Chapter VI. Of the previous preparation

praise Thee, O God: let all the people ‘ praise Thee. ; Let us pray also for the prelates of the 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 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, TPS IX VEL Ge 2 18. Time lias 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 “ Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be made: and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.” “‘God, Who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people,” etc. Having said this, let us then pray to our Lord that He may grant us grace to give ourselves up to this exercise with that attention and devotion, and with that interior recollectedness, and fear, and reverence, fitting for those who stand before the Divine Majesty, and that we may so use this time of Prayer, that we may come from it with new fervour and strength for all the needs of His service ; for Prayer which does not bear this fruit, is very imperfect, and of little value.