then it shall appear what his dreams avail him. And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and restore him to his father.

GRAD. Ps. cxix.-In my trouble I cried to the Lord, and he heard me. V. O Lord, Deliver my soul from wicked lips, and a deceitful tongue.

*TRACT. Ps. cii.-Deal not, p. 117.

GOSPEL. Matt. xxi. 33. 46. At that time Jesus spoke to the multitude of the Jews, and to the chief priests this parable: There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen: and went into a strange country. And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants more than the former: and they did to them in like manner. And last of all he sent them his Son, saying: They will reverence my Son: But when the husbandmen seeing the Son, they said among themselves: This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance. And taking him they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed nim. When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen? They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season. Jesus saith to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner

3

་

By the Lord this hath been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes." Therefore I say to you, the kingdon of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and pharisees had hear his parables, they knew that he spoke of them. And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude: because they held him as a prophet.

OFFERT. Ps. xxxix.-Look down, O Lord, to deliver me; look down, O Lord, to help me, let them be confounded and ashamed together that seek after my soul to take it away: look down to my aid, O Lord.

SECRET. May the effects of this warfare, O Lord, remain in us, and be increased by good works. Thro'.

COMM. Ps. xi.-Thou, O Lord, wilt preserve us: and keep us from this generation forever.

P. COMM. Fac nos.-Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that having received this pledge of our eternal salvation, we may so direct our course thereto, as happily to arrive at it. Thro'.

Let us pray. Bow down your heads to God.

PRAYER. Da quæsumus.-Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, to thy people health both of soul and body, that by the continual practice of good works, they may always be defended by thy powerful protection. Thro'.

THE

SATURDAY.

INTROIT. Ps. xviii.

HE law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls; the testimony of the Lord is faithful giving wisdom to little ones. Ps. The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands. V. Glory.

COLLECT. Da quæsumus.-Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, this saving effect of our fast, that the chastisement of the flesh, which we have undertaken, may become the improvement of our souls. Thro'.

LESSON. Gen. xxvii. 5. 39.-In those days: Rebecca said to her son Jacob: I heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, and saying to him: Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the Lord, before I die. Now therefore, my son, follow my counsel and go thy way to thy flock, bring me two kids of the best, that I may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth: which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die. And he answered her: Thou knowest that Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am smooth: if my father shall feel me, and perceive it, I fear lest he will think I would have mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing. And his mother said to him: Upon me be this curse, my son: only hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have said. He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother.

She dressed meat such as she knew his father liked. And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her: and the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck. And she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked. Which when he had carried in, he said My father? But he answered: I hear. Who art thou my son? And Jacob said: I am Esau thy first-born: I have done as thou didst command me: arise, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said to his son: How couldst thou find it so quickly, my son? He answered: It

was the will of God that what I sought came quickly in my way. And Isaac said: Come hither, that I may feel thee my son, and may prove whether thou be my son Esau or no: He came near to his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob, but the hands, are the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, because his hairy hands make him like to the elder. Then blessing him, he said: Art thou my son Esau? He answered: I am. Then he said: Bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee. And when they were brought and he had eaten, he offered him wine also, which after he had drunk, he said to him: Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son. He came near, and kissed him. And immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said: Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee: be thou lord of thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee: and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings. Isaac had scarce ended his words, when Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came, and brought in to his father meats made of what he had taken in hunting, saying: Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison : that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said to him: Why! who art thou? He answered: I am thy 1 first-born son Esau. Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly: and wondering beyond what can be believed, said: Who is he that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou camest? and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. Esau having heard his

father's words, roared out with a great cry: and being in a consternation, said: Bless me also, my father. And he said: Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing. But he said again: Rightly is his name called Jacob: for he hath supplanted me to this second time: my first birth-right he took away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing. And again he said to his father: Hast thou not reserved me also a blessing? Isaac answered: I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants: I have established him with corn and oil, and after this, what shall I do more for thee my son? And Esau said to him: Hast thou only one blessing, father? I beseech thee, bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry, Isaac being moved, said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above shall thy blessing be.

GRAD. Ps. xci. It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to thy name, O Most High. V To shew forth thy mercy in the morning, and thy truth in the night.

GOSPEL. Luke xv. 11. 32. At that time: Jesus spoke to the Scribes and Pharisees this parable : A certain inan had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance. And not many days after, the younger son gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance with living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country, and he began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And returning to