The sinner lacking in will to control his evil deeds says to Jesus,
washing his hands in the divine intervention and giving proof of his
lack of due sense of responsibility: "Is it possible, sweet Saviour
of souls, that, converting so many every day, alone in my perdition,
thou mayest show thyself indifferent?" (p. 13). This is a part of a
prayer made by no less a person than His Holiness, Pope Gregory VII,
in his Devout Exercise of the Passion of Christ, Manila, 1905.
It is said also to the Virgin: "Cleanse, thou Immaculate Virgin, my
heart of all sin and take away from me all that may be unpleasant in
thy purest eyes! Purge my soul of all earthly love and affections"
(pp. 10-11, Corona Franciscana de la Virgen Maria, Manila, 1902).
By the intercession of Saint Francis, the devout one asks of God that
"I completely subdue my disorderly passions, powers, and senses,"
so "that I may subject my thoughts, measure my words, and direct my
work to the greatest perfection," and "that thou mayest soften the
hardness of my heart" (pp. 18, 20, and 21 of the Novena of Saint
Francis de Asis, Manila, 1905).
Frightened by the machinations of Satan the devout one to Saint
Filomena asks (p. 23, Novena): "She obtains from the Lord that which
destroys more and more the powers of my enemies, the devils, and that
I be saved in spite of myself."
The guidance of Saint Filomena is invoked by saying (p. 25, Novena):
"See to it that I also be chaste according to my station, and that
my mouth will not utter those words which according to St. Paul,
should not be said among the faithful."
To Saint Anna, mother of Mary, the devout one says: "Interest
thyself therefore, my Saint, that I may be granted patience in my
adversities, tolerance of wrongs, and, in everything, a tranquil mind"
(Novena, Manila, 1893, p. 10). Also the following prayer is directed:
"Put forth therefore your effort, my Saint, with thy sacred grandson,
Jesus, that every imperfection and bad desire may be taken from our
hearts, that we may pardon for love of God all wrongs."
It is not possible to cultivate a sense of dignity or self-respect
itself when doctrines are disseminated such as these, which result
from the following examples in the Novena of Santa Rosa de Lima.
Carried by her humility, she made a mere servant step on her lips
(p. 10). "She loved ridicules more than worldly honors" (p. 102). * *
* and she desired so much that all others considered her the worst in
the world, that she merited being in hell, and that it was her proper
place because of her sins. If any body happened not to know her and
that she was considered innocent, she would say "nobody knows me,
I alone know what I am" (p. 11). "Hearing once that they praised her
as being virtuous she felt so bad that she fainted" (p. 11).
In a prayer to Saint Filomena (Novena, p. 16), it is said to the
saint asking her protection: "My sins made me less than angels,
very inferior to the beasts, since these do not forget the manger of
their master, and in their own way they are grateful for their food,
and I have forgotten the house of God * * *." Not only self ridicule
comes out of these things, but lack of logic in attributing to the
gratitude of the beasts their return to their manger, when it is
clear that the motive that prompts them is simply hunger.