soon you will learn to know Him, in listening to the first words of peace and hope, which His Advent brings to men. "Fear not," said the Angel. O my dear Saviour, to me also dost Thou address these words by the mouth of Thy heavenly messenger.

Fear not. Courage, my child, God is a kind, a tender Father; He should be served with the loving obedience of a child to its mother. Courage.

I should then never be discouraged, no matter what difficulty I may have in correcting my faults. God will always be with me, my efforts will be counted. Courage.

II. I will continue to listen to the words of the Angel: "For this day is born to you a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." The very helplessness of Jesus is then the foundation of my confidence. He wished to be my Saviour, and to redeem me He took upon Himself my poor weak nature. knows how, in spite of all my good resolutions, my weakness yields to the first little difficulty. He knows well my misery and has compassion on my frailty. He suffered in order to help me to suffer, to work, to struggle against my faults.

He

Courage then, I will press onward, leaning for support on Jesus Himself.

Resolution. I know that after many efforts, many good resolutions, a mere trifle will often suffice to dis

tract me and make me relapse into my ordinary faults; but with God's help I will never be discouraged. When I feel inclined to yield to temptation, I will consider how the sweet Child Jesus chose to be helpless and weak, incapable of the slightest movement without the assistance of His mother, who carried Him in her arms. I will place all my confidence in the Divine Child, begging of Mary, His Mother and mine, to take me also in her loving arms.

Prayer. From this moment forward, O most tender Mother, I place myself under thy protection, and I beseech thee from my heart to watch over me unceasingly. O Mary, show thyself my Mother.

CHAPTER III.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO.

And suddenly, there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of goodwill.—St. Luke ii. 13 and 14.

Preparatory Prayer. Grant me, my God, the grace of holy recollection, during this short meditation, that may forget all else but Thee alone.

I

I. I will remain in spirit with the shepherds, who have been awakened from slumber by the joyful news of our Saviour's birth, announced by the Angel.

The celestial light surrounding this beautiful vision enables them to perceive in the starlit sky a brilliant host of heavenly spirits hovering above them: I can picture them to myself gazing enraptured on this company of bright spirits in the azure vault. The hearts of these poor men are filled with joy; they are deeply moved by the heavenly vision, and by the sweet melody that is borne in upon their ears.

"Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of goodwill," sing the angels joyfully.

It is the song of triumph with which God Himself has inspired His messengers, in order to make known the birth of His Son.

II. Here let me pause for a while and consider these blessed words: "Glory be to God." To glorify God is the sole occupation of the angels in Heaven. They teach us that we who are on earth should unite with them in giving glory to the Divine Omnipotence.

But how can creatures so small, so humble as we, give glory to the great God? The life and teachings of our dear Saviour show us how; there is no creature, no matter how frail, that has not its share of glory to render to God. Dear Lord, I who am so weak, so powerless, so young, what can I do to glorify Thee?

I seem to hear our Lord reply: "Be faithful to thy duties, obey thy parents and those who hold their place, have great confidence in thy mother, be straightforward in all thy ways, bear patiently to be forgotten and paid no attention to: these are the means in thy power to glorify God." But how can I hope to acquire these virtues, knowing myself to be so weak? The continuation of the angels' song instructs and consoles me. "Peace on earth to men of goodwill." It is therefore goodwill alone that can give us peace, and God must value it highly, since He proclaims its efficacy by the mouth of His Angel at the very moment of our Saviour's birth.

Resolution. From henceforth I will endeavour to cultivate a firm goodwill, that it may increase daily in my heart, according as years alter the nature of my duties, and multiply my opportunities of giving glory to God. And as, in order to have goodwill, I must

above all pray for it, I resolve to-day, O my dear Saviour, to say often: "Lord, give me a sincere goodwill."

Prayer. Grant me, O my God, grace to acquire the habit of frequently addressing to Thee this prayer; and do ye, O holy angels, who sang the heavenly hymn that announced the birth of Jesus, obtain for me, I beseech you, the precious gift of goodwill.