and assist us all to learn of thee, who art meek and humble of heart, that thereby we may find rest to our souls in this life, and everlasting repose in a happy eternity. Amen.

Novena

FOR THE FEAST OF THE DOLORS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

(To commence on Thursday, fourth week in Lent.)

BLESSED Virgin Mary, Mother of our Redeemer! remember we are thy children, given to thee by thy Divine Son, when expiring on the cross. Mother of sorrows! by the tears which flowed from thy eyes when Saint John related how the traitor Judas sold thy Divine Son for the vile price of thirty pieces of silver; how, in the Garden of Olives, he was agonized with fear and sorrow, the blood gushing through every pore; by all the anguish that overwhelmed thy heart when thou didst hear that Jesus, the only object of thy love, was condemned to death; by the sorrow that pierced thy maternal bosom, in meeting thy only beloved Son loaded with a heavy cross, spent through loss of blood, fatigue and pain; by that heroic resignation to the divine will, which, triumphing over the sentiments of nature, sustained thee at the foot of the cross; by the excess of grief that would have robbed thee of life, had not God preserved thee for the comfort of his disciples and of his infant church; by the dolors that rent thy desolate heart when beholding thy beloved Jesus, most beautiful in his comeliness above the sons of men, become a prey to death, the ignominions death

of the cross; by all the sufferings of thy most afflicted heart, obtain for us, O Mother of Mercy, true contrition for our sins, persevering fervour in the divine service, and the particular favours we solicit in this Novena.

O thou most tender and afflicted Mother, who didst sacrifice thyself on the same altar with thy beloved Son, and whose heart was penetrated by the nails that fastened him to the cross; as it was our sins inflicted those torments on thy Divine Son, we acknowledge that we justly deserve the wrath of divine justice to fall on our devoted heads. But if those very sufferings have proved our defence and protection heretofore, grant that now at least we may participate profoundly in the sorrow of which we have been the unhappy cause; and obtain, that souls hitherto so insensible to the strongest proofs of love, may, by heartfelt contrition, taste one drop of that bitter chalice of which thou didst drink so deeply. Amen.

Novena of St. Patrick.

BLESSED Apostle of Ireland! glorious St. Patrick! who didst become my father and benefactor long before my birth, receive my prayers, and accept the sentiments of gratitude and veneration with which my heart is filled towards thee. Thou wert the channel of the greatest graces to me; deign then to become also the channel of my grateful thanksgivings to God for having granted me, through thee, that precious gift of faith, which is dearer than life.

O most blessed father, and patron of my country! do not, I beseech thee, despise my weakness. Remember, that the cries of little children were the mysterious invitation thou didst receive to come among us. Listen then to my most humblesupplications; I unite them to the praises and blessings which will ever follow thy name and thy memory throughout the Irish Church; I unite them to the prayers of the multitude of my ancestors, who now enjoy eternal bliss. and owe their salvation, under God, to thy zeal and charity. They will eternally share thy glory, because they listened to thy word, and followed thy example. Ah! since I am descended from saints, may I blush, to differ from them; may I begin from this moment to love God with all my heart, and serve him with all my strength. For this end I most humbly beg thy blessing, O great St. Patrick! and thy particular intercession, for obtaining whatever grace thou seest to be most necessary for me, and also the particular intentions of this Novena. [Name them.]

O charitable Shepherd of the Irish flock! who wouldst have laid down a thousand lives to save one soul, take my soul, and the souls of all Christians, under thy special care, and preserve us from the dreadful misfortune of sin. Thy zealous preaching provided us the blessings of religious instructions which we now enjoy; obtain that none of us may receive them in vain. Thou didst teach our ancestors to love our holy Faith, obtain for us that we may be true to it till death. I most humbly recommend to thee this country, which was so dear to thee while on earth. Protect it still; and above all, obtain for its pastors, particularly those who instruct us, the grace to walk in thy footsteps, that they may share in thy eternal bliss.

I

Old Irish Prayer

COMPOSED BY ST. PATRICK,

BIND myself to-day to a strong virtue in the invocation of the Trinity.

I bind myself to-day to the virtue of Christ's birth with his baptism, to the virtue of his crucifixion with his burial, to the virtue of his resurrection with his ascension, to the virtue of his coming to the judgment of Doom.

I bind myself to-day to the virtue of the choirs of Cherubim, in the obedience of angels, in the service of Archangels, in the hope of resurrection unto reward, in the prayers of patriarchs, in the predictions of prophets, in the preaching of apostles, in the faith of confessors, in the innocence of holy virgins, in the deeds of righteous men.

I bind myself to-day to the virtue of heaven, in the light of sun, in the brightness of snow, in the splendour of fire, in the speed of lightning, in the swiftness of wind, in the depth of sea, in the stability of earth, in the compactness of rock.

I bind myself to-day to God's virtue to pilot me. God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's path to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to secure me, against snares of demons, against seductions of vices, against lusts of nature, against everyone who wishes ill to me, afar and anear, alone and in a multitude..

So have I invoked all these virtues to be with me, against every cruel merciless power which may come against my body and my soul; against the incantations of false prophets, against the black laws of heathenry, against the false laws of heretics, against the craft of idolatry, against the spells of druids, against every knowledge that defiles men's souls.

Christ protect me to-day, against poison, against burning, against drowning, against deathwound, until a multitude of rewards come to me.

Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ below me, Christ above me; Christ at my right, Christ at my left; Christ in the fort, Christ in the chariot, Christ in the poop; Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind myself to-day to a strong virtue in the invocation of the Trinity. Domini est salus, Domini est salus, Christi est salus, Salus tua Domine sit semper nobiscum.