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FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.
AT LAUDS.-SAR. BREV.

O FATHER, holy, merciful, and sweet;
O Christ JESU, the honourable Son;
And Thou, O Spirit, gracious Paraclete,
Eternal GOD.

Deity true and goodness measureless,
Trinity holy and firm Unity,

The angels' light, health of the fatherless,
And hope of all.

All things which Thou hast made Thee service bring,
And all Thy whole creation sounds Thy praise;

We too our psalms devoutly to Thee sing;

Hear Thou our voice.

Glory to Thee, O God omnipotent,

Both Trine and One, great and exalted high;
Praise waiteth Thee, honour, laud, majesty,
Now and always.

FOR THE SAME FESTIVAL.
LAUDS. (R. B.)

O, UNITY of Trinity!

Thou, the world's mighty King!
Listen unto the songs of praise
We at our rising sing.

Lucifer, herald of the sun,

The Eastern heaven brightens,
The nightly shadows sink away,

And holy light us lightens.

To God the Father glory be,

And to His only Son,

And to the Spirit Comforter,

Now and while ages run.

Φ.

The original is ascribed to St. Ambrose, "In Trinitatis Unitas."

THE LIFE OF ST. GENEVIEVE, PATRON SAINT OF PARIS.

THAT divinely inspired canticle which our blessed Lady, filled with the Holy Ghost, poured forth in thanksgiving for the especial and selecting love of God manifested towards her, in choosing her to be the mother of our divine Lord, breathes throughout an ardent love of humility and an admiration of God's favour exhibited towards the lowly, in elevating and exalting them to the seats of the Mighty in His Kingdom. Warmed by a theme so much in unison with her own feelings of deep humility, she dwells in glowing language on this, as the distinguishing characteristic of the Kingdom of Grace. While the high and the haughty are passed by, the meek, the modest, and the lowly, are lifted up from their obscurity and enthroned in seats of glory. Such, too, were the prophetic intimations of an Anna, when, as in prophetic vision looking through the vista of upwards of a thousand years, she saw the hand of Omnipotence stretched out to transfer the child of poverty and humiliation from the noisomeness of dunghill, and set him with princes -the princes of his people. As is also recorded in one of the Psalms, selected by the Church for her vesper chant. Such is, indeed, the glory of the kingdom of Christ; when the eye of faith, purged from the film drawn over it by mundane humours, is given to look within the veil, and behold the blessed Court of Heaven filled with triumphant martyrs and confessors clothed in the dazzling array of Heavenly glory. What a countless multitude does it there see; how resplendent with radiance, and beaming with all the benignancy of celestial blessedness, who here on earth trod the path of poverty, and walked in the valley of humility, from the fisherman of Galilee elevated upon the princely Throne of the universal Vicariate of Christ's Kingdom, to the shepherdess of Nanterre exalted to be the Patroness of Paris, the proud city of the West, the capital of France, the seat of empire, of arts, of science, of civilization, and of taste.

At Nanterre, on the banks of the Seine, about two leagues from Paris, was born about the year 422, her, who was destined, by the virtues of her purity, her humility, and her faith, to shed a glory over the lowliless of the pastoral life, and to acquire for that sex already rendered so illustrious by the plenitude of grace in our holy mother, the distinguished honour of giving a patroness to that city which was

to exercise so powerful an influence in arts, in arms, and in literature, over the destinies of Europe, and the world. St. Geneviève was the daughter of Catholic parents, Severus and Gerentia. Humble occupiers of the soil, religion directed and sweetened to them a life of honest toil and patient resignation. In the obscurity of a pastoral life, they would have passed unknown and unrecorded to the silent tomb, had not Almighty GOD deigned to honour them in being the parents of such a child, the odour of whose sanctity has shed a heavenly perfume round their memories, and embalmed their names in the dews of an imperishable fame. Docile and gentle from her earliest infancy, Geneviève listened with pleasure to those instructions which the simple piety of her parents from her tenderest years instilled into her bosom. Their affectionate care received that reward which is the most grateful to the fond hearts of Christian parents, in beholding the opening charms of a beauty which was rare, heightened by the lustre of a piety which, in one of such tender years, was almost without example.

Selected by Almighty GoD from the humbler walks of life to fulfil high and important destinies, it pleased His wisdom to give, as it were, prophetic intimations of His distinguishing regard for her by the mouth of one of his most faithful servants. While she was yet a child the heresy of Pelagianism infected with its subtle poison the southern parts of Great Britain, and the orthodox bishops of this island, unaccustomed to the weapons of controversy, sought in the energy and spiritual wisdom of a St. Germanus and St. Lupus that aid which their own less practised champions had been hitherto unable to supply. These two holy and venerable bishops, obedient to the call of duty, and delegated by the Gallic episcopacy, set forth with alacrity upon this mission of charity and zeal. On their way, they lay at the small bourg of Nanterre. Among the crowds who flocked, as they entered the village, to meet them, and receive their blessing, was the young Geneviève, then a lovely child of seven years of age, and who, in a peculiar manner, attracted the attention of St. Germanus during the exhortation which he took occasion to deliver to the people. Struck by her manner and appearance, as she listened with attention to the Word of God as it fell from his lips, he felt within himself the drawings of a father's tenderest affection and solicitude for her, as there came before his view the sanctity and eminence of her future life, honoured in being devoted unto GOD, as the spouse of JESUS Christ. He enquired her name and those of her parents; whom having called to him, he said,— "Is this child your daughter ?"

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"Our's," answered they, "my lord."

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Happy," said he, "are ye, the parents of a child so venerated; know that a mystery of great joy and gladness was celebrated by angels at her birth. She shall be great before the Lord, and many admiring her life and holy stedfastness of purpose shall leave evil, and being turned from a wicked and unchaste life, shall receive remission of sins and rewards of life from Christ."

Then addressing himself to Geneviève, he said,

"My daughter, Geneviève."

"Thine handmaid heareth, holy father," answered she, in a tone of humility, reverence, and love.

On which, St. Germanus continued,

"I beg of you frankly to tell me, do you wish to consecrate yourself in holiness to Christ? to preserve your body spotless and untouched as His spouse ?"

The youthful Geneviève, delighted that the holy bishop had been thus given to penetrate the inmost recesses of her soul's most ardent desires, glowing with the love of Christ, and filled with a wisdom beyond her years, firmly yet modestly replied,

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"Blessed art thou, my father, because thou hast deigned to enquire whether I wish that which is my warm desire. I do, indeed, wish it, holy Father; and I pray that the Lord would accomplish my devoting of myself to Him."

"Confide in Him, daughter," answered St. Germanus; "act with firmness, and you will be sure to accomplish in actions that which you believe in your heart, and profess by your mouth, for the Lord will add virtue and fortitude to thy beauty."

After this interesting conversation, which decided her destinies, the holy bishops proceeded to the church, followed by the people. The little Geneviève, however, never quitted the side of St. Germanus, who kept his hand affectionately and solemnly laid upon her head during the whole time of the service, in which nones and vespers were united. Nor did she leave him till after supper, when her parents coming to take her home, he bid them bring her to him early on the following morning.

Immediately on her arrival the next morn, as if respecting in the innocence of the child the dignity of the future spouse of Christ, he saluted her with words of solemn and of high respect.

"Hail! Geneviève," said he, "do you remember what you promised me yesterday respecting the purity of your body?"

"I remember what I promised, holy father," answered Geneviève;

"that, with the help of GOD, I desire to preserve chastity of mind and purity of body unsullied to the end."

On this, St. Germanus, taking up from the ground a gold medal which, through the Providence of GOD, lay there, and whereon was stamped the life-bearing image of the cross, presented it to Geneviève, saying,

"Get this bored, and hang it always on thy neck in memory of me. Never let thy neck or fingers be loaded with ornaments of gold, or silver, or pearls, for if the contemptible beauty of this world should overcome thy mind, thou wilt lose the ornaments that are everlasting and celestial."

He then blessed her, and confident of the efficacy of her prayers, and trusting in the powerful intercession of her virginal innocence with her Lord, he begged her frequently to remember him in Christ.

What an interesting scene was here, a bishop venerable in years, eminent for sanctity, commanding by his learning the respect and reverence of his brethren of the episcopacy as well as of the people, humbly asks the prayers of the little maiden, whose years were still numbered within an octave, and the lowliness of whose birth was attested in the humble occupation of her parents. Oh! the ineffable sweetness of a true humility, in the utter renunciation of self!-refreshing to the soul tired of this world's vanity, as is the cool water of the mountain stream to the parched lips of the wayworn traveller, fatigued in climbing up the steeps of the ascents that lead to the summits of the lofty hills of some highland range.

The holy bishop, with his companion, St. Lupus, then departed on his sacred mission for England, leaving our young saint strengthened by his blessing, and fixed unalterably in her purpose of devoting herself as a chaste spouse to Christ. Being as yet too young, however, to take on herself the accomplishment of her vow, she followed in the days of childhood the humble and innocent life of a shepherdess, and it was in tending the flocks of her father upon the banks of the Seine, that she prepared herself, beneath the canopy of the azure sky, for entering upon that holy life, which was to be one continued dedication of herself to GOD. "I was there, amid the flowery pasturage of that delicious country, under the sanctuary of Heaven's vault, that she purified herself by faith, by prayer, and meditation, for that sublime sacrifice she was going to make of herself in offering her vows to her beloved Spouse, upon the altar of her GOD. The solitariness of the pastoral life well suited the contemplative turn of her mind, and was in

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