This week of the liturgical calendar features an all-star cast of heavy-hitting saints (ah, but aren't they all!): St. Rose of Lima, St. Bartholomew, St. Louis, St. Monica, St. Augustine, ending with the memorial of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. What better day to go to confession!?!As I am on furlough this week, I will probably not write anything here for a while, so I leave you with a couple of acts of contrition I've taken from Confessions to use at Confession:
Lord, all my goods are things that you have established & they are your gifts; my evils are my own misdeeds & your judgments upon me. May my brothers who love me sigh for the one & sigh over the other. May hymns & weeping ascend in you sight from the hearts of my brethren, your censors. Be pleased, O Lord, with the odor of your holy temple, & have mercy on me according to your great mercy for your name’s sake. Do not abandon in any way what you have begun in me, but make perfect my imperfections. Amen.
- Adapted from The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 10, Chapter 4
Struck with terror at my sins & at the burden of my misery, I am tormented at heart & pondered flight into the desert. But you forbade me, & comforted me, saying, “Therefore, Christ died for all, that they who live may now live not to themselves but to him who died for them.” Behold Lord, I cast my cares upon you, so that I may live, & “I will consider the wondrous things of your Word.” You know my lack of wisdom & my infirmity. Teach me & heal me; for, Jesus Christ, your only Son, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge” has redeemed me by his blood. Amen.
- Adapted from The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 10, Chapter 43
- Adapted from The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 10, Chapter 4
Struck with terror at my sins & at the burden of my misery, I am tormented at heart & pondered flight into the desert. But you forbade me, & comforted me, saying, “Therefore, Christ died for all, that they who live may now live not to themselves but to him who died for them.” Behold Lord, I cast my cares upon you, so that I may live, & “I will consider the wondrous things of your Word.” You know my lack of wisdom & my infirmity. Teach me & heal me; for, Jesus Christ, your only Son, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge” has redeemed me by his blood. Amen.
- Adapted from The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 10, Chapter 43
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I know there are many Monicas out there; may bring from your unceasing prayers a rich harvest of Augustines.
2 comments:
Powerful acts of contrition. Very humbling. I want to get to that place where my sins strike terror in me and where I know that God is making perfect my imperfections.
Thanks for sharing this Mark and that awesome picture.
I enjoy reading from and about Augustine.
Terry Finley
http://psalm51ministry.blogspot.com/
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