Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/387

 O my  Saviour,  Thy  merits  and  Thy  goodness,  which despise not  a  heart  that  repents  and  humbles  itself, give me  the  hope  of  pardon. I confess,  my  Jesus,  that I have  offended  Thee  greatly;  I  confess  that  I  deserve a thousand  hells  for  the  sins  I  have  committed  against Thee; chastise  me  as  Thou  seest  fit,  but  do  not  deprive me  of  Thy  grace  and  love. I repent  above every other  evil  of  having  despised  Thee,  and  I  love Thee with  my  whole  heart. I purpose  from  this  day forth to  desire  to  serve  Thee  and  love  Thee  alone. I pray  Thee,  bind  me  by  Thy  merits  with  the  chains of Thy  holy  love,  and  never  surfer  that  I  be  again released from  them. I love  Thee  above  everything,

O my  deliverer;  and  I  would  prefer  being  Thy servant to  being  master  of  the  whole  world. And of what  avail  would  all  the  world  be  to  one  who  lives deprived of  Thy  grace? " My  sweetest  Jesus,  permit me  not  to  separate  myself  from  Thee." This grace I ask  of  Thee,  and  I  intend  always  to  ask  it  to  the end of  my  life. I ask  this  favor  of  thee  also,  O Mary,  my  Mother:  help  me  that  I  may  never  separate myself again  from  God.

An angel  announced  to  the  shepherds  the  birth  of  the  Messias;  and the signs  which  He  gave  them  wherewith  to  find  Him  and  recognize Him were  all  signs  of  lowliness. " When  you  shall  find  a  child," said he,  "  in  a  stable,  wrapped  up  in  rags,  and  lying  in  a  manger  on the  straw,  know  that  it  is  your  Saviour."

my despised  Jesus! by Thy  example  Thou hast rendered  reproaches  and  contempt  sweet in the  eyes  of  those  that  love  Thee. But how is it,  then,  that  instead  of  embracing  them,  as  Thou hast done,  when  I  have  received  some  little  slight from men,  I  have  behaved  with  so  much  pride,  and