Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper; et in sæcula sæculorum.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, Repeat the Anth. Asperges me. world without end. Amen.

GRACIOUSLY hear us, Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal

God and vouchsafe to send Thine holy Angel from heaven to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all that are assembled in this house. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

VIDI

2. From Easter to Whitsunday inclusively.

IDI aquam egredientem de templo a latere dextro, alleluia; et omnes ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt, et dicent, alleluia, alleluia.

Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus; quoniam in sæculum misericordia ejus. Gloria &c. Vidi &c.

IS

SAW water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia; and all to whom that water came were saved, and they shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

Praise the Lord because He is good because His mercy endureth for ever. Glory

&c.

Prayers before the altar as above, but with alleluia added to the first V. and R.

Preparatory Enstruction for Mass: Of which the third part is also a short preparation for Holy Communion.

1. OF THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST IN
THE MASS.

HE Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ, under the forms of bread and wine, daily offered to God in remembrance of the Passion and Death of His only-begotten Son, is called the Mass. It is the same in substance with that which Christ offered for us on the Cross; differing from it only in manner. It is the same in substance, because both the Victim offered and the Principal Offerer (or Priest) is the same, namely Jesus Christ. It differs in the manner, because whereas on the Cross Christ really shed His blood and died, in the Mass He offers up that Death, without again either shedding His blood or dying. And since in the Mass Christ is both the Victim and the Priest, we have here both the Pure Offering which was to be made to God in every place (Mal. i.): and also the Priest for Ever according to the order of Melchisedec-whose sacrifice was bread and wine. (Ps. 109.)

Hence the Sacrifice of the Mass fulfils, in a manner infinitely perfect, all the ends of sacrifice. For it is infinitely pleasing to God, as a sacrifice

of homage and adoration--for which end the holocausts or whole-burnt sacrifices of the old law were offered; it is all-sufficient as a thankoffering; it is infinitely propitiatory as a sinoffering, being all-powerful to obtain for us mercy and forgiveness; and it is infinitely effectual as a peace-offering, obtaining, for living and departed, all things needful.

II. OF THE DIGNITY OF THIS SACRAMENT, AND OF THE PRIESTLY STATE.

REAT is this mystery, and great the dignity

not granted to Angels. For priests alone, rightly ordained in the Church, have power to celebrate and consecrate the Body of Christ. The priest indeed is the minister of God, using the word of God by the command and institution of God: but God Himself is there, the principal Author, and invisible Worker, to whom is subject all that He willeth, and to whose command everything is obedient.

Thou must therefore give more heed to God Almighty in everything relating to this most excellent Sacrament, than to thine own sense or any visible sign; and therefore thou art to approach to this work with fear and reverence.

A priest clad in his sacred vestments is Christ's vicegerent, to pray to God for himself and for all the people in a suppliant and humble manner. He hath before him and behind him the sign of the Cross of the Lord, that he may always remember the Passion of Christ.

He beareth the Cross before him in his vestment, that he may diligently behold the footsteps of Christ, and fervently endeavour to follow them.

He is marked with a Cross behind, that he may mildly suffer for God's sake whatsoever adversities shall befall him from others.

He weareth the Cross before him, that he may bewail his own sins; and behind him, that he may through compassion lament the sins of others, and know that he is placed, as it were, a mediator betwixt God and the sinner. Neither ought he to cease from prayer and the holy oblation, till he be favoured with the grace and mercy which he imploreth.

When a priest celebrateth, he honoureth God, he rejoiceth the Angels, he edifieth the Church, he helpeth the living, he obtaineth rest for the dead, and maketh himself partaker of all that is good. (Imit. iv.)

III. OF A PROPER PREPARATION.

sanctity of St. John the Baptist, thou wouldst not be worthy to receive this Sacrament.

For this is not due to any merits of men, that a man should consecrate and handle the Sacrament of Christ, and receive for his food the Bread of Angels. And therefore, above all things it behoves thee to come to the celebration (and reception) of this Sacrament with very great huinility of heart and lowly reverence, with an

entire faith and a pious intention for the honour of God.

Diligently examine thy conscience, and to the best of thy power cleanse and purify it by true contrition and humble confession; so that there be nothing weighty to give thee remorse and hinder thy free access.

Be sorry for all thy sins in general; and in particular grieve and lament for thy daily offences. And if thou hast time, confess to God in the secret of thy heart all the miseries of thy passions.

Sigh and grieve that thou art yet so carnal and worldly; so unmortified in thy passions: so full of the motions of concupiscence; so unguarded in thine outward senses; so often entangled with many vain imaginations :

So much inclined to exterior things; so negligent as to interior ones; so easily moved to laughter and dissoluteness; so slowly to tears and compunction:

So prone to relaxation and the pleasures of the flesh; so sluggish to austerity and fervour; so curious to hear news and to see fine sights; so remiss to embrace things humble and abject:

So covetous to possess much; so sparing in giving; so close in retaining; so inconsiderate in speech; so little able to hold thy peace :

So disorderly in thy carriage; so over-eager in thine actions; so greedy at meals; so deaf to the word of God:

So hasty for rest; so slow to labour; so wakeful to hear idle tales; so drowsy to watch in the service of God; so full of haste to end thy