1. The custom of placing a vessel containing blessed or HOLY WATERat the entrance of the Church has been handed down to us from the Apostolic age. Into this vessel the faithful dip the fingers of the right hand, and make upon themselves the Sign of the Cross, repeating at the same time the invocation of the Everblessed Trinity. As water denotes purity and innocence, by using it on entering a place of worship we are admonished with what purity of heart and mind we should appear in the presence of our Maker.

2. The SIGN OF THE CROSS, which we make upon ourselves in taking holy water, as well as on many other occasions, is a sign or ceremony in which, with St. Paul (Gal. vi. 14), we should place our greatest happiness and glory, as being a striking memorial of the sufferings and death of our Redeemer-that mystery whence are derived all our hopes for mercy, grace, and salvation. By the words that accompany this ceremony we are no less forcibly reminded that God whom we serve, although One in nature, exists in Three Persons really distinct from each other.

3. The first object that arrests the Christian's notice on enter

ing a Church is the ALTAR, with its TABERNACLE and CRUCIFIX. The Altar is the place of Sacrifice -another Calvary, as it were— whereon is celebrated, as Christ ordained, the memorial of His Passion and Death by the pure and unbloody Sacrifice of His Body and Blood. Upon the Altar we always see a Crucifix, or image of our Saviour upon the Cross; that as the Mass is said in remembrance of Christ's Passion and Death, both Priest and people may have before their eyes during this Sacrifice the image which puts them in mind of those Mysteries. The Tabernacle contains the Blessed Sacrament. It is to JESUS CHRIST, therefore, truly present within the Tabernacle, that we bend the knee in homage and adoration when we enter or depart from the Church.

4. As the Mass represents the Passion of Christ, and the Priest officiates in His person, so the VESTMENTS in which he officiates represent those in which Christ was ignominiously clothed at the time of His Passion. Thus, the Amice represents the cloth with which the Jews muffled our Saviour's Face when at every blow they bade Him prophesy who it was that struck Him. The Alb represents the white garment with which He was vested by Herod. The Girdle, Maniple, and Stole represent the cords and bands with which He was bound in the different stages of His Passion. The Chasuble, or outward Vestment,

represents the purple garment with which He was clothed as a mock King; upon this is embroidered a Cross, to represent that which Christ bore upon His sacred shoulders. Lastly, the Priest's Tonsure, which is worn in all Catholic countries, is to represent the crown of thorns which our Saviour wore.

Moreover, as in the old law the Priests who were wont to officiate in the sacred functions had, by the appointment of God, Vestments assigned for that purpose-as well for the greater decency and solemnity of the Divine worship as to signify the virtues which God required of His ministers-so it was proper that in the Church of the New Testament Christ's ministers should in their sacred functions be distinguished in like manner from the laity by their sacred Vestments; which might also represent the virtues which God requires in them. Thus, the Amice represents divine Hope, which St. Paul calls the helmet of salvation; the Alb, Innocence of life; the Girdle, Purity and Chastity; the Maniple, Patience in enduring the labors of this mortal life; the Stole, the sweet Yoke of Christ, to be borne in this life in order to attain a happy immortality; the Chasuble, which covers all the rest, the virtue of Charity, which, as St. Peter tells us, covereth a multitude of sins.

In these Vestments the Church uses five colors, viz., White, on the Feasts of our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin, of the Angels, and of the Saints who were not martyrs, and on the Sundays in Eastertide; Red, on the Feasts of Pentecost, of the Finding and Exaltation of the Cross, and of the Apostles and Martyrs; Violet, in the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent, and upon Vigils and Ember-days; Green, on most other Sundays and ordinary days throughout the year; and Black, on Good Friday, and in Masses for the Dead.

5. There are always LIGHTED CANDLES upon the Altar during Mass, as well to honor the victory and triumph of our great King by these lights, which are tokens of our joy and of His Glory, as to denote the light of Faith, without which it is impossible to please Him.

6. A small BELL is occasionally rung. This is done to give notice of certain more solemn parts of the Sacrifice; to recall the wandering mind from distraction; and to excite all to greater fervor and devotion.

7.

INCENSE is used at Solemn Mass. It is symbolical of Prayer, according to the saying of the Psalmist : Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight (Ps. cxl. 2).

ON THE MANNER OF HEARING MASS. HERE are various methods of profitably hearing Mass.

One method is, to follow the Priest in the Ordinary of the Mass as contained in the Missal; joining with him, as far as the laity may, in the very words of the service, and uniting our intention with him in what he does as Priest for the people. To enable all persons, even those who do not understand Latin, to follow the service, translations of the Ordinary and Canon of the Mass have been made into almost all languages, and circulated by authority. Another method is to accompany the Priest through the different parts of the service with appropriate devotions, similar to those he is using and directed to the same general ends, uniting our intention with his, but not using or not confining ourselves to the words of the Ordinary. A third method is to apply the service to the purpose of meditation on the Life or Passion of our Lord, or on any other appropriate subject. Whatever be the method followed, our first care should be to recollect ourselves, by calling home our wandering thoughts, and taking them off from all other concerns. We should humble ourselves profoundly in the presence of God, in whose Temple we are; and represent to ourselves, by a lively Faith, the dread majesty of God, and humbly beg His mercy and grace, that we may participate in this Holy Sacrifice in a worthy and becoming

manner.

PRAYERS BEFORE MASS.

OME, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

GOD, who by the light of Thy Holy Spirit didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and

evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

I

OOK down, O Lord, from Thy Sanctuary, and from heaven, Thy dwelling-place, and behold this holy Victim which our great High-Priest, Thy holy Child, the Lord Jesus, offers up to Thee for the sins of His brethren; and let not Thy wrath be kindled because of the multitude of our transgressions. Behold, the voice of the Blood of Jesus our Brother calls to Thee from the Cross. Give ear, O Lord; be appeased, O Lord; hearken, and tarry not, for Thine own sake, O my God; because Thy name is called upon in behalf of this city and of Thy people; but deal with us according to Thy great mercy. Amen. That Thou vouchsafe to defend, pacify, keep, preserve, and bless this city: we beseech Thee to hear us. (i)

DEVOTIONS FOR MASS.

PART I.

THE PREPARATION, BY ACTS OF HUMILITY, PRAISE, FAITH, ETC.

Prayer at the beginning of Mass, while the Priest says the Judica me, Deus, etc.

ALMIGHTY Lord of Heaven and earth, behold I, a wretched sinner, presume to appear before Thee this day, to offer up unto Thee, by the hands of our High-Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, the Sacrifice

of His Body and Blood, in union with that Sacrifice which He offered to Thee upon the Cross: first, for Thine own honor, praise, adoration, and glory; secondly, in remembrance of His Passion and Death; thirdly, in thanksgiving for all Thy blessings bestowed upon Thy whole Church, whether triumphant in heaven or militant on earth, and especially for those bestowed upon me, the most unworthy of all; fourthly, for obtaining pardon and remission of all my sins, and of those of all others,, whether living or dead, for whom (here mention their names); and, I ought to pray lastly, for obtaining all graces and blessings both for myself and for Thy whole Church (here mention your particular requests). Oh, be Thou pleased to assist me by Thy grace, that I may behave myself this day as I ought to do in Thy divine Presence, and that I may so commemorate the Passion and Death of Thy Son as to partake most plentifully of the fruits thereof. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

At the Confiteor.

BLESSED Trinity, one God, Father, Son, and

Holy Ghost, prostrate in spirit before Thee, I here confess, in the sight of the whole court of heaven and of all Thy faithful, my innumerable treasons against Thy divine majesty. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned; I have grievously offended Thee through the whole course of my life, in thought, word, and deed; and therefore am unworthy to lift mine eyes to heaven, or so much as to utter Thy sacred name. How much more am I unworthy to appear here in Thy Sanctuary, and to mingle among Thine Angels at these heavenly