On Daily Exercises and Devotions

COMPENDIUM

A good Christian, as soon as he is awake, ought to make the Sign of the Cross and offer his heart to God, saying these or similar words: O God, I give Thee my heart and my soul.

While getting up and dressing, he should bear in mind that God is present, and that this day may be the last of his life, and wash and dress with all possible modesty.

As soon as he has finished dressing, he should put himself in the presence of God, and kneel down, if possible, before some holy picture or statue, and say devoutly: I adore Thee, O my God, and I love Thee with all my heart. I give Thee thanks for having made me a Christian and keeping me through this night. I offer Thee all my acts. I pray Thee to keep me this day without sin and to deliver me from all evil. Amen. Then he should repeat the Pater noster, Ave Maria and Credo, and acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, with the most lively affection of heart.

If possible, a Christian ought to daily:

1. Assist as Holy Mass.
2. Make a visit, however brief, to the Most Holy Sacrament.
3. Recite the Rosary.

Before beginning any work, he should offer his work to God, saying from his heart: O Lord, I offer Thee this work: Give me Thy blessing. We ought to work for God's glory and to do His will.

Before taking anything to eat, we should stand up and make the Sign of the Cross, and then say reverently: O Lord God, give us Thy blessing, and bless the food we are about to take to sustain us in Thy service.

After meals, we should make the Sign of the Cross, and say: O Lord, I thank Thee for the food that Thou hast given me: Make me worthy to partake of Thy heavenly table.

When attacked by temptation, we should invoke with faith the Holy Name of Jesus or of Mary, or make some fervent ejaculations, such as: Give me grace, O Lord, never to offend Thee, or else make the Sign of the Cross, taking care, however, that these outward signs may not apprise others of our temptations.

If anyone is in doubt as to whether he has sinned, he should at once make an act of contrition and take steps to go to confession as soon as possible.

Out of Church, when one hears the signal for the elevation of the host as High Mass or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, one should make, at least in heart, an act of adoration, saying: O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine! or the like.

At the ringing of the Angelus bell, the good Christian should recite the Angelus Domini with its three Ave Marias.

In the evening, before going to bed, it is fitting, as in the morning, to put one's self in the presence of God, to recite the same prayers with devotion, to make an examination of conscience, and to ask God's pardon for the sins committed during the day. And, before going to sleep, we should make the Sign of the Cross, think that we may die in the night, and give our heart to God, saying: My Lord and my God, I give Thee all my heart; Most Holy Trinity, give me grace to live a good life and to die a good death; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

During the day, we may frequently pray to God with other short prayers, called Ejaculations. For instance: Lord help me; Lord, may Thy most holy will be done; My Jesus, I wish to be wholly Thine; Jesus, mercy; Sweet Heart of Jesus, make me to love Thee always more and more. It is, indeed, a most helpful thing to say many ejaculatory prayers during the day, and they may be said in heart without opening the lips, while we are walking or working, or the like.

The Christian should also practice Christian mortification. To mortify one's self is to abandon, for the love of God, what pleases one, and to accept what is displeasing to the sense or to one's self-love.

When the Blessed Sacrament is taken to any sick person, one should endeavor, if possible, to accompany it with modesty and recollection, and if not, to make an act of adoration in whatever place it is, and then to say: Console, O Lord, this sick person, and give him grace to conform to Thy holy will and to obtain salvation.

When the bell tolls for the agony of any dying person, one should, if possible, go to the church to pray for him, and, if not able to do this, then recommend his soul to the Lord, thinking that, before long, one may be one's self in the same state. And, on hearing the knell of the passing bell, one should endeavor to say a De profundis, or have a Requiem said for the soul of the deceased, and renew one's though of death.

CATECHISM

972. What ought a good Christian to do as soon as he is awake?

A good Christian, as soon as he is awake, ought to make the Sign of the Cross and offer his heart to God, saying these or similar words: O God, I give Thee my heart and my soul.

973. What ought he bear in mind while getting up and dressing?

While getting up and dressing, he should bear in mind that God is present, and that this day may be the last of his life, and wash and dress with all possible modesty.

974. What ought he do as soon as he has finished dressing?

As soon as he has finished dressing, he should put himself in the presence of God, and kneel down, if possible, before some holy picture or statue, and say devoutly: I adore Thee, O my God, and I love Thee with all my heart. I give Thee thanks for having made me a Christian and keeping me through this night. I offer Thee all my acts. I pray Thee to keep me this day without sin and to deliver me from all evil. Amen. Then he should repeat the Pater noster, Ave Maria and Credo, and acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, with the most lively affection of heart.

975. What acts of devotion ought a Christian strive to do daily?

If possible, a Christian ought to daily: 1. assist as Holy Mass; 2. make a visit, however brief, to the Most Holy Sacrament; 3. recite the Rosary.

976. What ought he do before beginning work?

Before beginning any work, he should offer his work to God, saying from his heart: O Lord, I offer Thee this work: Give me Thy blessing.

977. For what purpose ought we work?

We ought to work for God's glory and to do His will.

978. What should we do before taking anything to eat?

Before taking anything to eat, we should stand up and make the Sign of the Cross, and then say reverently: O Lord God, give us Thy blessing, and bless the food we are about to take to sustain us in Thy service.

979. What should we do after eating?

After meals, we should make the Sign of the Cross, and say: O Lord, I thank Thee for the food that Thou hast given me: Make me worthy to partake of Thy heavenly table.

980. What should one do who is attacked by temptation?

When attacked by temptation, we should invoke with faith the Holy Name of Jesus or of Mary, or make some fervent ejaculations, such as: Give me grace, O Lord, never to offend Thee, or else make the Sign of the Cross, taking care, however, that these outward signs may not apprise others of our temptations.

981. What should one do who is in doubt as to whether he has sinned?

If anyone is in doubt as to whether he has sinned, he should at once make an act of contrition and take steps to go to confession as soon as possible.

982. What should one do when, out of Church, one hears the signal for the elevation of the host as High Mass or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament?

One should make, at least in heart, an act of adoration, saying: O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine! or the like.

983. What should one do when the morning, afternoon and evening Angelus bell rings?

At the ringing of the Angelus bell, the good Christian should recite the Angelus Domini with its three Ave Marias.

984. What ought a good Christian do before going to bed?

In the evening, before going to bed, it is fitting, as in the morning, to put one's self in the presence of God, to recite the same prayers with devotion, to make an examination of conscience, and to ask God's pardon for the sins committed during the day.

985. What should we do before going to sleep?

Before going to sleep, we should make the Sign of the Cross, think that we may die in the night, and give our heart to God, saying: My Lord and my God, I give Thee all my heart; Most Holy Trinity, give me grace to live a good life and to die a good death; Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

986. How can we, other than morning and evening prayer, pray to God during the day?

During the day, we may frequently pray to God with other short prayers, called Ejaculations.

987. Recite some ejaculatory prayers.

Lord help me; Lord, may Thy most holy will be done; My Jesus, I wish to be wholly Thine; Jesus, mercy; Sweet Heart of Jesus, make me to love Thee always more and more.

988. Is it helpful to pray many ejaculatory prayers during the day?

It is, indeed, a most helpful thing to say many ejaculatory prayers during the day, and they may be said in heart without opening the lips, while we are walking or working, or the like.

989. What beside ejaculatory prayers ought the Christian practice?

Besides ejaculatory prayer, the Christian should also practice Christian mortification.

990. What is mortification?

Mortification is to abandon, for the love of God, what pleases one, and to accept what is displeasing to the sense or to one's self-love.

991. What should one endeavor to do when the Blessed Sacrament is taken to any sick person?

When the Blessed Sacrament is taken to any sick person, one should endeavor, if possible, to accompany it with modesty and recollection, and if not, to make an act of adoration in whatever place it is, and then to say: Console, O Lord, this sick person, and give him grace to conform to Thy holy will and to obtain salvation.

992. What should one do when the bell tolls for the agony of any dying person?

When the bell tolls for the agony of any dying person, one should, if possible, go to the church to pray for him, and, if not able to do this, then recommend his soul to the Lord, thinking that, before long, one may be one's self in the same state.

993. What should one do on hearing the knell of the passing bell?

And, on hearing the knell of the passing bell, one should endeavor to say a De profundis, or have a Requiem said for the soul of the deceased, and renew one's though of death.