From Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.

ST PETER DAMIAN thus begins his Sermon for this Feast:

We are holding in our arms the Son of the Virgin, and are honouring with our caresses this our Infant God. The holy Virgin has led us to the dear Crib. The most beautiful of the Daughters of men has brought us to the most beautiful among the Sons of men,[1] and the Blessed among women to him that is Blessed above all. She tells us . . . that now the veils of prophecy are drawn aside, and the counsel of God is accomplished. ... Is there anything capable of distracting us from this sweet Birth? On what else shall we fix our eyes? ... Lo! whilst Jesus is permitting us thus to caress him; whilst he is overwhelming us with the greatness of these mysteries, and our hearts are riveted in admiration; there comes before us Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, doing great wonders and signs among the people.[2] Is it right that we turn from our King to look on Stephen, his soldier? No; unless the King himself bid us do so. This our King, who is Son of the King, rises ... to assist at the glorious combat of his servant.... Let us go with him, and contemplate this standard-bearer of the Martyrs.

The Church gives us, in to-day's Office, this opening of a Sermon of St Fulgentius for the Feast of St Stephen:

Yesterday we celebrated the temporal Birth of our eternal King: to-day we celebrate the triumphant passion of his Soldier. Yesterday our King, having put on the garb of our flesh, came from the sanctuary of his Mother's virginal womb, and mercifully visited the earth: to-day his Soldier, quitting his earthly tabernacle, entered triumphantly into heaven. Jesus, whilst still continuing to be the eternal God, assumed to himself the lowly raiment of flesh, and entered the battle-field of this world: Stephen, laying aside the perishable garment of the body, ascended to the palace of heaven, there to reign for ever. Jesus descended veiled in our flesh: Stephen ascended wreathed with a martyr's laurels. Stephen ascended to heaven amidst the shower of stones, because Jesus had descended on earth midst the singing of Angels. Yesterday the holy Angels exultingly sang, Glory be to God in the highest; to-day they joyously received Stephen into their company. . . . Yesterday Jesus was wrapped, for our sakes, in swaddling-clothes: to-day Stephen was clothed with the robe of immortal glory. Yesterday a narrow crib contained the Infant Jesus: to-day the immensity of the heavenly court received the triumphant Stephen.

Thus does the sacred Liturgy blend the joy of our Lord's Nativity with the gladness she feels at the triumph of the first of her Martyrs. Nor will Stephen be the only one admitted to share the honours of this glorious Octave. After him we shall have John, the Beloved Disciple; the Innocents of Bethlehem; Thomas, the Martyr of the Liberties of the Church; and Sylvester, the Pontiff of Peace. But, the place of honour amidst all who stand round the Crib of the new-born King belongs to Stephen, the Protomartyr, who, as the Church sings of him, was 'the first to pay back to the Saviour the death suffered by the Saviour.’ It was just that this honour should be shown to Martyrdom; for Martyrdom is the creature's testimony and return to his Creator for all the favours bestowed on him: it is Man testifying, even by shedding his blood, to the truths which God has revealed to the world.

In order to understand this, let us consider what is the plan of God in the salvation he has given to man. The Son of God is sent to instruct mankind; he sows the seed of his divine word; and his works give testimony to his divinity. But after his sacrifice on the cross, he again ascends to the right hand of his Father; so that his own testimony of himself has need of a second testimony, in order to be received by them that have neither seen nor heard Jesus himself. Now it is the Martyrs who are to provide this second testimony; and this they will do not only by confessing Jesus with their lips, but by shedding their blood for him. The Church, then, is to be founded by the Word and the Blood of Jesus, the Son of God; but she will be upheld, she will continue throughout all ages, she will triumph over all obstacles by the blood of her Martyrs, the members of Christ: this their blood will mingle with that of their Divine Head, and their sacrifice be united to his.

The Martyrs shall bear the closest resemblance to their Lord and King. They shall be, as he said, like lambs among wolves.[3]The world shall be strong, and they shall be weak and defenceless: so much the grander will be the victory of the Martyrs, and the greater the glory of God who gives them to conquer. The Apostle tells us that Christ crucified is the power and the wisdom of God;[4] the Martyrs, immolated, and yet conquerors of the world, will prove, with a testimony which even the world itself will understand, that the Christ whom they confessed, and who gave them constancy and victory, is in very deed the power and the wisdom of God. We repeat, then: it is just that the Martyrs should share in all the triumphs of the Man-God, and that the liturgical Cycle should glorify them as does the Church herself, who puts their sacred Relics in her altar-stones; for thus the Sacrifice of their glorified Lord and Head is never celebrated without they themselves being offered together with him in the unity of his mystical Body.

Now the glorious Martyr-band of Christ is headed by St Stephen. His name signifies the Crowned; a conqueror such as he could not be better named. He marshals, in the name of Christ, the white-robed army, as the Church calls the Martyrs; for he was the first, even before the Apostles themselves, to receive the summons, and right nobly did he answer it. Stephen courageously bore witness, in the presence of the Jewish Synagogue, to the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth; by thus proclaiming the Truth, he offended the ears of the unbelievers; the enemies of God became the enemies of Stephen, and rushing upon him, they stoned him to death. Amidst the pelting of the blood-drawing missiles, he, like a true soldier, flinches not, but stands (as St Gregory of Nyssa so beautifully describes it) as though snowflakes were falling on him, or roses were covering him with the shower of their kisses. Through the cloud of stones he sees the glory of God: Jesus, for whom he was laying down his life, showed himself to his Martyr, and the Martyr again rendered testimony to the divinity of Emmanuel, but with all the energy of a last act of love. Then, to make his sacrifice complete, he imitates his divine Master, and prays for his executioners: falling on his knees, he begs that this sin be not laid to their charge. Thus, all is consummated: the glorious type of Martyrdom is created and shown to the world, that it may be imitated by every generation to the end of time, until the number of the Martyrs of Christ shall be filled up. Stephen sleeps in the Lord, and is buried in peace—in pace—until his sacred Tomb shall be discovered, and his glory be celebrated a second time in the whole Church, by that anticipated Resurrection of the miraculous Finding of his Relics.

Stephen, then, deserves to stand near the Crib of his King as leader of those brave champions, the Martyrs, who died for the Divinity of that Babe whom we adore. Let us join the Church in praying to our Saint, that he help us to come to our Sovereign Lord, now lying on his humble throne in Bethlehem. Let us ask him to initiate us into the mystery of that divine Infancy, which we are all bound to know and imitate. It was from the simplicity he had learned from that Mystery that he heeded not the number of the enemies he had to fight against, nor trembled at their angry passion, nor winced under their blows, nor hid from them the Truth and their crimes, nor forgot to pardon them and pray for them. What a faithful imitator of the Babe of Bethlehem! Our Jesus did not send his Angels to chastise those unhappy Bethlehemites who refused a shelter to the Virgin-Mother, who in a few hours was to give birth to him, the Son of David. He stays not the fury of Herod, who plots his Death; but meekly flees into Egypt, like some helpless bondsman, escaping the threats of a tyrant lordling. But it is under such apparent weakness as this that he will show his Divinity to men, and he the Infant-God prove himself the Strong God. Herod will pass away; so will his tyranny; Jesus will live, greater in his Crib, where he makes a King tremble, than, under his borrowed majesty, is this prince-tributary of Rome; nay, than Caesar Augustus himself, whose world-wide empire has no other destiny than this—to serve as handmaid to the Church, which is to be founded by this Babe, whose name stands humbly written in the official registry of Bethlehem.

MASS

The Introit is composed of the words of the holy Martyr, who, in the language of the Royal Psalmist, tells us of the plot formed against him by the wicked, and of his own humble confidence in God, whereby he triumphed over their persecutions. From the murder of the innocent Abel to the future Martyrs who are to shed their blood in the days of Anti-christ, the Church is always under persecution; in some country, she is ever shedding her blood; but her strength lies in her fidelity to Jesus her Spouse, and in the simplicity which the Babe of Bethlehem is come to teach her by his own example.

Introit

Sederunt principes, et adversum me loquebantur; et iniqui persecuti sunt me; adjuva me, Domine Deus meus, quia servus tuus exercebatur in tuis justificationibus.

Ps. Beati immaculati in via, qui ambulant in lege Domini. ℣. Gloria Patri. Sederunt.

Princes sat, and spoke against me; and sinners persecuted me: help me, O Lord my God, for thy servant hath practised thy commandments.

Ps. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. ℣. Glory, etc. Princes sat, etc.

In the Collect the Church asks, both for herself and her children, that divine vigour which makes the holy Martyrs forgive their persecutors, and perfects not only their testimony to the truth, but also their imitation of Jesus Christ. It speaks the praise of St Stephen, who was the first to follow our Saviour's example.

Collect

Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, imitari quod colimus: ut discamus et inimicos diligere; quia ejus natalitia celebramus, qui novit etiam pro persecutoribus exorare Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum. Qui tecum.

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies; because we now solemnize his martyrdom, who knew how to pray even for his persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son. Who liveth, etc.

Commemoration of Christmas Day

OREMUS

Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per carnem nativitas liberet; quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet. Per eumdem.

LET US PRAY

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new birth of thine OnlyBegotten Son. Through the same, etc.

Epistle

Lectio Actuum Apostolorum.

Cap. VI et VII.

In diebus illis, Stephanus, plenus gratia et fortitudine, faciebat prodigia et signa magna in populo. Surrexerunt autem quidam de synagoga quæ appellatur Libertinorum, et Cyrenensium, et Alexandrinorum, et eorum qui erant a Cilicia et Asia, disputantes cum Stephano, et non poterant resistere sapientiæ et Spiritui qui loquebatur. Audientes autem hæc, dissecabantur cordibus suis, et stridebant dentibus in eum. Cum autem esset Stephanus plenus Spiritu Sancto, intendens in cœlum, vidit gloriam Dei, et Jesum stantem a dextris Dei. Et ait: Ecce video cœlos apertos, et Filium hominis stantem a dextris Dei. Exclamantes autem voce magna continueront aures suas, et impetum fecerunt unanimiter in eum. Et ejicientes eum extra civitatem, lapidabant. Et testes deposuerunt vestimenta sua secus pedes adolescentis, qui vocabatur Saulus. Et lapidabant Stephanum invocantem et dicentem: Domine Jesu, suscipe spiritum meum. Positis autem genibus, clamavit voce magna dicens: Domine, ne statuas illis hoc peccatum. Et cum hoc dixisset, obdormivit in Domino.

Lesson from the Acts of the Apostles.

Ch. VI and VII.

In those days, Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people. Now there arose some of that which is called the Synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them that were of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen; and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke. Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him. But Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him. And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus! receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord! lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.

Thus, O glorious Prince of Martyrs! thou wast led outside the gates of the City for thy sacrifice, and thy punishment was that of blasphemers. The Disciple was to be like to his Master in all things. But neither the ignominy of such a death nor its cruelty could daunt thy great soul: thou didst carry Jesus in thy heart, and with him thou wast stronger than all thy enemies. And what was thy joy when thou sawest the heavens open, and this same Jesus in his glorified Humanity standing at the right hand of God, and looking upon thee with love! A God looking complacently on the creature that is going to die for him, and the creature permitted to behold the God for whom he is dying—truly, this was more than enough to encourage thee! Let thine enemies cast their stones against thee, and bruise and tear thy flesh, as they please: nothing can distract thee from this sight of the Eternal King, who raised himself from his throne to applaud thee, and deck thee with the Crown which he had prepared for thee from all eternity! Now that thou art reigning in the kingdom of heaven, pray for us, that we also may be faithful, and faithful even unto death, to this same Jesus, who not only left his throne, but even came down among us as a Little Child.

Gradual

Sederunt principes, et adversum me loquebantur; et iniqui persecuti sunt me.

℣. Adjuva me, Domine Deus meus: salvum me fac propter misericordiam tuam.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. Video cœlos apertos, et Jesum stantem a dextris virtutis Dei. Alleluia.

Princes sat and spoke against me; and the wicked persecuted me.

℣. Help me, O Lord my God: save me for thy mercy's sake.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the power of God. Alleluia.

Gospel

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthæum.

Cap. XXIII.

In illo tempore: dicebat Jesus scribis et Pharisæis: Ecce ego mitto ad vos Prophetas, et sapientes, et scritas; et ex illis occidetis, et crucifigetis, et ex eis flagelabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini de civitate in civitatem: ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis justus, qui effusus est super terram, a sanguine Abel justi usque ad sanguinem Zachariæ, filii Barachiæ, quem occidistis inter templum et altare. Amen dico vobis, venient hæc omnia super generationem istam. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, quæ occidis Prophetas, et lapidas eos qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti! Ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta. Dico enim vobis, non me videbitis amodo, donec dicatis: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Ch. XXIII.

At that time: Jesus said to the Scribes and Pharisees: Behold, I send to you Prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: that upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Amen, I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not? Behold, your house shall be left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth, till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

The Martyrs are given to the world that they may continue the ministry of Christ on the earth by bearing testimony to his word, and by confirming this testimony by their blood. The world has despised them; like their divine Master, they have shone in the darkness, and darkness has not understood their light. Nevertheless many have received their testimony, and the seed of the Martyr's blood has brought forth in them the rich fruit of Faith. The Synagogue was cast off by God for having shed the blood of Stephen, after having imbrued its hands in that of Jesus. Unhappy they who cannot appreciate the Martyrs! Let us who are Christians take in the sublime lessons taught us by their generous sacrifice; and let our respect and love for them testify that we are grateful for the noble ministry they have fulfilled, and are still fulfilling in the Church. The Church is never without Martyrs, just as she is never without Miracles: it is the twofold testimony that she will give to the end of time, by which she evidences the divine life she has received from her almighty Founder.

During the Offertory, the Church once more proclaims the merits and the glorious death of Stephen: and by this she teaches us that the sacrifice of the holy Deacon is united with that of Jesus himself.

Offertory

Elegerunt Apostoli Stephanum Levitam, plenum fide et Spiritu Sancto; quem lapidaverunt Judæi orantem, et dicentem: Domine Jesu, accipe spiritum meum. Alleluia.

The Apostles chose Stephen, a Levite, full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, whom the Jews stoned, praying, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Alleluia.

Secret

Suscipe, Domine, munera pro tuorum commemoratione Sanctorum; ut sicut illos passio gloriosos effecit, ita nos devotio reddat innocuos. Per Dominum.

Receive, O Lord, these offerings in memory of thy Saints; and as their sufferings have made them glorious, so may our devotion render us free from sin. Through, etc.

Commemoration of Christmas Day

Oblata, Domine, munera nova Unigeniti tui nativitate sanctifica, nosque a peccatorum nostrorum maculis emunda. Per eumdem.

Sanctify, O Lord, our offerings, by the new Birth of thine Only-Begotten Son, and cleanse us from the stains of our sins. Through the same, etc.

United by Holy Communion to her divine Spouse, the Church, too, sees the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. She sends up to this Incarnate Word the yearnings of her intense love, and derives from the heavenly Food she has received that meekness which makes her bear with the injuries and insults put upon her by her enemies, in order that she may win them all to the faith and love of Jesus Christ. It was by partaking of this same heavenly Food that Stephen obtained the superhuman strength whereby he won his victory and Crown.

Communion

Video cœlos apertos, et Jesum stantem a dextris virtutis Dei: Domine Jesu, accipe spiritum meum, et ne statuas illis hoc peccatum.

I see the heavens opened and Jesus standing on the right hand of the power of God: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, and lay not this sin to their charge.

Postcommunion

Auxilientur nobis, Domine, sumpta mysteria: et intercedente beato Stephano, Martyre tuo, sempiterna protectione confirment. Per Dominum.

May the mysteries we have received, O Lord, be help to us: and by the intercession of the blessed Martyr Stephen, strengthen us with thy perpetual protection. Through, etc.

Commemoration of Christmas Day

Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus; ut natus hodie Salvator mundi, sicut divinæ nobis generationis est auctor, ita et immortalitatis sit ipse largitor. Qui tecum.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as the Saviour of the world, who was born this day, procured for us a divine birth, he may also bestow on us immortality. Who liveth, etc.

VESPERS

The solemnity of the Christmas Octave, from which the Feast of St Stephen has in a manner distracted us, returns at Vespers in all its splendour. The Church sings the Psalms and Antiphons of Christmas Day, and the Martyr’s Feast is, so to speak, suspended until she comes to the Capitulum. In this same way she celebrates the Vespers on all the Feasts which are kept during this Octave.

The Psalms and Antiphons are given above, (p. 89).

Capitulum
(Acts vi)

Stephanus autem plenus gratia et fortitudine faciebat prodigia et signa magna in populo.

But Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Hymn[5]

Deus tuorum militum
Sors, et corona, præmium,
Laudes canentes Martyris
Absolve nexu criminis.

Hic nempe mundi gaudia
Et blanda fraudum pabula,
Imbuta felle deputans,
Pervenit ad cœlestia.

Pœnas cucurrit fortiter,
Et sustulit viriliter,
Fundensque pro te sanguinem,
Æterna dona possidet.

Ob hoc precatu supplici
Te poscimus, Piissime,
In hoc triumpho Martyris,
Dimitte noxam servulis.

Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna sæcula.

Amen.

℣. Stephanus vidit cœlos apertos.
℟Vidit et introivit; beatus homo cui cœli patebant.

O God! thou the inheritance,
Crown, and reward of thy Soldiers!
absolve from the bonds of our sins
us who sing the praises of thy Martyr.

For counting the joys of the world
and the deceitful bait of its caresses
as things embittered with gall,
thy Martyr obtained the delights of heaven.

Bravely did he go through,
and manfully did he bear his pains;
and shedding his blood for thy sake,
he now possesses thy eternal gifts.

Therefore, most merciful Father!
we beseech thee, in most suppliant prayer,
forgive us thy unworthy servants our sins,
for it is the feast of thy Martyr’s triumph.

Glory be to thee, O Jesus,
that wast born of the Virgin!
and to the Father, and to the Spirit of Love,
for everlasting ages.

Amen.

℣. Stephen saw the heavens opened.
℟. He saw and entered; blessed man, to whom the heavens opened.

Antiphon of the Magnificat

Ant. Sepelierunt Stephanum viri timorati, et fecerunt planctum magnum super eum.

Ant. Devout men buried Stephen, and made great mourning over him.

OREMUS Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, imitari quod colimus, ut discamus et inimicos diligere; quia ejus natalitia celebramus, qui novit etiam pro persecutoribus exorare Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum. Qui tecum.

LET US PRAY Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies; because we now solemnize his martyrdom, who knew how to pray even for his persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son. Who liveth, etc.

Commemoration of St John

Ant. Iste est Joannes, qui supra pectus Domini in cœna recubuit: beatus Apostolus, cui revelata sunt secreta cœlestia.

℣. Valde honorandus est beatus Joannes.

℟. Qui supra pectus Domini in cœna recubuit.

OREMUS

Ecclesiam tuam, Domine, benignus illustra, ut beati Joannis Apostoli tui et Evangelistæ illuminata doctrinis, ad dona perveniat sempiterna.

Ant. This is John, who leaned upon the Lord’s breast at the Supper. Blessed Apostle, unto whom were revealed heavenly secrets.

℣. Most worthy of honour is blessed John.

℟. Who leaned upon the Lord's breast at the Supper.

LET US PRAY

Mercifully, O Lord, enlighten thy Church, that being taught by blessed John, thy Apostle and Evangelist, she may come to thy eternal rewards.

Commemoration of Christmas Day

Ant. Hodie Christus natus est; hodie Salvator apparuit; hodie in terra canunt Angeli, lætantur Archangeli: hodie exsultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis Deo, alleluia.

℣. Notum fecit Dominus, alleluia.

℟. Salutare suum, alleluia.

OREMUS

Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per carnem nativitas liberet, quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet. Per eumdem.

Ant. This day Christ is born; this day the Saviour hath appeared; this day the Angels sing on earth; the Archangels rejoice; this day the just exult, saying: Glory be to God in the highest, alleluia.

℣. The Lord hath made known, alleluia.

℟. His salvation, alleluia.

LET US PRAY

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new birth of thine OnlyBegotten Son. Through the same, etc.

In honour of our Protomartyr, we will now give a selection from the ancient Liturgical Hymns wherein his merits were celebrated by the various Churches. We begin with the Hymn composed by St Ambrose, which is in the Breviary of the Church of Milan.

Hymn

Stephano primo Martyri
Cantemus novum canticum,
Quod dulce sit psallentibus,
Opem ferat credentibus.

Psallamus hoc discipuli,
Laudem dicamus Martyri,
Qui primus post Redemptorem
Christi secutus est crucem.

Hic enim per Apostolos
Probatus in laudem Dei,
Vexilla mortis rapuit,
Ut præferretur omnibus.

O præferenda gloria!
O beata victoria!
Hoc meruisse Stephanum
Ut sequeretur Dominum.

Ipse martyr egregius,
Amore Christi prædicans.
Sancto repletus Spiritu,
Vultum gerens Angelicum.

Ille levatis oculis.
Vidit Patrem cum Filio,
Monstrans in cœlis vivere,
Quem plebs quærebat perdere.

Judæi magis sæviunt,
Saxaque prensant manibus,
Currebant, ut occiderent
Sacratum Christi militem.

Iste paratus vertice,
Gaudens suscepit lapides,
Rogans pro eis Dominum,
Gaudens tradidit spiritum.

Gloria tibi, Domine,
Gloria Unigenito,
Una cum Sancto Spiritu,
In sempiterna sæcula.

Amen.

To Stephen the first Martyr
let us sing a new canticle:
may it be sweet to them that sing,
and bring grace to them that believe.

Come, ye disciples of the Lord, thus let us sing:
let us give praise to the Martyr,
who was the first after the Redeemer
to follow the cross of Jesus.

For having been found by the Apostles
to be fervent in God's service,
he outran all others
and bore off the Banner of death.

O glorious First place!
O blessed victory!
Stephen to be the first
to follow his Lord!

The noble Martyr preaches
to men for the love of Christ,
with his heart full of the Holy Spirit,
and his face beaming as an Angel’s.

He raises his eyes,
and sees the Father with the Son:
he tells the people how he beholds, living in heaven,
him whom they had sought to destroy.

The Jews grow the more enraged,
and, seizing up stones in their hands,
they ran out to kill
the holy Soldier of Christ.

He was ready, and standing up,
right gladly receives the stones:
he asks God to forgive them,
and joyfully breathes forth his soul.

Glory be to thee, O Lord!
Glory be to thine Only-Begotten Son,
together with the Holy Ghost,
for everlasting ages.

Amen.

The Gallican Sacramentary, on the Feast of St Stephen, thus glorifies God for the graces bestowed on this the first of the Martyrs.
Missa S. Stefani

Deus omnipotens, qui Ecclesiæ tuæ sanctum Stephanum martyrem primum messis tuæ manipulum dedisti, et primitivam oblationem novellæconfessionis ostendisti præconem, quod fructus maturescentes exhibuit; præsta universo coetui, intercessione martyris meriti, ut Ecclesiam tuam juvet suffragio, quam ornavit ministerio.

O Almighty God! who didst give the holy Martyr Stephen to thy Church as the first sheaf of thy harvest, and didst make this First offering to be the herald of a new confession, because he had yielded such quick ripened fruits; grant to this whole assembly, by the intercession of thy well-deserving Martyr, that he may aid the Church by his prayers, as he honoured her by his ministry.

The Gothic Church of Spain has, in her Mozarabic Missal, these magnificent praises to God in his holy Martyr.
In natali S. Stephani, Contestatio

Dignum et justum est: æquum et justum est: te laudare, teque benedicere, tibi gratias agere, omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui gloriaris in conventu Sanctorum tuorum; quos ante mundi constitutionem præelectos spirituali in cœlestibus benedictione signasti: quosque Unigenito tuo per adsumptionem carnis, et crucis redemptionem sociasti. In quibus Spiritum tuum Sanctum regnare fecisti; per quem ad felicis martyrii gloriam pietatis tuæ favore venerunt. Digue igitur tibi, Domine virtutum, festa solemnitas agitur; tibi hæc dies sacrata celebratur; qua beati Stephani primi martyris tui sanguis in tuæveritatis testimonio profusus, magnificum nominis tui onorem signavit. Hic est enim illius Nominis primus Confessor, quod est supra omne nomen; in quo unicum salutis nostrae praesidium, Pater æterne, posuisti. Hic in Ecclesia tua quam splendidum ad cunctorum animos confirmandos, unicæ laudis præcessit exemplum! Hic post passionem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, victoriæ palmam primus invasit. Hic ut levitico ministerio per Spiritum Sanctum ab Apostolis consecratus est; niveo candore confestim emicuit, martyrii cruore purpureus. O benedictum Abrahæ semen, Apostolicæ doctrinæ, et dominicæ crucis prior omnium factus imitator et testis! Merito cœlos apertos vidit et Jesum stantem ad dexteram Dei. Digne igitur et juste talem sub tui nominis confessione laudamus, omnipotens Deus; quem ad tantam gloriam vocare dignatus es. Suflfragia ejus nobis pro tua pietate concede. Talis pro hac plebe precetur; qualem illum post trophæa venientem exsultans Christus excepit. Illi pro nobis oculi sublimentur; qui adhuc in hoc mortis corpore constituti, stantem ad dexteram Patris Filium Dei in ipsa passionis hora viderunt. Ille pro nobis obtineat, qui pro persecutoribus suis dum lapidaretur, orabat ad te, sancte Deus, Pater omnipotens, per Dominum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui pro peccatis nostris nasci carne per Virginem, et pati dignatus est mortem: ut martyres suos suo pati doceret exemplo. Cui merito omnes Angeli atque Archangeli sine cessatione proclamant dicentes: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus.

It is meet and just, it is right and just, that we praise thee, and bless thee and give thee thanks, O Almighty and eternal God! that art glorified in the assembly of thy Saints, whom thou didst choose before the foundation of the world, and didst mark with a spiritual blessing unto heavenly things; whom also thou didst associate to thine Only-Begotten Son, by his Incarnation and his redeeming of the world by the cross. Thou didst make to reign in them thy Holy Spirit, under whose guidance they were led by the sweetness of thy mercy to the glory of happy martyrdom. It is just, therefore, O God of hosts, that this festive solemnity should be kept in thy praise; that this sacred day should be devoted to thee; for on it the blood of blessed Stephen, thy first Martyr, was shed in testimony of thy truth, and thy name thereby received exceeding honour. For this is he who was the first Confessor of that Name which is above all names, and in which, O Eternal Father, thou didst place the only source of our salvation. This is he that left in thy Church an example of courage; but who can say how grand is the example, and how above all praise? This is he that was the first to seize the palm of victory, after the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is he whom the Apostles, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, had scarce consecrated to the levitical ministry, than he straightway shone with a snow-white purity, and was vested in the scarlet of a martyr's blood. O truly noble child of Abraham! worthy to become the first follower and witness of the Apostles’ teaching, and of Jesus' cross! How well did he deserve to see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God! It is therefore meet and just, O Almighty Lord, that, whilst giving praise to thy Name, we praise him whom thou didst graciously call to this so great glory. In thy mercy grant that we may have him to intercede for us. May he pray for this thy people, now that he is in possession of the glory with which Christ welcomed him after his victory. May he now, for our sakes, lift up those eyes which, during this his mortal life, and in the hour of his martyrdom, beheld the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father. May he be heard for us, who, whilst his persecutors were stoning him, prayed for them unto thee, O Holy God, Father Almighty, through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who for our sins vouchsafed to be born of the Virgin, and suffer death: teaching his Martyrs hereby by his own example, how they should suffer. To whom most justly do all the Angels and Archangels cry out unceasingly, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy!

Let us next listen to the Greek Church singing the praises of our Protomartyr. She thus extols him in her Menæa:
XXVI Decembris, in magno Vespertino, et passim

Mente illustratus Spiritus gratia, forma velut Angelus videris, Stephane, dato tibi in corpore qui intus erat splendore, et mente tua cernentibus manifestantefulgorem quo fruitus es, luminisque contemplationes, cœlis tibi mirabiliter apertis, o martymm caput et gloria.

Quasi gradus scalæ, ad cœlestem ingressum tibi fuerunt lapidum flocci, super quos ascendens contemplatus es stantem Dominum ad Patris dexteram, tibi offerentem homonymam coronarci sua vivifica dextera, cui vicinus adstas victor gloriosus, athletarumque primitiæ.

Signis et miraculis coruscans, cœlestibus documentis impiorum combussisti synedrium, et ab illis necatus lapidibusque obrutus, pro injectantium tu deprecatus es venia, vocem imitatus Salvatoris, in cujus manus commendasti sacratissimum spiritum tuum, Stephane.

Regi et Domino omnium nato in terra Stephanus perlucidus offertur, non pretiosis decoratus gemmis, sed ex proprio sanguine fioridus: at, o martyrum amatores, venite, decerptis carminum floribus cingamus sertis tempora, et hymnis alternantes canamus: qui sapientia et charitate coruscas mente, protomartyr Christi Dei, deprecare pro nobis pacem et magnam misericordiam.

Tu ad auxilium Apostolorum Christi digne vocatus es, et ut fidelis diaconus, o vere nominate Stephane, administrasti; tamquam Christus per sanguinem transivisti.

Clarissimus sicut sol, o Deifer, ad orientem exorsus es, radios emittens confessionis tuæ, et magnæ fortitudinis atque generosissimæ oppugnationis.

Illum qui ex Matre virinescia apud nos hospitatus est, martyrum primus, in immutabili Patris divinitate stantem et gloria, in cœlis contemplatus es.

Heri apud nos per carnem hospitabatur Dominus, hodie e carne dehospitatur servus; hodie lapidatur famulus, et ideo perficitur Protomartyr divinusque Stephanus.

Stella fulgida hodie in Christi nativitate resplenduit Protomartyr Stephanus, omnes mundi fines suis illuminans fulgoribus; at Judæorum omnem extinxit impietatem, sapientiæ verbis illos animadvertens et de Scripturis disserens; illisque suadens natum ex Virgine Jesum ipsum Dei esse Filium; illorum impiamconfundit malitiam Protomartyr et divinus Stephanus.

Laudum, Stephane, omnem superasti modum, et fers ineffabihter et sine dolo tuas victoriæ palmas; non enim potest mens mortalis tuis dignam præconiis coronam intexere.

Primus in diaconis et primus in martyribus demonstratus es, sanctissime Stephane; iter enim fuisti sanctis, et multos ad Dominum perduxisti martyres; ideo cœlum tibi apertum est, et Deus tibi apparuit: ipsum deprecare salvare animas nostras.

Illumined in thy soul with the grace of the Holy Ghost, thy face shone like that of an Angel, O Stephen! The brightness that was within sent forth its rays upon thy body, and thy soul evinced to the beholders the light and contemplation thou didst enjoy, when the heavens were miraculously opened before thee, O thou the leader and the glory of the Martyrs!

The thickly falling stones were to thee as the steps of a ladder reaching the gate of heaven, by which ascending, thou didst behold our Lord standing on the Father’s right hand, offering thee, with his own life-giving right hand, that which was thy very name—a Crown: and now thou standest near him, thou the glorious conqueror, and the first combatant.

Illustrious by thy wonders and miracles and heavenly teaching, thou didst burn the chair of the impious. They stoned thee to death, and thou didst pray God to forgive them, using thy Jesus’ own words, and into his hands commending thy own most saintly spirit, O Stephen!

To the King and Lord of all, who is born on our earth, is offered the beautiful Stephen, not adorned with precious gems, but glittering in the scarlet of his own blood. Come then, ye that love the Martyrs, cull the flowers of song, and wreathe them into hymns passed on from choir to choir. O Protomartyr of Jesus our God! thy spirit beams with wisdom and love; pray for us, that we may receive peace and plentiful mercy.

Thou wast deservedly made an aid to the Apostles of Christ, and thou didst minister to them, O well-named Stephen, as the faithful Deacon. Like Jesus, thou too didst pass through blood.

O man carrying God within thee! thou didst rise in the east like a sun of fairest light, shedding the rays of thy confession, and great fortitude, and most generous resistance.

Thou, the first of Martyrs, didst look up to heaven and see standing in the immutable divinity and glory of the Father, him that was born of a Virgin-Mother, and became a guest among us.

Yesterday the Master became a guest among us by assuming our flesh; to-day his servant is unguested from the flesh; he is stoned and made the Protomartyr, the god-like Stephen.

To-day there shone a bright star for the Birth of Christ—the Protomartyr Stephen; and all the earth was illumined by his dazzling rays. He confuted all the impiety of the Jews, showing them their errors by words of wisdom, and proving his doctrine by the Scriptures, showing them that Jesus, who was born of the Virgin, was very Son of God. The Protomartyr, the god-like Stephen, confounded their blasphemous impiety.

Thou art beyond all praise, O Stephen! No tongue can say how honestly was won the laurel-branch thou bearest. No mortal mind can wreathe a Crownworthy thy great acts.

Thou, most saintly Stephen! wast first of Deacons, and first of Martyrs; for thou didst open the way to the Saints, and hast led the countless Martyrs to their God: therefore did the heavens open over thy head, and God appear unto thee. Pray to him for us, that he save our souls.

The Western Churches of the Middle Ages have left us an almost endless variety of Liturgical compositions, more particularly of Proses and Sequences, in honour of St Stephen. We have no hesitation in giving our preference to the one composed by Adam of St Victor. We shall always think it a duty to bring into notice the works of this great Liturgical Poet, whose compositions were for a long period so dear to the faithful in England, France, Germany, and in almost all the Churches of northern Europe.

Sequence

Heri mundus exsultavit,
Et exsultans celebravit
Christi natalitia.

Heri chorus Angelorum
Prosecutus est cœlorum
Regem cum lætitia.

Protomartyr et Levita
Clarus fide, clarus vita,
Clarus et miraculis.

Sub hac luce triumphavit
Et triumphans insultavit
Stephanus incredulis.

Fremunt ergo tamquam feræ,
Quia victi defuere
Lucis adversarii.

Falsos testes statuunt,
Et linguas exacuunt
Viperarum filii.

Agonista, nulli cede,
Certa, certus de mercede,
Persevera, Stephane.

Insta falsis testibus,
Confuta sermonibus
Synagogam Satanæ.

Testis tuus est in cœlis,
Testis verax et fidelis,
Testis innocentiæ.

Nomen habes Coronati:
Te tormenta decet pati
Pro corona gloriæ.

Pro corona non marcenti
Perfer brevis vim tormenti:
Te manet victoria.

Tibi fiet mors Natalis,
Tibi poena terminalis
Dat vitæ primordia.

Plenus Sancto Spiritu,
Penetrat intuitu
Stephanus cœlestia.

Videns Dei gloriam,
Crescit ad victoriam,
Suspirat ad præmia.

En a dextris Dei stantem
Jesum pro te dimicantem,
Stephane, considera.

Tibi coelos reserari,
Tibi Christum revelari
Clama, voce libera.

Se commend at Salvatori
Pro quo dulce ducit mori,
Sub ipsis lapidibus.

Saulus servat omnium
Vestes lapidantium,
Lapidans in omnibus.

Ne peccatum statuatur
His a quibus lapidatur,
Genu ponit et precatur
Condolens insaniæ.

In Christo sic obdormivit,
Qui Christo sic obedivit!
Et cum Christo semper vivit
Martyrum primitiæ.

Quod sex suscitaverit
Mortuos in Africa,
Augustinus asserit,
Fama refert publica.

Hujus, Dei gratia,
Revelato corpore,
Mundo datur pluvia
Siccitatis tempore.

Solo fugat hic odore
Morbos et dæmonia,
Laude dignus et honore
Jugique memoria.

Martyr, cujus est jucundum
Nomen in Ecclesia,
Languescentem fove mundum
Cœlesti fragrantia.

Amen.

Yesterday the world exulted,
and in its exultation
celebrated the Birth of Jesus.

Yesterday the Angelic Choir
in great joy stood
round the King of heaven.

The Protomartyr and Deacon Stephen,
illustrious for his faith, illustrious for his holy life,
illustrious also for his miracles,

On this day triumphed,
and in his triumph,
vanquished the unbelieving Jews.

These enemies of the Light
rage like savage beasts
at seeing their own defeat.

This brood of vipers
bring up false witnesses,
and sharpen their tongues.

Flinch not, Combatant!
Thou art sure of thy reward:
fight and persevere, O Stephen!

Withstand the false witnesses,
and confute by thy answers
the synagogue of Satan.

Thine own Witness is in heaven,
a Witness true and faithful,
and he is Witness of thine innocence.

Thy name is The Crowned:
it behoves thee to suffer,
so to win thy Crown of glory.

For a Crown which is to last for ever,
what are torments which last but an hour,
and are followed by victory?

Thy death will be thy Birth:
thy last pang will introduce
thee into eternal life.

Full of the Holy Ghost,
Stephen fixes his gaze
on the heavens above:

Seeing there the glory of God,
he pushes on to victory,
he pants for the crown.

Behold, Stephen! on God's right hand
is thy Jesus,
and he is fighting for thee.

Boldly tell it to the crowd
that the heavens are opened for thee,
and that Jesus shows himself to thee.

He then commends his spirit to his Saviour,
for whom he deems it sweet
to be thus stoned to death.

Saul makes himself guardian
of the garments of all that cast the stones:
casting thus himself each stone they throw.

But Stephen, compassionating their madness,
falls on his knees, and prays
that this sin be not laid
to the charge of his murderers.

Thus did he sleep in Christ,
who thus imitated Christ:
and now for ever lives with Christ:
Stephen, first of Martyrs.

St. Augustine
and common report assure us
that he raised up
six dead men to life in Africa.

When, through God’s mercy,
his Relics were discovered,
the earth, which was parched by a drought,
received a plentiful rain.

The very fragrance that came from his Relics
put diseases and demons to flight.
Truly, then, is he worthy of praise
and honour and eternal remembrance.

O Martyr,
whose name is so dear to the Church!
refresh our fainting world
by celestial fragrance.

Amen.

With these praises which the venerable ages of old offered to thee, O Prince and First of Martyrs! we presume to unite ours. Fervently do we congratulate thee that thou hast had assigned thee by the Church the place of honour at the Crib of our Jesus. How glorious the confession thou didst make of his Divinity whilst thy executioners were stoning thee! How rich and bright the scarlet thou art clad in for thy victory! How honourable the wounds thou didst receive for Christ! How immense and yet how choice that army of Martyrs which follows thee as its leader, and to which fresh recruits will for ever be added, to the end of time.

Holy Martyr! help us by thy prayers to enter into the spirit of the mystery of the Word made Flesh, now that we are celebrating the Birth of our Saviour. Thou art the faithful guardsman of his Crib: who could better lead us to the Divine Babe that lies there? Thou didst bear testimony to his Divinity and Humanity; thou didst preach this Man-God before the blaspheming Synagogue. In vain did the Jews stop their ears; they could not stifle thy voice, which charged them with deicide, in that they had put to death him who is at once the Son of Mary and the Son of God. Show this Redeemer to us also, not, indeed, standing in glory at the right hand of his Father, but the sweet and humble Babe, as he now manifests himself to the world into which he has just been born, wrapped in swaddlingclothes, and laid in a manger. We too wish to bear witness to him, and to tell how his Birth is one of love and mercy; we wish to show by our lives that he has been born in our hearts. Obtain for us that devotedness to the Divine Infant which gave thee such courage on the day of trial: we shall have devotedness if, like thee, we are simple-hearted and fearless in our love of Jesus; for love is stronger than death. May we never forget that every Christian ought to be ready for martyrdom simply because he is a Christian. May the life of Christ, which has again begun within us, so grow within us, by our fidelity and our conduct, that we may come, as the Apostle expresses it, to the fulness of Christ.[6]

But be mindful, O glorious Martyr! be mindful of the Holy Church in those countries where it is the will of God that she resist even unto blood. May the number of thy fellow-martyrs be thus filled up, and let not one of the combatants grow faint-hearted. May every age and sex be staunch; that so the testimony may be perfect, and the Church, even in her old age, win immortal laurels and crowns, as in the freshness of her infancy, when she had such a champion as thyself. But pray too that the blood of these Martyrs may be fruitful, as it was in times past; pray that it be not wasted, but become the seed of abundant harvests. May infidelity lose ground, and heresy cease to canker those noble hearts who, once in the Truth, would be the glory and consolation of the Church. Our own dear Land has had her Martyrs, who in the hope that God would avenge their blood by restoring her to the Faith, gladly suffered and died: oh! Prince of Martyrs! pray that this their hope may be speedily fulfilled.

We must not end this second day of the Christmas Octave without visiting the Stable of Bethlehem, and adoring the divine Son of Mary. Two days have scarce elapsed since his Blessed Mother placed him in his humble Crib; but these two days are of more value for the salvation of the world than the four thousand years which preceded the Birth of this Babe. The work of our Redemption has made a great step; the cries and tears of the New-Born Child have begun the atonement of our sins. On this Feast of the First Martyr, let us consider how the cheeks of the Infant Jesus are moistened with tears, and how these tears are the first expression of his sufferings. 'Jesus weeps,' say St Bernard, 'but not like other children, certainly not for the same cause as other children. . . . They weep from passion; he from compassion. They weep because they are galled by the yoke that sits heavy on all the children of Adam; Jesus weeps because he sees the sins of the children of Adam.' (Third Sermon for the Nativity.) Oh! how dear to us ought to be these tears of a God who has made himself our Brother! Had we not sinned, God would not have wept. Ought not we too to weep over sin, which thus saddens, by the sufferings it causes to our sweet Infant Jesus, the heavenly joy of his Birth among us?

Mary also sees these tears, and her maternal heart is pained. She feels that her Child is to be the Man of Sorrows; and, before many days are over, the same awful truth will be told her in prophecy. With the consolation she offers to her Babe let us unite ours, by giving him our love. It is the one thing he seeks by all the humiliations he has taken upon himself. It is to gain our love that he has come down from heaven, and been born among us in the midst of the mysteries we are now celebrating. Let us love him, therefore, with all our love, and ask our Lady to present him our humble offering. The Psalmist has said: The Lord is great, and exceedingly to be praised: let us add, with St Bernard: The Lord is a Little Babe, and exceedingly to be loved.

We will honour the Birth of our Jesus to-day by this venerable Sequence of St Gall's Monastery, written by Blessed Notker. It recounts the combat of our Emmanuel against Satan, and his victory. This victory is the source of those won by Stephen and all the Martyrs.

Sequence

Eia, recolamus
Laudibus piis digna,

Hujus diei carmina,
In quo nobis lux oritur Gratissima.

Noctis inter nebulosa,
Pereunt nostri criminis Umbracula.

Hodie sæculo
Maris stella Est enixa Novæ salutis gaudia.

Quem tremunt barathra, Mors cruenta pavet ipsa,
A quo peribit mortua.

Gemet capta Pestis antiqua,
Coluber lividus perdit spolia.

Homo lapsus,
Ovis obducta, Revocatur ad aeterna Gaudia.

Gaudent in hoc die
Agmina Angelorum coelestia,

Quia erat drachma decima Perdita,
Et est inventa.

O proles Nimium beata, Qua redempta
Est natura.

Deus, qui creavit omnia,
Nascitur ex femina.

Mirabilis natura, Mirifice induta,
Assumens quod non erat, Manens quod erat.

Induitur natura Divinitas humana:
Quis audivit talia, Dic, rogo, facta?

Quærere venerat
Pastor pius quod perierat.

Induit galeam,
Certat ut miles armatura.

Prostratus In sua propria
Ruit hostis spicula.

Auferuntur tela In quibus fidebat,
Divisa sunt illius spolia, Capta præda sua.

Christi pugna Fortissima
Salus nostra est vera,

Qui nos suam Ad patriam
Duxit post victoriam.

In qua sibi laus est Æterna. Amen.

Come! let us resume
our holy songs

of praise in strains worthy of this day,
Whereon the much-loved Light rises to the world.

It is in the gloomy hour of night
that the dark shadows of our sins are made to disappear.

This day did the Star of the sea bring forth to the world
the joy of its new salvation.

Her Child makes hell tremble;
nay, cruel Death is filled with fear at the sight of him who is to be its death.

Long-triumphant pestilence, now captive, mourns out her sighs;
and the crushed serpent lets go his prey.

Fallen man, the strayed sheep,
is carried back to the eternal joys.

The heavenly host of Angels
are full of joy to-day;

For the tenth groat was lost
and is fotind.

O Child! blessed above all!
by whom mankind was redeemed.

The God who created all things
is born of a Woman.

He whose nature is admirable, clothes himself by an admirable mystery,
assuming what he was not, and remaining what he had ever been.

A divine Person puts on human nature:
I beseech thee, tell me, was aught like this ever heard?

The Good Shepherd came to seek
that which was lost.

He puts on the helmet,
and as a soldier fights in armour.

The enemy is defeated
and falls upon his own arrows.

The weapons he trusted in are taken from him,
his booty is divided, his prey is taken from him.

Our true salvation comes of this
most glorious battle of Christ;

Who, after the victory,
led us to his own kingdom,

Where everlasting praise is given to him. Amen.

And now, turning towards his Blessed Mother, we will offer her the tribute of this beautiful Sequence, taken from the Cluny Missal of 1523.

Sequence

Angelicæ nos respice,
O dignitatis Domina.

Cum Filio in solio
Cœlo regnas per sæcula.

Dulcis Maria,
Vere dulcis, vere pia, Vere mitissima.

Tota affluens pietate, Clementia,
Tota melliflua.

Tu flebili Theophili
Culpæ ades propitia.

Te auspice,
A fornice
Surgit rea Ægyptia.

O mater misericordiæ,
O lapsorum spes unica.

Votiva servorum
Hodie infer cœlo Suspiria.

Tu decus Israel,
Tu mundi gloria.

Nostro Emmanuel
Tu reconcilia,

Quem lactasti tua sacra mamilla.

Illa ejus membra
Fovens dulcia.

Mediatrix nostra,
Nobis hunc placa.

In illa oramus die
Tremenda.

Oblaturi hic adsumus Deo
Patri tuæ prolis Pignora,

Quorum virtute, quæsumus,
Reos munda,

Trementes corrobora.
Tu bona, tu clemens,
Tu spes nostra,

O Maria.
Amen dicat mens devota.

Look down upon us,
O Queen of the Angel kingdom.

With thy Son, thou reignest
for ever on the heavenly throne.

Sweet Mother Mary!
truly sweet and loving and most gentle!

Thou art, as a fountain, full of love and clemency;
and as a land flowing with honey.

Thou mercifully aidest the sorrowing Theophilus
to obtain the forgiveness of his sin.

By thy prayers,
the guilty one of Egypt rises
from her abominations.

O Mother of Mercy!
O singular hope of the fallen!

Bear up this day to heaven
the prayers and sighs of thy clients.

Thou art the honour of Israel,
thou art the glory of the world.

Restore us
to the favour of our Emmanuel,

Whom thou didst feed at thy sacred breast,

And whose sweet Infant limbs
thou didst warm.

Do thou, our Mediatrix,
appease him in our regard,

On the dread Day,
we beseech thee.

We are here to offer up to God
our Father the merits of our Jesus;

By their virtue do thou, we beseech thee,
obtain forgiveness for the guilty,

and bring courage to them that fear.
Thou art our good, our merciful Mother;
thou art our hope,

O Mary!
Let every devout soul respond: Amen!

[1] Ps. xliv 3.
[2] Acts vi 8.
[3] St Luke x 3.
[4] 1 Cor. i 24.
[5] In the Monastic Breviary, it is as follows: ℟. breve. Posuisti, Domine, * Super caput ejus. Posuisti. ℣. Coronam de lapide pretioso. * Super. Gloria Patri. Posuisti. Deus, tuorum militum Sors, et corona, præmium, Laudes canentes Martyris Absolve nexu criminis. Hic nempe mundi gaudia Et blandimenta noxia Caduca rite deputans, Pervenit ad cœlestia. Pœnas cucurrit fortiter, Et sustulit viriliter: Pro te effundens sanguinem Æterna dona possidet. Ob hoc precatu supplici Te poscimus, Piissime, In hoc triumpho Martyris Dimitte noxam servulis. Gloria tibi Domine, Qui natus es de Virgine, Cum Patre, et Sancto Spiritu, In sempiterna sæcula. Amen.
[6] Eph. iv 13.

From Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.

The merry-pealing bells have wakened us up, echoing to us the sweet burden of our Matin-Song, and inviting us to come once more and adore our Jesus, and assist at the Mass of the Day, which we call the Third Mass: Christ is born unto us; come! let us adore!

The sun is shining in the east—not, indeed, as he will in his summer’s pride; still, brightly enough to tell us that his triumph over winter has begun. Now, we say, the day will grow longer! Under this emblem, let us see and adore our Sun of Justice, Jesus, our sweet Saviour, who has also begun, to-day, to run his triumphant course![1]

Until the hour of Mass comes, let us keep up in our souls the spirit of this glorious Festival, by reading the following selections from the ancient Liturgies. They are full of joy and tender devotion, and tell us of the triumph of Light, of the loveliness of the new-born Babe, and of the glory of the Virgin-Mother.

We will begin with these stanzas of Prudentius, the prince of Christian Poets: they are taken from his Hymn, which is thus headed: The Eighth of the Kalends of January: (VIII Kal. Januarias).

Hymn

Quid est, quod arctum circulum
Sol jam recurrens deserit?
Christusne terris nascitur
Qui lucis auget tramitem?

Heu, quam fugacem gratiam
Festina volvebat dies!
Quam pene subductam facem
Sensim recisa extinxerat!

Cœlum nitescat lætius,
Gratetur et gaudens humus;
Scandit gradatim denuo
Jubar priores lineas.

Te cuncta nascentem, puer,
Sensere dura, et barbara,
Victusque saxorum rigor
Obduxit herbam cotibus.

Jam mella de scopulis fluunt,
Jam stillat ilex arido
Sudans amomum stipite;
Jam sunt myricis balsama.

O sancta præsepis tui,
Æterne Rex, cunabula,
Populisque per seclum sacra,
Mutis et ipsis credita.

Why is it that the Sun, which rises to-day,
leaves his narrow path?
Is it not that Jesus is born on our earth,
Jesus, who comes to widen for us the way of Light?

Ah! how speedily did the rapid
Day turn his sweet face from us!
how, each time, shorter was his stay,
preparing us for total night!

But now let the heavens wear brighter looks,
and the glad earth be happy,
for, the Sun begins once more
to mount the longer path.

Dear Infant Jesus!
all things, however hard and senseless,
feel that thou art born:
the very stones relent, and verdure comes from rocks.

The flinty mountain-side
drips now with honey;
the oak’s stiff trunk now sweats its sappy tears;
and balsam oozes now from humblest shrub.

How holy is thy cradle-crib, O King eternal!
How sacred ever to mankind!
Nay, the very Ox and Ass
stand over it as theirs!

Now let us listen to the several Churches, beginning with those of the East, as being nearest to the country where the great Event took place. First, comes the Church of Syria; her Chanter is St Ephrem; and he begins his song thus:

Nato Filio, lumen affulsit, et ex mundo tenebræ fugatæ, illuminatusque est orbis; laudes ergo referat Nato, qui ilium illuminavit.

Ortus est ex utero Virginis, eoque viso defecerunt umbræ: et tenebræ erroris ab eo expulsæ; orbisque totus illustratus; laudes ergo illi referat.

The Son of God is born—Light has shone forth, darkness has fled from the earth, and the world is enlightened; let it praise the New-Born Babe, that gave it light.

He has risen from the Virgin’s womb; the shades of night have seen him and fled: the darkness of error has been scattered; let the whole earth sing praise to him, by whom it has been illumined.

The Church of Armenia thus sings to Emmanuel during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass:

Novua flos hodie oritur ex radice Jesse, et filia David parit Filium Dei.

Multitudo Angelorum et militiæ cœlestis, descendentes de cœlis cum unigenito rege cantabant et dicebant: Hic est Filius Dei. Omnes dicamus: exsultate cœli, et lætamini fundamenta mundi, quia Deus æternus in terris apparuit, et cum hominibus conversatus est, ut salvet animas nostras.

A fresh flower has this day sprung up from the Root of Jesse: and a daughter of David has given birth to the Son of God.

A multitude of Angels and the Heavenly Host, coming down from heaven with the Only-Begotten King, sang and said: This is the Son of God! Let us all exclaim: Ye heavens exult, and ye foundations of the world be glad! for the Eternal God has appeared upon the earth, and has conversed with men, that he may save our souls!

The Greek Church thus cries out in her beautiful language:

Venite, exsultemus Domino, hodiemum celebrantes mysterium. Munis dirutus est medius; avertitur flammeus gladius, Cherubim a ligno vitæ recedit. Et ego paradisum deliciarum participo, a quo per inobedientiam expulsus fueram. Incommutabilis imago Patris, typus ejus æternitatis, formam servi accipit, ex nuptinescia matre progrediens, nullam passus commutationem: quod enim erat permansit, Deus cum esset verus; quod autem non erat præteraccipit, homo factus per philanthropiam. Illi clamemus: Qui natus es de Virgine, miserere nobis.

Come! let us rejoice in the Lord, celebrating the mystery of this day. The wall of division is destroyed; the fiery sword is sheathed, and the Angel no longer keeps us from the Tree of Life. I, yea I, that was driven, by the sin of disobedience, from the Paradise of delights, may now enter and feast. The unchangeable Image of the Father, the type of his eternity, assumes the form of a servant, and is born of a Virgin-Mother; yet he suffers not any change: for that which he was he continues to be—the true God; but that which he was not he now becomes, being made Man for love of man. Let us cry out to him: O thou that art born of the Virgin! have mercy on us.

The holy Roman Church, by the mouth of St Leo, in his Sacramentary, thus celebrates the mystery of the divine Light:

Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare: nos tibi gratias agere, aeterne Deus, quia nostri Salvatoris hodie lux vera processit, quæ clara nobis omnia et intellectu manifestavit et visu. Quibus non solum præsentem vitam suo splendore dirigeret, sed ad ipsam nos majestatis immensæ gloriam perduceret intuendam.

It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should give thanks to thee, O Eternal God: because this day has risen the true light of our Saviour, whereby all things are made clear to our intellect and sight: that thus by his own brightness he might not only direct us in this our present life, but bring us to the very vision of thy divine Majesty.

The same Church of Rome, in the Sacramentary of St Gelasius, makes the following prayer to the heavenly Father, who sent his Son to redeem us:

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui hunc diem per incarnationem Verbi tui, et per partum beatæ Virginis consecrasti; da populis tuis in hac celebritate lætitiæ, ut et qui tua gratia sunt redempti, tua adoptione sint filii.

O Almighty and everlasting God, who hast consecrated this day by the Incarnation of thy Word, and the Delivery of the Blessed Virgin; grant to thy people upon this joyous solemnity that they who have been redeemed by thy grace may also be made thy children by adoption.

And again, the same Church thus invokes upon her children the Light of Christ: she uses the words of the Sacramentary of St Gregory the Great:

Concede nobis, omnipotens Deus, ut salutare tuum, nova cœlorum luce mirabile, quod ad salutem mundi hodierna festivitate processit, nostris semper innovandis cordibus oriatur.

Grant unto us, O Almighty God! that the Saviour whom thou sendest for the world's salvation on this day's solemnity, whereon the heavens are renewed in light, may ever rise in our hearts and renew them.

The Church of Milan, in its Ambrosian Liturgy, also celebrates the new Light and the joys of the VirginMother:

Adveniens Dominus, abstulit omnem caliginem noctis: et, ubi non erat lumen, facta est claritas, et apparuit dies.

Gaude, et lætare, exsultatio Angelorum. Gaude, Domini Virgo, prophetarum gaudium. Gaudeas, benedicta, Dominus tecum est. Gaude, quæ per Angelum gaudium mundi suscepisti. Gaude, quæ genuisti factorem et Dominum. Gaudeas, quia digna es esse Mater Christi.

When our Lord came, he dispelled all the darkness of night; and where had been no light, there was made brightness, and the day appeared.

Rejoice and be glad, O Mary, thou joy of Angels! Rejoice, O thou Virgin of the Lord, and joy of the prophets! Rejoice, thou Blessed One, the Lord is with thee. Rejoice, thou that didst receive, at the Angel's announcing, him who is the joy of the world. Rejoice, thou that didst give birth to thy Creator and Lord. Rejoice, in that thou wast worthy to be made the Mother of Christ.

The ancient Church of Gaul expresses its gladness by these joyous Antiphons, which were adopted for several ages by the Church of Rome:

Hodie intacta Virgo Deum nobis genuit, teneris indutum membris, quem lactare meruit; omnes Christum adoremus qui venit salvare nos.

Gaudeamus omnes fideles, Salvator noster natus est in mundo: hodie processit Proies magnifici germinis, et perseverat pudor virginitatis.

O mundi Domina, regio ex semine orta, ex tuo jam Christus processit alvo, tanquam sponsus de thalamo: hic jacet in præsepio qui et sidera regit.

The purest of Virgins gave us our God, who was this day born of her, clothed in the flesh of a Babe, and she was found worthy to feed him at her Breast: let us all adore Christ, who came to save us.

Ye faithful people, let us all rejoice, for our Saviour is born in our world: this Day there has been born the Son of the great Mother, and she yet a pure Virgin.

O Queen of the world, and Daughter of a kingly race! Christ has risen from thy womb, as a Bridegroom coming from the bride chamber: He that rules the stars lies in a Crib.

The Gothic Church of Spain unites her voice with that of all these others, and in her Mozarabic Breviary thus hails the rising of the divine Sun:

Hodie lumen mundi prodiit: hodie salus ævi emicuit: hodie Salvator Israel de climate cœli descendit, ut eruat omnes captivos, quos antiquus hostis predo per primi hominis delictum captivaverat: et ut cæcis mentibus lumen, surdis auditum, gratia praeveniente, restitueret: ob istius tanti mysterii beneficia montes et colles tripudiant, ipsaque mundi elementa ineffabili gaudio ista in die melos decantant: ob hoc gemebunda prece pii Redemptoris clementiam suppliciter exoramus; ut nos, qui in tenebris peccatorum nostrorum involvimur, per cordis acclamationem protinus expiemur, ut illo in nobis apparente, et splendor gloriæ jucundius, ac multiplicius nostris in præcordiis vigeat, et salutis gaudia sine fine dulcescant.

To-day has risen the Light of the world: to-day has shone forth the earth's salvation: to-day the Saviour of Israel has come down from the heavenly country, that he may set free all the slaves whom the old enemy and robber had enslaved by the sin of our first Parent; that he might also restore, by his preventing grace, light to the blind of heart, and hearing to the deaf. For the benefits of this so great mystery, let the mountains and hills leap with joy, and the very elements of the world be exceeding glad on this day, and sing sweet melody. Therefore, let us, in humblest prayer, suppliantly beseech our most merciful Redeemer; that we who are beset by the darkness of our sins, may, by this our hearts' acclamation, be speedily delivered; that he appearing among us, the brightness of his glory may more joyously and abundantly gleam in our souls, and the happiness of salvation gladden them with never-ending sweetness.

Let us end this our stroll among the ancient Liturgies, by culling a flower from Erin. The Church of Ireland, in the seventh century, used to sing this Antiphon on Christmas Day, which we have taken from the Bangor Antiphonary, published by Muratori. Here again we find the idea so often alluded to: the triumph of the Sun's light, which begins to-day, considered as the image of Jesus’ Birth.

Ab hodierno die nox minuitur, dies crescit, concutiuntur tenebræ, lumen augetur, et in lucro lucis nocturna dispendia transferentur.

From this Day, night decreases, day increases, darkness is shaken, light grows longer, and the loss of night shall make the gain of day.

And now, Christians, let us go to the House of our God, and prepare for our third Sacrifice.

[1] Ps. xviii 6.

From Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.

The Mystery which the Church honours in this Third Mass is the eternal generation or Birth of the Son of God in the Bosom of his Father. At midnight she celebrated the God-Man, born in the Stable from the Womb of the glorious Virgin Mary; at the Aurora, this same Divine Infant, born in the souls of the Shepherds; there still remains for her adoration and praise a Birth more wonderful than these other two: a Birth, which dazzles the eye of Angels by its splendour, and bears its eternal witness to the inward fruitfulness of God. The Son of Mary is also the Son of God; and a grand duty of to-day is that we hymn aloud the glory of this his ineffable Generation, which makes him consubstantial to his Father, God of God and Light of Light. Let us, then, raise up our thoughts even to that eternal Word, who was in the beginning with God, and was himself God;[1] for he is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the figure of his substance.[2]

The Church's first Chant in this her Third Mass is an acclamation to the new-born King. She celebrates the kingly power and majesty which he will derive, as Man, from the Cross that is one day to be upon his shoulders; as God, he has been the Almighty King from all eternity, and this too she celebrates. He is also the Angel of the great Counsel; that is, he is the One Sent from heaven to fulfil the sublime Counsel or design of the Most Holy Trinity—to save mankind by the Incarnation and the Redemption. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Word, made this Counsel, together with the other Two: his devotedness to his Father's glory, and his love for man, made him take upon himself the execution of the divine Plan.

Introit

Puer natus est nobis, et Filius datus est nobis; cujus imperitum super humerum ejus: et vocabitur nomen ejus magni Consilii Angelus.

Ps. Cantate Domino canticum novum, quia mirabilia fecit, ℣. Gloria Patri. Puer.

A Child is born unto us, and a Son is given to us; and the government is upon his Shoulder: and his name shall be called the Angel of the great Counsel.

Ps. Sing to the Lord a new Canticle, for he hath done wonderful things, ℣. Glory, etc. A Child, etc.

In the Collect, the Church prays that the New Birth, whereby the eternal Son of God deigned to be born in time, may produce its effect in us, and work our deliverance.

Collect

Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per carnem nativitas liberet; quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet. Per eumdem.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new birth of thine OnlyBegotten Son. Through the same, etc.

Epistle

Lectio Epistolæ beati Pauli Apostoli ad Hebræos.

Cap. I.

Multifariam multisque modis olim Deus loquens patribus in Prophetis; novissime diebus istis locutus est nobis in Filio, quem constituit hæredem universorum, per quem fecit et sæcula. Qui cum sit splendor gloriæ, et figura substantiae ejus, portansque omnia verbo virtutis suæ, purgationem peccatorum faciens, sedet ad dexteram Majestatis in excelsis: tanto melior Angelis effectus, quanto differentius præ illis nomen hæreditavit. Cui enim dixit aliquando Angelorum: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te? Et rursura: Ego ero illi in Patrem, et ipse erit mihi in Filium. Et cum iterum introducit Primogenitum in orbem terræ, dicit: Et adorent eum omnes Angeli Dei. Et ad Angelos quidem dicit: Qui facit Angelos suos Spiritus, et ministros suos flammam ignis. Ad Filium autem: Thronus tuus, Deus, in sæculum sæculi: virga æquitatis, virga regni tui. Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem: propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo exsultationis præ participibus tuis. Et: Tu in principio, Domine, terram fundasti; et opera manuum tuarum sunt cœli. Ipsi peribunt, tu autem permanebis; et omnes ut vestimentum veterascent, et velut amictum mutabis eos, et mutabuntur: tu autem idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient.

Lesson of the Epistle of St Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.

Ch. I.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets; last of all in these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance, and holding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than the Angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the Angels hath he said at any time: Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee? And again: I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the First-Begotten into the world, he saith: And let all the Angels of God adore him.And to the Angels, indeed, he saith: He that maketh his Angels Spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But to the Son: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of justice is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And: Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth, and the works of thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but thou shalt continue; and they shall all grow old as a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the self-same, and thy years shall not fail.

The great Apostle, in this magnificent opening of his Epistle to his former brethren of the Synagogue, lays great stress on the Eternal Generation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whilst our eyes are fixed on the sweet Infant in his Crib, St Paul bids us raise our thoughts up to that infinite Light, from the midst of which the Eternal Father thus speaks to this Child of Mary: Thou art my Son; to-day have I begotten thee: this to-day is the Day of eternity, a Day which has neither morning nor evening, neither rising nor setting. If the Human Nature which he has vouchsafed to assume places him below the Angels; he is infinitely above them by his own essence, whereby he is the Son of God. He is God, he is Lord, and no change can come upon him. He may be wrapped in swathing-bands or nailed to a Cross, or put to a most ignominious death; all this is only in his human nature: in his Divinity he remains impassible and immortal, for he was born of the Father from all eternity.

Gradual

Viderunt omnes fines terræ Salutare Dei nostri: jubilate Deo omnis terra.

℣. Notum fecit Dominus Salutare suum: ante conspectum gentium revelavit justitiam suam.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis: Venite, gentes, et adorate Dominum; quia hodie descendit lux magna super terram. Alleluia.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God: sing joyfully to the Lord, all thou earth.

℣. The Lord hath made known his salvation: he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. A sanctified day hath shone upon us: Come, ye Gentiles, and adore the Lord; for this day a great Light is come down upon the earth. Alleluia.

Gospel

Initium sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.

Cap. I.

In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est. In ipso vita erat; et vita erat lux hominum; et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebræ eam non comprehenderunt. Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Joannes. Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ut omnes crederent per ilium. Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Erat lux vera quæ illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est; et mundus eum non cognovit. In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri: his qui credunt in nomine ejus; qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. Et Verbum CARO FACTUM EST, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiæ et veritatis.

The beginning of the holy Gospel according to John.

Ch. I.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life; and the life was the Light of men; and the Light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the Light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the Light, but was to give testimony of the Light. That was the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him; and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave power to be made the sons of God: to them that believe in his name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us: and we saw his glory, as it were the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

O Eternal Son of God! in presence of the Crib, where for the love of us thou vouchsafest this day to show thyself to thy creatures, we confess thy eternity, thy omnipotence, thy divinity, and most profoundly do we adore thee. Thou wast in the beginning; thou wast in God; and thyself wast God. Everything was made by thee, and we are the work of thy hands. O Light, infinite and eternal! O Sun of Justice! enlighten us, for we are but darkness. Too long have we loved our darkness, and thee we have not comprehended: forgive us our blindness and our errors. Thou hast been long knocking at the door of our hearts, and we have refused to let thee in. To-day, thanks to the wonderful ways of thy love, we have received thee: for who could refuse to receive thee, sweet gentle Infant Jesus! but leave us not; abide with us, and perfect the New Birth which thou hast begun in us. We wish henceforth to be neither of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, by thee and in thee. Thou hast been made Flesh, O Word Eternal! in order that we may become sons of God. We beseech thee, support our weak human nature, and fit us for this our sublime destiny. Thou art born of God thy Father; thou art born of Mary; thou art born in our hearts; thrice glorified be thou for this thy triple Birth, O Jesus! so merciful in thy Divinity, and so divine in thy self-sought humiliations!

At the Offertory, the Church sings praise to her Emmanuel for the work of his hands, the universe; for it was he who made all things. The sacred gifts are offered up in the midst of a cloud of incense. The Church cannot lose sight of the Infant Jesus and the Crib; but she is unceasingly praising the power and majesty of the Incarnate God.

Offertory

Tui sunt cœli, et tua est terra; orbem terrarum et plenitudinem ejus tu fundasti: justitia et judicium præparatio sedis tuæ.

Thine are the heavens, and thine is the earth; the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded: justice and judgement are the preparation of thy throne.

Secret

Oblata, Domine, munera nova Unigeniti tui nativitate sanctifica: nosque a peccatorum nostrorum maculis emunda. Per eumdem.

Sanctify, O Lord, our offerings, by the new Birth of thine Only-Begotten Son: and cleanse us from the stains of our sins. Through the same, etc.

During the Communion, the choir sings the happiness of this earth of ours, which has to-day seen its Saviour by the mercy of the Divine Word, made visible in the flesh, yet so as that he loses nothing of his own infinite glory. Then, in the Postcommunion, she prays by the mouth of the Priest, that her children who have eaten of the spotless Lamb may partake of the immortality of this same Jesus: for, by vouchsafing to be born by a human Birth in Bethlehem, he has this Day given them the pledge of their receiving a divine life.

Communion

Viderunt omnes fines terræ Salutare Dei nostri.

The whole earth hath seen the salvation of our God.

Postcommunion

Præsta, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus: ut natus hodie Salvator mundi, sicut divinæ nobis generationis est auctor; ita et immortalitatis sit ipse largitor. Qui tecum.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as the Saviour of the world, who was born this day, procured for us a divine birth, he may also bestow on us immortality. Who liveth, etc.

Last Gospel

After the Blessing, the following Last Gospel is read.

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthæum.

Cap. II.

Cum natus esset Jesus in Bethlehem Juda, in diebus Herodis regis, ecce Magi ab Oriente venerunt Jerosolymam, dicentes: Ubi est, qui natus est Rex Judæorum? vidimus enim stellam ejus in Oriente, et venimus adorare eum. Audiens autem Herodes rex, turbatus est, et omnis Jerosolyma cum illo. Et congregans omnes principes sacerdotum, et scribas populi, sciscitabatur ab eis ubi Christus nasceretur. At illi dixerunt ei: In Bethlehem Judæ: sic enim scriptum est per Prophetam: Et tu, Bethlehem, terra Juda, nequaquam minima es in principibus Juda: ex te enim exiet dux qui regat populum meum Israel. Tunc Herodes, clam vocatis Magis, diligenter didicit ab eis tempus stellæ, quæ apparuit eis: et mittens illos in Bethlehem, dixit: Ite, et interrogate diligenter de puero: et cum inveneritis, renuntiate mihi, ut et ego veniens adorem eum. Qui cum audissent regem, abierunt. Et ecce stella quam viderant in Oriente antecedebat eos, usque dum veniens staret supra ubi erat puer. Videntes autem stellam, gavisi sunt gaudio magno valde. Et intrantes domum, invenerunt puerum cum Maria matre ejus, (here all kneel) et procidentes adoraverunt eum. Et apertis thesauris suis, obtulerunt ei munera; aurum, thus et myrrham. Et responso accepto in somnis ne redirent ad Herodem, per aliam viam reversi sunt in regionem suam.

℟. Deo gratias.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

Ch. II.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold there came Wise Men from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him. And Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief Priests and the Scribes of the people, he enquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: in Bethlehem of Juda: for so it is written by the Prophet: And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel. Then, Herod, privately calling the Wise Men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them: and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go, and diligently enquire after the Child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore. Who having heard the king, went their way. And behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary his Mother, (here all kneel) and falling down they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their own country.

℟. Thanks be to God.

SECOND VESPERS

The Evensong of God's praise is about to close this beautiful Day: let us go and unite in it. The material sun is fast sinking in the west: but our Sun of Justice shall never set for us, who have received him into our hearts. Yes, let us go join our Mother the Church, and chant, in the songs of the Royal Prophet, the happiness of our earth, that has yielded its divine Fruit; the glories of this new-born Saviour; and the mercies which he has brought us. God forbid that our hearts should have lost, since morning, aught of their earnest fervour! has not Christ been born within us? Therefore, let our psalmody proclaim his praises, and ascend to him with all that beauty and loveliness and merit which the divine Liturgy always adds to our own individual fervour.

℣. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.

℟. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritili Sancto:

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Alleluia.

℣. Incline unto my aid, O God.

℟. 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.

The first Psalm of Second Vespers for Christmas Day is that which always begins the Evening Office on Sundays and Feasts. It celebrates the Eternal Generation of the Word, and prophesies his Sufferings and his Triumph.

Ant. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuæ, in splendoribus Sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te.

Ant. With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength, in the brightness of the Saints; for the Father has said to thee: From the womb, before the day-star, I begot thee.

Psalm 109

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 poenitebit eum: * Tu es sacerdos in æternum, secundum ordinem Melchisedech.
Dominus a dextris tuis: * confregit in die iræ suæ reges.
Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: * conquassabit capita in terra multorum.
De torrente in via bibet; * propterea exaltabit caput.

Ant. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuæ, in splendoribus Sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te.

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.
Therefore, O Father! the Lord thy Son is at thy right hand: he hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.
He shall also judge among nations; 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. With thee is the principality in' the day of thy strength, in the brightness of the Saints; for the Father has said to thee: From the womb, before the day-star, I begot thee.

The second Psalm praises our Lord for the Covenant he has made with his people, and for the Redemption he has this day sent us. The human race was sunk into the depth of misery: the God of mercy, faithful to his promises, gives us, in Bethlehem, him who is the Bread of life—the heavenly food that preserves from death.

Ant. Redemptionem misit Dominus populo suo, mandavit in æternum testamentum suum.

Ant. He hath sent Redemption to his people; he hath commanded his covenant for ever.

Psalm 110

Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: * in concilio justorum et congregatione.
Magna opera Domini: * exquisita in omnes voluncates ejus.
Confessio et magnificentia opus ejus: * et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.
Memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum, misericors et miserator Dominus: * escam dedit timentibus se.
Memor erit in sæculum testamenti sui: * virtutem operum suorum annuntiabit populo suo.
Ut det illis hæreditatem gentium: * opera manuum ejus veritas et judicium.
Fidelia omnia mandata ejus, confirmata in sæculum sæculi: * facta in veritate et æquitate.
Redemptionem misit populo suo: * mandavit in æternum testamentum suum.
Sanctum et terribile nomen ejus: * initium sapientiæ timor Domini.
Intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum: * laudario ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

Ant. Redemptionem misit Dominus populo suo, mandavit in æternum testamentum suum.

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: in the council 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 continued 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 will come and will show 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 judgement.
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. He hath sent Redemption to his people; he hath commanded his covenant for ever.

The third Psalm tells the happiness and hopes of the just man, on the day of Jesus’ Birth. In the very midst of darkness, there has suddenly risen up the bright and lovely Light, that is, our Emmanuel, our merciful God. The upright of heart are enlightened by him: but woe to the sinner that will not receive him!

Ant. Exortum est in tenebris lumen recris corde: misericors et miserator, et justus Dominus.

Ant. To the upright of heart a Light has risen up in darkness; the merciful and compassionate and just Lord.

Psalm 111

Beatus vir, qui timet Dominum: * in mandatis ejus volet nimis.
Potens in terra erit semen ejus: * generatio rectorum benedicetur.
Gloria et divitiæ in domo ejus: * et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.
Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis: * misericors et miserator et justus.
Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat, disponet sermones suos in judicio: * quia in æternum non commovebitur.
In memoria æterna erit justus: * ab auditione mala non timebit.
Paratum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus: * non commovebitur dionec despiciat inimicos suos.
Dispersit, dedit pauperibus, justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi: * cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.
Peccator videbit et irascetur, dentibus suis fremet et tabescet: * desiderium peccatorum peribit.

Ant. Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis corde: misericors et miserator et justus Dominus.

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, and is born among men to-day.
Acceptable, on this day, is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth; he shall order his words with judgement: 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 strengthened: he shall not be moved, until he look over his enemies.
He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor; his justice remaineth for ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory.
The wicked shall see, and shall be angry; he shall gnash with his teeth, and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Ant. To the upright of heart a Light is risen up in darkness; the merciful and compassionate and just Lord.

The fourth Psalm expresses the cry of distress sent forth to its Deliverer by the human race, when in the depth of its misery and degradation. But this cry was also one of hope; for God had promised to come to its deliverance. At length the Lord, whose mercy is infinite, has vouchsafed to descend upon the earth, and our Redemption begins this very day.

Ant. Apud Dominum misericordia, et copiosa apud eum redemptio.

Ant. With the Lord there is merciful forgiveness; and with him plentiful Redemption.

Psalm 129

De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: * Domine, exaudi vocem meam.
Fiant aures tuæ intendentes: * in vocem deprecationis meæ.
Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine: * Domine, quis sustinebit?
Quia apud te propitiatio est: * et propter legem tuam sustinui te, Domine.
Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus: * speravit anima mea in Domino.
A custodia matutina usque ad noctem: * speret Israel in Domino.
Quia apud Dominum misericordia: * et copiosa apud eum redemptio.
Et ipse redimet Israel: * ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.

Ant. Apud Dominum misericordia, et copiosa apud eum redemptio.

From the depths have I, thy people, cried to thee, O Lord: Lord hear my voice.
Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If thou wilt observe iniquities, O Lord, Lord, who shall endure it?
For with thee there is merciful forgiveness; and by reason of thy law I have waited all these long ages for thee, O Lord.
My soul hath relied on his word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy, and with him plentiful redemption.
This day he hath been born among us, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Ant. With the Lord there is merciful forgiveness; and with him plentiful Redemption.

The fifth Psalm celebrates the Ark of the Lord which rested in Ephrata. Mary was the true Ark, of which that of old was but a type: in her did our Lord take up his dwelling; in her did he place the throne of his Majesty. Let our God, then, arise and take possession of his Church, which begins to-day in Bethlehem; let him arise, and, together with Mary, the Queen of mercy, govern us. Henceforth he is to dwell among us—console us in all our tribulations—satisfy us poor ones with the Bread of eternal life—invest the new Priesthood with singular powers—shine in his Church as the Lamp of immutable truth—triumph over all his enemies—in a word, whilst the crowns of other kings shall fall off, the one which sits on the brow of our divine King, our sweet Babe of Bethlehem, shall flourish for everlasting ages.

Ant. De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.

Ant. I will set upon thy throne, O David, one of the fruit of thy womb.

Psalm 131

Memento, Domine, David: * et omnis mansuetudinis ejus.
Sicut juravit Domino: * votum vovit Deo Jacob.
Si introiero in tabernaculum domus meæ: * si ascendero in lectum strati mei.
Si dedero somnum oculis meis: * et palpebris meis dormitationem.
Et requiem temporibus meis, donec inveniam locum Domino: * tabernaculum Deo Jacob.
Ecce audivimus eam in Ephrata: * invenimus eam in campis silvæ.
Introibimus in tabernaculum ejus: * adorabimus in loco ubi steterunt pedes ejus.
Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam: * tu et arca sanctificationis tuæ.
Sacerdotes tui induantur justitiam: * et Sancti tui exsultent.
Propter David servum tuum: * non avertas faciem Christi tui.
Juravit Dominus David veritatem, et non frustrabitur eam: * De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.
Si custodierint filii tui testamentum meum: * et testimonia mea hæc, quæ docebo eos.
Et filii eorum usque in sæculum: * sedebunt super sedem tuam.
Quoniam elegit Dominus Sion: * elegit eam in habitationem sibi.
Hæc requies mea in sæculum sæculi: * hic habitabo, quoniam elegi eam.
Viduam ejus benedicens benedicam: * pauperes ejus saturabo panibus.
Sacerdotes ejus induam salutari: * et Sancti ejus exsultatione exsultabunt.
Illuc producam cornu David: * paravi lucernam Christo meo.
Inimicos ejus induam confusione: * super ipsum autem efflorebit sanctificatio mea.

Ant. De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam.

O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness.
How he swore to the Lord: he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob.
‘If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie;
‘If I shall give sleep to my eyes: or slumber to my eyelids,
‘Or rest to my temples, until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.’
Behold! we have heard of it that it was in Bethlehem of Ephrata; we found it in the fields of the wood.
We will go into his tabernacle; we will adore in the place where his feet have stood.
Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place; thou and Mary, the Ark which thou hast sanctified.
Let thy priests be clothed with justice: and let thy Saints rejoice.
For thy servant David’s sake, O heavenly Father! turn not away the face of thy Christ.
The Lord hath sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: ‘Of the fruit of thy womb I will set upon thy throne.
‘If thy children will keep my covenant, and these my testimonies, which I shall teach them;
‘Their children also for evermore shall sit upon thy throne.’
For the Lord hath chosen Sion, his Church: he hath chosen it for his dwelling.
He hath said: 'This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.
‘Blessing, I will bless her widow, by the Birth of my Son; in Bethlehem I will satisfy her poor with Bread.
'I will clothe her priests with salvation: and her Saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy.
'There, in my Church, will I bring forth the horn, the strength of David: I have prepared a lamp for my Christ.
'His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification flourish.*

Ant. I will set upon thy throne, O David! one of the fruit of thy womb.

Capitulum
(Heb. I)

Multifariam, multisque modis olim Deus loquens patribus in Prophetis: novissime diebus istis locutus est nobis in Filio, quem constituit hæredem universorum, per quem fecit et sæcula.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets; last of all in these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.

Hymn[3]

Jesu, redemptor omnium,
Quem, lucis ante originem,
Parem paternæ gloriæ
Pater supremus edidit;

Tu lumen et splendor Patris,
Tu spes perennis omnium,
Intende quas fundunt preces
Tui per orbem servuli.

Memento, rerum conditor,
Nostri quod olim corporis,
Sacrata ab alvo Virginis
Nascendo, formam sumpseris.

Testatur hoc praesens dies,
Currens per anni circulum,
Quod solus e sinu Patris
Mundi salus adveneris.

Hunc astra, tellus, æquora,
Hunc omne quod cœlo subest,
Salutis auctorem novæ
Novo salutat cantico.

Et nos, beata quos sacri
Rigavit unda sanguinis,
Natalis ob diem tui,
Hymni tributum solvimus.

Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna sæcula.

Amen.

℣. Notum fecit Dominus, alleluia.
℟. Salutare suum, alleluia.

O Jesu! Redeemer of mankind!
born before the light was made,
and born of the Eternal Father,
equal to him in infinite glory;

O thou the light and brightness of the Father!
O thou the everlasting hope of all men!
hear the prayers offered thee
by thy servants throughout the world.

Be mindful, O Creator of all things!
that heretofore thou didst
assume a Body like unto ours,
and wast born from the sacred womb of a Virgin.

This present Day, which the year has brought round
to us, tells us of this mystery—
that thou, the one Saviour of the world,
didst come to us from the Father's Bosom.

The stars and earth and sea,
and all that is under heaven,
greet this the Author of their new salvation
with a new Canticle.

And we, who have been redeemed by the stream
of thy precious Blood,
we too pay thee the tribute of this Hymn,
in honour of thy Birthday.

Glory be to thee, O Jesus!
who wast born of the Virgin!
and to the Father,
and to the Spirit of love, for everlasting ages.

Amen.

℣. The Lord hath made known, alleluia.
℟. His Salvation, alleluia.

ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT

Hodie Christus natus est: hodie Salvator apparuit; hodie in terra canunt An geli, lætantur Archangeli; hodie exsultant justi, dicentes: Gloria in excelsis Deo, alleluia.

This day Christ is born, this day the Saviour hath appeared; this day the Angels sing on earth; the Archangels rejoice; this day the just exult, saying: Glory be to God in the highest, alleluia.

The Canticle, Magnificat, p. 96.

Oremus

Concede, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut nos Unigeniti tui nova per cameni Nativitas liberet, quos sub peccati jugo vetusta servitus tenet. Per eumdem.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who groan under the old captivity of sin, may be freed therefrom by the new Birth of thine Only-Begotten Son. Through the same, etc.

Commemoration of St Stephen

Ant. Stephanus autem plenus gratia et fortitudine, faciebat signa magna in populo.

℣. Gloria et honore coronasti eum, Domine.

℟. Et constituisti eum super opera manuum tuarum.

OREMUS

Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, imitari quod colimus, ut discamus et inimicos diligere: quia ejus natalitia celebramus, qui novit etiam pro persecutoribus exorare Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum. Qui tecum.

Ant. But Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great signs among the people.

℣. Thou hast crowned him, O Lord, with glory and honour.

℟. And hast placed him over the works of thy hands.

Let us pray

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may imitate him whose memory we celebrate, so as to learn to love even our enemies: because we now solemnise his martyrdom, who knew how to pray even for his persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son. Who liveth, etc.

For Compline, see p. 98.

The great Day is over, and the night is coming upon us, when sleep will refresh us after the holy fatigues of last night. Before retiring to rest, let us give the holy Martyrs a thought, whose memory is offered to our veneration by the Church in her Martyrology of this December 25. Diocletian and his colleagues in the Empire had recently published the famous edict of persecution, which waged against the Church the fiercest war she has ever sustained. The edict was tom down from the Emperor's palace at Nicomedia by one of the Christians, who paid for this holy daring by a glorious martyrdom. The faithful of the same city were ready for the combat, and feared not to brave the Emperor's power by continuing to frequent their Church, which was condemned to be pulled down. Christmas Day came, and several thousands of them had assembled there, in order to celebrate, for the last time within those walls, the Nativity of our Saviour. Being informed of it, the Emperor became furious, and sent one of the officers of his court to order the Church doors to be fastened, and a fire to be enkindled on each side of the building. This being done, the clang of trumpets was heard, and then a herald's voice proclaiming to the faithful, in the Emperor's name, that they who wished to save their lives would be permitted to leave the Basilica, on the condition of their offering incense on an altar of Jupiter, which had been placed near the door; but that otherwise, all were to be left a prey to the flames. One of the Christians thus answered, in the name of the whole assembly: ‘We are all of us Christians; we honour Christ as the one only God and King; and we are all ready to lay down our lives for him on this Day.’ Whereupon the soldiers were commanded to set fire to the Church. In a very short time, it was one immense mass of flames, whence was offered to the Son of God—who deigned to begin on this same day the human life he had assumed—the generous holocaust of these thousands of lives, laid down as witness to his having come into this world. Thus was glorified, in the year 303, Emmanuel, who had come from heaven to dwell among us. Let us, after the example of the Church herself, join our homage to the Babe of Bethlehem with that offered him by these courageous Christians, whose fame the Liturgy will perpetuate even to the end of time.

Once more let us visit in spirit the dear Cave, where Mary and Joseph are loving and nursing and adoring the Divine Infant. Let us, too, adore him, and ask his blessing. St Bonaventure, with an unction worthy of his seraphic soul, thus expresses the sentiments which a Christian should have on this Day, when admitted to the Crib of Jesus: ‘Do thou also kneel down—thou hast delayed too long. Adore the Lord thy God, and then reverence his Mother, and salute, with much respect, the saintly old man Joseph. After this, kiss the feet of the Infant Jesus, laid as he is on his little bed, and ask our Lady to give him to thee, or permit thee to take him up. Take him into thine arms, press him to thy heart, and look well at his lovely face, and reverently kiss him, and show him confidently the delight thou takest in him. Thou mayest venture on all this, because it is for sinners that he came, that he might save them: it was with sinners that he so humbly conversed, and at last gave himself to sinners, that he might be their food. I say, then, that his gentle love will permit thee to treat him as affectionately as thou pleasest, and will not call it too much freedom, but will set it down to thy love.’[4]

As a conclusion to our Feast, we give two favourite pieces of the Middle Ages, whereby our Fathers expressed their joy on this glorious Solemnity. The first is a Sequence, which is to be found in all the RomanFrench Missals. For a long time it was thought to have been written by St Bernard: but we have seen it in a Manuscript of the eleventh century, and consequently it must have been written earlier than the date usually assigned to it.

Sequence

Lætabundus Exsultet fidelis chorus. Alleluia.
Regem regum Intactæ profudit torus: Res miranda!
Angelus Consilii Natus est de Virgine, Sol de Stella.
Sol occasum nesciens, Stella semper rutilans, Semper clara.
Sicut sidus radium, Profert Virgo Filium Pari forma.
Neque sidus radio, Neque Virgo Filio Fit corrupta.
Cedrus alta Libani Conformatur hyssopo Valle nostra.
Verbum ens Altissimi Corporari passum est, Carne sumpta.
Esaias cecinit, Synagoga meminit; Numquam tamen desinit Esse cæca.
Si non suis vatibus, Credat vel gentilibus, Sibyllinis versibus Hæc prædicta:
Infelix, propera,
Crede vel vetera:
Cur damnaberis, gens misera?
Quem docet littera Natum considera: Ipsum genuit puerpera.

Amen.

Let the choir of all the faithful exult in their joy. Alleluia!
The Virgin's womb hath given us the King of Kings! O wonderful mystery!
The Angel of the great Counsel is born of the Virgin, the Sun is born of a Star!
The Sun knows no setting; the Star is ever shining, ever bright.
As a star gives forth its ray, so does the Virgin her Child.
The star loses naught of its purity by the ray it yields, so neither does the Virgin by her Child.
The lofty cedar of Libanus comes down into our valley, making itself little as the hyssop.
He that is the Word of the Most High God deigns to take a body unto himself; he assumes our flesh.
Isaias had foretold all this; and the Jews, though they knew the prophecy by heart, see not its accomplishment in this mystery.
If they will not believe their Prophets, let them believe the Sybils, who thus sang:
'Unhappy people, delay not, believe, at least, the ancient oracles! Why wilt thou be cast off, O wretched nation?
‘This is the Child of whom thy books tell thee: he is the Son of a Virgin-Mother.’

Amen.

The second piece is a Sequence in honour of the most Holy Mother of God. It belongs to the fifteenth century. It is one of the many imitations of the Easter Sequence, Victimæ Paschali, which are to be found in many of the Missals of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Sequence

Virgini Mariæ laudes
Intonent Christiani.

Eva tristis abstulit;
Sed Maria protulit
Natum, qui redemit
Peccatores.

Mors et vita modulo
Convenere mirando:
Mariæ Filius
Regnat Deus.

Dic nobis, Maria,
Virgo clemens et pia:
Quomodo facta es genitrix,
Cum tu sis plasma De te nascentis?

Angelus est testis
Ad me missus cœlestis.

Natus est ex me spes mea;
Sed incredula
Manet Judæa.

Virgini Mariæ laudes
Intonent Christiani.

Eva tristis abstulit;
Sed Maria protulit
Natum, qui redemit
Peccatores.

Mors et vita modulo
Convenere mirando:
Mariæ Filius
Regnat Deus.

Dic nobis, Maria,
Virgo clemens et pia:
Quomodo facta es genitrix,
Cum tu sis plasma De te nascentis?

Angelus est testis
Ad me missus cœlestis.

Natus est ex me spes mea;
Sed incredula
Manet Judæa.

Credendum est magis soli Gabrieli forti,
Quam Judæorum
Pravæ cohorti.

Scimus Christum processisse
Ex Maria vere:
Tu nobis nate, Rex! miserere.

Amen

Let the Christian people
hymn their praises to the Virgin Mary.

Unhappy Eve was the cause of our ruin;
but Mary brought forth a Son,
who redeemed us sinners.

Death and life wers
thus strangely reconciled:
there reigns now God,
the Son of Mary.

Tell us, O Mary,
Virgin most merciful and kind!
How thou, the creature of him that was born of thee,
didst become his Mother?

The Angel is witness,
that was sent to me from heaven.

He that is my hope
was born of me his Mother:
but the Jews will not believe.

Faith must be had in Gabriel, the Power of God,
rather than in the
perverse Jewish tribe.

We know that Christ was
in very truth born of Mary:
do thou, her Son! our King! have mercy on us.

Amen.

[1] St John i 1.
[2] Heb. i 3.
[3] For the version as preserved in the Monastic Rite, see p. 116.
[4] Meditations on the Life of Christ, by St Bonaventure.

The Office of Lauds is finished: the Canticles of joy wherewith the Church thanks the Eternal Father for his having made to rise upon us the divine Sun of Justice are ended. It is time to offer up the second Sacrifice, or, as it is called, the Mass of the Aurora. In the first, the Church celebrated the temporal Birth of the Word according to the flesh. In this, she is going to honour the second Birth of the same Son of God; a Birth full of grace and mercy; that which is accomplished in the heart of the faithful Christian.

See, then, how, at this very hour, Shepherds are told by the Angels to go to Bethlehem, and how they hasten thither. With great eagerness they enter the Stable, which is scarcely large enough to hold them. Obedient to the warning received from heaven, they are come to see the Saviour, who, they have been told, has been born unto them. They find all things just as the Angels had said. Who could tell the joy of their hearts, and the simplicity of their faith? They are not surprised to find, in the midst of poverty greater even than their own, him whose Birth has made the very Angels exult. They find no difficulty in acknowledging the wonderful mystery; they adore, they love, the Babe that lies there before them. They are at once Christians, and the Christian Church begins in them; the mystery of a God humbled for man finds faith in these humble souls. Herod will plot the death of this Babe; the Synagogue will rage; the Scribes and Doctors will league together against the Lord and his Christ; they will put this Saviour of Israel to death; but the faith of the Shepherds will not be shaken, and will find imitators in the wise and powerful ones of this world, who will come at last, and bow down their reason to the Crib and the Cross.

What is it that has come over these poor Shepherds? Christ has been born in their hearts; he dwells in them by faith and love. They are our Fathers in the Church. They are our Models. Let us imitate them, and invite the Divine Infant to come into our souls, which we will so prepare for him, that he may find nothing to prevent his entering. It is for our sakes also that the Angels speak; it is to us also that they tell the glad tidings; for the Mystery that has been accomplished this Night is too grand to have the pastoral slopes of Bethlehem for its limits. In order to honour the silent coming of the Saviour into the souls of men, the Priest is preparing to go to the altar, and a second time to offer the spotless Lamb to the Father who hath sent him.

As the Shepherds fixed their eyes on the Crib, so let ours be on the Altar, where we are soon to behold the same Jesus, hidden under appearances that are humbler even than the swathing-bands. These rustic swains enter into the Cave, not yet knowing him, whom they are going to see; but their hearts are quite ready for the revelation. Suddenly they see the Infant; and as they gaze upon him in speechless wondering, Jesus looks at them from his Crib, and smiles upon them: they are changed men, full of light, and the Sun of Justice has made Day in their souls. It is to be the same with us: the words of the Prince of the Apostles are to be verified in us: the Light that shineth in a dark place, has been our one desire and attention; now the Day will dawn, and the Day-Star arise in our hearts.[1]

This long longed-for Aurora has come! The divine Orient has risen upon us, to set now no more; for, we are firmly resolved to keep from the night of sin, which his grace has destroyed. His mercy has made us to be children of light and children of the day.[2]. There must be no more sleep of death for us. We must watch in ceaseless vigilance, remembering how the Shepherds were keeping their watch, when the Angel came to speak to them, and Heaven opened over their heads. All the Chants of this Mass of the Aurora speak to us of the brightness of the Sun of Justice; they must be sweet to us, as to captives, long buried in the cold darkness of their dungeon, is the ray of that morning which is to set them free. See, Christians, how this God of Light shines upon us from his Crib! The face of his mother is lit up with the immense brightness, on which she looks with all the fixedness of her contemplating love; and Joseph, too, has the shining vivid on his features, which makes them more beautiful and venerable than we have ever seen them. Passing by the ungrateful Bethlehem, which deserves to be left in darkness, this same divine Light breaks upon the whole world beyond the Cave, and gradually enkindles within millions of hearts a burning love for this glorious Sun of Justice, who delivers man from the labyrinth of his errors and passions, showing him and giving him the sublime end for which he was created.

In the very midst of her celebration of this mystery of the Birth of Jesus, the Church offers us another object of admiration and joy: it is one of her own children. Whilst solemnizing the divine Mystery of to-day's Feast, she commemorates in this second Mass one of those glorious heroines who preserved the Light of Christ within their souls, in spite of all the attacks made to rob them of it. Her name is Anastasia. This holy Widow of Rome suffered martyrdom under the persecution of Diocletian, and had the privilege of being thus born to eternal life on the Birthday of that Jesus for whom she suffered death.

She had been married to a Pagan of the name of Publius; himself also a Roman; who, being irritated against her on account of her great charities to the Christians, treated her with every sort of cruelty. She endured all with admirable patience; and when this heavy trial was removed from her by the death of her husband, she devoted herself to visiting and solacing the holy Confessors who had been cast into the prisons of Rome for the Faith. Being at length apprehended as a Christian, she was tied to a stake and burned to death. Her Church in Rome, which is built on the site where formerly stood her house, is the Station for this Second Mass. The Sovereign Pontiffs used formerly to say it here, and the ancient custom was observed in later times by Pope Leo XII.

How admirable is this delicate considerateness of our holy Mother the Church! Wishing to associate one of her Saints with the glory of this present Solemnity, on which the Virginity of Mary receives its triumphant recompense, it is a holy Widow that is chosen for this signal honour; that it might hereby be shown how the Married State, though inferior in merit and holiness to the state of Virginity, is not excluded from the blessings which the Birth of the Son of Mary merited for the world. There was a Virgin, St Eugenia, that might so well have been selected; for she suffered a glorious martyrdom under Galerian on this same feast, and in the same City as did the wife of Publius: but no—the preference is given to Anastasia, the Widow. This choice of the Church, which is dictated by her heavenly wisdom, and by the love she has for all her children, forcibly reminds us of a beautiful passage in one of St Augustine’s Sermons for Christmas Day.

'Exult, O ye Virgins of Christ! for the Mother of Christ is your companion. You could not be his Mother; but for his sake you would be Virgins: he that is not born of you, is born to you. And yet you remember his words: Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, is my brother and sister and mother.[3] Now have you not done the will of his Father?

‘Exult, O ye Widows of Christ! for ye have vowed a holy continency to him, that made Virginity fruitful. And thou too, O nuptial chastity! you, I mean, that are faithful in the married state, you also may exult; for what you lose in the body, you do not lose in your hearts. ... Let your soul be virginal by its faith, for it is by her Faith that the Church is a Virgin. ... Jesus is Truth and Peace and Justice; conceive him by your faith, give him birth by your good works; in order that what the womb of Mary did in the Flesh of Jesus, your heart may do in the law of Jesus. Believe me, you yourselves are children of virginity, for are you not the members of Christ? Mary is Mother of Jesus, who is our Head; and the Church is the mother of you who are his members. Yes, the Church is, like Mary, both Mother and Virgin: she is Mother by her tender charity; and Virgin by the purity of her faith and holiness.'[4]

But the Holy Sacrifice is about to commence. The Introit tells us of the Birth of Jesus our Sun of Justice. The brightness of his first rising is the presage of his mid-day splendour. Strength and Beauty are his. He is armed for victory, and his name is Prince of Peace.

Introit

Lux fulgebit hodie super nos; quia natus est nobis Dominus: et vocabitur Admirabilis, Deus, Princeps pacis, Pater futuri sæculi; cujus regni non erit finis.

Ps. Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est: indutus est Dominus fortitudinem, et præcinxit se. ℣. Gloria Patri. Lux fulgebit.

A light shall shine upon us this day; because the Lord is born for us: and his name shall be the Wonderful One, God, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come; of whose reign there shall be no end.

Ps. The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself. ℣. Glory, etc. A light.

The prayer of the Church, in this the Mass of the Aurora, begs God to pour upon our souls the rays of the Sun of Justice, that so we may become fruitful in works of Light, and be no more the slaves of darkness.

Collect

Da nobis, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui nova incarnati Verbi tui luce perfundimur, hoc in nostro resplendeat opere, quod per fidem fulget in mente. Per eumdem.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as we are enlightened by the new light of thy Word become flesh, we may show, in our actions the effects of that faith which shineth in our minds. Through the same, etc.

Commemoration of St Anastasia

Da, quæsumus, omnipotens Deus, ut qui beatæ Anastasiæ, Martyris tuæ, solemnia colimus, ejus apud te patrocinia sentiamus. Per Dominum.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that as we celebrate the solemnity of blessed Anastasia thy Martyr, we may be sensible of the effects of her prayers to thee in our behalf. Through, etc.

Epistle

Lectio Epistolæ beati Pauli Apostoli ad Titum.

Cap. III.

Carissime: apparuit benignitas et humanitas Salvatoris nostri Dei: non ex operibus justitiæ, quæ fecimus nos; sed secundum suam misericordiam salvos nos fecit per lavacrum regenerationis, et renovationis Spiritus Sancti, quem effudit in nos abunde per Jesum Christum Salvatorem nostrum: ut justificati gratia ipsius, hæredes simus secundum spem vitæ æternæ, in Christo Jesu Domino nostro.

Lesson of the Epistle of St Paul the Apostle to Titus.

Ch. III.

Most dearly beloved: the goodness and kindness of God our Saviour appeared: not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour: that being justified by his grace, we may be heirs according to hope of life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This Sun which has appeared on our earth is God our Saviour, full of tenderest mercy. We were far off from God, and were sitting in the shades of death; the rays of the divine Light had to reach down to us in the deep abyss of our sins; and now, praise be to this Infinite Mercy! we are set free, and with our freedom have received regeneration, justification, and heirship to eternal life. Who shall henceforth separate us from the love of this Infant Jesus? Is it possible that we ourselves can ever frustrate the designs of that love, by rendering all that it has done for us useless, and becoming once more the slaves of darkness and death? May God forbid it! and grant us grace to maintain our hope of everlasting life, which the Mystery of our Redemption has purchased for us.

Gradual

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini: Deus Dominus, et illuxit nobis.

℣. A Domino factum est istud, et est mirabile in oculis nostris.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. Dominus regnavit, decorem induit: induit Dominus fortitudinem, et præcinxit se virtute. Alleluia.

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam.

Cap. II.

In illo tempore: Pastores loquebantur ad invicem: Transeamus usque Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum quod factum est, quod Dominus ostendit nobis. Et venerunt festinantes; et invenerunt Mariam et Joseph, et infantem positum in præsepio. Videntes autem cognoverunt de verbo quod dictum erat illis de puero hoc. Et omnes qui audierunt, mirati sunt, et de his quæ dicta erant a pastoribus ad ipsos. Maria autem conservabat omnia verba hæc, conferens in corde suo. Et reversi sunt pastores glorificantes et laudantes Deum in omnibus quæ audierant et viderant, sicut dictum est ad illos.

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: the Lord is our God, and he hath shone upon us.

℣. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Alleluia, alleluia.

℣. The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself with might. Alleluia.

Sequel of the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Ch. II.

At that time: The Shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that has come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us. And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger. And seeing, they understood of the word, that had been spoken to them concerning this Child. And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the Shepherds. But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Let us imitate the earnestness of the Shepherds in hastening to Jesus. No sooner do they hear the Angel's words, than they start for the holy Stable in Bethlehem. Once in the presence of the Divine Infant, they know him by the sign that had been given them by the Angel; and Jesus is born in their souls by his grace. These happy men delight now in their poverty, for they find that he too is poor. They feel that they are united to him for ever, and their whole lives shall testify to the change that this December Night has worked in them. They do not keep the great event to themselves; they tell every one about the Babe of Bethlehem, they become his Apostles, and their burning words fill their listeners with astonishment. Like them, let us glorify the great God, who, not satisfied with calling us to the admirable Light, has set it in the very centre of our hearts by uniting us to himself. Let us often think of the Mysteries of this glorious Night, after the example of Mary, who keeps unceasingly in her most pure Heart the wonderful things that God has been accomplishing by her and in her.

During the Offertory of the sacred gifts, the Church extols the power of Emmanuel, who, that he might reform this fallen world, humbled himself so far as to have a few poor Shepherds for his courtiers, he whose Throne and Divinity are from eternity.

Offertory

Deus firmavit orbem terræ, qui non commovebitur: parata sedes tua, Deus, ex tunc; a sæculo tu es.

God hath established the world, which shall not be moved: thy throne, O God, is prepared from of old; thou art from everlasting.

SECRET

Munera nostra, quæsumus, Domine, Nativitatis hodiernæ mysteriis aptaproveniant, et pacem nobis semper infundant: ut, sicut homo genitus idem refulsit et Deus; sic nobis hæc terrena substantia conferat quod divinum est. Per eumdem.

May the offerings, O Lord, which we make, be agreeable to the mystery of this day’s Birth, and always pour forth peace upon us: that as he who,though born Man, showed himself also God, so may this earthly substance give us that which is divine. Through the same, etc.

Commemoration of St Anastasia

Accipe, quæsumus, Domine, munera dignanter oblata: et beatæ Anastasiæ, martyris tuæ, suffragantibus meritis, ad nostræ salutis auxilium provenire concede. Per Dominum.

Graciously receive, O Lord, we beseech thee, our offerings, and grant, by the merits of blessed Anastasia, thy Martyr, that they may avail to our salvation. Through, etc.

After both Priest and people have communicated, the holy Church, all illumined with the sweet Light of her Spouse, to whom she has just been united, applies to herself the words which the Prophet Zachary formerly addressed to her, when he announced the coming of the King her Saviour.

Communion

Exsulta, filia Sion; lauda, filia Jerusalem: ecce Rex tuus venit Sanctus, et Salvator mundi.

Rejoice, O daughter of Sion; shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold! thy King will come to thee, the Holy One, and the Saviour of the world.

Postcommunion

Hujus nos, Domine, sacramenti semper novitas natalis instauret: cujus nativitas singularis humanam repulit vetustatem. Per eumdein Dominum.

May we, O Lord, always receive new Light from this Sacrament, which reneweth to us the memory of that wonderful Birth which destroyed the old man. Through the same, etc.

Commemoration of St Anastasia

Satiasti, Domine, familiam tuam muneribus sacris: ejus, quæsumus, interventione nos refove, cujus solemnia celebramus. Per Dominum.

Thou hast fed, O Lord, thy family with these sacred oblations; ever, therefore, comfort us with her intercession, whose feast we celebrate. Through, etc.

The Mass of the Aurora ended, and the Birth of Grace having been honoured by this second immolation of the divine Immortal Victim, the Faithful retire from the Church, that they may refresh themselves by sleep, and so be in readiness for the Third Mass.

[1] 2 St Pet. i 19.
[2] 1 Thess. v 5.
[3] St Matt, xii 50.
[4] Ninth Sermon On our Lord's Nativity.