ciple and his disciple to thee, to take me under thy care and protection, and to be with me in all the dangers and difficulties of my whole life; but chiefly to assist me at the hour of my death. Amen.

RECOMMENDATION TO HOLY

PATRONS.

O my holy patrons, objects of my special choice and love! with my whole heart I recommend myself to you by the love of our Lord Jesus Christ; and I implore you by the peculiar and unspeakable love of almighty God, with which from all eternity he chose you to be his friends, and predestined you to be heirs of his glorious kingdom. And I adjure you by the abundant and efficient grace of God, with which he forearmed you on the way, and prepared you for glory.

For, though set in this vale of misery, and in this frail flesh, yet, clothed with power from heaven, you stood steadfast against all your enemies; nor were any deceits of the world, allurements of the flesh, or wiles of the devil, able to separate you from the love of Christ Jesus; but with constancy you adhered to him to the end, even to the death; and, therefore, as invincible champions, you now reign with Christ your leader, and triumph in glory.

From my heart, O my holy patrons, I rejoice with you,

and congratulate you upon your glory and happiness; and I praise God for having so loved you, and given you the victory. But my soul meanwhile sighs and pants after you with groaning and trembling, amid so many enemies and risks to salvation; entreating you, by the tender mercy of God, and the happy exaltation you now enjoy in heaven, to remember your client; and, as faithful patrons, to obtain for me from the Most High the effectual grace of God, that so I may follow your steps, bravely withstand my foes, the world, the flesh, and the devil, and never yield to their power or deceit; but, like you, may persevere to the death in constancy to Christ my Saviour; and So order my mortal life, as to be united to you here in grace, and hereafter in glory, and praise God in your company for ever and ever. Amen.

RECOMMENDATION AND
OBLATION

To the three holy Kings and Magi, whose bodies are religiously preserved and honoured at Cologne.

O holy Magi, illustrious kings, first-fruit of the Gentiles, and honoured patrons! I beseech you by the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby, kings yourselves, you were so beloved and charmed

by the King of kings, that you left your thrones, and despised the perils and hardships of a lengthy journey, to visit and adore the King of heaven and earth when born at Bethlehem. I beseech you by the heavenly grace which mercifully preceded you, when you so fervently and zealously sought the new-born Saviour, whom you so piously and reverently adored when found; and, eluding the treachery of wicked king Herod, returned happily to your own country. I beseech you by your eminent virtues of faith, devotion, and charity, which you then so admirably displayed, having not only your eyes enlightened by the star, but your souls by the newly-risen Sun of Justice himself. For though you saw him lying, a little wailing infant, in a mean stable, in a lowly shed, yet with strong and undoubt ing faith you acknowledged him the Lord of majesty most high; with your mystical gifts you nobly honoured him as the King of heaven and earth, and by falling down on your faces to the ground, you humbly adored him as God your Creator.

By those virtues, and by the love and gentleness with which the Saviour, when born to us a little infant, received you with your gifts, I beseech you to take me under your protection, and to ob

tain for me of Christ three precious gifts, of which I stand in the utmost need: a lively faith, a firm hope, and a fervent charity.

Obtain for me also the three most necessary virtues of spotless purity, sincere humility, and true piety; that, thus bountifully endued with these gifts by Christ, I may so much the more readily and acceptably offer him in return the trivial gifts and endowments that I possess: the incense of fervent prayer, the myrrh of mortification, and the gold of charity or good works. To his greater glory, who is King world without end. Amen.

PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS.

From F. Canisius, S.J. A prayer that may refer to any holy Apostle.

Blessed be thou, O Lord, the never-failing source of all blessings, who hast chosen thy holy apostles before all the saints to be the first-born of thy Son, the first heralds of the gospel, and the pillars and foundations of the Christian Church; that, by their saving doctrines and wonderful works, the knowledge of the Catholic Faith might be spread abroad among Jews and Gentiles, and over the whole world.

Most humbly, therefore, I implore thy majesty, that, as we continue founded by thee

on the rock of apostolical confession, called to the unity of the faith by the same princes of religion, and assembled together in the house of the Church: so, with firm and thankful hearts, we may hold fast their apostolic doctrine and traditions, and follow their holy conversation in leading blameless lives; above all, uniting fervent charity and constant patience to our Christian profession.

Holy N., apostle of Christ, preacher of, and martyr for, the truth, intercede for us, and obtain by thy prayers that, by the extinction of diverse and strange doctrines, the Catholic Faith in its integrity may flourish again throughout the world; and that I, resting within the terms of apostolic preaching and tradition, may never in my whole life deem any thing more ancient than the love of Christ and the unity of his Church. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer that may refer to any holy Martyr of Christ.

I will bless the Lord, because he is so glorious, mighty, and wonderful in his saint N., who shines so brightly both in the militant and the triumphant Church.

His life was precious upon earth, more precious his death, but most precious of all the glory with which the eternal King has crowned his soldier

in heaven, who fought to the death in the cause of faith and justice, because he was founded on a firm rock, and sparkled like gold that is tried in the furnace.

O invincible wrestler of Christ! not the allurements of this life, nor the snares of thy enemies, nor the pain of thy punishments, nor the cruelty of thy tormentors, could separate thee from the love that is in Christ Jesus. O holy N., pray for us, that, by the love of God, we may overcome every opponent, ourselves first, and afterwards death itself; and that, like thee, we may fearlessly drink of Christ's chalice, as we desire to be crowned with thee by our common Lord in heaven.

A prayer that may refer to

any holy Confessor.

O Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, and Brightness of the saints, we give thee hearty thanks for having set so many shining lights, or rather burning torches, in thy Church; that they who live in thy house, and need the light of others, may be enlightened every where by the words, counsels, virtues, examples, and writings of the saints.

And because, among other confessors, thou hast highly exalted holy N., to be both an example and patron to many, we beseech thee to accept the aid of his prayers in

our behalf, that we may perfectly confess with thy confessors the Catholic Faith, not only with our heart and mouth, but also in our life and works; and in knowing and doing the Lord's will, may shine like burning lights in thy house on every side, and ever glorify thy name: who livest and reignest, world Amen. without end.

To any holy woman, especially a virgin.

but

Let us praise our God, because, among other miracles of his power, he has performed many wonders even in the weaker sex, by variously adorning them with different excellent endowments of grace and virtue; chiefly by implanting in weak and tender vessels so noble and masculine a courage, that they despised a tyrant's threatenings of death and torments, and went to death as though it were to feasting and pleasure.

These wonderful works of God I this day honour, especially in thee, O most beloved spouse of Christ, N. And I humbly beseech thee, by the grace which Christ has so largely bestowed upon thee, to obtain for me greater grace to enable me to please God, and to fulfil my vocation; but chiefly to make daily progress in true faith, charity, and patience; to

A prayer to any Saint, of whatever degree.

From my soul I give thee joy, O N., saint of God, because the eternal King has wonderfully crowned thee with glory and honour in heaven, and associated thee with the princes of his supreme court in his kingdom on high.

And because thou hast no cause to be anxious for thyself, I beseech thee to take care of us thy brethren, and of thy unfailing charity lovingly to procure for us what thou knowest to be chiefly necessary to enable us to lead a good and a happy life.

Succour us by thy intercession, who are set in the so great perils of this life, and in the midst of enemies, that, purified from all stains of sin, we may safely come to you in our common home, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. An ancient prayer, very generally addressed to all the Saints of the Church triumphant.

O Lord, we beseech thee

I

that all thy saints may every where assist us, and gladden us by their intercession, that while we celebrate their merits, we may experience their patronage. Grant us peace in our time, and cast away all iniquity out of thy Church. Prosper the way,

the wills, and the actions of us and of all thy servants, to the attainment of thy salvation. Requite our benefactors with endless blessings, and give eternal rest to all the faithful departed. Through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

There are three things to be attentively considered with regard to the festivals of the saints: first, the saint's assistance; secondly, his example; thirdly, our own shame. His assistance, because, if powerful on earth, he is still more powerful before the face of the Lord his God; for if he compassionated sinners, and prayed for them while he lived here, he prays the Father now for us so much the more fully, in proportion to the truer knowledge which he has of our miseries; for that happy home has not lessened, but enlarged, his charity. For though he can suffer no more, he can still have mercy, which is all the more tender now that his existence is passed before the fountain of mercy itself. His example too should be considered; because, as long as he was seen upon earth, and conversed with men, he swerved neither to the right

nor to the left, but kept the royal road, till he came to Him who says, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Remark the humility of his works and the authority of his words, and you will see how brightly he shone among men, both by word and example, and what footsteps he left behind him for us to walk in without going astray.

But we should reflect even more earnestly upon our own shame; because he was a man like us, framed with the same passions, and out of the same clay as ourselves. How is it then thought not only difficult but impossible to do the works that he did, and to follow in his footsteps? Brethren, let these words make us ashamed and tremble together, that possibly this shame may bring us glory, this fear give birth in us to grace.

These are they who have gone before us, whose progress