Considerations and Motives to Excite Us to True Sorrow for Our Sins

There are many souls now burning in hell for one mortal sin! . . . Look into hell, and see what the sinner has gained by his crimes.

“ Day and night he shall be tortured.” Bound down to his bed of fire, in the rage of his agony he will violently strive to tear himself from it, but he is fastened by the eternal chains of hell. . . . O my God! O infinite and holy God! I confess that I have given the death-blow to my immortal soul.

My sins are more numerous than the grains of sand on the sea-shore.

And yet, only one of them was sufficient for my ruin. Hell opened under my feet when I committed my first sin; others followed—until now, like a mountain, they lie heavy upon my soul. O my most merciful Lord, I sincerely repent of all my sins. I hate and detest them from the bottom of my heart. Forgive me this once, and rather will I lose my life itself than ever again separate from thy grace.

Mortal sin deprives the soul of all right to heaven, that blessed country, that paradise of delights, where for all eternity the saints enjoy the clear vision of Almighty God. Hear, miserable sinner, the voice of God thy Father and Benefactor, who complains thus of thy ingratitude.—What could I do for thee that I have not done? I created thee to my own image; I redeemed thee with the blood of mine only Son; I made thee a Christian, a Catholic, when millions were left in the darkness of infidelity. I have borne patiently with thy sins and vices; I have given thee many and easy means of salvation. And on thy side what hast thou done? For all, thou hast returned base ingratitude! Oh wretched sinner that I am! O most merciful Lord, have pity on me! The sins of my youth and of my ignorance remember not; wash them away in the sweet streams of thy precious blood; may that precious blood now bring forth the fruit of a sincere repentance, and open to me a path of life everlasting.

Look upon your loving Saviour on the cross of Calvary! His sacred hands and feet are pierced through and through with rude nails, hammered deep into the wood; his kingly head is crowned with thorns; his sacred body is covered with marks of the cruel scourges; and his unspeakable agony appears in his dying eyes and in the convulsions of his suffering limbs. Ah! sinner, it is your transgressions that have brought your Saviour to this sad extremity. O Lamb of God, sacrificed, lifeless on the cross, remember that I am a soul redeemed by thy blood; pardon me my sins, for I detest them from the bottom of my heart. I have wandered like a sheep that is gone astray; but I hear thy sweet voice crying after me: Come, dear soul, thou hast gone after many lovers, but return to me and I will receive thee yet again. (Jer. iii.)

O my God! thou art merciful and gracious! slow to anger and plenteous in mercy! and as the heaven is high above the earth, so is thy goodness great towards them that fear thee and return to thee from their heart. As a father pitieth his child, so thou, O Lord, dost pity them that fear thee; and thy mercy is from everlasting to everlasting!

And when again, I cast a look on thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, crucified for me, and I contemplate a God-man pouring out his blood, even to the very last drop, to appease thy wrath against me, to expiate my sins, I am filled with confidence that thou wilt have mercy upon me and receive me again to thy favour. O Jesus, my dear Redeemer! be thou my defence; screen me from the justice and the wrath of thy Eternal Father, and from thy own justice injured by my sins.