4. Honour thy father and thy mother. 5. Thou shalt not kill.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

7. Thou shalt not steal.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, nor his servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any. thing that is his.

THE SIX PRINCIPAL COMMANDMENTS OF THE

CHURCH.

1. To keep the prescribed days holy.

2. To hear Mass on all Sundays and holidays of obligation.

3. To go to Confession at least once a year.

4. To receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year and that at Easter or thereabouts.

5. To fast and abstain on the prescribed days. 6. Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred, nor to solemnise marriage at the forbidden times.

A method of self-examination.

Have I, since my last Confession grievously or venially disobeyed any of the above commandments or precepts; wilfully exposed myself to the danger of doing so; or have I caused others to disobey them; or not prevented their disobe. dience when I was able? And if so has it been in any of the following ways?

Omission of, or negligence in, prayers or other religious duties, such as hearing Mass on Sundays and other days of obligation: fasting and abstain

ing on the prescribed days, unless properly dispensed, &c.;-irreverent thinking or speaking of God or of holy things: taking His Name in vain want of belief in any of the truths of Revelation presumption in, or despair of, the mercy of God: obstinacy in sin ;-want of resignation to the will of God in sickness or distress of mind or body; want of zeal where the honour of God was concerned.

Disobedience to lawful authority (in child to parent or guardian, servant to master, or any inferior to his duly constituted superior).

Any immodesty in thought, word, or deed; whether by unclean talking or reading, dressing indecently, looking at unchaste objects, taking or allowing improper liberties; or otherwise.

Pride, vanity, covetousness; excess in food or drink; anger, envy, sloth; lying or deceit.

Bad example; rash judgment, contempt, hatred, detraction, false report, or jealousy of others;revengeful feelings, quarrelling, backbiting;injuring others in reputation or in goods; disregard of the spiritual welfare of others, and especially of those under my charge.

Sorrow and resolution to amend.

Having diligently examined himself, the penitent will next, with the help of God, do his utmost to rouse himself to a proper sorrow for his sins, coupled with a firm resolution not to sin again these being the two essentials of a good confession.

God in His infinite mercy is ready in this

Sacrament to pardon even the most grievous sins, although the sorrow felt for them may go but little beyond the regret which a consideration of the penalties incurred by sin must surely awaken in all who try in earnest to realise what this punishment is.

But we shall all, however grievously we may have sinned, render ourselves immeasurably more acceptable to God, if, laying aside for the moment all other considerations, we come to Him as loving, though hitherto disobedient, children; and acknowledging our great unworthiness, lament our sins, not so much because of the punishment we have thereby deserved, as because, by our sins, we have shown how little we have appreciated God's boundless love to us.

In this spirit the penitent should, to the best of his power, mourn over his past blindness and hardness of heart; and, hating and forsaking all that in thought, word, or deed has been displeasing to God, he will firmly resolve not only to avoid it in future, but also to make amends for the past, and to live as a most obedient and loving child of his heavenly and most loving Father.

The Return of the Prodigal Son. And when he was yet a great way off," his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and, running to him, fell upon his neck and kissed him.

And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am not now worthy to be called thy son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the first robe, and put it on him, and put

a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry, because this my son was dead, and is come to life again: was lost, and is found.-Luke 15.

The En ego,-a Prayer to be said before an image of Christ Crucified.

BEH

EHOLD, O good and most sweet Jesu, I cast myself before Thee; and with the utmost earnestness of mind, I ask and entreat of Thee to engrave in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, a sincere sorrow for my sins, and a most firm purpose of amendment; whilst, with much affection and grief, I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five wounds having before mine eyes that which long ago David spoke of Thee, O Good Jesu, They have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered asunder all my bones.

MY

An Act of Contrition.

Y LORD AND MY GOD, I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that I have offended Thy Divine Majesty and Goodness. I hate and forsake all my sins for love of Thee. I make a firm purpose to repent of my sins, and to amend my life. I will rather die than offend Thee

again. Amen.

OTHER DEVOTIONS

which may be used according to opportunity and circumstances; and, in whole or in part, be said either before or after those which precede.

Hymns.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, p. 240; Veni Creator (see Index), or Pange lingua gloriosi, p. 212.

Psalms.

Miserere, p. 85; De profundis, p. 87, or the following Psalm:

L

Ps. 89.-Domine, refugium.

ORD, Thou hast been our refuge; from generation to generation.

Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world were formed: from eternity and to eternity Thou art God.

Turn not man away to be brought low; and Thou hast said, Be converted, O ye sons of men.

For a thousand years in Thy sight are as yesterday, which is past.

And as a watch in the night; as things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.

In the morning man shall grow up like grass, in the morning he shall flourish and pass away; in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.

For in Thy wrath we have fainted away and are troubled in Thine indignation.

Thou hast set our iniquities before Thine eyes : our life in the light of Thy countenance.

For all our days are spent ; and in Thy wrath we have fainted away.

Our years shall be considered as a spider: the