573. THE REPROACHES. AN ANTHEM FOR GOOD-FRIDAY. Reminding us of God's unwearied love, and man' sore ingratitude, and that his only answer can be ut tered in a cry for r ercy. V. (Priest.) O, My people, what have I done unto thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Me. Answer Because I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Saviour. R. (By all.) Holy God, Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal: have mercy upon us. V. Because I led thee through a wilderness forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Saviour, R. Holy God, &c. V. What could I have done more for thee that I Lave not done? I planted thee indeed My choicest vine and thou hast turned for Me into exceeding bitterness thou gavest vinegar to quench My Thirst, and piercedst with a lance the Side of thy Saviour. R. Holy God, &c. V. O My people what have I done unto thee? or wherein have I wearied Thee? Answer Me. For thy sake I scourged Egypt with its firstborn: and Thou didst deliver Me to be scourged. R. Holy God, &c. This response is to be repeated after each of the following Reproaches. V. I brought thee out Egypt, drowning Pharaoh in the Red Sea and thou didst deliver Me to the Chief Priests. V. I opened the Sea before thee: and and thou openedst My Side with a spear. V. I went before thee in a pillar of cloud and thou leddest Me before Pilate's judgment-scat. V. I fed thee with manna in the desert: and thou didst fall on me with swords and staves. V. I gave thee to drink of the Water of Salvation from the Rock: and thou gavest Me gall and vinegar. V. O My people what have I done unto thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. For thee I smote the kings of the Canaanites: and thou didst smite My Head with a reed. V. I gave thee a royal sceptre : and thou gavest My Head a Crown of thorns. V. I exalted thee to great honour and thou didst lift Me up on the gibbet of the Cross. V. O My people, what have I done unto thee! or wherein have I wearied thee. Answer Me. R. Holy God, Holy God, Holy and Mighty, &c. Antiphon. (Priest.) We venerate Thy Cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify Thy Holy Resurrection: for behold through the wood joy has come to the world. R. (All.) God be merciful unto us and bless us and show us the light of His Countenance and be merciful unto us. (Ant.) We venerate, &c. At thy awaking, ascend Calvary in spirit and go not from it the whole day. Stand nearest to the Cross that thou art able. Fix thine eyes upon the dying Jesus. Make thyself one sacrifice with Jesus. Deprive thyself of all other pleasure but that of thinking of Jesus, crucified upon the Cross for thy sake. "Is it nothing unto you || all that pass | by || ye Behold and see if if there be any sorrow like unto My | sorrow, The Three Hours will be occupied in meditation, silent prayer, singing, and short addresses upon The Seven Words spoken by our Blessed Lord on the Cross. After each Address there will be, first, the Meditation until the signal given by the Organ when the Litany of each of the The Seven Words, will be sung, all still kneeling; then the Congregation will arise to sing the appointed Hymn. During each Meditation while kneeling, say the Veni Creator, and make the Thanksgiving, Acts and Prayers follow ing it. 575. 6 of 8. Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire, Who dost THY sevenfold gifts impart; Enable with perpetual light, The dullness of our blinded sight; With the abundance of THY grace; Teach us to know the Father, Son, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Be Thou praised and blessed forever, O crucified Lord, for the pardon of our sins, which Thou hast obtained for us. O Saviour of the world, Who by Thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us, save us and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord. Act of Faith, O my God, I believe in Thee, help Thou mine unbelief. |