for sins, I am to procure to have it the most perfect that may be, not contenting myself with an imperfect sorrow which is called attrition, proceeding from fear of the pains of hell, but procuring the perfect sorrow which is called contrition, and proceeds from the love of Almighty God above all things, as has been before said. And this sorrow must be the greatest that possibly may be, because it is the measure of the grace that is given in this sacrament So that if the sorrow be imperfect and little, the grace likewise will be little; if it be perfect and great, the grace will be great which is given in it; for observe, as sorrow increases so shall grace, and if there be no sorrow no grace shall be given. And therefore the principal part of this preparation consists in the perfection of sorrow; to which I must move myself with the considerations that were set down in the fifth meditation, and with some similitudes deduced out of holy Scripture, to move us to the tears of love.
1. Sometimes it tells me that I should weep bitterly, as a mother makes " mourning for the death of an only son," [1] upon whom she had laid all her love and repose; so will I weep for the spiritual death of my soul, which is my " only" one, and by reason is much to be loved; yet I myself have cruelly slain her by sin, and subjected her to death everlasting. And seeing I have so great a feeling of the loss of those things that I love, a much greater feeling am I to have of this, because it is the greatest of all: and in this tears are well employed. For a mother, let her weep never so much, she shall not give life to her son that is dead; but with tears of contrition I shall obtain life for my dead soul.
Colloquy. — O infinite God, I am very much grieved for the injury I have done Thee, by killing with sin the soul that Thou gavest me, and seeing it is more Thine than mine, have mercy upon it! Deliver my
- ↑ Jer. vi. 26.
