Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/89

 by our  Divine  Redeemer  upon  Calvary,  and  perpetuated through  love  for  us  on  our  altars. We thus in  a most  perfect  manner  acknowledge  God’s supreme power  over  us,  and  our  total  dependence on him,  and  we  may  hope  that  in  return,  through  his mercy, our  death  may  be  pleasing  in  his  sight.

EFLECT, that  in  consequence  of  Adam’s  sin, God ordained  that  he  and  his  posterity  should die. If this evil  is  due  to  us  on  account  of  original sin, how  much  more  do  we  deserve  the  punishment no account  of  our  own  sins.

INCE death,  my  God,  is  the  punishment  thou hast ordained  for  sin,  I submit  in  the  spirit  of penance  to  the  decrees  of  thy  justice. I accept, with an humble  and  submissive  heart,  all  the  pains, humiliations, and  privations  which  accompany  it,  in satisfaction  for  my  sins,  for  which  I am  truly  sorry. O pardon me,  my  God,  I beseech  thee. How great is my  ingratitude  to  thy  divine  Majesty,  who  didst draw me  out  of  nothing,  and  give  me  all  that  I have; after all  thy  blessings  I have  disowned  thy  sovereignty over  me,  by  refusing  to  subject  myself  to thy  law. I have slighted  thy  justice,  and  offended thee deliberately,  though  thou  couldst  at  each moment have  punished  me: I have  dishonored  thy sanctity by  the  sinfulness  of  my  life,  and  have  slighted thy goodness  which  adopted  me  as  thy  child,  by refusing  to  honour  and  obey  thee  as  my  Father. Thou didst  proffer  me  a share  in  thy  happiness, and in  the  eternal  enjoyment  of  thy  glory,