found any fault in Thee? has it power to say anything against Thee, without blasphemy and falsehood? Thine enemies desired to find error in Thy doctrine, or evil in Thy Life, but they found none. How wonderful and admirable is Thy patience! Ought not that, which Thou hast suffered, to make me love Thy shame, and to give me joy when I am so happy as to be treated like Thee ?

Alas, how far am I from following Thy Example, O my Saviour! how sensible am I to all that is said against my honour, and how soon I lose sight of Thee, when any one accuses me of a fault which I have not committed, and which can injure my reputation. I rather prefer to be esteemed by the world, than to resemble Thee, O Pattern of Divine Perfection.

Thou knowest, O my GOD, Who penetratest the depths of all hearts, that if the world saw, as Thou seest, the abomination of my thoughts and desires, I should be to it an object of horror and contempt. Thou teachest me to vindicate my honour by purity of conscience, innocence of life, holiness of conduct, and by patience under injuries; and I, with a conscience such as Thou seest, destitute of virtue and merit, wish to defend myself by my impatience and my words, and to justify myself. Have pity on me, LORD, suffer me not to follow any other way than that which Thou hast marked out for me: and impress upon my heart the truth Thou teachest. Destroy in me, O LORD, all self-esteem and desire for the praise of men: for I sometimes imagine that I labour for Thy glory, when I am seeking my own.

Accept, O my Saviour! the resolution I now make, to bear by the help of Thy grace, all the false accusations, calumnies, and injustice with which I am charged. Enable me to pardon, with all my heart, those who have offended me; and do Thou reward my persecutors with good, for the evil they have done me, and give them Thy love for the hatred they have had towards me.

Prayer.

All praise, glory, and honour be unto Thee, O LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who, when standing before the Chief Priests and Elders, with a serene Countenance and humble look, didst suffer Thyself to be falsely accused and afflicted with many insults; grant me grace that I may never speak falsely nor calumniate any one; and help me to bear, with a meek and quiet spirit, all the calumnies which may be heaped upon me, that casting all my care upon Thee, I may silently wait for grace and consolation from Thee. Amen.

IV. S. PETER DENIES HIS LORD, BUT AFTERWARDS

REPENTS.

Gospel Harmony.

S. John xviii. 25-27; S. Matt. xxvi. 69-75; S. Mark xiv.

66-72; S. Luke xxii. 54-62.

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. And as he was beneath in the palace, there

cometh the damsel that kept the door. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she

looked earnestly upon him, and said, Art not thou one of His disciples? He denied, and said, I am not. And he went out into the porch, and the cock crew. And when he was gone out, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with JESUS of Nazareth. And he again denied with an oath, I do not know the Man. And about the space of one hour after, they that stood by said to Peter, Surely, thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. One of

the servants of the High Priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the Garden with Him? Then began he to curse and to swear, and to say, I know not the Man. And immediately, while he yet spake, the second time the cock crew. And the LORD turned and looked upon Peter; and Peter remembered the word that JESUS said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly.

Reflections.

From the fall of S. Peter we learn that Prelates should be such as know how to sympathize with the infirmities of their people. The LORD suffered Peter to fall that he might rise the stronger after his fall; and that the future Pastors of His Church might learn how to pity others, and from their own weakness, to bear the infirmities of others mercifully. This example may well teach us not to trust or depend upon ourselves. Our principal care should be to deepen the knowledge of our own nothingness. O Eternal GOD, give me this knowledge, that I may put no confidence in myself, but in Thee alone; and by Thy help, resist temptation.

When S. Peter was with the LORD, he feared neither enemies nor death, but when the Face of the

LORD was turned from him, he was cast down and overcome by the word of one woman, Truly this is what David said, "Thou didst turn Thy face from me, and I was troubled." Ps. xxx. 7. CHRIST then, being moved with compassion, turns the eyes of His mercy on Peter, who, coming to himself, began to call to mind what CHRIST had predicted concerning him; and touched with anguish of heart, he went forth from the company of sinners, through whom he was drawn into sin, and wept bitterly.

We here see what pity seizes the loving heart of CHRIST, when He saw this resolute disciple so miserably vanquished. O how were His bowels of compassion and pity moved by the weakness and fall of S. Peter! but He quickly snatches him from the power of Satan, and raises him up by His preventing grace. O how graciously did He look upon him with the eyes of His mercy; causing the rays of His Divine Light to shine upon the darkness of his mind! Whence it was that Peter came immediately to himself, acknowledged his sin, wept bitterly, and turned, at the first touch of His grace, from a child of darkness to a son of light, and gave himself wholly to the LORD. See also Williams, pp. 101-120.

Meditations.

How can I wonder enough at Thy Infinite Mercy, Who, in the midst of all these woeful indignities, couldst find a time to cast Thine Eyes back upon Thy frail and ungrateful disciple, and in Whose gracious

ear Peter's cock sounded louder than all these reproaches? O Saviour, Thou Who in Thine apprehension couldst forget all Thy danger, and in the heat of Thy arraignment and condemnation, canst forget Thy Own misery to reclaim his error, and by that seasonable glance of Thine Eye, strike his heart with needful remorse. It was thou, O Peter, that didst buffet thy Master more than these Jews. It was to thee that He turned the cheek from them, to view him by whom He most smarted; He felt thee afar off, and answered thee with a look; such a look as was able to kill and revive at once. me, O my Saviour, mayest thou now say, Thine eye of mercy hath wounded my heart with a deep remorse for my grievous sin, with an indignation at my unthankfulness: that one glance of Thine hath resolved me into tears of sorrow and contrition. O that mine eyes were fountains, and my cheeks channels that shall never be dried! And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Thou hast wounded

O Gracious LORD JESUS! how happy are they whom Thine eyes thus look upon, and whom Thou dost enlighten with the brightness of Thy Divine Light, so that they are enabled to see the depths of their own hearts, and to know their sins! how quickly are they converted, how suddenly their cold and hard hearts are softened and inflamed with love, their tears flow, and they cry, "LORD, what wilt Thou have me to do?" I will raise my eyes to Him Who has first