years of ignorant, careless or inattentive fulfilment of the great
official work of a priest--the Divine Office.

Who are a priest's associates in this work? They are the thousands of
priests and religious throughout the world who say the Hours, and who
send up daily and nightly the great prayer of praise and thanksgiving to
God. _Secundum nomen tuum, sic et laus tua in fines terrae_ (ps. 47, v.
ii). _Dies diei eructat verbum et nox nocti indicat scientiam_ (ps. 18,
v. 3). In this holy work of reciting the Hours, we are united with the
angels and saints in heaven in honouring our common Creator; for, the
Church herself reminds us of this ineffable honour in the hymn for the
dedication of the Church:--

"Sed ilia sedes Coelitum
Semper resultat laudibus
Dumque trinum el unicum
Jugi canore jungimur
Almae Sionis aemuli."

"That house on high--it ever rings
With praises of the King of kings;
For ever there, on harps divine,
They hymn th' eternal One and Trine
We, here below, the strain prolong;,
And faintly echo Sion's song."

What are the ends for which the Office is said? (a) To glorify God, (b)
to help holy Church, and (c) to sanctify ourselves.

(a) "To glorify God," that is, to adore His infinite majesty, to thank