Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/1054



LL hail! most lovely,  most  holy,  most  amiable, Infant Jesus,  King  of  my  soul! Ah! blessed be the  hour  in  which  Your  holy  Mother  will  give  You  to me  as  my  ransom. O most  beautiful  above  the  children  of men! give me  grace  to  prepare  to  receive  you  worthily  on the  glorious  feast  of  Your  nativity. Give me  a  heart  ail glowing with  holy  desires,  love,  gratitude,  and  ardent  zeal, to correspond  with  the  designs  which  bring  You  on  earth. Give me  the  true  spirit  of  Your  holy  nativity,  a  spirit  of humility,  silence,  detachment,  docility,  meekness,  and  true and ardent  charity. Give me  grace  daily  to  advance  in  devotion to  Your  blessed  Infancy,  and  faithfully  to  persevere  in the  discharge  of  all  my  duties,  in  spite  of  the  allurements  of Satan,  or  the  railleries  of  the  world. Bless me  then,  divine Infant, as  You  blessed  the  humble  and  simple  shepherds watching over  their  flocks;  and  let  me  ever  remember,  that it is  to  the  humble,  simple,  and  faithful  You  most  willingly communicate Your  choicest  gifts. Amen.

ETERNAL God,  made  an  Infant  for  love  of  us,  to Thee  do  I  offer  each  little  child,  whom  for  Thy  love and in  honor  of  Thy  holy  childhood  I  will  devote  my  whole strength to  instruct  and  save. Grant that  I  may  ever behold Thee  in  the  children  confided  to  my  care:  and  never, oh, never  permit,  my  Jesus,  that  any  act  or  word  of  mine should scandalize  Thy  little  ones.

Give ma  a  share  in  Thy  humility,  Thy  charity,  and  Thy gentleness to  all. Grant Thy  blessing  to  my  labors  and bring me  safely  to  heaven,  where  surrounded  by  these  little ones whom  I  taught  to  love  Thee,  I  may  praise  Thee  and bless Thee  for  ever.

HE end  of  the  year  should  naturally  make  you  think of the  end  of  your  life. This reflection  should  induce you  to  place  yourself  in  the  state  in  which  you  would