the most holy Trinity for having favoured thee with these privileges; and I implore thee, O gracious Mother, to obtain for me the practice of virtues, and to render me thus worthy to receive the gifts and the grace of the Holy Spirit. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as above, is to be said. PRAYER FOR THE FIFTH DAY, The 3d of December. O Mary, bright moon of purity, I congratulate with thee, inasmuch as the mystery of thy immaculate conception was the beginning of the salvation of all the human race and the joy of the whole world. I thank and bless the most holy Trinity for having so exalted and glorified thy person; and I implore thee to obtain for me grace to know how to profit by the passion and death of thy Jesus, and that the blood shed upon the Cross may not be unavailing for me, but that I may live holily and be saved. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as above, is to be said. PRAYER FOR THE SIXTH DAY, The 4th of December. O immaculate Mary, most resplendent star of purity, I rejoice with thee that thy immaculate conception has brought a most exceeding joy to all the angels of paradise. I thank and bless the most holy Trinity for having enriched thee with so beautiful a privilege. Ah, grant that I may enter one day in to a participation of that joy, and may be able, in the company of the angels, to praise and bless thee for eternity. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as above, is to be said. FRAYER FOR THE SEVENTH DAY, The 5th of December. O immaculate Mary, rising morn of purity, I rejoice with thee, and am glad that in the moment of thy conception thou wast confirmed in grace and made incapable of sin. I thank and extol the most holy Trinity for having distinguished thee alone with this special privilege. Ah, obtain for me, O holy Virgin, an entire and constant abhorrence of sin above every other evil, and that I may sooner die than commit it any more. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as above, is to be said. PRAYER FOR THE EIGHTH DAY, The 6th of December. O Virgin Mary, sun without spot, I congratulate thee, and rejoice that in thy conception a greater and more abundant grace was bestowed upon thee than all the angels and saints possessed in the fulness of their merits. I thank and admire the sovereign goodness of the most holy Trinity in having enriched thee with this privilege. Ah, enable me to correspond to divine grace, and never more abuse it! Change my heart, and let me from this moment begin to amend my life. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as above, is to be said. PRAYER FOR THE NINTH DAY, The 7th of December. O immaculate Virgin and Mother Mary, living light of holiness and model of purity, thou, when scarcely yet conceived, didst profoundly adore God and thank him, because by thy means, the ancient curse being taken away, the fulness of blessing was coming upon the children of Adam. Ah, let this blessing enkindle in my heart a love of God! Do thou inflame it, that I may love him constantly, and then enjoy him eternally in paradise, where I may be able to thank him more ardently for the singular privileges granted to thee, and behold thee also crowned as thou art with such exceeding glory. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as above, is to be said. FOR ASSISTING AT OR SAYING THE DIVINE OFFICE ON CHRISTMAS-DAY. In order to increase the devotion of all faithful Christians towards the feast of the birthday of our divine Saviour Jesus Christ, and that they may celebrate it with spiritual profit to their souls, Pope Sixtus V., by his brief, Ut fidelium devotio, dated Oct. 22, 1586, granted the following indulgences, viz. 1. The indulgence of 100 years to all those who, being truly penitent, having confessed and communicated, shall recite the Divine Office on that day, or assist in person in any church where Matins and Lauds are said. 2. 100 years' indulgence for the Mass, and the same for first and second Vespers. 3. The indulgence of 40 years for each of the hours of Prime, Tierce, Sext, None, and Compline. Three Offerings of the Precious Blood, In thanksgiving for the gifts and privileges with which the most holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was enriched, more especially those which she received in her Immaculate Conception. 1. Eternal Father, in union with the most holy and immaculate Virgin, and in her name, and in union with, and in the name of, all the blessed in heaven, and of all the elect upon earth, I offer thee the most precious blood of Jesus Christ, in thanksgiving for the gifts and privileges with which thou hast enriched Mary, as thy most obedient Daughter, particularly in her immaculate conception. I offer thee also this precious blood for the conversion of poor sinners, for the propagation and exaltation of thy holy Church, for the safety and prosperity of our chief pastor the Bishop of Rome, and according to his intentions. Glory be to the Father, &c. 2. Eternal and Incarnate Word, in union with the most holy and immaculate Virgin, and in her name, and in union with, and in the name of, all the blessed in heaven, and of all the elect upon earth, I offer thee thine own most precious blood, in thanksgiving for the gifts and -privileges with which thou hast enriched Mary, as thy most loving Mother, particularly in her immaculate conception. I offer thee also this precious blood for the conversion of poor sinners, for the propagation and exaltation of thy holy Church, for the safety and prosperity of our chief pastor the Bishop of Rome, and according to his intentions, Glory, &c. 3. Holy and Eternal Spirit, in union with the most holy and immaculate Virgin, and in her name, and in union with, and in the name of, all the blessed in heaven, and of all the elect upon earth, I offer thee the most precious blood of Jesus, in thanksgiving for the gifts and privileges with which thou hast enriched Mary, as thy most faithful Spouse, particularly in her immaculate conception. I offer thee also this precious blood for the conversion of poor sinners, for the propagation and exaltation of thy holy Church, for the safety and prosperity of our chief pastor the Bishop of Rome, and according to his intentions. Glory, &c. Prayer to the most holy Virgin. Mary, Mother of God, most holy and immaculate Virgin, by the love thou dost ever bear to God, by the gratitude thou hast towards him, for the manifold graces and favours with which thou wast enriched by him, particularly for the privilege granted to thee alone of thy immaculate conception, and by the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, thy divine Son our Lord, we pray thee most earnestly to obtain for us a most perfect and constant devotion towards thyself, and a full trust that through thy most mighty intercession we shall receive all the graces which we ask; certain henceforth of obtaining them from thy great goodness, with hearts overflowing with joy and thankfulness we venerate thee, repeating the salutation which the holy archangel Gabriel made to thee. Hail Mary. An indulgence of 300 days every time the offerings are said with contrition, together with the accompanying prayer to the Blessed Virgin. 2. A plenary indulgence to all who say them every day for an entire month, to be gained on that day when, after confession and communion, they shall visit a church or public oratory, and pray there for a time according to the intention of his Holiness. Lobena IN PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS. The Novena is to be begun on the 16th day of every month. 1. Offering. Eternal Father, I offer to thy honour and glory, and for my own salvation, and for the salvation of all the world, the mystery of the birth of our divine Saviour. Glory be to the Father, &c. 2. Offering. Eternal Father, I offer to thy honour and glory, and for my eternal salvation, the sufferings of the most holy Virgin and of St. Joseph in that long and weary journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem; I offer thee their anxiety of heart when they found no place wherein to shelter themselves, when the Saviour of the world was to be born. Glory, &c. EE 3. Offering. Eternal Father, I offer to thy honour and glory, and for my eternal salvation, the stable where Jesus was born, the hard straw which served him for a bed, the cold he suffered, the swaddling clothes which bound him, the tears he shed, and his tender infant cries. Glory, &c. 4. Offering. Eternal Father, I offer to thy honour and glory, and for my eternal salvation, the pain which the holy child Jesus felt in his tender infant body when he submitted it to the keen knife of circumcision; I offer thee that precious blood which then first he shed for the salvation of the whole race of man. Glory, &c. 5. Offering. Eternal Father, I offer to thy honour and glory, and for my eternal salvation, the humility, mortification, patience, charity, all the virtues of the child Jesus; and I thank thee, and I love thee, and I bless thee without end, for this ineffable mystery of the incarnation of the Divine Word. Glory, &c. V. The Word was made flesh. O God, whose only-begotten Son was made manifest to us in the substance of our flesh; grant, we beseech thee, that through him our souls may be inwardly renewed, whom our eyes have seen externally like unto ourselves; who livest and reignest with thee for ever and ever. Amen. An indulgence of one year, to be gained each day of this Novena, which may be made either in public or private, nine days previous to the 25th day of any month; provided that the faithful assist at it with a contrite heart (Pius IX.). Prayers to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, TO BE SAID ON THE 25TH DAY OF EACH MONTH. For the 25th of each Month. O most holy Infant Jesus, I, though a most unworthy sinner, desiring nevertheless to honour thy most adorable Infancy, which was the first state upon earth to which |