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, Virgin most venerable, Virgin most renowned, Virgin most powerful, Virgin most merciful, Virgin most faithful, Mirror of Justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual Vessel, Vessel of honour, Vessel of singular de- Ark of the Covenant, Pray for us. Morning Star, Regina Apostolorum, Regina Martyrum, Queen of Martyrs, Regina Confessorum, Regina sine labe originali Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: Parce nobis Domine. Agnus Dei, &c.: Exaudi Christe, audi nos. V. Ora pro nobis, Queen of Confessors, Queen, conceived without Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, &c.: Gra ciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, &c.: Have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us, V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God: R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Defend, we beseech Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Blessed Mary ever-virgin, this Thy family from all adversity; and mercifully protect us, who prostrate ourselves before Thee with our whole hearts, from the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Devotions before Confession. IT will be well if before Confession the mind be allowed to dwell for a short time upon the two great properties of the Sacrament of Penance: that of reconciling sinners to God, and that of imparting to all who approach it worthily, an invaluable help to lead a life acceptable to Him. As Confession is the only constituted channel through which they can obtain pardon and reconciliation who, by mortal sin, have, to their own ruin, made themselves enemies of God, it is needless to insist on the importance to them of hastening to this one source of mercy and peace. But it is also highly important to all as a means of obtaining abundant grace. For those who are free from the guilt of mortal sin, are seldom, if ever, free from venial stains; and if we consider how great is the purity of heart which God requires of all who by Baptism have been made His children, that none but the pure in heart shall see God, and that our fallen nature is ever drawing us to evil, we shall not be slow to realise how important it is to obtain all the help that is offered us. And experience has conclusively proved what abundant help is given in this Sacrament; and that by a constant acknowledgment of our faults in Confession, the mind is kept humble, evil inclination weakened, the attractiveness of sin deadened, and the soul more and more cleansed from all that, even venially, is displeasing to God; and thus brought to an ever increasing state of grace and acceptableness in His sight. How, then, can help which is so greatly needed be too much prized; or a practice so full of advantages be carried too far? But to approach this Sacrament worthily, it is necessary to begin by a careful self-examination: praying for the help of God that this may be done profitably. A Prayer before the Examination. GOD, my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Judge, give me grace, I beseech Thee, worthily to prepare for this Sacrament. Enlighten my mind that I may truly discern all the sins which I have committed against Thee. Remove from me, all indifference and forgetfulness let me see every action of my past life in the light in which it is seen by Thee, and as I myself shall see it at the hour of death. Save me from the misfortune of thinking of myself otherwise than I deserve. Thou knowest, O Lord, what I am: teach me, in Thy mercy, to know myself. For I know that I have sinned in a thousand ways; I know it in general, but without Thy help I shall vainly endeavour to remember my sins as I ought. Help me, then, O God, in this examination. May Thy holy light dissipate the darkness of my night; may Thy grace lead me in all my inquiries, and prompt me to discover the truth. May it shew me the number and the quality of my offences; and may it inspire me with a proper hatred of them: that I may thus be enabled to declare them truly as they are to Thy minister, without change or disguise, increase or diminution; and weeping over the past, and firmly purposing never to offend Thee again, obtain mercy and grace. Let such, O Lord, I beseech Thee, be the fruits of this confession. Give me such feelings of gratitude for Thy goodness, and such a holy love for Thee, that my heart may be filled with lasting sorrow for having offended Thee in the past, and a firm resolution no more to sin against Thee, who art my great, and loving, and merciful Creator. Amen. THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS, 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. 2. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. 1. I am the Lord thy God. have strange gods before me. Thou shalt not Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth below, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them nor serve them. 2. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbathday.... thou shalt do no work on it, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. |