hast bidden me to love even as I have given way to my own 3. GOD, to my shame, I confess myself a sinner: I have offended against Thy Divine Majesty, and against my neighbour, whom Thou me this hard, stony, envious, carnal, worldly heart of mine, and give me a heart conformed to Thy will, that I also may be numbered among the children of faithful Abraham. For Thou art He Who did come to seek and save that which was lost: Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. 4. HAVE gone astray, like a sheep that is lost. O Jesu, Good Shepherd, seek Thy servant, bring me back into the way of Thy commandments. For Thou hast said, I will seek that which was lost, and will bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. Behold, O Lord, the countless wounds of my sins, and heal them. Though I am unworthy, yet lift me up and bear me in Thy arms; number me amongst the flock of Thine elect, that I may evermore sing of Thy loving mercies; Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. 5. LORD, I have gone down from Jerusalem to Jeri cho; I have left the place of peace for the desert of the world's delusions, and the pleasures of the flesh, and have fallen into the hands of my ghostly enemies, by whom I have been robbed of my innocency, and left wounded unto death. Cast Thy pitiful eyes upon me, O good Samaritan, and have mercy upon me lying in the misery of my sins. There is none who can help me in this wretched condition, but Thou alone, Lord Jesu, and in Thee is all my hope. Thou art the only Physician of my soul. I prav Thee, pour into my hands th oil of Thy mercy and the wine of Thy grace, and hide me under the shadow of Thy wings, for there is my rest, and therein will I rejoice. 6. ALMIGHTY GOD, ineffable is the brightness of Thy glory, and intolerable is the breath of Thine anger against impenitent sinners. But immense and unfathomable are the promises of Thy mercy, for Thou, O Lord, art the Lord God merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Thou, O God, according to the multitude of Thy mercies, givest repentance to those who sin against Thee, and dost promise to the penitent remission of sin and salvation. O God, I have sinned above the number of the sand by the sea shore, my iniquities are manifold, and I am not worthy to raise my eyes to heaven on acconnt of the multitude of my sins. Wherefore I kneel and implore Thee, O God, to give me goodness. I have sinned, O God, I have sinned, and I confess my sin. I pray Thee to pardon me; destroy me not with my sins, neither in Thine anger damn me or all eternity. For Thou, O God, art the God of penitents, Who showest Thy goodness towards me: wherefore also save me according to the greatness of Thy mercy, that I may praise Thee all the days of my life, and that all the powers of heaven may praise Thee for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BE 7. EFORE Thine eyes, O God, we bring our faults, and the stripes we have received for them. If we consider the ill we have done, what we suffer is little; what we have committed is great. What we have done is serious; what we have endured is light. We feel the punishment of sin; and yet we do not desist from sinning. Our weakness is crushed by adversity; but our iniquities are not changed. Our minds are sadly tortured; but our necks are not bent, Our life is filled with sorrow; but our works are not improved. If Thou wait, we do not amend; if Thou punish, we cannot bear it. We confess when corrected that we have done amiss; but we forget when Thy visitation is passed what we bewailed. If Thou stretch out Thine hand, we make promises unto Thee; if Thou withdraw Thy sword, we do not perform our vows. If Thou smite us, we cry to Thee to spare; if Thou spare, we again provoke Thee to smite us. If troubles come, we pray for a time of repentance; if Thy mercy grant it, we abuse the patience that spared us. Scarcely have we recovered from the chastisement Thou hast sent us, when we forget wherefore Thou hast chastened us. If Thou hear us quickly, we become hardened to Thy mercy; if Thou delay, we murmur impatiently. We desire Thee, O God, to preserve what Thou hast made; and yet are too slothful to do what Thou commandest. We accuse ourselves before Thee, O God; and know that if Thou pardonest us not Thou mayest justly destroy us. Grant, O Father Almighty, what we ask without any merit on our part, Who hast made us out of nothing, who cry to Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayers against the Seven Deadly Sins, which may be said with the Seven Penitential Psalms. 1. Pride.-Ps. vi. OUR UR Lord Jesus Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, and I, a poor worm, I who am but dust and ashes, I the greatest of sinners, who have merited death a thousand times, I, O God, have not feared to be puffed up. Have mercy upon me, O God; I acknowledge and detest my abominable arrogance. I pray Thee cast me not into the pit with the proud Lucifer and his angels, but turn and deliver my soul. Help me and save me for Thy mercies' sake, and I will henceforth choose rather to be lowly in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness. Hear me, O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2. Avarice.-Ps. xxxii. WHAT have I in Heaven but Thee, O God? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing: I shall be satisfied when Thy glory shall appear. Alas, that I have hitherto so diligently served mammon; What shall it profit me if I shall gain the whole world and lose my own soul? The proud have robbed; they have slept their sleep, and all the men whose hands were mighty have found nothing, I confess my iniquity, O God: do Thou forgive the wickedness of my sin. What I have unjustly acquired I will restore: I will be more merciful to the poor: I will serve Thee more diligently for the future. Help me. O God, Who fillest my desire with good things, and hear me, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Re me, God, forgive my iniquity and my obstinacy in which I have so long persevered. From my heart I pardon and remit whatsoever sins others have committed against me. buke me not, O Lord, in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy heavy displeasure. Let me be now as a deaf man that heareth not, and as one that is dumb that doth not open his mouth, when my enemies rise up against me, and temptations come upon me by which I might lose my soul. Leave me not, O God, neither forsake me, for Thou art my strength and my patience. Hear me, O God, through Jesus Christ our Amen. 4. Lust.-Ps. li. me, O God, from sinning again. Let me not again, Lord Jesu, tread under foot Thy most precious Blood, shed for the washing away of my sins. Forbid this, O God, forbid it. I pray Thee, O Son of the most chaste Virgin Mary, deliver me from the spirit of fornication. Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me: Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. 5. Gluttony.-Ps. cii. Lord. WOE GOD, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to he called Thy son. What shall I do now? For Thy Spirit will not always strive with man, because that he is also flesh, Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me. It is of Thy goodness that I am not even now burn ing in hell with so many reprobates whom this miserable sin hath destroyed. Keep OE is me that I have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed out for myself cisterns, broken cisterns, which can hold no water: In truth I have forgotten to eat my bread, the bread of life, which containeth in itself all sweetness, and have filled my belly with the husks of swine. Whilst the food was yet in the mouths of the children of Israel the wrath of God came upon them; and I have been so often spared, who have defiled Thine image, O God, by intemperance in meat and drink. Grant me hereafter to eat |