Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/97

 of heaven,  such  rejoicings  within  thee,  such  sweetness of  His  grace,  such  loving  and  close  embraces, in a  word,  such  voices  of  love, — as  are  well  understood by  those  souls  whom  He  loves,  and  who  seek for nothing  but  Himself  alone.

astly, to  make  a  brief  summary  of  what  has already been  said  at  large,  I  will  not  omit  to suggest  a  devout  practice  whereby  thou  mayest  fulfil  all  thy  daily  actions  in  a  manner  pleasing  to God. When thou  wakest  in  the  morning,  let  it  be thy  first  thought  to  raise  thy  mind  to  Him,  offering to His  glory  all  thou  shalt  do  or  suffer  that  day, praying Him  to  assist  thee  by  His  grace. Then make thy  other  morning  acts  of  devotion,  acts  of thanksgiving  and  of  love,  prayers  and  resolutions  to live  that  day  as  though  it  were  to  be  the  last  of  thy life. Father St.  Jure  recommends  the  making  in  the morning a  compact  with  the  Lord;  that  every  time thou makest  a  certain  sign,  as  placing  thy  hand  upon thy heart,  or  raising  thy  eyes  to  heaven  or  to  the crucifix, and  the  like,  thou  shouldst  thereby  intend to make  an  act  of  love,  of  desire  to  see  Him  loved by all,  of  oblation  of  thyself,  and  other  acts  of  the same kind. When thou  hast  made  these  acts,  and placed thy  soul  in  the  side  of  Jesus  and  under  the mantle of  Mary,  and  have  prayed  the  Eternal  Father that for  the  love  of  Jesus  and  Mary  He  would  protect thee  during  the  day,  be  careful,  before  thou  engage in  anything  else,  to  make  thy  mental  prayer,  or meditation,  at  least  for  half  an  hour;  and  let  thy specially chosen  meditation  be  the  sorrow  and  the shame which  Jesus  Christ  suffered  in  His  Passion. This is  the  dearest  subject  to  loving  souls,  and  the one which  most  kindles  Divine  love  within  them.