A Morning Exercise

E must get up before the sun to bless thee (O God) and adore thee at the break of day. Wisd. xvi. 28. O God, my God, to thee I watch from the morning light. Ps. lxii. 2.

At your first waking in the morning make the sign of the cross, saying, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for ever. Amen. Then adore God, and make an offering of your whole being to him for that day and for ever.

Take great care not to let the devil run away with your first thoughts: for very much depends upon giving them to God, who is your first beginning and last end, and therefore expects from you the first fruits of the day. And as he has with an incomparable love watched over you all the night whilst you were asleep, it would be very ungrateful not to open the eyes of your soul, to look up towards him, and give yourself to him, as soon as you awake.

Take care also to rise early, that you may gather the manna of heaven;; of which you will have little or no share, if you begin the day by indulging sloth and sensuality in bed, instead of employing that first and most precious time in conversation with God. Whilst you are dressing and washing yourself, entertain some pious thoughts, and by devout aspirations beg of God to cloath your soul with heavenly virtues, and to wash you clean from all stains of sin, Then kneel down in your oratory, or by your bed-side: make the sign of the cross in memory of Christ crucified; and place yourself in the presence of the Divine Majesty, by a lively faith that he sees and beholds you, and is in the very center of your soul. Bow yourself down to adore him, beg pardon for your unworthiness and sins, and crave his grace, that you may behave yourself as you ought in his presence. ‘Then say

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 trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us: lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Amen.

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

Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right-hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholick Church; the communion of saints 3, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting. Amen.

The CONFITEOR CONFESS to Almighty God; to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Arch-angel, 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 fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault: therefore I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin; the blessed Michael the Archangel, the blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saint to pray to the Lord our God for me.

May the Almighty God have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.

May the almighty and merciful Lord give me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen. A FORM OF MORNING PRAYER containing Acts of ADORATION; THANKSGIVING, CONTRITION, &c., proper to be made every Morning.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Lord of heaven and earth, behold I a poor worm of the earth, and a most miserable sinner, presume to appear before thee, and speak to thee the holy of holies, and the soveraign maker of all things. Oh! cast me not away from thy face, how unworthy soever: but assist me now by thy divine grace; and teach me to pray to thee as I ought. And first acknowledging myself thy creature, and the work of thy hands, and confessing my total dependance on thee, I desire to praise and glorify thee, and to pay thee the best homage I am able, in union with that which is paid thee by all that fear thee and love thee upon earth, and by all the blessed angels and saints in heaven, and by thy Son my Saviour Jesus Christ in his humanity. I adore thy soveraign majesty, prostrate in soul and body before thee: I offer up myself and all that I have or am to thee as to my first beginning; and I aspire to thee as to my last end, with whom I hope to live for ever. I give thee thanks from the bottom of my heart for all thy benefits, particularly for having brought me to the beginning of this day; for having thought of me from all eternity, and loved me from all eternity; for having made me out of nothing, preserved me from innumerable evils; borne with me so long in my sins, when there was but an hair’s breadth betwixt my soul and hell redeemed me by the death and Passion of thy only Son; called me to the true church, preferably to millions of others; so often admitted me to thy sacraments; favoured me with thy graces and inspirations; watched over me night and day; appointed thy angels to guard me, and prepared a happy eternity forme. For these and all others thy blessings bestowed upon me a most unworthy sinner, and upon thy whole church, and every member thereof, whether triumphant in heaven, suffering in purgatory, or militant on earth, and especially those bestowed on our head Christ Jesus; and for thy own great glory manifested in the creation and redemption of the world, I give thee most humble and hearty thanks, in union with the thanksgivings of the same Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, and of thy whole church in heaven and earth.

But what a wretched return have I hitherto made to thee, O Lord, for all thy mercies and favours! Alas! my whole life has been nothing but sin and ingratitude. At my first coming to the use of reason I turned my back upon thee;; and have ever since — been a rebel to thy divine majesty: I have daily transgressed thy commandments, in thought, word, and deed: I have neglected thy gracious calls and inspirations, abused thy patience and long-suffering;; and too too often have crucified my Saviour by my offences. And now, O Lord, what shall I say? but that it grieves me to the bottom of my heart that I have so grievously offended thy infinite goodness: I acknowledge myself unworthy to lift up my eyes to heaven, or so much as to name thy holy name; after so many treasons against thy divine majesty. The meanest place amongst thy servants is infinitely too good for me, who have deserved a thousand hells. But as thy mercy is greater than my iniquities, this encourages me to return to thee like the prodigal child, in hopes of finding the like reception. I detest now all my sins, because they are detestable in thy sight; I most humbly beg pardon for them all, through the death and Passion of Jesus Christ: and I most firmly resolve, by thy grace, rather to die than to commit the like any more. Be thou my keeper, O Lord, for the time to come; and give me a penitential spirit, that I may daily offer henceforward to thee the sacrifice of a contrite and humble heart. I desire by thy grace to make satisfaction for my sins by worthy fruits of penance; and I will willingly accept from thy hands whatever pains, crosses, or sufferings I shall meet with during the remainder of my life, or at my death, as just punishments of my iniquities; begging that they may be united to the sufferings and death of my redeemer, and sanctified by his Passion, in which is all my hope for mercy, grace, and salvation.

I desire to spend this day in thy divine service; and therefore I now offer up to thee all the thoughts, words, and actions of this day, that they may all be consecrated to thee, by a pure intention of thy greater glory, in union with that pure intention, with which my Lord Jesus Christ performed all his actions in his mortal life. I beg that my whole soul, with all its powers, may be ever thine; that my memory may be always recollected in thee; that my understanding may always be enlightened by thy truth, and my will always enflamed by thy love. Oh that every breath that I shall take this day might be an act of praise and love of thee! as the blessed in heaven are every moment praising and loving thee.

I humbly beg thy grace, through the death and Passion of Jesus Christ, that I may not fall into any sin this day, and especially that _ I may be preserved from such and such faults, which I am most subject to. I resolve to renounce them, O my God, now and for ever; and to the best of my power to fly all dangerous occasions, and to resist the first motions of them; but of myself I can do nothing, and therefore my whole trust and confidence is in thy power, goodness, and mercy, and in the assistance of thy divine grace. Oh! look to me, dear Lord, or like another Judas I shall betray thee this day. O! rather let me die than be so miserable. Grant that I may serve thee this day in spirit and truth, by faith, hope, and love: give me prudence to direct my steps to thee, justice to regulate my conduct to my neighbours, fortitude to carry me safe through all difficulties and dangers, and temperance to restrain me from all unlawful pleasures and passions: teach me to be meek and humble of heart, and to deny myself, and take up my cross and follow thee; teach me in all things to know and to do thy holy will. Have mercy on thy whole church militant upon earth; exalt her by the gifts of thy grace to all her members; give her saints for her chief bishops and other prelates; propagate her faith throughout the whole worid; extirpate all heresies, schisms, errors, and abuses; convert all poor sinners to thee; grant perseverance to all that are in thy grace; to whose prayers and good works I desire to be associated: let thy right hand assist and protect all the clergy and religious, and all apostolical missionaries, throughout the world, that they may all faithfully promote thy cause, and shine like lights to the rest of the faithful. Have mercy on all Christian kings and princes, and on all magistrates and men in power, that they may all fear, love, and serve thee, and reverence thy church. Have mercy on this nation, and remove from us those scourges which our manifold sins have deserved, and bring back our wandering steps to the ways of peace and truth. Have mercy on my parents, relations, friends, and benefactors, whether as to soul or body, and on all those for whom I am more particularly bound to pray, or who have desired my prayers; on my superiors; on all those who are under my charge; on all those whom I have injured, or to whom I have given scandal, by word, action, or ill example. Have mercy also upon mine enemies, forgive them their sins, and fill both their hearts and mine with thy charity. Comfort all those that are in affliction, sickness, or pain; assist all that are in slavery or captivity; defend all that are under temptation, and grant a happy passage to all that are in their agony;; grant to us all a relief in our respective necessities, the remission of all our sins, the grace of final perseverance, and life everlasting. Remember also, O Lord, all the faithful departed, that have slept in thy faith, and in thy grace, and especially those whom I am more particularly bound or accustomed to pray for; deliver them from all their pains, and grant them rest, light, and peace everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O blessed Virgin Mary, unspotted Mother of my God and Saviour Jesus Christ;; be thou a mother to me, since thy adorable Son has been pleased to call us all his brethren, and to recommend us all to thee, in the person of his beloved disciple, St. John xix. 26. Take me and mine under thy holy protection, and continually represent to the eternal Father in our behalf the merits of the death and Passion of thy Son.

O all you glorious angels and saints, and you in particular my holy patrons N. and N., happy citizens of the heavenly Sion, pray for us poor children of Eve, to our common Lord, by the merits of our common mediator, that we may ever love him and serve him here, till we come with you to love, praise, and enjoy him for all eternity.

O angel of God, who, by divine appoint-Act of Faith 33 ment, art my guardian, to watch over me in all my ways, be pleased this day to illuminate, preserve, rule and govern me, whom the goodness of our God has committed to thy charge, and to defend me from all the powers of darkness.

Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity

Proper for the Morning, or Any Other, Time of Day

Of Faith

My God, I believe with a most firm faith all those things which thou hast revealed, and which thy holy church proposes to my belief. I believe in one true and living God, my first beginning and last end; and that in this one God there are three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God, true God and true Man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, and died upon the cross to deliver us all from sin and hell. I bow down my understanding and my will to adore these, and all other thy sacred truths, how incomprehensible soever to my weakness. I embrace them all, and adhere to them with all my soul, because they have been revealed by thee, the soveraign truth, 34 Act of Hope who neither canst deceive nor be deceived. I believe in all things according as the holy Catholick Church believes. In this faith I now live; in the same, by thy grace, I resolve to die. Be thou pleased daily to increase and strengthen this my faith.

OF HOPE O MY God, nothing is hard or impossible to thee, because thy power is infinite; and there is nothing that thou art not willing to do in favour of us poor mortals, because thy mercy and goodness for us are infinite. Thou hast made us to thy own image and likeness, and thou lovest the work of thy hands; thou hast redeemed us by the precious blood of thy only Son; and for his sake thou art ever opening thy hand to pour out thy graces upon us; never forsaking us, if we forsake not thee; and still calling upon unhappy sinners that have forsaken thee, to return to thee: thou hast promised mercy to such as sincerely seek it; grace to such as heartily pray for it; and eternal salvation through Jesus Christ to such as persevere to the end in thy fear and love. Upon these strong grounds I build all my hopes; and relying upon the assistance of thy grace, and the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ, I trust to find mercy in the forgiveness of my sins, and so to pass the remainder of this Act if Charity 35 mortal life in thy divine service, that I may come hereafter to enjoy thee in a happy eternity. In thee, O Lord, is my hope, O let me never be confounded.

Of Charity

My God, thou commandest me to love O thee with my whole heart, with my whole soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength; and ’tis my sincere desire so to love thee. O come and take possession of my whole heart and soul, and teach me this heavenly art of love. Let this sacred fire ever burn upon the altar of my heart: let nothing be able to extinguish it. O let nothing in life or death ever separate me from thy love. Thou art the supreme good; the fountain of all good; and thou art infinitely good to me. Thou art the soveraign beauty, the soveraign bounty, and the soveraign truth, the immense and incomprehensible ocean of all perfection. Thou art my creator, my redeemer, the best of friends, and my perpetual benefactor. Thou art my sweet repose, my true and only joy, and eternal felicity. Thou art my constant lover, the father and spouse of my soul. Thou art my God and my all. Oh! when shall I be so happy as to see thee, to love thee, to enjoy thee for ever?

36 The Angelus I desire with my whole heart, that the whole universe may glorify thee; that thou mayest be known, worthily praised and served by all nations; that thy love may subdue all hearts; and that all thy creatures may fulfil thy will in all things. Oh! when will sin have an end? When will thy kingdom perfectly come? When wilt thou reign all in all? In the mean time I offer thee my whole self without reserve, and I desire to be for ever a servant of thy love; and to invite as many as I can to love thee, whom I desire to love in thee, and for thee. I rejoice with my whole soul, that thou art in thyself eternally and infinitely happy; and that nothing can be added to thy greatness and glory. O grant, that we may all be eternal witnesses of this glory, and eternally rejoice therein, through Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen,

The Angelus Domini

To be said morning, noon, and night, in memory of our Saviour’s becoming man for our salvation.

I. HE angel of the Lord declared unte Mary, and she conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, Sc.

2. Behold the handmaid of the Lord;; 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.

OUR 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 Passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.