3^ Life of The 



souls grow cold in devotion; the sacraments even 

 THAT the Church commands them to approach at 

 least once a year, they neglect, and they seem to 

 disregard the penalties due their non-compliance. 



What a contrast the rich who do not, and the 

 poor who do, attach themselves to these sodalities, 

 present in the church on Sunday! In the morning 

 early the poor are devoutly there preparing to feed 

 their souls on the rich banquet of the Body and 

 Blood of Jesus Christ. The rich have not as yet 

 raised their heads from off their soft pillows. At 

 the last mass, the poor are there fasting up to the 

 hour of midday, and then too happy if they be per- 

 mitted to approach the table of their Lord. They 

 press through the dense mass of people, and prostrate 

 themselves before the altar, their souls filled with 

 devotion and inflamed with divine love. The rich sit 

 in their pews and look coldly and indifferently on 

 them, and appear like strangers in the house of their 

 Lord and Master: they have no regard for the 

 spiritual favours and heavenly blessings, gifts and 

 graces which God would bestow on them, were they 

 faithful. 



At vespers, the poor are again in the house of 

 God. The seats of the rich are empty. The psalm 

 of praise and the canticle of joy is being sung; the 

 rich join not in the chorus; the sacred melody has 

 no charm for their ears; and they sit, if there at all, 

 gazing idly, or perhaps ridiculing those simple, 

 pious souls that are engaged in the praises of their 

 God. Not now even are the poor tired of their 



