the blessed, is it possible that thou art at this moment present in my heart? Yes, I firmly believe that I possess thee, with all the treasure of thy merits.

O most sacred Virgin, who so long bore and so fervently loved the God I now possess, praise and magnify his goodness. Offer him for me those joys which filled thy pure soul at the moment of his incarnation in thy sacred womb, and assist me to make some return for his unbounded mercies.

Remember, O divine Lord, that one visit from thee would suffice to sanctify the greatest sinner. Permit not, then, that I should receive thee in vain. Let not thy precious blood fall on my heart without producing therein the fruits of virtue thou hast so long expected. Oh, take me out of life this moment rather than permit me to relapse into sin!

Adorable Lord of heaven and earth, thou beholdest in my heart thy beloved Son: he is all mine; his abundant merits belong to me at this moment. I offer them to thee, O my God; and in return I ask for the most ardent love, sincere humility, and, above all, the grace never to offend thee by any mortal sin.

A METHOD OF

Hearing Mass after Communion.

AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE MASS.

DIVINE Jesus, I possess thee now: thou thysel", omnipotent as thou art, can give me nothing more estimable, more precious. O my God, how canst thou possibly endure thy present habitation, far more wretched than the stable in which thou

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wert born! How canst thou remain with a soul so ungrateful, so tepid, and, even at this moment, so little penetrated with a sense of thy divine presence! O God, how hast thou multiplied thy mercies in favour of thy least deserving creature! Should not the profusion of thy benefits terrify me, when I consider my poverty, misery, and inability to acknowledge or repay them? Yet, on the other hand, O divine Benefactor of my soul, when was I ever so rich as at present? Convinced, then, of my personal indigence, yet filled with gratitude for the dignity to which I am raised by the union I have contracted with my Redeemer, I will again offer thee, O King of heaven and earth, a victim of thanksgiving proportioned to thy gifts; I will offer thee a host of praise, immolated not only on this altar, but in the midst of my heart.

And thou, O Jesus, sweet and mild, and plenteous in mercy (Psalm xxxv.), give ear to my earnest petition; let me be now so closely united to thee that I may become one with thee; create within me that humble, meek, and fervent heart, which will make me pleasing and acceptable in thy sight; let thy divine presence fill my soul with consolation and peace, and let thy mercies be now upon me, according to the hope I have placed in thee.

AT THE GLORIA IN EXCELSIS.

GOD of my soul, worthy and adorable object of the praise and benediction of all creatures, permit me to sing to thee a new canticle, because in my favour thou hast done wonderful things. (Psalm xcvii. 1.) Permit me to bless thy adorable name, because thou art good, and thy mercy endureth for ever. In union with him who is the brightness of

thy glory, and the figure of thy substance (Heb. i. 3), I praise thee, I bless thee, I adore thee, and rejoice in all that glory, that felicity, which is essential to thyself, and which the ingratitude of thy creatures can never lessen. Why cannot I extol thy goodness with lips purified as were those of thy prophet? Why cannot I, O Jesus, residing in my heart, burn with the ardours which consumed the heavenly spirits who first sung the praises of thy hidden majesty ? More ardent, though infinitely less favoured than I am, they proclaimed with joy the blessings thou wert come to scatter on earth. Oh, that I had the hearts, the voices of men and angels, to thank thee for those with which thy coming this day has enriched me! O King of peace, reign in my soul, and let thy dominion be absolute over all its powers, affections, desires, and movements. Let my perverse inclinations become submissive to the orders of thy amiable providence, that I may have no will but thine, no pursuit but that of pleasing thee, and no desire but that of enjoying thee eternally.

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AT THE GOSPEL.

ETERNAL Truth, how happy are those who listen to thy divine inspirations, who hide thy words in their hearts that they may never sin against thee! (Psalm cxviii. 11.) Oh, that my ways may be henceforth directed to keep thy justifications ! (Psalm cxviii. 5.) Oh, that I may this day learn from thy own lips, that true life consists in knowing and loving thee alone! Eternal wisdom, proceeding out of the mouth of the Most High, my heart is at this moment thy throne and thy possession; teach me to practise the virtues of humility, charity, and obedience. But, alas! divine Jesus, I deserve not thy

heavenly lessons; I am unworthy that thou shouldst speak to my soul; for I have often transgressed thy law, trampled on thy graces, and slighted thy inspirations. I have gone astray from thee like a sheep that was lost; but, O charitable Pastor, seek thy servant, because, amid all my wanderings, I have not forgotten thy commandments (Psalm cxviii. 176); I have never ceased to acknowledge thee for my God, my Redeemer, my heavenly Guide. Oh, had I fled from sin with the horror it is calculated to inspirehad I valued as I ought the graces which were purchased for me by thy precious blood-how near should I be to thee at this moment! how pleasing would my soul be in thy sight! how dear would it be to thy merciful heart! O my God, the hope and salvation of those who trust in thee, enlighten my darkness, that I may know thy testimonies, for I have inclined my heart to keep them for ever. (Psalm cxviii.)

AT THE OFFERTORY.

ADORABLE Jesus, how insensible should I be to my own eternal and temporal welfare, did I refuse my heart to thee, for whom it was created, and who alone can satisfy its desires! Yet, my God, in offering thee all that I have, what do I present? A soul, redeemed indeed by thy precious blood, but stained with such sins as should render it hateful in thy sight; an ungrateful heart, which thou hast repeatedly demanded, but which I have so long refused. O my God, canst thou accept now a gift which thy mercy alone could have caused thee to require? Yes, divine Jesus, thou wilt now accept my offering, for I present it to thee, not as my heart, but as thy sanctuary: not single, but incorporated with thee by the closest union which God can grant to

his creature here below. O most merciful Lord, do thou crown all thy mercies, by bestowing on me that humble, contrite heart which is the only offering thou desirest to receive from thy creatures. O Divine Lord, assisted by that grace which I have this day abundantly received, I now make thee a free oblation of my whole being, to which I am determined never more to be unfaithful.

AT THE PREFACE.

KING of heaven and earth, thou art he whose greatness and whose majesty no created intelligence can ever comprehend, and whose amiable perfections no human heart can ever sufficiently love. How, then, shall I presume to appear before thee? How shall I pronounce that sacred name I am so unworthy to utter? Yet, my God, permit me, for the sake of the adorable Victim I have received, to offer thee my most fervent adoration, in union with the angels who surround this altar; or rather, in union with the acceptable adorations of my divine Redeemer, the Holy of Holies, the Lord of angels.

By thee, O great High Priest, who hath passed into the heavens (Heb. iv. 14), I can join worthily in the praises which resound in the heavenly Jerusalem! Thou art come to me this day in the name of the Lord. Blessed for ever be that infinite mercy which is come to pardon me! Blessed be that love which is come to inflame me! Blessed be that liberality which is come to enrich me! O Son of David, Son of the Most High God, may never-ending Hosannas celebrate thy mercies heaped on me! and may I, through thy infinite goodness, one day join in the praise which will ascend before thy throne for all eternity!