Saturday in Passion Week
Prayer.
May Thy right hand defend Thy suppliant people, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and worthily instruct them, being purified in Thy sight, that by present consolation it may profit for future good things. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc.
EPISTLE. Jer. xviii. 18-23.
In those days the impious Jews said: Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words. Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries. Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in Thy sight, to speak good for them, and to turn away Thy indignation from them. Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children, and widows: and let the husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for Thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet. But Thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from Thy sight: let them be overthrown before Thy eyes; in the time of Thy wrath do Thou destroy them, O Lord our God.
GOSPEL. John xii. 10-36.
At that time a great multitude, that was come to the festival-day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm-trees and went forth to. meet Him, and cried: Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written; Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh sitting on an ass's colt. These things His disciples did not know at the first: but when
