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heaven, who may keep, cherish, protect, visit, and defend all who are assembled in this Through Christ our

place. Lord.

R. Amen.

cœlis, qui custodiat, foveat,
protegat, visitet atque de-
fendat omnes habitantes in
hoc habitaculo. Per Chris-
tum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.

The Procession, which immediately precedes the Mass, shows us the ardour wherewith the Church advances towards her God. Let us imitate her fervour, for it is written: The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.1

But see, Christians! the Sacrifice begins! The Priest is at the foot of the altar; God is attentive, the Angels are in adoration, the whole Church is united with the Priest, whose priesthood and action are those of the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Let us make the sign of the cross with him.

THE ORDINARY OF THE MASS.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I unite myself, O my God, with thy Church, whose heart is filled with the hope of soon seeing, and in all the splendour of his Resurrection, Jesus Christ thy Son, who is the true Altar.

Like her, I beseech thee to defend me against the malice of the enemies of my salvation.

It is in thee that I have put my hope; yet do I feel sad and troubled at being in the midst of the snares which are set for me.

Send me, then, him who is

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

. Introibo ad altare Dei. R. Ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam.

Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ad homine iniquo et doloso erue me.

Quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti? et quare tristis incedo dum affligit me inimicus?

Emitte lucem tuam et ve

1 Lament. iii. 25.

ritatem tuam : ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.

Et introibo ad altare Dei : ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam.

Confitebor tibi in cithara Deus, Deus meus: quare tristis es anima mea? et quare conturbas me?

Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: Salutare vultus mei, et Deus

meus.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

V. Introibo ad altare Dei. R. Ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam.

V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.

R. Qui fecit cœlum et ter

ram.

light and truth: it is he will open to us the way to thy holy mount, to thy heavenly tabernacle.

He is the Mediator, and the living Altar; I will draw nigh to him, and be filled with joy.

When he shall have come, I will sing in my gladness. Be not sad, O my soul! Why wouldst thou be troubled ?

Hope in thy Jesus, who will soon show himself to thee as the conqueror of that Death which he will have suffered in thy stead; and thou wilt rise again together with him.

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.

I am to go to the altar of God, and feel the presence of him who desires to give me a new life!

This my hope comes not to me as thinking that I have any merits, but from the all-powerful help of my Creator.

The thought of his being about to appear before his God, excites, in the soul of the Priest, a lively sentiment of compunction. He cannot go further in the holy Sacrifice without confessing, and publicly, that he is a sinner, and deserves not the grace he is about to receive. Listen, with respect, to this confession of God's Minister, and earnestly ask our Lord to show mercy to him; for the Priest is your Father; he is answerable for your salvation, for which he every day risks his own. When he has finished, unite with the Servers, or the Sacred Ministers, in this prayer:

May Almighty God have mercy on thee, and, forgiving thy sins, bring thee to everlasting life.

Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam æternam.

The Priest having answered Amen, make your confession, saying with a contrite spirit:

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to thee, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.

There

fore I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael,the Archangel, blessed John Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, and thee, Father, to pray to our Lord God for me.

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michæli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistæ, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et tibi, Pater: quia peccavi nimis, cogitatione, verbo, et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joannem Baptistam, sanctos Apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes Sanctos, et te, Pater, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

Receive with gratitude the paternal wish of the Priest, who says to you:

May Almighty God be merciful to you, and, forgiving your sins, bring you to everlasting life.

R. Amen.

May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins.

R. Amen.

Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam æternam.

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Invoke the divine assistance, that you may approach to Jesus Christ.

. Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos.

R. Et plebs tua lætabitur in te.

V. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam. R. Et Salutare tuum da nobis.

. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

V. O God, it needs but one look of thine to give us life. R. And thy people shall rejoice in thee.

V. Show us, O Lord, thy

mercy.

R. And give us to know and love the Saviour whom thou hast sent unto us.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

The Priest here leaves you to ascend to the altar; but first he salutes you:

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He ascends the steps, and comes to the Holy of Holies. Ask, both for him and yourself, the deliverance from sin:

Aufer a nobis quæsumus, Domine, iniquitates nostras; utad Sancta sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

Amen.

Take from our hearts, O Lord, all those sins, which make us unworthy to appear in thy presence, we ask this of thee by thy divine Son, our Lord.

When the Priest kisses the altar, out of reverence for the relics of the Martyrs which are there, say:

Oramus te, Domine, per merita sanctorum tuorum, quorum reliquiæ hic sunt, et

Generous soldiers of Jesus Christ, who have mingled your own blood with his, in

tercede for us that our sins may be forgiven: that so we may, like you, approach unto God.

omnium sanctorum: ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea. Amen.

If it be a High Mass at which you are assisting, the Priest incenses the Altar in a most solemn manner; and this white cloud, which you see ascending from every part of the Altar, signifies the prayer of the Church, who addresses herself to Jesus Christ; and which this Divine Mediator then causes to ascend, united with his own, to the throne of the majesty of his Father.

The Priest then says the Introit. It is a solemn opening-anthem, in which the Church, at the very commencement of the Holy Sacrifice, gives expression to the sentiments which fill her heart.

It is followed by nine exclamations, which are even more earnest, for they ask for mercy. In addressing them to God, the Church unites herself with the nine choirs of Angels, who are standing round the altar of Heaven, one and the same as this before which you are kneeling.

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As we have already mentioned, the Church abstains, during this Season, from the heavenly

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