Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/104

 changing the  love  I bear  myself  into  love  for  thee alone.

Pardon, dearest  Lord,  my  many  sins,  for  thy mercy's sake,  for  though  I do  not  deserve  it,  yet  I ask  it  through  thy  merits. Thou hast  abundantly satisfied for  all  my  debts,  I therefore  lay  claim  to  thy pardon; grant it  me  then,  since  I can  pay  more  than enough: for I offer  thee,  dear  Jesus,  thy  death  and passion, the  merits  of  which  thou  hast  made  over  to me,  and  with  which  thou  must  needs  be  satisfied,  and I cleansed from  guilt. Wilt thou  lose  anything  by forgiving  me,  or  who  will  blame  thee  for  thy  mercy? Rather wilt  thou  not  acquire  great  glory  by  it,  since it is  ever  more  glorious  to  thy  name  to  save  than  to condemn? Pardon the  many  sins  I have  committed, partly through  ignorance,  but  alas! much more  frequently through  malice:  in  both  I have  offended thee. Cure the  wounds  they  have  inflicted  on  me; thy wisdom  knows  the  depth  of  them: thy  power  is able,  and  thy  goodness  is,  I am  sure,  willing: this makes my  hopes  stronger  than  my  fears. Look upon me then  as  the  prodigal,  who,  after  wandering  forth from his  father’s  house,  returned,  and  with  a heart breaking with  sorrow,  cast  himself  at  his  feet, imploring forgiveness. His repentance  blotted  out the remembrance  of  his  crime; a fatted  calf  was killed, and  his  return  was  welcomed  by  a sumptuous repast. Since I have  imitated  the  prodigal  in  his wanderings, and  I hope  also  in  his  repentance,  suffer me to  implore  thee  to  treat  me  with  the  same  fatherly tenderness that  was  shown  to  him. I own my  unworthiness, after  having  fed  upon  carnal  delights,  to partake  of  the  bread  reserved  for  thy  children. But the greater my  misery,  the  more  ample  field  for  the  exercise of  thy  mercy. I hope that  if  I be  permitted  to