Dies Iræ, Dies Illa. BY THOMAS VON CELANO-A. D. 1256. Dies Iræ, Dies Illa, Tuba mirum spargens sonum, Mors stupebit et Natura, Liber scriptus proferetur, Quid sum miser tunc dicturus, Juste judex ultionis, Ingemisco tanquam reus, Oro supplex et acclinis, Huic ergo, parce Deus! Judgment Hymn. BY REV. C. Z.WEISER, PENNSBURG, PA., A.D., 1875. Day of Judgment-Day of urning, Mary Thou didst grant remittance; I too trust in Thine assistance. E'en my prayers are unavailing, And spare me eternal wailing. Let me with Thy Sheep find pasture- At Thy Right Hand, Gracious Master! Suppliant, I pray prostrated, In Thee see me consummated. Day of Sorrow, sighs and weeping, Jesus, Merciful and Holy, Be Thou Man's Deliverer solely. And let Grace reign e'er and wholly. Amen. FEBRUARY 7. GOSPEL LESSONS. LESSON VI. Quinquagesima Sunday. St. Luke xviii. 31-43. 31. Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33. And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. $5. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side begging; 36. And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 1875. 37. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 39. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 40. And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41. Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. QUESTIONS. Why is this Sunday called Quinquagesima? To what events in the life of our Divine Redeemer are we now to look forward? With what festival will this season of the church year close? 31. Who are meant by the twelve? What were their names? What is meant by the expression, He took" the twelve? Was it usual for Him to talk to them privately? What did He say to them in last Sunday's lesson? Luke viii. 10. Of what did He now tell them? Why go to Jerusalem? Had any of these things been foretold? By what prophets? Ps. xxii., Is. 1. 6, liii. chap., Hos. vi. 2. Had the death and resurrection of Christ been prefigured in any other way than in words? John iii. 14; Matt. xii. 40. Who is our true Passover? 1 Cor. v. 7. 32. Who were the Gentiles? How was Christ to be treated? To what particular people of the Gentiles was Christ delivered? 33. In what was their cruelty to end? What was He to do on the third day? 34. Did the disciples understand these things when told of them? Mark ix. 32; Luke ix. 45. Were not the words of Christ very plain? Why were these things hid from their eyes? When only did they come to a more perfect understanding of them? Luke xxiv. 44; John xii. 16, xiv. 25-26. 35. To what place did Jesus now draw nigh? Where was Jericho? Who sat by the wayside? For what purpose? 36. How did the blind man know that Jesus was passing by? 37. What did the multitude call our Lord? What does the word Jesus mean? Why did they call Him Jesus of Nazareth? Was He often thus called? Had this been predicted? Matt. ii. 23. Was any one coming from Nazareth looked upon with favor? John i. 46. 38. To Whom did the blind man cry? What did he call Him? Was the Son of David a title of the Messiah? Whose seed was Christ to be? Did the Jews know this? Matt. xxii. 42. On what other occasions was Christ called by this title? Matt. xv. 22, xxi. 9. Were the Pharisees pleased to hear this title given to Jesus? What better motive may the common people have had in asking the blind man to hold his peace? For what did the blind man ask? Did he mean to ask for common alms? 39. What did the multitude do? Did the blind man cease his prayer? 40. What did Jesus do? 41. What did He ask him? What did the blind man now call Him? What did he ask of our Lord? 42. What did Jesus say? What is meant by Thy faith hath saved thee? Did the blind man receive his sight? What had been predicted of Christ? Is. lxi. Did Jesus ever refer to this? Luke iv. 18-21. What did the blind man do when he received his sight? What did the multitude do? What different kinds of blindness are spoken of in the Bible? What one is referred to in the first part of this lesson? ver. 34. Are we not all in darkness, by nature? Who is the Light of the world? What promise is given to us? John viii. 12. Can we know Christ, or understand His word without the help of the Holy Ghost? 1 Cor. xii. 3; John xvi. 13-14. What effect should His grace have on us? CATECHISM. VI. Lord's Day. 16. Why must He be very man, and also perfectly righteous? Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature, which hath sinned, should likewise make satisfaction for sin, and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others. 17. Why must He in one person be also very God? That He might, by the power of His Godhead, sustain, in His human nature, the burden of God's wrath; and might obtain for and restore to us, righteousness and life. 18. Who, then, is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, and a real righteous man? Our Lord Jesus Christ; "who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 19. Whence knowest thou this? From the holy Gospel, which God Himself revealed first in Paradise; and afterwards published by the Patriarchs and Prophets, and was pleased to represent it by the shadows of sacrifices, and the other ceremonies of the law; and lastly has accomplished it by His only begotten Son. COMMENTS.-Quinquagesima, or fifti- try. It was an obscure place, from eth day before Easter. Now our Divine which it was thought nothing good or Redeemer openly declares to His apos-great could come. (John i. 46.) Yet it tles His approaching death. 31. Behold we go. He does not shun the sufferings that lie before Him; nor is He led as an unwilling victim to the sacrifice, but knowing all things that await Him there, He steadfastly sets His face to go to Jerusalem, and takes His disciples with Him, that they may be witnesses of His death and resurrection. Jerusalem. The Holy City-the centre of all the religious services of the Jews, and the appointed place of sacrifice. He goes there to fulfil all the prophecies, and to make the great sacrifice of which all others were but types. This was the paschal season. 32. Delivered to the GENTILES.-The Jews delivered Christ to the Roman authorities, who then had the power of condemning to death. Thus the prophecy was fulfilled. 34. They understood none of these things. While Christ had a clear apprehension of the meaning of the prophecies, and of their approaching fulfillment, the disciples could not understand these things when He had plainly announced them. A false idea of His glory hid the necessity for His humiliation. His glory rested in His resurrection from the dead, and this of necessity implied His sacrifice. These things could be understood by them only in the light of the acts themselves, under the illumination of the Spirit. (John xvi. 12-23, xii. 16; Luke xxiv. 25 -27, 44-46. Jericho.-A town in the plain of the same name. It was six miles west from the Jordan, and near the site of the ancient city of Jericho. The Jericho here mentioned, after Jerusalem, was the great station of the priests and Levites, who came in turns to Jerusalem to serve the temple. Considerable intercourse existed, in consequence, between it and the capital, and the way was thronged near the time of the Passover. It was a place where those asking alms would be likely to go. 36. The multitude.-Going to the Passover, not knowing that they had the Paschal Lamb with them. 37. Jesus of Nazareth.-Nazareth was a town in Galilee, in which Joseph and Mary resided, and where our Lord dwelt until the commencement of His minis was predicted that Jesus should be called a "Nazarene," or "of Nazareth," as He was, Matt. ii. 23, xxi. 11; Luke iv. 34; John xviii. 5. It became a term of reproach. 38. Son of David.-This stands in contrast with Jesus of Nazareth. It was the Messianic title. David means, “the beloved." David was, by pre-eminence the Theocratic King, and from his loins the Christ of God was to come. (Zech. xiii. 1; Luke i.32,69.) And so this appellation was given to Jesus, by those who hoped for salvation through Him. (Matt. ix. 27, xxi. 9). Have mercy.This cry was for more than ordinary alms. It expressed a dawning faith, and recognized the superiority of Jesus, whose presence always enlarges desire. 39. Rebuked Him.-The. Pharisees were always jealous of the title Son of David, when applied to Christ; (Comp. Matt. xxi. 15 with Luke xix. 39,) but the common people who heard Him gladly, may have simply desired that His discourse should not be interrupted, or their comfort disturbed. 41. What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?-Intended to bring out clearly the object of petition, to elicit faith and confession, and to attract attention to the Person of Christ. This last is one great design, and result of all His wonderful works. (See ver. 43, also John ii. 11; Matt. viii. 27). 42. Receive thy sight.-(See Isaiah lxi. 1; Luke iv. 18.) The miracles of the Lord were all redemptive in their nature, i. e., they cured men instead of afflicting them, and were but the earnest and beginning of the salvation from all our miseries, which He was to accomplish by the death and resurrection He had just announced, and to which He was going. Thy faith hath saved thee.This does not mean that there is any merit in faith, apart from the mystery of grace that confers it (See Eph. ii. 8.) But God requires faith, and rewards it. 43. The blind man and all the people praised God for this act of His love. The great and crowning act of His love was going to Jerusalem to die and rise again. (John iii. 16; 1 John iv. 9-10; 2 Cor. v. 14-15.) First Sunday in Lent. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 3. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: St. Matthew iv. 1-11. 1875. and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest 8. Again, the devil taketh him up into an 9. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. QUESTIONS. 1. What great event in the life of our Lord | Did Satan quote the whole passage? What did he omit? May the Scriptures thus be per- 7. What did Jesus reply? Where is this ent What did Christ come to restore? 2. How long did Jesus fast? What other examples of forty days' fasting have we? (Deut. ix. 9; 1 Kings xix. 8.) What is said of Christ at the end of this time? How had it become possible for Christ to be hungered? With what exception did He become like unto us? (Heb. iv. 15.) 3. What did the tempter say to Him? What was the object of this? Did He ever use His Divine power to raise Himself above the wants of man? If He had done so, could He have known our infirmities? 4. Vlll.3, written? 4. What did Jesus answer? Where is this Are God's resources limited by what we call the laws of the natural world? Did Christ triumph in our nature? 5. Where did the devil then take Christ? What was the name of the holy city? What temple was there? 6. What did the tempter then say? What was the object of this temptation? Why did he say Christ might cast Himself down? Where is this written? (Ps. xci. 11-12.) Did not this whole Psalm apply to Christ as the Perfect Man? 8. Where did the devil next take Jesus? What did he show Him? Did not the wicked one thus exclude the kingdom of God and His glory? (John xviii. 36.) 9. What did the devil offer Christ? What did he claim? (Luke iv. 6.) What is he called? (John xii. 31; Eph. ii. 2; 2 Cor. iv. 4; Rev. xiii. 9.) To whom had God given this lordship? How did man lose it? Through Whom is he to regain it? 10. What reply did Jesus make to the tempter? What does He call him? What does "Satan mean? What did Christ say to him? Where is this written? Whom alone must we serve ? 11. What now took place? What contrast was there between the actions of Satan and the angels? What is meant by ministered? Where else do we read of angels ministering to our Saviour? (Luke xxii. 43.) What benefit do we receive from Christ's vic- Is temptation in itself sin? When does it 20. Are all men, then, as they perished in | faith, briefly teach us. No, only those who are ingrafted into Him, and receive all His benefits by a true faith. 21. What is true faith? True faith is not only a certain knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word, but also an assured confidence, which the Holy Ghost works by the gospel in my heart; that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sin, everlasting righteousness, and salvation, are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits. 22. What is then necessary for a Christian to believe? All things promised us in the gospel, which the articles of our Catholic, undoubted Christian 23. What are these articles? I. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: II. And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord: III. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: V. The third day he rose from the dead: VI. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: VII. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. VIII. I believe in the Holy Ghost: IX. I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints: X. The forgiveness of sins: XI. The resurrection of the body: XII. And the life everlasting. Amen. COMMENTS.-First Sunday in Lent. Lent commences with Ash Wednesday. "The designation, no doubt, arose from the custom of sprinkling ashes upon the heads of penitents. As this day opened the specific penitential season of the year, it gathered to itself in a particular way this general custom, pursued in reference to penitents in all seasons, and thus drew to itself, naturally, this title." Invocavit.-General Remark.-The names given to Sundays were often taken from the first word of the Latin Psalm with which the service was commenced. In this case it was the 91st Psalm, which beautifully harmonizes with the scene of the temptation. 1. Then.-After His baptism,-not merely denoting succession of time, but the Divine order in which the events of our Lord followed each other. Having now been recognized as the SON of the FATHER, and inaugurated to His official work, He is led forth as the Second Adam, to test His power with the enemy who had defeated the first Adam in the Garden of Eden. Led of the Spirit. The Spirit of God. Into the wilderness. A waste and desolate place, made so by sin, (Gen. iii. 17,) and standing in historical contrast with the beauty and fullness of Paradise. Supposed to refer here to the dreary region that "goeth up from Jericho;" infested by wild beasts. (Mark i. 13.) Contrast this with original lordship of man. (Gen. i. 28.) Tempted.-Tried to see if He would yield to evil as the first Adam had done. The devil.-Not a suggestion from the heart of the Sinless One; nor yet simply an impersonal influence or evil principle, but the Wicked One-the Head of the dark and malign kingdom of sin, whom Christ called the "prince of this world," and whose works He came to destroy. 11; Deut. ix. 25; Jonah iii. 4; Ezek. iv.6.) In view of this the Quadragesimal fast of the Church, hence, this gospel for this first Sunday. Hungered.-Felt the want of food painfully. 3. The object of the temptation was to induce our Lord to use His Divine power for personal objects; to forego His mission as Redeemer, involving as it did, suffering and death, for worldly ease and glory. If Thou be the Son of God.-A false echo of the declaration of the Father, "This is my beloved Son." Command.-Speak in order that these stones be made bread. A false appeal to the Divinity of Christ. It was "Prove your Sonship by relieving your necessities." To have complied would have defeated His work. If, when the pressure of suffering came upon Him, He had fallen back on His Divine power, and thus exempted Himself from our suffering, He would not have come under our load. This temptation was like the taunt, "If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." Obedience to it would have stopped short of His death and resurrection, without which there could be no salvation for man. 4. Instead of separating Himself from the lot of our race, and putting forth His power as the Son of God, He says, Man shall not live by bread alone. He will not detach Himself from the humanity He had taken on Himself, but will conquer in it. But by every word, &c. God Himself the nourisher, and His resources not exhausted or limited, Deut. viii. 3. 5-6. Whole line of assault is changed from distrust of God to presumption. Pinnacle of the temple.-A representative place. Christ is here asked not to give up the Messiahship, but to accept it according to Jewish conceptions of it. 2. Fasted forty days.-Not by an ex-" Be Thou acknowledged the Christ at ercise of His Divine power, which would rob the transaction of its meaning; but upheld during that time by the tide of spiritual joy received in His baptism, and in the recognition of His Father. For slighter incident of same kind, see John iv. 31-34. For forty days. (See Deut. ix. 9; 1 Kings xix. 8.) The number forty in Scripture is the signature of penalty and affliction (Gen. vii. 4-12; Num. xiv. 33, xxxii. 13-14; Ps. xcv. 10; Deut. xxv. 3; Ezek. xxix. once. Give of Thy own free accord that 'sign from heaven,' which those who may accept or reject Thee, will demand. Descend with a pomp of angels upbearing Thee, in the midst of an admiring people. Thou art the Christ, Why take the long and tedious way of recognition? Why consent to be despised and rejected-bringing all Thou wilt bring of evil on Thyself, and on them that reject Thee, when, by one noble venture of faith, having, moreover, |