An Act of Thanksgiving.
Who am I, O God of infinite goodness, that thou shouldst permit me to partake of this bread of angels? How have I found such favour in thy sight, as to be the object of so unspeakable a mercy? Come, all ye angels and saints of God, and I will recount to you what great things our Lord hath done for my soul. He hath raised me out of the dust, and delivered me from the bonds of sin; he hath told me not to be dejected, for that he himself will be my support and my strength; and though I have most unworthily forsaken him by my repeated follies, yet behold he calls me once more, and invites me to partake of the bread of life, that, as he made me, so I may ever live by him. What thanks can I give thee, O merciful Jesus, Saviour of the world? What return shall I make thee for all thou hast done for my soul? Were I to give all I have in acknowledgment of thy love, it would still be as nothing; for thou, Lord, hast plentifully poured forth thyself upon me, and given me even all that thou art; and if, in thanksgiving for thy mercies, I were to lay before thee my body and soul, my life, liberty, and all I possess, what would they be when compared to the blessings thou hast here bestowed on me; what to the debt I owe, which is in some kind equal to what I receive, infinite as thyself? Thou hast mercifully given thyself to me, for the food of my soul: and now behold I offer thee all that I have, all that I am, all that I possess; to thee I make a full surrender of them all, that, being wholly thine, I may now no longer have any part in myself.
An Act of Humility.
In fervour of spirit and humility of heart I approach thy holy altar, O my God, to implore thy mercy and assistance. I adore thee, divine Jesus, really present in this sacred host; I acknowledge my unworthiness to receive thee; yet encouraged by thy goodness, I venture to follow the impulse of my heart, which powerfully at-
