them another lesson and it was, that the Bridegroom of the nuptials, to which they were invited, revealed himself to them in that Man-God, who was the object of the two-fold precept of love, which embodies the whole Law. To-day, we have the teaching in all its perfection. It is condensed in the NightOffice, where we have St. Gregory explaining her whole teaching. The great Doctor and the great Pope thus, in the name of the Church, explains our Gospel : "The kingdom of heaven is the assembly of the "just; for, the Lord says by a Prophet: Heaven is my throne; and Solomon says: The soul of the just man "is the throne of wisdom,, and Paul calls Christ the "Wisdom of God. If, therefore, heaven be the "throne of God, we must evidently conclude, that, 66 as Wisdom is God, and the soul of the just mau is "the throne of Wisdom,—this soul is a heaven. 66 " The kingdom of heaven, then, is the assembly of the just... If this Kingdom is said to be like to a King, who made a marriage for his Son, your charity at once understands who is this King, who "is the father of a son, King like himself. It is he, "of whom the Psalmist says: Give to the King thy judgment, O God, and, to the King's Son, thy "justice! God the Father made the marriage of "God his Son, when he wished, that he who had been "God before all ages, should become Man towards "the end of ages. But, we must not, on that account suppose, that there are two persons in Jesus Christ, "6 our God and our Saviour. . . It is for that reason, "that it is, perhaps, clearer and safer to say, that the King made a marriage for his Son, in that, by the mystery of the Incarnation, he united the Church to him. The womb of the Virgin-Mother was the nuptial-chamber of that Bridegroom, of whom the ་ "Psalmist says: He hath set his tabernacle in the "sun: and he, as a Bridegroom, cometh out of his "bride-chamber !” Notwithstanding her dignity of beloved Bride of the Son of God, the Church is, none the less, subject to tribulations here below. The enemies of the Spouse, having no longer any direct power to injure our Lord, they turn all their rage against her. In these trials, endured, as they are, by the Church with love, Jesus sees a fresh trait of that resemblance which he wishes her to have to himself; he, therefore, leaves her to suffer in this world, contenting himself with ever upholding and saving her, as the Offertory says, in the midst of the evils which go on thickening around her. OFFERTORY. If I should walk in the midst of tribulation, thou, O Lord, wilt quicken me: and thou hast stretched forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand hath saved me. Si ambulavero in medio tribulationis, vivificabis me, Domine: et super iram inimicorum meorum extendes manum tuam, et salvum me faciet dextera tua. The august Sacrifice which is about to be offered, always obtains its effect, as far as the glory of the divine Majesty is concerned; but its virtue is applied to man in a greater or lesser degree, according to the dispositions of the creature, and the divine mercy Let us in the Secret, beseech our heavenly Father, that he vouchsafe to give us to experience abundantly the effects of the divine Mysteries, which are so soon to be produced on our Altar. 1 Ps. xviii. 6. S. GREG. Hom. xxxviii. in Ev. The Man-God, by his divine contact in the sacred banquet, has spiritually given vigour to our members; let us recal to mind, that we must, henceforward, consecrate them to his service and that our feet, now made sure, must run in the way of the divine commandments. COMMUNION. Tu mandasti mandata tua custodiri nimis: utinam dirigantur viæ meæ, ad custodiendas justificationes tuas ! Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently: oh! that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications! The Postcommunion, again, seems to be an allusion to the Gospel of the Paralytic, which used formerly to be read on this Sunday. In it, we implore the assistance of the heavenly Physician, who sets man free from the palsy, which held him a prisoner; he, also, gives him the strength needed for fulfilling the law of God bravely and perseveringly. POSTCOMMUNION. Tua nos, Domine, medicinalis operatio et a nostris perversitatibus clementer expediat, et tuis semper faciat inhærere mandatis. Per Dominum. May the healing efficacy of these thy mysteries, O Lord, mercifully free us from our perverseness, and make us always obedient to thy commandments. Through, etc. The other Postcommunions, as in page 137. VESPERS. The Psalms, Capitulum, Hymn, and Versicle, as above, pages 74-84. ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT. Now, the King went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment, and he saith unto him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment? LET US PRAY. O almighty and merciful God, kindly keep away from us all things that are adverse to us: that being also free in mind and body, we may, with unimpeded minds, attend to the things that are thine, Through, etc. Intravit autem rex ut vi deret discumbentes: et vidit ibi hominem non vestitum veste nuptiali, etait illi: Amice, quomodo huc intrasti non habens vestem nuptialem ? OREMUS. Omnipotens et misericors Deus, universa nobis adversantia propitiatus exclude: ut mente et corpore pariter expediti, quæ tua sunt, liberis mentibus exequamur. Per Dominum. THE TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. MASS. THE Gospel of last Sunday spoke to us of the nuptials of the Son of God with the human race. The realisation of those sacred nuptials is the object which God had in view, by the creation of the visible world; it is the only one he intends in his government of society. This being the case, we cannot be surprised, that the parable of the gospel, whilst revealing to us this divine plan, has also brought before us the great fact of the rejection of the Jews, and the vocation of the Gentiles, which is not only the most important fact of the world's history, but is, also, the one which is the most intimately connected with the consummation of the mystery of the divine Union. And yet, as we have already said,1 the exclusion of Juda is, one day, to cease. His obstinate refusal of the grace, has been the occasion of us Gentiles having it brought to us by the messengers of God's loving mercy. But, now that the fulness of the Gentiles2 has heard and followed the heavenly invitation, the time is advancing when the accession of Israel will complete the Church in her members, and give the Bride the signal of the final call, which will put an end to the long labour of ages,3 by making the Bridegroom appear. The holy jealousy, which the Apostle was so desirous to rouse, in the people of his race, by ! The 13th Sunday after Pentecost, 3 Rom. viii. 22. 4 Apoc. xxii. 17. |