the most intense and perfect degree, so that throughout the whole course of her life, at each act of her will, she doubled the whole capital of grace within her, and has thus become richer in grace than all the citizens of heaven together. Oh what immense riches! And why dost thou, who art provided with such a poor and scanty capital, keep it lying idle? Generally speaking, the poorer a man is, the more industrious he is; but with thee it is just the reverse. After so many years of religious life, what treasures hast thou laid up of merit and virtue ? Rouse thyself once for all from thy sloth, if thou dost not wish at] the hour of death to hear pronounced against thee that reproach addressed in the gospel to the slothful servant who, because he had received fewer talents, kept them idly hidden in the ground.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT.

Quid existis in desertum videre?—Matt. xi. 7.
What went you out into the desert to see?

I. CONSIDER in this day's gospel the prerogatives of S. John, of which Our Lord spoke in such high terms of commendation, to the end that thou mightest recopy them in thyself. The first is his firmness and constancy in the path of virtue he had entered upon. -Quid existis in desertum videre? arundinem vento agitatum ?—What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind? From his tenderest years he had continued to live in the desert, without ever quitting that solitude; not even for the pleasure of once enjoying Our Lord's company. He persevered in a like tenor of life, both in the court of Herod and in prison, the solidity of his virtue being such as to be proof against all trials. Dost thou resemble him;

or rather, art thou not a reed blown about in every direction by the slightest puff of wind? Dost thou remain constant to thy good resolutions, and to thy exercises of piety? How often at every little difficulty or slight opposition thou forsakest the good thou hadst commenced!—Esto firmus in via Domini.Eccl. v. 12-Be steadfast in the way of the Lord.

II. Consider the second prerogative of S. John, which was that of uniting in himself the greatest innocence with the most rigorous penance and austerity of life. His clothing consisted of a camel's skin; his food was little else but wild herbs and locusts, and his necessary sleep he took on the bare ground. In what degree art thou given to the practice of mortification, in satisfaction for thy sins, and to bring thy stubborn and rebellious flesh into subjection? Oh, how thou deceivest thyself if thou imaginest it to be easy to acquire virtue and taste spiritual delights so long as thou seekest thine ease and pamperest thy flesh! Now, before God, what mortification dost thou practise ? Remember that the true religious spirit is not to be found in terra suaviter viventium, in those who take this life easy.

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III. Consider S. John's third privilege. After the preparation of an angelic life, and fortified with the actual example he was giving of the practice of such austere mortification, he applied himself to preach the coming of the Messiah to dispose the people to recog nise and welcome Him as Saviour of the world. acquitted himself of the office with such energy of purpose that even whilst detained a prisoner by Herod, he never ceased from making Jesus known, and sending him fresh followers. A holy occupation is this, that namely of preparing and inviting men to the knowledge and service of Christ; and if perchance thou art not able to do so by preaching from the pulpit, adopt the safer method of good example and holy

conversation which will produce greater fruit in thy neighbour, and will prove far more profitable to thyself.

MONDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF

ADVENT.

Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et semen illius.--Gen. iii. 15.

I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed.

I. CONSIDER how, after Adam had, by his disobedience, lost original justice, and incurred the penalty of sin and eternal punishment for himself and his entire posterity, the infinite goodness of God would suffer no delay in giving a remedy for so great an evil. Hence, we may understand how greatly Almighty God has at heart and how ardently He desires the salvation of all: omnes homines vult salvos fieri.—Tim. ii. 4—He will have all men to be saved. Hence, likewise, thou mayest learn when thou hast fallen into any fault not to remain in that unhappy state, but immediately to apply the remedy and rise from thy fall at once, since the evil increases with the delay. With the same speed thou oughtest to rise from thy lesser faults also, correcting, for instance, that act of impatience, of pride, or of vanity by some act of the contrary virtue; and thus the benefit derived will be greater than the harm done.

II. Consider how that whilst God was preparing the remedy for Adam's sin, he wished at the same time to console him with the promise of a future Redeemer of his own race, who should make good, in a most advantageous manner, the loss inflicted on himself and his posterity by the deceitful serpent, freeing

them from the slavery of Satan, and raising them to a still higher degree of glory. What feelings of gratitude and tender love must not have risen in Adam's breast at hearing the promise! Thine also ought to be the like sentiments, who art a sharer in the same great benefit. With thy own personal sins thou hast renewed in thyself the injuries caused by original sin; but not for all that must thou be dismayed, and lose confidence in thy Redeemer. He is ready, as far as He is concerned, to raise thee up to thine own greater advantage. Knowest thou not how many sinners of the blackest dye have been raised up by the merciful hand of their Lord to a most sublime degree of virtue and to most eminent sanctity? Fly therefore to the feet of Jesus with true confidence and true sorrow, and doubt not.

III. Consider how the promise of a future Redeemer, made in the beginning to Adam, was confirmed by Almighty God to his posterity still more clearly by means of figures and sacrifices; so that all might reap the efficacy and fruit of Christ's merits through faith in a Redeemer to come, His infinite merits thus extended their efficacy to all men, and to all times past, present, and future. But thou art enabled to partake of these merits much more abundantly owing to a clearer knowledge of so great a mystery, and by means of the holy sacraments of the new law! Be grateful, therefore. Oh what a much better use would those ancient Fathers have made of these same means than thou dost, if the same light and the same opportunities had been afforded to them as have been given to thee! Be ashamed of thyself and detest thy ingratitude.

TUESDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF
ADVENT.

Mitte, quem missurus es.-Exod. iv. 13.
Send whom thou wilt send.

I. CONSIDER how that after Almighty God had prepared a fitting remedy for Adam's sin, by the promise of a future Redeemer, He nevertheless put off His coming on earth for more than four thousand years, during which period the Messiah was longed for with incessant tears and heart-drawn sighs by the patriarchs and prophets and the entire chosen people of God. This was decreed for three reasons. Firstly, that thou mightest perceive that if thou wishest to obtain any favour thy Lord has determined to confer, thou must, agreeably to His own wish, earnestly and perseveringly beg for it in thy prayers. Here thou hast the reason why thou failest to obtain the graces thou needest, namely, because thou art cold and inconstant in begging God for them. If thou art not heard at the instant, thou growest weary, losest patience, and ceasest to continue praying.

II. Consider the second reason of this delay, which was, that as before the coming of Christ the whole of mankind had been corrupted by vice and miserably buried in the thick darkness of ignorance, so also it might appear with greater evidence how necessary and beneficial the appearance of a Redeemer was, to enlighten man's intellect and strengthen his will. In the same way does thy Lord deal with thee: He tarries in freeing thee from that troublesome temptation or that harassing anxiety on purpose that thou mayest the better know thy own weakness, that thou mayest have an occasion for humbling thyself, and make greater