Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/16

 living words  suggested  by  our  sweet  and  sympathetic writer? It is  at  such  times  that  we  realize the truth  of  what  has  been  said  by  Lacordaire. " Love  makes  use  of  but  one  word,  but  though  that word  is  ever  recurring,  it  is  never  repeated." If a seraphim  were  to  descend  from  heaven  and  try  to clothe  his  consuming  love  for  God  in  human  language, where could  he  find  more  divinely  impassioned  words than those  of  our  author?

The habitual  use  of  these  formulas  cannot  fail to be  of  the  greatest  utility  to  the  faithful. By reading and  re-reading  these  short,  incisive,  burning aspirations, men  will  learn  how  to  speak  to  God, by constantly  addressing  these  holy  affections  to Him,  they  will  learn  to  offer  them  as  their  own heart-felt and  spontaneous  outpourings;  they  will themselves soon  acquire  a  great  aptitude  for  ejaculatory  prayer,  and,  their  own  good-will  being  aided by grace,  they  will  easily  learn  to  converse  continually with  God,  even  amidst  the  most  engrossing occupations.

esides their  own  intrinsic  value,  the  prayers of St. Alphonsus bear  the  highest  guarantees.

I. They  were  composed  by  an  author  whom the Church  has  placed  amongst  her  saints,  and doubtless they  were  one  of  the  principal  means which he  himself  employed  to  attain  such  high  perfection.

II. They emanate  from  a  saint  of  such 'eminent science that  the  Holy  See  has  honored  him  with the rare  and  glorious  title  of  Doctor  of  the  Universal Church.

III. They were  most  minutely  examined  and  carefully sifted  at  the  time  of  the  promotion  of  the causes of  their  author's  beatification,  canonization, and doctorate.