Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/51

 in need  of,  enkindle  in  us  the  fire  of  divine  love,  and unite us  to  the  divinity! — Ibid. We must  continue  to pray  until  we  receive  the  sentence  of  eternal  salvation. — Ibid.

All our  petitions  should  be  made  through  Our  Lord Jesus Christ. Ask in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  through His merits,  and  in  virtue  of  His  divine  promises.

T. ALPHONSUS  LIGUORI  insists  repeatedly  that in all  our  devotions,  at  Mass,  at  holy  communion, in all  our  visits  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  we  should pray for  these  four  graces  for  ourselves,  viz.:  the  forgiveness of  our  sins,  the  love  of  God,  the  love  of  prayer, and final  perseverance. When these  graces  are  secured, our salvation  is  assured.

Furthermore, Religious  should,  in  all  their  prayers and good  works,  unite  themselves  intimately  with  our holy Mother  the  Church,  in  her  three  intentions:

1. To  glorify  God;  to  venerate  the  Blessed  Virgin Mary, the  angels  and  the  saints;  the  Church  triumphant.

2. To  provide  for  the  spiritual  and  temporal  necessities of  the  children  of  the  Church  militant.

3. To  procure  the  deliverance  of  the  holy  souls  in  purgatory, that  is,  to  aid  the  Church  suffering.

The Morning  Offering  of  the  Apostleship  of  Prayer  is very  efficacious.

" O  my  God,  I  offer  Thee  my  prayers,  works,  and  sufferings this  day  in  union  with  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  for the  intentions  for  which  He  pleads  and  offers  Himself  in holy  Mass,  in  thanksgiving  for  Thy  favors,  in  reparation for  our  offences,  and  for  the  petitions  of  all  our  Associates."