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Preparation.
1. Place yourself before God.
2. Ask Him to inspire your heart.
Considerations.
- God did not bring you into the world because He had any need
of you, useless as you are; but solely that He might show forth
His Goodness in you, giving you His Grace and Glory. And to this
end He gave you understanding that you might know Him, memory
that you might think of Him, a will that you might love Him,
imagination that you might realise His mercies, sight that you
might behold the marvels of His works, speech that you might
praise Him, and so on with all your other faculties.
- Being created and placed in the world for this intent, all
contrary actions should be shunned and rejected, as also you
should avoid as idle and superfluous whatever does not promote
it.
- Consider how unhappy they are who do not think of all
this,--who live as though they were created only to build and
plant, to heap up riches and amuse themselves with trifles.
Affections and Resolutions.
- Humble yourself in that hitherto you have so little thought
upon all this. Alas, my God, of what was I thinking when I did
not think of Thee? what did I remember when I forgot Thee? what
did I love when I loved Thee not? Alas, when I ought to have
been feeding on the truth, I was but filling myself with vanity,
and serving the world, which was made to serve me.
- Abhor your past life. I renounce ye, O vain thoughts and
useless cogitations, frivolous and hateful memories: I renounce
all worthless friendships, all unprofitable efforts, and
miserably ungrateful self-indulgence, all pitiful compliances.
- Turn to God. Thou, my God and Saviour shalt henceforth be
the sole object of my thoughts; no more will I give my mind to
ideas which are displeasing to Thee. All the days of my life I
will dwell upon the greatness of Thy Goodness, so lovingly
poured out upon me. Thou shalt be henceforth the delight of my
heart, the resting-place of all my affections. From this time
forth I will forsake and abhor the vain pleasures and
amusements, the empty pursuits which have absorbed my time;--the
unprofitable ties which have bound my heart I will loosen
henceforth, and to that end I will use such and such remedies.
Conclusion.
- Thank God, Who has made you for so gracious an end. Thou
hast made me, O Lord, for Thyself, that I may eternally enjoy
the immensity of Thy Glory; when shall I be worthy thereof, when
shall I know how to bless Thee as I ought?
- Offer. O Dearest Lord, I offer Thee all my affections and
resolutions, with my whole heart and soul.
- Pray. I entreat Thee, O God, that Thou wouldest accept my
desires and longings, and give Thy Blessing to my soul, to
enable me to fulfil them, through the Merits of Thy Dear Son's
Precious Blood shed upon the Cross for me. OUR FATHER, etc.
Gather your little spiritual bouquet.
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