O my Saviour, Thy merits and Thy goodness, which despise not a heart that repents and humbles itself, give me the hope of pardon. I confess, my Jesus, that I have offended Thee greatly; I confess that I deserve a thousand hells for the sins I have committed against Thee; chastise me as Thou seest fit, but do not deprive me of Thy grace and love. I repent above every other evil of having despised Thee, and I love Thee with my whole heart. I purpose from this day forth to desire to serve Thee and love Thee alone. I pray Thee, bind me by Thy merits with the chains of Thy holy love, and never surfer that I be again released from them. I love Thee above everything,
O my deliverer; and I would prefer being Thy servant to being master of the whole world. And of what avail would all the world be to one who lives deprived of Thy grace? " My sweetest Jesus, permit me not to separate myself from Thee." This grace I ask of Thee, and I intend always to ask it to the end of my life. I ask this favor of thee also, O Mary, my Mother: help me that I may never separate myself again from God.
Recite the Steps of Our Saviour's Childhood, page 377.
August 25th.
TO JESUS MOST HUMBLE.
An angel announced to the shepherds the birth of the Messias; and the signs which He gave them wherewith to find Him and recognize Him were all signs of lowliness. " When you shall find a child," said he, " in a stable, wrapped up in rags, and lying in a manger on the straw, know that it is your Saviour."
O my despised Jesus! by Thy example Thou hast rendered reproaches and contempt sweet in the eyes of those that love Thee. But how is it, then, that instead of embracing them, as Thou hast done, when I have received some little slight from men, I have behaved with so much pride, and
