us. And now I will tell you another, about a poor blind man, whose conduct was very different from that of these ungrateful lepers; for his gratitude made him confess the miracle which Christ had wrought in his favour, although this confession brought disgrace and suffering upon himself. This man was a beggar, and had been blind from his very birth. JESUS cured him, by putting dust, moistened with his spittle, upon his eyes, and then making him wash them in a certain pool. Now, many of the Jews hated JESUS, and envied him for the great works he had wrought among them. They were unwilling to believe this miracle, because it redounded so much to his honour; they sought, therefore, to throw a doubt upon it, and tried to make the beggar confess that JESUS was a sinner, and that it was not to him he was indebted for his sight. But the poor man persisted in his account, and declared, moreover, that if JESUS had been a sinner, GOD would not have given him power to perform such wonders; so the Jews were very angry with him, and drove him out from among them. JESUS, hearing what had happened, went to the poor man, and asked him whether he believed in the Son of GOD? and he answered, "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?" JESUS said, "Thou hast seen him; and it is he that is talking with thee." And the man said, "I believe, Lord;" and, falling down, he adored JESUS. 66 Our blessed Saviour now preached publicly in Jerusalem; and he was employed in this manner one day when a doctor of the law came up to him, and asked him what was the great commandment of the law? JESUS answered, that it was to love GOD above all things, and his neighbour as himself. Who is my neighbour?" asked the doctor. JESUS answered by the following little story :"A certain traveller fell into the hands of thieves, who robbed and wounded him, and left him on the ground as if he were dead. A priest, who was passing that way, saw him lying there, but made no offer to assist him. Soon after another man passed by, and showed as little feeling as the priest. At last another man came, and being touched with compassion, went to his relief, dressed his wounds, brought him to an inn, and begging the man who kept it to take care of him, gave him money, that he might buy everything needful for his recovery. Now, which of these three," asked our Blessed Saviour, "do you think was a neighbour to that wounded man ?” "The one who came to his assistance, no doubt," replied the doctor." "Go then," said JESUS," and do thou likewise." In this little story, JESUS showed the Jews how right it is to be charitable to our neighbours, and to assist them as far as it is in our power to do so. He afterwards told them another, in order to prove the willingness of Almighty GOD to pardon all the sins of which we have been guilty, whenever we seek forgiveness by a sincere repentance and resolution to sin no more:-"There was a certain man," he said, "who had two sons. The youngest of them was very eager to be his own master, and asked his father to give him the fortune that fell to his share. This request being granted, he immediately went into a foreign country, where he fell into bad com. pany and spent his money in wickedness and prodigality. When it was all gone, he was reduced to the greatest poverty, and to save himself from starving, he was obliged to hire himself to a man who sent him to take care of the swine on his farm; here nobody gave him any food, and he was forced by hunger to eat the husks that were thrown to the swine. The wretchedness of his situation made him reflect deeply upon his sins, and he cried out in the anguish of his heart, alas! how many servants are there in my father's house, who have plenty to eat while I am perishing with hunger: I will arise and return to my father; I will confess my sins to him; I will own myself unworthy to be called his son, and will ask to be received as the meanest of his servants.'" With these feelings of humble sorrow, he rose up and returned to his father's house. His father, who had certainly grieved very much during his absence, saw him while he was yet a great way off, and, moved to tears of joy and compassion, ran out to meet and embrace him. Covered with confusion, and full of shame at having left so good a father, the son cried out, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against thee, and I am not worthy to be called thy son!" The good father was moved by his son's sorrow, not only to forgive, but even to receive him into his former favour. His clothes were worn and dirty; so the servants were ordered to bring forth a rich robe, to put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet; the fatted calf was killed, and great rejoicings were made upon the occasion. The eldest son, returning from the fields, heard the sound of music and of dancing, and finding out what it meant, he refused to enter the house. father went out to invite him in, but the young man's jealousy was roused, so he said to his father, “I have never offended you, and you have not even given me a kid to make merry with my friends; and this your profligate son, who has spent all his money in wicked The pursuits, no sooner appears, than the fatted calf is killed for his entertainment." 66 Son," replied the father, "Thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine; but it was fitting we should thus rejoice for thy brother, since he was lost and is found, he was dead, and is come to life again." One of the last miracles which JESUS performed among the Jews, was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. I must first tell you that Lazarus was a man who lived in Bethania with his two sisters, Martha and Mary, which Mary is supposed to have been that Mary Magdalen whose story I have already related to you. JESUS often lodged in their house, where he was always received with the most affectionate respect. When Lazarus, therefore, was first taken ill, the two sisters gave notice of it to JESUS, for they hoped he would come and cure him. JESUS, however, made no haste to go, and in the meantime Lazarus died. He then told his disciples that Lazarus was asleep, and he must go and wake him; by which he meant to say, that Lazarus was dead, and he must go and bring him to life again. At first the disciples tried to dissuade JESUS from going to that part of the country where his life had before been in danger from the malice of the Jews; but at last, with a noble courage, which showed his love for his divine Redeemer, St. Thomas said,— "Let us all go and die with him." When they arrived at Bethania, they found that Lazarus had been four days dead in the grave. Martha no sooner heard that Jesus was come, than she went out to meet him. 'Lord," she said, "If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." JESUS answered, "Thy brother shall rise again." "I know,” replied Martha, "that he will rise at the last day; and now I also know, that whatever thou dost ask of God, He will give it unto thee." "I am the resurrection and the life," said JESUS: "he that believeth in me, though he be dead, shall live; and he who liveth and believeth in me shall not die for ever. Believest thou this ?" "Yea, Lord," replied Martha; "I believe that thou art Christ the Son of the living God." And having said this, she went out to Mary and whispered to her that JESUS was come. Mary, therefore, quickly rose and went forth to meet him. She had a great many friends sitting with her at the time, and as they did not hear what Martha said to her, they thought she was going to weep upon her brother's grave, and they got up and followed her. When Mary saw JESUS she threw herself at his feet, and weeping bitterly, she said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died." Her friends then melted into tears, and JESUS also wept and was much troubled. He asked where they had laid him, and when they invited him to come and see, he went, groaning in spirit, to the sepulchre, which was a vault with the stone laid over it. This, JESUS ordered to be taken off. Lord," said Martha, "by this time he stinketh, for he hath been four days dead." "Did I not tell thee," answered JESUS, "that if thou believest, thou shalt see the glory of GOD?" They then took off the stone; JESUS lifted his eyes to heaven in a short but fervent prayer, and then cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!" and instantly Lazarus came forth, bound as he was in his winding sheet. "Loose his hands," said JESUS, " and let him go." Many of the Jews who beheld this miracle were compelled by it to believe in the divine mission of JESUS; but it only increased the envious hatred of the chief priests and Pharisees, who immediately held a council, in which it was resolved that Christ should be put to death. In consequence of this resolution, JESUS went no longer openly among the Jews, but going into a country near the desert, he lived for some time with his disciples in a city called Ephrem. PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN. A LITTLE child, at Mary's door, And thou art pure, and wise, and high, JESUS, DULCIS MEMORIA. 1. JESUS, 'tis sweet in memory And thought to meditate on Thee; 2. No softer note was ever heard, Nor sweeter breath of music stirr'd, 3. Thou, JESUS, art the soul's firm stay, When bitter thoughts of sin dismay; Most gracious to the searching mind,— Then what to those, who search and find? 4. Sweet JESUS Christ, the soul's delight, And living fount of inward light; 5. Of that no tongue can fitly speak, Then, JESUS I will seek apart, 7. With Mary in the morning's womb, |