Spiritus Orationis – the Latin, original title of Spirit of Prayer, is considered the masterpiece of the Venerable Father Justin M. Russolillo, Founder of the Vocationist Fathers and Vocationist Sisters. In my mind and heart, Spirit of Prayer equals and parallels the Confessions of St. Augustine. It reveals his journey toward Divine Union. Through these prayers, we are treated to share in the most intimate conversations between Fr. Justin and the Blessed Trinity; we see the depth of his humility, the heights of his spirituality, the tenderness of his personal relationship as a “soul-spouse of the Trinity.” Fr. Justin’s ultimate goal was “to achieve Divine Union and bring all souls to Divine Union..” In order to achieve Divine Union, he lived what be beautifully states in the formula for the profession of the religious vows of the Vocationist:” O My God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit…I offer, consecrate and espouse all myself to you alone, all myself to you forever…” The offering, the consecration, the espousal is not an act but a way or “state” of life. Prayer is usually defined as “the elevation of the soul to God.” In Fr. Justin we see not only the elevation but also the total immersion and fusion of the soul with God. Directly or indirectly, every prayer should consist of elements of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, reparation and intercession. Praise and adoration are the prevailing elements in Fr. Justin’s prayers. For Meditation Fr. Justin used – and taught us to use – the method of the Three Ways: Purification, Illumination, and Union. The same three elements can be seen also in his prayers with the predominance of the unitive element. It has been particularly interesting to see the illumination, the better understanding go many theological truths that has come alive through the use of these prayers! I have found these prayers of tremendous help to me in moments of fervor as well as in time of spiritual dryness; through them I have grown to appreciate more and more the holiness of Fr. Justin, and most of all I have felt the real care, and love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; I have come to understand the predilection of God who really finds his delight in me and in you and who has called me and you to be “soul-spouse of the Trinity.” I have undertaken the work of translating and publishing this book with the certainty that it will enhance your spiritual growth, will add new dimensions to your life of prayer and encourage you to reach Divine Union. This is my hope and my prayer. Receive it as a gift from Fr. Justin and give it new life through your life of prayer.
ENTERING THE TEMPLE[2]
To the Glory of the Most Blessed Trinity in the Divine Will! 1. Here begins the life of prayer and the prayer of life of a poor human being (alas, too human) who found favor with the Lord, and through his most merciful love, was chosen to be wholly his. 2. In the Communion of Saints, he was given the privilege of making his own the spiritual wealth of the heavenly and earthly worlds, because of the reality of that supernatural life that flows within the holy Catholic Church on earth, in purgatory, and in heaven. 3. In the Holy Family, he saw the highest relationships with God to which a human being may be elevated: the relationship of child of God, seen in Jesus, the Incarnate Word; the relationship of Mother of God, in Mary Immaculate; and, the relationship of Spouse of God in Saint Joseph. 4. In the Divine Trinity – indwelling in the soul of the just through grace – he saw the beginning and the end of his vocation to life, to faith and holiness: Divine Union with the Divine Nature and Persons. 5. The Catholic Church, the Holy Family, and the Blessed Trinity, placed him on an on-going journey of progressive consecrations: from virtue to higher virtue, from one level of perfection to a higher one, and from an intimate relationship with the Lord to a more intimate one. 6. To pass through these, he needed to allow himself to be filled with the spirit of faith, the spirit of prayer and the spirit of penance (in truth, these are not three spirits, but rather the three-fold effect of the action of the unique Sanctifying Spirit.) 7. In this Spirit, he sought the perfection of humility, purity and charity. The spirit of faith generates humility; the spirit of penance preserves purity; the spirit of prayer nurtures charity. 8. He enjoyed beauty in God; he was ever sweet and kind with his neighbor; he was ever firm with himself (beauty being the result of humility; sweetness the result of charity; firmness the result of purity!). 9. With total fidelity, openness, and generosity, he followed the inspirations of grace, the directives of the Church and his own vocation. 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may your will be done, your love reign, your glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in yourself, O my God and my All!
1. Through the following prayers, every pure spirit and every great heart can foresee the special relationship to which, in his life of grace, that poor human being[2](alas, too human) was most mercifully called. 2. So that you may not be confused, O pure spirit, O great heart of my future friend, think of the three relationships of the Holy Family, keeping in mind that there can be but one “Filius Dei” (Son of God), and there can be but one “Mater Dei” (Mother of God. 3. All souls, as they are called to holiness, for the very reason that they have been called to life and to faith, so too they can aspire in their sanctification to the relationship of “spouse of God.” 4. Not everyone understands, however, because they do not obey the Gospel. To enter into intimacy with the Lord, one must obey the whole Gospel, with the truthfulness of faith, spurred on by charity, and living a life of good works called for by one’s own religious obligations. 5. I would like the following prayers not to be used as pure formulas; we have enough formulas in the catechism and in the liturgy. I would like them to be used as meditative readings, or, even better, for spiritual study. 6. Are these mental or vocal prayers? I do not know. Vocal prayer, to be true prayer, must also be mental; and every mental prayer must somehow be vocal also in order to be complete. 7. They are divided into verses in the manner of the psalms, as if they were stanzas. As a matter of fact, they heavily reflect some aesthetical laws of the interior rhythm from which…the human spirit could not or would not want to refrain itself? 8. (O how beautiful was the act of the one who was born a poet[3], but in this world he renounced writing poetry, in order to make of his life a poem which could be sung by some beautiful angel in Heaven: the only feast of glory! The only court of love!) 9. I wish that you might capture the particular truth or principle contained in every verse, and that ascetical practice that derives from it. Most of all, I wish you to take from every verse an example of how to assimilate the whole exterior and interior world in your prayer life. 10. O my God and my all…
1. You who have trembled at the thought of death[4], of God’s judgment, of the flames of hell, and of tyranny of the infernal enemy – come to the peace, serenity, and joy of immortal hopes, to receive in you the Divine pledge and the foretaste of Paradise. 2. You who have experienced the vanity of all material things, and especially of profane love or worldly glory, and do not want – as you cannot and should not – turn away from God’s glory, from the love, which is God! 3. You who have felt how great, good, beautiful, sweet, and holy is the Lord to those who fear him, to those who love him, to those who seek him, come and receive his Name on your forehead, his Heart in your chest, his Blood in your arteries, his Spirit in your spirit, and his Life in your life! 4. Brothers, come now to the Church to live the integrity of faith and the universality of goodness. Come; reach out for the summit of virtue! Come to the fullness of all grace in the present, for the enjoyment of every glory and blessedness in eternity. 5. You, who with roses and songs, daily crown Mary the mystical rose[5]of the Church, the song of God, the mystical Ave Maria, do not be satisfied with honoring only the Queen, but rather unite yourselves to the Mother – in her mission of Virgin Mother of the Incarnate Word, Mediatrix and Queen, Teacher and Mother of souls! 6. You, who from every corner of the world pray the “Our Father,” come let us build together that grand Kingdom of God. Let us together glorify the Holy Name of God! Let us fulfill his will, striving on earth for the perfection of charity, the perfection of that Divine Union which reigns in heaven. 7. You who participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and offer Jesus, come, let us praise the Lord for his goodness, let us make reparation for every sin, with the voice of the Blood of Jesus, with the price of the Blood of Jesus! 8. You, who receive Holy Communion, come to the Divine Union, to the nuptials of the spirit, the spiritualization of your entire bring by sanctifying grace. Come to the union with the Divine Nature, through the Indwelling of the Divine Persons in the soul. 9. Come to the Baptism of fire and the Holy Spirit! Come to the state of humility of the servants of all. Come and form the royal soul, the integral and universal soul, the priestly soul, which is indeed the “Soul-Spouse of the Trinity.” 10. O my God and my all…
1. The first Divine Words resound throughout all creation: “Let there be light.” They are engraved in our minds and hearts in a vibrant manner, and we live them in our need for light and heart. 2. This divine need causes in us a divine anguish and leads us to the springs of light; it is really a divine need because it is impressed by God in the soul and leads the soul to God! 3. This is the Gospel – God is light and there is no darkness in him! Even before the revelation that God is love, it is revealed to us and we must know that God is truth. 4. Without the divine being of truth, there cannot be the divine being of love; as without the sun there can be no warmth, as without the Father there can be no Son, so without the Father and the Son there can be no Holy Spirit. 5. After the deviation of original sin, all the need for light is turned to discovery, possession and enjoyment of material and intellectual light, but the need for true spiritual light remains unfulfilled. 6. O Lord, you have marked us with the light of your Face. In every soul, O Lord, there is a mark of the light of your Face. This explains why everyone turns to his equal as to the real light! 7. This is not, however, the light of your Face, O Lord, not the light that is you, yourself, uncreated, infinite light! All the light of human faces, all the splendor of the angels is but a spark of the light of your Face! They are not the light that you are, as they are not you! 8. That is why in its need for light, my heart has repeated and made its own “Let there be light!” and has directed the soul to seek and contemplate the light of your Divine Face. 9. I seek your Face! O Lord, I long to see your Face. Let there be light: Fiat lux! Let your light shine on us. May its brightness enlighten us! Do not hide your Face from me! 10. O my God and my all…
1. Darkness covered the earth and it was night! The darkness of the powers of hell, the darkness of human illusion created a deep night in the soul…! It is during the night that all wild beasts come out of their dens to devastate God’s Creation! 2. There is something shining in the night! All the thousands of fireflies, however, are not sufficient to produce one hour of dawn. All the myriad of stars is not sufficient to give us the brightness of one day! All the books and all people cannot replace my God! 3. There is plenty of grain in the fields. There is plenty of flour in the mills. There is plenty of bread in the cupboard, yet I am starving…Give me my bread! Likewise, in the treasury of Mother Church there are all the truths of faith! Who will give me the Bread of Life? 4. Even during the night all the truths of faith shine in the heavens of my soul, but they are not sufficient to fire me up with fervor. They are too far from me! They must come down to my sphere; at least one of them should dazzle me with its light! 5. My sun is needed! It may be smaller than many other stars, but it is the closest to me; and for me it is the greatest of all the stars, it is the most useful of all beings. The stars attract me with explicit and specific acts of faith. I have my sun! 6. My sun is that truth or group of many truths that enlighten my way from the beginning to the end. It attracts me and charms me to stay my course among all the angels in perfect union with the Church. It is my Vocation! 7. For me, my sun is what kills all the microbes and parasites and forces all the wild beats back to their dens; it sprouts all my seeds, spreads all my branches, opens all my flowers, and ripens all my fruits. O Union with Mary! 8. My sun is what dispels every shadow from my mind and melts the coldness of my heart; it clothes me with its light and absorbs me in its splendor and ardor, making me radiant. O Union with Jesus in the Eucharist! 9. My sun is what contains, in its shining rays, every beautiful color, every sweetness of what we taste, every tender sound, and shares them with me in a feast like paradise. O Union with the Blessed Trinity! 10. O my God and my all…
1. Let there be light! Your light, O my God, over me! May my soul be free of every shadow and doubt! May I see clearly the causes and cures of all my regrets, anxieties, ups and downs, passions and temptations that affect my conscience! 2. Let there be light! Your light, O my God! May I have no secrets, either with my Guardian Angel or my spiritual director, but may I reveal to them all the attacks of the enemy, the miseries of my nature, and, the seductions of the world, as well as Your Inspirations, so that I may be adequately known and properly guided! 3. Let there be light! May I not hide any good from my brother, my neighbor. May I allow the light of good deeds, good thoughts, holy designs shine forth with holy prudence for the edification of others, without fearing and without being a victim of vainglory. 4. Let there be light! Your light, O my God, in every moment of my life! May I learn every possible lesson from the past, every possible encouragement for the future, for the sanctification of the present moment and as a fitting preparation for death. 5. Let there be light on the truth and supernatural relationships to which I have been lifted, the eternal sanctions from which I cannot escape. Let there be light about Angels and demons under whose influence I spend my life. Let me see the light of the Spirit and divine actions, with which I must sanctify myself. 6. Let there be light on my neighbor! May I understand and perceive all the esteem, all the love, which You have for my neighbor, notwithstanding all human miseries. May I appreciate and make my own the esteem and love that every human being deserves in You, because of You, in light of the great esteem and love that You have for him. 7. Let there be light over the Divine Scriptures! May I receive, understand and assimilate all the revelations of Your glory, all the messages of Your love, all the expressions of Your will contained in them! May I be a living summary of all Scriptures! 8. Let there be light over Mother Church, over the glories and treasures of Her Unity and Holiness, over Her Catholicity and Apostolicity, over Her Liturgy and Sacraments; may I be Her good subject, soldier and minister – not a prodigal son. 9. Let there be light on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and on my Angel in whose company I must live and die. Even more, let there be light on Your own Divine Trinity, which I must glorify, and with whom I must lovingly and ineffably be united both in Your own self, and in Your presence in all souls. 10. O my God and my all.. 1. O my God and my All! O my Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for your own glory, love and will, grant that I may perfectly know and live my relationship with You in the perfection of the virtue of holy religion. 2. Grant that I may know and understand all the love that is due to You, and that I may fulfill all my duties toward You: grant that I may feel the need to love You constantly, with complete promptness of will in your divine service. 3. In virtue of your merits, grant me, O Lord, perfect devotion and all the joy of Your Divine goodness, a sense of sorrow for human suffering, abundant, continual nourishment through meditation. 4. Lord, grant me the gift of prayer. May this gift be as great as the obligation of praying that You have imposed upon me; may this gift be as great as the need that is within me and my neighbor, within my friends and even my enemies, according to the law of love. 5. Lord, grant me the knowledge, spirit and life of the Lord’s Prayer; may every prayer of mine be a paraphrase of it. May I receive from every prayer all its effects, merits, satisfaction and nourishment for my mind, and consolation for my heart. 6. O my Lord, grant me perfect knowledge and practice of the internal and external sacrifice due to you alone, my supreme Lord and only God! Grant that I may always comply with all the offerings, tithing, and first fruits due to your ministers according to the law and tradition. 7. O my God and my All, grant that through the virtues of Love[10]and Religion I may generously promise and faithfully do all that I know to be truly pleasing to you, in the perfect knowledge and practice of my vows, and, through them bind myself always more intimately to You alone. 8. O my Lord, grant that I may understand the holiness of any commitment that acknowledges your absolute superiority, wisdom and indefectibility. Grant that I may never make a promise without truth, discretion, and justice, so that it may always be for Your glory. 9. Grant that all my actions, and my life itself, all my hours’ days, be a song of praise to you! Grant that I may move myself and my neighbor always to glorify you better. 10. O my God and my all…
INTENTIONS FOR THE VARIOUS HOURS THROUGHOUT THE DAY We consecrate all our time:
We consecrate this first hour of the day:
We consecrate this part of the day:
Amen – Alleluia!
We consecrate this part of the day:
Amen-Alleluia!
We consecrate this part of the day:
Amen – Alleluia!
We consecrate this part of the day.
Amen – Alleluia!
We consecrate this part of the day:
Amen – Alleluia
We consecrate this part of the day:
Amen – Alleluia!
We consecrate this devotional exercise:
Amen – Alleluia!
1. My life seems aimless and my days are empty! In you, my God, however, are the reasons to live and they are God-like. 2. In you is the model of my life, and all the graces necessary to achieve the goal of my life are in you. Everything is worthy of you…and I do not understand it! 3. O my God and my all! My Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Only the time spent in direct communication with you is worth living. 4. Only the hours of prayer are hours full of light, hours totally active, hours of great importance, hours full of life. 5. All the others are but shadows; all of them are a waste of energy, a lower form of living! These are that emptiness which I feel. 6. I want, and must transform all my hours into hours of prayer. Every creature and every event must become for me a reason for direct conversation with you. 7. Thus, everything will be a prayer! Even my temptations, when accepted by me, are my ruination, and when referred to you, they become a source of salvation for me. 8. Grant me, everyday, new understandings and insights to nourish my spirit and prayer life, for it is so easy to become lifeless and exhausted! 9. Grant that I may capture in every line of my prayer book that special revelation of you, yourself, which it contains, that grace which engulfs the one who prays! 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may your will be done, your love reign, your glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in yourself, O my God and my All!
1. My soul, another day has gone by. You are now closer to eternity. May you also be closer to the Divine Union! 2. Before presenting yourself to the Lord, purify yourself by contrition and in the Blood of Jesus from all your failings in life. 3. Before entrusting this day to the Lord, invoke the merits and power of Jesus for the good, which you could have done but did not do. 4. Before going to sleep, which is somewhat like death; promise to lead a better life if the Lord will give you another day. 5. Behold, all creation, in daylight, proclaims that the Lord loves you, and when shrouded in shadows, it is telling you: “Behold, the Lord comes![1]” 6. Tomorrow’s meditation will give him to you through Divine Conversation, but, even more so, at Mass, Holy Communion will bring him to you. 7. He comes to you through death, which comes closer everyday and which will free you from the hardships of life and demands of the flesh, and bring you to paradise. 8. Why are you afraid? What saddens you? Do not look upon Him solely as judge; do not view eternity only as the divine tribunal! 9. He is truly your spiritual father, brother, and spouse. Everyone lives and breathes and cries out to him constantly: Amen, come, Lord Jesus[2]! 10. O my God and my all…
1. Behold, O Lord, your servant, for that is what you have called him. Lord, what do you wish him to do? Speak, Lord, your servant is listening[3]. 2. Go forth, my soul, arise[4], take up your cross, and deny your very self, follow Jesus Christ, your love. 3. Since you are a child of the light[5], go forth while there is light, in this way, the darkness will not overtake you on your journey. 4. Be prepared then, for when you least expect it, the Lord will come to take you, and you will awake in eternity. 5. By the sweat of your brow you earn your daily bread, and the kingdom of heaven is conquered through violence. 6. Since you know that the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak, be on guard and pray unceasingly and you will not fall into temptation[6]. 7. Do not be afraid and do not be troubled[7], even if the forces of hell rise up against you[8], for the Holy Trinity lives in you. 8. The Holy Trinity wants to show forth in you Its Divine Perfection, by lifting you up and establishing you in the Divine Union. 9. Your angels, your Saints, your Blessed Mother, all are waiting for you in the heavenly court of Divine Love. 10. O my God and my all…
1. My soul! Behold the day; behold the hour of God’s glory, the hour of God’s love! If only you knew the gift of your Lord! 2. O my God and my All! Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I believe that you are in me; I believe that you are in me because of your infinite love. 3. Since you called me from the eternal to the internal world, here I am to be personally and exclusively your! 4. Alone, however, I cannot understand even a word, let alone a holy thought; moreover, I deserve to be rejected and condemned by you because of my sins. 5. Lift up my memory, mind, will, imagination and feelings unto your perfections[9] and your worked[10]. 6. I offer all to you, so that through your grace all that is in me, especially at this particular hour, will be for your glory and love, and in accord with your will. 7. O my Love, ever increase my understanding of the splendor of your truth, and make my heart burn with the fire of your love[11]. 8. In my soul, tell me of your glory, give it to me, and allow it to be effective, and grant that I may understand you, communicate with you, and cooperate with you unto Divine Union. 9. O my God and my all…
1. It is not enough for us only to look at the divine heights! With our hearts and our actions, let us ascend the holy mountains[12]of the Lord! Let us ascend to the altar of God[13]. 2. There God will show us how to live his Love, he will imprint on us the laws of his will, and he will dazzle us with the splendor of his glory. 3. There, the Master is in a continuous Transfiguration[14]and Immolation, and He calls and waits for us at the heights of Divine Perfection. 4. He calls and waits for your daily and progressive transfiguration in him, your immolation with him, for the ascensions to the heights of Divine Perfection. 5. The altar is surrounded by the court of the angels and the saints, and most of all, it is filled with the voice of the Father: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him![15]” 6. The infinite flames of the Holy Spirit shine forth from the altar, searching for hearts to be transformed into seraphim and apostles, in order to set the world on fire. 7. Be not afraid! There you will receive pardon, the promise of paradise, the beloved disciple as your brother, Mary, most holy, as your Mother, and the burning warmth of God’s Glory.[16] 8. Trust! There, your redemption, sanctification and Divine Union with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will begin, grow and come to completion. 9. The Lord wants you to dwell on these heights; he wants to speak with you of heavenly things, because He wants you all for himself in his Holy Family. 10. O my God and my all…
1. O my God and my All! My God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! To you exclusively, I dedicate the first hours of the day through holy meditation. 2. What a great need you have placed in me; I feel it and I acknowledge it! What a great duty you have given me; I believe in it and I embrace it! In your very self is my beginning and my end. 3. O my Lord, what a great need and duty you have given me of enlightening my mind in the consideration of your truth, of inflaming will in the contemplation of your loveliness. 4. What a great duty and need to purify my life through the power of your decrees, of consecrating it in your Redemptive Blood, and directing it by the light of your inspiration. 5. What a great duty and need, O my Lord, to place and preserve myself, as well as grow in union with the holy church, the Angels and saints, and the Holy Family! 6. What a great duty and need, O my Lord, to renounce all that I possess or could possess[17], to deny my very self in everything that is not a necessity, to take – lift up – my cross and follow you! 7. What a great duty and need to follow you with all my mind, heart and life, in the perfect fulfillment of your commandments and counsels, in the perfect imitation of your virtues! 8. What a great duty and need, O my Lord, for perfect cooperation with your works through your grace, for perfect union with you, O Man-God, my Head, my Mediator and my Host! 9. What a great duty and need, O my Lord, to imitate perfectly your Divine Perfection and your Divine Union, O Blessed Trinity, my God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit! 10. O my God and my all….
1. O my God and my All! O my God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in you and adore you in your eternity and infinite. I beg you to grant me the perception of the eternal and infinite in every one of my actions, and in every moment of my life. 2. As you have kept me always and everywhere in your sight through your infinite love, so I intend to proclaim all my love for you in your immortality and infinity, and sow it. 3. I want to fill all your infinity, all your eternity with the voice of my prayer, the song of my praise, and the groaning of my cry, along with the desire of union with you. 4. In union with you, O Incarnate Word, eternal, infinite Word of the Father! In union with you, O God the Holy Spirit, eternal, infinite breathe of love of the Father and the Son! In union with you, eternal, infinite Divine life! 5. In union with all mankind, of every age and from every part of the world, I make my own the prayers of all generations, with the voice of every heard the droops and heart that moans, as well as all human misery. 6. In union with the whole church, in heaven, purgatory and on earth, I make my own its Divine Liturgy, enclosing it in my every word and repeating it with ever-greater devotion. 7. I intend to utter every prayer of praise and adoration, thanksgiving and love, reparation and intercession[18], with all the depth of meaning, breadth of application, and with the greatest faith and love. 8. I intend to utter every prayer as it would be uttered by the most chosen souls, the most sublime choirs of angels, Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and you, yourself, Incarnate Word of God! May every prayer of mine be untied with that infinite love that you are, to the point of becoming one with you! 9. With these feelings, intentions and dispositions, I intend to permeate my mediations and examinations of conscience, my holy hours and spiritual readings, my breviary and my rosary, all my devotions and all my ministries, everything connected with my great, sacred duty. 10. O my God and my all…
When the bells ring[1]
Chapter 5 - GENERAL ACTS OF RELIGION 1. Most Holy Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I firmly believe in You and in everything that the Holy, Catholic Church teaches, because You are the infallible truth who has revealed it! 2. I firmly hope to possess You with Your grace, in this world and in the glory of Paradise through the merits of Jesus Christ and in reward for good deeds because You, infallible fidelity, have promised it! 3. You are the essence of every good; I love You more than any persons, more than any thing, for Your own self. I would like to love You as You deserve. I want to unite myself to You as You desire, for Your greater glory! 4. Above any other evil, I hate sin; above any other evil, I am sorry for my sins because they are my hell, the death of Jesus Christ and an infinite offense against You, my supreme good! In myself and in everyone, I want to fight sin until death. 5. I love all souls as myself because of my love for You. For all souls I want that divine good which You are. I am even ready to give my life for their salvation and sanctification! 6. By means of the virtue and grace of Prudence[1], I want to direct and commit all that is mine and of those dependent on me to the perfect fulfillment of every Christian Virtue, every moment of my life. 7. By means of the virtue and grace of Christian Justice, I want to recognize and maintain always the best rapport with my neighbor, superiors, equals or dependents, always respecting the existence and value of everyone. 8. By means of the virtue and grace of Christian Fortitude, I want to resist the greatest fears, and I want to regulate even the most daring impulses of my audacity, so that I may never betray my sacred, profound religious duty. 9. By means of the virtue and grace of Christian Moderation, I want to abstain from any illicit or unnecessary pleasure of my senses, especially the sense of touch, even in acts necessary for my natural life, for the growth of my spiritual life. 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may Your Will be done, Your love reign, Your Glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in Yourself, O my God and my All!
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I want to glorify You as You deserve! I unite myself to the whole Church: Triumphant, Suffering and Militant! I unite myself to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in order to make mine all their adoration, and then offer it to You. 2. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I praise You for the infinite merit of Your Divine Perfection and Operations, with the sacrifice of praise of Jesus Christ, our Head[2]and Mediator[3]! 3. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I love You for the Infinite Merit of what You are in Yourself, with the sacrifice of love of Jesus Christ our Head and Mediator. 4. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I love You for the Infinite merit of what you are for me, with the sacrifice of love of Jesus Christ our Head and Mediator. 5. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You for Your Infinite Majesty, supreme authority, and divine sovereignty, with the sacrifice of adoration of Jesus Christ, our Head and Mediator! 6. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I thank You for Your infinite bounty, for Your endless benefits and for the supreme gift of Yourself with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of Jesus Christ, our Head and Mediator. 7. O my God and my All, Father Son and Holy Spirit, I want to satisfy Your Divine Justice[4] for my innumerable offenses, and for those of all souls, with the sacrifice of reparation of Jesus Christ, our Head and Mediator! 8. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I beg Your Infinite Mercy and Generosity for my innumerable offenses, and for those of all souls, with the sacrifice of intercession of Jesus Christ, our Head Mediator! 9. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I offer myself completely to You and unite myself to You in sacrifice of praise and love, adoration and thanksgiving, reparation and intercession, with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Head and Mediator! 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All! I believe that You love me infinitely, that is why You want to make me totally worthy of You, and You apply Your divine action to my entire bring! 2. I believe that You order all things, Angels[5] an men, every event and creature, so that they may be ministers and instrument of Your work, messengers of Your love! 3. With all my being and in union with You I denounce every mortal and venial sin, and every voluntary imperfection, which are the only things, opposed to Your divine action. 4. I denounce my personal, natural will, which when not motivated by You, is the only element, which does not become Your messenger, minister or instrument. 5. I denounce any attempt of my nature to dispose of myself or my belongings independent of Your Will; likewise, I denounce any slight to Your supreme sovereignty over all my faculties, each and every action of mine. 6. Why should I be concerned with my body and my health, my heart and its satisfactions, my sensibility and its impressions, my imagination and its illusions? I am Yours! 7. I intend, propose and declare, that with Your grace, I will not worry, and as far as it depends upon me, I will act against the tendencies of my senses and imagination, against fictitious needs of my body and my heart! 8. I intend propose and declare that I want to follow the precepts of perfect human reason in everything. In no way, however, will I be satisfied to serve You as a good pagan philosopher, in a world of natural relationships alone. 9. I intend, propose and declare that I want to follow my reason as long as it is elevated to the faith and the knowledge of the Saints. I want to live according to the criteria of the Gospel, imitating Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as an image and likeness of You, O my God Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I surrender myself totally to You, I abandon myself to the justice, mercy and holiness of Your love! 2. Triumph, O my Love, over any possible resistance on my part! Do not look at my poor nature, depraved through my own fault, but look only at the need to fulfill Your glory! 3. Work on me, crucify me, and consume me with Your divine action and with the action of all creatures, so that I may be worthy of You according to Your wishes! 4. I declare, O my Love, that with Your grace I do not intend to harbor any fear beside that of falling into illusions and temptations or of hurting others and displeasing You. 5. With Your grace, O my Love, I Declare that I do not want to afflict myself with any pain other than contrition for my sins and compassion for my crucified Jesus and my sorrowful Mother, Mary! 6. With You grace, O my Love, I declare that I do not want to have any other desire but that of seeing Your name loved and served always, ever more and better, both by me and by all my neighbor. 7. With Your grace, O my Love, I declare that I do not want to abandon myself to any joy other than that of always possessing You more and better, and, being possessed by You! 8. In a special way, O my Love, with Your grace I denounce any devious intention of self-love, which might attempt to destroy my intention to promote the greater glory of Your love. 9. With You grace, O my love, I declare that I do not intend to ever consent to any intrusion of my fallen nature into the supernatural world of relationships to which You call me for Divine Union! 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, with my intellect, will and all my being, I bow to adore Your truth. I unite myself wholly to it, solidly trusting Your authority, with Your grace, and in Holy Faith[1]! 2. I firmly believe all that you have revealed through the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, through Jesus Christ, Your Incarnate Word, and through the Catholic Church, our Mother. 3. Internally, O my God, I believe, and externally, I rejoice in professing every truth revealed by You; for each and every one of them, I am ready to suffer any death! I will consider it a privilege of Your grace to have the possibility of writing and sealing every Article of Faith with the blood of martyrdom! 4. Mary I truly be a martyr for every article of Faith, a martyr for every supernatural virtue, a martyr for every moral obligation, and a martyr for every line of Holy Scripture! 5. I believe You! I believe in You, O my God – Unity and Trinity, O my God – Jesus Christ, O my Holy Mother – the Catholic Church. I believe You, I believe in you! 6. I believe in your Oneness of Nature, O my God and my All. I believe in Your Trinity of Persons, O my Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in all the truths that radiate from this Mystery[2]. 7. I believe in Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Ruler, our Priest and Victim, our Head and Mediator, Son of God the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit and Mary. 8. I believe in the Holy Catholic Church as my Mother, and as the true family[3]and Mystical Body of Jesus Christ[4], which is vivified by the grace of the Holy Spirit and is the Kingdom of Heaven and Dwelling Place of the Holy Trinity one earth. 9. I believe, O my God! Grant me the supreme perfection of Faith; grant that I may live and radiate it all around me; grant that I may constantly perform explicit and particular acts of Faith; grant that I may receive all the vital influence of every article of Faith[5]! 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may in me and in everyone, as in Yourself, O my God and my All!
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! With Your grace, I long for You with complete enthusiasm and desire; from You, I expect nothing less than Your own Self, with all the certainty of Hope[6]. 2. You have revealed to me Your Nature of Infinite Goodness, so that I may understand how infinitely you spread Your goodness, thus infinitely communicating Your own Self! I do hope in You! 3. You have revealed to me Your Nature of Infinite Goodness, so that I may understand how infinitely You spread Your goodness, thus infinitely communicating Your own Self! I do hope in You! 4. You have revealed to me Your Infinite Mercy, which places at my disposal all the treasures of the Grace of Redemption amassed for me in the Blood of Christ. I do hope in You! 5. So many times You have shown me Your Infinite Fidelity; with Your infallible word You have made and confirmed the Divine Promises of Eternal Life. I do hope! 6. You are the One who ordains all things to the good of the Elect, and You have desired that lal supernatural good should be made mine in the Communion of the Saints. I do hope! 7. You move heaven and earth for me; You want all the Angels and Saints to take an interest in me; in their brotherly hearts and in the motherly heart of my Blessed Virgin, I see Your goodness toward me, O my God. I do hope! 8. Because of Your own goodness, You want to grant me Eternal Life as a reward for my mortal life! This Divine Good is a recompense for my cooperation with Your grace and my conformity to Your Love. I do hope! 9. O my God and my All! You infuse Hope in me. Graciously increase it constantly in me and in everyone. Your Hope brings consolation for every pain and the revival of all my strength, through the merits of Jesus Christ. I do hope! 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God – Jesus, O my God – Trinity and my All! I adore You in the Commandment of Love[8]with which You call me to love You with all my heart, with all my mind, with all the strengths of mind and heart, with all my soul! 2. O my God and my All, I do want to love You as You desire! O my God and my All, I want to love You as You deserve! For all the good that You desire and grant me, and most of all for all the good that You are in Your own Self! 3. More than love you, I adore you, O God-Creator, O God-Savior, O God-Sanctifier, Because You are worthy to be loved infinitely. More than love You, I adore you, O God the Father, O God the Son, O God the Holy Spirit, because you are worthy in Your own Self to be loved infinitely! 4. I love and adore You, O my God-Jesus, my King and my Leader, my Teacher and my Father, my Brother and Friend, my Sacrifice and Sacrament, my Heart and Life, my Paradise and my All. 5. I love and adore You, O my God-Jesus, Infinite Beauty of the Incarnate Wisdom! I love and adore You, O my Jesus, Infinite Sweetness of the Incarnate Love. I love and adore You, O my God-Jesus, supreme revelation and communication of the Blessed Trinity. 6. I love and adore You while uniting myself to You, O my God and my All, in all the manifestations of Your will, in all the patterns of Your Glory, in all that Your Love has fashioned, especially in my neighbor, in the church, in St. Joseph and Mary. 7. O my God and my All, I would love to know You with the intellect of the Saints, the Angels, St. Joseph and Mary! O my God, I want to know You with Your Word; I want to love You with Your Spirit! 8. You have given me a loving nature and loving relationships, as an image and likeness of Your loving Nature and Relationships; grant that I may always be totally an Act of Love, and totally in a State of Love for You, my All. 9. Make me a mastery of love, a book of love, a song of love, a wound of love, a flame of love, a sacrifice of love, and a union of love. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! O prime Author and Model of every virtue, grant that I may receive the divine infusion of the virtue of Prudence, and all its enduring growth, through the Sacraments and progressive levels of Your divine grace. 2. O my Lord, grant that I may never follow the false prudence of sinners and evil ones, and that I may never be satisfied with the imperfect prudence common to both the good and bad; grant that I may live in that perfect prudence which belongs to Your Chosen Ones. 3. Grant that in divine Prudence, I may know and want to subordinate all things to that end which is You, O my God! Grant that I may know and embrace this rule or measure of all virtues, and that with careful consideration; I may attain the practical ends of my ongoing study of it. 4. Grant that I may live in complete enjoyment and exercise of that understanding which comes from experience, that respect for principles which comes from experience, that respect for principles which best governs a choice of action, that docility which looks to the lessons and experiences of the wise, and of that enthusiasm for making correct choices in all matters. 5. Grant that I may live in complete enjoyment and exercise of reasonableness, which provides good advice, looks to future harmony is aware of what is needed to coordinate what is involved as well as eliminate possible obstacles. 6. Grant that I may possess and employ complete discretion, thus making me a man of good counsel, perfectly good sense, which understands the common principles governing general matters, and the right criteria, which aid in judging particular situations. 7. Grant that I may never commit any imprudence that I may abstain from any rash or inconsiderate actions, any inconstancy or negligence, any deceit or fraud, and, free me from all illicit concerns about the future or material things. 8. O my God, grant to every soul the prudence necessary for the individual’s welfare; be even more generous with it for those who are entrusted with the common good, in the family, the army, the government, and in all of human society. 9. Grant that we may be well prepared, and that we may receive and follow the impulse of the Holy Spirit in His gift of Counsel. Grant that we may enjoy the beatitude of the merciful with that reverence which is always beneficial and assures a pleasant outcome. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! You glorify Yourself in the perfection of Justice in all relationships with Your creatures; grant us the Perfection of Justice with an ever more perfect observance of Your Commandments. 2. Ever instill more and increase in us the enduring and constant good will of giving every individual his rights, both in words and actions allowing for the common good and that of the individual. 3. Grant that I may never make a judgment against Justice, or any judgment without authority or sufficient motive. Grant that I may never act on any suspicion caused by my own faults, improper affections, or bad experiences. 4. Grant that in relationships with my neighbors, my life may be always immune to any injustice or favoritism, insult or gossip, complaint or derision, fraud or usury, and theft or robbery. 5. Keep me immune to curses or flattery, disobedience to superiors or ingratitude to benefactors, simulation or hypocrisy, ostentation or irony, quarrels or lies, stinginess or wastefulness. 6. Grant that I may always be ready to make restitutions or reparation, to prevent material or moral change to my neighbor, and also to provide others with any material or moral good that is due, and to do this without any transgression or omission. 7. Grant that, in the perfection of Christian Piety, I may render due honor and assistance to my parents and my country; grant that, in the perfection of observance, I may feel and exhibit internal devotion and external reverence toward all those in authority, according to the importance of the office. 8. Grant me the perfection of obedience to my superiors, and the perfection of gratitude to all my benefactors. Grant that I may be capable and willing to repay with every greater generosity and affection. 9. Grant me the perfection of truthfulness in whatever pertains to the truth, the perfection of courtesy relative to customs, and the perfection of generosity regarding the proper use of means, and of fairness as the supreme rule in the observance of written law. 10. O my God and my all…
1. O my God and my All, Father, So and Holy Spirit, in virtue of the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ that I offer You, grant that in the perfection of holy Fortitude, I may overcome all difficulties that hinder the good. 2. Instill in me and greatly increase always the virtue of Fortitude, as a general condition for the practice of all virtues, and that special fortitude that may enable me to face any danger, endure any hardship, suppress useless fear, and temper arrogant boldness. 3. Grant that I may remain firm in my duty, regardless of any danger or even death, practicing every Christian virtue heroically, always ready and willing to accept martyrdom for the Faith and for every other Christian virtue. 4. Grant that in the perfection of holy Fortitude, my life and that of all my brothers may never know the excess of fear, which causes cowardice, nor the lack of proper fear, which causes rashness. 5. Grant that I may always be immune to ambition for honor, presumption f my own strength, cowardice and narrow-mindedness, inflexibility and incompetence, and desire or delight in earthly glory. 6. Grant that, for Your greater glory, I may long for, tend to, and reach out for the greatest honors in Your Kingdom, with the perfection of loving kindness, as is proper for the creature whom you have elevated to be a minister, one of the elect, a son and a spouse. 7. Grant that, for Your greater glory, I may long for, tend to, and realize great works in Your Kingdom, with the perfection of bounteousness, as is proper for one who has at his disposal all the treasures of Your Divine Providence. 8. Grant that I may overcome all the hindrances caused by sadness and calamities, as well as the fear of suffering, which are obstacles to the practice of good in the perfection of patience and gentleness, as well as trust and confidence. 9. Grant that I may overcome all external difficulties with the perfection of constancy, and that I may remain, with the perfection of Final Perseverance, firm in my duties-not withstanding any difficulties –always fulfilling them until death takes me. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in virtue of the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ that I offer to You, grant and increase in me the perfections of Moderation. 2. O my God, for the glory of Your infinite Purity, grant that I may be a worthy brother of the Angels, a good child of the Immaculate Virgin, and that I may always become more beautiful in the Blood of the Lamb[13]. 3. Grant that in my actions I may be like a field of lilies in which you find your pasture on this earth; grant that on my journey I may always obtain new palms[14]of victory with which you set apart those who follow you into Heaven. 4. Grant that in Heaven, following You and being close as possible to You, I may sing the song[15]of the Virgins. Grant that, starting in this life, I may enjoy the beatitude of the vision of God promised to the pure of heart[16]. 5. My Lord, grant that I may be wholly unyielding in my modesty in each and every internal or external act. Grant that I may radiate the splendor of spiritual beauty, with abstinence and moderation, chastity and virginity. 6. Grant that I may be able to control completely every impulse to excel by means of the virtue of Holy Humility, every desire for knowledge with a continuing need to study, all external acts with modesty, and every angry impulse with meekness and compassion. 7. Grant that I may constantly be watchful in prayer, and, that I may continually practice mortification of the sense, detachment of heart and self-denial, so that I may be victorious over lust and every seduction. 8. Grant that I may remain immune to every lustful weakness under the pretense of innocence, every sin of gluttony under the guise of caring for one’s health, every sin of anger, even under the pretense of zeal. 9. O my God! Free me from all blindness and rashness, impulsiveness and mental inconstancy; free me from all egotistical love and hatred of what is holy, from love of this present life, and from the fear of the future; free me from dangerous sentimentalism. 10. O my God and my All…
CHAPTER 7 EVANGELICAL COUNSELS 1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I have consecrated myself to Your Love, and through Your grace, I feel the need for greater imitation and closer union with You. 2. But first of all, O my Lord, I must renounce whatever hinders imitation and union with You, and, with the grace of Your love, I hope to do it even more generously! 3. Grant that may always be more attracted You; grant that I may give all of myself to You, so that I may receive all from You! Grant that I may be completely possessed by You and that I may possess You as much as possible. 4. So that I may possess You and may be possessed by You, I renounce every earthly possession, now and in the future, In the Spirit of the Poverty of the Cross, I renounce all eternal and internal ownership. 5. I renounce every kind of possession, even the Spiritual benefits which are mine to give, and I place everything in the hands of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. 6. As far as possible, I desire and intend to renounce my very self, so that I may be totally possessed by Your Divine Persons, as was the human nature in the Person of Jesus. 7. The best use I can make of Living beings is not to use them at all. Grant that in the spirit of penance, prudence, and wisdom, I may practically embrace – as I truly would want – this non-use of Your Living Creations. 8. Grant that I may reduce to a minimum the use of those things considered necessary. O my God and my all, grant that in the use of necessities I may rely on the choice and taste of others more than my own. 9. As I adore with love Your more than motherly Providence, which is divinely watchful over my needs and wants, so I embrace with love the joyful Privation of even life’s necessities. 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may Your Will be done, Your love reign, Your Glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in Yourself, O my God and my All!
1. O my God and my All! I believe and adore the divine exigency of Your infinite Love, which demands that I neither search, find, nor enjoy any pleasure but in You, otherwise, my heart would turn from You. 2. I believe and adore the divine exigency of Your Infinite Love, which wants to transform me into Your likeness, O infinite Spiritual One. You love me and You desire that I be united to You, even though I am only a poor soul in a poor body. 3. O my God and my All! I completely renounce all pleasures of the senses and the flesh, since they are what steal the hearts of men more than anything else, and alienate and corrupt them. 4. O Purity. O Purity. O Purity-Joseph! O Purity-Mary! O Purity-Jesus! I consecrate myself to You! O Purity-God-Father, O Purity-God-Son, O Purity-God-Holy Spirit, I consecrate myself to You! O Purity-Angels, O Purity-Saints, O Purity of Divine Perfection, I consecrate myself to You! 5. O my Lord, I promise to avoid any mortal or venial sin and every near occasion of sin; likewise, I promise to observe all those cautions that the Saints have found most effective in preserving one-self from any taint of sin. 6. In the meantime I want and must avoid any active or passive contact with bodies, unless it is absolutely necessary. I will not write nor read romantic novels; I will not repeat nor listen to irreverent news. 7. I want and must make myself immune to any active or passive inclination which springs from and is nurtured by the sens3e, I want and must condemn any feeling which is not a pure expression of the higher realities of the Spirit rather than base, inferior ones. 8. I want and must behave myself, externally and internally, with the greatest reverence and modesty, serenity and joy, as if at that everlasting liturgy in the courts of Your glorious love, O my Divine Trinity, dwelling in me, the companion of Angels and Saints. 9. In a very special way, however, I want and must attain and develop intimacy with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, my immaculate family, I want and must amass and practice, as far as my heart is able, all tenderness of Love in the Humanity of Jesus. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! You do not want to give others the glory of being the Beginning and End of all, and yet, You have given me freedom in Your image and likeness I adore You! 2. I offer You all my freedom; I offer You, in sacrifice, the deficiency of my freedom. I consecrate to You all my needs, in union with the Divine Freedom of Your Will. 3. O my God, You are the Beginning and the End of my entire being I want You to t be the Beginning and End of my every internal and external actions. May everything that I do for Your glory! 4. With You grace, O Divine Will, I consecrate myself to ever more perfect obedience, and to every revelation of You, as seen in the Church and the Holy Family, through union with the Divine Trinity! 5. O Obedience, Obedience! Holy Obedience-Church Militant, Holy Obedience-Church Suffering, Holy Obedience-Church Triumphant, I consecrate myself to You! O Obedience of Joseph, O Obedience of Mary, O Obedience of Jesus, I consecrate myself to You. 6. For Your glory, I seek, as I certainly should, more perfect obedience of mind, heart and action, to every Canonical, Liturgical and Civil law, and to the Rule Directory of my religious Family. 7. I desire, as I certainly should, with Your grace, more perfect obedience to my Vocation and the inspirations guided and approved by my Spiritual Director. 8. With Your grace, I desire, as I should, that in accepting events and responding to my neighbor’s needs, I recognize Your Will, and not my own, in all that is said or done to me. 9. O Divine Will of God, the Father, I wan to be one with You! O Divine Will of God, the Son, I want to be one with You! O Divine Will of God, the Holy Spirit, I want to be one with You! In union with Your Sacred heart, O Incarnate Word, who became obedient unto death[3]! 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, son and Holy Spirit, to You alone is due the supreme act of adoration[4]; the sacrifice! I unite myself with Jesus in the Eucharist in offering to You the immaculate, perpetual, universal sacrifice which is fitting and which is Yours by Divine Right. 2. I thank You through the Holy Eucharist for a body, heart and spirit capable of suffering, and even more for having given me the joy and pleasure of being able to suffer for You according to the example, teaching and sacrificial principle of Jesus. 3. Even more, I thank You because you have made me understand that the best use I can make of my body is that of offering it to You as a holocaust upon the Cross, uniting it with the sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist. 4. O my Lord God, I pledge myself, in a spirit of imitation and union, to all the intentions and dispositions of the asceticism and martyrdom of the Saints, of the Sorrowful Mother, and our Crucified Savior! 5. I pledge myself, in holy faith, to the most rigorous mortification of my five senses, especially, sight and touch, as well as speech, and, most of all, my intellect and will. 6. I pledge myself to mortifying my heart by not allowing myself any desire, acceptance or enjoyment of any pleasure of the senses. 7. I pledge myself to mortification by renouncing everything that I could possess; likewise, I pledge myself to detachment from union with creatures, and the denial of every mental desire for what is not a real need. 8. I pledge myself to seeking and suffering any possible humiliation in my life and work; in a special way, I pledge myself to cultivating and deepening holy, just and due contrition. 9. O my God, with the grace of Your Spirit of the Cross, I resolve to live always in the practice of some form of abnegation, mortification or punishment, so that I may never stray from the royal way of the Sacred Heart! 10. O my God and my A…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I believe that because of the infinite love which You have for me, You have given me the law of constant prayer. 2. In order to make my interior life an image and likeness of the eternal, infinite, grand conversation of love, which is Your Word in the Holy Spirit, You want me in constant prayer. 3. In order to have me directed to You alone and committed to You, to give me continually signs and proofs of love, gifts and expressions of love, You want me constantly in prayer. 4. In order to conform to Your Will, O my Lord and my Love, I consecrate myself to the knowledge and practice of mental prayer; grant that I fully possess all the methods of Your saints, and that I may know how to grasp them for my own good. 5. I consecrate myself to the knowledge and practice of vocal prayer, in its liturgical and paraliturgical form, in my cherished Breviary and my beloved Rosary, in the endless litanies of praise and spontaneous brief prayer. 6. I consecrate myself to the theory and practice of spiritual reading, especially the Holy Scriptures and lives of the Saints, since through them You talk to the soul and the soul may then talk to You in a holier manner. 7. I pledge myself to elevate every material thing or deed to a spiritual level, consecrating and sacramentalizing, everything by the Sign of the Cross and through the invocation of the blessed names of the Holy Family and the Blessed Trinity. 8. I pledge myself to frequent acts of union with the Church Militant, Suffering and Triumphant, with the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, with Your Divine Perfection, Operations and Persons, and the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 9. Grant that my entire life may be filled with the spirit of prayer; grant that in my real and habitual intentions and dispositions, I may be in continual conversation with You. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I adore You in Your Divine Being, Infinite, Eternal, Immense, and Immutable, Living, Thinking, Loving and Acting[7]. 2. Since life must be consumed, and with the passing of time all creatures deteriorate, I want my life consumed in Your sacred fire, in the Holy Family, in the Church, and in the service of God and souls. 3. With Your grace, and in Your image and likeness, I want to be, must be, and can be, in proportion, more active, and I consecrate myself to laboriosity at all times. 4. I abandon myself to You, knowing well that I will not find in You the false rest of inaction, the false peace of nothingness, the false calm of idleness, but, instead I will find the full employment of all my faculties to a higher degree. 5. I consecrate myself to the most intense and continuous manual work, teaching and preaching, productions and ministries, organizations and instructions, and, above all, holy meditation. 6. I consecrate myself to intense “laboriosity,” as the first and greatest penance that You, Yourself, O Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, taught humanity after its Original Sin. 7. I consecrate myself to laboriosity” in order to better imitate Your Holy Family and to better grasp the life of the church and also to better cooperate with Your indwelling grace. 8. In “laboriosity,” I shall do my Purgatory on earth, so that I may be admitted into Heaven soon after my death. In “laboriosity,” I will find my earthly Paradise as a continuous anticipation and foretaste of the celestial Paradise. 9. O my God, grant that all my prayers may be Cherubic acts in knowing You, Seraphic acts in loving You, and Apostolic acts in making you known and loved; grant that my prayer may belike a well planned work in its objective, a decisive battle against the enemy. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in imitation of and union with Our Lord Jesus Christ, who in the Incarnation assumed the form of a servant[8], grant that I may be the servant of all. 2. May I be all things to all men[9], in order to attract and unite all men to You, and to serve them all in their relationships with You, that I may be an image and likeness of You for all men, O my God and my All. 3. With this in mind, I consecrate myself to be a servant of the whole Church servant of the Angels, servant of the Saints, servant of the souls in Purgatory, servant of the diocesan and Religious clergy, the servant of all. 4. Make me a servant of the Holy Father, the Pope, a servant of the Bishops, our Pastors, a servant of St. Joseph, a servant of Mary, a servant of Jesus Christ, the Man-God, and a servant of the Trinity in Its Operations and Persons. 5. I consecrate myself to the direct and explicit demonstration of internal and external esteem and reverence for all my neighbors, as if they were my matter and lord, and to obey all of them ordinarily as my master. 6. What is the deepest need that should be met, the greatest desire that should be satisfied, for mankind, for the clergy, and the Church, if not for a saint and a priest, essential to every soul and to every work? 7. With You grace, I consecrate myself to spending my life doing everything possible to engender in myself and those You choose, this divine vocation of universal service. 8. Grant me the perfection of this extraordinary spirit of humility and love, this effort and commitment to universal service, this ministration of mercy and love. 9. Grant that I may unite myself to You and become like You, O my Jesus in the Eucharist. You made Yourself all things to all men: Teacher and Friend, Son Victim and Food; You have given everything to all men: Name, Blood, Heart, Value and Life. 10. O my God and my All…
Speak, my beloved God, speak within my soul! I am tired, but I confess that temptation and hard work are not the cause of this tiredness, but rather my venial sins. There are so many of them. No wonder then, that I find myself without the brightness of light, without the warmth of love, even though You are within me, my Divine Truth, Beauty and Love! So please, talk to this tired mind, to this tired heart, and Your Word will create in them the light that will brighten every shadow and the fire that will melt all ice.
1. “Set your hearts on the most important gifts, and I will show you an even better way.”[10] Your Apostle, O Jesus, reveals to us the way of love, the charism of love. 2. Is Your Apostle talking about a charism of love distinct from the theological virtue of love, and a way of love more excellent than any other common way of love? 3. What is the charism of love is not a great, booming, burning and shining fervor of love produced in the soul by Your activity? 4. This charism comes from Your particular presence and union, since in a special way You are there in Your Spirit and through Your Father, and Your actualize the effects of love within us! 5. O, how this fervor and this union propels and urges the soul on the journey of consecrations and immolations, sanctifications and determination! 6. You command that I set my heart on this charism, in union with those who possess it, Your dearest and most loving Saints, and Your closest and most loving Angels! 7. I can and must emulate this charism. Thanks to Your gracious generosity, I wan to emulate it, since You have already begun granting it to me, O my sweet Love! 8. I want to advance on this more excellent path, since You have placed me on it and have carried me in Your arms and in Your heart, and propelled me on by Your Spirit! 9. O my Holy Love, grant me this charism of love, since Your grace grants me the appreciation of it and the desire for it more than any other charism with which You have favored Your Saints! 10. Grant it to me, O my sweet Love, in perfect obedience to Your Commandment of Love for God and neighbor, in which is summed up the whole Law[11]. 11. Your sinless law enfolds all souls, imparts wisdom to Your children brings peace to those who love it. O grand peace! 12. Love is the guardian of Your law, love is the fulfillment of Your law, love is You, since You are total Love! 13. Blessed ids the man whom You, Yourself, have taught! Place the law of Your Love in my mind! Place it in my heart! Pleace it in my innermost being! 14. I will ponder then the wonders of Your law, which are the wonders of beauty, sweetness, greatness and harmony. 15. This law of Yours I seek in every book, in every lesson, from You, the Divine Author, from You, the Divine Teacher, let it fill me according to Your Word! 16. I want to keep this law of Yours in my mind, my heart, my life my neighbor and myself. O grant that I may be fully blessed with it, according to Your Promise. 17. Write the words of this law on my heart, O Divine Spirit, finger of the Father’s right hand, molder of the human heart! 18. I will ask for this teaching from Your servants from the Angels who are so close to you and who spend their lives loving You! 19. I will ask for this Divine Love from the Blessed Virgin, whom you have made Mother of Your knowledge, and consequently, Mother of Divine Love. 20. I strongly fear that no word will be able to arouse my heart, if You Yourself do not speak Your word to my soul in that secret part of my heart. 21. Your Divine Word of Ineffable Love resounds in my soul, and my entire being will be moved: it will cry, tremble, burn and melt! 22. Speak to me Your Divine Word of Ineffable Love, in that great peace, that immense silence of Eternity, of Your Infinity! 23. Let us go into the wilderness to converse together, O my Divine Love - in the most inaccessible desert, in the most hidden cave, there we will converse undisturbed, alone… 24. At the very core of my being, where no one can go, not even the angels – but only I and You – only You and I – we will talk together, alone and undisturbed… 25. If it were possible, You could take me by the hand and lead me far away from this earth, to those distant heavens, where not even the light reaches. 26. Where there is neither the light of the sun nor stars but where You can show me Your Divine Light, O my Divine Beauty, O my God, O my God! 27. There is no reality greater than You – and Your Love for me! Beyond all truth, beyond life – You are – and You love me – O my God, O my God! 28. I do not dare say that I love You, because it does not seem true in face of the truth of Your love; whether I love You or not, You know the truth – I believe that I love You! 29. I am extremely happy that You love me, and I would enjoy it infinitely, if only I had an infinite capacity – I will certainly enjoy it eternally, since You have made me immortal! 30. Your Immortal Love has made me immortal, and my immortality tells me of the immortality of Your Love! God of my heart! 31. I am extremely happy that You love me and that You have revealed Your love to me in so many ways, and made me feel it in my heart – and that You keep repeating it to me! 32. Thank You, Lord, for making me understand that my creation is only the first kiss that You have given me, and with it You have given me a life, a soul, your grace. 33. That was the first time that You called me! Where was I then? I did not know, nor will I ever be able to know, because I simply was not! 34. I must have been somewhere, somehow, since You called me and I answered. I came out before You, since You had called me! 35. Where was I? I was in You; I was in You from all eternity! I cannot understand this mystery, but I am very pleased with it – it is the mystery of Your Love! 36. Since I was in You, in Your thought, in Your Love when You called me, why did You call me if I was already in You – maybe to hide me outside Yourself? 37. You cannot send me out of You – I have never been for even one moment away from You – nor could I be. O how sweet it is to think of it, to know it, to say it to You and to me! 38. Why did You call me? Did You call me in order to cherish me, in order to give me another form of life that You had not as yet given to me? 39. So, that was what You called me! To what form of life? Oh, if I could only understand the life that You intended to give me and that You actually gave me in my creation! 40.Making me what I am, my nature and my person, at the same time You elevated me to Your Nature and Persons! 41. You called me to Your Own Life, to union with Your Nature, to friendship and intimacy with Your Divine Persons and all this out of pure Love! 42. Only out of Your Love! I did not know You as yet, I could not pray to You, nor had I ever said to You: “I love you – I desire You – I am Yours!” 43. I could not do it now, if you had not first made me, elevated me to Yourself, and said to me: “I love you – I desire you – I am Yours!” 44. And this is what amazes me, that You love me and desire my existence! Oh, indeed You love me, You loved me even before I was! 45. What did you love back then? What can You love now that I am outside You that may be worthy of You? Oh, no my Love, it is not suitable for You, my Love, to love any other but Yourself, because there is no being worthy of You – even if this meant that I would not be loved by You! 46. I would not want You to love anyone outside of Yourself, because there is no being worthy of You – even if this meant that I would not be loved by You! 47. This saddens and disturbs me! Since this is not the truth – I cannot doubt Your love – it is impossible that You do not love me! 48. It is impossible that You do not love Yourself, O my God! I see clearly how in me You have loved Yourself – You have cherished and wanted Yourself! 49. O how happy I am that You have loved me for Your own Self, otherwise, I would be seriously afraid that You would not love me anymore, that You would never have loved me! 50. Now, it is impossible for You not to love me – it is necessary for You to love me – I will peacefully rest in the Mystery of Your Love…
Preparation for Tomorrow’s Holy Communion
1. I have sinned, Lord my God, I have ruined my soul, I have lost divine treasures, I have merited unending deaths, and I have sold myself to the Devil! 2. Forgive me, Lord, for my innumerable, thankless acts, my shameful response to Your favors, of which my sins were but an abuse. 3. Forgive me, Lord, for the unspeakable cruelties of the Passion and Death of Jesus, for here my sins played the role of executioner. 4. The evil of my sins demands infinite guilt, because these sins are directly contrary to Your Divine Perfection, Works and Persons. 5. Even if I were spend my life weeping tears of blood and cast into eternal fire, I still could not make adequate reparation for even one sin. 6. More than the pain of death and hell, I hate sin and weep because of it, since it is the one and only real evil; any other so called evil compared to sin is considered good. 7. I desire to hate sin in every shape and form, with Your infinite hatred, and to have the same sorrow for it as displayed in Your bloody Agony in the Garden. 8. I ask for and accept every penance, which Your Justice seeks. I wait and I beg for all the confusion of the Last Judgment! 9. I only prayer that Your Mercy will grant me my Purgatory in this life in the fire of love of Your Sacred Heart. 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may Your Will be done, Your Love reign, Your Glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in Yourself, O my God and my All!
PREPARATION FOR TOMORROW’S HOLY COMMUNION 1. O my God, I present to You the longings of all those suffering for Your Divine Consolation, the longings of all hearts for the bliss of Your Love! 2. O yearning of every mind for Eternal Truth, O yearning of every will for Eternal Good, be mine! 3. O desire of the Saints to see and possess God, O desire of the Angels, O desire of Saint Joseph and Mary, most Holy, be mine! 4. O longing of the Sacred Heart, seen in the Glorification of the Father and in the Sanctification of souls through the Divine Spirit, be mine! 5. O my God and my All! May the appeal of Your Works, Perfection and Beatitude find me ever more faithful, docile and generous, as You desire. 6. Come, O Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ! Come with all Your rights as my King, with all Your merits as my Savior! 7. Come, O Humility and Poverty of Jesus, O Purity and Modesty of Jesus, O Patience and Suffering of Jesus, come into my soul! 8. Come, O Obedience and Fidelity of Jesus, O Fortitude and Tenderness of Jesus, Prayer and Zeal of Jesus, come into my soul! 9. Come, O Divine Love, O Perfection and Beatitude of Divine Love! O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come to me! 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Brother and Spouse of the soul, worthy to be infinitely loved, I desire to see You and be with You forever in Paradise. 2. I accept, freely and with resignation, whatever kind of death You intend for me, with all its humiliations, pain and suffering of body and of soul! 3. I want to unite myself to all the intentions and dispositions of the deaths of the Saints, so precious in Your eyes, especially the martyrs, St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary. 4. I want, above all, to unite myself with all those intentions and dispositions of Jesus when he died on the Cross-for us and when He offers Himself on the Altar for us. 5. While I am still in this world, I unite myself to You in the condemnation to death and darkness of every internal or external unnecessary pleasure of the senses. 6. Grant that I may enter into the dark night of the senses, let me abandon myself to this mystical, sacrificial death, in union with Jesus in the “Eucharist! 7. Grant that in this mystical night of the sense, my visions of Your Majesty in Heaven may be brightened and the stars of Your Divine Perfection may shine before me. 8. Grant that in this mystical, sacrificial death, I may find complete expiation and purification from all evil, and my total renewal in goodness. 9. O my sun, Jesus, grant that I may arise to contemplate You with pure eyes and a new heart, see everything in Your light of love, and do everything with Your fire of love. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my Jesus, O my God and my All, I entrust myself to You with all my sins, that you may blot them out, and with all my debts, so that You may pardon them. 2. I unite myself to Mary Magdalene at Your feet, intent only on Your Holy Word, that I may enjoy her “better part[1].” 3. And when the silence of death is everywhere, may Your All-Powerful Word of Love descend into my soul to renew me according to Your Divine Spirit. 4. I unite myself to John, Your beloved disciple, in his learning on Your chest the night of the Institution of the Eucharist, the night of Your Passion[2]! 5. Be pleased, each night, to renew my soul by sharing those mysteries of Your Sacred Heart’s love and suffering, Your agony in a bloody sweat. 6. I unite myself to the disposition of the Virgin Mother, to the Omnipotence of Divine Love at the time of Your Incarnation and her Assumption into Heaven. 7. Kindly renew in my soul, I beg you, Your Divine Image and the Likeness of my Creator, and my Savior’s Life and Death, Resurrection and Ascension. 8. I make my own, O Jesus, the dispositions with which You gave Yourself to souls, with which You surrendered to Your enemies, with which You lay down on the Cross and entrusted Your soul to the Father’s hands[3]. 9. Into Your hands I commend my soul, O Father Son and Holy Spirit. Into Your heart, I abandon my soul, O Jesus Crucified, O Jesus in the Eucharist. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O Blessed Virgin Mary, allow your lowly servant to be united to Saint Joseph, to your Religious Orders, to your greatest lovers, and to the whole Church. 2. May I be united to them in honoring you, O Virgin Mother of God, in venerating you, our Queen and Mother, in imploring you, O full of all grace, for my own and the sake of others. 3. I see that all the saints have advanced toward God in your heart and have been carried to God in your motherly arms during their lives. 4. Jesus has made us your children, O Virgin Mary, and the Blessed Trinity has appointed you Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces, O Mary![4] 5. O Queen, O Teacher, O Mother Mary! Do not reject me as I do deserve, for I want to be totally and forever your lowly servant, disciple and loving son! 6. Truly, I want to live completely and always according to your intentions, dispositions and inspirations. Let me grow for God in your heart; carry me to God in your arms! 7. I acknowledge that I owe you all the graces I have received up until now; likewise, I await from you all the graces that will unite me perfectly to my Lord. 8. Grant, O Blessed Mary, that I may glorify God in the service of souls, with the humility of your mind, O Handmaid of the Lord, with the love of your heart, O Mother of God and our Mother. 9. Grant me all this, O Mary, so that in you, for you and with you, I may be totally and constantly assumed and transformed in the divine perfections and beatitudes, O Daughter, O Mother, O Spouse of the Lord. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O Saint Joseph, grant that in honoring you, your lowly, loving servant may unite himself to the whole Church, to your devotees and Religious, and, above all, to the Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. 2. You are the representative of the Father and of the Holy Spirit! You are the Virgin Father of Jesus, the Virgin Spouse of Mary; you are the Viceroy of the Kingdom of God and the Prime Minister of the divine treasures! 3. The Blessed Trinity has placed you alone and forever as head of the Holy Family, the only family which will last for all eternity, the family that is destined to receive as its members all the elect who have been entrusted to you! 4. In the person of the Infant Jesus, the Adolescent Jesus, the Young Man Jesus and Jesus, our Head, you have accepted into your house, raised with you hard work, and carried in your arms, all the elect! 5. Accept me into your family as the lowest servant of love, as your possession; make me very useful for the Kingdom of Jesus and Mary, make me very dear to their hearts, and very intimate with their lives. 6. In order to succeed, I should and must live according to the intentions and dispositions of your spirit. I want to be completely humble and docile in obedience, faithful and generous in love, under the rule of God’s impulse. 7. I acknowledge that I owe you, O my Saint Joseph, together with Jesus and Mary, all the graces that I have received until now. Likewise, I await all other graces that will make me worthy of Divine Union. 8. Through your intercession, may I obtain the ability to glorify God in the service of the Church, in general, and of my religious Family, in particular, with the humility of your understanding and with the love of your heart. 9. In a special way, I ask for and hope to obtain from you, for myself and all my brother, the grace of perseverance to the very end, a holy death in contrition and perfect love, and immediate entrance into Paradise.
1. O my Guardian Angel, O St. Michael, the Archangel, frees my soul from every influence of the enemy and constantly lifts me to God. 2. O saint whose name I bear, and you, O my Prince, Saint Peter, to you I entrust the keys[5]of my soul and my little world, that only the Lord may open it; please open for me the Kingdom of Heaven. 3. O my beloved Saint John the Baptist, precursor of Jesus, prepare in my soul the way[6]for the constant coming and arrival of the Spouse-God, until I reach perfect union with Him. 4. O my beloved Saint John the Evangelist, Jesus’ Beloved Disciple, make me as dear to Jesus and Mary as you are; lift me up on your eagle’s wings[7]to God’s Heaven! 5. O my Great Apostle, O my First Doctor, Saint Paul, please evangelize this poor soul of mine, so that I may be taken up with you to the Heaven of Truth, Love and Grace, so that it is no longer I, but Jesus living in me[8]. 6. O my Patron Saint, and you, Saint Joseph, be like fathers to me; make my soul the favorite dwelling of Jesus and Mary; let me enter the intimacy of the Holy Family as the favorite of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! 7. O Blessed Virgin Mother of God, be my mother; accept me and raise me in your heart. With you, for you, and in you, unite me to your Jesus. Grant that I may enter the intimacy of the divine family as the favorite of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! 8. All you Angels and Saints come to my aid in my spiritual work and battles, come and glorify God in the divine conversation of my prayers and in Holy Communion. 9. For you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, for you, Saint Joseph, for you, Saint Michael, and, for you, O Jesus in the Eucharist, there is a little temple prepared in my heart which with every breath calls You to glorify the Most Holy Trinity, dwelling in my soul. 10. O my God and my All… (Before Confession) (Under the Influence of Satan) 1. O my God and my All! O my Father, Son and Holy Spirit! With confusion and fear, I accuse myself of internal and some external acts, which have shown hostility toward You. 2. What spirit dominates me or somehow has an influence over me, if the on spirit personally against You is the spirit of evil and hell? 3. I have fallen into his net; I am in the sphere of his wicked influences; I move under his influence and suffer his venomous attacks, with his clutches penetrate my flesh and my heart. 4. When this happens, the supernatural seems repulsive; prayer annoys me; self-denial nauseates me; and, a sense of aversion makes me avoid your friends representatives! 5. When this happens a sense of evil pervades all my senses, and through them, my mind; it permeates all my actions and attracts everyone as allies. 6. When this happens, I am open to all forms of anxiety; grave doubts gnaw away inside me; malice upsets me, rashness envelopes me, drowsiness dulls me, and excitement exalts me. 7. I suffer so much! Your creature suffers in this state of animosity toward You! You, who created me, have mercy one me! I beg You, never consider or allow me to be Your enemy; I do not want to be Your enemy! 8. I am in danger! I have sinned through my own fault! I have gone over to the side of Your enemy and have allowed him to enter my being; now I risk falling totally under his power! 9. You, my God, I know too sell, can never approve or allow that such a thing may happen to me! I do not want you to be less holy Yourself, nor less jealous for me! 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may Your Will be done, Your Love reign, Your Glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in Yourself, O my God and my All!
1. O my God, I repent for my sins, as I should; I ask Your forgiveness for everything that displeases You and every offense, in particular. With all my being, I would really like to die with perfect contrition. 2. Lord God of Heaven and earth, so many times and for so long, I have been in opposition to You. I have wounded Your Heart so badly; I have been worse than an enemy and a betrayer. Forgive me! 3. Lord God of the Angels and Saints, I have obstructed, distorted and ruined the work of Your grace in me and in others; with the intrinsic malice of my sinful actions, I have attempted to kill You. Forgive me! 4. Lord God of Heaven and earth, I have preferred many other creatures to You! I have tried to find in others my rest and joy! I have behaved as if others were my beginning and end. Forgive me! 5. Lord God of Heaven and earth, I have behaved as if others were my reward and inspiration. I have behaved as if You were not my supreme good; even while serving You, I was following secondary goals. Forgive me! 6. O abyss of my nothingness! O abyss of Your all! O abyss of my malice and Your mercy! The nothingness against the All, and the All against the nothingness! 7. Grant that I may see sin in the light of death and Your Judgment! In the burning fires of hell! In the radiance of Your Blood, and in the flames of Your Heart, flames of hatred for sin! 8. Grant that I may see my sins in the brilliance of Your Spirit, Your Glory, Your Will and Your Love; grant that I may repent, with the suffering of all in Purgatory and the aching Heart of Jesus! 9. You pity me and hide from me all my evil in all its ugliness, because You know that I could not survive seeing it. As a sign of Your forgiveness, grant that I may die with contrition! 10. O my God and my All…
MY PART IN THE PASSION OF JESUS 1. You who have remained in our midst in a state of immolation, as a sacrifice for our sins, grant that I may live and die with contrition and perfect love for You. 2. Forgive me for having abandoned You in Your sorrows, the agony of sweating blood, and the kiss of betrayal, the shameful arrest, and the rebukes at the court trials. 3. Forgive me for having preferred a criminal to You and for having spit in Your face so many accusations about Your being insane, being a blasphemer, an impostor, and unworthy of living! 4. O that terrifying scourging, when with my savage instinct I blocked out the distressful cry of Your dear eyes and blood! 5. O the atrocities of the crowning with thorns, which were pressed into Your head without any pity and left there until Your death, without pulling out even one of them! 6. Forgive me for that heavy cross, the journey to Calvary under its weight, the bloody falls, the forced help, and that tearful last encounter! 7. Forgive me for the crucifixion under the fierce eyes of the executioners and under Your mother’s eyes; the hours of agony, both Yours and Your mother’s; Your Father’s abandonment, and Your thirst for me! 8. What an interior passion and death You must feel seeing this treatment from the one whom You continue to love infinitely, with the eternal desire for communication and union! 9. Yes, Jesus, give me Your cross! Give me Your thorns and nails that they may cover me with painful wounds of love! Give me Your tears of blood and the agonies of Your heart! 10. O my God and my All…
THEY WILL SEE THE ONE THEY HAVE PIERCED! 1. While rocks crumbled at Your death, my heart did not; it does not have one tear for Your thirst; Divine Justice does not spare You abandonment! 2. O Holy Love! May every heart melt on the tree of Your cross, on the rock of Your tomb, and may it lavish upon You, O my Crucified, all the perfumes of love and suffering! 3. I now kiss the wounds of Your hands, Your feet, and Your heart, with the kiss of a soul that would like to close them with the power of a life of love. 4. Yet, Your wounds remain ever open to proclaim the infamy of my sins and the glory of Your patience…”Thus have I been wounded in the house of those who were supposed to love me.[1]” 5. O how I wish I had never offended You! How I wish I had not cast You out of my soul and out of the world! O how I wish I had not closed Your eyes and Your sweet lips with the deal of death! 6. Then You would not have died! We would have enjoyed Your sacramental presence for the glory of God and Your physical presence for our happiness and enjoyment as at the Last Supper after the Consecration. 7. You would not have died! You wanted to offer Yourself out of love in a way that would have been more mortal than the cross, without having our sins take you away from us! 8. Both Sacramentally and physically, You would have come to us through our senses; through the heart and the spirit, making everyone a living communion of Your life of glory and happiness. 9. O my God, Jesus, by virtue of perfect love and suffering spiritualize me in such a way that I may be readmitted to the enjoyment of Your presence, so that You may live in me for all my brothers. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God-Jesus, I wish I had never offended You! I wish I had never put You out of my soul and out of the world! I wish had not closed Your sweet eyes and lips with the seal of death! What have I done! 2. Death itself was unable to close hands, or heart or mouth to Your love, which even now talks to us and gives itself to us through every wound, even more and better than before. 3. Knowing our guilt, Your hands yet were fastened with nails in an open position, so that even though exhausted, they would never cease to bless or to give an embrace to our ungrateful hearts. 4. Dying, You opened Your Heart to all souls, tearing away the sacred veil, which kept it hidden from the profane ones, who are now the chosen people in Your Blood. 5. O Blood of Jesus! Without Your shedding of it, there is no redemption; renew every day our new covenant with God and with our neighbor; may this covenant be ever more intimate, ever more perfect! 6. O Blood of Jesus! You alone can vivify and make fertile our souls, which are made hard as a rock by the lava of infernal fire, by our sins and wicked passions. 7. O Blood of Jesus! O Flames of the Sacred Heart! Strengthen this weak generation, and this very weak soul, by the power of goodness, by the sacrifice of expiation, and by the proofs of love. 8. Flow through my veins, O Divine Blood, and shed Yourself again for Justice’s sake! Burn in my heart, O Divine Flames, and enkindle the whole world with love and zeal. 9. How befitting for me is the austerity of the Saints! May I understand and feel it, O my Crucified God, to the point of considering as wasted any day which passes without Your gift of joy or suffering. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O Divine Justice and Mercy, You who embraced each other in Jesus Christ[2], (on account of this embrace, he died on the cross) effect in our hearts His Mystical and Physical Life, Passion and Death. 2. O my Jesus, my heart is really like a rock! Strike it with the rod of the Cross, and a spring of purifying and expiating tears will come out of it into the desert of life[3]. 3. Overburdened by guilt and drenched with tears, I come to You because You said that You would let pure living water spring forth from the human heart[4]. 4. I fix my gaze on You whom I have pierced. May I truly cry for You as mothers weep over the death of their only child, with the tears of Your Mother’s heart! 5. O only Son, my God, You were tortured to death by the vile weapons of my tongue, my senses and my heart, which became voluntary instruments of the devil against You! 6. O Only Child of the Virgin Mary, what can I say to Your Mother, I who want to be for her like John[5], when she sees my hands stained with Your blood? 7. O Only Son of God, what will I say to Your Father when I will have to give an account of my treatment of You, knowing that Your betrayal has been accomplished in this very heart of mine? 8. I am not worthy to think of You, talk to You, look at You, serve You or love You! I deserve every rejection, death and hell from You and from everyone! 9. It would have been much better if I had died innumerable deaths of humiliations and suffering before I ever offended You! Grant that, at least in the future, I may die rather than offend You. 10. O my God and my All…
1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! For the glory, love and will of Your eternal, infinite Holiness. 2. Grant me invincible honesty, and constantly increase it, keeping me free from scruples. Grant that I may never do anything, internally or externally, that would be even minimally corrupt. 3. For any corrupt internal or external action, grant and increase in me a dreadful sense of remorse that would overwhelm me without causing despair. 4. Grant and increase in me a deadly sadness that would over come me, but without despair, for every loss of grace or merit in the supernatural order. 5. For each and every judgment or sanction of Yours, both in time and eternity, grant and increase in me an ever more horrifying fear, which would crucify me without causing hopelessness. 6. Grant and increase in me a horrible pain, which would cause me to die of love. In reparation for every offense against You, Your Law, Your Counsels, or Your Inspirations. 7. More than any death, I must fear sin, which is the only cause of death, and causes all fear of death. Yes to all deaths, no to sin! 8. Now I understand that I must feel more horror for sin than for the devil himself, as sin is the sole cause of evil, and, is the root of all the devil’s delusions. 9. More than death, the devil, and hell together, I must hate and flee from sin. It is the cause of all evil, the singular and worst form of evil, because it offends You my God! 10. O my God and my All….
(For Confession)
(Under the Influence of the World) 1. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! It appears as if we had never known or encountered each other, or had never given possession of ourselves to each other! 2. Whence come this apathetic state and efforts relative to the supernatural? The supernatural is looked upon as an invasion or intrusion, as a superimposition of things on to life! 3. My God, before heaven and earth, before the Angels and the Saints, before Saint Joseph and Mary, before the Trinity, I confess my shameful unconcern, sloth. 4. I do not recognize, notice, or sense my obligations and responsibilities, or my relationships with the supernatural world, as if they did not exist at all for me! 5. My God, finally, I understand what this spirit is which does not comprehend and does not enjoy the supernatural. It is the spirit of the “animalis homo[1] “ the spirit of the world which does not perceive the things of the Lord’s Spirit. 6. This worldly spirit is choking the spirit of the supernatural in me; most of the time I have fallen from a superior to an inferior level, not far from the abyss, without even realizing it. 7. The spirit of the world is taking the upper hand; that world which does not know You, which considers You as an outsider and hates You, and for which You refuse to pray! 8. If I become worthy of the world’s attention, or if I consider it worthy of my attention, I cease to be a chosen one of Him who was crucified for the world. 9. I beg You, Lord, with Your grace, free me from this habitual idleness of illusions and lack of perception, because I do not want to be, and I must not be, involved in condemning the world to the darkness outside and eternal wailing[2]. 10. O my God and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may Your Will be done, Your Love reign, Your Glory shine, always more in me and in everyone, as in Yourself, O my God and my All!
1. O my god and my All, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I believe that You listen attentively to all the spoken and unspoken words of Your creatures, You who treat everyone with reverence. 2. I believe that every spoken and unspoken word is a living likeness of the Incarnation of Your word, as in our thinking we carry the likeness to His Eternal Generation[3]. 3. O my God and my All! O my Father, Son and Holy Spirit! I believe that You listen to and consider each one of our feelings, each one of our anxieties, You who love us without limitations! 4. I believe that each one of our feelings and anxieties is a living image of the work of Your Loving Spirit, as in our will we bear the likeness of His Eternal Spiration[4]. 5. O my God and my All! O my Father, Son and Holy Spirit! There is nothing more important and more sacred than life, which in its fundamental act is the image and the likeness of Your divine Life[5]. 6. How humiliated I feel because of my offensive thoughts, words, feelings desires and affections, which are a constant profanation of the Divine likeness, and a constant waste of the Divine riches. 7. How deplorable is that immense flow of words and human affections which inundates the world, and stifles our generations with its much, foolishness and sufferings of our own making. 8. I want to concentrate myself completely in the Divine Present, so that I may do everything with the greatest possible perfection of nature and grace, in the most faithful imitation and intimate union with You, O my God and my All! 9. The past is never divine, because there is no past in You; the future is never divine, because there is no future in You. Only the present is divine, because it is always true, “I am Who I am.[6]” 10. O my God and my All….
1. O my Lord, I can never hate and fight sin enough, since it is an infinite insult and dishonor committed by Your creatures against You. 2. O my Lord, I can never hate and fight sin enough since it is a boundless display of ingratitude and bitterness, shown to You by Your creatures. 3. In no way can we adequately repair and compensate for our sins by ourselves since we are unable to adequately understand this unique evil. 4. We can kill ourselves, but we cannot resuscitate ourselves! We can offend You infinitely, but we cannot glorify You infinitely! O that we would at least glorify You to the utmost of our possibilities! 5. If the whole world, and all souls throughout all the centuries would dissolve in tears of blood, would burn to ashes in flames of love, all this would not be adequate reparation for even one single sin. 6. It seems that anywhere throughout the ages the world only offers You a series of betrayals; it treats You worse than if You were a stranger, or the most hated enemy. 7. An immense abyss of diabolic ignorance, caused by our insensibility and hardened consciences, hides our evil from us, and allows us to doze on the threshold of hell. 8. Poor me! I have defiled my entire being with sins, I have squandered all my days with sins, multiplying my offenses against You worse than if You were a stranger or an enemy, while cherishing the illusion of being Your friend! |