bled for my love in the centre of my soul; and to consecrate to the glory of thy name the whole extent of my being.

An Act of Oblation.

WHEN I reflect, O my God! on the innumerable blessings and favours thou hast heaped on me, from the first moment of my existence to the present hour, I am penetrated with confusion; and my heart, overpowered with gratitude and love, is unable to express what I feel. I am surrounded on all sides with thy benefits: it is thou thyself who lovest and servest me in the creatures that minister to my wants: those to whom I am indebted for my existence, and who give me such proofs of their tenderness, are but the instruments of thy providence, and the channel of thy mercies on my behalf. Thou art not only the God of the Universe, thou art also, in a special manner, a God to me; so interested art thou in all that concerns my welfare, that thy attention seems to be fixed on me alone. Thou hast given me all that I am, and even all that thou art thyself. I can call thee, with as much reason as David could, the God of my salvation and my mercy; my refuge and my support; my treasure and my inheritance. What do I say? Dost thou not deign at present to become my nourishment, to incorporate thyself with my very substance, that I may know the extent of thy love, and possess within my breast a pledge of eternal life? How great, then, will be my ingratitude, if henceforward I do not endeavour, to the utmost of my ability, to correspond with this infinite love, this marked predilection! O my God! may I never be unmindful of thy favours-may my right hand be forgotten, and my tongue cleave to my mouth. if ever I neglect to extol thy mercies! But how shall I, a wretched, miserable creature, make thee a suitable return for all thou hast done for me? myself I have nothing; but do I not possess, in the

In

invaluable gift I have just received, an adequate thanksgiving-an offering worthy of thy supreme greatness? Accept then, O omnipotent Lord, the uninterrupted praise and thanksgivings which thy dear Son offered thee from the moment of his incarnation to the close of his mortal life; particularly at the institution of this sacrament, when fully sensible of our weakness, and of the infinite value of the benefits then bestowed, he raised his eyes to thee, O omnipotent Father! and in our name gave thanks. The sacrifice of my whole being is not worthy to be presented to thee; but in offering thee to thyself, I look on my debts as abundantly discharged. May thy infinite mercies be for ever exalted, for having given me so excellent a means of repaying, in some manner, all the obligations I have contracted towards thy justice as well as thy mercy.

A METHOD OF HEARING MASS

AFTER COMMUNION.

At the Commencement of the Mass.

Having received from your divine Redeemer the most convincing proof of love which God could bestow on his creature, endeavour to testify the lively gratitude which should penetrate your soul. For this purpose you could do nothing better, or more acceptable to God, than to assist anew at the adorable sacrifice; thus offering to the Almighty the only victim of thanksgiving proportioned to the benefit you have received.

giv

O DIVINE JESUS! I possess thee now; thou thyself, 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 wert born?-how canst thou remain with a soul so ungrateful, so tepid, and, even at this moment, so little Benetrated 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, (Ps. 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.

You may fervently repeat the Gloria in excelsis, a prayer most acceptable to the Divinity, inviting both angels and men to give glory to God, not only on high, but also residing within your breast.

O 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. (Ps. 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 splendour 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. O 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. 0 King of Peace! reign in my soul, and let thy dominion be absolute over ail 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.

io

At the Gospel.

Imagine you hear the voice of the Eternal Father, saying: This my beloved Son, hear ye him, St. Matt. xvii. 5. Listen with do cility, not only to the maxims contained in the Gospel, but also to the words of eternal life, which Christ himself will speak to your heart. Not content with instructing you by his prophets and apostles, he has come this day in person to teach and enlighten you.

O ETERNAL TRUTH! how happy are those who listen thy divine inspirations, who hide thy words in their hearts, that they may never sin against thee. (Ps. cxviii. 11.) O that my ways may be henceforth directed to keep thy justifications." (Ibid. ver. 5) O that I may this day learn from thy own ips, 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 charita ble Pastor! seek thy servant, because, amid all my wanderings, I have never forgotten thy commandments; (Ibid. ver. 176.) I have never ceased to acknowledge thee for my God, my Redeemer, my heavenly Guide. O had I fled from sin with the horror it is calculated to inspire-had 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! Ö 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. (Ibid.)

At the Offertory.

Call to mind the transports of gratitude which filled the soul of Zacheus on receiving into his house the Salvation of Israel; persuaded that you are much more favoured than he was, endeavour to imitate his spirit of sacrifice, and take care not to be outdone by a publican in gratitude and fervour.

O 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 as strict a union as a God can contract with his creature. 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