but then in sinning it lost all, and became Thy enemy and the slave of hell. But I thank Thee, O my God, that Thou hast even given me time to recover Thy grace. I grieve that I have offended Thee, more than for every other evil, O Infinite Goodness, and I love Thee above all things. Ah, receive me again into Thy friendship, and in Thy pity do not reject me. I know well, that I have deserved banishment from Thee; but Jesus Christ merits that, being penitent, Thou shouldst receive me again, for the sake of the sacrifice of Himself which He made to Thee on Calvary. " Thy Kingdom come." My Father for so has Thy Son taught me to call Thee " come" by Thy grace to reign in my heart. Grant that it may serve Thee only, live for Thee only, love Thee only. " And lead us not into temptation." Ah! do not suffer the enemies that I have, so to tempt me that they may conquer me. "But deliver us from evil;" from hell, but first from that sin which alone can bring me to hell; from the great evil of falling into sin, and so of being deprived of the grace of God.
Second Point.
S. Thomas Aquinas says that the gift of grace exceeds every other gift that the creature can receive, " since it is a participation of the Divine nature." Before him, S. Peter had said, " That by these ye might become partakers of the divine nature." (2 S. Peter i. 4.) So great things has Jesus Christ merited for us by His Passion: He has communicated to us the same glory that He had received from God. " The glory which Thou gavest me I have given them." (S. John xvii. 22.) In brief, he who is in the grace of God is one with God. " He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." (i Cor. vi. 17.) And the Redeemer said that in the mind that loves God the entire Holy Trinity comes to dwell. " If a man love Me, .... My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." (S. John xiv. 23.) The soul in grace is so beautiful in the eyes of God that He Himself praises it. " Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair." (Cant. iv. i.) The Lord seems not to know how to take His eyes away from a soul that He
