Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/244

 its merits  forgive  me  my  offences. But do  thou also, O my  soul,  give  ear  to  the  voice  of  thy  Saviour, who calls  out  to  thee  by  the  mouth  of  Holy  Job: “ O earth, cover not  thou  my  blood, neither  let  my  cry  find a hiding-place in  thee.”  ( Job  xvi.  19.)  As  if  he  had said, thou,  who  being  by  nature  no  better  than  earth, cover not  the  blood  of  thy  Redeemer  by  thy  irregular affections for  earthly  things;  hinder  not  his  voice from rising  to  the  throne  of  his  Father in thy  favour, by the  hardness  of  thy  heart  and  obstinacy  in  sin.

O Jesus, my  ever  merciful  Saviour! grant that after making  an  act  of  perfect  contrition,  and  a sincere confession  of  my  manifold  sins,  I may,  at  the hour of  my  death,  humbly  adore  and  devoutly  receive thee present  in  the  blessed  Sacrament  of  the  altar,  as a sweet  viaticum  for  my  support  and  comfort  in  my awful  passage. Do thou  strengthen  my  poor  soul for her  great  and  important  journey  from  time  to eternity; be  my  guide  to  conduct  her,  my  protector to defend her,  my  advocate  to  plead  her  cause  before thy Father, and  obtain  his  favour. Leave her  not forlorn and  destitute  of  succour  at  that  dreadful hour when  she  will  find  herself  forsaken  by  all  creatures. Cleanse her  from  her  sins  in  the  bath  of  thy blood, clothe  her  with  thy  justice,  adorn  her  with  thy virtues, enrich  her  with  thy  merits,  hide  her  within thy sacred  wounds,  lodge  her  in  the  secret  of  thy presence, as  thou  dost  those  who  place  their  hope  in thee,  that  having  obtained  a full  and  complete  pardon of all  her  sins,  she  may  close  the  last  scene  of  her mortal life  in  the  true  faith  and  communion  of  the holy Catholic  Church,  and  in  perfect  charity  with  all mankind. Amen, sweet  Jesus. Amen.