rd Jesus Christ crucified, to the
fruitful virginity of the most glorious Mary ever a
Virgin, and to the company of all the saints, be
given by every creature, eternal praise, honour,
power and glory, and to us the remission of all our
sins. Amen. Blessed be the womb of the Virgin
Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father.
And blessed be the breasts which gave suck to
Christ our Lord."

TEXT AND INTENTIONS TO AID THE PIOUS RECITATION OF COMPLINE.

1. "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."

2. "It is finished."

3. "For this Thou hast redeemed us, O God of truth."

_General Intentions._ The spread of the faith; the Pope; the Church in
France and in Spain; for the Church in Australia.

_Personal Intentions._ A happy death; fervour in administering the last
sacraments; devotion to St. Joseph, patron of a happy death.

_Special Intentions,_ For the sick poor of Ireland; for persons dying
without the last sacraments; for those dying all alone; for
dying sinners.

THE LITTLE OFFICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, (TITLE XXXVII.).

_Origin._ This Office dates from the eighth century at least. Pope
Gregory II. (715-731) and Pope Gregory III. (731-741) ordered the monks
to say this little Office in addition to their great Office. The
practice was observed by St. John Damascene (676-787) and by St. Peter
Damien (1007-1072).This usage was confined to monasteries only. At the
end of the eleventh century the practice became almost universal. Pope
Urban II. (1088-1099) besought the special aid of the Blessed Virgin in
his crusade against the Turks and recommended all clerics to recite the
little Office. Provincial councils prescribed its use and some canonists
held it to be obligatory. However, the Bull _Quod a nobis_ of Pope Pius
V. (9 July, 1568) removed all obligation of the private recital of this
Office, but he exhorted all to continue the practice and granted
indulgences for its recitation.

PART IV.

NOTES ON SOME FEASTS.

CHAPTER I.

PROPER OF THE TIME.

ADVENT.

_Advent_ (Latin, _advenire_, to come to) is a period beginning with the
Sunday nearest to the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30) and embracing
four Sundays. In the early Church there was a divergence of date and
practice in Advent celebration. Thus, in France it began on St. Martin's
Day (11 November) and ended with Christmas, France kept Advent with
tri-weekly fasts. R