and then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art invited, go, sit down in the lowest place: that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at table with thee: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. CREDO..

OFFERT. Ps. xxxix.-Look down, O Lord, to help me let them be put to confusion and shame, who seek to take away my life: look down, O Lord, to help me.

SECRET.-Cleanse us, O Lord, we beseech thee, by the efficacy of this sacritice: and by thy mercy make us worthy to partake thereof. Thro'.

COMM. Ps. lxx.-I will remember thy justice alone, O Lord: O God, thou hast instructed me from my youth: abandon not me in my old age, and at the end of my life.

P. COMM. Purifica.-Mercifully, O Lord, we beseech thee, purify our souls, and renew them by these holy mysteries; that we may receive help thereby, both while we are in these mortal bodies and hereafter. Thro'.

COLLECT. Da, quæsumus.-Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that thy people may avoid all con

tagion of the devil: and with a clean heart follow thee, the only true God. Thro A noe gid sa

EPISTLE. Ephes. iv. 1. 6-Brethren! I who am a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that foun walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called. With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one spirit; as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God, and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all, who is blessed for ever

more.

GRAD. Ps. xxxii.-Blessed is the nation that hath the Lord for its God: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance. V. By the word of the Lord, and the breath of his mouth, were the heavens formed, and the whole host thereof. Alleluia.

Ps. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee. Alleluia.

Ps. Domine, exaudi orationem meam, et clamor meus ad te perveniat. Alleluia.

GOSPEL. Matt. xxii. 35. 46.--At that time: The Pharisees come to Jesus: and one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting them: Master, which is the great commandment of the law? Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets. And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying: What think you of Christ? whose son is he? they say to him: David's. He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying: The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand until I make thy enemies

thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

CREDO.

OFFERT. Dan. ix.-I Daniel prayed unto my God, saying: Hear, O Lord, the prayers of thy servant: look favourably on thy sanctuary and mercifully look down upon this thy people, who are called by thy name, O God.

SECRET.-We humbly beseech thy Majesty, O Lord, that the sacred mysteries we celebrate may cleanse us from all past offences, and from those we may hereafter be guilty of. Thro'.

COMM. Ps. lxxv.-Vow ye, and pay to the Lord your God; all you that round about him bring present to him that is terrible; even to him, who taketh away the spirit of princes; to the terrible with the kings of the earth.

P. COMM. Sanctificationibus.-May our vices be cured, O Almighty God! and an eternal remedy procured for us by these sacred mysteries. Thro'.

EMBER WEEK IN SEPTEMBER.
WEDNESDAY.

INTROIT. Ps. lxxx.-Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob: take the pleasing psaltery and harp; sound the trumpet in the beginning of the month, for it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to the God of Jacob. Ps. He gave the commandment to Joseph, when he came out of the land of Egypt; he heard a tongue which he knew' not. V. Glory.

After Kyrie eleison, is said, Let us pray. Let us kneel down. R. Stand up again.

I. COLLECT. Misericordiæ.—May our weakness, O Lord, we beseech thee, be supported by the relief of thy mercy; that as we are continually decaying

by our own nature, we may be strengthened by thy goodness. Thro’.

I. LESSON. Amos. ix. 13.-Thus saith the Lord God: Behold the days come, when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweetness, and every hill shall be tilled. And I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel; and they shall build the abandoned cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine of them; and shall make gardens, and eat the fruits of them. And I will plant them upon their own land; and I will no more pluck them out of their land, which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.

GRAD. Ps. cxii.-Who is as the Lord our God, who dwellest on high; and looketh down on the low things in heaven and in the earth? V. Raising up the needy from the earth; and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill.

II. COLLECT. Præsta.-Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, the humble request of thy family; that whilst they observe abstinence from bodily food, their souls may fast from sin. Thro'.

Here is said the II. and III. Collects, as p. xx.

II. LESSON. 2 Esdr. viii. 1. 10.—In those days: All the people were gathered together as one man, to the street which is before the water gate, and they spoke to Esdras the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. Then Esdras the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and all those that could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book. And Esdras the

scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he made to speak upon. And he opened the book before all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he had opened it, all the people stood. And Esdras blessed the Lord the great God: and all the people answered: Amen, Amen; lifting up their hands. And they bowed down, with their faces to the ground. Now the Levites made silence among the people to hear the law; and the people stood in their place. And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood; and they understood when it was read. And Nehemias, and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God, do not mourn nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves; because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

GRAD. Ps. xxxii.-Blessed is the nation, whose God is the Lord; the people, whom the Lord hath chosen for its inheritance. V. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were established: and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth.

GOSPEL. Mark ix. 16.—At that time: One of the multitude speaking to Jesus, said: Master, I have brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit, who, wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him, and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not. Who answering them, said: O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him. And when he had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him: and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled