The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations/Prayers for Confession
O GOD, the Father of light! Thou who enlightenest all men that come into this world, send into my poor soul a ray of the holy light of lore and contrition, that I may know, detest, and confess the sins which I have committed against thee. I desire to see my sins in all their enormity, and just as they are in thy sight: I wish to detest them for the love of thee, and to confess them with the same sincerity as I should wish to do at the moment of my death. Jesus, my God and Saviour, I offer to thee the examination which I am going to make, and I look to thee with confidence for the grace to do it well. And do thou, O Mother of God, assist me, thou who art so full of compassion for sinners that desire truly to repent of their sins.
Help me, my holy Guardian Angel! help me to know all the offences which I have committed against my God. O! all ye Saints in heaven, pray for me, that I may bring forth worthy fruits of penance. Amen.
Here examine your conscience on the Ten Commandments of God, the Precepts of the Church, the Seven Deadly Sins, etc.
O MY God! the God of my heart! my soul! my life! my refuge ! my strength ! whom I have so much offended that neither the sands on the seashore, the stars in the heavens, the flowers of the fields, nor the leaves of the trees, can equal the infinite number and unspeakable variety of my sins. I have sinned; I have offended thee, and done evil before heaven and earth. I have departed from thy law; turned my back on thy grace; adored what offended thee; made an idol of my guilt; and ran on without fear or shame in the ways of deceit, vanity, and perdition. Ah ! my God how much am I grieved for having offended thee ! I am more troubled at the greatness of my ingratitude for having offended thee, than at the greatness of the torments which I have deserved for my sins. I would have my sorrow for my sins to be as great as the sins themselves. I would have my regret for having displeased thee proportioned to the injuries committed against thee. I would have a grief equal to thy mercy. I would willingly bewail the enormity of my sins with tears of blood, more for the offence and insult offered thy divine Majesty, than for* the injury and perdition they bring upon myself. But where shall I find so deep a sense of sorrow, save only in the fountains of thy grace? Where shall I find such a grief, save only in the contemplation of thy immense goodness and infinite majesty? Whence are those tears to flow, save only from the ocean of thy mercy? Here I cast myself at thy feet; consider not in what manner, at what time, or how late; consider only that I come. But ah! Lord, in how miserable a condition !' how filthy! how abominable! Clad with the deformity of my sins, covered with the filthiness of my offences, and defiled with the abominations of a vicious life ! But, in approaching thee, O my God, I come with the confidence of finding in thy mercy a secure haven, in thy compassion protection, in thy clemency a refuge, and in thy goodness pardon. Wherefore, O Lord, under the dread of thy justice, I seek no other remedy save that of thy mercy, nor fly to any other shelter but that of thy clemency. In thee I place my trust, O my God; for though by sin I have lost the blessings and privileges of a son, yet thou, O Lord, infinitely good, dost not lose the love and compassion of a father. Let then, O Lord, thy infinite grace complete that work in me which thy infinite mercy has begun. Let thy clemency come to the succour of thy miserable creature: take pity and compassion on my poor soul. I am firmly resolved, with the aid of thy grace, to amend my life, confess my sins, and persevere in thy service — to pardon injuries, avoid the occasions of evil, and abhor my vices — to make such restitution as I am able, and to observe, as in duty bound, all thy Commandments. I trust, O Lord, in thy infinite goodness, that thou wilt pardon all my sins through the death and passion of my Lord Jesus Christ; for though in his wounds there is justice to punish me, yet in the same wounds there is likewise mercy to forgive me. Mercy! mercy! mercy! Jesus have mercy on me.
I. Consideration. Of the enormity of sin.
Consider, first, the enormity of a mortal sin. It is an insult to Almighty God, and a contempt of his holy law. Call to mind that you have sinned before him who knows all things, and sees the most secret actions and the silent thoughts of the heart; that you have given the death blow to your immortal soul; that you have drawn down upon yourself the anger and punishment of the living God, a God who in his just vengeance is awful and terrible; that he it is who cast for ever into hell the holy Angels when they first rebelled against him; that, alas! many of the damned who are now groaning in the eternal pains of hell, have not committed so great and so many sins as you; and that while death is perhaps already very near, it is only the infinite patience of this most merciful God that makes him wait until now for your conversion.
CONTRITE PRAYER.
O MY God! O infinite and holy God, what have I done? I confess that my sins are more numerous than the hairs of my head or the sands on the sea-shore. And yet only a single one of them all was enough for my ruin. Yes, one of those mortal sins was enough to rob me of heaven, enough to bring down thy anger on my defenceless head. Hell opened under my feet when I committed the first, and yet others followed, until now, like a mountain, they lie heavy upon my soul. Alas ! why am I not penetrated with horror and fear at the remembrance of my guilt? Sinful soul, what hast thou gained by all these sins? Nothing, O my Lord, nothing but shame and sorrow, guilt and remorse. They have left me without joy in the past, or hope beyond the grave.
But no, my most merciful Lord, there is still hope for me: for I know that if I do penance thou wilt forgive me. I repent of all my sins. I hate and detest them from the bottom of my heart. I am truly sorry for my mad and senseless conduct, and T am resolved to sin no more. From this moment I devote the rest of my days to penance and a holy life. Yes, holy and merciful God, hear my firm resolve: Forgive me this once, and rather will I lose, a thousand times over, all the world has of goods, pleasures, honours, health, even life itself, than ever separate from thy grace again !
II. Consideration. Of the favours received from a God who has been offended by our sins.
Hear, sinner, the voice of God thy Father and Benefactor, who complains thus of the bitter return which thou hast made him for a thousand benefits^ Tell me, ungrateful sinner, what could I do for thee that I have not done? I created thee out of nothing, and made thee in mine own likeness, without having the least need of thee. I redeemed thee by the blood of mine only Son. I made thee a Christian and a Catholic, while millions of men like thee were left in the darkness of infidelity or of heresy. I have borne with thee patiently until this moment, in all thy sins and vices. I have given thee so many and so easy means to secure thy salvation. And on thy side, what hast thou done? For all this, thou hast only returned ingratitude! I made all creatures for thy sake, and thou makest use of them only to offend me ! “ Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth! I have brought up children, and exalted them, but they have despised me.” — (Isai. i. 2.)
CONTRITE PRAYER.
O WHAT base ingratitude! No, there is not, there cannot be anything like it under the sun. Yes, my most tender Father and loving Benefactor! this is the way I have shown my gratitude to thee for having drawn me out of that nothing where I was, and where I should be still, except for thee. Alas! alas! so little have I hitherto prized all those precious graces which thou hast showered upon my ungrateful head.
O ungrateful sinner that I am! Who will give sighs enough to my heart, and tears to my eyes, that I may weep for the death of my soul, and do penance as I ought for this treachery to my God, of which I have been guilty? O most merciful Lord, have mercy on me! I have a sincere desire, and make now the firm resolution to offend thee no more.
Alas! was it just, was it right, that after being brought into existence by God, and receiving innumerable benefits at his hand, I should be so ungrateful to offend him as I have done? When this unseen and omnipotent hand formed me in my mother’s womb, and gave me hands, feet, eyes, ears, and a heart, was it for me to use them in this way as so many instruments to insult and violate thy sublime Majesty? Ah ! unhappy eyes! O wicked hands! O faithless heart! you by your sins have been the cause of grief to a God of infinite goodness, the most loving and tender of fathers.
III. Consideration. Upon the Jove of Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins.
Look upon your loving Saviour on the cross of Calvary! His sacred hands and feet are pierced through and through with rude nails hammered deep into the wood: his kingly head is crowned with thorns; his sacred body is covered with marks of the cruel scourges; and his unspeakable agony appears in his dying eyes and the convulsions of his suffering limbs. Who is it? and what is the cause of this bloody spectacle? Ah! sinner, it is your Saviour, and your sins have brought him to this sad extremity. Yes, for your sake he became man, for the pardon of your sins he suffered and died. Cruel Jews! cruel soldiers! but far more cruel sinners, who, in our day, still crucify their Lord, and mock at his pains; for the Apostle speaks of them when he says: “ They crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and make a mockery of him.” (Heb . vi 6.)
CONTRITE PRAYER.
ALAS! accursed sins! how could I treat the Son of God so cruelly? Miserable that I am, who will give rivers of tears to my eyes, that I may weep according to the multitude of my sins! Is this thy reward, my dearest Saviour, for that innocent blood which thou hast shed with so much love and sorrow for my sake? Could I make thee no better return than this? — by my guilty pleasures, my brutal passions, my cold contempt of thy holy laws, to cover again thy face with shame, and open thy bleeding wounds afresh?
O Lamb of God! sacrificed and lifeless on the cross, remember that I am a soul redeemed by thy precious blood: pardon me my sins, for I am sorry for them from the bottom of my heart. Yes, raise thy wounded hand to bless and pardon me. Receive the traitor that now casts himself in sorrow at thy feet. My sins fill me with terror, for I know that I deserve to be in hell this moment; but surely, since thou hast died for me, thou wilt not now refuse me mercy. Behold me here, O my God! what wilt thou have me do? Shall I weep over my sins? Indeed, I am sorry for them, and detest them with my whole soul. Shall I forsake them? I do renounce them, now and for ever. Shall I spend the remainder of my life in loving thee and serving thee? This is my desire, and I am resolved to do so. Behold now I go to confess my sins! Great God! give me grace to confess them thoroughly, sincerely, and humbly, and from this moment never, never to offend thee any more. Holy Mary, Mother of mercy 1 I recommend myself to thee in this solemn hour. My Guardian Angel, and
all my Patron Saints, pray to the Lord my God for me. A PRAYER TO BEG OF GOD THE GRACE TO MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION.
O MY God! and most liberal Benefactor! how can I present myself before thee, loaded as I am with sin, and above all debased by the crime of ingratitude for thy innumerable mercies ! But thou art my Creator, thou knowest the miseries of my soul; thou seest how often I have abused the greatest graces, how unworthy I am of thy favours; yet notwithstanding thou still desirest not the death of me a wretched sinner, but rather that I be converted and live. If thou didst not ardently love me, thou wouldst not now invite me to return to thee, nor offer me a pardon I have so little deserved. O my good God! since I could not conceive the desire of regaining thy friendship without thy grace, vouchsafe to finish thy own work, and to assist me in making this confession. Teach me to conceive and tremble at the danger in which I have been too often, of eternal separation from thee. O let the misery of those unhappy souls, to whom repentance is now impossible, yet who once had the same advantages I enjoy, awaken me to all the exertions necessary for making a good confession, and do not permit that my negligence or insensibility should frustrate the designs of thy infinite mercy.
PRAYER.
DIVINE Jesus ! whose holy grace has opened my eyes to the miserable and sinful state of my soul; who hast penetrated my heart with sorrow for my offences, it is in thy presence I now most solemnly resolve to begin a new life, and endeavour to become, from this very moment, what I shall certainly wish to have been at the hour of my death. I resolve to adopt all the means I know to be necessary for preserving thy grace, and persevering in virtue. I resolve to discharge my spiritual duties with the utmost fidelity, to employ my time carefully, and in the manner that thou requirest, since I must account for every moment of it to thee. I resolve to strive particularly against those faults I am most accustomed to commit, and to avoid those dangerous occasions which have hitherto led me into s:n.
These are my firm resolutions, O my God! but I tremble when I consider my former inconstancy and my present weakness. I do not deserve those graces I have so often abused: but notwithstanding, since thou knowest I can do nothing without thee, I humbly hope thou wilt give me the grace and strength necessary for persevering in thy love, and keeping most faithfully the resolutions I now make. Preserve me, O Lord, from presumptuous confidence in my own strength, for that alone would cause my fall. Alas! there are many now in hell, who at some period of their mortal life felt more fervour, more sorrow for sin, and made more firm purpose of amendment than I do; I also may deserve to be abandoned by thee. My God and only hope! leave me not to myself — accept my resolutions, but do thou give them efficacy; permit me to place them in thy hands, in thy sacred heart, and under the protection of thy blessed Mother, and my g66d Angel; that thus my weakness may be powerfully assisted, and that I may be preserved from the misfortune of a relapse into sin.
As all the contrition yon could feel, or all the sorrow which ever filled the hearts of the greatest penitents, would of itself be insufficient to atone for your sins, you should always recollect to build your hopes of pardon on the merits of your Redeemer, and to unite your sentiments of contrition to the bitter anguish and efficacious sorrow which Jesus Christ was pleased to endure for your offences, particularly in the Garden of Olives. Enter there in spirit, and behold, in the person of your Saviour, a perfect model of what a true penitent should be, and offer up all his merits and sufferings to supply for the deficiences of your sorrow and other dispositions. This may be done in the following
PRAYER.
O DIVINE Lord, I am very sensible that it is the greatest of all misfortunes to offend thy divine Majesty, and that no misery can exceed that which is attached to the violation of thy law; therefore I again declare, that I abhor my sins, and return to thee with my whole heart. But, O my God! when I consider that one single offence is a just and sufficient motive for eternal tears — when 1 reflect on the bitter regrets which the saints felt for a venial sin, and then compare my grievous offences with my imperfect sorrow, I am justly alarmed at my great insensibility. O! why is not my sorrow as great as my offences! — why cannot I grieve for them even unto death, and collect in my heart all the contrition that was ever felt by the greatest penitents, that thus it may truly be broken with sorrow, and incapable of enjoying any other satisfaction than that which is found in serving thee! But since those holy dispositions are graces to which I have no claim, I beseech of thee, O divine Lord! to accept my desires, and to supply from the treasure of thy infinite merits all the deficiencies in my preparation for this Confession. Accept on my behalf, O adorable Jesus! the clear view thou hadst of all my sins in the Garden of Olives, to supply for my imperfect knowledge of them, or any defect in my examination. I offer up thy sighs, thy tears, thy fainting, thy bloody sweat, and the bitter anguish which penetrated thy amiable heart, to supply for the weakness of my contrition. I offer thee thy merciful resolution of dying for the expiation of sin, to atone for any deficiency thou mayst discern in my determination never more to offend thee, and to perform all the actions of my life in the spirit of contrition and penance. O adorable Heart of Jesus! which was sorrowful even unto death for those very sins I am about to accuse myself of; which was wounded on the Cross, and thus became the refuge of sinners, I call on thee now with all the earnestness, humility, and confidence I am capable of, and entreat of thee, by thy infinite love for sinners, to remember all I cost thee, and to apply to my soul abundantly the infinite merits of thy humiliations, sufferings, and anguish.
INVOCATION.
O HOLY God, who art always ready to receive sinners into thy favour and to pardon them; look mercifully upon my poor soul, which after so many offences returns again to thee, in order to obtain pardon through thy Holy Sacrament. Grant me the necessary preparation; enlighten my understanding, that I may see all my sins: soften my heart, that I may be truly sorry for them; direct my words, that I may make a good confession, and thereby obtain forgiveness; and let not my self-love blind me in any way.
Holy Mary, Mother of Mercy, and refuge of poor sinners, pray for me now, that I may make this confession well, and so obtain pardon and the grace to amend my life.
CONTRITE PRATER.
THOU seest at thy feet, O God of infinite Majesty, the traitor who has so often offended thee, but now humbly implores thee to pardon him. “ A contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” I thank thee that thou hast waited for me until this day, and hast not left me to die in my sins. I hope through the merits of Jesus Christ, that having been patient with me hitherto, thou wilt pardon me now in this confession all the sins which 1 have committed. O my God! I repent of all my sins, and am deeply grieved for having committed them, because I have sinned against a merciful and loving Father, and at the risk of my eternal salvation. Yes! I am sorry for them all, and with my whole heart, but not so much because of the punishment which they deserve, as because they have offended thee, O infinite Goodness!
O my supreme and only Good, I love thee, and because I love thee, I lament all the offences which I have been guilty of towards thee. I have neglected thee: I have not paid thee that honour which belongs to thee: I have despised thy favour and thy friendship, and I have deserved to lose thee for ever, for Jesus’ sake forgive me all my sins 1 With my whole heart I repent of them. I detest them. I repent not only of every mortal sin which I have ever committed, but also of my venial sins, because by them also I have offended thee, I resolve for the time to come, with the help of thy grace, to offend thee no more. Yes! my God, I prefer to die rather than to fall into sin any more.
[If yon should confess some sin into which yon are in especial danger of falling again, make a particular resolution not to commit that one any more. Promise to avoid those occasions which expose you to it, and ask your Father Confessor to point out to you the surest means of amendment.]
PRAYER BEFORE THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.
I RENDER thee infinite thanks, O my God, for thy goodness in having instituted this Sacrament of Penance, by means of which I may obtain pardon of all my sins, regain thy favour and friendship, and even become more closely united to thee. Merciful Lord! give me the dispositions which may, by means of this sacrament, effect this to thy greater glory.
Divine Spirit! by the sacred wounds of Jesus, I implore of thee to grant me light to see and know my sins, and grace to be truly sorry for them, that 1 may confess them with due dispositions.
M other of mercy and refuge of sinners, obtain for me the grace so to approach this sacrament, that by it I may be cleansed and purified from all sin.
O holy Angel, my Guardian! who hast been witness of my numberless infidelities, recall my offences to my mind; help me to confess them as I ought, and beg of the Almighty to forgive me.
My God ! my perfection and eternal salvation depend on the holy dispositions with which I make this confession, and thou knowest I cannot duly perform so sacred an action without the assistance of thy grace; give me light to discover my sins, and that sincere humility which will enable me to confess them with candour and confusion. Give me also thy love, that I may have a perfect contrition for them, and thy grace, that I may avoid them in future.
[Here let us examine what sins we have committed since our last confession, by thought, word, deed, or omission, against God, our neighbour, or ourselves.]
A PRAYER TO BEG THE GRACE OF CONTRITION.
DIVINE Jesus! I desire with my whole heart to bewail my sins as they deserve. But the grace of contrition must be thy gift. Bestow it on me then in thy mercy; I beg it through the merits of thy most precious blood and wounds; and since thou wiliest not the death of a sinner, but that he be converted and live, convert me, my God, and I shall be truly converted.
Let us imagine ourselves at the feet of Christ crucified, and that he says to us from the cross: “ What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes?” (Isa. v. 4.) Let us ask our heart the same question; it will reply, that the blood, the mercy, the choicest graces of a God have never been withheld, to render it fruitful in all virtue: but has not our ingratitude frustrated the designs of his love? When we compare the labours of our Redeemer with their effects on our souls, should we not tremble, lest bringing forth nothing but wild grapes, we should expose ourselves to hear from the lips of the divine husbandman, that awful threat: "And now I will shew you what 1 will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be wasted: I will break down the wall thereof and it shall be trodden down. And I will make it desolate: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be digged: but briars and thorns shall come up: and I will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it." (Isa. v. 5, 6.)
O divine Jesus, adorable benefactor of my soul! covered with confusion, and penetrated with grief, I cast myself at thy feet, not as my judge, but as my mediator, imploring of thee not to avenge the neglect of the graces I have hitherto received, but to add to and renew them all. O adorable abyss of mercy ! wert thou not truly infinite, I should long since have exhausted thy priceless treasures. I should have already been “ trampled on in thy indignation, and trodden down in thy wrath .” (Isa. lxiii. 3.) But Lord, though thou speakest justice, yet thou wilt “ be unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me; for thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name's sake thou wilt lead me and nourish me ” (Ps. xxx. 3, 4); and this emboldens me to approach thee in the bitterness of my heart to deplore the grievousness of my offences. Deaf to thy divine voice, I have refused to follow thy inspirations, and have made as little account of thy graces as if they were not the purchase of thy blood, and the most precious pledges of thy will to save me. Why have I not served thee as thousands have done, who have been less favoured? What excuse can I offer for not being already far advanced in the road of perfection? Can I presume to say that thy arm has been shortened in my regard? My adorable Redeemer! on all occasions, in all circumstances, my heart tells me that thou couldst not do more than thou hast done for thy wretched servant. Would I could say that I also had done for thee the little I was able, that I offered thee my heart as generously as thou deservedst it. I have brought forth far different fruits from those thou hadst reason to expect from the vineyard thou hast moistened with thy blood, planted with the choicest vines, and cherished with the fondest care! But let thy mercy alone judge between thee and thy vineyard. What can I do for my sins but humbly confess them, and lament them, and incessantly implore thy mercy for them? Hear me, I beseech thee, in thy mercy, where I stand before thee, O my God. All my sins displease me exceedingly; I will never commit them any more: I am sorry for them? and will be sorry for them as long as I live: I am willing to do penance for them, and to make satisfaction to the utmost of my power. Forgive me, O my God, forgive me my sins for thy holy name's sake. Save my soul which thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Behold, I commit myself to thy mercy; I resign myself into thy hands; deal with me according to thy goodness, not according to my wickedness and iniquity.
My God! I offer thee the confession I am going to make, to thy greater glory, and in obedience to thy will. I beg that my soul may become more pleasing in thy sight, by being purified in thy most precious blood; and that by the humble confession of my sins, I may satisfy thy justice, repair the dishonor done to thee by them, and obtain that sanctifying grace which may preserve me from again relapsing into them. Grant to my soul, in making this confession, all the necessary dispositions of humility and contrition, which I ought to have in order to please thee and sanctify myself. Divine Lord! I acknowledge that I have done much evil, and scarcely any good; and the little good I have done has been accomplished with so much negligence that it stands as nothing before thee; indeed all my actions have been void of virtue, and full of irregularity; I am an ungrateful, unfaithful, and rebellious creature, and deserve that thou shouldst close in my regard that salutary fountain which thou hast established in thy church to cleanse the sinner: this is what I might expect from thy justice; but when I reflect on that mercy which is never wearied in seeking the lost sheep, and which, when found, treats it with ineffable sweetness, far from giving way to despair, I hope with a firm confidence for the pardon of my offences.
With a firm faith in thee, divine Jesus! I go to thee in the person of thy minister, and placing myself in spirit at the foot of the cross, I shall hope that the merits of the all-atoning blood which was shed upon it to take away the sins of the world, will be applied to my poor soul, by the absolution 1 shall fervently hope to receive. To supply for my want of contrition, I offer thee all the sorrow which thy divine heart felt for my sins in the Garden of Olives, begging through the merits of that sacred heart, that thou wilt cleanse me from them, and grant me the grace to avoid them in future. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER CONFESSION.
O JESUS, how worthy art thou of my love, and what thanks do 1 not owe! I hope that through the merits of thy blood, thou hast forgiven me my sins. For this I thank thee with my whole heart, and I bum with the desire to praise thy mercy in heaven through all eternity. Until now, 0 my God, I have offended thee often, but for the time to come, I will never offend thee again. 1 am anxious to change my life. Thou dost merit all my love, and therefore I will love thee truly and dearly. I will never again be separated from thee. I have already promised thee rather to die than offend thee again. Once more I make this promise, and hope through thy mercy to keep it.
I promise also to shun the occasions of sin, and to take the following means to keep me from falling again (here name the means). But thou knowest my weakness, O my God. Give me thy grace, that I may remain true unto thee until my death, and teach: me m the hour of temptation to have recourse to thee. Mary, help me! Thou art the Mother of perseverance, I place all my hopes in thee.
Returning from Confession, say:
MY soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour: because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. ( Luke i. 46, 49.) Be pleased, dear Lord, to ratify in heaven the sentence of absolution which thy minister has pronounced upon me in thy name; receive the confession I have made, and finish the work thy mercy has begun, by fortifying me against my accustomed weaknesses, and granting me the grace never more deliberately to offend thee. Receive, Eternal Father! the satisfaction which my Saviour made thee when expiring on the cross, and let it not only satisfy for my debts, but also obtain for me the graces necessary to love and serve thee in future. Mercifully grant that the absolution I have received may extend to all the sins of my life, for which I am heartily sorry.
O my soul, cherished object of a Saviour’s love, purchase of his blood, and child of his tenderest mercies, u give praise to him. for he is good: for his mercy endureth for every (Psalm cxvii. 1.) But "what shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? with|Wherwith|title=wherewith}} shall I kneel before the high God?” (Mich, vi. 6.) My God, miserable as 1 am, I can make thee no offering worthy of thy goodness or grateful to thy heart. I can only present thee a soul loaded with more mercies than would suffice to sanctify any other but myself. Let thy own mercies then praise thee, let them give thee glory, and let my preservation from those torments I have so often deserved, be a standing memorial of thy paternal compassion. Look mercifully on a soul whom contrition and guilt have penetrated and confounded, thou of whom thy prophet has said, that “the bruised reed he shall not break, the smoking fax he shall not quench” (Is. xlii. 3.) Support in thy mercy my weakness, of which thou alone knowest the extent; and fan into a flame those sparks of good desires which thy grace has enkindled within me, but which my infidelities have so often, alas ! well nigh extinguished. O fulfil then thy gracious promise: “I will seek that which was lost: and that which was driven away, I will bring again: and I will bind up that which was broken: and I will strengthen that which was weak” (Ezech. xxxiv. 16.) Divine Jesus! let thy mercy be upon me according to my hope in thee, “ For the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him, and on them that hope in his mercy” (Ps. xxxii. 18.)
Most holy Virgin, thou who hast, as I trust, interceded for my pardon, obtain for me also the grace of perseverance, that I may live and die in the friendship of my God. Amen.
O most sweet Lord Jesus! graciously vouchsafe to remember all the holy thoughts that have passed in thy divine mind from the beginning of the world to this moment, particularly thy tender design of becoming Man for the redemption of the world; and pardon not only all the evil thoughts and vain imaginations I have ever conceived of myself, but also those which I might have excited in the minds of others. Amen.
O most pious Lord Jesus! I, a poor sinner, humbly remind thee of all the words of mercy which have ever fallen from thy sacred lips, or which others have uttered, or may hereafter utter to the glory of thy holy name; and earnestly beseech thee, through these divine expressions, to forgive whatever I have spoken offensive to thee, or what others, through my means, may have sinfully uttered. Amen.
O most amiable Lord Jesus Christ! look back on all the good works thou hast performed for our salvation, and be pleased now to pardon whatever I have committed against thee: mercifully direct all my thoughts, words, and actions, to thy greater glory, and regulate them by the model of thy blessed life. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who invitest the sinner to return to thee, kindly receiving, refreshing, and consoling him; remember, that with thy precious blood thou wert pleased to redeem me. To thy sacred wounds I fly for refuge; and as, in thy mercy, thou didst pray for thy enemies, and pour forth thy life for thy persecutors and tormentors, impart also to me the benefit of thy passion. Grant that I may never again crucify thee by my offences, but that sincerely repenting my past offences, and resolutely resisting future temptations, I may persevere till death in thy service.
Into thy hands, O Lord! I commend my whole being. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
I sincerely detest all my past sins, and am firmly resolved, O Lord, through the assistance of thy divine grace, never to offend thee hereafter. I therefore earnestly beseech thee to confirm all the good resolutions I have now made. Increase my fervour in thy service, and render it efficacious, that my change of life may be visible to all, and that in future my conduct may be as exemplary as it has been heretofore disedifying. Amen.
O Blessed Virgin Mary! my holy patrons, and all ye saints and angels, praise and extol our Lord for his boundless goodness towards me, a most miserable sinner. Beseech him to accept of this my humble confession, and to supply, through his infinite mercies, all its deficiencies. Beg him to ratify in the book of heaven, the sentence of absolution which his minister, the priest, has pronounced in my favour at the tribunal of confession. Amen.
THE MISERERE.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.
O MY God, measure not thy mercies towards thy guilty child by the standard of thy justice, which would condemn me to eternal banishment from thy sight, but according to thy great mercy, which delights in granting pardon, and which bestows upon the penitent soul, together with thy forgiveness, the choicest gifts of thy redeeming love.
And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquity .
And according to the multitude of thy mercies, whose boundless, tender compassion seems to increase in proportion to our innumerable miseries, not only pardon my sins, but so blot them out, that they may never rise in judgment against me.
Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me then more and more from my iniquity, and so purify me from my sin, that by the lively sorrow and ardent love which thy grace will enkindle in my unworthy heart, I may be delivered not only from eternal punishment, but also from the temporal chastisement which my sins have deserved.
For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
For, thanks to thy grace, I now understand the enormity of my transgressions, the remembrance of my sin is ever before me, and my regret for having offended thee shall cease only with my life.
To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee; that thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art judged.
O my good God ! no, it is not creatures whom I have off ended, it is against thee only that l have sinned, against thee who had encompassed me with such proofs of thy love. I have turned thy benefits against thyself; and such has been my presumption that I have dared to commit evil in thy sight: the remembrance of thy divine presence could not restrain my unruly passion. O my God! what Excuse shall I find in the terrible day of judgment, since thou who wilt then be my judge art now the witness of my rebellion and ingratitude!
For behold I was conceived in iniquities: and in sin did my mother conceive me.
If I dared to offer thee any justification of my conduct, I would remind thee that I was conceived in sin, that with my first breath I became a sharer in this sad inheritance of the children of Adam, and that thou canst expect nothing from a creature so vitiated in its origin; but no, I have nothing to say in my defence, for thy precious blood effaced this involuntary stain in Holy Baptism, and how often since, in the Sacrament of Penance, hast thou hot purified my soul from its deliberate and voluntary faults!
For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.
O God, thou lovest truth, hear me then whilst I bear witness against my own ingratitude. Who ever had stronger motives for fidelity than I? Thou hast been pleased to pour thy graces and lights into my soul, thou hast manifested to me secrets and mysteries hidden from the lovers of the world: I am then more guilty than they.
Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow,
“ For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the ashes of a heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God 1” ( Heb . ix. 13, 14.) O my God, my Jesus ! it is thou alone who canst restore innocence to my soul which thou prizest so much. Thou wilt wash me in thy blood, a single drop of which would suffice to purify the entire world, and I shall become whiter than snow.
To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness; and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
It is then, O my God, that thou wilt make my soul hear words of joy and gladness; thou wilt assure her that whatever may be her trials in this life all is well since she is thy friend; that thou wilt never withdraw thy eyes from her; that her name is written in thy heart; and then, all her powers which had been humbled and cast down by the sight of he miseries and offences shall exult with a holy joy.
Turn away thy face from my sins; and blot out all my iniquities.
A single glance from thy merciful eyes, O my Saviour, is so powerful, that it would suffice to raise us after the most grievous fall; look upon me then, blot out my iniquities, and at the same time turn away thy face from my sins. And dost thou not ever act thus, O my God, seeming to forget the claims of thy justice, to follow the dictates of thy mercy; but the more thou dost mercifully seem to forget my offences, the more deeply does regret imprint them on my heart.
Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Alas ! my God, to thee must I fly; since thou alone canst afford a remedy to my evils. In vain hast thou pardoned and purified me, if thou dost still leave me this corrupt, hard heart, this heart inclined to every evil, this heart by which I have offended thee. Give me, then, another heart, create in me a pure heart, give me thy own heart, with which to love thee; renew in me the spirit of justice that I may avoid evil and do good; and may the Holy Ghost, who is the bond between the Father and the Son, ever unite my soul with its God.
Cast me not away from thy face, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
O Lord, cast me not away from thy face, which, while it constitutes the felicity of the blessed in Heaven, is also my joy here upon earth, though as yet I see thee only in a dark manner, through the veils of faith. If thou reject me, where shall I go, poor wanderer, far from thee? Where can I find repose here below? Allow me then to rest in thy presence, and to be as intimately united to thy divine majesty as is possible for a creature in this life. Never withdraw from me thy Holy Spirit, the guide of my voyage towards that eternal home, where I shall at length see thee face to face.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit .
Restore to me that joy and that assistance which thou grantest to the faithful soul, who feels herself supported and encompassed in all her ways by thy protection and thy presence, and strengthen me in thy spirit.
I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.
Then will I teach sinners the admirable ways by which thou hast triumphed over my ingratitude, and the example of thy mercy towards me will encourage them to have recourse to thee, notwithstanding all their disorders and miseries, and thus shall the wicked be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall extol thy justice.
If I am guiltless of the blood of my fellow men, there is an infinitely more precious blood which has been shed for my sins. It is, therefore, fitting that I should pray; deliver me from blood, O Lord; forgive me those offences for which the Author of life has suffered death, and my tongue shall extol thy mercy with thy justice.
Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips; and my mouth shall declare thy praise.
O Lord ! of myself, I cannot utter a good word. I can neither praise thee nor excite others to praise thee; when left to myself nothing moves me; nothing touches my heart; do thou then open my lips, move and soften my heart, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.
For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt-offerings thou wilt not be delighted.
If thou hadst desired a sacrifice of expiation, I would have offered it; but holocausts in which the heart has no share are not pleasing to thy divine majesty.
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
The sacrifice which is agreeable to thee, and which disarms thy justice, is that of a soul pierced with sorrow. A contrite and humble heart never fails to find favour in thy sight, whatever may have been its wanderings, whatever their malice or duration, for thy justice is not like that of earth, thou searched hearts, and if among their most secret movements thou canst discover them repentant turning towards thee, thou dost immediately offer them pardon, and forget all their offenses.
Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy goodness with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up. Forgiveness for the past is not sufficient, O Lord, alas I my soul is in ruins, it lies open, exposed to fresh attacks from those enemies from whom thou hast freed it; sadly weakened from frequent defeats, thou must thyself undertake its defence. Come then in thy mercy to the assistance of Sion, teach her to rebuild that interior city, that new Jerusalem, in which thou desirest to be adored, served, and loved.
Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and whole burnt-offerings; then shall they offer victims upon thy altar.
Then wilt thou accept the sacrifices, offerings, and holocausts which I will offer thee upon the altar of my heart. Then, excited by the continual remembrance of thy mercies and thy love, I will generously immolate to thee all my inclinations, all my passions. Amen.