And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood; and they understood when it was read. And Nehemias, and Es dras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said, This is a holy day to the Lord our God, do not mourn nor weep For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. And he said to them, Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength. GRAD. Ps. xxxii. Blessed is the nation, whose God is the Lord; the people, whom the Lord hath chosen for its inheritance. V. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were established: and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth. GOSPEL. Mark ix. 16. At that time: One of the multitude speaking to Jesus, said, Master brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit, who wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him, and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out, Who answering them, said, and they could not. incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me. And they brought him. And when he h seen him immediately the spirit troubled him and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming. And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath happened unto him? But he said, From his infancy: and oftentimes hath he cast him into the fire and into waters, to destroy him. But if thou canst do any thing, help us, having com passion on us. And Jesus saith to him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said, I do believe, Lord: help ay unbe lief. And when Jesus saw the multitude running CO Th 0 together, he threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him, Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him; and enter not any more into him. And crying out, and greatly tearing him, he went out of him, and he became as dead, so that many said, He is dead. But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples secretly asked him, Why could not we cast him out? And he said to them, This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. OFFERT. Ps. cxviii. I will meditate on thy commandments, which I have loved exceedingly; and I will put forth my hands to thy commandments which I have loved. SECRET. May this oblation, O Lord, we beseech thee, cleanse away our sins; and sanctify both the bodies and souls of thy servants for the celebrating of this sacrifice. Thro'. COMM. 2 Esdr. viii. Eat your fat meats and drink your sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared any for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad; for the joy of the Lord is our strength. P. COMM. Sumentes. Having received, O Lord, these heavenly gifts, we humbly beseech thee, that what by thy mercy we celebrate with due homage, we may also receive with dispositions worthy of thy presents. Thro'. FRIDAY IN EMBER WEEK. INTROIT. Ps. civ. Let the hearts of them rejoice that seek the Lord: seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened: seek his face evermore. Ps. Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles. V. Glory. COLLECT. Præsta. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that whilst with yearly devotion 398 we keep these holy appointed times, we may be well- the LESSON. Osee. xiv. 2. Thus saith the Lord: Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the Lord and say to him, Take away all iniquity, and receive the good; and we will render the calves of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: the works of our hands are our gods; for thou wilt have mercy on the fatherless that is in thee. I will heal their breaches, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be as the dew, Israel shall spring as the lily, and his root shall shoot forth as that of Libanus. His branches shall spread, and his glory shall be as olive-tree; and his smell as that of Libanus. They shall be converted that sit under his shadow; they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine; his memorial shall be as the wine of Libanus Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I will hear him, and I will make him flourish like a green fir-tree: from me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know these things?-For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them; but the transgressor shall fall in them. GRAD. Ps. lxxxix. Turn to us, O Lord, a while and hear thy servants. V. Lord, thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation. GOSPEL. Luke vii. 36, 50. CAL soul, OFFERT. Ps. cii. Bless the Lord, O my, and never forget all he hath done for thee: and thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle's. SECRET. May the sacrifice we offer on this fast, O Lord, we beseech thee, be well pleasing to thee; that cleansing away our sins, it may make us worthy of thy grace, and bring us to thy eterual promises. Thro'. COMM. Ps. cxviii. Remove from me reproach and contempt; because I have sought after thy ordinances, O Lord: for thy testimonies are my medi tation. P. COMM. Quæsumus. We beseech thee, O Almighty God, that while we return thee thanks for what we have received, we may receive those blessings, which are still greater. Thro'. SATURDAY IN EMBER WEEK. INTROIT. Ps. xciv. Come let us adore God, and fall down before the Lord, and weep before the Lord that made us; for he is the Lord our God. Ps. Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our Saviour. V. Glory. After Kyrie eleison, is said, Let us pray. Let us kneel down. R. Stand up again. I. COLLECT. O Almighty and Everlasting God, who, by a wholesome abstinence, healest both body and soul: we humbly beseech thy Majesty, that, being appeased by our prayers and fasts, thou mayest grant us present and future help. Thro'. I. LESSON. Lev. xxiii. 26. In those days: The Lord spake to Moses saying, Upen the tenth day of the seventh month shall be the day of atonement; it shall be most solemn, and shall be called holy : and you shall afflict your souls on that day, and shall offer a holocaust to the Lord. You shall do no servile work in the time of this day; because it is a day of propitiation, that the Lord your God may be merciful unto you. Every soul that is not afflicted on this day, shall perish from among his people: and every soul that shall do any work, the same will I destroy from among his people. You shall do no work therefore on that day: it shall be an everlasting ordinance unto you in all your generations and dwellings. It is a Sabbath of rest, and you shall afflict your souls, beginning on the ninth day of the GRAD. Ps. xxviii. Forgive us, O Lord, our Let us pray. Let us kneel down. R. Stand up again. II. COLLECT. Ea nobis. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that by fasting we may be filled with thy grace; and by abstinence become stronger than all our enemies. Thro'. God. II. LESSON. Lev. xxiii. 39, 43. In those days: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, From the fiftieth day of the seventh month, when you shall have ga thered in all the fruits of your land, you shall cele a day brate the feast of the Lord seven days, on the first day and the eighth shall be a Sabbath, that of rest. And you shall take to you on the first day the fruits of the fairest tree, and branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your And you shall keep the solemnity thereof seven days in the year. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. In the seventh month shall you celebrate this feast. And you shall dwell in bowers seven days, every one that is of the race of Israel, shall dwell in tabernacles: that your pos terity may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in tabernacles, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your GRAD. Ps. lxxxiii. Behold, O God, our Protector, look down on thy servants. V. Lord God of Hosts, hear the prayers of thy servants. God. Let us pray. Let us kneel down. R. Stand up again. III. COLLECT. Tuere. Defend, O Lord, we beseech thee, thy family; that by thy bounty, we |