To know that a great many indulgences can be obtained by piously attending the Holy Week services.

To go up one aisle and to come down another when visiting repositories in crowded churches so as to avoid jostling against the throng.

To contribute to the fund for decorating the repository for Holy Thursday in the Parish Church.

To remember that one who walks to the different Churches visited gains more merit than one who rides, other things being equal.

The Correct Thing for Catholics.

HOLY WEEK.

LELIA HARDING BUGG.

HOLY WEEK, a special season of sorrow and repentance, is at hand, a time when every Catholic, worthy of the name, should implore forgiveness of their sins, promising henceforth to lead a devout life, and to observe more faithfully God's law and commands, He Who gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice and atonement for our redemption.

The first day of the week, Christ entered Jerusalem, and the people followed Him, crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest." This day was foretold by the prophets, and we commemorate it by the blessing and distributing of the palms at Mass.

The next three days of the week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, are days of mourning in the Church. Holy Thursday is observed by the faithful in visiting various repositories, where they adore the Divine Mystery, surrounded by a wealth of flowers and myriad lights.

Good Friday, day of sorrow and gladness -sorrow for our part in the crucifixion of Our Lord by our sins-gladness for the joy of salvation to man! We reverently kneel and kiss the cross laid on the steps before the altar, and caress the sacred wounds of our Redeemer, imploring pardon for our transgressions in the past, and promising better things in the future.

Holy Saturday our Lord rests in the tomb, and the Church awaits the Resurrection with subdued joy and gladness. On the morrow-the first day of the week - we shall hail our Risen Lord. May it find us with clean and pure hearts, that we may be worthy to approach the Lord's table and partake of the Blessed Sacrament, and begin renewed lives of aspiration toward perfection.

The end of the Lenten season is now drawing near. Its last solemn week is about upon us and we are called by the Church to pray devoutly. Through the prayers we say, the acts of devotion we practise at this time, we are taught will the life beyond the grave be compensated. Holy Week with its dark dread height of Calvary is now before us. The meditation and bloody sweat, the betrayal, and then then Friday Good Friday, with is sacrifice for man's redemption, when the voice of his servant at the altar is hushed, and the world moans in its grief; all this is what now comes to possess the soul, and make the heart of man bow down in prayer. In the shadow of the great solemn event, the believing mind turns away from all earthly thought, and dwells upon the great mystery.

To the Catholic it is not a dream, all this, not an ecstasy, or a story held and told in print, or a symbol of what was once on earth, but a living, real, actual occurrence made such by the Real Presence, and as such has its influence on the mind. It is a shading, a drawing of the mantle of sorrow upon all the earth at mid-day, that so, in greater relief, the eye of Faith may see upon Golgotha's height, the Man-God impaled upon the cross by man in his blindness, and all allowed by Heaven, that so man from his sins might find redemption.

EASTER.

"He is risen. Alleluia!" The glad words ring out at the happy Easter time, and all bow in acknowledgment of the Divinity of Christ. The soldiers no longer guard the portals of the dead Saviour's tomb. While Christmas commemorates the birthday of our Lord, Easter marks the birth of the Christian Religion, for by His resurrection Christ proved that He was "indeed the Son of God." After the sadness which pervades Holy Week, comes the gladness of Easter, teaching us to rise with Christ to a new life.

Easter is indeed a joyous feast, and one when our hearts should go out in thankfulness to God for the many blessings He has given us; but most of all for the great gift of faith, which is a priceless blessing. The feast comes to us in the early spring when nature is awaking from her long sleep and putting on her new garments. The choicest flowers deck our altars, the pure Easter lilies emit their fragrance, and before our Lord, veiled in the Blessed Sacrament, burn myriads of lights. All this is in keeping with the great day which brought into the world the light of Christian faith, and the sweet odor of sanctity.

Like the observance of Christmas, that of Easter has of late years become general, and in the churches of all the sects the grand music of the old Catholic masters is sung on that day. A perusal of the Easter programs of these churches shows that more Catholic music is being added each year, and the observance of recent years is much more elaborate than formerly. The influence of the Church is spreading in a marvellous manner, and the persecution which she has suffered during late years has done a good work in more closely uniting her members. The world to-day,

In this unity of the Catholic Church is her strength. through many noted writers of different creeds, is also awaking to the fact that in the Catholic Church alone the true democracy which Christ taught is practised. Within her fold all classes are welcome, the rich who can contribute liberally to the many good works which she supports, and equally as welcome the poor and down-trodden who will there find solace and comfort. The outcast of society finds a refuge in God's Church and are there taught that, if repentant, like Magdalen, they can become saints and occupy high places in God's kingdom. The queen of society and the woman who earns her daily bread by the most menial service, kneel side by side in the Catholic Church on an equal footing. No spirit of caste exists in the true Church of Christ, and surely this is carrying out the teaching of the meek and humble Son of Mary, Who dwelt among the poor and lowly, and taught us that the attainment of riches should not be the sole aim of our existence on earth.

The feast of Easter teaches many lessons, but mainly that of gratitude. When, on that day, we kneel in solemn worship, we should not forget to give thanks for our innumerable blessings, and ask that our faith be strengthened and sustained.

"He

Then will it be for us indeed a joyous feast, and one celebrated in the true spirit of love and faith. Then can we join with the Church in her glad anthem: is risen, Alleluia!”

Haverhill.

"O death! where is thy bitter sting?
Where now thy victory?

To-day His glorious praise we sing,
Who triumphed over thee.

Nor triumphed for Himself alone,
But by His mighty power

Taught us to triumph in our turn.
Nor dread thy terrors more."

MARY E. DESMOND.

Easter, the glad anniversary of our Saviour's resurrection, is the greatest festival of the year the Queen of festivals. In early times it was the custom for Christians to greet each other on the morning of this day, with the words of the Gospel, "The Lord hath risen indeed; Alleluia!" To which the person saluted made reverent answer, "And hath appeared unto Simon, Alleluia!"

It is one of the movable feasts of the Church, and is not fixed to one particular day of the month, but occurs according as the full moon next after the vernal equinox falls near or further from the equinox.

In the language of Scripture, let us remember that on this great day of days, "Christ, our Paschal Victim, was sacrificed, therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Christ is risen; He is no longer hidden in the gloom of the tomb. Let us rejoice and be glad. This day brought salvation to man through Christ's resurrection from death, and the infamous cross is now glorified by His blood. It is truly "a day of faith, of hope, and of love, a day of happiness and joy!"

The Saviour suffered and died for our sins. We may return Him love for love and show Him that we are grateful. How may we do this? By repentance and contrition, by making a sincere confession and partaking of the Blessed Sacrament, by rising from death in sin, to be born anew. In this way we may prove our love, and show Him gratitude for His cruel death on the cross in expiation for our transgressions.

Easter is, then, a day of rejoicing, and earth and heaven sing the praises and chant the glory of our Risen Lord. Let us resolve not to return to the path of sin, but henceforth to be true children of God, and then, it may be said of all our days, as well as Easter, "This is the day the Lord hath made, let us exult and rejoice therein."

Happy are they who have during Lent become sensible of the darkness of sin, and desire to rise out of it. Happy are they who look forward to the dawn of an eternal Easter, and lead lives in anticipation of it.

"One moment now may give us more

Than fifty years of reason;

Our minds shall drink at every pore
The spirit of the season.

Some silent laws our hearts will make,

Which they shall long obey;
We for eternity may take

Our temper from to-day."

TITLES OF A CATHOLIC PRIEST.

1. HE is a king, reigning not over unwilling subjects, but over the hearts and affections of his people.

2. He is a shepherd, because he leads his flock into the delicious pastures of the sacraments, and shelters them from the wolves that lie in wait for their souls.

3. He is a father, because he breaks the bread of life to his spiritual children whom he has begotten in Jesus through the Gospel.

4. He is a judge whose office it is to pass sentence of pardon on self-accusing sinners.

5. He is a physician because he heals their souls from the loathsome distempers of sin.

CARDINAL GIBBONS.

THE PRIEST IS A MAN OF GOD.

THE priest is a man of God. He, of all men, must be a man of faith, a man of sacrifice. He must be a lover of God, a lover of God's people, the example of God's love for men. He bears faith to men, for he is the instrument through whom God works. His faith should be full, it should be clearly defined, intelligently appreciated, and intelligently made known. He should be a man of faith, who believes in God in the full meaning of belief; who believes in his Church, in the teachings of the Fathers and Councils, who is loyal to his Bishop and the Holy See, who trusts implicitly in Providence. His life should be above reproach, for he deals with sacred things, he handles holiness; he must be as Timothy, "Blameless, sober, prudent." Albertus Magnus and St. Thomas have said that no greater power or dignity than the power and dignity of consecrating the body of Christ was ever bestowed on man; and no greater sanctity or perfection can be conceived than the sanctity and perfection required for so divine an action, in the priest. To him, above all men, is said the word of Christ, "Be perfect, imitate Me, be My disciple.' Woe to him, if by him any scandal comes. To him is given power over the body of Christ. At his word, Christ the Lord comes in the sacrament of the Eucharist and dwells upon our altars to be the food and nourishment of our souls. By his acts, in conjunction with man's repentance, sins are remitted. In his hands, according to the scheme of salvation, are the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Oh, indeed he should be a man of faith.

RT. REV. T. J. CONATY, D. D.

THE PRIEST IS A FATHER.

THE priest is a man of the people, a father, a friend, a guide, a defender. It is his duty to commend good, to denounce evil, to lead the people into virtue, to keep them from vice, to guard the fold from the ravening wolves, to feed the sheep with life-giving food, to train them in the ways that lead to strength and beauty of goodness. What a work the Christian priesthood has done in the history of the world! It

preached the Gospel to pagan Rome and Jewish Palestine; it converted Constantine and his empire;, and evangelized the barbarians; it brought the Gospel of Christ to every nation; it built the Christian altar by the running brook, on the hillside and in the mountain fastnesses, that everywhere the people might have salvation; near the altar; it built the Christian school; it preserved letters and science, and civilized the world. The saints of old, who taught men morality, established Christianity and ruled the Christian Church, were priests. The missionaries, who gave up life and its ambitions to consecrate themselves to the service of God, were saintly priests of the Christian Church. They built the Church of God into the life of every nation; they have brought the Church to this land and to our day. We are the successors to that same priesthood, and upon us falls the same responsibility. There is call to us for action. The responsibility of the Church is our responsibility.

The priest of to-day must be prepared to meet the exigencies of the times; he must have the spirit of his vocation and the courage of his convictions, manfully and fearlessly standing for the truth. He is called to be a leader.

RT. REV. T. J. CONATY, D. D.

WORK OF THE PRIESTHOOD.

CATHOLIC priests have ever been the champions of virtue, and the Church was always a barrier to tyranny and social disorder, says the Freeman's Journal. Virtue! virtue! is their constant theme. They inculcate it to the powerful as well as the weak, to the rich as well as the poor. They protect the innocent and save the oppressed from violence. They insist on the observance of law and the keeping of the commandments. Children learn from their lips the obligation of obedience, and parents are reminded of what they owe to their offspring. Husbands and wives are taught fidelity and the necessity of mutual forbearance. Compassion for the afflicted, mercy toward the erring, alms-giving to the needy and charity for all are among their frequent lessons. When selfishness corrupts the hearts of men they hear echoing the solemn duty of bearing each other's burden. These are the doctrines taught by the priesthood. There is not a virtue necessary for the individual or society that has not its teacher, its champion and its model within the ranks of the clergy. They are ever ready with arguments to show the beauty of virtue and the horrid deformity of vice. With a zeal all their own and a power all divine, they illumine the intellect, fill the soul with grace, purify the heart and rescue the sin-laden from eternal misery.

THE OBLIGATION OF HEARING MASS.

THE one who appreciates the meaning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass must indeed be surprised to learn that very many Catholics neglect to hear Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. The slightest pretext is sufficient to keep them at home, although much graver reasons would be required to prevent them from keeping a business or social engagement.

From time to time we are told of the great loss the Church suffers by the apostasy of her children, and in the majority of cases the cause may be traced to carelessness in attending Mass. It seems so easy to contract a bad habit, but it is very difficult to get rid of it. Those who work all the week, and often late Saturday night, are inclined to believe that they are excused from the obligation of hearing