living words suggested by our sweet and sympathetic writer? It is at such times that we realize the truth of what has been said by Lacordaire. " Love makes use of but one word, but though that word is ever recurring, it is never repeated." If a seraphim were to descend from heaven and try to clothe his consuming love for God in human language, where could he find more divinely impassioned words than those of our author?
The habitual use of these formulas cannot fail to be of the greatest utility to the faithful. By reading and re-reading these short, incisive, burning aspirations, men will learn how to speak to God, by constantly addressing these holy affections to Him, they will learn to offer them as their own heart-felt and spontaneous outpourings; they will themselves soon acquire a great aptitude for ejaculatory prayer, and, their own good-will being aided by grace, they will easily learn to converse continually with God, even amidst the most engrossing occupations.
VII.
Besides their own intrinsic value, the prayers of St. Alphonsus bear the highest guarantees.
I. They were composed by an author whom the Church has placed amongst her saints, and doubtless they were one of the principal means which he himself employed to attain such high perfection.
II. They emanate from a saint of such 'eminent science that the Holy See has honored him with the rare and glorious title of Doctor of the Universal Church.
III. They were most minutely examined and carefully sifted at the time of the promotion of the causes of their author's beatification, canonization, and doctorate.
