The Divine Office Part 16

_Special Intentions._ Vocations in America and Australia; for the Irish people throughout the world; for the souls of our deceased penitents.

s.e.xT.

_Etymology_. The word s.e.xt comes from the Latin word _s.e.xta, (hora)_, the sixth hour, because the little Hour should be said at what was the sixth hour of the Roman day, about mid-day with us.

_Structure._ The structure of this hour is similar to that given in Terce above, the hymn, antiphon, psalms, little chapter and responses differing, but the order and form being similar in both.

_Antiquity._ The Psalmist wrote, "Vespere et mane et meridie narrabo et annuntiabo, et exaudiet vocem meam" (Ps. 54). This practice of devout Jews was maintained by the early Christians and in the Acts of the Apostles we read, "Ascendit Petrus in superiora ut oraret circam horam s.e.xtam" (Acts x, 9). At this hour, the Christians met for public, joint prayer.

Why does the Church wish us to pray at the sixth hour of the day?

1. Because at this hour Christ instructed the Samaritan woman, the type of the Gentiles; and He promised to give the living water, springing up unto life everlasting, which was His blood, poured out on Calvary at the sixth hour.

2. Because at this sixth hour Christ was raised on the cross for our salvation and it is right and just, daily, to remember Him and His great love for us. Besides, it is to realise His words "And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself" (St. John xii. 32).

And the Church, in the opening words of s.e.xt for Sunday, impresses this idea on us "Deficit in salutare meum anima mea," "My soul hath fainted after thy salvation" (Ps. 118).

3. To ask G.o.d to grant us health and peace of heart, as the hymn for s.e.xt sings:--

"O G.o.d, Who canst not change nor fail, Guiding the hours as they go by, Brightening with beam the morning pale, And burning in the midnight sky, Quench Thou the fires of hate and strife, The wasting fever of the heart; From perils guard our feeble life, And to our souls Thy grace impart.

Grant this, O Father, only Son, And Holy Ghost, G.o.d of Grace, To whom all glory, Three in One, Be given in every time and place--Amen."

(Translation by Cardinal Newman of St. Ambrose's hymn, _Rector potens_).

TEXTS AND INTENTIONS FOR THE PIOUS RECITATION OF s.e.xT.

1. "And they took Jesus, and after they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him and put His own garments on Him and led Him out to crucify Him" (St. Mark, c. 15).

2. "Bearing His own cross, Jesus went forth to that place called Calvary."

3. "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but for yourselves."

_General Intentions._ The wants of the Church; for peace and goodwill amongst all States and peoples; for the Pope; for Church students.

_Personal Intentions._ For patience; for fraternal charity; for the love of the practice of mortification.

_Special Intentions._ For Catholic schools; for increase in number of daily communicants; for the success of catechists and their work.

NONE.

_Etymology._ The word _None_ comes from the Latin word _nona_, ninth (_hora nona_), because this part of the Office was said at the ninth hour of the Roman day, that is, about three o'clock in our modern day.

_Antiquity._ This hour was set apart in Apostolic times for joint prayer, "Now Peter and John went up into the Temple at the ninth hour of prayer" (Acts iii. 1).

_Structure._ See note under this head at Terce.

Why does the Church desire prayer at the ninth hour?

1. In this she follows the example of her Founder, Christ, Who prayed at the ninth hour. "At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying 'Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani?' which is, being interpreted, 'My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why hast Thou forsaken me?'" (St. Mark xv. 34).

2. That ninth hour was the long-wished-for and long-watched-for hour when reconciliation between earth and heaven was complete.

3. To beg from G.o.d light and grace, especially towards the end of life, for the day's decline in the afternoon is a figure of the waning of spiritual and corporal life. The hymn for None expresses this:--

"O G.o.d, unchangeable and true, Of all the light and power, Dispensing light in silence through Each successive hour; Lord, brighten our declining day, That it may never wane Till death, when all things round decay, Brings back the morn again.

This grace on Thy redeemed confer, Father, Co-equal Son, And Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Eternal Three in One--Amen."

(St. Ambrose's hymn, translated by Cardinal Newman).

TEXTS AND INTENTIONS TO AID THE PIOUS RECITATION OF NONE.

1. "Come down from the cross" (St. Matthew, c. 27).

2. "Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom" (St.

Matthew, c. 23).

3. "My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why has Thou forsaken me?" (St. Matthew, c. 27).

_General Intentions_. All the intentions of the Sacred Heart; the conversion of Britain; the Church in America.

_Personal Intentions_. Fervour in preparation for Ma.s.s; fervour in thanksgiving after Ma.s.s; fidelity to professional duties and studies.

_Special Intentions_. The temporal welfare of Ireland; to beg a blessing on her priests; to beg a blessing on her Church students; to beg a blessing on her Catholic laity; to beg a blessing on her elementary schools.

CHAPTER IV.

VESPERS AND COMPLINE.

_Etymology_. The word _vespers_ comes directly from the Latin _Vesper_; _Vespera_ or _Espera_ was a name given to the star Venus, which rising in the evening was a call to prayer. This Hour is recited after None and before Compline. In structure, it resembles Lauds, Pater Noster, Ave, Gloria, Five Psalms with antiphons, Capitulum, Hymn, Versicle, antiphon, Magnificat, antiphon and collect.

It had several synonymous names. It was called _Duodecima Hora_ (Antiphonary of Bangor), because it was said at the twelfth hour of the day, six o'clock, or, perhaps, the name came from the twelve psalms which made up the Hour in some churches. It was known, too, by the names _Lucernarium, hora lucernalis_, the hour of the candles; because at this hour a number of candles were lighted, not only to shed light but for symbolic purposes. It was sometimes referred to as _hora incensi_, from the custom of burning incense at this evening service, and sometimes it is called _gratiarum actio_ (St. Isidore), because it gives thanks to G.o.d for the graces given during the day. It came to mean not the evening Hour, but the sunset Hour. And in the sixth century it was celebrated before daylight had gone and before there was any need for artificial light. In the fourth century it was recited by torchlight.

_Antiquity_. The Jews honoured G.o.d by special and solemn evening service. Their feasts by G.o.d's command began in the evening. "From evening unto evening you shall celebrate your sabbaths" (Lev. xxiii, 32). And David sang "Evening and morning and at noon I will speak and declare" (Psalm 54:32). The eariy Christians faithfully followed the practice.

"In the sixth century, the order of Psalms, etc., in Vespers differed little from the Vespers in our modern Breviaries. Long before the sixth century there were evening Offices in various forms. Its existence in the fourth century is also confirmed by St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St.