H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION B Y A D O M I N I C A N F A T H E R . NEW REVISED EDITION. H . P H I L A D E L P H I A : L . K I L N E E & C O . P U B L I S H E R S . Religious Articles. Our personal selections f r o m t h e various m a n u f a c t u r e r s a t h o m e a n d abroad, being, in every case, best quality m a t e r i a l a n d m a k e to be procured. ^ V j E t i a L s , g c a p u L ? m s , ^ o s h r i e s , g T S T U T B S , 130LY W a T E R F O N T S , ' g a N C T u a a y L b m p s , C r u c i f i x e s , R e l i g i o u s P i c t u r e s , e t c . , e t c . S jfull and Complete Stock of all ^atfyolicTj^ooks •ftept constantly on banfc. Missions and Libraries Supplied AT WHOLESALE RATES. H . L . K I L N E R — Daily Mass, sermons, instructions, public prayers, and Benediction of the most Blessed Sacrament. T. — And what is the object of a Mission ? F. The principal object of a Mission is to excite the f a i t h f u l to greater fervor in regulating their lives according to the sacred t r u t h s of our holy Faith. T. — Is there any other object ? F. jP- Yes ; to dispose them to a worthier and more frequent reception of the Sacra- ments. T. Sjj- How does the Mission accomplish these objects ? First by presenting to the minds of the people the great t r u t h s of Religion clearly, forcibly, and consecutively. And secondly, by giving familiar instructions on the nature, object, and worthy reception of the Sacraments. 1 " M i s s i o n " from t h e L a t i n missio, mitto, missus, to send. Christ sent H i s apostles and their successors t o p r e a c h . 9 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. T. — Are not the Sacraments the same, whether -we receive them during a Mission or at any other time ? F. Certainly they are, Thomas. But the effect of each Sacrament (with the excep- tion of Baptism in children) depends much on ourselves. The better we are disposed, the more benefit we receive f r o m the Sacra- ments. Besides, the Church grants great indulgences to those who make a good Mis- sion. Among these indulgences may be mentioned: 1. 200 days f o r each exercise attended. 2. A plenary indulgence for at- tending at least one exercise each day for five days. 3. The great indulgence granted through the Papal Blessing at the close of the Mission. T. — Father, I must confess I do not know what an indulgence means. I know it can- not be a permission to commit sin, as some outside the Church maliciously have said it is. F. — No, my son; an indulgence is not permission to commit sin. Such an inter- pretation of the power claimed by the Church is to be utterly abhorred and repudiated. Later on, Thomas, I will explain an indul- 1 0 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. gence to you, and will show you how, in general, indulgences may be gained.1 II. W H O S H O U L D M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . Thomas. — Father, is the Mission intended for all in the parish, or only for sinners like myself ? Father. — I t is intended for all who are old enough to make it. I n every parish, Thomas, we find three classes of persons, — the good, the careless, and the bad. Now, all these should make the Mission. T. — Surely, Father, the good do not need the Mission ? F. — They may not need it, Thomas, but they are the class that will profit most by it. The seed of God's word will produce the hundred-fold in the good soil of their h e a r t s ; they will not only walk, but run, in the nar- row path. The Mission for them will be a time of spiritual feasting, of wonderful light and strength to their souls. 1 See page 108. 11 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. T. — Is the second class numerous, Father ? F. — The careless are generally more nu- merous than the good. Our Lord says there are two paths, — the narrow, which leads to life; the broad, which leads' to ruin. Now, the careless will not admit that they are on the broad road, yet they do not claim to be among the few who are on the narrow path. They t r y to strike a middle course, yet there is no such path. They rise, but they fall. They make big promises, but break them. A t it is said, f< Hell is paved with good resolutions." As a rule, their confessions are a repetition of the same sad falls, the same broken resolutions. Now, Thomas, the Mission is necessary for this class. I t will teach them what passions they must con- quer, what self-denials they must make, in a word, what they must do to enter life. T. — You said the third class are the bad. Whom do you mean, Father, by the bad ? F . — T h e bad, Thomas, are great sinners, whether public or private. They are the common drunkards, the common prostitutes, the horrible blasphemers, and all who glory in their sins: these are the public sinners. They are also those who live in shameful 1 2 HOW TO M A K E T H E MISSION-. habits of secret wrong-doing, who are guilty of private vices, the unjust, extortioners, all who have lived in sin for years, and in a manner have defied God's vengeance. TA— And, Father, is the Mission intended also for such ? F.i—Yes, my son, I may say chiefly f o r such, and, thank God, many of them are brought back to their loving Shepherd at every Mission. For no matter how f a r they may have strayed away, or how black or numerous their crimes, H e still desires their salvation, t h a t t h e y may be converted and live. H e still lovingly seeks the lost sheep, the prodigal son; and remember, my son, " there is joy in Heaven upon one sinner t h a t doth penance more t h a n upon ninety- nine just who need not penance." 1 I t is as easy for God, and for the priest, to pardon a thousand crimes, as to pardon one, provided always there is true conversion. • T. — W h a t you say, Father, is consoling to poor sinners like myself. I resolved to make the mission before I came to you, and now I desire to make it well. Please tell me how I -im to prepare for it. 1 Luke xv. 1. 13 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. P A R T I I . I . C O N F E S S I O N . 1 . F I R S T S T E P , E A R N E S T P R A Y E R . Father. — Together with listening atten- tively to the sermons and instructions of the Mission, you must prepare well for a good Confession. Thomas. — How am I to prepare myself, Father ? I must say I am not as familiar with my religion as I should be. F. — Do you know your Catechism, Thomas ? T. — Not very well, Father. I did study it when a boy, but I have almost forgotten it. F. — I am sorry to hear this. We should endeavor always to keep in remembrance the principles of our Faith. Besides, there are certain t r u t h s which we are bound to know.1 Do you know the Ten Command- ments, Thomas ? I See page 149. 1 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . T. — I fear not, Father. F. — Then you must commit them to mem- ory as soon as possible,1 and now I reply to your question, how to prepare for Confession. The Catechism says, " B y way of preparation for confession, four things are necessary." Now, Thomas, please mark these F O U R things attentively. Oh ! how many bad confessions are made, because people do not attend to these F O U R things. T. — Father, what you say astonishes me. Do you really mean that there are many who make bad confessions ? F.— I am sorry to say there are. T - — Then, Father, please mention those four, things, so t h a t I may never forget them. F- — First, we must E A R N E S T L Y A S K God's grace to help u s ; secondly, we must C A R E - F U L L Y E X A M I N E our conscience; thirdly, we must have a T R U E S O R R O W for our sins; fourthly, we must R E S O L V E T O R E N O U N C E our past sins and commence a new life for the future. T - — Father, will you have the goodness to explain those four "things ? F. — I shall do so, Thomas. First, we 1 S e e p a g e 150. 15 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. must earnestly ask God's grace to help us. I tell you candidly I believe the origin of many sacrilegious confessions and commu- nions may be traced to the non-observance of this part of the preparation: I have known men and women to come into the confessional witnout the least preparation, a f t e r having been engaged in useless conversation on the street up to the moment of entering the church, with apparently no thought of the dread tribunal which they were approach- ing ; I have seen others spend their time idly gazing around the church. I t is true that these things do not happen often, but they should never h a p p e n ; and those who enter the sacred tribunal in the manner I have mentioned, show t h a t they do not real- ize the sanctity of the action which they are about to perform. O h ! if they felt t h a t Jesus Christ is represented in the person of His minister; t h a t the J u d g e of the liv- ing and the dead, Who will one day come in the clouds of heaven to pronouce final judgment, is there, nearer to them than #is the priest, looking into the very depths of their souls, they would not enter the con- fessional with such indifference! I t is true,, 1 6 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. the priest, as St. Paul says, is Christ's am- bassador, for Christ hath placed in him the words of reconciliation.1 H e has extraor- dinary power; he is sent even as our Lord was sent, by thè Father.2 But how can he reconcile the sinner with God, how can he exercise that wonderful ministry of recon- ciliation if the penitent neglect to do his part in seeking to be reconciled to G o d ? The priest cannot do it, and hence I repeat t h a t many confessions are bad, f o r want of humble, earnest, persevering prayer. T. — W h a t should I especially ask, F a t h e r ? F. — Your catechism tells you, Thomas, to ask for the special help of God's grace. St. Teresa, following St. Paul, compares the soul to a temple. Now, sin defiles this temple of God ; but that is not all. By sin, the light of the Sun of Justice, which is the grace of God, is shut o u t ; the lamps of the Holy Spirit are extinguished ; the temple is l e f t in gloom and darkness, even as the earth is, left in gloom when the sun sets behind the western mountains. You know t h a t when the sun lias set, and. no lamp is lighted in 1 2 Cor. y. 18. 20. 2 g f f j g j 2 1. 17 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. your hall, any number of black spots and stains may be on the floor, but you cannot see t h e m ; you have no light to see them. Now, i t is the same with t h e soul of the sin- ner. I have known men addicted to enor- mous crimes, such as drunkenness, blasphemy, neglect of mass and confession and commun- ion, for y e a r s ; yet these men will tell you t h a t they are not bad men. I t is because their souls are in darkness t h a t they do not see the black, horrible stains by which they are defiled. Not long ago I asked a man if he would make the Mission. H e answered, " Oh, I don't know ! I don't think I need a Mission." — " When did you last go to con- fession ? " I asked. " Oh, not for y e a r s ; but I am as good as those who go frequently. I don't kill anybody; I don't steal; I pay my d e b t s ; I take care of my family." Here is a man, Thomas, — and there are many such, — w h o praises himself like the proud Pharisee whom our Lord condemned. H e keeps two or three of God's Command- ments, but cares not for the others, perhaps t h e principal ones. An old pagan Roman could say the same about himself. T h a t wretched Catholic will be harder judged than 1 8 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. a pagan, for a Catholic knows better. T h a t man says he does not kill or steal, and t h a t he pays his debts, but he has no regard for the sins of blasphemy, of impurity. How can he love God as he is commanded when he despises Jesus Christ by not hearing the Church, by not going to Mass and receiving the Sacraments ? The soul of a Catholic who wilfully stays away from Holy Commu- n i o n 1 for more than one year is dead and rotting in sin. Oh, if the clear light of God would beam into his intelligence, how terri- fied he would be by his wretched condition ! Do you know, Thomas, why the saints were so humble ? T.—Not in particular, Father. F . — One principal reason is, because they saw themselves so clearly in the light of God. One venial sin was more horrible to thé eye of their souls than a corrupted carcass is to the eye of the body. T. — This, Father, is a dark picture you give of a soul in sin. F. — I t falls short of the truth, Thomas. I t is God only t h a t can give us a clear knowledge of the wretchedness of a soul in 1 J o h n r i . 19 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . mortal sin. Hence the necessity of earnestly asking Him for t h a t knowledge, praying with St. Augustine, " 0 Lord ! teach me to know T h e e ; teach me to know myself." Let me conclude this instruction by begging you, for the love of God, to pray earnestly for light and grace to make- a good confession. Feel, my child, t h a t like the prodigal son,1 you have strayed away from your loving Father, abused H i s graces, insulted and outraged Him by your sins, and blackened and de- filed His temple, your soul. Oh, ask ear- nestly for pardon and reconciliation; ask for light to know how much you have offended H i m ! Beg the Blessed Virgin, the sweet refuge of sinners, to intercede for y o u ; ask your guardian angel and the saints to pray for you. God will grant to those holy ones what you are not worthy to obtain. Again I repeat, pray, pray fervently for grace to make a good Mission. 2 . S E C O N D S T E P , E X A M I N A T I O N O F C O N - S C I E N C E . TAomos. — F a t h e r , I have endeavored to follow your advice as well as I could since i L u k e x v . 2 0 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. last evening. I think I never before prayed with such earnestness. In fact, I never f e l t the importance of prayer as a preparation for confession till I heard your instructions last night. And now, Father, what is the next thing to be done ? Father. — W h a t does your catechism say, Thomas ? T. — First, we must earnestly ask God's grace to help us. Secondly, we must care- f u l l y examine our conscience. Thirdly, we must —9 F. — Stop, Thomas, why do you leave t h e second point ? T. — Because I thought it was clear enough without explanation. F. •— So it would seem; yet I tell you t h a t the neglect of examination is another f r u i t f u l source of sacrilegious confessions. I say more, and I am sorry to have it to tell, hardly one in every ten examines his con- science properly. T. — How is this possible, Father ? F. — Well, it is owing to carelessness on the p a r t of some, indifference on the part of others, and ignorance on the part of a third class. Generally those who hasten to the con- HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 2 1 fessional without asking God to give them grace to make a good confession, begin to accuse themselves without any previous ex- amination. They never t r y to COUNT THEIR SINS. Thomas, I will tell you something t h a t will astonish you. T. — W h a t is it, Father ? j?, People often fairly kill the priest in the confessional. T. — How, Father ? p . Many a young priest is sent to his death, slowly but surely, in t h a t place. T. — In what manner, Father ? 2T. By the unnecessary toil and labor imposed upon him there. Many do not show themselves to the priest,1 as our Lord tells them. They either hide their guilty consciences, or they show themselves M false colors. They do not examine then- conscience. They do not count their sina, Oh! the mockery of many confessions, i will give you an example. Here is a man, for instance, who has been away from con- fession for five years : — . Confessor. — When were you a t confession l a s t ? i M a t t . viii. 4 ; L u k e v . 14. 2 2 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. Penitent. — A long time ago. G. — How long ? P. —- Oh, several years. G- — Please tell me, as near as you can, how long it is. P. — I t ' s so long, Father, it's hard for me to tell. G. — Is it one year, or two or five or ten years ? P- — Well, it's about five years. • F. — Now, Thomas, see what questions he made the poor tired priest ask before he told him. W h y did he not say five years at once ? But listen Confessor. —7 W h a t sins have you com- mitted since then ? Penitent. — A great many. C. — Have you cursed ? P. —J have. C. — How often, and what did you say ? P. — Oh, not very often. C.— About how many times a day did you take the Holy Name of J e s u s in vain ? P. — Some days a good many times, and other days Hot at all. HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION. 2 3 C. Please, my child, tell the number of times you committed each sin, and do no1" keep me waiting. p . Well, I cursed and swore, told lies, missed mass, had bad thoughts, and got angry sometimes : that's all, Father. F . W h a t do you think of such a con- fession, T h o m a s ? T. -ri-I'do not think such a confession is clear enough. I t is too general. F. — Clear enough ! Why, it is a most unworthy, a most imperfect confession, z. confession to break the heart of a priest. For how can he form a correct judgment of the state of such a man's soul ? H e can- not do it. The priest must form a just, an equitable judgment before he passes sentence; otherwise God will not r a t i f y his decision. Now, the penitent alone is the only accuser, the witness against himself; if he does not tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, how can the priest rightly discern the condition of his soul? Now, Thomas, consider the confession that I have given as an example. The penitent says, " I cursed," but does he tell the whole t r u t h ? 2 4 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. H e does not. H e does not say whether it was once, twice, ten, or one hundred times a day. Again, he does not tell" the curses he used. H e does not say whether, in eursing, he invoked God, or Christ, or the sacred name of Jesus. How, then, can the priest have any knowledge of the curses and oaths which that man has vomited forth, when he only hears, " Father, I cursed." Then again, he says, " Father, I missed mass." H e does not tell the priest how often, whether it was once in a month or once in six months, whether he could help it or not. He says, too, t h a t he has had bad thoughts. But he jfives no intimation that he took pleasure in t h e m ; he does not tell how often that was the case, and so on. You see now, my child, the labor of a priest in the con- fessional. H e has to talk and question and s i f t and search into t h a t soul till his voice almost leaves him, and his brain boils, and his nerves become strung to their utmost ten- sion. For, if he absolves that man without a knowledge of his soul, he runs the danger of committing a terrible sacrilege himself. Do you wonder now that many of our noblest and best priests die y o u n g ? Hardly a day HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION. 2 5 passes t h a t you do not read of the death of one. ' x . I never knew t h a t a priest's labors were so hard in the confessional; and now, Father, please tell me how I am to examine my conscience. p . _ W h a t does the catechism say ? X. I t tells us to examine our conscience on the Ten Commandments of God, on t h e Commandments of the Church, on the partic- ular duties of our state of life, and on the Seven Deadly Sins, and consider wherein and how often we have offended God by thought, word, deed, or omission. F. — T h a t is it, Thomas. O h ! if people would only study their catechism, and do what it teaches, then we should not have so much labor in t h e confessional! Remember always, my son, to count your sins. And there are certain words t h a t you must never use in the confessional. T. W h a t words are they, Father ? jr. Never say sometimes, a good many times, not often, very often: never use such expressions. T. — W h y , F a t h e r ? p . Because these are all vague, indefi- 2 6 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. nite t e r m s ; they do not give the priest any idea of the exact number of one's sins. Tell what you said, and how many times you said it. Tell what you did, and the number of times you did it. If you cannot give the exact number, give it as nearly as you can. Tell about how often. God does not require impossibilities. Doing the best you can, you need have no fear of telling a lie. To come as nearly as we can to the number is not lying. I t is all we can do. But if you find this too difficult, because you have been absent f r o m confession a long time, then give an average number of the sins you have committed daily or weekly or monthly. P u t one day or one week or one month with another, and see about how often in the day or in the week or in the month you have been in the habit of committing each sin. Moreover, have some system in examining yourself and in telling your sins. Follow the order of the commandments, and you will not become confused. Separate your different sins, one kind f r o m another, and count how many you have of each. Act like a man who has a quantity of money of differ- ent denominations. H e separates the differ- H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . 2 7 ent pieces according to their value, and, counting each kind, soon knows the value of the whole. T. — Suppose, Father, a person cannot read ? F . such is the case, some one may read the Examen of Conscience1 for him. But, Thomas, let me ask you particularly always to remember t h a t you must count your sins before going to confession. 3 . T H I R D S T E P , C O N T R I T I O N . Father. — Well, Thomas, what is the next thing we must do by way of preparation for confession? Let me see. First, we must earnestly pray to God for the grace of His special help. Secondly, we must carefully examine our conscience. Thomas. — These two you have explained, Father. F. — Thirdly, we must have a true sorrow for our sins. T. — Father, what do you mean by a true ¿arrow ? F. — W h a t is the. difference, Thomas, be- tween true joy and joy t h a t is feigned ? 1 S e e p a g e 6 1 . 2 8 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. T. — One is in and from the h e a r t ; the other is assumed, p u t on for effect. F . — I t is the same with regard to true and feigned sorrow : one is from the heart, the other is a mere pretence. T. — Is sorrow of heart necessary for the pardon of sins in confession ? £!•> — I t is so necessary t h a t you might as well tell your sins to a post as tell them to a priest, if you have not this sorrow. Not only that, but no matter how well you examine your conscience, no matter how exactly you count your sins, no matter how clearly you tell them, all, all will be useless, without a true sorrow of heart for having offended God. I say more. All the priests and bishops and popes t h a t ever lived could not effectually absolve a penitent unless he has this heart- felt sorrow. Oh, how many confessions and communions are sadly deficient,.if not sacri- legious, for want of true contrition! T.—Is there more than one kind of sor- row ? F . — Y e s ; there are two kinds. The first arises from a pure love of God. Knowing how good, how loving, how tender a Father we have offended by our sins, knowing all HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 2 9 t h a t H e has done and suffered for us, we are grieved to the very heart t h a t we have of- fended Him. This is perfect contrition. Im- perfect contrition arises from a fear of God's judgment and from a knowledge of the base- ness of sin and of its evil effects on the soul. This latter is true sorrow, but not perfect like the first. United with confession, with a determination to amend the past, and with t h e absolution of the priest, imperfect con- trition will j u s t i f y the sinner; but we should always endeavor to have perfect sorrow for cur sins. T. How can we acquire this sorrow ? F . By prayer and meditation. " Y o u must earnestly ask it of God," says the cate- chism, " a n d make use of such meditations and considerations as will move you to it." T. Please, Father, give me some instruc- tion on this point. j Willingly, my son. You must know t h a t our Lord is most desirous of giving us H i s graces. H e is the Good Shepherd who is anxiously seeking H i s poor lost sheep. H e is the F a t h e r of the poor prodigal, look- ing for the return of His weary, hungry, wretched child. You must also know t h a t 3 0 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. sin is the only enemy of God. Sin crucified our Redeemer. Sin blackens and defiles the soul, which is the temple of God. Sin robs the soul of its inheritance, the everlasting joys of Heaven, and precipitates so many into the eternal torments of hell. A soul in grace is a spouse of Jesus Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost; a soul in mortal sin is a subject of Satan, a den of unclean spirits. A soul in grace is beautiful, like an angel; a soul in sin is unsightly, like a fallen spirit. A soul in grace is rich, possessing God and having a right to an everlasting kingdom ; a soul in sin is poor, despoiled of all merit, a slave of the devil. You remember, Thomas, t h a t the catechism says mortal sin kills the soul. r . — Yes, Father, ~ F - — Do you know what t h a t means ? T. — Not exactly, Father, for We are told t h a t our souls are immortal. F - — T r u e > Thomas ; but the Scriptures mention a second death, which is the ever- lasting death of the soul in hell. Now, that death is the sequel and issue of mortal sin, for mortal sin deprives the soul of the grace Df God, which is the life of the soul. How HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 3 1 hideous is the body a few days after life has departed ! You could hardly find a man will- ing to stay a whole night with a decomposing corpse. Yet a soul in mortal sin is infinitely more horrible. One mortal sin, Thomas, changed the brightest angels of God into ugly demons; so ugly, t h a t the sight of one deformed spirit would be enough to strike you dead. What, then, must be the terrible deformity of t h a t man's soul who is guilty of many mortal sins! W e read in the life of St. Catherine of Siena, that God permitted her to see a soul in sin; and she declared that, had she not been upheld and strength- ened by God, she would instantly have died from f r i g h t and horror. Oh ! how little those persons think of this who live in sin day a f t e r day, carrying dead souls in their living bodies. Our Lord likened the Pharisees to whitened sepulchres, beautiful without, but within full of dead men's bones and all un- cleanness. How many are like the Pharisees, beautiful, it may be, in body, but with souls black as hell by mortal s i n ! T. — Father, this is a f e a r f u l picture you give of sin. F. — Let me tell vou, my child, t h a t all I 3 2 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. could say to the end of the world would be incapable of giving you an adequate idea of sin, for sin is an infinite evil, says St. Thomas. God alone knows the enormity of sin. Hence, to have true sorrow for sin, you must ask God to give it to you ; and t h a t you may be moved to greater fervor in doing so, I would urge you earnestly to meditate on the passion of our Lord. For in the Victim of Calvary we see, first, the enormity of sin t h a t required such a t o n e m e n t ; secondly, the justice of God t h a t required such satisfaction; thirdly, the love of our Lord Who endured so much for u s ; fourthly, the ingratitude of men who hardly ever think of all t h a t Jesus Christ suffered in order to save them from the pun- ishment they deserve for their sins. T. — Father, what are the marks of true sorrow? W h a t is needed to make it effica- cious ? F- — True, efficacious contrition is always heart-felt, a real heart-grief, as I have already intimated; secondly, it is supernatural, t h a t is, it springs from supernatural motives of f a i t h ; in other words, it is prompted by our consideration of, and assent to, the eternal truths of our religion, as revealed by G o d ; H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 35 imrdly, it is sovereign, t h a t is, it moves the sinner to detest sin as the greatest evil, and to hate it above all t h i n g s ; and fourthly, it is universal, t h a t is, it extends to and includes all offences, even those sins which do not oc- cur to the mind at the time of confession. Such, Thomas, are t h e marks or characteris- tics of true, efficacious sorrow. 4 . F O U R T H S T E P , P U R P O S E O F A M E N D M E N T . Thomas. — Father, you spoke of a deter- mination to avoid sin as the fourth step in preparing for a good confession. W h a t do you mean by this determination ? Father. — The catechism, in speaking of this determination, calls it a purpose of amendment. By it we mean an act of the will by which we firmiy resolve to commit sin no more, to change our lives, and to do penance for t h e past. T. — I s this purpose of amendment neces- sary ? F. — So necessary t h a t without it there can be no true contrition, and therefore no good confession; because, if we are really sorry for what we have done, we shall also be 3 4 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. firmly resolved to avoid the same and other offences in the future. T. — W h a t marks ought this purpose of amendment to have ? F. — I t ought, first, to be firm, t h a t is, we must have a fixed will never again to com- mit sin, no matter what temptations may arise, no matter what we may have to endure in proving our fidelity to G o d ; secondly, it ought to be efficacious, t h a t is, we must be determined to use the means necessary to avoid sin, such as shunning its occasions and following the direction of our confessor; thirdly, it ought to be universal, t h a t is, it must extend not only to those mortal sins which we have committed, but to all mortal sins. In this respect, our purpose of amend- ment must be like our contrition. We should set no limit to it. W e must hate and deter- mine to avoid every sin. W e should have no pet sin held in reserve. Unless all be re- nounced, none will be forgiven; for the love of God cannot exist in the same heart with mortal sin, nor will God take up H i s dwell- ing in the same house with H i s enemy. T.—I fear my weakness, F a t h e r : I can- not promise t h a t I will be faithful. HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 3 5 F. — God is our strength, my dear son. Grace will conquer nature and sin. Tl I can do all things in Him who s t r e n g t h e n e d me," says St. Paul.1 Do not hesitate, therefore; your present will is what you must regard. Are you here and now determined, with God's grace, to do all you can to avoid sin in the f u t u r e ? If so, take courage; God will strengthen you. T. — But if I fall, Father, will it not prove that my resolution was not sufficiently strong ? F. — If you fall at the first attack, if you make no struggle against temptation, if you employ none of the means given you to avoid sin, then you may judge that you were not sincere. But if you cannot in any of these ways reproach yourself, only learn from your weakness lessons of humility, and begin again. Oh, yes ! no matter how often you fall, never cease to trust in the mercy of God, even while you keep before your eyes the strictness of H i s justice. J P h i l . iv. 13. 3 6 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. I I . H A B I T U A L S I N N E R S A N D S I N S O F H A B I T . Thomas. — I often wonder, Father, how it is t h a t men become such slaves to their passions. Father. — I t is easy to account for it. In the first place, we are all, because of our fallen nature, prone to s i n : " The life of man upon earth is a warfare," says holy Job. 1 We must all fight, and no man, St. Paul declares, will be crowned " except he strive l a w f u l l y . " 2 " Strive," says our Lord, " to enter by the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be a b l e , " s because they do not strive hard. Again, " the King- dom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away." * One of the Holy Fathers compares the heart to a rich garden. This garden, if neglected, is soon filled with noxious weeds. Foreign seeds will be carried there by the wind, and unless you pluck up the young plants by the roots, you will soon have a forest to contend with. Another Father compares our passions to the lion's l J o b vii. i. 3 2 T i m . ii. 5. 8 St. L u k e xiii. 24. 4 St. M a t t . xi. 12. HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 37 whelp. You can easily strangle it when young; but if you nourish it a little, it will become a wild beast, which will one day de- vour you. There was a time, Thomas, when the miserable man who dies a victim of his own intemperance could have said, " I can drink and I can let it alone." A little later he acquired the habit of drink, and could no longer let it alone. H e fed the wild beast of his passion until it became strong enough to devour him. So it is with every other sin. T. — Father, do you mean t h a t when a man's passions become strong, or when he has fostered bad habits for a long time, he cannot overcome them ? F. — N o ; God f o r b i d ! I mean t h a t when a man indulges any passion, it becomes strong, a second nature, and therefore very difficult to overcome. But I do not care how bad a man is, I do not care how long he may have been given to the worst kinds of sin, if he does his part, God can and will l i f t him up and will break all t h e fetters t h a t bind him, even as H e brought Lazarus out of the grave. T. — W h a t do you mean, Father, by t h e 3 8 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. sinner doing his part ? W h a t must he do to break off bad habits, such as those of curs- ing, drinking, and impurity ? F - — H e must be fully determined not to commit those sins again. Without t h a t determination, his conversion would be a mockery. H e must realize t h a t his habit of cursing or drinking or impurity was formed by deliberate and repeated acts. He is bound to overcome such a habit. Nor can he excuse himself, as many do, by saying t h a t he has the habit. By wilfully placing himself in such a state he is responsible for the many crimes it leads him to commit. A mere de- sire to do better is not sufficient. H e must have a strong will to do better. H e must then vigorously and watchfully labor to de- stroy his bad habits. But how many show by their lives t h a t they are never in earnest, that they never sincerely and courageously strive to overcome themselves! They are satisfied with wishing to change their lives, but they never make a real effort to do so. Hence you will often see men make the Mission, but alas ! you will also see them in a few days returning to their old haunts of sin, committing the same crimes t h a t but a HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 3 9 short time before they had solemnly prom ised God to abandon forever. T. — How does this happen, F a t h e r ? F. — Because they are not fully deter- mined to keep from falling into their old habits. I cannot insist too strongly on the necessity of this resolution. When a man has a firm will not to return to his former sins he will endeavor to avoid the occasions of them. W h a t would you think, Thomas, of a man who would throw a dry log into a burning furnace, and yet declare he did not wish the log to burn ? T. — I should think such a man had lost his senses. F. fc- Well, the man who says he does not wish to sin, and yet goes into places, or as- sociates with companions who, he knows, will d r » " him back into sin, is equally senseless. Oh, how true it is, " H e t h a t loveth danger shall perish in i t " ! 1 Not only must such a man have a firm resolution not to return to his old ways, not only must he avoid as f a r as he can every occasion of sin, but he must also pray earnestly to God for strength to keep his good resolutions. " Ask and ye i Ecclus. iii. 27 4 0 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. shall receive," says our Lord. Thomas, my son, for the love of God, pray earnestly, fer- vently, and constantly for grace to overcome your temptations. I know t h a t you are tempted. Who is n o t ? But, in the lan- guage of St. Paul,1 " God will make issue with temptations," t h a t you may overcome them. You must remember that our Lord knows our weakness. H e shed His blood for us. By its virtue the soul is cleansed and its wounds healed in confession, and H e gives Himself to us in Holy Communion to be our soul's food and nourishment. Men are wounded, but they will not come to the Divine Physician. They are weak, but they will not come to the Divine Table to obtain s t r e n g t h ! Is it not evident t h a t they desire to remain slaves to their passions when they do not make use of the proper means to overcome them ? My son, remember w h a t I have s a i d : let your confession be supple- mented by a firm resolution of never again offending God, and a strong determination of avoiding a i r occasions of sin. Go to the sac- raments to obtain strength to keep those res- olutions, and pray fervently to our Lord for 1 1 Cor. x . 13. HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 4 1 grace, lest the enemy should overcome you. Lastly, be devoted to our dear Immaculate Mother, the refuge of sinners, the help of Christians. Oh, beg of her to shield you ander the mantle of her protection from all the fiery darts of your bitter enemy ; and be assured that, no matter what may have been your habits, you will overcome them. God will one day crown you with victory. S T O R Y O F T H E B L A C K S M I T H . I shall here relate to you, Thomas, the simple story of a blacksmith, which illus- trates what I have been saying about the necessity of a strong resolution, accompanied by earnest prayer. I was one day walking along one of the streets of Philadelphia when a man accosted me. " A r e you the priest who preached on drunkenness last night in St. Church ? " " I am." | Excuse me f o r speaking to you here, but I want to say something to you if you will permit me." " W h a t is i t ? " " D o not take it amiss if I tell you t h a t 4 2 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. you did not .sufficiently insist on prayer as a means of overcoming t h a t vile vice. Father, I was one of the worst drunkards in this city. I am a blacksmith by trade. Between my house and my shop are three saloons. On awaking each morning, my first thought was to visit the nearest; then a f t e r breakfast I visited the second, then the third, and by the time I got to my shop I was generally under t h e influence of drink. My habit was then .to curse the men, curse the horses, the fire, the iron, everything. I n my blasphemy I was generally imitated by my men. I n the evening I again visited the three saloons, where I found a number of unfortunates, in seedy, greasy garments, with stooped shoul- ders and heads hanging down, waiting for the old blacksmith to call them in with him to drink. I n the saloon t h e y would clap me on the back, saying, ' Long life to you, old f e l l o w ! ' or 'More power to your strong a r m ! ' Having thus visited the three sa- loons, I would go home more a madman than a rational being; and on entering my house I would begin to abuse and curse my good \)yal wife, to smash the furniture, or beat my poor children, who would generally run H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 4 3 from me in fear and terror. My home, Father, was a hell. " Well, about ten years ago I heard a pow- erful sermon on prayer as a means of con- quering all vices. I felt a great desire to put t h a t means to a test. That night be- fore leaving the church I begged my heav- enly Father with all the earnestness of my soul, for the love of H i s Son Jesus Christ, Who died for me, to give me strength to overcome my passion for drink. When I went home that prayer was repeated with all the earnestness of my soul. I also begged Our Blessed Lady to help me overcome my bitterest enemy. Next morning when I woke I felt the old craving. The demon seemed to whisper, ' Y o u cannot get along without some; take a little.' I threw myself on my knees, and from the depth of my soul I begged God and my blessed Mother to strengthen a poor weak sinner. " I started to work. 0 Father, God only knows the fight I had with my depraved ap- petite ! But I was determined to conquer or die. My prayer went on as I walked past the saloons. I saw one proprietor come with a smile to the door to welcome me i n ; but I 4 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . passed OH. When I came to my shop, my men saw at a glance t h a t I was not as usual. Soon I heard them curse and blaspheme as before. But I said, ' M e n , there has been enough of t h i s ; I am going to stop it. You must also stop it here, op get a job elsewhere.' The men looked at each other. No more was said then, but the blasphemy stopped. They saw I meant what I said. • Evening came. I had the same battle, Father. But, God be praised! my prayer continued, and strength came with it. I passed the saloons. The poor t h i r s t y creatures were expecting me as usual. When t h e y saw me pass they looked at each other in amazement. I could hear one say, ' W h a t in h is the matter with old Sooty ? ' When I got home I saw how bewildered my wife looked, and how joy gradually took the place of her fear. My children fled a t my approach as usual, but by and by they began to peep into the dining- room, then gradually came nearer and nearer. Soon my youngest child was on my knee, its arms about my neck, and the others gathered around me. There were tears in the eyes of my poor wife, but this time they were tears of joy. Father, ten years have since H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 4 5 passed, and now, I thank my God, I hate t h a t vile drink as I hate hell itself. 0 Father, insist on prayer as the most power- f u l means of overcoming every evil h a b i t ! " S T O R Y O F A T R U E C O N V E R S I O N . jr. Let me give you another example, Thomas. I t will serve more perfectly to im- press upon you what I said about the neces- sity of a firm resolution supported by fervent prayer. I was called one morning to the office. A young woman, I was told, wanted to ask me some questions about making the mission. " Pardon me," she said, " for troubling you, but I come to get some information." " W h a t do you wish to know ? " " Can all Catholics make the mission ? " " Yes ; if there is no obstacle in the way of their receiving the sacraments." " W h a t is considered an obstacle ? " " W e l l , to live as if married with a divorced person is an obstacle. The church can never, as long as the first companion lives, allow a second marriage when the first was valid, no matter what preachers or state officials may 4 6 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION-. say or do to the contrary. Only death can di- vorce those who were validly married. Hence we can do nothing for those who live in adul- tery. They must separate if they wish to make the mission." I mentioned this obstacle first, Thomas, for T feared she was one of those wretched Catho- lics who have dared to attempt marriage with a divorced person, despising the laws of the Church. I Father, is there no other obstacle ? " she said. " Y e s ; an unwillingness to pardon an en- emy, or to pay a just debt when one has the means of paying it, or living in a state of sin t h a t one will not abandon, — these are obstacles." " Father, may persons make the mission who have led a very sinful life in the past, but are now trying to do better ? " " Certainly they may, no matter how great or how numerous their past sins were, pro- vided they have given them up, and are pen- itent. Our blessed Lord said to His apostlea and their successors, 'Whose sins you shall for- give, they are f o r g i v e n ' 1 — no matter whosr 1 J o h n xx. 23. HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 4 7 they are, provided always these sinners have the proper dispositions I mentioned." " Thank God ! " she said, and at the same time she gave a sigh of relief. A f t e r a few moments spent in weeping she said, — " Father, I know you will despise me, but I must tell you all. I am a poor Magdalen. At one time my father was wealthy, and gave me a good education. Reverses came. H e died, I fear of a broken heart. My poor mother soon followed him to the grave. I was left without means. I was fond of dress, but was never taught to work. This fondness of dress led to my destruction. For six years I gave up church, mass, the sacraments, — everything t h a t a woman should hold dear, except these, which X always k e p t . " Whilst saying this she showed an old pair of brown beads. " These," she said, " belonged to my good mother. When dying she gave them to me, requesting me to recite them daily. I promised her I would; and, however sinful I was, I kept t h a t promise, though often I felt like giving them away on account of my unworthiness to carry them." " How long have you thought of returning to your God and to the church ? " 4 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . " Since last Good Friday. That was the day of my conversion. I was passing along here with a companion on Good Friday morn- ing, when we saw crowds hastening to church. " I said to my companion, i W h a t are the fools hastening to church f o r to-da7 ? This is no church day.' " S h e answered, ' Y e s ; this is Good Fri, day.' That moment a sickening pain took possession of my heart, and it has never left me. Whether it was because I called the Catholics fools, or whether it was the sudden recollection of my youthful days, visiting de- voutly the churches with my mother on Good Friday, I know not. " I slackened my steps. My companion asked, ' W h a t is the m a t t e r ? ' " I said, ' I am not feeling well. I'll go into the church and sit down a while.' " My companion said, ' A r e you going to be a fool like the rest ? Come on ! ' " ' No,' I said; 1 1 shall go in.' My com- panion left me. I never saw her afterward. When I reached the door I seemed to be torn by two contending invisible forces, one draw- ing me in, the other repelling me. Weak and trembling I knelt down a t the doorsteps, took H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 4 9 out my beads, and began to beg the Mothei of God to have pity on me. Gradually I be- came calm, my strength r e t u r n e d ; I saw the people approach the altar to adore t h e Cross. I desired to join them, but I thought of my unworthiness. How can lips so defiled, I said, touch the marks of the sacred wounds ? " I arose from where I was, and found my- self approaching the altar with the crowd. I threw myself on my knees before the Image of the Crucified. I felt my heart would break. Like a panorama my past life lay before m e ; my early days, my first Communion, my inno- cence, my fall and life of sin, — all appeared then. Father, in t h a t moment I made a vow before t h a t Crucifix to submit to any death rather t h a n return to a life of sin. I then adored the Cross, kissing the marks of the five wounds, and afterwards spent the most of t h a t day lamenting my sins." For a while she was allowed to give vent to her sobs and tears, when I asked, " H o w have you been supporting yourself in the meantime ? " " Father, before leaving the church I con- sidered what I should do. I offered u p my Rosary to our Blessed Lady to direct me. 5 0 H O W TO M A K E THE M I S S I O N - . I thought of a good widow who maintained herself by taking in laundry. She used to work for my mother. I went to her, and asked her to let me live with her, and to teach me laundry. She received me gladly. I have been with her ever since." " A n d have you not yet gone to confes- sion ? " I asked. " No, Father. I was afraid the priest would order me out. I g 0 to mass every morning before my work. I have prayed night and day f o r strength to persevere. But I dreaded to go to confession." I Do riot be a f r a i d , " I said. » The Confes- sional is for you as well as for others. Our Lord did not drive poor Magdalen f r o m his feet. Take courage, go to confession, and the load t h a t oppresses your soul will be taken away." There, Thomas, is another example of a true conversion, of true earnestness. Oh, would to God t h a t those poor sinners who have imi- tated the blacksmith and this unfortunate in their crimes would also imitate them in their repentance! H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 5 1 III. BAD CONFESSIONS. Thomas. — You spoke of bad confessions, Father. Is it a sacrilege to make a bad confession ? 1Father.—Certainly, my son. To receive absolution a f t e r having made an unworthy confession, and consequently without having the right dispositions, is to incur the guilt oi sacrilege; t h a t is, the violation of a sacred thing. A bad confession hinders and frus- trates the instrumental action of the sacra- ment of Penance, and he who is guilty of it may be said thus to destroy the efficacy of the blood of J e s u s Christ; for it is in the precious blood of our Lord, shed long ago, that our souls are cleansed from sin. T. — Father, this frightens me. Please tell me how a bad confession does this. F. — Our Lord, Thomas, instituted the sac- raments as so many channels through which His precious blood may be applied to souls, quickening them with, and sustaining them in, a new and higher life. I n baptism, for instance, when the water flows over the head of the child, and the words pronounced, 5 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . at the same moment, in virtue of the blood of our Lord, its soul is cleansed from sin, and it is awakened to the new life of a child of God and an heir of heaven. I n like manner, in the sacred tribunal of penance, when the penitent comes properly disposed, as soon as the priest raises his hand over him and pro- nounces the words of absolution, through the Divine agency of the blood of our Lord, the soul is laved and purified of all its sins, no matter how great they may be; for Christ has said, " Whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven." 1 But if the penitent has not the proper disposition there is a sacrilege, for the blood of our Lord is in a manner destroyed — rendered ineffectual in that case. And, what is worse, a bad confession is generally fol- lowed by a bad communion. 0 my child, how great a crime is committed by unworth- ily receiving our Lord in communion! They who do so, as St. Paul says, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.2 You have heard, perhaps, of the unnatural mother who took her lovely, smiling babe and buried it alive. Oh, how much greater is the crime of the bad Catholic who will bury t h e living Son of God 1 J o h n XX. 23. " 1 Cor. xi. 27. H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 5 3 in a heart foul with every crime, worse than any grave, however horrible! How will such a wretch one day answer an enraged Father for what may be called the murder of his adorable S o n ? 2». Father, what you have said has so filled me with terror, t h a t - I think I shall not go to confession or communion at all. F , _ W h a t I have said, my child, was not to t e r r i f y you or keep you away f r o m the sacraments. God f o r b i d ! The priest does not desire to frighten people away from the table of the Lord, but to press them to come to the Feast.1 You know, my son, t h a t if you do not approach and receive holy com- munion, " you cannot have life in y o u ; " t h a t is, the life of the soul, the life of the chil- dren of God. Yes, my son, go to commu- n i o n — g o frequently. I t will nourish and strengthen your soul. Our Lord will dwell in y o u ; 2 He will support you. H e will sus- tain you in your conflicts with the devil. Remember t h a t what I have said was only to guard you against t h a t carelessness with which too many, alas I approach t h e sacra- ments. i L u k e xiv. 23. 2 J o h n vi. 57. 5 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . I V . G E N E R A L CONFESSION. Thomas. — Father, would you advise all to make a general confession during the mis- sion ? Father. — By no means. For some, I know it would be profitable, and there are some to whom a general confession is absolutely ne- cessary ; but there are others to whom it would be h u r t f u l . T - — Please explain when a general confes- sion should be made. F. — Certainly. F i r s t : a general confes- sion is useful to those who have been leading a tepid, careless life. To such persons it is often the beginning of a life of fervor. Sec- ondly, Perry, in his " I n s t r u c t i o n s , " gives eight classes of persons who are under the necessity of making a general confession : — 1. All those who, in some past confes- sion, wilfully concealed a mortal sin, through shame, fear, or indifference. 2. Those who, instead of having used suf- ficient diligence, have been grossly negligent in the examination of their conscience. HOW TO MAKE. THE MISSION. 57 3. Those who have lived in gross and cul. pable ignorance of the necessary points of f a i t h and practice. 4. Those who have confessed without sin- cere repentance for the past, and a firm reso- iution of avoiding sin, and the occasions of sin, in the f u t u r e . 5. Those who continue to go to confession while they live in t h e immediate occasions of sin, which they can, but will not, avoid. 6. Those who have deliberately neglected restitution when they had the power and op- portunity of making it. 7. Those who lived in vicious habits with- out earnestly trying to overcome them. 8. Those who have (after their confessions the same as before) continued to live in en- mity, hatred, and malice. Thirdly, scrupulous persons and those who have often made general confessions should not attempt to make a general confession. Such persons worry the priest. They say to themselves, ft Well, if I am allowed to make a general confession now, I shall be satisfied." But if they are allowed to make it, they will be as dissatisfied as ever. 5 6 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . T. — How can we tell, Father, whether our sorrow was sufficient in confession ? F. — The best proof of true sorrow is a change of life. When a man immediately falls into the sins which he has just con- fessed, almost without a struggle to guard against such a fall, there is reason to fear t h a t he had not true sorrow. But when a man carefully watches over himself, tries to shun the dangerous occasions of sin, and prays fervently for grace to keep from sin- ning, we can reasonably hope t h a t his was true sorrow, such as God accepts. T. — I am t h a n k f u l to you, Father, for all your instructions. W i t h God's help I will now prepare for confession, and I hope it, will be a good one. F. — I hope so, Thomas ; but in order to help your memory, and to obtain the graces you now so much require, I advise you to read carefully the following prayers and table of examination of conscience. H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 5 7 Y . P R A T E R S B E F O R E CONFESSION. Aslc the Holy Ghost for light to see your sins. Come, 0 Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy divine love. V. — Send f o r t h Thy Spirit, 0 God, and our hearts will be regenerated. JS. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. 0 God, who hast taught the hearts of the f a i t h f u l by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant t h a t we, by the g i f t of the same Spirit, may always be truly wise, and ever rejoice in H i s consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. &.sk our Blessed Lady's help to make a sincere and contrite examination. T H E " M E M O R A B E . " 1 Remember, 0 most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known t h a t any one who fled to t h y protection, implored t h y help, i Three hundred days' indulgence. 5 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S 8 I 0 M . and sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, 0 Virgin of virgins, my M o t h e r ! Before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. 0 Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my peti- tions, but in t h y mercy hear and answer me. Amen. 0 Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. 0 my good Angel Guardian, and all ye holy angels, p r a y to God for me, t h a t I may make a good confession. Dear St. Joseph, and all ye saints of God, make intercession for me. P R A T E R . To be used when conscious to yourself of having committed mortal sin. Behold, 0 my beloved Jesus, another prodi- gal son at T h y feet, terrified at his sins, one who knows not where to Lurn for refuge, save to T h y most holy feet, there to confess them all, and to trust in the immensity of Thy mercy. I am, indeed, 0 my beloved Jesus, that most ungrateful child of Thine who has so ill responded to all Thy love and compas- sion, and so shamefully outraged and offended H O W T O M A K E . T H E M I S S I O N . 5 9 Thee, who art my most loving Father. I am no longer worthy to be called Thy son, but, nevertheless, my poor heart cannot exist sep- arated from Thee. I deserve, indeed, to find in thee, my dear Jesus, a severe judge; and well it is for me t h a t I am able to look up to Thee hanging upor the cross, with Thine arms open And ready to receive me once more into Thy most loving bosom. Thy wounds, too, are so many mouths, which invite me to repentance and repeat so lovingly to my heart, " Turn unto me, 0 my child | turn and repent, and do not doubt me." Perfect, then, 0 my crucified Jesus, the work t h a t Thine infinite charity has begun; grant me a little of t h a t knowledge and of t h a t sorrow which Thou hadst of my sins when, in the garden, through the violence of the horror and contrition which Thou hadst for them, Thou didst sweat a bloody sweat, and didst fall as if dead upon the ground, so t h a t I may comprehend their weight and malice, and may conceive a due sorrow for them. Enlighten my understand ing, refresh my memory, so that I may be able to recall to mind all my sins, their num- ber and their circumstances; inflame my will with an enduring hatred for this accursed 6 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N - . sin, and with a burning love for Thee, O my crucified J e s u s ! 0 Mary, Mother of Sor- rows ! assist me in this great need of my soul. 0 my holy Angel G u a r d i a n ! give me now more t h a n ever t h y powerful aid, t h a t I may dispose myself to make a sincere and contrite confession. A N O T H E R P R A Y E R . 0 my G o d ! help me to make a good con- fession, to know my sins, and to be truly sorry for them, because they have offended Thee. Keep me from sin for the time to come. Give me strength t h a t I may sin- cerely and humbly confess all my sins, and that I may keep back nothing in my h e a r t ! 0 Almighty Redeemer, hope and refuge of sinners ! preserve me from the misfortune of performing this holy action negligently, or of being deluded with a false sorrow and re- pentance. Grant t h a t I may be deeply pen- etrated with all those feelings and sentiment I should have, in recurring to this sacred institution of t h y infinite goodness. Grant, also, t h a t my first desire in approaching the tribunal of reconciliation, and my first motive in desiring to be reconciled to Thee, may be 61 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . to accomplish t h y divine will. And, 0 my all-powerful Saviour! purify, I beseech thee, in the furnace of Thy own pure love, my miserable heart from all self-seeking and self- love, t h a t I may, in every part of my prep- aration for this holy sacrament, be guided by Thy Divine Spirit. I ask this favor in thy own sweet name, Jesus, — that name by which thou hast promised to grant whatso- ever we ask of thee. Amen. Having devoutly read these prayers, you will next carefully and in God's presence read over the following " E x a m e n of Con- science," noting on paper or in your memory the sins you have committed and the number of times you have committed them. 6 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . H fc W o o s M W t" •« p a EH •4 n H I x H H Eh |h J O s fti H H M P 0 H H Eh •«I H Eh H H n s H a 1 K a s t»> eä j? o •O a d 00 > > ts "O a 3 CO a o B o 0 U 1 03 a "Ö g a 3 S .2 m 9 £ >> a 9> "O a 2 ® jgjj SO o ft J C3 a w a T3 j j 3 .a •a a n GO 1» cS •C a a CO o be t»> C3 •Ö a 3 CO a •Ö S fl Sr o M "ö a ÖJ0 p 1 'S be a 67 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 69 H 74 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . 7 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . VII. ACTS OF CONTRITION. H A V I N G endeavored to find the number and enormity of your sins, read in a penitent spirit one or more of the following Acts. Re- membering t h a t by mortal sin you (1) offend God; and abuse His grace; (2) lose Heaven j (3) deserve H e l l ; (4) and renew the suffer- ings of Jesus Christ. A C T O F C O N T R I T I O N . 0 my most loving Lord ! behold me in T h y iivine presence, all confusion, while I con- sider the many and grave offences which I have committed against Thee. I beg pardon for them with all my h e a r t ; I repent of them through pure love of T h e e ; and reflecting on Thine infinite goodness, I detest and abomi- nate my sins above every other evil. As I would now rather have died than have of- fended Thee, so I am fully resolved to lose my life rather than ever offend -Thee again. 0 my crucified Jesus ! I firmly purpose t o cleanse my soul, at all times, from every stain, in Thy most precious blood, through the sac- rament of penance; and. do thou, most ten- 75 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . ¿er Virgin, Mother of mercy and refuge of sinners! obtain for me, through T h y bitter sorrows, the pardon of all my sins. Know thou, and see, t h a t it is a n evil and a b i t t e r thing for t h e e to h a v e l e f t t h e Lord t h y God. — JEB. ii. 19. I have sinned, and I have thereby lost the friendship of Thee, my Creator, my Preser- ver, my Redeemer, and my God. I have made myself a slave to Thine enemy and mine; I have exposed myself to the never-ending pains of hell — to eternal separation f r o m Thee, my God; but, more than this, I have by my sins renewed the cause of my Saviour's sufferings; I have offended Him who loved me and delivered Himself a willing victim, to bleed and die t h a t I might live •, I have offended Him who, on account of His own infinite perfections, and for H i s own sake, should possess an undivided and devoted love. O h ! how happy are those who have never offended Thee, my G o d ! Oh ! t h a t I had been so h a p p y ! But I resolve, with the as- sistance of Thy divine grace, without which I can do nothing, never more to offend Thee, for the least offence against Thee is something 7 6 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". inconceivably great. Too late have I known Thee, 0 eternal T r u t h ! Too late have I loved Thee, 0 Beauty ever ancient and ever n e w ! My soul is sorrowful even u n t o d e a t h . — M A R K xiv. 34. My soul is sorrowful even unto death! Who is H e t h a t utters this expression, and for whom does H e utter it ? My poor guilty soul, it is thy Saviour, t h y Jesus, the great God of Heaven and earth, the God of all holi- ness ; and it is for t h y sins t h a t H e is SOR- R O W F U L , a n d S O R R O W F U L E V E N U N T O D E A T H . Approach, behold the adorable blood gushing f r o m every sacred pore. H i s soul is in a sea of anguish; His merciful heart is pierced by as many darts as we have committed sins. " 0 my Saviour! by all that Thou didst suffer for me in this bitter hour, grant t h a t I may, to the end of my life, unceasingly lament and detest, from the purest love of thee, each one of my sins. A l a s ! each one added new an- guish to Thy agonized heart. Behold, 0 Heavenly Father, my Jesus sor- rowful for my sins, even unto death, and permit me to offer H i s sorrow to supply my want of sorrow 77 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . A C T O F S O R R O W P A R T I C U L A R L Y F O B M O R T A L S I N . 0 my crucified Lord ! behold me all con- fusion and shame at Thy feet, while I call to mind the guilt of my many and grievous sins. Have mercy, most loving Saviour, on the soUl Thou hast redeemed with Thine own blood. Have pity on Thy child, who returns to Thee sorrowing and repenting. I know and con- fess, my God, t h a t I am guilty of innumer- able sins, and of all the malice of each one of them. I am guilty of having outraged Thy goodness. I have merited hell a thou- sand times, and I should long ago have been burning there, if Thy mercy had not waited for me until I repented. I am grieved, 0 Lord ! at having done such i n j u r y to my soul by committing sin ; but much more do I grieve, and my heart is pierced with sor- row, in reflecting t h a t by my sins I offended' Thee, who art my sovereign Good. Oh, most cruel sight ! behold my J e s u s nailed to the cross by the work of my hands. I see those sharply piercing thorns, the miserable f r u i t of my proud and impure thoughts. I see those sad wounds with which the whole 7 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . of T h y virginal body is covered, the dreadful consequence of the many wicked pleasures in which I have indulged. I see t h a t heart torn asunder in punishment for my unworthy affections. 0 my beloved J e s u s ! now that Thy mercy has brought me to T h y feet, here let me die of true sorrow; here let me breathe f o r t h my soul with true contrition for my great ingratitude. Yes, my Jesus, may this body of sin die, t h a t my soul may live. I ask of Thee mercy by the f r u i t of t h a t most precious blood which still drops from T h y dying limbs. Behold me, 0 dear J e s u s ! prostrate at the foot of T h y cross, and see me already sprinkled with t h a t precious blood! I t is not I, 0 my dear Redeemer, t h a t now speaks to Thee, but it is Thine own blood which speaks, and begs of Thee pity and mercy and forgiveness; it asks Thee to give me a boundless hatred of sin, it begs of Thee to inflict on me any penance sooner t h a n t h a t I should ever again lose Thy grace. 0 F a t h e r of mercies! behold T h y Son cruci- fied and dead f o r me, and in satisfaction for my sins. I n H i s name, by the merits of H i s sacred passion, by H i s scourging and crown- ing with thorns, by H i s blood, H i s agony, 79 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . His death, look upon my sinful soul with an eye of pity and compassion; give me an ex- ceeding and most earnest contrition for my sins. I repent, 0 Lord ! I am sorry for them. I am sovereignly grieved for having offended Thine infinite goodness ;• Thou who art the sovereign Good — good above all t h a t is called good, the fountain and author of all good, who a r t infinitely perfect and worthy of being loved, obeyed, served, and honored; while I, a miserable and vile creature, in- stead of serving, honoring, loving, and obey- ing Thee, have outraged Thee, set Thee a t naught, and abandoned Thee. I have trans- gressed Thy most holy law, by following the shameful devices of my own corrupt heart and perverse will. 0 my God ! may I, who by my sins have aided in causing the death of J e s u s T h y Son, rather die of grief at T h y feet than live to offend Thee again. I firmly resolve, by the assistance of Thy grace, to suffer anything, even death itself, rather than to wrong Thee again. Yes, my God, I desire, at all cost, to abandon every occasion of s i n ; I desire to be wholly differ- ent from what I have been; I desire to love Thee with my whole heart, and to renounce everything sooner than offend Thee. 8 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . 0 my dear mother M a r y ! by t h y sorrows, and the tears thou didst shed at the foot of the cross, obtain for me a sincere, lively, and real sorrow for my sins, that, in receiving the holy absolution from God's priest, I may re eeive all the f r u i t of the blood which thy Jesus shed for the love of me. Do thou assist me to accuse myself of all my sins, to detest them all, and so to return once more t o the favor and friendship of my God. A C T O F S O R R O W P A R T I C U L A R L Y F O R V E N I A L S I N . Divine J e s u s ! whose holy grace has opened my eyes to the miserable and sinful state of my soul, who hast penetrated my heart with sorrow for my offences; it is in Thy presence I now most solemnly resolve to begin a new life, and endeavor to become, from this very moment, what I shall certainly wish to have been at the hour of my death. I resolve to adopt all the means I know to be necessary for preserving Thy grace and persevering in virtue. I resolve to discharge my spiritual duties with the utmost fidelity, to employ all my time carefully and in the manner t h a t 81 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . Thou requirest, since I must account for every moment of it to Thee. I resolve to strive particularly against those faults I am most accustomed to commit, and to avoid those dangerous occasions which have hith- erto led me into sin. These are my firm res- olutions, 0 my G o d ! but I tremble when I consider my former inconstancy and my pres- ent weakness. I do not deserve those graces I h a v e ' s o often abused; but, notwithstand- ing, since Thou knowest I can do nothing without Thee, I humbly hope t h a t Thou wilt give me the grace and strength necessary for persevering in T h y love and keeping most f a i t h f u l l y the resolutions I now make. Preserve me, 0 L o r d ! from presumptuous confidence in my own strength, for t h a t alone would cause my fall. Alas ! there are many now in hell who, at some period of their mor- tal life, felt more fervor, more sorrow for sin, and made more firm purposes of amendment than I d o ; I also may deserve to be aban- doned by Thee. My God and only hope, leave me not to myself — accept my resolu- tions, but do Thou give them efficacy; per- mit me to place them in Thy hands, in Thy Sacred Heart, under the protection of Thy 8 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . blessed Mother and of my good angel, t h a t thus my weakness may be powerfully as- sisted, and I may be preserved from the mis- fortune of a relapse into sin. V I I I . PRACTICAL POINTS ON CONFESSION. H A V I N G prepared yourself for corlfession, go to your confessor with great humility and modesty, and remember t h a t you are about to present yourself before Jesus Christ Him- self, who sees the depths of your heart, and will one day judge you. If you are obliged to wait, renew your act of contrition. Re- gard yourself as a criminal bound with chains, who has been tried and convicted, and is called before the judge whom he has insulted and offended. When at the feet of your confessor, kneel with the greatest reverence and humility, and consider t h a t you are at the feet of J e s u s crucified, who desires to hear from your own lips a sincere confession of all your sins, and is ready to pardon them if you really repent, and to wash you in His own 83 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". most precious blood through the agency of His minister's sacramental absolution. Avoid all mention of your virtues or of the sins of others not pertaining to your own offences, except when,- through necessity, you seek direction and advice. Never mention t h e names of others in the confessional. We enter t h e Tribunal to accuse ourselves of our own sins, not to declare our virtues or t o blame others. Then make the sign of t h e cross, saying, " B l e s s me, Father, for I have sinned." Whilst the priest gives you the blessing to assist you to make a true and contrite con- fession, say, " I confess to Almighty God and to you, F a t h e r . " 1 Then humbly, and in a clear, intelligible voice, with your eyes cast down, and your hands joined, say how long it is since your last confession, whether you received absolu- tion, and whether you performed your pen- ance. Confess your sins according t o the Commandments; t h a t is, tell first all the sins l " W h e n t h e r e a r e m a n y w a i t i n g t o g o t o c o n f e s s i o n , s a y t h e C o n f i t e o r w h i l s t t h e p r i e s t i s h e a r i n g t h e p e r s o n b e f o r e y o u . D o n o t k e e p y o u r h e a d f a r f r o m t h e p r i e s t w h e n c o n f e s s i n g . 8 4 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION". committed against the First Commandment, then those committed against the Second, and so on. Say if you frequently fall back into these sins, or if you live in any bad habit, or in a proximate ocoasion of sin, or if you have any attachment or occupation which leads you into temptation. Mention, also, if you have neglected to fulfil any serious obligation; — tell your confessor everything with sincer- ity and as clearly as possible, both t h a t he may be able to apply the proper remedy, and t h a t you may avoid making a bad confession, which is easily done by the slothful and careless. If, since your last confession, you have committed no grave offence, you may men- tion some mortal sin already confessed in the past, and include in your act of sorrow all the sins of your past life. This will serve to increase your humility, and will be for the greater purification of your soul. If you desire to make really good confes- sions, imagine each confession to be the last one you will ever make, and that, immedi- ately after, you will be judged by Almighty Goci. Think t h a t on this confession may de- pend your salvation or damnation. Endeavor 85 HOW TO M A K E THE MISSION". so to confess t h a t at t h e hour of your death your past confessions may not be the cause of any disquietude to you, but rather of conso- lation. Listen with silence, attention, and humility bo the instructions of your confessor; remark carefully the penance enjoined; and while re- ceiving absolution, renew with all your heart your act of contrition and purpose of amend- ment, bowing down your head and devoutly striking your breast. On leaving the confessional, if absolved, excite in your heart the liveliest sentiments of consolation and confidence, hoping and rejoicing t h a t God has forgiven your sins. Perform your penance as soon as possible, and thank God for the great favor H e has granted you. If you have not been absolved, 'out put off for a while, endeavor to prepare well for the time appointed. Acknowledge t h a t you did not deserve absolution, and humble yourself the more before God. 8 6 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION". I X . P R A Y E R S A F T E R C O N F E S S I O N . W H A T a change has been wrought in M J s o u l ! I sigh, and my sighs are sweet! 1 weep, and find happiness in the tears I shed. 0 Father of mercies ! what must be Thy com- passion to forgive me so many s i n s ! Blessed be T h y holy name. Create, I beseech Thee, a new heart within me, — a heart t h a t will be ever seeking to please Thee and love Thee. Penetrated with love and grief, it will then be my study to keep my past sins continu- ally before my eyes, and to weep over them as long as I live. O Jesus, Son of the living God, who earnest into the world to redeem and save my soul! 1 interpose Thy precious blood, T h y most holy death and passion, T h y adorable wounds, and, above all, the wound in Thy Sacred Heart, as a shield between the divine justice and my sins. Henceforth my comfort and my trust shall be in Thee, 0 Son of God I who hast loved me, and hast given Thyself for me, and hast j u s t applied to me the mer- its of this ineffable gift, in the sacrament of penance. flow TO MAKE T H E MISSION, 8 7 A f t e r confession go before our Divine Lord, In the Blessed Sacrament, to make your thanksgiving for holy absolution. Spend at least a quarter of an hour in forming acts of praise, thanksgiving, and contrition. • Our Lord delights to pour out his graces on the grateful soul. • Many shamefully go home from confession without saying one act of thanksgiving. If time allows, read some of those Acts of Contrition found a f t e r Examination of Con- science. 8 8 HOW TO MAKE THE MISSION". P A R T I I I . THE HOLY EUCHARIST. P P R A C T I C A L I N S T R U C T I O N S F O R M A K . I N G A G O O D C O M M U N I O N . THE Holy Eucharist is truly and really the body and blood of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, under the appearances of bread and wine. " T h e bread," says Jesus Christ, " t h a t I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world." 1 And at H i s last supper " H e took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave to his disciples, and said. Take ye, and e a t : this is my body. And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of t h i s ; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of s i n s . " 2 Our Blessed Redeemer, having thus insti- 1 St. John vi. 52. * St. Matt. xxvi. 20, etc. 89 HOW TO M A K E T H E MISSION". tuted this adorable sacrament, ordained H i s apostles priests of the new law, and gave to them and their lawful successors power and authority to do what H e had done; t h a t is, to change bread and wine into H i s sacred body and blcod. This" change, which is called Transubstantiation, is effected by these di- vine words of our Redeemer, " T h i s is my body, this is my blood," which the priest in the Mass pronounces in t h e name and person of Jesus Christ. I t is God Himself who works this wonderful change by the ministry of H i s priest. When, therefore, the words of conse- cration are pronounced, we believe t h a t the whole substance of t h e bread is changed into the body, and the whole substance of the wine into the blood of Jesus Christ. And as Jesus Christ is now immortal, and cannot be divided, H e is t r u l y present with His true body and true blood, in a glorified state, whole and entire, both God and man, under the ap- pearance of bread, and under the appearance of wine. Let | a man prove (or t r y ) himself," says St. P a u l , 1 1 and so let him eat of t h a t Bread." This proving or trying yourself is t h e first i 1 Cor. x i . 28. 9 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . and most necessary preparation f o r the holy communion, and consists in looking diligently into the state of your soul, in order to dis- cover what indispositions or sins may be there concealed, and to apply .a proper remedy for them by sincere repentance and confession; lest otherwise approaching the Holy of holies with a soul defiled by the guilt of mortal sin, you become " guilty of the body ai.d blood of the Lord, and receive judgment to yourself, not discerning the body of the Lord." 1 This is the reason you must go to confession be- fore communion, in order to clear your soul from the filth of sin. The person t h a t is to receive the BleSsed Sacrament must be fasting, at least from midnight, by the command of the Church and by -a most ancient and apostolic tradi- tion, ordaining that, in reverence to so great a sacrament, nothing should enter the body of a Christian before he receives the body of Christ. Hence, if, through inadvertence or otherwise, you have taken anything, though ever so little, a f t e r twelve o'clock at night, you must by no means receive that day, ex- cept in the case of danger of approaching 1 X Cor. xi. 29, 91 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . death, when the Blessed Sacrament is re- ceived by way of Viaticum. The sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the greatest of all sacraments, and was insti- tuted by our dear Lord on the evening of His passion and death. I t is truly the body and blood, soul and divinity, of Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine, so t h a t whoever receives it, feeds upon Jesus Christ Himself, and is nourished by H i s most holy flesh and precious blood. Of this our dear Redeemer himself assures us when he says, 8 H e t h a t eateth My flesh and drink- eth My blood abideth in Me, and I in him." How wonderful t h a t God should love us to such a degree as to conceal Himself under the sacramental species in the Holy Eucha- rist, in order to become our food! W h a t a mystery of ingratitude it is, t h a t Christians should t r e a t our loving God with coldness and indifference in this very sacrament, by which H e proves to us how efiicaciously and excessively H e loves u s ! Our Divine Saviour has no need whatevei of men, and yet H e counts it as nothing t o re- main for their sake concealed under the Host to the end of the world, so greatly does H e 9 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . love mankind, so alive is H e to the pleas o of dwelling in their company! Men, on ;iie contrary, cannot remain f a i t h f u l to Him with- out Him, and yet they think so little of His love in remaining with them. So little do they love Him, so little account do they make of Him, so little do they caie to unite them- selves to Him in His sacrament, whereas H e is all the while ardently longing to enter into our h e a r t s ! Many Christians, through a culpable negli- gence, many others because they will not give up sinning, and many, too, through a weak- ness of spirit, come but seldom to receive their Lord in the sacrament of His love. Not to communicate because of imperfections, is the same as refusing medicine because we are subject to many infirmities. Not to communi- cate because you are not a saint, is to turn Shat which is only the effect of this sacra- ment into the preparation for i t ; and in this way you will never arrive at real sanctity.1 1 " I am not holy, hut I go to communion often, in order to become holy. Go often to communion if you are weak, in order t h a t you may receive strength to overcome your temptations." — Si. Catherine of Siena. " T w o sorts of persons ought to communicate fre- quently: the perfect, because being well disposed, they 93 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". Not to communicate because you are living in sin, is to wish to go on loving sin, and to refuse ever to come out of this state of per- dition. If a man have sufficient religion not to wish to make a bad communion, let him also have t h e courage and resolution to remove t h a t which prevents him from approaching the holy table. But this is the very thing which frightens bad Christians. They must prepare themselves, and this preparation of- fends and torments them. They must give up certain pleasures, keep aloof from certain occasions, break off certain habits, mortify would be greatly to blame not to approach to the source and fountain of perfection, and the imperfect, t h a t they maybe able to aspire to perfection; the strong lest they become weak, and the weak t h a t they may become strong; the sick t h a t they may be restored to health, and the healthy lest they fall into sickness. Being im- perfect, weak and sick, you have need frequently to communicate with H i m who is your perfection, your strength and your physician. " T h o s e who have not many worldly affairs, ought lo communicate often because they have leisure; thoai who have much businass, ought also to communicate often, for he who labors much and is loaded with pains, ought to eat solid food, and t h a t frequently. "Receive the Holy Sacrament to learn to receive it well, because one hardly performs an action well which does not often practise." — St. Francis de Sales 9 4 H O W TO M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . their senses, renounce, in short, their darling sin — and to do this grieves t h e m ; and so long as they keep away from this sacrament of life and grace, they are going headlong to destruction. Have the most lively f a i t h and the most profound reverence for this great sacrament; but instead of making up your mind to keep away from the holy communion, resolve to reform your manner of life, to re- nounce and abandon sin and evil customs, in order to make yourself less unworthy to re- ceive the Bread of Angels. All the Saints have ever looked upon the Blessed Sacrament as the richest treasure of grace, and have derived all their strength and fervor and sanctity from it. A h ! if you also wish to prove, to the great benefit of your soul, the immense blessings of this sweet sacrament; if you wish for strength to overcome the enemies of your salvation; if you desire an abundance of grace to keep you from falling into sin; if you long for fervor and courage to enable you to walk in the p a t h of God's com- mandments, go often to communion. Look at each communion as the most precious mo- ment of your life, and have a most ardent longing for this divine food. But, at the 95 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . same time, remember t h a t he who eats of it unworthily eats his own condemnation. Remember, therefore, that, besides the nat- ural fast which you must observe with the greatest cars from the midnight •preceding your communion, it is absolutely necessary for you to be in a state of grace, that is, you must have your conscience free from mortal sin; and hence, if you are in mortal sin, you must make a good confession; otherwise you will commit a sacrilege. If you are conscious only of venial sins, you are not obliged to confess these, though it is well to do so. At least endeavor to clear yourself of every such stain by fervent acts of contrition, on account of the reverence which is due to the most Holy Sacrament, and in order t h a t you may reap greater f r u i t from it. But this is not sufficient to dispose you to perform so holy an action with abundant f r u i t . I t is fitting therefore to make a fervent prep- aration, by enlivening your f a i t h with devout reflections and meditations, by thinking seri- ously of that great Lord whom you are about to receive, and by exciting yourself to pious sentiments of adoration, hope, love, desire, humility, and repentance, which, for your 9 6 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". greater convenience, are added to this in. struction. Do not confine your preparation to these few moments which precede your communion a f t e r you have come into church, but endeavor to think of it the day before, and at night before you retire to r e s t ; and when you wake during the night, t r y to t h i n k : I am going to communion ; I am going to re- ceive Jesus my Redeemer, my Father, my God. Remember t h a t Jesus Christ, in instituting the Blessed Sacrament, and leaving this pre- cious pledge of H i s infinite love, desired that, as often as the divine mysteries should b.e celebrated, and His most holy body received, a particular remembrance should be made of all H e has done and suffered for us. When, therefore, you desire to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, you should call to mind the passion and death of our dear Redeemer, and remember H i s precious blood which flowed from H i s veins a t the cost of so much suffer- ing, and which, with so much love, H e gives us in this sweet sacrament of the altar. St. Charles, St. Philip, St. Francis of Sales, and other saints, recommend us to go to holy communion once a week. Do you attend to this wholesome counsel, and obtain permis- 97 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . sion from your confessor; and do not, with- out necessity, break through a rule which you will find of such advantage to your soul. If you cannot do this, let no month pass without approaching the holy table. Man is in this world only to seek and at- tain a close union with God. This is accom- plished in holy communion. I I . P R A Y E R S B E F O R E C O M M U N I O N . P R A Y E R O F S T . A M B R O S E . O C O M P A S S I O N A T E Lord Jesus Christ! I, a sinner, presuming nothing on my own merits, but trusting in T h y mercy and goodness, draw near -with awe and trembling to the table of Thy sweetest banquet. My heart and my body are stained with many sins; my mind and my tongue have not been kept with fitting diligence and circumspection. Wherefore, O compassionate Creator! 0 dread and awful M a j e s t y ! I, Thy wretched creature, who am fallen into a great strait, betake myself to 9 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . Thee, the fountain of mercy; to Thee I hasten that I may be healed; beneath Thy protec- tion I take r e f u g e ; I long to have Thee for my Saviour before whom I can in no wise stand as my judge, To Thee, 0 Lord, I now show my wounds; before Thee I lay bare all my shame. I know my sins, so many and so great, by reason of which I am afraid. I hope in Thy mercies, which are past num- bering. Look on me with the eyes of Thy mercy, 0 Lord J e s u s Christ, everlasting King, God and man, who wast crucified for m a n ! Graciously hear me who hope in T h e e ; have mercy on me, who am full of miseries and of sins O Thou full and overflowing fountain of pity and of mercy ! Hail, Thou saving Vic- a m offered for me and all mankind upon the tree of the cross! Hail, thou noble and precious blood, which dost ever flow forth from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ, and wash away the sins of the whole world! Remember T h y creature, 0 L o r d ! whom Thou hast redeemed with Thine own blood. I grieve t h a t I have sinned; I do earnestly desire to amend what I have done amiss. Wherefore, 0 most merciful F a t h e r ! take away from me all my iniquities and sins 99 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . that, being cleansed in soul and: in body, I may worthily receive the holy food of the holy ; and grant t h a t the sacred taste of Thy body and blood which I, though unworthy, am about to receive, may be to me the remis- sion of my sins, the perfect expiation and cleansing of all my faults, the putting to flight of evil thoughts, the quickening and renewal of all good feelings, the healthful energy of all good works, the most assured protection of my body and soul from all the snares of my enemies. Amen. P R A T E R O F S T . T H O M A S A Q U I N A S . 0 Almighty, everlasting God ! behold I draw near to the Sacrament of Thine only- begotten Son, our Lord J e s u s Christ ; I draw near, as a sick man, to the Physician of life ; as one defiled to the Fountain of mercy ; as one blind to the Light of the eternal splendor; as one poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Wherefore, I implore the fulness of Thine infinite bounty that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to heal all my sickness, to wash away my defilement, to give light to my blind- ness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my 1 0 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . nakedness, so t h a t I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, with such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, such purpose and intention, as may avail to the welfare and salvation of my soul. Grant me, I beseech Thee, to receive not only the Sacrament of the body and blood of my Lord, but also the very reality and efficacy of the Sacrament. 0 most gracious God! grant me so to receive the body of Thine only- begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that very body which he took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be truly incorporated into His mystical body, and so numbered amongst its members. 0 most loving F a t h e r ! grant me at last to behold with open face and for evermore T h y beloved Son, whom I purpose to receive now in my pilgrimage, beneath the veils of the Sacrament; who liveth and reigneth, God, through everlasting ages. Amen. P R A Y E R O F S T . G E R T R U D E I N V I T A T I O N T O J E S U S . 0 J e s u s surpassingly sweet, who hast said with Thine own gracious lips t h a t T h y de- lights are to be with the children of men, my soul longeth for Thee, my heart yearneth for flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 0 1 Thee. Wherefore I invite Thee to come unto me with all t h a t devotion and t h a t love wherewith any loving soul h a t h ever invited Thee to itself. Come, then, 0 most beloved Spouse of my soul! Come, O most beloved and only Love of my soul! come and t u r n aside a while into the poor and wretched hovel of my heart. Come, Thou heavenly Physician, come and heal my stricken soul! I I I . P R A Y E R S A F T E R C O M M U N I O N . A F T E R h a v i n g become t h e living t e m p l e of t h e Divinity, you should r e m a i n f o r some m o m e n t s pros- t r a t e a t t h e sacred f e e t of our divine L o r d . P e n - e t r a t e d w i t h t h e p r o f o u n d a d o r a t i o n a n d respect w h i c h should result f r o m t h e p r e s e n c e of t h e Al- m i g h t y , m a k e occasional s h o r t a c t s of f a i t h , h o p e , g r a t i t u d e , a n d principally love. T h i s m a y be d o n e in a n y t e r m s your d e v o t i o n m a y suggest, or else by t h e following p r a y e r s : — 0 Divine L o r d ! Thou hast at length sat- isfied the earnest desires of my heart. I possess Thee, I embrace T h e e ; Oh, make me entirely Thine. 0 Jesus, Thou who constitutest the happi- ness of the blessed ! is it possible t h a t Thou 1 0 2 H O W TO M A K E T H E MISSION". a r t at this moment present in my heart ? Yes, I firmly believe t h a t I possess Thee, with all the treasure of Thy merits. 0 most sacred Virgin! who so long bore and so fervently loved the God I now pos- sess, praise and magnify His goodness. Of- fer Him for me those joys which filled thy pure soul at the moment of His incarnation in thy sacred womb, and assist me to make some return for His unbounded mercies. Remember, 0 Divine Lord ! t h a t one visit from Thee would suffice to sanctify the great- est sinner; permit not, then, t h a t I should receive Thee in v a i n ; let not Thy precious blood fall on my heart without producing therein the f r u i t s of virtue Thou hast so long expected. 0 take me out of life this moment, rather than permit me to relapse into sin ! Adorable Lord of Heaven and e a r t h ! Thou beholdest in my heart Thy beloved Son; H e is all mine, His abundant merits belong to me at this moment. I offer them to Thee, 0 my God ! and in return I ask for t h e most ar- dent love, sincere humility, and, above all, the grace never to offend Thee by any mortal sin. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 0 3 A S P I R A T I O N S . O Almighty Sovereign, my love and only t r e a s u r e ! Thou hast a t length satisfied the longing desires of my heart. I possess Thee, I cling to Thee, I embrace Thee. 0 make me Thine, entirely Thine 1 0 Jesus, my sweet Beatitude, Thou who a r t the eternal bliss of thousands of enraptured s p i r i t s ! is it possible t h a t Thou a r t a t this moment reposing in my heart ? Yes; I firmly believe t h a t I possess Thee. Sooner would I doubt of my existence than of this adorable miracle of unspeakable mercy. 0 Love, consuming Love ! my heart is now the altar on which Thou burnest. 0 let me feel in the utmost recesses of my soul T h y all-reviving fire! Inflame, transform me, and absolutely destroy within me every atom of sin and imperfection. 0 Eternal Wisdom! Thou only knowest the value of these precious moments of T h y ac- tual presence in my heart. 0 assist me Thy- self t o profit by Thy s t a y ; teach me, by unbounded confidence and ardent love, to ob- tain from T h y merciful heart the blessings Thou a r t come on purpose to bestow! 1 0 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . 0 my God, my Saviour, and only Love! Thou hast not entered the wretched dwell- ing of my heart to be only a spectator of its miseries. N o ; I feel t h a t Thou art come to deliver, to enrich, and to sanctify me. 0 in- spire me Thyself with the dispositions Thou requirest f o r executing in my soul Thy mer- ciful designs! P R A T E R O P S T . G E R T R U D E . 0 good J e s u s ! O sweet J e s u s ! 0 Jesus most lovely ! 0 Jesus my only salvation and consolation ! whence is this to me that Thou shouldst come unto me, and not abhor to enter into my most polluted heart, defiled as it is with such exceeding stains and sins ? Blessed be T h y coming unto me, and blessed the sweetness of the love which has constrained Thee to visit me, Thy poor and worthless creature. I cast myself in the very dust before Thy face, with the most pro- found humility and reverence; I kiss Thy most sacred feet, and adore Thee; and I most humbly beseech Thee t h a t Thou wouldst for- give me for having received Thee, my Lord, with so great negligence, distraction, and lack of devotion. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 0 5 Pardon me, 0 most tender J e s u s ! and through T h y life-giving death, blot out my great iniquity, and vouchsafe Thyself to sup- ply for all my defects, and satisfy for all my negligences. Wherefore, I beseech Thee, deign to receive my communion into Thy sacred heart, and offer it to God the Father with all the love with which Thou didst offe* Thyself upon the cross. And now, 0 good J e s u s ! I offer and make over to Thee my most unworthy heart, be- seeching Thee t h a t Thou wouldst wash it in t h a t most precious water which Thy divine love caused to gush f o r t h from Thy sweetest heart, fairer and more f r a g r a n t than the rose, glowing as a furnace with the ardor of Thy love; and t h a t Thou wouldst sprinkle and revive it with the sweetest wine of Thy most sacred blood, pressed from Thy divine heart, as from a cluster of ripe grapes in the wine- press of the cross. Amen. P R A Y E R O F S T . B O N A V E N T U R E . O sweetest Lord Jesus C h r i s t ! pierce, I beseech Thee, the inmost marrow of my soul with the tender and live-giving wound of Thy 1 0 6 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . love, with true and calm and holy apostolic charity, so t h a t my whole soul may ever lan- guish and faint for love of Thee, and for de- sire of Thee, alone. May it long for Thee, and pine for Thee in the courts of Thy house ! may it desire to be dissolved and to be with T h e e ! Grant t h a t my soul may hunger foi Thee, Thou Bread of Angels, Thou refresh- ment of holy souls, our daily supersubstantial Bread, having all manner of sweetness and d e l i g h t ! May my heart ever hunger for Thee, and feed on Thee, on whom angels long to look; and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of the taste of Thee. May it ever thirst for Thee, Thou Well of life, Thou Fountain of wisdom and knowl- edge, Thou Source of everlasting light, Thou Torrent of pleasures, Thou Fatness and Abun- dance of the house of G o d ! May it ever yearn for Thee, tend to Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, ever meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, «.nd work all things to the praise and glory of Thy name with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with care and glad affection. Amen. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 0 7 P R A Y E R O F S T . T H O M A S A Q U I N A S » I give Thee thanks, 0 Eternal F a t h e r ! for having, out of Thy pure mercy and without any deserts of mine, been pleased to feed my soul with the body and blood of Thy only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I beseech Thee that this holy communion may not be to my condemnation, but may prove an effectual remission of all my sins. May it strengthen my faith, encourage me in all t h a t is good, deliver me from my vicious customs ; remove all concupiscence, perfect me in charity, pa- tience, humility and obedience, and in all other virtues ! May it secure me against all the snares of my enemies, both visible and invisible, perfectly moderate all my inclina- tions, closely unite me to Thee, the true and only Good, and happily settle me in un- changeable bliss! I now make it my hearty request t h a t Thou wilt one day admit me, though an unworthy sinner, to be a guest at that divine banquet where Thou with Thy Son and the Holy Ghost, a r t t h e true light, eternal fulness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness of all the saints, through t h e same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1108 H O W T O M A K E T H K MTS^TOS P A R T I Y . L S O M E P O I N T S O K I N D U L G E N C E S , Thomas. — You promised, Father, to ex- plain the doctrine of indulgences. I am anx- ious to know their meaning. Father.— I will now fulfil my promise, Thomas. I am very anxious t h a t all our people should thoroughly understand and ap- preciate t h i s salutary doctrine. As to non- Catholics, there is no doctrine of the Church which they less understand and more fre- quently misinterpret. Many condemn with- out knowing what they condemn. T. — We saw before that an indulgence is not permission to commit sin, but is it pardon for sin committed ? F. — No. Sins are pardoned through the Sacraments, especially through Baptism and Penance. To gain an indulgence, it is neces- sary to be in a state of grace, truly sorry for, and firmly resolved to avoid all sin. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 0 9 T. — W h a t , then, is an indulgence ? F. An indulgence is the remission of the temporal debt often due to sin a f t e r the sin itself has been pardoned. I said often, for there are some true penitents, like Magdalen, who, on account of their great contrition, are pardoned both as to sin and its debt. T. — Do you mean that, although God par- dons our sins through the sacraments, H e still demands satisfaction from u s ? F. _ Yes. For if God pardoned sin with- out requiring any satisfaction or atonement from the sinner, H e would manifest infinite mercy, but not justice. But God must be just as well as merciful. T. — Please explain this more fully. F. By committing sin, the culprit incun two evils, the evil of guilt and the evil of punishment. The evil of guilt is of t w o k i n d s ; first, it either stains the soul, defiles and sullies it,.and renders it less pleasing in God's s i g h t ; or, secondly, it is a fatal guilt t h a t blackens, corrupts, and kills the soul, and makes it an object of hatred to H i m . As the guilt of sin is twofold, so is its pun ishment. First, a punishment for time, o r temporal p u n i s h m e n t ; and second, a pun. 1 1 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . ishment forever, or an eternal punishment. Now, when God pardons sin through the sac- raments mentioned, H e takes away all the stain, defilement, and guilt of sin, and ab- solutely pardons or condones the eternal pun- ishment; but a temporal punishment often remains as a debt due to His offended justice. See example of David, 2 Kings xii. 13 and 14. T. — But does not the priest give us pen- ances to satisfy God's justice when we go to Confession ? F. — Yes, it is true. But can it be sup- posed that the little penances he gives are in any manner adequate to the* debt we owe ? Tor instance, here is a man who has been guilty of repeated horrible blasphemies, steeped in drunkenness and impurities for years. Finally, he repents and goes t o con- fession. The priest gives him a few Rosa- ries or Litanies to say for penance. Do you think these few prayers will satisfy God for all his sins ? F a r from it. And if t h a t man does not t r y hard to pay the debt still due to his sins, he will suffer, God knows how long, in the purging fires of Purgatory. And it is to assist him to pay t h a t debt, and escape H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . I l l Purgatory, t h a t the Church offers him t h e means of gaining indulgences. T. — I f , then, the priest feels t h a t the pen- ances he gives are not sufficient, why does he not give heavier penances, something equal t c the sins confessed ? F. — First, because no priest can tell what would be sufficient to satisfy for those sins. God alone knows the enormity of sin. And, secondly, very few would be willing to endure the penances the priest might be disposed to inflict as nearly adequate for the sins con- fessed. There was a time, indeed, when the Church did inflict her severe canonical pen- ances, when such a man as we were consider- ing would have to f a s t on bread and water for years, stand at t h e door of some church, bare- headed and barefoot, begging prayers from the passers-by. But what happened ? Thou- sands would rather be lost forever than per- form such penances. The Church had t o change her discipline. But her doctrine has not changed, nor has sin changed, nor h a s God changed. W h a t has the Church done ? She has opened t h e treasures of her Indul- gences, and she says to her sinful children: " Come, fear n o t ; I will open a way to you of H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . Ill satisfying God for your sins. Do this good work, say these devout prayers, and I, by the power vested in me, will grant you a Plenary Indulgence. That is, I will take away all the debt which you owe to the jus- tice of God for your sins." T . p - B u t how does the Church exercise such a wonderful power ? F. — God gave it to her through her su- preme head. Listen to what Christ says to St. Peter, and to all his lawful successors : " I will give to thee the keys of the king- dom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosfd also in heav- en." 1 The Church has the keys of the treas- ury of heaven. The merits of Jesus Christ and of His saints are riches at her disposal. She says to us, her poor sinful children: " Do this work, my children ; say these prayers, perform this penance ; and, though these works are poor in themselves, I will make them valuable. I will add to them from the treasury of heaven. I will gild them with the riches of the merits of my Matt. xvi. 19. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 1 3 Spouse and of His saints, and they will t h u s become pleasing and acceptable in the sight of heaven for your sins. T. — Would you please illustrate this whole doctrine by an example ? F. Willingly. A certain king had a very wicked subject who often rebelled against his sovereign, and even attempted his life. The king bore all patiently, till at length the sub- ject, moved with the king's goodness, and fearing his anger, resolved to sue for pardon. H e came to the king and begged for mercy. The king received him kindly, and said to h i m : " I give you your life, which you for- feited by your rebellion; but justice demands t h a t in punishment for your repeated rebel- lions you undergo some punishment. You will either go to prison for twenty years, or pay into the royal treasury ten thousand dol- lars." — " I know, 0 king," said the culprit, " t h a t I should be the most grateful of men for having been granted my l i f e ; b u t I am very poor, and I dread to go to t h a t horrible prison." — " Well," said the king, f u l l of com- passion, " g o to my prime minister. H e -is the dispenser of my favors. I will be satis- fied with whatever he appoints for you." The 1 1 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . culprit went to the prime minister, who re- ceived him kindly, and said: " Be of good heart, my son; I will not let you go to prison. I will pay the ten thousand dollars for you, provided you will perform a light duty that I shall assign you." But the poor man asks, whilst tears stream from his e y e s : " How, O beloved master, will you find enough money to pay my debt ? " 44- " Know," said the min- ister, " that the king does not desire any of his subjects to go to t h a t horrible prison. I t is he himself t h a t has opened to ine his treasures. I am allowed to dispose of all his wealth on his subjects, provided they come to me with the proper dispositions towards him, and are willing to perform such duties as I shall assign them." The king is God, the Church is his prime minister, the sinner is the rebel. Hence, a true penitent will gladly avail himself of t h a t merciful appointment of the Almighty, who, like a tender and indulgent parent, in conde- acension to our weakness, and in considera- tion of the superabundant satisfaction made for our sins by his beloved Son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has granted to his Church the power of releasing his f a i t h f u l children from flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 1 5 the debt of temporal punishment due to sin. They should consequently be anxious to com- ply with the conditions requisite for gaining an indulgence. T. — How did the name indulgence come t o be used ? F. The term indulgence was applied in early ages to the mitigation of the severe canonical penances inflicted f o r grave crimes. Thus, when one was condemned to f a s t on bread and water for ten years, or stand a long period bareheaded and barefoot at the Church door, sometimes his friends, often the civil authorities, would beg the Church to be indulgent, to give the offender some in- dulgence ; t h a t is, to shorten the period of his penance, or let him perform private penances. T. , How many kinds of indulgences are t h e r e ? F. There are two kinds of indulgences, plenary and partial. A plenary indulgence is the entire remis sion of all debt due to sin. A partial or limited indulgence, as of ten years, or a hundred days, etc., remits as much of the temporal punishment as would have been remitted by . ten years, or a hundred 1 1 6 H O W TO M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . days, etc., of the canonical penances formerly imposed on public penitents. An indulgence, therefore, so f a r from w i t h drawing sinners from the practice of good works, serves powerfully to excite them to increased fervor in their performance. For it is required of them to apply for the prof- fered remission of temporal punishment in the spirit of sincere contrition, with devout and fervent prayer, through the merits of our divine Redeemer, assured t h a t if the debt be not graciously remitted in this life, it will remain to be paid to the last f a r t h i n g in the life to come.1 T. ••— How can we gain indulgences ? F. — To gain an indulgence, it is neces- sary, first, t h a t we should be in a state of grace, and have the intention of gaining it. Should we perform an act to which an In- dulgence is annexed, without thinking of it, or without having had the intention, we do aot gain it. However, it is not necessary that this intention should be a c t u a l ; for it is sufficient to act in a human m a n n e r : now, for this, only a virtual intention is necessary, ihdt is to say, an intention which has beer i Matt, xviii. 23, 24. H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . Ill actual, and which is supposed to continue; although, through inadvertence or distraction, we have lost sight of it. Secondly, t h a t the conditions required be exactly performed; for, as indulgences are always granted on certain conditions to be complied with on our. part, such as approaching the holy sacraments, works of charity and mercy, exercises of piety and religion, prayers for the- necessities of the Church, and the like, if these condi- tions required are not exactly performed as required, we have no title to the favor of the indulgence. Thirdly, to gain a plenary in- dulgence (excepting the plenary indulgence of the Stations, and a very few besides), we must receive the holy sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Communion is to be re- ceived on the day for gaining the Indulgence, unless it is otherwise marked in the grant of the indulgence. Confession may be made on the day previous, or on t h e day i t s e l f ; and those who are in the practice of confessing once a week, may gain several plenary £ f dulgences in the same week, without being obliged to make a confession previous to each indulgence. W e must also pray for Oie P o p e ' s intention. This condition is suf- 1 1 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . ficiently complied with by saying the OUT Father and the Hail Mary five times, or the Litany of Jesus, or the Litany to the Blessed Virgin, for the praise and glory of God's holy name, for the exaltation of the holy Catholic Church, for the conversion of infidels and heretics, for peace and union between Chris- tian nations, and for all the intentions of the same holy Church. Fourthly, to gain the F U L L effect of a plenary indulgence, it is also necessary sincerely to detest all our sins, even the least venial sin, and to be imbued with a true spirit of penance. As the punishment of it will never be forgiven while the guilt of sin remains in the soul, and as a sincera repentance is absolutely required for the re- mission of the guilt, therefore, this sincere repentance must precede the remission of the punishment. Hence we may see how few there are t h a t gain the full eifect of a plenary indulgence, because there are few who have a sincere and efficacious repentance of everj venial sin, and a sincere and firm resolution of avoiding every sin, great or small, with all its probable occasions. Still, this ought not to hinder us from doing our best to gain a plenary indulgence, when occasion offers. H O W TO M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . Ill Even if we should not gain the whole effect of it, the more endeavors we make, and the better we are disposed, the more ample bene- fit we reap from i t ; and though we can never be certain how f a r we gain this benefit, and have but too much reason, from our own im- perfect dispositions, to fear t h a t we may yet have a great debt remaining u n p a i d ; never- theless our endeavoring to gain an indul- gence, f a r from making us remiss in leading a truly penitential life, will rather encourage us to do so the more e x a c t l y ; because, the more we endeavor by works worthy of pen- ance to satisfy the Divine Justice, the better we shall be disposed, when the opportunity comes, for gaining more abundant effects of indulgences. Often, when we think we have done our best, it is perhaps little to what we ought to have done; and what we gain by indulgences makes u p for the deficiencies of human infirmity : besides, the spirit of the Church is to grant indulgences to those only, who, on their part, sincerely endeavor to satisfy the Divine Justice. Any other idea of an indulgence would be a strange illusion. An indulgence, then, never ex- empts any one from the necessity of doing 1 2 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . penance. Penance has been commanded to all without any exception, and we ought to imitate Jesus Christ, as did the Saints, whose lives were a continual penance. M E A N I N G O F 1 0 0 0 Y E A B S ' I N D U L G E N C E . Thomas.—Please explain more fully sixty days', a hundred years', a thousand years' indulgence. Does a thousand years' indul- gence shorten our purgatory by a thousand years ? Father.—No, Thomas, the Church never de- clares how long we must stay in purgatory. We know that purgatory is temporal, not eternal. But how days or sufferings are measured there we know not. T.—What then are we to understand by a thousand years' indulgence ? F.—-You remember, Thomas, what we said about canonical penances ? 1 W e said that the Church canons inflicted a punishment of ten or twenty years on one guilty of one of the heinous crimes mentioned in her canons. Suppose, Thomas, that John committed but once a crime entailing a fast of ten years on bread and water, and James committed the same crime one hundred times. 1 See page 111 flow TO M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 2 1 You see that James should fast on bread and water one thousand years in order to do sufficient canonical penance for his sins. Now our Holy Mother, the Church, knowing that it is not granted to her children to live so long here, says to them: Do this good work, my children, say these prayers, and by virtue of the power given me I will release you from this punishment you deserve. That is, through the merits of Christ, and his saints, she credits the sinner with the same amount of atonement as he would have made had he fasted on bread and water for one thousand years. 21—Then the Church does not say how much any amount of years mentioned in an indulgence will shorten our sufferings hereafter? F.—No, Thomas, but she knows that God is merciful, that H e sees our efforts to satisfy His Justice, and though many thousand years' indul- gences may only pay one penny of the debt, let us continually endeavor to pay all we can by gaining all the indulgences we can before being cast into that prison mentioned by our Lord, out of which we cannot come till we pay the last farthing.1 Besides the Church grants plenary indulgences, which means the total cancelling of the debt in favor of those who gain them. » Matt. v. 25, 26, 1 2 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". NOTE.—In the early days of Christianity we find re- markable examples of indulgences. St. Cyprian tells us that great sinners had their penances lessened because they showed great signs of sorrow. Others received such indulgences because persecutions were impending. Saintly men who, in times of persecutions, were thrown into prison to await martyrdom, would often send letters to bishops called letters of peace, "Libellus pacis," re- questing indulgences for penitents. Owing to these prayers of martyrs, penitents would receive a partial or plenary remission of the penances imposed. St Cyprian in his work on penances says, " God can mer- cifully pardon him who repents, labors, prays. He can set down to his account whatever the martyrs have asked pad the bishops have done for such persons." The Church frequently shortened the time of penance when the penitent willingly multiplied and intensified his works of penance. St. Peter Damian tells of a man who, by cruel flagellation and frequent recitation of the Psalter, accomplished a hundred years of penance in six days. I I . CONCLUSION. Thomas.—Thank God, Father, I have made the Mission, and I can never be sufficiently grateful to God for all the graces H e has given me during this holy time. O Father, how good God has been to me, a poor sinner! When I first came to you, my soul was covered with sin. Blinded by my passions, I did not understand my wretched condition, or my duty to my God. A heavy weight seemed to press H O W XO M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . 1 2 3 on my heart. But since then a complete change has taken place. The heavy load has been taken from my soul. I now begin to understand something of the enormity of sin, and of the happiness of serving God. I begin to realize the wonderful effects of the sacraments. O F a t h e r ! pray for me, that I may never again stray from the path of duty to my God. Pray that I may never again sully my soul with those horrible sins which I now detest with all my heart. O beg of God to give me grace to perse- vere in this new life which I have commenced ft Father.—I shall do so, Thomas; for I also " thank God with you for the happy change which H e has effected in you. The peace which you now feel is but the commencement of everlasting peace, provided you remain faithful to the good resolutions you have made during the Mission. Much is in a good beginning. But only those •who persevere to the end shall be crowned. " Be thou faithful unto death," says our Lord, " and I will give thee the crown of life."1 O my child, how many of those who make good resolu- tions, who promise much to God during mission» and retreats, miserably relapse into their former bad habits! Truly has it been said, " H e l l » paved with good intentions." There are few oi 1 Apoc. ii. 10. 1 2 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". the damned who did not at some time in life promise much. But their misfortune was that they did not keep their promises. T.—Father, I fear myself very much; I beg you to lay down a little rule for me, which I will try to follow, in order that I may persevere. F.—Thank God, my child, that you do fear yourself, for one of the greatest causes of relapse into sin is too much confidence in ourselves. We think we are strong, whereas we are weak- ness itself. Hence so many expose themselves to the danger of sinning, and miserably perish. As you have asked me for a rule of life, I will give you one, simple, yet comprehensive. The rule our Lord gave the young man mentioned in the Gospel was, " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments." That you may keep the Commandments, Thomas, observe the follow- ing : 1st. As much as possible avoid all danger- ous occasions of sin, such as drinking-saloons, bad company, sinful amusements, bad or danger- ous readings. 2d. If possible, go every month to the sacraments; better still if you can go every week. Remember that, without the strength of the sacraments, you cannot resist your temptations and your inclinations to sin, for we all have within us a wonderful power of sinning. 3d. Never remain from Mass on flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 127 Sundays and holydays of obligation, when you are able to attend. 4th. Endeavor to hear the Word of God as often as you can. " Thy word," says David, " is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths." 5th. Never neglect your daily prayers. Prayer is the key of Heaven. Remem- ber the presence of God, and promptly call on Him when tempted. Let your cry also be to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to aid you. 6th. Every day read a chapter in somfe good religious book ; for example, the " Sinner's Guide," the " Following of Christ," " The Memorial of a Christian Life," the " Spiritual Combat," " Chal- loner's Meditations," the " Devout Life," or any of St. Francis de Sales' or St. Alphonsus' writ- ings. 7th. Every day offer to our Blessed Mother at least a third part of her holy Rosary, or five mysteries of the beads. Cultivate also a tender devotion to St. Joseph and your Guardian Angel; and may our dear Lord and His blessed Mother watch over you during life, and at the hour of death, and finally bring you to a happy eternity. J . M . J . D . H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . Ill P A R T V . I . P R A T E R S A N D D E V O T I O N S . ONE of the most richly indulgenced devo- tions is the Rosary. The Church tells us that the Rosary was given by our Immaculate Mother to St. Dom- inic, about the year 1206. I t consists of prayers and meditations on the fifteen prin- cipal Mysteries of the life, sufferings, death, and triumph of our L o r d ; and of the joys and glory of His blessed Mother. For each Mystery are said one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory be to the Father. O B J E C T O P T H E R O S A R Y . The Rosary has a twofold object. 1 s t Love, adoration, and compassion. 2d. Peti- tion, through Mary, for grace and mercy. W e unite with Mary in worshipping, loving, and compassionating our adorable Lord in flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 2 7 those mysteries of His incarnation, sufferings, and glory; we implore Him, through Mary, to make us H i s true followers, — imitators of those virtues which H i s life teaches, and to grant us the graces necessary for our salva- tion and perfection. H O W T O E N T E K T H E R O S A R Y C O N F R A T E R N I T Y . To become a member of the Dominican Rosary Confraternity, and enjoy its benefits, three things are necessary : — 1st. To have the beads indulgenced by a Dominican, or by one having received the power to give the Dominican Indulgence from the Pope or the General of the Do- minicans. 2d. To have the name enrolled in the registry where the Society of the Rosary is canonically established. 3d. To say the entire Rosary (fifteen Mys- teries) every week, meditating on the Mys- teries whils-t saying the Our Father and Hail Marys. Those who cannot meditate will gain the indulgences by saying the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, three Hail Marys, and Glory 1 2 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . be to the Father before commencing the Rosary. For a full explanation of the origin of the Rosary, together with a list of the great indul- gences granted to its members, see " Crown of Mary," by a Dominican Father. Those who are not members can gain many indul- gences by saying their beads devoutly. S H O E T M E T H O D O F S A T I N G T H E K O S A R Y . This method suffices to gain the indulgences, provided those using it endeavor to meditate on the Mysteries which are here only men- tioned : I n t h e n a m e of t h e F a t h e r , etc. V. — Hail Mary, full of Grace ! the Lord is with thee. R. — Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the f r u i t of thy womb, Jesus. V. — Thou, 0 Lord ! wilt open my lips. R. — And my tongue shall announce Thy praise. V. -— Incline unto my aid, 0 God R. — O Lord ! make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, etc. Alleluia. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 2 9 From, Septuagesima until Easter, instead of Alleluia; Praise be to Thee, 0 L o r d ! King of eternal glory. T H E F I R S T P A R T . ®l)t JFtiJf Sogful iHjsterieg. L T H E A N N U N C I A T I O N O F T H E B L E S S E D V L K G I N M A B Y . Our Father, etc. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father, etc. I I . T H E V I S I T A T I O N O P T H E B L E S S E D V I R - G I N M A R Y T O H E R C O U S I N , S T . E L I S A B E T H . Our Father, etc. I I I . T H E B I R T H O F O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T I N B E T H L E H E M . Our Father, etc. I V . T H E P R E S E N T A T I O N O F T H E C H I L D J E S U S I N T H E T E M P L E . Our Father, etc. V . T H E F I N D I N G O F T H E C H I L D J E S U S I N T H E T E M P L E . Our Father, etc. T H E S E C O N D P A R T . ®j)e Jibe SarroMul JHgsteries. I . T H E P R A Y E R A N D B L O O D Y S W E A T O F I . ^ E . L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T I N T H E G A R D E N . Our Father, etc. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be t<> the Father, etc. 1 3 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E MISSION". I I . T H E S C O U R G I N G O F O U R B L E S S E D L O R D A T T H E P I L L A R . Our Father, etc. I I I . T H E C R O W N I N G O F O U R B L E S S E D S A V I O U R W I T H T H O R N S . Our Father, etc. I V . O U R B L E S S E D S A V I O U R C A R R Y I N G H I S C R O S S . Our Father, etc. V . T H E C R U C I F I X I O N O F O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T . Our Father, etc. T H E T H I R D P A R T . ®Jje JFtbe flEIorious iWpsteties. I . T H E R E S U R R E C T I O N O F O U R L O R D J E S U S C H R I S T . Our Father, etc. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father, etc. I I . T H E A S C E N S I O N O F C H R I S T I N T O H E A V E N . Our Father, etc. I I I . T H E D E S C E N T O F T H E H O L Y G H O S T U P O N T H E A P O S T L E S A N D D I S C I P L E S . O u r Father, etc. I V . T H E A S S U M P T I O N O F T H E B L E S S E D V I R G I N M A R Y I N T O H E A V E N . Our Father, etc. V . T H E C O R O N A T I O N O F T H E B L E S S E D V I R G I N M A R Y I N H E A V E N . Our Father, etc. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 3 1 After each fifth decade is said, Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope; to thee we cry, poor banished children of E v e ; to thee we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of t e a r s ; turn, then, most gra- cious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and a f t e r this our exile, show unto us t h e blessed f r u i t of thy womb, J e s u s ; 0 clement, 0 pious, 0 sweet Virgin M a r y ! V. — P r a y for us, 0 Holy Mother of God. E. — That we may be made worthy of t h e promises of Christ. Let us pray. 0 God, whose only-begotten Son, by H i s life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal l i f e ; grant, we beseech Thee, that, meditating upon these mysteries, in the Most Holy Rosary of t h e Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. V. — May the divine assistance remain al- ways with us. B . — Amen. 1 3 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . V.—May the souls of the f a i t h f u l departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. It. — Amen. N. B. These prayers, " Hail, Holy Queen," etc., are not necessary for gaming the Rosary indulgence. S E C O N D M E T H O D . ®fje Jibe Sogful JMgsttties. I. The Angelical Salutation. Let us adore the Son of God hidden within the womb of Mary, the most lowly handmaid of the Lord, beseeching of Him the virtue of humility. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I I . The Visitation. Let us adore the Son of God, inspiring His most holy Mother to visit St. Elisabeth; beseeching of Him the virtue of charity to our neighbor. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I I I . The Birth of Jesus Christ. Let us adore the Son of God, born in a poor stable, of a Mother whose only treasure flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 3 3 was her Virginal p u r i t y ; legging the grace of •purity in soul and body. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. IV. The Presentation. Let us adore the Son of God, presented in the Temple to His heavenly Father by the hands of M a r y ; begging that our hearts may be set free from the love of all earthly things. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. Y. Mary finds Jesus in the Temple. Let us adore the Son of God, who left even His own most tender Mother, when the glory of His heavenly F a t h e r called Him, and was found by Mary in the Temple sitting in the midst of the doctors. Let us beg of our Lord an ardent zeal to instruct ourselves in our holy faith, and bring others to the knowledge of it. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. Hail, Holy Queen, as above. 1 3 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . OTjc JFtbt SorroSnfttl f f l u a t r r t t a . I. The Prayer and Bloody Sweat of our Blessed Saviour in the Garden. Let us adore our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Olives, accepting all the horrors of H i s most cruel Passion, whereby the soul of His most tender Mother was so bitterly afflicted; begging that in all things, however painf ul and hard, we may seek only the holy will of God. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I I . The Scourging of Jesus Christ. Let us adore our Lord Jesus Christ, endur- ing for our sakes t h a t most cruel scourging, by every stroke of which the most tender heart of Mary was torn. Let us beg of Him the spirit of mortification. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I I I . The Crowning with Thorns. Let us adore Jesus our King, crowned in derision with a crown of t h o r n s ; t h e sight of Which increased yet more the grief of Mary. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 3 5 Let us ask the grace to overcome human re- spect. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. IV. Jesus carrying His Cross. Let us adore our Lord Jesus, bowed down beneath the heavy burden of His cross, in the sight of His most tender Mother, resolved to drink with H i m the same cup of bitterness. Let us ask the spirit of meekness and patience. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. Y. Jesus Crucified. Let us adore our Lord Jesus, finishing, by His death upon the cross, the great work of our redemption. Let us ask of Him, through the tears of His most sorrowful Mother, the spirit of holy compunction. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. Hail, holy Queen as above. tZCfje JFttoe ffilorinus flgsteries. I. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us adore our Divine Saviour, the glori- ous Conqueror of d e a t h ; and let us ask of 1 3 6 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . Mary, by the joy which filled her soul a t the resurrection of her Son, to obtain for us the triumph of Jesus and Mary within our hearts. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I I . The Ascension of Jesus Christ. Let us adore our Divine Saviour, ascending into heaven to prepare a place for u s ; and let us ask of Mary, who followed Jesus in spirit, to obtain for us a great desire after our heavenly country. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I I I . The Holy Ghost descends upon the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles. Let us adore our Divine Saviour, sending from above his Holy S p i r i t ; and let us ask of Mary, whom H e has appointed to dispense H i s graces, to obtain for us all the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. I V . The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Let us adore our Divine Saviour, receiving His most gracious Mother into the bosom of flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 3 7 His glory, and let us ask her to obtain f o r us the desire of perfection. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. V. The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us adore our Divine Saviour, crowning the virtues of His most holy Mother in heaven; let us beg her to obtain for us the grace to love and imitate them. Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to the Father. Hail, holy Queen as above. ILitang of tije fflost J^olji Name of testis. F O R M A U T H O R I Z E D A N D I N D U L G E N C E D B Y P O P E P I U S I X . Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. desus, near us. Jesus, graciouslv hear us. God the Father of Heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, One God, 1 3 8 H O W TO M A K E T H E MISSION". Jesus, Son of the living God, Jesus, splendor of the Father, Jesus, brightness of the eternal light, Jesus, king of glory, Jesus, sun of justice, • Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary, 'esus, amiable, Jesus, admirable, Jesus, powerful God, Jesus, f a t h e r of the world to come, Jesus, angel of the great council, Jesus, most powerful, ff Jesus, most patient, Jesus ; most obedient, § Jesus, meek and humble of heart, ' o Jesus, lover of chastity, Jesus, lover of us, Jesus, God of peace, Jesus, author of life, Jesus, model of virtues, Jesus, zealous for souls, Jesus, our God,. Jesus, our refuge, Jesus, father of the poor, Jesus, treasure of the f a i t h f u l , Jesus, good shepherd, Jesus, true light, flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 3 9 Jesus, eternal wisdom, Jesus, infinite goodness, Jesus, our way and our life, Jesus, joy of angels, Jesus, king of the patriarchs, Jesus, master of the apostles, Jesus, teacher of the evangelists, Jesus, strength of martyrs, Jesus, light of confessors, Jesus, purity of virgins, Jesus, crown of all saints, B e m e r c i f u l , Spare us, 0 Jesus ! B e m e r c i f u l , Hear us, 0 Jesus! From all evil, From all sin, From t h y wrath, From the snares of the devil, From the spirit of fornication, From eternal death, From a neglect of t h y inspirations, Through the mystery of t h y holy incar- Through thy nativity, [nation. Through t h y infancy, Through t h y most divine life, Through t h y labors, Through t h y agony and passion, Through t h y cross and dereliction, 1 4 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . Through t h y languors, Through t h y death and burial, Through t h y resurrection, Through t h y ascension, Through t h y joys, Through t h y glory, (t> Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, 0 Jesus ! Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, 0 Jesus ! Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, 0 Jesus! Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us. 0 Lord J e s u s Christ, who hast said, Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you / merci- f u l l y attend to our supplication, and grant us the gift of Thy divine charity, t h a t we may ever love Thee with our whole heart, and never desist from T h y praise : who livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. 0 God, who hast appointed Thine only-be- gotten Son the Saviour of mankind, and hast commanded t h a t H e should be called J e s u s ! Let us pray. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 4 1 mercifully grant t h a t we may enjoy in heaven the happy visions of Him whose holy name we venerate upon earth : who, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen. ULijt Uttattg of tfjc Bltssett Uitffttt. Anthem. W e fly to t h y patronage, 0 holy Mother of God! despise not our prayers in our ne- cessities, but deliver us from all dangers, 0 glorious and ever blessed Virgin ! Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 0 God. the F a t h e r of Heaven, Have mercy upon us. 0 God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy wpon us. 0 God, t h e Holy Ghost, Have mercy upon vs. 0 Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy upon us. 1 4 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of Christ, Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother undefiled, Mother inviolate, Mother most amiable, Mother most admirable, Mother of our Creator, Mother of our Redeemer, Virgin most prudent, Virgin most venerable, Virgin most renowned, Virgin most powerful, Virgin most merciful, Virgin most f a i t h f u l , Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Honorable vessel, Vessel of singular devotion, Mystical rose, Tower of David, flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 145 Tower of ivory, \ House of gold, Ark of the covenant, Gate of heaven, Morning star, Health of the weak, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, Help of Christians, Queen of angels, "xs Queen of patriarchs, Queen of prophets, Queen of apostles, Queen of martyrs, Queen of confessors, Queen of virgins, Queen of all saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen of the most holy Rosary, 0 Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, 0 Lord! 0 Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord! 0 Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of t h e world, Have mercy upon us, 0 Lord I 1 4 4 H O W TO M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . Anthem. W e fly to t h y patronage, 0 holy Mother of God! despise not our prayers in our ne- cessities, but deliver us from all dangers, 0 glorious and ever blessed Virgin ! V. — Pray for us, 0 holy Mother of God ! R. [— That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech thee, 0 L o r d ! thy grace into our hearts, t h a t we, to whom the in- carnation of Christ t h y Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his pas- sion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. V.|—May the divine assistance always re% main with us. R. p|fi Amen. V. — And may the souls of the f a i t h f u l de- parted, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R. — Amen. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 4 5 ®Jje angiitis ©amim. To be said morning, noon, and night, in memory of the adorable mystery of the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour. 1. The Angel of the Lord declared unto M a r y : and she conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, etc. 2. Behold the handmaid of the L o r d : may it be done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary, etc. 3. And the Word was made flesh; and dwelt amongst us. Hail Mary, etc. Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech thee, 0 L o r d ! thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ t h y Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his Resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Endeavor, if your business or state of life will permit, to assist daily at the adorable sacrifice of the Mass. Remember that the offering of all the riches of this world is not to be compared with the offering of one Mass. For the Mass is an offering of infinite 1 4 6 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . value. If you cannot be present in body at Mass, endeavor to assist at it in spirit. Unite with all the priests throughout the world in offering that great sacrifice to your heavenly Father. With the offer- ing of the Mass, unite all the works of the day that you are going to perform. Your labor will thus be- come highly meritorious. For this purpose say: — 0 my God! I wish I could be present at the adorable sacrifice of the Mass to offer it for all the intentions for which Jesus offered himself to thee on Mount Calvary. -And since I cannot be present in body, I desire to assist in spirit a t all the Masses that will be offered to thee to-day throughout the world. I unite my intentions with t h y holy ministers in offering this adorable sacrifice, and with it I offer thee all the labors I am going to per- form this day. Sanctify them, 0 Lord ! and make them redound to T h y glory and my own salvation. Amen. HOW TO SPEND T H E D A T WELL. You are now going to leave the quiet of your home, to engage in the bustle and tur- moil of everyday life. Your bitter enemy will lay a thousand snares f o r the ruin of your soul. Oh, how necessary it will be for flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 4 7 you to be on your guard against offending your good God! Like holy Job, you must make a covenant with your eyes against beholding anything that would wound holy purity. You must guard your ears, lest any immodest sound should enter them to defile your soul. You must put a gate of prudence before your lips, like David, t h a t you may not offend God by your words. But, above all, you must guard your heart, t h a t nothing may be conceived or entertained there t h a t would offend your divine Lord. Oh, how jealous he is of our poor h e a r t s : " Son," he says, " give me t h y heart." Give it to him pure and spot- less in the morning, and keep it with him thus all the day. Offer him your work, say- ing : i All for thee, 0 my J e s u s ! " When tempted to anger, blasphemy, or im- purity, call immediately on Jesus and Mary to come to your assistance. Fly all danger- ous occasions of sin, especially of the sin of i m p u r i t y ; and if you are necessitated to work in the society of the unchaste, you must pray the more fervently and frequently, and God who preserved the three, young men in the fiery furnace, will preserve you from yielding to temptations. If a bad thought troubles you, say a Hail Mary. 1 4 8 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . ¿1-— PRAYERS WHICH EVERY CATHOLIC SHOULD KNOW AND RECITE DAILY. * I n the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen: T H E L O R D ' S P R A Y E R . Our Father who a r t in H e a v e n ! hallowed be Thy name ; T h y kingdom come; T h y will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres- pass against u s ; and lead us not into tempta- tion, but deliver us from evil. Amen. T H E A N G E L I C A L S A L U T A T I O N . Hail, Mary, f u l l of grace ! the Lord is with t h e e ; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the f r u i t of t h y womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God I pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. s , T H E A P O S T L E S C R E E D . I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth : and in J e s u s H O W T u M A K E T H E M I S S I O N . 1 4 9 Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was con- ceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into h e l l ; the third day H e rose again from the dead; H e ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Al- mighty ; from thence H e shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy G h o s t ; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins ; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. T H E C O N F I T E O B . I confess to Almighty God, to the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed J o h n the Baptist, to the Holy Apostles, P e t e r and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed J o h n the Baptist, the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God f o r me. 1 5 0 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . May the Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to ever, lasting l i f e ! Amen. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen. A N A C T O P F A I T H , O my God ! I firmly believe all the sacred t r u t h s t h a t the Catholic Church believes and teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. A N A C T O F H O P E . 0 my God! relying upon Thy infinite good- ness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon for my sins, the assistance of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of J e s u s Christ my Lord and Redeemer. A N A C T O F L O V E . 0 my God! I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, because Thou a r t infinitely amiable and deserving of all love ; I love also my neighbor as myself, for the love of T h e e ; I forgive all who have in flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 5 1 jured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. A C T O F C O N T R I T I O N . 0 my G o d ! I am most heartily sorry for all my sins, and I detest them above all things from the bottom of my heart, because they displease Thee, my God ! who a r t most good, most amiable, and most deserving of all my love: and I firmly purpose, by Thy holy grace, never more to offend Thee, and to do all t h a t I can to atone for my sins, and to amend my life. TOI T R U T H S W H I C H A L L O U G H T T O K N O W . 1. ONE God, a Re warder of the good, an Avenger of the wicked. 2. The Holy Trinity, or three Divine Per- sons in one Divine Nature. 3. The Incarnation, or the Mystery of the Son of God become Man for our re- demption. 4. The Ten Commandments of God, and the Six of the Church. 5. The Seven Sacraments. 1 5 2 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . T H E T E N C O M M A N D M E N T S O F G O D . I . I am the Lord t h y G o d : thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. I I . Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord t h y God in vain. I I I . Remember t h a t thou keep holy the Sabbath day. IV. Honor t h y f a t h e r and t h y mother. V. Thou shalt not kill. YI. Thou shalt not commit adultery. V I I . Thou shalt pot steal. V I I I . Thou shalt not bear false witness against t h y neighbor. I X . Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. T H E C O M M A N D M E N T S O F T H E C H U R C H . 1st. To hear Mass, and to rest from ser- vile works on Sundays and holydays of obli- gation. 2d. To keep fast in Lent and on the Em- ber days, the Fridays in Advent, and eves of certain f e s t i v a l s ; and to abstain from flesh flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 155 on Fridays and other appointed days of ab- stinence. 3d. To confess our sins to our pastor or other priest at least once a year. 4th. To receive the Blessed Sacrament at Easter or thereabouts. 5th. To contribute to the support of our pastors. 6th. Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred ; nor privately without witnesses; nor to solemnize marriage at certain prohib- ited times. T H E S A C R A M E N T S A B E : I. Baptism. I I . Confirmation. I I I . Holy Euchrist. IV. Penance. V. Extreme Unction. VI. Holy Orders. V I I . Matrimony. The Sacraments are the great instruments or channels established by Jesus Christ for conveying H i s graces to our souls. Each Sac- rament has a special meaning and a special work to perform. 1 5 4 H O W T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N " . I . Baptism washes th'e soul f r o m original sin (the sin in which we were bom) and also from actual sin (sin of our own act) if we have been guilty of any. Baptism makes us Christians, or followers of Christ, children of God, and gives us a right to the kingdom of Heaven. 31. Confirmation confirms or strengthens us to profess our faith. Confirmation gives us the Holy Ghost, to enable us to advance in every virtue, and even to perfection. 333. Holy Eucharist means a holy mystery — a feast of love and thanksgiving. This i s : 1st. The great Sacrament of love, in which we eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus Christ, in order to maintain and strengthen the life of our souls. " H e t h a t eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abid- eth in Me, and 3 in him." " H e t h a t eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me." 1 2d. The Holy Eucharist, as a sacrifice, is the greatest offering t h a t man can make to God, or t h a t Heaven can receive. 3n this sacrifice we offer not rams or sheep or oxen; not gold or silver, but the most pure and most precious body and blood of Jesus Christ; l J o h n vi. 57, 68. flow T O M A K E T H E M I S S I O N , 1 5 5 we renew, in an unbloody manner, the Sacri- fice of the Cross. IY. Penance is the sacrament of sorrow or penitence. I t washes away the sins com- mitted a f t e r baptism. " Whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven." 1 Y. Extreme Unction (extreme, or last unction or anointing) is the sacrament that strengthens us at death, and washes away the traces of sin. I t may also restore us our bodily health. VI. Holy Orders give to bishops and priests grace and power to perform all their sacred duties. V I I . Matrimony gives grace to the married couple to love each other with a pure and holy love ; and enlightens and enables them to bring u p their children in the love of God. l J o h n XX. 23. I ; níilÍái T H E M O S T P O P U L A R C A T H O L I C N O V E L E V E R P U B L I S H E D Fabiola O B T H E Church of the Catacombs B Y CARDINAL WISEMAN Superb edition of this famous book. K i l n e r ' s L a r g e T y p e Edition. P r i n t e d from new elec- trotype plates, 488 pages. 12mo. Size 5 x 7 } inches. Beautifully bound in new style cloth, with side and back stamp of a new design. P r i c e , 8 5 c e n t s , p o s t p a i d . H. L. KILNER & CO. 1708 M a r k e t St., Philadelphia FAMOUS STORIES FOR BOYS WRITTEN BY T H E WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR MAURICE FRANCIS EGAN I n a Brazilian F o r e s t a n d T h r e e B r a v e Boys Jack Chumleigh at Boarding- School J a s p e r T h o r n A Story of New Y o r k Life T h e Chatelaine of t h e R o s e s A R o m a n c e of St. Bar- t h o l o m e w ' s N i g h t , a n d O t h e r Tales T h e Leopard of L a n c i a n u s a n d Other Stories Neatly bound in olive green cloth, with entirely new and artistic design in colored inks. All uni- form bindings. 12mo. Size 5 x 7} inches. E a c h , $ 1 . 0 0 , p o s t p a i d \ H. L. KILNER & CO. 1708 Market St., Philadelphia FAMOUS STORES FOR GIRLS WRITTEN BY T H E WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR T h e W a t s o n s of t h e C o u n t r y Amelie in F r a n c e Neatly bound in blue cloth, with entirely new and artistic design in colored inks. All uniform bindings. 12mo. Size 5 x 7J inches. E a c h , $ 1 . 0 0 , p o s t p a i d H. L. K I L N E R & CO. 1708 M a r k e t St., Philadelphia MAURICE FRANCIS EGAN St. M a r t i n ' s S u m m e i T h e W a t s o n Girls A W a s h i n g t o n Story B e l i n d a ' s C o u s i n s A Tale of T o w n a n d C o u n t r y B e l i n d a A Story of New Y o r k CHIQUITA A N D A MOTHER'S HEART ( T w o Stories) By H E N R I E T T E E U G E N I E D E L A M A R E 12mo., 219 pages, with Frontispiece. Cloth, ink stamping, •with neat cover design. Price, $1.25 n e t ; Postpaid, $1.35 T w o separate and distinct stories in one book. T h e first is about a beautiful Span- ish orphan girl w h o is kidnapped f r o m a convent-school, given a musical education, and becomes a famous European opera singer. The second story depicts a young girl who has a devoted stepmother, but through the reading of trashy literature be- comes despondent and leaves the home of her good parents t o seek romance. T h e author, w h o is considered one of the best writers for children and is a favorite among them, has given much time and effort in preparing these t w o stories. Both are full of interest and teach a noble lesson in charity. Every library and Catholic home should have this book. I t is ideal for class- room reading. H . L. K I L N E R & CO. 1708 Market S t Philadelphia Don't Fail to Read FATHER BILLY —•—A Incidents and Anecdotes i i — I "" in the Life of a Well- fe 1 MB—Z&fiM known Pastor. - I' B y t & ^ T ^ , I R E V . J O H N E. S i ' i n i y l 1 G R A H A M 12mo., 236 , pages, with frontispiece and ten il- lustrations. Cloth binding, gold stamp- ing with neat cover design. Price, $1.50 net; Postpaid, $1.60 " T h e inimitable Father Billy O'Gorman relates, in his own characteristic style, some few of the trials and triumphs that fell to his lot during a long career as priest and pastor. The incidents and anecdotes of this genial and kindly old priest are replete with bits of wit and humor. His counsels, suggestions, and views on things ecclesi- astical are those of a Sound, practical, human philosopher." T h i s book will be read, not'only with perfect en- joyment, but passed along to friends who- will find it very entertaining. W e heartily recommend it as a gift book to a clergyman, religious, or lay- man. H . L. K I L N E R & CO. Publishers Philadelphia B O O K S F O B M I S S I O N S . T H E R O S A R Y , T H E C R O W N O F M A R Y . By a Dominican Father. 18mo, paper. Price, 12 cts. A book very useful for all desirous of knowing the origin, the history and the power of the Rosary. It contains full list of indulgences, with instructions for becoming a rosarian, and saying the beads with profit. T H E S E C R E T O P S A N C T I T Y R E V E A L E D I N M A R Y . By Blessed Grignon de Montfort. The key to the most intimate union with Jesus, through Mary. 18mo, paper, 12 cents. L I F E O F F A T H E R B U R K E , O. P . Paper. Jfnce 5 ccnts F R O M U N B E L I E F T O B E L I E F . , A Series of Apologetic Lectures. By Rev. H. Joseph Koenen- berg, C.M. 117 pages. Paper. Price. 10 cents. D O M I N I C A N M I S S I O N P R A Y E R B O O K A N D M A N U A L O F S P E C I A L D E V O - T I O N S . Compiled from Authentic Sources by a Duminican Missionarv. 24 mo., 640 pages, black cloth, red edges, $1.00. Lambskin, gold edges, $2.00. A prayer book containing devotions for the faithful in general, and intended as an aid to preserve the fruits of the mission. S A I N T D O M I N I C A N D T H E O R D E R O F P R E A C H E R S . By J o h n B. O'Connor, O. P. 12mo, 228 pages. Paper, 35 cents; cloth, $1.00. C A U S E S A N D C U R E O F U N B E L I E F . By N. J . Laforet. Revised, enlarged and edited by Cardinal Gibbons. 16mo, 278 pages. Papei, 35 cents ; cloth, 65 cents. M I S S I O N G O O D S . Prayer Books, Bosaries, Crucifixes, Statues, Scapulars, Holy Water Fonts, etc., S U P P L I E D A T L O W E S T P R I C E S . s c . x * . K I X J K t e h t f c o o . , 1708 M A R K E T S T R E E T PHILADELPHIA.