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Forty-Seventh Rose

imitate rather the humility of the Publican whose prayer obtained for him the remission of his
sins. 
You should be very careful not to do anything out of the
ordinary nor to ask nor even wish for knowledge of extra­
ordinary things, visions, revelations or other miraculous graces which Almighty God has
occasionally given to a few of the saints while they were reciting the Rosary. "Faith alone suf­
fices": faith alone is quite enough for us now that the Holy
Gospels and all the devotions and pious practices are firmly
established.
Even if you suffer from dryness of soul, boredom and in­
terior discouragement, never give up even the least little bit of
your Rosary for this would be a sure sign of pride and faith­
lessness. On the contrary, like a real champion of Jesus and Mary, you should say your Our Fathers
and Hail Marys quite drily if you have to, without seeing, hearing or feeling any consolation
whatsoever, and concentrating as best you can on the mysteries. You ought not to look for candy or
jam to eat with your daily bread, as children do but you should even say your Rosary more slowly
sometimes when you particularly find it hard to say. Do this to imitate Our Lord more perfectly in
His agony in the garden: "Being in an agony, he prayed the longer,"11 so that what was said of Our
Lord (when He was in His agony of prayer) may be said of you too: He prayed even longer.
4. Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of
God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly
into the hearts of those who pray. The Eternal Father yearns for nothing so much as to share the
life giving waters of His grace and mercy with us. He is entreating us: "All you that thirst, come
to the waters .•."12 This means "Come and drink of My spring through prayer," and when we do not
pray to Him He sorrowfully says that we are forsaking Him: "They have forsaken me, the fountain
of living water."18
We make Our Lord happy when we ask Him for graces and if we do not ask, He makes a loving
complaint: "Hitherto you have not asked anything ask and you shall receive. seek and you
shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you."14

11 Luke 22:43.
12 Isaias 54:1.
   13 Jeremias 2:13.
               14 John 16:24 and Matt. 7:7.

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