Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 8. Oratio ad impetrandam a Deo gratiam

Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 8. Oratio ad impetrandam a Deo gratiam

Tears. Turn back, my soul, to the Lord your God with all your heart, in weeping and lamentation, and pray for the forgiveness of all your sins and for the omission of many good works and times given to you from the first day and hour of your life until this present day and hour granted to you by God. A humble prayer and a contrite heart, along with tears and groans for daily shortcomings and for all who are troubled, tempted, and burdened, are very pleasing to God. It is a holy and pious act to pray to God for oneself and for others, because no one is without sin, and no one is free from danger in this world. True peace and eternal rest are found only in heaven; frequent sorrow and sadness are here in this exile, with a fire that burns always and a perpetual punishment in hell. So I come to you, Lord God, and I pray and will pray with my heart, voice, and actions for every evil committed in every situation and defect that may come my way. Receive my sighs with pure intention and full willingness to amend myself, along with my own resignation and the detachment from all things, so that I may merit your grace and forgiveness for all my sins during this pilgrimage through the merits and prayers of your most holy mother Mary and all your saints, who have often wept for themselves and for many others in this valley of tears, usefully and fruitfully out of love. O who will grant me the ability to imitate the examples of these saints and to avoid idle conversations of worldly rumors and the company of foolish people and light words? Jesus prayed on the mountain, stayed awake at night, wept often, never laughed vainly, nor spoke a light word. Accused, he remained silent before the governor, spoke humbly, and responded kindly to the wicked. Mary, the mother of Jesus, prayed often; she wept bitterly during His passion, suffered deeply, endured with great gentleness, stood outside with reverence, and remained secure within. She was kept safe on the way, in a quiet home. She visited her holy relative Elizabeth, greeted the humble and devoted one, served, obeyed, blessed her, and took her leave. He returned to Nazareth quickly after completing the work of mercy at the birth of John. As Jesus spoke the word of God to the crowds, Mary listened carefully, heard it with great joy, understood it wisely, held it firmly, reflected on it often, expressed it sweetly, and gave thanks to God excellently in all things. Mary Magdalene wept bitterly over her sins, sweetly for the benefits she received, generously for the sufferings of Christ, and ardently for the joys of heaven. Saint Peter wept bitterly from the deep pain of remembering his past denial and from hearing the rooster crow three times in the night. From a sudden expression of his own fragility arose a long lamentation over sin and a deep compassion for his brother's misery. O blessed tears, which suddenly washed away all the stains of sin. Saint Paul also wept bitterly over his former error in the persecution of the holy Church and for the excesses and lapses of others, longing to turn everyone to true faith and the contrition of sins, and to draw them into the fervor of holy living and the perseverance of all virtues in Christ. Saint John the Apostle also wept bitterly at the Passion of Christ, constantly grieving and standing by Him under the cross with His mother Mary. He wept also for the many errors of others, for those whose fervor of love had grown cold, for a certain young man who was deceived by feasting, and again for him, recalled and cleansed through many tears. Our holy father Augustine wept bitterly for the evils committed in the past during this life, as he humbly confesses in his writings, setting an example for all who turn to God to recall their past sins in confession with sorrow, in order to maintain greater humility; and from now on, never to repeat what has been committed with God's help, but to groan, suffer, and pray daily for all. The same holy and devoted father wept abundantly in the hymns, psalms, and divine songs recited in the church, and he was drawn to heavenly things all the more fervently as he quickly turned his mind away from all lowly matters. For him, it was a constant practice to mourn the misfortunes of others and to rejoice in their salvation, to sweeten the afflicted with the honey of charity, and to help the needy. There are also many other examples of holy men and women who received special grace from God through the outpouring of holy tears.