LOR

Gentiles and the GLORY of Israel. Let us therefore
receive the candles from the hands of the Priest with
a becoming piety, as an emblem of Christ, who is the
light of our souls, and with him let us also offer up
ourselves, as purified by his blood to his Eternal
Father.

At the BLESSING of the CANDLES.
The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray. Domine sancte.

and

HOLY Lord, Father Almighty and Eternal God, who didst create all things out of nothing, and by the labour of the bees following thy commands, hast brought this liquor to the perfection of wax; who, on this day, didst accomplish the desire of the righteous Simeon, we humbly beseech thee, that by the invocation of thy most holy name, and by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a virgin, whose fes tival we this day devoutly celebrate, and by the pray ers of all thy saints, thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless Hand sanctify these candles, for the service of men, and for the good of their bodies and souls in all places; and that thou wouldst please mercifully to hear from thy holy temple, and from the throne of thy majesty, the prayers of this thy people, who desire to carry them in their hands with reverence, and with sacred hymns to praise thy name; and shew mercy to all that cry out unto thee, whom thou hast redeemed by the precious blood of thy beloved Son; who liveth. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus.

O ALMIGHTY and Eternal God, who on this day wast pleased that thy only Son should be presented in the temple, and be received into the arms of holy Simeon; we humbly beseech thy mercy t bless, sanctify, and give the light of thy heavenly benediction to these candles, which we thy ser vants desire to carry in honour of thy name: that by offering them to thee, our Lord God, we may be

inflamed with the fire of thy sweet love, and made worthy to be presented in the holy temple of thy glory. Thro' the same. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Domine Jesu.

LORD Jesus Christ, the true light, that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; pour forth thy blessing upon these candles, and sanctify them by the light of thy grace; and grant in thy mercy, that as these candles, by their visible light, dispel the darkness of the night, so our hearts, burning with invisible fire, and enlightened by the grace of the Holy Ghost, may be delivered from all blindness of sin; that the eye of our soul being purified, we may discern those things that are pleasing to thee, and beneficial to our souls; that after having finished the darksome passage of this life, we may come to never-fading joys through thee O Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, who, in perfect Trinity livest. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Omnipotens sempiterne.

O ALMIGHTY and Eternal God, who, by thy servant Moses, commandest the purest oil to be prepared for lamps, continually to burn in thy presence, mercifully pour forth the grace of thy blessing on these candles: that as they supply us with visible light, so, by thy assistance, the light of thy Spirit may never be wanting inwardly in our souls. Thro'. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Domine Jesu.

LORD Jesus Christ, who appearing amongst men in the substance of his flesh, wast pleased this day to be presented in the temple by thy parents, and whom the venerable Simeon, enlightened by the Holy Ghost, publicly confessing, received in his arms, and blessed; mercifully grant, that, being inspired and taught by the grace of the same holy Spirit, we may sincerely acknowledge and faithfully love thee: who with God the Father, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, livest, &c. R. Amen.

Here the Priest having put incense in the Censer, sprinkles the Candles with Holy Water, say ing Sprinkle, &c. without the Ps. After fuming them he distributes them to the Faithful, who receive them kneeling, first kissing the Candle, and then the Hand of the Priest. During the Distri bution of the Candles is sung,

ANT. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

CANTICLE, Luke ii.

NOW thou dost dismiss thy Servant, O Lord, ac cording to thy word in peace,

Because my eyes have seen thy salvation.

Ant. Light, &c.

fas da

Year peri

LESSO

God: Bel De way h

Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people. Ant. Light, &c.

Glory be to the Father, &c. Antiphon. Light, &c.
Then is sung the following song:

Ant. Rise, O Lord, and help us and free us on account of thy name. Ps. O God, we have heard with our ears-Our fathers have spoken to us V. Glory, &c. &c.

Ant. Arise, to Ps.

After Septuag. when this Festival does not fall on
Sunday, is said

P. Flectamus genua. R. Levate.

Be aca

GRAT

PRAYER. Exaudi. Give ear, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy people; that what we outwardly per form by this yearly devotion, we may inwardly obtain the effects of, by the light of thy grace. Thro Amen.

At Mass the Candles are held lighted during the Gos pel, and from the Consecration till after the Com munion.

INTROIT, Suscepimus.

COLLECT. Omnipotens. O Almighty and Eter nal God, we humbly beseech thy divine majesty, that as thy only Son in the substance of our flesh,

was this day presented in the temple, so our souls, being perfectly cleansed, may become a pure oblation and presented to thee. Thro'.

LESSON. Mal. iii. 1, 4. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord whom you seek, and the angel of the Testament whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts: and who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? For he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller's herb: and he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice. And the sacrifice of Judea and Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient years: saith the Lord Almighty.

GRAD. Ps. xlvii. We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple; according to thy name, O God, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth. V. As we have heard, so have we scen in the city of our God, on his holy mountain. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. The old man carried the Child, and the Child governed the old man. Alleluia.

After Septuag. instead of Alleluia and V. is said TRACT. Nunc dimittis. Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace. Because my eyes hath seen thy salvation. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

GOSPEL. Luke ii. 22, 32. At that time: After the days of the purification of Mary, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried Jesus to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. And to offer a sacrifice according as it is written

in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons. And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was in him. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace. Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. The Creed.

OFFERT. Ps. xliv. Grace is spread on thy lips, therefore hath God blessed thee for ever and ever. SECRET. Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, and grant us the assistance of thy mercy, that what we offer to thy divine majesty may be worthy to be accepted. Thro'.

IV.

A

COLLE

PREFACE, Quia per incarnati, as in the Ordinary. COMM. Luke ii. Simeon received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death till he beheld the Christ of the Lord.

P. COMM. Quæsumus. We beseech thee, O Lord our God, that the sacred mysteries we have received to preserve our new life, may by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin, become a remedy to us both now and for the future. Thro'.

When the Purification falls on Septuagesima, Sexagesima, or Quinquagesima Sunday, although the Candles are blessed, &c. yet the Mass is deferred till next day.

III. St. BLASE, bp. & m. All as in Mass III. p. v.