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Appendix

TnE TEX COMMANDMENTS OF GOD,*

As found in ihe XX. chapter of Exodus.

And the Lord spoke all these words:

  1. I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

  2. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.

  3. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in Uie waters under the earth.

  4. Thou shalt not adore them, no* serve them • I am

tilie Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:

  1. And showing mercy unto tnousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

  2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.

  3. Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day.

  4. Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works

  5. But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thcu, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within ihy gates.

1 1. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.

  1. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayst be long-lived upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee.

  2. Thou shalt not kill.

  3. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  4. Thou shalt not steal.

  5. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

  6. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his hand-maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his,

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION.

Independently of Sundais, and Feasts which fall upon them

The Circumcision of our Lord — The Epiphany-

The Annunciation of the B. Virgin — The Ascension

— Corpus Christi, or the Feast of the Blessed Sacra-

ment — The Assumption of the B. Virgin — All Saints — The Nativity of our Loid.

FASTING DAYS.

  1. The forty days of Lent.

  2. The ember days at the four seasons, being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, of the first week of Lent; of Whitsun week, of the third week in September; and of the third week in Advent.

  3. The Fridays of all the four weeks of Advent.

  4. The vigils or eves of Whitsunday; of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin; of all Saints; and of Christmas day.

N. B. Any fasting day, which falls on Sunday, is kept on the preceding Saturday.

ABSTINENCE DAYS.

All Fridays throughout the year. The abstinence on Saturday is dispensed with, for the faithful throughout the United States, for the space of twenty years, (from 1843,) except when a fast falls on Saturday. Hence, the Saturdays of Lent and Quartertenses, and Vigils falling on Saturday, are still days of abstinence from flesh meat. When Christmas falls on Friday, abstinence is not of precept. All the Sundays in Lent are, by the general discipline of the Church, days of abstinence. The use of flesh meat is allowed at present, by dispensation, in this diocess, on all the Sundays of Lent, except Palm-Sunday, and once a day on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in each week, except the Thursday after Ash- Wednesday, and also excepting Holy-week,

N. B. The Catholic church commands all her children, upon Sundays and holidays, to be present at the great eucharistic sacrifice, which we call the Mass, and to rest from servile work on those days, and keep them holy. 2dly. She commands them to abstain from flesh on ail days of fasting and abstinence; and on fasting days,

to eat but one meal. 3dly. She commands them to confess their sins to their pastors, at least once a year.

4thly. She commands them to receive the blessed sacrament at least once a year, and that at Easter, viz. between Palm-Sunday and Low-Sunday.

The fourth council of Later an, Can, 21. ordains, " that every one of the faithful of both sexes, after they come to the years of discretion, shall, in private, faithfully confess all their sins, at least once a year, to their own pastor, and take care to fulfil, to the best of their power, the penance enjoined them; receiving reverently, at least at Easter, the sacrament of the Eucharist, unless, perhaps, by the council of their pastor, for some reasonable cause, they judge it proper to abstain from it for a time; otherwise, let them be excluded from the church while living, and when they die, be deprived of Christial buriaL"

THE CHRISTIAN'S DAILY EXERCISE OF MORNING AND NIGHT PRAYER.

Rising from bed, make the sign of the cross, saying, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen — and offer yourself to God — then dressing yourself, modestly acknowledge the goodness of God, who gives you this day to labour in it, for tho salvation of your soul; and consider this day may be your last. When dressed, place yourself in the presence of God, in a respectful posture, on bended knees, and blessing yourself, adore him with the most profound respect; give him thanks for his benefits to you, especially for having watched over you during the Night; and join with all the angels and saints, in blessing and praising Lis holy name.

Afterwards recollect yourself, if you offended God during the night, and what were the sins you committed the day before; and with an humble and contrite heart, begging God's forgiveness of them and of all past transgressions, firmly resolve not to offend him any more,

and earnestly beg his assistance, to spend the present day in his love and service, and to guard yoa particularly against your predominant passions, and those vices, temptations, and failings, to which you find yourself most addicted.

Then offering to God your body and soul, with all your thoughts, words, and actions; and begging his blessing on them, devoutly recite the acts of faith, hope, and charity, the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostles' Creed, and whatever other prayers you are accustomed to say. You should also pray for your friends and enemies, and for the living and dead, begging grace, mercy, and salvation for ail mankind: and conclude your morning prayer by invoking the intercession and protection of the blessed Virgin Mary; and by recommending yourself to your Angel Guardian, and to those particular saints, to whom you have spiritual devotion.

Every Christian, who has at heart his salvation, and is desirous to please God, ought, if he has time and opportunity, to meditate every morning, or at a convenient hour in the day, on his last end, or on the passion of Christ, or on some pious and serious subject: and to hear mass with all possible attention and reverence; because of all religious duties, the sacrifice of the Mass is that which gives most glory to God, and is at the same time most profitable to us; the reading of books of true Christian piety and sound morality is aA»o ^r^estly to be recommended, as very conducive to spiritual improvement.

And in order to sanctify each day, and the good works of it, consider that all things, even your most secret thoughts and actions are naked and open to the eyes of God; and that every idle word, that Men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment. Heb. iv. 13, and Matt. xii. 36. Therefore walk with the greatest circumspection in the presence of God, frequently in the day thinking of him, raising your heart to him, and offering yourself and actions, to his honour and glory

NIGHT PRAYER.

If it be so necessary a duty to begin the day I y prayer, il is of the utmost consequence to conclude it also by prayer, the graces received during the day, and special protection you stand in need of against the dangers of the night, should engage you, to humble yourself before God in prayer evevy night, which necessary duty is never to be omitted; and should be always most religiously performed, Bind in the same manner, and with the same dispositions, as in the morning.

Every night, therefore, before you go to bed, place yourself on your knees in the presence of God; and begging his blessing, by making the sign of the cross on yourself, adore his infinite majesty; return him thanks for all his mercies to you, especially for his gracious protection over you during the day; and invite the whole court of heaven and all the creatures of God, to bless his goodness, and to praise his holy name.

Then consider attentively, how you spent the day; and if in the course of it you diligently complied with your duty in every respect: you are therefore to examine yourself carefully on your thoughts, words, actions, and omissions: and particularly on the obligations of your state in life, and on those vices, passions, and evil habits, to which you are most addicted.

When you have brought to mind all the sins and omissions of the day, with an humble and contrite heart implore forgiveness of them, and of all your transgressions; and firmly resolve, with God's assistance, not to offend him any more; and cautiously to avoid every occasion of sin. Then oflei ing yourself to God, earnestly beseech him to enable you to practise those particular virtues and good works, which are most necessary to you, and to preserve you from sin, and all dangers during the night; devoutly recite the acts of faith, hope, and charity, and the other pra}Ters as in the morning, or any ottzr terra of prayer you are accustomed to say at night

The examination of conscience is strongly recommended as a very important Christian duty, and is one of the most profitable and effectual means to avoii sin, and to acquire virtue; wherefore all persons wlr; batrt at heart their salvation, and are truly desirous to please God, will constantly and diligently attend to the exan> ination of conscience every night.

Prayer said in common, that is, by many together, is certainly more acceptable to God, and more beneficial, than prayer which is offered in private by one individual alone; and on this principal is chiefly grounded the pious and edifying practice in many families, of joining together in prayer every night; and it is most earnestly to be wished, that every Catholic family did adopt it.

The many signal blessings which God has bestowed on those families in which prayers are regularly said in common, should engage every head of a family to introduce and establish so laudable a custom; particularly at night, when all in the family may be assembled with greater convenience. Wliere there are two or three gatliered together in my name, says Christ, there am I in the midst of them. Matt xviii. 20.

A PRAYER TO OUR ANGEL GUARDIAN.

O Holy Angel! to whose care God, in his mercy, hath committed me; thou who assistest me in my wants, who consolest me in my afflictions, who supportest me when dejected, and who constantly obtainest for mo new favours; I return thee now most sincere and humble thanks: and I conjure thee, O amiable Guide! to continue still thy care; to defend me against my enemies; to remove from me the occasions of sin, to obtain for me a docility to thy holy inspirations; to protect me, in particular, at the hour of my death; and then conduot me to the mansions of eternal repose. Amen.

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