Before leaving the chapel offer your penance, or such portion as you can, prefacing it with the following or some appropriate prayer.
O God of sanctity! of myself I have no means of satisfying Thy rigorous justice, but I offer Thee an abundant satisfaction in the infinite merits of a God-man. I present Thee, O my God! the Sacred Heart of Thy Son, filled with sadness and [pg 615] pierced with wounds for me, that Thy justice may thus be appeased. I unite my sufferings to the bitter pangs of my dying Saviour. May the abundance of His merits, and the immense charity of His Heart, supply for the imperfection and insufficiency of my works. O Lord! Who hast severed my chains, strengthen me with Thy grace, that I may never resume them; that I may conquer the bad habits which have been so long opposed to Thy spirit, and courageously resist the temptations to which I have hitherto so easily yielded. Amen.
Aspirations, Some Of Which May Be Used Advantageously Before Or After Confession.
My Lord and my God, I sincerely acknowledge myself a vile and wretched sinner, unworthy to appear in Thy presence; but do Thou have mercy on me, and save me.
Most loving Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee, and am unworthy to be called Thy child; make me as one of Thy servants, and may I for the future be ever faithful to Thee.
It truly grieves me, O my God, to have sinned, and so many times transgressed Thy law; but wash me now from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
I detest my sins, O Lord: I abhor my wickedness: I confess my ingratitude, and seek refuge in Thy mercy.
From this moment I purpose nevermore to offend Thee: oh, let me suffer all kinds of pain and infamy, nay, even death itself, rather than return to my former course of life, and live Thy enemy.
O loving Father, assist me by Thy grace, that I may bring forth worthy fruits of penance, and not suffer my sins to go unpunished.
Now, O Lord, I begin to live, not trusting in my own strength, or in the resolutions I make, but in the multitude of Thy mercies. Perfect, O God, the work which Thou hast begun in me. Thou hast given me peace and understanding; but, wretched sinner that I am, how ungratefully have I abused all Thy gifts! And yet now, with all the tenderness of a loving Father, Thou recallest me from sin, and rescuest me from hell and everlasting damnation.