urselves a new
heart and a new spirit. "Be converted to Me, and I will be converted
to thee," are the words of Him who exercises on us His great mercy.

Holy Church, in her General Council assembled at Trent, defined this
contrition or repentance to be "a sorrow of mind, and a detestation of
sin committed, together with a determination of not sinning for the
future"--"_animi dolor, ac detestatio de peccato commisso, cum
proposito non peccandi de catero_."[19] Or, as the same Council says:
"Penitence was indeed at all times necessary for all men who had
defiled themselves with any mortal sin, in order to the obtaining
grace and justice, * * * that so, their perverseness being laid aside
and amended, they might, with hatred of sin and a pious grief of mind,
detest so great an offence of God."[20] And, as the Roman Catechism
explains, this means no mere feeling, but a genuine act of the will. A
mother may show more sensible signs of grief at the loss of her only
child than when sorrowing for sin, yet this is not in the least
inconsistent with the most perfect contrition or repentance.

There are times when the intense sorrow for sin arouses the whole
being of man: exciting not only the higher, but also the lower and
sensitive part of his nature. St. Mary Magdalen, David, and many other
great penitents, wept bitter tears of sorrow for their past wrongs.
This, though a heavenly favor, is no necessary part of repentance.
Indeed, it is possible to weep and to have sensible sorrow without
having a contrite heart. The three essential elements in contrition
are: hatred of past sin, grief at having sinned, and a determined
purpose at all costs to avoid, in the future, sin and the occasions of
sin. These emanate from the will of man, not from the feelings; they
must be strong or intense enough to make the sinner prefer to endure
any evil, or sacrifice any good, rather than again offend God, so
infinitely good in Himself, and so infinitely good to man.

Unhappily, it is within our power to hate, to grieve, and to purpose
amendment very sincerely, and yet not have that sorrow which fulfills
God's condition for the pardon of sin. Some human motive--such as loss
of health or wealth, injury to reputation and influence, the ignominy
and servitude of wrong-doing--may lead a man to detestation of the
past and to a firm resolve to avoid wrong in the future. Excellent as
may be such a change of mind, yet it is not sufficient to obtain
for