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offices.

It is at Vespers on the seven days before Christmas Eve that the Church's
longing finds its noblest expression--in the antiphons known as the
"Great O's," sung before and after the "Magnificat," one on each day. "O
Sapientia," runs the first, "O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of
the Most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily and sweetly
ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence." "O Adonai,"
"O Root of Jesse," "O Key of David," "O Day-spring, Brightness of Light
Everlasting," "O King of the Nations," thus the Church calls to her Lord,
"O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations, and their
Salvation: come and save us, O Lord our God."{4}

At last Christmas Eve is here, and at Vespers we feel the nearness of the
great Coming. "Lift up your heads: behold your redemption draweth nigh,"
is the antiphon for the last psalm. "To-morrow shall be done away the
iniquity of the earth," is the versicle after the Office Hymn. And before
and after the "Magnificat" the Church sings: "When the sun shall have
risen, ye shall see the King of kings coming forth from the Father, as a
bridegroom out of his chamber."

Yet only with the night office of Matins does the glory of the festival
begin. There is a special fitness at Christmas in the Church's keeping
watch by night, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, and the office is full
of the poetry of the season, full of exultant joy. To the "Venite,
exultemus Domino" a Christmas note is added by the oft-repeated
Invitatory, "Unto us the Christ is born: O come, let us adore Him."
Psalms follow--among them the three retained by the Anglican Church in
her Christmas Matins--and lessons from the Old and New Testaments and the
homilies of the Fathers, interspersed with Responsories bringing home to
the faithful the wonders of the Holy Night. Some are almost dramatic;
this, for instance:-- |93|

"Whom saw ye, O shepherds? speak; tell us who hath appeared on the earth.
We saw the new-born Child, and angels singing praise unto the Lord.
Speak, what saw ye? and tell us of the birth of Christ.
We saw the new-born Child, and angels singing praise unto the Lord."

It is the wonder of the Incarnation, the marvel of the spotless Birth,
the song of the Angels, the coming down from heaven of true peace, the
daybreak of redemption and everlasting joy, the glory of the
Only-begotten, now beheld by men--the supernatural side, in fact, o