Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/218

 for thou  art  the  Lamb  of  God  that  takest  away  the sins of  the  world; and  one  drop  of  this  blood,  which thou hast  shed  for  us,  is  more  than  enough  to  cancel the sins  of  ten  thousand  worlds. Thou seest,  O Searcher  of  hearts,  all  my  maladies  and  all  the  wounds of my  soul; thou  knowest  how  prone  I am  to  evil, and how  backward  and  sluggish  to  good. Thou seest this  self-love  that  tyrannizes  over  my  soul, which is  so  deeply  rooted  in  my  corrupt  nature,  and branches out  into  so  many  vices,  so  much  pride  and vanity, so  much  passion  and  envy,  so  much  covetousness and  worldly  solicitude,  so  much  sensuality  and concupiscence. Oh! who can  heal  all  these  my  evils but thou  the  true  Physician  of  my  soul,  who  givest me thy  body  and  blood  in  this  blessed  sacrament,  as a sovereign  medicine  for  all  my  infirmities,  and  a sovereign  balsam  for  all  my  wounds! Dispel, dear Jesus, the  darkness  of  ignorance  and  error  from  my understanding,  by  thy  heavenly  light; drive  away  the corruption and  malice  of  my  will,  by  the  fire  of divine  love  and  charity; restrain  all  the  motions  of concupiscence,  and  all  the  irregular  sallies  of  passion, that they  may  no  more  prevail  over  me; strengthen my weakness  with  heavenly  fortitude; destroy  this hellish monster  of  self-love,  with  its  many  heads; or at  least  chain  down  this  worst  of  all  my  enemies,  that it may  no  longer  usurp  the  empire  of  my  soul,  which belongs to  thee,  and  which  thou  hast  taken  possession of this  day; cut  off  the  heads  of  this  beast,  and  particularly that  which  annoys  me  most,  and  which  is my  predominant  passion; stand  by  me  henceforward in all  my  temptations,  that  I may  never  more  be overcome; remove  from  me  all  dangerous  occasions, and grant  me  this  one  favor,  that  I may  rather  die  a thousand  deaths  than  live  to  offend  thee  mortally.