SUPPLICATION

Behold, O Lord, prostrate at Thy feet, him who hath made so little account of Thy gifts and of Thy chastisements… Woe is me! Hadst Thou not, O my Jesus, taken pity upon me, many years ago should I have been in that loathsome furnace, where so many sinners like myself shall burn for ever.

Ah, my Redeemer! How could I ever again offend Thee? Let it not be so, O Jesus, my Life; rather, send me death. And since Thou hast begun the work, bring it to completion. Since Thou hast drawn me forth from the mire of my sins, and so lovingly invitest me to love Thee, grant now that all the time Thou shalt give me may be spent in Thy service.

How greatly would the damned desire but one day, one hour, of that time which Thou dost now grant me!… And what shall I do? Shall I continue to squander it upon things that displease Thee?…

No, my Jesus, suffer it not, for the sake of the merits of Thy most Precious Blood, which until now hath delivered me from hell. I love Thee, O Sovereign Good; and because I love Thee, I grieve that I have offended Thee, and I purpose never more to offend Thee, but to love Thee for ever.

Thy Blood and Thy death, O my Jesus, are my hope. Thou hast died to deliver me from eternal death. And who, O Lord, hath had greater part in the merits of Thy Passion than this miserable sinner, who so many times deserved hell?… Permit me not to continue ungrateful for the many graces which Thou hast bestowed upon me.

In delivering me from hell, Thou didst will that I should not burn in its everlasting flames, but in the sweet fire of Thy love. Help me, then, that I may accomplish Thy designs. Had I been in hell, I could not have loved Thee.

But since now I may love Thee, I desire to love Thee… I love Thee, O Infinite Goodness; I love Thee, my Redeemer, Who hast loved me so greatly. How could I have lived so long forgetful of Thee? I thank Thee exceedingly, O Lord, that Thou hast not forgotten me. Hadst Thou done so, I should now be in hell, or else I should have no sorrow for my sins.

This sorrow of heart for having offended Thee, this desire which I feel to love Thee exceedingly—these are gifts of Thy grace, which sustaineth and giveth me life… Thanks be to Thee, O my God.

I hope to consecrate to Thee the remainder of my life. I renounce all things, and desire henceforth to think only of serving Thee and pleasing Thee. Impress deeply upon my soul the remembrance of the hell which I deserved, and of the grace which Thou hast granted me; and suffer me not, by turning away from Thee once more, to condemn myself again to the torments of that prison…

Thou art, then, O my God, the Sovereign Good, the Infinite Good; and I, of my own free will, have so often lost Thee?… I knew that by my sins I offended Thee and forfeited Thy grace, and yet I committed them!… Ah, Lord! Were I not assured that, nailed to the Cross, Thou didst die for me, I should not dare to ask for, nor hope to obtain, Thy pardon!…

O Eternal Father! Look not upon me; look upon Thy beloved Son, Who pleadeth for me. Hear Him, and forgive me.

Many years ago I deserved to behold myself in hell, without hope of ever loving Thee or recovering the grace I had lost. From the depths of my heart, O my God, I am sorry for the offenses I have committed against Thee, by renouncing Thy friendship and despising Thy love for the vile pleasures of the world… Would that I had died a thousand times rather!… How could I have been so blind and so foolish?…

I thank Thee, O Lord, for giving me time in which to repair the evil I have done. Since by Thy mercy I am not in hell, and may yet love Thee, I desire to love Thee, O my God. I will no longer delay my sincere and steadfast conversion.

I love Thee, O Infinite Goodness; I love Thee, my Life and my Treasure, my Love and my All… Remember always, O Lord, the love which Thou hast borne me; and remind me of the hell in which I ought now to be, that this thought may kindle within me the fire of Thy love, and move me to repeat a thousand times that I truly love Thee…

Queen and Mother of us all, Most Holy Mary, pray to Jesus for me, and obtain for me the gifts of perseverance and divine love.

O Mother of God, pray for this repentant sinner! Thy intercession hath delivered me from hell. Deliver me also from sin, the only cause which can bring upon me a new condemnation.

O Mary, our Queen, our Hope, and our Mother, if I were in hell, I could not love Thee either!…

But now I love Thee, my Mother, and I hope that I shall never cease to love Thee and my God. Help me, and pray to Jesus for me.

Amen.

TAKEN FROM: PREPARATION FOR DEATH, BY ST. ALPHONSUS MARIA DE LIGUORI

IF YOU ARE PERSECUTED OR SLANDERED

“Be assured that if you patiently endure persecution, God will come to your defense, and if He allows you to be slandered in this world, it will be so that He may reward your patience in the next life with incomparably greater honor.”

San Alfonso María de Ligorio, “El que quiera venir conmigo”, Ed. Apostolado Mariano.

SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGORIO DIXIT

 

THE ONLY CONSOLATION

"The end is near, the end is near. Some live longer, others less; but all of us, sooner or later, must die, and at the hour of death the only consolation we will experience will be having loved Jesus Christ and having suffered the hardships of life for his love."

Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

St. Alphonsus dixit

 

SAINT ALPHONSUS DIXIT

 

HOW WE SHOULD ACT EVERY DAY

"May all of our actions, words or thoughts be like those of a person who will leave this earth today and appear before the Judgment of God."

Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

HE WHO TRUSTS IN GOD...

 

THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS

Lo, we are on Calvary! made the theatre of divine love, where a God dies for us in a sea of sorrows. When Jesus had arrived there, they violently strip off his garments cleaving to his torn flesh, and cast him on the cross. The divine Lamb stretches himself out on this bed of death, presents his hands to the executioners, and offers to the Eternal Father the great sacrifice of his life for the salvation of men. Behold, now they nail him to the cross and raise him on it. Look, my soul, on thy Saviour, who, fastened by three hard nails, hangs from the cross, where he can find neither room nor rest. At one time he leans on his hands, at another on his feet; but where he leans, there the pain is increased. 

Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

THE POWER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

 

Labels: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Virgin Mary

PRAYER IN TIMES OF EPIDEMICS

(Extract from the Roman Ritual, Titulus IX, Caput X)

V/. Deal not with us, Lord, according to our sins.
R/. And take not vengeance on us because of our misdeeds.

V/. Remember not, O Lord, our sins of old.
R/. Hasten to us with thy compassion, for we are become exceeding poor.

V/. St. Sebastian, pray for us.
R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Vouchsafe to hear us, O God, our only salvation! And through the intercession of the glorious and blessed Mary, Mother of God and ever Virgin, of thy blessed martyr, Sebastian and of all the saints, deliver thy people from the terrors of thy wrath, and restore their confidence by the outpouring of thy compassion. Be moved to pity, O Lord, at our earnest entreaties, and heal the illnesses of body and soul; so that experiencing thy forgiveness we may ever rejoice in thy blessing.

We beseech thee, O Lord, grant us a hearing as we devoutly raise our petitions to thee, and graciously turn away the epidemic of plague which afflicts us; so that mortal hearts may recognize that these scourges proceed from thine indignation and cease only when thou art moved to mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

R/. Amen.

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PRAYER OF GRATITUDE AND REPENTANCE

Jesus, my Redeemer, I thank Thee that Thou didst not let me die when I was in disgrace with Thee! During how many of the past years have I not deserved to be cast into hell!... If I had died on such a day, or on such a night, what would have become of me for all eternity?... I thank Thee for this, O my Lord!

I accept my death as a satisfaction for my sins ; and I accept it in whatever manner it may please Thee to send it to me. But since Thou hast waited for me until now, wait for me yet a little longer.

Give me time to weep over the offences which I have committed against Thee, before Thou comest to judge me. (Job 10, 20.)  

I will no longer resist Thy sweet voice that calls me. Perhaps these words which I have just read may be the last call for me! I confess that I do not deserve pity, for Thou hast so often pardoned me; and I, ungrateful one that I am, have again offended Thee!; 

But "a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise." (Ps. li. 17.) O Lord, since Thou wilt not despise a broken and contrite heart, look upon a traitor, who being repentant, flees unto Thee." Cast me not away from Thy presence." 

In mercy, do not cast me from Thee, for Thou hast said, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." It is true that I have offended Thee more tnan many others, because I have been favoured by Thee with light and grace; but the blood which Thou hast shed for me gives me courage, and gives me pardon, if only I repent. Yes, O my Sovereign Good, I do repent with my whole heart for having despised Thee. 

Pardon me, and give me grace to love Thee for the time to come. I have offended Thee too many times already. I will not spend the life that remains to me, O my Jesus, in giving Thee offence, but I will spend it ever weeping over the displeasure I have caused Thee, and in loving Thee with all my heart, Thou, O God, who art so worthy of infinite love!

Preparation for Death – Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori 

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The Most Important of All Affairs