{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_62988/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_62988","id":"gutenberg_62988","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62988","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Catholic Church -- Liturgy","Catholic Church -- Prayers and devotions -- English"],"text":"[Transcriber's notes: This work is derived from\nhttps://archive.org/details/CompleteManualOfCatholicPiety/page/n5.\nThe Author's Side notes and comments are indented. In HTML they are\nalso in a slightly smaller font, as in the original text.]\n\n\n\n{1}\n\n The Complete Manual Of Catholic Piety;\n\n Containing\n\n A Selection Of Fervent Prayers,\n Pious Reflections, And Solid Instructions,\n Adapted To Every State Of Life.\n\n\n\n To Which Is Annexed A Supplement,\n Containing Excellent And Approved\n Devotions, With The Epistles And\n Gospels For All The Sundays And\n Festivals Of The Year.\n\n\n\n By The Rev. William Gahan, O.S.A.\n\n\n\n DUBLIN:\n\n Published By James Duffy,\n 25, Anglesea Street.\n 1844.\n\n{2}\n\n\n Dublin:\n Printed By J. M. O'Toole,\n 33, Abbey-street.\n\n{3}\n\n Contents.\n\n\n\nPreface, -- 7.\n\nTable of Moveable Feasts, -- 10.\n\nFeasts and Fasts throughout the Year, -- 11.\n\nUnlawful Marriages, -- 12.\n\nPlenary Indulgences, -- 12.\n\nManner of Lay Baptism, -- 14.\n\nEcclesiastical Calendar, -- 14.\n\nMorning Prayer, -- 25.\n\nActs of Faith, Hope, and Charity, -- 30.\n\nThe Litany of the holy Name of Jesus, -- 33.\n\nThe _Salva Regina_,--in verse, -- 36.\n\nThe _Angelus Domini_, -- 37.\n\nShort Ejaculations in the course of the Day, -- 38.\n\nPrayers for Night, -- 39.\n\nThe Litany of the Blessed Virgin, -- 44.\n\nThe Hymn, _Te lucis ante terminum_, -- in English, -- 47.\n\nA Prayer before Sermon, Spiritual Reading, &c. -- 49.\n\nA Prayer before Mass, -- 50.\n\nPrayers at Mass, -- 56.\n\nPreparation for Confession, -- 80.\n\nA Protestation before the Examination of Conscience, -- 81.\n\nPrayers before the Examination of Conscience, -- 82.\n\nAn Examination of Conscience, -- 85.\n\nPrayers before Confession, -- 92.\n\nA Prayer at receiving Absolution, -- 97.\n\nPrayers after Confession, -- 98.\n\nInstructions for Communion, -- 103.\n\nPrayers before Communion, -- 107.\n\nActs of Virtue before Communion, -- 111.\n\n{4}\n\nA Prayer to obtain the effects of a Plenary Indulgence, -- 118.\n\nPrayers after Communion, -- 124.\n\nActs of Virtue after Communion, -- 130.\n\nThe Seven Penitential Psalms, -- 141.\n\nThe Litany of Saints, -- 150.\n\nMotives to Perseverance in a Virtuous Life, -- 158.\n\nDevotions for every Day in the Week, -- 160.\n\nPious Reflections for every Day in the Month; from the\n French of the Rev. F. Bouhours, -- 171.\n\nMeditations on the Articles of the Creed--to be used as a\n Devotion by Societies, Families, &c, -- 210.\n\nAnthem of the Blessed Virgin, _Salve Regina_, -- 224.\n\nAn Universal Prayer for all things necessary to Salvation, -- 225.\n\nA Prayer for the Choice of a State of Life, -- 227.\n\nA Prayer for a Pregnant Woman, -- 227.\n\nLitany of Divine Providence, -- 229.\n\nPrayer of St. Bernard to the Blessed Virgin, -- 232.\n\nLitany of St. Winefrid, -- 233.\n\nThe Golden Litany, -- 239.\n\nThe Prayers of St. Bridget, -- 247.\n\nDevotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, -- 258.\n\nLitany of the Sacred Heart, -- 259.\n\nReparation of Honour to the Sacred Heart, -- 262.\n\nDevotions for the Sick, -- 264.\n\nA Prayer upon Recovery from Sickness, -- 277.\n\nPreparation for Death, -- 278.\n\nA Prayer by St. Liguori, -- 291.\n\nA Prayer of St. Augustin on the Sufferings of Christ, -- 292.\n\nA Prayer of St. Jerome in time of Agony, -- 293.\n\nPrayers to be recited by the Assistants when the Dying Person\n loses the use of Speech, -- 294.\n\nRecommendation of a Soul Departing, -- 298.\n\nLitany for a Happy Death, -- 305.\n\nA Prayer for all that are buried in a Church or Church-yard, -- 309.\n\nExequies, or Sacred Rites over the Tomb, (in Latin and\n English), -- 310.\n\nLitany for the Dead, -- 316.\n\nA Prayer upon the day of Decease or Burial, -- 320.\n\nVespers for Sundays, (in Latin and English), -- 321.\n\nThe Hymn, _Lucis Creator Optime_, (Latin and English), -- 326.\n\nLitany of the Blessed Virgin, (in Latin), -- 328.\n\nMethod of Serving at Mass, -- 330.\n\n{5}\n\n Supplement.\n\nOn the Mass, and the use of the Latin Liturgy, -- 336.\n\nThe Ordinary of the Holy Mass, -- 340.\n\nExplanatory Prayers at Mass, -- 367.\n\nEpistles and Gospels for the Sundays and Principal Festivals\n throughout the Year, -- 388.\n\nInstructions and Devotions for Confirmation, -- 482.\n\nThe Psalter of Jesus, -- 492.\n\nThe Rosary of the blessed Name of Jesus, -- 503.\n\nThe Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, -- 510.\n\nThe Hymn, _Te Deum_, (in English), -- 521.\n\nThe Thirty Days' Prayer, -- 522.\n\nHymns for Festivals, (in Latin and English)\n\n Advent, _Alma Redemptor_, -- 527.\n\n Christmas, _Adeste Fidelis_, -- 527.\n\n Passion and Palm-Sundays, _Vexilla regis_, -- 528.\n\n Good-Friday, _Stabat mater_, -- 529.\n\n Easter, _O Filii_, -- 532.\n\n Whit-Sunday, _Veni Creator_, -- 534.\n\n Sequence to do., _Veni Sancte_, -- 536.\n\n Corpus Christi, _Pange lingua_, -- 538.\n\n At the Elevation, _O Salutaris_, -- 540.\n\n{6}\n\n{7}\n\n Preface.\n\n\n\nOf all the means we can employ for our advancement in the great\naffair of our salvation, Prayer is certainly one of the most\npowerful. Saint Augustin calls it the Key of Heaven, that unlocks\nthe treasures of God, and gives us free access to the riches of\nhis divine bounty. It was by prayer that Elias, when he pleased,\nopened and shut the sluices of heaven, and caused fire to descend\nfrom above to consume his sacrifice. It was by prayer that Joshua\ncaused the sun to stop in the midst of its course. The prayer of\nMoses contributed more to the signal victory obtained by Joshua\nover the army of the Amalekites, than all the weapons of Israel:\nfor as long as his hands were raised up to heaven, his prayers\ndrew down a blessing on the people of God: but no sooner did he\nlet his hands fall, (being unable to keep them in that painful\nposture,) and had ceased from prayer, than the Amalekites began\nto prevail.\n\nBut if Prayer be so powerful, it is no less necessary: our\npoverty and indigence; our manifold wants, infirmities, and\nmiseries; the various dangers to which we are continually\nexposed; the frequent temptations we have to encounter; our\nabsolute insufficiency of ourselves, and inability to do the\nleast good without the grace of God; are corroborating proofs of\nthe indispensable necessity of Prayer.\n\n{8}\n\nThough every good gift comes from the Father of Lights, who knows\nour wants, and is always inclined to relieve us, yet he requires\nthat we have recourse in all our necessities, corporal and\nspiritual, to the throne of his mercy, under the assurance that\nwhatever we ask with confidence, humility, piety, and\nperseverance, in the name of Jesus, shall be granted.\n\nHowever, the idea of Prayer is not to be confined to that of\nPetition, as frequently happens. Many Christians, indeed, pray to\nGod; but where are they to be found, who, like David, are\nincessantly employed in singing the mercies of the Lord, and have\nthe remembrance of them deeply engraven in their hearts? They\ncall upon God, to represent to him their wants, either temporal\nor spiritual; they appear only in his presence with a hand lifted\nup to receive, as if they imagined he was indebted to them, and\nthat he never gave them enough. They have a heart but to wish,\nand a tongue but to ask. Their wants are eloquent and pressing,\ntheir gratitude cold and silent; for how seldom do they think of\nappearing before him to bless and praise him, and to celebrate\nthe wonders of his love for us! Alas! to recollect his benefits,\nto thank him for them, to feel confused at the sight of their own\ningratitude, to excite themselves, from this motive, to\nconfidence and love, to be ready to do all, to suffer all, for a\nGod who has shown them so much goodness, is a practice which is\nknown but to a small number of fervent souls. We are all earnest\nin asking; but in general so deficient in thanksgiving, that,\nlike the Lepers in the Gospel, it is to be feared not above one\nin ten gives due thanks to God for the blessings received.\n\n{9}\n\nNevertheless, nothing would be more pleasing to God, nor more\nproper to draw down upon us new graces.\n\nTo facilitate, therefore, the exercise of this important duty,\ncertain forms of vocal prayers have always been recommended,\nparticularly such as have been used by the Saints, and drawn from\nthe divine Psalms, which are so full of sublime ideas, of tender\nsentiments of piety, of fervent aspirations, of transports and\nraptures in God, that all the subjects of Prayer which are\nsuitable either to the penitent way, the illuminative way, or the\nunitive way, are to be met with therein.\n\nThe Manual now offered to the piety of Irish Catholics, will be\nfound, on a diligent perusal, to have no small claim to this\nmerit. The many editions it has gone through, the high esteem it\nis held in by interior souls, the constant and universal demand\nfor it, is all we shall say in its praise.\n\nTo render it still more acceptable and more complete, the present\nedition has been very considerably enlarged, improved, and\nenriched with Instructions and Devotions for Confirmation; with\nan explanation of the Latin Liturgy, and of the Ceremonies used\nin the sacrifice of the Mass, and different pious methods of\nassisting thereat; with particular Devotions for every day in the\nWeek; in short, with a great variety of Sacred Hymns of praise\nand thanksgiving, and of spiritual Exercises of Piety for several\noccasions, taken from the most approved Books of Devotion in the\nFrench and English Language. [Footnote 1]\n\n [Footnote 1: See the Supplement attached to this Book.]\n\n{10}\n\n A Table Of Moveable Feasts.\n\nDL = Dominical Letter\n\nYear DL Ash Easter Ascension Whit Corpus 1st Sunday\nof our Wed Sunday Thursday Sunday Christi in Advent.\nLord\n\n1844 GF 21 Feb 7 Apr 16 May 26 May 6 June 1 Dec\n1845 E 5 Feb 23 Mar 1 May 11 May 22 May 30 Nov\n1846 D 25 Feb 12 Apr 21 May 31 May 11 June 29 Nov\n1847 C 17 Feb 4 Apr 13 May 23 May 8 June 28 Nov\n1848 BA 8 Mar 23 Apr 1 June 11 June 22 June 3 Dec\n1849 G 21 Feb 8 Apr 17 May 27 May 7 June 2 Dec\n1850 F 13 Feb 31 Mar 9 May 19 May 30 May 1 Dec\n1851 E 5 Mar 20 Apr 29 May 8 June 19 June 30 Nov\n1852 DC 25 Feb 11 Apr 20 May 30 May 10 June 28 Nov\n1853 B 9 Feb 27 Mar 5 May 15 May 26 May 27 Nov\n1854 A 1 Mar 16 Apr 25 May 4 June 15 June 3 Dec\n1855 G 21 Feb 8 Apr 17 May 27 May 7 June 2 Dec\n1856 FE 6 Feb 23 Mar 1 May 11 May 22 May 30 Nov\n1857 D 25 Feb 12 Apr 21 May 31 May 11 June 29 Nov\n1858 C 17 Feb 4 Apr 13 May 23 May 3 June 28 Nov\n1859 B 9 Mar 24 Apr 2 June 12 June 23 June 27 Nov\n1860 AG 22 Feb 8 Apr 17 May 27 May 7 June 2 Dec\n1861 F 13 Feb 31 Mar 9 May 19 May 30 May 1 Dec\n1862 E 5 Mar 20 Apr 29 May 8 June 19 June 30 Nov\n1863 D 18 Feb 5 Apr 14 May 24 May 4 June 29 Nov\n1864 CB 10 Feb 27 Mar 5 May 15 May 26 May 27 Nov\n1865 A 1 Mar 16 Apr 25 May 4 June 15 June 3 Dec\n1866 G 14 Feb 1 Apr 10 May 20 May 31 May 2 Dec\n1867 F 6 Mar 21 Apr 30 May 9 June 20 June 1 Dec\n1868 ED 26 Feb 12 Apr 21 May 31 May 11 June 29 Nov\n1869 C 10 Feb 28 Mar 6 May 16 May 27 May 28 Nov\n1870 B 2 Mar 17 Apr 26 May 5 June 16 June 27 Nov\n1871 A 22 Feb 9 Apr 18 May 28 May 8 June 3 Dec\n1872 GF 13 Feb 31 Mar 9 May 19 May 30 May 1 Dec\n1873 E 26 Feb 13 Apr 22 May 1 June 12 June 30 Nov\n1874 D 18 Feb 5 Apr 14 May 24 May 4 June 29 Nov\n\n [Transcriber's note: The following table is from\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominical_letter.\n\n A: common year starting on Sunday (or ending on Sunday)\n B: common year starting on Saturday (or ending on Saturday)\n C: common year starting on Friday (or ending on Friday)\n D: common year starting on Thursday (or ending on Thursday)\n E: common year starting on Wednesday (or ending on Wednesday)\n F: common year starting on Tuesday (or ending on Tuesday)\n G: common year starting on Monday (or ending on Monday)\n AG: leap year starting on Sunday (or ending on Monday)\n BA: leap year starting on Saturday (or ending on Sunday)\n CB: leap year starting on Friday (or ending on Saturday)\n DC: leap year starting on Thursday (or ending on Friday)\n ED: leap year starting on Wednesday (or ending on Thursday)\n FE: leap year starting on Tuesday (or ending on Wednesday)\n GF: leap year starting on Monday (or ending on Tuesday)]\n\n{11}\n\n Feasts And Fasts\n\n Throughout The Year.\n\n\n\n Holy-days On Which There Is A Strict Obligation To\n Hear Mass, And Refrain From Servile-works.\n\nAll Sundays in the Year.\nAscension of our Lord.\nCorpus Christi.\nJanuary 1--The Circumcision of our Lord.\nJanuary 6--The Epiphany.\nMarch 17--The Feast of St Patrick.\nMarch 25--The Annunciation of the B.V.M.\nJune 29--St. Peter and St. Paul.\nAugust 15--Assumption of the B.V.M.\nNovember 1--Feast of All Saints.\nDecember 25--Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.\n\n [The obligation is taken away on all other days, by decrees\n of Popes Pius VI. and VIII.]\n\n\n Fasting Days On One Meal.\n\nAll the Days in Lent, except Sundays.\n\nThe Eve of Whitsuntide.\n\nThe Quarter-tenses, or Ember-days, being the Wednesdays, Fridays,\nand Saturdays, next after the first Sunday of Lent; after\nWhit-Sunday; after September 14th: and after December 13th.\n\nThe Eves of St. Peter and St. Paul; of the Assumption\nof the Blessed Virgin Mary; of All Saints; and of Christmas-day.\n\nThe Fridays and Saturdays in Advent.\n\n\n Days Of Abstinence From Flesh Meat.\n\nAll the Sundays in Lent, except when the use of meat is allowed\nby the Archbishop or Bishop of the diocese.\n\nAll the Fridays throughout the Year.\n\nN. B.--Eggs are forbidden on Fridays, when a fast falls on them;\nand if a Fasting Day fall on a Sunday, the fast is kept on the\nSaturday before. If Christmas-day fall on a Friday, neither fast\nnor abstinence is observed.\n\n{12}\n\nN.B.--The Catholic Church commands all her children to be present\nat the great Eucharistic Sacrifice, which we call the Mass, and\nto rest from servile work, on Sundays and Holy-days.\n\nSecondly--To abstain from flesh on all the days of fasting and\nabstinence, and on fasting days to eat but one meal.\n\nThirdly--To confess their sins at least once a year.\n\nFourthly--To receive the blessed sacrament at least once a year,\nand that at Easter, viz., between _Palm_ and _Low\nSundays_.\n\nThe time appointed in the Archdioceses of Dublin, for complying\nwith the Easter Duty, begins an Ash-Wednesday, and terminates on\nAscension Day. They who, without some reasonable cause, neglect\nthis important duty, are liable to be excommunicated whilst\nliving, and when they die, to be deprived of Christian burial,\naccording to the fourth Council of Lateran, can. 21.\n\nMarriage cannot be contracted by persons within the fourth degree\nof kindred without a dispensation, and if attempted is invalid.\nSpiritual kindred, contracted by baptism or confirmation, is an\nimpediment.\n\nClandestine marriage is that which is not performed by the pastor\nof one of the party, with certificate, or by another priest, with\nhis license, and in the presence of two or three witnesses.\n\nClandestine marriages are unlawful, and forbidden by the church;\nand are null or invalid in all the dioceses of Ireland, as the\nDecree of the Council of Trent, which annuls clandestine\nmarriages, has duly been received in them all, 2nd December,\n1827, and was in force thirty days after, or 1st January, 1828.\n\nThe solemnizing of marriage is forbidden from the first Sunday in\nAdvent till after Twelfth-day; and from the beginning of Lent\ntill Easter-Sunday. At all other times it may be solemnized.\n\n\n Plenary Indulgences\n\nPlenary Indulgences are granted to the faithful of this kingdom\nby complying with the usual conditions:--\n\n On the feast of St. Patrick, or any day within the octave.\n\n Item, on the feast of SS. Peter and Paul, or any day within the\n octave.\n\n Item, at the hour of death, to such as devoutly invoke the\n sacred name of Jesus, at least with the heart.\n\n{13}\n\nThe other Indulgences which are granted to the faithful of the\nArchdioceses of Dublin, on the feasts of the Nativity of our\nLord, the Circumcision, the Epiphany, the Resurrection, the\nAscension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, on the five principal\nfestivals of the Blessed Virgin, and the feast of All Saints, &c,\nare commonly published from the altars.\n\n_Note_.--By an Indulgence is meant a relaxation or remission\nof the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, both as\nto the guilt and eternal punishment. Some Indulgences are called\n_plenary;_ because, when the full effect of them is gained,\nthey remit all the debt of temporal punishment: others are called\n_partial_; for example, an Indulgence of forty or an hundred\ndays, or of three, seven, ten, fifteen, or more years; because\nthe penitent is only thereby released in part, or from such a\nproportion of the debt of temporal punishment as was formerly\nenjoined by the penitential canons, according to the enormity of\nthe crimes committed, and as would have been remitted by God, had\nthe penitent undergone, for such a space of time, the severe\ncanonical penances which were in use in the Church until the\ntwelfth century.\n\nThe direct and immediate effect, therefore, of an Indulgence is,\nto remit the debt of temporal punishment, and not to pardon or\nremit sin, as it supposes sin already forgiven. But the sinner's\nrepentance being seldom so perfect as to release him entirely\nfrom the whole punishment he deserves, on account of the injury\nhe has committed against the Divine Majesty, there usually\nremains some debt of temporal punishment to be discharged, either\nin this world or in the next. For though the mercy of God is\nmoved by a true repentance, to pardon the guilt and eternal\npunishment due in hell for mortal sin; yet his justice often\nsubstitutes in its place, and reserves some debt of temporal\npunishment, to which the repenting sinner is liable on account of\nhis past sins; as appears evidently from several remarkable\ninstances recorded in holy writ, particularly Adam, King David,\nManasses, the Israelites, &c.\n\n{14}\n\nIt is to discharge and cancel this debt of temporal punishment,\nthat works of penance are enjoined in the sacred tribunal of\nConfession; and that the Catholic Church, like a compassionate\nand indulging mother, opens her spiritual treasures from time to\ntime, to supply the wants and make up the deficiency of her\nchildren. In virtue of the power given to her by Jesus Christ,\nand in imitation of St. Paul, (2 Cor. x.) and several other\nrenowned doctors and pastors who flourished in the purest ages of\nChristianity, she grants indulgences to such of the faithful as\nare properly disposed, and apply with fervour to those works of\npiety and religion, charity and penance, that are required on\ntheir part, as conditions necessary to gain the benefit of an\nindulgence.\n\n -----------------------------------------\n\n The Manner Of Lay Persons Baptizing An\n Infant In Danger Of Death.\n\nTake common water, pour it on the head or face of the child, and\nwhile you are pouring it, say the following words: \"I baptize\nthee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy\nGhost. Amen.\"\n\n-------------------------------------\n\n The Roman Calendar\n For The Kingdom Of Ireland:\n\n Containing\n\n The Feasts and Fasts of the said Kingdom, the Irish Saints,\n and Patrons of each Diocese; all on their proper days.\n\n\n Explanations.\n\n The Festivals of the Holy-Days are in small capital Letters.\n\nThe Irish Saints are marked in _Italic Letters_.\n\nThe Founders of Religious Orders are marked thus, \u2020\n\n_Note_.--Ap. signifies Apostle, M. Martyr, B. Bishop, Ab.\nAbbot, C. Confessor, V. Virgin, D. Diocese.\n\n{15}\n\n Calendar.\n\n\n\n January, 31 Days.\n\n\n1 Circumcision of our Lord.\n\n2 Octave of S. Stephen.\n In the Diocese of Limerick, S. _Munchin_. B. and C.\n\n3 Octave of S. John, Apostle and Evangelist.\n\n4 Octave of Holy Innocents.\n\n6 S. Telesphorns, Pope and Martyr. Vigil.\n\n6 Epiphany of our Lord, with an Octave.\n\n7 S. _Kenligerna_, Widow.,\n S. Lucian, Martyr.\n\n8 S. _Albert_. B. of Cashel.\n S. Appollinaris, B. C.\n\n9 S. _Finan_, B. of Lindisfarne.\n S. Peter of Sebaste, B. C.\n\n10 S. William, B. and C.\n\n11 S. Hyginus, Pope and Martyr.\n S. Theodosius the Cenobiarch, Ab.\n\n12 S. Arcadius, Martyr.\n\n13 Octave of the Epiphany.\n\n14 S. Hilary, B.C.\n S. Felix, Priest and Martyr.\n\n15 S. Paul, the first Hermit,\n S. Maurus, Martyr.\n\n16 S. _Fursey_, Ab.\n S. Marcellus. Pope and Mart.\n\n17 S. Anthony, Ab.\n\n18 Chair of S. Peter at Rome.\n S. Prisca, V.M.\n\n19 S. Canute, King and M.\n SS. Maurius, Martha, Audifacis, and Abackum. Martyrs.\n\n20 SS. Fabian and Sabastian, Martyrs.\n\n21 S. Agnes, Virg. & Mar.\n\n22 SS. Vincent and Anastatius, Martyrs.\n\n23 Desponsation, Blessed Virgin Mary\n S. Emerentiana, V. and Martyr.\n\n24 S. Timothy, Bp. and M.\n\n25 Conversion of S. Paul the Apostle.\n\n26 S. Polycarp, Bp. and M.\n\n27 S. John Chrysostom, Bp. and Confessor.\n\n28 Commemoration of S. Agnes.\n\n29 S. Francis de Sales, Bp. and Confessor.\n\n30 S. Martina. V. and M.\n S. _Amnichad_, Conf.\n\n31 \u2020S. Peter Nolasco, Conf.\n S. _Aidan_, Bp. of Ferns.\n\nFeast of the most holy Name of Jesus, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.\n\n{16}\n\n February, 28 Days.\n\n1 S. _Bridget_. Virgin. Patroness of Ireland.\n S. Ignatius, Bp. and Mar.\n\n2 Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n3 S. Blase, Bp. and Mart.\n\n4 S. Andrew Corsini, Bp. and Confessor.\n\n5 S. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr.\n\n6 S. Dorothy, V. and M.\n In the Diocese of Ardagh, S. _Mel_, B. and C.\n\n7 S. Romuald, Abbot.\n S. _Malon_, Bishop.\n\n8 S. John of Matha, Conf.\n\n9 S. Apollonia, V. and M.\n S. _Cairecha_, Virgin.\n\n10 S. Scholastica, Virgin and Martyr.\n\n11 S. Raymund of Pennafort, Conf.\n S. _Elchin_, Bishop of Cluninfoda.\n\n12 S. _Sedulius_, Bishop of Dublin.\n S. Benedict of Anian, Abbot.\n\n13 S. _Modomnoc_, B.\n S. Catherine of Ricci, V.\n\n14 S. Valentine, Priest and Martyr.\n\n15 SS. Faustinas and Jovita. Martyrs.\n\n16 S. _Tanco_, Bishop and M.\n S. Onesimus, Martyr.\n\n17 S. _Fintan_, Abbot.\n\n18 S. Simeon, Bp. and M.\n\n19 S. Barbas, Bp. and Conf.\n\n20 SS. Tyrannio, &c. Ms.\n\n21 S. Severianus, Bishop and Martyr.\n\n22 The Chair of S. Peter at Antioch.\n\n23 S. Serenus, a Gardener, Martyr.\n\n24 S. Matthias, Apostle.\n\n25 S. Terasius, Patriarch of Constantinople. Conf.\n\n26 S. Alexander, Patron of Alexandria.\n\n27 S. Leander, Bp. and Con.\n\n28 SS. Martyrs of Alexandria.\n\n In Leap-years February hath 29 days, and the Feast of St.\n Matthias is kept on the 25th.\n\n\n March, 31 Days.\n\n1 S. _Monenius_, Bishop of Cluainferta Brendam.\n S. David, B. C.\n\n2 SS. Martyrs under the Lombards.\n\n3 S. Cunegundis, Empress.\n\n4 S. Cassimirus, Confes.\n S. Lucius, Pope and M.\n\n5 S. _Kiaran_, Bp. and C.\n SS. Adrian, &c. MM.\n\n6 S. _Fridolin_, Abbot. S. Chrodegang, B. and C.\n\n7 S. Thomas of Aquino, Confessor and Doctor.\n SS. Perpetua and Felicitas, MM.\n\n8 S. _Cataldus_, B. C.\n S. _Sennan_, B.\n S. John of God, Confessor.\n\n9 S. Frances, Widow.\n\n10 SS. Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.\n S. Firsullus, Bishop.\n\n11 S. _\u00c6ngus_, Abbot.\n\n{17}\n\n12 S. Gregory the Great, Pope, Conf. and Doctor.\n\n13 S. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, C.\n\n14 S. Maud, Empress.\n\n15 SS. Abraham and Mary.\n\n16 S. Julian, Martyr.\n\n17 Patrick, Bishop and Confessor and Patron of Ireland.\n\n18 S. _Fridian_, Bishop and Confessor.\n\n19 S. Joseph, Conf. Spouse of the B. V, M.\n\n20 S. _Cuthbert_, Bp. and C.\n\n21 S. Benedict, Ab. Patron of the Western Monks.\n\n22 S. Basil of Ancyra, Priest and Martyr.\n\n23 S. Alphonsus Turibius, Bishop and Confessor.\n\n24 S. _Carlain_, Bishop of Armagh.\n S. Ireneus, Bishop and Confessor.\n\n25 Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n26 S. Ludger, Bp. and C.\n\n27 S. _Rupert_, Bp. and C.\n\n28 SS. Priscus, MM.\n\n29 SS. Jonas, &c. MM.\n\n30 S. _Fergus_, Bp. of Drumleth-glass.\n S. John Clymacus, Abbot.\n\n31 S. Benjamin, Martyr.\n\n The Feast of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n Friday after Passion Sunday.\n\n\n April, 30 Days.\n\n1 S. Hugh, Bp. and Conf.\n\n2 \u2020 S. Francis of Paula, C.\n\n3 SS. Agape, &c. MM.\n\n4 S. Isadore, Bp. and Con.\n S. _Tigernach_, Bishop.\n\n5 S. Vincent Ferrer, Conf.\n\n6 S. _Celestine_, Pope and Confes.\n S. Cathubius, Abbot.\n\n7 S. _Celus_, B. of Armagh.\n\n8 S. _Kensalud_, Abbot of Benchor.\n S. Dionisius, Bishop and Confessor.\n\n9 S. Mary of Egypt.\n\n10 S. Bademus, Abbot.\n\n11 S. Leo the Great, Pope Confessor and Doctor\n\n12 S. Sabas, Martyr.\n\n13 S. Hermenegild, Mart.\n\n14 SS. Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus, MM.\n\n15 S. _Rundham_, Bishop.\n S. Peter Gonzales, C.\n\n16 S. _Tegalius_, Bp.\n SS. Martyrs of Saragossa.\n\n17 S. Anicetus, P. and M.\n S. _Leochadius_, Abbot.\n\n18 S. _Laserian_, Bishop of Leighlin.\n S. Apollonius the Apologist, M.\n\n19 S. Leo IX. Pope and C.\n\n20 S. Agnes, Virg. and Ab.\n\n21 S. Anselm, Bp. and C.\n S. _Berachus_, Abbot.\n\n22 SS. Soteras and Cauis, Popes and Martyrs.\n\n23 S. George, Martyr, S. _Ibar_, Bishop.\n\n24 S. Fidelis of Simarengen, Martyr.\n\n25 S. Mark, Evangelist.\n\n26 SS. Cletus and Marcellinus. Popes and Mars.\n\n27 S. _Asicus_, Bp. of Elphin.\n SS. Anthimus, Bishop, &c. MM.\n\n{18}\n\n28 S. Vitalis, Martyr.\n S. _Cronan_, Abbot.\n\n29 S. Peter, M. S. _Ficano_, Confessor.\n\n30 S. Catherine of Sienna, Virgin.\n\n Patronage of S. Joseph, 3rd Sunday after Easter.\n\n\n May, 31 Days.\n\n1 SS. Philip and James, Apostles.\n S. _Ultan_, Ab.\n\n2 Athanasius, Bp. and C.\n\n3 The invention of the Holy Cross.\n In the Diocese of Kildare, S. _Conleath_, Bp. and C.\n\n4 S. Monica, Widow.\n\n5 S. Pius V. Pope and C.\n\n6 S. John before the Latin Gate.\n\n7 S. Stanislaus, Bp. and M.\n\n8 Apparition of S. Michael Arch.\n S. _Indratht_, M.\n\n9 S. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishop and Confessor.\n\n10 S. _Comgall_, Ab. S. Antonius Bp. and Conf.\n SS. Gordian and Epimachus, MM.\n\n11 S. Mammertus, Bishop and Confessor.\n\n12 SS. Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs.\n\n13 S. John the Silent, Bp. and Confessor.\n\n14 S. Boniface, Martyr.\n S. _Carthagh_, Bishop of Lismore.\n\n15 S. _Dympna_, V. and M.\n S. _Gonebrard_, Martyr.\n\n16 S. Ubaine, B. C. and\n S. John Nepomucen, M.\n In the Diocese of Ardfert and Clonfert, S. _Brendan_. Abbot.\n\n17 S. _Maw_, C.\n S. Paschal Baylon, Confessor.\n\n18 S. Venantius, Martyr.\n\n19 \u2020 S. Peter Celestine, Pope and C.\n S. Prudentiana, V.\n\n20 S. Bernardin of Sienna, C.\n\n21 S. Ubaldus, Bp. and C.\n\n22 S. Ivo. Confessor.\n\n23 S. Julia, Virg. and M.\n\n24 S. Vincent of Lerins, C.\n S. _Mac-Cartin_, Bishop of Clogher.\n\n25 S. Greg. VII. P. and C.\n S. Urban, P. and M.\n\n26 \u2020 S. Philip Neri, C.\n S. Eleutherius, P. and M.\n\n27 S. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, V.\n S. John, P. and M.\n\n28 S. Germanus, B. and C.\n\n29 S. Maximinus, B. and C.\n\n30 S. Felix, Pope and M.\n S. _Maguil_, Confessor.\n\n31 S. Petronilla, Virg.\n \u2020S. Angela of Brescia, V.\n\n\n June, 30 Days.\n\n1 S. Justin, Martyr.\n\n2 SS. Marcellinus and Peter, MM.\n\n3 S. _Comegen_, Bishop of Glendaloch.\n S. Cecilius, Conf.\n\n4 S. _Petrocus_, Confessor.\n SS. _Breaca_, &c. Virgs.\n S. Francis Caracciolo, Confessor.\n\n{19}\n\n5 S. Boniface, B. and M.\n\n6 \u2020 S. Norbert, B. and C.\n S. _Coca_, Virgin.\n\n7 S. _Colman_, Bishop of Dromore, Conf.\n\n8 S. _Syra_, V.\n S. _Bronius_, Bishop, Cuil-ira.\n S. Medard, Bp. and C.\n\n9 S. _Columba_, Ab.\n SS. Primus and Felican, Martyrs.\n\n10 S. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, Widow.\n\n11 S. Barnabas, Apostle.\n S. _Mectalus_, Bishop,\n\n12 S. John of Sahagun, C. and SS. Basilides, Cyras, &c. MM.\n\n13 S. Anthony of Padua, C.\n S. _Macnisius_, Ab.\n\n14 S. Basil the Great, Bp. and Conf.\n\n15 SS. Vitus, Crescentia, and Modestus, MM.\n\n16 S. John Francis Regis, Confessor.\n\n17 SS. Nicander, &c. MM.\n\n18 SS. Marcus and Marcellinus, MM.\n\n19 \u2020 S. Juliana Falconieri, Virgin.\n SS. Gervasius and Protasius, MM.\n\n20 S. Silverius, Pope and M.\n S. _Gobain_, Virgin.\n\n21 S. Aloysius Gonzaga, C.\n\n22 S. Paulinus, Bp. and C.\n\n23 S. Etheldreda, V. and M.\n Vigil.\n\n24 Nativity of S. John Baptist, with an Oct.\n\n25 \u2020 S. William, Ab.\n\n26 SS. John and Paul, Martyrs.\n\n27 S. Ladislas, King and C.\n\n28 S. Leo II. Pope and C. Vigil. Fast.\n\n29 SS. Peter and Paul, Apostles, with an Oct.\n\n30 Commemoration of S. Paul, Ap.\n\n\n July, 31 Days.\n\n1 Octave of S. John Baptist.\n S. _Cumian_, Bp.\n\n2 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n SS. Processus and Martinian, MM.\n\n3 S. _Rumold_, Bp. and M.\n S. _Killen_, Ab.\n\n4 S. _Finbar_, Ab.\n S. Ulric, B. and C.\n\n5 S. _Modwena_, Virgin.\n S. Peter, B. and C.\n\n6 Octave of SS. Peter and Paul, Apostles.\n\n7 S. Paulinus, Conf.\n\n8 S. _Kilian_, Bp. and M.\n S. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal.\n\n9 SS. Martyrs of Gorcum.\n\n10 SS. Seven Brethren, and Rufina and Secunda, Martyrs.\n\n11 S. Pius I. Pope and M.\n S. _Drostan_, Ab.\n\n12 \u2020 S. John Gualbert, Ab.\n SS. Nabor and Felix, Martyrs.\n\n13 S. Anacletus, Pope and Martyr.\n\n14 S. Bonaventure, B. C. and D.\n S. _Idus_, Bp.\n\n15 S. Henry II., Emperor of Germany, Conf.\n\n16 Commemoration of Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel.\n\n{20}\n\n17 S. Alexins, Confessor,\n S. _Turnin_, Conf.\n\n18 \u2020 S. Camillus de Lellis, Conf.\n SS. Symphorosa, &c. Martyrs,\n\n19 \u2020 S. Vincent of Paulo, C.\n\n20 \u2020 S. Jerom \u00c6miliani, C.\n S. Margaret, V, M.\n\n21 S. Praxedes, Virgin.\n S. _Arbogastus_, Bishop.\n\n22 S. Mary Magdalen.\n S. _Dabius_, Conf.\n\n23 S. Apollinaris, B. and M.\n S. Liborius, B. C.\n\n24 S. Christina, V. and M.\n S. _Declan_, B. Vigil.\n\n25 S. James, Apostle.\n S. Christopher, Martyr.\n\n26 S. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n27 S. Pantaleon, Martyr.\n S. _Congal_, Ab.\n\n28 SS. Nazarius, Celsus, and Victor, Martyrs.\n S. Innocent, Pope & C.\n\n29 S. Martha, V.\n SS. Felix, Simplicius, &c, MM.\n\n30 SS. Abdon and Sennen, Martyrs.\n\n31 \u2020 S. Ignatius of Loyala, C.\n\n\n August, 31 Days.\n\n1 S. Peter's Chains.\n SS. Maccabees, MM.\n\n2 S. Stephen, Pope and M.\n S. _Chrocan_.\n\n3 Finding of S. Stephen's Relics.\n\n4 \u2020 S. Dominick, Conf.\n S. _Launus_, Ab.\n\n5 Dedication of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Nives.\n\n6 Transfiguration of our Lord.\n SS. Xystus, Pope, Felicissimus, &c. Martyrs.\n\n7 \u2020 S. Cajetan, Confessor.\n S. Donatus, Martyr.\n\n8 SS. Cariacus, Largus, and Smaragdus, MM.\n\n9 S. Romanus, Martyr.\n S. _Nathy_, Bp. and C.\n S. _Fidlimid_, Bp. and C.\n Vigil.\n\n10 S. Laurence, M. with an Octave.\n S. _Blan_, Bp.\n\n11 SS. Tiberius and Susanna, Martyrs.\n\n12 \u2020 S. Clare, Virgin.\n S. _Muredach_ Bp. and C.\n\n13 SS. Hypolitus and Cassianus, Martyrs.\n\n14 S. Eusebius, Conf.\n S. _Fachanan_, Ab.\n Vigil. Fast.\n\n15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with an Oct.\n\n16 S. Hyacinth, Conf.\n\n17 Octave of S. Laurence.\n\n18 S. Agapetus, Mart.\n S. _Degha_, Bp.\n S. Helen, Empress.\n\n19 SS. Timothy, &c. MM.\n\n20 S. Bernard, Abbot.\n\n21 S. Jane Frances de Chantal, Widow.\n\n22 Octave of the Assumption\n\n23 S. Philip Beniti, Conf.\n S. _Eugenius_, B.\n Vigil.\n\n24 S. Bartholomew, Apost.\n\n25 S. Lewis IX. King of France, Confessor.\n\n{21}\n\n26 S. Zephyrinus, Pope and Martyr.\n\n27 \u2020 S. Joseph Calasanctius, Confessor.\n\n28 \u2020 S. Augustine, B. C. and D. S. Hermes. M.\n\n29 Decollation of S. John Baptist.\n S. Sabina, M.\n\n30 S. _Fiaker_, Conf.\n S. Rose of Lima, Virgin.\n\n31 S. Raymund Nonnatus, Conf.\n S. _Aidan_, Bp.\n\n S. Joachim, on Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption.\n\n\n September, 30 Days.\n\n1 S. Giles, Abbot.\n SS. Twelve Brothers, MM.\n\n2 S. Stephen, King of Hungary, Confessor\n\n3 S. _Macnisius_, B. & C.\n S. Simeon Stilites.\n\n4 S. _Ultan_, Bishop.\n SS. Marcellus, &c. MM.\n\n5 S. Laurence Justinian, B.C.\n S. _Alto_, Abbot.\n\n6 S. _Bega_, V.\n S. _Macculindus_, B.\n S. Pambo, Abbot.\n\n7 S. _Grimonia_, V. M.\n S. _Ennau_, B.\n S. Cloud, C.\n\n8 Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary. with an Oct.\n S. Adrian, M.\n\n9 S. Gorgonius, Martyr.\n S. _Kiaran_, Abbot.\n\n10 S. Nicholas of Tolentine, Conf.\n S. _Finian_, B.\n\n11 SS. Proteus and Hyacinthus, Martyrs.\n\n12 S. _Albeus_, B.\n S. Eanswide, V. Abbess.\n S. _Sigonius_, Abbot.\n\n13 S. Eulogius, B. & C.\n\n14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross.\n S. _Cormac_, B.K.\n\n15 Octave of Nat. Blessed Virgin Mary.\n S. Nicodemus, M.\n\n16 SS. Cornelius & Cyprian, Bishops and Martyrs.\n SS. Euphemia, Lucia, and Geminiani, MM.\n\n17 Impression of the Sacred Stigmas of S. Francis.\n\n18 S. Joseph of Cupertino, Confessor.\n\n19 SS. Januarius, Bishop, and Companions, MM.\n\n20 SS. Eustachius and Companions, MM.\n Vigil.\n\n21 S. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.\n\n22 S. Thomas of Villanova, B. and C.\n S. Maurice and Companions, MM.\n\n23 S. Linus, P. and M.\n S. Thecla, V. and M.\n S. _Eunan_, B. C.\n\n24 Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Redemp. of Captives.\n\n25 S. _Finbar_, Bp. of Cork.\n S. Cleofrid, Abbot.\n\n26 SS. Cyprian & Justina, Martyrs.\n\n27 SS. Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs.\n\n28 S. Wenceslaus, Duke and Martyr.\n\n29 Dedication of S. Michael, Archangel\n\n30 S. Jerom, Priest, Conf. and Doctor.\n\n Festival of holy Name of Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunday within\n Octave of Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary.--Seven Dolors, 3rd\n Sunday in September.\n\n{22}\n\n October, 31 Days.\n\n1 S. Remigius, B. and C.\n S. _Odran_, Conf.\n\n2 Feast of the Guardian Angels.\n\n3 S. Dionysius the Areopagite. Bp. and M.\n\n4 \u2020 S. Francis of Assisium, Confessor.\n\n5 SS. Placidus and Companions, Martyrs.\n\n6 \u2020 S. Bruno, Confessor.\n\n7 S. Mark, Pope & Conf.\n SS. Sergius, &c. MM.\n\n8 S. Bridget, Widow.\n S. _Corcra_, Abbot.\n\n9 SS. Dionysius, Rusticus, &c. Martyrs.\n\n10 S. Francis Borgia, Conf.\n\n11 S. _Kenny_, Abbot, patron of Kilkenny.\n\n12 S. _Mobius_, Ab. of Glasnaidh.\n S. Wilfrid, B.C.\n\n13 S. Edward, King & Conf.\n S. _Colman_, M.\n\n14 S. Callistus, Pope & M.\n\n15 \u2020 S. Teresa, Virgin.\n\n16 S. _Gaul_, Abbot.\n S. _Syra_, Abbess.\n\n17 S. Hedwiges, or Avoice, Duchess of Poland, W.\n\n18 S. Luke, Evangelist.\n\n19 S. Peter of Alcantara, C.\n\n20 S. John Cantins, Conf.\n S. _Aidan_, Bishop.\n\n21 S. Hilarion, Abbot.\n \u2020SS. Ursula & Companions, Virgins and Martyrs.\n\n22 S. _Donatus_ Bp. & Conf.\n\n23 S. Theodoret, Martyr.\n\n24 S. Raphael, Archangel.\n\n25 SS. Chrysanthus and Daria, MM.\n\n26 S. Evaristus, Pope & M.\n\n27 S. _Abban_, Ab.\n S. _Oteran_, Bp. & Conf.\n Vigil.\n\n28 SS. Simon & Jude, Ap.\n\n29 S. _Colman_, Bp. & Conf.\n\n30 S. Marcellus, Martyr.\n\n31 S. _Folian_, M.\n S. Quintin, M.\n Vigil. Fast.\n\n Feast of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1st Sunday in\n October. Anniversary of the Dedication of the Churches of\n Ireland, 2d Sunday in October.\n\n\n November, 30 Days.\n\n1 Festival of All Saints, with an Oct.\n\n2 Commemoration of All Souls.\n S. _Erc_, Bp. of Slane.\n\n3 S. _Malachy_, Bishop of Armagh, Conf.\n\n4 S. Charles Borromeo, B.&C.\n SS. Vitalis and Agricola, MM.\n\n5 S. Bertile, Abbess.\n\n6 S. Leonard, Confessor.\n\n7 S. Willibrord, Conf.\n\n8 Oct. of All Saints.\n Four Crowned Brothers, M M.\n\n9 Dedication of our Saviour's Church, called\n S. John of Lateran.\n S. Theodoras, M.\n\n10 S. Andrew Avellina, C.\n SS. Triphon, &c. MM.\n\n11 S. Martin of Tours, B. and C.\n S. Mennas, M.\n\n12 S. Martin, Pope & M.\n S. _Livin_ B. & M.\n\n13 S. Didacus, C.\n S. _Chillen_, Priest.\n S. Stanislas Kostka, C.\n\n14 S. _Laurence_, B. & C.\n\n{23}\n\n15 S. Gertrude, Virgin.\n\n16 S. Edmond, B. & C.\n\n17 S. Gregory Thaumaturgus, B.C.\n S. _Duloch_, C.\n\n18 Dedication of the Churches of SS. Peter & Paul.\n\n19 S. Elizabeth, Widow,\n S. Pontain, Pope & M.\n\n20 \u2020 S. Felix of Valois, C.\n\n21 Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n22 S. Cecily, V. and M.\n\n23 S. Clement, Pope & M.\n S. Felicitas, ML.\n\n24 S. _Columban_, Abbot.\n S. John of the Cross, C.\n S. Chrysogonus, M.\n S. _Colman_, B. C.\n\n25 S. Catharine, V. & M.\n\n26 S. Peter of Alexandria, Bishop and Martyr.\n\n27 S. _Virgil_, B. & C.\n S. _Secundin_, Bishop\n\n28 S. Stephen the Younger, Martyr.\n\n29 S. Saturninus, Bishop & Martyr.\n Vigil.\n\n30 S. Andrew, Ap.\n S. _Brendan_, of Birr, Abbot.\n\n Feast of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2d Sunday in Nov.\n\n\n December, 31 Days.\n\n1 S. Eligius, Bp. & Conf.\n\n2 S. Bibiana, V. & M.\n\n3 Francis Xavier, Conf. Apostle of the Indies.\n\n4 S. Peter Chrysologus, Bp. & Conf.\n S. Barbara, Virgin & Martyr.\n\n5 S. Sabbas, Abbot\n\n6 S. Nicholas, Bp. & Conf.\n\n7 S. Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor.\n\n8 Conception of the B.V.M. with an Octave.\n\n9 S. Leocadia, V. & M.\n\n10 S. Melchiades, P. & M.\n\n11 S. Damascus, P. & C.\n\n12 S. _Finian_, Bishop.\n SS. Epimachus, &c. MM.\n\n13 S. Lucy, Virg. & M.\n\n14 SS. _Fingar_, and Companions, MM.\n S. Spiridion, Bp. & Conf.\n\n15 Octave of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n16 S. Eusebius, B. & Mart.\n S. _Beanus_, Bishop.\n\n17 S. Olympias, Widow.\n\n18 Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n In the Diocese of Killaloe, S. _Flannan_, B. & C.\n\n19 S. Samthana, Vir. & Ab.\n S. Nimesion, Mart.\n\n20 S. Philagonius, Bishop and Confessor.\n Vigil.\n\n21 S. Thomas, Apostle.\n\n22 S. Ischyrion, Martyr.\n\n23 S. Serbulus, Confessor.\n\n24 Vigil of the Nativity.\n Fast.\n\n25 Nativity of our Lord.\n\n26 S. Stephen, first Martyr.\n S. _Jarlath_, Bishop of Tuam, Confessor.\n\n27 S. John, Apost. & Evan.\n\n28 Feast of the Holy Innocents, with an Oct.\n\n29 S. Thomas, Bishop of Canterbury, Martyr.\n\n30 The Office of the Sunday within Octave of the Nativity.\n\n31 S. Sylvester, Pope & C.\n\n{24}\n\n{25}\n\n Morning Prayer.\n\n\n Morning Prayer is a duty which God requires as the first fruits\n of the day:--most religiously then should it be consecrated to\n him. The success of our actions for the rest of the day,\n depends in a great measure upon this first duty. To begin the\n day without imploring God's grace, and thanking him sincerely\n for the repose of the night, is certainly to expose ourselves\n to infinite danger.\n\n But before prayer, recollect yourself a moment; think what you\n are, of yourself and what God is, to whom you are going to\n speak. You will thus conceive the importance of the action, and\n the sentiments of humility, of regret for your faults, of\n attention, respect, and modesty, of fervour, love, and\n confidence, with which you should address him.\n\n Awaking in the Morning, say:\n\nO my God, my only good, the author of my being, and my last end,\nI offer thee my heart. Praise, honour, and glory be to thee, for\never and ever. Amen.\n\n\n At Up-rising, say:\n\n+ In the name of the Father,\n+ and of the Son,\n+ and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.\n\nI will arise from this bed of sleep, to adore my God, and to\nlabour for the salvation of my soul. O! may I arise on the last\nday to life everlasting!\n\n\n While clothing yourself, say:\n\nO my God, clothe my soul with the nuptial robe of charity, and\ngrant that I may carry it pure and undefiled before thy\njudgment-seat.\n\n{26}\n\n When clothed, kneel down, and say:\n\n+ In the name of the Father, &c. Amen.\n\nBlessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore.\nAmen.\n\nCome, O Holy Ghost, take possession of my heart, and enkindle\ntherein the fire of thy divine love. Amen.\n\n Attend seriously to the presence of God; return him thanks for\n his benefits; and offer yourself to him without reserve.\n\nO eternal God! most holy and adorable Trinity! Father, Son, and\nHoly Ghost; the beginning and end of all things; in whom we live,\nmove, and have our being; I firmly believe that thou art here\npresent; I adore thee with the most profound humility; I praise\nthee; I give thee thanks from the bottom of my heart, for having\ncreated me after thine own image and likeness, and redeemed me\nwith the precious blood of thy Son; for having hitherto preserved\nme, and brought me safe to the beginning of this day. Behold, O\nLord, I offer thee my whole being, and in particular all my\nthoughts, words, and actions, together with such crosses and\ncontradictions as I may meet with in the course of this day. I\nconsecrate them entirely to the glory of thy name, in union with\nthose of Jesus Christ my Saviour, that, through his infinite\nmerits, they may find acceptance in thy sight. Give them, O Lord,\nthy blessing. May thy divine love animate them; and may they all\ntend to the greater honour of thy Sovereign Majesty. Amen.\n\n{27}\n\n Resolve to avoid evil, and to do good.\n\nAdorable Jesus! divine model of that perfection to which all\nChristians should aspire; I will endeavour this day, after thy\nexample, to be mild, humble, chaste, zealous, patient,\ncharitable, and resigned. Incline my heart, O Lord, to keep thy\ncommandments. I am resolved to watch over myself with the\ngreatest diligence and circumspection, and to live soberly,\njustly, and piously for the time to come. I will place a guard on\nmy mouth, and a gate of prudence before my lips, that I may not\noffend with my tongue. I will turn away my eyes, that they may\nnot see vanity; and I will be particularly attentive not to\nrelapse into my accustomed failings; but will struggle against\nthem, and with thy gracious assistance, correct them. Enlighten\nmy mind, O Lord; purify my heart, and guide my steps, that I may\npass this and the remaining days of my life in thy divine\nservice. Amen.\n\n\n Implore the necessary Graces.\n\nThou knowest, O God, my weakness; thou knowest that I am so poor\nand destitute, that I cannot do, or even think of any good,\nwithout thy assistance; arise, therefore, to my help, and\nstrengthen me with thy grace, that I may fervently execute what I\nhave firmly resolved, and not only avoid all the evil thou\nforbiddest; but also perform all the good thou commandest.\n\n{28}\n\n The Lord's Prayer.\n\nOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom\ncome; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this\nday our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive\nthem that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation;\nbut deliver us from evil. Amen.\n\n\n The Angelical Salutation.\n\nHail Mary, full of grace, our Lord is with thee; blessed art thou\namongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy\nMary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of\nour death. Amen.\n\n\n The Apostles' Creed.\n\nI believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and\nearth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was\nconceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; suffered\nunder Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and buried; he\ndescended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead;\nhe ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the\nFather Almighty; from thence he will come to judge the living and\nthe dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic Church;\nthe communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the\nresurrection of the body; and life everlasting. Amen.\n\n{29}\n\n The Confiteor.\n\nI confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever a Virgin, to\nblessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the baptist, to\nthe holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I\nhave sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, _through my\nfault, through my fault, through my grievous fault_. Therefore\nI beseech the blessed Mary ever a Virgin, the blessed Michael the\narchangel, the blessed John the baptist, the holy apostles Peter\nand Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.\n\nMay almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring\nme to everlasting life. Amen.\n\nMay the almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution,\nand remission of all my sins. Amen.\n\n\n Invoke the blessed Virgin,\n your Angel guardian,\n and your Patron Saint.\n\nO holy Virgin! Mother of God! my advocate and patroness! pray for\nthy poor servant; prove thyself a mother to me. And thou, O\nblessed Spirit! my Guardian Angel, whom God in his mercy hath\nappointed to watch over me, intercede for me this day, that I may\nnot stray from the paths of virtue. Our glorious apostle St.\nPatrick, and thou also, O happy saint, whose name I bear, pray\nfor me, that I may serve God faithfully in this life, as thou\nhast done, and with thee glorify him eternally in heaven. Amen.\n\n{30}\n\n Indulgences\n\n To Be Obtained By The Faithful, Who Devoutly\n Repeat Acts Of Faith, Hope, And Charity.\n\n A Plenary Indulgence once a month, is obtained by those who\n repeat Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, devoutly, once every\n day; and who, on any day of that month, shall confess and\n receive the holy Communion, and pray for peace and concord\n among Christian princes, for the extirpation of heresy, and the\n exaltation of the Catholic Church; granted by Pope Benedict XIII.\n the 25th of January, 1728, and confirmed by Pope Benedict XIV.\n the 28th of January, 1756; who further granted the application\n thereof for the relief of the souls in purgatory; and also an\n Indulgence of seven years' and seven forty days' penance, to\n all the faithful, as often as they devoutly repeat the same.\n Pope Clement XIV. the 5th of April, 1772, made this Indulgence\n perpetual to the Catholics of this kingdom; but requires an Act\n of Contrition to be made previous to the Acts of Faith. Hope, and\n Charity. This Indulgence may be applied also for the relief of\n the souls in purgatory.\n\n\n Acts Of\n\n Faith, Hope, And Charity,\n\n\n A Prayer Before The Acts.\n\nO almighty and eternal God! grant unto us an increase of Faith,\nHope, and Charity; and that we may obtain what thou hast\npromised, make us love and practise what thou commandest; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n An Act Of Contrition.\n\nO my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended thee; and I\ndetest my sins most sincerely, because they are displeasing to\nthee, my God, whom I should have never ceased to adore and love.\nI now firmly purpose, by the assistance of thy holy grace, never\nmore to offend thee; and to avoid for the future, to the utmost\nof my power, all dangerous occasions which might expose me to\nsin.\n\n{31}\n\n An Act Of Faith.\n\nO my God! I firmly believe that thou art one only God, the\nCreator and Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, infinitely great,\ninfinitely good, and infinitely perfect. I firmly believe that in\nthee, one only God, there are three Divine Persons, really\ndistinct, and in all things equal, the Father, the Son, and the\nHoly Ghost. I firmly believe that God the Son, the second person\nof the most Holy Trinity, became man; that he was conceived by\nthe Holy Ghost, and was born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered\nand died on a cross to redeem and save us: that he arose on the\nthird day from the dead; that he ascended into heaven, and\nsitteth at the right hand of the Father, _always living to make\nintercession for us;_ that he will come at the end of the\nworld to judge mankind, and render to every one according to his\nworks; that he will reward the good with eternal happiness and\ncondemn the wicked to the everlasting pains of hell. I believe\nthese and all other articles which the Holy Roman Catholic Church\nproposes to our belief, because thou, my God, the infallible\nTruth, hast revealed them; and thou hast commanded us _to hear\nthe Church_, which is _the Pillar and the Ground of\nTruth_. In this Faith I am firmly resolved, through thy holy\ngrace, to live and die.\n\n{32}\n\n An Act Of Hope.\n\nO my God! who hast graciously promised every blessing, even\nheaven itself, through Jesus Christ, to those who keep thy\ncommandments: relying on thy power which is infinite, thy\nmercies, which are over all thy works, and thy promises, to which\nthou art always faithful, I confidently hope to obtain the pardon\nof my past sins, which I now detest; grace to serve thee\nfaithfully in this life, by doing the good works thou hast\ncommanded; and eternal happiness in the next, through my Lord and\nSaviour Jesus Christ.\n\n\n An Act Of Charity.\n\nO my God! my Creator! my Redeemer! my Sovereign Good! whose\nboundless charity to me has been unceasing, and whose infinite\nperfections adoring angels behold with unspeakable delight, I\nlove thee with my whole heart and soul, and above all things; and\nfor thy sake I love my neighbour as myself. Oh, teach me, my\ngracious God, to love thee daily more and more; and mercifully\ngrant that having loved thee on earth, I may love and enjoy thee\nfor ever in heaven.\n\n{33}\n\n A Pious Devotion,\n\n For a perpetual glorification of the MOST HOLY TRINITY, and the\n INCARNATION of our Blessed Redeemer JESUS CHRIST, first\n instituted in France, with the approbation of Christopher\n Beaumont, late Archbishop of Paris, and confirmed by a decree\n of his Holiness Pious VI. issued the 16th May, 1784; who, in\n order to promote and extend the same, was pleased to grant an\n Indulgence for the City of Rome, and the Faithful throughout\n the world, who shall voluntarily associate themselves in the\n practice of this devotion according to the intention of his\n Holiness, in the following manner.\n\n Three persons, united in our Lord by the bands of mutual\n charity, are to engage themselves voluntarily (though without\n any obligation of conscience) to practise a religious exercise,\n which consists in adoring the three divine Persons three times\n a-day, _viz._ morning, noon, and night, reciting seven\n _Gloria Patris_, &c. and one _Ave_, &c. each time, to\n adore the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, and in honour of the\n most holy Virgin Mother of God. These prayers may be said\n either in common or separately, according to the convenience or\n inclinations of the persons associated; and in order that these\n unions may be continued, it is necessary that the associates\n should be _mutually acquainted_, that in case of a vacancy\n by death or otherwise, the loss may be repaired by\n _appointing another;_ by which means this pious society\n may be perpetuated to the end of time.\n\n\n Litany Of The Holy Name Of Jesus.\n\n Lord, have mercy on us.\n Christ, have mercy on us.\n Lord, have mercy on us.\n Christ _hear us_.\n Christ _graciously hear us_.\n\n God the Father of heaven,\n _Have mercy on us._\n God the Son, Redeemer of the World,\n _Have mercy on us._\n God the Holy Ghost,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Holy Trinity one God,\n _Have mercy on us._\n\n{34}\n\n Jesus, Son of the living God,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Splendour of the Father,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Brightness of Eternal Light,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, King of Glory,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Sun of Justice,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, most amiable,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, most adorable,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, the mighty God,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Father of the World to come,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Angel of the Great Council,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, most powerful,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, most patient,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, most obedient,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, meek and humble of heart,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Lover of Chastity,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Lover of Peace,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Lover of us,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Author of Life,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Example of Virtues,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, zealous Lover of Souls,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, our God,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, our Refuge,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Father of the Poor,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Treasure of the Faithful,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, good Shepherd,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, true Light,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, eternal Wisdom,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, infinite Goodness,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Joy of Angels,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, King of Patriarchs,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, the Inspirer of the Prophets,\n _Have mercy on us._\n\n{35}\n\n Jesus, Master of the Apostles,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Strength of Martyrs,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Light of Confessors,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Spouse of Virgins,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Crown of all Saints,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Be merciful unto us,\n _Spare us, O Lord Jesus!_\n Be merciful unto us,\n _Hear us, O Lord Jesus!_\n From all sin,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From thy wrath,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From the snares of the devil,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From the spirit of uncleanness,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From everlasting death,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From the neglect of thy holy inspirations,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' the mystery of thy holy incarnation,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy nativity,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy divine infancy,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy sacred life,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy labours,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy cross and passion,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy pains and torments,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy death and burial,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy glorious resurrection,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy triumphant ascension,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy joys and glory,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n In the day of judgment,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Spare us, O Lord Jesus!_\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Hear us, O Lord Jesus!_\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Have mercy on us, O Lord Jesus!_\n\n Jesus, Master of the Apostles,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Strength of Martyrs,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Light of Confessors,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Spouse of Virgins,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Jesus, Crown of all Saints,\n _Have mercy on us._\n Be merciful unto us,\n _Spare us, O Lord Jesus!_\n Be merciful unto us,\n _Hear us, O Lord Jesus!_\n From all sin,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From thy wrath,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From the snares of the devil,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From the spirit of uncleanness,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From everlasting death,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n From the neglect of thy holy inspirations,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' the mystery of thy holy incarnation,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy nativity,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy divine infancy,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy sacred life,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy labours,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy cross and passion,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy pains and torments,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy death and burial,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy glorious resurrection,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy triumphant ascension,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n Thro' thy joys and glory,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n In the day of judgment,\n _Lord Jesus deliver us._\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Spare us, O Lord Jesus!_\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Hear us, O Lord Jesus!_\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Have mercy on us, O Lord Jesus!_\n\n{36}\n\n Lord Jesus, _hear us!_\n Lord Jesus, _graciously hear us!_\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said, _Ask, and ye shall receive;\nseek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto\nyou;_ mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us the\ngift of divine charity, that we may ever love thee with our whole\nhearts, and never cease from praising thy holy name; who liveth\nand reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.\n\n\n The Salve Regina.\n\n Hail to the Queen who reigns above,\n Mother of clemency and love;\n Hail thou, our hope, life, sweetness; we,\n Eve's banish'd children, cry to thee.\n\n We, from this wretched vale of tears,\n Send sighs and groans unto thy ears;\n O then, sweet Advocate! bestow\n A pitying look on us below.\n\n After this exile let us see\n Our blessed Jesus, born of thee.\n O merciful, O pious Maid,\n O gracious Mary, lend thy aid.\n\nV. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God;\n\nR. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO Almighty and eternal God! who didst prepare the body and soul\nof the glorious Mary, Mother and Virgin, that by the co-operation\nof the Holy Ghost she might become a worthy dwelling for thy Son;\ngrant, that as we rejoice in her commemoration, so by her pious\nintercession we may be delivered both from present evils and\neverlasting death: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{37}\n\n The Angelus Domini.\n\n To be said morning, noon, and night, in memory of the adorable\n mystery of the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour.\n\n1. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary: and she conceived of\nthe Holy Ghost. Hail, Mary, &c.\n\n2. Behold the handmaid of the Lord: May it be done unto me\naccording to thy word. Hail, Mary, &c.\n\n3. And the word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail, Mary, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nPour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts,\nthat we, to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known\nby the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be\nbrought to the glory of his resurrection: through the same Christ\nour Lord.\nAmen.\n\n\n Should the duties of your state of life afford you leisure, you\n may, after Morning Prayers, recite the prayer peculiar to the\n day, which may be found amongst the \"Devotions for every Day in\n the Week:\" meditate also on the proper Reflections of the day,\n which may be seen amongst the \"Pious Reflections for every Day\n in the Month.\"\n\n{38}\n\n Aspirations And Ejaculations\n\nWhich may be secretly repeated in the heart, amidst the ordinary\nactions of the day.\n\nO my God, grant me the grace never to offend thee.\n\nO my God, teach me to love thee with my whole heart, and soul,\nand mind, and strength, in time and eternity.\n\nToo late have I known thee, O infinite goodness.\n\nToo late have I loved thee, O eternal beauty.\n\nTo thee, O God! to thee alone be all honour, and glory, and\npraise, and adoration, for ever.\n\nMortify in me, O Jesus, whatever displeaseth thee; and make me\naccording to thine own heart.\n\nO blessed Jesus; give me grace to learn of thee to be meek and\nhumble of heart, that I may be united with thee, and find rest\nfor my soul.\n\nO my God, and my All! teach me in all things to do thy holy will.\n\nO Lord! keep me from sin, and grant me the grace of a happy\ndeath.\n\nO Fountain of all Goodness! have mercy on me.\n\nO my God, grant me the grace to perform all my works with the\npure intention of pleasing thee.\n\nLet the name of the Lord be blessed and glorified for ever and\never.\n\nGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.\n\n{39}\n\nFrom the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the\nname of the Lord is worthy of praise.\n\nI will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall ever be in\nmy mouth.\n\nBless the Lord, O my soul; and let all that is within me bless\nhis holy name.\n\nThanks be to God for all his benefits.\n\nPraise be to thee, O Christ; blessed be thy holy name, O Jesus.\n\nO God of my heart, and my portion for ever; O let nothing in life\nor death ever separate me from thee.\n\nO rather let me die a thousand deaths than offend thee mortally.\n\n \"In all thy works aim at perfection.\"--Ecclesiastes xxxiii. 23.\n\n\n Prayers For Night.\n\n If it be a duty of the greatest importance to begin the day\n well, it is, doubtless, one of no less consequence to conclude\n it properly. The new graces conferred on us daring the course\n of the day, and the protection we stand in need of against the\n dangers of the night, are urgent reasons why we should address\n ourselves to God, and pray to him with the utmost gratitude and\n fervour.\n\n A daily Examination of Conscience, both in general, with regard\n to our whole conduct throughout the day, and in particular, with\n regard to our predominant vice, passion, or evil custom, and\n the particular virtue we want to acquire, is strongly\n recommended by all spiritual writers, as one of the most\n important duties of a Christian life, and the most profitable\n exercise we can apply ourselves to, both for the avoiding of\n sin, and the acquiring of virtue. It is a _looking-glass_,\n in which we see ourselves in our true colours, and come to the\n knowledge of our sins and evil inclinations. It is a\n _sponge_, by which we wipe away guilt from our souls, and\n become the more pure before God, the more diligently we\n practise it. If we do not daily weed the garden of our souls by\n this holy exercise, the corrupt ground of the heart will\n naturally produce vices and imperfections in abundance.\n\n{40}\n\n The nightly Examination of Conscience makes up the principal\n part of the last exercise of the day. The method thereof\n consists in the following acts, viz., of the presence of God,\n thanksgiving, supplication, examine, sorrow, and good\n resolutions.\n\n The many single blessings which God has bestowed and does\n bestow on those families where prayers are regularly said in\n common, should alone be a sufficient inducement to establish\n this practice every where, and chiefly at night, when all may\n be assembled with greater convenience.--\"_Where two or three\n persons shall be assembled in my name, there,_\" saith Christ,\n \"_shall I be in the midst of them._\" O Christians, what\n stronger inducement can we have to procure so great a\n happiness?\n\n\n + In the name of the Father, &c. Amen.\n\n Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity,\n now and for evermore. Amen.\n\n Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish the hearts of the faithful, and\n enkindle in them the fire of thy divine love. Amen.\n\n\n Let us place ourselves in the presence of God,\n and humbly adore him.\n\nImpressed with the most lively sense of the presence of thy\nEternal Majesty, I adore thee, O my God! I believe in thee,\nbecause thou art truth itself; I hope in thee, because thou art\nfaithful to thy word; I love thee with my whole heart, because\nthou art infinitely amiable and worthy of my love; and, for thy\nsake, I love my neighbour as myself.\n\n{41}\n\n Let us return thanks to God for the favours he has conferred on\n us.\n\n\nEnable me, O Lord, to return thee sufficient thanks for all thy\ninestimable blessings and favours.\n\nThou hast thought of me, and loved me, from all eternity; thou\nhast formed me from nothing; thou hast delivered up thy beloved\nSon to the ignominious death of the cross for my redemption; thou\ndidst preserve me from falling into the abyss of eternal misery,\nwhen my sins had often provoked thee to cut the slender thread of\nmy life, which thou heldest in thy all-powerful and chastising\nhand; and thou still continuest to preserve me, notwithstanding I\nstill continue to offend thee. Alas! my God, what return can I\nmake for the innumerable blessings thou hast conferred on me,\nduring the whole course of my life, as well as for the particular\nfavours of this day? O all ye angels and saints! unite with me in\npraising the God of Mercies, who is so bountiful to so unworthy a\ncreature.\n\n\n Let us beg of God to make our sins known to us.\n\n\nO Eternal Source of Light! who saidst, \"_Let there be\nlight_,\" and there was light; illuminate the darkness of my\nunderstanding, and dispel those shades of ignorance and error,\nwhich conceal from me the filth and enormity of my offences.\n{42}\nDiscover to me, I beseech thee, all the sins I have committed\nthis day, whether in thought, word, deed, or omission; grant me a\nlively sense of their enormity, in order that I may hold them in\nthe utmost detestation, and dread nothing so much as ever to\ncommit them hereafter.\n\n\n Let us examine our consciences, and consider where and in what\n company we have been this day. Let us also call to mind the\n sins we have committed against God, our neighbour, and\n ourselves, and reflect whether we have fulfilled the duties of\n our state of life.\n\n\nAgainst God: By omission or negligence in the discharge of our\nreligious duties; irreverence in the church; wilful distractions\nor inattention at prayer; resistance to the divine grace; oaths;\nmurmurings; want of confidence and resignation. _Pause and\nexamine._\n\nAgainst our Neighbour: By rash judgments; hatred; jealousy;\ncontempt; desire of revenge; quarrelling; passion; imprecations;\ninjuries; detraction; raillery; false reports; damaging, either\nin goods or reputation; bad example; scandal; want of obedience,\nrespect, charity, or fidelity. _Pause and examine._\n\nAgainst Ourselves: By vanity; human respect; lies; thoughts,\ndesires, discourses, or actions contrary to purity; by\nintemperance, rage, or impatience; by an useless and sensual\nlife; or by sloth, in not complying with the duties of our state.\n_Pause and examine._\n\n{43}\n\n Repeat the General Confession, \"I confess,\" &c. p. 29.\n\n\n Prayer.\n\nPenetrated with grief, and overwhelmed with confusion, at the\nsight of my iniquities, I acknowledge myself unworthy, O Lord, to\nbe numbered amongst thy servants, much less to be accounted thy\nchild. Is it possible I could repay such infinite patience and\ngoodness with so much malice and ingratitude? Creator of heaven\nand earth! I have sinned against thee! I have, alas! offended\nthee, who are so good, so amiable, and so worthy of my love! Yet,\nLord, when I consider that I am the work of thy hands, and the\nprice of the blood of thine only Son, who expired on the cross\nfor my salvation, I cease to despair of thy pardon. It is\ntherefore through his infinite merits, that I implore and hope\nthat thou wilt grant me the forgiveness of my sins. Have pity on\nme, O eternal Father, and spare me, for the sake of thy beloved\nSon. Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities.\nI am heartily sorry for them, because they are offensive to thee;\nand shall continue to repent sincerely of them to the very hour\nof my death. Amen.\n\n\n Let us make a firm purpose of amendment.\n\n\nO Almighty and eternal God, I wish from the bottom of my heart,\nthat I had never sinned against thee; but since I have been so\nunhappy, O grant me now thy grace, that I may never offend thee\nmore. Thou hast said: \"I will not the death of a sinner, but\nrather that he be converted and live.\"\n{44}\nConvert me therefore, and I shall be converted. \"Have mercy on me\naccording to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of\nthy tender mercies, blot out my iniquities.\" I renounce all sin,\nfirmly purposing henceforth to walk in the path of thy\ncommandments. This fixed resolution I am determined to keep, with\nthe assistance of thy grace, purchased for me through the\ninfinite merits of thine only Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n Repeat the Lord's Prayer, the Angelical Salutation, the Creed,\n the Acts of the Theological Virtues, and the Angelus Domini, as\n in Morning Prayer.\n\n\n The Litany Of The Blessed Virgin.\n\n Anthem\n\nWe fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! despise not our\nprayers in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O\nthou ever glorious and blessed Virgin.\n\n Lord have mercy on us.\n Christ have mercy on us.\n Lord have mercy on us.\n Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.\n God the Father of Heaven, _Have mercy on us._\n God the Son, Redeemer of the world, _Have mercy on us._\n God the Holy Ghost, _Have mercy on us._\n Holy Trinity, one God, _Have mercy on us._\n\n{45}\n\n Holy Mary,\n _Pray for us._\n Holy Mother of God,\n _Pray for us._\n Holy Virgin of Virgins,\n _Pray for us._\n Mother^of Christ,\n _Pray for us._\n Mother of Divine Grace,\n _Pray for us._\n Most pure Mother,\n _Pray for us._\n Most chaste Mother,\n _Pray for us._\n Mother undefiled,\n _Pray for us._\n Mother unviolated,\n _Pray for us._\n Most amiable Mother,\n _Pray for us._\n Most admirable Mother,\n _Pray for us._\n Mother of our Creator,\n _Pray for us._\n Mother of our Redeemer,\n _Pray for us._\n Most prudent Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\n Most venerable Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\n Most renowned Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\n Most powerful Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\n Most merciful Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\n Most faithful Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\n Mirror of Justice,\n _Pray for us._\n Seat of Wisdom,\n _Pray for us._\n Cause of our Joy,\n _Pray for us._\n Spiritual Vessel,\n _Pray for us._\n Honourable Vessel,\n _Pray for us._\n Vessel of singular Devotion,\n _Pray for us._\n Mystical Rose,\n _Pray for us._\n Tower of David,\n _Pray for us._\n Tower of Ivory\n _Pray for us._\n House of Gold,\n _Pray for us._\n Ark of the Covenant,\n _Pray for us._\n Gate of Heaven,\n _Pray for us._\n Morning Star,\n _Pray for us._\n Health of the Weak,\n _Pray for us._\n Refuge of Sinners,\n _Pray for us._\n Comforter of the Afflicted,\n _Pray for us._\n{46}\n Help of Christians,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Angels,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Patriarchs,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Prophets,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Apostles,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Martyrs,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Confessors,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of Virgins,\n _Pray for us._\n Queen of All Saints,\n _Pray for us._\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Spare us, O Lord._\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Graciously hear us, O Lord,_\n\n Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Have mercy on us._\n\n Christ hear us.\n Christ graciously hear us.\n Lord have mercy on us.\n Christ have mercy on us.\n Lord have mercy on us.\n Our Father, &c.\n V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God;\n R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.\n\n\n Prayer.\n\nPour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts,\nthat we, to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known\nby the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be\nbrought to the glory of his resurrection; through the same Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n{47}\n\n Prayer.\n\nBless, O Lord, the repose I am going to take, that by renewing my\nbodily strength, I may be the better enabled to serve thee. O all\nye saints and angels, but especially thou, O Mother of God,\nintercede for me, not only during this night, and the rest of my\nlife, but more particularly at the hour of my death. Amen.\n\n\n Another Prayer.\n\nPour down thy blessings, O Lord, on my parents, benefactors,\nfriends, and on my enemies too, if I have any. Protect my\nsuperiors, spiritual and temporal. Help the poor and sick, and\nthose that are in their last agony. Convert all heretics and\nunbelievers. O God of mercy and goodness! have mercy on the souls\nof the faithful in purgatory; put an end to their sufferings; and\ngrant to all those for whom I am particularly bound to pray,\neternal light, rest, and happiness. Amen.\n\n\n Hymn.\n\n Before the closing of the day,\n Creator, we thee humbly pray,\n That for thy wonted mercy's sake,\n Thou us into protection take.\n\n May nothing in our minds excite\n Vain dreams and phantoms of the night;\n Our enemy repress, that so\n Our bodies no uncleanness know.\n\n{48}\n\n In this, most gracious Father, hear,\n Through Christ thy equal Son, our prayer;\n Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,\n Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.\n\n\n Prayer.\n\nVisit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation, and drive away\nfrom it all the snares of the enemy; let thy holy angels dwell\ntherein to preserve us in peace; and may thy blessing be upon us\nfor ever; through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\nMay the divine assistance remain always with us. Amen.\n\n\n Before you go to bed, read a chapter in some spiritual book.\n Resolve within yourself on the subject of the next morning's\n meditation, which may be found amongst the \"Pious Reflections\n for every Day in the Month,\" and think upon it while you are\n undressing. When you compose yourself in bed, think on your\n grave, and how soon death, of which sleep is an image, will be\n with you; and what your sentiments will then be of all worldly\n vanities. Offer up your sleep to God, submitting it with a pure\n intention to his holy will; that by this repose of nature you may\n recover new vigour of mind and body to serve him. Wish that every\n breath you are to draw this night, may be so many acts of praise\n and love of the divine Majesty, like the happy breathings of\n the angels and saints, who never sleep; and so compose yourself\n to rest in the arms of your Saviour.\n\n\n If you awake in the night, renew the offering of yourself to\n God, saying:\n\n \"My soul hath desired thee in the night.\"\n Isaiah, xxvi. 9.\n\nInto thy hands, O Lord, I recommend my spirit: Lord Jesus,\nreceive my soul, &c.\n\n\n{49}\n\n A Prayer Before Sermon, Spiritual Reading, &c.\n\nO incomprehensible Creator, true fountain of light, and only\nauthor of all knowledge, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to enlighten\nour understanding with the rays of thy wisdom, and to chase away\nfrom our minds all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou who makest\neloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, pour on our\nlips, _and into our hearts_, the grace of thy blessing; give\nus a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension,\ncapacity of retaining, and the continual assistance of thy holy\ngrace: that we may apply whatever we hear, read, or meditate on,\nto thy honour, and the eternal salvation of our own souls:\nthrough, &c. Amen.\n\n{50}\n\n On The Mass.\n\n\n Of all the duties prescribed by our holy religion, the\n Sacrifice of the Mass is that which is most pleasing to God,\n and most salutary to man. Here it is that Jesus Christ renews\n the great mystery of our redemption; here doth he make himself\n our victim in a real, though unbloody sacrifice, and in person\n applieth to each of us the merits of that blood, which, hanging\n on a cross, he was pleased to shed for mankind. This should\n give us the most sublime idea of the Mass, and make us desire\n to hear it with the utmost reverence and devotion; for to\n assist at it irreverently, or without putting a proper\n restraint on our eyes and our whole exterior, is to dishonour\n religion, and renew, as far as in us lies, the insults he\n received on Mount Calvary. To avoid then so great an evil, let\n us always come to this august sacrifice with the most earnest\n devotion; let us enter into the spirit of Christ; let us offer\n ourselves up with him, and as he does; let the church, as we\n enter it, strike us with awe; let our modesty and recollection\n be uninterrupted from the beginning to the end thereof; let our\n hearts, thoughts, and imaginations be, as it were, buried in\n God, and the interests of our souls.\n\n The Practical Reflections (in small letter) at the head of each\n prayer, may help to excite our attention.\n\n The Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, usually read on Sundays\n and Holidays, before Mass, may be found in page 30.\n\n\nO merciful Father, who didst so love the world as to give up thy\nonly Son to death, even the death of the cross, for our\nredemption; vouchsafe, through his infinite merits, to accept in\nour behalf the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the offering\nof which we are about to participate.\n{51}\nWe approach thy throne, O Lord, with humble but firm hope, when\nwe remember that we have the price of the world's redemption to\nlay before thee. That price has been paid by the death of thy\never blessed Son; and among the wondrous means which he has\nprovided for applying the fruits thereof to our souls, we\ncontemplate, with especial gratitude, that enduring memorial of\nhis love, which he instituted at his last supper, whereby he\nenables us not only to possess within us; in the divine\nCommunion, the very Author of grace, the Victim of propitiation,\nwho died for us on the cross, but also to present him anew to thy\nacceptance, really present on our altar, as our Advocate and\nMediator, through the ministry of his Priests, in the adorable\nSacrifice of the Mass.\n\nAt this adorable Sacrifice we are now assembled to assist. O\nLord, look upon the face of thy Christ; and grant, that while we\nunite with thy holy Church and its Minister, in offering him\nbefore the throne of thy mercy, for all the purposes for which he\nonce shed his most precious blood, we may be made partakers of\nthe one all-atoning sacrifice which he consummated on Calvary.\n\n{52}\n\nBowing down, therefore, in humble adoration, before thy sovereign\nMajesty, we now offer the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass to thy\nhonour and glory, to acknowledge thy infinite perfections, thy\nsupreme dominion over all thy creatures, our entire subjection to\nthee, and our total dependance on thy gracious providence.\n\nWe offer it to thee in thanksgiving for having created us to\nthine own image, and destined us for eternal glory; for having\nredeemed us from the slavery of Satan by the precious blood of\nthy divine Son; for having called us to the true faith; assisted\nus by thy graces; borne with our ingratitude; watched over us by\nthy special providence; blessed us, notwithstanding our utter\nunworthiness, with the continuance of thy gracious protection;\nand for all the other innumerable favours which we owe to thy\nundeserved bounty.\n\n{53}\n\nWe offer it to move thee to compassion for our spiritual\nmiseries, that thou mayest grant us the gift of compunction and\nthe pardon of our sins.\n\nWe offer it for the propagation of the Catholic Faith, that all\nmay be brought into the _one fold_ under the _one\nshepherd;_ for our most holy Father the Pope, that _the\nspirit of wisdom, and fortitude, and piety,_ may rest upon\nhim; for our Prelate, and for all the Pastors and Clergy of thy\nholy Church, that they may direct the faithful in the way of\nsalvation; for the Queen, _and for all who are in high station,\nthat we may lead a quiet and peaceable life;_ for concord and\ngood will among all states and people; for the necessities of\nmankind; for the inhabitants of this parish, particularly for the\ncongregation here present; and to obtain all the blessings that\nwe stand in need of in this life, the happiness of heaven in the\nnext, and eternal rest to the faithful departed.\n\n{54}\n\nAnd as Jesus Christ so ordained, when he instituted at his last\nsupper this wonderful mystery of his power, wisdom, and goodness,\nwe offer the Mass in grateful remembrance of all that he has done\nand suffered for the love of us, making special commemoration of\nhis bitter passion and death, and of his glorious resurrection\nand ascension into heaven. Vouchsafe, O almighty and eternal God,\nto whom alone the supreme worship of sacrifice is due, graciously\nto accept it for these and all other purposes agreeable to thy\nholy will. We offer it, not confiding in any merits of our own--\nwe offer it through the merits of the same Jesus Christ, thy\nbeloved Son, our High Priest and Victim, and in the name of the\nmost holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost;\nto whom be honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever.\n\nO all ye Angels and Saints who stand before the throne of God,\nvouchsafe to join in our humble supplications; and thou, above\nall, O ever blessed Virgin, immaculate mother of God our Saviour,\nassist us with thy prayers. We know that thou art near to that\nmost loving Son, through whom only we can find _access to the\nthrone of grace_, and who will refuse thee nothing, that\nthrough his infinite merits thou wilt deign to solicit for us.\n{55}\nAt thy suggestion he wrought the stupendous miracle of changing\nwater into wine. Oh then, beseech him, by all that he has\nsuffered for our salvation, that the still more wondrous prodigy\nwhich he is about to perform on our altar, may not, through our\nunworthiness, be unprofitable to us; that he may move us to\nassist at it with the deepest awe, the firmest confidence, and\nthe most ardent love; that it may thus ascend in the odour of\nsweetness to the throne of mercy in our behalf, to be to us an\nunfailing source of grace here, and a pledge of eternal life\nhereafter. Amen.\n\n{56}\n\n Prayers At Mass. [Footnote 2]\n\n [Footnote 2: For an explanation of the Latin liturgy, and of\n the sacrifice and sacred ceremonies of the Mass, the reader\n is referred to the commencement of the Supplement, where also\n will be found the Ordinary of the Mass, (in English,) as read\n by the priest at the altar.]\n\n\n The Beginning Of The Mass.\n\n\n+ In the name of the Father, and of the\n Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.\n\nIt is in thy name, O adorable Trinity, it is to honour thee, and\nto do thee homage, that I assist at this most holy and august\nsacrifice. Permit me then, O Lord, to unite my intention with\nthat of thy Minister now at the altar, in offering up this\nprecious victim; and give me the same sentiments I ought to have\nhad on Mount Calvary, had I been an eye-witness of that bloody\nsacrifice.\n\n\n At The Confiteor.\n\n Think, in the bitterness of your heart, on all your past sins,\n and recollect, in a general manner, such of them as are most\n humiliating. Lay your weaknesses before God, and beg of him to\n pardon them. Implore his assistance in all your necessities,\n through the infinite efficacy of this great sacrifice.\n\n{57}\n\nI confess, O my God, not only in thy presence, who seest the\nsecrets of hearts, but also in the presence of all the blessed in\nheaven, and faithful on earth, that I have often and grievously\noffended thee in thought, word, and deed, _through my fault,\nthrough my fault, through my most grievous fault._ Yes, Lord,\nI have sinned; I acknowledge to my shame, and with the most\nbitter regret, that I have ungratefully abused all thy gifts; and\ntherefore I humbly beseech thee, O blessed Virgin Mary, and all\nye saints and angels, to intercede for me. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to\nlisten to them; grant to the ardour of their prayers, what thou\nmayest justly refuse to the coldness of mine; and to their\nservices, that pardon to which my offences can have no claim.\n\n\n When The Priest Is Going Up To The Altar.\n\nUnite, O Lord, our hearts and wills, and remove from us every\nthing that may any way make us unfit for appearing in thy\nsanctuary. Of ourselves we are unworthy to appear in thy\npresence: therefore we implore the intercession of the saints in\nour behalf. Grant to their prayers the pardon of all our sins:\nthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{58}\n\n At The Introit.\n\nWe beseech thee, O Lord, that we may be truly prepared for the\noffering of this great sacrifice to thee this day. Our sins alone\ncan render us displeasing to thee, we therefore call aloud to\nthee for mercy.\n\n\n At The Kyrie Eleison.\n\nHave mercy on us, O Lord, and forgive us all our sins; and though\nwe have nothing of our own to move thy goodness, let our\nimportunity prevail: have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.\n\n\n At The Gloria In Excelsis.\n\n Conceive a vehement desire of promoting the glory of God, and\n your neighbour's good. Rejoice with the angels, at the share\n you nave in these holy mysteries; and form to yourself the\n highest idea of the majesty of God; and of his Son Jesus\n Christ.\n\n\nWho is like unto thee, O almighty God! To whom can the most\nunlimited tribute of honour, praise, and glory be due, either in\nheaven or on earth, if not to thee, the King of kings, the Lord\nof lords, and beneficent Creator of the universe!\n{59}\nThe angels and saints, with unceasing rapture, sing forth thy\npraises, and glorify thy name in heaven; and shall not I, the\nwork of thy hands, praise thee also on earth? Yes, O Lord!\nGraciously vouchsafe to accept the homage I now pay thee, and\nwhich I purpose fervently to offer thee all the days of my life.\n\n\n At The Collect.\n\n So called, because the priest lays before God the necessities\n of all his people; their vows and desires _collected_, as\n it were, together; whence, turning to the congregation, he\n invites them to unite with him in the petition, saying:\n _Oremus_, or _Let us Pray_.\n\nAlmighty and eternal God, we humbly beseech thee to look down\nfrom thy heavenly sanctuary upon this congregation, and\ngraciously hear these prayers, which thy church addresses to thee\nfor us by the ministry of thy priest.\n\nGrant us, in thy infinite mercy, pardon of our sins, health of\nmind and body, peace in our days, unity and increase of Catholic\nfaith, fervent charity, sincere devotion, patience in suffering,\nand every thing else conducive to thy glory and our own\nsalvation: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{60}\n\n At The Epistle.\n\n Return God thanks for having called you to the knowledge of his\n holy law; submit to it with perfect docility; and beg of him to\n extend our holy religion over the whole world.\n\n\nO eternal God, who never ceasest to excite us to the worship and\nlove of thy holy name, or to arm us against the attacks of the\nworld, the flesh, and the devil, by the public ministry of thy\nchurch, by the doctrine of thy prophets and apostles, and by many\nother holy admonitions; grant we may faithfully attend to these\nlessons of salvation, that thus our knowledge of thy law may\nnever rise in judgment against us, but guide us securely to thee:\nthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n At The Gospel.\n\n Look on the Gospel as the rule of your faith and morals; a rule\n which Christ himself has drawn up; a rule which you have solemnly\n promised by your baptism to follow, and by which you shall most\n certainly be judged.\n\n{61}\n\nIt is not thy interpreters, O God, who are now to instruct me; it\nis thy only Son; it is his word I am about to hear. I most\ngratefully embrace this heavenly doctrine. I stand up to declare\nin the face of heaven and earth, that I will walk faithfully in\nthat way which he hath marked out for me. He tells me here, that\n\"it will avail a man nothing to gain the whole world, if he lose\nhis own soul; that the sensual, the covetous, the worldling, the\nlibertine, the detractor, and such as are insensible to the\nmiseries of the poor, shall have no share in his heavenly\nkingdom; and that, in order to become his disciple, I must take\nup my cross and follow him.\" I receive with my whole heart all\nthese sacred maxims. Grant me the grace to put them in practice;\nfor to what purpose should I declare myself thy disciple, if I\nwere not to live according to the maxims of thy gospel.\n\n{62}\n\n At The Creed.\n\n Renew your faith in all those articles which the church\n proposes to your belief, because they are founded on God's own\n word, revealed in the scriptures, announced by the prophets,\n supported by miracles, confirmed by the blood of the martyrs,\n verified by the establishment of our faith, and obvious by the\n sanctity of our religion.\n\n\nI return thee infinite thanks, O Lord, for having given me birth\nin the bosom of the holy Catholic Church. The precious gift of\nfaith is much more dear to me than any advantage of birth or\nfortune. Grant me a perfect docility for all it teaches, as well\nfor what I understand, as for what is above my conception. It is\nneither just nor possible that I should fully comprehend an\ninfinite God, who cannot even comprehend myself. By thy grace I\nam firmly convinced of the wisdom and sincerity of thy apostles,\nby whom thou hast announced these mysteries to the world. By them\nthe world was converted; it submitted, and believed them; which,\nif done without a miracle, must be in itself the greatest of all\nmiracles. What more then can I desire? What surer grounds can I\nhave?\n{63}\nOn these principles I rest my belief. Here is the faith which to\nmy last breath I shall profess:--I firmly believe that thou art\none God in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the\nHoly Ghost, who of nothing hast created all things. I believe, O\nheavenly Father, that thy only Son, who is perfectly equal to\nthee, holy, powerful, and eternal, as thou art, became man for\nlove of us; suffered, died on the cross, rose again, and ascended\ninto heaven; from whence he shall come at the last day to judge\nthe world; and that of his blessed kingdom there shall be no end.\nI believe in the Holy Ghost, who is also true God as thou art,\nproceeding from thee and thy Son: I believe that he spoke by the\nprophets, and that by him we are sanctified, I confess one\nbaptism for the remission of sins. I expect the resurrection of\nthe body, and the life of the world to come, where I firmly hope\nto possess thee, Lord, for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n{64}\n\n At The Offertory.\n\n Consider what an advantage it is to have in this sacrifice,\n wherewithal to honour God perfectly; to thank him in a manner\n equal to his gifts; to blot out entirely your past sins; and to\n obtain, both for yourself and others, all those graces you\n stand most in need of.\n\nO holy Father, almighty and eternal God, how unworthy soever I\nmay appear in thy presence, yet I presume to offer thee this\nHost, by the hands of the priest, with the same intention which\nChrist my Saviour had, when he first instituted this august\nsacrifice, and which he now has at this very instant that he\nimmolates himself for us. I offer it in acknowledgment of thy\nsupreme dominion over me and all creatures. I offer it in\nexpiation of my crimes; in thanksgiving for all thy benefits. I\noffer it to obtain from thy infinite goodness, for my parents,\nbenefactors, friends, and enemies, all those precious gifts and\ngraces which only through him can be obtained, who is Just by\nexcellence, and who became a victim for the sins of men.\n{65}\nI earnestly entreat thee to bless and protect the holy Catholic\nChurch, our chief pastor the Pope, our Bishops and Clergy, the\nQueen and Royal Family, and all our fellow-subjects of every\ndenomination. Remember also, O Lord, the souls of the faithful\ndeparted, and grant them, through the merits of thy Son, eternal\nlight and peace. Have mercy upon all heretics, infidels and\nsinners. Bless and preserve all mine enemies; and as I freely\nforgive them the injuries they have done, or mean to do me, so do\nthou, in thy mercy, forgive me mine offences. Amen.\n\n\n At The Preface.\n\n Raise up your thoughts to heaven, even to the very throne of\n the Divinity, and there with most holy and respectful awe, pay\n homage to his glorious majesty, mixing your own praises with\n those sacred hymns with which the heavenly spirits are ever\n praising him.\n\n\nDo thou thyself, O Lord, raise up my heart; inflame it with thy\nlove, and free it from all earthly affections; let it rest in\nheaven, where thou my treasure art, and on this altar also, where\nthou art going to present thyself to thy eternal Father for our\nsake. As my life, O Lord, is a continual succession of thy\nfavours, so let my thanksgivings be also uninterupted.\n{66}\nAnd since thou art going to renew the greatest of all sacrifices,\nshould not I also break forth into the most lively\nacknowledgments? Permit me then, O Lord, to join my feeble voice\nwith the host of heavenly spirits, and to exclaim with them, in\ntransports of joy and admiration: \"_Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God\nof Sabaoth: The heavens and the earth are filled with thy glory.\nBlessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the\nhighest._\"\n\n\n\n At The Canon.\n\n Represent to yourself the altar as a throne of mercy, upon\n which Christ is to sit; where you are entitled to present\n yourself, to expose your wants, to ask for blessings, and\n obtain them. Can he who giveth us his only Son, refuse us any\n other favour whatsoever?\n\n\nO Father of Mercy, graciously receive this most holy Sacrifice,\nwhich we offer to thee by the hands of thy priest, in union with\nthat which thy beloved Son offered thee during his whole life, at\nhis last supper, and on the cross.\n{67}\nLook down on thy Christ, thy dearest and only begotten Son, \"in\nwhom thou art always well pleased;\" and by the infinite merits of\nhis incarnation, nativity, tears, labours, sufferings, and death,\nhave mercy upon me, and upon all those for whom I ought to pray\n[_here name the particular persons_]; my parents, brethren,\nfriends, benefactors, relations, and those who have injured me,\nor whom I may have injured. I also beseech thee to guard,\nprosper, and extend the holy Catholic Church; to pour down thy\nblessings upon our chief pastor the Pope, upon the Bishops and\nall the Clergy; enlighten and guide them in the way of salvation.\nBless and preserve the Queen, and all the Royal Family. Look down\nupon us all, I beseech thee, O Lord, with eyes of mercy and\ncompassion. Bring us all to the perfect practice of a holy and\nvirtuous life here, and to the possession of thy eternal glory\nhereafter. May we all know thee; may we all please thee\nperfectly; may we fear, love, and glorify thee: through the same\nJesus Christ, who, with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and\nreigneth one God, world without end. Amen.\n\n{68}\n\nWhy have not I, O God, at this moment, the ardent sighs with\nwhich the holy patriarchs wished for the Messiah? Why have not I\ntheir lively faith and their ardent love? Come, Lord Jesus! come,\nsweet Redeemer of the world! come quickly to accomplish a\nmystery, which is an abridgment of all thy other miracles.\n\nThou art, O Lord Jesus! the true pastor of souls, who didst lay\ndown thy life for thy flock! Thou art the Lamb of God, that died\nupon the cross to save us! Prostrate in spirit before thee, I\ndesire to praise and bless thee, both now and for ever. Amen.\n\n\n At The Elevation Of The Host.\n\n Behold your God, your Saviour, and your Judge! Contemplate in\n silent astonishment what passes before you. Excite every\n fervent sentiment in your soul, which fear, respect, and\n confidence can inspire.\n\n{69}\n\nHail, O Victim of Salvation! eternal King! incarnate Word!\nsacrificed for me and all mankind! Hail, precious Body of the Son\nof God! sacred Flesh, torn with nails, pierced with a lance, and\nbleeding on a cross for us poor sinners! O amazing goodness! O\ninfinite love! O let that tender love plead now in my behalf: let\nall my iniquities be here effaced, and my name be written in the\nbook of life. I believe in thee; I hope in thee; I love thee. To\nthee be honour, praise, and glory, from all creatures, for ever\nand ever. Amen.\n\n\n At The Elevation Of The Chalice.\n\nHail, sacred Blood, flowing from the wounds of Jesus Christ, and\nwashing away the sins of the world! O cleanse, sanctify, and\npreserve my soul, that nothing in future may ever separate me\nfrom thee. Behold, O eternal Father, thy holy Jesus, and look\nupon the face of thy Christ, in whom thou art well pleased. Hear\nthe voice of his blood crying out to thee, not for vengeance, but\nfor mercy and pardon. Accept this divine oblation; and through\nthe infinite merits of all the sufferings that Jesus endured on\nthe cross for our salvation, be pleased to look upon us, and upon\nall thy people, with an eye of mercy.\n\n{70}\n\n During the remainder of the Canon contemplate in the most\n affectionate manner, your Saviour here present. Reflect on the\n mysteries he renews. Unite the sacrifice of your heart to that\n of his body. Offer him up to God his Father, with the several\n intentions of the four kinds of sacrifice offered in the Old\n Law, beseeching him to accept the prayers which his dear Son\n addresses to him in our behalf.\n\nIt is now, O eternal Father, that we truly and really offer to\nthy Divine Majesty, that pure, holy, and immaculate victim which\nthou thyself hast been pleased to grant us, and of which all\nother offerings were only the types and figures. The sacrifices\nof Abel, of Abraham, and of Melchisedech, were of no value, when\ncompared to ours. This glorious victim, thy dear Son himself, the\nperfect object of thy eternal love, and alone worthy of thy\naltar, is an offering by so much the more precious than theirs,\nas God is greater than all creatures.\n\n{71}\n\n As A Holocaust, Or Whole-burnt Offering.\n\nO sovereign Creator and Lord of all things! graciously vouchsafe\nto accept my humble homage, in union with that which thou here\nreceivest from Jesus Christ, the only worthy adorer of thy\ninfinite Majesty. Whilst, therefore, he immolates himself upon\nthis altar, I unite my intentions with those views and purposes\nhimself has, in offering to thee this his holy sacrifice. It is\nhe alone can form a just conception of the boundless excellence\nand unspeakable majesty of The Great Creator of Heaven and earth;\nhe alone fully comprehends the entire extent of thy dominion. He\nbeholds (what we blind mortals cannot) how far all creatures,\nvisible and invisible, depend on thee. He plainly conceives that\nthy dominion is absolute over all we are, all we possess or can\nhope for in time or eternity. It is in acknowledgment of this thy\nsovereign authority, and to make, in his name, a public\nprofession of our total dependence on thee, that I unite with him\nin his daily renewal of this most holy sacrifice.\n\n{72}\n\n As A Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving.\n\nVouchsafe, O most bountiful Lord God, to receive this precious\nvictim in thanksgiving for all thy benefits. Thou hast created me\nto thine own image and likeness, and if thy all-powerful hand had\nnot continued to preserve the slender thread of my life, I must\nere now have fallen back into my original nothing. For my sake\nthou didst abandon thy beloved Son to the cruelty of the Jews,\nand to an ignominious death; nor doth a single moment of my\nexistence pass away without fresh proofs of thy bounty. O that I\ncould, in some degree, acknowledge those thy innumerable favours,\neven at the price of my blood; but the offering I here make thee\nis infinitely more acceptable; it is nothing less than thy\nbeloved Son, equal to thee in all things, the very figure of thy\nsubstance, and splendour of thy glory.\n\n{73}\n\n As A Sacrifice Of Expiation.\n\nRemember, O Lord, that the sacrifice we now offer to thee, is\nessentially the same, and equally propitiatory with that which\nour Saviour offered thee on Mount Calvary, though different as to\nthe manner of offering. However base, therefore, our ingratitude\nmay be, or however manifold our transgressions, we cannot but\nhope for pardon, since it is the blood of a God we offer in\natonement.\n\n\n As A Sacrifice Of Impetration.\n\nO God of infinite bounty, be pleased now to crown all the favours\nthou hast hitherto conferred on me, by the gifts of a _lively\nfaith_, a _firm hope_, and an _ardent charity_.\nBless all my labours and undertakings. Give me an intuitive\nknowledge of thy holy will, and an unshaken resolution to put it\ninto execution. Grant me perseverance in thy grace to the end of\nmy life. Have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed,\nparticularly on those for whom I am in a more especial manner\nbound to pray. [_Name them_.] Deliver them, O Lord, from all\ntheir sufferings, and admit them into the mansions of everlasting\nbliss: through the infinite merits of Christ Jesus, thy only Son,\nwho liveth, &c. Amen.\n\n{74}\n\n At The Pater Noster.\n\n Let us imagine ourselves present with Jesus on a new Calvary.\n Let us remain at the foot of his cross, with the tender\n compassion of Magdalen, with the ardent love of St. John; or,\n standing afar off with St. Peter, let us weep bitterly over our\n manifold sins and offences.\n\n\nWhat a happiness, O my God, to have thee for my Father! How\njoyful to think, that heaven, where thou art, is also to be my\neternal dwelling-place! May thy name be glorified throughout the\nwhole world. Reign, O Lord, over all hearts, affections, and\ndesires. Refuse us not our spiritual and corporal food. We freely\nforgive others; do thou also forgive us. Support us in the trials\nand temptations of this life, and preserve us from sin, the\ngreatest of all evils.\nAmen.\n\n{75}\n\n At The Agnus Dei.\n\n God, so glorious in heaven! so powerful on earth! so dreadful\n in hell! is here only a lamb, full of sweetness and bounty!\n Behold! he comes here to take away the sins of the world, and\n thine in particular. O what a motive of confidence! O what a\n subject of consolation!\n\n\nO Lamb of God, sacrificed for my sake, have mercy on me! O\nadorable Victim of my salvation, look down on me and save me!\nDivine Mediator! obtain pardon of thy eternal Father for me a\nsinner, and mercifully grant me the sweets of thy peace. Amen.\n\n\n At The Communion.\n\n To communicate spiritually, renew, by an act of faith, your\n firm belief of Christ's _real presence_. Make an act of\n contrition. Desire most earnestly to receive him with the\n priest; beg of him to accept these desires, and to unite\n himself to you in the effusion of his graces.\n\n\nO that I were among the number of those whose sanctity allows\nthem to communicate daily! What a happiness, O my God! could I at\nthis moment erect a throne for thee in my heart, pay thee my\nhomage, lay open to thee my wants, and participate in the favours\nthou grantest to those who _really_ and _worthily_\nreceive thee.\n{76}\nBut since I am unworthy, do thou, O Lord, supply my want of the\nproper dispositions. Grant the pardon of my manifold sins, which\nI detest from the bottom of my heart, because they displease\nthee. Cast thy compassionate eye upon me, and purify my soul,\nthat the ardent wish I now conceive to be united to thee by a\nworthy communion, may be speedily accomplished. But until the\narrival of so happy a moment, I earnestly entreat thee, O dearest\nLord, that thou wouldst make me partaker of all those advantages\nwhich the communion of the priest may produce in those thy\npeople. By the efficacy of this enlivening sacrament, increase my\nfaith, strengthen my hope, revive in my soul the rays of divine\ncharity, inflame my heart with thy love, that it may pant only\nfor thee, and live for thee alone. Amen.\n\n{77}\n\n At The Last Prayers.\n\n Strive earnestly to offer your Lord sacrifice for sacrifice, by\n becoming the victim of his love. Immolate freely to him all\n your sinful inclinations, and whatever is contrary to his holy\n will.\n\n\nSince thou, O Lord, hast sacrificed thyself for my salvation,\nshall not I desire to be sacrificed for thy glory? Yes, I am thy\nvictim: do with me as thou willest. I consecrate my whole being\nto thee. I willingly accept whatever crosses thou art pleased to\nsend me. Receiving them from thy fatherly hand, I embrace them,\nand unite them with those thou hast endured for my sake. Before I\nquit thy temple, strengthen the resolution I have made to serve\nthee with more fidelity, and to struggle, not only against my\nordinary failings, but chiefly against that to which I am most\ninclined. Thy law shall henceforth be my rule of conduct during\nthe remainder of my life; and I will forfeit every worldly\nconsideration, and suffer every calamity, sooner than transgress\nit. Amen.\n\n{78}\n\n At The Benediction.\n\n Receive the blessing from the priest, as given in the name of\n the Lord. Thank him sincerely for the favours here granted you.\n Lay up with care the fruits of this sacrifice; and let your\n conduct be such, as that all who see you, may clearly perceive\n how much you have profited by so holy an action.\n\nMost holy and adorable Trinity! as it is by thee we began this\nsacrifice, so it is by thee we desire to conclude it. Suffer us\nnot therefore, O Lord, to depart hence without thy blessing. Give\nit us by the ministry of this priest. May it ever remain with us;\nmay its influence always direct our actions; and may it be a sure\npledge of that final benediction which thine elect shall receive,\nwhen called by thee to thy kingdom of eternal glory. Amen.\n\n\n At The Last Gospel.\n\nDivine Word! only Son of the Father! Light of the World! who\ncamest from heaven to show us the way thither; I adore thy\nMajesty with most profound respect; I place my whole confidence\nin thee; I most firmly hope, that as thou art my God, a God made\nman to save mankind, thou wilt grant me those graces which my\nsanctification may require, and also the enjoyment of thee in\nglory. Amen.\n\n{79}\n\n A Prayer After Mass.\n\nI return thee infinite thanks, O my God, for permitting me to\nassist at this holy sacrifice, in preference to so many others\nmore worthy of so great a favour; and I hope, that through thy\ngreat mercy, thou wilt pardon me the faults which I may have here\ncommitted, either by my tepidity or inattention. Though I now\nreturn hence to my worldly employments, yet I will remember,\nthrough the course of the day, what thou hast here done for me;\nand shall endeavour that no thought, word, or action of mine,\ndeprive me of the advantages of which I have now been a partaker.\nAmen.\n\n{80}\n\n A Preparation For Confession.\n\n There is scarcely any duty of greater importance in religion,\n than to receive the Sacrament of Penance with the necessary\n dispositions. Penance is as indispensably requisite for those\n who have fallen into sin after baptism, as baptism itself is\n for such as have never been baptized. _It is a second plank\n after the shipwreck of sin, without which the sinner must\n inevitably perish_. But then it is to be observed, that this\n sacrament must be received with the necessary dispositions. The\n cleansing of the baptismal robe, and restoring it to its\n original purity, is not to be effected without much labour and\n application. It would be absurd to imagine, that the\n unchangeable justice of God, which could not be satisfied but\n by the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and which, notwithstanding\n these sufferings, doth still condemn to eternal torments the\n unrepenting sinner; it would be absurd, I say, to imagine that\n his justice should now be appeased by a superficial or outward\n compliance with this duty, accompanied perhaps with\n insincerity, gross negligence, or a fixed adherence to mortal\n sin, and therefore destitute of real sorrow, change of heart,\n and a firm purpose of amendment. The enormity of sin is the\n same at this day as it ever was; it is as unchangeable as God\n himself; because it is essentially a rebellion against him; a\n breach of his law, an insult offered to his eternal Majesty,\n and consequently not more remissable at present in the\n sacrament of penance, than at the earliest period of\n Christianity, when the severest discipline prevailed, and when\n the fervour of primitive penitents was so ardent.--Hence, that\n this merciful institution may never be frustrated of its end,\n and in order that the sinner may always receive the pardon of\n his offences, we must strictly fulfil these five following\n conditions:\n\n I. An examination of conscience, that we may know all our sins.\n\n II. A heart-felt sorrow for having committed them.\n\n III. A firm resolution never to commit them again.\n\n IV. A candid and humble confession of them to a priest\n empowered to absolve us.\n\n V. A desire or intention of satisfying God, and our neighbour\n also, if injured.\n\n{81}\n\n A Protestation\n\n Before The Examination Of Conscience.\n\n\nO God, the searcher of all hearts, behold, I here protest, in thy\npresence, that what I now design is sincerely for the honour of\nthy name, and because I heartily desire to be delivered from the\nguilt of my sins: therefore I come to thy sacrament of penance,\nthat, complying with thy holy institution, I may obtain thy\nblessing and pardon, as thou has promised. May thy holy grace\nassist me in performing this great duty well, as it is thy mercy\nwhich has called me to it.\n\n Think seriously, and with the most lively gratitude, on all the\n benefits God hath so liberally bestowed on you, and particularly\n for his goodness in preparing this sacrament as a remedy for\n your sins.\n\nHow great are my obligations to thee, O my God, in thus providing\nfor me, after my disgrace, the means of a perfect reconciliation.\nTo have purified me in the waters of baptism, was not enough;\nthou hast also left me the waters of penance, to wash me still\nmore from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sins. For this\nend thou hast left to the church, in the persons of the apostles,\nthe power of remitting our offences: \"_Receive ye the Holy\nGhost; whose sins ye shall forgive, shall be forgiven.\"_ O\nwhat Excessive goodness! What an advantage to poor sinners, to\nhave a tribunal established for them, always open, where they may\nbe received into favour!\n{82}\nCan I ever be insensible to so striking an instance of thy\nbounty? I have withdrawn myself from thee by a formal contempt of\nthy law, and thou art pleased to make the first advances to meet\nme: O Father of mercies, and God of goodness, be thou for ever\nblessed! Permit me to fly to this powerful refuge; and suffer not\nthat, by a new ingratitude, I should for the future ever abuse so\nexcellent a resource of salvation. No: it is not human respect,\nnor custom, nor the fear of being thought careless of my soul,\nthat brings me at present to this sacrament of reconciliation;\nno, it is a sincere regret for having incurred thy displeasure;\nfor who can be at rest, O my God, when he knows that he is thy\nenemy, and that he has offended the very best of fathers?\n\n\n Prayers\n\n\n Before The Examination Of Conscience.\n\n\n Beg of God to make your sins known to you, and to give you a\n true sense of their malice. Prostrate yourself in spirit at the\n feet of your Redeemer, as Magdalen did when she washed them\n with her tears; or imagine yourself on Mount Calvary, and\n there, beneath his cross, pour forth your prayers to him,\n resolving to acquit yourself of this confession, as if it were\n to be your last.\n\n\nO holy Spirit, eternal Source of Light, mercifully vouchsafe to\nenlighten the darkness of my understanding, that I may clearly\nperceive the true state of my conscience.\n{83}\nThou who hast created me, and art to be my judge, dost fully\nbehold the most secret recesses of my heart; show me now,\ntherefore, my sins, in as conspicuous a manner as I shall behold\nthem when on the point of appearing at thy tremendous tribunal.\nMy object at present is, to prevent the rigorous account I must\nthere give of all my thoughts, words, and actions; for were I now\ndeficient in that sincere exactness which is necessary in the\nexamination and confession of my sins, thou wouldst infallibly\ncorrect, at thy unerring tribunal, the injustice and iniquity of\nsuch a proceeding. Discover, then, to me, O my God, all these\nsecret thoughts, irregular desires, criminal words, and actions,\nor omissions of my duty, by which I may have violated thy sacred\nlaws, or scandalized my neighbour. O do not permit self-love to\nseduce and blind me, but rather remove the veil it places before\nmy eyes, that beholding the true state of my interior, I may make\nan humble and sincere confession of my sins to thy minister.\n\nI desire, like the prodigal child, to enter seriously into\nmyself, and without delay to forsake my evil ways, in which I\nhave been wearied out in the pursuit of empty toys and mere\nshadows, seeking in vain to satisfy my thirst with muddy waters,\nand my hunger with the husks of swine. I ardently desire to\nreturn to thee, O Fountain of Life! but, O my God, though I can\ngo astray from thee fast enough, when left to myself, yet I\ncannot make one step towards returning to thee, unless thy divine\ngrace stir me up and assist me.\n{84}\nThis grace, then, I most humbly implore, prostrate in spirit\nbefore the throne of thy mercy. I beg it for the sake of Jesus\nChrist, my Redeemer, who died upon the cross for me and for all\nsinners. Thou hast said, \"_There is joy in heaven for one\nsinner that doeth penance._\" Give me now the grace of true\nrepentance, and let heaven rejoice at my conversion. Assist me in\nthis great work by thy heavenly light, in order that I may\ndiscover all my imperfections, see all my sins in their true\ncolours, and sincerely detest and confess them. I know thou\ndesirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he be\nconverted and live. I know that thy mercies are above all thy\nworks, and I most confidently hope, that as in thy mercy thou\nhast spared me so long, and hast now given me this desire of\nreturning to thee, so thou wilt finish the work that thou hast\nbegun, by assisting me in every part of my preparation for it,\nand bringing me to a perfect reconciliation with thee.\n\n\n\n Examine yourself attentively, not only on the sins you have\n committed since your last confession, but also on the faults\n you may have committed in making it; but beware of scrupulosity\n or anxiety; for in this examination it is only necessary that\n you should use such a moral diligence as any temporal concern\n might require, where it is neither your intention nor your\n interest to be deceived. For this purpose, calmly recollect on\n the different occasions of sin which have since fallen in your\n way, or to which your state and condition of life exposes you;\n the places you have frequented, the persons you nave conversed\n with; &c. &c.; in the doing of which the following table of\n sins will greatly assist you.\n\n{85}\n Sins Against God.\n\n In Matters of Faith.\n\n Have you been guilty of heresy, or disbelief of any article\n of faith, or of voluntarily doubting of any article of faith?\n\n Have you rashly exposed yourself to the danger of infidelity,\n by reading bad books, keeping wicked company, going into places\n of worship belonging to other communions during the time of\n their service, and joining with them in their worship?\n\n Have you, by word or deed, denied your faith, or railed at or\n despised holy things?\n\n Have you been ignorant of the articles of your faith and the\n duties of your religion, or have you been negligent in\n instructing, or procuring the necessary instructions for\n those under your care?\n\n Have you given credit to dreams, taken notice of omens, or\n made any other superstitious observations?\n\n Have you used charms or spells, or consulted fortune-tellers,\n or made use of any other superstitious practices to find out\n things to come, recover things lost, &c. How often? and with\n what scandal and ill example to others?\n\n\n Of Hope.\n\n Have you despaired of salvation, or of the forgiveness of\n your sins?\n\n Have you rashly presumed upon God's goodness, continuing to\n offend him because he is merciful; going on in your sins,\n without any thought of amendment, depending upon a death-bed\n repentance?\n\n Have you relied upon yourself rather than upon divine grace;\n or neglected for a long time to return to God by repentance,\n after falling into mortal sin?\n\n\n Of Charity.\n\n Have you loved any creature as much or more than God?\n\n Have you murmured against the providence of God, resisted his\n inspirations, refused to submit to his divine will, not\n prevented evil when you could and ought, committed sins\n through human respect?\n\n\n Of Religion.\n\n Have you made a sacrilegious confession or communion?\n\n Have you received the sacraments of confirmation or matrimony\n in the state of mortal sin?\n\n Have you abused the holy scripture, or profaned holy places\n or sacred things?\n\n Have you blasphemed God or his saints?\n\n Have you been negligent in the divine worship, seldom or\n never adoring and praising God, or giving him thanks for his\n benefits?\n\n Have you prayed but seldom, or with little attention, or\n omitted to make acts of faith, hope, and charity?\n\n{86}\n\n Have you behaved with irreverence in the house of God, or\n broken any vow or solemn promise made to him?\n\n Have you neglected to hear mass on Sundays and holy-days of\n obligation? or have you heard it with wilful distractions, or\n not taken care that your children or servants should hear it?\n\n Have you neglected confession and communion at Easter, or\n omitted the penance enjoined you, or acquitted yourself of\n these religious duties carelessly?\n\n Have you sworn falsely, or what you did not certainly know\n whether it was true or false?\n\n Have you broken your lawful oaths, or sworn to do any thing\n that was wicked or unlawful?\n\n Have you had a custom of swearing rashly or inconsiderately,\n by the name of God, by your soul, or by the way of\n imprecation upon yourself or others?\n\n Have you sworn by the blood or wounds of God, or any other\n blasphemous oath, or been accessory to others swearing,\n cursing, or blaspheming?\n\n Have you spent the Sundays or holy-days of obligation in\n idleness or sin, or been the occasion of others so spending\n them?\n\n Have you done any servile work without necessity upon those\n days?\n\n Have you broken the days of abstinence, or eaten more than\n one meal on fasting days, or been accessory to others so\n doing? How often, &c.\n\n\n Sins Against Our Neighbour.\n\n In Thoughts.\n\n Have you been deficient in point of charity\n towards your neighbour?\n\n Have you judged rashly of him?\n\n Have you willfully entertained thoughts of hatred, aversion,\n rancour, or a coldness and resentment against him?\n\n Have you, on this account, endeavoured to avoid meeting or\n speaking to him?\n\n Have you envied him in his merit, reputation, fortune or\n employments?\n\n Have you conceived desires of revenge against him, and wished\n that harm might befall him?\n\n Have you been hard-hearted, or without any feeling or\n compassion for him in his affliction?\n\n Have you felt in yourself a secret pleasure and satisfaction\n when any disgrace happened to him, and discontent in seeing\n him thrive and flourish?\n\n [These sins may vary in their malice, according to the length\n of time we were thus affected, or the relation we stand in to\n the different persons in question, or according to the\n greater or less importance of the matter under our\n consideration.]\n\n{87}\n\n In Words.\n\n Have you spoken harshly to your neighbour; given him abusive\n language; railed at him; miscalled him; mocked and ridiculed\n him; exposed him to scorn; affronted him; censured his\n conduct; found fault with every thing he did; put wrong\n constructions upon his actions; calumniated or detracted him;\n been pleased to hear others speak ill of him; listened to and\n encouraged the calumny or detraction when you could prevent\n such discourses? [N.B.--The motive for speaking thus, the\n number of persons present, and the subject of this\n uncharitable language, must be specified, as we are bound to\n repair the injury to the best of our power.]\n\n We also sin by ill-natured reports or insinuations, malicious\n expressions, whether true or false; by giving bad advice and\n bad example; by instilling bad or dangerous principles; by\n flattering others, or approving of evil; by giving false\n testimony; by discovering the secrets or the faults of\n others; by abusive words, reproaches, bad wishes or\n imprecations, &c.\n\n In Actions.\n\n Have you wronged, deceived, or circumvented your neighbour in\n buying or selling?\n\n Have you injured him by stealing, cheating, usury, extortion,\n or any unlawful contract? by putting off false money, or using\n false weights or measures?\n\n Have you bought or received stolen goods?\n\n Have you contracted debts without design of paying them?\n\n We also sin by wronging our creditors, or our own family, by\n prodigal expenses; by refusing to pay our just debts when\n able, or by culpable extravagance rendering ourselves unable\n to pay them by neglecting the work or business for which we\n were hired, and obliged by contract to perform; in fine, by\n unjustly taking or keeping any thing of value belonging to\n another; in which case it is impossible to obtain forgiveness\n without making restitution to the best of our power. [And\n here it is to be observed, that where two or more jointly\n injure another, in goods or reputation, they are jointly and\n severally obliged to restitution; that is to say, they are\n bound to contribute their respective proportions towards\n repairing the injury; and every individual of them is\n answerable before God for the whole injury, when either or\n any of the accomplices refuse to repair their portion\n thereof.]\n\n In Omissions.\n\n Have you neglected to succour, comfort and assist your\n neighbour in necessity?\n\n Have you neglected to restore ill-gotten goods, or to repair\n injured characters?\n\n Have you refused to be reconciled to an enemy, or to perform\n duties of obligation, such as respect and love towards\n parents, obedience to superiors, &c.\n\n{88}\n\n Sins Against Ourselves Are Committed\n\n By Pride.\n\n In having too great an esteem for ourselves, and haughtily\n despising others\n\n In being too apt to speak of our own affairs, or in our own\n praise;\n\n In aspiring to honours and preferment through vanity;\n\n In affecting to be humble, or in deceiving others by\n hypocrisy\n\n In being influenced in what we do by human respects, for\n obtaining the applause and esteem of men\n\n In being too much wedded to our own opinions and\n inclinations;\n\n In being too solicitous about our health;\n\n In being too fond of the pleasures, comforts, and\n conveniences of life.\n\n\n By Avarice.\n\n In being backward in giving alms according to our ability;\n\n In squandering away in gaming, or in vain and foolish\n expenses, the substance that Providence hath given for the\n relief of the poor and distressed;\n\n In not only refusing them an alms which we can afford, but in\n refusing it with bitterness, reproaches, imperious,\n ill-natured language, or with an insulting air;\n\n In being too much attached to the goods of this life; where\n it must be ever remembered, that whatever is _really_\n superfluous to us belongs of right to the poor; that where\n there is much, much should be given; and that where there is\n only a little, even some of that little should be cheerfully\n given; for \"_God loves the cheerful giver._\"\n\n\n By Envy.\n\n In being sorry for the prosperity of others\n\n Rejoicing at their misfortunes\n\n In wishing with jealousy for what belongs to them.\n\n\n By Impurity.\n\n In willfully dwelling upon, or taking pleasure in unchaste\n thoughts.\n\n [N. B.--The penitent must here mention whether these bad\n thoughts were entertained during a considerable time, and how\n long; whether they were accompanied with desires of committing\n the evil; whether they caused irregular motions; whether in a\n holy place; and, finally, whether the objects of these sinful\n desires were single or married, kindred or relations, or\n persons consecrated to God.]\n\n{89}\n\n By Words.\n\n In speaking obscenely, or with a double meaning, which is as\n bad, if not worse; in listening with pleasure to such vile\n language. [N. B.--this sort of discourse is still more\n criminal, when it passes between two persons of a different\n sex. We also sin grievously this way, by singing unchaste\n songs, by giving toasts and sentiments contrary to modesty,\n or by permitting them to be given when we can prevent them,\n or by not retiring on such occasions.]\n\n\n By Looks.\n\n In viewing immodest objects;\n\n In reading bad books;\n\n In keeping indecent pictures;\n\n In frequenting plays and public assemblies, which are but too\n often the schools of vice, where dangerous objects are held\n up to view, and where vice is represented, not in its native\n horrible colours or consequences, but as mere gaiety.\n\n Comedies also are so full of indecent sentiments and\n indelicate allusions, as cannot but offend a modest ear, and\n have an immoral tendency. They are not only powerful\n incentives to this vice, but are besides evidently unlawful,\n for the following reason: viz. because we cannot assist at\n them without contributing, by our purse and our example, to\n maintain a set of people in a profession, or way of life,\n which was always deemed infamous by the Catholic Church.\n Under this head likewise may be classed, the tempting of\n others to sin, by dissolute glances, gestures, or immodesty\n in dress or behaviour.\n\n By Actions.\n\n In abusing and defiling the sanctity of marriage by such\n liberties and irregularities as are contrary to the order of\n nature;\n\n in touching ourselves or others immodestly;\n\n in permitting indecent liberties to be taken with us. [N.B.--\n It is necessary to explain every thing, in order to make\n known such circumstances as may increase or diminish the\n guilt, with as much modesty as possible; and also to declare,\n whether we have employed, or neglected to employ the\n necessary means of overcoming this vile passion. We should\n carefully distinguish what is wilful, from what is not; an\n effect of deliberation, from one of mere negligence; also the\n number of these bad actions, or at least the length of time\n we continued in the habit of committing them; with what sort\n of persons we have sinned, or desired to sin, but this\n without mentioning their names. And as it too often happens\n with young persons, who have miserably fallen into a certain\n sin of a lonely and abominable nature, either to conceal this\n crime, or not faithfully confess how often they have been\n guilty of it, we therefore earnestly beseech such to reflect\n seriously on the fatal evils in which they involve\n themselves. Let them consider, that all those confessions,\n and the communions which follow them, are only so many\n sacrileges, removing them still farther from God, and\n provoking his just indignation against them; that the longer\n they continue in this state of Hypocrisy, the more difficult\n it must be to overcome their bashfulness, and the more\n anguish they must feel in their own interior; that no\n practice is more destructive of health, beauty, or genius,\n than this; that it deforms and debilitates the wretched\n perpetrator; that it must, not only in a moral, but also in a\n physical sense, degrade him beneath the rank of the brute\n creation, and render him contemptible to mankind.]\n\n{90}\n\n By Gluttony.\n\n In exceeding the bounds prescribed by temperance;\n\n in eating or drinking to excess;\n\n in exciting others to do so;\n\n in not observing with due exactness the days of fasting and\n abstinence enjoined by the church;\n\n in exceeding the quantity which is usually allowed at\n collation.\n\n\n By Anger.\n\n In abusing, quarrelling, striking, or wishing evil to\n others; in provoking others to quarrel or fight. Which sins\n are still more heinous when parents or superiors are the\n objects thereof.\n\n\n By Sloth.\n\n In neglecting our religious or moral duties;\n\n in performing them carelessly;\n\n in leading a life of idleness, voluptuousness, and\n dissipation;\n\n in passing our time unprofitably,\n when the duties of our state call on us to labour.\n\n We are also guilty by following the bent of our inclinations,\n and gratifying self-love;\n\n by studying too much our own ease;\n\n by too great a remissness in mortifying our passions or\n senses.\n\n\n After The Examination.\n\n Having discovered the different sorts of sins of which you have\n been guilty, together with their number, enormity, or such\n aggravating circumstances as may considerably increase their\n malice or change their nature, your next endeavour should be to\n excite in your breast a _heart-felt sorrow_ for having\n committed them, and a sincere detestation of them. This being\n the most essential, as well as the most difficult, of all the\n dispositions requisite to a good confession, with what\n humility, fervour, and perseverance should you not importune\n Him who holds the hearts of men in his hands, to grant it you!\n\n{91}\n\n In the mean time, seriously meditate on those powerful motives\n for exciting contrition, which the church holds forth to her\n children; and in order to feel their force the more\n effectually, endeavour to enliven your faith, to strengthen\n your hope, and inflame your charity, by devoutly reciting the\n acts of the three theological virtues (_page_ 30). In the\n next place reflect on those motives which are most capable of\n alarming, and at the same time of melting your heart into\n compunction; such as the everlasting torments of hell; the\n eternal loss of God, and of the joys of heaven, the horror and\n filthiness of sin; the goodness of God in all he has done, and\n all he still does, and all he will do for us, if we continue to\n love and serve him; particularly that astonishing instance of\n his love and undeserved mercy, in forbearing to cut your\n slender thread of life, and to precipitate you into eternal\n torments in the very height of your rebellion against him. This\n consideration alone must necessarily engage you to cry out with\n ecstatic surprise and astonishment, \"_How good must God be in\n himself who has been so good to me, his faithless and\n ungrateful child!_\" He saw nothing in you deserving of his\n mercy; he saw every thing in you that merited his wrath and\n indignation.\n\n This last reflection on the infinite goodness of God, if dwelt\n on with due attention, cannot fail to inflame your heart with\n an unfeigned love of Him for his own sake, _the purest and\n best of all motives_. Whilst the heart is thus softened by\n divine love into compunction for your sins, form an unshaken\n resolution of never more offending him, of doing your utmost to\n amend your life, of satisfying for your sins, and of repairing\n any injury you may have done your neighbour, either in his\n character or property.\n\n If, with these sentiments glowing in your breast, you cast\n yourself at the feet of your confessor and reveal to him all\n the sins you can recollect, _with tears_ of compunction,\n and in a truly penitential spirit, be assured you shall return\n _with joy_ from the tribunal of confession, and feel\n realized in yourself the consoling promise of the Holy Spirit,\n that \"_They who sow in tears, shall reap in joy_.\" Psalm\n cxxv.\n\n\n At The Confession.\n\n Begin by devoutly making the sign of the cross, + saying at\n the same time, _Bless me, O Father, for I have sinned_.\n{92}\n Then repeat the _Confiteor_, or \"I confess to the\n Almighty,\" &c. till you come to the words, \"_through my\n fault,_\" at which strike your breast, glowing with\n compunction, like the humble publican in the gospel; and so\n proceed to accuse yourself with candour and sincerity, telling\n first how long it is since you were last at confession, whether\n you were then absolved, (a circumstance of the utmost\n importance, which many are too negligent in attending to,) and\n whether you performed your penance. Having confessed all the\n sins you can remember, listen with docility to your confessor,\n whilst he endeavours to excite you to contrition, and\n prescribes the various means, either of atoning for the sins\n you have confessed, or of preventing future relapses.\n\n\n\n Prayers Before Confession.\n\n We are taught by the holy Council of Trent, that those who\n would obtain the grace of justification, should be thus\n disposed: they must have faith; they must fear the justice of\n God; they must hope for mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord;\n they must begin to love God; they must hate sin; they must\n sincerely resolve to change their lives, and keep the\n commandments. To infuse these necessary dispositions into the\n soul of the penitent, is the intent of the following prayers:\n\n\nI am fully sensible, O my God, that there cannot be a greater\nmisfortune than to have displeased thee, who art infinitely good\nand worthy of all our affections. I tremble when I consider how\nterrible a misfortune it is to fall unprepared into thy hands;\nfor who can bear that dreadful sentence: _Depart from me, ye\naccursed, into eternal fire!_--Matthew xxv. But the thought of\nlosing thee, O Lord, alarms me still more than any other\npunishment whatsoever. Thy patience in waiting for me, thy\nreadiness to pardon me, the multitude of thy mercies, which I\nhave so often experienced, are now present to my mind; they\nupbraid me most forcibly.\n{93}\nThou hast brought me forth from nothing, created me to thine own\nimage and likeness, ransomed me with thy precious blood, and\nafter I had rebelled and become a slave to Satan, thou didst\nstill bear with me, adopt me as thy child, and prefer me to\nthousands who were never enlightened by thy holy law. Yet I have\ndeserted thee, I have tired myself in the ways of iniquity, I\nhave hated thy discipline, I have turned my back on all thy\ncommandments. Though thou hast called me, yet have I refused to\nreturn; though thou hast frequently stretched out thy hands to\nme, yet I have paid no regard to thy invitations. Wretch that I\nam! who shall deliver me from this body of death? Who shall give\nwater to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that day\nand night I may weep for my ingratitude? I have sinned! what\nshall I do to appease thee? O Guardian of men! behold I\nacknowledge my iniquity. My transgressions are become a heavy\nburden upon me. I am not worthy to appear before thee, nor even\nto lift up my eyes before thy throne. From the depth of my misery\nI cry out to thee: O Lord, hear my voice, and be merciful to a\npoor sinner! Thy mercies surpass all thy works; thou willest not\nmy death but my conversion; nor didst thou come to call the just,\nbut sinners to repentance. Thou art always mindful of thy word,\non which I rely: receive thy prodigal child, nor let me\nhenceforth be ever separated from thee.\n\n{94}\n\nThough I have sinned, O Lord, and done evil in thy sight, yet I\nshall never say, as Cain did, that \"my crimes are too great to be\nforgiven.\" I know that in mercy thou dost display thy power; and\nthat though my sins were multiplied in number even beyond the\ngrains of sand in the sea, atoms in the air, or drops of water in\nthe ocean, yet thy mercies are still infinitely greater. Without\nthis consideration I should certainly despair. But thine own\nrepeated assurances, and the frequent proofs thou hast given of\nthy tenderness towards sinners, support my confidence in thee\nwhenever my enemy attempts to weaken it. Thou art truth itself;\nand therefore thy word can never deceive us. Thou hast declared\nthat thou wilt entirely forget the iniquities of the sinner, if\nhe be truly converted, and cease to do evil; thou hast told us,\nthat a contrite and humble heart shall always find favour with\nthee. Thy sacred oracles are full of these sweet consolations,\nand thy invariable conduct towards sinners speaks the same\nsoothing language. Thou didst pardon David, though his sin was\nmost grievous; Magdalen, a sinner by profession; Peter, who\ndenied thee with oaths; the adulteress, convicted in thy\npresence; the penitent thief on the cross: all these obtained\nforgiveness, because they sought it sincerely. Nay more, thy\ntenderness was shown even to the traitor Judas; nor were even the\ncruel Jews excluded from thy prayers: and shall I not also, O my\nGod, cry out to thee for mercy?\n{95}\nYes; for relying on thy wonted goodness, I shall never be\nconfounded. My sins are enormous, it is true, and stand always\nagainst me; but the more hideous they are, the more I detest\nthem. Against thee, O God, have I sinned; and to thee I cry out\nfor pardon. O that I had never offended thee, because thou art\ninfinitely good. O that my sorrow for having offended thee were\nas great as my offences. O that I might grieve for them even unto\ndeath, and feel those bitter pangs with which thy soul was\noverwhelmed in the Garden of Olives. Let the inexpressible\nanguish of mind thou didst there feel, thy sighs, thy tears, thy\nfainting, and thy bloody sweat, O Lord! plead now in my behalf,\nand supply the defects of my imperfect sorrow. Let them draw down\nthy mercies, O heavenly Father, and restore me again to thy\nfavour.\n\nI have now before me, O Lord, a sad prospect of the manifold\noffences by which I have displeased thy divine Majesty, and which\nI am assured will appear in judgment against me, if I repent not,\nand my soul be not disposed by a hearty sorrow, to receive thy\npardon. But this sorrow, O Lord, this repentance, must be thy\nfree gift; and if it come not from the hand of thy mercy, all my\nendeavours will be in vain, and I shall be for ever miserable.\nHave mercy therefore on me, O Father of Mercies! and pour forth\ninto my heart thy grace, whereby I may sincerely repent of all my\nsins.\n{96}\nGive me a true contrition, that I may bewail my past miseries and\ningratitude, and grieve from the bottom of my heart for having\noffended so good a God. Permit me not to be deluded with a false\nsorrow, as, I fear, I have been too often, through my own\nweakness and neglect; but let it be now thy gift, descending from\nthee, the Father of Lights, that so my repentance may be\naccompanied with amendment and a change of life, that I may be\nfully acquitted from the guilt of all my sins, and once more\nreceived into the number of thy servants: through Jesus Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\nThou hast, O Lord, given power to thy church to forgive sins in\nthy name. Thou hast promised pardon to those who do penance.\nBehold the prodigal child; nay, worse than the prodigal. I have\ndisfigured and denied my soul, that was created to thy own image\nand likeness. I have forfeited my title to that eternity of\nhappiness which was prepared for me. I have nourished sin in my\nbosom, the most poisonous of serpents, and the most hateful of\nmonsters. Alas! I have offended him by whose blood I was\nredeemed. I have been the cause of his sufferings; I have renewed\nhis death, and crucified him again by my sins. Oh! who will give\nsorrow to my heart, and a fountain of tears to mine eyes, that I\nmay bewail my iniquities in the bitterness of my soul. Have\ncompassion on me, O most loving Father! I throw myself into the\narms of thy infinite mercy.\n{97}\nClothe me with thy grace, and admit me to thy sacrament of\nreconciliation. Cast out of my heart whatever thou knowest\nprofanes, or defiles thy temple. Root out of my soul whatever is\ndispleasing unto thee, and lay in me the foundation of a new\nlife. I renounce and utterly detest all my sins, for the love of\nthee. O my God of infinite bounty and goodness! I am heartily\nsorry for having offended thee. I beg and hope for pardon,\nthrough the merits of thine only Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ.\nAccept his passion and death in satisfaction for my offences, and\nfor his sake have mercy on me, who place my whole trust and\nconfidence in thee. Amen.\n\n\n\n A Prayer To The Blessed Virgin.\n\nO holy Virgin, Mother of God, and sure refuge of penitent\nsinners, intercede for me at this moment, that the confession\nwhich I am about to make may not render me more guilty, but may\nobtain for me the remission of all my sins, and the necessary\ngraces to avoid them hereafter. Amen.\n\n\n A Prayer At Receiving Absolution.\n\nO merciful God, as at the words of thy angel, St. Peter was\nimmediately restored to liberty, by the chains falling off from\nhis feet; so grant, dear Lord, that by the words of this holy\nsacrament, pronounced by thy priest, the chains of my sins may be\nloosed, and all my offences pardoned. Amen.\n\nJesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. O God, be merciful to me a\nsinner. O Thou who suffered for me, have mercy on me. Sprinkle me\nwith thy blood, O Jesus, and I shall be made whiter than snow.\n\n{98}\n\n Prayers After Confession.\n\nIs it possible, O my God, that having been a criminal but a few\nmoments ago, I should now be cleansed from my sins by virtue of\nthis sacrament? Yes, I firmly believe it; because thou hast left\nto thy church the power of forgiving sins, and hast inclined my\nheart to comply with the necessary conditions for obtaining\npardon. Thou hast declared to thy apostles, that \"whatever they\nshould loose on earth, should be loosed also in heaven; and that\nwhosoever sins they should forgive, should be forgiven.\" This is\nthe sacred warrant of their tribunal, whose authority thy\nfaithful have ever acknowledged. Here are the keys of thy\nheavenly kingdom, solemnly made over to thy church in our favour;\nwe are therefore obliged to have recourse to them. This power was\nnot confined to the apostles, no more than the power of baptising\nnations; but being granted in as general terms, doth in like\nmanner, extend to their successors. I give thee thanks, O my God,\nfor this tender proof of thy love, and invite all creatures to\nglorify thee for it. Thou hast invested a power in the sons of\nmen, which thou wouldst not confer on angels or archangels;\n_whatever ye shall bind on earth, &c._ was not addressed to\nthem.\n{99}\n\"The princes of this world have dominion only over the body, but\nthe power of the priest affects the very soul. The eternal Father\nhath given all power to his Son; but then I behold this very\npower delivered by the Son to mortals. The Jewish priests could\nonly pronounce those clean whose bodies had been already cleansed\nfrom the leprosy; but to our priests it was given, not merely to\n_pronounce clean_, but really to _cleanse_, not the\ninfections of the body, but the very stains of the\nsoul.\"--[_St. Chrys. b._ iii. _of the Priesthood_.]\n\"Thus thy manifold mercy hath provided succour for human frailty;\nthat as by baptism, so also by penance, the hope of life should\nbe renewed; for Christ Jesus, our Mediator, authorized the rulers\nof his church to impose penance upon persons confessing, and to\nadmit them, thus purified by wholesome satisfaction, to share in\nthe sacraments.\"--[_St. Leo. ep._ 23.] This is an effect of\nthat precious blood which thou, O amiable Redeemer, hast shed for\nmy sake: I acknowledge the wonders of thy love in accepting this\npoor satisfaction, in pardoning all, in forgetting all, instead\nof punishing me as I deserved. It is necessary to be what thou\nart, a God of infinite goodness, to deal in such a compassionate\nmanner with so miserable a sinner: and therefore, I humbly\nbeseech thee to imprint on my heart a just sense of this favour,\nthat I may gratefully remember it all the days of my life, and\nextol without ceasing the multitude of thy mercies. Amen.\n\n{100}\n\nO most sweet Lord Jesus! graciously vouchsafe to remember all\nthose holy thoughts that have passed in thy divine mind from the\nbeginning of the world to this very moment, and particularly thy\ntender design in becoming man for the redemption of the world:\npardon, through the merits of these, not only all the evil\nthoughts and vain imaginations I have ever conceived of myself,\nbut also those I might have excited in the minds of others. Amen.\n\nO most pious Lord Jesus! I, a poor sinner, do humbly remind thee\nof all those words of salvation which have ever fallen from thy\nsacred lips, or which others have uttered, or shall hereafter\nutter, to the glory of thy holy name. I earnestly beseech thee,\nthrough these divine expressions, to forgive whatever I have\nspoken offensive to thee, or what others, through my means, may\nhave sinfully uttered. Amen.\n\nO most amiable Lord Jesus Christ! look on all the good works thou\nhas performed for our salvation; and be pleased now to pardon\nwhatever I have committed against thee. Mercifully direct all my\nthoughts, words, and actions, to thy greater glory, and regulate\nthem by the model of thine own blessed life. Amen.\n\nO Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who invitest the sinner to\nreturn to thee, kindly receiving, refreshing, and consoling him,\nremember that with thy precious blood thou wert pleased to redeem\nme. To thy sacred wounds I fly for refuge; and as in thy mercy\nthou didst pray for thine enemies, and pour forth thy life for\nthy persecutors and tormentors, so impart here to me the benefit\nof thy passion; Grant I may never again crucify thee by mine\noffences, but that sincerely grieving for what is past, and\nresolutely striving against future temptations, I may fervently\npersevere in thy service to the end.\n\n{101}\n\nInto thy hands, O Lord, I commend my whole being. O Jesus, Son of\nDavid, have mercy on me.\n\nReceive, O Lord, in thy great mercy, the poor remains of my life.\nI am heartily sorry for the years I have misspent; they have\nvanished as a shadow, they have passed away without fruit; but as\nI cannot recall them, suffer me at least to think of them in the\nbitterness of my soul. Suffer me no longer to yield to my\naccustomed failings. Let the ardour with which I pursued a life\nof sin, be henceforth more diligently applied to thy service,\nthat where sin hath abounded, thy grace may still more abound.\nRemember, O Lord Jesus! that it is not thy desire to lose any of\nthose whom thy Father hath given thee, but rather to have mercy\nalways, and to spare; to destroy no one, but to save all; because\nthy Father hath sent thee into the world, not to judge the world,\nbut to grant us life through thee. May, therefore, O Lord, thy\nboundless merits plead for me now, and at my last moments, that I\nmay obtain the full remission of my sins; that I may truly know\nthee; that I may ever love thee; that I may tend to thee\nincessantly; and at length arrive to the eternal enjoyment of\nthee, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and\nreignest, &c. Amen.\n\n{102}\n\nI sincerely detest all my sins, and am fully resolved, O Lord,\nthrough the assistance of thy divine grace, never to offend thee\nhereafter. I therefore earnestly beseech thee to confirm all\nthose good resolutions I have made. Increase my fervour in thy\nservice, and render it efficacious, that my change of life may be\nvisible to all, and that in future my conduct may be as edifying\nas it has been heretofore scandalous.\nAmen.\n\nO that I had never sinned! O that I had never transgressed thy\ncommands, my God! Happy those souls who have preserved their\ninnocence, and never lost that grace they received at the\nbaptismal font! Most loving Father, I have sinned against heaven\nand before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy child. I\nconfess my ingratitude, and seek refuge in thy mercy. I have\nwandered like a sheep that is gone astray; but have compassion on\nme, and save me. Forgive me what is past; and through the bowels\nof thy infinite goodness, grant me a true steadiness of spirit,\nthat from this moment I may never offend thee more.\n\nO blessed Virgin Mary, my holy patron, [_name him or her,_]\nand all ye Saints and Angels, praise and extol our Lord for his\nboundless goodness towards me a most miserable sinner. Beseech\nhim to accept of this my humble confession, and to supply,\nthrough his infinite mercies, all its deficiencies. Beg of him to\nratify in the archives of heaven, the sentence of absolution\nwhich his minister, the priest, hath pronounced in my favour at\nthe tribunal of confession. Amen.\n\n{103}\n\n Instructions For Communion.\n\n As there is no religious duty of greater consequence, or more\n conducive to our happiness both here and hereafter, than to\n receive worthily the blessed Eucharist; so there can be no\n greater favour conferred on a Christian, than to communicate\n early in life, and afterwards frequently. Hence it becomes the\n indispensable duty of such as have the education of children\n committed to their care, not only to impress on their tender\n minds a lively and active sense of the excellency of this\n sacrament, but also to enforce the necessity of frequently\n receiving it. \"He that eateth this bread shall live for\n ever.\"--_John_, vi. The obligation of communicating at\n Easter is binding on every member of the church who has arrived\n at the age of discretion; i.e. when reason and reflection, guided\n by the gift of divine faith, arrive at such a state of maturity,\n as may enable them to distinguish the flesh of Jesus Christ,\n under the exterior appearance of bread and wine, from the\n ordinary food of the body. It is further to be observed, that\n as purity of heart is the most proper disposition to receive\n worthily; so, of consequence, the less advanced the age of a\n Christian, the more untainted, in general, is his baptismal\n innocence. But, on the other hand, it is to be remarked, that\n the longer a Christian defers his first communion, the greater\n is the danger that either domestic affairs, or the violence of\n those passions to which young persons in general are more or\n less subject, should cause him to put it off to a more advanced\n age, or perhaps to the very hour of death!--_a fatal\n delusion_, which has betrayed numbers of Christians into the\n abyss of eternal perdition.\n{104}\n Let parents, therefore, and others concerned in the education\n of children, attend to the advice of the great St. Charles\n Borromeus on this subject: \"When children,\" says he, \"of both\n sexes, arrive at the age of ten years, provided they are\n capable of being easily prepared for communion, suffer them\n not, under pretence of ignorance, (as it is often the case,) to\n defer it any longer; but rather let them be prepared in good\n time, to participate of a sacrament which abounds with such\n precious and inestimable advantages.\"\n\n With respect to frequent communion, the best advice is to\n follow the counsel of a wise and prudent director. But\n remember, that according to the spirit of Jesus Christ and his\n church, you should communicate frequently. Our divine Redeemer\n gives himself to us in the blessed Eucharist under the forms of\n bread and wine, hereby intimating, that as our corporal life\n cannot be supported without the ordinary food of the body, so\n our spiritual life cannot be maintained but by the blessed\n Eucharist, which is the food and nourishment of our souls.\n Hence it is that he assumes the most tender and affectionate\n titles of spouse, brother, friend, &c. in order to incite us to\n approach him frequently in this divine sacrament.\n\n The spirit of the church is further made known by the advice of\n the holy Council of Trent, which exhorts all the faithful to\n communicate often, and particularly whilst they assist at the\n celebration of the divine mysteries. To those testimonies may\n be added the exhortations of the holy fathers, the example of\n the saints, the practice of the primitive Christians, and the\n experience of all pious and devout persons in every age, as so\n many corroborating proofs of the happiness and advantage of\n frequent communion.\n\n But if it be a happiness to communicate early in life, and\n frequently during the course thereof, it may be also said that\n there cannot be a greater misfortune than to communicate\n unworthily; it being a most flagrant abuse of what is most\n sacred in religion. To avoid then so great an evil, reflect\n seriously on these words of St. Paul: \"Let a man _prove\n himself_, and so eat of that bread, and drink of that\n chalice; for he that eateth and drinketh _unworthily_,\n eateth and drinketh _damnation_ to himself, not discerning\n the body of the Lord.\" Now this _proving_ consists in\n putting yourself into such a state, that your conscience may\n not reproach you with any essential obstacle to the receiving\n of this sacrament, that is, with the conscious guilt of any\n mortal sin whatever.\n{105}\n This you can answer for, provided you have endeavoured to make\n as exact, as fervent, and as perfect a confession as you would\n wish to make at the hour of death; and you should certainly be\n equally careful and fervent in so doing, there being not less\n purity required to receive Jesus Christ in this life, than to\n appear before the judgment-seat of God in the next.\n\n Above all things it must be remembered, that the essential\n point in this _proving_ of yourself, is, \"_to quit the\n occasions of sin, and to repair the scandal it hath\n caused:_\" without a fixed determination of so doing, the\n accusation and detestation of it are absolutely insufficient.\n\n But this purity of conscience, which exempts from mortal sin,\n and every criminal attachment, though it may prevent the\n communion from being sacrilegious, yet it is not sufficient to\n render it so fruitful and advantageous as it should be.\n Wherefore, the more you prepare yourself for this sacrament,\n the greater abundance of grace you will require. In order,\n then, to prevent the mistake of such as do not think it\n necessary to prepare for receiving this holy sacrament before\n the very day of communion, the following pious practices are\n earnestly recommended:\n\n I. Some days before communion perform all your actions and\n prayers, in order to obtain the graces necessary for so\n important a duty. Offer them up in the morning with this\n intention, and do some good work, such as an alms, an act of\n mortification, or a fast, with the same design.\n\n II. Visit our Lord in the blessed sacrament morning and\n evening, to beg that he would himself by his grace dispose your\n heart to receive him worthily.\n\n III. Read every day a chapter out of the 4th Book of the\n _Imitation of Christ_, or some other approved book that\n treats of the Eucharist.\n\n IV. On the eve of your communion be more recollected than\n usual: think often upon the happiness you are to enjoy the\n ensuing day in receiving your God. As this should be your last\n thought at composing yourself to rest, so it should also be\n your first at awaking.\n\n V. Represent to your imagination that your angel guardian\n addresses you in these words: \"Behold the spouse cometh: go\n forth now and meet him.\" Arise as early as possible to receive\n the great guest, who designs to honour you with this visit.\n Keep a profound silence till you return from mass; and let it\n appear by your modesty and recollection, that you are deeply\n penetrated with the consciousness of the sanctity of an action\n of the most ineffable dignity and excellence.\n\n{106}\n\n VI. Whenever you go to communion have always in your mind some\n particular intention--such as the acquiring of some virtue;\n overcoming such a temptation; the knowing of God's will with\n regard to yourself; the relief of the souls of the faithful\n departed; the conversion of infidels, heretics, and of sinners\n in general; for nothing is more capable of exciting fervour in\n devotion, than some particular end to which it is referred.\n\n\n A Prayer To The Blessed Virgin.\n\nO sacred Mother of God, pure and spotless Virgin! thou didst not\nbear the Saviour of the world in thy sacred womb for thine own\nsake alone, but for ours also. May not I then, O Mother of mercy,\nhope to partake of his merits, and obtain, through thy powerful\nintercession, some share of the same holy dispositions of soul\nwhich thou thyself didst possess at the time thou didst conceive\nhim. O that the same divine Spirit which then prepared thy body\nand soul for his reception, would now shed his precious gifts on\nme, since it is the same God-Man that I am also about to receive.\nObtain for me a pure heart for his dwelling-place, and a firm and\nconstant resolution to support myself in his grace; but above\nall, inspire me with an infinite horror of the detestable sin of\nimpurity, which, in a particular manner, contaminates the soul of\nman, and renders it unworthy of communicating; because, by\ndishonouring my flesh, I dishonour the flesh of Jesus Christ\nalso.\n{107}\nAlas! if thy immaculate virginal womb was not too pure for a God\nto become incarnate therein, how can I presume to present myself\nat the table of the God of purity, and receive him into a heart\ncontaminated with the smallest stain of a vice so abominable in\nthe sight of infinite purity and sanctity?\n\n\n Prayers Before Communion.\n\nI firmly believe, O my divine Jesus, that thou art really present\nin the blessed sacrament of the altar. I believe that it contains\nthy body and blood, accompanied by thy very soul and divinity. I\nacknowledge these truths; I believe these wonders; I adore the\npower that has wrought them, the same power that said: \"Let there\nbe light, and light was made.\" I submit my senses and reason to\nthy divine authority. I praise and glorify thy infinite goodness,\nwhich hath prepared this heavenly banquet for the food and\nnourishment of my soul. Blessed be thy name for ever. Accept my\nhomage; accept, O my God, my most hearty thanks. But what am I,\nthat thou shouldst work such wonders for my sake? How shall such\na filthy sinner as I am, presume to approach thee, who art the\ninexhaustible source of infinite purity and sanctity? How shall I\nventure to lift up my eyes to heaven, much less to receive thee\nwithin my breast?\n{108}\nI tremble at the sentence of thy apostle: \"Whosoever shall eat\nthis bread or drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be\nguilty of the body and blood of the Lord;\" [1 _Corinthians_\nii.] for I acknowledge myself to be nothing but dust and ashes; a\npoor, miserable worm of the earth, subject to many vices, and\nvoid of all virtue and merit. Alas! my life has been nothing but\nsin and misery. I have nothing to confide in but thy boundless\nmercy; nor should I ever presume to approach thy sacred table,\nand partake of the bread of angels, were I not encouraged by thy\ninfinite goodness, and excited by thy own most pressing\ninvitations. It is therefore in thy mercy, which is above all thy\nworks, that I put my whole trust; and since thou art pleased to\ncall me to this divine banquet, behold I come to it, like\nMagdalen, to be happily united to thee, and to lay down all my\nsins at thy feet, to be cancelled by thy precious blood. I come\nto commemorate thy sufferings, as thou thyself hast ordained. I\ncome, as one sick, to the Physician of Life; as one blind, to the\nLight of eternal Glory; as one poor, needy, and distressed, to\nthe King of heaven and earth. To thee I expose all my wounds,\nthat they may be healed. To thee I fly for protection, hoping\nthat thou wilt be to me a Saviour, and that thou wilt wash away\nevery sin that may defile me. Remove my blindness, relieve my\nnecessities, and clothe me with grace, that I may receive the\nadorable sacrament of thy body and blood with such reverence and\nhumility, such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, as\nmay be for thy honour and glory, and the salvation of my soul.\n{109}\nI am not worthy, O Lord, to receive thee; alas, I am not! but\nthou canst, if thou wilt, make me worthy: say but the word, then,\nand my soul shall be healed. Thou hast heretofore said to the\nleper in the gospel, \"I am willing; be thou healed;\" and he was\nimmediately cured of his disease. My soul is covered with an\nuniversal leprosy: heal me then, O my Saviour, in like manner;\ncleanse my soul from its stains; remove from it all guilt;\nextinguish in it every evil disposition; adorn it with the\nnecessary virtues, and make it a fit abode for thy reception. May\nthe body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life\neverlasting.\n\n\n Another Prayer.\n\nWho is he whom thou art about to receive? O my soul, be still and\nattentive. Who is he thou art going to receive? Thy God! thy\nRedeemer! who, for love of thee, shed torrents of blood during\nhis agony in the garden of Gethsemani! who for love of thee,\nsuffered his sacred head to be pierced with a crown of thorns,\nand his virginal flesh to be rent and torn at the pillar with\nwhips and scourges! who, for love of thee, suffered himself to be\nclothed in a purple garment, and derided as a mock king, with a\nreed for his sceptre! who, for love of thee, suffered his sacred\nhands and feet to be fastened with gross nails to the wood of the\ncross! in fine, who, for love of thee, hung thereon, in the most\nignominious manner, between two thieves, suffering for the space\nof three hours the most excruciating pains and tortures! and at\nlast expired for thy redemption!\n{110}\nAfter such stupendous instances of thy love for man, who can\nrefuse a return of love to thee, Lord Jesus? I love thee, O my\nGod! and ardently wish, that as every breath I draw is an\nincrease of my life, so it may be of my love for thee, till at\nlast I love thee as thou thyself requirest, \"with my whole heart,\nwith my whole soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength;\"\nfor thou art the God of my heart, and the life of my soul; thou\nart my treasure, my joy, my comfort, my support, my strength, my\narmour, my defence, my only hope and comfort in this place of\nbanishment and vale of tears, and the supreme object of my\nhappiness in heaven.\n\nAs the wearied stag pants after the fountains of water, so does\nmy soul languish after thee, the ocean of all sweetness; it\nthirsts after thee with the most vehement desire, and longs to\ndrink plentifully of those fountains which issue from the\ninexhaustible source of thy infinite goodness for my comfort and\nrefreshment. O sweet Jesus! permit me now to experience the\nmultitude of thy tender mercies. Have compassion on me and save\nme, for thou never forsakest such as place their hope in thee.\n{111}\nPurify my heart with the fire of divine love, that it may this\nday become a fit abode for thy reception; O come and make it thy\ndwelling-place for ever. I am sorry, and will be sorry as long as\nI live, for having ever offended thy infinite goodness; forgive\nme, dear Lord, my past trespasses, and be thou my keeper for the\ntime to come, that I may never more offend thee.\n\nHail, saving victim, who for me and all mankind was offered on\nthe cross! Hail, precious blood flowing from the wounds of my\ncrucified Lord, and washing away the sins of the world! As I now\ndesire to receive thee, veiled in this sacrament, so I hope\nhereafter to behold thee, face to face, in the kingdom of heaven.\n\nO all ye blessed Angels and Saints of God, I humbly beg the\nassistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may with a\nclean heart and a pure conscience, approach the Holy of Holies,\nand receive this divine sacrament with such reverence and\nhumility as may be for my soul's salvation.\n\n\n\n Acts Of Virtue,\n\n _Which may be used with great spiritual advantage before\n Communion, according to each person's leisure and devotion_.\n\n\n Imagine that our Saviour invites yon into the same room in\n which he ate his last supper with his apostles, to be witness\n of the miracle he is there going to perform, and to give you\n the communion with his own sacred hands. How fervent soever\n your sentiments might have been on that solemn occasion, they\n ought not to be less so at present: for as he ordained that\n this divine food should be daily renewed for the nourishment of\n the faithful, till his second coming to judge mankind at the\n end of the world, so he gives himself no less to us at present,\n than he did at that time to his apostles.\n{112}\n Take them now for your model. The account which we have in the\n gospel, of this last mysterious supper, will furnish you with\n proper acts for communion. Read them attentively; make them\n your own by reflection; and let them sink deeply into your\n heart.\n\n\n An Act Of Adoration.\n\n The Gospel of St Luke, chap, xxii., informs us, that our\n Saviour sat down, and his twelve apostles with him, to eat the\n Paschal Lamb, or accomplish the Supper of the Old Law, and\n institute that of the New in its stead. Who could be otherwise\n than astonished at seeing a God admit his creatures, nay, even\n his very enemies, to partake of his adorable body? \"When he\n loved his own who were in the world,\" says his beloved\n disciple, St. John, \"he loved them unto the end.\" But this was\n loving them, not merely to the end of this mortal life, but\n even beyond it, to the very end of ages with the utmost excess,\n and to the farthest limits of love. Contemplate, therefore,\n with the most attentive recollection, the excellence, the\n depth, and the extent of the boundless love of our divine\n Redeemer, of which this mystery is an epitome.\n\n\nCould we ever believe, O Lord, or even imagine, that thy love for\nus was so excessive, had not thine own infallible word convinced\nus of its truth? Hadst thou, when thou wert about to quit this\nworld, left us thy adorable heart as a pledge of thy affection;\nor hadst thou, when thy side was pierced, ordered thy precious\nblood to be distributed throughout thy church; such favours would\nhave justly claimed our most grateful acknowledgments. But this\nwould not satisfy the extent of thy love; thou didst choose, in a\ngod-like manner, to penetrate into the very centre of our hearts,\nand give thyself to each of us particularly, entirely, and for\never.\n{113}\nWith what amazement, then, must not the angels and the whole\nhierarchy of celestial intelligences, have beheld such a prodigy!\nWere they not in some measure jealous to see mankind thus\nuncommonly favoured? But what didst thou discover in me, O Lord,\nthat could thus attract thee? Or what couldst thou possibly\nexpect from my indigence? Can I become the dwelling-place of him\nwho is the delight of the blessed? Alas! had I even the innocence\nof thy beloved disciple John, or the ardent love of thy zealous\napostle St Peter, I should then have some little claim to sit\ndown at thy table; but since I am removed at so great a distance\nfrom such holy dispositions, vouchsafe, O Lord, to supply my\ndeficiency by the effusion of thy grace. Whence is this favour to\nme, O my merciful Redeemer? \"What is man, that thou art mindful\nof him? or the son of man, that thou shouldst visit him?\" Psalm\nviii.\n\n\n An Act Of Desire,\n\n Founded on these tender words, which our Saviour pronounced\n immediately before the Supper: \"With desire I have desired to\n eat this Pasch with you.\"--_Luke_, xxii. 15. For why\n should we not feel the most ardent desire to be united to our\n Lord in this sacrament, when we see him so desirous to visit\n us, and take up his dwelling in our hearts? Endeavour to excite\n this desire, by considering how much you stand in need of this\n bread of life, and by the great esteem this heavenly\n nourishment deserves.\n\n{114}\n\nSince thou, O Lord, art so prodigal of miracles, and obligest me\nto receive thee under such severe penalties, nothing can be more\ncertain than that thou desirest to make my heart thy\ndwelling-place. With what fervent desires should I not,\ntherefore, endeavour to co-operate with such bountiful\nintentions! O my all-sufficient God, though thou standest in no\nneed of me, yet thou hast compassion on my poverty. May then the\nefficacy of thy grace supply my indigence; may it awaken every\nfaculty of my soul, and render my desires to receive thee\nworthily still more inflamed; for though they are arrived at a\ncertain anxiety, I am nevertheless sensible of their being too\ntepid. Alas! my Redeemer, why do I not sigh after thee with the\nsame holy fervour as did the patriarchs of the old law, who\nexpected thy coming? \"Come, O Lord, and do not delay.\" Remember,\nO heavenly physician, that thou canst not refuse thy all-healing\nbalsam to the wounds of my soul, since thy motive for descending\non earth was to heal the sins of men. Although I am needy and\npoor, yet thou canst enrich me; although I am enslaved under the\ntyranny of my predominant passions, yet thou canst break my\nchains and set me at liberty; a single word of thine would be\naltogether sufficient to work these miracles in favour of one so\nunworthy of thy corporal presence as I am. Speak it then, O\nSovereign Good, for I can no longer live without thee. Let blind\nand infatuated worldlings intoxicate themselves with the false,\ntransient, and fading happiness of this life; as for my part,\nnothing besides thyself can content me, either in heaven or on\nearth; for what have I in heaven, or what can I desire on earth\nbesides thee?\n{115}\nCome, then, O thou Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the\nworld! Come, thou beloved of my heart! adorable flesh and\nprecious blood of my Saviour! Come, to nourish, comfort, and\nenliven my sickly soul. O God of my heart! let me neither love,\nseek, nor think on any other object but thyself alone: for thou\nalone art my consolation, my treasure, my joy, my life, my God,\nand my all! My heart as eagerly desires to receive thee, as the\nwearied stag longs to quench his thirst in the fountains of\nwater. _Psalm_ xli.\n\n\n An Act Of Fear.\n\n The Evangelist mentions, that when our Saviour declared to his\n disciples, that one of them should betray him, they were all\n exceedingly afflicted: \"Verily I say unto you, that one of you\n will betray me; and they began each of them to say, Is it I,\n Lord? Is it I?\"--_Matthew_ xxviii. Let your hearts also give\n way for a moment, to the thoughts of that uncertainty which every\n man is in, of being in the state of grace: examine seriously your\n real dispositions, and have no other confidence than in the mercy\n of God.\n\nIf the uncertainty of being worthy of thy love or hatred, O Lord,\nmade even St. Paul, that vessel of election, tremble, how much\nmore reason have not I to apprehend, lest some concealed sin,\nlurking in my heart, might obstruct the salutary influence of\nthose graces which thou hast prepared for those who worthily\nreceive thee in this divine sacrament?\n{116}\nMay not I, perhaps, like another Judas, give thee the kiss of\npeace to-day, and basely betray thee to-morrow? or, instead of\ncoming to visit me as a faithful disciple, dost thou not rather\ncome with horror and indignation, as to a concealed enemy? How\ncan I answer for the integrity of my confession, the fervour of\nmy contrition, or the sincerity of my resolutions? Is it not\ncustom, or human respect, that brings me to the foot of thy\naltar? Have not I still some favourite attachment? and in the\nresolutions I have made of relinquishing my vile evil habits,\nhave I not spared some favourite though dangerous passion? With\nthe same heart-felt anguish as thy disciples experienced on the\nlike occasion, I ask thee, O Lord, \"Is it I?\" But the most\nabominable traitor, Judas, asked thee the same question? Is not\nmy anxiety, as his was, only false and apparent? It is this\nthought, O my God, that terrifies me; and it is to thyself alone\nI have recourse to preserve me from so horrible a sacrilege. No,\nthou wilt never permit me to be guilty of so horrid a\nprofanation, since thou seest there is no evil I dread so much.\nWherefore, my dear Saviour, after being as diligent as I could in\nmy preparation to receive thee, I now rest entirely on thy\ninfinite mercy, \"Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful\nman.\"--_Luke_, v. \"Have confidence, my child, thy sins are\nforgiven thee.\"--_Matt_. xi.\n\n{117}\n\n An Act Of Contrition.\n\n By our Saviour's washing the feet of his disciples, to prepare\n them for this new supper, (\"And he began to wash the feet of\n his disciples, and dry them with the girt he had about\n him,\"--_John_, xiii.) we are taught not to confine\n ourselves merely to detesting those grievous sins which give\n death to the soul; because we see that the disciples were\n obliged to undergo this ceremony, though Christ already had\n declared them pure, and in the state of grace; (\"you,\" saith\n he, \"are already clean;\") but we should also endeavour to\n purify our souls, as much as possible, from even the slightest\n stains of venial sin, which is signified by the washing of the\n feet of his disciples.\n\nTo transform a soul, so defiled as mine by the ordure of sin,\ninto a state of innocence and purity, must be the work of the\nright hand of the Most High. Ah, my God! I shall never be able to\ndiscover any vestige of that precious innocence which makes a\nsoul so lovely and acceptable in thy sight, unless I trace back\nmy whole life to the days of my childhood. But although I have\nhad the misfortune to forfeit my baptismal innocence by sin, yet\nthere remains for my consolation this sure anchor, whereby I may\nhope to regain thy favour, grounded on thy infallible promise,\n_that thou wilt never despise a contrite and humble heart_.\n\nBut if even the enormity of my sins had not exposed me to thy\nwrath, and consequently to the eternal pains of hell, yet I would\nnevertheless sincerely detest them. O my God! do not upbraid me\nwith mine iniquities; they are always in my sight; and the\nbitterness of my regret for having committed them, shall serve as\na continual punishment of my baseness.\n{118}\nAh, my Redeemer, though I cannot suffer such an excessive degree\nof anguish as thou didst during thy agony in the garden of\nGethsemani, when in a bloody sweat thou didst offer thyself as a\nvictim to the Eternal Father, yet I am fully determined to suffer\nwith patience every cross or affliction which may fall in my way,\nas well in atonement for the sins I have hitherto committed, as\nto prevent me from future relapses. Assist me with thy grace, O\nLord, and remove every occasion of sin at a distance from me: and\nas I dread no evil so much as that of offending thee mortally,\nrather prevent me, by cutting the thread of life, than suffer me\nagain to become thine enemy. But in my present disposition of\nmind, I do not confine myself to merely detesting all mortal\noffences! No, my amiable Saviour! inflamed with thy love, I am\nalso fully resolved to avoid every venial sin that may in the\nleast displease thee, or diminish the influence of thy graces.\nAnd though I have a well-grounded confidence that my soul has\nbeen cleansed in the sacrament of penance, still I desire to be\nwashed more and more from my iniquities. \"Create a clean heart in\nme, O God; and renew an upright spirit within my\nbowels.\"--_Psalm_ L.\n\n [Transcriber's note: New American Bible, Psalms Chapter 51:12\n \"A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast\n spirit.\"]\n\n A Prayer\n\n For Obtaining The Effects Of A Plenary Indulgence.\n\n\nAccept, O almighty God, through the merits of thine only Son\nJesus Christ, the intercession of his immaculate Mother the\nblessed Virgin Mary, and of the whole court of heaven, the\ncommunion I am about to make, to thy greater glory. Accept it in\nthanksgiving for thy innumerable benefits, to obtain the pardon\nof my sins, and grace to acquire a victory over my passions,\nparticularly those to which I am most enslaved. [_Name\nthem_.]\n\n{119}\n\nConsidering that the debts which I owe to thy justice are so\nimmense, that of myself I have not the means of discharging them,\nI have recourse to the inexhaustible treasure of the merits of my\nRedeemer, which thy church (in virtue of the keys of the kingdom\nof heaven, which he has committed to its supreme pastors, in the\nperson of St. Peter,) now holds forth to me. Grant me, O Lord,\nthe dispositions to obtain such a portion thereof, as may be\nnecessary to discharge the debt of temporal punishment due to my\nsins. Suffer me now to partake of the infinite merits of Christ,\nthat the immense ransom which he has paid for my salvation being\napplied to my poor sinful soul, I may be released from the\npunishments which it has otherwise so justly deserved. I beseech\nthee also, O most bountiful Lord! to pour down thy blessings on\nthy holy Catholic Church; on its supreme pastor, [_Pope N.\nN._]; on the pastor to whom the care of thy flock in this\narchdioceses or diocese is committed [_name him_]; upon our\nqueen, and all the royal family; upon all thy bishops and clergy\nthroughout the whole world. Enlighten poor infidels, heretics,\nand sinners; and assist such apostolic missionaries as labour in\ntheir conversion.\n{120}\nUnite all mankind in the profession of the true faith; give them\nthe spirit of divine charity, whereby they may love thee above\nall things, and for thy sake love each other. Have compassion on\nthe suffering souls of the faithful departed. Give thy blessing\nto my parents, friends, relations, and benefactors; preserve them\nfrom eternal misery; and conduct us all, by thy grace, to the\nmansions of celestial bliss, there to praise and glorify thee for\never. Amen.\n\n\n An Act Of Humility.\n\n Reflect on these words: \"And he gave it to his disciples, and\n said, Take ye, and eat,\" &c. It must have been a great cause of\n confusion to the apostles, when they beheld their Saviour\n distribute to them his sacred body, not merely that they might\n adore it, or that they might preserve it as an inestimable\n relic, but that they might make it their food. Be thou also\n penetrated with the most profound humility.\n\nWhat am I, O God of majesty and glory, or who am I, that thou\nshouldst deign even to look on me? Whence am I honoured with so\nunspeakable a favour, as that my Lord and my God should come and\nvisit in person such a miserable and vile worm of the earth? How\ndare a being more contemptible than nothing, approach so holy a\nGod, eat the bread of angels, and feed on thy divine flesh! Ah,\nLord! it is too much; I am not worthy of so great a favour; I\nshall never, no never, deserve it.\n\n{121}\n\nO King of heaven and earth! adorable Sovereign! the Author and\nPreserver of the universe! behold, I annihilate myself before\nthee, protesting that I would humble myself as much for thy\nglory, as thou dost here for my salvation. I acknowledge, with\nthe most profound respect, the infinite, grandeur of thy divine\nMajesty and my own miserable baseness. The contemplation of one\nand the other fills me with inexpressible confusion. Can I\npossibly say more, my dear Saviour, than to confess, with the\nutmost humility, in the words of the centurion: \"Lord, I am not\nworthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word,\nand my soul shall be saved.\"\n\n\n An Act Of Faith.\n\n In consequence of the words pronounced by our Saviour when he\n consecrated the bread and wine, \"This is my body,\" &c; \"this is\n my blood,\" &c; the apostles received what Christ then gave them\n as his _real body_ and _blood_. Do thou now, in like\n manner, make a most lively Act of Faith of the real presence of\n Jesus Christ in the blessed Eucharist.\n\n\nSince thou, omnipotent God, whose almighty words are creative,\nproductive, and effective; since thou, O eternal Truth, who canst\nneither deceive nor be deceived; since thou, I say, hast declared\nthat thou art _really_ and _actually present_ under the\nappearance of material bread, I therefore implicitly believe it;\nfor what greater proof can I require of the truth of this\nmystery, than thine own infallible word? Yes, my dear Saviour, I\nopenly confess, and am inwardly convinced, that it is thou\nthyself I am going to receive; thou who for my sake wast born in\na manger; thou who for my redemption didst die on a cross, and\nwho, though now gloriously seated on thy heavenly throne, still\ncontinuest on earth, under the sacramental veils, to feed and\nnourish the souls of men.\n{122}\nWere I to behold thee with my corporal eyes, and examine the\nimpression of the wounds thou didst receive in thy sacred hands\nand sides, as St. Thomas did, still I could not say with more\nconfidence than I now do, that _thou art my Lord and my\nGod!_ I do not demand a miracle as a proof of thy real\npresence; no, Lord, let me rather have the whole merit of faith;\nfor thou hast said, \"Blessed are those who believe and do not\nsee.\"\n\nWert thou therefore to speak to me from this very tabernacle, the\nvoice would affect me less than that which resounds in thy gospel\nand thy church, founded by thyself, and propagated in a\nmiraculous manner. Though my senses may tell me it is nothing but\nmere bread; yet, submitting them entirely in obedience to divine\nfaith, I answer it is thy real body and blood, accompanied by thy\nsoul and divinity. In this faith I am determined to live and die;\nand were I to suffer a thousand martyrdoms in testimony thereof,\nI am persuaded, that by the help of thy grace I would remain\nimmovable. \"Thou art really a hidden God--a God Saviour.\"--\n_Isaias_. \"I believe; O Lord, help my\nunbelief.\"--_Mark_, ix.\n\n{123}\n\n When about to communicate, let your heart be penetrated with a\n lively sense of the actual presence of your divine Saviour, and\n at the same time endeavour to recollect the different passages of\n Scripture above quoted, they being, as it were, an abridgment of\n the foregoing acts. You may also reflect on the words, \"May the\n body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul into life\n everlasting,\" which the priest pronounces at the moment he\n gives you the blessed sacrament; because they imply, that the\n end proposed in communicating, is not simply to abide in a\n certain regularity of conduct for a few months, weeks, or days;\n but to persevere faithfully, to the very hour of death, in that\n state of grace to which a worthy participation of this divine\n sacrament shall now raise you.\n\n\n An Act Of Hope.\n\nSince thou vouchsafest to come and dwell within me, O my\nRedeemer, what may I not expect from thy bounty! I therefore\npresent myself before thee with that lively confidence which thy\ninfinite goodness inspires. Thou not only knowest all my wants,\nbut thou art also willing and able to relieve them. Thou hast not\nonly invited me, but also promised me thy gracious assistance:\n\"Come to me, all you that labour and are heavy burdened, and I\nwill refresh you.\" Behold, then, O Lord, I accept of thy gracious\ninvitation; I lay before thee all my wants, my misery, and my\nblindness; and confidently hope, without the fear of being\ndisappointed, that thou wilt enlighten my understanding, inflame\nmy will, comfort me in the midst of such crosses or afflictions\nas thou hast appointed I should suffer, strengthen me in all\ntemptations and trials, and in fine, with the powerful assistance\nof thy grace, change me into a new creature; for art not thou, O\nGod, the master of my heart; and when shall my heart be more\nabsolutely disposed of by thee, than when thou shalt have once\nentered into it?\n\n{124}\n\n Devout Prayers,\n\n Or Fervent Aspirations\n\n After Communion.\n\n\nI return thee most hearty thanks, O amiable Jesus, for the\ninestimable blessing I now enjoy. I praise and glorify thee with\nmy whole soul, for the numberless favours I have received from\nthy bounty. I adore thee now reposing within my breast. O my God\nand my all! a thousand times welcome. May thy holy name be for\never blessed! O Sovereign Lord of Heaven! how amazing is the\nexcess of thy goodness, in condescending to visit so poor, so\nvile, so abject a creature as I am! Thou hast vouchsafed to heap\nthy favours on dust and ashes; to come into this poor cottage,\nthis house of clay, my earthly habitation; and to feed my soul\nwith the heavenly banquet of thy most precious body and blood. O\nteach me to entertain thee as I ought, and to make thee some\nsuitable return for this thy infinite love. I would gladly make\nthee some offering in acknowledgment of the rich present thou\nhast made me, in giving thyself to me; but, alas! dear Lord, thou\nknowest my poverty, and that I have nothing worthy of thy\nacceptance; nothing but what, on a thousand titles, is already\nthine. But, O my bountiful Saviour, such is thy goodness, that\nthou wilt be contented with the little I can give thee, although\nit be thine already.\n{125}\nThou askest nothing but my heart, and this I most willingly offer\nthee. O be pleased to accept it, and make it wholly thine for\never. Take full possession thereof; I offer it to thee without\nreserve. I desire to consecrate it entirely to thy service.\nDisengage it therefore, from this moment, from the slavery of its\npassions and vices. Stifle in it every desire but that of loving\nand pleasing thee. Inflame it with the fire of divine charity,\nthat it may ever burn with thy love. O may the sweet flames\nthereof consume my soul, that so I may die to the world for the\nlove of thee, who hast vouchsafed to expire on the cross for the\nlove of me. I cast myself entirely into the arms of thy mercy,\nand offer thee my whole being; my body with all its senses, and\nmy soul with all its powers; that as thou hast honoured them both\nby thy real presence, so they may both be thy temple for ever. O\nsanctify and consecrate eternally to thyself this mansion, which\nthou hast, by a wonderful condescension, chosen this day for\nthine abode; and grant that, like Zacch\u00e6us, I may obtain thy\nbenediction. I offer thee my memory, that it may be ever\nrecollected in thee; my understanding, that it may be always\ndirected and enlightened by thy truth; and my will, that it may\nbe ever conformable to thine. O take me entirely into thy hands,\nwith all that I have, and all that I am; and let nothing\nhenceforward, either in life or death, ever separate me from thee\nany more.\n{126}\nMake me according to thy own heart; and let my soul be thy\nhabitation for ever. Draw me most powerfully after thee, and\nguide my steps, that I may cheerfully run into the paths of\nvirtue, and walk in the way of thy precepts. Make me diligent in\nthe duties of my calling and state of life, and teach me to do\nthy will in all things. Let thy blessing be upon all my actions,\nand thy grace direct my intentions, that the whole course of my\nlife, and the principal design of my heart, may ever tend to the\nadvancement of thy glory, the good of my neighbour, and the\neternal salvation of my soul. Amen.\n\nO my soul, bless the Lord; and let all that is within thee praise\nand magnify his holy name. Pay him the best homage thou art able,\nand invite heaven and earth to join with thee in glorifying him\nfor ever. O my God! that I could now give thee as much praise,\nhonour, and glory, as the blessed spirits incessantly give thee\nin heaven! O that I could adore thee with the spirit and\naffection of thine elect! But as I am unable to do this, accept\nat least this my desire and good will. O ye angels and saints,\nbless my God for me; thank my Lord for me; love my Jesus for me;\nand sing forth his praises in supply of my defects. O beauty ever\nancient and always new! too late have I known thee; too late have\nI loved thee. When shall I live only in thee, by thee, and for\nthee alone. O my God, and my all, when shall I see the day, when\nshall the happy time arrive, that, disgusted with the false\nhappiness of this deceitful world, I shall seek comfort from thee\nalone, and find rest to my soul?\n{127}\nO heavenly manna! O adorable sacrament! O inestimable pledge of\nGod's love to mankind! O standing memorial of Christ's passion\nand death! O inexhaustible fountain of divine grace! O boundless\nmercy! O divine charity! O sacred fire, ever burning and never\ndecaying! Hail, O loving Jesus, my only pleasure and delight, the\njoy of my soul, and my portion for ever. Let my soul be sensible\nof the sweetness of thy presence. Let me taste how sweet thou\nart, O Lord. Purify my heart from the dross of all earthly\naffections. Deliver me from my vicious customs. Remove me from\nall baneful effects of concupiscence. Perfect me in charity,\npatience, humility, obedience, and all other virtues. May I\nrather die than ever more offend thee by mortal sin! O may I\nprove my gratitude by my fidelity to so good a God! Abolish the\nreign of sin, and establish the kingdom of grace in all hearts.\nLet the light of thy countenance so shine upon all those who are\nin the darkness of infidelity, as to dispel their errors. Grant\npeace and union to all Christian princes, and preserve us from\nthe dreadful scourges of war, famine, and pestilence. Convert all\nsinners; reconcile those who are at variance. Have mercy on my\nparents, friends, and benefactors. Have mercy on all my enemies;\nforgive them their sins, and fill both their hearts and mine with\nthy charity. Reform all abuses, and remove all scandals from thy\nchurch.\n{128}\nComfort all that are under any affliction, sickness, or violence\nof pain. Support those who are under temptation; protect those\nthat are in danger; and grant a happy passage to all that are in\ntheir last agony. Extend thy mercy likewise to the souls of all\nthe faithful departed, and admit them to the possession of thy\neternal glory. Grant relief to us all in our respective\nnecessities, the remission of our sins, the grace of final\nperseverance, and life everlasting.--Amen.\n\n\n Another Prayer After Communion;\n\n Or When It Has Been Received By The Sick As A Viaticum.\n\nO my gracious Saviour! what greater happiness or comfort could I\nexpect! O wonderful condescension of my God! O what return shall\nI make him for his ineffable love! He whom the saints, the\nangels, and the whole heavenly host adore, hath given himself\nentirely to me, and now really and substantially dwelleth within\nme! Without any other inducement but his pure mercy, he hath\nvouchsafed to visit, comfort, and nourish my poor soul with the\ndivine and heavenly banquet of his precious body and blood, with\nwhich he redeemed me on the cross. May honour, praise, and glory\nbe for ever paid thee, O my sweet Redeemer Jesus Christ! O that I\ncould now give thee as much honour and glory as is incessantly\ngiven thee by the whole choir of heaven! Accept, O Lord, my\nheart, as a thanksgiving-offering for all thy favours and\nblessings. Accept my whole being, for by every claim of right and\njustice it belongeth entirely to thee.\n\n{129}\n\nAnd thou, O my soul, bless the Lord, and let all that is within\nthee praise his holy name. O all ye works of the Lord, bless the\nLord, praise and glorify him for ever. O all ye angels of the\nLord, bless the Lord; magnify, praise, and glorify his holy name,\nbecause I have found the beloved of my soul. Prostrate at his\nfeet, like the penitent Magdalen, I will embrace him in spirit,\nand clasp him with the arms of inflamed love. And now, as I have\nactually received him on earth, may I not confidently hope for\nthe perfect possession of him in heaven? I can now fear no evil,\nbecause thou, O Lord, art with me, as my powerful guardian and\nprotector! Give me therefore thy blessing, O beloved Jesus! and\nestablish an everlasting peace in my soul. Thou art the God of my\nheart, my portion and inheritance for ever. Let nothing in the\nfuture be my comfort but thou, my Lord Jesus; nor let any thing\nafflict me hereafter but my sins, and whatever is displeasing to\nthy divine Majesty. O soul of Christ, sanctify me; body of\nChrist, save me; blood of Christ, purify me; water issuing from\nthe side of Christ, wash me; passion of Christ, strengthen me. O\ngood Jesus, graciously hear me, hide me within thy wounds, suffer\nme never to be separated from thee; call me at the hour of death,\nand command me to come to thee, that I may associate with the\nsaints and angels, and the whole choir of celestial spirits, to\nsing forth canticles of praise and glory to thy holy name for\never and ever, world without end. Amen, Amen, Amen, sweet Jesus!\n\n{130}\n\n Acts Of Virtue After Communion.\n\n To Be Used According To Each\n Person's Leisure Or Opportunity.\n\n\n Now, whilst the plenitude of the Divinity dwelleth corporally\n within you, meditate most profoundly, with the Blessed Virgin,\n upon the great wonders which the Almighty hath wrought in your\n favour. Consider yourself as a living tabernacle, wherein\n resideth the Holy of Holies. Let this single reflection prevent\n all distractions, and keep your mind in the most perfect\n composure and recollection.\n\n\n An Act Of Confidence.\n\n \"Now there was leaning on the bosom of Jesus one of his\n disciples, whom Jesus loved.\"--_John_, xiii. 16. What a\n glorious privilege was this which St. John had! What\n consolation must he not have felt from the impression of the\n Divinity! What delightful repose! Pour forth thy heart, as he\n did his, into that of Jesus, and abandon thyself to the most\n lively sentiments of confidence.\n\nBehold! here he is, then, the treasure of my soul! I am now in\npossession of the Sovereign Good! O what advantage upon earth can\nbe compared to this? What glory! what comfort! to feel my God so\nnear me! \"My soul hath found whom she loveth: I have hold of him,\nnor will I let him go.\"--_Cant_, iv. The first thought, O\nGod! with which thy presence inspires me, is a sentiment of\nadoration and respect.\n{131}\nPermit me, then, in union with the blessed in heaven, to offer\nthee my most profound homage. Yes, under these sacred veils,\nwhere thy love for me hath concealed the splendour of thy\nMajesty, I most humbly adore thee. I acknowledge thee as my\nmaster, my creator, and the supreme arbiter of my eternal\ndestiny. The less thou wouldst make thyself for my sake, the more\nreal respect and veneration have I for thee. But these thoughts\nare absorbed in the greatness of my confidence. This I cannot\ncontain, nor yet am I able to express it. If thou takest pleasure\nin, if thou even enjoinest us to place our trust in thee, is it\nnot in this mystery, where thou dost communicate thyself without\nreserve, where thou literally verifiest that tender promise of\n_treating us no longer as servants, but as friends?_ These\nwords, which thou never didst address to thy angels or prophets,\nthou dost accomplish for sinners in this sacrament: yes, it would\nbe an insult offered to thee, not to have the greatest hopes in\nthy mercy; for it is not here, O God, that thou exercisest thy\njustice; thou art glorious in heaven! all-powerful on earth! and\nterrible in hell! but in the Eucharist, thou art mild, consoling,\nsweet, and liberal. Ah! what canst thou refuse me, when thou hast\ngiven me thyself? and where is the confidence that can be too\ntender? Why should I envy the beloved disciple who leaned on thy\nbreast at thy last supper, for dost thou not at present rest in\nmy heart? O let me, then, be for ever inviolably attached to\nthee.\n{132}\nLet the sweets of thy presence so captivate my soul, that\ndisgusted with sin, it may be fixed in the contemplation of thee\nalone, and listen with docility to thy holy inspirations. \"All\nyou, then, that doubt of the goodness of God, come now and learn!\ncome and admire! come and taste with me his infinite mercies!\ncome and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what\ngreat things he hath done for my soul!\"--_Psalm_ xiv. Who\nwould have believed it? What! one of his disciples, not prostrate\nat his feet, but reclining upon his breast, and honoured with his\nparticular affection! Yes, all this he hath done for him, and is\nready to do the same for me also. \"Behold the Lord my Saviour; I\nwill act confidently, and I will not fear.\"--_Isaias_, ii.\n\"The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever.\"--_Psalm_,\nlxxviii.\n\n\n An Act Of Love.\n\n \"Lord, where art thou going, why cannot I follow thee now? I\n will lay down my life for thee.\"--_John_, xiii. \"How can I\n consent to be separated from thee? (saith St. Peter to Jesus:)\n no; I will never leave thee, were I to follow thee even unto\n death.\" This is a model of that generous love which a faithful\n soul should testify unto God in the holy Communion.\n\n\nIf I cannot approach thee, O my God, with as much confidence as\nthy apostle St. Peter did, yet I come with equal warmth and\nsincerity, to assure thee of my eternal attachment. Accept,\ntherefore, the offering I now make thee, not only of my whole\nbeing, but of all I possess. Unhappy and miserable should I think\nmyself, were I not in the disposition of mind to sacrifice the\nmost precious advantage this world can afford, at the first\nintimation of thy will.\n{133}\nDispose of the life thou hast given me according to thy pleasure.\nI offer myself entirely to thee; my employments, talents, and\nevery power and faculty of soul and body, that they may be ever\nand always employed in promoting thy honour and glory. In justice\nI am obliged, if necessary, to die for thee, since thou hast\ngenerously given up thy life for my salvation. But thy regard for\nme, O sweet Jesus, was not to be confined within the boundaries\nof this life; for after having loved me even unto death, thou\nhast besides left me this divine food as a sensible pledge of thy\naffection. Ah, dear Lord! what more couldst thou possibly do for\nme? and how ungrateful a wretch would T not be, if such wonderful\nmarks of thy tenderness were not capable of exciting the most\nlively sentiments of love and gratitude in my soul? The very\ndamned would then be less culpable than I; for if they do not\nlove thee, it is because they cannot possibly love thee; and\ntherefore thou dost not expect love from them. But I can love\nthee; because every thing induces me to love thee; and thou art\neven mercifully pleased to _command_ that I should love thee\nwith my whole heart, &c. O thou eternal Beauty! too late have I\nbegun to love thee: O amiable Lord! who art ever lovely, and\nnever sufficiently beloved, I consider every moment of my life as\nlost, which has not been consecrated to thy love; accept, at\nleast, the remainder thereof.\n{134}\nIf I cannot love thee as much as I could wish, or as much as thou\nhast loved me, or as much as thou dost deserve, yet I will love\nthee as much as I am able. Angels of heaven! O Mother of God! and\nall ye saints! lend me now your hearts; for I have, alas! but one\nto love my God, and that too small, and too much polluted with\nthe love of creatures. Diminish in me, O Lord, all other\nadvantages, provided thou dost grant me an increase of divine\ncharity. I imagine, O my God, that thou art now enkindling this\nsacred fire within my breast, and that I could answer thee, with\nas much confidence as St. Peter, \"Lord, thou knowest I love\nthee,\" and that for thy sake alone; I love thee with my whole\nheart, without reserve, firmly resolving never to fix my\naffections on any thing besides thyself. Yes, I am content to\nfind nothing but disgust, bitterness, and affliction, in every\nother attachment, that I may be thus happily compelled to repose\nin thee for ever. O establish now a solid, efficacious, lively,\nardent, and persevering love within my heart; and though thou\nremain therein but for a few moments, let the effectual influence\nof thy grace for ever remain behind. \"My beloved to me, and I to\nmy beloved.\"--_Cant_. xvi. \"Thou knowest, Lord, that I love\nthee.\"--_John_, xxi.\n\n{135}\n\n An Act Of Supplication.\n\n Our Saviour's last supper was one continual prayer, which he\n offered up for his apostles, and a most pressing invitation to\n solicit favours from him. \"O holy Father,\" says he, \"preserve\n those whom thou hast given me; for them I ask. Peter, I have\n asked for thee. Until now you have not asked for anything; ask,\n and you shall receive.\" Here he exhorts us to pray for all those\n graces we stand most in need of. He further adds a most\n affecting and solid instruction, recommending them earnestly to\n persevere in his service: \"Remain,\" says he, \"in my love.\" He\n forewarned them of the trials they were to undergo; he\n inculcated certain precepts; he reproached them with some of\n their most striking defects. In this manner will he also speak\n privately to your heart; he will make known his will to you; he\n will tell you many things of which you have no notion, or which\n you disguise to yourself. Listen to him then without doubt, as\n the apostles did, and ask him questions with the most sincere\n desire to accomplish his holy will.\n\nThou are present within me, O inexhaustible source of all good;\nthou art full of tenderness, and ready to shed all thy favours\nupon me. O shower them down most abundantly! Consider my manifold\nwants; consider the immensity of thy power. Transform me,\ntherefore, into a new man. Divest my heart of whatever is\ndispleasing to thee. Adorn it with whatever may render me\nacceptable in thy sight. Purify my body. Sanctify my soul. Let me\nshare in the merits of thy life and death. Unite thyself to me;\nunite me to thyself. Live thou in me, that in thee I also may\nlive, and never have life but for thy sake. Grant me those graces\nof which thou knowest I stand most in need.\n{136}\nGrant the same to all those for whom I am bound to pray. Canst\nthou refuse me any thing, after what thou hast done for me? What\nmay I not expect from thee, since thou hast given me thyself? \"I\nwill not let thee go until thou dost bless me.\"--_Gen_.\nxxxii. 26. \"Do to thy servant according to thy mercy.\"\n\n\n An Act Of Oblation.\n\nIn crowning the innumerable gifts thou hast already bestowed upon\nme with the inestimable favour of giving me thyself, thou\ndesirest to convince me that I should live but for thy sake\nalone, O God of goodness and mercy! This, O Lord, is what I also\nmost fervently wish: I would have all my thoughts, words,\nactions, and whatever designs I may form or put into execution,\nfor the time to come, always directed by a most perfect\nresignation to thy holy will. I desire that my health, fortune,\nstrength, reputation, talents of mind and body; in a word,\nwhatever relates to me, either interiorly or exteriorly, may be\nentirely disposed of to thy honour and glory. I consecrate the\nremainder of my life, without the least reserve, to thy divine\nservice. I now make an offering unto thee of whatever pains or\nsufferings I may hereafter undergo in my last sickness, and\ncheerfully accept of whatever crosses thou mayest henceforth be\npleased to afflict me with. \"Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my\nspirit.\"--_Psalm_ xxx.\n\n{137}\n\n A Resolution Of Amendment.\n\n \"That the world may know that I love the Father; and as the\n Father gave me a commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go,\" saith\n Christ, (_John_, xiii.) \"instantly and without hesitation,\n to execute his will.\" Such is the generosity with which we\n should now, and at all times, resolve to execute, in every\n particular, the commandments of the Almighty.\n\nBehold, O my God, the moment is now come, wherein I am to\nsacrifice those inclinations to thee which thou hast so often\ndemanded, and which I was so miserably slothful as to have\nrefused thee. I now see the danger to which my sluggish languor\nhas exposed me, and am determined to avoid it. I will labour\nincessantly against my vicious habits. I am determined to quit\nthe immediate occasion of sin. I pledge myself to thee, and am\nsatisfied to be treated as thine enemy, if these promises be not\nmost sincere and determined. I will no longer resist thy\ninspirations, nor allow myself those pleasures which thy law\nforbids, nor expose myself to the danger of offending thee. There\nshall be no more remissness in my duty, nor languor in my\ndevotion. I do not make these promises through a spirit of\npresumption, (for I am convinced of my own insufficiency, and\nknow, that if abandoned by thee, I must necessarily fall back\ninto all my former disorders,) but being now united to thee, I\nflatter myself that, in spite of my frailty, I shall constantly\npersevere in thy grace. Why should I not find the same strength\nin this divine sacrament, which thy glorious martyrs have derived\nfrom it?\n{138}\nIt was here they imbibed that generous spirit of suffering, which\ncould brave the power of tyrants, and smile on the horrors of\ndeath. And art thou now less faithful, less liberal, or less able\nto fortify me against the attacks of the enemies of my salvation?\nNo. Come, then, it is full time I should begin the work of my\nsalvation. Thy will has been sufficiently declared to me; I will\nhesitate no longer to put it in execution, how great soever the\nconflict may be against myself and the world. In fine, let me\nfeel, O Lord, an experimental conviction of such a reformation of\nlife, as may edify those whom my past conduct has scandalized, by\nconvincing them that I do now _really_ love thee. \"Arise,\nlet us go: I have sworn, and am resolved to keep thy\ncommandments.\"--_Psalm_ cxviii. \"Confirm, O God, what thou\nhast wrought in us.'\"--_Psalm_ lxxvi.\n\n\n An Act Of Thanksgiving.\n\n \"And having sung a hymn they went out.\" The apostles did not\n quit the room until they had previously testified their\n gratitude for so signal a favour: and it is our Saviour himself\n who showed them the example; for when he was just going to\n bless and consecrate the bread, he lifted up his eyes to his\n heavenly Father, to return him thanks for having bestowed this\n favour upon mortals: \"And giving thanks, he blessed, and\n broke,\" &c. Conclude your Communion, in like manner, with the\n most tender effusions of gratitude to God.\n\n{139}\n\nWhen I reflect, O Lord, on the many favours thou hast conferred\non me, I am overwhelmed with confusion, and feel my heart\npenetrated with such deep sentiments of gratitude, as cannot be\nexpressed. I find myself, as it were, encompassed on all sides,\nand pressed by thy goodness. It is thou thyself, O Lord, that\nlovest me, in all those creatures from whom I receive any benefit\nor advantage. My parents, from whom I received my existence, or\nmy friends, who have given me such proofs of their tenderness,\nare but the instruments of thy providence, and the channels of\nthy mercies in my behalf. Thou art not only the God of the\nuniverse, but thou art also, in a particular way, my God! So\ninterested art thou in all that relates to me, that thy attention\nseems as if it were entirely fixed on me alone. Thou hast given\nme all thou hast made, all that I am, and all that thou art\nthyself, cannot I, therefore, with as much reason as David, call\nthee \"the God of my salvation and my mercy; my refuge and my\nsupport; my treasure and my inheritance?\" Nay, more, dost thou\nnot at present vouchsafe to become my _very subsistence_, by\nnot only giving thyself to fortify my weakness, and as a pledge\nof eternal life, but also that I may be nourished with thy\n_very flesh and blood?_ How great, therefore, must my\ningratitude be, if I do not make a cordial return for such\ninfinite love. O my God, suffer me sooner to forget myself, than\nto be ever unmindful of this great favour. Although I have been\ntreacherous, fearful, and a prevaricator, yet I shall never be\nguilty of _ingratitude_, since I should blush at this vice\neven in my commerce with men.\n{140}\nBut still, what return can I make thee, being of myself\ninsolvent, indigent, and miserable? Behold! the treasure is at\nhand; the gift I have now received from thee enables me to repay\nthee for all thy other benefits: the sacrifice of all that I am\nor have, is not worthy to be presented to thee; but in offering\nthee thyself, I consider my debts as abundantly discharged. May\nthy infinite merits be for ever exalted for having given me such\nexcellent means of repaying _to the full_, the infinite\nobligations I owe thee.--\"What return shall I make to the Lord\nfor all those things which he has given unto me?\"--_Psalm_\ncxv. \"He hath made a memorial of his wonderful works, being a\nmerciful and gracious Lord: he hath given food to them that fear\nhim.\"--_Psalm_ xc.\n\n\n Do not limit the devotion of this day to the foregoing prayers,\n but rather consider it as entirely consecrated to Jesus Christ;\n that by this means you may literally accomplish the precept of\n the Holy Ghost: \"Let no part of a good day escape without\n profit.\"--_Ecclesiastes_ xiv. Recollect frequently this great\n action, and read some pious book, to nourish and enliven a\n spirit of devotion. Remark (or, if convenient write down) some\n of those tender sentiments and good resolutions with which you\n were affected at the time of communion; the recollection of\n them will serve as a bulwark to guard you against the attacks\n of tepidity or dryness. But, above all, endeavour to regulate\n your conduct for the time to come, in such a manner as to be\n enabled to say, with St. Paul: \"I live, not I, but Christ Jesus\n liveth in me.\" In a word, let _your Redeemer only_, for\n the future, _think, speak,_ and _act_ in you; and let\n nothing remain in you that is unworthy of him, for no scandal\n can be more injurious to our holy religion, than for Catholics,\n after communicating, to lead disedifying and unchristian lives.\n\n{141}\n\n\n The Seven Penitential Psalms.\n\n\n Proper to be said on Fasting Days,\n and other Penitential Times.\n\n\n Anthem.\n\nRemember not, O Lord, our offences, nor those of our parents;\nneither take thou vengeance on our sins.\n\n\n The Sixth Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist prays to be healed from sickness, and implores\n pardon for his sins. After obtaining his request, he exults\n over his enemies.\n\n\nO Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation; nor chastise me in thy\nwrath.\n\nTake pity on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for all\nmy bones are shaken.\n\nAnd my soul is troubled exceedingly: but thou, O Lord, how long?\n\nReturn, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercies'\nsake.\n\nFor in death there is none that is mindful of thee: and who shall\nconfess to thee in hell?\n\nI have tired myself with my groanings: every night I will wash my\nbed, I will water my couch with my tears.\n\nMy eye is disturbed with rage: I am grown old amidst all mine\nenemies.\n\nDepart from me, all ye that work iniquity: for the Lord hath\nheard the voice of my weeping.\n\nThe Lord hath heard my petition: the Lord hath received my\nprayer.\n\n{142}\n\nLet all my enemies be ashamed, and very much troubled: let them\nbe turned back and put to shame very speedily.\n\nGlory be to the Father, &c.\n\n\n The Thirty-first Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist declares all those happy, whose sins are forgiven;\n and, from his own example, and that of the saints, exhorts all to\n seek this beatitude, and to avoid brutal obstinacy. Rewards and\n punishments are proposed.\n\n\nBlessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins\nare covered.\n\nBlessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin: and in\nwhose soul there is no guile.\n\nBecause I was silent, my bones grew old: whilst I cried all the\nday.\n\nFor day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: I am turned in my\nanguish, whilst the thorn is fastened.\n\nI have acknowledged my sin to thee, and my injustice I have not\nconcealed.\n\nI said, I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord:\nand thou hast forgiven the impiety of my sin.\n\nFor this shall every one that is holy pray to thee in a\nseasonable time.\n\nYet in the deluge of many waters they shall not approach him.\n\nThou art my refuge from the tribulation which hath surrounded me:\nmy joy, deliver me from them that encompass me.\n\nI will give thee understanding, and I will instruct thee in the\nway in which thou shalt go: I will fix my eyes upon thee.\n\n{143}\n\nDo not become like the horse and mule, that have no\nunderstanding.\n\nWith bit and bridle bind fast their jaws who do not approach\nthee.\n\nMany are the scourges of the sinner: but mercy shall encompass\nhim that hopeth in the Lord.\n\nBe joyful in the Lord, and rejoice ye just: and glory all ye\nupright of heart. Glory, &c.\n\n\n The Thirty-seventh Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist, in sickness, and neglected by his friends, begs\n of God to pardon his sins, and to assist and heal him.\n\nO Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy\nwrath.\n\nFor thy arrows are fastened in me: and thy hand hath been strong\nupon me.\n\nThere is no health in my flesh, because of thy wrath: there is no\npeace in my bones, because of my sins.\n\nFor mine iniquities are gone over my head: and, as a weighty\nburden, are become heavy upon me.\n\nMy sores are putrefied and corrupted, because of my foolishness.\n\nI am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I\nwalked sorrowful all the day.\n\nFor my loins are filled with illusions: and there is no health in\nmy flesh.\n\nI am afflicted and humbled exceedingly: I roared in the groaning\nof my heart.\n\n{144}\n\nO Lord, my desire is before thee: and my sighing is not hidden\nfrom thee.\n\nMy heart is troubled, my strength hath left me: and the light of\nmine eyes itself is not with me.\n\nMy friends and my neighbours have drawn near, and stood up\nagainst me.\n\nAnd they that were near me stood afar off: and they that sought\nmy soul used violence.\n\nAnd they that sought evils to me, spoke vain things: and studied\ndeceits all the day long.\n\nBut I, as one deaf, did not hear: and as one dumb, that opened\nnot his mouth.\n\nAnd I became as a man that heareth not: and that hath no reproof\nin his mouth.\n\nFor in thee, O Lord, have I hoped: thou wilt hear me, O Lord, my\nGod.\n\nFor I said, lest at any time mine enemies rejoice over me: and\nwhilst my feet are moved, they speak great things against me.\n\nFor I am prepared for scourges, and my sorrow is always in my\nsight.\n\nFor I will declare my iniquity: and I will think of my sin.\n\nBut my enemies live, and are become stronger than I: and they are\nmultiplied who hate me unjustly.\n\nAnd they that return evil for good have detracted me, because I\nfollowed goodness.\n\nForsake me not, O Lord, my God: depart not thou from me.\n\nCome unto my aid, O Lord, the God of my salvation. Glory, &c.\n\n{145}\n\n The Fiftieth Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist begs pardon for the sins of adultery and murder,\n not through the Mosaic sacrifices, but through Christ, who was\n to come and establish his church, and by his sacrifice appease\n the injured justice of God.\n\n\nHave mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy: and\naccording to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my\niniquity.\n\nWash me yet more and more from my iniquity: and cleanse me from\nmy sin.\n\nBecause I know my iniquity: and my sin is always before me.\n\nAgainst thee only have I sinned, and done evil before thee: that\nthou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when\nthou art judged.\n\nFor behold I was conceived in iniquities: and in sins hath my\nmother conceived me.\n\nFor behold thou hast loved truth: the secret and hidden things of\nthy wisdom thou hast made known to me.\n\nThou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou\nshalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.\n\nTo my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones\nthat are humble shall rejoice.\n\nTurn away thy face from my sins: and blot out all my iniquities.\n\nCreate in me a clean heart, O God: and renew an upright spirit\nwithin my bowels.\n\nCast me not away from thy face: and take not thy holy spirit from\nme.\n\n{146}\n\nRestore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and confirm me with a\nperfect spirit.\n\nI will teach thy ways to the unjust: and sinners shall be\nconverted to thee.\n\nDeliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my\ntongue shall extol thy justice.\n\nThou, O Lord, wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy\npraise.\n\nFor if thou hadst desired sacrifice, verily I had given it: with\nburnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.\n\nA sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humble\nheart, O God, thou wilt not despise.\n\nDeal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion: that the\nwalls of Jerusalem may be built up.\n\nThen shalt thou accept the sacrifices of justice, oblations, and\nwhole-burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thine\naltar.\n\nGlory, &c.\n\n\n The Hundred-and-First Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist begs for mercy upon Sion, that he will raise out\n of it his church, to which kings and people may come and praise\n God.--A prayer of the poor man, when he was anxious, and poured\n out his supplications before the Lord.\n\n\n\nO Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.\n\nTurn not away thy face from me: in what day soever I am in\ntribulation, incline thine ear to me.\n\n{147}\n\nIn what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily.\n\nFor my days are vanished like smoke: and my hones are withered\nlike fuel for the fire.\n\nI am smitten, and my heart is withered like grass: because I\nforgot to eat my bread.\n\nThrough the voice of my groaning, by bones have cleaved to my\nflesh.\n\nI am become like a pelican of the wilderness: I am become like a\nnight raven in the house.\n\nI have watched, and am become as solitary as a sparrow upon the\nhouse-top.\n\nMy enemies upbraided me all the day long: and they that praised\nme swore against me.\n\nFor I did eat ashes like bread: and mingled my drink with my\ntears.\n\nBecause of thy wrath and indignation: for having lifted me up,\nthou hast cast me down.\n\nMy days have declined like a shadow: and I am withered like\ngrass.\n\nBut thou, O Lord, remainest for ever: and thy memory is from\ngeneration to generation.\n\nThou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion: for the time to have\nmercy on it is come.\n\nFor the stones thereof have pleased thy servants: and they shall\nhave pity on the earth thereof.\n\nAnd the Gentiles shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all the kings\nof the earth thy glory.\n\nFor the Lord hath built up Sion: and he shall be seen in his\nglory.\n\nHe hath regard to the prayer of the humble: and he hath not\ndespised their petition.\n\n{148}\n\nLet these things be written unto another generation: and a people\nto be created shall praise the Lord.\n\nBecause he hath looked forth from his high sanctuary: the Lord\nfrom heaven hath looked down upon the earth;\n\nThat he might hear the groans of them that are in fetters: that\nhe might unbind the children of them that are slain.\n\nThat they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion: and his\npraise in Jerusalem.\n\nIn the assembling of the people together in one; and kings to\nserve the Lord.\n\nHe answered me in the way of his strength: Declare unto me the\nfewness of my days.\n\nCall me not back in the midst of my days: thy years are from\ngeneration unto generation.\n\nIn the beginning, O Lord, thou didst found the earth: and the\nheavens are the works of thy hands.\n\nThey shall perish, but thou remainest: and they shall all grow\nold as a garment.\n\nAnd as a vestment thou shalt change them, and they shall be\nchanged: but thou art always the self-same, and thy years shall\nnot fail.\n\nThe children of thy servants shall continue: and their seed shall\nbe directed for ever.\n\nGlory, &c.\n\n\n The Hundred-and-twenty-ninth Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist earnestly begs pardon, foretelling redemption\n through Christ.\n\nFrom the depths I have cried unto thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my\nvoice.\n\n{149}\n\nLet thy ears be attentive to the voice of my petition.\n\nIf thou wilt observe iniquities, O Lord! Lord, who will endure\nit?\n\nFor with thee there is merciful forgiveness: and on account of\nthy law I have expected thee, O Lord.\n\nMy soul hath relied on his word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord.\n\nFrom the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the\nLord.\n\nBecause with the Lord there is mercy: and with him plentiful\nredemption.\n\nAnd he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Glory, &c.\n\n\n The Hundred-and-forty-second Psalm.\n\n The Psalmist prays that God would not regard him according to\n his merits, but look upon his miseries, and deliver him from\n them, and also from his enemies.\n\n\nO Lord hear my prayer; give ear to my petition in thy truth; hear\nme in thy justice.\n\nAnd enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no\nman living shall be justified.\n\nFor the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath humbled my life to\nthe earth.\n\nHe hath made me dwell in darkness, as those who have been dead of\nold: my spirit is in anguish upon me, and my heart is troubled\nwithin me.\n\nI remember the days of old, I meditated on all thy works: on the\nworks of thy hands did I meditate.\n\n{150}\n\nI stretched forth my hands to thee: unto thee my soul is as earth\nwithout water.\n\nHear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away.\n\nTurn not away thy face from me: lest I be like unto them that go\ndown into the pit.\n\nCause me to hear thy mercy in the morning: for I have hoped in\nthee.\n\nMake the way known to me wherein I should walk: for I have lifted\nup my soul to thee.\n\nDeliver me from mine enemies, O Lord: to thee have I fled: teach\nme to do thy will, for thou art my God.\n\nThy good spirit shall conduct me into the way of righteousness;\nfor thy name's sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice.\n\nThou wilt bring forth my soul out of tribulation: and in thy\nmercy thou wilt destroy mine enemies.\n\nAnd thou wilt destroy all those that afflict my soul: for I am\nthy servant. Glory, &c.\n\n\n Anthem.\n\nRemember not, O Lord, our offences, nor those of our parents: and\ntake not revenge of our sins.\n\n\n\n The Litany Of The Saints.\n\nLord have mercy on us.\nChrist have mercy on us.\nLord have mercy on us.\nChrist hear us.\nChrist graciously hear us.\nGod the Father of heaven,\n _have mercy on us._\n\n{151}\n\nGod the Son, Redeemer of the World,\n _have mercy on us._\nGod the Holy Ghost,\n _have mercy on us._\nHoly Trinity, one God,\n _have mercy on us._\nHoly Mary\n _Pray for us._\nHoly Mother of God,\n _Pray for us._\nHoly Virgin of Virgins,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Michael,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Gabriel,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Raphael,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Angels and Archangels,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy orders of blessed Spirits,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. John Baptist,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Joseph,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Peter,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Paul,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Andrew,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. James,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. John,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Thomas,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. James,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Philip,\n _Pray for us._\nSt Bartholomew,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Matthew,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Simon,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Thaddeus,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Matthias,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Barnaby,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Luke,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Mark,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Apostles and Evangelists,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Disciples of our Lord,\n _Pray for us._\n{152}\nAll ye holy Innocents,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Stephen,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Laurence,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Vincent,\n _Pray for us._\nSS. Fabian and Sebastian,\n _Pray for us._\nSS. John and Paul,\n _Pray for us._\nSS. Cosmas and Damian,\n _Pray for us._\nSS. Gervase and Protase,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Martyrs,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Sylvester,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Gregory,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Ambrose,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Augustine,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Jerome,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Martin,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Nicholas,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Bishops and Confessors,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Doctors,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Anthony,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Bennet,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Bernard,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Dominick,\n _Pray for us._\nSt Francis,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Priests and Levites,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Monks and Hermits,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Mary Magdalen,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Agatha,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Lucy,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Agnes,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Cecily,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Catherine,\n _Pray for us._\nSt. Anastasia,\n _Pray for us._\nAll ye holy Virgins and Widows,\n _Pray for us._\n{153}\nAll ye Men and Women, Saints of God,\n _make intercession for us._\nBe merciful to us:\n _Spare us, O Lord._\nBe merciful to us:\n _Graciously hear us, O Lord._\nFrom all evil,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom all sin,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom thy wrath,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom sudden and unprovided death,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom the deceits of the devil,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom anger, hatred, and all ill-will,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom the spirit of fornication,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom lightning and tempest,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nFrom everlasting death,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' the mystery of thy holy incarnation,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy coming,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy nativity,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy baptism and holy fasting,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy cross and passion,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy death and burial,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy holy resurrection,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' thy admirable ascension,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nThro' the coming of the Holy Ghost, the comforter,\n _O Lord, deliver us._\nIn the day of Judgment,\n _We sinners beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou spare us,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou pardon us.\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to bring us to true penance,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to govern and preserve thy holy church,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to preserve our apostolic prelate, and all\necclesiastical orders in thy holy religion,\n_We beseech thee to hear us._\n{154}\nThat thou vouchsafe to humble the enemies of thy holy church,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to give peace and\n true concord to Christian kings and princes,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all Christian\npeople,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to confirm and preserve\n us in thy holy service,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou lift up our minds to heavenly desires,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou render eternal good things to all our benefactors,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou deliver our souls, and those of\nour brethren, kinsfolk, and benefactors, from eternal damnation,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to give and preserve\n the fruits of the earth,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe to give eternal rest\n to all the faithful departed,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou vouchsafe graciously to hear us,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\nSon of God,\n _We beseech thee to hear us._\n\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Spare us, O Lord._\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Hear us, O Lord._\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:\n _Have mercy on us!_\nChrist hear us.\n _Christ graciously hear us._\nLord have mercy on us!\n _Christ have mercy on us!_\nLord have mercy on us!\n\n{155}\n\nOur Father, &c. (_in secret_.)\nV. And lead us not into temptation.\nR. But deliver us from evil. Amen.\n\n\n Psalm lxix.\n\nIncline unto my aid, O God: O Lord, make haste to help me.\n\nLet them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.\n\nLet them forthwith be turned backward, and blush for shame, that\ndesire evils to me.\n\nLet them be turned backward, and blush, and be put to shame, who\nsay to me, It is well! it is well!\n\nLet all that seek thee be glad, and rejoice in thee: and let\nthose who love thy salvation, say always, Our Lord be magnified.\n\nBut I am needy and poor! O God help me.\n\nThou art my helper and my deliverer! O Lord make no delay.\n\nV. Glory be to the Father, &c.\n\nR. As it was, &c.\n\nV. Save thy servants:\n\nR. Who put their trust in thee, my God.\n\nV. Be to us, O Lord, a tower of strength:\n\nR. Against the face of the enemy.\n\nV. Let not the enemy prevail against us:\n\nR. Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us.\n\nV. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins:\n\nR. Nor reward us according to our iniquities.\n\nV. Let us pray for our chief Bishop [_N.N._]\n\n{156}\n\nR. May the Lord preserve him, and prolong his life, and make him\nhappy on earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his\nenemies.\n\nV. Let us pray for our benefactors:\n\nR. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for thy name's sake, to render eternal life\nto all those who do us good.\n\nV. Let us pray for the faithful departed:\n\nR. Give them, O Lord, eternal rest:\nand let perpetual light shine unto them.\n\nV. May they rest in peace. R. Amen.\n\nV. For our absent brethren:\n\nR. Save thy servants, O my God, who put their trust in thee.\n\nV. Send them help, O Lord, from thy sanctuary;\n\nR. And from Sion protect them.\n\nV. O Lord, hear my prayer:\n\nR. And let my supplication come unto thee.\n\nV. May the Lord be with you:\n\nR. And with thy spirit.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO God, whose property it is, always to have mercy and to spare,\nreceive our petitions, that we and all thy servants, who are\nbound by the chain of sin, may, by the compassion of thy\ngoodness, mercifully be absolved.\n\nHear, we beseech thee, O Lord, the prayers of thy suppliants, and\npardon our sins, who confess them to thee; that of thy bounty\nthou mayest grant us pardon and peace.\n\nOut of thy clemency, O Lord, show us thy unspeakable mercy; that\nso thou mayest both acquit us of our sins, and deliver us from\nthe punishment we deserve for them.\n\n{157}\n\nO God, who by sin art offended, and by repentance pacified,\nmercifully regard the prayers of thy people who make supplication\nto thee, and turn away the scourges of thy anger, which we\ndeserve for our sins.\n\nO almighty and eternal God, have mercy on thy servant (_N_.)\nour chief Bishop, and direct him, according to thy clemency, in\nthe way of everlasting salvation, that by thy grace he may desire\nthe things that are agreeable to thy will, and perform them with\nall his strength.\n\nO God, from whom are all holy desires, righteous counsels, and\njust works, give to thy servants that peace which the world\ncannot give; that our hearts being disposed to keep thy\ncommandments, and the fear of enemies taken away, the times, by\nthy protection, may be peaceable.\n\nInflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of thy holy\nspirit, that we may serve thee with a chaste body, and please\nthee with a clean heart.\n\nO God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the\nsouls of thy servants departed the remission of all their sins,\nthat by pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have\nalways desired.\n\nModel, we beseech thee, O Lord, our actions by thy holy\ninspirations, and carry them on by thy gracious assistance; that\nevery prayer and work of ours may always begin from thee, and by\nthee be happily ended.\n\n{158}\n\nO almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over the living and\nthe dead, and art merciful to all whom thou foreknowest shall be\nthine by faith and good works; we humbly beseech thee, that they\nfor whom we have purposed to offer our prayers, whether this\npresent world still detains them in the flesh, or the next world\nhath already received them, divested of their bodies, may, by the\nclemency of thine own goodness, and the intercession of thy\nsaints, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins;\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee,\nin the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.\n\nR. Amen.\n\nV. May the Lord be with you:\n\nR. And with thy spirit.\n\nV. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us:\n\nR. Amen,\n\nV. May the souls of the faithful departed,\nthrough the mercy of God, rest in peace:\n\nR. Amen.\n\n\n Motives\n\n _Which should excite us to support the Crosses of this Life\n with cheerfulness, and to persevere till death in the practice\n of Virtue._\n\n\n\n Since all things co-operate for the good of those who love God,\n and as God knows how to produce good out of evil, for whom should\n he do it, if not for those who give themselves up to him without\n reserve? Nay, he even makes their past sins contribute towards\n their good, as is evident in the cases of David, St. Peter, and\n Mary Magdalen.\n\n{159}\n\n When God lays the filth and deformity of sin before our eyes,\n it is in order that we should be captivated with the beauty of\n virtue; if he cast us flat on the earth, as he did St. Paul, it\n is with a view to raise us up again to a higher pitch of glory.\n\n If God were not actually our Father, he never would have\n commanded us to say, \"Our Father, who art in heaven.\" What then\n have the children of such a father to fear? Without his\n permission not a single hair of our heads can fall to the\n ground? Since, therefore, we are the children of almighty God,\n is it not the most unaccountable folly in us, to be over\n solicitous about any other concern than that of persevering\n till death, in his love and service? The test of our love\n towards God, is the observance of his commandments; and its\n recompense, no less than the possession of himself. \"If any one\n love me,\" saith Jesus Christ, (John, xiv. 23.) \"he will keep my\n word, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,\n and make our abode with him.\"\n\n \"When I sent you without scrip or staff,\" saith Christ to his\n apostles, \"did you want any thing?\" They answered, \"No.\" Have\n we not suffered afflictions when as yet we had little or no\n confidence in God, and did we perish under these afflictions?\n No. How, then, can we entertain thoughts of despondency, or\n betray a want of courage in adversity? For if God hath hitherto\n protected us, notwithstanding the little or no reliance we had\n on his providence, can it be supposed that he will forsake us,\n when, placing our whole confidence in him, we put on the\n determined resolution of dedicating the remainder of our lives\n to his love and service? Ah! no, he assuredly will not. Why,\n then, should we perplex ourselves with apprehensions of future\n evils, which perhaps will never befall us? or on the\n supposition they did, will not God enable us by his grace to\n support them with Christian fortitude? He commanded St. Peter\n to walk to him on the water; Peter, terrified by the blustering\n of the wind and the turbulence of the waves, and under the\n dreadful apprehension of immediately sinking to the bottom,\n calls out to his divine Master for assistance. When God, in\n like manner, ordains that you should walk on the boisterous\n waves of adversity, take courage and fear not; for be assured,\n he is actually present, and will stretch forth his hand to your\n assistance, as he did to St. Peter.\n\n{160}\n\n Our condition in this short and fleeting life, is an object of\n little consequence, provided that in the end we are admitted to\n the eternal enjoyment of God and his glory. Do we not, at every\n step we tread, approach nearer and nearer to eternity? Nay,\n have we not our feet, for aught we know to the contrary, on the\n very brink of it this moment? What, therefore, doth it signify\n whether our pilgrimage through life be chequered with\n afflictions or not, provided it terminate in a happy eternity?\n Can we possibly repine under short-lived sufferings, whilst we\n await their recompence in never-ending consolations? Ah!\n whatever has not eternity for its object, is, in reality,\n nothing but fleeting vanity.\n\n Awake, therefore, O my soul! \"Let us cast off the works of\n darkness, and put on the armour of light.\" Let us humbly\n beseech the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who\n consoleth us in all our afflictions, to inspire us with the\n same sentiments as the Apostle had when he exclaimed, \"Far be\n it from me, that I should glory in any thing but in the cross\n of our Lord Jesus Christ.\" Ah! were the cross of our crucified\n Saviour but deeply implanted in our hearts, the most bitter\n crosses of this world would then appear as sweet as roses. The\n heart that is impressed with a lively sense of the crown of\n thorns which pierced the tender head of our suffering Redeemer,\n will feel but little or no pain from the trifling scratches of\n worldly afflictions.\n\n\n Devotions\n\n For Every Day In The Week.\n\n It was an ancient and pious practice among the faithful to\n dedicate every day in the week to some particular devotion.\n Conformably with this custom, a prayer is here given for each\n of those days, to be said immediately after morning prayers, or\n at any other time of the day, as each person's leisure from the\n necessary occupations of his state of life, may permit. But it is\n to be observed, that the worship of the mystery, or the\n devotion to the saint we purpose to honour, consists less in\n the prayer itself, than in the practical instructions which it\n contains.\n\n{161}\n\n Sunday,\n\n Which by way of pre-eminence over the rest of the days of the\n week, is called the day of the Lord? is happily chosen to\n render homage, in a more special manner, to the most Holy\n Trinity, and to thank those three adorable Persons for the\n inestimable blessings we have received. It would be irreligious\n therefore, if not impious, to spend this day in idle\n amusements, or in the management of temporal concerns, whilst\n we are strictly obliged, both by the precepts of God and his\n church, to sanctify it, as well as every holy-day of\n obligation, by assisting at the divine offices, hearing sermons\n or catechetical discourses, reading pious books, employing\n ourselves in the exercise of corporal or spiritual works of\n mercy, and especially in making solid reflections on the most\n important of all affairs--the affair of our eternal salvation.\n\n\n A Prayer To The Holy Trinity.\n\nGlory be to the Father, who by his almighty power hath created\nme, and made me to his own image and likeness. Glory be to the\nSon, who by his wisdom hath delivered me from hell, and opened\nfor me the gates of heaven. Glory be to the Holy Ghost, who in\nhis mercy hath sanctified me by baptism, and who incessantly\nworketh my sanctification by the fresh graces I daily receive\nfrom his bounty. Glory be to the three adorable Persons of the\nblessed Trinity, which was as great at the beginning as he now\nis, or will be for ever and ever.\n\n{162}\n\nWe adore thee, O holy Trinity! we reverence thee; we thank thee\nwith the humblest sentiments of gratitude, for having been\npleased to reveal to us this glorious and incomprehensible\nmystery. Grant that, by persevering in this faith till death, we\nmay see and glorify in heaven what we believe here below on\nearth: one God in three divine Persons, the Father, and the Son,\nand the Holy Ghost.\nAmen.\n\n\n Monday.\n\n Although the three adorable Persons of the blessed Trinity,\n concur unanimously in the sanctification of our souls, our\n spiritual regeneration, and all the graces we receive from\n heaven, are, nevertheless, attributed more especially to the\n operations of the Holy Ghost; because these favours being the\n effects of God's love towards us, we acknowledge him as the\n author of them, who is the love of the Father and the Son.\n\n It is inconceivable what blessed effects this divine Spirit\n produces in the souls of such persons as oppose no obstacles to\n his operations. What abundance of light and strength doth he not\n communicate by his seven gifts, and those fruits and beatitudes\n which peculiarly flow from his bounty, if, with fidelity and\n attention, we are docile to his inspirations!\n\n Let us then rejoice at being under the conduct of so wise and\n beneficent a guide; let us continually study the motions of our\n hearts; let us follow those which the Holy Spirit produces, and\n which alone can vanquish every evil inclination excited in us,\n either by the corruptness of our nature, or the machinations of\n our spiritual enemy; let us dread nothing so much as to resist,\n or desire nothing so much as to preserve his grace; or, if we\n have incurred the misfortune of losing it by sin, let us have\n immediate recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation, by which\n we may regain it, and live more attentive to our spiritual\n welfare in [the] future.\n\n{163}\n\n\n A Prayer To The Holy Ghost.\n\nAuthor of the sanctification of our souls--Spirit of Love and\nTruth! I adore thee as the primary source of my eternal\nhappiness; I thank thee as the sovereign dispenser of the\nbenefits I receive from on high; I invoke thee as the beneficent\ngiver of that portion of light and strength, which thou knowest\nto be necessary for me in the practice of good works. Spirit of\nWisdom! enlighten my understanding, fortify my will, purify my\nheart, regulate all its motions, and grant me an attentive\ndocility to all thy holy inspirations.\n\nPardon, O Spirit of Grace and Mercy! pardon my continual\ninfidelities, and the unworthy blindness with which I have so\noften refused to correspond with the most tender and moving\ninspirations of thy grace. I purpose for the future, with thy\nassistance, to cease to be rebellious, and to follow the motions\nof thy grace with so much docility, that I may be enabled to\ntaste those fruits, and enjoy those beatitudes, which are\nproduced in our souls by the influence of thy sacred gifts. Amen.\n\n\n Tuesday.\n\n We ought to have such profound sentiments of respect,\n gratitude, love, and confidence, towards our Guardian Angels,\n as the dignity of their nature, their tender care of us, and\n the solicitude they conceive for our welfare, require. Let us\n then incessantly invoke their assistance; let us consult them\n in all our undertakings; let us frequently beseech them to\n procure the joint intercession of the heavenly host, their\n companions in glory, in our behalf; but, above all, let us be\n particularly docile to their holy inspirations.\n\n{164}\n\n A Prayer To Our Guardian Angel.\n\nO holy Angel, whom God, by the effect of his goodness, and the\ntender regard of my welfare, hath charged with the care of my\nconduct; who doth assist me in all my wants, and comfort me in\nall my afflictions; who supporteth me when I am discouraged, and\ncontinually obtaineth for me new favours; I return thee profound\nthanks, and conjure thee, most amiable protector! to continue thy\ncharitable care and defence of me against the malignant attacks\nof all my enemies. Keep me at a distance from all occasions of\nsin. Obtain for me the grace of hearkening attentively to thy\nholy inspirations, and of faithfully reducing them to practice.\nProtect me in all the temptations and trials of this life, but\nmore especially at the hour of death; and do not quit me till\nthou hast conducted me into the presence of my Creator, in the\nmansions of everlasting happiness. Amen.\n\n\n Wednesday.\n\n The glorious functions wherewith God honoured Saint Joseph in\n this world, and the rare examples of humility, wisdom,\n patience, fidelity, obedience, and submission, which he hath\n given us, should inspire us with the highest idea of his\n sanctity, and the greatest devotion towards him. Honour him,\n therefore, but more especially by a faithful imitation of his\n virtues. Have recourse to him with confidence, and inspire this\n confidence into others. St. Teresa assures us, that she never\n asked any favour of God in his name but what she obtained.\n\n{165}\n\n A Prayer To St. Joseph.\n\nIllustrious Saint! who art that good and faithful servant, to\nwhom God committed the care of his family; whom he appointed\nguardian and protector of the life of Jesus Christ, the comfort\nand support of his holy Mother, and co-partner in his great\ndesign of the redemption of mankind; thou who hadst the happiness\nof living with Jesus and Mary, and of dying in their arms; chaste\nspouse of the Mother of God; model and patron of pure souls;\nhumble, patient, and reserved; be moved with the confidence we\nplace in thy intercession, and accept with kindness this\ntestimony of our devotion.\n\nWe give thanks to God for the signal favours he hath been pleased\nto confer on thee, and we conjure him by thy intercession, to\nmake us imitate thy virtues. Pray for us, then, O great saint;\nand by that love which thou hadst for Jesus and Mary, and by the\nlove which Jesus and Mary had for thee, obtain for us the\nincomparable happiness of living and dying in the love of Jesus\nand Mary. Amen.\n\n\n Thursday.\n\n In order to make some return to that boundless love, of which\n Jesus Christ has given us a testimony in the institution of the\n blessed Sacrament of the altar, let us unite ourselves to him by\n holy and frequent communion. Let us often pay him our homage\n under the sacramental veils. Let us, at least, never omit a\n Thursday without acquitting ourselves of this consoling duty.\n{166}\n Let us sometimes present ourselves in the most profound\n sentiments of adoration, before him, as did the Shepherds and\n the Eastern Kings or Magi. Let us, at other times, go to hear\n and receive his instructions, in imitation of his apostles and\n disciples. Let us approach him, like Magdalen, to contemplate\n his admirable perfections, and weep bitterly over our sins. Let\n us again present ourselves before him, after the example of the\n sick man in the gospel, to be healed from our spiritual\n infirmities; or, like the poor, to disclose to him our wants,\n and demand those comforts and graces which our doubts, or the\n tribulations and crosses incidental to human life, may require.\n But on all or every one of these occasions, be careful to\n present thyself before him with that profound degree of\n modesty, recollection, respect, fear, love, gratitude and\n confidence, which a lively faith of his real presence in this\n most blessed sacrament seldom fails to produce.\n\n\n A Prayer Before The Blessed Sacrament.\n\nSweet Jesus! O amiable Saviour! who, by an effect of thy infinite\ngoodness and love, hast vouchsafed to remain really present\namongst us in the adorable Sacrament of the altar; I acknowledge\nthee for my Sovereign Lord and God; I adore thee with the most\nprofound sentiments of humility; I give thee thanks, from the\nbottom of my heart, for the numberless instances of thy love and\ntenderness towards me, a most wretched and miserable sinner, who,\nfor my manifold offences, have rather deserved to be cast into\nthe infernal abyss, and there punished according to the rigour of\nthy severest justice. Penetrated with grief at the sight of my\ningratitude, I come, O God of Majesty! to crave pardon for all\nthe profanations, sacrileges, and impieties which ever have been\ncommitted, or may be committed against thee, in this adorable\nsacrament.\n{167}\nAnd O that I could sufficiently express the grief which I\nnow feel, for having so often appeared before thee with\nirreverence, and so often approached thee with so little fervour\nand devotion.\n\nForget, O Lord, our iniquities, and remember only thy mercies.\nAccept my sincere desire to honour, and see thee honoured, in\nthis admirable sacrament of thy love. Yes, I ardently desire to\nbless, praise, and adore thee therein, with as much love and\nfervour as the saints and angels bless, praise, and adore thee,\nencircled with the rays of ineffable glory in thy heavenly\nkingdom. O amiable Jesus! I conjure thee by thy precious body and\nblood, before which I now prostrate myself, that I may adore thee\nfor the future with such reverence, and receive thee so worthily,\nas to deserve after death to be admitted into thy divine\npresence, and with the choirs of celestial spirits, praise and\nglorify thee for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n\n Friday.\n\n It is not sufficient that we carefully avoid whatever can renew\n the passion and death of our divine Redeemer, but we must also\n endeavour to honour them, by every pious exercise which a\n tender devotion can inspire. The holy sacrifice of the Mass,\n offered with this intention; fervent communion; prayer before a\n crucifix; frequent reflections on the sufferings of our Lord;\n voluntary acts of penance, such as fasting on Fridays; patience\n and perseverance under the inevitable troubles and afflictions\n of this life; or, in other words, carrying our cross, after the\n example of our divine Redeemer, and with the same intentions;\n will serve as so many pious practices, by which we may testify\n the excess of our love, and apply to ourselves the fruit of his\n passion.\n\n{168}\n\n A Prayer To Our Suffering Jesus.\n\nLamb without spot or blemish!--innocent Victim! whose blood has\ncancelled the sins of the world, efface mine, and do not permit\nthy sufferings to become useless to me. Jesus, deserted and\nforsaken by every body! Jesus, sorrowful and aggrieved! Jesus,\nagonized, patient, and resigned! help me to bear, with the like\nresignation, all the afflictions thou mayest be pleased to send\nme in this life. Jesus, calumniated, despised, and outrageously\ninsulted! teach me to despise the judgments of men, and patiently\nto suffer the blackest calumnies. Jesus, whose virginal flesh was\nswollen with blows, mangled with wounds, pierced with thorns, and\ncovered with blood for love of me! teach me to endure, for thy\nlove, the pains and inconveniencies of sickness. Jesus, condemned\nto suffer the ignominious death of the cross! enable me to shun\nthe praises of men, and to love the most humble situations.\nJesus, bending beneath the heavy load of the cross! unite my\ncross to thine, and enable me to bear it with the like\nresignation, strength, and meekness. Jesus, elevated on the cross\nfor my sake, and who expiredst thereon for my salvation! raise up\nmy affections to heavenly desires, that living only for thee, and\nat length expiring in thy divine embraces, I may be for ever\noccupied in singing, forth thy praises. Amen.\n\n{169}\n\n Saturday.\n\n The eminent holiness of Mary, her dignity as Mother of God, the\n glory she enjoys, and the power she has received on earth and in\n heaven, her tenderness for mankind, and more especially for\n such as seek her intercession, or imitate her virtues, are the\n motives which have inspired all the saints with the most lively\n and affectionate devotion towards her.\n\n Let us also devote ourselves to her, after their example.\n \"Devotion to the Blessed Virgin,\" (says St. Bernard,) \"is a\n mark of predestination.\" The best devotion we can practise with\n regard to her, and that which is most strenuously recommended\n by the saints, is a faithful imitation of her excellent\n virtues; particularly her love of purity and humility, and that\n heroic patience and fortitude under the severest crosses and\n afflictions which she suffered, and wherewith almost her whole\n life was embittered.\n\n Let us therefore celebrate her festival, by preparing ourselves\n on the eve, and communicating on the day, in her honour. Let us\n pay to her images and pictures that respect and veneration\n which the Catholic church, ever guided by the Spirit of Truth,\n recommends. Let us sometimes recite her office, at other times\n her litanies or rosary, according as the duties of our state of\n life may afford us leisure, or our devotion direct. Let us often\n address her with the utmost respect, attention, and confidence,\n in the words of that beautiful prayer, composed partly by the\n Angel Gabriel, partly by St. Elizabeth, and partly by the\n church, and with the same spirit and sentiments. In fine let us\n have recourse to her in all our wants and necessities, and omit\n nothing to procure her assistance at that most critical period,\n when we stand in most need thereof--the hour of death.\n\n\n A Prayer To The Blessed Virgin.\n\nMost Holy Virgin! Mother of God; and, by that august quality,\nworthy of the most profound respect from angels and men, I come\nto render thee my most humble homage, and to implore thy help and\nprotection.\n{170}\nSeated above the heavenly hosts of saints and angels, next to the\nthrone of the Almighty, thou art most powerful, and thy goodness\ntowards mankind equals the power thou hast in heaven.\n\nThou knowest, O most sacred Virgin, that I have been taught from\nmy infancy to look up to thee as my mother, my patroness, and\nmost powerful advocate; and thou hast vouchsafed from on high, to\nlook down on me as one of thy children. I acknowledge, with the\nmost humble sentiments of gratitude, that it is by the means of\nthy most powerful intercession I have received such innumerable\ngraces and favours from the Almighty. Why then has not the\nfervour of my devotion towards thee been equal to thy zeal in\nsuccouring me in my necessities? Alas! the sense of my\ningratitude overwhelms me with shame and confusion; but accept, O\namiable Queen, of my determined resolution to love, honor and\nserve thee with more fidelity for the future.\n\nReceive, then, O sacred Virgin, the protestation I now make of\nbeing hereafter entirely thine. Accept the unshaken confidence\nwhich I place in thy clemency and goodness. Obtain for me, most\npowerful advocate with thy dear Son, my Saviour, (who can refuse\nthee nothing that is conducive to my salvation,) a lively faith,\na firm hope, and a generous, tender, and constant love. Procure\nfor me such a purity of soul and body as nothing can defile or\ncontaminate; such a profound humility as nothing can alter or\nchange; and such patience and submission to the will of heaven,\nas nothing can perplex or disturb.\n{171}\nLastly, most blessed Virgin, obtain for me such a faithful\nimitation of thyself, in the practice of every virtue, during\nlife, as may procure for me thy powerful aid and protection at\nthe hour of death. Amen.\n\n\n The following short ejaculatory Prayer to the BLESSED VIRGIN\n MARY, has been recommended and experienced by many as an\n excellent preventative against impure temptations.\n\nThrough thy sacred virginity and immaculate conception, O most\nchaste Virgin, obtain for me purity of soul and body; in the name\nof the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.\n\n\n Pious Reflections\n For Every Day In The Month.\n\n\n _Translated from the French of the Rev. F. Bouhours._\n\n\n The following reflections, on account of their conciseness and\n simplicity, require neither much time nor application to be\n read and understood. They do not merely regard the social\n duties of mankind, like those of Epictetus or Seneca; they are\n Christian thoughts on the important truths of religion, and the\n most elevated maxims of the gospel. They are not only adapted\n for such as, by retirement, are familiarized to the practice of\n mental prayer; but likewise for those who, from their secular\n occupations, are as yet but little versed in the use of\n meditation.\n{172}\n Even worldlings are still capable of sometimes elevating their\n thoughts to heaven; for, in whatever occupations persons may be\n engaged, they may always find sufficient leisure for a short\n lecture. If the multiplicity or urgency of the concerns of this\n life will not afford you sufficient time for regular meditation,\n you may at least suffer a good thought to take possession of\n your mind, before the business of the day is entered upon. Such\n is the design of these short reflections; and the method of\n using them is as follows:--Every day in each month, after\n having acquitted yourself of the indispensable duty of morning\n prayer, place yourself again in the presence of God, and read\n the Thoughts of the Day; but in order that you may the better\n comprehend their meaning, read them with deliberation, and the\n most profound attention. After reading the first article, allow\n yourself a short interval for reflection before you pass on to\n the second. Do not rest satisfied with barely conceiving the\n truth of the maxim you read; but after ruminating seriously\n upon it, apply it to yourself; and observe the same rule with\n the second and third articles. But should the urgency of\n business allow you but sufficient leisure merely to read them,\n be satisfied, under the assurance that pious thoughts have the\n same effect on the soul, as a seal has upon melted wax; for,\n should they enter but ever so slightly into the mind, they will\n always leave some impression behind. If you cannot find leisure\n to read these Thoughts in the morning, read them at least in\n the course of the day, or at night before you go to bed. The\n Practical Resolutions immediately following the Thoughts, must\n not be omitted. An act of virtue, or a short reflection, is\n soon made.\n\n The passages from the holy Scriptures and Fathers, at the close\n of the Reflections, are, as it were, an abridgment or abstract of\n the Thoughts of the Day; they collect, as in a focus, their whole\n strength and sense in a few words. Being short and concise, they\n are easily remembered; being pithy and affecting, they are\n happily calculated to rouse, support, and nourish the soul\n throughout the course of the day. They are as grains of\n essence, which contain a strong and fragrant odour within a\n small compass; or as an ingenious piece of mechanism, which can\n execute a great deal of work in a very little time. Be not\n content with reading these reflections once over; but read them\n over and over again, month after month, till by making a\n lasting impression on the mind, you may reap all the spiritual\n advantages they are capable of producing; for there is always\n something new to be found in the truths of religion; they are\n mines which cannot be too deeply dug into; they are fountains\n whose sources are inexhaustible; but they are also seeds which\n produce little or no fruit, unless they take root by being\n deeply planted in the heart.\n\n{173}\n\n _First Day_.--On Faith.\n\n1. All that Faith teaches is grounded on the authority of the\nword of God. It is from Christ himself that the church has\nlearned whatever she proposes to the faithful as the object of\ntheir belief. When truth itself is the guide, one cannot go\nastray; and there is nothing more reasonable than to submit\nreason to faith.\n\n2. Of what use is faith to a Christian, if it be not the rule of\nhis conduct? If it be the most consummate folly to doubt of a\ndoctrine which God has revealed, which so many martyrs have\nsealed with their blood, and which the devils themselves have so\noften confessed, is it not downright madness to believe this\ndoctrine, and yet to live as if it were supposed to be false? Not\nto live conformable to our belief, is to believe just as the\ndamned do.\n\n3. Faith, then, shall henceforth be the sole principle of my\nactions, and the only rule of my life. Whatever it condemns, I\nalso absolutely condemn. In spite of every natural repugnance, I\nwill oppose the maxims of the gospel to those of the world, as\noften as the occasion presents itself. What does the world\nsay?--_Follow_ the natural bent of your inclinations, suffer\nnothing, &c. But what doth Jesus Christ say?--quite the contrary.\nBut who is right--Jesus Christ or the world?\n\n{174}\n\n Thank God for being incorporated with his church, and recite\n the Creed slowly, as a solemn profession of your faith.\n\n\"Lord increase my faith.\" _Luke_, xvii.\n\n\"What doth it avail to believe like a Catholic, and yet to live\nlike a heathen?\" _Peter Dam_.\n\n\n _Second Day_.-\u2014 On the End of Man.\n\n1. God alone is our last end; he did not create us but for\nhimself. Our hearts tell us that we were made for him; we cannot\ndisown it without belying ourselves.\n\n2. Every one should have what justly belongs to him; let us then\ngive ourselves to God, since it is he that has a right to us. If\nwe be not his children of our own accord, we must be his slaves\nin spite of us. We must of necessity live under the dominion of\nhis justice or his bounty. Which choice shall we make?\n\n3. Every thing should tend to its proper object, and act\naccording to its nature. If the sun, which is made to shine,\nrefused its light to the world, it would be a monster in the\nuniverse; nor is that heart less monstrous, which, being made for\nGod, doth still refuse to belong to him. Do I behave myself as a\ncreature which belongs to God? Are my thoughts and all my actions\ndirected to him? Ah, how little do I do, that may be called truly\ndone for God? What doth all the business in this world avail me,\nif I forget the only affair for which I am come into it.\n\n{175}\n\n Make here a resolution of seeking God alone, and of depriving\n him of nothing which he has a right to.\n\n\"Thou art my Lord and my God.\" _John_, xx.\n\n\"He requires you entirely, who hath made you entirely.\" _St.\nAugustine_.\n\n\n _Third Day_.--Contempt of the World.\n\n1. From the moment we are attached to the world, we cease, in\nsome measure, to be Christians. This profane world, so\npassionately fond of grandeur, of pleasure, of every thing that\ncan flatter self-love, is the capital enemy of Jesus Christ;\ntheir maxims, their commandments, their interests, are quite\nopposite; they cannot be obeyed at once, we must break off either\nwith one or with the other.\n\n2. We cannot take part with the world, without a breach of the\npromises we made at our baptism. When we renounced Satan and his\npomps, we bound ourselves down, by solemn oath, to trample under\nfoot whatever is greatest in the esteem of worldlings. What\nperfidy! what sacrilege! to prefer the goods of the earth to\nthose of heaven, and to become idolaters of vanity.\n\n{176}\n\n3. The world has nothing worthy of an immortal soul; it has not\neven wherewith to requite its most devoted servants. Its\ntreasures, its amusements, its honors, may indeed occupy and\ndisturb the heart of man, but they can never satisfy it. They\nare, in reality, but false goods, vain shadows, and illusions;\nor, to speak more properly, they are real evils. They make a man\nwicked; they can never make him happy. The most brilliant fortune\nis not only frail and dangerous, but is often a source of the\nmost painful uneasiness. There are sighs and sufferings upon the\nthrone, as well as in chains and dungeons.\n\n Beg of God to destroy in you the spirit of the world, and give\n you strength to despise its allurements.\n\n\"The figure of the world passeth away.\"--1 _Corinthians_\nvii.\n\n\"Wo to those who adhere to what is transitory; because with those\nthings they themselves must pass away.\" _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Fourth Day_.--Upon Death.\n\n1. A Christian who does not lead the life of a Christian, has\ngreat reason to be afraid of death. What a dreadful account must\nhe give after a worldly and sensual life! what bitter regret to\nhave lost the opportunities of saving himself! to die an enemy of\nGod! O dismal death! O dreadful moment, which concludes the\npleasures of time, to begin the pains of eternity.\n\n2. What would we, at the hour of death, wish that we had done?\nLet us do at present what we would then be glad we had done.\nThere is no time to lose: every moment may be the last of our\nlife. The longer we have lived, the nearer we approach to the\ngrave. Our death is not less distant, the more it has been put\noff.\n\n{177}\n\n3. What will our notion of this earth he, when we are forced to\nquit it? Let us now take advice from death; it is a faithful\ncounsellor; it will not deceive us. What will become of this\nbeauty, this money, this pleasure, this honour? What will be our\nthoughts of them at the hour of death? In our life-time\nappearances often deceive us; but at our death we shall see\nthings as they really are. Man, whilst alive, esteems the world;\nman when dying despises it. But which should we reasonably\nbelieve--man living, or man at the point of death? Ah! how\ntrifling will the world appear at the light of that torch which\nfaintly glimmers near the bed of death! But alas! it will then be\nno longer time to undeceive ourselves.\n\n\n Think seriously on what you chiefly apprehend were you this\n moment to die, and regulate it immediately. Accustom yourself\n from this moment, to perform every action, as if you were to\n die instantly after it. Above all things, observe this practice\n in the use of the sacraments.\n\n\"Death and I are divided but a single step.\"\n 1 _Kings_, xx.\n\n\"There is no to-morrow for a Christian.\"\n _Tertullian._\n\n\n _Fifth Day_.--On the Last Judgment.\n\n1. _I must one day appear before the tribunal of Jesus Christ,\nto be there judged upon the good or evil I shall have done_.\nThere is nothing more formal nor express in the gospel than this\ntruth; I believe it as firmly as if the last trumpet had already\nsounded to call up all the dead to judgment.\n\n{178}\n\n2. What shall we say at the sight of so many bad thoughts, of so\nmany criminal actions, of so many graces despised? O what a\nterrible day is the day of God's wrath! where the inmost recesses\nof the heart shall be openly exposed; where every fault shall be\nstrictly examined! If the just themselves shall be hardly found\njust, what must become of unhappy sinners.\n\n3. What sentence must an impenitent sinner expect from an\noffended and inexorable God? O tremendous condemnation! _Depart\nye accursed, &c_, Alas! where shall these miserable wretches\ngo, to whom you thus give your malediction? To what part of the\nworld shall they retire when they withdraw from you? Where can\nthere be so miserable a dwelling? To be banished from the\npresence of God! to be accursed of God! O what a shocking\ndestiny!\n\n\n Imagine yourself now before the tribunal of Christ. What are\n you most ashamed of at this very moment? Reflect seriously on\n it, and remember that all your secret sins shall be exposed at\n the day of Judgment, if you do not here efface them by a\n sincere repentance.\n\n\n\"Who shall be able to stand before the face of his wrath?\"\n _Nahum_, i.\n\n\"Wo even to the praiseworthy life, if without mercy, O God, thou\nshalt examine it.\"\n _St. Augustine_.\n\n{179}\n\n _Sixth Day_.--Upon Hell.\n\n1. How great would be our horror, if the shrieks of the\ndamned--if their groans and blasphemies could reach us! They roar\nlike wild beasts; they accuse themselves of their sins; they\nbewail--they detest them. But it is too late; their tears but add\nnew strength to the fire that torments them. O repentance of the\ndamned! how rigorous art thou! but ah! how fruitless!\n\n2. Never to see God! to be burning in flames for ever! the blood\nboiling in our veins, the marrow in our bones! to be trampled on\nby the devils! to have all that is hideous for ever before our\neyes! to have rage, anguish, and despair eternally rooted in our\nheart, without comfort or mitigation! O what a life!\n\n3. These wretches are outrageous at having had so many\nopportunities of saving themselves, and for having neglected\nthem. The recollection of their past pleasure is one of their\nmost sensible torments. But nothing more keenly gnaws them, than\nthe impossibility of forgetting that God whom by their fault,\nthey have miserably forfeited.\n\n\n Go down in spirit into hell, and inquire of the damned what is\n it that has made them fall into it. Question them upon their\n present state, and learn of them to fear God and your own\n danger.\n\n\n\"Which of you can dwell with devouring flames.\"\n _Isaiah_, xxxiii.\n\n{180}\n\n\"The impious pass from one punishment to another--from the\nburnings of concupiscence to the flames of hell.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Seventh Day_.--On the Eternal Torments of the Damned.\n\n1. Can the wrath of God go farther than punishing pleasures which\nare so soon over, by tortures which will never have an end? To be\nmiserable while ever God is God!--can any misery be like it? Is\nit not enough that the evils of the damned are extreme? Must they\nstill, besides this, be eternal? To be hurt by the point of a\npin, is trifling in itself; yet were this pain to last always, it\nwould become insupportable: _What shall it be then, &c_.\n\n2. O eternity! when a damned soul shall have shed tears enough to\nmake up all the rivers and seas in the world, did he shed but one\ntear in every hundred years, he shall not be more advanced, after\nso many millions of ages, than if he had only just began to\nsuffer. He must begin again, as if he had yet suffered nothing;\nand when he shall have begun as often as there are grains of sand\non the seashore, or atoms in the air, or leaves on the trees, he\nshall still be as far off from the end of his sufferings as ever.\n\n3. The damned must not only suffer during eternity, but suffer\nevery moment an eternity entire. Eternity is always present to\nthem; it enters into their punishment; their mind is incessantly\nstruck with the endless duration of their torments. O cruel\nthought! O deplorable condition!--to rage for an eternity!--to\nburn for an eternity! Ah, that we could conceive this, as those\ndamned souls conceive it.\n\n{181}\n\n Make an act of faith upon the duration of the punishments which\n the justice of God inflicts for mortal sin. We must at least\n believe, what we are not able to conceive. It is a great\n misfortune for a Christian not to be persuaded of this\n eternity, but by his own sad experience.\n\n\n\"Those who do not obey the gospel,\nshall suffer eternal punishment.\"\n 2 _Thessalonians _ i.\n\n\"Momentary is that which delights,\neternal is that which tortures.\"\n _St. Chrysostom._\n\n\n _Eighth Day_.--On Heaven.\n\n1. Heaven! thou glorious state! no heart can conceive, no tongue\ncan describe what thou art! Exemption from all that is evil;\nassemblage of all that is good; masterpiece of God's omnipotence;\nthe price of the blood of Jesus; and more than man can desire.\n\n2. To see God clearly, and as he is in his glory; to love God\nwithout measure; to possess God without ever fearing to lose him;\nto be happy in the felicity of God himself; such is the object of\nmy hope. But a day or two of pilgrimage or exile, and then I\nshall be with him for ever.\n\n3. What matters it how we fare here below, provided we be with\nJesus for all eternity? Can I justly complain that a never-ending\nhappiness should cost me so little? The martyrs purchased heaven\nat the price of their blood, and thought it was given them for\nnothing. Shall not I then sacrifice my corrupt will for it? O\nhappy eternity! if men only knew what thou art worth.\n\n{182}\n\n Excite within yourself a great desire of heaven, and behold the\n earth with a proportionable contempt. Were you filled with a\n proper sense of it, nothing here below could allure or disturb\n you.\n\n\n\"I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.\"\n _Psalm_ xvi.\n\n\"If the labour terrifies, the reward invites.\"\n _St. Bernard_.\n\n\n _Ninth Day_.--On the Presence of God.\n\n1. God at this moment beholds me, as if I were alone in the\nworld; or rather, he is within me as an eye infinitely\nenlightened, which observes me attentively, and which nothing can\nescape. He sees me as clearly as he comprehends himself, and with\nas intense an application, as if he ceased to contemplate\nhimself, in order to study me.\n\n2. Ought I not to be infinitely more ashamed that my sins should\nappear in his sight, than that they should be exposed to the eyes\nof the whole world? Would I commit in the presence of a servant,\nwhat I dare commit before the King of kings? O what blindness to\nfear so much the eyes of men, and so little the eyes of God!\n\n3. The most obscure darkness can never conceal me from light\nitself; the most distant and solitary retreats are always filled\nwith the divine Majesty. Let me shun, as much as I please, the\nsight and the company of men, I will find God every where.\n\n{183}\n\n Put yourself in the presence of God, and see whether there may\n be any thing in you that may offend his eyes. The most powerful\n remedy against sin, is to say frequently within yourself, \"God is\n looking at me:\" there needs no more to restrain you in the\n greatest violence of temptation.\n\n\n\"All things are clear and open to his eyes.\"\n _Hebrews_, iv.\n\n\"If you be determined to commit sin, seek first a place where God\nwill not see you, and then do what you please.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Tenth Day_.--Care of our Salvation.\n\n1. The affair of Salvation is, properly speaking, the only\nbusiness of man; every other concern, when compared with it,\nshould be accounted as nothing. The enterprises of kings, their\nnegotiations, &c, are as the amusements and the triflings of\nchildren. The important and the only affair, therefore, is to\nserve God, and thereby save our souls: the whole good--the whole\nperfection of man consists in this. It would be irrational, and\ntherefore degrading to man, to neglect an affair whose\nconsequences are so great, whose success is so uncertain, and\nwhose loss is irreparable. What blindness! what folly! to think\nonly of living, and not to think of living well! to apply so much\ntime to making our fortune, and so little to the saving of our\nsoul! \"What doth it avail a man to gain the whole world, if he\nlose his own soul?\"\n\n{184}\n\n2. All creatures are made but for our salvation; they become\nuseless when not employed for that great end: so that from the\nmoment a man ceases to labour for his salvation, the sun also\nshould cease to shine, the planets should stop in their course,\nthe earth should no longer support him, the angels should abandon\nhim; he should fall back into his original nothing. He is\nunworthy of life, when he liveth not for God.\n\n3. However, the greater part of mankind think less of saving\nthemselves than of any thing else. Every other business is\ncarefully attended to, except the affair of salvation. All other\nconcerns are turned to account. This sum of money must be put out\nto interest; this field must be tilled; these lands must be let\nat a more considerable rent. All other losses are bewailed,\nexcept the one without resource. Great expenses are incurred for\nthe body, and nothing at all is done for the soul: from the\nmanner in which we live, it should seem that our soul does not\nreally belong to us, but that it is the soul of our most mortal\nenemy, or the soul of some brute; or rather, that we have a soul\njust merely to destroy it.\n\n\n Make now a firm resolution to save your soul, let it cost you\n what pains it will: be of the same sentiment with a certain\n pontiff, who, when a king had asked something of him, which\n could not be granted without sin, replied: \"If I had two souls,\n I would give one of them to thee. O Prince, but as I have only\n one, I do not choose to forfeit it.\"\n\n{185}\n\n\"Moreover, one thing is necessary.\"\n _Luke_, x.\n\n\"Where there is the loss of salvation,\nthere surely there can be no gain.\"\n _St. Euch_.\n\n\n _Eleventh Day_.--On Horror for Sin.\n\n1. How great a loss is the loss of God! Men think themselves\nunfortunate when they lose all their possession at law, or by\nbankruptcy, or by some other accident. What is it, then, to lose\nan infinite God! Unhappy the soul which loses its God by sin; but\nfar more unhappy the soul who considers this loss as nothing.\n\n2. O sin! how common art thou among men! but how little at the\nsame time art thou known to them! Playing and amusing themselves,\nthey become the execration of God. And what play--what amusement\nis this? God, who is all love, detests sin with infinite hatred:\nshould any thing, therefore, be so shocking in our eyes as this\nhellish monster.\n\n3. A soul in the state of grace, is beautiful beyond expression!\nit is a brilliant image of God himself; the Holy Ghost animates\nit. But when mortal sin is allowed to infect it, its beauty is\nlost, its light is extinguished, the Divine Spirit departs, the\ndevil takes possession; all then is darkness, filth, and\ndeformity. If a God-man dying was a dreadful spectacle, mortal\nsin is yet more dreadful; for Christ died but to atone for sin,\nand sin can daily frustrate all his merits; he is crucified over\nand over; his blood is trampled upon by ungrateful sinners.\n\n{186}\n\n O detest at this moment all your sins. Lament from your heart\n the loss of God's grace; there is no loss so much to be\n lamented; it is the only loss which sorrow can repair.\n\n\n\"What advantage had you in those things at which you are now\nblushing?\"\n _Romans_ vi.\n\n\"Wo to that daring soul, which hoped that having retired from\nyou, she might still find something better.\"\n _St. Augustine_.\n\n\n _Twelfth Day_.--On Repentance.\n\n1. \"Repent, and believe the Gospel.\" Our Lord here joins faith\nand repentance together, in order to teach us, that the rigours\nof penance, and the profession of Christianity, are inseparable.\nDuring his mortal life he was a penitent God, ever occupied in\nexpiating our sins, to appease the justice of his eternal Father.\nSurely, we should follow his example. If the Holy of Holies\nfasted, prayed, and wept, what should not be done by such vile\nwretches as we are?\n\n2. Sin must necessarily be punished, either by him who commits,\nor by God, against whom it is committed. If sinners do not punish\nthemselves in time, the Divine Justice will punish them in\neternity. The flames of hell must punish what the waters of\npenance have not effaced. Is it not, therefore, better to weep\nfor a few days, than to burn for eternity.\n\n3. To be reconciled with God, it is not enough to prostrate\nourselves before a priest, cover our heads with ashes, and our\nwhole bodies with hair-cloth. If we have not a sincere sorrow for\nour sins, if we do not entirely renounce our criminal\nattachments, we are impostors, and not penitents. Prayers, alms,\nfastings, and macerations of the flesh, are but the outside of\nrepentance; the hatred of sin is its very spirit and essence.\n\n{187}\n\n Implore God's mercy for having hitherto led a life so opposite\n to the Gospel: and beg of him the grace to live for the future\n as the first Christians did, in the constant practice of\n penance.\n\n\n\"Unless you do penance, you shall all perish alike.\"\n _Luke_, xiii.\n\n\"To penitents, I say, To what purpose is it that you be humbled,\nif with this you be not changed?\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Thirteenth Day._--On Delay of Conversion.\n\n1. By deferring so long to give myself up to God, it should seem\nas if I intended to escape out of his hand. Is it then a\nmisfortune to belong to him? To-morrow! to-morrow!--Why not\nto-day? why not at this very moment? Will my chains be more\neasily broken to-morrow? will my heart be less hard?--No,\ncertainly. Time, that weakens every thing else, adds new strength\nto bad habits. By putting off the remedy, the complaint becomes\nincurable.\n\n2. What is it that prevents our obeying the voice that calls us\nto repentance? What is it that terrifies us? That there is great\ndifficulty in changing our lives, must certainly be granted; but\nwhat should not a Christian do, who adores a crucified God, and\nwho looks up to heaven? If we have any thing to fear, it should\nbe the abuse of God's graces.\n\n{188}\n\n3. There is time to come; but can I call it mine? Is it a\npossession I am master of? God waits for me, it is true--the\nscriptures tell me so--but still they do not tell me how long I\nam to live. He that promised pardon to those who repent, has not\npromised another day to those who continue in their vices.\nPerhaps I shall have time, and perhaps I shall not. Must not I\nhave lost my senses, to trust my salvation to a mere\n_perhaps?_\n\n\n Reflect now upon the time you have been deferring your\n conversion to God, and tremble at the sight of your danger.\n\n\n\"I said: now I have begun.\"\n_Psalm_ lxxix.\n\n\"We cannot be too cautious, where eternity is at stake.\"\n _St. Gregory_.\n\n\n _Fourteenth Day,_--On Human Respect.\n\n1. What will the world say? Let it say what it will: should the\ntalk of fools hinder you from being wise? But what will my\nacquaintance say? They will say, that you fear God more than you\nfear man; the greatest libertines will secretly admire you, and\nacknowledge within themselves that you are doing right. But what\nmatters it, after all, what people may say of you, provided you\ndo your duty, and that God be satisfied?\n\n{189}\n\n2. O what cowardice, to blush at the gospel? To wear the livery\nof a prince is held honourable: is it then shameful to wear that\nof Jesus Christ? The lowest mechanics make open profession of the\ntrades they follow; and yet Christians, in the church, blush at\nbeing thought Christians! The Son of God will deny before his\nFather in heaven, the Christian that shall have denied him before\nmen.\n\n3. What then? Is there any thing in Jesus that you should be\nashamed of? Is his name infamous? Is it a disgrace to follow his\nmaxims and example? You are not ashamed, perhaps, of being a\nlibertine, a drunkard, a blasphemer; you may probably even glory\nin it; and yet you blush at being a good man. But let people say\nwhat they will, the man that is most esteemed is he who serves\nGod with most fidelity, and who openly professes himself to be a\nfollower of Christ.\n\n\n Ask yourself seriously whether this phantom of the world doth\n not frighten you, and prevent your fulfilling the obligations\n which the Christian religion imposes.\n\n\n\"I do not blush at the gospel.\"\n _Romans_ i.\n\n\"Why should you fear or be ashamed,\nwhen armed with the sign of the cross?\"\n _St. Aug._\n\n\n _Fifteenth Day._--Diffidence in Ourselves.\n\n1. We have nothing to fear so much as ourselves. Our own weakness\nis more alarming than the united powers of hell. A thought, a\nword, a single look is enough to overcome us. Angels have\nrebelled, Adam hath fallen, Solomon hath bowed to idols, Peter\nhath denied his Master. When cedars have yielded, how shall\nosiers stand?\n\n{190}\n\n2. Our own heart is our most dangerous enemy; our senses and our\npassions are always conspiring against us; we are vanquished\nalmost without a struggle. Let us then never be so weak or\nfoolish as to trust to ourselves. Many whom torments could not\nshake, have wretchedly perished in a slight temptation: they were\nvictorious over tyrants, but vanquished by concupiscence.\n\n3. There is no man, of how exemplary soever a conduct, that\nshould not tremble at the justice of God, because he cannot be\ncertain whether he be worthy of love or hatred. To the all-seeing\neye of Infinite Perfection, the very angels themselves shall not\nappear without blemish. Sanctity may be lost in a single moment,\nand the saint may be transformed into an odious reprobate. We\nshould all, therefore, cry out with St. Philip of Neri: \"Watch\nme, O Lord, this day, for abandoned to myself I shall surely\nbetray thee.\"\n\n\n Beware of the occasions of sin; the most dangerous are often\n what you are least afraid of.\n\n\n\"Let him who thinks he stands,\ntake heed lest he fall.\"\n 1 _Corinthians_ iv.\n\n\"Though you be in a place of safety,\ndo not on that account think yourself secure.\"\n _St. Bernard._\n\n{191}\n\n _Sixteenth Day._--Use of Divine Grace.\n\n1. Whatever grace we have, was dearly purchased: our Saviour gave\nhis blood for it. Wherefore to reject a pious thought, to resist\nan holy inspiration, is, in fact, to trample on the merits of\nChrist, and to frustrate, as much as we can, the ends he proposed\nto himself in dying for us.\n\n2. We are accountable to God, not only for the graces we have\nreceived, but also for those which he intended to confer on us,\nprovided we ourselves had not put an obstacle to them. His sun\nshines, but we shut our windows against it. Are we the less\nindebted to him for its light?--No; for we may, if we please,\nmake use of it.\n\n3. Many years, perhaps, has God been inviting us in vain;\nsoliciting, reprehending, and threatening us, to no manner of\npurpose. But let us remember, that he is a _creditor_ who\nwill not thus be put off, and that the longer our debt is unpaid,\nthe more strictly will he require the interest. There is possibly\na measure of sins which may force him at last to abandon us.\n\n\n Thank the Almighty now for all his gifts and graces. Beg pardon\n for having been unfaithful to him, and resolve to correspond with\n docility, to all the suggestions of his grace for the future.\n\n\n\"From him to whom much hath been given,\nmuch will be required.\"\n _Luke_, xii.\n\n\"Grace is followed by judgment.\"\n _St. Basil._\n\n{192}\n\n _Seventeenth Day_.--Good Use of Time.\n\n1. The loss of time is one of the greatest misfortunes in the\nworld. This life is so short! all its moments so precious! yet we\nlive as if it were never to end, or as if we had nothing to fear\nhereafter.\n\n2. Alas! if a damned soul had but one single moment of the time\nwe now squander away, what good use would he make of it! Every\ninstant of our life we may purchase a happy eternity. The\nopportunity of enriching or amusing ourselves we never miss; but\nthe means of salvation appear to us indifferent.\n\n3. The day that is best employed, is not always the one that has\nmost forwarded our temporal affairs, but that which has added\nmost to our merits, and which God has been best pleased with. Let\nus always so regulate our time, that God and our salvation may be\nour constant objects.\n\n\n Renew the resolution you have taken to serve God faithfully;\n and be firmly persuaded, that the time which is not employed\n for God, is no more than so much time lost for ever.\n\n\n\"God hath given to no person time for sinning.\"\n _Ecclesiastes_ xv.\n\n\"You have leisure to become a philosopher;\nyou have none to become a Christian.\"\n _St. Paul._\n\n\n _Eighteenth Day_.--Use of the Sacraments.\n\n1. The sacraments are the channels of divine grace; through them\nthe merits of Christ abundantly flow into our souls. We must\ntherefore take care to approach them worthily; for otherwise his\nmerits will not avail us, nor will our salvation of course be\npossible.\n\n{193}\n\n2. The abuse of the sacraments is an evil of the first magnitude.\nThey were instituted as the means of life; but, when perverted,\nlead to eternal death. There is no medium; they must be either\nour food or our poison. How dreadful then must it be to reflect,\nthat after so many confessions we should be so little improved,\nthat after repeated communions we should still follow the same\nsinful course!\n\n3. The unworthy communicant receives his own condemnation, and\nbecomes, as it were, incorporated with his own ruin. What answer\ncan he give when called to account for his baseness? How shall he\nhope to escape, when arraigned for such daring profanations?\n\n\n Examine yourself carefully upon the use you have made of the\n sacraments, and receive them for the future, as if death were\n immediately approaching.\n\n\n\"Let a man prove himself.\"\n 1 _Corinthians_.\n\n\"There are bad Christians, who are called by the name of\nfaithful, and who are not such; by whom the sacraments of Christ\nare dishonoured and profaned.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Nineteenth Day_.--On the Mass.\n\n1. A sacrifice is an exterior or visible offering made by a\nlawful minister to God alone, in testimony of his supreme\ndominion. Our absolute dependance on God, and the homage we owe\nhim, render sacrifice essential to religion. Hence, from the\nbeginning of the world it has been always offered: Abel, Noah,\nMelchisedech, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have sacrificed to the\nAlmighty; and a variety of sacrifices were prescribed in the\nwritten law of Moses.\n\n{194}\n\n2. All these however, were only weak figures of the sacrifice of\nChrist upon the cross; for sin was too great an evil, its guilt\nwas of too black a die to be ever removed by the blood of sheep\nand oxen. No other atonement could possibly compensate for its\nenormity, than the excruciating sufferings of a God; therefore\ndid he come. \"In the head of the book it was written of him, that\nhe should do the will of his Father.\" By the one oblation of\nhimself he paid off all our debts, closed up the abyss of\nseparation, cancelled the hand-writing of sin that lay against\nus, and the sanctified he perfected for ever.\n\n3. Was not this enough? Most undoubtedly it was; nay, one drop of\nhis blood was fully adequate to all these purposes. Why then is\nthe same sacrifice daily renewed in the Mass? Why is he still\nimmolated upon our altars? Why is his body mystically drained of\nhis blood, by the separate consecrations of the two species?\n{195}\nBecause his love for us would have it so; he would leave us a\nstanding memorial of his death; he would daily apply to our souls\nthe infinite merits thereof, just as he prays for us still,\nthough his prayer on the cross was already heard for us; he\nwould, as a priest for ever, according to the order of\nMelchisedech, continue to the end of time the same unbloody\nsacrifice; he was willing that his faithful on earth, united not\nonly in spirit, but in outward ties of religion, should ever have\nthis sacrifice before them, as the strongest bond of love, and\nthe most perfect act of adoration.\n\n\n Make a resolution to hear Mass every day, and to hear it with\n the devotion which so august a sacrifice requires. For this\n purpose go to the church as you would to Mount Calvary; adore\n Jesus Christ in his state of humiliation: pay him your homage\n with fervour at the foot of the altar. It is shameful in us and\n most displeasing to him, that he should be so much deserted in\n the midst of our churches, and that his court should be so\n empty, whilst earthly kings have their levees crowded.\n\n\n\"In every place there is a sacrifice,\nand a pure victim is offered to my name.\"\n _Malic_. i.\n\n\"He will then be our victim indeed,\nwhen we sacrifice ourselves to him.\"\n _St. Gregory_.\n\n\n _Twentieth Day_.--On Alms Deeds.\n\n1. We minister to Christ when we relieve the poor. He abides in\nthe Eucharist to receive our adoration, and to become our\nnourishment; he abides in the poor to excite our compassion, and\nto be fed by us in our turn. Happy the man who gives alms to\nJesus! but wretched is he who refuses to assist him. Shall we\nfeed our dog, and let Christ famish with hunger!\n\n{196}\n\n2. What we give to the great ones of the earth may, in a great\nmeasure, be considered as forfeited: but what we present to God\nis always attended with advantage. He gives it back with\ninterest. He repays with liberality the crumbs that are given for\nhis sake; his rewards are laid up even for _a cup of cold\nwater_. Play, luxury, and debauch, have ruined innumerable\nfamilies, but alms have impoverished no one.\n\n3. Men at the day of judgment shall be accountable for their\nalms; but what answer can the unfeeling rich ones make when the\npoor shall accuse them, when Jesus Christ himself shall reproach\nthem with their insensibility? \"Go, ye accursed, into eternal\nfire: I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat; I was naked, and\nyou did not clothe me,\" &c. A heart that is hard to the poor, is\nthe heart of a reprobate; but on the contrary, a soul that is\ntruly charitable, is a soul predestined. What can our Judge say\nagainst us, when he shall see our clothes upon himself, when he\nshall see our bread and our money in his own hands? We shall\napproach his awful tribunal with confidence, provided the poor be\nour advocates.\n\n\n Consider seriously how you behave to the poor; whether you\n treat them as members of Jesus Christ, by doing them all the\n good in your power.\n\n\n\"He gives at interest to the Lord,\nwho has pity on the poor.\"\n _Proverbs_ xix.\n\n\"Give unto all, lest he whom you refuse should be Jesus Christ.\"\n _St. Augustine_.\n\n{197}\n\n _Twenty-first Day_--On Bad Example.\n\n1. Bad example has damned more souls than the preaching and good\nexample of all the saints together have been the means of saving.\n\n2. Were the gates of hell to be laid open, scarcely would any one\nbe found that would not say, _it is such or such-a-one that has\ndamned me_. O what a reproach! We are commanded to love our\nenemies: why then should we destroy souls which have never done\nus an injury? A man who has been unfortunate enough to ruin souls\nredeemed by the blood of a God, hath much reason to fear for his\nsalvation. What can we reasonably hope from Jesus Christ, after\nhaving torn from him what he hath so dearly purchased? O fathers\nand mothers, who do not live as Christians ought to live, it were\nfar better for your children that they had never been born! You\nhave given them life only to put them to death; that dreadful\ndeath which is eternal! When they shall require of you the heaven\nthey have lost, what will you he able to answer them?\n\n3. Let us clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ, according to the\nwords of the apostle; let his conduct, his virtue, and his spirit\nshine forth in us, so that _he_ may be remembered when we\nare seen. We contribute not less to our neighbour's salvation by\nan edifying life, than we do to his damnation by a scandalous\none.\n\n\n Be very careful to do nothing that may scandalize your\n neighbour; and humbly beg pardon of God for the sins you have\n occasioned.\n\n{198}\n\n\"Wo be to the man by whom scandal cometh.\"\n _St. Matt_. xviii.\n\n\"The scandalous sinner must answer for the crimes which his bad\nexample hath caused to be committed.\"\n _Salvian_.\n\n\n _Twenty-second Day_.--On Mortification.\n\n1. We are not Christians merely to be rich and to live at our\nease. It was not necessary to institute Christianity for that\npurpose: the world might have been left as it was, under the\nempire of passion and opinion. The life of a Christian is a\ncrucified life: unless the cross be embraced, faith must be\nrenounced.\n\n2. What doth the gospel say? \"Blessed are those who weep: wo be\nto you, O rich, who have your consolation in this world!\" Such is\nthe language of the Holy Ghost. But it is now looked on as\nnonsense to believe that felicity consists in tears, and that the\nrich are unhappy.\n\n3. The Son of God was to die on the cross, that he might take\npossession of his glory; the saints have arrived at heaven by the\npath of sufferings. Shall we then imagine that what the Son of\nGod and the saints have so dearly purchased, shall be given to us\nfor nothing? No; the cross is the distinctive mark and portion of\nthe elect: a soul which suffers nothing, and is resolved to\nsuffer nothing, bears the strongest character of a reprobate. We\nmust of necessity suffer in this world or in the next.\n\n Adore Christ crucified, and beg of him the grace to participate\n now in his suffering life, that you may be one day a partaker in\n his life of glory.\n\n{199}\n\n\"Whoever doth not carry his cross is not worthy of me.\"\n _Luke_, xiv.\n\n\"What a shame to be a delicate member\nof a head crowned with thorns.\"\n _St. Bernard._\n\n\n _Twenty-third Day_.--On Conformity to the Will of God.\n\n1. The greatest happiness of a rational creature is, to will that\nwhich his Creator willeth. It is in this, precisely, that real\nsanctity consists. The saints are saints only because their will\ncorresponded with the will of God. Whatever virtue we may\npossess, if we have not that of conformity to the divine will, we\nare not truly virtuous.\n\n2. A soul that is not satisfied with the will of God, seems to\ndoubt, in some measure, of his authority. To desire that what he\nordains and permits in this world should go on otherwise than it\ndoes, is to desire that God should not be master. Every thing\nthat happens to us, happens by his order; and is it not just to\nacquiesce in whatever is ordained by infinite wisdom?\n\n3. All things but sin fall out by God's appointment. Though his\narm be raised to strike, we are sure that his hand is conducted\nby his heart. What have we to fear from a heart that loves us? We\nwill then desire nothing but what he pleases; we will not\ncomplain of losses, sickness, trouble, &c. The name and the\nnature of these things are changed as they pass through the hands\nof God. What the world calls misfortunes, affliction, dishonour,\nis an advantage, a grace, and a favour from heaven, when\nconsidered in the order of providence.\n\n{200}\n\n Renounce your own will, and beg of God that his maybe\n accomplished in you.\n\n\n\"Be it so, Father, because it is thy will.\"\n _Matthew_ xi.\n\n\"He is pleasing to God,\nto whom God is pleasing.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Twenty-fourth Day_.--Confidence in God.\n\n1. God is the greatest parent of mankind; our Lord Jesus Christ\nhas taught us to call him _Father_. Not a hair can even drop\nfrom our heads without his knowledge. His providence reaches from\nend to end, disposing all things sweetly. What madness,\ntherefore, to doubt of his protection, or to be slow in trusting\nourself to his guidance!\n\n2. The _insects_ are an object of his care; how much more we\nwho are created to his image, and redeemed by the blood of his\nonly-begotten Son! If God feed the infidels, who know him not; if\nhe heaps favours on the impious, by whom he is blasphemed, what\nwill he not do for Christians who honour and love him?\n\n3. Our affairs are much better off when in his hands, than they\ncan be in our own: let us therefore leave them all at his\ndisposal. He is at the same time our Father and our Creator. The\ntenderness he has for his children obliges him to take care of\nthem. He has promised us his protection; he will then be as good\nas his word. Sooner shall the heavens and the earth he destroyed,\nthan that man should perish, who places his confidence in God.\n\n{201}\n\n Examine your heart, and see whether your confidence be worthy\n of the goodness of God, and the merits of Jesus Christ.\n\n\n\"Thou art my God: my lot is in thy hands.\"\n _Psalm_ xxx.\n\n\"Throw yourself upon him,\nhe will not withdraw to let you fall.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Twenty-fifth Day._--On the Love of God.\n\n1. God has loved us to such a degree, as to give us his only Son:\nhad he any thing better he would have given it us. Is it not\nbuying our love too dearly, to purchase it at so dear a rate? A\ntrifling bounty from a fellow-creature is entitled to our love;\nwhy, then, shall we not love a bounty that is infinite? Why doth\nits being infinite render it less amiable?\n\n2. God has strictly enjoined me to love him. Is a commandment\nrigorous, which orders us to love what is infinitely worthy of\nour affections? He commands us to love him with all our hearts.\nIs a heart so small as mine, too much for a God so great? But in\nsaying _all_, he admits of no exception. Whatever share I\ngive him, if I give him not all, I give him nothing.\n\n{202}\n\n3. If eternity could have an end, the torments of the damned in\nhell, even to the day of judgment, would not be too much to\nobtain this heavenly love. There is not one of these miserable\nsouls that would not think itself happy, provided that, after\nages of sufferings, it could love that infinite beauty. We can\nlove God if we please: every moment invites us to it. Not to do\nso while it can be done, is a monstrous insensibility.\n\n\n Disclaim every love but that of God alone, and endeavour to\n love him above all things.\n\n\n\"If I have not charity, I am nothing.\"\n 1 _Corinthians_ xiii.\n\n\n _Twenty-sixth Day_.--Love of Jesus Christ.\n\n1. Nothing was ever purchased at so dear a rate as my soul. A\ndivine life was given to redeem it. I deserved hell: justice\ncried out for punishment; but Christ would listen only to the\nemotions of his heart: it pleaded in my behalf, and I obtained\nforgiveness. If I return him not life for life, the least I can\ndo is to return him love for love.\n\n2. The dog that I feed, watches, caresses, and attends me: Jesus\nhas given his blood for me, and continues to give me himself; yet\nI am still insensible. Learn, then, ungrateful soul! learn, I\nsay, thy duty from a brute! thy dog is thy teacher and thy judge.\nIf his example reform not thy heart, thou art more brutal than\nhe.\n\n{203}\n\n3. We can feel for our friends; we are not insensible of the good\nthey do us; we pique ourselves upon gratitude. Shall we then be\nungrateful only to Christ? Shall he alone find us hard-hearted?\nHad we ever a friend that sacrificed himself for us?\n\n\n Beg the love of Jesus from Jesus himself. Without his grace we\n shall never be able to love him.\n\n\n\"If any one love not the Lord Jesus,\nlet him be accursed.\"\n 1 _Corinthians_ vi.\n\n\"If I belong to him entirely for having created me, what shall I\nadd for having been redeemed, and redeemed in so excellent a\nmanner?\"\n _St. Bernard._\n\n\n _Twenty-seventh Day_.--Love of our Neighbour.\n\n1. If we love not our neighbour, we cannot love God. Whatever\ngood we do, is to no purpose, if we do not love our brethren.\nEven martyrdom itself will not avail us, without charity.\n\n2. \"This is my commandment,\" said Jesus, \"that you love one\nanother, as I have loved you.\" Had mankind nothing else than\nChrist's love to endear them, they are objects of esteem for that\nvery reason. Since our Saviour has loved them, shall we refuse to\ndo so?\n\n3. Do we love all men as Christ has loved them? Do we thirst for\ntheir salvation as he did? Do we do by them as we would be done\nby?\n\n\n Excite yourself to love those whom our Lord Jesus Christ has\n loved so tenderly: firmly purpose to promote their salvation,\n and never to do what may offend against charity.\n\n{204}\n\n\"He that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law.\"\n _Romans_ xiii.\n\n\"By charity alone, the children of God are\ndistinguished from the children of Satan.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Twenty-eighth Day._--Love of our Enemies.\n\n1. So essential is charity to the Christian religion, that we are\nobliged to love even our enemies; Christ hath given the\ncommandment, and set the example. God orders it, and shall we\nfind it hard to obey? A God forgives his very executioners, and\nshall we refuse to pardon a brother?\n\n2. \"He that will not forgive, shall not be forgiven.\" God will\nnot pardon us, but on the condition that we pardon others. If we\nseek revenge, we call down God's anger upon us. We must either\nlove our enemies, or hate ourselves.\n\n3. It should seem that two Christians who hate each other, are\nnot really professors of the same religion; for how can they\napproach the same altar, eat the same food, believe the same\nheaven, and hope to be together eternally? Mutual hatred is\nallowed but to devils: it belongs to them alone. There is not a\nmore formal sign of reprobation, than that of refusing to pardon\nan enemy; and a soul in such a disposition may be looked on as\nmarked for hell.\n\n\n Examine your heart at the sight of the crucifix; and if you\n feel a hatred for any person, take sentiments of charity from\n the wounds of Jesus.\n\n{205}\n\n\"He that hates his brother is a murderer.\"\n1 _John_, iii. 15.\n\n\"You a Christian, and yet desire to be revenged!\nBut Christ hath not yet taken vengeance.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n _Twenty-ninth Day_.--Imitation of Christ.\n\n1. The Son of God, when he united his divinity to our human\nnature, became the model of Christians. He is the head of the\npredestined; we are therefore bound to resemble him.\n\n2. The manners of the world are carefully studied; but the life\nof Jesus Christ is hardly thought upon. Courtiers form themselves\nupon their prince; philosophers have been imitated even in their\nfaults. Did we ever seriously strive to imitate Jesus? Have we\ntaken any pains to follow his example, or to copy after the\nvirtues of his holy life?\n\n3. What shall we say for ourselves at the awful tribunal of\nDivine Justice, when we shall be compared to our model; when the\nlife of Jesus shall be opposed to our life; his humility to our\npride; his wounds to our delicacy; his sweetness to our anger and\nimpatience, &c.? Ah! what a monster is a Christian without\nChristianity! baptized, and a slave of the devil! under the\nbanners of the cross, yet a follower of the flesh and the world!\nWe must then renounce our baptism, or conform to the life of our\nSaviour.\n\n{206}\n\n See whether you bear any resemblance to the Son of God, and\n whether you may be truly considered as a disciple of a\n crucified Jesus.\n\n\n\"Master, I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest.\"\n _Matthew_ viii.\n\n\"Without cause am I a Christian,\nif I follow not Christ.\"\n _St. Bernard._\n\n\n _Thirtieth Day_.--On Fervour in the Service of God.\n\n1. Let us have as much zeal for God as he has for us. He acts\nexteriorly, but for the perfection of our souls. All the desires\nof his heart, all the cares of his providence, all the tenderness\nof his mercy, are referred to this. O what a subject of confusion\nfor tepid souls!\n\n2. Were we to judge of God by our own indifference, it might be\nsaid that he does not deserve our services, and that his rewards\nare very trifling. What idea can be had of a master whose\nservants attend him carelessly, and without the smallest\naffection? We dishonour God, we cry down his services, as often\nas we perform negligently what he requires of us. Wo be to the\nman who does the work of God without attention!\n\n{207}\n\n3. An action done for God, how trifling soever it may be, is of\nfar greater value than the most renowned exploits of heroes. If\nwe pique ourselves upon so much courage in labouring for vanity,\nwhat should be done when we are employed for eternity? What! the\nservants of the devil spare no pains; they do not complain of\nwhat they go through; they are ever indefatigable. Is Jesus\nChrist then less considerable than the devil? Is paradise less\nvaluable than hell? Hell then shall be, as it were, our\ninstructor: we are to love God as much as the damned hate him; we\nare to serve God as much as the world serves the devil. Is this\ntoo much?\n\n\n Examine your conduct with respect to the service of God;\n consider the actions in which you are most remiss, and excite\n yourself to perform them henceforth with a fervour worthy of\n your master.\n\n\n\"Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.\"\n _Romans_.\n\n\"Let the ardour you formerly had for the world be now entertained\nfor him that created it.\"\n _St Augustine._\n\n\n _Thirty-first Day._--On Devotion to the Mother of God.\n\n1. A more pure, more excellent, or more amiable being than this\nglorious Virgin, was never yet created. God having from all\neternity destined her to be the mother of his Son, it was proper\nshe should be embellished with every created excellence, and that\nher dignity and influence in heaven should far surpass the\ndignity and influence of all the other saints. Most justly then\nis she entitled to our veneration, respect, and confidence.\n\n{208}\n\n2. Let us put ourselves under her protection: let us recommend\nourselves to her prayers. How great soever our wickedness, or how\nnumerous soever our faults may have been, let us always have\nrecourse to her, and hope, through her prayers, for the grace of\nour conversion. Her charity is so great, her interest is so\npowerful, that she must always plead successfully for the\nrepenting sinner.\n\n3. But let us never forget, that to honour her properly, is to\nimitate her virtues; that to persevere in sin, upon the hopes of\nher future intercession, is equally absurd, impious, and\ndetestable. Her hatred of this error should be always before our\neyes. Her purity, her mildness, her patience, should be ever\npresent to us.\n\n\"Hail, full of grace.\"\n _Luke_, i.\n\n\"O name! under which no one should despair.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n Concluding Reflection.\n\n1. As Christians, it would be very profitable for us to reflect,\nevery morning, that we have on that day a God to glorify, a\nSaviour to imitate, our souls to save, our bodies to mortify,\nvirtues to acquire, sins to satisfy for, heaven to seek after,\nhell to fly, eternity to meditate on, time to improve,\ntemptations to overcome, the devil to resist, our neighbour to\nedify, our passions to subdue, the world to guard against, and\nperhaps death and judgment to undergo. Reflect seriously on all\nthese important truths, and they will not only incite you to\nbegin the day well, but also, in the course thereof, to make the\naffair of your eternal salvation your principal study.\n\n{209}\n\n2. As it is also a duty of the last consequence to conclude the\nday properly, nothing can prove a more powerful incitement\nthereto, than the serious consideration of the many spiritual and\ntemporal blessings which God hath bestowed on you; the various\nevils from which his providence hath hitherto preserved you; and\nthe absolute uncertainty whether you shall ever unclose your eyes\nto behold the next morning. Thousands who had as good a right to\nexpect it as you, were nevertheless disappointed. The very bed on\nwhich you lie is a _memento mori_, or kind of sepulchre; and\nsleep, the image of death. What unaccountable rashness then must\nit be, for a sinner to compose himself to sleep in a state of\nmortal sin, without first endeavouring to appease the wrath of\nGod by an act of contrition, or some other spiritual exercise of\npiety and devotion; since that very night, perhaps, his soul may\nbe required of him!\n\n3. Let us then guard against this danger, by a faithful discharge\nof every Christian duty; let us frequently exclaim, with the\nprophet: \"Enlighten mine eyes, O Lord, that I may never sleep in\ndeath, lest the enemy at any time may say, I have\n_prevailed_ against him.\"\n\n\"He that desires to make any progress in the service of God, must\nbegin every day with fresh ardour; he must, as much as possible,\nkeep himself in the presence of God, and in all his actions, have\nno other object in view but that of promoting the divine honour.\"\n _St. C. Borromeus._\n\n{210}\n\n Mentations On The Apostles' Creed,\n\n _Which may be used with great spiritual profit by Religious\n Societies, or Private Families, assembled together in common\n prayer at night, or at any other time most convenient; on\n Sundays, Holidays, &c_.\n\n\n The Method.\n\n Thirteen Paters and Aves are annexed to these meditations, in\n honor of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles. The meditations\n to be read by the head of the family or community, to which the\n assistants should hearken with the most devout attention. The\n prayers to be recited partly by the head, and partly by the\n assistants.\n\nIn the name of the Father, and of the Son,\nand of the Holy Ghost. Amen.\n\nBlessed be the holy and undivided Trinity,\nnow and for evermore. Amen.\n\nV. Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips,\n\nR. And my tongue shall declare thy praise.\n\nV. O God, incline unto mine aid.\n\nR. O Lord, make haste to help me.\n\nV. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;\n\nR. As it was in the beginning, &c. Amen.\n\n{211}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nDirect, O Lord, we beseech thee, our actions by thy holy\ninspirations, and carry them on by thy gracious assistance, that\nevery prayer and work of ours may always begin from thee, and may\nby thee be happily ended, through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n Let us recite the Lord's Prayer.\n\nOur Father, &c. Give us this day, &c.\n\n Let us recite the Angelical Salutation.\n\nHail Mary, &c. Holy Mary, &c.\n\n Let us recite and devoutly meditate on\n the different articles of the Creed.\n\n\n First Article.\n\n\"_I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and\nEarth._\"--Let us attentively consider, in this first article\nof our creed, the infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, which our\nalmighty and sovereign Lord God has displayed in the creation of\nthe heavens and of the earth, and of all things visible and\ninvisible therein contained. He drew us out of the abyss of\nnothing, and made all things for our use and service. He gave us\nrational and immortal souls, stamped with his own image and\nlikeness, and capable of knowing, loving, and serving him on\nearth, and of enjoying him for all eternity in the kingdom of\nheaven. This is the noble, the blessed, and the glorious end for\nwhich he has vouchsafed to create us; and should it not be our\nchief study and care to answer this happy end, by dedicating\nourselves to him for time and eternity, and by employing all our\nsenses, and all the faculties of our souls, in his love and\nservice, and for his greater honour and glory? With this\nintention let us say: \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Give us this day,\" &c.\n\"Hail Mary,\" &c. \"Holy Mary,\" &c.\n\n{212}\n\n Second Article.\n\n\"_And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord._\"--Let us now\nmeditate on the great benefit of our redemption, and the\nboundless mercy of the only-begotten and eternal Son of God; who,\nwhen four thousand years had elapsed after the creation and fall\nof our first parents from their original innocence, out of pure\nlove and compassion, came down from heaven, to reconcile us to\nhis eternal Father, and to purchase mercy, grace, and salvation\nfor us, by the effusion of the last drop of his precious blood.\nThus he became our Jesus, our Christ, our Redeemer, our Saviour,\nour High Priest, our Mediator, our King, our Lord, and our\nSovereign Master. He claims and challenges us, therefore, as his\nsole right and property. We belong to him by every title that\ndominion or jurisdiction can confer. We are his by creation, his\nby preservation, his by the title of his all-ruling providence.\nWe are his in a very special and particular manner, by virtue of\nour redemption. As Christians we derive our name from him, and\nare his members and temples, dedicated and consecrated to him by\nthe solemn vows and covenant of our baptism.\n\n{213}\n\nLet us then offer all our thoughts, words, and actions, to his\nhonour and glory, and let us employ our whole lives in loving and\nserving him faithfully; saying, for this end, the prayers which\nhimself and his church have taught us: \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail\nMary,\" &c.\n\n\n Third Article.\n\n\"_Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin\nMary._\"--We are now to meditate on the wonderful mystery of\nthe incarnation and temporal nativity of the Son of God. When the\nfulness of time appointed for the redemption of mankind was come,\nthe second Person of the blessed Trinity assumed our flesh in the\nwomb of his blessed Mother; that the divine and human nature\nbeing thus united in his person, he might be capable of\nsatisfying divine justice for the injury which God had received\nby sin. He became man for our salvation, not in the _ordinary\nway_, but after _a supernatural and incomprehensible\nmanner_, by the operation of the Holy Ghost. But although the\nincarnation, considered particularly as a work of divine mercy,\ngoodness and love, be particularly attributed to the Holy Ghost,\nand although the three Persons of the blessed Trinity,\nessentially possessing the same undivided powers, have equally\nconcurred therein, yet this wonderful work was effected only by\nthe second Person: his sacred body was formed of the most pure\nblood of his Virgin Mother, without the least violation of her\nvirginal integrity, and a most perfect soul was created to\nanimate his body.\n{214}\nBeing thus miraculously conceived, he was also, after the space\nof nine months, miraculously born in a stable at Bethlehem, under\nthe reign of Augustus C\u00e6sar. As man, being at the same time true\nGod, he subjected himself to all our infirmities and miseries,\nsin only excepted, of which he was incapable. At so early a\nperiod as at his very first entrance into the world, he was\npleased to suffer for us, and to give us, in his tender infancy,\nthe most perfect example of poverty, humility, and mortification;\nthat he might thereby manifest to us the infinite riches of his\nmercy and goodness, and teach us to despise the sinful vanities\nof the world. He discovered himself to the shepherds by a choir\nof angels from heaven, to shew that he came to be the Saviour of\nthe Jews. He manifested himself also to the Eastern Magi by a\nstar from heaven, to shew that he was likewise come to be the\nSaviour of the Gentiles. He continued to live in a poor, private,\nand retired manner, till he was thirty years of age, when he\nbegan to preach the gospel, to cast out devils, to cure the dumb,\nthe deaf, the lame, and blind, and to work the most stupendous\nmiracles, in favour of a people the most ungrateful on the face\nof the earth.\n{215}\nLet us not imitate them; let us rather embrace our divine\nRedeemer with all the affections of our souls, and ever retain a\nmost grateful sense of the innumerable benefits he has conferred\non us; devoutly saying: \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Fourth Article.\n\n\"_Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and\nburied._\"--Let us here meditate on the dolorous mysteries of\nour dear Redeemer's passion, crucifixion, death and burial. To\nshow the greatness of his love for us, and the plenteous\nredemption which he brought us, he was pleased to suffer every\nkind of torment with which human nature could be afflicted. \"What\nwas sufficient for our salvation,\" says St. Bernard, \"was not\nsufficient for his charity.\" When he could have saved us with a\nsingle drop of his blood, he redeemed us with a deluge thereof,\nafter a painful life of thirty-three years. His passion began in\nthe garden of Gethsemani, at the foot of Mount Olivet, near\nJerusalem, and ended only on Mount Calvary; Tiberius being then\nemperor of Rome, and Pontius Pilate governor, or president, of\nJudea. He suffered in his soul, and in his body, in his senses,\nand in all his members, from the sole of his foot, to the crown\nof his head. He was buffet ted and spit upon; he was mocked and\ninsulted; he was scourged; he was crowned with thorns; and at\nlength his hands and feet were pierced and fastened with gross\nnails to an ignominious cross; and after hanging alive thereon,\nbetween two thieves, in the most excruciating pain, for the space\nof three long hours, he expired, and gave up his blessed soul\ninto the hands of his eternal Father.\n{216}\nAfter his death, his sacred body being taken off the cross on\nGood-Friday, in the afternoon, and being embalmed, according to\nthe custom of the Jews, by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, it\nwas wrapped up in linen cloth, and laid in a new monument, hewn\nout of a rock, near Mount Calvary. O let us not then repay the\nboundless love of our crucified Redeemer with sin and\ningratitude, but let us rather make the best return we are able,\nof love and gratitude to him, who suffered so much for our sake;\ndevoutly saying, \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail, Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Fifth Article.\n\n\"_He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the\ndead_.\"--Here let us meditate how our blessed Saviour's soul,\nwhen separated from his body, descended into hell, or the dreary\nprison, where the souls of the holy patriarchs and saints of the\nOld Testament were detained, until he had paid the price of their\nredemption, and opened for them the gates of heaven, which had\nremained shut against mankind from the fall [of] Adam until that\ntime.\n{217}\nWe may judge how the presence and sight of their so long\nwished-for Redeemer turned their gloomy prison into a paradise of\ndelights, and occasioned unspeakable joy to the holy souls to\nwhom he came to preach the gospel of redemption, release from\ntheir tedious captivity, and carry up with him to heaven at his\nascension, as the first fruits of his victorious triumph over sin\nand death. Having comforted them by these happy tidings, his\nblessed soul, after remaining part of three days subject to the\nlaws of death, returned from this prison to the sepulchre, and\nbeing re-united to his body, he arose early on the morning of the\nthird day from the bowels of the earth, by his own divine power,\nand was the first who from death rose to a glorious and immortal\nlife. His resurrection is a perfect model for us to copy after.\nLet us endeavour to imitate it by a spiritual resurrection from\nthe death of sin, to a new life of grace, so as to continue for\never to live with him, and to return no more to the death of\nmortal sin. For this end, let us implore his divine assistance;\nsaying with devotion, \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Sixth Article.\n\n\"_He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of\nGod, the Father Almighty._\"--Let us here meditate how our\ndivine Redeemer, after accomplishing the great work of our\nredemption, ascended triumphantly from the top of Mount Olivet\ninto the kingdom of heaven, on the fortieth day after his\nglorious resurrection, in the presence of his apostles and\ndisciples, till a cloud at length interposed and took him out of\ntheir sight.\n{218}\nHe then withdrew his visible presence from the world; raised\nhuman nature above the choirs of saints and angels, to the\nhighest seat in the kingdom of heaven, where, in full possession\nof the glory of his eternal Father, he pleads for us with the\npowerful eloquence of his sacred wounds, which he incessantly\nrepresent to him, in quality of our High Priest, Mediator, and\nAdvocate. O what a comfortable reflection, to think that we have\nsuch an affectionate friend in the court of heaven! O what\nencouragement to raise our hopes! what inducement to follow him\nwith our hearts, and ascend after him in spirit and affection!\nFor this end let us beseech him to break the chains of our sins,\nand the fetters of our passions, which so unhappily tie down our\naffections to the earth; devoutly saying, \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail\nMary,\" &c.\n\n\n Seventh Article.\n\n\"_From whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the\ndead_.\" Here let us meditate on our blessed Redeemer's return\nat the end of the world, with great pomp and majesty, in quality\nof Sovereign Judge of the living and the dead.\n{219}\nAs soon as the last trumpet shall sound, and the angel\nrepeat these words in the four corners of the earth: \"Arise ye\ndead, and come to judgment!\" the whole race of mankind, both the\ngood and the wicked, are to appear before his awful tribunal, in\nsight of Mount Calvary, in order to give a strict account of all\ntheir thoughts, words, and actions; for, besides the particular\njudgment which is passed on every soul immediately after death,\nthe justice of God requires that a general judgment should also\ntake place, in order that the children of Adam should be\nassembled together, and receive their sentence; either of eternal\nsalvation or eternal reprobation. O let us make a timely\nprovision for this woful day, in order that we may then meet with\na favourable judgment, and be entitled to receive the happy\nsentence of the elect; saying for this end, \"Our Father,\" &c.\n\"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Eighth Article.\n\n_\"I believe in the Holy Ghost._\"--Let us now meditate on the\ngreat work of our sanctification, which is particularly\nattributed to the Holy Ghost, the third person of the ever\nblessed Trinity; because he is the love of the Father and the\nSon, and because it is from God's love to us that all sanctity,\nall grace, all justification and virtue flow. For which reason\nthe apostle says, \"the charity of God is poured into our hearts\nby the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.\" We first receive the Holy\nGhost, and are made his living temples at the font of baptism,\nand afterwards we receive him in a more perfect manner in the\nsacrament of confirmation, &c.\n{220}\nO what a happiness it is to possess this divine and heavenly\nguest in our souls! and how solicitous should we be to invite him\ninto our hearts, to engage him to stay with us, and to make our\nsouls his dwelling-place for time and eternity! Let us devoutly\nimplore this greatest of blessings; saying, \"Our Father,\" &c.\n\"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Ninth Article.\n\n\"_The holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints_.\"--We\nare now to meditate on the infinite goodness and mercy of God,\nwho, by a special grace, has vouchsafed to call us to the light\nof his true and saving faith, and to include us within the pale\nand bosom of his One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, in\npreference to so many thousands in different parts of the world,\nleft in ignorance, or buried in the darkness of error and\ninfidelity. This grace of our vocation is so signal a blessing,\nthat it calls upon us for our most grateful acknowledgments, and\nwill render us more culpable at the last day than pagans or\ninfidels, if, instead of living up to our holy profession, we\ndishonour it by the immorality of our lives.\n{221}\nOn the contrary, if we square our actions according to our\nbelief; if we show the purity of our religion by the purity of\nour morals, and live as becomes worthy members of the Catholic\nChurch, we shall assuredly be made partakers of all spiritual\nblessings and treasures thereof, and benefit by all the prayers,\nsacrifices, and good works, which are wrought therein by our\nfellow-members; for as there subsists a common union between all\nthe parts of the human body, there subsists, in like manner, a\ncommon or general union in spirituals between all the parts of\nChrist's mystical body, the holy Catholic Church. O what an\ninestimable blessing then must it be, to live and die in the\ncommunion of his church! and, on the contrary, what a grievous\nloss and misfortune to be cut off therefrom by excommunication,\nlike rotten and dead members separated from a natural body by\namputation! Let us beware of incurring the like misfortune, and\nbeseech the Almighty to grant us grace to be always obedient\nhearers of the pastors of his church, those spiritual guides to\nwhom he has committed the care of our souls; saying for this end,\n\"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Tenth Article.\n\n\"_The Forgiveness of Sins_.\"--Here let us also meditate on a\nsecond signal advantage which may be obtained within the pale of\nthe holy Catholic Church. Besides the mutual communication in\nspirituals, and participation in good works, that subsists\nbetween all the parts of the church in their three different\nstates, viz. the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory, and\nthe true believers on earth, who compose the church triumphant,\nsufferant, and militant; the apostles also teach us, in this\narticle of their creed, that there is a power left by Jesus\nChrist to his church, to forgive the sins of such as truly\nrepent, and properly apply for absolution.\n{222}\nOriginal sin has been already remitted by the sacrament of\nbaptism, and the actual sins committed after baptism are pardoned\nin the sacrament of penance, when duly administered by the\npastors of the church, and received with the proper dispositions\non the part of the repenting sinner. Let us therefore beseech the\nFather of mercies to grant us these dispositions; saying, \"Our\nFather,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n Eleventh Article.\n\n\"_The Resurrection of the Flesh_.\"--Let us here meditate on\na third signal privilege reserved in the next life for the living\nmembers of the holy Catholic Church. On the last day there will\nbe a general resurrection of the dead; and the whole human race,\nwhich at the fall of our first parents had been sentenced to\nreturn to their original dust, shall arise again to receive their\nfinal and irrevocable doom. As soon as the angel, by the sound of\nhis trumpet, proclaims the awful summons, \"Arise ye dead, and\ncome to judgment!\" the bodies of all the children of Adam,\nre-animated by their respective souls, shall instantaneously, in\nthe \"twinkling of an eye,\" issue forth out of their several\ngraves and sepulchres, never more to be separated for an endless\neternity.\n{223}\nBut, alas! how very different will be the manner of the\nresurrection of the reprobate from that of the elect! for whereas\nthe bodies of the former shall arise in a condition suitable to\ntheir deserts, that is, foul, hideous, heavy, inactive, and only\nfit to be the fuel of everlasting flames, (immortal indeed they\nshall be, but to no other end than to endure immortal torments,)\nso those of the latter shall arise glorious, beautiful, immortal,\nand impassible, brighter than the stars, and more resplendent\nthan the sun. This glorious state of immortality is infallibly\nreserved for the bodies of such Christians as in this life have\nbeen as it were consecrated by receiving the holy sacraments, and\nparticularly the Eucharist; since Christ himself expressly\ndeclares, \"He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath\neternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.\" O let us\nthen frequently approach this heavenly banquet, with the proper\ndispositions, that thereby our bodies and souls being preserved\npure from the corruption of sin, may both arise together at the\nlast day to a happy immortality. That this may be our happy lot,\nlet us with the most fervent devotion, say, \"Our Father,\" &c.\n\"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n{224}\n\n Twelfth Article.\n\n\"_Life everlasting_.\"--This is the fourth and\nfinal blessing attainable within the pale of the\nholy Catholic Church, and reserved for the\nchildren of light in the next world. It is the\nlast end of man, the ultimate reward that\nawaits true faith, animated by charity and\ngood works, and it essentially consists in the\nclear vision and fruition of God. O let us\nlead such lives here on earth, that we may\nhereafter live with Jesus Christ in the glory of his eternal\nFather, for ever and ever: and that this may be our happy case,\nlet us devoutly say, \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n\n The Salve Regina.\n\n Hail, happy Queen! thou mercy's parent hail!\n Life, hope, and comfort of this earthly vale;\n To thee we eve's wretched children cry;\n In sighs and tears to thee we suppliants fly.\n Rise, glorious advocate, exert thy love,\n And let our vows thine eyes of pity move.\n O sweet, O pious maid! for us obtain--\n For us who long have in our exile lain--\n To see thy Jesus, and with him to reign.\n\nV. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,\n\nR. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.\n\nV. Pray for us, O ye holy apostles, and all ye saints of God,\n\nR. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.\n\n{225}\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nWe beseech thee, O Lord, that by the intercession of the blessed\nand glorious Virgin Mary, of thy holy apostles, and of all thy\nsaints, thou wouldst vouchsafe to protect and defend us from the\nsnares of the enemy, and conduct us unto life everlasting. Amen.\n\n\n An Universal Prayer.\n For All Things Necessary To Salvation.\n\nO my God, I believe in thee; do thou strengthen my faith. All my\nhopes are in thee; do thou secure them. I love thee with my whole\nheart; teach me to love thee daily more and more. I am sorry that\nI have offended thee; do thou increase my sorrow.\n\nI adore thee as my first beginning. I aspire after thee as my\nlast end. I give thee thanks as my constant benefactor. I call\nupon thee as my sovereign protector.\n\nVouchsafe, O my God, to conduct me by thy wisdom, to restrain me\nby thy justice, to comfort me by thy mercy, to defend me by thy\npower.\n\nTo thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions,\nand sufferings; that henceforward I may think of thee, speak of\nthee, willingly refer all my actions to thy greater glory, and\nsuffer willingly whatever thou shalt appoint.\n\n{226}\n\nLord, I desire that in all things thy will may be done, because\nit is thy will and in the manner thou willest.\n\nI beg of thee to enlighten my understanding, to inflame my will,\nto purify my body, and to sanctify my soul.\n\nGive me strength, O my God, to expiate my offences, to overcome\nmy temptations, to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues\nproper for my state.\n\nFill my heart with a tender affection for thy goodness, a hatred\nfor my faults, a love for my neighbour, and a contempt for the\nworld.\n\nLet me always remember to be submissive to my superiors,\ncondescending to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and\ncharitable to my enemies.\n\nAssist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by\nalms-deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion.\n\nO my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in\ndangers, patient in afflictions, and humble in prosperity.\n\nGrant that I may ever be attentive at my prayers, temperate at my\nmeals, diligent in my employments, and constant in my\nresolutions.\n\nLet my conscience be ever upright and pure, my exterior modest,\nmy conversation edifying, and my comportment regular.\n\n{227}\n\nAssist me, that I may continually labour to overcome nature, to\ncorrespond with thy grace, to keep thy commandments, and to work\nout my salvation.\n\nDiscover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the\ngreatness of heaven, the shortness of time, and the length of\neternity.\n\nGrant that I may prepare for death; that I may fear thy\njudgments; that I may escape hell, and in the end obtain heaven,\nthrough the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n\n A Prayer For The Choice Of A State Of Life.\n\nO eternal God, who art the light of the world, and for whose\nglory the whole creation is ordained, to thee I submit myself,\nand my whole life; and that I may live to thy glory, I beseech\nthee, in thy mercy, to direct me in the choice of a state of\nlife; that, having thee for my guide, I may embrace that course\nwhich may be most pleasing to thee, and most proper for me to\nwork out my salvation.\n\nO Queen of heaven, and mother of Jesus, be a mother to me, and\nobtain for me of thy divine Son, that I may hear his call, and\nknow his will, and have grace readily to put it into execution.\nAmen.\n\n\n A Prayer For A Pregnant Woman.\n\nO Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, who hath made\nus out of nothing, and redeemed us by the precious blood of thine\nonly Son, look down upon thy poor handmaid here prostrate before\nthee, humbly imploring thy mercy, and begging thy blessing for\nherself and her child, which thou hast given her to conceive.\n{228}\nPreserve, I beseech thee, the work of thy hands, and defend both\nme and the tender fruit of my womb, from all perils and evils;\ngrant me, in due time a happy delivery, and bring my child safe\nto the font of baptism, that it may there be happily dedicated to\nthee, to love and serve thee for ever. But, O my God, I have too\nmuch reason to fear, lest my great and manifold sins should\nhinder thee from hearing my prayers, and draw down thy judgment\nupon me and mine, instead of thy mercies which I sue for; and\ntherefore I am sensible the first thing I ought to do is, to\nrepent from the bottom of my heart for all my offences, humbly\nconfess them, and continually cry to thee for mercy. I detest,\nthen, all my sins with my whole heart, and desire to lay them all\ndown here at thy feet, to be effaced and destroyed for ever. I\nrenounce and abhor them with my whole soul, because they are\ninfinitely odious to thee, and wish that I could expiate them\nwith tears of blood. I humbly beg thy pardon for them, and am\nsorry from the bottom of my heart that I ever committed them. I\nhere offer myself to make what satisfaction I am able for them,\nand most willingly accept whatever pains I may suffer in\nchildbearing, and offer them up to thee now beforehand for my\nsins, firmly resolving by thy grace never wilfully to offend thee\nmore.\n{229}\nBehold here my poor heart, O Lord, and if it be not such as I\nhere express, I desire at least it should be such: I desire it\nshould be that contrite and humble heart, which thou dost never\ndespise. In this disposition of soul, and with a lively\nconfidence in thy mercies, and in the merits of the death and\npassion of Jesus Christ thy Son, I renew the petition I made\nbefore, and once more I beg of thee for myself, thy grace,\nprotection, and a happy delivery; and for my child, that thou\nwouldst be pleased to preserve it for baptism, sanctify it for\nthyself, and make it thine for ever; through the same, &c.\n\n\n The Litany Of Divine Providence.\n\n _A short Instruction to the Devout Reader._\n\n That we may be equally disposed and subordinate to the designs\n and directions of Divine Providence, as well in adversity as in\n prosperity, and receive with equal gratitude its decrees and\n appointments, is the end of the ensuing devotion or litany.\n Three particulars we ought to keep in view:\n\n 1. That we bow our heads with the greatest submission,\n humility, and resignation to the will of God, manifested to us\n in the order of his Divine Providence.\n\n 2. That we place a full confidence and reliance in his\n favourable intentions in our regard.\n\n 3. That our behaviour be such as to draw on us his favour and\n protection, and that we may be thoroughly grateful and\n acknowledging for blessings conferred on us through his Divine\n Providence.\n\n{230}\n\n The Litany.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\n\nChrist, have mercy on us.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\n\nChrist, hear us. Christ graciously hear us\n\nGod the Father, whose holy providence governs all things,\n _Have mercy on us._\nGod the Son, Redeemer of human kind,\n _Have mercy on us._\nGod the Holy Ghost,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHoly Trinity, one God, unchangeable Providence,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, that governs all things in heaven and earth,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, that gives, preserves, and governs our life,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, the eternal love of man below and angels above,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, ever conformable to\nthe influence of the tender heart of Jesus,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, that created, directs,\nand governs all things, with weight,\nmeasure, and wisdom,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, our hope, life, and salvation,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, defence and comfort of the afflicted,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, guide and support of souls in all dangers,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, that provides us with,\nand imparts to us, all natural and supernatural gifts,\n _Have mercy on us._\n\n{231}\n\nDivine Providence, inexhaustible treasury\nOf the riches of heaven,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, protector and defence of the just,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, safe retreat and sanctuary to the miserable,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, our resource in all wants,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, our anchor in storms,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, our security in danger,\nour way and secure haven,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, remedy in all evils, food to the hungry, and\nfountain of refreshing water to the thirsty,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, raiment to the naked, strength to the weak,\nprotector and mother to widows and orphans,\n _Have mercy on us._\nDivine Providence, refuge of sinners,\n _Have mercy on us._\nProvidence of God, who rules all things, infinitely deserving of\nour homage and adoration:\n _Spare us, O Lord,_\nProvidence of God, which protects and conserves all things,\ninfinitely worthy of our homage and adoration:\n _Hear us, O Lord._\nProvidence of God, which created and knows our weakness,\ninfinitely above our homage, and adoration:\n _Have mercy on us, O Lord._\nV. We praise and adore thee, Divine Providence.\n\nR. We resign ourselves to thy just and holy designs.\n\n{232}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nEternal God, whose eyes are over all thy works, especially intent\non thy servants, vouchsafe to turn away from us whatever is\nhurtful, and grant us whatever is advantageous, that through thy\nfavour, and under the benign influence of thy special providence,\nwe may securely pass through the transitory dangers and\ndifficulties of this life, and happily arrive at the eternal joys\nof the other: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n_Anth._ By thy immaculate conception, and most spotless\nvirginity, O ever holy Mother of Christ, comfort of the\nafflicted, be propitious to us, both now and in the hour of our\ndeath.\n\nV. In all our anguish and tribulation,\n\nR. We fly to thee, O Mother of Mercy.\n\n\n A Prayer\n\nRemember, O most pious and tender Virgin, that it is a thing\nunheard of in all ages, that any one was abandoned by you, who\nran to you for succour, who implored your help, and begged your\nintercession. Animated with this confidence, I, a wretched\nsinner, place myself in sighs and groans before you, to entreat\nyou to adopt me for your child for ever, and to take my eternal\nsalvation into your own care. Do not, O Mother of the Divine\nWord, despise my petition, but listen to me and hear me with a\nmother's tenderness. Amen.\n\nGreat St. Joseph, admirable model of resignation, obtain for me\nfrom my dear Saviour, who, to enforce your example, would submit\nhimself to be governed by you during the thirty years of his\nhidden life, obtain for me from God the grace to imitate him, and\nto resign myself perfectly to that so sure and so amiable\nProvidence, which, preserving me from ever going astray, may\nprocure me an unalterable peace in this life, and eternal\nhappiness in the next. Amen.\n\n\n{233}\n\n The Litany Of St. Winefrid.\n\n\n+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,\nand of the Holy Ghost. Amen.\nLord have mercy on us.\nChrist have mercy on us.\nLord, have mercy on us.\nGod the Father of heaven,\n have mercy on us.\nGod the Son, Redeemer of mankind,\n have mercy on us.\nGod the Holy Ghost,\n have mercy on us.\nHoly Trinity, one God,\n have mercy on us.\nHoly Mary,\n _Pray for us._\nHoly Mother of God,\n _Pray for us._\nHoly Virgin of Virgins,\n _Pray for us._\nO blessed _St. Winefrid_,\n _Pray for us._\nO humble and mild virgin,\n _Pray for us._\nO glorious spouse of Christ,\n _Pray for us._\nO devout and charitable Virgin,\n _Pray for us._\nO sweet comforter of the afflicted,\n _Pray for us._\nO singular example of chastity,\n _Pray for us._\nO radient star,\n _Pray for us._\nO fairest flower of the British nation,\n _Pray for us._\n\n{234}\n\nO admirable and elected vessel,\n _Pray for us._\nO mirror of chastity,\n _Pray for us._\nO mirror of devotion,\n _Pray for us._\nO mirror of piety,\n _Pray for us._\nO bright lamp of sanctity,\n _Pray for us._\nO golden image of angelic purity,\n _Pray for us._\nO hope and safety of distressed pilgrims,\n _Pray for us._\nThat we may be delivered from all iniquity,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may be delivered from all disordered passions of the\nmind,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may be delivered from the deceits of the world, the\nflesh, and the devil,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may be delivered from all occasions of sin,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may be delivered from plague, famine and war,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may be delivered from the wrath of God, and eternal\ndamnation,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we and all sinners may have true contrition, and full\nremission of our sins,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat all schismatics, heretics, and infidels, may be converted to\nthe holy catholic and apostolic faith,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may always hate sin, and overcome all temptations,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may despise all worldly vanities and delights,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we all may ever fear God, and fulfil his holy will,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may have both spiritual and corporal health,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may devoutly desire chastity and purity of life,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\n\n{235}\n\nThat we may fervently love humility and mildness,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may delight in pious prayer, fasting, and charitable\nalms,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may discreetly and fervently continue in the exercise of\ngodliness,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may cheerfully and constantly suffer for the love of\nChrist,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat the souls in purgatory, and all afflicted persons may obtain\nheavenly consolations,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat our benefactors, and all that labour to save souls, may be\nblessed with abundance of grace and everlasting life,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat we may enjoy true peace and endless felicity,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat God, of his abundant mercy, may vouchsafe to bless this our\npilgrimage,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat by thy pious intercession, it may be to the perfect health\nof our souls and bodies,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\nThat thou wilt vouchsafe to grant our requests,\n _O holy virgin and mother, pray for us._\n\nO blessed St. Winefrid, pray for us.\n\nLamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world:\n _Spare us, O Lord._\nLamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world:\n _Hear us, O Lord._\nLamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world:\n _Have mercy on us._\nChrist hear us.\nChrist graciously hear us.\nLord have mercy on us.\nChrist have mercy on us.\n\n{236}\n\nLord have mercy on us.\n\n Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c.\n V. The Lord be with you.\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nAlmighty and everlasting God, who hast adorned Saint Winefrid\nwith the reward of virginity; grant, we beseech thee, by her\npious intercession, that we may set aside the delights of the\nworld, and obtain with her the throne of everlasting glory;\nthrough Jesus Christ thy Son, who with thee liveth and reigneth\nin the unity of the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen.\n\n\n Another Prayer.\n\nAlmighty and everlasting God, grant we humbly beseech thee, that\nblessed St. Winefrid, by her pious intercession, may obtain for\nus such spiritual and temporal benefits as are expedient to thy\nholy service and our eternal salvation: through our Lord Jesus\nChrist thy Son, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and\nreigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen.\n\n{237}\n\n A Hymn Of St. Winefrid.\n\n As the fragrant rose in pleasing spring,\n To God's own Son a spouse most dear,\n A martyr rare of Christ our King,\n St. Winefrid did flourish here.\n\n Descended great of British race,\n In faith was firm, in hope secure,\n With holy works and soul of grace,\n From worldly filth preserved pure.\n\n Caradock this sacred maiden slew,\n Because she did resist his lust;\n But heaven's immediate vengeance flew,\n And doomed his soul for ever curst.\n\n Stained with spots of reeking blood,\n Where Caradock's sword sever'd the head,\n A healing stream immediate flow'd,\n Perpetual token of the deed.\n\n Here God supreme doth wonders work,\n The blind to see, the dumb to speak;\n Diseases which in bodies lurk,\n Are cur'd where faith is not too weak.\n\n O glorious Virgin Winefrid,\n To us the raging sea appease;\n And free us so from Satan's dread,\n That he on us may never seize.\n\n\n A Prayer To St. Winefrid.\n\nO blessed Winefrid! O pure Virgin, and glorious martyr, so\nespecially elected, so divinely graced, and wonderfully restored\nfrom death to life! O singular hope of all that fly unto thee\nwith full confidence and humility. Though unworthy, yet we thy\ndevoted pilgrims make our addresses to thee! O sanctuary of\npiety, look upon us with patient eyes, receive our petitions,\naccept our offerings, and present our supplications to the throne\nof mercy, that through thy powerful intercession God will be\npleased to bless this our pilgrimage, and grant us our requests\nand desires: through Jesus Christ, his Son, who with God the\nFather, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God,\nworld without end. Amen.\n\n{238}\n\n Another Prayer To St. Winefrid.\n\nO blessed Winefrid! O glorious Virgin and Martyr, who hast\nadmirably beautified with the purple of thy blood the rare purity\nof thy innocent life, whom God has so specially chosen, so highly\nprivileged, and so wonderfully restored to life again, gracing\nthee with the honour of a living martyr, causing a fountain\nmiraculously to spring, bearing a perpetual memory of thy name,\nfor the relief of all diseased and distressed pilgrims who shall\ndevoutly beg thy powerful intercession. O blessed Winefrid, hear\nmy prayers, and receive my humble supplications, or any poor\ndevoted pilgrim's, and obtain that by thy pious intercession,\nGod, of his infinite mercy, will be pleased to grant us a full\npardon and remission of our sins, and a blessing to this our\npilgrimage, and that we may increase and persevere in God's\ngrace, and enjoy him eternally in heaven. This we beg of thee, O\nblessed Virgin and Martyr, for Jesus Christ our Lord and\nSaviour's sake. Amen.\n\n{239}\n\n The Golden Litany,\n\n Briefly Commemorating Our Blessed Redeemer's Life\n\n And Passion.\n\n\nLord, have mercy upon us!\n_Christ, have mercy upon us!_\nLord, have mercy upon us!\n\nGod, the Father Almighty,\nCreator of heaven and earth,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nGod, the Son, Redeemer of the world,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nGod, the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of mankind,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nO sacred Trinity of Persons, in unity of essence,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nO blessed Jesus, true God and true man,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy power in creating heaven and earth,\nand all things therein contained,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy goodness in making man to\nthine own image and likeness,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy mercy in redeeming man after his fall,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy unspeakable love, in making choice of the blessed\nVirgin Mary for thy Mother,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the ineffable mystery of thine Incarnation, whereby thou\ndidst vouchsafe to unite thy divine person to our frail nature,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{240}\n\nThrough thy immaculate Conception, and nine months imprisonment\nwithin the sacred body of the blessed Virgin Mary,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy blessed nativity in the poor stable at Bethlehem,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the hunger, cold, and the other inconveniencies thou\ndidst endure in thy tender body, when laid in the crib between an\nox and an ass,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy painful circumcision, on the eighth day after thy\nbirth, when thou didst first shed thy precious blood for our\nsake,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the adorable name of Jesus,\nwhich was then given thee,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the mystical offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,\nwhich the wise men presented thee, whom by a miraculous star thou\ndidst summon out of the East, to adore thee in thine infancy,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the oblation thou didst make of thyself to thine eternal\nFather, when in the temple thou wert acknowledged by Simeon and\nAnne, and ransomed with a pair of doves by thy poor Virgin\nMother,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy flight into Egypt to avoid the cruelty of king Herod,\nand all thou didst there suffer with thy blessed Mother and St.\nJoseph,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy return from thence to Nazareth, and the obedience\nthou didst there pay to thy parents,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{241}\n\nThrough thy being lost by thy parents in Jerusalem, where thou\nwert again found by them, after three days' search, sitting in\nthe temple in the midst of the doctors,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the sacred and hidden life thou didst lead in Nazareth,\nwith holy Mary and Joseph, from the twelfth to the thirtieth year\nof thine age,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy humble reception of baptism in the river Jordan by\nthe hands of St. John,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy forty days' fast in the desert, where thou didst\nobtain repeated victories over the three temptations of the\ndevil,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy first miracle of changing water into wine at the\nmarriage feast of Cana,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the zeal which thou didst show for the honour of thy\neternal Father, in casting the buyers and sellers out of the\ntemple,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy condescending to discourse with\nthe Samaritan woman sitting at the fountain.\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy excessive charity in healing the young man of\nCapharnaum, Simon Peter's mother-in-law, and a multitude of other\ninfirm persons,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the power thou didst manifest in appeasing the tempest at\nsea, walking on the water, and enabling St. Peter to do so\nlikewise,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{242}\n\nThrough thy efficacious calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and\nJohn, from their boats, and Matthew from the receipt of custom,\nto follow thee,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the choice of thy twelve apostles, and the divine sermon\nthou didst deliver to them on the Mount, in which is exhibited\nthe model of a perfect Christian life,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the mercy thou didst show to the penitent Magdalen,\npreferring her to the Pharisee, and pardoning her sins,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the sending of the apostles to preach thy gospel to the\npeople,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy miraculous feeding of five thousand persons with five\nloaves of bread, and four thousand with seven loaves,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy appointment of Peter to be the rock on which thou\nwouldst build thy church, for his having confessed thee to be\nChrist the Son of the living God,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy glorious transfiguration on Mount Thabor, in the\npresence of three of thy disciples,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy instructing us in the virtue and efficacy of prayer,\nand by giving us a model thereof in the divine \"Our Father,\" &c.\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy inflamed desire to redeem mankind,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{243}\n\nThrough thy meek and humble entry into Jerusalem on Palm-Sunday,\nriding upon an ass,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy humility in washing the feet of thy disciples,\neven those of the traitor Judas,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy ineffable love manifested in the institution of the\nsacrifice and sacrament of thy precious body and blood,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the prayer thou didst thrice repeat in the Garden of\nMount Olivet, when a bloody sweat trickled down thine agonized\nbody,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy condescending to receive a kiss from the mouth of the\ntraitor Judas,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy being apprehended, bound, and brought before the\ntribunals of Annas and Caiphas,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the blows, buffets, and opprobrious usage thou didst\nendure the night before thy crucifixion,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy presentation to the pagan judge, Pilate, in the\nquality of a notorious criminal,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy being sent before Herod, and scornfully treated by\nthat wicked king and his soldiers,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the cruel and contumelious whipping\nthou didst endure at the pillar,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{244}\n\nThrough the barbarous clamours of the people to have Barrabas,\nthe murderer, released, and the innocent Jesus put to death,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the false accusations, suborned witnesses, slanders, and\ncalumnies, brought against thee by the Jews,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the shameful stripping off thy clothes, and exposing thy\nnaked body to the multitude,\n_Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the pressing of a crown of sharp\npointed thorns on thy sacred head,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy being clothed in a purple garment, and derided as a\nmock king, having a reed put into thy hand for a sceptre,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the scoffing salutations, insulting reflections, and\nscornful adorations, whereby thou wert mocked by the Jews and the\nsoldiers,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough their spitting on thy divine face,\nand striking thy sacred head,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy being exposed to the people in the most lamentable\ncondition, Pilate saying to the multitude: Behold the man!\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the horrid clamours and repeated vociferations of the\nJews, \"Away with him! Crucify him!\"\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy meek and patient hearing of the sentence of death\npronounced against thee,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{245}\n\nThrough thy bearing thy heavy cross on thy sacred shoulders,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the painful stretching of thy naked body on the cross as\non a rack, and fastening thy hands and feet thereto with gross\nnails,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the compassion thou hadst for thy sorrowful Mother, and\nbeloved disciple, standing at the foot of thy cross,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy excessive charity in praying for thy persecutors, and\nmurderers, and in promising Paradise to the penitent thief,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the seven last speeches thou didst utter on the cross\nwhilst thou wast suspended thereon for the space of three hours,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the vehement thirst thou didst then suffer, and the gall\nand vinegar which was given thee to drink,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy last agony, in which thou didst commend thy blessed\nsoul into the hands of thy heavenly Father,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the piercing of thy side with a lance,\nand the water and blood which issued therefrom,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the descent of thy departed soul into Limbo, to conquer\nthe devils, and set the ancient fathers at liberty,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the taking down of thy dead body from the cross by\nJoseph, of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, in order to its burial,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\n{246}\n\nThrough thy glorious resurrection from death to life on the third\nday,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thy appearing to thy blessed Mother, to Mary Magdalen, to\nPeter and the other apostles, frequently comforting and\nconfirming them during the space of forty days,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough thine admirable ascension into heaven, in the sight of\nthy sacred Mother and thy disciples,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost on thy apostles\nin the form of fiery tongues,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nThrough all thine actions and sufferings during thy thirty years\nsojourning amongst men, and by all that is pleasing to thy divine\nMajesty in heaven and on earth,\n _Have mercy upon us._\n\nV, Graciously hear our prayers, O Lord.\n\nR. And let our cry come unto thee.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nVouchsafe, O Almighty and most merciful Creator, Redeemer and\nSanctifier, to have compassion, not only on us, but also on all\nsuch as shall present the foregoing petitions to the throne of\nthy mercy, in commemoration of thy sacred life and most bitter\npassion.\n{247}\nWe beseech thee also, for thine own dear sake, that thou wouldst\ngrant to us, our friends and benefactors, and to all those for\nwhom we intend or are bound to pray, the pardon of all past\noffences, and preservation from future failings; that loving\nthee, serving thee, and obeying thee, with the utmost fervour,\nfidelity and perseverance, during the remainder of our earthly\npilgrimage, we may be at length admitted to the eternal enjoyment\nof thy beatific presence in thy heavenly paradise. Amen.\n\nMay the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and\nthe Holy Ghost, descend upon us, and dwell with us for evermore.\nAmen.\n\n\n\n The Prayers Of St. Bridget.\n\n To Be Said In Honour Of The Sacred Wounds\n Of Our Blessed Saviour.\n\n\n1. O most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, eternal sweetness of those who\nlove thee, joy above any desire, firm hope of the hopeless,\nsolace of the sorrowful, and most merciful lover of all penitent\nsinners; who hast said, thy delight is to be with the sons of\nmen, for the love of whom thou didst assume human nature in the\nfulness of time. Remember, most sweet Lord Jesus, all those sharp\nsorrows which then pierced thy sacred soul, from the first\ninstant of thy incarnation, until the time of thy solitary\npassion, pre-ordained from all eternity.\n{248}\nRemember, O most amiable Saviour, all those bitter anguishes thou\ndidst suffer, when at thy last supper thou didst wash the feet of\nthy disciples, didst feed them with the sacred banquet of thy\nprecious body and blood, and most sweetly comforting them, didst\nforetell them thy ensuing passion; after which, going to Mount\nOlivet, thou saidst, \"My soul is sorrowful unto death.\" Remember,\nI beseech thee, O most sweet Saviour, that bitter grief and\nanguish which thy sacred soul did suffer, when praying three\nseveral times to thy heavenly Father, thou didst sweat water and\nblood; thou wert betrayed by thy own disciple, apprehended by thy\nchosen people, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by\nthree judges, and in thy elected city, in the paschal solemnity,\nin the flourishing age of thy youth, wrongfully condemned, bound,\nbeaten, spurned, spit upon, despoiled of thy garments, and\nclothed with others in scorn; wert blind-folded, buffeted, spit\nupon again, bound naked to a pillar, most cruelly scourged,\ncrowned with thorns, struck with a reed, and afflicted with\ninnumerable other torments, pains, and injuries. O my Lord Jesus,\nby the memory and merit of all those bitter pains and anguishes\nbefore thy last expiration on the cross, vouchsafe to grant me\nbefore my death, true contrition, entire confession, a flowing\nfountain of tears, full satisfaction, and a plenary remission of\nall my sins. Amen.\n\nO most gracious Lord Jesus, be propitious to me a sinner.\nPater Noster. Ave Maria.\n\n{249}\n\n2. O most sweet Lord Jesus, true liberty of angels, and paradise\nof delights, remember, I beseech thee, that grief and sorrow\nwhich thou didst suffer when thy cruel enemies, like fierce\nlions, with furious and dreadful looks, compassing thee round\nabout, did tear off thy hair, spit upon thy sacred face,\nscratched, beat, buffeted thee, and with all manner of\nunheard-of-injuries, outrages, and torments, didst most cruelly\nand basely blaspheme, scorn, and affront thee. O most sweet Lord\nJesus, by all those most barbarous and inhuman outrages which\nthou didst suffer, vouchsafe to deliver me from all my enemies,\nvisible and invisible; that, protected under the shadow of thy\nwings, I may safely arrive at the port of eternal glory. Amen.\n\nO most gracious Lord Jesus Christ, be propitious to me a sinner.\nPater Noster. Ave Maria.\n\n3. O most sweet Lord Jesus, omnipotent creator and fabricator of\nthe world, and repairer of mankind, who containest both heaven\nand earth in thy hand, and whose immensity no bounds can limit;\nremember, I beseech thee, the bitter pains and anguishes which\nthou didst endure, when the perfidious Jews pierced thy delicate\nand tender hands and feet with most rough and blunt nails,\nstretching them forth so violently with cords to the holes which\nthey made in the cross.\n{250}\nThus they heaped dolors upon dolors, most cruelly disjointing all\nthy bones, breaking all thy veins, and renewing all thy sacred\nwounds. O most sweet Jesus, by the memory of all these thy pains\nand torments upon the cross, vouchsafe to give me thy fear and\nlove, with perfect charity towards my neighbour. Amen. O most\npious Lord Jesus, &c. &c.\n\n4. O most sweet Lord Jesus, heavenly physician of human nature,\nand eternal king, remember, I beseech thee, all those bitter\npains and torments which thou didst endure in thy sacred members,\nwho, being hoisted up upon the cross, with all thy precious body\nrent and torn, not having from the crown of thy head to the sole\nof thy foot any part left unhurt; so that no dolor could be\ncompared to thine; at which time, being unmindful of thy own\ntorments, thou didst mercifully pray to thy heavenly Father for\nthy cruel enemies, saying: \"Father, forgive them, for they know\nnot what they do.\" O most meek and merciful Lord Jesus, by this\nthy admirable benignity, goodness, love, and mercy, and by all\nthy bitter pains and torments, grant that the memory of thy\ndolorous passion may be a most powerful protection of my soul and\nbody, against all deceits, temptations, and molestations of the\ndevil, my cruel enemy. Amen.\n\nO most merciful Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n{251}\n\n5. O most sweet Jesus Christ, mirror of eternal brightness, and\nwisdom of the omnipotent Father, remember the bitter grief and\nsorrow thy sacred soul did feel, when beholding, in the clear\nmirror of thy divine presence, the predestination of thy elect,\nwho through the merits of thy most salutary passion were to be\nsaved; and the reprobation of the wicked, who for their\ningratitude were to be damned; and the abyss of thy immense\nmercy, by which thou didst commiserate and shed tears for us,\nmiserable, lost, and forlorn sinners; and chiefly by that mercy\nwhich thou didst show to the thief upon the cross, saying to him,\n\"This day thou shalt be with me in paradise;\" I beseech thee, O\nmost sweet Lord Jesus, my Lord and my God, to show the like mercy\nunto me, now and at the hour of my death. Amen.\n\nO most sweet Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n6. O most sweet Lord Jesus, omnipotent king and most amiable\nfriend, remember the bitter grief and sorrow thy sacred soul did\nsuffer, when, being forsaken of all thy friends, and\nacquaintances, thou didst hang naked, rent, and torn upon the\ncross; not having any to comfort or compassionate thee, only the\nblessed and glorious Virgin Mary, thy mother; who standing under\nthe cross in the bitterness of her soul, accompanied thee in all\nthy torments; unto whom thou didst commend thy beloved disciple,\nSt. John, in thy place, saying unto her, \"Woman, behold thy son;\"\nand after, to thy disciple, \"Son, behold thy mother.\"\n{252}\nO most sweet Lord Jesus, by that sword of sorrow which did then\ntranspierce her sacred soul, and by the tender love and\ncompassion wherewith thou didst behold the sad distresses of thy\nsorrowful mother, have pity and compassion on me, I beseech thee,\nmy dearest Lord, and mercifully help, comfort, succour, and\nassist me in all my tribulations, adversities, necessities,\nsorrows, and sufferings, both spiritual and corporal. Amen.\n\nO most blessed Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n\n7. O most sweet and blessed Lord Jesus, crown of joy, treasure of\nfelicity, sweet source of consolation, and unexhausted fountain\nof mercy; who, hanging on the cross, out of the most inflamed\ndesire thou hadst for the salvation of our souls, saidst, _I\nthirst;_--viz. for the redemption of mankind. O dearest Lord,\nby this, thy ardent charity, inflame our hearts with thy holy\nlove, kindle our desire to accomplish diligently all good works,\nand wholly to extinguish the heat of all evil concupiscence and\nworldly affections in us. Amen.\n\nO most sweet Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n\n8. O most sweet Lord Jesus, the true light of those who believe\nin thee, suavity of hearts, and sovereign solace of all faithful\nsouls, by that bitter gall and vinegar thou didst taste upon the\ncross at the hour of thy death, grant us, miserable sinners,\ngrace worthily to receive at all times, particularly at the hour\nof our death, thy most precious body and blood; that by the\nvirtue of this divine banquet, and all other salutary sacraments,\nwe may be preserved from all evils, sin, and punishments, and\nreplenished with all joy, and securely appear in thy divine\npresence. Amen.\n\nO most sweet Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n{253}\n\n9. O most sweet Lord Jesus, source of all regal virtue, and all\nmental jubilee, remember, I beseech thee, those excessive pains\nand anguishes thou didst endure for us upon the cross, when,\nthrough the bitterness of death, and the impious blasphemies,\nderisions, scorns, and reproaches of the Jews, with a loud voice\nand weeping eyes, thou didst cry to thy heavenly Father, with\nthis sad complaint: \"Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani?\" that is to say,\n\"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?\" O most sweet Lord\nJesus, by this thy bitter torment, sorrow, grief, and anguish,\nvouchsafe, I beseech thee, to have pity on me, and to succour me\nin all my sorrows, sufferings, and tribulations, and particularly\nat the hour of my death. O then, my dearest Lord and my God,\nsuccour me, and forsake me not, I beseech thee. Amen.\n\nO most gracious Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n{254}\n\n10. O most sacred Lord Jesus, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and\nending of all things, and mirror of all virtue, remember how,\nfrom the crown of thy head to the sole of thy feet, thou wert\nimmerged in the deluge of thy dolorous passion, for the love of\nus, vile sinners. O most sweet Lord Jesus, by the length,\nbreadth, greatness, and multitude of thy sacred wounds, take from\nme the love of the world, and teach me by a true and perfect\ncharity, always to keep thy holy law and commandments. Amen.\n\nO most wise Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n\n11. O most sweet Lord Jesus, sovereign goodness, eternal\nbeatitude of thy saints, and most profound abyss of mercy, by the\ndeep wounds which did not only transpierce thy sacred flesh, but\neven thy bowels, and the marrow of thy bones, be merciful to me a\nmiserable sinner, who now am drowned in my sins and iniquities,\nand hide me in thy sacred wounds from the face of thy wrath,\nuntil thy indignation be passed and appeased. Amen.\n\nO most potent Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n\n12. O most sweet Lord Jesus, mirror of verity, pledge of unity\nand bond of charity! remember the innumerable multitude of all\nthose painful wounds wherewith thou wert covered from head to\nfoot, all thy holy body most cruelly rent and torn by impious\nJews, and dyed with thy most precious blood; all which most\ndreadful dolors thou didst endure for us vile sinners. O most\ngracious Lord, engrave those thy dolors deeply in my heart, and\nwrite them there with thy precious blood, that in them I may\nalways read thy love and dolors; so that the memory of thy\npainful passion may daily be renewed in me, and my love increase\ntowards thee, and I remain perpetually thankful to thy immense\ncharity, to the last period of my life, until I come to enjoy\nthee, my only dear Lord, and most desired treasure, abounding\nwith all joy and felicity: which through thy goodness be pleased\nto grant, O most sweet Lord Jesus. Amen.\n\nO most noble Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n{255}\n\n13. O most sweet Lord Jesus, most victorious lion, most\ninvincible, triumphant, and immortal king! remember, I beseech\nthee, all the bitter pains and anguishes thou didst endure, when\nall the forces of thy heart and body failing, bowing down thy\nsacred head, thou saidst: \"It is consummated.\" O dearest Lord, by\nthese thy deadly dolors, have mercy on me at my last passage,\nwhen my heart and soul shall be in anguish and anxiety. Amen.\n\nO most noble Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n\n14. O most sweet Lord Jesus, only begotten Son of the eternal\nFather, figure of his substance, and splendour of his glory!\nremember that most earnest recommendation wherewith thou didst\ncommend thy sacred, sweet soul, to thy omnipotent Father, upon\nthe cross, saying: \"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.\"\nAt which time thou didst hang naked on the cross, with thy most\nholy body all over wounded, rent, and torn, pouring forth streams\nof thy most precious blood; with thy face pale and wan, thy head\ncrowned with thorns, thy arms extended, thy hands nailed, thy\nveins bleeding, thy bowels of mercy opened, thy eyes weeping and\nobscured, thy voice failing, thy breast thirsting, and wholly\nheart-broken.\n{256}\nO my most merciful Lord, unto all these cruel pains and torments\ndidst thou deliver thy most sacred, innocent, tender, pure, and\nprecious body for the redemption of us most wretched, vile, and\nmiserable sinners, and in this manner, renderest thy sweet soul\nto thy celestial Father; by which most precious and innocent\ndeath of thine, and by the virtue of thy holy cross, I beseech\nthee, O Father of mercy and omnipotent King of saints, to give me\ngrace to resist the world, the flesh, and the devil; that being\ndead to all terrestrial things, I may live to thee alone, and\nhave the happiness to be received by thee at my last passage,\nwhen this my miserable exile shall be ended. Amen.\n\nO most pious Lord Jesus, &c.\n\n\n15. O most sweet Lord Jesus, most flourishing, true, and fruitful\nvine, remember the super-abundant effusion of thy precious blood,\nwhich thou didst pour forth so plentifully from all parts of thy\nholy body, like a cluster of pressed grapes; when thou thyself\nalone didst tread the vine-press on the cross, and out of thy\npierced side didst give us water and wine to drink, not leaving\nso much as one drop, being like a bundle of pure and precious\nmyrrh: thou wert suspended on high upon the cross, at which time\nthe liquor of thy bowels dried up, the marrow of thy bones\nconsumed, and thy most delicate and tender body wholly fainted\nand failed.\n\n{257}\n\nO most sweet Lord Jesus, by this most liberal effusion of thy\nprecious blood, by thy bitter death and passion, and all thy\nsacred wounds, vouchsafe to wound my heart with that tender love,\nwherewith the holy heart of thy most blessed mother was wounded\nunder the cross, that tears of love and penance may be my bread\nday and night; and convert me wholly to thee, that my heart may\nbe thy perpetual habitation, my conversation pleasing and\nacceptable to thy divine Majesty, and the end of my life so\nlaudable, that having finished this mortal pilgrimage, I may be\nadmitted into immortal glory, to praise and glorify thee my\nsovereign Lord, in the sweet society of thy holy angels and\nsaints, to all eternity. Amen.\n\nO most gracious Lord Jesus, be propitious to me a sinner.\nPater Noster. Ave Maria.\n\n\n Conclusion.\n\nO most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, vouchsafe\nto receive these prayers, in union with that most excellent love\nwherewith thou didst suffer all the wounds of thy most precious\nbody; and be merciful to me thy poor, unworthy servant, and all\nsinners, with all faithful souls, both living and dead;\ngraciously granting to us all mercy, grace, remission of sins,\nand life everlasting. Amen.\n\n{258}\n\n Devotions To The\n\n Sacred Heart Of Jesus.\n\n\n That the Associates of the Sacred Heart may discharge the\n obligations required of them, they should daily repeat one\n _Pater_, one _Ave_, and the _Creed_, with the\n following aspiration:\n _Adorable Heart of Jesus, grant that I may increase in thy\n love_. They should also spend one hour in the year, at their\n own choosing, in the presence of the blessed Sacrament, in\n making acts of reparation, &c.\n\n\n Act Of Consecration.\n\nTo thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus; I devote and offer up my life,\nthoughts, words, actions, pains, and sufferings. To thee I\nconsecrate my soul and body, with all the faculties and senses\nthereof, so that no part of my being may any longer be employed,\nbut in loving, serving, honouring, and glorifying thee. Be thou,\nO most Sacred Heart! the sole object of my love, the protector of\nmy life, the pledge of my salvation, and my secure refuge at the\nhour of my death. Be thou also, O most bountiful Heart! my\njustification at the throne of God, and screen me from his anger,\nwhich I have so justly merited. In thee I place all my\nconfidence, and convinced, as I am, of my own weakness, I rely\nentirely on thy compassionate mercy. Annihilate in me all that is\ndispleasing and offensive to thy pure eye.\n{259}\nImprint thyself like a divine seal on my heart, that I may ever\nremember my obligations, and never be separated from thee. May my\nname also I beseech thee, by thy tender goodness, ever be fixed\nand engraved in thee, O Book of Life! and may I ever be a victim\nconsecrated to thy glory, ever burning with the flames of thy\npure love, and entirely penetrated with it for all eternity! In\nthis I place all my happiness; this is all my desire, to live and\ndie in no other quality, but that of thy devoted servant. Amen.\n\n\n\n The Litany Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\nChrist, have mercy on us.\nLord, have mercy on us.\nChrist, hear us.\nChrist, graciously hear us.\nGod, the Father of heaven,\n _Have mercy on us._\nGod, the Son, Redeemer of the world,\n _Have mercy on us._\nGod, the Holy Ghost,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHoly Trinity, one God,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the most Blessed Virgin,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, hypostatically united to the eternal Word,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, sanctuary of the Divinity, and tabernacle of the\nmost holy Trinity,\n _Have mercy on us._\n\n{260}\n\nHeart of Jesus, temple of sanctity and fountain of all graces,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, most meek and humble,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, most chaste and obedient,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, furnace of love, and source of contrition,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, treasure of wisdom and goodness,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, throne of mercy, and abyss of all virtues,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, sorrowful in the garden,\nand spent with a bloody sweat,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, saturated with reproaches,\nand consumed for our sins,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, made obedient even unto the death of the cross,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, pierced through with a lance,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, refuge of sinners,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, fortitude of the just,\nand comfort of the afflicted,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, main strength of the tempted,\nand terror of the devils,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, sanctification of hearts,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, perseverance of the good,\nand hope of the dying,\n _Have mercy on us._\nHeart of Jesus, joy of the blessed,\nand the delight of all the saints,\n _Have mercy on us._\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins\nof the world, spare us, O Jesus!\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins\nof the world, hear us, O Jesus!\n\n{261}\n\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins\nof the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus!\n\nV. O most sacred heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.\n\nR. That we may worthily love thee with our whole hearts.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO God, who out of thy immense love, hast given to the faithful\nthe most sacred Heart of thy Son, our Lord, as the object of thy\ntender affection; grant, we beseech thee, that we may so love and\nhonour this pledge of thy love on earth, as by it to merit the\nlove both of thee and thy gift, and to be eternally loved by thee\nand this most blessed Heart in heaven: through the same Jesus\nChrist, our Lord. Amen.\n\nThrough thy sacred Heart, O Jesus, overflowing with all\nsweetness, we recommend to thee ourselves, and all our concerns,\nour friends, benefactors, parents, and relations, our superiors,\nand enemies; take under thy protection this house, city, and\nkingdom; extend thy care to all such as lie under any affliction,\nand to those who labour in the agony and pangs of death; cast an\neye of compassion on the obstinate sinner, and more particularly\non the poor suffering souls in purgatory; as also on those who\nare engaged and united with us in the holy confederacy of\nhonouring and worshipping thee. Bless these in particular, O\ndivine Jesus! and bless them according to the extent of thy\ninfinite goodness, mercy, and charity. Amen.\n\n{262}\n\n A Reparation Of Honour To The Sacred Heart.\n\n\n To be made on the Feast itself, or at any other time, in\n presence of the Blessed Sacrament.\n\nO most amiable and adorable Heart of Jesus! centre of all hearts,\nglowing with charity, and inflamed with zeal for the interest of\nthy Father and the salvation of mankind; O Heart, ever sensible\nof our misery, and ever ready to redress our evils; the real\nvictim of love in the holy Eucharist, and a propitiatory\nsacrifice for sin on the altar of the cross! seeing that the\ngenerality of Christians make no other return for these thy\nmercies, than contempt for thy favours, forgetfulness of their\nown obligations, and ingratitude to the best of benefactors; is\nit not just that we thy servants, penetrated with the deepest\nsense of such indignities, should, as far as in our power, make a\ndue and satisfactory reparation of honour to thy most sacred\nMajesty? Prostrate, therefore, in body, and humbled in mind,\nbefore heaven and earth, we solemnly declare our utter\ndetestation and abhorrence of such conduct. Inexpressible, we\nknow, was the bitterness which the multitude of our sins brought\non thy tender heart; insufferable the weight of our iniquities,\nwhich pressed thy face to the earth in the garden of Olives; and\ninsurmountable thy anguish, when expiring with love, grief, and\nagony, on Mount Calvary, in thy last breath thou wouldst reclaim\nsinners to their duty and repentance. This we know, O dear\nRedeemer! and would most willingly redress these thy sufferings\nby our own, or share with thee in thine!\n\n{263}\n\nO merciful Jesus! ever present on our altars, and with a heart\nopen to receive all who labour and are burdened! O adorable heart\nof Jesus, source of true contrition, impart to our hearts the\ntrue spirit of penance, and to our eyes a fountain of tears, that\nwe may bewail our sins, and the sins of the world. Pardon, divine\nJesus! all the injuries and outrages done to thee in the course\nof thy holy life and bitter passion. Pardon all the impieties,\nirreverences, and sacrileges, which have been committed against\nthee in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, since its first\ninstitution:--graciously receive the small tribute of our\nsincere repentance, as an agreeable offering in thy sight, and in\nrequital for the benefits we daily receive from thy altar, where\nthou art a living and continual sacrifice, and in union with that\nbloody holocaust thou didst present to thy eternal Father, on\nMount Calvary.\n\nSweet Jesus! give thy blessing to the ardent desire we now\nentertain, and the holy resolution we have taken, of ever loving\nand adoring thee, with our whole mind and with our whole heart,\nin the sacrament of thy love; thus to repair, by a true\nconversion of heart, and a zeal for thy glory, our past\nnegligence and infidelities. Be thou, O adorable Heart! who\nknowest the clay of which we are formed, be thou our mediator\nwith thy heavenly Father, whom we have so grievously offended;\nstrengthen our weakness, confirm our resolution, and with thy\ncharity, humility, meekness, and patience, cover the multitude of\nour iniquities. Be thou our support, our refuge, and our\nstrength, that nothing henceforward in life or death may separate\nus from thee. Amen.\n\n{264}\n\n Devotions For The Sick.\n\n Instruction.\n\n The state of sickness and sufferings is to be regarded as a\n fatherly visitation, whereby God knocks at the door of our\n hearts, to put us in mind of our mortality. It is a call from\n heaven, a timely warning to prepare for eternity, by spending\n the remainder of our life in the love and service of our\n Creator. It is the _touchstone_ of patience, the school,\n or rather the _harvest_ of penance, resignation, and every\n Christian virtue. It is the _test_ of our love, by which\n we may judge whether we acquit ourselves of duties that are\n agreeable to nature, in conformity to the will of God, or only\n do them because they are agreeable to our own will. We know not\n what we are until we are tried. It costs us nothing to say, \"We\n love thee, O God, above all things;\" or to show the courage of\n martyrs at a distance, when we have nothing to cross or thwart\n our inclinations; but that love is sincere which stands the\n proof.\n\n If we loved God sincerely, we would on all occasions embrace,\n desire, and find no happiness but in the accomplishment of his\n holy will. We would be prepared to bear whatever crosses and\n calamities he is pleased to send us, with a patient\n resignation. We would rejoice in them as the greatest\n blessings, and the sources of immortal crowns. We would regard\n them as precious talents, to be improved by the increase of our\n love and affection for God, and the exercise of the most heroic\n virtues of self-denial, patience, humility, &c.\n\n{265}\n\n To be dejected and impatient under sickness and trials, to\n indulge murmurs and complaints, to repine and call ourselves\n wretched and unhappy, &c, are signs that an inordinate\n self-love reigns in our hearts, and that we seek our own\n inclinations more than the will of God, who has bequeathed the\n cross to his elect, as their portion and inheritance in this\n world. It is in vain that we take the name of Christians, or\n pretend to follow Christ, unless we also carry our cross after\n his example. It is in vain for us to expect to be glorified\n with Jesus, unless we also suffer with Jesus. He sacrificed\n himself for us on the cross, that he might unite us, by it,\n eternally to himself. We cannot arrive at heaven by any other\n road. If we courageously embrace our cross, God will be our\n comfort and support, as he was the comfort and support of the\n holy martyrs under the most severe trials. He will not forsake\n us, unless we first forsake him by sin.\n\n Too nice and anxious a care of health, is also an evident sign\n of inordinate self-love, and hatred of mortification.\n Nevertheless, as a man is not master of his own life or health,\n he is bound to take a moderate and reasonable care not to throw\n either of them away, nor neglect the essential prescriptions of\n physicians in the simple and ordinary remedies and succours of\n medicine. But he who trusts more in the art of physicians than\n in the Lord, deserves to be disappointed, like Asa, king of\n Juda, who became the victim of death, because he placed more\n confidence in his physicians than in God. Wherefore a Christian\n in his sickness should, in the first place, consider God as his\n chief physician, make his peace with him, and seek the health\n of his soul, by having recourse to the holy sacraments in due\n time, whilst he is in a condition to receive them with the\n proper dispositions. If he be in debt, or has any restitution\n or satisfaction to make, he should take care to have these\n obligations discharged to the best of his power. He should\n settle his temporal affairs without delay, that he may wholly\n apply his thoughts afterwards, without any disturbance, to the\n care of his immortal soul. He ought to beg of God to extinguish\n in him all self-love, and to dispose of him as he pleases.\n{266}\n He ought to excite in his soul devout acts of faith, hope,\n charity, contrition, patience, resignation, &c. He should\n endeavour to sanctify his sufferings, by receiving them from\n the hand of God, by bearing them in the spirit of penance, by\n offering them in satisfaction for his sins, and by uniting them\n with the sufferings of his blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus\n Christ.--\"_Omnia si pardas, animam servare memento_.\"\n \"Although you should lose everything else, be careful to save\n your soul.\"\n\n\n A Prayer In The Beginning Of Sickness.\n\nO my God, I accept this sickness with which thou art pleased to\nvisit me, as a favour from, thy heavenly hand. I accept all its\ncircumstances and consequences, in satisfaction for my sins. Thou\nhast given me health and strength, O Lord, and thou hast taken\nthem away: may thy holy name, O Lord, be blessed for ever. I bow\ndown my whole soul to adore thee in all thy appointments. I\nresign myself entirely into the hands of thy providence, and\nacknowledge that thou dost treat me with too much indulgence. I\nknow I deserve greater evils than those I now endure, and that I\nmerit, by my sins, pains infinitely greater than even the pains\nof hell, where I would long since have been, had not thy pure\nmercy interposed between my soul and thy justice. Alas! how many\nare now suffering there for crimes less than mine? My pains are\nnothing in comparison to theirs. I have no reason to complain. O\nmay thy holy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I offer\nmyself, with an entire submission, to suffer whatever thou\npleasest, as long as thou pleasest, and in what manner thou\npleasest.\n{267}\nMay this sickness be to the honour of thy holy name, and to the\ngood of my soul. But, O Lord, have regard to my weakness, and\ndeal not with me according to my sins; but according to the\nmultitude of thy tender mercies have compassion on me. Confirm my\nsoul with strength from above, that I may be patient under all\nuneasiness, pain, disquietudes, and difficulties of my illness.\nGrant that I may cheerfully submit to them, as a just punishment\nof my manifold offences, and duly offer them in conjunction with\nthe sufferings and death of my blessed Redeemer on the cross,\nthrough whose merits I look for mercy, and hope to possess\neternal life. Have pity on me, O most loving father! clothe me\nwith thy grace, and receive me into the arms of thy mercy. Create\na clean heart within me, O God, and renew an upright spirit\nwithin my bowels; cast out from thence whatever profanes or\ndefiles thy temple; destroy and root out what is displeasing to\nthee, and lay in me the foundation of a new life, either for this\nworld or the world to come. I am heartily sorry that I ever\noffended thy infinite goodness, in thought, word, deed, or\nomission. I most humbly implore thy pardon for all my sins, I now\npropose not to offend thee any more, and to avoid every thing\nthat may be to me an occasion of sin. I resolve to make\nrestitution and satisfaction for the injuries I have committed.\nFor the love of thee, I sincerely forgive all those who have\ninjured me or done me wrong; I beseech thee to pardon them and\ngrant them the same blessing that I desire for my own soul.\n{268}\nWith the utmost humility I also heartily beg pardon of all those\nto whom I have given any offence, whether by ill example, by\nwords, deeds, or any other way, deliberately or unknowingly. Thou\nseest, O Lord, how frail I am, and that I am nothing but dust and\nashes; preserve me from all temptations, and be thou my defence\nagainst all the assaults of the evil spirit, that in this\nsickness I may no way offend thee: and if this is to be my last,\nI beg of thee so to direct me by thy grace, that I may not\nneglect the necessary means of salvation, nor be deprived of any\nof those powerful helps which thou hast in thy mercy ordained for\nthe good of my soul. Prepare it, O Lord, for its passage into\neternity; that being perfectly cleansed from all my iniquities, I\nmay be admitted one day into the kingdom of thy glory, there to\nlove and praise thee for ever, in the company of thy blessed\nangels and saints. Amen.\n\n\"Lord, thy thorns are my roses, and thy suffering my paradise.\"\n _St. Felix_.\n\n\"Tears of devotion are sweeter than the joys of theatres.\"\n _St. Augustine._\n\n\n A Prayer Before Receiving The Viaticum.\n\nO my blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ, I firmly believe thou art\nreally present in this venerable sacrament, which I am now about\nto receive by way of viaticum.\n{269}\nI believe it contains thy sacred body and blood, accompanied with\nthy soul and divinity. I desire to receive this heavenly banquet\nfor thy honour and glory, and the good of my soul, that I may be\nhappily united to thee. I desire to commemorate thy sufferings as\nthou hast commanded. But how shall I dare to approach thee?--so\nwretched a worm, to so infinite a majesty! so filthy a sinner, to\nso infinite purity and sanctity! It is therefore in thy mercy\nthat I place my whole trust; and since thou art pleased to invite\nthyself into so poor, so wretched so mean a cottage as this of my\nbreast, vouchsafe, I beseech thee, to grant me those graces, and\nthat reverence, humility, and devotion, which may prepare a fit\nabode for thy reception. Cleanse my soul from every foul stain of\nsin, clothe it with the nuptial garment of charity, and adorn it\nwith all virtues. I come to thee, like Magdalen, that I may be\ndelivered from all my evils, and that I may embrace thee, my only\ngood. I detest with my whole heart, all the sins of my past life,\nbecause they have offended thy goodness. I desire to lay them all\ndown here at thy feet, to be cancelled by thy precious blood. I\nam sorry for them, and will be sorry for them as long as I live.\nI will bewail them in the bitterness of my soul. They are many\nand grievous, it is true; yet they are nothing when compared to\nthy boundless mercy, and to the infinite ransom of thy precious\nblood.\n{270}\nForgive me, then, sweet Jesus, for thy mercy's sake; have pity on\nme and save me, since thou forsakest none that place their hope\nin thee. I love thee, my God, with my whole heart and soul, and\nabove all things in heaven and on earth! at least I earnestly\ndesire so to love thee, and consecrate myself eternally to thee.\nO come and take full possession of my heart for ever; I offer it\nto thee without reserve; O come and inflame it with the celestial\nfire of thy divine love, and let nothing in life or death ever\nagain separate me from thee. O sweet Jesus, prepare me for a\nworthy reception of the blessing thou art now about to bestow on\nme. I adore and worship thee, humbled in mind and body, and\nconfess myself to be nothing but dust and ashes in thy presence.\nIt is my confidence in thy goodness that makes me presume to\napproach thee, for I cannot but acknowledge myself infinitely\nunworthy. _Domine non sum dignus, &c._\n\nFor a Prayer after receiving the Viaticum, see page 128.\n\n\n A Prayer Before Extreme Unction.\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the abundance of thy mercy, hast\nprovided powerful resources for relief in all our necessities,\ngrant me grace to have recourse to them with such worthy\ndispositions that my soul may partake of all those great\nadvantages and salutary effects which thou hast appointed in\ntheir institution. Thou hast instituted the sacrament of Extreme\nUnction for the benefit of the sick, who, in the extremity of\nlife, stand in need of more graces, more helps, and more\nconsolation, than ever.\n{271}\nI now desire to receive this heavenly medicine, for the ends for\nwhich it has been instituted. I am willing to be anointed, as\nthou hast commanded by thy apostle St James. Grant, I beseech\nthee, that this holy Unction may produce in me all its happy\nfruits, by healing my soul from the ulcers of sin, by fortifying\nme against all temptations, by supporting me in the hour of\nanguish and distress, and by preparing me for a happy passage out\nof this life, or whatever may be thy holy will. Shouldst thou\nforesee that my health may be conducive to thy greater glory, and\nexpedient for my eternal salvation, let this be the means to\nrestore it. I absolutely submit myself to thy divine will and\npleasure. I wish not to live but to serve thee. Dispose of me as\nthou knowest best; do with me as thou pleasest. All I desire is\nthe accomplishment of thy most holy will. Give me health or\nsickness, life or death; give me whatsoever thou pleasest: not my\nwill, O Lord, but thine be done: it is a greater happiness to\nfulfil thy will, than to enjoy ten thousand lives. O how happy\nshould I be, if the destruction of my body could repair the\ninjury I have offered to thy divine Majesty! My _eyes_,\nalas! have seen vanities; my _ears_ have been open to\ndetractions, to profane and unprofitable discourses; my\n_tongue_ has many ways offended thee, both in speaking and\ntasting; my _hands_ have contributed to my follies; my\n_feet_ have often gone astray in the paths of vanity and\nsin.\n{272}\nBy this holy anointing, and the prayers of thy church, pardon me,\nO Jesus, all the sins I have ever committed by these my five\nsenses. Let those avenues through which sin has made its way into\nmy soul, be now shut to the world; let my eyes be open to thee\nalone, my Jesus; let my ears be now attentive to thy commands,\nand to thy call; let my tongue be solely employed in crying out\nfor mercy; let my prayers ascend like incense in thy sight; let\nmy hands be lifted up to heaven for pardon; let my feet walk in\nthy ways; and let my heart be the living temple of the Holy\nGhost. Into thy hands, O dear Jesus, I commend my spirit. In thee\nI will live, in thee I will die, in thee I will abide, and in\nthee I hope to possess eternal rest and heavenly joy for ever and\never. Amen.\n\n\n A Prayer After Extreme Unction.\n\nO my God, thou hast created, redeemed, and sanctified me; thou\nhast preserved me in many dangers both of soul and body; thou\nhast nourished me with the adorable sacrament of thy body and\nblood, and granted me the grace to receive the rights of thy\nchurch, preferably to so many others, who are carried off by a\nsudden death, without being favoured with those succours and\ngraces which thou hast bestowed upon me, a most ungrateful\nsinner.\n{273}\nFor these and all thy other blessings, I offer thee innumerable\nthanks. O that I had as many tongues and hearts as there are\nstars in the heavens, atoms in the air, and creatures in the\nuniverse; how willingly would I employ them all in praising,\nloving, and glorifying thee! To thee I resign my heart: receive\nit as a holocaust. Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit:\nreceive me, O dear Jesus, in thy mercy; receive me into thy\nloving arms, which were stretched forth on the cross for my\nredemption; receive me into the embraces of thy infinite charity.\nI do not desire to be freed from my pains; thou knowest what is\nbest for me: do but take from me all murmuring, and give me\npatience to suffer whatever thou willest, and as long as thou\npleasest. Should it be thy divine pleasure to inflict on my weak\nbody and languishing soul greater punishments than I now suffer,\nmy heart is ready, O Lord, my heart is ready to accept them, and\nto suffer in whatever manner and measure may be most conformable\nto thy will. This one grace I most earnestly beg of thee, my\nGod--_that I may die the death of the just_, and be\nadmitted, after the sufferings and tribulations of this\ntransitory and sinful life, into the kingdom of thy glory, there\nto see and enjoy thee, in the company of the blessed, for a\nnever-ending eternity. Amen.\n\n{274}\n\n Short Acts Of Virtue In Time Of Sickness.\n\nI acknowledge, O Lord, that I am a sinner; accept, therefore, of\nwhat I now suffer, in atonement for my sins. Help me to receive\nwith submission and resignation, whatever afflictions thou shalt\nplease to send me.\n\nI am content to suffer here, provided thou dost spare me\nhereafter. I know that it is by many tribulations we must enter\ninto the kingdom of heaven. I know that those who would be\nglorified with Jesus, must also suffer with Jesus. I am\nconvinced, that the sufferings of this present time are not to be\nset in competition with the eternal glory which shall be revealed\nin us. I believe that the present momentary and light tribulation\nworketh in us, above measure, an eternal weight of glory.\n\nI offer myself, and all that I have, or am, to thee. Do with me,\nmy God, whatever thou pleasest. Shall I not drink the cup which\nmy Father hath given me? Not my will, but thine be done.\n\nO sweetness of my heart, and love of my soul! take off my heart\nand thought from this world, that all my comfort may be in thee.\nO when will thy kingdom come? O Lord, when wilt thou perfectly\nreign in all hearts? when shall sin be no more? Wound my heart\nwith thy love, that it may relish nothing that is earthly. O that\nI had never offended so good a God! O that I had never sinned!\nHappy those souls that have always preserved their baptismal\ninnocence.\n\n{275}\n\nO my God, all my hopes are in thee.--Through Jesus Christ my\nRedeemer, I hope for mercy, grace, and salvation.\n\nO sweet and adorable Jesus! O spotless Lamb! O innocent victim!\nwho by thy passion and death hath effaced the sins of mankind,\nblot out my iniquities, and do not permit that thy sufferings\nshould become useless to me.\n\nLook, O God, on this poor piece of clay, and help me in my\ndistress. O my Jesus! I love thee; I love thee above all things,\nand desire to love thee alone, because thou alone art worthy of\nmy love.\n\nI cast myself into the arms of thy holy love. I abandon myself\nentirely to thy blessed will. My unworthiness humbles and\nconfounds me; but the sight of thy wounds, O Jesus, proclaims\naloud how great thy mercy is, and how far it exceeds my misery.\n\nO boundless love of my Jesus! inflame my heart with thy heavenly\nfire. Consume in me all earthly affections, and confirm my soul\nin thy holy love for ever.\n\nO Jesus, torn with stripes, pierced with thorns, and weltering in\nblood, for my sake! teach me to endure for the love of thee, the\nanguish and inconvenience of my infirmities and sickness.\n\n{276}\n\nO Jesus, raised upon the cross, attract me now most powerfully to\nthyself, that my whole occupation may be to love, praise, and\nadore thee for ever. Hail, sacred wounds of the hands and feet of\nJesus! Hail precious streams of blood, that flowed from those\npainful wounds! Infinite praise, honour, and glory be to thee, my\namiable Redeemer, for suffering such pains for the love of me.\nAh, how does it pierce my heart with sorrow, to contemplate thee,\nand to consider the torments thou didst suffer for my salvation.\n\nHail, sacred wound of the side of Jesus! hail, blessed passage to\nthe sacred heart of my divine Redeemer! O that I could\ncontemplate thee with the love of a Magdalen, and melt into tears\nof sweet devotion in honor of thee! By the sacred wounds of thy\nhands, of thy feet, and of thy side; by the precious streams that\nflowed from them; by thy blessed heart, burning with love for me;\nI beg and beseech thee never to forsake me, but to grant me\nwhatever thou seest necessary for the sanctification of my soul.\n\nGlory be to the Father, who by his power hath brought me forth\nfrom nothing, and made me to his own image and likeness. Glory be\nto the Son, who by his wisdom hath delivered me from hell, and\nopened for me the gates of Heaven. Glory be to the Holy Ghost,\nwho by his mercy hath sanctified me in baptism, and still\ncontinues to sanctify me by the graces which I daily receive.\nGlory be the three adorable persons of the blessed Trinity. O may\nI behold and glorify eternally in heaven, what I believe, adore,\nand worship on earth--one God and three Persons, the Father, and\nthe Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.\n\n{277}\n\n\"Here we have no permanent city:\nbut we seek that which is to come.\"\n _Hebrews_ xiii. 14.\n\n\"While we are in the body we are strangers from the Lord.\"\n 2 _Corinthians_ v. 6.\n\n\"Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.\"\n _Romans_ xiv. 8.\n\n\n A Prayer Of Thanksgiving,\n Upon The Recovery Of\n A Person From The Bed Of Sickness.\n\nAlmighty and everlasting God, I here acknowledge thy blessing in\nthe recovery of my health, and return thee my most hearty thanks\nfor it. I beg thy grace for the making a better use of it than\nhitherto I have done; that I may correct all the errors of my\npast life, that I may improve in virtue, be an example to others,\nand dedicate that health to thee, which is now thy special gift;\nthat thus living to thee, I may be ever prepared for my last\nhour: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\nBless the Lord, O my soul; may he be praised and glorified for\never.\n\nBless the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all his benefits.\n\nBlessed be the Lord, God of our fathers; let praise and glory be\ngiven to him for ever.\n\nI will praise thee, O my God, while I live; I will glorify thy\nholy name while I have my being.\n\nO magnify the Lord with me, all ye holy angels: praise him, all\nye saints.\n\n{278}\n\nI will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall be ever in\nmy mouth.\n\nGive glory to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth\nfor ever.\n\nBlessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth, now, and for\never.\n\nFrom the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the\nname of the Lord is worthy of praise. Glory, &c.\n\n\n Preparation for Death\n\n\t Instruction\n\n The last moments of a Christian are not only the most precious\n of his life, but to him of the greatest importance, as on them\n depends his eternal lot. It is then Satan uses his utmost\n efforts to accomplish the ruin of a soul. His snares and\n batteries are more subtle and violent at the extremity, than at\n any other period, of life; for it is then, as the apostle says,\n (_Revelation_ xii.) \"he cometh down, having great wrath, knowing\n that he hath but a short time.\" Hence it becomes the\n indispensable duty of every soldier of Jesus Christ, frequently\n to exercise himself in acts of faith, hope, charity, confidence,\n fortitude, and perseverance; that by the familiar use of these\n spiritual weapons during life, he may be enabled to encounter\n the mortal enemy of his soul in his last conflict, and defeat\n all his malicious designs.\n\n When the disorder of a sick person has the appearance of\n danger, every spiritual help should be offered him before he\n loses the use of his senses; for which reason it would be very\n unfriendly to flatter him with the hopes of recovery, or to be\n negligent in exhorting him to make the best use of the little\n time which perhaps he has to live, in preparing for his voyage\n to eternity; and since a truly penitential spirit is the best\n security to a Christian in life or death, he ought to be urged\n to secure it to himself by the most perfect acts of\n compunction, resignation, faith, hope, and divine love. For\n this purpose he should keep himself as much as possible in the\n divine presence, and in the blessed company of Jesus Christ,\n the perfect model of suffering Christians.\n{279}\n He should converse frequently with him, cast himself in spirit\n at his feet, like Magdalen; bewail his sins in the bitterness\n of his soul, and cry out for mercy while there is yet time for\n mercy. He should place a crucifix, or picture of his crucified\n Redeemer, before his eyes; think often upon his passion, his\n agony in the garden and on the cross; consider him nailed and\n fastened on that bed of sorrow, without moving either hand or\n foot, or having any other pillow to support his head but a\n crown of thorns. He should fly to his bleeding wounds, there to\n bathe his soul, and find a cure for all his disorders. He\n should be excited by these considerations to make a voluntary\n sacrifice of himself to the Divine Will; bear all his pains\n with patience; accept of death as the just punishment due to\n his sins; and offer it up in union with the death of Jesus\n Christ, that being united thereto, it may become precious in\n the sight of the Lord. He should frequently raise his thoughts\n above this world, and fix them on heaven--making it the object\n of his contemplation, and the centre of all his desires. He\n should consider what a happy thing it is to see and enjoy God\n eternally; and that the longer he remains here below, the more\n he lies exposed to the danger of offending him. Far, therefore,\n from being disturbed at the thoughts of quitting a wicked,\n treacherous, and deceitful world, he should rather endeavour to\n enter into the sentiments of St. Paul, who \"longed to be\n dissolved, and to be with Jesus Christ.\" Instead of being sorry\n or unwilling to be disengaged from a frail body, subject to a\n thousand infirmities, he should rather, like King David, thirst\n after the happy hour that is to put him in possession of that\n eternal kingdom of glory, for the enjoyment of which he was\n created.\n\n In effect, if the _seafaring man_ long for his arrival in\n the port of his destination; if the _military man_ wish\n for an and of the campaign, and long for the day that is to\n restore him to his friends, crowned with laurels, and enriched\n with spoils and trophies; if the _wearied traveller_ pant\n after his native soil, and wish for the end of his journey; if\n the _captive_ long to be freed from his chains; if the\n _farmer_, after the toils and fatigues of the winter,\n rejoice at the bright prospect of the approaching harvest; why\n should not a _Christian_ long for the end of the laborious\n winter of this life, in order to reap the sweet fruits of his\n past labours?\n{280}\n Why should he not be charmed with the well-grounded hope of\n _entering_ into the joys of his Lord, and finding the\n gates of heaven open to receive his soul? Why should he not\n wish to be _rescued_ out of the stormy sea of this world,\n and arrive safely in the harbour of eternal life? Why should he\n not long for the end of the _spiritual warfare_ wherein he\n is constantly engaged, in order to receive that never-fading\n _crown of glory_, which is reserved in the kingdom of\n heaven for such as _conquer?_ Why should he not welcome\n the happy hour of his death, which is to restore him to his\n native country, fix him in his proper habitation, secure him\n from the embarrassments and snares of this mortal life, and\n translate him to the glorious society of the holy apostles,\n martyrs, confessors, virgins, and an innumerable host of\n heavenly citizens, who await him, and long to congratulate his\n happy arrival? \"Which amongst us,\" says St. Cyprian, \"who for a\n long time had been a sojourner in a foreign country would not\n anxiously desire to return to his native soil? What person\n would not wish for a prosperous gale of wind to waft him with\n expedition to his favourite home, that he might the sooner\n embrace his friends and relations?\" Heaven is our native\n country; here we are but strangers, captives, and pilgrims.\n Here we have no permanent city; but there we shall be at home\n in our Fathers house. Here we are exiles and travellers,\n hastening to the end of our journey. This world is a\n tempestuous ocean, full of rocks and quicksands, wherein we are\n constantly tossed to and fro by storms and hurricanes, tortured\n between hopes and fears, and every moment exposed to the danger\n of being shipwrecked. \"O how happy are they,\" continues St.\n Cyprian, \"who, after being delivered from these storms and\n hurricanes, have happily arrived at the haven of everlasting\n bliss!\" How happy are they who are removed from the dangers of\n sin, and freed from the assaults of the devil, and the conflict\n of their passions! How happy are they who are withdrawn from\n the miseries of this perishable life, and have put on a\n glorious immortality! Who would not rejoice to obtain\n everlasting rest, out of the reach of danger? Who would not\n cheerfully quit this sinful Babylon, to spend an eternity in\n the presence of God, and live for ever with Jesus Christ, in\n the company of millions of saints and angels!\n{281}\n O blessed be that Divine Providence, that infinite goodness,\n which has provided a better world to receive us, and there\n promises us eternal life: Hence hath St. Teresa exclaimed: \"O\n death, I know not who can fear thee, since it is by thee that\n we find life.\"\n\n Too great a love of life betrays a want of that lively faith\n and confidence, which, by fortifying the mind of a Christian,\n enables him to stare death in the face, and despise that king\n of terrors. It is now more than ever incumbent on us to comply\n with the obligation we lie under, of suppressing inordinate\n self-love in our hearts, and of doing, not our own, but the\n will of our heavenly Father; for how inconsistent would it be\n to desire that _his will may be done on earth, as it is in\n heaven_, if upon summoning us to quit this world, we are\n reluctant and unwilling to obey his call? With what propriety\n can we say, _thy kingdom come_, whilst we evidently betray\n a desire of remaining here in a state of bondage to our\n passions and subjection to the devil, rather than accept the\n invitation to go and live with Jesus Christ, in the kingdom\n which he has purchased for us at the expense of his sacred\n blood. To die well or ill, is all that should give us trouble.\n We know for certain that death is the only way to eternal\n happiness; that the cross is the ladder by which we should\n ascend to heaven; and that through many sufferings and\n tribulations we must endeavour to enter into it. Christ himself\n died before he entered into his glory. We cannot arrive at\n heaven by any other road. It is the only gate to life\n everlasting. It is a passage from a valley of tears to a region\n of unspeakable bliss. It is a deliverance from a continual\n warfare, in which we are surrounded with a thousand dangers of\n perishing. It is a happy exemption from the temptation of the\n devil, the world, and the flesh, which are our capital enemies.\n Animated therefore, with a bright prospect of eternal happiness\n at our departure, we should consider the pangs of death as\n nothing else but the breaking down of that partition which\n stands betwixt the soul and the sight of its sovereign good.\n\n \"The body is a tottering edifice, which must necessarily fall,\n that the soul may be at rest. It is like the scaffolding which\n architects make use of to erect a palace; but which they take\n away after the building is finished.\"--_Clement XIV.--Picture\n of Man_.\n\n{282}\n\n Short Acts Of Virtue,\n\n Which may be leisurely and distinctly suggested to sick persons\n in time of danger, yet so as not to fatigue them with too much\n reading.\n\n\nO my God, I firmly believe whatever thy holy Catholic Church\nbelieves and teaches, and with the assistance of thy divine\ngrace, I will die in this belief. Increase, O Lord, and\nstrengthen my faith.\n\nIn thee, O Lord, I place my whole confidence. I hope to possess\neternal life through thy infinite mercy and the merits of my\nSaviour Christ Jesus. O let me not be confounded for ever. My\nGod! I love thee with my whole heart and soul, above all things,\nbecause thou art infinitely good and worthy of all love.\n\nI love my neighbour, nay, and even my enemies, for the love of\nthee. O my God, it grieves me to the soul for having so\nill-served so good a master. O that my heart could break asunder\nwith sorrow for having offended thee by the sins of my past life!\nO that I had never offended so good a God! O unhappy day that I\nneglected to love thee! Too late, too late have I begun to love\nthee. I confess mine iniquities are many and grievous; but they\ncannot lessen my confidence in thy mercies, which are infinitely\ngreater than my sins.\n\n{283}\n\nI most humbly ask pardon for them. I detest them because they\ndisplease thee. O God, be merciful to me a sinner. O grant me a\ntrue and sincere contrition, and let not the enemy of my soul\nhave any power over me, either now or at my last hour.\n\nPardon me, O Jesus. Hear me, O Jesus. Save me, O Jesus. I\nrenounce from this moment, and for all eternity, the devil and\nall his works. I abhor all his suggestions and temptations. I\nwill, by no means, give admittance or consent to them.\n\nGrant me, O Lord, the most precious gift of final perseverance,\nthat whenever my hour comes, I may die in thy grace. I beg pardon\nof all those whom I have any way offended, and I sincerely\nforgive all those who have any way offended or injured me, or who\nwish me any kind of evil whatsoever.\n\nI recommend my soul to God my Creator, who made me out of\nnothing; to Jesus Christ my Saviour, who redeemed me with his\nblood; to the Holy Ghost, who sanctified me in the water of\nbaptism.\n\nPraise, honour, and glory, be to thy name for ever, O my God, for\nall the graces and benefits which I have received from thy bounty\nduring the whole course of my life.\n\nMay thy providence be ever blessed and praised for all the\nsufferings I have endured: O receive them in satisfaction for my\nsins. I offer up to thee, O my crucified Redeemer, all that I now\nsuffer, or may have yet to suffer, to be united to, and to be\nsanctified by thy passion.\n\n{284}\n\nI am content to suffer here, in hopes that my momentary pains and\nsufferings will be soon changed into an eternity of happiness and\ncomfort.\n\nLet the flesh suffer and perish, so that the spirit may be safe.\nScourge and afflict my body; and spare my soul for all eternity.\nHere wound me, here burn me, here cut me asunder; but spare me at\nmy last hour.\n\nMy whole confidence, either of living or dying well, is grounded\non the infinite merits of my Redeemer's death and passion, and\nthe blood he hath shed for my sins.\n\nReceive, O eternal Father, his precious merits, in full\nsatisfaction for all my offences. O let me never be separated\nfrom thee.\n\nWound my heart with thy love, that it may relish nothing that is\nearthly. Take off my thoughts from this mortal life, that all my\ncomfort may be placed in thee alone.\n\nDispose of my soul that it may be prepared at thy call to go\nforth and meet thee, and become thy habitation for ever.\n\nTo thee I resign my heart, and bequeath my soul. O do not cast me\noff amongst the reprobate; but make me fit to appear in thy\nsight.\n\nO happy hour! when shall I behold thee? O sweet Jesus! when shall\nI appear before thy face? When shall I be disengaged from this\nearthly habitation, that I may come to the enjoyment of thee?\nWhen shall I be released from this prison, this miserable\nBabylon, this place of banishment, that I may bless thy name, and\njoin with thy angels and saints in thy everlasting praise?\n\n{285}\n\nWhen shall I lay down this cumbrous weight of flesh, and be\ndelivered from this body of death, which I have loved too well?\n\nThou hast in thy justice decreed that I should die. I most humbly\nsubmit to the sentence, and readily accept it in the spirit of\npenance, in order to honour thee by the sacrifice of my life, and\nto give a proof of my obedience to thy orders.\n\nI am content to die for thy glory, and to testify that I love\nthee better than myself.\n\nI am content to die, that I may no longer offend thee, but that I\nmay love thee, possess thee, praise thee, bless thee, and glorify\nthee for ever in heaven. I am content to die, to expiate by my\ndeath and suffering, all the sins which I have committed since I\ncame into the world.\n\nI am ready and willing to be deprived of every thing I have loved\nupon earth. I renounce all the vanities of the world, and now\nwillingly bid farewell to this vale of tears and miseries.\n\nHeaven is my happier home. Paradise is much more pleasant and\nagreeable, and death is the path that leads to it.\n\nO happy news of my departure! I hope I shall soon hear the choirs\nof angels sing forth the immortal praise of my God. To dwell one\nday in his holy palace, in the company of the blessed, is better\nthan to be a thousand years in the tabernacle of sinners.\n\n{286}\n\nLet slow death then hasten on, that dying I may be no longer\nexposed to the dangerous occasions of sin, but that I may see and\nenjoy thee, my God, in paradise, and love thee eternally in the\nregions of bliss and immortality.\n\nO heavenly Jerusalem! O beautiful city of God, my happy home!\nwhen shall I arrive in thy sacred tabernacles?\n\nTake courage, my soul. The hour approacheth. Eternity comes on.\nThy miseries and sorrows will soon have an end.\n\nThou art going to the nuptials of the Lamb. Thou art going to the\nland of the living. Thou art going to a kingdom where the God of\nall glory displays his grandeur with the greatest magnificence.\n\nO welcome the approaching hour of death, which is to remove thee\nto a better life, and to translate thee from misery to felicity,\nfrom death to immortality.\n\nJesus Christ was crucified and died for thee. Be ready then to\ndie for him, that thou mayest enjoy him in the kingdom of heaven,\nwhich he has promised to those who put their trust and confidence\nin him. [_Here the assistants may show a crucifix to the sick\nperson_.] Contemplate him expiring on the painful bed of the\ncross, without any other pillow to support his head but a crown\nof thorns. Behold his merciful arms extended to embrace thee.\n{287}\nSee his sacred side laid open to grant thee admittance to his\nheart. See his blessed head laid down to give the kiss of peace.\nSee at how dear a rate he has purchased thy salvation. See what\nhe suffered for thy sake. Embrace him with the most tender\naffection, and with a firm confidence that thou wilt soon see him\nin heaven, whom thou now beholdest fastened on a cross. Yes, my\ndivine Redeemer, I embrace thee with all the affections of my\nsoul. I depend on thy merits, and take shelter in thy bleeding\nwounds. I trust thou wilt not suffer me to be for ever miserable,\nfor thou art infinitely good and merciful. Since I have thy blood\nto plead in my behalf, why should I fear? why should I tremble at\nthe thoughts of death, when I consider that thou hast satisfied\nfor my sins, paid my debts, and laid down thy life for my\nsalvation?\n\nI am not afraid of hell, though I have deserved it, because my\ndear Jesus has purchased heaven for me.\n\nI hope in his mercy; and all the artifices of the infernal\nspirits shall never induce me to relinquish my hope.\n\nIn spite of them all, I will sing eternal praises to thee, O\nblessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I will adore thy\nmercies, and will possess and love thee for ever.\n\n{288}\n\nI will now say what, perhaps, I shall not be able to say at my\ndying moments:--\"O Father of mercies, and God of all consolation,\ninto thy most merciful hands I commend my soul, both for time and\neternity.\"\n\nNow, instead of then, when perhaps I may be deprived of the use\nof speech and reason, I offer thee, O Lord, my heart, my life, my\nagony, my pains, my anguish, my distress, and my death, to be\nunited to the blood, sweat and agony of my dear Saviour Jesus\nChrist.\n\nNow, as well as at the time of my departure, I renounce Satan,\nand declare my abhorrence of whatever evil thoughts he shall then\nsuggest to me.\n\nO God of my heart, my portion, and my inheritance for ever! I\ndesire to love thee, as the angels of heaven love thee. O how\ngood hast thou been to me, and how ungrateful have I been to\nthee! I grieve from the bottom of my heart that I ever offended\nthee, who art infinitely amiable. Forgive me, dear Jesus! forgive\nme, O Father of mercies.\n\nO my God and my all! my soul doth thirst after thee. When shall I\ncome and appear before thee, O thou fountain of mercy! O who will\ndeliver me from this body of death! I desire to be dissolved and\nto be with Christ; for Christ is my life, and to die will be my\ngain.\n\nHow lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord God of Hosts! I love the\nbeauty of thy house, and the place of thy glorious abode. \"The\neye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered\ninto the heart of man to conceive, what things God hath prepared\nfor those who love him.\"\n\n{289}\n\nWhat have I more to do with the world? And in heaven, what can I\ndesire but thee only, O Lord? Now dost thou dismiss thy servant\nin peace.\n\nI am weary of this life. I willingly take my leave of this world,\nand of all terrestrial objects.\n\nNothing, O good Jesus! nothing more shall ever separate me from\nthee.\n\nO holy Mary, mother of God, who didst assist at the death of thy\nbeloved son Jesus, obtain for me the grace of a happy death.\n\nGlorious St. Michael, prince of the heavenly host, intercede for\nme at the hour of my death, that I may depart this world in the\ngrace and favour of my Creator.\n\nO holy Angel Guardian, to whose care God in his mercy has\ncommitted me, stand by me at that dreadful hour; protect me\nagainst all the powers of darkness: defend me from all my\nenemies; and conduct my soul to the mansions of eternal repose.\n\nO all ye blessed angels and saints of God, assist me by your\nintercession, in this last and dreadful passage.\n\nO Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, be thou\nthen to me a powerful redeemer and advocate with the Father.\n\nLet those hands which were nailed to the cross, plead in my\nbehalf, and open to me the gates of heaven.\n\nBe thou a Jesus to me, and save my soul at that awful period.\nHide me in thy wounds, and protect me under the shadow of thy\nwings.\n\n{290}\n\nO good Shepherd of souls! do not forsake me, but conduct my soul\ninto eternal rest.\n\nSuffer thy passion and death to stand betwix my soul and thy\njustice; and let these comfortable words sound then in my ears:\n\"This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.\"\n\nO sweet Comforter of desolate and distressed souls let me then\nexperience the multitude of thy tender mercies, when my soul\nshall be in conflict with the pangs of death.\n\nBe mindful of thy poor creature, whom thou hast redeemed with thy\nprecious blood.\n\nRemember thou hast bought my soul at a dear rate. O let not thy\nprecious blood be lost on me, or spilt in vain.\n\nO let not my soul perish, which cost thee so great a price.\n\nThou hast promised, that whosoever shall invoke thy name with\nfaith and confidence, shall be saved: I invoke thy sacred name, O\nJesus, with my whole heart, and with all possible respect and\ndevotion: do not then suffer me to be lost for ever.\n\nHelp me, O God my Saviour; and for the glory of thy blessed name,\ndeliver me. Look with an eye of pity on this poor piece of clay,\nand succour me in my distress.\n\nI beseech thee, by thy sufferings on the cross, especially at\nthat hour when thy blessed soul left thy sacred body, to have\nmercy on my soul at the time of its departure from mine.\n\n{291}\n\nCall me to thyself, and receive me into the number of thine\nelect, that I may praise thee without end.\n\nO Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me.\n\nGive me thy blessing, O most loving Jesus. Lord Jesus, receive my\nsoul.\n\nReceive me Lord Jesus, in thy mercy! receive my soul in peace.\n\nGlory be to the Father, &c.\n\n\nPost hominem vermis; post vermem f\u0153tor et horror: Sic in non\nhominem vertitur omnis homo.\n\n\n A Prayer By St. Liguori.\n\nAh, my Redeemer, how have I been able hitherto to live in such\nforgetfulness of you? You were prepared to grant me all the\ngraces which I should ask of you; you only waited for me to ask\nthem. But I have thought only of indulging my senses, and have\nbeen indifferent about the privation and loss of your love and of\nyour graces. Lord, forget all my ingratitude, and have mercy on\nme. Pardon me all the displeasure I have given you, and grant me\nperseverance. O God of my soul, give me the grace always to ask\nyour aid not to offend you. Do not permit me to be, as I have\nhitherto been, negligent in the performance of this duty. Grant\nme light and strength always to recommend myself to you, and\nparticularly when my enemies tempt me to offend you again.\n\n{292}\n\nGrant, O my God, this grace through the merits of Jesus Christ,\nand through the love which you bear to him. O Lord, I have\noffended you enough. I wish to love you during the remainder of\nmy life. Give me your love; and may this love remind me to ask\nyour aid whenever I shall be in danger of losing you by sin.\nMary, my hope after Jesus, through your intercession I hope for\nthe grace to recommend myself, in all my temptations, to you and\nto your Son. Hear me, O my queen, through the love which you bear\nto Jesus Christ.\n\n\n A Devout Prayer Of St. Augustine\n On The Sufferings Of Christ.\n\nO God! who for the redemption of the world didst vouchsafe to be\nborn--to be circumcised--to be rejected by the Jews--to be\nbetrayed with a kiss--to be bound like a malefactor, and like an\ninnocent lamb to be led to the slaughter--to be ignominiously\nbrought before Annas, Caiphas, Pilate, and Herod--to be accused\nby false witnesses--scourged with whips--buffeted--defiled with\nspittle--crowned with thorns--stripped of thy clothes--fastened\nto the cross, placed between two thieves--to have vinegar and\ngall given thee to drink--to have thy side pierced through with a\nspear! Thou, O Lord, by these most grievous pains, which I,\nthough unworthy, do commemorate, and by thy most sacred passion\nand death, free me from the pains of hell, and conduct me whither\nthy mercy did conduct the good thief crucified with thee: who,\ntogether with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest\nfor ever.\n\n{293}\n\n A Prayer Of St. Jerome In Time Of Agony.\n\nMerciful Jesus, thou art my strength, my refuge, and my\ndeliverer; in thee I have believed and hoped; in thee have I\nloved. Call me now, I beseech thee, and I will answer.--Stretch\nforth thy hand of mercy to the work of thy hands, and let me not\nperish, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.\n\nIt is now time for dust to return to dust, and my spirit to thee\nwho gavest it. Open then, Lord, the gate of life, and receive me;\nreceive me most merciful Lord, according to the multitude of thy\ntender mercies, who receivedst the thief on the cross, and now\nprepare my soul for hearing the same promise of mercy which he\ndid. I am sick, O Lord, and my life is withering away; therefore\nI come to thee my physician. Heal me then, my God, and I shall be\nhealed: let me not be confounded; because I put my trust in thee.\nIn thee have I hoped; let me not be cast off for ever.\n\nBut what am I, most merciful Lord, that I should speak thus\nboldly to thee?--I am a sinner, grown up in sin, a rotten\ncarcass, a vessel of corruption, and food for worms. But spare me\nstill, my God; for what victory is there in overthrowing me, who\nam but as dust before the wind? Forgive me all my sins, and\ndeliver me from my distress.\n\n{294}\n\nArise and help me, Lord; arise and let thy mercy plead for me.\nLet my prayer ascend before thee, and stretch forth thy hand to\nhelp me; for behold I am covered with sin, and have done evil in\nthy sight, and there is none can heal me but thou, my God. If\nthou hadst not paid my ransom, by dying on the cross, should not\nI have been for ever miserable? Remember then, O merciful Jesus,\nthat I have a share in that price that was paid. It was for me\nalso, though most unworthy, thy blood was shed; let me,\ntherefore, have a part in this mercy.\n\nI confess I have many times offended against thee, and therefore\nam not worthy to be called thy child; but turn away thy face, I\nbeseech thee, from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Deal\nnot with me according to what I deserve, nor chastise me\naccording to my iniquities; but help me, O God, my Saviour, and\nfor the glory of thy name deliver me. Now at this hour show mercy\nto me, and whenever I depart receive me into the number of thy\nfamily, that I may be one of those who are to praise thee for\never.\n\n{295}\n\n Prayers To Be Recited By The Assistants\n When The Dying Person Loses The Use Of Speech.\n\nLord Jesus Christ, we beseech thee, by thy bitter agony and\nprayer in the garden, that thou wouldst be pleased to be an\nadvocate with thy eternal Father, in behalf of this thy servant:\nlay before him (_her_) all those drops of blood which in thy\nanguish of spirit flowed from thy body, and offer them for the\nremission of all his (_her_) sins: that in this hour of\nextremity, he (_she_) may be discharged from that\nhand-writing of sin which stands against him (_her_), and\nfrom that punishment which he (_she_) fears to be too justly\ndue to his (_her_) sins. \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\nLord Jesus Christ! who for our salvation was pleased to suffer\ndeath on the cross, we beseech thee to offer up all the anguish\nand pains thou didst then endure, and most especially at the hour\nof thy death, in behalf of this thy servant, that they may be\naccepted in his (_her_) favour, for the good of his\n(_her_) soul, for the obtaining of a happy hour, and for the\nrelease from that punishment which he (_she_) has deserved\nfor his (_her_) sins. \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\nLord Jesus Christ! who hadst such a boundless love for man as to\ninduce thee to become man for his salvation, we beseech thee to\nlet this thy infinite charity and goodness towards mankind, so\nplead in behalf of this thy poor servant, that by thy powerful\nmediation, his (_her_) soul, at the moment of its departure\nfrom the body, being freed from the bonds of sin, may find a free\nadmittance through the gates that lead to the mansions of eternal\nbliss. \"Our Father,\" &c. \"Hail Mary,\" &c.\n\n{296}\n\nLord Jesus Christ! who by thy precious blood hast redeemed us, we\nbeseech thee to imprint deep in the soul of this thy servant the\nmemory of thy most sacred wounds, that having them perpetually in\nhis (_her_) sight, he (_she_) may be encouraged to\nsuffer with patience and resolution, and be armed against all the\npangs of death. Thus let him (_her_) cheerfully submit to\nall the difficulties of his (_her_) condition, and begin,\neven here, to be united to thee with a love that shall never end.\n\nGrant him (_her_) now to partake of the fruit of thy holy\nincarnation, of thy bitter passion, of thy glorious resurrection,\nand admirable ascension.\n\nGrant that he (_she_) may be sensible of the effects of thy\nholy mysteries and sacraments, and of all the prayers which are\noffered by the whole church.\n\nRemember, O Lord, that thou wast once in the straits of death;\nand in this extremity, after crying out to thy eternal Father,\nand commending thy spirit to him, didst expire. Behold now this\nthy servant in his (_her_) anguish crying aloud to thee;\nstand thou by him (_her_), defend and comfort him\n(_her_) in this his (_her_) distress, and receive his\n(_her_) soul into thy merciful embraces.\n\nRemember, O Jesus, that thy arms were stretched forth, thy side\nopened, and thy sacred head bowed down from the cross; have\nregard now, we beseech thee, to the soul of this thy servant,\nwhich, departing out of this world, seeks refuge in thee; receive\nit into thy arms, clasp it to thy breast, and there let it hide\nitself, secured from the attacks of all its enemies, till the\nanger of God pass over.\n{297}\nInto thy hands we commend his (_her_) spirit, which has been\ncreated and redeemed by thee, despise not, we beseech thee, the\nwork of thy hands.\n\nO Christ Jesus, who was crucified for our redemption, we beseech\nthee, by that love which brought thee from heaven, to have\ncompassion on the soul of thy servant; forgive him (_her_)\nall his (_her_) sins, and by the merits of thy bitter\npassion, satisfy for all his (_her_) failings, and supply\nhis (_her_) defects; let him (_her_) now experience the\nmultitude of thy tender mercies, and be sensible how good thou, O\nLord, art. Dispose now his (_her_) soul by thy grace, that\nhe (_she_) may be prepared at thy call to go forth to meet\nthee, his (_her_) heavenly bridegroom. Grant him\n(_her_), we beseech thee, true patience and perfect\nresignation in his (_her_) pains and anguish. Give him\n(_her_) full discharge from all his (_her_) sins;\nconfirm his (_her_) faith; strengthen his (_her_) hope,\nand perfect his (_her_) charity; that departing hence, his\n(_her_) soul may be received into thy mercy. O dear\nRedeemer, by that distress which thou didst suffer on the cross,\nwhen thou criedst out to thy eternal Father, we pray thee to show\nmercy to this thy servant in his (_her_) extremity; hear the\nsighs and desires of his (_her_) heart; and since he\n(_she_) is now deprived of the faculty of speech, speak thou\nfor him (_her_) we beseech thee, who art the eternal Word,\nand to whom the Father will refuse nothing.\n\n{298}\n\nBy thy victory over death, and the infinite merits of thy\npassion, we beseech thee, on behalf of this thy servant, to have\nno other thoughts but of peace, of mercy and comfort, and not of\naffliction. Bear him (_her_) up against all distrust and\ndespair; deliver him (_her_) from his (_her_)\nnecessities, and be his (_her_) comforter in his\n(_her_) distress. Let those hands which were once nailed to\nthe cross, now plead for him (_her_) and obtaining his\n(_her_) pardon, conduct him (_her_) into thy eternal\nrest. Amen.\n\n\n The Recommendation Of A Soul Departing.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\n Christ, have mercy on us.\n Lord, have mercy on us.\n\nHoly Mary,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye Angels and Archangels,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nHoly Abel,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll the choir of the Just,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nHoly Abraham,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. John Baptist,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Joseph,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye Patriarchs and Prophets,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Peter and St Paul,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Andrew,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. John,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye holy Apostles and Evangelists,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye holy disciples of our Lord,\n _Pray for him (her)._\n\n{299}\n\nAll ye holy Innocents,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Stephen,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye holy Martyrs,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt Sylvester,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Gregory,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Augustine,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Laurence,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye holy Bishops and Confessors,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Benedict,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt Francis,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye holy Monks and Hermits,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Mary Magdalen,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nSt. Lucy,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye holy Virgins and Widows,\n _Pray for him (her)._\nAll ye saints of God,\n _make intercession for him (her)_.\nBe merciful,\n _spare him (her,) O Lord._\nBe merciful,\n _deliver him (her,) O Lord._\nBe merciful,\n _receive him (her,) O Lord._\nFrom thy anger,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nFrom the danger of death,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nFrom an ill end,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nFrom the pains of hell,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nFrom all evil,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nFrom the power of the devil,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nThrough thy nativity,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nThrough thy cross and passion,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nThrough thy death and burial,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nThrough thy glorious resurrection,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nThrough thy admirable ascension,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nThrough the grace of the Holy Ghost, the comforter,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\nIn the day of judgment,\n _Deliver him (her), O Lord._\n\n{300}\n\nWe sinners,\n _beseech thee to hear us._\nThat thou spare him (_her_),\n _we beseech thee to hear us._\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\n Christ, have mercy on us.\n Lord, have mercy on us.\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nDepart then, O Christian soul, out of this miserable world, in\nthe name of God the Father Almighty, who created thee; in the\nname of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered for\nthee; in the name of the Holy Ghost, who sanctified thee; in the\nname of the angels, archangels, thrones, dominations, cherubim,\nand seraphim; in the name of the patriarchs and prophets, of the\nholy apostles, and evangelists, of the holy martyrs and\nconfessors, of the holy monks and hermits, of the holy virgins,\nand of all the saints of God: let thy place be this day in peace,\nand thy abode in holy Sion: through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\nGod of clemency! God of goodness! O God, who according to the\nmultitude of thy mercies, forgivest the sins of such as repent,\nand graciously remittest the guilt of their past offences,\nmercifully regard this thy servant (_N_.) and grant him\n(_her_) a full discharge from all his (_her_) sins, who\nmost earnestly begs it of thee. Renew, O merciful Father,\nwhatever is corrupt in him (_her_) through human frailty, or\nby the snares of the enemy; make him (_her_) a true member\nof thy church, and let him (_her_) partake of the fruit of\nthy redemption.\n{301}\nHave compassion, O Lord, on his (_her_) sighs, have pity on\nhis (_her_) tears, and admit him (_her_) to the\nsacrament of thy reconciliation, who has no hope but in thee:\nthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\nI recommend thee, dear brother (_sister_,) to Almighty God,\nand commit thee to his mercy, whose creature thou art; that\nhaving paid the common debt, by surrendering thy soul, thou\nmayest return to thy Maker, who formed thee out of the earth.\nMay, therefore, the noble company of angels meet thy soul at its\ndeparture. May the court of the apostles receive thee. May the\ntriumphant army of glorious martyrs conduct thee. May the crowds\nof joyful confessors encompass thee. May the choir of blessed\nvirgins go before thee; and may a happy rest be thy portion in\nthe company of the patriarchs. May Jesus Christ appear to thee\nwith a mild and cheerful countenance, and give thee a place among\nthose who are to be in his presence for ever. Mayest thou be a\nstranger to all who are condemned to darkness, chastised with\nflames, or punished with torments. May God command thy wicked\nenemy, with all his evil spirits, to depart from thee. May the\ninfernal spirits tremble at thy approach encompassed by angels,\nand retire into the horrid confusion of eternal night. May thy\nGod arise, and thy enemies be put to flight. May all who hate him\nfly before his face. Let them vanish like smoke, or as wax before\nthe fire; so let sinners perish in the sight of God.\n{302}\nBut as to the just, let them rejoice and be happy in his\npresence. May all the ministers of hell be filled with confusion\nand shame, and let no evil spirit dare to stop thy course to\nheaven. May Christ Jesus, who was crucified for thee, be thy\ndeliverer. May he deliver thee from death, who for thy sake\nvouchsafed to die. May Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God,\nplace thee in his garden of Paradise; and may he, the true\nshepherd, own thee for one of his flock. May he absolve thee from\nall thy sins, and place thee at his right hand in the inheritance\nof his elect. O may it be thy happy lot to behold thy Redeemer\nface to face; to be ever in his presence, in the beatific vision\nof that eternal truth, which is the joy of the blessed. And thus\nplaced among those happy spirits, mayest thou be for ever filled\nwith heavenly sweetness. Amen.\n\nReceive thy servant, O Lord, into that place where he\n(_she_) may hope for salvation from thy mercy.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant from all dangers of\nhell, and from all pain and tribulation.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nEnoch and Elias from the common death of the world.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nNoah in the flood.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nAbraham from the midst of the Chaldeans.--R. Amen.\n\n{303}\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst Job\nfrom all his afflictions.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nIsaac from being sacrificed by his father.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst Lot\nfrom Sodom and the the flames of fire.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nMoses from the hands of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nDaniel from the lions' den.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst the\nthree children from the fiery furnace, and from the hands of that\nunmerciful king.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nSusannah from her false accusers.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nDavid from the hands of Saul and Goliah.--R. Amen.\n\nDeliver, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredst\nPeter and Paul out of prison.--R. Amen.\n\nAnd as thou deliveredst the blessed virgin and martyr, St.\nThecla, from most cruel torments, vouchsafe to deliver the soul\nof this thy servant, and bring it to the participation of thy\nheavenly joys.--R. Amen.\n\n{304}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nWe commend to thee, O Lord, the soul of this thy servant; and\nbeseech thee, O Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world, that as in\nthy mercy to him (_her_) thou becamest man, so now thou\nmayest vouchsafe to admit him (_her_) into the number of the\nblessed. Remember, O Lord, that he (_she_) is thy creature,\nnot made by strange gods, but by thee, the only true and living\nGod; for there is no other God but thee, and none can work thy\nwonders. Let his (_her_) soul find comfort in thy sight, and\nremember not his (_her_) former sins, nor any of those\nexcesses which he (_she_) has fallen into through the\nviolence of passion and corruption. For although he (_she_)\nhath sinned, yet he (_she_) has still retained a true faith\nin thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; he (_she_) has had a\nzeal for thy honour, and faithfully adores thee his (_her_)\nGod and Creator of all things.\n\nRemember not, O Lord, the sins or ignorance of his (_her_)\nyouth; but according to thy great mercy be mindful of him\n(_her_) in thy eternal glory. Let the heavens be opened to\nhim (_her_,) and the angels rejoice with him (_her_).\nMay St. Michael the archangel, the chief of the heavenly host,\nconduct him (_her_). May blessed Peter, thy apostle, to whom\nwere given the keys of the kingdom of heaven, receive him\n(_her_.)\n{305}\nMay holy Paul thy apostle, and chosen vessel of election, assist\nhim (_her_.) May St. John, thy beloved disciple, to whom\nwere revealed the secrets of heaven, intercede for him\n(_her_.) May all thy holy apostles, to whom was given the\npower of binding and loosening, pray for him (_her_.) May\nall the chosen servants and martyrs of God, who in this world\nhave suffered torments for thy sake, O Christ, intercede for him\n(_her_,) that being delivered from this body of corruption,\nhe (_she_) may be admitted into the kingdom of heaven;\nthrough the assistance and merits of thee, our Lord Jesus Christ,\nwho liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world\nwithout end. Amen.\n\n\n\n [Should the sick person still continue in distress of agony, it\n may be proper for the assistants to continue on in prayer, saying\n Psalms xxi. cxviii.]\n\n\n Litany For A Happy Death;\n\n _Composed by a young Lady who was converted to the Catholic\n Faith, and afterwards died at eighteen, in the odour of\n sanctity._\n\n\n\nO Lord Jesus, God of goodness, and Father of mercies, I approach\nto thee with a contrite and humble heart: to thee I recommend the\nlast hour of my life, and the decision of my eternal doom.\n\n{306}\n\nWhen my feet, benumbed with death, shall admonish me that my\nmortal course is drawing to an end,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen my eyes, dim and troubled at the approach of death, shall\nfix themselves on thee, my last and only support,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen my face, pale and livid, shall inspire the beholders with\npity and dismay; when my hair, bathed in the sweat of death, and\nstiffening on my head, shall forebode my approaching end,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen my ears, soon to be for ever shut to the discourse of men,\nshall be opened to the irrevocable decree which is to cut me off\nfrom the number of the living,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen my imagination, agitated by dreadful spectres, shall be sunk\nin an abyss of anguish; when my soul, affrighted with the sight\nof my iniquities, and the terrors of thy judgments, shall have to\nfight against the angel of darkness, who will endeavour to\nconceal thy mercies from my eyes, and to plunge me into despair,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._.\n\nWhen my poor heart, yielding to the pressure, and exhausted by\nits frequent struggles against the enemies of its salvation,\nshall feel the pangs of death,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen the last tear, the forerunner of my dissolution, shall drop\nfrom my eyes, receive it as a sacrifice of expiation for my sins;\ngrant that I may expire the victim of penance; and in that\ndreadful moment,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\n{307}\n\nWhen my friends and relations, encircling my bed, shall shed the\ntear of pity over me, and invoke thy clemency in my behalf,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen I shall have lost the use of my senses; when the world shall\nhave vanished from my sight; when my agonizing soul shall feel\nthe sorrows of death,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen my last sigh shall summon my soul to burst from the embraces\nof the body, and to spring to thee on the wings of impatience and\ndesire,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen my soul, trembling on my lips, shall bid adieu to the world,\nand leave my body lifeless, pale, and cold, receive this\nseparation as a homage which I willingly pay to thy divine\nMajesty; and in that last moment of my mortal life,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\nWhen at length my soul, admitted to thy presence, shall first\nbehold the splendour of thy Majesty, reject me not, but receive\nme into thy bosom, where I may for ever sing thy praises; and in\nthat moment, when eternity shall begin to me,\n _Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me._\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO God, who hast doomed all men to die, but hast concealed from\nall the hour of their death, grant that I may pass my days in the\npractice of holiness and justice, and that I may deserve to quit\nthis world in the peace of a good conscience, and in the embraces\nof thy love: through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{308}\n\n The Soul Being Now Departed,\n The Following Responsory is Said:\n\nCome to his (_her_) assistance, all you saints of God; meet\nhim (_her_) all you angels of God; receive his (_her_)\nsoul, and present it now before its Lord. May Jesus Christ\nreceive thee, and the angels conduct thee to thy place of rest;\nmay they receive thy soul, and present it now before its Lord.\n\nV. Eternal rest grant him (_her_,) O Lord.\n\nR. And let perpetual light shine unto him (_her_.)\n\nMay the angels present him (_her_) now before the Lord.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\nChrist, have mercy on us.\nLord, have mercy on us.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\nV. And lead us not into temptation;\n\nR. But deliver us from evil.\n\nV. Eternal rest grant him (_her_,) O Lord.\n\nR. And let perpetual light shine unto him, (_her_.)\n\nV. From the gates of hell;\n\nR. Deliver his (_her_) soul, O Lord.\n\nV. May he (_she_) rest in peace;\n\nR. Amen.\n\nV. O Lord, hear my prayer;\n\nR. And let my cry come unto thee.\n\n{309}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nUnto thee, Lord, we commend the soul of thy servant (_N_.)\nthat being dead to this world, he (_she_) may live to thee;\nand whatever sins he (_she_) has committed through human\nfrailty, we beseech thee, in thy goodness, mercifully to pardon:\nthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n [Then, for a conclusion, may be added the following prayer for\n the assistants, which may be also said at the burial.]\n\nGrant, O Lord, that while we here lament the departure of thy\nservant, we may ever remember that we are most certainly to\nfollow him (_her_). Give us grace to prepare for that last\nhour by a good life, that we may not be surprised by a sudden\ndeath, but be ever watching when thou shalt call, that so with\nthe spouse we may enter into eternal glory: through Jesus Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n\n A Prayer For All That Are Buried\n\t In A Church Or Church-yard.\n\nO God, by whose mercy the souls of all the faithful find rest,\ngrant to all thy servants, here or elsewhere, that have slept in\nChrist, the full remission of all their sins; that being\nacquitted as well from the guilt as the temporal punishment due\nto them, they may be speedily admitted into thy heavenly kingdom,\nand there rejoice with thee for all eternity: through, &c.\n\n{310}\n\n Exequies, Or Sacred Rites Over The Tomb.\n\n [Solemnity performed after High Mass for the Dead, and which\n may be privately recited after the Office.]\n\n\n Responsory.\n\nLibera me, Domine, de morte \u00e6terna, in die illa tremenda: *Quando\nc\u0153li movendi sunt, et terra: *Dum veneris judicare s\u00e6culum per\nignem.\n\nV. Tremens factus sum ego, et timeo dum\ndiscussio venerit, atque ventura ira.\n\n R. Quando c\u0153li movendi sunt et terra.\n\nV. Dies illa, dies ir\u00e6, calamitatis, et miseri\u00e6:\ndies magna, et amara valde.\n\n R. Dum veneris judicare s\u00e6culum per ignem.\n\nRequiem \u00e6ternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.\n\n R. Libera me, Domine, de morte \u00e6terna, in die illa tremenda,\n quando c\u0153li movendi sunt et terra, dum veneris judicare s\u00e6culum\n per ignem.\n\nKyrie, eleison.\n Christe, eleison.\n Kyrie, eleison.\n\nPater noster, [_secreto_.]\n\nV. Et nos inducas in tentationem.\n\nR. Sed libera nos a malo.\n\nV. A porta inferi.\n\nR. Erue, Domine, animam ejus [animas eorum.]\n\n{311}\n\nExequies, Or Sacred Rites Over The Tomb.\n\n [Solemnity performed after High Mass for the Dead, and which\n may be privately recited after the Office.]\n\n Responsory.\n\nDeliver me, O Lord, from eternal death on that dreadful day:\n*When the heavens and earth shall be moved: *Whilst thou wilt\ncome to judge the world by fire.\n\nV. I am seized with trembling and dread, when I reflect on the\nrigorous examination, and the vengeful wrath of that day.\n\n R. When the heavens and earth shall be moved.\n\nV. That day shall be a day of wrath, calamity, and misery: the\ngreat day of extreme bitterness and terror.\n\n R. Whilst thou wilt come to judge the world by fire.\n\nEternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and may\nthe perpetual light of glory shine upon them.\n\n R. Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death on that dreadful day,\n when the heavens and earth shall be moved, whilst thou wilt\n come to judge the world by fire.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\n Christ, have mercy on us.\n Lord, have mercy on us.\n\nOur Father, [_in silence_.]\n\nV. And lead us not into temptation.\n\nR. But deliver us from evil.\n\nV. From the gates of hell.\n\nR. Deliver his soul, [their souls,] O Lord.\n\n{312}\n\nV. Requiescat (requiescant) in pace.\n\nR. Amen.\n\nV. Domine, exaudi, orationem meam.\n\nR. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.\n\n Oremus.\n\nPrayer On The Commemoration Of All Souls.\n\nFidelium, Deus, omnium conditor et redemptor, animabus famulorum\nfamularumque tuarum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum: ut\nindulgentiam quam semper optaverunt, piis supplicationibus\nconsequantur. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate\nSpiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum. Amen.\n\n Suffrages For The Souls Of The\n Faithful Departed In General.\n\n Psalmus cxxix.\n\nDe profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: *Domine, exaudi vocem meum.\n\nFiant aures tu\u00e6 intendentes *in vocem deprecationis me\u00e6.\n\nSi iniquitatis observaveris, Domine: Domine, quis sustinebit?\n\nQuia apud te propitiatio est: et propter legem tuam sustinui te,\nDomine.\n\nSustinuat anima mea in verbo ejus: *speravit anima mea in Domino.\n\nA custodia matutina usque ad noctem, *speret Israel in Domino.\n\nQuia apud Dominum misericordia: et copiosa apud eum redemptio.\n\n{313}\n\nV. May he (they) rest in peace.\n\nR. Amen.\n\nV. O Lord, hear my prayer.\n\nR. And let my cry come unto thee.\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nPrayer On The Commemoration Of All Souls.\n\nO God, the creator and redeemer of all the faithful, give to the\nsouls of thy servants departed, the full remission of all their\nsins; that, through the help of pious supplications, they may\nobtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and\nreignest, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world\nwithout end. Amen.\n\n\n Suffrages For The Souls Of The\n Faithful Departed In General.\n\n Psalm cxxix.\n\nFrom the depths I have cried out to thee,\n*O Lord: Lord, hear my voice.\n\nLet thy ears be attentive * to the voice of my petition.\n\nIf thou wilt consider our iniquities, O mighty Lord, * who shall\nendure it?\n\nBut with thee there is merciful forgiveness: * and by reason of\nthy law I have waited for thee, O Lord.\n\nMy soul hath relied on his word: *my soul hath hoped in the Lord.\n\nFrom the morning watch, even until night, * let Israel hope in\nthe Lord.\n\nBecause with the Lord there is mercy: * and with him, plentiful\nredemption.\n\n{314}\n\nEt ipse redimet Israel *ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.\n\nKyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.\n\nPater noster, (_secreto_.)\n\nV. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,\n\n R. Sed libera nos a malo.\n\nV. Requiem \u00e6ternam dona eis, Domine;\n\n R. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.\n\nV. A porta inferi,\n\n R. Erue, Domine, animas eorum.\n\nV. Requiescant in pace.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nV. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.\n\n R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.\n\n\n Oremus.\n\nFidelium, Deus, omnium conditor et redemptor, animabus famulorum\nfamularumque tuarum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum; ut\nindulgentiam quam semper optaverunt, piis supplicationibus\nconsequantur. Qui vivis et regnas in s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum. Amen.\n\nV. Requiem \u00e6ternam dona eis, Domine.\n\n R. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.\n\nV. Requiescant in pace.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nV. Anima ejus (anim\u00e6 eorum) et anim\u00e6 omnium fidelium defunctorum,\nper misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace.\n\n R. Amen.\n\n{315}\n\nAnd he shall redeem Israel * from all his iniquities.\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\nChrist, have mercy on us.\nLord, have mercy on us.\n\nOur Father, (_in silence_.)\n\nV. And lead us not into temptation,\n\n R. But deliver us from evil.\n\nV. Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord;\n\n R. And may the perpetual light of glory shine upon them.\n\nV. From the gates of hell,\n\n R. Deliver their souls, O Lord.\n\nV. May they rest in peace.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nV. O Lord, hear my prayer.\n\n R. And let my cry come to thee.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO God, the creator and redeemer of all the faithful, give to the\nsouls of thy servants departed, the full remission of all their\nsins: that through the help of pious supplications, they may\nobtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and\nreignest world without end. Amen.\n\nV. Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord.\n\n R. And may the perpetual light of glory shine upon them.\n\nV. May they rest in peace.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nV. May his soul (their souls), and may the souls of all the\nfaithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.\n\n R. Amen.\n\n{316}\n\n Litany For The Dead.\n\n\n\"It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that\nthey may be loosed from their sins.\"\n 2 Maccabees xii. 46.\n\n\nLord, have mercy on us.\nChrist, have mercy on us.\nLord, have mercy on us.\n\nJesus, receive our prayers.\nLord Jesus, grant our petitions.\n\nO God the Father, Creator of the world,\n _Have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nO God the Son, Redeemer of mankind,\n _Deliver the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nO God the Holy Ghost, perfecter of the elect,\n _Accomplish the bliss of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed Virgin Mary, who, by the special privilege of grace, was\ntriumphantly assumed into the kingdom of thy Son,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed angels, who, ordering aright the first act of your will,\nwere fixed forthwith in unchangeable happiness,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed patriarchs, who were filled with joy when the Desired of\nNations put an end to your captivity,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed prophets, who after patiently awaiting the arrival of the\nMessiah, were at length consoled by a visit from him in person,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\n{317}\n\nBlessed saints, who at the glorious resurrection of our Saviour,\nwere translated from Limbo to the visible presence of God,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed apostles, who at the last day shall sit to judge the\ntwelve tribes of Israel,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed disciples of our Lord, who followed his steps in the\nnarrow paths to perfection,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed martyrs, who passed through the sea of your own blood,\nentering immediately into the land of promise,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed confessors, who despised the vanity of the earth, and\nplaced your affections on the joys of heaven,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBlessed virgins, who, with your lighted lamps, awaited the coming\nof the heavenly spouse,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nO holy saints, who, being freed from all irregular attachment to\ncreatures, were perfectly fitted for an immediate union with your\nCreator,\n _Pray for the souls of the faithful departed._\n\nBe merciful, O Lord, and pardon their sins.\n\nBe merciful, O Lord, and hear their prayers.\n\nFrom the shades of death, where the light of thy countenance\nshineth not,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nFrom the evils to which immortification in this world must expose\nthem in the other,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nFrom thy displeasure, provoked by negligence and ingratitude,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nFrom the pains of purgatory, so justly inflicted upon unexpiated\nsins,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\n{318}\n\nFrom the torments of purgatory, incomparably greater than the\nbitterest anguish of this life,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nBy the multitude of thy mercies, ever compassionate to human\nfrailties,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nBy the virtue of thy cross, whereon thou reconciledst the world\nto thy Father,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nBy thy victorious descent into hell, to break the chains of\ndeath,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nBy thy glorious resurrection from the tomb, to open the kingdom\nof heaven,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nBy thy triumphant ascension into heaven, to lead captivity\ncaptive,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nBy thy dread coming to judge the world,\n _Deliver them, O Lord._\n\nWe sinners,\n _Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nThat it please thee to hasten the day when thy faithful shall be\ndelivered from the mansions of sorrow,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nThat it please thee to shorten the time of their expiation, and\nto admit them speedily into thy heavenly sanctuary,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nThat it please thee through the prayers and good works performed\nin thy church, to receive them into thy eternal tabernacles,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nThat it please thee to accept, in atonement for their sins, the\ninfinite value of thy unbloody sacrifice,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nThat the blessed view of Jesus may comfort them, and his unfading\nglory shine upon them,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\n{319}\n\nThat the whole triumphant church may soon celebrate their\ndeliverance and the choir of angels sing new hymns of joy, on\ntheir neverending happiness,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nThat we ourselves may share in their triumph, and unite with all\nthe citizens of heaven in eternal alleluias,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nSon of God,\n _We Beseech thee to hear us._\n\nLamb of God, who shalt come with glory to judge the living and\nthe dead,\n _Give rest to the souls of the faithful departed_.\n\nLamb of God, at whose presence the heavens and the earth shall be\nmoved,\n _Give rest to the souls of the faithful departed_.\n\nLamb of God, in whose book of life the names of thy elect are\ninscribed,\n _Give rest to the souls of the faithful departed_.\n\n\n The Antiphon.\n\nDeliver us, O Lord, from eternal death, in that tremendous day,\nwhen the heavens and the earth shall be moved; whilst thou shalt\ncome to judge the world by fire. We tremble and are sore afraid\nat the discussion which will take place, and at thy future wrath;\nwhen the heavens and the earth shall be moved; when thou shalt\ncome to judge the world by fire.\n\nThat day is a day of wrath, of calamity, and of misery; a great\nand a most bitter day; when thou shalt come to judge the world by\nfire.\n\nGive them, O Lord, eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine\nupon them. Amen.\n\n{320}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO God, the creator and redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the\nsouls of thy servants departed, the remission of all their sins,\nthat by means of pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon\nwhich they have ever earnestly desired: who livest and reignest,\n&c. Amen.\n\n\n A Prayer Upon The Day\n Of A Person's Decease Or Burial.\n\nO Lord, we commend unto thy infinite clemency, the souls of thy\nservants lately deceased: pardon them, we beseech thee, in the\nmultitude of thy mercies, the sins which they have committed\nthrough human frailty, and grant them eternal life in thy kingdom\nof bliss. Amen.\n\n\n Another Prayer.\n\nO God, whose property it is always to have mercy, and to spare,\nwe humbly present our prayers to thee in behalf of the soul of\nthy servant _N_. which thou hast called out of this world,\nbeseeching thee not to deliver into the hands of the enemy, nor\nforget it for ever; but command it to be received by the holy\nangels, and to be carried into paradise; that as it believed and\nhoped in thee, it may be delivered from the pains of hell, and\ninherit life everlasting; through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{321}\n\n Vespers For Sundays.\n\n\nOur Father. Hail Mary. (_In silence_.)\n\n +\n\nV. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.\n\n V. O God, come to my assistance.\n\nR. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.\n\n R. O Lord, make haste to help me.\n\nGloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.\n\n Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy\n Ghost.\n\n Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in s\u00e6cula\n s\u00e6culorum. Amen. Alleluia.\n\n As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world\n without end. Amen. Alleluiah.\n\n\n From Saturday before Septuagesaima Sunday, till Saturday in\n Holy Week, instead of _Alleluia_, is said,\n\nLaus tibi, Domine, Rex etern\u00e6 glori\u00e6.\n\n Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.\n\n\nN. B.--In Paschal time all the Psalms are said under this only.\nAnthem. _Alleluia_.\n\n_Ant_. Dixit Dominus.\n\n _Ant_. The Lord said.\n\n_Ant_. Alleluia.\n\n _Ant_. Alleluiah.\n\n\n\n Psalm CIX.\n\n\n_Christ's Exaltation and everlasting Priesthood._\n\n\nDixit Dominus Domino meo: *sede a dextris meis.\n\n The Lord said unto my Lord, sit on my right hand.\n\nDonec ponam inimicos tuos: *scabellum pedum tuorum.\n\n Until I make thy enemies the footstool of thy feet.\n\nVirgam virtutis tu\u00e6 emittet Dominus ex Sion: *Dominare in medio\ninimicorum tuorum.\n\n The Lord will send the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule\n thou in the midst of thy enemies.\n\nTecum principium in die virtutis tu\u00e6, in splendoribus sanctorum:\n*ex utero ante luciferum genui te.\n\n Dominion shall be with thee in the day of thy power in the\n brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I\n begat thee.\n\n{322}\n\nJuravit Dominus, et non p\u0153nitebit eum: *Tu es sacerdos in \u00e6ternam\nsecundum ordinem Melchisedech.\n\n The Lord swore, and it shall not repent him: Thou art a priest\n for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.\n\nDominus a dextris tuis: *confregit in die ir\u00e6 su\u00e6 reges.\n\n The Lord at thy right hand hath broken kings in the day of his\n wrath.\n\nJudicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: *conquassabit capita in\nterra multorum.\n\n He shall judge among nations, he shall fill ruins: he shall\n crush the heads in the land of many.\n\nDe torrente in via bibet: *propterea exaltabit caput.\n\n He shall drink of the torrent in the way; therefore shall he\n lift up the head.\n\nGloria Patri, &c.\n\n Glory be to the Father, &c.\n\n_Ant_. Dixit Dominus.\n\n _Ant_. The Lord said unto my Lord: sit thou on my right.\n\n_Ant_. Fidelia.\n\n _Ant_. All his commandments.\n\n\n Psalm. CX.\n\n _God is to be praised for his graces and benefits to his\n Church._\n\nConfitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: *in concilio\njustorum, et congregatione.\n\n I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: in the council\n of the just, and in the congregation.\n\nMagna opera Domini: *exquisita in omnes voluntates ejus.\n\n Great are the works of the Lord: sought out according to all\n his wills.\n\nConfessio et magnificentia opus ejus: *et justitia ejus manet in\ns\u00e6culum s\u00e6culi.\n\n His work is praise and magnificence: and his justice continueth\n for ever and ever.\n\nMemoriam fecit mirabilium suorum, misericors et miserator\nDominus: *escam dedit timentibus se.\n\n He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a\n merciful and gracious Lord: he hath given food to them that\n fear him.\n\n{323}\n\nMemor erit in s\u00e6culum testamenti sui; *virtutem operum suorum\nannuntiabit populo suo.\n\n He will be mindful for ever of his covenant: he will shew forth\n to his people the power of his works.\n\nUt det illis h\u00e6reditatem gentium: *opera manuum ejus veritas et\njudicium.\n\n That he may give them the inheritance of the Gentiles: the\n works of his hands are truth and judgment.\n\nFidelia omnia mandata ejus, confirmata in s\u00e6culum s\u00e6culi: *facta\nin veritate et equitate.\n\n All his commandments are faithful: confirmed for ever and ever,\n made in truth and equity.\n\nRedemptionem misit populo suo: *mandavit in \u00e6ternum testamentum\nsuum.\n\n He hath sent redemption to his people: he hath commanded his\n covenant for ever.\n\nSanctum et terribile nomen ejus: *initium sapienti\u00e6 timor Domini.\n\n Holy and terrible is his name: the fear of the Lord is the\n beginning of wisdom.\n\nIntellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum *laudatio ejus manet in\ns\u00e6culum s\u00e6culi.\n\n A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continued\n for ever and ever.\n\nGloria Patri, &c.\n\n Glory, &c.\n\n_Ant_. Fidelia.\n\n _Ant_. All his commandments are faithful: confirmed for\n ever and ever.\n\n_Ant_. In mandatis.\n\n _Ant_. In his commandments.\n\n\n Psalm CXI.\n\n _The good man is happy._\n\n\nBeatus vir, qui timet Dominum: *in mandatis ejus volet nimis.\n\n Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he shall delight\n exceedingly in his commandments.\n\nPotens in terra erit semen ejus: *generatio rectorum benedicetur.\n\n His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generations of the\n righteous shall be blessed.\n\n{324}\n\nGloria et diviti\u00e6 in domo ejus: *et justitia ejus manet in\ns\u00e6culum s\u00e6culi.\n\n Glory and wealth shall be in his house; and his justice\n remaineth for ever and ever.\n\nExortum est in tenebris lumen rectis: *misericors, et miserator\net justus.\n\n To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness; he is\n merciful, and compassionate and just.\n\nJucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat: disponet sermones suos\nin judicio: *quia in \u00e6ternum non commovebitur.\n\n Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth; he shall\n order his words with judgment; because he shall not be moved\n for ever.\n\nIn memoria \u00e6terna erit justus: *ab auditione mala non timebit.\n\n The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear\n the evil hearing.\n\nParatum cor ejus sperare in Domino, confirmatum est cor ejus:\n*non commovebitur, donec despiciat inimicos suos.\n\n His heart is ready to hope in the Lord: his heart is\n strengthened, he shall not be moved, until he look over his\n enemies.\n\nDispersit, dedit pauperibus: justitia ejus manet in s\u00e6culum\ns\u00e6culi: *cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.\n\n He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor: his justice\n remaineth for ever and ever, his horn shall be exalted in\n glory.\n\nPeccator videbit et irascetur, dentibus suis fremet, et tabescet:\n*desiderium peceatorum peribit.\n\n The wicked shall see and shall be angry, he shall gnash with\n his teeth and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.\n\nGloria Patri, &c.\n\n Glory, &c.\n\n_Ant_. In madatis ejus cupit nimis.\n\n _Ant_. In his commandments he has great delight.\n\n_Ant_. Sit nomen Domini.\n\n _Ant_. Let the name of the Lord.\n\n\n Psalm CXII.\n\n _God is to be praised for his regard to the poor and\n humble._\n\n\nLaudate pueri Dominum: *laudate nomen Domini.\n\n Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord.\n\n{325}\n\nSit nomen Domini benedictum: *ex hoc nunc et usque in s\u00e6culum.\n\n Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth now and for\n ever.\n\nA solis ortu usque ad occasum: *laudabile nomen Domini.\n\n From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the\n name of the Lord is worthy of praise.\n\nExcelsus super omnes gentes Dominus: *et super c\u0153los gloria ejus.\n\n The Lord is high above all nations: and his glory above the\n heavens.\n\nQuis sicut Dominus Deus noster, qui in altis habitat: *et humilia\nrespicit in c\u0153lo et in terra?\n\n Who is as the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high: and looketh\n down on the low things in heaven and in earth?\n\nSuscitans a terra inopem: *et de steroore erigens pauperem.\n\n Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor\n out of the dunghill:\n\nUt collocet eum cum principibus: *cum principibus populi sui.\n\n That he may place them with princes, with the princes of his\n people.\n\nQui habitare facit sterilem in domo: *matrem filiorum l\u00e6tantem.\n\n Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful\n mother of children.\n\nGloria Patri, &c.\n\n Glory, &c.\n\n_Ant_. Sit nomen Domini.\n\n _Ant_. Let the name of the Lord be blessed for ever.\n\n_Ant_. Nos qui vivimus.\n\n _Ant_. We that live.\n\n\n Psalm CXVI.\n\nLaudate Dominum omnes gentes: *laudate eum omnes populi.\n\n O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him all ye people.\n\nQuoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: *et Veritas\nDomini manet in \u00e6ternum.\n\n For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of Lord\n remaineth for ever.\n\nGloria Patri, &c.\n\nGlory be to the Father, &c.\n\n_Ant_. Nos qui vivimus benedicimus Domino.\n\n _Ant_. We that live bless our Lord.\n\n\n _In Paschal time, Ant_.\n Alleluiah, Alleluiah, Alleluiah.\n\n{326}\n\n _The Little Chapter_.--2 Cor. 1.\n\nBenedictus Deus, et Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, Pater\nmisericordiarum, et Deus totius consolationis, qui consolatur nos\nin omni tribulatione nostra.\n\n Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the\n Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who comforts us in\n all our tribulation.\n\nR. Deo Gratias.\n\n R. Thanks be to God.\n\n\n _The Hymn Lucis Creator._\n\n Lucis Creator optime,\n Lucem dierum proferens,\n Primordiis lucis nov\u00e6,\n Mundi parans originem.\n\n Creator of the radiant light.\n Fountain of bliss, essential sight.\n Emitting splendour's orient beam.\n The world's creation to proclaim.\n\n Qui mane junctum vesperi.\n Diem vocari pr\u00e6cipis,\n Illabitur Tetrum Chaos;\n Audi preces cum fletibus.\n\n Who, with the morn's enliv'ning ray,\n Dispell'st the shades and call'st the day;\n Approaching night over-spreads the spheres;\n Now gracious hear our sighs and tears.\n\n Ne mens gravata crimine\n Vit\u00e6 sit exul munere;\n Dum nil perenne cogitat,\n Seseque culpis illigat.\n\n Distain'd with guilt and foul offence,\n Let not a sudden summons hence,\n Present us at thy awful seat,\n Victims of fleeting vain deceit.\n\n C\u0153leste pulset ostium;\n Vitale tollat pr\u00e6mium;\n Vitemus omne noxium;\n Purgemus omne pessimum.\n\n But rather while at mercy's door,\n Contrite, our treasons we deplore,\n Admit thy suppliants; grant us peace.\n That triumph of thy saving grace.\n\n Pr\u00e6sta, Pater piissime;\n Patrique compar, Unice;\n Cum Spiritu Paracleto,\n Regnans per omne s\u00e6culum.\n Amen.\n\n Eternal Father, lend thine ear;\n Co-eternal Son, receive our prayer;\n O Holy Ghost, we cry to thee,\n God! three in one eternally.\n Amen.\n\n{327}\n\nV. Dirigatur, Domine, oratio mea.\n\n V. Let my prayer, like incense,\n\nR. Sicut incensum in conspectu tuo.\n\n R. Ascend to thee, O Lord.\n\n\n _The Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary_.--Luke, i.\n\nMagnificat *anima mea Dominum:\n\n My soul doth magnify the Lord:\n\nEt exultavit spiritus meus *in Deo salutari meo.\n\n And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.\n\nQuia respexit humilitatem ancill\u00e6 su\u00e6: *ecce enim ex hoc beatam\nme dicent omnes generationes.\n\n Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for\n behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.\n\nQuia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est; *et sanctum nomen ejus.\n\n For he that is mighty, hath done great things to me, and holy\n is his name.\n\nEt misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies, *timentibus eum.\n\n And his mercy is from generation to generation, to them that\n fear him.\n\nFecit potentiam in brachio suo; *dispersit superbos mente cordis\nsui.\n\n He hath showed might in his arm; he hath scattered the proud in\n the conceit of their hearts.\n\nDeposuit potentes de sede; *et exaltavit humiles.\n\n He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted\n the humble.\n\nEsurientes implevit bonis; *et divites dimissit inanes.\n\n He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he\n hath sent away empty.\n\nSuscepit Israel puerum suum, *recordatus misericordi\u00e6 su\u00e6.\n\n He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his\n mercy.\n\nSicut locutus est ad patres nostros: *Abraham et semini ejus in\ns\u00e6cula.\n\n As he spoke to our Fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for\n ever.\n\nGloria Patri, &c.\n\n Glory, &c.\n\n\n{328}\n\n\n The Litany Of The Blessed Virgin.\n\n In Latin.\n\n\nKyrie, eleison.\nChriste, eleison.\nKyrie, eleison.\nChriste, audi nos.\nChriste, exaudi nos.\n\nPater de c\u0153lis Deus,\n _miserere nobis._\n\nFili redemptor mundi Deus,\n _miserere nobis._\n\nSpiritus Sancte Deus,\n _miserere nobis._\n\nSancta Trinitas unus Deus,\n _miserere nobis._\n\nSancta Maria,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nSancta Dei Genitrix,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nSancta Virgo virginum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater Christi,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater Divin\u00e6 gratis,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater purissima,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater castissima,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater inviolata,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater intemerata,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater amabilis,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater admirabilis,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater Creatoris,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nMater Salvatoris,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVirgo prudentissima,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVirgo veneranda,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVirgo pr\u00e6dicanda,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVirgo potens,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVirgo clemens,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVirgo fidelis,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\n{329}\n\nSpeculum justiti\u00e6,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nSedes sapienti\u00e6,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nCausa nostr\u00e6 l\u00e6titi\u00e6,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVas spirituale,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVas honorabile,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nVas insigne devotionis,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRosa mystica,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nTurris Davidica,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nTurris eburnea,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nDomus aurea,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nF\u0153deris arca,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nJanua c\u0153li,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nStella matutina,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nSalis infirmorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRefugium peccatorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nConsolatrix affiictorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nAuxilium Christianorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Angelorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Patriarcharum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Prophetarum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Apostolorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Martyrum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Confessorum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Virginum,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nRegina Sanctorum Omnium,\n _Ora pro nobis._\n\nAgnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,\n _Parce nobis, Domine._\n\nAgnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,\n _Exaudi nos, Domine._\n\nAgnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,\n _Miserere nobis._\n\nV. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei genitrix.\n\n R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.\n\n{330}\n\n Method Of Serving At Mass.\n\n\n [The Clerk, kneeling at the left side of the Priest, should\n answer as follows:]\n\nP. + In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.\n\nIntroibo ad altare Dei.\n\nC. Ad Deum qui l\u00e6tificat juventutem meam.\n\nP. Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta:\nab nomine iniquo et doloso erue me.\n\nC. Quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti, et quare\ntristis incedo dum affligit me inimicus.\n\nP. Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt et\nadduxerunt in montem: sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.\n\nC. Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui l\u00e6tificat juventutem\nmeam.\n\nP. Confitebor tibi in cithara, Deus, Deus meus: quare tristis es\nanima mea, et quare conturbas me?\n\nC. Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi, salutare vultus\nmei, et Deus meus.\n\nP. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto;\n\nC. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in s\u00e6cula\ns\u00e6culorum. Amen.\n\nP. Introibo ad altare Dei.\n\nC. Ad Deum qui l\u00e6tificat juventutem meam.\n\nP. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.\n\nC. Qui fecit c\u0153lum et terram.\n\n{331}\n\nP. Confiteor Deo, &c.\n\n [Bow your head when the priest begins the Confiteor, and\n continue bent till the _Dominus Vobiscum._]\n\nC. Misereatur tui omnipotent Deus, et dimissis peccatis tuis,\nperducat te ad vitam \u00e6ternam.\n\nP. Amen.\n\nC. Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beat\u00e6 Mari\u00e6 semper Virgini, beato\nMichaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptist\u00e6, sanctis apostolis\nPetro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et tibi pater, (_here turn\nyour head towards the priest, and then go on_,) quia peccavi\nnimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere, (_striking your breast\nthrice, say_,) mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa: ideo\nprecor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem\nArchangelum, beatum Joannem Baptistam, sanctos apostolos Petrum\net Paulum, omnes sanctos, et te pater, (_here turn again\ntowards the priest_,) orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.\n\nP. Misereatur vestri, &c.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Indulgentiam, &c.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Deus tu conversus vivificabis nos.\n\nC. Et plebs tua l\u00e6tabitur in te.\n\nP. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.\n\nC. Et salutare tuum da nobis.\n\nP. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.\n\nC. Et clamor mens ad te veniat.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n{332}\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\nC. Kyrie eleison.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\nC. Christe eleison.\n\nP. Christe eleison.\n\nC. Christe eleison.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\nC. Kyrie eleison.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum: _or_, Flectamus genua.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo: _or_, Levate.\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\nC. Amen.\n\n [At the end of the Epistle say, _Deo gratias_, and after\n the Gradual and Alleluia, or Tract, remove the took to the\n gospel side of the altar, and return to the epistle side--make\n a low reverence as you pass the middle of the altar, then stand\n up whilst the gospel is read,]\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\nP. Sequentia [_or_ initium] sancti Evangelii, &c.\n\n\n [Here make the sign of the cross--1st, upon your forehead; 2nd,\n upon your mouth; 3rd, upon your breast; and say, _Gloria tibi\n Domine._ At the end of the gospel say,]\n\nC. Laus tibi, Christe.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n [Going to the middle of the altar, kneel and make a reverence,\n then proceed to prepare the wine and water; present them to the\n priest, making a reverence; afterwards pour water on his\n fingers, present him with a towel, and return to your place at\n the epistle side of the altar.]\n\nP. Orate fratres, &c.\n\nC. Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium de manibus tuis ad laudem et\ngloriam nominis sui, ad utilitatem quoque nostram, totiusque\necclesi\u00e6 su\u00e6 sanct\u00e6.\n\n{333}\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\nP. Sursum corda.\n\nC. Habemns ad Dominum.\n\nP. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.\n\nC. Dignum et justum est.\n\n [When the priest says, _Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, &c._\n ring the bell each time he pronounces it. When he spreads his\n hands over the chalice, ring the bell, then proceed to the\n centre of the altar, where kneeling ring the bell with your\n right, and hold up the vestment with your left hand, during the\n elevation. Then return to your former place, and as often as\n you pass by the blessed sacrament, adore on your knees.]\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.\n\nC. Sed libera nos a malo.\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n [Each time the priest says, _Domine non sum dignus_, ring\n the bell. When he has received the chalice, serve him with wine\n only; on his presenting the chalice again, serve him with wine\n and water. Remove the book to the epistle side of the altar,\n and retire to your place on the gospel side.]\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n{334}\n\nP. Ite, missa est; _or_, Benedicamus Domino.\n\nC. Deo gratias.\n\n_Note_.--In Mass for the Dead, the priest says,\n\nP. Requiescant in pace.\n\nC. Amen.\n\n [Remove the book, if left open; kneel before the centre of the\n altar, and receive the priest's blessing.]\n\nP. Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus.\n\nC. Amen. [_Then rise_.]\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\nP. Initium [Sequentia] sancti Evangelii, &c.\n\nC. Gloria tibi Domine.\n\nAt the end of the Gospel, say,\n\nC. Deo gratias.\n\n\n Psalm cxxix.\n\nP. De profundis clamavi ad te Domine: Domine exaudi vocem meam.\n\nC. Fiant aures tu\u00e6 intendentes in vocem deprecationis me\u00e6.\n\nP. Si iniquitates observaveris Domine: Domine, quis sustinebit?\n\nC. Quia apud te propitiatio est: et propter legem tuam sustinui\nte Domine.\n\nP. Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus: speravit anima mea in\nDomino.\n\nC. A custodia matutina usque ad noctem: speret Israel in Domino.\n\nP. Quia apud Dominum misericordia: et copiosa apud eum redemptio.\n\n{335}\n\nC. Et ipse redimet Israel ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.\n\nP. Requiem \u00e6ternum dona eis Domine.\n\nC. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.\n\nP. A porta inferi.\n\nC. Erue, Domine, animas eorum.\n\nP. Requiescant in pace.\n\nC. Amen.\n\nP. Domine exaudi orationem meam.\n\nC. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum.\n\nC. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n [At the end of the Prayer, say, _Amen_].\n\nP. Requiem \u00e6ternam dona eis Domine.\n\nC. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.\n\nP. Requiescant in pace.\n\nC. Amen.\n\n\n End Of The First Part Of Catholic Piety.\n\n{336}\n\n Supplement To The\n\n Manual Of Catholic Piety.\n\n\n On The Sacrifice Of The Mass\n And The Use Of The Latin Liturgy.\n\n\n From the beginning of the world, the servants of God, were\n always accustomed to offer sacrifice to him, by way of\n acknowledging his sovereignty, and paying their homage to him.\n In the law of nature, and in the law of Moses, there was a\n great variety of sacrifices; some _bloody_, others\n _unbloody_; some were called _Holocausts_, or\n Whole-burnt Offerings; others, _Sin Offerings;_ others,\n _Offerings of Thanksgiving;_ others, _Pacific_ or\n _Peace Offerings_. All these sacrifices of the law of\n nature and the law of Moses, were of themselves but _weak and\n feeble elements_, and figures of the great sacrifice of\n Jesus Christ, offered afterwards on the altar of the cross for\n the sins of the whole world.\n\n It was to renew the memory of this great sacrifice of the\n cross, and to apply the fruits of it to our souls, that Christ\n our Lord instituted the Eucharist and commemorative sacrifice\n of the Mass; for as the ancient sacrifices were required to\n represent the sacrifice of the cross, and to prefigure the\n death of Christ, then to come; so, in like manner, a\n commemorative sacrifice was required in the new law, to be a\n standing memorial of the sacrifice of the cross, and to\n represent the death of Christ, already past. This is the solemn\n liturgy of the Catholic Church, and the pure offering that is\n made to God in every place among the Gentiles, according to the\n prophecy of Malachy, chap. i. ver. 10, 11. By it Christ is a\n _priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech_,\n (Psalm 109,) whose sacrifice was bread and wine. (Gen. 15.) It\n is the same in substance with the sacrifice of the cross,\n because both the victim offered, and the priest, or\n _principal offerer,_ is the same Jesus Christ.\n{337}\n The difference is only in the manner of offering: in the\n sacrifice of the cross, Christ offered himself in a bloody\n manner, and actually died; in the sacrifice of the Mass, he\n offers himself on our altars in an unbloody manner, by the\n ministry of the priests of his church, under appearances that\n mystically represent and show forth his death.\n\n The sacrifice of the Mass is still celebrated in the ancient\n language which was universally used throughout the Roman\n empire, and in which the liturgy and public offices of the\n church were performed in all the western parts of Europe, when\n the Christian religion was first published to the world. All\n sermons, exhortations, and instructions which regard the\n faithful, are regularly delivered to them in the vulgar or\n maternal language which they speak and understand; but it is\n deemed an expedient point of discipline, to retain the same\n ancient, fixed, and unchangeable language, in the celebration\n of the divine mysteries, and in the solemn prayers which are\n addressed immediately to God, and which regard the office of\n the clergy. The chief reasons which induce the Catholic Church\n to make choice of the Latin, in preference to any of the mixed\n languages that sprung from it after the dismemberment of the\n Roman empire, and are now in use in the European nations, are\n the following:\n\n 1st--She is the church of all ages, and of all nations; and\n therefore, to show her antiquity and catholicity, as well as\n her aversion to novelty and changes in religious matters, she\n still retains the same ancient and universal language which the\n saints have used for so many ages from the apostles' days, and\n which is fixed and unchangeable, taught every where in public\n schools, generally learned by persons of all conditions, and\n the best known and most universally understood in the western\n parts of the world.\n\n 2dly--In order to preserve the purity of her faith, and a\n greater conformity in her public worship in all countries, and\n to avoid the various alterations and corruptions which the\n living languages, spoken in different places, are liable to in\n every century, the church wisely judges, that as there is but\n one true faith, there should be but one common language for all\n the faithful, spread over the different nations of the world,\n to commune with each other in the profession of one and the\n same faith, and in the exercise of the same religious duties.\n\n{338}\n\n 3rdly--Another good effect and advantage that arises from this\n point of ecclesiastical discipline, is, that the same priest\n can perform the public church offices in all places where he\n travels; and a Catholic is never at a loss to join with those\n of his own religion, and assist at the public worship of God,\n whithersoever he may have occasion to go, since he meets with\n the same Mass and Liturgy, in the same words, abroad, which he\n was accustomed to near at home; whereas, if the divine service\n was to be performed in the maternal language of every country,\n and to be translated into as many different tongues as the\n ignorant people understand and speak in the different\n provinces, there would be nothing but a Babel of confusion, and\n a man of one country would be at a loss to serve God on the\n Lord's day in another country.\n\n As to any inconvenience that may seem to attend this\n ecclesiastical discipline, it is no way material, especially\n when compared to the great advantages that arise from it; nor\n does it affect the substance of religion; neither is it a\n prejudice to the illiterate, who do not understand the Latin;\n for though they may not perhaps understand the particular form\n of prayers, which it is only the priest's office to offer to\n God, for and in the name of the congregation, yet they know\n them at least as to the substance, and may find the meaning of\n every thing fully explained in their manuals. They are taught\n from their childhood to accompany the officiating priest\n through every part of his function, with proper and suitable\n prayers, and are frequently instructed in the nature, the\n benefit, and the ends for which the Mass is offered, and in the\n manner of assisting thereat with attention and devotion, which\n is sufficient to concur in and partake of the sacrifice, though\n the people should neither hear nor cite the same prayers with\n the priest.\n\n The very seeing of the priest was more than God was pleased to\n require in the old law; for we read, (St. Luke, 1. 10,) _that\n the whole multitude of the people were praying without_, when\n Zacharias went into the temple to burn incense; and (Levit.\n xvi. 17.) it was expressly ordered, that there should be no man\n in the tabernacle, or temple, when the high-priest went with\n the blood of the victims into the sanctuary to make atonement,\n which is a clear proof that it was not necessary for the people\n to hear and understand the particular form of prayers, that the\n priest offered to God for them in the sacrifices at which they\n assisted.\n{339}\n Moreover, we find that after the Babylonian captivity, nay,\n even in our Saviour's time, the public service of the Jewish\n synagogue was performed in the old Hebrew language, though it\n was not understood by the common people, who only spoke the\n Syriac, (Nah. viii. 13,) into which the scriptures were not\n then translated from the Hebrew.\n\n But does not the sacred scripture condemn this practice? No:\n far from condemning, it authorises it, as appears from what has\n been already said. As to the text of St. Paul, (1 Cor. xiv.)\n the apostle does not speak one word, in that whole chapter, of\n the liturgy of the church, which at Corinth was in Greek, and\n consequently in a known language. He treats of the miraculous\n gift of speaking all tongues, which was communicated by the\n Holy Ghost to the first believers; and he cautions the\n Corinthians against all confusion and disorder in the use of\n this miraculous gift at their pious meetings and assemblies, by\n directing them, that if they spoke with tongues, it should be\n done by two, or at most by three, and that one should interpret\n the meaning of the words. In short, the apostle only blames the\n abuse of the gifts of tongues, which some of the Corinthians\n were guilty of, by affecting, out of ostentation, to make\n extemporary prayers, and to preach and exhort, at the same\n time, all or any of them together, in tongues utterly unknown,\n which, for want of an interpreter, could be of no edification\n to the rest of the faithful. But when it is done in proper\n circumstances, without confusion, and when the sense of the\n words is expounded by an interpreter, the apostle does not\n reprehend, but permits and orders the speaking in tongues that\n are not commonly understood, as appears from the 5th and 29th\n verses. Now the faithful have the public liturgy and church\n offices interpreted in their ordinary prayer books; and their\n pastors are commanded by the Council of Trent, (Sess. 22. chap.\n 8,) to explain to them the mysteries contained in the Mass, and\n to teach them to accompany the priest with suitable prayers and\n devotion adapted to every part of it.\n\n{340}\n\n The Ordinary Of The Holy Mass.\n\n Part I.\n\n\n The Preparation Of The Offerers, By Acts Of\n Humility, Praise, Faith, Etc.\n\n\n The Priest beginning at the foot of the Altar, says,\n\n\nIn nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.\n\n In the name of the Father, &c. Amen.\n\n_Ant_. Introibo ad altare Dei.\n\n _Ant_. I will go unto the altar of God.\n\nR. Ad Deum qui l\u00e6tificat juventutem meam.\n\n R. To God, who rejoiceth my youth.\n\n\n\n The following Psalm (42nd) is omitted in Passion time, and in\n Masses for the Dead.\n\n\nJudica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab\nhomine iniquo et doloso erne me.\n\n Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that\n is not holy: from the unjust and deceitful man deliver me.\n\nR. Quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea, quare me repulisti? et quare\ntristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?\n\n R. Since thou, O God, art my strength, why hast thou cast me\n off? and why do I go sorrowful, while the enemy afflicteth me?\n\n{341}\n\nP. Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxenmt et\nadduxenint in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.\n\n P. Send forth thy light and thy truth: they have conducted and\n brought me to thy holy mount, and into thy tabernacles.\n\nR. Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui l\u00e6tificat juventutem me\nam.\n\n R. And I will go unto the altar of God; to God who rejoiceth my\n youth.\n\nP. Confitebor tibi in cithara, Deus, Deus, meus: quare tristis\nes, anima mea; et quare conturbas me?\n\n P. I will praise thee on the harp, O God, my God: why art thou\n sorrowful, O my soul; and why dost thou disturb me?\n\nR. Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus\nmei, et Deus meus.\n\n R. Hope in God, for I will yet praise him: the salvation of my\n countenance, and my God.\n\nP. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto:\n\n P. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, &c.\n\nR. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in s\u00e6cula\ns\u00e6culorum. Amen.\n\n R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world\n without end. Amen.\n\nP. Introibo ad altare Dei.\n\n P. I will go unto the altar of God.\n\nR. Ad Deum qui l\u00e6tificat juventutem meam.\n\n R. To God who rejoiceth my youth.\n\nP. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.\n\n P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.\n\nR. Qui fecit c\u0153lum et terrain.\n\n R. Who made heaven and earth.\n\n{342}\n\nP. Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, &c.\n\n P. I confess to almighty God, &c.\n\nR. Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis tuis,\nperducat te ad vitam \u00e6ternam.\n\n R. May almighty God be merciful to thee, and forgiving thee thy\n sins, bring thee to life everlasting.\n\nP. Amen.\n\n P. Amen.\n\nR. Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beat\u00e6 Mari\u00e6, semper virgine, beato\nMichaeli archangelo, beato Joanni baptist\u00e6, Sanctis apostolis\nPetro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et tibi, pater, quia peccavi\nnimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere: _mea culpa, mea culpa, mea\nmaxima culpa_. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper virginem,\nbeatum Michaelem archangelum, beatum Joannem baptistam, sanctos\napostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes sanctos, ette, pater, orare pro\nme ad Dominum Deum nostrum.\n\n R. I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever virgin, to\n blessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the baptist, to\n the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to\n thee, O father, that I have grievously sinned in thought, word,\n and deed: _through my fault, through my fault, through my\n exceeding great fault._ Therefore I beseech the blessed\n Mary, ever virgin, blessed Michael the archangel, blessed John\n the baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the\n saints, and thee, O father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.\n\nP. Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis\nvestris, perducat vos ad vitam \u00e6ternam.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nP. May almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and\nbring you to life everlasting.\n\n R. Amen.\n\n{343}\n\nP. Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccaturum\nnostrorum, tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nP. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon,\nabsolution, and remission of our sins.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nP. Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos.\n\n P. O God, thou being turned towards us, wilt receive us.\n\nR. Et plebs tua l\u00e6tabitur in te.\n\n R. And thy people shall rejoice in thee.\n\nP. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.\n\n P. Show us thy mercy, O Lord.\n\nR. Et salutare tuum da nobis.\n\n R. And grant us thy salvation.\n\nP. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.\n\n P. O Lord, hear my prayer.\n\nR. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.\n\n R. And let my cry come unto thee.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. The Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\n\n When the Priest goes up to the Altar, say,\n\nTake away from us our iniquities, we beseech thee, O Lord, that\nwe may be worthy to assist with pure minds at the celebration of\nthese tremendous mysteries; through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{344}\n\nWhen he bows down before the Altar, say,\n\nWe beseech thee, O Lord, by the merits of thy saints, whose\nrelics are enclosed in this altar, and of all the saints, that\nthou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive us all our sins. Amen.\n\n Here at Solemn Masses, the Priest having blessed the incense\n with the sign of the cross, and these words, \"Mayest thou be\n blessed by him in whose honour thou wilt be burned,\" fumes the\n altar therewith, and then turning to the book, reads the\n Introit, which, being different every day, may be supplied by\n the following prayer:\n\nIt is in thy name, O adorable Trinity! it is to honour thee, and\nto do thee homage, that I assist at this most holy and august\nsacrifice. Permit me, then, O Lord, to unite my intention with\nthat of thy minister now at the altar, in offering up this\nprecious victim; and give me the same sentiments I ought to have\nhad on Mount Calvary, had I been an eye-witness of that bloody\nsacrifice.\n\n\n After which follows:\n\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\n P. Lord have mercy on us.\n\nR. Kyrie eleison.\n\n P. Lord have mercy on us.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\n P. Lord have mercy on us.\n\nR. Christe eleison,\n\n R. Christ have mercy on us.\n\nR. Christe eleison,\n\n R. Christ have mercy on us.\n\nR. Christe eleison,\n\n R. Christ have mercy on us.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\n P. Lord have mercy on us.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\n P. Lord have mercy on us.\n\nP. Kyrie eleison.\n\n P. Lord have mercy on us.\n\n{345}\n\n Then, if it be neither Lent or Advent, nor a Mass for the Dead,\n is said or sung the angelical hymn, \"Gloria in Excelsis.\"\n\n\nGloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bon\u00e6\nvoluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te,\nglorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam,\nDomine Deus, Rex c\u0153lestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili\nunigenite Jesu Christe, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris,\nqui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis; qui tollis peccata\nmundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram; qui sedes ad dexteram\nPatris, miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus\nDominus, tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu,\nin gloria Dei Patris. Amen.\n\n\n Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good\n will. We praise thee, we bless thee, we adore thee, we glorify\n thee. We give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God,\n heavenly King, God the Father, almighty. O Lord Jesus Christ,\n the only begotten Son. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the\n Father, who takest away the sins of the world have mercy on us;\n who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; who\n sitteth at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For\n thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only, O Jesus\n Christ, together with the Holy Ghost, art most high, in the\n glory of God the Father. Amen.\n\n{346}\n\nThe Priest, turning towards the people, says,\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. The Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\nR. And with thy spirit.\n\n Going to the book, he reads the Collects, which being different\n every day, may be supplied by the following prayer:\n\nAlmighty and eternal God, we humbly beseech thee to look down\nfrom thy heavenly sanctuary upon this congregation, and\ngraciously hear these prayers which thy Church addresses to thee\nfor us by the ministry of this thy priest. Grant us, in thy\ninfinite mercy, pardon of our sins, health of mind and body,\npeace in our days, unity and increase of Catholic faith, fervent\ncharity, sincere devotion, patience in suffering, and every thing\nelse conducive to thy glory and our own salvation; through Jesus\nChrist our Lord. Amen.\n\n At the end of the Collects, the Clerk answers, Amen. Whilst the\n Priest reads the Epistle for the day,* the following prayer may\n be said.\n\nO eternal God, who never ceasest to excite us to the worship and\nlove of thy holy name, or to arm us against the attacks of the\nworld, the flesh, and the devil, by the public ministry of thy\nchurch, by the doctrine of thy prophets and apostles, and by many\nother holy admonitions; grant we may faithfully attend to these\nlessons of salvation, that thus our knowledge of thy law may\nnever rise in judgment against us, but guide us securely to thee:\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n * See Gospels and Epistles for all Sundays and festivals,\n p. 388 to 481.\n\n{347}\n\n At the end of the Epistle, the Clerk answers,\n\nR. Deo gratias.\n\n R. Thanks be to God.\n\n Whilst the Priest reads the Gradual, or the Tract, which\n differs every day, the following may be said:\n\nHow wonderful, O Lord, is thy name throughout the whole earth: I\nwill bless our Lord at all times; his praise shall be always in\nmy mouth. Be thou my God and my protector. In thee alone will I\nput my trust; O let me never be confounded.\n\n\n The Prayer Before The Gospel.\n\nCleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, who didst cleanse\nthe lips of the prophet Isaiah with a burning coal; and\nvouchsafe, through thy gracious mercy, so to purify me, that I\nmay worthily attend to thy holy gospel: through Christ our Lord.\nAmen.\n\nBless me, O Lord.\n\nMay the Lord be in my heart, and on my lips, that I may worthily\nand in a becoming manner, attend to his holy gospel. Amen.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. The Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo,\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\nP. Sequentia [_vel_ initium] sancti Evangelii secundum, &c.\n\n P. The continuation [_or_ the beginning] of the holy\n Gospel according to St. &o.\n\nR. Gloria tibi, Domine.\n\n R. Glory be to thee, O Lord.\n\n{348}\n\n Whilst the Priest reads the Gospel of the day, [Footnote 3] the\n following prayer may be said:\n\n [Footnote 3: See Gospels and Epistles for all Sundays and\n festivals, pp. 388-481.]\n\nIt is not thy interpreters, O God, who are now to instruct me; it\nis thy only Son; it is his word I am about to hear. I most\ngratefully embrace this heavenly doctrine. I _stand up_ to\ndeclare in the face of heaven and earth, that I will walk\nfaithfully in that way which he hath marked out for me. He tells\nme here, \"that it will avail a man nothing to gain the whole\nworld, if he lose his own soul; that the sensual, the covetous,\nthe worldling, the libertine, the detractor, and such as are\ninsensible to the miseries of the poor, shall have no share in\nhis heavenly kingdom; and that in order to become his disciple, I\nmust take up my cross and follow him.\" I receive with my whole\nheart all these sacred maxims. Grant me the grace to put them in\npractice; for to what purpose should I declare myself thy\ndisciple, if I were not to live according to the maxims of thy\ngospel?\n\n\n At the end of the Gospel, the Clerk answers,\n\nR. Laus tibi Christe.\n\n R. Praise be to thee, O Christ.\n\n\n Then say with the Priest, in a low voice, \"May our sins be\n blotted out by the words of the Gospel.\"\n\n\n The Nicene Creed.\n\nCredo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem c\u0153li et terrae,\nvisibilium omnium et invisibilium.\n\n{349}\n\nEt in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum; et ex\nPatre natum ante omnia s\u00e6cula; Deum de Deo; Lumen de Lumine; Deum\nverum de Deo vero; Genitum non factum; consubstantialem Patri,\nper quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines, et propter\nnostram salutem, descendit de c\u0153lis, et incarnatus est de Spiritu\nSancto, ex Maria Virgine; [Footnote 4] ET HOMO FACTUS EST.\nCrucifixus etiam pro nobis, sub Pontio Pilato passus, et sepultus\nest; et resurrexit tertia die, secundum scripturas; et ascendit\nin c\u0153lum, sedet ad dexteram Patris et iterum venturus est cum\ngloria judicare vivos et mortuos; cujus regni non erit finis.\n\nEt in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, qui ex Patre\nFilioque procedit; qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et\nconglorificatur; qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam sanctam\nCatholicam et Apostolicam Ecclesiam Confiteor unam Baptisma in\nremissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et\nvitam venturi s\u00e6culi. Amen.\n\n I Believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and\n earth, and of all things visible and invisible.\n\n And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; and\n born of the Father before ail ages; God of God; Light of Light;\n true God of true God; begotten, not made; consubstantial to the\n Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for\n our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the\n Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary; [Footnote 4] AND WAS MADE, MAN.\n Was crucified also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and\n was buried; and the third day he rose again, according to the\n scriptures; and ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand\n of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge both\n the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no\n end.\n\n And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who\n proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who, together with the\n Father and the Son, is adored and glorified; who spake by the\n prophets. And one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess\n one baptism for the remission of sins. And I expect the\n resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.\n Amen.\n\n [Footnote 4: At these words the people kneel down to\n adore God for the ineffable mystery of the incarnation.]\n\n{350}\n\n Part II.\n\n The Preparation And Sanctification Of The Bread And Wine For\n The Use Of The Sacrifice.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. The Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\nP. Oremus.\n\n P. Let us pray.\n\n\n During the Offertory, which differs every day, may be said the\n following Prayers:\n\nO Holy Father, almighty and eternal God, how unworthy soever I\nmay appear in thy presence, yet I presume to offer thee this\nhost, by the hands of the priest, with the same intention which\nChrist my Saviour had when he first instituted this august\nsacrifice, and which he now has at this very instant that he\nimmolates himself for us.\n{351}\nI offer it in acknowledgment of thy supreme dominion over me and\nall creatures. I offer it in expiation of my crimes, in\nthanksgiving for all thy benefits. I offer it to obtain from thy\ninfinite goodness, for my parents, benefactors, friends, and\nenemies, all those precious gifts and graces which only through\nhim can be obtained, who is JUST by excellence, and who became a\nvictim for the sins of man. I earnestly entreat thee to bless and\nprotect the holy Catholic Church; our chief pastor the Pope, our\nBishops and Clergy; the Queen and Royal Family; and all our\nfellow-subjects of every denomination. Remember also, O Lord, the\nsouls of the faithful departed; and grant them, through the\nmerits of thy Son, eternal light and peace. Have mercy upon all\nheretics, infidels, and sinners. Bless and preserve all mine\nenemies; and as I freely forgive them the injuries they have\ndone, or mean to do me, so do thou, in thy mercy, forgive me mine\noffences. Amen.\n\n\n\n The Priest offering up the Host, says,\n\nAccept, O holy Father, almighty and eternal God, this unspotted\nhost, which I, thy unworthy servant, offer unto thee, my living\nand true God, for my own innumerable sins, offences, and\nnegligences, and for all here present, as also for all faithful\nChristians, both living and dead, that it may avail both me and\nthem unto eternal life. Amen.\n\n{352}\n\n Putting the Wine and Water into the Chalice, he says,\n\nO God, who, in creating human nature, hast wonderfully dignified\nit, and still more wonderfully reformed it, grant that, by the\nmystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of his\ndivinity, who vouchsafed to become partaker of our humanity,\n_namely_, Jesus Christ our Lord, thy Son, who, with thee, in\nthe unity of the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth God, for ever\nand ever. Amen.\n\n At Offering the Chalice, he says,\n\nWe offer thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, beseeching thy\nclemency, that it may ascend before thy divine Majesty, as a most\nsweet odour, for our salvation, and for that of the whole world.\nAmen.\n\n\n The Priest humbly bowing himself, says,\n\nAccept us, O Lord, in the spirit of humility, and contrition of\nheart; and grant that the sacrifice which we offer this day in\nthy sight, may be pleasing to thee, O Lord God.\n\n\n At blessing the Bread and Wine, he says,\n\nCome, O almighty and eternal God, the Sanctifier, and bless this\nsacrifice prepared for the glory of thy holy name.\n\n\n Here, in solemn Masses, he blesses the Incense, saying,\n\nMay the Lord, by the intercession of the blessed Michael the\nArchangel, who standeth at the right side of the altar of\nperfumes, and of all his elect, vouchsafe to bless this incense,\nand receive it as an odour of sweetness: through Christ our Lord.\nAmen.\n\n\n At incensing the Bread and Wine, he says,\n\nMay this incense which thou hast blessed, O Lord, ascend to thee,\nand may thy mercies descend upon us.\n\n{353}\n\n At incensing the Altar, he says, Psalm cxl.\n\nLet my prayer ascend, O Lord, like incense, in thy sight; and the\nlifting up of my hands, as an evening sacrifice: place, O Lord, a\nguard upon my mouth, and a gate of prudence before my lips; that\nmy heart may not wander after words of malice, to seek excuses in\nsin.\n\n\n Giving the Censer to the Deacon, he says,\n\nMay the Lord enkindle within us the fire of his love, and the\nflames of everlasting charity. Amen.\n\n\n At washing his Hands, he says, Psalm xxv. 6.\n\nI will wash my hands among the innocent; and go up to thy altar,\nO Lord, that I may hear the voice of praise: and publish all thy\nwonderful works. O Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house,\nand the place where thy glory dwelleth. Destroy not my soul with\nthe impious: nor my life with men of blood. In whose hands are\niniquities: their right hand is filled with bribes. But I have\nwalked in mine innocence: rescue me, and have mercy on me. My\nfeet have stood in the right path: in the assembly of the\nfaithful I will bless thee, O Lord. Glory, &c.\n\n\n\n Bowing in the midst of the Altar, he says,\n\nAccept, O holy Trinity, this oblation which we make thee, in\nmemory of the passion, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord\nJesus Christ; and in honour of the ever blessed Virgin Mary, the\nblessed John Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all\nthe saints, that it may be available to their honour and to our\nsalvation. And may they vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven,\nwhose memory we celebrate on earth: through the same Christ our\nLord. Amen.\n\n{354}\n\n Turning himself towards the People, he says,\n\nBrethren, pray that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable in\nthe sight of God the Father Almighty.\n\nR. May the Lord receive the sacrifice from thy hands, to the\npraise and glory of his own name, and to our benefit, and that of\nall his holy church.\n\n When the Priest says the Secret Prayer in a low voice, which\n differs every day, you may say as follows:\n\nMercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, and graciously accept this\noblation, which we thy servants are making to thee; that as we\noffer it to the honour of thy name, so it may be to us a means of\nobtaining thy grace in this life, and in the next everlasting\nhappiness: through, &c.\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\n P. World without end.\n\nR. Amen.\n\n R. Amen.\n\n\n The Preface.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. The Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\nP. Sursum corda.\n\n P. Raise up your hearts on high.\n\nR. Habemus ad Dominum.\n\n R. We have raised them to the Lord.\n\n{355}\n\nP. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.\n\n P. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.\n\nR. Dignum et justum est.\n\n R. It is meet and just.\n\n\n The Preface for all the Sundays in the year, except from\n Christmas to the Octave of the Epiphany, and from Ash-Wednesday\n to Whit-Sunday, inclusively.\n\n\nIt is truly meet, just, right, and available to salvation, that\nwe should always and in all places give thanks to thee, O holy\nLord, Father almighty, eternal God, who, together with thine only\nbegotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art one God and one Lord; not\nin a singularity of one person, but in a trinity of one\nsubstance. For what, according as thou hast revealed, we believe\nof thy glory, the same we believe of the Son, the same we believe\nof the Holy Ghost, without any difference or distinction. So that\nin the confession of the true and eternal deity, we adore a\ndistinction in the person, an unity in the essence, and an\nequality in the majesty; which the angels and archangels, the\ncherubim, and likewise the seraphim, praise, and cease not daily\nto cry out with united voice, saying,\n\n Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts.\n The heavens and the earth are full of thy glory.\n _Hosanna_ to him who is on high.\n Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.\n _Hosanna_ to him who is on high.\n\n\n The Common Preface for Festivals which have none proper,\n and in Masses for the Dead.\n\n{356}\n\nIt is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that\nwe should always, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O holy\nLord, Father almighty, eternal God, through Christ our Lord; by\nwhom the angels praise thy Majesty; the dominations adore it; the\npowers tremble before it; the heavens, the heavenly host, and\nblessed seraphim, with common jubilee glorify it: together with\nwhom we humbly beseech thee to admit our voices of praise, saying\nin the most suppliant manner, Holy, Holy, Holy, &c. (as in the\nforegoing Preface for Sundays.)\n\n\n Part III.\n\n The Canon Of The Mass,\n Or Main Action Of The Sacrifice.\n\nWe therefore humbly beseech thee, most merciful Father, through\nJesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to\naccept and bless these gifts and offerings, this holy and\nunspotted sacrifice, which in the first place we offer unto thee\nfor thy holy Catholic Church, to which we beseech thee that thou\nwouldst vouchsafe to grant peace; as also to preserve, unite, and\ngovern it, throughout the world; together with thy servant\n_N_. our Pope, _N_. our Bishop, and _N_. our\nQueen, as also all orthodox believers and professors of the\nCatholic and Apostolic faith.\n\n\n Commemoration Of The Living.\n\nBe mindful, O Lord, of thy servants, men and women, [_name\nthem_.]\n\n [Here the Priest prays awhile for those he intends to pray\n for:]\n\nAnd of all here present, whose faith and devotion are known unto\nthee; for whom we offer, or who offer up to thee this sacrifice\nof praise for themselves, and for all that belong to them; for\nthe redemption of their own souls; for the safety and salvation\nthey hope for; and who now pay their vows to thee, the eternal,\nliving, and true God.\n\n{357}\n\nBeing united in communion with the saints, and honouring, in the\nfirst place, the memory of the glorious Mary, ever virgin, mother\nof our Lord Jesus Christ; as also of the blessed apostles and\nmartyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James,\nPhilip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thadeus, Linus, Cletus,\nClement, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Laurence, Chrysogonus, John\nand Paul, Cosmas, and Damian, and of all thy saints; by whose\nmerits and prayers, grant that we may on all occasions be\ndefended by the help of thy protection: through the same Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n\n Spreading his hands over the Oblation, he says,\n\nWe therefore beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to accept this\noffering of our homage, as also of thy whole family: dispose our\ndays in thy peace, preserve us from eternal damnation, and rank\nus in the number of thine elect: through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\nWhich oblation do thou, O Lord, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, in\nall respects, to bless, approve, ratify, and accept; that it may\nbe made to us the body and blood of thy most beloved Son, our\nLord Jesus Christ:\n\n{358}\n\nWho, the day before he suffered, took bread into his sacred and\nvenerable hands, and with his eyes lifted up towards heaven, to\nthee, almighty God, his father, giving thanks, he blessed it,\nbrake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:\n\n \"Take, and eat ye all of this,\n for THIS IS MY BODY.\"\n\n\n At Solemn Masses, daring the Elevation,\n this Hymn is sometimes song:\n\n O Salutaris hostia,\n Qu\u00e6 c\u0153li pandis ostium;\n Bella premunt hostilia,\n Da robur, fer auxilium.\n Uni trinoque Domino,\n Sit sempiterna gloria:\n Qui vitam sine termino,\n Nobis donet in patria.\n\n O saving host, that heaven's gate,\n Laidst open at so dear a rate;\n Intestine war invade our breast;\n Be thou our strength, support, and rest.\n To God the Father, and the Son,\n And Holy Spirit, three in one,\n Be endless praise: may He above.\n With life eternal crown our love.\n\n\n After the Priest has adored and elevated the sacred Host, he\n proceeds:\n\nIn like manner, after he had supped, taking this most excellent\nchalice into his sacred and venerable hands, and giving thanks\nalso unto thee, he blessed it, and gave it to his disciples,\nsaying:\n\n \"Take, and drink ve all of this,\n for this is the chalice of my blood,\n of the new and eternal testament--\n the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you\n and for many, to the remission of sins,\"\n\n \"As often as ye do these things,\n ye shall do them in commemoration of me.\"\n\n\n Here, after he has adored and elevated the Chalice, he goes on:\n\n{359}\n\nWherefore, we thy servants, O Lord, as also thy holy people,\nbeing mindful as well of the blessed passion of the same Christ\nthy Son our Lord, as of his resurrection from the dead, and his\nglorious ascension into heaven, offer unto thy most excellent\nMajesty, of thy gifts bestowed upon us, a pure host, a holy host,\nan immaculate host, the holy bread of eternal life, and chalice\nof everlasting salvation.\n\nUpon which vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to look with a propitious\nand pleasing countenance, and to accept them, as thou wert\npleased graciously to accept the gifts of thy just servant Abel,\nand the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and that which thy\nhigh priest Melchisedech offered unto thee, a holy sacrifice and\nspotless victim.\n\nWe most humbly beseech thee, O Almighty God, that thou wouldst\ncommand these offerings to be carried by the hands of thy holy\nangel unto thine altar on high, in the sight of thy divine\nMajesty, that as many of us as _assist at this oblation_, or\npartake of the sacred body and blood of thy Son, may be filled\nwith every heavenly grace and blessing: through the same Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n\n The Commemoration Of The Dead.\n\nBe mindful, O Lord, of thy servants, men and women, who are gone\nbefore us with the sign of faith, and rest in the sleep of peace.\n\n [Here such Dead as are prayed for, should be particularly\n mentioned.]\n\nTo these, O Lord, and to all who sleep in Christ, grant, we\nbeseech thee, a place of refreshment, light, and peace: through\nthe same Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n{360}\n\n Striking his breast, he says:\n\nAnd to us also, thy unworthy servants, who hope in the multitude\nof thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some part and fellowship with\nthy holy apostles and martyrs, with John, Stephen, Matthias,\nBarnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcelline, Peter, Felicitas,\nPerpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecily, Anastasia, and all thy\nsaints: into whose company we beseech thee to admit us, not in\nconfidence of any merit of our own, but of thine own gracious\nmercy and pardon: through Jesus Christ our Lord.\n\nBy whom, O Lord, thou dost always create, sanctify, quicken,\nbless, and give us those good gifts; so, by him, with him, and in\nhim is to thee, O God the Father Almighty, in the unity of the\nHoly Ghost, all honour and glory.\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\n P. For ever and ever,\n\nR. Amen.\n\n R. Amen.\n\n\n\n Part IV.\n\n The Communion, Or\n Sacramental Part Of The Canon.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nInstructed in thy saving precepts, and following thy divine\ndirections, we presume to say:\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\nR. But deliver us from evil.\n\nP. Amen.\n\n{361}\n\nDeliver us we beseech thee, O Lord, from all evils, past,\npresent, and to come. And by the intercession of the blessed and\never glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, and of the holy\napostles Peter and Paul, of Andrew, and of all the saints\nmercifully grant peace in our days, that through the assistance\nof thy mercy, we may be always free from sin, and secure from all\ndisturbance: through the same Lord Jesus Christ thy son, who\nliveth and reigneth with thee God, in unity with the holy Ghost.\n\nP. Per omnia s\u00e6cula s\u00e6culorum.\n\n P. World without end.\n\nR. Amen.\n\n R. Amen.\n\nP. Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.\n\n P. May the peace of the Lord be always with you;\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\n\n Breaking the Host, he puts a particle thereof into the Chalice,\n saying:\n\n\nMay this mixture together, and consecration of the body and blood\nof our Lord Jesus be to us that receive it, or _assist\nthereat_, effectual to eternal life. Amen.\n\n\n Then bowing and striking his breast, he says thrice:\n\nLamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,\nhave mercy on us.\n\nLamb of God who takest away the sins of the world,\nhave mercy on us.\n\nLamb of God who takest away the sins of the world,\ngive us peace.\n\n{362}\n\n In Masses for the Dead, instead of \"Have mercy on us,\" he says,\n twice, \"Give them rest,\" and lastly \"Give them eternal rest.\"\n The following Prayer is also omitted:\n\nLord Jesus Christ who saidst to thy apostles \"I leave you peace,\nI give you my peace,\" regard not my sins, but the faith of thy\nchurch, and vouchsafe to grant her that peace and unity which is\nagreeable to thy will; who livest and reignest for ever and ever.\nAmen.\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, according to the\nwill of thy Father, with the co-operation of the Holy Ghost,\nhast, by thy death, given life to the world, deliver me by this\nthy most sacred body and blood, from all my iniquities, and from\nall evils; make me always live up to thy commandments; and never\nsuffer me to be separated from thee, who livest and reignest with\nGod the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without\nend. Amen.\n\nLet not the participation of thy body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which\nI, though unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgment and\ncondemnation; but let it, through thy mercy, become a safeguard\nand remedy, both of soul and body: who with God the Father, in\nthe unity of the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest God for ever and\never. Amen.\n\n\n Kneeling, rising, and taking the Host in his hands, he says:\n\nI will partake of this heavenly bread, and call upon the name of\nthe Lord.\n\n\n He strikes his breast, saying devoutly, thrice:\n\nLord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof;\nspeak only the word, and my soul shall be healed.\n\n{363}\n\n During the time of the Priest's communicating, it would be\n profitable for persons who are not then in a state of actually\n communicating, to communicate also spiritually or in desire;\n for this purpose say the following prayer:\n\nO that I were among the number of those whose sanctity allows\nthem to communicate daily! What a happiness, O my God! could I at\nthis moment erect a throne for thee in my heart, pay thee my\nhomage, lay open to thee my wants, and participate in the favours\nthou grantest to those who _really_ and _worthily\nreceive_ thee. But since I am unworthy, do thou, O Lord,\nsupply my want of the proper dispositions. Grant the pardon of my\nmanifold sins, which I detest from the bottom of my heart,\nbecause they displease thee. Cast thy compassionate eye upon me,\nand purify my soul, that the ardent wish I now conceive to be\nunited to thee by a worthy communion may be speedily\naccomplished. But until the arrival of so happy a moment I\nearnestly entreat thee, O dearest Lord, that thou wouldst make me\npartaker of all those advantages which the communion of the\npriest may produce in those thy people. By the efficacy of this\nenlivening sacrament, increase my faith, strengthen my hope,\nrevive in my soul the rays of divine charity, inflame my heart\nwith thy love, that it may pant only for thee and live for thee\nalone. Amen.\n\n\n Receiving reverently both parts of the Host, he says:\n\nMay the body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life\neverlasting. Amen.\n\n{364}\n\n Taking the Chalice, he says:\n\nWhat return shall I make to the Lord for all the good things that\nhe hath given unto me? I will partake of the chalice of\nsalvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Praising I will\ncall upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from mine enemies.\n\n\n Receiving the Blood of our Saviour, he says:\n\nMay the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to life\neverlasting. Amen.\n\n\n Taking the first Ablution, he says:\n\nGrant, Lord, that what we have partaken of with our mouth, we may\nreceive with purity of mind; and that of a temporal gift it may\nbecome unto us an everlasting remedy. Amen.\n\n\n Taking the second Ablution, he says:\n\nMay thy body, O Lord, which I have received, and thy blood which\nI have drank, cleave to my soul: and grant that no stain of sin\nremain within me, who have been fed with this pure and holy\nsacrament. Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n\n Having wiped his Mouth, his Fingers, and the Chalice, he then\n continues the Mass.\n\nThe Communion being every day different, what follows may be\nsaid:\n\nLet it be now, O Lord, an effect of thy mercy, that we who have\nbeen present at this holy mystery may find the benefit thereof in\nour souls.\n\n{365}\n\n Part V.\n\n The Public Thanksgiving After Communion.\n\nDominus vobiscum:\n\n The Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\nP. Oremus.\n\n P. Let us pray.\n\n\n The Post Communion being also different every day, what follows\n may be said:\n\nWe give thee thanks O God, for thy mercy in admitting us to have\na part in offering this sacrifice to thy holy name: accept it now\nto thy glory, and be ever mindful of our weakness; pardon all our\ndefects, and grant our request; through, &c. Amen.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. May the Lord be with you:\n\nB. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\nP. Ite, Missa est.\n\n P. Depart, the Mass is finished.\n\n\n Or, if \"Gloria in excelsis\" has not been said,\n\nP. Benidicamus Domino.\n\n P. Let us bless the Lord.\n\nR. Deo gratias.\n\n R. Thanks be to God.\n\n In Masses for the Dead.\n\nP. Requiescant in pace.\n\n P. May they rest in peace.\n\nR. Amen.\n\n R. Amen.\n\n{366}\n\nMay the performance of this my homage be pleasing to thee, O Holy\nTrinity; and grant that the sacrifice which I, though unworthy,\nhave offered up, in the sight of the Divine Majesty, may be\nacceptable to thee, and, through thy mercy, become a propitiation\nfor me, and all those for whom it hath been offered: through\nChrist our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n The Priest turning himself towards the people, says, (except in\n Masses for the Dead.)\n\nMay almighty God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless you.\nAmen.\n\nP. Dominus vobiscum:\n\n P. May the Lord be with you:\n\nR. Et cum spiritu tuo.\n\n R. And with thy spirit.\n\nP. Initium sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem.\n\n P. The beginning of the Gospel according to St. John.\n\nR. Gloria tibi, Domine.\n\n R. Glory be to thee, O Lord.\n\n\n The Gospel According To St. John.\n\nIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God\nwas the Word; the same was in the beginning with God. All things\nwere made by him; and without him was made nothing that was made.\nIn him was life, and the life was the light of men: and the light\nshineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.\n\nThere was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came\nfor a witness to give testimony of the light, that all men might\nbelieve through him. He was not the light, but was to give\ntestimony of the light. It was the true light which enlighteneth\nevery man that cometh into this world.\n\n{367}\n\nHe was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world\nknew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.\nBut as many as received him to them he gave power to be made the\nsons of God, to those that believe in his name; who are born, not\nof blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,\nbut of God. And _the Word was made flesh_, and dwelt amongst\nus. And we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only\nbegotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.\n\nR. Deo gratias.\n\n R. Thanks be to God.\n\n------------------------------\n\n Another Devout Method\n\n Of Assisting At The\n\n Holy Sacrifice Of The Mass,\n\n By turning the attention and affections of the soul towards the\n mysteries of our blessed Saviour's passion and death, which are\n thereby represented and shown forth according to these words,\n THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME; that is, for a perpetual and\n grateful commemoration of my sufferings and death, as the\n apostle explains it.\n 1 _Corinthians_ xi. 26.\n\n\n The Mass is called by St. Francis of Sales, _Introd_.\n _p_. 2, _c_. 14, the sun of spiritual exercises, the\n centre of religion, the heart of devotion, and the soul of\n piety. It is offered to none but God alone; as the nature of a\n sacrifice, in the common judgment of all mankind, is to\n acknowledge the supreme dominion of God over us, and our total\n subjection and dependence on him. It is a standing memorial and\n a commemorative sacrifice, that represents the sacrifice of the\n cross, and was prefigured by the sacrifice of Melchisedech, and\n foretold by the prophet Malichi.--c. i. v. 10. The faithful\n should go to it as if they were going to Mount Calvary, to be\n present at the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, and\n assist at it with a grateful remembrance and a feeling sense of\n his sufferings.\n{368}\n The altar on which this great sacrifice is offered, with a\n crucifix erected thereon, is a figure of Mount Calvary, and of\n Christ crucified. The corporal and linen cloth that covered the\n altar, signify the linen cloth that wrapped the sacred body of\n Christ when he was buried. The chalice denotes the holy\n sepulchre of our Lord. The paten denotes the great stone that\n was rolled against the door of the sepulchre. The two candles\n signify the two testaments, and the light of faith revealed to\n the Jews and Gentiles. The priest who officiates represents the\n person of Christ, who is the High Priest of the New Law; his\n tonsure represents the crown of thorns which Christ wore; and\n the robes with which he is vested, represents the robes of\n derision with which Christ was ignominiously clothed. The amice\n represents the veil with which his eyes were muffled, when he\n was desired to prophesy who it was that struck him. The alb\n represents the white robe with which he was covered by Herod\n out of contempt. The cincture, maniple, and stole represent the\n cords and bandages with which he was bound like a malefactor.\n The chasuble, or outward vestment, represents the purple\n garment with which he was clothed like a mock king. The figure\n of a pillar on the front of the chasuble, represents the stone\n pillar at which he was scourged; and the figure of a cross on\n the back, represents the wooden cross which he carried on his\n shoulders from Jerusalem to Mount Calvary. The three languages,\n Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which are used in the Mass, remind us\n of the title of the cross, which was written in Hebrew, Greek,\n and Latin letters. The different parts and ceremonies of the\n Mass correspond to the different stations of his passion, and\n represent all that happened from his entering into the Garden\n of Olives, until the day of his ascension into heaven, and the\n descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles; _as will appear\n to the devout reader of the explanations premised to each\n prayer_.\n\n{369}\n\n A Prayer Before Mass.\n\nO Divine Spirit, descend into my soul, purify it from the dross\nof its imperfections, and replenish it with the flames of thy\nsacred affections, that it may breathe nothing but thy love, and\ndesire nothing but the accomplishment of thy will. O ye angels,\nsaints, and all creatures, come help me to honour, praise, bless,\nand love our Lord Jesus Christ, who once offered himself a bloody\nsacrifice on the cross for my salvation, and now offers himself\nan unbloody sacrifice on the altar for the same end.\n\nGive me grace, O sweet Jesus, to assist at this holy sacrifice\nwith the fervour and devotion of the pious shepherds in the\nstable of Bethlehem; and with a lively faith, profound respect,\nand humility of the three wise men of the East, who came to adore\nthee in the manger, and to offer thee the three mystical presents\nof frankincense, gold, and myrrh, in testimony of thy divinity,\nroyalty and humanity. And now, since I, who am but dust and\nashes, have presumed to speak, permit me to follow thee in spirit\nthrough the different stages of thy passion, and accompany thee\nto Mount Calvary.--Make me partaker of that charity which\nconducted thee to it, that I may return love for love, life for\nlife, death for death. Give me such a feeling sense of thy\nsufferings, as the daughters of Sion had, when they met thee with\nthy cross on thy shoulders, and a thorny crown on thy head. Grant\nme resignation of my will to thine, like that of thy Virgin\nMother at the foot of the cross. Prostrate before the throne of\nthy divine Majesty, I humbly implore thy pardon for all my\noffences, and thy grace to avoid relapse into sin.\n{370}\nI offer up this divine sacrifice, by the hands of thy priest, to\nthe glory of thy name; in acknowledgment of thy infinite\ngreatness, and of my own nothingness; in thanksgiving for all thy\nbenefits; in satisfaction for all my sins; in memory of thy\ndolorous passion; and to obtain of thy bounty, for myself and for\nthy whole church, for my superiors, spiritual and temporal, for\nmy parents, benefactors, friends, and enemies, and all mankind,\nthose precious graces and favours which thou knowest us to stand\nin most need of.\n\n\n Explanation.\n\n \"The priest going from the sacristy to the altar, and retiring\n to the foot of it, in order to recite the 42nd psalm, _Judica\n me Deus_, &c. represents Jesus Christ retiring from his last\n supper, and praying to his heavenly Father in the garden of\n Gethsemani, situate at the foot of Mount Olivet. The beginning\n of the Mass, with the sign of the cross, and the invocation of\n the three persons of the most Holy Trinity, signifies that it\n is in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy\n Ghost, that the faithful assembled, in order to celebrate the\n memory of Christ's passion and death. The psalm which is then\n repeated, expresses the deep concern of a soul kept at a\n distance from the temple of God, like David when he was\n persecuted by Saul, and the ardent desires with which we are to\n approach the altar, and partake of the divine mysteries. The\n _Introit_, or entrance of the Mass, and the\n _Confiteor_, or general confession made to the whole court\n of heaven, represent the fall of Adam, which was the source of\n all our miseries, and remind us that we ought to dispose\n ourselves for this great sacrifice by a sincere repentance for\n our sins.\"\n\n{371}\n\n Prayer At The Beginning Of Mass.\n\nO Lord, in the multitude of thy mercies I will enter thy house,\nand adore thee in thy holy temple and confess to thy name. Though\nmy sins are without number, I have still thy goodness to appeal\nto, I have still a confidence in the sufferings of my Redeemer,\nand hope, through his infinite merits, to find mercy, grace, and\nsalvation. Thou, O dear Jesus, hast washed me once in baptism;\nwash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sins.\nSprinkle me with the hyssop of thy blood, and I shall be\ncleansed; wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.\n\n\n Explanation.\n\n \"The priest bowing down before the altar, and saying the\n _Confiteor_, represents our Saviour loaded with the sins\n of mankind, prostrate at his prayers in the garden, and falling\n into a bloody sweat and most painful agony. The priest going up\n to the altar and kissing it, represents our Saviour going to\n meet his enemies, and receiving the treacherous kiss from\n Judas. When he goes to the book at the corner of the Epistle,\n forms the sign of the cross, and reads the _Introit_, he\n represents our Saviour seized, bound, and led captive to the\n courts of Annas and Caiphas, where he was struck across the\n face, blindfolded, buffeted, spit upon, and treated with the\n greatest indignity, by the servants of the high priest, as if\n he were a mock prophet.\"\n\n\n Prayer At The Introit And Kyrie.\n\nBlessed be thou, O Jesus, for all thou hast suffered for our\nredemption. It is but just that my sins should draw tears from my\neyes, since they have drawn streams of blood from thy veins. I\ndesire to join the most humble contrition of my soul with thy\nagony in the garden, and resolve to be sorry for my sins, even\nunto the hour of my death.\n{372}\nMy heart is pierced with grief to think that I have repaid thy\ngoodness with such ingratitude; but until I cease to live, I will\nnever cease to cry, with the humble publican: _O God be\npropitious to me a sinner_. May those bonds that tied thy\ninnocent hands, loosen the chains of my sins, break the fetters\nof my iniquities, deliver me from the captivity of Satan, and\nrestore me to the sweet liberty of thy children, that I may be\nenabled to cry out with thy prophet: _Thou hast broken my\nchains: I will sacrifice to thee an host of praise_. I cast\nmyself at thy feet, and beseech thee by thy infinite charity, to\nstrengthen me with thy all-powerful grace under all trials and\nafflictions. Never suffer me to betray thy sacred truths, or to\ntake part with the world against thee. Grant that when any\ntribulation or anguish shall assault me, I may receive it with\nhumility like unto thine, and with a true submission and\nresignation to thy heavenly Father's will. Grant that under the\nseverest scourges I may call upon thee as a father, confide in\nthee as a father, and seek no comfort out of thee. Remember me at\nmy last hour, when the terrors of death shall begin to seize me;\nthen let thy angels comfort me; then let the memory of thy\nsufferings support me against all apprehensions, that no fear of\ndeath or judgment may ever lessen the hope I ought to repose in\nthee.\n\n{373}\n\n Explanation.\n\n \"The repetition of the _Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison_,\n &c. (that is, Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us,)\n three times, in honour of each of the three Divine Persons,\n reminds us that Christ was denied three times by St. Peter. The\n _Dominus vobiscum_, or, Our Lord be with you, which is the\n usual salutation in the scriptures, and which the priest says\n after the _Gloria in Excelsis_, it being the greatest of\n all blessings for the Lord to be with us, and we with him,\n reminds us how Peter was touched with repentance, when Christ\n cast a glance of his merciful eyes upon him. The aforesaid\n hymn, which a choir of angels sung in the air at our Saviour's\n birth, denotes the joy that is in heaven among the angels upon\n the conversion of a sinner, The _Kyries_ also remind us of\n the longing desires of the holy fathers for the coming of the\n Messiah. The _Gloria_ represents Christ's nativity. The\n Collects, Epistle, and Gospel, his prayers, miracles, and\n preaching.--The priest returning to the epistle side of the\n altar, and reading the Collects and the Lesson, represents\n Christ sent by Caiphas to Pilate, after being falsely accused\n and unjustly condemned by the Sanhedrin of the Jews. Then the\n priest goes to the middle of the altar, and humbly bowing\n himself down, prays in silence. This represents Christ\n conducted to Herod, and interrogated and scoffed at by him,\n without returning the least answer, or saying a word to justify\n himself. The priest going to the gospel side of the altar, and\n returning to the middle to make a profession of faith, by\n repeating the Nicene Creed, represents Christ sent back to\n Pilate in a fool's dress, and professing that he came to bear\n witness to the truth, and that his kingdom is not of this\n world. The removal of the Mass-book from the right to the left\n side of the altar, signifies that the new law of the gospel\n being rejected by the Jews, who were the first called, was\n preached to the Gentiles, who embraced it with joy, and were\n converted to the Christian religion in great multitudes. The\n lighted candles are emblems of their spiritual joy and of God's\n glory, and denote the light of faith which Christ brought to\n the world by his gospel.--At the beginning of the gospel, the\n priest and the people make the sign of the cross, first upon\n their foreheads, to signify that they are not ashamed of the\n cross of Christ, nor of his doctrine; secondly, upon their\n mouths, to denote that they are ready to profess it openly by\n word of mouth; and thirdly, upon their breasts, to signify that\n they will always preserve it carefully in their hearts. The\n people rise up and stand during the gospel, to show by this\n posture their readiness to go and practise whatever they shall\n be commanded by the word of God.\"\n\n{374}\n\n Prayer At The Gloria, Epistle, And Gospel.\n\nLet heaven and earth join together, and the choirs of angels he\nunited with the voices of men, to sing eternal praises to God, in\ntrinity and unity, for the mercies we have received in the\nadmirable work of our redemption. O my amiable Jesus, how am I\nbound to love thee! How black must my ingratitude be, if, after\nsuch demonstrations of love, I can continue to offend thee! I am\nthe offender, I am the malefactor, and thou hast taken upon thee\nthe punishment due to my sins! It is I who deserve to be accused,\narraigned, dispised, and condemned, and not thou: O innocent and\nspotless Lamb of God, eternal praise be to thy name. Whilst the\nJews proclaim thee a blasphemer, I own thee for my Lord; and\nbeseech thee, that under all reproaches and calumnies I may\nremember what thou hast suffered for me, and that I may\nendeavour, by an humble and patient silence, to show myself on\nall occasions to be thy true disciple. Grant that whenever I am\npersecuted by lies or false accusations, thy example may be my\ncomfort, my model, and my rule. Give me courage, constancy, and\npatience, under all the injuries, crosses, and contradictions,\nwhich thy providence shall permit to befall me during my\npilgrimage here on earth.\n{375}\nDo not suffer me to despair of thy mercy, or die in my sins, like\nunhappy Judas: but soften my stony heart, and melt it into tears\nof compunction. Leave me not to myself, but teach me to confide\nwholly in thee. Look on me with an eye of pity, and awaken me\nfrom the sleep of death, that I may bewail my past sins in the\nbitterness of my soul, and persevere in serving thee and\npromoting thy glory. May the fall of Peter be a lesson to me all\nthe days of my life, to shun all evil company, to fly all the\ndangerous occasions of sin, and never to deny thee, my Lord and\nmy God, either by word or deed; but openly to profess my faith\nwithout fear or shame. I thank thee for revealing thy heavenly\ntruths, and for instructing us by thy holy apostles in the only\ntrue saving faith. Give me grace to attend to thy doctrine, to\nlive up to the maxims of thy gospel, to profess thy faith by the\npractice of good works, and never to swerve from thy sacred law.\nHave mercy on all those that are involved in the dismal state of\nmortal sin, and grant them the grace of sincere repentance. Let\nthe light of thy countenance shine upon those who are sitting in\nthe darkness of infidelity, and in the gloomy shade of death.--\nBring back the strayed sheep to thy fold, and unite them to the\ncommunion of thy church, that we may all become one sheepfold\nunder one shepherd.\n\n{376}\n\n Explanation.\n\n \"When the priest unveils the chalice for the Offertory, he\n represents Christ stripped of his garments and bound to the\n pillar. The offering of the bread on the paten, denotes Christ\n offering up his body to be scourged. The mingling of the water\n with the wine, denotes the water and blood that flowed from his\n side on the cross. The offering the chalice with the wine,\n represents Christ scourged, and the streams of his blood\n flowing down upon the ground. The covering the chalice with the\n paten, represents him crowned with thorns, and treated as a\n mock king. The washing of the fingers at the _Lavabo_,\n reminds us how Pilate washed his hands before the multitude,\n and pronounced Christ innocent and just. The _Orate\n Fratres_ reminds us that Christ was shown to the people with\n ensigns of mock royalty, Pilate crying out at the same time:\n _Ecce Homo_, Behold the man. The priest saying the Secret\n Prayers in silence, represents Christ condemned to be\n crucified, and submitting to the unjust sentence without any\n defence or reply. The Preface, (so called because it serves as\n an introduction to the Canon of the Mass,) and the Canticle of\n the Hebrew children, which are repeated with a loud voice,\n remind us that Christ was loaded with the cross; the pious\n Hosanna being changed into the clamorous and cruel\n _Crucifige_, or crucify him.\"\n\n\n\n Prayer At The Offertory, Lavabo, And Preface.\n\nO my soul! run to thy suffering Lord, and at his feet pour out\nthyself in thanksgiving, and in all the ecstasies of love and\npraise. It is thy God that suffers, that he may redeem a slave, a\npoor sinful worm of the earth. When I behold thee, O dear Jesus,\nstripped naked, fastened to the pillar, cruelly scourged, torn,\nand mangled, I see the immensity of thy love for us, and the\ngreatness of our sins against thee. I see in thy wounds, the\nslavery into which we are degraded, and the punishment due to our\ncrimes. Our sins bound thy hands, and every stroke thou didst\nreceive was the effect of our iniquities.\n{377}\nI offer thee my heart and soul, to be eternally consecrated to\nthy divine service, and to be washed and purified in the purple\nstreams that gushed forth from every pore of thy sacred body. I\nthrow myself into the arms of thy infinite mercy, with a firm\nresolution to die rather than renew thy passion, by relapsing\ninto any mortal sin. No, dear Redeemer, I never will prefer\nBarabbas to thee; I never will set thee in competition with the\nworld, or its delusive charms, sinful pleasures, or sordid\ninterests. O amiable Jesus, thou shalt be my choice for ever. I\nwill strike no more nails into thy hands by my evil deeds. I will\nadd no more thorns to thy painful crown by my sinful thoughts. I\nwill no more pierce thy sacred side by any unlawful desires. I\nwill not scourge thy holy flesh by curses or blasphemies, nor\ncrucify thee over again by any fresh crime. I am determined, with\nthy assistance, to put off the old man with all his acts, by a\ncandid and naked confession of all my past sins. O grant that I\nmay never appear naked of virtue in thy sight; but may be clad\nwith the white robe of innocence when I shall be presented before\nthy awful tribunal. Pierce my heart with the thorns of penance\nand compunction here, that I may, through thy merits, be crowned\nwith glory hereafter. Grant that whenever I am under any\naffliction, meet with any adversity, disgrace or contempt, or\nfeel any part of the thorny crown on my head, I may rejoice in\nbearing such a resemblance of thy sufferings, and show by my\npatience and humility whose disciple I am.\n{378}\nGive me grace to submit with cheerfulness to the rod of thy\npaternal correction; and support my natural weakness, that I may\nnot sink under the weight of any cross with which it shall please\nthy Divine Providence to visit me. Disengage my heart from all\nearthly affections. Raise and elevate my soul to thee, that I may\nalways live and converse in heaven, where thou, my only treasure,\nart. I now presume to join my unworthy voice with the heavenly\nchoirs of all thy angels and saints, who are incessantly singing\neternal praises to thee:\n\n _Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;\n Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory:\n Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord:\n Hosannah in the highest, &c._\n\n\n Explanation.\n\n \"The Canon, which is the most sacred and most solemn part of\n the Mass, is read in a low voice, to denote the mourning and\n affliction of the faithful at the time of our Saviour's\n passion, which amazed and silenced all nature. The priest\n raises his hands, in imitation of Moses, who, as we read,\n (_Exodus_ xvii.) prayed with his hands lifted up, whilst\n Josue was combating with the Amalekites. After the\n _Memento_ for the living he spreads his hands over the\n bread and wine that are to be consecrated, in imitation of the\n priests of the old law, who were ordered, (_Lev_. 1.) when\n they offered sacrifice, to lay their hands upon the victim\n before it was immolated. These ceremonies represent Christ led\n away to be crucified, carrying his cross on his shoulders to\n Mount Calvary, admonishing the devout women on the way, who\n wept over him, to mourn for themselves and for their children;\n and when he arrived at the end of his painful journey, stripped\n again of his garments, and laid on the painful bed, without any\n other pillow to support his head but the thorns with which he\n was crowned.\n{379}\n The signing of the oblation with the sign of the cross, denotes\n how his hands and feet were stretched and nailed on the cross.\n The separated consecration of the bread and wine, represents\n his body slain, and his blood shed, for the remission of our\n sins. The elevation of the consecrated Host, represents him\n exalted on the cross in the sight of the whole multitude. The\n elevation of the Chalice represents the sacred blood flowing\n from his wounds. The ringing of the bell denotes the\n earthquakes and other signs which happened at his death. The\n five crosses formed over the oblation, signify the five\n principal wounds in his body. The time from the elevation to\n the communion corresponds to the three hours he hung alive on\n the cross. The _Memento_ for the dead denotes that whilst\n he was thus elevated between heaven and earth, he prayed as a\n powerful mediator for the whole world, even for his enemies and\n crucifiers. The conversion of the thief on the cross, on one\n side of him, is represented by the priest striking his breast,\n and saying, _nobis quoque peccatoribus_. The seven\n petitions of the _Pater Noster_ remind us of Christ's last\n words on the cross. The breaking of the Host is used in\n imitation of his having broken it before he gave it to his\n disciples at his last supper. The breaking of it in three parts\n represents his mystical body, or the church in three states:\n the blessed in heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the faithful\n on earth; this great sacrifice being offered for the whole\n church, triumphant, suffering, and militant; in honour of the\n first, that is, in thanksgiving to God for all the graces\n bestowed upon them, and for all the happiness they enjoy; for\n the relief of the second, to obtain a speedy admittance for\n them into eternal glory; and for the benefit of the last,\n according to the four great ends of sacrifice. The breaking of\n the Host also represents the death of Christ on the cross, and\n is a figure of his soul being separated from his body after he\n bowed down his sacred head. The mixing a particle of the Host\n with the sacramental species in the chalice, represents the\n descent of his soul into _Limbo_, or the prison of the\n Fathers of the old testament.\"\n\n{380}\n\n Prayer At The Canon Of The Mass.\n\nO King of glory! when shall I leave this earthly prison, this\nmiserable Babylon, and be admitted into thy lovely tabernacles? O\nocean of sweetness, and fountain of divine love, when shall I\ncontemplate thee face to face in thy happy kingdom? My sins are a\nterror to my soul, but having so plentiful a redemption, I never\nwill despair. Thy wounds cry out for mercy. Mercy, then, O God of\ngoodness! have mercy on me. O Jesus, be a Jesus to my soul, and\nsave me. I am thy purchase, snatched from the jaws of hell by the\nmerits of thy sacred passion; accept me, therefore, an unworthy\nsinner. Purify me in those sacred streams that flowed from thy\nbleeding wounds, and present me to thy eternal Father, that\nthrough thee I may obtain his blessing and favour, which of\nmyself I do not deserve. Extinguish in me all ambition, pride,\nand vanity, the love of the world, and every degree of vicious\nself-love. Grant me true humility, perfect patience, unfeigned\ncharity, and sincere devotion. Give me only grace to practise\nwhat thou commandest, and command what thou pleasest. Increase\ntrue religion; plant thy faith in our hearts; give peace and\nunity to thy church; repentance and pardon to all sinners. Grant\ncomfort to the sick and afflicted; relief to the distressed;\nmercy, grace, and salvation to all those for whom thou hast shed\nthy blood, and whom I am bound to pray for, particularly\n_N_.\n{381}\nWe render thee thanks for admitting us to have a part in this\ngreat sacrifice, which thy Catholic Church offers to thy holy\nname, by the hands of the priest, for thy people. Accept it now,\nwe beseech thee, O Lord, to thy glory, in satisfaction for all\nour offences and ingratitude, and in union with that divine\nintention with which our blessed Saviour offered it up, when he\ninstituted it at his last supper, and consummated it upon the\naltar of the cross.\n\n\n Prayer At The Elevation Of The\n Consecrated Host And Chalice.\n\nHail, O King of glory, Prince of peace, and Saviour of the world!\nHail, O immaculate Host! offered for me and all mankind on the\ncross! I adore, bless, and glorify thee, O loving Jesus, with all\nthe faculties of my soul and body. May all thy creatures sound\nforth thy praises. O sacrament of piety! O sign of unity! O bond\nof charity! O the goodness of my God! O how wonderful are the\nways of divine love! How incomprehensible are the riches of the\ndivine bounty!\n\nO my bleeding Jesus, I bow down to the ground to adore thee!\nHail! most precious blood, shed for me and the sins of the whole\nworld! Hear, O eternal Father, the voice of thy Son's blood, that\ncries out loudly to heaven, not for vengeance, but for mercy: let\nit now speak in my behalf, and plead my pardon; let it blot out\nmy iniquities, and cleanse my soul from all the foul stains of\nsin. I beg it most humbly for the sake of Jesus, who died upon\nthe cross for my redemption.\n\n{382}\n\n Prayer After The Elevation.\n\nBehold, O almighty and all-gracious God, thy Son, Jesus, in whom\nthou art well pleased. Look upon the face of thy Christ and my\nSaviour, here present. Look upon this spotless lamb, this\nadorable victim, this pure holocaust of obedience, humbled to the\nvery death of the cross. Behold in him what may move thee to look\ndown upon us with an eye of mercy, and to forgive us our sins. He\nis our High Priest, sprinkled with his own blood. Receive the\nsacrifice he has offered for us, in consideration of all the\nhonours and homages that are due to thy sovereign goodness from\nme and all creatures. Extend, O compassionate Creator, the virtue\nof it unto the souls in the church suffering, and grant to the\nfaithful departed rest and life everlasting, particularly to\n_N_.; mitigate their punishment, and translate them to that\nstate of glory for which thou hast designed them. Thou hast\nformerly promised, that looking on thy rainbow thou wouldst\nremember the covenant made between thee and the patriarch Noah,\n(_Genes_, ix.); canst thou then look down on the blood of\nthy beloved Son Jesus, offered here to thee in sacrifice, and not\nremember the great covenant of the new law, sealed and confirmed\nwith the effusion of his sacred blood?\n\n{383}\n\nO dear Jesus! that I could love thee as thy goodness deserves.\nThe more thou hast humbled thyself for my sake, the more I am\nbound to love thee. Remember thou hast bought me at a dear rate.\nO let not thy blood be lost or spilt in vain for me; but receive\nme into the number of the elect. I detest my sins, which were the\ncause of thy sufferings, and thy most cruel executioners. My\ncrimes, alas! were the nails that bored thy hands and feet, and\nfastened thee to an ignominious cross. O who will give sorrow to\nmy heart, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that I may bewail\nthem in the bitterness of my soul all the days of my life, and\nthat at the hour of my departure I may, by means of a true\nconversion, be entitled to hear those comfortable words which\nthou saidst to the penitent thief on the cross: _This day shalt\nthou be with me in paradise._ I acknowledge my unworthiness, I\ndo not deserve to be ranked among the number of thy children, yet\nI will presume to say that heavenly prayer which thou hast taught\nme: \"Our Father, who art in heaven,\" &c.\n\n\n Explanation\n\n \"When the priest strikes his breast, and says the _Agnus\n Dei_, (that is, O Lamb of God, &c.) he reminds us of the\n Centurion and many others striking their breasts with sorrow,\n and bewailing their offences, when they beheld Christ expiring\n on the cross, and were eye-witnesses of the prodigies which\n happened at his death.\n{384}\n The Prayer for Peace, before the communion of the priest,\n signifies, that to communicate worthily, we must be in peace\n with God and our neighbour, and approach with a clean heart and\n pure conscience. The priest's communion is a sign of the burial\n of Christ's body, which was taken down from the cross, wrapped\n up in clean linen, and laid in a new monument, cut out of a\n rock, near Mount Calvary. The purifying and covering of the\n chalice represents Christ's sepulchre, shut and covered with a\n stone. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is represented\n by the priest going to the corner of the Epistle, and reading\n the Post Communion, the mass-book being brought back to the\n right side of the altar, to signify that the Jews are to be\n converted to the Christian faith at the end of the world.\n _Dominus vobiscum_ represents Christ appearing to his\n disciples, and giving them his peace. The last Collect\n represents Christ conversing forty days with his disciples, and\n speaking to them of the kingdom of God. The last _Dominus\n vobiscum_, represents Christ's last apparition to his\n disciples; and the blessing given by the priest to the people,\n denotes that Christ lifted up both his hands, and blessed his\n apostles and other disciples before he left them, and in their\n sight ascended into heaven. The _Ite Missa est_, and the\n reading of the Gospel at the left corner of the altar, denote\n that Christ came not to call the just, but sinners, to\n repentance: and sent his apostles to teach all nations; and\n that they preached the gospel with amazing success in all parts\n of the known world, after the descent of the Holy Ghost.\"\n\n\n\n Prayer At The Agnus Dei.\n\nO Innocent Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,\nhave mercy on me; for nothing is more pleasing to thee than to\nhave compassion on those that are miserable. Give me tears of\nrepentance, that I may mourn for the evil I have committed. In\nthee I place all my hope, because thou alone art my salvation, my\nstrength, my refuge, and the fountain of all my good.\n{385}\nI most humbly beseech thee, by the anguish of thy passion, and by\nthy sufferings on the cross, especially at that hour when thy\nblessed soul left thy body, to spare me in that dreadful moment,\nand have mercy on my soul. Let me experience the multitude of thy\ntender mercies, when I shall be in conflict with the pangs of\ndeath. Let thy passion and death stand then between my soul and\nthy justice. I accept the sentence of my death, in whatever\nmanner I am to suffer it, in union with thy death on the cross. I\nhumbly submit to it, and now offer it to thy divine majesty as a\nsacrifice and a just punishment due to my sins. I commend my soul\ninto thy hands, and most earnestly entreat thee to give me thy\nblessing this day, and to grant me perseverance in thy service,\nthat on the day of judgment I may be ranked in the happy number\nof those blessed souls, who are to be invited by thee to take\npossession of the kingdom of thy glory. During the time of my\nsojourn here on earth, preserve me from thirsting after the false\ngoods of this world.--May I always remember thy vinegar and\ngall, and rest contented with what is sufficient to support\nnature. May I every day increase in thy love, and may all created\nobjects be of little account with me, that thou mayest be the\nonly delight of my soul and my everlasting joy.\n\n\n Prayer At The Communion.\n\nI Adore, O dear Jesus, thy sacred body and blood, soul and\ndivinity, here present on the altar under the sacramental forms.\n{386}\nPraised be this most holy sacrament with as many praises as there\nare stars in the heavens, atoms in the air, drops of water in the\nocean, sands in the sea, sparks in the fire, motes of dust upon\nthe earth, flowers in the spring, grains of corn in the summer,\nleaves in the autumn, flakes of snow and hailstones in the\nwinter, or creatures in the universe. O that I had the necessary\ndispositions of a worthy communicant! how willingly would I unite\nmyself to my divine Redeemer in this sacrament of love! O may I\nreceive it worthily at the hour of my death, that it may serve me\nas a viatic to a happy eternity. Though I am unworthy to receive\nit now sacramentally, yet I wish to receive it spiritually into\nmy soul by faith, love, and devotion. Enter then, O divine\nbridegroom, into this poor lodging: you vouchsafed to lodge in a\nstable, you did not refuse to enter into the house of Zach\u00e6us,\nthe publican; enter into my house as into the house of another\nZach\u00e6us, and give a blessing to my soul, as thou didst to the\nhouse of Zach\u00e6us: say unto me, as thou saidst unto him:\n_Salvation is this day come to this house_.--Luke, xix.\n\n\n\n A Prayer At The Last Collects, &c.\n\nPraise, honour, and glory be to thee, O blessed Redeemer, who\ncoming forth out of the grave, didst rise triumphantly from the\ndead, and having conversed with thy disciples for forty days,\ndidst ascend into heaven, where thou sittest at the right hand of\nthy eternal Father. Inflame my heart and soul with thee, that I\nmay seek nothing but to be united to thee for ever in heaven.\n\n{387}\n\nHear, O eternal Father, whatever the holy Catholic Church asks of\nthee in the name of thy beloved son. We beseech thee, that this\nour sacrifice may be acceptable in thy sight, and become\nprofitable to us and to thy whole church. Receive my unworthy\nprayers, supply all my defects, pardon all my indevotions,\ndistractions, and irreverences. Engrave in my heart the rules and\nmaxims of thy gospel, and give me grace to live according to\nthem. Teach me to follow thy example, that rising with thee to a\nnew life of piety and holiness, and walking in thy footsteps, I\nmay live to thee alone, and advance every day towards everlasting\nhappiness. Amen.\n\n_I did not judge to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ,\nand him crucified_.\n St. Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 2.\n\n{388}\n\n The Epistles And Gospels For The Sundays\n And Principal Festivals Throughout The Year.\n\n\n First Sunday Of Advent.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ xiii. 11, 14.\n_Brethren_:\nKnow, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now\nour salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past,\nand the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of\ndarkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly,\nas in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering\nand impurities, not in contention and envy: but put ye on the\nLord Jesus Christ.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xxi. 25, 33.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: There shall be\nsigns in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the\nearth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the\nroaring of the sea and of the waves, men withering away for fear,\nand expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the\npowers of the heavens shall be moved; and then they shall see the\nSon of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But\nwhen these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up\nyour heads; because your redemption is at hand. And he spoke to\nthem a similitude: See the fig-tree and all the trees: when they\nnow shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh: so you\nalso, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the\nkingdom of God is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation\nshall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and\nearth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away. Credo.\n\n{389}\n\n Second Sunday Of Advent\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ xv. 4, 13.\n_Brethren:_ What things soever were written, were written\nfor our learning, that through patience and the comfort of the\nscriptures we might have hope. Now the God of patience and of\ncomfort grant you to be of one mind one towards another,\naccording to Jesus Christ; that with one mind, and with one\nmouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus\nChrist. Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also hath\nreceived you unto the honour of God. For I say that Christ Jesus\nwas minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm\nthe promises made unto the fathers. But that the Gentiles are to\nglorify God for his mercy, as it is written: \"Therefore, will I\nconfess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy\nname.\" And again, he saith: \"Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his\npeople.\" And again: \"Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and magnify\nhim all ye people.\" And again Isaiah saith: \"There shall be a\nroot of Jesse, and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in\nhim the Gentiles shall hope.\" Now the God of hope fill you with\nall joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, and\nin the power of the Holy Ghost.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matt_. xi. 2, 10.\n_At that time_: When John had heard in prison the works of\nChrist, sending two of his disciples he said to him: Art thou he\nthat art to come, or look we for another? And Jesus making\nanswer, said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard\nand seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,\nthe deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel\npreached to them; and blessed is he that shall not be scandalized\nin me.\n{390}\nAnd when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the\nmultitude, concerning John: What went ye out into the desert to\nsee? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? A\nman clothed in soft garments? Behold, they that are clothed in\nsoft garments are in the houses of kings. But what went ye out to\nsee? A prophet? Yea, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For\nthis is he of whom it is written: \"Behold, I send my angel before\nthy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.\" Credo.\n\n\n Third Sunday Of Advent.\n\nEpistle.\n_Philip_ iv. 4, 7.\n_Brethren_: Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say,\nrejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.\nBe nothing solicitous: but in every thing by prayer and\nsupplication with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known\nto God. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding,\nkeep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ i. 19, 28.\n_At that time:_ The Jews sent from Jerusalem Priests and\nLevites to John, to ask him: Who art thou? And he confessed, and\ndid not deny; and he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they\nasked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art\nthou a prophet? And he answered: No. They said therefore unto\nhim: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent\nus? What sayest thou of thyself? He said: \"I am the voice of one\ncrying in the wilderness, _Make straight the way of the\nLord_,\" as said the prophet Isaias. And they that were sent\nwere of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: Why\nthen dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the\nprophet? John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but\nthere hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not. The\nsame is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me;\nthe latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose. These things\nwere done in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where John was\nbaptizing.--Credo.\n\n{391}\n\n Fourth Sunday Of Advent.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ iv. 1, 6.\n_Brethren:_ Let a man so account of us as of the ministers\nof Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God. Here now\nit is required amongst the dispensers that a man be found\nfaithful. But to me it is a very small thing to be judged by you,\nor by man's day: but neither do I judge my own self. For I am not\nconscious to myself of any thing: yet I am not hereby justified;\nbut he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge not before\nthe time till the Lord come; who both will bring to light the\nhidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsel of\nhearts: and then shall every man have praise from God.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ iii. 1, 6.\nNow in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius C\u00e6sar (Pontius\nPilate being governor of Judea, and Herod Tetrarch of Galilee,\nand Philip his brother Tetrarch of Iturea and the country of\nTrachonitis, and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilana, under the high\npriests Annas and Caiphas) the word of the Lord came to John, the\nson of Zachary, in the desert. And he came into all the country\nabout the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the\nremission of sins, as it was written in the book of the words of\nIsaias the prophet: \"A voice of one crying in the wilderness:\nprepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight his paths: every\nvalley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be\nbrought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the\nrough ways plain:\" and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.\nCredo.\n\n{392}\n\n Christmas Day.\n First Mass. At Midnight.\n\nEpistle.\n_Titus_ ii. 11, 15.\n_Dearly beloved:_ The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared\nto all men. Instructing us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly\ndesires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly, in this\nworld, looking for the blessed hope, and coming of the glory of\nthe great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for\nus, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse\nto himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works. These\nthings speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no\nman despise thee.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ ii. 1, 14.\nAnd it came to pass that in those days there went out a decree\nfrom C\u00e6sar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled.\nThis enrolling was first made by Cyrinus the governor of Syria.\nAnd all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. And\nJoseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into\nJudea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because\nhe was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary\nhis espoused wife, who was with child. And it came to pass, that\nwhen they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should\nbe delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and\nwrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger,\nbecause there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in\nthe same country shepherds watching and keeping the night watches\nover their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them,\nand the brightness of God shone round about them, and they feared\nwith a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not: for\nbehold I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to\nall the people: for this day is born to you a Saviour, who is\nChrist the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign\nunto you: you shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes,\nand laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a\nmultitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: Glory\nto God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good-will.\nCredo.\n\n{393}\n\n Second Mass. At Break Of Day.\n\nEpistle.\n_Titus_ iii. 4, 7.\n_Most dearly beloved:_ The goodness and kindness of God our\nSaviour appeared: not by the works of justice, which we have\ndone, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of\nregeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath\npoured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our\nSaviour: that being justified by his grace, we may be heirs\naccording to hope of life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our\nLord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ ii. 15, 20.\n_At that time:_ The shepherds said one to another: Let us go\nover to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that has come to pass\nwhich the Lord hath showed to us. And they came with haste: and\nthey found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in a manger. And\nseeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them\nconcerning this child. And all that heard wondered: and at those\nthings that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all\nthese words, pondering _them_ in her heart. And the\nshepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the\nthings they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Credo.\n\n\n Third Mass. In The Day Time.\n\nEpistle.\n_Hebrews_ i. 1, 12.\nGod, who at sundry times, and in divers manners spoke in times\npast to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days,\nhath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all\nthings, by whom also he made the world: who being the brightness\nof his glory, and the figure of his substance, and upholding all\nthings by the word of his power, making purgation of sins,\nsitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high: being made so\nmuch better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more\nexcellent name than they.\n{394}\nFor to which of the angels hath he said at any time, \"Thou art my\nSon, to-day have I begotten thee?\" And again: \"I will be to him a\nfather, and he shall be to me a Son?\" And again, when he bringeth\nin the first-begotten into the world, he saith: \"And let all the\nangels of God adore him.\" And to the angels indeed he saith: \"He\nthat maketh his angels spirits: and his ministers a flame of\nfire.\" But to the Son: \"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:\na sceptre of justice is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast\nloved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath\nanointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.\" And:\n\"Thou, in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth: and the\nworks of thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but thou\nshalt continue: and they shall all grow old as a garment. And as\na vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but\nthou art the self-same and thy years shall not fail.\"\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ i. 14.\nIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the\nWord was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things\nwere made by him, and without him was made nothing that was made.\nIn him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light\nshineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.\nThere was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came\nfor a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might\nbelieve through him. He was not the light, but was to give\ntestimony of the light. That was the true light which\nenlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.\n{395}\nHe was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world\nknew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.\nBut as many as received him, to them he gave power to be made the\nsons of God; to them that believe in his name, who are born not\nof blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,\nbut of God. And _the word was made flesh_, and dwelt among\nus; and we saw his glory, as it were the glory of the only\nbegotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.\n\n\n\n Sunday Within The Octave Of Christmas.\n\nEpistle.\n_Galatians_ iv. 1, 7.\n_Brethren_: As long as the heir is a child, he differeth\nnothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all: but is under\ntutors and governors, until the time appointed by the father. So\nwe also, when we were children, were serving under the elements\nof the world. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent\nhis Son, made of a woman, made under the law: that he might\nredeem them who were under the law; that we might receive the\nadoption of sons. And because you are sons, God hath sent the\nSpirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father.\nTherefore now he is not a servant, but a son. And if a son, an\nheir also through God.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ ii. 33, 40.\n_At that time:_ Joseph, and Mary the mother of Jesus, were\nwondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And\nSimon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold the child\nis set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel,\nand for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a\nsword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be\nrevealed. And there was one Anna a prophetess, the daughter of\nPhanuel, of the tribe of Asar; she was far advanced in years, and\nhad lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.\n{396}\nAnd she was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed\nnot from the temple, by fastings and prayers serving day and\nnight. Now she at the same hour coming in, confessed to the Lord;\nand spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.\nAnd after they had performed all things according to the law of\nthe Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. And\nthe child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of\nGod was in him.\n\n\n The Circumcision.\n\nEpistle.\n_Titus_ ii. 11, 15.\n_Dearly beloved:_ The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared\nto all men. Instructing us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly\ndesires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly, in this\nworld, looking for the blessed hope, and coming of the glory of\nthe great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for\nus, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse\nto himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works. These\nthings speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no\nman despise thee.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ ii. 21.\n_At that time:_ After eight days were accomplished that the\nchild should be circumcised, his name was called Jesus, which was\ncalled by the angel, before he was conceived in the womb. Credo.\n\n\n The Epiphany.\n\nLesson.\n_Isaias_ lx. 1, 9.\nArise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem; for thy light is come, and\nthe glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness\nshall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall\narise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the\nGentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of\nthy rising.\n{397}\nLift up thy eyes round about and see: all these are gathered\ntogether, they are come to thee; thy sons shall come from afar,\nand thy daughters shall rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see\nand abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the\nmultitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of\nthe Gentiles shall come to thee. The multitude of camels shall\ncover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from\nSaba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and showing\nforth praise to the Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ ii. 1, 12.\nWhen Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king\nHerod, behold there came wise men from the east, to Jerusalem,\nsaying: \"Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have\nseen his star in the east, and are come to adore him.\" And Herod\nhearing this was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And\nassembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the\npeople, he inquired of them where Christ should be born, but they\nsaid to him, \"In Bethlehem of Juda.\" For so it is written by the\nprophet: \"And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the\nleast among the princes of Juda; for out of thee shall come forth\nthe captain that shall rule my people Israel.\" Then Herod\nprivately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the\ntime of the star which appeared to them; and sending them into\nBethlehem, said: \"Go, and diligently inquire after the child; and\nwhen you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may\ncome and adore him.\" Who, having heard the king, went their way;\nand behold the star which they had seen in the east went before\nthem, until it came and stood over where the child was. And\nseeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And\nentering into the house, they found the child with Mary his\nmother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their\ntreasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.\nAnd having received an answer in sleep that they should not\nreturn to Herod, they went back another way into their own\ncountry. Credo.\n\n{398}\n\n First Sunday After Epiphany.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ xii. 1, 5.\n_Brethren:_ I beseech you, by the mercy of God, that you\npresent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God,\nyour reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but\nbe reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what\nis the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. For\nI say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you,\nnot to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise\nunto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the\nmeasure of faith. For as in one body we have many members, but\nall the members have not the same office; so we, being many, are\none body in Christ, and every one members of one another, in\nJesus Christ our Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ ii. 42, 52.\nWhen Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem\naccording to the custom of the feast. And having fulfilled the\ndays, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem,\nand his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the\ncompany, they came a day's journey, and sought him among their\nkinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned\ninto Jerusalem seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three\ndays they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the\ndoctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that\nheard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. And\nseeing him they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why\nhast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee\nsorrowing. And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? Did\nyou not know that I must be about my Father's business? And they\nunderstood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went down\nwith them, and came to Nazareth; and was subject to them. And his\nmother kept all those words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in\nwisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. Credo.\n\n{399}\n\n Second Sunday After Epiphany.\n\nLesson.\n_Acts_ iv. 8, 12.\n_In those days:_ Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost,\nsaid to them: Ye princes of the people and ancients, hear: If we\nthis day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm\nman, by what means he hath been made whole, be it known to you\nall, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our\nLord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath\nraised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before\nyou whole. \"This is the stone which was rejected by you the\nbuilders, which is become the head of the corner;\" neither is\nthere salvation in any other. For there is no other name under\nheaven given to men whereby we must be saved.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ ii. 33, 40.\n_At that time:_ Joseph, and Mary the mother of Jesus, were\nwondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And\nSimon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold the child\nis set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel,\nand for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a\nsword shall pierce, that out of many hearts thoughts may be\nrevealed. And there was one Anna a prophetess, the daughter of\nPhanuel, of the tribe of Asar; she was far advanced in years, and\nhad lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. And\nshe was a widow until fourscore and four years; who departed not\nfrom the temple, by fastings and prayers serving day and night.\nNow she at the same hour coming in, confessed to the Lord; and\nspoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel. And\nafter they had performed all things according to the law of the\nLord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. And the\nchild grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God\nwas in him.\n\n{400}\n\n Third Sunday After Epiphany.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ xii. 16.\n_Brethren:_ Be not wise in your own conceits. To no man\nrendering evil for evil. Providing good things not only in the\nsight of God, but also in the sight of all men. If it be\npossible, as much as in you, having peace with all men. Not\nrevenging yourselves, my dearly beloved, but give place unto\nwrath. For it is written: \"Revenge to me, I will repay,\" saith\nthe Lord. But \"if thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat: if he\nthirst, give him to drink: for doing this, thou shalt heap coals\nof fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil\nby good.\"\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ viii. 1, 13.\n_At that time:_ When Jesus was come down from the mountain,\ngreat multitudes followed him; and behold a leper came and adored\nhim, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And\nJesus stretching forth his hand, touched him, saying: I will, be\nthou made clean. And forthwith his leprosy was cleansed. And\nJesus saith to him: See thou tell no man, but go show thyself to\nthe priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a\ntestimony unto them. * And when he had entered into Capharnaum,\nthere came to him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying: Lord,\nmy servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and is grievously\ntormented. And Jesus saith to him: I will come and heal him. And\nthe centurion making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that\nthou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my\nservant shall be healed.\n{401}\nFor I also am a man under authority, having under me soldiers;\nand I say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he\ncometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. And when\nJesus heard this, he marvelled, and said to them that followed\nhim: Amen, I say to you, I have not found so great faith in\nIsrael. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east\nand the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and\nJacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom\nshall be cast out into the exterior darkness: there shall be\nweeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the centurion:\nGo, and as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee. And the\nservant was healed at the same hour. Credo.\n\n\n Fourth Sunday After Epiphany.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ xiii. 8, 10.\n_Brethren:_ Owe no man any things, but to love one another;\nfor he that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law. For\n\"Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt\nnot steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not\ncovet and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in\nthis word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.\" The love of\nour neighbour worketh no evil. Love, therefore, is the fulfilling\nof the law.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ viii. 23, 27.\n_At that time:_ When Jesus entered into a boat his disciples\nfollowed him; and behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so\nthat the ship was covered with waves; but he was asleep. And his\ndisciples came to him, and awakened him, saying: Lord, save us,\nwe perish. And Jesus saith to them: Why are ye fearful, O ye of\nlittle faith? Then rising up, he commanded the winds and the sea,\nand there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: What\nmanner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him? Credo.\n\n{402}\n\n Fifth Sunday After Epiphany.\n\nEpistle.\n_Colossians_ iii. 12, 17.\n_Brethren:_ Put ye on therefore as the elect of God, holy,\nand beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty,\npatience; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if\nany have a complaint against another. Even as the Lord hath\nforgiven you, so you also. But above all these things have\ncharity, which is the bond of perfection; and let the peace of\nChrist rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one\nbody; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you\nabundantly, in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another\nin psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in\nyour hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do\nall in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God\nand the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xiii. 24, 30.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude,\nsaying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good\nseed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and\noversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the\nblade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared also\nthe cockle. Then the servants of the good man of the house came\nand said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field?\nfrom whence then hath it cockle? And he said to them: An enemy\nhath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we\ngo and gather it up? And he said: No, lest while you gather up\nthe cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Let both\ngrow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say\nto the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it in\nbundles to burn, but gather the wheat into my barn.\n\n{403}\n\n Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Thessalonians_ i. 2, 10.\n_Brethren:_ We give thanks to God always for you all; making\na remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing; being\nmindful of you in the work of your faith, and hope, and charity,\nand of the enduring of the hope of our lord Jesus Christ, before\nGod and our Father; knowing, brethren beloved of God, your\nelection. For our gospel hath not been to you in word only, but\nin power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much fulness, as you\nknow what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.\nAnd you became followers of us, and of the Lord, receiving the\nword in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost; so that you\nwere made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in\nAchaia. For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not\nonly in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place your\nfaith, which is towards God, is gone forth, so that we need not\nto speak any thing. For they themselves relate of us, what manner\nof entering in we had unto you; and how you turned to God from\nidols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son\nfrom heaven (whom he raised up from the dead) Jesus, who hath\ndelivered us from the wrath to come.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xiii 31, 35.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to the multitude this parable:\nThe kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a\nman took and sowed in his field. Which indeed is the least of all\nseeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and\nbecometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in\nthe branches thereof. Another parable he spoke to them: The\nkingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid\nin three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.\n{404}\nAll these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes, and\nwithout parables he did not speak to them; that the word might be\nfulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: \"I will open\nmy mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the\nfoundation of the world.\" Credo.\n\n\n If there be not VI. Sundays between the Epiphany and\n Septuagesima, what remain are omitted, and taken in between the\n XXIII. and the last Sunday after Pentecost.\n\n\n Septuagesima Sunday.\n\nEpistle,\n1 _Corinthians_ ix. 24, _and_ x. 1.\n_Brethren:_ Know you not that they that run in the race, all\nrun indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may\nobtain. And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth\nhimself from all things; and they indeed that they may receive a\ncorruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so\nrun, not as an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the\nair: but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest\nperhaps when I have preached to others, I myself should become a\ncastaway. [_Chap_. x. 1, 6.] For I would not have you\nignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud,\nand all passed through the sea. And all in Moses were baptized in\nthe cloud, and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual\nfood: and all drank the same spiritual drink: (and they drank of\nthe spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.)\nBut with the most of them God was not well pleased.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xx. 1, 16.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable:\nThe kingdom of heaven is like to a householder who went out early\nin the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when\nhaving agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them\ninto his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw\nothers standing in the market place idle. And he said to them: Go\nyou also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be\njust.\n{405}\nAnd they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth\nand the ninth hour, and did in like manner. But about the\neleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith\nto them: Why stand you here all the day idle? They say to him:\nBecause no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into\nmy vineyard. And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard\nsaid to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire,\nbeginning from the last even to the first. When therefore they\nwere come, that came about the eleventh hour, they received every\nman a penny. But when the first also came, they thought that they\nshould have received more: and they also received every man a\npenny. And receiving it they murmured against the master of the\nhouse, saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast\nmade them equal to us that have borne the burden of the day, and\nthe heats. But he answering said to one of them, Friend, I do\nthee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take\nwhat is thine and go thy way: I will also give to this last even\nas to thee. Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Is thy\neye evil, because I am good? So shall the last be first, and the\nfirst last. For many are called, but few chosen. Credo.\n\n\n Sexagesima Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n2 _Corinthians_ xi. 19, 33.\n_Brethren:_ You gladly suffer the foolish: whereas\nyourselves are wise, For you suffer if a man bring you into\nbondage, if a man devour _you_, if a man take _from\nyou_, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.\nI speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this\npart. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly) I dare also.\nThey are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are\nthe seed of Abraham: so am I.\n{406}\nThey are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise) I am\nmore: in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in\nstripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times\ndid I receive forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with\nrods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and\na day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in\nperils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own\nnation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in\nperils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from\nfalse brethren. In labour and gainfulness, in much watchings, in\nhunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.\nBesides these things which are without; my daily instance, the\nsolicitude for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak?\nWho is scandalized, and I am not on fire? If I must needs glory,\nI will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and\nFather of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth\nthat I lie not. At Damascus the governor of the nation under\nAretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend\nme; and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall,\nand so escaped his hands. [_Chap_. xii. 1.] If I must glory,\n(it is not expedient indeed,) but I will come to the visions and\nrevelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ about fourteen\nyears ago, (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body,\nI know not, God knoweth,) such a one rapt even to the third\nheaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the\nbody, I cannot tell, God knoweth) how he was caught up into\nparadise, and heard secret words, which is not granted to man to\nutter. For such a one I will glory; but for myself I will glory\nnothing, but in my infirmities. For though I should have a mind\nto glory, I shall not be foolish: for I will say the truth. But I\nforbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he\nseeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me.\n{407}\nAnd lest the greatness of the revelations should lift me up,\nthere was given me a string of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to\nbuffet me. For which thing I thrice besought the Lord, that it\nmight depart from me: and he said to me: My grace is sufficient\nfor thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly,\ntherefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of\nChrist may dwell in me.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ viii. 4, 16.\n_At that time:_ When a very great multitude was gathered\ntogether, and hastened out of the cities to meet Jesus, he spoke\nby a similitude. A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he\nsowed, some fell by the way-side, and it was trodden down, and\nthe fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a\nrock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because\nit had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns; and the\nthorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon\ngood ground, and sprung up, and yielded fruit a hundred-fold.\nSaying these things he cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let\nhim hear. And his disciples asked him what this parable might be.\nTo whom he said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the\nkingdom of God; but to the rest in parables: that seeing they may\nnot see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is\nthis: The seed is the word of God. And they by the way-side, are\nthey that hear; then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of\ntheir hearts, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon\nthe rock are they, who, when they hear, receive the word with\njoy; and these have no roots; for they believe for a while, and\nin time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among\nthorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked\nwith the cares and the riches and pleasures of this life, and\nyield no fruit. But that on the good ground, are they, who in a\ngood and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring\nforth fruit in patience.\n\n{408}\n\n Quinquagesima Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ xiii. 1, 13.\n_Brethren:_ If I speak with the tongues of men and of\nangels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a\ntinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy, and should know\nall mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith,\nso that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am\nnothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the\npoor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not\ncharity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind.\nCharity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; it is not puffed up,\nit is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to\nanger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth\nwith the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth\nall things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away;\nwhether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or\nknowledge shall be destroyed. For we know in part, and we\nprophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that\nwhich is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke\nas a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but\nwhen I became a man, I put away the things of a child. We now see\nthrough a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I\nknow in part; but then I shall know even as I am known. And now\nthere remain faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest\nof these is charity.\n\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xviii. 31, 43.\n_At that time:_ Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to\nthem: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be\naccomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the\nSon of Man. For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall\nbe mocked, and scourged, and spit upon; and after they have\nscourged him, they will put him to death, and the third day he\nshall rise again. And they understood none of these things.\n{409}\nAnd this word was hid from them, and they understood not the\nthings that were said. Now it came to pass, that when he drew\nnigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side,\nbegging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked\nwhat this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was\npassing by. And he cried out: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on\nme. And they that went before, rebuked him, that he should hold\nhis peace. But he cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy\non me. And Jesus, standing, commanded him to be brought unto him.\nAnd when he was come near, he asked him, saying: What wilt thou\nthat I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I may see. And Jesus\nsaid to him: Receive thy sight; thy faith hath made thee whole.\nAnd immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all\nthe people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Credo.\n\n\n Ash-Wednesday.\n\nLesson.\n_Joel_ ii. 12, 19.\nThus saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in\nfasting, in weeping, and in mourning. And rend your hearts, and\nnot your garments, and turn to the Lord your God; for he is\ngracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to\nrepent of the evil. Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive,\nand leave a blessing behind him; sacrifice and libation to the\nLord your God? Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a\nsolemn assembly, gather together the people, sanctify the church,\nassemble the ancients, gather together the little ones, and them\nthat suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his\nbed, and the bride out of the bride-chamber. Between the porch\nand the altar, the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall weep, and\nshall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people; and give not thine\ninheritance to reproach, that the heathens should rule over them.\n{410}\nWhy should they say among the nations: Where is their God? The\nLord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people.\nAnd the Lord answered and said to his people: Behold I will send\nyou corn, and wine, and oil; you shall be filled with them, and I\nwill no more make you a reproach among the nations, saith the\nLord Almighty.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ vi. 16, 21.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: When you fast,\nbe not, as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces,\nthat they may appear to men to fast. Amen, I say to you, they\nhave received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint\nthy head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not to men to fast,\nbut to thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in\nsecret, will reward thee. Lay not up for yourselves treasures on\nearth, where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break\nthrough and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,\nwhere neither rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do\nnot break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is\nthy heart also.\n\n\n First Sunday In Lent.\n\nEpistle.\n2 _Corinthians_ vi. 1, 10.\n_Brethren:_ We exhort you, that you receive not the grace of\nGod in vain. For he saith: \"In an acceptable time have I heard\nthee; and in the day of salvation have I helped thee.\" Behold,\nnow is the acceptable time: behold, now is the day of salvation.\nGiving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed:\nbut in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of\nGod, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in\ndistresses, in stripes, in prison, in seditions, in labours, in\nwatchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in\nlong-suffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity\nunfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the\narmour of justice on the right hand, and on the left: by honour,\nand dishonour: by evil report, and good report: as deceivers, and\nyet true: as unknown, and yet known: as dying, and behold we\nlive: as chastised, and not killed: as sorrowful, yet always\nrejoicing: as needy, yet enriching many: as having nothing, and\npossessing all things.\n\n{411}\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ iv. 1, 11.\n_At that time:_ Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert,\nto be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and\nforty nights, he was afterwards hungry. And the tempter coming,\nsaid to him, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones\nbe made bread. But he answered and said: It is written, \"Not by\nbread alone doth man live, but by every word that proceedeth out\nof the mouth of God.\" Then the devil took him into the holy city,\nand set him upon a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him: If\nthou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, \"He\nhath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall\nthey bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a\nstone.\" Jesus said to him: It is written again, \"Thou shalt not\ntempt the Lord thy God.\" Again the devil took him up into a very\nhigh mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and\nthe glory of them, and said to him: All these will I give thee,\nif thou wilt fall down and adore me. Then Jesus said to him:\nBegone, Satan; for it is written, \"The Lord thy God shalt thou\nadore, and him only shalt thou serve.\" Then the devil left him;\nand behold angels came and ministered to him.--Credo.\n\n\n Second Sunday In Lent.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Thessalonians_, iv. 1, 7.\n_Brethren:_ We pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus, that\nas you have received of us, how you ought to walk and to please\nGod, so also you would walk, that you may abound the more.\n{412}\nFor you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus.\nFor this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you should\nabstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how\nto possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the\npassion of lust, like the Gentiles that know not God; and that no\nman over-reach nor circumvent his brother in business; because\nthe Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you\nbefore, and have testified. For God hath not called us unto\nuncleanness, but unto sanctification.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xvii. 1, 9.\n_At that time:_ Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and\nJohn his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain\napart: and he was transfigured before them. And his face did\nshine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And\nbehold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.\nThen Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to\nbe here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one\nfor thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet\nspeaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a\nvoice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I\nam well pleased; hear ye him. And the disciples hearing, fell\nupon their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and\ntouched them, and said unto them: Arise, and be not afraid. And\nwhen they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one, but only Jesus.\nAnd as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them,\nsaying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man shall be\nrisen from the dead. Credo.\n\n\n Third Sunday In Lent.\n\nEpistle.\n_Ephesians_ v. 1, 9.\n_Brethren:_ Be ye\ntherefore followers of God, as most dear children; and walk in\nlove, as Christ also loved us, and hath delivered himself for us,\nan oblation and a sacrifice to God, for an odour of sweetness.\n{413}\nBut fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not\nso much as be named among you, as becometh saints; or obscenity,\nor foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose: but\nrather giving of thanks. For know ye this, and understand, that\nno fornicator, or unclean or covetous person, (which is serving\nof idols,) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.\nLet no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these\nthings cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be\nye not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore\ndarkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk ye as children of the\nlight. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and\njustice, and truth.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xi. 14, 28.\n_At that time:_ Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same\nwas dumb; and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and\nthe multitude were in admiration at it. But some of them said: He\ncasteth out devils, by Belzebub, the prince of devils. And\nothers, tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven. But he seeing\ntheir thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against\nitself, shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house\nshall fall. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how\nshall his kingdom stand? because you say, that through Belzebub I\ncast out devils. Now, if I cast out devils by Belzebub, by whom\ndo your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your\njudges. But if I by the finger of God cast out devils, doubtless\nthe kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed\nkeepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth.\nBut if a stronger than he come upon him, and overcome him, he\nwill take away all his armour wherein he trusted, and will\ndistribute his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and\nhe that gathereth not with me, scattereth. When the unclean\nspirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without\nwater, seeking rest; and not finding, he saith: I will return\ninto my house whence I came out.\n{414}\nAnd when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he\ngoeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than\nhimself, and entering in they dwell there; and the last state of\nthat man becometh worse than the first. And it came to pass, as\nhe spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up\nher voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and\nthe paps that gave thee suck. But he said: Yea rather, blessed\nare they who hear the word of God, and keep it. Credo.\n\n\n Fourth Sunday In Lent.\n\nEpistle.\n_Galatians_ iv. 22, 31.\n_Brethren:_ It is written that Abraham had two sons; the one\nby a bond-woman, and the other by a free-woman. But he who was of\nthe bond-woman, was born according to the flesh; but he by the\nfree-woman, was by promise. Which things are said by an allegory.\nFor these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sina,\nengendering unto bondage, which is Agar; for Sina is a mountain\nin Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is,\nand is in bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem, which is\nabove, is free; which is our mother. For it is written: Rejoice,\nthou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that\ntravailest not; for many are the children of the desolate, more\nthan of her that hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,\nare the children of promise. But as then, he that was born\naccording to the flesh, persecuted him that was after the spirit,\nso also it is now. But what saith the scripture? Cast out the\nbond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not\nbe heir with the son of the free-woman. So then, brethren, we are\nnot children of the bond-woman, but of the free; by the freedom\nwherewith Christ hath made us free.\n\n{415}\n\nGospel.\n_John_ vi. 1, 15.\n_At that time:_ Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is\nthat of Tiberias; and a great multitude followed him, because\nthey saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased.\nJesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with\nhis disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was\nnear at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and\nseen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to\nPhilip: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he\nsaid to try him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip\nanswered him: Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient\nfor them, that every one may take a little. One of his disciples,\nAndrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him: There is a boy\nhere that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are\nthey among so many? Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now\nthere was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in\nnumber about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when\nhe had given thanks, he distributed to them that were sat down.\nIn like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would; and\nwhen they were filled, he said to his disciples: Gather up the\nfragments that remain, lest they be lost. They gathered up\ntherefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the\nfive barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that\nhad eaten. Now these men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus\nhad done, said: This is of a truth the prophet that is to come\ninto the world. Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would\ncome to take him by force and make him king, fled again into the\nmountain himself alone. Credo.\n\n{416}\n\n Passion Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n_Hebrews_ ix. 11, 15.\n_Brethren:_ Christ being come, an high priest of the good\nthings to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made\nwith hands, that is, not of this creation, neither by the blood\nof goats or of calves, but by his own blood, entered once into\nthe Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood\nof goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled,\nsanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh; how\nmuch more shall the blood of Christ (who by the Holy Ghost\noffered himself unspotted unto God) cleanse our conscience from\ndead works to serve the living God? And therefore he is the\nmediator of the New Testament; that by means of his death, for\nthe redemption of those transgressions which were under the\nformer testament, they that are called may receive the promise of\neternal inheritance.\n\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ viii. 46, 59.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews:\nWhich of you shall convince me of sin? If I say the truth to you,\nwhy do you not believe me? He that is of God, heareth the words\nof God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God.\nThe Jews therefore answered and said to him: Do we not say well\nthat thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered: I\nhave not a devil; but I honour my Father, and you have\ndishonoured me. But I seek not my own glory: there is one that\nseeketh and judgeth. Amen, amen, I say to you: If any man keep my\nword, he shall not see death for ever. The Jews therefore said:\nNow we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the\nprophets; and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not\ntaste death for ever. Art thou greater than our father Abraham,\nwho is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make\nthyself? Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is\nnothing.\n{417}\nIt is my Father that glorifieth me, of whom you say that he is\nyour God; and you have not known him, but I know him. And if I\nshould say that I know him not, I should be like to you, a liar.\nBut I do know him, and do keep his word. Abraham your father\nrejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad. The\nJews then said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast\nthou seen Abraham? Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you,\nBefore Abraham was made, I am. They took up stones therefore to\ncast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.\n\n\n\n Palm Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n_Philippians_ ii. 5, 11.\n_Brethren:_ Let this mind be in you, which was also in\nChrist Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it not\nrobbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the\nform of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in\nhabit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto\ndeath, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also\nhath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all\nnames; that in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those\nthat are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And that every\ntongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory\nof the Father.\n\n\nGospel. _The_ Passion _of our_ Lord Jesus Christ,\n_according_ to Matthew xxvi. _and_ xxvii. _At that\ntime:_ Jesus said to his disciples: You know that after two\ndays shall be the pasch, and the Son of man shall be delivered up\nto be crucified. Then were gathered together the chief priests\nand ancients of the people into the court of the high-priest, who\nwas called Caiphas; and they consulted together, that by subtlety\nthey might apprehend Jesus, and put him to death. But they said:\nNot on the festival day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult\namongst the people.\n{418}\nAnd when Jesus was in Bethania, in the\nhouse of Simon the leper, there came to him a woman having an\nalabaster-box of precious ointment, and poured it on his head as\nhe was at table. And the disciples seeing it, had indignation,\nsaying: To what purpose is this waste? For this might have been\nsold for much, and given to the poor. And Jesus knowing it, said\nto them: Why do you trouble this woman? For she has wrought a\ngood work upon me. For the poor you have always with you, but me\nyou have not always. For she, in pouring this ointment upon my\nbody, hath done it for my burial. Amen, I say to you, wheresoever\nthis gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which\nshe hath done, shall be told for a memory of her. Then went one\nof the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief\npriests, and said to them: What will you give me, and I will\ndeliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of\nsilver. And from thenceforth he sought an opportunity to betray\nhim. And on the first day of the Azymes the disciples came to\nJesus, saying: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat\nthe pasch? But Jesus said: Go ye into the city to a certain man,\nand say to him, \"The Master saith, My time is near at hand. I\nwill keep the pasch at thy house with my disciples.\" And the\ndisciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the\npasch. Now when it was evening, he sat down with is twelve\ndisciples; and whilst they were eating, he said: Amen, I say to\nyou, that one of you is about to betray me. And they being very\nmuch troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord? But he\nanswering said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he\nshall betray me. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of\nhim; but woe to that man, by whom the Son of man shall be\nbetrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born.\n{419}\nAnd Judas, that betrayed him, answering said: Is it I,\nRabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it. And whilst they were\nat supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to\nhis disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat: This is my body. And\ntaking the chalice he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying:\nDrink ye all of this: for this is my blood of the New Testament,\nwhich shall be shed for many for the remission of sins. And I say\nto you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the\nvine, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the\nkingdom of my Father. And a hymn being said, they went out into\nmount Olivet. Then Jesus said to them: All you shall be\nscandalized in me this night. For it is written: \"I will strike\nthe shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed.\" But\nafter I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.\nAnd Peter answering, said to him: Although all shall be\nscandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized. Jesus said to\nhim: Amen, I say to thee, that in this night, before the cock\ncrow, thou wilt deny me thrice. Peter saith to him: Yea, though I\nshould die with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner\nsaid all the disciples. Then Jesus came with them into a country\nplace which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples:\nSit you here, till I go yonder, and pray. And taking with him\nPeter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful,\nand to be sad. Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even\nunto death; stay you here and watch with me. And going a little\nfurther he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if\nit be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not\nas I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh to his disciples and\nfindeth them asleep, and he said to Peter: What! could you not\nwatch one hour with me? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into\ntemptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.\nAgain the second time he went and prayed, saying: My Father, if\nthis chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be\ndone.\n{420}\nAnd he cometh again, and findeth them sleeping; for\ntheir eyes were heavy. And leaving them, he went again; and he\nprayed the third time, saying the self-same words. Then he cometh\nto his disciples, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your\nrest: behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be\nbetrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go: behold he is\nat hand that will betray me. As he yet spoke, behold Judas, one\nof the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords\nand clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the\npeople. And he that betrayed him, gave them a sign, saying:\nWhomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast. And forthwith\ncoming to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him. And\nJesus said to him: Friend, whereto art thou come? Then they came\nup, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him. And behold one of them\nthat were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his\nsword; and striking the servant of the high-priest, cut off his\near. Then Jesus said to him: Put up again thy sword into its\nplace; for all that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.\nThinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father, and he will give me\npresently more than twelve legions of angels? How then shall the\nScriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done? In that same\nhour Jesus said to the multitude: You are come out as it were to\na robber, with swords and clubs, to apprehend me. I sat daily\nwith you teaching in the temple, and you laid not hands on me.\nNow all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might\nbe fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving him, fled. But they\nholding Jesus, led him to Caiphas the high-priest, where the\nscribes and the ancients were assembled. And Peter followed him\nafar off, even to the court of the high-priest; and going in, he\nsat with the servants, that he might see the end. And the chief\npriests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus,\nthat they might put him to death; and they found not, whereas\nmany false witnesses had come in.\n{421}\nAnd last of all there\ncame two false witnesses; and they said: This man said, I am able\nto destroy the temple of God, and after three days to rebuild it.\nAnd the high-priest rising up, said to him: Answerest thou\nnothing to the things which these witness against thee? But Jesus\nheld his peace. And the high-priest said to him: I adjure thee,\nby the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the\nSon of God. Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I\nsay to you. Hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the\nright hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of\nheaven. Then the high-priest rent his garments, saying: He hath\nblasphemed, what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now\nyou have heard the blasphemy: what think you? But they answering,\nsaid: He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and\nbuffet him, and others struck his face with the palms of their\nhands, saying: Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck\nthee? But Peter sat without in the court; and there came to him a\nservant-maid, saying: Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean. But\nhe denied before them all, saying: I know not what thou sayest.\nAnd as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she\nsaith to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of\nNazareth. And again he denied with an oath: That I know not the\nman. And after a little while they came that stood by, and said\nto Peter: Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech,\ndoth discover thee. Then he began to curse and swear that he knew\nnot the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered\nthe words of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou\nwilt deny me thrice. And going forth, he wept bitterly. And when\nmorning was come, all the chief priests and ancients of the\npeople took council against Jesus, that they might put him to\ndeath.\n{422}\nAnd they brought him bound, and delivered him to\nPontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing\nthat he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty\npieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, saying: I\nhave sinned, in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is\nthat to us? look thou to it. And casting down the pieces of\nsilver in the temple, he departed, and went and hanged himself\nwith a halter. But the chief priests having taken the pieces of\nsilver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona,\nbecause it is the price of blood. And after they had consulted\ntogether, they bought with them the potter's field, to be a\nburying-place for strangers. For this cause that field was called\nHaceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day. Then\nwas fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet,\nsaying: \"And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of\nhim that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel.\nAnd they gave them unto the potter's field, as the Lord appointed\nto me.\" And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor\nasked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to\nhim: Thou sayest it. And when he was accused by the chief priests\nand ancients, he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him: Dost\nthou not hear how great testimonies they allege against thee? And\nhe answered him to never a word; so that the governor wondered\nexceedingly. Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed\nto release to the people one prisoner, whom they would. And he\nhad then a notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas. They\ntherefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you\nthat I release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ?\nFor he knew that for envy they had delivered him. And as he was\nsitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him, saying:\nHave thou nothing to do with that just man. For I have suffered\nmany things this day in a dream because of him.\n{423}\nBut the\nchief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should\nask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. And the governor answering,\nsaid to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto\nyou? But they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them: what shall I\ndo then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him\nbe crucified. The governor said to them: Why, what evil hath he\ndone? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified.\nAnd Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a\ntumult was made; taking water he washed his hands before the\npeople, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man: look\nyou to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be\nupon us, and upon our children. Then he released to them\nBarabbas: and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to\nbe crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor taking Jesus into\nthe hall, gathered together unto him the whole band; and\nstripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a\ncrown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his\nright hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him,\nsaying: Hail, king of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took\nthe reed, and struck his head. And after they had mocked him,\nthey took off the cloak from him, and put on his own garments,\nand led him away to crucify him. And going out they met a man of\nCyrene named Simon: him they forced to take up the cross. And\nthey came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the\nplace of Calvary. And they gave him wine to drink mingled with\ngall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink. And after they\nhad crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots: that\nit might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:\n\"They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they\ncast lots:\" and they sat and watched him. And they put over his\nhead his cause written: _This is Jesus the King of the\nJews._\n{424}\nThen were crucified with him two thieves, one on\nthe right hand, and one on the left. And they that passed by,\nblasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that\ndestroyest the temple of God, and in three days dost rebuild it,\nsave thy own self: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the\ncross. In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes\nand ancients, mocking, said: He saved others; himself he cannot\nsave: if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the\ncross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God: let him now\ndeliver him, if he will have him: for he said: I am the Son of\nGod. And the self-same thing the thieves also that were crucified\nwith him, reproached him with. Now from the sixth hour there was\ndarkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour. And about the\nninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma\nsabacthani? that is, \"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?\"\nAnd some that stood there and heard, said: This man calleth\nElias. And immediately one of them running, took a sponge, and\nfilled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to\ndrink. And the others said: Let us see whether Elias will come\nand deliver him. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice,\nyielded up the ghost. [Here all kneel and pause.] And behold the\nveil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the\nbottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. And the\ngraves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had slept\narose; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came\ninto the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and\nthey that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the\nearthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid,\nsaying: Indeed this was the Son of God. And there were there many\nwomen afar off who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering\nunto him: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the Mother of\nJames and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.\n{425}\nAnd when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of\nArimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of\nJesus. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then\nPilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph\ntaking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth, and laid\nit in his own new monument, which he had hewn out in a rock. And\nhe rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his\nway. And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary\nsitting over against the sepulchre. And the next day, which\nfollowed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the\nPharisees came together to Pilate, saying: Sir, we have\nremembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive: After\nthree days I will rise again. Command therefore the sepulchre to\nbe guarded until the third day: lest perhaps his disciples come\nand steal him away, and say to the people he is risen from the\ndead: and the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate\nsaid to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know. And\nthey departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and\nsetting guards.\n\n\n\n Easter Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ v. 7, 8.\n_Brethren:_ Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new\npaste, as you are unleavened. For Christ, our pasch, is\nsacrificed. Therefore let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor\nwith the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened\nbread of sincerity and truth.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Mark_ xvi. 1, 7.\n_At that time:_ Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James\nand Salome, brought sweet spices, that coming they might anoint\nJesus. And very early in the morning the first day of the week,\nthey come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.\n{426}\nAnd they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone\nfrom the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone\nrolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the\nsepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed\nwith a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them:\nBe not affrighted: you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified:\nhe is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid\nhim. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before\nyou into Galilee: there you shall see him, as he told you. Credo.\n\n\n\n Quasimodo, Or Low Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _John_ v. 4, 9.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the\nworld; and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our\nfaith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth\nthat Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and\nblood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood.\nAnd it is the Spirit which testifieth, that Christ is the truth.\nAnd there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the\nWord, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. And there are\nthree that give testimony on earth: the Spirit, the water, and\nthe blood, and these three are one. If we receive the testimony\nof men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the\ntestimony of God which is greater, because he hath testified of\nhis Son. He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony\nof God in himself.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xx. 19, 31.\n_At that time:_ When it was late that same day, being the\nfirst day of the week, and the doors were shut, where the\ndisciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews, Jesus came\nand stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you. And\nwhen he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.\n{427}\nThe disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. He said\ntherefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent\nme, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them;\nand he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you\nshall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall\nretain, they are retained. Now Thomas, one of the twelve, who is\ncalled Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other\ndisciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord. But he\nsaid to them: Except I shall see in his hands the print of the\nnails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my\nhands into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days,\nagain his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus\ncometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said:\nPeace be to you. Then he said to Thomas: Put in thy finger\nhither, and see my hands, and bring hither thy hand, and put it\ninto my side; and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas\nanswered, and said to him: My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him:\nBecause thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed\nare they that have not seen, and have believed. Many other signs\nalso did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not\nwritten in this book. But these are written that you may believe\nthat Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing you\nmay have life in his name. Credo.\n\n\n\n Second Sunday After Easter.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Peter_ ii. 21, 25.\n_Dearly beloved;_ Christ also suffered for us, leaving you\nan example that you should follow his steps. _Who did no sin,\nneither was guile found in is mouth_. Who when he was reviled,\ndid not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not: but\ndelivered himself to him that judged him unjustly: who his own\nself bore our sins in his body upon the tree: that we being dead\nto sins, should live to justice: by whose stripes you were\nhealed. For you were as sheep going astray: but you are now\nconverted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls.\n\n{428}\n\nGospel.\n_John_ x. 11, 16.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to the Pharisees: I am the good\nshepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But\nthe hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the\nsheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and\nflieth, and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep: and the\nhireling flieth, because he is a hireling; and he hath no care\nfor the sheep. I am the good shepherd: and I know mine, and mine\nknow me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I\nlay down my life for my sheep. And other sheep I have, that are\nnot of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my\nvoice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Credo.\n\n\n\n Third Sunday After Easter.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Peter_ ii. 11, 19.\n_Dearly beloved:_ I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to\nrefrain yourselves from carnal desires, which war against the\nsoul, having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that\nwhereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may, by the\ngood works which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day\nof visitation. Be ye subject therefore to every human creature\nfor God's sake: whether it be to kings as excelling: or to\ngovernors as sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and\nfor the praise of the good: for so is the will of God, that by\ndoing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:\nas free, and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the\nservants of God. Honour all men: love the brotherhood: fear God:\nhonour the king. Servants be subject to your masters with all\nfear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.\nFor this is thanks-worthy _in Jesus Christ our Lord_.\n\n{429}\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xvi. 16,22.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: A little while,\nand now you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you\nshall see me; because I go to the Father. Then some of his\ndisciples said one to another: What is it that he saith to us: A\nlittle while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while,\nand you shall see me, and because I go to the Father? They said\ntherefore: What is this that he saith: A little while? we know\nnot what he speaketh. And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask\nhim; and he said to them: Of this do you inquire among\nyourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see\nme; and again, a little while and you shall see me. Amen, amen, I\nsay to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall\nrejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall\nbe turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow,\nbecause her hour is come: but when she hath brought forth the\nchild, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is\nborn into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow, but I\nwill see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no\nman shall take from you. Credo.\n\n\n\n Fourth Sunday After Easter.\n\nEpistle.\n_James_ i. 17, 21.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Every best gift, and every perfect gift,\nis from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom\nthere is no change, nor shadow of alteration. For of his own will\nhath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some\nbeginning of his creatures. You know, my dearest brethren. And\nlet every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to\nanger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.\nWherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of\nnaughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is\nable to save your souls.\n\n{430}\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xvi. 5, 15.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: I go to him\nthat sent me; and none of you asketh me: Whither goest thou? But\nbecause I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled\nyour heart. But I tell you the truth: It is expedient to you that\nI go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if\nI go, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will\nconvince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment. Of\nsin: because they believed not in me. And of justice: because I\ngo to the Father; and you shall see me no longer. And of\njudgment: because the prince of this world is already judged. I\nhave yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now.\nBut when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will teach you all\ntruth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever\nhe shall hear, he shall speak: and the things that are to come he\nshall show you. He shall glorify me: because he shall receive of\nmine, and shall show it you. Credo.\n\n\n\n Fifth Sunday After Easter.\n\nEpistle.\n_James_ i. 22, 27.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers\nonly, deceiving your own selves. For if a man be a hearer of the\nword and not a doer; he shall be compared to a man beholding his\nown countenance in a glass. For he beheld himself and went his\nway, and presently forgot what manner of man he was. But he that\nhath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued\ntherein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work:\nthis man shall be blessed in his deed. And if any man think\nhimself religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own\nheart, this man's religion is vain. _Religion_ clean and\nundefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the\nfatherless and the widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's\nself unspotted from the world.\n\n{431}\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xvi. 23, 30.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, amen, I\nsay to you; if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will\ngive it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name.\nAsk and you shall receive; that your joy may be full. These\nthings I have spoken to you in proverbs. The hour cometh when I\nno more will speak to you in proverbs, but will show you plainly\nof the Father. In that day you shall ask in my name: and I say\nnot to you, that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father\nhimself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed\nthat I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am\ncome into the world: again I leave the world, and go to the\nFather. His disciples say to him: Behold now thou speakest\nplainly, and speakest no proverb. Now we know that thou knowest\nall things, and thou needest not that any man should ask thee. By\nthis we believe that thou camest forth from God. Credo.\n\n\n\n Ascension-Day.\n\nLesson.\nActs i. 1, 11.\nThe former treatise, I made, O Theophilus, of all things which\nJesus began to do and to teach, until the day on which, giving\ncommandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had\nchosen, he was taken up. To whom also he showed himself alive\nafter his passion, by many proofs, by forty days appearing to\nthem, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together\nwith them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from\nJerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which\nyou have heard (saith he) by my mouth: for John indeed baptized\nwith water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not\nmany days hence.\n{432}\nThey therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: Lord,\nwilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? But\nhe said to them: It is not for you to know the times or moments,\nwhich the Father hath put in his own power; but you shall receive\nthe power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be\nwitnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and\neven to the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had said\nthese things, while they looked on, he was raised up; and a cloud\nreceived him out of their sight. And while they were beholding\nhim going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them, in white\ngarments. Who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking\nup to heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven,\nshall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Mark_ xvi. 14, 20.\n_At that time:_ Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at\ntable; and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness\nof heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him\nafter he was risen again. And he said to them: Go ye into the\nwhole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that\nbelieveth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth\nnot shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that\nbelieve: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak\nwith new tongues: they shall take up serpents: and if they shall\ndrink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay\nhands upon the sick, and they shall recover. And the Lord Jesus,\nafter he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and\nsitteth on the right hand of God. But they going, preached every\nwhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with\nsigns that followed. Credo.\n\n{433}\n\n Sunday Within The Octave Of The Ascension.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Peter_ iv. 7, 11.\n_Most dearly beloved:_ Be prudent, and watch in prayers. But\nbefore all things have a constant mutual charity among\nyourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins. Using\nhospitality one towards another, without murmuring. As every man\nhath received grace, ministering the same one to another: as good\nstewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him\nspeak as the words of God. If any man minister, let him do it as\nof the power which God administereth; that in all things God may\nbe honoured through Jesus Christ; to whom is glory and empire for\never and ever. _Amen_.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xv. 26. xvi. 1, 4.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: When the\nParaclete cometh whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit\nof truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony\nof me; and you shall give testimony, because you are with me from\nthe beginning. These things have I spoken to you, that you may\nnot be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues; yea\nthe hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he\ndoeth a service to God. And these things will they do to you,\nbecause they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things\nI have told you; that when the hour shall come, you may remember\nthat I told you of them. Credo.\n\n\n\n Whit-Sunday.\n\nLesson.\n_Acts_ ii. 1, 11.\nWhen the days of Pentecost were accomplished, they were all\ntogether in one place: and suddenly there came a sound from\nheaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house\nwhere they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted\ntongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them:\nand they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to\nspeak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them\nto speak.\n{434}\nNow there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of\nevery nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the\nmultitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because\nthat every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they were\nall amazed and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that\nspeak, Galileans; and how have we heard, every man our own tongue\nwherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and\ninhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and\nAsia, Phrygia and Pamphilia, Egypt and the parts of Lybia, about\nCyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and Proselytes, Cretes\nand Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the\nwonderful works of God.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xiv. 23. 31.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: If any one love\nme, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we\nwill come to him, and will make our abode with him: he that\nloveth me not, keepeth not my words. And the word which you have\nheard, is not mine: but the Father's who sent me. These things\nhave I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the\nHoly Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach\nyou all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I\nshall have said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give\nto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your\nheart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I\nsaid to you: I go away, and I come again to you. If you loved me,\nyou would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the\nFather is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come\nto pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. I will\nnot now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world\ncometh, and in me he hath not any thing. But that the world may\nknow that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given me\ncommandment, so do I. Credo.\n\n{435}\n\n Trinity Sunday.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ xi. 33, 36.\nO the depth of the\nriches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!\nHow incomprehensible are his judgments, and how\nunsearchable his ways! For who hath known the mind\nof the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor? Or\nwho hath first given to him, and recompense shall be\nmade him? For of him, and by him, and in him are all\nthings: to him be glory for ever. Amen.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxviii. 18, 20.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: All power is\ngiven to me in heaven and in earth. Going, therefore, teach all\nnations: _Baptising them in the name op the Father, and of the\nSon, and of the Holy Ghost._ Teaching them to observe all\nthings whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you\nall days, even to the consummation of the world. Credo.\n\n\nGospel of the First Sunday _after_ Pentecost.\n_Luke_ vi. 30, 42.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Be ye merciful,\nas your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be\njudged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and\nyou shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you; good\nmeasure and pressed down and shaken together and running over,\nshall be given into your bosom. For with the same measure that\nyou shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. And he\nspoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind? do\nthey not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his\nmaster: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master.\nAnd why seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye; but the beam\nthat is in thy own eye thou considerest not? or how canst thou\nsay to thy brother: Brother, let me pull the mote out of thy eye,\nwhen thou thyself seest not the beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite,\ncast first the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see\nclearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye. _Deo\ngratias_.\n\n{436}\n\n Corpus Christi\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ xi. 23, 29.\n_Brethren:_ I have received of the Lord, that which also I\ndelivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he\nwas betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke, and said:\n_Take ye, and eat: this is my body which shall be delivered for\nyou: this do for the commemoration of me._ In like manner also\nthe chalice, after he had supped, saying: _This chalice is the\nNew Testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall\ndrink it, for the commemoration of me._ For as often as you\nshall eat this bread, and drink this chalice, you shall show the\ndeath of the Lord, until he come. Therefore, whosoever shall eat\nthis bread or drink of the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall\nbe guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man prove\nhimself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the\nchalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and\ndrinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the\nLord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ vi. 56, 59.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews: My\nflesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that\neateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in\nhim. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father;\nso he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. This is the\nbread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat\nmanna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for\never. Credo.\n\n{437}\n\n Second Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _John_ iii. 13, 18.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Wonder not if the world hate you. We know\nthat we have passed from death to life, because we love the\nbrethren. He that loveth not, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth\nhis brother, is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath\neternal life abiding in himself. In this we have known the\ncharity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we\nought to lay down our lives for the brethren. He that hath the\nsubstance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and\nshut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in\nhim? My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue,\nbut in deed and in truth.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xiv. 16, 24.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke this parable to the Pharisees: A\ncertain man made a great supper, and invited many, and he sent\nhis servant at the hour of supper to say to them that were\ninvited, that they should come, for now all things are ready. And\nthey began all at once to make excuse. The first said to him: I\nhave bought a farm, and must needs go out and see it: I pray\nthee, hold me excused. And another said: I have bought five yoke\nof oxen, and I go to try them: I pray thee hold me excused. And\nanother said: I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.\nAnd the servant returning told these things to his lord. Then the\nmaster of the house being angry, said to his servant: Go out\nquickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in\nhither the poor, and the feeble, and the blind, and the lame. And\nthe servant said: Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and\nyet there is room. And the Lord said to the servant: Go out into\nthe high-ways and hedges; and compel them to come in, that my\nhouse may be filled. But I say unto you, that none of those men\nthat were invited, shall taste of my supper. Credo.\n\n{438}\n\n Third Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Peter_ v. 6, 11.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Be you humbled under the mighty hand of\nGod, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation. Casting all\nyour care upon him, for he hath care of you. Be sober and watch:\nbecause your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about,\nseeking whom he may devour: whom resist ye, strong in faith;\nknowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in\nthe world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his\neternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little,\nwill himself perfect you, and confirm and stablish you. To him be\nglory and empire for ever and ever. _Amen_.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xv. 1, 10.\n_At that time:_ The publicans and sinners drew near unto him\nto hear him. And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying: This\nman receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And he spoke to them\nthis parable, saying: What man of you that hath a hundred sheep,\nand if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the\nninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost until\nhe find it? And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders\nrejoicing: and coming home call together his friends and\nneighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found\nmy sheep that was lost? I say to you, that even so there shall be\njoy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon\nninety-nine just who need not penance. Or what woman having ten\ngroats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle, and sweep\nthe house, and seek diligently until she find it? And when she\nhath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying:\nRejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost?\nSo I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon\none sinner doing penance. Credo.\n\n{439}\n\n Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ viii. 18, 23.\n_Brethren:_ I reckon that the sufferings of this time are\nnot worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be\nrevealed in us. For the expectation of the creature waiteth for\nthe revelation of the sons of God. For the creature was made\nsubject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him that made\nit subject, in hope: Because the creature also itself shall be\ndelivered from the servitude of corruption, into the liberty of\nthe glory of the children of God. For we know that every creature\ngroaneth and travaileth in pain even till now. And not only it,\nbut ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even\nwe ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of\nthe sons of God, the redemption of our body in Christ Jesus our\nLord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ v. 1, 11.\n_At that time:_\nIt came to pass, that when the multitude pressed upon him to hear\nthe word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth. And he saw\ntwo ships standing by the lake; but the fishermen were gone out\nof them and were washing their nets. And going up into one of the\nships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from\nthe land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.\nNow when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out\ninto the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon,\nanswering, said to him: Master, we have laboured all the night,\nand have taken nothing; but at thy word I will let down the net.\nAnd when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude\nof fishes, and their net broke. And they beckoned to their\npartners that were in the other ship, that they should come and\nhelp them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they\nwere almost sinking.\n{440}\nWhich when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus's knees,\nsaying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was\nwholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of\nthe fishes which they had taken. And so were also James and John\nthe sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith\nto Simon: Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And\nhaving brought their ships to land, leaving all things they\nfollowed him. Credo.\n\n\n Fifth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Peter_ iii. 8, 15.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Be ye all of one mind, having compassion\none of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful,\nmodest, humble: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for\nrailing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this you are\ncalled, that you may inherit a blessing. \"For he that will love\nlife, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil,\nand his lips that they speak no guile. Let him decline from evil,\nand do good: let him seek after peace, and pursue it: because the\neyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their\nprayers; but the countenance of the Lord against them that do\nevil things.\" And who is he that can hurt you, if you be jealous\nof good? But if also you suffer any thing for justice sake,\nblessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not\ntroubled. But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ v. 20, 24.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Unless your\njustice exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not\nenter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said\nto them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever hall kill,\nshall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that\nwhosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the\njudgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, _Raca_,\nshall be _in danger of_ the council. And whosoever shall\nsay, Thou fool, shall be _in danger of_ hell fire.\nTherefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there shalt\nremember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; leave\nthere thy gift before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to\nthy brother: and then come and offer thy gift. Credo.\n\n{441}\n\n Sixth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ vi. 3, 11.\n_Brethren:_ All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are\nbaptized in his death. For we are buried together with him by\nbaptism unto death: that as Christ is risen from the dead by the\nglory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. For\nif we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we\nshall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this,\nthat our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may\nbe destroyed, and that we may serve sin no longer. For he that is\ndead is justified from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we\nbelieve that we shall live also together with Christ. Knowing\nthat Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death\nshall no more have dominion over him. For in that he died to sin,\nhe died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. So do\nyou also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to\nGod in Christ Jesus our Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Mark_ viii. 1, 9.\n_At that time:_ When there was a great multitude with Jesus,\nand had nothing to eat: calling his disciples together, he saith\nto them: I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have\nnow been with me three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I\nsend them away fasting to their own home, they will faint in the\nway: for some of them came afar off. And his disciples answered\nhim: From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the\nwilderness?\n{442}\nAnd he asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven. And\nhe commanded the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the\nseven loaves, giving thanks, he broke, and gave to his disciples\nfor to set before them, and they set them before the people. And\nthey had a few little fishes; and he blessed them, and commanded\nthem to be set before them. And they did eat and were filled, and\nthey took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets.\nAnd they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent\nthem away. Credo.\n\n\n Seventh Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ vi. 19.\n_Brethren:_ I speak a human thing, because of the infirmity\nof your flesh: for as you have yielded your members to serve\nuncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity; so now yield your members\nto serve justice, unto sanctification. For when you were the\nservants of sin, you were free from justice. What fruit therefore\nhad you then in those things of which you are now ashamed? For\nthe end of them is death. But now being made free from sin, and\nbecome servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification,\nand the end life everlasting. For the wages of sin is death; but\nthe grace of God, life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ vii. 15, 21.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Beware of false\nprophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly\nthey are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do\nmen gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every\ngood tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth\nforth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,\nneither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that\nbringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be\ncast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know\nthem. Not everyone that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the\nkingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father who is\nin heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Credo.\n\n{443}\n\n Eighth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Romans_ viii. 12, 17.\n_Brethren:_ We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live\naccording to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh,\nyou shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the\nflesh, you shall live. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of\nGod, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the\nspirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit\nof adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba, (Father.) For the\nSpirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the\nsons of God. And if sons, heirs also: heirs indeed of God, and\njoint heirs with Christ.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xvi. 1, 9.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable:\nThere was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was\naccused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called\nhim, and said to him; How is it that I hear this of thee? give an\naccount of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no\nlonger. And the steward said within himself: What shall I do,\nbecause my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am\nnot able; to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I\nshall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into\ntheir houses. Therefore calling together every one of his lord's\ndebtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord?\nBut he said: A hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take\nthy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to\nanother: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: A hundred quarters\nof wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill and write eighty. And the\nlord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done\nwisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their\ngeneration, than the children of light. And I say to you: Make\nunto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall\nfail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings. Credo.\n\n{444}\n\n Ninth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ x. 6, 13.\n_Brethren:_ Let us not covet evil things, as they also\ncoveted. Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them: as it is\nwritten: \"The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to\nplay.\" Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them\ncommitted fornication, and there fell in one day three-and-twenty\nthousand. Neither let us tempt Christ: as some of them tempted,\nand perished by the serpents. Neither do you murmur: as some of\nthem murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these\nthings happened to them in figure: and they are written for our\ncorrection, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore\nlet him that thinketh himself to stand, take heed lest he fall.\nLet no temptation take hold on you but such as is human. And God\nis faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that\nwhich you are able; but will make also with temptation issue,\nthat you may be able to bear it.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xix. 41, 47.\n_At that time:_ When he drew near to Jerusalem, seeing the\ncity, he wept over it, saying: If thou also hadst known, and that\nin this thy day, the things that are to thy peace: but now they\nare hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee: and\nthy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee\nround, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the\nground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not\nleave in thee a stone upon a stone; because thou hast not known\nthe time of thy visitation. And entering into the temple, he\nbegan to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought,\nsaying to them: It is written: \"My house is the house of prayer.\"\nBut you have made it a den of thieves. And he was teaching daily\nin the temple. Credo.\n\n{445}\n\n Tenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\n_Epistle._\n1 _Corinthians_ xii. 2, 11.\n_Brethren:_ You know that when you were heathens, you went\nto dumb idols, according as you were led. Wherefore I give you to\nunderstand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God, saith\nanathema to Jesus. And no man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the\nHoly Ghost. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same\nspirit. And there are diversities of ministries, but the same\nLord. And there are diversities of operations, but the same God\nwho worketh all in all. And the manifestation of the Spirit is\ngiven to every man unto profit. To one indeed, by the Spirit, is\ngiven the word of wisdom; and to another, the word of knowledge,\naccording to the same spirit; to another faith in the same\nspirit; to another, the grace of healing in one spirit; to\nanother, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to\nanother, the discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of\ntongues; to another, interpretation of speeches. But in all these\nthings, one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one\naccording as he will.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xviii. 9, 14.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spake this parable to some who trusted\nin themselves as just, and despised others. Two men went up into\nthe temple to pray: the one was a Pharisee, and the other a\npublican. The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God,\nI give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men,\nextortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. I\nfast twice in the week: I give tithes of all that I possess. And\nthe publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his\neyes towards heaven: but struck his breast, saying: O God, be\nmerciful to me a sinner. I say to you, this man went down to his\nhouse justified rather than the other, because every one that\nexalted himself, shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself,\nshall be exalted. Credo.\n\n{446}\n\n Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ xv. 1, 10.\n_Brethren:_ I make known unto you the gospel which I\npreached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you\nstand, by which also you are saved: if you hold fast after what\nmanner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For\nI delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how\nthat Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures: and\nthat he was buried, and that he arose again the third day\naccording to the Scriptures: and that he was seen by Cephas; and\nafter that by the eleven. Then was he seen by more than five\nhundred brethren at once; of whom many remain until this present,\nand some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen by James, then\nby all the apostles: and last of all, he was seen also by me, as\none born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who\nam not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the\nChurch of God. But by the grace of God I am what i am; and his\ngrace in me hath not been void.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Mark_ vii. 31, 37.\n_At that time:_ Jesus going out of the coast of Tyre, he\ncame by Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the\ncoast of Decapolis. And they bring to him one deaf and dumb: and\nthey besought him that he would lay his hand upon him. And taking\nhim from the multitude apart, he put his fingers into his ears,\nand spitting, he touched his tongue: and looking up to heaven, he\ngroaned and said to him: Ephpheta, that is, Be opened. And\nimmediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue\nwas loosed, and he spoke right. And he charged them that they\nshould tell no man. But the more he charged them, so much the\nmore a great deal did they publish it. And so much the more did\nthey wonder, saying: He hath done all things well; he hath made\nboth the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. Credo.\n\n{447}\n\n Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n2 _Corinthians_ iii. 4, 9.\n_Brethren:_ We have confidence through Christ towards God:\nnot that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves as of\nourselves: but our sufficiency is from God. Who also hath made us\nfit ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter, but in the\nspirit. For the letter killeth; but the spirit quickeneth. Now if\nthe ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was\nglorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly\nbehold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which\nis made void: how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be\nrather in glory? For if the ministration of condemnation be\nglory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ x. 23, 37.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Blessed are the\neyes that see the things which you see. For I say to you, that\nmany prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you\nsee, and have not seen them; and to hear the things that you\nhear, and have not heard them. And behold a certain lawyer stood\nup, tempting him, and saying: Master, what must I do to possess\neternal life? But he said to him: What is written in the law? how\nreadest thou? He answering, said: \"Thou shalt love the Lord thy\nGod with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all\nthy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as\nthyself.\"\n{448}\nAnd he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do and thou\nshalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus:\nAnd who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering, said: A certain man\nwent down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who\nhad stripped him, and having wounded him, went away, leaving him\nhalf dead. And it chanced that a certain priest went down the\nsame way: and seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a\nLevite, when he was near the place, and saw him, passed by. But a\ncertain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him: and seeing\nhim, was moved with compassion. And going up to him, bound up his\nwounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own\nbeast brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next\nday he took out two pieces, and gave to the host, and said: Take\ncare of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I at\nmy return will repay thee. Which of these three in thy opinion\nwas neighbour to him that fell among robbers? But he said: He\nthat showed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou\nin like manner. Credo.\n\n\n Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Galatians_ iii. 16, 22.\n_Brethren:_ To Abraham were the promises made, and to his\nseed. He saith not: And to his seeds, as of many; but as of one:\nAnd to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, that the\ntestament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made\nafter four hundred and thirty years, doth not disannul, or make\nthe promise of no effect. For if the inheritance be of the law,\nit is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.\nWhy then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until\nthe seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained\nby angels in the hand of a mediator.\n{449}\nNow a mediator is not of one; but God is one. Was the law then\nagainst the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a\nlaw given which could give life, verily justice should have been\nby the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that\nthe promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them\nthat believe.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xvii. 11, 19.\n_At that time:_ As Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he passed\nthrough the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into\na certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood\nafar off, and lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, Master, have\nmercy on us. Whom when he saw, he said: Go, show yourselves to\nthe priests. And it came to pass, that as they went, they were\nmade clean. And one of them when he saw that he was made clean,\nwent back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his\nface before his feet, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan.\nAnd Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean, and where are\nthe nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God,\nbut this stranger. And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy\nfaith hath made thee whole. Credo.\n\n\n Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Galatians_ v. 16, 24,\n_Brethren:_ Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the\nlusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit; and\nthe spirit against the flesh: for these are contrary to one\nanother, so that you do not the things that you would. But if you\nare led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works\nof the flesh are manifest, which are, fornication, uncleanness,\nimmodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions,\nemulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envy, murders,\ndrunkenness, revellings, and such like.\n{450}\nOf the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they\nwho do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God. But the\nfruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity,\ngoodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency,\nchastity. Against such there is no law. And they that are\nChrist's, have crucified their flesh with the vices and\nconcupiscences.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ vi. 24, 33.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: No man can\nserve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the\nother: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You\ncannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, be not\nsolicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body,\nwhat you shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat, and\nthe body more than the raiment: Behold the birds of the air, for\nthey neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns, and\nyour heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value\nthan they? And which of you, by taking thought, can add to his\nstature one cubit? And for raiment why are you solicitous?\nConsider the lilies of the field how they grow: they labour not,\nneither do they spin. But I say to you, that not even Solomon in\nall his glory was arrayed as one of these. And if the grass of\nthe field, which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into the oven,\nGod doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith. Be\nnot solicitous therefore, saying, what shall we eat, or what\nshall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all\nthese things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that\nyou have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the\nkingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be\nadded unto you. Credo.\n\n{451}\n\n Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Galatians_ v. 25. vi. 1, 10.\n_Brethren:_ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in\nthe Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking\none another, envying one another. (Chap, vi.) Brethren, if a man\nbe overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such\na one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou\nalso be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens: and so you shall\nfulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be\nsomething, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let\nevery one prove his own work, and so he shall have glory in\nhimself only, and not in another. For every one shall bear his\nown burden. And let him that is instructed in the word,\ncommunicate to him that instructed him, in all good things. Be\nnot deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow,\nthose also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the\nflesh also shall reap corruption. But; he that soweth in the\nSpirit, of the Spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in doing\ngood, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not\nfailing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all\nmen, but especially to those who are of the household of the\nfaith.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ vii. 11, 16.\n_At that time:_ Jesus went into a city called Naim; and\nthere went with him his disciples, and a great multitude. And\nwhen he came nigh to the city, behold a dead man was carried out,\nthe only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people\nof the city were with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had\ncompassion on her, and said to her: Weep not. And he came near\nand touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood still. And\nhe said: Young man, I say to thee, Arise. And he that was dead,\nsat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.\nAnd there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God,\nsaying: A great prophet is risen up amongst us, and God hath\nvisited his people.\n\n\n{452}\n\n Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Ephesians_ iii. 13, 21.\nBrethren: I pray you not to faint at my tribulations for you,\nwhich is your glory. For this cause I bow my knee to the Father\nof our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom all paternity in heaven and\nearth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches\nof his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto\nthe inward man. That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts:\nthat being rooted and founded in charity, you may be able to\ncomprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length,\nand height, and depth: to know also the clarity of Christ, which\nsurpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the\nfullness of God. Now to him who is able to do all things more\nabundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power\nthat worketh in us: to him be glory in the church, and in Christ\nJesus, unto all generations, world without end. Amen.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xiv. 1, 11.\n_At that time:_ When Jesus went into the house of one of the\nchief of the Pharisees on the Sabbath-day to eat bread, they\nwatched him. And behold there was a certain man before him that\nhad the dropsy. And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and\nPharisees, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? But\nthey held their peace. But he, taking him, healed him, and sent\nhim away. And answering them, he said: Which of you shall have an\nass or an ox fall into a pit; and will not immediately draw him\nout on the Sabbath-day? And they could not answer him to these\nthings.\n{453}\nAnd he spoke a parable also to them that were invited, marking\nhow they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them: When\nthou art invited to a wedding, sit not down in the first place,\nlest perhaps one more honourable than thou be invited by him: and\nhe that invited thee and him, come and say to thee: Give this man\nplace; and then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place.\nBut when thou art invited, go, sit down in the lowest place, that\nwhen he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee: Friend, go\nup higher. Then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at\ntable with thee; because every one that exalted himself, shall be\nhumbled; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. Credo.\n\n\n\n Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost\n\n\nEpistle.\n_Ephesians_ iv. 1, 6.\n_Brethren:_ I who am a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you\nthat you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called.\nWith all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one\nanother in charity. Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in\nthe bond of peace. One body and one spirit; as you are called in\none hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One\nGod, and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in\nus all, who is blessed for evermore.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxii. 35, 46.\n_At that time:_ The Pharisees came to Jesus; and one of\nthem, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him: Master, which\nis the great commandment of the law? Jesus said to him: _Thou\nshalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy\nwhole soul, and with thy whole mind._ This is the greatest and\nthe first commandment. And the second is like to this: _Thou\nshalt love thy neighbour as thyself_. On these two\ncommandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.\n{454}\nAnd the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them,\nsaying: What think you of Christ? whose son is he? They say to\nhim: David's. He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit\ncall him Lord, saying: _The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my\nright hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?_ If David\nthen call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to\nanswer him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask\nhim any more questions. Credo.\n\n\n\n Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ i. 4, 8.\n_Brethren:_ I give thanks to my God always for you, for the\ngrace of God, that is given you in Christ Jesus; that in all\nthings you are made rich in him, in all utterance, and in all\nknowledge, as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So\nthat nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the\nmanifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who also will confirm you\nunto the end without crime, in the day of the coming of our Lord\nJesus Christ.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ ix. 1, 8.\n_At that time:_ Jesus entering into a boat, he passed over\nthe water and came into his own city. And behold they brought to\nhim one sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus seeing their\nfaith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son,\nthy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the Scribes said\nwithin themselves: He blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their\nthoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your heart? Whether is\nit easier to say: Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say: Arise\nand walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on\nearth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of the\npalsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And he\narose and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it,\nfeared and glorified God that gave such power to men. Credo.\n\n{455}\n\n Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Ephesians_. iv. 23, 28.\n_Brethren:_ Be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and put\non the new man, who, according to God, is created in Justice, and\nholiness of truth. Wherefore putting away lying, speak ye the\ntruth every man with his neighbour: for we are members one of\nanother. Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your\nanger. Give not place to the devil. He that stole, let him now\nsteal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands\nthe thing which is good, that he may have something to give to\nhim that suffereth need.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxii. 1, 14.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees in\na parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king,\nwho made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants, to\ncall them that were invited to the marriage: and they would not\ncome. Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were\ninvited: Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my beeves and\nfatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the\nmarriage. But they neglected, and went their ways, one to his\nfarm, and another to his merchandise. And the rest laid hands on\nhis servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to\ndeath. But when the king had heard of it, he was angry, and\nsending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their\ncity. Then he saith to his servants: The marriage indeed is\nready: but they that were invited, were not worthy. Go ye\ntherefore into the high-ways; and as many as you shall find, call\nto the marriage. And his servants going forth into the ways,\ngathered together all they found, both bad and good: and the\nmarriage was filled with guests.\n{456}\nAnd the king went in to see the guests, and he saw there a man\nwho had not on a wedding garment. And he saith to him, Friend,\nhow camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment? But\nhe was silent. Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands\nand his feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness; there\nshall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but\nfew are chosen. Credo.\n\n\n\n Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Ephesians_. v. 15, 21.\n_Brethren:_ See, therefore, how you walk circumspectly, not\nas unwise, but as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are\nevil. Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the\nwill of God. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury, but\nbe ye filled with the holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in\npsalms and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making\nmelody in your hearts to the Lord: giving thanks always for all\nthings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and the\nFather. Being subject one to another in the fear of Christ.\n\n\nGospel,\n_John_ iv. 46, 53.\n_At that time:_ There was a certain ruler, whose son was\nsick at Capharnaum. He having heard that Jesus was come from\nJudea into Galilee, went to him, and prayed him to come down and\nheal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore\nsaid to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not.\nThe ruler saith to him: Lord, come down before that my son die.\nJesus saith to him: Go thy way, thy son liveth. The man believed\nthe word which Jesus said to him, and went his way. And as he was\ngoing down, his servants met him: and they brought word, saying,\nthat his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein\nhe grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh\nhour the fever left him. The father therefore knew that it was at\nthe same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth; and himself\nbelieved, and his whole house. Credo.\n\n{457}\n\n Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Ephesians_. vi. 10, 17.\n_Brethren:_ Be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of\nhis power. Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to\nstand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not\nagainst flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers,\nagainst the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the\nspirit of wickedness in the high places. Therefore take unto you\nthe armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil\nday, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having\nyour loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate\nof justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel\nof peace; in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you\nmay be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked\none. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of\nthe Spirit, which is the word of God.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xviii. 28, 35.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable:\nThe kingdom of heaven is likened to a king who would take an\naccount of his servants. And when he had begun to take the\naccount, one was brought to him that owed him ten thousand\ntalents. And as he had not wherewith to pay it, his lord\ncommanded that he should be sold, and his wife and children, and\nall that he had, and payment to be made. But that servant falling\ndown, besought him, saying: Have patience with me and I will pay\nthee all.\n{458}\nAnd the lord of that servant being moved with pity, let him go,\nand forgave him the debt. But when that servant was gone out, he\nfound one of his fellow-servants that owed him a hundred pence;\nand laying hold of him, he throttled him, saying: Pay what thou\nowest. And his fellow-servant falling down, besought him, saying:\nHave patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not:\nbut went and cast him into prison, till he paid the debt. Now his\nfellow-servants seeing what was done, were very much grieved, and\nthey came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord\ncalled him, and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee\nall the debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldst not thou then\nhave had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I had\ncompassion on thee? And his lord being angry, delivered him to\nthe torturers, until he paid all the debt. So also shall my\nheavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his\nbrother from your hearts. Credo.\n\n\n\n Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Philippians_ i. 6, 11.\n_Brethren:_ We are confident of this very thing, that he who\nhath begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of\nChrist Jesus. As it is meet for me to think this for you all: for\nthat I have you in my heart; and that in my bands, and in the\ndefence and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers of\nmy joy. For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the\nbowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your charity may\nmore and more abound in knowledge and in all understanding; that\nyou may approve the better things, that you may be sincere and\nwithout offence unto the day of Christ. Filled with the fruit of\njustice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.\n\n{459}\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxii. 15, 21.\n_At that time:_ The Pharisees going, consulted among\nthemselves how to ensnare Jesus in his speech. And they sent to\nhim their disciples, with the Herodians, saying: Master, we know\nthat thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in\ntruth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou dost not regard\nthe person of men. Tell us therefore what thou dost think, is it\nlawful to give tribute to C\u00e6sar or not? But Jesus knowing their\nwickedness, said: Why do you tempt me, ye hypocrites? Show me the\ncoin of the tribute. And they offered him a penny. And Jesus\nsaith to them: Whose image and inscription is this? They say to\nhim: C\u00e6sar's. Then he saith to them: Render therefore to C\u00e6sar\nthe things that are C\u00e6sar's, and to God the things that are\nGod's. Credo.\n\n\n\n Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost.\n\n Should there be but 23 Sundays after Pentecost, the Mass of the\n 24th is said to-day, and this on the preceding Saturday, (if it\n be neither a double nor semi-double,) in which case it is said\n on some vacant day before it.\n\n\nEpistle.\n_Philippians_ iii. 17, 21; iv. 1, 3.\n_Brethren:_ Be followers of me, and observe them who walk so\nas you have our model. For many walk, of whom I have told you\noften, (and now tell you weeping,) that they are enemies of the\ncross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their\nbelly, and whose glory is their shame: who mind earthly things.\nBut our conversation is in heaven: from whence also we look for\nthe Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will reform the body of\nour lowness, made like to the body of his glory, according to the\noperation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto\nhimself. (Chap, iv.) Therefore my dearly beloved brethren, and\nmost desired, my joy, and my crown: so stand fast in the Lord, my\ndearly beloved. I beg of Evodia, and I beseech Syntyche, to be of\none mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, my sincere\ncompanion, help those women that have laboured with me in the\ngospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose\nnames are in the book of life.\n\n{460}\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ ix. 18, 26.\n_At that time:_ As Jesus was speaking to the multitude,\nbehold a certain ruler came up and adored him, saying: Lord, my\ndaughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and\nshe shall live. And Jesus rising up followed him, with his\ndisciples. And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of\nblood twelve years, came behind him and touched the hem of his\ngarment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his\ngarment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her,\nsaid: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.\nAnd the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus was\ncome into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the\nmultitude making a rout, he said: Give place: for the girl is not\ndead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. And when the\nmultitude was put forth, he went in and took her by the hand. And\nthe maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that\ncountry. Credo.\n\n\n As there cannot be less than 23, nor more than 28 Sundays after\n Pentecost, it is to be observed, that the Mass of the 24th is\n always said on that Sunday which immediately precedes Advent.\n When, therefore, it happens that there are any intervening\n Sundays between the 23rd and the last, the Epistles and Gospels\n are taken from the Sundays which were omitted after Epiphany:\n for instance, if but one Sunday, the Mass is of the 6th after\n Epiphany; if two, of the 5th and 6th; if three, of the 4th,\n 5th, and 6th; and if four, of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th.\n\n\n\n Twenty-Fourth, Or Last Sunday After Pentecost.\n\nEpistle.\n_Ccolossians_ i. 9, 14.\n_Brethren:_ We cease not to pray for you, and to beg that\nyou may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom,\nand spiritual understanding: that you may walk worthy of God, in\nall things pleasing: being fruitful in every good work, and\nincreasing in the knowledge of God: strengthened with all might,\naccording to the power of his glory, in all patience and\nlong-suffering with joy. Giving thanks to God the Father, who\nhath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in\nlight: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath\ntranslated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we\nhave redemption through his blood, the remission of sins.\n\n{461}\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxiv. 15, 35.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: When you shall\nsee the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel\nthe prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him\nunderstand. Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the\nmountains; and he that is on the house-top, let him not come down\nto take any thing out of his house; and he that is in the field,\nlet him not go back to take his coat. And woe to them that are\nwith child, and give suck in those days. But pray that your\nflight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabbath. For there shall\nbe then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the\nbeginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And unless\nthose days had been shortened, no flesh could be saved: but for\nthe sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened. Then if any\nman shall say to you: Lo! here is Christ, or there: do not\nbelieve him: For there shall arise false Christs, and false\nprophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to\ndeceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it you,\nbeforehand; if therefore they shall say to you: Behold he is in\nthe desert, go ye not out: Behold he is in the closets, believe\nit not. For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth\neven into the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man\nbe. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be\ngathered together.\n{462}\nAnd immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun\nshall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the\nstars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall\nbe moved: and there shall appear the sign of the Son of man in\nheaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they\nshall see the Son of man, coming in the clouds of heaven with\nmuch power and majesty. And he shall send his angels with a\ntrumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together his\nelect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens\nto the utmost bounds of them. And from the fig-tree learn a\nparable: when the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves\ncome forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you\nshall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh even at the\ndoors. Amen, I say to you, that this generation shall not pass,\ntill these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass, but my\nwords shall not pass. Credo.\n\n{463}\n\n The Common Of Saints.\n\n\n Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n 8th December.\n\n\nLesson.\n_Proverbs_ viii. 22, 35.\nThe Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he\nmade any thing, from the beginning. I was set up from eternity,\nand of old, before the earth was made. The depths were not as\nyet, and I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of\nwater as yet sprung out: the mountains with their huge bulk had\nnot as yet been established: before the hills I was brought\nforth: he had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the\npoles of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there:\nwhen with a certain law and compass he enclosed he depths: when\nhe established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:\nwhen he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the\nwaters, that they should not pass their limits: when he balanced\nthe foundations of the earth, I was with him forming all things,\nand was delighted every day, playing before him at all times,\nplaying in the world: and my delight is to be with the children\nof men. Now, therefore, ye children, hear me: blessed are they\nthat keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it\nnot. Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily\nat my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that shall\nfind me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ i. 1, 16.\nThe book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the\nson of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And\nJacob begot Judas and his brethren. And Judas begot Phares and\nZara of Thamar.\n{464}\nAnd Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram. And Aram begot\nAminidab. And Aminidab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon.\nAnd Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And\nObed begot Jesse. And Jesse begot David the king. And David the\nking begot Solomon, of her who had been _the wife_ of Urias.\nAnd Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot\nAsa. And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram\nbegot Ozias. And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz.\nAnd Achaz begot Ezechias. And Ezechias begot Menasses. And\nMenasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias. And Josias begot\nJechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon. And\nafter the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel.\nAnd Salathiel begot Zorobabel. And Zorobabel begot Abiub. And\nAbiub begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor. And Azor begot\nSadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud. And Eliud\nbegot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Matham. And Matham begot Jacob.\nAnd Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born\nJesus, who is called Christ.\n\n\n\n Of St. Patrick, ap. and Patron of Ireland.\n 17th March.\n\nLesson.\n_Ecclesiastes_ xliv. xlv.\nBehold a great priest, who in his time pleased God, and was found\njust; and in the time of wrath became an atonement. There were\nnone found like him in observing the law of the Most High.\nTherefore by an oath did the Lord make him great amongst his\npeople. He gave him the blessing of all nations, and established\nhis covenant on his head. He acknowledged him in his blessings:\nhe stored up his mercy for him; and he found favour in the eyes\nof the Lord. (Chap, xlv.) He exalted him in the sight of kings;\nand gave him a crown of glory. He made with him an eternal\ncovenant: and bestowed on him a great priesthood: and rendered\nhim blessed in glory. To perform the priestly office, to sing\npraises to the name of God; and to offer him precious incense for\nan odour of sweetness.\n\n{465}\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxv. 14, 23.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: A\nman going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered\nto them his goods. And to one he gave five talents, and to\nanother two, and to another one, to every one according to his\nproper ability; and immediately he took his journey. And he that\nhad received the five talents went his way, and traded with the\nsame, and gained other five. And in like manner he that had\nreceived the two, gained other two. But he that had received the\none, going his way, digged into the earth, and hid his lord's\nmoney. But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and\nreckoned with them. And he that had received the five talents,\ncoming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst\ndeliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over\nand above. His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful\nservant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I\nwill place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy\nlord. And he also that had received the two talents came and\nsaid: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have\ngained other two. His lord said to him: Well done, good and\nfaithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few\nthings, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the\njoy of thy lord.\n\n\n\n Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,\n 25th March.\n\nLesson.\n_Isaiah_ vii. 10. 16.\n_In those days:_ The Lord spoke unto Achaz, saying: Ask thee\na sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or\nunto the height above.\n{466}\nAnd Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.\nAnd he said: Hear ye, therefore, O house of David; Is it a small\nthing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my\nGod also? Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign.\nBehold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall\nbe called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that he may\nknow to refuse the evil, and to choose the good.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ i. 26, 38.\n_At that time:_ The angel Gabriel was sent from God into a\ncity of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man\nwhose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's\nname was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail\nMary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou\namong women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and\nthought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.\nAnd the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found\ngrace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt\nbring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall\nbe great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the\nLord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and\nhe shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom\nthere shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this\nbe done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to\nher: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the\nMost High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy\nwhich shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And\nbehold thy cousin Elizabeth she also hath conceived a son in her\nold age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called\nbarren: because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary\nsaid: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according\nto thy word.\n\n{467}\n\n SS. Peter _and_ Paul.\n\n 29th June.\n\nLesson.\n_Acts_ xii. 1, 11.\n_In those days:_ Herod the king stretched forth his hand to\nafflict some of the church. And he killed James the brother of\nJohn with the sword. And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he\nproceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days of\nAzymes. And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison,\ndelivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending\nafter the pasch to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore\nwas kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the\nchurch unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him\nforth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,\nbound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the\nprison. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light\nshined in the room: and he striking Peter on the side raised him\nup, saying: Arise quickly. And the chains fell off from his\nhands. And the angel said to him: Gird thyself, and put on thy\nsandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment\nabout thee, and follow me. And going out he followed him, and he\nknew not that it was true which was done by the angel: but\nthought he saw a vision. And passing through the first and second\nward, they came to the iron gate that leadeth to the city, which\nof itself opened to them. And going out, they passed on through\none street: and immediately the angel departed from him. And\nPeter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed that the\nLord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand\nof Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xvi. 13, 19.\n_At that time:_ Jesus came into the quarters of Cesarea\nPhilippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say\nthat the Son of man is? But they said: Some, John the Baptist,\nand other some, Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the\nprophets.\n{468}\nJesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter\nanswered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.\nAnd Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon\nBar-Jona; because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee,\nbut my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art\nPeter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates\nof hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the\nkeys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind\nupon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou\nshalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. Credo.\n\n\n\n Assumption _of the_ Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n 15th August.\n\nLesson.\n_Ecclesiastes_ xxiv. 11, 20.\nI sought rest every where, and I shall abide in the inheritance\nof the Lord. Then the Creator of all things gave his orders, and\nsaid to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle, and he\nsaid to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in\nIsrael, and take root in my elect. From the beginning, and before\nthe world was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not\ncease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered\nbefore him. And I was so established in Sion, and in the holy\ncity likewise I rested, and my power _was_ in Jerusalem. And\nI took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God\nhis inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.\nI was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress-tree on\nmount Sion. I was exalted like a palm-tree in Cades, and as a\nrose plant in Jericho: as a fair olive-tree in the plains, and as\na plane-tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted. I gave a\nsweet smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm: like the myrrh I\nyielded a sweet odour.\n\n{469}\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ x. 38, 42.\n_At that time:_ Jesus entered into a certain town; and a\ncertain woman named Martha, received him into her house. And she\nhad a sister called Mary. Who sitting also at the Lord's feet,\nheard his word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood\nand said: Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me\nalone to serve? Speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the\nLord answering, said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful,\nand art troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary.\nMary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken from\nher. Credo.\n\n\n\n Feast Of All Saints.\n\n 1st November.\n\nLesson.\n_Revelation_ vii. 2, 12.\n_In those days:_ Behold\nI, John, saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,\nhaving the sign of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice\nto the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and\nthe sea, saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees,\ntill we have signed the servants of our God in their foreheads.\nAnd I heard the number of them that were signed, an hundred\nforty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children\nof Israel. Of the tribe of Judah, were twelve thousand signed: Of\nthe tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Gad,\ntwelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand\nsigned: Of the tribe of Nephtali, twelve thousand signed: Of the\ntribe of Manasses, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of\nSimeon, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of Levi, twelve\nthousand signed: Of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand\nsigned: Of the tribe of Zebulon, twelve thousand signed: Of the\ntribe of Joseph, twelve thousand signed: Of the tribe of\nBenjamin, twelve thousand signed.\n{470}\nAfter this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of\nall nations and tribes, and peoples and tongues; standing before\nthe throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes,\nand palms in their hands; and they cried with a loud voice,\nsaying: Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and to\nthe Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and\nthe ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down\nbefore the throne upon their faces, and adored God, saying: Amen.\nBenediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and\npower, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ v. 1, 12.\n_At that time:_ Jesus seeing the multitude, went up into a\nmountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him.\nAnd opening his mouth he taught them, saying: Blessed are the\npoor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are\nthe meek; for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that\nmourn; for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger\nand thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill. Blessed\nare the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the\nclean of heart; for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace\nmakers; for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are\nthey that suffer persecution for justice sake; for theirs is the\nkingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and\npersecute you, and speak all that is evil against you untruly,\nfor my sake; be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great\nin heaven. Credo.\n\n\n\n Commemoration _of the_ Faithful _departed_.\n\n 2nd November.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ xv. 51, 57.\n_Brethren:_ Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall all indeed\nrise again; but we shall not all be changed.\n{471}\nIn a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for\nthe trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again\nincorruptible; and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must\nput on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality. And\nwhen this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass\nthe saying that is written: _Death is swallowed up in victory,\nO grave, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?_\nNow the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the\nlaw. But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through\nour Lord Jesus Christ.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ v. 25, 29.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews:\nAmen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is,\nwhen the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they\nthat hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so\nhe hath given to the Son also to have life in himself: and he\nhath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of\nman. Wonder not at this, for the hour cometh wherein all that are\nin the grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they\nthat have done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection\nof life: but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of\njudgment.\n\n{472}\n\n Common Of Saints.\n\n\n For The Vigil Of An Apostle,\n\n Which May Be Read On The Festival Day.\n\nLesson.\n_Ecclesiastes_ xliv. _and_ xlv.\nThe blessing of the Lord is on the head of the righteous man.\nTherefore did the Lord give him an inheritance, and assign him a\npart among the twelve tribes; and he found grace in the sight of\nall flesh. And he made him great to the terror of his enemies,\nand by his words he tamed monsters. He rendered him glorious in\nthe presence of kings, and gave him his commandments in the sight\nof his people, and showed him his glory. For his faith and\nmeekness he sanctified him, and made choice of him among all\nflesh: and publicly gave him his precepts, and the law of life\nand discipline, and highly exalted him. He settled with him an\neternal covenant, and encompassed him with the girdle of\nrighteousness: and the Lord hath put on him a crown of glory.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xv. 12, 16.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: This is my\ncommandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.\nGreater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life\nfor his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things that I\ncommand you. I will not now call you servants; for the servant\nknoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends:\nbecause all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have\nmade known to you. You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you;\nand have appointed you that you should go, and should bring forth\nfruit: and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall\nask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.\n\n\n\n\n Of a Martyr and Bishop.\n\nEpistle.\n_James_ i. 12, 18.\n_Dearly beloved:_ Blessed is the man that endureth\ntemptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the\ncrown of life which God hath promised to them that love him.\n{473}\nLet no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God.\nFor God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man. But\nevery man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away\nand allured. Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth\nforth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death. Do not\nerr therefore, my dearest brethren. Every best gift, and every\nperfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of\nlights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.\nFor of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth,\nthat we might be some beginning of his creatures.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xiv. 26, 33.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: If any man come\nto me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and\nchildren, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also,\nhe cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not carry his cross\nand come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you having\na mind to build a tower, doth not first sit down and reckon the\ncharges that are necessary, whether he have wherewithal to finish\nit: lest, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to\nfinish it, all that see it begin to mock him, saying: This man\nbegan to build, and was not able to finish. Or, what king about\nto go and make war against another king, doth not first sit down\nand think whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that\nwith twenty thousand cometh out against him. Or else, whilst the\nother is yet afar off, sending an embassy, he desireth conditions\nof peace. So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all\nthat he possesseth, cannot be my disciple.\n\n\n\n Of a Martyr not a Bishop.\n\nLesson.\n_Wisdom_ x. 10, 14.\nThe Lord conducted the just man through the right ways, and\nshowed him the kingdom of God, and gave him the knowledge of the\nholy things: made him honourable in his labours, and accomplished\nhis labours.\n{474}\nIn the deceit of them that over-reached him, she stood by him,\nand made him honourable. She kept him safe from his enemies, and\nshe defended him from seducers, and gave him a strong conflict,\nthat he might overcome, and know that wisdom is mightier than\nall. She forsook not the just when he was sold, but delivered him\nfrom sinners: she went down with him into the pit, and in bands\nshe left him not, till she brought him the sceptre of the\nkingdom, and power against those that oppressed him: and showed\nthem to be liars that accused him, and gave him everlasting\nglory.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ x. 34, 42.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Do not think\nthat I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace,\nbut the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his\nfather, and the daughter against her mother, and the\ndaughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies\nagainst they of his own household. He that loveth his father and\nmother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son\nor daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh\nnot up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me. He that\nfindeth his life shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life\nfor me, shall find it. He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and\nhe that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. He that\nreceiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the\nreward of a prophet: and he that receiveth a just man in the name\nof a just man, shall receive the reward of a just man. And\nwhosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup\nof cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen, I say to you,\nhe shall not lose his reward.\n\n\n Of Many Martyrs.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Peter_ i. 3, 7.\nBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who,\naccording to his great mercy hath regenerated us into a lively\nhope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an\ninheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that cannot fade,\nreserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are kept by\nfaith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.\nWherein you shall greatly rejoice, if now you must be for a\nlittle time made sorrowful in divers temptations; that the trial\nof your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the\nfire) may be found unto praise, and glory, and honour, at the\nappearing of Jesus Christ our Lord.\n\n{475}\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xv. 5, 11.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: I am the vine,\nyou the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same\nbeareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If any one\nabide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall\nwither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire,\nand he burneth. If you abide in me, and my word abide in you, you\nshall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. In\nthis is my Father glorified; that you bring forth very much\nfruit, and become my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, I\nalso have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my\ncommandments, you shall abide in my love; as I also have kept my\nFather's commandments, and do abide in his love. These things\nhave I spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and your joy may\nbe filled.\n\n\n Of A Confessor And Bishop.\n Lesson _and_ Gospel, _as in page_ 79.\n\n\n Of A Confessor Not A Bishop.\n\nLesson.\n_Ecclesiastes_ xxxi. 8. 11.\nBlessed is the man that is found without blemish; and that hath\nnot gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures.\nWho is he, and we will praise him, for he hath done wonderful\nthings in his life. Who hath been tried thereby, and made\nperfect, he shall have glory everlasting, He that could have\ntransgressed, and hath not transgressed: and could do evil\nthings, and hath not done them. Therefore are his goods\nestablished in the Lord, and all the church of the saints shall\ndeclare his alms.\n\n{476}\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xii. 35, 40.\n_At that time:_ Jesus said to his disciples: Let your loins\nbe girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and you yourselves like\nto men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from their\nwedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him\nimmediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord, when he\ncometh, shall find watching: Amen, I say to you, that he will\ngird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will\nminister unto them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or\ncome in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those\nservants. But this know ye, that if the householder did know at\nwhat hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would\nnot suffer his house to be broke open. Be you then also ready:\nfor at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.\n\n\n Of a Virgin And Martyr.\n\nLesson.\n_Ecclesiastes_ li. 1, 8.\nI will give glory to thee, O Lord, my King, and I will praise\nthee, O God, my Saviour. I will give glory to thy name, for thou\nhast been a helper and protector to me, and hast preserved my\nbody from destruction, from the snare of an unjust tongue, and\nfrom the lips of them that forge lies, and in the sight of them\nthat stood by, thou hast been my helper. And thou hast delivered:\nme according to the multitude of the mercy of thy name, from the\nroaring _lions_, that were ready to devour me. Out of the\nhands of them that sought my life, and from the gates of\nafflictions, which compassed me about: from the oppression of the\nflame which surrounded me, and in the midst of the fire I was not\nburnt. From the depth of the belly of hell, and from an unclean\ntongue, and from lying words, from an unjust king, and from a\nslanderous tongue: my soul shall praise the Lord even to death,\nbecause thou succourest those that trust in thee, and deliverest\nthem from the hands of the Gentiles, O Lord our God.\n\n{477}\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxv. 1, 13.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable:\nThe kingdom of heaven shall be like to ten virgins, who taking\ntheir lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. And\nfive of them were foolish, and five wise. But the five foolish,\nhaving taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: but the\nwise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. And the bridegroom\ntarrying, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was\na cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet\nhim. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And\nthe foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps\nare gone out. The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be\nnot enough for us and for you, go you rather to them that sell,\nand buy for yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy, the\nbridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to\nthe marriage, and the door was shut. But at last came also the\nother virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered,\nsaying: Amen, I say to you, I know you not. Watch ye therefore,\nbecause you know not the day nor the hour.\n\n\n\n Of Many Virgins And Martyrs.\n\nEpistle.\n1 _Corinthians_ vii. 25, 34.\n_Brethren:_ Concerning virgins I have no commandment of the\nLord: but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord to\nbe faithful. I think therefore, that this is good for the present\nnecessity, for a man so to be. Art thou bound to a wife? seek not\nto be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But\nif thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry,\nshe hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of\nthe flesh.\n{478}\nBut I spare you. This therefore I say, brethren: the time is\nshort: it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they\nhad none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they\nthat rejoice, as if they rejoiced not: and they that buy, as\nthough they possessed not; and they that use this world, as if\nthey used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away. But\nI would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a\nwife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how\nhe may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for\nthe things of the world, how he may please his wife; and he is\ndivided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the\nthings of the Lord: that she may be holy both in body and spirit,\nin Christ Jesus our Lord.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxv. 1, 13,\n_as in page_ 92.\n\n\n\n Of a Virgin only.\n\nEpistle.\n2 _Corinthians_ x. 17; xi. 1, 2.\n_Brethren: _Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord: for\nnot he that commendeth himself is approved; but he whom God\ncommendeth. [_Chap_. xi.] Would to God you could bear with\nsome little of my folly: but do bear with me. For I am jealous of\nyou with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one\nhusband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xxv. 1, 13,\n_as in page_ 92.\n\n\n\n Of Holy Women.\n\nLesson.\n_Proverbs_ xxxi. 10.\nWho shall find a valiant woman? the price of her is _as of\nthings brought_ from afar off, and from the uttermost coasts.\nThe heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no\nneed of spoils. She will render him good and not evil, all the\ndays of her life. She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought\nby the counsel of her hands. She is like the merchant's ship, she\nbringeth her bread from afar. And she hath risen in the night,\nand given prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens. She\nhath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her\nhands she hath planted a vineyard.\n{479}\nShe hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened\nher arm. She hath tasted and seen that her traffic is good: her\nlamp shall not be put out in the night. She hath put out her hand\nto strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.\nShe hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her\nhands to the poor. She shall not fear for her house in the cold\nof snow, for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.\nShe hath made for herself clothing of tapestry; fine linen and\npurple is her covering. Her husband is honourable in the gates,\nwhere he sitteth among the senators of the land. She made fine\nlinen and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chananite.\nStrength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the\nlatter day. She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of\nclemency is on her tongue. She hath looked well to the paths of\nher house, and hath not eaten her bread idle. Her children rose\nup, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her. Many\ndaughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them\nall. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that\nfeareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of\nher hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Matthew_ xiii. 44, 52.\n_At that time:_ Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable:\nThe kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field.\nWhich a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and\nselleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again the\nkingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls. Who\nwhen he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and\nsold all that he had, and bought it. Again the kingdom of heaven\nis like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all\nkinds of fishes. Which, when it was filled they drew out, and\nsitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but\nthe bad they cast forth. So shall it be at the end of the world.\nThe angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among\nthe just.\n{480}\nAnd shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be\nweeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these\nthings? They say to him: Yes. He said unto them: Therefore every\nscribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man who\nis a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new\nthings and old.\n\n\n\n Anniversary Mass Of The Dedication Of A Church.\n\nLesson.\n_Revelation_ xxi. 2, 5.\n_In those days:_ I John saw the holy city, the new\nJerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God, prepared as a\nbride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from the\nthrone, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and he\nwill dwell with them. And they shall be his people: and God\nhimself with them shall be their God. And God shall wipe away all\ntears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning,\nnor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things\nare passed away. And he that sat on the throne said: Behold I\nmake all things new.\n\n\nGospel.\n_Luke_ xix. 1, 10.\n_At that time: _Jesus entering in, he walked through\nJericho. And behold there was a man named Zacheus, who was the\nchief of the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see\nJesus, who he was, and he could not, for the crowd, because he\nwas low of stature. And running before he climbed up into a\nsycamore tree that he might see him: for he was to pass that way.\nAnd when Jesus was come to the place, looking up he saw him, and\nsaid to him: Zacheus, make haste and come down: for this day I\nmust abide in thy house. And he made haste and came down, and\nreceived him with joy. And when all saw it, they murmured,\nsaying: that he was gone to be a guest with a man that was a\nsinner. But Zacheus standing said to the Lord: Behold, Lord, the\nhalf of my goods I give to the poor: and if I have wronged any\nman of any thing, I restore him four-fold. Jesus said to him:\nThis day is salvation come to this house; because he also is a\nson of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save\nthat which was lost. Credo.\n\n{481}\n\n For The Dead\n _On the day of Decease or Burial._\n\nEpistle.\n1 Thessalonians iv. 12, 17.\n_Brethren:_ We will not have you ignorant concerning them\nthat are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who\nhave no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,\neven so them who have slept through Jesus, will God bring with\nhim. For this we say unto you in the word of the Lord, that we\nwho are alive, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not\nprevent them who have slept. For the Lord himself shall come down\nfrom heaven with commandment: and with the voice of an archangel,\nand with the trumpet of God: and the dead who are in Christ,\nshall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be\ntaken up together with them in the clouds to meet Christ, into\nthe air, and so shall we be always with the Lord. Wherefore\ncomfort ye one another with these words.\n\n\nGospel.\n_John_ xi. 21, 27.\n_At that time:_ Martha said to Jesus: Lord, if thou hadst\nbeen here, my brother had not died. But now also I know that\nwhatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus\nsaith to her: Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith to him:\nI know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last\nday. Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life; he\nthat believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live. And every\none that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever.\nBelievest thou this? She saith to him: Yea, Lord, I have believed\nthat thou art Christ the Son of the living God, who art come into\nthis world.\n\n{482}\n\n Instructions And Devotions\n\n For Confirmation.\n\n\n Confirmation is a sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus\n Christ, to enable us to arrive at the state of perfect\n Christians, and to strengthen the spiritual life of grace which\n we received at baptism. It is called _Confirmation_, from\n its effect, which is to _confirm_ and _fortify_ those\n who receive it with the necessary dispositions, in the\n possession of the true faith, to arm them against their\n spiritual enemies, and to complete and finish in them the\n sanctification which baptism had begun. In baptism we receive\n the character of the children of God; in confirmation we\n receive the strength of men, and the character of the soldiers\n of Jesus Christ, says St. Melchiades. In baptism we are\n enlisted under the standard of Christ crucified; in\n confirmation we are armed with the shield of faith, and enabled\n to combat against the devil, the world, and the flesh. In baptism\n we are regenerated, and receive the sanctifying grace of God for\n the remission of sins; in confirmation we are prepared for a\n spiritual warfare, and receive the Holy Ghost for a force and\n corroboration, that we may stand firm in the divine service,\n for the sake of Christ, with a holy vigour of spirit and\n constancy of mind, amidst the terrors of the severest trials\n and persecutions.\n\n The effects of this sacrament appear visibly, not only in\n thousands of holy martyrs, but also in the apostles, who, after\n they had been confirmed on Whitsunday, by the Holy Ghost coming\n down upon them, were immediately changed into new men, and were\n animated by this Divine Spirit to that degree, that sufferings\n for the sweet name of Jesus became the subject of their glory.\n It is evident from Acts, viii. and xix., that the apostles\n practised confirmation, as a means to communicate the graces\n and gifts of the Holy Ghost to the faithful.\n{483}\n It is of confirmation also that St. Paul makes mention, Hebrews\n vi. 1, 2, and 2 Corinthians i. 21, 22, where he expressly says:\n _Now he who confirmeth us with you in Christ, and hath\n anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given us the\n earnest of the Spirit in our hearts._\n\n The testaments of the most ancient writers plainly show, that\n the church of God, from the apostles' days, has always believed\n confirmation to be a sacrament of the new law, and administered\n it as such. Among the rest, St. Clement, a contemporary of the\n apostles, says, chap. 4, that he received this doctrine from\n St. Peter and other apostles; and therefore he exhorts all,\n without delay, to hasten to be signed by the bishop, that they\n may receive the seven-fold grace of the Holy Ghost, since he\n cannot be a perfect Christian who wilfully neglects this\n sacrament. Tertullian, St. Fabian, and St. Melchiades, who\n flourished in the second, third, and fourth centuries; St.\n Cyprian, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, &c. have handed down the same\n doctrine: and St. Augustine, cont. lit. Petil. 2, c. 104, says\n in express terms, \"The sacrament of chrism in the kind of\n visible seals, is sacred and holy, even as baptism itself.\"\n Moreover, it is plain from the 8th chapter of the Acts of the\n Apostles, ver. 14, that the _visible sign_ of the\n imposition of hands has annexed to it an _invisible\n grace_, viz. the imparting of the Holy Ghost. Consequently,\n confirmation is a sacrament, as it has all things necessary to\n constitute a sacrament, and is a _visible sign of an\n invisible grace, &c._\n\n The ordinary minister of this sacrament is a bishop only; and\n it was for this reason that St. Peter and St. John, who were\n both bishops, were sent to confirm the Samaritans, who had been\n converted and baptised by Philip, the deacon; which is an\n additional proof, that confirmation is a holy sacrament, and\n not a mere ceremony, as Calvin pretends; for were it only a\n ceremony that they had administered, why did not Philip, the\n deacon, who baptised the Samaritans, use that ceremony? Where\n was the necessity of sending two bishops to Samaria, as the\n apostles did?--_Acts_ viii.\n\n As water is made use of in baptism, so chrism is used in\n confirmation. _Chrism_ is a sacred ointment, composed of\n _oil of olives_ and _balsam_ (or _balm_) _of\n Gilead_, solemnly blessed by a bishop on Holy Thursday.\n{484}\n The unction, or outward anointing with _chrism_,\n represents the inward anointing of the soul with the gifts of\n the Holy Ghost; as the outward ablution with water in baptism,\n denotes the inward washing of the soul by the sanctifying grace\n of God. The oil, whose properties are to assuage our pains, to\n fortify the limbs, and to give a certain vigour to the body,\n represents the spiritual effects of the grace of this sacrament\n in the soul; and the balm, which is of a sweet smell, and whose\n property is to preserve bodies from putrefaction, represents\n the good odour or sweet savour of Christian virtues with which\n we are to edify our neighbours after having received this\n sacrament. The form of words used in conferring this sacrament\n is this: _I sign thee with the sign of the cross, I confirm\n thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father,\n and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost._ Whilst the bishop\n pronounces the form, he makes the sign of the cross with the\n holy chrism, upon the forehead of each person that is to be\n confirmed, to give them to understand, that no worldly fear or\n shame is to deter them from confessing Christ crucified; but\n that they are openly to profess the doctrines and maxims of his\n gospel, and live as becomes members of his church in spite of\n the ill example and corrupt maxims of the world. Hence\n Tertullian says, lib. 1. adv. Marc. \"The flesh is anointed,\n that the soul may be consecrated. The flesh is signed, that the\n soul may be fenced. The flesh, by the imposition of hands, is\n shadowed, that the soul, by the spirit, may be\n illuminated.\"--This is what the bishop prays for, when turning\n himself towards those that are to be confirmed, with his hands\n joined before his breast, he says, _May the Holy Ghost come\n down upon you and the power of the Most High keep you from all\n sins.--Amen_. A little blow is given on the cheek to the\n persons confirmed, to imprint in their minds, that they are to\n be ready to bear with meekness and patience, all crosses,\n persecutions, trials, affronts, and injuries, for the sake and\n glory of their Lord and Master Jesus Christ. At the same time\n the bishop says, _Peace be with thee_, to signify that the\n true peace of God, which, as St. Paul says, _exceeds all\n understanding_, is chiefly to be found in patient suffering\n for God and his truths. Lastly, the bishop prays for those who\n have been confirmed, that the Holy Ghost may ever dwell in\n their hearts, and make them temples of his glory. After which\n be dismisses them with his blessing, &c.\n\n{485}\n\n Q. Can this sacrament of confirmation be received more than\n once?\n\n A. No; because, like baptism, it imprints an indelible\n character or spiritual mark in the soul, which always remains.\n\n Q. Is there any spiritual kindred contracted in confirmation?\n\n A. Yes; the godfather or the godmother contracts the same\n spiritual kindred as in the sacrament of baptism.\n\n Q. Is confirmation absolutely necessary to salvation?\n\n A. It is not so necessary but that a person may be saved\n without it; yet, when a favourable opportunity offers for\n receiving it, it would be certainly a sin to neglect so\n powerful a help to salvation, and deprive ourselves of the\n benefit of this holy sacrament, which our blessed Redeemer was\n mercifully pleased of his infinite goodness to institute, as\n the never-failing means in his church to communicate his divine\n spirit to his followers. It would be a still more grievous\n crime to neglect confirmation through contempt, disregard, or\n want of faith. It is to a wilful neglect of this sacrament that\n the holy fathers attribute the downfall of several apostates\n from the true religion.\n\n Q. What kind of persons stand most in need of the grace of this\n sacrament?\n\n A. Those who are most exposed to temptations against faith, or\n to persecutions upon account of their religion.\n\n Q. At what age may a person be confirmed?\n\n A. Ordinarily speaking, the church does not give confirmation\n to children before they are seven years old; but defers it till\n they come to the use of reason, and are sufficiently instructed\n and prepared. Fathers and mothers should take care to have them\n carefully instructed in the Christian doctrine, and regularly\n prepared to be presented to the bishop for confirmation at the\n proper time, before they have received the Blessed Eucharist.\n If their children be lost through ignorance, they shall answer\n for it to God.\n\n Q. What are the dispositions necessary for receiving the\n sacrament of confirmation worthily?\n\n A. A person must be free from the guilt of mortal sin, and in\n the state of grace; for the _holy spirit of wisdom will not\n enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to\n sins_.--Wisdom i. 4. He must also be well instructed in the\n principles of the Christian faith, according to his age and\n capacity, and have a proper sense of what he is doing.\n\n{486}\n\n Q. In what manner then must a person prepare himself for\n confirmation?\n\n A. First, he must examine his conscience diligently, and if he\n find it charged with wilful sin, he must take care to purge it\n by a good sacramental confession; for it would be a grievous\n sacrilege to presume to receive the sacrament of confirmation,\n knowingly in the state of mortal sin.--Secondly, he must\n prepare himself some days before by devout and humble prayer,\n frequently and fervently calling upon God to dispose his soul\n for receiving the Holy Ghost, who communicates his gracious\n gifts and favours in proportion to the dispositions with which\n they are received.\n\n Q. As confirmation is ordained for the sanctification of souls,\n why do not all who receive it become saints?\n\n A. The fault is entirely their own. God on his part is ready to\n bestow all the graces necessary to enable them to become saints;\n but, alas! how few are disposed to improve and co-operate with\n them as they might and ought! How few make the proper use of\n them! How many on the contrary resist them, like the\n stiff-necked Jews! How many _contristate_ and\n _extinguish_ the divine spirit, as the apostle expresses\n it! How many banish this heavenly guest from the temple of\n their souls by falling into mortal sin, and thus obstruct the\n operation of this holy sacrament!\n\n Q. Is a person obliged to receive the sacrament of confirmation\n fasting?\n\n A. No. There is no strict obligation or precept for it, though\n to fast on the eve and day of confirmation is a laudable\n custom, and conformable to the practice of the primitive\n church.\n\n Q. Why are the fervent exercises of piety and devotion required\n before confirmation?\n\n A. For two reasons: First, because our Saviour has assured us\n that his _heavenly Father will give his good spirit to them\n that ask it._--Luke, xi. 13. Secondly, in imitation of the\n apostles, who, during the ten days between the ascension of our\n Lord and the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, retired from\n the noise and tumults of the world, and continued with one accord\n in prayer, with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with his\n brethren.--_Acts_, i. 14.\n\n{487}\n\n Q. Why are we to invoke the Holy Ghost in particular?\n\n A. Not that we are to neglect praying to the Father and the Son\n also, as we know that all the three persons are but one and the\n same God; but because the work of our sanctification, the\n pouring down the grace of God into our souls, and all the\n heavenly favours and helps that are necessary for conducting us\n in the way of salvation, are the effects of the divine love,\n and are by a peculiar approbation attributed in a special\n manner to the operation of the Holy Ghost, as it is the love of\n the Father and of the Son, and as it is from God's love that\n all grace, all virtue and sanctification, flow and proceed.\n\n\n A Prayer Before Confirmation.\n\nO God of infinite goodness and bounty, who has been pleased, at\nmy baptism, to make me a Christian, to sanctify my soul with thy\ngrace, and to honour me with the glorious title of thy child;\nwhich, alas! for my part, I have so wretchedly corresponded with,\nand have even forfeited a thousand times by my sins: behold,\nnotwithstanding all my ingratitude, and my repeated treasons,\nwhich thou hast so long and so patiently endured, thou art still\npleased, not only to invite me to return to thee, and to offer me\nthy mercy, but also to call upon me at this time, to come and\npresent myself, in order to receive the greatest of all thy\ngifts, even thine own most Holy Spirit; to be consecrated to thee\nby his unction; to be made a strong and perfect Christian, and a\nsoldier of thy Son. O may all heaven and earth praise thee, bless\nthee, and glorify thee for ever, for all thy mercies, goodness,\nand bounty to me.\n{488}\nAnd now, dearest Lord, I desire to come, because such is thy will\nand my duty, to receive this great sacrament of Confirmation;\nthat I may like thy apostles, be _baptised with the Holy Ghost,\nand be endowed with power from on high;_ and like them be\nchanged by divine grace, into another man, in such manner as\nhenceforward to live up to the dignity, and to fulfil every part\nof the duty of a _soldier of Christ!_ and to preserve and\nmaintain even to death, that purity and sanctity which become the\ntemple of the living God. But, O my God, how far am I from being\nworthy to approach this heavenly sacrament! How can I expect that\nthy Holy Spirit should come into my inward house, to make it his\ntemple, which has been so long possessed by unclean spirits?\nWhere are the dispositions in me, which the apostles brought, and\nwhich all Christians ought to bring along with them, to the\nreceiving of the Holy Ghost? O! I acknowledge myself infinitely\nunworthy; I confess and detest from the bottom of my heart, all\nmy past uncleanness and abominations; I humbly crave thy mercy\nand pardon, through Jesus Christ thy Son; and beg, through him,\nthat thou wilt be pleased to cleanse my soul from all its filth\nwith his precious blood, and to give me thy grace to come to this\nsacrament with that humility, faith, and devotion, which is most\nagreeable to thee.\n{489}\nO Divine Spirit, do thou prepare my soul for thyself! Behold, I\ncome, desiring to give up myself to thee for all time and\neternity, that thou mayest ever live and reign in my soul; and O\nlet my whole soul henceforward he perpetually subject to thee,\nand let nothing in me ever more rebel against thee. Amen.\n\n\n Those who are preparing themselves for the sacrament of\n Confirmation, may likewise breathe forth, from time to time,\n the following short Ejaculations:\n\nCome, Holy Ghost, who replenisheth the hearts of the faithful,\ndescend into my soul, and make it the place of thy abode.\n\nCome, O Divine Spirit, take full possession of my heart, and\nkindle in it the fire of thy divine love.\n\nEnter into my soul and abide there for ever, to be my light, my\nguide, and my strength.\n\nCome, Holy Ghost, with all thy gifts, and fill my soul;\nenlighten, direct, and conduct me in all my ways. Strengthen me\nagainst all the assaults of self-love, remove from me all vicious\nshame, and inspire me with a Christian courage.\n\nO grant that I may make the gospel the rule of my life. Preserve\nme from the corruption of sin, and from the pernicious maxims of\nthe world. Give me grace, O God, to do thy will in all things.\nEnlighten my eyes, O Lord, that I may never sleep in death.\n\nO uncreated fire, when wilt thou consume whatever is imperfect in\nmy soul.\n\nInebriate my soul with thy holy love, O thou sovereign beauty.\n\n{490}\n\nO may I never forget the obligations that are contracted, by\nbeing enlisted a disciple of the cross, in the sacrament of\nconfirmation.\n\nO grant that I may ever have before my eyes the duties thereunto\nannexed, and that I may live henceforward according to the spirit\nof a true and perfect Christian.\n\n \"Short ejaculations of this kind, frequently darted from an\n humble and fervent heart, penetrate the clouds, pierce the\n paternal heart of the Father of Mercies, and draw down an ample\n benediction on those pious souls to whom they become familiar\n by practice and habit; this manner of prayer is highly\n commended by the saints, and was one of the principal\n excercises by which the ancient solitaries arrived at the\n highest perfection. It has this peculiar advantage, that one\n can practise it at all times, on all occasions, and in the\n midst of external employment, without being exposed to the\n danger of vain glory, as it is secretly performed in the closet\n of the heart. It is short and easy, does not distract or\n fatigue the mind, but keeps up the fervour of the spirit, and\n attention to the divine presence.\"\n\n\n A Prayer After Confirmation.\n\nO my God, I now desire to adore thee, bless thee, and glorify\nthee, for ever, for all thou hast done for me, and for thy whole\nchurch, both of heaven and earth. I would now gladly join both my\nheart and my voice with all thy angels and saints in heaven, and\nwith all that fear thee and love thee on earth, in giving\nperpetual praise to thee for thy infinite goodness, and in\nparticular for that love thou hast shown to me this day. I give\nthee thanks from the bottom of my heart, for having sent down the\nHoly Spirit into my soul, with all his gifts and graces.\n{491}\nO let him now take full possession of my soul; let this heavenly\nunction penetrate into the very centre of my interior; let his\ndivine _wisdom_ ever preside there, may it ever enlighten me\nwith his gifts of _understanding_, and dispel all my\ndarkness: may it direct me with his _counsel_, strengthen me\nwith his _fortitude_, instruct me with his _knowledge_,\nmake me ever fervent in all good, with his _piety_ and\n_godliness_ and let his _divine fear_ ever restrain me\nfrom _evil_. And now, dear Lord, since thou hast been\npleased, by this sacrament, to consecrate and sanctify my soul\nfor thyself, and to make it thy temple, be pleased also to drive\nfar from it, by thy grace, all that may violate or profane it, or\nrender it any ways disagreeable to thy eyes. O keep it for ever\nfor thyself, and restrain Satan from ever entering into it any\nmore. O let it be a _house of prayer_, in which thou mayest\nbe ever _worshipped, in spirit and in truth_, and suffer it\nnot to be made any more a _den of thieves_. Give me grace\nalso to fulfil, with perfection, every branch of the duty of thy\n_soldier_,--which glorious title thou hast _conferred_\non me this day: arm me completely for the warfare in which I am\nhappily engaged, and stand by me in all my conflicts, to crown me\nwith victory. O make me _faithful unto death_, and bring me\nsafe through all the dangers of my mortal pilgrimage, to the\ncrown of everlasting life: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n _N. B.--Here repeat the Hymns_, \"Creating Spirit, come\n posses;\" _and,_ \"Come, Holy Ghost, send down those beams,\"\n _which are inserted, with the Latin, at the end, under the head\n of Whit-Sunday_.\n\n{492}\n\n The Psalter Of Jesus.\n\n\n \"There is no other name under heaven given to men\n whereby we must be saved.\"--_Acts_. iv. 12.\n\n\n\n This Psalter is divided into three Parts; each part consisting\n of five Petitions, and each Petition prefaced by a tenfold\n repetition of the sacred name of _Jesus_. As it is not to\n be run over in too hasty a manner, but performed with the\n utmost reverence and recollection, the whole may be said\n without interruption; or, each Part at three distinct periods\n of time; according to the leisure which persons may find, after\n discharging the indispensable duties of their several states\n and conditions of life.\n\n\n\n First Part.\n\n \"At the name of _Jesus_ let every knee bend, both in\n heaven, on earth, and under the earth; and let every tongue\n acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God\n the Father.\"--Philippians ii.\n\n\n The First Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) thou God of compassion, have\nmercy on me, and forgive the many and great offences I have\ncommitted in thy sight. Many have been the follies of my life,\nand great are the miseries I have deserved for my ingratitude.\nHave mercy on me, dear Jesus, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for\nI am unable to help myself. Deliver me from an inordinate\naffection for any of thy creatures, which may divert my eyes from\nincessantly looking up to thee. For the love of thee, grant me\nhenceforth the grace to hate sin, and out of a just esteem of\nthee, to despise all worldly vanities.\n\n{493}\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, I beseech thee, dear Jesus; turn their\nvices into virtues; and making them sincere lovers of thee, and\nobservers of thy law, conduct them to bliss in everlasting glory.\nFor the sake of thy glorious name Jesus, and through the merits\nof thy bitter passion, have mercy also on the souls in purgatory.\nO blessed Trinity, one eternal God, have mercy on me. Our Father.\nHail, Mary.\n\n\n The Second Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) help me to overcome all\ntemptations to sin, and the malice of my ghostly enemy. Help me\nto spend my time in virtuous actions, and in such labours as are\nacceptable to thee. Enable me to resist and repel every\ninordinate emotion of sloth, gluttony, and carnality. Render my\nheart enamoured of virtue, and inflamed with desires of thy\nglorious presence. Help me to merit and preserve a good name by a\npeaceable and pious life, to thy honor, _O Jesus!_ to my own\ncomfort, and the edification of others.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c. _as in the first petition_.\nOur Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Third Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me effectual strength of\nsoul and body, to please thee in the performance of such virtuous\nactions as may bring me to thy everlasting joy and felicity.\n{494}\nGrant me, O most merciful Saviour, a firm purpose to amend my\nlife, and to make atonement for the years past; those years,\nalas! which I have lavished, to thy displeasure, in vain or\nwicked thoughts, evil words, deeds, and habits. Make my heart\nobedient to thy will, and ready, for thy love, to perform all the\nworks of mercy. Grant me the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which,\nthrough a virtuous life, and a devout frequenting of thy most\nholy sacraments, may at length conduct me to thy heavenly\nkingdom.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Fourth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) comfort me, and grant me grace\nto fix in thee my chief joy and only felicity; inspire me with\nheavenly meditations, spiritual sweetness, and fervent desires of\nthy glory; ravish my soul with the contemplation of heaven, where\nI hope to dwell everlastingly with thee. Bring thy unspeakable\ngoodness to my frequent recollection, and let me always with\ngratitude remember thy gifts; but when thou bringest the\nmultitude of the sins whereby I have so ungratefully offended\nthee, to sad remembrance, comfort me with the assurance of\npardon; and by the spirit of true penance purging away my guilt,\nprepare me for the possession of thy heavenly kingdom.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n{495}\n\n The Fifth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) make me constant in faith,\nhope, and charity. Grant me perseverance in virtue, and a\nresolution never to offend thee. May the memory of thy passion,\nand of those bitter pains thou didst suffer for my sake, fortify\nmy patience, and refresh my soul under every tribulation and\nadversity. Render me a strenuous professor of the Catholic faith,\nand a diligent frequenter of my religious duties. Let me not be\nblinded by the delights of a deceitful world, nor my fortitude\nshaken by internal frauds or carnal temptations. My heart has for\never fixed its repose in thee, and resolved to contemn all things\nfor thine eternal reward.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\nThe Lord Jesus \"Christ, for our sakes, became obedient unto\ndeath, even the death of the cross.\"\n _Philippians_ ii.\n\nHear these petitions, O most merciful Saviour, and grant me the\ngrace frequently to repeat and consider them, that they may serve\nas so many easy steps, whereby my soul may ascend to thy\nknowledge and love, and to a diligent performance of my duty to\nthee and my neighbour, through the whole course of my life.--\nAmen.\n\nOur Father. Hail Mary. I believe in God.\n\n{496}\n\n Second Part.\n\n Begin as before, saying, \"At the name of Jesus let every knee\n bend, both in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,\" &c, as in\n part the first, _page_ 492.\n\n\n The Sixth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) enlighten me with a spiritual\nwisdom, whereby I may arrive at a knowledge of thy goodness, and\nof every thing which is most acceptable to thee. Grant me a\nperfect apprehension of my only good, and a discretion to\nregulate my life accordingly. Grant me wisely to proceed from\nvirtue to virtue, till at length I enjoy a clear sight of thy\nglory. Forbid it, dear Lord, that I return to the sins of which I\naccused myself at the tribunal of confession. Let others be\nedified by my pious example, and my enemies mollified by my good\ncounsel.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c, _as before, page_ 493. Our\nFather. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Seventh Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me grace inwardly to\nfear thee, and avoid every occasion whatsoever of offending thee.\nLet the threats of the torments prepared for sinners, the dread\nof the loss of thy love and of thy heavenly inheritance, always\nkeep me in awe. Suffer me not to slumber in sin, but rather rouse\nme to repentance, lest through thine anger I may be overtaken by\nthe sentence of eternal wrath, and endless damnation.\n{497}\nLet the powerful intercession of thy blessed mother, and of all\nthy saints, but above all, thine own merits and mercy, serve as a\nrampart between my poor soul and thy avenging justice.--Enable\nme, O my God! to work out my salvation with fear and trembling,\nand the apprehension of thy sacred judgments. Make me a more\nhumble and diligent suitor to the throne of thy mercy.\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Eighth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me the grace truly to\nlove thee, for thine infinite goodness, and those excessive\nbounties I have received, or shall ever hope to receive from\nthee. Let the recollection of thy benignity and patience conquer\nthe malice and wretched propensity of my perverse nature. May the\nconsideration of the many deliverances, frequent calls, and\ncontinual helps, I have received from thee during the course of\nmy life, make me blush at my ingratitude. Ah, what return dost\nthou require of me for all thy mercies, but that I love thee! And\nwhy dost thou require it? Because thou art my only good!--thou\nart my dear Lord! the sole object of my life; and I will\ndiligently keep thy commandments, because I truly love thee.\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Ninth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me the grace always to\nremember my latter end, and the account I am to give in after\ndeath; that so my soul may be always well disposed, and ready to\ndepart out of this life in thy grace and favour.\n{498}\nAt that important hour, by the powerful intercession of thy\nblessed mother, the glorious assistance of St. Michael, and my\ngood angel, rescue my poor soul, O Lord, from the snares of the\nenemy of my salvation. Remember then thy mercy, O dear Jesus! and\nhide not thy face from me on account of my offences. Secure me\nagainst the terrors of that awful period, by causing me now to\ndie daily to all earthly things, and to have my conversation\ncontinually in heaven. Let the remembrance of thy death teach me\nto set a just value on life; and the memory of thy resurrection\nencourage me to descend cheerfully to the grave.\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Tenth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) send me my purgatory in this\nlife, and thus prevent me from being tormented in the cleansing\nfire which awaits those souls who have not been sufficiently\npurified in this world. Vouchsafe to grant me those merciful\ncrosses and afflictions which thou seest necessary for weaning my\naffections from things here below. Suffer not my heart to find\nany repose but in sighing after thee, since no one can see thee,\nwho loves any thing which is not for thy sake. Too bitter, alas!\nwill be the anguish of the soul that desires to be united to\nthee, and whose separation is retarded by the heavy chains of\nsin.\n{499}\nKeep me then, O my Saviour, continually mortified in this world,\nthat being purified thoroughly with the fire of thy love, I may\npass from hence to the immediate possession of thee in\neverlasting glory.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c. &c. _as at the conclusion of the\nfifth petition, page_ 495.\n\n\n Third Part.\n\n Begin as before, saying, \"At the name of Jesus let every knee\n bend,\" &c., _page_ 492.\n\n\n The Eleventh Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me grace to avoid bad\ncompany; or, if I should chance to come in the midst of such,\npreserve me from being infected with the least temptation to\nmortal sin, through the merits of thine uncorrupt conversation\namong sinners. Art thou not always present, O Lord? and wilt thou\nnot take an exact account of all our words and actions, and judge\nus accordingly? How then dare I converse with liars, slanderers,\ndrunkards, or blasphemers; or with such whose discourse is either\nvain, quarrelsome, or dissolute?--Repress in me, dear Jesus,\nevery inordinate affection to carnal pleasures, and to delights\nof taste; and strengthen me by thy grace to avoid such company as\nwould enkindle the flames of those unruly appetites. May thy\npower, thy wisdom, and thy fatherly compassion defend, direct,\nand chastise me; and cause me to lead such a life here amongst\nmen, as may qualify me hereafter for the conversation of angels.\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n{500}\n\n The Twelfth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me the grace to call on\nthee for help in all my necessities, and frequently to remember\nthy death and resurrection. Wilt thou be deaf to my cries, who\nhast laid down thy life for my ransom? or canst thou not save me,\nwho took it up again for my crown? _Call on me in the day of\ntrouble, and I will deliver thee_. Whom have I in heaven but\nthee, O my Jesus! from whose blessed mouth issued such balmy\nwords? Thou art my sure rock of defence against all mine enemies,\nand my gracious assistant in every good work. I will, then,\ninvoke thee with confidence in all my trials and afflictions, and\nwhen thou hearest me, O Jesus! thou wilt have mercy on me.\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Thirteenth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) enable me to persevere in a\nvirtuous life, and never to grow weary in thy service till thou\nrewardest me in thy kingdom. In pious customs, holy duties, and\nin all honest and necessary employments, continue, O Lord, to\nstrengthen me, both in soul and body. My life is nothing on earth\nbut a pilgrimage towards the heavenly Jerusalem, to which he that\nsits down, or turns out of the way, can never arrive.\n{501}\nMay I always, O Jesus! follow thy blessed example. With how much\npain, and how little pleasure, didst thou press on to a bitter\ndeath, that being the assured way to a glorious resurrection. Let\nme frequently meditate on those severe words of thine: _He only\nthat perseveres to the end shall be saved._\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n\n The Fourteenth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me grace to fix my mind\non thee, especially whilst I converse with thee in time of\nprayer. Check the wanderings of my fanciful brain, put a stop to\nthe desires of my fickle heart, and suppress the power of my\nspiritual enemies, who at that time endeavour to withdraw my mind\nfrom heavenly thoughts to vain imaginations. Thus shall I\njoyfully look on thee as my deliverer from all evil, and thank\nthee as my benefactor for all the good I have received, or hope\nto obtain. I shall be convinced that thou art my chief good, and\nthat all other things were ordained by thee only as the means of\nengaging me to fix my affections on thee alone; that by\npersevering till death in thy love and service, I might be\neternally happy. Let all my thoughts, O beloved of my soul! be\nabsorbed in thee, that my eyes being shut to all vain and sinful\nobjects, may become worthy to behold thee face to face in thy\neverlasting glory.\n\nHave mercy, &c. Our Father. Hail Mary.\n\n{502}\n\n The Fifteenth Petition.\n\nJesus! (_repeated ten times_) grant me the grace to order my\nlife with reference to my eternal welfare, sincerely intending,\nand wisely referring all the operations of my soul and body\ntowards obtaining the reward of thy infinite bliss and eternal\nfelicity. For what else is this world but a school for the\ntutoring of souls created for eternal happiness in the next? And\nhow are they educated but by an anxious desire of enjoying God,\ntheir only end? Break my froward spirit, O Jesus! by the reins of\nhumility and obedience. Grant me grace to depart hence with the\nmost sovereign contempt of this world, and with a heart\noverflowing with joy at the thoughts of going to thee. Let the\nmemory of thy passion make me cheerfully undergo every temptation\nor suffering in this state of probation, for love of thee; whilst\nmy soul, in the mean time, languishes after that life of\nconsummate bliss and immortal glory, which thou hast prepared for\nthy servants in heaven. O Jesus! let me frequently and\nattentively consider, that whatsoever I may gain, If I lose thee,\nall is lost; and that whatever I may lose, if I obtain thee, all\nis gained.\n\nHave mercy on all sinners, &c, _as in page_ 493.\n\n{503}\n\n The Rosary Of\n The Blessed Name Of Jesus.\n\n\t +\n\nIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\nAmen.\n\nThou, O Lord, wilt open my lips, and my tongue shall declare thy\npraise.\n\nIncline unto my aid, O God.\n\nO Lord, hasten to help me.\n\nGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;\n\nAs it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.\n\n\n The Five Mysteries Of The First Part.\n\nI.--_The Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nThe Son of God assumes human flesh, of the pure blood of the\nblessed Mary ever virgin, and is made man in her womb.\n\nO Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [_Ten times_.]\nGlory be to the Father, &c.\n\n\nII.--_The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nThe Saviour of the world is born for our redemption; his mother\nremaining a virgin.\n\n{504}\n\nO Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [_Ten times_.]\nGlory, &c.\n\n\nIII.--_The Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour being eight days old, begins to suffer for our sins,\nand his blood already flows for us. He is circumcised according\nto the law, as if he had been himself a sinner.\n\nO Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [_Ten times_.]\nGlory, &c.\n\n\nIV.--_Our Lord Jesus Christ is found in the Temple._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour being twelve years old, shows himself more than\nmortal, by his knowledge and wisdom, teaching the very teachers\nof the Jews.\n\nO Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [_Ten times_.]\nGlory, &c.\n\n\nV.--_The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nThe Saviour of the world is baptised by St. John. The eternal\nFather declares him to be his Son.\n\nO Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us. [_Ten times_.]\nGlory, &c.\n\n{505}\n The Prayer.\n\nO Jesus! whose name is above all names; that in the name of Jesus\nevery knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and\nin hell; who, at the time appointed by the eternal wisdom,\nassumedst flesh in the womb of the blessed Mary, ever virgin, and\nthus became the Son of David, whose birth gladdened men and\nangels; who began so early to suffer for us, and to shed, on our\naccount, that blood that washeth away the sins of the world;\nwhose eternal wisdom appeared at the age of twelve years; to\nwhose baptism all heaven was attentive; grant to us to celebrate\nthose mysteries to thy honour and our own salvation: who with the\nFather and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, one God, for all\neternity. Amen.\n\n\n The Five Mysteries Of The Second Part.\n\nI.--_Our Saviour washeth his Disciples' feet_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour, to show us an example of humility, and how much we\nought to serve each other, descended so low as to wash the feet\nof his disciples, though he is the God whom heaven and earth\nadore.\n\nO Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n\nII.--_The Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour, knowing his passion to be now at hand, is so\naffected with the thoughts of it, and so oppressed with the load\nof our sins, that he prays to his almighty Father, that the\nbitter cup might pass away from him.\n\n{506}\n\nO Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes._] Glory, &c.\n\n\nIII.--_Our Saviour is apprehended._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour, as if he had been no more than mortal, yields to the\npower of men, and permits himself, for our redemption, to be\napprehended, as if he were a malefactor.\n\nO Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes._] Glory, &c.\n\n\nIV.--_Our Saviour carries his Cross._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour, being torn with scourges, and pierced with thorns,\nto expiate our sins, is compelled to carry the cross on which he\nis to die, and moves on in anguish and sorrow towards the place\nof his execution.\n\nO Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n\nV.--_The Descent of our Saviour into Hell_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nThe soul of our Saviour being separated by death from the body,\ndescends to that place where the saints were expecting their\nredemption.\n\n{507}\n\nO Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n\n The Prayer.\n\nO Jesus, whose name is above all names; that at the name of Jesus\nevery knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and\nin hell; whose mysterious humiliation and sorrows, appointed for\nthee on account of our sins, appeared in the washing of the feet\nof thy servants and creatures, in thy distress, and prayer, and\nbloody sweat; in thy being secured and brought before tribunals\nas a criminal; in thy bearing the load of the cross, and in the\nseparation of thy soul from the body, and its descent to the\nregions below: grant to us to celebrate these mysteries to thy\nhonour and our own salvation; who, with the Father and the Holy\nGhost, livest and reignest, one God, for all eternity. Amen.\n\n\n The Five Mysteries Of The Third Part.\n\nI.--_The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nThe soul of our Lord Jesus Christ, which had been separated from\nthe body, is re-united to it, by a miracle of the Almighty power;\nand that body, which had been dead, rises to die no more.\n\nO Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n{508}\n\nII.--_The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nThe body of our Lord Jesus Christ ascends to the highest heaven,\nwhere the Saviour of mankind sitteth at the right hand of God,\nthe almighty Father.\n\nO Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n\nIII.--_Our Lord Jesus Christ sends down the Holy Ghost_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour, now seated at the right hand of God, his almighty\nFather, sends down the Holy Ghost, to inspire and animate his\ndisciples, that they may be qualified to publish to mankind his\ncross and his glory.\n\nO Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n\nIV.--_Our Lord Jesus Christ crowning the blessed Virgin and Saints_.\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour, having by his passion, resurrection, and ascension,\nopened the way for the sons of Adam to heaven, which they had\nlost by sin, bestows on his Mother and his saints a crown of\nimmortal glory.\n\nO Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n{509}\n\nV.--_Our Lord Jesus Christ coming to Judge Mankind._\n\n The Meditation.\n\nOur Saviour will come in power and majesty, to judge the living\nand the dead, and to return to every one according to his works.\n\nO Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us. [_Ten\ntimes_.] Glory, &c.\n\n\n The Prayer\n\nO Jesus, whose name is above all names; that at the name of Jesus\nevery knee may bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and\nin hell; whose body, that was murdered by mankind, the Almighty\nraised from death, glorious and immortal; who, by thy ascension,\ntriumphed over death, and led captivity captive; who, according\nto thy promise, sent down the Spirit, that proceedeth from the\nFather and the Son, the comforter and the enlivener; who,\nstretching forth the bounty of thy almighty hand, shed upon the\nchosen children of Adam, that glory that neither eye hath seen,\nnor ear hath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man;\nand who will come forth in power and majesty, to judge the living\nand the dead, before whose throne all mortals will appear: grant\nto us to celebrate these mysteries to thy honour, and our own\nsalvation; who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and\nreignest one God for all eternity. Amen.\n\n{510}\n\n \"N.B.--The repeating of the above prayers or meditations, is\n not absolutely necessary. Those who cannot read or meditate on\n the mysteries, let them say the Creed beforehand in this\n Rosary, and in that of the blessed Virgin.\n\n \"The devotions belonging to this Rosary, or the Rosary of the\n blessed Virgin, do not bind under sin.\n\n \"N.B.--Those who are in the Society of the Rosary of the name\n of Jesus, may have the same plenary indulgence on New Year's\n Day, that is granted in the year of the Jubilee.\n\n \"On every second Sunday in the month,\n\n \"At the time of being received into the Society,\n\n \"At the article of death,\n\n \"And on each day of the fifteen mysteries.\"\n\n\n\n The Rosary Of The Blessed Virgin.\n\n +\nIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\nAmen.\n\n_Vers_. Hail, Mary, full of grace, our Lord is with thee:\n\n_Resp_. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the\nfruit of thy womb, Jesus.\n\n_Vers_. Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips.\n\n_Resp_. And my tongue shall announce thy praise.\n\n_Vers_. Incline unto mine aid, O God.\n\n_Resp_. O Lord, make haste to help me.\n\nGlory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:\n\n{511}\n\nAs it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world\nwithout end. Amen. _Alleluia_.\n\n[_From the Septuagesima to Easter, instead of_ Alleluia,\n_say:_ Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.]\n\n\n Part The First.\n\n The Five Joyful Mysteries,\n\n To be said on all Mondays and Thursdays, the Sundays of Advent,\n and after Epiphany till Lent.\n\n\nI.--_The Annunciation._\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the angel Gabriel saluted\nour blessed Lady with the title of \"_Full of Grace_,\" and\ndeclared unto her the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus\nChrist.\n\n_Then say_, Our Father, &c. _once; and_ Hail Mary, &c.\n_ten times_.\n\n\n [When the \"Hail Mary\" is repeated a tenth time, the Decade\n finishes with, \"Glory be to the Father.\" &c.; then follows the\n Prayer. Which method is to be observed in beginning, and saying\n each part of the Rosary.]\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO holy Mary, Queen of virgins, through the most high mystery of\nthe incarnation of thy beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by\nmeans of which the work of our salvation was so happily begun,\nobtain for us, by thine intercession, light to be sensible of so\ngreat a benefit, which he hath bestowed upon as; vouchsafing\nthereby to make himself our brother, and thee, his only beloved\nmother, our mother also. Amen.\n\n{512}\n\n II.--_The Visitation_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the blessed Virgin Mary,\nunderstanding from the angel that her cousin, St. Elizabeth, had\nconceived, went with haste into the mountains of Judea, to visit\nher, and remained with her three months.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO holy Virgin, most spotless mirror of humility, by that\nexceeding charity which moved thee to visit thy holy cousin, St.\nElizabeth, obtain for us, by thine intercession, that our hearts\nmay be visited by thy most holy Son, that being free from all\nsin, we may praise and give him thanks for ever.\nAmen.\n\n\nIII.--_The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in Bethlehem_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the blessed Virgin Mary,\nwhen the time of her delivery was come, _brought forth our\nRedeemer, Jesus Christ, at midnight, and laid him in a\nmanger_, because there was no room for him in the inns at\nBethlehem.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n{513}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO most pure Mother of God, by thy virginal and most joyful\ndelivery, in which thou gavest unto the world thine only Son, our\nSaviour, we beseech thee obtain for us, by thine intercession,\ngrace to lead such pure and holy lives in this world, that we may\nworthily sing without ceasing, both day and night, the mercies of\nthy Son, and his benefits to us by thee. Amen.\n\n\nIV.--_The Oblation of our blessed Lord in the Temple._\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the most blessed Virgin\nMary, on the day of her purification, presented the child Jesus\nin the temple, where holy Simeon, giving thanks to God with great\ndevotion, received him into his arms.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO holy Virgin, most admirable mistress, and pattern of obedience,\nwho didst present in the temple the Lord of the temple, obtain\nfor us of thy beloved Son, that, with holy Simeon and devout\nAnna, we may praise and glorify him for ever. Amen.\n\n\nV.--_The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the blessed Virgin Mary\nhaving lost, without any fault of hers, her beloved Son in\nJerusalem, she sought him for the space of three days, and at\nlength found him the fourth day in the temple, in the midst of\nthe doctors, disputing with them, being of the age of twelve\nyears. Our Father, &c.\n\n{514}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nMost blessed Virgin, more than martyr in thy sufferings, and yet\nthe comfort of such as are afflicted, by that unspeakable joy\nwherewith thy soul was ravished, at finding thy beloved Son in\nthe temple, in the midst of the doctors, disputing with them,\nobtain of him for us, so to seek him and find him in the holy\nCatholic Church, that we may never be separated from him. Amen.\n\n\n The Salve Regina.\n\nHail! holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,\nour life, our sweetness, and our hope.\nTo thee do we cry, poor banished sons of Eve.\nTo thee do we send up our sighs, mournings,\nand weepings, in this valley of tears.\nTurn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of\nmercy towards us, and after this our exile\nended, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy\nwomb, Jesus, O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.\n\n_Vers_. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.\n\n_Resp_. That we may be made worthy of the promises of\nChrist.\n\n{515}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death, and\nresurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,\ngrant we beseech thee, that meditating upon those mysteries, in\nthe most holy Rosary of the most blessed Virgin Mary, we may\nimitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise: through\nthe same Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n Part The Second.\n\n The Five Dolorous Mysteries,\n\n To be said on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the Year, and on\n Sundays in Lent.\n\n\nI.--_The Prayer and Bloody Sweat of our Blessed Saviour in the\nGarden_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus was so\nafflicted for us in the Garden of Gethsemani, that his body was\nbathed in a bloody sweat, which ran trickling down in great drops\nto the ground.\n\nOur Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c. Glory, &c. _as before_.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nMost holy Virgin, more than martyr, by that ardent prayer which\nthy most beloved Son poured forth unto his Father in the Garden,\nvouchsafe to intercede for us, that our passions being reduced to\nthe obedience of reason, we may always, and in all things,\nconform and subject ourselves to the will of God. Amen.\n\n{516}\n\nII.--_The Scourging of our Blessed Lord at the Pillar_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ was\nmost cruelly scourged in Pilate's house, the number of stripes\nthey gave him being above five thousand. [As it was revealed to\nSt. Bridget.] Our Father, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO Mother of God, overflowing fountain of patience, by those\nstripes thine only and most beloved Son vouchsafed to suffer for\nus, obtain of him for us grace, that we may know how to mortify\nour rebellious senses, and cut off all occasions of sinning, with\nthat sword of grief and compassion which pierced thy most tender\nsoul. Amen.\n\n\nIII.--_The Crowning of our Blessed Saviour with Thorns_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how those cruel ministers of\nSatan platted a crown of sharp thorns, and most cruelly pressed\nit on the most sacred head of our Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO Mother of our eternal Prince and King of Glory, by those sharp\nthorns wherewith his holy head was pierced, we beseech thee, that\nby thine intercession we may be delivered here from all motions\nof pride, and in the day of judgment from that confusion which\nour sins deserve. Amen.\n\n{517}\n\nIV.--_Jesus carrying the Cross_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ\nbeing sentenced to die, bore, with the most amazing patience, the\ncross which was laid upon him for his greater torment and\nignominy. Our Father, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO holy Virgin, example of patience, by the most painful carrying\nthe cross, on which thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ bore the heavy\nweight of our sins, obtain of him for us by thine intercession,\ncourage and strength to follow his steps, and bear our cross\nafter him to the end of our lives. Amen.\n\n\nV.--_The Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord and Saviour\nJesus Christ, having arrived at Mount Calvary, was stripped of\nhis clothes, and his hands and feet most cruelly nailed to the\ncross, in the presence of his most afflicted mother.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO holy Mary, mother of God, as the body of thy beloved Son was\nfor us extended on the cross, so may our desires be daily more\nand more stretched out in his service, and our hearts wounded\nwith compassion for his most bitter passion. And thou, O most\nblessed Virgin, graciously vouchsafe to help us to accomplish the\nwork of our salvation, by thy powerful intercession. Amen.\n\n{518}\n\nHail, holy Queen, &c. _with the verse and prayer as before_.\n\n\n Part The Third.\n\n The Five Glorious Mysteries,\n\nAssigned for Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the Year, and\nSundays from Easter until Advent.\n\n\nI.--_The Resurrection of Christ from the Dead_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ,\ntriumphing gloriously over death, rose again the third day,\nimmortal and impassable.\n\nOur Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c. Glory, &c, _as before_.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO glorious Virgin Mary, by that unspeakable joy thou receivedst\nin the resurrection of thine only Son, we beseech thee to obtain\nof him for us, that our hearts may never go astray after the\nfalse joys of this world; but may be ever and wholly employed in\nthe pursuit of the only true and solid joys of heaven. Amen.\n\n\nII.--_The Ascension of Christ into Heaven_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ,\nforty days after his resurrection, ascended into heaven, attended\nby angels, in the sight of his most holy Mother, his holy\napostles and disciples, to the great admiration of them all.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n{519}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO mother of God, comfort of the afflicted, as thy beloved Son,\nwhen he ascended into heaven, lifted up his hands and blessed his\napostles, so vouchsafe, most holy Mother, to lift up thy pure\nhands to him for us, that we may enjoy the benefits of his\nblessing and thine, here on earth, and hereafter in heaven. Amen.\n\n\nIII.--_The coming of the Holy Ghost to the Disciples_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ,\nbeing seated at the right hand of God, sent, as he had promised,\nthe Holy Ghost upon the apostles, who, after he was ascended,\nreturning to Jerusalem, continued in prayer and supplication with\nthe blessed Virgin Mary, expecting the performance of his\npromise.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO sacred Virgin, tabernacle of the Holy Ghost, we beseech thee,\nobtain by thine intercession, that this most sweet Comforter,\nwhom thy beloved Son sent down upon his apostles, filling them\nthereby with spiritual joy, may teach us in this world the true\nway of salvation, and make us walk in the paths of virtue and\ngood works. Amen.\n\nIV.--_The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven_.\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the glorious Virgin,\ntwelve years after the resurrection of her Son, passed out of\nthis world unto him, and was by him taken into heaven,\naccompanied by the holy angels.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n{520}\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO most prudent Virgin, who entering into the heavenly palace,\ndidst fill the holy angels with joy, and man with hope, vouchsafe\nto intercede for us at the hour of death, that free from the\nillusions and temptations of the devil, we may joyfully and\nsuccessfully pass out of this temporal state, to enjoy the\nhappiness of eternal life. Amen.\n\n\nV.--_The Coronation of the B.V.M, in Heaven._\n\nLet us contemplate in this mystery, how the glorious Virgin Mary\nwas, with great jubilee, and exultation of the whole court of\nheaven, and the particular glory of all the saints, crowned by\nher Son with the brightest diadem of Glory.\n\nOur Father, &c.\n\n\n Let Us Pray.\n\nO glorious Queen of all the heavenly citizens, we beseech thee to\naccept this Rosary, which, as a crown of roses, we offer at thy\nfeet; and grant, most gracious Lady, that by thine intercession,\nour souls may be inflamed with so ardent a desire of seeing thee\nso gloriously crowned, that it may never die in us, until it be\nchanged into the happy fruition of thy blessed sight. Amen.\n\nHail, holy Queen, &c,\n_with the verse and prayer as before_.\n\n{521}\n\n Te Deum;\n\n_A Hymn which may be said after Mass, or on occasion of any\npublic or private Thanksgiving._\n\n Thee, sovereign God, our grateful accents praise,\n We own thee Lord, and bless thy wondrous ways;\n To thee, eternal Father, earth's whole frame\n With loudest trumpet sounds immortal fame.\n Lord God of hosts! to thee the heavenly pow'rs\n With sounding anthems, fill thy vaulted tow'rs;\n The Cherubim thrice holy, holy, cry,\n Thrice holy, all the Seraphim reply,\n And thrice returning echoes endless songs supply.\n Both heaven and earth thy majesty display;\n They owe their beauty to thy glorious ray.\n Thy praises fill the loud apostles' choir;\n The train of prophets in the song conspire;\n Legions of martyrs in the chorus shine;\n And vocal blood with vocal music join.\n By these thy church, inspir'd with heavenly art,\n Around the world maintains a second part.\n And tunes her sweetest notes, O God, to thee.\n The Father of unbounded majesty,\n The Son, ador'd co-partner of thy seat,\n And equal everlasting Paraclete.\n Thou King of glory. Christ; of the Most High,\n Thou co-eternal filial Deity.\n Thou who, to save the world's impending doom,\n Vouchsafedst to dwell within a virgin's womb;\n Old tyrant death disarmed, before thee flew\n The bolts of heav'n, and back the foldings drew,\n To give access, and make the faithful way;\n From God's right hand thy filial beams display.\n Thou art to judge the living and the dead;\n Then spare those souls for whom thy veins have bled.\n\n O take us then among the blest above,\n To share with them thy everlasting love.\n Preserve, O Lord, thy people, and enhance\n Thy blessing on thine own inheritance:\n For ever raise their hearts, and rule their ways:\n Each day we bless thee, and proclaim thy praise.\n No age shall fail to celebrate thy name,\n Nor hour neglect thy everlasting fame.\n\n{522}\n\n Preserve our souls, O Lord, this day from ill,\n Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy still.\n As we have hop'd, do thou reward our pain.\n We've hop'd in thee, let not our hope be vain.\n\n V. Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.\n\n R. Let us praise and extol him for ever.\n\n\n The Prayer, _Deus cujus._\n\nO God, of whose mercies there is no number, and of whose goodness\nthe treasure is infinite, we humbly thank thy most gracious\nmajesty for the favours thou hast bestowed on us; ever beseeching\nthy clemency, that as thou grantest our requests when we humbly\nask thee, so thou wouldst not forsake us, but dispose us for the\nrewards of the life to come. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.\n\n\n\n The Thirty Days' Prayer\n\nTo The Blessed Virgin Mary, In Honour Of The Sacred Passion Of\nOur Lord Jesus Christ;\n\n By the devout recital of which for the above space of time, we\n may mercifully hope to obtain our lawful request.--It is\n particularly recommended as a proper devotion for every day in\n Lent, and all the Fridays throughout the Year.\n\n\nEver glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of\nMercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls; through\nthat sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart, whilst thine\nonly son, Christ Jesus our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on\nthe cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love he had\nfor thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from his cross he\nrecommended thee to the care and protection of his beloved\ndisciple St. John; take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and\nnecessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist\nand comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of what kind\nsoever.\n{523}\nThou art the mother of mercies, the sweet consolatrix and only\nrefuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and the\nafflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable,\nforlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just\npunishment for my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude\nof evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, whither can\nI fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and\nSaviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal\nprotection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of\npity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it\nthrough the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son, through that love\nand condescension wherewith he embraced our nature, when, in\ncompliance with the divine will, thou gavest thy consent, and\nwhom, after the expiration of nine months, thou didst bring forth\nfrom the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit this world, and\nbless it with his presence. I ask it through that anguish of mind\nwherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on\nMount Olivet, when he besought his eternal Father _to remove\nfrom him_, if possible, _the bitter chalice_ of his\nfuture passion. I ask it through the threefold repetition of his\nprayers in the garden, from whence afterwards with dolorous steps\nand mournful tears, thou didst accompany him to the doleful\ntheatre of his death and sufferings.\n{524}\nI ask it through the welts and sores of his virginal flesh,\noccasioned by the cords and whips wherewith he was bound and\nscourged, when stripped of his seamless garment, for which his\nexecutioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it through the scoffs\nand ignominies by which he was insulted; the false accusation and\nunjust sentence by which he was condemned to death, and which he\nbore with heavenly patience. I ask it through his bitter tears\nand bloody sweat, his silence and resignation, his sadness and\ngrief of heart. I ask it through the blood which trickled from\nhis royal and sacred head, when struck with a sceptre of a reed,\nand pierced with his crown of thorns. I ask it through the\nexcruciating torments he suffered when his hands and feet were\nfastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it\nthrough his vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and\ngall. I ask it through his dereliction on the cross, when he\nexclaimed: \"My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?\" I ask it\nthrough his mercy extended to the good thief, and through his\nrecommending his precious soul and spirit into the hands of his\neternal Father before he expired, saying: \"All is finished.\" I\nask it through the blood mixed with water, which issued from his\nsacred side, when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of\ngrace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it through his immaculate\nlife, bitter passion, and ignominious death on the cross, at\nwhich nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting\nof rocks, rending of the veil of the temple, the earthquake, and\ndarkness of the sun and moon.\n{525}\nI ask it through his descent into hell, where he comforted the\nsaints of the old law with his presence, and led captivity\ncaptive. I ask it through his glorious victory over death, when\nhe arose again to life on the third day; and through the joy\nwhich his appearance for forty days after, gave thee, his blessed\nMother, his apostles, and the rest of his disciples, when, in\nthine and their presence, he miraculously ascended into heaven. I\nask it through the grace of the Holy Ghost, infused into the\nhearts of the disciples, when he descended upon them in the form\nof fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in\nthe conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel.\nI ask it through the awful appearance of thy Son at the last\ndreadful day, when he shall come to judge the living and the\ndead, and the world, by fire. I ask it through the compassion he\nbore thee in this life, and the ineffable joy thou didst feel at\nthine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed\nin the sweet contemplation of his divine perfections. O glorious\nand ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy suppliant, by\nobtaining it for me.[Footnote 5]\n\n [Footnote 5: Here mention, or reflect on your lawful request,\n under the reservation of its being agreeable to the will of\n God, who sees whether it will contribute towards your\n spiritual good.]\n\n{526}\n\nAnd as I am persuaded my divine Saviour doth honour thee as his\nbeloved Mother, to whom he can refuse nothing; so let me speedily\nexperience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according\nto the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and his filial,\nloving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests, and complieth\nwith the desires of those that love and fear him. Wherefore, O\nmost blessed Virgin, besides the object of my present petition,\nand whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also, of\nthy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope,\nperfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of\ncompunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence\nfrom sin, love of God, and my neighbour, contempt of the world,\npatience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if\nnecessary, an opprobrious death itself, for the love of thy Son\nour Saviour Jesus Christ.--Obtain likewise for me, O Sacred\nMother of God! perseverance in good works, performance of good\nresolutions, mortification of self will, a pious conversation\nthrough life, and at my last moments, strong and sincere\nrepentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence\nof mind, as may enable me to receive the last sacrament of the\nChurch worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly,\nobtain, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren,\nrelations, and benefactors, both living and dead, life\neverlasting. Amen.\n\n{527}\n\n Hymns For Festivals.\n\n\n\n Hymn _for Advent_.\n\nAlma Redemptoris Mater, qu\u00e6 pervia c\u0153li porta manes,\n\n Mother of Jesus, heaven's open gate,\n\nEt stella maris, succurre cadenti;\n\n Star of the Sea, support the falling state\n\nSurgere qui curat populo; tu qu\u00e6 genuisti,\n\n Of mortals: thou, whose womb thy maker bore,\n\nNatura mirante tuum sanctum genitorem:\n\n And yet, strange thing! a virgin as before;\n\nVirgo pri\u00f9s ac posteri\u00fas, Gabrielis ab ore\n\n Who didst from _Gabriel's_ hail! the news receive,\n\nSumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.\n\n Repenting sinners by thy prayers relieve.\n\nV. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mari\u00e6.\n\n V. The angel of the Lord declared to _Mary_,\n\nR. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.\n\n B. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.\n\n\n Hymn _for Christmas._\n\nAdeste fidelis, L\u00e6ti triumph antes,\n\n Ye faithful souls, rejoice and sing;\n\nVenite, venite in Bethlehem:\n\n To Bethlehem your trophies bring,\n\nNatem videte Regem Angelorum:\n\n Before the new-born Angel's King:\n\nVenite adoremus,\nVenite adoremus Dominum.\n\n Come let us him adore, Come, &c.\n\n\nDeum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine,\n\n True God of God, true Light of Light,\n\nGestant puell\u00e6 viscera; Deum verum,\n\n Born in womb of Virgin bright;\n\nGenitum non factum:\n\n Begot, not made; true God of might:\n\nVenite adoremus, Venite, &c.\n\n Come let us him adore, Come, &c.\n\n{528}\n\nCantet nunc Io, Chorus angelorum;\n\n Angelic choirs with joy now sing,\n\nCantet nunc aula c\u0153lestium,\n\n The heavenly courts with echoes ring.\n\nGloria In excelsis Deo:\n\n Glory on high to God our king:\n\nVenite adoremus, Venite, &c.\n\n Come, let us him adore, Come, &c.\n\n\nErgo qui natus Die hodierna,\n\n Jesus, whose life this day begun,\n\nJesu tibi sit gloria:\n Patris \u00e6terni\n _Verbum caro factum:_\n\n The Father's co-eternal Son: Glory to him be ever sung:\n\nVenite adoremus, Venite, &c.\n\n Come, let us him adore, Come, &c.\n\n\n Hymn _for Passion-Sunday, and Palm-Sunday_.\n\nVexilla regis prodeunt,\n\n Behold the royal ensigns fly,\n\nFulget crucis mysterium:\n\n Bearing the cross' mystery:\n\nQu\u00e2 vita mortem protulit,\n\n Where life itself did death endure,\n\nEt morte vitam protulit.\n\n And by that death did life procure.\n\nQu\u00e6 vulnerata lance\u00e6\n\n A cruel spear let out a flood\n\nMucrone diro, criminum\n\n Of water, mixed with saving blood:\n\nUt nos lavaret fordibus,\n\n Which, gushing from the Saviour's side,\n\nManavit und\u00e2 et sanguine.\n\n Drown'd our offences in the tide.\n\n\nImpleta sunt qu\u00e6 concinit,\n\n The mystery we now unfold,\n\nDavid fideli carmine,\n\n Which David's faithful verse foretold.\n\nDicendo nationibus:\n\n Of our Lord's kingdom; whilst we see\n\nRegnavit \u00e2 ligno Deus.\n\n God ruling nations from a tree.\n\n{529}\n\nArbor decora et fulgida,\n\n O lovely tree, whose branches wore\n\nOrnata regis purpura!\n\n The royal purple of his gore!\n\nElecta digno stipite,\n\n How glorious does thy body shine?\n\nTam sancta membra tangere!\n\n Supporting members so divine!\n\nBeata, cujus brachiis,\n\n The world's blest balance thou wast made,\n\nPreti\u00f9m pependit s\u00e6culi,\n\n Thy happy beam its purchase weigh'd,\n\nStatera facta corporis,\n\n And bore his limbs, who snatch'd away\n\nTulitque pr\u00e6dam tartari.\n\n Devouring hell's expected prey.\n\nO Crux, ave spes unica,\n\n Hail Cross, our hope! on thee we call,\n\nHoc passionis tempore!\n\n Who keep this mournful festival:\n\nPiis ad auge gratiam,\n\n Grant to the just increase of grace,\n\nReisque dele crimina.\n\n And ev'ry sinner's crimes efface.\n\nTe, fons salutis Trinitas, Collaudit omnis spiritus.\n\n Blest Trinity, we praises sing\n To thee, from whom all graces spring,\n\nQuibus crucis victoriam,\n\n Celestial crowns on those bestow,\n\nLargiris, adde pr\u00e6mium. Amen.\n\n Who conquer by the cross below. Amen.\n\nV. Eripe me, Domine, ab homine malo.\n\n V. Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.\n\nR. A viro iniquo eripe me.\n\n R. And from the unjust man deliver me.\n\n\n Hymn _for Good-Friday_,\n (Plaint of the Blessed Virgin.)\n\nStabat mater dolorosa\n\n Beneath the world's redeeming wood,\n\nJuxta crucem lacrymosa,\n\n The most afflicted Mother stood,\n\n{530}\n\nDum pendebat filius.\n\n Mingling her tears with her Son's blood.\n\nCujus animara gementem\n\n As that flow'd down from every part,\n\nContristatam et dolentem\n\n Of all his wounds she felt the smart;\n\nPertransivit gladius.\n\n What pierc'd his body, pierc'd her heart.\n\nO quam tristis et afflicta,\n\n Who can with tearless eyes look on,\n\nFuit illa benedicta\n\n When Mary does, alas! bemoan\n\nMater unigeniti.\n\n Wounded and faint, her only Son.\n\nQu\u00e6 merebat, et dolebat,\n\n O worse than _Jewish_ heart, that could,\n\nPia mater dum videbat,\n\n Unmov'd, behold the double flood\n\nNati p\u0153nas inclyti.\n\n Of _Mary's_ tears, and _Jesu's_ blood.\n\nQuis est homo, qui non fleret,\n\n Alas! our sins, they were not his\n\nChristi matrem si videret\nIn tanto supplicio?\n\n In this atoning sacrifice,\n For which he bleeds, for which he dies.\n\nQuis non posset contristari,\n\n When graves were open'd rocks were rent,\n\nPiam matrim contemplari\n\n When nature and each element\n\nDolentem cum filio?\n\n His torments and her grief resent.\n\nPro peccatis su\u00e6 gentis\n\n Shall man, the cause of all his pain\n\nVidit Jesum in tormentis,\n\n And all his grief, shall sinful man\n\nEt flagellis subditum.\n\n Alone insensible remain?\n\nVidit suum dulcem natum\n\n Ah, pious mother, teach my heart,\n\nMorientem, desolatum,\n\n Of sighs and tears the holy art,\n\n{531}\n\nDum emisit spiritum.\n\n And in thy grief to bear a part.\n\nEia, mater fons amoris,\n\n The sword of grief, which did pass through\n\nMe sentire vim doloris\nFac ut tecum lugeam,\n\n Thy very soul, O may it now\n Upon my heart a wound bestow.\n\nFac ut ardeat cor meum,\n\n Great Queen of sorrows, in thy train\n\nIn amando Christum Deum,\n\n Let me a mourner's place obtain,\n\nUt sibi complaceam.\n\n Let me thy Jesus love again.\n\nSancta mater istud agas,\nCrucifixi fige plagas,\n\n To heal the leprosy of sin,\n We must the cure with tears begin.\n\nCordi meo valide.\n\n All flesh's corrupt without their brine.\n\nTui nati vulnerari,\n\n Refuge of sinners, grant that we\n\nTam dignati pro me pati\n\n May tread thy steps, and let it be\n\nP\u0153nas mecum divide.\n\n Our sorrow not to grieve like thee.\n\nFec me vere tecum flere,\n\n O may the wounds of thy dear Son,\n\nCrucifixo condolere,\n\n Our contrite hearts possess alone.\n\nDonec ego vixero.\n\n And all terrene affections drown.\n\nJuxta crucem tecum stare,\n\n Those wounds, which now the stars outshine,\n\nTe libenter sociare,\n\n Those furnaces of love divine.\n\nIn planctu desidero.\n\n May they our drossy souls refine;\n\nVirgo virginum pr\u00e6clara,\n\n And on us such impressions make,\n\nMihi jam non sis amara,\n\n That we of suff'ring for his sake,\n\nFac me tecum plangere.\n\n May joyfully our portion take.\n\n{532}\n\nFac ut portem Christi mortem,\n\n Let us his proper badge put on,\n\nPassionis fac consortem,\n\n Let's glory in the cross alone,\n\nEt plagas recolere.\n\n By which he marks us for his own.\n\nFac me plagis vulnerari,\n\n That when the dreadful trial's come,\n\nCruce hac inebriari,\n\n For every man to hear his doom,\n\nOb amorem filii.\n\n On his right hand we may find room.\n\nInflammatus et accensus,\n\n O hear us, _Mary! Jesus_, hear!\n\nPer te virgo aim defensus\n\n Our humble pray'rs; secure our fear,\n\nIn die judicii.\n\n When thou in judgment shalt appear.\n\nFac me cruce custodiri,\n\n Now give us sorrow, give us love,\n\nMorte Christi pr\u00e6muniri Confoveri gratia.\n\n That so prepar'd we may remove,\n\nQuando corpus morietur\n\n When call'd to seats of bliss above. Amen.\n\nFac ut anim\u00e6 donetur\nParadisi gloria.\n\nV. Tuam ipsius animam pertransivit gladius.\n\n V. A sword has pierced thy own soul.\n\nR. Ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes.\n\n R. That the thoughts of many hearts may be\n revealed.\n\n\n Hymn _for Easter_.\n\n\nO filii et fili\u00e6,\n\n Praise by mortals now be given,\n\nRex c\u0153lestis, Rex glori\u00e6,\n\n On this day from death hath risen\n\nMorte surrexit hodie, Alleluia.\n\n The King of Glory, King of Heaven, Alleluia,\n\n{533}\n\nEt mane prima Sabbati,\n\n The morn of Sabbath scarce did beam,\n\nAd ostium monumenti\n\n When to his monument there came\n\nAccesserant discipuli, Alleluia.\n\n Disciples who ador'd his name, Alleluia.\n\nEt Maria Magdalene,\n\n There _Mary Magdalen_ anxious stood.\n\nEt Jacobi, et Salome,\n\n And _James_, and _Salome_ the good\n\nVenerunt corpus ungere, Alleluia.\n\n His body fain embalm they would, Alleluia.\n\nIn albis sedens angelus\n\n The angel sat in white all rob'd,\n\nPr\u00e6dixit mulieribus,\n\n And to the women he foretold:\n\nIn Galilea est Dominus, Alleluia.\n\n In _Galilee_ you'll see the Lord, Alleluia.\n\nEt Joannes apostolus\n\n The message scarce did greet his ear,\n\n Cucurrit Petro cit\u00f9s,\n\n Swifter than _Peter, John_ drew near\n\nMonumento venit pri\u00f9s, Alleluia.\n\n To the Lord's tomb, with hope, with fear, Alleluia.\n\nDiscipulis astantibus,\n\n The disciples all assembled were;\n\nIn medio stetit Christus,\n\n Among them Jesus did appear,\n\nDicens, pax vobis omnibus, Alleluia.\n\n His peace he gave, remov'd their fear, Alleluia.\n\nUt intellexit Didymus\n\n _Thomas_ believed not, when 'twas said\n\nQuia surrexerat Jesus,\n\n That Christ had risen from the dead,\n\nRemansit fere dubius, Alleluia.\n\n Until he saw the wounds that bled, Alleluia.\n\nVide Thoma, vide latus,\n\n My hands, my side, my feet, O see!\n\nVide pedes, vide manus:\n\n _Thomas_, wounds that bled for thee:\n\nNoli esse incrodulus, Alleluia.\n\n Renounce thine incredulity, Alleluia.\n\n{534}\n\nQuando Thomas vidit Christum\n\n When _Thomas_, Jesus had survey'd,\n\nPedes, manus, latus suum,\n\n And on his wounds his fingers laid,\n\nDixit: Tu es Deus meus, Alleluia.\n\n Thou art my Lord and God, he said, Alleluia.\n\nBeati qui non viderunt,\n\n Blessed are they who have not seen,\n\nEt firmiter crediderunt,\n\n And yet, whose faith entire hath been,\n\nVitam \u00e6ternam habebunt, Alleluia.\n\n Them endless joy from pain shall screen, Alleluia.\n\nIn hoc festo sanctissimo\n\n On this most solemn feast let's raise\n\nSit laus et jubilatio:\n\n Our hearts to God in hymns of praise.\n\nBenedicamus Domino, Alleluia.\n\n And bless the Lord in all his ways, Alleluia,\n\nEx quibus nos humillimas\n\n Our grateful thanks to God let's give,\n\nDevotas atque debitas\n\n In humblest manner, whilst we live,\n\nDeo dicamus gratias, Alleluia.\n\n For all the favours we receive, Alleluia.\n\n\n [Transcriber's note: This is a better translation (with\n music) from St. Gregory's Hymnal.\n https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23673/23673-h/English.html#No._28]\n\n Ye sons and daughters of the Lord!\n The King of glory, King adored,\n This day Himself from death restored. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n All in the early morning grey,\n Went holy women on their way,\n To see the tomb where Jesus lay. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n Of spices pure a precious store,\n In their pure hands those women bore,\n To anoint the Sacred Body o'er. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n Then straightway One in white they see,\n Who saith, \"Ye seek the Lord; but He\n Is ris'n, and gone to Galilee.\" Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n This told they Peter, told they John,\n Who forthwith to the tomb are gone;\n But Peter is by John outrun. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n That selfsame night, while out of fear,\n The doors were shut, their Lord most dear,\n To His Apostles did appear. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n But Thomas when of this He heard,\n Was doubtful of his brethren's word;\n Wherefore again there comes the Lord. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n \"Thomas, behold My Side\" saith He;\n \"My Hands, My Feet, My Body see,\n And doubt not, but believe in Me.\" Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n When Thomas saw that wounded Side,\n The truth no longer he denied;\n \"Thou art my Lord and God,\" he cried. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n Oh, blest are they who have not seen\n Their Lord, and yet believe in Him:\n Eternal life awaiteth them. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n Now let us praise the Lord most high,\n And strive His Name to magnify,\n On this great day through earth and sky: Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n Whose mercy ever runneth o'er,\n Whom men and Angel Hosts adore,\n To Him be glory ever more. Alleluia!\n Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!\n\n\n\n Hymns _for Whit-Sunday_.\n\nVeni Creator Spiritus,\n\n Creating Spirit, come possess\n\nMentes tuorum visita,\n\n Our souls, and with thy presence bless:\n\nImple superna gratia,\n\n And in our hearts, fram'd by thy hand,\n\nQu\u00e6 tu creasti, pectora.\n\n Let thy celestial grace command.\n\nQui diceris Paraclitus,\n\n Thou who art call'd the _Paraclete_,\n\nAltissimi donum Dei;\n\n The Almighty Father's gift complete:\n\n{535}\n\nFons vivus, ignis, charitas,\n\n The living fountain, fire, and love,\n\nEt spiritalis unction.\n\n And sacred unction from above.\n\nTu septiformis munere,\n\n Thou finger of the Father's hand,\n\nDigitus pater\u00e6 dexter\u00e6,\n\n Who dost a sev'nfold grace command:\n\nTu rite promissum Patris,\n\n Thou promis'd from the Highest sent,\n\nSermone ditans guttura.\n\n In various language eloquent\n\nAccende lumen sensibus:\n\n Purge with thy light our earthly parts.\n\nInfunde amorem cordibus:\n\n And with thy love inflame our hearts:\n\nInfirma nostri corporis\n\n Thus human weakness fortify\n\nVirtute firmans perpeti.\n\n With everlasting constancy.\n\nHostem repellas longi\u00f9s,\n\n Far from us drive the infernal foe,\n\nPacemque dones protin\u00f9s,\n\n And peace, the fruit of love, bestow:\n\nDuctore sic te pr\u00e6vio\n\n Thus having thee, our safest guide,\n\nVitemus omne noxium.\n\n Let not our feet to evil slide.\n\nPer te sciamus da Patrem\n\n Let us by thee the Father own,\n\nNoscamus atque Filium:\n\n And to us let thy Son be known:\n\nTe utriusque Spiritum\n\n Let us believe in thee, who dost\n\nCredamus omni tempore.\n\n From both proceed the Holy Ghost.\n\nDeo Patri, sit gloria,\n\n To God the Father, and the Son,\n\nEt Filio, qui a mortuis\n\n Who rose from death, be glory done:\n\nSurrexit, ac Paraclito,\n\n This praise for ever let's repeat,\n\nIn s\u00e6culorum s\u00e6cula. Amen.\n\n To God the holy Paraclete, Amen.\n\n{536}\n\nV. Loquebantur variis linguis Apostoli, _Alleluia_.\n\n V. The Apostles spoke in various tongues. _Alleluia_.\n\nR. Magnalia Dei, _Alleluia_,\n\n R. The wonders of God, _Alleluia_.\n\n\n\n The Prayer.\n\nO God, who by the light of the Holy Ghost, didst instruct the\nhearts of the faithful, grant that by the direction of the same\nHoly Spirit, we may relish what is right, and always rejoice in\nhis consolations: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n\n _Sequence for Whit-Sunday_.\n\nVeni Sancte Spiritus\n\n Come, Holy Ghost, send down those beams,\n\nEt emitte c\u00e6litus\n\n Which sweetly flow in silent streams,\n\nLucis tu\u00e6 radium.\n\n From thy bright throne above.\n\nVeni Pater pauperum:\n\n O come thou Father of the poor,\n\nVeni dator munerum:\n\n Thou bounteous source of all our store,\n\nVeni lumen cordium.\n\n Come fire our hearts with love.\n\nConsolator optime,\n\n Come thou of comforters the best,\n\nDulcis hospes anim\u00e6,\n\n Come thou the soul's delicious guest,\n\nDulce refrigerium.\n\n The pilgrim's sweet relief.\n\nIn labore requies,\n\n Thou art our rest in toil and sweat,\n\nIn \u00e6stu temperies,\n\n Refreshment in excessive heat\n\nIn fletu solatium.\n\n And solace in our grief.\n\nO lux beatissima,\n\n O sacred light, shoot home thy darts,\n\nReple cordis intima\n\n O pierce the centre of those hearts,\n\nTuorura fideliam.\n\n Whose faith aspires to thee.\n\n{537}\n\nSine tuo numine,\n\n Without thy Godhead no thing can\n\nNihil est in homine,\n\n Have any price or worth in man:\n\nNihil est innoxium.\n\n Nothing can harmless be.\n\nLava quod est sordidum,\n\n Lord, wash our sinful stains away,\n\nRiga quod est aridum,\n\n Water from heaven our barren clay,\n\nSana quod est saucium.\n\n Our wounds and bruises heal.\n\nFlecte quod est rigidum,\n\n To thy sweet yoke our stiff necks bow,\n\nFove quod est frigidum,\n\n Warm with thy fire our hearts of snow,\n\nRege quod est devium.\n\n Our wand'ring feet repel.\n\nDa tuis fidelibus,\n\n O grant thy faithful, dearest Lord,\n\nIn te confitentibus,\n\n Whose only hope is thy sure word,\n\nSacrum septenarium.\n\n The seven gifts of thy spirit.\n\nDa virtutis meritum,\n\n Grant us in life to obey thy grace,\n\nDa salutis exitum,\n\n Grant us in death to see thy face,\n\nDa perenne gaudium. Amen.\n\n And endless joys inherit. Amen.\n\n\n The Prayer.\n\nO God, to whom every heart lies open, every will speaks its\ndesire, and from whom no secret is concealed; purify the thoughts\nof our hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in order that\nwe may perfectly love thee, and worthily praise thee: through our\nLord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who with thee and the same Holy Ghost\nliveth, &c.\nAmen.\n\n{538}\n\n Hymns For Festivals.\n\n\n Hymns _for Corpus Christi, and for the Procession of\n the Blessed Sacrament, on Holy Thursday_.\n\n\nPange lingua gloriosi\n\n Sing, O my tongue, adore and praise\n\nCorporis mysterium,\n\n The depth of God's mysterious ways:\n\nSanguinisque pretiosi\n\n How Christ, the world's great King, bestow'd\n\nQuem in mundi pretium,\n\n His flesh conceal'd in human food,\n\nFructus ventris generosi,\n\n And left mankind the blood that paid\n\nRex effudit gentium.\n\n The ransom for the souls he made.\n\nNobis datis, nobus natus,\n\n Given from above, and born for man,\n\nEx intacta virgine;\n\n From virgin chaste his life began:\n\nEt in mundo conversatus\n\n He liv'd on earth, and preached to sow\n\nSparso verbi semine,\n\n The seeds of heavenly love below;\n\nSui notas incolatus\n\n Then seal'd his mission from above\n\nMiro clausit ordine!\n\n With strange effects of power and love!\n\nIn suprem\u00e6 nocte c\u0153n\u00e6,\n\n 'Twas on that ev'ning when the last\n\nRecumbens cum fratribus,\n\n And most mysterious supper past;\n\nObservata lege plene\n\n When Christ with his disciples sat,\n\nCibis in legalibus,\n\n To close the law with legal meat;\n\nCibum turb\u00e6 duodense\n\n Then to the twelve himself bestow'd\n\nSe dat suis manibus.\n\n With his own hands to be their food.\n\n{539}\n\nVerbum caro, panem verum,\n\n The Word made flesh for love of man,\n\nVerbo carnem efficit:\n\n His word turns bread to flesh again,\n\nFitque sanguis Christi merum,\n\n And wine to blood, unseen by sense,\n\nEt si sensus deficit,\n\n By virtue of omnipotence:\n\nAd firmandum cor sincerum\n\n And here the faithful rest secure,\n\nSola fides sufficit.\n\n Whilst God can vouch and faith insure.\n\nTantum ergo sacramentum\n\n To this mysterious table now,\n\nVeneremur cernui;\n\n Our knees, our hearts, and sense we bow:\n\nEt antiquum documentum,\n\n Let ancient rites resign their place\n\nNovo cedat ritui,\n\n To nobler elements of grace:\n\nPr\u00e6stet fides supplementum\n\n And faith for all defects supply,\n\nSensuum defectui.\n\n Whilst sense is lost in mystery.\n\n\nGenitori, Genitoque,\n\n To God the Father, born of none,\n\nLaus et jubilatio,\n\n To Christ his co-eternal Son,\n\nSalus, honor, virtus, quoque,\n\n And Holy Ghost, whose equal rays,\n\nSit et benedictio:\n\n From both proceed, be equal praise:\n\nProcedenti ab utroque,\n\n One honour, jubilee, and fame,\n\nCompar sit laudatio. Amen.\n\n For ever bless his glorious name. Amen.\n\n\nV. Panem de c\u0153lo pr\u00e6stitisti eis. _Alleluia_.\n\n V. Thou hast given them bread from heaven. _Alleluia_.\n\nR. Omne delectamentum in se habentum. _Alleluia_.\n\n R. Abounding with whatever is delicious. _Alleluia_.\n\n\n [Transcriber's note: This is a better translation (with music)\n from St. Gregory's Hymnal.\n https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23673/23673-h/English.html#No._52]\n\n 1.\n Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory,\n Of His Flesh the myst'ry sing;\n Of the Blood all price exceeding\n Shed by our immortal King,\n Destined, for the world's redemption,\n From a noble womb to spring,\n\n 2.\n Of a pure and spotless Virgin\n Born for us on earth below,\n He, as Man, with man conversing,\n Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;\n Then He closed in solemn order\n Wonderously His Life of Woe.\n\n 3.\n On the night of that Last Supper,\n Seated with His chosen band,\n He the Paschal victim eating,\n First fulfills the law's command;\n Then, as Food to His Apostles\n Gives Himself with His own Hand.\n\n 4.\n Word made Flesh, the bread of nature\n By His word to Flesh He turns;\n Wine into His Blood He changes:\n What through sense no change discerns?\n Only be the heart in earnest,\n Faith her lesson quickly learns.\n\n Tantum ergo Sacramentum\n\n 5.\n Down in adoration falling,\n Lo! The sacred Host we hail;\n Lo! O'er ancient forms departing,\n Newer rites of grace prevail;\n Faith for all defects supplying,\n Where the feeble senses fail.\n\n 6.\n To the Everlasting Father,\n And the Son Who reigns on high,\n With the Holy Ghost proceeding\n Forth from Each eternally,\n Be salvation, honor, blessing,\n Might, and endless majesty. Amen.\n\n\n{540}\n\n\n The Prayer.\n\n\nDeus, qui nobis sub Sacramento\nmirabili passionis\ntu\u00e6 memoriam reliquisti;\ntribue, qu\u00e6sumus, ita nos\ncorporis et sanguinis tui\nsacra mysteria venerari, ut\nredemptionis tu\u00e6 fructum\nin nobis jugiter sentiamus.\nQui vivis, &c.\n\n O God, who in this wonderful\n sacrament hast left us\n a memorial of thy passion:\n grant us so to reverence the\n sacred mysteries of thy body\n and blood, that our souls\n may be always sensible of\n the fruit of thy redemption.\n Who livest, &c.\n\n\n Hymn _at the Elevation_.\n\nO salutaris hostia,\n\n O saving host, that heaven's gate,\n\nQu\u00e6 c\u0153li pandis ostium;\n\n Laidst open at so dear a rate;\n\nBella premunt hostilia,\n\n Intestine wars invade our breast;\n\nDa robur, fer auxilium.\n\n Be thou our strength, support, and rest.\n\nUni trinoque Domino,\n\n To God the Father, and the Son,\n\nSit sempiterna gloria:\n\n And Holy Spirit, three in one,\n\nQui vitam sine termino,\n\n Be endless praise: may He above.\n\nNobis donet in patria.\n\n With life eternal crown our love.\n\n\n Finis.","title":"The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety: Containing a Selection of Fervent Prayers, Pious Reflection, and Solid Instructions, Adapted to Every State of Life. To Which is Annexed a Supplement, Containing Excellent and Approved Devotions, With the Epistles and Gospels for All the Sundays and Festivals of the Year.","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":145408}