Chapter XI. Of petition

Then having made so great an Offering we may confidently make our petition for gifts and graces in response. And, first, let us pray with all the fulness of love, and zeal for the honour of our Blessed Lord, that all people and nations of the world may know and praise and adore Him as the One Only true God and Lord, saying from the bottom of our hearts those words of the Prophet-King, “Let the people praise Thee, O God: let all the people i praise Thee.” Let us pray also for the prelates of the i Church, the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, and all other clergy and ministering servants, that the Lord may govern and enlighten them, that they may lift up all men to the — knowledge of, and obedience to, their Creator. In like manner we must pray (as S. Paul exhorts us) for all kings, and — for all placed in authority, that through their wisdom and care we may live quiet and peaceful lives, for this is acceptable to God our Saviour, “ Who will have all men to _be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”?

Let us pray, also, for all the members of His Mystical Body ; for the righteous, that the Lord may keep them in their righteousness ; for sinners, that He may convert them; for the departed, that He may mercifully deliver them from travail, and bring them to eternal rest.

Let us pray, also, for all poor and sick, — prisoners and captives, that, for the merits of His dear Son, God may vouchsafe to help and set them free from evil; and, after having prayed for our neighbours, Tim. ii, 4.

a ea TS let us then pray for ourselves ; and what those things are for which we should pray their very necessity will teach us still further, even if we already knew them. But for the better understanding of this teaching, we may pray for these gifts following. First, through the Merits and Passion of our Lord, let us ask for remission of all our sins, and their deserts, and, especially, let us ask for His gracious help against all those inclinations and vices to which we are most prone, and most tempted, laying open before our Heavenly Physician all the wounds of our souls, that with the holy unction of His grace He may heal them.

Then let us ask for those most excellent and noble virtues in which cohsists all Christian perfection, namely: Faith, Hope, Love, Holy Fear, Humility, Patience, Obedience, Fortitude in all trouble, Poverty of Spirit, Contempt for worldly things, true Discretion, Purity of intention, and other like virtues which are the summit of the spiritual building which we aim at. For Faith is the very root of all Christianity. Hope is the weapon, and the remedy, against the temptations of this life. Charity is the end of all Christian perfection. The Fear of God is the beginning of true Wisdom. Humility is the foundation of all virtues. Patience is the strong armour against the blows and — attacks of the enemy. Obedience is the most acceptable oblation wherein man offers himself in sacrifice to God. Discretion is the very eye with which the soul sees, and travels on its way. Fortitude is the hand and arm for all its works, and Purity of intention that which guides and directs all its works to Godward.

Lastly, let us, then, pray for other virtues, which, without being of themselves the very chiefest, will yet help us to keep the greater ones, such as temperance in eating and danlane’ control of the tongue, guardianship of the senses, the gravity and recollectedness of the outer man, sweetness of manner and good example to our neighbours, strictness and severity towards oneself, and other like virtues. And after this, let us finish with a prayer for the love of God, and pause awhile in this, using the — best part of our time in begging of our Lord this grace with most earnest longing and desire—for in this consists all our good—and then we can say the prayer following :— es es a ,s A SpeciaL PETITION FOR THE LovE or Gop.

Afdekedo tah A graces, grant me, O Lord, I pray Thee, that I may love Thee with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and -with all my mind, even as Thou commandest. Thou Who art all my Hope, all my Glory, my sole Refuge and Joy! O Thou of all loved ones the most loved! O Spouse most lovely, sweet Spouse, sweeter to me than honey! O Thou Delight of my heart. O Life of my soul, Rest of my spirit and its Joy! O fair bright Day of Eternity, and evening Light of my inmost being and Paradise of flowers to my heart. O Thou lovely Principle of my being, and summit of all my power. O Lord my God, prepare within me a dwelling for Thyself, that according to the promise of Thy Holy Word, Thou mayest come to me, and abide within me! Mortify in me all that is displeasing in Thine eves, and make me to become a man after Thine own heart ! Wound, Lord, my most inward soul with the darts of Thy love, inebriate it with the wine of Thy perfect charity.

O when shall it be that [ shall please Thee in all things? When shall that all be dead in me which is contrary to Thy will? When shall I cease to be my own, and wholly Thine? When shall nothing apart from Thee be living in me ? When shall I love Thee all fervently? When shall the fire of Thy love consume me wholly? When shall I be wholly filled, transfixed with Thy most satisfying sweetness? When wilt Thou open, and manifest to this poor suppliant, Thy most glorious kingdom which is within me, which is Thyself with all Thy riches. When wilt Thou take, seize upon, and flood me with Thyself, transport and hide me within Thyself, that never thence I may depart? When wilt Thou make my spirit one with Thyself, that, all hindrances and obstacles having been taken away, I may never more be separated from Thee ?

O Thou loved One, loved One, loved One of my soul! O Thou Sweetness of my heart! Hear me, O Lord, not for my merits but for Thine infinite goodness and mercy! Teach me, enlighten me, guide me, help me in all things, that I may say and do nothing but that which shall be pleasing in Thine eyes! O God, my loved One, inmost Joy, and Treasure of my soul. O Love of my soul! My ex- „ceeding great Delight. O Source of strength, succour me: Light of mine eyes, guide me.

O God of my inmost being, why dost Thou not give Thyself to Thy poor servant? Heaven and earth are full of Thee, and my heart Thou leavest empty !

Thou deckest the lilies of the field, Thou preparest their food for the little birds, and sustainest the worms, why dost Thou forget me who would forget all else for Thee ?

Too late have I known Thee, Infinite Goodness! Too late have I loved Thee, Thou Loveliness of ancient times and ever E newt Woe for the days when I loved Thee not! Woe for me, then, when I knew Thee not! O blind one that I was when I saw Thee not! Thou wast i oe within me, and I looked for Thee in things without. O Lord, now that so late I have found Thee, suffer me not by Thy Divine clemency, O Lord, ever to leave Thee. And now since the thing which most pleaseth Thee, which most toucheth Thy Heart, is that we should have eyes to know and see Thee, give me those eyes with which I may see Thee ; that is, give me the pure eyes of the dove, eyes chaste and modest, eyes full of humility and love, eyes devout and mournful, eyes attentive and discreet to understand Thy will and. do it, that, seeing Thee with those eyes of — the dove, I may be seen of Thee with those Eyes with which Thou didst look upon Saint Peter when Thou didst make him to deplore his sin ; with those Eyes with which Thou didst see the Prodigal Son, when Thou wentest forth to receive him, and didst bestow upon him the kiss of peace ; with those Eyes with which Thou didst look upon the publican, when he dared not lift up his eyes to heaven ;. with those Eyes with which Thou didst look — upon the Magdalen, when she washed Thy Feet with her tears; with those Eyes with which Thou didst behold Thy Spouse in the Canticle, when Thou didst say, Behold thou art fair, my love, thou art fair, thine eyes are doves’ eyes,” that, pleasing Thee with the eye and beauty of my soul, Thou mayest grant those adorn- ments of virtues and graces with which I may appear fair in Thy sight for ever. O Thou most High, most Clement, most Gracious Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One only true Ged, teach me, direct me, help me in all things.

“Sema, O Father Almighty, by the goodness of Thine infinite power strengthen and confirm my memory of Thee, and fill it with holy and devout thoughts !

O most Holy Son, by Thy eternal wisdom, enlighten my understanding and adorn it with the knowledge of Thy supreme truth, and of my utter unworthiness. O Holy Spirit, love of the Father and of the Son, by Thy incomprehensible goodness transfix my whole will, and enkindle it with such a mighty fire of love as no waters can quench !

O Sacred Trinity, my One Only God, and all my good! O that I might be enabled to praise Thee, and love Thee, as all the angels praise and love Thee ! O if I might possess all creatures’ love, with what readiness would I give it to Thee, and transfer it all to Thee, though even this would not suffice to love Thee as Thou deservest ! -Thou only canst worthily love, and worthily praise Thyself, for Thou only canst comprehend Thy incomprehensible goodness, and so Thou alone canst love It as It deserves, because in that most Divine Breast alone is preserved Love's righteousness.

O Mary, Mary, most holy Virgin Mary, H Mother of God, Queen of heaven, Mistress of the world, Sanctuary of the Holy Ghost, Lily of purity,.Rose of patience, Paradise of delight, Mirror of chastity, Model of innocence, intercede for this poor banished pilgrim and spare him some of the overflowings of thy most abundant charity.

O ye blessed Saints, and ye blessed Spirits, who so burn with the love of your Creator ; and ye, too, Seraphin, above all, who set heaven and earth on fire with your love, forsake not this poor wretched heart, but cleanse it from all its sins, as ye did the lips of Isaiah, and inflame it with the fire of your most ardent love, that it may love this Lord alone, seek after Him alone, in Him alone abide, and die for ever and ever. Amen.