God has promised to allow no one to be tempted beyond his strength. The sinner's fall and fault is all his own.

The excellency of the school stamps its mark upon the scholar. St. Joseph, brought up in the school of Jesus Christ Himself, knew to perfection the power and efficacy of prayer. Prayer and perfect correspondence with grace exalted St. Joseph in sanctity beyond that of any other Saint of God except the Blessed Virgin Mary.

PRACTICAL RESOLUTION.

O my God! how good and merciful Thou art. Seeing that Thou hast promised to hear and help me when I pray to Thee, and also knowing that my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has promised that His Eternal Father will grant me everything I ask in His holy name, I resolve, first, by the grace of God, to have the greatest faith and confidence in holy prayer; and, secondly, in all my wants, in all my temptations and dangers, to beg help and grace of the Eternal Father, through the name and merits of His Divine Son, Jesus Christ.

Eternal Father, through the name and merits of Jesus, grant me the grace to keep all my good and holy resolutions.

PRAYERS.

O my good and merciful God, hear me and help me in my poor prayers. Eternal Father, through the name and merits of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus, my Blessed Lord and Saviour, save me from sin, and from the dangerous occasions of sin; grant me purity of intention to do all my actions; grant me the grace to walk ever in the presence of God; when my head and hands are at work, may my heart watch, and praise and bless God by holy and constant aspirations. Father! through the name and merits of Jesus, Thy Divine Son, grant me the spirit of prayer, the love and practice of humility and self denial, and zeal for the salvation of souls.

St. Joseph, so exalted in the spirit of prayer, obtain for me faith and confidence in the power and efficacy of prayer.

Soul of Jesus, sanctify me. Body of Jesus, save me. Blood of Jesus, inebriate me. Water flowing from the side of Jesus, wash me. Passion of Jesus, strengthen me. 0 good Jesus, hear me. Hide me in Thy wounds. Permit not that I should be separated from Thee. Defend me from the maCall me at the hour of my death, and bid me come to Thee, that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee for all eter-. nity. Amen."

lignant enemy.

PRACTICE.

To-day beg of God, through the name and merits of Jesus, the grace to conquer your predominant passion.

ASPIRATION.

O my God! I beg of Thee, through the name and merits of Jesus, and through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, to grant me the grace to overcome all sensuality.

MARCH 15TH.

FIFTEENTH MEDITATION.

St. Joseph, a Man of Prayer. The Conditions for Efficacious Prayer.

Invocation of the Holy Ghost, as at page 278, "Come, O Holy Ghost," &c.

"You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss" (James, iv. 3). "God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble" (Ibid., iv. 6). "The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds,

and he will not depart till the Most High behold" (Eccl. xxx. 21.) "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" (James, i. 6).

Reflect that though men pray, yet the world abounds with sin. We pray to-day and relapse to-morrow. We pray in the

morning, and sin before night. We pray for conversion, grace, and perseverance, but our prayers are never heard; hence many continue to live in sin, others are always relapsing into sin; and a third class never advance in virtue. The reason is that such prayers are cold, careless, inattentive, and distracted. They never think of God's presence. The lips pronounce holy words, but their minds and hearts are far away from God. God Himself says of such prayers: "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Matt. xv. 8).

To have our prayers heard, to be entitled to the promises of God to hear us when we cry to Him, we must pray, first, with attention and fervour. That is, we are to call to mind the presence of God, that by prayer we are addressing God, and speaking and communing with the Almighty. Whilst our tongues are pronouncing holy words let our mind and heart be fixed on God.

Secondly, we must pray with humility. "God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble" (James, iv. 6). The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds. . . . and he will not depart till the Most High behold" (Ecclus. xxxv. 21). The Royal Psalmist thus addresses the

Almighty: "A contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Ps. 1. 19). The penitent publican obtained mercy and pardon by one fervent and humble prayer – "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." And

on the occasion our Blessed Lord said: "Every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke, xviii. 14).

Our

Thirdly, we are to pray with confidence and perseverance. The word of God says: "No one hath hoped in the Lord and hath been confounded" (Eccles., ii 11). Blessed Lord said to His Disciples: "Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him. Therefore, I say unto you, all things whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come unto you" (Mark, xi. 23). "Ask in faith." says St. James, "nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea which is moved and carried about by the wind. Therefore let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord" (i. 6.).