Part 1, lesson 20. Of the grace wrought in the soul by the mysteries of our Lord in which we must participate. First, of the mystery of the Incarnation

Q. To be a perfect Christian, is it sufficient to have the dis positions which you have so far indicated ?

A. No; it is necessary, more over, that the Christian should participate in all the mysteries oT7esus Christ, this amiable Redeemer having accomplished them in his person, that they might" be abundant and special sources of grace in his church.

Q. lias each mystery acquired for the church some special grace ?

A. Yes; each mystery has ac quired for the church sanctify ing grace, and a variety of par ticular graces which he grants to faithful souls, when it pleases him, and ordinarily in the time of the solemnity of the mystery.

Q. What are the principal mysteries in which the soul can participate ?

A. It ought to participate in all, but principally in six, which are; the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Res urrection, and Ascension of our Lord.

Q. What grace does the mysterj of the Incarnation produce in us?

A. The grace of annihilation to all self-interest and selflove.

Q. What do you mean by annihilation to all self-interest arid self-love ?

A. I mean that, _as by the adorable mystery of the Incar nation, the sacred humanity of our Lord was annihilated in his own person, so that it no longer sought itself, no longer had any self-interest, no longer acted for itself, having in itself ano ther person substituted in the place of its own, namely, the person of the Son of God, who sought only the interest of his

Father, whom alone he consider ed at all times and in all things; fL°_we ought to be annihilated to all self views and interests, and have no others than those of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is in us, to live in us for his Father.* As my Father, when he sent me, de stroyed in me the very root of self-love, in not giving me the human person, but uniting me to the divine person of his Son, in order to make me live for him; so, when you will receive me, you will live for me and not for yourselves. For, I will

• Sicut misit me vivens Pater, et ego vivo propter Patrem : et qui manducat me, et ipse vivet propter me. Joan, vi, 68.

live in you; I will fill your soul with my desires and my life, which will consume and an nihilate in you all that is self, so that it will be I who shall live and will in you, instead of yourselves, and thus being entirely annihilated in yoursel ves, you will be wholly changed in me.

Q. Is this change a second grace of the mystery of the In carnation ?

A. Yes; for the mystery of the Incarnation, besides effect ing in us an entire divesture of ourselves, also effects the putting on of our Lord, by a total consecration of ourselves to God, in the same manner as on the day of his Incarnation our Lord consecrated himself entirely to his Father, with all his members, sanctifying in advance all the particular oc casions that he and his mem bers would ever have to serve and glorify God.

Q. Did our Saviour, on the day of his Incarnation, offer to his Father his life and that of all his members ?

A. Yes, he offered them, and continues still to make the same offering; he is still in the same dispositions in which he was during his mortal life; he continues in them without in terruption, and offers himself to God with all his members, whenever they have to serve, honor and glorify him. OurJLord, in his divine person, is an altar upon, which all men are offered to God with all their actions and sufferings; he is that golden altar* upon which is consummated every perfect sacrifice, the human nature of Christ with that of all the faith ful being the victim, his Spirit the fire, and God the Father Re to whom it is offered, and who is adored by it in Spirit and truth.

Apoc. viii, 3.