HYMN. Annue Christe, p. i. In the First Nocturn, Lessons of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, as in the Common of Apostles, p. 78. TH SECOND NOCTURN. 4 Lesson IV. and heard, and hearing doubted, doubting touched, touching believed? This did not happen by chance, but by divine dispensation. The supreme mercy dealt wonderfully, that the doubting disciple, while he touched the wounds of his Master's flesh, should heal the wounds of unbelief in For the unbelief of Thomas more HOMAS the Apostle, who is also 11s. called Didymus, a Galilæan, after benefited our faith, than the faith itreceiving the Holy Ghost, journeyed self of the believing disciples; since, into many provinces to preach the whilst he by touching is brought to Gospel of Christ, and gave to the Par- believe, our mind, laying aside all thians, the Medes, the Persians, the doubt, is strengthened in faith. Hyrcanians, and the Bactrians, the RyRy. of the Common. precepts of Christian faith and life. Finally, betaking himself to the Indians, he instructed them in the Christian religion. And at last, when he had by the holiness of his life and doctrine, and by the greatness of his miracles, stirred up in all other persons admiration for himself and love of Jesus Christ, he excited to more wrath against himself the king of that nation, worshipper of idols: by whose sentence he was condemned and thrust through with a spear, and at Calamina adorned his apostolate with the crown of martyrdom. 8 Lesson VIII. FOR just as, after His resurrection the Lord suffered His disciple to doubt, but did not leave him in his doubt, so, before His nativity, He willed that Mary should have a husband, who, nevertheless, should not complete his marriage. For in this wise the doubting and touching disciple was made a witness of the truths of the resurrection, as the husband of the Mother had been the guardian of her most chaste virginity. For he touched, and exclaimed My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him: Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. When the Apostle Paul says: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, it is at once clear that faith is the evidence of those things which cannot possibly appear. For those things which are seen belong not unto faith, but to knowledge. In Ember-tide Lesson IX is read from the homily of the feria. Other wise. fessed God, saying: My Lord and my God. Therefore, by seeing he believed, who, beholding very Man, acknowledged that God Whom he could not see. That which follows makes us very joyful. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. No doubt in this statement we are specially denoted, who retain Him in our minds Whom we have not seen in the flesh. We are denoted; but only if we follow up our faith by works, for he no doubt truly believes, who by works carries out that which he believes. DECEMBER 29. ence, might perchance be swayed by the woful sight of his friends' sufferings. But Thomas regarded not flesh and blood, and no mere human affection weakened his stedfastness to his pastoral office. RyRz. of the Common. 5 Lesson V. THEREFORE he betook himself to Pope Alexander III., who kindly received him; and on departing he was commended by him to the monks of the monastery of Pontigny, of the order of Cistercians. When Henry knew this, having sent threatening letters to the convent of the Cistercian brothers, he endeavoured to drive Thomas out of the monastery of Pontigny. Wherefore the holy man, fearing lest the Cistercian order should suffer any harm for his sake, withdrew of his own accord, and came to Louis, In the First Nocturn, Lessons, And king of France, at his invitation, and from Miletus, p. 89. Festival of S. Thomas of Canter bury, Bishop and Martyr. All of the Common of one Martyr, p. 89, except that which follows. SECOND NOCturn. Lesson IV.4 THOMAS, born at London, in Eng land, succeeded Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury. As he had borne himself with distinction in discharging the office of chancellor, so he was brave and unyielding in the episcopal office. For when Henry II., king of England, having convened the bishops and nobles of the realm, wished to pass laws at variance with the ad vantage and dignity of the Church, Thomas stedfastly resisted the royal desire. Yielding his opinion neither for promises nor threats, he was obliged to withdraw privately, just as he was about to be thrown into prison. Therefore all his kindred of every age, his friends and followers, were banished, and those amongst them whose age permitted it, were bound by an oath to repair to Thomas, on the chance that he who could not be terrified out of his holy resolve by any private inconveni with him he remained until by the intervention of the pope and the king himself, he was recalled from exile, to the joy of the whole nation. And whilst he was securely discharging the office of a good shepherd, lo slanderers accused him to the king of many plots against the realm and the public peace; so that the king therefore often complained that he could not have peace in his kingdom on account of one priest. 10 God." Then addressing the soldiers: "Do you, at God's command, beware lest ye hurt any of my people." Then kneeling down, commending the Church and himself to God, to Blessed Mary, to S. Denis, and the other patron Saints of that church, he presented his sacred head to the stroke of the ungodly sword, with the same stedfastness wherewith he had withstood the laws of that most unrighteous king: on the fourth of the kalends of January, in the year of the Lord eleven hundred and seventy-one. The whole pavement was sprinkled with his brains. The forenamed Pope Alexander enrolled him in the number of the Saints, and he was afterwards famous for many miracles. THIRD NOCturn. steals the sheep; and the hireling, who allows this, and does not defend those entrusted to him. RyRy. of the Common. 8 Lesson VIII. THIS is what Ezekiel in old time reproached in these words: Woe to the shepherds of Israel! have they not fed themselves? are not the flocks fed by the shepherds? But they did the contrary, which is one of the worst forms of wickedness, and the cause of much mischief. Therefore he saith: They did not bring again that which was driven away, neither did they seek that which was lost, neither did they bind up that which was broken, neither did they heal the sick, because they fed themselves, and fed not the flock. And Paul expresses the same thing in All seek their own things, not the things of Christ. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according other words: to & John. 10 Lesson VII. Chap. x. AT that time: Jesus said unto the Pharisees: I am the good Shep herd the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. And that which follows. A Homily of S. John Chrysostom. Homily 59 on S. John. A great thing, dearly beloved, a great thing, I say, is the office of a prelate in the Church, one which needs great wisdom and courage, as Christ has set it before us, that we should lay down our lives for the sheep and never desert them: that we should valiantly resist the wolf. For this is the difference between a shepherd and a hireling the one watches over his own safety, despising the sheep; the other, despising his own safety, ever watches for that of the sheep. Therefore Christ, having shown us the example of a shepherd, describes two kinds of deceivers: the thief, who slays and 9 Lesson IX. BUT Christ shows that He differs from each of these: that He differs from them who come for the destruction of others, when He saith that He is come that they might have life, and might have it more abundantly; and He differs from those also who quietly suffer the sheep to be carried off by the wolves, saying, He lays down His life for their sake, lest the sheep should perish. For, when the Jews wished to kill him, He did not on that account refrain from teaching, nor deliver up them that believed in Him, but persisted, and suffered death; wherefore He saith often, I am the Good Shepherd. And, as these statements did not appear to be confirmed by any proof, (for as to His laying down His life, that was soon afterwards established by the fact, but as for having life, and having it more abundantly, that was to happen in the world to come,) He confirms the one statement by the other. JANUARY 21. Festival of S. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. All of the Common of a Virgin Martyr, p. 117, except that which follows. SECOND NOCTURN. From the book of S. Ambrose the Bishop on Virgins. Lesson IV. 4 TO DAY is the birthday of a virgin, let us imitate her purity; it is the birthday of a martyr, let us offer sacrifice. It is the birthday of S. Agnes, let men wonder, let not children despair, let the married women be amazed, let the unmarried copy her. But what can we say worthy of her, whose very name lacks not praise? Piety beyond her years, courage beyond her sex; so that she seems to me not to have had a mere human name, but a prophecy of martyrdom, to tell what she was to be. The virgin's name is the title of modesty. I will call her a martyr: I have preached enough. A panegyric which is not demanded, and yet is continued, is tedious: no one is more worthy of praise than one whom every one can praise. As many men, so many preachers: who no sooner speak than they name her Martyr. RyRy. of the Common. .5 Lesson V. SHE is said to have won her martyr. dom when thirteen years old. All the more hateful that cruelty which would not spare so tender an age; nay, rather, great was the power of faith, which found its witness even in that age. Was there room for the wound in that slender frame? And yet she who had not where to receive the sword, had wherewith to conquer the sword. Fearless in the bloody hands of the executioners, unmoved by the heavy dragging of the clanking chains, she now presented her whole body to the sword of the angry soldier. She knew nothing yet of death, but she was ready, even if dragged unwillingly to the altars, to lift her hands to Christ amidst the fire: and among the very flames of idolatry to set the victorious sign of her conquering Lord, and then to put her neck and both her hands into the iron gyves. But no gyves could hold such slender limbs. It was a new kind of martyrdom. She was not old enough for punishment, and yet she was ripe for victory. She was weak for any conflict, and yet fitted to be crowned; she achieved a masterpiece of courage, though she laboured under the disadvantage of her youth. BRIDE never hastened to her nuptial to the place of death; her head adorned, chamber so joyously as the virgin not with plaited hair, but with Christ; crowned, not with flowers, but with holiness. All wept; she alone shed no tear. Marvellous was it to see her so prodigal of life when she had scarcely tasted it; yet she gave it up as if she had done with it. She stood, she prayed, she bent her head. The headsman trembled and grew pale at another's danger, but she blenched not at her martyrdom of purity and of religion. In one victim ye have a double own. A virgin she remained, and she attained the glory of a martyr. JANUARY 25. Festival of the Conversion of S. Paul, Apostle. the Conversion of Paul the Apostle. Inv. Let us praise Jesus Christ: in Venite. Ps. 95. p. 3. HYMN. Annue Christe. p. i. Pss. of the Common. p. 76. FIRST NOCTURN. Ant. 1. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest and desired of him, that if he found any of this way, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Immediately after the Ps. the V. is said by the Choir, before the repetition of the Ants.; and thus are always said the . of Ants. high priest, and desired of him, that if he found any of this way, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. y. Saul went, therefore, driven by fury, breathing forth fierce poison. He went unto. 2 Lesson II. V. According to the perfect law of AND he trembling and astonished the fathers, zealous towards GOD. Ant. 2. Saul went therefore, driven by fury, breathing forth fierce poison: and thirsted continually for the blood of the Saints. . Through all Judæa he was driven by his madness, that he might tear Christ's members upon earth. Ant. 3. And suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth and saw nothing. V. And he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? . Their sound is gone out into all lands. Ry. And their words into the ends of the world. Of the Acts of the Apostles. AND Saul, yet breathing out said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. Ry. Saul went therefore, driven by fury, breathing forth fierce poison, * and thirsted continually for the blood of the Saints. y. Through all Judæa he was driven by his madness, that he might tear Christ's members upon earth. And. 3 Lesson III. threatenings and slaughter AND there was a certain disciple at against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Ry. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,* went unto the Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus; for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to Thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on Thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way; for he is a chosen |