NOVEMBER 23.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK: THE WIDOW'S MITE; THE SCRIBES AND SADDUCEES.

1st Prel. Imagine our Lord praising the poor widow, and confounding the Scribes and Sadducees.

2d Prel. Ask that you too may merit the praises of Jesus.

POINT I. Our Lord praises the poor Widow.

CONSIDERATION. Our Lord, having returned to Jerusalem, spent great part of the day in the Temple, teaching chiefly in parables; and there, in the words of St. Mark, 'He beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she cast in two mites which make a farthing. And calling His disciples together, He saith to them, Amen I say to you, this poor widow hath cast in more than all they who have cast into the treasury; for all they did cast in was of their abundance, but she of her want cast in all she had, even her whole living.'

APPLICATION. If old age or ill-health prevents your being employed in great labours for the service of God, or if, being young and strong, you are employed in things apparently trifling, learn from these words of our Lord that He judges our actions according to the spirit, generosity, and intention with which they are performed.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Our Lord answers the Scribes concerning the Tribute-money.

CONSIDERATION. The Scribes and Pharisees, in order to ensnare our Lord, hoping to render Him either odious to the people, or criminal in the eyes of the Roman government, came to Him with a cunninglydevised question: Tell us, therefore, what dost Thou think; is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not?

But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, Why do ye tempt me, hypocrites? Show me the coin of the tribute. And they offered Him a penny; and He saith to them, Whose image and superscription is this? They say to Him, Cæsar's. Then He saith to them, Render therefore to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are God's. And hearing this, they wondered, and, leaving Him, went their way.'

APPLICATION. We do wrong to yield to fear and discouragement when we see the enemies of religion craftily endeavouring to ensnare. Such a weakness is injurious to God and hurtful to ourselves. AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Our Lord answers the Sadducees concerning the Resurrection.

CONSIDERATION. After our Lord had thus confounded the Scribes, the Sadducees came to Him on a similar errand. Master,' they said, speaking of a woman who had successively married seven brothers, 'at the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven shall she be, for they all had her? Our Lord answered, In the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married, but shall be as the angels of God in heaven.'

APPLICATION. They shall be as the angels of God in heaven. What consoling words! Like those angels who are pure spirits? Yes, because our body shall rise, as the Apostle says, a spiritual body, possessed of angelic qualities-agile, lucid, subtile, and incorruptible —but still capable of enjoying sensible pleasures, the nature of which we are not now capable of conceiving. If we could picture this happy state with lively faith, we should continually sigh after its possession.

COLLOQUY,

NOVEMBER 24.

CONTINUATION OF THE EVENTS OF TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK: PARABLE OF THE HUSBANDMEN AND THE VINEYARD.

1st Prel. Imagine our Lord in the Temple.

2d Prel. Ask that you may gather abundant fruit from this Meditation.

POINT I. The Care bestowed upon the Vineyard.

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CONSIDERATION. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.' It must have been almost impossible for the Jewish priests and rulers not to have understood the meaning of this parable, so clearly does it refer to Almighty God and His chosen people, whom He blessed above all others, and who made so ungrateful a return. In the same parable we see a striking exposition of the advantages and obligations of the religious state.

APPLICATION. In the first place, we see described the advantages of the religious state. Almighty God, the Father of the whole human family, is also the Founder and Father of the religious state, and of each particular Order. I planted thee a chosen vineyard,' He says by His prophet. The hedge enclosing this chosen vineyard is the triple rampart of vows, rules, and the watchfulness of Superiors; the wine press, pouring out its costly juice, is an image of the religious state, from which, more than any other, flows an inexhaustible stream of grace and merit; the tower in the midst represents the tabernacle, from whence our Lord watches with a special care over those admitted into His vineyard, which He has let out to us that we may labour in it and cultivate it, whilst He appears to be at a great distance from us because hidden from our eyes, though near in reality, observing if we are faithful

and diligent, and preparing us a reward proportioned to our deserts.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Ingratitude and Sin of the Husbandmen. CONSIDERATION. 'When the time of the fruits was nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits thereof; and the husbandmen, laying hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, and they did to them in like manner; and, last of all, he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. ... And taking him, they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.'

APPLICATION. Here our Lord refers not only to the obstinate and ungrateful Jews, but to those unhappy religious who-despite the warnings of their Superiors, the representatives of God, and the inspirations of their angel guardians-leave the vine committed to their care uncultivated, and consequently produce no fruit. AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Punishment of the Husbandmen.

CONSIDERATION. When, therefore, the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to these husbandmen?' This is the question with which our Lord concludes this parable. And the Jews standing by reply, unconsciously pronouncing their own condemnation: 'He will bring those evil men to an evil end; and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruits in due season.' And our Lord confirms it in these terrible words: 'Therefore I say unto you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.'

APPLICATION. Many religious, after long years of profession, have incurred the like penalty; would you avoid it? Be wholly unreserved with your spiritual

director; not only as to your sins, but as to your temptations, your fears and doubts, and follow his advice exactly. COLLOQUY.

NOVEMBER 25.

COMPLETION OF THE EVENTS OF TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK: OUR LORD FORETELLS THE LAST JUDGMENT.

1st Prel. Imagine our Lord coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and majesty.

2d Prel. Ask that you may be always prepared to appear before the judgment-seat of God.

POINT I. Signs preceding the last Judgment.

CONSIDERATION. Our Lord passes on from predicting the destruction of Jerusalem to describe the signs which shall herald the last Judgment: And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves. Men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world, for the powers of heaven shall be moved.'

APPLICATION. During His mortal life our Lord is known only as the tender Lover of mankind, the good Shepherd come to seek and save; but at this last judg ment, in which He will appear to justify the dealings of Providence before the eyes of the universe, and to put to confusion the enemies of God and His Church, He comes clothed with power and majesty to appal those who have abused His long-suffering and mercy. Let us bear in mind this last judgment, and the terrible sentence to be pronounced against impenitent sinners, when tempted to evil.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.