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God, says the Psalmist, would have the people rejoice
and sing, at the beginning of the new month, as did
the Hebrews when they went from Egypt. The first
Gradual praises the glory of the Most High who deigns
to stoop to His poor creatures ; the SECOND extols the
happiness of the people whose leader is God and who
glory in being chosen as His inheritance. The Offertory
inspires the penitent soul with the desire of meditating
on the divine precepts, and of lovingly observing them.
The Communion invites the faithful to make use of
the heavenly gifts in which the Lord wills to be the
support of His children.
CHAPTER XXII
Ember Friday in September.
Station at the Church of the twelve Apostles.
Sources of the
liturgy ; Introit, Ps. civ, 3-4 and 1. Epistle, Osee, xiv,
2-10. Gradual, LXXXIX, 13 and 1. Gospel, St. Luke, vii,
36-50. Offertory, Ps. en, 2-5. Communion, Ps. cxvni, 22.
The Lessons of the Mass for this Ember Friday
teach us that to REPENTANT SINNERS the most abundant
BLESSINGS are promised. In the Epistle the Prophet,
Osee, invites the people of Israel to rise up after their fall
into sin, and to return to the Lord. The giving up of
their idols and their conversion to God will be for ajl
the starting point of a new life which is symbolized by