ether we will do a thing or not. Here it means a trial made by some
person or thing--the devil, the world, or our own flesh--to see whether
we will sin or not. God does not exactly lead us into temptation; but He
allows us to fall into it. He allows others to tempt us. We can overcome
any temptation to sin by the help or grace that God gives us. Therefore
we ask in this petition that God will always give us the grace to
overcome the temptation, and that we may not consent to it. A temptation
is not a sin. It becomes sin only when we are overcome by it. When we
are tempted we are like soldiers fighting a battle: if the soldiers are
conquered by their enemy, they are disgraced; but if they conquer their
enemy, they have great glory and great rewards. So, when we overcome
temptations, God gives us a new glory and reward for every victory.

"Deliver us from evil." From every kind of evil, and especially the evil
of being conquered by our spiritual enemies, and thus falling into sin,
and offending God by becoming His enemy ourselves. It would be a sin to
seek temptation, though we have a reward for resisting it when it comes.

"Amen" means, be it so. May all we have asked be granted just as we have
asked it.

THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION

Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,
Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Next in beauty to the Lord's Prayer comes this prayer. It is made up of
three parts:

"Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst
women" was composed by the angel Gabriel, for these are the words he
used when he came to tell the Blessed Virgin that she was selected to be
the Mother of God (Luke 1:28). All her people knew that the Redeemer
promised from the time of Eve down to the time of the Blessed Virgin was
now to be born, and many good women were anxious to be His mother, and
they believed the one who would be selected the most blessed and happy
of all women.

"The Lord is with thee" by His grace and favor, since you are the one He
loves best. He is with all His creatures, but He is with you in a very
special manner.

After the visit of the angel, the Blessed Virgin went a good distance to
visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, who was the mother of St. John the
Baptist (Luke 1:39). When St. Elizabeth saw her, she, without being told
by the Blessed