rejoice with consolation in thy holy praise and glory. Amen. of this name. And thy Son himself has given us the confidence to address thee, by the very act of prescribing AT THE COMMEMORATION OF for us a form of prayer. SAINTS. From the same. Have mercy also, O Lord, on me thy unworthy servant, according to the multitude of thy mercies; grant me pardon for my sins in this world, and suffer me not to be tormented with the wicked in the next. But give me some little portion with thy Saints in heaven, who, being thy members joined together, and made one body in thee, have not hesitated, for the precious Blood which thou hast shed for them, and washed them with, to shed their own glorious blood for thee and for their brethren: in their life they loved thee, and imitated thee in their death, and therefore have they merited crowns of triumph. With whom, though unequal to them in merits, yet, solely by thy mercy, make me a partaker, by the assistance of their merits and prayers. Amen. AT THE LORD'S PRAYER. O Father of mercies! we, though unworthy to be called thy servants, presume to call thee our Father, and ourselves thy children, because by thy free bounty, through thy Son, we are adopted to the honour Accept, therefore, the prayer taught us by thy most dear Son, and favourably grant us by the same thy Son, whatever, by his own instruction, we ask of thee through him, in saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, &c.1 Deliver us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all evils, past, present, and to come. And by the intercession of blessed and glorious Mary, the ever Virgin Mother of God, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, Andrew, and all the Saints, favourably give peace in our days, that, aided by the help of thy mercy, we may always be both free from sin and secure from all disturbance. Through the same Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, &c. PRAYER. O Lord Jesus, when risen from the dead, thou didst utter the most sweet word of peace to the disciples of thy love, in saying, Peace be with you; the same peace which, before thou wentest to thy Passion, thou hadst thyself 1 Well adapted for use here is the Exposition of the Lord's Prayer, Part i. p. 2. besought for them, saying, My peace I give to you; my peace I leave with you. Take away from us our sins, I beseech thee, O immaculate Lamb of God, remove from us our iniquities, which have divided us from thee;' that by the forgiveness of our sins we may have the peace with thee which redounds with sweet delight in the testimony of a good conscience; that in thy heavenly kingdom we may obtain that perpetual peace which exceeds all sense and understanding. The kiss of peace is a holy custom, emblematic of love and concord, observed by the primitive Church. For it was then usual for the faithful of Christ, in their sacred assemblies, to kiss each other with feelings of great goodwill and charity; with the accompanying salutation, Peace be with thee. But they did so especially before the reception of the Eucharist, that by the abandonment of all hatred and rancour, they might approach the more securely to the Sacrament of peace and love. But because the practice, though good in itself, in course of time was corrupted by abuse, the holy kiss was changed into the kiss of the little plate, the signification nevertheless remaining the same, of the peace and concord that is to be observed with our neighbours, especially when 1 Is. lix. 2. we desire worthily and profitably to be present at, and participate in, the holy Mysteries of Christ.1 AT THE COMMUNION. While the Priest is communicating, thou must by no means neglect spiritual communion, if thou wouldst hear Mass with profit. Now, spiritual communion, as St. Tho mas teaches,' is an exercise of the most excellent acts, namely, of faith, hope, and charity, whereby, without the real reception of the Sacrament, may be acquired the fruit of the Sacrament, that is, union with Christ. First, therefore, must be awakened a true and lively faith in this Sacrament, which can easily be sustained by the consideration of the divine power, wisdom, goodness, an! truth. Then should follow an exercise of hope; for what can so good and merciful a God refuse us, who has given us himself? What can he not do, even though not bodily present, who healed the centurion's son and many others, even when absent. Lastly, awaken love, and with ardent desire of heart, aspire and long for Christ, as for the living Fountain, of which whoso For the custom of the Holy Kiss consult Baronius, tom. i.; Annal. An. Christ. 45; Raph. de la Torre, in ii. 2; S. Thomas, q. 84, a. 2, disp. 5. 2 Summa iii. p., q. 8, a. 1, ad. 3. This spiritual communion is of so great virtue and utility, as often to be attended with no less fruit and grace than is to mary the sacramental communion itself. Hence it is inferred how greatly we ought to regard it, especially as it may be repeated many times in the day, and never without additional increase of grace and love. PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMU NION. my Behold, I stand poor and needy at the table of mighty King and most loving Father, even thine, O Christ Jesu; and I believe thee, O eternal Truth! that at the Priest's word thou hast really vouchsafed to come from the height of heaven to visit me; yet, conscious of my weakness and my sins, I do not presume to receive thee sacramentally, but say, with the centurion, whose servant, and many others, thou curedst when absent: Lord, I am not worthy that 1 See also above on this point, at the commencement of this Mode of hearing Mass. thou shouldst enter under my roof, but come, by the mouth of the Priest, into my soul. Cleanse it, I beseech thee from its ills and imperfections, N, and adorn it with graces and virtues, N, feed it with thy Body and Blood, that as the dog eats from its master's table, so it may be filled with the marrow and fatness of thy heavenly benediction. ANOTHER, FOR SPIRITUAL O Lord Jesus! I acknowledge thee to be the true livfrom heaven to feed us, and ing Bread, who camest down with wonderful sweetness, vast condescension, and admirable power, hast hid thyself within these forms. I know that thou art eager to feed my soul. I believe that in thee, insomuch as thou art here, there lie hid infinite treasures of spiritual gifts, and the greatest abundance of grace, in all of which my needy soul pants to participate. I believe the word that thou hast spoken: He that eateth me shall live by me.1 Behold, O living Bread, I, a wretch all but perishing with hunger and cold, and exposed to many infirmities, approach to thee, that, by feeding on thee, I may the more fully and truly live by thee, be 1 John vi. 58. cherished by thee, and held by thee. I am confident that thou wilt not reject me for my unworthiness, my weakness, and my want. I profess myself indeed unworthy that thou shouldst come under ny roof, and therefore it is that I do not now presume to make thee the guest of my heart by the actual eating of thy most sacred Body; but I know and believe, with the Centurion, that thou art able, even though absent, that is, without sacramental communion, to heal, enrich, and sanctify me by a single word. For if the sight of the brazen serpent was of such efficacy that it was able to heal those who were bitten by the fiery serpents, shall not the faith by which I contemplate thee be still more powerful to heal the wounds of the serpent of hell? That was the type, thou art the reality; that was the shadow, thou art the substance. If the touch of the hem of thy garment was able to expel incurable diseases, what shall not the contact effect of thy majestic Body and thy divine Blood, though that contact be not bodily, but mental only, by confidence and de sire? If the shadow of thy disciple Peter could drive away all bodily diseases, what sickness of the soul shall be able to resist, and not yield at once to the splendour of thy divine Majesty? Come, therefore, to me, O Lord, and heal my sinful soul. Feed it, for it is hungry; strengthen it, for it is weak. Thou who, by the will of the Father, with the coöperation of the Holy Ghost, hast, by thy death, given life to the world, give me life, feed me, and sanctify me with this thy most holy Body and Blood. Deliver me from all sin, make me ever adhere to thy commandments, and never suffer me to be separated from thee. Amen. COLLECT. O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament hast left us a perpetual memorial of thy Passion; grant us, we beseech thee, so to venerate the holy Mysteries of thy Body and Blood, that we may feel within us continually the fruit of his redemption. AT THE ITE MISSA EST. Behold, O eternal Father, the Victim of salvation is sent, which thou sentest from heaven upon earth. Accept it, I beseech thee, for it is no other than thy Son in whom thou art well pleased. Let him now, I beseech thee, perform the office of Mediator and Advocate where he sits at thy right hand and makes intercession for us. Remember all his patience, charity, and D D meekness; and vouchsafe to hear me when pray in the name of thy beloved Son, for he himself has said, If you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. I ask, O Lord, this one thing, that this Sacrifice may be acceptable to thee, for the greater glory of thy Name, and profitable to the salvation of myself, and of all thy faithful, living and dead. Amen. At the end of the Mass, when the Priest blesses the people, reverently bow. And, with great faith, awaiting, as it were, a heavenly blessing from God, say: May the almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bless us and pre serve us. Then, after making the sign of the Cross on thy forehead, recite the beginning of the holy Gospel according to St. John, thus: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was made noIn thing that was made. him was life; and the life was the light of men and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him; and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And THE WORD WAS dwelt MADE FLESH, and among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. A devout prayer at the close of the sacrifice of the Mass. Most merciful Lord, who hast not disdained that we miserable men should, even at this hour, stand in thy presence, as well to praise thee as to glorify thee; forgive me the faults that I have committed at this very time of prayer, whether by extraneous occupation, or by yielding the thoughts of my mind to vain. desires; that the enemy may not boast against me, that not at the very time even of prayer, confession, and |