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For He considered not that He was dying by them, but that He was dying for them.

ness.

When He would, He was taken; when He would, He was slain. But as He was to have members, that is, His Ry. Mine enemies speak friendly to faithful ones, who would not have that Me, but imagine mischief in their power which He, our GoD, possessed, hearts: * This Thou hast seen, O LORD: therefore His lying hid, therefore hold not Thy tongue then, go not far His concealing Himself lest He should from Me, O LORD. y. Nevertheless be slain, pointed out what His memwhen they were sick, I put on sack-bers should do, in which members, cloth, and humbled my soul with indeed, He Himself dwelt. fasting. This. Mine.

TUESDAY.

Ry. I shall teach Thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee. * Deliver Me from blood

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according guiltiness, O GOD, Thou that art the

to S. John.

Lesson I. Chap. vii.

AT that time: JESUS walked in Gali

lee for He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill Him. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop.

Tract 28 on S. John.

In this chapter of the Gospel, my brethren, our LORD JESUS CHRIST in many ways hath presented Himself to our faith as Man. For ever both in His words and deeds He acted so that He might be believed to be both GoD and Man: GOD who made us, Man who sought us: GOD for ever with the FATHER, Man with us in time. For He would not seek him whom He had made, without Himself becoming that which He had made. Remember ye this truth, let it not depart out of your hearts; CHRIST was so made Man that He ceased not to be God. He Who made man, remaining GOD, took man's nature upon Him.

Ry. Thou art My defence and shield: and My trust is in Thy word. * Away from Me, ye wicked: I will keep the commandments of My God. Y. I hate them that imagine evil things; but Thy law do I love. Away.

Lesson II.

WHEN therefore He hid Himself

as Man, He must not be esteemed as having lost His power, but as setting an example to our weak

GOD of My health. y. Thou shalt open My lips, O LORD, and My mouth shall shew thy praise. Deliver.

Lesson III.

CHRIST is not merely in the head, and not in the body; but whole CHRIST is both in the head and in the body. What therefore His members are, He is; but it does not follow that His members are what He is. For if the members were not really His, He would not have said to Saul: Why persecutest thou Me? For Saul was persecuting upon the earth not Himself, but His members, that is, His faithful. For He would not say, My Saints, My servants, or even yet more honourably, My brethren: but, Me: that is, My members whose Head I am.

Ry. O shut not up My soul with the sinners, nor My life with the bloodthirsty: * O deliver Me. y. Deliver Me, O LORD, from the evil man and preserve Me from the wicked man. O deliver. O shut.

WEDNESDAY.

To-day are said the Gradual Psalms. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. John.

Lesson I. Chap. x.

AT that time: At Jerusalem it was

the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And JESUS walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop. | with him.

Tract 48 on S. John.

The Jews were wont most solemnly to celebrate that day whereon the temple was dedicated, and that holy day was being kept when the LORD spake the things which have been read. It was winter, and JESUS walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

Ry. All the day. p. clvi.

Lesson II.

THEN came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him: How long makest Thou us to doubt? If Thou be the CHRIST, tell us plainly. They desired not the truth, but were getting ready their slander. It was winter, and they were cold; but they were loth to draw nigh unto Him, the Divine fire. If to draw nigh is to believe, he who believeth draweth nigh, he who denieth draweth back. The soul is not moved by the feet, but by the affections.

Ry. Turn not. p. clvi.

Lesson III.

THEY waxed cold in the charity that loveth; they burned with the desire to do hurt. They were afar off, and yet they were nigh; they drew not near to believe, but they pressed around to persecute. They sought to hear from the LORD: I am

the CHRIST; and perchance they only

thought of the CHRIST as a man. prophets indeed had foretold the CHRIST; but not even do heretics understand the Godhead of CHRIST from the prophets, nor even from the Gospel itself; how much less the Jews, at least, so long as the veil is upon their hearts.

Ry. O that. p. clvii.

THURSDAY.

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke.

Lesson I. Chap. vii.

And He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to

meat. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Gregory the Pope.

Hom. 33 on the Gospels.

When I think of the penitence of Mary Magdalene, I had rather weep, is so stony that the tears of this than say anything. For whose heart

woman would not soften it to imitate her repentance? For she planned that which she did, and would not She entered restrain her action.

un

among the guests: she came
invited: she shed her tears amidst
the banquet. Learn with what pain
she glows, who is not ashamed to
weep, even amidst a banquet.
R. Deliver Me. p. clvii

Lesson II.

HER whom Luke calls a sinful

woman, John names Mary. And we believe her to be that Mary out of whom Mark witnesseth that seven devils were cast out. And what is meant by seven devils, but all kinds of sin ? For as the whole of time is

included in seven days, so universality
is fitly typified by the number seven.
So Mary had seven devils: she was
full of all kinds of sin.

Ry. Many there are. p. cliv.
Lesson III.

BUT behold, as she saw the stains

of her foulness, she hastened to

be washed in the fountain of mercy,
and was not ashamed at the guests.
For as she was deeply ashamed of
herself within, she did not think
there was anything outside to be
bashful about. What then shall we
marvel at, my brethren? at Mary's
coming, or the LORD's receiving
her? Shall I say receiving her,
or drawing her? But I had better
say, both drawing her, and receiving
her; for He drew her inwardly by
His mercy, Who received her out-

AT that time: One of the Pharisees wardly by His meekness.
Ry. How long. p. clv.

desired JEsUs that He would eat

FRIDAY.

for us, that one man should die for

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according the people, and that the whole nation

to S. John.

Lesson I. Chap. xi.

AT that time: The chief priests and Pharisees gathered a council, and said: What do we? For this Man doeth many miracles. And that which follows.

perish not. And this spake he not of himself but being high priest that

year, he prophesied. Hence we are taught that even evil men can tell before things to come by the spirit of prophecy: which however the evangelist attributes to his divine office: because he was the pontiff, that is,

A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop. the high priest.

Tract 49 on S. John.

The chief priests and Pharisees took counsel together. However, they said

Ry. Trouble. p. clvi.
SATURDAY.

not: Let us believe. These abandoned Lesson of the Holy Gospel according men planned more how they might hurt and destroy Him, than how they might take counsel for themselves

to S. John. Lesson I. Chap. xii.

AT that time: The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that went away, and believed on Jesus. by reason of him many of the Jews And that which follows.

that they might not perish; and yet they were afraid, and did as it were take counsel, for they said: What do we? for this Man doeth many miracles; if we let Him thus alone all men will believe on Him, and the Romans shall come and take away A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop. both our place and nation. They feared to lose their temporal goods, and thought not of the life eternal; and thus they lost both. Ry. Thou art. p. clviii.

FOR

Lesson II.

after the LORD's Passion and glorification, the Romans came and took away from them both place and nation: sacking their town, and carrying them away; and thus that happened unto them which is said elsewhere: The children of the kingdom shall go into outer darkness. This is what they were afraid of, lest if all believed in CHRIST, no one would be left to defend the city and temple of GOD against the Romans: because they supposed the doctrine of CHRIST to be against that temple, and the laws of their forefathers.

Ry. Through Thee. clv.
Lesson III.

AND one of them. named Caiaphas,

being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient

Tract 50 on S. John.

When they saw that Lazarus had been raised to life again, and that this great miracle of the LORD was spread abroad by such evidence, and declared by such open proof, that they could neither conceal nor deny what had happened, see what they planned. The chief priests consulted, that they might put Lazarus also to death. Ŏ foolish thought and blind cruelty! Could not the LORD CHRIST, Who was able to raise a dead man, raise a slain one? When you were aiming at the death of Lazarus, were you taking away the power of the LORD? If you think a dead man one thing, and a slain man another, behold, the LORD did both: He raised dead Lazarus, and His slain self.

Ry. All the day. p. clvi.

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and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the LORD. The palm-branches are tokens of honour, denoting victory; because the LORD was to overcome death by dying, and to triumph over the devil, the prince of death, by the trophy of the cross. Hosanna is a term of supplication. The multitude uttered these praises in His honour: Hosanna; Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the LORD.

Ry. Turn not. p. clvi.

Lesson III.

WHAT mental torture must the

WHE envious spirit of the Jewish princes have endured, when so great a multitude proclaimed CHRIST to be its king? But what was it for CHRIST to be the King of Israel? What great thing was it for the King of worlds to become the King of men? For CHRIST was not King of Israel to extort tribute, nor to equip an army with the sword, nor to rout His enemies openly, but King of Israel because He rules over the soul, because His counsel is everlasting, because He leadeth those who believe, hope, and love Him, into the kingdom of heaven.

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him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burnt without inhabitant. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head. Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?

Ry. In the day that I called upon Thee, Thou saidst, Fear not. * 0 LORD, Thou hast pleaded the causes of My soul; Thou hast redeemed My life. y. In the time of My trouble I will call upon Thee, for thou hearest Me. O LORD.

Lesson II.

AND now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore, and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the LORD GOD of hosts. For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill, and under every green tree, thou wanderest, playing the harlot. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the LORD GOD.

Ry. He hath put My brethren far

are

from Me: and Mine acquaintance * verily estranged from Me. y. My kinsfolk have failed, and My familiar friends have forgotten Me. Are.

Lesson III.

WHEREFORE will ye plead with

me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD. In vain have I smitten your children; they

m

received no correction: your own | ways, he was unto Me lying in wait, sword hath devoured your prophets, as a lion in secret places: he hath like a destroying lion. O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness ? Wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

filled Me with bitterness, he hath made Me drunken with wormwood: they have cut off My life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon Me: * Thou hast seen their iniquity: judge Thou My cause. y. I was a derision to all My people: and their song all the day. Thou.

Lesson V.

Ry. Give heed to Me, O LORD, and FOR, as the prophet saith, Seek the

*

hearken to the voice of them that contend with Me. Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for My soul. y. Remember that I stood before Thee to speak good for them, and to turn away Thy wrath from them. Shall. Give.

SECOND NOCTURN.

A Sermon of S. Leo the Pope.
Lesson IV.

Serm. 11 on the LORD's Passion.

THE solemnity of

the LORD'S Passion, dearly beloved, which we have so desired, and which is precious to the whole world, hath come; and it does not suffer us to hold our peace amidst the gladness of our spiritualjoys. For although it be difficult to speak worthily and suitably on several occasions touching this same holy season, nevertheless a priest is not at liberty to shirk the duty of preaching to the faithful people this great mystery of the divine mercy: seeing the very subject-matter, from the fact that it is unspeakable, supplies the power of speech; nor can there be a lack of something to say, seeing that what is said never can be enough. Let

human weakness therefore bow before

the glory of GoD, and ever find itself unequal to explain the works of His mercy. Let us toil in understanding, let us hesitate in thought, let us fail in speech; it is good for us, that we should have even a little, wherein we think as we ought concerning the greatness of GOD.

Ry. The enemy hath inclosed My

LORD and His strength, seek His face evermore; no one ought to take for granted that he can find the whole of that which he seeketh: lest he that fails to come up to it should cease to draw near. For amidst all the works of GoD which weary out the straining gaze of man's wonder, what so delights and yet baffles the contemplation of our mind as the Passion of the Saviour? For He, to loose mankind from the chains of his deadly fall, hid His majestic power from the raging devil, and shewed him the weakness of our lowly nature. if our cruel and haughty foe could have known the counsels of GOD'S mercy, He would rather have striven to infuse meekness into the minds of the Jews, than to inflame them with unjust hatred: lest he should lose all his captives while attacking the liberty of One Who owed him nought.

For

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