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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 said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.

The Gospel. Matt. xxiii. 34. 39.

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 ye will Scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come ail 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. O 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 gathereth her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest 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.

St. John the Evangelist.*

The Collect.

MERCIFULLY, O Lord, enlighten thy Church, that being taught by blessed John, thy Apostle

It is never the intention of the Church to transfer to the Saints that honour which is due to God only. She simply, with gratitude

and Evangelist, she may come to thy eternal rewards. Thro'

For the Epistle. Ecclus. xv. 1. 6.

:

HE that feareth God, will do good: and he that possesseth justice, shall lay hold on her. And she will meet him as an honourable mother, and will receive him as a wife married of a virgin. With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him, and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved and she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded and she shall exalt him among his neighbours, and in the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with the robe of glory. She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and shall cause him to inherit an everlasting

name.

:

The Gospel. John xxi. 19. 24.

At that time: Jesus said to Peter: follow me. Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved, following, who also leaned on his breast at supper, and said: Lord, who is he that shall betray thee? Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? follow thou me. This saying, therefore, went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die.

And Jesus did not say to him: He should

commemorates the favours he has bestowed on these her members; and prays that the faithful in general may be encouraged by their example and assisted by their prayers. These petitions are regularly addressed by the Church to God; and in terminating are always made to rest on the merits of Jesus Christ.

not die; but, so I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

The Innocents' Day.

The Collect.

O GOD, whose praise the holy Martyrs, the Innocents, published this day, not by speaking, but by dying: mortify in us all our vicious inclinations, that we may shew forth, in our actions, thy faith, which we profess with our lips. Thro'.

For the Epistle. Rev. xiv. 1. 5.

In those days: I beheld, and lo a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him a hundred fortyfour thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder: and the voice which I heard, was as of harpers, harping on their harps. And they sung as it were a new canticle, before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the ancients, and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred fortyfour thousand, who were purchased from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first fruits to God, and to the Lamb; and in their mouths was found no lie: for they are without spot before the throne of God.

The Gospel. Matt. ii. 13. 18.

At that time: An angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the Child and his Mother, and fly into Egypt; and

For it will come

be there until I shall tell thee. to pass that Herod will seek the Child to destroy him. And he arose, and took the Child and his Mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: that the word might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: "Out of Egypt have I called my Son." Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jere. mias the prophet, saying: "A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning: Rachel bewailing her children and would not be comforted, because they are not.

The Sunday after Christmas.

The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY and eternal God, regulate our actions according to thy divine will, that, in the name of thy beloved Son, we may abound in good works. Thro'.

The Epistle. Gal, iv, 1. 7.

Brethren: As long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all; but is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law; that he might redeem them who were under the law; that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son

into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father. Wherefore now he is no more a servant, but a Son: and if a son, an heir also thro' God.

The Gospel. Luke ii. 33. 40.

At that time: Joseph, and Mary the mother of Jesus, were wondering at these things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold the child is set for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of And many hearts thoughts may be revealed. there was one Anna a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow until fourscore and four years: who departed not from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving day and night. Now she at the same hour coming in, gave praise to the Lord : and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel. And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom and the grace of God was in him.

The Circumcision of Jesus Christ.*

The Collect.

O God, who by the fruitful virginity of the blessed Mary, hast given mankind the rewards of

* As, in the old law the Almighty ordained, that the people should be instructed in the religious history of their deliverance from Egypt, by the institutions of festivals, which to generations should be, as a memorial before their eyes, (Exod. xiii. 9.) so the Christian

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