powers substantially united to it, yet distinct amongst themselves. Now since thou art an image of God, thy perfection consists entirely in bringing out the resemblance to thy divine original by imitating, not indeed His power, as Lucifer tried to do with such sorry success, nor His knowledge, as Adam unfortunately strove to do, but His holiness, as in so many words we are bid to do by God Himself: Sancti eritis, quia ego sanctus sum-Lev. xix. 2-Be ye holy, because I am holy; and on which account-viz., by reason of His holiness-He receives the especial homage and praise of the angelic spirits who sing Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanc tus, Dominus Deus-Apoc. iv. 8-Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Make therefore the most earnest endeavours to model thy life on the perfect holiness of God.

MONDAY AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY.

Ipse vobis demonstrabit cœnaculum grande stratum: et illic parate nobis.-Marc. xiv. 15.

He will show you a large dining-room furnished; and there prepare ye for us.

I. CONSIDER, with a view to preparing thyself during these days that precede the solemnity of the most adorable Sacrament, in what the preparations consisted which Christ Himself made. In the first place He sends two of His disciples to get ready a large and well-furnished room - Conaculum grande stratum· and why, pray? If Jesus was ever so enamoured of poverty that He was content with a manger at His birth, with a scanty cell during His lifetime, and at His death had not even a draught of water wherewith to quench His thirst-why go in search of a stately and richly-adorned room in order to spread

the Eucharistic table before a few poor fishermen ? The reason is to give thee to understand what thy preparation ought to be on drawing near to this sacred table, and on receiving thy God into the lodging of thy heart. In what has thy preparation hitherto consisted on approaching the altar to receive Communion or to say Mass? Hast thou drawn near well prepared, or perhaps from mere custom, as thou wouldst to any other ordinary repast?

II. Consider that Our Lord caused to be got ready a large room or hall-cœnaculum grande ;-such also must thy heart be to receive therein a divine and adorable guest; thy heart must be large and spacious, because thy Lord will pour His heavenly treasures into it in proportion to the room He finds there : Dilata os tuum et implebo illud-Ps. lxxx. 11-Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. But in order that thy heart may be made fit thou must strive to empty it of all disorderly and earthly affections; that it may become large and roomy thou must widen out thy desires and thy aspirations. Thou hast hitherto derived so little fruit from the many Communions thou hast made, because thou hast gone to receive thy Lord with a heart encumbered with a thousand disorderly. whims and attachments which have cloyed thy longing and taken away thy hunger after this heavenly bread. When the stomach is laden with crude humours, it feels no hunger and so also it is with thy heart. In order to derive nourishment from this heavenly table, empty thy heart of everything earthly, and so wilt thou feel a hunger for it and derive benefit from it: Fameli:i saturati sunt-1 Reg. ii. 5—The hungry are filled.

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III. Consider that the hall was moreover richly furnished and adorned with precious vessels, thus showing that thou hast to enrich and adorn thy heart with virtue when thou approachest Holy Communion.

These acts of virtue ought to consist before Communion in acts of real humility and true contrition on beholding, on the one hand, thy own worthlessness and guilt, and on the other, the excellency and dignity of that good Lord so wantonly offended by thee, and Who is now about to come from heaven to take up His abode in thy breast in the excess of His wonderful condescension and tender love. After Communion thou hast to adore Him with acts of profound worship, to thank Him for so great goodness, and to beg Him to come to thy relief in all thy various needs, for He cannot refuse thee what thou askest for, when it is to thy spiritual advantage, since He comes to bestow on thee His whole Self with all His treasures for thy sanctification.

TUESDAY AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY.

Immolabit agnum universa multitudo filiorum Israel.Exod. xii. 6.

The whole multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it.

I. CONSIDER the motives Our Lord had in initiating the Eucharistic supper by the eating of the Paschal lamb. The first was in order to convey to our minds the fact, that just in the same way as amongst the Jews the supper of the Paschal lamb was the highest festival and greatest mystery of the Mosaic law, so also the Eucharistic supper is the highest festival and greatest mystery of the Evangelical law, of which the former was but a mere shadow and figure. Now, if the Jews by express command of God solemnised their mysterious supper with so much preparation, so many rites, and such great pomp, with how much

more preparation and devotion ought not Christians to celebrate the great mystery of the Eucharistic supper! Hitherto thou hast made but too little account of this mystery. Begin at least now, during these days of preparation, to ponder on its greatness, and so conceive a more tender devotion towards this most adorable Sacrament.

II. Consider the second motive Our Lord had in first of all commemorating the supper of the Paschal lamb. It was this, that as the lamb was wont to be eaten by the Jewish people with great solemnity, in memory of their having been freed from the slavery of Pharaoh, so also the Eucharistic supper serves us as a memory of our having been freed by the pure blood of Jesus from the slavery of sin, of the devil and of hell. Now, just as the boon of our having been set at liberty from the slavery of guilt and of the everlasting death of the soul, through the divine blood of Jesus, is immeasurably greater than the benefit the Jews derived in being freed from the bondage of Pharaoh and the temporal death of the body, through sprinkling their door-posts with the blood of the lamb, so also is it fit and proper that we should partake of this Eucharistic supper with a proportionably greater devotion and preparation.

III. Consider that this law-established supper was held by the Jews once a year, on account of their having been on one only occasion set at liberty from the bondage of Egypt. But we, who by virtue of the blood of our Redeemer are day after day cleansed from our faults, daily celebrate this sacramental supper, which is at once a remembrance of the boon conferred upon us by Our Lord in ransoming us, and a renewal or repayment of our purchase-money. Hence this festival of the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest of the solemnities of the year; because all the other principal feasts of the Nativity, Resurrec

tion, and Ascension are nothing more than a simple commemoration, a mere calling to mind of these mysteries, whereas the feast of the Blessed Sacrament is a real repetition of the great mystery celebrated by Our Lord in the supper-room. If thou givest serious attention to these truths, thou wilt adore thy God with greater devotion and piety in His churches and when thou assistest at the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and thou wilt draw nigh to receive Him in Holy Communion with more earnest preparation.

WEDNESDAY AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY.

Capit lavare pedes discipulorum, et ex'ergere linteo quo erat præcinctus.-Joan. xiii. 5.

He began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.

I. CONSIDER how our Redeemer, just before the sacramental supper, took off His upper garments, girded Himself with a coarse towel, and, after filling a laver with water, began to wash the feet of His disciples on His knees like a humble menial, to show forth in a lively manner to what a degree He lowers Himself in the Blessed Sacrament, where He strips Himself of all outward majesty, covers Himself with the lowly accidents of bread and wine, and comes down from the bosom of the Eternal Father, to enter into the heart of man, to cleanse him with His own precious blood, and feed him on His own divine flesh: Declinavi ad eum ut vesceretur—Osea xi. 4—I put his meat to him that he might eat. But if the Apostle S. Peter was so wonder-stricken and touched on beholding his divine Master thus humbly kneeling at his feet,