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In the Offertory, the holy Church sings of the crown of glory, wherewith our Emmanuel encircled the brow of his Martyr. The Pastor gave his blood to purchase that crown; and his death gave him life.

OFFERTORY.

Thou hast set, O Lord, on his head a crown of precious stones: he asked life of thee, and thou didst give it him, alleluia.

Posuisti, Domine, in capite ejus coronam de lapide pretioso vitam petiit à te, et tribuisti ei, alleluia.

Whilst

The Secret shows us that the merits of the Martyr are united with those of the Divine Victim. offering the Blood of the Lamb to the Eternal Father, we remind him of that shed by his Martyr.

SECRET.

Sanctify, O Lord, the offerings consecrated to thee; and being appeased thereby, mercifully look upon us, by the intercession of blessed Thomas, thy Martyr and Bishop. Through, &c.

Munera tibi, Domine, dicata sanctifica: et intercedente beato Thoma, Martyre tuo atque Pontifice, per eadem nos placatus intende. Per Dominum.

In the Communion-Verse, we have our Divine Pastor Jesus speaking to us, the same that has just been giving himself to his sheep, as their food. It is by this Holy Sacrament, that the Sheep more intimately know their Shepherd, and that the Shepherd, who has just been born in the House of Bread, (Bethlehem,) receives a proof of their love to him.

COMMUNION.

I am the Good Shepherd: Ego sum Pastor bonus: and I know my sheep, and my et cognosco oves meas, et sheep know me. cognoscunt me meæ.

In the Postcommunion, the Church once more pronounces the name of our great Martyr. She prays

that she may obtain, through his intercession, the grace of receiving more fully, than ever, the effects of the divine Mystery, which cleanses our souls, and is the remedy of their infirmities.

POSTCOMMUNION.

Hæc nos communio, Domine, purget a crimine: et intercedente beato Thoma, Martyre tuo atque Pontifice, cœlestis remedii faciat esse participes. Per Dominum.

:

May this communion, O Lord, cleanse us from sin and by the intercession of blessed Thomas, thy Martyr and Bishop, make us effectually partakers of this heavenly remedy. Through, &c.

VESPERS.

The Second Vespers are the same as the First, given in page 321. After the Prayer of the Feast, the following Commemorations are made:

Commemoration of the Sunday.

ANT. Dum medium silentium tenerent omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter perageret, omnipotens sermo tuus, Domine, a regalibus sedibus venit, alleluia.

V. Verbum caro factum est, alleluia.

B. Et habitavit in nobis, alleluia.

V. Notum fecit Dominus, alleluia.

B. Salutare suum, alleluia.

OREMUS.

Omnipotens, sempiterne

ANT. While all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course, thy Almighty Word, O Lord, came down from thy royal throne, alleluia.

V. The Word was made flesh, alleluia.

B. And dwelt among us, alleluia.

(or)

. The Lord hath made known, alleluia.

R. His Salvation, alleluia.

LET US PRAY.

O Almighty and Eternal

Deus, dírige actus nostros in God, regulate our actions ac

cording to thy divine will: that, in the name of thy beloved Son, we may abound in good works.

beneplacito tuo: ut in nomine dilecti Filii tui mereamur bonis operibus abundare.

Commemoration of Christmas Day.

This day, Christ is born; this day, the Saviour hath appeared; this day, the Angels sing on earth; the Archangels rejoice; this day, the just exult, saying: Glory be to God in the highest, alleluia.

V. The Lord hath made known, alleluia.

B. His Salvation, alleluia.

(or)

. All the ends of the earth have seen, alleluia.

B. The Salvation of our God, alleluia.

LET US PRAY.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new birth of thine Only Begotten Son. Through the same, &c.

ANT. Hodie Christus natus est, hodie Salvator apparuit, hodie in terra canunt Angeli, lætantur Archangeli; hodie exsultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis Deo, alleluia.

V. Notum fecit Dominus, alleluia.

R. Salutare suum, alle

luia.

V. Viderunt omnes fines terræ, alleluia.

R. Salutare Dei nostri, alleluia.

OREMUS.

Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per carnem nativitas liberet, quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet. Per eumdem.

As we might expect, the Liturgy of our English Church honours her beloved Martyr with an affectionate and enthusiastic homage. We copy from the ancient Salisbury Breviary several passages, and we begin with some of the Antiphons of Matins and Lauds. The whole Office is rhymed, according to the custom observed in the 13th century, the time when this Office of St. Thomas was composed.

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exemplum.

Strictis Thoma sensibus obviam procedit, non minis, non gladiis, sed nec morti cedit.

Felix locus, felix ecclesia in qua Thomæ vivit memoria Felix terra quæ dedit præsulem, felix illa quæ fovit exulem.

Granum cadit, copiam germinat frumenti alabastrum frangitur, fragrat vis unguenti.

Totus orbis Martyris certat in amorem, cujus signa singulos agunt in stuporem.

Thomas being raised to the fulness of the Priesthood, was suddenly transformed into a

new man.

A monk, wearing the hairshirt secretly under his cleric's dress, he subdues the rebellion of his flesh, for he was not a slave to the flesh.

Husbandman of the Lord's vineyard, he roots up the brambles, and drives the foxes from the vines.

He neither suffers wolves to prowl among the lambs, nor slugs to crawl in the garden.

He is sent into exile, and his possessions made over to wicked men; but the fire of tribulation burns him not.

The satellites of Satan rush into the Temple, and perpetrate the unheard-of crime.

Thomas advances to meet the unsheathed swords: nor threats, nor swords, nor very death can make him yield.

Happy Canterbury! Happy Church that cherishes the memory of her Thomas! Happy Land that gave such a Bishop, and happy, too, the country that harboured such an exile!

The grain of wheat falls, and bringeth forth much fruit: the precious vase is broken, and perfumes all the earth!

The whole earth seeks how most to love our Martyr, and men look in wonder at each other as they hear or see the miracles that are wrought.

Our next selection is of passages equally interest

ing, as showing the affection and confidence of the Faithful in our glorious Martyr.

ANT. The Shepherd, slain in the midst of his flock, purchaseth peace at the price of his blood. O joyful mourning, O mournful joy! The Shepherd dead, new life is in the Flock! The Mother speaks, through her tears, the praises of her Son, for still he lives, the conqueror of the sword.

R. Cease now to mourn, that the flower of the world hath been broken by the world, O sorrowing Rachel ! The tomb of thy martyred Thomas gives thee back an Abel for the Abel thou didst lose.

ANT. Hail, O Thomas! sceptre of justice, light of the earth, strong champion of the Church, beloved of the people, favourite of the clergy! Hail, admirable keeper of the Flock! keep in safety all us who rejoice in thy glory.

ANT. Pastor, cæsus in gregis medio, pacem emit cruoris pretio: lætus dolor in tristi gaudio! Grex respirat, pastore mortuo plangens plaudit mater in filio, quia vivit victor sub gladio.

R. Mundi florem a mundo conteri, Rachel plorans, jam cessa conqueri; Thomas cæsus dum datur funeri, novus Abel succedit veteri.

ANT. Salve, Thoma, virga justitiæ, mundi jubar, robur Ecclesiæ, plebis amor, cleri delicia. Salve, gregis tutor egregie, salva tuæ gaudentes gloriæ.

We cannot resist adding the following Responsory from the same Salisbury Breviary. It is remarkable for its containing an entire Prose, inserted as a Verse, with the repetition of the Cœlum domo at the end. We need scarcely draw the attention of our readers to the freshness and beauty of this liturgical gem.

R. The grain of wheat lies smothered by the chaff, the just man slain by the sword of sinners.

* Changing his house of clay for heaven.

R. Jacet granum oppressum palea, justus cæsus pravorum framea.

* Cœlum domo commutans lutea.

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