Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/61

 In the  next  petition  we  ask  Him  to  "  Give  us  this  day our  daily  bread." Those who  have  given  themselves  up to  God  in  an  interior  life,  and  have  cast  themselves  upon His providence,  have  no  need  to  importune  their  divine Master to  give  them  their  earthly  bread  for  their  bodily support, for  as  they  have  forsaken  the  love  of  the  world for Him,  He  will  provide  for  them,  as  He  is  in  a  manner bound to  do. So, in  this  petition,  we  beg  for  our  spiritual necessities.

Pray here  for  all  the  graces  you  need,  for  strength  to support  you  in  temptation,  for  light  to  know  the  will  of Our  Lord,  since  we  can  not  do  His  will,  as  we  have  asked that it  might  be  done,  without  the  assistance  and  light of the  Holy  Ghost. Also, when  you  are  overburdened with grief,  or  temptations,  or  other  trials,  it  is  right  you should pray  for  relief,  as  far  as  relief  is  needful  for  you; and in  times  of  long-continued  dryness,  it  is  not  wrong for you  humbly  to  ask  a  little  of  the  bread  of  consolation, if it  be  Our  Lord's  will. But this  petition  may,  in  a special  manner,  be  applied  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  in which  Our  Lord  Himself  becomes  our  daily  or  supersubstantial  bread;  and  we  can  turn  this  clause  into  a contemplation  upon  the  real  presence,  and  holy  communion.

As to  the  rest  of  the  petitions  of  the  Lord's  Prayer, what has  already  been  said  of  the  first  four  is  sufficient to show  how  the  devout  soul  may  occupy  her  time  with each of  the  others. It is  enough  to  say  that  in  the  petition, "  Forgive  us  our  trespasses,"  special  consideration should be  given  to  the  second  clause — "As  we  forgive those  who  trespass  against  us." For here  we  can  make acts of  patience  under  annoyances,  of  ready  forgiveness of all  injuries,  offer  ourselves  to  be  ill-treated,  humiliated, and insulted,  and  pray  for  the  spirit  of  meekness. Here, also, in  this  connection,  we  can  bring  in  the  sacred  Passion of  Our  Lord,  and  consider  the  meekness  and  patient love with  which  He  endured  so  many  outrages;  and  so,