In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and for ever. Amen.
Our Father, &c. Hail Mary, &c. I believe in God, &c.
Acts of Adoration and Thanksgiving.
O Eternal God, who, dwelling in the highest heavens, dost vouchsafe to regard the lowest creature upon earth, I humbly bow down before Thy sacred Presence, and adore Thy Majesty. Thou art my Creator, O my God, and beneficent Protector. Thou art my first beginning and my last end; under the shadow of Thy wings is perpetual repose; and from the light of Thy countenance flow perpetual joy and felicity. To Thee be honour and glory; to Thee adoration and obedience from all Thy creatures.
And now, O most gracious and bountiful Lord, with my whole strength, and with all the faculties of my soul, I thank Thee for Thy great and innumerable benefits, which proceed purely from Thy bounty, and are directed entirely for my good; particularly for preserving me this day amidst so many dangers, and for delivering me from those evils and miseries which I have merited by my sins.
Ask light and grace for discovering and detesting your sins.
O sweet and merciful Jesus, true and never-failing light, illuminating every man who comes into this world; vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, to enlighten my understanding, and to inflame my heart, that I may know my sins, and conceive a lively sorrow and purpose of amendment.
Here examine diligently what sins you have committed during the day by thought, word, deed, or omission. Afterwards say:
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, the blessed Michael the Archangel, the blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
An Act of Contrition.
O Eternal God, my most loving and merciful Father! I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy servant, much less to be accounted Thy child, having repaid Thy bounty with contempt, and Thy benefits with ingratitude. Oh, how could I, who am the work of Thy hands, and who was purchased by the blood of Thy Divine Son, expiring on the Cross for my salvation; how could I dare rebel against Thee, and offend Thy infinite Majesty! Alas, it is dreadful to provoke the wrath of the living God! But what chiefly grieves my heart is, that I have offended against a God of infinite goodness, who is worthy of all my love. How shall I, O Lord, express my detestation of all the crimes I have committed? Have pity on me, O merciful Lord, and spare me for the sake of Thy beloved Son. Turn away Thy face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities. Forgive, Almighty Love !—forgive, and bear not the sins of my past life in remembrance. Look upon me, O my God! not in Thine anger, but according to the tender bowels of Thine infinite mercy; for Thou art our Father, and we are Thy children; Thou art our Maker, and we are all as clay in Thy hands. Thou canst cleanse all our defilement with those waters which flow from the fountains of Thy beloved Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; and with one drop of His blood Thou canst mould us again into vessels of honour. From Thee, O merciful Father, I beg and hope for pardon; upon Thee I call, and upon Thee I trust for help, whereby I may hereafter constantly serve Thee with a true and faithful obedience, and be inseparably united to Thee with a pure and perfect love for ever. Amen.
An Act of Purpose of Amendment.
O Almighty and Eternal God, I would from the bottom of my heart that I had never sinned against Thee; but since I have been so unhappy as to sin against Thy Infinite Majesty, O grant me now Thy grace, that I may never do so again. Thou hast said, "I will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live;" convert me, then, and save my sold. "Have mercy on me, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquities." I abhor and detest all my sins, and firmly purpose to walk henceforth in the path of holiness and justice. Accept, O Lord, of this my resolution, and grant that by the help of Thy holy grace, and through the infinite merits of Thine only Son our Lord Jesus Christ, I may keep it faithfully during the whole course of my life.
O most gracious and bountiful Lord, Thou hast ordained the day for labour and the night for us to take our rest, I praise Thee for the blessing of this day past, and I beseech Thee to protect me during this night. Look upon me with a merciful eye, and let Thy holy angels keep their watch over me, that, being safely delivered from all dangers, I may be enabled to perform so faithfully the duties of my state, that, having passed my days in Thy holy service and love, I may end them in Thy favour, and reign with Thee for ever in Thy heavenly kingdom, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen.
A Prayer to our Blessed Lady.
Hail, O most holy and blessed Virgin Mary, full of celestial grace, and replenished with beauty and loveliness, of whom our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the King of heaven, the brightness of His Father's glory, was pleased to be born and nourished; obtain for me, O blessed Lady, of your only-begotten Son, whatsoever you know to be necessary for the salvation of my soul. O holy Mother of God, help my frailty and weakness; assist me by your powerful intercession at all times, but especially at the hour of my death, that I may overcome the devil, and reach safely the port of eternal life.
Hail holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope; to you do we cry, poor banished sons of Eve; to you do we send our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile ended, shew unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus, O most clement, most pious, and most sweet Virgin Mary.
To the Angel Guardian.
O Angel of God, to whose holy care I am committed by the mercy of our heavenly Father, enlighten, govern, and defend me this night from all sins and dangers.
A Prayer for the Bead.
Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities, Lord, who shall stand it? For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness; and by reason of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul has relied on Thy word; my soul has hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night, let Israel trust in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him , plentiful redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Give them, O Lord, eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Let us pray. O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give unto the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins; that by pious supplications they may obtain the pardon that they have ever desired: who hveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
Give them, O Lord, eternal rest.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
The Blessing.
God the Father bless me, Jesus Christ defend and keep me, the virtue of the Holy Ghost enlighten and sanctify me, this night and for ever. Amen.
Taken from - The Way to Heaven. A Manual of Devotion. By The Very Rev. John Baptist Pagani.
