Part two (5): Prayer to Beg God for Contrition

Xvii. Prayer to Beg God for Contrition

0 Good Jesus, I desire to have all the contrition and repentance for my faults that Thou desirest me to have. Yet Thou dost know that I can not have this unless Thou dost give it to me. Grant me contrition, I beg Thee, 0 my Saviour, in Thy great mercy. I know that I am unworthy that Thou shouldst look upon me and hear my prayer, but I trust in Thy infinite bounty, believing that Thou wilt give me what I ask of Thee most fervently, through the merits of Thy holy passion, of Thy holy Mother and of all Thy angels and saints.

0 Mother of Jesus, 0 holy angels and blessed saints, pray to Jesus for me that He may give me perfect repentance for my sins.

After this prayer strive to make earnest acts of pure contrition:

Xviii. Acts of Contrition

O my Most Amiable Jesus, I hate and detest my sins for love of Thee.

O my Saviour, I renounce all sin forever because it offends Thee.

O my Jesus, I abhor my offenses because of the insult and dishonor I have given Thee by them.

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0 my God, would that I had never offended Thee, for Thou art so worthy of honor and love.

0 my Lord, I desire to have all the contrition Thou dost will me to have for my sins.

0 my God, would that I had in my heart all the sorrow and contrition possessed by all the penitent saints.

0 Good Jesus, make me share the sorrow which Thou Thyself didst bear for my sins. I desire to have the greatest possible measure of the same contrition that Thou didst bear.

0 Father of Jesus, I offer up to Thee and unite myself with the contrition and penance that Thy Well-beloved Son did feel for my ,Sins.

0 Most Amiable Jesus, may I hate and detest my sins because they were the cause of Thy torments and Thy dreadful death on the Cross.

0 my God, I want to hate my sins as vehemently as Thy angels and saints hate them.

0 my God, I desire to hate and detest my sins with the same hatred with which Thou dost hate and detest them Thyself., You might also make an act of contrition by striking your breast like the poor publican in the Gospel and saying with him. Deus, propitius esto mihi peccatori: "0 God, be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 1 8 , 13). But you must desire to do and say this with the same contrition that the publican had, by virtue of which he went down to his house justified, as we are told by the Son of God Himself. - These are a few acts of contrition, which are capable Of wiping out all sorts of sins, Provided only that they he uttered, either with the lips or in the heart, with a real will prompted by the workings of grace, and with a firm resolve to abandon sin and the occasions of sin, and to confess it, and carry out [ a t the earliest possible opportunity] all the other conditions mentioned above.

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Holy Communion

Xix. Preparation for Holy Communion

Our Lord Jesus Christ comes to you in the Blessed Eucharist, with the greatest humility, abasing Himself so far as to take the form and appearance of bread, to give Himself to you, and with the most ardent love that impels Him to give you, in this Sacrament, all the greatest, most dear, and most precious things He has. You also should receive Him in this same Sacrament with the deepest humility and the greatest love. These are the two principal dispositions you should have when you go to Holy Communion.

Xx. Prayer Before Holy Communion

0 Jesus, my light and my sanctification, open the eyes of my spirit 'and fill my soul with Thy grace, so that I may realize the importance of the action I am about to perform, and do it in a holy and worthy manner for Thy glory.

0 my soul, I pray thee, consider attentively how great and m a rvelous is the action thou art about to perform and how great is the holiness and dignity of Him whom thou art about to receive. Thou art about to partake of the greatest, most important, holiest and most divine action thou couldst ever perform. Thou art about to receive on thy tongue, in thy breast and in the most intimate recesses of thyself, thy God, thy Sovereign Lord and thy Saviour. Yes, thou art about to receive, really and actually, Jesus Himself in His own Person, who lives for all eternity in the bosom of His Father; Jesus Himself, who is the Life, the glory, the riches, the love and the delight of the Eternal Father; the very same Jesus whom so many patriarchs, prophets and just men of the Old Testament desired to see; the same Jesus who dwelt nine months in the womb of the Blessed Virgin whom she nursed and carried so often in her arms; the same Jesus who was seen walking and living on the earth, eating and drinking with sinners; the same Jesus who was nailed to the Cross.

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Thou art about to receive the same body that was bruised and torn and shattered for love of thee; the same blood that was shed upon the ground. Thou art about to receive next to thy own heart the very Heart which was pierced by a lance. Thou art about to receive in thy soul the soul of Jesus, which, when dying on the Cross, He commended into the hands of His Father. What a miracle of wonder! To think that I should receive into myself the very same Saviour who ascended in glory and triumph into heaven, who sits at God's right hand, and will come in power and majesty at the end of time to judge the universe.

0 Most Great, Most Admirable Jesus, the angels purer than the sun do not esteem themselves worthy to look upon Thee, to praise Thee and to adore Thee; and today Thou dost not only allow me to con~ template Thee, Thou dost even desire me to take Thee into my heart and soul so that I may then have within myself all divinity, all of the most Holy Trinity and all Paradise. Ah, my Lord, what goodness is this! Whence comes this happiness to me, that the Sovereign King of heaven and earth should desire to take up his abode in me, who am a hell of wretchedness and sin, in order to change me into a paradise of graces and blessings? 0 m y God, how unworthy I am of such a favor! For I do indeed avow, in the presence of heaven and earth, that I far rather deserve to be cast into the bottom most depths of hell, than to receive Thee into my soul, so full of vices and imperfections.

Yet since it pleases Thee, 0 my Saviour, thus to give Thyself to me, I desire to receive Thee with all possible purity and love and devotion. With this intention, 0 Good Jesus, I give Thee my soul. Do Thou Thyself prepare me as Thou Thyself dost desire. Destroy in me everything that is contrary to Thee, fill me with Thy divine love and with all the other graces and dispositions with which Thou dost will me to receive Thee.

0 Father of Jesus; annihilate in me everything that is displeasing to Thy Son and impart to me a share of Thy love for Him, with which Thou didst receive Him into Thy paternal bosom on the Day of the Ascension.

0 Holy Spirit of Jesus, I offer Thee my soul; adorn it with all the graces and virtues necessary to receive our Saviour.

0 Mother of my God, may it please thee to let me share the faith and devotion, love and humility, the purity and sanctity with which thou didst so often receive Communion after thy Son's Ascension.

0 holy angels and blessed saints, to you also, do I offer my soul. Offer it to my Jesus and pray Him to make it ready Himself, and that He may allow me to share in your purity and holiness, and in the very great love you bear for Him.

0 my Dear Jesus, I offer Thee all the humility and devotion, all the purity and sanctity, all the love and all the preparation with which Thou hast ever been received by the holy souls that are, and ever have been, on the earth. Would that I had in myself the holy fervor, the divine love of all the angels, of all the seraphim, of all the saints on earth and in heaven, in order the more worthily to receive Thee. 0 my sweet Love, Thou art all love for me in the Sacrament of love and Thou dost come to me with an infinite love. Alas, why am I not also all love for Thee, that I might receive Thee into a soul entirely transformed into love for Thee.

And yet, 0 my Lord, nothing is worthy of Thee but Thine own Self, and there is no love by which Thou couldst be worthily received, except thine own divine love. Therefore, in order to receive Thee, not into myself, as being too unworthy of such a thing, but into Thy own Self, with the love which Thou hast for 'Thyself, I reduce to nothingness before Thee both myself and all that is mine. I give myself to Thee; I beg Thee to take up Thy abode in me, and to establish in me Thy divine love, so that when Thou dost come to me in Holy Communion, Thou mayest be received not into me, but into Thyself, with all the love with which Thou lovest Thyself Take special note of the last part of this prayer, for in it is to be found the true disposition with which we are to receive the Son of God in Holy Communion. I have placed it here at the end for the benefit of more spiritual and more advanced souls.

Notice also that it is by no means useless to desire to have in you all the devotion and love of all holy souls, because Our Lord revealed to St. Mechtilde, a nun of the holy Order of St. Benedict, that if,

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when she went to Communion, she did not feel any devotion in herself, she should desire to have the devotion and the love of all the holy souls who had ever received Communion and He would consider her as if she did indeed possess it.

We also read of St. Gertrude, a contemporary of St. Mechtilde, a member of the same order and of the same monastery, that one day, when she was about to receive Communion, and did not feel herself to he as well prepared or as full of devotion as she desired, she turned to Our Lord and offered Him all the preparation and devotion of all the saints and of the Blessed Virgin. The result of this was that He appeared to her and spoke to her the following words: "Now indeed thou dost appear in my sight, and in the sight of my saints, clad in just those garments and ornaments that thou hast desired!" Ah, Lord, how good Thou art thus to accept our good desires as real effects!

Xxi. Thanksgiving After Holy Communion

There are three things you should do after Holy Communion:

1. You should prostrate yourself in spirit at the feet of the Son of God abiding within you, to adore Him and ask His pardon for all your sins and ingratitude and for having received Him into so unworthy a place, with so little love and so poorly disposed.

2. YOU must thank Him for having given Himself to you, and in Invite all things in heaven and on the earth to bless Him with you

3. Since He has given Himself all to you, you should give yourself all to Him, and beg Him to destroy in you everything that is contrary to Him and to establish in you forever the empire of His love and glory.

Xx11. Prayer After Holy Communion

0 Jesus, 0 my God and my Creator, my Sovereign Lord, what marvel is this? That I should truly, at this very moment, possess in my heart the One who resides eternally in the bosom Of the Father! That I should indeed bear within me the same Jesus whom the most holy Virgin bore within her pure womb! That the most amiable Heart of Jesus, upon which the well-beloved disciple rested, which

was pierced by the lance upon the Cross, should truly rest in me, so close to my heart! That His most holy soul should be living in my own soul! That the divinity, the Most Holy Trinity, all that is most admirable i n God and in heaven should have become merged in me, a most insignificant and most unworthy creature! 0 God, what mercies, what favors are these! What can I say, what can I do when I behold such great and astonishing marvels?

Ah, my Lord Jesus, let all the powers of my soul and body prostrate themselves before Thy divine majesty to adore Thee and render Thee fitting homage! May heaven and earth, and all the creatures that are in heaven and on earth come now and cast themselves at Thy feet that, with me, they may render to Thee a thousand acts of homage and adoration! But, 0 my God, how great is my boldness, that I should receive Thee, the Saint of saints, into so vile an abode, with so little love, so little preparation! Forgive me, my Saviour; with all my heart I beg forgiveness for this as well as for all the other sins and acts of ingratitude during my past life.

0 Most Gentle and Amiable Jesus, 0 Thou the only One of my heart, 0 well-beloved of my soul, 0 object of all my affections, 0 my sweet life, my dear soul, my one and only love, my treasure and my glory, my joy and my only hope! My Jesus, what am I to think of Thy,bounties, so exceeding great to me? What am I to do for Thy love, when Thou hast wrought so many wonders for me? What thanks can I give Thee? M y Saviour, I offer Thee all the blessings that ever have been and ever will be given Thee for all eternity by Thy Father, Thy Holy Spirit, Thy holy Mother, by all Thy angels and by all the holy souls who have ever received Thee in Holy Communion.

My God, may all that is in me be transformed into love and praise of Thee! May Thy Father, Thy Holy Spirit, all Thy angels, Thy saints, and all Thy creatures bless Thee eternally for me! Father of Jesus, Holy Spirit of Jesus, Mother of Jesus, angels of Jesus, saints of Jesus, bless Jesus for me!

0 Good Jesus, Thou hast given Thyself to me with a love most great. In this same love I give myself to Thee. I give Thee my body, my soul, my life, my thoughts, my words and my deeds, and all that

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depends upon me. I give myself all to Thee, that Thou mavest dispose of me and of all that belongs to me, i n time and in eternity, according to Thy most adorable will. 0 my Lord and my God, do Thou Thyself make use of the power of Thy own hand to ravish me from myself, from the world and from all that is not Thyself, that Thou mayest entirely possess me. Destroy all my self-love, my own will and all my vices and unruly desires. Establish in my soul the kingdom of Thy pure love, of Thy holy glory and of Thy divine will, so that I may henceforth love Thee perfectly. And let me love nothing, except in Thee and for Thee.

May all my pleasure be in pleasing Thee, all my glory in glorifying Thee and in leading others to give Thee glory. May my most perfect happiness consist in carrying out Thy holy desires. 0 Good Jesus, establish in me the reign of Thy humility, Thy charity, Thy gentleness and patience, Thy obedience, Thy modesty, Thy chastity and all Thy other virtues. Clothe me in Thy spirit, Thy thoughts and inclinations, so that I may no longer have any thoughts, desires, or inclinations except Thy own. Finally, annihilate everything in me that is opposed to Thee, and so in me love and glorify Thyself in all the ways Thou dost desire.

0 my Saviour, I offer Thee all the persons for whom I am bound to pray, and especially N.N. . . . Destroy in them all that is displeasing to Thee. Fill them with Thy divine love. Accomplish all the plans Of Thy divine goodness for their souls, and give to them everything that I have asked for myself.

Xxiii. Three Other Acts of Adoration, of Oblation and of Love

Since you are On earth only for the purpose of honoring and loving Jesus, and you belong to Him by an infinite number of ties, your chief preoccupation and business in life should be to adore and love Him, and to give and unite yourself without ceasing to Him. Thus, it would be a good thing to add to the preceding morning and evening exercises another quarter of an hour, either before or after noon, to make the three following acts. They are easy to make and take but little time; nevertheless they are most useful, for they gradually and imperceptibly establish those who persevere in their practice, in a

very close union and submission, and in a spirit of love and trust for Jesus. They should be made, not with haste or excitement, but in repose and tranquillity of mind. You should dwell upon the one you find most attractive or appropriate. Here is the way to make these acts.

1. Act of Adoration:

0 Great and Admirable Jesus, I adore and honor Thee as my God and Sovereign Lord, upon whom I depend and to whom I belong. I adore and honor Thee with all my power, and in every way possible to me. I offer up to Thee all the adoration and all the honor that ever has been, is now, or ever shall be offered to Thee in heaven or on earth.

Oh, would that I were entirely transformed into adoration and praise of Thee! May heaven and earth adore Thee now with me, and may all that is in heaven and on earth be transformed into adoration and glorification of Thee.

2 . Act of Oblation:

0 Jesus, my Lord, I belong of necessity to Thee by a thousand ties, but I also desire to belong to Thee of my own free will. I, therefore, entirely offer, give and consecrate to Thee my body, my soul, my life, m y heart and my mind, all my thoughts and my acts, everything that goes With or belongs to my being and m y life. I desire that all that ever has been, is now, or ever shall be in me may belong totally, absolutely, exclusively and eternally to Thee. And I make to Thee this oblation and gift of myself, not only with all m y strength and power, but also I give myself to Thee in all the virtue of Thy grace, in all the power of Thy spirit, and in all the strength of Thy divine love, which is mine since all that is in Thee is mine. I beg Thee, 0 my Saviour, do Thou in Thy great mercy Thyself make use of the strength of Thine arm and the power of Thy spirit and love to tear me away from myself and from all that is not of Thee and to possess me perfectly and forever for the glory of Thy Holy Name.

3 . Act of Love:

0 Most Amiable Jesus, Thou art all goodness and all love, and all infinitely worthy of love. Thou hast created me to love Thee, and dost ask no other thing of. me except that I should love Thee. I desire