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From True
Devotion To the Blessed Virgin Mary, No. 228
Preparatory Exercises
During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts
of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their
sins. Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With
this end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said
concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six
days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and
goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations
of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were -corrupted seed; what you are -
a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms." They will
ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, "Lord, that
I may see," or "Lord, let me know myself," or the "Come, Holy Spirit".
Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the
prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They
will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great
grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of
self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris
Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
Imitation of
Christ, by Thomas á Kempis: Book 2, Chapter 5
Of Self-consideration
We cannot trust
over much to ourselves (Jer. 17:5), because grace oftentimes is wanting
to us, and understanding also. Little light is there in us, and this we
quickly lose by our negligence. Oftentimes too we perceive not our
inward blindness how great it is. Oftentimes we do evil, and excuse it
worse (Psalm 141:4). We are sometimes moved with passion, and we think
it zeal. We reprehend small things in others, and pass over our own
greater matters (Matt. 7:5). Quickly enough we feel and weigh what we
suffer at the hands of others; but we mind not how much others suffer
from us. He that well and rightly considereth his own works, will find
little cause to judge hardly of another.
Prayers for the First Week
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