Monday, First Week of Lent

Each feria of Lent has a proper Mass ; whereas, in Advent, the Mass of the preceding Sunday is repeated during the week. This richness of the lenten liturgy is a powerful means for our entering into the Church's spirit, since she hereby brings before us, under so many forms, the sentiments suited to this holy time. From these ferial Masses we intend giving, for the respective days, the Collect, which is always the principal prayer, the Epistle, the Gospel, and the Prayer which is said ' over the people ' at the end of the Mass. All this will provide us with most solid instruction ; and as the selections from the Bible, which are each day brought before us, are not only some of the finest of the sacred volume, but are, moreover, singularly appropriate to Lent, their attentive perusal will be productive of a twofold advantage.

At Rome, to-day's Station is in the church of St. Peter-ad- FwcwJa. It was built in the fifth century, by the empress Eudoxia, wife of Valentinian III., and possesses the venerable relic of St. Peter's chains. We shall speak more fully of this basilica when we keep the feast of the apostle's deliverance from prison, on August 1.

Converte nos, Dens, salu- Safaris noster: et ut nobis viour: jejunium quadragesimale proficiat, mentes nostras coelestibus instrue disciplinis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. Amen.

Convert us, O God our and instruct our minds with thy heavenly doctrine, that this fast of Lent may be beneficial to us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

COLLECT

MONDAY, FIRST WEEK OF LENT

EPISTLE

Lectio Ezeehielis Prophetse.

Cap. xxxiv. Haec dicit Dominua Deus : Ecce ego ipse requiram oves meas, et visitabo eas. Sicut visitat pastor gregem suum in die quando fuerit in medio ovium suarum dissipatarum: sic visitabo oves meas, et liberabo eas de omnibus locis, in quibus dispersse fuerant in die nubis et caliginis. Et educam eas de populis, et congregabo eas de terris, et inducam eas in terrain suam, et pascam eas in montibus Israel, in rivis, et in cunctis sedibus terrse. In pascuis uberrimis pascam eas, et in montibus excelsis Israel erunt pascua earum: ibi requiescent in herbis virentibus, et in pascuis pinguibus pascentur super montes Israel. Ego pascam oves meas: et ego eas accubare faciam, dicit Dominus Deus. Quod perierat requiram, et quod abjectum erat reducam, et quod confractum fuerat alligabo, et quod infirmum fuerat consolidabo, et quod pingue et forte custodiam: et pascam illas in judicio, dicit Dominus omnipotens.

Lesson from the Prophet Ezechiel. Ch. xxxiv. Thus saith the Lord God : Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will visit them. As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered ; so will I visit my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land ; and I will feed them in the mountains of Israel, by the rivers and in all the habitations of the land. I will feed them in the most fruitful pastures, and their pastures shall be in the high mountains of Israel: there shall they rest on the green grass and be fed in fat pastures upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my sheep; and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and that which was driven away I will bring again ; and I will bind up that which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve ; and I will feed them in judgment, saith the Lord almighty.

Our Lord here shows Himself to us as a Shepherd full of love for His sheep. Such, indeed, He truly is

LENT to men, during this season of mercy. A portion of His flock had gone astray, and was wandering to and fro amidst the darkness of this world ; but Jesus did not forget them. He went in search of them, that He might gather them together. He sought them through lonely deserts, and rocky places, and brambles. He now speaks to them through His Church, and invites them to return. He sweetly encourages them, for perhaps they might fear and be ashamed to appear before Him, after so many sins. He promises them that, if they will but return to Him, they shall be fed on the richest pastures, near the river bank, and on the mountains of Israel. They are covered with wounds, but He will bind them up; they are weak, but He will strengthen them. He will once more give them fellowship with the faithful ones who never left Him, and He Himself will dwell with them for ever. Let the sinner, then, yield to this tender love ; let him not refuse to make the efforts required for his conversion. If these efforts of penance seem painful to nature, let him recall to mind those happy days, when he was in grace, and in the fold of his good Shepherd. He may be so again. The gate of the fold is open ; and thousands who like himself had gone astray are going in with joy and confidence. Let him follow them, and remember how Jesus has said : c There shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine who need not penance.'1

GOSPEL

Sequentia sanoti Evangelii Sequel of the holy Gospel secundum Matthaeum. according to Matthew.

Cap. .xxv. Ch. xxv.

In illo tempore : dixit Jesus At that time, Jesus said to discipulis suis: Cum venerit his disciples: When the Son

VSt. Luke xv. 7.

Filius hominis in maj estate of man shall come in his ma- sua, et omnes angeli cum eo, jesty, and all the angels with tunc sedebit super sedem him, then shall he sit upon majestatis suae : et congrega- the seat of his majesty. And buntur ante eum omnes all nations shall be gathered gentes, et separabit eos ab in- together before him, and he vicem, sicut pastor segregat shall separate them one from oves ab haedis : et statuet another, as the shepherd sepa- oves quidem a dextris suis, rateth the sheep from the dicet Rex his qui a dextris sheep on his right hand, but ejus erunt : Venite, benedicti the goats on his left. Then

Patris mei, possidete para- shall the King say to them turn vobis regnum a con- that shall be on his right hand: stitutione mundi. Esurivi Come, ye blessed of my enim, et dedistis mihi man- Father, possess you the king- ducare : sitivi, et dedistis mihi dom prepared for you from bibere : hospes eram, et the foundation of the world. cooperuistis me : infirmus, gave me to eat ; I was thirsty, et visitastis me : in carcere and you gave me to drink ; I eram, et venistis ad me. Tunc was a stranger, and you took respondebunt ei justi, di- me in ; naked, and you centes: Domine, quando te covered me; sick, and you vidimus esurientem, et pavi- visited me ; I was in prison, mus te ? sitientem, et dedi- and you came to me. Then mus tibi potum ? Quando shall the just answer him, say- autem te vidimus hospitem, ing: Lord, when did we see et collegimus te ? aut nudum, thee hungry, and fed thee ?

et cooperuimus te ? aut thirsty, and gave thee drink ?

quando te vidimus infirmum, And when did we see thee a aut in carcere, et venimus ad stranger, and took thee in ? or te ? Et respondens Rex, naked, and covered thee ? Or dicet illis : Amen dico vobis, when did we see thee sick quamdiu fecistis uni ex his or in prison, and came to f ratribus meis minimis, mihi thee ? And the King answer- f ecistis. Tunc dicet et his, ing, shall say to them : Amen, qui a sinistris erunt : Disce- I say to you, as long as you dite a me, maledicti, in ignem did it to one of these my seternum, qui paratus est least brethren, you did it to diabolo et angelis ejus. me. Then shall he say to

Esurivi enim, et non dedistis them also that shall be on his mihi manducare : sitivi, et left hand : Depart from me, non dedistis mihi potum: you cursed, into everlasting hospes eram, et non collegistis fire, which was prepared for me: nudus, et non coope- the devil and his angels. haedos autem a sinistris. Tunc collegistis me: nudus, et

LENT

For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink ; I was a stranger, and you took me nqt in ; nailed, and you covered me not ; sick, and in prison, and you did. not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying : Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee ? Then he shall answer them, saying : Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment, but the just into life everlasting.

We have just been listening to , a, prophet of? the old Testament, inviting us to return to the good Shepherd ; our Lord there put forth every argument which love could devise., to persuade His lost sheep to return to Mim : and here, on the very same day that the Church speaks to us of our God as being a gentle and compassionate Shepherd, she describes Him as an inflexible Judge. This loving Jesus, this charitable Physician, of our souls, is seated on His dread tribunal, and cries out in His anger: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire! And where has the Church found this awful description ? In the Gospel, tha$f i$? in the very Law of love. But if we read our passage attentively, we shall find th$t He who pronounces this terrible anathema is the same God, whom the prophet has been just portraying as a Shepherd full of mercy, patience, and zeal for His sheep. Observe how. He is still a Shepherd^ even on His judgment seat : tie separates the sheep from the ruistis met infirmus, et in carcere, et non visitastis me. Tunp respondebunt ei et ipsi, dicentes : Domine, quando te vidimus esurientem, aut sitientem, aut hospitem, autnudum, au^, infirmum, aut in carpere, et non ministravimus tibi ? Tunc respondebit illis, dicens: Amen dico vobis, quamdiu non fecistis uni de minoribus his, nec mihi fecistis. Etfibunt hi in supplicium aeternum : just; aufam in vitam apternam.

MONDAY, FIRST WEEK OF LENT goats ; He sets the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left ; the comparison of a flock is still kept up. The Son of God will exercise His office of Shepherd even to the last day : only then, time will be at an end, and eternity will have begun ; the reign of justice, too, will have succeeded the reign of mercy, for it is justice that will reward the good with the promised recompense, and that will punish impenitent sinners with eternal torments. How can the Christian, who believes that we are all to stand before this tribunal, refuse the invitation of the Church, who now presses him to make satisfaction for his sins ? How can he hesitate to go through those easy penances, with which the divine mercy now deigns to be satisfied ? Truly, man is his own worst enemy, if he can disregard these words of Jesus, who now is his Saviour, and then will be his Judge : ' Unless ye do penance, ye shall all perish.'1

Humiliate capita vestra Bow down your heads to

Deo. God.

Absolve, quaesumus, Do- Loosen, O Lord, we beseech mine, nostrorum vincula thee, the bonds of our sins; peccatorum : et quidquid pro and mercifully turn away eis meremur, propitiatus from us whatever we deserve averte. Per Christum Do- for them. Through Christ mirmm nostrum. Amen. our Lord. Amen.

Let us close the day by reciting the following hymn, which was composed by St. Gregory the Great, and is used by the Church in her Matins during Lent.

HYMN

Ex more docti mystico, Servemus hoc jejunium, Deno dierum circulo Ducto quater notissimo.

Lex et prophetse primitus Hoc praetulerunt, postmodum

Let us observe this most solemn fast of forty days,, which has been handed down to us by sacred tradition.

The Law and the Prophets first introduced it ; and afterwards, Christ, the Master and

1 St. Luke xiii. 3.

LENT

Christus sacravit, omnium Bex atque factor temporum.

Utamur ergo parcius Verbis, cibis et potibus, Somno, joeis, et arctius Perstemus in custodia.

Vitemus autem noxia, Qusb subruunt mentes vagas:

Nullumque demus callidi Hostis locum tyrannidi.

Flectamus iram vindicem ; Ploremus ante judicem ; Clamemus ore supplici, Dicamus omnes cernui :

Nostris malis offendimus Tuam, Deus, clementiam ; Effunde nobis desuper Bemissor indulgentiam.

Memento quod sumus tui, Licet caduci, plasmatis : Ne des honorem nominis Tui, precamur, alteri.

Laxa malum quod fecimus;

Auge bonum quod poscimus :

Placere quo tandem tibi Possimus hie et perpetim.

Prsesta, beata Trinitas, Concede simplex Unitas, Ut fructuosa sint tuis Jejuniorum munera. Amen.

Maker of all seasons, consecrated it by himself observing it.

Let us, therefore, be more sparing in our words ; let us retrenchsomewhat of ourfood, and drink, and sleep, and merriment, and redouble our watchfulness.

Let us shun those noxious things, which play such havoc with unguarded souls : and let us avoid whatsoever could strengthen the tyranny of our crafty enemy.

Let us appease the anger of our Judge, and pour out our tears before him ; let us prostrate ourselves, and thus cry to him in suppliant prayer :

We have offended thy goodness, O God, by our sins : forgive us, and pour out thy mercy upon us.

Bemember that we are the work of thy hands, frail though we be : we beseech thee, suffer not another to usurp the honour of thy name.

Pardon us the evil we have done, and grant us good things, even beyond our prayer: that thus we may be well pleasing to thee, now and for ever.

O blessed Trinity, O undivided Unity, grant us, thy servants, to reap fruit from the fast thou hast given us. Amen.