Means or persons employed in committing the sin Manner, whether through levity or malice. Consequences resulting from the sin committed. Satisfaction is the completion of the act of the peni tent, and consists in the performance of such prayers or other good works as may be enjoined by the priest as the condition of the remission of the sins, and by the performance of which, in union with the Sacred Blood of our Redeemer, the sins are forgiven, if all the proper dispositions have been entertained. Such are the acts necessary on the part of the sinner; on that of the priest is the absolution which he pronounces, and in which especially the sacrament resides, this being the outward act ordained by Christ, and the imposition of the penance or satisfaction not only as a guard for the future, but as a punishment for the past.

IV. GENERAL CONFESSIONS.

A general confession, that is, a confession of the sins of a whole life or of a long period, in which several particular confessions had been made, is sometimes of counsel, but in certain cases it becomes absolutely necessary.

According to the teaching of divines, there are four cases in which a General Confession is absolutely necessary:

1st. When a person has knowing and willingly, through shame, or any other motive, concealed a mortal sin, or what he believes to be such.

2d. When confessions have been made with no examination of conscience, or so careless a one as to amount to none.

3d. When confessions have been made without real sorrow for sin.

4th. When a party has been ignorant of the principles and mysteries of religion, and of the nature and end of the sacrament of penance.

PREPARATION FOR CONFESSION.

THE ADVANTAGES OF CONFESSION-THE DANGER OF DE LAY-THE ENORMITY OF A BAD CONFESSION.

How consoling to the repentant sinner to think that God in his infinite mercy has provided so accessible a means of reconciliation! How grateful we should ever be, and how faithfully and punctually should we perform all that is necessary for the obtaining of sacramental absolution! Had our Lord instituted it with many long and difficult ceremonies, it would still have been a boon which we should sacrifice all to obtain.

How great its advantages are we may see by reflecting that by a sincere and contrite confession, joined to the priest's absolution, we not only obtain for all eternity pardon for our sins, but are restored to sanctifying grace, the friendship of God, and our right to heaven. Nor is this all, we can look back without fear of eter nal punishment on those errors of our life, for God, by forgiving the sin, cancels the sentence of condemnation recorded against us. Moreover, we are restored to the merit of all our good works, and again share in those of the whole church; and what a treasure are even our own! How consoling to think that as every man is to be judged according to his works, we have some pleasing to God, which induce him to give us new graces.

The sacrament of penance by thus restoring us to God's friendship gives us peace of soul, and infuses into us a new strength to resist temptation and persevere in virtue, rendering us better in all our social relations, so that the whole human family is indebted to it as a preserver of order, peace, and justice.

Nothing can be more dangerous than delay in confessing our si as. The devil, by every means, seeks to divert men from it, to persuade them to defer it. Yet as one mortal sin is enough to damn a soul, the moment we fall into mortal sin we should be in constant anxiety till we have effaced it in the tribunal of penance; much less should we dare to plunge deeper in iniquity. "Bind not sin to sin," says the Holy Ghost,

"for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished." "Add not sin upon sin, and say not: The mercy of the Lord is great, he will have mercy on the multitude of my sins; for mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath looketh upon sinners. Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day, for his wrath shall come on a sudden, and in the time of vengeance he will destroy thee. Time, the Holy Council of Trent assures us, was given only to do penance and obtain God's mercy; how then dare we mock the Holy Ghost, and not only defer repentance, but seek to make it impossible, by widening the abyss which separates us from the friendship of God. Remember, too, the graces which our divine Saviour has so frequently lavished on us, and hear his terrible warning addressed to the cities that disregarded his merciful summons. "Woe to thee, Christian soul, woe to thee! for if in those that know me not bad been wrought the mighty works that have been wrought in thee, they would have done penance long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

"What doth it avail thee to defer thy confession for a long time? Purge thyself with speed; spit out the venom presently, make haste to taste this remedy, and thou shalt find it better for thee than if thou hadst deferred it for a long time. If thou lettest it alone today, for this cause, perhaps to-morrow a greater will fall out, and so thou mayest be hindered a long time. Lose not the many advantages which a good confession will give, but bathe quickly in that fountain ever open.

But while it is important to go to confession speedily, what shall we say of the enormity of a bad confession, of one in which our contrition has not been sincere, oi our accusation not entire?

How fearful is the profanation of a sacrament! Hear the words of the Holy Ghost to those guilty of so great a crime. Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart? Thou hast not lied to men but to God, and tremble at the fate which so soon overtook Ananias, although of a far less grievous sin.

"Be not incredulous to the fear of the Lord, and come not to him with a double heart," says the Holy

Ghost again. "Be not a hypocrite in the sight of men, and let not thy lips be a stumbling-block to thee. Watch over them, lest thou fall, and bring dishonor upon thy soul, and God reveal thy secrets and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation, because thou camest to the Lord wickedly, and thy heart is full of guile and deceit." (Ecclus. i. 36.)

What indeed do we gain by a bad confession? We are spared a little humiliation; we have hypocritically made our confessor believe us better than we are, and for this we have profaned the sacrament of reconciliation, we have trampled on the precious Blood of Christ, we have defied God's justice, despised his mercy, and perhaps raised an obstacle to our salvation which we shall be too weak to overcome. For if we were held back at first by shame, the matter for shame is but increased; if it was difficult at first, it is still more so

now.

Let no consideration then ever lead us into so frightful a sin, and if we have ever fallen into it, seek at once to be reconciled to God by a general confession. "Be not ashamed to confess thy sins." (Eccles. iv. 31.) "He that hideth his sins shall not prosper, but he that shall confess and forsake them shall obtain mercy." (Prov. xxviii. 13.)

A PRAYER TO IMPLORE THE GRACE OF CONVERSION AND THE DIVINE ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION.

(To be repeated several days before confession.)

Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Creed.

Behold, O my God! prostrate in spirit before the throne of Thy mercy, an ungrateful child, who has a thousand times offended Thee and abused Thy kindness. Thou hast created me out of nothing, and redeemed me by the precious blood of Thy only Son. Thou hast given me the grace

to be born in the true faith, to be brought up amid good example and the blessings of Thy Church. Thou hast given me to know how good and lovely Thou art; Thou hast asked me to love Thee, and offered me heaven in return, and yet I have not hesitated to offend Thy Divine Majesty. I have sinned wilfully and knowingly; I have preferred the emptiest trifles to Thee. Alas, my God, all this I have said before; again and again have I sought reconciliation with Thee in the sacrament of penance; again and again have I promised fidelity to Thee, yet, alas, my God, although Thou hast cleansed me in Thy sacred blood, behold me again prostrate before Thee, covered with the hideous leprosy of sin, unable to return to Thee, unless Thou call me, and in Thy mercy lift me up. Oh, give me the grace now at least to make a good confession; fill my heart with sorrow for sin, let me see Thee, see myself, see all creatures, as I shall see them when death shall have removed the veil from my mortal eyes. Let me feel the importance of approaching worthily Thy tribunal of penance, and guard me from a profanation of Thy sacred blood by a bad or careÏess confession. Give me Thy light to see my sins in all their enormity; a hearty sorrow to regret and bewail them; sincerity to confess them, that, cleansed and purified in the saving blood of Thy Son, I may have strength to struggle against the enemies of my soul, and go on in the way of Thy commandments, without stumbling. “O Lord! Father and Sovereign Ruler of my life, leave me not to the counsel of my lips, ror suffer me to fall by them. Who will set