Newman Reader - Tracts for the Times - Tract 75

§ 8. Service for the Sundays in Advent.

{158} [Sections 2 and 3 form the respective bases to this and the following section, the letters and numbers marking the substitutions: the Hymns at Matins, Lauds, and Vespers are the only portion of the Services not given. Christmas Day is here supposed to fall on a Sunday. The Service for St. Thomas’s necessarily affects the Lauds and dependent Hours on the 21st: with this exception no notice is taken of Festivals, which materially alter the Advent Services as actually performed in the Latin Church. It is instructive to compare the Sunday Services as they here stand, with ours, which are formed from them.]

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MATINS

	O Lord, open, &c. And our mouth, &c. O God, make speed, &c. O Lord, make haste, &c. Glory be, &c. Amen. Hallelujah.
(a) Invitatory	Sundays 1 & 2. O come, let us worship: the Lord our King is coming. Sundays 3 & 4. O come, let us worship: the Lord is now at hand.
(b) Hymn	Verbum supernum prodiens, &c.

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NOCTURN I.

(c) Antiphon	Behold, the mighty King: shall come with great power to save the nations. Hallelujah.
(d ) Antiphon	Strengthen ye: the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees; say to them of fearful heart, Behold your God will come and save you. Hallelujah.
(e) Antiphon	Be strong: fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense: He will come and save you. {159}
(f) Verse and Response	Out of Sion hath God appeared in perfect beauty.

SUNDAY 1.

Lesson 1. Isa. i. 1-3.	The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw con- cerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Response 1.	I look afar off, and behold, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth: Go ye forth to meet him, and say: Tell us, whether Thou be He: who shall rule over the people Israel. All ye children of the earth and sons of men, the rich and the poor together. Go ye forth to meet him, and say: Tell us, whether Thou be He: who shall rule over the people Israel. Hear, O Thou Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep. Tell us, whether Thou be He: who shall rule over the people Israel. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye ever- lasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who shall rule over the people Israel. Glory be to the Father, &c. I look afar off, and behold, I see the power of God, &c.
Lesson 2. Isa. i. 4-6.	Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. {160}
Response 2.	I saw in the night visions, and behold, One like unto the Son of man come with the clouds of heaven, and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom: that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. That all people, nations, &c.
Lesson 3. Isa. i. 7-9.	Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vine- yard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Response 3.	The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary, a virgin espoused to Joseph, announcing to her the Word, and the virgin was troubled at the light: Fear not, Mary, thou hast found favour with the Lord, and behold thou shall conceive and bring forth a son, and He shall be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God shall give unto Him the Throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever. Behold, thou shalt conceive, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Behold, thou shalt conceive, &c.

SUNDAY 2.

Lesson 1. Isa. xi. 1-4.	And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and re- prove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. {161}
Response.	O Jerusalem, thy salvation shall come quickly: wherefore art thou consumed with grief? is there any counselor in thee? because sorrow hath changed thee: I will save thee and deliver thee: fear not. For I am the Lord thy God; the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer. I will save thee and deliver thee: fear not.
Lesson 2. Is. xi. 4-7.	And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shalt feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Response 2.	The Lord, my God, shall came, and all the saints with Thee, and in that day there shall be great light: and it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, and the Lord shall be king for ever: over all the earth. Behold, the Lord shall come with power, and His kingdom shall be in His hand, and dominion and sovereignty, Over all the earth.
Lesson 3. Is. xi. 8-10.	And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Response 3.	City of Jerusalem, weep thou not, for the Lord hath sorrowed for thee: and He shall take from thee all tribulation. Behold, the Lord shall come in strength, and his arm shall rule. And He shall take, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. And He shall take, &c. (go on to (g)) {162}

SUNDAY 3.

Lesson 1. Is. xxvi. 1-6.	In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. For he bringeth down them that dwell on high: the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground: he bringeth it even to the dust. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.
Response 1.	Behold, the Lord shall appear on a white cloud: and with him the thousands of His saints; and he shall have written on his garment and on his thigh, King of kings, and Lord of lords. He shall appear in the end and shall not lie: if He tarry, wait for Him; for He shall surely come: And with Him the thousands, &c.
Lesson 2. Is. xxvi. 7-10.	The way of the just is uprightness; thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yes, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee: the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal un- justly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.
Response 2.	O Bethlehem, city of the Most High God, out of thee shall go forth the Ruler of Israel, whose goings forth have been from everlasting, and He shall be great in the midst of the whole earth: and there shall be peace in our land, when He shall come. He shall speak peace to the Gentiles, and His dominion shall be from sea to sea. And there shall be peace, &c.
Lesson 3. Is. xxvi. 11-14.	Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. {163} Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had domi- nion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
Response 3.	He that shall come will come, and will not tarry; and fear shall no more be in our borders; for He is our Saviour. He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. For He is our Saviour. Glory be to the Father, &c. For He is our Saviour. (go on (g))

SUNDAY 4.

Lesson 1. Is. xxxv. 1-7.	The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the ex- cellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.
Response 1.	Blow the trumpet in Sion, summon the nations, proclaim to all people and say: Behold God our Saviour shall come. Proclaim and make it heard; speak and cry aloud. Behold, God our Saviour shall come.
Lesson 2. Is. xxxv. 7-10.	In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. {164} And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there: but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Response 2.	The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come: and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. His eyes are redder than wine, and His teeth whiter than milk. And unto Him shall, &c.
Lesson 3. Is. xli. 1-4.	Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Response 3.	I must decrease, but He must increase; he that cometh after me, was in being before me: whose shoes’ latchet I am not worthy to unloose. I baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Whose shoes’ latchet, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Whose shoes’ latchet, &c. (go on (g)) {165}

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NOCTURN II.

(g) Antiphon	Rejoice greatly: O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy king cometh unto thee; O Sion, be not afraid, for thy salvation cometh quickly.
(h) Antiphon	Our king: shall come, even Christ, whom John proclaimed as the Lamb which was to come.
(i) Antiphon	Behold, I come: quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.
(j) Verse and Response	Send ye the Lamb to the Ruler of the land. From Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Sion.

SUNDAY 1.

Lesson 4. (From St. Leo.)	Our Saviour, in His account of the coming of the kingdom of God, and of the end of the world, addressed to His Apostles, and in them to the whole Church, bids them beware, lest, at any time, their hearts should be weighed down with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life: which warning, beloved brethren, we know to belong to us specially, to whom the threatened day, though hidden, is cer- tainly near.
Response 4.	Hail thou that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee: the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shalt overshadow thee; therefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of Thee shall be called the Son of God. How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? and the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, &c.
Lesson 5.	For whose coming it is fitting that all mankind should make ready, lest it should surprise any by gluttony or worldly cares. For daily experience proves, my beloved, that the keenness of the mind is blunted by fulness of drink, and the vigour of the heart clouded by excess of meat; so that love of eating even does injury to our bodily health, unless a rule of temperance counteracts the seduction and refuses to indulgence what afterwards would be a burden.
Response 5.	We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change this vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body. Let us live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present {166} world, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appear- ance of the great God. Who shall change, &c.
Lesson 6.	For though the flesh hath no desires apart from the soul, and derives its senses from whence it gains animation, yet it is the part of the soul to deny some things to that body which is made subject to her, and by an inward discretion to hold back what is outward from mischief; that, being often at leisure from bodily desires, she may devote herself to divine wisdom in the palace of the mind, and while the noise of earthly cares is altogether hushed, may rejoice in holy meditations and everlasting pleasures.
Response 6.	O my Lord, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send: behold the affliction of Thy people: as Thou hast spoken, come: and deliver us. Hear, O Thou Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadeth Joseph like a sheep, Thou that sittest between the cherubim. As Thou host spoken, come: and deliver us. Glory be to the Father, &c. And deliver us. (go on (k))

SUNDAY 2.

(From St. Jerome.)	And there shall go forth a rod out of the root of Jesse. As far as the beginning of the vision, or burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw, all this prophecy relates to Christ. Which I would explain by portions, lest if it be all set forth, and treated at once, it confuse the memory of the reader. The Jews understand our Lord by the rod and flower from the rod of Jesse, the rod signifying his power, the flower his comeliness.
Response 4.	Behold, the Lord shall come, our defender, the Holy One of Israel: with the crown of His kingdom upon Him. And he shall reign from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. With the crown, &c.
Lesson 5.	But we, by the rod from the root of Jesse, understand the holy Virgin Mary, who had no shrub belonging to her: of whom we read before, Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son. And by the flower is meant the Lord and Saviour, who says in the Song of songs, I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
Response 5.	As a mother comforteth her sons, so will 1 comfort you, saith the Lord: and from Jerusalem, the city I have chosen, shall succour come to you; and you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice. {167} I will give to Sion salvation, and to Jerusalem My glory. And you shall see, &c.
Lesson 6.	Therefore upon this flower, which shall suddenly spring up from the stem and root of Jesse by the Virgin Mary, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest; for in Him it hath seemed good that all the fulness of the Godhead should dwell bodily; not by portions, as in the case of other saints, but, according to the Hebrew gospel of the Nazarenes, all the fountain of the Holy Spirit shall descend upon Him. But the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Response 6.	O Jerusalem, thou shall plant thy vine upon thy moun- tains. Leap for joy, for the day of the Lord shall come. Arise, O Sion, be turned unto the Lord thy God; rejoice and be glad, O Jacob: for thy Saviour shall come in the midst of the nations. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion: shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. For thy Saviour shall come in the midst of the nations. Glory be to the Father, &c. For thy Saviour shall come, &c. (go on (k))

SUNDAY 3.

Lesson 4. (From St. Leo.)	The time of the year, and our own religious custom, leads me to proclaim to you, dearly beloved, with the anxiety of a pastor, the fast of the 10th month, in which for the comple- tion of the gathering of all fruits, is poured out most suitably to the Lord their giver, the tribute of abstaining from them; for what can be more available than fasting? by observing which we draw near to God, and resisting the devil, over- come our pleasant vices.
Response 4.	Weep not, O Egypt, for thy Ruler shall come to thee, before whose coming the depths shall be moved: to deliver His people from the hand of power. Behold the Lord of hosts shall come, thy God with great power. To deliver, &c.
Lesson 5.	For fasting has ever been the food of virtue. In a word, from abstinence proceed chaste thoughts, moderate wishes, sober purposes: and by voluntary inflictions, the desires of the flesh are mortified, the graces of the spirit strengthened. But since, not by fasting only, the health of our souls is gained, let us make almsgiving the supplement of fasting. Let us give to active virtue, what we diminish from indul- {168} gence: Let the abstinence of the faster be the refreshment of the poor.
Response 5.	Her time is well nigh come, and her days shall not be prolonged: the Lord shall have pity upon Jacob, and Israel shall be saved. Return, O virgin of Israel, return into thy cities. The Lord shall have pity, &c.
Lesson 6.	Let us give attention to the defence of widows, the wel- fare of orphans, the consolation of mourners, the reconcilia- tion of enemies. Befriend the foreigner, assist the oppressed, clothe the naked, nurse the sick; that whoso of us by righteous labours shall offer to God, the author of all good, such pious sacrifice, may receive in turn for the same the reward of His heavenly kingdom. Let us keep fast on Wednesdays and Fridays; let us keep Vigil on the Sabbath with the blessed Apostle Peter, whose deeds of grace work- ing together with our prayers, we may obtain what we seek through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
Response 6.	The Lord shall descend as the rain into a fleece of wool: righteousness shall spring forth in His days, yea, and abundance of peace. And all kings shall worship Him, all the heathen shall serve Him. Righteousness shall spring forth, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Righteousness shall spring forth, &c. (go on (k))

SUNDAY 4.

Lesson 4. (From St. Leo.)	If we understand truly and wisely, dearly beloved, the history of our creation, we shall find that man was therefore formed after the likeness of God, that he might imitate the Creator; and that the natural dignity of our race consists in the image of divine kindness shining within us as in a mirror. Towards which we are daily renewed by the grace of the Saviour, so that what fell in the first Adam, is raised again in the second.
Response 4.	Unto us a child is born, and He shall be called the mighty God: He shall sit upon the throne of David His Father and shall reign: and the dominion shall be upon His shoulder. {169} And in Him shall all tribes of the earth be blessed, and all nations shall serve Him. He shall sit, &c.
Lesson 5.	The sole cause of our recovery is the pitifulness of God, whom we should not love, unless He first loved us, and scattered the darkness of our ignorance with the light of His truth; which the Lord declaring by holy Isaiah saith, I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, and paths of which they were ignorant will I make them tread; I will make their darkness light, and their crooked straight. This will I do to them, and not forsake them. And again, I am found of them who sought me not, and I am manifested to them that asked not for me.
Response 5.	Behold the fulness of time is now come, in which God sent forth His Son upon the earth, born of a virgin, made under the Law: to redeem those that are under the Law. For His great love wherewith He loved us, God sent forth His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. To redeem those, &c.
Lesson 6.	How this was fulfilled the Apostle John teaches, saying, We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding that we may know him that is true, and we are in His true Son. And again, We love God, because He first loved us. Therefore God, by loving us, restores in us His own image, and that He may find in us the likeness of His own goodness, He giveth whence we also may work what He worketh, by lighting the lamps of our minds, and kindling in us the flame of His own love, that we may love not Him only, but all that He loves.
Response 6.	O Virgin of Israel, return to thy cities; how long wilt thou be put aside and be in sorrow? thou shalt con- ceive the Lord and Saviour, a new oblation in the earth: men shall go forward to salvation. I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. How long wilt thou be put aside and be in sorrow? Thou shalt conceive thy Lord and Saviour, a new oblation in the earth: men shall go forward to salvation. Glory be to the Father, &c. Men shall go forward to salvation, &c. {170}

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NOCTURN III.

(k) Antiphon	The Angel Gabriel: spake unto Mary, saying, Hail thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.
(l) Antiphon	Mary said: What meaneth this salutation ? for my soul is troubled, and I shall bear my King, and yet remain a virgin.
(m) Antiphon	Before the coming: of the great King, let the hearts of men be cleansed, to walk worthily to meet Him, for behold He will come, and will not tarry.
(n) Verse and Response	The Lord will come forth of his holy place. He will come to save His people.

SUNDAY 1.

Lesson 7. Luke xxi. 25-33.	At that time Jesus said to his disciples. There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with per- plexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
(Homily of Pope Gregory.)	Our Lord and Redeemer, desirous of finding us ready, foretels what evils shall attend the ageing world, in order to sober us from the love of it. He makes known how great strokes shall precede its approaching end; that, if we will not fear God in prosperity, at least when afflicted by His strokes, we may dread His near judgment. {171}
Response 7.	Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, saith the Lord, and His name shall be called Wonderful, the mighty God. Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom shall He reign for ever. And his name shall, &c.
Lesson 8.	Shortly before the passage of the holy Gospel, which my brethren have been hearing, the Lord had said, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and pesti- lences and famines. Then after some additions, He says what you have heard: There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. Of all these signs certainly some we see fulfilled already, others we fear as soon coming.
Response 8.	Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the ends of the earth; and say to the isles afar off, Our Saviour shall come. Declare it, and make it heard; speak, and cry out. And say to the isles, &c.
Lesson 9.	For nation is rising against nation, and distress from them presses upon the countries, more in the events we see than in the books we read. You know too how often we hear from other parts of the world, of earthquakes over- whelming cities; pestilences we suffer without respite. We do not yet openly behold signs in the sun, moon, and stars: but the alteration of the atmosphere betokens that they are not far off.
Response 9.	Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise up unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth: and this is His name whereby He shall be called: The Lord our Righteousness. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is His name whereby He shall be called: The Lord our Righteousness. Glory be to the Father, &c. The Lord is our Righteousness. (End of Matins. The Te Deum is not sung in Advent.) {172}

SUNDAY 2.

Lesson 7. Matt. xi. 2-9.	Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. And said unto Him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the mul- titudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wil- derness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king’s houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
(Homily of Pope Gregory.)	So many signs and so many miracles, were to earls be- holder not an offence but a wonder. Yet the mind of un- believers took this serious offence at Him, that after all His miracles He should be seen to die. Whence also Paul saith, We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling- block, and to the Gentiles foolishness. For it seemed to man to be foolish, that for man the Source of life should die; and thus man took offence at Him for the very thing, whence he ought to have felt himself the more His debtor. For God is so much the more worthy of honour from men, by how much He has for men undergone dishonour.
Response 7.	The Lord shall come from Samaria to the Eastern Gate, and shall come to Bethlehem, walking upon the waters of the redemption of Judah: then shall every man be saved, for behold He cometh. And his throne shall be prepared in mercy, and He shall sit on it in truth. Then shall every man, &c.
Lesson 8.	What means His saying, that He is blessed whosoever is not offended in Him, but to mark, in plain words, the abject and degrading nature of His death? as if He openly said, I do what is marvellous, yet I submit to suffer what is abject. Since then I shortly follow thee in dying, men must specially beware, lest, though venerating My signs, they despise My death. {173}
Response 8.	Make haste and tarry not, O Lord: and deliver thy people. Come, O Lord, and do not tarry; absolve Thy people from their iniquities. And deliver Thy people.
Lesson 9.	But let us hear what he said to the crowd concerning this same John, when He had dismissed John’s disciples: What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? a reed shaken with the wind? which he means to be answered in negative. For as the wind takes it, a reed moves this way or that. And what is the reed, but the carnal mind? which, according as it falls in with popularity or reproach, at once inclines to the one side or the other.
Response 9.	Behold the Lord shall come down with glory and His power with him: to visit His people in peace, and to establish upon them everlasting life. Behold our Lord shall come with power. To visit His people, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. To visit His people, &c. (End of Matins.)

SUNDAY 3.

Lesson 7. John i. 19-28.	And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou And He confessed, and denied not but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose. {174} These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
(Homily of Pope Gregory.)	From the words of this lesson, dearest brethren, we have proof of John’s humility: who, whereas he had such grace that he was taken for the Christ, yet preferred to remain unmoveably in what he was, lest he should be carried away by human opinion into fancies above what he was. For he confessed and denied not, but confessed I am not the Christ. But in saying, I am not, he denied what he was not, not what he was: that by speaking truth he might become a member of Him, whose name he did not fraudu- lently appropriate. While then he is not ambitious of the name, he becomes a member of Christ; because in aiming at humbly confessing his own weakness, he was found worthy of truly possessing His majesty.
Response 7.	Come, O Lord, and do not tarry; absolve Thy people from their iniquities: and bring back the scattered ones into their own land. Stir up, O Lord, Thy power, and come, and save us. And bring back, &c.
Lesson 8.	But when we recollect our Saviour’s saying in another passage, the words of this passage raise a perplexing ques- tion. For elsewhere, when the Lord was asked by His disciples concerning the coming of Elias, He answered, Elias is already come, and they have done unto him what- soever they listed, and, if ye will k now, John himself is Elias. Yet John, when he was asked, said, I am not Elias. What means it, dearly beloved brethren, that what the truth affirms, the prophet of the truth denies? The two statements are very different; It is he, and, I am not he. How then is he the prophet of the truth, if he agrees not with the sayings of that truth itself?
Response 8.	Behold, the root of Jesse shall come for the salvation of the people; unto Him shall the Gentiles seek: and His name shall be glorious. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever. And his name, &c.
Lesson 9.	But if we inspect the matter minutely, what seems in- consistent, will be found consistent. For the angel said to Zacharias concerning John, He shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias. He then is said to be coming {175} in the spirit and power of Elias, inasmuch as he went before the first coming of the Lord, as Elias will go before His second coming. As he will be the forerunner of the Judge, so John was the forerunner of the Redeemer. John then was in the spirit of Elias, not in his person. What then the Lord declares of the spirit, John denies of the person.
Response 9.	The Lord shall teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Come ye, and let us go up into the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob. For out of Sion, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. For out of Sion, &c. (End of Matins.)

SUNDAY 4.

Lesson 7. Luke iii. 1-9.	Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the regions of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saving, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn shown, and cast into the fire. {176}
(Homily of Pope Gregory.)	John said to the multitudes which went out to be bap- tized by him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? For the wrath to come is the punishment of uttermost vengeance; which the sinner is not able then to flee, who has not now recourse to the laments of penitence. And it is observa- ble, that evil offspring, imitating the conduct of evil pa- rents, are called generation of vipers: for in envying and persecuting the good, repaying evil, injuring their neigh- bours, in all these ways following the doings of their carnal fathers, they are as though poisonous children of poisonous parents.
Response 7.	I have sworn, saith the Lord, that I will no longer be wroth upon the earth; for the mountains and the hills shall receive My righteousness: and My covenant of peace shall be with Jerusalem. My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. And My covenant, &c.
Lesson 8.	But since we have already sinned, since we are involved in the usage of bad habits, let him say what we must do, in order to flee from the wrath to come. It follows; Bring forth therefore fruits, worthy of repentance. In these words it is observable that the friend of the bridegroom enjoins not only fruits, but worthy fruits of repentance. It is one thing to bring forth the fruit, another worthy fruits of re- pentence. By way of explaining what is meant by worthy, it must be borne in mind, that whoso has committed nothing unlawful, he may lawfully use what is lawful; and do his works of charity without necessarily relinquishing the world.
Response 8.	We will not depart from Thee, O Lord, Thou wilt quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name: show us Thy countenance, and we shall be whole. Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people: O visit me with Thy sal- vation. Show us Thy countenance, &c.
Lesson 9.	But if any one has incurred the guilt of fornication, or perchance, what is still more heinous, adultery, be so much more should he deprive himself of things lawful, as he remembers he has committed what is unlawful. Nor should the fruit of a good work be the same, where a man has {177} sinned less, or sinned more, been betrayed into none, or into some crimes, or into many. In saying then “worthy fruits of penance,” the conscience of every one is suitably addressed, that he may obtain by so much the more advan- tage of good works by penance, as he has incurred heavier loss by sinning.
Response 9.	Behold ye, how great is He, who comes to save the nations. He is the king of righteousness; of whose generation there is no end. The Forerunner is for us entered, made for ever an high priest after the order of Melchizadek. Of whose generation, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Of whose generation, &c.

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LAUDS

(o) Antiphon (also at prime on the respec- tive Sundays and the rest of each week till Dec. 17.)	SUNDAY 1. In that day the mountain shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 2. Behold, the Lord shall come in the clouds of heaven with great power. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 3. The Lord will come and will not tarry, and will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and manifest himself to all nations. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 4. Blow the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is at hand; behold, he shall come and save us. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
(p) Antiphon (also at Third till Dec. 17.)	SUNDAY 1. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Sion: shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 2. We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, for God is with us. Hallelujah. {178} SUNDAY 3. Rejoice, O Jerusalem, with great joy, for the Saviour shall come unto thee. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 4. Behold, the Desire of all nations shall come, and the house of the Lord shall be filled with glory. Hallelujah.
(q) Antiphon (also at sixth, till Dec. 17.)	SUNDAY 1. Behold, the Lord shall come and all his saints with Him, and the light in that day shall be great. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 2. Behold, the Lord shall appear, and will not lie; though He tarry, wait for Him, because He will surely come, He will not tarry. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 3. I will give salvation to Sion, and my glory to Jerusalem. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 4. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; come, Lord, and do not tarry. Hallelujah.
(r) Antiphon	SUNDAY 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 2. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before him into singing; and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands: for the Lord the king shall come to his everlasting kingdom. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 3. Every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: Come, O Lord, and do not tarry. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 4. The Lord shall come: meet ye Him, and say, Great is His beginning, and of His kingdom shall be no end. The mighty God our king, the Prince of peace. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. {179}
(s) Antiphon (also at Ninth, till Dec. 17.)	SUNDAY 1. Behold the great Prophet shall come, and He shall re- build Jerusalem. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 2. Behold, our Lord shall come with power, and shall en- lighten the eyes of His servants. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 3. Let us live righteously and godly, waiting for the blessed hope and coming of the Lord. SUNDAY 4. Thy Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of Thy royal throne. Hallelujah.
(t) Text (also at Third, and Vespers on the respective Sundays.)	SUNDAY 1. Brethren, it is high time to wake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. SUNDAY 2. Brethren, whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. SUNDAY 3. Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. SUNDAY 4. Brethren, let a man so account of us, as ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards, that a man be found faithful.
(u) Hymn	En clara vox redarguit, &c.
(v) Verse and Response	The voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.
(w) (Antiphon of the Benedictus.)	SUNDAY 1. The holy Ghost shall come upon thee, O Mary; fear not, thou shalt conceive in thy womb the Son of God. Hallelujah. {180} SUNDAY 2. When John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto Him, Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another? SUNDAY 3. Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, He shall sit for ever. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 4. Hail thou that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. Hallelujah.
(x) Collect (also at Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Vespers on the respective Sundays.)	SUNDAY 1. Raise up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy power, and come, that we being found meet may be snatched from the perils of our sins by Thy succour, and may be saved by Thy deliverance, who livest and reignest with God the Father, &c. SUNDAY 2. Stir up, O Lord, our heart, to prepare the ways of Thy only begotten Son, that by His coming we may be made meet to serve Thee with purified minds, who liveth with Thee, &c. SUNDAY 3. Give ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our mind by the grace of Thy visitation, who livest and reignest, &c. SUNDAY 4. Raise up, we pray Thee, Thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us, that by the aid of Thy grace, what our sins do hinder, the bounty of Thy prop- tiation may forward, who livest, &c.

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PRIME

(bb) Antiphon	Same as (o).
(ee) Verse in Short Response (ii) Short Lesson, Isa. xxxiii. 2.	Thou that art now coming into the world. O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee; be Thou our arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. {181}

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THIRD HOUR

(kk) Antiphon	The same as (p).
(ll) Text	The same as (t).
(mm) Short Response	Come Thou and save us: O Lord God of hosts. Come Thou, &c. (Repeated.) Show the light of Thy countenance, and we shall be whole. O Lord God of hosts. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, &c. Come Thou and save us, O Lord God of hosts. The heathen shall fear Thy name, O Lord. And all the kings of the earth Thy majesty.
(nn) Collect	The same as (x).

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SIXTH HOUR

(pp) Antiphon	The same as (q).
(qq) Text	SUNDAY 1. The night is far spent, the day is at hand, let us therefore cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light. SUNDAY 2. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another, according to Jesus Christ, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. SUNDAY 3. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. SUNDAY 4. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment; yea I judge not myself.
(rr) Short Response	Show us Thy mercy, O Lord. Show us, &c. And grant us Thy salvation, O Lord. {182} Glory be, &c. Show us Thy mercy, O Lord. Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that thou bearest unto Thy people. O visit me with Thy salvation.
(ss) Collect	The same as (x.)

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NINTH HOUR

(uu) Antiphon	The same as (s).
(vv) Text	SUNDAY 1. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. SUNDAY 2. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. SUNDAY 3. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. SUNDAY 4. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart, and then shall every man have praise of God.
(ww) Short Response	The Lord shall arise upon thee: O Jerusalem. The Lord, &c. And His glory shall be seen upon thee. O Jerusalem. Glory be to, &c. The Lord shall arise upon thee: O Jerusalem. Turn us again, Lord God of hosts. Show the light of Thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
(xx) Collect	The same as (x). {183}

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VESPERS

(yy) (zz) (aaa) Antiphon the (bbb) same as (ccc)	(0) (p) (q) respectively. (r) (s)
(ddd) Text	The same as (t).
(eec) Hymn	Creator alme siderum, &c.
(fff) Verse and Response	Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation.
(ggg) Antiphon of the Magnif.	SUNDAY 1. Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God: and behold, thou shalt conceive, and shalt bear a son. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 2. Art Thou He that should come? or look we for another? Tell John the things which ye see. The blind receive their sight, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached. Hallelujah. SUNDAY 3. Blessed art thou, O Mary, which believedst in the Lord: there shall be a performance in thee of those things which were said to thee of the Lord. SUNDAY 4.
(being Dec. 18.)	O Lord, and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appear- edst unto Moses in the flame of a burning bush, and gavest to him the Law in Sinai, come to redeem us with a stretched out arm.
(hhh) Collect	The same as (x).

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