away like a shadow-as a ship that passeth through the waves —as when a bird flieth through the air—as when an arrow is shot at a mark. So we also being born, forthwith ceased to be.-Such things as these the sinners said in Hell (Wisdom). Yet a little while for earthly pleasures.

Yet a little while for earthly sufferings. St. Paul called these all light and momentary, after he had seen a glimpse of the world to come.

Yet a little while, to fight, then all is secure.

Yet a little while, to earn a higher place in Heaven.

Yet a little while, to do penance here and so shorten those sorrows of Purgatory which eye hath not seen and our thoughts cannot measure.

Yet a little while, to hear Mass and receive Holy Communion.

Yet a little while, to win the Heart of our Lord by giving alms to His poor; to the souls of sinners; to the holy sufferers in Purgatory.

Yet a little while, in which we can be so blessed as to drink of His Chalice with Christ Jesus and Holy Mary.

E. The light is among you. How often in the month? How often in the week? How often each day? How often each hour, do we thank our good Lord for calling us into His admirable light?

F. How often, too, do we pray earnestly, and join penance with prayer for those who sit in darkness? Think not, Mardochai said to Esther, think not that thou mayest save thy life only because thou art in the King's house (Esther iv.).

Some saints have said that every Christian must be a Christ. It is not less true that every Christian must be a Jesus, a Saviour.

STATION XV.

These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them (v. 36).

The sense seems to be that our Lord began to move

as if to leave the Temple and go back to Mount Olivet. But apparently He lingered to say some other words before His departure.

He went away and hid Himself from the malice of the Rulers, to prevent the multiplication of sins.

"Even so, dear Lord Jesus, often hast Thou been obliged to withdraw from our souls, and hide Thyself. All Thy loveliness, all Thy charity, all Thy wisdom have been hidden from us, and we preferred things vile and mean before Thee." Jerusalem, these things are hidden from thy eyes.

"Jesus, Son of David, Jesus, Son of Holy Mary, have mercy on us, that we may see."

STATION XVI.

And whereas He had done so many miracles before them, they believed not in Him (v. 37).

A. They believed not.

The voice from Heaven was one more great grace. It fell on the hard, bad soil, like the seed, and bore no fruit. You shall die in your sins, our Lord had said to them. If you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins (St. John viii.).

Why this severe sentence? Our Blessed Saviour gave the explanation a little later to the Twelve. If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin: but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father (St. John xv.). If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not; but if I do, though you will not believe Me, believe the works (St. John x.). O Lord our God, from our hidden sins cleanse us, and from the blindness which they cause deliver us. We are much more surrounded by the wonderful works of Christ Jesus in His Holy Church, than the Jews were in Jerusalem. But, alas! all these things may become, through our own fault, hidden from our eyes.

STATION XVII.

However, many of the chief men also believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, that they might not be cast out of the Synagogue. For they loved the glory of men, more than the glory of God (vv. 42, 43).

A. Many believed, but did not confess Him.

We must often pray for those who are afraid to join the Church and confess Christ, through fear of men and temporal losses.

B. And if we ourselves are ever afraid to break our chains and confess our sins, let us remember at least to give alms and to do works of mercy, that the prayer of the poor may gain strength for us. For water quencheth a flaming fire and alms resisteth sin (Ecclus. iii.).

C. They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. By earnest meditation and fervent prayer, let us win grace to see how immeasurably better a thing it is to have glory from God than glory from men.

STATION XVIII.

But Jesus cried and said: He that believeth in Me, doth not believe in Me, but in Him that sent Me (v. 44).

A. Jesus cried and said.

Probably, as He was leaving the gathered crowd to retire to Bethania, He raised His voice and spoke this parting word of warning very loud, that it might make an impression on some at least of those present.

B. In Him that sent Me.

Observe that our Lord is the delegate and representative of His Father. In like manner, His Apostle is His Vicar, His delegate. As the Father hath sent Me, I send you (St. John xx.). He that heareth you, heareth Me (St. Luke x.). So, too, every lawful superior, within the limits of his office, is God's delegate and representative. So also every

one of our neighbours, every one needing help from us, comes to us as the proxy of our Lord: Whenever you did it to one of My little ones you did it to Me.

STATION XIX.

He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me (v. 45).

A. Here, as in so many places, He declares His own Divinity.

We must desire earnestly to see and know Jesus, that so we may see and know our Father who is in Heaven. This is Life Eternal, that they may know Thee the only true God, and Him Whom Thou hast sent, Christ Jesus (St. John xvii.). And as we gaze on Him in Heaven and contemplate all His perfections, we shall necessarily become like to Him, because we shall see Him as He is (St. John iii.). For it will be impossible not to love His goodness with all our hearts and all our minds and all our strength as soon as we once see Him as He is. And knowing Him thus and loving Him, we shall necessarily become a perfect image of Him, even as iron becomes fire when placed in contact with it.

B. Great thanks we must give to our Lord for becoming Man and thus enabling us to see Him, and through Him the Eternal Father.

C. If seeing God and knowing Him is to be our bliss in Heaven, why not begin to taste our future bliss here by often contemplating the Person, the words, the acts of - Christ Jesus? If God is to be all my happiness in eternity, can He not content me here?

STATION XX.

I am come a Light into the world, that whoever believeth in Me may not remain in darkness (v. 46).

Whoever believeth in Me. We believe rightly in Jesus Christ, when we accept Him as our God and our Teacher, and give up our souls to be taught by Him; and adopt

all His doctrines without any reserve or exception; not picking out some and leaving others in the spirit of heresy. Any one who thus accepts Christ our Lord and all His revelations, lives in a blaze of glorious light. The father of lies, therefore, labours incessantly to hinder belief in Christ, and to induce men to follow some other leader in one or other of the multiplied false religions. Let us pray often and earnestly for all who sit in darkness.

STATION XXI.

If any man hear My words and keep them not, I do not judge him; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world (v. 47).

I came not to judge.

While on earth, and now in the Blessed Eucharist, our Blessed Lord's work is to seek and to save those who were lost. He is not with us to judge, but to save. Later, when all is over here, He will be our Judge. Mother of God, pray for us poor sinners, that thy Divine Son may be able always to be our Saviour and not our severe Judge.

STATION XXII.

He that despiseth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (v. 48).

At present, men dispute and cavil about the meaning of our Lord's words, as, for instance, when He said: Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church (St. Matt. xvi.). But, at the Judgment, every word will stand in such full, clear light, that even the Judge Himself will have no need to interpret. Everything at variance with the words of our Lord will stand at once condemned.