pleasant virtue. They were getting on very well till the over-zeal of Ultramontanes roused up the Protestant spirit against Papal aggression. Surely, they cry out with indignation, Christ's Gospel is a Gospel of peace and brotherhood. They forget that it is Christ Himself Who says: Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth. I came not to send peace, but the sword (St. Matt. x.).

But did not angels, so they contend, sing round the Crib : Peace on earth? Yes; but they spoke of that peace which the world cannot give; that peace which passeth understanding The peace of the saints, the

peace

of the martyrs, is always a peace won by hard fighting. It is not at all like the effeminate peace of those who are settled on their lees (Sophon. i.); that is, of those whose peace consists in gratifying, without being disturbed, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life; that most fragile peace which the thief can steal, and the moth consume, and which perishes when “the husks of swine, with which they fain would fill their bellies, no man will give to them " (St. Luke xv.).

C. The zeal of Thy house hath eaten Me up.

Have we some little share of our Lord's zeal for the beauty of His house? Do we gladly give alms to our Lord, so poor, so helpless, so dependent on us in His tabernacle ? Have we a zeal that the house of our Lord may be not only worthy of Him, but also attractive to men, and above all to the poor?

D. Our souls also are the house of God. How welcome a home to our Lord is the soul He created for Himself! If any man love Me, My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him (St. John xiv.).

And when He visits us at the time of Holy Communion, He is sometimes forced to say in sorrow: My house is the house of prayer, but you make it a den of thieves.

“ Most compassionate Lord Jesus, blot out my iniquity.”

We must not rest contented till our souls are a house of prayer.

Our Blessed Saviour never exaggerates. Yet we read that He spoke a parable to prove that we ought always to pray and not faint. We pay large prices to a master who will teach us music or painting. Let us find some master who will teach us how to practise wisely and successfully this lesson of our Saviour: That we must pray always and not faint.

E. We are very angry sometimes if servants offend a second time after being once reproved. We give them hard words. Perchance they are even harshly discharged. But if the cattle-dealers and money-changers pay no attention to the order of our Saviour, but come back to desecrate the Temple, what great wonder is it if our mandates are also at times neglected ? We are not more entitled to dutiful obedience than our Lord and Master

was.

F. And He suffered not that any man should carry a vessel through the Temple.

How much more reverence does the Christian Church deserve, where Christ Jesus dwells in the tabernacle ! Ought it to be used as a thoroughfare ? or a short cut between street and street ? If we enter a church to look at the architecture, ought we to go out again without giving a little time to our Blessed Saviour ? « Remember Me, for without fault of Mine, and only because I have loved you, and delivered Myself for you, I am here, much forgotten in My narrow prison."

Station III. And there came to Him the blind and the lame in the

Temple; and He healed them (St. Matt. xxi.). A. As soon as the abominations are cleansed

away

from God's house, wonders of mercy begin. In our retreats, first comes the Purgative way, and then heavenly lights and a great tranquillity in the Illuminative and Unitive ways.

B. Again, here we have what ought always to be: the

blind and the lame came to the Temple and He healed them. Our Lord's house is the home, the hospital, and the school of the blind and the lame. There they learn to see, and to walk in the way of God's commandments.

C. Then came to Him the blind and the lame.

Quis ascendet?" (Psalm xxiii.) the Psalmist asks. Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord ? Who shall approach the holy altar to partake of the Bread of Angels? The blind and the lame may come, if only they desire to be cured. Come to Me all you who labour and are burdened (St. Matt. xi.). For not they that are in health need a physician, but they that are ill (St. Matt. ix.). And the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (St. Luke xix.).

D. “ Attendite.” O all you who go by the way, stay here a little while and contemplate our Lord curing the blind and the lame. Do not go away till a strong hope comes that He will also now cure us who for so long a time have been miserably blind and lame.

E. Observe also how many of the blind and lame are helped by others to come to Jesus. Four men sometimes carry one palsied man. Are we helping any blind and any lame to draw near to our Lord ?

SCENE VI.

THE PALACE OF THE PRIESTS.

STATION 1. Which when the Chief Priests and the Scribes had heard, they

sought how they might destroy Him. For they feared Him, because the whole multitude was in admiration at His doctrine (St. Mark xi.).

A. They sought to destroy Him. The multitude was in admiration.

Holy writers remind us that the sun melts wax and hardens clay. Every new work of our Lord and every word that comes from Him is increasing the fire of charity in the heart of His Holy Mother and those who love Him, but is acting like a deadly poison on those who are given up to sin and Satan.

In what way are the wonderful works of our Lord affecting us? Which is He to us, resurrection, or ruin ? "O most merciful Lord--tantus labor non sit cassus--may all Thy toil, may all Thy tears and prayers not be rendered void in our souls !”

B. They sought to destroy Him.

Why cannot you, Annas, destroy Jesus to-day as well as later ? St. John gives the answer, because His hour had not yet come (c. ii.). How clear stands out the truth which our Lord uttered, I lay down My life. . . . No man taketh it away from Me (St. John x.). As long as He chooses, He walks about in the day, and no man can lay hands on Him. When He chooses, the night comes and they shall seize Him. He was offered because it was His own will (Isaias liii.).

C. Let us observe well how thoroughly and miserably these poor men are duped by Satan. What cause have they to be troubled because Jesus is dear to the people? Who loves them as Jesus loves them ?

SCENE VII.

THE TEMPLE.

STATION I. And the Chief Priests and Scribes seeing the wonderful things

that He did, and the children crying in the Temple and saying : Hosanna to the Son of David: were moved with indignation, and said to Him, Hearest Thou what these say? And Jesus said to them, Yea, have you never read : Out of the mouths of infants and of sucklings Thou hast perfected praise ? (St. Matt. xxi.).

A. Breathing vengeance and slaughter, these envious men hasten to the Temple; Jesus must be got rid of at any price! But lo! all their bold daring is gone, when they come into His presence. They can do nothing at all but utter a foolish and weak remonstrance, Hearest Thou what these say?

“Sine tuo numine nihil est in homine. Unaided by Thy Holy Spirit, O Lord, man is but a helpless nothing, and nothing can he do against Thee. He cannot even do work for Thee without Thy sanction and Thy help; but unspeakably helpless and foolish is he when he resists Thee, O Lord of love, and Lord of power !”

B. Mark how our Blessed Saviour silences His adversaries with a word from Holy Writ: Have you never read, Out of the mouths of infants and of sucklings Thou hast perfected praise ?

So in the wilderness did He overcome and baffle each temptation of Satan with a word from the Holy Scripture. Hence we learn how useful a labour it is to fix holy words from God's revelation in our minds and hearts by meditation, that we may have them ready to hurl at the head of the tempter. Thy words I have hidden in my heart (O my Lord) that I may not sin (Psalm cxviii.).

C. “Most merciful Lord Jesus, Who canst draw perfect praise out of the mouths of infants, teach us at least in our old age, in our eleventh hour, to praise Thee and love Thee.”

STATION II. And when evening was come, leaving them He went out of

the city into Bethania and remained there (St. Matt.

xxi.; St. Mark xi.). In the day-time He was teaching in the Temple, but at night

going out He abode in the Mount that is called Olivet (St. Luke xxi.). A. When evening was come.

Here then we are come to the close of another day, Monday in Holy Week.

We have no long discourses recorded by the Evangelists for to-day. Therefore as we know that He was early in