wash his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.”—Ibid. xv. 18, 19. “I will arise, and will go to my Father, and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee—I am not now worthy to be called thy son.”—Ibid. xviii. 13. “And the publican standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: 0 God, be merciful to me a sinner.”—Acts ii. 37. “Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart, and they said to Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles : What shall we do, men and brethren?
FATHERS.
On a point, where all Christians, it should seem, think, and express themselves alike, a few passages shall suffice.
CENT. III.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C.-"Let us turn to the Lord with our whole mind, and expressing our repentance with real grief, implore the mercy of God. Before him be the soul prostrate; to him be satisfaction made by tears; on him let our hope rest. Himself tells us how this must be done : Be converted to me, he says, with all your heart, in fasting, weeping, and mourning: rend your hearts, and not your garments. (Joel ii. 12.) To him we must turn: his anger must be appeased by fasting and by tears; for so he admonishes.” De Lapsis, p. 191.-“If the sinner pray with his whole heart; if he lament his fault with the tears of sincere repentance; if, by continued good works, he incline the Lord to mercy, the Lord will shew mercy, who offered it, saying: If in lamentations thou return to me, thou shalt be saved. (Isai. xxx. 15.) And again, (Joel. ii. 13.) Be converted to the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich to mercy.
