to wait for sinners, and to give them the means of returning to Him. Jesus then showed Himself to her eyes, covered with blood, saying that was the state into which sinners had reduced Him.

Appendix. C. This idea is confirmed by what was one day revealed to St. Gertrude. Our Lord showed her the state He was in when bound to the pillar between the two executioners, the one of whom mangled Him with thorns, while the other Scourged Him with a whip; both struck Him in the face, and that divine face seemed so disfigured in the eyes of St. Gertrude, that she was deeply afflicted by it; and could not restrain her tears as often as this was represented to her mind. It seemed to her as if Jesus Christ turned away His face, and that when He did so from one of the executioners, the other struck Him still more cruelly, and that He turning to her said, "Have you not read that which is written of me, Vidimus eum tamquam ceprosum. (Isaiah liii.)'" Saint Gertrude replied: "Alas! Lord, what remedy is there now capable of assuaging the burning pain in Thy divine face?" And the Saviour replied: "If any one would meditate and consider my sufferings with tenderness and compassion, and pray with charity for sinners, his heart would be, as it were, a salutary balm which would assuage my pain."

Let us profit by these divine words, and not compel that divine Master to say to us, "I have waited and none are come to console me." Let us offer Him the sentiments of a heart compassionating the insults he receives; let us present Him our respect and our adoration; and as He will never allow Himself to be conquered in generosity, by the virtue of His adorable face, He will engrave in us His portrait, impress in our souls the traits of His divine resemblance which our sins have obliterated.

The following is another fact, related in the life of the same saint. She disposed herself one day by an humble souvenir of her faults, to venerate the image of the holy face, as is the custom among the faithful at Rome. She represented to her mind the august countenance of our Lord, all disfigured by the sins which she had committed; and penetrated with grief, she threw herself at his feet to ask His pardon. The Saviour, then raising His hand, blessed her, saying: "By the entrails of My mercy I remit you all your sins, and in order," added He, "that there may be in you a true spirit of repentance, I order you, for the satisfaction of those sins, to do something every day during a whole year, in memory of the indulgence I have just granted you." Our Lord then made the following promise. "All those, who, to evince their love for me, will often recall to their mind's eye the image which represents my face, shall receive in them an impression of my humanity, a lively idea of my divinity; and, by the resemblance of my face which will be engraven in them, they will shine more than others in life eternal." What a consoling promise! Is it not sufficient to rekindle our piety to the adorable face of our divine Saviour? And if we have not the opportunity of visiting that city which is the centre of Christianity to venerate the celebrated image of the holy face, which is there solemnly shown to the faithful; we should at least desire to possess in our heart a copy of it, to which we may pay the just tribute of our respect and love. Let us offer that divine face to the eternal Father for the conversion of blasphemers; let us recollect that at the day of the transfiguration, the heavenly Father, in showing us His Son, whose august image was more brilliant than the sun, said: "Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi bene complacui; ipsum audite." And that divine Saviour Himself says to us, 66 ut quodcun

que petieritis patrem in nomine meo, det vobis." Let us then pray with confidence to this God of goodness in the name of His divine Son, to convert the enemies of His name, and to turn His justice into mercy. Let our voices be united in saying to His eternal Father, "Look on the face of Thy Christ, which we offer Thee for the honour and glory of Thy holy name, in expiation of all our sins, for the wants of holy church, and the salvation of the world."