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Preparation.
1. Place yourself in the Presence of God.
2. Ask Him to inspire your heart.
Considerations.
- Consider that but a few years since you were not born into
the world, and your soul was as yet non-existent. Where wert
thou then, O my soul? the world was already old, and yet of thee
there was no sign.
- God brought you out of this nothingness, in order to make
you what you are, not because He had any need of you, but solely
out of His Goodness.
- Consider the being which God has given you; for it is the
foremost being of this visible world, adapted to live eternally,
and to be perfectly united to God's Divine Majesty.
Affections and Resolutions.
- Humble yourself utterly before God, saying with the
Psalmist, O Lord, I am nothing in respect of Thee--what am I,
that Thou shouldst remember me? O my soul, thou wert yet lost in
that abyss of nothingness, if God had not called thee forth, and
what of thee in such a case?
- Give God thanks. O Great and Good Creator, what do I not owe
Thee, Who didst take me from out that nothingness, by Thy Mercy
to make me what I am? How can I ever do enough worthily to
praise Thy Holy Name, and render due thanks to Thy Goodness?
- Confess your own shame. But alas, O my Creator, so far from
uniting myself to Thee by a loving service, I have rebelled
against Thee through my unruly affections, departing from Thee,
and giving myself up to sin, and ignoring Thy Goodness, as
though Thou hadst not created me.
- Prostrate thyself before God. O my soul, know that the Lord
He is thy God, it is He that hath made thee, and not thou
thyself. O God, I am the work of Thy Hands; henceforth I will
not seek to rest in myself, who am nought. Wherein hast thou to
glory, who art but dust and ashes? how canst thou, a very
nothing, exalt thyself? In order to my own humiliation, I will
do such and such a thing,--I will endure such contempt:--I will
alter my ways and henceforth follow my Creator, and realise that
I am honoured by His calling me to the being He has given; I
will employ it solely to obey His Will, by means of the teaching
He has given me, of which I will inquire more through my
spiritual Father.
Conclusion.
- Thank God. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and praise His Holy
Name with all thy being, because His Goodness called me forth
from nothingness, and His Mercy created me.
- Offer. O my God, I offer Thee with all my heart the being
Thou hast given me, I dedicate and consecrate it to Thee.
- Pray. O God, strengthen me in these affections and
resolutions. Dear Lord, I commend me, and all those I love, to
Thy neverfailing Mercy. OUR FATHER, etc.
At the end of your meditation linger a while, and gather, so to
say, a little spiritual bouquet from the thoughts you have dwelt
upon, the sweet perfume whereof may refresh you through the day.
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