The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety / Containing a Selection of Fervent Prayers, Pious Reflection, and Solid Instructions, Adapted to Every State of Life. To Which is Annexed a Supplement, Containing Excellent and Approved Devotions, With the Epistles and Gospels for All the Sundays and Festivals of the Year.

O most sweet Lord Jesus, by this most liberal effusion of thy precious blood, by thy bitter death and passion, and all thy sacred wounds, vouchsafe to wound my heart with that tender love, wherewith the holy heart of thy most blessed mother was wounded under the cross, that tears of love and penance may be my bread day and night; and convert me wholly to thee, that my heart may be thy perpetual habitation, my conversation pleasing and acceptable to thy divine Majesty, and the end of my life so laudable, that having finished this mortal pilgrimage, I may be admitted into immortal glory, to praise and glorify thee my sovereign Lord, in the sweet society of thy holy angels and saints, to all eternity. Amen.

O most gracious Lord Jesus, be propitious to me a sinner. Pater Noster. Ave Maria.

Conclusion.

O most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, vouchsafe to receive these prayers, in union with that most excellent love wherewith thou didst suffer all the wounds of thy most precious body; and be merciful to me thy poor, unworthy servant, and all sinners, with all faithful souls, both living and dead; graciously granting to us all mercy, grace, remission of sins, and life everlasting. Amen.

Devotions To The
Sacred Heart Of Jesus.

That the Associates of the Sacred Heart may discharge the obligations required of them, they should daily repeat one Pater, one Ave, and the Creed, with the following aspiration: Adorable Heart of Jesus, grant that I may increase in thy love. They should also spend one hour in the year, at their own choosing, in the presence of the blessed Sacrament, in making acts of reparation, &c.

Act Of Consecration.

To thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus; I devote and offer up my life, thoughts, words, actions, pains, and sufferings. To thee I consecrate my soul and body, with all the faculties and senses thereof, so that no part of my being may any longer be employed, but in loving, serving, honouring, and glorifying thee. Be thou, O most Sacred Heart! the sole object of my love, the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be thou also, O most bountiful Heart! my justification at the throne of God, and screen me from his anger, which I have so justly merited. In thee I place all my confidence, and convinced, as I am, of my own weakness, I rely entirely on thy compassionate mercy. Annihilate in me all that is displeasing and offensive to thy pure eye. Imprint thyself like a divine seal on my heart, that I may ever remember my obligations, and never be separated from thee. May my name also I beseech thee, by thy tender goodness, ever be fixed and engraved in thee, O Book of Life! and may I ever be a victim consecrated to thy glory, ever burning with the flames of thy pure love, and entirely penetrated with it for all eternity! In this I place all my happiness; this is all my desire, to live and die in no other quality, but that of thy devoted servant. Amen.

The Litany Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus.

A Reparation Of Honour To The Sacred Heart.

To be made on the Feast itself, or at any other time, in presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

O most amiable and adorable Heart of Jesus! centre of all hearts, glowing with charity, and inflamed with zeal for the interest of thy Father and the salvation of mankind; O Heart, ever sensible of our misery, and ever ready to redress our evils; the real victim of love in the holy Eucharist, and a propitiatory sacrifice for sin on the altar of the cross! seeing that the generality of Christians make no other return for these thy mercies, than contempt for thy favours, forgetfulness of their own obligations, and ingratitude to the best of benefactors; is it not just that we thy servants, penetrated with the deepest sense of such indignities, should, as far as in our power, make a due and satisfactory reparation of honour to thy most sacred Majesty? Prostrate, therefore, in body, and humbled in mind, before heaven and earth, we solemnly declare our utter detestation and abhorrence of such conduct. Inexpressible, we know, was the bitterness which the multitude of our sins brought on thy tender heart; insufferable the weight of our iniquities, which pressed thy face to the earth in the garden of Olives; and insurmountable thy anguish, when expiring with love, grief, and agony, on Mount Calvary, in thy last breath thou wouldst reclaim sinners to their duty and repentance. This we know, O dear Redeemer! and would most willingly redress these thy sufferings by our own, or share with thee in thine!

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, impart to our hearts the true spirit of penance, and to our eyes a fountain of tears, that we may bewail our sins, and the sins of the world. Pardon, divine Jesus! all the injuries and outrages done to thee in the course of thy holy life and bitter passion. Pardon all the impieties, irreverences, and sacrileges, which have been committed against thee in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, since its first institution:—graciously receive the small tribute of our sincere repentance, as an agreeable offering in thy sight, and in requital for the benefits we daily receive from thy altar, where thou art a living and continual sacrifice, and in union with that bloody holocaust thou didst present to thy eternal Father, on Mount Calvary.

Sweet Jesus! give thy blessing to the ardent desire we now entertain, and the holy resolution we have taken, of ever loving and adoring thee, with our whole mind and with our whole heart, in the sacrament of thy love; thus to repair, by a true conversion of heart, and a zeal for thy glory, our past negligence 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 offended; strengthen our weakness, confirm our resolution, and with thy charity, humility, meekness, and patience, cover the multitude of our iniquities. Be thou our support, our refuge, and our strength, that nothing henceforward in life or death may separate us from thee. Amen.

Devotions For The Sick.

Instruction.

The state of sickness and sufferings is to be regarded as a fatherly visitation, whereby God knocks at the door of our hearts, to put us in mind of our mortality. It is a call from heaven, a timely warning to prepare for eternity, by spending the remainder of our life in the love and service of our Creator. It is the touchstone of patience, the school, or rather the harvest of penance, resignation, and every Christian virtue. It is the test of our love, by which we may judge whether we acquit ourselves of duties that are agreeable to nature, in conformity to the will of God, or only do them because they are agreeable to our own will. We know not what we are until we are tried. It costs us nothing to say, "We love thee, O God, above all things;" or to show the courage of martyrs at a distance, when we have nothing to cross or thwart our inclinations; but that love is sincere which stands the proof.

If we loved God sincerely, we would on all occasions embrace, desire, and find no happiness but in the accomplishment of his holy will. We would be prepared to bear whatever crosses and calamities he is pleased to send us, with a patient resignation. We would rejoice in them as the greatest blessings, and the sources of immortal crowns. We would regard them as precious talents, to be improved by the increase of our love and affection for God, and the exercise of the most heroic virtues of self-denial, patience, humility, &c.

To be dejected and impatient under sickness and trials, to indulge murmurs and complaints, to repine and call ourselves wretched and unhappy, &c, are signs that an inordinate self-love reigns in our hearts, and that we seek our own inclinations more than the will of God, who has bequeathed the cross to his elect, as their portion and inheritance in this world. It is in vain that we take the name of Christians, or pretend to follow Christ, unless we also carry our cross after his example. It is in vain for us to expect to be glorified with Jesus, unless we also suffer with Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us on the cross, that he might unite us, by it, eternally to himself. We cannot arrive at heaven by any other road. If we courageously embrace our cross, God will be our comfort and support, as he was the comfort and support of the holy martyrs under the most severe trials. He will not forsake us, unless we first forsake him by sin.

Too nice and anxious a care of health, is also an evident sign of inordinate self-love, and hatred of mortification. Nevertheless, as a man is not master of his own life or health, he is bound to take a moderate and reasonable care not to throw either of them away, nor neglect the essential prescriptions of physicians in the simple and ordinary remedies and succours of medicine. But he who trusts more in the art of physicians than in the Lord, deserves to be disappointed, like Asa, king of Juda, who became the victim of death, because he placed more confidence in his physicians than in God. Wherefore a Christian in his sickness should, in the first place, consider God as his chief physician, make his peace with him, and seek the health of his soul, by having recourse to the holy sacraments in due time, whilst he is in a condition to receive them with the proper dispositions. If he be in debt, or has any restitution or satisfaction to make, he should take care to have these obligations discharged to the best of his power. He should settle his temporal affairs without delay, that he may wholly apply his thoughts afterwards, without any disturbance, to the care of his immortal soul. He ought to beg of God to extinguish in him all self-love, and to dispose of him as he pleases. He ought to excite in his soul devout acts of faith, hope, charity, contrition, patience, resignation, &c. He should endeavour to sanctify his sufferings, by receiving them from the hand of God, by bearing them in the spirit of penance, by offering them in satisfaction for his sins, and by uniting them with the sufferings of his blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.—"Omnia si pardas, animam servare memento." "Although you should lose everything else, be careful to save your soul."

A Prayer In The Beginning Of Sickness.

O my God, I accept this sickness with which thou art pleased to visit me, as a favour from, thy heavenly hand. I accept all its circumstances and consequences, in satisfaction for my sins. Thou hast given me health and strength, O Lord, and thou hast taken them away: may thy holy name, O Lord, be blessed for ever. I bow down my whole soul to adore thee in all thy appointments. I resign myself entirely into the hands of thy providence, and acknowledge that thou dost treat me with too much indulgence. I know I deserve greater evils than those I now endure, and that I merit, by my sins, pains infinitely greater than even the pains of hell, where I would long since have been, had not thy pure mercy interposed between my soul and thy justice. Alas! how many are now suffering there for crimes less than mine? My pains are nothing in comparison to theirs. I have no reason to complain. O may thy holy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I offer myself, with an entire submission, to suffer whatever thou pleasest, as long as thou pleasest, and in what manner thou pleasest. May this sickness be to the honour of thy holy name, and to the good of my soul. But, O Lord, have regard to my weakness, and deal not with me according to my sins; but according to the multitude of thy tender mercies have compassion on me. Confirm my soul with strength from above, that I may be patient under all uneasiness, pain, disquietudes, and difficulties of my illness. Grant that I may cheerfully submit to them, as a just punishment of my manifold offences, and duly offer them in conjunction with the sufferings and death of my blessed Redeemer on the cross, through whose merits I look for mercy, and hope to possess eternal life. Have pity on me, O most loving father! clothe me with thy grace, and receive me into the arms of thy mercy. Create a clean heart within me, O God, and renew an upright spirit within my bowels; cast out from thence whatever profanes or defiles thy temple; destroy and root out what is displeasing to thee, and lay in me the foundation of a new life, either for this world or the world to come. I am heartily sorry that I ever offended thy infinite goodness, in thought, word, deed, or omission. I most humbly implore thy pardon for all my sins, I now propose not to offend thee any more, and to avoid every thing that may be to me an occasion of sin. I resolve to make restitution and satisfaction for the injuries I have committed. For the love of thee, I sincerely forgive all those who have injured me or done me wrong; I beseech thee to pardon them and grant them the same blessing that I desire for my own soul. With the utmost humility I also heartily beg pardon of all those to whom I have given any offence, whether by ill example, by words, deeds, or any other way, deliberately or unknowingly. Thou seest, O Lord, how frail I am, and that I am nothing but dust and ashes; preserve me from all temptations, and be thou my defence against all the assaults of the evil spirit, that in this sickness I may no way offend thee: and if this is to be my last, I beg of thee so to direct me by thy grace, that I may not neglect the necessary means of salvation, nor be deprived of any of those powerful helps which thou hast in thy mercy ordained for the good of my soul. Prepare it, O Lord, for its passage into eternity; that being perfectly cleansed from all my iniquities, I may be admitted one day into the kingdom of thy glory, there to love and praise thee for ever, in the company of thy blessed angels and saints. Amen.

"Lord, thy thorns are my roses, and thy suffering my paradise."
St. Felix.

"Tears of devotion are sweeter than the joys of theatres."
St. Augustine.

A Prayer Before Receiving The Viaticum.

O my blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ, I firmly believe thou art really present in this venerable sacrament, which I am now about to receive by way of viaticum. I believe it contains thy sacred body and blood, accompanied with thy soul and divinity. I desire to receive this heavenly banquet for thy honour and glory, and the good of my soul, that I may be happily united to thee. I desire to commemorate thy sufferings as thou hast commanded. But how shall I dare to approach thee?—so wretched a worm, to so infinite a majesty! so filthy a sinner, to so infinite purity and sanctity! It is therefore in thy mercy that I place my whole trust; and since thou art pleased to invite thyself into so poor, so wretched so mean a cottage as this of my breast, vouchsafe, I beseech thee, to grant me those graces, and that reverence, humility, and devotion, which may prepare a fit abode for thy reception. Cleanse my soul from every foul stain of sin, clothe it with the nuptial garment of charity, and adorn it with all virtues. I come to thee, like Magdalen, that I may be delivered from all my evils, and that I may embrace thee, my only good. I detest with my whole heart, all the sins of my past life, because they have offended thy goodness. I desire to lay them all down here at thy feet, to be cancelled by thy precious blood. I am sorry for them, and will be sorry for them as long as I live. I will bewail them in the bitterness of my soul. They are many and grievous, it is true; yet they are nothing when compared to thy boundless mercy, and to the infinite ransom of thy precious blood. Forgive me, then, sweet Jesus, for thy mercy's sake; have pity on me and save me, since thou forsakest none that place their hope in thee. I love thee, my God, with my whole heart and soul, and above all things in heaven and on earth! at least I earnestly desire so to love thee, and consecrate myself eternally to thee. O come and take full possession of my heart for ever; I offer it to thee without reserve; O come and inflame it with the celestial fire of thy divine love, and let nothing in life or death ever again separate me from thee. O sweet Jesus, prepare me for a worthy reception of the blessing thou art now about to bestow on me. I adore and worship thee, humbled in mind and body, and confess myself to be nothing but dust and ashes in thy presence. It is my confidence in thy goodness that makes me presume to approach thee, for I cannot but acknowledge myself infinitely unworthy. Domine non sum dignus, &c.

For a Prayer after receiving the Viaticum, see page 128.

A Prayer Before Extreme Unction.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the abundance of thy mercy, hast provided powerful resources for relief in all our necessities, grant me grace to have recourse to them with such worthy dispositions that my soul may partake of all those great advantages and salutary effects which thou hast appointed in their institution. Thou hast instituted the sacrament of Extreme Unction for the benefit of the sick, who, in the extremity of life, stand in need of more graces, more helps, and more consolation, than ever. I now desire to receive this heavenly medicine, for the ends for which it has been instituted. I am willing to be anointed, as thou hast commanded by thy apostle St James. Grant, I beseech thee, that this holy Unction may produce in me all its happy fruits, by healing my soul from the ulcers of sin, by fortifying me against all temptations, by supporting me in the hour of anguish and distress, and by preparing me for a happy passage out of this life, or whatever may be thy holy will. Shouldst thou foresee that my health may be conducive to thy greater glory, and expedient for my eternal salvation, let this be the means to restore it. I absolutely submit myself to thy divine will and pleasure. I wish not to live but to serve thee. Dispose of me as thou knowest best; do with me as thou pleasest. All I desire is the accomplishment of thy most holy will. Give me health or sickness, life or death; give me whatsoever thou pleasest: not my will, O Lord, but thine be done: it is a greater happiness to fulfil thy will, than to enjoy ten thousand lives. O how happy should I be, if the destruction of my body could repair the injury I have offered to thy divine Majesty! My eyes, alas! have seen vanities; my ears have been open to detractions, to profane and unprofitable discourses; my tongue has many ways offended thee, both in speaking and tasting; my hands have contributed to my follies; my feet have often gone astray in the paths of vanity and sin. By this holy anointing, and the prayers of thy church, pardon me, O Jesus, all the sins I have ever committed by these my five senses. Let those avenues through which sin has made its way into my soul, be now shut to the world; let my eyes be open to thee alone, my Jesus; let my ears be now attentive to thy commands, and to thy call; let my tongue be solely employed in crying out for mercy; let my prayers ascend like incense in thy sight; let my hands be lifted up to heaven for pardon; let my feet walk in thy ways; and let my heart be the living temple of the Holy Ghost. Into thy hands, O dear Jesus, I commend my spirit. In thee I will live, in thee I will die, in thee I will abide, and in thee I hope to possess eternal rest and heavenly joy for ever and ever. Amen.

A Prayer After Extreme Unction.

O my God, thou hast created, redeemed, and sanctified me; thou hast preserved me in many dangers both of soul and body; thou hast nourished me with the adorable sacrament of thy body and blood, and granted me the grace to receive the rights of thy church, preferably to so many others, who are carried off by a sudden death, without being favoured with those succours and graces which thou hast bestowed upon me, a most ungrateful sinner. For these and all thy other blessings, I offer thee innumerable thanks. O that I had as many tongues and hearts as there are stars in the heavens, atoms in the air, and creatures in the universe; how willingly would I employ them all in praising, loving, and glorifying thee! To thee I resign my heart: receive it as a holocaust. Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit: receive me, O dear Jesus, in thy mercy; receive me into thy loving arms, which were stretched forth on the cross for my redemption; receive me into the embraces of thy infinite charity. I do not desire to be freed from my pains; thou knowest what is best for me: do but take from me all murmuring, and give me patience to suffer whatever thou willest, and as long as thou pleasest. Should it be thy divine pleasure to inflict on my weak body and languishing soul greater punishments than I now suffer, my heart is ready, O Lord, my heart is ready to accept them, and to suffer in whatever manner and measure may be most conformable to thy will. This one grace I most earnestly beg of thee, my God—that I may die the death of the just, and be admitted, after the sufferings and tribulations of this transitory and sinful life, into the kingdom of thy glory, there to see and enjoy thee, in the company of the blessed, for a never-ending eternity. Amen.

Short Acts Of Virtue In Time Of Sickness.

I acknowledge, O Lord, that I am a sinner; accept, therefore, of what I now suffer, in atonement for my sins. Help me to receive with submission and resignation, whatever afflictions thou shalt please to send me.

I am content to suffer here, provided thou dost spare me hereafter. I know that it is by many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven. I know that those who would be glorified with Jesus, must also suffer with Jesus. I am convinced, that the sufferings of this present time are not to be set in competition with the eternal glory which shall be revealed in us. I believe that the present momentary and light tribulation worketh in us, above measure, an eternal weight of glory.

I offer myself, and all that I have, or am, to thee. Do with me, my God, whatever thou pleasest. Shall I not drink the cup which my Father hath given me? Not my will, but thine be done.

O sweetness of my heart, and love of my soul! take off my heart and thought from this world, that all my comfort may be in thee. O when will thy kingdom come? O Lord, when wilt thou perfectly reign in all hearts? when shall sin be no more? Wound my heart with thy love, that it may relish nothing that is earthly. O that I had never offended so good a God! O that I had never sinned! Happy those souls that have always preserved their baptismal innocence.

O my God, all my hopes are in thee.—Through Jesus Christ my Redeemer, I hope for mercy, grace, and salvation.

O sweet and adorable Jesus! O spotless Lamb! O innocent victim! who by thy passion and death hath effaced the sins of mankind, blot out my iniquities, and do not permit that thy sufferings should become useless to me.

Look, O God, on this poor piece of clay, and help me in my distress. O my Jesus! I love thee; I love thee above all things, and desire to love thee alone, because thou alone art worthy of my love.

I cast myself into the arms of thy holy love. I abandon myself entirely to thy blessed will. My unworthiness humbles and confounds me; but the sight of thy wounds, O Jesus, proclaims aloud how great thy mercy is, and how far it exceeds my misery.

O boundless love of my Jesus! inflame my heart with thy heavenly fire. Consume in me all earthly affections, and confirm my soul in thy holy love for ever.

O Jesus, torn with stripes, pierced with thorns, and weltering in blood, for my sake! teach me to endure for the love of thee, the anguish and inconvenience of my infirmities and sickness.

O Jesus, raised upon the cross, attract me now most powerfully to thyself, that my whole occupation may be to love, praise, and adore thee for ever. Hail, sacred wounds of the hands and feet of Jesus! Hail precious streams of blood, that flowed from those painful wounds! Infinite praise, honour, and glory be to thee, my amiable Redeemer, for suffering such pains for the love of me. Ah, how does it pierce my heart with sorrow, to contemplate thee, and to consider the torments thou didst suffer for my salvation.

Hail, sacred wound of the side of Jesus! hail, blessed passage to the sacred heart of my divine Redeemer! O that I could contemplate thee with the love of a Magdalen, and melt into tears of sweet devotion in honor of thee! By the sacred wounds of thy hands, of thy feet, and of thy side; by the precious streams that flowed from them; by thy blessed heart, burning with love for me; I beg and beseech thee never to forsake me, but to grant me whatever thou seest necessary for the sanctification of my soul.

Glory be to the Father, who by his power hath brought me forth from nothing, and made me to his own image and likeness. Glory be to the Son, who by his wisdom hath delivered me from hell, and opened for me the gates of Heaven. Glory be to the Holy Ghost, who by his mercy hath sanctified me in baptism, and still continues to sanctify me by the graces which I daily receive. Glory be the three adorable persons of the blessed Trinity. O may I behold and glorify eternally in heaven, what I believe, adore, and worship on earth—one God and three Persons, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

"Here we have no permanent city:
but we seek that which is to come."
Hebrews xiii. 14.

"While we are in the body we are strangers from the Lord."
2 Corinthians v. 6.

"Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."
Romans xiv. 8.

A Prayer Of Thanksgiving,
Upon The Recovery Of
A Person From The Bed Of Sickness.

Almighty and everlasting God, I here acknowledge thy blessing in the recovery of my health, and return thee my most hearty thanks for it. I beg thy grace for the making a better use of it than hitherto I have done; that I may correct all the errors of my past life, that I may improve in virtue, be an example to others, and dedicate that health to thee, which is now thy special gift; that thus living to thee, I may be ever prepared for my last hour: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; may he be praised and glorified for ever.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all his benefits.

Blessed be the Lord, God of our fathers; let praise and glory be given to him for ever.

I will praise thee, O my God, while I live; I will glorify thy holy name while I have my being.

O magnify the Lord with me, all ye holy angels: praise him, all ye saints.

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Give glory to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth, now, and for ever.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise. Glory, &c.

Preparation for Death

Instruction

The last moments of a Christian are not only the most precious of his life, but to him of the greatest importance, as on them depends his eternal lot. It is then Satan uses his utmost efforts to accomplish the ruin of a soul. His snares and batteries are more subtle and violent at the extremity, than at any other period, of life; for it is then, as the apostle says, (Revelation xii.) "he cometh down, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time." Hence it becomes the indispensable duty of every soldier of Jesus Christ, frequently to exercise himself in acts of faith, hope, charity, confidence, fortitude, and perseverance; that by the familiar use of these spiritual weapons during life, he may be enabled to encounter the mortal enemy of his soul in his last conflict, and defeat all his malicious designs.

When the disorder of a sick person has the appearance of danger, every spiritual help should be offered him before he loses the use of his senses; for which reason it would be very unfriendly to flatter him with the hopes of recovery, or to be negligent in exhorting him to make the best use of the little time which perhaps he has to live, in preparing for his voyage to eternity; and since a truly penitential spirit is the best security to a Christian in life or death, he ought to be urged to secure it to himself by the most perfect acts of compunction, resignation, faith, hope, and divine love. For this purpose he should keep himself as much as possible in the divine presence, and in the blessed company of Jesus Christ, the perfect model of suffering Christians. He should converse frequently with him, cast himself in spirit at his feet, like Magdalen; bewail his sins in the bitterness of his soul, and cry out for mercy while there is yet time for mercy. He should place a crucifix, or picture of his crucified Redeemer, before his eyes; think often upon his passion, his agony in the garden and on the cross; consider him nailed and fastened on that bed of sorrow, without moving either hand or foot, or having any other pillow to support his head but a crown of thorns. He should fly to his bleeding wounds, there to bathe his soul, and find a cure for all his disorders. He should be excited by these considerations to make a voluntary sacrifice of himself to the Divine Will; bear all his pains with patience; accept of death as the just punishment due to his sins; and offer it up in union with the death of Jesus Christ, that being united thereto, it may become precious in the sight of the Lord. He should frequently raise his thoughts above this world, and fix them on heaven—making it the object of his contemplation, and the centre of all his desires. He should consider what a happy thing it is to see and enjoy God eternally; and that the longer he remains here below, the more he lies exposed to the danger of offending him. Far, therefore, from being disturbed at the thoughts of quitting a wicked, treacherous, and deceitful world, he should rather endeavour to enter into the sentiments of St. Paul, who "longed to be dissolved, and to be with Jesus Christ." Instead of being sorry or unwilling to be disengaged from a frail body, subject to a thousand infirmities, he should rather, like King David, thirst after the happy hour that is to put him in possession of that eternal kingdom of glory, for the enjoyment of which he was created.

In effect, if the seafaring man long for his arrival in the port of his destination; if the military man wish for an and of the campaign, and long for the day that is to restore him to his friends, crowned with laurels, and enriched with spoils and trophies; if the wearied traveller pant after his native soil, and wish for the end of his journey; if the captive long to be freed from his chains; if the farmer, after the toils and fatigues of the winter, rejoice at the bright prospect of the approaching harvest; why should not a Christian long for the end of the laborious winter of this life, in order to reap the sweet fruits of his past labours? Why should he not be charmed with the well-grounded hope of entering into the joys of his Lord, and finding the gates of heaven open to receive his soul? Why should he not wish to be rescued out of the stormy sea of this world, and arrive safely in the harbour of eternal life? Why should he not long for the end of the spiritual warfare wherein he is constantly engaged, in order to receive that never-fading crown of glory, which is reserved in the kingdom of heaven for such as conquer? Why should he not welcome the happy hour of his death, which is to restore him to his native country, fix him in his proper habitation, secure him from the embarrassments and snares of this mortal life, and translate him to the glorious society of the holy apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and an innumerable host of heavenly citizens, who await him, and long to congratulate his happy arrival? "Which amongst us," says St. Cyprian, "who for a long time had been a sojourner in a foreign country would not anxiously desire to return to his native soil? What person would not wish for a prosperous gale of wind to waft him with expedition to his favourite home, that he might the sooner embrace his friends and relations?" Heaven is our native country; here we are but strangers, captives, and pilgrims. Here we have no permanent city; but there we shall be at home in our Fathers house. Here we are exiles and travellers, hastening to the end of our journey. This world is a tempestuous ocean, full of rocks and quicksands, wherein we are constantly tossed to and fro by storms and hurricanes, tortured between hopes and fears, and every moment exposed to the danger of being shipwrecked. "O how happy are they," continues St. Cyprian, "who, after being delivered from these storms and hurricanes, have happily arrived at the haven of everlasting bliss!" How happy are they who are removed from the dangers of sin, and freed from the assaults of the devil, and the conflict of their passions! How happy are they who are withdrawn from the miseries of this perishable life, and have put on a glorious immortality! Who would not rejoice to obtain everlasting rest, out of the reach of danger? Who would not cheerfully quit this sinful Babylon, to spend an eternity in the presence of God, and live for ever with Jesus Christ, in the company of millions of saints and angels! O blessed be that Divine Providence, that infinite goodness, which has provided a better world to receive us, and there promises us eternal life: Hence hath St. Teresa exclaimed: "O death, I know not who can fear thee, since it is by thee that we find life."

Too great a love of life betrays a want of that lively faith and confidence, which, by fortifying the mind of a Christian, enables him to stare death in the face, and despise that king of terrors. It is now more than ever incumbent on us to comply with the obligation we lie under, of suppressing inordinate self-love in our hearts, and of doing, not our own, but the will of our heavenly Father; for how inconsistent would it be to desire that his will may be done on earth, as it is in heaven, if upon summoning us to quit this world, we are reluctant and unwilling to obey his call? With what propriety can we say, thy kingdom come, whilst we evidently betray a desire of remaining here in a state of bondage to our passions and subjection to the devil, rather than accept the invitation to go and live with Jesus Christ, in the kingdom which he has purchased for us at the expense of his sacred blood. To die well or ill, is all that should give us trouble. We know for certain that death is the only way to eternal happiness; that the cross is the ladder by which we should ascend to heaven; and that through many sufferings and tribulations we must endeavour to enter into it. Christ himself died before he entered into his glory. We cannot arrive at heaven by any other road. It is the only gate to life everlasting. It is a passage from a valley of tears to a region of unspeakable bliss. It is a deliverance from a continual warfare, in which we are surrounded with a thousand dangers of perishing. It is a happy exemption from the temptation of the devil, the world, and the flesh, which are our capital enemies. Animated therefore, with a bright prospect of eternal happiness at our departure, we should consider the pangs of death as nothing else but the breaking down of that partition which stands betwixt the soul and the sight of its sovereign good.

"The body is a tottering edifice, which must necessarily fall, that the soul may be at rest. It is like the scaffolding which architects make use of to erect a palace; but which they take away after the building is finished."—Clement XIV.—Picture of Man.

Short Acts Of Virtue,

Which may be leisurely and distinctly suggested to sick persons in time of danger, yet so as not to fatigue them with too much reading.

O my God, I firmly believe whatever thy holy Catholic Church believes and teaches, and with the assistance of thy divine grace, I will die in this belief. Increase, O Lord, and strengthen my faith.

In thee, O Lord, I place my whole confidence. I hope to possess eternal life through thy infinite mercy and the merits of my Saviour Christ Jesus. O let me not be confounded for ever. My God! I love thee with my whole heart and soul, above all things, because thou art infinitely good and worthy of all love.

I love my neighbour, nay, and even my enemies, for the love of thee. O my God, it grieves me to the soul for having so ill-served so good a master. O that my heart could break asunder with sorrow for having offended thee by the sins of my past life! O that I had never offended so good a God! O unhappy day that I neglected to love thee! Too late, too late have I begun to love thee. I confess mine iniquities are many and grievous; but they cannot lessen my confidence in thy mercies, which are infinitely greater than my sins.

I most humbly ask pardon for them. I detest them because they displease thee. O God, be merciful to me a sinner. O grant me a true and sincere contrition, and let not the enemy of my soul have any power over me, either now or at my last hour.

Pardon me, O Jesus. Hear me, O Jesus. Save me, O Jesus. I renounce from this moment, and for all eternity, the devil and all his works. I abhor all his suggestions and temptations. I will, by no means, give admittance or consent to them.

Grant me, O Lord, the most precious gift of final perseverance, that whenever my hour comes, I may die in thy grace. I beg pardon of all those whom I have any way offended, and I sincerely forgive all those who have any way offended or injured me, or who wish me any kind of evil whatsoever.

I recommend my soul to God my Creator, who made me out of nothing; to Jesus Christ my Saviour, who redeemed me with his blood; to the Holy Ghost, who sanctified me in the water of baptism.

Praise, honour, and glory, be to thy name for ever, O my God, for all the graces and benefits which I have received from thy bounty during the whole course of my life.

May thy providence be ever blessed and praised for all the sufferings I have endured: O receive them in satisfaction for my sins. I offer up to thee, O my crucified Redeemer, all that I now suffer, or may have yet to suffer, to be united to, and to be sanctified by thy passion.

I am content to suffer here, in hopes that my momentary pains and sufferings will be soon changed into an eternity of happiness and comfort.

Let the flesh suffer and perish, so that the spirit may be safe. Scourge and afflict my body; and spare my soul for all eternity. Here wound me, here burn me, here cut me asunder; but spare me at my last hour.

My whole confidence, either of living or dying well, is grounded on the infinite merits of my Redeemer's death and passion, and the blood he hath shed for my sins.

Receive, O eternal Father, his precious merits, in full satisfaction for all my offences. O let me never be separated from thee.

Wound my heart with thy love, that it may relish nothing that is earthly. Take off my thoughts from this mortal life, that all my comfort may be placed in thee alone.

Dispose of my soul that it may be prepared at thy call to go forth and meet thee, and become thy habitation for ever.

To thee I resign my heart, and bequeath my soul. O do not cast me off amongst the reprobate; but make me fit to appear in thy sight.

O happy hour! when shall I behold thee? O sweet Jesus! when shall I appear before thy face? When shall I be disengaged from this earthly habitation, that I may come to the enjoyment of thee? When shall I be released from this prison, this miserable Babylon, this place of banishment, that I may bless thy name, and join with thy angels and saints in thy everlasting praise?