378 ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF 



Kcrum potestas omnium. 

 Vt tiina irruni iiiachina, 

 Coelestium, tcnestrium, 

 Et inferorum condita, 

 Electat genu jam subdita. 

 Tremuiit videnles Aii^eli 

 V'ersam vicem mortalium : 

 Pecrat caio, mundatcaro, 

 Refinat Deus Dei caro_. 

 Sis ipse nostrum saudinm, 

 Maiiens Olynipo praemium, 

 Rlundi regis qui fabricam, 

 Mundana vinccns ^audia. 

 Hinc te precantes ijuaesumns, 

 Iifuosce culpis omnibus, 

 Et corda sursum subleva 

 Ad te superna gratia. 

 Vt cCim repent^ coeperis 

 Clarere uube judicis, 

 Poeiias repellas debitas, 

 Reddas coronas perditas 

 Jesu, tibi sit eloria, 

 Qui victor in coelum redis, 

 Cum Palre, & a)mo Spiritu, 

 In serapiterna saecula. 



]2. WHIT SUNDAY, or Feast of the Penticost. 



Dominica. 



Dimanche de Pentecote. — Fr. 



Obs. The great festival of Whitsuntide is celebrated seven 

 weeks after Easter, to commemorate the descent of tlie Holy Ghost 

 on the Apostles after the Ascension of Our Lord. 



From the first ages of Christianity, the two principal and most 

 sacred times for the solemn administration of baptism were the eves 

 of Easter and Whitsuntide. In parish churches the font is blessed, 

 and the divine office is shorter during this octave and at Easter than 

 at other times of the year. Ever since the middle ages a great wax 

 candle also has been customarily blessed, to represent the light of 

 faith shining forth to the world. On this day likewise the bells are 

 rung and trumpets sounded, while the prose Yeni, Sancte Spiritus, 

 Come Holy Ghost Creator come, &c. is chanted after the epistle 

 at mass. 



Confirmation is administered by the bishops at all seasons of the 

 year ; but Pentecost has always been looked upon as the proper 

 festival for this sacrament. 



It was a primitive rule of discipline, that no fast should be com- 

 manded during the fifty days of the Paschal time ; nevertheless, the 

 divine Spouse being represented as taken away from the church on 

 the feast of the Ascension, by a law of universal custom in the close 

 of this time of spiritual joy, the Eve of Whit Sunday has been ob- 



