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<pre>

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mary, Help of Christians, by Various

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org


Title: Mary, Help of Christians
       And the Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers:
              Instructions, Novenas and Prayers with Thoughts of the
              Saints for Every Day in the Year

Author: Various

Contributor: John J. Burke

Editor: Bonaventure Hammer

Release Date: August 31, 2010 [EBook #33596]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS ***




Produced by Michael Gray, the Diocese of San Jose





</pre>

        <p align="center">
            MARY, THE HELP OF CHRISTIANS
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS
        </h1>
        <h3>
            AND THE
        </h3>
        <h2>
            Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers
        </h2><br>
        <h2>
            Instructions, Legends, Novenas and Prayers
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            WITH
        </p>
        <h2>
            Thoughts of the Saints for Every Day in the Year
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <p align="center">
            COMPILED BY
        </p>
        <h2>
            REV. BONAVENTURE HAMMER, O.F.M.
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <p align="center">
            TO WHICH IS ADDED AN APPENDIX ON THE
        </p>
        <h2>
            Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices
        </h2>
        <h3>
            BY REV. JOHN J. BURKE
        </h3><br>
        <br>
        <hr width="30%">
        <br>
        <br>
        <p align="center">
            NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO
        </p>
        <h3>
            BENZIGER BROTHERS
        </h3>
        <p align="center">
            PRINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE<br>
            PUBLISHERS OF BENZINGER'S MAGAZINE
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <p>
            <img src="images/imprimi.jpg" alt=
            "Imprimi Permittitur"><br>
            <span class="imprimi">FR. CHRYSOSTOMUS THEOBALD,
            O.F.M.,</span><br>
            <span class="imprimi"><i>Minister
            Provincialis.</i></span><br>
            <span class="imprimi">Cincinnati, Ohio, die 30, Martii,
            1908.</span>
        </p>
        <p>
            <img src="images/nihil.jpg" alt="Nihil Obstat"><br>
            <span class="nihil">REMY LAPORT, S.T.L.,</span><br>
            <span class="nihil"><i>Censor Librorum.</i></span>
        </p>
        <p>
            <img src="images/imprimatur.jpg" alt="Imprimatur"><br>
            <span class="imprimatur">JOHN M. FARLEY,</span><br>
            <span class="imprimatur"><img src="images/cross.jpg"
            alt="A cross">Archbishop of New York.</span>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <p>
            NEW YORK, March 4, 1909.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <p align="center">
            COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY BENZIGER BROTHERS.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="preface" id="preface">PREFACE</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+1">T</font>HE contents of the following
            pages are based on the Catholic doctrine of the
            veneration and invocation of the saints, and of the
            efficacy of the prayer of intercession. The legends of
            the individual "Holy Helpers" were compiled from
            authors whose writings have the approval of the Church.
        </p>
        <p>
            In compliance with the decrees of Pope Urban VIII of
            1625, 1631, and 1634, the compiler formally declares
            that he submits everything contained in this little
            book to the infallible judgment of the Church, and that
            he claims no other than human credibility for the
            facts, legends, and miracles related, except where the
            Church has otherwise decided.
        </p>
        <p class="indent">
            THE COMPILER.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            Contents
        </h1>
        <p>
            <a href="#preface">PREFACE</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART I<br>
            The Veneration and Invocation of Saints and the
            Efficacy of Prayer
        </h1>
        <h2>
            CHAPTER I
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#I-I">THE VENERATION AND INVOCATION OF
            SAINTS</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            CHAPTER II
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#I-II">EFFICACY OF THE INTERCESSION OF THE
            SAINTS</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            CHAPTER III
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#I-III">FOR WHAT THE INTERCESSION OF THE
            SAINTS MAY AND SHOULD BE INVOKED</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            CHAPTER IV
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#I-IV">THE QUALITIES OF PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART II<br>
            Mary, the Help of Christians<br>
            Novenas in Preparation for the Principal Feasts of the
            Blessed Virgin
        </h1>
        <p>
            <a href="#rules">RULES FOR THE PROPER OBSERVANCE OF
            NOVENAS</a><br>
            <a href="#manner">ON THE MANNER OF READING THE
            MEDITATIONS AND OBSERVING THE PRACTICES</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            INTRODUCTION
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#Mary">MARY, THE HELP OF CHRISTIANS</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            I. NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE
            BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
        </h2>
        <p>
            FIRST DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Immaculate_Conception_1">THE
            PREDESTINATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY</a><br>
            SECOND DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_2">MARY'S IMMACULATE
            CONCEPTION</a><br>
            THIRD DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_3">MARY, THE VICTRIX OF
            SATAN</a><br>
            FOURTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_4">MARY WITHOUT ACTUAL
            SIN</a><br>
            FIFTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_5">MARY, FULL OF GRACE</a><br>
            SIXTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_6">MARY, OUR REFUGE</a><br>
            SEVENTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_7">MARY, THE MOTHER OF
            CHASTITY</a><br>
            EIGHTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#Immaculate_Conception_8">THE IMAGE OF THE IMMACULATE
            CONCEPTION</a><br>
            NINTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Immaculate_Conception_9">THE
            FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION</a><br>
        </p>
        <h2>
            II. NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED
            VIRGIN MARY
        </h2>
        <p>
            FIRST DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_1">THE BIRTH OF
            MARY</a><br>
            SECOND DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_2">MARY, THE ELECT
            OF GOD</a><br>
            THIRD DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_3">MARY, THE CHILD
            OF ROYALTY</a><br>
            FOURTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_4">MARY, THE CHILD
            OF PIOUS PARENTS</a><br>
            FIFTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_5">MARY'S
            SUPERNATURAL PREROGATIVES</a><br>
            SIXTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_6">MARY, THE JOY OF
            THE MOST HOLY TRINITY</a><br>
            SEVENTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_7">THE ANGELS
            REJOICE AT MARY'S BIRTH</a><br>
            EIGHTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_8">THE JOY OF THE
            JUST IN LIMBO AT MARY'S BIRTH</a><br>
            NINTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Nativity_9">THE HOLY NAME OF
            MARY</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            III. NOVENA FOR THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE
            BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
        </h2>
        <p>
            FIRST DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_1">THE
            ANNUNCIATION</a><br>
            SECOND DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_2">THE IMPORT
            OF THE ANGEL'S SALUTATION</a><br>
            THIRD DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_3">THE EFFECT
            OF THE ANGEL'S SALUTATION</a><br>
            FOURTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_4">MARY'S
            QUESTION</a><br>
            FIFTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_5">THE
            SOLUTION</a><br>
            SIXTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_6">MARY'S
            CONSENT</a><br>
            SEVENTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_7">MARY'S
            FORTITUDE IN SUFFERING</a><br>
            EIGHTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_8">MARY, THE
            MOTHER OF GOD</a><br>
            NINTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Annunciation_9">MARY OUR
            MOTHER</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            IV. NOVENA IN HONOR OF THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
        </h2>
        <p>
            FIRST DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_1">DEVOTION TO THE
            SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY</a><br>
            SECOND DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_2">MARY'S FIRST
            SORROW: SIMEON'S PROPHECY IN THE TEMPLE</a><br>
            THIRD DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_3">MARY'S SECOND
            SORROW: THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT</a><br>
            FOURTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_4">MARY'S THIRD
            SORROW: JESUS LOST IN JERUSALEM</a><br>
            FIFTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_5">MARY'S FOURTH
            SORROW: SHE MEETS JESUS CARRYING HIS CROSS</a><br>
            SIXTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_6">MARY'S FIFTH
            SORROW: BENEATH THE CROSS</a><br>
            SEVENTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_7">MARY'S SIXTH
            SORROW: THE TAKING DOWN OF JESUS' BODY FROM THE
            CROSS</a><br>
            EIGHTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_8">MARY'S SEVENTH
            SORROW: JESUS IS BURIED</a><br>
            NINTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Sorrows_9">WHY MARY HAD TO
            SUFFER</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            V. NOVENA FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE
            BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
        </h2>
        <p>
            FIRST DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_1">MARY'S DEATH
            WAS WITHOUT PAIN</a><br>
            SECOND DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_2">AT MARY'S
            TOMB</a><br>
            THIRD DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_3">THE EMPTY
            TOMB</a><br>
            FOURTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_4">REASONS FOR
            THE BODILY ASSUMPTION OF MARY INTO HEAVEN</a><br>
            FIFTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_5">MARY'S
            GLORIOUS ENTRANCE INTO HEAVEN</a><br>
            SIXTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_6">MARY CROWNED
            IN HEAVEN</a><br>
            SEVENTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_7">MARY'S BLISS
            IN HEAVEN</a><br>
            EIGHTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_8">MARY, THE
            QUEEN OF MERCY</a><br>
            NINTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#Assumption_9">MARY IN HEAVEN
            THE HELP OF CHRISTIANS ON EARTH</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART III<br>
            The Fourteen Holy Helpers
        </h1>
        <h2>
            CHAPTER I
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#fourteen">THE FOURTEEN HOLY HELPERS</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            CHAPTER II
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#legends">LEGENDS</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            THE LEGENDS OF THE FOURTEEN HOLY HELPERS
        </h2>
        <p>
            I.&mdash;<a href="#legend_1">ST. GEORGE, MARTYR</a><br>
            II.&mdash;<a href="#legend_2">ST. BLASE, BISHOP AND
            MARTYR</a><br>
            III.&mdash;<a href="#legend_3">ST. ERASMUS, BISHOP AND
            MARTYR</a><br>
            IV.&mdash;<a href="#legend_4">ST. PANTALEON, PHYSICIAN
            AND MARTYR</a><br>
            V.&mdash;<a href="#legend_5">ST. VITUS, MARTYR</a><br>
            VI.&mdash;<a href="#legend_6">ST. CHRISTOPHORUS,
            MARTYR</a><br>
            VII.&mdash;<a href="#legend_7">ST. DIONYSIUS, BISHOP
            AND MARTYR</a><br>
            VIII.&mdash;<a href="#legend_8">ST. CYRIACUS, DEACON
            AND MARTYR</a><br>
            IX.&mdash;<a href="#legend_9">ST. ACHATIUS,
            MARTYR</a><br>
            X.&mdash;<a href="#legend_10">ST. EUSTACHIUS,
            MARTYR</a><br>
            XI.&mdash;<a href="#legend_11">ST. GILES, HERMIT AND
            ABBOT</a><br>
            XII.&mdash;<a href="#legend_12">ST. MARGARET, VIRGIN
            AND MARTYR</a><br>
            XIII.&mdash;<a href="#legend_13">ST. CATHERINE, VIRGIN
            AND MARTYR</a><br>
            XIV.&mdash;<a href="#legend_14">ST. BARBARA, VIRGIN AND
            MARTYR</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART IV<br>
            I. Novenas to the Holy Helpers
        </h1>
        <h2>
            NOVENA TO EACH OF THE HOLY HELPERS
        </h2>
        <p>
            I.&mdash;<a href="#helper_1">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            GEORGE</a><br>
            II.&mdash;<a href="#helper_2">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            BLASE</a><br>
            III.&mdash;<a href="#helper_3">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            ERASMUS</a><br>
            IV.&mdash;<a href="#helper_4">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            PANTALEON</a><br>
            V.&mdash;<a href="#helper_5">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            VITUS</a><br>
            VI.&mdash;<a href="#helper_6">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            CHRISTOPHORUS</a><br>
            VII.&mdash;<a href="#helper_7">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            DIONYSIUS</a><br>
            VIII.&mdash;<a href="#helper_8">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            CYRIACUS</a><br>
            IX.&mdash;<a href="#helper_9">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            ACHATIUS</a><br>
            X.&mdash;<a href="#helper_10">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            EUSTACHIUS</a><br>
            XI.&mdash;<a href="#helper_11">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            GILES</a><br>
            XII.&mdash;<a href="#helper_12">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            MARGARET</a><br>
            XIII.&mdash;<a href="#helper_13">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            CATHERINE</a><br>
            XIV.&mdash;<a href="#helper_14">NOVENA IN HONOR OF ST.
            BARBARA</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            NOVENA TO ALL THE HOLY HELPERS
        </h2>
        <p>
            FIRST DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_1">THE DEVOTION
            TO THE FOURTEEN HOLY HELPERS</a><br>
            SECOND DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_2">THE DESTINY
            OF MAN</a><br>
            THIRD DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_3">THE VIRTUE OF
            FAITH</a><br>
            FOURTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_4">THE VIRTUE
            OF HOPE</a><br>
            FIFTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_5">THE LOVE OF
            GOD</a><br>
            SIXTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_6">THE VIRTUE OF
            CHARITY</a><br>
            SEVENTH DAY.&mdash;<a href="#all_helpers_7">HUMAN
            RESPECT</a><br>
            EIGHTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#all_helpers_8">PRAYER</a><br>
            NINTH DAY.&mdash;<a href=
            "#all_helpers_9">PERSEVERANCE</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            II. Prayers and Petitions
        </h1>
        <h2>
            PRAYERS OF PETITION AND INTERCESSION
        </h2>
        <p>
            I.&mdash;<a href="#holy_helpers_intercession1">THREE
            INVOCATIONS</a><br>
            II.&mdash;<a href="#holy_helpers_intercession2">PRAYER
            IN ILLNESS</a><br>
            III.&mdash;<a href="#holy_helpers_intercession3">PRAYER
            FOR THE SICK</a><br>
            IV.&mdash;<a href="#holy_helpers_intercession4">PRAYER
            OF PARENTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN</a><br>
            V.&mdash;<a href="#holy_helpers_intercession5">PRAYER OF
            CHILDREN FOR THEIR PARENTS</a><br>
            VI.&mdash;<a href="#holy_helpers_intercession6">PRAYER
            FOR MARRIED PEOPLE</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART V<br>
            General Devotions
        </h1>
        <p>
            <a href="#morning_prayers">MORNING PRAYERS</a><br>
            <a href="#evening_prayers">EVENING PRAYERS</a><br>
            <a href="#prayers_at_mass">PRAYERS AT HOLY MASS</a><br>
            <a href="#prayers_after_mass">PRAYERS AFTER
            MASS</a><br>
            <a href="#confession_prayers">PRAYERS FOR
            CONFESSION</a><br>
            <span class="indent_small"><a href="#bcon">Before
            Confession</a></span><br>
            <span class="indent_small"><a href="#acon">After
            Confession</a></span><br>
            <a href="#communion_prayers">PRAYERS FOR HOLY
            COMMUNION</a><br>
            <span class="indent_small"><a href="#bcom">Before
            Communion</a></span><br>
            <span class="indent_small"><a href="#acom">After
            Communion</a></span><br>
            <a href="#blessed_sacrament">VISIT TO THE BLESSED
            SACRAMENT</a><br>
            <a href="#sacred_heart">PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF
            JESUS</a><br>
            <a href="#suffering_jesus">PRAYERS TO JESUS
            SUFFERING</a><br>
            <a href="#stations_of_the_cross">THE STATIONS OF THE
            CROSS</a><br>
            <a href="#suffering_redeemer">PRAYER TO OUR SUFFERING
            REDEEMER</a><br>
            <a href="#blessed_virgin">PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
            MARY</a><br>
            <a href="#salvation">PRAYER FOR ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO
            SALVATION</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            THE FOUR APPROVED LITANIES
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_most_holy_name">LITANY OF THE MOST
            HOLY NAME OF JESUS</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_sacred_heart">LITANY OF THE SACRED
            HEART OF JESUS</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">LITANY OF LORETO, IN HONOR
            OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_saints">LITANY OF ALL SAINTS</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART VI<br>
            Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of
            the Year
        </h1>
        <p>
            <a href="#jan">JANUARY</a><br>
            <a href="#feb">FEBRUARY</a><br>
            <a href="#mar">MARCH</a><br>
            <a href="#apr">APRIL</a><br>
            <a href="#may">MAY</a><br>
            <a href="#jun">JUNE</a><br>
            <a href="#jul">JULY</a><br>
            <a href="#aug">AUGUST</a><br>
            <a href="#sep">SEPTEMBER</a><br>
            <a href="#oct">OCTOBER</a><br>
            <a href="#nov">NOVEMBER</a><br>
            <a href="#dec">DECEMBER</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            PART VII<br>
            Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices
        </h1>
        <p>
            <a href="#ceremonies">THE CEREMONIES OF THE CATHOLIC
            CHURCH</a><br>
            I.&mdash;<a href="#ceremony_1">Ceremonies Necessary to
            Divine Worship</a><br>
            II.&mdash;<a href="#ceremony_2">Vestments Used by the
            Priest at Mass</a><br>
            III.&mdash;<a href="#ceremony_3">Ceremonies of the
            Mass</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#practices">THE PRACTICES OF THE CATHOLIC
            CHURCH</a><br>
            I.&mdash;<a href="#practice_1">Vespers and
            Benediction</a><br>
            II.&mdash;<a href="#practice_2">Devotion to the Blessed
            Sacrament</a><br>
            III.&mdash;<a href="#practice_3">Holy Communion</a><br>
            IV.&mdash;<a href="#practice_4">Confirmation</a><br>
            V.&mdash;<a href="#practice_5">Honoring the Blessed
            Virgin</a><br>
            VI.&mdash;<a href="#practice_6">Confession of
            Sin</a><br>
            VII.&mdash;<a href="#practice_7">Granting
            Indulgences</a><br>
            VIII.&mdash;<a href="#practice_8">The Last
            Sacraments</a><br>
            IX.&mdash;<a href="#practice_9">Praying for the
            Dead</a><br>
            X.&mdash;<a href="#practice_10">Praying to the
            Saints</a><br>
            XI.&mdash;<a href="#practice_11">Crucifixes, Relics, and
            Images</a><br>
            XII.&mdash;<a href="#practice_12">Some
            Sacramentals&mdash;The Books Used by the Priest, the
            Sign of the Cross, Holy Water, Blessed Candles, Palm
            and Ashes, Holy Oils, Scapulars, Medals, Agnus Dei,
            Prayers, Litanies, Rosary, Angelus, Stations, Funeral
            Service, and Various Blessings</a><br>
            XIII.&mdash;<a href="#practice_13">The Celebration of
            Feasts</a><br>
            XIV.&mdash;<a href="#practice_14">Infant Baptism</a><br>
            XV.&mdash;<a href="#practice_15">The Marriage
            Tie&mdash;One and Indissoluble</a><br>
            XVI.&mdash;<a href="#practice_16">Respect Shown to
            Ecclesiastical Superiors</a><br>
            XVII.&mdash;<a href="#practice_17">Celibacy</a><br>
            XVIII.&mdash;<a href="#practice_18">Conclusion</a>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART I
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Veneration and Invocation of Saints, and the
            Efficacy of Prayer
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God
            to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of
            their conversation" (<i>Heb.</i> xiii. 7).
        </h2><br>
        <h2>
            "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I
            am also of Christ" (<i>1 Cor.</i> iv. 16).
        </h2><br>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/presentation_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/presentation.jpg" alt=
            "Presentation of Mary in the temple."></a><br>
            Presentation of Mary in the temple.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="I-I" id="I-I">CHAPTER I</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Veneration and Invocation of Saints
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>N THE Creed of the Council of
            Trent, which the Catholic Church places before the
            faithful as the Rule of Faith, we read: "I firmly
            believe that the saints reigning with Christ are to be
            venerated and invoked."
        </p>
        <p>
            The Church therefore teaches, first, that it is right
            and pleasing to God to venerate the saints and to
            invoke their intercession; and second, that it is
            useful and profitable to eternal salvation for us to do
            so.
        </p>
        <p>
            The veneration of the saints is useful and profitable
            to us. Men conspicuous in life for knowledge, bravery,
            or other noble qualities and unusual merits are honored
            after death. Why, then, should Catholics not be
            permitted to honor the heroes of their faith, who
            excelled in the practice of supernatural virtue and are
            in special grace and favor with God? That this
            veneration is profitable to us is evident from the fact
            that the example of the saints incites us to imitate
            them to the best of our ability.
        </p>
        <p>
            The veneration of the saints is not only in full accord
            with the demands of reason, but we are, moreover,
            enjoined explicitly by Holy Scripture to venerate the
            memory of the holy patriarchs and prophets: "Let us now
            praise men of renown, and our fathers in their
            generation" (<i>Ecclus</i>. xliv. 1). "And their names
            continue for ever, the glory of the holy men remaining
            unto their children" (<i>Ecclus</i>. xlvi. 15).
        </p>
        <p>
            Reason and Holy Scripture, then, are in favor of the
            veneration of the saints. We find it practised,
            therefore, also in the early Church. She was convinced
            from the very beginning of its propriety and utility.
            As early as the first century the memorial day of the
            martyrs' death was observed by the Christians. They
            assembled at the tombs of the sainted victims of pagan
            cruelty and celebrated their memory by offering up the
            Holy Sacrifice over their relics. We know this not only
            from the testimony of the earliest ecclesiastical
            writers, as Origen, Tertullian, and St. Cyprian, but
            also from the history of St. Ignatius the Martyr (d.
            107), and of St. Polycarp of Smyrna (d. 166). Over one
            hundred panegyrics of various saints written by St.
            Augustine are still extant.
        </p>
        <p>
            And why should it not be right and useful to invoke the
            <i>intercession</i> of the saints? Everybody deems it
            proper to ask a pious friend for his prayers. St. Paul
            the Apostle recommended himself to the prayers of the
            faithful (<i>Rom.</i> xv. 30), and God Himself
            commanded the friends of Job to ask Him for His
            intercession that their sin might not be imputed to
            them (<i>Job</i> xlii. 8). How, then, can it be wrong
            or superfluous to invoke the intercession of the saints
            in heaven? The saints are <i>willing</i> to invoke
            God's bounty in our favor, for they love us. They are
            <i>able</i> to obtain it for us, because God always
            accepts their prayer with complacency. That they really
            hear our prayer and intercede with God for us is
            clearly shown by many examples in Holy Scripture. And
            if, according to the testimony of St. James (v. 16),
            the prayer of the just man here on earth availeth much
            with God, how much more powerful, then, must be the
            prayer of the saints, who are united with God in heaven
            in perfect love and are, so to say, partakers of His
            infinite goodness and omnipotence?
        </p>
        <p>
            A most striking proof of the efficacy of the prayers of
            the saints is the numerous miracles wrought and the
            many favors obtained at all times through their
            intercession. Among these miracles are a great number
            whose authenticity was declared by the Church after the
            most scrupulous and strict investigation, as the acts
            of canonization prove.
        </p>
        <p>
            That the invocation of the saints was a practice of the
            early Church is proved by the numerous inscriptions on
            the tombs of the Roman catacombs preserved to this day.
            We read there, for instance, on the tomb of Sabbatius,
            a martyr, "Sabbatius, O pious soul, pray and intercede
            for your brethren and associates!" On another tomb is
            inscribed, "Allicius, thy spirit is blessed; pray for
            thy parents!" And again, "Jovianus, live in God, and
            pray for us!"
        </p>
        <p>
            We have also the testimony of one of the greatest
            thinkers and Protestant philosophers, Leibnitz, for the
            claim that the veneration and invocation of the saints
            is founded in reason, on Holy Scripture, and on the
            tradition of the Church. He writes: "Because we justly
            expect great advantage by uniting our prayers with
            those of our brethren here on earth, I can not
            understand how it can be called a crime if a person
            invokes the intercession of a glorified soul, or an
            angel. If it be really idolatry or a detestable cult to
            invoke the saints and the angels to intercede for us
            with God, I do not comprehend how Basil, Gregory
            Nazianzen, Ambrose, and others, who were hitherto
            considered saints, can be absolved from idolatry or
            superstition. To continue in such a practice would
            indeed not be a small defect in the Fathers, such as is
            inherent in human nature&mdash;it would be an enormous
            public crime. For if the Church, even in those early
            times, was infected with such abominable errors, let
            any one judge for himself what the Christian faith
            would eventually come to. Would not Gamaliel's
            proposition, to judge whether Christ's religion be
            divine or human from its effects, result in its
            disfavor?"
        </p>
        <p>
            But whilst the Catholic Church practises and recommends
            the veneration and invocation of the saints, she does
            not teach us to honor and invoke them as we do God, nor
            to pray to them as we do to Him. She makes a great
            distinction.
        </p>
        <p>
            The veneration of the saints differs from the worship
            of God in the following:
        </p>
        <p>
            1. We <i>adore</i> God as our supreme Lord. We
            <i>honor</i> the saints as His faithful servants and
            friends.
        </p>
        <p>
            2. We <i>adore</i> God for His own sake. We
            <i>honor</i> the saints for the gifts and prerogatives
            with which God endowed them.
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore there is a difference between the prayer to
            God and the invocation of the saints. We pray to God
            asking Him to help us by His omnipotence: we pray to
            the saints to help us by their intercession with God.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our veneration of the saints should consist, primarily,
            in the imitation of their virtues. It is truly
            profitable only when we are intent upon following their
            example; for only by imitating their virtues shall we
            share their eternal bliss in heaven. A veneration which
            contents itself with honoring the saints without
            imitating their virtues is similar to a tree that
            produces leaves and blossoms but bears no fruit.
        </p>
        <p>
            The saints themselves desire that we should follow
            their example. Each of them, so to say, exhorts us with
            St. Paul, "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of
            Christ" (<i>1 Cor.</i> iv. 16). There is no age, no
            sex, no station in life for which the Catholic Church
            has not saints, whose example teaches us to avoid sin
            and to observe faithfully the commandments of God and
            the Church at this or that age, or in this or that
            station. Therefore the principal object of our
            invocation of the saints ought to be the obtaining of
            their help in following their example. Thus we shall
            move them to come to our aid all the more readily.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="I-II" id="I-II">CHAPTER II</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Efficacy of the Intercession of the Saints
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">N</font>OTHING is more consoling and
            comforting than the assurance that in the saints of
            heaven we have powerful protectors and advocates with
            God. Through their intercession they obtain for us from
            Him the grace to lead a virtuous life and to gain
            heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            However, is there any reasonable doubt that the saints
            are able to render us such a service? In virtue of the
            communion of saints, which comprises the Church
            militant on earth, the Church suffering in purgatory,
            and the Church triumphant in heaven, all members of the
            Church are members of one body, whose head is Christ.
            Hence the saints are united with us in spirit, though
            separated from us in body. United with Christ, they are
            imbued with a superior knowledge, and through Him, the
            All-Knowing, they know everything that concerns us, and
            for which we have recourse to them in prayer.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our confidence in the intercessory power of the saints
            is founded on their relation to God and to us. As
            friends of God they have influence with Him now, even
            more than during their sojourn on earth, because their
            intercessory power is one of their glorious
            prerogatives in heaven. Their love of God and their
            charity for their fellow-men, and the zeal for the
            salvation of souls resulting therefrom, together with
            their conformity with Christ, induces them to use their
            influence readily in our favor. Because God dispenses
            His gifts according to His own adorable will, it may
            please Him to grant a certain favor at the particular
            intercession of a certain saint; hence it is not
            superstition to invoke His aid in such cases. Moreover,
            we justly place our confidence in saints whom we have
            selected to be our special patrons, or who were given
            us as such by ecclesiastical authority.
        </p>
        <p>
            By the intercession of the saints the mediatorship of
            Christ is not set aside or restricted. The power of
            intercession, the intercession itself, and its
            invocation are an effect of the grace of Christ;
            therefore He remains our only mediator. God remains Our
            Lord and Father, although men share in His lordship and
            paternity; for all power and authority comes from God,
            who is pleased to operate in His creatures through
            other creatures. Hence, only a dependent mediatorship
            can be ascribed to the saints. Whoever admits that the
            living can pray for each other can not denounce the
            intercession of the saints as an usurpation of the
            mediatorship of Christ. The saints are not the authors
            and dispensers of grace and heavenly gifts, but they
            are able to obtain them for us from God.
        </p>
        <p>
            The saints, moreover, do not only pray for mankind in
            general, but for their clients in particular. As
            co-reigners with Christ, the denizens of heaven have
            knowledge of the conditions and events of His kingdom;
            hence the saints may pray for us individually;
            therefore it is permissible and profitable for us to
            invoke them. It is obvious that the knowledge of
            individual occurrences does not mar the bliss of the
            saints. How they gain this knowledge is not clear to
            the spiritual authors; but most of them incline to the
            view that they attain it by direct divine mediation.
            God reveals our condition and our invocation to the
            saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            Can we doubt the willingness of the saints to aid us by
            their intercession? According to St. Paul, charity is
            the greatest of all virtues. If, then, the saints,
            whilst on earth loved their fellow-men, cared for and
            prayed for them, how much more will they do so now,
            when their charity is perfected? They, too, were
            pilgrims on earth, who had to suffer the adversities
            and miseries of life and therefore know by experience
            how sorely in need of divine assistance we poor mortals
            are. Persons who have themselves experienced trials
            have more compassion for the adversities of others.
            Therefore it is certain that the saints have compassion
            on us, that they wish our prayers to be heard and bring
            them before the throne of God. "The saints," says St.
            Augustine, "being secure of their eternal welfare, are
            intent upon ours." Holy Scripture establishes this
            beyond doubt, saying that the saints bring the prayers
            of the faithful before the throne of God (<i>Apoc.</i>
            v. 8).
        </p>
        <p>
            Or is there any one that doubts the <i>efficacy</i> of
            the saints' prayer with God? At any rate, we must
            concede that their prayer is more effectual than ours;
            for they are confirmed in justice, and therefore
            friends and favorites of God, whilst we are sinners, of
            whom Holy Scripture says, "The Lord is far from the
            wicked, and He will hear the prayers of the just"
            (<i>Prov.</i> xv. 29). On this subject, let us hear St.
            Basil in his panegyric on the Forty Martyrs: "You often
            wanted to find an intercessor: here you have forty who
            intercede unanimously for you. Are you in distress?
            Have recourse to the holy martyrs. Rejoicing, do the
            same. The former that you may find relief, the latter
            that you may continue to prosper. These saints hear the
            mother praying for her children, the wife invoking aid
            for her sick or absent husband. O brave and victorious
            band, protectors of mankind, generous intercessors when
            invoked, be our advocates with God!"
        </p>
        <p>
            There is no doubt, then, that during our earthly
            pilgrimage the saints are our intercessors with God.
            True, we know that there is One who guides our
            destinies and whose providence watches over all; but
            who would not choose, also, to have a friend already
            abiding with God, sharing His bliss and confirmed for
            ever in His grace, and who therefore is in a position
            to aid us, and certainly will do so if we invoke Him?
        </p>
        <p>
            The following is an example illustrating the power of
            the saints' intercession with God:
        </p>
        <p>
            Basilides was one of the guards that led St. Potamiana
            to a martyr's death. Whilst the rest of the soldiers
            and the crowd of spectators insulted the holy virgin,
            he treated her with great respect and protected her
            from the assaults of the rabble. The martyr thanked him
            for his kindness, and promised to pray for him when she
            came into God's presence. A few days after her death
            the grace of God touched Basilides' heart, and he
            professed himself a Christian. His comrades at first
            imagined that he was jesting. But when he persevered in
            the confession of the Faith, he was brought before the
            judge, who sentenced him to be beheaded next day. Taken
            to prison, he was baptized, and at the appointed time,
            executed.
        </p>
        <p>
            What else but the intercession of the saint whom he had
            befriended obtained for this heathen the grace of the
            Faith and martyrdom? Convinced of the power of the
            intercession of the saints, Origen writes: "I will fall
            on my knees, and because I am unworthy to pray to God
            on account of my sins, I will invoke all the saints to
            come to my aid. O ye saints of God, I, filled with
            sadness, sighing and weeping, implore you; intercede
            for me, a miserable sinner, with the Lord of mercies!"
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="I-III" id="I-III">CHAPTER III</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            For What the Intercession of the Saints May and Should
            be Invoked
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>T IS obvious that there are
            objects to attain which we ought not to pray. We shall
            try to specify them as follows:
        </p>
        <p>
            1. <i>We may not pray for things that are evil or
            injurious in themselves, or injurious on account of
            circumstances.</i> Amongst these are comprised all
            those that are opposed to the salvation of the person
            praying, or of some one else. It is contrary to the
            very idea of prayer that God should grant to His
            creature anything evil, anything that is in itself, and
            not only by abuse, harmful. Prayer, according to the
            rules of morality, must have for its object only the
            attainment of whatever is good and profitable, and only
            then is it heard by God.
        </p>
        <p>
            2. <i>Things completely indifferent are not comprised
            in the efficacy of prayer. Hence prayer imploring for
            temporal goods is heard only inasmuch as they relate to
            the salvation of souls.</i> Reason, as well as faith,
            teaches us that God orders all His actions first for
            the promotion of His glory, and secondly for the
            salvation of souls. Matters, therefore, that are either
            in general, or on account of circumstances, positively
            indifferent, must be excluded from the general plan of
            God's providence when there is question of His positive
            agency, and not simply of His permission. It is obvious
            that temporal goods, such as health, wealth, etc., are
            classed with things indifferent, in as far as they are
            not connected with the moral order.
        </p>
        <p>
            Thus considered, the various goods of the temporal
            order do, or at least may, under certain conditions,
            co-operate unto man's salvation, and then they belong
            to the supernatural order. As such, the efficacy of
            prayer in their regard must be judged according to the
            principles applying to the latter.
        </p>
        <p>
            3. <i>All those things which any one can obtain himself
            without extraordinary effort, are not comprised within
            the scope of prayer.</i> This restriction results from
            the very nature of prayer. Obviously, prayer is not the
            only means by which man can obtain those things which,
            on the one hand, he momentarily does not possess, and
            which, on the other hand, are necessary or advantageous
            for his supernatural life. As a rule, man can, by labor
            and application, procure his sustenance. Persons unable
            to work can have recourse to the charity of their
            fellow-men, and will, as a rule, find the necessary
            assistance. In regard to salvation, it must first be
            ascertained whether in many or at least in some cases,
            the faithful co-operation with the graces which God
            gives to all men is not sufficient.
        </p>
        <p>
            Considered from this view, we may, and even must, in a
            certain sense say: When there is question of attaining
            specified goods and specified graces, prayer is often
            not the primary, but only the secondary and subordinate
            means. From this premise follows that God in His wise
            providence does not have regard for our prayer when we
            easily can help ourselves, either by our own exertion
            and industry, or by the faithful cooperation with
            graces already received, or by the reception of the
            holy sacraments. This self-evident idea is expressed in
            Holy Scripture as follows, "Because of the cold the
            sluggard would not plow; he shall beg therefore in the
            summer, and it shall not be given him" (<i>Prov.</i>
            xx. 4). For this reason formal miracles are, as a rule,
            not to be expected from the efficacy of prayer. God
            ordained the world and its course in such a manner,
            that mankind in general and each individual in
            particular can be provided, without the intervention of
            a miracle, with all things necessary for their temporal
            and eternal welfare.
        </p>
        <p>
            Theologians, therefore, teach that to ask God for a
            miracle, generally, is the same as to tempt Him. This
            rule, however, admits of exceptions. And if we may, in
            exceptional cases, ask for miracles, we may, logically,
            expect them; for miracles in general are not excluded
            from the plan of divine Providence. They are rather an
            essential part of the existing order of God's
            government of the world. At most we may say: As
            miracles of their nature belong among the extraordinary
            manifestations of Providence, they are not obtained by
            the prayer of each and every one, but only in
            exceptional cases.
        </p>
        <p>
            However, if we consider how feeble and helpless man's
            nature is, even with the assistance of divine grace, we
            may not apply the above principles too strictly. This,
            for the following reason: Cases in which we can not
            help ourselves with the aid of the grace given us are
            rare. Therefore God gives us, in reward of our
            confident prayer, not only that which is strictly
            necessary, but also that which is profitable and
            conducive to our welfare. This being so, the logical
            deduction is, that God is willing to hear our prayer
            not only when we, of ourselves, are totally incapable
            of helping ourselves, but also when great difficulties
            beset us in this our self-help. Hence, in a certain
            sense, we may maintain that in the work of our
            salvation prayer and its efficacy must be considered,
            together with the sacraments, as one of the chief
            means, and not as a mere accessory.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/annunciation_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/annunciation.jpg" alt=
            "The Annunciation"></a><br>
            The Annunciation.
        </p>
        <p>
            This limitation of the main principle is founded on the
            generality of the divine promises concerning the
            hearing of prayer, and on the great goodness and bounty
            of God in which these promises originated. When man,
            making use of all the means placed at his disposal, can
            not help himself, a cry for help is sent to Heaven is
            not presumptuous or unreasonable, and therefore the
            hope of being heard is not unfounded or in vain.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="I-IV" id="I-IV">CHAPTER IV</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Qualities of Prayer
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">F</font>OR greater convenience of
            explanation, we condense the various qualities of
            prayer taught by theologians as conditions of its
            efficacy into the following four: (1) Devotion; (2)
            Confidence; (3) Perseverance; (4) Resignation to the
            will of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            Treating of prayer, some theological authors demand,
            above all, the intention of praying. This intention is
            indeed so necessary that it does not belong to the
            qualities or attributes of prayer, but to its very
            essence. For whosoever has not the intention or will to
            pray may recite a formula of prayer with the greatest
            attention, yet does not really and truly pray.
        </p>
        <p>
            Again, the teachers of the spiritual life tell us that
            prayer must be "in the name of Jesus." This being a
            condition insisted upon by our divine Lord Himself, it
            also belongs to the essence of prayer. It means that we
            offer up our prayer to God in the name of Jesus His
            Son, that is, with reference to Him and in the firm
            confidence that we shall be heard on His account and
            because of His promises. Again, to pray in the name of
            Jesus means to pray according to His manner and in His
            spirit.
        </p>
        <p>
            We now proceed to explain the qualities of true prayer:
        </p>
        <p>
            1. <i>Devotion.</i>&mdash;What is meant by devotion in
            prayer? Devotion in prayer means: (<i>a</i>) that our
            prayer must be attentive; that is, the person praying
            must direct his thoughts as uninterruptedly as possible
            to his prayer, <i>viz.,</i> to the formula he uses to
            state the object of his desires, and above all to God,
            to whom his prayer is directed. (<i>b</i>) The person
            praying must know and acknowledge his own needs, and
            that of himself he has no claims whatsoever on God, and
            thus engender in himself sentiments of true humility,
            (<i>c</i>) These sentiments must, moreover, embrace
            reverence for God and the acknowledgment of dependence
            on Him, thus giving to prayer the character of piety,
            (<i>d</i>) All this must culminate in full abandonment
            to God, the Giver of all good things. This abandonment
            is an essential part of our divine cult.
        </p>
        <p>
            As to the question whether devotion, and what grade of
            it, is necessary in prayer, and whether prayer without
            it loses its entire efficacy, and especially its
            imploring efficiency, it is evident that prayer without
            devotion is ineffective; it is simulation. An example
            of this, that is, of a man pretending to pray and not
            praying in reality, is given us in the parable of the
            Pharisee and the Publican (<i>Luke</i> xviii. 10-12).
            To determine accurately what grade of devotion, that
            is, what degree of attention, humility, and piety is
            necessary to render prayer from a formality into a
            reality, is possible only when all the circumstances,
            dispositions, and qualities of mind of the person
            praying can be taken into account. Suffice it to remark
            that when all the other conditions, together with the
            intention of praying, combine, strict but reliable
            theologians declare that the true essence of prayer is
            compatible with a less degree of attention and
            recollection.
        </p>
        <p>
            2. <i>Confidence.</i>&mdash;There is no doubt but that
            strong confidence, or the firm hope of being heard,
            contributes much to the perfection of prayer and
            renders it especially effective. Therefore confidence,
            like devotion or attention, must be reckoned among the
            essential qualities or attributes of prayer. For it is
            inconceivable that a rational being should resolve on
            presenting a petition when he has not the least hope of
            its being granted. In this case his petition would be
            entirely useless, and therefore irrational. Again, it
            is inconceivable that God should have regard for a
            prayer or the petition of a man who has absolutely no
            confidence in His mercy. A prayer without confidence is
            hypocrisy, rather than true and sincere supplication.
            If we address a petition to God without the confidence
            that He can and will grant it, He must rather feel
            offended than honored thereby. How, then, shall He feel
            moved to grant us new benefits? If we nevertheless
            receive them, it is the effect of His bountiful
            goodness, and not the result of our sham prayer.
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore, to be effective, our prayer must be inspired
            by confidence. The apostle St. James inculcates this,
            saying: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering;
            for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which
            is moved and carried about by the wind. Therefore let
            not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
            the Lord" (<i>James</i> i. 6-7). By these words the
            apostle designates not a common and ordinary
            confidence, but one firm and steadfast. At the same
            time he speaks in general; that is, his words have
            reference not only to extraordinary petitions, but to
            everything for which we are accustomed to pray.
        </p>
        <p>
            Moreover, the explicit and positive promises made by
            Christ in regard to prayer manifestly have the purpose
            of inspiring the person praying with firm confidence
            and the sure hope of being heard. If, then, our prayer
            be wanting in this quality, we do not pray in the
            spirit of Christ, nor in the terms in which we ought to
            pray, and can not claim the fulfilment of His promises.
        </p>
        <p>
            3. <i>Perseverance.</i>&mdash;To understand properly in
            how far perseverance is a quality of prayer, we must,
            above all, know what may be the objects of our prayer.
            Of these there are three classes. To the first class
            belong those cases in which a person needs divine help
            at the present moment or at least at a time definitely
            near, and seeks it through prayer. Such a petition
            would be, for instance, to obtain the necessary and
            effective aid of divine grace for overcoming an
            existing transient temptation, or the conversion of a
            certain sinner approaching death. To the second class
            belongs the avoidance of temporal evils, or of
            continuous temptations, or the conversion of a certain
            sinner now in good health. To the third class belong
            such benefits which can be granted only for a later
            period, perhaps at the hour of death. The grace of
            final perseverance is the foremost among these.
        </p>
        <p>
            Having stated the preliminary conditions, the answer to
            the question of perseverance in prayer is:
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>a.</i> Inasmuch as our prayer is directed toward the
            attainment of benefits of the first class, that is, of
            graces which we need immediately, perseverance can
            obviously not be an essential condition of our prayer.
            Either we can not attain our object by prayer, or a
            transient prayer which has the other necessary
            qualities must suffice for its attainment. The first
            supposition is contrary to the divine promises;
            therefore the alternative must stand.
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>b.</i> When there is question of benefits and graces
            of the second and third class, we must concede that
            perseverance or continuance in prayer is neither
            impossible, nor is it unreasonable. God is willing to
            grant us His almighty help, but at the same time He
            desires that we, being convinced of its necessity,
            implore it all the more eagerly, and thereby become
            more worthy to receive it when He shall be pleased to
            grant our petitions. Therefore
        </p>
        <p>
            4. <i>Resignation</i> to the will of God is a necessary
            condition for the efficacy of our prayer. This quality
            of our prayer needs no lengthy explanation; its
            application to prayer is self-evident.
        </p>
        <p>
            Finally the petition for a certain benefit, in order to
            be reasonable and permissible, must include the
            following two attributes: (<i>a</i>) The object prayed
            for must not be harmful, but profitable; (<i>b</i>) it
            must not be opposed to the will of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>Conclusions.</i>&mdash;Careful observation will
            convince us that prayer is often wanting in one or more
            of the above qualities. Often that which one seeks to
            obtain by prayer is not promotive of God's glory and of
            the salvation of souls, even considered from a human
            point of view, much less in the designs of Providence.
        </p>
        <p>
            In cases where the object of prayer in itself presents
            no difficulties, it is often defective for want of
            devotion or perseverance. But oftenest our prayer is
            wanting in confidence and trust, which want originates
            in the feeble faith of the person praying, or in too
            little reliance on the promises of Christ and in the
            merits of His redemption. Thus there is nothing to
            surprise us if we are not heard.
        </p>
        <p>
            Again, we must never forget that very many, and
            generally the most precious gifts of divine grace are
            bestowed secretly. Remember the many and great benefits
            conferred daily and hourly by God on mankind,
            universally and individually. Considering them, it is
            presumption to maintain that in a special case the
            prayer of the Church, or of a community, or of an
            individual, was not granted. The opposite is fully
            proved by the goodness, bounty, and mercy which God
            shows so profusely to us.
        </p>
        <p>
            We must, moreover, never lose sight of the principle
            that the promises made to prayer concern directly only
            the supernatural order of salvation. To the goods of
            the temporal order they are applicable only relatively.
            If we, therefore, experience that our prayers relative
            to temporal things remain unheard, we must, instead of
            doubting the divine promises, be firmly convinced that
            the attainment of the object for which we prayed was,
            under the circumstances, not conducive to our real
            welfare. We must, moreover, be convinced that God, in
            order not to leave our petition ungranted, conferred on
            us some other real benefit.
        </p>
        <p>
            Finally, when the refusal of our prayer is clearly and
            unmistakably established, the reasons for this may be
            the following: (<i>a</i>) Perhaps the person praying
            was wanting in effort, or in cooperation with graces
            formerly received, a deficiency which can not be
            repaired by prayer alone. (<i>b</i>) Or the prayer
            itself is wanting in one or the other necessary
            qualities, especially in confidence. (<i>c</i>) God
            does not intend to refuse the desired grace, but, for
            reasons of His own, delays it (<i>d</i>) God gives us
            in place of what we asked some other grace more
            salutary to us.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART II
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Help of Christians
        </h2>
        <h2>
            Novenas in Preparation for the Principal Feasts of the
            Blessed Virgin
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "Holy Mary, aid the miserable, assist the desponding,
            strengthen the weak, pray for the people, plead for the
            clergy, intercede for the devout female sex. Let all
            who have recourse to thee experience the efficacy of
            thy help!"&mdash;HOLY CHURCH.
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="rules" id="rules">Rules</a> for the Proper
            Observance of Novenas
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            <i>By St. Alphonsus Liguori</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            1. <font size="+2">T</font>HE soul must be in the state
            of grace; for the devotion of a sinful heart pleases
            neither God nor the saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            2. We must persevere, that is, the prayers for each day
            of the novena must never be omitted.
        </p>
        <p>
            3. If possible, we should visit a church every day, and
            there implore the favor we desire.
        </p>
        <p>
            4. Every day we ought to perform certain specified acts
            of exterior self-denial and interior mortification, in
            order to prepare us thereby for the reception of grace.
        </p>
        <p>
            5. It is most important that we receive holy communion
            when making a novena. Therefore prepare yourself well
            for it.
        </p>
        <p>
            6. After obtaining the desired grace for which the
            novena was made, do not omit to return thanks to God
            and to the saint through whose intercession your
            prayers were heard.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="manner" id="manner">On the Manner</a> of
            Reading the Meditations and Observing the Practices
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">H</font>OLY SCRIPTURE says, "Before
            prayer prepare thy soul; and be not as a man that
            tempteth God" (<i>Eccles.</i> xviii. 23). Therefore
            place yourself in the presence of God, invoke the
            assistance of the Holy Ghost, and make a most sincere
            act of contrition for your sins. Offer up to God your
            will, your intellect, and your memory, so that your
            prayer may be pleasing to God and serve to promote your
            spiritual welfare.
        </p>
        <p>
            Then read the meditation slowly, reflecting on each
            point of the thought or mystery treated, and consider
            what you can learn from it, and for what grace you
            ought to implore God. This is the principal object to
            be attained by mental prayer.
        </p>
        <p>
            Never rise from your prayer without having formed some
            special resolution for practical observance. The
            practices at the end of each consideration in the
            following novenas will aid you to do so. Finally, ask
            for grace to carry out effectively your good purposes,
            and thank God for enlightening your mind during the
            meditation.
        </p>
        <h1>
            Introduction
        </h1>
        <h2>
            <a name="Mary" id="Mary">Mary</a>, the Help of
            Christians
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">N</font>O CATHOLIC denies that Our Lord
            Jesus Christ is the only mediator through whose merits
            we became reconciled to God. Nevertheless, it is a
            doctrine of our faith that God willingly grants us
            grace if the saints, and especially the Blessed Virgin
            Mary, the queen of saints, intercede for us. If the
            saints, during their life on earth, were so potent with
            God that through their prayers the blind obtained
            sight, the deaf hearing, and the dumb speech, that the
            sick of all conditions were healed, the dead restored
            to life, and the most obstinate sinners converted; if
            thousands of other miracles in the order of nature and
            of grace were performed through their intercession;
            what, then, will not she obtain for us from God, whose
            virtue and merits transcend those of all the saints,
            and who did more for the greater honor and glory of God
            than they all? Mary is the queen of saints not only
            because she is the Mother of the Most High, but also
            because her sanctity is more perfect than theirs, and
            she therefore thrones above them all in heaven. Hence
            the favor with which God regards her, and consequently
            the power of her intercession with Him is so much the
            greater.
        </p>
        <p>
            If Mary's sanctity thus impressively illustrates the
            potency of her intercession, the contemplation of her
            dignity as the Mother of God does still more so. Mary
            brought forth Him who is the Almighty. She calls Him
            her Son, who by the word of His omnipotence created
            from out of nothing the whole world with all its
            beauties, and who can call into being countless
            millions of other worlds. She calls Him her Son, whose
            throne is heaven and whose footstool is the earth, who
            governs all nature with almighty power and reveals His
            name to mankind through the most astounding miracles.
            In a word, Mary calls Him her Son, whose omnipotence
            fills heaven and earth; and this great, almighty God,
            who honors her as His Mother and has wrought in her
            such great things, will He not heed her word of
            intercession, and hear her pleading for those who have
            recourse to her? On earth He was subject to her. Her
            intercession moved Him to exercise His omnipotent power
            at the wedding feast at Cana; and now, when He has
            glorified and raised her up so high He would let her
            invoke Him in vain? No, it is inconceivable that God
            should not hear the prayers of His Mother!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/visitation_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/visitation.jpg" alt="The Visitation"></a><br>
            THE BLESSED VIRGIN VISITS ST. ELIZABETH
        </p>
        <p>
            The holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church vie with
            each other in proclaiming the power of Mary's
            intercession with the Heart of her divine Son. Some say
            that having been subject to her on earth, He desires to
            be so in heaven, inasmuch as to refuse her nothing she
            asks. Hence St. Bernard calls her the "Intercessory
            Omnipotence." Indeed, when all the angels and saints in
            heaven join in supplication to God, their prayers are
            but those of servants; but when Mary prays her
            intercession is that of His Mother.
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore we can not sufficiently thank God for having
            given us in Mary so powerful an advocate. St. Bernard
            aptly says: "The angel announces, 'thou hast found
            grace before God.' O supreme happiness! Mary shall
            always find grace. And what else could we wish? If we
            seek grace, let us seek it through Mary; for what she
            seeks, she finds. Never can she plead ineffectually."
        </p>
        <p>
            God, then, who in His infinite mercy has been pleased
            to provide for all our needs, desires through Mary to
            console us, to comfort us, to remove all distrust, to
            strengthen our hope. How consoling to him who calls
            upon God in sore distress, or implores His pardon for
            sins committed, is the thought that at the throne of
            divine Mercy he has in Mary an advocate as mighty as
            she is gracious, who supplements his great unworthiness
            by her sublime dignity, and who makes good the defects
            of his prayer by her intercession! Therefore St.
            Bonaventure exclaims: "Verily, great is Our Lord's
            mercy! That we, through fear of our divine Judge,
            depart not forever from Him, He gave us His own Mother
            for our advocate and mediatrix of grace."
        </p>
        <h1>
            I.<br>
            Novena in Honor of the Immaculate Conception of the
            Blessed Virgin Mary
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            INDULGENCES
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>O ALL the faithful who by
            themselves or with others, in church or at home, with
            at least contrite heart and devotion, shall make this
            novena: (1) 300 days indulgence for each of the nine
            days; (2) a plenary indulgence on one day of the novena
            or of the eight days following it. (Pius IX, January 5,
            1849.) Conditions: Confession, communion, and prayer,
            according to the intentions of the Holy Father.
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>Remark.</i>&mdash;Whenever, in the following pages,
            an indulgence is said to be granted "under the usual
            conditions," these conditions are the same as above.
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>Note.</i>&mdash;The above indulgences may also be
            gained for making the novena at any other time of the
            year, and are not attached to any prescribed formula of
            prayer. The same applies to all other novenas in honor
            of the Blessed Virgin.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_1" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_1">FIRST DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Predestination of the Blessed Virgin Mary
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_immaculate_conception" id=
            "prep_immaculate_conception">PREPARATORY PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>N THY conception, O Virgin
            Mary, thou wast immaculate; pray for us to the Father,
            whose Son Jesus, conceived in thy womb by the Holy
            Ghost, thou didst bring forth.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 200 days, every time. (Pius VI, November
            21, 1793.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">H</font>OLY Church, our Mother,
            purposely gathered into the season of Advent everything
            which might contribute to assist us in preparing for
            the coming of the Redeemer. Purity of heart is the most
            necessary and helpful requirement for receiving God
            worthily, and for participating in the fruits of our
            Redemption through Christ. To remind us of this, Holy
            Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate
            Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this primary
            feast of purity, in Advent.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Church, moreover, intends to remind us that the
            coming of Christ, our promised Redeemer, depended on
            the consent of the Blessed Virgin. The Redeemer could
            not appear before she was born of whom He was to be
            born. The aurora must precede the rising sun. Thus also
            Mary, the spiritual aurora, had to be conceived and
            born before the appearance of the Sun of Justice in
            this world.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>N MARY appeared the woman who
            was to crush the serpent's head, who was to repair by
            her willing co-operation with God's designs the damage
            wrought by the disobedience of our first parents, and
            who was to become our mother and mighty advocate with
            God.
        </p>
        <p>
            The designs of God concerning Mary were fully
            accomplished. God also has designs concerning us. Our
            life was planned by Him from all eternity, and we were
            destined to co-operate with Him harmoniously and
            conscientiously in working out our salvation. Have we
            corresponded with God's designs? Did we not oppose them
            by yielding to our evil inclinations and passions? What
            a disparity between God's intentions concerning us and
            our own co-operation, between His merciful designs and
            our cowardly resistance to them!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prayer_Immaculate_Conception" id=
            "prayer_Immaculate_Conception">PRAYER OF THE CHURCH</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">O</font> GOD, who through the
            immaculate conception of the Virgin didst prepare a
            worthy dwelling-place for Thy divine Son; grant that,
            as in view of Thy Son Thou didst preserve her from all
            taint, so Thou wouldst vouchsafe unto us that cleansed
            from all sin by her intercession we too may arrive at
            Thine eternal glory. Through the same Christ our Lord.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">B</font>EHOLD, Virgin immaculate, at
            thy sacred feet I bow, while my heart overflows with
            joy in union with thine own, because from eternity thou
            wast the Mother-elect of the eternal Word, and was
            preserved stainless from the taint of Adam's sin.
            Forever praised, forever blessed be the Most Holy
            Trinity, who in thy conception poured out upon thy soul
            the riches of that matchless privilege. I humbly pray
            thee, most gracious Mother, obtain for me the grace to
            overcome the bitter results of original sin. Make me
            victorious over them, that I may never cease to love my
            God.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="ejac_Immaculate_Conception" id=
            "ejac_Immaculate_Conception"><i>Ejaculation</i></a>
        </p>
        <p>
            O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have
            recourse to thee!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 100 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, March 25,
            1884.)
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_2" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_2">SECOND DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Immaculate Conception
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">A</font>CCORDING to the definition of
            Pope Pius IX, the immaculate conception of the Blessed
            Virgin Mary is that privilege by which she was
            preserved, in view of the merits of our Saviour Jesus
            Christ, from original sin in the first moment of her
            conception.
        </p>
        <p>
            By solemnly proclaiming the dogma of Mary's immaculate
            conception, the Church confirmed anew the fundamental
            principles of Christianity which in our times are so
            frequently attacked, derided, or forgotten. God
            reserved the solemn proclamation of this dogma, which
            seemingly has no practical bearing on the Christian
            life, for our age, to recall to our mind the doctrines
            resulting from it.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HE most important of these
            doctrines is that of original sin, which to-day is
            rejected by many as a debasement of human nature, and
            is forgotten by others as having no practical influence
            on our moral state. By the promulgation of the doctrine
            of the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin
            Mary, the Church solemnly declares and defines as an
            article of faith, that the Blessed Virgin Mary is
            conceived without the stain of original sin by a
            special privilege and grace of God. If, then, Mary's
            sinlessness is an exception, the general rule remains
            in force, and all other human beings enter this world
            in the state of original sin.
        </p>
        <p>
            Thus, by the proclamation of the dogma of the
            immaculate conception, the Church combats human pride
            and sensuality, the foremost vices of the age.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY, unsullied lily of heavenly
            purity, I rejoice with thee, because at thy
            conception's earliest dawn thou wast full of grace and
            endowed with the perfect use of reason. I thank and
            adore the ever-blessed Trinity, who gave thee such high
            gifts. I am overwhelmed with shame in thy presence, to
            see myself so poor in grace. O thou who wast filled
            with heavenly grace, impart some portion of it to my
            soul, and make me share the treasures of thy immaculate
            conception.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_3" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_3">THIRD DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Victrix of Satan
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HE immaculate conception of the
            Blessed Virgin Mary inaugurated the fulfilment of the
            divine promise made to our first parents in paradise in
            the words addressed to the serpent: "I shall put
            enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and
            her seed; she shall crush thy head" (<i>Gen.</i> iii.
            15). Mary is the woman in whom Satan never had a part.
            Her intimate connection with God was announced by the
            angel: "Hail, full of grace; the Lord is with thee."
            Now was fulfilled the saying of the Psalmist, "The Most
            High hath sanctified His own tabernacle. God is in the
            midst thereof, it shall not be moved: God will help it
            in the morning early" (<i>Ps.</i> xlv. 5-6). Mary was
            chosen to be the glorious tabernacle of the Son of God
            "in the morning early," that is, in the first moment of
            her existence. God called her into being that she might
            assume the exalted dignity of the Mother of His Son,
            and therefore granted her the singular privilege of
            exemption from original sin. In her were fulfilled
            Solomon's prophetic words of praise, "Thou art all
            fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee"
            (<i>Cant.</i> iv. 7). It was in view of her Son's
            merits applied to her beforehand that God thus produced
            in her the image of the new man regenerated in the Holy
            Ghost.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HE spirit of darkness holds
            mankind enslaved, but one human being escapes him. A
            destructive fire lays waste the whole earth, but one
            tree remains unscathed. A terrible tyrant conquers the
            whole world, but one fortified city repels his
            assaults. This human being retaining liberty, this tree
            escaping destruction, this city repelling the enemy's
            attack is the Blessed Virgin Mary.
        </p>
        <p>
            Will the almighty and merciful God, who has
            accomplished such great things in Mary, who has
            selected her for His Mother, not listen to her prayers
            when she intercedes for us? St. William of Paris
            exclaims: "No other created being can obtain for us so
            many and so great graces from God as His Mother. By the
            all-powerful might of her intercession He honors her
            not only as His handmaid, but also as His Mother."
            Therefore we ought not be surprised when the holy
            Fathers maintain that a single sigh of Mary is more
            effective with God than the combined intercession of
            all the angels and saints. If, then, Mary's power is so
            great, she will surely hear us when we invoke her help
            in our combat with Satan. Having conquered him herself,
            she will also help us to conquer him.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY, thou mystical rose of
            purity, my heart rejoices with thine at the glorious
            triumph which thou didst gain over the infernal serpent
            by thy immaculate conception, and because thou wast
            conceived without stain of original sin. I thank and
            praise with my whole heart the ever-blessed Trinity,
            who granted thee this glorious privilege; and I pray
            thee to obtain for me strength to overcome all the
            wiles of the infernal foe, and never to stain my soul
            with sin. Be thou mine aid; make me, by thy protection,
            victorious over the common foe of our eternal welfare.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_4" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_4">FOURTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary without Actual Sin
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY conceived without sin is
            the most blessed daughter of the eternal Father, the
            real and true Mother of the divine Son, the elect
            spouse of the Holy Ghost. But in the world, in what
            condition do we behold her? She dwells not in a
            splendid palace; she is not surrounded by a retinue of
            servants ready at every moment to do her bidding; she
            is not exempt from trials and suffering. On the
            contrary, she is poor; she lives in obscurity, and
            suffered so much on earth that, without shedding her
            blood, she merits to be styled the queen of martyrs.
            Her heart was transfixed with the sword of sorrow. Mary
            is not exempt from tribulations and adversity; but one
            thing God does not permit to touch her, <i>i.e.,</i>
            sin. Hence Holy Church applies to her the words, "Thou
            art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in
            thee" (<i>Cant.</i> iv. 7).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HOUGH we were not preserved
            from sin like Mary, yet God in His ineffable goodness
            and mercy granted us the grace to be cleansed from sin
            and to be clothed with the garment of sanctifying grace
            in Baptism. No treasure of the world can be compared
            with this prerogative. But as we bear this grace in a
            fragile vase, we must be most careful to protect and
            preserve it in ourselves and others from all danger.
            Let the Blessed Virgin Mary be our example. Well
            knowing the inestimable value of the grace conferred
            upon her, she guarded it with the greatest care.
            Although exempt from concupiscence and "full of grace,"
            she was so distrustful of herself as if she were in
            continual danger. How much more, then, must we use
            precaution to preserve in ourselves and in others this
            treasure of grace, since we feel in ourselves
            constantly the law of the flesh, which resists the law
            of the spirit, and urges us on to evil, whilst the
            world and the devil never weary in placing snares for
            us in order to accomplish our ruin. Therefore let us
            have recourse to Mary, and invoking her aid bravely
            resist all temptations.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>IRROR of holy purity, Mary,
            Virgin immaculate, great is my joy while I consider
            that, from thy immaculate conception, the most sublime
            and perfect virtues were infused into thy soul, and
            with them all the gifts of the Holy Ghost. I thank and
            praise the Most Holy Trinity, who bestowed on thee
            these high privileges. I pray thee, gentle Mother,
            obtain for me grace to practise virtue, and to make me
            worthy to become partaker of the gifts and graces of
            the Holy Ghost.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_5" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_5">FIFTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, Full of Grace
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">S</font>ATAN'S relation to God as His
            child was severed by sin. The beautiful image of God
            imprinted on man's soul was disfigured by it. But with
            the immaculate conception of Mary, a being full of
            grace, an object of God's supreme complacency entered
            this world. After the lapse of four thousand years God,
            in His wisdom, power, and love, for the first time
            again created a human being in that state in which He
            had originally created our first parents. Mary, from
            the first moment of her existence was, in virtue of the
            sanctifying grace infused into her soul, most
            intimately united with God, and endowed with the most
            precious gifts of heaven. Because she was predestined
            to become the Mother of the Redeemer of mankind, it was
            befitting that she should unite in herself all the
            gifts becoming to such an ineffable dignity. Hence she
            surpassed in grace and holiness all other created
            beings, and was consecrated a worthy temple of the
            incarnate Word. Therefore she was saluted by the angel
            as "full of grace," and the Church, in our behalf,
            addresses the Almighty: "O God, who through the
            immaculate conception of the Virgin didst prepare a
            worthy dwelling-place for Thy divine Son; grant, that,
            as in view of the death of that Son Thou didst preserve
            her from all taint, so Thou wouldst vouchsafe unto us
            that, cleansed from all sin by her intercession, we too
            may arrive at Thine eternal glory."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HE world considers men
            according to their rank and station, their wealth and
            knowledge. God recognizes in them but one difference,
            that caused by the presence or absence of sanctifying
            grace in their soul. A soul in the state of sanctifying
            grace is God's friend; without it, His enemy. A man
            dying in the state of sanctifying grace is sure of
            eternal bliss. Therefore we ought to prize this grace
            above all else, and do everything in our power to
            preserve it. St. Leo exhorts us, "Recognize, O man, thy
            dignity! As thou hast received divine grace, beware of
            returning to your former sinful condition by a wicked
            life."
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY, bright moon of purity, I
            rejoice with thee, because the mystery of thy
            immaculate conception was the beginning of salvation
            for the race of man and the joy of the whole world. I
            thank and bless the ever-blessed Trinity, who thus did
            magnify and glorify thee; and I beg of thee to obtain
            for me the grace so to profit by thy dear Son's death
            and passion, that His precious blood may not have been
            shed in vain for me upon the cross, but that, after a
            holy life, I may reach heaven in safety.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_6" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_6">SIXTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, Our Refuge
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E CARRY the precious treasure
            of sanctifying grace in a frail vessel. Our inclination
            to evil remains with us, and continues to impel us to
            that which is forbidden. On whom shall we call for aid?
            Call on Mary! She is conceived without sin. She, the
            lily among thorns, who never lost God's friendship, is
            our advocate. Let her, who was found worthy to become
            the Mother of our Redeemer, inspire you with trust and
            confidence. The Church invokes her as the refuge of
            sinners, and under no other title does she show her
            love for us more convincingly and her power with God
            more efficiently.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/adoration_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/adoration.jpg" alt="The Adoration"></a><br>
            THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E MAY trust confidently in
            Mary's intercession and aid in all temptations and
            trials, if we but have recourse to her. Therefore St.
            John Damascene writes: "Come to my aid, O Mother of my
            Redeemer! Thou art my help, my consolation in life.
            Come to my aid, and I shall escape unscorched from the
            fire of temptation; amongst a thousand I shall remain
            unharmed; I shall brave the storms of assault
            unwrecked. Thy name is my shield, thy help my armor,
            thy protection my defense. With thee I boldly attack
            the enemy and drive him off in confusion; through thee
            I shall achieve a triumphant victory." In all
            temptations, therefore, let us have recourse to Mary
            and through her intercession we shall overcome them.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY immaculate, most brilliant
            star of purity, I rejoice with thee because thy
            immaculate conception has bestowed upon the angels in
            paradise the greatest joy. I thank and bless the
            ever-blessed Trinity, who enriched thee with this high
            privilege. O let me, too, one day enter into this
            heavenly joy, in the company of angels, that I may
            praise and bless thee, world without end.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_7" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_7">SEVENTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Mother of Chastity
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">H</font>OLY Scripture and the Fathers
            agree in the statement that the Blessed Virgin Mary
            made the vow of perpetual virginity. For when the
            Archangel Gabriel brought God's message to the
            immaculate spouse of St. Joseph, that she was to become
            the Mother of the Most High, she asked, "How shall this
            be done, because I know not man?" (<i>Luke</i> i. 34.)
            Indeed, Mary would not have been, in the full and most
            excellent sense of the word, the "Virgin of virgins,"
            had she not from her own free choice vowed her
            virginity to God.
        </p>
        <p>
            During the whole Christian era there have been heroic
            souls who made the vow of perpetual chastity,
            consecrating themselves to God. Trusting in the
            powerful protection of the immaculate Virgin, they
            persevered in their resolve to bear this priceless
            treasure before God's throne despite the dangers of the
            world, the temptations of concupiscence, and the
            assaults of hell, and with the help of the queen of
            virgins they achieved a triumphant victory.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">S</font>INCE the fall of Adam our
            senses are in rebellion against the law of God. "I see
            another law in my members, fighting against the law of
            my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin"
            (<i>Rom.</i> vii. 23). Chastity is the virtue which
            causes us the greatest struggles. St. Augustine says:
            "The fiercest of all combats is the one for the
            preservation of chastity, and we must engage in it
            every day." Fierce as this combat is, the aid which
            Mary gives her children to achieve victory is
            all-powerful. She sustains them by her maternal love
            and protection. Those who lead a chaste life receive
            the Divine Spirit, are happy in this life, and will
            receive a special crown in heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            Among the means for the preservation of chastity, the
            following are specially recommended: The assiduous and
            constant practice of self-denial; the frequentation of
            the sacraments; the daily invocation of Mary for her
            aid and protection; scrupulous avoidance of the
            occasions of sin. St. Chrysostom writes: "He errs who
            believes that he can overcome his sensual propensities
            and preserve chastity by his own efforts. God's mercy
            must extinguish nature's ardor." Have recourse to the
            intercession of the immaculate Virgin and rest assured
            that you will obtain this mercy.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY immaculate, rising morn of
            purity, I rejoice with thee, gazing in wonder upon thy
            soul confirmed in grace from the very first moment of
            thy conception, and rendered inaccessible to sin. I
            thank and magnify the ever-blessed Trinity, who chose
            thee from all our race for this special privilege. Holy
            Virgin, obtain for me utter and constant hatred of all
            sin above every other evil, and let me rather die than
            ever again fall into sin.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_8" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_8">EIGHTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Image of the Immaculate Conception
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">C</font>HRISTIAN art represents the
            Immaculate Conception as follows: The Blessed Virgin
            appears standing on a globe, about which is coiled a
            serpent holding an apple in its mouth. One of Mary's
            feet rests upon the serpent, the other is placed on the
            moon. Her eyes are raised toward heaven; her hands are
            either joined in prayer, or she holds a lily in her
            right, and places the left on her breast. Her dress is
            white; her ample mantle is of blue color. A crown of
            twelve stars encircles her head. These emblems typify
            in a most striking manner Mary's power and glory. "And
            a great sign appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with
            the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a
            crown of twelve stars" (<i>Apoc.</i> xii. 1).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HE representation of the
            Immaculate Conception is very instructive. (1) Mary
            appears standing on the globe. This signifies that
            being human, she belongs to the earth, and yet is
            exalted above the world and sin; also, that she
            trampled under foot earthly possessions, vanities, and
            joys. (2) A serpent is coiled about the globe, bearing
            an apple in its mouth. This reminds us of the fall of
            our first parents, and of the consequences of their
            sin. (3) Mary's foot rests on the serpent, indicating
            that she never was under Satan's dominion, but was
            preserved from sin in the first moment of her
            existence. (4) Mary stands on the moon. The moon, on
            account of its changes, is an emblem of inconstancy. We
            see it at Mary's feet, to be reminded that we ought to
            be constant in faith and virtue. (5) Mary wears a
            crown, to indicate that she is a queen. The crown is
            composed of twelve stars: she is the queen of heaven.
            (6) Mary's dress is white, to denote her spotless
            purity and innocence. (7) She folds her hands in
            prayer, reminding us to imitate her example. (8) Or she
            holds a lily in her right hand, to indicate her
            virginity and chastity, and the sweet odor of her
            virtues. (9) Mary's mantle is blue, which color is
            emblematic of humility. Its folds are ample, to remind
            us that all who have recourse to her find a secure
            refuge in all dangers and necessities.
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore let us invoke her intercession in the words
            of Holy Church: "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother
            of God. Despise not our petitions, and deliver us from
            all danger, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin!"
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">O</font> SPOTLESS sun! O Virgin Mary! I
            congratulate thee. I rejoice with thee because in thy
            conception God gave thee grace greater and more
            boundless than He ever shed on all His angels and all
            the saints, together with all their merits. I am
            thankful and I marvel at the surpassing beneficence of
            the ever-blessed Trinity, who conferred on thee this
            privilege. O make me correspond with the grace of God
            and never abuse it. Change this heart of mine; make me
            now begin to amend my life.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Immaculate_Conception_9" id=
            "Immaculate_Conception_9">NINTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Feast of the Immaculate Conception
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_immaculate_conception">Preparatory
            Prayer (p. 51).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">E</font>ARLY in the Christian era the
            feast of Mary's immaculate conception was observed in
            several countries. St. Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury,
            introduced it in England. A great number of Popes
            favored the doctrine of Mary's absolute sinlessness,
            and the adversaries of the Immaculate Conception were
            bidden to be silent and not publicly assert or defend
            their view. In 1477, Pope Sixtus IV prescribed the
            feast of the Immaculate Conception to be observed in
            the whole Church, and made it obligatory on priests to
            recite the special canonical office and to use the Mass
            formula published for the purpose. In 1846, the bishops
            of the United States assembled in plenary council in
            Baltimore elected the Blessed Virgin under the title of
            her immaculate conception Patroness of the Church in
            their country.
        </p>
        <p>
            Finally, Pope Pius IX, after consulting with the
            bishops throughout the world, and having implored the
            Holy Ghost for His guidance in prayer and fasting,
            promulgated, on December 8, 1854, the dogma which
            teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary was in her
            conception, by a special grace and through the merits
            of her divine Son, preserved from the stain of original
            sin. This doctrine was received throughout the world
            with ineffable joy; and, indeed, no one who loves the
            Blessed Virgin can help rejoicing at this her most
            glorious privilege.
        </p>
        <p>
            The invocation, "Queen conceived without the stain of
            original sin," was added to the Litany of Loreto. In
            1866, at the Second Plenary Council in Baltimore, the
            feast of the Immaculate Conception was raised to the
            rank of a holyday of obligation for the Church of the
            United States.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>N THE inscrutable designs of
            His providence God ordained that the mystery of the
            immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary should
            be proclaimed an article of faith as late as the middle
            of the nineteenth century. But, then, its proclamation
            was attended by circumstances that undeniably proved
            that the Holy Father in pronouncing the dogma had been
            inspired and guided by the Holy Ghost.
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us praise God and thank Him for bestowing this
            glorious privilege on our beloved Mother, and let us
            often invoke her under her favorite title, the
            Immaculate Conception. St. Alphonsus Liguori tells us
            that the devotion to this mystery is especially
            efficacious in overcoming the temptations of impurity.
            Therefore he was accustomed to recommend to his
            penitents thus tempted to recite three times every day
            the Hail Mary in honor of Mary immaculate. And the
            Venerable John of Avila assures us that he never found
            any one who practised a true devotion to the Immaculate
            Conception of Mary, who did not in a short time obtain
            the gift of that virtue which renders us so dear to her
            immaculate heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_Immaculate_Conception">Prayer of the
            Church (p. 53).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">O</font> LIVING light of holiness,
            model of purity, Mary immaculate, virgin and mother! As
            soon as thou wast conceived thou didst profoundly adore
            thy God, giving Him thanks that in thee the ancient
            curse was revoked, and blessing came again upon the
            sinful sons of Adam. O make this blessing kindle in my
            heart love for God; and do thou fan this flame of love
            within me, that I may love Him constantly and one day
            in heaven eternally enjoy Him, there to thank Him more
            and more fervently for all the wondrous privileges
            conferred on thee, and to rejoice with thee for thy
            high crown of glory.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_Immaculate_Conception">Ejaculation (p.
            54).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            II.<br>
            Novena in Honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
            Mary
        </h1><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_1" id="Nativity_1">FIRST DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Birth of Mary
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_nativity" id="prep_nativity">PREPARATORY
            PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E FLY to thy patronage, O holy
            Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our
            necessities, and deliver us from all dangers, O ever
            glorious and blessed Virgin!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY is born! The dawn
            announcing the coming salvation of mankind is at hand.
            The deep significance of Mary's birth is expressed in
            the words of the Church: "Thy birth, O virgin Mother of
            God, has brought joy to the world; for from thee is to
            come forth the Sun of Justice, Christ our Lord, to
            dispel the curse and bring the blessing, to conquer
            death and bring us everlasting life. On this day a
            light broke forth to brighten the paths of men through
            all time. Let us, then, rejoice in Mary's coming."
        </p>
        <p>
            Equally expressive and touching are the reflections of
            that great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine: "The
            day has dawned, the long-wished-for day of the blessed
            and venerable Virgin Mary. Well may this earth of ours
            rejoice and be glad for having been honored and
            sanctified by the birth of such a virgin."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">L</font>ET us, then, rejoice in Mary's
            coming. Let us hail the birth of her who attained the
            dignity of mother without losing the high privilege of
            a virgin. Let us imitate her holy life, that she may
            become our intercessor before the throne of her Son,
            our judge and redeemer. By becoming the Mother of God
            she became also our Mother. As Mother of the Redeemer
            she is also the Mother of the redeemed. Richard of St.
            Lawrence writes: "If we desire grace and help, let us
            have recourse to Mary and we shall obtain what we
            desire." For, as St. Alphonsus remarks: "All graces and
            gifts which God has resolved to bestow upon us He gives
            us through the hands of Mary."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prayer_nativity" id="prayer_nativity">PRAYER
            OF THE CHURCH</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">G</font>RANT to us, Thy servants, we
            beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace; that
            to those for whom the delivery of the Blessed Virgin
            was the commencement of salvation, the commemoration of
            her nativity may give increasing peace. Through Christ
            our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>OST lovely child, who by thy
            birth hast comforted the world, made glad the heavens,
            struck terror into hell, brought help to the fallen,
            consolation to the sad, health to the sick, joy to all;
            we pray thee with all fervent love, be thou born again
            in spirit in our souls through thy most holy love.
            Renew our fervor in thy service, rekindle in our hearts
            the fire of thy love, and bid all virtues blossom
            there, which may cause us to find more and more fervor
            in thy gracious eyes. O Mary, may we feel the saving
            power of thy sweetest name! Let it ever be our comfort
            to call on that great name in all our troubles; let it
            be our hope in dangers, our shield in temptation, and
            in death our last aspiration.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="ejac_nativity" id=
            "ejac_nativity"><i>Ejaculation</i></a>
        </p>
        <p>
            O Mary, who didst come into the world free from stain:
            obtain of God for me that I may leave it without sin!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 100 days, once a day. (Pius IX, March 27,
            1863.)
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_2" id="Nativity_2">SECOND DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Elect of God
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E FIND the explanation of the
            great prerogatives and privileges which God bestowed
            upon the Blessed Virgin Mary by reflecting on her
            singular and glorious predestination. From all eternity
            she was predestined to become the Mother of His divine
            Son; therefore, says Pope Pius IX, God loved her above
            all created beings, and in His special predilection
            made her the object of His divine complacency. With
            singular appropriateness we may apply to her the words
            of Holy Scripture, "I have loved thee with an
            everlasting love" (<i>Jer.</i> xxxi. 3). The eternal
            Father regarded Mary as His beloved Daughter; the
            divine Son honored her as His dearest Mother; the Holy
            Ghost loved her as His spotless Spouse. "And," says St.
            Anselm, "they loved each other with an affection
            unsurpassed by any other."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>NSPIRED by the contemplation of
            Mary's extraordinary privileges, St. Anselm exclaims:
            "Thou, O Mary, art more exalted than the patriarchs,
            greater than the martyrs, more glorious than the
            confessors, purer than the virgins, and therefore thou,
            alone, canst achieve more than they can without thee."
            Let us, then, rejoice that we possess such a powerful
            advocate in heaven, and let us place implicit trust in
            her. But let us also co-operate with the graces and
            favors which she obtains for us. Moreover, let us
            remember that we grievously offend God and Mary if we
            abuse what we obtain through her intercession to
            gratify our evil inclinations, and that the graces she
            obtains for us for our salvation will redound to our
            ruin if we do not use them for the glory of God and the
            promotion of our soul's welfare.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, Mary, who, sprung
            from the royal line of David, didst come forth to the
            light of heaven with high honor from the womb of holy
            Anna, thy most happy mother.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_3" id="Nativity_3">THIRD DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Child of Royalty
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">A</font>CCORDING to her lineage, as
            traced in two Gospels, Mary numbers among her paternal
            and maternal ancestors the holiest and most renowned
            personages of the Old Testament. We find amongst them
            Abraham, the friend of God, the father of Israel and of
            all the faithful; then David, the man after God's own
            heart, the inspired Royal Prophet; and Solomon, the
            wise and mighty king, and the whole line of the kings
            of Juda. On her mother's side she belonged to the tribe
            of Levi, and was descended from its noblest and most
            prominent family, that of Aaron the High Priest, and
            was therefore a relative of the High Priests of the Old
            Testament. Thus royal and sacerdotal prestige
            distinguished Mary's lineage.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HE Blessed Virgin was not proud
            of her illustrious ancestry, and not depressed because
            of the downfall of her family, but applied herself
            diligently to adhere to the faith and follow the
            example of her ancestors. Remembering the wicked
            members of her family, she learned from them that
            temporal greatness, success, wealth, and glory are more
            dangerous to virtue than poverty, retirement, and work.
            Let us imitate Mary's example. Even possessed of the
            most excellent prestiges of the natural order, of
            ourselves we are nothing. "What hast thou that thou
            hast not received? And if thou hast received, why dost
            thou glory as if thou hadst not received?" (1
            <i>Cor.</i> iv. 7.) Therefore do not overestimate
            yourself; do not be conceited; do not strive for
            praise, honors, and high station; be not boastful or
            arrogant; do not presume on your merits; rather be
            distrustful of yourself and patiently bear affronts,
            neglect, and humiliations. However poor you may be, be
            content with your lot, remembering the words of the
            Apostle: "They that will become rich fall into
            temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into
            many unprofitable and hurtful desires which draw men
            into destruction and perdition. For the desire of money
            is the root of all evils: which some coveting have
            erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in
            many sorrows" (1 <i>Tim.</i> vi. 9, 10).
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            WE HAIL thee, O Mary, heavenly babe, white dove of
            purity, who, despite the infernal serpent, was
            conceived free from the taint of Adam's sin. With all
            our hearts we pray thee to vouchsafe in thy goodness to
            come down again and be born in spirit in our souls,
            that, led captive by thy loveliness and sweetness, they
            may ever live united to thy most sweet and loving
            heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/purification_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/purification.jpg" alt=
            "The Purification"></a><br>
            THE PURIFICATION.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_4" id="Nativity_4">FOURTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Child of Pious Parents
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>RADITION tells us that Mary's
            parents were called Joachim and Anna. The holy Fathers
            rival each other in praising the virtue of this holy
            couple. St. Epiphanius writes: "Joachim and Anna were
            pleasing in the sight of God because of the holiness of
            their lives." St. Andrew of Crete remarks: "Joachim was
            eminent for the mildness and fortitude of his
            character. The law of God was his rule of life. He was
            just, and never relaxed in the fervor of his love of
            God. Anna was no less noted for her meekness,
            continence, and chastity." St. Jerome relates: "The
            life of this holy couple was simple and just before the
            Lord, edifying and virtuous before men." St. John
            Damascene exclaims: "O happy, chaste, and immaculate
            couple, Joachim and Ann! You are known, according to
            the Lord's word, by your fruit. Your life was pleasing
            in the sight of God, and worthy of her who was born of
            you."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>T is a great blessing, and one
            to be esteemed more highly than wealth and high
            station, to have God-fearing, pious parents. For their
            sake God is gracious to the children and lavishes His
            gifts on them. It is certainly a great privilege to be
            offered up to God immediately after birth by the hands
            of a pious mother. To have, from childhood up, the
            example and guidance of virtuous parents is certainly
            of the greatest importance. St. Chrysostom writes: "The
            parents' example is the book from which the child
            learns." A pious bishop was wont to say: "The good
            example of the parents is the best catechism and the
            truest mirror that a family can have." If Christian
            parents imitate the example of Joachim and Ann the
            blessing of God will rest on them and on their
            children; for because her parents were so dear to Mary,
            she will not refuse to join them in their prayers for
            us.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, brightest morn,
            forerunner of the heavenly Sun of Justice, who didst
            first bring light to earth. Humbly prostrate, with all
            our hearts we pray thee to vouchsafe in thy goodness to
            be born again in spirit in our souls, that, led captive
            by thy loveliness and sweetness, they may ever live
            united to thy most sweet and loving heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_5" id="Nativity_5">FIFTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Supernatural Prerogatives
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">M</font>ARY was the masterpiece of
            God's creation; her soul was the most perfect ever
            dwelling in a human body. A pious tradition tells us
            that she possessed the use of reason much earlier than
            other children. Her intellect was illuminated by
            supernatural light; her will was exempt from
            concupiscence. Being preserved from original sin, she
            surpassed in holiness, from the first moment of her
            existence, all angels and men. She possessed all
            virtues in the highest degree, because of her faithful
            co-operation with sanctifying grace and with the
            countless actual graces granted to her. She lived in
            constant communion with God, undisturbed by evil
            inclinations from within or temptations from without.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">T</font>HROUGH the effects of original
            sin we have lost the supernatural prerogative of
            original justice, and even after receiving sanctifying
            grace in holy Baptism we are exposed to many
            temptations. Our life is a constant warfare. We must,
            however, not despair in this struggle, for if we are
            true children of Mary she will come to our aid. In all
            temptations Mary is the "Help of Christians" if we have
            recourse to her. But if we wish her to help us, we must
            not expose ourselves unnecessarily to temptation. "He
            that loveth danger shall perish in it" (<i>Ecclus.</i>
            iii. 27). This sad experience has come to many. Let us,
            therefore, avoid the danger and occasion of sin; and
            whenever evil approaches us in any shape, let us call
            upon Mary, and we may rest assured that she will assist
            us. "I shall certainly triumph over my enemies,"
            exclaims St. Alphonsus, "if I place my trust in thee, O
            Mary, and if thou art my shield and protection against
            them."
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, O chosen one! who
            like the untarnished sun didst burst forth into being
            in the dark night of sin. Humbly prostrate at thy feet,
            O Mary, we give thee our homage, and with all our
            hearts we pray thee to vouchsafe in thy goodness to be
            born again in our souls, that, led captive by thy
            loveliness and sweetness, they may ever live united to
            thy most sweet and loving heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_6" id="Nativity_6">SIXTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Joy of the Most Holy Trinity
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>N THE child Mary the eternal
            Father beheld His unsullied glorious image, which image
            had been defaced in all other human beings by original
            and actual sin. What a joy to Him to behold this
            stainless, immaculate child! And how great must have
            been the joy of the Son of God at the birth of her who
            was to be His Mother! From her He was to take that
            sacred body in which He was to dwell on earth, the
            blood of which He was to shed on the cross for our
            redemption, and in which He was to return to heaven to
            sit at the right hand of the Father. He will call her
            Mother, and regard her with all the filial tenderness
            of a child for his mother. She will love Him in return
            with a true mother's affection and devotion. As the
            Mother of Sorrows she will weep over His inanimate body
            taken down from the cross. But like Himself, she will
            leave the tomb, and reign at His side as the queen of
            heaven. How great, then, must have been His joy at the
            birth of this child!
        </p>
        <p>
            The Holy Ghost, too, rejoiced at Mary's birth. He
            infused into her the plenitude of His holy love, for
            she was destined to become the Mother of God. And how
            Mary will love God, from whom she received so many and
            so great graces, and whom she is to bear in her arms as
            her real and true Son! This, her divine Son's love for
            mankind, will be imparted also to her. Therefore the
            Holy Ghost rejoices at this child, who received into
            her heart the fulness of His grace, and shall be the
            helper of those who have recourse to her.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">R</font>AISE your spirit above time and
            space; try to contemplate well the mystery of Mary's
            predestination. To make us realize the great privileges
            conferred upon her, the Church applies to her the words
            of Holy Scripture, "He that shall find me, shall find
            life, and have salvation from the Lord" (<i>Prov.</i>
            viii. 35). Only when we consider Mary as the Mother of
            God, do we arrive at a right conception of her great
            dignity. Hence St. Bonaventure exclaims, "God might
            have created a more beautiful world; He might have made
            heaven more glorious; but it was impossible for Him to
            exalt a creature higher than Mary in making her His
            Mother."
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, beauteous moon, O
            Mary most holy, who didst shed light upon a world
            wrapped in the densest darkness of sin. Humbly
            prostrate at thy feet, we give thee our homage, and
            with all our hearts we pray thee to vouchsafe in thy
            goodness to be born again in spirit in our souls, that
            led captive by thy loveliness and sweetness they may
            ever live united to thy most sweet and loving heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_7" id="Nativity_7">SEVENTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Angels Rejoice at Mary's Birth
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">D</font>ESCRIBING God's power and
            wisdom as shown in creation, Holy Scripture, according
            to the explanation of the Fathers, introduces Him as
            saying, "When the morning stars praised me together,
            and all the sons of God made a joyful melody"
            (<i>Job</i> xxxviii. 7), and by these words intends to
            convey with what joy the angels praised God's
            omnipotence on beholding the wonders of creation. What,
            then, must have been their joy on beholding this new
            wonder of divine power and wisdom, the child Mary,
            destined to be their queen. Filled with admiration they
            exclaimed, "Who is she that cometh forth as the morning
            rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible
            as an army set in array?" (<i>Cant.</i> vi. 9.) And
            moreover, if, as Our Lord declares, the angels rejoice
            at the conversion of a sinner, how great must have been
            their joy at the birth of her who was to be the refuge
            of sinners and the mother of Him who was to be the
            Redeemer of sinners? Again, the angels rejoiced at
            Mary's birth, because she would fill, through the
            salvation of mankind by her divine Son, the places made
            vacant in heaven by the apostate angels.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">G</font>OOD children rejoice on the
            birthday of their parents and gratefully remember all
            the benefits they have received from them. Thus should
            we, also, celebrate the nativity of the Blessed Virgin
            by a grateful remembrance of the innumerable graces,
            individual and general, we received through her
            intercession. In acknowledging Mary's co-operation with
            our salvation, Holy Church calls her our mediatrix, and
            greets her as the "Cause of our joy," because, though
            we receive grace from Christ, it comes to us through
            her mediation. What cause, then, have we not for
            rejoicing at her birth! Again, greeting Mary as the
            cause of our joy, let us remember the protection she
            extended to the Church in times of adversity and
            persecution; let us, furthermore, remember all the
            graces which, according to the holy Fathers, are
            dispensed to us by Mary's hands. "Of her plenitude,"
            says St. Bonaventure, "we have all received; the
            captive liberty, the sick health, the sad consolation,
            the sinner pardon, the just grace." Therefore the
            Church invokes Mary as the mother of mercy, the health
            of the sick, the comforter of the afflicted, the refuge
            of sinners, the help of Christians, in a word, as the
            cause of our joy.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, fair soul of Mary,
            who from all eternity wast God's, and God's alone;
            sanctuary and living temple of the Holy Ghost; sun
            without blemish, because free from original sin. With
            all our hearts we pray to thee, O Mary, to vouchsafe in
            thy goodness to be born again in spirit in our souls,
            that, led captive by thy loveliness and sweetness, they
            may ever live united to thy most sweet and loving
            heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_8" id="Nativity_8">EIGHTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Joy of the Just in Limbo at Mary's Birth
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">F</font>OR four thousand years the just
            in limbo sighed for redemption, and sent up to Heaven
            the plaintive cry, "O that Thou wouldst rend the
            heavens, and wouldst come down!" (<i>Is.</i> xiv. 1.)
            "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the
            clouds rain the just; let the earth be opened and bud
            forth a Saviour" (<i>Is.</i> xlv. 8). What joy must
            have filled the souls of the just when they heard the
            welcome tidings of the birth of Mary, the virgin Mother
            of the promised Messias; how great their consolation at
            the rising of that dawn which preceded the Sun of
            Justice, whose splendor was to illuminate the darkness
            of them that sat in the shadow of death!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">A</font> JOY similar to that which
            filled the captive souls in limbo at Mary's birth now
            fills the souls in purgatory when we implore her to
            come to their relief. Contemplating the immense love of
            the Most Holy Trinity for Mary, we may not doubt but
            that, by her intercession, she might at once deliver
            all the suffering souls from their prison, if such were
            in accordance with God's will. But God's wisdom and
            providence have decreed otherwise. Therefore Mary does
            not pray for the release of all souls in purgatory, but
            recommends them, in conformity with God's will, to His
            mercy. St. Bernardine of Sienna applies to Mary the
            words of Holy Scripture, "I have penetrated into the
            bottom of the deep and have walked in the waves of the
            sea" (<i>Ecclus.</i> xxiv. 8), and says: "She descends
            into that sea of suffering and soothes the pains of the
            poor souls." St. Denis the Carthusian remarks, that
            when the name of Mary is mentioned in purgatory, the
            souls there imprisoned experience the same relief as
            when a sick person hears words of consolation on his
            bed of pain.
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore let us entrust our prayers for the souls in
            purgatory to Mary. She will present our petitions to
            God, and thus presented, He will speedily hear and
            graciously grant them.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, strong child, who
            didst put to flight all hell and the powers of
            darkness. We give thee our homage, and with all our
            hearts we pray thee to vouchsafe in thy goodness to be
            born again in spirit in our souls, that, led captive by
            thy loveliness and sweetness, they may ever live united
            to thy most sweet and loving heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Nativity_9" id="Nativity_9">NINTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Holy Name of Mary
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_nativity">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            74).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">S</font>T. ALPHONSUS writes of the name
            of Mary: "This name was neither invented on earth, nor
            imposed by human agency. It came from heaven and was
            given to the Mother of God by divine command." Just as
            it is a peculiar glory of our Saviour's name, that "God
            hath given Him a name which is above all names, that in
            the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those that
            are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth"
            (<i>Philipp.</i> ii. 9), thus it also behooves that
            Mary, the most perfect, the most pure, and most exalted
            of all created beings, should receive a most holy,
            lovely, and powerful name. St. Methodius declares that
            the name of Mary is so rich in grace and blessing, that
            no one can pronounce it devoutly without at the same
            time receiving a spiritual favor. Bl. Jordan exclaims:
            "Let a heart be ever so obdurate, let a man even
            despair of God's mercy, if he have recourse to thee, O
            Mary, virgin most clement, he can not fail to be
            softened and filled with confidence if he invokes thy
            name; for thou wilt inspire him with hope in God's
            mercy, pardon, and grace."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">I</font>T IS, then, meet and just that
            we should devoutly honor and praise the name of Mary.
            Let us never mention it except in reverence and
            devotion. Let us invoke Mary by it in all dangers of
            body and soul, mindful of the words of St. Bernard: "O
            sinner, when the floods and tempests of this earthly
            life overwhelm thee so that thou canst not firmly set
            thy foot, turn not away thy gaze from the light of this
            guiding star. When the storms of temptation assail
            thee, and the rocks and quicksands of vexation and
            trial threaten to shatter thy bark of hope, look up to
            that bright star in the heavens, and call on the name
            of Mary. When the billows of pride and of ambition,
            when the floods of calumny are about to submerge thee,
            look up to this star and call on the name of Mary. When
            anger, avarice, and concupiscence convulse the peace of
            thy soul, look up to this star and call on Mary. When
            thy sins rise up like hideous monsters before thy
            troubled vision, when thy conscience stings thee, when
            the terrors of future judgment fill thee with deadly
            anguish, when gloom and sadness overpower thee, when
            thou findest thyself on the brink of hellish despair,
            take courage; think of Mary, and thou wilt find from
            thy own inward experience how true are the sayings of
            those who tell thee that the name of the Blessed Virgin
            is 'Star of the Sea,' the name of the Virgin is Mary."
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_nativity">Prayer of the Church (p.
            75).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+2">W</font>E HAIL thee, beloved child
            Mary, adorned with every virtue, immeasurably above all
            the saints, and therefore worthy Mother of the Saviour
            of the world, who by the operation of the Holy Ghost
            didst bring forth the incarnate Word. We give thee our
            homage, and with all our hearts we pray thee to
            vouchsafe in thy goodness to be born again in our
            souls, that, led captive by thy loveliness and
            sweetness, they may ever live united to thy most sweet
            and loving heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_nativity">Ejaculation (p. 76).</a>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            III<br>
            Novena for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed
            Virgin Mary
        </h1><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_1" id="Annunciation_1">FIRST
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Annunciation
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_annunciation" id=
            "prep_annunciation">PREPARATORY PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y QUEEN, my Mother, remember I
            am thine own. Keep me, guard me, as thy property and
            possession!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 40 days, every time. (Pius IX, August 5,
            1851.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>T NAZARETH, a mountain village
            in Judea, lived poor and in obscurity Mary, the virgin
            selected by God to become the Mother of His Son. On
            March 25th she was in prayer in her chamber, and
            perhaps sent up to heaven the yearning petition, "Drop
            down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds
            rain the just; let the earth be opened and bud a
            Saviour" (<i>Is.</i> xlv. 8). Behold, suddenly the
            chamber is suffused by a heavenly light. The archangel
            Gabriel stands reverently before her and says, "Hail,
            full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou
            among women. And when Mary heard the angel's words, she
            was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself
            what manner of salutation this should be" (<i>Luke</i>
            i. 28, 29).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE angel's salutation comprises
            two titles of ineffable greatness. Mary is called "full
            of grace," because of her innocence and purity; she is
            called "blessed among women," because she is the elect
            Mother of God. Never before was a human being thus
            greeted. It was God Himself who sent the message to
            Mary. A good angel now repaired the harm once done by a
            bad angel. For Lucifer, the fallen angel, seduced Eve
            to sin and thereby caused the ruin of the whole human
            race; now another angel, Gabriel, was sent to announce
            the glad tidings to Mary, that she was to conceive the
            Redeemer from sin, who was to accomplish the salvation
            of mankind.
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary was troubled at the angel's words, and reflected
            on the meaning of the message. St. Ambrose writes:
            "Mary was troubled, not because the angel was a
            heavenly spirit, but because he appeared to her in the
            form of a youth. Still more was she troubled at the
            praises spoken to her. She was innocent and humble, and
            therefore reflected on the meaning of the message. She
            had always considered herself as a poor and unknown
            virgin; she deemed herself unworthy of God's grace;
            therefore she was troubled at the salutation. In that
            decisive moment she was and remained our model."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/flight_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/flight.jpg" alt=
            "The Flight into Egypt"></a><br>
            THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prayer_annunciation" id=
            "prayer_annunciation">PRAYER OF THE CHURCH</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">P</font>OUR forth, we beseech Thee, O
            Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we unto whom the
            Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the
            message of an angel, may, by His passion and cross, be
            brought to the glory of the resurrection. Through the
            same Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>ITH wonder I revere thee,
            holiest Virgin Mary; for of all God's creatures thou
            wast the humblest on the very day of thy annunciation,
            when God Himself exalted Thee to the sublime dignity of
            His own Mother. O mightiest Virgin, make me, wretched
            sinner that I am, know the depths of my own
            nothingness, and make me humble myself at last with all
            my heart, beneath the feet of all men.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i><a name="ejac_annunciation" id=
            "ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation</a></i>
        </p>
        <p>
            Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 50 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, March 20,
            1894.)
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_2" id="Annunciation_2">SECOND
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Import of the Angel's Salutation
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">"H</font>AIL, full of grace!" Mary was
            greeted as full of grace by the Giver of grace Himself.
            The angel's salutation meant: "The grace of God has
            preserved thee from all sin. Neither the stain of
            original sin, nor the guilt of actual sin, ever
            obscured the mirror of thy soul. By the special favor
            of God the most sublime virtues were infused into thy
            soul."
        </p>
        <p>
            "The Lord is with thee." From all eternity the Lord was
            with Mary. He was with her not only as He is with His
            whole creation, but He was with her in a special
            manner. The eternal Father was with her from all
            eternity as with His beloved Daughter. The divine Son
            was with her from all eternity as with His chosen
            Mother. The Holy Ghost was with her from all eternity
            as with His beloved Spouse. This intimate union never
            was disrupted. Therefore Mary is "Blessed among women,"
            and ever was, and ever shall be the beloved of the
            Lord.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">C</font>ONSIDER how Mary receives the
            angel's message. She is troubled, she is disturbed at
            the praise, at the reverence of the angel. What an
            example of humility! Let us imitate her in this virtue
            by the acknowledgment before God of our weakness, our
            unworthiness, our nothingness, and by ordering our
            whole being accordingly. Humility renders us pleasing
            in the sight of God and makes us susceptible of His
            grace. Hence St. Augustine writes: "God resists the
            proud and gives His grace to the humble. What a
            terrible punishment for the proud, what a splendid
            reward for the humble! The proud man resembles a rock,
            the humble man a beautiful valley. The grace of God
            descends from heaven like a gentle rain. It can not
            penetrate the rock of pride, and hence the proud man
            loses God's grace and love. But in the valley of
            humility the waters of divine grace can diffuse
            themselves and fructify the soul of the humble man, so
            that it may bring forth fruit unto eternal life."
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MARY, holiest Virgin, who,
            when the archangel Gabriel hailed thee in thy
            annunciation, and thou wast raised by God above all
            choirs of the angels, didst confess thyself "the
            handmaid of the Lord"; do thou obtain for me true
            humility and a truly angelic purity, and so to live on
            earth as ever to be worthy of the blessings of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_3" id="Annunciation_3">THIRD
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Effect of the Angel's Salutation
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE effect of the angel's
            salutation on Mary was striking. Imbued with sentiments
            quite different from ours, she was troubled at the
            praise addressed to her. Meanwhile she is silent and
            considers within herself what might be the meaning of
            these words. And now the angel calls her by name,
            saying, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with
            God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt
            bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus.
            He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the
            Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the
            throne of David His father: and He shall reign in the
            house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall
            be no end" (<i>Luke</i> i. 30-33).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ET us admire the prudence
            shining forth in Mary. After hearing the angel's words
            of praise she was silent and thought within herself
            what kind of a salutation this was. She is very careful
            and prudent. On this her conduct St. Thomas Aquinas
            remarks: "Mary did not refuse to believe, nor did she
            receive the message with credulity. She avoided Eve's
            gullibility and the distrust of Zachary the high
            priest." And St. Bernard writes: "Mary preferred to
            remain silent in humility, rather than to speak
            inconsiderately." Let us strive always to speak and act
            with deliberation. Our conversation ought always to be
            judicious; for often a word spoken inconsiderately
            causes bitter regret. St. Thomas Aquinas observes:
            "Song was given to a number of creatures, but human
            beings alone were endowed with the faculty of speech,
            to indicate that in speaking we should use our reason."
            And St. Chrysostom says: "Let us always guard our
            tongue; not that it should always be silent, but that
            it should speak at the proper time."
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> REJOICE with thee, O Virgin
            ever blessed, because by thy humble word of consent
            thou didst draw down from the bosom of the eternal
            Father the divine Word into thy own pure bosom. O draw,
            then, ever my heart to God; and with God bring grace
            into my heart that I may ever sincerely bless thy word
            of consent, so mighty and so efficacious.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_4" id="Annunciation_4">FOURTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Question
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>ELL versed as Mary was in Holy
            Scripture, she fully understood the words she had heard
            and knew their great import. She was destined to become
            the Mother of the Most High, the Son of God. But there
            is an obstacle which prevents her from giving immediate
            assent. She has solemnly vowed her virginity to God.
            Not knowing how the mystery announced to her was to be
            accomplished, and intent above all on keeping inviolate
            her vow, she interrupts her silence by the short but
            comprehensive question, "How shall this be done,
            because I know not man?" (<i>Luke</i> i. 34.) This is
            the first word of Mary recorded in the Gospel.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">"H</font>OW shall this be done, because
            I know not man?" Truly a momentous question, proceeding
            from her knowledge of the great excellence and value
            before God of virginity, which, before Mary, was
            unknown to the world.
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us follow Mary's example and esteem holy purity and
            chastity above all things. Let us remember how highly
            Holy Scripture extols this virtue. "O how beautiful is
            the chaste generation with glory; for the memory
            thereof is immortal, because it is known both with God
            and with men" (<i>Wis.</i> iv. 1). St. Athanasius
            writes: "O chastity, thou precious pearl, found by few,
            even hated by some, and sought only by those who are
            worthy of thee! Thou art the joy of the prophets, the
            ornament of the apostles, the life of the angels, the
            crown of the saints." Let us therefore carefully guard
            this inestimable treasure.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY, mighty Virgin, thou who on
            the day of thy annunciation wast found by the archangel
            so prompt and ready to do God's will, and to correspond
            with the desires of the august Trinity, who wished for
            thy consent in order to redeem the world; obtain for me
            that, whatever happens, good or ill, I may turn to my
            God, and with resignation say, "Be it done unto me
            according to thy word."
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_5" id="Annunciation_5">FIFTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Solution
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE angel explains to Mary how,
            without detriment to her virginity, she will become a
            mother. He says, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
            and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee.
            And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee
            shall be called the Son of God" (<i>Luke</i> i. 35).
            St. Bernard remarks: "Let him who can, comprehend it.
            Who, but that most happy Virgin who was worthy to
            experience the influence and effect of the power of the
            Most High and to penetrate this sublime mystery, can
            understand how the divine Light was poured into the
            Virgin's womb? The Most Holy Trinity alone co-operated
            in the sacred act, and it remains an impenetrable
            mystery to all, except to her who was called to so
            sublime a destiny."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY did not entertain a single
            doubt concerning the wonders which the angel announced
            to her about the coming Messias and His kingdom. She
            believed with simple faith the words of the heavenly
            messenger. Only about that which concerned her
            personally she asked a question. When the wonderful
            mystery was explained to her, she did not ask how this
            <i>can</i> be done, but only how it <i>shall</i> be
            done. And after the angel had declared to her that she
            shall conceive by the Holy Ghost, she was fully
            resigned and announced her implicit belief in these
            humble words: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it
            done to me according to thy word" (<i>Luke</i> i. 38).
            Therefore the Holy Ghost Himself praised her by the
            mouth of Elizabeth: "Blessed art thou that hast
            believed" (<i>Luke</i> i. 45).
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us remain steadfast in the profession of all
            articles of faith, and let us oppose, like a strong
            shield, the words, "Nothing is impossible with God," to
            all attacks of unbelievers, and to all doubts that may
            arise in our own minds.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY most holy, I see that thy
            obedience united thee so closely to God, that all
            creation never shall know again union so fair and so
            perfect. I am overwhelmed with confusion in seeing how
            my sins have separated me from God. Help me, then,
            gentle Mother, to repent sincerely of my sins, that I
            may be reunited to thy loving Jesus.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_6" id="Annunciation_6">SIXTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Consent
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E ADMIRE the creative word of
            God, by which heaven and earth were called into
            existence. But Mary's word, "Be it done to me according
            to thy word," is even mightier and more efficacious;
            for it commands the obedience even of the almighty
            Creator. Without this word of humility and obedience
            the incarnation of our divine Saviour would not have
            been accomplished. Mary does not say, "I accept the
            proposal, I agree to the proposition," nor does she use
            other words of similar import. She simply says, "Be it
            done to me according to thy word." It was not her own
            choice, nor her own decision, but a voluntary, full,
            and complete surrender to the will of God that the
            message found in Mary's soul, which was expressed in
            these words. What a source of consolation to her in the
            subsequent sorrowful and afflicted stages of her life
            was this complete surrender to God's will! It comprised
            the tranquilizing assurance that He to whose designs
            she submitted, would endow her with the fortitude and
            strength necessary to co-operate with them.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>UST as our divine Lord Himself
            became obedient unto death, thus also His incarnation
            and the motherhood of Mary were the result of
            obedience. Again, in contemplating the works that in
            the course of time were undertaken in the Church for
            the glory of God and the salvation of man, we find that
            only those were really great, effective, and enduring,
            which had their beginning, continuation, and
            consummation in obedience.
        </p>
        <p>
            Rejoice, then, if it is your happy lot to walk in the
            safe path of obedience. Avail yourself of every
            opportunity to submit your will to the will of your
            Superiors. They are the representatives of God. By
            obeying them we fulfil His will, not the will of men.
            St. Bonaventure calls obedience the key of heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLIEST Mary, if through thy
            modesty thou wert troubled at the appearance of the
            archangel Gabriel in thy dwelling, I am terrified at
            the sight of my monstrous pride. By thy incomparable
            humility, which brought forth God for men, reopened
            paradise and let the captive souls go free from their
            prison, draw me, I pray thee, out of the deep pit into
            which my sins have cast me, and make me save my soul.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_7" id="Annunciation_7">SEVENTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Fortitude in Suffering
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LTHOUGH Mary's consent was
            free, and freely given, she was clearly convinced and
            perfectly conscious of the responsibility, the
            obligations, and the duties involved by that consent,
            and which she now assumed. Great are the duties and
            tearful the days of a mother who has to raise her Son,
            who is also God, to be sacrificed on the cross. Mary
            assumes with the dignity this responsibility. She
            consents to conceive the Son of God, to give birth to
            Him, to nourish Him, to educate Him for the ignominious
            death of the cross. When she pronounced the words, "Be
            it done," her eyes were fixed on the distant tragedy of
            Golgotha, on the cross towering upon its height. Yet
            she accepts it, together with the dignity of Mother of
            God.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY, in consenting to become
            the Mother of Jesus, became not only His Mother, but
            the Mother of all mankind. She became, for all time,
            the refuge of sinners, the health of the sick, the
            intercessor with God for man; she consented to exercise
            a mother's love for suffering and sinful humanity. But
            alas, how many of those adopted by Mary as her children
            under the cross of her dying Son are unworthy of her
            mother love! How many are rebellious children, who fill
            her heart with sorrow and anguish! Others, faithless
            and obdurate, become a reproach to her. Have you,
            during your past life, always been a good child of this
            loving Mother? Are you to her an honor or a disgrace, a
            joy or a sorrow?
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HOUGH my tongue is unhallowed,
            yet, purest Virgin, I presume to hail thee every day
            with the angel's salutation, "Hail Mary, full of
            grace!" From my heart, I pray thee, pour into my soul a
            little of that mighty grace wherewith the Holy Spirit,
            overshadowing thee, filled thee to the full.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_8" id="Annunciation_8">EIGHTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Mother of God
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY'S true greatness consists
            in her having been chosen the Mother of God. This
            sublime dignity, pre-eminently her own and shared by no
            other creature, elevates her to a station inconceivably
            exalted. Mother of God! St. Peter Damian thus gives
            expression to his conception of this dignity: "In what
            words may mortal man be permitted to pronounce the
            praises of her who brought forth that divine Word who
            lives for all eternity? Where can a tongue be found
            holy and pure enough to eulogize her who bore the
            author of all created things, whom the elements praise
            and obey in fear and trembling? When we essay to extol
            a martyr's constancy, to recount his heroic acts of
            virtue, to describe his devotion to his Saviour's cause
            and honor, we are supplied with words by facts and
            occurrences that belong to the province of human
            experience. But when we undertake to describe the
            glories of the Blessed Virgin, we are on unknown
            ground, on a subject transcending all human effort. We
            fail to find words suitable to portray her sublime
            prerogatives, privileges, and mysteries."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. ANSELM, writing on the
            motherhood of Mary, says: "It was eminently just and
            proper that the creature chosen to be the Mother of God
            should shine with a luster of purity far beyond
            anything conceivable in any other creature under
            heaven. For it was to her that the eternal Father
            decreed to give His only-begotten Son, whom He loves as
            Himself; and to give Him in such a mysterious manner
            that He should be at the same time the Son of God and
            the Son of the Virgin Mary. She must indeed be purity
            itself, whom the Son of God elected as His Mother, and
            who was the chosen Spouse of the Holy Ghost, to be
            overshadowed by Him to bring forth the Second Person of
            that Most Blessed Trinity from whom He Himself
            proceeds."
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us honor the virgin Mother with filial devotion,
            gratefully greeting her often in the words of the
            angel, "Hail Mary, full of grace!" Let us remember that
            God alone is above Mary, and beneath her is all that is
            not God.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> BELIEVE, holiest Mary, that
            almighty God was ever with thee from thy conception,
            and is, by His incarnation, still more closely united
            to thee. Make it thy care, I pray thee, that I may be
            with that same Lord Jesus ever one heart and soul by
            means of sanctifying grace.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Annunciation_9" id="Annunciation_9">NINTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, Our Mother
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_annunciation">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            95).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY could not consent to become
            the Mother of the Redeemer without including in her
            consent those to be redeemed. "She bore one man," says
            St. Antonine, "and thereby has borne all men again.
            Beneath the cross of her divine Son she has reborne us
            to life with great pain, just as Eve our first mother,
            has borne us under the tree of forbidden fruit unto
            death. That there be no doubt concerning it, her divine
            Son made this declaration in His last will." "When
            therefore Jesus had seen His Mother and the disciple
            standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother, Woman,
            behold thy son. After that He saith to the disciple,
            Behold thy Mother" (<i>John</i> xix. 26 27). She gave
            up her Son for the redemption of mankind, and He gave
            us, in the person of His beloved disciple St. John, to
            her as her children, declaring her our Mother. From
            that moment we belong to Mary, and Mary belongs to us:
            "Behold thy Mother!"
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/rest_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/rest.jpg" alt="The rest in Egypt"></a><br>
            THE REST IN EGYPT
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY loves us because she loves
            God, and because God loves us. She loves us as her
            brethren who share human nature with her. She loves us
            as her children, whom she has borne to eternal life.
            She loves us because we are miserable and helpless.
            True, we offended her divine Son, but she knows our
            frailty, our blindness, the assaults of the flesh and
            the devil to which we are exposed; and by all this she
            is moved to come to our aid.
        </p>
        <p>
            Do not, however, imagine that this good and amiable
            Mother will hear your call for assistance if you
            continue to offend her divine Son with malice prepense.
            To obtain her aid you must make yourself in a manner
            worthy of it. This you do by striving to imitate her
            virtues. Or is there anything in her example that we
            are unable to imitate? True, we can not attain to her
            perfection in virtue, but we can copy it to a certain
            degree. To follow Mary's example there is no need of
            performing miracles, of having ecstasies, or of doing
            any other extraordinary deeds. All that is necessary is
            to persevere faithfully in the ordinary duties of life,
            and to perform them to the best of our ability.
        </p>
        <p>
            "Behold thy Mother!" These words of our dying Lord were
            addressed to the beloved disciple St. John, but were
            intended for all mankind. Even as Mary never ceases to
            be the Mother of God, she never will cease to be our
            Mother.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_annunciation">Prayer of the Church (p.
            97).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> HOLIEST Mary, bless me, my
            heart and my soul, as thou thyself wast ever blessed of
            God among all women; for I have this sure hope, dear
            Mother, that if thou bless me while I live, then, when
            I die, I shall be blessed of God in the everlasting
            glory of heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_annunciation">Ejaculation (p. 97).</a>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            IV<br>
            Novena in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
        </h1><br>
        <br>
        <p>
            NOTE.&mdash;Besides the indulgences granted for every
            novena in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Pius IX,
            Pope Leo XIII, January 27, 1888, granted that all the
            faithful may gain, on the <i>third Sunday in
            September</i>, being the second feast of the Seven
            Sorrows of Mary (the other is observed on the Friday
            before Palm Sunday), a plenary indulgence <i>as
            often</i> as they visit, after confession and
            communion, a church where the Archconfraternity of the
            Seven Sorrows is canonically established, and pray
            there for the intention of the Holy Father. This
            indulgence is applicable to the souls in purgatory.
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_1" id="Sorrows_1">FIRST DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_sorrows" id="prep_sorrows">PREPARATORY
            PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; <font size="+3">B</font>ID me bear, O
            Mother blessed,<br>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; On my heart the wounds impressed<br>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; Suffered by the Crucified!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 300 days, once a day. A plenary indulgence,
            on any one day, in each month, to those who shall have
            practised this devotion for a month, saying besides
            seven Hail Marys, followed each time by the above
            invocation. Conditions: Confession, communion, and
            prayer for the intentions of the Pope. (Pius IX, June
            18, 1876.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>ROM the dolorous way of Our
            Lord's passion Holy Church selected fourteen incidents
            to place before us for consideration, which are called
            the Stations of the Cross. In the same manner the pious
            devotion of the faithful selected seven events in the
            life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and gives itself to
            their religious contemplation. They are: (1) Simeon's
            prophecy in the Temple; (2) the flight into Egypt with
            the divine Child; (3) the loss of the divine Child at
            Jerusalem; (4) Mary's meeting with her Son bearing the
            cross; (5) Mary beneath the cross; (6) Mary receives
            the body of her Son from the cross; (7) the placing of
            Jesus' body in the tomb.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">"F</font>ORGET not the sorrows of thy
            mother" (<i>Ecclus.</i> vii. 29). According to this
            exhortation of Holy Scripture it is our duty to
            remember and meditate often on the sorrows of the
            Blessed Virgin Mary. We ought never to forget that our
            sins were the cause of the sufferings and death of
            Jesus, and therefore also of the sorrows of Mary.
        </p>
        <p>
            Holy Church celebrates two feasts in honor of the
            sorrows of Mary; she approved of the Rosary and of many
            other devotions in honor of the Seven Dolors, and
            enriched them with numerous indulgences. Let us
            practise these devotions to enkindle in our hearts a
            true and ardent love for our sorrowful Mother.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prayer_sorrows" id="prayer_sorrows">PRAYER OF
            THE CHURCH</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>RANT, we beseech Thee, O Lord
            Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, Thy
            Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of Thy
            mercy, now and at the hour of our death, through whose
            most holy soul, in the hour of Thine own passion, the
            sword of sorrow passed. Through Thee, Jesus Christ,
            Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest with the
            Father and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">E</font>VER glorious Blessed Virgin
            Mary, queen of martyrs, mother of mercy, hope, and
            comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through the
            sorrows that pierced thy tender heart I beseech thee
            take pity on my poverty and necessities, have
            compassion on my anxieties and miseries. I ask it
            through the mercy of thy divine Son; I ask it through
            His immaculate life, bitter passion, and ignominious
            death on the cross. As I am persuaded that He honors
            thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing,
            let me experience the efficacy of thy powerful
            intercession, according to the tenderness of thy
            maternal affection, now and at the hour of my death.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="ejac_sorrows" id=
            "ejac_sorrows"><i>Ejaculation</i></a>
        </p>
        <p>
            Mother of Sorrows, queen of martyrs, pray for us!
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_2" id="Sorrows_2">SECOND DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's First Sorrow: Simeon's Prophecy in the Temple
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>ORTY days after the birth of
            our divine Saviour, Mary His Mother fulfilled the law
            of Moses by offering Him to His divine Father in the
            Temple. "And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named
            Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for
            the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was in
            Him. And he received an answer from the Holy Ghost,
            that he should not see death before he had seen the
            Christ of the Lord. And he came by the Spirit into the
            temple. And when His parents brought in the child
            Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the
            law, he also took Him into his arms, and blessed God,
            and said: Now dost Thou dismiss Thy servant, O Lord,
            according to Thy word, in peace; because my eyes have
            seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the
            face of all peoples. A light to the revelation of the
            gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. And His
            father and mother were wondering at these things which
            were spoken concerning Him. And Simeon blessed them,
            and said to Mary His Mother: Behold this child is set
            for the fall and for the resurrection of many in
            Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; and
            thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many
            hearts thoughts may be revealed" (<i>Luke</i> ii.
            25-35).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY was familiar with the
            predictions of the prophets and knew that ignominy,
            sorrow, and suffering would be her divine Son's portion
            throughout His earthly career. But to have this secret
            of her anxious soul thus publicly and solemnly declared
            by Simeon, was a sharp thrust of that seven-edged sword
            which was to pierce her loving heart. In spirit she
            viewed that boundless, surging sea of trials, pain, and
            death on which her Son was to be tossed about, and was
            willing to be engulfed in its bitter waters. Her
            affliction would have scarcely been greater had the
            death sentence of her divine Son been pronounced then
            and there and put into execution. What a sorrow, what
            an affliction, what a trial for such a tender Mother!
            Well might she exclaim with the Royal Prophet: "My life
            is wasted with grief, and my years in sighs"
            (<i>Ps.</i> xxx. 11). Let us often contemplate this
            sorrow, and excite our hearts to a tender compassion
            with the Mother of Sorrows.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, in the grief thy tender heart underwent when the
            holy old man Simeon prophesied to thee. Dear Mother, by
            thy heart then so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue
            of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_3" id="Sorrows_3">THIRD DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>OR the second time the sword of
            sorrow pierced Mary's heart when she was commanded to
            fly into Egypt with her divine Child. Without
            manifesting undue perplexity or discontent, she hastily
            gathered a few necessaries for the journey, while St.
            Joseph saddled the beast of burden. Then taking the
            infant Jesus into her arms and pressing Him to her
            throbbing heart, the holy pilgrims set forth into the
            cold, starry night, away to a foreign land, through the
            trackless desert, and into a heathen country. Arrived
            in Egypt, the experience of Bethlehem was renewed; no
            one gave them shelter.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">D</font>URING this second great sorrow,
            what was Mary's behavior? She was content to fulfil the
            will of God; she did not ask for reasons, or complain
            of the fatigues of the journey, but preserved her peace
            of heart amid all the trials of this severe probation.
            She is poor, but her poverty does not render her
            unhappy or querulous. If God sends us trials, we ought
            not murmur or complain. Following the example of Mary,
            let us bear them submissively. If we suffer patiently
            with Mary on earth, we shall enjoy eternal bliss with
            her in heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for the anxiety which thy most tender heart
            underwent during thy flight into Egypt and thy sojourn
            there. Dear Mother, by thy heart then so sorrowful,
            obtain for me the virtue of liberality, especially
            toward the poor, and the gift of piety.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_4" id="Sorrows_4">FOURTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Third Sorrow: Jesus Lost in Jerusalem
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>HO can describe Mary's sorrow
            when, returning from Jerusalem, she missed her divine
            Son? With St. Joseph she retraced her steps in anxious
            search of Him whom her soul loved. She went to all her
            relatives and acquaintances in Jerusalem, but heard no
            tidings of her lost Child. She passed three long days
            of anxiety in her search, and this constitutes her
            third sorrow. Of it, Origen writes: "On account of the
            ineffable love of Mary for her divine Son, she suffered
            more by His loss than the martyrs suffered amid the
            most cruel tortures."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>N MEDITATING on this sorrow of
            Mary, we ought to remember how indifferent so many
            Christians are after having lost God by sin. They feel
            no compunction, no sorrow at having offended Him, and
            yet they can weep at the loss of a trifle; they shed
            copious tears when their will is crossed, or when they
            receive a deserved reprimand; but for the loss of their
            God they have not a tear. They have lost Him, perhaps
            years ago, and never make the least effort to find Him.
            Pray to the sorrowful Mother that she preserve you from
            such a deplorable fate!
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for the terrors felt by thy anxious heart when
            thou didst lose thy dear Son, Jesus. Dear Mother, by
            thy heart, then so agitated, obtain for me the virtue
            of chastity, and with it the gift of knowledge.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_5" id="Sorrows_5">FIFTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Fourth Sorrow: She Meets Jesus Carrying His
            Cross
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE time was at hand when
            mankind's redemption was to be accomplished. Already
            the divine Victim of our sins is bearing the instrument
            of our salvation. Torn by the cruel scourging, crowned
            with thorns, and covered with blood He proceeds on His
            way to Calvary, and in this pitiful condition meets His
            blessed Mother. What a spectacle, what a sight for a
            Mother such as Mary! Anxious to look upon her, and with
            one fond glance to thank her for her heroic, unselfish
            love, He made an effort to change His bowed position
            beneath the cross, feebly raised His head, and directed
            toward her one loving glance of ineffable anguish,
            mingled with grateful recognition and humble
            resignation. Then the sad procession moves on, Mary
            following her divine Son on His way to death.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E, BY our sins, placed into the
            hands of the Jews and executioners the weapons by which
            Jesus suffered, and thus we thrust the sword of sorrow
            into Mary's heart. We repeat this, in a certain sense,
            as often as we commit a grievous sin, because we
            thereby number ourselves among those whom the Apostle
            describes as "crucifying again to themselves the Son of
            God, and making Him a mockery" (<i>Heb.</i> vi. 6).
            Cardinal Hugo writes: "Sinners crucify, as far as is in
            them, Christ our Lord, because they repeat the cause of
            His crucifixion." Doing this, we thrust anew the sword
            of sorrow into Mary's heart. Let this consideration
            fill us with hatred for and fear of sin.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for the shock thy mother heart experienced when
            Jesus met thee as He carried His cross. Dear Mother, by
            that heart of thine, then so afflicted, obtain for me
            the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_6" id="Sorrows_6">SIXTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Fifth Sorrow: Beneath the Cross
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>T THE crucifixion of Jesus the
            soul of Mary was plunged into a sea of sorrow when she
            stood three hours under the cross. Writhing in
            excruciating pain, the Son of God hung upon the tree of
            disgrace and infamy, yet Mary continued to stand at its
            foot, tearful, grieving, yet persevering, filled with
            anguish because she could do nothing to help Him.
            Another great sorrow befell the heart of Mary when she
            slowly withdrew her tearful gaze from the face of
            Jesus, and cast her weeping eyes upon the cold and
            indifferent world that lay in darkness around and about
            Calvary. And yet, "When Jesus therefore had seen His
            Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He
            saith to His Mother, Woman, behold Thy son. After that
            He saith to the disciple, Behold thy Mother"
            (<i>John</i> xix. 26, 27).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HESE words, "Behold thy son,
            behold thy Mother," contain and express the mystery of
            unbounded love, which Jesus has for all mankind, but
            more especially for the Church which is appointed and
            authorized to lead men to salvation. O blessed, O happy
            bequest! It was not enough for the love of Jesus to
            have restored heaven to us by His atoning death; He
            wished also to give us His dearest Mother. And she has
            always shown herself as such. To each of us
            individually she was and is a kind and loving Mother.
            Give thanks to her, bless and praise her for having
            adopted you as her child, and strive to become worthy
            of so great a privilege.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for the martyrdom thy generous heart bore so
            nobly whilst thou didst stand by Jesus agonizing. Dear
            Mother, by thy heart then so cruelly martyred, obtain
            for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of
            counsel.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_7" id="Sorrows_7">SEVENTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Sixth Sorrow: The Taking Down of Jesus' Body
            from the Cross
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>HO can describe the sorrow and
            anguish of Mary's heart when the body of Jesus was
            taken from the cross, when her tearful eyes fell upon
            His disfigured features! The pure and holy and
            beauteous form of her Son was a mass of clotted blood
            and unsightly wounds; and yet, disfigured as it was,
            there shone in His countenance a clear, calm expression
            of divine majesty. Now Mary views the wounds of that
            sacred body; she looks at the gap made in His side by
            the cruel spear, and can almost see the Sacred Heart of
            Jesus, all bruised and broken for love of man. Before
            her vision passes in detail His life and her own.
            Memory presents to her mind every day and hour of their
            quiet, happy life at Nazareth. Is it to be wondered,
            then, that at this bitter moment her sorrow was so
            great that, as St. Anselm observes, she should have
            died had she not been sustained by a miracle of divine
            omnipotence?
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>UGHT not the contemplation of
            the sorrows of our blessed Mother confirm us in
            patience, in resignation to the will of God in our
            trials and sufferings? If the Son of God said of
            Himself: "Ought not Christ to have suffered these
            things, and so to enter into His glory?" (<i>Luke</i>
            xxiv. 26); if the most pure and holy Mother of God,
            despite her great prerogatives and merits, had to
            suffer a sorrow so ineffable, do not murmur if the word
            of Christ is addressed also to you: "And he that taketh
            not up his cross and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me"
            (<i>Matt.</i> x. 38).
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for the pain thou didst suffer when the body of
            thy divine Son, taken down all torn and bloody from the
            cross, was placed in thy arms. Dear Mother, by thy
            heart pierced through, obtain for me the virtue of
            fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/ontheroad_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/ontheroad.jpg" alt=
            "On the Way to Jerusalem"></a><br>
            ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_8" id="Sorrows_8">EIGHTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Seventh Sorrow: Jesus is Buried
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE sacrifice for the redemption
            of the world was accomplished. "And Joseph, taking the
            body, wrapt it up in a clean linen cloth, and laid it
            in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a
            rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the
            monument, and went his way" (<i>Matt.</i> xxvii. 59).
            Mary also took part in the burial of her beloved Son,
            though the evangelists do not mention her name amongst
            those who were present on that mournful occasion.
            Never, most assuredly, was human soul visited by such
            woe and desolation, as that which overwhelmed hers as
            she cast a last glance on the precious remains of her
            dead Son.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ET us learn of the sorrowful
            Mother at the tomb of her divine Son submission to
            God's holy will in all things, but especially when He
            takes from us one of our dear ones. Again, the
            contemplation of the sufferings of Mary should fortify
            us in patience, whenever God is pleased to visit us
            with a light and small cross of affliction, or even
            with a sorrow that causes our heart to bleed. It should
            inspire us with a filial confidence in Mary, who thus
            suffered for us and gave her divine Son for our
            salvation. We can and ought to prove our love for her,
            not by sentimental feelings of affection, but by a
            sincere hatred of sin and great fervor in the service
            of her divine Son.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for the anguish felt by thy loving heart when
            Jesus' body was laid in the sepulcher. Dear Mother, by
            all the bitterness of desolation thou didst know,
            obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of
            wisdom.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Sorrows_9" id="Sorrows_9">NINTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Reasons Why Mary Had to Suffer
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_sorrows">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            115).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE reasons why God permitted
            Mary to suffer so much may be briefly stated as
            follows: He did so from His love for Mary and from His
            love for us. He did so from His love for Mary, because
            by suffering she merited greater glory in heaven. As
            Mother of the Crucified she persevered beneath the
            cross, and now she thrones in heaven as the glorious
            Mother of the risen Redeemer. Because she shared in His
            suffering, she now shares His glory. Again, God
            permitted Mary to suffer because He loved us. If she
            had not experienced such bitter sorrow, we would not
            have recourse to her, for whosoever has not suffered
            himself can not have sympathy with the sufferings of
            others. Mary knows the pangs of sorrow by experience,
            and therefore knows also how to console and help us.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>ECAUSE she herself drained the
            most bitter cup of sorrow, Mary is always willing to
            help those who invoke her aid. But above all she is
            inclined to help repentant sinners, because she knows
            how great the price of their redemption was, paid by
            the blood of her divine Son. She is able to help us,
            because, after God, she is most powerful; she is most
            willing to help us, because she loves us, whom God so
            has loved "as to give His only-begotten Son"
            (<i>John</i> iii. 16). Let us, therefore, have recourse
            to her in all our needs, and we shall experience the
            power of her help in life and death.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_sorrows">Prayer of the Church (p.
            117).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font> COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing
            Mary, for all thy sorrows. I beseech thee, dear Mother,
            by thy heart pierced through by them, obtain for me
            full abandonment to the will of God in everything and
            perseverance to the end.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_sorrows">Ejaculation (p. 118).</a>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            V<br>
            Novena for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed
            Virgin Mary
        </h1><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_1" id="Assumption_1">FIRST DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Death was without Pain
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_assumption" id=
            "prep_assumption">PREPARATORY PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MARY, Virgin most blessed and
            Mother of Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through
            thy mercy I beseech thee to come to my aid, and to
            inspire me with such confidence in thy power, that I
            may have recourse to thee, pray to thee, and implore
            thy aid in all needs of soul and body.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY, the virgin Mother of God,
            was conceived without original sin. She never dimmed
            the luster of sanctifying grace which beautified her
            soul by actual sin. Nevertheless she had to pass
            through the dark portal of death before she was
            assumed, body and soul, into heaven. She had not been
            endowed with the privilege of immortality with which
            God had invested our first parents in paradise. It was
            meet that she should be like unto her divine Son in
            everything, even in death. But as she had drained the
            bitter cup of suffering during her whole life, and
            especially when standing beneath the cross, her death
            was to be free from pain and suffering. She quietly
            passed away yielding up her spirit in a yearning desire
            to be united forever with her divine Son in heaven.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>F YOU have dispossessed your
            heart of all unruly attachment to the goods and
            enjoyments of this earth, you, too, may hope for a
            happy and tranquil transition from this land of exile
            to your home in heaven. Therefore, if you are still
            attached to the transitory things of this life,
            disengage your heart from them now. The voluntary
            renouncement of earthly goods alone is meritorious
            before God. The separation from them enforced by the
            strong hand of death is of no supernatural value.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prayer_assumption" id=
            "prayer_assumption">PRAYER OF THE CHURCH</a>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E BESEECH Thee, O Lord, pardon
            the shortcomings of Thy servants; that we who, by our
            own works, are not able to please Thee, may be saved by
            the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son, Our Lord
            Jesus Christ. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MOST benign Mother Mary! I
            rejoice that by thy happy and tranquil death the
            yearning of thy heart was appeased, and thy life, so
            rich in merit and sacrifice, received its crown. I
            rejoice that after passing from this life, thou, O most
            loving Mother, wast made the glorious and powerful
            queen of heaven and dost exercise thy influence as such
            for the benefit of thy frail, exiled children on earth.
            Obtain for me, I beseech thee, a happy death, that I
            may praise and glorify thy might and kindness forever
            in heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="ejac_assumption" id=
            "ejac_assumption"><i>Ejaculation</i></a>
        </p>
        <p>
            Sweet heart of Mary be my salvation!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A plenary
            indulgence, once a month, on any day, to all who shall
            have said it every day for a month, under the usual
            conditions.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_2" id="Assumption_2">SECOND DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            At Mary's Tomb
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>N ANCIENT legend relates that,
            led by Heaven, all the Apostles, except St. Thomas,
            assembled at the Blessed Virgin's death-bed. After she
            had breathed forth her pure spirit, her sacred remains
            were prepared for the grave by wrapping the body in new
            white linen and decking it with flowers. Meanwhile the
            apostles, assembled in another room, sang psalms and
            hymns in praise of their departed Mother. The apostles,
            all the disciples, and the faithful dwelling in
            Jerusalem followed the blessed remains to the grave
            chanting psalms and hymns. Arrived in the valley of
            Josaphat, the body was gently placed in a sepulcher of
            stone not far from the Garden of Olives. After the
            entombment the apostles and crowds of the faithful
            lingered near the sacred spot in prayer, meditation,
            and chanting of psalms in which angels' voices were
            heard to mingle.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>OIN in spirit with the apostles
            and faithful in their prayer and meditation at the
            grave of our blessed Mother. Contemplate and review her
            whole life. Could a course like hers have terminated
            more appropriately than with so beautiful, painless,
            and tranquil a passing away? Prepare yourself even now
            for your departure from this life. Do not postpone the
            settlement of your affairs, spiritual and temporal,
            until the last uncertain hours. Above all, remove now,
            or as soon as possible, all doubts, anxieties, and
            irregularities of conscience, because delay is
            dangerous and leads to impenitence, and because in the
            last hours the powers of hell usually assail the
            departing soul with all their might.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>LORIOUS Virgin, who for thy
            consolation didst deserve to die comforted by the sight
            of thy dear Son Jesus, and in the company of the
            apostles and angels; pray for us, that at that awful
            moment we, too, may be comforted by receiving Jesus in
            the most holy Eucharist, and may feel thee nigh when we
            breathe forth our soul.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_3" id="Assumption_3">THIRD DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Empty Tomb
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. JOHN DAMASCENE writes: "St.
            Thomas was not with the other apostles when the Blessed
            Virgin died, but arrived in Jerusalem on the third day
            after that event. Ardently desiring to see once more
            and to venerate the sacred body which had given flesh
            and blood to his beloved Master, the grave was opened
            for this purpose. The body could nowhere be seen, and a
            delicious perfume filled the empty tomb. The apostles
            then became convinced that as God had preserved the
            body of Mary free from sin before, in, and after the
            birth of His Son, He was pleased likewise, after her
            death, to preserve that same body from corruption, and
            to glorify it in heaven."
        </p>
        <p>
            A council held in Jerusalem in the year 1672 declared:
            "It is beyond all doubt that the Blessed Virgin is not
            only a great and miraculous sign on earth, because she
            bore God in the flesh and yet remained a virgin, but
            she is also a great and miraculous sign in heaven,
            because she was taken up thither with soul and body.
            For although her sinless body was enclosed in the tomb,
            yet, like the body of Our Lord, it arose on the third
            day and was carried up to heaven."
        </p>
        <p>
            Although the doctrine of the bodily assumption of Mary
            into heaven was not defined by the Church as an article
            of faith in the strict sense, yet the learned Pope
            Benedict XIV remarks, "It would be presumptuous and
            blameworthy in any one to call into doubt or to
            question this beautiful and consoling belief of ages."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ET us rejoice at the thought of
            the glorious resurrection of our dear Mother. Let us
            unite ourselves in spirit with the apostles in heaven
            and with Holy Church to congratulate her on this
            extraordinary privilege. But let us also rejoice at the
            thought of our own resurrection. True, it shall not
            take place immediately after death, but it is therefore
            not the less certain, and it depends on us to make it
            glorious and blessed.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of
            God, Mary! As thy sacred body after death was preserved
            from corruption, and united with thy sinless soul was
            borne to heaven by the angels; obtain for me the grace
            that my life and death be holy, so that on the Day of
            Judgment I may arise to glory everlasting.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_4" id="Assumption_4">FOURTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Reasons for the Bodily Assumption of Mary into Heaven
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">1. T</font>HE wages of sin is death.
            Now, as the Blessed Virgin from the first moment of her
            existence was preserved from all sin, and even from
            original sin, it necessarily follows that death could
            have no permanent dominion over her, and that her body
            would not be permitted to see corruption.
        </p>
        <p>
            2. This sinless body had been the medium by which the
            body of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was the conqueror of
            death, had been formed. How, then, could such a highly
            privileged body, a pure and virginal body, be permitted
            to pass through corruption and decay?
        </p>
        <p>
            3. As Mary had yielded up her sacred person to be a
            dwelling-place for the Lord of heaven, it seems fitting
            that this same Lord, in His turn, should give the
            kingdom of heaven to her as her resting-place. St.
            Bernard expresses this sentiment as follows: "When Our
            Lord came into this world, Mary furnished Him with the
            noblest dwelling on earth, the temple of her virginal
            womb. In return, the Lord on this day raises her up to
            the highest throne in heaven."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>F YOU desire to look forward to
            death without fear, and to expect your dissolution with
            confidence, follow the Apostle's injunction,
            "Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good"
            (<i>Gal.</i> vi. 10). Avoid sin, perform good works, be
            patient in affliction, and strive to expiate the
            punishment due to your sins by voluntary acts of
            penance, thus reducing your inclination to sin.
            Therefore offer up to God every morning, in a spirit of
            penitence, all your labors, trials, and sufferings.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of
            God, Mary! I beseech thee through the ineffable glory
            thou didst make for thy departure from this world by a
            life of retirement, full of merits and virtue,
            dedicated to God alone; obtain for me the grace that,
            following thy example, I may detach my heart from this
            world, and patiently bear affliction and adversity,
            carefully avoid sin, and always strive to advance in
            the love of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_5" id="Assumption_5">FIFTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Glorious Entrance into Heaven
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font> JOY greater than human heart
            can conceive fills the heavenly spirits when a soul
            enters heaven to receive her reward. What jubilant
            transports, then, must those have been with which they
            hailed the entrance into heavenly bliss of the most
            pure and holy Virgin, the Mother of the Son of God,
            body and soul, transfigured in glory! And she is, and
            shall be, for all eternity, their mistress and queen!
            What an ineffable joy, too, for the Blessed Virgin, to
            behold the countless numbers of angels, to admire their
            beauty, their purity, their intense love of God! But as
            the feeble light of a candle disappears before the
            splendor of the sun's rays, thus are these choirs of
            angels obscured by the ineffable glory of her divine
            Son coming to welcome His Mother. Who can describe this
            affecting meeting? What a superabundant reward for
            affliction and suffering! What an ocean of joy and
            bliss, when the Son of God presented His Mother before
            the throne of His heavenly Father, who greeted her as
            His beloved Daughter! What a joy to behold the Holy
            Ghost, whose pure Spouse she had been even on earth!
            These transports of bliss baffle all attempts at
            description.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HOUGH we are unable to have an
            adequate perception of Mary's glory in heaven, by which
            she is raised above all angels and saints, yet it is in
            our power to do one thing; we can rejoice at the glory
            of our blessed Mother, and join the heavenly spirits
            and the saints in paying homage to her. Let us resolve
            to do this, and never to forget that Mary attained to
            the largest share of her divine Son's glory because she
            was foremost in sharing His sufferings. Let this
            encourage us to bear our cross, to bear it with our
            Saviour even to the height of Calvary, there to die
            with Him.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of
            God, Mary! I beseech thee through the preparation with
            which thou wast glorified by God&mdash;by the Father as
            His most beloved Daughter, by the Son as His immaculate
            Mother, and by the Holy Ghost as His most pure
            Spouse&mdash;in heaven; obtain for me the grace to
            share to some extent this thy glory, and therefore to
            live so that I may deserve it.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_6" id="Assumption_6">SIXTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary Crowned in Heaven
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY'S glory received its
            culmination by her coronation as queen of heaven and
            earth. It was meet that in her should be fulfilled the
            words of Holy Scripture: "Come from Libanus, my Spouse,
            come, thou shalt be crowned" (<i>Cant.</i> iv. 8), and
            that her own prophetic words, "He hath put down the
            mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble"
            (<i>Luke</i> i. 52), should be exemplified in her. For
            it was reasonable and becoming that she, who once with
            Jesus wore the crown of shame and contempt, should now
            share with Him the crown of immortal glory. It was but
            fair and just that the immaculate being who was chosen,
            above all inhabitants of heaven and earth, to be the
            true and worthy Mother of God, should now be solemnly
            installed over all creatures in heaven and on earth as
            the queen of angels and men, and that to her should be
            offered homage, praise, and honor by the blessed
            spirits and by the souls of the saints. But the crown
            which she received is not one made of gold and precious
            stones; it is composed of the virtues with which Mary,
            in faithful co-operation with divine grace, embellished
            herself; it consists, too, of all the homage and glory
            which she receives as queen of heaven. The most
            precious gem in this crown is the filial love and
            gratitude Jesus shows toward His Mother in heaven.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>NDEED, "eye hath not seen, ear
            hath not heard, neither has it entered into the heart
            of man," what the heavenly Father has prepared in the
            mansions of eternal bliss for His beloved Daughter, the
            Son for His Blessed Mother, and the Holy Ghost for His
            chosen Spouse. She is now queen of heaven and earth; of
            heaven, for she is the queen of all angels and saints;
            of earth, for as Mother of God she is the Mother of all
            mankind, the mediatrix between the Redeemer and the
            redeemed.
        </p>
        <p>
            You, too, may contribute a gem toward the crown of your
            heavenly Mother by paying her filial homage, imitating
            her virtues, and preserving, for the love of her, your
            innocence and purity of heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/finding_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/finding.jpg" alt=
            "The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph Finding Jesus in the Temple"></a><br>

            THE BLESSED VIRGIN AND ST. JOSEPH FINDING JESUS IN THE
            TEMPLE
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of
            God, Mary! I beseech thee through the everlasting crown
            of glory with which God has crowned thee queen of
            heaven and earth; obtain for me through thy mighty
            intercession the grace to persevere in virtue to the
            end, so that finally I may attain the crown of bliss
            prepared by God for those that love Him.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_7" id="Assumption_7">SEVENTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary's Bliss in Heaven
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>CCORDING to Holy Scripture and
            the doctrine of the Church, there are in heaven various
            grades of glory and bliss, according to the rank and
            merit of the saints. They probably attain this higher
            grade of glory and bliss by the increase of their
            ability to enjoy the happiness of heaven. Their
            intellect is enabled to contemplate more profoundly the
            incomprehensible essence of God; their power of
            perception is augmented so that they may more readily
            recognize and admire the splendor of the angels,
            saints, and heavenly mansions; their will is enabled to
            be united, in a higher degree, with God. From this we
            may conclude that Mary's bliss in heaven transcends all
            human conception. Her heavenly glory and reward
            consists in the perfect adaptation of her whole being
            to the enjoyment of God and of eternal bliss.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>OOK up, Christian soul, to this
            great and brilliant queen of heaven. She is your gentle
            Mother and assures you of her help, and the diadem she
            wears upon her brow is a proof that she has the power
            to help you. Do not, therefore, refuse the hand of this
            mighty friend in heaven, for she will lift you from the
            depths of your misery, from the rocky shoals of
            temptation, and lead you strong and victorious into the
            presence of her divine Son. Thus you will enter into a
            new and supernatural life in Christ, to share in the
            grace-laden mysteries of His life, passion, and
            triumph.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GREAT and glorious queen of
            heaven, Mary! I beseech thee by that exalted throne
            upon which God has raised thee above all angels and
            saints; let me one day appear amongst them to join them
            in their praise of thee. Obtain for me the grace that I
            may never cease to honor thee as thou dost deserve to
            be honored, and thereby to become worthy of thy mighty
            protection in life and death.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_8" id="Assumption_8">EIGHTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary, the Queen of Mercy
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY is, then, a queen,
            but&mdash;what a consolation to know it!&mdash;a queen
            always mild and gentle, always willing to confer
            benefits upon us. Hence the Church teaches us to call
            her the Mother of mercy. The pious and learned author
            Gerson says: "God's dominion comprises justice and
            mercy. He divided it, retaining the administration of
            justice for Himself, and relinquishing, in a certain
            sense, the dispensation of mercy to Mary, by conferring
            through her hands all graces He grants to mankind." How
            consoling, then, the assurance that our merciful Mother
            is so mighty and so loving a queen!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>O GREAT is the tenderness of
            Mary's maternal heart "that never was it heard that any
            one who fled to her protection, implored her help, and
            sought her intercession was left unaided." How many
            prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings ascend daily to
            the throne of this our exalted and merciful
            protectress! There is not a cry of an afflicted,
            struggling, and suffering soul that she does not
            graciously hear. Join, therefore, confidently in the
            prayer of Holy Church, "Hail, holy queen, Mother of
            mercy!" Approach her with filial trust. Neglect not to
            honor her yourself, and do all in your power to lead
            others to do her honor.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of
            God, Mary! Holy Church teaches me that despite the
            glory to which thou wast exalted, thou didst not forget
            thy miserable clients, and that in heaven thy mercy is
            still greater than it was during thy life on earth.
            Therefore I come to thee and trustingly lay at thy feet
            all my needs, miseries, and petitions. My queen, my
            Mother, turn not thy gracious eyes from me. Remember me
            with thy divine Son; cease not to pray for me and take
            me under thy protection, so that I may finally have the
            happiness to see and praise thee in thy glory for ever
            and ever.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="Assumption_9" id="Assumption_9">NINTH DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Mary in Heaven, the Help of Christians on Earth
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_assumption">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            133).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY'S help as Mother of mercy
            is not confined to individuals. She is the protectress
            and helper of the whole Church. All over the earth,
            wherever we cast our glance, in the records of the
            history of times long past and those of recent
            occurrence, we find testimony of the graces and
            benefits obtained through her intercession. The feasts
            celebrated by the Church throughout the year, what are
            they but evidences of gratitude offered to the queen of
            heaven for the oftentimes miraculous delivery from war,
            pestilence, and other great afflictions? Hence she is
            rightly invoked as the "Help of Christians."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>N OUR days, too, storms and
            dangers threaten the Church. Let us, therefore, by
            calling on Mary for help, do our part toward shortening
            the days of visitation and trial. Let us not confine
            our petitions to her within the narrow limits of our
            own personal needs, but let us join in the cry for help
            ascending to the Mother of mercy throughout all
            Christendom. Let us daily, for Holy Church, send up our
            petition to Mary's heavenly throne: "Help of
            Christians, pray for us!"
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_assumption">Prayer of the Church (p.
            134).</a><br>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GLORIOUS Virgin and Mother of
            God, Mary, queen of heaven! Forget us not. Thou art the
            help of Christians; lighten our tribulations, and help
            us with motherly intercession at the throne of thy
            divine Son. With Holy Church I join in the petition to
            thee: "Holy Mary, aid the miserable, assist the
            desponding, strengthen the weak, pray for the people,
            plead for the clergy, intercede for the devout female
            sex. Let all who have recourse to thee experience the
            efficacy of thy help!"
        </p>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.<br>
            <a href="#ejac_assumption">Ejaculation (p. 135).</a>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART III
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Fourteen Holy Helpers
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the
            torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of
            the unwise they seemed to die, and their departure was
            taken for misery, and their going away from us for
            utter destruction; but they are in peace. And though in
            the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is
            full of immortality. Afflicted in a few things, in many
            they shall be well rewarded; because God has tried them
            and found them worth of Himself" (<i>Wis.</i> iii 1-5.)
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="fourteen" id="fourteen">CHAPTER I</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Fourteen Holy Helpers
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>MONG the saints who in Catholic
            devotion are invoked with special confidence, because
            they have proved themselves efficacious helpers in
            adversity and difficulties, there is a group venerated
            under the collective name of Holy Helpers. They are:
        </p>
        <p>
            1. St. George, Martyr.<br>
            2. St. Blase, Bishop and Martyr.<br>
            3. St. Pantaleon, Martyr.<br>
            4. St. Vitus, Martyr.<br>
            5. St. Erasmus, Bishop and Martyr.<br>
            6. St. Christophorus, Martyr.<br>
            7. St. Dionysius, Bishop and Martyr.<br>
            8. St. Cyriacus, Martyr.<br>
            9. St. Achatius, Martyr.<br>
            10. St. Eustachius, Martyr.<br>
            11. St. Giles, Abbot.<br>
            12. St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr.<br>
            13. St. Margaret, Virgin and Martyr.<br>
            14. St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr.
        </p>
        <p>
            The reason why these saints are invoked as a group is
            said to have been an epidemic which devastated Europe
            from 1346 to 1349. It was called the Plague, or "Black
            Death," and among its symptoms were the turning black
            of the tongue, parching of the throat, violent
            headache, fever, and boils on the abdomen. The malady
            attacked its victims suddenly, bereft them of reason,
            and caused death in a few hours, so that many died
            without the last sacraments. Fear caused many attacks
            and disrupted social and family ties. To all
            appearances, the disease was incurable.
        </p>
        <p>
            During this period of general affliction the people in
            pious confidence turned toward Heaven, and had recourse
            to the intercession of the saints, praying to be spared
            an attack, or to be cured when stricken. Among the
            saints invoked since the earliest times of the Church
            as special patrons in certain diseases were: St.
            Christopher and St. Giles against the plague, St.
            Dionysius against headache, St. Blase against ills of
            the throat, St. Catherine against those of the tongue,
            St. Erasmus against those of the abdomen, St. Barbara
            against fever, St. Vitus against epilepsy. St.
            Pantaleon was the patron of physicians, St. Cyriacus
            was had recourse to in temptations, especially in those
            at the hour of death; St. Achatius was invoked in death
            agony; Sts. Christopher, Barbara, and Catherine were
            appealed to for protection against a sudden and
            unprovided death; the aid of St. Giles was implored for
            making a good confession; St. Eustachius was patron in
            all kinds of difficulties, and, because peculiar
            circumstances separated him for a time from his family,
            he was invoked also in family troubles. Domestic
            animals, too, being attacked by the plague, Sts.
            George, Erasmus, Pantaleon, and Vitus were invoked for
            their protection. It appears from the invocation of
            these saints, so widespread in olden times during the
            plague and other epidemics, that their being grouped as
            the Fourteen Holy Helpers originated in a like
            visitation.
        </p>
        <p>
            The fourteen saints venerated as the Holy Helpers are
            represented with the symbols of their martyrdom, or
            with the insignia of their state of life; also, as a
            group of children. The latter representation is
            accounted for as follows:
        </p>
        <p>
            The abbey of Langheim, in the diocese of Bamberg,
            Bavaria, owned a farm on which the monks kept their
            flocks. The sheep were tended by shepherds, who led
            them along the hillsides, where they grazed quietly
            during the day, and were driven home in the evening.
        </p>
        <p>
            On the evening of September 22, 1445, a young shepherd,
            Herman Leicht, who was gathering his flock for the
            homeward drive, heard what seemed to him to be the cry
            of a child, and looking about, saw a child sitting in a
            field near by. Surprised, and wondering how the child
            came there, he was about to approach, when it
            disappeared. Feeling rather disturbed, the boy returned
            to his flock. After reaching it, he turned to look back
            to the place where he had seen the apparition. There
            the child sat again, this time in a circle of light,
            and between two burning candles. Terrified at this
            second apparition, he made the sign of the cross. The
            child smiled, as if to encourage him, and he was about
            to approach it again, when it vanished a second time.
            Greatly perplexed, he drove his flock home and informed
            his parents of the occurrence. But they called the
            apparition a delusion and told him not to mention it to
            any one. Nevertheless, feeling uneasy, and desiring an
            explanation, he went to the monastery and related his
            experience to one of the Fathers, who advised him to
            ask the child, if it ever should appear to him again,
            what it wanted.
        </p>
        <p>
            Nearly a year later, June 28, 1446, the eve of the
            feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the child again appeared
            to the boy in the same place as before and about
            sunset; but this time it was surrounded by thirteen
            other children, all in a halo of glory. He boldly
            approached the group and asked the child he had
            formerly seen in the name of the Father, and of the
            Son, and the Holy Ghost, what it desired. The child
            replied: "We are the Fourteen Helpers, and desire that
            a chapel be built for us. Be thou our servant, and we
            shall serve thee." Then the group of children
            disappeared, and the shepherd boy was filled with
            heavenly consolation.
        </p>
        <p>
            The following Sunday, after he had driven his flock to
            the pasture, it seemed to him that he saw two lighted
            candles descending from the sky to the place where he
            had seen the apparition. A woman who was passing at the
            time declared that she also saw them. The boy hastened
            to the monastery and told about the two apparitions.
            The abbot, Frederic IV, and the rest of the community,
            were not inclined to believe in the apparition, and
            ascribed it to the boy's visionary fancy. But when, in
            the course of time, several extraordinary favors were
            granted to people who prayed at the place of the
            apparition, the monks built a chapel there. It was
            begun in 1447, and finished and dedicated next year
            under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the
            Fourteen Holy Helpers. The bishop granted an indulgence
            for the day of the anniversary of the dedication, the
            Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Joannes, granted another, and
            Pope Nicholas V a third. These indulgences, and a
            number of other spiritual privileges granted to the
            chapel, attracted a great many visitors, so that it
            became a place of pious pilgrimage. Elector Frederic
            III, in fulfilment of a vow made when beset with
            difficulties, visited the chapel in 1485. Emperor
            Ferdinand also visited it and left, as a votive
            offering, his gold pectoral chain on the altar.
        </p>
        <p>
            Devotion to the Fourteen Holy Helpers continued to
            spread. In 1743, a magnificent church, to replace the
            old chapel, was begun, and completed in 1772. Churches
            and altars in honor of these saints are found in Italy,
            Austria, Tyrol, Hungary, Bohemia, Switzerland, and
            other countries of Europe. In the United States of
            America two churches are dedicated under the invocation
            of the Holy Helpers: one in Baltimore, Md., the other
            in Gardenville, N. Y. Wherever and whenever invoked,
            these saints have proved themselves willing helpers in
            all difficulties, vicissitudes, and trials of their
            faithful clients.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="legends" id="legends">CHAPTER II</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Legends
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>EFORE proceeding to relate the
            lives of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, we deem it
            opportune to define the term usually applied to the
            narrative of the lives of the saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            The histories of the saints are called Legends. This
            word is derived from the Latin, and signifies something
            that is to be read, a passage the reading of which is
            prescribed. The legends of the saints are the lives of
            the holy martyrs and confessors of the Faith. Some of
            them occur in the Roman Breviary which the Catholic
            clergy is obliged to read every day.
        </p>
        <p>
            Joseph von Goerres, an illustrious champion of the
            Church during the first half of the nineteenth century,
            writes as follows concerning legends:
        </p>
        <p>
            "The histories of the lives of the saints were gathered
            from the earliest times. A collection of such histories
            is found in 'The Golden Legend.' The Passionales, too,
            containing the life of a saint for every day in the
            year, belong to this sort of literature. In Germany
            these histories were at first translations from the
            Latin; later, they were written in the native idiom,
            and, in style, were of a charming simplicity. At that
            time, when the upper classes did not yet judge
            themselves too highly cultivated to share in the Faith,
            and not too privileged to join in the sentiments and
            affections of the people, and were therefore more in
            harmony with the lower ranks of society, these legends
            were in general circulation among all classes: among
            the wealthy in manuscript, among the poor orally and in
            the form in which they had become acquainted with them
            in church and elsewhere.
        </p>
        <p>
            "In early times the science of criticism was unknown;
            therefore little care was exercised in separating the
            poetic additions from the authentic legends, especially
            as the Church had not yet spoken on the subject. Faith
            was yet of that robust sort which is not affected by
            miraculous occurrences. Nearly all Europe then still
            accepted the adage now current only in Spain, 'It is
            better sometimes to believe what can not be established
            as truth, than to lose a single truth by want of
            faith.' But later the science of criticism came into
            its rights. The Church established canonical rules,
            according to which a strict investigation of all the
            facts submitted to her judgment was to be made, and
            rejected everything that could not stand the most rigid
            examination.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/sorrows_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/sorrows.jpg" alt=
            "Mary, the Mother of Sorrows"></a><br>
            MARY, THE MOTHER OF SORROWS
        </p>
        <p>
            "Then Art devoted itself to that legendary lore which
            the Church, declaring it outside of her domain,
            permitted to be embellished at will. Thus poetic
            legends were multiplied, their authors being more or
            less convinced that the reader would be able to
            distinguish truth from poetical embellishment. The
            common people continued to make little distinction and
            did not permit criticism to influence their ancient
            beliefs. They regarded these legends as they regard the
            pictures of the saints; not as portraits of the persons
            depicted&mdash;for in the very next church the same
            saint might be represented in a quite different
            manner&mdash; but as illustrations, more or less apt,
            whose object was to attract the attention by their
            artistic character and thus to draw the mind to the
            contemplation of their original, and by it to God, and
            thereby serve the purpose of edification."
        </p>
        <p>
            If we are not devoid of all sentiments of piety, the
            history of the combats and victories of the saints and
            martyrs, and the narrative of the miracles wrought
            through their intercession before and after their
            death, will always be a source of joy and consolation
            to us, and will tend to animate us with similar
            fortitude and love of virtue.
        </p>
        <p>
            The legends of the Fourteen Holy Helpers are replete
            with the most glorious examples of heroic firmness and
            invincible courage in the profession of the Faith,
            which ought to incite us to imitate their fidelity in
            the performance of the Christian and social duties. If
            they, with the aid of God's grace, achieved such
            victories, why should not we, by the same aid, be able
            to accomplish the little desired of us? God rewarded
            His victorious champions with eternal bliss; the same
            crown is prepared for us, if we but render ourselves
            worthy of it. God placed the seal of miracles on the
            intrepid confession of His servants; and a mind imbued
            with the spirit of faith sees nothing extraordinary
            therein, because our divine Saviour Himself said,
            "Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in Me, the
            works that I do, he also shall do, and greater than
            these shall he do" (<i>John</i> xiv. 12). In all the
            miraculous events wrought in and by the saints appears
            only the victorious omnipotent power of Jesus Christ,
            and the living faith in which His servants operated in
            virtue of this power. To obliterate the miracles that
            appear in the lives of the saints, or even to enfeeble
            their import by the manner of relating them, would rob
            these legends of their intrinsic value. If our age is
            no longer robust enough to acknowledge the effects of
            divine omnipotence and grace, it does not follow that
            they must be disavowed or denied.
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            The Legends of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
        </h1><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_1" id="legend_1">I.</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. George, Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+1">S</font>T. GEORGE is honored throughout
            Christendom as one of the most illustrious martyrs of
            Jesus Christ. In the reign of the first Christian
            emperors numerous churches were erected in his honor,
            and his tomb in Palestine became a celebrated place of
            pilgrimage. But his history is involved in great
            obscurity, as no early records of his life and
            martyrdom are at present in existence. The following
            are the traditions concerning him which have been
            handed down to us by the Greek historians, and which
            are celebrated in verse by that illustrious saint and
            poet of the eighth century, St. John Damascene.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. George is said to have been born in Cappadocia of
            noble Christian parents. After the death of his father,
            he traveled with his mother into Palestine, of which
            she was a native. There she possessed a considerable
            estate, which fell to him upon her death. Being strong
            and robust in body, he embraced the profession of a
            soldier, and was made a tribune, or colonel, in the
            army. His courage and fidelity attracted the attention
            of Emperor Diocletian, who bestowed upon him marks of
            special favor. When that prince declared war against
            the Christian religion, St. George laid aside the signs
            of his rank, threw up his commission, and rebuked the
            emperor for the severity of his bloody edicts. He was
            immediately cast into prison, and alternate threats and
            promises were employed to induce him to apostatize. As
            he continued firm, he was put to the torture and
            tormented with great cruelty. "I despise your
            promises," he said to the judge, "and do not fear your
            threats. The emperor's power is of short duration, and
            his reign will soon end. It were better for you, to
            acknowledge the true God and to seek His kingdom."
            Thereupon a great block of stone was placed on the
            breast of the brave young officer, and thus he was left
            in prison.
        </p>
        <p>
            Next day he was bound upon a wheel set with sharp
            knives, and it was put in motion to cut him to pieces.
            Whilst suffering this cruel torture, he saw a heavenly
            vision, which consoled and encouraged him, saying,
            "George, fear not; I am with thee." His patience and
            fortitude under the torments inflicted on him so
            affected the numerous pagan spectators that many of
            them were converted to the Faith and suffered martyrdom
            for it. On the next day, April 23, 303, St. George was
            led through the city and beheaded. This took place at
            Lydda, the city in which, as we read in the Acts of the
            Apostles (ix.), St. Peter healed a man sick with the
            palsy.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. George is usually represented as a knight tilting
            against a dragon; but this is only emblematical of the
            glorious combat in which he encountered and overthrew
            the devil, winning for himself thereby a martyr's
            crown.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E TOO, like St. George, often
            have opportunity to confess our faith in Christ. We
            confess it by patiently bearing adversity, by
            suppressing our evil inclinations, by suffering
            injustice without retaliating evil for evil, by using
            every opportunity of performing deeds of charity, by
            devoting ourselves unremittingly to our daily duties,
            by carefully guarding our tongue, etc. Examine yourself
            whether you have not often denied your Faith, if not in
            words, through your works.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who dost rejoice us by
            the merits and intercession of Thy blessed martyr
            George; graciously grant that we, who through him
            implore Thee for Thy bounty, may receive thereby the
            gift of Thy grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_2" id="legend_2">II</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Blase, Bishop and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. BLASE was born at Sebaste,
            Armenia. He became a physician, but at the same time
            devoted himself zealously to the practice of his
            Christian duties. His virtuous conduct gained for him
            the esteem of the Christian clergy and people to such a
            degree, that he was elected bishop of his native city.
            Henceforth he devoted himself to ward off the dangers
            of soul from the faithful, as he had hitherto been
            intent on healing their bodily ills. To all, he was a
            shining example of virtue.
        </p>
        <p>
            During the reign of Emperor Licinius a cruel
            persecution of Christians broke out. The persecutors
            directed their fury principally against the bishops,
            well knowing that when the shepherd is stricken the
            flock is dispersed. Listening to the entreaties of the
            faithful, and mindful of the words of Our Lord, "When
            they shall persecute you in this city, flee into
            another" (<i>Matt.</i> x. 23), St. Blase hid himself in
            a cave. But one day the prefect Agricola instituted a
            chase, and his party discovered the holy bishop and
            brought him before their master.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Blase remained steadfast in the Faith, and by its
            able confession and defense attracted the attention of
            the attendants at his trial. The cruel tyrant had him
            bound and tortured with iron combs. After suffering
            these torments with great patience and meekness, the
            saint was cast into prison. He was kept there a long
            time, because the prefect hoped to exhaust his powers
            of endurance, and to bring him to sacrifice to the
            idols. His jailer permitted the holy bishop to receive
            visitors in his prison, and many sick and suffering
            availed themselves of this privilege. He cured some of
            them and gave good advice to others.
        </p>
        <p>
            One day a mother brought to him her boy, who, while
            eating, had swallowed a fishbone, which remained in his
            throat, and, causing great pain, threatened
            suffocation. St. Blase prayed and made the sign of the
            cross over the boy, and behold, he was cured. For this
            reason the saint is invoked in throat troubles.
        </p>
        <p>
            At length the holy bishop was again brought before the
            judge and commanded to sacrifice to the idols. But he
            said: "Thou art blind, because thou art not illuminated
            by the true light. How can a man sacrifice to idols,
            when he adores the true God alone? I do not fear thy
            threats. Do with me according to thy pleasure. My body
            is in thy power, but God alone has power over my soul.
            Thou seekest salvation with the idols; I hope and trust
            to receive it from the only true and living God whom I
            adore."
        </p>
        <p>
            Then the prefect sentenced him to death. St. Blase was
            beheaded, suffering death for the Faith February 3,
            316.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. BLASE gave us a glorious
            example of fortitude in the confession of the Faith.
            According to the teaching of St. Paul, confession of
            the Faith is necessary for our salvation. He says, "For
            if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
            believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him up from
            the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart we
            believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is
            made unto salvation" (<i>Rom.</i> x. 9, 10). We are,
            therefore, not permitted to be silent, much less to
            agree, when our Faith, and whatever is connected
            therewith, as the sacraments, ceremonies, priests,
            etc., are ridiculed and reviled. Parents especially
            must be most careful in speaking of these subjects
            before their children and servants, and do so only with
            due reverence.
        </p>
        <p>
            On the contrary, we must confess our Faith, and if
            necessary, defend it against all attacks. Often one
            serious word will suffice to silence a calumniator of
            the Faith and cause him to blush. We must confess our
            Faith not only in the bosom of our family, but also in
            public. We must let our fellow-men know that we are
            true Catholics, who adhere to our Faith from
            conviction, without regard to what others say of us, or
            how they judge us, remembering the words of Our Lord,
            "Every one, therefore, that shall confess me before
            men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in
            heaven" (<i>Matt.</i> x. 32).
        </p>
        <p>
            It was remarked above that St. Blase is the patron
            invoked in throat troubles. Therefore the Church, on
            his feast, February 3, gives a special blessing, at
            which she prays over those receiving it: "By the
            intercession of St. Blase, bishop and martyr, may God
            deliver thee from all ills of the throat and from all
            other ills; in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
            and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Do not neglect to receive
            this blessing, if you have the opportunity. The
            blessings of the Church are powerful and effective, for
            she is God's representative on earth. Therefore her
            blessing is God's blessing, and is always effective,
            except we ourselves place an obstacle in its way.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            O God, who dost rejoice us through the memory of Thy
            blessed bishop and martyr Blase: graciously grant us,
            that we, who honor his memory, may experience his
            protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_3" id="legend_3">III</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Erasmus, Bishop and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE pious historians of the
            early Christian times state, as a rule, only what the
            saints did and suffered for the Faith, and how they
            died. They deemed the martyrs' glorious combat and
            their victorious entrance into heaven more instructive,
            and therefore more important, than a lengthy
            description of their lives.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hence we know little of the native place and the youth
            of St. Erasmus, except that at the beginning of the
            fourth century of the Christian era he was bishop of
            Antioch in Asia Minor, the city where the name of
            "Christian" first came into use. When a long and cruel
            persecution broke out under the Emperor Diocletian, St.
            Erasmus hid himself in the mountains of the Libanon,
            and led there, for some years, an austere life of
            penance and fasting. Finally he was discovered and
            dragged before the judge.
        </p>
        <p>
            At first, persuasions and kindness were employed to
            induce him to deny the Faith, but when these efforts
            failed recourse was had to the most cruel torments. He
            was scourged, and finally cast into a caldron filled
            with boiling oil, sulphur, and pitch. In this seething
            mass God preserved him from harm, and by this miracle
            many spectators were converted to the Faith. Still more
            enraged thereat, the judge ordered the holy bishop to
            be thrown into prison and kept there in chains till he
            died of starvation. But God delivered him, as He had
            once delivered St. Peter. One night an angel appeared
            to him and said: "Erasmus, follow me! Thou shalt
            convert a great many." Thus far he had led numbers to
            the Faith by suffering, now he was to convert
            multitudes as a missionary.
        </p>
        <p>
            Delivered from prison by the power of God, he went
            forth into many lands and preached the Faith. Mighty in
            word and deed, he wrought many miracles and converted
            great numbers of heathens. At length he came to Italy,
            where Emperor Maximin persecuted the Christians as
            fiercely as did Diocletian in the East. As soon as
            Maximin heard of Erasmus and the conversions effected
            by his preaching and miracles, he ordered the slaughter
            of three hundred of the converts. Erasmus himself was
            most cruelly tortured, but to no purpose. He remained
            firm. Then cast into prison, he was again liberated by
            an angel.
        </p>
        <p>
            At last the hour of deliverance came to this valiant
            and apostolic confessor and martyr of Christ. He heard
            a heavenly voice, saying: "Erasmus, come now to the
            heavenly city and rest in the place which God has
            prepared for thee with the holy martyrs and prophets.
            Enjoy now the fruit of thy labor. By thee I was honored
            in heaven and on earth." Erasmus, looking toward
            heaven, saw a splendid crown, and the apostles and
            prophets welcoming him. He bowed his head, saying:
            "Receive, O Lord, the soul of thy servant!" and
            peacefully breathed forth his spirit on June 2, 308.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE tortures which St. Erasmus
            suffered for the Faith seem almost incredible, and the
            events related of him are truly wonderful. Martyrdom
            and miracles illustrated the doctrine he preached; he
            converted multitudes and gained the crown of heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            Perhaps you say that in our times there are no longer
            any martyrs, at least not in civilized countries. Are
            you quite sure of it? St. Augustine writes: "Peace also
            has its martyrs." It is certainly not easy to suffer
            torments like the martyrs and to receive finally the
            death-dealing blow of the sword. But is it not also a
            martyrdom to suffer for years the pains of a lingering
            illness? Again, how difficult the combat with the
            world, the flesh, and the powers of hell! How carefully
            must we watch and pray to gain the victory! This is our
            martyrdom. Let us imitate the example of the holy
            martyrs in bearing the trials and sufferings of life,
            and we shall receive, as they did, the crown of heaven.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who dost give us joy
            through the memory of Thy holy martyrs, graciously
            grant that we may be inflamed by their example, in
            whose merits we rejoice. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_4" id="legend_4">IV</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Pantaleon, Physician and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. PANTALEON was physician to
            Emperor Maximin and a Christian, but he fell through a
            temptation which is sometimes more dangerous than the
            most severe trials by the fiercest torments. This
            temptation was the bad example of the impious,
            idolatrous courtiers with whom the young physician
            associated. He was seduced by them and abandoned the
            Faith. But the grace of God called him, and he obeyed.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hermolaus, a zealous priest, by prudent exhortation
            awakened Pantaleon's conscience to a sense of his
            guilt, and brought him back into the fold of the
            Church. Henceforth he devoted himself ardently to the
            advancement of the spiritual and temporal welfare of
            his fellow-citizens. First of all he sought to convert
            his father, who was still a heathen, and had the
            consolation to see him die a Christian. He divided the
            ample fortune which he inherited amongst the poor and
            the sick. As a physician, he was intent on healing his
            patients both by physical and by spiritual means.
            Christians he confirmed in the practice and confession
            of the Faith, and the heathens he sought to convert.
            Many suffering from incurable diseases were restored to
            health by his prayer and the invocation of the holy
            name of Jesus. His presence was everywhere fraught with
            blessings and consolation.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Pantaleon yearned to prove his fidelity to the
            Faith by shedding his blood for it, and the opportunity
            came to him when his heathen associates in the healing
            art denounced him to the emperor as a zealous
            propagator of Christianity. He was brought up before
            the emperor's tribunal and ordered to sacrifice to the
            idols. He replied: "The God whom I adore is Jesus
            Christ. He created heaven and earth, He raised the dead
            to life, made the blind see and healed the sick, all
            through the power of His word. Your idols are dead,
            they can not do anything. Order a sick person to be
            brought here, one declared incurable. Your priests
            shall invoke their idols for him and I shall call on
            the only true God, and we shall see who is able to help
            him." The proposal was accepted. A man sick with the
            palsy was brought, who could neither walk nor stand
            without help. The heathen priests prayed for him, but
            in vain. Then Pantaleon prayed, took the sick man by
            the hand, and said: "In the name of Jesus, the Son of
            God, I command thee to rise and be well." And the
            palsied man rose, restored to perfect health.
        </p>
        <p>
            By this miracle a great number of those present were
            converted. But the emperor and the idolatrous priests
            were all the more enraged. Maximin now attempted to
            gain Pantaleon by blandishments and promises to deny
            the Faith, but without success. Then he had recourse to
            threats, and as they too availed nothing, he proceeded
            to have them put into execution. The brave confessor of
            the Faith was tortured in every conceivable manner.
            Finally he was nailed to a tree, and then beheaded. The
            priest Hermolaus and the brothers Hermippos and
            Hermocrates suffered death with him, in the year 308.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>APPY are they who, whatever may
            be their station or calling in life, are intent on
            bringing those with whom they come into contact under
            the influence of religion. But, alas, too many do just
            the reverse. They permit themselves to be led astray by
            bad example, and set aside the claims of the Church as
            too severe and exacting. How do you act in this regard?
            Do you shun the company of the wicked? A proverb says:
            "Tell me in whose company you are found, and I will
            tell you who you are." Bad company insensibly
            undermines faith and morals, overcomes the fear of evil
            and the aversion to it and weakens the will. "He that
            loveth danger shall perish in it" (<i>Ecclus</i>. iii.
            27).
        </p>
        <p>
            As soon as St. Pantaleon came to a sense of his
            apostasy, he repented and returned to the practice of
            the Faith. He did this despite the knowledge that he
            thereby incurred hatred and persecution. The true
            Christian will ever follow the dictates of conscience
            and please God, whether he thereby incur the
            displeasure of men or not. If, to please men, we become
            remiss in the service of God, we show that we fear and
            love Him less than men. What a lamentable folly! Of
            whom have we to expect greater benefits or to fear
            greater evils&mdash;from God or man? Do not act thus
            unwisely; rather imitate St. Pantaleon, and live for
            God and His service.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY God, grant us through
            the intercession of Thy blessed martyr Pantaleon to be
            delivered and preserved from all ills of the body, and
            from evil thoughts and influences in spirit. Through
            Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/mother_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/mother.jpg" alt=
            "Our Lord in the Lap of His Blessed Mother"></a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_5" id="legend_5">V</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St Vitus, Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. VITUS belonged to a noble
            pagan family of Sicily, and was born about the year
            291, at Mazurra. His father, Hylas, placed him in early
            childhood in charge of a Christian couple named
            Modestus and Crescentia, who raised him in the
            Christian faith, and had him baptized. He grew in years
            and in virtue, till, at the age of twelve, he was
            claimed by his father, who, to his great anger, found
            him a fervent Christian. Convinced, after many
            unsuccessful attempts, that stripes and other
            chastisements would not induce him to renounce the
            Faith, his father delivered the brave boy up to
            Valerian, the governor, who in vain employed every
            artifice to shake his constancy. Finally he commanded
            Vitus to be scourged, but when two soldiers were about
            to execute this order their hands and those of Valerian
            were suddenly lamed. The governor ascribed this to
            sorcery, yet he invoked Vitus' help, and behold, when
            the Christian boy made the sign of the cross over the
            lamed members, they were healed. Then Valerian sent him
            back to his father, telling him to leave no means
            untried to induce his son to sacrifice to the idols.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hylas now tried blandishments, pleasures, and
            amusements to influence the brave boy. He even sent a
            corrupt woman to tempt him, and for that purpose locked
            them both together in one room. But Vitus, who had
            remained firm amid tortures, resisted also the
            allurements of sensuality. Closing his eyes, he knelt
            in prayer, and behold, an angel appeared, filling the
            room with heavenly splendor, and stood at the youth's
            side. Terrified, the woman fled. But even this miracle
            did not change the obstinate father.
        </p>
        <p>
            Finally Vitus escaped, and with Modestus and Crescentia
            fled to Italy. They landed safe in Naples, and there
            proclaimed Christ wherever they had an opportunity.
            Their fervor and many miracles which they wrought
            attracted the attention of Emperor Diocletian to them.
            He ordered them to be brought before his tribunal,
            which being done, he at first treated them kindly,
            employing blandishments and making promises to induce
            them to renounce Christ. When this had no effect, they
            were cruelly tormented, but with no other result than
            confirming them in their constancy. Enraged, the
            emperor condemned them to be thrown to the wild beasts.
            But the lions and tigers forgot their ferocity and
            cowered at their feet. Now Diocletian, whose fury knew
            no bounds, ordered them to be cast into a caldron of
            molten lead and boiling pitch. They prayed, "O God,
            deliver us through the power of Thy name!" and behold,
            they remained unharmed. Then the emperor condemned them
            to the rack, on which they expired, in the year 303.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE heroic spirit of martyrdom
            exhibited by St. Vitus was owing to the early
            impressions of piety which he received through the
            teaching and example of his virtuous foster-parents.
            The choice of teachers, nurses, and servants who have
            the care of children is of the greatest importance on
            account of the influence they exert on them. The pagan
            Romans were most solicitous that no slave whose speech
            was not perfectly elegant and graceful should have
            access to children. Shall a Christian be less careful
            as to their virtue? It is a fatal mistake to imagine
            that children are too young to be infected with the
            contagion of vice. No age is more impressionable than
            childhood; no one observes more closely than the young,
            and nothing is so easily acquired by them as a spirit
            of vanity, pride, revenge, obstinacy, sloth, etc., and
            nothing is harder to overcome. What a happiness for a
            child to be formed to virtue from infancy, and to be
            instilled from a tender age with the spirit of piety,
            simplicity, meekness, and mercy! Such a foundation
            being well laid, the soul will easily, and sometimes
            without experiencing severe conflicts, rise to the
            height of Christian perfection.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E BESEECH Thee, O Lord, to
            graciously grant us through the intercession of Thy
            blessed martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia, that
            we may not proudly exalt ourselves, but serve Thee in
            humility and simplicity, so as to avoid evil and to do
            right for Thy sake. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_6" id="legend_6">VI</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Christophorus, Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>N ANCIENT tradition concerning
            St. Christophorus relates: He was born in the land of
            Canaan, and was named Reprobus, that is Reprobate, for
            he was a barbarous heathen. In stature and strength he
            was a giant. Thinking no one his like in bodily vigor,
            he resolved to go forth in search of the mightiest
            master and serve him. In his wanderings, he met with a
            king who was praised as the most valorous man on earth.
            To him he offered his services and was accepted. The
            king was proud of his giant and kept him near his
            person. One day a minstrel visited the king's castle,
            and among the ballads he sung before the court was one
            on the power of Satan. At the mention of this name the
            king blessed himself, making the sign of the cross.
            Reprobus, wondering, asked him why he did that. The
            king replied: "When I make this sign, Satan has no
            power over me." Reprobus rejoined: "So thou fearest the
            power of Satan? Then he is mightier than thou, and I
            shall seek and serve him."
        </p>
        <p>
            Setting forth to seek Satan, he came into a wilderness.
            One dark night he met a band of wild fellows riding
            through the forest. It was Satan and his escort.
            Reprobus bravely accosted him, saying he wished to
            serve him. He was accepted. But soon he was convinced
            that his new master was not the mightiest on earth. For
            one day, whilst approaching a crucifix by the wayside,
            Satan quickly took to flight, and Reprobus asked him
            for the reason. Satan replied: "That is the image of my
            greatest enemy, who conquered me on the cross. From him
            I always flee." When Reprobus heard this, he left the
            devil, and went in search of Christ.
        </p>
        <p>
            In his wanderings, he one day came to a hut hidden in
            the forest. At its door sat a venerable old man.
            Reprobus addressed him, and in the course of the
            conversation that ensued the old man told him that he
            was a hermit, and had left the world to serve Christ,
            the Lord of heaven and earth. "Thou art my man," cried
            Reprobus; "Christ is He whom I seek, for He is the
            strongest and the mightiest. Tell me where I can find
            Him."
        </p>
        <p>
            The hermit then began instructing the giant about God
            and the Redeemer, and concluded by saying: "He who
            would serve Christ must offer himself entirely to Him,
            and do and suffer everything for His sake. His reward
            for this will be immense and will last forever."
            Reprobus now asked the hermit to allow him to remain,
            and to continue to instruct him. The hermit consented.
            When Reprobus was fully instructed, he baptized him.
            After his baptism, a great change came over the giant.
            No longer proud of his great size and strength, he
            became meek and humble, and asked the hermit to assign
            to him some task by which he might serve God, his
            master. "For," said he, "I can not pray and fast;
            therefore I must serve God in some other way." The
            hermit led him to a broad and swift river nearby, and
            said: "Here build thyself a hut, and when wanderers
            wish to cross the river, carry them over for the love
            of Christ." For there was no bridge across the river.
        </p>
        <p>
            Henceforth, day and night, whenever he was called,
            Reprobus faithfully performed the task assigned to him.
            One night he heard a child calling to be carried across
            the river. Quickly he rose, placed the child on his
            stout shoulder, took his staff and walked into the
            mighty current. Arrived in midstream, the water rose
            higher and higher, and the child became heavier and
            heavier. "O child," he cried, "how heavy thou art! It
            seems I bear the weight of the world on my shoulder."
            And the child replied, "Right thou art. Thou bearest
            not only the world, but the Creator of heaven and
            earth. I am Jesus Christ, thy King and Lord, and
            henceforth thou shalt be called Christophorus, that is,
            Christ-bearer. Arrived on yonder shore, plant thy staff
            in the ground, and in token of my power and might
            tomorrow it shall bear leaves and blossoms."
        </p>
        <p>
            And the child disappeared. On reaching the other shore,
            Christophorus stuck his staff into the ground, and
            behold, it budded forth leaves and blossoms. Then,
            kneeling, he promised the Lord to serve Him ever
            faithfully. He kept his promise, and thenceforth became
            a zealous preacher of the Gospel, converting many to
            the Faith. On his missionary peregrinations he came
            also to Lycia, where, after his first sermon, eighteen
            thousand heathens requested baptism. When Emperor
            Decius heard of this, he sent a company of four hundred
            soldiers to capture Christophorus. To these he preached
            so convincingly, that they all asked for baptism.
            Decius became enraged thereat and had him cast into
            prison. There he first treated him with great kindness,
            and surrounded him with every luxury to tempt him to
            sin, but in vain. Then he ordered him to be tortured in
            the most cruel manner, until he should deny the Faith.
            He was scourged, placed on plates of hot iron, boiling
            oil was poured over and fire was lighted under him.
            When all these torments did not accomplish their
            purpose, the soldiers were ordered to shoot him with
            arrows. This, too, having no effect, he was beheaded,
            on July 25, 254.
        </p>
        <p>
            Two great saints refer to the wonderful achievements of
            St. Christophorus. St. Ambrose mentions that this saint
            converted forty-eight thousand souls to Christ. St.
            Vincent Ferrer declares, that when the plague
            devastated Valencia, its destructive course was stayed
            through the intercession of St. Christophorus.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE legend of St. Christophorus
            conveys a wholesome truth. We ought all to be
            Christ-bearers, by preserving in our hearts faith,
            hope, and charity, and by receiving Our Lord worthily
            in holy communion. He alone is worthy of our service.
            In the service that we owe to men, we ought to serve
            God by doing His will. We can not divide our heart, for
            Our Lord Himself says, "No man can serve two masters"
            (<i>Matt</i>. vi. 24). If you serve the world, it
            deceives you, for it can not give you what it promises.
            If you serve sin, Satan is your master. He, too,
            deceives his servants, and leads them to perdition.
            Christ on the cross conquered these two tyrants, and
            with His help you can also vanquish them. Therefore,
            give yourself to Him with all your heart, and you shall
            find peace in this world, and eternal bliss in the
            next. St. Augustine learned this truth by sad
            experience, and therefore exclaims: "Thou hast created
            us for Thee, O Lord, and our heart is restless till it
            rests in Thee."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>RANT us, almighty God, that
            whilst we celebrate the memory of Thy blessed martyr
            St. Christophorus, through his intercession the love of
            Thy name may be increased in us. Through Christ our
            Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_7" id="legend_7">VII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Dionysius, Bishop and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>HEN St. Paul the Apostle, in
            the year of Our Lord 51, came to Athens to preach the
            Gospel, he was summoned to the Areopagus, the great
            council which determined all religious matters. Among
            the members of this illustrious assembly was Dionysius.
            His mind had already been prepared to receive the good
            tidings of the Gospel by the miraculous darkness which
            overspread the earth at the moment of Our Lord's death
            on the cross. He was at that time at Heliopolis, in
            Egypt. On beholding the sun obscured in the midst of
            its course, and this without apparent cause, he is said
            to have exclaimed: "Either the God of nature is
            suffering, or the world is about to be dissolved." When
            St. Paul preached before the Areopagus in Athens,
            Dionysius easily recognized the truth and readily
            embraced it.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Apostle received him among his disciples, and
            appointed him bishop of the infant Church of Athens. As
            such he devoted himself with great zeal to the
            propagation of the Gospel. He made a journey to
            Jerusalem to visit the places hallowed by the footsteps
            and sufferings of our Redeemer, and there met the
            Apostles St. Peter and St. James, the evangelist St.
            Luke, and other holy apostolic men. He also had the
            happiness to see and converse with the Blessed Virgin
            Mary, and was so overwhelmed by her presence that he
            declared, that if he knew not Jesus to be God, he would
            consider her divine.
        </p>
        <p>
            The idolatrous priests of Athens were greatly alarmed
            at the many conversions resulting from the eloquent
            preaching of Dionysius, and instigated a revolt against
            him. The holy bishop left Athens, and, going to Rome,
            visited the Pope, St. Clement. He sent him with some
            other holy men to Gaul. Some of his companions remained
            to evangelize the cities in the south, while Dionysius,
            with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius
            continued their journey northward as far as Lutetia,
            the modern Paris, where the Gospel had not yet been
            announced. Here for many years he and his companions
            labored with signal success, and finally obtained the
            crown of martyrdom on Oct. 9, 119. Dionysius was
            beheaded at the advanced age of 110 years.
        </p>
        <p>
            The spot where the three martyrs Dionysius, Rusticus,
            and Eleutherius suffered martyrdom, is the well-known
            hill of Montmartre. An ancient tradition relates that
            St. Dionysius, after his head was severed from his
            body, took it up with his own hands and carried it two
            thousand paces to the place where, later, a church was
            built in his honor. The bodies of the martyrs were
            thrown into the river Seine, but taken up and honorably
            interred by a Christian lady named Catulla not far from
            the place where they had been beheaded. The Christians
            soon built a chapel on their tomb.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Dionysius was not only a great missionary and
            bishop, but also one of the most illustrious writers of
            the early Church. Some of his works, which are full of
            Catholic doctrine and Christian wisdom, are still
            extant, and well worthy of a convert and disciple of
            St. Paul, whose spirit they breathe.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE apostolic men like St.
            Dionysius, who converted so many to Christ, were filled
            with His spirit, and acted and lived for Him alone.
            They gave their lives to spread His religion, convinced
            that the welfare of individuals and nations depends
            upon it.
        </p>
        <p>
            On religion depends the security and stability of all
            government and of society. Human laws are too weak to
            restrain those who disregard and despise the law of
            God. Unless a man's conscience is enlightened by
            religion and bound by its precepts, his passions will
            so far enslave him, that the impulse of evil
            inclinations will prompt him to every villainy of which
            he hopes to derive an advantage, if he can but
            accomplish his purpose secretly and with impunity.
        </p>
        <p>
            True religion, on the contrary, insures comfort, peace,
            and happiness amid the sharpest trials, safety in death
            itself, and after death the most glorious and eternal
            reward in God. How grateful, therefore, must we be to
            the men who preached the true religion amid so many
            difficulties, trials, and persecutions; and also to
            those who preach it now, animated by the same spirit.
            And how carefully should we avoid all persons, books,
            and periodicals that revile and calumniate our holy
            Faith, and attempt its subversion!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst confer on Thy
            blessed servant Dionysius the virtue of fortitude in
            suffering, and didst join with him Rusticus and
            Eleutherius, to announce Thy glory to the heathens,
            grant, we beseech Thee, that following them, we may
            despise, for the love of Thee, the pleasures of this
            world, and that we do not recoil from its adversities.
            Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_8" id="legend_8">VIII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Cyriacus, Deacon and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">E</font>MPEROR MAXIMIN in token of his
            gratitude to Diocletian, who had ceded the western half
            of his empire to him, ordered the building of that
            magnificent structure in Rome, whose ruins are still
            known as the "Baths of Diocletian." The Christians
            imprisoned for the Faith were compelled to labor under
            cruel overseers at this building. A zealous Christian
            Roman, touched with pity at this moving spectacle,
            resolved to employ his means in improving the condition
            of these poor victims of persecution.
        </p>
        <p>
            Among the deacons of the Roman Church at that time was
            one by the name of Cyriacus, who was distinguished by
            his zeal in the performance of all good works. Him,
            with two companions, Largus and Smaragdus, the pious
            Roman selected for the execution of his plan. Cyriacus
            devoted himself to the work with great ardor. One day,
            whilst visiting the laborers to distribute food amongst
            them, he observed a decrepit old man, who was so feeble
            that he was unable to perform his severe task. Filled
            with pity, Cyriacus offered to take his place. The aged
            prisoner consenting, the merciful deacon thenceforth
            worked hard at the building. But after some time he was
            discovered, and cast into prison. There he again found
            opportunity to exercise his zeal. Some blind men who
            had great confidence in the power of his prayer, came
            to ask him for help in their affliction, and he
            restored their sight. He and his companions spent three
            years in prison, and during that time he healed many
            sick and converted a great number of heathens from the
            darkness of paganism.
        </p>
        <p>
            Then Emperor Diocletian's little daughter became
            possessed by an evil spirit, and no one was able to
            deliver her from it. To the idolatrous priests who were
            called, the evil spirit declared that he would leave
            the girl only when commanded to do so by Cyriacus, the
            deacon. He was hastily summoned, and prayed and made
            the sign of the cross over the girl, and the evil
            spirit departed. The emperor loved his daughter,
            therefore he was grateful to the holy deacon, and
            presented him with a house, where he and his companions
            might serve their God unmolested by their enemies.
        </p>
        <p>
            About this time the daughter of the Persian King Sapor
            was attacked by a similar malady, and when he heard
            what Cyriacus had done for Diocletian's daughter, he
            wrote to the emperor, asking him to send the Christian
            deacon. It was done, and Cyriacus, on foot, set out for
            Persia. Arrived at his destination, he prayed over the
            girl and the evil spirit left her. On hearing of this
            miracle, four hundred and twenty heathens were
            converted to the Faith. These the saint instructed and
            baptized, and then set out on his homeward journey.
        </p>
        <p>
            Returned to Rome, he continued his life of prayer and
            good works. But when Diocletian soon afterward left for
            the East, his co-emperor Maximin seized the opportunity
            to give vent to his hatred for the Christians, and
            renewed their persecution. One of the first victims was
            Cyriacus. He was loaded with chains and brought before
            the judge, who first tried blandishments and promises
            to induce him to renounce Christ and to sacrifice to
            the idols, but in vain. Then the confessor of Christ
            was stretched on the rack, his limbs torn from their
            sockets, and he was beaten with clubs. His companions
            shared the same tortures. Finally, when the emperor and
            the judge were convinced that nothing would shake the
            constancy of the holy martyrs, they were beheaded. They
            gained the crown of glory on March 16, 303.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>N THE life of St. Cyriacus two
            virtues shine forth in a special manner; his love of
            God and his charity toward his fellow-men. His love of
            God impelled him to sacrifice all, even his life, for
            His sake, thereby fulfilling the commandment: "Thou
            shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and
            with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind"
            (<i>Matt</i>. xxii. 37). A greater love of God no man
            can have than giving his life for Him.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Cyriacus also fulfilled the other commandment, of
            which Our Lord declared, "And the second is like to
            this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"
            (<i>Matt</i>. xxii. 39). He helped his
            fellow-Christians to bear their burdens, relieved them
            in their sufferings, assisted and encouraged them by
            word and deed, and edified them by his example. His
            sole aim was to do good to all men, mindful of the
            words of the Royal Prophet: "Blessed is he that
            understandeth concerning the needy and the poor"
            (<i>Ps</i>. xl. 2). He was so imbued with the virtue of
            charity, that he was disposed even to sacrifice his
            life for the relief and assistance of others.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/tomb_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/tomb.jpg" alt=
            "The Holy Women at the Tomb"></a><br>
            THE HOLY WOMEN AT THE TOMB
        </p>
        <p>
            How shall we justify our unfeeling hardness of heart,
            by which we seek every trifling pretense to exempt us
            from the duty of aiding the unfortunate? Remember the
            threat of the apostle, "Judgment without mercy to him
            that hath not done mercy" (<i>James</i> ii. 13).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who rejoicest us by the
            remembrance of Thy blessed martyrs Cyriacus, Largus,
            and Smaragdus; grant, we beseech Thee, that we, by
            celebrating their memory, may imitate their fortitude
            in suffering. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_9" id="legend_9">IX</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Achatius, Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>F THE saints named Achatius,
            that one is reckoned among the Holy Helpers who, as a
            Roman soldier, died for Christ.
        </p>
        <p>
            Achatius was a native of Cappadocia and as a youth
            joined the Roman army during the reign of Emperor
            Hadrian, attaining the rank of captain. One day, when
            leading his company against the enemy, he heard a voice
            saying to him, "Call on the God of Christians!" He
            obeyed, was instructed, and received Baptism. Filled
            with zeal, he henceforth sought to convert also the
            pagan soldiers of the army. When the emperor heard of
            this, Achatius was thrown into prison, then placed on
            the rack, bound to a post and scourged, because he
            refused to offer sacrifice to the idols. When all these
            tortures availed nothing, he was brought before the
            tribune Bibianus.
        </p>
        <p>
            Asked by him what was his name and country, Achatius
            replied, "My name is Christian, because I am a follower
            of Christ; men call me Achatius. My country is
            Cappadocia. There my parents lived; there I was
            converted to the Christian faith, and was so inspired
            by the combats and sufferings of the Christian martyrs
            that I am resolved to shed my blood for Christ to
            attain heaven." Then Bibianus ordered him to be beaten
            with leaden clubs, after which he was loaded with
            chains and returned to the prison.
        </p>
        <p>
            After Achatius had been in prison seven days, Bibianus
            was called to Byzantium, and ordered all prisoners to
            be transported there. On the journey Achatius suffered
            greatly, for his entire body was covered with wounds,
            his chains were galling, the guards were cruel and the
            roads were bad. He thought himself dying. Praying to
            God, a voice from the clouds answered him, "Achatius,
            be firm!" The soldiers of the guard were terrified and
            asked each other, "What is this? How can the clouds
            have a voice?" Many prisoners were converted. Next day
            some of the converts saw a number of men in shining
            armor speaking to Achatius, washing his wounds and
            healing them, so that not even a scar remained.
        </p>
        <p>
            Arrived in Byzantium the saint was again cast into
            prison, and after seven days dragged before the judge.
            When neither promises nor the most cruel torments shook
            the constancy of the brave confessor of the Faith, the
            judge sent him to Flaccius, the proconsul of Thracia,
            who imprisoned him for five days, and meanwhile read
            the records of his former trials. Then he ordered him
            to be beheaded. Achatius suffered death for Christ on
            May 8, 311.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>CHATIUS manfully and without
            fear confessed the Faith amid persecutions and
            sufferings. We, too, are often placed in circumstances
            where the profession of our Faith and the practice of
            the virtues inculcated by it cause us trials. But so
            deplorable are the effects of sensuality, avarice, and
            ambition, and such is the laxity and spiritual
            callousness of many Christians, that there is real
            cause for every one to be filled with alarm for the
            safety of his soul. It is not the crowd we are to
            follow, but the precepts of the Gospel. Therefore we
            ought to strive to give a good example by our faithful
            compliance with the demands of religion. For Our Lord
            Himself exhorts us: "So let your light shine before
            men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
            your Father, who is in heaven" (<i>Matt.</i> v. 16).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who dost give us joy
            through the remembrance of Thy blessed martyrs,
            Achatius and his companions; grant, we beseech Thee,
            that we may be inflamed by the example of those for
            whose merits we rejoice. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_10" id="legend_10">X</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Eustachius, Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>T THE beginning of the second
            century, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, there
            lived in Rome a famous general by the name of Placidus,
            who was distinguished among his fellow-citizens for his
            wealth and military prowess. It happened one day, that
            while following the chase he became separated from his
            companions, and was pursuing with eagerness a stag of
            extraordinary size, when suddenly it turned toward him,
            and he beheld raised aloft between its antlers the
            image of Jesus Christ suspended on the cross. At the
            same time our blessed Saviour addressed him in loving
            words, inviting him henceforth to follow Him by
            embracing the Christian faith, and to make eternal life
            in future the object of his pursuit.
        </p>
        <p>
            Faithful to the grace which he had received, Placidus
            on his return home communicated the heavenly vision to
            his wife Tatiana, who informed him that she too had
            been favored with a heavenly apparition. Together they
            went immediately to the Pope, related their experience,
            and after due instruction received Baptism.
        </p>
        <p>
            At the sacred font Placidus received the name of
            Eustachius, and his wife was called Theopista, while
            his sons were baptized by the names of Agapitus and
            Theopistus.
        </p>
        <p>
            Upon returning to the spot where he first received the
            call, Eustachius was favored with another communication
            from Our Lord, announcing to him that he was destined
            to endure many and great afflictions for the sake of
            Christ. It was not long before his faith and patience
            were put to a severe trial. Stripped of all his
            possessions and forced to flee from the fury of the
            persecution, he was reduced to extreme distress, and in
            the course of his wanderings was by a series of
            calamitous events separated from his wife and children,
            of whom he lost all trace. For many years he dwelt in a
            remote spot, following the occupation of a farm
            laborer, until he was found by the messengers of the
            emperor, who was sadly in need of the skill of his
            former general, because a fierce war had broken out, in
            which the Romans sustained severe losses.
        </p>
        <p>
            Being again invested with the command of the imperial
            troops, Eustachius set out for the seat of war, and
            achieved a decisive victory. In the course of his march
            he had the happiness, by a singular providence of God,
            to recover his wife and children, with whom he returned
            to Rome. His entrance into the city was attended with
            great rejoicings, and many were the congratulations
            which he received on his extraordinary good fortune.
            But soon afterward a solemn sacrifice of thanksgiving
            to the pagan deities was proclaimed, in which he was
            ordered by the emperor to take a part. Upon his
            refusal, after every effort had been made to shake his
            constancy, he was condemned to be exposed to the lions
            in the public amphitheater along with his wife and
            children. Finally, as the savage animals, laying aside
            their natural ferocity, refused to injure the
            confessors of Christ, Eustachius and his family were by
            order of the emperor enclosed in the body of an immense
            brazen bull, which was heated by means of a great fire
            enkindled beneath. The last moments of these heroic
            martyrs was spent in chanting the divine praises, in
            the midst of which their happy souls passed to the
            enjoyment of everlasting bliss. Their bodies,
            miraculously preserved uninjured, were buried with
            great devotion by the faithful Christians, and were
            afterward transferred to a magnificent church erected
            in their honor.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OW inspiring, to see a great
            man preferring justice, truth, and religion to the
            favor of the mighty, readily quitting estate, friends,
            country, and even sacrificing life, rather than consent
            to do violence to his conscience; and to see him, at
            the same time, meek, humble, patient in suffering,
            forgiving sincerely and loving his unjust and
            treacherous persecutors! Passion and revenge often
            beget anger and triumph over virtue and integrity.
            Ambition and the desire of wealth may, for a time, urge
            men on to brave danger, but finally they reduce them to
            the most abject slavery, and result in grievous crimes
            and misery. Religion alone is the source of charity,
            magnanimity, and true courage. It so enlightens the
            mind, as to place a man above the vicissitudes of the
            world; it renders him steadfast and calm in adversity,
            preserves him from error, teaches him to bear injustice
            and calumny in a tranquil spirit, and gives him that
            ineffable peace and joy which springs from the
            conviction that God's will is always most just and holy
            and that He protects, aids, and rewards His servants.
        </p>
        <p>
            Does religion exert this powerful influence on us? Do
            we show it in our actions and conduct? Our courage and
            constancy must be apparent not only when we encounter
            danger and opposition, but also when our evil
            propensity urges us to yield to temptations that
            present sin to us in the guise of pleasure.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who dost permit us to
            celebrate the remembrance of Thy blessed martyrs,
            Eustachius and companions, grant us, that we may enjoy
            their company in eternal bliss. Through Christ our
            Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_11" id="legend_11">XI</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Giles, Hermit and Abbot
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>THENS, in Greece, was the
            native city of St. Giles. He was of noble parentage,
            and devoted himself from early youth to piety and
            learning. After the death of his parents he distributed
            his rich inheritance to the poor, and to escape the
            applause of men for his charity left his country to
            bury himself in obscurity.
        </p>
        <p>
            He sailed for France, and on his arrival there retired
            to a deserted country near the mouth of the river
            Rhone. Later he made his abode near the river Gard, and
            finally buried himself in a forest in the diocese of
            Nimes. In this solitude he passed many years, living on
            wild herbs and roots, with water for his drink. It is
            related that for some time a hind came daily to be
            milked by him, thus furnishing him additional
            sustenance. Here he lived, disengaged from earthly
            cares, conversing only with God, and engaged in the
            contemplation of heavenly things.
        </p>
        <p>
            One day the king instituted a great hunt in the forest
            where Giles lived, and encountered the hind. Giving
            chase, the royal hunter was led to the saint's hut,
            where the panting animal had sought refuge. The king
            inquired who he was, and was greatly edified at the
            holiness of his life. The fame of the saintly hermit
            now spread far and wide, and was much increased by the
            many miracles wrought through his intercession. The
            king tried to persuade him to leave his solitude, but
            prevailed upon him only in so far, that Giles accepted
            several disciples and founded a monastery in which the
            rule of St. Benedict was observed, and of which he was
            chosen the abbot. He governed his community wisely and
            well, and at the earnest solicitation of his monks was
            ordained priest.
        </p>
        <p>
            The fame of St. Giles' sanctity induced the Frankish
            King, Charles Martel to call him to his court to
            relieve him of a great trouble of conscience. The saint
            made the journey, and told the king that he would find
            relief and comfort only by the sincere confession of a
            sin which he had hitherto concealed. The king followed
            his advice, found interior peace and dismissed Giles
            with many tokens of gratitude. On his homeward journey
            the saint raised the recently deceased son of a
            nobleman to life.
        </p>
        <p>
            After a short stay in his monastery St. Giles went to
            Rome, to obtain from the Pope the confirmation of some
            privileges and the apostolic blessing for his
            community. The Pope granted his wishes, and presented
            him, besides, with two grand and beautifully carved
            doors of cedar wood for his church.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Giles died at a ripe old age on September 1, 725.
            Many miracles were wrought at his tomb.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. GILES left his native
            country and retired into solitude to escape the notice
            and applause of the world, and served God as a recluse.
            To lead such a life, there must be a special call from
            God. It is not suited to all, and even inconsistent
            with the duties of most men. But all are capable of
            disengaging their affections from the inordinate
            attachment to creatures, and of attaining to a pure and
            holy love of God. By making the service of God the
            motive of their thoughts and actions, they will
            sanctify their whole life.
        </p>
        <p>
            In whatever conditions of life we may be placed, we
            have opportunities of subduing our evil inclinations
            and mortifying ourselves by frequent self-denials, of
            watching over our hearts and purifying our senses by
            recollection and prayer. Thus each one, in his station
            of life, may become a saint, by making his calling an
            exercise of virtue and his every act a step higher to
            perfection and eternal glory.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> LORD, we beseech Thee to let
            us find grace through the intercession of thy blessed
            confessor Giles; that what we can not obtain through
            our merits be given us through his intercession.
            Through Christ our Lord Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_12" id="legend_12">XII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Margaret, Virgin and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. MARGARET was the daughter of
            a pagan priest at Antioch. She lost her mother in
            infancy and was placed in the care of a nurse in the
            country, who was a Christian, and whose first care was
            to have her little charge baptized and to give the
            child a Christian education. Margaret grew up a modest,
            pious virgin, and when she returned to her father he
            was charmed with the grace and virtue of his daughter.
            He regretted only one thing; she took no part in the
            worship of the idols. When she told him the reason he
            was greatly displeased, for she stated that she was a
            Christian, and that nothing should separate her from
            the love of Christ.
        </p>
        <p>
            Her father tried every means to change her mind, and
            when all his endeavors failed became enraged and drove
            her forth from his house. Margaret returned to her
            nurse and became her servant, doing all kinds of menial
            work, and at the same time perfecting herself in
            virtue.
        </p>
        <p>
            About this time Emperor Diocletian began to persecute
            the Christians. One day Alybrius, the prefect of the
            city, saw Margaret, and fell in love with her. He sent
            a messenger to ask her in marriage. The pious virgin
            was filled with consternation at the proposal and
            replied to the messenger: "I can not be espoused to
            your master, because I am the spouse of Our Lord Jesus
            Christ. I am promised to Him, and to Him I wish to
            belong." When the prefect heard this, he became furious
            with rage, and gave orders to have the virgin brought
            to him by force. When she appeared before him he thus
            addressed her: "What is your name and condition?" She
            replied: "I am called Margaret, and belong to a noble
            family. I adore Christ and serve Him." The prefect now
            advised her to abandon the worship of a crucified God.
            Margaret asked him, "How do you know that we worship a
            crucified God?" The prefect replied: "From the books of
            the Christians." Margaret continued: "Why did you not
            read further on? The books of the Christians would have
            told you that the Crucified rose on the third day, and
            that He ascended into heaven. Is it love of truth to
            believe in the abasement of Christ and to reject His
            glorification, when both are related in the selfsame
            book?"
        </p>
        <p>
            At this reproof the prefect became angry and ordered
            the tender virgin to be cruelly scourged, placed on the
            rack, and torn with iron combs. Then she was cast into
            prison. There Margaret fervently thanked God for the
            victory she had achieved and implored His help for the
            combat yet in store for her. Suddenly there appeared to
            her the arch-enemy of mankind in the shape of a furious
            dragon, threatening to swallow her. The brave virgin
            feared him not, but made the sign of the cross, and the
            monster vanished. Then her desolate prison cell became
            suffused with heavenly light, and her heart was filled
            with divine consolation. At the same time her terrible
            wounds were suddenly healed, and not the least scar was
            left.
        </p>
        <p>
            Next day Margaret was again brought before the prefect.
            Surprised at her complete recovery from the effects of
            his cruelty, he remarked that no doubt it was due to
            the power of the pagan gods, and exhorted her to show
            her gratitude to them by sacrificing to the idols.
            Margaret maintained that she had been healed by the
            power of Christ alone and declared that she despised
            the heathen gods. At this, the rage of Alybrius knew no
            bounds. He ordered lighted torches to be applied to
            Margaret's body, and then had her cast into icy water
            to intensify her torture. But scarcely had this been
            done when a violent earthquake occurred. Her bonds were
            severed and she rose unscathed from the water, without
            a mark of the burns caused by the flaming torches. On
            witnessing this miracle, a great number of spectators
            were converted to the Faith.
        </p>
        <p>
            Finally the prefect ordered Margaret to be beheaded.
            Her glorious martyrdom and death occurred about the
            year 275.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE history of the virgin martyr
            St. Margaret teaches us that we can and ought to serve
            God even in youth. In the Old Law God commanded all the
            first-born and the first-fruits to be offered to Him.
            "Thou shalt not delay to pay thy tithes and
            first-fruits. Thou shalt give the first-born of thy
            sons to Me" (<i>Ex.</i> xxii. 29).
        </p>
        <p>
            Certainly our whole life ought to be dedicated to the
            service of God; but from the above command we are to
            understand that God especially desires our service
            during the early years of our life. They are our
            first-fruits. St. Augustine calls the years of youth
            the blossoms, the most beautiful flowers of life, and
            St. Thomas Aquinas writes: "What the young give to God
            in their early years, they give of the bloom, of the
            full vigor and beauty of life."
        </p>
        <p>
            Youth is the age beset with countless temptations.
            Safety is found only in the service of God, by
            obedience, humility, and docility. This is not so
            difficult as it appears, and Our Lord Himself invites
            you to His service, saying: "My son, give Me thy heart"
            (<i>Prov.</i> xxiii. 26), and, "Taste and see that the
            Lord is sweet" (<i>Ps.</i> xxxiii. 9).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E BESEECH Thee, O Lord, grant
            us Thy favor through the intercession of Thy blessed
            virgin and martyr Margaret, who pleased Thee by the
            merit of her purity and by the confession of Thy might.
            Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_13" id="legend_13">XIII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St Catherine, Virgin and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. CATHERINE was a native of
            Alexandria, Egypt, a city then famous for its schools
            of philosophy. She was a daughter of Costis,
            half-brother of Constantine, and of Sabinella, queen of
            Egypt. Her wisdom and acquirements were remarkable, the
            philosophy of Plato being her favorite study. While
            Catherine was yet young her father died, leaving her
            heiress to the kingdom. Her love of study and
            retirement displeased her subjects, who desired her to
            marry, asserting that her gifts of noble birth, wealth,
            beauty, and knowledge should be transmitted to her
            children.
        </p>
        <p>
            The princess replied that the husband whom she would
            wed must be even more richly endowed than herself. His
            blood must be the noblest, his rank must surpass her
            own, his beauty without comparison, his benignity great
            enough to forgive all offences. The people of
            Alexandria were disheartened, for they knew of no such
            prince; but Catherine remained persistent in her
            determination to wed none other.
        </p>
        <p>
            Now, it happened that a certain hermit who lived near
            Alexandria had a vision in which he saw the Blessed
            Virgin, who sent him to tell Catherine that her divine
            Son was the Spouse whom she desired. He alone possessed
            all, and more, than the requirements she demanded. The
            holy man gave Catherine a picture of Jesus and Mary;
            and when the princess had gazed upon the face of Christ
            she loved Him so that she could think of naught else,
            and the studies in which she had been wont to take
            delight became distasteful to her.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/pentecost_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/pentecost.jpg" alt=
            "The Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles"></a><br>

            THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST ON THE BLESSED VIRGIN AND
            THE APOSTLES
        </p>
        <p>
            One night Catherine dreamed that she accompanied the
            hermit to a sanctuary, whence angels came to meet her.
            She fell on her face before them, but one of the
            angelic band bade her, "Rise dear sister Catherine, for
            the King of glory delighteth to honor thee." She rose
            and followed the angels to the presence of the queen of
            heaven, who was surrounded by angels and saints and was
            beautiful beyond description. The queen welcomed her
            and led her to her divine Son, Our Lord. But He turned
            from her, saying: "She is not fair and beautiful enough
            for me."
        </p>
        <p>
            Catherine awoke at these words and wept bitterly until
            morning. She then sent for the hermit and inquired what
            would make her worthy of the heavenly Bridegroom. The
            saintly recluse instructed her in the true Faith and,
            with her mother, she was baptized. That night, in a
            dream, the Blessed Virgin and her divine Son again
            appeared to her. Mary presented her to Jesus, saying:
            "Behold, she has been regenerated in the water of
            Baptism." Then Christ smiled on her and plighted His
            troth to her by putting a ring on her finger. When she
            awoke the ring was still there, and thenceforth
            Catherine despised all earthly things and longed only
            for the hour when she should go to her heavenly
            Bridegroom.
        </p>
        <p>
            After the death of Sabinella, Emperor Maximin came to
            Alexandria and declared a persecution against the
            Christians. Catherine appeared in the temple and held
            an argument with the tyrant, utterly confounding him.
            The emperor ordained that fifty of the most learned men
            of the empire be brought to dispute with her; but,
            sustained by the power of God, Catherine not only
            vanquished them in argument, but converted them to the
            true Faith. In his fury Maximin commanded that the new
            Christians be burned; and Catherine comforted them,
            since they could not be baptized, by telling them that
            their blood should be their baptism and the flames
            their crown of glory.
        </p>
        <p>
            The emperor then tried other means to overcome the
            virtue of the noble princess; but, failing to do this,
            he ordered her to be cast into a dungeon and starved to
            death. Twelve days later, when the dungeon was opened,
            a bright light and fragrant perfume filled it, and
            Catherine, who had been nourished by angels, came forth
            radiant and beautiful. On seeing this miracle, the
            empress and many noble Alexandrians declared themselves
            Christians, and suffered death at the command of the
            emperor.
        </p>
        <p>
            Catherine was not spared, for Maximin made a further
            attempt to win her. He offered to make her mistress of
            the world if she would but listen to him, and when she
            still spurned his proposals, he ordered her to the
            torture. She was bound to four spiked wheels which
            revolved in different directions, that she might be
            torn into many pieces. But an angel consumed the wheels
            by fire, and the fragments flying around killed the
            executioners and many of the spectators. The tyrant
            then ordered her to be scourged and beheaded. The
            sentence was carried into effect on November 25, 307.
        </p>
        <p>
            A pious legend, recognized by the Church, says that
            angels bore Catherine's body to Mount Sinai, and buried
            it there.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. CATHERINE, for her erudition
            and the spirit of piety by which she sanctified it, was
            chosen the model and patroness of Christian
            philosophers.
        </p>
        <p>
            Learning, next to virtue, is the noblest quality and
            ornament of the human mind. Profane science teaches
            many useful truths, but when compared with the
            importance of the study of the science of the saints,
            they are of value only inasmuch as when made
            subservient to the latter. The study of the saints was
            to live in the spirit of Christ. This science is taught
            by the Church, and acquired by listening to her
            instructions, by pious reading and meditation.
        </p>
        <p>
            Be intent on learning this science, and order your life
            according to its rules. It is the "one thing
            necessary," for it is the foundation of all wisdom and
            true happiness. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning
            of wisdom" (<i>Ps.</i> cx. 10).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst give the law to
            Moses on the summit of Mount Sinai, and by the holy
            angels didst miraculously transfer there the body of
            blessed Catherine, virgin and martyr; grant us, we
            beseech Thee, to come, through her intercession, to the
            mountain which is Christ. Through the same Christ our
            Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="legend_14">XIV</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            LEGEND
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">N</font>ICOMEDIA, a city in Asia Minor,
            was St. Barbara's birthplace. Her father Dioscurus was
            a pagan. Fearing that his only child might learn to
            know and love the doctrines of Christianity, he shut
            her up in a tower, apart from all intercourse with
            others. Nevertheless Barbara became a Christian. She
            passed her time in study, and from her lonely tower she
            used to watch the heavens in their wondrous beauty. She
            soon became convinced that the "heavens were telling
            the glory of God," a God greater than the idols she had
            been taught to worship. Her desire to know that God was
            in itself a prayer which He answered in His own wise
            way.
        </p>
        <p>
            The fame of Origen, that famous Christian teacher in
            Alexandria, reached even the remote tower, and Barbara
            sent a trusty servant with the request that he would
            make known to her the truth. Origen sent her one of his
            disciples, disguised as a physician, who instructed and
            baptized her. She practised her new religion discreetly
            while waiting for a favorable opportunity of
            acquainting her father with her conversion.
        </p>
        <p>
            This opportunity came in a short time. Some workmen
            were sent by Dioscurus to make another room in the
            tower, and when they had made two windows she directed
            them to make a third. When her father saw this
            additional window, he asked the reason for it. She
            replied, "Know, my father, that the soul receives light
            through three windows, the Father, the Son, and the
            Holy Ghost, and the three are one." The father became
            so angry at this discovery of her having become a
            Christian, that he would have killed his daughter with
            his sword, had she not fled to the top of the tower. He
            followed her, and finally had her in his power. First
            he wreaked his vengeance on her in blows, then
            clutching her by the hair he dragged her away and
            thrust her into a hut to prevent her escape. Next he
            tried every means to induce her to renounce her faith;
            threats, severe punishments, and starvation had no
            effect on the constancy of the Christian maiden.
        </p>
        <p>
            Finding himself powerless to shake his daughter's
            constancy, Dioscurus delivered her to the proconsul
            Marcian, who had her scourged and tortured, but without
            causing her to deny the Faith. During her sufferings,
            her father stood by, exulting in the torments of his
            child. Next night, after she had been taken back to
            prison, Our Lord appeared to her and healed her wounds.
            When Barbara appeared again before him, Marcian was
            greatly astonished to find no trace of the cruelties
            that had been perpetrated on her body. Again she
            resisted his importunities to deny the Faith, and when
            he saw that all his efforts were in vain, he pronounced
            the sentence of death. Barbara was to be beheaded. Her
            unnatural father claimed the privilege to execute it
            with his own hands, and with one blow severed his
            daughter's head from her body, on December 4, 237.
        </p>
        <p>
            At the moment of the saint's death a great tempest
            arose and Dioscurus was killed by lightning. Marcian,
            too, was overtaken by the same fate.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            LESSON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>INCE early times St. Barbara is
            invoked as the patroness against lightning and
            explosions, and is called upon by those who desire the
            sacraments of the dying in their last illness, and many
            are the instances of the efficacy of her intercession.
        </p>
        <p>
            We all wish for a happy and blessed death. To attain
            it, we must make the preparation for it the great
            object of our life; we must learn to die to the world
            and to ourselves, and strive after perfection in
            virtue. There is no greater comfort in adversity, no
            more powerful incentive to withdrawing our affections
            from this world, than to remember the blessing of a
            happy death. Well prepared, death may strike us in any
            form whatsoever, and however suddenly, it will find us
            ready.
        </p>
        <p>
            We can be guilty of no greater folly than to delay our
            preparation for death, repentance, the reception of the
            sacraments, and the amendment of our life, from day to
            day, from the time of health to the time of illness,
            and in illness to the very last moments, thinking that
            even then we can obtain pardon. St. Augustine observes:
            "It is very dangerous to postpone the performance of a
            duty on which our whole eternity depends to the most
            inconvenient time, the last hour." And St. Bernard
            remarks: "In Holy Scripture we find one single instance
            of one who received pardon at the last moment. He was
            the thief crucified with Jesus. He is alone, that you
            despair not; he is alone, also, that you sin not by
            presumption on God's mercy." If you, therefore, wish
            for a happy death, prepare for it in time.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer of the Church</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who among the wonders of
            Thy might didst grant the victory of martyrdom also to
            the weaker sex, graciously grant us that we, by
            recalling the memory of Thy blessed virgin and martyr
            Barbara, through her example may be led to Thee.
            Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART IV
        </h1>
        <h2>
            I<br>
            Novenas to the Holy Helpers
        </h2><br>
        <h2>
            II<br>
            Prayers and Petitions
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "In every thing by prayer and supplication with
            thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God"
            (<i>Philipp.</i> iv. 6).
        </h2>
        <h2>
            "God is wonderful in His saints. The God of Israel is
            He who will give power and strength to His people;
            blessed be God" (<i>Ps.</i> lxvii. 36).
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            Novena to Each of the Holy Helpers
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_helper" id="prep_helper">PREPARATORY
            PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>For Each of the Following Novenas</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY and eternal God! With
            lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine
            Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with
            filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the
            darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly
            light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine
            love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and
            merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena,
            and following his example imitate, like him, the life
            of Thy divine Son.
        </p>
        <p>
            Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through
            the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper,
            the petition which through him I humbly place before
            Thee, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it
            is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it
            redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of
            my soul. Amen.
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_1" id="helper_1">I</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. George
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. GEORGE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst grant to St.
            George strength and constancy in the various torments
            which he sustained for our holy faith; we beseech Thee
            to preserve, through his intercession, our faith from
            wavering and doubt, so that we may serve Thee with a
            sincere heart faithfully unto death. Through Christ our
            Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. GEORGE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>AITHFUL servant of God and
            invincible martyr, St. George; favored by God with the
            gift of faith, and inflamed with an ardent love of
            Christ, thou didst fight valiantly against the dragon
            of pride, falsehood, and deceit. Neither pain nor
            torture, sword nor death could part thee from the love
            of Christ. I fervently implore thee for the sake of
            this love to help me by thy intercession to overcome
            the temptations that surround me, and to bear bravely
            the trials that oppress me, so that I may patiently
            carry the cross which is placed upon me; and let
            neither distress nor difficulties separate me from the
            love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Valiant champion of the
            Faith, assist me in the combat against evil, that I may
            win the crown promised to them that persevere unto the
            end.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i><a name="prayer_helper" id=
            "prayer_helper">Prayer</a></i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y LORD and my God! I offer up
            to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion
            and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the
            merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever
            virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those
            of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.
        </p>
        <p>
            Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace
            and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_2" id="helper_2">II</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Blase
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. BLASE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, deliver us through the
            intercession of Thy holy bishop and martyr Blase, from
            all evil of soul and body, especially from all ills of
            the throat; and grant us the grace to make a good
            confession in the confident hope of obtaining Thy
            pardon, and ever to praise with worthy lips Thy most
            holy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. BLASE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. BLASE, gracious benefactor
            of mankind and faithful servant of God, who for the
            love of our Saviour didst suffer so many tortures with
            patience and resignation; I invoke thy powerful
            intercession. Preserve me from all evils of soul and
            body. Because of thy great merits God endowed thee with
            the special grace to help those that suffer from ills
            of the throat; relieve and preserve me from them, so
            that I may always be able to fulfil my duties, and with
            the aid of God's grace perform good works. I invoke thy
            help as special physician of souls, that I may confess
            my sins sincerely in the holy sacrament of Penance and
            obtain their forgiveness. I recommend to thy merciful
            intercession also those who unfortunately concealed a
            sin in confession. Obtain for them the grace to accuse
            themselves sincerely and contritely of the sin they
            concealed, of the sacrilegious confessions and
            communions they made, and of all the sins they
            committed since then, so that they may receive pardon,
            the grace of God, and the remission of the eternal
            punishment. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_3" id="helper_3">III</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St Erasmus
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. ERASMUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, grant us through the
            intercession of Thy dauntless bishop and martyr
            Erasmus, who so valiantly confessed the Faith, that we
            may learn the doctrine of this faith, practise its
            precepts, and thereby be made worthy to attain its
            promises. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. ERASMUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLY martyr Erasmus, who didst
            willingly and bravely bear the trials and sufferings of
            life, and by thy charity didst console many
            fellow-sufferers; I implore thee to remember me in my
            needs and to intercede for me with God. Staunch
            confessor of the Faith, victorious vanquisher of all
            tortures, pray to Jesus for me and ask Him to grant me
            the grace to live and die in the Faith through which
            thou didst obtain the crown of glory. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_4" id="helper_4">IV</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena to St. Pantaleon
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. PANTALEON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst give to St.
            Pantaleon the grace of exercising charity toward his
            fellow-men by distributing his goods to the poor, and
            hast made him a special patron of the sick, grant, that
            we, too, show our charity by works of mercy; and
            through the intercession of this Thy servant preserve
            us from sickness. But if it be Thy will that illness
            should afflict us, give us the grace to bear it
            patiently, and let it promote our soul's salvation.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. PANTALEON
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. PANTALEON, who during life
            didst have great pity for the sick and with the help of
            God didst often relieve and cure them; I invoke thy
            intercession with God, that I may obtain the grace to
            serve Him in good health by cheerfully fulfilling the
            duties of my state of life. But if it be His holy will
            to visit me with illness, pain, and suffering, do thou
            aid me with thy powerful prayer to submit humbly to His
            chastisements, to accept sickness in the spirit of
            penance and to bear it patiently according to His holy
            will. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/communion_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/communion.jpg" alt=
            "The Blessed Virgin Receives Holy Communion from St. John"></a><br>

            THE BLESSED VIRGIN RECEIVES HOLY COMMUNION FROM ST.
            JOHN
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_5" id="helper_5">V</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Vitus
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. VITUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>RANT us, O God, through the
            intercession of St. Vitus, a due estimation of the
            value of our soul and of its redemption by the precious
            blood of Thy Son Jesus Christ; so that, for its
            salvation, we bear all trials with fortitude. Give this
            Thy youthful servant and heroic martyr as a guide and
            protector to Christian youths, that following his
            example they may after a victorious combat receive the
            crown of justice in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. VITUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. VITUS, glorious martyr of
            Christ; in thy youth thou wast exposed to violent and
            dangerous temptations, but in the fear of God and for
            the love of Jesus thou didst victoriously overcome
            them. O amiable, holy youth, I implore thee by the love
            of Jesus, assist me with thy powerful intercession to
            overcome the temptations to evil, to avoid every
            occasion of sin, and thus to preserve spotless the robe
            of innocence and sanctifying grace, and to bring it
            unstained to the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, that I
            may forever enjoy the beatific vision of God which is
            promised to the pure of heart. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_6" id="helper_6">VI</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Christophorus
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. CHRISTOPHORUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst make St.
            Christophorus a true Christ-bearer, who converted
            multitudes to the Christian faith, and who didst give
            him the grace to suffer for Thy sake the most cruel
            torments; through the intercession of this saint we
            implore Thee to protect us from sin, the only real
            evil. Preserve us, also, against harmful elementary
            forces, such as earthquake, lightning, fire, and flood.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. CHRISTOPHORUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>REAT St. Christophorus, seeking
            the strongest and mightiest master thou didst find him
            in Jesus Christ, the almighty God of heaven and earth,
            and didst faithfully serve Him with all thy power to
            the end of thy life, gaining for Him countless souls
            and finally shedding thy blood for Him; obtain for me
            the grace to bear Christ always in my heart, as thou
            didst once bear Him on thy shoulder, so that I thereby
            may be strengthened to overcome victoriously all
            temptations and resist all enticements of the world,
            the devil, and the flesh, and that the powers of
            darkness may not prevail against me. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_7" id="helper_7">VII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Dionysius
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. DIONYSIUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst confer Thy
            saving faith on the people of France through Thy holy
            bishop and martyr Dionysius, and didst glorify him
            before and after his martyrdom by many miracles; grant
            us through his intercession that the Faith practised
            and preached by him be our light on the way of life, so
            that we may be preserved from all anxieties of
            conscience, and if by human frailty we have sinned, we
            may return to Thee speedily by true penance. Through
            Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. DIONYSIUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>LORIOUS servant of God, St.
            Dionysius, with intense love thou didst devote thyself
            to Christ after learning to know Him through the
            apostle St. Paul, and didst preach His saving name to
            the nations, to bring whom to His knowledge and love
            thou didst not shrink from martyrdom; implore for me a
            continual growth in the knowledge and love of Jesus, so
            that my restless heart may experience that peace which
            He alone can give. Help me by thy powerful intercession
            with God to serve Him with a willing heart, to devote
            myself with abiding love to His service, and thereby to
            attain the eternal bliss of heaven. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_8" id="helper_8">VIII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Cyriacus
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. CYRIACUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst grant to St.
            Cyriacus the grace of heroic charity and trustful
            resignation to Thy holy will; bestow upon us, through
            his intercession, the grace to walk before Thee in
            self-denying charity and to know and fulfil Thy will in
            all things. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. CYRIACUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. CYRIACUS, great servant of
            God, loving Christ with all thy heart, thou didst for
            His sake also love thy fellow-men, and didst serve them
            even at the peril of thy life, for which charity God
            rewarded thee with the power to overcome Satan, the
            arch-enemy, and to deliver the poor obsessed from his
            dreadful tyranny; implore for me of God an effective,
            real, and true charity. Show thy power over Satan also
            in me; deliver me from his influence when he tries to
            tempt me. Help me to repel his assaults and to gain the
            victory over him in life and in death. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_9" id="helper_9">IX</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Achatius
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. ACHATIUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst fortify Thy
            holy martyr Achatius with constancy and trustful
            reliance on Thee in death; grant us through his
            intercession at the hour of our death to be free from
            all anxiety and victorious in our last combat with the
            enemy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. ACHATIUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">V</font>ALIANT martyr of Christ, St.
            Achatius, who preached Christ faithfully before kings
            and judges, and didst gain the victory over the enemies
            of God; help me through thy powerful intercession to
            resist and gain the victory over all the enemies of my
            salvation, over the world and its allurements, over the
            concupiscence of the flesh, and over the temptations of
            Satan. I implore thee particularly to assist me in my
            agony, when the powers of hell rise against me to rob
            my soul. Then do thou come to my aid and repel the
            assaults of the enemy, so that I surrender my soul into
            the hands of my Redeemer in faith, hope, and charity,
            and confiding in His infinite merits. Through the same
            Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_10" id="helper_10">X</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Eustachius
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. EUSTACHIUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst lead Thy holy
            martyr Eustachius safely through many trials and
            dangers to the glorious crown of martyrdom; enlighten
            and strengthen us through his intercession, that we
            persevere in Thy love amid the trials of this life, and
            by resignation to Thy holy will come forth from the
            darkness of this earth into the light of Thy eternal
            glory. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. EUSTACHIUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>EROIC servant of God, St.
            Eustachius, cast from the height of earthly glory and
            power into the deepest misery, thou wast engaged for a
            long time in the labor of a menial servant, eating the
            bitter bread of destitution; but never didst thou
            murmur against the severe probation to which God
            subjected thee. I implore thee to aid me with thy
            powerful intercession, that in all conditions I may
            resign myself to the holy will of God, and particularly
            that I may bear poverty and its consequences with
            patience, trusting in God's providence, completely
            resigned to the decrees of Him who humbles and exalts,
            chastises and heals, sends trials and consolations, and
            who has promised to those who follow Him in the spirit
            of poverty His beatific vision throughout all eternity.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_11" id="helper_11">XI</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Giles
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. GILES
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, we beseech Thee to grant
            us through the merits and intercession of St. Giles to
            flee from the vanity and praise of this world, to avoid
            carefully all occasions of sin, to cleanse our hearts
            from all wickedness by a sincere confession, to leave
            this world in Thy love and rich in good works, and to
            find Thee gracious on the day of judgment. Through
            Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. GILES
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">Z</font>EALOUS follower of Christ, St.
            Giles; from early youth thou didst take to heart the
            words of our Saviour: "Learn of Me, because I am meek
            and humble of heart." Therefore thou didst flee from
            the praise and honors of the world, and wast rewarded
            with the grace to preserve thy heart from all sin and
            to persevere in a holy life to a ripe old age. I, on my
            part, through pride, self-confidence, and negligence,
            yielded to my evil inclinations, and thereby sinned
            grievously and often, offending my God and Lord, my
            Creator and Redeemer, my most loving Father. Therefore
            I implore thee to help me through thy mighty
            intercession to be enlightened by the Holy Ghost, that
            I may know the malice, grievousness, and multitude of
            my sins, confess them humbly, fully, and contritely,
            and receive pardon, tranquillity of heart, and peace of
            conscience from God. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_12" id="helper_12">XII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Margaret
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. MARGARET
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, grant us through the
            intercession of thy holy virgin and martyr Margaret,
            undauntedly to confess the Faith, carefully to observe
            the chastity of our state of life, and to overcome the
            temptations of the world, the devil, and the flesh, and
            thereby escape the punishments of eternal damnation.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. MARGARET
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. MARGARET, holy virgin and
            martyr, thou didst faithfully preserve the robe of holy
            innocence and purity, valiantly resisting all the
            blandishments and allurements of the world for the love
            of thy divine Spouse, Jesus Christ; help me to overcome
            all temptations against the choicest of all virtues,
            holy purity, and to remain steadfast in the love of
            Christ, in order to preserve this great gift of God.
            Implore for me the grace of perseverance in prayer,
            distrust of myself, and flight from the occasions of
            sin, and finally the grace of a good death, so that in
            heaven I may "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth."
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_13" id="helper_13">XIII</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Catherine
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. CATHERINE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst distinguish Thy
            holy virgin and martyr Catherine by the gift of great
            wisdom and virtue, and a victorious combat with the
            enemies of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee,
            through her intercession, constancy in the Faith and
            the wisdom of the saints, that we may devote all the
            powers of our mind and heart to Thy service. Through
            Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. CATHERINE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>T. CATHERINE, glorious virgin
            and martyr, resplendent in the luster of wisdom and
            purity; thy wisdom refuted the adversaries of divine
            truth and covered them with confusion; thy immaculate
            purity made thee a spouse of Christ, so that after thy
            glorious martyrdom angels carried thy body to Mount
            Sinai. Implore for me progress in the science of the
            saints and the virtue of holy purity, that vanquishing
            the enemies of my soul, I may be victorious in my last
            combat and after death be conducted by the angels into
            the eternal beatitude of heaven. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="helper_14" id="helper_14">XIV</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Novena in Honor of St. Barbara
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_helper">Preparatory Prayer (p. 219).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRAYER IN HONOR OF ST. BARBARA
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who didst adorn Thy holy
            virgin and martyr Barbara with extraordinary fortitude
            in the confession of the Faith, and didst console her
            in the most atrocious torments; grant us through her
            intercession perseverance in the fulfilment of Thy law
            and the grace of being fortified before our end with
            the holy sacraments, and of a happy death. Through
            Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF ST. BARBARA
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>NTREPID virgin and martyr, St.
            Barbara, through thy intercession come to my aid in all
            needs of my soul. Obtain for me the grace to be
            preserved from a sudden and unprovided death; assist me
            in my agony, when my senses are benumbed and I am in
            the throes of death. Then, O powerful patroness of the
            dying, come to my aid! Repel from me all the assaults
            and temptations of the evil one, and obtain for me the
            grace to receive before death the holy sacraments, that
            I breathe forth my soul confirmed in faith, hope, and
            charity, and be worthy to enter eternal glory. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            &nbsp; St. Barbara, at my last end<br>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; Obtain for me the Sacrament;<br>
            &nbsp; Assist one in that direst need<br>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; When I my God and Judge must meet:<br>
            &nbsp; That robed in sanctifying grace<br>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; My soul may stand before His face.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#prayer_helper">Prayer (p. 221).</a>
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            Novena to All the Fourteen Holy Helpers
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="prep_all_helpers" id=
            "prep_all_helpers">PREPARATORY PRAYER</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>(By St Alphonsus Liguori.)</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>REAT princes of heaven, Holy
            Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly
            possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who
            now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of
            eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor
            sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from
            God, for whom you gave up all things and who loves you
            as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the
            trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and
            to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day
            I too may be received into your company, to praise and
            glorify Him, the supreme Lord, whose beatific vision
            you enjoy, and whom you praise and glorify for ever.
            Amen.
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_1" id="all_helpers_1">FIRST
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Devotion to the Fourteen Holy Helpers
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE practice of honoring and
            invoking the saints to obtain, through their
            intercession, help in the various needs of body and
            soul, is as old as the Church. At what period, however,
            the custom of having recourse to the fourteen saints
            called Holy Helpers originated, is unknown.
            Nevertheless it is certain that each one of them was
            invoked for his intercession with God since his
            entrance into heaven. Prayer is the Christian's
            resource in every difficulty: and difficulties and
            trials are never wanting on earth.
        </p>
        <p>
            Because the needs of mankind on earth are various, the
            faithful selected certain saints as intercessors in
            certain cases of distress, and obtained relief; hence
            these saints came to be regarded as special patrons in
            such trials, and were called Holy Helpers.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>AKE this novena with full
            confidence in the power of the intercession of the
            Fourteen Holy Helpers. During their earthly life they
            devoted their whole energy to the spreading of God's
            kingdom and the relief and succor of their fellow-men.
            Much more efficiently can they do so now when they are
            in the enjoyment of eternal happiness, and can
            supplicate for us at the very throne of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            The saints <i>can</i> help us through their
            intercession. God hears their prayers and He wrought
            miracles to confirm us in this belief, even whilst His
            servants sojourned here on earth. They <i>desire</i>
            and are willing to help us. St. Bernard says: "In
            heaven hearts do not grow cold; they are rather
            rendered more affectionate and tender. By receiving the
            crown of justice the saints were not hardened against
            the sufferings of their brethren on earth."
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore, in calling on them, have full confidence in
            their power and ability to come to your aid.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E BESEECH Thee, O Lord, to hear
            the prayer which we send up to Thee in honor of Thy
            glorified servants, the Fourteen Holy Helpers: and as
            we can not rely upon our own justice, grant our
            petition through the intercession of those whose merits
            have made them especially dear to Thee. Through Christ
            our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/death_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/death.jpg" alt=
            "Death of the Blessed Virgin"></a><br>
            DEATH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="litany_all_helpers" id=
            "litany_all_helpers">LITANY OF THE FOURTEEN HOLY
            HELPERS</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, have mercy on us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, hear us.<br>
            Christ, graciously hear us.<br>
            God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.<br>
            God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Mary, queen of martyrs, pray for us.<br>
            St. Joseph, helper in all needs, pray for us.<br>
            Fourteen Holy Helpers, pray for us.<br>
            St. George, valiant martyr of Christ, pray for us.<br>
            St. Blase, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor,
            pray for us.<br>
            St. Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed, pray
            for us.<br>
            St. Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity, pray for
            us.<br>
            St. Vitus, special protector of chastity, pray for
            us.<br>
            St. Christophorus, mighty intercessor in dangers, pray
            for us.<br>
            St. Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence,
            pray for us.<br>
            St. Cyriacus, terror of hell, pray for us.<br>
            St. Achatius, helpful advocate in death, pray for
            us.<br>
            St. Eustachius, exemplar of patience in adversity, pray
            for us.<br>
            St. Giles, despiser of the world, pray for us.<br>
            St. Margaret, valiant champion of the Faith, pray for
            us.<br>
            St. Catherine, victorious defender of the Faith and of
            purity, pray for us.<br>
            St. Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying, pray for
            us.<br>
            All ye Holy Helpers, pray for us.<br>
            All ye saints of God, pray for us.<br>
            In temptations against faith, pray for us.<br>
            In adversity and trials, pray for us.<br>
            In anxiety and want, pray for us.<br>
            In every combat, pray for us.<br>
            In every temptation, pray for us.<br>
            In sickness, pray for us.<br>
            In all needs, pray for us.<br>
            In fear and terror, pray for us.<br>
            In dangers of salvation, pray for us.<br>
            In dangers of honor, pray for us.<br>
            In dangers of reputation, pray for us.<br>
            In dangers of property, pray for us.<br>
            In dangers by fire and water, pray for us.<br>
            Be merciful, spare us, O Lord!<br>
            Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord!<br>
            From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            From Thy wrath, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            From the scourge of earthquake, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            From plague, famine, and war, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            From lightning and storms, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            From a sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, O
            Lord.<br>
            From eternal damnation, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, deliver
            us, O Lord.<br>
            Through Thy birth and Thy life, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            Through Thy cross and passion, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            Through Thy death and burial, deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            Through the merits of Thy blessed Mother Mary, deliver
            us, O Lord.<br>
            Through the merits of the Fourteen Holy Helpers,
            deliver us, O Lord.<br>
            On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord!<br>
            We sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou convert us to true penance, we beseech Thee,
            hear us.<br>
            That Thou give and preserve the fruits of the earth, we
            beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou protect and propagate Thy holy Church, we
            beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou preserve peace and concord among the nations,
            we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou give eternal rest to the souls of the
            departed, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou come to our aid through the intercession of
            the Holy Helpers, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. George Thou
            preserve us in the Faith, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Blase Thou confirm
            us in hope, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Erasmus Thou
            enkindle in us Thy holy love, we beseech Thee, hear
            us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Pantaleon Thou
            give us charity for our neighbor, we beseech Thee, hear
            us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Vitus Thou teach
            us the value of our soul, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Christophorus Thou
            preserve us from sin, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Dionysius Thou
            give us tranquillity of conscience, we beseech Thee,
            hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Cyriacus Thou
            grant us resignation to Thy holy will, we beseech Thee,
            hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Eustachius Thou
            give us patience in adversity, we beseech Thee, hear
            us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Achatius Thou
            grant us a happy death, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Giles Thou grant
            us a merciful judgment, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Margaret Thou
            preserve us from hell, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Catherine Thou
            shorten our purgatory, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of St. Barbara Thou
            receive us in heaven, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That through the intercession of all the Holy Helpers
            Thou wilt grant our prayers, we beseech Thee, hear
            us.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
            spare us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
            graciously hear us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
            have mercy on us, O Lord.
        </p>
        <p>
            V. Pray for us, ye Fourteen Holy Helpers.
        </p>
        <p>
            R. That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let us Pray</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY and eternal God, who
            hast bestowed extraordinary graces and gifts on Thy
            saints George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus,
            Christophorus, Dionysius, Cyriacus, Eustachius,
            Achatius, Giles, Margaret, Catherine, and Barbara, and
            hast illustrated them by miracles; we beseech Thee to
            graciously hear the petitions of all who invoke their
            intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            O God, who didst miraculously fortify the Fourteen Holy
            Helpers in the confession of the Faith; grant us, we
            beseech Thee, to imitate their fortitude in overcoming
            all temptations against it, and protect us through
            their intercession in all dangers of soul and body, so
            that we may serve Thee in purity of heart and chastity
            of body. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION OF THE HOLY HELPERS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>OURTEEN Holy Helpers, who
            served God in humility and confidence on earth and are
            now in the enjoyment of His beatific vision in heaven;
            because you persevered till death you gained the crown
            of eternal life. Remember the dangers that surround us
            in this vale of tears, and intercede for us in all our
            needs and adversities. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Fourteen Holy Helpers, select friends of God, I honor
            you as mighty intercessors, and come with filial
            confidence to you in my needs, for the relief of which
            I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by your
            intercession to placate God's wrath, which I have
            provoked by my sins, and aid me in amending my life and
            doing penance. Obtain for me the grace to serve God
            with a willing heart, to be resigned to His holy will,
            to be patient in adversity and to persevere unto the
            end, so that, having finished my earthly course, I may
            join you in heaven, there to praise for ever God, who
            is wonderful in His saints. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_2" id="all_helpers_2">SECOND
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Destiny of Man
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE Holy Helpers faithfully
            co-operated with God's designs concerning their eternal
            destiny. No obstacle could prevail on them to stray
            from the path of duty. Always and everywhere they
            fulfilled the will of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            You, too, have an eternal destiny. You are not your own
            master, but belong to God, whose servant and property
            you are. Therefore you must obey Him, and not your own
            inclinations; you must do His will, and not your own.
            God had the right of requiring our submission to Him
            without giving us a reward, because He is Our Lord;
            nevertheless He promised to give us Himself in reward
            for our faithful service. Ought this not be sufficient
            inducement for us to serve Him zealously and
            gratefully?
        </p>
        <p>
            Remember, moreover, that you shall be unhappy both in
            this and in the next world if you do not give yourself
            entirely to God, for whom you were created. St.
            Augustine says: "Thou hast created us for Thee, O Lord,
            and our heart remains restless till it rests in Thee."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HANK God for the undeserved
            grace of creation and redemption. Make an act of
            contrition for having served Him so negligently.
            Promise amendment, and invoke the aid of God's grace
            through the intercession of the Holy Helpers.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, who according to the
            decrees of Thy providence hast created man for eternal
            bliss; grant, through the intercession of the Holy
            Helpers, that I may attain to my destiny by being
            united with Thee in this life and loving and praising
            Thee for ever in heaven. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_3" id="all_helpers_3">THIRD
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Virtue of Faith
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE Holy Helpers were so
            thoroughly imbued with the virtue of divine faith, that
            they believed its sacred truths with perfect
            abandonment of their intellect, will, liberty, and
            whole being. They wavered not amid the severest
            torments, but remained firm until death in the
            confession of Christ.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our time is noted for assaults on the Faith and on the
            Church that teaches it. The Church, the depository of
            divine revelation, is blasphemed in her doctrine, in
            her precepts, in her sacraments, in her ministers, in
            her cult, in her entire essence. Were you never ashamed
            of your Catholic name? What cowardliness, what
            timidity, what downright malice!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">R</font>EVIVE your faith by the
            consideration of the example of the Holy Helpers. Do
            not, from human respect, neglect the sanctification of
            the Lord's Day, the observance of days of fast and
            abstinence, the reception of the holy sacraments, the
            profession of your belief in the real presence of Our
            Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, etc. Meditate frequently
            on the words of Christ: "He that shall deny Me before
            men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in
            heaven" (<i>Matt.</i> x. 33).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, I beseech Thee, through
            the faith of the Holy Helpers, grant me the grace to
            treasure in my heart the doctrines of our holy faith,
            to believe them firmly, to confess them bravely, and to
            live according to their precepts, that through that
            same faith I may become worthy to be admitted to Thy
            beatific vision in heaven. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_4" id="all_helpers_4">FOURTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Virtue of Hope
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">"H</font>OPE confoundeth not"
            (<i>Rom.</i> v. 6). According to the commentators these
            words of Holy Scripture are to be understood in the
            sense that our works must be in conformity with that
            which is the object of our hope; that is, we must live
            in such a manner that we really merit the reward of
            heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            We sin against hope also by presumption in God's mercy,
            by despair, and by over-confidence in our own
            righteousness. According to Holy Scripture we can not,
            of our own efficacy, perform a good act, but can do all
            in Him that strengthens us.
        </p>
        <p>
            All these truths are exemplified in the lives of the
            Holy Helpers. Their hope was based on the firm
            foundation of faith, and consequently, like it, firm,
            constant, and unwavering.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>IKE the Holy Helpers, hope to
            obtain from God all things necessary to salvation, for
            "the Lord is good to them that hope in Him, to the soul
            that seeketh Him" (<i>Lam.</i> iii. 25). Live so that
            He can fulfil His promises. Place no obstacle to His
            bounty and might by a sinful life.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">E</font>TERNAL God of love and mercy, I
            thank Thee for all the benefits Thou hast conferred
            upon me, and hope to obtain, through the intercession
            of the Holy Helpers, all the graces necessary for my
            salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_5" id="all_helpers_5">FIFTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Love of God
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE love of God which inflamed
            the Holy Helpers showed forth in their whole life, and
            particularly at their death. We, too, ought to be
            inflamed with such love, for without it faith, wisdom,
            the gift of tongues, and good works in general, avail
            nothing; for the love of God must inspire them all.
            "And we know that to them that love God, all things
            work together unto good" (<i>Rom.</i> viii. 28). Such,
            and such alone, will receive the crown of life. Did not
            God love us first? To redeem us from sin and eternal
            death He spared not His only begotten, divine Son. All
            goods of life and fortune are gifts of His love,
            evidences of His infinite love. And we find it
            difficult to return this love? How ungrateful not to
            love God with your whole heart!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>MITATE the Holy Helpers in
            their ardent love of God. Implore their intercession to
            obtain it. Meditate often on God's love for you, and
            your heart will be enflamed with love for Him.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD of mercy and love, I thank
            Thee from all my heart for the countless graces which
            Thy infinite love has bestowed on me. By the ardent
            love which the Holy Helpers had for Thee, I implore
            Thee to enkindle in my heart the flame of Thy love, so
            that I may remain in Thee and Thou in me. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_6" id="all_helpers_6">SIXTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            The Virtue of Charity
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">C</font>HARITY is one of the
            fundamental virtues of the Christian religion. The
            moral doctrine preached by Christ is comprised in the
            words: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole
            heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole
            mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.
            And the second is like to this. Thou shalt love thy
            neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
            dependeth the whole law and the prophets" (<i>Matt.</i>
            xxii. 37-40).
        </p>
        <p>
            As in everything else, the Holy Helpers are our
            exemplars also in charity. Charity consists in wishing
            well to our fellow-men, rejoicing with the glad and
            sympathizing with the sad, doing good to all, excusing
            their faults whenever possible, disclosing them only
            when necessary, being friendly, indulgent, meek, and
            helpful toward them. We love our neighbor if we succor
            the poor and distressed, if we harbor no envy for the
            rich, if we esteem the just for their virtue, and
            hate&mdash;not the sinner&mdash;but sin. We love our
            neighbor if we are not content with harboring these
            sentiments in our heart, but show them by our actions.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">E</font>NDEAVOR to exercise this
            charity according to the spirit of Christ. The love of
            your neighbor must not be a sentimental affection; it
            must not originate in casual qualities of character or
            rank, in inclination, etc., but must have the love of
            God for its motive. We must exercise charity toward all
            because God wills it, and in the manner in which He
            wills it. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD of charity, who dost will
            that I love my neighbor for Thy sake, grant me the
            grace, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, to
            be animated with that spirit of charity which embraces
            all and excludes none, which "is patient, kind, envieth
            not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not
            ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to
            anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
            rejoiceth with the truth, beareth all things, believeth
            all things, endureth all things, and never falleth
            away" (1 <i>Cor.</i> xiii. 4-8). Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_7" id="all_helpers_7">SEVENTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Human Respect
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>Y THE conscientious fulfilment
            of the duties of their state of life the Holy Helpers
            show us that the will of God alone was the motive of
            all their actions. Human respect, regard for the
            opinion of others, did not influence them.
        </p>
        <p>
            The cowardly fear, "What will people say?" was the ruin
            of many a soul. The enemy of mankind is ever intent
            upon preventing us from doing good through human
            respect. He insinuates that virtue and piety are out of
            date and ridiculed. From human respect many a person
            boasts of that which ought to make him blush; he thinks
            it discreditable to be less remiss in his religious
            obligations than others. Ought the opinion and ridicule
            of the world influence us to prevent our pleasing God?
            St. Paul says: "If I yet pleased men, I should not be
            the servant of Christ" (<i>Gal.</i> i. 10). Our Lord
            Himself tells us, "He that shall deny Me before men, I
            will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven"
            (<i>Matt.</i> x. 33).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>UR Lord says: "So let your
            light shine before men, that they may see your good
            works and glorify your Father who is in heaven"
            (<i>Matt.</i> v. 16). Do not stray from the path of
            duty on account of human respect; do not let yourself
            be influenced by the judgments of the world.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ERCIFUL God, who gavest the
            Holy Helpers the grace to fulfil Thy will regardless of
            human respect; grant that we may obtain through their
            intercession and merits the courage to despise the
            opinion of men, and ever serve Thee with a fearless
            heart. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_8" id="all_helpers_8">EIGHTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Prayer
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE Holy Helpers, well knowing
            the efficacy of prayer, assiduously devoted themselves
            to it. From it they drew that wonderful strength which
            sustained them in their combat for the Faith.
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer is the elevation of the mind to God, intercourse
            with Him by acts of adoration, praise, thanksgiving,
            and petition. St. Chrysostom says of prayer: "Without
            prayer it is impossible to lead a good life; for no one
            can practise virtue except he humbly implores God for
            it, who alone can give him the necessary strength. Who
            ceases to love and practise prayer, no longer possesses
            the gifts of the Spirit. But he that perseveres in the
            service of God, and deems it an irreparable loss to
            miss constant prayer, possesses every virtue and is a
            friend of God."
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>FFER yourself at the beginning
            of each day to God, and thereby you will belong to Him
            throughout its whole course. Renew your consecration to
            Him frequently during the day by short acts of virtue
            and especially by a good intention, thus rendering all
            your work a prayer, and you will attain perfection.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, I implore Thee through
            the merits and intercession of the Holy Helpers, to
            grant me the spirit of prayer, that following their
            example I may walk in Thy presence and ever enjoy the
            consolation of intercourse with Thee. Through Christ
            our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="all_helpers_9" id="all_helpers_9">NINTH
            DAY</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Perseverance
        </h2>
        <p>
            <a href="#prep_all_helpers">Preparatory Prayer (p.
            237).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            MEDITATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font> VICTORIOUS death was the
            reward of the Holy Helpers' perseverance in the service
            of God. During this novena you have, no doubt, formed
            many good resolutions, exclaiming with the Royal
            Prophet, "And I said, now I have begun" (<i>Ps.</i>
            lxxvi. 11). But it happens that many, despite their
            good will, become remiss in the pursuit of virtue.
            Satan is assiduously trying to accomplish their ruin,
            representing to them and exaggerating the difficulties
            to be encountered on the path of virtue. They hesitate,
            falter, and finally turn back. This is the most
            unfortunate happening that can occur. Of the condition
            of such a one Our Lord Himself says: "When the unclean
            spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places
            without water, seeking rest; and not finding, he saith:
            'I will return into my house whence I came out.' And
            when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished.
            Then he goeth and taketh with him seven spirits more
            wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there.
            And the last state of that man becometh worse than the
            first" (<i>Luke</i> xi. 24-26). Are these words not a
            sufficient warning to encourage us to persevere in our
            good resolves?
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/assumption_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/assumption.jpg" alt=
            "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven"></a><br>
            ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN INTO HEAVEN.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PRACTICE
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>N concluding this novena,
            survey again the depth of that incomprehensible
            eternity which is awaiting you. Contemplate in spirit
            the endless chain of centuries following each other
            there in reward or in punishment. Does this thought not
            banish all the difficulties of perseverance?
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, whose mercies are
            infinite and whose goodness is without limit, I beseech
            Thee through the merits and intercession of the Holy
            Helpers, grant me the grace of perseverance in Thy love
            and service to the end. Thou, who dost dispense so many
            favors through the Holy Helpers, despise not my prayer,
            but graciously hear and grant it. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_all_helpers">Litany and Prayers (p
            240).</a>
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            CONCLUDING PRAYER
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> FAITHFUL servants of God and
            powerful protectors of man, Holy Helpers! Since Our
            Lord appointed you the heavenly advocates for our needs
            on earth, I confidently turn to you for help in my
            distress. Countless numbers praise you for aiding them
            with counsel in doubt, with consolation in anxiety,
            with health in illness, with safety in danger, with
            delivery from prison, and with help and assistance in
            all tribulations. Therefore I, too, have recourse to
            you, and implore you not to refuse me your aid.
        </p>
        <p>
            Give thanks to God for me for all the graces He granted
            me during this novena. I ascribe them to your great
            merits and powerful intercession. I thank you all
            together, and each one in particular, for your interest
            in my favor before the throne of God. I commend myself
            to your continued protection, that I may one day be
            united with you in heaven, there to thank the Giver of
            all good things and to praise Him for all eternity.
            Amen.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            Prayers of Petition and Intercession
        </h1><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="holy_helpers_intercession1" id=
            "holy_helpers_intercession1">I. Three Invocations</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">1. G</font>REAT friends of God, Holy
            Helpers, humbly saluting and venerating you, I implore
            your help and intercession. Bring my prayers before the
            throne of the Most Holy Trinity, so that I may
            experience in all the difficulties and trials of life
            the mercy of the eternal Father, the love of the
            incarnate divine Son, and the assistance of the Holy
            Ghost; that despondency may not depress me when God's
            wise decree imposes on my shoulders a heavy burden.
            Above all, I implore your assistance at the hour of
            death. Help me then to gain the victory over the
            temptations and assaults of Satan, and to leave this
            world hopefully trusting in God's mercy, to join you in
            heaven, there to praise Him for ever and ever. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            2. With confiding trust I turn to you, Holy Helpers,
            who were selected by God before many other saints to be
            the special intercessors and advocates of the
            distressed. Obtain for me strength and courage to
            struggle and suffer on earth for the glory of God, for
            the propagation of our holy faith, and for my own
            perfection. You are fruitful branches of the true and
            living vine, Jesus Christ, for whom you heroically
            suffered hunger and thirst, persecution and ignominy,
            afflictions and adversity, tortures and death. Here on
            earth you were true disciples and dauntless martyrs of
            Christ. Assist me to follow your example and to suffer
            for His sake, so that I may not be parted from Him as a
            useless member, but persevere in His service despite
            all trials and tribulations of life. Knowing my
            inconstancy and weakness, I have recourse to you, O
            glorious members of the Church triumphant, and implore
            you to support my feeble prayers, and to bear them
            before the throne of the Almighty, who, for your sake,
            will hear them. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            3. Great friends and servants of God, Holy Helpers!
            Humbly saluting and venerating you, I implore your help
            and intercession. God has promised and granted that
            whosoever invokes your aid shall be relieved in his
            needs and succored at the hour of death. Therefore I
            have recourse to you and confidently implore your aid.
            I am surrounded by difficulties and my soul is
            oppressed with grief. Burdened with sins, the fear of
            God's rigorous judgment appalls me, whilst Satan ceases
            not to exert all his power to accomplish my eternal
            ruin.
        </p>
        <p>
            Therefore I implore your assistance, powerful Holy
            Helpers, in my dire distress. By the penitential life
            you led, by the cruel tortures you suffered, and by
            your holy death I entreat you to pray for me. Obtain
            for me the remission of my sins and perseverance to the
            end in God's grace. Assist me in my agony and protect
            me against the wily assaults of Satan, that through
            your help I may die a happy death and enter a blissful
            eternity. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="holy_helpers_intercession2" id=
            "holy_helpers_intercession2">II. Prayer in Illness</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">C</font>OMPASSIONATE Holy Helpers, who
            restored health to so many through the power of the
            name of Jesus; behold me suffering from bodily illness
            and from wounds of the soul. Implore the kind, merciful
            Good Samaritan, your and my Lord Jesus Christ, to heal
            the wounds of my soul by washing them in His most
            precious blood, and to quicken my spirit by His
            sanctifying grace. If it, then, be God's holy will and
            for the welfare of my soul, let me experience the
            powerful effect of your intercession, that, restored to
            health, I may serve God with greater fervor, and
            promote your veneration together with so many who
            experienced your help in illness and suffering. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="holy_helpers_intercession3" id=
            "holy_helpers_intercession3">III. Prayer for the
            Sick</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ERCIFUL Holy Helpers, look
            benignly upon me, who implore your intercession for a
            sick person. Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, who
            Himself went about healing and doing good, appointed
            you the special protectors and intercessors of the
            sick, and restored to bodily and spiritual health many
            for whom you prayed. Encouraged thereby to invoke you,
            I implore you to offer up to His sacred Heart all the
            pains and torments He suffered during His bitter
            passion. Offer up to Him also your own sufferings for
            God's glory, which you underwent during life, and in
            death; offer up to Him all the anguish and distress
            suffered by the sick person for whom I invoke your
            intercession. Ask Him to restore him to health of body,
            and to infuse into his soul the grace of salvation, so
            that he may devote his life with renewed vigor to the
            service of God and to the fulfilment of his duties, and
            thereby gather rich merits for eternity.
        </p>
        <p>
            But if God, in the designs of His providence, should
            otherwise dispose, implore for the sick person patience
            in his illness, resignation to the divine will, and the
            grace of a happy death. Assist him in his agony, and
            conduct his soul to the throne of the Almighty. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="holy_helpers_intercession4" id=
            "holy_helpers_intercession4">IV. Prayer of Parents for
            Their Children</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLY Helpers, assist me to give
            thanks to God for blessing me with children. Having
            received them from Him, it is my duty to train them for
            His service. Therefore I commend them to your special
            protection. Guard them from sin, help them to know and
            fulfil their duties, preserve them from all harm of
            body and soul; pray for them that they may be and
            remain children of God, For me, obtain the grace always
            to take good care of them, to edify them by good
            example, to punish their faults wisely, to preserve
            their innocence, and to instruct them unto piety, so
            that they and I may together enjoy the eternal
            happiness of heaven. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="holy_helpers_intercession5" id=
            "holy_helpers_intercession5">V. Prayer of Children for
            Their Parents</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLY Helpers, mighty
            intercessors with God in all necessities; God strictly
            commanded that children should love, honor, and obey
            their parents. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
            Himself gave them the example of submission and
            obedience by being subject to His mother and
            foster-father. I commend myself to your powerful
            intercession and implore you to obtain for me the grace
            to follow His example. For my parents I implore
            protection from all evil of body and soul, a long and
            prosperous life, and a happy death. Reward them for all
            the care, anxiety, labor, and trouble which they
            underwent patiently for my sake with the eternal crown
            of heavenly glory. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="holy_helpers_intercession6" id=
            "holy_helpers_intercession6">VI. Prayer of Married
            People</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLY Helpers, powerful
            intercessors at the throne of God, by whose providence
            we were indissolubly joined in holy wedlock through the
            sacramental bonds of matrimony; obtain for us, through
            your intercession, the grace to dwell together in
            mutual love and peace, and to fulfil faithfully the
            duties of our state of life; that following the example
            of the saints and elect who lived in wedlock, we may
            merit God's grace and blessing by a virtuous life here
            on earth, and united in heaven praise and bless Him for
            ever. Amen.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART V
        </h1>
        <h2>
            General Devotions
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to
            all that call upon Him in truth. He will do the will of
            them that fear Him, and He will bear their prayer and
            save them" (<i>Ps.</i> cxliv. 18, 19).
        </h2><br>
        <h2>
            "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, instant in
            prayer" (<i>Rom.</i> xii. 12).
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="morning_prayers" id="morning_prayers">Morning
            Prayers</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            On awaking, sign yourself with the sign of the cross,
            saying:
        </p>
        <p>
            <img src="images/cross.jpg" alt="cross"> <font size=
            "+3">I</font>N THE name of the Father, and of the Son,
            and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            I rise in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who
            redeemed me by His precious blood. Bless, guide, and
            protect me from all evil, O Lord! Strengthen me to all
            good and lead me to eternal life. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            After dressing, kneel and say:
        </p>
        <p>
            My Lord and my God! I prostrate myself before the
            throne of Thy divine Majesty, and give Thee infinite
            thanks, O Lord, that I have passed this night safely
            and have not died in my sins, but was preserved by Thy
            bounty for Thy further service.
        </p>
        <p>
            I offer up to Thee all that I shall do and suffer
            to-day, and unite it with the prayers, labors, and
            sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of His blessed
            Mother Mary.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            OFFERING
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>AKE, O Lord, and receive all my
            liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole
            will. Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I
            possess; I surrender it all to Thee that Thou mayest
            dispose of it according to Thy will. Give me only Thy
            love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough,
            and will have no more to desire.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 300 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, May 26,
            1883.)
        </p>
        <h2>
            Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y LORD and God! I most firmly
            believe all that Thou hast revealed and all that Thy
            holy Church believes and teaches, because Thou, who art
            infallible Truth, hast so revealed and commanded.
        </p>
        <p>
            My Lord and God! Because Thou art almighty, infinitely
            good and merciful, I hope that by the merits of the
            passion and death of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Thou
            wilt grant me eternal life, which Thou hast promised to
            all who shall do the works of a good Christian, as I
            purpose to do by Thy help.
        </p>
        <p>
            My Lord and God! Because Thou art the highest and most
            perfect good, I love Thee with my whole heart, and
            above all things; and rather than offend Thee, I am
            ready to lose all things else; and for Thy love, I love
            and desire to love my neighbor as myself.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) A plenary indulgence, once a month, for
            devoutly making these acts daily; under the usual
            conditions. (2) A plenary indulgence at the hour of
            death, under the same conditions. (3) Seven years and
            seven quarantines, every time. (Benedict XIV, January
            28, 1728.) The same Pope declared that it is not
            necessary to use any set formula, but that any form of
            words may be used, provided it expresses the particular
            motive of each of the three theological virtues.
        </p>
        <h2>
            To the Blessed Virgin Mary
        </h2>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y QUEEN, my Mother! I give
            myself entirely to thee; and to show my devotion to
            thee I consecrate to thee this day my eyes, my ears, my
            mouth, my heart, my whole being, without reserve.
            Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me,
            guard me, as thy property and possession.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 100 days, once a day. (2) A plenary
            indulgence, once a month, for saying it every day;
            under the usual conditions. (Pius IX, Aug. 5, 1851.)
        </p>
        <h2>
            To the Angel Guardian
        </h2>
        <p>
            &nbsp; <font size="+3">A</font>NGEL of God, my guardian
            dear,<br>
            &nbsp; To whom His love committed me here,<br>
            &nbsp; Ever this day be at my side,<br>
            &nbsp; To light and guard, to rule and guide! Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 100 days, every time. (2) A plenary
            indulgence on the feast of the holy Guardian Angels,
            for saying it morning and evening throughout the year;
            under the usual conditions. (3) A plenary indulgence at
            the hour of death, for saying it often during life.
            (Pius VI, Oct 2, 1795, and June 11, 1796.) (4) A
            plenary indulgence, once a month, for saying it daily;
            under the usual conditions. (Pius VII, May 15, 1821.)
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="evening_prayers" id="evening_prayers">Evening
            Prayers</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">E</font>TERNAL and merciful God! I
            adore Thee and give Thee thanks for all the graces and
            benefits which Thou hast conferred upon me during my
            whole life, and particularly during this day. May the
            saints and elect, especially the Holy Helpers, praise
            and thank Thee for me.
        </p>
        <p>
            Enlighten me now through Thy holy Spirit, and let me
            know whether and how I have offended Thee to-day in
            thought, word, deed, and omission of duty.
        </p>
        <p>
            Examine your conscience.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Contrition
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY God! I am deeply sorry for
            all my sins, for those I committed to-day, and for
            those of my whole life, because thereby I offended Thy
            supreme and most loving goodness. Pardon me for the
            sake of Jesus, Thy Son, who shed His most precious
            blood on the cross for our sins. With the help of Thy
            grace, I firmly resolve to amend my life, and rather to
            die than again offend Thee by a mortal sin.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PETITION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">P</font>ROTECT me and mine and all men
            during this night, and through the intercession of the
            blessed Virgin Mary and of the Holy Helpers preserve us
            from all dangers of body and soul. Keep away from us
            sickness, fire, and calamities of every kind. Protect
            us against the assaults of the wicked and of Satan.
            Into Thy hands I commend my body and soul; let me rest
            in Thy most holy wounds.
        </p>
        <p>
            Visit, we beseech Thee, O Lord, this habitation, and
            repel from it all the snares of the enemy; let Thy holy
            angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace, and may
            Thy blessings be upon us for ever. Through Christ our
            Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            To the Sacred Heart of Jesus
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            (<i>Prayer of St Alphonsus.</i>)
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>DORABLE Heart of my Jesus,
            Heart created expressly for the love of men! Until now
            I have shown toward Thee only ingratitude. Pardon me, O
            my Jesus! Heart of my Jesus, abyss of love and of
            mercy, how is it possible that I do not die of sorrow
            when I reflect on Thy goodness to me and my ingratitude
            to Thee? Thou, my Creator, after having created me,
            hast given Thy blood and Thy life for me; and, not
            content with this, Thou hast invented a means of
            offering Thyself up every day for me in the Holy
            Eucharist, exposing Thyself to a thousand insults and
            outrages. O Jesus, do Thou wound my heart with a great
            contrition for my sins, and a lively love for Thee.
            Through Thy tears and Thy blood give me the grace of
            perseverance in Thy fervent love until I breathe my
            last sigh. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            To the Blessed Virgin Mary
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">R</font>EMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin
            Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to
            thy protection, implored thy help, and sought thy
            intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this
            confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my
            Mother! To thee I come; before thee I stand, sinful and
            sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not
            my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 300 days, every time, (2) A plenary
            indulgence, once a month, for having said it daily;
            under the usual conditions. (Pius IX, December 11,
            1846.)
        </p>
        <p>
            <a href="#litany_of_loreto">Litany of Loreto (p.
            322).</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            To St. Joseph
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">G</font>UARDIAN of virgins and father,
            holy Joseph, to whose faithful care Christ Jesus, very
            innocence, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, were committed;
            I pray and beg of thee by these dear pledges, Jesus and
            Mary, free me from all uncleanness, and make me with
            spotless mind, pure heart, and chaste body, ever most
            chastely to serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my
            life. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 100 days, once a day. (Pius IX, Feb. 4,
            1877.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/crowning_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/crowning.jpg" alt=
            "The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven"></a><br>
            THE CROWNING OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN IN HEAVEN.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Before Retiring
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            (<i>Prayer of St. Alphonsus.</i>)
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y LORD and God Jesus Christ! I
            adore Thee and give Thee thanks for all the graces
            which Thou hast granted me to-day. I offer up to Thee
            my rest and every moment of this night, and implore
            Thee to preserve me from all sin. Therefore I place
            myself into the wound of Thy sacred side, and beneath
            the protecting mantle of my Mother Mary. May Thy holy
            angels assist me and watch over my peace, and may Thy
            holy blessing remain with me.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 60 days, once a day, also for the souls in
            purgatory. (Leo XIII, June 30, 1898.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>ESUS, Mary, and Joseph, I give
            you my heart and my soul.
        </p>
        <p>
            Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
        </p>
        <p>
            Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in
            peace with you.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 100 days for the recital of any one of
            these invocations, 300 days for all three. (Pius VII,
            Aug. 26, 1814.)
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="prayers_at_mass" id="prayers_at_mass">Prayers
            at Holy Mass</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Preparatory Prayer
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY and eternal God! I
            appear in Thy presence to assist at the most holy
            sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, Thy
            Son, my Redeemer, and to offer it up jointly with the
            priest and the faithful here present, in grateful
            remembrance of His passion and death, for the promotion
            of Thy glory, and for my salvation. Together with all
            the holy Masses that are celebrated throughout the
            world, I offer up this august sacrifice for the
            following intentions: To adore Thee, O my God, as Thou
            dost deserve to be adored; to give Thee due thanks for
            the innumerable benefits which I owe to Thy bounty; to
            make reparation for the many offenses I have committed;
            to appease Thy just anger, and to invoke Thy infinite
            mercy for me, for Thy holy Church, for the whole world,
            and for the souls in purgatory. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Beginning of Mass
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> HEAVENLY Father! Hear the
            prayer of Thy holy Church invoking Thy divine Majesty
            in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to come to the
            aid of Thy children in all their needs. Turn not from
            us Thy gracious eyes, but deliver us from all evil, so
            that we may live to please Thee, die in Thy love, and
            enter the kingdom of glory. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Gospel
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY God, Thou source of all
            truth, holiness, and justice; having spoken in the Old
            Law by the mouth of Thy prophets, Thou spokest in the
            fulness of time through Thy divine Son Jesus Christ,
            and speakest now through Thy holy Church, appointed by
            Thee the Teacher of truth. We thank Thee for the saving
            doctrines entrusted to her for our good, and implore
            Thy grace to practise them and to please Thee by all
            our actions.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Credo
        </h2>
        <p>
            Say the Apostles' Creed.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Offering
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY and eternal God! Look
            graciously on the forms of bread and wine offered up to
            Thee on the altar by the priest, imploring Thee to
            bless and sanctify them for the eucharistic sacrifice
            of the New Law. With this sacrifice, O my God, I offer
            up to Thee my heart with all its affections, desires,
            and inclinations. Sanctify my thoughts, words, and
            deeds, that they may become a sacrifice acceptable and
            pleasing to Thee.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Preface
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>O THEE, O Lord, I raise my
            heart in gratitude for all Thy mercies. For truly meet
            and just, right and salutary is it for us to give Thee
            always and everywhere praise and thanks, O holy Lord,
            almighty Father and eternal God, through Christ our
            Lord; through whom the angels and archangels, the
            cherubs and the seraphs praise Thy majesty and adore
            Thy might. With them I unite my voice, joining in their
            hymns of praise, and saying:
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Sanctus
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLY, holy, holy, Lord, God of
            hosts. Heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory.
            Hosanna in the highest.
        </p>
        <p>
            Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
            Hosanna in the highest.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Canon
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD! Let my prayer be
            acceptable to Thee, and graciously hear the
            intercession which I make confiding in the virtue of
            this holy sacrifice. I commend to Thy mercy our holy
            Father, N., our bishop, N., and all bishops and priests
            of Thy holy Church. Let Thy kingdom be spread more and
            more all over the earth; grant peace and concord to the
            nations; protect our country; preserve peace and love
            in all families. Remember graciously my parents,
            brothers, sisters, and relatives, my benefactors, my
            enemies, and all for whom I am in justice or charity
            bound to pray.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Elevation
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>AIL, thou body of my Saviour,
            conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of Mary the
            immaculate Virgin! With profound humility I adore Thee.
            Lord, have mercy on me!
        </p>
        <p>
            Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood of
            Jesus, in satisfaction for my sins, and for the wants
            of holy Church.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 100 days, every time. (Pius VII, Sept. 22,
            1817.)
        </p>
        <h2>
            After the Elevation
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>OST amiable Jesus! Thou art now
            present on the altar, God and man, really, truly, and
            essentially. Divine victim for our sins, have mercy on
            us! Be our mediator with Thy Father; avert from us the
            punishment we have deserved for our sins, deliver us
            from all dangers that threaten us, and from all evil.
            Promote the welfare of Thy Church, and remember in Thy
            mercy those who have gone before us with the sign of
            faith and rest in peace. (<i>Remember the departed for
            whom you intend to pray.</i>)
        </p>
        <p>
            To these, O Lord, and to all that sleep in Christ,
            grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light,
            and peace.
        </p>
        <p>
            Also to us sinners, Thy servants, confiding in the
            multitude of Thy mercies, grant some part and
            fellowship with Thy saints, through whose intercession
            we invoke Thy favor, and into whose company we beseech
            Thee to admit us, not in consideration of our merit,
            but of Thy own pardon. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Pater Noster
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>NSTRUCTED by Thy saving
            precepts and following Thy divine directions, we
            presume to say:
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Agnus Dei
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>AMB of God, who takest away the
            sins of the world, have mercy on us.
        </p>
        <p>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
            have mercy on us.
        </p>
        <p>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
            give us peace.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At Communion
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, I am not worthy that Thou
            shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my
            soul shall be healed. (<i>Three times.</i>)
        </p>
        <h2>
            Spiritual Communion
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, I firmly believe that
            Thou art truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. I see
            Thee therein full of love, willing to pardon us,
            anxious to be united with us. I wish most earnestly to
            respond to this Thy desire and love. I detest all the
            sins by which I have ever displeased Thee. Pardon me, O
            Lord! I desire to receive Thee into my heart, and since
            I now can not receive Thee sacramentally, come at least
            spiritually to me.
        </p>
        <p>
            I embrace Thee, I unite myself with Thee as if Thou
            wert really present in my heart. With all my love I
            cling to Thee. Preserve me from sin, that I may never
            be separated from Thee, but remain united with Thee for
            ever.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 60 days, once a day. Also for the suffering
            souls. (Leo XIII, June 30, 1893.)
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Blessing
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>LESS me, O Lord, by the hand of
            Thy priest, and let the power of this blessing remain
            upon me for ever. In the name of the Father, and of the
            Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            At the Last Gospel
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, incarnate Word of the
            eternal Father, Thou true light which enlightens the
            world! I give thanks to Thee at all times for having
            dwelt among us, the only-begotten Son of the Father,
            full of grace and truth. Amen.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="prayers_after_mass" id=
            "prayers_after_mass">Prayers after Mass</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            Hail Mary, etc. (<i>Three times.</i>)
        </p>
        <h2>
            Salve Regina
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>AIL, holy queen, Mother of
            mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee
            do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we
            send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of
            tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of
            mercy toward us, and after this our exile show unto us
            the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O
            loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
        </p>
        <p>
            V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of
            Christ.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let Us Pray.</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, our refuge and our
            strength! Look down with favor upon Thy people crying
            to Thee; and through the intercession of the glorious
            and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of her
            spouse, blessed Joseph, of thy holy apostles Peter and
            Paul, and all Thy saints, mercifully and graciously
            hear the prayers which we pour forth to Thee for the
            conversion of sinners and for the liberty and
            exaltation of holy mother Church. Through Christ our
            Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Michael the archangel, defend us in battle; be our
            protection against the malice and snares of the devil.
            Command him, O God, we humbly beseech Thee, and do
            thou, O prince of the heavenly hosts, by the divine
            power, cast into hell Satan and the other evil spirits
            who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 300 days. (Leo XIII, September 25, 1888.)
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="confession_prayers" id=
            "confession_prayers">Prayers for Confession</a>
        </h1>
        <h2>
            <a name="bcon" id="bcon">Before Confession</a>
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ERCIFUL God! I give infinite
            thanks to Thee for the many and great graces Thou hast
            bestowed upon me during my whole life. Would that I had
            never been ungrateful to Thee, that I never had
            offended Thee. But I have sinned exceedingly and often,
            and have done so again since my last confession.
            Therefore I come to Thee, imploring Thee in profoundest
            humility to give me Thy light and Thy grace, that I may
            know and acknowledge all my sins, faults, and
            transgressions, be truly sorry for them, sincerely
            confess them, do penance, and amend my life; for Thy
            greater glory and for the salvation of my soul.
        </p>
        <p>
            Examine your conscience.
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>UPREME God and Lord! A poor
            sinner, I cast myself at the throne of Thy divine
            Majesty, and contritely confess that I have sinned in
            thought, word, and deed, and through the omission of my
            duties. I am heartily sorry that I was ungrateful to
            Thee and have deserved to be punished in this life and
            in the life to come. Above all I am sorry because by my
            sins I have offended Thee, my supreme and infinite God,
            who art worthy to be loved and honored above all else
            for Thy supreme goodness and mercy. I detest and abhor
            my sins above all other evils, and wish I had never
            committed them. Humbly I implore Thy pardon, and
            confidently hope to obtain it through the merits of the
            blood of Jesus Christ shed for us poor sinners, and
            through those of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of the Holy
            Helpers, and of all the saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            I firmly purpose to amend my life, to avoid all
            occasions of sin, to use the means for conquering my
            passions, and to practise virtue by ordering my life
            according to Thy divine will and pleasure, and rather
            to die than to offend Thee again, my God and Lord. I am
            now ready to make reparation to Thy divine Justice for
            all the offenses of which I have been guilty against
            Thee, as far as is in my power. Therefore I will
            confess my sins sincerely, contritely, fully, and
            perform the penance imposed upon me.
        </p>
        <p>
            Before entering the confessional.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Lord be in my heart and on my lips that I may
            worthily and competently confess my sins.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="acon" id="acon">After Confession</a>
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD of infinite mercy! I give
            Thee due thanks, and praise Thee for having admitted me
            to the confession of my sins and for having, through
            Thy minister, granted me absolution for them. I implore
            Thee by the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, of Mary,
            His most blessed Mother, of the Holy Helpers, and of
            all the saints, to accept my confession, and in Thy
            infinite mercy to condone and amend all the defects and
            faults I committed in making it, and to ratify in
            heaven the absolution I received on earth.
        </p>
        <p>
            O my Jesus! How blind I was in not knowing Thee and
            preferring transitory beauty and earthly attractions to
            Thy grace and love, and thereby offending Thee! Now I
            acknowledge my fault, and am convinced that it is my
            duty and privilege to love Thee above all things. Too
            late I have learned it, but I shall zealously strive to
            make reparation for my past neglect. Therefore I
            renounce the pleasures, vanities, and joys of this
            deceitful world, and abhor sin and all that leads to
            it. In the future nothing shall ever part me from Thy
            love. From this moment on I am resolved nevermore to
            offend Thee. Confirm, O Jesus, this my resolution, and
            with Thy almighty power strengthen my frailty. Seal my
            purpose of amendment with the bestowal of Thy grace,
            and preserve me in Thy grace and love unto the end.
            Amen.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="communion_prayers" id=
            "communion_prayers">Prayers for Holy Communion</a>
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="bcom" id="bcom">BEFORE COMMUNION</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Faith
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y LORD and Saviour Jesus
            Christ! I firmly believe that Thou art really present
            in the Blessed Sacrament. I believe it contains Thy
            body and blood, Thy soul and divinity. I acknowledge
            these truths, I believe these wonders. I adore Thy
            power which has wrought them; I praise Thy infinite
            goodness which has prepared them for me. "I will praise
            Thee, my God, with my whole heart, and will recount all
            Thy admirable works; I will rejoice in Thee, and bless
            Thy holy name" (<i>Ps.</i> ix. 2, 3). In this faith,
            and with this acknowledgment, I presume to approach
            this adorable banquet, wherein Thou bestowest on me the
            divine food of Thy body and blood to nourish my soul.
            Grant, O Jesus, that I may approach Thee with such a
            sense of reverence and humility as is due to Thy divine
            Majesty. Who am I, O God, that Thou shouldst work such
            wonders for my sake? Grant, O Lord, that I be not
            altogether unworthy of them, and that I may now receive
            Thee with a pure heart, a clean conscience, and a
            sincere and lively faith. Pardon my sins, which have
            rendered me most unworthy to approach Thee. I detest
            them from the bottom of my heart, because they are
            displeasing to Thee, my God. I renounce them for ever,
            and promise to be faithful to Thee.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Hope
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>N THEE, sweet Jesus, I place
            all my hope, because Thou alone art my salvation, my
            strength, my refuge, and the foundation of all my
            happiness. Were it not for the confidence I place in
            Thy merits, and in the precious blood Thou didst shed
            for my redemption, I would not presume to partake of
            this banquet. Encouraged, therefore, by Thy goodness, I
            come to Thee as one sick to his physician, as a
            condemned criminal to his powerful intercessor. Heal me
            as my physician, and as my powerful advocate deliver me
            from the sentence of sin and death. It is in Thy mercy
            that I put all my trust. Have pity, therefore, O Jesus,
            on me, and save me, for Thou forsakest none that place
            their hope in Thee.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Love
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> DIVINE Redeemer, how strong
            was the force of Thy love, that, being about to depart
            from this world to Thy eternal Father, Thou didst
            provide for us this divine banquet, enriched with all
            heavenly sweetness! It was through an excess of Thy
            love that Thou hast left us Thy body and blood for the
            food and nourishment of our souls; that, as Thou didst
            unite Thyself to our humanity, so we might be partakers
            of Thy divinity. I desire to love Thee, my Jesus, who
            art my only comfort in this place of banishment, the
            only hope of my infirm soul, my happiness above all I
            can enjoy in this life. I love Thee, my God, with my
            whole heart, with my whole soul, and with all my mind
            and strength. I wish that, as every moment is an
            increase of my life, so it may also be of my love
            toward Thee. I desire, with all the affections and
            powers of my soul, that, as the inmost thanks are due
            to Thee, so they may be returned to Thee by all the
            faithful, for this divine food, which is our
            refreshment, support, strength, armor, and defense in
            all our miseries; and that my love may never cease,
            inflame my heart with the fire of heaven, that it may
            continue burning till, nature and corruption being
            consumed, I may at length be transformed into Thee.
            Come, O Lord, hasten to release me from the bonds of
            sin, and prepare me for the blessing Thou art now about
            to bestow on me.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Desire
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>Y LORD and Saviour, Jesus
            Christ! "As the heart panteth after the fountains of
            waters so my soul panteth after Thee, O God!"
            (<i>Ps.</i> xlii. 1). Tired with my own evil ways, I
            now return to Thee, to taste Thy banquet, that my soul
            may be refreshed. I henceforth despise all human
            consolations, that I may be comforted by Thee, my only
            good, my God and Saviour, whom I love above all things
            and desire to entertain within my heart with as much
            devotion and affection as is conceived by Thy chosen
            servants, who now sit at Thy table in celestial bliss.
            And however I may have been wanting hitherto in my
            duty, I now for ever renounce my folly and weakness,
            and from my heart request that for the future my joy,
            my relief, my treasure, and rest may be entirely
            centered in Thee. May I never desire anything besides
            Thee, and may all things seem contemptible and as
            nothing without Thee, O my God!
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Fear
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY God and Saviour, it is with
            fear and trembling that I approach Thy banquet, having
            nothing to confide in but Thy goodness and mercy, being
            of myself a sinner, destitute of all virtue. My soul
            and body are defiled with many crimes, my thoughts and
            tongue have been under no restraint. I have frequently
            resolved to amend, and yet where do I remain but in the
            midst of sin and vice? How little pains do I take to
            recover from this misery and return to Thee, to whom I
            have repeatedly promised to be faithful! These thoughts
            cause me to fear that what Thou hast mercifully
            ordained for my salvation, I should now receive to my
            judgment and condemnation. In this wretched condition I
            hasten to Thee; to Thee I expose all my wounds, to Thee
            I disclose my depravity. Look, therefore, on me with
            the eyes of compassion, and have mercy on me, O Lord
            and Saviour!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/mother_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/mother.jpg" alt=
            "The Mother of Our Saviour"></a><br>
            THE MOTHER OF OUR SAVIOUR.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Humility
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> IMMENSE, almighty, and
            incomprehensible God, who am I, that Thou shouldst
            vouchsafe to come to be my food, and to take Thy
            habitation within my soul? The consideration of Thy
            greatness and my unworthiness penetrates me with awe
            and confusion. With the utmost sincerity I can only
            declare the extent of my misery, and admire that
            infinite goodness which induces Thee to visit
            personally the lowest and basest of Thy creatures.
            Receive, then, Thy unworthy servant into the
            compassionate arms of Thy mercy. Cast all my sins out
            of Thy sight, and with the tenderness of a loving
            father extend Thy arms to receive me; and let me
            effectually experience the truth of Thy prophet's
            words: "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a
            contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not
            despise" (<i>Ps.</i> l. 19).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            IMMEDIATELY BEFORE COMMUNION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, I am not worthy that Thou
            shouldst enter under my roof: say but the word, and my
            soul shall be healed.
        </p>
        <p>
            The body of Our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul to
            life everlasting.
        </p><br>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="acom" id="acom">AFTER COMMUNION</a>
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Thanksgiving
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, my God and Saviour! I
            return Thee thanks for having, out of Thy pure mercy,
            without any desert of mine, been pleased to feed my
            soul with Thine own most sacred body and blood. Suffer
            me sooner to be forgetful of myself than to be ever
            unmindful of this great favor. Although I have hitherto
            been ungrateful, with the help of Thy grace I shall be
            so no more. But what return can I make Thee, being of
            myself insolvent, indigent, and miserable? The
            sacrifice of all that I am or have is not worthy to be
            presented to Thee; but, behold I offer Thee Thyself,
            and consider all my debts as abundantly discharged. May
            Thy infinite mercy be for ever exalted for having given
            me such an excellent means of repaying Thee to the
            full. O that I could ever remember Thee, think of Thee,
            ever love Thee alone! Imprint the memory of what Thou
            didst for me so deeply in my heart, that I spend my
            whole life in thanking Thee for all Thy benefits, but
            especially for this banquet of Thy love. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Adoration
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">U</font>NDER the sacred veil of Thy
            eucharistic presence, where Thy love of man conceals
            the splendor of Thy majesty, I most humbly adore Thee,
            O almighty God! The grandeur of the heavens is as
            nothing in Thy sight; they shall perish, but Thou shalt
            remain for ever. The earth Thou hast poised in Thy
            hand. The ocean is before Thee but as a drop of water.
            All nature bows and trembles in Thy presence. How,
            then, shall I extol Thee, immortal King of glory? What
            homage can I give in proportion to Thy greatness? Thou
            art the perfect image of Thy Father's substance. Thou
            art the splendor of His glory. Thou art His almighty
            Word, supporting all things. Thee He has seated at His
            right hand. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a
            scepter of justice is the scepter of Thy reign. I bow
            before Thy sacred Majesty. I acknowledge with the
            sincerest gratitude that Thou art my redeemer, my
            creator, the supreme arbiter of my eternal destiny. I
            desire to humble myself as profoundly for Thy sake as
            Thou art humbled for my love in the center of my soul,
            and to consecrate to the glory of Thy name the whole
            extent of my being. Amen.
        </p>
        <h2>
            An Act of Oblation
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY Saviour! What pledge can I
            give as an earnest of the gratitude I owe to Thee? I
            have nothing worthy of Thee, and if I had, I have
            nothing but what is Thine on several accounts. But such
            is Thy goodness as to be content to accept from us what
            is already Thine. Wherefore, behold, I offer to Thee my
            body and soul, which are both now sanctified by the
            honor of Thy divine presence. I consecrate them to Thee
            for ever, since Thou hast chosen them for Thy temple;
            my body to be continually employed in Thy service, and
            nevermore to become an instrument of sin; my soul to
            know Thee, to love Thee and be evermore faithful to
            Thee. And as I am now resolved to serve Thee with body
            and soul, I will take pains to correct their evil
            inclinations. I will declare war against myself,
            renounce my wonted pleasures, my delights, my passions,
            my anger, my self-love, my pride, my own will, and, in
            fine, whatever may offend Thee.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Offering and Petition
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY God, I offer Thee this
            holy communion in union with the superabundant merits
            of Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, and the infinite love
            of His adorable Heart; in union with the Blessed Virgin
            and the ardent love of her immaculate heart; in union
            with the Holy Helpers and all the happy souls who enjoy
            Thy glorious vision in heaven, and with all the just on
            earth. O my God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, present in
            me in the eucharistic species; fill me with that lively
            faith, profound humility, tender confidence, pure
            conscience, and ardent love, with which so many happy
            souls are inflamed in partaking of this sacred banquet,
            and supply by Thy mercy all my deficiencies. I offer my
            communion to render Thee the honor and glory which are
            due to Thy infinite majesty; to satisfy Thy justice,
            which I have provoked by my sins; to thank Thee for the
            innumerable benefits which I have received from Thy
            bounty; and to obtain from Thy infinite mercy the
            graces necessary for me; particularly the grace to
            subdue my predominant passion and to acquire the virtue
            in which I am most deficient; but especially the grace
            of a happy death.
        </p>
        <p>
            I likewise offer my communion, O merciful Father, in
            memory of the passion and death of Thy dear Son, my
            divine Redeemer, to love Him with more ardor and
            perfection; to participate in the merits of His labors
            and sufferings; to acquire His spirit; to imitate His
            virtues; to model my life on His, and to make His
            adorable Heart a public reparation for all the
            sacrilegious communions, irreverences, and profanations
            which are committed against Him in this sacrament of
            His love. I offer it to thank Thee, O God, for all the
            graces Thou hast bestowed on mankind, particularly for
            all those Thou hast conferred on Thy blessed Mother, on
            all the angels and saints, especially on my guardian
            angel, on my holy patron, and on the Holy Helpers. I
            offer it, likewise, for the triumph of our holy
            religion, for the exaltation of the Catholic Church,
            for the conversion of infidels, heretics, schismatics,
            and all those who are in the unhappy state of sin. Also
            for the needs of my relatives, friends, benefactors,
            and enemies; for the perseverance of the just, the
            comfort of the afflicted, and the deliverance of the
            souls in purgatory; in a word, for all those for whom I
            am bound to pray; and I desire to enter into the
            intentions requisite for gaining the indulgences
            granted by the Church to-day for worthy communicants.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            INVOCATIONS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>OUL of Christ, sanctify me!<br>
            &nbsp; Body of Christ, save me!<br>
            &nbsp; Blood of Christ, inebriate me!<br>
            &nbsp; Water from the side of Christ, wash me!<br>
            &nbsp; Passion of Christ, strengthen me!<br>
            &nbsp; O good Jesus, hear me!<br>
            &nbsp; Within Thy wounds, hide me!<br>
            &nbsp; Permit me not to be separated from Thee!<br>
            &nbsp; From the malignant enemy defend me!<br>
            &nbsp; In the hour of my death call me!<br>
            &nbsp; And bid me come to Thee,<br>
            &nbsp; That, with Thy saints, I may praise Thee<br>
            &nbsp; For ever and ever. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence, (1) 300 days, every time. (2) 7 years, once
            a day, after receiving communion. (3) A plenary
            indulgence, once a month, to all who have the pious
            custom of saying it at least once a day for a month;
            under the usual conditions. (Pius IX, January 9, 1854.)
        </p>
        <h2>
            Prayer to Jesus Crucified
        </h2>
        <p>
            <img src="images/crucifix.jpg" alt=
            "A crucifix"><font size="+3">L</font>OOK down upon me,
            good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly
            kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech Thee to
            fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope,
            and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm
            purpose of amendment; while I contemplate with great
            love and tender pity Thy five wounds, pondering over
            them within me, and calling to mind the words which
            David Thy prophet said of Thee, my Jesus: "They pierced
            my hands and my feet; they numbered all my bones"
            (<i>Ps.</i> xxi. 17, 18).
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. A plenary indulgence, under the usual
            conditions, if said before an image or picture of the
            crucified Redeemer, after holy communion. (Pius IX,
            July 31, 1858.)
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="blessed_sacrament" id=
            "blessed_sacrament">Visit to the Blessed Sacrament</a>
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            (<i>Prayer of St. Alphonsus.</i>)
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD Jesus Christ, who through
            the love which Thou bearest to man, dost remain with
            them day and night in this sacrament, full of mercy and
            love, expecting, inviting, and receiving all who come
            to visit Thee; I believe that Thou art present in the
            Sacrament of the Altar. From the abyss of my
            nothingness I adore Thee, and I thank Thee for all the
            favors which Thou hast bestowed upon me, particularly
            for having given me Thyself in this sacrament, for
            having given me for my advocate Thy most holy Mother
            Mary, and for having called me to visit Thee in this
            church.
        </p>
        <p>
            I this day salute Thy most loving Heart, and I wish to
            salute it for three ends: first, in thanksgiving for
            this great gift; second, in compensation for all the
            injuries Thou hast received from Thy enemies in this
            sacrament; third, I wish by this visit to adore Thee in
            all places in which Thou art least honored and most
            abandoned in this holy sacrament. My Jesus, I love Thee
            with my whole heart. I am sorry for having hitherto
            offended Thy infinite goodness. I purpose, with the
            assistance of Thy grace, nevermore to offend Thee; and
            at this moment, miserable as I am, I consecrate my
            whole being to Thee. I give Thee my entire will, all my
            affections and desires, and all that I have. From this
            day forward, do what Thou wilt with me and with
            whatsoever belongs to me. I ask and desire only Thy
            holy love, the gift of final perseverance, and the
            perfect accomplishment of Thy will. I recommend to Thee
            the souls in purgatory, particularly those who were
            most devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and to most holy
            Mary; and I also recommend to Thee all poor sinners.
            Finally, my dear Saviour, I unite all my affections
            with the affections of Thy most loving Heart; and thus
            united I offer them to Thy eternal Father, and I
            entreat Him, in Thy name and for Thy sake, to accept
            them.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 300 days, every time this prayer is
            said before the Blessed Sacrament. (2) A plenary
            indulgence, once a month, for saying it every day for a
            month; under the usual conditions. (Pius IX, Sept. 7,
            1854.)
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="sacred_heart" id="sacred_heart">An Act of
            Oblation to the Sacred Heart</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">D</font>IVINE Heart of my Jesus! I
            adore Thee with all the powers of my soul, which I
            consecrate to Thee for ever, with my thoughts, my
            words, my works, and my whole self. I purpose to offer
            to Thee, as far as I can, acts of adoration, love, and
            glory, like unto those which Thou offerest to Thy
            eternal Father. Be Thou, I beseech Thee, the repairer
            of my transgressions, the protector of my life, my
            refuge and asylum in the hour of death. By Thy sighs,
            and by that sea of bitterness in which Thou wast
            plunged for me throughout Thy whole mortal life, grant
            me true contrition for my sins, contempt of earthly
            things, a burning desire of eternal glory, trust in Thy
            infinite merits, and final perseverance in Thy grace.
        </p>
        <p>
            Heart of Jesus, all love! I offer Thee these humble
            prayers for myself and for all who unite with me in
            spirit to adore Thee. Vouchsafe out of Thy great
            goodness to hear and answer them, chiefly for that one
            among us who will first end this mortal life. Sweet
            Heart of Jesus! pour into his heart, in his death
            agony, Thine inward consolations; receive him within
            Thy sacred wound; cleanse him from all stains in that
            furnace of love, so that Thou mayest soon open to him
            the gates of Thy eternal glory, there to intercede with
            Thee for all those who tarry yet in this land of exile.
        </p>
        <p>
            Most holy Heart of my most loving Jesus! For myself, a
            wretched sinner, and for all who unite with me in
            adoring Thee, I purpose to renew and offer to Thee
            these acts of adoration and these prayers at every
            moment and to the last instant of my life. I recommend
            to Thee, my Jesus, our holy Church, Thy well-beloved
            spouse and our true mother; the souls who are following
            the path of justice, poor sinners, the afflicted, the
            dying, all men on the face of the entire earth. Let not
            Thy blood be shed in vain for them; and vouchsafe,
            lastly, to apply it for the relief of the souls in
            purgatory, and above all, for those who in life were
            foremost in their devotion to Thee.
        </p>
        <p>
            Most loving heart of Mary, which, amongst the hearts of
            all God's creatures, is at once the purest and the most
            inflamed with love for Jesus, and the most
            compassionate toward us poor sinners, obtain for us
            from the Heart of Jesus, our Redeemer, all graces which
            we ask of thee. Mother of mercies, one throb, a single
            beat of thy burning heart, offered by thee to the Heart
            of Jesus, has power to console us to the full. Grant
            us, then, this favor. And then the Heart of Jesus,
            through the filial love He had for thee, and will ever
            have, will not fail to hear and answer our request.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            DAILY OFFERING
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> LORD Jesus Christ! In union
            with that divine intention, with which Thou, whilst on
            earth, didst give praise to God through Thy most sacred
            Heart, and which Thou dost still everywhere offer to
            Him in the Holy Eucharist, even to the consummation of
            the world; I, in imitation of the most sacred heart of
            the ever-immaculate Virgin Mary, do most cheerfully
            offer to Thee, during this entire day, all my thoughts
            and intentions, all my affections and desires, my words
            and all my works.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 100 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, Dec. 19,
            1885.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Ejaculation</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like
            unto Thine!
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 300 days, once a day. (Pius IX, January 25,
            1858.)
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a name="suffering_jesus" id="suffering_jesus">PRAYERS
            TO JESUS SUFFERING</a>
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="stations_of_the_cross" id=
            "stations_of_the_cross">The Stations of the Cross</a>
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            PREPARATORY PRAYER
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>OST merciful Jesus! With a
            contrite heart and penitent spirit I bow down in
            profound humility before Thy divine majesty. I adore
            Thee as my supreme Lord and master; I believe in Thee,
            I hope in Thee, I love Thee above all things. I am
            heartily sorry for having offended Thee, my supreme and
            only good. I resolve to amend my life; and though I am
            unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of Thy holy
            cross, on which Thou didst die, inspires me with hope
            and consolation. I will therefore meditate on Thy
            sufferings, and visit the stations of Thy passion in
            company with Thy sorrowful Mother and my guardian
            angel, with the intention of promoting Thy glory and
            saving my soul.
        </p>
        <p>
            I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for this
            exercise, for myself and for the suffering souls in
            purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who hast said; "And I,
            if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things
            to myself," draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I
            may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and
            that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Before Every Station</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            We adore Thee, O Christ, and praise Thee: Because by
            Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>After Every Station</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            Lord Jesus, crucified: Have mercy on us.
        </p>
        <h2>
            First Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>ESUS, most innocent, who
            neither did nor could commit sin, was condemned to
            death, and, moreover, to the ignominious death of the
            cross. To remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivered
            Him to His enemies. A fearful crime&mdash;to condemn
            innocence to death, and to offend God, in order not to
            displease men.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> INNOCENT Jesus, having sinned
            I am guilty of eternal death, but Thou dost willingly
            accept the unjust sentence of death, that I might live.
            For whom, then, shall I henceforth live, if not for
            Thee, my Lord? Should I desire to please men, I could
            not be Thy servant. Let me, therefore, rather displease
            men and all the world than not please Thee, O Jesus.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Second Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>N BEHOLDING the cross, our
            divine Saviour most willingly stretched out His
            bleeding arms, lovingly embraced it, tenderly kissed
            it, and placing it on His bruised shoulder, despite His
            exhaustion joyfully carried it.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY Jesus, I can not be Thy
            friend and follower if I refuse to carry the cross. O
            dearly beloved cross, I embrace thee, I kiss thee, I
            rejoice to receive thee from the hands of God. Far be
            it from me to glory in anything save in the cross of my
            Lord and Redeemer. By it the world shall be crucified
            to me, and I to the world, that I may be Thine for
            ever.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail, Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Third Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>UR dear Saviour carrying the
            cross was so weakened by its heavy weight as to fall
            exhausted to the ground. Our sins and misdeeds were the
            heavy burden which oppressed Him; the cross was to Him
            light and sweet, but our sins were galling and
            insupportable.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY Jesus! Thou didst bear my
            burden and the heavy weight of my sins. Should I, then,
            not bear in union with Thee my easy burden of suffering
            and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? Thy yoke
            is sweet and Thy burden light; I therefore willingly
            accept it. I will take up Thy cross and follow Thee.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Fourth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS MEETS HIS AFFLICTED MOTHER
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OW painful and how sad it must
            have been for Mary, the sorrowful Mother, to behold her
            beloved Son laden with the burden of the cross! What
            unspeakable pangs her most tender heart experienced!
            How earnestly she yearned to die instead of, or at
            least with, Jesus! Implore this sorrowful Mother that
            she assist you in the hour of your death.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, O Mary! I am the cause
            of the great and manifold pains which pierce your
            loving hearts. O that my heart also would feel and
            experience at least some of your sufferings! O Mother
            of sorrows, let me participate in the sufferings which
            thou and thy Son endured for me, and let me experience
            thy sorrow, that, afflicted with thee, I may enjoy thy
            assistance in the hour of my death.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href=
            "images/immaculateconception_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/immaculateconception.jpg" alt=
            "The Immaculate Conception"></a><br>
            THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Fifth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS TO CARRY THE CROSS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">S</font>IMON of Cyrene was compelled to
            help Jesus carry His cross, and Jesus accepted His
            assistance. How willingly He would permit you also to
            carry the cross! He calls you, but you hear Him not; He
            invites you, but you decline. What a reproach, to bear
            the cross reluctantly!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS! Whosoever does not take
            up His cross and follow Thee is not worthy of Thee.
            Behold, I join Thee in the way of Thy cross; I will be
            Thy assistant, following Thy footsteps, that I may come
            to Thee in eternal life.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Sixth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>MPELLED by devotion and
            compassion, Veronica presents her veil to Jesus to wipe
            His disfigured face. And Jesus imprints on it His holy
            countenance; a great recompense for so slight a
            service. What return do you make to your Saviour for
            His great and manifold benefits?
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>OST merciful Jesus! What return
            shall I make for all the benefits Thou didst bestow on
            me? Behold, I consecrate myself entirely to Thy
            service. I offer and consecrate to Thee my heart.
            Imprint upon it Thy sacred image, never to be effaced
            again by sin.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Seventh Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>ESUS, suffering under the
            weight of His cross, again falls to the ground; but His
            cruel executioners do not permit Him to rest a moment.
            Pushing and striking Him, they urge Him onward. It is
            the frequent repetition of our sins which oppresses
            Jesus. Witnessing this, how can I continue to sin?
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, son of David, have
            mercy on me! Offer me Thy helping hand, and aid me that
            I may not fall again into my former sins. From this
            very moment I will earnestly strive to reform;
            nevermore will I sin. Do Thou, O sole support of the
            weak, by Thy grace, without which I can do nothing,
            strengthen me to carry out faithfully this my
            resolution.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Eighth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM WEEP OVER JESUS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HESE devoted women, moved by
            compassion, weep over the suffering Saviour. But He
            turns to them, saying, "Weep not for Me, who am
            innocent, but weep for yourselves and for your
            children." Weep thou also; for there is nothing more
            pleasing to Our Lord, and nothing more profitable for
            thyself, than tears shed from contrition for thy sins.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, who shall give to my
            eyes a torrent of tears, that day and night I may weep
            for my sins? I beseech Thee through Thy bloody tears to
            move my heart by Thy divine grace, so that from my eyes
            tears may flow abundantly, and I may weep all days over
            Thy sufferings, and still more over their cause, my
            sins.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail, Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Ninth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>ESUS, arriving exhausted at the
            foot of Calvary, falls for the third time to the
            ground. His love for us is not exhausted, not
            diminished. What a fearfully oppressive burden our sins
            must be to cause Jesus to fall so often! Had He,
            however, not taken them upon Himself, they would have
            plunged us into the abyss of hell.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>OST merciful Jesus! I return
            Thee infinite thanks for not permitting me to continue
            in sin, and to fall, as I have so often deserved, into
            the depths of hell. Enkindle in me an earnest desire of
            amendment. Let me never again relapse, but vouchsafe me
            Thy grace to persevere to the end of my life.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Tenth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>FTER arriving on Calvary, our
            Saviour was cruelly despoiled of His garments. How
            painful must this have been, because they adhered to
            His wounded and torn body, and with them parts of His
            bloody skin were removed! All the wounds of Jesus are
            renewed. He is despoiled of His garments that He might
            die possessed of nothing. How happy shall I die after
            laying aside my former self with all evil inclinations
            and desires!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>NDUCE me, O Jesus! to lay aside
            my former self, and to be renewed according to Thy will
            and desire. I will not spare myself, however painful
            this should be for me; despoiled of things temporal, of
            my own will, I desire to die, in order to live for Thee
            for ever.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Eleventh Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>ESUS, being stripped of His
            garments, was violently thrown upon the cross, and His
            hands and feet were most cruelly nailed thereto. In
            such excruciating torments He remained silent, because
            it thus pleased His heavenly Father. He suffered
            patiently because He suffered for us. How do I act in
            suffering and affliction? How fretful and impatient,
            how full of complaints I am!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, gracious Lamb of God! I
            renounce for ever my impatience. Crucify, O Lord, my
            flesh and its concupiscences. Scorch, scathe, and
            punish me in this world; do but spare me in the next! I
            commit my destiny to Thee, resigning myself to Thy holy
            will; may it be done in all things.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <h2>
            Twelfth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS IS RAISED UPON THE CROSS, AND DIES
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>EHOLD Jesus crucified! Behold
            the wounds He received for the love of you! His whole
            appearance betokens love. His head is bent to kiss you;
            His arms are extended to embrace you; His Heart is open
            to receive you. O superabundance of love! Jesus, the
            Son of God dies that man may live and be delivered from
            everlasting death.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MOST amiable Jesus! Who will
            grant me that I may die for love of Thee? I will at
            least endeavor to die to the world. How must I regard
            the world and its vanities, when I behold Thee hanging
            on the cross, covered with wounds? O Jesus, receive me
            into Thy wounded Heart; I belong entirely to Thee; for
            Thee alone do I desire to live and to die.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc
        </p>
        <h2>
            Thirteenth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS, AND PLACED IN THE
            ARMS OF HIS MOTHER
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">J</font>ESUS did not descend from the
            cross, but remained on it till after His death. And
            when taken down from it, He, in death as in life,
            rested on the bosom of His Mother. Persevere in your
            resolutions of reform, and do not part from the cross;
            he that persevereth to the end shall be saved.
            Consider, moreover, how pure the heart should be that
            receives the body and blood of Christ in the adorable
            Sacrament of the Altar.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> LORD Jesus! Thy lifeless body,
            mangled and torn, found a worthy resting-place on the
            bosom of Thy virgin Mother. Have I not compelled Thee
            often to dwell in my heart, full of sin and impurity as
            it was? Create in me a new heart, that I may worthily
            receive Thy most sacred body in holy communion, and
            that Thou mayest remain in me, and I in Thee, for all
            eternity.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc
        </p>
        <h2>
            Fourteenth Station
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            JESUS IS LAID IN THE SEPULCHER
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE body of Jesus is laid in a
            stranger's tomb. He who in this world had not whereupon
            to rest His head, would not even have a grave of His
            own, because He was not of this world. You, who are so
            attached to the world, henceforth despise it, that you
            may not perish with it.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Prayer</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> JESUS, Thou hast set me apart
            from the world; what, then, shall I seek therein? Thou
            hast created me for heaven; what, then, have I to do
            with the world? Depart from me, deceitful world, with
            Thy vanities! Henceforth I will follow the way of the
            cross traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey
            onward to my heavenly home, there to dwell for ever and
            ever.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, etc. Hail Mary, etc.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            CONCLUSION
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LMIGHTY and eternal God,
            merciful Father, who hast given to the human race Thy
            beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience, and
            patience, to precede us on the way of life, bearing the
            cross; graciously grant, that we, inflamed by His
            infinite love, may take up the sweet yoke of His
            Gospel, together with the mortification of the cross,
            following Him as His true disciples, so that we shall
            one day rise gloriously with Him, and joyfully hear the
            final sentence: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, and
            possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you
            from the beginning," where Thou reignest with the
            Father and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign
            with Thee throughout all eternity. Amen.
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="suffering_redeemer" id=
            "suffering_redeemer">Prayer to Our Suffering
            Redeemer</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY Lord Jesus Christ! Who, to
            redeem the world, didst vouchsafe to be born amongst
            men, to be circumcised, to be rejected and persecuted
            by the Jews, to be betrayed by the traitor Judas with a
            kiss, and as a lamb, gentle and innocent, to be bound
            with cords and dragged, in scorn, before the tribunals
            of Annas, Caiphas, Pilate, and Herod; who didst suffer
            Thyself to be accused by false witnesses, to be torn by
            the scourge and overwhelmed with ignominy; to be spit
            upon, to be crowned with thorns, buffeted, struck with
            a reed, blindfolded, stripped of Thy garments; to be
            nailed to the cross and raised on it between two
            thieves; to be given gall and vinegar to drink, and to
            be pierced with a lance; do Thou, O Lord, by these Thy
            most sacred pains, which I, all unworthy, call to mind,
            and by Thy holy cross and death, save me from the pains
            of hell, and vouchsafe to bring me whither Thou didst
            bring the good thief who was crucified with Thee, who
            with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest
            God, for ever and ever. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father,
            etc., five times.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 300 days, once a day. (2) A plenary
            indulgence, under the usual conditions, on any one of
            the last three days of the month, after saying this
            prayer daily for a month. (Pius VII, August 25, 1820.)
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="blessed_virgin" id="blessed_virgin">Prayer to
            the Blessed Virgin Mary</a>
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            (<i>By St. Alphonsus.</i>)
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>OST holy and immaculate virgin,
            O my Mother, thou who art the Mother of my Lord, the
            queen of the world, the advocate, hope, and refuge of
            sinners! I, the most wretched among them, come now to
            thee. I venerate thee, great queen, and give thee
            thanks for the many favors thou hast bestowed on me in
            the past. Most of all do I thank thee for having saved
            me from hell, which I so often deserved. I love thee,
            Lady most worthy of love, and by the love which I bear
            thee I promise ever in the future to serve thee, and to
            do what in me lies to win others to thy love. In thee I
            put all my trust, all my hope of salvation. Receive me
            as thy servant, and cover me with the mantle of thy
            protection, thou who art the Mother of mercy! And since
            thou hast so much power with God, deliver me from all
            temptations, or at least obtain for me the grace ever
            to overcome them. From thee I ask a true love of Jesus
            Christ, and the grace of a happy death. O my Mother, by
            thy love for God I beseech thee to be at all times my
            helper, but above all at the last moment of my life.
            Leave me not until thou seest me safely in heaven,
            there for endless ages to bless thee and sing thy
            praises. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence, (1) 300 days, every time. (2) A plenary
            indulgence, once a month, for having said it daily
            during the month; under the usual conditions. (Pius IX,
            Sept. 7, 1854.)
        </p>
        <h1>
            <a name="salvation" id="salvation">Prayer for All
            Things Necessary for Salvation</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> MY God! I believe in Thee; do
            Thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee; do
            Thou secure them. I love Thee with my whole heart;
            teach me to love Thee more and more. I am sorry that I
            have offended Thee; do Thou increase my sorrow. I adore
            Thee as my first beginning; I aspire after Thee as my
            last end. I give Thee thanks as my constant benefactor;
            I call upon Thee as my sovereign protector. Vouchsafe,
            O my God, to conduct me by Thy wisdom, to restrain me
            by Thy justice, to comfort me by Thy mercy, to defend
            me by Thy power. To Thee I desire to consecrate all my
            thoughts, my actions, and my sufferings, that I
            henceforward may think only of Thee, speak only of
            Thee, and ever refer all my actions to Thy greater
            glory, and suffer willingly whatever Thou shalt
            appoint. O Lord, I desire that in all things Thy will
            be done, because it is Thy will, and in the manner that
            Thou willest. I beg of Thee to enlighten my
            understanding, to inflame my will, to purify my body,
            and to sanctify my soul. Give me strength, O my God, to
            expiate my offenses, to overcome my temptations, to
            subdue my passions, to acquire the virtues proper for
            my state. Fill my heart with tender affection for Thy
            goodness, a hatred of my faults, a love for my
            neighbor, and a contempt for the world. Let me always
            be submissive to my superiors, condescending to my
            inferiors, faithful to my friends, and charitable to my
            enemies. Assist me to overcome sensuality by
            mortification, avarice by almsdeeds, anger by meekness,
            and tepidity by zeal. O my God, make me prudent in my
            undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in
            affliction, and humble in prosperity. Grant that I may
            be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals,
            diligent in my employments, and constant in my
            resolutions. Let my conscience be ever upright and
            pure, my exterior modest, my conversation edifying, my
            comportment regular. Assist me, that I may continually
            labor to overcome nature, correspond with Thy grace,
            keep Thy commandments, and work out my salvation.
            Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this
            world, the greatness of heaven, the shortness of time,
            the length of eternity. Grant that I may be prepared
            for death, fear Thy judgments, escape hell, and, in the
            end, obtain heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            All that I have asked for myself I confidently ask for
            others; for my family, my relations, my benefactors, my
            friends, and also for my enemies. I ask it for the
            whole Church, for all the orders of which it is
            composed; more especially for our Holy Father, the
            Pope; for our bishop, for our pastors, and for all who
            are in authority; also for all those for whom Thou
            desirest that I should pray. Give them, O Lord, all
            that Thou knowest to be conducive to Thy glory and
            necessary for their salvation. Strengthen the just in
            virtue, convert sinners, enlighten infidels, heretics,
            and schismatics; console the afflicted, give to the
            faithful departed rest and eternal life; that together
            we may praise, love, and bless Thee for all eternity.
            Amen.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            The Four Approved Litanies
        </h1><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="litany_of_most_holy_name" id=
            "litany_of_most_holy_name">Litany of the Most Holy Name
            of Jesus</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, have mercy on us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, hear us.<br>
            Jesus, graciously hear us.<br>
            God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.<br>
            God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, splendor of the Father, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, brightness of eternal light, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Jesus, king of glory, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, sun of justice, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus amiable, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus admirable, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, powerful God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, Father of the world to come, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Jesus, angel of the great council, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Jesus most powerful, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus most patient, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus most obedient, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, lover of chastity, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, lover of us, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, God of peace, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, author of life, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, model of all virtues, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, zealous for souls, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, our God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, our refuge, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, father of the poor, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, treasure of the faithful, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, good shepherd, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, true light, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, eternal wisdom, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, infinite goodness, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, our way and our life, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, joy of angels, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, king of patriarchs, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, master of the apostles, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, teacher of the evangelists, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Jesus, strength of martyrs, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, light of confessors, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, purity of virgins, have mercy on us.<br>
            Jesus, crown of all saints, have mercy on us.<br>
            Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus.<br>
            Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus.<br>
            From all evil, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            From all sin, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            From Thy wrath, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, O
            Jesus.<br>
            From eternal death, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            From the neglect of Thy inspirations, deliver us, O
            Jesus.<br>
            By the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, deliver us, O
            Jesus.<br>
            By Thy nativity, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy infancy, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy most divine life, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy labors, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy agony and passion, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy cross and dereliction, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy languors, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy death and burial, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy resurrection, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy ascension, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy joys, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            By Thy glory, deliver us, O Jesus.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Spare us, O Jesus.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Graciously hear us, O Jesus.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Have mercy on us, O Jesus.<br>
            Jesus, hear us.<br>
            Jesus, graciously hear us.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let us pray</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> LORD Jesus Christ, who hast
            said: Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall
            find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
            mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us
            the gift of Thy divine charity, that we may ever love
            Thee with our whole hearts, and never desist from Thy
            praise.
        </p>
        <p>
            Give us, O Lord, a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy
            name, for Thou never ceasest to direct and govern by
            Thy grace those whom Thou instructest in the solidity
            of Thy love; who livest and reignest world without end.
            Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 300 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, January
            16, 1886.)
        </p><br>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/children_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/children.jpg" alt=
            "The Children's Offering"></a><br>
            THE CHILDREN'S OFFERING.
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="litany_of_sacred_heart" id=
            "litany_of_sacred_heart">Litany of the Sacred Heart of
            Jesus</a>
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            (<i>Approved by Pope Leo XIII, April 2, 1899.</i>)
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, have mercy on us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, hear us.<br>
            Christ, graciously hear us.<br>
            God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.<br>
            God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the womb of
            the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of
            God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, sacred temple of God, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom
            and knowledge, have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fulness of divinity,
            have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased,
            have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, of whose fulness we have all received,
            have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offences, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, obedient unto death, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, victim for sin, have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in thee,
            have mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, have
            mercy on us.<br>
            Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints, have mercy
            on us.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Spare us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Graciously hear us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Have mercy on us, O Lord.<br>
            V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart:<br>
            R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let us pray</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> ALMIGHTY and eternal God! Look
            upon the Heart of Thy dearly beloved Son, and upon the
            praise and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of
            sinners and of those who seek Thy mercy; be Thou
            appeased, and grant us pardon in the name of the same
            Jesus Christ, Thy Son; who liveth and reigneth with
            Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without
            end. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. 300 days. (Leo XIII, April 2, 1899.)
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="litany_of_loreto" id="litany_of_loreto">The
            Litany of Loreto</a>
        </h1>
        <p align="center">
            <i>In Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, have mercy on us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us,<br>
            Christ, hear us.<br>
            Christ, graciously hear us.<br>
            God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.<br>
            God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Mary, pray for us.<br>
            Holy Mother of God, pray for us.<br>
            Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.<br>
            Mother of Christ, pray for us.<br>
            Mother of divine grace, pray for us.<br>
            Mother most pure, pray for us.<br>
            Mother most chaste, pray for us.<br>
            Mother inviolate, pray for us.<br>
            Mother undefiled, pray for us.<br>
            Mother most amiable, pray for us.<br>
            Mother most admirable, pray for us.<br>
            Mother of good counsel, pray for us.<br>
            Mother of our Creator, pray for us.<br>
            Mother of our Redeemer, pray for us.<br>
            Virgin most prudent, pray for us.<br>
            Virgin most venerable, pray for us.<br>
            Virgin most renowned, pray for us.<br>
            Virgin most powerful, pray for us.<br>
            Virgin most merciful, pray for us.<br>
            Virgin most faithful, pray for us.<br>
            Mirror of justice, pray for us.<br>
            Seat of wisdom, pray for us.<br>
            Cause of our joy, pray for us.<br>
            Spiritual vessel, pray for us.<br>
            Vessel of honor, pray for us.<br>
            Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.<br>
            Mystical rose, pray for us.<br>
            Tower of David, pray for us.<br>
            Tower of ivory, pray for us.<br>
            House of gold, pray for us.<br>
            Ark of the covenant, pray for us.<br>
            Gate of heaven, pray for us.<br>
            Morning star, pray for us.<br>
            Health of the sick, pray for us.<br>
            Refuge of sinners, pray for us.<br>
            Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.<br>
            Help of Christians, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of angels, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of prophets, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of apostles, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of martyrs, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of confessors, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of virgins, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of all saints, pray for us.<br>
            Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.<br>
            Queen of the most holy rosary, pray for us.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Spare us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Graciously hear us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Have mercy on us, O Lord.<br>
            V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God:<br>
            R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of
            Christ.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let us pray</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">P</font>OUR forth, we beseech Thee, O
            Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the
            incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the
            message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be
            brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the
            same Christ our Lord. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            &nbsp; V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.<br>
            &nbsp; R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of
            Christ.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let us pray</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">V</font>OUCHSAFE, O Lord, that we may
            be helped by the merits of Thy most holy Mother's
            spouse; that what of ourselves we can not obtain may be
            given us through his intercession. Who livest and
            reignest, world without end. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            Indulgence. (1) 300 days, every time. (2) A plenary
            indulgence on the following five feasts of the Blessed
            Virgin: Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Purification,
            Annunciation, and Assumption; under the usual
            conditions, to all who shall have said it daily during
            the year. (Pius VII, September 30, 1817.) These
            indulgences are granted for the litany alone; hence the
            prayers following it may be omitted.
        </p><br>
        <h1>
            <a name="litany_of_saints" id="litany_of_saints">Litany
            of the Saints</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">L</font>ORD, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, have mercy on us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, hear us.<br>
            Christ, graciously hear us.<br>
            God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.<br>
            God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on
            us.<br>
            God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.<br>
            Holy Mary, pray for us.<br>
            Holy Mother of God, pray for us.<br>
            Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.<br>
            St. Michael, pray for us.<br>
            St. Gabriel, pray for us.<br>
            St. Raphael, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy angels and archangels, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy orders of blessed spirits, pray for us.<br>
            St. John Baptist, pray for us.<br>
            St. Joseph, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.<br>
            St. Peter, pray for us.<br>
            St. Paul, pray for us.<br>
            St. Andrew, pray for us.<br>
            St. James, pray for us.<br>
            St. John, pray for us.<br>
            St. Thomas, pray for us.<br>
            St. James, pray for us.<br>
            St. Philip, pray for us.<br>
            St. Bartholomew, pray for us.<br>
            St. Matthew, pray for us.<br>
            St. Simon, pray for us.<br>
            St. Thaddaeus, pray for us.<br>
            St. Mathias, pray for us.<br>
            St. Barnabas, pray for us.<br>
            St. Luke, pray for us.<br>
            St. Mark, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy apostles and evangelists, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy disciples of Our Lord, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy innocents, pray for us.<br>
            St. Stephen, pray for us.<br>
            St. Lawrence, pray for us.<br>
            St. Vincent, pray for us.<br>
            SS. Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us.<br>
            SS. John and Paul, pray for us.<br>
            SS. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.<br>
            SS. Gervaise and Protaise, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy martyrs, pray for us.<br>
            St. Sylvester, pray for us.<br>
            St. Gregory, pray for us.<br>
            St. Ambrose, pray for us.<br>
            St. Augustine, pray for us.<br>
            St. Jerome, pray for us.<br>
            St. Martin, pray for us.<br>
            St. Nicholas, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy bishops and confessors, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy doctors, pray for us.<br>
            St. Anthony, pray for us.<br>
            St. Benedict, pray for us.<br>
            St. Bernard, pray for us.<br>
            St. Dominic, pray for us.<br>
            St. Francis, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy priests and levites, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy monks and hermits, pray for us.<br>
            St. Mary Magdalen, pray for us.<br>
            St. Agatha, pray for us.<br>
            St. Lucy, pray for us.<br>
            St. Agnes, pray for us.<br>
            St. Cecilia, pray for us.<br>
            St. Catherine, pray for us.<br>
            St. Anastasia, pray for us.<br>
            All ye holy virgins and widows, pray for us.<br>
            All ye men and women, saints of God: Make intercession
            for us.<br>
            Be merciful: Spare us, O Lord.<br>
            Be merciful: Graciously hear us, O Lord.<br>
            From all evil, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            From all sin, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord, deliver
            us.<br>
            From the snares of the devil, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            From anger, hatred, and ill will, O Lord, deliver
            us.<br>
            From the spirit of fornication, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            From lightning and tempest, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            From the scourge of earthquake, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            From pestilence, famine, and war, O Lord, deliver
            us.<br>
            From everlasting death, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, O Lord,
            deliver us.<br>
            Through Thy coming, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            Through Thy nativity, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            Through Thy baptism and holy fasting, O Lord, deliver
            us.<br>
            Through Thy cross and passion, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            Through Thy death and burial, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            Through Thy holy resurrection, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            Through Thy admirable ascension, O Lord, deliver
            us.<br>
            Through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, O
            Lord, deliver us.<br>
            In the Day of Judgment, O Lord, deliver us.<br>
            We sinners, Beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to bring us to true penance, we
            beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to govern and preserve Thy holy
            Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to preserve our apostolic prelate
            and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion, we
            beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to humble the enemies of Thy holy
            Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to give peace and true concord to
            Christian kings and princes, we beseech Thee, hear
            us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all
            Christian people, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to confirm and preserve us in Thy
            holy service, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou lift up our minds to heavenly desires, we
            beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou render eternal good things to all our
            benefactors, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou deliver our souls and those of our brethren,
            kinsfolk, and benefactors from eternal damnation, we
            beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe to give and preserve the fruits of
            the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe eternal rest to all the faithful
            departed, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            That Thou vouchsafe graciously to hear us, we beseech
            Thee, hear us.<br>
            Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Spare us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Graciously hear us, O Lord.<br>
            Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world:
            Have mercy on us, O Lord.<br>
            Christ, hear us.<br>
            Christ, graciously hear us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us.<br>
            Christ, have mercy on us.<br>
            Lord, have mercy on us.<br>
            Our Father, etc.<br>
            V. And lead us not into temptation.<br>
            R. But deliver us from evil.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            PSALM LXIX
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>NCLINE unto my aid, O God: O
            Lord, make haste to help me.<br>
            Let them be confounded and ashamed: that seek after my
            soul.<br>
            Let them be turned backward and blush for shame: that
            desire evils unto me.<br>
            Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame,
            that say to me: Tis well, 'tis well.<br>
            Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and
            let such as love Thy salvation say always, The Lord be
            magnified.<br>
            But I am needy and poor: O God, help Thou me.<br>
            Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no
            delay.<br>
            Glory be to the Father, etc.<br>
            V. Save Thy servants:<br>
            R. Trusting in Thee, O my God.<br>
            V. Be unto us, O God, a tower of strength:<br>
            R. From the face of the enemy.<br>
            V. Let not the enemy prevail against us:<br>
            R. Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us.<br>
            V. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins:<br>
            R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.<br>
            V. Let us pray for our chief bishop, N.<br>
            R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make
            him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not up to the
            will of his enemies.<br>
            V. Let us pray for our benefactors:<br>
            R. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to reward
            with eternal life all those who have done us good.<br>
            V. Let us pray for the faithful departed:<br>
            R. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual
            light shine upon them.<br>
            V. May they rest in peace.<br>
            R. Amen.<br>
            V. For our absent brethren:<br>
            R. O my God, save Thy servants trusting in Thee.<br>
            V. Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place:<br>
            R. And from Sion protect them.<br>
            V. O Lord, hear my prayer:<br>
            R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <i>Let us pray</i>
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font> GOD, whose property it is
            always to have mercy and to spare, receive our
            petitions, that we, and all Thy servants who are bound
            by the chain of sin, may, in the compassion of Thy
            goodness, mercifully be absolved.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayer of Thy
            suppliants, and pardon the sins of them that confess to
            Thee, that of Thy bounty Thou mayest grant us pardon
            and peace.
        </p>
        <p>
            Out of Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thy unspeakable mercy
            to us, that so Thou mayest both acquit us of our sins
            and deliver us from the punishment we deserve for them.
        </p>
        <p>
            O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified,
            mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people who make
            supplication to Thee, and turn away the scourges of Thy
            anger, which we deserve for our sins.
        </p>
        <p>
            O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on Thy servant
            N., our chief bishop, and direct him, according to Thy
            clemency, in the way of everlasting salvation, that, by
            Thy grace, he may desire the things that are agreeable
            to Thy will, and perform them with all his strength.
        </p>
        <p>
            O God, from whom all holy desires, righteous counsels,
            and just works do come, give to Thy servants that peace
            which the world can not give; that, our hearts being
            disposed to keep Thy commandments, and the fear of
            enemies being taken away, the times, by Thy protection,
            may be peaceable.
        </p>
        <p>
            Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of
            the Holy Spirit; to the end that we may serve Thee with
            a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart.
        </p>
        <p>
            O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
            give to the souls of Thy servants departed the
            remission of all their sins, that by pious
            supplications they may obtain the pardon they have
            always desired.
        </p>
        <p>
            Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy
            holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious
            assistance; that every prayer and work of ours may
            always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended.
        </p>
        <p>
            Almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over the
            living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom Thou
            foreknowest shall be Thine by faith and good works; we
            humbly beseech Thee that they for whom we have purposed
            to offer our prayers, whether this present world still
            detains them in the flesh, or the next world has
            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 all
            their sins. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth
            and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
            world without end. Amen.
        </p>
        <p>
            V. O Lord, hear my prayer.<br>
            R. And let my cry come unto Thee.<br>
            V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear
            us.<br>
            R. Amen.<br>
            V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the
            mercy of God rest in peace.<br>
            R. Amen.
        </p><br>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/help_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/help.jpg" alt=
            "Mary, Help of Christians"></a><br>
            MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART VI
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of
            the Year
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy
            name forever" (<i>Ps.</i> cxliv. 2).
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for every Day in
            the Year
        </h1>
        <h2>
            <a name="jan" id="jan">January</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HERE are two guarantees of a
            wise rule of conduct: the thought before action, and
            self-command afterward.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            When we receive with an entire and perfect resignation
            the afflictions which God sends us they become for us
            favors and benefits; because conformity to the will of
            God is a gain far superior to all temporal
            advantages.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            All perfection consists in the love of God; and the
            perfection of divine love consists in the union of our
            will with that of God.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Leave to every one the care of what belongs to him, and
            disturb not thyself with what is said or done in the
            world.&mdash;ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Place before your eyes as models for imitation, not the
            weak and cowardly, but the fervent and
            courageous.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer is a pasturage, a field, wherein all the virtues
            find their nourishment, growth, and strength.&mdash;ST.
            CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            A single act of resignation to the divine will in what
            it ordains contrary to our desires, is of more value
            than a hundred thousand successes conformable to our
            will and taste.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            The shortest, yea, the only way to reach sanctity, is
            to conceive a horror for all that the world loves and
            values.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            As long as we are in this mortal life, nothing is more
            necessary for us than humility.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            Learning without humility has always been pernicious to
            the Church; and as pride precipitated the rebellious
            angels from heaven, it frequently causes the loss of
            learned men.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Why remain sad and idle? Why exhaust thyself in the
            anguish of melancholy? Have courage, do violence to
            thyself; meditate on the passion of Jesus Christ, and
            thou shalt overcome thy sorrow.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            Here is the difference between the joys of the world
            and the cross of Jesus Christ: after having tasted the
            first, one is disgusted with them; and on the contrary,
            the more one partakes of the cross, the greater the
            thirst for it.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            When the sky is free from clouds we can see more
            clearly the brightness of the sun. In like manner, when
            the soul is free from sin and the gloom of passion, it
            participates in the divine light.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE
            GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            Our works are of no value if they be not united to the
            merits of Jesus Christ.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            If we are very determined to mortify ourselves and not
            to be too much occupied with our corporal health, we
            will soon, by the grace of God, become masters of our
            bodies.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            In every creature, however small it be, we may see a
            striking image of divine wisdom, power, and
            goodness.&mdash;VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            Time is but a period. It passes like the lightning
            flash. Suffering passes with time; suffering, then, is
            very short.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            In order to bear our afflictions with patience, it is
            very useful to read the lives and legends of the saints
            who endured great torments for Jesus Christ.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            Open thine ears to the voices of nature, and thou shalt
            hear them in concert inviting thee to the love of
            God.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            On the feasts of the saints consider their virtues, and
            beseech God to deign to adorn you with them.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            When faith grows weak, all virtues are weakened. When
            faith is lost, all virtues are lost&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            A precious crown is reserved in heaven for those who
            perform all their actions with all the diligence of
            which they are capable; for it is not sufficient to do
            our part well; it must be done more than
            well.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            Nothing created has ever been able to fill the heart of
            man. God alone can fill it infinitely.&mdash;ST. THOMAS
            AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            We should only make use of life to grow in the love of
            God.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            In vain men try. They can never find in creatures
            sincere affection, perfect joy, or true
            peace.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            God is supreme strength, fortifying those who place
            their trust and confidence in Him.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE
            OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            God gives each one of us sufficient grace ever to know
            His holy will, and to do it fully.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            Shun useless conversation. We lose by it both time and
            the spirit of devotion.&mdash;ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            The upright intention is the soul of our actions. It
            gives them life and makes them good.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            The truth of faith alone, deeply graven in the soul, is
            sufficient to encourage us to very perfect works; for
            it strengthens man and increases his charity.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            It is folly not to think of death. It is greater folly
            to think of it, and not prepare for it.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="feb" id="feb">February</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE most perfect and meritorious
            intention is that by which, in all our actions, we have
            in view only the good pleasure of God and the
            accomplishment of His holy will.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary's sorrow was less when she saw her only Son
            crucified, than it is now at the sight of men offending
            Him by sin.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            There is nothing more unreasonable than to estimate our
            worth by the opinion of others. Today they laud us to
            the skies, to-morrow they will cover us with
            ignominy.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Act as if every day were the last of your life, and
            each action the last you perform.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Perfection consists in renouncing ourselves, in
            carrying our cross, and in following Jesus Christ. Now,
            he who renounces himself most perfectly carries his
            cross the best and follows nearest to Jesus Christ is
            he who never does his own will, but always that of
            God.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            That which would have easily been remedied at first,
            becomes incurable by time and habit&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            Among the gifts of grace which the soul receives in
            holy communion there is one that must be numbered among
            the highest. It is, that holy communion does not permit
            the soul to remain long in sin, nor to obstinately
            persevere in it.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            Be assured that one great means to find favor when we
            appear before God is to have pardoned the injuries we
            have received here below.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            Woe to him who neglects to recommend himself to Mary,
            and thus closes the channel of grace!&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            It is folly to leave your goods where you can never
            return, and to send nothing to that place where you
            must remain for ever.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Discretion is necessary in spiritual life. It is its
            part to restrain the exercises in the way of
            perfection, so as to keep us between the two
            extremes.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            By denying our self-love and our inclinations in little
            things, we gradually acquire mortification and victory
            over ourselves.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            Should we fall a thousand times in a day, a thousand
            times we must rise again, always animated with
            unbounded confidence in the infinite goodness of
            God.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            God's way in dealing with those whom He intends to
            admit soonest after this life into the possession of
            His everlasting glory, is to purify them in this world
            by the greatest afflictions and trials.&mdash;ST.
            IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            After the flower comes the fruit: we receive, as the
            reward of our fatigues, an increase of grace in this
            world, and in the next the eternal vision of
            God.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            God refuses no one the gift of prayer. By it we obtain
            the help that we need to overcome disorderly desires
            and temptations of all kinds.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            To establish ourselves in a virtue it is necessary to
            form good and practical resolutions to perform certain
            and determined acts of that virtue, and we must,
            moreover, be faithful in executing them.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            Love ought to consist of deeds more than of
            words.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            There are many things which seem to us misfortunes and
            which we call such; but if we understood the designs of
            God we would call them graces.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us abandon everything to the merciful providence of
            God.&mdash;BL. ALBERT THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            Jesus Christ, our great Model, suffered much for us;
            let us bear our afflictions cheerfully, seeing that
            through them we have the happiness of resembling
            Him.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            Remember that virtue is a very high and rugged
            mountain, difficult to ascend, and requiring much
            fatigue and exertion before we arrive at the summit to
            rest.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            Labor to conquer yourself. This victory will assure you
            a brighter crown in heaven than they gain whose
            disposition is more amiable.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            We should not examine articles of faith with a curious
            and subtle spirit. It is sufficient for us to know that
            the Church proposes them. We can never be deceived in
            believing them.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            We should guard against jealousy, and even the
            slightest sentiment thereof. This vice is absolutely
            opposed to a pure and sincere zeal for the glory of
            God, and is a certain proof of secret and subtle
            pride.&mdash; ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            Charity requires us always to have compassion on human
            infirmity.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            When one does not love prayer, it is morally impossible
            for him to resist his passions.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            Docility and easy acquiescence with good advice are the
            signs of a humble heart.&mdash;VEN. JULIENNE MOREL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            There is nothing richer, nothing surer, nothing more
            agreeable than a good conscience.&mdash;BL. BARTHOLOMEW
            OF MARTYRS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="mar" id="mar">March</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>T SEEMS as if God granted to
            other saints to free us from some particular
            needfulness; but I know by experience that the glorious
            St. Joseph assists us generally in all our
            necessities.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            A most powerful and efficacious remedy for all evils, a
            means of correcting all imperfections, of triumphing
            over temptation, and preserving our hearts in an
            undisturbed peace, is conformity with the will of
            God.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            It often happens that when we take less care of our
            body, we have better health than when we bestow upon it
            too much care.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Do nothing, say nothing before considering if that
            which you are about to say or do is pleasing to God,
            profitable to yourself, and edifying to your
            neighbor.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Sometimes God leaves us for a long time unable to
            effect any good, that we may learn to humble ourselves,
            and never to glory in our efforts.&mdash; ST. VINCENT
            FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            We easily lose peace of mind, because we make it
            depend, not on the testimony of a good conscience, but
            on the judgment of men.&mdash;BL. BARTHOLOMEW OF
            MARTYRS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            You may fast regularly, give alms, and pray without
            ceasing, but as long as you hate your brother, you will
            not be numbered among the children of God.&mdash;VEN.
            LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            He who at the hour of death finds himself protected by
            St. Joseph, will certainly experience great
            consolation.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            Take care that the worldling does not pursue with
            greater zeal and anxiety the perishable goods of this
            world than you do the eternal.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            We should consider our departed brethren as living
            members of Jesus Christ, animated by His grace, and
            certain of participating one day of His glory. We
            should therefore love, serve, and assist them as far as
            is in our power.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Control thy senses, guard thy mouth, bridle thy tongue,
            subjugate thy heart, bear all provocation with charity,
            and thou shalt perfectly fulfil the will of
            God.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            Our perfection consists in uniting our will so
            intimately with God's will, that we will only desire
            what He wills. He who conforms most perfectly to the
            will of God will be the most perfect
            Christian.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            Humility, modesty, sobriety, purity, piety, and
            prudence, with meekness, ornament the soul, and make us
            live on earth a truly angelic life.&mdash;BL. JORDAN OF
            SAXONY.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            In recalling to mind the life and actions of the
            saints, walk in their footsteps as much as possible,
            and humble thyself if thou canst not attain to their
            perfection.&mdash;ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            When the devil again tempts you to sin, telling you
            that God is merciful, remember that the Lord showeth
            mercy to them that fear Him, but not to them who
            despise Him.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            In prayer we should particularly combat our predominant
            passion or evil inclination. We should devote continual
            attention to it, because when it is once conquered we
            will easily obtain the victory over all our other
            faults.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            I will carefully consider how, on the day of judgment,
            I would wish to have discharged my office or my duty;
            and the way I would wish to have done it then I shall
            do now.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            It is well to deny ourselves that which is permitted,
            in order to avoid more easily that which is
            not.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            I have noticed that all persons who have true devotion
            to St. Joseph and tender him special honor, are very
            much advanced in virtue, for he takes great care of
            souls who recommend themselves to him; and I have never
            asked of him anything which he did not obtain for
            me.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            He who forgets himself in the service of God may be
            assured that God will not forget Him.&mdash;ST.
            IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            Let all our actions be directed to the end that God may
            be glorified in all things.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            He who suffers in patience, suffers less and saves his
            soul. He who suffers impatiently, suffers more and
            loses his soul.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            When we remember or hear that the enemies of the Church
            burn and destroy God's temples, we should grieve
            therefor; but we should also rejoice much when we see
            new ones built, and we should co-operate in their
            erection as much as we possibly can.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            We should carefully beware of giving ourselves so
            completely to any employment as to forget to have
            recourse to God from time to time.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Lady, deign to intercede for us sinners with thy
            divine Son, our Lord, and obtain of Him a blessing for
            us in our trials and tribulations!&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            Whoever would follow Jesus Christ, must walk in His
            footsteps, if he would not go astray.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us thank God for having called us to His holy
            faith. It is a great gift, and the number of those who
            thank God for it is small.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            The trials of life cease to oppress us if we accept
            them for the love of God.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            If you wish to take up your abode in the tabernacle of
            the heavenly kingdom, you must reach there through your
            good works, without which you can not hope to
            enter.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            It is a great folly to be willing to violate the
            friendship of God, rather than the law of human
            friendship.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            When the afflictions of this life overcome us, let us
            encourage ourselves to bear them patiently by the hope
            of heaven.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="apr" id="apr">April</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>O PUT into practice the
            teachings of our holy faith, it is not enough to
            convince ourselves that they are true; we must love
            them. Love united to faith makes us practise our
            religion.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            Unite all your works to the merits of Jesus Christ, and
            then offer them up to the eternal Father if you desire
            to make them pleasing to Him.&mdash; ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            God pardons sin; but He will not pardon the will to
            sin.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            It is a fault, not a virtue, to wish your humility
            recognized and applauded.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Before engaging in your private devotions, perform
            those which obedience and your duty toward your
            neighbor impose upon you in such a manner as to make an
            abnegation of self.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            The world is full of inconstancy; its friendship ceases
            the moment there is no advantage to be expected from
            us.&mdash;BL. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            There is nothing better to display the truth in an
            excellent light, than a clear and simple statement of
            facts.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            Be careful and do not lightly condemn the actions of
            others. We must consider the intention of our neighbor,
            which is often good and pure, although the act itself
            seems blameworthy.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            He who does not overcome his predominant passion is in
            great danger of being lost. He who does overcome it
            will easily conquer all the rest.&mdash; ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            To conquer himself is the greatest victory that man can
            gain.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            A soul which does not practise the exercise of prayer
            is very like a paralyzed body which, though possessing
            feet and hands, makes no use of them.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            When you do a good action, have the intention of first
            pleasing God, and then of giving good example to your
            neighbor.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            The grace of perseverance is the most important of all;
            it crowns all other graces.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer is the only channel through which God's great
            graces and favors may flow into the soul; and if this
            be once closed, I know no other way He can communicate
            them.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            To acquire courage it is very useful to read the lives
            of the saints, especially of those who, after living in
            sin, attained great sanctity.&mdash; ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            The truly humble reject all praise for themselves, and
            refer it all to God.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer should be effective and practical, since it has
            for its end the acquisition of solid virtue and the
            mortification of the passions.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE
            PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            We do not keep an account of the graces which God has
            given us, but God our Lord keeps an account of them. He
            has fixed the measure thereof.&mdash; ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            The more guilty we are, the greater must be our
            confidence in Mary. Therefore, courage, timid soul; let
            Mary know all thy misery, and hasten with joy to the
            throne of mercy.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            Evil is often more hurtful to the doer than to the one
            against whom it is done.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            During life despise that which will avail you nothing
            at the hour of death.&mdash;ST. ANSELM.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            He who fails to reflect before acting, walks with his
            eyes shut and advances with danger. He also falls very
            often, because the eye of reflection does not enable
            him to see whither his footsteps lead.&mdash;ST.
            GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            Sanctity and perfection consist not in fine words, but
            in good actions.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            As patience leads to peace, and study to science, so
            are humiliations the path that leads to
            humility.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            Do not disturb yourself with vain curiosity concerning
            the affairs of others, nor how they conduct themselves,
            unless your position makes it your duty to do
            so.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            The deceitful charms of prosperity destroy more souls
            than all the scourges of adversity.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            The first degree of humility is the fear of God, which
            we should constantly have before our eyes.&mdash;VEN.
            LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            He who cheerfully endures contempt and is happy under
            crosses and affliction, partakes of the humility and
            sufferings of Our Lord.&mdash;ST. MECHTILDIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            He who is resigned to the divine will shall always
            surmount the difficulties he meets with in the service
            of God. The Lord will accomplish His designs concerning
            him.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            Consent to suffer a slight temporary pain, that so thou
            mayst avoid the eternal pains which sin
            deserves.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="may" id="may">May</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">M</font>ARY was the most perfect among
            the saints only because she was always perfectly united
            to the will of God.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            After the love which we owe Jesus Christ, we must give
            the chief place in our heart to the love of His Mother
            Mary.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            When we feel our cross weighing upon us, let us have
            recourse to Mary, whom the Church calls the "Consoler
            of the Afflicted."&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            The devotions we practise in honor of the glorious
            Virgin Mary, however trifling they be, are very
            pleasing to her divine Son, and He rewards them with
            eternal glory.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            There is nothing which is more profitable and more
            consoling to the mind than to frequently remember the
            Blessed Virgin.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            Blessed are the actions enclosed between two Hail
            Marys.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us consider what the glorious Virgin endured, and
            what the holy apostles suffered, and we shall find that
            they who were nearest to Jesus Christ were the most
            afflicted.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            The servants of Mary who are in purgatory receive
            visits and consolations from her.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            If you persevere until death in true devotion to Mary,
            your salvation is certain.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            He who remembers having invoked the name of Mary in an
            impure temptation, may be sure that he did not yield to
            it.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary being destined to negotiate peace between God and
            man, it was not proper that she should be an accomplice
            in the disobedience of Adam.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary having co-operated in our redemption with so much
            glory to God and so much love for us, Our Lord ordained
            that no one shall obtain salvation except through her
            intercession.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            He who wishes to find Jesus will do so only by having
            recourse to Mary.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary having always lived wholly detached from earthly
            things and united with God, death, which united her
            more closely to Him, was extremely sweet and agreeable
            to her.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary being in heaven nearer to God and more united to
            Him, knows our miseries better, compassionates them
            more, and can more efficaciously assist us.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            The Virgin Mother, all pure and all white, will make
            her servants pure and white.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            To assure our salvation it does not suffice to call
            ourselves children of Mary, therefore let us always
            have the fear of God.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us offer ourselves without delay and without
            reserve to Mary, and beg her to offer us herself to
            God.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            Such is the compassion, such the love which Mary bears
            us, that she is never tired of praying for
            us.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            O Queen of heaven and earth! The universe would perish
            before thou couldst refuse aid to one who invokes thee
            from the depth of his heart.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            O most blessed Virgin, who declarest in thy Canticle
            that it is owing to thy humility that God hath done
            great things in thee, obtain for me the grace to
            imitate thee, that is, to be obedient; because to obey
            is to practise humility.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            May the two names so sweet and so powerful, of Jesus
            and Mary, be always in our hearts and on our
            lips!&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            Whatsoever we do, we can never be true children of
            Mary, unless we are humble.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us highly esteem devotion to the Blessed Virgin,
            and let us lose no opportunity of inspiring others with
            it.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            As a mother feels no disgust in dressing the sores of
            her child, so Mary, the heavenly infirmarian, never
            refuses to care for sinners who have recourse to
            her.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            Each of our days is marked with the protection of Mary,
            who is exceedingly anxious to be our Mother, when we
            desire to be her children.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            When the devil wishes to make himself master of a soul,
            he seeks to make it give up devotion to Mary.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us have recourse to Mary; for of all creatures she
            is the highest, the purest, the most beautiful, and the
            most loving.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            Let the name of Mary be ever on your lips, let it be
            indelibly engraven on your heart. If you are under her
            protection, you have nothing to fear; if she is
            propitious, you will arrive at the port of
            salvation.&mdash; ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            Know that of all devotions the most pleasing to Mary is
            to have frequent recourse to her, asking for
            favors.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            Let the servants of Mary perform every day, and
            especially on Saturday, some work of charity for her
            sake.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="jun" id="jun">June</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">C</font>AN WE, amongst all hearts, find
            one more amiable than that of Jesus? It is on His Heart
            that God looks with special complacency&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            One must wage war against his predominant passion, and
            not retreat, until, with God's help, he has been
            victorious.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            An act of perfect conformity to the will of God unites
            us more to Him than a hundred other acts of
            virtue.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            The love of God inspires the love of our neighbor, and
            the love of our neighbor serves to keep alive the love
            of God.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Live always in the certainty that whatever happens to
            you is the result of divine Providence; because nothing
            hard or laborious falls to your lot without the Lord
            permitting it.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            Whatsoever good work you undertake, pray earnestly to
            God that He will enable you to bring it to a successful
            termination.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            What is a fruitless repentance, defiled almost
            immediately by new faults?&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            You propose to give up everything to God; be sure,
            then, to include yourself among the things to be given
            up.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            If you can find a place where God is not, go there and
            sin with impunity.&mdash;ST. ANSELM.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            He can not err who is constantly with the visible Head
            which Jesus Christ has left to His Church, as its
            foundation, rule, teacher, and defender of the
            Faith.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            The more numerous the gifts we have received from God,
            the greater the account we must render to
            Him.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            True penance consists in regretting without ceasing the
            faults of the past, and in firmly resolving to never
            again commit that which is so deplorable.&mdash;ST.
            BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/sacredheart_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/sacredheart.jpg" alt=
            "The Sacred Heart of Mary"></a><br>
            THE SACRED HEART OF MARY
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            We are not raised the first day to the summit of
            perfection. It is by climbing, not by flying, that we
            arrive there.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            What we do for ourselves during life is more certain
            than all the good we expect others to do for us after
            death.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            Idleness begets a discontented life. It develops
            self-love, which is the cause of all our misery, and
            renders us unworthy to receive the favors of divine
            love.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            Have death always before your eyes as a salutary means
            of returning to God.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            If the devil tempts me by the thought of divine
            justice, I think of God's mercy; if he tries to fill me
            with presumption by the thought of His mercy, I think
            of His justice.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            In time of temptation continue the good thou hast begun
            before temptation.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            In the eyes of the sovereign Judge the merit of our
            actions depends on the motives which prompted
            them.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            The benefits to be derived from spiritual reading do
            not merely consist in impressing on the memory the
            precepts set forth, but in opening the heart to them,
            that they may bear fruit.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            As clouds obscure the sun, so bad thoughts darken and
            destroy the brightness of the soul.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF
            GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            To judge rightly of the goodness and perfection of any
            one's prayer, it is sufficient to know the disposition
            he takes to it, and the fruits he reaps from
            it.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            To commence many things and not to finish them is no
            small fault; we must persevere in whatever we undertake
            with upright intention and according to God's
            will.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            The perfect champion is he who establishes complete
            control over his mind by overcoming temptations and the
            inclination of his nature to sin.&mdash;VEN. JOHN
            TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            If the love of God is in your heart, you will
            understand that to suffer for God is a joy to which all
            earthly pleasures are not to be compared.&mdash;ST.
            IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            The world around us is, as it were, a book written by
            the finger of God; every creature is a word on the
            page. We should apply ourselves well to understand the
            signification of the volume.&mdash;VEN. BARTHOLOMEW OF
            MARTYRS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            A man of prayer is capable of everything. He can say
            with St. Paul, "I can do all things in Him who
            strengthened me."&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            Whilst here below our actions can never be entirely
            free from negligence, frailty, or defect; but we must
            not throw away the wheat because of the
            chaff.&mdash;VEN. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            Strive always to preserve freedom of spirit, so that
            you need do nothing with the view of pleasing the
            world, and that no fear of displeasing it will have
            power to shake your good resolutions.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS
            DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            Wo to us poor sinners if we had not the Divine
            Sacrifice to appease the Lord!&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="jul" id="jul">July</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OW few there are who avail
            themselves of the precious blood of Jesus to purchase
            their salvation!&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            O Queen of heaven and earth! Thou art the gate of mercy
            ever open, never closed. The universe must perish
            before he who invokes thee from his heart is refused
            assistance.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            Our Faith will never be true unless it is united to
            that of St. Peter and the Pontiff, his
            successors.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Short pleasures and long sufferings are all the world
            can give.&mdash;VEN. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Learn to be silent sometimes for the edification of
            others, that you may learn how to speak
            sometimes.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            Gratitude for graces received is a most efficacious
            means of obtaining new ones.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            To a useless question we should answer only by
            silence.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            We should not judge things by their exterior or
            appearance, but consider what they are in the sight of
            God, and whether they be according to His good
            pleasure.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            Preserve purity of conscience with care, and never do
            anything to sully it or render it less agreeable to
            God.&mdash;ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            Give not thyself too much to any one. He who gives
            himself too freely is generally the least
            acceptable.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Affliction strengthens the vigor of our soul, whereas
            happiness weakens it.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            To acquire purity of the soul, it is necessary to guard
            against passing judgment on our neighbor, or useless
            remarks on his conduct.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            Turn away the eyes of thy body and those of thy mind
            from seeing others, that thou mayest be able to
            contemplate thyself.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            The brightest ornaments in the crown of the blessed in
            heaven are the sufferings which they have borne
            patiently on earth.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            We are not innocent before God if we punish that which
            we should pardon, or pardon that which we should
            punish.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            Is there any one in the world who has invoked thee, O
            Mary, without having felt the benefit of thy
            protection, which is promised to those who invoke thy
            mercy?&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            It is the key of obedience that opens the door of
            paradise. Jesus Christ has confided that key to His
            vicar, the Pope, Christ on earth, whom all are obliged
            to obey even unto death.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            It is true that God promises forgiveness if we repent,
            but what assurance have we of obtaining it
            to-morrow?&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            We should offer ourselves and all we have to God, that
            He may dispose of us according to His holy will, so
            that we may be ever ready to leave all and embrace the
            afflictions that come upon us.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE
            PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            No one has a right to mercy who can not himself show
            mercy.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            We should reflect on all our actions, exterior and
            interior, and before we commence, examine well if we
            are able to finish them.&mdash;VEN. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            The reason why the lukewarm run so great a risk of
            being lost is because tepidity conceals from the soul
            the immense evil which it causes.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            We should learn of Jesus Christ to be meek and humble
            of heart, and ask Him unceasingly for these two
            virtues. We ought, particularly, to avoid the two
            contrary vices which would cause us to destroy with one
            hand what we seek to raise with the other.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            The sufferings endured for God are the greatest proof
            of our love for Him.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            It is in vain that we cut off the branches of evil, if
            we leave intact the root, which continually produces
            new ones.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            How little is required to be a saint! It suffices to do
            in all things the will of God.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE
            PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            Wouldst thou know what thou art? Thou art that to which
            thy heart turns the most frequently.&mdash;VEN.
            BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            When you covet that which delights you, think not only
            of the sweet moments of enjoyment, but of the long
            season of regret which must follow.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            They who voluntarily commit sin show a contempt for
            life eternal, since they willingly risk the loss of
            their soul.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            It suffices not to perform good works; we must do them
            well, in imitation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it
            is written, "He doeth all things well."&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            Put not off till to-morrow what you can do
            today.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="aug" id="aug">August</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">C</font>HRIST Himself guides the bark
            of Peter. For this reason it can not perish, although
            He sometimes seems to sleep.&mdash;ST. ANTONINUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer teaches us the need of laying before God all our
            necessities, of corresponding with His grace, of
            banishing vice from our heart and of establishing
            virtue in it.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            Take this to heart: Owe no man anything. So shalt thou
            secure a peaceful sleep, an easy conscience, a life
            without inquietude, and a death without
            alarm.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            If you would know whether you have made a good
            confession, ask yourself if you have resolved to
            abandon your sins.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            He who does that which is displeasing to himself has
            discovered the secret of pleasing God.&mdash;ST.
            ANSELM.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            An ordinary action, performed through obedience and
            love of God, is more meritorious than extraordinary
            works done on your own authority&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE
            BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            Vigilance is rendered necessary and indispensable, not
            only by the dangers that surround us, but by the
            delicacy, the extreme difficulty of the work we all
            have to engage in the work of our salvation.&mdash;VEN.
            LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            Among the different means that we have of pleasing God
            in all that we do, one of the most efficacious is to
            perform each of our actions as though it were to be the
            last of our life.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            I have to seek only the glory of God, my own
            sanctification, and the salvation of my neighbor. I
            should therefore devote myself to these things, if
            necessary, at the peril of my life.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            Idleness is hell's fishhook for catching
            souls.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Whoever imagines himself without defect has an excess
            of pride. God alone is perfect.&mdash;ST. ANTONINUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            As we take the bitterest medicine to recover or
            preserve the health of the body, we should cheerfully
            endure sufferings, however repugnant to nature, and
            consider them efficacious remedies which God employs to
            purify the soul and conduct it to the perfection to
            which He called it.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            To give up prayer because we are often distracted at it
            is to allow the devil to gain his cause.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            Curb the desire of display, and do nothing from human
            respect.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            O Mary, vessel of purest gold, ornamented with pearls
            and sapphires, filled with grace and virtue, thou art
            the dearest of all creatures to the eyes of eternal
            Wisdom.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            We must be careful not to omit our prayers, confession,
            communion, and other exercises of piety, even when we
            find no consolation in them.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us leave to God and to truth the care of our
            justification, without trying to excuse ourselves, and
            peace will truly spring up within us.&mdash; VEN. JOHN
            TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            Read good and useful books, and abstain from reading
            those that only gratify curiosity.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE
            PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            So great is the goodness of God in your regard, that
            when you ask through ignorance for that which is not
            beneficial, He does not grant your prayer in this
            matter, but gives you something better
            instead.&mdash;ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            Men can use no better arms to drive away the devil,
            than prayer and the sign of the cross.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            He who knows well how to practise the exercise of the
            presence of God, and who is faithful in following the
            attraction of this divine virtue, will soon attain a
            very high degree of perfection.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE
            PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            One of the most admirable effects of holy communion is
            to preserve the soul from sin, and to help those who
            fall through weakness to rise again. It is much more
            profitable, then, to approach this divine Sacrament
            with love, respect, and confidence, than to remain away
            through an excess of fear and scrupulosity.&mdash;ST.
            IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us remember that every act of mortification is a
            work for heaven. This thought will make all suffering
            and weariness sweet.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            Correction should be given calmly and with discernment,
            at seasonable times, according to the dictates of
            reason, and not at the impulse of anger.&mdash;VEN.
            LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            There is nothing more certain, nothing more agreeable,
            nothing richer than a good conscience.&mdash;VEN.
            BARTHOLOMEW OF MARTYRS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            God, to procure His glory, sometimes permits that we
            should be dishonored and persecuted without reason. He
            wishes thereby to render us conformable to His Son, who
            was calumniated and treated as a seducer, as an
            ambitious man, and as one possessed.&mdash;ST. VINCENT
            DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            All that God gives us and all that He permits in this
            world have no other end than to sanctify us in
            Him.&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            If you can not mortify your body by actual penance,
            abstain at least from some lawful pleasure.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            One whose heart is embittered can do nothing but
            contend and contradict, finding something to oppose in
            every remark.&mdash;VEN. JULIENNE MOREL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            Without prayer we have neither light nor strength to
            advance in the way which leads to God.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            I have never gone out to mingle with the world without
            losing something of myself.&mdash;BL. ALBERT THE GREAT.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="sep" id="sep">September</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>E who perseveres with constancy
            and fervor will, without fail, raise himself to a high
            degree of perfection.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            An upright intention is the soul of our actions. It
            gives them life, and makes them good.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            You wish to reform the world: reform yourself,
            otherwise your efforts will be in vain.&mdash;ST.
            IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Let all thy care be to possess thy soul in peace and
            tranquillity. Let no accident be to thee a cause of
            ill-humor.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Humility is a fortified town; it repels all attacks.
            The sight of it obliges the enemy to turn and
            flee.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            The world is deceitful and inconstant. When fortune
            forsakes us, friendship takes flight.&mdash;BL. HENRY
            SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            Perform all your actions in union with the pure
            intention and perfect love with which Our Lord did all
            things for the glory of God and the salvation of the
            world.&mdash;ST. MECHTILDIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            An air of meekness and a modest speech are pleasing
            alike to God and men.&mdash;VEN. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            The saints owed to their confidence in God that
            unalterable tranquillity of soul, which procured their
            perpetual joy and peace, even in the midst of
            adversities.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            Look not to the qualities thou mayest possess, which
            are wanting to others; but look to those which others
            possess and which are wanting to thee, that thou mayest
            acquire them.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Your heart is not so narrow that the world can satisfy
            it entirely; nothing but God can fill it.&mdash;ST.
            IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            If you wish to raise a lofty edifice of perfection,
            take humility for a foundation.&mdash;ST. THOMAS
            AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            It ordinarily happens that God permits those who judge
            others, to fall into the same or even greater
            faults.&mdash;ST. VINCENT FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            Raise thy heart and thy love toward the sweet and most
            holy cross, which soothes every pain!&mdash;ST.
            CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            Often read spiritual books; then, like a sheep,
            ruminate the food thou hast taken, by meditation and a
            desire to practise the holy doctrine found
            therein.&mdash;ST. ANTONINUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            Love others much, but visit them seldom.&mdash;ST.
            CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            God sends us trials and afflictions to exercise us in
            patience and teach us sympathy with the sorrows of
            others.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            Armed with prayer, the saints sustained a glorious
            warfare and vanquished all their enemies. By prayer,
            also, they appeased the wrath of God, and obtained from
            Him all they desired.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            All souls in hell are there because they did not pray.
            All the saints sanctified themselves by
            prayer.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            The thought of the presence of God renders us familiar
            with the practice of doing in all things His holy
            will.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            If we consider the number and excellence of the virtues
            practised by the saints, we must feel the inefficiency
            and imperfection of our actions.&mdash; ST. VINCENT
            FERRER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer without fervor has not sufficient strength to
            rise to heaven.&mdash; ST. BERNARD.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            The path of virtue is painful to nature when left to
            itself; but nature, assisted by grace, finds it easy
            and agreeable.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS OF GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            Always give the preference to actions which appear to
            you the most agreeable to God, and most contrary to
            self-love.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            As the branch separated from the roots soon loses all
            life and verdure, so it is with good works which are
            not united with charity.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            We should constantly thank the Lord for having granted
            us the gift of the true faith, by associating us with
            the children of the holy Catholic Church.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            We should not spare expense, fatigue, nor even our
            life, when there is a question of accomplishing the
            holy will of God.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            Some are unable to fast or give alms; there are none
            who can not pray.&mdash; ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            We meet with contradictions everywhere. If only two
            persons are together they mutually afford each other
            opportunities of exercising patience, and even when one
            is alone there will still be a necessity for this
            virtue, so true it is that our miserable life is full
            of crosses.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            We should bear our sufferings in expiation for our
            sins, to merit heaven, and to please God.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="oct" id="oct">October</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">A</font>LWAYS give good example: teach
            virtue by word and deed. Example is more powerful than
            discourse.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            If thou wouldst glory, let it be in the Lord, by
            referring everything to Him, and giving to Him all the
            honor and glory.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            There is nothing more holy, more eminently perfect,
            than resignation to the will of God, which confirms us
            in an entire detachment from ourselves, and a perfect
            indifference for every condition in which we may be
            placed.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer consists not in many words, but in the fervor of
            desire, which raises the soul to God by the knowledge
            of its own nothingness and the divine
            goodness.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us make up for lost time. Let us give to God the
            time that remains to us.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            When thou feelest thyself excited, shut thy mouth and
            chain thy tongue.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            If it was necessary that Christ should suffer and so
            enter by the cross into the kingdom of His Father, no
            friend of God should shrink from suffering.&mdash;VEN.
            JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            We should grieve to see no account made of time, which
            is so precious; to see it employed so badly, so
            uselessly, for it can never be recalled.&mdash;BL.
            HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            Every time that some unexpected event befalls us, be it
            affliction, or be it spiritual or corporal consolation,
            we should endeavor to receive it with equanimity of
            spirit, since all comes from the hand of God.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            There are some who sin through frailty, or through the
            force of some violent passion. They desire to break
            these chains of death; if their prayer is constant they
            will be heard.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            "Thy will be done!" This is what the saints had
            continually on their lips and in their
            hearts.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            He who would be a disciple of Jesus Christ must live in
            sufferings; for "The servant is not greater than the
            Master."&mdash;VEN. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            He who submits himself to God in all things is certain
            that whatever men say or do against him will always
            turn to his advantage.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            If he be blind who refuses to believe in the truths of
            the Catholic faith, how much blinder is he who
            believes, and yet lives as if he did not
            believe!&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            There is no affliction, trial, or labor difficult to
            endure, when we consider the torments and sufferings
            which Our Lord Jesus Christ endured for us.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            Outside of God nothing is durable. We exchange life for
            death, health for sickness, honor for shame, riches for
            poverty. All things change and pass away.&mdash;ST.
            CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            If you would keep yourself pure, shun dangerous
            occasions. Do not trust your own strength. In this
            matter we can not take too much precaution.&mdash; ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            After knowing the will of God in regard to a work which
            we undertake, we should continue courageously, however
            difficult it may be. We should follow it to the end
            with as much constancy as the obstacles we encounter
            are great.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            In your prayers, if you would quickly and surely draw
            upon you the grace of God, pray in a special manner for
            our Holy Church and all those connected with
            it.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            Prayer is our principal weapon. By it we obtain of God
            the victory over our evil inclinations, and over all
            temptations of hell.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            We should never abandon, on account of the difficulties
            we encounter, an enterprise undertaken with due
            reflection.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            Being all members of the same body, with the same head,
            who is Christ, it is proper that we should have in
            common the same joys and sorrows.&mdash; VEN. LOUIS DE
            GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            We should be cordial and affable with the poor, and
            with persons in humble circumstances. We should not
            treat them in a supercilious manner. Haughtiness makes
            them revolt. On the contrary, when we are affable with
            them, they become more docile and derive more benefit
            from the advice they receive.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE
            PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            Let not confusion for thy fault overwhelm thee with
            despair, as if there were no longer a remedy.&mdash;ST.
            CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            As all our wickedness consists in turning away from our
            Creator, so all our goodness consists in uniting
            ourselves with Him.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            That which we suffer in the accomplishment of a good
            work, merits for us the necessary graces to insure its
            success.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            We ought to have a special devotion to those saints who
            excelled in humility, particularly to the Blessed
            Virgin Mary, who declares that the Lord regarded her on
            account of her humility.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            He who wishes to find Jesus should seek Him, not in the
            delights and pleasures of the world, but in
            mortification of the senses.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us not despise, judge, or condemn any one but
            ourselves; then our cross will bloom and bear
            fruit.&mdash;VEN. JOHN TAULER.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            It is rarely that we fall into error if we are humble
            and trust to the wisdom of others, in preference to our
            own judgment.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            The best of all prayers is that in which we ask that
            God's holy will be accomplished, both in ourselves and
            in others.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE BLOIS.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="nov" id="nov">November</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>E SHOULD honor God in His
            saints, and beseech Him to make us partakers of the
            graces He poured so abundantly upon them.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            We may have a confident hope of our salvation when we
            apply ourselves to relieve the souls in purgatory, so
            afflicted and so dear to God.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            The example of the saints is proposed to every one, so
            that the great actions shown us may encourage us to
            undertake smaller things.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us read the lives of the saints; let us consider
            the penances which they performed, and blush to be so
            effeminate and so fearful of mortifying our
            flesh.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            The greatest pain which the holy souls suffer in
            purgatory proceeds from their desire to possess God.
            This suffering especially afflicts those who in life
            had but a feeble desire of heaven.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            Death is welcome to one who has always feared God and
            faithfully served Him.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            True humility consists in being content with all that
            God is pleased to ordain for us, believing ourselves
            unworthy to be called His servants.&mdash; ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            The best preparation for death is a perfect resignation
            to the will of God, after the example of Jesus Christ,
            who, in His prayer in Gethsemani prepared Himself with
            these words, "Father, not as I will, but as Thou
            wilt."&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            The errors of others should serve to keep us from
            adding any of our own to them.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            There is more security in self-denial, mortification,
            and other like virtues, than in an abundance of
            tears.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            A resolute will triumphs over everything with the help
            of God, which is never wanting.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            If humble souls are contradicted, they remain calm; if
            they are calumniated, they suffer with patience; if
            they are little esteemed, neglected, or forgotten, they
            consider that their due; if they are weighed down with
            occupations, they perform them cheerfully.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            When we have to reply to some one who speaks harshly to
            us, we must always do it with gentleness. If we are
            angry, it is better to keep silence.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            The two principal dispositions which we should bring to
            holy communion are detachment from creatures, and the
            desire to receive Our Lord with a view to loving Him
            more in the future.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            In doing penance it is necessary to deprive oneself of
            as many lawful pleasures as we had the misfortune to
            indulge in unlawful ones.&mdash;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            In raising human nature to heaven by His ascension,
            Christ has given us the hope of arriving thither
            ourselves.&mdash;ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            It is useless to subdue the flesh by abstinence, unless
            one gives up his irregular life, and abandons vices
            which defile his soul.&mdash;ST. BENEDICT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            No prayers are so acceptable to God as those which we
            offer Him after communion.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            It avails nothing to subdue the body, if the mind
            allows itself to be controlled by anger.&mdash;ST.
            GREGORY THE GREAT.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            What is it that renders death terrible? Sin. We must
            therefore fear sin, not death.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            The Blessed Virgin is of all the works of the Creator
            the most excellent, and to find anything in nature more
            grand one must go to the Author of nature
            Himself.&mdash;ST. PETER DAMIAN.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            If we would advance in virtue, we must not neglect
            little things, for they pave the way to
            greater.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            When one has fallen into some fault, what better remedy
            can there be than to have immediate recourse to the
            Most Blessed Sacrament?&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            Afflictions are the most certain proofs that God can
            give us of His love for us.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            Is it not a great cruelty for us Christians, members of
            the body of the Holy Church, to attack one
            another?&mdash;ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            The Church is the pillar and ground of truth, and her
            infallibility admits of no doubt.&mdash;VEN. LOUIS DE
            GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            He who truly loves his neighbor and can not
            efficaciously assist him, should strive at least to
            relieve and help him by his prayers.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            We should blush for shame to show so much resentment at
            what is done or said against us, knowing that so many
            injuries and affronts have been offered to our Redeemer
            and the saints.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            The reason why so many souls who apply themselves to
            prayer are not inflamed with God's love is, that they
            neglect to carefully prepare themselves for
            it.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            It is absolutely necessary, both for our advancement
            and the salvation of others, to follow always and in
            all things the beautiful light of faith.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="dec" id="dec">December</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            1
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">I</font>F WE consider all that is
            imperfect and worldly in us, we shall find ample reason
            for abasing ourselves before God and man, before
            ourselves and our inferiors.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            2
        </p>
        <p>
            No one should think or say anything of another which he
            would not wish thought or said of himself.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            3
        </p>
        <p>
            We should study the interests of others as our own, and
            be careful to act on all occasions with uprightness and
            loyalty.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            4
        </p>
        <p>
            It is God Himself who receives what we give in charity,
            and is it not an incomparable happiness to give Him
            what belongs to Him, and what we have received from His
            goodness alone?&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            5
        </p>
        <p>
            Let your constant practice be to offer yourself to God,
            that He may do with you what He pleases.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            6
        </p>
        <p>
            It is not enough to forbid our own tongue to murmur; we
            must also refuse to listen to murmurers.&mdash;VEN.
            LOUIS DE GRANADA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            7
        </p>
        <p>
            We can obtain no reward without merit, and no merit
            without patience.&mdash; ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            8
        </p>
        <p>
            No harp sends forth such sweet harmonies as are
            produced in the afflicted heart by the holy name of
            Mary. Let us kneel to reverence this holy, this sublime
            name of Mary!&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            9
        </p>
        <p>
            The life of a true Christian should be such that he
            fears neither death nor any event of his life, but
            endures and submits to all things with a good
            heart.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            10
        </p>
        <p>
            We should abandon ourselves entirely into the hands of
            God, and believe that His providence disposes
            everything that He wishes or permits to happen to us
            for our greater good.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            11
        </p>
        <p>
            Regulate and direct all your actions to God, offering
            them to Him and beseeching Him to grant that they be
            for His honor and glory.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/most_pure_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/most_pure.jpg" alt=
            "Hail, Virgin Most Pure!"></a><br>
            HAIL, VIRGIN MOST PURE!
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            12
        </p>
        <p>
            Conformity to the will of God is an easy and certain
            means of acquiring a great treasure of graces in this
            life.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            13
        </p>
        <p>
            Do not consider what others do, or how they do it; for
            there are but few who really work for their own
            sanctification.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            14
        </p>
        <p>
            To-day God invites you to do good; do it therefore
            to-day. To-morrow you may not have time, or God may no
            longer call you to do it.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            15
        </p>
        <p>
            To advance in the way of perfection it does not suffice
            to say a number of weak prayers; our principal care
            should be to acquire solid virtues.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            16
        </p>
        <p>
            Humility is the virtue of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of His
            blessed Mother, and of the greatest saints. It embraces
            all virtues and, where it is sincere, introduces them
            into the soul.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            17
        </p>
        <p>
            It will be a great consolation for us at the hour of
            death to know that we are to be judged by Him whom we
            have loved above all things during life.&mdash;ST.
            TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            18
        </p>
        <p>
            Humble submission and obedience to the decrees of the
            Sovereign Pontiffs are good means for distinguishing
            the loyal from the rebellious children of the
            Church.&mdash;ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            19
        </p>
        <p>
            The devil attacks us at the time of prayer more
            frequently than at other times. His object is to make
            us weary of prayer.&mdash;BL. HENRY SUSO.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            20
        </p>
        <p>
            It is an act as rare as it is precious, to transact
            business with many people, without ever forgetting God
            or oneself.&mdash;ST. IGNATIUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            21
        </p>
        <p>
            God is our light. The farther the soul strays away from
            God, the deeper it goes into darkness.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            22
        </p>
        <p>
            True Christian prudence makes us submit our intellect
            to the maxims of the Gospel without fear of being
            deceived. It teaches us to judge things as Jesus Christ
            judged them, and to speak and act as He did.&mdash;ST.
            VINCENT DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            23
        </p>
        <p>
            Remember that men change easily, and that you can not
            place your trust in them; therefore attach yourself to
            God alone.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            24
        </p>
        <p>
            If we secretly feel a desire to appear greater or
            better than others, we must repress it at
            once.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            25
        </p>
        <p>
            The King of heaven deigned to be born in a stable,
            because He came to destroy pride, the cause of man's
            ruin.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            26
        </p>
        <p>
            To save our souls we must live according to the maxims
            of the Gospel, and not according to those of the
            world.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            27
        </p>
        <p>
            Be gentle and kind with every one, and severe with
            yourself.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            28
        </p>
        <p>
            If you wish to be pleasing to God and happy here below,
            be in all things united to His will.&mdash;ST.
            ALPHONSUS.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            29
        </p>
        <p>
            In proportion as the love of God increases in our soul,
            so does also the love of suffering.&mdash;ST. VINCENT
            DE PAUL.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            30
        </p>
        <p>
            He who keeps steadily on without pausing, will reach
            the end of his path and the summit of
            perfection.&mdash;ST. TERESA.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            31
        </p>
        <p>
            The past is no longer yours; the future is not yet in
            your power. You have only the present wherein to do
            good.&mdash;ST. ALPHONSUS.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            PART VII
        </h1>
        <h2>
            Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h2>
            "Let the children of Israel make the Phase in due time
            . . . according to all the ceremonies thereof"
            (<i>Num.</i> ix 2, 3).
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            Reasonableness of Catholic Ceremonies and Practices
        </h1>
        <h2>
            "The priest shall be vested with the tunic"
            (<i>Lev.</i> vi. 10).
        </h2>
        <h2>
            "And he made, of violet and purple, scarlet and fine
            linen, the vestments for Aaron to wear when he
            ministered in the holy places, as the Lord commanded
            Moses" (<i>Ex.</i> xxxix. 1).
        </h2>
        <h2>
            "In every place there is sacrifice and there is offered
            to My name a clean offering" (<i>Malach.</i> i. 11).
        </h2>
        <h2>
            "And another Angel came and stood before the altar,
            having a golden censer: and there was given to him much
            incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all
            saints upon the golden altar, which is before the
            throne of God" (<i>Apoc.</i> viii. 3).
        </h2><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="ceremonies" id="ceremonies">The Ceremonies of
            the Catholic Church</a>
        </h1>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE Catholic Church in the
            celebration of Mass and in the administration of the
            sacraments employs certain forms and rites. These are
            called ceremonies. By these ceremonies the Church
            wishes to appeal to the heart as well as to the
            intellect, and to impress the faithful with sentiments
            of faith and piety.
        </p>
        <p>
            What is more capable of raising the heart and mind of
            man to God than a priest celebrating Mass? What more
            inspiring than some of our sacred music?
        </p>
        <p>
            How beneficial and how lasting the impression formed by
            the ceremonies of the Church, the following incident
            will show:
        </p>
        <p>
            One of our missionaries once went to visit a tribe of
            Indians who had been deprived of a priest for nearly
            half a century. After traveling through the forest for
            some days he came near their village.
        </p>
        <p>
            'Twas Sunday morning. Suddenly the silence was broken
            by a number of voices singing in unison. He stopped to
            listen. To his great astonishment he distinguished the
            music of a Mass, and of Catholic hymns well known to
            him.
        </p>
        <p>
            What could be more touching than this simple, savage
            people endeavoring to celebrate the Lord's Day as they
            had been taught by the priest fifty years before? What
            more elevating than those sacred songs&mdash;the
            <i>Stabat Mater</i>, the <i>O Salutaris</i>, or the
            <i>Te Deum</i>&mdash;uttered by pious lips and
            resounding through the forest primeval? What better
            evidence could we have of the beneficial effects of our
            ceremonies in raising the heart to God?
        </p>
        <p>
            And yet few things connected with our holy religion
            have been more frequently subjected to ridicule than
            her ceremonies. People scoff at them, laugh at them,
            call them foolish and unreasonable. Those people do not
            stop to consider that by doing so they, themselves, are
            acting most unreasonably. For no reasonable person, no
            judge, will condemn another without hearing both sides
            of the question.
        </p>
        <p>
            These wiseacres, however, flatter themselves that they
            know all about the Catholic Church and her ceremonies
            without hearing her side of the case. Hence the
            misunderstandings and misrepresentations regarding her
            that exist among well-meaning people.
        </p>
        <p>
            If people would but learn to speak about that which
            they knew and understood; if they would accord to the
            Catholic Church the same treatment as to other
            institutions; if they would examine both sides of the
            question before criticising and ridiculing her
            teachings and her ceremonies; if they would but treat
            her with that openness, that fairness, that candor,
            that honesty characteristic of the American citizen
            when dealing with other questions&mdash;what a vast
            amount of ignorance, of prejudice, of sin would be
            avoided!
        </p>
        <p>
            We claim that ceremonies used in the worship of God are
            reasonable, because they were sanctioned by God in the
            Old Testament and by Jesus Christ and His apostles in
            the New Law.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="ceremony_1" id="ceremony_1">I.</a> Ceremonies
            Necessary to Divine Worship
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE angels are pure spirits.
            They have no body. Consequently the worship they render
            God is spiritual, interior.
        </p>
        <p>
            The heavenly bodies are not spiritual, but entirely
            material substances. They render God a sort of external
            worship according to the words of the prophet Daniel,
            "Sun and moon bless the Lord, . . . stars of heaven
            bless the Lord. Praise and exalt Him forever." Man has
            a soul, a spiritual substance similar to the heavenly
            bodies. He should, therefore, honor God by the twofold
            form of worship, interior and exterior.
        </p>
        <p>
            "God is a spirit; and they that adore Him must adore
            Him in spirit and in truth" (<i>John</i> iv. 24).
        </p>
        <p>
            From these words of the beloved disciple we are not to
            conclude that interior worship is prescribed as the
            only essential, and exterior worship condemned. True
            piety must manifest itself externally. Man naturally
            manifests his feelings by outward signs and ceremonies.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Catholic Church recognizes that man has a heart to
            be moved as well as an intellect to be enlightened. She
            enlightens the intellect by her good books, sermons,
            etc.; and she moves the heart by the grandeur of her
            ceremonies.
        </p>
        <p>
            If any one doubts that God considers ceremonies
            necessary to divine worship, let him read the books of
            Leviticus and Exodus. Almost the whole of these books
            treats of the rites and ceremonies used by the then
            chosen people of God in their public worship.
        </p>
        <p>
            The 26th, 27th, and 28th chapters of Exodus prescribe
            the form of the tabernacle and its appurtenances, the
            size of the altar and the oil for the lamps, and the
            holy vestments which Aaron and his sons were to wear
            during the performance of the public ceremonies.
        </p>
        <p>
            The book of Leviticus treats more particularly of the
            sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies of the priests and
            Levites.
        </p>
        <p>
            "And the Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the
            tabernacle of the testimony, saying: Speak to the
            children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The man
            among you that shall offer to the Lord a sacrifice of
            the cattle, that is, offering victims of oxen and
            sheep, if his offering be a holocaust and of the herd,
            he shall offer a male, without blemish, at the door of
            the tabernacle of the testimony, to make the Lord
            favorable to him. And he shall put his hand upon the
            head of the victim, and it shall be acceptable and help
            to his expiation" (<i>Lev.</i> i. 1 <i>et seq.</i>).
        </p>
        <p>
            After enumerating all the sacrifices and ceremonies,
            the sacred writer closes the book of Leviticus with the
            words, "These are the precepts which the Lord commanded
            Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai," thus
            showing that He considers ceremonies necessary to
            divine worship.
        </p>
        <p>
            The religion instituted by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus
            Christ is more spiritual than that of the Old Law.
            Nevertheless He did not discard ceremonies. In the
            Garden of Gethsemani He fell upon His knees in humble
            supplication. He went in procession to Jerusalem
            preceded by a great multitude strewing palm-branches on
            the road and singing, "Hosanna to the Son of David."
            Before He cured the deaf and dumb man, He put His
            fingers into his ears and touched his tongue with
            spittle, and looking up to heaven He groaned and said,
            "Ephpheta," which is, "Be thou opened."
        </p>
        <p>
            At the Last Supper He invoked a blessing on the bread
            and wine, and after the supper He chanted a hymn with
            His disciples&mdash;ceremonies similar to those used in
            the Mass. When He imparted the Holy Ghost to His
            apostles, He breathed upon them. In a similar way they
            and their successors communicated the Holy Ghost upon
            others by breathing upon them, laying their hands upon
            them and praying over them, when conferring the
            sacrament of Holy Orders.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. James directs that if any man is sick he shall call
            in a priest of the Church, who shall anoint him with
            oil, as is done in the sacrament of Extreme Unction.
        </p>
        <p>
            We must, therefore, admit that ceremonies used in the
            worship of God are reasonable, since they are
            sanctioned by God in the Old Law and by Jesus Christ
            and His apostles in the New Testament.
        </p>
        <p>
            All these acts of Our Saviour&mdash;the prostration in
            the Garden, the procession to Jerusalem, the touching
            of the deaf man's ears, the chanting of the hymn, the
            laying on of hands, the anointing of the sick&mdash;are
            but so many ceremonies serving as models of the
            ceremonies used by the Catholic Church in her public
            worship and in the administration of her sacraments.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="ceremony_2" id="ceremony_2">II. Vestments Used
            by the Priest at Mass</a>
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>EFORE entering upon an
            explanation of the ceremonies of the Mass, which is our
            principal act of public worship, let us examine the
            meaning of the vestments worn by the priest during the
            celebration of that august sacrifice. First, it is well
            to remember that these vestments come down to us from
            the time of the apostles, and have the weight of
            antiquity hanging upon them. Hence, if they did not
            demand our respect as memorials of Christ, they are at
            least deserving of attention on account of their
            antiquity.
        </p>
        <p>
            The 28th chapter of Exodus tells us the sacred
            vestments God wished the priests of the Old Law to wear
            during the public worship. "And these shall be the
            vestments which they shall make: a rational and an
            ephod, a tunic and a straight linen garment, a mitre
            and a girdle. They shall make the holy vestments for
            thy brother Aaron and his sons, that they may do the
            office of priesthood unto Me." As God in the Old Law
            prescribed vestments for the priests, so the Church,
            guided by God, prescribes sacred vestments to be worn
            by the priest of the New Law while engaged in the
            sacred mysteries.
        </p>
        <p>
            The long black garment which the priest wears around
            the church in all the sacred functions is called a
            <i>cassock</i>. Kings and officers of the army wear a
            special uniform when performing their public duties;
            priests wear <i>cassocks</i> and other special garments
            when performing their public duties. These vestments
            are used to excite the minds of the faithful to the
            contemplation of heavenly things.
        </p>
        <p>
            Who, for example, can behold the cross on the chasuble
            the priest wears without thinking of all Christ
            suffered for us on the cross? As the priest in
            celebrating Mass represents the person of Christ, and
            the Mass represents His passion, the vestments he wears
            represent those with which Christ was clothed at the
            time of the passion.
        </p>
        <p>
            The first vestment the priest puts on over the
            <i>cassock</i> is called an <i>amice</i>. It is made of
            linen, and reminds us of the veil that covered the face
            of Jesus when His persecutors struck Him. (<i>Luke</i>
            xxii. 64.)
        </p>
        <p>
            When the priest puts on the <i>amice</i> he first
            places it on his head, thus recalling to mind the crown
            of thorns that pierced the head of Jesus.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>alb</i> (from <i>albus</i>, white) represents
            the white garment with which Christ was vested by Herod
            when sent back to Pilate dressed as a fool.
            (<i>Luke</i> xxii. 11.)
        </p>
        <p>
            White is emblematic of purity. Hence the wearer is
            reminded of that purity of mind and body which he
            should have who serves the altar of the Most High.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>cincture</i>, or girdle, as well as the
            <i>maniple</i> and <i>stole</i>, represent the cords
            and bands with which Christ was bound in the different
            stages of His passion. St. Matthew says in the 22d
            verse of the 27th chapter, "They brought Him
            <i>bound</i> and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the
            governor."
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>chasuble</i>, or outer vestment the priest
            wears, represents the purple garment with which Christ
            was clothed as a mock king. "And they clothed Him with
            purple" (<i>Mark</i> xv. 17). Upon the back of the
            <i>chasuble</i> you see a cross. This represents the
            cross Christ bore on His sacred shoulders to Calvary,
            and upon which He was crucified.
        </p>
        <p>
            In these vestments, that is, in the <i>chasuble</i>,
            <i>stole</i>, and <i>maniple</i>, the Church uses five
            colors&mdash;white, red, purple, green, and black.
        </p>
        <p>
            White, which is symbolic of purity and innocence, is
            used on the feasts of Our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin,
            of the angels, and of the saints that were not martyrs.
        </p>
        <p>
            Red, the symbol of fortitude, is used on the feast of
            Pentecost, of the Exaltation of the Cross, of the
            apostles and martyrs.
        </p>
        <p>
            Purple, or violet (the color of penance), is used in
            Advent and Lent.
        </p>
        <p>
            Green (the color of hope) is used on all Sundays when
            no special feast is celebrated, except the Sundays of
            Lent and Advent.
        </p>
        <p>
            Black (the color of mourning) is used on Good Friday
            and during the celebration of Mass for the dead.
        </p>
        <p>
            Thus we see that each vestment and color used has a
            special significance.
        </p>
        <p>
            All are calculated to attract our attention, elevate
            our minds to God, and fill us with a desire to do
            something for Him Who has done so much for us&mdash;to
            at least keep His commandments.
        </p>
        <p>
            One word about the use of Latin in the celebration of
            Mass will perhaps be appropriate here. History tells us
            that when Christianity was established the Roman Empire
            had control of nearly all of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
            Wherever the Roman flag floated to the breeze the Latin
            language was spoken, just as English is spoken where
            the sovereign of Great Britain or the President of the
            United States holds sway. The Church naturally adopted
            in her liturgy the language spoken by the people.
        </p>
        <p>
            In the beginning of the fifth century vast hordes of
            barbarians began to come from the north of Europe and
            spread desolation over the fairest portions of the
            Roman Empire. Soon the Empire was broken up. New
            kingdoms began to be formed, new languages to be
            developed. The Latin finally ceased to be a living
            language. The Church retained it in her liturgy, 1st,
            because, as her doctrine and liturgy are unchangeable,
            she wishes the language of her doctrine and liturgy to
            be unchangeable; 2d, because, as the Church is spread
            over the whole world, embracing in her fold children of
            all climes, nations, and languages&mdash;as she is
            universal&mdash;she must have a universal language; 3d,
            because the Catholic clergy are in constant
            communication with the Holy See, and this requires a
            uniform language.
        </p>
        <p>
            Besides, when a priest says Mass the people, by their
            English Missals or other prayer-books, are able to
            follow him from beginning to end.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Mass is a sacrifice. The prayers of the Mass are
            offered to God. Hence when the priest says Mass he is
            speaking not to the people, but to God, to whom all
            languages are equally intelligible. Are not these
            sufficient reasons for the use of the Latin language?
            Are not good Catholics more attentive, more devout at
            Mass than others at their prayer-meetings? The good
            Catholic knows that the Mass represents the passion and
            death of Christ; that the passion and death of Christ
            are the sinner's only refuge, the just man's only hope;
            that it can not but be good and wholesome to turn our
            minds and our hearts toward this subject; that frequent
            meditation on Christ's passion will move us to avoid
            sin, which caused it; and that nothing can more
            efficaciously cause us to think of Christ's passion and
            death than the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="ceremony_3" id="ceremony_3">III. Ceremonies of
            the Mass</a>
        </h2>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE Mass is the great sacrifice
            of the New Law. It was foreshadowed by all the
            sacrifices ordained by God in the Old Law. They were
            shadows; it is the substance.
        </p>
        <p>
            We learn from Genesis of the fall of man. Universal
            tradition, as well as Scripture, informs us that the
            creature formerly became guilty in the eyes of the
            Creator. All nations, all peoples, endeavored to
            appease the anger of Heaven and believed that a victim
            was necessary for this purpose. Hence sacrifices have
            been offered from the beginning of the human race.
        </p>
        <p>
            Cain and Abel offered victims; the one the first fruits
            of the earth, the other the firstlings of the flock.
            Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Melchisedech worshiped this
            way, and their worship was acceptable to God.
            Everywhere, even among the heathen, you find the altar,
            the priest, and the sacrifice. As we learn from
            Leviticus and other portions of the Old Testament, God
            Himself carefully prescribed the quality, manner,
            number, and place of the various sacrifices which He
            was pleased to accept from the hands of His chosen
            people. From this fact that sacrifice has ever formed a
            prominent feature in the worship of all people, we
            conclude that it belongs to the essentials of religion,
            and that Christians to-day should have an altar of
            which, as St. Paul says, "they can not eat who serve
            the tabernacle."
        </p>
        <p>
            The sacrifices of the Old Law were provisional and
            prefigured the great sacrifice of the New Law foretold
            by the prophet Malachy. This glorious prophecy of
            Malachy, "From the rising of the sun even to the going
            down My name is great among the Gentiles; in every
            place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to My
            name a clean offering; for My name is great among the
            Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts"&mdash;this glorious
            prophecy is fulfilled only by the great sacrifice of
            the Catholic Church. We alone can say with St. Paul,
            "<i>Habemus altare</i>" "We have an altar" and a true
            sacrifice. Of all the blessings bequeathed by Jesus
            Christ to His Church, there is none better, none
            greater, none holier than the holy sacrifice of the
            Mass. It is the sacrifice of His own body and blood
            offered to the heavenly Father under the appearances of
            bread and wine. It was instituted by Our Lord at the
            Last Supper, when He took bread and wine in His sacred
            hands and blessed them, saying, "This is My body. . . .
            This is My blood. . . . Do this for a remembrance of
            Me."
        </p>
        <p>
            He instituted the holy Mass in order to represent and
            continue the sacrifice of Calvary. St Paul says, in his
            first epistle to the Corinthians, xi. 26, that it was
            instituted to show the death of the Lord until His
            second coming. After the consecration, which the priest
            effects by saying over the bread and wine the same
            words which Jesus Christ said at the Last Supper, there
            is no longer bread and wine, but the true and living
            Jesus Christ, God and man, hidden under the appearances
            of bread and wine, just as in the manger He was hidden
            under the appearance of an infant. The priest offers
            Him up to His heavenly Father in the name of the
            Catholic Church, or rather He offers Himself up, and we
            can confidently hope that we will obtain more through
            prayers at the holy Mass than through our own unaided
            prayers. In order to have part in the holy sacrifice of
            the Mass a person should follow the actions and prayers
            of the priest, especially at the offertory,
            consecration, and communion; meditate on the passion of
            Christ; say the rosary or the prayers in the
            prayer-books, at the same time uniting his intention
            with the intention of the sacrificing priest.
        </p>
        <p>
            The sacrifice of the Mass is a true sacrifice, because
            it is the oblation of a victim to God to represent by
            its destruction or change His supreme dominion over
            life and death. It is offered to satisfy our four great
            debts and wants in adoration to God on account of His
            omnipotence, in thanksgiving for His benefits, in
            atonement for our sins, and to obtain His assistance in
            difficulties and temptations. The holy Mass obtains for
            us all graces and blessings, temporal and spiritual.
        </p>
        <p>
            Since the Mass is the highest act of public worship, it
            is proper that it should be celebrated with fitting
            sacred ceremonies. Every ceremony which the Church
            prescribes has its deep significance. All tend to bring
            before our minds the mystery of the passion.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>altar</i>, which is reached by means of steps,
            represents Mount Calvary, upon which Christ died with
            His arms extended as if to enfold all men as brothers.
            The <i>crucifix</i> recalls Jesus dying on the cross.
            The <i>lighted candles</i> are symbols of the faith and
            devotion which ought to burn in the hearts of the
            faithful when present at Mass. The <i>sacred
            vestments</i>, embroidered with the sign of the cross,
            indicate that the priest is the minister and visible
            representative of Jesus Christ, the invisible priest.
            The sign of the cross made many times by the priest
            over the host and chalice reminds us that we offer to
            God the divine Victim of the cross, and that we ought
            to unite ourselves to Him by loving the cross, by
            patience and Christian penance. We genuflect because
            Our Lord is really present. If we know He is not
            present on the altar we bow in honor of the place where
            He sometimes reposes. <i>Holy water</i> is used to
            signify that our souls must be pure if we wish God to
            answer our prayers. <i>Incense</i> is used at solemn
            High Mass and at Vespers. It is symbolic of prayer,
            agreeably to the words of the 140th psalm: "Let my
            prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight."
            And St. John, describing the heavenly Jerusalem in the
            8th chapter of the Apocalypse, says: "Another angel
            came, and stood before the altar, having a golden
            censer; and there was given him much incense, that he
            should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the
            golden altar which is before the throne of God."
        </p>
        <p>
            The sacrifice of the Mass, then, is the sacrifice of
            Calvary, since the same Victim is offered up and by the
            same High Priest, Jesus Christ. The Emanuel, the God
            with us, the thought of whom made the prophets tremble
            centuries before He came, that divine Teacher who loves
            to dwell with the children of men, the Catholic Church
            beholds dwelling in the midst of us on our altars. If
            you have visited some of our ancient cathedrals, or any
            of our magnificent modern churches, and admired the
            varied ornaments or artistic wonders therein; if you
            have ever been present at our religious solemnities and
            witnessed the gravity of our ceremonies, the beauty of
            the chants, the piety of the adorers; if you have
            reflected upon the spirit of sacrifice and
            self-forgetfulness so common to Catholicism and so
            unknown elsewhere&mdash;that spirit which moves
            thousands of the young of both sexes to forsake the
            world and devote themselves to the care of the sick,
            the education of the young, and to other works of
            charity&mdash;if you have witnessed these things and
            reflected upon them, you can not but have asked
            yourself why are such gorgeous temples built; why such
            magnificent works of art as displayed on the altar, the
            sacred vessels, paintings, and other things in the
            church? What prompts such sacrifices? And the answer
            will be, because the church is the edifice where God in
            the holy Mass daily renews the prodigies of His mercy,
            and it can never be worthy of His love; because God,
            who sacrificed Himself for us, is ever with us in the
            Blessed Sacrament of the altar, to soothe our cares and
            answer our prayers. Yes, the grand feature of the
            Catholic Church is the holy altar. On the altar is the
            tabernacle for the residence of the Lord of Hosts.
        </p>
        <p>
            There our "hidden God," Jesus in the Eucharist, dwells
            night and day in the midst of His people, saying to
            them with words of love, "Come to me all you that are
            burdened and heavy laden, and I will refresh you."
        </p>
        <p>
            The Mass, independent of its sacrificial aspect,
            consists of the best prayers ever uttered. The priest
            begins by making the sign of the cross, "In the name of
            the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
            This sign is an epitome of the Christian's belief in
            the unity and trinity of God and in the incarnation and
            death of Jesus Christ. After making the sign of the
            cross he repeats the 42d psalm, "Judge me, O God," and
            then makes an humble confession of his sins to God. He
            ascends the altar and nine times asks God to have mercy
            on him, <i>Kyrie Eleison</i>; then follows the
            beautiful hymn the shepherds heard the angels singing
            at the birth of the Saviour, <i>Gloria in Excelsis
            Deo</i>.
        </p>
        <p>
            The prayer of the feast, the epistle and gospel follow,
            and then the sermon in the vernacular is usually
            preached. After the Nicene Creed, <i>Credo in Unum
            Deum</i>, the priest makes the offering of bread and
            wine. He then washes the tips of his fingers, saying:
            "I will wash my hands among the innocent," by which he
            is reminded to be free from stain to offer worthily the
            Holy Sacrifice.
        </p>
        <p>
            The preface, canon, and solemn words of consecration
            follow, during which the bread and wine are changed by
            the power of Jesus Christ into His body and blood. In a
            short time he comes to the best of all prayers, the
            prayer taught us by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
            the Our Father, <i>Pater Noster</i>. The <i>Agnus
            Dei</i> follows, then the communion, when he partakes
            of the consecrated bread and wine, and afterward gives
            holy communion to the faithful. He then continues the
            Mass, gives his blessing, and finishes the Mass with
            the beginning of the Gospel of St. John. Hence you see
            that, besides the great sacrifice which makes it an act
            worthy of God, the Mass consists of the best of all
            prayers.
        </p>
        <p>
            From what has been said it is evident that ceremonies
            in the worship of God are reasonable, being sanctioned
            by God in the Old and New Testaments; that the holy
            sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest of all acts of
            worship; and that the Catholic Church in using
            ceremonies is but following the example of Our Lord and
            Saviour Jesus Christ and His apostles. St. John in the
            Book of Revelations tells us that before the throne of
            God angels stand with golden censers, multitudes from
            all nations follow and adore the Lamb, while virgins
            sing the new song which they alone can utter. So, too,
            before the throne of God on earth we swing our censers,
            multitudes from all nations prostrate themselves in
            adoration, the sweet incense of their praise and prayer
            ascends to the throne of grace, their minds are
            enlightened by God's word, while their hearts are
            raised to God by the grandeur of our ceremonies.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Son of God, after having taught us by His word,
            shown us by His example, and merited for us by His
            grace the virtues necessary for salvation, wished to
            institute the holy sacrifice of the Mass, that He might
            come Himself in the Holy Sacrament and imprint them
            upon us. Of these virtues, the most important are
            <i>humility</i>, <i>purity</i>, <i>obedience</i>,
            <i>patience</i>, and <i>charity</i>.
        </p>
        <p>
            Let us always ask God when present at the holy Mass for
            a lively faith in His <i>Real Presence</i>, an ardent
            love for Him in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar, and
            the grace to imitate His humility, His purity, His
            meekness, obedience, patience, and charity <i>here</i>,
            and enjoy His presence forever <i>hereafter</i>.
        </p>
        <p>
            The following beautiful words of Cardinal Newman show
            that the Mass is something more than a mere form of
            words, and that ceremonies are reasonable as well as
            necessary in its celebration:
        </p>
        <p>
            "To me nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so
            thrilling, so overcoming, as the Mass said as it is
            among us. I could attend Masses forever and not be
            tired. It is not a mere form of words&mdash;it is a
            great action, the greatest action that can be on earth.
            It is not the invocation merely, but, if I dare use the
            word, the evocation of the Eternal. He becomes present
            on the altar in flesh and blood, before Whom angels bow
            and devils tremble. This is that awful event which is
            the scope and the interpretation of every part of the
            solemnity. Words are necessary, but as means, not as
            ends; they are not mere addresses to the throne of
            grace, they are instruments of what is far higher, of
            consecration, of sacrifice.
        </p>
        <p>
            "They hurry on as if impatient to fulfil their mission.
            Quickly they go, for they are awful words of sacrifice;
            they are a work too great to delay upon, as when it was
            said in the beginning, 'What thou doest, do quickly.'
            Quickly they pass, for the Lord Jesus goes with them,
            as He passed along the lake in the days of His flesh,
            quickly calling first one and then another; quickly
            they pass, because as the lightning which shineth from
            one part of the heaven unto the other, so is the coming
            of the Son of Man.
        </p>
        <p>
            "Quickly they pass, for they are as the words of Moses,
            when the Lord came down in the cloud, calling on the
            name of the Lord as He passed by, 'The Lord, the Lord
            God, merciful and generous, long suffering, and
            abundant in goodness and truth.' And as Moses on the
            mountain, so we, too, make haste and bow our heads to
            the earth and adore.
        </p>
        <p>
            "So we, all around, each in his place, look for the
            great Advent 'waiting for the moving of the water,'
            each in his place, with his own heart, with his own
            wants, with his own prayers, separate but concordant,
            watching what is going on, watching its progress,
            uniting in its consummation; not painfully, and
            hopelessly following a hard form of prayer from
            beginning to end, but like a concert of musical
            instruments each different, but concurring in sweet
            harmony, we take our post with God's priest, supporting
            him, yet guided by him. There are little children
            there, and old men, and simple laborers, and students
            in seminaries, priests preparing for Mass, priests
            making their thanksgiving, there are innocent maidens,
            and there are penitent sinners; but out of these many
            minds rises one Eucharistic hymn, and the great action
            is the measure and the scope of it."
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <h1>
            <a name="practices" id="practices">The Practices of the
            Catholic Church</a>
        </h1><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_1" id="practice_1">I. Vespers and
            Benediction</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day"
            (<i>Ex</i>. xx. 8).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HIS commandment teaches us that
            God wills the whole Sunday to be spent in His honor. We
            should sanctify it by good works, and by assisting at
            divine service. On that day servile works and improper
            amusements are forbidden. A salutary rest and moderate
            recreation are allowed, but never at the expense of
            duties of obligation. After hearing Mass on Sunday
            morning, which is obligatory on all Catholics, there is
            no better way of sanctifying the remainder of the day
            than by attending Vespers and Benediction.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Vesper service is a small portion of the divine
            office, which priests must recite daily, for God's
            honor and glory. It consists of five of the psalms of
            David (Dixit Dominus, Ps. 109; Confitebor tibi, Ps.
            110; Beatus vir, Ps. 111; Laudate pueri, Ps. 112; In
            exitu Israel, Ps. 113, or Laudate Dominum, Ps. 116), a
            hymn, the Magnificat, or canticle of the Virgin Mary,
            from the first chapter of St. Luke, and some prayers.
            Is it not reasonable thus to praise God in psalms and
            hymns and spiritual canticles?
        </p>
        <p>
            Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament usually follows
            Vespers. The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ
            is really present in the Blessed Sacrament. The
            reasonableness of this teaching will be seen in the
            following article.
        </p>
        <p>
            Since Jesus Christ is present, He ought to be adored by
            the faithful. Faithful adorers frequently visit Him in
            the Blessed Sacrament and worship Him in "spirit and in
            truth." Hence, the Blessed Sacrament is kept in the
            Tabernacle on our altars to soothe our cares, answer
            our prayers, and be ready at any time to be
            administered to the sick and dying.
        </p>
        <p>
            Besides our private devotion to the Blessed Sacrament,
            the Church has appointed solemn rites to show publicly
            our faith and devotion toward the Real Presence of
            Jesus Christ. These rites are processions on Corpus
            Christi, the Forty Hours' devotion, and, especially,
            the rite called Benediction.
        </p>
        <p>
            When it is time for Benediction many candles are
            lighted on the altar. This is done to show our faith in
            the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. If He were not
            present, this display would be unreasonable,
            unnecessary, and meaningless. But the candles we light,
            the incense we burn, the flowers and other ornaments we
            use to decorate the altar, and all that we do for Our
            Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can not be too much.
        </p>
        <p>
            Everything being prepared, the priest takes the Blessed
            Sacrament out of the tabernacle, and, placing it in the
            ostensorium, exposes it on an elevated throne, while
            the choir sings in honor of the Blessed Sacrament the
            hymn "O Salutaris Hostia," "O Saving Host." The priest
            incenses Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, as,
            according to the Apocalypse, angels do in heaven.
            Another hymn or a litany follows; after which is sung
            the "Tantum Ergo," "Down in adoration falling,"
            followed by a prayer by the priest. Then in the midst
            of a solemn silence (except that a small bell is
            tinkled) the priest takes the monstrance, or
            ostensorium, containing the Blessed Sacrament, and,
            turning toward the people, makes with it the sign of
            the cross over them, thus blessing the faithful with
            the Most Holy One.
        </p>
        <p>
            This is certainly a most touching and impressive rite
            even to those who do not believe in it. Cardinal Newman
            calls it one of the most beautiful, natural, and
            soothing practices of the Church. No one will deny that
            this practice, or rite of the Church, is reasonable, if
            Jesus Christ is really present in the Blessed
            Sacrament. That He is really present is our belief.
            This being our belief, is it not reasonable to light
            candles as a sign of spiritual joy, and thus to show
            our faith in Him who is the light of the world? He gave
            us all that we have. He gave us the beautiful world we
            dwell upon with its variety of scenery&mdash;with its
            snow-capped mountains, its green-carpeted hills, and
            its blooming valleys. He has no need of our gifts; for
            the earth is His "and the fulness thereof." Yet as He
            was pleased to receive the gifts of the Magi and the
            precious ointment of Mary, so, too, is He pleased to
            receive our offerings. And is anything too good, too
            beautiful, too precious, for Him? Can the altar on
            which He dwells be too richly adorned? Are the pure
            candles we light, the sweet incense we burn, the choice
            flowers and costly ornaments with which we decorate the
            altar, too much to use in honor of Our Lord and our
            God? Yes, the Catholic practice or rite of Benediction
            is dictated by right reason. Everything connected with
            Benediction is reasonable, beautiful, and suggestive of
            the <i>noblest sentiments of the heart of man</i>.
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            <a href="images/starofsea_large.jpg"><img src=
            "images/starofsea.jpg" alt=
            "Mary, Star of the Sea"></a><br>
            MARY, STAR OF THE SEA
        </p><br>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_2" id="practice_2">II. Devotion to
            the Blessed Sacrament</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and
            blessed, and broke, and gave to His disciples, and
            said: take ye and eat. This is My body" (<i>Matt</i>.
            xxvi. 26).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">P</font>ERHAPS no mystery of revelation
            has been so universally attacked as the Real Presence
            of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
        </p>
        <p>
            By the Real Presence is meant that Jesus Christ is
            really and truly, body and blood, soul and divinity,
            present in the Blessed Sacrament, under the form and
            appearance of bread and wine.
        </p>
        <p>
            This teaching of the Church is in perfect agreement
            with Scripture, tradition, and reason.
        </p>
        <p>
            If the reader will take up his Bible and read carefully
            the 6th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John;
            the 26th chapter, 26th, 27th, and 28th verses of St.
            Matthew; the 14th chapter, 22d verse of St. Mark; the
            First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, 10th
            chapter, 16th verse, as well as other portions of the
            New Testament, he will certainly see that the Catholic
            teaching and practice concerning the Real Presence of
            Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament are founded on
            Scripture. In this 6th chapter of St. John, we learn
            that before instituting the Blessed Sacrament Our
            Saviour wished to announce or promise it to His
            disciples in order to prepare them for it. He first
            gave them a figure of the Blessed Sacrament in the
            multiplication of the five loaves of bread by which He
            fed five thousand persons. After this miracle He told
            them that He would give them bread superior to that
            which they had eaten, and that this bread was His own
            flesh and blood. "The bread that I will give is My
            flesh, for the life of the world." It is almost
            impossible to understand these words of Our Lord in any
            other than a literal sense. He was so understood by
            those who heard Him. "How can this man give us his
            flesh to eat?" they said, and many withdrew from Him.
            It is but reasonable to believe that if He did not wish
            to be understood in a literal sense He would have told
            His hearers so, rather than have them leave Him.
        </p>
        <p>
            This promise of a doctrine so difficult to understand
            was fulfilled at the Last Supper.
        </p>
        <p>
            Then Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave
            to His disciples, and said: "Take ye and eat. This is
            My body." And taking the chalice He gave thanks; and
            gave to them, saying: "Drink ye all of this. For this
            is My blood of the new testament which shall be shed
            for many for the remission of sins."
        </p>
        <p>
            "Do this for a commemoration of Me."
        </p>
        <p>
            These are substantially the words of SS. Matthew, Mark,
            Luke, and of the apostle Paul.
        </p>
        <p>
            In the 10th chapter of the First Epistle to the
            Corinthians, St. Paul says: "The chalice of benediction
            which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
            Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the
            partaking of the body of the Lord?"
        </p>
        <p>
            Any one of these texts abundantly proves the Catholic
            doctrine of the Real Presence, and shows the
            reasonableness of the Catholic practice regarding the
            Blessed Sacrament. Reflect upon them. Reflect
            especially upon the words of Christ, "This is My body."
            Think what an insult it is to the divinity and veracity
            of Christ to doubt His word, because you can not
            understand how what appears to be bread is in reality
            His own body and blood.
        </p>
        <p>
            If you remember that Jesus Christ is God, that He had
            the power to make this change, that He could confer
            this power on others, as the apostles and their
            successors, that He did so when He said: "Do this in
            commemoration of Me," and that this change at the
            present time as at the time of the apostles is made by
            His almighty power, you will have no difficulty in
            believing it.
        </p>
        <p>
            The belief and practice of the Catholic Church of
            to-day regarding the Blessed Sacrament is the same as
            it was in every age since the time of Christ. The
            history of every century tells us this. The Fathers,
            Doctors, and Church writers of every age say the same.
            If it were not so, some one ought to be able to find
            the time when the doctrine was invented, and the person
            who invented it. But, since no one has been able to
            find the inventor of this doctrine and practice, the
            time or place of the invention, we rightly conclude
            that they came down to us from the time of Christ, and
            had Christ for an author. (Berengarius, in the eleventh
            century, was the first who denied this doctrine.) If,
            then, Christ is the author, is not the Catholic
            practice reasonable?
        </p>
        <p>
            But I don't understand the Catholic doctrine regarding
            the Blessed Sacrament, some one may say; therefore it
            is contrary to reason. Dear reader, did the consummate
            puerility, silliness, foolishness of such an objection
            ever present itself to you? Do you understand the
            Blessed Trinity? And is it contrary to reason? No.
            Although above reason, it is not against it. Do you
            understand how Jesus Christ is both God and man? Do you
            understand any mystery? No. If you did it would no
            longer be a mystery. For a mystery is something above
            human intelligence. It is something incomprehensible to
            us, for it pertains to the divine intelligence. And as
            well might you attempt to pour the mighty ocean into a
            small hole on the shore, as attempt to hold with your
            limited capacity the illimitable ocean of divinity. The
            proper office of reason is to examine the evidences of
            revelation, and see if God has spoken. But it
            constitutes no part of its office to dispute the word
            of God. That God has spoken is evident from the
            fulfilment of many prophecies and the authority of many
            miracles. That these prophecies have been fulfilled,
            and these miracles performed, is as certain as is any
            historical fact. Reason teaches us this. It teaches us,
            too, that no one but God (or by the power of God) can
            prophesy; no one but God can derogate from the order of
            nature, by the performance of a miracle. Reason teaches
            us, then, that God has spoken. When we know God speaks,
            genuine reason will dictate that we humbly believe His
            holy word. Thus will true reason ever act. And when God
            says, "This is My body," it will not hesitate to
            believe.
        </p>
        <p>
            We all believe that at the baptism of Our Saviour by
            St. John Baptist, the Holy Ghost appeared in the form
            of a dove. Now, is it not as reasonable for Jesus
            Christ, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, to
            appear in the form of bread as it was for the Holy
            Ghost, the third person of the Trinity, to appear in
            the form of a dove? We must therefore admit that the
            Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ
            in the Blessed Sacrament is reasonable; that it has
            been believed by the Christian Church of every age from
            the time of Christ until the present time; and that it
            is taught by SS. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and by
            St. Paul in clear and unmistakable terms.
        </p>
        <p>
            Now, dear reader, since Jesus Christ is really present,
            is not the Catholic practice regarding the Blessed
            Sacrament reasonable? Should we not honor Our Lord and
            Our God? Should we not adore Him as really present in
            the Blessed Sacrament? Should we not frequently receive
            Him with pure and contrite hearts? Should we not, when
            we enter the church, genuflect, bend the knee in His
            honor? Should we not show Him every mark of respect and
            devotion? Can we do too much in His honor? Let us,
            then, adore Our Lord and Our God, for we are His people
            and the sheep of His pasture. Let us return love for
            love to the great King of suffering, who was born for
            love of us, who died for love of us, and who, for love
            of us, remains ever with us in the Blessed Sacrament.
            Let us ask that our faith and love may persevere to the
            end; that loving and adoring Him here in the Blessed
            Sacrament of His love, <i>we may be united with Him
            forever hereafter</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_3" id="practice_3">III.</a> Holy
            Communion
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "He that eateth this bread shall live forever"
            (<i>John</i> vi. 59)
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">H</font>OLY communion is receiving the
            body and blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The
            clergy when saying Mass, except on Good Friday, receive
            under both forms. When not celebrating Mass, they
            receive only the one kind, the consecrated bread. In
            the early ages of the Church communion was given to the
            people under both forms.
        </p>
        <p>
            The faithful, however, could, if they wished, dispense
            with one form and receive under the form of bread. This
            shows that the Church always taught that Christ is
            entire both under the form of bread and under the form
            of wine. At one time the faithful received under both
            forms; now they receive under one form, the form of
            bread. It is merely a matter of discipline, which the
            Church could change, if circumstances demanded it.
            Whether you receive under one form or both, you receive
            whole and entire the body and blood of Christ. This is
            clearly taught by St. Paul in the 11th chapter of the
            First Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says:
            "Whosoever shall eat this bread, <i>or</i> drink the
            chalice of the Lord <i>unworthily</i>, shall be guilty
            of the body <i>and</i> blood of the Lord."
        </p>
        <p>
            How could a person eating that bread unworthily be
            guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, unless the
            body and blood of the Lord were there under the form of
            bread?
        </p>
        <p>
            Since Jesus Christ is whole and entire under the form
            of bread, as well as under the form of wine, the
            practice of the Catholic Church of giving holy
            communion under one form is reasonable.
        </p>
        <p>
            Good Christians frequently receive their Lord and their
            God in holy communion. He inspires them with feelings
            of love, gratitude, and adoration. He reminds them to
            think frequently of their Creator&mdash;to give Him
            their first thoughts in the morning and their last in
            the evening. He gives them strength to restrain their
            guilty passions.
        </p>
        <p>
            Holy Communion is the seed of immortality. "He that
            eateth this bread <i>shall live forever</i>."
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_4" id="practice_4">IV.
            Confirmation</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Then they laid their hands upon them, and they
            received the Holy Ghost" (<i>Acts</i> viii. 17).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>EFORE the coming of the Holy
            Ghost on Pentecost, the apostles were weak and
            vacillating. One of them betrayed his Master for thirty
            pieces of silver; another&mdash;the Prince of the
            Apostles, he whom Christ afterward made head of His
            Church&mdash;thrice denied his Lord and his God.
        </p>
        <p>
            After the descent of the Holy Ghost, what a change!
            What a wonderful transformation! They who before had
            been as timid as the lamb, as changeable as the
            chameleon's hue, became now as bold as the lion, as
            firm as Gibraltar's rock.
        </p>
        <p>
            In a similar way does Confirmation act on the receiver.
            Confirmation is that sacrament in which, by the
            imposition of the bishop's hands, we receive the Holy
            Ghost to make us strong and perfect Christians and
            soldiers of Jesus Christ. It is the second in the order
            of the sacraments, because the early Christians were
            accustomed to receive it immediately after Baptism. In
            the 8th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles we find the
            first recorded instance of the administering of
            Confirmation by the apostles. Here we are told that St.
            Peter and St. John confirmed the Samaritans who had
            been baptized by Philip. "They prayed for them that
            they might receive the Holy Ghost. . . . Then they laid
            their hands upon them, and they received the Holy
            Ghost." In a similar way does the bishop, the successor
            of the apostles, administer Confirmation at the present
            day. First, he turns toward those to be confirmed and
            says: "May the Holy Ghost come down upon you and the
            power of the Most High keep you from sin." Then
            extending his hands over them he prays that they may
            receive the Holy Ghost.
        </p>
        <p>
            In the 6th verse of the 19th chapter of the Acts the
            sacred writer, after telling about the baptism of the
            disciples at Ephesus, adds: "And when Paul had laid his
            hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them." In the
            6th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews St. Paul
            mentions Confirmation, the laying on of hands, with
            Baptism and Penance, as among the principal practices
            of Christianity.
        </p>
        <p>
            The sacrament of Confirmation has been administered to
            the faithful of every age from the time of Christ until
            the present. We learn this from the Fathers and writers
            of the various ages. Among them St. Clement says: "All
            must make haste to be confirmed by a bishop, and
            receive the sevenfold grace of the Holy Ghost." The
            practice of administering Confirmation is founded on
            tradition, then, as well as on Scripture. Is it not
            reasonable to believe and practise that which the
            Christian Church of every age believed and practised?
        </p>
        <p>
            The apostles of Christ administered Confirmation by
            praying that the faithful may receive the Holy Ghost
            and laying their hands upon them. The successors of the
            apostles do likewise. Who will say that this practice
            is not reasonable? Baptism gives spiritual life;
            Confirmation increases it. Baptism makes persons
            children of God; Confirmation strengthens them, causes
            them to grow, and makes them strong men and soldiers of
            Jesus Christ.
        </p>
        <p>
            All the morality of life is implied in the sacrament of
            Confirmation. It strengthens man, it gives him courage
            to confess God; and as sin is the denial of God,
            whoever has courage to confess <i>God will practise
            virtue</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_5" id="practice_5">V. Honoring the
            Blessed Virgin</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "The angel Gabriel was sent from God . . . to a Virgin
            . . . and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel
            being come in said to her: Hail, full of grace, the
            Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women"
            (<i>Luke</i> i. 26, 28).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed"
            (<i>Luke</i> i. 48).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HESE words from St. Luke show
            that the Catholic practice of honoring Mary is
            scriptural. We alone fulfil the prophecy, "From
            henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." If
            Mary was so pure that the archangel Gabriel could
            salute her as full of grace; if she was so perfect as
            to be honored, respected, and loved by her divine Son,
            Jesus Christ, is it not reasonable that we, too, should
            honor, respect, and love her?
        </p>
        <p>
            How we honor the sword of Washington! What a cluster of
            tender recollections clings to the staff of Franklin!
            Is there a loyal American citizen who does not think
            with feelings of love and respect of the mother of our
            Revolutionary hero, or who would not doff his hat at
            the unveiling of a statue of the sage of Monticello?
            And why? Is it on account of their intrinsic merit? No.
            We honor them principally on account of the relation
            they bear to those three brightest stars in the
            American firmament. So it is with the honor we show to
            Mary, the Mother of God. Although she was an example of
            all virtues, we honor her principally because it was
            through her instrumentality He was born by whom we
            achieved not civil liberty, but the liberty of the
            children of God. She did not draw lightning from
            heaven, nor the scepter from kings; but she brought
            forth Him who is the Lord of heaven and King of kings.
        </p>
        <p>
            The principal reason, then, why we honor Mary is
            because she is the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus
            Christ. This honor consists of love, respect, and
            veneration. We love her with an interior love, a love
            proceeding from the heart; nor should we fear to let
            this love appear outwardly. When others revile her,
            speak disrespectfully of her, we should shrink from the
            very idea of acting similarly toward her. We should
            then remember that she is the Mother of Our Saviour,
            and should ask ourselves how we would have acted toward
            her had we lived in her day and been witnesses of the
            honor shown her by her divine Son. By so doing we will
            show her that love which is her due. Our respect, our
            veneration for her, should be affectionate and deep.
            When we remember that it was her hand that first lifted
            from the ground and received in maternal embrace the
            sacred body of Jesus, just born and just dead; when we
            think how respectfully Elizabeth greeted her; when we
            recall to mind the reverent salutation of the
            archangel; when we consider the honor shown her by the
            apostles and by her own divine Son, can we help feeling
            a deep love, respect, and veneration for her? You see,
            dear reader, honoring Mary is scriptural and
            reasonable.
        </p>
        <p>
            But if we should honor her principally because she is
            the Mother of God, we should also honor her because she
            is the peerless glory, the matchless jewel of her sex.
            She constitutes a sole exception to a general law. Sin
            never contaminated, never touched her fair soul. This
            is what we mean by the Immaculate Conception.
        </p>
        <p>
            God created the first man free from sin. But he
            transgressed the law of God, and, by his transgression,
            all his posterity are born in sin and conceived in
            iniquity. For St. Paul says: "By one man sin entered
            into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed
            upon all men, in whom all have sinned" (<i>Rom.</i> v.
            12). But God promised that the woman, Mary, should
            crush the head of the serpent. Now if she was to crush
            the head of the serpent, it was fit that she should
            never be under his power, that she should be pure, free
            from sin of every kind.
        </p>
        <p>
            There have been exceptions to all general laws. At the
            time of the deluge Noe was saved. Lot was saved from
            the destruction of Sodom. In like manner, the Blessed
            Virgin is an exception to the general law that all
            sinned in Adam. Isaias and St. John Baptist were
            sanctified in their mother's womb. Was it any more
            difficult for God to sanctify Mary at the moment of her
            conception, at the moment of the union of her soul with
            her body? God chose His own Mother. If He had the power
            to choose her did He not also have the power to
            preserve her from original sin? And does it not appear
            to you most fitting that God, the Holy Ghost, should
            preserve His spouse, and God, the Son, His Mother, from
            sin of every kind?
        </p>
        <p>
            "Hail, full of grace," the angel said to her. If she
            was full of grace, no vacancy was left for sin. Grace
            denotes the absence of sin, as light denotes the
            absence of darkness. Hence if Mary was full of grace,
            she was never subject to sin; she was always pure and
            her conception immaculate. It is but natural, then,
            that we arrive at the belief in the Immaculate
            Conception, at the belief in the sinlessness, the
            spotlessness of the Blessed Virgin from the very
            beginning of her existence. If we honor Mary
            principally because the angel honored her, because God
            honored her, we honor her, also, because of her
            immaculate conception and total freedom from sin. She
            was a model of all virtues. Is it not reasonable, then,
            to honor Mary, to love her, and to believe that she
            loves us? If we honor the good and virtuous, where can
            we find a nobler example of virtue than Mary? What a
            beautiful model Mary is for Christians, and especially
            for Christian women! Good Catholic mothers are
            continually urging upon their daughters the necessity
            of choosing as a model Mary, the true type of female
            excellence. In Mary you find all that is tender,
            loving, constant, and true. In her you find all
            virtues. In her humility she refused the highest
            honors; while in patience she endured more anguish and
            agony than any other creature on earth.
        </p>
        <p>
            Mary is a creature of God. As the praise we bestow on a
            beautiful picture redounds to the glory of the artist,
            so the honor we give Mary redounds to God, since we
            honor her for His sake. Let us honor her. That person
            who honors the Blessed Virgin; who loves, respects, and
            venerates her as the Mother of God; who takes her as a
            model and imitates her virtues; who prays to her in
            trials and afflictions and asks her intercession with
            her divine Son, does not only act in a reasonable
            manner, but such action is certain to make the path
            through this world smooth and easy and at the same time
            safe to a life of <i>eternal happiness</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_6" id="practice_6">VI. Confession of
            Sin</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Whom when He saw He said: Go, show yourselves to the
            priests" (<i>Luke</i> xvii. 14).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall
            forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins ye
            shall retain, they are retained" (<i>John</i> xx. 23).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE whole of the life of Our
            Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ may be summed up in these
            words of the Acts: "He went about doing good." He
            healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to
            the deaf, and raised the dead to life.
        </p>
        <p>
            The healing of the body, however, was to Him a
            secondary object. The healing of the soul was His
            mission on earth. He frequently called the attention of
            His followers to this. For example, He cured the man of
            the palsy to prove that as man He had the power to
            forgive sins. Another example is when He gives us in
            the cure of the lepers a figure of sin and its cure.
        </p>
        <p>
            Leprosy has always been considered a figure of sin. As
            leprosy covers the body and makes it disgusting and
            frightful to behold, so sin covers the soul and makes
            it hideous in the sight of God. The Old Law required
            lepers to separate themselves from society until their
            cure was certified to by the priests who were appointed
            for this purpose. Our Lord has been pleased, in the New
            Law, to institute a similar method for the cure of the
            more fatal leprosy of sin. The spiritual leper, the
            sinner, is to show himself to the priest, make known
            the diseased state of his soul, and submit to the
            inspection and treatment of the priest, who is the
            divinely appointed physician of the soul. But should we
            not go directly to God, since God alone has power to
            justify us? It is true, God alone can effect our
            justification; but He has appointed the priest to judge
            in His place and pass sentence in His name. To the
            priests He has said: "Whatsoever you shall bind upon
            earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you
            shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven"
            (<i>Matt.</i> xviii. 18); and again: "Whose sins you
            shall forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you
            shall retain, they are retained" (<i>John</i> xx. 23).
            These two texts clearly show that auricular confession
            as practised in the Catholic Church was taught by
            Christ. For how could the apostles and their
            successors, the pastors of the Church, know what sins
            to bind and retain and what sins to loose and forgive
            unless the sins were confessed to them and they were
            allowed to judge?
        </p>
        <p>
            No matter how numerous or how great these are, provided
            they are confessed with a sincere repentance, they will
            be forgiven. And they will be forgiven by the power of
            the priest. Properly speaking, God alone has power to
            forgive sins. But no one will deny that He has power to
            confer this power on others. He communicated this power
            to His apostles and commanded them, in turn, to
            communicate it to others by means of the Sacrament of
            Holy Orders.
        </p>
        <p>
            That Our Saviour communicated this power to His
            apostles is evident from the words of St. John: "As the
            Father hath sent Me I also send you. Receive ye the
            Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are
            forgiven." But sin was to continue till the end of the
            world. Hence the necessity of the means of forgiving
            sin being coextensive with sin. As the people receive
            from the priests the Word of God and the cleansing from
            sin in Baptism, so also do they receive from them the
            cleansing from sin in confession.
        </p>
        <p>
            It is certain that the apostles conferred the power of
            forgiving sins upon others, if we find that those whom
            the apostles ordained this power. But we find this to
            be the case.
        </p>
        <p>
            From the time of Christ until the present the writers
            of every age tell us that confession of sins was
            practised. St. John, who lived until the beginning of
            the second century, says in the 1st chapter of his
            First Epistle: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful
            and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
            all iniquity."
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Cyprian, who wrote in the third century, says: "Let
            each of you confess his faults, and the pardon imparted
            by the priest is acceptable before God."
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Ambrose, in the fourth century, wrote: "The poison
            is sin; the remedy, the accusation of one's crime. The
            poison is iniquity: confession is the remedy."
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Augustine, who lived in the fifth century, seems to
            be talking to some people of the present day, who say
            they confess in private to God, when he says: "Let no
            one say to himself, I do penance to God in private, I
            do it before God. Is it then in vain that Christ hath
            said: 'Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
            loosed in heaven'? Is it in vain that the keys have
            been given to the Church? Do we make void the Gospel?
            void the words of Christ?"
        </p>
        <p>
            These first five centuries were the golden age of
            Christianity. All admit that the doctrines and
            practices of those early centuries were pure and
            undefiled, as they came from Christ. But among the
            practices of the time we find confession. Hence it is a
            reasonable practice, because conformable to Christ's
            teaching. We might continue quotations from writers of
            every century from the sixth to the nineteenth, showing
            that the teaching and practice of confession did not
            vary through the lapse of ages from the time of Christ
            until the present day. But this is unnecessary. The
            quotations from the first five centuries show that the
            power of forgiving sin was not only communicated by
            Christ to His apostles, but by them to their successors
            by means of the sacrament of Holy Orders. What would be
            the necessity of this power if they could not exercise
            it in confession? If, as some say, priests invented
            confession, some one ought to find out and tell us when
            and where it was invented, and why they did not exempt
            themselves from such a humiliating practice.
        </p>
        <p>
            Confession alone, however, will be of no avail without
            contrition. Contrition is a sincere sorrow and
            detestation for sin with a firm determination to sin no
            more. To the truly humble and sorrowful sinner
            confession is not a punishment, but a remedy for a
            tortured conscience. The most painful secret to be kept
            by a heart not yet corrupted by disease is the secret
            of sin and crime. The soul that loves God hates sin and
            desires to separate herself from it. To this desire is
            associated the desire of expiating it. All, from the
            mother who questions her child about wrongdoing to the
            judge who interrogates the criminal, recognize in
            spontaneous confession an expiatory power.
        </p>
        <p>
            Confession, it is true, is necessarily accompanied by
            shame and humiliation. This humiliation is diminished
            by the knowledge that it is of divine origin and that
            eternal silence is divinely imposed upon him who
            receives it. Priests never divulge what they know from
            the confessional. They have been ill-treated, as was
            Father Kohlmann in this country; have even been
            tortured and cruelly put to death, as was St. John
            Nepomucene, in order to extort from them knowledge they
            gained in the confessional, but without avail. For what
            they knew through the tribunal of penance, they knew as
            ministers of God. And as it is better to obey God than
            man, no minister of state could force them to divulge
            that which the laws of God forbid.
        </p>
        <p>
            Only sinners, who after a thorough preparation, a
            sincere sorrow, and a good confession, can realize the
            soothing and beneficial effects of confession, and feel
            with David, "Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven."
            If you have ever noticed such after leaving the
            confessional you could see joy beaming on their
            countenances, as if a heavy burden had been removed.
        </p>
        <p>
            Confession quiets the conscience. But this is only one
            of the benefits it confers upon those who practise
            going to confession. It has also a salutary influence
            upon their morals; for one of its necessary conditions
            is promise of amendment.
        </p>
        <p>
            The pagans of the first centuries were aware of the
            guiding and reforming power of the confessional.
            Voltaire, the leading infidel of the last century, one
            who made sport of everything Christian, says that
            "there is, perhaps, no wiser institution, and that
            confession is an excellent thing, a restraint upon
            inveterate crime, a very good practice to prevent the
            guilty from falling into despair and relapsing into
            sin, to influence hearts full of hate to forgive and
            robbers to make restitution&mdash;that the enemies of
            the <i>Romish</i> Church who have opposed so beneficial
            an institution have taken from man the greatest
            restraint that can be put upon crime." While his
            everyday experience forced these words of praise from
            the arch-infidel, his hatred of the Church creeps out
            in the word "Romish."
        </p>
        <p>
            Confession of sin, as we have seen, is a <i>reasonable
            practice</i>, because it was taught by Jesus Christ,
            and by His apostles and their successors from Christ's
            time until the present; but <i>especially</i> because
            it has the power of soothing and pacifying the
            conscience by freeing it from the torture of sin, the
            poison of crime. It is not strange, then, that it is so
            dear to virtuous souls. It is offensive only to those
            whose hearts are so hardened as to blunt the sting of
            remorse. Confession is Christianity using its moral
            power to correct and perfect the individual. In the
            confessional the minister of God is continually coming
            in contact with hearts in which reigns an idol that he
            overthrows, a bad practice that he causes to cease, or
            some injustice that he has repaired.
        </p>
        <p>
            Confession is one of the gates by which Christianity
            penetrates the interior man, wipes away stains, heals
            diseases, and sows therein the seeds of virtue. The
            lives and experience of millions are witness of the
            truth of this. Is it not, then, a reasonable, a
            beneficial practice? It is only the malicious or the
            ignorant who calumniate the practice and the
            consecrated minister who sits in judgment in the sacred
            tribunal. Those who lay aside their prejudice and study
            the question soon become convinced of its divine
            origin. A little study and reflection will show them
            that confession of sin benefits society by preventing
            crimes that would destroy government, cause riots, and
            fill prisons; that it promotes human justice, makes men
            better, nobler, purer, higher, and more Godlike; that
            it soothes the sorrowful heart whose crime might make
            the despairing suicide; and that individuals and
            families who frequently, intelligently, and properly
            approach this fountain of God's grace will receive His
            blessing here <i>and a pledge of His union
            hereafter</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_7" id="practice_7">VII. Granting
            Indulgences</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound in
            heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall
            be loosed also in heaven" (Matt xviii. 18).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">O</font>F THE many practices of the
            Church, few have been the cause of more controversy
            than that of granting indulgences. Though not the
            cause, the granting of an indulgence furnished a
            pretext for Luther's apostasy. Leo X, who was Pope at
            that time, desiring to complete St. Peter's at Rome,
            appealed to all Catholics for financial aid. There was
            certainly nothing wrong in this. With these alms it was
            intended that the most magnificent Christian temple in
            the world would be completed.
        </p>
        <p>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; "Majesty, Power, Glory, Strength, and
            Beauty, all are aisled<br>
            &nbsp; &nbsp; In this eternal ark of worship
            undefiled."
        </p>
        <p>
            All who contributed toward the completion of St.
            Peter's and complied with the necessary conditions were
            granted an indulgence.
        </p>
        <p>
            The alms were not one of the indispensable conditions.
            Those conditions were a sincere repentance and
            confession. Hence, those who did not contribute could
            gain the indulgence. Perhaps the Dominican Tetzel, who
            was chosen to announce the indulgence, exceeded his
            powers and made them serve his own ends.
        </p>
        <p>
            His action in the affair was not approved by Rome. If
            it is certain that the Pope did nothing wrong in asking
            for aid to build that beautiful monument to religion,
            it is equally certain that he did nothing wrong, that
            he did not exceed the limits of his powers when he
            granted the indulgence. In order to understand this, we
            must have a clear idea of what is meant by an
            indulgence.
        </p>
        <p>
            You frequently hear it said that it is the forgiveness
            of sin, or that it is a permission given to commit sin.
            It is neither the one nor the other. An indulgence is
            not the forgiveness of sin. In fact, an indulgence can
            not be gained until sin has been forgiven. One of the
            necessary conditions for gaining an indulgence is
            confession.
        </p>
        <p>
            Neither is an indulgence a license, a permission to
            commit sin. No one, not even God Himself, could give
            permission to commit sin. For God is all good, and
            although all powerful He can not sanction that which is
            evil in itself. It would be contrary to His very
            nature. An indulgence, then, is not what it has been
            painted. Having seen what an indulgence is not, let us
            see what it is. It is a remission of the whole or a
            part of the debt of temporal punishment due to sin
            after the guilt and eternal punishment have been
            forgiven in the sacrament of Penance.
        </p>
        <p>
            In the early ages of the Church notorious sinners,
            after being absolved, were sentenced to long public
            penances. By sincere sorrow, an indulgence or remission
            of some of the time was granted them. Public confession
            and public penances have passed away. These public
            penances are replaced by pious devotions. Upon the
            performance of certain pious devotions the Church at
            times grants an indulgence; that is, a remission of
            such temporal punishment as is equivalent to the
            canonical penances corresponding to the sins committed.
        </p>
        <p>
            Attached to every mortal sin, besides the guilt, is the
            punishment incurred. This punishment is eternal and
            temporal. That there is this twofold punishment we
            learn from various places in the Bible. We have an
            example in the sin of David. God sent the prophet
            Nathan to warn him of his guilt. When Nathan rebuked
            the king, he confessed his sin with signs of true
            contrition. Then Nathan told him that God had forgiven
            his sin, but that many temporal punishments would
            follow. When God forgave the sin, the guilt and eternal
            punishment were taken away; but temporal punishment
            remained. Other examples could be cited, but this is
            sufficient to show that there is a twofold kind of
            punishment&mdash;eternal and temporal. In confession
            the guilt and eternal punishment are taken away, but
            not always the temporal punishment. This temporal
            punishment is what is taken away in whole by a plenary
            and in part by a partial indulgence.
        </p>
        <p>
            In a similar manner we have a twofold punishment
            attached to crime in this world. A man commits a crime.
            He is sentenced to a term in the penitentiary. After
            spending his time of punishment he comes back to
            society, but finds he has another punishment to undergo
            in being avoided by his friends and others.
        </p>
        <p>
            The practice of granting indulgences was founded on
            many passages of Scripture, both of the Old and New
            Testament. In the 12th chapter of the book of Numbers
            we learn that Mary, the sister of Moses, was forgiven a
            sin which she had committed. But God inflicted upon her
            the penalty of leprosy. This was a temporal punishment.
            By the prayer of Moses an indulgence was granted; for
            God took away the temporal punishment.
        </p>
        <p>
            Our divine Lord left with His Church the power of
            granting indulgences, as we learn from His words taken
            from St. Matthew: "Whatsoever you shall loose upon
            earth shall be loosed also in heaven." This promise
            implies the power of loosing not only from sin and its
            eternal punishment, but also the power of releasing the
            bond of temporal punishment, of freeing from everything
            that would prevent the soul from entering the kingdom
            of heaven. St. Paul granted an indulgence to the
            incestuous Corinthian, as we learn from the 2d chapter
            of his Second Epistle to the Corinthians. By the power
            and authority which he received from Christ, he granted
            the Corinthian pardon from performing a certain
            penance. This penance was a temporal punishment. The
            apostle took away the temporal punishment. That is an
            indulgence.
        </p>
        <p>
            Non-Catholics grant a kind of plenary indulgence to
            every one by saying that works of penance are
            unnecessary. The practice of the Catholic Church of
            granting an indulgence only to the deserving is
            certainly more conformable to Scripture as well as more
            reasonable.
        </p>
        <p>
            Experience teaches us the utility of indulgences. They
            encourage the faithful to frequent the sacraments, to
            repent, to do acts of penance, and perform works of
            piety, charity, and devotion.
        </p>
        <p>
            A practice productive of such beneficial results is
            reasonable; it is also reasonable because it is
            sanctioned by Scripture and the Church of every age.
            For God would not sanction it nor could the Church
            practise it if it were <i>not conformable to
            reason</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_8" id="practice_8">VIII. The Last
            Sacraments</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the
            priests of the Church, and let them pray over him,
            anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the
            prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord
            shall raise him up, and if he be in sins they shall be
            forgiven him" (<i>James</i> v. 14, 15).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>Y THESE words St. James
            admonishes Christians when sick to do that which Our
            Saviour had previously directed to be done. This you
            will learn from the 6th chapter of St. Mark: "And [the
            apostles] anointed with oil many that were sick."
        </p>
        <p>
            The historians of the first centuries tell us that the
            early Christians were as anxious to receive the last
            sacraments as are the Catholics of our own day. St.
            Cesarius, in the fifth century, writes: "As soon as a
            person falls dangerously sick, he receives the body and
            blood of Jesus Christ. Then his body is anointed, and
            thus is fulfilled what stands written: 'Is any man sick
            among you? Let him call in the priests of the Church,
            and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil.'"
            What the Christians of the first centuries did, we do;
            and we do it by the direction of Jesus Christ and of
            St. James.
        </p>
        <p>
            Penance, Holy Eucharist, and Extreme Unction are
            administered to the sick and are known as the last
            sacraments. The priest first hears the sick person's
            confession, then he administers holy communion.
            Afterward he administers the sacrament of Extreme
            Unction&mdash;last anointing.
        </p>
        <p>
            This sacrament aids the sick to bear their sufferings
            with patience. It wipes away sin, even mortal sin if
            the person is unable to confess; and it purifies the
            soul for its entrance into heaven. The other sacraments
            assist us in making our lives holy like the life of our
            divine Model. This sacrament assists in making our
            death holy, like the death of Jesus. The sacrament of
            Baptism met us at our entrance into this world; the
            sacrament of Extreme Unction will be our guide at our
            departure to the other world. Religion, which rocked us
            in the cradle of life, will lull us to sleep in the
            cradle of death.
        </p>
        <p>
            Go to the bedside of the dying Catholic and you will
            see the reasonableness of the practice of calling the
            priest to administer the last sacraments. After the
            sacraments have been administered, peace and joy and
            contentment are visible on the countenance of the sick
            person. He clings no more to the things of earth. His
            thoughts are centered in heaven. The minister of God
            consoles him with the thought of immortality and the
            resurrection of the body. He soon hears the singing of
            the angelic choir; and breathing the sweet names of
            Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, his soul takes its flight to
            the <i>regions of eternal bliss</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_9" id="practice_9">IX. Praying for
            the Dead</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray
            for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins"
            (<i>2 Mach</i>. xii. 46).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">N</font>O ONE will deny that the
            practice of praying for the dead is reasonable, if the
            dead are benefited by our prayers. That our prayers are
            beneficial to the departed we will endeavor to show. We
            are taught by revelation that besides heaven and hell,
            a state of everlasting pleasure and a state of eternal
            pain, there also exists a middle state of punishment
            for those who die in venial sin, or who have not
            sufficiently satisfied the justice of God for mortal
            sins already forgiven.
        </p>
        <p>
            The people of God in the Old Law believed, and Jesus
            Christ and His apostles in the New Law taught, the
            existence of this middle state. In the Second Book of
            Machabees, quoted above, we read that the pious general
            Judas Machabeus having made a collection, "sent twelve
            thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices
            to be offered for the dead [soldiers], thinking well
            and religiously concerning the resurrection [for if he
            had not hoped that they that were slain should rise
            again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to
            pray for the dead], and because he considered that they
            who had fallen asleep with godliness had great grace
            laid up for them. It is, therefore, a holy and
            wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be
            loosed from their sins." If prayers were not beneficial
            to the dead, God would not have sanctioned them.
        </p>
        <p>
            This is exactly the practice of the Catholic Church. We
            pray and offer sacrifices for the souls in purgatory,
            just as Judas Machabeus did. Even if the Books of
            Machabees were not inspired, it is historically true
            that the Jews and almost all nations of antiquity
            believed in the existence of purgatory and the utility
            of prayers for the souls detained there. This universal
            consent is the voice of nature and of God. Hence we see
            that the practice of praying for the dead is
            reasonable.
        </p>
        <p>
            This practice is in accordance with the teaching of
            Christ. In the 12th chapter, 32d verse, of St. Matthew,
            He says: "He that shall speak against the Holy Ghost,
            it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor
            in the world to come."
        </p>
        <p>
            These words teach us that some sins will be pardoned in
            the life to come. They can not be pardoned in heaven,
            since nothing defiled can enter heaven; nor can they be
            pardoned in hell, out of which there is no redemption,
            for "their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not
            be quenched." Therefore, there must be a state in the
            next world where sins will be forgiven, and we call
            that place or state purgatory. And the existence of
            purgatory implies the necessity of praying for those
            detained there. The belief in the existence of
            purgatory and the practice of praying for the faithful
            departed have existed in the Church from the time of
            its foundation.
        </p>
        <p>
            Tertullian, who lived in the second century, considered
            it a solemn duty, whose obligation came down from the
            apostles, to offer sacrifices and prayers for the
            faithful departed. St. Augustine says: "The whole
            Church received from the tradition of the Fathers to
            pray for those who died in the communion of the body
            and blood of Christ." The dying request of St. Monica,
            the mother of St. Augustine, is well known. "I request
            you," she said, "that wherever you may be, you will
            remember me at the altar of the Lord." And he assures
            us that he frequently and fervently prayed for her
            soul.
        </p>
        <p>
            The teaching of the Church of every age confirms the
            teaching of the Old and New Testament regarding
            purgatory and praying for the dead. To one who believes
            in heaven and hell, a place of eternal pleasure and of
            eternal punishment, the doctrine of purgatory must
            appear as a necessity, and the practice of praying for
            the dead reasonable. For it is certain that nothing
            defiled can enter heaven. But it is possible that many
            die guilty of but slight sins. Therefore, it must be
            said that these are damned, which is impious and
            absurd; that what is defiled can enter heaven, which is
            unscriptural; or that there is a purgatory, a state in
            which such souls are made pure as the driven snow, so
            that they can enter into the presence of their Maker.
            For an infinitely just God can not condemn to the same
            eternal punishment the child who dies guilty of a
            slight fault and the hardened murderer. No. He will
            render to every one according to his works.
        </p>
        <p>
            The doctrine of purgatory, then, is reasonable as well
            as scriptural and traditional. Reasonable, too, is the
            practice of praying for the dead, for they are still
            members of the Church. All the members of the Church,
            consisting of the church militant on earth, the church
            triumphant in heaven, and the church suffering in
            purgatory, are one family bound together by the bond of
            charity. The members of the Church on earth pray to
            those in heaven, who love us and pray for us; and we
            pray for those in purgatory. They are God's friends
            deprived of heaven for a time. As those in heaven
            rejoice when one sinner does penance, so those in
            purgatory hear us, see us, love us, and are helped by
            our prayers. We love them and never cease to pray for
            them and offer the Holy Sacrifice for them. Even the
            unbeliever will stand or kneel by the remains of his
            departed friend and offer a prayer for him, thus
            showing that praying for the dead is reasonable and the
            natural dictate of the human heart.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_10" id="practice_10">X. Praying to
            the Saints</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "And may the angel that delivereth me from all evils
            bless these boys" (<i>Gen</i>. xlviii. 16).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "So I say to you there shall be joy before the angels
            of God upon one sinner doing penance" (<i>Luke</i> xv.
            10).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "For in the resurrection they [the saints] shall be as
            the angels of God in heaven" (<i>Matt</i>. xxii. 10).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE saints are friends of God.
            They are like the angels in heaven. We honor them, not
            as we honor God, but on account of the relation they
            bear to God. They are creatures of God, the work of His
            hands. When we honor them, we honor God; as when we
            praise a beautiful painting, we praise the artist.
        </p>
        <p>
            We do not believe that the saints can help us of
            themselves. But we ask them to "pray for us." We
            believe that everything comes to us "through Our Lord
            Jesus Christ." With these words all our prayers end. It
            is useful, salutary, and reasonable to pray to the
            saints and ask them to pray for us. No doubt all will
            admit the reasonableness of this practice if the saints
            can hear and help us.
        </p>
        <p>
            That they hear and help us is evident from many
            passages of Scripture. The patriarch Jacob would not
            have prayed to the angel to bless his grandchildren
            Manasses and Ephraim (as we learn he did from
            <i>Gen</i>. xlviii.), unless he knew the angel could do
            so.
        </p>
        <p>
            We are informed (<i>Luke</i> xv.) that the angels
            rejoice when one sinner does penance. We are also
            informed (<i>Matt</i> xxii.) that the saints are like
            the angels&mdash;<i>i.e.</i>, have the same happiness
            and knowledge.
        </p>
        <p>
            Hence the saints, as well as the angels, can hear us,
            can help us, and are acquainted with our actions,
            words, and thoughts.
        </p>
        <p>
            It is generally conceded that it is reasonable to ask
            pious persons on earth to pray for us. St. Paul, in his
            epistles, frequently asks the Christians to pray for
            him. "Brethren," he says, "pray for us." It is well
            known that God was pleased to answer the prayer of
            Abraham in favor of Abimelech. "More things are wrought
            by prayer than this world knows of." Now, if we poor
            sinners here on earth do not pray in vain for one
            another, will the saints in heaven, the friends of God,
            who rejoice when a sinner does penance, pray in vain
            for us? No. We have hosts of friends in heaven to speak
            a good word for us. And as a child who has disobeyed
            his parents wisely asks a better brother or sister to
            intercede with his parents for mercy, so, too, having
            disobeyed our heavenly Father by sin, we have recourse
            to others better than ourselves, to our better brothers
            and sisters, the Blessed Virgin and saints, to
            intercede with God for us.
        </p>
        <p>
            Is not this a reasonable practice?
        </p>
        <p>
            If your mother or sister crosses the sea she will
            continue to pray for you. And if she crosses the sea of
            death will she forget you? No. The love she bore you
            here will continue in heaven. She will pray for you,
            and the "Lord will hear the prayers of the just." Ask
            the saints to pray to your God and their God for you.
            Honor God by honoring His friends and asking their
            intercession. And all your friends in heaven will unite
            in praying to the Father of us all that one day all who
            love God and His friends, the saints, may be admitted
            with them into the <i>company of the Saint of saints,
            Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.</i>
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_11" id="practice_11">XI. Crucifixes,
            Relics, and Images</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the
            likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or in
            the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the
            waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them nor
            serve them" (<i>Ex</i>. xx. 4, 5).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HIS first commandment teaches
            us to adore God alone. It does not forbid the making of
            images, but it forbids the adoring of them, worshiping
            them as gods. This would be idolatry. If the making of
            images were forbidden, it would be improper to have
            images or pictures of our friends.
        </p>
        <p>
            It has frequently been said that Catholics ate
            idolaters, because they have in their churches
            crucifixes, relics, and images of the saints, which
            they honor. Perhaps many of those who accuse us of
            idolatry, if asked, could not tell what idolatry is.
            Idolatry is giving to a creature (whether a crucifix,
            an image, or any created thing) that honor which
            belongs to God.
        </p>
        <p>
            The honor we give those sacred things is a relative
            honor. We honor them on account of the relation they
            bear to God and His friends, the saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            Every Catholic, even the child, is taught the
            difference between the idol of the pagan and a Catholic
            image. Pagans looked upon their idols as gods. They
            thought these senseless objects had power,
            intelligence, and other attributes of the Deity. They
            worshiped them as gods and thought they could assist
            them. Hence they were image-worshipers or idolaters.
        </p>
        <p>
            Catholics know full well that images have no
            intelligence to understand, no power to assist them.
            They do not adore nor serve them. That would be
            idolatry. It would be breaking the first commandment.
            They do not say when praying before the crucifix or
            image of a saint, "I adore thee, O Crucifix"; nor "Help
            me, O Image," But they say, "I adore thee, O God, whose
            cruel death is represented by this crucifix," or "Pray
            for me, O saint represented by this image."
        </p>
        <p>
            We have images, pictures, and relics of Our Lord, His
            Blessed Mother, and the saints, for the same reason
            that we have relics and portraits of George Washington,
            Abraham Lincoln, or of our relatives and friends. They
            remind us of the original. Who can look upon the
            crucifix or upon a picture of the Crucifixion without
            being reminded of all the sufferings of Our Lord and
            Saviour Jesus Christ?
        </p>
        <p>
            And who can seriously contemplate those sufferings,
            borne for us so patiently, without being moved to pity
            and to repentance? Such a person will be moved to say
            with the heart if not with the lips: "Oh, my God, I am
            sorry for having offended Thee and caused Thee such
            suffering. Grant that I may love Thee with my whole
            heart and never more offend Thee."
        </p>
        <p>
            Catholics, as we have seen, adore God alone. They honor
            the Blessed Virgin and saints represented by images.
            They use these holy pictures and statues to beautify
            the house of God. These pictures are also a source of
            instruction. They are a profession of our faith. If you
            enter a house and see on one side of the room a picture
            of the Blessed Virgin, Cardinal Gibbons, or of Pope Leo
            XIII, and on the other a picture of Lincoln, Cleveland,
            or Washington, you will at once know the religious
            faith as well as the political belief or patriotism of
            the occupant.
        </p>
        <p>
            By the aid of the relics of the martyrs we are reminded
            of all they suffered for the faith. By the use of
            religious pictures, our devotion is increased and we
            are stimulated to imitate the virtues of the saints
            represented.
        </p>
        <p>
            If it is reasonable to have pictures of our martyred
            President and relics of our Revolutionary heroes that
            we may be reminded of their patriotism, it is none the
            less reasonable to have pictures and relics of Our
            Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and the saints, that we may
            be reminded of their virtues. By imitating their
            virtues here, we may be <i>happy with them
            hereafter</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_12" id="practice_12">XII. Some
            Sacramentals</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Pray without ceasing" (<i>2 Thess</i>. v. 17).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "Every creature is sanctified by the word of God and
            prayer" (<i>1 Tim</i>. 4, 5).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">B</font>Y SACRAMENTALS we mean the
            various prayers, blessings, ceremonies and pious
            practices of the Church. Here mention will be made of
            some of the most common of the sacramentals that have
            not already been treated. Sacramentals, like
            sacraments, have an outward sign; the latter, however,
            were instituted by Christ, the former by the Church,
            and while the latter always give grace if we place no
            obstacle in the way, the former do not give grace, but
            excite good thoughts, increase devotion, and raise the
            mind to God.
        </p>
        <p>
            The chief sacramentals that have not been mentioned are
            the books used by the priest in the performance of his
            sacred duties, the sign of the cross, holy water,
            blessed candles, blessed palm and ashes, holy oils,
            scapulars, medals, Agnus Dei, prayers, litanies,
            rosary, the Angelus, stations, the funeral service, and
            various blessings.
        </p>
        <p>
            The books used by the priest in the performance of his
            sacred duties are the <i>Missal</i>, which contains the
            Masses for the various feasts of the ecclesiastical
            year; the <i>Breviary</i>, in which is the office
            recited by the priest every day; and the <i>Ritual</i>,
            where is to be found the form of administering the
            different sacraments, the funeral service, and the
            various benedictions.
        </p>
        <p>
            The sacramental of most frequent use in the Church is
            the <i>sign of the cross</i>. It is used to remind us
            of the Passion and Death of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus
            Christ on the cross. The cross is the emblem of the
            Christian, the "sign of the Son of Man." It is an act
            of faith in the principal truths of Christianity. When
            we say the words, "In the name," we profess our faith
            in the unity of God, which means that there is but one
            God; "of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
            Ghost," are a profession of faith in the
            Trinity&mdash;<i>i.e.</i>, that there are three divine
            persons in one God. The form of the cross which we
            trace with our right hand from our forehead to our
            breast, and then from the left to the right shoulder,
            is a profession of faith in the Incarnation of the Son
            of God, who became man and died on the cross for our
            redemption. Tertullian and other writers of the early
            ages of the Church tell us that before every action,
            before rising or retiring, before meals, at every step,
            "we impress on our forehead the sign of the cross." The
            Catholic Church of to-day, in accordance with the
            teachings of Christ, His apostles, and their successors
            of all time, teaches her children to put their trust in
            the merits of Jesus Christ's sufferings on the cross,
            and to do everything "in the name of the Father and of
            the Son and of the Holy Ghost."
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>Holy water</i> is water blessed by a priest. During
            the blessing beautiful prayers are recited. These
            prayers express the spiritual blessings the Church
            wishes to follow all who use it. The Church uses holy
            water in all the benedictions and some of her
            sacraments. It is placed at the doors of her churches,
            that all who enter may use it and be reminded of that
            purity of heart which it symbolizes. Holy water is also
            kept in the houses of Catholics, to be used in times of
            trial and when the priest comes to administer the
            sacraments.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>blessed candles</i> used in the service of the
            Church receive their special blessing on Candlemas Day.
            We use these lighted candles at different times to
            remind us of Jesus, who is the "Light of the world."
            Catholics always keep a blessed candle in the house.
            The Church puts a lighted candle in our hand at our
            baptism, and wishes us to die with one in our hand, to
            remind us to hope in Him who is our Light and the light
            of the world.
        </p>
        <p>
            On Ash Wednesday <i>ashes</i> are blessed and put on
            the forehead of the faithful in the form of a cross,
            with the words, "Remember, man, that thou art dust and
            unto dust thou shalt return," to remind them that they
            are only dust and ashes. These are the ashes of burnt
            <i>palms</i> blessed the Palm Sunday of the previous
            year. These palms are blessed in memory of the
            triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when the
            people spread palm branches along the way. This palm
            should remind us to perform faithfully our duty if we
            wish to enjoy the palm of victory.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>holy oils</i> are blessed by the bishop on Holy
            Thursday of each year. They are of three kinds: oil of
            the sick, used in the sacrament of Extreme Unction; oil
            of the Catechumens, used in blessing baptismal water
            and in the sacrament of Baptism; and Holy Chrism, used
            in the preparation of baptismal water in the ceremonies
            of Baptism, Confirmation, and at the consecration of a
            bishop, of churches, altars, bells and chalices. The
            olive oil used should remind us of Our Saviour's
            <i>passion</i> in the Garden of Olives.
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>Agnus Deis</i> (blessed by the Pope),
            <i>scapulars</i>, and <i>medals</i> are small articles
            worn by Catholics to remind them of Our Lord (the Lamb
            of God), of the Blessed Virgin, and of the saints. They
            are emblems of the Christian, as the starry banner is
            the emblem of the American; and as the flag of our
            country shows that we are under the protection of the
            Government of the United States, so the Agnus Dei,
            scapulars, and medals show that we are under the
            protection of Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, and His
            saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>Prayer</i> is the elevation of our mind and heart to
            God to ask Him for all blessings, temporal and
            spiritual. Prayer is necessary to salvation. We are
            taught in St. Luke (xviii.) to pray always and faint
            not. We should pray with attention and devotion, with
            confidence and humility. We are told in the Lord's
            Prayer to pray for others as well as for ourselves, and
            God's choicest blessings will be granted us through
            Jesus Christ Our Lord. The best of all prayers is the
            one God taught us&mdash;the Lord's Prayer. Other
            prayers common in the Church are Litanies, Rosaries,
            the Angelus, Stations, and the Funeral Service for the
            dead. The Litanies most in use in the Church are the
            Litany of All Saints, of the Blessed Virgin, of the
            Holy Name of Jesus. In these Litanies we ask God to
            have mercy on us and the saints to pray for us; but we
            ask everything through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Few
            practices of the Church are more widespread than the
            <i>Rosary</i> of the Blessed Virgin. It consists of the
            best of all prayers&mdash;the Apostles' Creed, the Our
            Father, three Hail Marys, and the Glory be to the
            Father; then the Our Father and ten Hail Marys repeated
            five times. This constitutes the beads, or one-third
            part of the Rosary. During the recitation of these
            prayers the mind should be occupied meditating on the
            principal mysteries of the life of Our Lord. These
            mysteries are divided into the five joyful mysteries:
            the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel, the Visitation
            of the Blessed Virgin to St. Elizabeth, the Birth of
            Our Lord, the Presentation, and the Finding in the
            Temple; the five sorrowful mysteries: the Agony in the
            Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with Thorns, the
            Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion; and the
            five glorious mysteries: the Resurrection, the
            Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, the
            Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and the Crowning of
            the Blessed Virgin in heaven. Any one of these
            mysteries furnishes sufficient material to occupy the
            mind of man for hours. These mysteries contain the
            whole history of the Redemption. The prayers and
            meditations of the Rosary satisfy the minds of the
            humblest, while they are sufficient to occupy the
            attention of the most exalted and most cultivated. The
            <i>Angelus</i> is a beautiful prayer, said morning,
            noon, and night. In Catholic countries the bell is
            rung, when all cease their occupations, kneel, and
            recite: "The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and
            she conceived by the Holy Ghost"&mdash;a Hail Mary.
            "Behold the handmaid of the Lord&mdash;be it done unto
            me according to Thy Word"&mdash;a Hail Mary. "And the
            Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us"&mdash;a Hail
            Mary. The prayer: "Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
            Thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the
            Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the
            message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be
            brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the
            same Christ Our Lord. Amen." By this beautiful practice
            we show in a special manner our faith in the
            Incarnation of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>Stations of the Cross</i> are fourteen paintings
            representing the various stages of the passion and
            death of Our Redeemer. The faithful pass from station
            to station and meditate upon that feature of the
            passion represented by each station. Tradition tells us
            that from the beginning pious pilgrims were accustomed
            to tread the path and bedew with their tears the way
            sanctified by our Saviour on that sorrowful journey
            from Pilate's tribunal to Calvary's heights. But
            Jerusalem falling into the hands of infidels, and many
            being unable to visit those holy places, permission was
            obtained to erect in churches fourteen crosses and
            pictures commemorating these sorrowful acts. From these
            stations all can meditate upon the sufferings of our
            Saviour, and learn from Him submission to God's holy
            will, patience, charity, and forgiveness of injuries.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>funeral service</i> of the Catholic Church is
            beautiful, touching, and instructive. After blessing,
            strengthening, and encouraging us through life with her
            sacraments; after fortifying our souls for the last
            great struggle, she follows us beyond the grave with
            her blessings, her prayers, and her sacrifices.
            "Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord," she prays; "and
            let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in
            peace."
        </p>
        <p>
            There are various other prayers and blessings used by
            the Church on special occasions. In fact, the Church
            blesses everything she uses. This blessing of the
            priest is not such an absurd thing as some imagine it
            to be; it is rather a most reasonable practice. It is
            simply a prayer said by the priest, asking God to send
            His blessing upon the person or thing indicated. People
            of all denominations say grace before meals, asking God
            to bless the food they are about to use. This is
            precisely what the priest does when blessing anything.
            He uses different forms of prayer ordained by the
            Church to implore God's blessing upon the water,
            candles, and other things before using them. This
            blessing of churches, water, candles, and other things
            has its foundation on Scripture. We read in the Old
            Testament of the solemn blessing of the Temple of
            Solomon. St. Paul tells us that "every creature is
            sanctified by the word of God and prayer." Churches,
            water, candles, bells, books, persons, and other things
            blessed by the Church are creatures. Therefore we are
            following St. Paul in blessing them, for every creature
            is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
        </p>
        <p>
            We do not claim that those articles that are blessed
            have any efficacy in themselves; but we hope and pray
            that God in His infinite goodness and mercy may render
            those blessed articles beneficial to those using them,
            may protect them and lead them to <i>His blessed abode
            above, where all is peace and light and love.</i>
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_13" id="practice_13">XIII. The
            Celebration of Feasts</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Seven days shalt thou celebrate feasts to the Lord thy
            God, in the place which the Lord shalt choose"
            (<i>Deut</i>. xvi. 15).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as
            the heathen and the publican" (<i>Matt.</i> xviii. 17).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>ROM these texts we learn that
            besides the Sunday God wishes certain other days to be
            observed religiously, and that the Church has the power
            of designating these days.
        </p>
        <p>
            As the State sets aside certain national holidays in
            commemoration of its founder or of the Declaration of
            Independence, so the Church sets aside these holidays
            in honor of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the
            saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            Besides the feasts celebrated on Sundays, there are in
            this country but six holidays of obligation. Three of
            these are commemorative of events in the life of Our
            Lord: Christmas, the Circumcision, and the Ascension;
            two, the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, in
            honor of the Blessed Virgin; and one in honor of God's
            saints&mdash;the Feast of All Saints.
        </p>
        <p>
            The ecclesiastical year begins in Advent. Advent is a
            period of about four weeks of penance and prayer
            preparatory to the great feast of Christmas and
            corresponding to the penitential season of Lent before
            Easter. During the ecclesiastical year, the first of
            the feasts of obligation in the order of time is the
            feast of the <i>Immaculate Conception</i>.
        </p>
        <p>
            It is celebrated on the 8th of December. On this day we
            commemorate the fact that Mary was immaculate when she
            first came into being in her mother's womb; that she
            was always pure; that sin never touched her fair soul.
            Immaculate Conception, as you will see in the article
            on the Blessed Virgin, means that she was always free
            from sin.
        </p>
        <p>
            The great feast of <i>Christmas</i>, in honor of the
            birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on December 25th.
            This feast is a time of joy and peace to all mankind,
            and is celebrated by the Church with much pomp and
            ceremony.
        </p>
        <p>
            The festival of the <i>Circumcision</i> is kept on the
            first day of the new year. It is commemorative of Our
            Lord's strict observance of the law by submitting to
            the Jewish ceremony of circumcision. We solemnly
            celebrate the day in honor of our merciful Lord, who is
            our model in all things.
        </p>
        <p>
            Next in the order of time is the feast of the
            <i>Ascension</i>. It is kept forty days after the grand
            feast of Easter, and is in honor of Our Lord's glorious
            ascension into heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            The <i>Assumption</i> of the Blessed Virgin, celebrated
            the 15th of August, is commemorative of the glorious
            taking up to heaven of Mary, soul and body. (This is a
            pious tradition.)
        </p>
        <p>
            <i>All Saints'</i> Day is November 1st. Every day is a
            saint's day. There is not a day that the Catholic
            Church does not celebrate a feast in honor of some
            special mystery or saint. But as there are more saints
            in heaven than could be thus specially honored, she
            sets aside this one day every year in honor of all the
            saints in heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            There are various other important feasts, some of which
            fall on Sunday; but these we have mentioned being
            feasts of obligation to be observed as Sunday, it was
            thought that it would not be uninteresting to give a
            short explanation of them.
        </p>
        <p>
            On them we honor God and His special friends. Let us
            always, by faith, hope, and love, <i>bear Jesus in our
            minds and hearts</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_14" id="practice_14">XIV. Infant
            Baptism</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again
            of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not enter into the
            kingdom of God" (<i>John</i> iii 5).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>HILE most Christians admit the
            necessity of Baptism for adults, the Catholic Church is
            alone in insisting upon the practice of infant Baptism.
            This practice is in accordance with the teaching of St.
            John, quoted above. It is also in accordance with
            apostolic teaching and practice.
        </p>
        <p>
            We read in the 16th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles
            that St. Paul baptized Lydia "and her household," and
            that the keeper of the prison was converted and "was
            baptized and presently all his family." Among these
            families it is but reasonable to suppose that there
            were some infants.
        </p>
        <p>
            Infant Baptism was the practice of the apostles; it was
            the practice of the Christians of the early Church, as
            Origen tells us. The Church received the tradition from
            the apostles to give Baptism to infants, and it has
            been the practice of the Church from the time of Christ
            until the present.
        </p>
        <p>
            St. Paul tells us that Adam's sin was transmitted to
            all his posterity. "Wherefore as by one man sin entered
            into this world, and by sin death, and so death passed
            unto all men in whom all have sinned" (<i>Rom</i>. v.
            12). Every infant, according to St. Paul, is born to
            sin&mdash;original sin. But as Baptism takes away
            original sin, and as nothing defiled can enter heaven
            (<i>Apoc</i>. xxi.), Baptism of infants is necessary to
            open for them the gates of heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            Baptism may be validly administered by dipping,
            sprinkling, or pouring. The method practised in this
            part of Christendom is pouring the water on the head of
            the person to be baptized, saying at the same time: "I
            baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son
            and of the Holy Ghost."
        </p>
        <p>
            The reasonableness of the practice of baptizing infants
            will be evident if we remember that Christ taught the
            necessity of baptism for all when He said: "Unless a
            man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can
            not enter into the kingdom of God"; and that He
            declared little children capable of entering into the
            kingdom of God when He said: "Suffer little children to
            come unto Me and forbid them not, for of such is the
            kingdom of heaven."
        </p>
        <p>
            Now, if infants are capable of entering heaven (and
            Christ so declares), they must be capable of receiving
            Baptism, without which Christ says no one can enter the
            kingdom of God.
        </p>
        <p>
            While in adults faith and sorrow for sin are required
            before receiving Baptism, no disposition is required in
            infants.
        </p>
        <p>
            They contracted original sin without their knowledge;
            without their knowledge they are freed from it.
        </p>
        <p>
            By Baptism they are made heirs of the kingdom of
            heaven.
        </p>
        <p>
            They can be made heirs of property, of a kingdom on
            earth without their consent; why not also of the
            kingdom of heaven?
        </p>
        <p>
            Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments which the
            Church confers upon man. It cleanses us from original
            sin (actual sin also if the recipient be guilty of
            any), makes us Christians, children of God, and heirs
            of heaven. It prepares us for the reception of the
            other sacraments. By Baptism we all contracted the
            obligation of believing and practising the doctrines of
            Jesus Christ as taught us by the true Church. We fulfil
            this obligation by <i>leading a truly Christian
            life</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_15" id="practice_15">XV. The Marriage
            Tie&mdash;One and Indissoluble</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "But I say to you that whosoever shall put away his
            wife, excepting for the cause of fornication, maketh
            her to commit adultery; and he that shall marry her
            that is put away committeth adultery" (<i>Matt</i>. v.
            33).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "What, therefore, God hath joined together, let no man
            put asunder" (<i>Matt</i>. xix. 5, 6).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">F</font>EW practices of the Church have
            been productive of more good to society than that
            concerning Christian marriage. The Christian family is
            the foundation of Christian society, and Christian
            marriage is the basis of the Christian family. Without
            marriage neither the family nor society could exist.
            Marriage was instituted by God before society existed,
            and, as a natural consequence, it is subject not to the
            laws of society, but to the laws of God and His Church.
            The principal law and necessary condition of Christian
            marriage is its unity and indissolubility. It is the
            union of one man with one woman for the purposes
            intended by the Creator, which union is to last as long
            as both survive. Such was marriage in the beginning; to
            such it was restored by our Saviour when He made it a
            sacrament of His law and a type of His union with His
            Church.
        </p>
        <p>
            The practice of the Catholic Church in not permitting a
            divorce that will allow either party to marry during
            the life of the other, is clearly taught by Jesus
            Christ in the 5th chapter of Matthew: "He who puts away
            his wife maketh her to commit adultery, and he that
            marrieth her committeth adultery."
        </p>
        <p>
            No human power can break the bond of marriage. "What
            God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." It
            is the work of God. Let no man dare meddle with it. St.
            Paul teaches the same when he says in the 39th verse of
            the 7th chapter of the First Epistle to the
            Corinthians: "A woman is bound by the law as long as
            her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at
            liberty, let her marry whom she will." The practice of
            the Catholic Church is conformable to this teaching of
            Christ, St. Paul, the apostles, and their successors.
        </p>
        <p>
            In defence of this practice of forbidding divorce,
            since marriage is one and indissoluble, the Catholic
            Church has had many a severe conflict. And had she not
            fought this battle bravely for the sanctity, the unity,
            and the indissolubility of the marriage tie, Europe and
            America would today be in as degraded a condition as
            are the Mahometan and other nations where the laws of
            marriage are disregarded. For divorces are not only
            contrary to Christ's teaching concerning the sanctity,
            unity, and indissolubility of the marriage tie, but are
            also subversive of society. They sever the marriage tie
            inasmuch as the law of man can do it. If the marriage
            tie is loosened, the family is dissolved; and if the
            family is dissolved, society, the state, falls to ruin.
            Divorce destroys conjugal love, causes unhappiness,
            renders the proper education of children impossible,
            and often leads to terrible crimes. Is it not
            reasonable as well as scriptural to forbid it?
        </p>
        <p>
            The Christian husband and wife, knowing the sanctity,
            the unity, and the indissolubility of the marriage tie,
            live in love and peace and honor together; together
            they rear the issue of their union, teaching them to be
            good children, good citizens, and good Christians;
            together, after a long, a prosperous, and a happy
            union, they return to dust; and together they will meet
            again beyond the confines of the tomb&mdash;<i>yes,
            they will meet to part no more</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_16" id="practice_16">XVI. Respect
            Shown to Ecclesiastical Superiors</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "We are ambassadors for Christ; God, as it were,
            exhorting by us" (<i>2 Cor</i>. v. 20).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "As the Father sent me, I also send you" (<i>John</i>
            xx. 21).
        </p>
        <p align="center">
            "Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to
            every creature" (<i>Mark</i> xvi. 15).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE respect Catholics have for
            the bishops and priests of the Church is often a matter
            of surprise to those not of the Faith. They do not
            understand, as Catholics do, that the priests are
            "ambassadors for Christ" sent to "preach the Gospel to
            every creature." For Christ instituted the priesthood
            to carry on divine worship, to govern the Church, to
            preach His doctrine, and to administer the sacraments.
        </p>
        <p>
            As in the Old Law God chose His priests from among the
            family of Aaron, so in the New Law He chooses them from
            among those whom His apostles and their successors see
            fit to ordain. Priests and other ministers of the
            Church receive in the sacrament of Holy Orders the
            power and grace to perform their sacred duties. If we
            would but consider seriously for a moment the
            importance of these duties and the great dignity of the
            minister of God, we would have no difficulty in
            understanding the reasonableness of the Catholic
            practice of showing profound respect to God's
            priesthood.
        </p>
        <p>
            The priest is the minister of Jesus Christ, who chose
            him that he might obtain for himself the greatest good
            and in return bestow this good upon his fellow-man.
            Jesus Christ chose him that he might aid Him in the
            work for which He came on earth. What a noble mission!
            What important duties! What a great dignity! To aid
            Jesus Christ in saving souls, to teach them the truths
            of salvation, to loose them from their sins, to offer
            the eucharistic sacrifice for them, to pray for them,
            to minister unto them, and to fill them with Heaven's
            choice blessings; for such a high mission, for such
            important duties did Jesus Christ choose the priest. If
            his duties are so important, his dignity must be
            correspondingly great.
        </p>
        <p>
            On the banks of the Lake of Genesareth the Great
            Teacher chose Peter as His vicar and head of His
            Church. As the pontiff could not be everywhere, Peter
            and the other apostles imposed hands on others as the
            needs of the growing Church demanded. They understood
            that it was by a living, teaching ministry this work of
            salvation was to be carried on. For we find it recorded
            in the 14th chapter of the Acts that Paul and Barnabas
            ordained priests in Lystra and Iconium.
        </p>
        <p>
            Paul also consecrated Titus Bishop of Crete, for the
            express purpose of ordaining others. Thus we see that
            as Christ was sent by the Father, the apostles by
            Christ, so, too, is the priest invested with the same
            power "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work
            of the ministry and for the edification of the body of
            Christ" (<i>Eph</i>. iv. 12), and that no one but a
            priest divinely called, rightly ordained, and
            legitimately sent has power from God to teach God's
            words to the faithful. He is the ambassador of God,
            commissioned to do His work with His authority; the
            vicar of Christ continuing the work He commenced; and
            the organ of the Holy Ghost for the sanctification of
            souls. He is ever imitating his model, going "about
            doing good." He devotes his life to alleviate the
            sufferings of men. To spend one's life instructing man
            is but second in importance to alleviating his
            sufferings. This the priest is ever doing. He rescued
            us from barbarism; saved for us at the risk of his life
            the Holy Scriptures, the classics of Greece and Rome,
            and the writings of the Fathers; founded the great
            universities of Europe; and is to-day, as in the past,
            the greatest educator in the world. He does all this
            for love of God. Do you wonder, then, that Catholics
            love and revere their priests?
        </p>
        <p>
            Nowhere can there be found a body of men or a series of
            rulers so venerable, so renowned for wisdom, justice,
            charity, and holiness, as the Popes, bishops, and
            priests of the Catholic Church in every age, <i>from
            the time of Christ until the present</i>.
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_17" id="practice_17">XVII.
            Celibacy</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "He who is unmarried careth about the things of the
            Lord, how he may please God" (<i>i Cor</i>. vii. 32).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">T</font>HE Catholic Church recognizes
            matrimony as a holy state. She recommends celibacy to
            those desiring greater perfection, and enjoins it on
            her priests because, as St. Paul says, "He who is
            unmarried careth about the things of the Lord." It is
            said that the life of the priest is a hard, lonely one,
            and that it is unscriptural. Let us see. That his life
            is one of hardships is certain. His path is by no means
            one of roses; it is rather one covered with thorns. The
            young man knows this well before he enters it. With a
            full knowledge of its duties and responsibilities, he
            willingly enters the priesthood. He knows well that it
            is a life full of trials and crosses. He knows, too,
            that the whole life of Jesus Christ, from the stable of
            Bethlehem to the cross on Calvary's heights, was one
            continuous trial, cross, mortification; and that the
            life of every follower, especially every minister, of
            Jesus Christ should be fashioned after that of his
            divine model. "If any man will come after Me," He says
            in the 16th chapter of St. Matthew, "let him deny
            himself, take up his cross and follow Me." The
            disciple, the minister of Christ, is not above his
            Master; and it is not becoming that the path of the
            disciple or minister should be covered with flowers
            while that of the Master was strewn with thorns and
            sprinkled with His own precious blood.
        </p>
        <p>
            Yes, the priest's life is one of trials, crosses, and
            hardships. But the more trials he has to bear, the more
            crosses he has to carry, the more hardships he has to
            endure, the greater is his resemblance to his model,
            Jesus Christ; and if he bears those trials, crosses,
            and hardships, which he shares with his Master here,
            with a proper spirit, the more certain he is of sharing
            with Him a happy eternity hereafter.
        </p>
        <p>
            But is the life of celibacy unscriptural? No. In fact,
            few questions are more clearly defined in Holy
            Scripture than that of religious celibacy. St. Paul, in
            the 7th chapter of the First Epistle to the
            Corinthians, says: "I would have you without
            solicitude. He who is unmarried careth for the things
            of the Lord, how he may please God; but he who is
            married careth about the things of the world, how he
            may please his wife, and is divided. And the unmarried
            woman and virgin thinketh about the things of the Lord,
            how she may be holy in body and spirit. But she that is
            married thinketh about the things of the world, how she
            may please her husband. Therefore," he concludes, "he
            that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well; and he
            who giveth her not doth better." Could language be
            clearer? Marriage is good; celibacy is better.
        </p>
        <p>
            "He that is unmarried careth about the things of the
            Lord, how he may please God." This teaching of St. Paul
            is the teaching of the Church&mdash; that marriage is
            honorable, is good, but that there is a better, a
            holier state for those who are called by the grace of
            God to embrace it.
        </p>
        <p>
            Religious celibacy is one of the principal reasons why
            the Catholic priest and missionary will risk all
            dangers, overcome all obstacles, face all terrors, and
            in time of plague expose himself to death in its most
            disgusting forms for the good of his fellow-man.
        </p>
        <p>
            All are acquainted with the noble examples of numbers
            of priests and Sisters of Charity who, at the risk of
            their own lives, voluntarily nursed the sick and dying
            during the yellow-fever scourge in the South a few
            years ago. Do you think they would have done so had
            they families depending upon them? No; they would have
            cared for the things of this world. Jesus Christ has
            said: "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man
            give up his life for his fellow-man." This the good
            priest is ever doing, ever ready to do. Although death
            stares him in the face, he never shrinks from his post
            of duty, never abandons his flock while there is a
            wound to heal, a soul to save.
        </p>
        <p>
            When his duty calls him, he is not afraid of death,
            because St. Paul says: "<i>He who is without a wife is
            solicitous about the things of the Lord.</i>"
        </p>
        <h2>
            <a name="practice_18" id="practice_18">XVIII.
            Conclusion</a>
        </h2>
        <p align="center">
            "If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments"
            (<i>Matt</i>. xix. 17).
        </p>
        <p>
            <font size="+3">W</font>HEN Jesus Christ died on the
            cross for us, He did so in order to lead us into life,
            to open heaven for all mankind. How important our
            salvation must be, then, for which Christ shed His
            precious blood. If it is important, He must have taught
            us how to attain it. This, too, He did by the words,
            "keep the commandments."
        </p>
        <p>
            To assist us in keeping the commandments He left a
            representative on earth. His Church, whose ministers
            were to teach all nations, is this representative. To
            her He said: "He that hears you, hears Me."
        </p>
        <p>
            The night before He died He instituted the adorable
            sacrifice of the Mass, saying: "This is My body . . .
            This is My blood which shall be shed for you." He then
            gave the apostles and their successors power to do what
            He had just done: "Do this in commemoration of Me." He
            also gave them power to baptize, to forgive sins, to
            bless, to be "dispensers of the mysteries of God." He
            gave them power to confer these powers on others. "As
            the Father sent Me [<i>i.e.</i>, with the same power] I
            also send you." To these apostles and their successors
            He spoke when He said that He would remain with them
            until the consummation of the world. To them and the
            Church He said: "He that hears you hears Me." What the
            Church teaches, then, Christ teaches.
        </p>
        <p>
            As, in the natural order, man is born, grows to
            manhood, is nourished, and if sick needs proper food
            and remedies: so, in the supernatural order, there is a
            birth, it is Baptism; there is a manly growth, it is
            Confirmation; there is a nourishing food, it is the
            Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life; there is a medicinal
            remedy against death, it is Penance; and there is a
            balm to heal the wounds, the scars of sin, it is
            Extreme Unction. These are some of the channels through
            which God's grace flows into our souls to assist us to
            keep the commandments.
        </p>
        <p>
            The practices of the Church naturally flow from her
            teachings. She teaches that there is but one God, the
            creator and Lord of heaven and earth and all things;
            that man by his reason alone can find out this truth;
            that the order, beauty, and harmony of the works of
            nature show God's work; but that there are some truths
            which the deepest intellect of man can never fathom.
            Hence she teaches that God has revealed certain truths;
            such as the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, the
            Incarnation, and the Blessed Sacrament. When we know
            that God has revealed these truths we are acting
            reasonably not only in believing them, but also in
            showing our belief by practices of respect, adoration,
            and love.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Church teaches that we must not only believe, but
            practise our religion. For faith alone will not save
            us. "Faith without works is dead." To have these works
            we must "keep the commandments." We must love God above
            all things and our neighbor as ourselves. All the
            commandments are comprised in this. In fact, the
            essence of Christianity is charity.
        </p>
        <p>
            Where will you find charity practised in reality except
            in the Catholic Church? If you wish to see the truth of
            this, visit our larger towns and cities, and you will
            find hundreds of hospitals, asylums, schools, and other
            charitable institutions in which are thousands of the
            children of the Catholic Church, who have left
            everything to alleviate every ill that flesh is heir
            to, and follow the meek and humble Jesus in His mission
            of love.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Catholic Church alone teaches, as Jesus taught
            while on earth, the duty of penance. "If any man will
            come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross
            and follow Me." According to Christ's teaching, the
            Church sets aside the penitential season of Lent and
            other times of mortification.
        </p>
        <p>
            The Church also teaches that we must not only be
            faithful in the observance of the practices of
            religion, but that we must also live in peace and
            justice and charity with all mankind, and die with a
            hope beyond the grave. If we love God we will
            faithfully observe the practices of the Church; these
            practices will assist us in keeping the commandments,
            by which we will enter into life.
        </p>
        <p>
            We have seen that the various ceremonies and practices
            of the Catholic Church are dictated by right reason;
            that they are the rational deduction from Christ's
            teaching; that they obtain for us divine grace, excite
            pious thoughts, and elevate our minds to God; and that
            a true Christian is one who not only believes but also
            practises the teachings of Christ and His Church. The
            observance of these pious practices of the Church makes
            us Christians in fact as well as in name. They assist
            us to keep the commandment and to live in accordance
            with our faith. By faithfully observing them, we show
            that we are not ashamed to be Christ's followers. And
            if we follow Him, who is the way, the truth, and the
            life, we will not walk in darkness; but will enter by
            the narrow way into the presence of truth itself, <i>in
            the regions of eternal light</i>.
        </p><br>
        <br>
        <p align="center">
            PRINTED BY BENZINGER BROTHERS, NEW YORK
        </p>







<pre>





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