the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should lift me up, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which thing I thrice besought the Lord, that it might depart from me: and he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

GRAD. Ps. lxxxii.-Let the Gentiles know that God is thy name: thou alone art the Most High over all the earth. V. O my God, make them like a wheel; and as stubble before the wind.

TRACT. Ps. lix.-Commovisti, Domine, terram, et conturbasti eam. Thou hast moved the earth, O Lord, and hast troubled it. V. Heal the breaches thereof for it is moved. V. That they may flee from before the bow: that thy elect may be delivered.

GOSPEL. Luke viii. 4. 16.-At that time: When a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities to meet Jesus, he spoke by a similitude. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it had no moisture. And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And other some fell upon good ground; and sprung up, and yielded fruit a hundred-fold. Saying these things he cried out: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. To whom he said: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables: that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now K

the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And they by the way side, are they that hear, then the devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their hearts, lest believing they should be saved. Now they upon the rock, are they who when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these have no roots; for they believe for awhile, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns, are they who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and the riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But that on the good ground, are they who in a good and perfect heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.

OFFERT. Ps. xvi.-Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved: O incline thy ear unto me and hear my words. Shew forth thy wonderful mercies: who saveth them that hope in thee O Lord.

SECRET. May the sacrifice we have offered to thee, O Lord, always enliven us and defend us. Thro'.

COMM. Ps. xlii.-I will go up to the altar of God, to God, who rejoiceth my youth.

P. COMM. Supplices.-Grant, we humbly beseech thee, O Almighty God, that those whom thou refreshest with thy sacraments, may, by a life well pleasing to thee, worthily serve thee. Thro'.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
INTROIT. Ps. xxx.

BE thou unto me a God

a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me: for thou art my strength, and my refuge; and for thy name's

ESTO

ASTO mihi in Deum. protectorem, et ir locum refugii, ut salvum me facias: quoniam firmamentum meum, et refugium meum es tu; et

sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me. Ps. In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice and rescue me. V. Glory.

propter nomen tuum dux mihi eris, et enutries me. Ps. In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in æternum; in justitia tua libera me, et eripe me. V. Gloria.

COLL. Preces.-Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord, and being freed from the chains of our sins, preserve us from all adversity Thro'.

EPISTLE. 1 Cor. xiii. 1. 13.-Brethren: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind: Charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely: it is not puffed up, it is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. We now see through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I

know in part: but then I shall know, even as I am known. And now there remain faith, hope, charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.

GRAD. Ps. lxxvi.-Thou art God that alone dost wonders: thou hast made thy power known among the nations. V. Thou hast delivered thy people, the children of Israel and Joseph, by the strength of thy arm.

TRACT. Ps. xcix.—Jubilate Deo omnis terra; servite Domino in lætitia. Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness. V. Come in before his presence with joy. Know ye that the Lord he is God. V. He made us; and not we ourselves: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

GOSPEL. Luke xviii. 31. 43. — At that time: Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them. Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon: and after they have Scourged him, they will put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things, and this word was hid from them, and they understood not the things that were said. Now it came to pass, that when he drew nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way-side, begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And they that went before, rebuked him, that he should hold his peace. But he cried out much more: Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus standing, commanded

him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, saying: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: Lord, that I may see. And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people when they saw it, gave praise to God. CREDO.

OFFERT. Ps. cxviii.-Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy justifications: with my lips have I pronounced all the judgments of thy mouth.

SECRET. May this offering, we beseech thee, O Lord, cleanse away our sins: and sanctify the bodies and souls of thy servants, to prepare them for worthily celebrating this sacrifice. Thro'.

COMM. Ps. lxxvii.-They did eat and were filled exceedingly, the Lord gave them their desire: they were not deprived of that which they craved.

P. COMM. Quæsumus. - We beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who have taken this heavenly food, may by it be defended from all adversity.

ASH-WEDNESDAY.

THE ceremony of applying ashes, in the form of a

cross, to the heads of the faithful on this day, is a relick of the ancient discipline of the Church which, at the beginning of Lent, subjected public and scandalous sinners to public and canonical penance. The priest, (having first heard their confession, clothed them with sackcloth-laid ashes on their heads, and sprinkled them with holy water) recited aloud over them the seven Penitential Psalms, assisted therein by all the clergy lying prostrate on the ground. After the procession in which they walked bare-foot in the penitential dress above described, they were turned out of the Church, not to be again admitted to assist at the sacred mysteries, till Maunday-Thursday. The Church doors were then shut, and the Mass of the faithful began.