Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/18

 We have  placed  at  the  commencement  a  calendar containing a  sentence  from  our  holy  author  for  each day of  the  year,  and  we  recommend  its  attentive perusal to  the  faithful.

May many  souls  profit  by  this  collection  of  prayers, which is  but  a  prolonged  echo  of  those  salutary words so  often  repeated  by  St.  Alphonsus,

ncarnate Word! Thou didst  give  Thy  blood and Thy  life  to  fulfil  Thy  promise  of  giving to our  prayers  a  marvellous  efficacy  in  obtaining all  of  which  we  stand  in  need. Why then, alas! are we  so  negligent  as  not  even  to  give  ourselves the  trouble  of  asking  for  those  graces  which are necessary  to  our  salvation? By conferring  on us  this  great  means  of  prayer  Thou  hast  given  us the  key  of  Thy  storehouse  of  divine  treasures;  but if we  do  not  pray,  we  shall  certainly  remain  in  our present miserable  state. Dear Lord! enlighten us that  we  may  understand  how  powerful  with  Thine eternal Father  are  those  prayers  which  we  address to Him  in  Thy  name  and  through  Thy  merits.

Mary, august  Mother  of  God! do thou  obtain  for us the  spirit  of  prayer,  so  that,  in  all  our  necessities, we may  never  fail  to  have  recourse  to  thy  divine Son and  to  thee,  for  thou  art  the  distributor  of  all graces and  the  Mother  of  mercy;  thou  wilt  not allow any  client  of  thine  to  go  away  empty-handed. All-powerful Virgin,  thou  dost  obtain  from  God  all that thou  askest  in  behalf  of  thy  faithful  servants.