THE FOLLOWING OF CHRIST

BY THOMAS A KEMPIS
Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1941

------Book 4------

CHAPTER 9: THAT WE MUST OFFER OURSELVES AND ALL THAT IS OURS,
TO GOD, AND PRAY FOR ALL

The Voice of the Disciple.

LORD, all things are Thine that are in Heaven and upon earth.

I desire to offer up myself to Thee as a voluntary oblation, and to remain for ever Thine.

Lord, in the simplicity of my heart, I offer myself to Thee this day, as Thy servant forevermore, for Thy homage, and for a sacrifice of perpetual praise.

Receive me with this sacred oblation of Thy precious Body, which I offer to Thee this day in the invisible presence of assisting Angels, that it may be for salvation unto me and all Thy people.

2. Lord, I offer to Thee all my sins and offenses, which I have committed in Thy sight and that of Thy holy Angels from the day in which I was first capable of sin until this hour, upon Thine altar of propitiation: that Thou mayst at the same time burn and consume them all with the fire of Thy charity, and mayst blot out all the stains of my sins, and cleanse my conscience from every fault, and restore unto me Thy grace, which by sin I have lost, fully pardoning me all and mercifully receiving me to the kiss of peace.

3. What can I do for my sins but humbly confess and lament them, and incessantly implore Thy propitiation?

Hear me, I beseech Thee, in Thy mercy, when I stand before Thee, O my God.

All my sins are exceedingly displeasing to me; I will never commit them any more; but I am sorry for them, and I will be sorry for them as long as I live; and am prepared to do penance, and to make satisfaction to the utmost of my power.

Forgive, O my God, forgive me my sins, for the sake of Thy holy Name.

Save my soul which Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious Blood.

Behold, I commit myself to Thy mercy: I resign myself into Thy hands.

Deal with me according to Thy goodness, not according to my impiety and wickedness.

4. I offer also to Thee all my good works, though very few and imperfect; that Thou mayst amend and sanctify them; that Thou mayst have a pleasurable regard to them, and make them acceptable to Thee, and always make them tend to better; and mayst not the less conduct me, a slothful and unprofitable creature, to a blissful and glorious end.

5. I offer to Thee also all the pious desires of devout persons; the necessities of my parents, friends, brothers, sisters, and all those that are dear to me; and of all such as, for the love of Thee, have been benefactors to me or others; and who have desired and besought me to offer up prayers and Masses for themselves and all theirs, whether they are still living in the flesh or are already dead to this world; that they may all experience the assistance of Thy grace, the help of Thy consolation, protection from dangers, and deliverance from the punishment to come; and that, thus freed from all evils, they may joyfully pay to Thee a noble sacrifice of praise.

6. I offer up also to Thee prayers and this sacrifice of propitiation, for them in particular who have in any way injured me, grieved me, or abused me, or have inflicted upon me any hurt or injury.

And for all those likewise whom I have at any time grieved, troubled, oppressed, or scandalized, by words or deeds, knowingly or unknowingly; that it may please Thee to forgive us all our sins and mutual offenses.

Take O Lord, from our hearts all suspicion, indignation, anger, and contention, and whatever else may wound charity and lessen brotherly love.

Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on those that crave Thy mercy; give grace to the needy; and grant us so to live that we may be worthy to enjoy Thy grace, and that we may attain unto life everlasting. Amen.

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

WEARY of the servitude of our passions, and fatigued with the inefficacy of our desires, by which we promise God what we never perform, and pretend to be His, without ceasing to be our own or weaning ourselves from the world and vanity, let us now at least, after having received Him, make a firm resolution of giving ourselves really to Him, and of dedicating and consecrating ourselves to His love. It is time, O my Savior, that this heart, which was made for Thy love, and redeemed by Thy Blood, should forever cease to be devoted to itself, and become wholly and irrevocably Thine; and I protest at Thy sacred feet, that such is my ardent desire. This heart has received Thee, my Jesus, and Thou desirest to consummate within it that new life which Thou hast assumed on the altar, to make it a victim of Thy love. Sacrifice then to Thy Father Thy holy life together with my life of sin; and never suffer me to recall that heart which on this day I wholly give to Thee.

PRAYER.

I ADORE Thee, O Jesus, with reverence as my God, with confidence as my Savior, with love as my Father, and with humble fear as my Judge. When Thou shalt come to judge me, Thou Who hast now come to enter into my soul to sanctify and to save it, condemn me not. I offer Thee the holy Mass which I have heard, and the Communion which I have received, to obtain the pardon of all my sins, for the conversion of sinners, and the sanctification of all the just. Enlighten my understanding, change my heart, regulate my life, suppress my passions, and, as an absolute master, reign Thou entirely over me. Would that I could make Thee known and loved by all the world! I would willingly give my life to procure for Thee the glory and the delight of beholding all mankind subjected to Thine empire. Grant, O Jesus, I may seek only to please Thee in all things, and that, detached from all things, I may unite myself to Thy love, and thus commence in time what I hope in Thy great mercy to continue throughout eternity. Amen.

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