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At Thy command an ass spoke with the voice of a man to reprove the madness of a wicked prophet.

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Jonas was 'three days and three nights' in the great fish' that had been prepared by Thee. To Thee he prayed from the 'deep in the heart of the sea,' where Thy floods compassed him and Thy waves passed over him. At Thy word he stood upon the dry land.'

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With pitch and hair and fat Daniel destroyed the great dragon which the Babylonians worshipped. Twice didst Thou bring him safely from the den of lions.

By Thee the Three Children came unharmed from the burning fiery furnace.

Guided by Thy Angel Raphael, Tobias drove away the unclean devil, and healed the blindness of his father.

By faith Thy servants 'conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness,

became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.'

I adore Thee, O ever-blessed Trinity, in these miracles of Thy anger and Thy love. O my God, I praise Thee for Moses Thy great lawgiver, and for Josue, the virginwarrior of Israel.

I praise Thee for Gedeon and Barac and Jephte and Samson and Samuel.

I praise Thee for David the shepherdking of Israel, the man after Thine 'own heart; for Ezechias, who 'did that which was pleasing' in Thy sight; and for Josias, who walked in Thy ways, and 'declined not, either to the right hand or the left.'

I praise Thee for Elias, who was magnified in his wondrous works,' and who was 'taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses.' He is waiting with Henoch in their hidden resting-place, upheld by Thee, till the time of their witness against antichrist in the days of terror that must be shortened for the sake of the elect.

In Thy word it is written, Henoch pleased God, and was translated into Paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations.' Of Elias it is written, he is 'registered in the judgments of times to appease the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.'

I praise Thee for Eliseus, who was filled with the spirit of Elias, and whose 'body prophesied after death.' In his life he

did great wonders, and in death he wrought miracles.'

I praise Thee for Nehemias, who' wept and mourned for many days, and fasted and prayed before' Thee, because 'the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire;' and for Esdras, who had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do and to teach in Israel the commandments and judgment.'

I praise Thee for the splendour of Thy four prophets, like the four living creatures

before Thy throne; for Isaias and Jeremias and Ezechiel and Daniel.

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I praise Thee for Baruch, who said, "This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law that is for ever. they that keep it shall come to life; but they that have forsaken it, to death. Return, O Jacob, and take hold of it; walk in the way by its brightness, in the presence of the light thereof.'

I praise Thee for the majesty of Osee and Joel and Amos and Abdias and Jonas and Micheas and Habacuc and Nahum and Sophonias and Aggeus and Zacharias and Malachias.

I praise Thee for Ruth, who came to 'Bethlehem in the beginning of the barley harvest,' and who 'gleaned the ears of corn after the reapers;' for Debbora, the prophetess who sat under a palm-tree,' and 'judged the people;' and for Anna, who prayed to Thee 'shedding many tears,' with

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her heart full of grief,' and who gave Samuel her son to minister before Thy face.

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Israel.' 'The Holy Ghost was in him, and he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord; and he came by the Spirit into the temple.' Then he took Jesus into his arms, and blessed Mary and Joseph.

I praise Thee for the Holy Baptist, the messenger of the covenant, and the baptiser of the Word Incarnate.

I praise Thee for holy Joseph, the spouse of the Mother of God, and the foster-father of Jesus.

Glorious art Thou, my God, in all Thy signs and wonders from the beginning of the world; and glorious art Thou in the Saints, who waited for the coming of the Messias They loved Thee and kept Thy law through the four thousand years of His tarrying. In Thy Spirit all holy men. and women were longing for Him; and to Him were ever turning the hearts of patriarchs and kings, of seers and prophets of Israel.

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