it. In faith, in humility, with courage, with perseverance, with cheerfulness, as we go on our way, in whatever station of life our lot may be cast, as we walk in solitude, or in our intercourse with each other, let us always ask GOD to make straight for ourselves, and in ourselves, and not only so, but by kindness, and courtesy, and love, to make straight for each other, the highway for our GOD.

VIGIL OF S. PETER, APOSTLE AND
MARTYR.

XXVI. On the causes which led to the Fall of
S. Peter.

PROV. iv. 23, 24.-" Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee."

THERE were several disposing causes which led to the sin of S. Peter's denial of our LORD. The first was a presuming on his own strength. S. Peter was by nature of an open, bold, and rash disposition. This frequently shows itself in his abrupt questions when the other disciples

were silent: "Behold," he says, we have left all and followed Thee: what shall we have therefore?" And again,

in speaking of S. John, he asks almost presumptuously about the future state of the Beloved Disciple, saying, "What

shall this man do?" and so at the Last Supper he asserts, "Though all shall be offended, yet will not I:" and again, "If I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee in any wise," and this is even just after our Blessed LORD had distinctly predicted his denial of Him. This presumption was the first thing that led to S. Peter's fall, as it is written, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

The next predisposing cause of the fall of S. Peter was want of prayer. When he ought to have prayed he slept. The soul without prayer is like the body without the soul, for prayer is the soul of the body and of the mind, and just as a body has life from the soul, so does the soul have life from prayer. Our Blessed LORD admonished S. Peter in the garden,

and said, "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Nevertheless, Peter was negligent, and he fell like the giants of old, of whom it is written that they "fell away in the strength of their foolishness." When he ought to have prayed he slept, so losing grace he fell into presumption, from this to neglect of prayer, hence into forgetfulness, from this to contempt, and hence into confusion.

And next in order of the causes which led to S. Peter's sin was the society and companionship of the wicked. He fell after he had associated himself with the Gentile soldiers and the servants of the High Priest. No one thing in the world is so corrupting as evil companions. A man is known by his associates, as it is written, "with the holy thou shalt be holy, and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect with the clean thou shalt be clean, and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness." And, again, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." "Thou shouldest have gone

out of the hall of wicked Caiaphas. O, Peter, for it was full of wickedness, and unrighteousness, that hall where the priests bore false witness, and shamelessly condemned the Son of GOD to death; where the servants smote Him, and blindfolded Him, and spat in His Face, that Face which was brighter than the sun; that Face which the Angels love to look upon; when those who did not strike him with the hand yet shot out 'their arrows, even bitter words.' O, Peter, he who would be holy must quit that hall! In that hall the Word of GOD is never named except with oaths and blasphemy." Peter was holy with the Disciples, an Apostle with the Apostles, but soon, so soon after, in the hall amongst the wicked and the blasphemous, he learns to deny, to lie, to swear, to curse, to blaspheme.

Behold the true causes of his fall, presuming in himself and on himself; the want or neglect of prayer; bad company: behold these three things, they are sufficient to reverse our baptism, and make a child of GOD into a child of the devil.

FEAST OF ST PETER, APOSTLE AND

MARTYR.

XXVII. On the threefold answer of S. Peter to our Blessed Lord, and on the threefold commission given to him.

[See Reading LX. Wednesday of the First Week after Easter, vol. ii. p. 396.]

The Prayer.

O holy LORD JESU! enkindle our hearts with Thy love, and so join us to Thyself in the sacred bond of charity that neither tribulation, nor persecution nor famine, nor sword, nor any creature, may be able to separate us from Thee. Grant that we may faithfully fulfil the duties of our calling, and bear patiently the trials of life: grant us the grief of repentance that we may worthily lament our sins. Let us not despair of our salvation, but rely upon that same mercy by which Thou didst recall Thine Apostle S. Peter, and restore him to grace and power. Let us not be wearied, O LORD, in our spiritual combat, but ever keep before our eyes the prize of our high