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everything; both the future of their nation and the
salvation of their own souls. The sung parts of the
Mass, taken from various Psalms, express the anguish
of our divine Lord on the eve of His Passion, and His
trust in His eternal Father. The Introit is a prayer
for deliverance from the plots of His persecutors. The
Gradual unmasks the treachery of those who have
words of peace on their lips and who, nevertheless,
are thinking how to satisfy their wrath. The Offer
tory taken from Psalm cxviu, expresses the attitude of
our Lord, obedient to the will of His Father and pre
pared to answer His own calumniators. The Communion
is a fresh prayer full of confidence for deliverance from
the fury of unjust adversaries. On the morrow, the
eve of Palm Sunday, we shall find these same formulas
repeated.
The Prayers of the Mass, suggest to us dispositions
wholly contrary to the sentiment of the pharisees. O God,
in us the
grant us thy grace that it may make perfect
desire of accepting every temporal penance rather than
be condemned to eternal torments . (COLLECT) Grant
to
us, O Lord, that we may be worthy ministers of thine
altars and thus find our salvation in participating of the
gifts which are offered on them (SECRET). May the pro
tection obtained by the reception of the adorable Victim
never be wanting to us, and may it ever remove from us
all that might do us harm (POSTCOMMUNION). O om
nipotent God, we beg the favour of thy protection. Deign
to deliver us from all that could injure us and to grant
that we may in all security serve Thee (Oratio super
populum). Under the name of the Compassion of Mary
or of Our Lady of the Seven Dolours the Church on
this day honours the sorrows of the blessed Virgin at the
foot of the Cross. At first the Feast was merely a