eth God." When Satan dared Our Saviour to cast Himself from the Temple's pinnacle, Christ replied: " It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God." So, too, to pray without preparation is presumption of God's mercy, for it is tantamount to asking God to send His angels to sustain us without effort on our part, or even against our will. As the violinist, before playing, tunes his instrument, so a soul must be prepared ere its petitions can prove pleasing to the Lord. But how prepared? In two ways: first, by removing sin from the soul by contrition or through the Sacrament of Penance. We thus put off the shoes from our feet, as Moses did, to stand on holy ground, and see our God ; we wash our raiment, as did the Israelites when going to meet their Lord. " And if," says Christ, " thou offer thy gift at the altar and there thou rememberest that thy brother hath anything against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." "Be thou the first to declare thy iniquities," says Isaias, " that thou mayest be justified." It will not do to turn to God in prayer for pardon and blessings, while neglecting or forgetting the grievances others may have against us. " Thus shalt thou pray," says the Lord, " forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them their trespasses against us." " Forgive thy neighbor," He adds, " if he hath hurt thee, and then shall thy sins be forgiven thee when thou prayest." Secondly, we must enter God's majestic presence bowed in spirit, filled with the thought of His great-
