Protestation of Pure Intention
The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, compiled by William Gahan, 1844Source and notes
Source
| Printed in | THE COMPLETE MANUAL OF CATHOLIC PIETY; CONTAINING A SELECTION OF FERVENT PRAYERS, PIOUS REFLECTIONS, AND SOLID INSTRUCTIONS, ADAPTED TO EVERY STATE OF LIFE. TO WHICH IS ANNEXED A SUPPLEMENT, CONTAINING EXCELLENT AND APPROVED DEVOTIONS, WITH THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS FOR ALL THE SUNDAYS AND FESTIVALS OF THE YEAR. |
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| Imprint | DUBLIN, JAMES DUFFY, 25, ANGLESEA-STREET., 1844 |
| Pages | pp. 81–82 |
| Scan | leaf 85, leaf 86 of the Internet Archive copy |
| Rights | Public domain in the United States. |
- Prayers for
- a good confession, forgiveness of sins, contrition
Rembrandt, Return of the Prodigal Son, 1636. Cleveland Museum of Art.
BEFORE THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.
O GOD, the searcher of all hearts, behold, I here protest, in thy presence, that what I now design is sincerely for the honour of thy name, and because I heartily desire to be delivered from the guilt of my sins: therefore I come to thy sacrament of penance, that, complying with thy holy institution, I may obtain thy blessing and pardon, as thou has promised. May thy holy grace assist me in performing this great duty well, as it is thy mercy which has called me to it.
Think seriously, and with the most lively gratitude, on all the benefits God hath so liberally bestowed on you, and particularly for his goodness in preparing this sacrament as a remedy for your sins.
How great are my obligations to thee, O my God, in thus providing for me, after my disgrace, the means of a perfect reconciliation. To have purified me in the waters of baptism, was not enough; thou hast also left me the waters of penance, to wash me still more from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sins. For this end thou hast left to the church, in the persons of the apostles, the power of remitting our offences: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive, shall be forgiven.” O what excessive goodness! What an advantage to poor sinners, to have a tribunal estabblished for them, always open, where they may be received into favour! Can I ever be ininsensible to so striking an instance of thy bounty? I have withdrawn myself from thee by a formal contempt of thy law, and thou art pleased to make the first advances to meet me: O Father of mercies, and God of goodness, be thou for ever blessed! Permit me to fly to this powerful refuge; and suffer not that, by a new ingratitude, I should for the future ever abuse so excellent a resource of salvation. No: it is not human respect, nor custom, nor the fear of being thought careless of my soul, that brings me at present to this sacrament of reconciliation; no, it is a sincere regret for having incurred thy displeasure; for who can be at rest, O my God, when he knows that he is thy enemy, and that he has offended the very best of fathers?