most humiliating of them all remains to be told. It is the transmission to the whole human race of original sin. It is true that the merits of the promised Redeemer will be applied to each individual man, in the manner established by God at various periods of time; still, this spiritual regeneration, while cleansing us from the leprosy...

THE CALENDAR of the liturgical year will soon bring us to the commemoration of the Passion and Resurrection of our Redeemer; we are but nine weeks from these great solemnities. It is time for the Christian to be preparing his soul for a fresh visit from his Savior; a visit even more sacred and more important than that He so mercifully paid us at His Birth. Our holy mother the Church knows how necessary it is for her to rouse our hearts from their lethargy, and give them an active tendency towards the things of God. On this day,...