AND he is rightly called just, who was not seeking for his own benefit, but for that of his nation: himself desiring to be loosed from bodily weakness, but desiring to behold the promised One, for he knew that blessed were the eyes that should see Him. Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word. Observe the just man, as though shut up in the prison of his earthly frame, desired to depart and to begin to be with Christ. For it is far better to depart and to be with Christ.

Gabriel the Archangel: * being a Virgin, thou broughtest forth God and man, * and after childbearing remainedst a spotless Virgin. y. We know that the Archangel Gabriel brought thee a heavenly message, and that the Holy Ghost overshadowed thee. Being. Glory. And.

Te Deum, p. 16.

(FEBRUARY 23.

VIGIL OF S. MATTHIAS.

Out of Lent are read the Lessons of the Homily on the Gospel: This is My Commandment, as in the Vigils of In Lent nothing is Apostles, p. 75. said of the Vigil.)

FEBRUARY 24.

Martyr.

Lesson IX.

BUT he who desires to be let depart,

let him come into the temple, come to Jerusalem, wait for the Lord's Christ, receive the Word of GOD in his hands, embrace Him with his works, as by the arms of his faith; then he will be let depart, that he might not see death, who hath seen life. You see how plenteous grace is poured out upon all men by the birth of the Lord, and the prophecy is denied to the unbelieving, not to the just. Behold, Simeon also prophesies that the Lord Jesus Christ had come, for the fall and rising again of many, to distinguish the desirings of the just and of the wicked, and a true and righteous Judge, to decree either punishments or rewards, according to the character of our deeds.

Ry. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, who

All of the Common of Apostles, with Hymn, Annue Christe, p. i., except that which follows.

Of the Acts of the Apostles.
Lesson I. Chap. i.

AND in those days Peter stood up
in the midst of the disciples, and
said, (the number of names together
Men and brethren, this scripture
were about an hundred and twenty,)
must needs have been fulfilled, which
the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David
spake before concerning Judas, which
was guide to them that took Jesus.
For he was numbered with us, and had
this man purchased a field with the
obtained part of this ministry. Now
reward of iniquity; and falling head-
long, he burst asunder in the midst,
and all his bowels gushed out.
RR. of the Common.

2

Lesson II.

AND it was known unto all the

dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch

ag that field is called in their proper icngue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the

book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein and his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men

which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with

us of His resurrection.

3

Lesson III.

AND they appointed two, Joseph

And

called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, Which knowest the hearts of all men,

shew whether of these two Thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

In the Second Nocturn, Lessons, Her foundations. p. 84.

In the Third Nocturn. Homily on the Gospel, I thank Thee, O Father. p. 84.

MOREOVER the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

*

Rz. And the angel came in unto Mary, and said, Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. . Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb. Hail.

AN

Lesson II. Chap. xi.11

ND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and

Common. p. 139.

and might, the spirit of knowledge and

of the fear of the Lord: and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: but with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.

Ry. Receive the word, O Virgin Mary, which is brought thee from the Lord by an Angel; thou shalt conceive through hearing, and shalt bear GoD and man; *that thou mayest be called blessed among all women. . Thou shalt bear a Son, but thy maidenhood shall suffer no loss: thou shalt be found with child, and slalt be an ever spotless mother. That. 3

35

Lesson III. Chap. xxxv. THE wilderness and the solitary

place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.

Ant. 1. Behold, GoD and Man shall the throne for ever. come of the house of David: to sit on

Ant. 2. Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom: He shall sit for ever.

thee, O Jerusalem : and His glory shall Ant. 3. The Lord shall arise upon be seen upon thee.

y. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse.

Ry. And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

A Sermon of S. Leo the Pope.

Serm. 2 on the Nativity.
4

Lesson IV.

THE Almighty and merciful GOD, Whose nature is goodness, Whose will is power, Whose work is mercy, so soon as the malice of the devil had poisoned us with the venom of his envy, foreshadowed at the first beginning of the world, the medicines of his loving-kindness predestined for the salvation of mankind, declaring to the serpent that there should be a seed of the woman which by His power should tread down the uplifted mischievous head, denoting that Christ, both GOD and Man, should come in the flesh, Who born of a Virgin, should, by His pure nativity, condemn the destroyer of mankind.

R. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, * for thou hast found favour with GOD. . And behold, thou shalt conceive, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name JESUS.. For.

Lesson v5

FOR, inasmuch as the devil boasted

that man, deceived by his fraud, had lost the gifts of God: and, stripped of the dower of immortality, had undergone the stern sentence of death, so that he himself, amid his suffering, had found some comfort in the fellowship of the sinner, and that GOD, compelled by the rule of righteous severity, had changed His original design touching man, whom He had created in such honour, it was necessary, dearly beloved, in the dispensation of the secret counsel of God, that the unchangeable God, Whose will cannot be baulked of its lovingkindness, should fulfil the first plan of His goodness by a more hidden mystery, and that man, driven into sin by the craft of devilish wickedness, should not perish contrary to the intention of God.

Ant. 1. Blessed art thou among women: blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Ant. 2. The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign for ever.

Ant. 3. Blessed art thou, Mary, that believedst: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told thee from the Lord.

. The Lord cometh forth from His holy place.

Ry. That He may save His people from their sins.

THEREFORE when the times had come, dearly beloved, which were foreordained for the redemption of men, our Lord Jesus Christ enters into this lowest place, descending from His heavenly seat, yet not withdrawing from the Father's glory; born under a new condition of things by a new birth. A new condition, because He Who was invisible in His own essence, became visible in ours. Incomprehensible, He willed to be comprehended: abiding before time, He began to be of time; the Lord of the universe, overshadowing His majestic dignity, took upon Him the form of a servant; the impassible GOD diu not disdain to be a passible man:

to S. Luke.

Lesson VII. Chap. i.

AT that time: the Angel Gabriel was

sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Cyril of Alexandria.

1st Treatise to the Princesses.

The very Only-begotten Word of God, ineffably begotten, of the Essence of God the Father, the Maker of the worlds, He by Whom are all things, the true Light, the all-quickening Nature (for the Life appeared, as from the Father, Who is Life,) in the last times of the world's period, by the Father's gracious will to save the