Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

Most holy and adorable Trinity! as it is by thee we began this sacrifice, so it is by thee we desire to conclude it. Suffer us not therefore, O Lord, to depart hence without thy blessing. Give it us by the ministry of this priest. May it ever remain with us; may its influence always direct our actions; and may it be a sure pledge of that final benediction which thine elect shall receive, when called by thee to thy kingdom of eternal glory. Amen.

At The Last Gospel.

Divine Word! only Son of the Father! Light of the World! who camest from heaven to show us the way thither; I adore thy Majesty with most profound respect; I place my whole confidence in thee; I most firmly hope, that as thou art my God, a God made man to save mankind, thou wilt grant me those graces which my sanctification may require, and also the enjoyment of thee in glory. Amen.

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A Prayer After Mass.

I return thee infinite thanks, O my God, for permitting me to assist at this holy sacrifice, in preference to so many others more worthy of so great a favour; and I hope, that through thy great mercy, thou wilt pardon me the faults which I may have here committed, either by my tepidity or inattention. Though I now return hence to my worldly employments, yet I will remember, through the course of the day, what thou hast here done for me; and shall endeavour that no thought, word, or action of mine, deprive me of the advantages of which I have now been a partaker. Amen.

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A Preparation For Confession.

There is scarcely any duty of greater importance in religion,
than to receive the Sacrament of Penance with the necessary
dispositions. Penance is as indispensably requisite for those
who have fallen into sin after baptism, as baptism itself is
for such as have never been baptized. _It is a second plank
after the shipwreck of sin, without which the sinner must
inevitably perish_. But then it is to be observed, that this
sacrament must be received with the necessary dispositions. The
cleansing of the baptismal robe, and restoring it to its
original purity, is not to be effected without much labour and
application. It would be absurd to imagine, that the
unchangeable justice of God, which could not be satisfied but
by the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and which, notwithstanding
these sufferings, doth still condemn to eternal torments the
unrepenting sinner; it would be absurd, I say, to imagine that
his justice should now be appeased by a superficial or outward
compliance with this duty, accompanied perhaps with
insincerity, gross negligence, or a fixed adherence to mortal
sin, and therefore destitute of real sorrow, change of heart,
and a firm purpose of amendment. The enormity of sin is the
same at this day as it ever was; it is as unchangeable as God
himself; because it is essentially a rebellion against him; a
breach of his law, an insult offered to his eternal Majesty,
and consequently not more remissable at present in the
sacrament of penance, than at the earliest period of
Christianity, when the severest discipline prevailed, and when
the fervour of primitive penitents was so ardent.--Hence, that
this merciful institution may never be frustrated of its end,
and in order that the sinner may always receive the pardon of
his offences, we must strictly fulfil these five following
conditions:

I. An examination of conscience, that we may know all our sins.

II. A heart-felt sorrow for having committed them.

III. A firm resolution never to commit them again.

IV. A candid and humble confession of them to a priest
empowered to absolve us.

V. A desire or intention of satisfying God, and our neighbour
also, if injured.

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A Protestation

Before The Examination Of Conscience.

O God, the searcher of all hearts, behold, I here protest, in thy presence, that what I now design is sincerely for the honour of thy name, and because I heartily desire to be delivered from the guilt of my sins: therefore I come to thy sacrament of penance, that, complying with thy holy institution, I may obtain thy blessing and pardon, as thou has promised. May thy holy grace assist me in performing this great duty well, as it is thy mercy which has called me to it.

Think seriously, and with the most lively gratitude, on all the
benefits God hath so liberally bestowed on you, and particularly
for his goodness in preparing this sacrament as a remedy for
your sins.

How great are my obligations to thee, O my God, in thus providing for me, after my disgrace, the means of a perfect reconciliation. To have purified me in the waters of baptism, was not enough; thou hast also left me the waters of penance, to wash me still more from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sins. For this end thou hast left to the church, in the persons of the apostles, the power of remitting our offences: "_Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive, shall be forgiven."_ O what Excessive goodness! What an advantage to poor sinners, to have a tribunal established for them, always open, where they may be received into favour! {82} Can I ever be insensible to so striking an instance of thy bounty? I have withdrawn myself from thee by a formal contempt of thy law, and thou art pleased to make the first advances to meet me: O Father of mercies, and God of goodness, be thou for ever blessed! Permit me to fly to this powerful refuge; and suffer not that, by a new ingratitude, I should for the future ever abuse so excellent a resource of salvation. No: it is not human respect, nor custom, nor the fear of being thought careless of my soul, that brings me at present to this sacrament of reconciliation; no, it is a sincere regret for having incurred thy displeasure; for who can be at rest, O my God, when he knows that he is thy enemy, and that he has offended the very best of fathers?

Prayers

Before The Examination Of Conscience.

Beg of God to make your sins known to you, and to give you a
true sense of their malice. Prostrate yourself in spirit at the
feet of your Redeemer, as Magdalen did when she washed them
with her tears; or imagine yourself on Mount Calvary, and
there, beneath his cross, pour forth your prayers to him,
resolving to acquit yourself of this confession, as if it were
to be your last.

O holy Spirit, eternal Source of Light, mercifully vouchsafe to enlighten the darkness of my understanding, that I may clearly perceive the true state of my conscience. {83} Thou who hast created me, and art to be my judge, dost fully behold the most secret recesses of my heart; show me now, therefore, my sins, in as conspicuous a manner as I shall behold them when on the point of appearing at thy tremendous tribunal. My object at present is, to prevent the rigorous account I must there give of all my thoughts, words, and actions; for were I now deficient in that sincere exactness which is necessary in the examination and confession of my sins, thou wouldst infallibly correct, at thy unerring tribunal, the injustice and iniquity of such a proceeding. Discover, then, to me, O my God, all these secret thoughts, irregular desires, criminal words, and actions, or omissions of my duty, by which I may have violated thy sacred laws, or scandalized my neighbour. O do not permit self-love to seduce and blind me, but rather remove the veil it places before my eyes, that beholding the true state of my interior, I may make an humble and sincere confession of my sins to thy minister.

I desire, like the prodigal child, to enter seriously into myself, and without delay to forsake my evil ways, in which I have been wearied out in the pursuit of empty toys and mere shadows, seeking in vain to satisfy my thirst with muddy waters, and my hunger with the husks of swine. I ardently desire to return to thee, O Fountain of Life! but, O my God, though I can go astray from thee fast enough, when left to myself, yet I cannot make one step towards returning to thee, unless thy divine grace stir me up and assist me. {84} This grace, then, I most humbly implore, prostrate in spirit before the throne of thy mercy. I beg it for the sake of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, who died upon the cross for me and for all sinners. Thou hast said, "_There is joy in heaven for one sinner that doeth penance._" Give me now the grace of true repentance, and let heaven rejoice at my conversion. Assist me in this great work by thy heavenly light, in order that I may discover all my imperfections, see all my sins in their true colours, and sincerely detest and confess them. I know thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live. I know that thy mercies are above all thy works, and I most confidently hope, that as in thy mercy thou hast spared me so long, and hast now given me this desire of returning to thee, so thou wilt finish the work that thou hast begun, by assisting me in every part of my preparation for it, and bringing me to a perfect reconciliation with thee.

Examine yourself attentively, not only on the sins you have
committed since your last confession, but also on the faults
you may have committed in making it; but beware of scrupulosity
or anxiety; for in this examination it is only necessary that
you should use such a moral diligence as any temporal concern
might require, where it is neither your intention nor your
interest to be deceived. For this purpose, calmly recollect on
the different occasions of sin which have since fallen in your
way, or to which your state and condition of life exposes you;
the places you have frequented, the persons you nave conversed
with; &c. &c.; in the doing of which the following table of
sins will greatly assist you.

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Sins Against God.

In Matters of Faith.

Have you been guilty of heresy, or disbelief of any article
of faith, or of voluntarily doubting of any article of faith?

Have you rashly exposed yourself to the danger of infidelity,
by reading bad books, keeping wicked company, going into places
of worship belonging to other communions during the time of
their service, and joining with them in their worship?

Have you, by word or deed, denied your faith, or railed at or
despised holy things?

Have you been ignorant of the articles of your faith and the
duties of your religion, or have you been negligent in
instructing, or procuring the necessary instructions for
those under your care?

Have you given credit to dreams, taken notice of omens, or
made any other superstitious observations?

Have you used charms or spells, or consulted fortune-tellers,
or made use of any other superstitious practices to find out
things to come, recover things lost, &c. How often? and with
what scandal and ill example to others?

Of Hope.

Have you despaired of salvation, or of the forgiveness of
your sins?

Have you rashly presumed upon God's goodness, continuing to
offend him because he is merciful; going on in your sins,
without any thought of amendment, depending upon a death-bed
repentance?

Have you relied upon yourself rather than upon divine grace;
or neglected for a long time to return to God by repentance,
after falling into mortal sin?

Of Charity.

Have you loved any creature as much or more than God?

Have you murmured against the providence of God, resisted his
inspirations, refused to submit to his divine will, not
prevented evil when you could and ought, committed sins
through human respect?

Of Religion.

Have you made a sacrilegious confession or communion?

Have you received the sacraments of confirmation or matrimony
in the state of mortal sin?

Have you abused the holy scripture, or profaned holy places
or sacred things?

Have you blasphemed God or his saints?

Have you been negligent in the divine worship, seldom or
never adoring and praising God, or giving him thanks for his
benefits?

Have you prayed but seldom, or with little attention, or
omitted to make acts of faith, hope, and charity?

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Have you behaved with irreverence in the house of God, or
broken any vow or solemn promise made to him?

Have you neglected to hear mass on Sundays and holy-days of
obligation? or have you heard it with wilful distractions, or
not taken care that your children or servants should hear it?

Have you neglected confession and communion at Easter, or
omitted the penance enjoined you, or acquitted yourself of
these religious duties carelessly?

Have you sworn falsely, or what you did not certainly know
whether it was true or false?

Have you broken your lawful oaths, or sworn to do any thing
that was wicked or unlawful?

Have you had a custom of swearing rashly or inconsiderately,
by the name of God, by your soul, or by the way of
imprecation upon yourself or others?

Have you sworn by the blood or wounds of God, or any other
blasphemous oath, or been accessory to others swearing,
cursing, or blaspheming?

Have you spent the Sundays or holy-days of obligation in
idleness or sin, or been the occasion of others so spending
them?

Have you done any servile work without necessity upon those
days?

Have you broken the days of abstinence, or eaten more than
one meal on fasting days, or been accessory to others so
doing? How often, &c.

Sins Against Our Neighbour.

In Thoughts.

Have you been deficient in point of charity
towards your neighbour?

Have you judged rashly of him?

Have you willfully entertained thoughts of hatred, aversion,
rancour, or a coldness and resentment against him?

Have you, on this account, endeavoured to avoid meeting or
speaking to him?

Have you envied him in his merit, reputation, fortune or
employments?

Have you conceived desires of revenge against him, and wished
that harm might befall him?

Have you been hard-hearted, or without any feeling or
compassion for him in his affliction?

Have you felt in yourself a secret pleasure and satisfaction
when any disgrace happened to him, and discontent in seeing
him thrive and flourish?

[These sins may vary in their malice, according to the length
of time we were thus affected, or the relation we stand in to
the different persons in question, or according to the
greater or less importance of the matter under our
consideration.]

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In Words.

Have you spoken harshly to your neighbour; given him abusive
language; railed at him; miscalled him; mocked and ridiculed
him; exposed him to scorn; affronted him; censured his
conduct; found fault with every thing he did; put wrong
constructions upon his actions; calumniated or detracted him;
been pleased to hear others speak ill of him; listened to and
encouraged the calumny or detraction when you could prevent
such discourses? [N.B.--The motive for speaking thus, the
number of persons present, and the subject of this
uncharitable language, must be specified, as we are bound to
repair the injury to the best of our power.]

We also sin by ill-natured reports or insinuations, malicious
expressions, whether true or false; by giving bad advice and
bad example; by instilling bad or dangerous principles; by
flattering others, or approving of evil; by giving false
testimony; by discovering the secrets or the faults of
others; by abusive words, reproaches, bad wishes or
imprecations, &c.

In Actions.

Have you wronged, deceived, or circumvented your neighbour in
buying or selling?

Have you injured him by stealing, cheating, usury, extortion,
or any unlawful contract? by putting off false money, or using
false weights or measures?

Have you bought or received stolen goods?

Have you contracted debts without design of paying them?

We also sin by wronging our creditors, or our own family, by
prodigal expenses; by refusing to pay our just debts when
able, or by culpable extravagance rendering ourselves unable
to pay them by neglecting the work or business for which we
were hired, and obliged by contract to perform; in fine, by
unjustly taking or keeping any thing of value belonging to
another; in which case it is impossible to obtain forgiveness
without making restitution to the best of our power. [And
here it is to be observed, that where two or more jointly
injure another, in goods or reputation, they are jointly and
severally obliged to restitution; that is to say, they are
bound to contribute their respective proportions towards
repairing the injury; and every individual of them is
answerable before God for the whole injury, when either or
any of the accomplices refuse to repair their portion
thereof.]

In Omissions.

Have you neglected to succour, comfort and assist your
neighbour in necessity?

Have you neglected to restore ill-gotten goods, or to repair
injured characters?

Have you refused to be reconciled to an enemy, or to perform
duties of obligation, such as respect and love towards
parents, obedience to superiors, &c.

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Sins Against Ourselves Are Committed

By Pride.

In having too great an esteem for ourselves, and haughtily
despising others

In being too apt to speak of our own affairs, or in our own
praise;

In aspiring to honours and preferment through vanity;

In affecting to be humble, or in deceiving others by
hypocrisy

In being influenced in what we do by human respects, for
obtaining the applause and esteem of men

In being too much wedded to our own opinions and
inclinations;

In being too solicitous about our health;

In being too fond of the pleasures, comforts, and
conveniences of life.

By Avarice.

In being backward in giving alms according to our ability;

In squandering away in gaming, or in vain and foolish
expenses, the substance that Providence hath given for the
relief of the poor and distressed;

In not only refusing them an alms which we can afford, but in
refusing it with bitterness, reproaches, imperious,
ill-natured language, or with an insulting air;

In being too much attached to the goods of this life; where
it must be ever remembered, that whatever is _really_
superfluous to us belongs of right to the poor; that where
there is much, much should be given; and that where there is
only a little, even some of that little should be cheerfully
given; for "_God loves the cheerful giver._"

By Envy.

In being sorry for the prosperity of others

Rejoicing at their misfortunes

In wishing with jealousy for what belongs to them.

By Impurity.

In willfully dwelling upon, or taking pleasure in unchaste
thoughts.

[N. B.--The penitent must here mention whether these bad
thoughts were entertained during a considerable time, and how
long; whether they were accompanied with desires of committing
the evil; whether they caused irregular motions; whether in a
holy place; and, finally, whether the objects of these sinful
desires were single or married, kindred or relations, or
persons consecrated to God.]

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By Words.

In speaking obscenely, or with a double meaning, which is as
bad, if not worse; in listening with pleasure to such vile
language. [N. B.--this sort of discourse is still more
criminal, when it passes between two persons of a different
sex. We also sin grievously this way, by singing unchaste
songs, by giving toasts and sentiments contrary to modesty,
or by permitting them to be given when we can prevent them,
or by not retiring on such occasions.]

By Looks.

In viewing immodest objects;

In reading bad books;

In keeping indecent pictures;

In frequenting plays and public assemblies, which are but too
often the schools of vice, where dangerous objects are held
up to view, and where vice is represented, not in its native
horrible colours or consequences, but as mere gaiety.

Comedies also are so full of indecent sentiments and
indelicate allusions, as cannot but offend a modest ear, and
have an immoral tendency. They are not only powerful
incentives to this vice, but are besides evidently unlawful,
for the following reason: viz. because we cannot assist at
them without contributing, by our purse and our example, to
maintain a set of people in a profession, or way of life,
which was always deemed infamous by the Catholic Church.
Under this head likewise may be classed, the tempting of
others to sin, by dissolute glances, gestures, or immodesty
in dress or behaviour.

By Actions.

In abusing and defiling the sanctity of marriage by such
liberties and irregularities as are contrary to the order of
nature;

in touching ourselves or others immodestly;

in permitting indecent liberties to be taken with us. [N.B.--
It is necessary to explain every thing, in order to make
known such circumstances as may increase or diminish the
guilt, with as much modesty as possible; and also to declare,
whether we have employed, or neglected to employ the
necessary means of overcoming this vile passion. We should
carefully distinguish what is wilful, from what is not; an
effect of deliberation, from one of mere negligence; also the
number of these bad actions, or at least the length of time
we continued in the habit of committing them; with what sort
of persons we have sinned, or desired to sin, but this
without mentioning their names. And as it too often happens
with young persons, who have miserably fallen into a certain
sin of a lonely and abominable nature, either to conceal this
crime, or not faithfully confess how often they have been
guilty of it, we therefore earnestly beseech such to reflect
seriously on the fatal evils in which they involve
themselves. Let them consider, that all those confessions,
and the communions which follow them, are only so many
sacrileges, removing them still farther from God, and
provoking his just indignation against them; that the longer
they continue in this state of Hypocrisy, the more difficult
it must be to overcome their bashfulness, and the more
anguish they must feel in their own interior; that no
practice is more destructive of health, beauty, or genius,
than this; that it deforms and debilitates the wretched
perpetrator; that it must, not only in a moral, but also in a
physical sense, degrade him beneath the rank of the brute
creation, and render him contemptible to mankind.]

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By Gluttony.

In exceeding the bounds prescribed by temperance;

in eating or drinking to excess;

in exciting others to do so;

in not observing with due exactness the days of fasting and
abstinence enjoined by the church;

in exceeding the quantity which is usually allowed at
collation.

By Anger.

In abusing, quarrelling, striking, or wishing evil to
others; in provoking others to quarrel or fight. Which sins
are still more heinous when parents or superiors are the
objects thereof.

By Sloth.

In neglecting our religious or moral duties;

in performing them carelessly;

in leading a life of idleness, voluptuousness, and
dissipation;

in passing our time unprofitably,
when the duties of our state call on us to labour.

We are also guilty by following the bent of our inclinations,
and gratifying self-love;

by studying too much our own ease;

by too great a remissness in mortifying our passions or
senses.

After The Examination.

Having discovered the different sorts of sins of which you have
been guilty, together with their number, enormity, or such
aggravating circumstances as may considerably increase their
malice or change their nature, your next endeavour should be to
excite in your breast a _heart-felt sorrow_ for having
committed them, and a sincere detestation of them. This being
the most essential, as well as the most difficult, of all the
dispositions requisite to a good confession, with what
humility, fervour, and perseverance should you not importune
Him who holds the hearts of men in his hands, to grant it you!

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In the mean time, seriously meditate on those powerful motives
for exciting contrition, which the church holds forth to her
children; and in order to feel their force the more
effectually, endeavour to enliven your faith, to strengthen
your hope, and inflame your charity, by devoutly reciting the
acts of the three theological virtues (_page_ 30). In the
next place reflect on those motives which are most capable of
alarming, and at the same time of melting your heart into
compunction; such as the everlasting torments of hell; the
eternal loss of God, and of the joys of heaven, the horror and
filthiness of sin; the goodness of God in all he has done, and
all he still does, and all he will do for us, if we continue to
love and serve him; particularly that astonishing instance of
his love and undeserved mercy, in forbearing to cut your
slender thread of life, and to precipitate you into eternal
torments in the very height of your rebellion against him. This
consideration alone must necessarily engage you to cry out with
ecstatic surprise and astonishment, "_How good must God be in
himself who has been so good to me, his faithless and
ungrateful child!_" He saw nothing in you deserving of his
mercy; he saw every thing in you that merited his wrath and
indignation.

This last reflection on the infinite goodness of God, if dwelt
on with due attention, cannot fail to inflame your heart with
an unfeigned love of Him for his own sake, _the purest and
best of all motives_. Whilst the heart is thus softened by
divine love into compunction for your sins, form an unshaken
resolution of never more offending him, of doing your utmost to
amend your life, of satisfying for your sins, and of repairing
any injury you may have done your neighbour, either in his
character or property.

If, with these sentiments glowing in your breast, you cast
yourself at the feet of your confessor and reveal to him all
the sins you can recollect, _with tears_ of compunction,
and in a truly penitential spirit, be assured you shall return
_with joy_ from the tribunal of confession, and feel
realized in yourself the consoling promise of the Holy Spirit,
that "_They who sow in tears, shall reap in joy_." Psalm
cxxv.

At The Confession.

Begin by devoutly making the sign of the cross, + saying at
the same time, _Bless me, O Father, for I have sinned_.
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Then repeat the _Confiteor_, or "I confess to the
Almighty," &c. till you come to the words, "_through my
fault,_" at which strike your breast, glowing with
compunction, like the humble publican in the gospel; and so
proceed to accuse yourself with candour and sincerity, telling
first how long it is since you were last at confession, whether
you were then absolved, (a circumstance of the utmost
importance, which many are too negligent in attending to,) and
whether you performed your penance. Having confessed all the
sins you can remember, listen with docility to your confessor,
whilst he endeavours to excite you to contrition, and
prescribes the various means, either of atoning for the sins
you have confessed, or of preventing future relapses.

Prayers Before Confession.

We are taught by the holy Council of Trent, that those who
would obtain the grace of justification, should be thus
disposed: they must have faith; they must fear the justice of
God; they must hope for mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord;
they must begin to love God; they must hate sin; they must
sincerely resolve to change their lives, and keep the
commandments. To infuse these necessary dispositions into the
soul of the penitent, is the intent of the following prayers:

I am fully sensible, O my God, that there cannot be a greater misfortune than to have displeased thee, who art infinitely good and worthy of all our affections. I tremble when I consider how terrible a misfortune it is to fall unprepared into thy hands; for who can bear that dreadful sentence: _Depart from me, ye accursed, into eternal fire!_--Matthew xxv. But the thought of losing thee, O Lord, alarms me still more than any other punishment whatsoever. Thy patience in waiting for me, thy readiness to pardon me, the multitude of thy mercies, which I have so often experienced, are now present to my mind; they upbraid me most forcibly. {93} Thou hast brought me forth from nothing, created me to thine own image and likeness, ransomed me with thy precious blood, and after I had rebelled and become a slave to Satan, thou didst still bear with me, adopt me as thy child, and prefer me to thousands who were never enlightened by thy holy law. Yet I have deserted thee, I have tired myself in the ways of iniquity, I have hated thy discipline, I have turned my back on all thy commandments. Though thou hast called me, yet have I refused to return; though thou hast frequently stretched out thy hands to me, yet I have paid no regard to thy invitations. Wretch that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? Who shall give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that day and night I may weep for my ingratitude? I have sinned! what shall I do to appease thee? O Guardian of men! behold I acknowledge my iniquity. My transgressions are become a heavy burden upon me. I am not worthy to appear before thee, nor even to lift up my eyes before thy throne. From the depth of my misery I cry out to thee: O Lord, hear my voice, and be merciful to a poor sinner! Thy mercies surpass all thy works; thou willest not my death but my conversion; nor didst thou come to call the just, but sinners to repentance. Thou art always mindful of thy word, on which I rely: receive thy prodigal child, nor let me henceforth be ever separated from thee.

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Though I have sinned, O Lord, and done evil in thy sight, yet I shall never say, as Cain did, that "my crimes are too great to be forgiven." I know that in mercy thou dost display thy power; and that though my sins were multiplied in number even beyond the grains of sand in the sea, atoms in the air, or drops of water in the ocean, yet thy mercies are still infinitely greater. Without this consideration I should certainly despair. But thine own repeated assurances, and the frequent proofs thou hast given of thy tenderness towards sinners, support my confidence in thee whenever my enemy attempts to weaken it. Thou art truth itself; and therefore thy word can never deceive us. Thou hast declared that thou wilt entirely forget the iniquities of the sinner, if he be truly converted, and cease to do evil; thou hast told us, that a contrite and humble heart shall always find favour with thee. Thy sacred oracles are full of these sweet consolations, and thy invariable conduct towards sinners speaks the same soothing language. Thou didst pardon David, though his sin was most grievous; Magdalen, a sinner by profession; Peter, who denied thee with oaths; the adulteress, convicted in thy presence; the penitent thief on the cross: all these obtained forgiveness, because they sought it sincerely. Nay more, thy tenderness was shown even to the traitor Judas; nor were even the cruel Jews excluded from thy prayers: and shall I not also, O my God, cry out to thee for mercy? {95} Yes; for relying on thy wonted goodness, I shall never be confounded. My sins are enormous, it is true, and stand always against me; but the more hideous they are, the more I detest them. Against thee, O God, have I sinned; and to thee I cry out for pardon. O that I had never offended thee, because thou art infinitely good. O that my sorrow for having offended thee were as great as my offences. O that I might grieve for them even unto death, and feel those bitter pangs with which thy soul was overwhelmed in the Garden of Olives. Let the inexpressible anguish of mind thou didst there feel, thy sighs, thy tears, thy fainting, and thy bloody sweat, O Lord! plead now in my behalf, and supply the defects of my imperfect sorrow. Let them draw down thy mercies, O heavenly Father, and restore me again to thy favour.

I have now before me, O Lord, a sad prospect of the manifold offences by which I have displeased thy divine Majesty, and which I am assured will appear in judgment against me, if I repent not, and my soul be not disposed by a hearty sorrow, to receive thy pardon. But this sorrow, O Lord, this repentance, must be thy free gift; and if it come not from the hand of thy mercy, all my endeavours will be in vain, and I shall be for ever miserable. Have mercy therefore on me, O Father of Mercies! and pour forth into my heart thy grace, whereby I may sincerely repent of all my sins. {96} Give me a true contrition, that I may bewail my past miseries and ingratitude, and grieve from the bottom of my heart for having offended so good a God. Permit me not to be deluded with a false sorrow, as, I fear, I have been too often, through my own weakness and neglect; but let it be now thy gift, descending from thee, the Father of Lights, that so my repentance may be accompanied with amendment and a change of life, that I may be fully acquitted from the guilt of all my sins, and once more received into the number of thy servants: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thou hast, O Lord, given power to thy church to forgive sins in thy name. Thou hast promised pardon to those who do penance. Behold the prodigal child; nay, worse than the prodigal. I have disfigured and denied my soul, that was created to thy own image and likeness. I have forfeited my title to that eternity of happiness which was prepared for me. I have nourished sin in my bosom, the most poisonous of serpents, and the most hateful of monsters. Alas! I have offended him by whose blood I was redeemed. I have been the cause of his sufferings; I have renewed his death, and crucified him again by my sins. Oh! who will give sorrow to my heart, and a fountain of tears to mine eyes, that I may bewail my iniquities in the bitterness of my soul. Have compassion on me, O most loving Father! I throw myself into the arms of thy infinite mercy. {97} Clothe me with thy grace, and admit me to thy sacrament of reconciliation. Cast out of my heart whatever thou knowest profanes, or defiles thy temple. Root out of my soul whatever is displeasing unto thee, and lay in me the foundation of a new life. I renounce and utterly detest all my sins, for the love of thee. O my God of infinite bounty and goodness! I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. I beg and hope for pardon, through the merits of thine only Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Accept his passion and death in satisfaction for my offences, and for his sake have mercy on me, who place my whole trust and confidence in thee. Amen.

A Prayer To The Blessed Virgin.

O holy Virgin, Mother of God, and sure refuge of penitent sinners, intercede for me at this moment, that the confession which I am about to make may not render me more guilty, but may obtain for me the remission of all my sins, and the necessary graces to avoid them hereafter. Amen.

A Prayer At Receiving Absolution.

O merciful God, as at the words of thy angel, St. Peter was immediately restored to liberty, by the chains falling off from his feet; so grant, dear Lord, that by the words of this holy sacrament, pronounced by thy priest, the chains of my sins may be loosed, and all my offences pardoned. Amen.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. O God, be merciful to me a sinner. O Thou who suffered for me, have mercy on me. Sprinkle me with thy blood, O Jesus, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

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Prayers After Confession.

Is it possible, O my God, that having been a criminal but a few moments ago, I should now be cleansed from my sins by virtue of this sacrament? Yes, I firmly believe it; because thou hast left to thy church the power of forgiving sins, and hast inclined my heart to comply with the necessary conditions for obtaining pardon. Thou hast declared to thy apostles, that "whatever they should loose on earth, should be loosed also in heaven; and that whosoever sins they should forgive, should be forgiven." This is the sacred warrant of their tribunal, whose authority thy faithful have ever acknowledged. Here are the keys of thy heavenly kingdom, solemnly made over to thy church in our favour; we are therefore obliged to have recourse to them. This power was not confined to the apostles, no more than the power of baptising nations; but being granted in as general terms, doth in like manner, extend to their successors. I give thee thanks, O my God, for this tender proof of thy love, and invite all creatures to glorify thee for it. Thou hast invested a power in the sons of men, which thou wouldst not confer on angels or archangels; _whatever ye shall bind on earth, &c._ was not addressed to them. {99} "The princes of this world have dominion only over the body, but the power of the priest affects the very soul. The eternal Father hath given all power to his Son; but then I behold this very power delivered by the Son to mortals. The Jewish priests could only pronounce those clean whose bodies had been already cleansed from the leprosy; but to our priests it was given, not merely to _pronounce clean_, but really to _cleanse_, not the infections of the body, but the very stains of the soul."--[_St. Chrys. b._ iii. _of the Priesthood_.] "Thus thy manifold mercy hath provided succour for human frailty; that as by baptism, so also by penance, the hope of life should be renewed; for Christ Jesus, our Mediator, authorized the rulers of his church to impose penance upon persons confessing, and to admit them, thus purified by wholesome satisfaction, to share in the sacraments."--[_St. Leo. ep._ 23.] This is an effect of that precious blood which thou, O amiable Redeemer, hast shed for my sake: I acknowledge the wonders of thy love in accepting this poor satisfaction, in pardoning all, in forgetting all, instead of punishing me as I deserved. It is necessary to be what thou art, a God of infinite goodness, to deal in such a compassionate manner with so miserable a sinner: and therefore, I humbly beseech thee to imprint on my heart a just sense of this favour, that I may gratefully remember it all the days of my life, and extol without ceasing the multitude of thy mercies. Amen.

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O most sweet Lord Jesus! graciously vouchsafe to remember all those holy thoughts that have passed in thy divine mind from the beginning of the world to this very moment, and particularly thy tender design in becoming man for the redemption of the world: pardon, through the merits of these, not only all the evil thoughts and vain imaginations I have ever conceived of myself, but also those I might have excited in the minds of others. Amen.

O most pious Lord Jesus! I, a poor sinner, do humbly remind thee of all those words of salvation which have ever fallen from thy sacred lips, or which others have uttered, or shall hereafter utter, to the glory of thy holy name. I earnestly beseech thee, through these divine expressions, to forgive whatever I have spoken offensive to thee, or what others, through my means, may have sinfully uttered. Amen.

O most amiable Lord Jesus Christ! look on all the good works thou has performed for our salvation; and be pleased now to pardon whatever I have committed against thee. Mercifully direct all my thoughts, words, and actions, to thy greater glory, and regulate them by the model of thine own blessed life. Amen.

O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who invitest the sinner to return to thee, kindly receiving, refreshing, and consoling him, remember that with thy precious blood thou wert pleased to redeem me. To thy sacred wounds I fly for refuge; and as in thy mercy thou didst pray for thine enemies, and pour forth thy life for thy persecutors and tormentors, so impart here to me the benefit of thy passion; Grant I may never again crucify thee by mine offences, but that sincerely grieving for what is past, and resolutely striving against future temptations, I may fervently persevere in thy service to the end.

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Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my whole being. O Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

Receive, O Lord, in thy great mercy, the poor remains of my life. I am heartily sorry for the years I have misspent; they have vanished as a shadow, they have passed away without fruit; but as I cannot recall them, suffer me at least to think of them in the bitterness of my soul. Suffer me no longer to yield to my accustomed failings. Let the ardour with which I pursued a life of sin, be henceforth more diligently applied to thy service, that where sin hath abounded, thy grace may still more abound. Remember, O Lord Jesus! that it is not thy desire to lose any of those whom thy Father hath given thee, but rather to have mercy always, and to spare; to destroy no one, but to save all; because thy Father hath sent thee into the world, not to judge the world, but to grant us life through thee. May, therefore, O Lord, thy boundless merits plead for me now, and at my last moments, that I may obtain the full remission of my sins; that I may truly know thee; that I may ever love thee; that I may tend to thee incessantly; and at length arrive to the eternal enjoyment of thee, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, &c. Amen.

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I sincerely detest all my sins, and am fully resolved, O Lord, through the assistance of thy divine grace, never to offend thee hereafter. I therefore earnestly beseech thee to confirm all those good resolutions I have made. Increase my fervour in thy service, and render it efficacious, that my change of life may be visible to all, and that in future my conduct may be as edifying as it has been heretofore scandalous. Amen.

O that I had never sinned! O that I had never transgressed thy commands, my God! Happy those souls who have preserved their innocence, and never lost that grace they received at the baptismal font! Most loving Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy child. I confess my ingratitude, and seek refuge in thy mercy. I have wandered like a sheep that is gone astray; but have compassion on me, and save me. Forgive me what is past; and through the bowels of thy infinite goodness, grant me a true steadiness of spirit, that from this moment I may never offend thee more.

O blessed Virgin Mary, my holy patron, [_name him or her,_] and all ye Saints and Angels, praise and extol our Lord for his boundless goodness towards me a most miserable sinner. Beseech him to accept of this my humble confession, and to supply, through his infinite mercies, all its deficiencies. Beg of him to ratify in the archives of heaven, the sentence of absolution which his minister, the priest, hath pronounced in my favour at the tribunal of confession. Amen.

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Instructions For Communion.

As there is no religious duty of greater consequence, or more
conducive to our happiness both here and hereafter, than to
receive worthily the blessed Eucharist; so there can be no
greater favour conferred on a Christian, than to communicate
early in life, and afterwards frequently. Hence it becomes the
indispensable duty of such as have the education of children
committed to their care, not only to impress on their tender
minds a lively and active sense of the excellency of this
sacrament, but also to enforce the necessity of frequently
receiving it. "He that eateth this bread shall live for
ever."--_John_, vi. The obligation of communicating at
Easter is binding on every member of the church who has arrived
at the age of discretion; i.e. when reason and reflection, guided
by the gift of divine faith, arrive at such a state of maturity,
as may enable them to distinguish the flesh of Jesus Christ,
under the exterior appearance of bread and wine, from the
ordinary food of the body. It is further to be observed, that
as purity of heart is the most proper disposition to receive
worthily; so, of consequence, the less advanced the age of a
Christian, the more untainted, in general, is his baptismal
innocence. But, on the other hand, it is to be remarked, that
the longer a Christian defers his first communion, the greater
is the danger that either domestic affairs, or the violence of
those passions to which young persons in general are more or
less subject, should cause him to put it off to a more advanced
age, or perhaps to the very hour of death!--_a fatal
delusion_, which has betrayed numbers of Christians into the
abyss of eternal perdition.
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Let parents, therefore, and others concerned in the education
of children, attend to the advice of the great St. Charles
Borromeus on this subject: "When children," says he, "of both
sexes, arrive at the age of ten years, provided they are
capable of being easily prepared for communion, suffer them
not, under pretence of ignorance, (as it is often the case,) to
defer it any longer; but rather let them be prepared in good
time, to participate of a sacrament which abounds with such
precious and inestimable advantages."

With respect to frequent communion, the best advice is to
follow the counsel of a wise and prudent director. But
remember, that according to the spirit of Jesus Christ and his
church, you should communicate frequently. Our divine Redeemer
gives himself to us in the blessed Eucharist under the forms of
bread and wine, hereby intimating, that as our corporal life
cannot be supported without the ordinary food of the body, so
our spiritual life cannot be maintained but by the blessed
Eucharist, which is the food and nourishment of our souls.
Hence it is that he assumes the most tender and affectionate
titles of spouse, brother, friend, &c. in order to incite us to
approach him frequently in this divine sacrament.

The spirit of the church is further made known by the advice of
the holy Council of Trent, which exhorts all the faithful to
communicate often, and particularly whilst they assist at the
celebration of the divine mysteries. To those testimonies may
be added the exhortations of the holy fathers, the example of
the saints, the practice of the primitive Christians, and the
experience of all pious and devout persons in every age, as so
many corroborating proofs of the happiness and advantage of
frequent communion.

But if it be a happiness to communicate early in life, and
frequently during the course thereof, it may be also said that
there cannot be a greater misfortune than to communicate
unworthily; it being a most flagrant abuse of what is most
sacred in religion. To avoid then so great an evil, reflect
seriously on these words of St. Paul: "Let a man _prove
himself_, and so eat of that bread, and drink of that
chalice; for he that eateth and drinketh _unworthily_,
eateth and drinketh _damnation_ to himself, not discerning
the body of the Lord." Now this _proving_ consists in
putting yourself into such a state, that your conscience may
not reproach you with any essential obstacle to the receiving
of this sacrament, that is, with the conscious guilt of any
mortal sin whatever.
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This you can answer for, provided you have endeavoured to make
as exact, as fervent, and as perfect a confession as you would
wish to make at the hour of death; and you should certainly be
equally careful and fervent in so doing, there being not less
purity required to receive Jesus Christ in this life, than to
appear before the judgment-seat of God in the next.

Above all things it must be remembered, that the essential
point in this _proving_ of yourself, is, "_to quit the
occasions of sin, and to repair the scandal it hath
caused:_" without a fixed determination of so doing, the
accusation and detestation of it are absolutely insufficient.

But this purity of conscience, which exempts from mortal sin,
and every criminal attachment, though it may prevent the
communion from being sacrilegious, yet it is not sufficient to
render it so fruitful and advantageous as it should be.
Wherefore, the more you prepare yourself for this sacrament,
the greater abundance of grace you will require. In order,
then, to prevent the mistake of such as do not think it
necessary to prepare for receiving this holy sacrament before
the very day of communion, the following pious practices are
earnestly recommended:

I. Some days before communion perform all your actions and
prayers, in order to obtain the graces necessary for so
important a duty. Offer them up in the morning with this
intention, and do some good work, such as an alms, an act of
mortification, or a fast, with the same design.

II. Visit our Lord in the blessed sacrament morning and
evening, to beg that he would himself by his grace dispose your
heart to receive him worthily.

III. Read every day a chapter out of the 4th Book of the
_Imitation of Christ_, or some other approved book that
treats of the Eucharist.

IV. On the eve of your communion be more recollected than
usual: think often upon the happiness you are to enjoy the
ensuing day in receiving your God. As this should be your last
thought at composing yourself to rest, so it should also be
your first at awaking.

V. Represent to your imagination that your angel guardian
addresses you in these words: "Behold the spouse cometh: go
forth now and meet him." Arise as early as possible to receive
the great guest, who designs to honour you with this visit.
Keep a profound silence till you return from mass; and let it
appear by your modesty and recollection, that you are deeply
penetrated with the consciousness of the sanctity of an action
of the most ineffable dignity and excellence.

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VI. Whenever you go to communion have always in your mind some
particular intention--such as the acquiring of some virtue;
overcoming such a temptation; the knowing of God's will with
regard to yourself; the relief of the souls of the faithful
departed; the conversion of infidels, heretics, and of sinners
in general; for nothing is more capable of exciting fervour in
devotion, than some particular end to which it is referred.

A Prayer To The Blessed Virgin.

O sacred Mother of God, pure and spotless Virgin! thou didst not bear the Saviour of the world in thy sacred womb for thine own sake alone, but for ours also. May not I then, O Mother of mercy, hope to partake of his merits, and obtain, through thy powerful intercession, some share of the same holy dispositions of soul which thou thyself didst possess at the time thou didst conceive him. O that the same divine Spirit which then prepared thy body and soul for his reception, would now shed his precious gifts on me, since it is the same God-Man that I am also about to receive. Obtain for me a pure heart for his dwelling-place, and a firm and constant resolution to support myself in his grace; but above all, inspire me with an infinite horror of the detestable sin of impurity, which, in a particular manner, contaminates the soul of man, and renders it unworthy of communicating; because, by dishonouring my flesh, I dishonour the flesh of Jesus Christ also. {107} Alas! if thy immaculate virginal womb was not too pure for a God to become incarnate therein, how can I presume to present myself at the table of the God of purity, and receive him into a heart contaminated with the smallest stain of a vice so abominable in the sight of infinite purity and sanctity?

Prayers Before Communion.