“Sundays and holy days,” because these are special days set apart by the Church for the worship of God.  In the “morning” we ask God’s grace that we may not sin during the day.  At “night” we thank Him for all the benefits received during the day, and also that we may be protected while asleep from every danger and accident.  We should never, if possible, go to sleep in mortal sin; and if we have the misfortune to be in that state, we should make as perfect an act of contrition as we can, and promise to go to confession as soon as possible.  So many accidents happen that we are never safe, even in good health; fires, earthquakes, floods, lightning, etc., might take us off at any moment.  If you saw a man hanging by a very slender thread over a great precipice where he would surely be dashed to pieces if the thread broke, and if you saw him thus risking his life willfully and without necessity, you would pronounce him the greatest fool in the world.  One who commits sin is a greater fool.  He suspends himself, as I have told you once before, over an abyss of eternal torments on the slender thread of his own life, that may break at any moment.  Do we tempt God and do to Him what we dare not to do to our fellowman because He is so merciful?  Let us be careful.  He is as just as He is merciful, and some sin will be our last, and then He will cut the thread of life and allow us to fall into an eternity of sufferings.  “Dangers,” whether of soul or body.  “Afflictions,” sufferings or misfortunes of any kind; such as loss of health, death in the family, etc.

307 Q. How should we pray?  A. We should pray:  first, with attention; second, with a sense of our own helplessness and dependence upon God; third, with a great desire for the graces we beg of God; fourth, with trust in God’s goodness; fifth, with perseverance.

“Attention,” thinking of what we are going to do.  Before praying we should think for a moment what prayer is.  In it we are about to address Almighty God, our Creator, and we are going to ask Him for something—­and what is the particular thing we need and seek for?  No one would think of going to a store without first considering what he wanted to buy.  He would make, too, all the necessary preparations for getting it.  He would find out how much he wanted, and what it would cost, and bring with him sufficient money.  He would never think of going in and telling the storekeeper to give him anything.  Now it is the same in prayer.  When we have thought of what we want of God, from whom we can obtain it, and of the reasons why we need it and why God might be pleased to grant it, we can then kneel down and pray for it.  We should pray to God just as a child begs favors from its parents.  We should talk to Him in our own simple words, and tell Him the reasons why we ask and why we think He should grant our request.  We should, however, be humble and patient in all our prayers.  God does not owe us anything, and whatever He gives is