Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/279

 him as  an  enemy; you  have  despised  his  grace  and his friendship. You knew  that  by  your  sins  yon would displease  him,  and  yet  you  have  committed them. What does  the  man  who  commits  sin? He turns  his  back  on  God; he  loses  respect  for  him; he lifts  his  hands,  it  may  be  said,  to  strike  him; he grieves  the  heart  of  his  God  (Is. lxiii. 10). He who sins, says  in  fact  to  God: Withdraw  from  me,  I will not obey  thee,  I will  »not  serve  thee,  I will  not acknowledge thee  as  my  Lord,  I will  not  have  thee for my  God;  this  pleasure,  that  worldly  advantage, this gratification  of  my  revenge,  must  be  my  God. So do  you  speak  in  your  heart,  whenever  you  prefer a creature to  your  God. St. Mary  Magdalen  of  Pazzi could not  comprehend  how  a Christian,  with  his  eyes open, could  commit  sin. And you,  who  now  are reading this,  what  do  you  say? How many  mortal sins have  you  not  already  committed? [Examine yourself. ] My  God! pardon me,  and  have  mercy  on me. I have offended  thy  infinite  goodness; I hate my sins,  I love  thee,  and  repent  of  having  offended thee, O my  God,  thou  who  art  infinitely  lovely! [Arouse yourself  to  repentance,  and  make  a firm resolution .]

II. Consider that  in  the  moment  when  you  are committing sin  God  says  to  you: “ My  son! I am thy God,  who  have  created  thee  from  nothing,  who have redeemed  thee  with  my  blood. I forbid thee, under pain  of  my  displeasure,  to  commit  these  sins.” But when  you  sin,  you  answer  your  God,  and  say: “ O Lord! I will not  obey  thee,  I will  procure  for myself this  satisfaction; it  is  of  no  importance  to  me whether  it  displeases  thee  or  not.”  Alas! O my God, more  than  once  have  I done  this ! [ Examine yourself. ] How was  it  possible  for  thee  to  bear  with