nos ex profundo est dignatus eruere mereamur, et specialiter membra ejus effecti, sacrificiis salutaribus expiemur. may deserve to become his food, for it was he that mercifully delivered us from the abyss: and whereas we are, in so special a manner, his members, let us purify ourselves by the Sacrifice of salvation. Of all the sequences composed by Adam of Saint Victor, the following is the richest in its allusions to the types of the Old Testament, which refer to Christ's victory over death. The chant, to which it was sung, was taken afterwards as the basis of that of the magnificent Lauda Sion. Zima vetus expurgetur, Ut sincere celebretur Nova resurrectio: SEQUENCE Hæc est dies nostræ spei, Hæc Ægyptum spoliavit His in arcto constitutis, Jam divinæ laus virtutis, Hæc est dies quam fecit Lex est umbra futurorum, Let the old leaven be purged out, that we may celebrate, with sincerity, the new Resurrection. This is the day of our hope: the day of wondrous power, as the ancient Testament foretells. It despoiled the Egyptians, and delivered from the iron furnace the Israelites, Who were treated with hardship, and made to work as slaves in clay, and brick, and picking straw. Now let us praise the power of God: now let us give free scope to our song of triumph and salvation. This is the day which the Lord hath made: the day that puts an end to our mourning: the day of our salvation. The Law was the shadow of things to come; the end of all Qui consummat omnia. Christi sanguis igneam Hebetavit romphæam, Amota custodia. Puer nostri forma risus, Pro quo vervex est occisus, Vitæ signat gaudium. Joseph exit de cisterna: Christus redit ad superna, Post mortis supplicium. Hic dracones Pharaonis Draco vorat, a draconis Immunis malitia. Quos ignitus vulnerat, Anguem forat in maxilla Irrisores Elisæi, its promises is Christ, for he consummates all things. His Blood turned the edge of the flaming sword, and removed the guard (that forbade our entrance into Paradise). Isaac, whose name signifies laughter, and in whose stead the ram was slain, was a figure of the joyful mystery that gives us life. Joseph taken from the well is Christ rising from the grave, after being put to death. He is the serpent that devours Pharaoh's serpents; but he has none of the serpent's wickedness. Under the type of the brazen serpent, he heals them that are bitten by the fiery serpent. The hook he threw out to the serpent, was taken, and it tore the monster's jaw. Thus, the weaned child could safely thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk, and the old enemy of mankind was put to flight. They that insulted Eliseus, Dum conscendit domum Dei, when he ascended to the house Zelum calvi sentiunt: David arreptitius, Hircus emissarius In maxilla mille sternit, Et de tribu sua spernit Samson matrimonium; Samson Gazæ seras pandit Et asportans portas scandit Montis supercilium. Sic de Juda Leo fortis Tractis portis diræ mortis, of the Lord, were made to feel the anger of him they named the bald: David escaped from his enemy: the scapegoat and the sparrow were set free. Samson slays thousands with a dry bone, and scorns to take to himself a wife from his own tribe; he throws open the gates of Gaza, and carries them to the mountain top. So the mighty Lion of Juda breaks down the gates of cruel Die surgit tertia; Rugiente voce Patris, Ad supernæ sinum matris Tot revexit spolia. Cetus Jonam fugitivum, Veri Jonæ signativum, Post tres dies reddit vivum De ventris angustia. Botrus Cypri reflorescit, Dilatatur et excrescit; Synagogæ flos marcescit, Et floret Ecclesia. Mors et vita conflixere, Resurrexit Christus vere, Et cum Christo surrexere Multi testes gloriæ. Mane novum, mane læ- Jesu victor, Jesu vita, Vive panis, vivax unda, death, and rises on the third day; his Father's voice awakens him and he carries his many spoils to the bosom of the mother above. Jonas, the fugitive prophet, and the figure of the true Jonas, came forth alive from the whale's belly, after three days. The vine of Cyprus is again in flower, and spreads, and ripens: the flower of the Synagogue is faded, the Church is in her bloom. Death and life fought each other; Christ rose again, and with him many witnesses of his glory. Let morning, new and joyous, dry up the evening tears: for life has conquered death, and it is the season of joy. O Jesus, conqueror! Jesus, our life! Jesus, our way! whose death killed death! bid us come, with confidence, to the Paschal banquet. O living bread! O water of life! O true and fruitful vine! feed us, cleanse us, save us, by thy grace, from the second death. Amen. THURSDAY IN EASTER WEEK Hæc dies quam fecit Dominus: exsultemus et lætemur in ea. This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein. AFTER having glorified the Lamb of God, and the Passover whereby our Lord destroyed our enemies; after having celebrated our deliverance by water, and our entrance into the Promised Land; let us now fix our respectful gaze upon Him whose triumph is prefigured by all these prodigies. So dazzling is the glory that now beams from this Man-God, that, like the prophet of Patmos, we shall fall prostrate before Him. But He is so wonderful, too, in His love, that He will encourage us to enjoy the grand vision: He will say to us, as He did to His disciple: Fear not! I am the First, and the Last; and alive, and was dead; and behold! I am living for ever and ever, and have the keys of death and of hell.'1 Yes, He is now Master of death, which had held Him captive; He holds in His hand the keys of hell. These expressions of Scripture signify, that He has power over death and the tomb; He has conquered them. Now, the first use He makes of His victory, is to make us partakers of it. Let us adore His infinite goodness; and, in accordance with the wish of holy Church, let us meditate to-day upon the effects wrought in each one of ourselves by the mystery of the Pasch. Jesus says to His beloved disciple: 'I am alive, and was dead': the day will come, when we, also, shall triumphantly say: 'We are living, and we were dead!' 1 Apoc. i. 17, 18, Death awaits us; it is daily advancing towards us; we cannot escape its vengeance. 'The wages of sin, is death' in these few words of Scripture, we are taught how death is not only universal, but even necessary; for we have all sinned. This, however, does not make the law less severe; nor can we help seeing a frightful disorder in the violent separation of soul and body, which were united together by God Himself. If we would truly understand death, we must remember that God made man immortal: this will explain the instinctive dread we have of death, -a dread which one thing alone can conquer; and that is, the spirit of sacrifice. In the death, then, of each one of us there is the handiwork of sin, and consequently a victory won by satan: nay, there would be a humiliation for our Creator Himself, were it not that, by sentencing us to this punishment, He satisfied His justice. This is man's well-merited, but terrible, condemnation. What can he hope for? Never to die? It would be folly: the sentence is clear, and none may escape. Can he hope that this body, which is to become first a corpse, and then be turned into a mere handful of dust, will one day return to life, and be reunited to the soul, for which it was made? But, who could bring about the reunion of an immortal substance with one that was formerly united with it, but has now seemingly been annihilated? And yet, O man! this is to be thy lot! Thou shalt rise again; that poor body of thine, which is to die, to be buried, forgotten, and humbled, shall be restored to life. Yea, it even now comes forth from the tomb, in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ; our future resurrection is accomplished in His; it is to-day that we are made as sure of our resurrection as we are of our 1 Rom. vi. 23. |