that their fast may not only purify them, but may also obtain for them that divine assistance, which will secure their salvation, by enabling them to abound in good works. COLLECT. O God, who purifiest thy Church by the yearly observation of Lent: grant, that what thy children endeavour to obtain of thee by abstinence, they may put in execution by good works. Through, &c. Deus, qui Ecclesiam tuam annua quadragesimali observatione purificas: præsta familiæ tuæ, ut quod a te obtinere abstinendo nititur, hoc bonis operibus exsequatur. Per Dominum. The two following Collects, for the general wants of the Church, are then added. SECOND COLLECT. Preserve us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all dangers of soul and body and by the intercession of the glorious and blessed Mary, the ever Virgin-Mother of God, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, of blessed N. (here is mentioned the Titular Saint of the Church), and of all the Saints, grant us, in thy mercy, health and peace; that all adversities and errors being removed, thy Church may serve thee with undisturbed liberty. A cunctis nos, quæsumus, Domine, mentis et corporis defende periculis et intercedente beata et gloriosa semper virgine Dei Genitrice Maria, cum beatis Apostolistuis Petro et Paulo, atque beato N. et omnibus Sanctis, salutem nobis tribue benignus et pacem : ut, destructis adversitatibus et erroribus universis, Ecclesia tua secura tibi serviat libertate. THIRD COLLECT. O Almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom thou knowest will be thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech thee, that they, for whom we have proposed to Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui vivorum dominaris simul et mortuorum, omniumque misereris quos tuos fide et opere futuros esse prænoscis: te supplices exoramus, ut pro quibus effundere preces decrevi mus, quosque vel præsens sæculum adhuc in carne retinet, vel futurum jam exutos corpore suscepit, intercedentibus omnibus Sanctis tuis, pietatis tuæ clementia, omnium delictorum suorum veniam consequantur. Per Dominum. offer our prayers, whether this world still retains them in the flesh, or the next world hath already received them divested of their bodies, may, by the clemency of thine own goodness, and the intercession of thy Saints, obtain pardon and full remission of their sins. Through, &c. EPISTLE. Lectio Epistolæ beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthios. II. Cap. VI. Fratres, exhortamur VOS, ne in vacuum gratiam Dei recipiatis. Ait enim : Tempore accepto exaudivi te, et in die salutis adjuvi te. Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, ecce nunc dies salutis. Nemini dantes ullam offensionem, ut non vituperetur ministerium nostrum: sed in omnibus exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros, in multa patientia, in tribulationibus, in necessitatibus, in angustiis, in plagis, in carceribus, in seditionibus, in laboribus, in vigiliis, in jejuniis, in castitate, in scientia, in longanimitate, in suavitate, in Spiritu Sancto, in charitate non ficta, in verbo veritatis, in virtute Dei, per arma justitiæ a dextris et a sinistris, per gloriam et ignobilitatem, per infamiam et bonam famam; ut seductores, et veraces; sicut qui ignoti, et cogniti; quasi morientes, et ecce vivimus: ut Lesson of the Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, II. Ch. VI. Brethren, we exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time: behold, now is the day of salvation. Giving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed; but in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in prison, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armour of justice on the right hand, and on the left: by honour and dishonour: by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true: as unknown, and yet known as dying, and behold we live : as chastised, and not killed as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing as needy, yet enriching many as having nothing, and possessing all things. castigati, et non mortificati: quasi tristes, semper autem gaudentes: sicut egentes, multos autem locupletantes: tanquam nihil habentes, et omnia possidentes. These words of the Apostle give us a very different idea of the Christian Life from that which our own tepidity suggests. We dare not say that he is wrong, and we right; but we put a strange interpretation upon his words, and we tell both ourselves and those around us, that the advice he bere gives is not to be taken literally now-a-days, and that it was written for those special difficulties of the first age of the Church, when the Faithful stood in need of unusual detachment and almost heroism, because they were always in danger of persecution and death. The interpretation is full of that discretion which meets with the applause of our cowardice, and it easily persuades us to be at rest, just as though we had no dangers to fear, and no battle to fight; whereas, we have both for there is the devil, the world, flesh and blood. The Church never forgets it; and hence, at the opening of this great Season, she sends us into the desert, that there we may learn from our Jesus how we are to fight. Let us go; let us learn, from the Temptations of our Divine Master, that the life of man upon earth is a warfare, and that, unless our fighting be truceless and brave, our life, which we would fain pass in peace, will witness our defeat. That such a misfortune may not befal us, the Church cries out to us, in the words of St. Paul: Behold! now is the acceptable time. Behold! now is the day of salvation. Let us, in all things comport ourselves as the servants of God, and keep our ground unflinchingly to the end of our holy campaign. God is watching over us, as he did over his Beloved Son in the Desert. 1 Job, vii, 1. The Gradual tells us, that we are under the protection of the Angels, and that these blessed Spirits leave us not, either day or night. During Lent, they redouble their efforts against our enemies, and rejoice at seeing us sinners accept the penance, which is to bring us to salvation. The Tract, too, inspires us with confidence: it speaks to us of the goodness of God, and of his fatherly watchfulness over us his ungrateful children, whom he wishes to make his faithful friends and co-heirs of his kingdom. GRADUAL. Angelis suis Deus mandavit de te, ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. V. In manibus portabunt te, ne unquam offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. God hath given his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. V. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. TRACT. . Qui habitat in adjutorio Altissimi, in protectione Dei cœli commorabitur. V. Dicet Domino: Susceptor meus es tu, et refugium meum; Deus meus, sperabo in eum. V. Quoniam ipse liberavit me de laqueo venantium, et a verbo aspero. V. Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi, et sub pennis ejus sperabis. V. Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus non timebis a timore nocturno. V. A sagitta volante per diem, a negotio perambu . He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven. V. He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge; my God, in him will I trust. V. For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters, and from their sharp word. V. He will overshadow thee with his shoulders, and under his wings thou shalt trust. V. His truth shall compass thee with a shield, thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night. V. Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh in the dark, of ruin, or of the noon-day devil. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee. V. For he hath given his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. V. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. V. Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk, and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon. V. Because he hath hoped in me, I will deliver him: I will protect him, because he hath known my name. V. He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in his trouble. V. I will deliver him, and I will glorify him: I will fill him with length of days, and I will show him my salvation. lante in tenebris, a ruina et a dæmonio meridiano. V. Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis: tibi autem non appropinquabit. V. Quoniam Angelis suis mandavit de te, ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis. V. In manibus portabunt te, ne unquam offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. V. Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis, et conculcabis leonem et draco nem. V. Quoniam in me speravit, liberabo eum : protegam eum, quoniam cognovit Nomen meum. V. Invocabit me, et ego exaudiam eum : cum ipso sum in tribulatione. V. Eripiam eum et glorificabo eum longitudine dierum adimplebo eum, et ostendam illi Salutare meum. GOSPEL. Sequel of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Ch. IV. At that time, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards hungry. And the tempter coming, said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said: It is written, "Not by bread alone doth man live, Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthæum. Cap. IV. In illo tempore, Ductus est Jesus in desertum a Spiritu, ut tentaretur a diabolo. Et, cum jejunasset quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus, postea esuriit. Et accedens tentator, dixit ei: Si Filius Dei es, dic ut lapides isti panes fiant. Qui respondens, dixit: Scriptum est: Non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in |