Jesus Christ, you must, in the first place, humbly beg pardon for your offences committed against Him. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee." (Luke xv. 18.) Secondly, you must form a resolution of never more abandoning Him; but of imitating the perfection of your heavenly Father, according to the words of the Apostle: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children." (Eph. v. 1.) You must, therefore, with a filial confidence, represent to your heavenly Father all your weaknesses and your wants when He visits you, for if "fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to those who ask Him." (Luke xi. 13.)
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER ALL-SAINTS.
Christ your Brother.
"Who shall give thee to me, for my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother, that I may find thee without, and kiss thee." (Cant. viii. 8.)
I. To make us more sensible of His love for us, Jesus Christ has adopted not only the name of our Father, but even that of our Brother. Thus, by placing Himself on a certain equality with us (which is accustomed to be the case between brothers), he insinuates Himself in a more familiar manner into our favor, "for which reason," as St. Paul writes, "He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name to My brethren." (Heb. ii. 11, 12.) " Go tell My brethren," He says, "that they go into Galilee." (Matt, xxviii. 10.) Reflect what an honor it is to be the brother of so great a prince; "and if," as the wise man says, " a brother helped by a brother is like a strong city" (Prov. xviii. 19), what help
