Preface

We begin, with this volume, the holy season of Lent ; but such is the richness of its liturgy, that we have found it impossible to take our readers beyond the Saturday of the fourth week. Passion-week and Holy Week, which complete the forty days of yearly penance, require to be treated at such length, that we could not have introduced them into this volume without making it inconveniently large.

The present volume is a very full one, although it only comprises the first four weeks of the season of Lent. We have called it * Lent ' ; and yet the two weeks of the next;TOtUiK^$r^a^ in ;; ^

Lent ; nay, they are its most iinpOrtaaiu'ani sacred ^ ; part. But, in giving the %$ni $0* jfcMs; first section, we have followed the liturgy ^ itself/ which applies this word to the first f pur wsjeks okfy ; giving to the two that remain the names of Passion:week and Holy Week. Our next volume will, therefore, be called ' Passiontide and Holy Week.'

We fervently hope that our readers, who have entered into the spirit of the Church during Septuagesima, will do the same in the season which now v vi

PREFACE begins ; for this end they should attentively study the Lessons from the Scripture, selected by the Church for each day. To these Epistles and Gospels we have added our humble comments. Such is the richness of the teaching contained in these venerable lenten instructions, that we might have written a volume for each week ; and yet we have been obliged to content ourselves with a few short words of explanation. There are so few persons, nowadays, who have a knowledge of the sacred Scriptures, that frequently what was most familiar with our Catholic forefathers is entirely ignored by the present generation. May God deign to bless our feeble eif orts, and give to our people that spirit of understanding of holy things which supports faith, and makes practice fervent !

CONTENTS

HAPTBR PAGE

Preface ...... v

LENT

I. The History of Lent .... 1 II. The Mystery of Lent . . . .

III. Practice during Lent . . . .

IV. Morning and Night Prayers during Lent . 42 V. On hearing Mass, during the Season of Lent 57

VI. On Holy Communion during Lent . . 92 VII. On the Office of Vespers for Sundays and

Feasts during Lent . . . VIII. On the Office of Compline during Lent . 109

PROPER OP THE TIME

The First Sunday of Lent . . . . 121

Mass ...... 127

Vespers ..... 138

Monday of the first week of Lent . . . 142 Tuesday . . . . . .149

Wednesday (Ember Day) . . . .156

Thursday . ... . .164

Friday (Ember Day) . . . .170

Saturday (Ember Day) . . .179 vii viii CONTENTS

PAOE

The Second Sunday op Lent .186

Mass 190

Vespers 197

Monday of the second week of Lent . .199

Tuesday 206

Wednesday . . . . . .214

Thursday 220

Friday 228

Saturday 236

The Third Sunday of Lent . . . 247

Mass 263

Vespers ..... 261

Monday of the third week of Lent . . . 263

Tuesday ...... 270

Wednesday . . . . .277

Thursday . . . . . .284

Friday . . . . . .291

Saturday . . . .303

The Fourth Sunday op Lent . . . 313

Mass 318

Vespers . . . . .326

Monday of the fourth week of Lent . 328

Tuesday 335

Wednesday . . . .342

Thursday 362

Friday 370

Saturday . . . . .381

PROPER OF THE SAINTS

March 12: St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church . . . . .388

March 17 : St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, Bishop and

Confessor ...... 402

March 18 : St. Gabriel the Archangel . . 410

CONTENTS ix

PAGE

March 19 : St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin . 418 March 21 : St. Benedict, Abbot . . .428 March 26 : The Annunciation of the Ever Blessed

Virgin ...... 443

April 2 : St. Francis of Paula, Confessor . . 475 April 4 : St. Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 479 April 5 : St. Vincent Ferrer, Confessor . . 485