had to do with proving the reality of the manhood which He took upon Him.¡ For after His passion, when He broke the bands of death, which had lost its strength by attacking Him Who knew no sin, infirmity passed into strength, mortality into immortality, insult into glory; which glory the LORD JESUS examine by sight and touch the traces of the Passion in His flesh; Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. R. CHRIST going up. p. ccxxi. THIRD NOCTURN. to S. Mark. Lesson VII. Chap. xvi. CHRIST displayed by many and evident Lesson of the Holy Gospel according proofs in the sight of many persons, until He carried even into the heavens the victorious triumph which He had brought back from the dead. Ry. It is time. p. ccxx. A Lesson V. S then the resurrection of the LORD was the reason of our rejoicing in the Paschal festival, so His ascension into Heaven is the subject of our present gladness, as we celebrate and do fitting honour to that day whereon our lowly nature was exalted in CHRIST above all the host of heaven, above all the ranks of angels, and beyond the height of all the powers, unto the throne of GoD the FATHER. We then are founded and built up upon this order of the works of GOD, that the grace of GoD might be more wonderful, when, although He hd taken away from the sight of men those things which were justly felt to teach reverence for Him; nevertheless faith should not fail, hope should not waver, charity should not wax cold. Ry. Let not. p. ccxx. Lesson VI. THIS is the strength of great minds, and the light of truly faithful souls, to believe unhesitatingly what cannot be beheld by bodily vision, and to fix thy longing there, whither thou canst not direct thy sight. For how could this loving spirit arise in our hearts, or how could any one be justified by faith, if our salvation consisted only in things which are visible to the sight? Wherefore the LORD said to As on Ascension Day. p. ccxxi. Whoso believeth and is baptized shall be saved: whosoever believeth not, shall be damned. Perchance some one may say to himself, I already believe: I shall be saved. He saith the truth, if he keeps the faith by his works. But that is true faith, which does not contradict by its conduct, what it utters in words. Hence it is that Paul saith of certain false believers: They profess that they know GOD, but in works they deny Him. Hence John saith: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Ry. I will pray. p. ccxxi. SEE Lesson VIII. EEING the thing is so, we ought to test the truth of our faith by the examination of our life. For then we are truly faithful if we fulfil in deed what we have promised in words. For on the day of our baptism, we promised that we would renounce all the works of the ancient enemy, and all his pomps. Therefore let each of you direct his mind's eyes to examining himself; what he vowed before baptism, he may and if he keeps after baptism rejoice in the certainty that he is really one of the faithful. Ry. Thou makest. p. ccxxi. that man, who seemed to doubt BUT behold, if he hath not kept CHRIST's resurrection, unless he might what he hath promised, if he hath fallen away to practising evil deeds, and | a thief in the night; in the which the to desiring the pomps of the world, let | heavens shall pass away with a great us see if he knows how to mourn for his noise, and the elements shall melt error. For he who returns to the with fervent heat, the earth also and truth even after he has lied, is not the works that are therein shall be counted a deceiver by our merciful burned up. Seeing then that all these Judge; because Almighty GoD, while things shall be dissolved, what manner readily receiving our repentance, Him- of persons ought ye to be in all holy self covers over our sin in His conversation and godliness, looking judgment. for and hasting unto the coming of the day of GoD, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent Te Deum, p. 15. SATURDAY. FIRST NOCTURN. Of the 2nd Ep. of S. Peter the Apostle. Lesson I. Chap. iii. THIS second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mind ful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of Ry. After His Passion. p. ccxix. BUT, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The LORD is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the LORD will come as heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Ry. All the beauty. p. ccxix. Lesson, III WHEREFORE, beloved, seeing ye for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our LORD is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Ry. Be Thou exalted. p. ccxx. SECOND NOCTURN. A Sermon of S. Leo the Pope. Sermon 2 on the Ascension. THAT which was openly visible in our Redeeemer, passed into the form of Sacraments; and, that faith might be nobler and stronger, teaching of the soul unto the SON, Co-equal succeeded to sight, that the hearts of with the FATHER: and to need no believers, enlightened by heavenly rays, might follow its authority. No bonds, no dungeons, no exiles, no hunger, no fire, no rending by wild beasts, no tortures elaborated by the cruelty of persecutors, were able to shake this faith, increased by the Ascension of the LORD, and strengthened by the gift of the HOLY GHOST. On behalf of this faith, throughout the whole world, not only men, but even women, not only immature boys, but even tender virgins, resisted unto the shedding of their blood. This faith cast out devils, drove away sicknesses, raised the dead to life. Ry. It is time. p. ccxx. Lesson V. WE HENCE also, the blessed Apostles themselves, who had been stablished by so many miracles, and taught by so many discourses, but were nevertheless affrighted at the severity of the LORD's Passion, and did not receive the truth of His resurrection without doubting, profited so much by the LORD'S Ascension, that what had at first caused them fear was turned to joy. longer that lowering of the bodily substance in CHRIST, whereby He is inferior to the FATHER: because, as the nature of His glorified Body still continues, the faith of believers ascends thither, where the Only Begotten, Co-equal with the FATHER, might be touched, not with the hand of flesh, but with spiritual understanding. Hence it is that after His resurrection, the LORD said to S. Mary Magdalene, as representative of the Church, when she was eager to draw near to touch Him: Touch Me not: for I am not yet ascended to My FATHER. I would not that thou shouldest come unto Me in bodily fashion, nor that thou shouldest know Me by the fleshly understanding. I put thee off for loftier things: I prepare for thee greater matters. When I am ascended to My FATHER, then thou shalt touch Me more perfectly, more truly thou shalt apprehend what thou touchest not, and thou shalt believe what thou dost not behold. R. CHRIST going up. p. ccxxi. THIRD NOCTURN. For they lifted up the whole contemplation of their mind to the Lesson of the Holy Gospel according Godhead of Him Who sitteth on the right hand of the FATHER; nor were they any longer impeded by an object of bodily sight from directing their mind's eye to the truth: that He had not absented Himself from the FATHER by coming down, nor departed from His disciples by ascending. It was then, therefore, dearly beloved, that the Son of man was more perfectly and more divinely known to be the SON of GOD, when He betook Himself to the glory of the FATHER'S Majesty, and He began unspeakably to be more present in His Godhead when He became more distant in His manhood. Ry. Let not. p. ccxx. Lesson VI. THEN, a better instructed faith began to draw near by the progress to S. Mark. Lesson VII. Chap. xvi. As on Ascension Day. p. ccxxi. A Homily of S. Gregory the Pope. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. My brethren, do you fail to believe, because you do not perform these signs? But these were necessary in the beginning of the Church. For in order that the multi tude of believers might grow up to the faith, it was necessary to nourish All the office is of the Ascension, except that which is here set down as them with miracles: just as we, when I SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF ASCENSION. we plant shrubs, pour water on the earth, until we see them to be united with the ground, and when they have once struck root, the watering will cease. Hence it is that Paul saith, Tongues are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Ry. I will pray. p. ccxxi. WE Lesson VIII. E have a more mystical way, in which we ought to think about proper. If the Lessons of the First Nocturn were read on the previous day, that is, when the festival of S. John PortLatin occurs on the previous Saturday, the lessons of the following Monday are read on Sunday. FIRST NOCTURN. these signs and powers; for holy Here beginneth the 1st Epistle of S. Church does every day in a spiritual way, what she did then in bodily form by the apostles. For when her priests, by way of exorcism, lay their hands on unbelievers, and forbid the evil spirit to dwell in their soul, what else do they but cast out devils? And the faithful also, who leave behind them the worldly language of their former life, who speak of the holy mysteries, and, so far as they can, declare the praise and power of their Maker, what else do they but speak with new tongues? And when, by their good advice, they take away mischief from the hearts of others, they take up serpents. Ry. Thou makest. p. ccxxi. Lesson IX. AND when they hear poisonous suggestions, and yet are not seduced into doing wrong, that which they drink is deadly, but it will not hurt them. And as often as they see their neighbours growing weak in good works, when they help them with all their power, and strengthen by the pattern of their own conduct the life of those who are stumbling in their habits, what else do they, save lay their hands on the sick, that they may recover? And these miracles are all the greater, in that they are spiritual: they are all the greater, because it is not bodies, but souls, that are raised again by them. Te Deum. p. 15. John the Apostle. Lesson I. Chap. i. THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the FATHER, and was manifested unto us ;) that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the FATHER, and with his SON JESUS CHRIST. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Ry. After His Passion. p. ccxix. F Lesson II. we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of JESUS CHRIST his SON, cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not | I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving. in us. Ry. All the beauty. p. ccxix. Lesson III. Chap. ii. Ry. It is time. p. ccxx. Lesson V. MY little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. THE Resurrection of the LORD is our hope the Ascension of the LORD And if any man sin, we have an is our glorification. To-day we are advocate with the FATHER, JESUS keeping the festival of the Ascension. CHRIST the righteous: and he is the If then we are keeping the LORD's propitiation for our sins; and not for Ascension duly, fully and devoutly, ours only, but also for the sins of the piously, lovingly, let us ascend with whole world. And hereby we do know Him and lift up our hearts. But when that we know him, if we keep his com- ascending, let us not be puffed up nor mandments. He that saith, I know plume ourselves on our merits as him, and keepeth not his command-though they were our own. We ought ments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of GOD perfected hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Ry. Be Thou exaited. p. ccxx. SECOND NOCTURN. to have our hearts lifted up unto the LORD; for a heart which is lifted up, yet not unto the LORD, is called pride, but a heart which is lifted up unto GOD, is called a refuge. Behold, my brethren, a mighty wonder. God is high thou liftest up thyself, and He flees from thee; thou humblest thyself, and He comes down to thee. Why is this? Because He is high, A Sermon of S. Augustine the Bishop. and hath respect unto the lowly, but Lesson IV. Sermon 2. on the Ascension. OUR Saviour, dearly beloved brethren, hath ascended into heaven: let us therefore not be troubled upon earth. Let our soul be there, and here we shall have rest. Let us ascend with CHRIST in heart during this time of waiting: when His promised day shall come, we shall follow in body too. But we ought to know, brethren, that neither pride nor avarice nor lust ascendeth with CHRIST: no disease of ours ascends with our Physician. And therefore, if we desire to ascend after our Physician, we must lay aside our vices and our sins. For all these weigh us down, as it were with fetters, and strive to tangle us in the nets of sins. And therefore, with the help of GOD, as the Psalmist saith, let us break their bonds asunder, that we may be enabled in safety to say unto the LORD, Thou has broken my bonds in sunder: as for the proud, He beholdeth them afar off. He beholdeth the lowly, close at hand, that He may lift them up: the high, that is to say, the proud, He beholdeth from afar off, that He may put them down. Ry. Let not. p. ccxx. Lesson VI. FOR CHRIST rose again, that He might give us a hope that man, who dieth, might rise again: lest dying should make us despair, and lest we should fancy that our life is ended in death, He hath made us free from any dread. For we were disquieted about our very soul, and He, by rising again, gave us confidence in the resurrection of the body. Believe, therefore, that thou mayest be cleansed; thou must believe first, that thou mayest afterwards behold GoD through faith. Hear Him: Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see GOD. Think first, therefore, of cleansing thy heart; whatsoever thou |