Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus, Pater et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus. R. Amen. May Almighty God, the Father, Son, ✈ and Holy Ghost; bless you. R. Amen. And having turned himself to the People, before he has entirely completed this prayer, he gives his blessing,(126) by making the sign of the Cross over them with his outstretched right hand: just as he invokes the persons of the Holy Trinity. (The Benediction is omitted at Masses of the Dead.) Then turning to the Gospel-side of the Altar, he says; P. Dominus vobis- P. The Lord be with you. cum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit. ¶ He then traces the sign of the Cross, first upon the Altar on the commencement of the Gospel; then upon his forehead, lips, and breast; and, afterwards, reads the particular Gospel appointed for the occasion; but more generally it happens that the Gospel of St. John is the proper one to be recited. P. Initium sancti Evangelii secundum Jo annem. R. Gloria tibi, Domine. P. The beginning of the holy Gospel according to St. John. *R. Glory be to thee, O Lord. St.John, c. I. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est: in ipso vita erat et vita erat lux hominum: et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebræ eam non comprehenderunt. Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Joannes. Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine: ut omnes crederent per illum. Non erat ille lux: sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Erat lux vera, quæ illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognovit in St. John, c. I. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John; this man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him: he was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his qui credunt in nomine ejus: qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi unigeniti à Patre, plenum gratiæ et veritatis. R. Deo gratias. world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came into his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name, who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, the glory as it were, of the only begotten of the Father; full of grace and truth. (127) R. Thanks be to God. The following V. R. and Prayer are in some Places said every Sunday and Holiday after Mass. V. Domine salvum fac Regem nostrum N. R. Et exaudi nos in V. O Lord save N. our King. R. And hear us in the die qua invocaverimus day we call te. V. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. R. Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Oremus. Quæsumus omnipotens Deus: ut famulus tuus N. Rex noster, qui tuâ miseratione suscepit regni gubernacula, virtutem etiam omnium percipiat incrementa: quibus decenter ornatus, et vitiorum monstra devitare, et ad te, qui via, veritas, et vita es, gratiosus valeat pervenire. Per Dominum nostrum &c. R. Amen. upon thee. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen. Let us pray. We beseech thee, O Almighty God, that thy servant N. our King, who by thy mercy, hath undertaken the government of these realms, may also receive an increase of all virtues, wherewith being adorned, he may avoid every enormity of sin; and come at length to thee, who art the way, the truth, and the life. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. BENEDICTION WITH THE BLESSED SACRA- Having put incense into the thurible, the Priest takes the Blessed Sacrament out of the Tabernacle,(129) and enclosing it in the Ostensorium,(150) or, as it is sometimes called, Remonstrance, reposes it upon the Altar, with the appropriate genuflections both before and after. He then descends the steps, and kneeling down, incenses it; while the choir sings the hymn Tantum ergo Sacramentum, &c. Having recited the prayer Deus qui nobis, &c., the Priest is mantled with the Veil.(131) Then going up to the Altar, he adores,(132) and muffling his hands in the extremities of the Veil, takes up the Blessed Sacrament; and turning round slowly, and with the most religious reverence, blesses with it the people, who are the while profoundly bending in silent worship. The bell is rung during this ceremony, to announce when the solemn act of blessing commences and finishes, that all may know how long to continue bowed down in adoration. The Priest having replaced the Ostensorium upon the Altar, after genuflecting, descends and incenses it again; then lays aside the Veil, and deposites the Sacred Host in the Ciborium,(133) which he either replaces within the Tabernacle, or removes to the inner Sacristy. |