DAY 3

THE GIFT OF PIETY.

• ACT OF CONTRITION.

  O my God I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because of your punishments, but most of all because they offended you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

• Act OF FAITH.

  My God, I believe in you and all that your Church teaches, because you have said it and your love is true.

• ACT OF HOPE.

  My God, I hope in you for grace and for glory, because of your promises, your mercy and your power.

• HYMN: HOLY SPIRIT LORD OF LIGHT

  Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
  From the clear celestial height,
  Thy pure beaming radiance give,
  Come, thou Father of the poor,
  Come with treasures that endure,
  Come, thou light of all that live!
  Thou, of all consolers best,
  

  Thou, the soul's delightful guest,
  Dost refreshing peace bestow
  Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
  Pleasant coolness in the heat;
  Solace in the midst of woe...

• SCRIPTURE READING (Tobit 1:3-20)

• CONSIDERATION.

  The gift of Piety is the gift through which the Holy Spirit calls to the service of God and man, the mistress of virtues, charity. It prompts us to love God not because of his majesty but because he is our Father. It makes us love whatever is near and dear to our Divine Saviour beginning with his Immaculate Mother and going down the scale to the most abandoned soul on earth and in Purgatory. The gift of Piety, which bids us love our Father in heaven, stir up our affections for our Father and mother in the flesh, our own dear parents, for our fathers in God, the Pope, Bishops and priests, for our homes, our Church and our Country. Pride and envy beget chauvinism, which is false patriotism and narrow mindedness; the gift of Piety begets real patriotism. Let us therefore, pray fervently for this beautiful gift.

• PRAYER.

  Come O blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart, incline it to a true faith in thee, to a holy love of thee, my God, and of all my fellow creatures for thy sake.
  Amen.