Manual of The Sacred Heart'

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600100660J
THE MANUAL
OF
THE SACRED HEART.

C
!
John Le Conte, Je.
Come to me all you that labour, and

are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
(Matt.11,28.)
THE MANUAL
OF
THE SACRED HEART :;
A SELECT VOLUME OF PRAYER
FOR DAILY USE.
COMPILED AND TRANSLATED FROM APPROVED

SOURCES.
Ad Itlujorem Dei Glorium.
LONDON :
BURNS, LAMBERT, & OATES ,
17 PORTMAN ST. AND PATERNOSTER ROW,
1866.
138. g 12
C
BLIGU
E
H B
T O
ERRATA.
Page 2 line 6 from top, for man, read men.

29 4 ,, 11 ‫وو‬ ‫ وو‬for petientis, read petieritis.
"" 13 "" 13 99 "" for Cupis, read' Cupio.
"" 16 ‫ وو‬5 22 for their, read his.
"" 42 ‫ دو‬18 ‫ور‬ 19 for Graciously hear us, read
[Have mercy upon us.
,, 173 33 14 "" for born, read conceived.
Nihil obstat.
GUL. A. JOHNSON, S.T.D. ,

Censor ab Archiep.
ad hoc deputatus.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Meditation for the Eve of the first Friday in
June, · · 1
Meditation for the first Friday in June, 10
An Oblation, • · 20
Prayer to be said in time of trouble, 21
Morning Prayer, 23
The Apostles' Creed, 27
The Confiteor, 27
Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, 28
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, · 35
Night Prayers, 36
Act of Adoration, · · 36
Act of Contrition, 39
Act of Charity, 40
Litany of the Blessed Virgin, 40
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 44
Prayer to the Agonising Heart of Jesus, 46
600100660J
THE MANUAL
OF
THE SACRED HEART.

Է
q
John Le Conte,Se.
Come to me all you that labour, and

are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
(Matt. 11,28)
THE MANUAL
OF
THE SACRED HEART :
A SELECT VOLUME OF PRAYER
FOR DAILY USE.
COMPILED AND TRANSLATED FROM APPROVED

SOURCES.
Ad Itlajorem Dei Glorium.
LONDON :
BURNS, LAMBERT, & OATES,
17 PORTMAN ST. AND PATERNOSTER ROW,
1866.
S
E
H
T
ERRATA.
Page 2 line 6 from top, for man, read men.

‫ وو‬4 ‫ دو‬11 99 29 for petientis, read petieritis.
"" 13 "3 13 "" for Cupis, read Cupio.
16 ‫ دو‬5 29 "9 for their, read his.
"" 42 "" 18 "" "" for Graciously hear us, read
[Have mercy upon us.
173 , 14 ‫وو‬ 23 for born, read conceived.
L
Nihil obstat.
GUL. A. JOHNSON, S.T.D.,

Censor ab Archiep.
ad hoc deputatus.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Meditation for the Eve of the first Friday in
June, • . 1
Meditation for the first Friday in June, 10
An Oblation, 20
Prayer to be said in time of trouble, 21
Morning Prayer, 23
The Apostles' Creed, 27
The Confiteor, 27
Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, 28
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, · 35
Night Prayers, • 36
Act of Adoration, 36
Act of Contrition, 39
Act of Charity, 40
Litany of the Blessed Virgin, 40
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 44
Prayer to the Agonising Heart of Jesus, · 46
vi CONTENTS.
PAGE
Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, for every day of the month of June, 46
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin to obtain the
Virtue of Humility, 48
319
Method of Hearing Mass by Meditating on the
Passion of our Lord, 49
Another Method of Hearing Mass, 65
Devotions for Confession and Communion, 85
Preparation for Communion, 101
Prayers after Communion, 112
A Second Method for Communion, 118
Thanksgiving after Communion, • 129
Method of Hearing Mass when about to Com-
municate, • · 135
Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, · 163
Invocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 164
Prayer of the Venerable Margaret Mary, 165
New Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, • 166
Prayer of St Alphonsus de Liguori, 170
Litanies of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for every
day in the week, · 171
Litany of the Precious Blood, 186
Aspirations before the Blessed Sacrament, 189
Litany of the Suffering Heart of Jesus, • 196
Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, . 197
Invocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in
order to obtain the Cure of a Sick Person, 199
CONTENTS. vii
PAGE
Chaplet of the Sacred Heart, 203
Nine Elevations of the Soul, 204
Hour of Adoration of the Sacred Heart, • 205
Office of the Sacred Heart, 223
Guard of Honour of the Adorable Heart of
Jesus, 232
Thirty days' Prayer to St Joseph,. • 236
Litany of St Joseph, 241
Seven days' Devotion to the Sacred Heart ; or,
Meditations on the Seven Words of our
Lord, 244
Devotions for the Confraternity of the Sacred
Heart, 283
Act of Reparation for the Members of Reli-
gious Houses, • • 289
Hymn to the Sacred Heart, 292
Apostleship of Prayer, • · 293
Indulgences, . · 295
Litany of Blessed Margaret Mary, 300
THE MANUAL
OF
THE SACRED HEART.
MEDITATION FOR THE EVE OF THE FIRST

FRIDAY OF THE MONTH OF THE SACRED
HEART.
On the Confidence which we should Repose

in the Heart ofJesus.
Or those who make profession of piety but
few know Jesus Christ and the treasures of
his mercy ; thus they give themselves up
but imperfectly to his love.
Nothing can be more pleasing to the
loving heart of Jesus than the child-like
and unlimited confidence which we testify
in him. It is related in the life of St Ger-
trude, that one day, as she reflected on the
extraordinary graces which she had received,
A
2 MEDITATIONS FOR THE
she asked herself, How the revelations with

which she had been favoured could be made
known to mankind with the greatest profit
to their souls ? Our Lord vouchsafed her
this reply :-
It would be good, he said , for man to
know, and never to forget, that I, their
God and Saviour, am always present in
their behalf before my heavenly Father.
This should never be forgotten, that when
through human frailty their hearts incline
to sin, I offer for them my merciful heart ;
and when they offend God by their works,
I present to him my pierced hands and feet,
in order to appease the anger of divine justice.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, says the great
apostle, is the mediator between God and
man. He is now ascended into heaven,
in order to aid our prayers by his pow-
erful mediation. " Fail not," says the
devout Blosius, " to offer your good works
and pious exercises to the most sweet heart
of Jesus, in order that he may purify and
perfect them, for his heart, so full of tender-
MONTH OF JUNE. 3
ness, takes delight in so divine a work. He

is always ready to perfect in you whatever
he sees imperfect or defective. Confidence
is a key to the heart of Jesus. What may
we not obtain from our fellow-creatures by
the confidence we place in them ? How
much more, then, will it not obtain from
God ? How marvellous will be its effects
if united with an absolute dependence on
him !
Thus, when animated by faith, Peter
walked on the waters as on dry land ; but
from the moment that fear entered his
mind, the waters lost their sustaining power,
and his compassionate Master, extending his
hand, said to him, " O thou of little faith,
why didst thou doubt ?"
On another occasion also, the tempest
threatened to ingulf the apostles, but Jesus
said to them, having commanded the winds.
and the sea, " Where is your faith ? why
art thou timid, hast thou then no faith ?"
In order to inspire us with a more lively
confidence, our Lord Jesus Christ vouch-
safed himself to teach us the prayer which

we address to God, so that our heavenly
Father, touched by the words of his own
Son, might refuse us nothing which we ask
in his name ; for this he would have us call
him by the sweet name of Father. But
still not enough, in order to dispel all our
diffidence, he carries his condescension even
so far as to promise by a solemn oath to be
always ready to listen to us. Amen, amen,
dico vobis, si quid petientis, hoc faciam.
" Timid souls," he says, " I swear to you by
myself, who am the way and the eternal
truth ; by myself, who hate falsehood, and
who will punish perjury with eternal dam-
nation ; by myself, who can no more lie nor
deceive than I can cease to be that which
I am, I swear to you that I will grant
what you ask of me." These are thy pro-
mises, O my God, says St Augustine, and
who can fear being deceived when he relies
on the promises made by uncreated Truth ?
When an upright man pledges you his
word, you would believe that you erred if
MONTH OF JUNE. 5
you showed after this any doubt or fear.

" But if we receive the testimony of man,"
says St John, " the testimony of God, is it
not greater ?" Our divine Saviour holds
himself so honoured by this confidence, that
in a thousand passages in the gospel he
attributes more to the miraculous efficacy
of prayer than to his own mercy. Not
saying to those who have recourse to him,
" It is my goodness and my power," but,
"It is thy faith, thy confidence, which has
saved thee." Our Lord Jesus Christ re-
vealed to St Gertrude that he who prayed
to him with confidence was sure to obtain
his request, that he could not do other-
wise than listen to his prayers. " What-
ever may be the grace you request," says
our Lord, " be sure of obtaining it, and it
will be granted you." This it is which St
John Climacus expresses in a like manner,
when he says, 66 Every prayer offered up
with confidence exercises over the heart of
God a kind of violence, but a violence
which is sweet and pleasing to him." St
Bernard compares the divine mercy to an

abundant spring, and our confidence to the
vessel which we make use of in order to
draw these saving waters. The larger the
vessel, the greater the abundance of the
grace we shall bring away. Moreover, this
is conformable to the prayer of the Psalmist,
who sues for a mercy in proportion to his
confidence. " Fiat misericordia tua Domine
super nos, quemadmodum, speravimus in te.
Let thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, ac-
cording to the hopes we have placed in
thee."
God has declared that he will protect
and save all those who put their trust in
him. " Let them be glad, then," exclaims
David ; " let all those rejoice who hope in
thee, O my God, for they shall be happy
for all eternity, and thou wilt never cease
to dwell in them." He elsewhere says ,
"He who places his trust in the Lord shall
dwell under the protection of the God of
heaven." " Yes, Lord," says St Bernard, " it
is hope alone which opens to us the treasure
MONTH OF JUNE. 7
of thy mercies." " The efficacy of prayer,"

says St Thomas, " is drawn from faith,
which believes in the promises of God, and
confidence in the holy promises which he
has made to us."
We see, in short, in the sacred writings
that the Son of God seems to take the
faith of those who address themselves to
him, as the rule for the help and the graces
which he grants them, not only doing what
they wish, but in the manner in which they
ask it.
Grace is attached to confidence ; it is a
kind of axiom that he who puts his trust in
God shall never be confounded . And the
wise man defies a contrary example to be
cited amongst all the nations of the world.
" But our souls should be filled with con-
solations," says St Ambrose, " when we re-
member that the graces which God grants us
are always more abundant than those which
we ask," also " that the fulfilment of his
promises always exceeds our hopes," as says
Ecclesiastes. "Let us have then a firm
confidence," as St Paul recommends us,

since the Lord has promised to protect
whosoever hopes in him ; and when ob-
stacles present themselves which seem very
difficult to overcome, let us say with the
apostle, " I can do all things in him who
strengtheneth me."
Who indeed was ever lost after having
placed his trust in God ?
But we need not always seek a sensible
confidence, it will suffice if we earnestly de-
sire it ; for true confidence is an utter de-
pendence on God, because he is good, and
wishes to help us ; because he is powerful,
and able to help us ; because he is faithful,
and has promised to help us.
EXAMPLE.
The venerable Mary of the Incarnation

relates that it was revealed to her on a cer-
tain occasion that the Eternal Father was
insensible to her prayer. She sought to know
the cause, and an interior voice said to her,
" Petition me through the heart of my Son,
MONTH OF JUNE. 9
through which I will hear thee." Address

yourselves to the heart of Jesus, the ocean
of love and mercy, and he will obtain for
you, pious soul, and also for all poor sin-
ners, the most signal graces.
Some time before her death, St Mechtilda
earnestly asked of our Lord an important
grace in behalf of a person who had asked
her to pray for her. Seized with fear at
the sight of the terrible judgments with
which the justice of God would visit this
soul, she was weeping bitterly, when our
Lord addressed to her these consoling
words, " My daughter, teach the person for
whom you pray that she must seek all she
desires through my heart. ”
There is no heart so hard as not to be
softened by the heart of Jesus, nor any soul
so disfigured by the leprosy of sin that his
love cannot purify, console, and heal.
MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST FRIDAY OF

THE MONTH.
It is Sweet to Die in the Heart of Jesus.

AT the hour of our death, when life, like a
false friend, is about to forsake us, we
must, in a special manner, increase our
confidence in the heart of Jesus.
It is said that our Lord appeared one
day to a holy soul who had conjured him
to grant to a pious person a happy passage
from this life, and addressed to her these
consoling words :-
" My daughter, where is the pilot who,
having brought into port a vessel laden with
precious stones, throws it into the sea at
the moment of his arrival ? Can you sup-
pose that, after having granted so many
graces to this soul in the course of her life,
that I shall abandon her at the end thereof?"
Let us lean on the heart of Jesus ; and
driven on the stormy sea of this world, un-
der the protection which he grants to those
MONTH OF JUNE. 11
who love him, we shall one day trium-

phantly enter the desired port, and enjoy
the eternal blessings of that holy guidance.
Death was always precious in the sight
of God, for Jesus was to pass through its
portal ; it is precious to him still, for Jesus
has died.
No one who is devout to the heart of
Jesus will fail to find at the moment of his
death more excellent and abundant trea-
sures than he had ever expected to receive.
Death, to himself precious, will not our
Lord render it inexpressibly so to us ?
Faith cannot mistake the proofs of his ten-
derness. If we may venture to say so, the
exile of the being he created is a sorrow to
him as much as to the soul itself ; for, like
a tender father, God desires that his chil-
dren should be with him in his kingdom.
Of all the hours of life, this is the one which
is the most precious in the sight of God,
exerts the greatest power over his love,
and for this very reason has such a mighty
influence over his mercy and justice.
In order to receive the fulness of the

new life to be merited by repentance
through the divine reparation, every man
must undergo the frightful trial of death ;
but is not this trial, caused by sin, like all
other trials, a token of love on the part of
God? Without death, life could not attain
to its end ; without death how could the
soul ever reach eternal life ?
The rebel angel escaped the sentence of
death, but for him there was no resurrec-
tion. It is decreed that man should die, or
rather, the soul cleansed by the blood of
our Lord, and vivified by his love, passes
into eternity before the body which it shall
one day glorify, and united together, are
called by Jesus to reign in heaven in a
state so exalted that it could not have been
won by primeval innocence.
Even in this world, without awaiting the
eternal glorifying of humanity, the most
beloved amongst the friends of God exper-
ience through their whole being a marvel-
lous transformation which robs death of its
MONTH OF JUNE. 13
terrors, and wholly disengages them from

this transitory world. The interior light
by which they are led is no longer human,
but divine, through Jesus, and a supernatu-
ral love is substituted for that natural love
which they made their law ; and not only
are their criminal affections destroyed, but
the love of God above all things, gives them,
even in this life, a foretaste of heaven.
They feel no longer that engrossing care for
the preservation of the body, but sigh after
death, crying incessantly to God, with St
Paul, Cupis dissolvi et esse cum Christo.
They exult when they hear the clock strike,
at the thought that one hour less remains
for them to pass in this exile ; death is no
longer a passage of sorrow, but the desired
way by which they shall go to the Lord ;
they sigh after it, they desire it, and would
fain hasten the moment of its approach by
the ardour of their desire for the enjoyment
of a never-ending eternity. One single
thing restrains them ; it is when the per-
fection of love imposes on them a law of
charity yet stronger, which would detain

them in this world for the glory of God,
and the good of their brethren ; " for," says
St Theresa, " thus do souls arrive at a strict
union with Jesus."
Thus ardently they have desired to die, in
order to enjoy the presence of our Lord ; this
is their martyrdom at their exile being pro-
longed ; yet they are so inflamed with the
desire of knowing him, of making his name
hallowed, of being useful to the souls of
others, that far from sighing after death,
they would wish to live for many years,
even amidst the greatest sufferings, too
happy in being able to add to the glory of
their divine Master.
Perfect submission in death is an act of
entire adoration, a magnificent profession of
faith and praise ; its beauty consists in the
cheerful and ready sacrifice which the crea-
ture makes to the Creator of the life which
he had given, shadowing forth God's power,
in all its grandeur. Death beholds the
soul already in adoration annihilated at the
MONTH OF JUNE. 15
thought of the near approach of eternity ;

this, we may well imagine, is the kind of
death the angels love to contemplate. The
soul takes to itself no merit, places no trust
on the way in which it has served God, and
desires to possess even the smallest consola-
tion the Church can bestow. It is specially
attracted by the sanctity of God, which
makes it aspire to become pure, pure almost
beyond conception, in order to appear before
the inviolable majesty of God, relying only
on his mercy, never losing its confidence in
the greatness of the divine compassion, but
fearing lest its offences may be beyond the
reach of pardon-dying the death of a child,
fixing its eyes on the countenance of its
tender Father. Why then, when in a state
of grace, should we entertain a fear ofdeath?
"Whosoever dwelleth in love, dwelleth in
God, and God abides in him." He who
loves God is then sure of his grace ; and
dying in this state, is certain of enjoying
for ever the sovereign good in the habita-
tions of the elect. And can such a one
fear death ? David has, however, said, that

no living man is entirely pure in the sight
of God. Thus no one should have the
presumption to hope for salvation through
their own merits ; for except Jesus and
Mary, no one was ever exempt from sin.
But we need not fear death when we have
a true sorrow for our faults, and place our
confidence in the merits of Jesus, who came
on this earth in order to redeem and save
sinners, for whom he shed his blood, for
whom he died. " The blood of Jesus
Christ," says the apostle, " cries more
loudly in favour of sinners than the blood
of Abel for vengeance against Cain." Grace
transforms into a brilliant light that which
by its nature was plunged in darkness
and obscurity, and the plaintive cry of our
misery is changed into a song of triumph ;
for the fetters which yet separate the soul
of the dying from the heavenly Jerusalem
are so near being severed asunder, that the
triumphant alleluias of heaven mingle with
the lamentations of earth, and the last gaze
MONTH OF JUNE. 17
of repentant love is tenderly fixed on the

crucifix, till earth fades from its view.
The transit of the creature from time
to eternity is dear to the Creator ; for
66
precious in the sight of the Lord is the
death of his saints." Let us throw aside,
then, these vain fears of death, and regard
it as a tribute which all must pay to
nature. Let us be ready cheerfully to
leave this world when our Lord shall call
us to the land where the saints await us,
and where we shall meet those who have
instructed us in the faith, and whose vic-
tory will in some measure supply for the
negligence with which we have performed
our own duties towards our heavenly
Father.
Let us unite ourselves to these glorious
troops of blessed spirits who are seated in
the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob ; into which the good thief
entered in triumph after a life of sin, and
now enjoys, in the company of the elect,
the ineffable delights of paradise ; where
B
18 . MEDITATIONS FOR THE
there is neither darkness nor storms, intense

heat, excessive cold, sickness, nor sorrow ;
and where there is no need of the light of
the sun, because the Sun of Justice alone
enlightens the heavenly Jerusalem.
EXAMPLE.
The Graces of the Last Hour.
We read the following touching account,
in the life of St Gertrude. The saint once
heard a preacher insist strongly on the
strict obligation of a dying person to love
God above all things, and to entertain for
their sins a contrition founded on love.
She believed this to be an exaggerated
doctrine, and that if pure love was neces-
sary, very few persons would die in the
proper dispositions. She became interiorly
disturbed, and a cloud obscured her mind ;
but our Lord himself vouchsafed to dispel
her fears ; telling her, "that in the last
struggle, if the dying person had during
life sought to please him, and to lead a
Christian life, he would so mercifully re-
MONTH OF JUNE. 19
veal himself, that his love would penetrate

into the inmost foldings of the heart, caus-
ing it by his presence to make acts of the
most perfect contrition ; " and, added our
Lord, “ I would have my elect to know, with
what a great desire I wish them to be
united to me at that important moment.
Let this be made known, so that men may
rely no less on this last merciful grace,
than on all the others which my love has
lavished upon them."
Let us propagate this consoling truth, so
well calculated to inflame our hearts with
the most lively love for so merciful a God.
Practice.- Let us pray to the agonising
heart of Jesus for the eighty thousand per-
sons who, it is computed, die daily in this
world.
Ejaculatory Prayer.
O sweet Jesus ! grant that I may die the
death of those devoted to thy divine heart.
[His Holiness Pius IX. by a brief, dated 29th
September 1859, granted an indulgence of three
20 AN OBLATION.
hundred days, extended afterwards by a newrescript

to three years, and a plenary indulgence once a
month, on the usual conditions, to the recital of the
followingprayers. They are applicable to the faithful
departed. Intentions to be made during mass,
either at the offertory, immediately after the con-
secration, or at the communion of the priest.]
* Eternal Father, I offer to thee the sacri-
fice which thy divine Son made of himself
on the cross, which sacrifice he now renews
on our altars. I offer it in the name of all
mankind, with the masses which are now
being celebrated, and which will be cele-
brated throughout the world, in order to
adore thee and render thee all possible
honour and glory ; to thank thee for thy
innumerable benefits, to appease thy jus-
tice irritated by our sins ; to give thee
the satisfaction thou dost expect ; also to
obtain thy grace for myself, for thy Church,
and for the whole world, as also for the
souls in purgatory.
[Oblations to be made frequently during the
day.]
O Lord, I offer thee the masses which
are being said throughout the world, in
PRAYERS IN TIME OF TROUBLE. 21
the name of all mankind, for thy glory and

the salvation and benefit of thy creatures.
O Lord, I desire to offer up myself to thee,
for all the intentions for which thou now
offerest thyself to God thy Father.
Prayers to be said in Time of Trouble.

* Look down, O holy Father, from thy
sanctuary in heaven, thy dwelling-place,
and behold this sacred victim which our
great High Priest, thy holy, innocent, and
well-beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ
offers to thee for the sins of us his brethren,
and let not thy wrath be kindled on ac-
count of the manifold transgressions of the
world. Behold the voice of the blood of
our brother thy first-born Son, Jesus, cries
to thee from the cross. Give ear, O Lord,
be appeased ; O Lord, hearken, and do ;
tarry not for our own sake, O our God, for
thy name is called on this house and city,
and upon all thy people, and deal with us
according to thy infinite mercy, through
the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
22 PRAYERS IN TIME OF TROUBLE.
V. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring

us to true penance.
R. We beseech thee, hear us.
V. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to de-
fend this house and city, and all thy people,
to keep them in peace ; to guard, preserve,
and look down on them with thy most
tender pity.
R. We beseech thee, hear us.
V. Through the holy mysteries of man's
redemption.
R. Let thy mercies quickly prevent us,
O Lord, and spare thy people.
V. Through the merits and intercession
of thy blessed mother and all the saints.
R. Let thy mercies, &c.
V. Holy Mary, conceived without ori-
ginal sin, and all ye angels and saints, in-
tercede for us to our Lord .
R. That the mercies of our Lord may
quickly prevent us ; and that he may spare
his people, that so we may rejoice with him
for ever and ever. Amen.
MORNING PRAYER. 23
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God, may thy
most holy will be done at all times, and in
all things, according to thy infinite and eter-
nal mercy, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Morning Prayer on Awaking.

My God, I give thee my heart, grant that
it may be pure, humble, upright, and sincere ;
give thine, I beseech thee, to me, that it may
be my treasure and my life. Awake me
from the sleep of sin, clothe me with the
new man, create in me justice and sanctity.
In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Act of Adoration.
I adore thee, my God, as my Creator,
and the sovereign Lord of all things ; I
humbly acknowledge that I am as nothing
in thy sight ; I annihilate myself in thy
presence on account of my misery and sins.
Act of Petition.
O Lord, a new day is given unto me ; I.
24 MORNING PRAYER.
desire to employ it to thy glory and in thy

service. Grant that I may never be for-
getful of the great obligations which my
duty as a Christian imposes on me, that I
may comprehend them in their full extent
better than I have done hitherto. With-
draw from me the occasions of sin, give me
the assistance of which I have need, in
order to fulfil exactly all the duties of my
state ; and support with patience the trials
and crosses thou shalt see fit to send me.
Preserve in me a lively faith, a firm hope,
an ardent charity. Give me thy fear which
is the beginning of wisdom ; make me meek
and humble of heart, prudent, compassion-
ate, and resigned. Govern my senses, and
especially my eyes and my tongue, so that
creatures may not be to me an occasion of
sin ; and that I myself may not be to others
a subject of scandal by thoughtless or un-
charitable conversation.
With this day, O loving Father, a new
course of thy benefits in behalf of all thy
children will commence. I beg of thee to
MORNING PRAYER. 25
bestow upon all mankind the happiness of

knowing and loving thee ; bestow thy
blessing on our holy father, Pope Pius ; re-
gard with a tender care our pastors, the
physicians of our souls, thy bishops, and
all the priests of thy Church ; give them, O
my God, knowledge and understanding
wherewith to conduct the souls they direct
into the ways of salvation ; grant that my
parents, my brothers and sisters, may form
with me the family of thy saints. I be
seech thee also, O Lord, to bless my bene-
factors, my friends, and my enemies, if I
have the misfortune to have any. Grant to
the souls of the faithful departed the re-
mission of all their sins, in order that they
may praise thee with thy elect for evei .
Offering.
I offer thee my heart with all its affec-
tions. Grant that I may breathe only for
thee, my God. I consecrate to thee my
spirit, and all its thoughts ; my body and
all its senses, that all that belongs to me
26 MORNING PRAYER.
may live only in thee. Occupied in imi-

tating thee alone, grant that I may strive to
preserve thy glory, and make thee loved by
others, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thanksgiving.
O my God, the blessings which thou
daily bestowed on me excites my gratitude,
and I cannot thank thee sufficiently for the
special favours with which thou hast visited
me. Grant that my soul may produce
abundant fruit whereby I may gain eternal
life.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed

be thy name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will
be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive them that tres-
pass against us. Lead us not into tempta-
tion but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Angelical Salutation.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, our Lord is

MORNING PRAYER. 27
with thee ; blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us
sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.
The Apostles' Creed.

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus
Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost ; born of the
Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried ; he de-
scended into hell, the third day he rose
again from the dead ; be ascended into
heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty ; from thence he shall
come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost ; the Holy
Catholic Church ; the communion of saints ;
the forgiveness of sins ; the resurrection of
the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Confiteor.
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed

28 MORNING PRAYER .
Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the

archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, the
holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the
saints, that I have sinned exceedingly, in
thought, word, and deed, through my fault,
through my fault, through my most grievous
fault. Therefore I beseech the blessed
Virgin Mary, blessed Michael the archangel,
blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles
Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray
to the Lord our God for me.
May Almighty God have mercy on me;
forgive me my sins, and bring me to ever-
lasting life. Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord
grant me pardon, absolution, and remis-
sion of all my sins. Amen.
LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS .

Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us,
Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us.
MORNING PRAYER. 29
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

God, the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Jesus, Son of the living God,
Jesus, splendour of the Father,
Jesus, brightness of eternal light,
Jesus, king of glory,
Jesus, sun of justice,
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,
Jesus, most amiable,
Jesus, most admirable,
Jesus, mighty God,
mercy
Have
Jesus, Father of the world to come,
us
on.
Jesus, angel of the great council,
Jesus, most powerful,
Jesus, most patient,
Jesus, most obedient,
Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Jesus, lover of chastity,
Jesus, lover of us,
Jesus, God of peace,
Jesus, author of life,
Jesus, example of all virtues,
Jesus, zealous lover of souls,
Jesus, our God,
Jesus, our refuge,
Jesus, Father of the poor,
Jesus, treasure of the faithful,
Jesus, good shepherd,
Jesus, true light,
Jesus, eternal wisdom,
i
Jesus, infinite goodness,
30 MORNING PRAYER.
Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life,
mercy
Have
Jesus, joy of angels,
on
Jesus, king of patriarchs,
us.
Jesus, inspirer of the prophets,
Jesus, master of the apostles,
Jesus, teacher of the evangelists,
Jesus, strength of martyrs,
Jesus, light of confessors,
Jesus, purity of virgins,
Jesus, crown of all saints,
Be merciful unto us. Spare us, O Lord Jesus !
Be merciful unto us. Hear us, O Lord Jesus !
From all evil,
From all sin,
From thy wrath,
From the snares of the devil,
From the spirit of uncleanness,
From everlasting death ,
From the neglect of thy holy inspirations,
Through the mystery of thy most holy incarnation,
Through thy nativity,
deliver
Jesus
Lord
Through thy divine infancy,

us.,
Through thy most sacred life,

Through thy labours,
Through thy agony and passion,
Through thy cross and dereliction,
Through thy pains and torments,
Through thy death and burial,
Through thy glorious resurrection,
Through thy admirable ascension,
Through thy joys and glory,
In the day of judgment,
MORNING PRAYER. 31
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the

world : Spare us, O Lord Jesus!
world : Hear us, O Lord Jesus !
world: Have mercy on us, O Lord Jesus !
Christ Jesus, hear us ! Christ Jesus, graciously
hear us !
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ ! who hast said,

Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall
find, knock and it shall be opened unto you;
grant, we beseech thee, to our most humble
supplications the gift of thy divine love,
that we may ever love thee with our whole
hearts, and never cease from praising and
glorifying thy holy name. Amen.
O Divine Redeemer ! give us a perpetual
fear and love of thy holy name, for thou
never ceasest to direct and govern by thy
grace those whom thou instructest in the
solidity of thy love, who livest and reign-
est one God, world without end. Amen.
O God ! who hast appointed thy only-
begotten Son the Saviour of mankind, and
32 MORNING PRAYER.
hast commanded that he should be called

Jesus, mercifully grant that we may enjoy
his happy vision in heaven, whose holy
name we venerate upon earth, who with
thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reign-
eth, one God, world without end. Amen.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin.
Holy Virgin, Queen of Angels, I rejoice at

thy elevation, obtain for me some portion
of that divine grace, the plenitude of which
conducted thee to the haven of salvation.
Confiding in thy compassionate assist-
ance, O Mary, I have recourse to the God
of mercy. Yes, O Lord, it is under the
protection of thy holy mother that I offer
thee my desires, words, and actions, my
labours and my thoughts. Support me
under the crosses which I may probably
meet with this day, and which thy wisdom
has ordained ; and suffer not that I should
lose the reward thereof, by rebellion to thy
holy will, or by any sallies of anger or impa-
tience. Calm the tempest which may rise in
MORNING PRAYER. 33
my heart by the spirit in which I may per-

haps receive them ; and give me the grace
to submit humbly to my trials ; regarding
them only as coming from thy hand, ap-
peasing those interior murmurings hidden.
to man, but which offend thy infinite
Majesty. Alas, it is outraged, O my God,
each time that I unfortunately yield to the
too great ardour of my disposition, instead
of exerting myself to subdue it ; by imploring
thy aid and the intercession of the blessed
Virgin. I ask for many graces, but can I
fear refusal when I address myself to the
God of mercy, in the name of that Son
who is the comforter of the afflicted, the
Saviour of penitent sinners, the spouse and
compassionate friend of all who are faithful
in his service ?
Glorious St Joseph, my holy guardian
angel, my holy patrons, faithful servants of
God, intercede for me, and help me to walk
in the ways of justice and charity.
34 MORNING PRAYER.
Act of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin.

My Queen, my Mother ! I give thee all
myself ; and to show my devotion to thee,
I consecrate to thee this day my eyes, ears,
mouth, and heart ; myself wholly without
reserve. Wherefore, my good mother, as I
am thine own, keep me as a thing of thine,
thine own possession. Amen.
Ejaculation.
My Queen, my Mother ! remember I am
thine own ; keep me, guard me as a thing
of thine, thine own possession.
* Pius IX. granted, the 5th of August 1851, one
hundred days' indulgence for saying morning and
evening one Ave Maria, with the above prayer.
Menorace to St Joseph.
* Remember, most pure spouse of the
blessed Virgin Mary, my amiable protector
St Joseph, that it is unheard of that any
one ever had recourse to thy protection,
and implored thy help, without receiving
consolation. Full of this confidence in thy
power, I come before thee and recommend
MORNING PRAYER. 35
myself to thee with fervour. Ah ! despise

not my prayer, O dear foster-father of our
Redeemer, but graciously hear and obtain
my request. Amen.
* Three hundred days' indulgence granted by
Pius IX., 26th June 1863, applicable to the dead.
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Heart of Jesus, infinitely holy and mer-
ciful Heart, I give myself to thee without
reserve, and for ever. I abandon to thy
care my present and my future ; under thy
protection, and for thy greater glory, I
wish to commence, continue, and terminate
all my actions. I confide to thy love every
day of my life, and will repeat every morn-
ing, in union with the holy sacrifice of the
mass, this filial consecration . Thy heart,
O Jesus, shall henceforth be my consola-
tion. I will invoke it in my trials, in my
difficulties, in my fears. Banish from my
mind every desire, every resolution and ac-
tion which is not conformable to thy holy
will. Suffer me not to yield to temptation ,
36 PRAYERS AT NIGHT.
preserve me in purity of heart ; be thou to

me a buckler against my own weakness
every moment of my life, be thou my help
in death, and my reward in eternity. Amen.
Jesus, most charitable, Jesus, meek and
humble of heart, forgive us our sins, give
thy peace to our souls, remember us in thy
kingdom !
May the Heart of Jesus be everywhere
loved.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, render
my heart like unto thine.
NIGHT PRAYERS.
In the name of the Father, &c. Our
Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c. I believe in
God, &c.
Blessed be the holy and undivided
Trinity, now and for ever. Amen.
Act of Adoration.
Prostrate before thy divine majesty, O
my God, I adore thee with the most pro-
found respect of which I am capable. I
acknowledge thy sovereign dominion over
PRAYERS AT NIGHT. 37
me, I submit myself to thee, for I love to

depend on thee in all things.
O God, infinitely good, who art here
present, and who seest the inmost recesses
of my heart, teach me to pray to thee with
fervour and devotion, so that I may draw on
me and mine thy holy benedictions. Amen.
I believe in thee, O Almighty God, be-
cause thou art truth itself. I hope in thee,
for thou art infinitely good. I love
thee with all my heart, for thou art my
loving God ; and I love my neighbour as
myself, for the love of thee.
My God, I render thee a thousand thanks
for thy continual benefits ; those numerous
gifts of thy mercy, from the moment of my
birth until this hour, when prostrate in
adoration I adore thee.
What gratitude do I not owe thee, for
having given me thy divine Son, and for all
the spiritual and temporal blessings which
thou hast lavished on thy unworthy ser-
vant ! It is thou who hast mercifully pre-
served me from sins into which I should
otherwise have fallen ; it is thou, my hea

venly Father, who hast done in me and by
me the little good I have been able to do,
if ever I have done anything meritorious
in thy sight. O my God, engrave these
sentiments in my soul in characters of
fire ; let my actions and my conduct ren-
der the eternal testimony of the touching
gratitude it is so sweet to me to pay thee.
Let us beg of God the grace to know our Sins.
Eternal source of light, God the Holy

Ghost, dispel, I beseech thee, the darkness
which hides from me the wickedness and
malice of my sins. Make me conceive so
great a horror of them, O my God, that I
may detest them as much as they are de-
tested by thee, and that I may fear nothing
so much as ever again to commit them.
Let us Examine our Conscience.
The general examen is one of the most im-

portant exercises of the day, and, if done
properly, it disposes the soul for good con-
fessions. Let us place ourselves in the

presence of God, thank him for his graces,
and fervently implore the help of the Holy
Spirit, that we may know and detest our
sins, look into the evil which we have com-
mitted, excite ourselves to sorrow for having
offended God, and form a sincere resolution
of amendment.
Act of Contrition.
Behold me, O my God, covered with con-
fusion, and penetrated with the most lively
sorrow at the sight of my offences. I de-
test them with a true sorrow for having
offended so good and loving a God. O my
God, is this what thou hast a right to ex-
pect from me, after having every morning
resolved to be more faithful in thy service ?
O Lord, I have carried to excess my malice
and ingratitude, and most humbly ask thy
forgiveness. I beseech thee, O my God, by
that mercy, the effects of which I have so
often felt, to grant me the grace of a sin-
cere repentance.
Act of Charity.
Send down thy blessings, O Lord, on my
parents, (if alive,) my relations, my friends,
and benefactors. Protect my superiors,
comfort the poor, the sick, the afflicted,
and the agonising, convert and enlighten
heretics and infidels.
God of mercy and goodness, have pity
also on the souls of the faithful departed.
Put an end to their sufferings, and grant
to those for whom I ought to pray rest and
eternal happiness. Amen.
LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy
on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
Prayfor us.
Holy mother of God,

Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother, most pure,
Mother, most chaste,
Mother, inviolate,
Mother, undefiled,
Mother, most amiable,
Mother, most admirable,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Redeemer,
Virgin, most prudent,
Pray
Virgin, most venerable,
for
us,
Virgin, most renowned,
Virgin, most powerful,
Virgin, most merciful,
Virgin, most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom ,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Honourable vessel,
Vessel of singular devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the weak,
Refuge of sinners,
Comfortress of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Pray
Queen of angels,
for
us.
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles ,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors ,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen, conceived without the stain of original sin,
world : Spare us, O Lord!
world : Hear us, O Lord !
world : Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Pray for us, holy mother of God, that we may be.
come worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy
grace into our hearts, that we to whom the
incarnation of Christ thy Son has been
made known by the message of an angel,
may by his passion and cross be brought to
the glory of his resurrection, through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, who, through thy

tender love for thy Church, hast vouchsafed
to open to her the riches and ineffable trea-
sures of thy sacred heart, grant that our
hearts may be enriched with the treasures
which it encloses, and that we may partici-
pate in the holy delights which flow there-
from.
O hearts of Jesus and Mary, be thou
touched with compassion for us. Amen.
Before going to Sleep.

Open thy heart to me, O Lord, it is
the place that I have chosen for my rest.
I desire to remain therein during my
whole life, and to render up my last
sigh as thy humble and faithful ser-
vant.
Protect me, O Lord, and preserve me
from the snares of the evil one. Sure of
thy protection, I will repose in thy heart,
and shall sleep in peace.
Loving Jesus, my adorable Lord, let my
heart be so united to thine during this my
44 ACT OF REPARATION
rest, that I may say with thy spouse in the

Canticles ,
I sleep, but my heart watcheth.
Glorious Virgin, my tender mother, pro-
tect me, my holy angel guardian ; watch
over me, my holy patron ; pray for me.
O Jesus, who didst die on the cross in
order that I might live, have mercy on me.
O Jesus, I give myself to thee entirely, and
for ever. Amen.
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of

Jesus.
O adorable heart of my Saviour Jesus, lov-

ing heart of my good master, how great is
thy tenderness to have remained for me in
the divine Eucharist ! Alas, thy creatures
forget thy love, despise thy complaints, and
withdraw themselves from thee ; forgetting
that, in thy agony in the garden, thou didst
endure all the bitterness of our sins. We
now again by our iniquities renew thy sor-
SOWS. Thou languishest here with love
and sadness, and how few think of thee,
TO THE SACRED HEART. 45
care for thee, or are touched by thy loneli-

ness. Let me at least, sensible to thy sor-
rows, listen to thy tender complaint, for I
desire to repair the outrages which are un-
ceasingly directed against thee. Prostrate,
annihilated in spirit before the holy taber-
nacle in which thou dost display thy love,
I beseech thee to pardon my sins, and those
of the whole world, for their contempt and
indifference, their insults and their sacrilege.
If I cannot wash away with my blood my
own faults, and those of all thy guilty chil-
dren, may I at least silently weep over the
outrages of which thou art the victim. Oh
that I could dispose of the hearts of all
mankind, and fill them with regret and
gratitude, in order to offer them to thy love
as the only homage which it desires to re-
ceive. Lord Jesus, I offer myself as a
holocaust. Behold my heart, purify it, con-
sume it with love, sacrifice it to thy will,
that henceforth I may love thee only, and
live only to love thee. Guard thou my
heart, lest I should reclaim it, hide it in thy
46 ACT OF CONSECRATION
wounds as in a safe asylum, so that there I

may live and die in order to be united to
thee for ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Agonising Heart of Jesus.

O most merciful Jesus, thou who art in-
flamed with so ardent a love for souls, I
conjure thee by the agony of thy sacred
heart, and by the dolours of thy immaculate
mother, to purify in thy blood all sinners
throughout the world who are now in their
agony, and who will to-day depart this
life.
Agonising heart of Jesus, have mercy on
the dying.
Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of

Jesus, to be recited every day ofthe month
of June.
O Jesus, I consecrate to thee my heart,

place it within thine own. It is in thy
heart I wish to dwell, through thy heart I
wish to love, and in thy heart that I desire
to repose, unknown to the world and known

to thee alone ; it is from this heart of thine
that I should draw that ardent love which
should consume my own, then I shall find
strength, light, courage, and true consola-
tion. When I languish it will animate me,
when sad it will give me joy, afflicted and
in trouble it will encourage me.
O heart of Jesus ! let my heart be the
altar of thy love, my tongue publish thy
goodness, my eyes be unceasingly fixed on
thy wounds, my mind meditate on thy
adorable perfections, my memory preserve
for ever the precious remembrance of thy
mercies ; everything in me express my love
for thee, O Jesus, and my heart be ever
ready to make any sacrifice for thee.
O heart of Mary ! after the heart of
Jesus, the most loving, compassionate, and
merciful of all hearts, present to the heart
of thy Son this my consecration, my love,
my resolution. That heart will be softened
at the sight of my miseries, and deliver me
from them ; and after having been my pro-
48 PRAYER FOR HUMILITY.
tectress in this world, O mother of Jesus !

be thou my queen in heaven.
A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin to obtain

for us the Virtue of Humility.
O Virgin of purity ! O mother of holy

love, who owest all thy greatness to humi-
lity, I have no just pretence wherewith to
address myself to thee, yet I beg through
thy intercession for grace to overcome my
pride ; this is thy enemy, and the enemy
of thy Divine Son, who, to destroy it, did
not think it too much to abase his divinity
so low as to unite himself to our nature,
and die upon a cross. Look down, then,
O most merciful mother, upon me a miser-
able sinner. Illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte. I ask for nothing but for
thee to look mercifully on me ; cast thine
eyes upon me ; yet, even shouldst thou
seem to desert me, I will be content. But
that mercy which is so peculiar to thee in
quality of our advocate and mother, which
was given thee by thy dying Son, will not
METHOD OF HEARING MASS . 49
permit it. I then humbly beg of thee, that

by virtue of all these prerogatives thou wilt
obtain for me the grace to extirpate all
vain self-esteem and love of praise and
honour. Let my glory be to give all glory
to Jesus, and to confess myself a sinner,
and that all the good I possess by his grace
is nothing compared to his greatness.
Grant that these virtues which thou teach-
est me by thy example may be so practised
by me, that I may hereafter, with thee,
magnify eternally in heaven our Lord Jesus,
and give him thanks for having looked down
so mercifully on so miserable a soul as mine.
Amen.
METHOD OF HEARING MASS BY WAY OF

MEDITATION ON THE PASSION.
This method is intended for those who

prefer meditation to the recital of vocal
prayers.
D
50 METHOD OF HEARING MASS.
The Mass is divided into four parts : the

first, from the beginning to the Gospel ;
the second to the Elevation ; the third to
the Communion of the Priest ; and the
fourth to the end.
In the first part we may consider and
honour the heart of Jesus, praying in his
agony at the approach of his passion,
especially in the Garden of Olives.
In the second, we honour the heart of
Jesus humbled and suffering in the various
tribunals of Jerusalem, until the time of
the scourging at the pillar.
In the third, we honour the heart of
Jesus suffering in the scourging and crown-
ing with thorns, and follow him in the path
of suffering until his last sigh on the cross.
In the fourth, we honour the heart of
Jesus hidden and buried in the sepulchre.
This manner of hearing Mass has four
very precious advantages.
The priest is followed throughout the
sacrifice : this is the most holy and meri-
torious way of assisting at Mass.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 51
The heart of Jesus is honoured in every

stage of his Passion.
We enter into the interior sentiments of
his adorable heart, and endeavour to make
them our own.
The Mass thus becomes a prayer, and at
the same time a very useful and salutary
meditation.
If about to communicate at Mass, the
manner in which one is thus occupied will
be a very good means for receiving the
grace of the sacrament, and may be con-
tinued in the thanksgiving. Bearing this
in mind, we have indicated a few points
for meditation, leaving to each one the
liberty of following them up according as
the attraction of grace shall inspire him.
From the Commencement of Mass to the

Gospel.
In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Heart of Jesus praying and suffering.
Thou prayest, thou dost suffer, O my
52 PRAYERS AT MASS.
sweet Saviour, thy heart experiencing a

mortal sadness, suffer me to unite myself
to thy sorrows, and give me a share in
thy deep affliction. Everything that pre-
sented itself to thy mind plunged thy heart
in a sea of bitterness ; for thou didst be-
hold the deplorable state of the world, the
crimes and excesses of mankind, the tor-
rent of iniquities which deluged the earth,
the multitude of souls which would perish
and be cast into hell, the glory of thy
heavenly Father outraged, the approach of
thy passion and sufferings, and their use-
lessness with regard to so many sinners,
who, notwithstanding the shedding of thy
blood for them, would be lost for ever.
my Saviour, am I not also a cause of sor-
row to thee ? Thou lamentest over me ,
thou seest the sad state of my soul, my
tepidity and negligence, my unfaithfulness
and resistance of thy grace, the little sor-
row I have conceived, my little care for
amendment, the danger to which I am ex-
posed of dying in so sad a state. Thou
PRAYERS AT MASS. 53
lamentest all this, and I am not touched ;

thou art afflicted, and I am insensible. I
ought to pass my life in sighs and tears,
and my heart is given up to dissipation
and pleasure. Heart of my God, thou
prayest, and I know not how to pray ; if I
pray, it is so ill, with so little attention,
fervour, or devotion, that my prayers de-
serve not to ascend to the throne of thy
mercy. My God, teach me how to pray,
that at least, in virtue of the sacrifice
which I offer thee, my prayer may be
pleasing in thy sight. Yes, my God, in
this holy confidence I offer thee the hom-
age of prayer for the salvation of my soul,
whose misery and extreme necessity thou
knowest. I beseech thee also to remem-
ber all those for whom I ought to pray, -
for my relations, that we may be united
much more strongly by the bonds of grace
than by those of blood ; for my friends,
that thou mayst be the bond and centre
of our friendship ; for my benefactors, be-
seeching thee to render them a hundred-
54 PRAYERS AT MASS.
fold the goods which I have received ; and

the vengeance which I request for my ene-
mies is, that thou wouldst visit them with
thy graces. I pray to thee also, in a parti-
cular manner, O my God, for the Church
my tender mother, for the Sovereign Pon-
tiff, and all the clergy. Shed over all thy
abundant benedictions ; give to all of us
hearts according to thy heart, uniting us
all in the same holy fellowship.
Heart of Jesus, praying and suffering, I
adore thee, and beseech thee to unite my
prayers with thine.
Heart of Jesus, lamenting and agonising,
I adore thee, and beseech thee to inspire
my heart with the same sentiments.
Heart of Jesus, offering thyself in sacri-
fice to the eternal Father, I adore thee, and
beseech thee to offer me in sacrifice with
thyself.
From the Gospel until the Elevation.

The Heart of Jesus humbled and annihilated.
O my sweet Saviour ! with what floods of
PRAYERS AT MASS. 55
bitterness is not thy sacred heart deluged !

With what torrents of humiliation is it not
overwhelmed ! Led, or rather dragged
from tribunal to tribunal, from one indig-
nity to another, before judges who are
thy enemies, tied and bound as a slave,
accused as a criminal, thou art judged, and
condemned as a malefactor, a seducer, a
disturber of the public peace.
At the house of Caiaphas thou art given
up to the insults, the injuries, and affronts
of a troop of soldiers, who make thee un-
dergo the most infamous treatment.
Before Annas thy face is dishonoured by
a shameful blow, the most audacious out-
rage that can be perpetrated amongst men.
By Herod thou art covered with a white
robe in sign of mockery. Thou art treated
as a fool before his whole court, who turn
into contempt and insult the esteem and
admiration of which thou hast been the
object.
By Pilate thou art placed on a level
with a robber and a malefactor, and thou
56 PRAYERS AT MASS.
hast the sorrow to see this infamous wretch

preferred before thee.
Dragged through the streets of Jeru-
salem, thou wast obliged to undergo the
yells, the cries, and imprecations of the
immense populace there assembled, who
load thee with curses and maledictions. O
King of glory, what a flood of humiliations
overwhelmed thy heart ! but what mar-
vellous virtue is in thy interior ! What
meekness, what patience, and charity !
Thou dost pray for those who outrage thee.
Thou offerest thy sufferings for those who
persecute and afflict thee.
O adorable Saviour, this sacrifice of thy
heart was necessary in order to repair the
glory of thy outraged Father, to humble
the proud exaltation of our minds, to con-
found the detestable pride with which our
hearts are swelled, to make us know the
inestimable value of humiliations, to give
us in thy passion a touching example to
which we can have nothing to oppose. Even
on our very altars, to what a condition
PRAYERS AT MASS. 57
dost thou reduce thyself for the love of us !

And yet, O my God, how astonishing and
deplorable it is, that notwithstanding so
striking an example, pride should still hold
dominion over us ; for what a fund of
vanity, self-love, sensitiveness, and delicacy
on the point of honour do we not possess !
My divine Saviour ! how much have I
not to reproach myself with on this point !
I seek only the applause and esteem of
men, as if thine were not sufficient. I can
suffer and endure nothing for thee, who
hast undergone so much for me ; the least
humiliation afflicts and dejects me ; my
spirit is rebellious, my heart swells, my
whole soul is disturbed and agitated ; a
cowardly and worthless human respect
makes me betray my duty and thy inter-
ests. Oh, how can I call myself thy dis-
ciple, and acknowledge thee for my Master
and my God ! Was it necessary, then, O
my Saviour and my Lord, that thou alone
shouldst drink of the chalice of humilia-
tions ? No, my adorable Master, I will
58 PRAYERS AT MASS .
share it with thee, I will receive it from

thy hands, I will have a part in thy abase-
ments ; and if I have not the courage to
meet humiliations, I will at least accept
with submission those which thou shalt
send me. From henceforth I offer thee
the sacrifice of my pride and my vanity, in
order to unite myself to thee in thy anni-
hilations. If nature rebels, or self-love com-
plains, I will follow thy example and im-
plore thy grace. This divine example, drawn
from thy heart and passing into mine, will
render the chalice of thy humiliations pre-
cious, and even consoling to me, and one
drop of its bitterness will be sweeter to me
than all the deceitful and guilty pleasures
of this blind and perverse world.
O heart of Jesus, saturated with indig
nities, make me share in thy chalice.
O heart of Jesus, steeped in an ocean
of sorrows, steep my heart in thy tears.
O heart of Jesus, plunged in an abyss
of humiliations and suffering, destroy my
self-love and pride.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 59
From the Elevation to the Communion of

the Priest.
The Heart of Jesus suffering and expiring on the
Cross.
Was it necessary, O my Jesus, that after

having given up thy sacred heart to the
greatest humiliations, thy body should be
delivered to excessive torments ? To what
a condition art thou reduced by thy ter-
rible scourging ! After having fastened
thee to a pillar, they strike thee violently,
discharging repeated blows on thy virginal
flesh. Thy body is bruised, torn, and covered
with wounds. Thou art bathed in the tor-
rents of thy adorable blood, and yet they
cease not to strike thee, and to exercise
over thee all the fury, cruelty, and hatred
of which they are capable.
But, O my God, in the midst of these
excessive sufferings of thy body, what are
the emotions of thy heart?
Thou dost suffer with patience, O sweet
Saviour, submitting thyself to thy heavenly
60 PRAYERS AT MASS.
Father, offering to him thy torments, beg-

ging of him the forgiveness of our sins, re-
garding thyself as a victim sacrificed for
our salvation, beholding those torrents of
blood flow with resignation , and even
with joy, in order that our sins might be
washed away, and that the voice of this
adorable blood, rising even to heaven, might
obtain grace and mercy for us.
Thou sufferest everything for me, O ador-
able heart of my Saviour! and I wish to
suffer nothing ; the least suffering is a tor-
ment to me ; I fear even the very name of
suffering and pain. I care so much for my
body, seeking my ease, guarding it so care-
fully, without remembering that it is a body
of sin, which I ought to subject to the
rigours of penance. Ah, my Saviour, do I
not see that by my care in avoiding suffer
ing, I increase thine, rendering those suffer-
ings useless for my salvation ?
All thy sufferings in this cruel scourging,
O my Saviour, nevertheless, is little else
than the commencement of thy torments.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 61
Thy sacrifice must be consummated. I be-

hold thee loaded with thy Cross, taking the
way to Calvary. Suffer me, O my God and
Saviour, to follow thee in spirit, and step
in thy bleeding footsteps. What do I see,
great God, what marvellous spectacle does
faith present to me? A suffering God ! a
dying God ! a God dying in excess of pain !
a God dying for the love of those who cause
his death! At such a sight what can I say,
how can my heart express the sentiments
with which it is filled ?
Ah, my Saviour, how eloquently dost
thou preach upon thy Cross the great
truths of faith which thou hast announced
to us ! How dost thou make known the
greatness of the inexorable justice of God,
the excellence and the price of our souls, but
above all, the malice and enormity of sin, the
severityand horror ofthe punishments which
are reserved for it in eternity. And they
are my sins, O heart of my God, which
thou bewailest, which thou dost lament
upon the Cross. They are my sins which
62 PRAYERS AT MASS.
led thee there, which fastened thee to its

wood, which have shed thy sacred blood,
and caused thy death ; and I, my Saviour,
die not with sorrow at the foot of thy Cross,
I wash not my sins in my tears and in my
blood. Ought I not, at least, to pass my
life in sighs and tears, without ceasing, for
sorrow that I have offended my God, caused
the sufferings of Jesus, rendered myself re-
sponsible for his blood, and guilty of his
death?
Thy heart is still open for me upon thy
Cross, O Jesus. Thy arms are extended
tenderly to receive me, and I return to thee
with sincerity and sorrow.
Every day thou renewest on our altars, in
an unbloody manner, the bloody sacrifice
which thou didst once offer upon Calvary.
It is this sacrifice that I offer thee, as thou
didst offer it to thy heavenly Father. Suf-
fer me to unite to thy sacrifice the sacrifice
of myself, and especially that of a contrite
and humble heart. I beg of thee to give me
a heart broken with sorrow to offer to thee,
PRAYERS AT MASS. 63
and thus render the victim worthy of thee,

worthy to be sacrificed to thee.
From the Communion of the Priest to the

end of Mass.
The Heart of Jesus concealed and buried in the
Sepulchre.
Beloved Saviour, thy body is placed in
the sepulchre, the last of the humiliations.
which thou hadst to undergo in this world,
for humiliation was to accompany thee even
to the tomb. O my soul, what a state of
annihilation, for God made man is this, to
be in the world as not there, hidden in the
bosom of the earth, surrounded by the
shades of death, given up to obscurity in the
region of darkness, absolutely destitute of
everything, for even the tomb in which
Jesus reposes is not his, thus verifying
the words he had said of himself,—The
birds ofthe air have their nests, but the Son
of man hath not whereon to lay his head.
Yet in this state of annihilation, thou,
my Jesus, dost preserve all thy power.
64 PRAYERS AT MASS.
Behold, my soul, the great example given

us for our imitation. Saint Paul tells us
that we are dead, that our life must be hid-
den with Jesus Christ in God. Yes , my
divine Saviour, in thy tomb I will learn the
sentiments of thy adorable heart, detach-
ment from the world, forgetfulness of the
world, death to the world and to myself,
the nothingness of earthly things, the love
of retirement, interior solitude, and strict
union with God, thou taking place of all, O
Jesus, when for thee I shall have quitted all
with heart and mind.
O my God, vouchsafe to accept these re-
solutions ; I renew them in this holy sacri-
fice, and I offer them to thee in union with
thine own. I beg of thee to give me the
grace to preserve them in my soul as long
as I live, and grant that I may persevere in
them until death.
O adorable heart of my Saviour, thou
wast not to be always in humiliation, suf-
fering, and sorrow. After so many trials
and conflicts, thou didst ascend into heaven
PRAYERS AT MASS. 65
the conqueror of thy enemies, and triumph-

ing over the world, death, and all the powers
of hell ; thou art exalted in glory, seated
at the right hand of the heavenly Father,
thy heart inebriated in a torrent of delights,
and enjoying the happiness of God him-
self.
Heart of my God, I share thy glory and
thy triumph. Shall I one day share thy
glory and thy happiness ? It is only
through thee and thy merits that I can hope
for and merit this grace. I beseech thee to
give it me in virtue of the sacrifice which I
offer thee. Thou hast offered thyself for me
upon our altars, receive me one day in thy
sacred tabernacle, in order that I may praise
thee for ever with thy elect ; and as a
pledge of this happiness, vouchsafe to ratify
in heaven the blessing which thy priest gives
us on earth, in the name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost. Amen.
ANOTHER METHOD OF HEARING MASS.
Most adorable Trinity, in thy name, and

E
66 PRAYERS AT MASS.
to render thee the honour and homage due

to thee, I assist at this holy and august
sacrifice.
O my God, thou alone art my joy, my
happiness, and my hope ; but the multitude
and enormity of my offences render me un-
worthy to approach thy altar ; but thou
callest me to thee, so that in union with
thy minister, I may offer thee the adorable
victim of my salvation.
I acknowledge, O my God, that I am un-
worthy to assist at this most holy sacrifice,
but thou wilt not reject a contrite and hum-
ble heart. I confess my sins. I humbly
ask pardon for them. I hope to obtain this
pardon through the merits of the victim
about to be offered for their expiation.
During the Confiteor.

I, a miserable sinner, prostrate myself be-
fore thee, confessing, O Almighty God, that
I have sinned against thee, and in thy pre-
sence, to Mary the purest of virgins, to
blessed Michael the archangel, St John Bap-
PRAYERS AT MASS. 67
tist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all

the saints whose example I have so carelessly
followed, to the faithful whom I have scan-
dalised, to all in heaven and on earth, I con-
fess that I have sinned in thought, word,
and deed. I have no excuse whereby I can
justify myself. Nothing should have led
me to offend a God who deserves an infinite
love. I ought rather to have sacrificed my
life a thousand times. I can only expect
pardon through that infinite mercy, which
of myself I am not worthy to obtain ; there-
fore I beseech the blessed Virgin Mary,
blessed Michael the archangel, Saint John
Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul,
and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our
God for me. May Almighty God have
mercy on me, and forgiving me my sins,
bring me to everlasting life. Amen.
At the Introit.
O my God, thou hast said, I will not the

death of a sinner, but rather that he be con-
verted and live. Thy promises, O Lord, can
68 PRAYERS AT MASS.
never deceive us. How many blessings hast

thou not sent down on us thy people, since
Jesus took upon him for us the form of a
slave, in order that we might enjoy the sweet
liberty of the children of God ! Amen.
At the Kyrie.
O my soul, let us implore aloud the

mercy of our God ; let us cry out without
fear of being repulsed . O Lord my God,
have mercy on me ; thou hast created me ;
have mercy on the work of thy hands.
Merciful Father, pardon thy guilty ser-
vant.
O Jesus, O loving Saviour ! infinitely
charitable Mediator, do thou regard our
miseries, pardon us our sins, and deliver
us from the enemies of our salvation.
O sanctifying Spirit, thou art our hope,
our strength, our light, our consolation,
vouchsafe to purify us from our iniquities.
At the " Gloria in Excelsis."
Glory be to God on high, and peace on

PRAYERS AT MASS. 69
earth to men of good will. We praise thee,

we bless thee, we adore thee, we glorify thee,
we give thee thanks for thy great glory, O
Lord Jesus Christ, O Lord God, heavenly
King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord
Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son, O Lord
God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who
takest away the sins of the world, have
mercy on us, who takest away the sins of
the world, receive our prayers , who sittest
at the right hand of the Father, have mercy
on us, for thou only art holy, thou only art
the Lord, thou only, O Jesus Christ, together
with God the Holy Ghost, art most high in
the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Whilst the Priest Reads the Collects.
Accept through thine infinite goodness,

O Lord, the prayers which thy minister in
the name of thy Church addresses to thee for
all the faithful, in which I unite also, beg-
ging thee to grant me the pardon of my sins,
victory over my passions and evil inclina-
tions, an active faith and an ardent charity,
70 PRAYERS AT MASS.
so that henceforth I may be more faithful

in keeping thy commandments, and in the
discharge of the duties of my state. I de-
serve not to be heard, O my God, but I ask
this of thee through the merits of Jesus
Christ thy Son, who livest and reignest with
thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world
without end. Amen.
During the Epistle and Gradual.

O my God, who hast made known to us
the light of thy truth by the words of thy
prophets and apostles, in order that we may
turn from our evil ways, triumph over our
sinful inclinations, and walk in the paths
of justice ; give the grace to us here pre-
sent, and to all who bear the name of Chris-
tian, to reject whatever is contrary to the
august prerogative we thus enjoy, to honour
by our works thy divine adoption, and to
fulfil perfectly all the duties of the holy
state to which thou hast called us.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 71
Whilst the Priest reads the Gospel ofthe

Day.
I firmly believe, O Lord, all the truths
that thou hast revealed to thy Holy Catho-
lic and Apostolic Church, which speaks to
me in thy name. I believe, O Lord ; but I
beseech thee to help and strengthen the
weakness of my faith. I adore thy holy
Word, and I desire to make it the rule of
my conduct, however difficult I may find it
to do so. A Christian by my belief, grant,
O God, that I may truly be one by my
works, and show myself worthy of this
name by a sincere love for thee, that the
effect of this love may be the fulfilment of
thy commands, and the practice of thy pre-
cepts ; so that at the great day of eternity
I may see and possess without a veil the
infinite good which thou teachest me to
know and to hope for in this world under
the shadowy and obscure veil of faith.
72 PRAYERS AT MASS.
At the Credo.
I believe in one God, the Father Al-

mighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and all
things visible and invisible, and in one Lord
Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
and born of the Father before all ages ; God
of God, light of light, true God of true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial to the
Father, by whom all things were made ; who
for us men and for our salvation came down
from heaven, and became incarnate by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And Was
Made Man.* He was crucified also for us,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was
buried. And the third day he rose again,
according to the Scriptures, and ascended
into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of the
Father, and he is to come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead, of whose
kingdom there shall be no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and
At these words all kneel to adore God for the

mystery of the Incarnation.
PRAYERS AT MASS . 73
giver oflife, who proceedeth from the Father

and the Son, who, together with the Father
and the Son, is adored and glorified, who
spoke by the prophets and our Holy Catho-
lic and Apostolic Church. I confess one
baptism for the remission of sins, and I ex-
pect the resurrection of the dead and the life
of the world to come. Amen.
At the Offertory.
Receive, O Holy Father Almighty and

eternal God, this spotless host offered thee
by the hands of the priest in the name of
the whole Church, and in commemoration
of the great sacrifice which Jesus Christ
thy Son offered on Calvary, and which is
renewed under the species of bread and
wine, whose substance is about to be
changed into that of his adorable body and
precious blood, through his almighty word.
Accept, O my God, of this spotless vic-
tim, which I offer thee in acknowledgment
of thy sovereign dominion over me and all
thy creatures, in thanksgiving for all thy
48 PRAYER FOR HUMILITY .
tectress in this world, O mother of Jesus !

be thou my queen in heaven.
A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin to obtain

for usthe Virtue of Humility.
O Virgin of purity ! O mother of holy
love, who owest all thy greatness to humi-
lity, I have no just pretence wherewith to
address myself to thee, yet I beg through
thy intercession for grace to overcome my
pride ; this is thy enemy, and the enemy
of thy Divine Son, who, to destroy it, did
not think it too much to abase his divinity
so low as to unite himself to our nature,
and die upon a cross. Look down, then,
O most merciful mother, upon me a miser-
able sinner. Illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte. I ask for nothing but for
thee to look mercifully on me ; cast thine
eyes upon me ; yet, even shouldst thou
seem to desert me, I will be content. But
that mercy which is so peculiar to thee in
quality of our advocate and mother, which
was given thee by thy dying Son, will not
METHOD OF HEARING MASS. 49
permit it. I then humbly beg of thee, that

by virtue of all these prerogatives thou wilt
obtain for me the grace to extirpate all
vain self-esteem and love of praise and
honour. Let my glory be to give all glory
to Jesus, and to confess myself a sinner,
and that all the good I possess by his grace
is nothing compared to his greatness.
Grant that these virtues which thou teach-
est me by thy example may be so practised
by me, that I may hereafter, with thee,
magnify eternally in heaven our Lord Jesus,
and give him thanks for having looked down
so mercifully on so miserable a soul as mine.
Amen.
METHOD OF HEARING MASS BY WAY OF

MEDITATION ON THE PASSION.
This method is intended for those who

prefer meditation to the recital of vocal
prayers.
D
50 METHOD OF HEARING MASS.
The Mass is divided into four parts : the

first, from the beginning to the Gospel ;
the second to the Elevation ; the third to
the Communion of the Priest ; and the
fourth to the end.
In the first part we may consider and
honour the heart of Jesus, praying in his
agony at the approach of his passion,
especially in the Garden of Olives.
In the second, we honour the heart of
Jesus humbled and suffering in the various
tribunals of Jerusalem, until the time of
the scourging at the pillar.
In the third, we honour the heart of
Jesus suffering in the scourging and crown-
ing with thorns, and follow him in the path .
of suffering until his last sigh on the cross.
In the fourth, we honour the heart of
Jesus hidden and buried in the sepulchre.
This manner of hearing Mass has four
very precious advantages.
The priest is followed throughout the
sacrifice this is the most holy and meri-
torious way of assisting at Mass.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 51
The heart of Jesus is honoured in every

stage of his Passion.
We enter into the interior sentiments of
his adorable heart, and endeavour to make
them our own.
The Mass thus becomes a prayer, and at
the same time a very useful and salutary
meditation.
If about to communicate at Mass, the
manner in which one is thus occupied will
be a very good means for receiving the
grace of the sacrament, and may be con-
tinued in the thanksgiving. Bearing this
in mind, we have indicated a few points
for meditation, leaving to each one the
liberty of following them up according as
the attraction of grace shall inspire him.
From the Commencement of Mass to the

Gospel.
In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Heart of Jesus praying and suffering.
Thou prayest, thou dost suffer, O my
sweet Saviour, thy heart experiencing a

mortal sadness, suffer me to unite myself
to thy sorrows, and give me a share in
thy deep affliction. Everything that pre-
sented itself to thy mind plunged thy heart
in a sea of bitterness ; for thou didst be-
hold the deplorable state of the world, the
crimes and excesses of mankind, the tor-
rent of iniquities which deluged the earth,
the multitude of souls which would perish
and be cast into hell, the glory of thy
heavenly Father outraged, the approach of
thy passion and sufferings, and their use-
lessness with regard to so many sinners,
who, notwithstanding the shedding of thy
blood for them, would be lost for ever. O
my Saviour, am I not also a cause of sor-
row to thee ? Thou lamentest over me,
thou seest the sad state of my soul, my
tepidity and negligence, my unfaithfulness
and resistance of thy grace, the little sor-
row I have conceived, my little care for
amendment, the danger to which I am ex-
posed of dying in so sad a state. Thou
PRAYERS AT MASS. 53
lamentest all this, and I am not touched ;

thou art afflicted, and I am insensible. I
ought to pass my life in sighs and tears,
and my heart is given up to dissipation
and pleasure. Heart of my God, thou
prayest, and I know not how to pray ; if I
pray, it is so ill, with so little attention,
fervour, or devotion, that my prayers de-
serve not to ascend to the throne of thy
mercy. My God, teach me how to pray,
that at least, in virtue of the sacrifice
which I offer thee, my prayer may be
pleasing in thy sight. Yes, my God, in
this holy confidence I offer thee the hom-
age of prayer for the salvation of my soul,
whose misery and extreme necessity thou
knowest. I beseech thee also to remem-
ber all those for whom I ought to pray,—
for my relations, that we may be united
much more strongly by the bonds of grace
than by those of blood ; for my friends,
that thou mayst be the bond and centre
of our friendship ; for my benefactors, be-
seeching thee to render them a hundred-
54 PRAYERS AT MASS.
fold the goods which I have received ; and

the vengeance which I request for my ene-
mies is, that thou wouldst visit them with
thy graces. I pray to thee also, in a parti-
cular manner, O my God, for the Church
my tender mother, for the Sovereign Pon-
tiff, and all the clergy. Shed over all thy |
abundant benedictions ; give to all of us
hearts according to thy heart, uniting us
all in the same holy fellowship.
Heart of Jesus, praying and suffering, I
adore thee, and beseech thee to unite my
prayers with thine.
Heart of Jesus, lamenting and agonising,
I adore thee, and beseech thee to inspire
my heart with the same sentiments.
Heart of Jesus, offering thyself in sacri-
fice to the eternal Father, I adore thee, and
beseech thee to offer me in sacrifice with
thyself.
From the Gospel until the Elevation.

The Heart of Jesus humbled and annihilated.
my sweet Saviour ! with what floods of
PRAYERS AT MASS. 55
bitterness is not thy sacred heart deluged !

With what torrents of humiliation is it not
overwhelmed ! Led, or rather dragged
from tribunal to tribunal, from one indig-
nity to another, before judges who are
thy enemies, tied and bound as a slave,
accused as a criminal, thou art judged, and
condemned as a malefactor, a seducer, a
disturber of the public peace.
At the house of Caiaphas thou art given
up to the insults, the injuries, and affronts
of a troop of soldiers, who make thee un-
dergo the most infamous treatment.
Before Annas thy face is dishonoured by
a shameful blow, the most audacious out-
rage that can be perpetrated amongst men.
By Herod thou art covered with a white
robe in sign of mockery. Thou art treated
as a fool before his whole court, who turn
into contempt and insult the esteem and
admiration of which thou hast been the
object.
By Pilate thou art placed on a level
with a robber and a malefactor, and thou
56 PRAYERS AT MASS.
hast the sorrow to see this infamous wretch

preferred before thee.
Dragged through the streets of Jeru-
salem, thou wast obliged to undergo the
yells, the cries, and imprecations of the
immense populace there assembled, who
load thee with curses and maledictions. O
King of glory, what a flood of humiliations
overwhelmed thy heart ! but what mar-
vellous virtue is in thy interior ! What
meekness, what patience, and charity !
Thou dost pray for those who outrage thee.
Thou offerest thy sufferings for those who
persecute and afflict thee.
O adorable Saviour, this sacrifice of thy
heart was necessary in order to repair the
glory of thy outraged Father, to humble
the proud exaltation of our minds, to con-
found the detestable pride with which our
hearts are swelled, to make us know the
inestimable value of humiliations, to give
us in thy passion a touching example to
which we can have nothing to oppose. Even
on our very altars , to what a condition
PRAYERS AT MASS. 57
dost thou reduce thyself for the love of us !

And yet, O my God, how astonishing and
deplorable it is, that notwithstanding so
striking an example, pride should still hold
dominion over us ; for what a fund of
vanity, self-love, sensitiveness, and delicacy
on the point of honour do we not possess !
My divine Saviour ! how much have I
not to reproach myself with on this point !
I seek only the applause and esteem of
men, as if thine were not sufficient. I can
suffer and endure nothing for thee, who
hast undergone so much for me ; the least
humiliation afflicts and dejects me ; my
spirit is rebellious, my heart swells, my
whole soul is disturbed and agitated ; a
cowardly and worthless human respect
makes me betray my duty and thy inter-
ests. Oh, how can I call myself thy dis-
ciple, and acknowledge thee for my Master
and my God ! Was it necessary, then, O
my Saviour and my Lord, that thou alone
shouldst drink of the chalice of humilia-
tions ? No, my adorable Master, I will
58 PRAYERS AT MASS.
share it with thee, I will receive it from

thy hands, I will have a part in thy abase-
ments ; and if I have not the courage to
meet humiliations, I will at least accept
with submission those which thou shalt
send me. From henceforth I offer thee
the sacrifice of my pride and my vanity, in
order to unite myself to thee in thy anni-
hilations. If nature rebels, or self-love com-
plains, I will follow thy example and im-
plore thy grace. This divine example, drawn
from thy heart and passing into mine, will
render the chalice of thy humiliations pre-
cious, and even consoling to me, and one
drop of its bitterness will be sweeter to me 4
than all the deceitful and guilty pleasures
of this blind and perverse world.
O heart of Jesus, saturated with indig
nities, make me share in thy chalice.
O heart of Jesus, steeped in an ocean
of sorrows, steep my heart in thy tears.
O heart of Jesus, plunged in an abyss.
of humiliations and suffering, destroy my
C If love and pride.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 59
From the Elevation to the Communion of

the Priest.
The Heart of Jesus suffering and expiring on the
Cross.
Was it necessary, O my Jesus, that after

having given up thy sacred heart to the
greatest humiliations, thy body should be
delivered to excessive torments ? To what
a condition art thou reduced by thy ter-
rible scourging ! After having fastened
thee to a pillar, they strike thee violently,
discharging repeated blows on thy virginal
flesh. Thy body is bruised, torn, and covered
with wounds. Thou art bathed in the tor-
rents of thy adorable blood, and yet they
cease not to strike thee, and to exercise
over thee all the fury, cruelty, and hatred
of which they are capable.
But, O my God, in the midst of these
excessive sufferings of thy body, what are
the emotions of thy heart ?
Thou dost suffer with patience, O sweet
Saviour, submitting thyself to thy heavenly
60 PRAYERS AT MASS.
Father, offering to him thy torments, beg-

ging of him the forgiveness of our sins, re-
garding thyself as a victim sacrificed for
our salvation, beholding those torrents of
blood flow with resignation, and even
with joy, in order that our sins might be
washed away, and that the voice of this
adorable blood, rising even to heaven, might
obtain grace and mercy for us.
Thou sufferest everything for me, O ador-
able heart of my Saviour ! and I wish to
suffer nothing ; the least suffering is a tor-
ment to me ; I fear even the very name of
suffering and pain. I care so much for my
body, seeking my ease, guarding it so care-
fully, without remembering that it is a body
of sin, which I ought to subject to the
rigours of penance. Ah, my Saviour, do I
not see that by my care in avoiding suffer
ing, I increase thine, rendering those suffer-
ings useless for my salvation ?
All thy sufferings in this cruel scourging,
O my Saviour, nevertheless, is little else
then the commencement of thy torments.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 61
Thy sacrifice must be consummated. I be-

hold thee loaded with thy Cross, taking the
way to Calvary. Suffer me, O my God and
Saviour, to follow thee in spirit, and step
in thy bleeding footsteps. What do I see,
great God, what marvellous spectacle does
faith present to me? A suffering God! a
dying God ! a God dying in excess of pain !
a God dying for the love of those who cause
his death! At such a sight what can I say,
how can my heart express the sentiments
with which it is filled ?
Ah, my Saviour, how eloquently dost
thou preach upon thy Cross the great
truths of faith which thou hast announced
to us ! How dost thou make known the
greatness of the inexorable justice of God,
the excellence and the price of our souls, but
above all, the malice and enormity of sin, the
severityand horror of the punishments which
are reserved for it in eternity. And they
are my sins, O heart of my God, which
thou bewailest, which thou dost lament
upon the Cross. They are my sins which
62 PRAYERS AT MASS.
led thee there, which fastened thee to its

wood, which have shed thy sacred blood,
and caused thy death; and I, my Saviour,
die not with sorrow at the foot of thy Cross,
I wash not my sins in my tears and in my
blood. Ought I not, at least, to pass my
life in sighs and tears, without ceasing, for
sorrow that I have offended my God, caused
the sufferings of Jesus, rendered myself re-
sponsible for his blood, and guilty of his
death?
Thy heart is still open for me upon thy
Cross, O Jesus. Thy arms are extended
tenderly to receive me, and I return to thee
with sincerity and sorrow.
Every day thou renewest on our altars, in
an unbloody manner, the bloody sacrifice
which thou didst once offer upon Calvary.
It is this sacrifice that I offer thee, as thou
didst offer it to thy heavenly Father. Suf-
fer me to unite to thy sacrifice the sacrifice
of myself, and especially that of a contrite
and humble heart. I beg of thee to give me
a heart broken with sorrow to offer to thee,
PRAYERS AT MASS. 63
and thus render the victim worthy of thee,

worthy to be sacrificed to thee.
From the Communion of the Priest to the

end of Mass.
The Heart of Jesus concealed and buried in the
Sepulchre.
Beloved Saviour, thy body is placed in
the sepulchre, the last of the humiliations.
which thou hadst to undergo in this world,
for humiliation was to accompany thee even
to the tomb. O my soul, what a state of
annihilation, for God made man is this, to
be in the world as not there, hidden in the
bosom of the earth, surrounded by the
shades of death, given up to obscurity in the
region of darkness, absolutely destitute of
everything, for even the tomb in which
Jesus reposes is not his, thus verifying
the words he had said of himself,-The
birds ofthe air have their nests, but the Son
of man hath not whereon to lay his head.
Yet in this state of annihilation, thou,
my Jesus, dost preserve all thy power.
64 PRAYERS AT MASS.
Behold, my soul, the great example given

us for our imitation. Saint Paul tells us
that we are dead, that our life must be hid-
den with Jesus Christ in God. Yes , my
divine Saviour, in thy tomb I will learn the
sentiments of thy adorable heart, detach-
ment from the world, forgetfulness of the
world, death to the world and to myself,
the nothingness of earthly things, the love
of retirement, interior solitude, and strict
union with God, thou taking place of all, O
Jesus, when for thee I shall have quitted all
with heart and mind.
O my God, vouchsafe to accept these re-
solutions ; I renew them in this holy sacri-
fice, and I offer them to thee in union with
thine own. I beg of thee to give me the
grace to preserve them in my soul as long
as I live, and grant that I may persevere in
them until death.
O adorable heart of my Saviour, thou
wast not to be always in humiliation, suf-
fering, and sorrow. After so many trials
and conflicts, thou didst ascend into heaven
PRAYERS AT MASS. 65
the conqueror of thy enemies, and triumph-

ing over the world, death, and all the powers
of hell ; thou art exalted in glory, seated
at the right hand of the heavenly Father,
thy heart inebriated in a torrent of delights,
and enjoying the happiness of God him-
self.
Heart of my God, I share thy glory and
thy triumph. Shall I one day share thy
glory and thy happiness ? It is only
through thee and thy merits that I can hope
for and merit this grace. I beseech thee to
give it me in virtue of the sacrifice which I
offer thee. Thou hast offered thyself for me
upon our altars, receive me one day in thy
sacred tabernacle, in order that I may praise
thee for ever with thy elect ; and as a
pledge of this happiness, vouchsafe to ratify
in heaven the blessing which thy priest gives
us on earth, in the name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost. Amen.
ANOTHER METHOD OF HEARING MASS.
Most adorable Trinity, in thy name, and

E
66 PRAYERS AT MASS.
to render thee the honour and homage due

to thee, I assist at this holy and august
sacrifice.
O my God, thou alone art my joy, my
happiness, and my hope ; but the multitude
and enormity of my offences render me un-
worthy to approach thy altar; but thou
callest me to thee, so that in union with
thy minister, I may offer thee the adorable
victim of my salvation.
I acknowledge, O my God, that I am un-
worthy to assist at this most holy sacrifice,
but thou wilt not reject a contrite and hum-
ble heart. I confess my sins. I humbly
ask pardon for them. I hope to obtain this
pardon through the merits of the victim
about to be offered for their expiation.
During the Confiteor.

I, a miserable sinner, prostrate myself be-
fore thee, confessing, O Almighty God, that
I have sinned against thee, and in thy pre-
sence, to Mary the purest of virgins, to
d Michael the archangel, St John Bap-
PRAYERS AT MASS. 67
tist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all

the saints whose example I have so carelessly
followed, to the faithful whom I have scan-
dalised, to all in heaven and on earth, I con-
fess that I have sinned in thought, word,
and deed. I have no excuse whereby I can
justify myself. Nothing should have led
me to offend a God who deserves an infinite
love. I ought rather to have sacrificed my
life a thousand times. I can only expect
pardon through that infinite mercy, which
of myself I am not worthy to obtain ; there-
fore I beseech the blessed Virgin Mary,
blessed Michael the archangel, Saint John
Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul,
and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our
God for me. May Almighty God have
mercy on me, and forgiving me my sins,
bring me to everlasting life. Amen.
At the Introit.
O my God, thou hast said, I will not the

death of a sinner, but rather that he be con-
verted and live. Thy promises, O Lord, can
68 PRAYERS AT MASS.
never deceive us.How many blessings hast

thou not sent down on us thy people, since
Jesus took upon him for us the form of a
slave, in order that we might enjoy the sweet
liberty of the children of God ! Amen.
At the Kyrie.
O my soul, let us implore aloud the

mercy of our God ; let us cry out without
fear of being repulsed. O Lord my God,
have mercy on me ; thou hast created me;
have mercy on the work of thy hands.
Merciful Father, pardon thy guilty ser-
vant.
O Jesus, O loving Saviour ! infinitely
charitable Mediator, do thou regard our
miseries, pardon us our sins, and deliver
us from the enemies of our salvation.
O sanctifying Spirit, thou art our hope,
our strength, our light, our consolation,
vouchsafe to purify us from our iniquities.
At the "Gloria in Excelsis."
Glory be to God on high, and peace on

PRAYERS AT MASS. 69
earth to men of good will. We praise thee,

we bless thee, we adore thee, we glorify thee,
we give thee thanks for thy great glory, O
Lord Jesus Christ, O Lord God, heavenly
King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord
Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son, O Lord
God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who
takest away the sins of the world, have
mercy on us, who takest away the sins of
the world, receive our prayers, who sittest
at the right hand of the Father, have mercy
on us, for thou only art holy, thou only art
the Lord, thou only, O Jesus Christ, together
with God the Holy Ghost, art most high in
the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Whilst the Priest Reads the Collects.
Accept through thine infinite goodness,

O Lord, the prayers which thy minister in
the name of thy Church addresses to thee for
all the faithful, in which I unite also, beg-
ging thee to grant me the pardon of my sins,
victory over my passions and evil inclina-
tions, an active faith and an ardent charity,
70 PRAYERS AT MASS.
so that henceforth I may be more faithful

in keeping thy commandments, and in the
discharge of the duties of my state. I de-
serve not to be heard, O my God, but I ask
this of thee through the merits of Jesus
Christ thy Son, who livest and reignest with
thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world
without end. Amen.
During the Epistle and Gradual.

O my God, who hast made known to us
the light of thy truth by the words of thy
prophets and apostles, in order that we may
turn from our evil ways, triumph over our
sinful inclinations, and walk in the paths
of justice ; give the grace to us here pre-
sent, and to all who bear the name of Chris-
tian, to reject whatever is contrary to the
august prerogative we thus enjoy, to honour
by our works thy divine adoption, and to
fulfil perfectly all the duties of the holy
state to which thou hast called us.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 71
Whilst the Priest reads the Gospel ofthe

Day.
I firmly believe, O Lord, all the truths
that thou hast revealed to thy Holy Catho-
lic and Apostolic Church, which speaks to
me in thy name. I believe, O Lord ; but I
beseech thee to help and strengthen the
weakness of my faith. I adore thy holy
Word, and I desire to make it the rule of
my conduct, however difficult I may find it
to do so. A Christian by my belief, grant,
O God, that I may truly be one by my
works, and show myself worthy of this
name by a sincere love for thee, that the
effect of this love may be the fulfilment of
thy commands, and the practice of thy pre-
cepts ; so that at the great day of eternity
I may see and possess without a veil the
infinite good which thou teachest me to
know and to hope for in this world under
the shadowy and obscure veil of faith.
72 PRAYERS AT MASS.
At the Credo.
I believe in one God, the Father Al-

mighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and all
things visible and invisible, and in one Lord
Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
and born of the Father before all ages ; God
of God, light of light, true God of true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial to the
Father, by whom all things were made ; who
for us men and for our salvation came down
from heaven, and became incarnate by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And Was
Made Man. * He was crucified also for us,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was
buried. And the third day he rose again,
according to the Scriptures, and ascended
into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of the
Father, and he is to come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead, of whose
kingdom there shall be no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and
At these words all kneel to adore God for the

mystery of the Incarnation.
PRAYERS AT MASS . 73
giver oflife, who proceedeth from the Father

and the Son, who, together with the Father
and the Son, is adored and glorified, who
spoke by the prophets and our Holy Catho-
lic and Apostolic Church. I confess one
baptism for the remission of sins, and I ex-
pect the resurrection of the dead and the life
of the world to come. Amen.
At the Offertory.
Receive, O Holy Father Almighty and

eternal God, this spotless host offered thee
by the hands of the priest in the name of
the whole Church, and in commemoration
of the great sacrifice which Jesus Christ
thy Son offered on Calvary, and which is
renewed under the species of bread and
wine, whose substance is about to be
changed into that of his adorable body and
precious blood, through his almighty word.
Accept, O my God, of this spotless vic-
tim, which I offer thee in acknowledgment
of thy sovereign dominion over me and all
thy creatures, in thanksgiving for all thy
74 PRAYERS AT MASS.
benefits, begging of thee with a contrite

heart to grant me the remission of my sins,
and the assistance necessary for me to work
out my salvation.
In union with this unspotted host, I
offer myself entirely to thy glory, my body,
my soul, my life-all that I have received
from thee. I offer myself to thee in a
spirit of humility and contrition, with sor-
row for having offended thee, and a sincere
resolution to serve thee with greater love
and fidelity for the time to come.
At the Orate Fratres.
May the Lord favourably receive this

sacrifice, to the praise and glory of his
adorable name, to our benefit and that of
his entire holy Church.
At the Preface.
O almighty and merciful God, draw us

from all earthly affections, and raise our
hearts to thee, so that, intent only on the
ineffable mystery about to take place on
PRAYERS AT MASS. 75
thy altar, we may adore thee really present.

We return thee thanks. We praise and
glorify thy supreme majesty, holy Father,
eternal God. Almighty Lord, receive
through Jesus Christ our humble adora-
tion, united to those of thy blessed spirits ;
inflame us with their love and zeal; and
grant that, celebrating with them thy infi-
nite perfections, we may sing that sublime
and eternal + canticle, Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are
full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest !
blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord. Hosanna in the highest !
During the Canon. -At the Memento for

the Living.
Eternal and most merciful Father, we
most humbly beseech thee through Jesus
Christ thy Son to accept this holy sacrifice
of his sacred body and precious blood.
Incline thy ears to our prayers for thy
Holy Catholic Church ; give to it peace ;
unite her children in the bonds of charity,
76 PRAYERS AT MASS.
and grant that they may have but one

heart and one soul. Do thou thyself
govern it by the light of thy wisdom ;
grant that all the nations of the earth may
acknowledge its laws, and that the gates of
hell may not prevail against it, according to
the promise of its divine Founder.
Bless our holy father the Pope, our
bishops, our clergy, and all the faithful
who are under their guidance. I particu-
larly recommend to thee N. and N-
all those who offer thee this sacrifice of
praise ; my parents, (if alive,) relations,
friends, and benefactors ; for all whom I
may have injured, as also for my enemies,
if I have any.
United by the bonds of holy fellowship
to the blessed Virgin Mary, the holy
apostles and martyrs, and all the saints,
with whom we form but one and the same
body with Christ Jesus our Lord, we be-
seech thee to grant us through their merits
thy special protection. Receive favour-
ably the offerings and prayers of thy whole
PRAYERS AT MASS. 77
Church ; give to us thy peace in this

perishable life, and grant that, preserved
from eternal damnation, we may be of the
number of thy elect, and live, possess, and
praise thee for ever, through the same.
Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen.
At the Consecration.
O my Jesus ! I firmly believe that by

virtue of the divine words which the priest
pronounces in thy name, the bread and
wine are truly and really changed into thy
body and blood, as by thyself on the eve of
thy passion.
At the Elevation ofthe Host.

I adore thee, O Eternal Word, sacrificed
for the love of me ! I acknowledge that
thou art really and substantially present
under the appearances of bread and wine ;
thou, whom the angels adored from the
moment of thy incarnation ; thou who
didst receive the adorations of the magi in
the crib at Bethlehem, and who art the
78 PRAYERS AT MASS.
constant object of our adorations in this

divine sacrament, thou art my Lord, my
Saviour, and my God ; in thee I place all
my trust, I love thee with my whole heart
and I consecrate myself to the Eternal
Father in union with thee.
[Ask during these precious moments for the parti-
cular graces necessary for you ; ask for them
with a lively faith, with a firm confidence, and
through the merits of the holy Victim now
offered for you. ]
At the Elevation of the Chalice, and during

the remainder of the Canon.
I adore thee, O Jesus, thou who hast
redeemed me and washed away the sins of
the world in thy precious blood. Thou
didst deliver thyself to death in order to
expiate my iniquities ; thou didst rise
again for my justification ; thou hast as-
cended into heaven to secure to me the
price of thy sufferings, and reignest there
with the Father and the Holy Ghost, and
wilt descend visibly at the last day to
judge the living and the dead.
PRAYERS AT MASS. 79
Commemorating these august mysteries,

I presume to implore thy mercy, O Eternal
Father. Thy divine Son is the object of
thy complacency. I offer him to thee, the
only unspotted Host, holy and without
stain, the only holocaust worthy of thy
supreme majesty, and the victim who can
alone obtain the pardon of my sins, and
the assistance which can support my weak-
ness.
During the Memento for the Dead.

Remember, O Lord, thy servants de-
parted this life, who have gone before us
with the sign of faith, and who, having
died in thy grace without wholly expiating
their sins, await thy mercy in their place
of exile, have mercy on their suffering
souls, O my God, especially that of N ————,
and of those who have no one to remember
them. They are thy creatures, thy chil-
dren, thy spouses, thy elect ; thou lovest
them, and the blood of Jesus was shed for
them. Give them, I beseech thee, the
80 PRAYERS AT MASS.
peace, the refreshment, the light, and the

happiness which the Church requests in their
behalf in union with this unspotted victim.
At the " Nobis Quoque Peccatoribus.”

Sinful as we are, we trust not the less in
thee, O God of goodness ! Our miseries
are great, but thy mercies are infinite, and
the hope which we have of being received
into the company of thy saints is not
founded on our own merits, but on those
of Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost for
ever and ever. Amen.
At the Pater Noster.

Recite the above with the priest, or saythe following
Prayer.
Give ear, I beseech thee, O Lord, to the
humble prayer of thy prodigal child, who
casts himself before thee. I presume to
call thee my Father, my tender Father, for
I am authorised so to do by the express
words of thy Son Jesus. May this ador-
PRAYERS AT MASS. 81
able name which I have dishonoured by so

many sins be hallowed everywhere and for
ever. May thy kingdom be established in
the hearts of all thy creatures, and thy
will, which I have so often resisted, be
done on earth as it is in heaven ; give me
every day the bread which I require, but
especially the bread of tears and compunc-
tion, so useful and necessary to a sinner.
Forgive me my sins, as I sincerely forgive
others all the injuries which have been
done unto me. Preserve me from relapsing
anew into sin, by withdrawing from me the
temptations and dangerous occasions to
which I am exposed , and deliver me from
the only evil to be feared, —the loss of thy
grace in this world and thy glory in the
next.
At the " Agnus Dei.”

Lamb of God, who didst offer thyself in
sacrifice on the cross, and who continuest
thy sacrifice on the altar, in order to blot
out the sins of the world, have mercy on
F
us, pardon our sins, and give us the peace

which the world cannot give, peace with
thee by a perfect reconciliation, and true
submission to thy holy will ; peace with
ourselves by a victory over our passions,
and peace with our neighbour, by the
union of sincere charity ; peace in thy
Church by the extinction of heresies,
schisms, wars, and all that can disturb
catholic unity, fraternal charity, and public
tranquillity.
At the " Domine non sum dignus."
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst

enter into my soul by the communion of
thy sacred body and thy precious blood.
I heartily detest the sins which render me
unworthy of so great a benefit ; but thou,
O my God, canst pardon me. Say only
one word, and I shall be cured of the many
wilful sins which render me displeasing in
thy sight. Permit me at least to gather
up the sacred crumbs which fall from thy
table. Grant me some share in the graces
PRAYERS AT MASS. 83
thou dost communicate to the faithful in

this ineffable sacrament. Give me a lively
faith, a firm hope, an ardent charity, so
that I may be spiritually united to thee.
Destroy in me whatever displeases thee ;
do thou reign alone in my heart, and dis-
pose me worthily to receive in the holy
communion thy body and blood, becoming
the life of my soul, preserving it in thy
grace, and securing to it the pledge of
eternal life.
Whilst the Priest reads the Post-Communion.
O Almighty God ! I bless thy infinite

wisdom and power which have prepared for
me so heavenly a nourishment. I return
thee thanks for all thy generous goodness
to me. I adore thy supreme majesty,
which has not disdained to abase itself
even to my nothingness. But how, my
God, can I acknowledge all that thou hast
done in my behalf ? I will unite myself
to thee, O Jesus, and, loaded with thy
benefits, I will invoke and eternally praise
84 PRAYERS AT MASS.
thy holy name. Ah ! since thou givest

thyself to me with a generosity so exces-
sive, from this day and for ever I conse-
crate myself entirely and irrevocably to
thee.
At the Last Blessing.
O Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy

Ghost, vouchsafe through the great sacrifice
which has been offered unto thee, to give
us thy blessing in time and eternity.
At the Last Gospel.
I adore, O Jesus, thy eternal birth in

the bosom of thy Father, and thy temporal
birth in the womb of a most pure Virgin.
Ah ! since thou becamest like unto me ac-
cording to the flesh, and hast vouchsafed to
render me a child of God according to the
spirit, render me worthy of so high a des-
tiny ; and grant that I may be born again
in thee, knowing thee, loving thee, and
following thee as my true light, so that I
may preserve that divine adoption which I
DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION. 85
received in the sacrament of regeneration.

Visit me by thy powerful grace in thy
august sacrament ; establish thy habitation
in my soul, and reign there in thy glory as
the only Son of the eternal Father, full of
wisdom and of truth.
DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION AND

COMMUNION.
Confession has been given us by the

divine mercy as one of the most powerful
means of salvation. It is through the
sacrament of penance that we learn to know
ourselves, and to probe the wounds of our
corrupt nature, so that they may be healed.
By the regular use of the sacrament of pen-
ance, the soul acquires light and strength
to fight against the world and her own pas-
sions, to discover and avoid the snares of
the enemy of her salvation, so that the soul
may arise again after relapses into sin, and
profit even by its fall.
86 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION.
In order to gather abundantly the pre-

cious fruits of this sacrament, we must
approach it with good dispositions, and
especially in a spirit of faith. Let the true
interests of your soul, the care of your sanc-
tification and your eternal salvation, alone
direct you in your choice of a confessor. With-
out serious reasons present themselves, keep
invariably to the choice you have made, and
address yourself to him as the minister of
Jesus Christ. All human considerations
ought to be banished from an action so holy.
The Christian soul, animated by a true spirit
of faith, conducts herself in the holy tri-
bunal as if alone in the presence of God,
desiring only to receive the pardon of sin
and the graces necessary for eternal salva-
tion. Animated by these holy dispositions,
approach with confidence to the sacra-
ment of penance, keeping a fixed and in-
variable rule as to the length of interval
between your confessions. If you feel a
necessity for the sacrament, or any unfore-
seen accident requires a change, let it be
to advance the accustomed time, never to

lengthen it ; the longer you delay, the
greater the repugnance which you will feel.
You will lose your peace of mind, the taste
for piety, the sweet habit of union with God
and his holy presence. But what is still
more fatal is, that little by little you will
grow accustomed to a disturbed conscience.
Through neglect of this kind may be traced
the irregularities and reprobation of a mul-
titude of souls. The daily examination of
conscience, which every Christian ought to
make before retiring to rest, is an excellent
preparation for that which should precede
confession. The more exact you are, the
more intimate will be your knowledge of
yourself and your sins when preparing for
the sacrament. On the eve of the day ex-
amine your conscience carefully, consider
the promises you have made to God, the
resolutions you have taken, the causes of
your falls into sin ; and although an exact
remembrance and detail of your sins is
necessary, remember that above all things
you must study to excite in your soul a

lively and sincere contrition for the past,
and firm and good resolutions for the
future.
[Place yourself in the Presence of God.]
O my God, I am about to present myself

at thy tribunal, in order to confess my sins
and obtain pardon for them according to
thy promise ; enlighten me, that I may know
them clearly ; give me thy love, that I may
bewail them with a true contrition ; thy
truth, that I may accuse myself truly and
without prevarication ; thy strength, in order
that I may not fall into them again, and
that I may do sincere penance for them.
But, O my God, how can I know my sins
if thou dost not enlighten my darkness , as
it will be one day dispelled, when I shall
appear in thy awful presence ! Give me
now thy light ; make me see myself such as
I really am, that I may know the number
and enormity of my iniquities, that, accusing
myself now at the tribunal of thy mercy, I
may avoid the condemnation which thou

shalt pronounce against me at the tribunal
of thy justice.
Prayer before the Examination of

Conscience.
Holy Spirit, infinite source of light and

love, have mercy on a miserable sinner, who
of himself knows not the number of his
iniquities, nor can conceive for them a salu-
tary sorrow. Enlighten me, my God ; show
me the evil I have committed, and the good
which I have neglected since my last con-
fession. Suffer me not to be blind to my
own failings ; draw from before my eyes the
veil which self-love places too frequently
before them. Discover to me, O my God,
the evil which I have dared to commit
against thy adorable Majesty, the injury I
have done to my neighbour, and all the
transgressions which I have committed
against the sacred promises of my bap-
tism.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy
faithful, and kindle in them the fire of thy

love.
V. Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall
be created.
R. And thou shalt renew the face of the
earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who by the light of the Holy
Ghost didst instruct the hearts of the faith-
ful, grant us by the same Holy Spirit a
love and relish of what is right and just,
and the constant enjoyment of his holy con-
solations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
O myGod, make known to me the wounds
which sin has made in my soul. Come to
my aid, O Lord ; without thee I cannot dis-
cover them. O eternal Light, dispel my
darkness . Heart of Jesus, enlighten me as
to my weakness ; show me my faults ; make
known my sins to me ; grant that I may see
them all as thou thyself dost behold them.
Holy Virgin, my holy angel guardian, my
holy patron, help me in the examination I
am about to make, that my heart may be
purified and rendered less unworthy of the

heart of Jesus, thy delight and thy happi-
ness.
Examine your conscience with sincerity
and attention, and see, without attempting
to deceive yourself, what you have done
against God, your neighbour, and yourself.
When you have discovered the faults, im-
perfections, sins, and perhaps crimes which
disfigure your soul, excite therein a hearty
sorrow, and firm purpose of amendment.
After the Examination.
Behold, O good Shepherd, most tender

of Fathers, the sins which I have com-
mitted against heaven and before thee. I
confess that I no longer deserve to be
called thy servant.
Ah ! if thou, O my God, didst keep an
exact account of my iniquities, how should
I support thy presence and the rigour of
thy justice ? Enter not into judgment
with thy servant, O my God, but show
mercy to a sinner who confesses his sins.
Remember thy goodness, O Lord, and

the infinite mercies with which thou hast
from my infancy prevented me.
Forget the sins of my youth and my
ignorance ; remember not my imprudence
nor my failings, but let thy mercies hasten
to prevent me, because I am fallen into
extreme misery.
Who without thy grace can perfectly
know his sins and his weakness ? Purify
ine, O Lord, from my own sins, and pardon
me those of my neighbour in which I may
have had some share.
Save my soul, O my God, for without
thee it will perish.
Help me, O my Saviour ! For thine
own love deliver me, and pardon me my
sins for the glory of thy holy name.
Treat me not as my offences deserve, and
chastise me not according to my iniquities.
I have examined all my ways in thy
sight, and seeing how far I have wandered
from thee, I resolve henceforth to walk in
the way of thy divine commandments.
Act of Contrition.
O my God, infinite and essential good-

ness, thou art my first beginning and my
last end ! It is thee that I have aban-
doned, preferring to thee a slight pleasure,
a passing satisfaction, a perishable good, a
foolish vanity, -I, who was created to
love thee, and who had but one heart in
order that it might attach itself eternally
to thee.
O God of truth ! thou hast promised not
to reject a contrite and humble heart, and
to pardon a sinner when he is sorry for his
offences. I prostrate myself before thee,
filled with the most sincere regret for each
of my sins, even for those which are un-
known to me. I detest and fear them,
much less for the chastisements which they
have deserved, than on account of the in-
jury, O holy God, which they have done
thee ; of the hatred which thou bearest
them, and the love which I owe thee. I
renounce them with my whole heart, and I
94 DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION .
protest before thee that, assisted by thy

grace, I will prefer death to the misfortune
of again falling into them. I renounce all
the habits and occasions of sin, and I de-
sire to break them for ever. If I have
given any cause for scandal, or done any
injury to my neighbour, either in his per-
son, his reputation, or his property, I am
resolved to repair it ; and I wish to be re-
conciled with my enemies, putting aside
every feeling of anger and desire of revenge.
I humbly ask thee pardon, O Lord,
through the merits of Jesus Christ my God
and Saviour. In this precious blood and
in thy infinite goodness I place all my
trust, and hope to obtain the necessary
help to correct my faults and serve thee
more faithfully for the future.
Desiring to satisfy thy justice, O Lord,
I accept with submission all the trials,
afflictions, and crosses which it shall please
thee to send me. I offer them in union
with the penance which shall be enjoined
by thy minister, and all the good which by
thy grace I shall perform, desiring with

all my heart to acquit myself before thy
divine majesty by producing fruits of pen-
ance, uniting them to the satisfaction of
Jesus Christ thy Son, do thou render them
salutary to me through his powerful medi-
ation.
Another Act of Contrition.

I acknowledge before thee, O my God,
that I have had the misfortune, or rather
the wickedness to offend thee. But this
confession is not sufficient for my conver-
sion. True repentance requires a heart
broken by sorrow, a sincere regret for the
past, and a firm resolution for the future.
And whence shall these holy dispositions
come if not from thee, my God ? Yes, it
is thee whom I have so unworthily offended,
who will put into my heart this sorrow
and this firm resolution, without which
there is for me no hope of pardon.
O Jesus, model of the most perfect
compunction, thou whose soul was so pene-
trated with sorrow for my sins, and who

didst shed such bitter tears for them, in-
spire me with those sentiments which thou
didst vouchsafe to entertain for love of me ; I
and since thou hast taken on thyself the
enormous weight of my crimes, communi-
cate to me that true spirit of penance of
which thou wast the model, when, pro-
strate before thy Father in the Garden of
Olives, thou didst make so infinite a re-
paration to divine justice for my iniquities.
Holy Virgin, mother of my God, and my
powerful advocate, pray for me, a poor
sinner, that the confession which I am
about to make may not render me more
criminal, by the abuse of a sacrament in-
stituted for my justification ; but on the
contrary, that it may obtain me the pardon
of my sins, and grace to prevent me from
falling into them for the future.
Father, I have sinned against heaven
and in thy sight ; I am not worthy to be
called thy servant. I acknowledge before
thee and in the bitterness of my soul the
multitude and enormity of my offences.

Ah ! who will give to my eyes torrents of
tears in order to weep for them as they
deserve ?
O Infinite Goodness ! it is for love of
thee that I detest my iniquities ; it is
through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ
my Saviour that I implore and hope for
forgiveness ; it is in his adorable wounds
that I seek a remedy for those which sin
has made in my soul. Lord , have mercy
on me, according to thy great mercy ; be-
hold my heart ; increase and confirm in me
by thy grace my resolutions to avoid sin,
and the proximate occasions of sin.
[Excite within yourself sentiments of compunction
and sorrow, and remember that your confession
must be-1st, entire, without concealing any-
thing ; 2d, simple and clear, free from excuses ;
3d, humble and generous, not sparing yourself
the shame attached to the explanation of those
humiliating circumstances which may change
the nature of the sin. If there be any fault the
avowal of which is most painful to you, com-
mence your confession by accusing yourself of
it. Mention the number of times that you have
fallen into each sin, and if you cannot remem-
G
ber them precisely, do so as nearly as you can.

Accuse yourself with clearness, following the
order of the commandments, seven deadly
sins, &c.]
Thanksgiving after Confession.

O my soul, bless thou the Lord, and let
all that is within me glorify his holy name.
O my soul, bless the Lord, and never for-
get his benefits. It is he who has par-
doned thy sins, who has healed thy infir-
mities, surrounded thee with mercies and
graces, who grants thy desires, loads thee
with blessings, and who renders to thee a
renewed youth like unto the eagle's. The
Lord hath not dealt with us as our crimes
deserved. He has banished our iniquities
as far from us as the east is from the west.
As a father hath compassion on his chil-
dren, so hath the Lord compassion on those
who fear him, because he knows the frailty
of our nature and remembers that we are
but dust.
Such are the sentiments of my heart, O
my God, at the sight of the mercy thou
exercisest towards me. How great is thy

goodness, O Lord, to fill a soul so ungrate-
ful as mine with the gifts of thy grace !
Ah ! lest the enemies of my salvation
should drag them away, place thereon the
seal of thy powerful protection, and make
me feel the infinite value of all thy benefits.
Amen.
O justice of my God, of myself I can do
nothing to satisfy for my offences, but I
offer thee the merits of a God which are
infinite. I present thee, O Lord, the
sacred heart of thy Son ; and if I have not
all the sorrow which my sins demand, be-
hold the grief which they have cost that
adorable heart ; that deep wound, and that
sacred blood will plead for me ; they pro-
claim that my divine Saviour has satisfied
for my offences.
O my God, pardon me my vanity and
pride, on account of the humility of thy
Son ; pardon my enmities and hatred, on
account of his immense charity ; pardon
my impetuosity and temper, on account of
his meekness ; pardon my sensuality and

the little guard I have kept over my senses,
on account of that virginal flesh which was
scourged for me ; pardon my want of mor-
tification, in consideration of the hunger
and thirst which thy Son endured upon
the cross. O heart of Jesus, be my satis-
faction as thou art my Redeemer.
But, my God, if thou desirest of me any
other penance, I submit to it. I accept
without reserve all the trials to which thou
hast condemned me for the punishment of
my sins, resolving to bear patiently afflic-
tions, sorrow, sickness, and persecution,
and all the evils which may befall me in
this life, either direct from thy hand or
through the instrumentality of creatures.
I accept them according to the dispositions
of thy divine providence.
PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION. 101
PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION.
Act of Confidence.
My God, I am so persuaded that thou
watchest over all those who hope in thee,
and that nothing will be wanting when we
look to thee for everything, that I am re-
solved to live for the time to come without
solicitude, and to place myself wholly in thy
hands. In pace in idipsum dormiam et
requiescam, quoniam tu Domine singulariter
in spe constituisti me, I may be deprived
of wealth and honour ; sickness may rob
me of my strength and the means of serv-
ing thee ; I may even lose thy grace by
sin, but I will not lose my hope ; I will
preserve it till the last moment of my life,
and all the powers of hell shall in vain en-
deavour to drag it from me. In pace in
idipsum dormiam et requiescam. Others
may expect their happiness either from .
their riches or their talents ; may trust in
the innocence of their lives, the severity
of their penance, the number of their good
102 PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION.
works, or the fervour of their prayers. As

for me, O Lord, all my confidence is in my
confidence itself. Quoniam tu Domine sin-
gulariter in spe constituisti me. He who
confides in God shall never be confounded .
Nullus speravit in Domino, et confusus est.
I am then sure that I shall be eternally
happy, because I firmly hope to be so, and
it is in thee, O God, that I place my hope.
In te Domine speravi, non confundar in eter-
num. I know, alas ! I know too well that
I am frail and inconstant ; I know that
temptations may arise even for those solidly
grounded in virtue. I have beheld stars
fall from the heavens, and the pillars of the
firmament tremble, but yet I do not fear so
long as I hope. I shall be sheltered from
all misfortune ; and I feel convinced that I
shall always hope, because I so earnestly
desire this invariable confidence in thee.
Ah ! my God, I cannot hope too much. I
trust thou wilt preserve me from sin, sus-
tain me against its most furious assaults,
1 that thou wouldst make my weakness
triumph over my most formidable enemies.

I hope that thou wilt ever love me, and
that I shall love thee always without ceas-
ing. And carrying my confidence to its
utmost extent, I hope for the possession of
thyself, and that, after having adored,
loved, and served thee in time, I shall
have the happiness to see and enjoy thes
eternally in thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Act of Faith.
O my Saviour ! about to receive thee
this day in my soul, I desire to honour,
glorify, and render thee the sovereign hom-
age due to thee alone, and consecrate to
thee the thoughts , words, and actions of
my life, acknowledging that thou art my
first beginning, my last end, my supreme
happiness. I beseech thee to establish
in me the reign of thy love, to apply to
me thy infinite merits, forget my past ini-
quities ; to grant me the grace of com-
mencing a new and fervent life, and to
give me in thy august sacrament the
pledge of eternal life promised to those

who worthily receive thee. I wish to re-
ceive thee, O my God, for all the intentions
thou hadst in instituting it. I unite the
communion I am about to make to those of
all just souls in heaven and on earth, and I
ardently desire to have a share in their holy
dispositions and prayers, in order to honour
thee as far as my weak nature will permit.
United in heart and mind to thy Holy
Catholic Church, I beseech thee to bless
and preserve her according to thy pro-
mises ; to extend our holy faith throughout
the world, to convert sinners ; give rest to
the souls of the faithful departed, and to
sanctify my relations, friends, and benefac-
tors, and my enemies.
I am unworthy to receive thee, O my
God. Alas ! who am I, and who art thou,
O Lord ? Thou art the Son of the living
God, equal to thy Father, infinitely good,
powerful, wise, and holy ; or rather, thou
art goodness, power, wisdom, and holiness
itself, and I am dust and ashes—a mere
nothing in thy sight. What do I say ? I

am less than nothing, because thou seest in
me only an ungrateful sinner, who has
abused thy benefits and rebelled against
thy infinite majesty. O Lord, I do not
deserve that thou shouldst favour me by
honouring me with this visit. My miseries
are not unknown to thee, and nevertheless
thou dost tenderly invite me to receive
thee ; nay, thou commandest and dost
threaten me with an unhappy eternity if I
withdraw myself from thee. My unwor-
thiness makes me tremble, but thy pressing
invitations encourage me. I know that I
ought to have the purity of an angel to be
worthy to receive thee ; and if I presume
to approach thy holy table, it is because I
know that thou art the God of mercy, and
hast redeemed me by the price of thy
blood. Prostrate at the foot of thy holy
altar, I sacrifice to thee my attachment to
my own will, I sacrifice those eager desires
to be esteemed and loved by others, my im-
petuous and hasty temper, that human re-
spect which has so often been the mainspring

of my actions, those warm attachments and
natural friendships which have occupied my
mind and my heart. I resolve henceforth
to act only for thee ; to seek only to please
thee, that my mind, my heart, my soul,
may acknowledge thee for ever for their
only King and sovereign Master.
Trusting in the infallible words of thy
divine Son, and full of confidence that
thou wilt refuse nothing that I ask in his .
name, I beseech thee now to admit me
to the participation of his body and blood,
his soul and divinity. The benefit to
which I aspire is infinite, and I am
not worthy to deserve it ; but it is in the
name of Jesus Christ, and to honour thee
through him, in a manner worthy of thy
majesty, that I request it. When I shall
possess Jesus, I will offer myself with
him, and unite myself to him, in order to
acknowledge thy sovereign dominion, in
thanksgiving for all the gifts I have re-
ceived from thy fatherly hand. I will
present thee his blood and his merits for

the satisfaction of my offences, and I will
solicit through his mediation all the as-
sistance of which I stand in need, so that
I may love and serve thee with ardour and
fidelity.
Holy Spirit, who formed the body of
my Saviour in the chaste womb of Mary,
and who hast enriched the soul of this in-
comparable Virgin with thy most excellent
gifts, vouchsafe to prepare me for the in-
effable union which the Word incarnate
then contracted. Purify my senses, en-
lighten my mind, inflame my heart, and be
to me the sacred bond which shall unite me
to Jesus for ever.
O blessed Virgin, my tender mother,
who didst obtain from thy divine Son a
brilliant miracle at the wedding feast of
Cana, behold my misery and the need I
have of thy assistance ; obtain for me of
Jesus a new prodigy of his almighty power,
that my coldness and tepidity may be
changed into an ardent charity.
Angels of heaven, who unceasingly adore

the majesty of the thrice holy God, reflect in
my soul the sentiments of respect and love
with which the infinite perfections of the
Most High inspire thee. The God of the
universe is about to visit the weakest of
his creatures. Happy seraphim, who burn
with the purest love for him, take from
the fire which inflames you a burning coal,
and purify my lips which are about to
receive him whom you contemplate with
a love so holy. Ah, why am I not in-
flamed with the divine fire by which you
are consumed !
O my Saviour, my adorable Jesus ! thou
seest how unworthy I am to receive thee ;
but I ardently desire to deserve so great a
happiness ; I have then recourse to thee in
order to obtain the means of pleasing thee.
O Jesus, vouchsafe that the riches of thy
grace may make amends for my misery. Pre-
pare thyself thy dwelling in my soul, and
come and take possession thereof. Come,
O Jesus, do not delay; my soul languishes
with love for thee, the God of my heart,

and my portion for ever.
Why have I not the desire which thou
hadst to eat the Pasch with thy disciples ?
Why am I not penetrated with that lively,
ardent faith which drew them to their Mas-
ter in this happy banquet?
My soul, panting with thirst, can only ex-
tinguish it by receiving thee, O God, who art
its strength and its life. When shall I have
the happiness of receiving and possessing my
only good ?
How sweet it is, O Lord, to think only
of thee, to sigh only after thy delights. My
heart and my soul exult with joy in the hope
of tasting them at their very source. The
thirsty stag seeks not the living fountains
with more ardour than my soul desires thee
the God of my expectation, who art about
to accomplish my happiness.
Prayer before Receiving.

O all ye holy patriarchs and prophets,
who didst so ardently desire the coming of
110 PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION .
the Redeemer promised to the world, obtain

for me desires like unto thine, in order that I
may exclaim, Come, O Jesus, hasten to fulfil
my desires. Illustrious and glorious apostles,
preachers of the gospel, and perfect imita-
tors of Jesus Christ, pray to him to grant
me a lively faith, a firm hope, an ardent
charity, so that I may worthily participate
in the adorable mysteries of his body and
blood.
Triumphant army of martyrs, confessors,
and virgins, who reignest in heaven with
Jesus, obtain for me the victory over my
passions, the imitation of thy virtues and
those holy dispositions with which thou
didst approach the Source of grace.
Angels of the Lord, Saints Michael, Ga-
briel, and Raphael, all ye heavenly spirits,
and thou especially, my holy angel guardian,
who never cease to love, praise, and adore
God, lend me your hearts ; so that, uniting
my adorations to thine, I may cry out with
thee, O divine Lamb, sacrificed for love of
me ! thou art worthy to receive divinity,
wisdom , strength, honour, glory, and benedic-

tion for ever and ever. Holy Mary, who
didst bear in thy chaste womb the same
Jesus who is about to descend into my heart,
obtain for me the virtues this divine pre-
rogative merited for thee, a sincere humility
and a true contempt of self ; an unalterable
purity of mind and body ; a fervent and
ardent love for thy divine Son. O Mother
of Jesus, be thou my mother, and help me
to show myself thy faithful servant.
Holy Spirit, source of all sanctity, visit
my soul, and fill it with the light and love
which constitutes thy essence ; enlighten my
mind, enkindle in my heart thy divine fire,
and establish therein thy eternal dwelling,
preparing it for that of the incarnate Word.
O Jesus, uncreated wisdom, who disdain-
est not to visit thy poor creature, behold
me humbly prostrate at the foot of the
throne of thy mercy. To thee I have re-
course in order to be more and more purified
from my iniquities, and admitted to the in-
effable happiness thou preparest for me. 0
112 PRAYERS AFTER COMMUNION.
my Jesus, draw me to thyself, and bestow

on me all the help which my weakness re-
quires, and the love with which the remem-
brance of thy benefits should inspire me.
Eternal Father, from whom descendest the
most perfect gifts, glorify thy name by mul-
tiplying on me the gifts of thy tenderness
and mercy. The benefit thou designest for
me exceeds all others. Thou givest me thy
Son, the eternal object of thy complacency;
vouchsafe to impress on my heart his divine
resemblance, and render me worthy of thy
adoption, by a faithful imitation of his
virtues.
Prayers after Communion.

Is it possible that a God, whose majesty
is infinite, and whom the heavens cannot
contain, should dwell in my heart? Great
God, dost thou give thyself thus to the
meanest of thy creatures ? Dost thou hum、
ble thyself thus to nothingness , even to the
abyss of misery ? And who am I that thou
PRAYERS AFTER COMMUNION. 113
shouldst even remember me ? O ineffable

favour, O unexampled goodness !
Penetrated with the benefit which unites
me to thee, O Jesus, I throw myself at thy
feet, and adore thee as the only Son of the
Most High, as my Creator, my Saviour, and
my sovereign good. Oh, how happy am I to
be able at this moment to adore thee in the
only manner worthy of thee ! Yes, my God,
it is in and by thee that I render to the
divinity dwelling in me the most profound
homage. I belong to thee, my Saviour, by
a multitude of titles, and I render thee no-
thing but that which is thine, the inestim-
able gift I have received ; increase in me the
desire to devote myself more perfectly to thy
service. I consecrate to thee, O Jesus, my
soul and all its powers, my body and all its
senses, my heart and all its affections. I
offer to thee my life, my health, my strength,
my talents, and my goods. I offer thee all
that I possess, and all that I am in the order
of nature and grace.
O my God, what thanksgivings can equal
H
thy benefits ? Thy gifts surpass my feeble

understanding, and my heart can only feel
all their prices. Supply for my weakness, O
ye blessed Spirit ; impart to me thy burn-
ing love. But what do I say, O Jesus, thy
sacred heart has it not visited me ? Thus
sweetly united, I can return my grateful
acknowledgments to thee. O merciful Jesus,
thou didst never enter any place on earth
without leaving the marks of thy divine
presence. Thou hast visited my soul, show
to it the like mercy ; vouchsafe, O infinite
goodness, to shed over it thy abundant
benedictions. Pardon my sins, my negli-
gences, my imperfections, which I bewail
before thee. Grant me the grace to love
thee perfectly, to die a thousand times
rather than willingly offend thee, that I may
fulfil in all things thy adorable will, and
renounce my own, which is so frequently
opposed to thine. Give me the strength to
resist temptations, and courage to conquer
my passions and my evil inclinations, particu-
larly the sin of O sovereign Lord of
heaven and earth, who art infinitely holy and

good, infinitely wise and powerful, thou art
in me; my soul has become thy tabernacle
and sanctuary. He whom heaven itself can-
not contain has vouchsafed to dwell in this
poor unworthy habitation. Thou hast thus
willed, O Lord, and but for thy invitation I
had not dared to approach thee. " Take and
eat," thou didst say, "this is my body, which
shall be delivered for you." Thy evangelists
and thy apostles have assured me in clear
and formal terms. Thy Church, the faithful
interpreter of these sacred oracles, has de-
clared it to me. That which was bread and
wine is changed by thy almighty power into
thy body and blood. I am ready to die a
thousand times for this truth. I adore thee
really present in my heart, and render thee
the homage due to thy supreme Majesty.
O God, who knowest the most hidden
folds of this miserable heart, what deep and
dangerous wounds dost thou not perceive ;
thou alone, O Jesus, canst cure them ; assist
me, save me, for without thee I perish.
Couldst thou suffer me to perish, my Sav-

iour, after the grace thou hast given me ?
Can I doubt of thy divine assistance ? Ah,
no ; thy goodness is boundless, and I should
offer an outrage to thee did I put a limit to
my confidence.
Assisted by thy grace, I propose to reform
my life according to the maxims of thy gos-
pel, to have no other rule of conduct than
thy divine example, to detest everything
that can withdraw me from thee.
Is there anything in the world which I
ought not willingly to sacrifice ? Pleasures,
vanities, frivolous attachments, human re-
spect, disorderly love of self and creatures,
everything shall yield to thy glory and thy
always just will. From thee alone do I
expect my joy, my repose, my glory, and
my happiness. To thee alone I consecrate
my thoughts, my words, my actions, and
my desires.
O Lord, thou seest my weakness, thou
knowest my evil inclinations and the vicious
habits which have made me wander from
thy law. But thou knowest also that,

weak of myself, I can do all things with
thy grace. Refuse me not, my God, that
powerful grace ; let it strengthen the good
resolutions with which thou hast inspired
me, and disengage me wholly from the
world and its allurements ; let it preserve
me from the deceitfulness of its pleasures ,
and make me abhor its examples as much
as its maxims . Create in me a pure heart
and an upright spirit ; change this stubborn
spirit, this hard and obdurate heart of
mine which has resisted thee so often ;
attract and unite it inseparably to thee.
Grant that after the ineffable union with
which thou hast honoured me, I may
labour to preserve thy presence in my
soul, and to love thee here below , so that
I may deserve to contemplate , praise, and
love thee eternally in the splendour of thy
glory.
118 A SECOND METHOD
A SECOND METHOD.
Act of Faith.
I believe that I am about to receive the
Eternal Word, the Son consubstantial with
the Father, the figure of his substance, the
spotless mirror of his divinity ; the splen-
dour of his glory ; the eternal wisdom by
whom all things were made ; the Word,
who, from all eternity proceeding from the
bosom of his Father, vouchsafes to visit
me ; that Son incarnate for our love ; that
body, formed by the operation of the Holy
Ghost of the most pure blood of the blessed
Virgin ; that God-man, the Saviour of the
world, the desired of nations, who, being
on earth, by his only word cured the sick,
raised the dead to life, chased away devils,
calmed tempests, overthrew his enemies,
and converted sinners.
I believe that I am about to receive the
soul and divinity of Jesus, the masterpiece
of the power and wisdom of God, exalted
FOR COMMUNION. 119
to the hypostatic union which participates

in all the glory of the Eternal Word. I
shall receive that sacred body which was
nailed to the cross for love of me ; that
same blood which was shed for me in the
Garden of Olives, in the pretorium of
Pilate, and on the cross ; that deluge of
the divine mercy in which all my sins have
been buried ; that blood which satisfies for
my sins, which disarms the justice of God,
which appeases his anger, and cries for
mercy more loudly and eloquently than
that of Abel for vengeance against Cain ;
that blood, inflamed with divine love which
animates it, is the source from which I am
about to quench my thirst. I believe that
I am about to receive that adorable heart,
which was consumed, whilst on earth, with
the desire to unite itself to men, in order
to be their prinçiple of life and sanctity ;
that heart which was pierced for love of us,
into which I shall enter as into an abyss
of mercy, which calls me from the abyss
of my misery to a happy haven of eternal
120 A SECOND METHOD
rest. Protected with this powerful shield

against all the attacks of my enemies, I
shall receive the same Saviour who was
the victim expected from the beginning
of the world, who died, rose again, as-
cended into heaven, is seated at the right
hand of his Father, raised above all man-
kind, and who will one day judge the liv-
ing and the dead. And because the Father
and the Holy Ghost are inseparable from
the Son, I shall at the same time receive
the most holy Trinity. Shed over me
then, O God, the grace of redemption, and
at the same time that I shall partake of
this sacrament, apply to me the merits of
thy death ; and as thy sacred flesh, which
thou givest me, is a pledge of thy infinite
love and of the glory thou hast promised
me, let it be to me an engagement to live
only for him who vouchsafed to die for me.
Act of Hope.
O my God, what may I not expect from

thee, who cometh to me in the character of
FOR COMMUNION. 121
a Father in order to load me with thy

favours ? Thou art almighty, thy pro-
mises infallible, and merits infinite ; and
giving thyself to me canst thou refuse me
the inheritance of heaven, for do I not
possess the heir thereof? O Jesus, my
Saviour, I trust that after having adored
thee under the veils of the sacred host in
this world, I shall see thee face to face in
the next ; that after having received thee
in my heart thou wilt receive me in thine ;
that after having been nourished by thee,
my soul shall, by this divine substance, be
nourished and absorbed in God ; and since
thou hast said that we shall obtain from thy
Father all that we ask in thy name, what
may I not hope for if I ask not only in thy
name but in thyself ? Will he not grant
to thy merits that which he will refuse to
my unworthiness ? Does not the gift thou
hast already made me pledge thee to give
me every other ? Have I not in the pos-
session of thee a certain fund on which to
rest my hopes and acquit my debts, and
122 A SECOND METHOD
say to thee with an entire confidence, " O

God, my protector, regard me in the per-
son of thy Son. I offer him to thee to be
my reconciliation, and the bond of the love
which thou bearest me, hoping that through
him thou wilt grant my petitions."
Act of Love.
O Jesus, who hast loved us even to give

thyself to us, to nourish us with thyself,
to die for us, and to sacrifice thyself for us
day and night upon our altars, in order to
appease the anger of thy Father, I desire to
live only for thee. Grant that I may be
all thine, loving nothing so much as thee,
loving only for thee, because thou art infi-
nite beauty and an infinite abyss of per-
fections. Let nothing separate me from
thee ; let me die for thee, and may the
flames of thy adorable heart consume my
own, destroying all that opposes the inviol-
able love I wish to have for thee, who art
my infinite good.
FOR COMMUNION. 123
Act of Contrition.
Grant to me, O Lord, that true sorrow
which can alone purify my soul, and render
it worthy to receive thy adorable majesty ;
and since thou requirest the sacrifice of a
contrite heart, grant to me the victim which
thou hast commanded us to offer. O my
God, I detest all the sins of my life, be-
cause they displease thee ; but especially
those which I have committed against thy
divine sacrament, by the abuse, the profana-
tions, the irreverence, and the little profit I
have drawn from so many communions, by
the want of vigilant watchfulness over my
senses, my mouth, and my tongue ; which
have been so often consecrated by thy divine
presence, and which I have sullied by so
many sins. If the wicked king of Babylon
was so severely punished for having once
profaned the vessels of the temple of Jeru-
salem, which served but to contain the
blood of sheep and goats, what will become
of me, who have so frequently profaned
124 A SECOND METHOD
the living temple animated by Jesus Christ,

by profaning my body destined to receive
the precious blood of the Lamb of God ?
O divine Jesus, what a confusion I feel at
beholding myself so unworthy to approach
thy holy table ! Suffer me to seek the
remedy for my evils in the wound of thy
sacred heart ; that this adorable heart,
which cannot suffer the slightest stain,
may imprint on mine a horror and fear of
the smallest offence ; let it be to me as the
burning coal which purified the lips of
Isaiah ; place it, I beseech thee, on my
heart, my tongue, my senses, and all the
powers of my soul, so that it may burn
and annihilate all that is displeasing to
thee.
Act of Humility.
O my God, the stars of heaven are not
clean in thy sight. The pillars of the fir-
mament tremble before thee ; the brightest
of thy seraphims cover themselves with
their wings, and consider themselves as
FOR COMMUNION. 125
nothing in the presence ofthy infinite

majesty. How, then, can a creature so
worthless as I am presume to approach
thy holy table and receive thee ? If it was
so criminal in a priest of the old law to
have touched irreverently the ark of the
covenant, so that he was punished with
instant death, what ought I not to fear if
I touch and receive him of whom the ark
was nothing but the figure ?
O sacred heart of Jesus, which loves in
an infinite degree the spotlessness of purity,
which reposest amongst lilies , whilst the
day declines and the shadows fall, what
rest and welcome can I offer thee in this
heart of mine, which gives birth to thorns
instead of flowers, and in place of the
freshness and bloom of virtue, only the
heat of sin is to be found. The only con-
solation which remains to me, O Lord, is
the remembrance of the words of thy gos-
pel, which teaches me that the poor sur-
rounded thee, the blind sought thee, the
lepers called thee ; that sinners sat at thy
126 A SECOND METHOD
table ; that thy merciful heart permits thee

to reject no one ; and that thou wilt say to
those who murmur at thy conduct, that the
physician seeks the sick, and that thou
didst come to save sinners. Almighty God,
whose mercy extends to the thousandth
generation, I beseech thee to grant me this
grace, that as David suffered at his table
an uncouth and deformed man, because he
was the son of his friend Jonathan, thus
honouring the merits of the father in the
person of the son, it may please thee, O
Eternal Father, to suffer at thy holy table
one who is disfigured by sin, through the
merits of Jesus Christ, thy Son, whom
thou lovest so much, and who is the second
Adam, our true Father.
Act of Adoration.
O Incarnate Wisdom, veiled to my mor-
tal eyes, I acknowledge thee beneath this
sacred host as true God and true man, to
whom I offer up my being and my life.
The more I behold thee hidden and anni-
FOR COMMUNION. 127
hilated in this mystery, the more profound

and fervent shall be my adoration, the
more will I abase myself in thy presence .
Act of Desire.
O my God, grant that I may desire thy
coming in my heart as ardently as the
ancient patriarchs desired thy advent on
the earth. That on beholding this sacred
host, which is the pledge and earnest of
eternal life, I may be no less ravished with
the desire of possessing thee than were the
Israelites at the sight of that branch of the
vine so laden with fruit, which was as an
emblem of the riches of the Promised Land,
and which prefigured thee, O Tree of Life,
fastened to the cross, from whence, as be-
neath a mystic wine-press, thy blood flowed
in such great abundance that there was
enough to wash away the sins of the whole
world, and which is applied to us in such
immense profusion when we worthily re-
ceive thee in the holy eucharist. May I
sigh after thee, O Heavenly Bread, which
128 A SECOND METHOD
art the delight of kings, with the same

ardour with which David burned when he
desired to drink of the waters of the wells
of Bethlehem.
O my God, how holy and august is this
sacrament, and how great the fear I ought
to have in approaching it ! Yet I know
that it is the treasure of the poor, the
remedy of the sick, the strength of the
weak, the feast of those who hunger, and
the milk of children, and that it is only at
thy holy table that we are fed by those
pure delights, which never satiate the soul
by their abundance, but which always give
new life and vigour to our good resolutions.
Prayer before Receiving.

O my God, thou seest that I have not
those holy dispositions which I should
have for worthily receiving thee in this
august sacrament. I offer thee, to supply
for my deficiency, those of the blessed
Virgin, when she received thee in thy holy
incarnation ; those with which she was in-
FOR COMMUNION. 129
flamed when she received this divine

sacrament, and when she approached thee
after thy glorious ascension. Accept, then,
this most pure praise, ardent love, and
faithful and constant homage which thy
holy mother and all thy saints rendered
thee in this world, to supply for what is
wanting in me.
O my God, there is no place worthy
of thee, no love with which thou canst be
worthily received, save that which thou
hast for thyself. I give myself to thee. I
humble myself before thee, and beseech
thee to make me humble of heart, and im-
print in me thy maxims, thy laws, and thy
love, so that, coming to me in the holy
communion, thou mayst find a habitation
worthy of thy infinite majesty.
Thanksgiving after Communion.

I adore thee, my Lord and Master, who
hast taken possession of my heart. Make
thy throne thereon, establish thy kingdom
there for all eternity. I give thee all that
I
130 A SECOND METHOD
I possess without reserve-my heart to

thy love, my will to thy law, my under-
standing to the knowledge of thy goodness
and greatness, my memory to the perpetual
remembrance of thy love, thy passion, and
the profusion of thy divine liberality to
me, and my mind that it may be pene-
trated and convinced of the truth of the
maxims of thy holy gospel, which teaches
us that contempt is worth more than
honour, insult than praise ; to be anni-
hilated in thy sacred heart than applauded
by the whole world ; to be in suffering
than on the throne of the universe ; to
mourn piously under the weight of the
cross better than to be ravished to the
third heaven ; to be the victim of false-
hood, rather than to say a word which may
offend a neighbour ;-in short, my God, I
give thee my body and its senses, my soul
and all my inclinations, as a holocaust, to
be sacrificed to thy glory and consumed in
thy service. Amen.
FOR COMMUNION. 131
Act of Love.
O Jesus, my Sun ! who hath descended
from the firmament of heaven to take pos-
session of my sinful heart. Ruler of the
heavens, what is it that has surrounded
thee with this obscurity ? Can the icy
coldness of my heart endure beneath thy
warmth ? Bright Sun of my soul, inflame
me, and as the brilliancy of thy rays pene-
trates everywhere, consume me with those
of thy love, that I may live, and be pro-
tected from the flames of thy justice. O
Uncreated Light ! which makest the beau-
tiful day of eternity, which enlightenest all
mankind and governest the universe, is it
possible that I contain thee in my heart ?
Govern, then, the little world within me ;
do not abandon me to my own guidance ;
regulate the epochs of my life, my days
and my nights, my hours and years, my
time and my eternity ; let every moment
of my life be sanctified by thy love and
consecrated to thy glory.
132 A SECOND METHOD
Act of Thanksgiving.
What shall I give thee, O my God, for
the gift I have received, for the numerous
benefits with which thou hast loaded me ?
Though I should be the sovereign monarch
of the world, and should possess the holi-
ness of the angels, my greatness would be
finite, and thine is infinite. I have been
made in time, and thou art eternal ; I am
but a poor creature, the work of thy hands ;
and thou art the adorable Creator. What
shall I do, where shall I go, in order to ren-
der to thy majesty an equal worship, a grati-
tude conformable to thy infinite liberality ?
" Introibo in potentias Domine." I will
enter into the masterpiece made by thy
hands, into that work in which thou dost
glorify thyself, into the heart of thy dear
Son, in which thou takest such delight and
reposest so complacently. I will enter
into that adorable sanctuary in which is
found all the plenitude of the Divinity.
Suffer me, then, O Jesus, since thou art
FOR COMMUNION. 133
mine, to unite my heart with thy sacred

heart, my mind with thine, my own
nothingness with thy greatness ; that,
overwhelmed in thy annihilation , I may
say to thy Father, I love thee, O infinite
God, through the heart and the love of
thy Son ; I love thee, I adore and thank
thee through the praise, the adoration,
and all the adorable operations of that
seat of thy divinity. I ask that which
he asks. I speak with his mouth ; I bless
with his lips ; I love with his heart ; I give
that which he presents to thee ; I satisfy
by his sufferings ; I render thee in him
.
divine praise, divine love and thy infi-
nite greatness will find in this treasure
which I present an equal worship, worthy
and conformable to thy majesty. I am
nothing, but thy Son speaks for me ; and
since he desires that I should speak to
thee as in him, I leave the earth, and,
soaring above the angels, casting myself
into his heart and into the bosom of his
134 METHOD OF HEARING
mercy, I render thee in him amidst the

silence of all creation the homage due to
God.
Petition.
Divine Jesus, eternal source of mercy,
shed over my soul some drops of thy
precious blood which I adore, that it may
soften and turn itself to thee, who ought to
be the centre of my heart. Apply, I be-
seech thee, thy death to my life, in order
to sanctify it ; thy flesh to my soul, to
nourish it ; thy strength to my infirmity,
to sustain it ; thy grace to my sins, in
order to efface them ; thy mercy to my
miseries, to comfort them ; thy light to
my darkness to enlighten it ; thy glory to
my lowliness, in order to exalt it to sove-
reign beatitude. Amen.
MASS FOR COMMUNION. 135
METHOD OF HEARING MASS WHEN ABOUT

TO COMMUNICATE.
Consider attentively the greatness of the action you
are about to perform, and say—
With the break of day I have blessed
and adored the ineffable Giver of all good
gifts. What is it that he has prepared for
me this morning ? O holy tabernacle,
thou dost enclose the precious bread of
the elect ! Oh, shall I be so happy as in
a few moments to have this heavenly food
repose upon my lips and nourish my lan-
guishing heart ! Yes ; it is permitted me
to aspire after this inexpressible happiness.
At the holy sacrifice at which I am about
to assist I hope to be heard, and may
offer up those holy aspirations which the
expectation of the eucharistic manna pro-
duces in the heart which strives worthily
to receive it. The King of kings , in whose
sight the kings of the earth are as nothing,
has ordered a great feast, to which I am
invited in the character of spouse. Jesus
will there feed me, and I shall receive

within me the spouse of my soul. What
an honour ! Can there be a greater ? Is
it possible to appreciate such a happiness
sufficiently ?
At the Beginning ofthe Mass.

Strengthen your confidence, and beg of God to
renew it.
I come, O Lord, before thy sanctuary to
seek the life and nourishment of my soul,
but am I sufficiently pure to unite myself
to thee ? O my God, vouchsafe to mani-
fest to me thy judgments . Thou oughtest
not to be received by sinners , they are un-
worthy to approach thee . I reside in thy
house , O Lord, dwelling therein by a grace
of thy special goodness ; nevertheless , I
fear lest I should not have proved myself
sufficiently . Have I discerned thy sacred
body, or remembered the price of thy pre-
cious blood ?
My soul, why art thou sad ? why dost
thou trouble me ? Will that God reject
me who has given me so many marks of

his love, and who desires to make me
happy ? Oh no, my God ! I hope in
thee ; thou shalt be my strength. It is
thou who dost introduce me to thy taber-
nacle, calling me there by love, and con-
ducting me by hope. Thou wilt not
suffer me to dishonour thee by a sacri-
legious communion. Send me from on
high, I beseech thee, that wisdom which
shall make me feel the dignity of thy
sacraments, the beauty of thy law, the
majesty of thy presence. O my God,
make thy minister worthy to enter into
thy sanctuary, and give me the fervour
of those blessed souls who reign with thee
in heaven.
At the Confiteor.
Sincerely detest your faults.
I am humbled, O Lord, at the sight of
my sins. I have violated thy holy com-
mandments, I have infringed thy law ; all
that might tend to make me pleasing to
thy divine majesty I have employed so as

to render myself guilty ; thoughts, words,
actions-all that is mine or comes from me
-I ought to refer to thy glory, since I am
only placed in this world to love and obey
thee. I have failed in submitting to the
duties of obedience, and faithless to those
of love, and to my shame I acknowledge it.
I do not seek to excuse myself ; it is my
fault ; it is through my own fault that I
have sinned ; and my pride is humbled.
Yes, O Lord, thy inspirations, thy assist-
ance, thy graces, have never been wanting ;
thou hast given me an upright heart, and
imprinted in my soul a love of religion and
justice ; but I have abused them. My
faults have been numerous, and I have dis-
pleased thee. And how dare I venture
to present myself at that precious feast at
which angels assist ?—I who have sinned
even in the holy sanctuary wherein the
mercy of God has placed me.
Holy Virgin, who wast the temple of
the Word made flesh ! illustrious precursor,
angel of the desert, who didst prepare the

way of the Lord ! ye faithful disciples, who
received him with so much faith in this
mysterious supper, unite thy prayers with
mine, intercede for me. You will be heard,
and the anger of God will be turned aside
from me.
At the Kyrie Eleison.

Earnestly beg pardon of God.
O Lord, if thou closely observest all my
iniquities I cannot exist in thy sight, how
presume on an intimate union with thee.
Ah, my God, I am nothing but a vile mixture
of error, weakness, and infirmity ; and if
thou dost not look on me with the eyes of
compassion, I shall be crushed by a single
glance of thy justice.
O Lord, have mercy on me ; the happy
days of propitiation are not over ; those of
wrath and vengeance are delayed . I may
yet invoke thy name, and call thee my
Father, my Spouse, and those titles are sweet
to my soul. I kneel in a temple in which
I perceive only marks of thy condescending

love ; before an altar on which thou de-
scendest only to pour forth thy graces. I
implore thy mercy, then, hoping that it will
be granted to me. Yes, I will have con-
fidence, and approach this throne of mercy,
exclaiming from the bottom of my heart,
Lord, have mercy on me ; my divine Spouse,
pardon me ; dispel my darkness, so that,
treated like the children of light, I may
share in the mysterious feast to which thy
goodness calls me.
Gloria in Excelsis.
Render your homage to Jesus, who is about to take

possession of your soul.
I unite my praises to those of the

heavenly spirits when they exclaim, Glory
to God in the highest, and peace on earth,
to men good will . O Lord, under the
veils of thy love dost thou not willingly ap-
pear on our altars and then in our hearts?
What a glory for thy children ! what peace
for troubled souls ! what a consolation for

our afflicted hearts.
O God, whose justice is avenged by the
perpetual sacrifice of so noble a victim, we
praise thee, we bless thee, we adore thee,
we love thee. As for myself, O Lord, at
the sight of so much generosity on thy part,
such majesty and such humiliation, I beseech
thee to take a new birth in me, and to work
in my heart, whom thou hast chosen to be
thy servant, a prodigy of sanctity, that I may
never cease to thank thee for the signal
favour thou hast granted me, and increase
each day this precious seed of grace and
virtue, and suffer not, O Lord, that any of
those whom thou hast led into retirement in
order to communicate thyself to them more
perfectly, should ever make a tepid or un-
worthy communion. Amen.
At the Epistle.
Desire to be instructed in the truths of salvation,
resolving to conform your conduct thereto.
The code of thy law is announced to
me, O Lord, by thy prophets and apostles

before thou visitest me, instruct me by
them , my God. "Keep yourself infervour
of spirit, remembering that it is the Lord
whom you serve," says St Paul, adding else
where, "I have espoused you to that only
spouse, who is Jesus Christ, in order to pre-
sent you to him as a most pure virgin." I
unite myself, O my God, to the faith, the
hopes, the desires of the patriarchs, the pro-
phets, and all those who have believed and
hoped in thee. I believe on the testimony
of thy Church, that thou didst thyself in-
spire all the books of the Old Testament.
Give me the grace, O Lord , always to have
a great veneration for thy Holy Scriptures,
never to profane its words, nor alter the
sense, or subject the interpretation of them
to my own particular fancy. I am a child
of the Church, and in this character I desire
to love and observe thy law.
At the Gospel.
Desire to attain full perfection of the evangelical
precepts.
Suffer me to hear thy voice, O Lord ;
thou art the beloved of my soul. Thou
hast the words of eternal life. Oh, let
them shed both sweetness and peace over
the hearts which belong to thee. Speak to
me, O Lord ; I am thy servant, thy child,
thy spouse. What wouldst thou have me
to do ? Can I refuse anything to thee, my
God, who lovest me so tenderly, and who,
in giving thyself to me, sufferest me to
expect everything from thy hands ?
I tremble, my God, at the warnings, and
am touched by the promises thou hast thy-
self held out in thy holy gospel, for they
are emanations of thy divine wisdom, and
its maxims so opposed to those of the world,
so contrary to the vicious inclinations of a
corrupt nature. I wish to adopt, embrace,
and practise, because in following them I
shall please thee, O Jesus, the God of my
heart, whom I am about to receive. Hasten,

O Lord, to imprint in me these heavenly
truths, for they carry with them the weight
of thy authority, the light of thy wisdom.
Let this light lead my steps in the paths
of all justice. O holy laws ! sublime and
salutary maxims ! alas, I have a thou-
sand times abandoned thee ; but the God
of truth, in uniting himself to me, will grant
me the grace to comprehend, and strength
to practise thee.
Credo.
Make your profession of faith.
O my God, I believe all that thou teach-
est by thy Church, to whom thou hast pro-
mised infallibility. I believe all the articles
of the Creed, for thou canst neither deceive
nor be deceived. I believe that thou re-
newest in the sacrament of thy love the
mysteries which thou revealest in thy holy
gospel. I behold thee on the altar as
taking upon thee a new birth, enveloped in
the corporal, scarce known save by heavenly
spirits, and the humble of heart. I see thee

in thy hidden life, beholding thee forgotten,
abandoned daily, as thou wert forsaken on
the cross ; here thou art, as in thy burial,
enclosed in the tabernacle as in the tomb,
renewing, too, the mysteries of thy resur-
rection. Thou dost nourish us with thine
own glorious body, delivering us from the
dominion of death. O my God, why should
I envy the happiness of those who beheld
thee during thy mortal life ; for the light
of faith discovers to me on the altar all that
the apostles saw, all that the ancient kings
and prophets so ardently desired.
O my God, grant that I may ever live by
faith ; may I live in the faith of the Son of
God, who has loved me, and who gives him-
self so frequently to me.
Offertory.
Present yourself to God, begging of him to effect an

entire change in your heart.
O Jesus, thou art all powerful, and it is

K
this power which, through the words of thy

Priest, changes bread into thy body, and
wine into thy precious blood. O my good
God, do thou work a like change in me,
that no longer of this world as I have
hitherto been, I may become truly spiritual ;
that I may seek after and relish only the
things of God ; that grace, virtue, and heaven
may be in my eyes the only true and solid
goods ; that, animated with thy sentiments,
O my Jesus, I may be transformed into
thee, that thou mayst dwell in me, and in
all those who participate with me in the
blessings of thy love. Almighty God, re-
ceive my heart. I unite it to the sacrifice
thou makest of thyself. I place it in thy
hands ; transform and consecrate it. Say
only one word, and it shall be entirely
changed for the future, following only the
sweet impulse of thy grace, which shall
make it love virtue. With this offering of
my heart, O my God, I consecrate to thee
my mind, that it may know thee ; my body
to be employed in thy service ; my whole
self, that so I may one day find myself

absorbed in thee.
Lavabo.
Beg of God to purify your heart.
Thou dost abhor sin, my God ; how
great a purity, then, is necessary in order
to approach thee. Why cannot I have the
purity of the angels, or of Mary the most
holy of virgins, in order to present myself
at thy sacred table ? Inflame my heart, O
God, with the bitter tears of a penitent love ;
purify me in thy blood, O my loving Re-
deemer ; and purify also all those who are
consecrated to thee, in order to serve and
praise thee always in the shade of thy
sanctuary. To each of us mayst thou say,
" This is my beloved in whom there is no
stain."
At the Preface.
Consider attentively, and reflect on the great :
mystery about to take place.
May the Lord be with me ! Jesus will
shortly visit me. Let him be from this

moment and for ever in this poor heart of
mine ! Thy minister bids me forget this
earth in order to raise my heart towards
heaven ; and I behold in spirit, O my God,
the angels and saints who adore, contem-
plate, and love thee, making it their delight
to be with thee. Ah, Lord ! I am not
worthy to raise my voice with the canticles
of thy saints ; but thou hast permitted me ;
and beseeching them to second my feeble
efforts, I mingle my praises with theirs,
saying to thee with confidence, reverence,
and love, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of
hosts, heaven resounds with thy praise, the
earth is filled with thy glory. Blessed be
Jesus Christ, who comes in the name of
the Lord upon this altar ; from this altar
he will come to me and incorporate him-
self with me. Let every creature bless him
without ceasing, and receive from his good-
ness the plenitude of the divine mercy.
At the Canon of the Mass.

Animate yourself with a holy zeal for the sanctifica-
tion of souls.
O my God, increase my devotion, and
grant that it may be more fervent than
ever at the moment when I am about to
receive thee. Graciously hear my prayers.
What canst thou refuse to that precious
blood of which a single drop is sufficient
to save a thousand worlds ? O my Re-
deemer, who art the Saviour of the world,
I offer up my prayers to thee for all. Bless
thy holy Church, to which thou hast
brought me by the grace of baptism, (and
that of my religious profession ;) open to
me its precious treasures this day, by giv-
ing me thy body and thy precious blood.
Do thou send down thy blessing on our
holy Father and thy prelates, especially the
Bishop who governs this diocese ; and also
on thy priests, infusing the spirit of zeal in
those whom thou hast called to the holy
ministry ; maintain in them the purity of
the faith, and render me docile to their

instructions. Protect the whole world,
especially my own country ; grant special
graces to those whom thou hast charged
with the government of others, and favour-
ably regard thy faithful who assist at thy
holy sacrifice ; support the weak, comfort
the poor, convert sinners, enlighten the
blind, and lead back the impenitent. O
my God, do thou remember those souls
whom thou hast created in thy image, and
who have been redeemed by the precious
blood of my Saviour. Preserve us all
from eternal damnation ; save us by thy
mercy. [If a religious,] " I pray to thee
unceasingly for all ; but O my God, thou
hast loved us with a special love. Thou
hast placed us in this holy asylum conse-
crated to thee ; we are the spouses of thy
Son ; his precious body the food where-
with we are so often nourished. Oh, be
thou mindful of us ; grant that we may
become so pure as to be of the number of
those virgins who follow the Lamb, who
will eternally follow him, for ever occupied

in adoring him, and singing in his honour
a canticle of love."
At the Elevation.
Enliven your faith, adore your Lord truly present,
and beg of him to apply to you the merits of his
blood.
Thou concealest thyself, O my Saviour,
so that we may not be dazzled by the bril-
liancy of thy glory, veiling thy adorable
presence under the appearances of bread
and wine, a few words having worked so
great a miracle. O Jesus, thou art the
King of the whole world, the supreme
Ruler of the universe, though hidden be-
neath these humble elements. I adore
thee, humbly prostrate before thee who
hast created me. Thou art my God and
my Saviour ; give thyself to me, and
nourish my soul in order that it may live
for ever.
Continuation ofthe Canon.

Reflect on the happiness you are about to receive,
and pray for the faithful departed.
O Majesty of my God, the altar is now
the throne of thy glory ; the heavens open,
the angels surround thee with reverential
love, they will make amends for my forget-
fulness and indifference. And thou, O
Lord, art yet solicitous for my salvation ;
thou offerest thyself to thy Father as a
victim of propitiation for the sins of the
living and the dead, and desirest to unite
thyself to me. Thou invitest me to open
my heart to thee. Oh, how can I have
merited thy love ? Alas ! I have rendered
myself unworthy of it by my sins. O my
God, look upon thy beloved Son, and
though thou seest in me only the image
of sin, thou wilt find in him the most
perfect sanctity. Thou wilt listen to the
voice of his blood, and cure my sick and
feeble soul. Grant, O my Saviour, that
I may place no obstacle to thy designs
over me ; that others who shall receive

thee may obtain the same grace, so that
we may all be filled with the abundance
of thy blessings. Be mindful, O Lord, of
the souls of the faithful departed ; they
love thee, they are very dear to thee, and
yet thou preventest them from enjoying
the glory which awaits them, because they
still have sins to expiate. May I by the
communion I am about to make, and the
merits of which I beseech thee to apply
to them, hasten their deliverance. Mayst
thou release them from their place of ex-
piation, and place them immediately in
refreshment, light, and peace, in the so-
journ of happiness and glory.
At the Pater Noster.

Lay open your necessities with confidence to a God
1 who is the most tender of fathers.
Our Father who reignest in heaven , come
and reign in my soul, and sanctify it by
thy presence ; subject it to thy holy will,
and render it docile to the inspiration of
thy grace. Nourish it now with that mys-

terious bread which shall appease its hun-
ger and sustain its strength. Extinguish
in my heart every sentiment of hatred and
revenge, and forgive me as I forgive. Give
me wisdom to shun temptations, and strength
to avoid them when they are inevitable ;
and deliver me from the evils which afflict
me. O Lord, I hasten to thee as a child
to its father, in order to be nourished ; as
a guilty servant to his master, to be recon-
ciled ; as a subject to his king, from whom
he seeks protection ; as one in affliction to
his only resource, in order to be comforted.
At the " Agnus Dei.”

Beg of God to endow you with innocence and peace.
Spotless victim, Lamb of God, who alone
canst satisfy the justice of thy offended
Father, vouchsafe to make me participate
in the merits of thy sacrifice and thy in-
finite holiness. What lessons of humility,
meekness, charity, and patience, dost thou
not give me ! Impress these virtues on

my soul, so that it may be to thee a plea-
sant habitation, wherein thou mayst re-
pose in peace.
At the Communion.
Humble yourself, and awaken in your heart senti-
ments of fear, hope, and love.
O Lord, how much am I afflicted when
I consider thy greatness and my own
nothingness, fearing I am unworthy of the
favour thou grantest me. I humble myself
in thy presence, and place my trust in thee.
Inspire me, my God, with love and fervour,
that I may be fit to approach worthily to
so holy and fearful a mystery. Say but
one word to my soul, and since thou
wouldst unite thyself to me, prepare me
for so great an honour.
At the Last Gospel.

Make an act of love and desire.
O Word made flesh ! hidden and anni-
hilated in order to give thyself to me ;
thou who art the life and light of the

world, manifest to me thy grandeur and
beauty ; let me be penetrated and filled
with confidence, gratitude, and love ; for to
receive this holy sacrament is to receive
thee, my God. How deeply should I be
penetrated by so great an action ! What
a happiness and glory ! for those who
receive thee become the children of God.
O Jesus, I am lost in the depth of thine
ineffable mysteries, the immense ocean of
thy mercies ; and bind myself to thee by
the bonds of love, the only way in which I
can make a return for thy benefits.
After receiving.
At this precious moment, when you possess yourGod
corporeally within you, make renewed acts of
faith. Speak with a loving confidence to your
divine Lord of the great affair of your salvation,
which he thinks of more than yourself, and
remember that the best thanksgiving you can
make is, to do nothing, to desire nothing, to
live only for Jesus.
Act of Adoration.
Adorable Majesty of God ! before whom
all that is great in heaven and on earth
is unworthy to appear, what can I do better
in thy presence but silently to adore thee
in the most profound annihilation of my
soul ? I adore thee, O holy God ! I ren-
der my just homage to that supreme great-
ness before which every knee should bend,
in comparison of which all power is but
weakness, prosperity nothing but misery,
and the most brilliant light profound dark-
ness. To thee alone, great God, King of
ages, immortal God, to thee alone belongs
all honour and glory. Glory, honour, sal-
vation, and benediction to him who comes
in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the
eternal Son of the Most High, who unites
himself so intimately to me, and takes pos-
session of my soul.
Act of Love.
I have then the happiness to possess
thee, O God of love ! Why cannot I wor-

thily respond to so much goodness ? Why
am I not wholly thine, that I may love
thee in proportion to thy infinite mercy ?
Inflame my soul, my God ; burn and con-
sume my heart with thy love. My beloved
is mine, Jesus ; my loving Lord gives him-
self to me. Angels of heaven, mother of
my God, saints of heaven and earth, lend
me your hearts, give me your love, that I
may love Jesus worthily. O God of my
heart, I love thee with all my soul, for the
love of thyself, and with a firm resolution
to love none but thee. But do thou, O
my God, strengthen these holy resolutions
in this heart, which now desires to be en-
tirely thine.
Act of Thanksgiving.
How can I sufficiently thank thee, my

God, for the favour thou hast done me this
day ? Not content with having loved me,
even to die for me, O God of goodness,
thou vouchsafest to come in person to
honour me by giving thyself to me. 0

my soul, give praise to the Lord thy God.
Acknowledge his goodness, exalt his mag-
nificence, proclaim eternally his mercy.
With a grateful heart I thank thee, O my
Saviour, for the grace thou hast bestowed
on me. I have been faithless, but let me
not be ungrateful. May I always remem-
ber that thou hast given thyself to me, and
testify throughout my life the infinite obli-
gations I owe to thee, by giving myself
wholly to thee.
Petition.
Thou art mine, O inexhaustible source of

all good ! Thou art full of tenderness for
me ; thy hands full of graces, and ready to
diffuse them in my heart. O my God, in-
finitely good, liberal, and magnificent, shed
them profusely over me ; behold my neces-
sities and thy power ; work in me the change
thou seest necessary ; take from me all that
is displeasing to thee ; endow me with those
virtues which shall render me pleasing in
thy sight ; purify my body ; sanctify my

soul ; apply to me the merits of thy life
and death ; unite thyself to me, chaste
Spouse of souls, that I may live by thee
and for thee. Adorable Saviour, grant me
the graces I stand in need of, and the same
to all those for whom I ought to pray, to all
whom I have disedified, and also to the Direc-
tor to whom thou hast confided the care of
my soul. My loving Saviour, canst thou
refuse me anything after the grace thou hast
given me this day, in giving me thyself ?
Oblation.
My beloved is mine, and I am his. Yes,

my God, it is done ; thou art mine, and I
give myself wholly to thee, without reserve.
I am thine entirely and for ever. I offer
thee my understanding, that it may be
occupied only in meditating on thy great-
ness ; my memory, that it may unceasingly
recall thy benefits ; my will, that hence-
forth it may be wholly conformed to thine.
I consecrate to thee my sentiments, my
FOR COMMUNION. 161
actions, my inclinations. I offer thee my

body and its senses, that they may be as
so many victims devoted to thy will and
service. I offer and consecrate to thee this
day, my sweet Saviour, all that I have and
am ; accept the offering which I thy most
guilty and ungrateful creature make thee,
henceforth desiring to be more grateful and
faithful in thy service.
O holy Virgin Mary, vouchsafe to inter-
cede for me to the blessed Trinity ; obtain
for me the grace to be faithful to my pro-
mises for the remainder of my life.
Prayerfor Perseverance.
O my God, most patient and generous

of friends ! what shall henceforth separate
me from thee ? I willingly renounce all
that has hitherto tended to withdraw me
from thee, and trust, with the assistance of
thy grace, never again to fall into my past
faults. O my God, let me never more
yield to thoughts, desires, words, or actions,
which may be in the slightest degree con-
L
162 DEVOTIONS TO THE
trary to modesty or charity. Let there be

in me no more impatience, murmurings , or
untruthfulness ; no more omissions in my
duties or tepidity in thy service ; no more
unholy friendships, or attachment to my
own opinion and my own convenience ;
sensitiveness as to the contempt of the
world, or yielding to human respect ; no
more love for the esteem and attention
of others. Rather let me die, O my God,
rather let me expire here before thee than
ever displease thee. Thou hast taken pos-
session of my heart, O my Jesus ; I make
these resolutions in thy presence, in order
that thou mayst confirm them, and that
they may be sealed by thy adorable sacra-
ment which I have received , so that I may
never violate them. Strengthen then, O
Jesus, spouse of my soul, the desire I have
to be only thine. Amen.
SACRED HEART OF JESUS. 163
NOVENA* TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.
To be made before thefirst Friday of each Month.

GENERAL INTENTIONS.
As an act of reparation for impiety, neglect, the
profanation of the sacraments, and the abuse of
God's grace, let us pray for the propagation of the
devotion to the sacred heart, in order to beg for a
more perfect knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ;
for the Sovereign Pontiff and the Catholic Church ;
for the increase of faith, hope , and charity, to obtain
the grace of a happy death.
Each person should specify some particular inten-
tion.
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
PRAYERS OF THE NOVENA

In union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Profound adorations of the heart of Jesus, I unite
myselfto thee.
Ardent love of the heart of Jesus, I unite myselfto
thee.
Fervent zeal of the heart of Jesus, I unite myself to
thee.
This Novena must be commenced so as to end on
the eve of the first Friday of the month. Make a spiritual
communion if unable to make a sacramental communion,
164 DEVOTIONS TO THE
Reparations of the heart of Jesus,

Thanksgivings of the heart of Jesus,
Sure confidence of the heart of Jesus,
Ardent prayers of the heart of Jesus,
myself
unite
Eloquent silence of the heart of Jesus,
thee
to
Humility of the heart of Jesus,
I.
Obedience of the heart of Jesus,
Meekness and peace of the heart of Jesus,
Ineffable sweetness of the heart of Jesus,
Universal charity of the heart of Jesus,
Profound recollection of the heart of Jesus,
Tender solicitude of the heart of Jesus, for
the conversion of sinners ,
Intimate union of the heart of Jesus with
the heavenly Father,
Intentions, desires, and wishes of the heart of
Jesus,
May the heart of Jesus be everywhere loved.
[One hundred days' indulgence granted by Pope
Pius IX.]
My Jesus, mercy, applicable to the dead.
Invocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Love of the heart of Jesus,
Inflame my heart.
Charity of the heart of Jesus,
Overwhelm my heart.
adding thereto an act of reparation and intimate union of

the heart of Jesus with the heavenly Father.
Strength of the heart of Jesus,

Sustain my heart.
Mercy of the heart of Jesus,
Pardon my heart.
Patience of the heart of Jesus,
Forsake not my heart.
Reign of the heart of Jesus ,
Establish thyself in my heart.
Wisdom of the heart of Jesus,
Teach my heart.
Will of the heart of Jesus,
Dispose of my heart.
Zeal of the heart of Jesus,
Absorb my heart.
Immaculate Virgin, pray for us to the heart of
Jesus.
Adorable Trinity, we thank thee for all
the graces with which thou hast loaded thy
servant, the venerable Margaret Mary, and
beg through her intercession for the favours
we hope to obtain through this Novena.
Prayer ofthe Venerable Margaret Mary.

Eternal Father, suffer me to offer thee the
heart of Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, as
he himself offered it in sacrifice to thee.
Receive this offering for me, as well as all
166 LITANIES OF THE
the desires, sentiments, affections, move-

ments, and acts of this sacred heart. They
are all mine since he offered himself for me,
and henceforth I wish to have no other
desires but his. Receive them in satisfac-
tion for my sins, and in thanksgiving for
all thy benefits. Grant me through his
merits all the graces necessary for my salva-
tion, especially that of final perseverance.
Receive them as so many acts of love, adora-
tion, and praise, which I offer to thy divine
Majesty, since it is through the heart of
Jesus that thou art worthily honoured and
glorified. Amen.
NEW LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART.
Jesus, hear us : Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy
on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.
Jesus, whose merciful heart is substantially united
to thy divinity, Have mercy on us.
! SACRED HEART OF JESUS . 167
Jesus, whose pure heart is the temple of the

blessed Trinity,
Jesus, whose heart is the principle and centre
of all perfect affections,
Jesus, the love of thy heart for us is so great
that no man can ever comprehend it :
that neither the angels or saints shall ever
understand it :
that thy blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary,
shall never comprehend it :
mercy
Have
Jesus, the love of thy heart extends itself
us
on.
even to the greatest sinners :
Jesus, the love of thy heart rejoices all the
Church triumphant :
Jesus, the love of thy heart consoles and
sustains all the Church militant :
Jesus, the love of thy heart comforts and
delivers the Church suffering :
Jesus, the love of thy heart for us comprises
all possible love :
Jesus, the love of thy heart for us is that of
a true friend :
the most generous benefactor :
a brother and sister :
a true spouse :
the fondest of parents:
168 LITANIES OF THE
Jesus, the love of thy heart for us is that of a

Creator and a Saviour : Have mercy on us.
Jesus, the love of thy heart for us infinitely sur-
passes all created love : Have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, plunged in a mortal sorrow
in the garden of Olives, at the consideration
of our ingratitude,
Heart of Jesus, pierced on the cross bya cruel
lance,
Heart of Jesus, from whence issued the holy
Church, thy Spouse, as Eve was taken from
the side of the sleeping Adam,
Heart of Jesus, adored from the first by thy
sorrowful mother,
adore
thee
We.
Heart ofJesus, adored bythe beloved disciple,
Heart of Jesus, adored by Magdalen,
Heart ofJesus, adored by those who laid thee
in the sepulchre,
Heart of Jesus, adored by a multitude of
heavenly spirits,
Heart of Jesus, adored by thy apostle Saint
Thomas,
Heart of Jesus, adored by all thy apostles
and disciples ,
Heart of Jesus, triumphant and glorious at
the right hand of thy eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, adored by all the heavenly
court,
Heart of Jesus, living and glorious, though
concealed in the divine Eucharist,
Heart of Jesus, adored on our altars by all
the true friends of God,
Heart of Jesus, despised and unworthily pro-

faned in the holy Eucharist,
Heart of Jesus, cruelly outraged by the Jews,
heretics, and bad Christians,
adore
Heart of Jesus, ocean of goodness and abyss
thee
We.
of mercy,
Heart of Jesus, impregnable fortress for all
those who seek refuge in thee,
Heart of Jesus, inexhaustible source of all
graces and blessings,
Heart of Jesus, more brilliant than the sun,
more beautiful and perfect than all crea-
tures,
Jesus, by the sorrows of thy adorable heart, grant
us the perfect contrition of our sins : Graciously
hear us.
Jesus, by the wound and blood of thy divine
heart, grant us grace to begin a holy life,
Graciously
and to persevere therein till death :
Jesus, by the ineffable joys of thy tender
hear
heart, comfort us in our trials :

us.
Jesus, by the infinite love which inflamed

thy heart, grant us an increasing love until
death :
Jesus, grant that we may always dwell in
thy infinitely loving heart :
Jesus, help us by thy power to conform our
hearts to thine :
Jesus, unite our hearts to thine during life
and in eternity :
Jesus, so strengthen the union of our hearts
with thine, that we may be always ready
170 LITANIES OF THE
to lose and to suffer all things, rather than offend

thee : Graciously hear us.
Jesus, inflame us with a holy zeal for thy glory,
the triumph of thy Church, and the salvation of
souls : Graciously hear us.
Jesus, give us a firm and prudent zeal for over-
coming evil with good : Graciously hear us.
world, Pardon us, O Jesus.
world, Hear us, O Jesus.
world, Have mercy on us, O Jesus.
Jesus hear us : Jesus graciously hear us.
Prayer to the Sacred Heart, composed by

St Alphonsus de Liguori.
O adorable heart of my Jesus , heart cre
ated expressly for the love of men ! Ah,
until now I have shown for thee only in-
gratitude ! Pardon me, O my Jesus, heart
of my Jesus, abyss of love and of mercy,
how is it possible that I do not die of sorrow
when I reflect on thy goodness to me and my
ingratitude to thee ? Thou, my Creator,
after having created me, hast given thy
blood and thy life for me ; and, not con-
tent with this, thou hast invented a means

of offering thyself up every day for me in
the holy Eucharist, exposing thyself to a
thousand insults and outrages. Ah, Jesus,
do thou wound my heart with a great con-
trition for my sins, and a lively love for
thee. Through thy tears and thy blood,
give me the grace of perseverance in thy
fervent love until I breathe my last sigh.
Amen.
LITANIES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

FOR EVERY DAY IN THE WEEK.
Monday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF THE CHILD JESUS.
Christ, hear us : Christ, graciously hear us.
on us.
172 LITANIES OF THE
Heart of the Child Jesus,

Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the
blessed Virgin Mary,
Heart of Jesus, reposing on the bosom of
Mary,
Heart of Jesus, nourished with the milk of
Mary,
Heart of Jesus, in whom thy Father was
alone pleased,
Heart of Jesus, hypostatically united to the
Son of God,
Heart of Jesus, wonderful work of the Holy
mercy
Have
Ghost,
us
on.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the blessed
Trinity,
Heart of Jesus, furnace of love,
Heart of Jesus, throne of love,
Heart of Jesus, dwelling of love and justice,
Heart of Jesus, source of sweetness,
Heart of Jesus, powerful in weakness,
Heart of Jesus, miracle of obedience,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of humility,
Heart of Jesus, ocean of goodness,
Heart of Jesus, sweet centre of my heart,
Heart of Jesus, my sovereign felicity,
Heart of Jesus, which love has disarmed,
Heart of Jesus, treasure opened to us,
Heart of Jesus, source of benedictions,
Heart of Jesus, principle of sanctity,
Heart of Jesus, glorified by the angels,
Heart of Jesus, who didst summon the wise
men from afar,
Heart of Jesus, the delight of heaven and earth,

Have mercy on us.
world, Spare us, O Lord.
world, Hear us, O Lord.
world, Have mercy on us.
V. Create a clean heart in me, O God,
R. And renew a right spirit within me.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, who by the power of the

Holy Ghost didst form the holy and im-
maculate heart of Jesus, who was born for
us in the womb of the blessed Virgin, with-
draw from our hearts all worldly inclina-
tions, and make them clean in thy sight,
that, serving thee on earth in purity of
heart, we may deserve to enjoy the beauty
of thy presence for all eternity.
Tuesday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS CONVERSING
AMONGST MEN.
174 LITANIES OF THE

Christ, hear us ; Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
God the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, conversing amongst men,
Heart of Jesus, submissive to Mary and
Joseph,
Heart of Jesus, sent by the Father,
Heart of Jesus, led by the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, full of wisdom,
Heart of Jesus, full of grace and truth,
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, invincible fortress,
us
on.
Heart of Jesus, mighty in word and in works,
Heart of Jesus, inflamed with zeal for the
glory of God,
Heart of Jesus, severely rebuking the de-
ceitful,
Heart of Jesus, working miracles every-
where,
Heart of Jesus, infinite patience,
Heart of Jesus, refuge of the afflicted,
Heart of Jesus , always solicitous for sinners,
Heart of Jesus, comforter of the afflicted,
Heart of Jesus, immense charity,
Heart of Jesus, full of forbearance for thine
enemies ,
Heart of Jesus, most faithful to thy friends,
Heart of Jesus, conversing with the pure of
heart,
Heart of Jesus, model of meekness and humility,

Have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, example of all virtues, Have mercy
on us.
world, Hear us, O Lord,
world, Have mercy upon us.
V. Learn of me, for I am meek and

humble of heart,
R. And ye shall find rest to your souls.
Let us pray.
Adorable Jesus ! who dwelling on earth

didst converse with men, with a meekness
and humility capable of engaging the hearts
of all, we beseech thee to increase in us
those two sweet virtues which thou dost
hold so dear, in order that, following thy
example, conversing amongst our brethren
with this humility, we may find the rest
which thou promisest to the meek and
humble of heart, who livest and reignest,
&c.
176 LITANIES OF THE
Wednesday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS DWELLING
IN SOLITUDE.
God the Son, the Redeemer of the world,
God, the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, solitary,
Heart of Jesus, enclosed in the womb of
Mary,
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, reposing in the bosom of the
Father,
on
us.
Heart of Jesus, lover of solitude,

Heart of Jesus, heaven of repose,
Heart of Jesus, always watching over thy
elect.
Heart of Jesus, detached from the world,
Heart of Jesus, passing whole nights in
prayer,
Heart of Jesus, absorbed in contemplation ,
Heart of Jesus, adoring the Father in spirit
and truth,
Heart of Jesus, raised above temptations,
Heart of Jesus, inflamed with love,
Heart of Jesus, mystical cell,
Heart of Jesus, delight of those in solitude,

Heart ofJesus, speaking to the solitary heart,
Heart of Jesus, rendering fruitful the hearts
mercy
of those who live in retirement,
Have
Heart of Jesus, revealing thy secrets to those
on
us.
living apart from the world,
Heart of Jesus, strength of the solitary,
Heart of Jesus, secure refuge of the solitary,
Heart of Jesus, sweet refreshment of the
solitary,
Heart of Jesus, uniting thyself to the soli-
tary heart,
Heart of Jesus, peacefully reigning in the
solitary heart,
V. I will lead the soul into solitude ,

R. And there I will speak to her heart.
Let us pray.
Adorable Saviour ! who didst love soli-
tude, we beseech thee inspire our hearts
with the love of retirement, so that, with-
drawn from the tumult of the world , we
M
178 LITANIES OF THE
may hear the sweetness of thy voice in the

silence of creatures, and faithfully corre-
spond with the whisperings of the heart
and inspirations of thy love, who livest and
reignest, &c.
Thursday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS IN THE
BLESSED SACRAMENT.
God the Son, the Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, annihilated in the blessed

us
on.
sacrament,
Heart of Jesus, inseparably united to that of
Mary,
Heart ofJesus, resplendent Sun of the Church,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, good Pastor, lavish of thyself,
Heart of Jesus, offered up again in sacrifice,
Heart of Jesus, sacred host,
Heart of Jesus, consumed for us,
Heart of Jesus, bond of charity,
Heart of Jesus, divine seal of our hearts,
Heart of Jesus, altar of love,

Heart of Jesus, refreshment of holy souls,
Heart of Jesus, adorable feast,
Heart of Jesus, admirable feast,
Heart of Jesus, desirable feast,
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, delectable feast,
us.
on
Heart of Jesus, spiritual sweetness tasted in
its proper source.
Heart of Jesus, hidden manna,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of living water,
Heart of Jesus, abridgment of the wonders
of God,
Heart of Jesus, consuming fire,
Heart of Jesus, source of light,
Heart of Jesus, source of joy,
Heart of Jesus, source of love,
Heart of Jesus, source of all grace,
world, sweet Jesus, Spare us, O Lord.
world, sweet Jesus, Hear us, O Lord.
world, sweet Jesus, Have mercy on us.
V. The heart of Jesus finds its delight
R. Amongst the children of men.
Let us pray.
O Jesus, divine lover of mankind, who,
in order to gain our hearts and transform
them into thine, hast given us, by a mar-
180 LITANIES OF THE
vellous invention of thy love, thine own

heart to be our support ; we beseech thee,
through thy excessive charity, to grant us
the grace to receive this sacred bread with
such holy dispositions that we may be so
happy to return our hearts for thine, and
love for love, who livest and reignest, &c.
Friday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS SUFFERING.

God the Holy Ghost, author of all sanctity,
mercy
Have

us
on.
Heart of Jesus, suffering,

Heart of Jesus, sensible to the sorrows of
Mary,
Heart of Jesus, the delight of the eternal
Father,
Heart of Jesus, burning with love for the
Cross,
Heart ofJesus, overwhelmed with bitterness,
Heart of Jesus, source of contrition,
Heart of Jesus , seized with fear in the gar-

den,
Heart of Jesus, sad even unto death,
Heart of Jesus, betrayed by Judas,
Heart of Jesus, afflicted by the cowardice of
the apostles,
Heart of Jesus, comforted by an angel,
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, weakened even to agony,
us
on.
Heart of Jesus, submissive to the will of thy
Father,
Heart of Jesus, bound by thy love,
Heart of Jesus, suffering every kind of in-
justice,
Heart of Jesus, abandoned to the fury of
man,
Heart of Jesus, torn by the scourges ,
Heart of Jesus, pierced by thorns,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with nails,
Heart of Jesus, loaded with indignity,
Heart of Jesus, comfort of the afflicted,
Heart of Jesus, sweet charm of thy servants,
Heart of Jesus, centre of every sorrow,
V. If we have borne a part in the suffer-
ings of Jesus Christ,
R. We shall have a share in his glory.
182 LITANIES OF THE
Let us pray.
Adorable Saviour, whose sacred heart,
full of sorrow and bitterness, has many
times bewailed the guilty pleasures of men,
we beseech thee, through the infinite merits
of thy holy passion, that, making our hearts
conformable to thine, we may despise the
allurements of the world and the flesh in
order to suffer with thee, and deserve
through these sufferings to share in thy
glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Saturday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS DYING.
mercy
Have

on
us.

God the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, dying,
Heart of Jesus, afflicted by the sadness of
Mary,
Heart of Jesus, the image of the Father,
Heart of Jesus, obedient unto the death of

the Cross,
Heart of Jesus, victim of expiation,
Heart of Jesus, freely sacrificed for us,
Heart of Jesus, breaking on the cross for us,
Heart of Jesus, wounded on the altar of the
cross,
mercy
Heart of Jesus, speaking through a thousand
Have
wounds,
us
on.
Heart of Jesus, crying by the voice of thy
blood,
Heart of Jesus, disarming divine justice,
Heart of Jesus, praying for thy enemies,
Heart of Jesus, thirsting for our salvation,
Heart of Jesus, exhausted of blood,
Heart of Jesus, sighing of love for us,
Heart of Jesus, dying with love for us,
Heart of Jesus, finishing the work of our
redemption,
Heart of Jesus, reconciling heavenwith earth,
Heart of Jesus, paradise of crucified souls,
Heart of Jesus, hope of the dying,
Heart of Jesus, throne of mercy,
V. May my heart expire for love of thee,

R. Since thy heart died for love of me.
184 LITANIES OF THE
Let us pray.
O Sovereign Redeemer of mankind, whose
heart, raised on the altar of the cross, burned
with the sacred fire of charity, vouchsafed to
die for us, we beseech thee to inflame our
hearts with the fire of the same charity, so
that we may have the happiness to aspire
only after thee during life, and breathe
our last sighs for thee at the hour of
death, who livest and reignest world with-
out end. Amen.
Sunday.
LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS RISEN
FROM THE DEAD.
mercy
Have
God the Father of heaven ,

us
on.

God the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, risen from the dead,
Heart ofJesus, the honour and glory ofMary,
Heart of Jesus, splendour of the Father,
Heart of Jesus, glorious and triumphant,
Heart of Jesus, exalted above all hearts,

Heart of Jesus, the glory of the blessed •
Trinity,
Heart of Jesus, placed at the right hand of
thy Father,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness,
Heart of Jesus, eternal light,
Heart of Jesus, friend chosen amongst thou-
sands,
Heart of Jesus, calling back thy wandering
mercy
Have
sheep,
on
us.
Heart of Jesus, caressing thy apostles,
Heart of Jesus, wounding the souls of the
pure with love,
Heart of Jesus, visiting thy lovers,
Heart of Jesus, revealing thy secrets to the
pure of heart,
Heart of Jesus, purifying the angels,
Heart of Jesus , sanctifying the archangels,
Heart of Jesus, confirming the thrones,
Heart of Jesus, governing the dominations,
Heart of Jesus, reigning over the principal-
ities,
Heart of Jesus, commanding the powers,
Heart of Jesus, the strength of the virtues,
Heart of Jesus, enlightening the cherubim,
Heart of Jesus, inflaming the seraphim,
Heart of Jesus, the crown of all saints,
186 LITANIES OF THE

world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
V. Thou art the God of my heart,
R. And my portion for all eternity.
Let us pray.
O glorious Redeemer, who art the glory
and the happy centre of all hearts, who
hast thyself said, that when thou shouldst
be raised, thou wouldst draw all things to
thyself; we beseech thee, vouchsafe to
purify our hearts by the fire of thy divine
love, drawing them to thee by the bonds of
thy charity, so that they may be transformed
into thee, and repose with thee for all eter-
nity, who livest and reignest with God the
Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
world without end. Amen.
LITANY OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE

SACRED HEART OF JESUS.

on us.
Jesus, who for love of us wast crucified, and didst
shed all thy blood, Have mercy on us.
O precious blood, springing from the sacred heart of
Jesus, Flow upon us.
Precious blood, vast sea of divine mercy, Overwhelm
us.
Precious blood, most pure offering, Reconcile us.
Precious blood, pledge of immortality, Give us joy.
Precious blood, sweet refreshment of holy souls,
Comfort us.
Precious blood, inexhaustible treasure, Enrich us.
Precious blood, furnace of love, Inflame us.
Precious blood, sweet delight of the faithful, Charm
us.
Precious blood, fount of chastity, Purify us.
Precious blood, shed by the stroke of the lance which
opened to us the heart of Jesus, Enlighten us.
Precious blood, the hope and refuge of sinners,
Answerfor us.
Precious blood, the seed of Christians, Multiply us.
Precious blood, admiration of the angels, Exalt us.
Precious blood, the love and the joy of the sera-
phim, Inflame us.
Precious blood, faith of the patriarchs, Enlighten us.
Precious blood, hope of the prophets, Confirm us.
Precious blood charity of the apostles, Inflame us.
188 ASPIRATIONS BEFORE THE
Precious blood, strength of martyrs, Sustain us.

Precious blood, reward of confessors, Animate us.
Precious blood, beauty of virgins, Adorn us.
Precious blood, delight of all the saints, Strengthen
us.
world, Have mercy upon us.
Anthem.
The fountains of the vast abyss are poured
forth abundantly from the heart of Jesus,
and the gates thereof are opened to us.
V. Hasten, O thirsty soul,
R. And wash thyself seven times in this
Jordan of blood.
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast vouch-
safed to shed thy precious blood freely for
us, make us speedily feel its admirable
virtue, and salutary help, by its constant
application to our souls, who livest and
reignest, world without end. Amen.
BLESSED SACRAMENT. 189
Aspirations which may be used when visiting

the blessed Sacrament.
O Jesus, sold for thirty pieces of silver,

I adore thee as my God.
O Jesus, fallen into an agony, I adore
thee, &c.
O Jesus, betrayed by a kiss, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, who didst become an object of
scandal to thy disciples, and who wast
abandoned by them, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, bound and tied, I adore thee,
&c.
Jesus, dragged before Caiaphas, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, treated as a blasphemer, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, judged worthy of death, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, blindfolded and treated as a false
prophet, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, oppressed by blows, I adore thee,
&c.
Jesus, whose face was spat upon, I adore

thee, &c.
Jesus, denied by thy apostle, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, brought before Pilate, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, treated as a seducer, I adore thee,
&c.
Jesus, condemned by false witnesses, I
adore thee, &c.
Jesus, interrogated as a criminal, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, answering only by thy silence to
all the calumnies brought against thee, Į
adore thee, &c.
Jesus, led before Herod, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, despised by Herod and by all his
court, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, clothed by a white robe in sign of
derision, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, dragged before Pilate, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, scourged at a pillar, I adore thee,
&c.
Jesus, crowned with thorns, I adore thee,

&c.
Jesus, become like unto a leper, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, covered with a purple mantle,
with a reed in thy hands, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, brought forth to be shown to the
people, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus declared worthy of death by the
people, who prefer Barabbas to thee, I
adore thee, &c.
Jesus, condemned to the cross, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, condemned to death by Pilate, I
adore thee, &c.
Jesus, laden with thy cross, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, bending beneath the weight of thy
cross, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, stripped of thy garments, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, extended and nailed on the cross,
I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, crucified between two thieves, I
adore thee, &c.
Jesus, the object of insulting mockery

upon the cross, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, forsaken on the cross by thy
heavenly Father, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, dead upon the cross, I adore thee,
&c.
Aspirations to our Lord in the holy

Eucharist.
Jesus, concealed beneath the veils of the

sacrament, I adore thee as my God .
Jesus, destitute in thy sacrament of all
appearance of power and majesty, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, deprived in thy sacrament of all
splendour, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, divested of beauty in thy sacra-
ment, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, deprived of power in thy sacra-
Jesus, of whom in thy sacrament no
semblance of thy divinity or humanity re-
mains, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, humbled in thy sacrament, I adore

thee, &c.
Jesus, bound and captive in thy sacra-
Jesus, silent in thy sacrament, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, obedient in thy sacrament, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, elevated in thy sacrament as a
sign of contradiction , I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, unknown in thy sacrament, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, universally forgotten and neglected
in thy sacrament, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, abandoned and solitary in thy
sacrament, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, meeting with indifference and in-
gratitude in thy sacrament, I adore thee, &c.
Jesus, blasphemed in thy sacrament, I
adore thee, &c.
Jesus, repulsed in thy sacrament, I adore
thee, &c.
Jesus, profaned in thy sacrament, I adore
thee, &c.
N
Jesus, treated in thy sacrament by the

majority of mankind as if thou hadst
neither greatness nor majesty, splendour,
beauty, nor power, neither thy divinity nor
thy humanity recognised, I adore thee,
&c.
Aspirations to the Sacred Wounds ofour

Lord.
I adore thee, source of all mercy.

I adore thee, source of all pardon.
I adore thee, source of all hope.
I adore thee, source of all life.
I adore thee, source of all light.
I adore thee, source of all strength.
I adore thee, source of all love.
I adore thee, source of all consolation.
Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heart of Jesus, be thou my heart.
Lord Jesus, I desire to adore thy Father
with thy heart.
I desire to love thy Father with thy
heart.
I desire to thank thy Father with thy

heart.
I desire to make reparation for the glory
of thy Father, outraged by my sins, with
thy heart.
I desire to adore, love, thank, and listen
to thy divine spirit, with thy heart.
I desire to adore, love, and thank thee,
ask pardon, pray, serve, and follow thee,
with thine own heart.
I desire to love thee, and cause thy holy
and immaculate Mother to be loved, with
thine own heart.
I wish to love and serve souls with thy
heart.
I wish to love poverty, chastity, obedi-
ence, mortification, humility, charity, meek-
ness, and patience, with thy heart.
Heart of Jesus, be thou my heart.
196 PRAYERS TO THE
LITANY OF THE SUFFERING HEART OF

JESUS.
Sacred heart of Jesus dying on the

cross, Save me.
Heart of my Creator, Perfect me.
Heart of my Redeemer, Answer for me.
Heart of my Father, Govern me.
Heart of my Judge, Pardon me.
Heart of my Advocate, Plead for me.
Heart of my Master, Teach me.
Heart of my Pastor, Guard me.
Heart of my faithful Friend, Repose in me.
Heart wounded for my love, Receive me.
Sacred heart, retreat of afflicted
souls, Comfort me.
O sacred heart of Jesus, which hast been

pleased to suffer for love of me a number of
injuries and humiliations which I am not
able to comprehend, imprint most power-
fully in my heart an esteem and love
thereof, and make me eternally desire to
practise them.
Live, Jesus, in my heart, now and for all
eternity.
SACRED HEART. 197
Prayer to the Sacred Heart.

Most sweet Jesus, who repulsest no one,
but who dost welcome even the greatest
sinners, provided they repent and sincerely
return to thee, have pity, particularly on
those who invoke thy holy name. Listen
to the prayers of all who address thee in
spirit and in truth ; and grant that all the
worshippers of thy sacred heart may find,
agreeably to thy divine promises, light, joy,
strength, peace, protection, and holy love
for time and eternity. Amen.
Invocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Divine heart of Jesus, thou lovest me ;
grant that I also may love thee.
Divine heart of Jesus, thou always
thinkest of me, grant that I may think of
thee.
Divine heart of Jesus, thou givest thyself
to me, grant that I may give myself to thee.
Divine heart of Jesus, possess my senses.
Divine heart of Jesus, possess my heart.
198 PRAYERS TO THE
Divine heart of Jesus, possess my ima-

gination.
Divine heart of Jesus, possess my memory.
Divine heart of Jesus, grant that I may
seek thee alone in all things.
Grant that I may find thee in all things.
Grant that I may confide in thee for all
things.
Grant that I may please thee in all things.
O divine heart of Jesus, mayst thou reign
in all hearts.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my safeguard.
Amen.
Act of Zeal.
Through the heart of Jesus, my way,
truth, and life, I approach thee, O eternal
Father. I adore thee for those who adore
thee not. I love thee for those who love
thee not. I acknowledge thee for all
who are wilfully blind ; who, through
contempt, do not acknowledge thee. I
wish through this divine heart to satisfy
for the duties of all mankind . In spirit
I go throughout the world to seek for
SACRED HEART. 199
souls redeemed by the precious blood of

my divine Lord, in order to make repara-
tion for all through this divine heart. I
embrace them in order to present them
to thee through him, and through him I
beg the grace of their conversion. Ah,
eternal Father, wouldst thou suffer them
not to know Jesus, and not live for him
who died for them ? Thou seest, O heavenly
Father, that as yet they do not live. Ah,
make them live in this divine heart. Thou
knowest, O Incarnate Word, Jesus my be-
loved, all that I desire to say to thy divine
Father through thy divine heart and holy
soul, for thou art in thy Father and he is
in thee. Grant, then, my request. In
union with thee I present these souls to
him. Grant that they may be one with
thee. Amen.
Invocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in

order to obtain the cure of one who is
sick.
Heart of Jesus, ocean of goodness and

200 PRAYERS TO THE
inexhaustible source of mercy, vouchsafe to

hear our prayers for N-
Heart of Jesus, whose delight is to be
with the children of men, vouchsafe to,
&c.
Heart of Jesus, our consolation in our
trials, our remedy in our distresses, and our
comfort in our miseries, vouchsafe, &c.
Heart of Jesus, infinitely good, sweet,
and compassionate, vouchsafe, &c.
Heart of Jesus, which, moved with a
tender compassion, didst work a miracle at
the marriage feast of Cana, comfort and
cure thy servant N-
Heart of Jesus, touched and softened by
the cries of the Canaanitish woman, and
who didst restore health to her daughter,
grant us the cure of N-
Heart of Jesus, who, with divine affection
and goodness, didst say, in speaking of
Lazarus, 66 Our friend Lazarus is sick," com-
fort and cure, &c.
Heart of Jesus , who didst weep with
Martha and Mary at the grave of their
SACRED HEART. 201
brother, and who didst call him back to

life, comfort, &c.
Heart of Jesus, which did feel such great
compassion on seeing the son of the widow
of Naim borne to the grave, and who didst
raise him from the dead, comfort, &c.
Heart of Jesus, which, with an admirable
clemency, didst give back life to the youth-
ful daughter of the high priest of the syna-
gogue, comfort, &c.
Heart of Jesus, which, with a fatherly
tenderness, didst feed five thousand men in
the desert, lest they should faint in the road,
console, &c.
Heart of Jesus, who, to show forth thy
power and thy goodness, didst restore thou-
sands of the sick and infirm to health, con-
sole, &c.
Heart ofJesus, to which all power has been
given in heaven and on earth, console, &c.
Heart of Jesus, which lovest not to pun-
ish but to pardon, and deliverest us so
willingly from the evils which oppress us,
conso 1 , &c.
202 PRAYERS TO THE
Heart of Jesus, O best and most indulgent

of all hearts, console and cure, &c.
In memory of thy agony in the garden of
Olives, hear us, O divine heart.
In memory of the wound thou didst
receive upon the cross, through love for us,
hear us, O divine heart.
In remembrance of all thy goodness and
mercy, hear us, O divine heart.
Let us pray.
O sacred heart of Jesus, we beseech thee
not to deny us the favour we so earnestly
beg of thee. We will not leave thee, O
divine heart, till thou hast said, I will be thy
salvation ; until thou hast said, I will (let
him or her) be made whole. Ah ! couldst
thou abandon us to sorrow, thou who dost
always bless ? Couldst thou repulse us,
thou who art so willingly softened ?
Heart of Mary, compassionate heart of
our tender Mother, speak to Jesus on our
behalf; beseech of our merciful Lord to grant
us the cure of this, his servant, which we
SACRED HEART. 203
solicit so earnestly. O heart of Mary, help

us ! O heart of Jesus, hear us ! Amen.
Rosary in honour of the Sacred Heart of

Jesus.
This rosary is in honour of the thirty-three years of

our Lord, and is composed of thirty-three beads,
which, divided into five parts, represent the five
wounds of our Lord.
On the cross say Pater, Noster, and Credo.
On the small beads-
O Jesus ! meek and humble of heart, ren-
der my heart like unto thine.
On the large beads-
I adore and love thee, O divine heart of
Jesus. Enkindle in my heart the divine
fire with which thou thyself art inflamed.
Let us pray.
O good and loving Jesus, who art the

consolation, the strength, and hope of those
who invoke thy holy name, and who seek a
refuge in thy saving wounds, be to me a
Jesus in life, and at the hour of my death.
204 NINE ELEVATIONS.
Nine Elevations of the Soul to the Sacred

Heart of Jesus.
Heart of Jesus, perfect adorer of God,
teach me to adore thy heavenly Father with
thee and by thee.
Heart of Jesus, inflamed with love for
me, inflame me with thy divine love.
Heart of Jesus, victim alone worthy of
God, unite me to thy divine sacrifice.
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with bitter-
ness for the sins of men, break my heart
with sorrow for my sins.
Heart of Jesus, infinitely humble, annihi-
late my pride.
Heart of Jesus, perfect model of meek-
ness, inspire me with that salutary virtue.
Heart of Jesus, infinitely pure and spot-
less, give me an inviolable purity of body,
mind, and heart.
Heart of Jesus, full of zeal for the glory
of thy heavenly Father, animate my heart
with an ardent zeal for thy glory and my
own sanctification.
HOUR OF ADORATION. 205
Heart of Jesus, reign for ever in my heart,

and grant me grace to reign one day with
thee in heaven.
Hour of Adoration of the Sacred Heart.

PRAYER.
What a happiness is mine, O my Saviour,
to hold communion with thee, to thank thee
for the immense love of thy heart for man-
kind, to offer thee some reparation for the
outrages unceasingly committed against
thee ; but, sinner as I am, how can I
worthily acquit myself of so holy a duty ?
O Jesus, unite my prayers to thine, offer
to thy heavenly Father the holy disposi-
tions of thy divine heart, in order to supply
for my deficiencies. Holy Virgin, lead me
to the heart of thy divine Son, that sanctu-
ary of grace and virtue. I unite myself to
the homage rendered him by thy immacu-
late heart. Ye blessed spirits, who humbly
prostrate before that adorable heart, I unite
myself to thy profound adorations ; com-
municate to me thy love and thy recollec-
206 HOUR OF ADORATION.
tion ; present to him my prayers ; and, ye

saints of heaven, just ones of the earth,
come and let us adore together the heart of
our Redeemer.
Place yourself in the presence of God, make an act

of faith, and say with the prodigal son—
My Father, I have sinned against heaven
and in thy sight. I am no longer worthy
to be called thy child. Make me as one of
thy hired servants. I desire nothing more.
Place yourself in spirit near the heart of Jesus, at
the foot of the throne of mercy ; approach with
confidence, listen to the loving words our Lord
addresses to you, and pray to him with earnest-
ness and devotion.
Jesus Christ. Open to me thy heart, my

spouse, my beloved.
The Disciple. O my God, is it to me
that thou dost address these words ? My
soul is but an abyss of misery, and thou
callest me thy beloved ; I presumed not to
raise my eyes towards thy heart so pure
and holy, and as soon as I present myself
to thee, thou dost lavish on me thy most
signal favours. What a glory and happiness

for me, my God, to be noticed by thee ; to
know that thou disdainest not a creature so
guilty as myself. Ah, since thou sufferest
me in thy presence, since thou even com-
mandest me to open to thee my heart, I
obey. Depart from thence, all earthly
thoughts, leave me to converse with my
God, that from his heart I may draw forth
true love.
Jesus Christ. Thou hast wounded my
heart, my beloved ; thou hast wounded my
heart.
The Disciple. O God, how can it be that
thy love should have made thee take a heart
like unto mine ? Ah , thou hast taken this
heart in order that thou mayst feel all my
miseries ; but what a prodigy of love to
have assumed this heart only to allow it to
be pierced in favour of one so ungrateful !
Thou hast allowed it to be pierced on the
cross in the face of the whole world, so that
none should be ignorant of the excess of thy
tenderness. Thou bearest in heaven this
glorious wound. The opening in thy heart

shall never be closed up ; it shall always
bear the triumphant mark of thy love. O
divine heart, wound this heart of mine, in-
flict so deep a wound that it shall open
entirely to thee ; pierce it with the same
lance with which thine own was pierced, so
that the waters of a sincere repentance may
flow from thence. Alas ! this heart has
wounded thee a thousand times more by
its ingratitude, infidelity, and obduracy. I
have pierced it by my offences. O my
Saviour, pardon me, banish sin from my
heart, making thy holy love reign there in
its place.
Jesus Christ. My beloved, let there be
no division, give me entire possession of
thy heart.
The Disciple. O Lord, how dost thou
abase thyself, disdaining not to ask for the
heart of one who has not blushed to refuse
it to thee, in order to resign it up to sin ?
What tenderness on thy part ! But, O my
God, what has this heart become which
thou demandest of me ? Alas ! it is sullied

with a thousand stains. How canst thou
endure it, thou who art sanctity itself ?
Ah, my God, how much that is wrong is
there in this heart, what love of self-attach-
ment to my own thoughts and will, what
worldly inclinations, distaste for heaven,
tepidity in thy service, and solicitude for
this perishing body ! However, since thou
deignest to demand it, I offer it thee. O
Jesus, the only object of my love, receive
me now in thy sacred heart, so that I may
be all thine ; cast me in that ardent furnace,
in order that I may be wholly consumed in
thy love. There, my sweet Saviour, I shall
know the value of the blood which has re-
deemed me, and shall comprehend how I
ought to love thee. O love of my Saviour,
thou art that living water for which I thirst ;
my heart tends only towards thee. Open
to me thy loving heart. My heart is thine
for eternity ; bestow upon me thine, O
Jesus.
Jesus Christ. Yes, my beloved, I give
thee my heart ; set it as a seal upon thine

own, study its sentiments, copy faithfully
its virtues.
The Disciple. O my soul, receive this
heart burning with love, respond to its
adorable designs over thee, endeavour to
make them thine own .
Adorable Jesus, my heart was formed to
be thy habitation, thy throne, thy altar, thy
tabernacle. Enter, O divine Saviour, into
this habitation, and purify it from all that
is unworthy of thee. Command it as a
sovereign upon his throne, and give me the
docility necessary to obey thee. Receive
upon this altar the sacrifice I make thee of
my heart, and dwell as a God of majesty
and holiness in that living tabernacle which
thou hast chosen for thyself.
O my soul, regard attentively thy divine
model, see him raised upon the mount,
nailed to the cross ; behold his bleeding
hands, those eyes dim, the mouth livid,
those pierced hands and feet. Content
thyself not with the exterior ; look in spirit
at his heart ; it has been opened by the

lance in order that thou mayest pass therein.
Imitate his love, meekness, humility, and
charity. Then cast down thine eyes on the
ground around Calvary ; it is watered with
his blood. At the sight of that blood under-
stand that love shows itself more by actions
than by words.
Thou desirest, O my Saviour, that I
should place thee as a seal upon my heart,
by the imitation of thy virtues and thy ex-
ample. I ardently wish to do so. Give me
grace to execute what thou commandest.
O Jesus, thy heart is pure, let mine be pure ;
thine is humble, let mine be humble ; thine
is patient and docile, let mine be patient
and docile ; thy heart is all love, let mine
also be inflamed with thy love. Ah! hence-
forth, O my Saviour, I wish only to have
in my heart what thou hast in thine, humi-
lity, patience, gentleness, meekness, charity.
No more to bestow my heart on creatures,
but to give it all to thee. Alas ! it has
not always been devoted to thy service.
Through thy grace, O my God, it is now

all thine, and I hope it will ever remain
So.
Jesus Christ. Love is strong as death ;
its lamps are lamps of fire, which the great-
est waters cannot extinguish.
The Disciple. Thy love for me, O my
Saviour, is more powerful than hell, since
it has broken its gates, in order to deliver
me and open to me those of heaven. It is
stronger than death, since thou hast dis-
armed it in order to give me life. O won-
drous strength of love ! All invincible as
thou art, my God, it disarms thee ; it stays
thy arm raised to strike the sinner, it saves
him from thy avenging justice, in order to
give him to thy infinite mercy. I acknow-
ledge that it is through love for us that thy
supreme majesty is humbled even to vouch-
safe to unite itself to our nature, and it is
through the strength of this same love that
the creature can ascend unto thee, and enjoy
the privilege of entering into thy sacred
heart.
Behold, my soul, how Jesus hath loved

thee ! Behold the humiliations and suffer-
ings, the thorns, the nails, the cross, and
the effusion of his blood ! these are the
proofs of his love. The flames of this love
are so ardent, that all the waters of our
iniquities cannot extinguish them. But O,
my soul, where are the marks of thy love
for Jesus ? What hast thou done for him ?
Where are thy victories over thy evil in-
clinations ? Where the labours thou hast
undertaken, the sufferings thou hast en-
dured for his glory ?
Alas ! my God, my zeal is weak, my love
is languishing. Thy interests are more
than ever abandoned. Thy enemies in-
crease daily. Have I ever fought in de-
fence of thy cause ?
Jesus Christ. O my beloved, is there
any sorrow like unto mine ? How much
have I done for my children, and how have
they rebelled against me ? I have carried
them in my heart, and they have lacerated,
outraged, and forsaken it. The sorrows of
death have encompassed me, and the perils

of hell are unchained against me.
The Disciple. O my Lord and my God !
sorrow seizes on my soul, affliction and sad-
ness press on my heart, at the sight of thy
grief. Prostrate, annihilated before thy
adorable heart, I make reparation to thee
before heaven and earth. Pardon, divine
Jesus, all the outrages which were com-
mitted during the course of thy mortal
life ; pardon the impieties, the irrever-
ences, the sacrileges which have been
committed against thee in the sacrament
of thy love ; pardon especially the sorrows
which I have caused to thy divine heart by
my irreverence in thy holy temples, by my
tepid communions, made without due pre-
paration, and by the abuse which I have
made of thy graces, and of thy precious
blood. Ah ! why cannot I by my repent-
ance and my adoration restore thee the
glory of which so many offences have de-
prived thee ? Why cannot I by my words
and my example lead back so many hearts
which have withdrawn themselves from

thee ? Why cannot I by my prayers and
tears cause a cessation to so many scandals,
and draw unto thee worshippers in spirit
and in truth ?
Jesus Christ. I suffer on the part of
Jews, pagans, and heretics. They have con-
temned me, but that those who ought to
be devoted to me should regard me with
indifference, and treat me with such ne-
glect, pierces my heart with sorrow.
The Disciple. Ah, my sweet Saviour,
can I think of this, and not die with sor-
row Heavenly spirits, angels of peace,
weep bitterly for the indignities with which
our Lord is visited ; weep over our ingrati-
tude to a heart which has loved us so
much. Divine Jesus, thou hast come into
this world in order to seek and to save
mankind ; and those ungrateful ones fly
from thee and abandon thee. Thou loadest
them with benefits, and they abuse them ;
they turn them against the Giver, and
against themselves. Thou art always in
the midst of them, and they seem to be

ignorant of thy presence, or only to know
thee in order to offer thee some new out-
rage. Thou openest to them thy heart,
and they enter therein only to pierce it
with a thousand arrows. Alas ! my loving
Saviour, am I not myself one of these un-
grateful souls ? Ah, what sorrow have I
not occasioned to thy sacred heart ? I, thy
beloved one ! Why does not thy outraged
heart close itself so as to forget and reject
us? Why does not thy avenging arm raise
itself against thy guilty servants, in order
to exterminate them ? Shouldst thou not
at least deprive us of thy loving presence,
forsake our temples so frequently profaned,
and remain in heaven, where the angels and
saints for ever sing thy praises ? Alas, O
Lord, remain thou still in the midst of us :
what would become of us if thou didst
abandon the earth ? Thy Father, beholding
no longer the only object of his complacency,
would visit us with his avenging justice.
How, then, could we escape his wrath ?
Heart of Jesus, avenge thyself as befits the

God of mercy. Do thou pardon and con-
vert our souls to thee.
Jesus Christ. I have promised to re-
main in the midst of you, until the con-
summation of the world ; but in the sor-
row which afflicts me have I not a right to
expect to meet with some who will com-
passionate my sufferings ? Nevertheless, I
am left alone in my sorrow.
The Disciple. My beloved Saviour, thou
shalt no longer be forsaken ; I will make it
a duty to visit and adore thee. O heart of
Jesus, always burning with love for us,
always ready to show mercy, pardon me
my guilty forgetfulness of thee ; pardon me
my unfaithfulness in thy service, my want
of zeal in making thee known and loved ;
let my heart cease to be, if it is to be again
insensible to thee. Heart of Jesus, I con-
secrate to thee the remainder of my life. I
wish that all creatures had hearts of sera-
phims in order to love thee ; that every
mouth should sing thy praises ; that every
mind should be occupied only with thy

greatness. I unite my praises to those
which thou receivest from all the angels
and saints, and just souls on earth. I
wish that all who love and adore thee were
multiplied, and would freely sacrifice all
that I possess, my life itself, if necessary,
in order to prevent a single offence against
thee.
Jesus Christ. My beloved, I accept thy
desires ; ask my Father in my name, and
all that you desire he will grant you.
The Disciple. O Jesus, my only hope,
make me faithful to the devotion I have
vowed to thy adorable heart. Signalise
thy mercy by allowing me to regain, by
the ardour of my love, the time which has
been passed in thy service with so much
tepidity. I desire to make reparation, by
continual praise, for the ingratitude of man-
kind, and to give thee every moment fresh
proofs of my love.
Thy love for me keeps thy heart always
open, so that I may dwell there for ever.
Let love lead me and for ever fix my dwell-

ing-place therein, and receive my last sigh.
I beg the same grace, O my God, for all
for whom I am particularly bound to pray.
May those who have the happiness to be-
long to the association of thy divine heart,
spread throughout the whole world, have a
special share in thy mercy. Grant, O Lord,
that this confraternity may extend and per-
petuate itself in all time and in every place,
that it may honour thee by the practice of
every virtue, and an indefatigable zeal for
the conversion of souls.
And since my merciful God wearies not
of listening to me, I will still continue to
speak to him ; I, who am only dust and
ashes. God of my heart, lend an ear to
my voice ; love those who love thee not ;
open thy heart to those who do not knock
at the gate ; and vouchsafe to cure those
who, far from asking thee to heal them,
take a pleasure in adding fresh venom to
their wounds. Thou hast said, my Saviour,
that thou didst come upon the earth in
220 HOUR OF ADORATION .
order to seek sinners. O my Jesus, these,

then, are truly sinners. Ah ! do not con-
sider our ingratitude, our blindness ; re-
member only the blood which thou hast
shed for our salvation . Make manifest thy
mercy ; regard us as the work of thy
hands. Save us by thy mercy, our evils are
I
extreme. Arise, O Lord, behold the pro-
gress made by thine enemies ; stay them,
O my Jesus. Since they will not go to
thee, go thyself to them. I beseech of
thee to grant this grace through thy sacred
wounds, and by thy precious blood.
O my Saviour, put an end to my sins
and those of all mankind. Let thy voice
make itself heard, and restore life to so
many hardened sinners. Call them from
the deep abyss into which they have fallen.
Lazarus asked thee not to raise him from
the dead. Thou didst work this miracle in
behalf of a sinner. O Lord, look also on
me ; I beseech thee to hear my prayer. I
ask it through the tears thou didst shed
over the grave of Lazarus ; remember that
thy tears have flowed for all sinners who

sleep in sin ; through thy precious blood I
ask it, for thou hast pardoned those who
shed it ; pardon us, O Saviour of the
world.
O Jesus ! make thy Church triumph
over all her enemies, increase the number
of her children, give peace unto her, and
grant that she may ever bless thy holy
name and revere thy sacred heart. O mer-
ciful Redeemer, have pity also on the souls
in purgatory ; be touched by their suffer-
ings ; they are the price of thy blood ; open
to them thy heart, listen to their lamenta-
tions, and grant them, with release from
their sufferings, the happiness of glorifying
thee in heaven.
Remember, also, O merciful Jesus, in a
special manner, those souls who when on
earth devoted themselves to thy sacred
heart, and were zealous for the glory of
thy blessed Mother. Suffer them not to be
deprived longer of thy presence, for they
are very dear to thee ; and through this
same merciful heart I beseech thee to put

them in possession of eternal happiness.
Prayer after the Hour of Adoration.

Pardon me, my God, the distractions
into which I have fallen during this hour.
Alas ! mayst thou not reproach me as thou
didst thy three disciples with not being able
to watch one hour withthee.
One hour with thee, O loving heart of
Jesus, has appeared to me too long. Ah,
should it not be my delight to be ever with
thee ? O heart ever full of love, why has
mine been so cold, so languishing in thy
presence ? Pardon me, O Lord, for I de-
sire to breathe only for thee, to make my
whole life a perpetual adoration of thy
sacred heart. Amen.
OFFICE OF THE SACRED HEART. 223
OFFICE OF THE SACRED HEART.

Matins.
Our Father, &c.; Hail, Mary, &c.

V. Open my lips, O Lord,
R. And my mouth shall declare thy
praise.
V. O God, come to my aid.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
From all eternity the heart of Jesus hath
loved us ; come, let us adore it.
Hymn.
Sweet Jesus, may thy sacred heart
My hope and refuge be :
There may I learn the heavenly art
Of living but for thee.
This fountain of thy sacred heart,
The source of love most pure ;
To those who dwell from sin apart
Affords a refuge sure.
Anthem.
Come to me, all you who labour and

224 OFFICE OF THE
are heavy burthened, and I will refresh

Take up my yoke and learn of me, for I
am meek and humble of heart.
V. I will make an everlasting covenant
with my people.
R. I will unceasingly load them with
blessings.
V. Lord, hear my prayer,
R. And let my cry come unto̟ you.
Prayer.
Grant, O my Jesus, that in honouring

thy sacred heart, we may learn to practise
meekness and humility, obtain the peace
thou hast promised, and find rest to our
souls. We beg of thee this grace, who
livest and reignest with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my prayer,
R. And let my cry ascend to thy divine
heart.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
May the souls of the faithful departed
SACRED HEART. 225
through the mercy of God rest in peace .

Amen.
Lauds.
V. O God, come, &c. R. Lord, &c. ,
Glory, &c., as above.
Thy Heart with heavenly love's pure glow
Cleanseth our sins away.
Sweet Lord, thy gifts thou dost bestow
Upon us day by day.
Alas ! how cold we are to thee,
Though to thy Heart so dear ;
From thy kind gifts how oft we flee,
Nor heed thy loving care.
Anthem.
Our Lord, in the excess of his love and
mercy, has redeemed us by the ignominious
death of the cross .
V. Taste and see how sweet is the Lord.

R. Happy those who bear his yoke from
their early infancy.
V. Lord, hear, &c. Prayer- Grant, O
Jesus, as at Matins.
P
226 OFFICE OF THE
Prime.
V. O God, come, &c. R. Lord, make
haste, &c.; Glory, &c. , as above.
Within that sacred heart's pure shrine
To the Most High doth plead,
Ever for us, the Word divine,
In all our earthly need.
And day by day the Lamb is slain ;
Leaving his realms above,
He on our altars doth remain
The victim of his love.
Anthem.
My delight is to be with the children
of men . Happy those who keep my com-
mandments.
V. How good and merciful is the heart
of Jesus !
R. How sweet it is to us to love and
celebrate his mercies.
Jesus, &c.
Tierce.
haste, &c.; Glory, &c.
SACRED HEART. 227
The lance that pierced our Saviour's side

Reveal'd a source of grace.
Oh then rejoice ! for that pure tide
Can all thy sins efface.
God calls us to his mercy's fount ;
Sweetly our love he claims,
Nor speaks, as on Sinai's mount,
In thunder and in flames.
V. Jesus having loved his own,

R. He loved them unto the end.
Sext.
O heart of every grace the source,
Of all God's gifts the best ;
Unto the sinner strength and force,
Refreshment, hope, and rest.
Sinner, arise ! Ah, how canst thou
So cold and tepid be ?
Justice gives place to mercy now,
When Jesus pleads for thee.
Anthem.
I have planted thee for my most beauti-
228 OFFICE OF THE
ful vineyard, and thou hast proved very

bitter to me.
V. I have watched over my chosen ones,

I have loaded them with blessings,
R. And they have despised me.
None.

Wisdom divine doth ever dwell

Within thy sacred heart ;
The waters, then, of that pure well,
Sweet Lord, to us impart.
Great Fount of truth, our souls inspire ;
Each erring thought reclaim.
Sweet source of mercy, with thy fire
Do thou our hearts inflamе.
Anthem.
Those who seek me shall find me. If
any one love me, I will love him, and will
manifest myself to him.
SACRED HEART. 229
V. O my soul, bless the Lord,

R. And never forget the graces with
which he has filled thee.
Vespers.
O sacred Heart, sweet source from whence

A stream of life e'er flows ;
The weary soul may draw from thence
Refreshment and repose.
Here may we find a spot secure

From sin and vain alarm .
Here may we taste for evermore
Thy love's consoling balm.
Anthem.
You shall draw waters with joy from the

fountains of the Saviour. Sing hymns
to the Lord, because he has shown forth
his greatness. Proclaim his magnificence
throughout the world.
230 OFFICE OF THE
V. You who are my disciples, will you

also abandon me ?
R. Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou
hast the words of eternal life.
V. Lord, hear, &c., with the prayer,
Grant, O Jesus.
Complin.
V. Convert us, O God, our Saviour,
R. And turn away thy anger from us.
O Heart of Jesus, may we feel
Thy pure consuming fire ;
Kindle in us thy ardent zeal,
Be thou our soul's desire.
Absorb, dear Lord, our hearts in thine,
Let us with thee remain ;
Nor ever may our souls incline
To earth's vain joys again.
Anthem.
I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in
me. He has loved me, and delivered him-
self to death for me.
V. Come to me, all you who love me,
R. And I will enrich you with my bless-
ings.
SACRED HEART. 231

Jesus, &c., as at Matins.
AN INVITATION ; OR, THE DEVOUT SOUL'S

REPAIR TO THE SACRED HEART.
"Cometo me all you who labour and are heavy burthened,
and I will refresh you."
The faithful adorers of Jesus are invited to repair
in spirit twice in the day to his divine heart, in
order to render him their praise either by weep-
ing over their sins, exciting themselves to the
love of God, or adoring him for those who do
not adore him ; singing the divine praises in
the adorable heart of Jesus, or uniting them-
selves to the Blessed Virgin and St Joseph, the
first and principal worshippers of this divine
heart; praying for those faithless souls who,
after having experienced so many proofs of the
love of this divine heart by the grace of their
election, oblige him by their ingratitude to
reject them. The zeal testified in disarming
his justice is pleasing to him, because these
souls are dear to him as the apple of his eye,
and if he punishes it is with sorrow. Finally,
let all the associates unite in praying for one
another, for which end the following acts may
be used.
232 OFFICE OF THE
O Jesus, infinite goodness, open to us thy

divine heart, let us regard it as the centre
of our happiness, and suffer not that sin
should ever separate us from thee.
Great God, who hast given us thy Son,
not to afflict his heart by our ingratitude,
but to lead us to his love, inspire all those
who are in authority in thy Church with a
tender zeal for this devotion. O Almighty
God, cast thy eyes upon us ; look upon us
through the heart of thy Son ; and if irritated
against us, thou wilt remember thy mercy
and forget thy anger.
O sacred heart of Jesus, O my life, my
light, grant that I may know only thee,
that I may live only for thee, in thee, and
by thee. Amen.
GUARD OF HONOUR OF THE ADORABLE

HEART OF JESUS.
Patrons.
The Blessed Virgin, under the title of
SACRED HEART. 233
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, St Joseph,

St Francis of Assissium, St Francis of Sales,
Venerable Margaret Mary.
66 My heart hath expected reproach and misery, and
I looked for one that would grieve with me, but
there was none, and for one that would comfort
me, and Ifound none. "
Object ofthe Association.

In response to this sorrowful complaint
of our Lord, the guard of honour has been
organised , the members who compose it,
by their devotedness and love, striving to
console the heart of Jesus, overwhelmed
with grief at the forgetfulness and ingrati-
tude of those for whom he suffered so much,
whom he loved so ardently, and by whom
he is so little loved.
Like faithful loving children of our Lord
they will strive to console him for the in-
gratitude of their brethren, and, succeeding
each other by turns, before their Saviour
Jesus, they offer to this most tender heart
reverence, love, devotedness, and consolation.
The associates each choose one hour in
234 OFFICE OF THE
the day, and at the beginning of their hour

of guard, without changing their ordinary
occupation, they station themselves in spirit
at the throne of love, the tabernacle, offer-
ing to Jesus all their thoughts, words, actions,
and sufferings, and, above all, their desire.
to console his heart by their fidelity and
love. During the course of the hour they
will think of our Lord , make an act of love,
and offer up some little sacrifice for him.
But this is not obligatory, the associates
being free to follow the impulse of their
heart and of their piety in the way in which
they may sanctify this holy hour ; and the
heart of Jesus will doubtless heap grace upon
grace, blessing upon blessing, on those faith-
ful souls who duly fulfil this mission of
devotion and of love.
Offering ofthe Hour of Guard.

Dearest Jesus, my sweetest Saviour, I
offer thee this holy hour of guard, during
which, in union with [here name the patrons
of your hour], I desire to love and to glorify
SACRED HEART. 235
thee, and, above all, to console thy adorable

heart for the forgetfulness and ingratitude
of mankind. Accept, I beseech thee, for
this end, all my thoughts, words, actions,
and sufferings ; above all, receive my heart,
which I give thee without reserve, entreat-
ing thee to consume it in the fire of thy
pure love.
May the sacred heart of Jesus be every-
where loved.
O my Jesus, I desire to love thee through
this hour for all those hearts who love thee
not.
Patronsfor the various hours of the above

Devotion.
1. St Joseph and all the saints.

2. All just souls upon earth.
3. With the seraphim.
4. With the cherubim.
5. With the thrones.
6. With the dominations.
7. With the virtues.
8. With the powers.
236 THIRTY DAYS PRAYER
9. With the principalities.

10. With the archangels.
11. With the angels .
12. In union with the blessed Virgin.
THIRTY DAYS PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH.
Ever blessed and glorious St Joseph, kind

and indulgent father, and compassionate
friend of all in sorrow, through that bitter
grief with which thy heart was saturated
when thou didst behold the sufferings of
the infant Saviour, and in prophetic view
didst contemplate his most ignominious
passion and death, take pity, I beseech thee,
on my poverty and necessities, counsel me
in my doubts, and console me in all my
anxieties. Thou art the good father and
protector of orphans, the advocate of the
defenceless, the patron of those who are in
need and desolation. Do not, then, disre-
gard the petition of thy poor child. My
sins have drawn down upon me the just
TO ST JOSEPH. 237
displeasure of my God, and hence I am

surrounded with sorrows. To thee, O
amiable guardian of the poor neglected
family of Nazareth, do I fly for shelter and
protection. Listen, then, I entreat of thee,
with a father's solicitude to the earnest
prayer of thy poor suppliant, and obtain
for me the object of thy petition. I ask it
by that infinite mercy of the eternal Son of
God, which induced him to assume our
nature, and to be born into this world of
sorrow. I ask it by that grief which filled
thy heart, when, ignorant of the mystery
wrought in thyimmaculate spouse, thoudidst
fear that thou shouldst be separated from
her. I ask it by that weariness, solicitude,
and suffering which thou didst endure when
thou soughtest in vain at the inns of Beth-
lehem a shelter for the sacred Virgin, and a
birth-place for the infant God ; and when,
being everywhere refused, thou wast obliged
to consent that the Queen of Heaven should
give birth to the world's Redeemer in a
wretched stable. I ask it by that most sad
and painful duty imposed on thee when,

the Divine Child being eight days old, thou
wast obliged to inflict a wound on his tender
body, and thus be the first to cause that
sacred blood to flow, which was to wash
away the sins of the world. I ask it by
the sweetness and power of that most sacred
name Jesus, which thou didst confer on the
adorable infant. I ask it by that mortal
anguish inflicted on thee by the prophecy
of holy Simeon, which declared the child
Jesus and his holy mother the future victims
of their love and of our sins. I ask it
through that sorrow and anguish which
filled thy soul, when the angel declared to
thee that the life of the Child Jesus was
sought by his enemies, from whose impious
designs thou wast obliged to fly with him
and his blessed mother into Egypt. I ask
it by the pains, fatigues, and toils of that
long and perilous pilgrimage. I ask it by
all the sorrows thou didst endure, when in
Egypt thou wast not able, even by the
sweat of thy brow, to procure food and
TO ST JOSEPH. 239
clothing for thy most poor family. I ask

it by all the grief thou didst feel each time
the Divine Child asked for a morsel of bread,
and thou hadst it not to give him. I ask
it by all thy solicitude to preserve the sacred
Child and the immaculate Mary during thy
second journey, when thou wast ordered
to return to thy native country. I ask it
by thy peaceful dwelling in Nazareth, in
which so many joys and sorrows were
mingled. I ask it by thy extreme afflic-
tion, in being three days deprived of the
company of the adorable Child. I ask it
by thy joy at finding him in the temple,
and by the ineffable consolation imparted
to thee in the cottage of Nazareth by the
company and society of the Child Jesus.
I ask it through that wonderful condescen-
sion by which he subjected himself to thy
will. I ask it through that dolorous view
continually in thy mind, of all that Jesus.
was to suffer. I ask it by that painful
contemplation which made thee foresee
that the divine little hands and feet, now
so active in serving thee, were one day to

be pierced with cruel nails ; that the head,
which rested gently on thy bosom, would
be crowned with sharp thorns ; that the
delicate body, which thou didst tenderly
fold in thy mantle and press to thy heart,
would be stripped and extended on a cross.
I ask it through that heroic sacrifice of thy
will and best affections, by which thou didst
offer up to the eternal Father the last awful
moment when the Man-God was to expire
for our salvation. I ask it by that perfect
love and conformity with which thou didst
receive the divine order to depart from this
life and from the company of Jesus and
Mary. I ask it by that exceeding great
joy which filled thy soul when the Redeemer
of the world, triumphant over death and
hell, entered into the possession of his king-
dom, and conducted thee also into it with
special honours. I ask it through Mary's
glorious assumption, and through that in-
terminable bliss, which with her thou wilt
eternally derive from the presence of God.
TO ST JOSEPH. 241
O good Father, I beseech thee, by all thy

sufferings, sorrows, and joys, to hear me,
and to obtain the grant of my earnest peti-
tions. [Here name, or reflect on them.]
Obtain for all those who have asked my
prayers all that is useful to them in the
designs of God. And finally, my dear pro-
tector, be thou with me and all who are
dear to me in our last moments, that we
may eternally chant the praises of Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph.
LITANY OF ST JOSEPH, OUR PROTECTOR.

God the Father, Creator of the world, Have mercy
on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of mankind, Have mercy on
us.
Holy Mary, immaculate virgin, Prayfor us.
Holy mother of God, Prayfor us.
Holy virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
St Joseph, virgin spouse of a virgin mother, Pro-
tect us.
242 LITANY OF ST JOSEPH.
Protector of the infant Jesus,

Protector of Mary, thy chaste spouse,
Protector of St Teresa,
Protector of virgins,
Protector of those devoted to thy service,
Protector of all faithful Christians,
Protector of the afflicted,
Protector of humble and penitent sinners,
Protector of the Catholic Church,
Who wert the protector of Jesus yet unborn,
Protect
Joseph
Who wert the protector of Jesus in the stable

of Bethlehem,
us.
St
,
Who wert the protector of Jesus, delivering

him from the tyranny of Herod,
Who wert the protector of Jesus Christ,
assisting him in his necessities, and pro-
viding him with food,
Who wert the protector of Mary, thy spouse,
and her most faithful companion,
Who wert the protector and guardian of the
virginity of Mary,
Protector of all thy devout clients,
Our good father, patron, and protector,
Our spiritual protector,
Our guardian protector,
Our providential protector,
O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the
world, Spare us for the love of him who carried
and fed thee.
O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the
world, Hear usfor the love ofhim who clothed and
lodged thee,
LITANY OF ST JOSEPH. 243

world, Have mercy on us for the love of him who
protected and guarded thee from the cruelty of
Herod.
Pray for us, St Joseph our protector, That we may
be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O God, who by thine ineffable providence

hast chosen St Joseph to be the spouse of
the ever-blessed Virgin, grant us grace to
have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom
we honour upon earth as our faithful advo-
cate and protector, who livest and reignest
world without end. Amen.
O good St Joseph, protect us, protect the
holy Church.
[Fifty days' indulgence. ]
" O St Joseph, chaste spouse of the im-

maculate Virgin, pray for us who have re-
course to thee."
" Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my
heart, my mind, and my life ; Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, assist me in my last agony ; Jesus,
244 SEVEN DAYS' DEVOTION
Mary, Joseph, may I repose in peace in your

holy company."
[Three hundred days' indulgence. ]
SEVEN DAYS' DEVOTION TO THE SACRED

HEART, OR MEDITATIONS ON THE SEVEN
WORDS OF Our Lord.
Prayer.
O divine heart of Jesus, I desire to be
thy faithful disciple. Yes ; I will strive,
with the help of thy grace, to meditate on
the treasures of love hidden in those ador-
able words, which the heart of Mary carried
away from Calvary as a precious inherit-
ance, and which our Holy Mother the
Church carefully preserves in the holy
gospel.
But the inconstancy of my mind con-
tinually banishes the recollection with which
I ought to pray. O my God, thou knowest
my weakness, my tepidity, my frailty. I

can do nothing without thee. O Mary,
thou didst treasure in thy heart, and didst
meditate on the words of Jesus, in order to
keep in thee the flames of divine love, ob-
tain for me, I beseech thee, a share in thy
spirit of prayer. Amen.
SUNDAY.
First Meditation on the Heart ofJesus.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do."
O prayer dictated by the heart of Jesus
himself ! O abyss of goodness ! Before
thinking of his mother, his friends, himself,
the first words Jesus utters on the cross are
for his executioners , his accusers , his iniqui-
tous judges, for a people who blasphemed
him. His first care is for those who most
need it, but who deserve it the least.
Each word is a character of fire which
pierced the heart of his father. Jesus com
plains not of their ingratitude, their cruelty,
their malice. He excuses and extenuates

their sin.
Father, forgive them. They are thy chil
dren, thy creatures. Thou wouldst not
condemn the work of thy hands. Look
upon thy Son ; listen to the voice of his
blood, which asks mercy for his brethren.
I beseech thee, by the tenderness of that
sweet name of Father, by the obedience I
have rendered thee, the thorny crown which
surrounds my head, the nails which pierce
my hands and feet, the blood which flows
from my body. Father, forgive them, be-
cause I forgive them, I, whom they have
injured. Visit me with death, torments
the cross,-all is the same to me, provided
thou dost forgive those who cause my
death. Behold how this heart of Jesus
has loved mankind !
The heart of Jesus is the same on the
altar as on the cross. His love has not
changed. He still loves those who love
him so little. He loves those who love
him not, who hate, blaspheme, and insult
him. For us he shows to his Father the

wounds, the marks of which he still pre-
serves ; for us Jesus still says, Father, for-
give them, for they know not what they do.
Sin is a mixture of malice and ignorance.
Our Redeemer, when he prays for us, seeks
to excuse us ; on the altar, as on Calvary,
Jesus is a victim, a mediator, and not a
judge ; he excuses the malice of sin, and
speaks only of its ignorance. O Lord, how
blind am I when I consent to sin ; not
comprehending all the evil I do myself, and
the punishment I deserve. Yet my ignor-
ance is not wholly voluntary. Make me
comprehend what sin is, and give me such a
horror of it that I may never commit it
again.
If this beloved Son prayed to his Father
for those who crucified him, what will he
not do for those who wish to serve him ?
Can we fail in confidence when we have so
powerful an intercessor with God ? O my
Jesus, how infinitely worthy of love art
thou ! Oh that I had a thousand lives,
in order to consecrate them to thy ser-

vice, in acknowledgment of so generous a
love.
Jesus is our Model as well as our Re-
deemer. His prayer is an example in sup-
port of the lessons which he had given
during his life. This good Master here
practises what he had taught upon the
mount. You have heard it said, Love your
neighbour, and hate your enemy ; but I say
to you, Love your enemies ; do good to those
who hate you, and prayfor those who perse-
cute and calumniate you : that you may be
the children of your Father in heaven, who
makes his sun to rise on the just and the
unjust. If you only love those who love
you, what shall be your reward ? do not the
heathens as much ?
Such is the teaching of the heart of
Jesus. It is impossible to love him truly,
if we do not practise this great lesson.
How many times have I not closed my
heart to his teaching ? But what heart can
fail to be softened by these words, however
little it may reflect, Father, forgive them,

for they know not what they do.
Do you find it difficult to pardon a serious
injury, a sharp word, an unfortunate suit,
a spiteful satire ? Look upon the heart of
Jesus praying for you whilst you offend
him . If he had revenged himself on you,
what would have become of you ? Where
would you now be ?
You answer that a great injury has been
done you, that you cannot thus abandon
your interests. Behold the injury which
He receives ! Compare what he suffers
with what you endure ; compare his words
with yours, Father, forgive them, &c.
IIe excuses his executioners ; you are
full of reproaches against those of whom
you believe you have reason to complain.
He weeps over their misery ; you make
their trials a subject of gratification. He
died in order to save them ; you will ren-
der them no service, nor even salute them
when you meet. Are you the child of this
merciful heart ?
Act of Reparation.
Prostrate at thy feet, O my divine
Master, I most humbly ask thy pardon for
having followed so ill thy precept and thy
example ; I, who far from forgiving the
slightest offence, have only sought to re-
venge myself by rendering injury for injury.
O faithful and generous heart of Jesus !
thou forgettest our sins and the torments
they have caused thee, in order to preserve
thy guilty children. Pour forth over me,
and all the souls consecrated to thy sacred
heart, the waters of that mercy of which
thou art the infinite source, renewing
amongst us that union of the early Chris-
tians, who had but one heart and one soul.
Ah, Lord, thy words converted the sol-
diers of Calvary, will they make no impres-
sion on my heart ? O Jesus, suffer not
that this should ever be ; but as thou didst
so generously forgive thy enemies, grant
that for the love of thee I may pardon
those who have offended me, so that thou
mayst forgive me my offences now, and at

the hour of my death. Amen.
Consecration to the Heart of Jesus, Ocean of

Goodness.
O heart of my good Master, this first
lesson from thy cross fills my heart with
the most entire confidence.
O Lord, thou didst say, When I shall be
raised from the earth, I will draw all things
to myself. I now comprehend the love.
by which thou hast gained the hearts of
these children of men, in the midst of
whom thou dost delight to dwell, hidden
under such obscure veils. Heart of Jesus,
ocean of goodness ! whilst thou dost re-
new the sacrifice of Calvary in order to
apply its merits to me, I give and conse-
crate myself entirely to thee. Too often
have I renewed the ignominy of thy pas-
sion. Grant that I may participate in the
spirit and effects of thy divine prayer, and
commend me to thy heavenly Father, that,
purified in thy precious blood, I may closely
imitate thee ; never preserving in my heart

any emotion of hatred or revenge, so that I
may say with confidence, Father, forgive ME
as Iforgive. Amen.
MONDAY.
Second Meditation on the Heart of Jesus.
66 Amen : I say to you, This day thou shalt be with
me in paradise."
Heart of Jesus, throne of mercy, to thee
we may fly in our utmost necessities, when
tried and forsaken ! I come in spirit to
assist at the sacrifice of Calvary, and medi-
tate on that sentence to which thou didst
give utterance. Oh, who shall fear ap-
proaching thee, divine Saviour, when thou
hast made such a promise to the repentant
thief ? That humble penitent asked of
thee only a simple remembrance, when
thou shouldst come into thy kingdom ; and
it is thy kingdom itself which thou pro-
misest. Who but Jesus could have made
such a promise. He gives without delay.
He promises and gives at the same time.
He gives without reserve : You shall be

with me. His kingdom, his eternal happi-
ness, he delights to share with those whom
he names his servants, his friends, his
brethren. He gives cheerfully. Amen :
I say to you, This day you shall be with me
in paradise. Mistrust not my power. My
cross is the key which will open heaven.
Mistrust not my heart ; should I be in
this condition if I had not the wish to save
you ? Fear not thine own unworthiness ;
I am come to seek sinners ; my glory is
to change their hearts and convert them
into saints. Our Lord said to the blessed
Margaret Mary, "If men would but ac-
knowledge my love, that which I have
done for them would appear trifling to me.”
His heart is the throne of mercy, of inex-
haustible goodness. He is still full of love
for those guilty ones, also crucified by sin.
From the depths of his sanctuary he re-
gards them, calls them, awaits them, and is
ready to pardon their ingratitude, at the
first sigh of a contrite and humble heart.
Oh, how good a God do we serve ! Whence

comes it, O Lord, that so few know and
seek thee ? Alas ! on Calvary two thieves
suffered with thee ; both had the same
Redeemer, the same example of patience
before their eyes ; for both thy blood
flowed, but one alone profited by thy
mercy.
Amongst those who surround thy altar
suffer not that any should be found so un-
fortunate as to resist thy advances, and
doubt in the mercy of thy adorable heart.
Not only to repentant sinners does the
heart of Jesus address these words, To-day
thou shalt be with me in paradise. When
the soul is in a state of grace, it knows
well that the kingdom of God is within
itself. Jesus realises his promise : If any
love me, my Father will love him, and we
will come to him, and take up our abode in
him. To be with Jesus is a paradise, even
in this world. If Jesus be with us, no
enemy can hurt us. He who lives without
Jesus is miserably poor ; but he who pos
sesses him is very rich. Be humble and

peaceful, and Jesus will be with you ; be
fervent and gentle, and Jesus will dwell
with you. You cannot be happy without
loving and being loved ; but if Jesus is
not above all in your heart, you will be
oppressed with chagrin and sadness. In
practice I understand little what it is to
love Jesus above all things. If I examine
my heart, I find it full of the world and
of self. Dissipation, frivolity, love of the
world, vanity, sensuality, and caprice, -
these are the springs which govern my
actions from morning till night. O divine
heart of Jesus, make thyself known and
loved by thy poor servant ! Teach me the
simplicity which leads to thee alone by an
upright intention ; teach me the purity of
heart which loves and tastes thee in all
things. Ah, when thou art about to visit
my soul in the holy communion, say to it
in the early morning, This day thou shalt
be with me in paradise.
Act of Reparation .
My Lord and my God, victim of love in
the adorable Eucharist, in which thou offerest
thyself in sacrifice a thousand times each
day, why cannot I offer thee as often the
homage of my sorrow and regret for not
having recognised thy love, responding to
it only by indifference, forgetfulness, con-
tempt, and ingratitude. Oh, was not the
ignominy of Calvary sufficient ? Must thou,
even amongst thy children, meet with so
much coldness and irreverence, slothfulness
in thy service, resistance to thy grace, and
inconstancy in good resolutions. O most
loving heart, I beseech thee put an end to
the reign of self-love in my soul. Come
and make thy dwelling there, and I will
listen to thy voice, and hear thee utter
those sweet words, If thou wilt, thou shalt
be with me in paradise. Amen.
Consecration to the Heart of Jesus, Throne

of Mercy.
Heart infinitely merciful, I recommend
to thee my person and my life, my actions,

my prayers, my desires. I wish only to
make use of my body and soul in thy ser-
vice, to serve, honour, and glorify thee.
Throne of mercy, in which divine justice
embraces and pardons the sinner, I place
all my trust in thee. Destroy in me what-
ever displeases thee ; place therein those
virtues which may render me pleasing to
the Lord ; imprint thy fear and love in my
soul, so that I may never forget thee, nor
deliberately separate myself from thee by
sin ; and let my name be written on and
never effaced from thy heart, my loving
Jesus. Amen.
TUESDAY.
Third Meditation on the Heart ofJesus.

"Woman, behold thy Son. Behold thy mother."
O tenderness of the heart of Jesus, which
confided us to his holy Mother ! The Lord
Jesus in the midst of his torments omitted
nothingwhich concerned his office as Saviour.
R
He was solicitous for all his brethren, and

procured them an asylum to which they
might have recourse in all their necessities.
Already he had given his Father to be ours,
by the words, Our Father, who art in heaven.
Now he gives us his Mother in order that
we may be his brethren.
Let us appreciate such a prerogative, and
comprehend also the mystery hidden under
these words of the gospel, The disciple
whom Jesus loved. St John is not distin-
guished by his own name, but by that
which is common to all of us, for we are
also disciples of Jesus, and disciples loved
so dearly, that we may say with the great
apostle, He loved me, and delivered himself
up for me.
O tenderness of the heart of Jesus, which
permits us to share his title of child of
Mary ! Oh, the greatness of the gift which
Jesus makes us by this solemn bequeathal !
He desires that we should have for Mary
the filial love by which his own heart was
filled, and that this most holy Mother
should have for her children of Calvary the

care and affection which she always had for
Jesus.
Consider that the heart of Jesus addresses
the like words to you when you have the
happiness of hearing the holy mass : " Love
my Mother ; she is thine. Confide in her
powerful protection, rely on her tender-
ness." Yes, let us love Mary ; she will
teach us to love Jesus as she loved him
herself. Admirable school of the heart of
Jesus ! henceforth let us love this sacred
heart alone.
Examine yourself in presence of this
adorable heart. What is your devotion for
the blessed Virgin ? Does it not consist
more in words, than in constancy in pray-
ing to her, and, above all, in imitating her ?
Are you really the servant of the sacred
heart of Jesus ? You bear the name of
being so then verify it by a truly Chris-
tian life. Study the sentiments of the
heart of Jesus, in order to conform your
own to them ; it is the spirit he would de-
sire you to have, and without which it is

impossible to preserve peace and union
with your neighbour.
Act of Reparation.
O good and loving heart of Jesus, who

hast given me thy holy Mother as the most
precious pledge of thy tenderness, I beseech
thee to pardon the indifference with which
I have responded to thy love and to her
watchful solicitude. How little grateful
have I been, O Jesus, for this favour, the
source of so many benefits to me ! Vouch-
safe, through thy infinite merits, to make
amends for my weakness and misery. Thy
heart shall be my treasure of gratitude
which I will offer to our heavenly Father,
to our blessed Mother, and to thyself, ador-
able Redeemer. Amen.
Consecration to the Heart of Jesus.

Heart infinitely loving and worthy of
being loved, behold me, Lord Jesus, the
child of thy divine heart, penetrated with
gratitude for thy infinite love, renew to

thee the homage of a consecration which I
desire to repeat every instant of the day
and night. O my Lord and Master ! I
consecrate to thee my mind, in order that
thou mayst direct it according to the light
of faith ; my will, that it may be conformed
to thy holy will ; my heart and all its affec-
tions, that nothing may be found which
may be displeasing in the sight of thy
infinite purity when thou enterest therein
in the holy communion. Mary, my tender
Mother ! I love and honour thee in the
heart of Jesus through thine own imma-
culate heart. I desire to love thy divine
Son now and for ever. Amen.
WEDNESDAY.
Fourth Meditation on the Heart of Jesus.
" My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me."
O sad and touching complaint ofthe heart
of Jesus to his Father! Jesus voluntarily
took upon himself these sufferings. He en-
dured them with an ardent love, an invin-
cible patience, confidence, and boundless

submission to the divine will. He knows
that his sufferings approach their termina-
tion. Why, then, does he complain ? Only
to teach us the excess of his grief. His soul
is sad even unto death. He makes known
to us the only comfort of the afflicted. It is
from God alone that we can receive so effica-
cious a succour. Finally, Jesus reveals to us
that the cause of his sufferings does not pro-
ceed from himself but from us ; and in the
twenty-first Psalm the prophet declares the
cause of this severe abandonment.
Let us listen to the complaint of the heart
ofJesus to his children and to sinners. From
the tabernacle in which the Divine Lord re-
sides, from his altars on which he continu-
ally renews throughout the world the sacri-
fice of the cross, our Lord still complains of
being forsaken. Alas ! we hasten to worldly
amusements, festivities, and enjoyments
without heeding the loss of time ; but when
Jesus is concerned, that victim of love who
is ever occupied in pleading for us with
divine justice, some will be heard to com-

plain of the obligations imposed on them
by the Church, others think it a trouble to
walk thither, or they carry with them a dis-
sipated mind, a heart full of tepidity and
distractions, whilst their whole demeanour is
void of reverence. It is not his enemies
alone who treat him thus ; but that which
afflicts him the most is, that those whose
hearts are consecrated to him also neglect
him. Children of the sacred heart, listen to
this complaint which comes forth from the
sanctuary, "I have looked for one that would
comfort me amongst my friends and my chil-
dren, but their hearts arefarfrom me, though
with their lips they seem to honour me.”
There is another lesson given us by Jesus
in these mysterious words. His heart vouch-
safed to suffer the bitterness of aridity and
want of consolation , the necessary crucible
in which souls must be purified. Oh, who
can sound the depth of thy love, generous
heart of Jesus ! Thou could not cease to be
united with thy Father, for thy will was
always one with his, and as God, thou didst

never cease to be one with him and the Holy
Ghost.
Nevertheless thou didst vouchsafe to
suffer interior trial without consolation, ex-
terior suffering without alleviation ; and
this double abandonment happens to those
souls whom thou wouldst render worthy
of thy most intimate communications. In
meditating on thy cross, they comprehend
this truth, and exclaim, The more we suffer,
the more God loves us !
Consider your own heart at the feet of
our crucified Saviour. Do you not complain
of the effort it costs you to discharge your
daily duties, of the small consolation you
find in the practice of virtue or the exercise
of Christian piety ? You desire to experi-
ence the species of fascination which leads
you to satisfy your natural inclinations;
and because the empire of grace is estab-
lished in conflict with self-love, it seems to
you as if your soul positively rebelled
against the practice of virtue. Oh, it is at
this very time that you most closely draw

near to Jesus to pray with him. The better
we suffer, the more we love God.
Act of Reparation.
O adorable Jesus, who hast devoted thy-
self for me to the rigours of eternal justice,
suffer me to seek a refuge in thy sacred
heart, in which I place all my hope and
trust. O almighty and most just God, I
present thee the passion, the wounds, merits,
blood, and death of Jesus Christ. I place
his sacred heart between thyself and me,
for I have no other defence against thy
judgment. Thou hast given me thy Son ;
he beholds my miseries, his heart feels them,
his voice implores my deliverance. Grant
me all that he asks in my behalf in time
and eternity .
Consecration to the Agonising Heart of

Jesus.
Place thyself as a seal upon my heart, O

my divine Master, so that I may patiently
suffer the trials thou mayst see fit to send

me. Yes, my Jesus, I desire to consecrate
myself to thy heart, agonising under the
weight of divine justice and the burthen of
my sins. Thou hast put aside thine own
honour, thine own will ; give me the courage
to conquer myself, to triumph over my sloth-
fulness and my sins ; give me the strength
to suffer, and the grace to love thee for ever.
Amen.
THURSDAY.
Fifth Meditation on the Heart of Jesus.

" I thirst."
Oh, what a severe and physical thirst was
this ! The extreme anguish which Jesus had
endured during ten hours, without one mo-
ment's rest, had enkindled in his breast a
devouring fire. The blood which flowed
from his wounds increased each moment
this painful torture ; nevertheless, Jesus
endured it three long hours on the cross
without complaining, and when he does
complain, it is not to be comforted ; but
in order to suffer more by tasting the vine-

gar, and at the same time to accomplish
the will of his Father, as expressed in the
holy Scriptures, he contented himself with
a single word, Sitio. In order to teach us
to make our sufferings known with resigna-
tion and without impatience, thus did he
expiate for our sensuality.
This thirst was also mysterious ; it was
the thirst of his soul devoured with love
for his Father and for all mankind. Jesus
had an ardent desire to accomplish the will
of his Father. During his life he had said,
"My meat is to do the will of him that
sent me." Now he says that it is his thirst.
" Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
after justice." Another desire filled the
heart of Jesus, it was to suffer for us ! In
the garden of Olives he had besought his
Father to take away the chalice. On the
cross he says that he still thirsts. " Still
more, O Lord," exclaims later St Francis
Xavier, who had understood the generosity
of such a thirst.
From his altar Jesus says the same to

me. He thirsts for my love ; thirsts for
me, that I may have a zeal for others, in
order that I may contribute to the salva-
tion of souls as far as in my power. There
is yet another thirst which Jesus has, which
I can relieve ; the poor are his members ; in
them he suffers both hunger and thirst.
How few, when giving alms, behold him, by
a lively faith, under the guise of poverty?
But the adorer of the sacred heart should
strive to imbue himself with the sentiments
of Jesus, in order to conform his own to
them.
What am I, O Lord, compared to what
thou dost expect to find in me ? Alas !
I behold in my soul only tepidity in thy
love ; nay, an absolute void when there
is question of loving thee. Egotism re-
strains me in the narrow circle of my per-
sonal interests ; I exact much from others,
whilst I cannot bear the slightest suffering
without exaggerated complaint or murmur-
ing at any involuntary annoyance which I
may have to suffer ; and in place of the vir-

tues which thou requirest of me, I offer
thee, with thy executioners of Calvary, only
a bitter and unpleasant draught.
Act of Reparation.
Behold me, O Lord Jesus, prostrate with
a lively faith before thy divine Majesty,
to make reparation to thee for having been
hitherto so ungrateful in thy service . There
lives not one full of good will and affection
for me, whom I do not love in return, and
rejoice to visit, whilst I forget and abandon
thee, O heart of Jesus, worthy of the adora-
tion of men and angels. Heart, truly
worthy to possess the hearts of all mankind,
vouchsafe to change this heart of mine ;
purify and inflame it with thy love, that,
becoming faithful and fervent, I may en-
deavour to practise virtue amongst those
who bear like me the name of children of
thy sacred heart. Amen.
Consecration to the Heart ofJesus, Source

of Living Waters.
Lord Jesus , thou hast said these sweet
words, "If any one thirsts, let him come to
me and drink." Thou art the fountain of
living waters which flow for eternal life, and
at the same time thou art that Saviour from
whom I hear that mysterious complaint, "I
thirst." Ah, loving Redeemer, thou thirst-
eth after this heart of mine ; I beseech thee
take it, and place it for evermore within
thine own. Teach me the holy art of zeal
and charity, in order to make thee known
and loved by those with whom I have any
influence. Let this living water, that is to
say, that grace of which thy heart is the
fruitful source, spring up in my understand-
ing, in order to enlighten it, in my memory
to purify it, my will to direct it, and my
heart to sanctify and inflame it with thy
love. Amen.
FRIDAY.
Sixth Meditation on the Heart of Jesus.

66 All is consummated. "
Our Lord fully accomplished everything
for which he came into the world. Jesus
looked back upon his life, from his birth
in the stable to the last scene on Calvary.
He reflected on the various parts he had
enacted as Mediator, Redeemer, Teacher,
Lawgiver, High Priest, and Guide to Eter-
nity, and found that he had accomplished
everything, and done all with perfection.
He has preached the evangelical truths, con-
firmed his doctrine by miracles, re- established
the kingdom of God, destroyed the slavery
of the devil, sanctified all the elect by one
single sacrifice, and traced the model for
every virtue. All is consummated.
Jesus reflected on the prophecies which
announced the labours, humiliations, indig
nities, and sufferings which divine justice
exacted in order to efface our crimes ; and
seeing that all was accomplished, without
having failed in a single point, his soul was

filled with joy at having satisfied his Father
and saved mankind. All is consummated.
Our Lord reflected on all the good he
had done to mankind during his life, and
found that he had spared nothing in their
favour, but that he had given them every-
thing, his blood, his strength, his graces, his
merits, his doctrine, all the moments of his
life, and tenderness of his heart. All is con-
summated.
One glance over the future showed our
divine Lord all the children of his Church
until the end of the world. He beheld the
treasures of his merits opened to all in the
sacraments, the teaching of his doctrine per-
petuated throughout all ages, by the autho-
rity of this holy Church ; he beheld the zeal
of the apostles, the courage of the martyrs,
the purity of the virgins. The love of the
heart of Jesus has omitted nothing. All is
consummated.
Jesus has fully accomplished everything
in my regard. What has not this good
Master done for me ? How many graces

have I not received since that of baptism,
besides the benefits in common with others
of creation, redemption , and vocation to
Christianity ? How many special graces has
he not granted me, by my birth of Chris-
tian parents, my religious education , even
within the shade of the sanctuary and in
the heart of Jesus ? also by good example,
wise and prudent direction , the reception of
the sacraments , missions, and daily assist-
ance at the holy sacrifice of the mass. Oh,
what treasures have been opened to me, if
I had but profited of them sufficiently !
Even to my own soul may Jesus say from
the altar, " All is consummated. What
could I do for my vineyard that I have not
done ?"
What have I myself done to consum-
mate the work of my salvation ? What
shall I render thee, O Lord, for so many
benefits ? On thy part all is consummated,
but on mine everything yet remains to be
done. I must concur in the work of my
S
salvation, in order that the merits of my

Saviour's passion may be applied to my
soul, and earnestly labour to purify my soul,
conquer my evil inclinations, and faithfully
accomplish the duties of my state.
I must imitate the example of Jesus
Christ pardon my enemies, sacrifice my
interests to the glory of God, mortify my
senses, render good for evil, destroy the
reign of sin wherever I discover it, omit
no good which may possibly be done, and
not lose a moment of the time which is
given me in order to gain eternity.
Examen and Resolutions.
These great words, All is consummated,

comprise the life of him who passes from
time to eternity. Happy is he who can
say, with St Paul, " I have fought the good
fight, I have ended my course, I have kept
the faith; there remainsfor me only to await
the crown ."
Now will end the labours, trials, and
sacrifices of virtue. All is consummated.
The crown only remains ; worldly joys

have ended ; vain pleasures, frivolous
amusements, riches and earthly glory,—All
is consummated. Eternity only remains.
O my God ! if this moment was the last
of my life, could I confidently say, Con-
summatum est? Have I observed thy law,
fulfilled thy commandments, avoided what
thou dost forbid, and accomplished the
duties which have been imposed on me ?
Have I loved thee above all things, and my
neighbour as myself ? Have I received
trials with resignation, and joy with thanks-
giving, as coming from the hand of God ?
Have I asked pardon for my sins, and par-
doned those who have offended me ?
Do not quit our Lord without a generous
resolve to sacrifice to his love what he re-
quires of you.
Act of Reparation.
I cast myself at the foot of thy cross,
adorable Jesus, in order to beg thy forgive-
ness for my continual opposition to thy
divine example. Alas ! far from endea

vouring to finish the work thou hast con-
fided to me, I have destroyed thy image in
my soul by my sins. The good resolutions
with which thy grace inspires me encounter
only dissipation, inconstancy, self-love, and
vanity, as continual obstacles to thy mercy.
O Lord, who hast given me everything with
so much goodness, grant me the additional
favour never more to abuse it. Grant, I
beseech thee, that I may fully avail myself
of all the blessings with which thou loadest
me, that I may eagerly seek them and
faithfully use them ; and that my life may
be a life of gratitude, as thine, O loving
Lord, was one of goodness and infinite gene-
rosity. Amen.

From the fulness of which we have all received.
Most bountiful and generous Saviour, in
whom I live and move and have my being,
whom thou hast purchased with a great
price, it is from thee proceedeth all good
gifts ; I belong to thee by the sacred titles

named in thy holy gospel. O my Jesus,
the way, the truth, and the life, to thy
hands the eternal Father has committed
the children of men, and through thee we
have access to the throne of mercy. Pro-
strate before the throne of thy love, I con-
secrate to thee my body, my soul, my life,
all that I am, and all that I have or hope
to receive.
Vouchsafe, according to the riches of thy
glory, to strengthen my soul by thy grace,
and dwell by faith in my heart, so that,
being rooted and grounded in charity, I
may understand with thy saints what is the
height, and length, and depth, and breadth of
thy love, which surpasseth all understanding.
Finally, grant, O Lord, that at the hour
of death I may confidently say- All is con-
summated. Amen.
SATURDAY.
Seventh Meditation on the Heart of Jesus.

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit !
Oh, how full of filial confidence is this
prayer of Jesus. Behold the last words of
the Son of God, which ought to make a
particular impression on the hearts of his
children. I will meditate upon them, in
order to remember them all the days of my
life, and repeat them again at the hour of
my death in union with my Divine Master.
My Father ! O name of confidence and
love, which softens the rigours of death, I
commend my spirit. Jesus speaks not of
his riches. He has none, and not one of
his creatures can carry them to the other
world. He spoke not of his honour, he
had renounced it ; he died contemned by
all. O sweet and loving Jesus, render my
heart like to thine. Our Lord speaks not
of his body ; he thought but little of it ;
he abandoned it to suffering and death.
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit !
Thou alone canst receive it. Thou hast

given it to me. I confide it to thee alone.
I place it in thy hands, as belonging entirely
to thee.
O Jesus, thou dost commend to thy
Father the souls of thy elect. Christians,
by attaching themselves to Jesus Christ,
become, says St Paul, " one and the same
spirit with him. " What a consolation for
a true servant of the sacred heart, who
makes it his study to renew daily his act
of consecration, giving himself to this
loving Saviour ! The day will come when
all will fade away, whether we will or no,
when the just as well as the sinner must
give back to the earth the body formed of
the earth, giving back to God the spirit
which came from God.
At present our soul is in our hands ; we
can do with it whatever we please. We
may deliver it up to the pleasures of sense,
the follies of the world, the love of earthly
goods, the blindness of error, the hardness
of sin ; or we may, on the contrary, with
the assistance of grace, exercise it in virtue,

raise it to heaven, unite it to God, and fill
it with his love ; but whatever part we take
we must commend it into the hands of God.
Ah ! in order to secure a favourable recep-
tion, let us give it now to the heart of
Jesus.
These words of Jesus are indeed a lesson
to us. Our Lord confirms by his example
the doctrine that he has taught us, recom-
mending to us a child-like confidence in our
heavenly Father. " Your Father knoweth
that you have need of all these things ; be
not solicitous, therefore, as the heathens are;
behold the birds of the air, your heavenly
Father feedeth them ; consider the lilies of
the field, not even Solomon in all his glory
was arrayed as one of these." How much
more care will not your heavenly Father
take of you his children ?
O my Jesus, give me a heart like unto
thine. I am thine in life and death, trust-
ing that thou wilt again repeat in my behalf
+hy last words, Father, I commend this soul,
the soul of this servant who is mine, intothy

merciful hands!
How have I hitherto practised this child-
like confidence towards God. Every day I
several times repeat the words, Our Father,
who art in heaven. Ah! is my heart in ac-
cordance with my lips ?
What is my confidence in the heart of
Jesus. He has taken me to his heart,
mindful of his mercy, which is shown forth
from generation to generation to those who
love and fear him.
O sweet Jesus, I feel my unworthiness,
my weakness, my poverty ; but I hear these
sweet words coming from that adorable
heart, Come to me all you who labour and
are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. O
Lord, wash my soul in the blood which
flows from thy wounds, and give a new
heart to all those who in loving penitence
invoke thee. Amen.
Act of Reparation.
O my divine Jesus, why cannot I, by my
282. SEVEN DAYS' DEVOTION
reverential homage, make reparation for

the neglect with which I have too long re-
paid thy love ? I unite myself to the holy
angels who received thy last sigh ; they
were near thee, O Lord, in order to honour
thy victory ; let their praises make amends
for my want of gratitude so long, alas, with-
held.
I unite myself to the heart of thy blessed
.
mother, who meditated so lovingly on thy
last words ; let the fervour of her love sup-
ply for the coldness of mine. Receive, O
my Jesus, and place within thy heart thy
child who returns to thee, sincerely resolved
to love thee above all things.

King and centre of the hearts of all man-
kind. Heart of Jesus, truly king of all
hearts, reign as a sovereign master in my
affections now and for ever. I will study
more and more to know and love thee, and
strive with all my power to make thee be
known and loved by others. Vouchsafe, O
Lord, to give me the spirit of devotion to

thy sacred heart, in which I beseech thee
to receive me, with all those in the salvation
of whom I am most deeply interested . Oh
howgood it is to dwell in the heart of Jesus.
I will unburthen my heart to that of my
Lord and Saviour. I will confide to him
all my thoughts and all the affections of my
soul, beseeching him to enlighten, comfort,
and conduct me to his divine Father. O
Jesus, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR THE CONFRATERNITY OF

THE SACRED Heart of Jesus, as used
AT THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION, FARM STREET, LONDON.
LITANY.
Lord, have mercy upon us : Lord, have mercy upon
us.
Christ, have mercy upon us : Christ, have mercy
upon us.
284 DEVOTIONS OF THE CONFRATERNITY
Lord, have mercy upon us : Lord, have mercy upon

us.
God, the Father of heaven,
God the Holy Ghost,
Heart of Jesus, hypostatically united to the
eternal Word,
Heart of Jesus, sanctuary of the Divinity,
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the most holy
Trinity,
Heart of Jesus, temple of all sanctity,
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, fountain of all grace,
us
on.
Heart of Jesus, most meek,
Heart of Jesus, most humble,
Heart of Jesus, most obedient,
Heart of Jesus, most chaste,
Heart of Jesus, furnace of divine love,
Heart of Jesus, source of contrition,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of wisdom ,
Heart of Jesus, ocean of goodness,
Heart of Jesus, throne of mercy,
Heart of Jesus, model of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, sorrowful in the garden unto
death,
Heart of Jesus, filled with reproaches,
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, made obedient even unto
death upon the cross,
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance,
OF THE SACRED HEART. 285
mercy
Have
Heart of Jesus, refuge of sinners,
us.
on
Heart of Jesus, strength of the weak,
Heart of Jesus, comfort of the afflicted,
Heart of Jesus, support of the tempted,
Heart of Jesus, perseverance of the just,
Heart of Jesus, hope of the dying,
Heart of Jesus, joy of the blessed,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints,
world, Spare us, O Jesus.
world, Graciously hear us, O Jesus.
world, Have mercy upon us, O Jesus.
V. O most sacred heart of Jesus, have
mercy upon us,
R. That we may worthily love thee with
our whole hearts.
Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God,
that we who glorify the most sacred heart
of thy beloved Son, and commemorate the
principal benefits which his love hath
bestowed upon us, may both delight in so
doing, and may enjoy the fruits thereof,
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
286 ACT OF REPARATION.
An Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

ofJesus.
O adorable heart of Jesus, centre of all

hearts, glowing with charity, and inflamed
with zeal for the glory of God, and for the
salvation of mankind ; O heart of Jesus,
ever sensible of our miseries and ever ready
to afford us relief ; O heart of Jesus, a real
victim of love in the holy Eucharist, and a
propitiatory sacrifice for sin on the altar of
the cross, seeing that a great number of
Christians make no other return for all thy
mercies than contempt of thy favours, for-
getfulness of their own obligations, and in-
gratitude to the best of benefactors, it is
most just that we, thy servants, penetrated
with the deepest sense of the indignities
offered to thee, should, as far as we are able,
make an act of humble reparation to thy
most sacred majesty. Prostrate, therefore,
in body, and with humble and contrite
hearts, we declare our detestation of such
conduct. Intense was the bitterness which
ACT OF REPARATION. 287
our manifold sins brought on thy tender

heart, immense the weight of our iniquities.
which pressed thy face to the earth in the
garden of Olives, and inconceivable thy
anguish when, expiring with love, grief, and
agony on Mount Calvary, thou didst in thy
last breath pray for sinners, and invite them
to their duty and repentance. This we know,
O dear Redeemer, and we would willingly
make some amends for thy sufferings, by
patience under our own slight crosses and
afflictions.
O merciful Jesus, ever present on our
altars, and with a heart open to receive all
who labour and are burdened ; O adorable
heart of Jesus, source of true contrition, give
to our hearts the spirit of sincere repent-
ance, and to our eyes a fountain of tears,
that we may bewail our own sins and the
sins of the world. Pardon, O divine Jesus,
all the injuries and outrages which thy sacred
heart has received from mankind. Forgive
all the impieties, irreverences, and sacrileges
which have been committed against thee in
288 ACT OF REPARATION.
the sacrament of the Eucharist from its first

institution. Graciously receive the small
tribute of our sincere repentance, as an
agreeable offering in thy sight, and in return
for the benefits we daily receive from the
altar, where thou art a living and continued
sacrifice, and in union of that holocaust
thou didst present to thy eternal Father on
the cross.
Sweet Jesus, give thy blessing to the
ardent desire we now feel, and to the holy
resolution we have taken, of ever loving and
adoring thee with our whole hearts in the
sacrament of thy love, thus to repair, by a
true conversion of heart, and by an ardent
zeal for thy glory, our past negligences and
infidelities. Be thou, O adorable heart, who
knowest the clay of which we are formed,
be thou our Mediator with thy heavenly
Father, whom we have so grievously of-
fended. Strengthen our weakness, confirm
our resolution, and with thy charity, meek-
ness, and patience, cancel the multitude of
our iniquities. Be thou our support, our
ACT OF REPARATION. 289
refuge, and our strength, that nothing hence-

forth, in life or death, may separate us from
thee. Amen.
Act of Reparation for the Members of

Religious Houses.
My Saviour Jesus Christ, worthy victim

of the Most High, thou dwellest in religious
houses as in thine own especial habitation,
and amongst the most illustrious portion of
thy flock, in order to make all Religious con-
quests to thy love, and victims consecrated
to thy glory. This it is which keeps thee
concealed in the tabernacle, and in the en-
closure ofthis monastery, which thou regard-
est as thy chosen vineyard, in which thou
hast raised the stronghold of thy divine
sacrament, or, in other words, thine own
body, as an invincible fortress against all
its enemies. Thou hast surrounded it with
the rampart of the Rules and the sublime
laws of thy holy gospel. Thou hast placed
there the winepress of thy adorable blood,
and hast abundantly showered down the
T
290 ACT OF REPARATION
heavenly dew of thy graces over them ; and

before the whole heavenly court thou sayest,
" What could I do for my vineyard that I
have not done to it ? " I have expected that it
should produce good fruit, and it has brought
forth only that which is wild and bitter.
O my God, very frequently those for whom
thou hast the most solicitude, correspond
the least to thy tenderness, and afflict thy
heart most profoundly, compelling thee thus
to complain, Si inimicus maledixisset mihi,
sustinuissem utique-" If my enemy had
reviled me, I would willingly have borne
with it ;" but that those whom I have en-
tertained daily at my table, whereof I am
myself the nourishment, should thus rebel-
that they, the children of my house, should
thusrise against me-is insupportable to me.
Truly are sins committed in a holy place
much more grievous ; and it is against such
profanations of thy holy dwellings that thou
hast pronounced this sentence, He who has
done evil in the holy place shall not see the
glory of God. O Lord, let thy mercy this
FOR RELIGIOUS. 291
day arrest the arm of thy justice ; behold

me prostrate before thee in order to make
thee a worthy reparation for all the indig
nities, tepidity, want of reverence, contempt,
and negligence, with which we approach to
this adorable sacrament-for all the com-
munions made through custom, ostentation,
and hypocrisy for all the sins we commit
in this house, which thou sanctifiest by thy
real presence. Ah ! I would that my sor-
row were great as the sea, that my eyes
might shed tears of blood, wherewith to
weep over the injuries thou sufferest from
thy most cherished children, and from my-
self in particular, who am the most guilty of
all. Ah ! why have I not enough zeal and
fervour that I might worthily repair all the
injuries thou hast received ? Vouchsafe to
accept these my desires. Would that I
could unite in my faith and love, and by
the sacrifice I make thee of whatever is
mine, those sentiments with which thy Holy
Spirit has inspired thy Blessed Mother and
thy saints. Amen.
292 HYMN.
HYMN TO THE SACRED HEART. *

To Jesus' heart all burning
With fervent love for men,
My heart with fondest yearning
Shall raise its joyful strain.
CHORUS-While ages course along,
Blest be with loudest song
The sacred heart of Jesus,
By every heart and tongue.
O heart for sinners riven

By sheer excess of love !
The spear through thee was driven ;
"Twas sin of mine that drove.
While ages course along, &c.
My soul would have thee grant her

One thing, her only prayer, -
Keep, Lord, in thy heart's centre
A resting place for her.
As thou art meek and lowly,

And ever pure of heart,
So may my heart be wholly
Of thine the counterpart.
* From the German, by the Rev. Father Christie , S. J.
APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER. 293
Would that to me were given

The pinions of the dove,
I'd speed athwart the heaven,
My Jesus' love to prove.
Within the cleft I'll cower,
Of Jesus' wounded side ;
In sunshine or in shower
Securely there I'll hide.
When life away is flying,

And earth's false glare is done,
Still, Sacred Heart, in dying
I'll say, I'm all thine own.
THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER AND ASSOCIA-

TION OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.
The Apostleship of Prayer is in the most perfect

sense a devotion to the Heart of Jesus ; it is the
practice of that precept of St Paul which contains
the abridgment of Christian perfection : Let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. It
has for its end to unite so thoroughly all Christian
hearts with the Heart of their God, as to lead them
294 APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER .
to appropriate to themselves all his intentions, and,

ceasing to think solely of themselves, to unite with
him in the great interests that are the objects of his
intercession, for the extension of divine glory, the
conversion of sinners, the advancement of the just,
and the triumph of the Church.
In order to gain the indulgences granted to the
Apostleship of Prayer, it is sufficient that those who
have been admitted, whether individually or collec-
tively, to this Association, offer their actions each
day for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This offering, which manifestly excludes no indivi-
dual good intention, may be made by reciting the
prayer of the Association to the Sacred Heart, that
is, the Pater, Ave, and Creed, with the Aspiration,
Heart of Jesus burning with love ofme, inflame my
heart withlove ofthee. It will be well to renew these
intentions in reciting the Angelus, and still better to
unite ourselves with the masses that are said every
hour of the day in some part or other of the world,
and to say, at least in the interior of the heart, at
the beginning of our actions : Divine Heart ofJesus,
I offer thee this action for all the intentions for which
thou immolatest thyself at this moment on the altar to
God thy Father.
This renewal of intentions cannot fail to augment
considerably the merit of the different actions of the
day; nevertheless, in order to render these actions
meritorious, and to have a share in the privileges of
the Apostleship of Prayer, the general offering made
at the beginning of the day is sufficient.
INDULGENCES. 295
INDULGENCES
That may be gained by the Associates ofthe
Apostleship of Prayer.
(Pius IX. -26th Feb. 1861. )
I.-PLENARY INDULGENCES.
N.B.-In order to gain these Indulgences it is
necessary to confess, receive the Holy Communion,
and pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff.
1º. On the day of admission . 2°. On the feast of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or the Sunday immedi-
ately following. 3°. On the first Friday of each
month, and one other day at the choice of the Asso-
ciates, on condition that they have recited each day
of the month the prayer of the Association , that is,
the Pater, Ave, and Creed, with the Aspiration,
Heart of Jesus burning with love of me, inflame my
heart with love ofthee. (The indulgence of the first
Friday may be transferred to the first Sunday. ) 4°.
Another Friday or other day of each month, equally
at the choice of the Associates, on condition that they
pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff in a
public church . 5°. On the feasts of Christmas, Holy
Thursday, Easter Sunday, Ascension, the Immaculate
Conception, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, the
Annunciation, the Purification , and the Assumption;
on the Feast of St Joseph spouse of the Blessed Vir-
gin, of the holy apostles SS. Peter and Paul, of St
John the Evangelist, of St Gregory the Great, (12th
March, ) of All Saints, and on the Commemoration
296 INDULGENCES.
of the Souls of the faithful departed, on condition

that they visit a church in which the Association of
the Sacred Heart is established. 6°. On the six
Fridays or the six Sundays preceding the feast of the
Sacred Heart, on condition that they visit a church
where this feast is celebrated. 7°. A plenary indul-
gence is granted to those who have been admitted to
the perpetual adoration, any day they may select,
on condition that they spend on that day about an
hour in exercises of piety, renewing their baptismal
engagements and other good resolutions, and that
they pray in a public church for the intentions of the
Sovereign Pontiff. 8°. Those who engage on any day
of each month to make a visit to the Blessed Sacra-
ment, and to pray for a quarter of an hour, endea-
vouring to appease the Divine Majesty, gain a plenary
indulgence on Holy Thursday, and also another on
the day on which they perform this exercise. 9°.
Also a plenary indulgence is gained at the hour of
death, by invoking the holy name of Jesus, at least
with the heart, if it cannot be done with the lips.
II. PARTIAL INDULGENCES.

1º. An indulgence of one hundred days is given
for all the actions that are offered according to the
recommendations given each month by the Director
of the Apostleship in the Messager du Sacre- Cœur.
2°. An indulgence of sixty days for every pious action,
on condition that the Associate recite every day
the prayer of the Association already mentioned.
3°. An indulgence of seven years and seven quaran-
tines, on the same condition, on the four Sundays
INDULGENCES. 297
preceding the feast of the Sacred Heart. 4°. An in-

dulgence of the stations at Rome on the feasts, vigils,
and octaves of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, on
the feasts of the Epiphany, the Ascension, and of St
Mark, on all the days in Lent, the Rogation and Em-
ber days, on the Sundays of Advent, Septuagesima,
Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, on condition that
on those days the Associate visit a church of the
Association. 5°. An indulgence of seven years and
seven quarantines on the lesser feasts of the Blessed
Virgin and of the Apostles, on condition that a visit
is made to the same church. 6°. An indulgence of
seven years and seven quarantines, on the nine days
preceding the feast of the Sacred Heart, on condition
of visiting a church where the feast is celebrated.
Those who are prevented from making the pre-

scribed visits may substitute any pious act enjoined
by their confessor.
Another advantage which the Associates of the

Apostleship ofPrayer will doubtless value much, is the
special participation granted to them in the prayers
and good works of the religious of the Society of
Jesus, of the Society of Mary, of the two Congrega-
tions of the Sacred Heart, of the regular clerics
called Theatines, and of the religious of both sexes
of La Trappe.
The Associate may choose the day on which to

gain the indulgence attached to the admittance into
the Association. The day of the year, as also the
298 INDULGENCES.
day of each month, may be selected on which to per-

form the exercise of the perpetual worship. But
this devotion is by no means of obligation.
THE FOLLOWING INDULGENCES HAVE BEEN GRANTED

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CONFRATERNITIES OF
THE SACRED HEART.
I.-PLENARY INDULGENCES.
1. On the day of admission.
2. On the feast of the Sacred Heart, whether kept
on the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi,
or on the Sunday following.
3. On the first Friday or the first Sunday of each
month.
4. On any one day of each month which the As-
sociates may choose.
5. At the hour of death, on condition that the
Associate invoke, at least mentally, the holy name of
Jesus.
6. On Maunday Thursday ; on Easter Sunday ; on
Ascension day ; on Christmas day.
7. On the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, (Feb.
2 ;) on the Annunciation, (Mar. 25 ; ) on the Assump-
tion, (Aug. 15 ;) on the Nativity, (Sept. 8 ; ) on the
Immaculate Conception, (Dec. 8 ;) on All Saints,
(Nov. 1 ;) on All Souls, (Nov. 2 ; ) on St Joseph, (Mar.
19 ;) on SS. Peter and Paul, (June 29 ; ) on St John
the Evangelist, (Dec. 27.)
8. On the six Fridays or the six Sundays immedi-
ately preceding the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
INDULGENCES . 299
II.-PARTIAL INDULGENCES.
1. An indulgence of thirty years, and of thirty
times forty days ; on Good Friday ; on Holy Satur-
day ; on every day during Easter week, including
Low Sunday ; on every day during the Octave of
Pentecost ; on the three days after Christmas day ;
on the Circumcision ; on the Epiphany ; on the Sun-
days of Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquages-
ima ; on the Feast of St Mark, (April 25 ; ) on the
three Rogation days.
2. An indulgence of twenty-five years, and of
twenty-five times forty days ; on Palm Sunday.
3. An indulgence of fifteen years, and of fifteen
times forty days ; on Ash Wednesday ; onthe fourth
Sunday ofLent ; on the third Sunday of each month ;
on Christmas eve ; at the Aurora Mass of Christmas
day.
4. An indulgence of ten years, and of ten times
forty days ; on every day in Lent ; on all the Sun-
days of advent ; on all Ember days.
5. An indulgence of seven years, and of seven times
forty days ; on each of the nine days which precede
the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
6. An indulgence of seven years, and of seven times
forty days ; on each of the four Sundays immediately
preceding the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
7. An indulgence of sixty days for each work of
piety performed by the members.
All the above indulgences are applicable to the
souls in Purgatory.
300 LITANY.
The conditions for gaining the indulgences,

whether plenary or partial, are—
1. That the Associates confess their sins, with sin-
cere repentance, to a Priest approved by the Bishop.
2. That they worthily receive the holy commun-
ion.
3. That, on the day of their communion, they
pray for the intentions of his Holiness, reciting for
this purpose at least five Our Fathers and five Hail
Marys.
4. That the Associates say every day an Our
Father, a Hail Mary, and the Creed, with the fol-
lowing Prayer, O Divine Heart of Jesus, cause me
to love thee more and more.
To gain the plenary indulgences in Nos. 6, 7, and
8, and the partial indulgences in Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5, it is necessary either to visit a church or
chapel of the confraternity, or to perform some other
good work enjoined by the Confessor of the Asso-
ciate,
LITANY IN HONOUR OF THE BLESSED

MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE.
on us.
LITANY. 301

Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
St John,
St Francis of Sales,
St Jane Frances Chantal ,
Blessed Margaret Mary,
Pearl of great price,
Flower of the field,
Lily of the valleys,
Morning rose,
Child most dear to Mary,
Pray
Incense of sweet odour,
for
Palm of patience,
Treasure of charity, us.
Despiser of the world,
Spouse most beloved of Christ,
Violet of the garden of St Francis of Sales,
Star shining in the midst of clouds,
Rule of obedience,
Model of mortification,
Seraph before the altar,
Sanctuary of the heart of Jesus,
Delight of the heart of Jesus,
Apostle of the heart of Jesus,
Plaintive dove,
Dove most beautiful,
Rock unmoved in the midst of tempests ,
Mistress most gentle,
Angel of holy counsel,
302 LITANY.
Terror of demons,
Pray
Intercessor for sinners,
for
us.
Solace of the poor,
Relief of the sick,
Holocaust of divine love,
New star of the Church,
Joy of thy holy order,
Glory of thy people,
Anthem.
The kingdom of heaven is like to a mer-

chant seeking good pearls, who, when he
had found one of great price, gave all that
he had and bought it.
V. Grace is poured abroad in thy lips ;

R. Therefore God hath blessed thee for
ever.
LITANY. 303
Prayer.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast wonder-
fully revealed to the blessed Margaret, Vir-
gin, the unsearchable riches of thy heart :
grant that we, by her merits and following
her example, may love thee in all things and
above all things, and may be found worthy
to obtain an eternal resting-place in the
same thy heart.
Accept, O Lord, the offerings of thy
people, and grant that we may feel the
flames of that divine fire, which, issuing
from the heart of thy Son, inflamed so
ardently the blessed Margaret.
Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we who have
received the mysteries of thy body and
blood, may, through the intercession of the
blessed Margaret, be made worthy to cast.
away the proud vanities of the world, and
to put on the gentleness and humility of
thy heart.
BALLANTYNE, ROBERTS, AND CO. , PRINTERS, EDINBURGH

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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized

by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the

THE SACRED HEART.

Come to me all you that labour, and

THE SACRED HEART :;

A SELECT VOLUME OF PRAYER

FOR DAILY USE.

COMPILED AND TRANSLATED FROM APPROVED

Ad Itlujorem Dei Glorium.

Page 2 line 6 from top, for man, read men.

GUL. A. JOHNSON, S.T.D. ,

THE SACRED HEART.

Come to me all you that labour, and

THE SACRED HEART :

A SELECT VOLUME OF PRAYER

FOR DAILY USE.

COMPILED AND TRANSLATED FROM APPROVED

Ad Itlajorem Dei Glorium.

Page 2 line 6 from top, for man, read men.

GUL. A. JOHNSON, S.T.D.,

THE SACRED HEART.

MEDITATION FOR THE EVE OF THE FIRST

On the Confidence which we should Repose

she asked herself, How the revelations with

ness, takes delight in so divine a work. He

safed himself to teach us the prayer which

you showed after this any doubt or fear.

Bernard compares the divine mercy to an

of thy mercies." " The efficacy of prayer,"

confidence," as St Paul recommends us,

The venerable Mary of the Incarnation

through which I will hear thee." Address

MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST FRIDAY OF

It is Sweet to Die in the Heart of Jesus.

who love him, we shall one day trium-

In order to receive the fulness of the

terrors, and wholly disengages them from

charity yet stronger, which would detain

thought of the near approach of eternity ;

fear death ? David has, however, said, that

of repentant love is tenderly fixed on the

there is neither darkness nor storms, intense

veal himself, that his love would penetrate

hundred days, extended afterwards by a newrescript

the name of all mankind, for thy glory and

Prayers to be said in Time of Trouble.

V. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring

Morning Prayer on Awaking.

desire to employ it to thy glory and in thy

bestow upon all mankind the happiness of

may live only in thee. Occupied in imi-

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed

The Angelical Salutation.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, our Lord is

with thee ; blessed art thou amongst women,

The Apostles' Creed.

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed

Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the

LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS .