Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/386

 others, so  Thou  hast  suffered  the  pains  which  Thou didst endure  more  for  me  than  for  others. Accursed a thousand  times  be  all  those  sinful  pleasures  which I have  delighted  in,  and  which  have  cost  Thee  so much  sorrow! But since  Thou  hast  paid  the  price of my  ransom,  I  beseech  Thee  let  not  the  Blood which Thou  hast  spilled  for  love  of  me  be  lost  to  me. I love  Thee,  O  Infinite  Bounty,  but  I  desire  to  love Thee more;  I  desire  to  love  Thee  as  much  as  Thou deservest to  be  loved. O my  Jesus,  do  Thou  cause Thyself to  be  loved  by  me  and  by  all  men;  for  Thou dost indeed  deserve  to  be  loved. I pray  Thee,  enlighten the  minds  of  those  sinners  who  neither  know nor love  Thee;  make  them  understand  what  Thou hast done  for  the  love  of  them,  and  the  ardent  desire Thou hast  for  their  salvation. Most holy  Mary,  pray to Jesus  for  me  and  for  all  sinners;  obtain  for  us light  and  grace  to  love  Thy  Son,  Who  has  loved  us so  much.

During thirty years  Jesus  Christ  respected  St.  Joseph  as  a  father, and obeyed  him  as  such. Without the  order  of  St. Joseph He  performed no  action,  took  no  step,  tasted  no  food,  indulged  in  no  repose. He was  all  attention  in  listening  to  and  executing  whatever  St. Joseph  enjoined  upon  Him.

Y beloved  Jesus,  Thou  art  the  Sovereign  of heaven  and  earth;  but  for  the  love  of  me Thou  didst  make  Thyself  a  servant  even  of the  executioners  who  tore  Thy  flesh,  pierced  Thy head, and  finally  left  Thee  nailed  on  the  cross  to  die of sorrow. I adore  Thee  as  my  God  and  Lord,  and I am  ashamed  to  appear  before  Thee  when  I  remember how  often,  for  the  sake  of  some  miserable  pleasure, I  have  rent  asunder  Thy  holy  bonds,  and  have told Thee  that  I  would  not  serve  Thee. But still.