Imatges de pàgina
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deeds of others, or any ways exposing them to ridicule or scorn. 12. By sowing discord amongst others, either by false or true reports, or by endeavouring to keep up a misunderstanding amongst them. 13. By not instructing those under your care, nor reprehending them when necessity requires, but permitting them to live as they please. 14. By not giving fraternal correction, and charitable admonition for the preventing of evil.

There are other particular sins besides these belonging to every state, trade, profession, and calling, upon which every one ought to call himself to an account, and see how far he has been wanting in any part of his duty.

This examination of conscience may be very proper for those pious Christians, who, following the advice of St. Francis de Sales, once every year take a general review of the state of their souls, of their passions, affections, inclinations, habits, &c., in order to see whether they advance or go back in the way of virtue; after having repaired all the defects of the year past by a general repentance and confession, enter upon their duty again with fresh vigour and spirit, which is a very commendable practice.

འབལ་ལ།།

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMUNION CHAP. L-Of some general Preparations

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before receiving.

When a person has, by a good confes sion, received absolution, and obtained pardon of his sins, may he then go ima mediately to communion ?

There may be circumstances in which he may be allowed; but it ought never to be done by those who have an oppor tunity or liberty of doing otherwise; and therefore, I cannot but greatly disapprove of the practice of those who run immediately from the confessional to the communion table, without making any par ticular preparation for this latter, but greater duty.

What may be your reasons for disallowing this practice?

Because, though confession be a preparation for receiving the blessed sacra- I ment, yet there is another preparation for those who desire to partake of the fruit" that may be gathered from this tree of life; and such as neglect to add this preparation to the former, are deprived of the better part of this fruit.

What time do you require between i confession and communion ?

Father Lewis, of Grenada, thinks it! proper for a penitent to go to confession

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three days before he intends to communicate; and this may be very profitable for such as are subject to any habitual sin, that in the mean time they may put their good purposes of amendment to trial; for, believe me, those who dare not trust their good endeavours under the assistance of divine grace, so long, will, I fear, prove no extraordinary communicants by going sooner, as they seem not to think of taking much pains in order to amend their lives.

But for others who are subject to ordinary failings, what do you advise?

It is a very good practice to go to confession the evening before, and communicate the morning following. The vigils and eves of festivals are penitential days, and seem intended by the Church, not only for fasting, humiliation, and prayer, but likewise for repentance and

confession: and I would advise those who have the opportunity of so doing not to fail complying with this intention of the Church, instead of putting off their confession till the very day of the festival, by which they shorten the time of preparing for communion, and are on great solemnities employed in the works of penance, instead of performing acts of joy, praise, and thanksgiving: which is

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most certainly perverting the order of things, and nothing less than a solecism in devotion.

But what must they do who have not this opportunity?

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My advice is, that such as cannot go conveniently over night to confession, should go as early as possible the next morning; that so they may be more at leisure to employ their thoughts in preparing for communion, and make one work of both.

What think you of those, who having but little leisure, employ the time betwixt confession and communion in saying their penance?

Such as go over night to confession, do well to perform their penance that evening, but as for those who are straitened in time, I think, that after confession, they should wholly employ their thoughts towards disposing their souls to communion, and defer their penance till afterwards, though not put it off too long, or to neglect it, for it seems very improper to go to communion reciting the penitential psalms, which require a more peculiar sort of devotion to prepare our souls for that divine banquet.

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What think you of those, who between confession and communion are agitated

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with fear and solicitude, lest they should have omitted something in confession; so that though they regularly apply them selves to prepare for communion, yet this thought continually perplexes them, even at the moment of communion?

Such certainly stand in need of a discreet director, to deliver them from so mischievous an indiscretion; for tho' it be the indispensable duty of a penitent, after a diligent examination of conscience, to make an entire and sincere confession of his sins, yet after confession, when his mind should be occupied in preparing for the communion, a voluntary admiting of such solicitous thoughts, under the colour of fearing to go to communion unprepared, is only a bait of the enemy, by which many are caught, who might have communicated worthily, if such thoughts had not in some manner rendered them unprepared.

But if after confession any mortal sin should come into his mind, which till then he had forgot, ought not he to return to his director and confess it before he communicates?

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Certainly but there is a great difference between him to whom this happens by accident, and the other you spoke of before, who is of so anxious as temper,

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