other holidays of obligation. The person who has no other time at his command may need to devote much of his leisure on those days, after attending to his necessary religious duties, to innocent diversion or secular reading; but the average man or woman of the upper and middle classes has time for recreation during the week, and could do nothing better than to devote most of the Lord's day to things concerning His kingdom. A very pleasant occupation is to hunt for as many texts as possible of a given kind; for example, all of the promises of God relating to the infallible guidance of His Holy Church or the future reward of the just; the warnings against lying, or against unkindness, or against impurity; the prophecies regarding the Redeemer and His Virgin Mother; or even all the verses which refer to the snow, or to the rain, or some particular animal. Let any one try the experiment of getting together all the verses about storms," reading them carefully, and committing some of the most striking of them to memory; and when the next terrible thunder storm occurs let him stand at the window or elsewhere where he can observe it well, recalling the result of his study, and see if it does not move him as no sermon ever has done. Even children not yet old enough to be encouraged to read the mystic Book from end to end can be taught to find great interest in looking up texts on some subject captivating to a childish fancy.

Those who have least time at their command can spare a few moments each Sunday for the careful reading of the Gospel and Epistle of the day. There are many volumes of practical instructions by different authors upon these choice passages, and few Catholics can plead a valid excuse for not possessing at least one of them. The Church by selecting certain portions of Scripture for her public offices in preference to others has given a plain and certain intimation of their especial value; and in the heavenly wisdom which is her constant characteristic they have a brevity which permits of their study even by the most busy participant in our whirling American life.

42 Such as Psalms xxviii [Heb. xxix], lxxvi (13–21), xcxvi, clxiii (5–7).

43

X.-CONCLUSION.

The son of Sirach said two thousand years ago: Let thy thoughts be upon the precepts of God, and meditate continually on His commandments, and He will give thee a heart, and wisdom shall be given to thee; and in 1885, the American Episcopate, assembled in the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, began that portion of their Pastoral Letter which related to the Holy Scriptures with these words: "It can hardly be necessary for us to remind you, beloved brethren, that the most highly valued treasure of every family library, and the most frequently and lovingly made use of, should be the Holy Scriptures." All that has been written in the foregoing pages is only an amplification of these words and their context; and if our Lord Jesus Christ shall deign to use it in extending among the faithful the love of the Holy Scriptures, and among the separated a knowledge of their proper and profitable use, its object will be fully accomplished. At the least a few hints may be gathered from it as to how the wishes of our beloved bishops may best be carried out. And in no way can we better carry out their sacred intentions than by remembering in our Bible study, as well as in all our devout reading, that the test of piety is a good life, and that our Lord Jesus Christ gives as a characteristic of the children of Mary the hearing and obeying of the word of God, even comparing this holy conduct to the unspeakable glory of the divine maternity itself: My mother and my brethren are they who hear the word of God and do it." Whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother and my sister and mother.45 Let us pray the Mother of Mercy to obtain for us the grace which God is waiting to give of doing perfectly His blessed will; in this way we may become increasingly likened to her, the sweet ideal of creaturehood, and to Him, Whose name is above every name, Who is her Firstborn Son and Elder Brother to us who have the happiness of being also her spiritual children.

43 Ecclesiasticus, vi, 37.

44 Luke, viii, 21.

45 Mark, iii, 35.

PARTIAL LIST OF CATHOLIC WORKS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ON BIBLICAL SUBJECTS.

General Introduction to the Holy Scriptures. Most Rev. J. Dixon, D. D. $3.00.

Familiar Introduction to the Study of the Sacred Scriptures. Rev. Henry Formby. 75 cents.

Essay on Miracles 1. Of Scripture. 2. Of Ecclesiastical History. Cardinal Newman. $2.25.

Catechism of Jewish Antiquities. 15 cents.

Thesaurus Biblicus, or Handbook of Scripture Reference. Rev. J. A. Lambert. $4.00.

Bible Dictionary. Dom Augustine Calmet. Translated by Rev. Ignatius F. Horstmann, D. D.

The Written Word, or Considerations on the Sacred Scriptures. W. Humphrey, S. J. $1.50.

Christian Instructed in the Faith of Christ through the Written Word. Spencer. 65 cents.

Catechism Illustrated from the Holy Scriptures. With appendix and notes. Rev. J. B. Bagshawe, D. D. 50 cents.

The Church of the Bible: Scripture Testimonies to Catholic Doctrines and Principles. Rev. Frederick Oakeley, M. A.

Bible Question Fairly Tested. Fenélon. 75 cents.

Authority and Anarchy, or the Bible in the Church. 60 cents.

The Two Bibles. A Contrast. Marshall. 45 cents.

Ward's Errata of the Protestant Bible. 75 cents.

The Bible against Protestantism. Rt. Rev. James Sheil.

Protestant Converted by her Bible and Prayer Book. Mrs. F. M. Pittar. Letters to a Protestant Friend on the Scriptures. Rev. Demetrius A. (Prince) Gallitzin. 60 cents.

Protestants and the Bible. Mgr. Preston. $1.00.

Nature and the Bible. From the German of Dr. F. H. Reusch. 2 vols. $6.50.
Plea for the Popular Use of the Bible. Rev. Kenelm Vaughan.

Essays on Devotional and Scriptural Subjects. Ward. $3.00.
Justification. What saith the Scriptures? Canon Eccles. $1.00.

26

Revised Edition of Douay Bible. With notes, critical and explanatory. Most Rev. F. P. Kenrick, Archbishop of Baltimore. 5 vols. $40.00. Family Bible. Revised by Dr. John Gilmary Shea. With dictionary and explanatory notes by Rev. I. F. Horstmann.

Douay Bible, with Haydock's notes, illustrated Bible history, dictionary, maps, and valuable chronological and other matter. $15.00.

The Gentle Sceptic: Essays on the authenticity and truthfulness of the Old Testament records. C. A. Walworth. 75 cents.

Theophania: A scriptural view of the Manifestation of the Logos or preexistent Messiah, as contradistinguished from angelic personation of the Deity. $2.00.

Commentaries on the New Testament. Most Rev. F. P. Kenrick. In separate books.

Sermons on the New Testament. St. Augustine. $4.00.

New Testament by way of Question and Answer, with Notes. Rev. John Power.

Ritual of the New Testament. Rev. T. E. Bridgett. $1.30.

Pictorial New Testament. $3.00.

The Pentateuch, its authorship and credibility. Archbishop Smith.*
Commentary on the Pentateuch. Kenrick. $3.00.

Children of the Patriarchs, or the Six Hundred Thousand combatants conquering the Promised Land. Rev. M. Braussi. 75 cents.

Shadows of the Rood: Types of our Suffering Redeemer in the Book of Genesis. Rev. John Bonus, D. D. $1.00.

Hornihold on the Commandments. $1.75.

Müller on the Commandments. $2.75.

St. Thomas Aquinas on the Commandments. 75 cents.

Commentary on the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Kenrick. Morals on the Book of Job. St. Gregory the Great. $8.50.

Commentary on the Psalms, Book of Wisdom, and Canticle of Canticles. Kenrick. 1 vol. $3.00.

Commentary on the Psalms. Cardinal Bellarmine. Translated by Ven. John O'Sullivan, Archbishop of Kerry.

Homilies on the Psalms. St. Augustine. $12.00.

Explanations of Psalms and Canticles in the Divine Office. St. Alphonsus Liguori. Translated by Thomas Livius, C. SS. R.

Exposition of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. Most Rev. William Walsh, D. D.

Gospel of St. Matthew, with English notes. Rev. Daniel McCarthy. Part I. $2.25.

Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew. St. Chrysostom. $5.75.

*This book is referred to by Rev. Peter Finlay, S. J., Professor of Dogmatic Theology at Woodstock College, Md., as "an unfinished work which makes us regret its author's elevation to the See of Edinburgh." In Lyceum (Dublin), September, 1887.

Commentary on St. Matthew's and St. Mark's Gospels. Cornelius à Lapide.

3 vols. Each $3.25.

Commentary on St. Luke's Gospel. Cornelius à Lapide. $3.25.

Commentary on St. John's Gospel.

$3.25.*

Cornelius à Lapide. 2 vols. Each

Gospel of St. John, with preface. Cardinal Manning. 30 cents.

Homilies on the Gospel and First Epistle of St. John. St. Augustine. $4.00. Homilies on the Gospel of St. John. St. Chrysostom. $3.75.

Commentary on the Gospel of St. John. St. Cyril. $5.00.

Exposition of the Gospels. Most Rev. D. McEvilly, Archbishop of Tuam. Vol. I, Sts. Matthew and Mark, $5.25. Vol. II, St. Luke, $2.75. Vol. III, St. John.

New version of Four Gospels, with notes. Rev. John Lingard, D. D. $1.00. Four Gospels Examined and vindicated on Catholic Principles. M. Heiss.

80 cents.

Harmony of the Gospels. H. J. Coleridge, S. J. $4.00.

Harmony of the Gospels. St. Augustine. $2.50.

Harmony of the Gospels. Most Rev. Wm. J. Walsh, D. D. 75 cents.
Index to the Harmony of the Four Gospels. T. G. Law. 25 cents.

Parables of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with 21 illustrations. Rev. Henry
Formby.

The Church of the Parables. Rev. Joseph Prachensky, S. J. 80 cents. Mary in the Gospels. Provost Northcote. $1.00.

Exposition of the Lord's Prayer. Abbé Grou. 20 cents.

St. Thomas Aquinas on the Lord's Prayer. 40 cents.

Homily on the Acts of the Apostles. St. Chrysostom. $3.25.

Acts of the Apostles, arranged as a religious reading book for the use of Catholic Colleges and Schools. C. W. Poole. 40 cents.

Acts of the Apostles, with Notes. Rev. Chas. Constantine Pise.

Homilies on St. Paul's Epistles, including Hebrews. St. Chrysostom. $14.00. Exposition of the Epistles of St. Paul. McEvilly. $6.00.

Exposition of the Catholic Epistles. McEvilly. $2.00.

Other Gospels. Or, Lectures on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. W. Humphrey, S. J. 25 cents.

General History of the Christian Church, deduced from the Apocalypse of St. John. Signor Pastorini (Rt. Rev. Charles Walmsley).

The End of the World, or the Second Coming of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Rev. John Baptist Pagani.

Goffine's Devout Instructions on the Epistles and Gospels. Translated by T. Noethen. $1.50.

Epistles and Gospels throughout the year.

With notes, critical and

explanatory. Rev. Daniel McCarthy. $9.40.

*The whole of the Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide, including all the books of both the Old and New Testaments, is in process of translation by A. Mossman, B. A., additional volumes being issued every few weeks.