moment of this precious time; treat of the important affair of thy eternal salvation alone. My soul, thou hast within thee an omnipotent Lord, a living Father, a faithful God. Ask and trust; he will enlarge thy heart, strengthen thy faith; he begins to give thee graces, heavenly graces, worthy of God to give. My dear Redeemer, since thou art come to me, and dost invite me to pray to thee, hear me by the bowels of thy mercy. Grant me, O my Jesus, an increase of lively faith, hope, charity, and contrition. Grant me humility, purity, patience, and alle the virtues; extirpate every vice from my heart. Change this heart, so filled with the world, and give me a new heart altogether conformable to thy will, that I may always seek after thy greater glory, and that my affections may tend to thy love. « Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. » Holy Trinity, omnipotent God, hear my prayers. Thou wilt not deny me any grace now, although I am so unworthy, for I do not pray alone, but Jesus Christ is united with me and though I deserve not to be heard, yet the merits of Jesus Christ, who prays with me, in me, and for me, thou wilt not refuse to listen to. Eternal Father remember the promise of Jesus, when he said, that whoever asked thee any thing in his name should be heard : « Amen, amen I say to you, if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. > ACT OF OFFERING. It is but just, it is only an act of gratitude, O my Jesus, that I should give myself entirely to thee, since thou hast given thyself entirely to me. Let my eyes be thine, my ears thine, my taste thine. Thou hast sanctified my senses; let them, then, be all thine let them no longer be opposed to thy divine and holy law, but act according to it in all things. Thou hast sanctified my memory; may it be ever mindful of thee. Thou hast sanctified my intellect; may it think on thee alone. Thou hast sanctified my will; may it be in harmony only with thine. To thee, then, with my whole heart do I offer, as a perpetual holocaust, my soul and body, my senses and my powers. Burn, divine fire, all that is foreign to thee in me. Consume, O omnipotent Lord, all that is not thine. Amen. But do not limit the devotion of this day do the foregoing prayers; consider it rather as entirely consecrated to Jesus Christ, that by this means you may literally accomplish the precept of the Holy Ghost : « Defraud not Thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee. »> Recollect frequently this great action; and read some pious book to nourish and enliven a spirit of devotion. INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONFIRMATION. CONFIRMATION is a Sacrement which gives us strength to perform our Christian duties, and persevere in the path which we have begun. Some will say that it is not absolutely necessary but in this Sacrament we receive the Holy Ghost with all his gifts. Can we refuse it without danger? Look around and see the young who have fallen from the practice of their religious duties: who after years of fervor, are now years aloof from the sacraments. Ask whether they were confirmed, and you will find that they generally neglected or refused to prepare for this great Sacrament. The preparation for confirmation is first; to be in a state of grace. « The Holy Spirit will not dwell in a soul defiled by sin. Second: «To hunger and thirst after justice, that is to have, an earnest longing and desire of receiving the Holy Ghost and his coming as the Apostles did by retirement and prayer. As for your first Communion, endeavor to overcome some fault, or acquire some virtue to offer as a sacrifice to your God. During the period of preparation, repeat frequently the hymns in honor of the Holy Ghost, and excite your fervor by ejaculatory prayers. Come. O Holy Ghost replenish my hert and enkindle in it the fire of thy divine love. »> PREPARATORY PRAYER BEFORE O God of infinite goodness! Who were graciously pleased at my baptism to make me Thy child, receive my fervent thanksgiving for all the favors bestowed on me from my birth to this moment, particulary for my being now ranked among those who are to be peculiarly consecrated to Thee by the Sacrament of Confirmation. Alas! my God, I am far from possessing those sentiments of faith, love, humility, and fervor which should now animate my soul; but it will be easy for Thee to grant them to me. I most sinserely detest every sin of my life, and every fault, or even imperfect inclination which may be an obstacle to |