manducent hi? Hoc autem dicebat tentans eum: ipse enim sciebat quid esset facturus. Respondit ei Philippus: Ducentorum denariorum panes non suficiunt eis, ut unusquisque modicum quid accipiat. Dicit ei unus ex discipulis ejus, Andreas, frater Simonis Petri: Est puer unus hic, qui habet quinque panes hordeaceos, et duos pisces: sed hæc quid sunt inter tantos? Dixit ergo Jesus Facite homines discumbere. Erat autem foenum multum in loco. Discubuerunt ergo viri, numero quasi quinque millia. Accepit ergo Jesus panes et cum gratias egisset, distribuit discumbentibus: similiter et ex piscibus quantum volebant. Ut autem impleti sunt, dixit discipulis suis: Colligite quæ superaverunt fragmenta, ne pereant. Collegerunt ergo, et impleverunt duodecim cophinos fragmentorum ex quinque panibus hordeaceis, quæ superfuerunt his qui manducaverant. Illi ergo homines cum vidissent quod Jesus fecerat signum, dicebant: Quia hic est vere Propheta, qui venturus est in mundum. Jesus ergo cum cognovisset quia venturi essent ut raperent eum, et facerent eum regem, fugit iterum in montem ipse solus. shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to try him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him: Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him: There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are they among so many? Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were sat down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would; and when they were filled, he said to his disciples: Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. They gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten. Now these men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the Prophet that is to come into the world. Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to take him by force and make him king, fled again into the mountain himself alone. These men, whom Jesus has been feeding by a miracle of love and power, are resolved to make Jesus their King. They have no hesitation in proclaiming him worthy to reign over them; for where can they find one worthier? What, then, shall we Christians do, who know the goodness and the power of Jesus incomparably better than these poor Jews? We must beseech him to reign over us, from this day forward. We have just been reading in the Epistle, that it is He who has made us free, by delivering us from our enemies. O glorious Liberty! But the only way to maintain it, is to live under his Law. Jesus is not a tyrant, as are the world and the flesh; his rule is sweet and peaceful, and we are his Children rather than his Servants. In the court of such a King "to serve is to reign." What, then, have we to do with our old slavery? If some of its chains be still upon us, let us lose no time, let us break them, for the Pasch is near at hand; the great Feast-Day begins to dawn. On wards, then, courageously to the end of our journey! Jesus will refresh us; he will make us sit down as he did the men of our Gospel; and the Bread he has in store for us will make us forget all our past fatigues. In the Offertory, the Church again borrows the words of David, wherewith to praise the Lord; but, to-day, it is mainly his goodness and power that she celebrates. OFFERTORY. Praise ye the Lord, for he is good, sing ye to his Name, for it is sweet: what he pleased he hath done, in heaven and on earth. Laudate Dominum, quia benignus est; psallite Nomini ejus, quoniam suavis est: omnia quæcumque voluit, fecit in cœlo et in terra. The Secret is a prayer for the increase of devotion. We ask it by the merits of the Sacrifice at which we are assisting, for it is the source of our Salvation. LENT. Ꮓ SECRET. Sacrificiis præsentibus, Domine, quæsumus, in tende placatus: ut et devotioni nostræ proficiant et saluti. Per Dominum. We beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully regard this present Sacrifice that it may both increase our devotion, and advance our salvation. Through, &c. The second and third Secrets are given on the First Sunday of Lent, page 138. In the Communion-Anthem, the Church sings the praise of the Heavenly Jerusalem, which is figured by the Basilica of Holy Cross, as we have already explained. She speaks of the joy of the tribes of the Lord, who are assembled in this venerable Temple, and are contemplating, under the graceful symbol of the Rose, the Divine Spouse, Jesus. The fragrance of his perfections draws our hearts after him. COMMUNION. Jerusalem quæ ædificatur ut civitas, cujus participatio ejus in idipsum: illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus Domini, ad confitendum Nomini tuo, Domine. Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together; for thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to praise thy Name, O Lord. The divine Mystery of the Bread of Life has been brought before us, that we might believe and love it. The Church, therefore, in the Postcommunion, prays that we may have the grace to receive this august Mystery with becoming respect and careful preparation. POSTCOMMUNION. Da nobis, quæsumus, misericors Deus: ut sancta tua, quibus incessanter ex Grant, we beseech thee, O merciful God, that we may sincerely respect, and receive with faith thy holy mysteries, with which thou daily feedest us. Through, &c. plemur, sinceris tractemus obsequiis, et fideli semper mente sumamus. Per Do minum. The second and third Postcommunions are given on the First Sunday of Lent, page 140. VESPERS. The Psalms and Antiphons are given in page 101. CAPITULUM. (Gal. iv.) Brethren: It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bond-woman, and the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bondwoman, was born according to the flesh but he of the free-woman, was by promise: which things are said by an allegory. Fratres Scriptum est, quoniam Abraham duos filios habuit: unum de ancilla, et unum de libera. Sed qui de ancilla, secundum carnem natus est; qui autem de libera, per repromissionem: quæ sunt per allegoriam dicta. For the Hymn and Versicle, see page 108. ANTIPHON OF THE Magnificat. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. LET US PRAY. Grant we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we, who are justly afflicted according to our demerits, may be relieved by thy comforting grace. Through, &c. Subiit ergo in montem Jesus, et ibi sedebat cum discipulis suis. OREMUS. Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui ex merito nostræ actionis affligimur, tuæ gratiæ consola tione respiremus. Per Domi num. We borrow the following stanzas from the Triodion of the Greek Church. They are in keeping with today's Office, and with the sentiments we should have on Mid-Lent Sunday. HYMN. (Dominica IV. Jejuniorum.) We have passed one half of our journey through the holy Fast; let us, then, as it behoves us, joyfully complete what remains. Let us anoint our souls with the oil of good works, that we may be made worthy to celebrate the divine sufferings of Christ our Lord, and to be brought to his venerable and holy Resurrection. Jesus, he that planted the vine and hired the labourers, is near at hand. Come, ye brave Fasters! let us receive the reward; for he that pays us, is rich and merciful. After our short labours, he will requite our souls with his mercy. O God, thou Giver of Life! open to me the gate of penance. My spirit keepeth watch in thy holy temple; but the temple of the flesh, which I have to carry with me, is defiled with many sins. Have pity on me, notwithstanding; and in thy tender mercy, cleanse me. Come, let us, who are in the mystic Vine, produce fruits of penance. Here labouring, let our feasting be, not in meat and drink, but in prayer and fasting and good works. Our Lord, being pleased with our labour, will pay us with that, whereby he, the one God, rich in mercy, will forgive us the debt of our sins. |