heaven, saith He, is like to leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal. As a little leaven, according to Paul's saying, leaveneth the whole lump, so a little blessing draws the whole man into itself, and fills him with its grace, and in this wise, CHRIST abides in us, and we in Ry. He that. p. ix. Lesson VIII. Flesh, and drink My Blood, ye have no life in you. But as they did not spiritually receive what was spoken, they were offended, and went away backward, for they thought that He was urging them to the eating of flesh. Under the Old Testament, there was shewbread, but it (seeing it belonged | to the Old Testament), had now come CHRIST. to an end; but in the New Testament, there is the Bread of Heaven, and the Cup of Salvation, which hallow both the soul and body. Wherefore, IET us then, if we desire to obtain would not that ye should look on them as though they were bare and simple bread, bare and simple wine; for they are the Body and Blood of CHRIST: since even if thy senses deny it to thee, yet let faith stablish thee. Judge not the thing by its taste, but let faith make thee certain, because, beyond all doubt, thou hast been made worthy to become a partaker of the Body and Blood of CHRIST. Ry. I am. p. viii. THIRD NOCTurn. eternal life, if we wish to have the Giver of immortality within us, eagerly haste to receive the blessing; and let us take heed, lest the devil should lay a dangerous scruple as a snare before us. You say well, quoth he nevertheless we are not unacquainted with the Scripture, that he that eateth of that bread, and drinketh of that cup unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself. I therefore prove myself, and find myself unworthy. When, pray, whoever thou art that sayest And for the months of November and this, wilt thou be worthy? December. When wilt thou offer thyself to CHRIST? For if thou art unworthy through Lesson of the Holy Gospel according sin, and dost not cease sinning (for who, to S. John. Lesson VII. Chap. vi. AT that time: JESUS said unto the A Homily of S. Cyril, Bishop of Book 4 on S. John, Chap. 16. as the Psalmist saith, understandeth his secret faults?) thou wilt have no share whatsoever in this quickening sanctification. Ry. As the living Father. p. ix. Lesson IX. WHEREFORE I pray you, take with you devout thoughts, live zealously and godly, and you will partake of the blessing; which, believe me, drives away, not death only, but all diseases too. For when CHRIST abides in us, He calms the fierce law of our members, He strengthens our devotion, quenches the troubles of the mind, heals the sick, makes whole the broken: and, as being the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for the sheep, lifts us up from every fall. Te Deum. p. 15. FRIDAY. All as in the Psalter. Of the 1st Book of Samuel. Chap. viii, Lesson I. THEN all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah; and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like and to be cooks, and to be bakers. Ry. I took thee. p. xxvii. Of the 1st Book of Samuel. all the nations. But the thing dis-NOW there was a man of Benjamin, pleased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. Ry. Saul hath slain. p. xxvii. Lesson II. AND the LORD said unto Samuel, Ry. Ye mountains of Gilboa. p. xxvii. AN whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to servants with thee, and arise, go seek Saul his son, Take now one of the the asses. And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through were not: and he passed through the the land of Shalim, and there they land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. Ry. I have sinned. p. xxviii. Lesson II. AND when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of GOD, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go. Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of GOD: what have the servant answered Saul again, and the families of the tribe of Benjamin? said, Behold, I have here at hand the | wherefore then speakest thou so to fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. Ry. Thou hast heard. p. xxviii. Lesson III. me? Ry. Prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only: * and He will deliver you out of the hands of your enemies. y. Return unto Him with all your hearts, and put away AND they went up into the city: the strange gods from among you. And. Lesson II. AND Samuel took Saul and his the parlour, and made them sit in servant, and brought them into And Samuel said unto the and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land the chiefest place among them that of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint were bidden, which were about thirty him to be captain over my people persons. Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! This same shall reign over my people. Of the 1st Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chaps. ix. and x. THEN Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to-day, and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them: for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. Saul did eat with Samuel that day. And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. So Rz. GOD is the hearer of all; He sent His Angel and took me from my father's flock: * and anointed me with the anointing of His mercy. . The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He hath delivered me. And. Lesson III. AND they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the From the Exposition of S. Gregory the Pope on the Books of Samuel. Lesson IV. Book 4. Chap. 5. on 1 Sam. 10. SAMUEL took a vial of oil, and poured it on his head. No doubt what is denoted by this unction is that which is even now practically set forth in Holy Church, because whoso is placed in the highest post, receives the sacrament of unction. And because the unction is itself a sacrament, it is right that he who is advanced be outwardly anointed, that he may be inwardly strengthened by the power of the sacrament. Let us therefore first examine with some care the qualities of oil. Oil, then, floats on the top of other fluids; oil feeds fire; oil is wont to heal wounds. By the first, therefore, it signifies the goodness of mercy, because it is written of the LORD: His mercy is over all His works. Because it feeds fire, it denotes the grace of preaching, which enlightens the understanding of the elect. Ry. Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. For the hand of the LORD was with him; he killed the Philistine, and took away the reproach from Israel. . Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? For. AN Lesson V ND because wounds are healed by oil, this clearly implies that the wounds of our sins are to be washed away. Let the king's head, then, be anointed, because his understanding is to be filled with the spiritual grace of the Teacher. Let him have oil for his anointing, let him have abundant mercy, which he is to set above other virtues. Let him have oil, in order that he may, by his speech, shine powerfully on others whilst cherishing the fervour of the HOLY GHOST within himself. Let him have no less the oil of medicine, that he may wisely determine how to wash away the foulness of sins, and restore diseased minds to health. Lesson VI. BUT Saul is anointed from a vial; not to foreshow doctrine, but to signify things to come. A vial is a small vessel: what is the reason, then, that Saul is anointed from a vial, save that he is rejected at the last? For because he afterwards refused to obey the LORD, he heard from Samuel, Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He also hath rejected thee from being king. For he who received spiritual grace, and yet was to be cast away, held but a little, like a vial of oil. And this is aptly observed even in the rules of Holy Church. For very often men who are not perfect in the love of GoD and their neighbour, receive the dignity of the episcopate. * Ry. I took thee from thy father's house, saith the LORD, and set thee to feed the flock of My people. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, establishing thy throne for ever. y. And I made thee a great XXVI the servant answered Saul again, and the families of the tribe of Benjamin? said, Behold, I have here at hand the wherefore then speakest thou so to fourth part of a shekel of silver: that me? will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place. Now the Lord had told Samuel ND Samuel took Saul and his in his our a day before Saul came, the parlour, and made them sit in servant, and brought them into saying, To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land the chiefest place among them that of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint were bidden, which were about thirt him to be captain over my people persons. And Samuel said unto Israel, that he may save my people cook, Bring the portion which I out of the hand of the Philistines; thee, of which I said unto the for 1 have looked upon my people, by thee. And the cook t because their cry is come unto me, shoulder, and that which And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD and set it before Sam said unto him, Behold the man whom said, Behold that I spake to theo of! This same shall before thee, a reign over my people. time hath it said, I ha Saul did And when the high R. Hearken, O LORD. p. xxix. bre. Lot us worship. Ps. Venite, p. 3. Hymn. Nocte surgentes, p. 4. Ants Pas., and V.V. of Pss. p. 5 Of the 1st Book of Samuel, Lesson 1. Chaps, ix. and x. THEN Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. An Samuel auswored Saul, and said, I the sour: go up before me unte high place; for ye shall eat w to day, and to-morrow I will le go, and will tell thee all the thing heart. And as for thin that were lost three days ago thy mind on them for they s And on whom is all the Israel? Is it not on thee, thy father's house answered and said, Am no mite, of the smallest of Israel? and my family |