perfect it, &c.) The Last Day is here called the
Day of Christ Jesus.-The Apostle has reached
that point of love, that sufferings increase it, more
than sweet caresses of God would.-Sublime in-
difference, how far off stoical spirituality!-The
Apostle longs to see his dear Philippians ready
for the Eternal Nuptials.-How it is, that Charity
goes along with Faith ;-strange love that, which
seems afraid of development of the truth!-How
Liberalism kills Charity.-Early Christians had
a passion for Truth ;-the first three centuries
were the combat of Truth against Error, and both
were determinedly out-spoken.-Now-a-days,
liberal Catholics pretend that Error has its rights!
-but the children of light (Eph. v. 8.) admit no
mincing. St. Chrysostom's stars brightest in
darkest nights"-and St. Augustine's, that they
keep to the path marked for them by God, with-
out heeding the earth's vapours and storms.

GOSPEL.-(St. Matth. xxii.) Give to Cæsar,
&c. How strongly our Mother the Church urges
us, during these last Sundays of her Year, to not
diminish the Truth.-The effort made to ensnare
Jesus in his speech on a political question ;-
his divine answer forms the Church's politics.-
The same, was the teaching of the Apostles.-
What is the origin of all authority among men ;-
it is from God.-Human laws are great, if they be
in harmony with those of God;-there is no law,
when man commands injustice.

The 23rd Sunday,

EPISTLE. (Philip. iii.) Be followers of me, &c.)
Why St. Clement is mentioned here.-The Holy
Ghost allows heretics to have the Scripture;-but,
he has reserved Tradition to the true Church.-
Holiness is Tradition in its fullest meaning.-The
Church is a Temple built to God's glory, by living
stones; the plan is that of Christ, who is the
divine Architect.-On studying the lives of
Saints;-
-on imitating good people with whom we
should be united.—Effect of living with devout
servants of God.

GOSPEL.-(St. Matth. ix. The Ruler's young
daughter; the issue of blood healed.) These two
represent, respectively, the Synagogue and the

PAGE

486

Church. How the past makes us be in admir-
ation of the ways of divine Wisdom.-World
deranged by sin;--the chosen people, the Jews;
-the Gentiles ;-the Redeemer sent, so he said,
only to the last sheep of Israel.-The Jews, as a
nation, not faithful to the Messiah; its religion,
though so beautiful in itself, and its law, not
understood when Jesus came on earth.-Then
came the Gentiles, and, from last, became the
first.-Israel is to be converted at last: the
daughter of Sion is now asleep; Jesus will take
her by the hand; she will rise! and then, the
Last Judgment !

The 24th and last Sunday,

EPISTLE. (Coloss. i. We cease not to pray for
you, &c. Giving thanks, &c.) Thanksgiving and
Prayer, the summary of the Liturgical Cycle.-
The labours of St. Paul to make us all perfect.-
Our experience of the action of the Church, each
Year. Immense influence of a Year's Liturgy, on
the soul.-Our hopes for the new Year which is
coming. We cannot stand still, during this
mortal life.-Next Year, an increase of Light;
closer Union; nearer to the Vision Beatific!
GOSPEL.-(St. Matth. xxiv. The Last Judg-
ment.) A Prayer, addressed to the divine
Judge.
The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany,
The 4th Sunday after the Epiphany,
The 5th Sunday after the Epiphany,
The 6th Sunday after the Epiphany,

PAGE

501

515

520

524

529

THE TIME AFTER PENTECOST.

CHAPTER THE FIRST.

THE HISTORY OF THE TIME AFTER PENTECOST.

THE Solemnity of Pentecost and its Octave are over, and the progress of the Liturgical Year introduces us into a new period, which is altogether different from those we have hitherto spent. From the very beginning of Advent, which is the prelude to the Christmas festival, right up to the anniversary of the descent of the Holy Ghost, we have witnessed the entire series of the Mysteries of our Redemption; all have been unfolded to us. The sequel of Seasons and Feasts made up a sublime drama, which absorbed our very existence; we have but just come from the final celebration, which was the consummation of the whole. And yet, we have got through but one half of the year. This does not imply that the period we have still to live is devoid of its own special mysteries: but, instead of keeping up our attention by the ceaseless interest of one plan hurrying on its completion, the sacred Liturgy is about to put before us an almost unbroken succession of varied episodes, of which some are brilliant with glory, and others exquisite in loveliness, but each one of them bringing its special tribute towards either the development of the dogmas of faith, or the furtherance of the Christian life. That year's Cycle will thus be filled up; it

PENT: VOL. XI.

B

will disappear; a new one will take its place, bringing before us the same divine facts, and pouring forth the same graces on Christ's mystical body.

This section of the Liturgical Year, which comprises a little more or a little less than six months, according as Easter is early or late, has always had the character it holds at present. But, although it only admits detached solemnities and Feasts, the influence of the moveable portion of the Cycle is still observable. It may have as many as twentyeight, or as few as twenty-three weeks. This variation depends not only upon the Easter Feast, which may occur on any of the days between the 22nd of March and 25th of April, inclusively; but, also, on the date of the first Sunday of Advent, the opening of a new ecclesiastical year, and which is always the Sunday nearest the Kalends of December.

To

In the Roman Liturgy, the Sundays of this series go under the name of Sundays after Pentecost. As we shall show in the next Chapter, that title is the most suitable that could have been given, and is found in the oldest Sacramentaries and Antiphonaries: but it was not universally adopted by even all those Churches which followed the Roman Rite; in progress of time, however, that title was the general one. mention some of the previous early names :-in the Comes of Alcuin, which takes us back to the 8th Century, we find the first section of these Sundays called Sundays after Pentecost; the second is named Weeks after the Feast of the Apostles (post Natale Apostolorum); the third goes under the title of Weeks after Saint Laurence (post Sancti Laurentii); the fourth has the appellation of Weeks of the Seventh Month (September); and, lastly, the fifth is termed Weeks after Saint Michael (post Sancti Angeli), and lasts till Advent. As late as the 16th Century, many Missals of the Western Churches gave us these several sections of the Time after Pentecost, but some of the titles

varied according to the special Saints honoured in the respective dioceses, and which were taken as the date-marks of this period of the Year. The Roman Missal, published by order of Saint Pius the Fifth, has gradually been adopted in all our Latin Churches, and has restored the ancient denomination to the Ecclesiastical Season we have just entered upon; so that the only name under which it is now known amongst us is, The Time after Pentecost (post Pentecosten.)