That I may set my affections on things above, not on things on the earth; Grant this, O LORD.

That I may mortify my members, and that no corrupt communication may proceed out of my mouth;

Grant this, O Lord.

That I may put off the old man, and put on the new;

Grant this, O LORD.

That I may be kind and humble, meek and long-suffering;

Grant this, O LORD.

That I may have fervent charity, which is the bond of perfectness;

Grant this, O LORD.

That the peace of GOD may rule in my heart;

Grant this, O LORD.

That the Word of CHRIST may dwell in me richly in all wisdom;

Grant this, O LORD.

That I may do all things in the Name of JESUS, giving thanks to GOD and the FATHER by Him;

Grant this, O LORD.

That I may walk in the SPIRIT;

Grant this, O Lord.

And that I may glory only in the Cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world; Grant this, O Lord.

Thanks be to GOD, which giveth us the victory, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Glory be to the FATHER, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

PSALM III. Domine, quid multiplicati?

LORD, how are they increased that trouble me many are they that rise against me. Many one there be that say of my soul: There is no help for him in his GOD.

But Thou, O LORD, art my defender : Thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.

I did call upon the LORD with my voice: and He heard me out of His holy hill.

I laid me down and slept, and rose up again for the LORD sustained me.

I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about.

Up, LORD, and help me, O my GOD : for Thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: and Thy blessing is upon Thy people. Glory be to the FATHER, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c.

149

MONDAYS BETWEEN SEPTUAGESIMA AND LENT.

AN ACT OF COMPUNCTION AND HATRED AGAINST SIN.

"Eschew evil and do good: seek peace and ensue it."-Ps. xxxiv. 14.

Contrition consists in the hearty detestation of all the sins we have committed, chiefly as having offended God; with a firm purpose of confessing them, and of sinning no more; together with the hope of pardon.

1. O my GOD and my mercy! with true contrition I bend the knees of my heart, and with the deepest grief of mind humbly accuse myself, and before Thy Divine Majesty acknowledge my fault, confessing all my sins and all the abominations which I have committed in the whole course of my life, by pride, by avarice, by sensuality, by envy, by gluttony, by anger, by sloth, and by all the wickednesses which flow from them; for, to my shame, I have been too much inclined and poured out among them. I most earnestly repent and grieve that I have sinned, not out of love to the reward promised to the righteous, of which I am not worthy; neither again out

of fear of the punishments to be inflicted upon the wicked, of which I am every way most worthy; but on this account alone that I have offended Thee, O my GOD! Who, of Thyself, art supremely Good, and above all to be adored; yea, Who art Love itself, Goodness itself, Majesty itself.

2. And for the great love which I owe to Thee, and which I bear towards Thee, O LORD, I hate, detest, and abominate sin, selflove, the inordinate love of the creature, and all else which might hinder me from being joined and united to Thee by the holy love of Thee. Whereinsoever either in thought, word, or deed, whether through frailty, ignorance, or wilfulness, I have sinned against Thee, my GOD, against my neighbour, or myself; in whatsoever way, with the whole affections of my heart I confess it to be my fault, my most grievous fault. It repenteth me that I have sinned; and I mourn that at this hour I do not feel so great hatred of sin, nor have such deep grief, nor so ardent a desire to bewail' the past, nor so firm a purpose to eschew all future sins, as I wish and ought to have, that it might answer to these my so great abominations.

3. Therefore I beseech Thee, my GOD, accept that infinite hatred wherewith Thou Thyself hatest sin, to make up that which I ought to have; and in the place of that

grief wherein I am lacking, I offer to Thee, O most merciful FATHER, the sorrows of JESUS CHRIST, Thy SON, my Redeemer, as well as the Sacrifice of His spotless Life, and that holy fervour and zeal which drew Him to that most ignominious and most bitter Death, in order that He might destroy sin.

4. Ah, JESU! my most compassionate SAVIOUR! I fall down before the feet of Thy mercies, beseeching Thee by that love which drew Thee down from heaven to the Virgin's womb, that Thou wouldest apply to me the merits of Thy most bitter Passion, and of that most precious Blood which Thou didst shed for sinners, of whom I am chief; and thus supply all that is lacking in me, and forgive me all my faults, negligences, and ingratitude.

Grant, I beseech Thee, that all these things may henceforward be far from me; and although, through the frailty of my nature, I can never be wholly free from sin, yet, O Infinite Goodness, grant me at least this grace, that I may never sin mortally. This is indeed what Thou Thyself willest, desirest, askest for us, and commandest; give what Thou commandest, and command what Thou wilt. Cause, O LORD, that from henceforth, in the stead of those vices, holy virtues of every kind may be engraven