om one part of the heaven unto the other, so is the coming of
the Son of Man.

"Quickly they pass, for they are as the words of Moses, when the Lord
came down in the cloud, calling on the name of the Lord as He passed by,
'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and generous, long suffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth.' And as Moses on the mountain, so we,
too, make haste and bow our heads to the earth and adore.

"So we, all around, each in his place, look for the great Advent
'waiting for the moving of the water,' each in his place, with his own
heart, with his own wants, with his own prayers, separate but
concordant, watching what is going on, watching its progress, uniting in
its consummation; not painfully, and hopelessly following a hard form of
prayer from beginning to end, but like a concert of musical instruments
each different, but concurring in sweet harmony, we take our post with
God's priest, supporting him, yet guided by him. There are little
children there, and old men, and simple laborers, and students in
seminaries, priests preparing for Mass, priests making their
thanksgiving, there are innocent maidens, and there are penitent
sinners; but out of these many minds rises one Eucharistic hymn, and the
great action is the measure and the scope of it."

The Practices of the Catholic Church

I. Vespers and Benediction

"Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day" (_Ex_. xx. 8).

THIS commandment teaches us that God wills the whole Sunday to be spent
in His honor. We should sanctify it by good works, and by assisting at
divine service. On that day servile works and improper amusements are
forbidden. A salutary rest and moderate recreation are allowed, but
never at the expense of duties of obligation. After hearing Mass on
Sunday morning, which is obligatory on all Catholics, there is no better
way of sanctifying the remainder of the day than by attending Vespers
and Benediction.

The Vesper service is a small portion of the divine office, which
priests must recite daily, for God's honor and glory. It consists of
five of the psalms of David (Dixit Dominus, Ps. 109; Confitebor tibi,
Ps. 110; Beatus vir, Ps. 111; Laudate pueri, Ps. 112; In exitu Israel,
Ps. 113, or Laudate Dominum, Ps. 116), a hymn, the Magnificat, or
canticle of the Virgin Mary, from the first chapter of St. Luke, and
some prayers. Is it not reasonable thus to praise God in psalms and
hymns and spiritual canticles?

Benediction