DR

Advent

RAW near, O Son of God, draw near and help us. O Glorious Son of David the King, raise up, we pray Thee, Thy power, and come among us and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, Thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of the Sacrifice we now remember. Amen.

Wake thou also, lift up thyself my heart, for thy Redeemer draweth nigh. The Lord Jesus Himself draweth nigh; He cometh, He cometh, in His Mystery, Whom hereafter thou must behold coming in the glory of His Father, with His mighty angels, with all who from the beginning have pleased Him.

1 therefore pray Thee help Thy servant whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy most precious Blood.

No gloom of earthly splendour veiled Thy tender Form, O Prince of Life, not amidst

the glories of summer, O Comforter, didst Thou come to Thine own.

O now, in the winter and humiliation of my soul for sin, visit me. Lord, remember me, now Thou art in Thy kingdom. Accept my contrition as I greet Thee, with the homage of a loving heart, and am still.

Christmas Day

TENDER Lamb of God, on this day throned in a human Mother's arms; mercifully grant that I who now praise Thee for the Glad Tidings of Thy Peace, may hereafter praise Thee in the songs of Thy Holy Angels.

O God, Who hast made this most sacred Day to shine with the illumination of the true Light; grant, we beseech Thee, that as we have known the mystery of that Light upon earth, we may also perfectly enjoy it in heaven; through the Same Thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Saint Stephen's Day

LORY be unto Thee, dear Lord, for the

who first through the fearful and glorious

pass of martyrdom entered Thy blessed realms of peace.

O by the grace that wrought so mightily in that blessed one, gently lead me in the way of Thy Holy Cross. Bring me, even me also, O my Saviour, through the rent veil of Thy Humanity into the Holiest of all.

Saint John the Evangelist's Day

O

THRONED in transcendent exaltation, adored with an impassioned love man cannot utter, by the love Thou hast for him who leant on Thy Breast, Lord Jesu, have mercy.

Help me to follow the loved Evangelist in the way wherein the weak grow strong.

With that holiest Saint whose birthday into glory we thus remember so near Thine own joyful Birthday, O Lord, the King, I also have been embraced in the arms of Thy Mercy, and have received Living Bread from Thy Sacred Hands, and in fear have fled from Thee. . . . O Lord, I beseech Thee, grant of Thy gentleness, that I also may come to the place of our Sanctuary, to the glorious Throne of uttermost humiliation, the Cross of Thy glory and my shame, that I may see the life-giving smile that is the brightness of the Saints, lighten the thick darkness where Thou, my God, art, that I

may hear Thee say unto me from on high, of Thy Church, Thy dearest one, Behold thy mother, for whom I bid thee labour, with whom I bid thee pray. Grant that I may be found worthy to minister to Thy Redeemed as though I were sharing the joy of Thy Mother, Ever Virgin,-the joy of the pure in heart who saw God in smiling eyes so like her own--or yearning to comfort the loving heart that was pierced with a sorrow of which we dare not think.

Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto Thee.

The Ennocents' Day

GOOD Shepherd, Who gathereth the lambs with Thine arm, glory be unto Thee for the Holy Innocents, fittest offering to Thee, dear Lord, in Thy Kingdom.

By Thy deep tenderness for the children Thou camest to save, take from me mine iniquity, and grant me Thy grace to call with more childlike heart upon Thy allprevailing Name. Be Thou my Guide even unto Death, and after my Eternal Life.

The Circumcision of Christ

HOLY Lord, our Saviour, on this holy day Thy priceless Blood was first

shed for man, and Thou was called by Thy Name.

O Holy, Immaculate, and Martyr Lamb of God, Thou hast redeemed me with Thy Blood, and I am called by Thy Name.

For that Blood, have mercy and save me. For that Blood, and for that Name of Thine, beside which there is no other under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.

O Love Incarnate, suffer me not to fall away whom Thou hast so dearly bought. For Thy name's sake, O Lord, be merciful unto my sin.

My soul is filled with a sense of unfathomable danger, my life is full of pain. . . . I seek no release from pain, good Lord, Thou knowest,-content, counting the cost, to bear in the body Thy marks, O Lord Jesus, if only, O my Christ, Thou wilt mortify and kill all mine evil.

In this temple of silence and of tears, before the Altar of Thy Sacrament, here, at Thy Feet, Lord, hear me. In pity come to me, good Shepherd. Lord, come down lest my soul die. Lest my soul die in the stifling folds of the lower nature. Lest I die, let me die-only let me behold Thy Face.