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 righthand 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 said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.

GRAD. Ps. cxviii. Princes sat and spoke against me, and the wicked persecuted me. V. Help me, O Lord my God, save me for thy mercies sake. Alleluia, Alleluia.

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

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 you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them 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 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 togather 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. CREDO.

OFFERT. Acts vi. 7-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. 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. Thro'.

COMM. Acts vii.-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.

P. COMM. Auxilientur.-May the mysteries we have received, O Lord, be a help to us, and, by the intercession of the blessed martyr, Stephen,strengthen us with thy perpetual protection. Thro'.

St. JOHN the EVANGELIST.

INTROIT, In medio Ecclesiæ, as in the Common of Doctors.

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

The Commem. of Christmas, and of St. Stephen, by their several Collects, Secrets, and P. Comms. LESSON. 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 neighhours, and

in the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and un derstanding, and shall clothe him with a robe of glory. She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.

GRAD. John xxi.-A report was spread among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: but Jesus said not, he should not die. V. But, so I will have him remain till I come: follow thou me. Alleluia, Alleluia. V. This is the disciple that beareth testimony of these things, and we know his testimony is true. Alleluia.

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 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. CREDO.

OFFERT. Ps. xci. The righteous man shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall thrive like the cedar of Libanus.

SECRET.-Receive, O Lord, the offerings we make to thee on this feast, by whose intereession we hope to be delivered. Thro'.

COMM. John xxi.—A report was spread among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. But

Jesus said not, he should not die; but so will I that he remain till I come.

P. COMM. Refecti cibo.-Being refreshed, O Lord, with this heavenly meat and drink, we humbly beseech thee, that we may be assisted by his prayers, on whose feast we have received these sacred mysteries. Thro'.

The HOLY INNOCENTS.

INTROIT. Ps. viii.—Out of the mouths of infants and sucklings thou hast produced perfect praise to confound thy enemies. Ps. O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is thy name over the whole earth! V. Glory.

Gloria in Excelsis is not said except it be Sunday: or the Octave-day.

COLLECT. Deus, cujus.-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. The Commem. of Christmas, St. Stephen, St. John, by their respective Collects, Secrets, and P. Communions, as p. 75. 77. and 79.

LESSON. Rev. xiv. 1. 5.-In those days: I beheld, and lo a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty-four 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 forty-four thousand, who were purchased from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women; for

they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first fruits to God, and to the Lamb; and in their mouths there was found no lie; for they are without spot before the throne of God.

GRAD. Ps. cxxxiii.-Our soul, like the sparrow, hath escaped from the hunter's snare. V. The snare is broken, and we are at liberty: our help is in the name of the Lord, who made both heaven and earth.

Aileluia, Alleluia. V. Praise the Lord: you his servants, praise ye the name of the Lord. Alleluia. If it be not the Octave-day or Sunday, the above Alle luia and V. are omitted; and in their stead is said the

TRACT. Ps. lxxxviii. They have spilt the blood of the saints, like water about Jerusalem. V. And there were none to bury them. V. Revenge, O Lord, the blood of thy saints, which hath been spilt on the earth.

Gospel. Matt. ii. 13. 18.-At the same 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 be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come 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 fullled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: "A voice in Rama was heard, la