Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/206

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after thee, O my God! Come, Lord, my heart is open to thee, unite it to thyself, since it languishes with thy love. Would that I possessed the ardent desires and virtues of all the saints, in order now to receive worthily the Lord of saints. Adorn me, O Jesus, with thy merits and the beauty of thy virtues, and then I shall be worthy even of so great a grace.

ACT OF HOPE.

O My Saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth, thou art the hope of my youth, what canst thou deny me who givest me thyself? As thou hast promised, he that eats of this bread shall live for ever, I, relying on thy ineffable promises, hope through thv merits and the virtue of, this most efficacious Sacrament, to obtain from thee life, grace, and eternal glory. And why should I not hope in thee? Thou only hast power to bestow everything upon us, and thou art infinite goodness, grant therefore, through thy omnipotent bounty, what I ask of thee. I am sick, be then my physician, and heal me; I am blind, do thou who art the true light, enlighten me; I am a sinner, thou the fount of purity, cleanse me; I am ignorant, thou the Eternal Wisdom, teach me; I am tepid, thou a consuming fire, inflame me; save me, thou who savest all who hope in thee; I have hoped in thee, O Lord, I shall never be confounded.

ACT OF LOVE.

I SHOULD not satisfy thee, O my Jesus, in this happy Communion hour, were I to offer thee but this salutary fear which has led me to thy sacred feet, and this shame-stricken conscience which makes me tremble in thy holy presence. The visit thou art about to pay me is a visit cf love. O Lover of souls,