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 eth God."  When  Satan  dared  Our  Saviour  to  cast Himself  from  the  Temple's  pinnacle,  Christ  replied: "  It  is  written,  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord,  thy God." So,  too,  to  pray  without  preparation  is  presumption of  God's  mercy,  for  it  is  tantamount  to asking  God  to  send  His  angels  to  sustain  us  without effort  on  our  part,  or  even  against  our  will.  As  the violinist,  before  playing,  tunes  his  instrument,  so  a soul  must  be  prepared  ere  its  petitions  can  prove pleasing  to  the  Lord.  But  how  prepared?  In  two ways:  first,  by  removing  sin  from  the  soul  by  contrition or  through  the  Sacrament  of  Penance.  We  thus put  off  the  shoes  from  our  feet,  as  Moses  did,  to stand  on  holy  ground,  and  see  our  God ;  we  wash  our raiment,  as  did  the  Israelites  when  going  to  meet their  Lord.  "  And  if,"  says  Christ,  "  thou  offer  thy gift at  the  altar  and  there  thou  rememberest  that  thy brother hath  anything  against  thee,  leave  there  thy gift before  the  altar,  and  go  first  to  be  reconciled  to thy  brother,  and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift." "Be  thou  the  first  to  declare  thy  iniquities,"  says Isaias,  "  that  thou  mayest  be  justified."  It  will  not  do to  turn  to  God  in  prayer  for  pardon  and  blessings, while  neglecting  or  forgetting  the  grievances  others may  have  against  us.  "  Thus  shalt  thou  pray,"  says the  Lord,  "  forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive them their  trespasses  against  us."  "  Forgive  thy neighbor," He  adds,  "  if  he  hath  hurt  thee,  and  then shall thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  when  thou  prayest." Secondly,  we  must  enter  God's  majestic  presence bowed  in  spirit,  filled  with  the  thought  of  His  great-