heaven, from whence he shall come to repay the just everlasting glory, and the wicked everlasting punishment. Moreover, I believe whatsoever else the Catholic Church proposes to be believed, and this because God, who is the Sovereign Truth, and can neither deceive nor be deceived, has revealed all these things to this his Church. An Act of Hope. O my God, relying on thy almighty power, and thy infinite mercy and goodness, and because thou art faithful to thy promises, I trust in thee that thou wilt grant me the forgiveness of my sins, through the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son; and that thou wilt give me the assistance of thy grace, with which I may labour to continue to the end in the diligent exercise of all good works, and may deserve to obtain in heaven the glory which thou hast promised. An Act of Charity. O Lord my God I love thee with my whole heart, and above all things, because thou, O God, art the Sovereign Good, and, for thy own infinite perfections, art most worthy of all love; and, for thy sake, I also love my neighbour as myself. An Act of Contrition. O my God, for the sake of thy sovereign goodness and infinite perfections, which I love above all things, I am exceedingly sorry from the bottom of my heart, and am grieved for having offended by my sins this thy infinite goodness; and I firmly resolve, by the assistance of thy grace, never more to offend thee for the time to come, and carefully to avoid all occasions of sin. 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 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 good 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, that I may escape hell, and in the end obtain heaven. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PRAYER OF PARENTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN. O heavenly Father, I commend my children. unto thee. Be thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in me, through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, to resist the solicitations of evil, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour thy grace into their hearts, and confirm and multiply in them the gifts of thy Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving thee here, may come to rejoice before thee hereafter; through the merits of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest ever and ever. Amen. FOR ANOTHER'S CONVERSION. : O divine and adorable Saviour, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life, I beseech thee to have mercy upon N., and bring him [or her] to the knowledge and love of thy truth. Thou, O Lord, knowest all his darkness, his weakness, and his doubts have pity upon him, O merciful Saviour; let the bright beams of thy eternal truth shine upon his mind; clear away the cloud of error and prejudice from before his eyes, and may he humbly submit to and embrace with his whole heart the teaching of thy Church. O, let not the soul for whom I pray be shut out from thy blessed fold! Unite him to thyself in the sacraments of thy love, and grant that, partaking of the blessings of thy grace in this life, he may come at last to the posses |