The Rogation Days: Monday — From Dom Guéranger’s Liturgical Year

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[00:00:11][music] [singing and chanting] [chanting] [singing] >> A reading from Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.

[00:00:57]The Rogation Days.

[00:00:59]Monday.

[00:01:02]It seems strange that there should be anything like mourning during Paschal time.

[00:01:07]And yet these three days are days of penance.

[00:01:11]A moment's reflection, however, will show us that the institution of the Rogation Days is a most appropriate one.

[00:01:19]True, our Savior told us before his passion that the children of the bridegroom should not fast whilst the bridegroom is with them.

[00:01:28]But is not sadness in keeping with these last hours of Jesus's presence on Earth?

[00:01:34]Were not his mother and disciples oppressed with grief at the thought of their having so soon to lose him whose company had been to them a foretaste of heaven?

[00:01:46]Let us see how the liturgical year came to have inserted in its calendar these three days during which Holy Church, though radiant with the joy of Easter, seems to go back to her Lenten observances.

[00:02:01]The Holy Ghost, who guides her in all things, willed that this completion of her Paschal liturgy should owe its origin to a devotion peculiar to one of the most illustrious and venerable churches of Southern Gaul, the Church of Vienne.

[00:02:18]The second half of the 5th century had but just commenced when the country round Vienne, which had been recently conquered by the Burgundians, was visited with calamities of every kind.

[00:02:30]The people were struck with fear at these indications of God's anger.

[00:02:35]Saint Mamertus, who at the time was Bishop of Vienne, prescribed 3 days public expiation, during which the faithful were to devote themselves to penance and walk in procession chanting appropriate Psalms.

[00:02:51]The 3 days preceding the Ascension were the ones chosen.

[00:02:55]Unknown to himself, the holy Bishop was thus instituting a practice which was afterwards to form part of the liturgy of the universal Church.

[00:03:06]The churches of Gaul, as might naturally be expected, were the first to adopt the devotion.

[00:03:13]Saint Alcimus Avitus, who was one of the earliest successors of Saint Mamertus in the See of Vienne, informs us that the custom of keeping the Rogation Days was at that time firmly established in his diocese.

[00:03:29]Saint Caesarius of Arles, who lived in the early part of the 6th century, speaks of them as being observed in countries afar off, by which he meant, at the very least, to designate all that portion of Gaul which was under the Visigoths.

[00:03:46]That the whole of Gaul soon adopted the custom is evident from the canons drawn up at the First Council of Orléans, held in 511, which represented all the provinces that were in allegiance to Clovis.

[00:04:01]The regulations made by the council regarding the rogations give us a great idea of the importance attached to their observance.

[00:04:10]Not only abstinence from flesh meat, but even fasting is made of obligation.

[00:04:16]Masters are also required to dispense their servants from work in order that they may assist at the long functions which fill up almost the whole of these three days.

[00:04:28]In 567, the Council of Tours likewise imposed the precept of fasting during the rogation days.

[00:04:36]And as to the obligation of resting from servile work, we find it recognized in the capitularia of Charlemagne and Charles the Bald.

[00:04:46]The main part of the rogation rite originally consisted, at least in Gaul, in singing canticles of supplication while passing from place to place, and hence the word procession.

[00:04:59]We learn from Saint Caesarius of Arles that each day's procession lasted 6 hours, and that when the clergy became tired, the women took up the chanting.

[00:05:11]The faithful of those days had not made the discovery which was reserved for modern times, that one requisite for religious processions is that they be as short as possible.

[00:05:23]The procession for the rogation days was preceded by the faithful receiving the ashes upon their heads, as now at the beginning of Lent.

[00:05:32]They were then sprinkled with holy water, and the procession began.

[00:05:37]It was made up of the clergy and people of several of the smaller parishes, who were headed by the cross of the principal church, which conducted the whole ceremony.

[00:05:48]All walked barefoot, singing the litany, psalms, and antiphons until they reached the church appointed for the station, where the holy sacrifice was offered.

[00:05:59]They entered the churches that lay on their route and sang an antiphon or responsory appropriate to each.

[00:06:08]Such was the original ceremony of the Rogation Days, and it was thus observed for a very long period.

[00:06:15]The monk of St. Gall, who has left us so many interesting details regarding the life of Charlemagne, tells us that this holy emperor used to join the processions of these three days and walk barefooted from his palace to the station church.

[00:06:31]We find St. Elizabeth of Hungary in the 13th century setting the like example.

[00:06:38]During the Rogation Days, she used to mingle with the poorest women of the place and walk barefooted wearing a dress of coarse stuff.

[00:06:48]St. Charles Borromeo, who restored in his diocese of Milan so many ancient practices of piety, was sure not to be indifferent about the Rogation Days.

[00:06:59]He spared neither word nor example to reanimate this salutary devotion among his people.

[00:07:06]He ordered fasting to be observed during these three days.

[00:07:10]He fasted himself on bread and water.

[00:07:14]The procession in which all the clergy of the city were obliged to join, and which began after the sprinkling of ashes, started from the cathedral at an early hour in the morning and was not over till 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon.

[00:07:29]13 churches were visited on the Monday, nine on the Tuesday, and 11 on the Wednesday.

[00:07:37]The saintly archbishop celebrated mass and preached in one of these churches.

[00:07:44]If we compare the indifference shown by the Catholics of the present age for the Rogation Days with the devotion wherewith our ancestors kept them, we cannot but acknowledge that there is a great falling off in faith and piety.

[00:07:58]Knowing as we do the importance attached to these processions by the church, we cannot help wondering how it is that there are so few among the faithful who assisted them.

[00:08:10]Our surprise increases when we find persons preferring their own private devotions to these public prayers of the church, which, to say nothing of the result of good example, merit far greater graces than any exercises of our own fancying.

[00:08:28]The whole Western Church soon adopted the Rogation Days.

[00:08:32]They were introduced into England at an early period, as likewise into Spain and Germany.

[00:08:40]Rome herself sanctioned them by herself observing them.

[00:08:44]This she did in the 8th century during the pontificate of St. Leo the III.

[00:08:50]She gave them the name of the Lesser Litanies in contradistinction to the procession of April 25th, which she calls the Greater Litanies.

[00:09:00]With regard to the fast which the churches of Gaul observed during the Rogation Days, Rome did not adopt that part of the institution.

[00:09:09]Fasting seemed to her to throw a gloom over the joyous 40 days which our risen Jesus grants to his disciples.

[00:09:17]She therefore enjoined only abstinence from flesh meat during the Rogation Days.

[00:09:23]The Church of Milan, which, as we have just seen, so strictly observes the Rogations, keeps them on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday after the Sunday within the octave of the Ascension.

[00:09:36]That is to say, after the 40 days devoted to the celebration of the resurrection.

[00:09:44]If then we would have a correct idea of the rogation days, we must consider them as Rome does, that is, as a holy institution which, without interrupting our paschal joy, tempers it.

[00:09:58]The purple vestments used during the procession and mass do not signify that our Jesus has fled from us, but that the time for his departure is approaching.

[00:10:09]By prescribing abstinence for these three days, the church would express how much she will feel the loss of her spouse, who is so soon to be taken from her.

[00:10:20]In England, as in many other countries, abstinence is no longer of obligation for the rogation days.

[00:10:27]This should be an additional motive to induce the faithful to assist at the processions and litanies, and by fervently uniting in the prayers of the church, to make some compensation for the abolition of the law of abstinence.

[00:10:42]We need so much penance, and we do so little.

[00:10:46]If we are truly in earnest, we shall be most fervent in doing the little that is left us to do.

[00:10:54]The object of the rogation days is to appease the anger of God, and avert the chastisements which the sins of the world so justly deserve.

[00:11:03]Moreover, to draw down the divine blessing on the fruits of the earth.

[00:11:09]The litany of the saints is sung during the procession, which is followed by a special mass said in the station church, or if there be no station appointed, in the church whence the procession first started.

[00:11:23]The litany of the saints is one of the most efficacious of prayers.

[00:11:28]The church makes use of it on all solemn occasions as a means of rendering God propitious through the intercession of the whole court of heaven.

[00:11:37]They who are prevented from assisting at the procession should recite the litany in union with Holy Church.

[00:11:44]They will thus share in the graces attached to the Rogation days.

[00:11:49]They will be joining in the supplications now being made throughout the entire world.

[00:11:54]They will be proving themselves to be Catholics.

[00:11:58]We give the mass of the Rogations, which is the same for all three days.

[00:12:03]It speaks to us throughout of the power and necessity of prayer.

[00:12:09]The church uses the Lenten color to express the expiatory character of the function she is celebrating.

[00:12:16]But she is evidently full of confidence.

[00:12:19]She trusts to the love of her risen Jesus. And that gives her hope of her prayers being granted.

[00:12:27]For the convenience of the faithful, we also insert the litany.

[00:12:35]The litany of the saints.

[00:12:38]Arise, oh Lord, help us and deliver us for thy name.

[00:12:43]We have heard, oh God, with our ears.

[00:12:46]Our fathers have told it unto us.

[00:12:49]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

[00:13:00]Arise, oh Lord, help us and deliver us for thy name.

[00:13:08]Lord, have mercy on us.

[00:13:10]Christ, have mercy on us.

[00:13:13]Lord, have mercy on us.

[00:13:15]Christ, hear us.

[00:13:18]Christ, graciously hear us.

[00:13:21]God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

[00:13:25]God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

[00:13:30]God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

[00:13:35]Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

[00:13:39]Holy Mary, pray for us.

[00:13:42]Holy Mother of God, pray for us.

[00:13:46]Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

[00:13:50]Saint Michael, pray for us.

[00:13:53]Saint Gabriel, pray for us.

[00:13:56]Saint Raphael, pray for us.

[00:14:00]All ye holy angels and archangels, pray for us.

[00:14:04]All ye holy orders of blessed spirits, pray for us.

[00:14:10]Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.

[00:14:14]All ye holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.

[00:14:19]Saint Peter, pray for us. Saint Paul, pray for us. Saint Andrew, pray for us.

[00:14:27]Saint James, pray for us. Saint John, pray for us. Saint Thomas, pray for us. Saint James, pray for us. Saint Philip, pray for us. Saint Bartholomew, pray for us. Saint Matthew, pray for us. Saint Simon, pray for us. Saint Thaddaeus, pray for us.

[00:14:54]Saint Matthias, pray for us. Saint Barnaby, pray for us. Saint Luke, pray for us. Saint Mark, pray for us.

[00:15:07]All ye holy apostles and evangelists, pray for us.

[00:15:12]All ye holy disciples of our Lord, pray for us.

[00:15:17]All ye holy innocents, pray for us.

[00:15:21]Saint pray for us.

[00:15:24]Saint Lawrence, pray for us.

[00:15:28]Saint Vincent, pray for us.

[00:15:31]Saints Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us.

[00:15:36]Saints John and Paul, pray for us.

[00:15:40]Saints Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.

[00:15:44]Saints Gervasius and Protasius, pray for us.

[00:15:49]All ye holy martyrs, pray for us.

[00:15:53]Saint Sylvester, pray for us. Saint Gregory, pray for us. Saint Ambrose, pray for us. Saint Augustine, pray for us. Saint Jerome, pray for us. Saint Martin, pray for us. Saint Nicholas, pray for us.

[00:16:14]All ye holy bishops and confessors, pray for us.

[00:16:20]All ye holy doctors, pray for us.

[00:16:23]Saint Anthony, pray for us. Saint Benedict, pray for us. Saint Bernard, pray for us.

[00:16:33]Saint Dominic, pray for us.

[00:16:36]Saint Francis, pray for us.

[00:16:40]All ye holy priests and Levites, pray for us.

[00:16:44]All ye holy monks and hermits, pray for us.

[00:16:49]Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us. Saint Agatha, pray for us. Saint Lucy, pray for us. Saint Agnes, pray for us.

[00:17:01]Saint Cecilia, pray for us. Saint Catherine, pray for us. Saint Anastasia, pray for us.

[00:17:11]All ye holy virgins and widows, pray for us.

[00:17:16]All ye men and women, saints of God, make intercession for us.

[00:17:22]Be merciful to us. Spare us, oh Lord.

[00:17:26]Be merciful to us. Graciously hear us, oh Lord.

[00:17:31]From all evil, deliver us, oh Lord. From all sin, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:17:38]From thy wrath, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:17:42]From sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:17:47]From the snares of the devil, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:17:51]From anger, hatred, and all ill will, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:17:57]From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:02]From lightning and tempest, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:06]From the scourge of earthquakes, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:11]From plague, famine, and war, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:16]From everlasting death, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:20]Through the mystery of thy holy incarnation, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:26]Through thy coming, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:30]Through thy nativity, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:34]Through thy baptism and holy fasting, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:39]Through thy cross and passion, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:44]Through thy death and burial, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:48]Through thy holy resurrection, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:53]Through thy admirable ascension, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:18:58]Through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:19:04]In the day of judgment, deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:19:09]We sinners beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:12]That thou spare us, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:16]That thou pardon us, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:21]That thou vouchsafe to bring us to true penance, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:27]That thou vouchsafe to govern and preserve thy holy church, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:34]That thou vouchsafe to preserve our apostolic prelate and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:44]That thou vouchsafe to humble the enemies of thy holy church, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:51]That thou vouchsafe to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:19:59]That thou vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all Christian people, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:07]That thou vouchsafe to strengthen and preserve us in thy holy service, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:15]That thou lift up our minds to heavenly desires, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:21]That thou render eternal good things to all our benefactors, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:28]That thou deliver our souls and those of our brethren, kinsfolk and benefactors from eternal damnation, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:39]That thou vouchsafe to give and preserve the fruits of the earth, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:46]That thou vouchsafe to give eternal rest to all the faithful departed, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:20:53]That thou vouchsafe graciously to hear us, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:21:00]Son of God, we beseech thee, hear us.

[00:21:04]Lamb of of who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

[00:21:11]Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

[00:21:18]Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

[00:21:25]Christ, hear us.

[00:21:27]Christ, graciously hear us.

[00:21:30]Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.

[00:21:35]Lord, have mercy on us.

[00:21:40]In secret.

[00:21:41]Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

[00:21:47]Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

[00:21:51]Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us.

[00:22:00]And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[00:22:08]Psalm 69.

[00:22:11]O God, come to my assistance.

[00:22:14]O Lord, make haste to help me.

[00:22:17]Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.

[00:22:21]Let them be turned backward and blush for shame that desire evils to me.

[00:22:27]Let them be presently turned away, blushing for shame, that say to me, "Tis well. Tis well."

[00:22:35]Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee.

[00:22:40]And let such as love thy salvation say always, "The Lord be magnified."

[00:22:46]But I am needy and poor.

[00:22:48]O God, help me.

[00:22:51]Thou art my helper and my deliverer.

[00:22:54]O Lord, make no delay.

[00:22:57]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

[00:23:09]Save thy servants trusting in thee, O my God.

[00:23:15]Be unto us, O Lord, a tower of strength from the face of the enemy.

[00:23:20]Let not the enemy prevail against us, nor the son of iniquity have any power to hurt us.

[00:23:28]O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities.

[00:23:36]Let us pray for our chief bishop.

[00:23:39]May our Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

[00:23:48]Let us pray for our benefactors.

[00:23:51]Vouchsafe, O Lord, for thy name's sake to reward with eternal life all them that have done us good.

[00:23:58]Amen.

[00:24:00]Let us pray for the faithful departed.

[00:24:04]Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

[00:24:10]May they rest in peace.

[00:24:12]Amen.

[00:24:14]For our absent brethren, O my God, save thy servants trusting in thee.

[00:24:21]Send them help, O Lord, from thy holy place, and from Zion protect them.

[00:24:28]O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

[00:24:33]The Lord be with you, and with thy spirit.

[00:24:37]Let us pray.

[00:24:39]O God, whose property it is to always have mercy and to spare, receive our petitions, that we and all thy servants who are bound by the chain of sin may, by the compassion of thy goodness, mercifully be absolved.

[00:24:55]Hear we beseech thee, O Lord, the prayers of thy suppliants, and pardon us our sins, who confess them to thee, that of thy bounty thou mayest grant us pardon and peace.

[00:25:09]Out of thy clemency, O Lord, show us thy unspeakable mercy, that so thou mayest both acquit us of our sins and deliver us from the punishment we deserve for them.

[00:25:21]O God, who by sin are offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of thy people who make supplications to thee, and turn away the scourges of thy anger which we deserve for our sins.

[00:25:38]O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on thy servant, our chief bishop, and direct him according to thy clemency in the way of everlasting salvation, that by thy grace he may desire those things that are agreeable to thee and perform them with all his strength.

[00:25:58]O God, from whom are all holy desires, righteous counsels, and just works, give to thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts being disposed to keep thy commandments and the fear of enemies taken away, the times by thy protection may be peaceable.

[00:26:21]Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of thy Holy Spirit, to the end we may serve thee with a chaste body and please thee with a clean heart.

[00:26:34]O God, the creator and redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that by pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.

[00:26:50]Prevent, we beseech thee, O Lord, our actions by thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by thy gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from thee, and by thee be happily ended.

[00:27:08]O almighty and eternal God, who has dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all who thou foreknowest shall be thine by faith and good works, we humbly beseech thee that they, for whom we have determined to offer up our prayers, whether this present world still detain them in the flesh, or the world to come hath already received them out of their bodies, may, by the clemency of thy goodness, all thy saints interceding for them, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins through Christ our Lord.

[00:27:46]Amen.

[00:27:48]The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit.

[00:27:51]May the almighty and most merciful Lord graciously hear us.

[00:27:56]Amen.

[00:27:57]And may the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

[00:28:03]Amen.

[00:28:09]Mass of the Rogation Days.

[00:28:12]The Introit, which is taken from the Psalms, tells us of the mercy of God and how he graciously hears our prayer the moment we make it.

[00:28:23]Introit.

[00:28:25]He hath graciously heard my voice from his holy temple. Alleluia.

[00:28:30]And my cry before him came into his ears. Alleluia. Alleluia.

[00:28:36]I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

[00:28:39]The Lord is my rock, my refuge, and my deliverer.

[00:28:44]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

[00:28:56]He hath graciously heard my voice from his holy temple. Alleluia.

[00:29:00]And my cry before him came into his ears. Alleluia. Alleluia.

[00:29:09]In the collect, the church represents the necessities of her children to almighty God as a motive for his granting them his protection. She speaks of the confidence wherewith they ask it.

[00:29:22]Collect.

[00:29:24]Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that we, who in our afflictions rely on thy goodness, may under thy protection be defended against all adversities, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[00:29:40]Epistle.

[00:29:42]Lesson of the Epistle of Saint James the Apostle, chapter five.

[00:29:48]Dearly beloved, confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be saved.

[00:29:56]For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

[00:30:01]Elias was a man passable like unto us, and with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not for three years and six months.

[00:30:13]And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

[00:30:20]My brethren, if any of you err from the truth, and one convert him, he must know that he who caused a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.

[00:30:41]Again, it is the Apostle St. James the Less who speaks to us in today's Epistle.

[00:30:47]And could any words be more appropriate?

[00:30:50]One of the motives for the institution of the Rogation Days is to obtain from God the blessing of weather favorable to the fruits of the earth.

[00:31:00]And St. James here adduces the example of Elias to show us that prayer can stay or bring down the rain of heaven.

[00:31:10]Let us imitate the faith of this prophet and beg of our heavenly Father to give and preserve what we require for our nourishment.

[00:31:20]Another object of the Rogations is to obtain the forgiveness of sin.

[00:31:25]If we pray with fervor for our brethren who are gone astray, we shall obtain for them the graces they stand in need of.

[00:31:33]We shall perhaps never know during this life those whom our prayer, united with the prayer of the church, shall have converted from the error of their way.

[00:31:44]But the Apostle assures us that our charity will receive a rich reward, the mercy of God upon ourselves.

[00:31:55]In order the better to express mourning and compunction in the mass of the Rogation Days, the church not only uses purple vestments, she also retrenches somewhat of the joy of her canticles.

[00:32:08]She allows herself but one alleluia versicle, but it is full of hope in the goodness of her Lord.

[00:32:16]Alleluia.

[00:32:18]Praise the Lord, for he is good and his mercy endureth forever.

[00:32:26]Gospel.

[00:32:28]Sequel of the Holy Gospel according to Luke, chapter 11.

[00:32:33]At that time, Jesus said to his disciples, "Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at midnight and shall say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves because a friend of mine has come off his journey to me and I have not what to set before him.'

[00:32:53]And he from within should answer and say, 'Trouble me not. The door is now shut and my children are with me in bed.

[00:33:02]I cannot rise and give thee.'

[00:33:05]Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, 'Although he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.'

[00:33:20]And I say to you, 'Ask and it shall be given you.

[00:33:24]Seek and you shall find.

[00:33:27]Knock and it shall be opened to you.

[00:33:30]For everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.'

[00:33:40]And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone or a fish?

[00:33:47]Will he for a fish give him a serpent?

[00:33:50]Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion?

[00:33:55]If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father from heaven give the good spirit to them that ask him."

[00:34:30]>> which triumphs over the refusal of God himself.

[00:34:35]The reader who has followed us thus far in our work must have observed how the passages of Holy Writ, selected by the liturgy, form a continued series of instruction appropriate to each day.

[00:34:49]During these three days, we are laboring to appease the anger of heaven.

[00:34:54]Could there be a more fitting occasion for our being told that God cannot resist persevering prayer?

[00:35:01]The litanies we have been chanting in procession are a model of this holy obstinacy, or as our gospel terms it, this importunity of prayer.

[00:35:13]How often did we repeat the same words?

[00:35:16]Lord, have mercy on us. Deliver us, oh Lord.

[00:35:21]We beseech thee, hear us.

[00:35:25]The divine paschal lamb, who is about to be offered on our altar, will mediate for us.

[00:35:31]A few moments hence, he will unite his ever efficacious intercession with our poor prayers.

[00:35:38]With such a pledge as this, we shall leave the holy place feeling sure that these prayers have not been made in vain.

[00:35:47]Let us therefore make a resolution to keep aloof no longer from the holy practices of the church.

[00:35:54]Let us always prefer praying with her to praying by ourselves.

[00:35:59]She is the spouse of Jesus. She is our common mother, and she always wishes us to take part with her in the prayers she offers up.

[00:36:09]Besides, is it not for us that she makes these prayers?

[00:36:16]The offertory is taken from the Psalms.

[00:36:20]It gives praise to God, who, notwithstanding our being poor sinners, permits himself to be overcome by our prayers, rises in our defense, and gives us all we stand in need of.

[00:36:35]Offertory.

[00:36:37]I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth, and in the midst of many I will praise him, because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor to save my soul from persecutors.

[00:36:49]Hallelujah.

[00:36:52]The bonds of sin enchained us, and of ourselves we could not have returned to our creator.

[00:36:59]But the paschal lamb has restored us our liberty, and as often as his sacrifice is renewed upon the altar, our deliverance is achieved afresh.

[00:37:10]The church expresses this in the secret.

[00:37:13]Her confidence rests on the divine victim which the Father has given us, and which she is now about to offer to him.

[00:37:23]Secret.

[00:37:25]May these offerings, oh Lord, loosen the bonds of our wickedness and obtain for us the gift of thy mercy through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[00:37:37]The communion anthem is the repetition of the consoling words of our savior as given us in the gospel.

[00:37:44]It is he himself who authorizes us to ask for whatsoever we please.

[00:37:50]We cannot ask too much.

[00:37:52]None of us would have dared to say, "Whosoever makes a petition to God will have his petition granted."

[00:38:00]But now that the Son of God has come from heaven to teach us this astounding truth, we should never tire of repeating it.

[00:38:09]Communion.

[00:38:11]Ask, and it shall be given you.

[00:38:14]Seek, and you shall find.

[00:38:17]Knock, and it shall be opened to you.

[00:38:20]For everyone that asketh receiveth.

[00:38:23]And he that seeketh, findeth.

[00:38:25]And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

[00:38:29]Hallelujah.

[00:38:34]The sacrifice of peace is consummated, and the church gives free scope to her confidence by the words of thanksgiving expressed in the post-communion.

[00:38:44]The sacred gifts have brought us consolation. And our holy mother prays that consolation may prompt us to warmer love.

[00:38:53]Post-communion.

[00:38:55]We beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully receive our prayers.

[00:38:59]That while we partake of thy gifts in our affliction, the consolation we find may increase our love.

[00:39:06]Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[00:39:12]We subjoin a liturgical fragment taken from the Rogation Mass of the ancient Gallican rite.

[00:39:19]This prayer was one of the supplications made on the first of these three days, and it bears with it the marks of its venerable antiquity.

[00:39:28]Prayer.

[00:39:31]It is from thee, O Lord, we receive the food wherewith we are daily supported.

[00:39:37]To thee also do we offer these fasts, whereby, according to thy command, we put upon our flesh the restraint from dangerous indulgence.

[00:39:47]Thou hast so ordered the changes of seasons as to afford us consolation.

[00:39:53]Thus, the time for eating gives nourishment to the body by sober repasts.

[00:39:59]And the time for fasting inflicts on them a chastisement pleasing to thy justice.

[00:40:05]Vouchsafe to bless and receive this our offering of a three days penitential fast.

[00:40:12]And mercifully grant that whilst our bodies abstain from gratification, our souls also may rest from sin.

[00:40:20]Through Christ our Lord.

[00:40:23]Amen.

[00:40:32]End of the reading for Monday of the Rogation Days.