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PREPARATION FOR CONFESSION.

Prayer to implore the Divine Assistance, in order to make a good Confession.

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ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, who hast made me out of nothing, and redeemed me by the precious blood of thy only Son; who hast, with so much patience, borne with me to this day, notwithstanding all my sins and ingratitude; ever calling after me to return to thee from the ways of vanity and iniquity, in which I have been quite wearied out in the pursuit of empty toys and mere shadows; seeking in vain to satisfy my thirst with muddy waters, and my hunger with husks of swine; behold, O most gracious Lord, I now sincerely desire to leave all these my evil ways, to forsake the region of death, where I have so long lost myself, and to return to thee, the Fountain of Life. I desire now to comply with thy holy institution of the sacrament of penance; I desire to confess my sins with all sincerity to thee, and to thy minister, and therefore will call myself to an account by a diligent examination of my conscience. But, O my God, how miserably shall I deceive myself, if thou assist me not in this great work by thy heavenly light!

remove then every veil that hides any of my sins from me, that I may see them all in their true colours, and may sincerely

detest them. O let me not any longer be imposed upon by the enemy, or by my own self-love, so as to hide myself from myself, or any way flatter myself in my sins.

But, O my good God, what will it avail me to know my sins, if thou dost not also give me a hearty sorrow and repentance for them; without this my sins will be all upon me still, and I shall be still thy enemy, and a child of hell. Thou insistest upon a change of heart, without which there can be no re conciliation with thee; and this change of heart none but thou canst give. O give it me then, dear Lord, at this time. Give me a lively faith, and a firm hope in the passion of my Redeemer; teach me to fear thee, and to love thee. Give me, for thy mercy's sake, a hearty sorrow for having offended so good a God. O give me a full and firm resolution for a new life for the future.

Grant me the grace also to make an entire and sincere confession of my sins, and to accept of the confusion of it, as a penance justly due to my transgressions. Let not the enemy, with all his artifices, prevail upon me to pass over anything through fear or shame; rather let me die than consent to so great an evil. O grant that this confession at least may be good, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, thy Son, who died for me and for all sinners, assist me that I may go through every part of it with the same care and diligence, as I should be glad to do at the hour of my death.

O blessed Virgin, mother of my Redeemer, mirror of innocence and sanctity, and refuge of penitent sinners, intercede for me through the passion of thy Son, that I may have the grace to make a good confession. All you blessed angels and saints of God, pray for me, a poor miserable sinner, that I may now, for good and all, turn from my evil ways, that so henceforward my heart may be for ever united with yours in eternal love, and never more go astray from the Sovereign Good. Amen.

A Method of Examination of Conscience, for such as confess often.

HAVE you omitted morning or evening prayers, or neglected to make your daily examination of conscience? Have you prayed negligently, and with wilful distractions? Have you devoutly heard mass, and spent your time on Sundays and holidays in reading, praying, or other pious exercises; and taken care that those under your charge have done the like? Have you spoken irreverently of God and holy things? Have you taken his name in vain? Have you told untruths? Have you omitted your duty, through human respect, interest, compliance, &c.? Have you been zealous for God's honour, for justice, virtue and truth, and reproved such as act otherwise? Have you resigned your will to God in troubles, necessities, sickness, &c.? Have you faithfully resisted thoughts of infidelity, distrust, presump

tion, &c.? Have you sinned by words, actions, looks, thoughts or desires, contrary to purity? Have you broken the fasts or abstinences ordained by the church, or caused others to do so? Have you eaten or drank to excess, or of anything that you knew would injure your health? Have you murmured at or been difficult to please in your diet; not reflecting that thousands want what you refuse or despise? Have you been slothful in rising in the morning, and thereby lost the best part of the day, and that peculiarly calculated for the discharge of spiritual duties?

Have you been obstinate in following your own will, or in defending your own opinion in things either indiferent, dangerous, or scandalous? Have you taken pleasure in hearing yourself praised, or yielding to thoughts of pride or vanity? Have you been guilty of sloth, or indulged yourself in overmuch case? Have you spent too much time in play, or useless employments, and thereby omitted, or put off your devotions to unseasonable times?

Have you wilfully neglected performing your penance, and did you, after your last communion, spend sufficient time in prayer, and in devoutly entertaining your divine guest?

Have you disobeyed your superiors, mur mured against their commands, or spoken of them contemptuously? Have you been guilty of obstinacy? Have you disobeyed

your parents? Have you been deficient in the love, respect, deference, tenderness, and gratitude, so justly due to parents, and have you omitted to pray for them? Have you been troubled, peevish, or impatient, when told of your faults, and not corrected them? Have you scorned the good advice of others? Have you been guilty of injurious words towards any one. or did you refuse to apologise; or forgive? Have you lessened your neighbours' reputation by any sort of detraction or spread any report, true or false, that exposed him to contempt,

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made him undervalued? Have you deliberately entertained feelings of dislike towards any one, or attributed their actions to unworthy motives? Have you given any one pain by unkind or cutting remarks? Have you, by carrying stories backward and forward, created discord or misunderstanding between neighbours? Have you been forward or rude towards any one in your carriage, speech, or conversation? or taken pleasure to vex, mortify, or provoke them to swear, curse, or anyways offend God? Have you mocked or reproached them for their corporal or spiritual imperfections? Have you been guilty of envy, or been jealous of others' good fortune? Have you been excessive in reprehending those under your care, or been wanting in giving them just reproof? Have you borne with their oversights and imperfections, and given them good counsel? Have you been