Three Prayers for Pardon of Sins and Amendment of Life

From the German prayers of F. Canisius.

FIRST PRAYER.

Most dear Lord Jesus Christ, I, an unworthy sinner, remind thee of all the holy contemplations thou hast ever had from all eternity until now, and of that especially by which, O eternal Word, thou didst contemplate becoming man. I remind thee also of all the holy thoughts which saints in heaven and good men on earth have ever had, or will have hereafter, for the honour of thy name.

O most merciful Lord, from the bottom of my heart I pray thee to pardon me, in return, all the vain, shameful, and bad thoughts which I have ever had until now, or in any way whatever occasioned others to have, that were beside or opposed to thy will. Our Father. Hail Mary.

SECOND PRAYER.

O most tender Lord Jesus Christ, I, a wretched sinner, remind thee of all the good and saving words which thou hast ever spoken upon earth, or which have ever been, or will be hereafter, pronounced by others in thy name.

Forgive me, I humbly beg of thee, O good Jesus, all the words that I have ever until now spoken, or occasioned others to speak, in opposition to thy divine will. Our Father. Hail Mary.

THIRD PRAYER.

O most sweet Jesus Christ, I, a sinner, unworthy, but redeemed by thy precious blood, remind thee of all the good works thou hast wrought on earth for our salvation, or which have ever been, or will hereafter be, done by others in thy name.

Pardon, I beseech thee, most merciful Lord, whatever by my misconduct I have at any time ignorantly or knowingly committed, or occasioned others to commit, that is contrary to thy law and to the glory of thy name.

Direct and order also, O most gracious Lord, all my thoughts, all my words, and all my works, according to thy divine pleasure, to the praise of thy name; and conform them to the most perfect pattern of thy most holy conversation and life. I am thine, and will be thine, O Lord, in life and in death; and into thy hands I commit myself, and all that I have. Our Father. Hail Mary.

A PRAYER FOR A PENITENT.

From the same.

O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who mercifully invitest all sinners, and castest not out whatever comes to thee, but graciously receivest, cherishest, and refreshest it; I remind thee of the infinite love with which thou hast of thy own accord offered thyself up for us upon the cross; and by the most generous shedding of thy precious blood, hast so abundantly paid the price of our salvation, and atoned for the sins of the world.

By the most sacred and efficacious penance of thy most holy life and innocent death, I humbly beseech thee to forgive me all my sins, as readily as thou forgavest and promisedst paradise to the robber when hanging on the cross. I now cast all my sins into thy deep and sorrowful wounds. Whatever I lack that is requisite to my contrition and penance, vouchsafe mercifully to supply out of the riches of thy own satisfactions and merits, and of all the sorrows, pains, and labours which thou didst cheerfully undergo in thy most holy body, and didst will thyself to endure for us, even to the bitterest death.

And as thou, the fountain of all mercy, of thy love alone, and with the sighs of thy inmost heart, didst pray for thy enemies, nay more, didst shed thy blood for thy very tormentors; so make me an unworthy partaker in thy most holy life and passion. Let not their fruit be lost to me, but let me be delivered from all my sins, and the punishments I deserve for them, and devote myself wholly and entirely to thee, thy worship, and love.

Grant me, O most merciful Saviour, never again to crucify thee by my sins, but by the virtue and merit of thy cross, to grieve sincerely for my past sins, valiantly to overcome present temptations, and henceforward to hold on the way of the cross and of penance, and to persevere even to the end in good works; for to thee I desire to live, and in thee to die.

To thee I commend my body and soul, and all that I have, with my friends and benefactors, both living and dead. O Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us, and make us all resolutely to shun sin, and fulfil thy commandments, to thy greater glory and our own salvation. Amen.