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Before Visiting the Poor.

No. 1 (For a Man).

LORD God, I humbly give myself to this service of preparing the way for the ministers and stewards of Thy Mysteries. I desire Thy help to reach those whom they find such difficulty in reaching and influencing. Be with me, O Lord, in finding the working men, and in endeavouring to make them see the misery of trying to live without Thee. Give me skill and discretion in understanding their feelings, in meeting their prejudices, in instructing their ignorance, in answering their doubts and objections, and in touching their hearts with the words of Thy love. Increase, O Lord, my_love for them, and my earnest desire to serve Thee. And bring them to be faithful humble members of Thy holy Church, rejoicing in their hope, and living soberly, and godly, and to Thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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No. 2 (For a Woman).

I go to

LORD, I am Thy handmaiden. prepare the way before the ministers and stewards of Thy Mysteries; grant that I may be discreet in all that I say or do, and that in all womanly gentleness I may win to Thy love the hearts of those I visit. I desire to arouse in them the hunger and thirst after righteousness. I desire to help them to cleanliness and decent comfort in their homes, to purity of domestic life, both in word and deed. I desire to seek out those who require the office of the priest in anything, and by quiet and cautious influence to bring them to apply for the same. I desire to lead the women to live soberly and

godly, to be keepers at home, obedient to their husbands, and careful of their children. I desire especially to be the bearer of good to the little ones, and in all my visiting to breathe a spirit of tenderness, and peace, and holiness, that Thy holy Name may be glorified in my feeble efforts. And for all these I humbly and earnestly ask Thy ever-present help, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen.

When Engaged in Teaching.
No. I.

LORD Jesus Christ, Who didst give especial charge to Thine Apostle to feed the lambs of Thy flock; grant now Thy Holy Spirit to me, and to all who have charge of the young, that we may, with sound discretion and faithful diligence, train them in godly discipline, to adorn the doctrine of our God and Saviour in all that they learn. Make me patient with the dull, calm and goodtempered with the froward and disobedient, firm with the idle, encouraging with the timid, and gentle and loving with all. Give me not only a full understanding of what I teach, but clearness in expressing myself. And that I may duly discharge my trust of instructing Thy little ones, make me continually to learn under Thy eye, O blessed Lord, that may bring forth out of my treasures things old and new, and sow the seed of eternal life in the hearts of those I teach; through Thy help. Amen.

No. 2.

LORD Jesus Christ, Who didst con

descend to be subject to earthly parents,

and to grow in wisdom, and didst notice with especial favour the little children; I entreat Thy loving blessing upon my pupils. May they grow in the fear of the Lord, and daily advance in spiritual, as in intellectual, learning. Preserve them from their especial temptations of the world and the flesh, and defend them from all evil to body and soul. Help me and my fellow-teachers so to train and discipline them, that they may turn to Thee in their youth, and go forward in faith and love to be useful members of Thy Church. For Thine own sake.

Amen.

When Teaching Communicants' Classes.

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APPROACH Thee, O Lord, on behalf of all those to whom I minister in Thy Name, and whom I love for Thy sake, and who are about to come to Thy holy Table. O Lord, make them dread Thy threats against those who do not come, and against those who come unworthily; make them look fearfully and hopefully to Thy glorious promise of the marriage garment of penitence and holy joy.

Help them to examine themselves carefully and completely, to lay bare their hearts before Thee, to repent zealously and thoroughly, to offer themselves wholly to love and serve Thee, and their brethren. So that they may humbly receive Thy most precious Body and Blood, and be partakers of eternal life, through Thy merits, Who art with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God blessed for ever. Amen.

When Employed in Nursing the Sick.

LORD Jesus Christ, Who during Thy

blessed ministry didst most lovingly, and

frequently, exert Thy Divine power in healing all manner of sickness and infirmity; I pray for Thy especial help in the holy duty of ministering to Thy diseased and afflicted members. Give me, I beseech Thee, a due sense of the responsibility and honour of my work. Fill me with heartfelt compassion for those on whom I tend. Endue me with a gentle firmness of head and hand. Make me tender, and patient, and skilful in relieving discomfort and assuaging pain. Enable me to soothe the fretful and impatient, to cheer the desponding, to console the sad. Help me to set an example of self-denial and watchfulness to my subordinates. Make me courageous in difficulties, ready in emergencies, strictly obedient to the physicians and surgeons, punctual and careful in small things. And while I minister to the bodies of the sick, assist me, O Lord, constantly to endeavour, in all womanly gentleness and humility, to lead their thoughts upward, and direct them inward, so that they may be prepared for the office of the Physician of the soul, and be healed and comforted both in body and mind. O Lord, grant that I may please Thee in all parts of this my service, and that it may be for the honour of Thy holy Name. To Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Before Reading the Holy Scriptures to Others.

GOD, I return Thee humble thanks for the great honour of directly helping in

the ministration of Thy holy Word. Make me diligent to read it plainly, and distinctly, and intelligently, to the conversion and edification of Thy people. May I never pretend to understand it when I do not. May I never misinterpret it in the smallest degree. May I never follow my own judgment therein to differ from the doctrine of the Church. And to this end make me heartily to love and reverence Thy holy Scriptures. I humbly beg that Thy Spirit may make me specially watchful against selfconfidence and self-pleasing in this ministration.

Lastly, O Lord, I desire to do it entirely for Thy glory, in all humility and faithfulness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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