discipulus, recubans in sinu tuo, satiari promeruit: quæsumus ergo, ut, mortificatis membris nostris, tuis semper mereamur inhærere vestigiis ut intercessu hujus sancti Joannis, ita nos ignis amoris tui concremet, et absumat, qualiter beneplacitum nos tibi in toto holocaustum efficiat. lovedst above the rest, deserved to be filled, when leaning on thy Breast: we, therefore, humbly beseech thee, that our senses being mortified, we may deserve to walk, at all times, in thy footsteps: that thus, by the intercession of this thy holy disciple John, the fire of thy love may so burn and consume us, as to make us, in all things, a holocaust well-pleasing unto thee. We find, also, this other prayer, in the Missal of the same Gothic Liturgy. PRAYER. Vide, vide, Deus, quibus gravati delictis obruimur; qualiterque nobis ipsi quotidie efficimur causa veneni et pœna supplicii, dum cum quotidiano carnis nostræ veneno polluimur, et de reparatione melioris vitæ nullo modo cogitamus. Sed quia certum est quod hoc videas, qui semper es clemens; et ideo per confessionem nos ad te redituros exspectas, ideo suggerimus, ut Apostolo tuo Joanne intercedente; qui invocato nomine tuo lethale ebibens virus, non solum ipse evasit, sed etiam alios ex eodem extinctos populo suscitavit. Procul a nobis efficias et incentivam carnis nostræ libidinem, et virus persuasionis hostis antiqui, ut fide te colentes, sicut Joannem Apostolum non nocuit oblatum venenum, ita nos non noceat See, see, O God, the sins whereby we are weighed down, and how we daily create to ourselves the poison that destroys and the pain that punishes, inasmuch as we are each day infected with the poison of the deeds of our flesh, yet give we no thought to the amending our lives. But, whereas faith teaches us that thou seest our sins, and, because thou art merciful, thou awaitest us that we return to thee by humble confession; therefore, do we beg the intercession of John, thine Apostle, who having drunk deadly poison, not only, by the invocation of thy name, escaped hurt himself, but raised them to life who had been poisoned by that same cup. a By this his intercession, drive far from us both the lustful flames of our own flesh, and the poison of the old enemy's suggestions; that latentium vitiorum virus worshipping thee by our faith, occultum. we may be guarded against the hidden poison of latent passions, as the poison offered to the Apostle John left him uninjured. We take from the Menæa of the Greek Church a second selection of stanzas in honour of the holy Evangelist. ON THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN. (XXVI. Septembris.) Leaving the waters of the sea, thou didst, with much wisdom, draw all nations to the Faith by the rod of the Cross; for, as Christ told thee, thou wast a Fisher of men, drawing them unto holiness. Therefore, didst thou spread abroad the knowledge of the Word, and, by thy preachings, O Theologian Apostle, thou didst gain over Patmos and Ephesus. Beseech Christ our Lord to grant forgiveness of sin to us who lovingly celebrate thy holy memory. Thy tongue was made the pen of Him who wrote by thee the Holy Ghost; it showed us, by divine inspiration, the venerable and divine Gospel. The blaze of thy great and divine Theology, O glorious Apostle, illumined the earth that was shining with a triple light. Truly was thy divinely taught tongue, O Theologian, as the pen of one that writes swiftly, for it beautifully wrote Maris abyssum derelinquens, crucis calamo omnes sapienter fidei piscatus es gentes velut pisces; nam, ut dixit tibi Christus, apparuisti piscator hominum, carpens eos ad pietatem ; ideo sparsisti Verbi gnosim; Patmos et Ephesum sermonibus cepisti tuis, Theologe Apostole; deprecare Christum Deum ut det lapsuum remissionem celebrantibus cum amore tuam sanctam commemorationem. Lingua tua facta est calamus scriptoris Spiritus sancti, deifice demonstrans venerabile et divinum Evangelium. Magnæ divinæque tuæ theologiæ faces totam, gloriose, illuminarunt terram luce trisolari splendentem. Vere fuit tamquam calamus velociter scribentis tua lingua theodica, veram pulchre scribens gnosim et le gem novissimam in tabulis, theologe, cordium nostro rum. Coelorum scire celsitudines, marisque explorare abyssos temerarium et intentabile; astra autem numerare vel littoralem arenam par est. Sic de theologo dici non potest quot ipsum coronis quem amabat coronavit Christus, supra cujus pectus recubuit, et in mystica coena eum lautissime refecit sicut theologum et Christi amicum. Terrestrem petisti apud Christum sedem habere; at ille tibi pectus suum donat, o vocate theologe, tranquilla et permanente sede pulchritudinis ditatus es Apostolorum gloria. Virginitatis florem, venerandarum virtutum electum habitaculum, sapientiæ instrumentum, templum Spiritus, os Ecclesiæ igniferum, charitatis manifestissimum oculum, venerandissimum Joannem, spiritualibus canticis nunc sursum celebremus, tamquam Christi famulum. Evangelista Joannes, par Angelo, virgo, a Deo docte, limpidissimum latus sanguine et aqua fluens prædicasti, per quem deducimur ad vitam æternam animabus nostris. on the tablets of our hearts the true knowledge and the New Law. To measure the height of the heavens, and explore the depths of the sea, is a rash and vain attempt so too is it, to count the stars or the sand on the shore. In like manner, we may not count the number of crowns wherewith Christ crowned his Beloved Disciple, who reposed on his Breast, and, in the mystic Supper, was most sumptuously regaled as the Theologian and Friend of Jesus. Thou didst once ask to sit near Jesus on a terrestrial throne; but he gave thee to recline on his Breast, and placed thee on a peaceful and eternal throne of beauty, O thou that art called the Theologian, and art the glory of the Apostles! Let us now loudly celebrate in spiritual canticles this servant of Christ :--he is the flower of holy Virginity, the chosen dwelling of sublime virtues, the instrument of wisdom, the temple of the Spirit, the burning tongue of the Church, the most bright eye of charity, the most venerable John. O Evangelist John! angelic, virgin, taught of God! 'twas thou didst tell us of that Sacred Side, from whence, as from a most limpid stream, flowed Blood and Water: thus didst thou teach our souls the way to life eternal. The Latin Churches of the Middle Ages were fer vent in their praises of St. John, and have left us a great many Hymns in his honour. Out of the number, we select only two; the first is the composition of Adam of Saint-Victor, and is the finest of the four written on St. John by the great lyric Poet of those times. SEQUENCE. 'Tis the Feast of St. John-— let us rejoice; let us sing his praise with glad hearts. But, let our lips so speak his praise, that our hearts be not devoid of fervour, and so relish the hidden joy. This is the Disciple the Beloved of Christ, who leaned on his sacred breast, and imbibed wisdom. "Twas to him that Jesus, dying on the Cross, left his Mother: John, the virgin, was guardian of the Virgin. His heart was filled with burning charity; his exterior, his miracles, his words, were a shining light. As the fire of criminal passion had never impaired his soul; so did he come unhurt from the caldron of boiling oil. He checked the power of poison; death, disease, and demons, fled at his bidding. And yet, with all this heavenly power, he was the tenderest hearted friend to them that were in grief. Some precious stones had been broken; he miraculously brought the fragments together, and thus pieced, gave them to the poor. Scribens Evangelium, Aquilæ fert proprium, Cernens solis radium, Scilicet Principium Verbum in Príncipio. Hujus signis est conversa Gens gentilis, gens perversa, Gens totius Asiæ. Hujus scriptis illustratur, Illustrata solidatur Unitas Ecclesiæ. Nobile per omnia! tem; He was a living treasure, for he changed the branches of a tree into gold, and stones into gems. He is invited to a banquet by a Friend; that Friend was Jesus, surrounded by his Disciples: From the tomb wherein he had been laid, he then came forth alive, and ascended to enjoy the infinite feast. Innumerable witnesses will tell thee, (though thyself may see it, if thou wilt,) that round his tomb there falls a Manna, the symbol of that Banquet which Jesus gave him. The Eagle is the emblem of this Evangelist, for he looks stedfastly at the Sun, that is, at the Eternal Word in the Bosom of the Eternal Father. By his miracles, the gentile world, a stubborn world, the world of Asia, was converted. His writings enlighten, and, by their light, confirm the one true Church. Hail, then, vessel of unsullied chastity! vessel filled with heavenly dew! pure within, fair without, and noble in every part. Oh! pray for us, that we may follow the path of holiness, and by the cleanliness of our hearts, be rewarded with the vision of the Tri-une God. Amen. Our second Sequence is taken from the ancient Missals of the Churches of Germany, and is extremely beautiful. |