Let us pray.

Look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, upon this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ did not refuse to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and to endure the torments of the Cross. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God for ever and ever. Amen.

May our Lord Jesus Christ bless us, who for us was scourged, laden with his Cross, and crucified. Amen.

Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

ROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

[The Joyful Mysteries, assigned for Mondays and Thursdays throughout the Year, the Sundays of Advent, and after Epiphany till Lent. Large ind. ap.]

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

V. Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

R. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

V. Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips.

R. And my tongue shall announce thy praise.

V. Incline unto my aid, O God.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

Alleluia or, Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

The First Mystery-The Annunciation.

THE MEDITATION. Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the angel Gabriel saluted our blessed

G

Lady with the title Full of Grace, and declared unto her the incarnation our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Then say, Our Father, once; Hail Mary, ten times; Glory be to the Father, &c., once.)

LET US PRAY.-O holy Mary, Queen of Virgins, by the most high mystery of the incarnation of thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by which our salvation was so happily begun; obtain for us, by thy intercession, light to understand this great benefit which he has bestowed upon us, vouchsafing in it to make himself our brother, and thee, his own most beloved Mother, our mother also. Amen.

The Second Mystery-The Visitation.

THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the Blessed Virgin Mary, understanding from the angel that her cousin, St. Elizabeth, had conceived, went with haste into the mountains of Judea to visit her, and remained with her three months. Our Father, &c.

LET US PRAY.-O holy Virgin, most spotless mirror of humility, by that exceeding charity which moved thee to visit thy holy cousin, St. Elizabeth, obtain for us, by thy intercession, that our hearts may be so visited by thy most holy Son, that being free from all sin, we may praise him and give him thanks for ever. Amen.

The Third Mystery-The Nativity.

THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the time of her delivery was come, brought forth our Redeemer, Christ Jesus, at midnight, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inns at Bethlehem. Our Father, &c.

LET US PRAY-O most pure Mother of God, by thy virginal and most joyful delivery, by which thou

gavest unto the world thy Son our Saviour; we beseech thee, obtain for us, by thy intercession, grace to lead lives so pure and holy in this world that we may be worthy to sing without ceasing, both day and night, the mercies of thy Son, and his benefits to us by thee. Amen.

The Fourth Mystery.-The Presentation.

THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the most Blessed Virgin Mary, on the day of her purification, presented the child Jesus in the temple, where holy Simeon, giving thanks to God, with great devotion received him into his arms. Our Father, &c.

LET US PRAY-O holy Virgin, admirable mistress and pattern of obedience, who didst present in the temple the Lord of the temple, obtain for us of thy beloved Son, that with holy Simeon and devout Anne we may praise and give him thanks for ever.

Amen.

The Fifth Mystery-The Finding in the Temple. THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how the Blessed Virgin Mary, having lost her beloved Son, when twelve years old, in Jerusalem, sought him for the space of three days, and at length found him the fourth day in the temple, in the midst of the doctors, disputing with them. Our Father, &c.

LET US PRAY.-Most Blessed Virgin, more than martyr in thy sufferings, and yet the comfort of such as are afflicted; by that unspeakable joy wherewith thy soul was ravished in finding thy beloved Son in the temple, in the midst of the doctors, disputing with them: obtain of him for us so to seek him and to find him in the holy Catholic Church, that we may never be separated from him. Amen.

SALVE REGINA.

Hail! holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope, to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears; turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY-Hear, O merciful God, the prayers of thy servants, that we, who meet together in the society of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, may, through her intercession, be delivered by thee from the dangers that continually hang over us. Amen.

O God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech thee, that meditating upon those mysteries, in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

[The Dolorous or Sorrowful Mysteries, for Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the Year, and the Sundays in Lent.] The First Mystery.-The Prayer and Bloody Sweat of our Blessed Saviour in the Garden.

THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus was so afflicted for us in the garden of Gethsemane, that his body was bathed in a bloody sweat, which ran trickling down in great drops to the ground.

Our Father, &c., once; Hail Mary, &c., ten times; Glory be to the Father, &c., once.

LET US PRAY.-Most holy Virgin, more than martyr, by that ardent prayer which thy beloved Son poured forth unto his Father in the garden, vouchsafe to intercede for us, that our passions being reduced to the obedience of reason, we may always and in all things conform and subject ourselves to the will of God. Amen.

The Second Mystery.-The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar. THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ was most cruelly scourged in Pilate's house, the number of stripes they gave him being above five thousand, as it was revealed to St. Bridget. Our Father, &c.

LET US PRAY.-O Mother of God, overflowing fountain of patience, by those stripes thy only and most beloved Son vouchsafed to suffer for us, obtain of him for us grace, that we may know how to mortify our rebellious senses, and cut off all occasions of sinning, with that sword of grief and compassion which pierced thy most tender soul. Amen.

The Third Mystery.-The Crowning of Jesus with Thorns. THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how those cruel ministers of Satan platted a crown of sharp thorns, and most cruelly pressed it on the sacred head of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Father, &c.

LET US PRAY.-O Mother of our Eternal Prince and King of Glory, by those sharp thorns wherewith his most holy head was pierced, we beseech thee, that by thy intercession, we may be delivered here from all motions of pride, and in the day of judgment from that confusion which our sins deserve. Amen.

Fourth Mystery.-Jesus Carrying his Cross. THE MEDITATION.-Let us contemplate in this mystery, how our Lord Jesus Christ (being sentenced