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1. Their work is to pray every day for the Brothers and the heathen, and to be keen for daily prayers with the people.
2. They give alms each year on St. Mathias' Day and St. James' Day as each District arranges. This the priest of the District will give to the Bishop to help the Brothers in their work among the heathen.
3. They meet for Prayers every Friday.
4. They will meet twice each year on St. Mathias' Day and St. James' Day. If possible all of them in the District, or in part of the District, will meet for Holy Communion on St. James' Day, but on St. Mathias' Day in their own villages.
5. The Company in a village will choose a Leader and obey him.
6. No one must disobey the Leader.
7. The Company will take their vow before the altar, and a Priest will receive them.
8. From 6 members to 12 make a Company.
9. They may be men or women.
10. When there are 18 candidates they can make a second Company, and so on when there are 24, 30, 36, 42.
11. Another village can make its Company for itself, but there must not be more than 12 in a Company.
12. These rules extend to the whole Church of Melanesia.
[4] 13. A Companion can be excused from Rule 3 for a good reason, if it is difficult for him. We must not be harsh with any one.
14. Rule 2 does not excuse any one from giving alms at Communion or to help the Church or if the village needs something, or to help some one we ought to help; but worldly matters or things for ourselves must not stop any one from giving.
15. If one of the Company sins the Leader will tell him to do what the Priest decides, and let him be keener than before he sinned to show his repentance.
16. Any one who has sinned will be received afresh.
17. Every one in the Company will give hospitality in their homes always to the Brothers both food and drink, to show himself a true Companion of the Brothers, as he ought to do.
18. If a Companion does not keep these rules and customs the Leader will speak severely to him. If he does not listen to the Leader, the Leader will bring to help him 2 or 3 of the Company. If he does not change his mind the Leader will tell the Priest, and the Priest will put him out of the Company.
19. Any one who goes on disobeying the rules and customs will not be received back; but one who has sinned and repented truly and shows his sorrow, will be.
20. No one not baptised can be one of the Company.
21. They need not choose as Leader a Teacher; but any one of good character, fit to be one.
22. If there is trouble or a dispute in a Company, tell the Priest and let him decide.
23. If any one wishes to leave the Company, let him tell the Leader, and the Leader tell the Priest, if the Priest agrees let him leave without blame.
_____________ [5] THE RULES OF THE COMPANIONS
________1. What is thy duty towards God?
My duty towards God, is to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with my strength; to worship him, to give him thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon him, to honour his holy Name and his Word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life.
2. What is thy duty towards thy Neighbour?
My duty towards my Neighbour, is to love him as myself, and to do to all men, as I would they should do unto me: To love, honour, and succour my father and mother: To honour and obey the Queen, and all that are put in authority under her: To submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual pastors and masters: To order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters: To hurt no body by word or deed: To be true and just in all my dealing: To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart: To keep my hands from picking and stealing, and my tongue from evil-speaking, lying and slandering: To keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity: Not to covet nor desire other men's goods; but to learn and labour truly to get mine own living, and to do my duty in that state of life, until which it shall please God to call me.
_______ [6] THE VOW
_______1. Dost thou renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them.
I renounce them all.
Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth? And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead?
And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholick Church; the Communion of Saints; the Remission of sins; the Resurrection of the flesh; and everlasting life after death?
Wilt thou then obediently keep God's holy will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life?
I will endeavour to do so, God being my helper.
2. Do you with to join the Companions of the Brothers?
Yes, I wish to do so.
3. Do you promise to follow faithfully their rules?
Yes I promise truly to do so.
We receive you into the Company of Companions; and may God who put this wish into your heart, strengthen you in it always. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, bless and keep you forever. Amen.
[7] THEIR PRAYERS _______ Daily In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Thou didst send Thy Holy apostles to preach the Good News to every people, we pray Thee to bless the work of Thy Church among the heathen. Give the Brothers all that they need to help them. Make all their work to succeed. Shield them, guide them, bless them, and send to help them those thy need, so that those who are dying in evil may receive life, and Thy glory be great in the world, who livest with the Father and the Son, One God for ever. Amen.
Almighty God, have mercy on those who still do not know Thee, and who are still in darkness and the shadow of death. Send forth Thy Holy Spirit to work with power in their hearts so that they may hear and believe the word of Jesus the Saviour, and joyfully accept the new commandment, to follow which is everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
________ [8] On Friday ¶ Sing the hymn chosen and read these two forms of Prayer, on alternate Fridays, one on each Friday.
1. Leader-- Let us remember that today and every day we ought
To give glory to God. Amen.
Raise up His Kingdom on earth. Amen.
Control our bodies. Amen.
Repent of our sins. Amen.
Live better than before. Amen.
Avoid eternal condemnation. Amen.
Prepare for eternal life. Amen.
Work faithfully in the world. Amen.
Help our own people. Amen.
Despise the passing things of the world. Amen.
Fight evil spirits. Amen.
Overcome the desire of our bodies. Amen.Perhaps we may die, and come to judgment.
We believe God and we praise Him
For in Baptism
We received spiritual life.In Confirmation
We received spiritual strength.In Holy Communion
We receive spiritual food.In Penance
We receive health again.[9] We believe and say to all that so we have been adopted, strengthened, fed and healed.
Leader--
So then every day we are called
To live with Christ. Amen.
To witness to Christ. Amen.
To work for Christ. Amen.
To rejoice in Christ. Amen.We may be called to die for Christ, and one day we shall be called to reign with Christ. Amen.
We give thanks and praise Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the gifts Thou hast brought us, and for Thy suffering for us.
O Holy Redeemer, Friend and Brother, help us to know Thee better than before, to love Thee more than before, to follow Thee better than before.
Lord teach us the way of Thy commandments,
And we will keep them always.Give us understanding to keep Thy commandments,
And we will follow them with all our hearts.We believe Thee, O God,
With all our mind and soul and strength.We love Thee, O God,
With all our mind and soul and strength.We will worship Thee, O God,
With Thy help.We will praise Thee, O God,
With Thy help.We will trust Thee, O God,
With Thy help.We will call on Thee, O God,
With Thy help.[10] We will honour Thy Name Thy word,
With Thy help.We will work truly for Thee day by day,
With Thy help.Almighty God, give us grace to complete the work we should do for our own people, loving them as we love ourselves, and doing to them as we would wish them to do to us. Amen.
May we love, respect and help our fathers and mothers, respect and obey the Queen and those in authority under her, and submit ourselves to our teachers and those who are wiser than us. Amen.
May we be peaceable and hurt no one by word or deed, not cheat but always be straight, bear no malice and have no secrete hate in our hearts. Amen.
May we control our bodies from impurity, gluttony and drunkenness, and not covet the things of others, but work faithfully for our food and be content in the position to which God shall call us.
We ask all these things for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
2. All In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord have mercy on us
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.[11] OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy Name, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
Lord, do not remember our sins or the sins of those before us but only our redemption by thy precious blood,
Good Lord, save us.Lord, we sinners beseech Thee to look with favour on Thy Church in all the world, and bless all missions to the heathen. May they who preach Thy word have faith and help, so that Thy Kingdom may come in Melanesia and all the world.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.Do Thou bless and guide the Brothers of Melanesia, that in every place where they are their work may succeed, and the heathen may hear the word that they preach.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May those in the schools of the places they open up increase in Thy grace, putting away heathen customs, the ways of evil spirits and heathen magic, and holding fast the Faith till they come to Thy everlasting Kingdom.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May the Teachers at Tabalia have faith, wisdom and patience and the novices receive wisdom, humility and power for their future work.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May the Church on Mala be a light to the heathen villages, by their life and good works. Bless the Brothers there, and preserve them in their temptations, and strengthen them when they are in trouble or suffer in their work.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.[12] May Thy Church in Guadalcanar, Savo, Laumbe, Gela and Bugotu follow Thy commandment to go and make disciples of all creatures, doing this joyfully without ceasing and with patience.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May those in Thy Church in San Cristoval, Santa Ana, Santa Catalina, Ugi and Ulawa who have received the Faith from the Brothers and those before them, hold it firm and strengthen the hands of the Brothers,
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.Do Thou strengthen Thy Church in the Polynesian islands of Tikopia, Anuda, Sikaiana, Lord Howe and elsewhere, that they may go out to help their folk and the light shine in the darkness and heathen customs come to an end,
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May Thy Church in the New Hebrides, Banks and Torres go out to seek Thy lost sheep in those islands and bring them with joy into Thy fold,
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.Bless, protect and strengthen the Brothers who have gone to the Highlands of New Guinea and to New Britain. Given them the grace of Thy power to win many there and bring them into Thy Kingdom,
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May the Church in Santa Cruz go from strength to strength and the blood of Thy martyrs bring in a good harvest. May the Brothers there follow the example of those who began the work there, and raise up Thy Church.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.[13] May our people in Fiji hold fast Thy living word and help to spread the Good News to those islands,
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May those who work for the Government and those who work on plantations or on ships, work also for their true Master, and always obey His commandments,
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May the Chinese and those of other peoples who work among us long for Thy light, and with us be born unto the New People, the People of God.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.May all peoples and races in all the whole world hear of Thee and seek Thee their true Saviour.
Good Lord, we beseech Thee to hear us.THANKSGIVING. O merciful Father, we give great thanks to Thee for stirring up Thy Church to be eager to preach Thy word among all people. We thank Thee for those men who have gone out to serve Thee in distant lands, and for Thy gracious blessing on all their work. We thank Thee for those in every place who have believed on Thee because of their preaching, and have been able to glorify Thy teaching in all things. We thank Thee for the Teachers, Priests and Deacons among us here who have preached Thy word. We bless Thy Holy Name for thy servants who did not hold dear their lives, but were faithful to death in preaching Thy word, finishing with joy their journey; and we pray Thee to give us Thy grace to follow their good examples and join them one day in Thy heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
________ [14] A PRAYER OF S. CHRYSOSTOM. Almighty God, Who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto Thee: and dost promise, then when two or three are gathered together in Thy Name Thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
2. Corinthians 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
___________________ M.M. Press B.S.I. 2,000. 6-61.