Chapter IX. Of the thanksgiving

When the Meditation is finished, there follows the giving of thanks ; for the motive of which we should take the matter of the Meditation, just finished, giving thanks to our Lord for the blessings received. Thus, if the Meditation has been upon the Passion, we have to render thanks to our Lord for that at so great cost He has redeemed us. If we have been thinking of our sins, we shall think of the long forbearance with which He has waited for our penitence; if of the troubles of this life; we shall think of the many from which He has delivered us; or if we have been thinking of death, we shall think of the many dangers from which He has preserved us, waiting for our penitence ; or if we have been thinking of the glories of Paradise, we shall think of His having created us for such felicity, and so of other things in their order.

With these blessings we shall join the others of which we have treated above— such as the blessings of our Creation, Preservation, Redemption, Vocation, and the like. And so we shall give thanks to our Lord God that He has made us in His own Image and Likeness, and has endowed us with the power of Memory that we may remember Him, with Intellect that we might know Him, and with Will that we may love Him. And to this end He has granted to us a Guardian Angel to protect us from so many troubles and dangers and mortal sins, and from dying in them, that we might be preserved from death eternal. And for this He deigned- to take upon Himself our nature, and for us to die. Therefore He caused us to be born of Christian parents, and bestowed upon us Holy Baptism ; and in this He vouchsafed His grace, and the promise of His glory,. and received us as His children by Adoption. For this He endowed us with weapons for contending against the world, the flesh, and the devil in the Sacrament of Confirmation. For this He bestowed the gift of Himself in the Sacrament of the Altar. For this He gave us the Sacrament of Penance that we might turn and recover the grace lost through mortal sin. For all these we owe Him thanks, and for the many holy inspirations which He has sent, and is ever sending, and for His help in Prayer, and good works, and perseverance in good works begun.. To these blessings we shall add_ others, general and particular, which. we know we have received from Him. And for these, and all others received-openly and secretly, we must give all the thanks we can, and call upon all creatures in heaven and earth to be with us in this holy exercise.

So in this spirit, if we will, we may join in that Canticle of praise, “ Benedicite, omnia opera, or in the Psalm, “ Benedic, eT anima mea. tPs: Clit.