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THE
COMPLETE MANUAL
OP
CATHOLIC PIETY;
CONTAINING
A SELECTION OF FERVENT PRAYERS,
PIOUS REFLECTIONS, AND SOLID INSTRUCTIONS,
ADAPTED TO EVERY STATE OF LIFE.
TO WHICH IS ANNEXED A SUPPLEMENT, CONTAINING EXCEL- LENT AND APPROVED DEVOTIONS, WITH THE EPISTLES AND OO8PEL8 FOR ALL THE 6UNDAY8 AND FESTIVALS OF THE YEAR.
BY THE REV. WILLIAM GAHAN, O.S.A.
DUBLIN:
PUBLISHED BY JAMES DUFFY,
25, ANGLESEA-STREET.
1844.
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60 - CHVNTILLY
DUBLIN :
PRINTED BY J. M. O’TOOLE, 33, ABBEY-STREET.
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CONTENTS.
Preface,
Table of Moveable leasts, . •
Feasts and Fasts throughout the Year,
Unlawful Marriages,
Plenary Indulgences, . . . .
Manner of Lay Baptism, . • . . . •
Ecclesiastical Calendar, . • . .
Morning Prayer, . • . . . .
Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, . • . ,
The Litany of the holy Name of Jesus • .
The Salva Repina,— in verse, ... . •
The Angelas Domini , . . . .
Short Ejaculations in the course of the Day,
Prayers for Night, .. ..
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin,
The Hymn, Te lucis ante terminum , — in English,
A Prayer before Sermon, Spiritual Reading, Ac.
A Prayer before Mass,
Prayers at Mass,
Preparation for Confession,
A Protestation before the Examination of Conscience Prayers before the Examination of Conscience,
An Examination of Conscience, .. . .
Prayers before Confession, . .
A Prayer at receiving Absolution,
Prayers after Confession, . . . .
Instructions for Communion
Prayers before Communion, ..
Acts of Virtue before Communion . .
page
7
10
11
12
ib.
14
ib.
25
30
33
36
37
38
39 44 47
49
50 56 80 81 82 85 92
97
98 103 107 111
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CONTENTS,
page
A Prayer to obtain the effects of a Plenary Indulgence, . . 118
Prayers after Communion, . • . • . . 124
Acts of Virtue after Communion, . . . . . . 180
The Seven Penitential Psalms, • • . . . . 141
The Litany of Saints, .. .. .. 150
Motives to Perseverance in a Virtuous Life, . • . • 158
Devotions for every Day in the Week, . . . . 100
Pious Reflections for every Day in the Month; from the French of the Rev. F. BOUHOURS, . . . . 171
Meditations on the Articles of the Creed— to be used as a Devotion by Societies, Families, Ac. . . . . 210
Anthem of the Blessed Virgin, Salve Regina , . . . . 224
An Universal Prayer for all things necessary to Salvation . • 225
A Prayer for the Choice of a State of Life, . . 227
A Prayer for a Pregnant Woman . . . . ib.
Litany of Divine Providence, . • . . . . 229
Prayer of St. Bernard to the Blessed Virgin . . . . 232
Litany of St. Winefrid, .. •• .. 238
The Golden Litany, •• •• .. ,t 239
The Prayers of St. Bridget, .. .. 247
Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, . • . . 258
Litany of the Sacred Heart, •• •• .. 259
Reparation of Honour to the Sacred Heart, . • . . 262
Devotions for the Sick, .. .. .. 264
A Prayer upon Recovery from Sickness, . • . . 277
Preparation for Death, .. .. .. 278
A Prayer by St. Liguori, • • • • . . 291
A Prayer of St. Augustin on the Sufferings of Christ, . . 292
A Prayer of St. Jerome in time of Agony, . . 293
Prayers to be recited by the Assistants when the Dying Person loses the use of Speech, •• .. .. 294
Recommendation of a Soul Departing . . •• 298
Litany for a Happy Death, • • . • . • 805
A Prayer for all that are buried in a Church or Church-yard, 309 Exequies, or Sacred Rites over the Tomb, (in Latin and English) •• •• •• •• 310
Litany for the Dead, .. .. •• . • 316
A Prayer upon the day of Decease or Burial, . • . • 320
Vespers for Sundays, (in Latin and English,) . . • • 821
The Hymn, Lucie Creator Optime, (Latin and English,) . . 326
Litany of the Blessed Virgin, (in Latin,) . . . . 828
Method of Serving at Mass, •• •• •• 330
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CONTENTS,
5
SUPPLEMENT.
|
On the Mass, and the use of the Latin Liturgy, |
page .. 836 |
|
|
The Ordinary of the Holy Mass, . . |
• • |
.. 840 |
|
Explanatory Prayers at Mass, . . |
.. |
.. 867 |
|
Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays and Principal Festivals |
||
|
throughout the Year, .. .. |
.. |
.. 388 |
|
Instructions and Devotions for Confirmation, |
.. |
.. 482 |
|
The Psalter of Jesus, •• •• |
• • |
.. 492 |
|
The Rosary of the blessed Name of Jesus, |
• r |
.. 503 |
|
The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, |
.. |
.. 510 |
|
The Hymn, Te Deum , (in English,) |
.. |
.. 521 |
|
The Thirty Days’ Prayer, |
.. |
522 |
|
Hymns for Festivals, (in Latin and English,) Advent, Alma Redemptor , . . . . |
.. 527 |
|
|
Christmas, Adeste Fidelity |
.. ib. |
|
|
Passion and Palm-Sundays, Vexilla regin |
.. 528 |
|
|
Good-Friday , Stabat mater, , . |
.. 529 |
|
|
Easter, 0 Filii, |
.. 532 |
|
|
Whit-Sun day, Veni Creator, . . |
.. 534 |
|
|
Sequence to do., Veni Sanete , |
536 |
|
|
Corpus Christi, Pange lingua , • • |
.. 538 |
|
|
At the Elevation, 0 Salutari* , • • |
.. 540 |
A 2
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PREFACE
Of all the means we can employ for our advancement in the great affair of our salvation, Prayer is certainly one of the most powerful. Saint Augustin calls it the Key of Heaven, that unlocks the treasures of God, and gives us free access to the riches of his divine bounty. It was by prayer that Elias, when he pleased, opened and shut the sluices of heaven, and caused fire to descend from above to consume his sacrifice. It was by prayer that Joshua caused the sun to stop in the midst of its course. The prayer of Moses contributed more to the signal victory obtained by Joshua over the army of the Amalekites, than all the weapons of Israel : for as long as his hands were raised up to heaven, his prayers drew down a blessing on the people of God : but no sooner did he let his hands fall, (being unable to keep them in that painful posture,) and had ceased from prayer, than the Amalekites began to prevail.
But if Prayer be so powerful, it is no less necessary : our poverty and indigence; our manifold wants, infirmities, and miseries ; the various dangers to which we are con- tinually exposed; the frequent temptations we have to encounter; our absolute insufficiency of ourselves, and inability to do the least good without the grace of God ; are corroborating proofs of the indispensable necessity of Prayer.
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PREFACE.
Though every good gift comes from the Father of Lights, who knows our wants, and is always inclined to relieve us, yet he requires that we have recourse in all our necessities, corporal and spiritual, to the throne of his mercy, under the assurance that whatever we ask with confidence, humi- lity, piety, and perseverance, in the name of J esus, shall be granted.
However, the idea of Prayer is not to be confined to that of Petition, as frequently happens. Many Christians, indeed, pray to God; but where are they to be found, who, like David, are incessantly employed in singing the mercies of the Lord, and have the remembrance of them deeply engraven in their hearts P They call upon God, to represent to him their wants, either temporal or spiritual; they appear only in his presence with a hand lifted up to receive, as if they imagined he was indebted to them, and that be never gave them enough. They have a heart but to wish, and a tongue but to ask. Their wants are eloquent and pressing, their gratitude cold and silent; for how seldom do they think of appearing before him to bless and praise him, and to celebrate the wonders of his love for us! Alas ! to recollect his benefits, to thank him for them, to feel confused at the sight of their own ingratitude, to excite themselves, from this motive, to confidence and love, to be ready to do all, to suffer all, for a God who has shown them so much goodness, is a practice which is known but to a small number of fervent souls. 'We are all earnest in asking ; but in general so deficient in thanksgiving, that, like the Lepers in the Gospel, it is to be feared not above one in ten gives due thanks to God for the blessings received.
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PREFACE. 9
Nevertheless, nothing would be more pleasing to God, nor more proper to draw down upon us new graces.
To facilitate, therefore, the exercise of this important duty, certain forms of vocal prayers have always been recommended, particularly such as have been used by the Saints, and drawn from the divine Psalms, which are so full of sublime ideas, of tender sentiments of piety, of fervent aspirations, of transports and raptures in God, that all the subjects of Prayer which are suitable either to the penitent way, the illuminative way, or the unitive way, are to be met with therein.
The Manual now offered to the piety of Irish Catholics, will be found, on a diligent perusal, to have no small claim to this merit. The many editions it has gone through, the high esteem it is held in by interior souls, the constant and universal demand for it, is all we shall say in its praise.
To render it still more acceptable and more complete, the present edition has been very considerably enlarged, improved, and enriched with Instructions and Devotions for Confirmation ; with an explanation of the Latin Liturgy, and of the Ceremonies used in the sacrifice of the Mass, and different pious methods of assisting thereat; with particular Devotions for every day in the Week ; in short, with a great variety of Sacred Hymns of praise and thanksgiving, and of spiritual Exercises of Piety for several occasions, taken from the most approved Books of Devotion in the French and English Language.*
* See the Supplement attached to this Book.
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FEASTS AND FASTS
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
HOLY-DAYS ON WHICH THERE IS A STRICT OBLIGATION TO HEAR MASS, AND REFRAIN FROM SERVJLR WORKS.
All Sundays in the Year.
Ascension of our Lord.
Corpus Christi.
January 1-^The Circumcision of our Lord.
January 6— The Epiphany.
March 17— The Feast of St. Patrick.
March 25— The Annunciation of the B. V. M.
June 29— St. Peter and St. Paul.
August 1&— Assumption of the B. Y. M.
November 1— Feast of All Saints.
December 25 — Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[The obligation is taken away on all other days, by decrees of Popes Pius VI. and VIII.] ^
FASTING DAYS ON ONE MEAL.
All the Days in Lent, except Sundays. The Eve of Whitsuntide.
The Quarter-tenses, or Ember-days, being the Wednes- days, Fridays, and Saturdays, next after the first Sunday °L1^?5 a“er ^^t-Sunday; after September 14th: and after December 13th.
.The Eves of St. Peter and St. Paul; of the Assumption JEJ1® 7- Mai7 J oi All Saints ; and of Christmas -day. The Fridays and Saturdays in Advent.
DAY8 OF ABSTINENCE FROM FLESH MEAT.
All die Sundays in Lent, except when the use of meat is allowed by the Archbishop or Bishop of the diocess.
All the Fridays throughout the Year.
N.B. — Eggs are forbidden on Fridays, when a fast falls on them; and if a Fasting Day fall on a Sunday, the fast is kept on the Saturday before. If Christmas-day fall on a Friday, neither fast nor abstinence is observed.
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PLENARY INDULGENCES.
N.B. — The Catholic Church commands all her children to be present at the great Eucharistic Sacrifice, which we oall the Mass, and to rest from servile work, on Sundays and' Holy-days. Secondly — To abstain from flesh on all the days of fasting and abstinence, and on fasting days to eat but one meal. Thirdly — To confess their sins at least once a year Fourthly — To receive the blessed sacrament at least once a year, and that at Easter, viz., between Palm and Low Sundays.
%• The time appointed in the Archdiocess of Dublin, for complying with the Easter Duty? begins an Ash- Wed- nesday, and terminates on Ascension I)ay. They who, without some reasonable cause, neglect this important duty, are liable to be excommunicated whilst living, and when they die, to be deprived of Christian burial, accord- ing to the fourth Council of Lateran, can. 21.
Marriage cannot be contracted bv persons within the fourth degree of kindred without a dispensation, and if attempted is invalid. Spiritual kindred, contracted by baptism or confirmation, is an impediment.
Clandestine marriage is that which is not performed by the pastor of one of the party, with certificate, or by another priest, with his license, and in the presence of two or three witnesses.
Clandestine marriages are unlawful, and forbidden by the church; and are null or invalid in all the diocesses of Ireland, as the Decree of the Council of Trent, which annuls clandestine marriages, has duly been received in them all, 2nd December, 1827, and was in force thirty days after, or 1st January, 1828.
The solemnizing of marriage is forbidden from the first Sunday in Advent till after Twelfth-day ; and from the beginning of Lent till Easter-Sunday. At all other times it may be solemnized.
Plenary Indulgences are granted to the faithful of this kingdom by complying with the usual conditions : — On the feast of St. Patrick, or any day within the octave. Item, on the feast of SS. Peter and Paul, or any day within the octave. Item, at the hour of death, to such as devoutly invoke the sacred name of J esus, at least with
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PLENARY INDULGENCES.
13
the heart. The other Indulgences! which are granted to the faithful of the Archdiocess of Dublin, on the feasts of the Nativity of our Lord, the Circumcision, the Epiphany, the Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, on the five principal festivals of the Blessed Virgin, and the feast of All Saints, &c., are commonly published from the altars.
Note . — By an Indulgence is meant a relaxation or remis- sion of the temporal punishment due to sins already for-
fiven, both as to the guilt and eternal punishment. Some ndulgences are called plenary ; because, when the full effect of them is gained, they remit all the debt of tem- poral punishment : others are called partial; for example, an Indulgence of forty or an hundred days, or of three, seven, ten, fifteen, or more years ; because the penitent is only thereby released in part, or from such a proportion of the debt of temporal punishment as was formerly en- joined by the penitential canons, according to the enormity of the crimes committed, and as would have been remitted by God, had the penitent undergone, for such a space of time, the severe canonical penances which were in use in the Church until the twelfth century.
The direct and immediate effect, therefore, of an Indul- gence is, to remit the debt of temporal punishment, and not to pardon or remit sin, as it supposes sin already forgiven. But the sinner’s repentance being seldom so
Ee deserves, on account of the injury he has committed against the Divine Majesty, there usually remains some debt of temporal punishment to be discharged, either in this world or in the next. For though the mercy of God * is moved by a true repentance, to pardon the guilt and eternal punishment due in hell for mortal sin; yet his justice Soften substitutes in its place, and reserves some debt of temporal punishment, to wnich the repenting sinner is liable on account of his past sins ; as appears evidently from several remarkable instances recorded in holy writ, particularly Adam, King David, Manasses, the Israelites, &c.
It is to discharge and cancel this debt of temporal punishment, that works of penance are enjoined in the sacred tribunal of Confession; and that the Catholic Church, like a compassionate and indulging mother, opens
B
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PLENARY INDULGENCES.
her spiritual treasures from time to time, to supply the wants and make up the deficiency of her children. In virtue of the power given to her by J esus Christ, and in imitation of St. Paul, (2 Cor. x.) and several other re- nowned doctors and pastors who flourished in the purest ages of Christianity, she grants indulgences to such of the faithful as are properly disposed, and apply with fervour to those works of piety ana religion, chanty and penance, that are required on their part, as conditions necessary to gain the benefit of an indulgence.
THE MANNER OF LAY PERSONS BAPTIZING AN INFANT IN DANGER OF DEATH.
Take common water, pour it on the head or face of the child, and while you are pouring it, say the following words : “ I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost Amen.”
THE ROMAN CALENDAR FOR THE KINGDOM OF IRELAND :
CONTAINING
The Feasts and Fasts of the said Kingdom, the Irish Saints, and Patrons of each Diocess; all on their proper days.
EXPLANATIONS.
The Festivals of the Holy-Days are in small capital
LETTERS.
The Irish Saints are marked in Italic Letters .
The Founders of Religious Orders are marked thus, t Note, — Ap. signifies Apostle, M. Martyr, B. Bishop, Ab. Abbot, C. Confessor, V. Virgin, D. Diocess.
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CALENDAB
JANUARY, 30 DAYS.
1 Circumcision of our 16 S. Fursev r, Ab. S. Mar-
Lord. cellos, Pope and Mart.
2 Octave of S. Stephen. 17 S. Anthony, Ab.
In the Diocess of Lime- 18 Chair of S. Peter at rick, S. Munchin , B. Rome. S. Prisca, V .M. C. 19 S. Canute, King and M.
3 Octave of S. John, A pos- SS. Maurius, Martha,
tie and Evangelist. Audifaeis, and Abac-
4 Octave of Holy Inno- kum, Martyrs.
20 SS. Fabian and Sabas- 6 S.Telesphorus,Pope and tian, Martyrs.
Martyr. Vigil. 21 S. Agnes, Virg. & Mar.
6 Epiphany of our Lord, 22 SS. Vincent and Anas-
with an Octive. tatius, Martyrs.
7 8. Kenligema, Widow. 23 Desponsation, B. V. M.
S. Lucian, Martyr. S. Emerentiana, V. and
8 S. Albert , B. of Cashel. Martyr.
S. Appollinaris, B. C. 24 S. Timothy, Bp. and M.
9 S. Finally B. of Lindis- 25 Conversion of S. Paul
fame. S. Peter of Se- the Apostle.
baste, B. C. 26 S. Polycarp, Bp. and M.
10 S. William, B. and C. 27 S. John Chrysostom, Bp.
11 S. Hyginus, Pope and and Confessor.
Martyr. S. Theodosius 28 Commemoration of S. the Cenobiareh, Ab. Agnes.
12 S. Arcadius, Martyr. 29 S. Francis de Sales, Bp.
13 Octave of the Epiphany. and Confessor.
14 S. Hilary, B.C. S. Felix, 30 S. Martina. V. and M.
Priest and Martyr. S. Amnichad , Conf.
16 S. Paul, the first Hermit, 31 fS. Peter Nolasco, Conf.
S. Maurus, Martyr. S. Aidan , Bp. of Ferns.
• Feast of the most holy Name of JESUS, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.
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FEBRUARY AND MARCH,
FEBRUARY, 28 DAYS.
1 S. Bridget . Virgin, Pa-
troness of Ireland. S. Ignatius, Bp. and Mar.
2 Purification of the B.
V. M.
3 S. Blase, Bp. and Mart.
4 S. Andrew Corsini, Bp.
and Confessor.
5 S. Agatha, Virgin and
Martyr.
6 S. Dorothy, V. and M.
In the Diocess of Ar- dagh, S. Mely B. and C.
7 S. Romuald, Abbot. S.
Malon , Bishop.
8 S. John of Matha, Conf.
9 S. Apollonia, V. and M.
S. Cairecha , Virgin.
10 S. Scholastica, Virgin
and Martyr.
11 S. Raymund of Penna-
fort, Conf. S. Elchin , Bishop of Cluninfoda.
12 S. SeauliuSy Bishop of
Dublin. S. Benedict of Anian, Abbot.
13 S. Modomnocy B. S. Ca-
therine of Ricci, V.
14 S. V alentine, Priest and
Martyr.
15 SS. Faustinas and Jovi-
ta. Martyrs.
16 S. Tanco} Bishop and M.
S. Onesimus, Martyr.
17 S. Fintany Abbot.
18 S. Simeon, Bp. and M.
19 S. Barbas, Bp. and Conf.
20 SS. Tyrannio, &c. Ms.
21 S. Severianus, Bishop
and Martyr.
22 The Chair of S. Peter at
Antioch.
23 S. Serenus, a Gardener,
Martyr.
24 S. Matthias, Apostle.
25 S. Terasius, Patriarch of
Constantinople, Conf.
26 S. Alexander, Patron of
Alexandria.
27 S. Leander, Bp. and Con.
28 SS. Martyrs of Alexan-
dria.
•In Leap-years February hath
29 days, and the Feast of St. Mat- thias is kept on the 25th.
MARCH, 31 DAYS.
1 S. Moneniuty Bishop of
Cluainferta Brendam. S. David, B. C.
2 SS. Martyrs under the
Lombards.
3 S. Cunegundis, Empress.
4 S. Cassimirus, Confes.
S. Lucius, Pope and M.
5 S. Kiarany Bp. and C.
SS. Adrian, &c. MM.
6 S. Fridoliny Abbot. S.
Chrodegang, B. and C.
7 S. Thomas of Aquino,
Confessor and Doctor. SS. Pernetua and Feli- citas, MM.
8 S. CatalduSy B. C. S.
Sennany B. S. John of God, Confessor.
9 S. Frances, "Widow.
10 SS. Forty Martyrs of
Sebaste. S. Firsullu8y Bishop.
11 S. Mnguiy Abbot.
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MARCH AND APRIL.
IT
Id S. Gregory the Great, Pope, Conf. and Doctor. IS S. Nicephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople, C.
14 S. Maud, Empress.
15 SS. Abraham and Mary.
16 S. Julian, Martyr.
17 Patrick, Bishop and
Confessor and Patron of Ireland.
18 S. Frkiian , Bishop and
Confessor.
19 S. Joseph, Conf. Spouse
of the B. V. M.
80 S. C uthbert, Bp. and C.
81 S. Benedict, Ad. Patron
of the Western Monks.
83 S. Basil of Ancyra,
Priest and Martyr.
33 S. Alphonsus Turibius, Bishop and Confessor.
84 S» Car lain , Bishop of
Armagh. S. Ireneus, Bishop and Confessor.
85 Annunciation of the
B. V. M.
86 S. Ledger, Bp. and C.
37 S. Rupert, Bp. and C. 88 SS. Priscus, MM.
39 SS. Jonas, &c. MM.
30 S. Fergus , Bp. of Drum- 3eth-glass. S. John Clymacus, Abbot.
31 S. Benjamin, Martyr.
• The Feast of the Sere n Dolors of the B. V. M. Friday after Pas- sion Sunday.
APRIL, 30 BAYS.
1 S. Hugh, Bp. and Conf.
2 t S. Francis of Paula, C.
3 SS. Agape, &c. MM.
4 S. Is adore. Bp. and Con.
S. Tigernachy Bishop.
5 S. Vincent Ferrer, Conf.
6 S. Cele stine y Pope and
Confee. S. Cathubius , Abbot.
7 S. Celus, B. of Armagh.
8 S. Kensalud , Abbot of
Benchor. S. Dionisius, Bishop and Confessor.
9 S. Mary of Egypt.
10 S. Bademus, Abbot
11 S. Leo the Great, Pope
Confessor and Doctor
12 S. Sabas, Martyr.
13 S. Hermenegild, Mart
14 SS. Tiburtius, V alerian,
and Maximus, MM.
15 S. Rundham , Bishop.
S. Peter Gonzales, C.
16 S. Tegalius , Bp. SS.
Martyrs of Saragossa-
17 S. Anicetus, P. and M.
S. Leochaaius r. Abbot.
18 S. Laserian, Bishop of
Leigblin. S. Apollonius the Apologist, M.
19 S. Leo IX. Pope and C.
20 S. Agnes, Virg. and Ab.
21 S. Anselm, Bp. and C.
S. Berachus , Abbot
22 SS. Soterus and Cauis,
Popes and Martyrs.
23 S. George, Martyr, S.
Ibary Bishop.
24 S.FidelisofSimarengen,
Martyr.
25 S. Mark, Eyangelist.
26 SS. Cletus and Marcel-
linus, Popes and Mars.
27 S. AsicuSyD^. of Elphin.
SS. Anthimus, Bishop, &c. MM.
B 2
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18 APRIL AND MAY.
28 S. Vitalis, Martyr. S.
Cronan , Abbot.
29 S. Peter, M. S. Ficano ,
Confessor.
30 S. Catherine of Sienna,
Virgin.
•Patronage of S. Joseph, 3rd Sunday after Easter.
MAY, 31 DAYS.
1 SS. Philip and James,
Apostles. S. Ultany Ab.
2 Athanasius, Bp. and C.
3 The invention of the
Holy Cross. In the Diocess of Kildare, S. Conleath , Bp. and C.
4 S. Monica, Widow.
5 S. Pius V. Pope and C.
6 S. John before the Latin
Gate.
7 S. Stanislaus, Bp. and M.
8 Apparition of S. Michael
Arch. S. Indrathty M.
9 S. Gregory Nazianzen,
Bishop and Confessor.
10 S. Comgally Ab. S. An-
tonius Bp. and Conf. SS. Gordian and Epi- machus, MM.
11 S. Mammertus, Bishop
and Confessor.
12 SS. Nereus and Achil-
leus, Martyrs.
13 S. John the Silent, Bp.
and Confessor.
14 S. Boniface, Martyr. S.
Carthaghy Bishop of Lismore.
15 S. Dympna , V. and M.
S. Gonebrardy Martyr.
16 S. Ubaine, B. C. and S.
John Nepomuoen, M. In the Diocess of Ard- fert and Clonfert, *S. Brendan , Abbot.
17 S. Mawy C. S. Paschal
Baylon, Confessor.
18 S. Venantius, Martyr.
19 f S. Peter Celestine,
Pope and C. S. Pru- dentiana, V.
20 S. Bemardin of Sienna, C.
21 S. Ubaldus, Bp. and C.
22 S. Ivo. Confessor.
23 S. Julia, Virg. and M.
24 S. Vincent of Lerins, C.
S. Mac-Cartin} Bishop of Clogher.
25 S. Greg. VII. P. and C.
S. Urban, P. and M.
26 fS. Philip Neri, C. S.
Eleutherius, P. and M.
27 S. Mary Magdalen of
Pazzi, V. S. John, P. and M.
28 S. Germanus, B. and C.
29 S. Maximinus, B. and C.
30 S. Felix, Pope and M.
S. Maguily Confessor.
31 S, Petronilla, Virg. fS.
Angela of Brescia, V .
JUNE, 30 DAYS.
1 S. Justin, Martyr.
2 SS. Marcellinns and
Peter, MM.
3 S. Comegeny Bishop of
Glendaloch. S. Ceci- lius, Conf.
4 S. PetrocuSy Confessor.
SS. Breaca, &c. Virgs. S. Francis Caracciolo, Confessor.
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JUNE AND JULY,
19
5 S. Boniface, B. and M.
6 fS. Norbert, B. and C.
8. Coca, Virgin.
7 S. Colman , Bishop of
Dromore, Conf.
8 S. Syra, V. S. Brontus ,
Bishop, Cuil-ira. S. Medard, Bp. and C.
9 S. Columba , Ab. SS.
Primus and Felican, Martyrs.
10 S. Margaret, Queen of
Scotland, Widow.
11 S. Barnabas, Apostle.
S. MectaluSy Bishop,
12 S. John of Sahagun, C.
and SS. Basilides, Cy- rus, &c. MM.
13 S. Anthony of Padua, C.
S. Macnisius, Ab.
14 S. Basil the Great, Bp.
and Conf.
15 SS. Vitus, Crescentia,
and Modestus, MM.
16 S. John Francis Regis,
Confessor.
17 SS. Nicander, <fec. MM.
18 SS. Marcus and Mar-
cellinus, MM.
19 fS. Juliana Falconieri,
Virgin. SS. Gervasius and Protasius, MM.
20 S. Silverius, Pope and M.
S. Gobain , Virgin.
21 S. Aloysius Gonzaga, C.
22 S. Patdinus, Bp. and C.
23 S. Etheldreda,V.andM.
Vigil.
24 Nativity of S. John
Baptist, with an Oct.
25 f S. William, Ab.
26 SS. John and Paul,
Martyrs.
27 S. Ladislas, King and C.
28 S. Leo II. Pope and C.
Vigil. Fast.
29 SS. Peter and Paul,
Apostles, with an Oct.
30 Commemoration of S.
Paul, Ap.
JULY, 31 DAYS.
1 Octave of S. John Bap-
tist. S. Cunuan , Bp.
2 Visitation of the B. V.
Mary. SS. Processus and Martinian, MM.
3 S. Rumold , Bp. and M.
S. Killen. Ad.
4 S. FinJbar , Ab. S. Ul-
ric, B. and C.
5 S. Modwena , Virgin. S.
Peter, B. and C.
6 Octave of SS. Peter and
Paul, Apostles.
7 S. Paulinus, Conf.
8 S. Kiliarij Bp. and M.
S. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal.
9 SS. Martyrs of Gorcum.
10 SS. Seven Brethren, and
Rufina and Secunda, Martyrs.
11 S. Pius I. Pope and M.
S. Drostan , Ab.
12 f S. John Gualbert, Ab.
SS. Nabor and Felix, Martyrs.
13 S. Anacletus, Pope and
Martyr.
14 S. Bonaventure, B. C.
and D. S. Idus, Bp.
15 S. Henry JI., Emperor of
Germany, Conf.
16 Commemoration of B.
V. M. of Mt. Carmel.
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20 JULY AND AUGUST.
17 S. Alexius, Confessor,
S. Turning Conf.
18 fS. Camillus de Lellis,
Conf. SS. Symphorosa, &c. Martyrs,
19 fS. Vincent of Paulo, C.
20 fS. Jerom ASmiliani, C.
S. Margaret, V. M.
21 S. Praxedes, Virgin. S.
ArbogagiuSy Bishop.
22 S. Mary Magdalen. S.
Dabius, Conf.
23 S. ApolUnaris, B. and M.
S. Liborius, B. C.
24 S. Christina, V. and M.
S. Dec!any B. Vigil.
2 5 S. James, Apostle. S.
Christopher, Martyr.
26 S. Anne, Mother of the
B. V. M.
27 S. Pantaleon, Martyr.
S. Congal , Ab.
28 SS. Nazarius, Celsus,
and Victor, Martyrs. S. Innocent, Pope & C.
29 S. Martha, V.SS. Felix,
Simplicius, <fcc. MM.
30 SS. Abdon and Sennen,
Martyrs.
31 f S. Ignatius of Loyala C.
AUGUST, 31 DAYS.
1 S. Peter's Chains. SS.
Maccabees, MM.
2 S. Stephen, Pope and M.
S. Chrocan.
3 Finding of S. Stephen's
Relics.
4 fS. Dominick, Conf.
S. LaimuSy Ab.
5 Dedication of the Church
of the B. V. M. of Nives.
6 Transfiguration of our
Lord. SS. Xystus, Pope, Felidssixnus, <fcc. Martyrs.
7 f S. Cajetan, Confessor.
S. Donatus. Martyr.
8 SS. Cariacus, Largus,
and Smaragdus, MM.
9 S. Romanus, Martyr.
S. Nathy, Bp. and C. S. FiSmid, Bp. and C. Vigil.
10 S. Laurence, M. with an
Octave. S. Man , Bp.
11 SS. Tiberius and Stuan-
na, Martyrs.
12 fS. Clare, Virgin. S.
Muredach , Bp. and C.
13 SS. Hypolitus and Cas-
sianus, Martyrs.
14 S. Eusebius, Conf. S.
Fachanan , Ab. Vigil. Fast.
15 Assumption of the B.
V. M. with an Oct.
16 S. Hyacinth, Conf.
1 7 Octave of S. Laurence.
18 S. Agapetus, Mart. S.
Degha , Bp. S. Helen, Empress.
19 SS. Timothy, <fcc. MM.
20 S. Bernard, Abbot.
21 S. Jane Frances de
Chantal, "Widow.
22 Octave of the Assumpt.
23 S. Philip Beniti, Conf.
S. Eugenius , B. Vigil.
24 S. Bartholomew, Apost.
25 S. Lewis IX. King of
France, Confessor.
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21
AUGUST AND
26 8. Zephyrinus, Pope and
Martyr.
27 t S. Joseph Calasanc-
tioa, Coniessor.
28 fS. Augustine, B. C.
and D. S. Hermes. M.
29 Decollation of S. John
Baptist. S. Sabina, M.
30 S. Fiaker, Conf. S. Rose
of Lima, Virgin.
31 S. Raymond Nonnatus,
Conf. S. Aidan , Bp.
* 8- Joachim, on Sunday with- in the Octave of the Assumption.
SEPTEMBER, 30 DAYS.
1 S. Giles, Abbot. SS.
Twelve Brothers, MM.
2 S.Stephen, King of Hun-
gary, Confessor
3 S. Macnisius, B. C. S.
Simeon Stilites.
4 S. Ultatty Bishop. SS. Marcellos, <fec. MM.
6 S. Laurence Justinian, B. C. S. AiiOy Abbot.
6 S. Begay V. S. Maccu -
Undue, B. S. Pambo, Abbot.
7 S. Grimonhy V. M. S.
Ennauy B. S Cloud, C.
8 Nativity B.V. M. with
an Oct. S. Adrian, M.
9 S. Gorgonius, Martyr.
S. Ktarariy Abbot.
10 S. Nicholas of Tolentine,
Conf. S. Finian , B.
11 SS. Proteus and Hyacin-
thus, Martyrs.
12 S. AlbeuSy B. S. Eans-
wide, V. Abbess. S. Sigmnuy Abbot.
SEPTEMBER.
13 S. Eulogiug, B. & C.
14 Exaltation of the Holy
Cross. S. CormaCy B.K.
15 Octave of Nat. B. V. M.
S. Nicodemus, M.
16 SS. Cornelius & Cyprian,
Bishops and Martyrs. SS. Euphemia, Lucia, and Geminiani, MM.
17 Impression of the Sacred
Stigmas of S. Francis.
18 S. Joseph of Cupertino,
Confessor.
19 SS. Januarius, Bishop,
and Companions, MM.
20 SS. Eustachius and Com-
panions, MM. Vigil.
21 S. Matthew, Apostle and
Evangelist.
22 S. Thomas of Villanova,
B. and C. S. Maurice and Companions, MM.
23 S. Linus, P. and M. S.
Thecla, V. and M. S. Eunan, B. C.
24 Feast of the B. V.M. of
theRedemp.of Captives.
25 S. Ftnbary Bp. of Cork.
S. Cleofrid, Abbot.
26 SS. Cyprian <fe Justina,
Martyrs.
27 SS. Cosmas & Damian,
Martyrs.
28 S. Wenceslaus, Duke
and Martyr.
29 Dedication of S. Michael,
Archangel
30 S. Jerom, Priest, Conf.
and Doctor.
• Festival of holy Name of B. V. M., Sunday within Octave of Nativity B. V. M. — Seven Do- lors, Srd Sunday in September.
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22
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
OCTOBER, 31 DAYS.
1 S. Remigius, B. and 0.
S. Odran , Conf.
2 Feast of the On. Angels.
3 S. Dionysius the Areo-
pagite. Bp. and M.
4 f § -Francis of Assisinm,
Confessor.
5 SS. Placidns and Com-
panions, Martyrs.
6 fS. Bruno, Confessor.
7 S. Mark, Pope & Conf.
SS. Sergius, &c. MM.
8 S. Bridget, Widow. S.
Corcra , Abbot.
9 SS. Dionysius, Rusticus,
<fec. Martyrs.
10 S. Francis Borgia, Cotif.
1 1 S. Kenny , Abbot, patron
of Kilkenny.
12 S. Mobiles, Ab. of Glas-
naidh. S. Wilfrid, B.C.
13 S. Edward, King & Cotif.
S. Colman, M.
14 S. Callistus, Pope & M.
15 fS. Teresa, Virgin.
16 S. Gaul, Abbot. S.Syra,
Abbess.
17S. Hedwiges, or A voice. Duchess of Poland, W •
18 S. Luke, Evangelist.
19 S. Peter of Alcantara, C.
20 S. John Cantius, Conf.
S. Aidan , Bishop.
21 S. Hilarion, Abbot. JSS.
Ursula & Companions, Virgins and Martyrs.
22 S. Donatus Bp. & Conf.
23 S. Tbeodoret, Martyr.
24 S. Raphael, Archangel.
25 SS. Chrysanthus and
Daria, MM.
26 S. Evaristus, Pope <fe M.
27 S. Abban, Ab. S. Oteran ,
Bp. & Conf. Vigil.
28 SS. Simon & Jude, Ap.
29 S. Colman , Bp. & Com.
30 S. Marcellas, Martyr.
31 S. Folian, M. S. Quin-
tin, M. Vigil. Fast.
• Feast of the Rosary of the B. V. M., 1st Sunday in October. Anniversary of the Dedication of the Churches of Ireland, 2d Sun- day in October.
NOVEMBER, 30 DAYS.
1 Festival of All
SainTs, with an Oct.
2 Commem. of All Souls.
S. Ere, Bp. of Slane.
3 S. Malaehy , Bishop of
Armagh, Conf.
4 S. Charles Borromeo,
B.&C. SS.Vitalis and Agricola, MM.
5 S. Bertile, Abbess.
6 S. Leonard, Confessor.
7 S. Willibrord, Conf.
8 Oct. of All Sfcints. Four
Crowned Brothers, M M .
9 Dedication of our Sa-
viour’s Church, called S. John of Lateran. S. Theodoras, M.
10 S. Andrew Avellina, C.
SS. Triphon, &c. MM.
11 S. Martin of Tours, B.
and C. S. Mennas, M.
12 S. Martin, Pope & M.
S. Lwin , B.& M*
13 S. Didaous, C. S. Chil-
ten, Priest. S. Stanis- las Kostka, C.
14 S. Laurence , B. & C.
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NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 23
15 S. Gertrude, Virgin.
16 S. Edmond, B. & C.
17 S. Gregory Thaumatur- gns, B.C. S. Duloch, C.
18 Dedica. of the Chnrches
of SS. Peter & Pan!.
19 S. Elizabeth, Widow,
S. Pontain, Pope & M.
20 fS. Felix of Valois, C.
21 Presentation of the Bles-
sed Virgin Mary.
22 S. Cecily, V. and M.
23 S. Clement, Pope & M.
S. Felicitas, M.
24 S. Columbon , Abbot. S.
John of the Cross, C. S. Chrysogonns, M. S. Caiman , B. C.
25 S. Catharine, V. & M.
26 S. Peter of Alexandria,
Bishop and Martyr.
27 S. Virgil , B. & C. S.
Secundin , Bishop
28 S. Stephen the Younger,
Martyr.
29 S. Satuminus, Bishop <fe
Martyr. Vigil.
30 S. Andrew, Ap. S. Bren -
dany of Birr, Abbot.
• Feast of the Protection of the B. V. M., 2d Sunday in Nov.
DECEMBER, 31 DAYS.
1 S. Eligius, Bp. & Conf.
2 S. Bibiana, V. & M.
3 Francis Xavier, Conf.
Apostle of the Indies.
4 S. Peter Chrysologus,
Bp. & Conf. S. Barbara, Virgin & Martyr.
5 S. Sabbas, Abbot
6 S. Nicholas, Bp. & Conf.
7 S. Ambrose, Bishop, Con-
fessor, ana Doctor.
8 Concept, of the B. V. M.
with an Octave.
9 S. Leocadia, V. & M.
10 S. Melchiades, P. 8c M.
11 S. Damascus, P. & C.
12 S. Finiany Bishop. SS.
Epimachus, &c. MM.
13 S. Lucy, Virg. & M.
14 SS. Fingary and Com-
panions, MM. S. Spi- ridion, Bp. & Conf.
15 Octave of the Conception
of the B. V. M.
16 S. Eusebius, B. & Mart.
S. Beanmi Bishop.
17 S. Olympias, Widow.
18 Expectation of the Bles-
sed Virgin Mary. In the Diocess of Killaloe, S. Flannan , B. & C.
91 S. Samthana, Vir.&Ab. S. Nimesion, Mart.
20 S. Philagonius, Bishop
and Confessor. Vigil.
21 S. Thomas, Apostle.
22 S. Ischyrion, Martyr.
23 S. Serbulus, Confessor.
24 Vigil of the Nativ. Fast.
25 Nativity of our Lord.
26 S. Stephen, first Martyr.
S. Jarlath , Bishop of Tuam, Confessor.
27 S. John, Apost. & Evan.
28 Feast of the Holy Inno-
cents, with an Oct.
29 S. Thomas, Bishop of
Canterbury, Martyr.
30 The Office of the Sunday
within Octave of the Nativity.
31 S. Sylvester, Pope & C.
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MORNING PRAYER.
MORNING PRAYER is a duty which God requires as the first fruits of the day : — most religiously then should it be consecrated to him. The success of our actions for the rest of the day, depends in a great measure upon this first duty. To begin the day without imploring God’s grace, and thanking him sincerely for the repose of the night, is certainly to expose ourselves to infinite danger.
But before prayer, recollect yourself a moment; think what you are, of yourself, and what God is, to whom you are going to speak. You will thus conceive the im- portance of the action, and the sentiments of humility, of regret for your faults, of attention, respect, and modesty, of fervour, love, and confidence, with which you should address him.
Awaking in the Morning, say :
0 my God, my only good, the author of my being, and my last end, I offer thee my heart. Praise, honour, and glory he to thee, for ever and ever. Amen.
At Up-rising, say :
* In the name of the Father, ijt and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
1 will arise from this bed of sleep, to adore my God, and to labour for the salvation of my soul. O ! may I arise on the last day to life everlasting !
While clothing yourself, say :
O my God, clothe my soul with the nuptial robe of charity, and grant that I may carry it pure and undefiled before thy judgment-seat.
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MORNING PRAYER.
When clothed, kneel down, and say :
*
In the name of the Father, &c. Amen. Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.
Come, O Holy Ghost, take possession of my heart, and enkindle therein the fire of thy divine love. Amen.
Attend seriously to the presence of God ; return him thanks for his benefits ; and offer yourself to him without reserve.
O eternal God ! most holy and adorable Trinity ! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; the beginning and end of all things ; in whom we live, move, and have our being ; I firmly be- lieve that thou art here present ; I adore thee with the most profound humility ; I praise thee ; I give thee thanks from the bottom of my heart, for having created me after thine own image and likeness, and redeemed me with the pre- cious blood of thy Son ; for having hitherto pre- served me, and brought me safe to the begin- ning of this day. Behold, O Lord, I offer thee my whole being, and in particular all my thoughts, words, and actions, together with such crosses and contradictions as I may meet with in the course of this day. I consecrate them entirely to the glory of thy name, in union with those of Jesus Christ my Saviour, that, through his infinite merits, they may find ac- ceptance in thy sight. Give them, O Lord, thy blessing. May thy divine love animate
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MORNING PRAYER. 27
them ; and may they all tend to the greater honour of thy Sovereign Majesty. Amen.
Resolve to avoid evil, and to do good.
Adorable Jesus ! divine model of that per- fection to which all Christians should aspire ; I will endeavour this day, after thy example, to be mild, humble, chaste, zealous, patient, cha- ritable, and resigned. Incline my heart, O Lord, to keep thy commandments. I am re- solved to watch over myself with the greatest diligence and circumspection, and to live so- berly, justly, and piously for the time to come. I will place a guard on my mouth, and a gate of prudence before my lips, that I may not offend with my tongue. I will turn away my eyes, that they may not see vanity ; and I will be particularly attentive not to relapse into my accustomed failings ; but will struggle against them, and with thy gracious assistance, correct them. Enlighten my mind, O Lord ; purify my heart, and guide my steps, that I may pass this and the remaining days of my life in thy divine service. Amen.
Implore the necessary Graces.
Thou knowest, O God, my weakness ; thou knowest that I am so poor and destitute, that I cannot do, or even think of any good, without thy assistance ; arise, therefore, to my help, and strengthen me with thy grace, that I may fer- vently execute what I have firmly resolved, and not only avoid all the evil thou forbiddest ; but also perform all the good thou commandest.
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MORNING PRAYER.
THE LORD’S PRAYER.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us our tres- passes, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation ; hut de- liver us from evil. Amen.
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION.
Hail Mary, full of grace, our 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.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord ; who was con- ceived by the Holy Ghost ; born of the Virgin Mary ; suffered under Pontius Pilate ; was cru- cified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he arose again from the dead ; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic Church ; the communion of saints ; the forgiveness of sins ; the resurrection of the body ; and life everlasting. Amen. '
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MORNING PRAYER.
29
THE CONFITEOR.
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever a Virgin, to blessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my faulty through my faulty through my grievous fault . Therefore I beseech the blessed Mary ever a Virgin, the blessed Michael the archangel, the blessed John the baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
May almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen.
Invoke the blessed Virgin, your Angel guardian, and your Patron Saint.
O holy Virgin ! Mother of God ! my ad- vocate and patroness ! pray for thy poor ser- vant; prove thyself a mother to me. And thou, O blessed Spirit ! my Guardian Angel, whom God in his mercy hath appointed to watch over me, intercede for me this day, that I may not stray from the paths of virtue. Our glorious apostle St. Patrick, and thou also, O happy saint, whose name I bear, pray for me, that I may serve God faithfully in this life, as thou
c 2
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30
MORNING PRAYER,
hast done, and with thee glorify him eternally in heaven. Amen.
INDULGENCES
TO BE OBTAINED BY THE FAITHFUL, WHO DEVOUTLY REPEAT ACTS OF FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY.
A Plenary Indulgence once a month, is obtained by those who repeat Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, devoutly, once every day ; and who, on any day of that month, shall confess and receive the holy Communion, and pray for peace and concord among Christian princes, for the extirpation of heresy, and the exaltation of the Catholic Church ; granted by Pope Benedict XIII. the 25th of January, 1728, and confirmed by Pope Benedict XIV. the 28th of January, 1756; who further granted the application thereof for the relief of the souls in purgatory; ana also an Indulgence of seven years’ and seven forty days’ penance, to all the faithful, as often as they devoutly repeat the same. Pope Clement XIV. the 5th of April, 1772, made this Indulgence perpetual to the Catholics of this kingdom; but requires an Act of Contrition to be made previous to the Acts of Faith. Hope, and Charity. This Indulgence may be applied also for the relief of the souls in purgatory.
ACTS
OF
FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY,
A PRAYER BEFORE THE ACTS.
O almighty and eternal God ! grant unto us an increase of F aith, Hope, and Charity ; and that we may obtain what thou hast promised, make us love and practise what thou com- mandest ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
AN ACT OF CONTRITION.
O my God ! I am heartily sorry for having offended thee ; and I detest my sins most sin-
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MORNING PRAYER.
31
merely, because they are displeasing to thee, my God, whom I should have never ceased to adore and love. I now firmly purpose, by the assistance of thy holy grace, never more to offend thee ; and to avoid for the future, to the utmost of my power, all dangerous occasions which might expose me to sin.
AN ACT OF FAITH.
O my God ! I firmly believe that thou art one only God, the Creator and Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, infinitely great, infinitely good, and infinitely perfect. I firmly believe that in thee, one only God, there are three Divine Persons, really distinct, and in all things equal, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I firmly believe that God the Son, the second person of the most Holy Tri- nity, became man ; that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and was born of the Virgin Mary ; that he suffered and died on a cross to redeem and save us : that he arose on the third day from the dead ; that he ascended into hea- ven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, always living to make intercession for us ; that he will come at the end of the world to judge mankind, and render to every one according to his works ; that he will reward the good with eternal happiness and condemn the wicked to the everlasting pains of hell. I believe these and all other articles which the Holy Roman Catholic Church proposes to our belief, because thou, my God, the infallible Truth, hast re-
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32
MORNING PRAYER.
vealed them ; and thou hast commanded us to hear the Churchy which is the Pillar and the Ground of Truth, In this Faith I am firmly resolved, through thy holy grace, to live and die.
AN ACT OF HOPE.
O my God ! who hast graciously promised every blessing, even heaven itself, through Jesus Christ, to those who keep thy com- mandments : relying on thy power which is infinite, thy mercies, which are over all thy works, and thy promises, to which thou art always faithful, I confidently hope to obtain the pardon of my past sins, which I now de- test ; grace to serve thee faithfully in this life, by doing the good works thou hast commanded ; and eternal happiness in the next, through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
AN ACT OF CHARITY.
O my God ! my Creator ! my Redeemer ! my Sovereign Good! whose boundless charity to me has been unceasing, and whose infinite perfections adoring angels behold with un- speakable delight, I love thee with my whole heart and soul, and above all things ; and for thy sake I love my neighbour as myself. Oh, teach me, my gracious God, to love thee daily more and more; and mercifully grant that having loved thee on earth, I may love and enjoy thee for ever in heaven.
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MORNING PRAYER.
33
1
A PIOUS DEVOTION,
For a perpetual glorification of the MOST HOLY TRINITY, and the INCARNATION of our Blessed Redeemer JESUS CHRIST, first instituted in France, with the approbation of Christopher Beaumont, late Archbishop of Paris, and confirmed by a decree of his Holiness Pious VI. issued the 15th May, 1784; who, in order to promote and extend the same, was pleased to grant an Indulgence for the City of Rome, and the Faithful throughout the world, who shall voluntarily associate themselves in the practice of this devotion according to the intention of his Holiness, in the follow- ing manner.
Three persons, united in our Lord by the bands of mutual charity, are to engage themselves voluntarily (though without any obligation of conscience) to practise a religious exercise, which consists in adoring the three divine Persons three times a-day, viz, morning, noon, and night, reciting seven Gloria Patris , &c. and one Ave , &c. each time, to adore the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, and in honour of the most holy Virgin Mother of God. These prayers may be said either in common or separately, according to the convenience or inclinations of the persons associated ; and in order that these unions may be continued, it is necessary that the associates should be mutually acquainted , that in case of a vacancy by death or otherwise, the loss may be repaired by appointing another ; by which means this pious society may be perpetuated to the end of time.
LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ hear us, Christ graciously hear us, God the Father of heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, I § 3 fcj God the Holy Ghost, ( § J |
Holy Trinity one God, J *
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r
34 / MORNING PRAYER.
Jesus, Son of the living God,
Jesus, Splendour of the Father,
Jesus, Brightness of Eternal Light,
Jesus, King of Glory,
Jesus, Sun of Justice,
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,
Jesus, most amiable,
Jesus, most adorable,
Jesus, the mighty God,
Jesus, Father of the World to come,
Jesus, Angel of the Great Council,
Jesus, most powerful,
Jesus, most patient,
Jesus, most obedient,
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Jesus, Lover of Chastity,
Jesus, Lover of Peace, }■
Jesus, Lover of us,
Jesus, Author of Life,
Jesus, Example of Virtues,
Jesus, zealous Lover of Souls,
Jesus, our God,
Jesus, our Refuge,
<Jesus, Father of the Poor,
Jesus, Treasure of the Faithful,
Jesus, good Shepherd,
Jesus, true Light,
Jesus, eternal Wisdom,
Jesus, infinite Goodness,
Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus, Joy of Angels,
Jesus, King of Patriarchs,
Jesus, the Inspirer of the Prophets,
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Have mercy on us.
MORNING PRAYER.
35
Jesus, Master of the Apostles, ^
Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists,
Jesus, Strength of Martyrs, 1 1 *
Jesus, Light of Confessors, g |
Jesus, Spouse of Virgins, *
Jesus, Crown of all Saints, J ^
Be merciful unto us, Spare us, O Lord Jesus ! Be merciful unto us, Hear us, O Lord Jesus ! From all sin,
From thy wrath,
From the snares of the devil,
From the spirit of uncleanness,
From everlasting death,
From the neglect of thy holy inspirations,
Thro’ the mystery of thy holy incarnation,
Thro’ thy nativity,
Thro’ thy divine infancy,
Thro’ thy sacred life,
Thro’ thy labours,
Thro’ thy cross and passion,
Thro’ thy pains and torments,
Thro’ thy death and burial,
Thro’ thy glorious resurrection.
Thro’ thy triumphant ascension,
Thro* thy joys and glory,
In the day of judgment, J
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world s Spare us, O Lord Jesus !
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world : Hear us, O Lord Jesus !
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the worlds Have mercy on us, O Lord Jesus !
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MORNING PRAYER.
Lord J esus, hear us ! Lord J esus, graciously hear us !
O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said, Ask , and ye shall receive ; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you ; merci- fully attend to our supplications, and grant us the gift of divine charity, that we may ever love thee with our whole hearts, and never cease from praising thy holy name ; who liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.
THE SALVE REGINA.
Hail to the Queen who reigns above,
Mother of clemency and love ;
Hail thou, our hope, life, sweetness ; we,
Eve’s banish’d children, cry to thee.
We, from this wretched vale of tears,
Send sighs and groans unto thy ears ;
O then, sweet Advocate ! bestow A pitying look on us below.
After this exile let us see Our blessed Jesus, bom of thee.
O merciful, O pious Maid,
O gracious Mary, lend thy aid.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God ;
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY.
O ALMIGHTY and eternal God ! who didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Mary, Mother and Virgin, that by the co-operation of the Holy Ghost she might become a worthy dwelling for thy Son ; grant, that as we re-
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joice in her commemoration, so by her pious intercession we may he delivered both from present evils and everlasting death: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
THE ANGELUS DOMINI.
To be said morning, noon, and night, in memory of
the adorable mystery of the Incarnation of our blessed
Saviour.
1. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary : and she conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail, Mary, &c.
2. Behold the handmaid of the Lord s May it be done unto me according to thy word. Hail, Mary, &c.
3. And the word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail, Mary, &c.
LET US PRAY.
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his pas- sion and cross, he brought to the glory of his resurrection : through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Should the duties of your state of life afford you leisure, you may, after Morning Prayers, recite the prayer peculiar to the day, which may be found amongst me “Devotions for every Day in the Week meditate also on the proper Reflections of the day, which may be seen amongst the “ Pious Reflections for every Day in the Month.”
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MORNING PRAYER.
ASPIRATIONS AND EJACULATIONS
Which may be secretly repeated in the heart, amidst the ordinary actions of the day.
O my God, grant me the grace never to offend thee.
O my God, teach me to love thee with my whole heart, and sonl, and mind, and strength, in time and eternity.
Too late have I known thee, O infinite goodness.
Too late have I loved thee, O eternal beauty.
To thee, O God ! to thee alone he all honour, and glory, and praise, and adoration, for ever.
Mortify in me, O J esus, whatever displeaseth thee ; and make me according to thine own heart.
O blessed Jesus ; give me grace to learn of thee to be meek and humble of heart, that I may be united with thee, and find rest for my sold.
O my God, and my All! teach me in all things to do thy holy wilL
O Lord ! keep me from sin, and grant me the grace of a happy death.
O Fountain of all Goodness ! have mercy on me.
O my God, grant me the grace to perform all my works with the pure intention of pleas- ing thee.
Let the name of the Lord be blessed and glorified for ever and ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
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From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.
I will bless the Lord at all times ; his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
Bless the Lord, O my soul ; and let all that is within me bless his holy name.
Thanks be to God for all his benefits. Praise be to thee, O Christ ; blessed be thy holy name, O Jesus.
O God of my heart, and my portion for ever ; O let nothing in life or death ever separate me from thee.
O rather let me die a thousand deaths than offend thee mortally.
u In all thy works aim at perfection.” — Eccles. xxxiii.23.
PRAYERS FOR NIGHT.
If it be a duty of the greatest importance to begin the day well, it is, doubtless, one of no less consequence to conclude it properly. The new graces conferred on us during the course of the day, and the protection we stand in need of against the dangers of the night, are urgent reasons why we should address ourselves to God, and pray to him with the utmost gratitude and fervour.
A daily Examination of Conscience, both in general, with regard to our whole conduct throughout the day, and in particular, with regard to our predominant vice, passion, or evil custom, ana the particular virtue we want to acquire, is strongly recommended by all spiritual writers, as one of the most important duties of a Christian life, and the most profitable exercise we can apply ourselves to, both for the avoiding of sin, and the acquiring of virtue. It is a looking-glass , in which we see ourselves in our true
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PRAYERS FOR NIGHT.
colours, and come to the knowledge of our sins and evil inclinations. It is a sponge , by which we wipe away
giilt from our souls, and become the more pure before od, the more diligently we practise it. If we do not daily weed the garden of our souls by this holy exercise, the corrupt ground of the heart will naturally produce vices and imperfections in abundance.
The nightly Examination of Conscience makes up the principal part of the last exercise of the day. The method thereof consists in the following acts, viz., of the presence of God, thanksgiving, supplication, examen, sorrow, and good resolutions.
The many single blessings which God has bestowed and does bestow on tnose families where prayers are regularly said in common, should alone be a sufficient inducement to establish this practice every where, and chiefly at night, when all may be assembled with greater convenience. — u Where two or three persons shall be assembled in my name , there” saith Christ, u shall I be in the midst of them,” O Christians, what stronger inducement can we have to procure so great a happiness P
*
In the name of the Father, &c. Amen. Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.
Come, O Holy Ghost, replenish the hearts of the faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of thy divine love. Amen.
Let us place ourselves in the presence of God, and humbly adore nim.
Impressed with the most lively sense of the presence of thy Eternal Majesty, I adore thee, O my God ! I believe in thee, because thou art truth itself ; I hope in thee, because thou art faithful to thy word ; I love thee with my whole
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heart, because thou art infinitely amiable and worthy of my love ; and, for thy sake, I love my neighbour as myself.
Let us return thanks to God for the favours he has con- ferred on us.
Enable me, O Lord, to return thee sufficient thanks for all thy inestimable blessings and favours.
Thou hast thought of me, and loved me, from all eternity ; thou hast formed me from nothing ; thou hast delivered up thy beloved Son to the ignominious death of the cross for my redemption ; thou didst preserve me from falling into the abyss of eternal misery, when my sins had often pro- voked thee to cut the slender thread of my life, which thou heldest in thy all-powerful and chas- tising hand ; and thou still continuest to preserve me, notwithstanding I still continue to offend thee. Alas ! my God, what return can I make for the innumerable blessings thou hast con- ferred on me, during the whole course of my life, as well as for the particular favours of this day ? O all ye angels and saints ! unite with me in praising the God of Mercies, who is so bountiful to so unworthy a creature.
Let us beg of God to make our sins known to us.
O eternal Source of Light! who saidst, " Let there he light? and there was light ; illu- minate the darkness of my understanding, and dispel those shades of ignorance and error, which conceal from me the filth and enormity
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of my offences. Discover to me, I beseech thee, all the sins I have committed this day, whether in thought, word, deed, or omission ; grant me a lively sense of their enormity, in order that I may hold them in the utmost detestation, and dread nothing so much as ever to commit them hereafter.
Let us examine our consciences, and consider where and in what company we have been this day. Let us also call to mind the sins we have committed against God, our neighbour, and ourselves, and reflect whether we have fulfilled the duties of our state of life.
Against God : By omission or negligence in the discharge of our religious duties ; irre- verence in the church; wilful distractions or inattention at prayer ; resistance to the divine grace; oaths; murmurings; want of confidence and resignation. Pause and examine .
Against our Neighbour : By rash Judg- ments ; hatred ; Jealousy ; contempt ; desire of revenge ; quarrelling ; passion ; imprecations ; injuries ; detraction ; raillery ; false reports ; damaging, either in goods or reputation ; bad example ; scandal ; want of obedience, respect, charity, or fidelity. Pause and examine .
Against Ourselves : By vanity ; human respect ; lies ; thoughts, desires, discourses, or actions contrary to purity ; by intemperance, rage, or impatience ; by an useless and sensual life ; or by sloth, in not complying with the duties of our state. Pause and examine.
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Repeat the General Confession, u I confess,” &c. p. 29.
PRAYER.
Penetrated with grief, and overwhelmed with confusion, at the sight of my iniquities, I acknowledge myself unworthy, O Lord, to he numbered amongst thy servants, much less to he accounted thy child. Is it possible I could repay such infinite patience and goodness with so much malice and ingratitude? Creator of heaven and earth ! I have sinned against thee ! I have, alas ! offended thee, who are so good, so amiable, and so worthy of my love! Yet, Lord, when I consider that I am the work of thy hands, and the price of the blood of thine only Son, who expired on the cross for my sal- vation, I cease to despair of thy pardon. It is therefore through his infinite merits, that I im- plore and hope that thou wilt grant me the forgiveness of my sins. Have pity on me, O eternal Father, and spare me, for the sake of thy beloved Son. Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities. I am heartily sorry for them, because they are of- fensive to thee; and shall continue to repent sincerely of them to the very hour of my death. Amen.
Let us make a firm purpose of amendment.
O almighty and eternal God, I wish from the bottom of my heart, that I had never sin- ned against thee; hut since I have been so unhappy, O grant me now thy grace, that I may never offend thee more. Thou hast said :
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PRAYERS FOR NIGHT.
“ I will not the death of a sinner, hut rather that he he converted and live.” Convert me there- fore, and I shall he converted. “ Have mercy on me according to thy great mercy ; and ac- cording to tjie multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquities.” I renounce all sin, firmly purposing henceforth to walk in the path of thy commandments. This fixed resolution I am determined to keep, with the assistance of thy grace, purchased for me through the in- finite merits of thine only Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Repeat the Lord’s Prayer, the Angelical Salutation, the Creed, the Acts of the Theological virtues, and the An- gelus Domini, as in Morning Prayer.
THE LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
ANTHEM.
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God ! despise not our prayers in our neces- sities, but deliver us from all dangers, O thou ever glorious and blessed Virgin.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us. Holy Mary, 1 Pray
Holy Mother of God, j for us.
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PRAYERS FOR NIGHT.
Holy Virgin of Virgins,
Mother^of Christ,
Mother of Divine Grace,
Most pure Mother,
Most chaste Mother,
Mother undefiled.
Mother unviolated,
Most amiable Mother,
Most admirable Mother,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Redeemer,
Most prudent Virgin,
Most venerable Virgin,
Most renowned Virgin,
Most powerful Virgin,
Most merciful Virgin,
Most faithful Virgin,
Mirror of Justice,
Seat of Wisdom,
Cause of our Joy,
Spiritual Vessel,
Honourable Vessel,
Vessel of singular Devotion, Mystical Rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of Ivory House of Gold,
Ark of the Covenant,
Gate of Heaven,
Morning Star,
Health of the Weak,
Refuge of Sinners,
Comforter of the Afflicted,
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PEAYERS FOR NIGHT.
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of All Saints,
Lamb of G-od, who takest away the sins of the world : Spare us, O Lord .
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world : Graciously hear us, O Lord,
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world : Have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. Lord have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on
us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Our Father, &c.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God ;
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
PRAYER.
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the in- carnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resur- rection; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
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PRAYER.
Bless, O Lord, the repose I am going to take, that by renewing my bodily strength, I may be the better enabled to serve thee. O all ye saints and angels, but especially thou, O Mother of God, intercede for me, not only during this night, and the rest of my life, but more particu- larly at the hour of my death. Amen.
ANOTHER PRAYER.
Pour down thy blessings, O Lord, on my parents, benefactors, friends, and on my enemies too, if I have any. Protect my superiors, spi- ritual and temporal. Help the poor and sick, and those that are in their last agony. Con- vert all heretics and unbelievers. O God of mercy and goodness ! have mercy on the souls of the faithful in purgatory; put an end to their sufferings; and grant to all those for whom I am particularly bound to pray, eternal light, rest, and happiness. Amen.
HYMN.
Before the closing of the day,
Creator, we thee humbly pray,
That for thy wonted mercy’s sake,
Thou us into protection take.
May nothing in our minds excite Vain dreams and phantoms of the night;
Our enemy repress, that so Our bodies no uncleanness know.
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PRAYERS FOR NIGHT.
In this, most gracious Father, hear,
Through Christ thy equal Son, our prayer ;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.
PRAYER.
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habita- tion, and drive away from it all the snares of the enemy.; let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace ; and may thy blessing be upon us for ever; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the divine assistance remain always with us. Amen.
Before you go to bed, read a chapter in some spiritual book. Resolve within yourself on the subject of the next morning’s meditation, which may be found amongst the u Pious Reflections for every Day in the Month,” and think upon it while you are undressing. When you compose yourself in bed, think on your grave, ana how soon death, of which sleep is an image, will be with you^ and what your sentiments will then be of all worldly vanities. Offer up your sleep to God, submitting it with a pure intention to his holy will ; that by this repose of nature you may recover new vigour of mind and body to serve him. 'Wish that every breath you are to draw this night, may be so many acts of praise and love of the divine Majesty, like the happy breathings of the angels and saints. wno never sleep; and so compose yourself to rest in tne arms of your Saviour.
If you awake in the night, renew the offering of yourself to God, saying:
“ My soul hath desired thee in the night.”
Isaiah, xxvi. 9.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I recommend my spirit: Lord Jesus, receive my soul, &c.
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▲ PRAYER BEFORE SERMON, SPIRITUAL READING, &C.
O incomprehensible Creator, true foun- tain of light, and only author of all knowledge, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to enlighten our understanding with the rays of thy wisdom, and to chase away from our minds all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, pour on our lips, and into our hearts , the grace of thy blessing; give us a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the continual assistance of thy holy grace : that we may apply whatever we hear, read, or meditate on, to thy honour, and the eternal salvation of our own souls : through, &c. Amen.
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ON THE MASS.
Of all the duties prescribed by our holy religion, the Sacrifice of the Mass is that which is most pleasing to God, and most salutary to man. Here it is that Jesus Christ renews the great mystery of our redemption ; here doth he make himself our victim in a real, though un- bloody sacrifice, and in person applieth to each of us the merits of that blood, which, hanging on a cross, he was pleased to shed for mankind. This should give us the most sublime idea of the Mass, and make us desire to hear it with the utmost reverence and devotion ; for to assist at it irreverently, or without putting a proper restraint on our eyes and our whole exterior, is to dishonour religion, and renew, as far as in us lies, the insults he received on Mount Calvary. To avoid then so great an evil, let us always come to this august sacrifice with the most earnest devotion; let us enter into the spirit of Christ; let us offer ourselves up with him, and as he does ; let the church, as we enter it, strike us with awe ; let our modesty and recollection be uninterrupted from the beginning to the end thereof; let our hearts, thoughts, ana imaginations be, as it were, buried in God, and the interests of our souls.
The Practical Reflections (in small letter) at the head of each prayer, may help to excite our attention.
The Acts of Faith? Hope, and Charity, usually read on Sundays and Holidays, before Mass, may be found in page 30.
0 merciful Father, who didst so love the world as to give up thy only Son to death, even the death of the cross, for our redemption ; vouchsafe, through his infinite merits, to accept in our behalf the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the offering of which we are
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about to participate. We approach thy throne, O Lord, with humble but firm hope, when we remember that we have the price of the world’s redemption to lay before thee. That price has been paid by the death of thy ever blessed Son; and among the wondrous means which he has provided for applying the fruits thereof to our souls, we contem- plate, with especial gratitude, that en- during memorial of his love, which he instituted at his last supper, whereby he enables us not only to possess within us ; in the divine Communion, the very Author of grace, the Victim of propitia- tion, who died for us on the cross, but also to present him anew to thy accept- ance, really present on our altar, as our Advocate and Mediator, through the ministry of his Priests, in the adorable Sacrifice of the Mass.
At this adorable Sacrifice we are now assembled to assist. 0 Lord, look upon the face of thy Christ ; and grant, that while we unite with thy holy Church and its Minister, in offering him before the throne of thy mercy, for all the purposes
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for which he once shed his most pre- cious blood, we may be made partakers of the one all-atoning sacrifice which he consumated on Calvary.
Bowing down, therefore, in humble adoration, before thy sovereign Majesty, we now offer the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass to thy honour and glory, to acknowledge thy infinite perfections, thy supreme dominion over all thy creatures, our entire subjection to thee, and our total dependance on thy gracious pro- vidence.
We offer it to thee in thanksgiving for having created us to thine own image, and destined us for eternal glory; for having redeemed us from the slavery of Satan by the precious blood of thy divine Son; for having called us to the true faith ; assisted us by thy graces ; borne with our ingratitude ; watched over us by thy special providence ; blessed us, notwithstanding our utter unworthiness, with the continuance of thy gracious protection ; and for all the other innu- merable favours- which we owe to thy undeserved bounty.
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We offer it to move thee to compas- sion for our spiritual miseries, that thou mayest grant us the gift of compunction and the pardon of our sins.
We offer it for the propagation of the Catholic Faith, that all may be brought into the one fold under the one shepherd ; for our most holy Father the Pope, that the spirit of wisdom, and fortitude, and piety, may rest upon him ; for our Pre- late, and for all the Pastors and Clergy of thy holy Church, that they may direct the faithful in the way of salvation ; for the Queen, and for all who are in high station, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life; for concord and good will among all states and people ; for the necessities of mankind ; for the in- habitants of this parish, particularly for the congregation here present; and to obtain all the blessings that we stand in need of in this life, the happiness of heaven in the next, and eternal rest to the faithful departed.
And as Jesus Christ so ordained, when he instituted at his last supper this won- derful mystery of his power, wisdom,
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and goodness, we offer the Mass in grateful remembrance of all that he has done and suffered for the love of us, making special commemoration of his hitter passion and death, and of his glo- rious resurrection and ascension into heaven. Vouchsafe, O almighty and eternal God, to whom alone the supreme worship of sacrifice is due, graciously to accept it for these and all other purposes agreeable to thy holy will. We offer it, not confiding in any merits of our own — we offer it through the merits of the same Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, our High Priest and Victim, and in the name of the most holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; to whom be honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever.
0 all ye Angels and Saints who stand before the throne of God, vouchsafe to join in our humble supplications ; and thou, above all, 0 ever blessed Virgin, immaculate mother of God our Saviour, assist us with thy prayers. We know that thou art near to that most loving Son, through whom only we can find
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access to the throne of grace, and who will refuse thee nothing, that through his infinite merits thou wilt deign to solicit for us. At thy suggestion he wrought the stupendous miracle of changing water into wine. Oh then, beseech him, by all that he has suffered for our salvation, that the still more wondrous prodigy which he is about to perform on our altar, may not, through our unworthiness, be unprofitable to us ; that he may move us to assist at it with the deepest awe, the firmest confidence, and the most ardent love ; that it may thus ascend in the odour of sweetness to the throne of mercy in our behalf, to be to us an unfailing source of grace here, and a pledge of eternal life here- after. Amen.
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PRAYERS AT MASS.*
THE BEGINNING OF THE MASS.
*
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
It is in thy name, 0 adorable Trinity, it is to honour thee, and to do thee homage, that I assist at this most holy and august sacrifice. Permit me then, 0 Lord, to unite my intention with that of thy Minister now at the altar, in of- fering up this precious victim ; and give me the same sentiments I ought to have had on Mount Calvary, had I been an eye-witness of that bloody sacrifice.
AT THE CONFITEOR.
Think, in the bitterness of yonr heart, on all your past sins, and recollect, in a general manner, such of them as are most humiliat- ing. Lay your weaknesses before God, and beg of him to pardon them. Implore his assistance in all your necessities, through the infinite efficacy of this great sacrifice.
I confess, 0 my God, not only in thy presence, who seest the secrets of hearts,
• For an explanation of the Latin liturgy, and of the sacrifice and sacred ceremonies of the Mass, the reader is referred to the com- mencement of the Supplement, where also will be found the Ordi- nary of the Mass, (in English,) as read by the priest at the altar.
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but also in the presence of all the blessed in heaven, and faithful on earth, that I have often and grievously offended thee in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Yes, Lord, I have sin- ned ; I acknowledge to my shame, and with the most bitter regret, that I have ungratefully abused all thy gifts ; and therefore I humbly beseech thee, O blessed Virgin Mary, and all ye saints and angels, to intercede for me. Vouch- safe, O Lord, to listen to them ; grant to the ardour of their prayers, what thou mayest justly refuse to the coldness of mine ; and to their services, that pardon to which my offences can have no claim.
WHEN THE PRIEST IS GOING UP TO THE ALTAR.
Unite, 0 Lord, our hearts and wills, and remove from us every thing that may any way make us unfit for appear- ing in thy sanctuary. Of ourselves we are unworthy to appear in thy presence : therefore we implore the intercession
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of the saints in our behalf. Grant to their prayers the pardon of all our sins : through Christ our Lord. Amen.
AT THE INTROIT.
We beseech thee, O Lord, that we may he truly prepared for the offering of this great sacrifice to thee this day. Our sins alone can render us displeasing to thee, we therefore call aloud to thee for mercy.
at the kyrie eleison.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, and for- give us all our sins ; and though we have nothing of our own to move thy goodness, let our importunity prevail : have mercy on us, 0 Lord, have mercy on us.
AT THE GLORIA IN EXCELSIS.
Conceive a vehement desire of promoting the glorv of God, and your neighbour’s good. Rejoice with the angels, at tne share yon nave in these holy mysteries ; and form to yourself the highest idea of the majesty of God ; and of his Son Jesus Christ.
Who is like unto thee, O almighty God ! To whom can the most unlimit- ed tribute of honour, praise, and glory be due, either in heaven or on earth, if not to thee, the King of kings, the Lord
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of lords, and beneficent Creator of the universe ! The angels and saints, with unceasing rapture, sing forth thy praises, and glorify thy name in heaven; and shall not I, the work of thy hands, praise thee also on earth ? Yes, 0 Lord ! Graciously vouchsafe to accept the ho- mage I now pay thee, and which I pur- pose fervently to offer thee all the days of my life.
AT THE COLLECT.
So called, because the priest lays before God the necessities of all his people ; their vows and desires collected ,* as it were, together ; whence, turning to the congregation, he invites them to unite with him in the petition, saying : Or emu*, or Let us Pray.
Almighty and eternal God, we hum- bly beseech thee to look down from thy heavenly sanctuary upon this congrega- tion, and graciously hear these prayers, which thy chinch addresses to thee for us by the ministry of thy priest.
Grant us, in thy infinite mercy, pardon of our sins, health of mind and body, peace in our days, unity and increase of Catholic faith, fervent charity, sincere devotion, patience in suffering, and every
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thing else conducive to thy glory and our own salvation : through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
AT THE EPISTLE.
Return God thanks for having called yon to the knowledge of his holy law ; submit to it with perfect docilitv ; and beg of him to extend our holy religion over the whole world.
0 eternal God, who never ceasest to excite us to the worship and love of thy holy name, or to arm us against the at- tacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil, by the public ministry of thy church, by the doctrine of thy prophets and apostles, and by many other holy admonitions ; grant we may faithfully attend to these lessons of salvation, that thus our knowledge of thy law may never rise in judgment against us, but guide us securely to thee : through Christ our Lord. Amen.
AT THE GOSPEL.
Look on the Gospel as the rule of your faith and morals; a rule which Christ himself has drawn up; a rule which yon have solemnly promised by your baptism to follow, and by which yon shall most certainly be judged.
It is not thy interpreters, 0 God, who are now to instruct me ; it is thy only
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Son ; it is his word I am about to hear. I most gratefully embrace this heavenly doctrine. I stand up to declare in the face of heaven and earth, that I will walk faithfully in that way which he hath marked out for me. He tells me here, that “ it will avail a man nothing to gain the whole world, if he lose his own soul ; that the sensual, the cove- tous, the worldling, the libertine, the de- tractor, and such as are insensible to the miseries of the poor, shall have no share in his heavenly kingdom; and that, in order to become his disciple, I must take up my cross and follow him.” I receive with my whole heart all these sacred maxims. Grant me the grace to put them in practice ; for to what pur- pose should I declare myself thy disciple, if I were not to live according to the maxims of thy gospel.
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AT THE CREED.
Renew your faith in all those articles which the church proposes to your belief, because they are founded on God’s own word, revealed in the scriptures, announced by the prophets, supported by miracles, confirmed by the blood of the martyrs, verified by the establishment of our faith, and obvious by the sanctity of our religion.
I return thee infinite thanks, 0 Lord, for having given me birth in the bosom of the holy Catholic Church. The pre- cious gift of faith is much more dear to me than any advantage of birth or for- tune. Grant me a perfect docility for all it teaches, as well for what I under- stand, as for what is above my concep- tion. It is neither just nor possible that I should fully comprehend an infinite God, who cannot even comprehend my- self. By thy grace I am firmly convinced of the wisdom and sincerity of thy apos- tles, by whom thou hast announced these mysteries to the world. By them the world was converted ; it submitted, and believed them ; which, if done without a miracle, must be in itself the greatest of all miracles. What more then can I desire P What surer grounds can I have P
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On these principles I rest my belief. Here is the faith which to my last breath I shall profess: — I firmly believe that thou art one God in three distinct per- sons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who of nothing hast created all things. I believe, 0 heavenly Father, that thy only Son, who is perfectly equal to thee, holy, powerful, and eternal, as thou art, became man for love of us ; suffered, died on the cross, rose again, and ascended into heaven ; from whence he shall come at the last day to judge the world ; and that of his blessed kingdom there shall be no end. I be- lieve in the Holy Ghost, who is also true God as thou art, proceeding from thee and thy Son : I believe that he spoke by the prophets, and that by him we are sanctified. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I expect the resurrec- tion of the body, and the life of the world to come, where I firmly hope to possess thee, Lord, for ever and ever. Amen,
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AT THE OFFERTORY.
Consider what an advantage it is to have in thi* sacrifice, where- withal to honour God perfectly ; to thank him in a manner equal to his gifts; to blot out entirely your past sins; and to obtain, both for yourself and others, all those graces you stand most in need of.
0 holt Father, almighty and eternal God, how unworthy soever I may appear in thy presence, yet I presume to offer thee tins Host, by the hands of the priest, with the same intention which Christ my Saviour had, when he first instituted this august sacrifice, and which he now has at this very instant that he immo- lates himself for us. I offer it in ac- knowledgment of thy supreme dominion over me and all creatures. I offer it in expiation of my crimes ; in thanksgiving for all thy benefits. I offer it to obtain from thy infinite goodness, for my pa- rents, benefacters, friends, and enemies, all those precious gifts and graces which only through him can be obtained, who is Just by excellence, and who became a victim for the sins of men. I earnestly entreat thee to bless and protect the
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holy Catholic Church, our chief pastor the Pope, our Bishops and Clergy, the Queen and Royal Family, and all our fellow-subjects of every denomination. Remember also, O Lord, the souls of the faithful departed, and grant them, through the merits of thy Son, eternal light and peace. Have mercy upon all heretics, infidels and sinners. Bless and preserve all mine enemies ; and as I freely forgive them the injuries they have done, or mean to do me, so do thou, in thy mercy, forgive me mine offences. Amen.
▲T THE PREFACE.
Raiseup your thoughts to heaven, even to the very throne of the Divinity, and there with most holy and respectful awe, pay homage to hie glorious majesty, mixing your own praises with those sacred hymns with which the heavenly spirits are ever praising him.
Do thou thyself, 0 Lord, raise up my heart ; inflame it with thy love, and free it from all earthly affections ; let it rest in heaven, where thou my treasure art, and on this altar also, where thou art going to present thyself to thy eternal Father for our sake. As my life, O Lord, is a continual succession of thy favours,
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so let my thanksgivings be also uninte- rupted. And since thou art going to renew the greatest of all sacrifices, should not I also break forth into the most lively acknowledgments P Permit me then, O Lord, to join my feeble voice with the host of heavenly spirits, and to exclaim with them, in transports of joy and admiration : “ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth : The heavens and the earth are filled with thy glory. Bles- sed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest.
AT THE CANON.
Represent to yourself the altar as a throne of mercy, upon which Christ is to sit; where yon are entitled to present yourself, to expose your wants, to ask for blessings, and obtain them. Can he who giveth us his only Son, refuse us any other favour what- soever?
O Father of Mercy, graciously re- ceive this most holy Sacrifice, which we offer to thee by the hands of thy priest, in union with that which thy beloved Son offered thee during his whole life, at his last supper, and on the cross. Look down on thy Christ, thy dearest
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and only begotten Son, “ in whom thou art always well pleased;” and by the infinite merits of his incarnation, nativity, tears, labours, sufferings, and death, have mercy upon me, and upon all those for whom I ought to pray [here name the particular persons ] ; my pa- rents, brethren, friends, benefactors, re- lations, and those who have injured me, or whom I may have injured. I also beseech thee to guard, prosper, and ex- tend the holy Catholic Church ; to porn- down thy blessings upon our chief pastor the Pope, upon the Bishops and all the Clergy ; enlighten and guide them in the way of salvation. Bless and preserve the Queen, and all the Royal Family. Look down upon us all, I beseech thee, 0 Lord, with eyes of mercy and com- passion. Bring us all to the perfect practice of a holy and virtuous life here, and to the possession of thy eternal glory hereafter. May we all know thee ; may we all please thee perfectly ; may we fear, love, and glorify thee : through the
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same Jesus Christ, who, with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen.
Why have not I, 0 God, at this mo- ment, the ardent sighs with which the holy patriarchs wished for the Messiah? Why have not I their lively faith and their ardent love ? Come, Lord Jesus ! come, sweet Redeemer of the world ! come quickly to accomplish a mystery, which is an abridgment of all thy other miracles.
Thou art, 0 Lord Jesus ! the true pastor of souls, who didst lay down thy life for thy flock ! Thou art the Lamb of God, that died upon the cross to save us ! Prostrate in spirit before thee, I desire to praise and bless thee, both now and for ever. Amen.
AT THE ELEVATION OF THE HOST.
Behold your God, your Saviour, and your Judge! Contemplate in silent astonishment what passes before yon. Excite every fervent sentiment in your soul, which fear, respect, and confidence can inspire.
Hail, 0 Victim of Salvation ! eternal King! incarnate Word! sacrificed for me and all mankind ! Hail, precious
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Body of the Son of God ! sacred Flesh, tom with nails, pierced with a lance, and bleeding on a cross for us poor sinners ! O amazing goodness ! O infinite love ! 0 let that tender love plead now in my behalf : let all my ini- quities be here effaced, and my name be written in the book of life. I believe in thee ; I hope in thee ; I love thee. To thee be honour, praise, and glory, from all creatures, for ever and ever. Amen.
AT THE ELEVATION OP THE CHALICE.
Hail, sacred Blood, flowing from the wounds of Jesus Christ, and washing away the sins of the world ! 0 cleanse, sanctify, and preserve my soul, that no- thing in future may ever separate me from thee. Behold, 0 eternal Father, thy holy Jesus, and look upon the face of thy Christ, in whom thou art well pleased. Hear the voice of his blood crying out to thee, not for vengeance, but for mercy and pardon. Accept this
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divine oblation ; and through the infinite merits of all the sufferings that Jesus endured on the cross for our salvation, be pleased to look upon us, and upon all thy people, with an eye of mercy.
During the remainder of the Canon contemplate in the most affec- tionate manner, your Saviour here present. Reflect on the mys- teries he renews. Unite the sacrifice of your heart to that of his body. Offer him up to God his Father, with the several intentions of the four kinds of sacrifice offered in the Old Law, beseeching him to accept the prayers which his dear Son addresses to him in our behalf.
It is now, 0 eternal Father, that we truly and really offer to thy Divine Ma- jesty, that pure, holy, and immaculate victim which thou thyself hast been pleased to grant us, and of which all other offerings were only the types and figures. The sacrifices of Abel, of Abra- ham, and of Melchisedech, were of no value, when compared to ours. This glorious victim, thy dear Son himself, the perfect object of thy eternal love, and alone worthy of thy altar, is an offering by so much the more precious than theirs, as God is greater than all creatures.
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AS A HOLOCAUST, OR WHOLE-BURNT OFFERING.
0 sovereign Creator and Lord of all things! graciously vouchsafe to accept my humble homage, in union with that which thou here receivest from Jesus Christ, the only worthy adorer of thy infinite Majesty. Whilst, therefore, he immolates himself upon this altar, I unite. my intentions with those views and purposes himself has, in offering to thee this his holy sacrifice. It is he alone can form a just conception of the bound- less excellence and unspeakable majesty of The Great Creator of Heaven and earth; he alone fully comprehends the entire extent of thy dominion. He be- holds (what we blind mortals cannot) how far all creatures, visible and invisi- ble, depend on thee. He plainly con- ceives that thy dominion is absolute over all we are, all we possess or can hope for in time or eternity. It is in acknow- ledgment of this thy sovereign authority, and to make, in his name, a public pro-
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fession of our total dependence on thee, that I unite with him in his daily renewal of this most holy sacrifice.
AS A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING.
Vouchsafe, 0 most bountiful Lord God, to receive this precious victim in thanksgiving for all thy benefits. Thou hast created me to thine own image and likeness, and if thy all-powerful hand had not continued to preserve the slender thread of my life, I must ere now have fal- len back into my original nothing. For my sake thou didst abandon thy beloved Son to the cruelty of the Jews, and to an ignominious death ; nor doth a single moment of my existence pass away with- out fresh proofs of thy bounty. 0 that I could, in some degree, acknowledge those thy innumerable favours, even at the price of my blood ; but the offering I here make thee is infinitely more accept- able ; it is nothing less than thy beloved Son, equal to thee in all things, the very
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figure of thy substance, and splendour of thy glory.
AS A SACRIFICE OF EXPIATION.
Remember, 0 Lord, that the sacrifice we now offer to thee, is essentially the same, and equally propitiatory with that which our Saviour offered thee on Mount Calvary, though different as to the man- ner of offering. However base, there- fore, our ingratitude may be, or however manifold our transgressions, we cannot but hope for pardon, since it is the blood of a God we offer in atonement.
AS A SACRIFICE OF IMPETRATION.
0 God of infinite bounty, be pleased now to crown all the favours thou hast hitherto conferred on me, by the gifts of a lively faith, a firm hope, and an ardent charity. Bless all my labours and undertakings. Give me an intuitive knowledge of thy holy will, and an un- shaken resolution to put it into execu- tion. Grant me perseverance in thy
o
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grace to the end of my life. Have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed, particularly on those for whom I am in a more especial manner bound to pray. [Name them.] Deliver them, 0 Lord, from all their sufferings, and admit them into the mansions of everlasting bliss: through the infinite merits ofChrist Jesus, thy only Son, who liveth, &c. Amen.
AT THE PATER NOSTER.
Let us imagine ourselves present with Jesus on a new Calvary. Let us remain at the foot of his cross, with the tender compassion of Magdalen, with the ardent love of St. John ; or, standing afar off with St. Peter, let us weep bitterly over our manifold sins and offences.
What a happiness, 0 my God, to have thee for my Father ! How joyful to think, that heaven, where thou art, is also to he my eternal dwelling-place ! May thy name he glorified throughout the whole world. Reign, 0 Lord, over all hearts, affections, and desires. Re- fuse us not our spiritual and corporal food. We freely forgive others ; do thou also forgive us. Support us in the trials and temptations of this life, and preserve
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us from sin, the greatest of all evils. Amen.
AT THE AGNUS DEI.
God, so glorious in heaven ! so powerful on earth ! so dreadful in hell I is here only a lamb, 'full of sweetness and bounty ! Behold ! he comes here to take away the sins of the world, ana thine in par- ticular. O what a motive of confidence ! O what a subject of con- solation !
0 Lamb of God, sacrificed for my sake, have mercy on me ! O adorable Victim of my salvation, look down on me and save me ! Divine Mediator ! obtain pardon of thy eternal Father for me a sinner, and mercifully grant me the sweets of thy peace. Amen.
AT THE COMMUNION.
To communicate spiritually, renew, by an act of faith; your firm belief of Christ’s real presence . Make an act of contrition. Desire most earnestly to receive him with the priest ; beg of him to accent these desires, and to unite himself to you in the effusion of his graces.
0 that I were among the number of those whose sanctity allows them to com- municate daily! What a happiness, O my God ! could I at this moment erect a throne for thee in my heart, pay thee my homage, lay open to thee my wants, and participate in the favours thou
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grantest to those who really and worthily receive thee. But since I am unworthy, do thou, 0 Lord, supply my want of the proper dispositions. Grant the par- don of my manifold sins, which I detest from the bottom of my heart, because they displease thee. Cast thy compas- sionate eye upon me, and purify my soul, that the ardent wish I now con- ceive to be united to thee by a worthy communion, may be speedily accom- plished. But until the arrival of so happy a moment, I earnestly entreat thee, 0 dearest Lord, that thou wouldst make me partaker of all those advan- tages which the communion of the priest may produce in those thy people. By the efficacy of this enlivening sacrament, increase my faith, strengthen my hope, revive in my soul the rays of divine charity, inflame my heart with thy love, that it may pant only for thee, and live for thee alone. Amen.
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AT THE LAST PRAYERS.
Strive earnestly to offer your Lord sacrifice for sacrifice, by becoming the victim of his love. Immolate freely to him all your sinful inclinations, and whatever is contrary to his holy will.
Since thou, 0 Lord, hast sacrificed thyself for my salvation, shall not I de- sire to be sacrificed for thy glory? Yes, I am thy victim : do with me as thou wiliest. I consecrate my whole being to thee. I willingly accept whatever crosses thou art pleased to send me. Receiv- ing them from thy fatherly hand, I em- brace them, and unite them with those thou hast endured for my sake. Before I quite thy temple, strengthen the reso- lution I have made to serve thee with more fidelity, and to struggle, not only against my ordinary failings, hut chiefly against that to which I am most inclined. Thy law shall henceforth be my rule of conduct during the remainder of my life ; and I will forfeit every worldly conside- ration, and suffer every calamity, sooner than transgress it. Amen.
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AT THE BENEDICTION.
Receive the blessing from the priest, as given in the name of the Lord. Thank him sincerely for the favours here granted yon. Lay np with care the fruits of this sacrifice ; and let your conduct be such, as that all who see you, may clearly perceive how much you have profited by so holy an action.
Most holy and adorable Trinity ! as it is by thee we began this sacrifice, so it is by thee we desire to conclude it. Suffer us not therefore, 0 Lord, to de- part hence without thy blessing. Give it us by the ministry of this priest. May it ever remain with us ; may its influence always direct our actions; and may it be a sure pledge of that final benedic- tion which thine elect shall receive, when called by thee to thy kingdom of eternal glory. Amen.
AT THE LAST GOSPEL.
Divine Word ! only Son of the Fa- ther ! Light of the World ! who earnest from heaven to show us the way thither; I adore thy Majesty with most profound respect ; I place my whole confidence in thee; I most firmly hope, that as
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thou art my God, a God made man to save mankind, thou wilt grant me those graces which my sanctification may re- quire, and also the enjoyment of thee in glory. Amen.
A PRAYER AFTER MASS.
I return thee infinite thanks, O my God, for permitting me to assist at this holy sacrifice, in preference to so many others more worthy of so great a favour ; and I hope, that through thy great mercy, thou wilt pardon me the faults which I may have here committed, either by my tepidity or inattention. Though I now return hence to my worldly employments, yet I will remember, through the course of the day, what thou hast here done for me ; and shall endeavour that no thought, word, or action of mine, deprive me of the advantages of which I have now been a partaker. Amen.
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A PREPARATION FOR CONFESSION.
There is scarcely any duty of greater importance in religion, than to receive the Sacrament of Penance with the necessary dispositions. Penance is as indispensably requisite for those who have fallen into sin after baptism, as baptism itself is for such as have never been baptized. It i 8 a second flank after the shipwreck of sin, without which the sinner must inevitably perish . But then it is to be observed, that this sacrament must be received with the necessary dispositions. The cleansing of the baptis- mal robe, and restoring it to its original purity, is not to be effected without mucn labour and application. It would be absurd to imagine, that the unchangeable justice of God, which could not be satisfied but by the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and which, notwithstanding these sufferings, doth still condemn to eternal torments the unrepentmg sinner; it would be absurd, I say, to imagine tnat his justice should now be appeased by a superficial or outward compliance with this duty, accompanied perhaps with insincerity, gross negligence, or a fixed adherence to mor- tal sin, and therefore destitute of real sorrow, change of heart, and a firm purpose of amendment. The enormity of sin is the same at this day as it ever was; it is as unchangeable as God himself; because it is essentially a rebellion against him; a breach of his law, an insult offered to his eternal Majesty, and consequently not more remissable at present in the sacrament of penance, than at the earliest period of Christianity, when the severest discipline prevailed, and when the fervour of primitive penitents was so ardent. — Hence, that this merciful institu- tion may never be frustrated of its end, and in order that the sinner may always receive the pardon of his offences, we must strictly fulfil these five following conditions :
I. An examination of conscience, that we may know all our sins.
II. A hearf-felt sorrow for having committed them.
III. A firm resolution never to commit them again.
IV. A candid and humble confession of them to a priest empowered to absolve us.
V. A desire or intention of satisfying God, and our neighbour also, if injured.
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A PROTESTATION
BEFORE THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.
O God, the searcher of all hearts, behold, I here protest, in thy presence, that what I now design is sincerely for the honour of thy name, and because I heartily desire to he delivered from the guilt of my sins : therefore 1 come to thy sacrament of penance, that, complying with thy holy institution, I may obtain thy blessing and pardon, as thou has promised. May thy holy grace assist me in performing this great duty well, as it is thy mercy which has called me to it.
Think seriously, and with the most lively gratitude, on all the benefits God hath so liberally bestowed on you, and particularly for his goodness in preparing this sacrament as a remedy for your sins.
How great are my obligations to thee, O my God, in thus providing for me, after my dis- grace, the means of a perfect reconciliation. To have purified me in the waters of baptism, was not enough ; thou hast also left me the waters of penance, to wash me still more from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sins. For this end thou hast left to the church, in the persons of the apostles, the power of remitting our offences : " Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose sins ye shall forgive , shall be forgiven? O what excessive goodness ! What an advan- tage to poor sinners, to have a tribunal estah-
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blished for them, always open, where they may be received into favour ! Can I ever be in- insensible to so striking an instance of thy bounty? I have withdrawn myself from thee by a formal contempt of thy law, and thou art pleased to make the first advances to meet me : O Father of mercies, and God of good- ness, be thou for ever blessed ! Permit me to fly to this powerful refuge; and suffer not that, by a new ingratitude, I should for the future ever abuse so excellent a resource of salvation. No: it is not human respect, nor custom, nor the fear of being thought careless of my soul, that brings me at present to this sacrament of reconciliation ; no, it is a sincere regret for having incurred thy displeasure ; for who can be at rest, O my God, when he knows that he is thy enemy, and that he has offended the very best of fathers ?
PRAYERS
BEFORE THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.
Beg of God to make your sins known to you, and to give you a true sense of their malice. Prostrate yourself in spirit at the feet of your Redeemer, as Magdalen did when she washed them with her tears ; or imagine your- self on Mount Calvary, and there, beneath his cross, pour forth your prayers to him, resolving to acquit your- self of this confession, as if it were to be your last.
O holy Spirit, eternal Source of Light, mercifully vouchsafe to enlighten the darkness of my understanding, that I may clearly per- ceive the true state of my conscience. Thou
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who hast created me, and art to be my judge, dost fully behold the most secret recesses of my heart ; show me now, therefore, my sins, in as conspicuous a manner as I shall behold them when on the point of appearing at thy tremen- dous tribunal. My object at present is, to pre- vent the rigorous account I must there give of all my thoughts, words, and actions 5 for were I now deficient in that sincere exactness which is necessary in the examination and confession of my sins, thou wouldst infallibly correct, at thy unerring tribunal, the injustice and iniquity of such a proceeding. Discover, then, to me, O my God, all these secret thoughts, irregular desires, criminal words, and actions, or omis- sions of my duty, by which I may have violated thy sacred laws, or scandalized my neighbour. O do not permit self-love to seduce and blind me, but rather remove the veil it places before my eyes, that beholding the true state of my interior, I may make an humble and sincere confession of my sins to thy minister.
I desire, like the prodigal child, to enter seriously into myself, and without delay to for- sake my evil ways, in which I have been wearied out in the pursuit of empty toys and mere shadows, seeking in vain to satisfy my thirst with muddy waters, and my hunger with the husks of swine. I ardently desire to return to thee, O Fountain of Life ! but, O my God, though I can go astray from thee fast enough, when left to myself, yet I cannot make one step towards returning to thee, unless thy divine
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grace stir me up and assist me. This grace, then, I most humbly implore, prostrate in spirit before the throne of thy mercy. I beg it for the sake of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, who died upon the cross for me and for all sinners. Thou hast said, “ There is joy in heaven for one sinner that doeth penance Give me now the grace of true repentance, and let heaven rejoice at my conversion. Assist me in this great work by thy heavenly light, in order that I may discover all my imperfections, see all my sins in their true colours, and sincerely detest and confess them. I know thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he he converted and live. I know that thy mercies are above all thy works, and I most confidently hope, that as in thy mercy thou hast spared me so long, and hast now given me this desire of returning to thee, so thou wilt finish the work that thou hast begun, by assisting me in every part of my preparation for it, and bring- ing me to a perfect reconciliation with thee.
Examine yourself attentively, not only on the sins you have committed since your last confession, but also on the faults you may have committed in making it ; but beware of scrupulosity or anxiety; for in this examination it is only necessary that you should use such a moral diligence as any temporal concern might require, where it is neither your intention nor your interest to be deceived. For this purpose, calmly recollect on the different occasions of sin which have since fallen in your way, or to which your state and condition of life exposes you ; the places you have frequented, the persons you nave conversed with; &c. &c. ; in the doing of which the following table of sins will greatly assist you.
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SINS AGAINST GOD.
In Matters of Faith. — Have you been guilty of heresy, or disbelief of any article of faith, or of voluntarily doubting of any article of faith P — Have you rashly exposed yourself to the danger of infidelity, by reading bad books, keeping wicked company, going into places of worship belonging to other communions during the time of their service, and joining with them in their worship ? — Have you, by word or deed, denied your faith, or railed at or despised holy things P — Have you been ignorant of the articles of your faith and the duties of your religion, or have you been negligent in instructing, or procuring the necessary instructions for those under your care? — Have you given credit to dreams, taken notice of omens, or made any other superstitious observations ? — Have you used charms or spells, or consulted fortune-tellers, or made use of any other superstitious practices to find out things to come, recover things lost, &c. — How often? — and with what scandal and ill example to others ?
Of Hope. — Have you despaired of salvation, or of the forgiveness of your sins P — Have you rashly presumed upon God’s goodness, continuing to offend him because he is merciful; going on in your sins, without any thought of amendment^ depending upon a death-bed repentance P — Have you relied upon * yourself rather than upon divine grace ; or neglected for a long time to return to God by repentance, after falling into mortal sin P
Of Charity. — Have you loved any creature as much or more than God? — Have you murmured against the providence of God, resisted his inspirations, refused to submit to his divine will, not prevented evil when you could ancl ought, committed sins through human respect?
Of Religion. — Have you made a sacrilegious confes- sion or communion ? — Have you received the sacraments of confirmation or matrimony in the state of mortal sin ? — Have you abused the holy scripture, or profaned holy places or sacred things ? — Have you blasphemed God or his saints P — Have you been negligent in the divine worship, seldom or never adoring ana praising God, or giving him thanks for his benefits r — Have you prayed but seldom, or with little attention, or omitted to make acte of faith, hope, and charity P — Have you behaved with irreverence
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in the house of God, or broken any vow or solemn promise made to him P — Have you neglected to hear mass on Sun- days and holy-days of obligation ? — or have you heard it with wilful distractions, or not taken care that your children or servants should hear it?-— Have you neglected confes- sion and communion at Easter, or omitted the penance enjoined you, or acquitted yourself of these religious duties carelessly ? — Have you sworn falsely, or what you did not certainly know whether it was true or false? — Have you broken your lawful oaths, or sworn to do any thing that was wicked or unlawful? — Have you had a custom of swearing rashly or inconsiderately, by the name of God, by your soul, or by the way of imprecation upon yourseli or others ? — Have you sworn by the blood or wounds of God, or any other blasphemous oath, or been accessary to others swearing, cursing, or blaspheming?— Have you spent the Sundays or holy-days of obligation in idleness or sin, or been the occasion of others so spending them ? — Have you done any servile work without necessity upon those days ? — Have you broken the days of abstinence, or eaten more than one meal on fasting days, or been accessary to others so doing ? — How often, &c.
8INS AGAINST OUR NEIGHBOUR.
In Thoughts. — Have you been deficient in point of cha- rity towards your neighbour ? — Have you judged rashly of him ? — Have you wilfully entertained thoughts of hatred, aversion, rancour, or a coldness and resentment against him ? — Have you, on this account, endeavoured to avoid meeting or speaking to him ? — Have you envied him in his merit, reputation, fortune or employments ? — Have you conceived desires of revenge against him, and wished that harm might befal him ? — Have you been hard-hearted, or without any feeling or compassion for him in his affliction ? — Have you felt in yourself a secret pleasure and satisfac- tion when any disgrace happened to him, and discontent in seeing him thrive and flourish ? [These sins may vary in their malice, according to the length of time we were thus affected, or the relation we stand in to the different persons in question, or according to the greater or less im- portance of the matter under our consideration.]
In Words. — Have you spoken harshly to your neigh- bour— given him abusive language — railed at him — mis-
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called him — mocked and ridiculed him — exposed him to scorn — affronted him — censured his conduct — found fault with every thing he did — put wrong constructions upon his actions — calumniated or detracted him — been pleased to hear others speak ill of him — listened to and encouraged the calumny or detraction when you could prevent such discourses ? [N.B. — The motive for speaking thus, the
number of persons present, and the subject of this un- charitable language, must be specified, as we are bound to repair the injury to the best of our power.] We also sin by ill-natured reports or insinuations, malicious expres- sions, whether true or false — by giving bad advice ana bad example — by instilling bad or dangerous principles — by flattering others, or approving of evil — by giving false testimony — by discovering the secrets or the faults of others— by abusive words, reproaches, bad wishes or im- precations, &c.
In Actions. — Have you wronged, deceived, or cir- cumvented your neighbour in buying or selling P — Have you injured him by stealing, cheating, usury, extortion, or any unlawful contract P — by putting off false monev, or using false weights or measures ? — Have you bought or received stolen goods P — Have you contracted debts without design of paying them P We also sin by wronging our creditors, or our own family, by prodigal expences — by refusing to pay our just debts when able, or by culpable extravagance rendering ourselves unable to pay them — by neglecting the work or business for which we were hired, and obliged by contract to perform ; in fine, by unjustly taking or keeping any thing of value belonging to an- other ; in which case it is impossible to obtain forgiveness without making restitution to the best of our power. [And here it is to be observed, that where two or more jointly injure another, in goods or reputation, they are jointly and severally obliged to restitution; that is to say, they are bound to contribute their respective proportions towards repairing the injury; and every individual of them is answerable before God for the whole injury, when either or any of the accomplices refuse to repair their portion thereof.]
In Omissions. — Have you neglected to succour, com- fort and assist your neighbour in necessity P — Have you neglected to restore ill-gotten goods, or to repair injured
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characters ? — Have you refused to be reconciled to an enemy, or to perform duties of obligation, such as respect and love towards parents, obedience to superiors, &c.
SINS AGAINST OURSELVES ARE COMMITTED
By Pride. — In having too great an esteem for ourselves, and haughtily despising others ; in being too apt to speak of our own affairs, or in our own praise ; in aspiring to honours and preferment through vanity ; in affecting to be humble, or in deceiving others by hypocrisy ; in being influenced in what we do by human respects, for obtaining the applause and esteem of men ; in being too much wedded to our own opinions and inclinations ; in being too solicitous about our health ; in being too fond of the pleasures, com- forts, and conveniencies of life.
By Avarice. — In being backward in giving alms ac- cording to our ability; in squandering away in gaining, or in vain and foolish expences, the substance that Provi- dence hath given for the relief of the poor and distressed ; in not only refusing them an alms which we can afford, but in refusing it with bitterness, reproaches, imperious, ill-natured language, or with an insulting air ; in being too much attached to the goods of this life ; where it must be ever remembered, that whatever is really superfluous to us belongs of right to the poor; that where there is much, much should be given ; ana that where there is only a little, even some of that little should be cheerfully given; for u God loves the cheerful giver”
By Envy. — In being sorry for the prosperity of others — rejoicing at their misfortunes — in wishing with jealousy for what belongs to them.
By Impurity. — In wilfully dwelling upon, or taking pleasure in unchaste thoughts. [N. B. — The penitent must nere mention whether these bad thoughts were entertained during a considerable time, and how long ; whether they were accompanied with desires of committing the evil ; whether they caused irregular motions ; whether in a holy
Slace ; and, finally, whether the objects of these sinful esires were single or married, kinared or relations, or persons consecrated to God.]
By Words. — In speaking obscenely, or with a double meaning, which is as bad, if not worse ; in listening with pleasure to such vile language. [N. B. — This sort of dig-
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course is still more criminal, when it passes between two persons of a different sex. We also sin grievously this way, by singing unchaste songs, by giving toasts and sentiments contrary to modesty, or by permitting them to be given when we can prevent them, or by not retiring on such occasions.]
By Looks. — In viewing immodest objects ; in reading bad books ; in keeping indecent pictures ; in frequenting plays and public assemblies, which are but too often the schools of vice, where dangerous objects are held up to view, and where vice is represented, not in its native hor- rible colours or consequences, but as mere gaity. Comedies also are so full of indecent sentiments and indelicate allu- sions, as cannot but offend a modest ear, and have an im- moral tendency. They are not only powerful incentives to this vice, but are besides evidently unlawful, for the follow- ing reason : viz. because we cannot assist at them without contributing, by our purse and our example, to maintain a set of people in a profession, or way of life, which was always deemed infamous by the Catholic Church. Under this head likewise may be classed, the tempting of others to sin, by dissolute glances, gestures, or immodesty in dress or behaviour.
By Actions. — In abusing and defiling the sanctity of marriage by such liberties ana irregularities as are contrary to the order of nature ; in touching ourselves or others im- modestly ; in permitting indecent liberties to be taken with us. [N.B. — it is necessary to explain every thing, in order to make known such circumstances as may increase or diminish the guilt, with as much modesty as possible ; and also to declare, whether we have employed, or ne- glected to employ the necessary means of overcoming this vile passion. \Ve should carefully distinguish what is wilful, from what is not ; an effect of deliberation, from one of mere negligence ; also the number of these bad actions, or at least the length of time we continued in the habit of com- mitting them ; with what sort of persons we have sinned, or desired to sin, but this without mentioning their names. And as it too often happens with young persons, who have miserably fallen into a certain sin of a lonely and abomi- nable nature, either to conceal this crime, or not faithfully confess how often they have been guilty of it, we therefore earnestly beseech such to reflect seriously on the fatal evils in which they involve themselves. Let them consider, that
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all those confessions, and the communions which follow them, are only so many sacrileges, removing them still farther from God, and provoking his just indignation against them ; that the longer they continue in this state of Hypo- crisy, the more difficult it must be to overcome their bash- fulness, and the more anguish they must feel in their own interior ; that no practice is more destructive of health, beauty, or genius, than this ; that it deforms and debili- tates the wretched perpetrator ; that it must, not only in a moral, but also in a physical sense, degrade him beneath the rank of the brute creation, and render him contempti- ble to mankind.]
By Gluttony. — In exceeding the bounds prescribed by temperance ; in eating or drinking to excess ; in ex- citing others to do so ; in not observing with due exactness the days of fasting and abstinence enjoined by the church ; in exceeding the quantity which is usually allowed at collation.
By Anger. — In abusing, quarrelling, striking, or wish- ing evil to others ; in provoking others to quarrel or fight. "Which sins are still more heinous when parents or superiors are the objects thereof.
By Sloth. — In neglecting our religious or moral duties ; in performing them carelessly ; in leading a life of idleness, voluptuousness, and dissipation ; in passing our time un- profitable when the duties of our state call on us to la- bour. "We are also guilty by following the bent of our inclinations, and gratifying self-love — by studying too much our own ease — by too great a remissness in mortifying our passions or senses.
AFTER THE EXAMINATION.
Haying discovered the different sorts of sins of which you have been guilty, together with their number, enor- mity, or such aggravating circumstances as may consider- ably increase their malice or change their nature, your next endeavour should be to excite in your breast a heart- felt sorrow for having committed them, and a sincere de- testation of them. This being the most essential, as well as the most difficult, of all the dispositions requisite to a good confession, with what humility, fervour, and perse- verance should you not importune Him who holas the hearts of men in his hands, to grant it you !
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In the mean time, seriously meditate on those powerful motives for exciting contrition, which the church holds forth to her children ; and in order to feel their force the more effectually, endeavour to enliven your faith, to strengthen your hope, and inflame your charity, by devoutly reciting the acts of the three theological virtues {page 9ft). 3 £> In the next place reflect on those motives which are most capable of alarming, and at the same time of melting your heart into compunction ; such as the everlasting torments of hell ; the eternal loss of God, and of the joys of heaven,; the horror and filthiness of sin ; the goodness of God in all he has done, and all he still does, and all he will do for us, if we continue to love and serve him ; particularly that astonishing instance of his love and undeserved mercy, in forbearing to cut your slender thread of life, and to precipitate you into eternal torments in the very height of your rebellion against him. This consideration alone must necessarily engage you to cry out with ecstatic sur- prise and astonishment, u How good must God be in him- self who has been so good to me , his faithless and un- grateful child !” He saw nothing in you deserving of his mercy ; he saw every thing in you that merited his wrath and indignation.
This last reflection on the infinite goodness of God, if dwelt on with due attention, cannot tail to inflame your heart with an unfeigned love of Him for his own sake, the purest and best of all motives . Whilst the heart is thus softened by divine love into compunction for your sins, form an unshaken resolution of never more offending him, of doing your utmost to amend your life, of satisfying for your sins, and of repairing any injury you may have done your neighbour, either in his character or property.
If, with these sentiments glowing in your breast, you cast yourself at the feet of your confessor and reveal to him all the sins you can recollect^ with tears of compunc- tion, and in a truly penitential spirit, be assured you shall return with joy from the tribunal of confession, and feel realized in yourself the consoling promise of the Holy Spirit, that u They who sow in tears , shall reap in joy," Psalm cxxv.
AT THE CONFESSION.
Begin by devoutly making the sign of the cross, saying at the same time, Bless me , O Father, for I have
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sinned ’. Then repeat the Confiteor , or “ I confess to the Almighty,” &c. till you come to the words, u through my fault , at which strike your breast, glowing with com- punction, like the humble publican in the gospel ; and so proceed to accuse yourself with candour and sincerity, telling first how long it is since you were last at confession, whether you were then absolved, (a circumstance of the utmost importance, which many are too negligent in at- tending to,) and whether you performed your penance. Having confessed all the sins you can remember, listen with docility to your confessor, whilst he endeavours to excite you to contrition, and prescribes the various means, either of atoning for the sins you have confessed, or of preventing future relapses.
PRAYERS BEFORE CONFESSION.
We are taught by the holy Council of Trent, that those who would obtain the grace of justification, should be thus disposed : they must have faith ; they must fear the justice of God ; they must hope for mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; they must begin to love God; they must hate sin ; they must sincerely resolve to change their lives, and keep the commandments. To infuse « these necessary dispositions into the soul of the penitent, is the intent of the following prayers :
I am fully sensible, O my God, that there cannot he a greater misfortune than to have displeased thee, who art infinitely good and worthy of all our affections. I tremble when I consider how terrible a misfortune it is to fall unprepared into thy hands ; for who can bear that dreadful sentence: Depart from me, ye accursed, into eternal fire ! — Matt. xxv. But the thought of losing thee, O Lord, alarms me still more than any other punishment whatso- ever. Thy patience in waiting for me, thy readiness to pardon me, the multitude of thy
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mercies, which I have so often experienced, are now present to my mind ; they upbraid me most forcibly. Thou hast brought me forth from nothing, created me to thine own image and likeness, ransomed me with thy precious blood, and after I had rebelled and become a slave to Satan, thou didst still hear with me, adopt me as thy child, and prefer me to thou- sands who were never enlightened by thy holy law. Yet I have deserted thee, I have tired myself in the ways of iniquity, I have hated thy discipline, I have turned my back on all thy commandments. Though thou hast called me, yet have I refused to return ; though thou hast frequently stretched out thy hands to me, yet I have paid no regard to thy invitations. Wretch that I am ! who shall deliver me from this body of death ? Who shall give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that day and night I may weep for my ingratitude ? I have sinned ! what shall I do to appease thee ? O Guardian of men ! behold I acknow- ledge my iniquity. My transgressions are be- come a heavy burden upon me. I am not worthy to appear before thee, nor even to lift up my eyes before thy throne. From the depth of my misery I cry out to thee : O Lord, hear my voice, and be merciful to a poor sinner ! Thy mercies surpass all thy works ; thou wili- est not my death but my conversion ; nor didst thou come to call the just, but sinners to re- pentance. Thou art always mindful of thy word, on which I rely : receive thy prodigal
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child, nor let me henceforth he ever separated from thee.
Though I have sinned, O Lord, and done evil in thy sight, yet I shall never say, as Cain did, that “ my crimes are too great to be forgiven.” I know that in mercy thou dost display thy power; and that though my sins were multiplied in number even beyond the grains of sand in the sea, atoms in the air, or drops of water in the ocean, yet thy mercies are still infinitely greater. Without this con- sideration I should certainly despair. But thine own repeated assurances, and the frequent proofs thou hast given of thy tenderness towards sinners, support my confidence in thee whenever my enemy attempts to weaken it. Thou art truth itself ; and therefore thy word can never deceive us. Thou hast declared that thou wilt entirely forget the iniquities of the* sinner, if he be truly converted, and cease to do evil ; thou hast told us, that a contrite and humble heart shall always find favour with thee. Thy sacred oracles are full of these sweet consolations, and thy invariable conduct towards sinners speaks the same soothing language. Thou didst par- don David, though his sin was most grievous ; Magdalen, a sinner by profession ; Peter, who denied thee with oaths ; the adultress, convicted in thy presence ; the penitent thief on the cross : all these obtained forgiveness, because they sought it sincerely. Nay more, thy tenderness was shown even to the traitor Judas ; nor were even the cruel Jews excluded from thy prayers :
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and shall I not also, O my God, cry out to thee for mercy? Yes; for relying on thy wonted goodness, I shall never he confounded. My sins are enormous, it is true, and stand always against me ; but the more hideous they are, the more I detest them. Against thee,
0 God, have I sinned ; and to thee I cry out for pardon. O that I had never offended thee, because thou art infinitely good. O that my sorrow for having offended thee were as great as my offences. O that I might grieve for them even unto death, and feel those hitter pangs with which thy soul was overwhelmed in the Garden of Olives. Let the inexpressible anguish of mind thou didst there feel, thy sighs, thy tears, thy fainting, and thy bloody sweat, O Lord ! plead now in my behalf, and supply the defects of my imperfect sorrow. Let them draw down thy mercies, O heavenly Father, and restore me again to thy favour.
I have now before me, O Lord, a sad pros- pect of the manifold offences by which I have displeased thy divine Majesty, and which I am assured will appear in judgment against me, if
1 repent not, and my soul be not disposed by a hearty sorrow, to receive thy pardon. But this sorrow, O Lord, this repentance, must be thy free gift ; and if it come not from the hand of thy mercy, all my endeavours will be in vain, and I shall be for ever miserable. Have mercy therefore on me, O Father of Mercies ! and pour forth into my heart thy grace, where- by I may sincerely repent of all my sins. Give
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me a true contrition, that I may bewail my past miseries and ingratitude, and grieve from the bottom of my heart for having offended so good a God. Permit me not to be deluded with a false sorrow, as, I fear, I have been too often, through my own weakness and neglect ; but let it be now thy gift, descending from thee, the Father of Lights, that so my repentance may be accompanied with amendment and a change of life, that I may be folly acquitted from the guilt of all my sins, and once more received into the number of thy servants s through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thou hast, O Lord, given power to thy church to forgive sins in thy name. Thou hast promised pardon to those who do penance. Behold the prodigal child ; nay, worse than the prodigal. I have disfigured and defiled my soul, that was created to thy own image and likeness. I have forfeited my title to that eter- nity of happiness which was prepared for me. I have nourished sin in my bosom, the most poisonous of serpents, and the most hateful of monsters. Alas ! I have offended him by whose blood I was redeemed. I have been the cause of his sufferings ; I have renewed his death, and crucified him again by my sins. Oh! who will give sorrow to my heart, and a fountain of tears to mine eyes, that I may bewail my ini- quities in the bitterness of my soul. Have compassion on me, O most loving Father ! I throw myself into the arms of thy infinite mercy. Clothe me with thy grace, and admit
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me to thy sacrament of reconciliation. Cast out of my heart whatever thou knowest profanes, or defiles thy temple. Root out of my soul what- ever is displeasing unto thee, and lay in me the foundation of a new life. I renounce and utterly detest all my sins, for the love of thee. O my God of infinite bounty and goodness ! I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. I beg and hope for pardon, through the merits of thine only Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Accept his passion and death in satisfaction for my offences, and for his sake have mercy on me, who place my whole trust and con- fidence in thee. Amen.
A PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN.
O holy Virgin, Mother of God, and sure refuge of penitent sinners, intercede for me at this moment, that the confession which I am about to make may not render me more guilty, but may obtain for me the remission of all my sins, and the necessary graces to avoid them hereafter. Amen.
A PRAYER AT RECEIVING ABSOLUTION.
O MERCIFUL God, as at the words of thy angel, St. Peter was immediately restored to liberty, by the chains falling off from his feet ; so grant, dear Lord, that by the words of this holy sacrament, pronounced by thy priest, the chains of my sins may be loosed, and all my offences pardoned. Amen.
J esus. Son of David, have mercy on me. O
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God, be merciful to me a sinner. O Thou who suffered for me, have mercy on me. Sprinkle me with thy blood, O Jesus, and I shall be made whiter -than snow.
PRAYERS AFTER CONFESSION.
Is it possible, O my God, that having been a criminal but a few moments ago, I should now be cleansed from my sins by virtue of this sacrament? Yes, I firmly believe it ; be- cause thou hast left to thy church the power of forgiving sins, and hast inclined my heart to comply with the necessary conditions for obtain- ing pardon. Thou hast declared to thy apostles, that “ whatever they should loose on earth, should be loosed also in heaven ; and that whosesoever sins they should forgive, should be forgiven.” This is the sacred warrant of their tribunal, whose authority thy faithful have ever acknowledged. Here are the keys of thy hea- venly kingdom, solemnly made over to thy church in our favour : we are therefore obliged to have recourse to them. This power was not confined to the apostles, no more than the power of baptising nations ; but being granted in as general terms, doth in like manner, extend to their successors. I give thee thanks, O my God, for this tender proof of thy love, and invite all creatures to glorify thee for it. Thou hast invested a power in the sons of men, which thou wouldst not confer on angels or archangels ; whatever ye shall bind on earthy <$•<?. was not
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addressed to them. “ The princes of this world have dominion only over the body, hut the power of the priest affects the very soul. The eternal Father hath given all power to his Son; but then I behold this very power delivered by the Son to mortals. The Jewish priests could only pronounce those clean whose bodies had been already cleansed from the leprosy ; but to our priests it was given, not merely to pro- nounce clean , but really to cleansey not the infections of the body, but the very stains of the soul.” — [St. Chrys. b. iii. of the JPriesthood.] “ Thus thy manifold mercy hath provided succour for human frailty ; that as by baptism, so also by penance, the hope of life should be renewed; for Christ Jesus, our Mediator, authorized the rulers of his church to impose penance upon persons confessing, and to admit them, thus purified by wholesome satisfaction, to share in the sacraments.” — [St. Leo. ep. 23.] This is an effect of that precious blood which thou, O amiable Redeemer, hast shed for my sake : I acknowledge the wonders of thy love in accepting this poor satisfaction, in pardoning all, in forgetting all, instead of punishing me as I deserved. It is necessary to be what thou art, a God of infinite goodness, to deal in such a compassionate manner with so miser- able a sinner: and therefore, I humbly beseech thee to imprint on my heart a just sense of this favour, that I may gratefully remember it all the days of my life, and extol without ceasing the multitude of thy mercies. Amen.
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O most sweet Lord Jesus! graciously vouch- safe to remember all those holy thoughts that have passed in thy divine mind from the begin- ning of the world to this very moment, and particularly thy tender design in becoming man for the redemption of the world : pardon, through the merits of these, not only all the evil thoughts and vain imaginations I have ever conceived of myself, but also those I might have excited in the minds of others. Amen.
O most pious Lord Jesus ! I, a poor sinner, do humbly remind thee of all those words of salvation which have ever fallen from thy sacred lips, or which others have uttered, or shall hereafter utter, to the glory of thy holy name. I earnestly beseech thee, through these divine expressions, to forgive whatever I have spoken offensive to thee, or what others, through my means, may have sinfully uttered. Amen.
O most amiable Lord Jesus Christ ! look on all the good works thou has performed for our salvation ; and be pleased now to pardon what- ever I have committed against thee. Merci- fully direct all my thoughts, words, and actions, to thy greater glory, and regulate them by the model of thine own blessed life. Amen.
O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who invitest the sinner to return to thee, kindly receiving, refreshing, and consoling him, re- member that with thy precious blood thou wert pleased to redeem me. To thy sacred wounds I fly for refuge ; and as in thy mercy thou didst pray for thine enemies, and pour forth
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thy life for thy persecutors and tormentors, so impart here to me the benefit of thy passion; Grant I may never again crucify thee by mine offences, but that sincerely grieving for what is past, and resolutely striving against future temptations, I may fervently persevere in thy service to the end.
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my whole being. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
Receive, O Lord, in thy great mercy, the poor remains of my life. I am heartily sorry for the years I have mispent; they have vanished as a shadow, they have passed away without fruit ; but as I cannot recal them, suffer me at least to think of them in the bitterness of my soul. Suffer me no longer to yield to my accustomed failings. Let the ardour with which I pursued a life of sin, be henceforth more diligently applied to thy service, that where sin hath abounded, thy grace may still more abound. Remember, O Lord Jesus ! that it is not thy desire to lose any of those whom thy Father hath given thee, but rather to have mercy always, and to spare $ to destroy no one, but to save all; because thy Father hath sent thee into the world, not to judge the world, but to grant us life through thee. May, therefore,
0 Lord, thy boundless merits plead for me now, and at my last moments, that I may obtain the full remission of my sins ; that I may truly know thee ; that I may ever love thee ; that
1 may tend to thee incessantly ; and at length
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arrive to the eternal enjoyment of thee, who, with the Father and tne Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, &c. Amen.
I sincerely detest all my sins, and am fully resolved, O Lord, through the assistance of thy divine grace, never to offend thee hereafter. I therefore earnestly beseech thee to confirm all those good resolutions I have made. Increase my fervour in thy service, and render it effi- cacious, that my change of life may he visible to all, and that in future my conduct may he as edifying as it has been heretofore scandalous. Amen.
O that I had never sinned ! O that I had never transgressed thy commands, my God! Happy those souls who have preserved their innocence, and never lost that grace they received at the baptismal font! Most loving Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to he called thy child. I confess my ingratitude, and seek refuge in thy mercy. I have wandered like a sheep that is gone astray; but have compassion on me, and save me. Forgive me what is past; and through the bowels of thy infinite good- ness, grant me a true steadiness of spirit, that from this moment I may never offend thee more.
O blessed Virgin Mary, my holy patron, [name him or Aer,] and all ye Saints and Angels, praise and extol our Lord for his boundless goodness towards me a most miserable sinner. Beseech him to accept of this my humble con-
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fession, and to supply, through his infinite mercies, all its deficiencies. Beg of him to ra- tify in the archives of heaven, the sentence of absolution which his minister, the priest, hath pronounced in my favour at the tribunal of confession. Amen.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMUNION.
As there is no religious duty of greater consequence, or more conducive to our happiness both here and hereafter, than to receive worthily the blessed Eucharist ; so there can be no greater favour conferred on a Christian, than to communicate early in life, and afterwards frequently. Hence it becomes the indispensable duty of such as have the education of children committed to their care, not only %o impress on their tender minds a lively and active sense of the excellency of this sacrament^ but also to enforce the necessity of frequently receiving it. u He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.” — John , vi. The obligation of communicating at Easter is binding on every member of the church who has arrived at the age of discretion ; *. e. when reason and reflection, guided by the gift of divine faith, arrive at such a state of maturity ? as may enable them to distinguish the flesh of J esus Christ, under the exterior appearance of bread and wine, from the ordinary food of the body. It is further to be observed, that as purity of heart is the most proper disposition to receive worthily; so, of consequence, tne less advanced the age of a Christian, the more untainted, in general, is his baptismal innocence. But, on the other hand, it is to be remarked, that the longer a Christian defers his first communion, the greater is the danger that either domestic affairs, or the violence of those passions to which young persons in general are more or less subject, should cause nim to put it off to a more advanced age, or perhaps to the very hour of death! — a fatal delusion , which has betrayed numbers of Christians into the abyss of eternal perdition. Let parents, therefore, and others concerned m the education of children, attend to the advice of
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the great St. Charles Borromeus on this subject : 11 When children,” says he, u of both sexes, arrive at the age of ten years, provided they are capable of being easily prepared for communion, suffer them not, under pretence of igno- rance, (as it is often the case,) to defer it any longer ; but rather let them be prepared in good time, to participate of a sacrament which abounds with such precious and inestimable advantages.”
With respect to frequent communion, the best advice is to follow the counsel of a wise and prudent director. But remember, that according to the spirit of J esus Christ and his church, you should communicate frequently. Our divine Redeemer gives himself to us in the olessed Eucharist under the forms of bread and wine, hereby intimating, that as our corporal life cannot be supported without the ordinary food of the body, so our spiritual life cannot be maintained but by the blessed Eucharist, which is the food and nourishment of our souls. Hence it is that he assumes the most tender and affectionate titles of spouse, brother, friend, &c. in order to incite us to approach him frequently in this divine sacrament.
The spirit of the church is further made known by the advice of the holy Council of Trent, which exhorts all the faithful to communicate often, and particularly whilst they assist at the celebration of the divine mysteries. To those testimonies may be added the exhortations of the holy fathers, the example of the saints, the practice of the primitive Christians, and the experience of all pious and devout persons in every age, as so many corroborating proofs of the happiness and advantage of frequent com- munion.
But if it be a happiness to communicate early in life, and frequently during the course thereof, it may be also said that there cannot be a greater misfortune than to . communicate unworthily ; it being a most flagrant abuse of what is most sacred in religion. To avoid then so great an evil, reflect seriously on these words of St. Paul : “ Let a man prove himself \ and so eat of that bread, and drink of that chalice ; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily , eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.” Now this proving consists in putting yourself into such a state, tnat vour conscience may not reproach you with any essential obstacle to the
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receiving of this sacrament, that is, with the conscious guilt of any mortal sin whatever. This you can answer for, provided you have endeavoured to make as exact, as fervent, and as perfect a confession as you would wish to make at the hour of death ; and you should certainly be equally careful and fervent in so doing, there being not less purity required to receive Jesus Christ in this life, than to appear before the judgment-seat of God in the next.
Above all things it must be remembered, that the essen- tial point in this proving of yourself, is, “ to quit the occasions of sin, and to repair the scandal it hath caused:” without a fixed determination of so doing, the accusation and detestation of it are absolutely insufficient.
But this purity of conscience, which exempts from mortal sin, and every criminal attachment, though it may prevent the communion from being sacrilegious, yet it is not sufficient to render it so fruitful and advantagebus as it should be. Wherefore, the more you prepare yourself for this sacrament, the greater abundance of grace you will require. In order, then, to prevent the mistake of such as do not think it necessary to prepare for receiving this holy sacrament before the very day of communion, the following pious practices are earnestly recommended :
I. Some days before communion perform all your actions and prayers, in order to obtain the graces necessary for so important a duty. Offer them up in the morning with this intention, and do some good work, such as an alms, an act of mortification, or a fast, with the same design.
II. Visit our Lord in the blessed sacrament morning and evening, to beg that he would himself by his grace dispose your heart to receive him worthily.
III. Bead every day a chapter out of the 4th Book of the Imitation of Christ, or some other approved book that treats of the Eucharist.
IV. On the eve of your communion be more recollected than usual: think often upon the happiness you are to enjoy the ensuing 'day in receiving your God. As this should be your last thought at composing yourself to rest, so it should also be your first at awaking.
V. Represent to your imagination that your angel guar- dian addresses you in these words : u Behold the spouse oometh : go forth now and meet him.” Arise as early as
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possible to receive the great guest, who designs to honour you with this visit. Keep a profound silence till you return from mass ; and let it appear by your modesty and recol- lection, that you are deeply penetrated with the conscious- ness of the sanctity of an action of the most ineffable dignity and excellence.
VI. Whenever you go to communion have always in your mind some particular intention — such as the acquir- ing of some virtue; overcoming such a temptation; the knowing of God’s will with regard to yourself ; the relief of the souls of the faithful departed ; the conversion of infidels, heretics, and of sinners in general; for nothing is more capable of exciting fervour in devotion, than some particular end to which it is referred.
A PRAYER TO THE BLE8SED VIRGIN.
O sacred Mother of God, pure and spotless Virgin ! thou didst not bear the Saviour of the world in thy sacred womb for thine own sake alone, hut for ours also. May not I then, O Mother of mercy, hope to partake of his merits, and obtain, through thy powerful intercession, some share of the same holy dispositions of soul which thou thyself didst possess at the time thou didst conceive him. O that the same divine Spirit which then prepared thy body and soul for his reception, would now shed his precious gifts on me, since it is the same God-Man that I am also about to receive. Obtain for me a pure heart for his dwelling-place, and a firm and constant resolution to support myself in his grace ; but above all, inspire me with an in- finite horror of the detestable sin of impurity, which, in a particular manner, contaminates- the soul of man, and renders it unworthy of communicating ; because, by dishonouring my
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flesh, I dishonour the flesh of Jesus Christ also. Alas! if thy immaculate virginal womb was not too pure for a God to become incarnate therein, how can I presume to present myself at the table of the God of purity, and receive him into a heart contaminated with the smallest stain of a vice so abominable in the sight of infinite purity and sanctity ?
PRAYERS BEFORE COMMUNION.
I firmly believe, O my divine Jesus, that thou art really present in the blessed sacrament of the altar. I believe that it contains thy body and blood, accompanied by thy very soul and divinity. I acknowledge these truths ; I believe these wonders ; I adore the power that has wrought them, the same power that said s u Let there be light, and light was made.” I submit my senses and reason to thy divine authority.
I praise and glorify thy infinite goodness, which hath prepared this heavenly banquet for the food and nourishment of my soul. Blessed be ^hy name for ever. Accept my homage ; accept, O my God, my most hearty thanks. But what am I, that thou shouldst work such • wonders for my sake ? How shall such a filthy sinner as I am, presume to approach thee, who art the inexhaustible source of infinite purity and sanctity ? How shall I venture to lift up my eyes to heaven, much less to receive thee within my breast ? I tremble at the sen-
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tence of thy apostle : “ Whosoever shall eat this bread or drink this cup of the Lord un- worthily, shall he guilty of the body and blood of the Lord [1 Cor. ii.] for I acknow- ledge myself to be nothing but dust and ashes ; a poor, miserable worm of the earth, subject to many vices, and void of all virtue and merit. Alas ! my life has been nothing but sin and misery. I have nothing to confide in but thy boundless mercy ; nor should I ever presume to approach thy sacred table, and partake of the bread of angels, were I not encouraged by thy infinite goodness, and ex- cited by thy own most pressing invitations. It is therefore in thy mercy, which is above all thy works, that I put my whole trust ; and since thou art pleased to call me to this divine banquet, behold I come to it, like Magdalen, to be happily united to thee, and to lay down all my sins at thy feet, to be cancelled by thy precious blood. I come to commemorate thy sufferings, as thou thyself hast ordained. I come, as one sick, to the Physician of Life ; as one blind, to the Light of eternal Glory ; as one poor, needy, and distressed, to the King of heaven and earth. To thee I expose all my * wounds, that they may be healed. To thee I fly for protection, hoping that thou wilt be to me a Saviour, and that thou wilt wash away every sin that may defile me. Remove my blindness, relieve my necessities, and clothe me with grace, that I may receive the adorable sacrament of thy body and blood with such
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reverence and humility, such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, as may he for thy honour and glory, and the salvation of my soul. I am not worthy, O Lord, to receive thee ; alas, I am not ! but thou canst, if thou wilt, make me worthy : say hut the word, then, and my soul shall he healed. Thou hast heretofore said to the leper in the gospel, “ I am willing ; he thou healed and he was immediately cured of his disease. My soul is covered with an universal leprosy : heal me then, O my Saviour, in like manner ; cleanse my soul from its stains ; remove from it all guilt ; extinguish in it every evil disposition ; adorn it with the necessary virtues, and make it a fit abode for thy re- ception. May the body of our Lord J esus Christ preserve my soul to life everlasting.
ANOTHER PRAYER.
Who is he whom thou art about to receive? O my soul, he still and attentive. Who is he thou art going to receive ? Thy God ! thy Redeemer ! who, for love of thee, shed tor- rents of blood during his agony in the garden of Gethsemani ! who for love of thee, suffered his sacred head to he pierced with a crown of thorns, and his virginal flesh to he rent and torn at the pillar with whips and scourges ! who, for love of thee, suffered himself to he clothed in a purple garment, and derided as a mock king, with a reed for his sceptre ! who, for love of thee, suffered his sacred hands and feet to he fastened with gross nails to the wood
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of the cross ! in fine, who, for love of thee, hung thereon, in the most ignominious manner, between two thieves, suffering for the space of three hours the most excruciating pains and tortures ! and at last expired for thy re- demption ! After such stupendous instances of thy love for man, who can refuse a return of love to thee, Lord J esus ? I love thee, O my God! and ardently wish, that as every breath I draw is an increase of my life, so it may be of my love for thee, till at last I love thee as thou thyself requirest, “ with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength;” for thou art the God of my heart, and the life of my soul; thou art my treasure, my joy, my comfort, my support, my strength, my armour, my defence, my only hope and comfort in this place of banishment and vale of tears, and the supreme object of my happiness in heaven.
As the wearied stag pants after the fountains of water, so does my soul languish after thee, the ocean of all sweetness ; it thirsts after thee with the most vehement desire, and longs to drink plentifully of those fountains which issue from the inexhaustible source of thy infinite goodness for my comfort and refreshment. O sweet Jesus ! permit me now to experience the multitude of thy tender mercies. Have com- passion on me and save me, for thou never for- sakest such as place their hope in thee. Purify my heart with the fire of divine love, that it may this day become a fit abode for thy
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reception ; O come, and make it thy dwelling- place for ever. I am sorry, and will be sorry as long as I live, for having ever offended thy infinite goodness ; forgive me, dear Lord, my past trespasses, and be thou my keeper for the time to come, that I may never more offend thee.
Hail, saving victim, who for me and all mankind was offered on the cross ! Hail, precious blood flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord, and washing away the sins of the world ! As I now desire to receive thee, veiled in this sacrament, so I hope hereafter to behold thee, face to face, in the kingdom of heaven.
O all ye blessed Angels and Saints of God, I humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may with a clean heart and a pure conscience, approach the Holy of Holies, and receive this divine sacrament with such reverence and humility as may be for my soul's salvation.
ACTS OF VIRTUE,
Which may be used with great spiritual advantage before Communion , according to each person's leisure and devotion .
Imagine that oar Saviour invites yon into the same room in which he ate his last supper with his apostles, to be witness of the miracle he is there going to perform, and to give you the communion with his own sacred hands. How fervent soever your sentiments might have been on that solemn occasion, they ought not to be less so at present : for as he ordained that this divine food should be daily renewed for the nourishment of the faithful, till his
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second coming to judge mankind at the end of the world, so he gives himself no less to us at present, than he did at that time to his apostles. Take them now for your model. The account which we have in the gospel, of this last mysterious supper, will furnish you with proper acts for communion. Read them attentively; make them your own by reflection; and let them sink deeply into your heart.
AN ACT OF ADORATION.
The Gospel of St Luke, chap, xxii., informs us, that our Saviour sat down, ana his twelve apostles with him, to eat the Paschal Lamb, or accomplish the Sup* per of the Old Law, and institute that of the New in its stead. Who could be otherwise than astonished at seeing a God admit his creatures, nay, even his very enemies, to partake of his adorable body P “ When he loved his own who were in the world,” says his beloved disciple, St. John, i( 1 he loved them unto the end.” But this was loving them, not merely to the end of this mortal life, but even beyond it, to the very end of ages with the utmost excess, and to the farthest limits of love. Contemplate, therefore, with the most attentive recol- lection, the excellence, the depth, and the extent of the boundless love of our divine Redeemer, of which this mystery is an epitome.
Could we ever believe, O Lord, or even imagine, that thy love for us was so excessive, had not thine own infallible word convinced us of its truth ? Hadst thou, when thou wert about to quit this world, left us thy adorable heart as a pledge of thy affection ; or hadst thou, when thy side was pierced, ordered thy precious blood to be distributed throughout thy church ; such favours would have justly claimed our most grateful acknowledgments. But this would not satisfy the extent of thy love ; thou didst choose, in a god-like maimer, to penetrate into the very centre of our hearts, and give
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thyself to each of us particularly, entirely, and for ever. With what amazement, then, must not the angels and the whole hierarchy of celestial intelligences, have beheld such a pro- digy ! Were they not in some measure jealous to see mankind thus uncommonly favoured? But what didst thou discover in me, O Lord, that could thus attract thee ? Or what couldst thou possibly expect from my indigence ? Can I become the dwelling-place of him who is the delight of the blessed ? Alas ! had I even the innocence of thy beloved disciple J ohn, or the ardent love of thy zealous apostle St Peter, I should then have some little claim to sit down at thy table ; but since I am removed at so great a distance from such holy dispositions, vouchsafe, O Lord, to supply my deficiency by the effusion of thy grace. Whence is this favour to me, O my merciful Redeemer ? “ What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? or the son of man, that thou shouldst visit him P” Ps. viii.
AN ACT OF DESIRE,
Founded on these tender words, which our Saviour pro- nounced immediately before the Supper : “With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you.” — Luke , xxii. 16. For why should we not feel the most ardent desire to be united to our Lord in this sacrament, when we see him so desirous to visit us, and take up his dwelling in our hearts ? Endeavour to excite this desire, by considering how much you stand in need of this bread of life, and by the great esteem this heavenly nourishment deserves.
Since thou, O Lord, art so prodigal of miracles, and obligest me to receive thee under
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such severe penalties, nothing can be more certain than that thou desirest to make my heart thy dwelling-place. With what fervent desires should I not, therefore, endeavour to co-operate with such bountiful intentions! O my all-sufficient God, though thou standest in no need of me, yet thou hast compassion on my poverty. May then the efficacy of thy grace supply my indigence ; may it awaken every faculty of my soul, and render my desires to receive thee worthily still more inflamed ; for though they are arrived at a certain anxiety, I am nevertheless sensible of their being too tepid. Alas ! my Redeemer, why do I not sigh after thee with the same holy fervour as did the patriarchs of the old law, who expected thy coming ? “ Come, O Lord, and do not delay.” Remember, O heavenly physician, that thou canst not refuse thy all-healing balsam to the wounds of my soul, since thy motive for de- scending on earth was to heal the sins of men. Although I am needy and poor, yet thou canst enrich me ; although I am enslaved under the tyranny of my predominant passions, yet thou canst break my chains and set me at liberty ; a single word of thine would be altogether sufficient to work these miracles in favour of one so unworthy of thy corporal presence as I am. Speak it then, O Sovereign Good, for I can no longer live without thee. Let blind and infatuated worldlings intoxicate themselves with the false, transient, and fading happiness of this life ; as for my part, nothing besides
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thyself can content me, either in heaven or on earth ; for what have I in heaven, or what can I desire on earth besides thee? Come, then, O thou Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world ! Come, thou beloved of my heart ! adorable flesh and precious blood of my Sa- viour ! Come, to nourish, comfort, and enliven my sickly soul. O God of my heart ! let me neither love, seek, nor think on any other object but thyself alone : for thou alone art my consolation, my treasure, my joy, my life, my God, and my all! My heart as eagerly de- sires to receive thee, as the wearied stag longs to quench his thirst in the fountains of water. JPsalm xli.
AN ACT OF FEAB.
The Evangelist mentions, that when our Saviour declared to his disciples, that one of them should betray him, they were all exceedingly afflicted : u Verily I say unto you, that one of you will betray me; and they began each of them to say, Is it I, Lord? Is it IP” — Matt . xxviii. Let your hearts also give way for a moment, to the thoughts of that uncertainty which every man is in, of being in the state of grace : examine seriously your real dispositions, and have no other confidence than in the mercy of God.
If the uncertainty of being worthy of thy love or hatred, O Lord, made even St. Paul, that vessel of election, tremble, how much more reason have not I to apprehend, lest some con- cealed sin, lurking in my heart, might obstruct the salutary influence of those graces which thou hast prepared for those who worthily receive thee in this divine sacrament? May
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not I, perhaps, like another Judas, give thee the kiss of peace to-day, and basely betray thee to-morrow ? or, instead of coining to visit me as a faithful disciple, dost thou not rather come with horror and indignation, as to a con- cealed enemy? How can I answer for the integrity of my confession, the fervour of my contrition, or the sincerity of my resolutions ? Is it not custom, or human respect, that brings me to the foot of thy altar ? Have not I still some favourite attachment ? and in the resolu- tions I have made of relinquishing my vile evil habits, have I not spared some favourite though dangerous passion ? With the same heart-felt anguish as thy disciples experienced on the like occasion, I ask thee, O Lord, " Is it I ? 11 But the most abominable traitor, J udas, asked thee the same question ? Is not my anxiety, as his was, only false and apparent? It is this thought, O my God, that terrifies me ; and it is to thyself alone I have recourse to preserve me from so horrible a sacrilege. No, thou wilt never permit me to be guilty of so horrid a profanation, since thou seest there is no evil I dread so much. Wherefore, my dear Saviour, after being as diligent as I could in my pre- paration to receive thee, I now rest entirely on thy infinite mercy, u Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man’1 — Luke, v. “ Have confidence, my child, thy sins are forgiven thee.11 — Matt. xi.
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AN ACT OF CONTRITION.
By our Saviour’s washing the feet of his disciples, to prepare them for this new supper, (“ And he began to wash the feet of his disciples, and dry them with the girt he had about him,” — John , xiii.) we are taught not to confine ourselves merely to detesting those grievous sins which give death to the soul ; because we see that the disciples were obliged to undergo this ceremony, though Christ already had declared them pure, and in the state of grace; (“you,” saith he, “are already clean;”) but we should also endeavour to purify our souls, as much as possible, from even the slightest stains of venial sin, which is signified by the washing of the feet of his disciples.
To transform a soul, so defiled as mine by the ordure of sin, into a state of innocence and purity, must be the work of the right hand of the Most High. Ah, my God ! I shall never be able to discover any vestige of that precious innocence which makes a soul so lovely and acceptable in thy sight, unless I trace back my whole life to the days of my childhood. But although I have had the mis- fortune to forfeit my baptismal innocence by sin, yet there remains for my consolation this sure anchor, whereby I may hope to regain thy favour, grounded on thy infallible promise, that thou wilt never despise a contrite and humble heart.
But if even the enormity of my sins had not exposed me to thy wrath, and consequently to the eternal pains of hell, yet I would never- theless sincerely detest them. O my God ! do not upbraid me with mine iniquities ; they are always in my sight ; and the bitterness of my regret for having committed them, shall serve
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as a continual punishment of my baseness. Ah, my Redeemer, though I cannot suffer such an excessive degree of anguish as thou didst dur- ing thy agony in the garden of Gethsemani, when in a bloody sweat thou didst offer thy- self as a victim to the Eternal Father, yet I am fully determined to suffer with patience every cross or affliction which may fall in my way, as well in atonement for the sins I have hitherto committed, as to prevent me from future relapses. Assist me with thy grace, O Lord, and remove every occasion of sin at a distance from me : and as I dread no evil so much as that of offending thee mortally, rather prevent me, by cutting the thread of life, than suffer me again to become thine enemy. But in my present disposition of mind, I do not confine myself to merely detesting all mortal offences ! No, my amiable Saviour ! inflamed with thy love, I am also fully resolved to avoid every venial sin that may in the least displease thee, or diminish the influence of thy graces. And though I have a well-grounded confidence that my soul has been cleansed in the sacra- ment of penance, still I desire to he washed more and more from my iniquities. “ Create a clean heart in me, O God; and renew an upright spirit within my bowels.’1 — Psalm L
A PRAYER
FOR OBTAINING THE EFFECTS OF A PLENARY INDULGENCE.
Accept, O almighty God, through the merits of thine only Son J esus Christ, the intercession of his immaculate Mother the blessed Virgin
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Mary, and of the whole court of heaven, the communion I am about to make, to thy greater glory. Accept it in thanksgiving for thy in- numerable benefits, to obtain the pardon of my sins, and grace to acquire a victory over my passions, particularly those to which I am most enslaved. [Name them.]
Considering that the debts which I owe to thy justice are so immense, that of myself I have not the means of discharging them, I have recourse to the inexhaustible treasure of the merits of my Redeemer, which thy church (in virtue of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which he has. committed to its supreme pastors, in the person of St. Peter,) now holds forth to me. Grant me, O Lord, the dispositions to obtain such a portion thereof, as may be necessary to dis- charge the debt of temporal punishment due to my sins. Suffer me now to partake of the in- finite merits of Christ, that the immense ransom which he has paid for my salvation being ap- plied to my poor sinful soul, I may be released from the punishments which it has otherwise so justly deserved. I beseech thee also, O most bountiful Lord ! to pour down thy blessings on thy holy Catholic Church ; on its supreme pastor, [Pope N, JV.] ; on the pastor to whom the care of thy flock in this archdiocess or diocess is committed [name him] ; upon our queen, and all the royal family ; upon all thy • bishops and clergy throughout the whole world. Enlighten poor infidels, heretics, and sinners ; and assist such apostolic missionaries as labour
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in their conversion. Unite all mankind in the profession of the true faith ; give them the spirit of divine charity, whereby they may love thee above all things, and for thy sake love each other. Have compassion on the suffering souls of the faithful departed. Give thy blessing to my parents, friends, relations, and benefactors ; preserve them from eternal misery ; and con- duct us all, by thy grace, to the mansions of celestial bliss, there to praise and glorify thee for ever. Amen.
AN ACT OF HUMILITY.
Reflect on these words: u And he gave it to his disciples, and said, Take ye, and eat,” &c. It must have been a great cause of confusion to the apostles, when they beheld their Saviour distribute to them his sacred body,
' not merely that they might adore it. or that they might preserve it as an inestimable relic, Dut that they might make it their food. Be thou also penetrated with the most profound humility.
W hat am I, O God of majesty and glory, or who am I, that thou shouldst deign even to look on me ? Whence am I honoured with so unspeakable a favour, as that my Lord and my God should come and visit in person such a miserable and vile worm of the earth ? How dare a being more contemptible than nothing, approach so holy a God, eat the bread of an- gels, and feed on thy divine flesh ! Ah, Lord ! it is too much ; I am not worthy of so great a favour ; I shall never, no never, deserve it.
O King of heaven and earth ! adorable So- vereign ! the Author and * Preserver of the
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universe! behold, I annihilate myself before thee, protesting that I would humble myself as much for thy glory, as thou dost here for my salvation. I acknowledge, with the most pro- found respect, the infinite grandeur of thy divine Majesty and my own miserable baseness. The contemplation of one and the other fills me with inexpressible confusion. Can I pos- sibly say more, my dear Saviour, than to confess, with the utmost humility, in the words of the centurion : “ Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be saved.”
AN ACT OF FAITH.
In consequence of the words pronounced by our Saviour when he consecrated the bread and wine, “ This is my body,” &c.; “this is my blood,” &c.; the apostles received what Christ then gave them as his real body and blood. Do thou now, in like manner, make a most lively Act of Faith of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the blessed Eucharist.
Since thou, omnipotent God, whose almighty words are creative, productive, and effective ; since thou, O eternal Truth, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived ; since thou, I say, hast declared that thou art really and actually present under the appearance of material bread, I therefore implicitly believe it ; for what greater proof can I require of the truth of this mystery, than thine own infallible word ? Yes, my dear Saviour, I openly confess, and am inwardly convinced, that it is thou thyself I am going to receive ; thou who for my sake wast born in a manger ; thou who for my redemption didst
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die on a cross, and who, though now gloriously seated on thy heavenly throne, still continuest on earth, under the sacramental veils, to feed and nourish the souls of men. Were I to be- hold thee with my corporal eyes, and examine the impression of the wounds thou didst re- ceive in thy sacred hands and sides, as St. Thomas did, still I could not say with more confidence than I now do, that thou art my Lord and my God ! I do not demand a miracle as a proof of thy real presence ; no, Lord, let me rather have the whole merit of faith ; for thou hast said, “ Blessed are those who believe and do not see.”
Wert thou therefore to speak to me from this very tabernacle, the voice would affect me less than that which resounds in thy gospel and thy church, founded by thyself, and propagated in a miraculous manner. Though my senses may tell me it is nothing but mere bread ; yet, submitting them entirely in obedience to divine faith, I answer it is thy real body and blood, accompanied by thy soul and divinity. In this faith I am determined to live and die ; and were I to suffer a thousand martyrdoms in testimony thereof, I am persuaded, that by the help of thy grace I would remain immoveable. “ Thou art really a hidden God — a God Saviour. — Isaias. “ I believe ; O Lord, help my un- belief.”— Mark) ix.
When about to communicate, let your heart he pene- trated with a lively sense of the actual presence of your divine Saviour, and at the same time enaeavour to recol-
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lecfc the different passages of Scripture above quoted, they being, as it were, an abridgment of the foregoing acts. You may also reflect on the words, u May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul into life everlasting,” which the priest pronounces at the moment he gives you the blessed sacrament ; because they imply, that the end proposed in communicating, is not simply to abide in a certain regularity of conduct for a few months, weeks, or days; but to persevere faithfully^ to the very hour of death, in that state of grace to which a worthy participa- tion of this divine sacrament shall now raise you.
AN ACT OF HOPE.
Since thou vouchsafest to come and dwell within me, O my Redeemer, what may I not expect from thy bounty! I therefore present myself before thee with that lively confidence which thy infinite goodness inspires. Thou not only knowest all my wants, but thou art also willing and able to relieve them. Thou hast not only invited me, but also promised me thy gra- cious assistance: ff Come to me, all you that labour and are heavy burdened, and I will re- fresh you.” Behold, then, O Lord, I accept of thy gracious invitation ; I lay before thee all my wants, my misery, and my blindness ; and confidently hope, without the fear of being dis- appointed, that thou wilt enlighten my under- standing, inflame my will, comfort me in the midst of such crosses or afflictions as thou hast appointed I should suffer, strengthen me in all temptations and trials, and in fine, with the powerful assistance of thy grace, change me into a new creature ; for art not thou, O God, the master of my heart ; and when shall my heart be more absolutely disposed of by thee, than when thou shalt have once entered into it?
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DEVOUT PRAYERS,
OR FERVENT ASPIRATIONS
AFTER COMMUNION.
I return thee most hearty thanks, O ami- able Jesus, for the inestimable blessing I now enjoy. I praise and glorify thee with my whole soul, for the numberless favours I have re- ceived from thy bounty. I adore thee now reposing within my breast. O my God and my all ! a thousand times welcome. May thy holy name be for ever blessed ! O Sovereign Lord of Heaven ! how amazing is the excess of thy goodness, in condescending to visit so poor, so vile, so abject a creature as I am ! Thou hast vouchsafed to heap thy favours on dust and ashes ; to come into this poor cottage, this house of clay, my earthly habitation ; and to feed my soul with the heavenly banquet of thy most precious body and blood. O teach me to entertain thee as I ought, and to make thee some suitable return for this thy infinite love. I would gladly make thee some offering in acknowledgment of the rich present thou hast made me, in giving thyself to me; but, alas! dear Lord, thou knowest my poverty, and that I have nothing worthy of thy accept- ance ; nothing but what, on a thousand titles, is already thine. But, O my bountiful Saviour, such is thy goodness, that tliou wilt be con- tented with the little I can give thee, although
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it be tbine already. Thou askest nothing but my heart, and tins I most willingly offer thee.
0 be pleased to accept it, and make it wholly thine for ever. Take full possession thereof;
1 offer it to thee without reserve. I desire to consecrate it entirely to thy service. Disen- gage it therefore, from this moment, from the slavery of its passions and vices. Stifle in it every desire but that of loving and pleasing thee. Inflame it with the fire of divine cha- rity, that it may ever bum with thy love. O may the sweet flames thereof consume my soul, that so I may die to the world for the love of thee, who hast vouchsafed to expire on the cross for the love of me. I cast myself entirely into the arms of thy mercy, and offer thee my whole being ; my body with all its senses, and my soul with all its powers ; that as thou hast honoured them both by thy real presence, so they may both be thy temple for ever. O sanc- tify and consecrate eternally to thyself this mansion, which thou hast, by a wonderful con- descension, chosen this day for thine abode ; and grant that, like Zacchaeus, I may obtain thy benediction. I offer thee my memory, that it may be ever recollected in thee ; my under- standing, that it may be always directed and enlightened by thy truth ; and my will, that it may be ever conformable to thine. O take me entirely into thy hands, with