St. Vincent's Manual/Devotions Before Morning Prayers.
DEVOTIONS BEFORE MORNING PRAYERS.
Although, at this time, each one follows her own particular turn of piety ; still these devotions may afford help to the novices.
THE wise man will give his heart to resort early to the Lord, that made him: and he will pray in the sight of the Most High. — Ecclus. xxxix 6. I love them that love me; and they, that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me. With me are riches and glory. — Prov. viii 17, 18. O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day; for thee my soul hath thirsted. — Ps. lxii 1, 2. It is good to give praise to the Lord ; and to sing to thy name, O Most High; to show forth thy mercy in the morning. — Ps. xci 1. My soul hath desired thee, in the night, yea, and with my spirit within me in the morning, early I will watch to thee. — Is. xxvi 9. Jesus Christ rising very early in the morning, going out went into a desert place, and there prayed. — Mark i 35.
At the first sound of the bell, prostrate yourself in spirit before the tabernacle, make the sign of the cross,[1] and say:
JESUS, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart, my spirit and my life. Then: All for thee, my God, for thy greater honor, and glory, and pure love.
When you take holy watery say:
WASH me, O my Jesus! in thy own precious blood, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Show us, O Lord, thy mercy, and grant us thy salvation.
Whilst Dressing:
CLOTHE me, O my God! with the robe of innocence; and since thou hast, O my Jesus ! mercifully condescended to choose me for thy own spouse ; adorn, I beseech thee, my unworthy soul with all Christian virtues, especially with those which constitute the spirit of my holy vocation.
OR,
That I may be less unworthy of being specially consecrated to thee, my Jesus, adorn my soul with every virtue, especially with that of an exact fidelity to my holy rules and vows.
Putting on the habit, kiss it affectionately, saying:
SWEET Jesus, Divine Spouse of my soul! whilst vesting myself with this beloved garment of my cherished alliance to thee, I humbly supplicate thee, to preserve unsullied the nuptial robe, with which thou didst invest my unworthy soul, on the blessed day of my happy consecration to thee.
Kneeling by the Bed-side:
MOST adorable Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost I cast my nothingness into the abyss of thy divine perfections; and, in union with the adorations of Jesus, my divine Saviour, I adore thee, as my sovereign Lord, my first beginning and my last end: and in union with his thanksgiving, I thank, thee for all thy love and mercies to me. I thank thee for giving me another day to love, praise and serve thee; and I beseech thee to grant that every moment of it, may, according to thy gracious designs, secure to me the blessing of being nearer to thee in heaven. I offer to thee, my whole being — my soul with all its powers; my heart with all its affections, inclinations, desires, and intentions; my mind with all its faculties: I make this offering, in the sacred heart of my Jesus, and under the auspices of my Blessed Virgin Mother, of my Guardian Angel, St. ---- , blessed St. Joseph, St. Vincent, St. Michael the Archangel and St. Gabriel the Angel of my Redemption. Oh! that I could, during this day, by each action, give as much honor and glory to thee, my God, as the nine choirs of Angels, and all the Saints, and even as much as all possible created beings could render thee. Accept, O my God! this my ardent desire, accompanied by the most sincere and humble acknowledgment, that of myself, abandoned by thy grace, I can do nothing acceptable to thee.
Whilst going down stairs, or at any other time.
PRESERVE me, O Lord, this day, or I shall certainly betray thee. O Mary, conceived without sin, &c. Angel of God, &c.
Whilst washing.
O MY loving Redeemer! I cast my sinful soul into the all-cleansing stream, which thou didst, on Calvary, bequeath to me. If thou, my Jesus, wash me, I shall be made whiter than snow, and less unworthy to appear before thee, in thy holy temple.
OR:
Blood of Jesus, wash me. Water from the side of Jesus, purify me, that I may be thus prepared to dwell in my adorable heart—my sweetest, my securest refuge.
While waiting in the Church or Oratory for Morning Prayers.
O MY good God! how happy am I here in thy sacred presence! How hast thou favored thy unworthy creature! O, that my earnest desire to do thy will in all things, may prove that I am not altogether ungrateful for the favor thou hast, notwithstanding my unworthiness, conferred on me! But, my God, whilst I am enjoying and thanking thee for this blessing, my heart yearns for the conversion of the millions and millions of redeemed souls, who know thee not. For their conversion I offer up all that our Jesus has done for their salvation; and I present this my offering in their behalf, through the hands of his blessed Mother, whose heart was wrung with anguish at the foot of the cross.
A prayer of resignation to the holy will of God.
O MY God ! I do not know what will happen to me to-day; all that I know is, nothing can befall me, which thou hast not foreseen and ordained from all eternity ; and therefore I am resigned to all. O my heavenly Father! I adore thy eternal designs; I submit to them with all my heart I offer to thee the entire sacrifice of my own will; and I unite this sacrifice to that of thy dear Son, my Saviour; and I beseech thee, through his infinite merits, to grant me, in all my trials and afflictions, that unalterable patience and perfect submission, which are due to all thou dost will or permit.
- ↑ This sacred sign may be regarded as a compendium of all the mysteries of our faith, as a homage rendered to the three persons .