ight in silence through
Each successive hour;
Lord, brighten our declining day,
That it may never wane
Till death, when all things round decay,
Brings back the morn again.
This grace on Thy redeemed confer,
Father, Co-equal Son,
And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Eternal Three in One--Amen."
(St. Ambrose's hymn, translated by Cardinal
Newman).

TEXTS AND INTENTIONS TO AID THE PIOUS RECITATION OF NONE.

1. "Come down from the cross" (St. Matthew, c. 27).

2. "Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom" (St.
Matthew, c. 23).

3. "My God, my God, why has Thou forsaken me?" (St. Matthew, c. 27).

_General Intentions_. All the intentions of the Sacred Heart; the
conversion of Britain; the Church in America.

_Personal Intentions_. Fervour in preparation for Mass; fervour in
thanksgiving after Mass; fidelity to professional duties and studies.

_Special Intentions_. The temporal welfare of Ireland; to beg a blessing
on her priests; to beg a blessing on her Church students; to beg a
blessing on her Catholic laity; to beg a blessing on her
elementary schools.

CHAPTER IV.

VESPERS AND COMPLINE.

_Etymology_. The word _vespers_ comes directly from the Latin _Vesper_;
_Vespera_ or _Espera_ was a name given to the star Venus, which rising
in the evening was a call to prayer. This Hour is recited after None and
before Compline. In structure, it resembles Lauds, Pater Noster, Ave,
Gloria, Five Psalms with antiphons, Capitulum, Hymn, Versicle, antiphon,
Magnificat, antiphon and collect.

It had several synonymous names. It was called _Duodecima Hora_
(Antiphonary of Bangor), because it was said at the twelfth hour of the
day, six o'clock, or, perhaps, the name came from the twelve psalms
which made up the Hour in some churches. It was known, too, by the names
_Lucernarium, hora lucernalis_, the hour of the candles; because at this
hour a number of candles were lighted, not only to shed light but for
symbolic purposes. It was sometimes referred to as _hora incensi_, from
the custom of burning incense at this evening service, and sometimes it
is called _gratiarum actio_ (St. Isidore), because it gives thanks to
God for the graces given during the day. It came to mean not the evening
Hour, but the sunset Hour. And in the sixth century it was celebrated
before daylight had gone and before there was any need for artificial
light. I