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prison, that I may praise Thy Name! O let me at least begin in this vale of tears to offer with all my soul to Thy Divine Majesty the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, to take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the LORD, that hereafter may praise Thee for ever, through JESUS CHRIST, Thy SON, our LORD. Amen.

Now is the season of grace. The Judge is at the door; let us not be gloomy: but let us bring to Him tears, and contrition, and alms-deeds, crying, we have sinned beyond the number of the sands of the sea; but forgive all, Redeemer of all, that we also may possess the immortal crown.

LORD, have mercy.

CHRIST, have mercy.

LORD, have mercy.

O GOD, Who didst draw Lot from the midst of sinners;

Who, softened by the prayers of Moses, didst forgive the sins of Thy backsliding people;

Who didst pardon the sin of David, after his confession and repentance; Who didst command Thy priests to weep and pray, and offer sacrifice for the people;

Who didst fast forty days and forty nights;

Have mercy on us.

Who didst prevent with Thy grace,` Matthew, sitting at the receipt of cus

tom;

Who didst bear witness that the publican, humbly striking his breast, was justified;

Who didst deliver the paralytic man from his infirmity, when Thou hadst forgiven his sins;

Who, by the example of the prodigal son, didst offer to sinners the hope of pardon ;

Who didst make known to the woman of Samaria the Fountain of Living Water;

Have mercy on us.

LAMB of GOD, that takest away the sins

of the world;

Have mercy on us.

Our FATHER, &c.

PSALM XCII. Bonum est confiteri.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O most Highest;

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To tell of Thy loving-kindness early in the morning and of Thy truth in the night-season.

Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.

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For Thou, LORD, hast made me glad through Thy works and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of Thy hands.

O LORD, how glorious are Thy works : Thy thoughts are very deep.

An unwise man doth not well consider this and a fool doth not understand it.

When the ungodly are green as the grass, and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish then shall they be destroyed for ever; but Thou, O LORD, art the most Highest for evermore.

For lo, Thine enemies, O LORD, lo, Thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.

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But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn: for I am anointed with fresh oil.

Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like a palmtree and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus.

Such as are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of the house of our GOD.

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They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age and shall be fat and well-liking. That they may show how true the LORD

my strength is: and that there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Glory be to the FATHER, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.

TUESDAY IN ADVENT.

"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning."-S. Luke xii. 35.

That fervent love which moves the soul to a closer union with her Beloved, her GOD and Redeemer, sends her to Him for this end in meditation, in the converse of prayer, and in the blessed Sacrament of His love, that she may be made one with Him, may live with Him, and be enriched with His gifts and graces. Not all these means, however,-not even the Sacramental union of the loving soul with her Spouse and LORD, is enough to satiate her love. In this Holy Sacrament she has indeed her strength and support, but she sees Him only by faith, and under a veil. The frequency, therefore, of this Communion, if it is rightly received, increases her longing for a more perfect union with her GOD, that she

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may see Him face to face, and may behold His glory.

And what can be more natural than for a loving bride to desire the day of espousal ? "The SPIRIT and the Bride say, Come!" The whole Church says, "Come!" And each faithful soul, animated by the HOLY SPIRIT, says, "Come !"

But in expectation of this coming, we must be on the alert, with our "loins girded," and our "lights burning." Let me bind around me, then, the girdle of chastity and temperance. Let my will, and mind, and affections be filled with the True Light. Let me "watch" by the heart, by faith, by love, by good works. But alas! even if the spirit be willing, the flesh is weak. And I have too often fallen from this vigilance by my own heaviness and sloth. O that I had been more faithful to my watch, and had not slumbered, as I have done, over my Christian duties! How many evil habits might I have been delivered from! How many virtues and graces might I have obtained!

But my soul has slept, and the enemies of my peace have been watchful, and have gained an advantage over me. But, LORD, Thou hast made me sensible of my loss; my heart waketh; my soul is athirst for Thee, O when wilt Thou come unto me? When

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