the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap or gather into barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? and which of you by thinking can add to his stature one cubit? And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow: they labor not, neither do they spin. And yet I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now if God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, O ye of little faith? Be not solicitous, therefore, saying: what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? things do the heathens seek. For your father, knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for to-morrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

For after all these

R. Ye that fear the Lord, hope in him, and his mercy will soon be manifested to you;

love him, and your hearts will be strengthened against all the vicissitudes of life. *Who has ever observed his commandments, and been forsaken?

V. No; God is compassionate and merciful, he will forgive all who repent of their sins, and will never refuse to protect those who truly seek him. Who has ever, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Who has ever, &c. TE DEUM, 37.

LAUDS.

Ant. Fraise the Lord, O my soul! and be ever mindful of his mercies.

Psalm XXXI.

Be thou eternally adored, O God of my salvation! and may thy praises be sung by thy servants forever.

When our first parents disobeyed thy precepts, to the ruin of themselves and their whole posterity,

Thy mercy immediately provided a remedy, and graciously promised them a redeemer;

A redeemer who would conquer sin and death, and crush the head of the serpent;

A redeemer who would fully repair the losses of mankind, and render our condition better than it was before:

Enlightening our eyes with a clearer view of those excellent truths that conduce to our peace of mind,

And sustaining our nature by a more invigorating grace, under all the trials we have to

encounter:

Till we arrive at the place of our rest, and be received into the kingdom of everlasting glory.

O blessed Saviour, our strength, our guide! who knowest and hast compassion on our weakness;

Who in thy tender care hast provided us with the most effectual means of promoting our real welfare;

How easy hast thou made the way to heaven! how light is the burden thou layest upon thy followers!

We have only to love thee, our great benefactor, and we perfectly fulfil every point of thy law.

We have only to desire the possession of thee, our supreme beatitude, and we are sure to obtain an eternity of joy.

Blessed, O my God! be the wisdom of thy providence, which alone knows how to draw good out of evil;

Which has not only restored us to our primitive state, but has found even in our fall, a motive for conferring upon us still greater distinctions.

Lord! as thy goodness turns all things to the advantage of thy elect, may thy elect praise that goodness for all eternity. Glory be to the Father, &c.

Psalm XXXII.

ADMIRABLE, O Lord! were thy promises to man, but infinitely more so was the execution of them.

Thou didst not depute an angel to supply thy place, nor entrust so important a work to the ministry of a seraph:

But thou thyself didst bow the heavens and come down, in thy own adorable person, to effect our redemption.

Thou clothedst thyself in our frail nature, and vouchsafedst to be born of an humble virgin.

Thou condescendedst to exhibit the infirmities of a child, and of a child whose parents were poor and unesteemed in the world.

Thou didst not disdain the wretched accommodations of a stable, though so unsuited to the birth of the king of heaven.

Thou wast satisfied with the manger as a cradle, and cheerfully preferredst the inconveniences of poverty to all the comforts that wealth could bestow.

Thy only, attendants were the faithful Joseph, who stood by thee and supplied thy wants according to his ability,

And thy pious mother who embraced thee, and wrapt thy tender limbs in swaddling clothes.

Be astonished, O ye heavens! and wonder, O earth! and let all creatures humbly bow their heads.

Bow down and adore that incomprehensible mystery, THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US.