Francis Xavier Lasance

“ CLOTHE me, my Lord, with the robe of innocence, and adorn my heart, O divine Spouse of my soul, with all the virtues that are pleasing to Thee; especially with humility, obedience, purity, charity, and an exact fidelity to my holy rules and vows.
Putting on the Habit.
O GOOD Jesus, divine Spouse of my soul, I thank Thee for this cherished token of my allegiance to Thee; and I beseech Thee, that, with Thy grace, I may preserve unsullied the wedding-garment with which Thou didst invest my soul on the blessed day of my consecration to Thee. ”

“ O JESUS, Who didst confound all Thine enemies by clothing in glory and splendor that body which had been the victim of the cruelty of man, give me grace to die to myself that I may rise again with Thee, and after Thy likeness lead a new, divine, immortal life : new, by change of conduct, divine by the generosity and purity of my love, immortal by perseverance in well doing. Work in my heart, O Lord, this happy change; make me pass from death to life, from darkness to light, from a life full of imperfections to a life perfect and worthy of Thee. ”

“ O sweet Jesus! recognize in me what is Thine, and efface all that is not Thine. O sweet Jesus! show mercy now in the time of mercy, and condemn me not in the day of justice. What profit to Thy precious blood, or what honor will my destruction give Thy holy name, O Jesus! "The dead shall not praise Thee, O Lord Jesus! nor all they that go down to hell." O most amiable Jesus! most meek, most loving Jesus! O Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! admit me to the number of Thy servants! O Jesus, comfort of all who fly to Thee! O sweet Jesus! forgive me my sins! O Jesus! ”

“ Prayer of Blessed Margaret Mary.
I BELIEVE that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise again on the last day. Grant, O my God, that my resurrection be a glorious one. This hope rests in my heart. Replenish it, O God, so copiously with Thyself, that space be no longer found therein for creatures, for myself, or for earthly things. Permit me not, O Jesus, to fall from bodily into spiritual sleep, but awaken my heart, my spirit, and my will unto Thy love, in which I desire to persevere, like the angels, without interruption. ”

“ I consecrate myself to thy honor, and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After thy example may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the immaculate heart of Mary! And do thou, O blessed St. Joseph, pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death. Amen.
Invocation to St. Joseph.
Help us, Joseph, in our earthly strife; ever to lead a pure and blameless life. ”

“ COME to me, O Divine Saviour! vouchsafe to be born in my heart; grant that, taught by Thine example, and assisted by Thy grace, I may be poor in spirit and humble of heart. Keep me chaste and obedient. I wish to live but for Thee, and to do all things purely for love of Thee.
O my Jesus, my supreme and true Good! what can have attracted Thee from heaven to be born in a cave, if it be not the love that Thou bearest to man? What has drawn Thee from the bosom of Thy Father to lay Thyself down in a manger? ”

“ Mercifully accept this oblation, O Lord, on behalf of all who now suffer in purgatory, particularly those for whom Thou desirest I should pray — those who are most dear to me — those to whose sufferings I may have been in any respect accessory — those who are most forgotten by others, and who have no one to pray for them. Give them all speedy repose and eternal rest, O merciful Father of all mankind, and give me the grace to spend this day in such a manner that through Thy infinite goodness, I may obtain the relief of these suffering and blessed souls. ”

“ O MOST amiable Redeemer! Whose infinite love for man far exceeded Thy corporal strength in the crib of Bethlehem, receive our fervent adorations and most ardent thanksgiving for the first effusion of that adorable blood which Thou didst afterwards shed to the last drop for us on the cross. Oh, how ardently must Thou have desired our salvation, since Thou didst so soon begin to suffer for us! How much must Thou have wished for our confidence, since Thou didst so early assume that name which, above all names, is best calculated to render Thee amiable in our eyes and dear to our hearts. O Jesus! ”

“ You prove your love for God by interceding for those holy souls who are so dear to His divine Majesty, and whom He so ardently longs to glorify for ever. You perform an act of the greatest charity toward these suffering, holy souls, by endeavoring to shorten their banishment where they are tortured by a fire far more terrible than any earthly fire, and deprived of the sight of God, a torment more excruciating than all other pains. And you essentially serve your own soul by providing for yourself powerful advocates who will not forget you when they stand before God. ”

“ Give me grace to adore Him with the holy angels, that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that His will may be done in my soul. Help me to thank Him for all His gifts, and most of all for Himself. By this Holy Sacrament He strengthens souls on earth, and gives rest to souls in purgatory, and gladdens souls in heaven. He is the hidden Manna, promised by Himself to all who overcome. Thy grace will bring me in safety to God. May I taste the sweetness of Jesus! May my soul be kept by Thee very bright for the coming of my Spouse! ”

“ Thou art my glorious protector, and shalt ever be, after Jesus and Mary, the object of my most profound veneration and tender confidence. Thou art the most hidden, though the greatest saint, and art peculiarly the patron of those who serve God with the greatest purity and fervor. In union with all those who have ever been most devoted to thee, I now dedicate myself to thy service, beseeching thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Who vouchsafed to love and obey thee as a son, to become a father to me, and to obtain for me the filial respect, confidence, and love of a child toward thee. ”

“ O ETERNAL Father! shed upon us, we beseech Thee, the plenitude of Thy divine Spirit, and grant us an entire and perfect submission to the inspirations of Thy grace. We renounce every thought and affection which may withdraw us from Thy adorable presence, and we most earnestly implore, through the merits and sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as also through the intercession of His immaculate Mother Mary, of our guardian angels, and of our patron saints, that this meditation may be conducive to Thy greater glory, and to our eternal salvation. ”

“ O most holy Infant! grant me continually to hold fast Your blessed hands, that I may securely walk through the slippery paths of this life, always moving according to Your holy will, and with submission to my spiritual guides. Amen.
(Prayer as first day, to Mary and Joseph.)
Fifth Day.
To the pure and benign eyes of the Infant Jesus.
THIS day adore and love the pure and benignant eyes of your Infant Saviour, those eyes which beam purity, love, and sweetness; those eyes which have wrought such wonders in souls; those eyes, in fine, which have shed over our miseries abundant tears. ”

“ We venerate Thy sacred name in union with the profound respect of that angel who first announced it to the earth, and unite our affections to the sentiments of tender devotion, which the adorable name of Jesus has, in all ages, enkindled in the hearts of Thy saints. Animated with a firm faith in Thy unerring word, and penetrated with confidence in Thy mercy, we now most humbly remind Thee of the promise Thou hast made, that when two or three should assemble in Thy name, Thou Thyself wouldst be in the midst of them. ”

“ Almighty, everlasting God, Who, in the counsel of Thine ineffable goodness, hast appointed to all the faithful, from their mother's womb, a special guardian angel of their body and soul; grant that I may so love and honor him whom Thou hast so mercifully given me, that, protected by the bounty of Thy grace, and by his assistance, I may merit to behold, with him and all the angelic host, the glory of Thy countenance in the heavenly country. Who livest and reignest, world without end. ”

“ My Jesus, mercy!
Night Offering to the Blessed Sacrament.
O DIVINE Jesus! lonely to-night in so many tabernacles, without visitor or worshipper, I offer Thee my poor, but loving heart. May every pulsation be a prayer of love to Thee. Thou art ever watching under the sacramental veils; in Thy love Thou never sleepest, and Thou art never weary of Thy vigil for sinners. O good Jesus, I love Thee. Thou art infinitely good, and I have displeased Thee by many sins. ”

“ God forbid that I should glory, that I should ever rejoice, save in the cross of Jesus Christ.
God forbid that I should ever have any other treasure than His poverty, any other delight than His sufferings, any other love than Himself.
No, no, my amiable Lord, never will I separate myself from Thee; and I will attach myself to none but Thee; the narrowest paths of the life of perfection to which I am called give me no alarm, because Thou art my light and my strength. ”

“ O adorable and divine blood, shed for my salvation, flow over me, to wash me, to purify me, to sanctify me: flow over sinners, that they may be reclaimed; over the heathen, that they may be enlightened; over the perfidious Jews, that they may be softened; over all, that all being united in the same faith, in the same hope, and in the same charity, we may reign with Thee and in Thee, in that charity which shall subsist for ever. ”

“ Take from me all human respect; for wrong regard of creatures blights the soul, so that its fruits are withered. Help me to be more faithful to Jesus, my Love, Who is coming to me from His altar. He is my life, as Thou art my life, and as the eternal Father is my life. Give me more love, that I may welcome Jesus as He comes to me in the hidden light, and the freshness of the morning dew. ”

“ LORD God almighty, I beseech Thee, by the precious blood which Thy divine Son Jesus shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in purgatory, and in particular, amongst them all, deliver that one which would be the last to issue from those pains, that it tarry not so long a time before it comes to praise Thee in Thy glory and bless Thee for ever. ”

“ Most powerful guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen race of Jesus Christ; drive far from us, most loving father, every pest of error and corrupting sin. From thy place in heaven, most powerful protector, graciously come to our aid in this conflict with the powers of darkness, and as of old thou didst deliver the Child Jesus from supreme peril of life, so now defend the holy Church of God from the snares of her enemies and from all adversity. ”

“ O merciful Redeemer, Who didst vouchsafe to remain in the chaste cloister of Mary's womb, hidden and unknown, though Thou wast the Eternal Word, and the wisdom of the Father; grant that we may learn from Thee to love solitude and silence, and escape the evils that are found in the tumult and distractions of the world; grant us greater purity of mind and of heart; grant that we may glorify Thee, and edify others by our purity and modesty. ”

“ POUR down Thy blessings, O Lord, upon all our friends, relations and benefactors. Bless our Institute. Help the poor and sick, and those who are in their last agony. O God of mercy and goodness, have compassion on the souls of the faithful in purgatory; put an end to their sufferings, and grant to them eternal light, rest, and happiness. Have pity especially upon the souls of our Superiors, and of the Sisters who once dwelt in this house, and who have gone before us, through the portals of death, into the house of eternity. ”

“ Obtain that we may never efface by sin the sacred image according to the likeness of which we were created. Beg for us that our divine Redeemer may enkindle in our hearts, and in all hearts, the fire of His love, and infuse therein the virtues of His adorable infancy — His purity, simplicity, obedience, and humility. Obtain for us likewise a lively devotion to thy Virgin spouse, and protect us so powerfully in life and in death that we may have the happiness of dying, as thou didst, in the friendship of Our Creator, and under the immediate protection of the Mother of God. ”

“ BEHOLD, O kind and sweetest Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech Thee, to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins and a most firm desire of amendment, whilst with deep affection and grief of soul I consider within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five most precious wounds ”

“ May we never blush at the humility of the crib, nor at the poverty and simplicity of Bethlehem. May we ever rejoice at our happy lot as true spouses of Jesus Christ : ever in tender charity look with a compassionate eye on those who live but for this world, and continually pray that all may come to bless, to praise, and to love the Saviour Who comes to redeem them. ”