Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/166

 with|Wherwith|title=wherewith}} shall  I kneel  before  the  high  God?”  (Mich,  vi.  6.) My God,  miserable  as  1 am,  I can  make  thee  no offering  worthy  of  thy  goodness  or  grateful  to  thy heart. I can only  present  thee  a soul  loaded  with more mercies  than  would  suffice  to  sanctify  any  other but myself. Let thy  own  mercies  then  praise  thee, let them  give  thee  glory,  and  let  my  preservation from those  torments  I have  so  often  deserved,  be  a standing  memorial  of  thy  paternal  compassion. Look mercifully on  a soul  whom  contrition  and  guilt  have penetrated and  confounded,  thou  of  whom  thy prophet has  said,  that  “the  bruised  reed  he  shall not  break, the  smoking  fax  he  shall  not  quench” (Is. xlii.  3.)  Support  in  thy  mercy  my  weakness,  of which  thou  alone  knowest  the  extent; and  fan  into  a flame  those  sparks  of  good  desires  which  thy  grace  has enkindled within  me,  but  which  my  infidelities  have so often,  alas ! well nigh  extinguished. O fulfil then thy gracious  promise: “I will  seek  that  which  was lost:  and  that  which  was  driven  away, I will  bring again: and  I will  bind  up  that  which  was  broken: and I will  strengthen  that  which  was  weak”  (Ezech.  xxxiv. 16.)  Divine  Jesus! let thy  mercy  be  upon  me according  to  my  hope  in  thee,  “  For  the  eyes  of  the Lord  are  on  them  that  fear  him,  and  on  them  that  hope  in his  mercy”  (Ps.  xxxii.  18.)

Most holy  Virgin,  thou  who  hast,  as  I trust, interceded for  my  pardon,  obtain  for  me  also  the grace of  perseverance,  that  I may  live  and  die  in  the friendship of  my  God. Amen.

O most sweet  Lord  Jesus! graciously vouchsafe to remember  all  the  holy  thoughts  that  have  passed in thy  divine  mind  from  the  beginning  of  the  world to this  moment,  particularly  thy  tender  design  of becoming  Man  for  the  redemption  of  the  world; and