that so I may deserve to be united with thee, for ever, in heaven. Mary, Mother of my Jesus! pray for me, that this gracious visit of thy divine Son may produce in me abundant fruits of virtue.-Ye Holy Angels of God! who adore him now dwelling within me, be solicitous for the holiness and purity of my soul and body.-All ye saints of God! pray for me, that I may ever be faithful to Him, whom ye loved on earth, and now love eternally in heaven. Amen. H CHAPTER VII. OF THE OFFICE OF VESPERS FOR SUNDAYS AND FEASTS; DURING CHRISTMAS. THE Office of Vespers, or Even-Song, during the whole year, consists, firstly, of five Psalms and Antiphons, which vary, more or less, every day. As the main object of our Book is the convenience of the Faithful, we only give the Vespers of the Sundays and the principal Feasts. With regard to the Sundays, therefore, during Christmas, which are neither Feasts, nor within the Octave of a Feast, we give them here in full, reserving only that, which is peculiar to each, for the Proper. If it be a Feast, the Office must be sought for on its own day. After the Pater and Ave have been said in secret, the Church commences this Hour with her favourite supplication : V. Deus in adjutorium meum intende. R. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Alleluia. ANT. Dixit Dominus. V. Incline unto my aid, O God. R. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia. ANT. The Lord said. The first Psalm is a prophecy of the glory of the Messias. This Child, who is now born to us in humility and poverty, is to be seated on the right hand of the eternal Father. Now, that we are celebrating his temporal Birth, it is most just that we should often sing the Psalm which speaks of his eternal Generation, as God, and of the future glory which awaits him, as Man. PSALM 109, The Lord said to my Lord, his Son: Sit thou at my right hand, and reign with me. Until, on the day of thy last coming, I make thy enemies thy footstool. O Christ! the Lord thy Father will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion from thence rule thou in the midst of thy enemies. With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength, in the brightness of the saints: For the Father hath said to thee: From the womb before the day-star I begot thee. The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: he hath said, speaking of thee, the GodMan: Thou art a Priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech. Dixit Dominus Domino meo:* Sede a dextris meis. Donec ponam inimicos tuos: * scabellum pedum tuorum. Virgam virtutis tuæ emittet Dominus ex Sion: * dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuæ in splendoribus sanctorum: * ex utero ante luciferum genui te. Juravit Dominus, et non pœnitebit eum :* Tu es Sacerdos in æternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Dominus a dextris tuis :* confregit in die iræ suæ re Therefore, O Father, the Lord thy Son is at thy right hand he hath broken kings ges. : in the day of his wrath. : He shall also judge among nations in that terrible coming, he shall fill the ruins of the world: he shall crush the heads in the land of many. He cometh now in humility; he shall drink, in the way, of the torrent of sufferings: therefore, shall he lift up the head. ANT. The Lord said to my Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas : * conquassabit capita in terra multorum. De torrente in via bibet: * propterea exaltabit caput. ANT. Dixit Dominus Do mino meo, sede a dextris Lord, sit thou at my right meis. ANT. Fidelia. hand. ANT. Faithful. The following Psalm commemorates the mercies of God to his people-the promised Covenant-the Redemption—his fidelity to his promises. PSALM 110. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart in the counsel of the just, and in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord: sought out according to all his wills. His work is praise and magnificence: and his justice continueth for ever and ever. He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord and being the bread of life, he hath given food to them that fear him. He will be mindful for ever of his covenant with men he is come and will shew forth to his people the power of his works. That he may give them, his Church, the inheritance of the Gentiles: the works of his hand are truth and judgment. All his commandments are faithful, confirmed for ever and ever: made in truth and equity. He hath sent Redemption to his people; he hath, thereby, commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and terrible is his name: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continueth for ever and ever. ANT. Faithful are all his commandments; confirmed for ever and ever. ANT. In his commandments. men ejus: initium sapientiæ timor Domini. Intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum : * laudatio ejus manet in sæculum sæculi. ANT. Fidelia omnia mandata ejus; confirmata in sæculum sæculi. ANT. In mandatis. The next Psalm sings the happiness of the just man, and his hopes on the day of Jesus' Birth. It is applicable also to the sinner, who shall be confounded because he profited nothing by that great Mystery of humility and love. : PSALM 111. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed. Glory and wealth shall be in his house and his justice remaineth for ever and ever. To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate, and just he is born and dwells amongst us. Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth; he shall order his words with judgment because he shall not be moved for ever. The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing. His heart is ready to hope in the Lord; his heart is |