which do not concern thee; carefully to cherish the good that is within thee. For it ill becomes one, who is devoted to the Passion, to give way to immoderate laughter; and to be wanting in gravity of behaviour is not consistent with a life in Religion. All these things are to be learnt from the Passion of the Crucified, and happy is the man who is daily exercised therein; for his spiritual progress will be sounder than that of his brethren, he will be fed with the fruit of the tree of life, and he will have joy therein for ever.
Look, O Heavenly Father, upon the Face of Thy Christ, as He hangs upon the Cross for me; and for the sake of the all-sufficient merits of Thy Only-Begotten Son, pierced with nails, and besprinkled with blood, be merciful to me a sinner, tied and bound with the chains of so many sins. For He was wounded to blot out my iniquities, He will make satisfaction to Thee for all my sins. He will answer to Thee in my stead. Him I offer to Thee as my Surety; Him I choose as my Advocate; Him I put forward as my Mediator; to Him I leave the defence of my cause. He will make good all in which I have fallen short; He, the blessed Fruit of the Virgin's Womb, will fully atone for all my transgressions of Thy commands. His pleading on my behalf, O most merciful Father, Thou wilt surely take pleasure in accepting; and thus, on account of His exceeding love, and great desire for my eternal salvation, I may always feel that hope and consolation, which in this life are profitable for me, and without which, in the life to come, I must needs be undone.
O good and tender Jesus, All-Holy Son of God, Who, in fulfilment of Thy Father's Will, didst vouchsafe to take upon Thee, without any spot of
