Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/49

 and he  said  nothing  more  except  that  he  praised  God  who  in  so many  ways  giveth  to  the  men  that  love  Him,  when  He  is  besought. Then she  spake  again:    '  Now,  Zosimus,  abide,  as  I  said  before, in thy  minster;  for  verily,  though  thou  shouldst  desire  to  come hither sooner,  thou  mayest  not. Then on  the  holy  eve  of  the  holy festival, that  is  to  say,  on  the  holy  Thursday  before  the  Lord's Easter-day,  put    into    a    sacred    vessel  a  certain    portion   of  the divine Body  and  of  the  life-giving  blood,  and  bring  it  with  thee, and wait  for  me  on  the  side  of  Jordan  pertaining  to  the  world, until I  come  to  thee  to  receive  the  quickening  mysteries. "Verily, since I  partook  of  the  Lord's  Body  and  Blood  in  the  church  of His  holy  forerunner,  before  I  crossed  over  Jordan,  I  have  never since  enjoyed  or  tasted  the  holy  elements;  wherefore  I  pray  thee not  to  despise  my  request,  but  bring  me  at  any  rate  the  divine and  life-giving  mysteries  at  the  hour  when  the  Saviour  distributed to  His  disciples  the  divine  feast.     Tell  also  John,  the  abbot  of  the minster  in  which  thou  art,  diligently  to  take  heed  to  himself  and to  his  flock  also,  because  that  there  are  some  customs  there  for him  to  set  right  and  to  improve.     But  I  desire  that  thou  wilt  not tell  him  these  things  at  this  present  time,  before  God  bid  thee.' Thus  saying,  she  also  asked  the  old  man  for  a  prayer,  and  quickly hastened   to   the    inner  part   of  the    wilderness. Then   Zosimus prostrated himself  on  the  ground,  kissing  the  spot  on  which  her feet had  stood,  praising  God,  and    giving   many  thanks;    and  so returned,  praising  and  blessing  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. And he returned  by  the  very  same  path  through  the  wilderness  whereby  he had  before  come  thither,  and  came  to  the  minster  at  the  very  same hour, at  which  it  was  their  custom  of  Easter  to  assemble  together. All that  year  he  was  diligently  silent  about  the  vision,  [not]  daring to say  any  of  the  least  things  which  he  saw  there,  but  continually and earnestly  prayed  to  God  in  private,  that  He  would  again  shew him the  desired  presence. With manifold   sighs  he  awaited  the slowness   of   the    year's    circuit. When   the  holy  season    of  the Lenten fast  arrived,  on  the  Lord's  day  which  we  call  the  Holy-Day ,