Thy hands, being obedient even unto death. In consideration of this holocaust of agreeable odor, do Thou exercise Thy mercy in favor of the souls in purgatory, and deliver them from the chains which bind them and prevent them from taking their flight to heaven, where they wish to praise and love Thee with a consummate love. Together with the sorrows of Thy divine Son, I also offer Thee those of His blessed Mother, whose maternal heart was crucified at the foot of the cross. The lance that pierced the side and the heart of Jesus, Thy Son, also transfixed Mary's soul, as had been prophesied by Simeon, and thus she became the Queen of all the martyrs. Behold then, O heavenly Father, the disfigured face of Thy Son on the cross, and the crucified heart of His Mother at the foot of the cross; and by the merits of the Son's and Mother's sufferings, grant peace and rest to the souls in purgatory.
Requiem, etc.
Prayer to Mary.[1]
To obtain Holy Perseverance
MOST holy Mary, Queen of Heaven. I, who was once the slave of Satan, now dedicate myself to thy service forever. I offer myself to honor and to serve thee while I live. Accept me as thy willing servant, and cast me not from thee as I deserve. Mother, in thee have I placed all my hope. All blessing and thanksgiving be to God, Who in His mercy giveth me this trust in thee. True it is that in the past I was miserably fallen in sin. But through the merits of Jesus Christ, and by thy prayers, I hope that God has pardoned me my sins. Yet it is not enough, my Mother, to be forgiven whilst the thought appals me that I may still lose the grace of God. Danger is ever nigh; the
- ↑ See note p. 134
