Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/628

 it is  next  for  those  pure  And  ardent  spirits  that  thou remainest for love  in  the  holy  Eucharist; it  is  for  us, it is  for  all  creatures,  even  for  those  who  are  most unmindful of  all  thy  mercies. But though  all  the world* should  forget  thee,  G divine  victim  of  charity! surely we  at  least  should  return  thee  love  for  love, since then  hast  loved  us  with  an  eternal  charity,  and selected us,  long  before  our  existence,  as  the  favourites of thy  divine  heart,  the  objects  of  Its  tenderest  affection and  peculiar  favours. Penetrated with  the  confidence which  should  arise  from  the  recollection  of all  thou  hast  already  done  for  us,  and  art  willing  to do  for  those  who  trust  in  thee,  we  humbly  represent our present  necessities  to  thee,  O adorable  heart! the fountain  of  all  graces! the ocean  of  mercy,  and exhaustless source  of  consolation  and  strength! we most fervently  entreat  of  thee  to  infuse  into  our hearts the  dispositions  thou  requirest,  and  then, for thy  own  sake,  to  grant  the  earnest  petitions  of this Novena.

Thou art,  O furnace  of  love! a public victim: thy mercies  and  graces  are  now  peculiarly  offered  to all  who  will  only  ask  that  they  may  receive; but thy tenderest  compassion  seems  peculiarly  directed  to all  unhappy  sinners. For them  thou  wert  overwhelmed with  sorrow  in  the  Garden  of  Olives,  and wounded on  the  cross; for  them  we  most  particularly pray,  and  most  earnestly  entreat  the  grace  of conversion. For ourselves,  whatever  particular  graces thou knowest  to  be  most  necessary  for  each  of  us, but particularly  that  ardent  charity  and  sincere  humility which  we  know  to  have  been  the  favourite  virtues of thy  adorable  heart.

Animate us  with  thy  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  those, committed to  our  care; model  their  hearts  on  thine,