would you have hesitated in asking any favour? Would you have thought any grace too great to hope for, or any sin too great to be forgiven, if you repre. sented your necessities to a God who was expiring for your sake, and, in such propitious moments, implored mercy through his sacred passion and death? Be firmly convinced that your confidence in God should be equally lively whenever you hear Mass, for you have the very same grounds for hope. It is the same God who offers himself for you-it is the same unbounded love that causes him to do so; his sacred blood and infinite merits plead your cause just as efficaciously on the altar as they did on Mount Calvary, where, with a loud cry and tears, as St. Paul expresses it, he implored mercy and salvation for all sinners, and amongst them for you. Think of the penitent thief, whose unbounded confidence in the merits of a Redeemer obtained for him the greatest of all possible graces-perfect conversion and eternal happiness. Ask for any thing, and every thing you desire; ask with confidence, and you shall receive : for, in presenting Jesus Christ to his eternal Father, you will always be sure of giving more than you im.plore. It will serve to animate your devotion in nearing Mass, to offer it up each time for some particular intention; such as, to obtain the grace to conquer some fault; to acquire some virtue; for the conversion of some sinner; for those that are in the agonies of death; or for the suffering souls in purgatory; but, in particular, be careful to offer it, especially on days of obligation, for the four ends of the sacrifice, which you will find comprised in the short offering prefixed to the Ordinary of the Mass.

As to the profound respect, recollection, silence, and guard over the senses, which are the exterior dispositions, or rather, that which forms the comportment required for assisting at Mass, it would appear sufficient to have faith not to fail in them. • When you behold," as St. Chrysostom says, "the Lord him

self laying the Victim on the Altar, and offered, and the priest attending, and praying over the sacrifice, purpled with his precious blood-when you consider, that what is then done is far more awful, more astonishing, more extraordinary, than when fire, falling from heaven, consumed the sacrifice of Elias, you cannot, without inexcusable presumption and impiety, be guilty of exterior disrespect at Mass." Yet, unfortunately, such impiety is not very unusual. The ministers of God may now, with too much truth, repeat the words of the same holy Doctor: "I see,” says he, "persons behave disrespectfully, and without due attention in the Church. Can any impiety be found equal to this? At worldly assemblies every thing is regulated and carried on without confusion; and here, in the company of angels, you talk and laugh! Should we be surprised, if thunder fell from heaven, to punish such impiety?" Reflect on those expressions, which are not too strong for the subject, and consider also, that persons who act in this manner renew, as far as depends on them, the insults, mockery, and derision, which were so great an aggravation to the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross. This consideration alone should impress you with a lasting horror of the scandalous custom of conversing, laughing, and saluting in the chapel, and even during the tremendous Sacrifice: a custom which you should carefully guard against, in defiance of human respect, or the politeness which is often alleged as an excuse for returning salutes, or repiying to inquiries in the chapel. Such politeness is not less disedifying than misplaced.

The method to be observed in hearing Mass may vary according to each person's devotion: it is in itself of less consequence than all the rest; because those whose hearts are penetrated with the dispositions here pointed out, cannot fail to hear Mass well whatever method they adopt. However, as young persons should not give themselves much latitude in

so solemn a duty as this, you should generally speak ing, in hearing Mass, follow the directions of your Catechism, which says, that the best manner of hearing Mass, is to "offer it with the priest-to meditate on Christ's sufferings—and to go to communion that is, either to follow the priest, which you can do by using the Ordinary of the Mass; or else, to occupy yourself entirely in commemorating the suffer ings of Christ, for which also you have a method in this book. In either case, when you do not communicate sacramentally, you should not neglect making a spiritual communion.

Spiritual communion is a most holy and profitable devotion, calculated for all times, but particularly for the time of the Mass. It consists in ardently desiring to receive the adorable Eucharist, and in uniting the heart with God. It is made by an act of faith in the real presence of Christ in the holy Eucharist, an act of hope in his mercy, an act of love for his infinite perfections, and an act of desire to enjoy the happiness of sacramental communion. The best method you can adopt, would be to endeavour to excite sentiments of these virtues in your heart, while the priest communicates; uniting your heart to God as fervently as you can, and conversing with him interiorly, just as you would do if you had actually received the holy communion. Do this in whatever terms devotion may suggest: but whenever you want a form for the purpose, the prayer for spiritual communion, to be found in each of the following methods for hearing Mass, will answer extremely well.

A Prayer before Mass.

O My God! I most humbly beg of thee to grant me the necessary dispositions for assisting devoutly at the adorable sacrifice which I am about to present to thy divine Majesty, in union with Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, and with thy whole Church. I offer this Mass as a holocaust, to acknowledge thy absolute

dominion over me, and all creatures; as a sacrifice of thanksgiving for all thy benefits; as a sacrifice of expiation for my sins, and those of all creatures, living and dead; and as a sacrifice of impetration, to implore for myself and all mankind the graces and lessings, spiritual and temporal, of which we stand most in need. I unite my heart to the dispositions which animate the heart of Jesus while he offers nimself on the altar, and to those of the blessed Virgin when she stood at the foot of the cross. O my divine Jesus! grant that, like those who witnessed thy death on Mount Calvary, I may depart from this sanctuary penetrated with compassion for thy sufferings, and with sorrow for my sins, by which they were caused; as likewise with a firm resolution rather to die than to offend thee wilfully henceforward. Amen.

While the Priest sprinkles Holy Water before SOLEMN MAss on Sundays, the following ANTHEMs are sung.

Ant. ASPERGES me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Ps. Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

V. Gloria Patri, &c.

Ant Asperges me, &c.

Anth. THOU wilt sprinkle me, O Lord! with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou wilt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Ps. Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

V. Glory be to the Father, &c.

Anth. Thou wilt sprin

kle me, &c.

The Priest having returned to the foot of the Altar,

HEAR US, O holy Lord, Almighty Father, eternal Ged! and vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from neaven to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all that are assembled in this place through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From EASTER to WHIT SUNDAY, inclusively, instead of the foregoing ANT. Asperges, &c. the following is sung, and Alle luias are added to the Versicles and Responsaries, &c.

ANTHEM.

VIDI aquam egredientem de templo a latere dextro, Alleluia: et omnes ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt et dicent, Alleluia.

Ps. Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus: bonus: quoniam in sæculum misericordia ejus. Gloria.

I SAW water flowing from the right side of the temple, Alleluia and all to whom that water came were saved, and they shall say, Alleluia.

Ps. Praise the Lord. because he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. Glory, &c.

A Prayer said before Mass in the United States of

America.

WE pray thee, O Almighty and eternal God, who, through Jesus Christ, has revealed thy glory to all nations to preserve the works of thy mercy; that thy church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith, in the confession of thy name.