fatigue, are you content with merely expressing your regret; or if sent to help him, do you go with a bad grace? Ah, if you had a more lively faith, you wonld have a more perfect charity-you would anticipate your brother's wants, remembering that it is to your Lord you do it in the person of your brother. AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. It must be generous and heroic.

CONSIDERATION. The love which Jesus bore us regarded not only our bodily needs, but still more the wants of the soul; in all its manifestations it was selfsacrificing, it was heroic. 'Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'

APPLICATION. Here is the pattern and the measure for your charity. It must be generous, ready (when called upon) to make heroic sacrifices for the temporal and, above all, for the spiritual good of your brothers. In the meantime, we should at least support, encourage, and, by our good example, edify them. We should frequently commend them to God, and pray that the community may increase in numbers and in fervour. Have you thus understood and practised charity? COLLOQUY.

SEPTEMBER 30.

JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF MARTHA AND MARY.

1st Prel. Picture to yourself St. Mary Magdalene in contemplation at the feet of Jesus.

2d Prel. Ask for grace to unite contemplation with activity.

POINT I. Jesus visits Martha and Mary.

CONSIDERATION. Now that He had left Capharnaum, our Lord had no settled home, so He generally relied for food and lodging on the hospitality of others. So, as St. Luke tells us, it came to pass as they went that He entered into a certain town; and a certain woman

named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who, sitting also at the Lord's feet, heard His word. But Martha was busy about much serving.'

APPLICATION. While we consider these two sisters, so widely differing in character, and yet so closely united to each other, let us think if it is not possible and even necessary to unite the active with the contemplative life —a blessed union, and one most fruitful in merits! In what does it consist? Is it merely to add to our works of charity the office said in Choir? If this were all, the union would be neither difficult nor rare-almost every religious would accomplish it. No, it is something more than this-it consists in being habitually united. to God by intention and affection in all exterior work, even amid the distraction and bustle of the world.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Martha complains of Mary: Jesus replies. CONSIDERATION. While the evening meal was being prepared Mary sat at our Lord's feet in sweet repose, feeding her soul with the Divine Word. Martha, on the contrary, was engrossed in household matters. Martha. satagebat circa frequens ministerium. Seeing that her sister had no intention of helping her, she thought she might fairly complain: Lord, hast Thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her, therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.'

APPLICATION. Let us dwell a little on these words, every one of which is full of meaning. 1st. 'Thou art careful, and art troubled about many things.' How many religious, in other respects fervent and zealous, merit this reproach, because they allow themselves to be engrossed in matters foreign to their office, or do

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their duty in an excitable, self-seeking spirit, impatient of failure! Might our Lord's words be applied to you? Examine yourself and see. 2nd, 'But one thing is necessary.' Many things are relatively necessary, one only absolutely—it is to work out your salvation, because no one else can do it for you, and your state in eternity depends upon it. You should think more of this than of anything else. Is it your first thought in the morning, your last at night? 3rd, Mary has chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.' Why did our Lord prefer the part which Mary chose-contemplation? Because it will remain when action is over; because it will be an eternal source of joy to us in heaven as it was of happiness on earth; because contemplation, by revealing to us God's infinite perfections, inflames us with that love from which heroism springs. It was Mary, not Martha, who stood beneath the Cross on Calvary.

COLLOQUY,

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN OCTOBER.

FEAST OF THE HOLY ROSARY.

1st Prel. Picture to yourself the Blessed Virgin teaching St. Dominic the devotion of the Rosary.

2d Prel. Ask for grace to appreciate its excellence and advan. tages.

POINT I. The Origin of the Rosary.

CONSIDERATION. For the origin of the Rosary we must go back to the year 1208. It was a time of great trouble, especially in the south of France, where the Albigensian heresy spread death and desolation around. After many vain attempts to extinguish it, St. Dominic, founder of the order of Friars Preachers, was sent to the infected country. The Saint put all his trust in our Lady's protection, and invoked her day and night. His prayers were heard. She appeared to him, and taught

VOL. II.

him the devotion commonly called the Rosary, promis. ing great and lasting results from the preaching of it. More than a hundred thousand heretics abjured their errors, and the conversion of an immense number of notorious sinners testified to the power of this method of prayer, and caused it to be adopted by the whole of Christendom. The Sovereign Pontiffs erected it into a confraternity, enriched it with many indulgences, and appointed the first Sunday in October, with a special office, for its commemoration.

APPLICATION. The feast is well fitted, 1st, to strengthen our faith in a Divine Providence watching over the Church, and supporting it in proportion to the dangers which threaten it; 2ndly, to make us feel the truth of St. Bernard's remark, God wishes that we should have everything through Mary; 3rdly, to increase our confidence in our Lady, and our devotion to the Rosary. Strive to reap these benefits to-day. AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. The Excellence of the Rosary.

CONSIDERATION. To appreciate the excellence of the Rosary, we must think of its origin, and of the prayers and mysteries which compose it. It comes to us directly from the hand of the Mother of God. It is composed of fifteen decades of the Ave Maria, like the one hundred and fifty psalms of the Canonical Office. Each decade is prefaced by a Pater and a consideration of some one mystery in our Lord's life. The whole fifteen remind us of our duty to our Divine Redeemer; of everything necessary, I will not say for salvation, but for the highest perfection.

APPLICATION. Are you thoroughly convinced of the beauty and excellence of this devotion, a third part of which you daily recite? The way in which you do recite it will answer my question. Do you not often say it at a time and place little suited for prayer? Thus to recite it is to say it (as a holy ascetic once remarked)

rather for purgatory than for heaven. Do you not usually forget to meditate on the mysteries? To do this is to lose one great advantage of the Rosary. See in what you have been wanting, and set to work at once to amend it.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Method of saying the Rosary.

CONSIDERATION. It is a general complaint that it is most difficult to say the Rosary with devotion, or rather without continual distractions. One cause of this is the constant repetition, even though the two prayers which compose it are the best in the world. Another cause is, that as it is said without book, there is nothing to fix the eye and arrest the attention. The way to overcome this difficulty is to bring the subject of each mystery before you as vividly as you can, and keep your mind's eye fixed upon it during the whole decade. In this way, even should your attention wander from the words or their meaning, it will at least rest upon the adorable Person of our Lord, which is all that is necessary; for the popular definition of prayer is a raising of the heart to God.

APPLICATION. Try this method, and you will find the advantage of thus easily uniting mental and vocal prayer, and of filling your mind with holy thoughts, and your heart with sweet affections. COLLOQUY.

OCTOBER 2.

PARABLE OF THE COVETOUS RICH MAN: THE DANGER

OF WEALTH,

1st Prel. Listen to these words of Jesus, 'Take heed, and beware of all covetousness.'

2d Prel. Ask for grace to value highly your vow of poverty, and to be entirely faithful to it.