Lo! he rises fresh and bright,

Encircled round with stars; Which from him take all their light, And from his glorious scars.

Up to heaven he bends his way,
With myriads in his train;
That had long sighed for the day
When they that bliss would gain.

Thus together they ascend,

Till at the gate they come,
Where the angels all attend,
To bid them welcome home.

Soon they recognize their king,
Soon they his call obey:

All the choirs come forth to sing,
And crown with mirth the day.

Come, my soul, let us rejoice,
And our Redeemer praise;
Let us lift on high our voice
In fervent, tuneful lays.

Glory, honor, praise and power,

To the mysterious Three; May we all, to our last hour,

To them devoted be.

Amen.

Ant. Why seek you the living among the dead? He is risen, he is not here: he is gloriously ascended, and the heavens have received him. Alleluia.

Benedictus.

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel, because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people;

us,

And hath raised up a horn of salvation to in the house of David, his servant;

As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning,

Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us,

To shew mercy to our Fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

The oath which he swore to Abraham, our father, that he would grant to us:

That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear, In holiness and justice before him all our days.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet

of the Most High; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways:

To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins.

Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient* from on high hath visited us:

To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; to direct our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Ant. Why seek you the living among the dead? He is risen, he is not here: he is gloriously ascended, and the heavens have received him. Alleluia.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer,
R. And let my cry come unto thee.

Let us pray.

O God! who hast exalted thy Son, our Saviour, by a visible, triumphant resurrection

* Orient signifies literally the East, or the rising sun, and is applied to the Messiah, who is the sun of justice and the true light of the world.

from the dead, and a glorious ascension into heaven, where he is seated at thy right hand, the world's supreme governor and final judge; grant, we humbly beseech thee, that his brilliant triumphs may ever shine before our eyes, to make us more clearly understand his sufferings and more courageously endure our own; being assured by his example, that if we endeavour to live and die, like him, purely for the advancement of thy glory in ourselves and others, thou wilt raise us up also at the last day; that our corruptible bodies, at thy command, will put on incorruption, and will be admitted by thee to the enjoyment of thy everlasting kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, thy Son, who with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.

COMMEMORATIONS.

Of the Blessed Virgin.

Ant. And the angel being come in, said to her; hail! full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.

V. O Mary! conceived without sin,

R. Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Let us pray.

O God, who didst endow the ever blessed Virgin Mary on earth, with all the graces that became the mother of thy son, and hast raised her in heaven to a state of glory, worthy of her exalted character and virtue; grant, we beseech thee, that in praising and magnifying thy holy name for the glorious prerogatives thou hast bestowed upon thy humble handmaid, we may obtain, through her merciful intercession, the pardon of our sins, fidelity in thy service, and the joyful participation of her happiness.

Of the Saints.

Ant: The just shall live for evermore; and their reward is with the Lord. They shall receive a kingdom of glory and a crown of beauty at the hand of God; for with his right hand he will cover them, and with his holy arm he will defend them.