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(If the Epiphany fall on a Saturday, the Mass and Office we now give are said on the following Day. Otherwise, they are deferred to the day within the Octave which is a Sunday.)
MASS.—It is the Kingship of the divine Infant that the Church again proclaims in the opening Canticle of the Mass for the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany. She sings the praises of her Emmanuel’s Throne, and takes her part with the Angels who hymn the glory of Jesus’ eternal Empire. Let us do the same, and adore the King of Ages, in his Epiphany.
| INTROIT |
| In excelso throne vidi sedere virum, quem adorat multitudo Angelorum psalllentes in unum: ecce cujus imperii nomen est in æternum. |
I saw a man seated on a high throne, whom a multitude of Angels adored, singing all together: Behold him, whose name and empire are to last for ever. |
| Ps. Jubilate Deo omnis terra: servite Domino in lætitia. Gloria Patri. In excelso. |
Ps. Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness. Glory. I saw. |
The prayer made by the holy Church to the heavenly Father in the Collect is that she may be enlightened by that Sun of Justice, her Jesus, who alone can teach us the way in which we are to walk and, by his vivifying warmth, give us strength so to reach our home.
| COLLECT |
| Vota, quæsumus Domine, supplicantis populi cœlesti pietate prosequere: ut et quæ agenda sunt, videant; et ad implenda quæ viderint, convalescant. Per Dominum. |
According to thy divine mercy, O Lord, receive the vows of thy people, who pour forth their prayers to thee: that they may know what their duty requireth of them, and be able to comply with what they know. Through, &c. |
| COMMEMORATION OF THE EPIPHANY |
| Deus, qui hodierana die Unigenitum tuum. Gentibus, stella duce, revelasti: conced propitius, ut qui jam te ex fide cognovimus, usque ad contemplandam speciem tuæ celsitudinis perducamur. Per eumdem. |
O God, who by the direction of a star, didst this day manifest thy only Son to the Gentiles; mercifully grant that we, who now know thee by faith, may come at length to see the glory of thy Majesty. Through the same, &c. |
| EPISTLE |
| LECTIO EPISTOLÆ BEATI PAULI APOSTOLI ad ROMANOS. |
LESSON of the EPISTLE of ST PAUL the APOSTLE to the ROMANS. |
| Cap. XII |
Ch. XII |
| Fratres, obsecro vos per misericordiam Dei, ut exhibeatis corpora vestra hostiam viventem, sanctam, Deo placentem, rationabile obsequium vestrum. Et nolite conformari huic saeculo, sed reformamini in novitate sensus vestri: ut probetis quae sit voluntas Dei bona, et beneplacens, et perfecta. Dico enim per gratiam quae data est mihi, omnibus qui sunt inter vos, non plus sapere quam oportet sapere, sed sapere ad sobrietatem: et unicuique sicut Deus divisit mensuram fidei. Sicut enim in uno corpore multa membra habemus, omnia autem membra non eumdem actum habent: ita multi unum corpus sumus in Christo, singuli autem alter alterius membra. |
Brethren, I beseech you, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office: So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. |
The Apostle invites us to make our offering to the newborn King, after the example of the Magi; but the offering which this Lord of all things asks of us is not anything material or lifeless. He that is Life gives his whole self to us; let us, in return, present him our hearts, that is, a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God; whose service may be reasonable, that is, whose obedience to the divine will may be accompanied by a formal intention of offering itself to its Creator. Here again, let us imitate the Magi, who went back another way into their own country—let us not adopt the ideas of this world, for the world is the covert enemy of our beloved King. Let us reform our worldly prudence according to the divine wisdom of Him who may well be our guide, seeing he is the Eternal Wisdom of the Father. Let us understand that no man can be wise without Faith, which reveals to us that we must all be united by love, so as to form one body in Christ, partaking of his life, his wisdom, his light, and his kingly character.
In the chant which follows the Epistle, the Church returns to her praise of the ineffable wonders of a God with us: Justice and righteousness have come down from heaven to take up their abode on our mountains and hills.
| GRADUAL |
| Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, qui facit mirabilia magna solus a sæculo. |
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone hath done great wonders from the beginning. |
| ℣. Suscipiant montes pacem populo tuo, et colles justitiam. |
℣. Let the mountains receive peace for thy people, and the hills righteousness. |
| Alleluia, alleluia. |
Alleluia, alleluia. |
| ℣. Jubilate Deo omnis terra: servite Domino in lætitia. Alleluia. |
℣. Sing joyfully to the Lord all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness. Alleluia. |
| GOSPEL |
| SEQUENTIA SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM LUCAM. |
SEQUEL of the HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING to LUKE. |
| CAP. II. |
CH. II. |
| Cum factus esset Jesus annorum duodecim, ascendentibus illis Jerosolymam secundum consuetudinem diei festi, consummatisque diebus, cum redirent, remansit puer Jesus in Jerusalem, et non cognoverunt parentes ejus. Existimantes autem illum esse in comitatu, venerunt iter diei, et requirebant eum inter cognatos et notos. Et non invenientes, regressi sunt in Jerusalem, requirentes eum. Et factum est, post triduum invenerunt illum in templo sedentem in medio doctorum, audientem illos, et interrogantem eos. Stupebant autem omnes qui eum audiebant, super prudentia et responsis ejus. Et videntes admirati sunt. Et dixit mater ejus ad illum: Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic? ecce pater tuus et ego dolentes quaerebamus te. Et ait ad illos: Quid est quod me quærebatis? nesciebatis quia in his quae Patris mei sunt, oportet me esse? Et ipsi non intellexerunt verbum quod locutus est ad eos. Et descendit cum eis, et venit Nazareth: et erat subditus illis. Et mater ejus conservabat omnia verba haec in corde suo. Et Jesus proficiebat sapientia, et aetate, et gratia apud Deum et homines. |
When Jesus was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day’ s journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father’ s business? And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. |
Thus, O Jesus! didst thou come down from heaven to teach us. The tender age of Childhood, which thou didst take upon thyself is no hindrance to the ardor of thy desire that we should know the one only God who made all things, and thee, his Son, whom he sent to us. When laid in the Crib, thou didst instruct the Shepherds by a mere look; when swathed in thy humble swaddling-clothes, the subjected to the voluntary silence thou hadst imposed on thyself, thou didst reveal to the Magi the light they sought in following the Star. When twelve years old, thou explainest to the Doctors of Israel the Scriptures which bear testimony to thee. Thou gradually dispellest the shadows of the Law by thy presence and thy words. In order to fulfill the commands of thy heavenly Father, thou dost not hesitate to occasion sorrow to the heart of thy Mother, by thus going in quest of souls that need enlightening. Thy love of man will pierce that tender Heart of Mary with a still sharper sword, when she shall behold thee hanging on the Cross and expiring in the midst of cruelest pain. Blessed be thou, sweet Jesus, in these first Mysteries of thine Infancy, wherein thou already showest thyself devoted to us, and leaving the company of thy Blessed Mother for that of sinful men, who will one day conspire thy death.
During the Offertory, the Church resumes her canticles of joy; the presence of the Divine Infant fills her with joy.
| OFFERTORY |
| Jubilate Deo omnis terra: servite Domino in lætitia: intrate in conspectu ejus in exsultatione: quia Dominus ipse est Deus. |
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness: present yourselves to him with transports of joy: for the Lord is God. |
| SECRET |
| Oblatum tibi Domine Sacrificium vivificet nos semper et muniat. Per Dominum. |
May the Sacrifice we have offered to thee, O Lord, always enliven and defend us. Through, &c. |
| COMMEMORATION OF THE EPIPHANY |
| Ecclesiæ tuæ, quæsumus Domine, dona propitius intuere; quibus non jam aurum, thus et myrrha profertur; sed quod eisdem muneribus declaratur, immolatur et sumitur, Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster. Qui tecum. |
Mercifully look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, on the offerings of thy Church: among which, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, are no longer offered; but what was signified by those offerings, is sacrificed, and received, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Who liveth, &c. |
While distributing the Bread of Life come down from heaven, the Church repeats the words addressed by Mary to her Son: Why hast thou done so to us? I and thy father have sought thee. The Good Shepherd, who feeds his Sheep with his own Flesh, replies that he must needs do the will of his Father who is in heaven. He is come to be our Life, our light, and our food: he therefore leaves everything in order to give himself to us. But while the Doctors in the Temple only saw and heard him, we, in this Living Bread, possess him and are united with him in sweetest union.
| COMMUNION |
| Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic? Ego et pater tuus dolentes quærebamus te. Et quid est, quod me quærebatis? Nesciebatis, quia in his, quæ Patris mei sunt, oportet me esse? |
Son, why hast thou done so with us? I and thy father have sought thee with sorrow.—And why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about the concerns of my Father? |
The holy Church, having seen her Children refreshed by this heavenly nourishment, prays that they may have the grace of becoming well pleased to Him who has given them this proof of his immense love.
| POSTCOMMUNION |
| Supplices te rogamus, omnipotens Deus: ut quos tuis reficis Sacramentis, tibi etiam placatis moribus dignanter deservire concedas. Per Dominum. |
Grant, we humbly beseech thee, O Almighty God, that those whom thou refreshest with thy Sacraments, may, by a life well-pleasing to thee, worthily serve thee. Through, &c. |
| COMMEMORATION OF THE EPIPHANY |
| Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut quæ solemni celebramus officio, purificatæ mentis intelligentia consequamur. Per Dominum. |
Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that our minds may be so purified, as to understand what we celebrate on this great solemnity. Through, &c. |
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