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Have compassion, Lord, on his sighs; have compassion on his tears; and admit him, who has no hope but in thy mercy, to the sacrament of thy reconciliation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. ¶ Another.

REMEMBER not, O Lord, we beseech thee, the sins of his youth, and his ignorances; but, according to thy great mercy, 'be mindful of him in thy heavenly glory. May the heavens be opened to him, and may the angels rejoice with him. Receive, O Lord, thy servant into thy kingdom. Let St. Michael, the archangel of God, conduct him, who is chief of the heavenly host. Let the holy angels of God come to meet him, and carry him to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. May St. Peter the apostle receive him, to whom God has given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. May St. Paul the apostle, who was a vessel of election, assist him. May St. John, the chosen apostle of God, to whom were revealed the secrets of heaven, intercede for him. May all the holy apostles, to whom our Lord gave the power of binding and loosing, pray for him. May all the saints and elect of God, who in this world have suffered torments for the name of Christ, intercede for him, that he, being delivered from the bonds of the flesh, may deserve to be admitted into the kingdom of heaven, by the bounty of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

THE

COMMUNION OF THE SICK.

The Viaticum of the most sacred Body of our Lord
Jesus Christ is to be administered to persons dan-

gerously ill, with the greatest Diligence and Care; that is, when they are so indisposed, that it appears probable they will not be able again to communicate with the rest of the Faithful. And should they continue for any length of Time in the same dungerous State, and again express a Wish to receive the holy Viaticum, the Priest is directed to indulge them in their pious Desire. Care, however, must be taken, that Scandal is not given, by administering it to the unworthy; such us public Usurersthose who live in a State of Concubinage—or are otherwise notoriously criminal, unless they have confessed their Sins with Contrition, and given. public satisfaction.

The Priest entering with the holy Sacrament into the Room where the sick person is, says, Peace be to this House: Ans. And all those who dwell in it. Then placing the holy Sacrament respectfully upon a Corporal spread upon a Table, with burning Lights, the Priest makes a Genuflexion before it, all the persons present kneeling down. Then taking holy Water, he sprinkles it over the Person and Room, saying;

The Anthem.-THOU shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be cleansed; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than

snow.

And afterwards, the first Verse of the 50th Psalm, Have mercy on me, O God, &c.-with the Glory be to the Father, &c.; the Anthem is repeated, Thou shalt sprinkle me, &c. Then he says,

P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
A. Who made heaven and earth.

¶ Before administering the blessed Eucharist to the
sick, whether it be received by way of Viaticum,
or to indulge Devotion, an Exhortation
read, to this effect.

may

be

As, dear Brother, you now desire to receive the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of

our Saviour Jesus Christ, for the food and nourishment of your soul; that, by the means of this divine communion, you may be united to him by grace and love; that so he may henceforward live in you, and you may live in him, and by him ; and that nothing in life or death may evermore separate you from him-behold here your Saviour comes to you to comply with your pious desire. And, although in condescension to your weakness, who, in this mortal state, art not able to bear the blaze of his glory, he is pleased to conceal himself under this humble appearance of your food; yet it is he himself in person, who comes to visit you; for he says, (John vi. 51.) I am the living bread that am come down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him; and I will raise him up at the last day: for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. And when he instituted this holy sacrament, he declared to his disciples-that it was (1 Cor. xi. 24.) his body which should be delivered for them, and his blood which should be shed for the remission of sins. He comes, then, in person, to visit and comfort you in this your sickness, to take up his abode in your breast, and to unite you to himself; and he brings all his inercies and graces with him, to bestow them all on your soul. Do you, then, endeavour to welcome him, by receiving him with proper dispositions of a lively faith, an humble fear, and an ardent love.

First, then, raise your heart to Him by faith; firmly believing, that this Lord of Glory came down from heaven for the love of you;-that he took a body and blood of the Blessed Virgin, for the love of you; that in order to redeem and

deliver you from Satan, sin, and hell, and to purchase mercy, grace, and salvation for you, he offered up this same body and blood a sacrifice to his Father, by dying upon the cross for the love of you;-and that, in consequence of this love, he gives you in this blessed sacrament the same body and blood with which he redeemed you upon the cross. I make no doubt you be lieve all these Catholic truths, and all others which the church of God believes and teaches, because Jesus Christ has taught them; and that you desire, and are resolved, to live and die in the faith and communion of this his holy church. Secondly-Humble yourself in the presence of this Lord of Life, whose Majesty is incomprehensible. Acknowledge yourself infinitely unworthy that he should enter under your roof, to take up his abode in your breast. Beg of him to pardon all the sins you have ever committed against him, and to wash them all away with his precious' blood.-Wish that you could receive him like Magdalen, with that contrite and humble heart, which he never despises.-Beseech him to give you this contrition and humility; and trust in his infinite goodness and mercy that he now comes to you, not for your condemnation, but for your salvation. Yes, my dear Brother, (or dear child) he comes to you, to take possession of your soul, to unite you to himself, and to make you his for all eternity. He comes out of pure love, to make you happy in him, to replenish your soul with all the treasures of his grace here, and to insure unto you the possession of his heavenly glory hereafter. Raise, then, your heart to Him, by a most perfect act of divine love; desiring, on your part, to receive him with all the affection of your soul, and to make him truly welcome, by giving your self entirely to him, to be inseparably united to him by perfect and eternal love. Say to him, from

A a

your heart, (if not in words, at least in thought) Sweet Jesus! I believe in thee; do thou increase my faith. All my hopes are in thy goodness and mercy. I love thee with my whole heart and soul, and I desire to love thee for ever. O come, my God and Saviour, and take full possession of my soul, and let nothing in life or death evermore separate me from thee.

P. O Lord, hear my prayer.

A. And let my cry come unto thee.
P. The Lord be with you.

A. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

O HOLY Lord, Almighty Father, Everlasting God, graciously hear us, and vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from heaven to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend, all who dwell in this habitation. Thro'.

The Exhortation being finished, the sick person, or an Assistant in his Name, recites the usual Prayer, I confess to Almighty God, &c. and the Priest pronounces the usual Absolution. Then, having made a Genuflexion, he takes the Sacrament from the Vessel, and, lifting it up, shews it to the sick Person, saying;

Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.

¶ And thrice says,

Lord I am not worthy thou shouldst enter under my roof-but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.

¶ Which Words the sick Person repeats with the Priest in a low voice. Then the Priest, giving the Sacrament to the sick person, says,

RECEIVE, Brother, (or Sister) the viaticum of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, that it may, preserve thee from the inferual enemy, and bring thee to life everlasting. Amen.

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