The compleat office of the Holy Week with notes and explications / translated out of Latin and French ; published with allowance.

Of Holy Water.

IT has been an Ancient Practice in the Church, even among the Primitive Chri∣stians, for the Priest before Mass, at Ea∣ster, and Whitsontide, to sprinkle the People with Water out of the Font, blest with the Prayers and Exorcisms the Eve of those Holy Days, and there reserved till Holy Oyl was poured therein.

And to the end the Faithful should not esteem this sprinkling a second Baptism, the Church has insti∣tuted particular Blessings, and Exorcisms of Water and Salt for each Sunday through the Year, to in∣struct us, That by this sprinkling she gives us no se∣cond

Baptism, but that she applies her Prayers to obtain of God, through the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, (if we our selves are not the obstacle) the grace of true repentance for our sins, and a guard from the assaults of the Devil, that so we may preserve our selves in that state of innocence we received by Baptism.

By the Water the Church tells us, she prays to God, and that we are therein to concur with her, to be∣seech him to purifie our Souls by his Grace, as the Water cleanseth our Bodies. And by the Salt she re∣presents her Prayer to God, wherein we ought also to joyn for obtaining his Grace, to preserve our Souls from spiritual corruption, as Salt preserves the Body from corporal. And as Salt gives an agreeable tast to our Meat, so his Grace renders our actions accep∣table to his Majesty, preserving us from falling into those sins wherewith the Devil might otherwise infect us, whereby we may more worthily be assi∣stant at the Holy Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of CHRIST, and reap the benefit thereof.

Every Sunday Water and Salt is prepared in the Sacristy, which the Priest blesseth, being vested in his Albe or Surplice, and with a Stoale.

The Exorcism and Benediction of the Salt.

OUr help is in the Name of the Lord.

R. Who made Heaven and Earth.

V. Our Lord be with you.

R. And with thy Spirit.

Whereas, by the Fall of Adam, the Devil has usurpt an Em∣pire over creatures, so as to make use of them to the disadvan∣tage of men, he is deprived of them again by the Merits of our Redeemer, who sanctifies them for our benefit.

I Exorcise thee, O creature Salt, by the living God, the true God, by the holy God, by that God who commanded thee to be cast into the Water by the Prophet Elizaeus, to cure its barrenness, that by this Exorcism thou mayest be made beneficial to the Faithful, healthful both to the Bodies and Souls of all that shall use thee, and where ever thou art sprinkled thou mayest chase away all Illusions, Malice, Crafts and Surprises of the Devil, and that all unclean Spirits be cast out of him, who will come to judge the living and the dead, and the World by fire. Amen.

The PRAYER.

Let us Pray.

The Priest by signing with the Cross, instructs us that the sanctifying of creatures, and the graces which we receive there∣by, are only derived unto us from the merits of the death of Christ. He makes the sign of the Cross twice upon the Salt, to signifie unto us that the Church prays unto God to preserve us from corruption both of Soul and Body.

ALmighty and Everlasting God, we hum∣bly implore thy infinite clemency, that thou wilt vouchsafe out of thy Piety to bless ✚ and sanctifie ✚ this thy creature, Salt, to the end, that all such as make use of it, may be sen∣sible of health in Soul and Body, and that, what shall be either touch'd or sprinkled with it, may be preserved from all uncleanness and assaults of the Devil. Through our Lord, &c.

The Exorcism and Benediction of the Water.

The Priest makes the sign of the Cross thrice in this Exor∣cism, and once in the following Prayer, to teach us, that the Graces we receive by the Merits of Christ's Death, are be∣stowed upon us by the three Divine Persons, who are one only God.

I Exorcise thee, O creature Water, in the Name of God ✚ the Father Almighty, in the Name of Jesus Christ ✚ our Lord his Son, and in the Vertue of the Holy Ghost ✚, That by this Exorcism, thou mayest dissipate all the Assaults of the Enemy, and put the Enemy himself to flight, with all his apostate Angels, by the power of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the li∣ving and the dead, and the World by fire. Amen.

The PRAYER.

Let us Pray.

O God, who for the health of Mankind hast made use of the Element of Water in the greatest Mysteries, hear favourably our humble Prayers, and pour forth thy Blessings upon this Element prepared for several Purifi∣cations, to the end that thy Creature, made use of in thy Mysteries, may receive the effect of thy Divine Grace, to drive away Devils, and cure Infirmities, to the end all thy Faith∣ful,

which shall be sprinkled within or without doors, may be thereby preserved from all im∣purity and evil; and that no pestilential spirit or corruption remain in them, let all snares of our secret Enemy depart thence, and whatever is obnoxious to the health and repose of any that inhabit there, may be expelled by the sprinkling of this Water, that the health im∣plored by the invocation of thy holy Name, may be preserved from all sorts of assaults; Through our Lord, &c.

Then the Priest saying these following words, puts Salt three times into the Water, making the sign of the Cross, to signifie that to be purified from sin, (which is figured by the Water) and to persevere in purity, figured by the Salt, we ought to implore the assistance of the Holy Trinity by the Merits of the Cross.

LEt this commixtion of Salt and Water be made in the Name of the Father ✚, and of the Son ✚, and of the Holy Ghost ✚. Amen.

V. Our Lord be with you.

R. And with thy Spirit.

Let us Pray.

O God, the Author of invincible Power, King of irresistable Empire, and for ever magnificently triumphant, who dissipatest the strength of the adverse party, who sup∣pressest the fury of the raging Enemy, and powerfully vanquishest his Malice; We, O Lord, trembling, humbly beseech and pray thee, to

regard favourably this creature, Salt and Wa∣ter, to enlighten it with thy Grace, and to sanctifie it with the Dew of thy Bounty, that wherever it shall be sprinkled, through the in∣vocation of thy Holy Name, it may chase away all suggestions of the unclean Spirit, that there be no fear of the venomous Serpent, and that the presence of the Holy Spirit will vouchsafe every where to accompany us, im∣ploring thy Mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost one God World without end. Amen.

The Benediction being ended, the Priest who is to celebrate Mass, putting on his Coap again, kneeling at the foot of the Altar, accompanied with his Ministers, and sprinkling it thrice with Holy Water, he sprinkles himself, and arising besprinkles them, intoning these first words of the Antiphon, taken out of the 50 Psalm, Thou shalt sprinkle me, and then the Quire sings the rest, O Lord, with Hyssop, and I shall be cleansed, thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

He sprinkles the Clergy and People, saying with a low voice the 50 Psalm, begging of the Holy Trinity by this penitential Psalm, both that he may worthily celebrate this adorable Sa∣crifice, and that others of the Faithful may participate thereof, as they were purified first in Baptism, by Water and the Holy Ghost, and now, that he will please to grant them a second time repentance in tears, and acknowledgment of their sins, that preserving them from all temptations of the Devil, they may be acceptable to the Divine Majesty, and freed from the corrup∣tion of sin, as Water cleanseth the body, and as Salt gives a savory tast to meat and preserves it from corruption.

HAve mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

And according to the multitude of thy com∣miserations blot out my iniquities.

Wash me more amply from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Because I do know my iniquity, and my sin is before me always.

To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee, that thou mayest be justified in thy words, and when thou art judged.

For behold I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother conceived me in sins.

For behold thou hast loved truth, the un∣certain, and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

Thou shalt sprinkle me with Hysop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness; and the bones humbled shall re∣joyce.

Turn away thy face from my sins, and wipe away all my iniquities.

Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my bowels.

Cast me not away from thy face, and thy holy spirit take not from me.

Render unto me the joy of thy salva∣tion, and confirm me with thy principal spirit.

I will teach the unjust thy ways, and the impious shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from Blood, O God the God of

my salvation, and my tongue shall exalt thy justice.

Lord, thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Because if thou wouldest have had sacrifice, I had verily given it, with holocausts thou wilt not be delighted.

A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion, that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.

Then shalt thou accept Sacrifice of Justice, Oblations, and Holocausts, then shall they lay calves upon thine altar.

Gloria Patri & Filio, &c. is not used, because during these days the Church represents unto us the Indignities and Affronts offered by the Jews to our blessed Saviour.

After this Antiphon, Thou shalt sprinkle me, &c. is repeated, the Priest having sprinkled the Holy Water, returns to the foot of the Altar, where, standing upright, and there joyning his hands, he beseeches God, that the Angel of his Great Council, our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who is ready to descend from Heaven, by the consecration of these Divine Mysteries, will assist with his saving Grace all those that are in the Church, that they being purified, may worthily present themselves before his Majesty.

Let us Pray.

V. Shew us, O Lord, Mercy.

R. And give us thy Salvation.

V. O Lord, hear my Prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. Our Lord be with you.

R. And with thy Spirit.

Let us Pray.

O Holy Lord, Omnipotent Father, Eter∣nal God, graciously hear us, and vouch∣safe to send thy Holy Angel from Heaven, to keep, protect, cherish, visit and defend all that dwell in this habitation. Through Christ our Lord, &c. Amen.