Page:Catechismoftrent.djvu/378

 crying, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner;" and also the woman, " a sinner," who, having washed the feet of our Lord, and wiped them with her hair, kissed them; and lastly, Peter the prince of the Apostles, who, "going forth wept bitterly."

They should next consider that the weaker men are, and the more liable to moral contagion, the greater the necessity they are under of having recourse to numerous and frequent remedies: the remedies of a soul labouring under spiritual disease are penance and the Holy Eucharist; and to these, therefore, they should have frequent recourse. The Sacred Scriptures inform us that alms-deeds are also an efficacious remedy for healing the wounds of the soul. Those, therefore, who desire to offer up this prayer with pious dispositions, should kindly assist the poor according to the means with which Providence has blessed them. That alms exert a powerful influence in effacing the stains of sin we learn from these words of Tobias: " Alms deliver from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting." To the same truth Daniel bears testimony, when, admonishing Nebuchodonoser, he says: " Redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor."

But the highest species of benevolence, and the most commendable exercise of mercy, is to forget injuries, and to cherish good-will towards those who injure us, or ours, in person, property, or character. Whoever, therefore, desires to experience in a special manner the mercy of God, let him present to God all his enmities, pardon every offence, and pray for his enemies from his heart, embracing every opportunity of deserving well of them. This, however, is a subject which we have already explained, when treating of murder, and to that exposition we, therefore, refer the pastor. He will, however, conclude what he has to say on this petition with the reflection, that nothing is or can be imagined more unjust than that he, who is so rigorous towards his fellow-man as to extend indulgence to no one, should demand of God to be gracious and merciful towards himself.

WHEN the children of God, having obtained the pardon of their sins, and being now inflamed with the desire of devoting themselves to the divine service, sigh for the coming of the kingdom of heaven; and when, engaged in the performance of all the duties of piety towards God, they depend entirely on his paternal will and providential care; then it is, no doubt, that the