Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/302

 heads with  ashes,  and  our  whole  bodies  with  haircloth. If we  have  not  a sincere  sorrow  for  our  sins, if we  do  not  entirely  renounce  our  criminal  attachments, we  are  impostors,  and  not  penitents. Prayers, alms,  fasting,  and  macerations  of  the  flesh, are but  the  outsides  of  repentance,  the  hatred  of  sin is its  very  spirit  and  essence.

[Implore God’s mercy  for  haring  hitherto  led  a life  so  opposite  to the  Gospel; and  beg  of  him  the  grace  to  live  for  the  future  as  the first Christians  did,  in  the  constant  practice  of  penance.]

“ Unless you do  penance,  you  shall  all  likewise  perish.” — Luke xiii. 3.

“ To penitents I say,  to  what  purpose  Is  it  that  you  be  humbled, if  with  this  you  be  not  changed.” — St. Austin.

1. By  deferring  so  long  to  give  myself  up  to  God, it should  seem  as  if  I intended  to  escape  out  of  his hands. Is it  then  a misfortune  to  belong  to  him? To-morrow — to-morrow ! Why not  to-day? Why not this  very  moment? Will my  chains  be  more easily broken  to-morrow? Will my  heart  be  less hard? No, certainly. Time, that  weakens  everything else,  adds  new  strength  to  bad  habits. By putting off  the  remedy,  the  complaint  becomes  incurable.

2. What  is  it  that  prevents  our  obeying  the  voice that calls  us  to  repentance? What is  it  that  terrifies us? That there  is  great  difficulty  in  changing  our lives must  certainly  be  granted;  but  what  should not a Christian  do  who  adores  a crucified  God,  and who looks  up  to  heaven? If we  have  anything  to fear,  it  should  be  the  abuse  of  God’s  graces.

3. There  is  time  to  come. But can  I call  it  mine? Is it  a possession  of  which  I am  master? God waits for me,  it  is  true: the  Scripture  tells  me  so; but still it  doth  not  tell  me  how  long  I am  to  live. He