examples and the snares of those of our brethren who may unfortunately have strayed from the right path.

APPLICATION. As tares are found among the wheat even on well-cultivated soil, so even it is possible to meet dissipated religious in the holiest communities and they are the more dangerous if they have talent and seniority. By their fruits ye shall know them;' by their want of discipline, their manner, their spirit of unkindness, of murmuring, criticising, &c. Pity them, and pray for their conversion; but fly from familiarity with them, and draw closer to those who are distinguished by their fervour and regularity. understood this and acted upon it?

COLLOQUY.

Have you

JULY 21.

THE LEPER'S PRAYER, AND HIS CURE.

1st Prel. Imagine you see the leper before our Lord, and saying to Him, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.' 2d Prel. Beg for the same feelings which the leper had when he made this prayer.

POINT I. Prayer of the Leper.

CONSIDERATION.

It pleased our Divine Lord to confirm His wonderful and austere teaching by miracles. The first was the case of the leper: as soon as the poor man saw our Lord afar off he was filled with hope; and fearless of a rebuff, as every one else was, he came to Him, says the Evangelist, beseeching Him, and kneeling down said to Him, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.'

APPLICATION. Let us try to profit by our reflection on the qualities of this leper's prayer: first, it was made with profound respect and deep humility; he fell down on his knees before Jesus and adored Him as the Ambassador and Son of God; then he had an ardent

faith in the omnipotence of Jesus; he firmly believed that our Lord could cure the leprosy if He so willed; he had an entire confidence in the goodness of Jesus, whose praises he had heard, and he had a perfect resignation : 'Lord, if Thou wilt,' if it is pleasing to Thee, Thou canst cure me. If we made all our prayers with the same feelings, they would be always efficacious. AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Cure of the Leper.

CONSIDERATION. In this second Point let us bend our whole attention to the Person of our Divine Model and Saviour, Jesus Christ. How did He receive the leper? How did He answer his prayer? Though He was pressed upon by the crowd, He received him with great sweetness, without showing any impatience or disgust at the sight and smell of the leprosy. listened gently to his prayer, and wrought a miracle. 'Jesus, having compassion on him,' says St. Mark, 'stretched forth His hand, and touching him, saith to him, I will; be thou made clean. And when He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him'

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APPLICATION. This wonderful miracle greatly increased the faith of the multitude in the teaching of Jesus Christ; and it ought to be no less useful to us, especially when we compare our conduct with that of our Lord. Examine yourself; ask yourself, 'When some one comes to beg a service from me at a busy moment, especially if his appearance and manner are disagreeable, how do I receive him and listen to him? Is it impatiently, or crossly, or even harshly; putting him off to another time? If it be thus, I am far from resembling my Divine Model, Jesus, whom I have resolved to imitate as closely as possible.' See in what respect your conduct is in contrast with our Lord's, and try to correct it.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Gratitude of the Leper.

CONSIDERATION. We can easily imagine what was the joy and gratitude of the leper so suddenly cured. But our Lord did not suffer him to express it before the witnesses of the miracle: 'See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the high-priest, and offer for thy cleansing the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony to them.' But the leper was so overcome with joy, that he forgot our Lord's injunction, and began to publish and blaze abroad the word.

APPLICATION. See how our Lord avoided rather than sought the praise and applause of men, so that God only might receive the glory. Do we not do the exact contrary? Let us learn also, like the leper, to show our gratitude to Jesus Christ; and to spread abroad as much. as we can the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. Let us examine ourselves.

COLLOQUY with Jesus, the Divine Physician of our souls.

JULY 22.

MARY MAGDALENE AT THE FEET OF JESUS IN THE HOUSE

OF SIMON THE PHARISEE.

1st Prel. Imagine you see Magdalene in the midst of the guests washing the feet of Jesus with her tears.

2d Prel. Beg that you may be animated with the same feelings as she had at that moment.

POINT I. Entrance of Magdalene into the Banquet-hall.

CONSIDERATION.

And one of the Pharisees desired Him to eat with him. And He went into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down to meat; and behold, a woman* that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that He sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an

* According to the most general opinion, this woman was Mary Magdalene, the sister of Lazarus.

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alabaster box of ointment.' She not only entered the house, but went into the banquet-hall, and cast herself at the feet of Jesus. How much it must have cost her to brave human respect in this way! Weigh all the circumstances of it. But she was entirely possessed by the love of Jesus, who had already delivered her from seven devils; and, prevented by grace, she was impatient to give Him a proof of her sincere repentance, and to make a public reparation for the scandal she had given. An occasion offered itself, and she eagerly seized it, trampling under foot all human considerations.

APPLICATION. Let us learn from this to follow the impulse of grace promptly and generously; to seize upon all the occasions which Providence gives us of doing good, and especially of repairing the harm caused by our bad examples; and for this end to brave, if need be, human respect, the ridicule or criticisms of the world. Have you acted thus?

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT II. Magdalene gives proofs of her Repentance and Love.

CONSIDERATION. As soon as Magdalene saw our Lord, she went straight to Him, and 'standing behind at His feet, she began to wash His feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.' Mary Magdalene thus shows us what perfect contrition is. She is filled with the deepest sorrow, and inflamed with ardent love. She has no other regret than that of having offended God, and no other desire than that of pleasing Him.

AFPLICATION. When we are at the feet of our confessor, who, in the Sacrament of Penance, holds the place of Jesus Christ to us, let us try to fill our hearts with feelings of perfect contrition. We shall certainly do it if we bring before our minds its immense advantagesa more entire or even total remission of our sins, and

the strength to resist temptations, and overcome all obstacles to our sanctification.

AFFECTIONS and RESOLUTIONS.

POINT III. Reception that our Lord gave to Magdalene. CONSIDERATION. "The Pharisee who had invited Him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying, This man, if He were a prophet, would know surely who or what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him, that she is a sinner.' Jesus instantly took up her defence, and said, 'Simon, dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house; thou gavest Me no water for My feet; but she with tears hath washed My feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she with ointment hath anointed My feet. Wherefore I say to thee, many sins are forgiven her because she hath loved much. And He said to her, Thy sins are forgiven; go in peace.'

APPLICATION. Do you wish to know the way of satisfying God's infinite justice for those numerous faults into which, from human infirmity, you fall daily? The Lord tells you what it is: 'Love much, and many sins will be forgiven you.' Frequently make acts of love, even if it be only these few words: 'My God, I love Thee; pardon me for having offended Thee.' And often, say ascetical writers, this act will be one of perfect contrition, though you have not had the intention of making one.

COLLOQUY.

JULY 23.

THE CENTURION'S SERVANT OF CAPHARNAUM.

1st Prel. Imagine you see our Divine Lord looking graciously upon the Centurion.

2d Prel. Beg for the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

POINT I. Charity and Confidence of the Centurion. CONSIDERATION. The miraculous cure of the leper