solutions, for on thee alone I depend; thou art the God in whom I firmly believe; thou art the founHation of my hope, and the only worthy object of my love.

Immediate Preparation for Communion.

FROM the evening before the day on which you intend to communicate, you should retire from all that could distract your mind; and as far as your situation and duty permit, observe more than ordinary silence and recollection.

Endeavour to excite the fervour of devotion by frequent aspirations; such as, O divine Lord, prepare me to receive thee. Come, Lord, and do not delay. As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after thee, O my God. Ps. xii. 1.

Immediately on your awaking in the morning, call to mind the happiness you expect; and to animate your fervour, imagine your Angel Guardian says to you, as an Angel formerly did to the Prophet Elias, arise and eat, 3 Kings xix. 5. When you are dressing, think with holy fear of that man who dared to present himself at the marriage feast without a nuptial garment. Beg of God, as you are accustomed to do every morning, but with more than ordinary fervour, not only to restore to you the garment of innocence which you lost, but also to clothe you. with the wedding-robe of charity, that you may be less unworthy to appear before his divine Majesty. When you have entered the chapel, which you should take care to do at least half an hour before the holy sacrifice commences, imagine that your heavenly Father comes out to meet you, as the Gospel represents the father of the prodigal child to have done; and endeavour to conceive the same sentiments of humility, contrition, and confidence, which filled the breast of that penitent. Then occupy yourself until Mass begins, either in praying mentally, without any set form of words, or in

repeating, rather with your heart than with your lips the following acts.

PRAYERS BEFORE COMMUNION.

An offering of the holy Communion.

O DIVINE LORD! I offer thee the communion I am about to make, in union with the superabundant merits of Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, and the infinite love of his adorable heart. In union with the merits of the blessed Virgin, and the ardent love of her sacred heart; in union with the merits and love of those happy souls who enjoy thy glorious vision in heaven, and of the just who still live upon earth. O my God! I earnestly desire to approach to thee in this adorable sacrament, with that lively faith, that profound humility, that tender confidence, that pure conscience and ardent love, with which so many holy souls are inflamed, in partaking of this sacred banquet; accept at least my desire, and supply by thy mercy all my deficiencies. I offer my Communion, and the adorable Sacrifice at which I am going to assist, to render thee the honour and glory which are due to thy infinite Majesty; to satisfy thy justice, which I have irritated by my sins; to thank thee for the innumer able benefits which I have received from thy liberality, and to obtain from thy infinite mercy the graces which are necessary for me, particularly the grace to subdue my predominant passion, and to acquire the virtue in which I am most deficient, but especially the grace of a happy death.

I likewise offer my Communion, O merciful Father! in memory of the Passion and Death of thy dear Son, my divine Redeemer, to enter into his views and designs, to accomplish. his most holy will, to love him with more ardour and perfection; to participate in the merits of his labours and sufferings; to acquire his spirit; to imitate his virtues; to model my life on his; and to make to his adorable heart a public reparation for all the sacrilegious communions, irreveren

oes, and profanations, which are committed against him in this august sacrament of his love. I offer it, O God of unbounded liberality! to thank thee for all the graces thou hast bestowed on mankind, particularly for all those thou hast conferred on thy blessed Mother, as likewise on the Angels and the Saints, especially on my Angel Guardian and holy Patron. 1 offer it likewise for the triumph of our holy religion the exaltation of the Catholic Church, the conversion of infidels, heretics, schismatics, and all those who are in the unhappy state of mortal sin; also for the necessities of my relatives, friends, associates, benefactors, and enemies; for the perseverance of the just, the comfort of the afflicted, and the deliverance of the suffering souls in purgatory. In a word, for all those for whom I am obliged to pray; and I desire to enter into all the intentions requisite for gaining the indulgences which are held forth by the Church to worthy communicants.

An Act of Faith.

THOU hast declared, O eternal Truth! that thou art really present under these lowly elements, which present nothing more to my senses than mere material bread! I believe it most firmly, and require no other assurance than thy own divine words. Yes, I openly confess that it is thou thyself I am going to receive; thou who, born for my sake in a stable, wert pleased to die for me on a cross; and who, glorious in heaven, art still concealed under these mysterious veils. Ido not desire to behold thee; for were I to touch thy wounds, and, like St. Thomas, examine thy sacred side, I could not exclaim with more confidence than] now do, thou art my Lord and my God, John xx. 28 Wert thou to speak to me from this very tabernacle, thy voice would affect me less than that which resounds in thy gospel: though my senses tell me the contrary, I submit them entirely to the obedience of faith and were I to die a thousand deaths in testi

mony of this truth, I remain immovable in this decla ration: Thou art really a God hidden, a God Saviour Isa. XX. I believe, Lord; help thou my unbelief Mail ix. 23.

An Act of Fear.

PERHAPS, O Lord! I am so unfortunate as to be guilty of some hidden sins, which may be an obstacle to the graces thou desirest to bestow on me? Perhaps. like Judas, I may give thee the kiss of peace to-day, and to-morrow betray thee? Instead of coming to me as to a faithful disciple, perhaps thou approachest me with horror and indignation, as to a concealed enemy? ? How can I answer for the exactness of my confession, the fervour of my contrition, or the sincerity of my resolutions? Is it not custom, or human respect, that brings me at present to the foot of thy altar? In renouncing my faults, have I not spared some favourite though secret passion? Like thy disciples, with the most heartfelt anguish, I ask thee,

Is it I, O Lord ?" But Judas, who was to perpetrate the most abominable treachery, proposed the same question. Is not my anxiety, as his was, only false and apparent? I am terrified, O my God, at the thought, and it is to thyself I have recourse, to preserve me from so shocking à profanation. Is it I, O Lord, is it I who will be guilty of sacrilege? No, thou wilt never permit it; for thou seest that I would not willingly incur this guilt, and that there is nothing I dread more than so great a misfortune. After having been as diligent as I could, I will now rest entirely on thy infinite mercy. Depart from me, O Lord, be cause I am a sinful creature, Luke v. Have courage child, thy sins are forgiven thee, Matt. ix.

An Act of Contrition.

Aн, my God! I am not so happy as to possess an innocent and pure heart: this thou alone canst create it must be the work of thy all-powerful grace. Alas

I have no trace of that precious innocence which makes some happy souls so acceptable in thy sight, but at least I hope that my heart is truly contrite and humble, and as such that thou wilt not despise it, nor reject the tender of its affections. O my God! I sovereignly detest my sins, because they are displeasing to thy divine Majesty; they are always in my sight, and the bitterness of my regret serves as a continual punishment for my rebellion against thy holy law. Look, O Lord! on the face of thy Christ, thy only beloved Son, in whom thou art well pleased; remember the labours of his penitential life, the bitterness of his sacred passion, the anguish of his ignominious death. I offer thee his infinite and superabundant merits, that thou mayest mercifully pardon my crimes, and take not vengeance of my manifold offences. Ah! divine Jesus! why cannot I participate in that mortal anguish which overwhelmed thy soul in the Garden of Olives, when thou didst present thyself to thy Eternal Father as a victim of atonement to his offended justice? I unite my feeble sorrow to thine, and firmly resolve, with thy divine assistance, to do every thing in my power to prevent future relapses, and to suffer every affliction in expiation of my former transgressions. Remove from me, O Lord, all dangerous occasions of sin, and assist me with thy powerful grace; should my passions at any time rebel against thy holy law, shorten my days if necessary, and prevent by my death the only evil I dread, that of offending thee mortally. But, I do not merely detest the grievous offences of my sinful life, I abhor every thing that could have displeased thee in he slightest degree, or that could have impeded the course of thy grace; for thou art infinitely deserving of all my love, and of the utmost fidelity in thy service. I hope thou hast already cleansed my soul from the stain of sin in the sacrament of penance, but I desire to become still purer in thy sight; vouchsafe then to wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me