strayed as a sheep that is lost; but, O Thou good Shepherd, Who didst lay down Thy life for Thy sheep, Who camest to seek and to save that which was lost, seek Thy servant, O LORD, for I do not forget Thy commandments.

I come unto Thee, pierced with many wounds, grievously oppressed with so many evil passions : but, LORD, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me whole. Thou knowest that it is the sick who need a physician.

But Thou art that Samaritan, the true Physician of souls, Who hast borne our griefs; Thou art He Who gavest, as the medicine for my soul, the Sacrament of Thy Precious Body and Blood.

Have mercy, therefore, upon me, O LORD, and heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. A troubled spirit is a sacrifice to Thee, O LORD! a broken and a contrite heart Thou wilt not despise. Give me this, O LORD, and O break Thou the bonds of my sins. For thus shall I worthily offer unto Thee the sacrifice of praise, and call upon the Name of the LORD.

Meditation and Prayer on the Passion of our LORD is also the best exercise to stir up love and devotion to Him in the Holy Sacrament. See the Litany, page 105.

A Devout Prayer after Holy Communion.

O FATHER of Mercies and GOD of all comfort! Who, out of the abundance of Thine infinite love hast given unto us Thine Only Begotten SoN, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life; and that out of the exhaustless treasury of His merits our wants may be supplied; lo, I miserable sinner, but by Thy mercy

called into the fellowship of thy SON, have now also been made partaker of His Body and Blood. And I now enfold Him in my bosom, and possess Him as mine own most closely united with me.

And as such in the union of that love wherewith He once gave Himself for us on the Altar of the Cross, and now giveth and communicateth Himself to us in the Sacrament of the Altar, do I now offer Him unto Thee, together with all His merits and virtues, to Thy eternal praise and glory; that in Him Thou mayest be perfectly well-pleased; and that we, who by our own deeds are not able to please Thee, may by the merits and intercession of Thy most Well-beloved Son, be perfectly pleasing to Thee.

I offer unto Thee, O most Holy FATHER, all His charity, piety, obedience, humility, poverty, gentleness, patience, with all the other virtues which He had surpassingly, that by them all my defects may be supplied.

And, since I cannot thank Thee as I ought for all the benefits conferred upon me, I offer unto Thee all the praises which He Himself offered, whilst He was visible on earth amongst men, and those which He now offereth unto Thee in glory.

But forasmuch as I cannot satisfy Thee for my debts, that is my sins, I offer unto Thee all His labours, fastings, watchings, weariness, prayers, whatsoever in fine, He did or suffered from the first moment of His Conception until He gave up the ghost on the Cross; all the anguish, griefs, and torments of His Passion, all the Blood poured out for me, all the Wounds for me received, and the Death which He endured in my stead.

Behold, this is the Treasure, most Merciful FA

THER, in Which I repose all my hope; these are the riches which I offer in satisfaction of all my debts.

Holy FATHER, look upon the face of Thy CHRIST, and since He is Thy Beloved Son in Whom Thou art ever well-pleased, Who now is most inwardly united with me, look upon me also, I humbly beseech Thee, with the eyes of Thy mercy. Under His protection and defence, under the shadow of His merits do I appear unto Thee, that, looking chiefly upon Him, Thou mayest regard me also with mercy and favour, whom He has purchased and made His servant for ever.

Suffer not, I beseech Thee, that soul to perish, which so often receiveth into itself, Thy Son, Who, sent by Thee, came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. Grant this unto me, through Thine Infinite Mercy. Amen.

After Holy Communion do not forget also to pray for others.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION.

"But if a man by reason of any just impediment do not receive the Sacrament of CHRIST'S Body and Blood, the Curate shall instruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and steadfastly believe that JESUS CHRIST hath suffered death upon the Cross for him, and shed

His Blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving Him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the Body and Blood of our SAVIOUR CHRIST profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the sacrament with his mouth."

Spiritual Communion is a great comfort and blessing to those who are in any way deprived of Sacramental Communion, and the Church teaches us that when there is any JUST impediment, by this Spiritual Communion the effect of the Sacrament, that is union with CHRIST, may be obtained. It may be used at any time when the soul earnestly and lovingly longs for such blessed Communion.

DEVOTIONS.

First, we must awaken in us a true and lively faith as to this Sacrament; which may be sustained by thoughts of the Divine Power, Wisdom, Goodness, and Truth.

Add to this the exercise of hope. For what can the Good and Merciful GOD, Who hath given Himself, refuse? What cannot He do for us, although not present

in the Body, He Who, while absent, healed the Centurion's servant, and many others ?

Lastly, stir up love, and with ardent desire of the heart, pant and long for CHRIST as for a Living Fountain, of which whoso drinketh, shall never thirst. Long, therefore, to be united and incorporated into CHRIST by the virtue of His Body and Blood; so that being made, as it were, one spirit with Him, thou mayest never be separated from Him.

Sometimes you might meditate [upon your knees] and picture to yourself the Supper-room at Jerusalem on the Thurs day evening when our Blessed LORD first instituted the Holy Communion, and think of all that happened there, until your love and longing are kindled into more earnest desire for that Blessed Food, and you might carry on your thoughts to all the events of that sacred night, and of Good Friday, till you come to the taking down from the Cross, and the sepulchre, and consider that your body is as the tomb wherein He places His sacred Body that He may raise it up at the last day.