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Cùm accipit Crucem pectoralem.

MUNIRE digneris me, Domine Jesu Christe, ab omnibus insidiis inimicorum omnium, signo sanctissimæ Crucis tuæ ac concedere digneris mihi indigno servo tuo, ut sicut hanc Crucem, Sanctorum tuorum reliquiis refertam, ante pectus meum teneo, sic semper mente retineam et memoriam passionis, et sanctorum victorias martyrum.

Ad Stolam.

REDDE mihi, Domine, obsecro, stolam immortalitatis, quam perdidi in prævaricatione primi parentis et quamvis indignus accedere præsumo ad tuum sacrum mysterium cum hoc ornamento, præsta ut in eodem in perpetuum merear lætari.

Ad Tunicellam.

TUNICA jucunditatis, et indumento lætitiæ induat me Dominus.

Ad Dalmaticam.

INDUE me, Domine, indumento salutis, et vestimento lætitiæ, et dalmaticâ justitiæ circumda me semper.

Ad Chirothecas.

CIRCUMDA, Domine, manus meas munditià novi hominis, quæ de cœlo descendit: ut

quemadmodùm Jacob dilectus tuus, pelliculis hoedorum opertis manibus, paternam benedictionem, oblato patri cibo potuque gratissimo impetravit, sic et oblatâ per manus nostras salutari hostiâ, gratiæ tuæ benedictioPer Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui in similitudinem carnis peccati pro nobis obtulit semetipsum.

nem merear.

Ad Planetam.

DOMINE, qui dixisti: Jugum meum suave est, et onus meum leve: præsta ut illud portare sic valeam, quòd possim consequi tuam gratiam.

Ad Mitram.

MITRAM, Domine, et salutis galeam impone capiti meo: ut contra antiqui hostis, omniumque inimicorum meorum insidias inoffensus evadam.

Ad Annulum cordis.

CORDIS et corporis mei, Domine, digitos virtute decora, et septiformis Spiritus sanctificatione circumda.

Ad Manipulum.

MEREAR precor Domine, manipulum portare mente flebili: ut cum exultatione portionem accipiam cum justis.

Meditations and Affections
Before Mass.

MEDITATION I.

SUNDAY.

De stercore erigens pauperem, ut collocet eum cum principibus, cum principibus populi sui. Ps. cxii. 8. Consider, my soul, that God could not have made thee any thing greater than what he has made thee. To what higher degree of dignity could he have exalted thee, than to appoint thee to be his minister here below in all things pertaining to his greater glory? He has admitted thee to approach his holy altar, and to offer to him in sacrifice his own beloved Son. Out of how many has God called thee to his Priesthood! From amongst countless numbers of possible creatures he chose to create thee, and brought thee into this world. In preference to millions of infidels and heretics he included thee within the pale of his Church, and made thee a christian and a catholic. And, to crown all, he has chosen thee from amongst millions of the faithful, and made thee a Priest.

Ah! if God had honoured only one man in

the whole world with the Priesthood; if he had given power to only one Priest to bring down from heaven the Word incarnate, and to deliver souls from hell by absolving them from their sins, in what estimation would such an individual be held! And what return of thanks would such a Priest make to God? What would he not do through love, for having been alone selected from amongst men, to be honoured by so exalted a dignity? But remember, my soul, that the number of other Priests does not in the least diminish thy dignity and obligations.

Well may God claim every Priest as entirely his own. A Priest is called in the sacred Scripture Homo Dei, a man who belongs to no other but God. The Priests 'of old laid their hands upon the victims which they sacrificed, to signify that they were willing to sacrifice also their own lives as they sacrificed those of their victims: and in like manner the Priests of the new law extend their hands over the Oblata, to signify that they also ought to offer their whole selves to God, and even their lives, in union with that of Jesus Christ, whom they offer in the Holy Sacrifice.

Behold, thou art now about to approach the altar, and with a few words to call down the Word incarnate into thy hands. At thy

word the substance of bread and wine will be changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Thou art going to the altar as the ambassador of the whole human race, to intercede with God for the Church and for all mankind. Prepare then thyself with the following affections.

AFFECTIONS.

Он, my God! how truly is that sentiment of holy David verified in me: De stercore erigens pauperem, ut collocet eum cum principibus, cum principibus populi sui. Behold I, a miserable sinner, who for my many sins have deserved to have been long since cast into hell, and trampled upon by demons, abandoned by all and by thee, my beloved Lord: behold, I am now about to celebrate,—to offer to thee in sacrifice thine own divine Son. Behold, in a few moments, at my word the Word incarnate will descend upon the altar, place himself in my hands, and through them offer himself up to thee, and give me his most sacred flesh to be my food.

O God of my soul, I a Priest! I, who have so often turned my back upon thee! I, who for a short and poisoned pleasure have exchanged thy friendship and renounced thy favour and love! Why hast thou chosen me

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