its merits forgive me my offences. But do thou also, O my soul, give ear to the voice of thy Saviour, who calls out to thee by the mouth of Holy Job: “ O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding-place in thee.” ( Job xvi. 19.) As if he had said, thou, who being by nature no better than earth, cover not the blood of thy Redeemer by thy irregular affections for earthly things; hinder not his voice from rising to the throne of his Father in thy favour, by the hardness of thy heart and obstinacy in sin.
O Jesus, my ever merciful Saviour! grant that after making an act of perfect contrition, and a sincere confession of my manifold sins, I may, at the hour of my death, humbly adore and devoutly receive thee present in the blessed Sacrament of the altar, as a sweet viaticum for my support and comfort in my awful passage. Do thou strengthen my poor soul for her great and important journey from time to eternity; be my guide to conduct her, my protector to defend her, my advocate to plead her cause before thy Father, and obtain his favour. Leave her not forlorn and destitute of succour at that dreadful hour when she will find herself forsaken by all creatures. Cleanse her from her sins in the bath of thy blood, clothe her with thy justice, adorn her with thy virtues, enrich her with thy merits, hide her within thy sacred wounds, lodge her in the secret of thy presence, as thou dost those who place their hope in thee, that having obtained a full and complete pardon of all her sins, she may close the last scene of her mortal life in the true faith and communion of the holy Catholic Church, and in perfect charity with all mankind. Amen, sweet Jesus. Amen.
