Protection, so that nothing might hurt my soul. Thou hast made me to be confident in the Salvation of my soul, for which Thou gavest Thy Life. Thou hast lifted me up, and exalted me to know and to love Thee. Thou hast consecrated me to be Thy Spouse; and Thou hast promised me, if I am faithful, the fulness of Thy Glory for ever! Verily, O LORD, because Thou hast made me, to Thy Love I owe all myself. Because Thou hast redeemed me, I owe all myself. Because Thou hast promised me so much, I owe all myself. Yea, rather I owe to Thy Love more than all myself, in proportion as Thou art greater than I for whom Thou gavest Thyself, to whom Thou promisest Thyself. Make me, O LORD, I beseech Thee, to taste by love what now I taste by knowledge; to perceive by affection what now I perceive by understanding. More do I owe than all myself, but neither have I more, nor even all this can I of myself give back to Thee. Draw me, O LORD, more and more wholly into Thy Love; yea, draw all this self. All that I am is Thine by creation : make it all Thine by Love. Behold, O LORD, my heart is before Thee; it endeavours, but of itself it cannot : do Thou what itself cannot. Admit me within the Bridal Chamber of Thy Love: I ask, I seek, I knock. Thou makest me to ask, make me also to receive: Thou givest me to seek, give also to find: Thou teachest me to knock, open to me knocking. To whom givest Thou, if Thou refusest to one who asks? Who findeth, if he that seeketh is baffled? To whom openest Thou, if Thou shuttest to him that knock eth? What givest Thou HOLY GHOST blessed to him who prayeth not, if Thou refusest Thy Love to him that prayeth? From Thee I have the longing for Thy Love from Thee let me obtain that which I long for. : My soul clings to Thee, O my LORD, clings to Thee importunately. O good, good LORD, reject me not I faint with hunger for Thy Love: refresh me. Let Thy Loving-kindness satisfy me, Thine affection enrich me, Thy Love fill me. May it fill me wholly, possess me wholly, O Thou SAVIOUR of the world, for Thou art with the FATHER, and the ANOTHER FOR THE SAME. MY SAVIOUR, of my us self I cannot follow Thee, cannot cleave to Thee, but Thou didst come down that we might love Thee, didst ascend that we might follow Thee, didst bind round Thee as Thy Girdle, that we might be held fast to Thee. Thou Who hast so loved me; make me to love Thee. Thou Who, when lost, didst find me, be Thou Thyself the way, that I may find Thee, and be found in Thee, my only Hope, and my everlasting joy. Amen. PRAYERS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. THE INCARNATION. LORD JESUS, our GOD, our Creator, Who wert created Man, Thou Who although Al mighty in Thy Divinity, didst lie hidden for nine months in the Womb of Thy Blessed Mother, silent, motionless, com. Amen. THE NATIVITY. pressed, annihilated be- hidden from myself in yond all that we can Thee. conceive or think; teach me how to put away all self-consciousness of life, to restrain every power, every impulse of my being, to be hidden, to be lost, to be nothing for Thy sake. Amen. THE VISITATION. LORD JESUS, Who in Thy wonderful condescension wert born in a Stable, and laid in a Manger, Thy Godhead, all the attributes of Thy Divinity veiled by circumstances of the extremest poverty of created life; wean me from all pride of life, and draw me to share with Thee, this most LORD JESUS, Who didst permit Thyself to be borne in secret by Thy Blessed Mother, visiting S. Elizabeth, blessed Grace of entire Who, Thyself unseen, detachment, that I may unfelt, unheard, didst choose to be poor and sanctify S. John Baptist stripped of all, as Thou before his birth; teach wert, willing to resign me to be ever perfectly every loved object at conformed to Thy most Thy Call, even the joy Holy Will in all things, of Thy felt Presence in all movements and when it is Thy Will to changes of my life; hide Thyself from me. and if it please Thee Amen. to use me, Thy poor unworthy creature to be the bearer of Thy mercies and blessings THE CIRCUMCISION. LORD JESUS, True and Eternal GOD, to others, grant that I Who didst in Thy permay be preserved from fect self-sacrifice enter all vain-glory, and be voluntarily within the sphere of pain and Manger Cradle, and didst suffering, and shame, reveal Thyself to them and didst not shrink as their King and their from bearing even the appearance of a sinner, permitting the sign of sin to pass on Thy most holy Flesh, not allowing aught of Thy Pure Godhead, nor even the perfect sanctity of Thy Humanity to shine forth, that Thou mightest be more entirely conformed to our misery; teach me to bear pain and trial, as a Sacrament of virtue and sanctification, to crush all sensitiveness and care for the opinions of others, to accept humiliations in union with Thy Humiliation, and even to rejoice in them, if it be Thy Will so to form me after Thy LikeAmen. ness. THE EPIPHANY. LORD JESUS, the Bright and Morning Star, Who hidden from the world in the Stable of Bethlehem, didst guide the wise men to Thy GOD; guide me ever, I pray Thee, by Thy Unseen Presence. May Thy holy Light shine in me, and make me glad, entranced by the Vision of Thy Beauty, rapt in the sweet consciousness of my union with Thee. IfThou withdrawest Thy light from me, to humble me and make me weary of myself, I beseech Thee strengthen my weakness, uphold my faith, sustain my patience. Draw me unto Thee, until the shadows flee away, and the Star shines out again, and in the Light of Thy Eternal Brightness I abide for evermore. Amen. THE PRESENTATION IN LORD JESUS, Who in the arms of Thy Blessed Mother, didst offer Thyself in the Templeas the One, Perfect Acceptable Oblation, then surrendering Thyself to all the consequences of Thy Sacrifice of Thyself, and in Thy Sacred Person, didst offer each soul that would hereafter be united to Thee; in union with this Thy Oblation, I would now offer myself again to Thee, in a renewed act of entire self-sacrifice. Vouchsafe to make my life a copy of Thine own in this fulness of its self-surrender, that it may become a continued offering unto Thee. Amen. THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 0 LORD JESUS, Who at the command of the Angel wert carried by Thy Parents through the Desert into Egypt,leaving Thy Home suddenly, at night, not heeding the difficulties or dangers by the way, to dwell in the land of Idolaters-Thyself a helpless Infant, yet possessing all the consciousness of the infirmities and instincts of our nature; teach me to live perfectly detached from the love of place and companionship, from comforts and even necessaries, ready at Thy call to leave what is most dear and precious to me, viewing all accidents and events, the will of others, their faults and infirmities, as only the expression of Thy Will for me, and Thy discipline of loving care for my soul. Amen. THE ASCENT TO THE LORD JESUS, Who didst for three days separate Thyself from Thy Parents, causing them grievous pain and anxiety, manifesting to the world the first perfect idea of a higher service, a separated life wholly consecrated to GOD alone; enable me whom Thou hast called to this consecrated State of entire devotion, to be faithful to Thy Call, and to my Vows. Separate me ever more and more |