Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/419

 I abandon  my  soul  fully  into  Thy  hands:  "Into  Thy hands  I  commend  My  spirit." For pity's  sake,  help it, and  preserve  it! and grant  that  it  may  be  always and entirely  Thine  own,  since  Thou  hast  redeemed it with  the  last  drop  of  Thy  Blood:  "Thou  hast redeemed  Me,  O  Lord,  the  God  of  truth"  (Ps.  xxx.  6). O Mary,  help  me  to  do  the  will  of  God!

If we wish  God  to  give  Himself  entirely  to  us,  it  is  likewise  necessary for  us  to  give  ourselves  entirely  to  Him.

Y dearest  Jesus,  if  it  be  true  (as  the  law  says) that dominion  is  required  by  gift,  since  Thy Father hath  given  Thee  to  me,  Thou  art mine; for  me  Thou  wast  born,  to  me  hast  Thou been given:  "  A  Child  is  born  to  us,  a  Son  is  given to  us"  (Is.  ix.  6). Therefore I  may  well  say:  "My Jesus  and  my  All." Since Thou  art  mine,  everything that  belongs  to  Thee  is  also  mine. Of this  I am  assured  by  Thy  apostle:  "  How  hath  He  not  also with  Him  given  us  all  things"  (Rom  viii.  32). Thy Blood is  mine,  Thy  merits  are  mine,  Thy  grace  is mine,  Thy  paradise  is  mine;  and  if  Thou  art  mine, who shall  be  able  to  take  Thee  from  me? " No  man can  take  God  away  from  me,"  said  with  joy  the  abbot St. Antony. So, from  this  day  forth,  will  I  also continually say. It is  only  through  my  own  fault that I  can  lose  Thee  and  separate  myself  from  Thee; but if  in  past  times  I  have  abandoned  Thee  and  lost Thee, O  my  Jesus,  I  now  repent  of  it  with  all  my soul,  and  I  am  resolved  to  lose  my  life  and  everything sooner than  lose  Thee,  O  Infinite  Good  and  only love of  my  soul! I thank  Thee,  Eternal  Father,  for having given  me  Thy  Son;  and  since  Thou  hast given Him  entirely  to  me,  I,  miserable  sinner,  give myself entirely  to  Thee. For the  sake  of  this  same Son, accept  me,  and  bind  me  with  the  chains  of  love to this  my  Redeemer;  but  bind  me  so  strongly  that