Venite Adoremus....

About midnight a more solemn Office began, this time with the invitatory and psalm Venite.

O anime affannate, Venite a not parlar, s' altri nol niega.

"Quel Angelo gridava: 'Venite, Santi! 'Chè andato Gesù dentro la capanna, Ma guardate Vergine beata, Che in ciel in terra sia nostr' avvocata!

[Footnote R: Compare with this passage Sonnet xlvi., which seems to have been written on this occasion; "Voi, donne, che pietoso atto mostrate," and Sonnet xlvii., "Onde venite voi, cosi pensose?" ] It happened not long after this time that Dante was seized with grievous illness, which reduced him to such a state of weakness that he lay as one unable to move.

The Divine Office for Christmas adapted to parish participation; Venite adoremus.

The Divine Office for Christmas adapted to parish participation; Venite adoremus.

Even the Episcopal service had been so adapted to Indian conditions that instead of the sound of the expected chants one heard the Te Deum and the Venite set to the strains of Telugu lyrics.

Donde venite sì leggiadre e belle?