a free gift.  We should not always read prayers at Almighty God.  If you wanted anything very badly from a friend, you would know how to ask for it.  You would never ask another to write out your request on paper, and then go and read it to your friend.  Now, that is just what we do when we read the prayers that somebody else has written in a prayerbook.  Try, therefore, to pray with your own prayers.  Of course when the Church gives you certain prayers to say—­as it does to its priests in the divine office—­or recommends to you such prayers as the “Our Father,” “Hail Mary,” and “Creed,” you should say them in preference to your own, because then the Church adds its petition to yours, and God is more likely to grant such prayers.  I mean, therefore, that we should not always pray from prayerbooks, and hurry through the “Our Father” that we may give more time to some printed prayer that pleases us.  Our prayer should be a conversation with God.  We should, after speaking to Him, listen to what He has to say to us, by our conscience, good thoughts, etc.

I must warn you against some prayers that have been circulated by impostors for the purpose of making money.  They pretend that these prayers were found in some remarkable place or manner; that those who carry them or say them will have most wonderful advantages—­they will never meet with accident; they will be warned of their death; they will go directly to Heaven after death, etc.  If there were any such wonderful prayers the Church would surely know of them and commend them to its children.  When you find any prayers of the kind I mention, bring them to the priest and ask his opinion before you use them yourself or give them to others.  Never buy prayers or articles said to be blessed from persons unknown to you.  Persons selling such things are frequently impostors, who by suave manners and pious speeches unfortunately find Catholics who believe them.  These persons—­sometimes not Catholics themselves, or at least very bad ones—­laugh at the superstition and foolish practices of Catholics who believe everything they hear about pious books, prayers, or articles.

In the early ages of the Church, when the enemies of Christ found that they could not refute His teaching, they began to circulate foolish doctrines, pretending that they were taught by Christ, and thus they hoped to bring ridicule upon Christianity.  So also in our time many things are circulated as the teaching of the Catholic Church by the enemies of the Church, in hopes that by these falsehoods and foolish doctrines they may bring disgrace and ridicule upon the true religion.  Be on your guard against all impostors, remembering it is a safe rule never to buy a religious article from or give money to persons going about from door to door.  If you have anything to give in alms, give it to some charitable institution or society connected with the Church, or put it in the poor-box, and then you will be sure it will do the good you intend.  Remember, too, that all the religious articles carried about for sale do not come from Rome or the Holy Land, and you are deceived if you think so, notwithstanding the assurance of their owners.