ading and re-reading. The prayer, as it
stands in the Breviary to-day, is not of very ancient date. "In point of
fact there is little or no trace of the Hail Mary as an accepted
devotional formula before 1050.... To understand the developments of the
devotion, it is important to grasp the fact that the _Ave Maria_ was
merely a form of greeting. It was, therefore, long customary to
accompany the words with some external gesture of homage, a genuflexion,
or at least an inclination of the head.... In the time of St. Louis the
_Ave Maria_ ended with the words _benedictus fructus ventris tui_: it
has since been extended by the introduction both of the Holy Name and of
a clause of petition.... We meet the _Ave_ as we know it now, printed in
the Breviary of the Camaldolese monks and in that of the Order de
Mercede C. 1514. ... The official recognition of the _Ave Maria_ in its
complete form, though foreshadowed in the Catechism of the Council of
Trent, was finally given in the Roman Breviary of 1568" (Father
Thurston, S.J., _Cath. Encyclopedia_, art. "Hail Mary.")

_Credo_. The Apostles' Creed is placed at the beginning of Matins,
because Matins is the beginning of the whole Office, and faith is the
beginning, the _principium_ of every supernatural work. St. Paul teaches
us that it is necessary for us to stir up our faith when we approach
God, "For he that cometh to God must believe that He is." In reciting
the Creed we should think of the sublime truths of our faith, and our
hearts should feel, what our lips say, "For with the heart we believe
unto justice; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"
(Rom. x. 10). We should remember too, that this formula of faith comes
to us from Apostolic times and that it has been repeated millions of
times by saints and martyrs; their sentiments of belief, of confidence
in God and love of God should be ours.

_Domine labia mea aperies_. The practice of this beautiful invocation
dates from the time of St. Benedict (480-553). In his Office it stood
after the words _Deus in adjutorium_. These words _Domine labia mea
aperies_, taken from the Psalm _Miserere_, remind us of God purifying
the lips of Isaias His prophet with a burning coal, of how God opened
the lips of Zachary to bless God and to prophesy. "And immediately his
mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke blessing God" (St.
Luke, i. 64). Very appropriately, does the priest reciting the Divine
Office ask God to