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EMBER-WEDNESDAY.

MASS. INTROIT. Psalm. 24. EMEMBER, O Lord, the many instances of thy compassion and mercy from the beginning. Let not our enemies ever rule over us: deliver us, O God of Israel, from all our distress. Ps. To thee, O Lord, have I raised up my soul, let me not be put to shame. V. Glory.

Immediately after the Kyrie eleison, is said;

Let us pray,

Let us kneel down. R.

Stand up again.

I. COLLECT.

Flectamus genua. R.

Levate.

Preces nostras. Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee, and stretch forth the right hand of thy power against every thing that opposeth us. Thro".

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I. LESSON. Exod.. xxiv. 12. 18.

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And

N those days; The Lord said to Moses: Come up to me on the mountain, and stay there and I will give thee tables of stone, and the law and the commandments, which I have written, that thou mayst teach them the children of Israel. Then Moses rose up and Josue his minister. And Moses going up to the mountain of God, said to the Elders; Stay here, till we return to you. You have with you Aaron and Hur; if any debate shall arise, you shall refer it to them. when Moses was gone up, a cloud covered the mount, and the glory of the Lord abode on Sinai, covering it with a cloud for six days; and on the seventh day he called Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the appearance of the glory of the Lord was as it were fire burning on the top of the mount, in the sight of the children of Israel. And Moses going in the midst of the cloud, went up into the mount, and was there forty days and forty nights.

GRAD. Ps. 24. The distress of my soul is encreased; deliver me, O Lord, from the evils that surround me. V. See, O Lord, to what I am reduced. See what I suffer, and forgive me all my sins.

II. COLLECT. Devotionem. We beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully to regard the devotion of thy people; that mortifying their bodies by fastings, their minds may be refreshed by good works. Thro'.

II. LESSON. 3 Kings x. 3, 8.

N those days; Elias came into Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant there: but he himself went forward a day's journey into the wilderness. And being come thither, he sat under a Juniper-tree, and made it his request that he might die, saying: it is enough for me, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers. And he cast himself down, and fell asleep in the shade of the Juniper; when behold an Angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him: Arise and eat. He looked, and behold at his head there was a cake baked in the embers, and a pot of water; and he eat and drank, and again laid himself down to sleep. And the Angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, saying; Arise, and eat, for thou hast yet a long journey to go. And he arose, and eat and drank, and travelled by the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, as far as Horeb the mountain of God.

TRACT, Ps. 24. Deliver me from my necessities, O Lord; see my distress and affliction, and forgive me all my sins. V. To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul, in thee, O my God, do I put my trust, let me not be put to shame. Neither let my enemies scoff at me. V. For none that trust in thee shall ever be confounded; let those be confounded, who do what is vain.

GOSPEL. Matt. xii. 38.

T that time: Some of the Scribes and Pharisees

sign § from thee. But he answering, said to them; A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no other sign given it, but the sign of Jonas the Prophet. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they did pennance at the preaching of Jonas; and behold one greater than Jonas is here. The Queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and condemnit ; because she came from the farthest part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold one greater

Expl. I have lived long enough. Expl, We should be glad to seethee perform a miracle.

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than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith; I will return into my house from whence I came. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and furnished. Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and going in, they settle there and the latter condition of that man becometh worse than his former, So shall it also be to this wicked generation. While he was yet speaking to the multitude, behold his mother, and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. And one said to him; Behold thy mother and thy Brethren stand without, waiting for thee. But he answering him that spake to him, said; Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren: for whosoever shall do the will of my Father, who is in heaven, he is my brother, my sister, and my mother..

OFFERT. Ps. 118. I will meditate on thy law which I have loved exceedingly and I will put in practice thy commandments, which I have loved.

SECRET. We offer thee, O Lord, this sacrifice of propitiation, that thou wouldst mercifully forgive us our sins, and guide our tottering hearts. Thro'.

COMM. Ps. 5. Hear my prayer: attend to the words of my prayer, O my King, and my God: for 'tis to thee, O Lord, I will address my prayer.

POSTCOMM. Tui, Domine. May the receiving of this thy sacrament, O Lord, both cleanse us from our hidden sins, and deliver us from the snares of our enemies. Thro'.

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Let us pray. Bow down your heads to God.

PRAYER. Mentes nostras.

♫NLIGHTEN, we beseech thee, O Lord, our minds with the light of thy brightness; that we may discern what is to be done, and be able to do it.

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THURSDAY.

MASS. INTROIT. Psalm 95.

Thro',

LORY and majesty are in his presence; holiness and grandeur in his sanctuary. Ps. Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth. V. Glory,

Expl. An abiding place.

COLLECT. Devotionem. We beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully to regard the devotion of thy people; that mortifying their bodies by fasting, their minds may be refreshed by good works. Thro.'

LESSON. Ezekiel xviii. 1. 9.

N those days: The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Why do you make use of this parable, and tnrn it into a proverb in Israel, saying: Our fathers have eat sour grapes, and the teeth of their children are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no longer a proverb amongst you in Israel. Behold all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth, the same shall die. But if a man be righteous, and do judgment and justice; and hath not eat on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; nor defiled his neighbour's wife; nor approached a menstruous woman; nor made any man sorrowful; but hath restored the debtor his pledge; hath taken nothing away by force; hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment; hath not let his money to usury, nor received any thing more than he let; hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and given true judgment between man and man ; hath walked in my precepts, and observed my ordinances to perform the truth; this man is righteous, and he shall certainly live, saith the Lord Almighty.

GRAD. Ps. 16. Preserve me, O Lord, as the apple of thine eye; protect me under the shadow of thy wings. V. Let me be tried in thy presence; let thy eyes see justice done.

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GOSPEL. Matt. xv. 21. 28.

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T that time: Jesus going thence, went towards Tyre and Sidon. And behold a woman of Canaan coming from those parts, cried out, saying to him Have mercy on me, O Lord, O Son of David; my daughter is grievously tormented by the Devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and entreated him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth out after us. But he answering, said: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came up to him, and adored him, saying: Lord, help me. Who Expl. Where sacrifice was offered to idols.

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answering, said: It is not fit to take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs. And she said: It is true, Lord; but the dogs also eat the scraps which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is thy faith; be it done to thee according as thou desirest. And her daughter was healed at that

very hour.

OFFERT.

Ps. 30. The Angel of the Lord will guard on every side those that fear him, and he will deliver them; taste and see how sweet is the Lord.

SECRET. We beseech thee, O Lord, that the offerings which accompany this wholesome fast, may, through thy mercy, save us. Thro'..

COMM. John 6. The bread, which I will give, is my flesh for the life of the world.

POSTCOMM. Tuorum nos. By the free grant of these thy gifts, O Lord, augment our temporal, and renew our eternal helps. Thro'.

Let us pray.

Bow down your heads to God. PRAYER. Da, quæsumus. Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that all Christian people may acknowledge what they profess, and love the heavenly mystery, they so often approach. Thro'.

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ELIVER me from my necessities, O Lord; see my distress and affliction, forgive me all my sins. Ps. To thee have I raised up my soul, O Lord: O my God, in thee I trust, let me not be put to shame. V. Glory.

COLLECT. Esto, Domine. Be propitious, O Lord, to thy people, and mercifully strengthen them by thy aid, whom thou fillest with devotion to thee. Thro'.

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LESSON. Ezekiel xviii. 20. 28.

HUS saith the Lord God: The soul that sinneth the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor the father the iniquity of the The righteousness of the righteous man shall be upon himself, † and the wickedness of the wicked man upon himself. But if the wicked man shall repent of all

son.

Expl. The righteous man shall be rewarded for his righteousness, and the wicked man punished for his wickedness.