that some of His actions are the actions of God, and some, those of Man. But the ship in the midst of the sea was tossed with the waves. Well might the Apostles leave the Lord unwillingly and reluctantly, lest in His absence they should suffer shipwreck. Ry. Lord, if it be Thou. p. xliv. 44 Lesson IX. THEN, while the Lord lingers in the heights of the mountain, suddenly a contrary wind arises, and the Apostles are in danger and shipwreck continues to threaten them until Jesus comes. In the fourth watch of the night, however, He comes to them, walking on the sea. The military watches are divided into three spaces of time. Therefore when it says that the Lord came to them in the fourth watch of the night, it shews that they were in danger the whole night; and that at the end of the night, and at the end of the world, He will come to their assistance. R. Whatsoever thou shalt bind. p. xliv. Te Deum. p. 16. JULY 7. SIXTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF THE VISITATION. by fitness of words. What is this fruit of the womb, save that whereof it is written: Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord? That is, those children are the heritage of the Lord, who are the gift of that fruit which proceeded from the womb of Mary. He is the true fruit of the womb the flower of the root, of whom Isaiah well prophesied, saying, There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a flower shall grow forth from his root. 51 R. Behold, He cometh. p. li. Lesson V. FOR the root is the house of the Jews, the rod is Mary, the flower of Mary is Christ, Who, like the fruit of a good tree, now flowers for our advantage, now bears fruit within us, now shall restore us in the resurrection of the body. And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me? She speaks not as being ignorant. For she knows that it is by the grace and operation of the Holy Spirit, that the mother of the prophet, for the advantage of her child, is saluted by the Mother of the Lord. But, as acknowledging this to be not of human merit, but the gift of heavenly grace, she saith, Whence In the First Nocturn, Lessons of the is this to me? that is, through what occurrent Scripture. righteousness? what acts? for what merits? SECOND NOCTURN. A Sermon of S. Ambrose the Bishop. BLESSED art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me? The Holy Ghost directed her speech, nor hath it ever been forgotten and the prophecies were completed, not only by fact of miracle, but Ry. Rejoice. p. li. 54 THIRD NOCTURN. thou hast to thyself. Jethro was rich; therefore he would not go to possess Lesson of the Holy Gospel according the good things which the Lord had to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. i. AT that time: Mary arose, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Bernard the Abbot. Sermon on S. Luke 1. promised to Israel. Never, therefore, nothing, lest thou be sent empty away. JULY 8. He hath put down the mighty from SEVENTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF THE their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. In the first place, the rulers of the darkness of this world, who were mighty in bringing evil to pass. And again, in another sense, by the humiliation and penitence of mighty kings: as when the king of Nineveh came down from his throne, and humbled himself in sackcloth and ashes. And to this day He continueth to put down the proud: some to eternal punishment, some to the kingdom of humility. Ry. From Thee. p. lii. HE Lesson VIII. 52 E hath filled the hungry with good things. First He humbles, then He feeds. Hungry, and yet filled : as the Angels, who always behold the Face of the Father, and have hunger in satiety, and satiety in hunger; but such satiety as is without disgust, and such hunger as is without pain. And even here in their journey, though not as in their Country, the servants of God hunger and thirst after righteous VISITATION. In the First Nocturn, Lessons of the occurrent Scripture. SECOND NOCTURN. A Homily by an Unnamed Writer. Lesson IV. IT hath seemed right and fitting to the most holy Church militant, which so greatly needs the grace of visitation in its tribulations, to celebrate that gracious visitation wherein the Mother of God saluted Elisabeth. This great festival was very joyful in the house of Zacharias. And it ought to be all the more joyful to us, because we more especially celebrate therein the ineffable humility and sweetness of her virginity. Mary arose, and went into the hill country with haste. The gem of virgins, the glory of mothers, the crown of women, departed from quiet valleys and a shrine of joy to a laborious journey in the mountains. The flowing fountain rose among the hills. 51 Ry. Behold, He cometh. p. li. Lesson V. WITH lips dropping as the honeycomb, full of mercy, she, the fulness of grace and chiefest of all Saints, the holy Mother of God, was thus made fair and pleasant in delights to the aged Elisabeth. A mountain of myrrh, a hill of frankincense, whose righteousness stood fast as the mountains of God, with her bodily frame she ascended mountains, and not less with her soul did she descend. Ry. Rejoice. p. li. 51 6, Lesson VI. seemed to have forgotten to be gracious, Lesson VIII. SRAEL. As long as he was called CERTAINLY she intended no vain S curiosity nor idle talk; but mingled pious meditations with action, and devout prayers with the exercise of all virtues, like a heavenly confection; so that she rose up ever before the face of the Lord like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense. Whereas it is said that she went with haste, her activity is here to be noted, her circumspect prudence, her virgin bashfulness. She had the gift of fortitude when she hasted to ascend the craggy mountains. We notice her circumspect prudence, in her not wandering from place to place, but sedulously carrying out the work Jacob, he was in hard labour. He served faithfully in that which was another man's; but when he was returning with riches, to see his father's face, then he obtained another name, which was Israel. As He promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever. This is the last verse of this decalogue; the last curtain of the ten which couple this tabernacle. In it the verity of God, and the truth of both Testaments, and the unity of the faithful, are set forth. Ry. And Miriam. p. lii. 52 Lesson IX. she had begun; and her virgin bash- GOD spake once, Who created all fulness appears in this, that she would not much be seen in public. Ry. Blessed. p. lii. 52 THIRD NOCTurn. things; but that which was decreed by Him from all eternity, once for all, was set forth at sundry times, and in divers manners, to us. Yet He spake obscurely, so that but few perceived, until in these last days He Lesson of the Holy Gospel according spake to us by His Son. And even AT to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. i. T that time: Mary arose, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Bernard the Abbot. Sermon on S. Luke 1. He remembering His mercy hath holpen His servant Israel. This is the only cause of God's remembrance, that He might shew forth His mercy. God now we see through a glass darkly. Te Deum. p. 16. JULY 9. OCTAVE OF THE VISITATION. about to become mothers, met together; when the child-prophet exultantly revealed the Presence of the Lord of the prophets, Whom as yet he could not In the First Nocturn, Lessons of the attain to preach with his voice. And occurrent Scripture. SECOND NOCTURN. A Homily by an Unnamed Writer. Sarum Breviary. Lesson IV. THE Roman pontiff Urban VI., being piously desirous to amplify the praise and glory of the Holy Mother of God, decreed that to her former festivals a new solemnity should be added, in order to celebrate the memory of her Visitation; wherein, after the Conception of the Divine Word, she humbly saluted her cousin Elisabeth. And he fixed the day of this feast for the sixth of the nones of July in every the mother of the child, filled with the Holy Ghost, with prophetic praise acknowledged Mary to be the Mother of God: devoutly blessing the flower with the Fruit. Let us exult therefore, in this day, offering due veneration, for such and so great pledges of our faith. The coming of Christ in the flesh is declared to men; the exulting child begins his office after a new fashion; and in the holy woman Elisabeth grace is confirmed. O Mary, gentlest Virgin, who can worthily speak thy praises? Ry. Blessed. p. lii. $2 THIRD NOCTURN. year, and commanded that it should Lesson of the Holy Gospel according be kept with an octave. Ry. Behold, He cometh. p. li. 51 Lesson V. HOLY and devout men are attracted to the celebration of this festival, both by faith in the Gospel, and by the concurrence of miracles. Whereby the subject of so great a solemnity is proved to be the more certain, and a more fitting matter for praise. For the Evangelist declares how straightway after the Angelical salutation the Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elisabeth in person, and tenderly saluted her. Inestimable and singular humility, which clave firmly to the soul of Mary, and caused her virgin lips to break forth with that word: Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Ry. Rejoice. p. li. 51 Lesson VI. AND then a copious flood of miracles was poured forth, when the holy Virgin and the barren woman, both to S. Luke. Lesson VII. Chap. i. AT that time: Mary arose, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop. Book 2 on S. Luke 1. Thou beholdest that Mary doubted not, but believed, and thus received the fruit of faith. Blessed, she saith, is she that believed. But ye likewise are blessed, who hear and believe. For whosoever shall believe with his heart, both conceives and generates the Word of God, and shews forth His works. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. Let the soul of Mary be in each one, that he may magnify the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one, that he may rejoice in God his Saviour. For although, according to the flesh, one only is Mother of Christ, yet, according to faith, Christ She beheld, as yet not knowing. is the fruit of all. Ry. From Thee. p. lii. 52 8 Lesson VIII. FOR every soul conceives the Word of God, if it preserve purity, spotless, untouched by vices, in perfect chastity; therefore, whatever any such soul may be, it magnifies the Lord, as the soul of Mary magnified the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour. Not that God can be added to by any human words: but because He is magnified in us. But as Mary was better than all, so was she fuller of prophecy. Ry. And Miriam. p. lii. Lesson IX. NOR is it idle to notice how Elisa beth prophesied before the birth of John, and Mary, before the birth of the Lord. For now the first beginnings of the work of human salvation are dawning. For as sin began from women, so also that which is good begins from women; that women, laying down womanish works, may renounce weakness, and with a pure heart, may imitate the chastity of Mary who knew not how to sin. R. A Virgin. p. liii. 53 JULY 22. Festival of B. Mary Magdalene. Inv. God Eternal, Three and One, let us praise: Who drew Mary to Himself. Venite, Ps. xcv. p. 3. 95 HYMN. Estimavit hortulanum. As the gardener Him addressing, Well and rightly she believ'd: Soon His voice her soul perceiv'd. In the mystical disguise, Christ, that in her breast was sowing Deep and heavenly mysteries: Till His voice, her name bestowing, Bade her hear and recognise. She to Jesus, Jesus weepeth, Jesus seeks, yet still retains: He that soweth, He that reapeth All her heart, unknown remains. Why, kind Jesu, why thus hiding, From her love Thyself conceal? Oh! how strangely Thou eludest, Souls that on Thee have believed; But eluding, ne'er deludest, Nor deceiv'st, nor art deceiv'd; But including, still excludest; Fully known, yet not perceiv'd. Laud to Thee, and praise for ever, Be inscrib'd in death's dark roll, FIRST NOCTURN. Psalms of the Common of a Virgin. p. 117. Ant. 1. When the Lord Jesus, the glory of the world, sat at meat in the house of Simon: a woman which was a sinner brought an alabaster box of very precious ointment. Ant. 2. And she stood at His feet behind Him weeping: and began to wash His feet with tears, and kissed His feet. Ant. 3. She washed his feet with tears, and wiped them with her hair: and she brake the box, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. . Full of grace are thy lips. Ry. Because God hath blessed thee for ever. |