Those who precipitately embrace any state of life without consulting their own inclinations and ability by reflection, without consulting the Almighty, and endeavouring to discover his will by prayer, and the advice of a director, run great risk of taking a false step, which may be followed by much temporal misery and great danger to their salvation. However, as in very early youth much reflection on this point would be little better than idle thoughts, your duty for the present is, to abandon yourself into the hands of God as to futurity, which you may not live to see; to avoid as a great sin, those promises of embracing any state of life which indiscreet fervour, or rather real presumption may dictate, and occasionally to beg of God to direct your choice whenever you may be called on to make it, and never permit you to act in so important a step contrary to his holy will. This may be done by the following prayer.

A Prayer to beg the Divine Direction in the Choice of a State of Life.

O ALMIGHTY GOD! whose wise and amiable Providence watches over every human event, deign tc be my light and my counsel in all my undertakings particularly in the choice of a state of life. I know that on this important step my sanctification and salvation may in a great measure depend. I know that I am incapable of discerning what may be best for me; therefore I cast myself into thy arms, beseeching thee, my God, who hast sent me into this world only to love and serve thee, to direct by thy grace every moment and action of my life to the glorious end of my creation. I renounce most sincerely every other wish, than to fulfil thy designs on my soul, whatever they may be; and I beseech thee to give me the grace, by imbibing the true spirit of a Christian, to qualify myself for any station thy adorable Providence may hereafter assign me. my God! whenever it may become my duty to make a choice, do

thou be my light and my counsel, and mercifully deign to make the way known to me wherein 1 should walk, for I have lifted up my soul to thee. (Ps. cxlii. 8.) Preserve me from listening to the suggestions of my own self-love, or worldly prudence, in prejudice to thy holy inspirations. Let thy good Spirit lead me into the right way, (Ibid. 9.) and thy adorable Providence place me, not where I may be happiest, according to the world, but in that state in which I shall love and serve thee most perfectly, and meet with most abundant means for working out my salvation. This is all that I ask, and all that I desire; for what would it avail me to gain the whole world, if, in the end, I were to lose my soul, and be so unfortunate as to prefer temporal advantages and worldly honours to the enjoyment of thy divine presence in a happy eternity?

A Prayer to implore the divine Light before any particular Undertaking.

O ADORABLE JESUS! I come to thee before I commence this undertaking, to implore thy assistance, and to consecrate it, through thee, to the glory of thy heavenly Father. Thou knowest that I can do nothing of myself; assist me, then, I beseech thee, to accomplish the will of God—that divine will, which was so dear to thee, as to be thy food while thou wert on earth. Direct me particularly in the affair I am going about, and teach me to act in a manner pleasing to thy divine Majesty-or rather do thou thyself deign to act in and by me: deign to govern me by thy wisdom-to support me by thy power-and by thy infinite goodness to direct all my exertions, on this occasion to thy greater glory and my own eternal salvation.

A Renewal of the Baptismal Vows.

O My God and my Lord, humbly prostrate in spirit before thy divine Majesty, I adore thy sovereign justice and thy infinite mercy. I am penetrated with

fear at the consideration of thy awful judgnients, and my own great ingratitude for all thy benefits, since I was ranked by baptism among thy children, raised to the glorious dignity of a Christian, and thus entitled to enjoy thee eternally in heaven. I was not then sensible of the precious grace bestowed on me, nor of the awful obligations I contracted when I promised to renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh. But I am now fully sensible of both; I most humbly thank thee for having brought me safely to the waters of baptism, and I detest from the bottom of my heart every thought, word, and action of my life which has been unworthy of a Cristian. Thou knowest, O my God, how often I have stained the robe of innocence with which I was then clothed, and how frequently 1 have violated my sacred promises; but thou seest the contrition of my heart, and the sincerity with which I now renew, in the presence of heaven and earth, my profession of faith in the doctrines proposed to my be lief by the holy Catholic Church, as well as the promises made for me when I was regenerated in the waters of baptism. I firmly believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth-in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who was born, and suffered for us-in the Holy Ghost-the Holy Catholic Church--the Communion of Saints--the Forgiveness of Sins—the Resurrection of the Body, and Life Everlasting. I renounce the world, with its pomps, vanities, and false maxims, which I despise, because they are accursed by thee. I renounce the flesh, with all its temptations, and sincerely resolve to endeavour to amend my faults, to conquer my passions, and to sacrifice all that is most dear to me, rather than again deliberately sully that robe which I promised to carry unstained before the judgment-seat of Christ. O my good God, who didst love me before I could love thee, and didst apply to my soul the merits of Jesus Christ when I was unable to implore that favour; look on me with compassion, and grant me all those graces

which will enable me to keep my baptismal engage ments without reproof. Increase in my soul the hea venly virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which I received at my baptism, and teach me to make faith the rule of my conduct, that it may avail me to life everlasting, through the infinite mercies and merits of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God world without end. Amen.

A Prayer for dece, sed Parents.

O ALMIGHTY GOD, my go. d Father! thou who gavest to us, in our parents, ony a weak image of thy own tender solicitude and watchful providence over each of thy creatures, receive my fervent thanksgivings for all the blessings thou didst bestow on me in and through them, to whom, under thee, I am indebted for my being. It was thou, O Lord, who gavest, and thou hast taken away; nor shall that stroke which deprived me of parents (of a father, of a mother) prevent my blessing thy holy name. I am not an orphan while I can call thee my Father, and look up with confidence to that Blessed Virgin whom thy divine Son gave me for a Mother when expiring a the cross; on the contrary, the less resource I have on earth, the more claim I have on thy protection, my good Father, who art in heaven. To thee, then, I raise my neart into the arms of thy mercy I cast my whole being; with all the confidence of a child, I run to thee, and implore thy protection in my journey through this wretched life. To thee, I offer my most humble and fervent supplications for the repose of my dear deceased parents. I trust, O my God! that they have found favour in thy sight, and that they now repose in thy bosom, and rejoice in thy adorable presence. But, O God of all holiness! if they be not as yet in possession of that glory for which they were created -if any stain of sin exclude them still from the king

dom where nothing defiled can enter, O let the earnest prayer of their child prevail on their behalf; or rather, let the sacred blood which Jesus Christ shed for them, cancel all their debts, and purify them from every stain. Give them, O my God, eternal rest for the sake of him who died for them. Let perpetual light shine on them, and let the view of thy ancient beauty and adorable perfections fill them speedily with ineffable joys. Hear my voice for them, O Lord, for they cannot now plead for themselves; deign to give me in the dear parents I have had on earth, protectors and advocates in heaven, and mercifully grant ine the grace to dispose myself by a holy life for being reunited to them in a happy eternity through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

An Universal Prayer for all things necessary to Sal

vation

O MY God, I believe in thee, do thou strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in thee, do thou secure them I love thee, with my whole heart, teach me to love thee daily more and more. I am sorry that I have offended thee; do thou increase my sorrow.

I adore thee as my first beginning. I aspire after thee as my last end. I give thee thanks as my constant Benefactor. I call upon thee as my sovereign Protector.

Vouchsafe, O my God, to conduct me by thy wisdom, to resi ain me by thy justice, to comfort me by thy mercy, to defend me by thy power.

To thee I esire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions, nd sufferings; that henceforward I may think of the, speak of thee, willingly refer all my actions to thy greater glory; and suffer willingly whatever thou shalt appoint.

Lord, I desire that in all things thy will may be done, because it is thy will, and in the manner thou willest.

I beg of thee to enlighten my understanding, to