to S. John. Lesson III. Chap. xxi.

AT that time: JESUS said unto
Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou Me more than these?
And that which follows.

derful it is that the holy Evangelist | Lesson of the Holy Gospel according puts it first that they called him Zacharias after the name of his father: that you might remark it was not the name of one of their kindred that displeased the mother, but that the name, which had been foretold by the Angel to Zacharias, had been made known to her by the HOLY SPIRIT. And indeed he, by reason of his dumbness, had been unable to signify to his wife the name of their son; and Elisabeth learnt by prophecy what she had not learnt from her husband.

Ry. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias, saying, A son shall be born to thee, and his name shall be called John: and many shall rejoice at his birth. . He shall be great in the sight of the LORD, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. And. Glory. And.

Lesson IX.

JOHN, she says, is his name; that
is, it is not we who give him this
name, he has already received it from
GOD;
he has indeed a name we recog-
nise, though it be not one of our
choice. The good deeds of the saints
are thus rewarded, that they receive
their name from GOD. So Jacob is
called Israel, because he saw GOD.
So our LORD JESUS CHRIST was
named before He was born, to Whom
not an angel, but the FATHER, gave
the name. Thou seest that angels
bring tidings of that which they have
heard, not assumed; nor shalt thou

marvel if a woman declares a name she
has not heard, when the HOLY SPIRIT,
who had sent the angel, revealed it
to her.

A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop.

Tract 123 on S. John.

A threefold confession is paid back for the threefold denial, that the tongue may serve love no less than it had served fear; and lest impending death shall seem to have had more power than present life in drawing forth the voice. Let it be love's duty to feed the LORD's flock, if it was fear's token to deny the Shepherd. They who feed CHRIST's sheep in this spirit, that they wish the sheep to be their own, not CHRIST's, are convicted of loving themselves, not CHRIST; or of being moved by desire of boasting, of ruling, or of gaining; not by the charity of obedience, of helpfulness, and of pleasing GOD.

JUNE 29.

FESTIVAL OF SS. PETER AND PAUL,
APOSTLES.

Double of the 1st Class.
All of the Common of Apostles, p. 66,
except that which follows.

FIRST NOCTURN.

Of the Acts of the Apostles.

Lesson I. Chap. iii.
NOW Peter and John went up to-

gether into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour; and a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Ry. Simon Peter, before I called | Just, and desired a murderer to be thee from the ship, I knew thee, and granted unto you; and killed the set thee prince over My people, * and I gave thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. y. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And.

he cried, saying, LORD, save me. devil, it was the more gloriously loosed by CHRIST.

And.

Lesson V.

Ry. Thou art shepherd of the sheep, prince of the Apostles: to thee hath GoD committed all the kingdoms of the world: * and to thee are also committed the keys of the kingdom of heaven. y. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And. Glory. And. THIRD NOCTURN.

THESE are thy fathers, and true shepherds; who were far happier and far better founders of thee, by planting thee in the kingdom of heaven, than they were, by whose exertions the first foundations of thy walls were made. One of them who gave thee thy name, defiled thee with his brother's slaughter. These are they who brought thee to such a pitch of glory, that, becoming an holy nation, a peculiar people, a royal and Lesson of the Holy Gospel according priestly city, and made the capital of the world, by the sacred chair of blessed Peter, thou shouldst

have wider pre-eminence through

divine religion, than through earthly sovereignty. For although, enriched by many victories, thou didst extend thine imperial sway by land and sea, yet that which the toil of warfare subdued before thee, is less than that which Christian peace brought under thy control.

Ry. Arise up, Peter, cast thy garments about thee, receive strength for the saving of the nations: * for the chains fell off from_thy hands. Y The Angel of the LORD came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying: Arise up quickly. For.

Lesson VI.

FOR it was most in accordance with the divinely ordained plan, that many kingdoms should be united together in one empire; and that universal preaching should have quick access to nations, who are held together by the rule of a single city. For this city, knowing not the author of its own advancement, when it bore rule over almost all nations, was a slave to the errors of all nations; and counted itself to have acquired a great religious character, because it did not reject any falsehood. Wherefore, as it was the more closely bound by the

VOL. II.

to S. Matthew. Lesson VII. Chap. xvi.

AT that time: When JESUS came into

the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And that which follows."

A Homily of S. Jerome the Priest. Book 3. Comm. on S. Matthew, c. 16.

Well does He ask, Whom do men that I the Son of man am? For

say

they who speak of the Son of man are men; but they who understand His Godhead are not called men, but gods. But they said: Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias.

commentators have inquired into the I am surprised that some causes of each mistake, and have spun out a tedious discussion why some thought that our LORD JESUS

CHRIST was John: why some thought Him to be Elias, others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets: seeing that they could err, concerning Elias or Jeremiah, as Herod did with regard to John, saying: It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead, and mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

Ry. I have prayed for thee, Peter, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. V. Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My FATHER Which is in heaven. And.

(H)

Lesson VIII.

FEASTS OF JULY.

BUT whom say ye that I am? On the first day unhindered is said the

Thoughtful reader, give heed: that from that which follows, and the form of the discourse, the Apostles are not called men, but gods. For when it was said: Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? He added: But whom say ye that I am? As they, because they are men, form a human judgment, ye, who are gods, whom do ye think that I am? Peter, in the person of all the apostles, confesseth, Thou art the CHRIST, the SON of the Living God. He calls Him Living GOD, to distinguish Him from those who are counted to be gods, but are dead.

office for the Dead.
JULY 24.

VIGIL OF S. JAMES,

As in the Vigils of Apostles, p. 65.
JULY 25.

FESTIVAL OF S. JAMES, APOSTLE.
Double of Second Class.
All of the Common of App. p. 66.
except that which follows.

a man, as in the Common, p. 68.
In the first Nocturn, Lessons, Let

SECOND NOCturn.

Lesson IV.

JAMES, the son of Zebedee, brother

of the apostle John, a Galilæan, was called with his brother among the first apostles; and having left his father and the nets he followed the LORD; and they both were called, by JESUS Himself, Boanerges, that is,

Ry. Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? said JESUS to His disciples. Peter answering, said, Thou art the CHRIST, the Son of the Living GOD: And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build My church. sons of thunder. He was one of the y. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: three apostles whom the Saviour most for flesh and blood hath not re-loved, and willed to be witnesses of vealed it unto thee, but My FATHER His transfiguration, and to be present which is in heaven. And I. Glory. at the miracle when He raised the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue from the dead, and to be with Him when He withdrew to the Mount of Olives to pray to His FATHER before He was taken by the Jews. Ry. I saw. p. 70.

And I.

A

Lesson IX.

ND JESUS answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona. He makes a return for the apostle's witness to Him. Peter had said: Thou art the CHRIST, the SON of the Living GOD. His true confession received its reward. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona. Wherefore? Because flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but the FATHER hath revealed it. That which flesh and blood could not reveal, was revealed by the grace of the HOLY SPIRIT. Therefore, because of his confession, he obtains a title, which denotes a revelation of the HOLY SPIRIT Whose son he was to be called. For Bar-jona, in our language, signifies son of the dove.

Te Deum, p. 15.

Lesson V.

AFTER the Ascension of JESUS

CHRIST into heaven, he preached His divinity in Judæa and Samaria, and brought very many to the Christian faith. Afterwards he went into Spain, and there he converted some to. CHRIST. Of these, seven were afterwards ordained bishops by the blessed Peter, and were the first that were. sent into Spain. Then he returned to Jerusalem; and when he had impressed Hermogenes the magician, among others, with the truth of the faith, Herod Agrippa, in the reign of the Emperor Claudius, being raised to the kingdom, in order to gain

favour with the Jews, condemned clearly perceive what they were James to death, boldly confessing suddenly made by grace. Whence it JESUS CHRIST to be GoD. And when is clear that they were seeking nothing the man who had led him to the spiritual and had no thought of a tribunal had seen him suffer martyr- kingdom above. However let us condom bravely, he likewise immediately sider how they draw near to the professed himself a Christian. LORD, and what they say: We will, Ry. Blessed are ye. p. 70. say they, that Thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall ask. To which