Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/94



ETERNAL Father! behold here  thy  beloved Son, who  is  pleased  to  offer  himself  and  his sacred merits  to  purchase  for  me  eternal  life. I therefore claim  it  as  my  inheritance; I ardently desire it,  and  firmly  hope  for  it,  and  thy  unerring word has  assured  me  that  those  who  trust  in  thee  shall never be  confounded. My dear  Saviour,  who  wouldst not only  die  for  me,  but  didst  also  suffer  a most  cruel agony for  my  sake,  I adore  each  of  thy  interior motions even  to  the  last  moment  of  thy  life; I adore thy last  thoughts,  words,  and  sufferings; I adore  the last sentiments  of  thy  sacred  humanity,  the  last application of  the  powers  of  thy  soul. I offer thee the last  moments  of  my  life  in  honor  of  thy  most  holy death. Dear Jesus,  bless  my  death,  and  sanctify  it by  thine; unite  it,  Lord,  to  thine; make  me  partaker of those  divine  dispositions  which  animated  thy  soul when thou  didst  resign  it  into  the  hands  of  thy eternal Father,  and  grant  that  my  last  sigh  may  be an  act  of  pure  love  of  thee. As thou  didst  accept  of death  from  the  first  moment  of  thy  incarnation,  and didst remain  in  the  same  dispositions  all  the  days  of thy  life; so  in  like  manner  I from  this  moment accept of  whatever  kind  of  death  thou  shalt  be  pleased to ordain  for  me,  and  will,  with  thy  grace,  continue in the  same  resolution  of  dying  for  thee  and  according to  thy  will,  in  the  spirit  of  perfect  obedience. I heartily desire  that  the  last  act  of  my  liberty  may be one  of  submission  to  thy  divine  will,  in  honour  of that  which  thou  didst  make  upon  the  cross,  when bowing down  thy  sacred  head  in  obedience  to  the decrees of  thy  Father,  thou  didst  render  thy  blessed soul into  his  hands. I also accept  of  death  in  the spirit of  love. As thine  was  the  most  pregnant