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AN ACT OF HOPE.

O my amiable Saviour, I hope from Thy infinite goodness that, when I shall have the happiness of receiving Thee, Thou wilt sanctify my soul, purify my body, and fill me with Thy grace and love.

AN ACT OF LOVE OF GOD.

O my divine Jesus, who hast so loved me as to nourish me with Thy adorable flesh, I love Thee with all my heart and above all things; I wish to live and die in Thy holy love.

AN ACT OF DESIRE.

Come, O my Jesus, come and take possession of my heart; I long impatiently to unite myself to Thee.

After all have received, one may read aloud the following acts:

AN ACT OF THANKSGIVING.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I thank Thee with al the warmth of which my heart is capable for all the graces which Thou hast done me, and especially for the infinite goodness with which Thou hast given Thyself to me in the holy communion which I have just received. What shall I render to Thee, O my amiable Saviour, for all the goods which I have received of Thee?

AN ACT OF OBLATION.

O my divine Saviour, I offer Thee all my thoughts, all my words, all my actions, all my desires, all my affections-in one word, all that I

have and am; and that my offering may be more pleasing in Thy sight, I make it by offering to Thyself Thy infinite merits.

AN ACT OF LOVE.

O my amiable Saviour, I love Thee with all the ardor of which my heart is capable; enkindle, inflame, consume my heart with Thy divine love.

AN ACT OF PETITION.

My God, I earnestly implore Thee to grant me all the graces which I need to live according to Thy holy law. Grant, above all, that I may be ever united to Thee by the bonds of love.

Each should then occupy his mind in reflecting on the great happiness bestowed upon him, and excite such feelings of gratitude and love as he may be able. He may, if necessary, read some prayers after communion. During the Mass, which he should hear in thanksgiving for the great benefit which he has received, he may use the prayers given for that purpose.

Where it is usual to renew the baptismal vows on the day of the first communion, all should at the time appointed meet for that consoling ceremony.

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Sacrament of Confirmation.

CONFIRMATION is a sacrament, defined to be the unction of chrism, by a Bishop, on the forehead of the baptized, whereby is conferred an increase of grace and an especial strength, firmly to hold, and boldly to profess the faith.

That confirmation is a sacrament instituted by our Lord, we see clearly in the Acts of the Apostles, where it is expressly stated that the apostles, by the imposition of hands, conferred on the faithful, after baptism, the Holy Ghost, whom they had received on Whitsunday (Acts viii. 14-16). This is also proved by the records of the Primitive Church. "All should hasten," "All should hasten," says St. Clement, "to be born again to God, and then to be sealed by the bishop, that is, to receive the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Ghost; for as we have learned from St. Peter, and as the other apostles taught in obedience to the command of our Lord, he who contumeliously, and not from necessity, but voluntarily, neglects to receive this sacrament, cannot possibly become a perfect Christian."

The matter of the sacrament is chrism, a mixture of oil and balsam, solemnly consecrated by the bishop on Maundy Thursday.

The form of the sacrament consists in the words, "I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," pronounced by the bishop.

The minister of the sacrament is a bishop duly consecrated in the Church of God, they alone having, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles, the power of administering confirmation.

The inward grace of this sacrament is, says the Catechism of the

Holy Council of Trent, its perfecting and increasing the grace o baptism: those who are initiated into the Christian religion share, as it were, the tenderness and infirmity of new-born infants; but they afterwards gather strength from the sacrament of chrism, to combat the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and are confirmed in faith to confess and glorify the name of our Lord.

The principal effects of this sacrament are, a fortifying grace, in order to strengthen the soul against all the visible and invisible enemies of the faith; and a certain dedication and consecration of the soul by the Holy Ghost, the mark of which is left in the soul as a character which can never be effaced.

The dispositions to receive the sacrament worthily are, 1st, a purity of conscience, at least from all mortal sin: for which reason one ought to go to confession before he is confirmed; for the Holy Ghost will not come to a soul in which Satan reigns by mortal sin; 2d, a sincere desire of giving himself up to the Holy Ghost, to follow the influence of his divine grace, to be his temple forever, and by his assistance to fulfil all the obligations of a soldier of Christ.

Parents should diligently prepare their children for this sacrament, and early take occasion to imbue their minds with a sense of its dignity, so as to excite in them a desire to receive it. When they approach the age when it is proper for them to receive it, regular instructions should be given them adapted to their comprehension, so that they may come fully prepared, in mind and heart, to receive the immense blessings which God showers down on those who receive this sacrament worthily.

As prayer is the especial preparation, they should be induced to adopt some peculiar devotions, or prayers, not too long or too many, but such as they can easily understand and feel. As the day approaches, if the children have not the advantage of a retreat, the parents should endeavor to preserve their recollectedness, and ercourage them, by exhortations and advice, to spend a few days in spiritual reading, prayer, and preparing by a good confession for the reception of the Holy Ghost.

PRAYER FOR OBTAINING RIGHT DISPOSITIONS FOR RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION.

O my God, through thy great mercy, I have received three of thy most holy sacraments; the first to make me thy child, the second to efface the stains which sin

had made in my soul, the third to unite me with thy divine Son. Grant, then, I beseech thee, that the sacrament which I am now preparing to receive, may avail to make me a perfect Christian; that it may give me strength and courage to combat my evil habits, to overcome all temptations, to conform perfectly to thy law, and to become a true soldier of Jesus Christ, ready to suffer any thing rather than renounce his holy religion, and to maintain it, if need. be, even at the peril of my life. This I most earnestly beseech thee, O my God, through the merits of thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST,

O almighty and eternal God, thou hast vouchsafed to adopt me for thy child in the holy sacrament of Baptism; thou hast granted me the remission of my sins at the tribunal of penance; thou hast made me to sit at thy holy table, and hast fed me with the bread of angels; perfect in me, I beseech thee, all these benefits. Grant unto me the spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world, and love the things that are eternal; the spirit of Understanding, to enlighten me and to give me the knowledge of religion; the spirit of Counsel, that I may diligently seek the surest ways of pleasing God and obtaining heaven; the spirit of Fortitude, that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the spirit of Knowledge, that I may be enlightened in the ways of God; the spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God both sweet and amiable; the spirit of Fear, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may dread in any way to displease him. Seal me, in thy mercy, with the seal of a disciple of Jesus Christ, unto everlasting life; and grant that, carrying the cross upon my forehead, I may carry it also in my heart, and confessing thee boldly before men, may merit to be one day reckoned in the umber of thy elect. Amen.

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