received in the eleventh century, whilst the May
feast was rooted in the Western Church very many years before that time.

The antiphons and hymns of this Office are, it is said, amongst the
most beautiful and sublime prayers of our liturgy.

_The Apparition of St. Michael_. The cultus of the holy angels is of
Jewish origin and existed in the Christian Church from the beginning. In
St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians (modern _Khonus on the Lycus_) he
speaks of this devotion and of the attempts of a Gnostic sect to spread
false doctrines on this point (Col. ii, 18). Although the evil wrought
was long lived, true devotion to the angels was practised in Colossae
and there the Archangel Michael appeared. In honour of this apparition,
the festival of St. Michael in September was established. Devotion to
the Archangel was of very early date in Rome and in the Western Church
generally. Masses in his honour are found in the oldest Roman
Sacramentary (483-492); and in these he is mentioned by name in prayers
and prefaces. The May feast was instituted in the sixth century, to
commemorate a second apparition near Sipontum on Monte Gargano, which
took place on the 8th May, 520.

_June 29. Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul_. There always has been a
constant tradition in Rome that these two saints suffered martyrdom on
the same day, 29th June, and it is only natural that this day should be
kept with great devotion and solemnity at Rome. In the East, feasts in
honour of these martyrs were held at different seasons, Christmas,
February and Epiphany. The day was kept in many places as a solemn
holiday, servile works being prohibited. But in Rome, devotion was
closely connected with the date and with the exact places of martyrdom.
"Owing to the distance which separated the two churches of the apostles
from each other, it was most fatiguing to celebrate Mass at both places,
and so in course of time the festival was divided into two parts, and
the Mass in honour of St. Paul took place on the 3Oth June."

_July. The Visitation_. This feast was probably originated by the
Franciscans in the thirteenth century. It certainly was preached and
spread by their zeal. It is mentioned amongst Franciscan records bearing
date 1263. It was kept in different places at different dates. In Paris
it was kept in April. In 1850 Pius IX. raised this feast to the rank of
a double of the second class, to thank God for having, on this day, 2nd
July, freed Rome