of which God created us, we shall be ashamed of our unwillingness to conform our own feelings and inclinations to the habits of those with whom we are obliged to live.

I adore Thee, O my Jesus, in Thy abasements on earth, in the tabernacle, and in my heart. It is my sinful self whom Thou dost serve with such wonderful condescension at the Holy Table, and in all my needs. Thy humility instructs me, it affects me. Help me to sacrifice my pride at Thy feet, that I may perceive Thy presence in humility, silence, and peace.

V. 'I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you' (St. John xiii. 15).

Our Lord does not require us to imitate Him by violent efforts, but He desires to lead us gently to the works of our calling. Each one of us should consult the state of his soul, his situation in life, the attraction of grace, the wise advice of others, and then proceed to act as under the eye of our Lord.

Associate yourself closely with Him in all your daily actions, saying, 'In this house of prayer Jesus prays by my mouth. During your work say, 'Jesus labours by my hands.' In every action of your life say to yourself, 'Jesus makes use of me to reproduce as it were what He did during His life of thirty-three years on earth.' Then you will have the consoling hope your life will be conformable to that of Jesus.

that

I should consider myself, with due respect, as an instrument employed by Jesus for His Father's glory; if I am permitted to think that Jesus, working in me by His grace, has united His life to mine.

An infinite variety of motives may persuade me to the imitation of Jesus Christ. My object is not to appear, but truly to be, what God, who knoweth the hearts of all men, wills that I should be. In a great many cases I have thought, spoken, acted, rather for the sake of appearing to be than of being a true

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Christian, but henceforth I will endeavour rather to be than to appear to be a Christian !

Most sweet Saviour, perfect Example of my life, receive me unto Thy school, and teach me what I ought to do in order to resemble Thee. Reveal to

me especially the secret of Thy humble, hidden, labours, and charitable life, which Thou ledst during thirty-three years, and which Thou still continuest in the tabernacle. Give me grace to bear in my soul a resemblance as close as possible to Thee.

Conclusion.

We ought to make a continual, serious, careful, practical, study of the conduct of our Blessed Lord. We ought to study it, in order to imitate it, to become united to Him in mind and heart. In all the accidents of life, which are so trying to our patience, let us look to Jesus and accept them all patiently. Let us ask this grace in Holy Communion, by which Jesus desires to make us like unto Him.

TWELFTH MEDITATION FOR HOLY
COMMUNION.

JESUS AND ST. PETER AT THE SEA OF TIBERIAS. (St. Matt. xiv.)

Preparation.

The sea is an image of the world, and the boat tossed upon it an image of our hearts.

Rebellious passions, like the roaring waves of the sea, threaten to swallow it up. Let us have recourse to the Holy Eucharist, and all the storms which we so frequently encounter in our spiritual life will be succeeded by a perfect calm.

I. 'The ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves' (St. Matt. xiv. 24).

In this world our life is like a troubled sea, full of rocks, although they are partly hidden from our sight. Notwithstanding these dangers, I am more afraid of the storms within me than of the dangers in the world.

Pleasures and temptations provoke me to the combat, they force me to resist them. I defend myself, but too often my defence is in vain. I can escape these by flight, but wherever I go I carry within me an inward storm. Sometimes a word, a look, a letter is sufficient to let loose the raging waves. Now, indeed, very painfully my soul is tossed by the waves, but I know where to find my heavenly Pilot.

Deep is the night of my senses, and impenetrable the mystery that surrounds His Presence; but He is there. Although He is invisible, I know His eye is ever on me. His hand upholds the world. The tempest is the time of his power. The ocean is no more to Him than the drop of water with which an infant plays. I can understand the Apostles' anxiety

during the absence of their Divine Master, and I feel that I am doubly happy in never losing Him, for He is ever with us.

But for the tempest, I should not receive the special grace which enables me to contend with it; that grace which is sent me in answer to prayer, to overcome my wandering, my egotistical, my worldly thoughts.

It is in the midst of peril that I have most strongly felt the grace, unfailing as the promise of God, which is given in answer to prayer. Will not Jesus, the desire of my soul, enter and calm my troubled mind? In Him reigns eternal peace and harmony; in me all is confusion and distress. I call Jesus to my aid; He will restore calmness to my soul. And as my storms arise from the depths of my evil nature, Jesus alone can say to the troubled waves of passion, Peace, be still.

Lord, I have Thy grace in an earthen vessel, so frail that I may lose it at the slightest blow. Deliver me from vain thoughts and anxieties; from self-love, and all the rotten thoughts which spring from it; from all undue care and anxiety about earthly things. Forgive my sins, for which my repentance is still too imperfect, purify my soul from all worldly stains. And that I may obtain these graces, I offer Thee the infinite merits of Him by whom alone our prayers can obtain acceptance in Thy sight.

II. 'In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came unto His disciples, walking on the sea!

The liquid element of water cannot support the weight of the human body. But Jesus made no difficulty of performing a miracle, in order to come to the aid of His disciples. He saw them fighting with the waves, at once He flew to help them. The sea lies between Him and His disciples; He walks upon the sea! The almighty power by which this abyss

was created, can make it uphold the feet of its Creator! How many miracles has Jesus performed in coming to seek me upon the troubled sea of the world? He descends into the hands of the priests; the sacred species does not uphold Him; He upholds the appearances.

It was about the end of the night, in the time of profoundest darkness, that our Lord approached His disciples. But for us, He provides two light-houses, to guide us on our way: in heaven, the Heart of Jesus; on earth, the Sacred Host; and these are sufficient to preserve us from shipwreck.

The darkness of the night resembles the mystery surrounding the Blessed Sacrament. 'Our Lord regards us through the veil of His Flesh.' He hides Himself from our bodily eyes, that we may learn to behold Him with the eye of faith. But at the rising of the Eternal Day, I, too, shall have risen from the grave to behold it, and then I shall see the God of my heart, the God who will save me by faith in His Word, and hope in His unfailing promises.

O Lord Jesus, I adore Thee under the cloud, which mercifully veils Thy glory here below. Although Thou dost not here appear to us as Thou art, I shall nevertheless receive all that Thou art. The rising of the sun, in the natural world, is heralded, says Bossuet, by a faint gleam or reflection of whiteness shed over the face of the earth; so should my soul, at the near approach of the Sun of Righteousness, believe more firmly, hope more ardently. Give me such a lively faith as shall be the dawn of eternal day, and leave not in my soul a hiding-place so remote that the rays of divine grace shall not illuminate it.

III. 'When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, It is a spirit. Behold how easily the mind, which is busied about other things than Jesus, deceives itself; takes true