Meditation for Monday

On this day, thou shalt enter upon the memory of thy sins, and upon the knowledge of ‘thyself, that thou mayest, on the one hand, see how many evil things thou hast done, and, on the other hand, see that thou hast nothing that is good save from God. For this consideration is the means of acquiring humility, the mother of all virtues, , For this thou must first think of the multitude of the sins of thy past life, especially of those committed in the days when thou didst not know God. For if thou dost well consider them, thou wilt find that they are more in number than B the hairs of thy head, and that thou didst live in that day like the Gentile who knoweth not God. Consider then, briefly, the Ten Commandments, and the Seven Deadly Sins, and thou wilt see that there are none into which thou hast not often fallen, in deed or word or thought. Let thy mind, then, rest upon the Divine blessings, and upon thy time past, and consider how thou hast made use of them. For thou hast to give account of all before God. Tell me, then, how hast thou used the days of thy infancy, thy youth, thy manhood, indeed all the days of thy life past ?

In what way didst thou use thy bodily senses, and the powers of thy soul, which God gave thee for the purpose of knowing and serving Him ?

In what didst thou use thine eyes, save in things of vanity? In what didst thou use thine ears, save to hear things of falsehood; in what thy tongue, save in all manner of oaths and murmurings ? and thy taste and all thy senses, save in sensual pleasures and blandishments ?

How hast thou profited by the Holy Sacraments, which God ordained for thy help ?

| What thanksgivings hast thou made for all His benefits ?

How hast thou responded to His inspirations ?

j How hast thou used thy health and strength, thy natural talents, thy earthly goods, thy opportunities and occasions for living well ? ;

What care hast thou taken of thy neighbour whom God commended to thee, and what works of mercy towards him can be shown ?

Then what wilt thou answer in that day of reckoning when God shall say unto thee, “Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward.”

’ O withered tree, destined for eternal torments ! what wilt thou answer in that day, when they shall require of thee the account of thy whole life, and of every point and moment of it ?

Think, next, of the sins which thou hast committed, and dost each day commit, even after thine eyes have been opened to the knowledge of God, and thou wilt find that the old Adam yet liveth in-thee, with many of the old roots and habits. See how thou hast stood aloof from God, how unthankful thou hast been for His benefits, how rebellious against his inspirations, how slothful in things concerning His service, which thou hast never performed with that readiness and diligence and purity of intention which thou didst owe to Him; nay, think how thou hast discharged them even for the sake of human respects and interests !

Consider, too, moreover, how hard thou art towards thy néighbour, and how gentle with thyself ; how thou lovest thine own will, thyself, thy flesh, thy honour, and all thine own interests !

See how thou art ever proud, ambitious, quick to anger, vainglorious, envious, malicious, prone to amusement, inconstant, light, sensual, giving thyself over to recreations, laughter and idle talkings. See, too, how inconstant thou art in good purposes, how inconsiderate in thy words, and imprudent in thy deeds, and how cowardly and half-hearted in any matter of importance. And, further, after thou hast taken note of the multitude of thy sins, consider then their gravity, that thou mayest see how on all sides thy misery has grown upon thee. For this thou shouldest, in the first place, think of these three circumstances in thy past life, viz., against Whom hast thou sinned ? for what didst thou sin ?

and in what way? If thou thinkest, against Whom didst thou sin? thou wilt find it was against God Whose goodness and majesty are infinite, Whose blessings and mercies to man are more in number than the sands of the sea-shore. Or, if thou thinkest for what didst thou sin ? it __was for some pin's point of honour, some foul lust, or some tiniest interest, or very often for something of no interest whatever, x for no other cause than habit, and disregard of God. Or, if thou thinkest in what way or manner didst thou sin ? it was with such ease and audacity as to be without scruple or fear; nay, at times with such ease and content as if thou wert sinning against a god of wood who neither knew nor saw anything that was done on earth. Is this the honour which is due to $0 great Majesty? Is this the thanks thou gavest for so great blessings? Is this the return thou makest for that most Precious P Blood shed upon the Cross, for those scourgings and buffetings endured for thy sake? O miserable thou for what thou hast lost, and more for what thou hast gained for thyself, and much more still, if with all this, thou dost not feel thy perdition !

After all this it is most profitable to let thy thoughts rest awhile on the considera- — tion of thy nothingness ; that is, how thou hast of thyself no other thing than sin—or nothingness ; how all else is of God alone. For it is clear that as all natural gifts, so those, too, of grace, which are greater, are His only. Of Him is the grace of predestination, which is the source of all other graces ; of Him the grace of our vocation, and all grace accompanying it; of Him the grace of perseverance, and that of life eternal.

What hast thou, then, of which to glory, save thy nothingness and sin ?

Rest, then, awhile in the consideration of that nothingness, and place this only to thy account, and all else, that it comes from God; that thou mayest clearly and manifestly see what thou art, and what He is ; how poor art thou, and how abundant in riches He; and, consequently, how little thou canst trust in and esteem thyself, and how greatly thou canst trust in Him, love Him, glory in Him!

Then, having considered all these things, think of thyself with thoughts most lowly. Think that thou art nothing else than “a reed shaken with the wind,” of no weight, or virtue, or firmness, or steadfastness or anything else. Think that thou art a Lazarus four days dead, a carcase foul-smelling and abominable, so that they who pass by stop their nostrils, and blind their eyes. Judge of thyself that this is what thou art before God and His angels, and hold ‘thyself to be unworthy to lift up thine eyes to heaven, or that this earth should bear thee, or that creatures should serve thee; unworthy of the bread which thou eatest and of the air which thou breathest. With that, sinner of the city, cast thyself down at the Saviour’s feet, with thy face covered in confusion and shame like the woman taken in adultery ; and with much sorrow and compunction of heart, beg of Him pardon for thy sins, and that, of His infinite pity and mercy, He may vouchsafe to turn to thee, and receive thee into His House.