ET us hear something of the days of the month; for a man who is thought wise is said to be "up to the time of day." Our Calendars help us to this religiously. An explanation of their use for the coming month will be pleasing, especially when it is known that the little Calendar on the monthly Rosary ticket has now a circulation here in America of 160,000. But we will follow the large wall Calendar, of which the 3d page of our cover and the little ticket are but summaries.

After the day of month and week comes a Saint, or Church feast. These are chosen as far as possible according to the priest's order of saying Mass. Where none is marked in his order, or there is a special patron of our own to be honored, other names are sometimes found.

Next follows the name or description of some virtue to be practised agreeably to the feast celebrated. This is, of course, only as a hint or "word to the wise."

Then, in regular order day by day, is given the number of particular Intentions for which prayers have been asked by our Associates here in America. The same is done in the foreign centres of the Leaguefrom Rome to Australia. Thus each country does its own united praying for its own requests, and all the nations afterwards meet together, since these Intentions are sent to the General Centre in Europe. There Mass is daily said for them at the sanctuary of the Sacred Heart, and then they are sent on to the great shrines of our Lady at La Salette and Lourdes.

Last of all, the special Indulgences for the different Degrees and practices of the League and for its Promoters are marked. Henceforth we shall do the same for the Sodality, now that our work is increasing in that direction.

Let us go over briefly the principal days of July, week by week. Copyright, 1888, by Rev. R. S. Dewey, S. J.

145

The Sunday consecrated to the memory of the Precious Blood of our Lord, shed for our redemption, opens the month.-Monday follows with the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin St. Elizabeth, when, as St. Luke tells us, St. John the Baptist yet unborn recognized the Saviour of the world and leaped for joy in his mother's womb. This is the feast of the 2d Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, and so is interesting to all our Associates of the 2d Degree. It is also the feast of the order of nuns from which our Lord chose Blessed Margaret Mary to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart; and this year it is an important two-hundredth anniversary, as is explained in the General Intention on our last page. In the official notice of the large MESSENGER for June, Directors and Associates have been urged to certain practices in public honor of this anniversary.

Thursday of the same week reminds us of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the apostles of the Slavonic race, which certainly greatly needs our prayers in the vast Russian Empire, none the less because our MESSENGER is there a proscribed book.-The First Friday, to which the great promise of our Lord is attached, follows; and then St. Pulcheria, an Empress in the East, and St. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal, in the West, so that even the great in this world go up rejoicing to the kingdom of heaven.

In the next week is St. John Gualbert who forgave his brother's murderer in the name of the Crucified, and St. Bonaventure, the great teacher of devotion to our Lord's passion.

The third week begins with an Emperor of Germany, St. Henry, and is followed by the feast of the Scapular worn in honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel by so many Catholics the world over. In the same week follow three Saints devoted to works of mercy for their neighbor; St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the Sisters of Charity, is their type.

On the next Sunday comes St. Mary Magdalene whose penance and tears our Lord Himself has canonized; she is one of the two Promoters' patrons of the month. During the week St. James the Greater, an apostle of our Lord, has his feast, and then the great patroness of all matrons and mothers, St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin. On the last day of the month is placed St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus in which our League took its start. He also is a patron of the Promoters, and so his feast brings a Plenary Indulgence to those who have received their confirmation by cross and diploma. He is an example for them in their labors. From the time he gave up his soldier's career until his death he fulfilled their rule, " exerting himself by every means in his power more and more to advance the divine glory, the salvation of souls, the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and other devotions approved by the Church, according to the powers granted to him." (Statutes, Article V.).

A FIRST COMMUNION AND THE COMMUNISTS.

HE Church of St. Thomas of Aquin in Paris was formerly

the chapel of the novitiate of the Dominicans. It is close by the convent, which in the great outbreak of anarchy in 1871 was made into barracks and was the seat of a military commission of the Commune. This dangerous neighborhood placed the faithful under a supervision that was continual and threatening. They expected every day that the church would be pillaged and closed.

Meanwhile the 4th of May, the date fixed for the First Communion, drew near. There was some hesitation about it. The parish priest was in favor of this public act of faith, and resolved not to deprive the children, who had already been prepared, of the blessing of Communion. Would it be possible to find them again after the schools were closed? Besides, the excitement and danger had caused them to make an excellent preparation.

Accordingly, on the 4th of May, the little girls, dressed in white. according to custom, entered the church by a side door almost hidden from sight, while the boys came in by the ordinary way.

The ceremony began. But all at once the church was filled by the soldiers of the neighboring post, all of whom were men from the slums of the city. They were all there, drawn up in ranks at the end of the church and looking on. Every one asked anxiously whether some qutcry or insult would not come to scatter the timid flock of children. There was nothing of the kind; and once more it was easy to verify that religious memories still have an influence over souls that have wandered far.

This is the story as told by the priest of the parish.

These men had been gathered together in the slums, and were the most excited of all by the passions of that time. Yet they felt themselves penetrated with feelings which had long been unknown to them, when they saw this gathering of little ones recollected in prayer and entirely occupied with the great act they were about to perform.

It is thus the satellites of the Roman persecutors must often have felt themselves moved when they entered the catacombs and found the Christians preparing themselves for death. The pious hymns, the fervent prayers, the innocent children and the touching

attitude of the parents, the anxious care of the priest, the fragrance of incense from the altar, the solemnity of the Holy Sacrifice, and, more than all, grace awaking in the depths of their soul the holiest memories-all was adapted to move and calm these unhappy men, no matter what the fever of their souls might be. Doubtless it was so, and their attitude during the entire ceremony was one of perfect propriety.

At the end their commander could not help saying aloud: "Citizens, this is very beautiful, very beautiful!”

Some one then said to him there was only one thing wanting to this festivity-a procession of children round the public place in front of the church. This procession had been had every year before.

The Communist captain asked with some sharpness why it did not take place this year, and whether the citizen-priest distrusted them.

Reply was made that it was simply an act of prudence, so as not to oblige the soldiers to interfere in case any person of ill-will should try to disturb the procession.

He answered: "Oh! I would take it on myself to prevent the least disorder, and they might have relied on me."

"Well," they said to him, "we are going to have this evening, at half-past two, another gathering of the children. If you wish we will ask the priest to allow the procession, assuring him that you will willingly be responsible for good order."

"Oh, I will make it my business, and you will see that no one will dare disturb the ceremony."

When they came to report to me this strange interview I made them thank this man of good-will, and permitted the procession for the evening.

Never was a First Communion more edifying. The children showed that they were filled with the greatness of the act they were performing and the gravity of the circumstances in which we were placed. But they were to become the objects of a demonstration that is without example.

They gathered together in the church for the service of the evening as they had done for that of the morning—the boys through the great door on the public place, and the girls by the side door.

The great news of the procession which had been permitted and

promised them was announced as they were coming out of the chapel where the catechism was given. The door of the hall leading out on the square had been closed since the first days of the Commune. It was solemnly opened, and two priests in surplice, marching at the head of the children, appeared on the threshold. The commander of the post was waiting for them on the steps of the artillery headquarters near by. He had given his orders and forewarned his men to be in readiness.

As the procession appeared the drums beat and the soldiers placed themselves in order by the church door and along the square.

Every one was stupefied to hear the word of command: "Carry arms! Present arms!"

It was with these military honors in the public square, at such a time and with such men, that these poor children for whom we had so trembled were received. In this way they made the round. of the square, walking in double file slowly and reciting prayers, and the soldiers presented arms until the last had re-entered the church.

During the procession an express on horseback, on his way to the military commission, pushed his horse forward into the ranks of the children.

The commander cried out with authority: "Don't pass there!" The express looked as if he meant to pay no heed to this prohibition. Straightway this brave member of the National Guard seized the bridle of his horse and led him round behind the whole procession, when he released him, saying, “Go along that way!"

It is easy to understand that all this caused lively emotion in those who had been witnesses of it-priest, children and parents. They spoke only of this all the evening. It seemed to us that our day left nothing to be desired, and that our happiness was complete. But we had been too happy not to have to pay for it. The payment was to be double and very sorrowful.

In the first place, that very evening the entire post of soldiers with its commander were sent to the ramparts, and the next morning the news was given me in the saddest possible way by the men who had replaced them.

I had been anxious to thank the good fellows who on this