ANY GOOD WHICH WE HEAR OF OR SEE IN OUR NEIGHBOUR. I am a partaker with all them that fear thee, and that keep thy commandments.1 1. O Lord my God, when I hear or see my neighbour, particularly N., serving thee, and doing or planning any good, I rejoice, and am pleased with it much. I both reckon his good work as my own, and as my own I offer and dedicate it to thee, together with all the good works which all thy saints have done of old, or are still doing in the whole world to thy eternal glory, just as though I had done or were doing them myself. 2. I thank thee, O Lord, for the good inspirations and 1 Ps. cxviii. 63. aids to good thoughts, words, and works, which thou hast given, and givest, as well to this person as to all others my neighbours; and for this I thank thee as much as if a similar favour had been conferred upon my own soul. 3. I likewise enter, and throw myself into the very heart of that person, and of all thy servants, both men and women, that, together with them, I may from my heart perform all that they do, or desire to do, in thy worship and service. For thou knowest, O Lord, that I would fully perform the same, if it were thy wish that I should do so, and wouldst give me the necessary grace, strength, opportunity, and means. And on no account would I suffer any difficulty or apprehension to deter me from its performance. 4. O Lord, I earnestly implore thee to increase in him the good, the grace, the merits, and all the virtues, which thou inspirest him to wish for, and knowest him X. to want; that he, who already renders thee acceptable service, may yet more perfectly offer thee a more acceptable still. 5. Lastly, my dear Lord, I entreat of thee, that whoever sees in him this good, may be inflamed by his example to contemplate, and try to effect the same, according to the disposition of thy will, to thy greater service and glory. Amen. Acts to be elicited FROM ANY EVIL WHICH WE HEAR OF OR SEE IN OUR NEIGHBOUR. With what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.1 1. My most perfect Lord, when I hear of or see any evil, especially spiritual, in my neighbour, do my utmost to compassionate human frailty, though common to all; and chiefly I compassionate the failing of this person N. Still I do not believe the fault to be so great as to me it seems, or as it is said to be. Nay, perhaps it is none at all; for to thy most lucid sight it is not such as it appears to our deceptive vision. Yet, Lord, searcher of our hearts, if there is any fault, I grieve greatly for my brother's fall, but much more 1 Matt. vii. 2. for the offence which thou hast received. 2. To supply this failing, and to compensate for that offence to thee, I offer thee the precious blood of Jesus Christ thy Son, who was so greatly humbled and bruised for our sins, and I represent to thee his charity, meekness, and long suffering amidst our continual failings. 3. But I too, alas! have done the very same, or, woe is me! have offended thee no less in some similar thing. And, but for thy grace, which preserved me, I should have even offended thee still worse. With my whole heart, there fore, too, I thank thee for the aid thou hast afforded me for no merits of my own. 4. O Lord, I well know that there is no evil out of which thou canst not elicit a greater good, else thou wouldst not suffer evil to exist. Let, then, this fault turn to thy greater glory, but also to the greater humility and self-knowledge of him who has sinned. XI. 5. Lastly, I pray thee, close to it the eyes of all men, that they may not be emboldened to do the like. Let the force of conscience restrain their tongues from speaking ill of it, that, from a minor failing, which obtained entrance through human infirmity, there may not spring more through human deficiency in charity and rectitude. Act of Charity TO BE ELICITED FROM ANY THING, WHETHER GOOD OR EVIL, IN CREATION. All things work together for good to them that love God.1 1. I derive great pleasure, most bountiful Lord, not only from all the love which is rendered thee by all the saints and just persons who are now in this life; but much more from that far purer love with which they embrace thee who are freed from the body, yet still are delayed at the entrance to the heavenly kingdom, and with most earnest expectation await thy presence; and yet more they, both men and angels, who are admitted into the inner courts of happiness, and enjoy thy unclouded vision; highest among whom are the most holy humanity of Jesus 1 Rom. viii. 28. Christ our Redeemer, and most blessed Virgin the Mary. 2. Oh, could I love thee with all the affection with which all of them love thee, how willingly and gladly would I do so! But since I am unable, I rejoice at least that they do so who are better able than I, and I wish they may love thee ever more and more, and persevere to eternity in the same love according to thy will. 3. On the other hand, O Lord, I am extremely sorry and hurt that there are very many others of thy servants who neglect to love thee, and many even who, for thy love, requite thee with injuries. Of thy infinite goodness, O Lord, I beg of thee to forgive them, and to grant them thy grace to amend, and begin even now to love thee above all things, and in all things to execute thy most holy will. 4. But what shall I say of those who, though formed by thee to thy image and likeness, and endued with innumerable blessings, yet, infidels and profligate as they are, do not even acknowledge thee when they ought? Oh, what sorrow should this generate in me, what tears should it excite, O Lord most worthy of love! Cleansed, at least in my intention, O Lord, from my sins, I offer them to thee, such as I desire them to be and thou canst make them, pure and holy to thy honour and glory. Oh, how great would be my happiness, if I could supply their deficiency, by rendering thee those acts of love of the which they ought to ren- 5. Meantime, it is a great consolation to me to know that thy divine Majesty, by the infinite affection of its own will, makes satisfaction for all, and fulfils all the offices of love, since thou lovest thyself with an infinite love. With the utmost joy, therefore, I now humbly exhibit to thee this love, and offer it as well for myself as to supply the deficiency of all those who do not, O God, my love, my supreme and only Good! A FRAYER OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, MOST PROPER FOR OBTAINING MANY AND GREAT VIRTUES. Grant me, I beseech thee, almighty and merciful God, to desire fervently, to investigate wisely, to acknowledge sincerely, and to fulfil perfectly the things that please thee. Dispose my state of life to the praise and glory of thy name; give me the know ledge, ability, and will to do what thou requirest of me, and grant me grace to perform it well, to the advancement of my soul's salvation. Let my way to thee, I beseech thee, be safe, direct, and perfect, not failing either in prosperity or adversity, but leaving me unelated by the one, and undepressed by the other. Let me thank thee in prosperity, and preserve my patience in adversity. Let me be glad or sorry for nothing, except what carries me on to thee, or draws me back from thee. Let me seek to please, and fear to displease, none but thee. Grant me to do all things in charity, and to count for dead what has nothing to do with thy service. Grant that I may not perform my actions from custom, but with devotion for an offering to thee. Let all that is transitory be worthless to me for thy sake, and all that is thine precious; but thou, my God, more precious than all. Let every labour that is for thee delight me, and all repose that is not in thee be wearisome to me. Enable me, dearest Lord, to turn my heart to thee frequently and fervently, and to atone for my faults by sorrow, with purpose of amendment. Make me, O my God, humble without pretence, merry without dissipation, sorrowful without dejection, sedate without moroseness, active without levity, truthful without duplicity, timid without despair, hopeful in thee without presumption, chaste with out taint, to reprove my neighbour without displeasure, and edify him by word and example without pride, to be obedient without contradiction, and patient without murmuring. Give me, dearest Jesus, a watchful heart, that is to be led away from thee by no curious thoughts; steadfast, to be dragged down from thee by no unworthy affection; dauntless, to be tired out by no tribulation; free, to be enslaved by no pleasure of passion; and upright, to be turned aside by no sinister intention. Bestow upon me, my dearest Lord, the understanding to know thee, the diligence to seek thee, the wisdom to find thee, the conversation to please thee, the perseverance sweetly and confidently to await thee, and the confidence happily to embrace thee. Grant me by penance to be pierced with thy sufferings, and by grace to enjoy thy blessings on the way, and by glory at last to possess thy delights in my home. Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, God, world without end. Amen. |