Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/138

 of mankind  should  be  wrought  on  the  wood  of  the cross; that whence  death  came,  thence  life  might arise; and that  he  who  overcame  by  the  tree,  might also by  the  tree  be  overcome. Through Christ  our Lord: by whom  the  Angels  praise  thy  majesty,  the dominations adore  it,  the  powers  tremble  before it; the heavens  and  the  heavenly  virtues,  and blessed seraphim,  with  common  jubilee,  glorify  it. Together with  whom  we  beseech  thee,  that  we  may be admitted  to  join  our  humble  voices,  saying: Holy, holy,  holy,  &amp;c.

ESUS Christ  loves  us  infinitely  more  than  we  love ourselves. He has  loved  us  to  excess. u And they spoke  of  his  decease  that  he  should  accomplish in Jerusalem.”  ( Luke  ix.  1.)  And  what  greater excess than  that  he  should  die  for  his  creatures  1 He loved  us,  even  to  an  excess  of  love. “Having loved his own  who  were  in  the  world,  he  loved  them  unto the end.”  ( John  xiii.  1.)  For  after  having  loved  us from  eternity,  so  that  every  moment  of  it  he  thought of us,  and  loved  each  one  of  us — “ I have  loved  you with an  eternal  love  ” — He  has  become  man  for  love of us,  and  has  chosen  a painful  life,  and  the  death  of the  cross  to  save  us. And now,  “ His  delight  is  to be  with  the  children  of  men.”  Heart  created  on purpose  to  love  men,  how  is  it  possible  thou  receivest from them  forgetfulness  and  insult? Give me  grace, sweet Jesus,  to  love  thee.

HE bell  has  rung. He is  here,  body  and  blood, Soul and  Divinity. Jesus Christ  is  present! “ The heavens  have  dropped  down  dew  from  above,. and the  clouds  have  rained  the  Just.”  My  Saviour,  I,