Prev
| Next
| Contents
Chapter VII - Of the examination of conscience, and purpose of amendment
The Voice of the Beloved
Above all things the priest of God must draw nigh, with all
humility of heart and supplicating reverence, with full faith and
pious desire for the honour of God, to celebrate, minister, and
receive this Sacrament. Diligently examine thy conscience and
with all thy might with true contrition and humble confession
cleanse and purify it, so that thou mayest feel no burden, nor
know anything which bringeth thee remorse and impedeth thy free
approach. Have displeasure against all thy sins in general, and
specially sorrow and mourn because of thy daily transgressions.
And if thou have time, confess unto God in the secret of thine
heart, all miseries of thine own passion.
2. Lament grievously and be sorry, because thou art still so
carnal and worldly, so unmortified from thy passions, so full of
the motion of concupiscence, so unguarded in thine outward
senses, so often entangled in many vain fancies, so much inclined
to outward things, so negligent of internal; so ready to laughter
and dissoluteness, so unready to weeping and contrition; so prone
to ease and indulgence of the flesh, so dull to zeal and fervour;
so curious to hear novelties and behold beauties, so loth to
embrace things humble and despised; so desirous to have many
things, so grudging in giving, so close in keeping; so
inconsiderate in speaking, so reluctant to keep silence; so
disorderly in manners, so inconsiderate in actions; so eager
after food, so deaf towards the Word of God; so eager after rest,
so slow to labour; so watchful after tales, so sleepy towards
holy watchings; so eager for the end of them, so wandering in
attention to them; so negligent is observing the hours of prayer,
so lukewarm in celebrating, so unfruitful in communicating; so
quickly distracted, so seldom quite collected with thyself; so
quickly moved to anger, so ready for displeasure at others; so
prone to judging, so severe at reproving; so joyful in
prosperity, so weak in adversity; so often making many good
resolutions and bringing them to so little effect.
3. When thou hast confessed and bewailed these and thy other
shortcomings, with sorrow and sore displeasure at thine own
infirmity, make then a firm resolution of continual amendment of
life and of progress in all that is good. Then moreover with
full resignation and entire will offer thyself to the honour of
My name on the altar of thine heart as a perpetual whole
burnt-offering, even by faitfully presenting thy body and soul
unto Me, to the end that thou mayest so be accounted worthy to
draw near to offer this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to
God, and to receive the Sacrament of My Body and Blood to thy
soul's health. For there is no oblation worthier, no
satisfaction greater for the destroying of sin, than that a man
offer himself to God, purely and entirely with the oblation of
the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Communion. If a man
shall have done what in him lieth, and shall repent him truly,
then how often soever he shall draw nigh unto Me for pardon and
grace, As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death
of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted, and live.
All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be
mentioned unto him.(1)
(1) Ezekiel xviii. 22, 23.
Prev
| Next
| Contents
|