CATHOLIC BOOKWORM

AS THE SPIRIT THAT GOVERNS US, SO OUR LIFE.
"Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" Act.s 19 : 2. 

By his glorious Resurrection, my beloved brethren, Jesus Christ was
given back to his disciples, whom his death on the Cross had filled with
sorrow and anguish. But he remained only for a short time visibly among
them, for, forty days after his Resurrection, when his Apostles and disciples
were assembled on Mount Olivet, he was elevated in the sight of all, and
carried up into heaven. The day of his Ascension was to them a day of
twofold and intense emotion; it was a day of joy as well as a day of sadness:
a day of joy, since on it, their Lord and Master was glorified in their sight,
and his heavenly commission confirmed in an extraordinary manner; but
it was also a day of sorrow, because in the course of it they were called to
part again so soon with him, who had been the only object of their joy and
love, of their confidence and salvation. Christ, however, had foreseen their
bitter affliction; he had foretold to them that he must leave them to return
to his Father, but he had promised them at the same time, that he would
send another Comforter, who would abide with them forever. This
promise, my dear brethren, was no less fulfilled in its turn, than were the
predictions of his Life, Death, and Resurrection; ten days after his Ascen
sion, and fifty days after his Resurrection, the promised Paraclete, the
Holy Ghost, with the fulness of all his graces, came upon the Apostles
who were awaiting him in prayer, assembled with the Blessed Mother in
the Cenacle. "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty
wind coming; and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And
there appeared to them cloven tongues, as it were of fire, and it sat upon
each of them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost; and they began to
speak with diverse tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to
speak." (Acts 2 : 2-5.) They began to preach with such power and unction,
my brethren, that after St. Peter s first sermon, three thousand souls were
converted; and these neophytes, like the Apostles themselves, were totally
changed and reborn of the Holy Ghost, so that stripped of every attacn-
ment to the goods of this world, they belonged, with all they possessed and
were, to the Lord, and became in him, as it were, but one heart and one
soul. By the descent of the Holy Ghost upon men, the kingdom of heaven
was transplanted to the earth; and the only infallible mark by which to
determine the citizens of that kingdom was not merely some certain external
action or exercise, not merely an oral profession of faith, but solely the
Spirit whom they had received. "You believe, but have you also received
the Holy Ghost?" This was the principal question addressed to all, and
in its answer was involved the whole distinction between the Christian and
the unbeliever. 

Have you received the Holy Ghost? This is a question, my brethren,
which each one of us should frequently put to himself, especially on this
day, when we solemnly commemorate the first miraculous effusion of the
Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, and the foundation of the kingdom of God
upon earth. The consideration of this subject shall, then, appropriately
furnish the subject of our meditation, to-day. Hence, my beloved brethren,
I shall proceed to ask: What is the spirit that governs us? Is it 

I. The spirit of the world, or
II. The Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the; Son? 

I. That which enlivens the whole man, determines his actions, and is the
cause and motive of his undertakings, is what is called the spirit of man.
all depends on the character of this spirit. Where the good Spirit pre
dominates, man is good; but where the bad spirit, on the other hand, rules
and reigns, man is correspondingly bad. Hence, the spirit that governs
an immortal soul, may be either the spirit of the worldy or the Spirit of
God. The Sacred Scriptures in fact, draw a clear distinction between the
children of the world and the children of God, declaring on the authority
of the Eternal Truth, that no man can be a child of the world and a child
of God at one and the same time: "You cannot serve God: and Mammon."
"Whosoever becometh a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of Christ;"
the spirit of the world expels the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God
banishes the spirit of the world; there can be no peace, or truce, there
can be nothing in common, between them. "There are two laws in
us," says the Apostle, "the law of the spirit and the law of the members;"
and we must confess with him, my dear brethren, that these two laws are
continually waging an intestine war against each other. The flesh is fight
ing against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. Our goodness or
wickedness, dear Christians, depends on the supremacy of one or other of
these laws, so that we may justly say: "Man is such as the law is by which
he is governed." This is a very vital point; you cannot but agree with
me, that a man can ask himself no more important question than this: "By
what spirit am I governed, by the spirit of the world, or by the Spirit of
God?" Each of these spirits produces its own effects; each has certain
marks, by which it may be unerringly recognized. 

Of the spirit of the world, St. John says: "All that is in the world is the
concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of
life." According to these words, the spirit of the world manifests itself in
the individual as well as in the mass, by a triple concupiscence. This three
fold passion takes possession of all his powers and faculties, and governs
him entirely; now, by the inordinate desire of temporal goods; again, by the
lust of sensual gratifications; and still again, by the unlawful and excessive
craving and seeking for human glory. There are people, my brethren, and
alas! their name is legion, who are so mastered by the passion for tem
poral goods, that nothing can arouse them to action, or command their
persevering efforts, save the prospect of making money or accumulating
real estate. Such men do everything through a motive of self-interest.
Wealth and luxury are the treasures of their hearts, on which their affec
tions are unalterably fixed; and to these idols (which alone they adore) they
sacrifice the eternal interests of both soul and body. Men of this descrip
tion are governed by the spirit of the world; and not only have not as yet
received the Holy Ghost, but what is more, they never can receive him, so
long as they remain in this miserable state. The words of our Blessed
Lord, himself: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into heaven," are specially applicable in this
case, since those who desire to become rich, fall into temptation, and into
the snares of the devil. It is only by constant vigilance, and a spirit of
earnest detachment, that those who live in the possession of wealth can
hope to save their souls; and for this reason, St. Paul wrote of old to Tim
othy: "Charge the rich of this world not to be high-minded, nor to hope
in uncertain riches, but in the living God (who giveth us abundantly all
things to enjoy); and to do good; to be rich in good works; to -distribute
readily; to communicate to others. To lay up in store for themselves a good
foundation against the time to come, that they may obtain true life."
(i. Tim. 6:17-20.) 

Others, caring little about riches, are bent on the gratifications of the
flesh; and imagine that they were created for no other purpose than the
enjoyment of sensual pleasure. Such unhappy creatures grovel in the
mire of impure passions, wallow, like swine, in the filth of their foul, crim
inal disorders. They forget the words and warning of the Inspired Writer
that no unclean person "hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ,
and of God, " (Ephes.5:5); and so they walk deliberately into the fire and
brimstone of eternal damnation, with that other vast throng of drunkards
and gluttons, of whom St. Paul says: "There are some whose God-is their
belly, and whose end is destruction." People of this description are ruled
by the spirit of the world. They have no spiritual discernment for higher
or holier things, and hence, the Apostle says: "The Spirit of God does not
dwell in them, because they have become flesh; and flesh has no part in
the kingdom of God." 

The third class, my dear brethren, comprises those whose whole satisfac
tion is in the good opinion of others; who, in short, "love the glory of
men more than the glory of God." (John 12:43.) Extremely delighted
with the (oftentimes false) homage of their fellow-creatures, their every
action and aim being directed towards calling forth fresh commendations,
praises and flatteries, these, my brethren, are the proud, vain, presumpt
uous, and arrogant people of whom it is written, that God resists their
prayer, while he gives grace to the humble. 

All these are ruled by the spirit of the world, and have nothing in
common with the Spirit of God. Reason, alone, should tell them, that
they are led astray by that false and sensual spirit; for, as the tree is known
by its fruits, so the spirit which rules man is clearly known by the manifest
fruits of his works. The votaries of the world are never satisfied with their
lot; on the contrary, the spirit which animates them, makes them every
day more uneasy and unhappy. "The eye is not satisfied with seeing,"
says the Wise Man, "nor is the ear filled with hearing," (Eccles. 1:8);
and the passions of these unhappy worldlings are as insatiable as they are
vile and powerful. He that has much, wishes to have more; and he that
is high, endeavors to climb still higher; and thus, those who are governed
by the spirit of the world are never happy. They seek happiness every
where except where it is alone to be found in God; and being constantly
and bitterly disappointed in their quest, they -frequently become weary of
life, and put a period to their own existence, appearing, unsummoned,
before the dread tribunal of their Judge. 

For this reason, at all times, my brethren, but particularly on this day,
there is no question more natural or more important than this: "Have I
received the Holy Ghost, or does the unholy spirit of the world rule me?"
Let us answer this question conscientiously by considering the fruits and
effects of the Holy Ghost. 

II. As the tree, so the fruit; as the spirit of man, so his works. 

Where the Holy Ghost is, there is love for divine truth; for that heavenly
Spirit elevates the mind of man, and opens the eyes of his soul to the pure
light from above. He awakens, in fine, a love for everything that God
has revealed. Where there is indifference in hearing the word of God,
carelessness and lukewarmness in observing it, and in the keeping of the
divine commandments; where another word is heard and listened to with
greater satisfaction, where the word of God has not yet become the treasure
of the heart, there, the Holy Ghost does not dwell. Such a criminal
indifference and coldness is a sure sign, that, even though a man belong
exteriorly to the number of the faithful, and share diligently in all their
external exercises, he is no true Christian at heart; he is, in effect, nothing
more or less than a hypocrite, since the very essence and soul of Chris
tianity, namely the Holy Ghost, is wanting to him. 

Where the Holy Ghost is, there is true charity. St. Paul says: "The
charity of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is
given to us. " (Rom. 5:5.) This festival, my dear brethren, proves the truth
of these words. The last vestige of selfishness and self-interest with which
the disciples of Jesus were infected to a greater or less degree, totally disap
peared the moment they received the Holy Ghost. None of them, thence
forth, thought of himself or of his own private advantage, but each, in his
turn, laid what he possessed at the feet of the Apostles. They were all ready
from that hour of Pentecostal grace to make a sacrifice, not only of their
goods but also of themselves, for the love of Jesus; to live no more to them
selves, because they lived and loved for God s sake alone. Where such
charity as this is found, there, my brethren, the Holy Ghost infallibly dwells.
But where there is no genuine charity, no pleasure in divine truths, there,
notwithstanding a multitude of external devotions and apparent virtues, the
soul possesses no true Christianity, since it is destitute of the Holy Ghost. 

Understand me well, my dear brethren, and know that when I speak of
the love which the Holy Ghost pours out into the hearts of the faithful, I
mean quite a different sort of love from that which the children of this world
have continually in their mouths and hearts. It is a love, which is not
based upon flesh and blood, but upon faith and hope; a love which resists
the desires of sensuality and subjects them to the commandments of God;
a love which constrains man cheerfully to fulfill the will of God and submit
to his ordinances: "He that loveth me," says Christ, "will keep my com
mandments," (John 14:23); and this, (he further gives us to understand,)
will cause his faithful follower neither trouble nor pain, for to such a one,
(he says with consoling tenderness,) "My yoke is sweet, and my burden is
light." (Matt, 11:30.) 

Where the Holy Ghost is, there is intrepid heroism and unwavering firm
ness in the cause of right. How timid and hesitating, how faint-hearted
and cowardly, were the Apostles before the coming of the Holy Ghost!
But after his descent upon them, on that first feast of Pentecost, their
timidity and faint-heartedness vanished; they gave testimony of, and for
Christ in the presence of the great and mighty of this world; they did not
shrink from tortures and death in defence of his name. They manifested,
in fine, the greatest intrepidity; no power upon earth being able to intim
idate them, or separate them from the love of Jesus. Such an unflinching
adherence to Christ and his Church, such a readiness to sacrifice everything
for the excellent love of Jesus, is the surest sign of the Holy Ghost s being
with us. Ask yourselves, then, my brethren, whether you have such a
readiness to sacrifice everything for the love of Jesus. Your habitual disposi
tions on this point will soon make known to you with certainty, whether you
have or have not received the Holy Ghost. Where that divine Spirit is,
dear Christians, there is true comfort and consolation in difficulties; true
light in doubtful affairs; for he is the inexhaustible fountain of comfort,
nay, the Comforter himself, as well as "the true Light which enlight-
eneth every man that cometh into this world." (John 1:9.) Before that
glorious feast of Pentecost, how often were the Apostles sad and dejected;
but how full of joy after they had received the Holy Ghost! They rejoiced
to suffer reproach and ignominy for the name of Jesus; or as the Apostle
says, "In all things we suffer tribulations, but are not distressed: we are
straitened, but are not destitute; we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken;
we are cast down, but perish not." (2. Cor 4:8, 9.) 

Where the Holy Ghost is, there is true peace. Jesus said to his Apostles
at the Last Supper: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not
as the world giveth, do I give to you." (John 14 :27.) The Holy Ghost
brings a three-fold peace into the heart of the faithful Christian; peace with
himself, peace with his neighbor, and peace with his God. Peace with
himself. Where the spirit of the world rules, one passion wages intestine
war against the other, and man is, and remains, divided in himself. But
where the Spirit of God dwells, there are calmness and sweet tranquillity; all
passions are subdued and subjected to the law of God; the flesh obeys the
Spirit, and the Christian enjoys a holy peace even in the midst of trials and
tribulations, which is a foretaste of the eternal peace to come. "There
remaineth a rest to the people of God." 

Secondly, he who possesses the Spirit of God lives at peace with others.
As the spirit of the world is the author and disseminator of discord and
disunion, and as it arms every man against his brother, (each selfishly seek
ing his own interest,) so it is proper to the Spirit of God to yield and give
to every one his own. Where the Holy Ghost is, there, my dear brethren,
is good will; and there the angels witness the verification of their words on
the birthnight of the Prince of Peace, "Peace on earth to men of good
will." 

Lastly, what is most essential and important of all, the Holy Ghost pro
duces in man that peace with God which passeth all understanding. He,
the Paraclete, he, the source and fountain of eternal Love, pours out true
charity into the hearts of the faithful, and with charity, reconciliation and
union with God. Witness the Apostle who says: "He that abidelh in charity
 abideth in God and God in him" (i. John 4: 16); and again: "You have
not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the
spirit of adoption of sons whereby we cry: Abba, Father." The children
of this world frequently extend to each other greetings of peace; and they
praise peace as the most precious of all treasures; but, governed as they
are by the unholy spirit of the world, they know not what it is to enjoy
true peace, since, there is no peace for the wicked, saith the Lord. Where
discord, hatred, enmity, envy, and the like, have their abode, there the
Holy Ghost cannot and does not dwell, for the fruits of that divine Spirit
are charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness,
faith, modesty, continency, and chastity. 

Now, in conclusion, my beloved brethren, ask yourselves, each one of
you, the same question with which we began our meditation: "Have you
received the Holy Ghost?" and pondering upon the matter I have proposed
for your consideration, answer it for yourselves sincerely and conscien
tiously. Blessed are you, if you can respond: "Yes, I have received the
Holy Spirit of God; I feel within me his love of divine truth, his charity,
his heroic courage and self-sacrifice, his consolation, his light, his three
fold peace!"  But if you have not yet received that holy Spirit of God,
(and this, my brethren, you will soon be able to determine by the presence
or absence of his celestial fruits,) let me assure you, that there is nothing
more necessary for you than to remove every obstacle to his approach, and
to fit yourselves for the reception of the good Spirit which our Lord has
promised to give to all that ask him. The Scriptures tell us that after the
Ascension of Christ into heaven, the Apostles, in company with our
Blessed Lady, persevered with one mind in prayer; and thereby, made
themselves worthy of receiving the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Imitate that
beautiful example, my dear brethren; take the advice of Jesus, pray with
out ceasing and unite your prayer to the pure prayers of the holy Mother
of God; and, while the Holy Ghost descends upon you with all his gifts
and graces, God will give you a store of healing unction here below, and
life everlasting hereafter in heaven. Amen.

First, some preliminaries. 1. Due to problems with my server I have not yet listed the following links on the pages indicated, but I hope to do so soon.  2. Since the demise of Microsoft Live Books many of the links on the various pages no longer work, though I have managed to find new links to quite a number of the effected publications. If you find a broken link I suggest going to Internet Archive and searching for the title there.  If you find what you’re looking for please send me a link in the combox of this post.  3. All the works linked to in this current post are in pdf format.

On the Philosophy Page one can find a link to THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY by Boethius.

On the Theology Page I’ve added a link to Boethius’ Treaty THE TRINITY. Likewise you can find a link to his Theological Tracts. I’ve also linked to two works by St Anselm on this page: CUR DEUS HOMO and PROSLOGIUM MONOLOGIUM (I’m uncertain if these two works should be on this page or, more properly, on the Philosophy Page. If anyone knows, please let me know).

For a long list of Catholic books available online in pdf format go HERE.

As I noted in previous posts, the demise of the Microsoft Live Book Service greatly effected many of the resources listed on the pages of this blog.  Some time back I was able to update most of the links on my Philosophy Page and, today, I have updated most of the effected links on my Biblical Studies page.

You can once again access online these books by Catholic scholars: F.X Durrwell’s seminal work THE RESURRECTION: A BIBLICAL STUDY; Yves Congar’s THE MYSTERY OF THE TEMPLE; Leopold Fonck’s THE PARABLES OF THE GOSPEL; and these works by Protestant authors: Bernhard Anderson’s UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT; and Wright and Fuller’s THE ACTS OF GOD.

Soon I will update both the Theology Page and the Church Fathers Page.

Due to the collapse of Microsoft Live Books I have been forced to find alternate sources to many of the books I link to on this site.  Today I have updated most of the effected links on the Bible Commentaries Page.  I have also added some commentaries on the Gospels written by Bishop john MacEvilly.

Microsoft’s live book search is now defunct, and users of the site were given barely a weeks notice. This means that many of the online books which I spent hours upon hours searching for in order to link to on this site are no longer available. I will try to find new links to these books but, obviously, this is going to take a lot of time. I don’t know which books listed on this site are from this Microsoft source, which means I will have to go through all the books listed to find them. Should a user click on a book which takes him/her to the Microsoft live search site, please tell me the title of the book in the comment box as this will aid me in my efforts.

I will continue to update my progress.

Update 1 05/26/08:  I have gone through the philosophy page and was able to find alternate sources for almost all of the effected books.  I was not as fortunate on the “Lives of Saints and Holy People page.”  Sometime soon I will begin working on the Theology page.

God’s mercy towards the penitent

“The heralds of the truth and ministers of divine grace, who have explained to us from the beginning right down to our own time each in his own day the saving will of God, say that nothing is so dear and loved by him as when men turn to him with true repentance.

Wishing to show that this is by far the most holy thing of all, the Divine Word of God the Father (the supreme and only revelation of infinite goodness) deigned to dwell with us in the flesh, humbling himself in a way no words can explain. He said, he did, and he suffered those things which were necessary to reconcile us, while we were yet enemies, with God the Father, and to call us back again to the life of blessedness from which we had been alienated. Not only did he heal our diseases with his miracles, and take away our infirmities by his sufferings, and, though sinless, pay our debt for us by his death like a guilty man. It was also his desire that we should aim to become like himself in love of men and in perfect mutual charity, and he taught us this in many ways.

He taught it when he proclaimed, ‘I came not to call the righteous but sinners, to repentance.’ And again, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’ He also said that he had come to seek and to save the lost sheep; and on another occasion, that he had been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In the same way, in the parable of the lost coin, he referred in a symbolic way to the fact that he had come to restore in men the royal likeness which had been lost by the evil-smelling filthiness of passions. Likewise, he said: ‘Just so, I tell you, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.’

He taught it when he brought relief, with oil, wine and bandages, to the man who had fallen among thieves and had been stripped of all his clothing and left half-dead from his injuries. Having placed him on his own beast, he entrusted him to the innkeeper; after paying what was needed for his care, he promised that when he came back he would repay whatever more was spent.

He taught it when ‘he said that the prodigal son’s all-loving father took pity on him and kissing him as he came running back repentant, clothed him once more with the beauty of his glory, and did not reproach him in any way for what he had done.

He taught it when he found the sheep which had strayed from the divine flock of a hundred, wandering over hills and mountains. He did not drive it or beat it but brought it back to the fold. In his mercy, placing it on his shoulders, he restored it, with compassion, unharmed to the rest of the flock.

He taught it when he cried, ‘Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’, and ‘Take my yoke upon you.’ By ‘yoke’ of course he meant ‘commandments’ or a life lived according to the principles of the gospel; by ‘burden’ he meant the labour which repentance seems to involve. ‘For my yoke,’ he says, ‘is easy and my burden light.’

Again teaching divine righteousness and goodness he commanded, ‘Be holy, be perfect, be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful’, and, ‘Forgive and it shall be forgiven you’’ and ‘whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them’.“  Source

On the Spirituality Page I have added under todays date the DirectoriumAsceticum, or Guide to the Spiritual Life, by John Baptist Scarmelli. On the Church History Page I have added a work entitled Luther and Lutherdom, by Heinrich Denifle. On the Catholic Sermon Page I have added a number of sermons under the heading Miscellaneous Sermons. Some of the titles include St Bernard’s Advent and Christmas Sermons, and Sermons from Bossuet and Others. Bossuet was, of course, a great preacher, as were the “others.”

On the Bible Commentaries Page I have posted two works by Father Charles Jerome Callan: THE FOUR GOSPELS; and THE EPISTLES OF ST PAUL, VOLUME 1.  I’ve also posted links to Bernardine de Piconio’s two volume work AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLES OF ST PAUL.  Finally, I’ve posted a link to P.V. Higgins COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

Say the Hail Mary

O Lord, open Thou my lips
And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save me
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father….

Psalm 67 Deus misereatur.

1.  God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and show us he light of His countenance, and be merciful unto us;
2.  That thy way may be know upon the earth, Thy power that save among the nations.
3.  Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the people Praise Thee.
4.  O let the nations be glad and rejoice; for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth.
5.  Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee.
6.  Then shall all the earth ring forth her increase; and God, even our own God, shall give us His blessing.
7.  God shall bless us; and all the ends of the world shall fear Him.  Glory be to the Father…

Psalm 93 Diominus regnavit

1.  The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel; the Lord hath put on His apparel, and girded Himself with strength.
2.  He hath made the round world so sure, that it can not be moved.
3.  Ever since the world began hath Thy seat been prepared; Thou art from everlasting.
4.  The floods are risen, O Lord, the floods have lift up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
5.  The waves of the sea are mighty, and rage horribly; but yet the Lord, who dwelleth on high, is mightier.
6.  Thy testimonies, O Lord, are very sure; holiness becometh Thine house forever. Glory be to the father…

Psalm 100 Jubilate Deo

1.  O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before His presence with a song.
2.  Be ye sure that the Lord He is God; It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
3.  O go your way into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and speak good of His Name.
4.  For the Lord is gracious , His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth from generation to generation.  Glory be to the Father…

Canticle of Zechariah, the prophet 2:10

1  Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.
2.  And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day; and shall My people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee.
3.  And thou shalt know the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee.
4.  And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
5.  Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord; for He is raised up out of His holy habitation.  Glory be to the Father…

Psalm 150 Laudate Dominum

1.   O praise God in His holiness; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
2.  Praise Him in His noble acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
3.  Praise Him in the sound of the trumpet; praise him upon the lute and harp.
4.  Praise Him in the cymbals and dances; praise Him upon the strings and pipe.
5.  Praise Him upon the well-tuned cymbals; praise Him upon the loud cymbals,
6.  Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.  Glory be to the Father…

The Little Chapter Jeremiah the prophet 31:22

The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth; a woman shall encompass a man.
Thanks be to God.

Hymn O Gloriosa Foemina

O Glorious Woman, raised on high
Above the orbs that deck the sky,
Who dist thine own Creator blest
Feed at thy pure and holy breast.

What hapless Eve from man had ta’en,
Thy gracious Seed restores again,
That mourners o’er the stars may rise,
Thou shew’st an entrance to the skies.

Gate of the King that rules the height,
Refulgent Portal of the Light;
The Virgin Mother life doth bring,
Ye ransomed nations shout and sing.
Let gory everlasting be,
O Lord, Thou Virgin’s So, to Thee,
With Father and Paraclete,
To endless ages, as is meet.  Amen.

The Lord has remembered His mercy.
And truth toward the  House of Israel.

Song of Zechariah The Benedictus

ant. Blessed is she that believed. 

Blessed be the Lord God of israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people;
and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, in the House of His servant David;
As He spoke y the mouth of His holy Prophets; which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember His holy Covenant;
To perform the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham, that he would give us;
That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve Him without fear.
In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called Prophet of the most Highest; for thous shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His way;
To give knowledge of salvation unto His people for the remission of their sins.
Through the ender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.  Glory be to the Father…

ant. Blessed is she that believed: for there shall  be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.

The Lord be with you/ ajnd with your spirit.

Let us pray:
O  God, Who didst will that Thy Word should take flesh, in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, at the message of the Angel:  grant unto  Thy humble servants that we, who verily believe her to be the Mother of God, may be helped by her intercession with Thee.  Through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen

Commemoration of the Holy Cross

ant.  Christ bore our sins in His own Body on the Tree, that we, eing dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.
He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.
Let us pray:

O Lord, we beseech The to keep in continual peace us, whom Thou hast been pleased to redeem by the Wood of the Holy Cross, Who livest and reignest God, world without end.  Amen.

Commemoration of All Saints

ant.  These are before the Throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them.
They shall ever be giving thanks, because Thou defendest them.
They that love Thy Name shall be joyful in Thee.

Commemoration of Peace

Ant.  God, Who dealeth with us according to His mercy, grant us joyfulness of heart, and that peace may be in our days.
The Lord shall  give strength unto His people.The Lord shall give His people the blessing of peace.

Let us Pray:
O God, from Whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments, and also that by Thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.  (Excerpted from the Paris Psalter.   A Public Domain book).

What follows is from St Thomas Aquinas’ Compendium of the Summa Theologica.  It is a simplified form of the five proofs for the existence of God, which St Thomas treats of in the Prima Pars (first part) of the Summa Theologica, Question 2, which can be read HERE.  St Thomas treats of the subject in a much fuller fashion in the Summa Contra Gentiles, chapters 3-13 which can be read HERE  (see especially chapters 10-13)
That God exists is in itself a self-evident truth; but it is not so to us who do not see the Essence of God; and it requires to be proved by those things which are more known to us as regards ourselves and less known in their nature, that is, by effects.  Although we know God in a general way, we do not therefore know Him absolutely.  It is possible to demonstrate the Existence of God by effects, which are more known to us than their cause, for effects, which are more known to us than their cause, for effects being granted, a pre-existing cause there must be; and we call this demonstratio quia, not propter quid, for not even by effects do we know the Essence of God.

The Existence of God may be shown by five proofs.  The first is drawn from the principle of motion.  It is evident to our senses that motion exists.  Whatever is moved must be moved by some external agent.  Nothing is moved unless it is in potentiality (in potentia) to its term of motion.  Motion is made accordingly as things are changed from the potential to the actual, and this requires some actual agent to move them from the potential state.  Since it cannot be that anything should be both potential and actual as regards the same order, it follows that the mover and the moved cannot be identical.  Thus, not to go on indefinitely, we must come at last to a First Cause immovable of motion; and there we find God.

The Second Proof consists in the order of Efficient Causes in sensible objects.  Nothing can be its own efficient cause, for then it would exist before itself.  In every order of being the first is the cause of the intermediate, and this latter the cause of the ultimate; so that if the cause e removed the effect ceases to be, and if the first is gone there can e neither the intermediate nor the ultimate.  Hence, not to proceed indefinitely, there must be a First Efficient Cause; and there too we find God.

The Third Proof is taken from possible and necessary things.  Some things may be or not be; they are possible, as they are subject to generation and decomposition; but everything could not be always thus, for what is not necessary at some time is not.  If, therefore, all things may possily not be, at some time there must have been nothing; and if this be true even now, there would be nothing, for what is not can only exist by that which is.  All things, therefore, are not mere possibilities in their origin; there must exist some necessary thing.  But whatever is necessary, either has cause for its necessity or it has not; and, not to proceed indefinitely, as regards necessary things with a cause for their being necessary, we are obliged to postulate something necessary in itself with no cause for its necessity, but itself the cause to other things of their necessity; and this is God.

The Fourth Proof proceeds from our finding some things better than others.  A thing is said to be more or less as it approaches to that which is called the most.  There exists, therefore, something which is best and truest, the source to things of all goodness and truth, and of all their other perfections; and this we call God.

The Fifth Proof is drawn from the idea of government.  Some things are without understanding, yet they work for an end, because often and always they work in the same way to obtain the best end; hence it is evident that they attain the end not by chance, but by intention; and since they must act towards the end not by their own but by some one’s knowledge, they reach the end because they are directed by an Intelligent Being.  There must, therefore, be such an Intelligent Being Who directs all natural things to their end; and Him we call God.