Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/162

 by the  King  of  kings,  that you left  your  thrones,  and despised the  perils  and  hardships of  a lengthy  journey, to visit  and  adore  the  King of heaven  and  earth  when born at  Bethlehem. I beseech you by  the  heavenly grace which  mercifully  preceded you,  when  you  so  fervently and  zealously  sought the new-born  Saviour,  whom you so  piously  and  reverently adored when  found; and, eluding the  treachery  of wicked  king  Herod,  returned happily to  your  own  country.

I beseech you  by  your  eminent virtues  of  faith,  devotion, and  charity,  which  you then so  admirably  displayed, having not  only  your  eyes enlightened by  the  star,  but your souls  by  the  newly-risen Sun of  Justice  himself. For though you  saw  him  lying, a little wailing  infant,  in  a mean  stable,  in  a lowly  shed, yet with  strong  and  undoubting faith  you  acknowledged him the  Lord  of  majesty  most high; with your  mystical gifts you  nobly  honoured him as  the  King  of  heaven and earth,  and  by  falling down on  your  faces  to  the ground, you  humbly  adored him as  God  your  Creator.

By those  virtues,  and  by the  love  and  gentleness  with which the  Saviour,  when  born to us  a little  infant,  received you with  your  gifts,  I beseech  you  to  take  me  under your protection,  and  to  obtain for  me  of  Christ  three precious gifts,  of  which  I stand  in  the  utmost  need: a lively  faith,  a firm  hope,  and a fervent charity.

Obtain for  me  also  the  three most necessary  virtues  of spotless  purity,  sincere  humility, and  true  piety; that, thus bountifully  endued  with these gifts  by  Christ,  I may so much  the  more  readily  and acceptably offer  him  in  return the trivial  gifts  and  endowments that  I possess: the  incense of  fervent  prayer,  the myrrh of  mortification,  and the gold  of  charity  or  good works. To his  greater  glory, who is  King  world  without end. Amen.

Blessed be  thou,  O Lord, the never-failing  source  of  all blessings, who  hast  chosen thy holy  apostles  before  all the saints  to  be  the  first-born of thy  Son,  the  first  heralds of the  gospel,  and  the  pillars and foundations  of  the  Christian Church; that,  by  their saving doctrines  and  Wonderful works,  the  knowledge  of the  Catholic  Faith  might  be spread  abroad  among  Jews and Gentiles,  and  over  the whole world.

Most humbly,  therefore,  I implore  thy  majesty,  that,  as we  continue  founded  by  thee