Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/301

 is allowed  to  infect  it,  its  beauty  is  lost,  its  light  is extinguished,  the  Divine  Spirit  departs,  the  devil takes possession:  all  then  is  darkness,  filth,  and deformity. If a God-man,  dying,  was  a dreadful spectacle, mortal  sin  is  yet  more  dreadful;  for Christ died  but  to  atone  for  sin,  and  sin  can  daily frustrate all  his  merits: he  is  crucified  over  and over — his blood  is  trampled  upon  by  ungrateful sinners.

[Oh! detest, at this  moment,  all  your  sins. Lament from  your heart  the  loss  of  God’s  grace:  there  is  no  loss  so  much  to  be lamented;  it  is  the  only  loss  which  sorrow  can  repair.]

“ What fruit had  you  in  those  things,  of  which  you  are  now ashamed?”- -Romans  vi. 21.

“ Woe to that  daring  soul  which  hoped  that  having  retired  from you,  she  might  still  find  something  better.” — St. Austin.

1. Repent, and  believe  the  Gospel. ( Mark i.  14.) Our Lord  here  joins  faith  and  repentance  together, in order  to  teach  us  that  the  rigours  of  penance,  and the profession  of  Christianity,  are  inseparable. During his  mortal  life  he  was  ever  occupied  in  doing penance; expiating our  sins,  to  appease  the  justice of his  eternal  Father. Surely we  should  follow  his example. If the  Holy  of  Holies  fasted,  prayed,  and wept, what  should  not  be  done  by  so  vile  wretches as we?

2. Sin  must  necessarily  be  punished  either  by  him who commits  it,  or  by  God,  against  whom  it  is committed. If sinners  do  not  punish  themselves  in time,  the  Divine  Justice  will  punish  them  in  eternity. The flames  of  hell  must  punish  what  the  waters  of penance  have  not  effaced. Is it  not,  therefore,  better to weep  for  a few  days  than  to  bum  for  an  eternity?!

3. To  be  reconciled  with  God,  it  is  not  enough to prostrate  ourselves  before  a priest,  to  cover  our