Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/1063

 accompanied thy  oblation — and  in  that  profound  humility, which on  this  solemnity  concealed  thy  glorious  privileges from all  the  world. Do thou  thyself  give  us  the  Divine  Infant in each  of  our  communions,  as  thou  didst  to  holy  Simeon. Obtain that,  like  him,  a  lively  faith  may  discover  to  us  Our Lord and  Salvation,  in  the  mystery  of  His  humiliation;  that our hearts  may  love  Him  therein  ardently,  and  that  frequent union with  Jesus,  in  the  Sacrament  of  His  infinite  goodness, may so  detach  us  from  the  world,  that  we  may  never  cease to sigh  after  that  kingdom  of  peace,  where  we  shall  never  sin, and never  cease  to  love. Amen.

GLORIOUS descendant  of  the  kings  of  Juda! inheritor of the  virtues  of  all  the  patriarchs! just and  happy St. Joseph! listen to  our  prayers. Thou art  our  glorious  protector, and  shalt  ever  be,  after  Jesus  and  Mary,  the  object of our  most  profound  veneration  and  tender  confidence. Thou art  a  hidden  saint,  though  one  of  the  greatest  of  saints, and art  peculiarly  the  patron  of  interior  souls.

In union  with  all  those  who  have  ever  been  most  devoted to thee,  we  now  dedicate  ourselves  to  thy  service,  beseeching thee, for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  Who  vouchsafed  to  love and obey  thee  as  a  Son,  to  become  a  father  to  us,  and  to  obtain for us  the  filial  respect,  confidence,  and  love  of  children toward thee. O powerful  advocate  of  all  Christians! whose intercession, as  St.  Teresa  assures  us,  has  never  been  found to fail,  deign  to  intercede  for  us  now  and  to  implore  for  us the  particular  intentions  of  the  novena. (Specify them.) Present us,  O  great  saint,  to  the  adorable  Trinity  with  Whom thou hadst  so  glorious  and  so  intimate  a  correspondence. Obtain that  we  may  never  efface  by  sin  the  sacred  image according to  the  likeness  of  which  we  were  created. Beg for us  that  our  divine  Redeemer  may  enkindle  in  our  hearts, and in  all  hearts,  the  fire  of  His  love,  and  infuse  therein  the virtues of  His  adorable  infancy — His  purity,  simplicity, obedience, and  humility. Obtain for  us  likewise  a  lively devotion to  thy  Virgin  spouse,  and  protect  us  so  powerfully in life  and  in  death  that  we  may  have  the  happiness  of  dying,