open his lips, to fortify his conscience, to touch
his heart.

_Deus in adjutorium_. These words, the opening words of Psalm 69, were
always and everywhere used by the monks of old, says Cassian, who called
this short prayer the formula of piety, the continual prayer. The Church
repeats it often in her Office. St. John Climacus says it is the great
cry of petition for help to triumph over our invisible enemy, who wishes
to distract us and to mar our prayer. It should be said with humility
and with confidence in God. In repeating these holy words we make the
sign of the Cross; for, all grace comes from the sacrifice of the Cross;
and besides, it is a holy and an ancient practice to begin all good
works with the sacred sign.

_Gloria Patri_. This little prayer indicates the purpose and end of the
recitation of the Office, the glory of the Holy Trinity. "Bring to the
Lord glory and honour; bring to the Lord glory to His name" (Psalm 28).
The many repetitions of this formula in the Church liturgy shows the
great honour which she pays to it, and the trust she places in its
efficacy. It was especially loved by St. Francis of Assisi, who said
that it contained all wisdom.

This form of doxology, "Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost," was adopted to repel Arianism, by giving to the faithful a
compact theological formula by which they could end every dispute. Some
authors quote St. Ephrem (circa 363) as the originator of this much-used
prayer. The form would seem to be of Syrian origin, translated into
Greek and later into Latin (Dom Cambrol, _Dictionnaire d' Archeologie
Chretienne_, I., 2282, _et seq.,_ word Antienne, Liturgie; _Month_,
May, 1910).

_Invitatory_. _Venite Adoremus_.... The cry of the Church calling on all
to adore and praise God, Who has done all for us, Who is the Great
Shepherd, and we, the sheep of His fold, should not harden our hearts as
did the ungrateful Jews. We should pray for all, Catholics, infidels
and sinners.

"A message from the saints. Let us imagine, like St. Stephen at his
martyrdom, we are privileged to see the heavens opened, and before our
eyes the City of God, with its twelve gates all of pearl, and its
streets of pure gold, as it were transparent glass, is laid bare, and
that we see the angels in their legions, and the redeemed of the Lord
around the throne of God. Thousands of thousands are ministering to
Him," as St. John tells us, "and ten thousand times a hu