ACTS OF
PREPARATION FOR MEDITATION
Source: THE SCHOOL
OF JESUS CRUCIFIED, Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, TAN
BOOKS,
with Nihil Obstat and
Imprimatur, 1895
An Act of Faith
I BELIEVE, O my God, that Thou art here present. Wherever I direct the eyes of my mind, there do I find Thee. O how wonderful and incomprehensible is the omnipresence of my God! Thou dost deign to converse with me during this hour, and to communicate Thyself to my poor soul with so much love and condescension. O how great is the goodness of my God!
An Act of Adoration
O MY God, from out of the deep abyss of my nothingness, I humbly adore Thine infinite Majesty and Greatness with my whole heart and soul. I acknowledge Thee for my First Beginning, and my most blessed Last End, for my great and only Good, and for my All in time and eternity. I would willingly adore Thee as Thou dost deserve, and as my own heart desires to adore Thee, but since I never could succeed in so doing, I offer Thee all the acts of adoration which have been, or will be offered to Thee for eternity by the Saints and Angels in Heaven, and by the blessed Virgin, as also those made by the most holy Soul of Jesus Christ now and during all eternity. Accept them, O my God, in the place of those which I am unable to offer Thy Sovereign Majesty.
An Act of Humility
WHO am I, O my God, that I should dare to present myself before Thine infinite Majesty? I am a most wretched creature, or rather, an abyss of nothingness, an abominable sinner immersed in a sink of uncleanness. I am an abyss of sin and misery, deserving of nothing but Hell, where I should long ago have dwelt, had not Thy mercy so lovingly delivered me. I acknowledge, O my God, my great unworthiness, and I confess that I deserve to be forever banished from Thee; nevertheless in Thy infinite condescension Thou dost call, invite, and command me to come to Thee, to address Thee, and to converse with Thee. How great must be Thy goodness, O my God, who disdaineth not to admit me to familiar intercourse with Thee! I most profoundly humble myself before Thy Divine Majesty, and from out of the abyss of my sins and nothingness do I raise my voice in suppliant accents to implore Thy mercy.
An Act of Contrition
HAVE mercy on me, O my God; I repent of having so often offended Thee, and I am deeply grieved at having by my sins outraged Thine infinite goodness, O Thou Who hast loved and still lovest me to such a degree. Would that my grief were such as might break this heart which has dared to be unfaithful to Thee. I promise Thee, with the help of Thy grace, never more to return to my hateful sins, and rather to forfeit life itself than Thy love.
An Act of Petition
BEHOLD me then, my God, prostrate at Thy feet, for the purpose of beginning my meditation; O do Thou assist me by Thy grace that my soul may be benefited by it; do Thou enlighten my mind that I may know how much Thou hast loved me, and give an impulse to my will that I may form an efficacious resolution of loving Thee. Give me courage to devote myself without delay to the fulfillment of Thy Will, whatever it may be, and grace faithfully to correspond with all Thy holy inspirations. Most holy Virgin Mary, my dear Mother, and thou, my blessed Angel Guardian, obtain for me the assistance necessary to make this meditation in a manner profitable to me.