Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/168

 grace, never  to  offend  thee  hereafter. I therefore earnestly beseech  thee  to  confirm  all  the  good  resolutions I have  now  made. Increase my  fervour in thy  service,  and  render  it  efficacious,  that  my change  of  life  may  be  visible  to  all,  and  that  in  future my conduct  may  be  as  exemplary  as  it  has  been heretofore disedifying. Amen.

O Blessed Virgin  Mary! my holy  patrons,  and  all ye saints  and  angels,  praise  and  extol  our  Lord  for his boundless  goodness  towards  me,  a most  miserable sinner. Beseech him  to  accept  of  this  my  humble confession, and  to  supply,  through  his  infinite mercies, all  its  deficiencies. Beg him  to  ratify  in  the book of  heaven,  the  sentence  of  absolution  which his minister,  the  priest,  has  pronounced  in  my  favour at the  tribunal  of  confession. Amen.

MY God, measure  not  thy  mercies  towards  thy guilty child  by  the  standard  of  thy  justice, which would  condemn  me  to  eternal  banishment from thy  sight,  but  according  to  thy  great  mercy, which delights  in  granting  pardon,  and  which  bestows upon the  penitent  soul,  together  with  thy  forgiveness, the  choicest  gifts  of  thy  redeeming  love.

''And according  to  the  multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies, blot  out  my  iniquity. ''

And according  to  the  multitude  of  thy  mercies, whose boundless,  tender  compassion  seems  to  increase in proportion  to  our  innumerable  miseries,  not  only pardon my  sins,  but  so  blot  them  out,  that  they  may never rise  in  judgment  against  me.

''Wash me  yet  more  from  my  iniquity, and  cleanse  me from  my  sin. ''