Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/187

 Then the  earth  shook  to  its  centre; from  which  you should learn  how  much  cause  sinners  have  to  dread the rigorous  justice  of  God,  who  did  not  spare  his only begotten  Son. The rocks  were  rent,  to  show you that  your  heart  should  be  broken  with  sorrow  at the  recollection  of  your  Redeemer’s  sufferings,  even though it  were  as  cold  and  as  hard  as  marble. The opening of  the  sepulchres,  and  resurrection  of  the dead, admonish  you,  that  if  you  would  participate in the  fruit  of  our  Redeemer’s  Passion  and  Death  by a worthy  Communion,  you  must  open  the  sepulchre of your  conscience,  and  cast  out  all  the  dead  works of iniquity  by  a candid  and  contrite  confession. Reflect particularly,  that  the  sepulchre  in  which  Jesus would have  his  most  precious  body  laid,  was  new,  no person  having  been  laid  there  before  (St.  John  xix.); therefore the  soul  which  prepares  to  become  the repository of  the  same  precious  body,  should  be renovated  by  contrition,  and  a firm  resolution  of leading  a new  life,  and  banish  all  that  could  disturb the reign  of  Jesus  Christ  in  her  heart. Are these your dispositions  V Have  the  foregoing  reflections animated you  to  renounce  all  such  vain  pleasures  as may  unfortunately  lead  you  to  crucify  again  the  Son of God? This is  the  moment  to  form  those  salutary resolutions, if  you  have  hitherto  neglected  doing  so. Penetrated with  that  holy  fear  of  the  judgments  of God,  and  that  firm  confidence  in  his  mercy,  which  the sufferings of  Christ  should  naturally  inspire,  examine your heart  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  and  see  all  that so great  an  example  demands  from  you. Do not  the excessive torments  of  Jesus  reproach  you  with  immortification  and  self-seeking? Does not  the  hard  bed of the  cross  condemn  your  attachment  to  your  own ease, and  your  horror  of  the  least  inconvenience? Can