For our Enemies.

(St. Gertrude.)

O Lord Jesus, in union with that love and that surpassing sweetness with which, amidst the unutterable anguish and sorrows of thy Passion, thou didst pray for those who crucified thee, saying, "Father, forgive them," I beseech thee with all the love of my heart that thou wouldst now vouchsafe to forgive all who have ever or in any way offended against me. Amen.

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A Prayer in Sickness or Affliction.

O Lord Jesus Christ, I receive this sickness [or, this affliction], with which thou art pleased to visit me, as coming from thy fatherly hand. It is thy will, and therefore I submit;- not my will, but thine be done." May it be to the honour of thy holy name, and for the good of my soul. I here offer myself with an entire submission to all thine appointments; to suffer whatever thou pleasest, as long as thou pleasest, and in what manner thou pleasest; for I am a creature, O Lord, who has often and most ungratefully offended thee, and whom thou mightst justly have visited with thy severest punishments. Oh, let thy justice be tempered with mercy, and let thy heavenly grace come to my assistance to support me under this affliction! Confirm my soul with strength from above, that I may bear with true Christian patience all the uneasiness, pains, disquiets, and troubles under which I labour; preserve me from all temptations and murmuring thoughts, that in this time of affliction I may in no way offend thee; and grant that this and all other earthly trials may be the means of preparing my soul for its passage into eternity, that, being purified from all my sins, I may believe in thee, hope in thee, love thee above all things, and finally, through thy infinite merits, be admitted into the company of the blessed in heaven, there to praise thee for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Intention.

(B. Leonard.)

O my eternal God, behold me now prostrate before thy immense majesty in humblest adoration. I offer thee all my thoughts, words, and actions of this day; and I intend to do all for thy love, for thy glory, to fulfil thy divine will, to serve thee, to praise thee, and to bless thee; to be enlight

ened in the mysteries of the holy faith, to secure my salvation, and to hope in thy mercy; to satisfy thy divine justice for my sins, so many and most grievous; to give suffrage to the holy souls in Purgatory, and to obtain the grace of a true conversion for all sinners; in a word, I intend to do this day every thing in union with those most pure intentions which Jesus and Mary had in life, and all the Saints who are in heaven, and all the just who are upon earth; and I should wish to be able to subscribe with my own blood this my intention, and to repeat it as many times every moment as there will be moments in eternity. Accept, O my beloved God, this my good desire; give me thy holy benediction, with an efficacious grace not to commit mortal sin throughout the whole course of my life, but particularly on this day, on which I desire, and intend to gain, all the Indulgences which I can gain, and to assist at all the Masses which shall be celebrated to-day throughout the whole world, applying them all in suffrage for the holy souls in Purgatory, that they may be freed from those pains. Amen.

Covenant with God.

(St. Gertrude.)

O Almighty God, I sanctify, dedicate, and consecrate to thee every beating of my heart, and every pulsation of my blood; and I desire to make this compact with thee, that their every beating shall say to thee: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; and I beseech thee to impute this meaning to them, so that they may be before thy divine Majesty as the unceasing echo of that heavenly canticle, which seraphim sing without ceasing unto thee. Amen, amen.

A more extended Covenant, to be renewed every week. (From the same.)

O Lord God, my Creator, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hidden from thee; but inasmuch as the necessities of this life prevent the constant application of my mind to thy praise, I make with thee this covenant, earnestly desiring that it may remain in force throughout this week.

Whenever I look up towards heaven, I desire and intend to rejoice with thee in thine infinite perfections; that thou art what thou art, supremely strong and wise and loving and just.

As often as I open or close my eyes, I desire and intend to approve and concur in all the holy actions which thine onlybegotten Son, and all the saints in heaven and just on earth,

have ever done, or shall ever hereafter do, to thy glory, and desire to be held a partaker in them all.

As often as I draw my breath, I offer to thee the Life and Passion and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the merits and sufferings of all the saints, to thine eternal glory, for the welfare and peace of all the whole world, and in satisfaction for the sins of all men.

Whenever I sigh, I intend to detest and abhor every sin as well my own sins as those which have ever been committed from the beginning of the world against the honour of thy Name. Would that the slight and worthless offering of my blood might be accepted in satisfaction for them!

Lastly, as often as I move my hand or my foot, so often do I cast myself with entire resignation upon thy most holy will, desiring that thou wouldst dispose of me in time and in eternity, according to thine adorable good pleasure.

And, lest this fivefold covenant should be in any way made void, I seal it with the seals of thy five most Sacred Wounds, earnestly desiring that it may have its full force with thee, even though in any one of these actions it be not actually present to my mind.

For a Happy Death.

(To be said before a crucifix.)

O sweet Lord Jesus Christ, by that sad bitterness of death thou didst endure for me upon the cross, and chiefly in the hour when thy most glorious soul did make its egress from thy ever-blessed body, I beseech thee, Lord, have pity on my soul, now and at the moment of its departure hence, and take it to thee unto eternal life. Amen.

Prayer in a Burial-ground.

Hail, all ye faithful souls of Christ; may he give you rest, who is himself the one true Rest. May Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who for our salvation and for that of all mankind was born of the Immaculate Virgin, and redeemed you with his precious Blood, bless you, release you from your pains, raise you up in the day of judgment, and place you with his holy angels.

Prayer for all Virtues needful to a Christian Man.

(St. Thomas Aquinas.)

O merciful God, grant that I may eagerly desire, carefully search out, truthfully acknowledge, and ever perfectly fulfil all

things which are pleasing unto thee. Order all my state for the glory and honour of thy Name alone; and grant me to know what thou dost require me to do, and give me to do it as is fitting, and profitable to my salvation. Grant that I may not fail or swerve either in prosperity or in adversity; that I be not lifted up by the one, nor cast down by the other. Let me joy in nothing but what leads to thee, nor grieve for any thing but what leads away from thee; let me neither seek to please, nor fear to displease, any but thee alone. May all transitory things grow vile in my eyes, O Lord, and may all that is thine be dear to me for thy sake, and thou, O my God, dear above them all. May all joy be irksome to me that is without thee, nor may I desire any thing that is apart from thee. May alĺ labour and toil delight me which is for thee, and all rest be weariness which is not in thee. Grant me, O Lord, continually to lift up my heart towards thee, and to bring sorrowfully to my mind my many shortcomings, with full purpose of amendment. Make me, O Lord, obedient without demur, poor without repining, chaste without stain, patient without murmur, humble without pretence, joyous without frivolity, fearful without abjectness, truthful without disguise, given to good works without presumption, faithful to rebuke my neighbour without arrogance, and ever careful to edify him both by word and example without pretension. Give me, O Lord God, an ever-watchful heart, which no subtle speculation may lure from thee; a noble heart, which no unworthy affection can draw downwards to the earth; an upright heart, which no insincere intention can warp aside; an unconquerable heart, which no tribulation can crush or quell; a free heart, which no perverted or impetuous affection can claim for its own. Bestow on me, O Lord, my God, understanding to know thee, diligence to seek thee, wisdom to find thee, a life and conversation which may please thee, perseverance in waiting patiently for thee, and a hope which may embrace thee at the last. Grant me to be pierced with compunction by thy sorrows through true repentance, to improve all thy gifts and benefits during this my pilgrimage through thy grace, and so at length to enter into thy full and consummate joy in thy glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth, &c.

An Universal Prayer for all things necessary to
salvation.

O my God, I believe in thee; do thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in thee; do thou secure them. I love thee;

teach me to love thee daily more and more.

I am sorry that

I have offended thee; do thou increase my sorrow.

I adore thee as my first beginning; I aspire after thee as my last end. I give thee thanks as my constant benefactor; I call upon thee as my sovereign protector.

Vouchsafe, O my God, to conduct me by thy wisdom, to restrain me by thy justice, to comfort me by thy mercy, to defend me by thy power.

To thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; that henceforward I may think only of thee, speak of thee, refer all my actions to thy greater glory, and suffer willingly whatever thou shalt appoint.

Lord, I desire that in all things thy will may be done, because it is thy will, and in the manner that thou willest.

I beg of thee to enlighten my understanding, to inflame my will, to purify my body, and to sanctify my soul.

Give me strength, O my God, to expiate my offences, to overcome my temptations to subdue my passions, and to acquire the virtues proper for my state.

Fill my heart with tender affection for thy goodness, hatred of my faults, love of my neighbour, and contempt of the world.

Let me always remember to be submissive to my superiors, condescending to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and charitable to my enemies.

Assist me to overcome sensuality by mortification, avarice by alms-deeds, anger by meekness, and tepidity by devotion. O my God, make me prudent in my undertakings, courageous in dangers, patient in affliction, and humble in prosperity.

Grant that I may be ever attentive at my prayers, temperate at my meals, diligent in my employments, and constant in my resolutions.

Let my conscience be ever upright and pure, my exterior modest, my conversation edifying, and my comportment regular.

Assist me, that I may continually labour to overcome nature, to correspond with thy grace, to keep thy commandments, and to work out my salvation.

Discover to me, O my God, the nothingness of this world, the greatness of heaven, the shortness of time, and the length of eternity.

Grant that I may prepare for death; that I may fear thy judgments, escape hell, and in the end obtain heaven; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.