out: but having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses. The multitude believed them, as being the elders and judges of the people, and they condemned her to death. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said: O eternal God, who knowest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to pass, thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me: and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously forged against me. And the Lord heard her voice. And when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel: and he cried out with a loud voice: I am clear from the blood of this woman. Then all the people turning towards him, said: What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken ? But he standing in the midst of them said: "Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, ye have condemned a daughter of Israel? Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her. So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him: Come and sit thou down among us, and shew it us: seeing God hath given thee the honour of old age. And Daniel said to the people: Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them. So when they were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them and said to him: O thou that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out which thou hast committed before: in judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty go free, whereas the Lord saith: the innocent and the just thou shalt not kill. Now then, if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together. He said: under a mastick tree. And Daniel

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said: Well hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God having received the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two. And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should coine, and he said to him: O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thy heart: thus did you do as to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you but a daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness. Now, therefore, tell me under what tree didst thou take them conversing together? And he answered: under a holm tree. And Daniel said to him: Well hast thou also lied against thy own head; for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy thee. with that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him. And they rose up against the two elders (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbour, to fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.

GRAD. Ps. xxii.-Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me, O Lord. V. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.

GOSPEL. John viii. 1. 11.-At that time: Jesus went to mount Olivet. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him, and sitting down he taught them. And the Scribes and Pharisees brings unto him a woman taken in adultery; and they set her in the midst, and said to him: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest thou? And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself

down, wrote with his finger on the ground. When therefore they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground. But they hearing this, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, and Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up himself, said to her: Woman, where are they that accused thee? Hath no man condemned thee? Who said: No man, Lord. And Jesus said: Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.

OFFERT. Ps. cxviii.-Direct my steps according to thy word, that no injustice may reign in me, O Lord.

SECRET. Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that the offering of this sacrifice may cleanse and protect our frail nature from all evil.

COMM. John viii.-Woman, hath no man condemned thee? No man, Lord. Neither will I condemn thee. Now sin no more.

P. COMM. Quæsumus.-We beseech thee, O Alinighty God, that we may be reckoned among his members, whose body and blood we partake of. Who livest, &c.

Let us pray. Bow down your heads to God.

PRAYER. Prætende.-Stretch forth, O Lord, over thy people, the right hand of thy heavenly aid, that they may seek thee with their whole heart, and mercifully obtain what they ask for as they ought. Thro'.

IV. SUNDAY IN LENT.

N the Mass of this day, the Church seems to forget

been occupied from the beginning of Lent. The reason whereof is, that formerly such as were to receive baptism at Easter, were enregistered, after having been examined this week. She also saw the time now

approaching for the reconciliation of the penitents, whom she had subjected to public penance on AshWednesday. The future birth, therefore, of those who were judged worthy of the grace of baptism; and the resurrection to a new life of several of her children, who, after having gone astray, return to God by a sincere conversion, is this day the subject of her joy. INTROIT. Is. lxvi. Ps. cxxi.

Rejoice, Jerusalem, and

meet together all you who love her: rejoice exceedingly, you who have been in sorrow, that you may leap for joy, and be satiated with comfort from her breasts.

Ps. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord. V. Glory.

Etare, Jerusalem, et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum lætitia, qui in tristitia fuistis, ut exultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestræ.

Ps. cxxi. Lætatus sum in his, quæ dicta sunt, mihi: in domum Domini ibimus.

V. Gloria.

COLLECT. Concede.-Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we, who are justly afflicted according to our demerits, may be relieved by thy comforting grace. Thro'.

EPISTLE. Gal. iv. 22. 31.-Brethren: It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bond-woman, and the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bond-woman, was born according to the flesh but he by the free-woman, was by promise. Which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sina, engendering unto bondage; which is Agar: for Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But that Jerusalem, which is above, is free; which is our mother. For it is written: "Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not:

for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then, he that was born according to the flesh, persecuted him that was after the spirit: so also it is now. But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.' So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free; by the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free.

GRAD. Ps. cxxi.-I rejoiced at the things that were said to me; we shall go into the house of the Lord.

V. Let peace be in thy strength, and abundance in thy towers.

TRACT. Ps. cxxiv.—Qui confidunt in Domino, sicut mons Sion: non commovebitur in æternum, qui habitat in Jerusalem. They that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Sion: he shall not be moved for ever that dwelleth in Jerusalem. V. Mountains are round about it; so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth now and for ever.

GOSPEL. John. vi. 1. 15.-At that time: Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias: and a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to try him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him: Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,