upon the breast and into the arms of Thy most sweet love and mercy, grieving from my inmost soul that I have ever forsaken Thee, my God, the Fountain of all good; that I have departed from Thee, my most loving Father; and have forgotten Thee, who, as though there were none else to care for, every moment rememberest me. O that I had never offended Thee, my God and my all; accept at least this the ardent wish and desire of my inmost heart; look Thou upon me, and be merciful unto me now in the time of pity; Thou knowest, O Lord, that I love Thee, or desire to love Thee, more than myself, more than all that claims or can claim my love. I know whom I have believed, and that Thou art able to keep that which I have committed to Thee: I know, too, that a contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

I hope, O Lord, that Thou wilt never cast me away from Thy Presence, Thou who dost so lovingly invite us to Thyself, saying, Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-burdened, and I will refresh you. Behold, I come, O Lord; Thou that castest not out any that come to Thee, receive me according to Thy word, and I shall live, and let me not be disappointed of my hope.

I give Thee infinite thanks because Thou hast vouchsafed to think of me so lovingly from all eternity, for creating me in time after Thine Image, and, when the fulness of time was come, for redeeming me by the Blood of Thine Only-begotten Son, for sparing me so often when sinning, and calling me so often out of the darkness of sin into Thy marvellous light.

What reward shall I give unto Thee, Lord Jesus, for Thy toilsome Life and most bitter Death, for vouchsaf

ing so often to feed me with Thy Body and Thy Blood? What return shall I make unto Thee for all the benefits Thou hast bestowed upon me, O beloved Spouse of my soul? The deep of my nothingness and my misery calleth on the deep of Thy goodness and Thy boundless love, because of Thy wounds in them is all my hope and my confidence: through them, and the boundless ocean of Thy love that flows from them, I come in confidence to Thee, wretched though I am, and poor and naked; for Thou art rich towards all, and my goods are as nothing unto Thee. I will take cheerfully at Thy hand the cup of salvation which Thou givest me to drink, bitter though it be, and I will drink it with Thee, who didst drain it first for me when Thou didst so earnestly thirst for my salvation. I will call upon the name of the Lord, and offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving. O that in return for this I could embrace Thee with all the love of the heavenly company, Angels and Saints, and, above all, of Blessed Mary, Thine Immaculate Mother; and that, with the voices and affections of all Thy creatures, I could praise and magnify Thy name.

Accept, Lord, my heart as a burnt offering; I give it all to Thee; I give Thee mine eyes, to see Thee alone and all things in Thee: mine ears, to hear Thy Word: my mouth, my lips and tongue, to be filled with Thy praise, and to sing of Thy glory and of Thy greatness all the day long: my hands, to be stretched forth in prayer to Thee in heaven, or in alms to the poor, and to do Thy will: my feet, to be led into the way of peace: all my members, that they may say, Lord, who is like unto Thee? Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His holy

name: bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. I now freely surrender all these earthly things, for in Thee alone I have all things: I renounce myself, for I am Thine: I live, yet not I, but Thou, Christ Jesus, livest in me. I love Thee with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength. Amen.

HE Viaticum is the Holy Eucharist administered with the intention of preparing the sick for death. This blessed Sacrament is indeed the bread of life, of which every good Christian frequently partakes during health; but when the soul is about to pass from the body there arises a new and peculiar obligation of receiving it. This obligation is founded on the abundant graces which this holy Sacrament, above all the rest, is capable of imparting, and which are at that time so necessary. It is the safeguard that must preserve the soul on its journey to heaven; it is the pledge of immortal glory. He who eateth this bread shall live for ever (St. John vi. 59). And so urgent is the obligation of receiving it at the approach of death, that the Church dispenses with her rule in behalf of those who are dangerously sick, and allows them to communicate after having broken their fast. The sick person will therefore use his best endeavor to make a worthy preparation for this blessed Sacrament.

Before the Priest arrives the following things should be made ready in the sick-room: (1) a table, covered with a clean, white cloth; and upon it (2) at least one candlestick, holding a blessed candle lighted ; (3) a Crucifix; (4) two small glasses, one containing holy water, and the other pure fresh water (for the ablution after Communion); and (4) a tablespoon (with which the Priest administers the ablution to the sick person).

The Priest bearing the Blessed Sacrament should be met at the door by some one holding a lighted candle, who should go before him to the place prepared. All should then retire, while the confession of the sick person is being heard, and return immediately thereafter to assist at the giving of the Holy Communion: remaining kneeling and spending the time in prayer,

The Priest, on entering the sick person's room with the Blessed Sacrament, says:

PAX

AX huic domui.

PEACE be unto this

house.

R. Et omnibus habitan- R. And unto all who tibus in ea. dwell therein.

Then, placing the Holy Sacrament, with the corporal, on a table, when the candles have been lighted he adores upon his knees, all present doing likewise; after which he takes holy water, and sprinkles the sick person and the bed, saying:

SPERGES me, Do

mine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum.

Amen.

HOU shalt sprinkle

me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Then is repeated the Antiphon, Thou shalt sprinkle me, etc. After

HDJUTORIUM

wards:

nos

trum in nomine

Domini.
R. Qui fecit cœlum et

terram.

OUR help is in the name of the Lord.

R. Who hath made heaven and earth.