What to pray for

St. Alphonsus repeatedly insists that in all our prayers, at all the Masses we hear, at all our holy communions, and in all our visits to the Blessed Sacrament, we should pray for these four graces, viz.,

• the forgiveness of our sins
• the love of God
• the love of prayer
• and final perseverance.

If we obtain these, our salvation will be assured.

. . . In beseeching God for temporals we should be indifferent as to the result of our prayers, being equally ready to accept a refusal as a favorable hearing from Him. If such should be our dispositions, God, when refusing our request, will not fail to compensate us by bestowing on us more excellent favors which we do not think of asking.

-- Father Girardey, CSSR, Popular Instructions on Prayer