V. But one of them, named

Caiaphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: It is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. From that day 'thcrofvia
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terficere eum, dicentes:* Et venicnt, &c.
Aliud. R. In monte Oliveti oravit ad Patrem : Pater, si fieri potest, tran- seat a me calix iste. *Spi- ritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma; fiat voluntas tua. V. Vigilate, et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem. *Spiritus quidem, &c.
they devised to put him to death, saying : * And the Romans, &c.
AnotJier. R. On Mount Olivet he prayed to his Father; 0 Father! if it is possible, let this chalice pass from me. *The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak ; thy will bo done. V. Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. *Thespirit,&c.
Then the Deacon sings the following Gospel, with the usual cere- monies.
Sequcntla sancti Evan- gelii secundum Mat- thaeum. Cap. xxi. 1, 9. IN illo tempore: Cum appropinquasset Jesus Jerosolymis, et venisset Bethphage ad montem Oliveti; tunc misit duos discipulos suos, dicens eis : Ite in castellum, quod con- tra vos est, et statim in- venietis asinam alligatam, et pullum cum ea : solvite, et adducite mihi ; et si
2uis vobis aliquid dixerit, icite quia Dominus his opus habet, et confestim dimittet cos. Hoc autem totum factum est, ut ad-
A continuation of the Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew, xxi. 1, 9. At that time, when Jesus drew nigh to Jerusalem, and was come to Beth- phage, unto Mount Olivet; then he sent two disciples, saying to them, Oo ye into the village that is over against you, and imme- diately ye will find an ass tied, and a colt with her ; loose them, and bring them to me; and if any man shall say any thing to you, say ye that the Lord hath need of them, and forth- with he will let them go.
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THE OFFICE OF IIOLY WEEK
impleretur quod dictum est per prophetani dicen- tem : Dicite filise Sion : ecce rex tuns venit tibi mansuetus, sedens super asinani, et pullum, filium subjugalis. Euntes autem discipuli fecerunt sicut praccepit illis Jesus. Et adduxerunt asinam, et pul- lum: et imposuerunt super eos vestimenta sua, et eum desuper sedere fecerunt. Plurima autem turba stra- verunt vestimenta sua in via: alii autem csedcbant ramos de arboribus, et sternebant in via: turbao autem, quae prsecedebant, et quae scquebantur, clam- abant, dicentes: Hosanna filio David : benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Now all this was done, that the word might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, be- hold thy king cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And the dis- ciples going, did as Jesus commanded them. And they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their gar- ments upon them, and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut down boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way ; and the multitude that went before and that followed, cried saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Here follows the Blessing of the Palms.
AS the rules of faith may be securely deduced from the methods of prayer, wo have no better means of learn- ing the meaning of these sacred ceremonies, than from tho prayers of the Church.
She first beseeches the Lord to increase tho faith of those who place their hope in Him ; to shed abundantly upon us tho gifts of His mercy and bless us, as when, to
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give us a pledge and figure of the celestial benedictions, which He providently and liberally bestows on His Church, He blessed and enriched Noah with a numerous offspring, on his departure from the Ark ; as He also blessed Moses in his flight from Egprpt with the children of Israel. She implores Him mercifully to grant that we, bearing palm and olive branches, that is, being furnished with good and holy works, signified by these branches, may, through the merits of our Redeemer, be admitted into eternal joys.
Continuing the beautiful allusion to the Ark, she prays, that, as at the cessation of the deluge—the dove returned thereto, bearing in its beak an olive-branch, the symbol of safety and peace ; so all those may rejoice in peace and health of soul and body, to whom the palms shall be dis- tributed. So that, what is a sacrament and sign of grace, may be the remedy of our health, and that the places to which they may be carried, may enjoy celestial benefits and the Divine protection ; the right hand of the Most High protecting those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.
Therefore it is a good and praiseworthy custom, to use these little branches of palm and olive to defend our fields, our dwellings, and our persons from unlucky accidents; especially to chase away the invisible powers of Hell ; so that neither our labors, our repose, our goods, nor our persons, may be troubled by malignant spirits.
The Church prays for light, whereby we may obtain a profitable and salutary knowledge of these mysteries ; then, adding instruction to prayer, she herself explains to us, that the branches of palm symbolize the victories that the Redeemer gained over the Prince of Death ; and the olive-branches, that unction of mercy that He sheds over the earth. That happy people, instructed and moved from on high, understood that this festive array prefigured the battles which He, touched by our miseries, would wage against the Prince of Death, and the victories He would gain over him, by dying to give life to the world. There- fore, following tne Divine dispensations, they went forth, in this spirit, to meet Him with olive-branches, to cele- brato the glory of His triumph, and represent the abun« 6
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62 THE OFFICE OF HOLY WEEK.
dance of His mercies. The Church professes to believe, with a firm faith, that all these things, so fully signified, have been perfectly accomplished ; wherefore, considering these circumstances and mysteries, she prays that it may be granted us to conquer death ; and, that having been made members of Christ, we may obtain the grace of par- ticipating in his glorious resurrection.
Insomuch, the mysteries of the olive and palm branches represent to us the greatness of the victories, the glory of the triumphs of Jesus Christ, the unction of His grace, and the merit of our works.
The Blessing of the Palms. 7 of the Ei
t. DOMINUS vobis- cum.
R . Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oromua. Auge fidem in te spe- rantium, Deus, et supp Il- eum preces clementer ex- audi : veniat super nos mul- tiplex misericordia tua : benedicantur et hi palmi- tes palniarum, sou oli va- rum: et sicnt in figura Ecclesioe multiplicasti Noe egredientem de area, et Moysen exeuntem de jEgypto cum filiis Israel ; ita nos portantes palmas at ramos olivarum, bonis actibus occurramus obvi- am Christo, et per ipsum in gaudium introeamus internum: qui tecum vivit
\e Priest standing at the corner 8tlet says:
t. THE Lord be with you.
R . And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Increase, O God! the faith of them that hopo in thee, and mercifully hear the prayers of thy suppliants; let thy mani- fold mercy come upon us, and let these branches of palm-trees or olive-trees be blessed; and as in a figure of the Church, Thou didst multiply Noah going out of the Ark, and Moses going out of Egypt with the children of Israel; so let us, carrying palms and branches of olive-trees, go and meet Christ with good works, and enter through
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ct regnat in imitate Spiri- ts saiicti Deus, per om- nia saecula sscculorum. R. Amen. •
If. Dominus vobiscuni.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. If. Sursum corda. R. Habemus ad Domi- num.
lfr. Gratias agamus Do- mino Deo nostro.
R. Dignum et justum est.
Vcro dignum ct justuin est, nequum ct salutarc, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : qui gloriaris in consilio Sanctorum tuo- rum. • Tibi enim serviunt creaturae tuac, quia te so- lum auctorem et Deum cognoscunt; et omnis fac- tura tua te collaudat, et benedicunt te sancti tui: quia illud magnum Uni- geniti tui nomen coram regibus et potestatibus hujus saeculi, libera voce confitentur. Cui assistunt Angeli et Archangeli, Throni et Dominationes ;
Him into eternal joy : who with thee, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. R. Amen.