Having answered Amen in silence, he then says

aloud:

Deliver us, we beseech thee, O Lord, &c., as in page 71.

Having elevated the Sacred Host, and divided it into three parts, he puts one of them into the Chalice, saying:

ET not the participation of thy body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, though unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment and condemnation; but let it, through thy mercy, become a safeguard and remedy both to soul and body: who with God the Father, in unity with the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen,

Taking up the Sacred Host on the Paten, he says: WILL receive the bread of heaven, and call on the name of the Lord.

I

Then he strikes his breast, repeating thrice: LORD, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.

When he receives the Sacred Host, he says: MAY the body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to everlasting life. Amen. Having received the Chalice, and taken the Ablution, bowing down, he says:

GRANT, O Lord, that what we have taken

with our mouths, we may receive with a pure heart: that as we now receive it in this mortal life, it may procure us that which is eternal.

VESPERS.

Anthems and Psalms, as yesterday, page 317, &c., except the Ant. at the Magnificat.

Ant. Cum accepisset acetum, dixit: Consum. matum est: et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum. V. Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.

Our Father being said in secret, the Office concludes with the Ps, Miserere, page 321, and the Prayer Respice, page 313,

HOLY SATURDAY.

The Blessing of the Fire, and of the Paschal Candle.

The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. Deus, qui.

GOD, who by thy only Son, the chief cornerstone of thy church, hast bestowed on the faithful the fire of thy divine love: bless this new fire produced from a flint for our use: and grant that during this paschal solemnity, we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires, that with purity of mind, we may come to those festivals, where we may enjoy a light which will never end. Through the same. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Domine Deus.

LORD God, almighty Father, never-failing light, who art the Creator of all light, bless this light, which is blessed and sanctified by thee, who hast enlightened the whole world; that we may be inflamed by that same light, and enlightened by the fire of thy brightness: and as thou didst enlighten Moses when he went out of Egypt, so enlighten our hearts and senses, that we may obtain that light and life which will

have no end. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Domine sancte.

HOLY Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, vouchsafe to assist us, while we bless this fire in thy name, and in that of thy only Son Jesus Christ our Lord and God, and the Holy Ghost: assist us against the fiery darts of the enemy, and enlighten us with thy heavenly grace. Who livest and reignest with the same, &c. R. Amen. The Blessing of the Five Grains of Incense that are to be fixed in the Paschal Candle.

PLENTIFULLY pour forth, we beseech thee, O almighty God, thy blessing on this incense; and kindle, Ó invisible regenerator, the brightness of this night; that not only the sacrifice which is offered this night may shine by the sacred mixture of thy light; but also, that into whatever place any thing sanctified by these mystical prayers shall be carried, there, by the power of thy majesty, all the malicious artifices of the devil may be defeated. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

After an Acolyte has put some of the blessed Fire into the Censer, the Priest adds incense, saying: "Mayest thou be blessed by him, in whose honour thou art to be burnt." Here he sprinkles the Grains of Incense and the Fire thrice, saying: "Sprinkle me, &c.," page 33. Then having fumed them thrice with Incense, he takes the Cane with the three Candles to the entrance of the Church, where one is lighted by an Acolyte with a candle from the new fire, whilst the Deacon sings alone: "Behold the light of Christ," to which all kneeling add: "R. Thanks be to God."

The same is repeated at lighting the second in the middle of the church, and the third at the foot of the altar; after which the Deacon says: Pray, Sir, give me thy blessing." To which the Priest replies: "May the Lord be in thy heart and lips, that thou mayest worthily and fitly proclaim his paschal praise; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, &c." R. Amen.

During the Blessing of the Paschal Candle, all
stand up.

LET now the heavenly troop of angels rejoice; let these divine mysteries be joyfully celebrated; and let the heavenly trumpet publish the victory of our great King, and let the earth also triumph, being beautified with such resplendent beams; and let it see the darkness which overspreads the whole world chased away by the splendour of our eternal King. Let our mother the church also rejoice, being adorned by the rays of so great a light; and let this temple echo with the joyful acclamations of all the people. And therefore I beseech you, dear brethren, who behold the wonderful brightness of this holy light, to join with me in invoking the mercy of almighty God, that he who hath been pleased, without any merit on my side, to admit me into the number of his Levites, may, by the effusion of light upon me, enable me to go through with the encomium of this taper. Through our Lord Jesus Christ his Son, who with him and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. R. Amen.

V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. V. Raise up your hearts on high. R. We have raised them up to the Lord. V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is meet and just.

It is truly meet and just to proclaim with all the affection of heart and soul, and sound of voice, the invisible God, the Father almighty, and his only Son our Lord Jesus Christ: who paid for us to his eternal Father the debt of Adam; and, by his sacred blood, cancelled the guilt of the original offence. For this is the Paschal solemnity, in which the true Lamb was slain, by whose blood the doors of the faithful are consecrated. This is the night, in which

thou formerly didst bring forth our forefathers the children of Israel out of Egypt, leading them dry-foot through the Red Sea. This also is that night which dissipated the darkness of sin by the light of a pillar of fire. This is the night, which, withdrawing all those who, through the whole world believe in Christ, from the vices of the world, and the darkness of sin, restores them to grace, and gives them a fellowship with the saints. This is the night in which Christ broke the chains of death, and ascended victorious from the grave. For it would have availed us nothing to have been born, unless we had also the advantage of being redeemed. O the won ders of thy mercy towards us! O the inestima ble excess of thy love! Thou didst deliver up thy Son to redeem a slave! O truly necessary sin of Adam, which hath been blotted out by the death of Christ! O happy fault, which deserved such, and so great a Redeemer! O truly blessed night, which alone was privileged to know the hour and moment when Christ rose again from the dead. This is the night of which it is written: And the night shall be as light as day: and the night shineth upon me in my pleasures. The sacredness therefore of this night puts crimes to flight, washes away sin, and restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those in sorrow. It banishes enmities, produces concord, and makes potentates bow.

The Deacon fixes the five grains of Incense in the Candle, in the form of a cross, and then goes on: RECEIVE, therefore, O holy Father, on this sacred night, the evening sacrifice of this incense, which thy holy Church, by the hands of her ministers presents to thee in the solemn oblation of this wax candle made out of the labour of bees. But now we know the meaning of the encomiums of this taper, lighted from this