very same thing that Melchisedech had

THIRD NOCTURN.

August.
Lesson VII. Chap. vi.

Of the Holy Gospel according to S.
John.

offered, that is, bread and wine, to wit, And for the months of July and
His own Body and Blood. And that
former blessing, bestowed on Abra-
ham, belonged to our people. For if
Abraham believed GoD, and it was
counted unto him for righteousness,
no doubt every one who believes GOD, AT that time: JESUS said unto the
and lives by faith, is found righteous, multitude of the Jews: My Flesh
and was long ago blessed, and declared is meat indeed, and My Blood is
justified in faithful Abraham; as drink indeed. And that which
the blessed Apostle Paul proves, follows.
saying, Abraham believed GOD, and
it was counted unto him for

righteousness. For the scripture
foreseeing that GOD would justify the
Gentiles by faith, foretold to Abra-
ham, that in him should all nations

be blessed.

Ry. JESUS took the cup. p. viii.

Lesson VI.

THAT therefore the benediction
bestowed on Abraham by Mel-
chisedech the priest, in Genesis, might
be duly solemnized, it was preceded by a
typical sacrifice, consisting, to wit, of
bread and wine. And the LORD,
accomplishing and fulfilling this thing,
offered bread and the mixed chalice
with wine; and He Who is fulness

A Homily of S. Augustine.

Tr. 26 on S. John.

Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. Wherefore did they believed only what they saw, and did eat, and are dead? Because they not understand what they did not see. They are called your fathers for this reason: because you are like them. For, my brethren, so far as belongeth to visible and corporal death, do not we also die who eat the Bread which cometh down from heaven? So they also died as we shall also die, as far as belongs to the visible and carnal death of this body.

Ry. He that. p. ix.

Lesson VIII.

fulfilled the truth of the prefigured BUT so far as belongs to that death,
touching which the LORD alarms
type. For the HOLY GHOST shews us
beforehand a type of the LORD's Sacri-ate of the manna, Aaron ate of the
us, whereby their fathers died, Moses
fice in the words of Solomon: a type
of the slain victim, and of the bread
and wine, and of the Altar too: and
making mention of the Apostles,
saith, Wisdom hath builded her house,
she hath hewn out her seven pillars,
she hath killed her beasts, she hath
mingled her wine, she hath also

furnished her table. She hath sent
forth her servants, summoning men
with clear voiced preaching to that
cup, saying: Whoso is simple, let
him turn in hither; as for him that
wanteth understanding, she saith

unto him, Come, eat of my bread, and
drink of the wine which I have
mingled.

Ry. I am the Bread of life. p. viii.

manna, and Phineas ate of the manna. Many ate of it then who pleased the LORD, and are not dead. Why? Because they spiritually understood the visible food; they spiritually hungered for it: they tasted spiritually that they might be spiritually filled. We too, to-day, receive spiritual food: for the sacrament is one thing; the virtue of the sacrament is another.

Ry. As the living Father. p. ix.

put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

poison to Judas? and when he received | Israel, saying, If ye do return unto it, the enemy entered into him; not the LORD with all your hearts, then because he had received an evil thing, but because he, being evil, had evilly received a good thing. Take heed therefore, brethren; spiritually eat the Bread of heaven; bring innocence to the altar. As to your sins, though they be venial or perhaps not mortal, before you approach the altar, see that ye say, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. If thou forgivest, it shall

Ry. Ye shall eat. p. vii.

Lesson III.

be forgiven thee. Draw near confi- AND Samuel said, Gather all Israel

dently: it is bread, not poison.

ANI

Te Deum. p. 15.

WEDNESDAY.

In the Octave.

FIRST NOCTURN.

to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. And when the Philistines heard that the

gether to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our GOD for us, that he will save us out of the hands of the Philistines.

Of the 1st Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chaps. vi. and vii. ND he smote the men of Beth-children of Israel were gathered toshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD GOD? and to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent mossengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again And for the months of September the ark of the LORD; come ye down,

Ry. And Elijah. p. vii.

SECOND NOCTURN.

and October.

and fetch it up to you. And the men of the Book of S. Ambrose on the

of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the

Sacraments.

Lesson IV. Book 4.

hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to WHO is the author of the Sacra

keep the ark of the LORD.

Ry. And the whole.

vi. p.

Lesson II.

AND it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. And Samuel spake unto all the house of

ments, save the LORD JESUS? Those Sacraments came down from heaven. For every counsel is from heaven. It is in truth, a great and divine miracle, that God rained down manna from heaven on the people; and the people toiled not, and did eat. Therefore thou perhaps sayest: My bread is common bread. But this bread of thine is bread before the Sacra

mental words; when consecration | heaven. But consider, whether is takes place, it becomes instead of bread the Body of CHRIST. Let us then establish this. How can that which is bread become the Body of CHRIST? By consecration. Whose words then, and whose discourse is the consecration? Those of the LORD JESUS. For all the other words which are spoken, offer praise to GOD, prayer is made in them first for the people, for sovereigns, and for others: but when it comes to the hallowing of the august Sacrifice, the Priest no longer uses his own words, but the words of CHRIST.

Ry. As they were. p. vii.

Lesson V.

greater, manna from heaven, or the
Body of CHRIST? No doubt the Body
of CHRIST, Who was the Creator of
heaven. Further, he who ate manna
is dead. But whoso shall eat of this
Body, remission of sins shall be
granted him, and he shall not die for
ever. Therefore it is not mere form, that
thou sayest Amen when thou receivest;
confessing then, in the spirit, that thou
receivest the Body of CHRIST. The
Priest saith to thee: The Body of
CHRIST; and thou sayest: Amen; that
is, Truly so. What the tongue confess-
eth, that the affections hold.
Ry. I am. p. viii.

THIRD NOCTURN.

THEREFORE the word of CHRIST And for the months of September and

makes this Sacrament.

What

October.

word of CHRIST? Doubtless that, Lesson of the Holy Gospel according whereby all things were made. The LORD commanded, and the heaven was made the LORD commanded,

and the earth was made: the LORD
commanded, and the seas were made:
the LORD commanded, and every crea-
ture was produced. You see how
efficacious is the word of CHRIST. If
therefore there was such power in the
word of CHRIST, that things which
did not exist should begin to be, how
much more is it efficacious to change
things which already existed into
something else? The heaven did not
exist, the sea did not exist, the earth
did not exist. But hear what He
saith: He spake the word, and they
were made: He commanded, and
they were created. That I may then
give thee thine answer, it was not the
Body of CHRIST before consecration;
but after consecration, I tell thee
that it is now the Body of CHRIST. He
spake the word, and it was made: He
commanded, and it was created.
Ry. JESUS. p. viii.

Lesson VI.

NOW come back with me to my

statement. It was, no doubt, a great and marvellous thing, that He rained manna on the Jews from

to S. John. Lesson VII. Chap. vi.

AT that time: JESUS said unto the multitude of the Jews: My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Hilary the Bishop.

Book 8 on the Trinity.

or

We must not speak, in matters belonging to GoD, in a human worldly sense. Let us read what is written, let us understand what we have read, and then let us fulfil the duty of perfect faith. For, whatever we speak concerning the truth of CHRIST, by virtue of our natural faculties, we speak foolishly and impiously, unless we learn of Him. For He saith, My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. There is no room left for doubting concerning the truth of His Body and Blood. Ry. He that. p. ix.

Lesson VIII.

FOR now, both according to the

plain statement of the LORD Himself, and to our faith, it is truly Flesh and truly Blood. And the taking and

For

drinking of these effects this: that make your faith touching divine we should be in CHRIST, and CHRIST | mysteries sure of which when you in us. Is not this the truth? No have been made worthy, you become, doubt it may happen not to be the so to speak, of the same Body and truth to those who deny that CHRIST the same Blood with CHRIST. JESUS is very GOD. He is therefore in us by His Flesh, and we are in Him, inasmuch as this nature of ours is with Him in GOD. But that we are in Him through the sacrament of His communicated Flesh and Blood, He Himself beareth witness, saying: And now the world seeth Me not, but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also because I'am in My FATHER, and ye in Me, and I in you.

Rz. As the living FATHER. p. ix.

Lesson IX.

S. Paul has just been proclaiming
that in the night in which our LORD
JESUS CHRIST was betrayed, taking
bread, and giving thanks, He brake
it, and gave it to His disciples, saying:
Take, eat: This is My Body. And
taking the cup, and giving thanks, He
said, Take, and drink: This is My
Blood. Seeing then that He Himself
hath pronounced and spoken of the
bread, This is My Body, who shall dare
to doubt thenceforward? And when
too He hath said just as expressly:
This is My Blood: who can ever doubt

BUT that this unity of nature is in or say that it is not His Blood?
Ry. As they were. p. vii.

us, He Himself thus beareth

witness: Whoso eateth My Flesh,
and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in
Me, and I in him. For no one can
be in Him, save one in whom He is,
and who has taken into himself the
Flesh of Him, Who took upon Him
our flesh.
He had already a little
before taught us the sacrament of
this perfect union, saying: As the
living FATHER hath sent Me, and I
live by the FATHER, even so he that
eateth Me, the same shall live by Me.
He therefore liveth by the FATHER,
and in whatever manner He liveth by
the FATHER, we shall live in the same
manner by His Flesh.

Te Deum, p. 15.

THURSDAY.

Octave of Corpus Christi. The Lessons of the First Nocturn are read from the Epistle to the Corinthians, as on the Festival, p. vi.

SECOND NOCTURN.

And for the months of November and
December.

A Sermon of S. Cyril, Bishop of
Jerusalem.

Lesson IV. Catech. myst.

THE teaching of blessed Paul seems of itself to be amply sufficient to

Lesson V.

HRIST at Cana of Galilee once

CE

changed water into wine; which has a certain affinity to blood. And shall we think Him not worthy of our belief, that He could change wine into blood? Called to that marriage at which bodies are joined together, He wrought this miracle contrary to the expectation of all; and shall we not much more firmly be persuaded that He hath so given us His Body and Blood, for our enjoyment, that we should receive them with full certainty, as His Body and Blood? For he gives us His Body under the form of bread, and gives us His Blood under the form of wine, so that, when you receive, you may take the Body and Blood of CHRIST, and be made a partaker of that same Body and Blood. For SO we become CHRIST-bearers, that is, bearing CHRIST in our bodies, into our members. Thus, according to when we receive His Body and Blood blessed Peter, we are made partakers of the Divine Nature. Ry. JESUS. p. viii.

Lesson VI.

CHRIST, once, conversing with the
Jews, said, Except ye eat My

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 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, I 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.

Rz. I am. p. viii.

THIRD NOCTURN.

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 CHRIST.

Ry. He that. p. ix.

Lesson VIII.

ET us then, if we desire to obtain

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 unac quainted 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.

Lesson VII. Chap. vi.
AT that time: JESUS said unto the

multitude of the Jews: My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Cyril, Bishop of
Alexandria.

Book 4 on S. John, Chap. 16.
He that eateth My Flesh, saith He,
and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me,
and I in him. As if one should pour
some other wax into wax which is
melted, it must needs be that the one
mingles with the other through the
whole mass; so too, whoso receives the
Body and Blood of the LORD, is in such
wise united with Him, that CHRIST is
found in him, and he in CHRIST.
You will find a somewhat similar
thing in Matthew. The kingdom of

When

wilt thou offer thyself to CHRIST? For if thou art unworthy through sin, and dost not cease sinning (for who, 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.