THE MASSES PROPER TO EACH SEASON OF THE YEAR. SUNDAY 1. OF ADVENT.1 To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul. In thee I put my trust; let me not be ashamed, &c. Amen. And repeating verse 1. This mode of repeating the Introit is observed throughout the year. Glory in the highest is not said from this Sunday to the nativity of our Lord, unless on feasts. Let us pray. (Prayer.) Stir up thy power, we beseech thee, O Lord, and come that we may be snatched by thy protection from the imminent danger of our sins, and saved through thy mercy, who liveth and reigneth with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. R. Amen. From this day to the rigil of the nativity (Christmas Eve) of our Lord, af ter the prayer of the day, the prayer is said of the blessed Mary, and for the Church, or for the Pope. But if the commemoration should be made of any simple feast, after the prayer of the day, the prayer of the saint is said, and the third of S. Mary. Prayer of S. Mary. O God, who didst consent that thy Word, when the angel brought the tid 1 Advent. The coming or arrival of our Lord. As the Jews began their ecclesiastical year with the passover or exodus, so the ecclesiastical year appropriately begins with the approach of the Nativity of Christ. This festival includes the four Sundays or weeks before Christmas. In English Missals, it is usual to put the ordinary and canon of the mass first, but this is not the arrangement in the Latin Missal. The prayers and portions of Scripture of which mass is composed, are in part unalterably the same, and partly different every day, according to the feasts or saint's day then falling. The parts that are fixed and invariable are contained in the ordinary and canon of the mass. The variable parts are the introits, graduals, tracts, gospels, collects, epistles, offertories, secrets, communions, and post-communions, which constitute the bulk of the Missal; also the parts called prefaces, these vary with the kind of mass. 2 These stations are references to the several churches in the city of Rome, where the solemnities of each season may be seen in their highest ecclesiastical pomp and circumstance. ings, should take flesh in the womb of Prayer against the persecutors of the We beseech thee, O Lord, to receive well-pleased the prayers of thy church, that all opposition and error being destroyed, she may serve thee with a secure freedom, through thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. R. Amen. Or Prayer for the Pope. O God, the Pastor and Governor of all the faithful who hast appointed thy servant, N., to preside over the Church as pastor; graciously look upon him; grant to him, we beseech thee, by word and example, to edify those under his charge, that, together with the flock committed to him, he may arrive at eternal life through our Lord.2 Within the weeks of advent, when mass is said on a Semid. Fest., the second prayer will be of advent, the third of S. Mary, which is ended thus: By the same Lord. But if mass is said on a double festival, after the prayer of the festival only, the prayer of Advent is said. On double festivals occurring in Adrent, commemoration only is made. Lesson.- Epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle to the Romans, xiii. 11-14. And that knowing the season, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed, &c. Gradual.-Ps. xxiv. 4. None of them that wait on thee shall be confounded, O Lord. V. Thy ways, O Lord, make known to us, and teach us thy paths. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. Ps. lxxxiv. 8, Show us, O Lord, thy mercy; and grant us thy salvation. Alleluia. In the holidays of Advent, when throughout the week, the mass of Sunday is resumed, Alleluia is not said nor V. following, but only the gradual. Sequentia of the Holy Gospel of At that time Jesus said to his disciples, Offertory,-Psalm xxiv. To thee I have lifted up my soul: in thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed; neither let my my enemies laugh at me, for none of them that wait on thee shall be confounded. Secret.4 Grant, O Lord, that these sacred things may cleanse us by their powerful virtue, and bring us with greater purity 1 Mother of God.-In accordance with this title, the priest thus addresses her in the Breviary, at matins of Feria, sec. of Adv.: "Concipes et paries Deum pariter et hominen," (p. 109, Paris and Lyons ed., 1842,) "Thou didst equally conceive and bring forth God and man." 2 Not only is the pope prayed for, on every day and in every church in which mass is celebrated, but when a pope dies, mass is said in every church throughout the Roman world, for the deliverance of his soul from purgatory, implying an uncertainty as to whether any pope goes directly to heaven. 3 The Gospel lesson is called the Sequentia, because read originally at the close of mass. 4 Secret. So called from being offered secretly by the priest, not audibly. to him, who is their Author. Through the incarnation of thy Son, Christ, may, our Lord. Secret.-S. Mary. · Establish, we beseech thee, O Lord, in our souls the sacraments of the true faith, that we who confess Him that was conceived of a virgin to be true God and man, may, by the power of his saving resurrection, deserve to attain to eternal joys. by his passion and cross, attain to the glory of his resurrection. Through the same Lord-if it is said last. Post-communion.-Against the Persecu tors of the Church. We beseech thee, O Lord our God, not to leave us exposed to the perils of human life, whom thou hast given to If it is said as the last, it is thus ended: partake of these divine gifts. Through Through the same, &c. the Lord, &c. Secret.-Against the Persecutors of the Church. Protect us, O Lord; while we assist at thy mysteries, that being employed in Divine things, we may serve thee both in body and soul. Through our Lord. Secret.-For the Pope. We beseech thee, O Lord, to be well pleased with the offering made to thee, and by thy continual protection guard thy servant, N., whom thou hast been pleased to appoint pastor over thy Church. Communion.-Psalm lxxxiv. 13. The Lord will give goodness, and our earth shall yield her fruit. Post-communion. May we receive, O Lord, thy mercy in the midst of thy temple, that with the honours meet we may prepare for the approaching solemnities of our restoration. Through the Lord. Post-Communion.-S. Mary. Pour, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts; that we, who, by the message of the angel, have known Or for the Pope, Post-communion. May the participation of the divine sacrament protect us, we beseech thee, O Lord; and always save and protect thy servant, N., whom thou hast appointed pastor over thy church, together with the flock committed to his care. Through our Lord. Let us bless the Lord, is said. And so it is observed so often as, Glory in the highest, is not said. Within the week, if mass is to be said on a holiday, the mass of the preceding Sunday is resumed, unless a mass proper to it is assigned. When, indeed, in Advent, Quadragesima, Four Seasons, vigils, and rogations, mass is said occurring in a double festival, or semid., commemoration is always made on a holiday, and before com memoration of the holidays of Advent, the prayer of the preceding Sunday is said, unless they be the Four Seasons, in which the prayer proper to them is set down.1 SUNDAY II. OF ADVENT. Station at Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Introit, Isaiah xxx.2 People of Sion: So the Lord shall 1 The above contains all the variable parts of the mass of the 1st Sunday of AdThe invariable are to be found in the Ordinary and Canon, and is common to every mass. vent. 2 Isaiah xxx. is not exactly quoted here, either according to the Vulgate, Douay, or Protestant version. Something like it occurs in the 30th verse of Isaiah xxx. Neither is Ps. lxxix (80 P. V.), correctly cited, but the sense. come to save the nations; and the Lord shall make the glory of his voice to be heard to the joy of your hearts. Ps. xxix. Give ear, O thou that rulest Israel; thou that leadest Joseph like a flock. V. Glory be to the Father, &c. Glory in the highest, is not said. Prayer. Stir up, O Lord, our hearts to prepare the way of thine only begotten Son, that by his coming we may be enabled to serve thee with pure minds. Who livest, &c. The other prayers, as on the preceding Sunday I. Lesson.-Epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle, Rom. xv. 4-13. Brethren, What things soever were written, were written for our learning; that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope, &c. Gradual, Psalm xlix. Out of Sion, the loveliness of his beauty, God shall manifest himself. V. Gather ye together his saints to him, who set his covenant before sacrifices.1 Alleluia. Alleluia. V. Ps. cxxi.-I rejoiced at the things that were said to me. We shall go into the house of the Lord. Alleluia. Sequentia of the Holy Gospel of Matthew xi. 2-10. At that time, When John had heard in prison the works of Christ, sending two of his disciples, he said to him, Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another? &c. I believe, &c., is repeated. Offertory, Psalin lxxxiv. 7. us; and thy people shall rejoice in thee. Show us, O Lord, thy mercy, and grant us thy salvation. Secret. Be pleased, O Lord, we beseech thee, with our humble prayers and sacrifices, and where we can plead no merits of ours, succour us by thy protection. Through our Lord, &c. The other secrets, as on the preceding Sunday II. Communion.-Baruch iv. Jerusalem arise, and stand on high; and behold the joy which cometh to thee from thy God. Post-communion. Being filled, O Lord, with this spiritual food, we humbly beseech thee, to teach us, by partaking of this mystery, to despise earthly things, and to love such as are heavenly. The other post-communions, as on the preceding Sunday. SUNDAY III. OF ADVENT. Station at S. Peter. Introit, Philippians iv. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh. Be in nothing anxious; but in everything by prayer, let your petitions be made known to God. Ps. lxxxiv.— O Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. V. Glory be to the Father, &c. Glory in the highest, is not said. Prayer. Incline thine ear, O Lord, we beseech thee, to our prayers, and enlighten the darkness of our minds by 1 We have given here, as elsewhere, the Douay version. The original of the Missal is, "Qui ordinaverunt testamentum ejus super sacrificia," rendered in the Eng. P. V., "made a covenant by sacrifice," by others, "a covenant upon sacrifice." the grace of thy visitation. Who livest, Jacob; thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. &c. The other prayers, as on Sunday I. of Advent. Lesson.-Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle, Philippians iv. 4–7. Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always; I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men, &c. Gradual, Psalm lxxix. V. O Lord, who sittest above the cherubim, stir up thy power and come. Thou who rulest Israel, hearken; thou who leadest Joseph like a flock. Alleluia. Alleluia. V. Stir up thy power, and come to save us. Alleluia. Sequentia of the Holy Gospel, John i. 19-28. At that time, The Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to John to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and did not deny; and he confessed: I am not the Christ, &c. I believe, &c.1 Offertory, Psalm lxxxiv. Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Secret. O Lord, may we continually offer thee the sacrifice of our devotions, which both complies with the institution of these sacred mysteries, and wonderfully works in us thy salvation. Through the Lord, &c. The other secrets, as on Sunday I. Adrent II. Communion, Isaiah xxxv. 4. Say, be comforted, O ye fearful, and fear not; be our God, will come, and will save us. Post-communion. We implore, O Lord, thy mercy, that these divine aids, having purged us from sin, may prepare us for the approaching feast. The other post-communions, as on Sunday 1. of Advent III. FERIA IV. (Wed.) Q. T. OF ADVENT.2 Introit, Isaiah xlv. 8. Drop down dew, ye heavens, from In the Breviary, the Homily on the 3 Noct. of 4th Sunday of Advent, the Homily on John's preaching of Repentance, and its fruits, is from Pope Gregory VI., and teaches as follows: "If any one falls into the sin of fornication, or it may be into the graver sin of adultery, he ought to tear himself away from things lawful, the more he remem bers his unlawful pleasures." And again, "When it is said, bring forth fruits worthy of penitence, every man's conscience will tell him, that so much the more he acquires the gain of good works by his penitence, by how much he inflicts suffering on himself for his sin."-Brev. Paris and Lyons Ed. 24mo, p. 129. This is the teaching of the Stoic philosophy, not of the Gospel. "Be angry and sin not!" said our Saviour. Regulation, not destruction, is gospel guidance; and St Paul's remedy for the unlawful, was the lawful.-1 Cor. vii. 9. Q. T. or Quatuor Tempora, certain days so called, because occurring in the four seasons of the year; called also, Ember days, appointed for fasting, derived, it is supposed, from the embers or ashes strewed by penitents on their heads. During Advent, according to the Rom. Cath. Directory for Scotland, 1851, fast and abstinence, on one meal a day, is enforced every Wednesday and Friday, and on Ember week, the 18th December (Tuesday), is added. The same authority says, |