by the King of kings, that you left your thrones, and despised the perils and hardships of a lengthy journey, to visit and adore the King of heaven and earth when born at Bethlehem. I beseech you by the heavenly grace which mercifully preceded you, when you so fervently and zealously sought the new-born Saviour, whom you so piously and reverently adored when found; and, eluding the treachery of wicked king Herod, returned happily to your own country.
I beseech you by your eminent virtues of faith, devotion, and charity, which you then so admirably displayed, having not only your eyes enlightened by the star, but your souls by the newly-risen Sun of Justice himself. For though you saw him lying, a little wailing infant, in a mean stable, in a lowly shed, yet with strong and undoubting faith you acknowledged him the Lord of majesty most high; with your mystical gifts you nobly honoured him as the King of heaven and earth, and by falling down on your faces to the ground, you humbly adored him as God your Creator.
By those virtues, and by the love and gentleness with which the Saviour, when born to us a little infant, received you with your gifts, I beseech you to take me under your protection, and to obtain for me of Christ three precious gifts, of which I stand in the utmost need: a lively faith, a firm hope, and a fervent charity.
Obtain for me also the three most necessary virtues of spotless purity, sincere humility, and true piety; that, thus bountifully endued with these gifts by Christ, I may so much the more readily and acceptably offer him in return the trivial gifts and endowments that I possess: the incense of fervent prayer, the myrrh of mortification, and the gold of charity or good works. To his greater glory, who is King world without end. Amen.
PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS.
From F. Canisius, S. J.
A prayer that may refer to any holy Apostle.
Blessed be thou, O Lord, the never-failing source of all blessings, who hast chosen thy holy apostles before all the saints to be the first-born of thy Son, the first heralds of the gospel, and the pillars and foundations of the Christian Church; that, by their saving doctrines and Wonderful works, the knowledge of the Catholic Faith might be spread abroad among Jews and Gentiles, and over the whole world.
Most humbly, therefore, I implore thy majesty, that, as we continue founded by thee
